Does anyone agree that there is a need for forum space to mention all those things that are of interest in the short term but, would not necessarily sustain a half a dozen or a dozen comments.
For example: Yesterday was the last day of the Six Nations rugby competition. Only of interest perhaps, to few on these Forums. I’d like to have placed a reminder but couldn’t find the last Six Nations subject, so didn’t bother.
Another example: Lord Neuburger, President of the Supreme Court mentioned that it was desirable that people should not be prevented from venting their often frustrated opinions on contentious issues for fear of condemnation. He thought that commentators who were opposed, were inhibited by the prospect of disapproval, from discussing rascism, homosexuality, ordination of females etc.
My Six Nations snippet was that it was a generally good result. Ireland won (by points difference) the Six Nations title from England. England won the Triple Crown and France was beaten ! Result.
By: charliehunt - 27th August 2015 at 13:45
John
I think most of what we get from there is sabre rattling for home consumption, especially as it is an election year with a new President to replace Mrs Kirchner.
It is an economic basket case so in reality the new regime has more domestic priorities than international to attend to. But we have to be seen to be making our position clear as much in response to perceived danger as for PR purposes.
By: trekbuster - 27th August 2015 at 13:42
Something else for IDS to be proud of?
Along with the DWP putting out false case histories of claimants on it’s website (although the latter he blamed on his staff).
Seems he has a problem with either recognising or telling the truth in parliament (again)
By: John Green - 27th August 2015 at 10:22
Are we due for round two of the Falklands War ?
The D. Tel. 26th inst. reports that in response to intelligence that the Argentines are shopping for ex Chinese and Russian military aircraft, our MoD have just spent 47 million on mobile radar upgrades.
It is to be hoped that the senors have long memories and a lot of knowledge gained from bitter experience.
By: John Green - 13th August 2015 at 11:31
Anyone flying abroad to a non EU destination? If you’re tempted to worship at the altar of Mammon aka the shopping plazas at any airport say no when asked to show your boarding card.
The D.Tel (report, 12th inst.) tells us that these retail outlets have for years been operating a legal scam. You’re buying a can of lager as a worthwhile gift for your favourite popsie – a dab behind the ears and drink the rest, you reach for your well thumbed credit card which emits a howl anticipating more torture. The cashier gives you a receipt and then asks to see your boarding card.
She checks your destination. If it is non EU, she scans the barcode and by doing so claims back the VAT which would otherwise be payable. How good is that ?
According to the D.Tel. this has been going on for years and been producing millions of extra profit for the retailer instead of the saving being passed back to the customer.
This must be fraud, Out and out fraud. So be warned, don’t produce your boarding pass. That way the greedy b####### will not profit.
By: John Green - 17th July 2015 at 17:11
Breathtakingly amazing news story. Read all abaht it !
Euro chiefs agree bailout money of 7 billion euros to tide the Greek banks over.
Report, D. Tel. 17th inst.
I bet my brown fedora that most did not believe it would happen. Ahem !
By: trekbuster - 12th July 2015 at 18:44
My goodness, it would appear Gove has made a sensible decision (is this a first?) as justice secretary
By: trekbuster - 9th July 2015 at 23:00
They had Liam Nolan on the local news channel, and he was forced to admit that he could not on one hand quote OFSTED on their corporate website as showing PB 1 & 2 as being outstanding which implied they agreed with the system and then rubbish the same team when they reported PB3. He agreed changes had to be made and had ‘accepted’ the resignation of the head and SMT.
By: charliehunt - 9th July 2015 at 19:31
You can almost see the gleam in the BBC’s eye in that piece!!
From both personal experience and a deal of reading I am not greatly impressed by Ofsted.
This school may be as described but Ofsted has got it wrong before and no doubt will again.
Bring back the school inspectorate I say!!;)
By: trekbuster - 9th July 2015 at 18:47
oops, bet Dave wishes he hadn’t got involved with opening this one:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-33450881
P.s. The Telegraph is but a pale shadow of it’s former self since the Barclay brothers took over.
By: John Green - 6th July 2015 at 11:39
Trekkie,
Most of us know upon which side your political ‘bread is buttered’. If an opportunity arises for you to expose an alleged mischief, especially if it is a mischief of the ‘right’ then, of course you will do so.
Who do we believe ? An upright, august publication with an impeccable 160 year history who publish in good faith or, the political machinations of political ‘Johnny-come-lately’s’ ?
