Mandy Lifeboats

I think he's just said "Blessed are the cheesemakers". But I suspect that's not to be taken literally and is intended to encompass dairy workers in general. Monty Python. 1979.

He's giving a speech. To summarise - Russia never wanted war. Its all the fault of the West. He's presently blaming the LGBT community for the "degradation and degeneration of Russian Children". On a more amusing note, soldiers will be guaranteed 14 days annual leave. Presumably to pop home and save their children from those terrible gays.

Another blow to the Russian economy. Serbia has decided to buy fighters from France. They will buy 12 new fighters and 12 reconditioned ones. That's not a particularly massive blow in itself. The Serbian Airforce is heavily dependent upon MIGs. Serbia says it cannot buy more Russian planes because Russia cannot supply the spare parts to keep their existing fleet of MIGs airborne. That's a sure sign that sanctions are biting.

Almost 1 year since Putin fantasised about striding into Kyiv as a conqueroring hero. How wrong he was.

Russian TV is reporting that they knew about the visit and they "allowed it to happen." I'd say that's 50% true.

It depends where the visit is. At the moment the following are patrolling the Ukraine border in NATO airspace. 2 AWACS planes, 2 Black Hawk Helicopters, 2 planes that are said to be Private Jets from Sweden that are always patrolling that area. You can bet there's much more that we can't see. I would guess there's a number of F22 over Kyiv and a lot more poised to go if needed.

Why only 3? Where's Lennon?

A drink driving offence can be committed on a road or other public place. A public place is unfortunately not defined by the person who owns it, instead it is defined by whether the public have access and utilise access to the land. It can also be defined by a number of other factors such as the signs in the area, whether there are any barriers to entry and whether the owner restricts access. It is a very technical argument that is defined on a case by case basis, there is unfortunately no universal answer. If you were stopped and arrested in a privately owned supermarket car park, but the car park is open to the general public and it is during opening times, then even though the land is privately owned, and even if you need a ticket to park there, it would absolutely be classed as a public place and you would be guilty of the offence. If you were stopped and arrested in a privately owned supermarket car park, but it was outside of opening times and the owner restricted access by, for example, putting a barrier across the entry or operating a wheelclamping service, then the car park is likely to be considered a private place and it is unlikely you would be convicted of drink driving. https://www.pattersonlaw.co.uk/faqs/drink-driving-private-land/

McDonald's is private land but its also a highway that is open to the public. It's a bit of a myth that you can't be done for traffic offences on private land. I thought the magistrate explained this to you in great detail on the day of the trial. Let it go.

Another child orphaned.

To my surprise, one hundred stories high People getting loose y'all, getting down on the roof Folks are screaming, out of control It was so entertaining when the boogie started to explode I heard somebody say disco inferno (Burn baby burn) burn that mother down

Stairs.

The situation in Bakhmut is getting very complicated. Wagner are trying to storm it but are also trying to encircle it. If Bakhmut were at the centre of clock the Russians control 11 to 7. Their attempt to encircle isn’t going well and they seemed happy to maintain their positions which gave them control over the main roads into Bakhmut. They hoped to cut off supplies. But……those pesky Ukrainians don’t play by the rules and have set up supply routes going across fields and aren’t using the roads. This has been surprisingly successful. But……the earth is hard and spring is coming. That will turn the fields to mud. But…….the mud will also make is hard for Russia to advance and keep its own troops supplied. Wagner loses have been immense and they are now being replaced by regular troops. But……..those troops are mainly infantry. Tanks don’t function well in Urban Areas and Ukraine has ample anti-tank weapons to take out lighter infantry vehicles. But…….tanks do work well in open fields. So what will happen next? Are tanks on the way? Will the regular army try to complete the encirclement using infantry? Will they risk a tank assault with the potential for massive loses on an already depleted force? Will the regular army try to storm the city? Will they just wait to see whether Ukraine can maintain the supply lines when the fields turn to mud? Will Russia launch massive air attacks and risk their air force being as degraded as their army?

I thought the same. But if you look on street view that building has some tall blocks right next to it. I guess the picture is where the body was found.

Did she have an alcohol problem caused by the menopause? Did she have dog?

Here we go again....... "Top Putin war official plunges 160 feet to her death from high-rise building" https://nypost.com/2023/02/16/top-putin-war-official-marine-yankina-plunges-to-her-death/

I was in court earlier in the week. A colleague alerted me to an amusing case. Mr X is 24 and lives at home with mom. He has a night out drinking with his girlfriend and they return to mom's house. It's 4am and they are peckish. So they both hop on mom's mobility scooter and head off for the local 24 hour McDonald's. He is driving. She is hanging on the back. They get to McDonald's and decide to park up next to a Police car with two officers enjoying a doughnut based snack. He falls off the scooter and then makes a joke about the officers food choices. They immediately arrest him for drink driving.

I am not suggesting she was pushed. I am saying that even if they find the body it will not stop loons coming up with bizarre theories.

Several people have posted that the Police's disclosure was well intentioned in order to stop people jumping to conclusions, taking inappropriate actions and protect the family from further intrusion. Saying that she was a menopausal alcoholic has not removed the possibility that her husband killed her because she was a menopausal alcoholic. The Police are pretty certain that she went into the river and there was no foul play. Maybe she googled "Suicide methods" or "How long does it take to drown" before she left home that day. Who knows? I doubt that finding the body will do anything to establish why she ended up in the river. Did she jump? Was she pushed. Loons believe the world is flat, the King is a lizard, and SHA are a football team. There is ample evidence to the contrary. Loons will continue to be loons. The Police have achieved nothing other than telling the world personal information that was neither relevant or necessary.

Next week the Police will explain that her haemorrhoids had been bleeding a lot recently.

Fantastic choice of words @sidcow

I can see no reason why it’s appropriate to disclose that she was menopausal or had alcohol problems. Even with the family’s consent it’s inexcusable. She is either dead or alive. The disclosure of her personal information will not help find her in either circumstance. It’s a desperate attempt by the Police to justify their actions and conclusions. It hasn’t stopped speculation. It hasn’t reduced interest in the case. It will not stop people on the internet posting bizarre theories.

Human Rights Act. Everyone has the right to privacy unless it's necessary to remove that right. If the Police believe she is in the water there is no reason to discuss any vulnerabilities in detail.

If my body is found in a remote location it is reasonable for the Police to state it was suicide or that "no other person was involved". It might even be reasonable to state I was depressed. If I go missing It's not reasonable to disclose my private life unless it will help ensure my safety. If I am a criminal and wanted for a crime its reasonable to disclose anything that leads to my apprehension. This could include my alcoholism, depression, description, areas I frequent, state of mind etc. There is no indication that she is a criminal. Nor do I see any reason why knowing she is menopausal and alcoholic will help ensure her safety. It could do the opposite.

The Policce are being criticised for concluding that she fell into the river without any indication that she did. That's unlikely for a perfectly healthy person, especially when the dog was dry. People are asking how they have formulated this opinion. By mentioning the drinking they are hinting that there was another factor.