General News Thread

[Brizzle Fox]

1 hour ago, Greg2607 said:

makes you wonder why Donald Trump had been watching these very bad guys for as long as he said they had been 

Well according to him he'd been watching these very bad guys in Suffolk....

 

The plot thickens.

[st albans fox]

story emerging of an possible attempted plane take over by the co pilot on a Dubai to tel aviv flight 

plane now on the ground in Saudi 

Edited 6 hours ago by st albans fox

[kenny]

5 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

story emerging of an possible attempted plane take over by the co pilots on a Dubai to tel aviv flight 

plane now on the ground in Saudi 

Rumour is the pilots were a Russian and a Ukrainian and they had a fight in the cockpit.

[st albans fox]

44 minutes ago, kenny said:

Rumour is the pilots were a Russian and a Ukrainian and they had a fight in the cockpit.

I think that’s not a reasonable rumour 

but my 2026 bingo card has lots of space still on it 

 

just watched a video from the plane 

lots of blood 

not a fist fight between pilots. 
 

Edited 6 hours ago by st albans fox

[kenny]

10 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

I think that’s not a reasonable rumour 

but my 2026 bingo card has lots of space still on it 

 

just watched a video from the plane 

lots of blood 

not a fist fight between pilots. 
 

Ouch

[Trav Le Bleu]

3 hours ago, JonnyBoy said:

the house faces a field rather than inwards -

My experience of new builds is strictly limited to the new estates I've had developing on my postie rounds. As such I miss the traditional straight lines of older roads. All these cul-de-sacs and cul-de-sacs off cul-de-sacs and so on are a nightmare for us posties. Especially the ones that split so the odd numbers go one way and the even in the opposite direction, meaning for instance that 13 isn't opposite 14, it's 200m away.

 

Regarding looking out towards fields (you're in one of those split cul-de-sacs aren't you?), hopefully you'll get a few years before they decide to build more houses opposite you. I've seen this quite a few times. I guess all newly built estates do this to someone.

 

On one, the first bad storm and several houses had roof tiles blown off. Several tiles from several houses. I know because I had to keeping stepping over and around broken tiles. 

 

On another several houses guttering collapsed after heavy rain. Not to mention the flooding (built on flood plains, of course.)

 

I think my job might have coloured my opinions.

 

 

 

 

[st albans fox]

16 minutes ago, kenny said:

Ouch

quite a ride !
 

[ClaphamFox]

23 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

I think that’s not a reasonable rumour 

but my 2026 bingo card has lots of space still on it 

 

just watched a video from the plane 

lots of blood 

not a fist fight between pilots. 
 

There doesn't appear to be any suggestion it was a Russia/Ukraine thing. It seems one of the pilots wanted to crash the plane and the other tried to stop him and got stabbed for his pains. The passengers and crew managed to subdue the attacker and two other pilots on the plane, travelling as passengers, managed to land it. The  flight's destination was Israel, which may or may not be significant when determining the motive of the would-be mass murdering pilot.

[Wymsey]

Will it literally never?...

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwz0zvj4m1myo

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

2 hours ago, Sampson said:

I think the triple lock is more of an optics thing on the generational divide, I think a lot of gen z and millennial voters concentrate on the pension system because they endlessly hear the Tories and Reform telling them that they are workshy and faking mental health issues in order to not work and claim benefits when the overwhelming majority of social spending is actually on pension benefits and the healthcare system which is overwhelmingly used by older baby boomers. I think there's a feeling amongst younger people that they're often attacked for being too costly to the state when in reality the baby boomers cost the state far more, but they're too big a voter base because of population ageing that no one dares say it. Going after the triplelock is a bit of a tacit nod towards gen z and millennial voters that Burnham recognises that I think.

 

I thought Burnham's speech was fantastic - all the things we were told Starmer had to avoid but which many of us really wanted him to talk about in 2024 - the clearly nonsensical voting system, the problems of Thatcherism and de-industrialisation, finally being allowed to talk about Brexit again and recognising the clear majority opinion, especially amongst working aged people, that it's been a disaster, meanwhile he didnt mention Reform or the Tories once trying to just say "well vote for me because I'm not them".

 

People dont have to agree with him, as you might not like general left of centre politics which is fine, but It felt like the speech of an actual proper Labour leader who actually stood for progressive politics and was actually trying to engage in top-level political and philosophical arguments and not just "manage by focus groups" under Starmer where no one knew where he even stood on the political spectrum and he just floated in the wind of what the latest focus group told him to do.

There are more gen Z than baby boomers. The majority of boomers are in fact dead. The difference is that a lower percentage of young people tend to vote.

 

In fact millennials are by far the largest group and most politically active.

 

Personally I think people vote short term and to their own immediate advantage, rather than long term and what's good overall. 

 

Having said this, because people vote in such away, many policies are designed to appeal to particular groups, rather than the whole. Invariably you can help one group a lot (probably to another group's detriment), rather than everyone a little (that could go largely unnoticed or unreported.)

Edited 6 hours ago by Trav Le Bleu

[JonnyBoy]

14 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

My experience of new builds is strictly limited to the new estates I've had developing on my postie rounds. As such I miss the traditional straight lines of older roads. All these cul-de-sacs and cul-de-sacs off cul-de-sacs and so on are a nightmare for us posties. Especially the ones that split so the odd numbers go one way and the even in the opposite direction, meaning for instance that 13 isn't opposite 14, it's 200m away.

 

Regarding looking out towards fields (you're in one of those split cul-de-sacs aren't you?), hopefully you'll get a few years before they decide to build more houses opposite you. I've seen this quite a few times. I guess all newly built estates do this to someone.

