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Lockdown Sceptic
1 year ago

Wednesday Morning  
London Rd, Broad Lane, Lily Hill Drive 
Bracknell

Banner Photos:
Luckley Rd, Wokingham RG40 3EP
Pingewood Solar Farm, Reading RG30 3UL

201
pjar
1 year ago

£310m to rebuild a derelict stadium?

Sounds like a scam to me. Something along the lines of the Irish biofuel subsidy project, perhaps.

How is anyone going to get a return on spending that amount on a stadium clearly nobody actually wants or it wouldn’t be derelict? No wonder it needs bailing out…

EppingBlogger
1 year ago
Reply to  pjar

Government “investment” never gives a financial return other than to the PR industry.

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago
Reply to  pjar

It’s not a scam. It’s a football stadium that needs a lot of money to be built to the standard required by UEFA if it’s to host games in Northern Ireland during the 2028 European Football Championship taking place in the UK and Ireland. But the stadium belongs to the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), where GAA games will primarily be played (and have in the past been played), not soccer. It could also be used for pop concerts. So the decision has to be made as to whether it’s worth spending so much money for a few games in one soccer tournament in 2028, or whether it would be better to build a smaller cheaper stadium that wouldn’t host any UEFA soccer games but would be used for GAA games, which would mean Northern Ireland would be the only region of the UK and Ireland not to host any of the EUFA 2028 games. Some kind of stadium has to be built at Casement Park, as money was spent upgrading the two main soccer and rugby grounds in Belfast, and the same was promised for the GAA, more than ten years ago. But the costs have soared since then. There… Read more »

huxleypiggles
1 year ago
Reply to  pjar

As I understand it the stadium is located in a Republican area and the intention is to enrage the nearby Unionist population. Which sounds about right for this vile Sue Gray. Obviously the aim is to have the Irish uniting and fighting amongst themselves rather than fighting the third world islamists.

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Yes, it’s in a very republican/nationalist area of the city, west Belfast, which has very few facilities, venues and attractions, compared to other parts of the city.

Monro
1 year ago

Germany to halve military aid for Ukraine despite possible Trump White House Trump has a point. Why should America fund the Ukraine military if Europe will not? Why should Britain fund the Ukraine military if Europe will not? ‘“Russia must not win and Ukraine must not lose.” Scholz ‘Zum Sterben zu viel, zum Leben zu wenig’ Oh! That’s the U.S. strategy as well. And the ‘Friedenskanzler’ (Peace Chancellor) plays well with some voters. For many Germans who grew up in communist East Germany, Russia is still regarded as more of a friend than a foe. East Germany was never subjugated by the Soviets to the degree that Poland and other Warsaw Pact countries were, and so attitudes toward Russia in Germany’s east are — to this day — much more positive. That tendency is reflected in political polling, with the pro-Russian Alternative for Germany (AfD) party leading in all five of the states that comprised East Germany (except for Berlin). There’s only one problem with this strategy for Scholz. On December 8th 2021, and by January 14th 2022, he had an approval rating of 65 percent. This rating peaked in March 2022 at 73 percent. As of June 2024, however, only 28… Read more »

Mogwai
1 year ago

Cheatle woman says she’s no intention of resigning. I think that’s because she’s confident they won’t fire her arse. Why is that? Maybe her higher ups would worry she’d spill the beans and they’d have to find a way of silencing her permanently. Who knows? They’re more than capable, evidently. This article seems to back up the fact that a job in government means you’re safe as houses, they rarely get the sack and even fired people don’t stay fired; ”However, one sector of jobs seems to be ironclad: The U.S. government. Federal workers are very rarely fired or laid off and have more protections, according to a new article in the Washington Examiner. This is partially due to President Joe Biden putting a stronger push on hiring union workers for these jobs, more so than Trump did before him. The article noted recent data that shows just 4,000 of 1.6 million government workers lost their jobs in recent years — just 1% of the population of people holding these positions. And for those who are dismissed from their gigs, they usually get the job back through the work of an arbitrator. The American First Policy Institute has reported that over 50%… Read more »

modularist
1 year ago

David Aaronovitch reflects on his victimhood and MAGA supporters not being bright enough to understand his tweet: https://davidaaronovitch.substack.com/p/it-wasnt-me

It’s rare for me to praise MSM, but one of its virtues is that it has editors.

