Steven P

This is true, the laws need to be up to the standards we demand, must be suitable and applied properly and fairly to all. If they are found to be lacking then amend them or make new laws. I think Labour picking up recommendations of an enquiry (commissioned and then ignored by the Tory party) is a good first step to updating them. Noting that the 'proxy' leader in his time at the CPS implemented procedural changes and so on which saw a stepped increase in prosecutions of grooming gangs and child sex exploitation. Jess Philips has always campaigned on the same issues (as well as other abuses towards girls and women). I think we'll see a slow and steady increase and tightening of legislation along these lines over the next 4 years (and in my view surpassing the Tory parties legislation for all the time they were in office). This is a good thing. (You'll maybe disagree here, but copy and pasting links from any papers, Linkedin, Facebook, Bebo or where ever, bypassing the brains thinking "Is this the full story, is there a hidden agenda" just reinforces the racist stereotypes and agenda of the sources, adds to the perception that the crimes are only carried out by foreigners... because it furthers an agenda... and that sells more papers... profiting politically from anothers suffering is never a good thing... )

Yes, I usually have a reliable resource. Think it was this article I was reading: Grooming gangs and ethnicity: What does the evidence say? WWW.BBC.CO.UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman made several comments about the ethnicity of some high-profile gangs.

I've had that one for about 18 months now, blades turn, hasn't gone wrong yet.

I think it was the BBC news this week, this might be uncomfortable reading for some of you. Something like 45% of grooming gangs in the UK are white, about 15% Asian and about 15% black. The others aren't specified. The data is about 5 years old - so the 2 biggies in the last couple of years might have skewed that figure. I think the study was about 1300 perpetrators (I'm assuming those that have been convicted). And this is exactly the point. "Where are all the reports of all these white men grooming and gang raping children". They aren't being reported. But since Rotherham and Oldham are Asians then the more racist press, The Daily Mail and Telegraph ARE reporting it, Musk has picked up on it, the politicians are talking about it, it has pricked up an interest here because it is Asians committing the crimes in the news. Uncomfortable as it might be to you all, but grooming gangs are not exclusively Muslims. You can argue as much as you like, bury your heads in the sand as deep as you want but these are the figures the survey found. The problems with this is that the press, and others, are getting away with their casual racism but also spreading a narrative around the country that the white man (mostly man) does not commit these crimes. If we believe that the crimes are exclusive to one segment of society we'll turn a blind eye to others - because the trusted press tells us this is how it is. Out of the other grooming offences and crimes against children, Epstein is a parallel working closely with Maxwell but most of those who also flew on his private jet. I think this is the most high profile one I can bring up to highlight that it is not a crime segregated by race, religion or nationality.

That's the point though I've been making for ages... it isn't a race thing... white men are doing exactly the same, and in greater numbers in the UK than Muslims... but not a peep from the press or anyone. As soon as a group of Muslim men get caught doing the same thing, the papers are all over it, the politicians want to know and internationally too with Musk... and yet, for the same crime, nothing about White men. So to me it boils down to the press coverage being less about the actual crimes and more about a racist agenda. That is wrong, to make political points, sell news papers and twatterings off the back of crimes - only picking up the story when it can be directed according to the agenda that they want to sell.

There is no place for it at all, those that do should be locked away. However also no place for making political gain out of it either... Musk, UK politicians, The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, anyone who uses it as an excuse to further a racist agenda, all out of order. Shouting loudest doesn't solve a problem, doesn't look at the root causes, doesn't work out if the UKs legal system is suitable or needs amending (new legislation).... but it does sell a lot of papers and re-twatterings.

The ones making the headlines are, yes, however there are also many other instances that aren't making the headlines. Yes it is criminal - the crimes are universally horrendous however the current highlighting of the crimes have a political bias as to which ones are reported and which ones are not. Granted though that Rotherham and Oldham are the biggest cases... but that doesn't mean the same crime is also happening but much lesser reported. Starmer is a poor politician (which highlights how bad the Tories were if he could win victory) and you're right, he could be a doing a lot more to prove an innocence and do some discrediting. (As for Musk, if his things is sex crimes he could be doing well to also look closer to home, his current plaything is no stranger to being a bit rapey, I don't believe his thing is the crimes but jumping on a political attack for his own financial gains)

I've been trying to get this one Trout there, but been Skate-ing round how to do it but I am sure there is a fart pun "he who Smelt it" with a Whiff too (You'll just have to appreciate the trying even if the finished line isn't there)

