Life IS an experiment, via evolution, to propagate our DNA. We’re doing pretty great! Colonised loads of land, even at extremes of temperature. Sure, we haven’t made it to living underwater just yet, and the poles, mountainous regions and deserts are logistically tricky, and there’s only a handfulbof us in space at any one time, but we’re getting there!
I kind disagree. I admit that e.g. growing your own veg will never be cheaper than buying it at a supermarket - it would make financial sense to spend a few more hours working instead, and just buy the veg, but that kind of misses the point. Gardening, cooking, DIY… they all have a certain satisfaction and self-sufficient pride to them that money can’t buy
It’s nothing. 1.2m divided by 50 councils is 24000 each, i.e. will buy one high pressure hose and 1 near minimum-wage job per council. Comparably, I think the NHS costs £25m per day or something
I swear, the amount of government swindles over the last decade are at a level we haven’t seen since the 18th century. So many billions lost to dodgy covid kit, nhs contracts, school and prison services…
I’ve never knowingly seen a Saturday night cartoon in the UK. Simpsons and South Park were both on a Friday IIRC
special mention to Richard Herring, who I think has the longest-running daily updated blog on the Internet - he’s written every day for like… 15+ years now. The blog has moved to substack recently though
I like Ecosophia.net - an occultist writes about all kinds of stuff
craigmurray.org.uk - an ex ambassador explains domestic and international politics with an insiders view.
and the blog at disappointment.com - sadly he only posts once every couple of years nowadays, but it’s just… very silly, often very gay humour.
Mr Prestege; History, P.E. and for one year, form tutor. Mainly he was funny, watched all the same comedy shows as me so we had little references and in-jokes nobody else got.
His history fact sheets were great too - he drew little comic strips and characters with speech bubbles. Made revising entertaining, a bit like the Horrible Histories books.
Australians I’ve spoken to have mixes feelings. On the one hand, there’s a subculture of ozzies who love it because it’s the only camp entertainment that gets broadcast out there. They have Eurovision parties and so on, getting together to watch it. Having Australia in the competition might persuade broadcasters to show more camp/silly entertainment.
On the other hand, they agree it’s silly to join and still have it called Eurovision, and are worried Australia might taint it somehow
Dunno if this counts, but once upon a time loyalty cards were a thing - buy a product, get a stamp, and get a free product on your 10th stamp. Nowadays it’s all apps, and they all say they’ll provide data to third parties. Consequently I haven’t had a free coffee/bagel/beer or whatever since lockdown. Anyway, I’m off to yell at a cloud, ttfn
Ok that is really useful context, thank you
What’s Ukraine got to do with the UK though?
Obvs I’m against war in principle, but why are we even involved in something several thousand miles away that doesn’t border us or even the Commonwealth?
Links, please
Couldn’t we, the UK, just like… stop interfering with Russia? Call a truce of some sort? FWIW I admit I’m completely ignorant as to what’s going on, other than we’re supplying arms to Ukraine. Is it all about that?
It used to be better. But yeah, it feels very rare they oppose the state line. The book Newspeak cites a ton of very egregious lies and half-truths given in it
Well duh. You can’t have an army without patriarchy. If you don’t hack off empathy, guilt and a ton of regular human emotions from men, or condition them to see people as objects, then they won’t be willing to kill.
Irrelevant, yeah, but I’ve never been wrong about anything. Purple monkey dishwasher.
This is it. If all my needs were met by the state, I’d happily pay 90% tax with 10% on luxuries, which is about what I spend anyhow
Ordered a pizza, it came with a garlic dip in a transparent tub. My sister tried to dip the crust in the dip about 4 times to no avail, each time my buddy saying “the lids on, Jess. The lids still on, Jess. The lids still on, Jess. The lid, Jess, is still on” until the words finally got to her brain. She and I collapsed in giggles for a solid minute. It was the perfect representation of “this is your brain on weed”.
One of the saddest things was a blog by a nanny to a little girl who was born without a face. She had eyes and a mouth, but that was about it other than random folds of skin. The nanny was so sweet, talking about all the operations the girl had had to slowly, over time, build her something resembling a face. The girl herself was apparently really sweet and loving too, but everyone who saw her would react as you might expect.
It just struck me how cruel nature can be sometimes. At least she was born to very wealthy parents, but that was the only perk.
I wonder how she’s getting on now. Must be 18 or so I imagine.