Incredibly sound from Andrew Neil - should apply to a heck of a lot
of things

Leading up WWII, the British govt increased defence spending to 9% before hostilities broke out. That is what is called a “war footing.”

Zinging letter from the Duke to the London pen pushers.

Devastating analysis of fantasy British foreign policy by Matthew Syed in The Times and The Sunday Times today. I couldn’t put it better myself (though I’ve tried); this is as good as it gets.

#OTD 1814 Byron writes from The Albany

'This night got into my new apartments... Spacious, and room for my books and sabres'

Swagger

Perfection

Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony 🙃

Test assembly, few adjustments still needed.

Economically speaking, North Wales should probably also be part of a 'Liverpool City Region' investment zone. Maybe there will be 'consequentials'.

cityam.com/how-liverpool-…

Do they not have the wit to realise that any such power they create will one day (soon) be used against them?

Just done my first ever reverse image search.

#WomensHistoryMonth .....

Genuine citizen assemblies would be government by lottery

Randomly generated policies - transferring power to a tiny number of people

Curated assemblies would be a sham - were power lies in the hands of the person running it

I won't take a view - but I will say what they are

Half day ;) x

Tickets for our wonderful Ross Cider Festival are available online! The festival will take place from Friday 30th August to Sunday 1st September 2024. Tickets are £50 per adult for the whole weekend, with camping an optional extra at £15 per adult.

rosscider.com/ciderfest/

In the Rational Optimist I wrote:

'It is precisely because there is so much poverty, hunger and illness that the world must be very careful not to get in the way of the things that have bettered so many lives already – the tools of trade, technology and trust, of specialisation…

Does the military still use Black Powder based explosives? Or is everything now inert? Maybe time to plant some more Alder Buckthorn plantations:
ramblingsofanaturalist.blogspot.com/2011/04/explos…