Mogwai
1 year ago

I won’t pretend to know much about this particular topic, but can anyone who has knowledge comment if this is fishy or relevant? Or is it just a bit too ‘rabbitholey’? ”A company called Austin Private Wealth LLC shorted 12,000,000 shares of $DJT via a put option. The filing date is July 12th, the day before the assassination attempt. They have around $1 Billion in assets under management and this is by far the largest put placed. According to a source the trade represents 6% of total shares and over 16%! of the float of the stock given the fact that Trump owns 60% of the company. This is a giant bet when you consider their total AUM but wait there’s more…” https://x.com/JoshWalkos/status/1813697562609623396 More here; ”To make things even more interesting, my source tipped me off with the following two images from their Bloomberg terminal. The screenshot on the left shows the Put by Austin Private Wealth LLC, that was taken earlier this morning. It shows the 120,000 puts. As you can see their position is by far the largest, the next closest is Citadel Advisors with 16,770. Here is where it gets interesting, the screenshot to the right was… Read more »

huxleypiggles
1 year ago
Reply to  Mogwai

I have seen similar Mogs. The implications of a deliberate plan to murder Donald Trump are obvious so somebody leaked.

Mogwai
1 year ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Well I’m no longer big on coincidences but nor do I see conspiracies everywhere, so I tread a fine line. But scratch the surface in most scenarios and you find Blackrock and Vanguard. It’s always the same behind the scenes big players and you just have to follow the money, as with all things, it seems. All things considered I’m very doubtful what’s happening here is just some incredibly timely but completely unrelated event. I did see the Blackrock advert with gunman Crooks in it, but didn’t pay much attention because there was also several other high school kids in it who did not go on to become assassins, but now I’m not so sure it’s mere coincidence; ”REVEALED: The firm that took the suspicious and enormous bet against President Trump’s Truth Social stock ($DJT) ONE DAY before the assassination attempt is Austin Private Wealth LLC, majority held by George Soros’ Vanguard and BlackRock. Coincidentally, BlackRock, the party that would have greatly profited from President Trump’s death, included the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, in a 2022 promotional video. Alex Soros infamously shared an Atlantic Magazine cover image which featured a bullet hole in glass, followed by a picture of cash… Read more »

Monro
1 year ago

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/07/09/southern-russian-heat-wave-knocks-out-power-for-over-500k-people-a85661

‘Nearly 600,000 people in southern Russia have been left without electricity amid an abnormal heat wave that led to a spike in energy consumption, the Energy Ministry said Tuesday.

The power cuts have affected the Rostov region (324,000 people affected), the Krasnodar region and the republic of Adygea (181,000), and the Astrakhan region (94,300).

‘Energy workers in these regions are conducting emergency restoration efforts’

What’s really going on?

For two days now the south of the so-called Russia, and temporarily occupied Crimea, have experienced major issues with the energy system. Many cities were left without electricity.

The Russian channel “13th” states that this happened due to a Ukrainian drone strike on a turbogenerator at the Rostov nuclear power plant.

Drones attacked an energy substation in Russia’s Rostov Oblast, as well as a substation and oil depot in Volgograd Oblast overnight on July 9.

This is going to get worse.

The growth of Ukraine’s domestic drone industry over the past two years has been striking, with more than 200 drone-manufacturing companies created. The Ukrainian authorities have allocated $2 billion for the production of drones in 2024, with a Ukrainian annual production target of one million FPV drones.

Triple hard hats all round, comrade…….

For a fist full of roubles
Reply to  Monro

I just asked by contact in Rostov on Don about the power cuts. We have had a bit, he said.
I live in a village in Cheshire an we have power cuts occasionally.

For a fist full of roubles

my contact

For a fist full of roubles
Reply to  Monro

Drone manufacturing is a cottage industry. Even grannies are knitting them in their spare moments.

huxleypiggles
1 year ago

😃 😀 😀

For a fist full of roubles
Reply to  Monro

What’s really happening in Ukraine. Regular power cuts are causing supermarkets to sell unsafe food. Cases of food poisoning are rising rapidly.

