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From a time when you could make jokes about race, religion, skin colour, weight, national stereotypes, class etc without being subject to a media frenzy and social exclusion. Personally I took no real offence from those jokes for which I may justifiably have been a target - perhaps the...

Meetings with the US president, particularly one who will be gone in a few months, has little to do with face to face dialogue influencing or promoting policy. It is about ego and politics: I must be important - load up a large jet to fly lots of folk to the US for a few days lots of positive...

I think it the product of wishful thinking that Labour will somehow disintegrate through factional infighting and cause another election. The Tories were split by infighting over different agendas - far right, centre right, leadership allegiance etc. When it came to the possibility of a...

An example of statistics being used for political effect. In the winter fuel debate an argument by Labour was that "27% of individuals in the 65+ age cohort lived in a household with a total wealth above £1,000,000". A fact to create the impression that removing winter fuel allowance from...

I agree with your observations. Being somewhat cynical about our political masters I had always believed the only thing separating Tory from Labour in the integrity and honesty stakes was 14 years of baggage. Labour have proven in quick time that my beliefs were spot on, and the Starmer...

Tried to do all these things + making Molotov cocktails. That children are now reared avoiding all risk may make them ill prepared for later life. Evaluating risk and accepting responsibility is an important part of the road towards adulthood. I guess those who survived were either lucky or...

The Labour party will be in control of national government for the next 5 years. Any thought that somehow their tenure will come to an early end is truly naïve - they have a massive majority, can pass any legislation they see fit. Even with revolt or discontent in the ranks - there will be...

It may even be that she disagrees with Biden and wanted to avoid any public discord pre=election.

A purely personal view - I accept that others will have different opinions or even find these objectionable. Life is for living - not necessarily riotous drug and alcohol fuelled excess (fine if it works for you), but the simple things. Company of friends and family, going to a cricket match...

A few weeks ago I needed to take some antibiotics - on this occasion they did not work. After an unpleasant few days over the weekend I requested a GP appointment at 9.15 Monday morning. Appointment 10.00 - GP suggested he refer me to the local hospital. 10.30 driving home I get a call from...

The pursuit of yet more money by the already very wealthy is not always simple greed. Money is (mostly) an objective measure - simple competitive urges may drive its accumulation. The respect accorded those with wealth may be fulfilling. Causing others to feel somehow inadequate may be an...

Th alternative marketing wisdom is to get new customers through the door. For woodworking kit (as with may other items) new customers may often be inexperienced with limited wallets. They will frequently look online and initially be motivated by price over quality. Provide a decent service...

I have no detailed knowledge but would expect that the size of boiler is specified to warm the whole house to a standard temperature (20-22C?) on the likely coldest days during the year. The size/capacity required would have regard for the insulative properties of windows, walls, roof, floor...

From the Lord Darzi report published yesterday: Overall life expectancy increased in the 2000s, but plateaued during the 2010s, before decreasing during the Covid-19 pandemic. It has started to rise again now, but the absolute and relative proportion of our lives spent in ill-health has...

Demonstrates your complete lack of balance. My comment was nothing to do with eugenics but a genuine question which I believe is reasonable and worthy of an answer. A read of the Guardian - usually a repository of left of centre reporting - may be helpful Guardian As it happens I have a high...

I used to visit both Axminster and Yandles at fairly regular intervals. Not been for a year or so as we have moved but I suspect little will have changed. In woodworking kit, as in many other area, what separates one supplier from another is largely brand - change the paint, new badges, a...

Relying upon natural herd immunity was always an option in managing the pandemic, albeit not one which to which I subscribed, nor one for which adequate data had been recorded to confidently adopt natural herd immunity as a strategy. On 16th March the number of confirmed cases had just passed...

Within a pack/group animals compete with each other for dominance. Once settled, conflict within the pack tends to be sporadic as an individual chooses to challenge the status quo. Pack animals don't generally have a legal process, may not understand concepts of democracy, or have a written...

The animal kingdom (particularly mammals) has numerous examples of species living in groups, co-operating in hunting, division of work etc. Yet they also form hierarchies with dominant structures and defer to one another. There may be a genetic reason why it also makes sense to co-operate in...

It often pays to look up the definition of words: Meritocracy - political, social, or economic system in which individuals are assigned to positions of power, influence, or reward solely on the basis of their abilities and achievements and not on the basis of their social, cultural, or economic...