herfiehandbag

I do find it quite bizarre (actually it is Mike Johnson so it is, perhaps, by his standards, not bizarre) that he is so self righteously energetic in moving rapidly to stamp his authority in this relatively inconsequential matter, yet so unwilling and mealy mouthed in his excuses for opposing the release of the congressional report into Mike Gaetz. Stupidly so, since the bulk of the evidence is public knowledge, and his intransigence will inevitably result in it being leaked, making him look silly!

I should imagine that his insurance does not or will not cover the medical bills for his hospital stay in Thailand. That may be due to inadequate insurance, his own irresponsibility ( something as basic as helmet and licence), or (surely not) his insurance company wriggling out. There is also, of course, the question of what sort of hospital he is in, it does looks a bit "glitzy" for a Government hospital, and of course the possibility of some "adventurous charging". Then there is the cost of flying him back to the UK. Once he is in the UK his problems do not exactly disappear, but all his treatment will be free through the NHS. It is surprising that his family cannot raise the money, but of course we don't know to what extent their assets or property are "leveraged".

Indeed; although my pet hate when travelling on trains is being stuck adjacent to miserable bastards who insist on telling everyone how they should spend their lives! I do remember one ghastly trip from Chiang Mai down to Bangkok several years ago - 2nd class sleeping car, and the three adjacent seats/births were occupied by three young Mormon missionaries; short sleeved white shirts and sobre ties - you know the score! Things got off to a bad start when, on inquiring as to my religion I told them I was a Catholic, and found it jolly funny that the chap who founded their church went for a walk up a mountain and conveniently found a lost biblical manuscript which allowed him to shag as many young girls as he liked! Things then got worse when a rather cute young lady came round selling beers from a bucket of ice, and I assiduously flirted with her! The next morning they didn't respond to my "cheerio" when I left the train!

Have you seen the photograph of the old lady in the original post? Are you seriously suggesting that she should install an app and monitor the use of electricity over the year? Personally I have always found my local PEA office very helpful. I am sure that if someone local stepped up to the plate, and took her, the bill, and a photographic survey of the house to them they would investigate.

Back in the day in the Army a long overnight move ( coach or "green vehicle" convoy) the lads would neck a bottle of "Night Nurse" cough medicine, (not the drivers obviously). I remember one such move, Northumberland to Dartmoor, the radio coming to life at 3 am with the message "All stations, we are now passing "Nam", Cheltenham "! Gave us a giggle!

The performance of the Essex police force, shown in the graph in the OP makes truly dismal reading! Not one category of crime reached a 20% "clear up rate"!

The Soviet Union had a vast store of chemical weapons - in particular nerve agents ,persistent, to deny the use of facilities such as airfields and logistics facilities on a long term basis, and non persistent nerve and blood agents to kill large numbers of unprotected troops and civilians quickly. A significant proportion of their artillery, ammunition had chemical filling, and Soviet doctrine regarded it as simply another option along with high explosive and other fillings and fuzing options. Soviet doctrine was to use chemical weapons well before nuclear ones. The Russians retained, and have brought out of storage to use, much of the materiel and equipments from that era, tanks, armoured vehicles, (which were designed to be used on a chemical battlefield), along with the traditional artillery (122mm and 152mm calibre) and rocket systems that would deliver it. It is no stretch at all to imagine, in fact I would say that it is almost certain, that they retain the munitions, and would be prepared to use them. It is "low tech", requires relatively little training to use (if you can load a high explosive shell you can load a chemical one) and fire it.

It hasn't got cold yet...

No but we do, at least, have some choice, as opposed to being told what we have to do by Brussels, the shots being called by France and Germany.

Was he a teacher, or did he act as an "agent" fixing short term "teaching gigs" for cash strapped backpackers?

I dislike Comrade Apparatchik Starmer and the brand of autocratic socialism which seems to light his path, intensely. I look forward to some brave soul pulling the big red lever on his tractor and spraying him and his acolytes with silage fluids - after all, it shouldn't bother him, "his first job was on a farm"! But Musk is a gobshyte who should keep out of the UK's business. He has already abandoned his country of birth, bought his way into influence in his "new country" and now seems to be preaching to us

I still hold to the view that the bus riding population of Washington DC ( now that as a senior member of government he will be entitled to a limousine) will be relieved to be spared the prospect of this particular nutter making his way up the aisle towards the empty seat next to them!

I suppose that if the ship had not been offered "safe haven" in Great Yarmouth, and the opportunity to transfer this cargo under controlled supervised conditions, then much more damage would have occurred if it had sank 12 miles out. Mind you, the bills for docking under such conditions and subsequently dry docking will be substantial - any bets as to whether the MV Ruby will ever sail again, or just languish alongside until seized and scrapped - although if the vessel is contaminated that itself will be an expensive undertaking!

I thought one of the cornerstones of American conservative politics was the right of states and local communities to decide things for themselves?

How does the old song go? " Government jobs for sale or rent, cost a bit more than 50 cents"