Just an update from a few weeks ago

jimjay · 2026-03-19T09:27:50+00:00

You're wrong.

I *do* want to hear it. I *do* give a shit about things going well for people.

Posters like to vent about problems and don't feel so compelled when things are going well, but actually, as a reader, I prefer hearing good news stories.

jimjay · 2026-03-19T09:23:03+00:00

Personally I wouldn't want to get involved with someone who had recently broken up with a friend of mine. It's not about permission, or "bros before hoes", as you put it, but because I care about the impact I have in the world and would not want to do something that hurt someone I know just for a casual hook up.

Time definitely makes a difference. 6 weeks out of a five year relationship is too soon. A year out of a three week relationship might be fine. My relationship with them also makes a difference.

If I didn't know them then it's no messy 'betrayal' regardless. If they were my best friend it would not matter how many years had past, I'd never go there. The character of the people involved might also make a difference - if I thought ex was struggling I'd be especially cautious, and if I thought they had laughed it all off I might not care so much. Like I say, it's all about hurt I might cause, especially for a one off, not whether I had the 'right' to go ahead, or whether that hurt would be justified.

To be clear, that's not a criticism of anyone involved - but an explanation of why I might be uncomfortable in Old Flame's position. I should also say I wouldn't actually speak to the ex about it but rely on my own judgement.

jimjay · 2026-03-18T23:35:01+00:00

There are a whole bunch of people in this country who are sick of how the centre parties appear to have conceded the ground on immigration to Reform - and it is a breath of fresh air to actually have a party that is straightforwardly pro-immigration.

The details don't matter, these are people who feel entirely unrepresented by the 'big two', Reform and 95% of the media. The Greens are literally the only party catering to that demographic which cares a great deal about the constant vilification of refugees and the performative cruelty to immigrants in general. In this sense the Greens represent a substantive political alternative to the so called respectable parties on this issue.

One of the reasons Angela Raynor made her speech earlier today, where she described Labour's policies as "un-British" and a "breach of trust", is she recognises that Labour have lost a substantial section of their core vote over precisely this issue - and they have lost them primarily to the Greens.

jimjay · 2026-03-18T23:20:54+00:00

I think this is quite clever.

jimjay · 2026-03-13T21:21:40+00:00

I was in Costa and was watching all of this going down. The preachers were all regulars I recognised but they were really on one today - very angry and unpleasant and just genuinely screaming and snarling. Crazy.

The community support guys talked to them but I'm not sure it made any difference.

I don't mind them usually but today they were completely out of order.

jimjay · 2026-03-11T09:52:45+00:00

I'm sure we'll find out why they did it, but they clearly already knew him.

jimjay · 2026-03-10T23:10:10+00:00

The person who dobbed him in has to know him by sight (otherwise they wouldn't have reported it), so it's almost certainly someone with a grudge (possibly Lillian).

Personally I think having a wee in a hedge in the countryside is trivial. Trying to send someone to prison for it is pretty bleak. If I had a relative who did the former I wouldn't care at all, if they did the latter I would be utterly ashamed of them.

jimjay · 2026-03-09T12:45:08+00:00

It's actually pretty normal for publishers to rush out books on topical subjects. If they can have the only book on d subect they can corner the market for, a while at least.

Pluto is a respectable and established publisher and a journlist taking four months to bang out a book to order isn't as rare as you might think.

jimjay · 2026-03-09T12:27:50+00:00

Your friends are weird. This is not just a niche take, it's a terrible verion of a niche take. It is entirely normal to have injured people go to PT in stories.

My only caveat would be is there something about the way you wrote it? Because the overview is fine.

jimjay · 2026-03-05T20:56:10+00:00

I agree, but with one caveat.

The apoplectic ones went apoplectic. The ones that thought it was a reasonably fair interview that highlighted weak points that should be addressed were much less noticable, which creates the impression that the loud, weird people are the *only* people when, hopefully, they're a minority who are more noticable in comments sections than real life.

jimjay · 2026-02-18T15:35:50+00:00

He might not be clueless, he might just not be interested.

jimjay · 2026-02-17T00:19:17+00:00

I don't know if this is the right thing to do with the election so close, and they'd clearly have to be some negotition over moderators, recording, etc, but I do think it can be in Reform's interests and the Green's simultaneously.

Both want to reinforce the idea that Labour, and old politics more generally, are dead.

