WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Stanley]

Glad you're sorted Peter.
Thanks for the heads up about the bin men Kev. I had noted it but forgotten. I shall put the bin out!

[Stanley]

THIS caught my attention this morning....
Updated 1 hour ago
The US has seized an oil tanker that had recently departed from Venezuela, according to the US Department of Homeland Security. It is the second time this month that the US has seized an oil-carrying ship off the country's coast. The move comes after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he was ordering a "blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. Venezuela has condemned the latest US seizure, describing it as "theft and kidnapping". Venezuela has previously accused the US of trying to steal its resources. "These acts will not go unpunished," a statement from the Venezuelan government said, adding that it intends to file a complaint with the UN Security Council and "other multilateral agencies and the governments of the world".
Legitimate foreign policy or biased aggression. You pays your money and takes your choice.

[Tizer]

I notice in that news report that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X that: "Violence, drugs, and chaos will not control the Western Hemisphere." No, but he and Trump intend to `control the Western Hemisphere'.

[Big Kev]

52% off a Tower air fryer on Amazon, they weren't that much of a bargain with the Black Friday deal. It has two drawers, a 5l and a 3l, which work independently of each other. We've had the single drawer one for 3 years now and decided we needed a bigger one.

Screenshot_20251221-185903.png

[Whyperion]

I notice in that news report that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X that: "Violence, drugs, and chaos will not control the Western Hemisphere." No, but he and Trump intend to `control the Western Hemisphere'.

Anyone bought him a mirror for Christmas ?

[Stanley]

Peter.... I think you are spot on and can anyone tell me why Hegseth keeps being referred to as 'Defence Secretary' when I thought Trump had renamed him 'War Secretary'. Is the title a moveable feast?

See THIS BBC report about another tanker under threat.
The US Coast Guard is in "active pursuit" of another vessel in international waters near Venezuela as tensions in the region continue to escalate. US authorities have already seized two oil tankers this month - one of them on Saturday. Sunday's pursuit related to a "sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela's illegal sanctions evasion", a US official said. "It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order." Washington has accused Venezuela of using oil money to fund drug-related crime, while Venezuela has described the tanker seizures as "theft and kidnapping". US President Donald Trump last week ordered a "blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving the country. Venezuela - home to the world largest proven oil reserves - has accused the Trump administration of trying to steal its resources.

[Tizer]

Peter.... I think you are spot on and can anyone tell me why Hegseth keeps being referred to as 'Defence Secretary' when I thought Trump had renamed him 'War Secretary'. Is the title a moveable feast?

Probably because he's both!

Closer to home...
`Major incident declared over canal 'sinkhole'' LINK

[Tripps]

President Trump does not have much understanding of arithmetic percentages. He correctly described a rise in price of a drug in Europe from $10 to $20 was a doubling, but failed to calculate it as a rise of 100%. He wanted to quote a number but didn't know how to get it.

Similarly - he srruggled to describe a reduction in price of the same drug in the USA from $130 down to $20. He just vaguely said that's a reduction of 1300% or 1500%, or other large numbers that came into his head. It's actually a reduction of a little more than 69 %.

Dear Donald - for future speeches - no reduction can be more that 100% - the cost then becomes zero.

[Stanley]

David, I don't think factual accuracy plays much part in Trump's speech planning. You are quite right, he appears to be innumerate as well as illiterate!

Speaking of Trump..... Have you seen THIS?
Donald Trump has sparked a fresh row with Denmark after appointing a special envoy to Greenland, the vast Arctic island he has said he would like to annex. In response to a question from the BBC about the new role of Jeff Landry, the Republican governor of Louisiana, Trump said the US needed Greenland for "national protection" and that "we have to have it". Landry, he said, would "lead the charge" as special envoy to Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The move has angered Copenhagen, which said it would call the US ambassador for "an explanation". Greenland's prime minister said the island must "decide our own future" and its "territorial integrity must be respected". Gov Landry said in a post on X that it was an honour to serve in a "volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US". Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has revived his long-standing interest in Greenland, citing its strategic location and mineral wealth. He has refused to rule out using force to secure control of the island, a stance that has shocked Denmark, a Nato ally that has traditionally enjoyed close relations with Washington. "We'll have to work that out," Trump added. "We need Greenland for national security, not minerals."
Is he living in some sort of fantasy world or is this another Venezuela, an item on his wish list? I don't know how to assess such breathtaking chutzpah.

Later at 04:00.
More nonsense from Trump. First he has suspended construction of all off-shore wind farms on the grounds that they are a security concern. More likely because he simply doesn't like them.... Look at his previous statements about wind farms visible from his golf courses in Scotland.
Second, he has announced that the US is to build a class of battleships more powerful than anything the world has ever seen and they will be named the Trump Class. Perhaps he missed the fact that with the advent of air power (And since then missiles) every navy in the world decided that the concept of the battleship is obsolte and nobody has built them. (Was Vanguard the last one?)

