chrisp65

I was working in London today, Threadneedle Street. I'd just like to point out the obvious. During and after the event and the commuter hour tube trip to Paddington, the whole world of London's mixed bag of everyday arseholes just got on with their lives. They knew about it, those that spoke expressed sympathy for the victims. Then it was 'see you tomorrow' and get on a crowded tube. London can take it.

plus PCH you can currently get a fairly good deal on killer diesel. if the arse does fall out of the diesel market sometime down the line, well that's not your problem

ooh, I don't think I've heard Wire before....off I go on the google... one more to sign off with, filmed where I buy about 75% of my shite that's 75% over about 30 or so years, so they've had a few quid off me

dial it up to 11 'cos 2 is better than 1

says the man still not allowed within 200 metres of primary schools

Aah see, being slightly older and very seriously up my own arse I wouldn't buy Snap! as they'd previously said they wouldn't issue a greatest hits album. Which left me with a dilemma. It had a 4 track EP with it. So I struck a deal with my mate's sister, I gave her money towards her buying the album on the condition I had the EP. What an EP! I've still got it, plus every other single they released. Still got the stripey paper gift bag the 12 inch version of The Gift came in. Got some Japanese import singles (often crediting the bass guitarist as Bluce Foxton). Got the yellow flexi disc of pop art poem. I went the full Jimmy Cooper meltdown when they split up. I met them when they were The Style Council. I took my Merton Parkas record covers for Mick Talbot to sign (which he did because he's a beautiful gentle human). But I didn't take any Jam ones as I didn't want to appear uncool. Dick.

absolutely worshipped these guys but then, that's because they had all the best tunes

It's start up technology, proving a principle. If somebody built one car it would be quite expensive. But the idea is to prove you can build thousands and bring the cost down. You don't have to buy a new printer to do every house, it's the housebuilder having one (or a dozen, or fifty) and moving it from site to site. So it would eventually be regular rental costs. So a few hundreds of quids once it's rolled out and normalised is my hunch.

very dodgy taste in men as well @tonyh29

I don't just throw this shit together, you know.

Sorry, don't know anything much about him, due to all the options available I've mostly avoided 'The Voice' and similar - but I suspect that for today's Ed Sheeran every decade had a Take That, Wet Wet Wet, Julio Iglesias, Mud, Wizzard, Queen etc.. but I have got tickets to see Tinariwen, and I've also got a ticket for Merthyr Rising (Stereo MC's / Tenpole Tudor / Alabama 3) So, what a time to be alive. Pissed in Merthyr town square, celebrating the creation of the red flag, pretending to remember the words to 'Swords of a thousand men'.

North sea oil is running out. The oil price isn't great. Scotland will have a bugger of a time trying to explain what currency they'll be using. The jobs they'll lose in the military and the wages of workers at the navy dockyards. It's a mare. Independence would cost them money (not that money is the be all and end all, if 'freedom' is your thing). Right now, the only tool Sturgeon appears to have at her disposal is May.

Home. Weekend. Breathe. yes, I've probably posted it before, but hey I'm playing it again I'm close to getting a good run of consecutive numbers on the Pressure Sounds label, but I'm not a completist so no rush, if it happens, it happens.

Back in July May told Sturgeon she wouldn't trigger article 50 without Scotland on board. Back in about October / November (?) May promised the various leaders of N.I., Wales and Scotland that she would consult them before any major strategy was announced. She didn't have to legally, but she wanted everyone on board and wanted to take the whole of the UK along with her. There was another meeting arranged, in Cardiff, for January 30th for discussions and to brief the three assemblies and parliaments to bring them up to speed. January 17th, without consultation or information, May made a speech announcing we were leaving the Single Market. 13 days before she was due to 'consult' with Sturgeon et al. Sturgeon is going to rely on emotion against an unlistening right wing nutjob Westminster to squeeze over the line. My money is on Scotland remaining in the UK. Big questions like money are still unresolved. Of the last three big elections and referendums, I've called them all wrong.