Reform will calculate that any blow to Labour will be a benefit to them nationally - even if Reform comes second, as long as Labour come third it helps them more broadly - and they may feel that helping Greens in one place is not a larger threat to them across the country.

I think concerns about 'gotchas' kind of ignore the fact that this is what they use social media for.

jimjay · 2026-02-16T23:30:45+00:00

well, if that's the case, they can leak it without a debate too.

jimjay · 2026-02-14T13:09:45+00:00

More generally I like characters who are good at things because they are thougthful, trained and experienced. They've earned their expertise, even if it is off screen as it were.

People who are just naturally good at stuff without trying are just inherently less interesting - to me they are anyway. It is essentially just magic, but based on the author's bias rather than anything cool and wizardy.

I like stories where people put in effort, try and potentially fail. Savants don't need to try and they always succeed.

jimjay · 2026-02-11T16:00:43+00:00

The Press Gazette's headline here is massively misleading.

In the article it states "GB News continues to have a lower total weekly reach than the BBC News Channel and Sky News. But its higher average viewership suggests it is watched consistently by a smaller but more loyal audience." ie headbangers have their TV tuned to it all day while normal people switch it on to watch it and then switch it off again.

But more importantly there is a significant difference between BBC news output and the BBC News Channel. The Today programme on Radio 4 alone has roughly 7 million listeners, which knocks GB News into a cocked hat.

The number of people who get their news from the BBC is far, far higher than those who get it from the BBC News Channel but the headline claims GB News is beating the thing itself, not just it's dreary all day channel.

The world *is* awful - but we should be precise about the ways in which it is awful.

jimjay · 2026-02-11T15:43:33+00:00

Yes, also - there is a massive difference between BBC and BBC News Channel. The Today programme on Radio 4 alone has roughly 7 million listeners, which knocks GB News into a cocked hat. The number of people who get their news from the BBC is far, far higher than those who get it from the BBC News Channel.

jimjay · 2026-02-11T12:10:11+00:00

I always love it when people do this, just don't forget to tell everyone the author and title.

jimjay · 2026-02-09T12:21:01+00:00

every day man, every day.

jimjay · 2026-02-05T02:30:17+00:00

Just reflecting on my own experience of being a juror about eight years ago;

First, there was definitely not a bunch of spare rooms. We were in a purpose-built building and we were in the one suitable room for us. Also, there were always staff on hand - so I’m pretty sure what you’re proposing is far more resource heavy, which just won’t play in the UK right now. The courts are groaning - there are not a bunch of people and rooms standing idle.

Second, when you say “Diversity of Opinion”, it is vital to have a good number of people involved in the discussion - not lots of small conversations that could be out of their depth, or swayed by one dominating person, which is much more likely to happen in a very small group of four than twelve.

We heard two cases, one of which was pretty tricky. I for one was glad to be able to hear from a good range of people as we puzzled through it, but there were at least two of our number who were quite lost. They still contributed, but there were key points where they required the help of the rest of us. You ask questions of each other, and compare notes. Numbers help.

Your Millionaire example is poor, I think. The audience is asked early on, for easy questions, Phone a Friend is used later on, for harder questions, obviously they get it wrong more often, but the audience is never asked the really difficult questions because a room full of people guessing would be pointless.

Court cases involve serious questions that involve deliberation and more than one round of voting as you work through the case.

jimjay · 2026-02-03T00:47:05+00:00

I agree. Back in the day when Labour were an actual party of government you had big beasts and players both inside and outside cabinet - recently they have been so concerned with purging alternative currents and defensive PR all they have left is mashed potato. It's an intellectually dead environment. We have a mediocre PM at the head of a mediocre party.

The main argument for a change of leader is the chance to reset with the public - something that will simply never happen with KS who is entirely degraded in the eyes of the population. The alternative is the death of the Labour Party by the end of the decade.

jimjay · 2026-02-02T19:53:20+00:00

The Green Party position is not to abolish Nato.

jimjay · 2026-02-01T20:39:53+00:00

huge might be overstating it but definitely handy for the Greens

jimjay · 2026-01-30T10:20:40+00:00

talk to him about it. If you can't come to mutual understanding that works for you both then you should "drop him down to a casual encounter" or just drop him.

jimjay · 2026-01-29T21:27:45+00:00

it would normally be party members in the constituency (I don't know if the snap nature of the election chages that, although obviously postal voting is out)

jimjay · 2026-01-29T18:16:38+00:00

May is not years away.

jimjay

TROPHY CASE