Monro
1 year ago
Reply to  Monro

Since April numbers of ‘Ukrolancet’ drones have been deployed – slightly larger FPVs, with wings rather than rotors and a much greater range than their rotary-winged cousins, equivalent to the Russian Lancet. Operators talk about ranges being doubled or tripled; this would be 24-36+ miles, bringing the vast bulk of Russian artillery within range. The Lancet has a maximum range somewhere between 25 and 50 miles.
“Russia deploys Lancets to attack priority targets and they have become increasingly prominent in the key counter-battery fight, striking enemy artillery,”

In May 2023 the figure for artillery destroyed as was 553. This rose unsteadily to a (then) record of 1160 in May 2024. The total for June was 1460. The total to July 15th was 769 suggesting that the figure for the month will be even higher.

CGW
CGW
1 year ago
Reply to  Monro

Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (18 July 2024): Units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 57th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 125th Territorial Defence Brigade, and 13th National Guard Brigade near Volchansk, Liptsy, and Staritsa (Kharkov region). Two counter-attacks launched by units of the AFU 92nd Assault Brigade were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to up to 160 Ukrainian troops, six motor vehicles, one 152-mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery system, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, and two 122-mm D-30 howitzers. Units of the Zapad Group of Forces continue to take more advantageous lines and positions. Losses were inflicted on formations of the AFU 21st, 60th, 115th mechanised brigades, and 1st National Guard Brigade near Torskoye, Ivanovka, and Krasny Liman (Donetsk People’s Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 520 Ukrainian troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, one 122-mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, one U.S.-made 105-mm M119 howitzer, and one Anklav electronic warfare station. Six AFU ammunition depots have been destroyed during the day. As a result of active offensive actions, units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the… Read more »

Monro
1 year ago
Reply to  CGW

“We know why we are fighting, especially here in Kharkiv, where our families and friends live. So of course, we are even more motivated,” he says. “On the other hand, when we capture Russian prisoners, we see that they don’t know why they are fighting. For me, they have no chance of winning the war.” “We stopped the Russians. The front is stabilized. The offensive wasn’t a surprise, and they had to sacrifice a lot of men and equipment that they can no longer use in the Donbas,” he said. Vyacheslav also believes that the difficult days are behind them and that Western aid is starting to make a difference on the front. “I can’t reveal everything because it’s classified, but all I can say is that we are seeing an improvement in our capabilities and that our brigade has received more than we could hope for.”  The commander is particularly pleased with the arrival of Bradley vehicles and new grenade launchers.   “It will take us some time to learn to use them to their full potential, but it’s very good news,” he says. Ansar, who commands a unit of foreign fighters, is much more direct about the arrival… Read more »

For a fist full of roubles
Reply to  Monro

I love the advert at the bottom of the home page of the Moscow Times. I think we know how much you can rely on it for an unbiased view.

For a fist full of roubles
Reply to  Monro

Here it is

MT
Monro
1 year ago
Reply to  Monro

Joseph Roche is an independent journalist covering Ukraine and the Middle East.

A former analyst at Oxford Analytica, he holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

transmissionofflame
1 year ago

“Smoking ban will save lives”

Where have we heard something about saving lives before?

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago

See below

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

I think all drugs should be legalised for adults

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago

See below: “If your answer is yes, at least you are consistent (though insane)”!

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

Call people who disagree with you insane – great tactic

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago

Don’t take that too seriously, I think it would be ‘insane’ to make all illegal drugs legal and freely available to 18-year-olds and above, I don’t actually mean that anyone who disagrees is literally insane.

For a fist full of roubles
Reply to  godknowsimgood

But if the cap fits ….

The old bat
1 year ago

I would enjoy a drug assisted Olympics. Just think of the extremes the human body could reach with the legal use of amphetamines and the like.

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  The old bat

I think this exists

For a fist full of roubles

I think all drugs should be banned except when prescribed. I don’t see why people should enjoy themselves. This is Britain for goodness sake – we need to keep up our miserable reputation.

transmissionofflame
1 year ago

Lol, yeah, suggest it to the New Puritans and they will jump at the chance

huxleypiggles
1 year ago

So long as it’s ‘safe and effective’ tof.