Hhmmm, the slightly cryptic point I was trying to make wasn't to suggest that the tories could suffer a loss of seats or get forced in to an early GE. It was more that right now the polls clearly show little appetite for independence. This was potentially a poor move from Sturgeon. But she's been given a chance, something to get indignant about. Proof that tory westminster down there in that england, they decide whether scotland should be free. Surely the scots should be in charge of whether they want to be free or not? A lack of understanding of 'people' a lack of empathy with commoners is going to be the undoing of May at some point. She might just have turned a 45 / 55 poll in to one a little closer. This in turn might now cause her attention and resources to be split with a fight on two fronts. I might be wrong, but if the next poll shifts to 47 / 53, I'd point a finger. A less aggressive tone, a suggestion they can probably have a referendum as soon as they like might just have made a lot of people think about currency, oil, loss of a trade. Now they're potentially thinking of May being a moobag. Personally, right now I'd have suggested I was willing to think about it but was worried about what they'd use for money. Not a natural people person.

It'll be interesting to see what happens to the opinion polls in Scotland now the unelected english tory PM has told the elected scottish snp first minister that she can't have a referendum on whether the scots want independence. I'm beginning to form an opinion that Ms May might not be a top rank tactical genius.

Mr Crispy: 'look! behold! I have been out and bought a new drainage gulley grid as required for the last several weeks!' Mrs Crispy: 'well done, did you measure the drain before you bought it?' Mr Crispy: 'ha,ha, no my little sweet pea sugar titted goddess, these things are a universal size, I know this as I am a man' Mrs Crispy: 'oh ok, I just thought it odd that our drain is round and you've bought a square cover' Mr Crispy: '~#!"£$T)(*D>*~[]L kin ell'

Post budget. There was my usual Radio 4 in the car, picking up snippets as they were coming out. There was a sky news channel in the reception of the company I was visiting mid afternoon (no idea on presenter names or what the actual channel / prog was as I don't normally do sky). Then picking through it in the P.M. slot back on radio 4. Then some 'Five Live' analysis when I had a lift off a chavvy type the next day. It was sort of around me.

I don't think that was me. This place thrives on quotes and references, name some names.

To be fair on this one, there was a lot of early talk about the NI contribution going to contribute to Social Care. Now, it might be that group think within the media meant that Sky and BBC ran with this idea at the same time when explaining the budget. Or it could be that there was some low level intern type going around spinning it as hypothecation. There were a number of talking heads on a couple of channels warning of the danger of hypothecation, so I guess that must have come from ‘somewhere’. I would suggest it’s a double cock up. A bad idea, badly justified. By bad idea, I don’t mean equalising N.I. is a bad idea, I mean saying you’re screwing the self employed out of ‘fairness’ when you’re letting their employers off scot free. That was a patently unfair idea. Had they said all N.I. is being levelled, including for all types of employers, you couldn’t really argue with that. Who knows, might even have convinced some large employers to do away with the fraudulent practise of ‘self employment’.

Hmmm, I’m fairly sure I saw personal jet packs and hover boots advertised in a similar manner on a 1981 edition of Tomorrow’s World. EV is clearly becoming more and more accessible, but in my experience things reducing down in cost to be cheaper than the thing they replace rarely really happens. To look at my own little family example. I'm not wedded to burning fuel on the road, I'm happy for it to be burnt at a power station where I can't see it. So I would be happy to buy an EV equivalent car. Equivalent in price and functionality. The urban run around car we have is a Toyota Aygo. Tax free, £130 per month and currently averaging about 70 miles to the petrol gallon. If there is an equivalent sub £10k EV car available in 3 years time I would happily consider it. Then there’s the millennium falcon that I’m driving up and down the motorways. I guess I’m averaging about 30,000 miles a year often carrying either the whole family or kit for my job of work. So again, if there is an estate car capable of 30,000 miles a year that doesn’t involve me programming building trades around my need to recharge batteries, I’ll be mightily impressed. I’m not saying it won’t happen. I’m just saying it won’t. Not least, to have a car in 3 years that would be priced to undercut traditional cars, would kick the guts out of the resale value of any EV car bought today. So perhaps you could say, if EV cars will be that good and cheap in 3 years, you’d be mad to buy one today. (I’m not really a dinosaur, I know they are coming, just no jet packs by 2021 imo) Incidentally, does anybody know when we are due the first 'scandal' expose on what happens to used EV car fuel cells?

that's fascinating you've identified something I kinda knew but hadn't formed in to a conscious thought WHSmiths in Hammersmith Westfield, I always have to remind myself not to buy a drink in there on my way through as their fridges have been 'broken' for a year. I also avoid the one at the train station, as their fridges appear to be broken and serving up luke warm drinks. Hadn't put the two together as a company policy of serving tepid drinks. But you're right. Would anyone be surprised if Smiffs was the next big chain to go under?