leicsmac

You're right, it is. It may also be a generalisation, but more accurate, to say that lots of the people who complain about teachers strikes take the job for granted (possibly along with most other public service jobs, sadly Covid didn't disabuse them of that notion) and also don't look any further beyond what the job entails and its difficulty than "hey, they get all summer off, don't they?"

FWIW I agree that it should be means-tested, but I'm glad that they're getting the idea out there and it's a step forward IMO. Not actually being all that sarcastic wrt the investment options, AFAIC such ventures either succeed and you make bank or they don't and no-ones money ends up worth much in short order. Worth a long-term punt.

Or if you're wanting something more long term, frees up investment in a fusion/space mining company. It'll take a while to pay off, but the returns will be... well, astronomical. NB. Isn't eight ton for a suit and glasses a little small beer for your taste?

It's splendid when acts of altruism also satisfy singular self-interest, isn't it? Everyone wins.

It would be the path of least resistance, but then at the same time I'm not sure how effective it would be at neutralising the ideas he embodies. That being said, going the other way and throwing him to the wolves and dealing with the inevitable fallout however possible is by no means guaranteed to succeed there, either.

... money might diagnose, might help limit, but really won't help cure that degenerative brain condition you could get from getting hit in the head one too many times, AJ. Might want to look beyond the dollars, dinars and pounds fvcking sterling.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czj9ekdvxx2o Guess even with his ridiculously sized ego he knows this is his last chance.

Which apparently doesn't matter when England do exactly the same. Disappointing.

Aussies maybe pushing too hard here?

https://www.space.com/earth-moon-photo-juice-uranus Great photos. And a triumph of astrodynamics to plan the gravity assists that will get it to Jupiter on minimal fuel budget. Perhaps one day we'll have the means to get there in slightly shorter time without having to plan it out like that, though.

A point with which I agree. I would add though that the point that such a definition is consequential in places outside the US also adds to the overall picture, but maybe I'm mistaken there.

Nowt to apologise for.

We've chatted about this before, and I can hardly disagree given current evidence. It's pretty plain to see that you're right - apart from a few noteworthy examples that could be used going forward, that is. But on a few matters, this isn't about moral concern - it's about survival of our civilisation.

There's something in both thoughts here. Yes, the Overton Window is skewed so far to the right in the US you can barely see it with the James Webb Telescope and they're the only ones that have a bearing on that because they're the only ones that vote there. On the other hand, our friends across the pond make political decisions that affect the entire world, in the most serious terms, so perhaps it might be a better idea for some of them to think bigger than themselves, their family and their half acre with the white picket fence.

I do wonder however what kind of conversation he could have that would lead to meaningful change without a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Congress. Sandy Hook happened over 10 years ago now.

Farage in Brum talking about how costly net zero will be. What kind of term, do you think, can describe someone clearly so unburden by any kind of care for the biosphere and future generations? How obvious is the idea that if the UK (and most everywhere else) pays now, or it pays much, much more, in blood, later.

Yeah, this. It's clearly removing a talking point that could be an obstacle at low cost.

Yeah, that's fair enough. That being said, when was the last plane (or any large scale public transport) incident conclusively traced back to a state actor? MH17 (and even that Russia blamed on "separatists")?

Perhaps, though again I would suggest (and be reasonably sure of) such a device on a reasonable sized ferry wouldn't in fact sink it, not directly or unless it was placed very close to vital systems, anyway. Security really is much more lax going onto ocean vessels, but I'm still inclined to think that causing a massive incident with one takes more effort for your average nutjob than a plane.

Size and effort required. Given the size difference between planes and a decent sized cruise ship, as well as the degree of damage required to cause a life threatening incident, the latter would require significantly more material and effort.

So quickly they wouldn't even have noticed anything was wrong.

Sadly India now demonstrating home superiority again.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62d477yg95o The foreign secretary has said climate change is a more pervasive and fundamental threat than terrorism. In his maiden speech, 100 days after taking office, David Lammy said the climate issue, along with a decline in nature, would be "central to all the Foreign Office does". He also announced the government would launch a global initiative to accelerate the rollout of clean energy. But Mr Lammy warned the UK's previous funding commitments on the issue would have to be reviewed given the "dire" state of the country's finances. The foreign secretary made clear the government considered action on climate change and nature the focus of every department. "The threat may not feel as urgent as a terrorist or an imperialist autocrat. But it is more fundamental. It is systemic, it's pervasive and accelerating towards us at pace," he said. He also said: "While I am foreign secretary, action on the climate and nature crisis will be central to all the Foreign Office does. This is critical given the scale of the threat, but also the scale of the opportunity." Lammy rather stating the obvious for anyone vaguely acquainted with the situation, but perhaps it keeps needing to be said.

Exactly. Which is why the justice system needs to stay removed from emotion as much as possible. Also, a fine demonstration of how some people lack empathy right up to the point events directly bash them over the head. Sometimes that's acceptable. Sometimes, it isn't.