Perhaps the act of some amateur ‘agent provocateur’ to discredit said publication? Either way, it is a small matter of spilt beer and nothing to get too excited about.
Your targets remain elusive and you have faulty ammunition.
By: trekbuster - 5th July 2015 at 23:12
D.Tel gets it’s wrist slapped for telling untruths.
Typically for the right leaning press, such pieces that catch them showing they are economical with the truth are published late in an evening and are unlikely to be on tomorrow’s front page.
Following the publication of an article in The Daily Telegraph on 4 April 2015, headlined “Sturgeon’s secret backing for Cameron”, the Office of the First Minister of Scotland complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that The Daily Telegraph had breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Editors’ Code of Practice.
IPSO established a breach of the Editors’ Code and has required The Daily Telegraph to publish this decision as a remedy.
The article reported the contents of a leaked Government memorandum which claimed that at a private meeting the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, had told the French Ambassador that she would rather see David Cameron win the general election than Ed Miliband. The memorandum had been written by a senior British civil servant a week later, after a conversation with the French Consul-General.
The article said that these comments undermined Ms Sturgeon’s public support for a “progressive alliance” with Mr Miliband.
The complainant said that the claims were categorically untrue: Ms Sturgeon had not expressed a preference for a Conservative government or any views about Mr Miliband’s suitability as Prime Minister. The complainant regarded the newspaper’s decision not to contact Ms Sturgeon for comment prior to publication as a breach of Clause 1.
The newspaper said it had confirmed the authenticity of the document with two well-placed sources before publication. It was a contemporaneous note made by an experienced civil servant, and the newspaper had no reason to doubt its accuracy. It denied having any obligation to contact Ms Sturgeon for comment before publication: it was entitled to publish an accurate account of the document.
The Complaints Committee noted that the memorandum represented – at best – a second-hand account given a week after the meeting, which contained the serious implication that Ms Sturgeon had been disingenuous in her public statements.
The newspaper did not know whether the account contained in the memorandum was accurate. Nonetheless, it had published this as fact, without having taken additional steps prior to publication – such as contacting the parties involved for their comment – to verify its accuracy.
The committee established that the newspaper’s presentation of the account contained in the memorandum, in this context, represented a breach of the Editors’ Code.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/11715880/IPSO-upholds-Nicola-Sturgeon-complaint.html
By: John Green - 5th July 2015 at 14:21
Maybe. But, I think that most of us know or, suspect the truth.
By: trekbuster - 5th July 2015 at 13:22
I have just read that article, nowhere is the term “state education” mentioned, so it is a critsism of the British schools system as a whole including the independent sector.
By: John Green - 29th June 2015 at 19:24
Trekkie & one or two others.
The Business section of the D. Tel. (report, to-day) confirms that quote: ” British school leavers are the worst in Europe at essential skills needed for entry level jobs in business”.
Forty percent of firms polled in Britain said that candidates for junior jobs lacked “functional skills, basic literacy and numeracy” compared with 18% of European firms polled.
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants carried out the survey.
This does tend to tie in with other opinions on the subject of the merits of State education.
By: John Green - 27th June 2015 at 21:25
I’m at ease with the wording. Ir described the situation exactly.
The ‘problem’ appears to be that your interpretation of English is different to mine – that’s all. I’m quite happy with that. I’m just very surprised that you can’t see it !
By: charliehunt - 27th June 2015 at 17:12
I have no need to wriggle, John. But you just might need to rethink your wording, as it was unambiguous.
By: John Green - 27th June 2015 at 10:22
Wriggle if you must. Replace ‘implies’ with ‘suggests’ and you’ll be better placed to guage the degree of qualification.
By: charliehunt - 26th June 2015 at 21:20
Unfortunately it means the opposite.
implication
ɪmplɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/
noun
1.
the conclusion that can be drawn from something although it is not explicitly stated.
“the implication is that no one person at the bank is responsible”
synonyms: suggestion, inference, insinuation, innuendo, hint, intimation, imputation, indication; More
By: John Green - 26th June 2015 at 21:15
You’ve proved my point.
” Implies/infers/intimates”, equals qualification.
QED
By: charliehunt - 26th June 2015 at 21:05
Au contraire – that phrase not only implies certainty but imminent certainty. Might or may or probably or at some time all suggest a degree of uncertainty. But of those and numerous others we saw nothing.
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March 16, 2014 at 1:27 pm