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Boreades
In: finity and beyond
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Merry Goings-on in Armenia
The locals are anxious to get rid of Russian garrisons left over from anti-Azerbaijan days but even more anxious not to upset the Russians by asking them to leave. So they have taken to speaking exclusively in Armenian whenever the two peoples happen to be in communication. Which in Armenia is everywhere and often.
This drives the Russians nuts because they know perfectly well everyone could speak Russian if they wanted to, whereas not a single Russian can speak a word of Armenian.
They can't really complain either. The Russians have been using the exact same technique, in reverse as it were, since Day One of the Russian Empire.
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Boreades
In: finity and beyond
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B’ e Max Dowman, sia-deug bliadhna a dh'aois, an sgòraiche as òige ann an eachdraidh na Prìomh Lìog nuair a chuidich an tadhal fadalach aige Arsenal gus faighinn seachad air Everton agus gluasad 10 puingean air thoiseach aig a’ mhullach.
Bha e coltach gum biodh Everton a’ cur dragh air na Gunnairean agus a’ sabaid gu co-ionnanachd a bha airidh air mus do chuir fear-ionaid Arsenal, Viktor Gyokeres, am ball san 89mh mionaid às deidh do Jordan Pickford crois Dowman a mhearachdachadh gu tur.
An uairsin thilg na luchd-tadhail a h-uile duine air adhart agus iad a’ sireadh co-ionannachd le oisean aig àm stad.
Ach, le Pickford air chall suas an raon, rinn Dowman a’ chùis air dithis luchd-dìon mus do ruith e air falbh gus am ball a roiligeadh a-steach don lìon falamh agus seallaidhean fiadhaich a bhrosnachadh taobh a-staigh Lann-cluiche Emirates.
Thig barrachd mion-sgrùdaidhean geama bho Mick Harper.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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I do not recall helping people to top themselves was listed as a 'non-reserved power' when Devolution was granted to the Scots. The thinking being, presumably, that opening a branch of Exit a bus ride away for English folk was a UK-wide rather than a parochial matter.
So it was lucky they didn't approve their Assisted Dying bill at Holyrood yesterday. Though no doubt the Nationalists will continue to promote their Assisted Dying (Scotland) referendum.
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Boreades
In: finity and beyond
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The Labour MP, Kim Leadbeater, is proposing a similar measure to introduce elective euthanasia in the UK (English) parliament.
| Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill |
It remains to be seen whether that can survive.
It has been run ragged in the House of Lords by 1200 amendments and shows little sign of escaping from the Upper House before time runs out.
Perhaps the Bill itself will be quietly euthanised.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Who shall assist the House of Lords in dying?
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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I didn't think Britain would have the temerity to stay in the high stakes business of developing interceptor dog-fighters (or whatever Top Gun planes are called nowadays). I had assumed the Tornado would be our swansong and we would be consigned to building the wings (or whatever) of some Europlodder.
Now I hear we are proceeding with the Tempest (albeit with Japan and Italy) for a 2035 showdown with American, Russian, French and Swedish contenders. (And presumably China plus various A N Other up-and-comers).
I'm not sure whether we should be, but apparently we are. I have asked my son to keep you posted as to whether we succeed. (Daphne, could you ring the sperm donor people.)
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Boreades
In: finity and beyond
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Irony Alert!
Pete Hegseth:
| The problem with Iran is it spends money on weapons and missiles instead of improving life for their people. | |
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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While everyone's eyes were on Gaza, the Israelis have set about annexing the West Bank. While everyone's eyes are on Iran, the Israelis are setting about the annexation of southern Lebanon.
At least how else do you interpret the IDF destroying the bridges over the Litani River when, at the same time, the IDF was ordering the Lebanese on the wrong side of the Litani to get the hell out of south Lebanon?
The reason the IDF gave was threadbare even by their standards. It was because Hezbollah were using the bridges to bring missiles etc to the south. Oh, really? We thought they were floating them across on improvised waterwings. Though I suppose they will be from now on.
| As of course will Lebanese people wishing to return to their homes in southern Lebanon. |
The reason the IDF have given for currently occupying the area south of the Litani (and with it the ability to put sentries on Litani bridges if only they hadn't blown them up... dang, that was a mistake) is that this is necessary to keep Hezbollah missiles away from northern Israel.
"Turn the screw a coupla notches, Mustapha, we've got to give the missiles an extra eighteen miles to reach Israel."
"Why's that then, Ali, have we run out of waterwings?"
Ironic PS: Hezbollah came into existence in 1982 because the Israelis had occupied Lebanon south of the Litani River.
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Wile E. Coyote
In: Arizona
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| The problem with Iran is it spends money on weapons and missiles instead of improving life for their people. |
The problem that the US faces, is that it wants to tell each nation how much to spend on defence, and also decide what weaponry, they can or cannot have.
Iran therefore contra ortho was exceptionally well placed to deal with US aggression, as it has since 1979, been unable to procure weapons from the US or West in general, so has been forced to concentrate on the production of enormous quantities of cheap, capable systems, and the funding of proxies, all designed to fight assymetric rather than conventional warfare.
