Mandy Lifeboats

The Central Russian Bank sets the interest rate tomorrow.  Its widely expected to hold the present 16% rate. 

Record low unemployment and widespread labour shortages are fueling inflation.  Imported goods continue to spiral in price.  Record manufacturing outputs (ammunition) are bolstering the economy in the short term but killing it in the long term.  

The ruble is untouchable for most of the world and is only being kept alive by false exchange rates and draconian currency control.  

Good job Putin.  Keep it up.  

Oh dear.  How sad. Never mind. 

Quote

Huge fire....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-68888835

So much better than the original. 

Once you listen you will never hear the original without thinking of this.

I was lucky enough to retire recently at 53.  I decided that was too young to stop work completely.  I wanted to do some good whilst also doing something I enjoyed. I decided to volunteer for National Trust.  They accepted my application but also converted me into a paid role where they were desperately short. 

I now work 2 or 3 days a week in Croome Court (just off the M5 between Worcester and Gloucester.

Croome was the ancestral home of the Earl of Coventry and had all the decadence and splendour you would expect.  It was also the site of RAF Defford in WW2. This was where we developed airborne Radar.  Only tiny amounts of the base remain but the small RAF museum occupies the base's hospital. 

After WW2 the Earl of Coventry was in severe financial difficulties and sold the entire estate including the house and all its contents.  Around 80% of the contents of the house went to private collectors and museums around the world. 

The house became a Catholic boys school, then a Hari Krishna temple,  then passed to several property developers before finally being taken by the National Trust.  By this time it was in very poor repair and virtually empty. 

It's still very much "work in progress".  It's impossible to restore it back to its former splendour.  For instance, one of the rooms is on display at the New York Metropolitan Museum.  We have just borrowed the library bookcases from the V&A and hope to raise the £5 million to keep them.  The nuns simply destroyed numerous "immoral" pieces of artwork containing nudity.  One of the property developers installed a huge bath in the main bedroom which ruined the floor and the ceiling below.  He also installed built in wardrobes from IKEA into 1800s plasterwork and oak floors.  Removing them would take seconds.  Repairing the damage they have caused will cost thousands. 

It's a lovely feeling to be playing a small part in restoring history.

2 hours ago, magnkarl said:

France and Poland maybe. The US just briefed our MOD that our armed forces will take 10 years to get to where they're in good working order again. We've cut our tank, ship and airframe fleet since like forever. Spain and Portugal?

Who do you think is an actual threat to the UK (or Spain and Portugal)?

Russia had Ukraine surrounded on 3 sides and had a bigger and better equipped army.  Do you really think they could defeat Poland, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and France and then stage an invasion of the UK?  

The UK is exceptionally well defended based upon our geographical position and the allies we have. 

4 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

But why would a dozen of the richest most industrialised nations on the planet, faced with an enemy that is walking distance away, have got themselves so reliant on the U.S. for their defence?

We haven't become reliant on the US for defence.  

France, UK, Poland, Italy, Spain and Portugal are all able to defend themselves.  

What we can't do is defend ourselves AND support Ukraine AND keep our economies going at the same level.   

Would the UK public vote for a party proposing a 1p increase in tax to arm Ukraine?  

Unfortunately the USA has shown that it cannot be relied upon.  Unless support returns soon its possible that Ukraine will lose more than if they had negotiated peace 1 year ago.  

The US politicians have disgraced themselves and the country.     

Reports suggest that a mobile phone was not put onto flight mode and a tray table was not put into the upright position during takeoff   

The people responsible were shot in the head by Police marksmen. 

Another 911 has been prevented. 

1 hour ago, sidcow said:

I prefer to ride horses bareback. 

Bravo sir.  Bravo! 

Surely his coffin should be taken to the cemetery in a white Ford Bronco followed by 40 Police cars? 

22 minutes ago, Xela said:

Woof justice. 

It would have been prosecuted but the police had no leads. 

45 minutes ago, phily85 said:

I think it's already common knowledge that it was the dog

Correct.  

It didn't even run to the nearest human to summon help.    It also went "missing" shortly afterwards.  Nor has it denied the killing.  

I saw it a few weeks afterwards wagging it's tail.  

Guilty as hell. 

14 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

Did Nicola Bulleys husband have a hand in killing her. 

No.  

You can never have to many bargaining tools. 

Today we will see French soldiers take part in the Changing of The Guard. 

So we will have French guarding the king. 

Hasn't he suffered enough recently? 

1 minute ago, OutByEaster? said:

Confusingly today there are reports on progress toward a ceasefire and also reports that Netanyahu is ready to launch an offensive on Rafah which would be a humanitarian disaster.

 

What better bargaining tool that the threat of an offensive or a ceasefire on Israeli terms. 

On 05/04/2024 at 10:11, blandy said:

Well intentioned, but really poor, I'd say. So full of holes, contradictions, inconsistencies and loopholes. Well meaning but amateurish.

To be fair - that's typical of most new laws.  

The law will now be used to develop and edit to numerous "Codes of Practice" whilst case law evolves,  precedents are set and rulings are made.  

32 minutes ago, Rds1983 said:

I've similarly dealt with and audited SARS in the past. If they genuinely suspected something and then told him that would be tipping off and a crime in it's own right.

Exactly. 

The person making the SARS report is only reporting a suspicion. They have no way of knowing if there's a reasonable explanation or its linked to a massive terrorism plot. 

A clown telling the customer that they "almost" submitted a SARS has no way of knowing that there aren't other active reports being investigated.  

In my opinion it's serious misconduct by the bank employee.  They are either lying as a sales technique or breaching several laws regarding SARS.  

7 minutes ago, chrisp65 said:

The whole thing was weird. It was patently obviously not criminal, I’d been there years and the money was going to and from established businesses and local authorities. There was a concerted effort at upselling to an account I had to pay for.

I suspect I was the last man standing still actually using that branch and they wanted to close it. Since then, the branch I was transferred to has also closed.

 

 

It seems to be an underhand way to get you to open a different account. 

Personally, I would complain and ask for a transcript of the conversation. 

I have dealt with many suspicious activity reports (SARS) in my previous job. They simply aren't used for the activity you describe.  

8 minutes ago, Mandy Lifeboats said:

If it triggers the threshold for informing the Police they should/would not tell you.  

Nothing you describe warrants a referral.  

Were they trying to convert your personal account to a business account? 

Quote

Suspicions Activity Reports

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/crime-threats/money-laundering-and-illicit-finance/suspicious-activity-reports

On 07/04/2024 at 17:41, chrisp65 said:

 

I had a phone call from the bank, saying the nature of the activity was such that it triggered their threshold for informing the police it was suspicious activity!

 

If it triggers the threshold for informing the Police they should/would not tell you.  

Nothing you describe warrants a referral.  

Were they trying to convert your personal account to a business account? 

32 minutes ago, bickster said:

They are actually credited with 5 military victories in that time  

Really?  

Is that a victory in the sense of going 1 up after 10 minutes before conceding 6 before half time? 

Well worth a watch.  2 legends of the game.