malumbu

I blame it on the PM, he seems to want to return to a Churchillian wartime Britain, when many road signs were in the wrong direction to confuse any invading army. Or more likely to be pranksters, seeing as we escaped the extreme weather seen in West London yesterday

malumbu Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Japan has twice our population and less than a tenth of our deaths. They are obviously doing something right. We are opening up for live events. I really don't understand why we are questioning the Games going ahead, obviously with good hygiene, quarantine where necessary etc. > > India and the IPL is a (Modi) basket case. Let's assume that Japan isn't led by a similar leader to > him, Trump or Bolsonaro. Well I'll hold my hand up for getting that one wrong. And whilst I have now moved to the libertarian right in terms of opening up the UK, when we get the surge, including those watching England at Wembley and large communal events on Sunday, I'm sure I'll be eating humble pie again. Apols, this is not an amusing business.

Well it's not a few louts then, far many. Better discussion on the zero tolerance thread, but think it is worth adding that as a nation we encourage excess drinking. I should know, I was p.ssed for much of my late teens and twenties. Not big or clever, but despite numerous embarrassing incidents, I never got into any situations like we saw on Sunday.

Extract from PM's statement yesterday: "And to those who have been directing racist abuse at some of the players, I say shame one you....." Yes, well articulated but then: "...and I hope you will crawl back under the rock from which you emerged." Who advised you just to send and insult? How does this help? You may have just have said "flip off and die". Something along the lines of "I am proud to live in a multi-cultural country, and this team has shown the best of this. Racism has no place in modern England". I've not seen the racist tweets and have no desire to see these, but some sentiments will reflect what many in this country will feel, whether through ignorance or embedded racism. Our Prime Minister needs to show better leadership. We are stuck with him, whereas Patel is expendable should he be brave enough to sack her.

Duncan, we are on another planet here. I was in Germany - Cologne, Dortmund and the like, in 06 for the world cup and the atmosphere around the towns and bars was wonderful. It took a bit of a dive when the England fans arrived, and there was no Russia either. It will be pretty safe in 2024 too. I expect that things will have declined a little with the rise of Nationalism, in particularly in the East. But football in the 00s, including as an away fan, isn't a patch on the later part of the 20th century in terms of violence and intimidation. I've been struck since being in London generally how good things have been, even at the New Den. Very different to being kept behind at the Old Stamford Bridge and the Boleyn Ground in the 90s, with a police escort afterwards.

edcam Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Despicable but unsurprising, given the atmosphere > the tories have created over the last few years. Wow, what a narrow perspective. This lot have embraced populism, and soft nationalism, but we would have seen similar under previous governments. When Germany knocked England out in 96 a few continentals were picked on, whether they were German or not. It's a societal issue, and any government of the day should be discouraging this. Brexit hasn't helped (see my thread on the Lounge about Two World Wars and one Word Cup. They could start by comparing the two arms in the air, used both when fans sing the National Anthem, or facing opposing fans looking for confrontation, with the Nazi salute. There are differences between throwing your arms when scoring eg Geof Hurst in 66 and seen many times since, and chants involving clapping (far the greatest team the world has ever seen/Iceland fans clapping roaring routine). The link shows it better https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/683623/violent-french-warn-england-fans-violence-nice

northernmonkey Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Don?t you think though that the current crazy > situation of hiring being ok but not privately > owned adds to it. If you owned the scooter you > could get used to it? Not a crazy situation but a clumsy solution. As they are powered two wheeler they have to be effectively registered to go on the road, including insurance. The hire companies can do this. Similarly fully electric pushbikes, electric skateboards and segways are not road legal. But the genie is out of the bottle. The authorities are not doing much to discourage road use. Sales are unlikely to be banned. Retailers only I expect need to say that these are for off road use only. And even if they were banned they'd come in from some grey market. And many seem to like them. Not sure what the longer term plans are for mass acceptance and use. And on the drunk in charge issue, people have been using pushbikes for decades to get them down the pub, with very few prosecutions.

Freeing ourselves of the 'EU shackles" can go either way, we can have tougher controls eg on environmental protection, or weaker when we feel that this is hampering the UK's fiscal interests, such as worker's rights, health and safety, and the like. Clearly some EU law is a bit barmy, but many of the so called issues were urban myths. This is all blindingly obvious, and plenty has already been posted on the subject. It interests me about all the new investment, in particular motor manufacturing, where tax payers money is used to lure in overseas investment such as Nissan. Of course state aid is more Labour's bag than traditional Tories. Oh well, history will tell, but not sure whether I will still be around for this.

Sorry it is from the Telegraph, I thought I had got over the paywall but just checked and only the first part of the document.

