WigstonWanderer

I take it this is our shit half coming up

Abdul on form today

Thanks very much. Other options would be cheaper but I’m going for this because it should be less of a trauma (day procedure) and less chance of incontinence or impotence. The downside (apart from cost) is the more rigorous follow up and a greater likelihood if it returning elsewhere in the prostate. Turns out the reason the treatment is so expensive is that I need 5 special “needles” and each one costs $2,500! I guess there’s a patent and they’re recovering costs. Removal of the prostate is the most effective treatment as far as I understand and would be cheaper.

Thanks you. Yes I will do, particularly as this is fairly new tech treatment and my experience might be of interest to others in the same situation. Apparently it is available in the UK & David Cameron had the same procedure.

Of course they are, and Trump will carpet bomb Iranians until they are free. I’m sure they’ll be suitably grateful. I’m not trying to make any such case. It’s quite possible to be disgusted by both sides (in this case all 3). The real losers here are the Iranian and Palestinian people. Trump & Hegseth are psychopaths, Netanyahu has unleashed some of the worst messianic nutters on the planet. The fact that that the theocratic monsters in the Iranian regime actually sound more reasonable just emphasises that there aren’t any good guys amongst them.

Thanks very much everyone. I expect to be around for a few years yet, so not too worried 😂🤞

Turns out I have prostate cancer. Bit of a bummer but it is what it is. Gleason 3/4, so fairly early stage. I’m going for a relatively new tech treatment called Nano Knife which hopefully will avoid side effects and has a quite quick recovery. The cancerous areas of the prostate are zapped with electricity to kill it off leaving the rest. The main risk is to the wallet as it isn’t covered by Medicare or private insurance yet and costs about AU$25k. The stats quoted are 97% successful for eradicating the existing cancer, but a 20% chance of return within 5 - 10 years. I will have to be regularly monitored (PSA, MRI and occasional biopsies), but if it does return it should be early stage and all treatment options are still available including repeat Nano Knife. Big holiday pre-planned (nuclear winter permitting) so won’t be doing anything until June.

I’ve watched some interviews with members of the Iranian government and they sound much more measured and rational than Trump and Hegseth. Bloodthirsty psychopaths.

I suspect they’ve bitten off far more than they can chew. Short of a ground invasion (which would be very difficult as far as I can tell from most commentary), the war is likely to go on for a long time, or until Trump gets bored or TACOs, and in this case Iran will have every incentive to develop nukes. Trump has chosen the very worst path imaginable.

I think the problem is caused by trying to ensure sufficient gas backup capacity during periods of low renewables supply using private ownership which requires incentive. Hence why I suggested that nationalisation might provide an alternative.

I can’t understand why the gas peaker plants aren’t nationalised and the actual running costs simply charged back to the rest of the generation industry in some way according to their dependence on gas plants to fill in. I know it’s a complex business, and there might be good reasons, but there has to be a better way than the current pricing structure. Here in Australia too.

Considering that the cost and schedule overruns building Hinkley B are cited here in Australia as a good reason NOT to build nuclear, I’d be surprised if nuclear reactors were going to help much for the foreseeable future. I guess solar isn’t any where near as good an alternative in the UK as it is here in Australia, and something is needed. Also I suppose the regulation changes might address these issues to some extent. As well as the cost (not sure if quoted costs include decommissioning) and time it takes to build one, they are also rather inflexible as they are “always on”, when modern systems tend to require a fast response response to demand to be most useful. Perhaps SMRs will be more cost effective eventually when they are built in numbers in factories, thus gaining economies of scale and presumably faster deployment. The problem is they are still at an early stage of proving their worth and no such factory currently exists as far as I know. Probably be the Chinese who will make them viable (as usual).

I’ve been saying for years that billionaires are dangerous people and will require special laws & taxes (directed only at them), concerted worldwide effort, and a great deal of luck, to combat. Exactly how that’s done requires more powerful minds than my own. Allowing the concentration of wealth & power in this way will lead (and is leading) to the recreation of failed, barbaric systems of rule similar to those of times gone by. Their interests are simply not aligned with those of the rest of us. Worse, it will be turbo-charged by AI. You can have gross inequality & concentrations of wealth and power, or you can have democracy. You can’t have both.

Well done lads The clean sheet almost as important for confidence as the win.

Clean sheet still on!

So far, so good, but defensive collapse is always a possibility

Great strike!

TBF we’re playing quite well, but always capable of conceding at any time

And the wee little donkey

Then they will need to invade using ground troops. Can’t see Trump doing that (although who knows). Most likely outcome is that he has destroyed any chance of a negotiated, verified agreement for Iran to refrain from developing nukes, first by ripping up the JCPOA, and now this.

Whatever is left of the Iranian regime will go hell for leather to develop nukes à la North Korea

What on earth is contentious about Deb’s comment? Edit: OK, don’t bother, I see it’s already been discussed

Crap second half from us so lucky to get the point, but a good one nevertheless

I’m shocked 😱

We’re looking tired and bedraggled, surely time for subs