Mandy Lifeboats

Russia interest rates raised again. Its now 16%. Official inflation figures are 7.5 % although its thought to be much higher. A shortage of eggs has been caused by a shortage of spare parts for western built machinery. Russia is having to import eggs at sky high prices and sell them to the public at half the real price. Unemployment has never been lower. But that's because workers are leaving the country to avoid military service. This shortage is being noticed as central heating systems fail and freeze solid because there are very few trained engineers to fix them or any spare parts. This is the biggest country on earth, with massive amounts of farmland, massive stocks of fossil fuels and land borders with 2 of the world's largest trading blocks. But on the positive side - they did manage to capture 0.05% of Ukraine in 2023 with the loss of only 100,000 men and 40% of the Black Sea fleet. Great job Putin. He wanted to recreate the USSR. He's well on the way to recreating its 1990 economy.

Oh yeah. I remember staying in a hotel in Nottingham with a pay TV in the room. A washer with a piece of string was all you needed to see Gary Glitter on "This Is Your Life" for free.

TV during school holiday..... Champion The Wonder Horse/Flash Gordon Why Don't You? The Singing Ringing Tree/ Finger Bobs Rhubarb and Custard Rainbow/Pipkins/Charlton and the Wheelies Trumpton/Camblewick Green Bagpuss Playschool Grange Hill/ Michael Bentines Potty Time Blue Peter/Take Hart Newsround Ivor The Engine/ Willow The Whisp Tuckers Luck/Press Gang/The Adventure Game

Me too. I had a black and white portable to watch Blakes Seven which clashed with something the adults wanted to watch. I would watch the TV whilst in the bath. The TV was on top of a washing basket next the the bath. In those days electrocution was considered character building.

I remember when there was nothing on the TV. I mean literally nothing. The 3 TV channels would close down around midnight and not reopen until mid morning. Watching football on a black and white TV. Sometimes the only way to tell the teams apart was the colour of their socks. The first programmeseach day were educational programmes for school children. A simple clock would count down to the beginning. Televisions were very expensive. Most people rented them. Some even had coin slots to allow you to pay by the minute.

I drove along the M5 today. I commented to Mrs Lifeboats that we still refer to J2 as the "Toys R Us" junction.

Err.... Russia seized Kherson, held a rigged vote and adopted it as part of Russia. Putin proudly boasted that Kherson was now part ot Russia "forever". Six weeks later Russia ran away. The Western Military hardware and intelligence might have contributed a tiny bit.

Russia had Ukraine surrounded on 3 sides. Russia had the bigger army with more modern equipment. Russia had a large navy and a large airforce. Ukraine had virtually no navy or airforce. Nearly 2 years later Russia has managed to take some of Ukraine, lose 40% of the Black Sea fleet and still hasn't got air supremacy, lost maybe 200,000 troops and crashed its economy. That's clearly a military lacking something and/or running short of things.

It's not being widely reported but Turkey has agreed to open the Black Sea to UK and US warships. The Russian Black Sea fleet is significantly weakened and in real danger if it ventures far from Crimea. The US already has a carrier fleet in the eastern Mediterranean. A small part of it could be in the Black Sea in days. A US fleet sitting in the Black Sea will be deeply embarrassing for Putin. Especially when his fleet doesn't even leave port to shadow it.

Lots of Zulu.

Vietnam beat the US by building a series of small interconnecting tunnels that emerge in the US goal. Switzerland passes a law that makes it compulsory for every male over 18 to keep football boots at home. North Korea v South Korea has a halftime break of 50 years. Israel v HAMAS begins well for the visiting team. But after a bright start they beg for halftime to be imposed after 10 minutes. Italy change ends at half time. Just like WW2.

Questions - 1. Are alliances allowed? I am pretty sure that a NATO team would beat a Russia/China/North Korea/Iran team. But a Brazil/Argentina alliance would be tricky. 2. Are France allowed to forfeit the match after 15 minutes and leave the UK to see out the rest of the first half until the US to arrive at half time?

Or one that explains that a joke post isn't necessarily factually accurate?

Frank Caprio - US Judge who puts on a wig and calls himself Judy on TV Chris Rea - Not driving home for Christmas 2024 Scott Steiner - Roid rage ex-wrestler James Whale - Complete twit Mike Harding - Northern comedian

I thought <insert name here> was linked with a part time Mcdonalds night shift job, why would he take this lot on?

Steve Cooper is odds on favourite. For a man who played 4 games for Rhyl...................its a bit of a step down.

International law is pointless unless the relevant country agrees with the ruling OR other countries are willing to intervene and enforce the court judgement using military force.

Let's hope Rooney is NOT the worst performing manager they have this season.

Today is my first day without a full time job since leaving leaving school at 16. After nearly 37 as a civil servant I have dratfed my last briefing paper, given my last non-committal answer to a straightforward question and drunk my last gallon of tea. I left with a financial package and ample supplies of stolen stationery. At the age of 53 I'm luck enough to be able to fully retire if I wish. But I don’t think I will. I will look for work I enjoy, part time work and/or short term contracts. I "quiet quit' my job during the fist COVID lockdown. It was a scary time and it quickly became apparent that "key worker" is the modern day equivalent of "cannon fodder". But I can't complain. I've done varied roles and most of them have been enjoyable. I haven't done badly for a lad from a Black Country Council Estate who left school at 16. The next chapter begins........

Choked on vomit. Not his.

"Until this box is opened the cat could be perceived as both dead and alive." MEOW "You b******d Tiddles."

"Get orf muy laaaaaand"

They are the world's largest country with a large population and massive stocks of gas, oil, raw materials and agricultural land. But they squander all of that and are a third world country of you exclude Moscow and St Petersburg from the statistics. Moscow thinks its a super-power. If it didn’t have nukes it wouldn't be.

Sitting at home I get a better view, cheaper drinks, better food and a more comfortable seat. Its a no brainer for me. I'll only change my mind if they give me a shot at the Championship........extreme rules. I'm thinking of utilising a shotgun.

No. These events are much better viewed on TV.