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Lol yeah the Pfizer Olympics – get the ambulances ready

Free Lemming
1 year ago

“Don’t cancel Tenacious D” – Kyle Gass’s tasteless gag about the Trump shooting has been blown out of all proportion, writes Fraser Myers in Spiked From the article… “But there is no denying that this was indeed a joke…” Ahhh, Fraser Myers. The same Fraser Myers that locked himself away and pleasured himself for several years about the thought of more ‘vaccines’. I’m pretty sure he still has a secret room with plenty of Kleenex in. Thick as a plank and with the moral playlist of a slug, this brain-dead moron literally is incapable of understanding that, for the far-left (which now makes up nearly half of society), that wishing Trump dead the same day as a failed attempt on Trump’s life is very real encouragement to fulfill the goal. It was no joke. He would not shed a tear or feel any remorse about a Trump killing and, in fact, would sing a merry tune from the highest of rooftops. Nope, no joke at all. And this is because the left are so f*ckin dumb they’re completely oblivious to the fiery trident they hold as they shout that Trump is the devil. Myers is far, far, too stupid to… Read more »

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  Free Lemming

Maybe I am stupid too because I think we have to distinguish between speech and action otherwise we are on the slippery slope to censorship

Who decides?

Free Lemming
1 year ago

I’d like to think common sense decides. That ‘joking’ that person A should be killed, literally hours after someone has just attempted to kill person A, can never be considered a ‘joke’ – particularly when person A is considered divisive and lots of people would love to see person A dead. And it should be pretty obvious that certain speech at a certain moment leads to action. I guess common sense is also dead though.

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  Free Lemming

Who decides what “common sense” is? The courts, controlled by the people with power.

Free Lemming
1 year ago

Common sense can’t be defined or understood, but one thing’s for sure – it ain’t that common. That’s how far societies fell, us trying to define what’s ‘common sense’. I’m not traditionally religious, but this is where we get to when we have no common morals – a battle between people that think mutilating children is virtuous, and people that think that mutilating children goes against common sense. Maybe we can just go with what feels right?

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  Free Lemming

You make some good points. I just think we have to be very careful regarding speech, and allow almost all of it.

I like the US Supreme Court’s definition in this case: Brandenburg v. Ohio – Wikipedia

Ohio’s criminal syndicalism statute violated the First Amendment, as applied to the state through the Fourteenth, because it broadly prohibited the mere advocacy of violence rather than the constitutionally unprotected incitement to imminent lawless action.

Dinger64
1 year ago

“Smoking ban ‘will save countless lives’ say U.K.’s top health experts”

And what of personal choice and personal freedoms?

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago
Reply to  Dinger64

I would like to ask anyone who is opposed to the proposed smoking ban, are you also opposed to all other drugs being illegal, such as heroin and crystal meth? Are you in favour of teenagers having the personal choice and personal freedom to legally buy any type of drug – including all drugs currently illegal?

If your answer is yes, at least you are consistent (though insane).

If your answer is no, if you think cigarettes should be legal for everyone including teenagers, but not heroin, crystal meth, cocaine, etc, can you explain your inconsistency? Why is it okay to allow teenagers to buy one dangerous drug with no benefit to society (unlike alcohol) but not allow them to buy other dangerous drugs?

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

I’ve answered your question above but also would point out that (as I understand it) the smoking ban will eventually apply to everyone, not just teenagers – it will increment year on year

It’s just another form of health fascism and I want to live in a different country from anyone who supports this – mind your own bloody business

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago

So you think that all drugs should be legally available to all adults including young adults! At what age to you think this freedom to buy any drug – no matter how dangerous – should begin? 16? 18? 21?

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

18 is I believe the age we’ve chosen, happy with that

“Benefit to society” Lol. What is “society” and who defines “benefit”? No thanks, mind your own business

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago

So you want heroin, crystal meth, fentanyl, cocaine, etc, to be made legal for 18-year-old schoolboys and schoolgirls to freely purchase. 

And to any parents outraged by this “freedom”, you would say “mind your own business”!

What’s to stop an 18-year-old giving these extremely dangerous drugs to their 16-year-old friends, to 15-year-olds, 14-year-olds? What’s to stop 14-year-olds giving them to 12-year-olds, 10-year-olds?

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

Yes
Life is full of dangers which we can choose to avoid or not

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago

Do you not think life is dangerous enough for young people without making it even more dangerous?

Do you not think there are more than enough people addicted to drugs without making it easier for even more people to get addicted?

Where is the freedom in addiction?

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

What other adults do that doesn’t directly harm me is none of my business, and what I do that doesn’t directly harm you is certainly none of yours

We need to live in different countries

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago

Name me a country where you could live where people have the freedom to purchase whatever highly addictive drugs they want?

