Seen in the News

[Stanley]

I think the smart money is on him having to go David..... There was a particularly horrendous first hand report from a victim on the BBC religious programme at 07:00 yesterday morning.

[Tripps]

I guess they are now just arranging the peerage, and the pension, and a suitable time for the announcement.

The Bishop of Dover would seem to tick all the boxes as a replacement.

Curious as ever to see if there were any odds for his successor I came across this. last time

When Keith Vaz is "calling for an enquiry" you're really in trouble.

*******

PS Harry Cole - the Daily Mirror's Political Editor has just said that Welby may not make it to Evensong tomorrow.

[Stanley]

I read the clip from the Independent David, thank you.
I noted this.... Although there is no suggestion that anybody broke the law in placing the bets, MP Chris Bryant called it “insider trading” and demanded reform of the system. He told the Evening Standard: “It’s pretty shabby if someone had knowledge that Bishop Welby was on his way to becoming the Archbishop and put a bet on it.”
I think I would use stronger language than that! What qualifications do these people have to claim to be spiritual leaders? Time to give some serious consideration to Disestablishment I think.

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest.... See THIS BBC report....
Wales' tallest mountain will continue to be referred to solely by its Welsh name by its local national park authority after the move was deemed to be a success. Eryri National Park Authority voted to use Yr Wyddfa, rather than Snowdon, and Eryri, rather than Snowdonia, in all official communication in November 2022. Surveys from the summer found strong support for the move from locals and visitors, the authority said. But there were also concerns over pronunciation and some visitors being "unaware of the long-standing Welsh names and may mistakenly believe they are new".
So that's alright then! I find it quite amazing that large organisations can mark their own cards and expect us all to believe what they say.

[Stanley]

Later. Welby's fate is sealed as we have news this morning that Jonathan Aitken has stepped in with his trusty sword of truth and endorsed Welby saying that he should not resign.
So there!

[Tripps]

Google sent me this headline, and I immediately thought of Councillor David Whipp'.
Well done that man. . .

Albert Street

[Stanley]

Thanks for flagging that up David. I wasn't aware of it....
I agree with you, David Whipp once more standing up for the town.

[Big Kev]

They neglected to mention, in the story, that the contractor had already cut one of the flags in half with a stone saw. The flag was replaced, in two pieces, before the contractor left site.
The event happened over a month ago

Screenshot_2024-11-12-13-36-21-263_com.facebook.katana~2.jpg

[Tripps]

He made Matins but not Evensong. . .

“Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury".

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report.....
The Archbishop of Canterbury has announced he will step down from his role following a damning report into a prolific child abuser associated with the Church of England. The review found that Justin Welby, 68, "could and should" have reported John Smyth's abuse of boys and young men to police in 2013. In a statement, Mr Welby said that "it is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility" for his response after he was first told about the abuse. "I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England."
By 'stepping aside' he of course means 'resigning in disgrace before the clamour against me gets any worse'.
I note that Jonathan Aitken's endorsement wasn't mentioned again. I wonder whose brilliant idea that was?
(In case you've forgotten, here's a LINK to his Wikipedia biog.

[Mags]

Dad, I think that Welby christened Jessica - obviously years ago.

[Stanley]

Now there's a connection I wasn't aware off.....

[Stanley]

See THIS article in the Independent for the latest shock from Trump's nominations for government.
Donald Trump has nominated Republican congressman Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general, the nation’s top law enforcement officer, overseeing an agency that could be used to target the president-elect’s rivals. The 42-year-old GOP lawmaker and Trump loyalist from Florida “has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice,” Trump said in a statement on Wednesday. “It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!” Gaetz wrote on X. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on Wednesday night that Gaetz has already handed him a resignation letter, “effective immediately.”If confirmed in the Senate, Gaetz will follow current Attorney General Merrick Garland, whose Justice Department carried out a sex trafficking investigation into Gaetz and his associates. Gaetz was ultimately never charged with a crime. His resignation would effectively end a House ethics committee investigation into sexual misconduct and drug use, among other allegations.Trump said Gaetz will end “weaponized government,” as the former president baselessly accuses President Joe Biden’s administration and Garland of launching politically motivated investigations intended to derail his presidency. “He is a Champion for the Constitution and the Rule of Law,” Trump added. “Matt will root out the systemic corruption at DOJ, and return the Department to its true mission of fighting Crime, and upholding our Democracy and Constitution.” The selection of Gaetz from the president-elect, who has announced a flurry of cabinet-level and White House appointments the days after defeating Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, appeared to blindside members of Congress, where the far-right congressman is a polarizing figure who routinely clashes with GOP leadership. As attorney general, Gaetz would likely be expected to execute the “retribution” and “vengeance” that Trump has vowed against those he believes have wronged him and his supporters. Vice President Kamala Harris has warned that Trump “has an enemies list of people he intends to prosecute” when he returns to the White House on January 20.
Anyone who can't see the dangers inherent in this appointment needs their head examining.

[Tizer]

Anyone who can't see the dangers inherent in this appointment needs their head examining.

That applies to all his appointments. Have a look through them. Anthony Zurcher* has written a lot about them. They're all about the worst people you could imagine for the given task. It's madness. A lot of `normal' Republicans have been jolted out of their complacency and are getting much more concerned. When Trump won this election I thought we might end up with a new civil war between Republicans and Democrats but now it looks like being a war between the Republican Party and the Trump Party. * Zurcher

[Stanley]

That thought had occurred to me also Peter. Surely there are enough intelligent Republicans to realise that this is a disaster?

