Making the news today....

[sime42]

On 06/08/2023 at 10:17, openspaceman said:

Too many reasons but the basic one is the culture of investment here, we have a high wage economy and a desirable living environment that has attracted a lot of inward investment in property. The capital gains have been so high that it has provided better returns than investment in production. This has gone on so long that manufacturing has failed to attract investment for decades and now will never catch up.

 

Simply put our wages mean manufacturers cannot compete with imports, thus there are better places for the wealthy to invest their money.

 

Those of us who work in rich peoples gardens  realise we are servicing their wants because it pays us better than being involved in production or manufacturing.

 

PS I have never worked in a factory and never wanted to.

 

It was more of a rhetorical question but this is thought provoking, thanks.

 

Maybe it's time for a rethink of how we run our economy, to move away from investment in property and services, back to manufacturing. Said in a somewhat tongue in cheek manner obviously, as it'd be a huge cultural shift, but with everything else going on in this time of social and economic turmoil we might as well give it a go. Wages are rising in China, and in the East generally so it should be getting easier to bring manufacturing back to the UK. Whilst we're at it why not initiate higher pay for skilled engineers and other manual trades, and at the same time  lower pay for bankers, lawyers, management consultants etc?

 

A couple of incidental thoughts; A lot of manufacturing is done by robots and other automation now, that's only going to increase. I've no experience of either but I imagine that working in a factory can't be much worse than working in an Amazon distribution center, or suchlike. Also, working in a lot of the service industry, such as high street retail must be pretty soul destroying. Personally I'd hate to spend all day in a shopping centre;-  artificial lighting, noise, air conditioning, no constructive output, that'd be zero job satisfaction for me. At least you see the fruits of your labours in a factory.

[eggsarascal]

8 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

You get your passport stamped (and dated) when you leave.

So they don’t come looking for you. 
But they’ll catch you coming back.

Yeah, possibly a fine and being banned from the Schengen Area, I’ve not heard of it happening, have you?

 

I’ve not looked into it but my paternal grandfather was Irish, wonder if that entitles me to an Irish passport?

[Mick Dempsey]

12 minutes ago, eggsarascal said:

Yeah, possibly a fine and being banned from the Schengen Area, I’ve not heard of it happening, have you?

 

I’ve not looked into it but my paternal grandfather was Irish, wonder if that entitles me to an Irish passport?

No I haven’t heard of it happening but I don’t think they just shrug their shoulders.
 

For the Irish passport, yes, but it’s not simple, you have to fill out paperwork to become a Citizen of Ireland then after a while. (Year or two you’ll have to check) you can apply for the Irish passport.

Edited August 7, 2023 by Mick Dempsey

[eggsarascal]

9 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

No I haven’t heard of it happening but I don’t think they just shrug their shoulders.
 

For the Irish passport, yes, but it’s not simple, you have to fill out paperwork to become a Citizen of Ireland then after a while. (Year or two you’ll have to check) you can apply for the Irish passport.

Ok, I’ll look into the Irish passport. Am I right in thinking that I could stay in one of the non Shengen European countries for ‘x’ amount of weeks and those weeks wouldn’t count, ie bounce between countries like Bulgaria and Croatia then back into the Schengen area?

[Mick Dempsey]

Dunno tbh.

[Johnsond]

Wimbledon school crash: Tyres 'destroyed' at Exeter Land Rover dealership in 'retaliation' over deaths

APPLE.NEWS

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Tyres on at least 60 vehicles at a Land Rover dealership in Exeter have been ruined in retaliation...

I guess when you see the softly softly approach in regards the just stop oil fools it’s not hard to understand why people feel emboldened to carry out acts like this. I’d love to catch one of the wankers drilling holes in the rangers all terrains.

[AHPP]

57 minutes ago, Johnsond said:

Wimbledon school crash: Tyres 'destroyed' at Exeter Land Rover dealership in 'retaliation' over deaths

APPLE.NEWS

---

Tyres on at least 60 vehicles at a Land Rover dealership in Exeter have been ruined in retaliation...

I guess when you see the softly softly approach in regards the just stop oil fools it’s not hard to understand why people feel emboldened to carry out acts like this. I’d love to catch one of the wankers drilling holes in the rangers all terrains.

 

 

Edited August 7, 2023 by AHPP

[5thelement]

2 hours ago, eggsarascal said:

Ok, I’ll look into the Irish passport. Am I right in thinking that I could stay in one of the non Shengen European countries for ‘x’ amount of weeks and those weeks wouldn’t count, ie bounce between countries like Bulgaria and Croatia then back into the Schengen area?

My friend got her Irish passport recently (through the grandparent route) due to her having a Belgian partner and spending every other week there. She can’t pass this onto her own son though.

You can drop into non Schengen countries and spend as long as you want there, just have to do the maths, 90 days in 180 is the rule for EU countries.

They won’t come looking for you, probably just hit you with a fine, payable before you leave, then just be total c**ts if you want to return. 

Edited August 7, 2023 by 5thelement

[eggsarascal]

30 minutes ago, 5thelement said:

My friend got her Irish passport recently (through the grandparent route) due to her having a Belgian partner and spending every other week there. She can’t pass this onto her own son though.

You can drop into non Schengen countries and spend as long as you want there, just have to do the maths, 90 days in 180 is the rule for EU countries.

They won’t come looking for you, probably just hit you with a fine, payable before you leave, then just be total c**ts if you want to return. 

It looks like I can do the Irish passport thing through my grandfather, if I’m reading it correctly I can go out of the Schengen area and the clock resets, it’s a rolling 90 days in 180. Is that how you understand it?

[5thelement]

1 hour ago, eggsarascal said:

It looks like I can do the Irish passport thing through my grandfather, if I’m reading it correctly I can go out of the Schengen area and the clock resets, it’s a rolling 90 days in 180. Is that how you understand it?

I don’t think it resets, it just pauses.

Still 90 days maximum in every 180.