An earlier post talked about government not supporting road user charging. I've posted before that this is the best option for addressing emissions of both pollutants and greenhouse gases. Labour reversed their position following the fuel tax protests (ultimately very damaging to the environment) and, although talked about recently by the Tories, gone onto the back burner. Sadly the car lobby is too strong. Labour were bullish about tackling air quality but things went backwards under the coalition. I've attached an article by the then Mayor of London, who for whatever reason was quite interventionist on improving air quality, published in the Standard in the mid 10s. It is flowery, but very entertaining.

Me too, it also takes me to a mail site that looks legit, but comes up as unsecure. I can type the address in longhand, so will do this.

Kitty Well's dresses

Chick, it would be helpful if you summarised the situation and your views, rather than just posting links. If it is that important, it is worth your time! I've attached this without reading as an example (article says that most links are not read before posting) https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/59-percent-links-shared-social-media-have-never-actually-been-clicked-study-finds-a7086291.html And that goes for many others too!

Apols, it was not aimed at you, just the general tone of some of the discussion.

Funny, on the lounge there is great worry about the end of the restrictions, yet at the same time we are cramming into pubs. Not that I begrudge the latter. Obviously the Blythe is the only place to watch the match, apart from my house, so there will be once place going at the Blythe. Oh no, it is on ITV. Will it work with the sound muted on the telly with Five Live on at the same time? Not sure why ITV is so pants on doing footy commentary.

Controls have to be relaxed sooner or later, or do you want to move back a few months to January and have another lockdown? For once I have to agree with the PM, if not now, when? Whilst he is an easy target, it doesn't really help the argument having cheap pot shots at him. And I certainly am not his greatest supporter. If you want to have go at anyone it is the anti-vaxxers, one stage up from those refusing to wear masks.

I find this the general tone very disappointing. I'm probably the only person on this forum to have stayed in the rather drab town of Lytton in British Columbia. It burned down last week as that area of Canada hit record high temperatures of just under 50 degrees https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57678054 So whilst East Dulwich howls at another initiative by Southwark, the world burns around us. OK rather dramatic words but emphasising my concerns. I'm sure that most of us are doing our best to live sustainably, and I could be criticised for the carbon emissions from my transatlantic flight. Large swathes of the temperate rainforest in BC are scarred through drought and deforestation. Once a great wilderness. Really brings it home to you.

Saw another stag beetle, becoming a bit too common now.... But also saw my first greenfinches for many many years as their numbers have been devastated

I hate civil service rules

It would be helpful if you explained the issue in the title of your thread.

Well done! Robins are far from the loveable bird you think they are. I'm now starting to stalk those squirrels on my feeders. Was quite excited to find newts under a bit of slate by the pond. I'm going to build up a small underwater rockery for them to hang around.

JohnL Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The philosophy of this government (especially when > Cummings was around but still now) seems to be > that to get things done they need to work outside > the civil service rules. I hate civil service rules, with fond memories of Joe Strummer (I'll be posting on the Lounge something for the weekend)

Hmmm, my limited experience of 'England' fans. Manaus 2014, a few days after the England/Italy match, middle aged men dressed as knights Templers telling me of their distaste for the locals (Hodgson criticised the town and turned the locals against England), and that they didn't like the yanks too (who had much more creative chants). They'd drop in a comment now and then about how they would have so and so fans if they had a chance. Cologne 2006. Lovely cosmopolitan city withy fans of all persuasions mixing, having sing-offs across al fresco bars. England fans arrive and the whole atmosphere changes. The early English arrivals I spoke to said how wonderful the city was and how none of the German stereotypes applied. Let's face it a lot of England fans are old school (or now young school hoolies) from the lower divisions where the sport has yet to be gentrified. Highly selective views of course, and if there was a thread about gentrification of the national sport I'd be bemoaning the loss of it's working class roots. I like some of the chants from the continental fans in this championship. I'm sure I could hear a "la la la la la, Dulwich Hamlet", and a "oh Jeremy Corbyn"

For those of us who have been working from home the constant noise of building and gardening work can drive you crazy. Most builders seem to not work outside normal hours - perhaps the regular sound of circular saws over much of the weekend is DIY - decking and the like. Not really sure why anyone needs petrol driven gardening tools with the relatively small gardens in my area. So a general plea to think about others in your area. I did report a builder yonks ago for working outside normal hours and the council got onto it. The gents who arrived an hour early and insisted on having a loud conversation were not appreciated from 7 onwards. It always amuses me that the bin lorries are also out by then, and some gent scraping the road (aggghhhh). Maybe we should be like the Germans and have a quiet law on Sundays https://liveworkgermany.com/german-quiet-time-shhh-its-sunday/

Legalalien laid down the gauntlet to argue against your current view point. Only Rahrahrah and I did this - common those against LTNs - let's hear your counterargument.