 

On one, the first bad storm and several houses had roof tiles blown off. Several tiles from several houses. I know because I had to keeping stepping over and around broken tiles. 

 

On another several houses guttering collapsed after heavy rain. Not to mention the flooding (built on flood plains, of course.)

 

I think my job might have coloured my opinions.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, tbf there already has been a few new developments in the area so fingers crossed won't build opposite as there just aren't the amenities in the area to support the extra footfall. Also there is  a bit of space, then a hedge so it be beyond that if they were to build! 

 

It really annoys me when people have drives but park on the road opposite a car that is also parked on the road, there is no way an ambulance.fire engine can pass. Don't get me on paying the yearly service fee either, already onto them about dead trees on the estate since the drought, in their terms they have full responsibility of the tree even through drought so this is going to be an interesting battle. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

4 hours ago, Greg2607 said:

makes you wonder why Donald Trump had been watching these very bad guys for as long as he said they had been 

He was stood outside, watching through the windscreen.

 

Also, why were they wearing hoods and balaclavas, but no tops? 

 

Weird kink.

Edited 6 hours ago by Trav Le Bleu

[Trav Le Bleu]

2 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

 

Yes, tbf there already has been a few new developments in the area so fingers crossed won't build opposite as there just aren't the amenities in the area to support the extra footfall. Also there is  a bit of space, then a hedge so it be beyond that if they were to build! 

 

It really annoys me when people have drives but park on the road opposite a car that is also parked on the road, there is no way an ambulance.fire engine can pass. Don't get me on paying the yearly service fee either, already onto them about dead trees on the estate since the drought, in their terms they have full responsibility of the tree even through drought so this is going to be an interesting battle. 

Oh, people who have (empty) drives parking on the road does my head in, but even more is when they park in the bit where the road flares out a bit so vehicles can turn around, rather than their drive.

[nnfox]

6 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

He was stood outside, watching through the windscreen.

 

Also, why were they wearing hoods and balaclavas, but no tops? 

 

Weird kink.

Likely told to remove tops when arrested.  Suspected terrorist = increased risk of suicide vest.

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 minute ago, nnfox said:

Likely told to remove tops when arrested.  Suspected terrorist = increased risk of suicide vest.

Note to terrorists...

 

Wear exploding pants.

[deep blue]

3 hours ago, Sampson said:

I think the triple lock is more of an optics thing on the generational divide, I think a lot of gen z and millennial voters concentrate on the pension system because they endlessly hear the Tories and Reform telling them that they are workshy and faking mental health issues in order to not work and claim benefits when the overwhelming majority of social spending is actually on pension benefits and the healthcare system which is overwhelmingly used by older baby boomers. I think there's a feeling amongst younger people that they're often attacked for being too costly to the state when in reality the baby boomers cost the state far more, but they're too big a voter base because of population ageing that no one dares say it. Going after the triplelock is a bit of a tacit nod towards gen z and millennial voters that Burnham recognises that I think.

 

I thought Burnham's speech was fantastic - all the things we were told Starmer had to avoid but which many of us really wanted him to talk about in 2024 - the clearly nonsensical voting system, the problems of Thatcherism and de-industrialisation, finally being allowed to talk about Brexit again and recognising the clear majority opinion, especially amongst working aged people, that it's been a disaster, meanwhile he didnt mention Reform or the Tories once trying to just say "well vote for me because I'm not them".

 

People dont have to agree with him, as you might not like general left of centre politics which is fine, but It felt like the speech of an actual proper Labour leader who actually stood for progressive politics and was actually trying to engage in top-level political and philosophical arguments and not just "manage by focus groups" under Starmer where no one knew where he even stood on the political spectrum and he just floated in the wind of what the latest focus group told him to do.

I don't get your rant about baby boomers.  They have been investing in the system for decades (taxes NI etc) and are now reaping their rightful benefits.  Not their fault if successive governments have cocked up their financial management over the years so they can't afford to pay up now.

 

I suspect your attitude may be coloured by your age ... wait till you're a bit older and you may change your ideas.

[The Bear]

1 hour ago, Wymsey said:

Will it literally never?...

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwz0zvj4m1myo

 

I read about that a couple of months ago and fixed my energy deal for 18 months with Octopus. 

 

For those on the price cap, don't forget to do a meter reading before tomorrow when the prices go up. 

[Robo61]

7 minutes ago, deep blue said:

I don't get your rant about baby boomers.  They have been investing in the system for decades (taxes NI etc) and are now reaping their rightful benefits.  Not their fault if successive governments have cocked up their financial management over the years so they can't afford to pay up now.

 

I suspect your attitude may be coloured by your age ... wait till you're a bit older and you may change your ideas.

Except of course  we were the very people who voted for those governments.   Also for the vast majority of our working lives there was no promise of a triple lock for pensions.   Burnham’s proposals for the state pension are more generous than the vast majority of previous governments.   

[davieG]

1 hour ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

There are more gen Z than baby boomers. The majority of boomers are in fact dead. The difference is that a lower percentage of young people tend to vote.

 

In fact millennials are by far the largest group and most politically active.

 

Personally I think people vote short term and to their own immediate advantage, rather than long term and what's good overall. 

 

Having said this, because people vote in such away, many policies are designed to appeal to particular groups, rather than the whole. Invariably you can help one group a lot (probably to another group's detriment), rather than everyone a little (that could go largely unnoticed or unreported.)

I've always said it's the same pool of money that just gets switch to different uses depending on which political party is in government

[fox_up_north]

I'm late 30s. I don't really expect a pension and most of my generation don't. Can we just have a sensible authoritarian make some decisions for 10+ years and think longer term?

[Joe90]

A massive well done to all the brave passengers who helped stop another terrorist attack! A pathetic ideology these cave men have!!