En Passant

Alan Brazil is standing for Reform?

He was SC's first reserve, right after that other one, and that woman who ran a cookery school.

I know its ridiculous, but I hate the fact it makes me look naive asking, and yet at the same time it's completely the opposite of naive, it's having been through it that many times and been fed the same sets of lies (or if not technically lies, omissions or obfuscations) time after time I'm anything but naive about it. Nothing could be more serious and yet the closest to the truth is probably binface with a manifesto that could have been written by a 12 year old with a sense of humour. I'm tired of it and want a little rant about it. Sadly for anyone here, it's here that has happened. ETA: whilst ranting and TLDR: I remember trying in 2015/16 to find the facts about Brexit. It was almost impossible to find anything unbiased. The whole fucking thing was started by Cameron trying to reign in his own parties right wing and sod all to do with what was 'best for Britain', he just didn't think he could lose so it was a reasonable approach and anyway he cared about himself first, the tories second and the rest of us a distant 3rd. All the battle buses with £350M a week for the NHS, and no more paying into the EU with OUR money, no more Johnny Foreigner walking in unfettered were just so much hot air. Nowhere could you find (or at least I couldn't) a sensible unbiased list of any 'pros and cons'. It was all either lies from politicians, or lies from biased news sources, or 'balanced' opinion from sources too afraid to say much either way. The most important decisions in our lives are based on lying, you'd think by now we could do better, but it seems too many of us are still children who just want an ice-cream they don't have to pay for and that's why it's always been this way and probably always will and you only have to watch one vox-pop to know it.

Can I have 104 rounds from the armoury please? 1 for each of the people who continue this countdown.

Be a bit more honest about it? But yeah, I know, it's politics. Just a bit fed up of all that. On the rest? Well, you're not really saying anything I don't know already mate. I didn't honestly expect you (or anyone else) to, but thought I'd ask anyway. Was just your post I responded to. Basically I was just throwing it out there such that we don't all leap on this Labour are going to fix it bandwagon and then become immediately (for monthly and yearly values of 'immediately' probably) disenchanted. I've already said I'm voting for them, and not necessarily whilst holding my nose. But I'm not expecting miracles. And no, the rest don't have to justify their bollox because they'll never have to do it. I guess the bottom line is I'm cheesed off with being lied to, either explicitly or by omission. The pity is, it's done because far too many people have absolutely no fuckin clue and expect the good fairy to sort it all out. Hey ho.

It's an amusing photo montage. Sadly none of those jerk-offs need a 12.50 an hour job (more's the pity).

So, basically the 'rain dance' option. And if that doesn't happen. Tax rises or spending cuts, or both. Showing my ignorance again, but isn't this one of A: In the public domain or B: Open to freedom of information requests which you'd imagine the opposition would make if needed? For me at least begging the question C: What exactly could the party in power hide in terms of income and expenditure from both the public and a determined opposition anyway? Is any of it subject to the official secrets act? Even if specific defence items were, surely the overall budget can't be? Oh for sure, and we're collectively throwing them out on their arses because of it in a couple of weeks and well after we should have done. Don't get me wrong, I'm voting Labour because due to FPTP I can't do anything else where I am. But (this time around) they haven't made much of a firm commitment to do anything at all yet that I can see. And if I had an actual choice I'd probably be voting Lib-Dem or Binface. For now though anything to dump the Tories. I'm old enough that I voted Labour for Blair too, and I'm pretty unhappy with what happened there too re: illegal wars, so whilst I detest the tories as much as the next person, Labour don't get my vote by default.

Forgive me if I'm missing something but no matter who gets in: 1. We have the highest overall tax burden in 70 years of recorded history. 2. Despite this there's not enough funding for increases anywhere. There's shortfalls everywhere. 3. Borrowing is 97% of GDP, the highest its been in years. So we can't borrow our way out of it easily. Thus either 1. Taxes are going up somewhere, or 2. Austerity is returning for a while. Relying on 'growth' as a way out of this is about the equivalent of a 'rain dance' surely? I know they can't be completely honest in an electioneering cycle. But they damn well are going to have to be once in or I'm going to be pretty pissed off at them. I'm no political analyst though. Perhaps somebody who is can point out where my simplicity falls down.