Reading the news this week, and perhaps a bit more in depth than The Daily Mail or Telegraph, there are an awful lot of whites doing the same, but that doesn't suit the papers agendas. Pakistani gangs are disproportionate in the figures... but they are not the majority (I haven't worked out if the Rotherham and Oldham gangs skewed the figures significantly or if you discount these 2 large groups if the disproportion would be the same). Noting also that most abuse - physical and sexual - is carried out by someone the victim knows well, often a single family member - and these incidences far outweigh the grooming gangs. However a massive political row stoked by Musk threatens the protection of all these cases too (protection - not really... it is the prosecution that will be easier)

Does it struggle to light if the flu is warm? On an industrial coal boiler we had to put a brazier under the chimney to get the draft going, a day later with a warm chimney (not hot day 2) the draft would pull sheets of paper into the fire.... an extreme example but does it light better with a warm chimney?

To the thread header: That always makes the best firewood! "Boiled his central heating" - the hottest fire I've had this season was with 'fresh' (standing dead wood felled about 2 months ago) - softwood so constantly feeding the fire, it threw out some heat... but had to stand on the stove to keep feeding it. Beech I've got on now will burn an hour or so but the fire isn't nearly that hot. Cannot remember if the day I got the stove glowing red whether it was wood or coal in the days I only had softwoods (Spruce I think)

These puns are brill, thought you couldn't top the last ones but any fin is possible

They're talking about it here:

The route cause of the wild fires is an unusually dry summer and then a dry winter, to think a small fish causes them I think is polloks

Ahh, so British Eco-Mongs have no bearings on JohnsonD, and it's Californian Eco-Mongs he dislikes? It is so very tricky to keep up.

You sure, apparently 'Eco Mongs' have no bearing on JohnsonD (his words, but even so I didn't believe him when he said that). Fires... even older days the wild fires would burn themselves out, naturally renewing the forests. Pour millions of gallons of water on them, put the fires out and the dead and dried wood underneath builds up leading to a larger problem when larger fires do happen. Trumps issue isn't the fires as such, more he takes every opportunity to knock the California governors, any excuse for political gain... wild fires are a thing, blame the water supplies and link it back to political knocking.

Ahh, you still biggly bigging up The Rapist?

What's this, (domesticated) Lynx in the cairngorms not toxic enough for you?

That was quick, less than an hour between 'released' and 'captured' ! (according to when we posted the links, or lynx as it might be)

Just going back a couple of days. This came on the news this morning Two lynx on the loose in Cairngorms in suspected ‘illegal release’ UK.YAHOO.COM The public have been warned not to approach the lynx if they are seen.

WTF were you searching for Mark to get that news story? 'TheHardTimes.net'? are you sure 'Penis' and TheHardTimes is a safe search for work?

I'm going to upgrade from Aldi.. I went to double fan last year but want to go Stirling engine for extra amusement.

Not every tree surgeon is on the tip sites of course, the local ones might never have looked, they might have been locals with local arrangements or the tree owner might have asked to keep the wood. Note some felled trees might look abandoned but in reality are left for the wildlife. All belong to someone and it is there prerogative as what they do with them. So for the tip site.... If a local tree surgeon is doing the work there is a good chance they will have a local yard or arrangements in place - I have a few contacts locally and with my road being where it is some pass every now and then, if I am low on logs I get more delivered, else they go elsewhere. The tip site is unlikely to produce results from a local. For those working outside the area then they might look - if it saves them an hour or more round trip to their usual tip it is worth the effort, and then you are competing against everyone else in the area. Might be there is someone more local to the tree than you, might be that the local sandwich shop passes another tip site - further away from you but on the way to lunch. Hundreds of reasons. Might also be worth looking at the tip sites to see how many are local to you - what are you competing with? You will get more luck if you are less specific as what you can take, if you have a drive they can reverse onto, the offer of petrol money, cake or beer can help, Third option, after local and other looking at tip sites is to have a quiet word if you notice them working - that is usually a good option and with chainsaws tricky to keep quiet you might hear them. Don't go demanding, but introduce yourself and ask if they have anywhere for the wood. If they are busy then an e-mail or voice mail saying ' I noticed you working just down the road, if you need somewhere to tip....' Last thing - a few trees - might be that they didn't want the hassle of organising several tip sites over the job, easier to just pay for the transport and get them all taken away at the end of the job rather than 'this load goes here, that load goes there' Whatever the reason though some get 'lucky' and several loads, some wait a while for the tip stes to work.

A little bit milder might be the £350 solicitors letter warning them off trespassing.

Find a customer support person at Sky and copy them too - Sky are the customer of Open Reach - and if Sky aren't getting their money they'll take an interest