Jerry_Atrick

The senior ones, when including fringe benefits and then the lobbying, er, consulting gigs afterwards don't seem to do too badly

Diesel is £1.92 where I am. At the mid rates, it is $3.65 at time of writing. Petrol is £1.52, which is $2.89.

I don't disagree with this. Of course Iran is a threat to Israeli interests (i.e. survival) and US Interests. But what are US interests? Israel? Only to the extent Israel supports the US and contributes technology to US military. What other interest does the US have of the Middle East? Is it protecting it out of the goodness of its heart; or because of the extraction of oil from the Arab states there? As well as the profits that flow from services supporting their construction and oil industries. So, if the US is protecting its interests, it is really protecting oil, right? But what other interests does the US have? Well, it has an interest on containing China's industrial might, because, as we saw in WWII, indistrial might helps win world wars. It can't stop China getting hold of solar panels and rare earth minerals unless it invades China, which I think even Chumpo would work out isn't a great idea. Also, I would suspect there owuld be one or two other gulf states that would also be happy if the Iranian regime toppled. Who is to say they didn't lend their voices to this? I din't say it was a good idea. Let's face it; Chump's belligerent ideas are rarely any good. I was just proferring up a theory that isn't mainstream - but one that I thought may have some weight even at the beginning of this conflict - although I hadn't really thought about the China angle. But, I can think of one case where poking the bear good and proper would likely have solved at least one conflict.

Well, life on the CBF1000 continues. It is actually a very good all round bike.. I feel like I can tour on it all day, yet it has a little lean forward, and you can throw it nicely around - it won;t win any races, but is a smooth and responsive in line 4, with reasonably well matched suspension. It is a bit of a winter hack in places and now the weather is better, I will attack some of the rust spots. The stator still seems OK.. but I have narrowed the electrical issue I have with it. I have finally sorted out the heated grips, and they have a led that flashes green when it detects a drop below about 12.8volts or some such number, indicating the system is not charging and the ignition is switched off. And, whenever the high beam goes on or the brakes are applied, the light immediately starts flashing. As soon as they are released (or the high bean goes off), the led goes back to normal operating mode (red light for high). I have a USB connection and when it is drawing a current, it doesn't affect the heated grips, so I am thinking there is an issue with the wiring around the lighting. The switchgear is hard to get the high beam to stick on - but not a problem with the flash switch. Should be fun to trace.

This has been in development for some time: https://aptera.us/

Maybe I am giving Chump too much credit - but I seriously doubt if there was enough internal opposition, he would have pursued. He as chickened out well before it got to implementation (of tariffs) before. Maybe Net gave him the oil idea; maybe there was some other US internal people driving it. I juyst don't think Chump would have gone in purely with Israel's interests at heart.

I disagree. I think he is using Netanyahu and the Israel conflict as a means to an end. The way I see it is that he wants to be able to control the oil from Iran in the same way as Venzuela.. and control the supply to China.. Israel, to me, is a smokescreen to his objectives.

I like to drive and ride fast.. It is something that is tolerated here where it is relatively safe; i.e. motoways or dual carriage motorways where the traffic isn;'t too bad. The limit on both is 70mph (c. 110kph), but when I leave for London at 3:30am, I hover around the 80mph (c. 130kph) mark and pass the same police in the same spot with the same gun and they never come after me. However, drive dangerously, even when under the limit, and they guve you extremely short shrift. But, I do know when I drive or ride faster, the increase in fuel usage is noticeable. It is usied mostly to push the air out of the way, and the square rule kicks in. Amazoing how many people have slowed down since fuel prices have gone up.

One of the disadvantages of global trade and movement. While it is bad news, forewarned is forearmed; and the more people that know about it and its potential conseuences (think $12 lettuces), the more pressure that can be put on government to put resources intol finding a way to solve the problem. It only becomes depressing when no-one oof who we entrust and pay handsomely to look after this tries to do anything about it when they should.

How did you draw that conclusion?

Yes, I would agree with that, too. But I would suggest that is also how most of these relationships work. The question is, when Chump achieves his aims, will be still be distracted into being Netanyahu's pawn? And vice versa? My guess is Chump would be the first to drop Net rather than the other way around.

Given both you and I are not privy to the communications between the main players, I respect, but don't necessarily agree with your opinion. I will accept they don't want the war to stop - unitl there is realregime change in Iran that will help bring peace to the region. But I am not sure Chump really cares what Israel think beyind them being a useful pawn in whatever game he is playing at. Why would he treat Net any different to anyone else?

Some people think we are alread in WW3... and that rationing will come.

Well, that wasn't too bad a result.. Because of my pick against Hawthorn - 1 point win (round 4 we are talking), I think I would have just broken even or be slightly ahead. However, I was surprised to learn a shop assistant at the local servo/convenience store I go to is an avid fan if Aussie rules; Sadly a Collingwood supporter. He bets regularly on it, and although Gather Round was not a great week for him, he claims to still be up about £100 from the start of the season. He has not one bit of Aussie about him., but apparenlty on a familyu holiday in Aus when he was about 10 (he is about 20 now, I would guess), his uncle took him to a game and he was hooked. He knows all the games, players, a lot of the stats and the like. I could never have kept up with him. He is studying some wine course hoping to get to Aus and try his hand at winemaking... He knows the industry is in a slump and likely will remain there for some time. I think he wants an excuse to watch another game or three live.

Once Howard started running down the reserves, neither party has grabbed the problem and fixed it.