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

Probably nowhere
We need a new country for people who want to mind their own business, away from fascist communist do gooders

Dinger64
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

So under those beliefs, alcohol, car driving, plane flights, cruises in fact everything should be illegal to either save money of save lives?
Wrap us all up in cotton wool and put us in a box… guess what.. we suffocate!

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago
Reply to  Dinger64

You’re going from one extreme to the other: You think the choice is to make everything dangerous illegal or make everything thing dangerous legal. Those are definitely not the only two choices.

Life is a question of balance, and it’s a matter of judgement as to what should be legal and what should be illegal. There is no society which allows everything to be legal.

But my point is that unless you think – apparently as transmissionofflame thinks – that every illegal drug should be made legal, then you cannot object to the principle of the smoking ban. You can still object to the smoking ban, but not on principle. Whereas transmissionofflame can object to it on principle.

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

Whose judgment?

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago

The judgement of democratically-elected parliamentary representatives in the same way that all laws restricting freedom are made, such as the law against driving on the wrong side of the road.

Or do you think you should have the freedom to drive on either side of the road you want, anywhere, at any time?

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

Driving on the other side of the road is legal actually. But don’t cause a crash – that is not legal. How does me smoking harm you?

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago

Yes, I know that driving on the other side of the road can be legal under certain circumstances, that’s why I said ‘do you think you should have the freedom to drive on either side of the road you want, anywhere, at any time?

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

I think the laws covering that are probably reasonable enough though like a lot of road regulations possibly over zealous
I can’t see any parallel between that and stopping people smoking

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago
Reply to  Dinger64

So under those beliefs, alcohol, car driving, plane flights, cruises in fact everything should be illegal to either save money of save lives?

Car driving, plane flights, cruises, and most things which could be regarded as dangerous, are not highly addictive. There is no freedom in addiction. Therefore, by allowing and encouraging people to become addicted to highly addictive substances – by making the substances legal and freely available – you are encouraging people to be addicted and encouraging them to lose their freedom.

Alcohol can be highly addictive (as I well know from experience of a close loved one – though it’s not addictive for me) but in most people’s judgement, for various reasons, alcohol should not be made illegal, and it was tried before in the USA and failed.

Dinger64
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

I do appreciate what your saying but unfortunately all societies must have regulations ,it’s up to the powers that be to enforce what they regard as the ‘limits’ this is were the problems lie
It just seems they always need to go over the top with their regulations and bans, for our own good of course!

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago
Reply to  Dinger64

Not for our own good – we will remain free to buy cigarettes – but for the good of children who will never miss what they will never get addicted to.

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

Eventually nobody will be able to buy cigarettes but according to you that’s OK because we will all be dead by then
People enjoy smoking- leave them alone

Mrs Bunty
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

Personally I hate and detest smoking, makes me feel sick even smelling smoke BUT if someone wants to smoke, have at it I say. There’s enough literature around to warn them of the perils of smoking. Likewise drugs, as with smoking, never have never will. Again there is enough literature around to warn them of the dangers of the drug and its addiction, whichever your poison.
The difference with drugs is the addiction can be so overwhelming the addicts can’t control themselves and are a danger to themselves and possibly others, just look at photos of San Francisco nowadays. Therefore drugs can be a controlled substance in my opinion. As with all things, if someone is so inclined they will get whatever their particular habit is, be it drugs, alcohol, illicit tobacco.
As you say prohibition was tried and failed, why give the government another stick to hold over us by banning tobacco, they earn enough from the duty so I’m puzzled why they bother.

godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
1 year ago
Reply to  Mrs Bunty

…why give the government another stick to hold over us by banning tobacco…?

Why? For the health and wellbeing of children who will never miss the horrible addictive product they will never have.

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

You keep talking about children but the proposed law will apply to adults
If you want to “do good”, become a priest or a social worker or a health guru, but don’t hide behind the coercive power of the state to have your opinions imposed on everyone else
Yours is exactly the attitude that enabled the scamdemic

transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

“There is no freedom in addiction”

Says who? You? Speak for yourself, not others.

huxleypiggles
1 year ago

https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/trump-in-the-nasty-world-of-the-guardian/

The left’s view of the attempted murder of Donald Trump as typified by The Groan. Not surprisingly it was all Trump’s fault.

Dinger64
1 year ago

You import the third world, you become third world 🌎