The Political Thread

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

The first person to climb Everest was probably stressed about it, but at the end of it they'd climbed Everest.  Their climbing Everest also told other people that they could climb Everest too so there's probably day trips to the top of Everest these days as it seems like every eedjit's climbed it, even though there were probably loads of people telling the guy who did it first that it couldn't be done, or tried to dismiss him by asking him why he bothered.  They probably wished they had to balls to even try.

1 in 15 of all summit-climbers have died in the attempt.  Them's rubbish odds.

It costs some 5 figure sum to get permits to climb it these days, and apparently there are regular full on fist fights at base camp over who gets to go first. Also you have to bring back 30kg more than you left with on account of all the shite that's accumulated up there over the years. Mostly corpses.

Everest might be big and all, but the toughest climbing challenge is the North Face of the Eiger. A vertical mile of wind and snow blasted rock

[The Legendary Shark]

I just tried to imagine a tougher climb, KP, and I think something went wrong with my mind because I found myself thinking about climbers of the future not going up mountains but down them - specifically some of those Titans that rise from the oceans' abyssal depths. Might make a good, if somewhat dark, movie...

[Frank]

Former Radio 1 DJ Mike Read is not a racist, and people just simply need to lighten up...

Counter-campaign to get Mike Read's nemeses, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, to number one:

https://m.facebook.com/relaxagainstukip

Never mind. Apparently someone's convinced Mike Read that singing about kicking out immigrants in a comedy Jamaican accent could - by some people determined to think the worst of him - be considered a wee bit racist. It's political correctness gone mad:

Ukip calypso song withdrawn by repentant Mike Read:  http://gu.com/p/42kxt

[Proudhuff]

A pedant would comment that calypso's not from Jamaica 

[Frank]

A pedant would comment that calypso's not from Jamaica

Neither's Mike Read - that's why it's racist. How hard can it be to find someone to investigate the organised rape of children by parliamentarians who isn't friends with the defendants and their spouses? I don't know Lord Brittan, and I certainly don't live in the same street as him, can I have a go?

Fiona Woolf, a prominent QC and Lord Mayor of London, was brought in after Lady Butler-Sloss resigned from her role leading the inquiry when it emerged that her late brother Lord Havers was attorney general at the time of some of the historical allegations.

Ministers had hoped that Woolf would be able to draw a line under the previous controversy but a row erupted on Tuesday when it was revealed that Brittan was one of her neighbours, with whom she had dined five times since 2008. Woolf had also had coffee on "a small number of occasions" with Brittan's wife (most recently last year), sat on a prize-giving panel with her and sponsored her for a fun run.

http://gu.com/p/42jyk/tw

[ZenArcade]

One would.almost think one lived in a state with a veneer of accountability, transparency and democracy, whilst underneath the.strings are pulled by a tight knit coterie of co educated, monied people with a sense of entitlement and overweening self interest and the ability to act in a networked fashion in order to protect said interest. Lucky we don't eh. Z

[Hawkmumbler]

I might have fowled up yesterday. Two plain clothed police officers turned up yesterday asking for my mother. It was my day off and I was cleaning the house while everyone was at school/work. One of the ladies showed me her ID and asked for my mother. I said she wasn't in and that she would have to come back later. I neglected to ask for her officer number. Kicking myself now because I can't phone to verify if they where legit or not.

[The Legendary Shark]

If they were legitimate, the police should have a record of their visit and reasons for doing so. A few polite 'phone calls should sort it out one way or the other. No need to panic at this stage, I'd guess.

[Hawkmumbler]

Birds of a feather, just got off the phone to the very nice staff at the Bolton central station.  And they gave me the ID's for said officers as well as a reason (well, it's to do with my parents so i'll not divulge details). Very much relieved.

[Banners]

Nice to see the establishment moaning about this new Euro tax bill. I think I'll threaten not to pay my tax and see how far that gets me.

[Jim_Campbell]

Nice to see the establishment moaning about this new Euro tax bill. I think I'll threaten not to pay my tax and see how far that gets me.

TBH, I think if HMRC did what the EU has done — changed the rules, reviewed your tax returns back to 1995, and then presented you with a bill for 19 years back tax — I think you'd have an excellent case for not paying.

Cheers

Jim

[The Legendary Shark]

Hands up how many people have signed a contract with HMRC promising to pay whatever they demand whenever they demand it? No? So why do you pay, especially if it's too much for you?
.
Mr Cameron should do what I do - ask to see the contract before he pays a penny. (An agreement is not the same thing.)

[Jim_Campbell]

Hands up how many people have signed a contract with HMRC promising to pay whatever they demand whenever they demand it? No? So why do you pay, especially if it's too much for you?

For the five hundredth time: not all British law is contract law.

Also: I have these crazy ideas about society, and schools, and hospitals, and stuff. I know you have this notion that there is another way of doing these things, but there is literally no way to get from where we are now to this fantasy land you propose without the complete collapse of society as currently constituted as an intermediate step.

I, for one, don't fancy that.

Jim

[Proudhuff]

Splitting the bill at the next board meet up/eat out is going to be fun...

[Hawkmumbler]

I wouldn't mind it. All those re-runs of Threads would be a good education.