[Whyperion]

Peter.... I think you are spot on and can anyone tell me why Hegseth keeps being referred to as 'Defence Secretary' when I thought Trump had renamed him 'War Secretary'. Is the title a moveable feast?

Sorry , old habits die hard

I said the US would be in civil war by then end of June 2025. I think it is and no one has noticed. The media is state controlled. The US state is Russia Controlled (so where is the security risk?) Time for Canada and Denmark to protect Greenland. Time for Spain and Portugal to reclaim their American (mainly south) colonies.
Problem with Trump's view of things is 20 to 30percent of Europeans who shout loudest agree with him

[Tizer]

...Time for Canada and Denmark to protect Greenland...

Oh no, you've set him off again!...
`Trump says US 'has to have' Greenland after naming special envoy' LINK
In response to a question from the BBC about the new role of Jeff Landry, the Republican governor of Louisiana, Trump said the US needed Greenland for "national protection" and that "we have to have it". Landry, he said, would "lead the charge" as special envoy to Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The move has angered Copenhagen, which said it would call the US ambassador for "an explanation". Greenland's prime minister said the island must "decide our own future" and its "territorial integrity must be respected". Gov Landry said in a post on X that it was an honour to serve in a "volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US"...

[Stanley]

See THIS breaking news.....
Updated 9 minutes ago
Government proposals to tax inherited farmland have been watered down, with the planned threshold increasing from £1m to £2.5m. The climbdown follows months of protests by farmers and concern from some Labour backbenchers. At last year's Budget, ministers said they would start imposing a 20% tax on inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m from April 2026. In an announcement put out after MPs had left Parliament for the Christmas recess, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: "We have listened closely to farmers across the country and we are making changes today to protect more ordinary family farms." "It's only right that larger estates contribute more, while we back the farms and trading businesses that are the backbone of Britain's rural communities." Head of the National Farmers' Union Tom Bradshaw welcomed the change, telling BBC Radio 5 Live it "takes out many family farms from the eye of pernicious storm".
Another U-turn.... It was Jeremy wot did it....

[Tizer]

Perhaps this will be a step forward in Ukraine...
`Zelensky moves towards demilitarised zones in latest peace plan for Ukraine' LINK

[Stanley]

I saw that report Peter but I am not so sure if Putin will be diverted from his original game plan which is old fashioned annexation of huge swathes of Ukraine and full sovereignty.

THIS caught my eye this morning.
The government's partial U-turn on what opponents dubbed the "farms tax" was a Christmas present for those who had campaigned against the imposition of 20% inheritance tax from next April. About half the farms that would have been affected will now be exempt. But given that minsters had defended the policy in the 14 months since last year's Budget, the questions are: Why change it? And why now? Sustained protests - the regular convoys of tractors, horns blaring, converging on Parliament Square - certainly played a part. The National Farmers' Union which had organised the noisy demonstrations had also engaged in quieter diplomacy behind the scenes with Downing Street and the agriculture department. It has been reported that discussions shifted to mitigating rather than obliterating the policy completely. But there are other factors. A consequence of last year's landslide Labour election victory is that more of the party's MPs represent rural and semi-rural seats. Behind closed doors, some of them had been pressing hard for concessions. While only one voted against, more than 30 of them actively abstained on a parliamentary vote on the inheritance tax policy earlier this month to demonstrate their concerns.
Another U-Turn was the last thing that Starmer needed and yet....... This is a good and perceptive question.

[Stanley]

See this video for the latest update on the Whitchurch breach.

[Tizer]

On the BBC Weather web page...
`2025: The year in your pictures' LINK

[MickBrett]

Jack Pearce' book is out in hardback

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242 ... yQe&rank=1

Jack was in the same class as myself and Ian at Barlick modern.

[Stanley]

Morning Mick! Good to see you. I hope you had a good Xmas and wish you all the best for the New Year.
Thanks for the heads up about Jack's book.

THISis what caught my eye this morning.....
Two men are believed to be missing off the Devon coast after reports of swimmers in difficulty, police have said. Devon and Cornwall Police were called at 10:25 GMT to the beach at Budleigh Salterton after concern was raised for people in the water, prompting a significant emergency response which was called off at 17:00. A number of people were safely brought back to shore and were checked either by paramedics at the scene or taken to hospital as a precaution, the force confirmed. It said the men - one aged in their 40s and the other in their 60s - were not located during the search and remained missing, with their families having been informed of the developments.Police had urged members of the public not to enter the water along this stretch of coast and asked people not to participate in a Christmas Day swim at Exmouth while emergency services responded to the incident at Budleigh Salterton. On Wednesday, organisers of some Christmas and Boxing Day swims in Devon and Cornwall postponed or cancelled events due to a yellow weather warning for wind.
I'm sorry to hear about the tragedy that has unfolded for two families but can't help thinking it would have been better if people had heeded the warnings.....