58 Electric Light Orchestra - Don’t Bring Me Down 53 Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street 34 Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3 34 Donna Summer - Love’s Unkind +4 28 Earth, Wind & Fire - September 23 ABBA - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) 23 The Jam - The Elton Rifles 19 The Cars - My Best Friend’s Girl 19 The Rolling Stones - Miss You 06 Frankie Valli - Grease -6

The difficulty appears to be that others have a different idea of what should progress. Therefore I predict a further

I am absolutely not going to make any dumb jokes about making peace with his god. No sir.

17/6/24 54 Electric Light Orchestra - Don’t Bring Me Down 49 Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street 36 The Jam - The Eton Rifles 34 Earth, Wind & Fire - September 31 ABBA - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) 30 The Rolling Stones - Miss You 30 Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3 30 Donna Summer — Love’s Unkind +4 23 The Cars - My Best Friend’s Girl 16 Frankie Valli - Grease -6

16-6-24 49 Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street 44 Electric Light Orchestra - Don’t Bring Me Down +4 42 The Jam - The Eton Rifles 37 The Rolling Stones - Miss You 36 Earth, Wind & Fire - September 35 Donna Summer - Love’s Unkind 35 The Cars - My Best Friend’s Girl 32 Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3  31 ABBA - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) 19 Frankie Valli - Grease 07 ABBA - Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous -6

I'd hazard in this instance not age related. I'd be willing to bet there's not that much in it. You've both put enough on here for me to have a reasonable idea. I think I'm somewhere similar in age, and I also seem to differ from a lot of other people. Including you guys sometimes. Just different strokes for different folks probably.

It'll be fine. They're nowhere near Paris.

14th June 48 Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street 47 Electric Light Orchestra - Don’t Bring Me Down  44 The Jam — The Eton Rifles 42 Donna Summer - Love’s Unkind 39 The Rolling Stones - Miss You +4 37 The Cars - My Best Friend’s Girl 32 Earth, Wind & Fire - September -6 28 Michael Jackson - Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough 28 ABBA - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) 28 Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3  28 Frankie Valli - Grease 13 ABBA - Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous

The Truth Vs Alex Jones. Boy that's a hard watch. Any US domiciled contributors here have an opinion? I almost can't believe what I just saw, except somehow I can.

I'm hoping so. And getting in first with this before the Scots onslaught of "Anyone but England" starts. The political parties might go negative, but I'm not starting it. (yet).

Same and yes. Also there was a video for Voulez and apparently not for angel eyes.

To be honest, since I'm interested in policies rather than rhetoric I'd happily vote for Lib Dems where I am or in fact it appears according to that quiz - binface. However locally is a swing seat between Labour / Tories so my hands are tied if I want shot of the Tories. I'm not as hopeful as many here that labour will deliver nirvana or even what we want in basic terms (see post above about paying for it), but under first past the post I can't vote any other way.

Not exactly "comprehensively", but in fairness despite my promises to the contrary I've still not done the work to listen to the stuff he took the time to point out. My bad. I've got a fair few 'younger generation' friends with cars that I get lifts to drinking holes in - and the stuff I'm subjected to, ugh....Though that's not scientific either since maybe I just have friends with terrible (to my ear) tastes. Are you denying 'there's a lot of rap' about though? Because I hear a lot. Anyway, whatever, I downvoted it. Deal with it.

I will not come off it, mostly because rightly or wrongly, I bloody hate rap. with a passion. And don't blame me alone, it's not like I'm the only one downvoted it. Yes, yes indeed it was. And I don't much like that track either Edit. Oh and you'll notice I'm not voting at all on 2010 stuff. It wouldn't be right (at least until I did the work to listen to them all). So much today is rap, or covers that 'rap things up' that I genuinely cant be arsed. The John whatsisface track is pretty much the only one of those i know, and that because of the video. Further edit: I detest cheesy stuff as well, so there's that. So there.

13/6/2024 52 Donna Summer - Love’s Unkind +4 49 Electric Light Orchestra - Don’t Bring Me Down  48 Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street 44 Earth, Wind & Fire - September 37 The Rolling Stones - Miss You 36 The Jam — The Eton Rifles 35 The Cars - My Best Friend’s Girl 32 Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3  28 Michael Jackson - Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough 27 ABBA - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) 26 Frankie Valli - Grease  25 ABBA - Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous  10 Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand - No More Tears (Enough is Enough)  00 The Saltyhill Gang - Rapper’s Fright -6

I do watch things such as this. There should be somebody asking both of these parties - as forcefully as "But did you threaten to overrule him?" - but replaced with "Where is the money coming from?"