Trav Le Bleu

Ironically, those groups are probably there with the idea of reaching as many people as possible, when they're actually putting people off coming there.

The one that was next to the clock tower entrance?

This reminds me that I once did a feature about Leicester's whaling fleet for an April fools on my radio show.

Is it really so difficult to take your rubbish home with you? National Trust appeal after Carding Mill Valley littering - BBC News https://share.google/y1psDC8zK4IJsx3Sr

Are you one of those people who enjoy a "golden shower"?

I imagine the person responsible is besides themselves with grief. Maybe that's punishment enough? I totally agree there needs to be accountability and trust me, I have extensive experience of irresponsible dog owners. Often terrible things happening are the result of a perfect storm of outside factors that can't be controlled leading to human error that wouldn't happen in other circumstances. It can be difficult to assess that by a third party, though sometimes there is a very clear lack of care.

That's what she said.

You're all heart.

I was tempted to start a thread for this, but maybe it can be discussed here. Privatisation. It doesn't seem to work. I get the thinking behind it. Competition between companies should reduce the waste associated with publicly owned institutions, thereby saving the tax payer money. However, corporate and individual greed usually ends in a race to the bottom as cost cutting spirals out of control or the private companies acting as a cabal to keep prices inflated. Let's look at companies once publicly owned, but now private. I'll start with the obvious ones. Water utilities - underinvested for years, paying out dividends to shareholders, at the cost of maintaining it's infrastructure, so that now we're all paying through the nose for a very poor service. What is more, you can't choose your water company, which somewhat defeats the point of privatisation. Royal Mail - steadily gone downhill since privatisation. Competing with courier companies who don't have to also deliver letters, it can't possibly do two things at the same time. The pandemic only accelerated the decline as recruitment and change of practice hasn't kept up with modern trends. Energy companies - often accused of acting as a cabal, there's little difference between any of them bar perhaps which has the least worse customer service. Trains - successfully run for over 100 years as private companies, but nationalised post WW2, have been a nightmare since being privatised again. Pretty much every complaint that was levelled at British Rail can be levelled at them, but much more expensive. It's got to the point where some rail networks have been taken back into public ownership. I'll end with the only positive sector I can think of, in the interest of balance. Telecommunications - using a phone has never been easier or cheaper. Competition is healthy and switching fairly simple. Much better than BT. So, if privatisation so rarely works, why do so many people right of centre want it? In principle, yes it should work, but there's very little actual history you can point out to validate that.

You have friends that teach you about teenage boys?

There's a balloon festival starting from Viccy Park at the end of June. I say festival, it's 25 balloons, which if you've ever been to the Bristol balloon festival (literally 100s), is a bit meh. Standard quarter-job Leicester.

They've got a slipway there... Possibly a sea tractor...

So you're not opposed to foreign weather, coming over here, nicking our cold?

And again. Cullercoats beachgoers asked not to block RNLI ramp - BBC News https://share.google/HC5ayh3Jy64BnsMtS

It's Biblical! Even Noah would be impressed.

The blue and the green were around at the same time. The blue lead with news about City and local football, while the green concentrated on the Tigers and rugby.

Ooooeeeer!

100% I would. Some of them weren't even countries a little over 100 years ago. Some of them were vassal states. Many of them have been invaded and most of Europe has experienced land warfare in the past 100 years. In fact, visit those countries and you will find them concerned about the influence English speaking culture has over them. So we do it ourselves. In fact I'd say we have been masters of it for a good 2-300 years.

Must be tricky being a vegan Muslim.

There's more than one Eid in a year.

It's only a matter of time before he builds a colosseum in which anyone from abroad has to fight to the death for the right to enter the US.

And yet if you were to strike your doctor ...

Britain has changed dramatically. Do you think Britain was like this 100 years ago? Or that the Britain of 100 years ago was like the Britain of 200 years ago? Or the Britain of 200 years... etc, etc... Perhaps we should be wearing sack cloth in roundhouses? I'd say nobody's calling anyone a racist, but that's not true. It is true though that I'm not doing that here. However, people need to realise that whatever concept they have of Britishness is a constantly evolving and indefinable notion which has been/is/will be heavily influenced by foreign actions.

The changes in towns and cities over the past 5 years are far more a result of the pandemic than immigration. Businesses closed, or went online. People started buying much more online. They didn't like the thought of going out to eat when it could be brought to you. Essentially, people got lazy. Mega-corporations took advantage. And here we are. Not sure what immigration had to do with it.

Very early in my driving experience I got rear ended at a roundabout. By my mum, who was following me and was anxious not to lose me, so when there was a gap for me, she started forward. However, I was conscious of that and waiting for a gap big enough for two cars. Didn't bother with the insurance and her car came off worse as I had a tow bar on.