Renton

And performed by Beheadie Eddie.

Just been sent this.

Are Vance and the Broligarchs on the same page? Vance is a theological fascist whereas with Musk etc it's all about money and power. But then there's Thiel behind Vance. Fuck knows. What's the ultimate agenda here?

Not just UK borders, or even European ones. What you want is a global alternative to neoliberalism. And presumably not communism. That's the problem. I'd like it too. But you can only play in the system you're in with the hand you're dealt. Probably the only country that could change things positively is the US, that's working out well.

What manifesto pledge has he backtracked on? I think the issue is he isn't backtracking on his pledges when unfortunately tax rises for working people are needed. So without headroom there he's gone for cuts which weren't in the manifesto. But I've just listed six separate progressive examples of taxation Labour has introduced which other parties wouldn't, all conveniently ignored. There are other positive things too, regarding changes to planning etc, but there's always someone you'll piss off. The welfare situation is shite, I agree, but Labour are still the most progressive and fair of the remotely feasible parties imo. Or maybe Farage or Badenoch will do a better job?

MAGA should at least have the decency to wait for the centenary celebrations before dragging us back to the 1930s.

Absolutely fair enough. I think the OBR is a good thing, but it is possible they need re-evaluate benefits more clearly. To use HS2 as an example (yes), the long-term benefits were never really fully taken into account, the full HS2 implementation would have been a huge economic boost, but would have been realised long after the government of the day. The real problem therefore isn't even politicians, it's the political system. Everything is adversarial and short-term. Major policies and big infrastructure projects take longer to accrue benefits than the electoral system allows for, and this is fuelled by a reactive and ignorant media. Net zero being another one.

Probably a sweet spot between start up, established SME, and corporate bollocks. I reckon I'd like to work in a boutique company but not if I was stressed about next months pay cheque.

Good news. While switching job I hit the usual bureaucracy which delayed my resignation by a couple of weeks. Turns out that delay means I have managed to get my bonus as it was already authorised by pay roll. If I had resigned 1 day earlier I would have been cut out! Summer holiday all paid for now thank fuck. This is one aspect of the private sector I'm gonna miss.

Long-term I think we can. I think the problem is the sudden transition. We're the adults, if there is nothing to be gained from escalating his madness, don't do it. Do the preparation for separation in the background.

You say this, but, haven't they? Non-Domiciled Tax Status Abolition. Capital Gains Tax Increase. Inheritance Tax Expansion. Rich farmers taken into inheritance tax. Stamp Duty on Second Homes. VAT on private schools. All of these designed to hit the wealthy, some of which generated huge negative headlines. Would the tories have done this? The Lib Dems? I doubt it.

Protection racket, without the protection. Literally worse than the mafia.

Labour. They've been in power less than a year against a backdrop of extreme economic turmoil with Trump in power. They need a chance imo. The cuts are yet to take effect and their impact is not clear. Some of the stuff, like the tweet I posted about school meals being cut, aren't true. What's the alternative? Presuming you rule out the Tories and Reform, you have the Greens and the LDs. Neither party has ever had to handle the reality of governance. It's fine for Davies to act the fool in opposition and appease whatever group he's talking to at the time, but he's never been confronted with the reality of the situation we are in and the difficult trade offs there are in everything. He's a nimby when it suits and at the same time pro-growth without saying how. As for the Greens, their policies are batshit. If you want us to undertake unilateral nuclear disarmament at this time, fill your boots. I do not like what Labour are doing. But I think three things are relevant here. First, we are in a fucking mess caused by the previous administrations intransigence over the last 14 years. It's not getting fixed overnight. Second, whatever you might think, there is a qualitative difference between Labour and the Tories. Labour's cuts are borne of necessity, not ideology. I know many people serving under Labour and I am convinced their intentions are good, even if you can't justify their actions. Finally, it's easy to snipe by the side-lines. But there is very little discussion about what the realistic alternatives are. One idea might be getting closer to the EU. I think this is probably happening under the radar, but you can't wish away the last 10 years as if nothing has happened. Then what? How do you satisfy the bond markets who de facto set our interest rates? It's a simple fact that Truss cost me thousands of pounds I couldn't afford, if that happens again now I'm fucked, I'd default on my mortgage. Then I guess you can say fuck the markets, fuck capitalism. To be replaced by what exactly? We are a medium sized country surrounded by superpowers, we are not in control of our destinies. People need to be careful what they wish for, as been proven time and time again.

Me too.

In my new job I'm going to have to stop using the work laptop for this shit, but will use my own. I just use the windows snip tool and directly put in the images. Added bonus it ensures the images are not too big.

I still can't see your images. It's an odd one like, Labour are shit scared of improving the economy through rejoining the CU and SM, partly because of polling fears. But shitting on disabled people, that's fine. You have to hope there is some master plan, after all, it is early days, but when it comes to politicians, the main lesson I have learned is don't overestimate them.

There is huge buyers remorse over Brexit though. Why Labour won't seize on this and why people like Farage get away with the blame is another matter. I guess in the latter's case it's because he's never been in power, which gives him the wriggle room he needs. I don't think that would apply if he actually achieved power, although I really don't want to find out.

They have one thing on their side - time. The government is stable and I believe will remain so. Another 4 years left. Get the bad news out now and hope for economic improvement. If this doesn't materialise they may be fucked but then they would fucked regardless probably. I think one way or another the US will be a disaster after this period due to economic and political incompetence. Popularist governments lack the competency to be successful. Against this backdrop, if the great British public elect Farage and Reform then so be it. We'll experience steep decline rather than managed decline but we'll learn our lesson.

For those with kids, a useful guide to what those emojis your kids are using really mean.

Feel like that is uncharacteristically optimistic. One this fiasco is over and the surviving 3% of humanity arise from the ashes of global nuclear war, they will have other things on their mind. I actually read something even more depressing about humanity's fate. We have one shot at this. If we go back to the stone age, we're fucked, because unlike last time, we won't have any fossil fuels left to power the second industrial revolution we'll need. I mean we may have some blueprints to help us but we won't have the resources, at least not for another 60 million years, by which time the Sun will be getting rather hot. Explains the Fermi paradox.

I mean, the US just gets more batshit by the day. Not only were 6th January insurrectionists wrongly imprisoned and released, they were heroes who will now be compensated. As for the brave security defending the Capitol that day? They had better watch their backs.

They're not fucking, that's the issue.

OAB is a weird mix of the physiological and the psychological, because its caused by afferent neurones in the bladder (a bit technical, I know). Basically its a sensory problem though. One of the things you get is "key in door syndrome". That's when you feel okay walking back from the pub, but the nearer you get home you have a huge urge to unload. By the time your key is in the door, you've pissed yourself. Experienced this a few times. Not pissed myself, but once had the ridiculous spectacle of pissing in the plant pot next to the door for the sake of 30 seconds, hoping the neighbours didn't see. @RobinRobin, you may have tried, but there are lifestyle changes you can make and bladder training exercises etc also. Work for OAB, probably not so good for BPH mind.

Life is the waiting room for the Yes Gemmill thread. However, when Gemmill is the subject of it, the Universe will explode in an cataclysm of meta-irony.