Park Life

Pardew coming back.

Gone.

Yeah but the NRA boys are all gun club boys with disciplined fire ratios. Antifa are more weekend dabblers. The first ominous rumbling growl of the Heckler & Koch G36 running full clip will have them shitting in their starched veggie knickers.

One side will be armed to the teeth with avocado dips and rainbow wristbands and the other automatic rifles and roids. Bring it on.

Iain.M.Banks - The Culture Novels. Start with this one. The 'Radch' series (5 posts above) a fascinating trilogy of distributed identity. Also 'The Expanse's series by James.S.A. Corey. Leviathan Awakes is Book One of that series...(There are 7 now).

The staging of the soft coup against Trump was laid down by Obama. He waited just days before the end of his administration to get the rules change which allows the intelligence community to share much more data before privacy issues are considered. Obama basically let loose the dogs and scarpered. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/12/us/politics/nsa-gets-more-latitude-to-share-intercepted-communications.html?mcubz=1

No doubt Ashley has given assurances but in the real world they probably don't mean shit. Let's see what Benny says in his next couple of interviews. If 2/3 good players come in then we can all relax...

Well you would have thought wrong.

Bet he talks to himself while he shaves. /Pardew

There was that veiled license fee threat wasn't there. BBC does go on critical binges and then gets reigned in.

Ashley has sent for a new fixer so all will be fine.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-40362594 My mate who works at an influential bank reckons the financial sector will remain in the EU come hell or high water....That the emergency forward planning meetings have had various reassurances from Govt. sources.

Divorce bill first. ''Britain and the EU agreed to focus the first stages of negotiations over Brexit on divorce proceedings from the bloc in a meeting that both sides hailed as constructive after an early concession from London on the sequence of talks. The two sides agreed to prioritise negotiations on Britain’s exit bill and a settlement on rights for EU citizens living in the UK and Britons on the continent, in line with Brussels’ longstanding demands for the structure of the discussions. Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, and David Davis, the UK Brexit minister, stressed after their talks in Brussels that an exit deal was achievable, but both conceded the talks were up against the clock, with Britain set to leave the EU in March 2019.'' https://www.ft.com/content/34b704a0-54d7-11e7-9fed-c19e2700005f?mhq5j=e1

That reminds me the local posh supermarket is now stocking this little beauty. ''Made in Rhyl by the Snowdonia Cheese Company, this is a fiery, red-wax-coated Red Leicester made from pasteurised milk with chillies and crushed pepper. The company also makes a fantastic black-wax-coated mature cheddar called Little Black Bomber, and a creamy cheddar with garlic and herbs called Green Thunder.'' http://www.visitwales.com/~/media/20db93a0820b480c800c6906ab8ba98f.ashx?h=361&la=en&w=642 http://www.visitwales.com/things-to-do/attractions/food-and-drink/welsh-cheese

On the upside at least there won't be a stampede for locally sourced vegan furniture or Alpine milk hand pulled by Wagnerian virgins at dusk on pristine buttercup adorned slopes.

Yup.

'Optics'

It's probably in the contract that Mayweather doesn't make him look silly and lets the fight go at least mid distance. Quite honestly I expect nothing less than Connor being made to look a clown - flailing away at an ever receding ghost.

Mayweather in 6. In a boxing match the gulf in class is just too huge. Mayweather is the definition of ring management and craft. Once Connor starts breathing heavily it will be all over. I know there is a lot of talk on the internets about the age gap etc...But it literally makes no difference a 50 year old boxer would make fun of a any 30 yr old MMA fighter under boxing rules. Boxing is something else. It takes about 10 years to make a boxer. The knowledge gap is just insurmountable.

Dear Prime Minister, I am writing to note your decision to hold a full and independent public inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower and to seek your assurance that the inquiry you establish will be held under the provisions of the 2005 Inquiries Act. On the assumption that it is your intention to establish a 2005 Act Inquiry, I want to share my view that it is vital that the Terms of Reference be drawn with sufficient scope for the inquiry to establish all the relevant facts and to ensure that all necessary lessons are learned. Whilst the inquiry should be limited to the awful events at Grenfell Tower, it must be empowered to consider all the steps that were, or were not, taken leading up to and contributing to this most terrible incident. It must also identify the urgent steps that need to be taken in relation to fire safety standards for other buildings of this nature. In addition to finding facts, the inquiry must be empowered to make recommendations for the avoidance of any similar future disaster – and in so doing, to consider recommendations arising from previous similar fire-related deaths. It is very important that the Terms of Reference are drawn with sufficient scope to require the participation of all those with a legitimate interest – this should undoubtedly include the bereaved families, survivors and also individuals and organisations with a legitimate interest such as the residents’ campaign and representative organisations who were involved in the period leading up to these events. Their views and experiences are as important, if not more so, as the expert opinions of state actors and their service providing contractors. I am also very concerned to ensure that this public inquiry is not used to delay any parallel actions which might be taken by interested parties. It is important that justice is served in as comprehensive and timely way possible. This must include, of course, ensuring that legal funding is available to support those involved in the inquiry and any inquests. I would also like to support the request of the Mayor of London for an interim report to be produced which I believe is important for the community to feel as if justice is being done in a timely manner. Whilst I believe that the policies and priorities of your government in the arenas of social housing and public safety are legitimate targets for my criticism, I hope we both share a determination to discover the truths underpinning this tragedy so to avoid any repetition. For these reasons, in support of my hope to publicly welcome your decision, I would appreciate early consultation on your government’s proposed inquiry Terms of Reference. In response to my question yesterday, the Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service made it very clear that survivors made homeless would be appropriately and locally rehoused. This is imperative in order that they be enabled to re-build their lives and have some hope of recovery from these devastating events. It now appears that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea may not be as committed to ensuring that all are re-housed locally. Your public re-commitment to this is imperative as part of an unequivocal, wider statement that the government will do all it can to provide timely practical support to those who have suffered so much. In this context, I note the announcement of the first government investment of £5million. Given the magnitude and scale of the crisis, this will clearly not be sufficient and I therefore await information regarding further funding plans. On a related matter, I believe that an attitude of generosity and compassion in relation to the costs of funeral expenses and ensuring that it is possible for families living outside the UK to travel here to attend funerals, as well as participate in the inquiry, is also warranted in such a tragic situation. This is particularly the case given the circumstances of many of the Grenfell Tower residents, including the number of bereaved families who may be resident overseas and the costs of burial and cremation. As was also raised at yesterday’s brief discussion in the Grand Committee, I would expect that the Home Office guarantees the replacement, as a matter of urgent priority, of all documentation for those affected. Finally, on behalf of all those in the Labour Party, may I express our admiration for those in the emergency services who responded with the utmost courage and professionalism and share our deepest sorrow at these harrowing events – and commit that we will do all in our power to ensure that this be the last such tragedy of its kind in our country. Yours sincerely, Jeremy Corbyn http://press.labour.org.uk/post/161902133969/jeremy-corbyn-letter-to-the-prime-minister