A big leopard will defeat a small leopard, but is unable to overcome a porcupine.........
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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The problem with Iran is it spends money on weapons and missiles instead of improving life for their people.
The problem that the US faces, is that it wants to tell each nation how much to spend on defence, and also decide what weaponry, they can or cannot have. |
The problem is that everyone thinks everyone (else) should live their lives the way they do. (In AE it's called Acacia Avenue syndrome.)
| Iran therefore contra ortho was exceptionally well placed to deal with US aggression, as it has since 1979, been unable to procure weapons from the US or West in general |
But surely it could procure the equivalents from elsewhere.
| so has been forced to concentrate on the production of enormous quantities of cheap, capable systems, and the funding of proxies, all designed to fight assymetric rather than conventional warfare. |
This is the case with all relatively small states who wish to to conduct an aggressive foreign policy. When Iran was fighting a conventional war against Iraq it was reasonably conventional.
| A big leopard will defeat a small leopard, but is unable to overcome a porcupine......... |
A leopard could overcome a porcupine if it really wanted to, but the eating is not worth the getting.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Everyone's always complaining about my addiction to 'bogus lists' but what does this say about the frequency of Welsh political heavyweights? A Channel 4 News reporter of Welsh extraction is reporting on Labour's prospects at the upcoming Welsh elections:
| For the first time Labour might lose its status as the largest party. The days of Labour Welsh titans like Nye Bevan, Michael Foot and Neil Kinnock are over. |
Michael Foot had no Welsh connections apart from succeeding Nye Bevan as MP for Ebbw Vale.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Everyone's always complaining about my addiction to bogus statistics but what about this campaign pledge from the Welsh Labour party?
| We guarantee that all urgent primary care cases will get attention within 48 hours. |
What they mean is you'll get a GP appointment the next day, or the day after, if you say it's urgent. In England it's always the same day.
And no doubt it's the same in Wales but it sounds like they're getting to grips with the constant gripe, "Do you know how long it took just to see the doctor, Marge?" "Don't tell me, dear, my varicose veins were giving me gyp and they said someone will be in touch for something called 'a phone consultation'. Next week, if you please."
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Wile E. Coyote
In: Arizona
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| Charles Kushner (born May 16, 1954) is an American real-estate developer, diplomat, felon and disbarred attorney[2] serving since 2025 as the United States ambassador to France and Monaco. He founded Kushner Companies in 1985. |
Thats a familar sounding name.
| His elder son, Jared, is the husband of Ivanka Trump, the daughter of U.S. president Donald Trump, during whose first presidential administration he served as senior advisor from 2017 to 2021. He has three other children, including his younger son Joshua, a venture capitalist who is married to the supermodel Karlie Kloss. |
He is father to Jared.
| In 2005, Kushner was convicted of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering, and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, which he served in the Federal Prison Camp, Montgomery. As a convicted felon, he was also disbarred in three states. He later received a pardon issued by his son's father-in-law, President Trump, on December 23, 2020.[3][4] Kushner has donated significant amounts to Trump's campaigns. Previously, he was a major Democratic party donor.[5][6] In 2025, he was nominated by President Trump to serve as United States ambassador to France during his second administration. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 19, 2025, by a vote of 51–45. |
Strange that his appointment didnt raise any flags.
| The witness tampering charge arose from Kushner's retaliation against William Schulder, his sister Esther's husband, who was cooperating with federal investigators against Kushner.[21] Kushner hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, arranging to record a sexual encounter between the two and send the tape to his sister. |
Anyway Charlie was soon off to a bad start.....
| In August 2025, France summoned Kushner after he published an open letter to President Macron in The Wall Street Journal alleging insufficient action against rising antisemitic violence, linking attacks on Jews to France’s recognition of a Palestinian state. The French foreign ministry rejected the allegations as "unacceptable", citing the 1961 Vienna Convention’s ban on ambassadorial interference in internal affairs.[49] Kushner did not attend, and the charge d'affaires attended in his place. The French foreign trade minister, Laurent Saint-Martin, remarked that France "need take no lessons whatsoever" from the US on antisemitism.[50] |
It appears Charlie has not grasped the sensitive nature of the role.
| In February 2026, French authorities restricted Kushner’s direct access to government ministers after he failed to attend a summons from Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, sending a senior embassy official in his place. The French foreign ministry cited an "apparent failure to grasp the basic requirements of the ambassadorial mission". |
Wiley is starting to think that appointing good Ambassadors is much more difficult than average folks think.
Not that the sort of thing would happen this side of the pond.......
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Why do you think none of this has reached our ears? Surely the American MSM is not so scared of Trump there might have been a story below the fold on page six. Or CNN saying, "And in other news, a crook has been appointed as Our Man in Paris so he should feel right at home." (P.S. Why 'and Monaco'. Grace Kelly must be turning in her catafalque.)
But I disagree with the Mandelson parallel. Surely Jeffrey Archer is more à propos. He was the son of a conman but turned out well when he went into politics.
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