[Tizer]

I'm sorry to hear about the tragedy that has unfolded for two families but can't help thinking it would have been better if people had heeded the warnings.....

Yes, and this incident refers to something that happened in May but is being put out as a warning now. Setting out from London direct to Snowdon and assuming all will be well...
`Spate of mountain rescues involving young men sparks concern' BBC
"We didn't really look at the weather too much. It was more so 'we're free, let's do it'," he said. The group left London early and, upon arrival, the friends noticed the weather beginning to change from a sunny day to windy and cloudy. "One of my friends was like, 'should we be doing this?' And I said, 'we just drove from London to do this. We're here now, we're gonna do it'," he said.

[Stanley]

Yes Peter. I have often been surprised how ignorant some people are about the dangers inherent in wild places. I remember being ridiculed once for wearing Hanwag boots for a walk up Beamsley Beacon. Later one of the critics badly sprained an ankle on the way down and had to be stretchered off.



This image got my attention yesterday. The anniversary of Janet's death nine years ago. Posted on our Whatsapp feed by her children. They haven't forgotten.

[Tizer]

Here's my `thought for the day'....
I'd noticed from an upstairs window that a plastic or card drinks cup had been left in the gutter along the street from us, likely cast out by one of the many people who park on our street to go shopping or whatever in town. By this morning the wind or passing cars had moved it outside our house. While waiting for the teapot to brew just now I dashed out in the cold to retrieve it and dump it in our bin.

It was a MacDonald's drinks cup with a label showing it was purchased at 16.36 on 24 December 2025 and had a number that might signify a specific branch. It occurred to me that it might be possible for the police (if they had the time and motivation) to trace the person who bought it and and fine them for littering.

Obviously that wouldn't happen at present. But it raises an interesting idea. If, as has been suggested, we finally get around to once again having personal identity cards, they could be used to trace the `owners' of litter and fine them. ID cards would have to be presented and recorded at any purchase and a specific code printed on the packaging. It might be extended to items of value themselves and used if the item was stolen. Of course, it wouldn't be infallible. And anyway, I can't see it happening in this age of populism and weak politicians!

[Cathy]

Just a thought- if the number is for a specific branch, the police could check the cctv footage at the specific time and ID the culprit.
.
I’ve been watching too many cop shows

[Tripps]

If, as has been suggested, we finally get around to once again having personal identity cards, they could be used to trace the `owners' of litter and fine them.

Meanwhile I read that
Only seven of the 32,788 burglaries reported to police in London last year resulted in the charge of a suspect.
I won't reveal the source, lest conniptions follow.


Perhaps they could be used to identify the perps of this monstrosity? Fly tip

They could also be used to fine peple who exceed the 20 mph speed limit. Imagine 23mph in a 20mph zone, and - bish bosh- gullty as charged. Don't worry about a court case we've already debited your bank account by a £50 fine.

These personal identity details will be essential to the proposed charge per mile for electric vehicles. This opens the way to varying the charge depending on where and when you are travelling. Perhaps this is why a petition against them has already attracted nearly three million signatures. The masochistic urge to be regulated seems to be strong in some people. Of course they think it will only happen to others - not to them.

Oh brave new world. . . .

[Big Kev]

These personal identity details will be essential to the charge per mile for electric vehicles.

Oh brave new world. . . .

I'm interested to see how the EV per mile tariff will be applied. Without very strict monitoring they wouldn't know where you'd travelled, they couldn't use the annual mileage noted on the MOT. I would imagine people who drive to other countries would be up in arms if they did.
Also, cars don't have a MOT until they're 3 year's old. Surely it would be easier to use the road fund licence that everyone with an ICE vehicle currently pays.
I'll stick with my £35 a year diesel Yeti for now

[Tripps]

It's a 'half baked', under researched proposal - as are most from these comedians.

I can only see it working if the vehicle has a built in, real time, always active, tracking system. You have pointed out the drawbacks of the others. It's so obvious that only a Labour member of this Government would bother to suggest otherwise. When first proposed - the Minister said it was very easy to read the mileometer - thus implying that your mileage would be self declared - which demonstrated how little thought had been applied.

My diesel is £20 a year Excise duty., and does over 50 mpg.

Anthropomorphic (anthropogenic ? - well man made anyway) climate change, is a nonsense - and its pursuit will bankrupt the country. Perhaps that's what Mr Milliband intends? I'm beginning to think so. It will take a long time for it to become obvious though.