[Tizer]

I'm glad the BoE governor can see this is essential in this fractured world...
`UK must rebuild post-Brexit relations with EU, says Bank boss' LINK

[Stanley]

We hear surprisingly little about the benefits of Brexit these days. It's not surprising.... quite obvious now that it was the biggest foreign policy disaster of modern times. Why is there nobody saying so in plain language? Is it shame that such a thing could be even possible?

[Tizer]

A lot of businesses are in trouble. From recent Guardian headlines...
Homebase collapses into administration with thousands of jobs at risk
Typhoo Tea to call in administrators amid sales slump
More than 2,000 jobs axed as UK prison builder ISG collapses
Thames Water board split over two competing deals to save it from insolvency
Number of UK estate agents going bust rises almost a third in one year
UK firms in ‘significant financial distress’ hits record levels
and finally this response to the squeeze...
Squeezed out: Last accordion maker in France to close shop after 105 years

[Stanley]

And funnily enough Mr Bailey seems to agree with what I was saying about Brexit. Did you see that Trump's new financial adviser says that if the UK leans towards the 'SOCIALIST' model of the EU it can forget about a free trade deal with the US.
(Trump seems to think he controls us as well as the US and Russia.)

[Stanley]

See THIS for a nice article on a Scottish Ferry. Caledonian MacBrayne has a very special place in my memory banks and I suspect others as well.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC news item....
High Street job losses are "inevitable", prices will rise, and shops will close as the result of the tax increases in the Budget and other rising costs, a group of the biggest retailers in the UK is warning. Tesco, Amazon, Greggs, Next, and dozens of other chains are urging the Treasury to reconsider some of the measures. In a letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, they said the "cumulative burden" of the Budget changes, and other policies already in the pipeline, would amount to an additional £7bn in costs next year. A Treasury spokesperson said the government had had to "make difficult choices to fix the foundations of the country". Measures in the Budget, in particular a rise in the tax that firms pay on their staff's wages, have been met with a tide of criticism from business, who argue it will hold back growth. But concerns have been loudest among retailers and hospitality businesses, where many young people find their first jobs. Firms in those sectors are also facing higher costs from next year's rise in the minimum wage. The government has defended its tax rises as necessary to avoid cuts to public services, and the rise in the minimum wage, with a bigger boost for younger workers and apprentices, has been welcomed by trades unions.

Isn't it amazing how announcements like this always come just before Xmas when spending reaches its peak. The only thing they have forgotten is to ask the last person to leave to turn the lights off.
Later at 05:00. Discussion at the G2 summit about a global wealth tax on the most wealthy. It won't happen quickly but in the end this is the only route to significant changes in the distribution of wealth. Those of you who read Piketty's 'Capital' will remember that such a tax was his conclusion. At least they are openly talking about it, that's a start.....

[Tizer]

Later at 05:00. Discussion at the G2 summit about a global wealth tax on the most wealthy. It won't happen quickly but in the end this is the only route to significant changes in the distribution of wealth. Those of you who read Piketty's 'Capital' will remember that such a tax was his conclusion. At least they are openly talking about it, that's a start.....

I'm all for that but the fly in the ointment is that the very wealthy have such vast amounts of money they can mould politics to suit themselves while distracting the ordinary folk with social media,TV, wars etc. America is the classic example, and especially Elon Musk.

[Stanley]

Correct Peter and yes, that's a big hurdle but constant dripping wears away a stone and eventually I think it has to happen.
As I have said before, imagine a scenario where the rich are all living in gated communities with private security..... They still need the peasants to run their world. They might eventually realise this, that their comfortable world depends on a stable, reasonably paid underclass to deal with their waste and provide essential services..

[Stanley]

Legacies come in all sorts of shapes and sizes..... Have a look at THIS ONE.
Residents of a North Yorkshire town are taking legal action against a firefighting foam manufacturer over potential health risks caused by "forever chemicals" found in soils and groundwater. A report published in The Guardian, external earlier this year found Bentham, which sits near the Lancashire border, had the highest identified concentration of synthetic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the UK. It is believed this is due to Angus International Safety Group (Angus Fire), which previously produced firefighting foams containing PFAS at a factory near the town centre. The firm said it ceased production of any foam products at the site in March but recognised concerns about potential environmental impacts from historic operations. In an update issued to the community, Angus Fire explained it was informed that its Class B foam used on flammable and combustible liquid fires "may have contained traces of PFOA", a PFAS chemical, in 2016. PFAS, which are used in several everyday items such as frying pans and waterproofs, are nicknamed "forever chemicals" because they are difficult to break down in the environment. Many PFAS such as PFOS and PFOA have prompted health and environmental concerns and have been linked to cancer and fertility issues.
Definitely not good news if you live in Bentham!

[Tizer]

Definitely not good news if you live in Bentham!

I remember Tripps posting about the same chemicals being used by firefighters in incidents and training at the Duxford airfield and causing the locals to fret.

Meanwhile, news that Ukraine claims that Russia has fired an intercontinental ballistic missile at their country Reuters ; according to the BBC, if true this would be the first time such a missile was used in combat - not just in this war, but in history.

We're getting used to `hybrid warfare' and some of its strange aspects including involvement of social media. This report tells how a woman influencer has been providing funding to Russia for weapons...
`UK war tech sent to Russia by Insta model's firm, documents seen by BBC show' LINK

[Tripps]

I remember Tripps posting about the same chemicals being used by firefighters in incidents and training at the Duxford airfield and

Wow - I'd forgotten about that. I'm very impressed that someone hasn't. I sometimes wonder if anyone reads anything I write.