Member Info for Birdsong

Lti, re "gas boiler -you lived the life of luxury"

It was only a water heater boiler, a 'Main Medway' or something like that, which only heated hot water taps, no central heating.

Just thought I would mention it, as I bet our frosted internal windows had thicker ice than yours anyway, and we had some horrible rough 'horse blankets' grey with a coloured stripe, I think from WW1 or something.

ASI, people today have far more choice and a far better life than any Victorian working class.

Check out history, no comparison, with a free rent if skint, warm home, enough money to feed yourself and anything you selfishly choose to bring into your miserable life to, as contraception is free as is abortion, and free health care and education, then what 'more' does the nere do wells 'expect' from society?

Sadly perhaps only a true WW will show these people who whinge, or claim dubious benefits for anything they can, just what they did have and maybe the survivors will look back at their parent, or more rarely parents as having it easy, despite them now thinking differently.

As Iran had it internet taken out, if such occurred here, many of the young would meltdown.

Perhaps such would reset the woke world to a more even level.

Thank you for you account though of your interesting life.

Harleygreen,

I used to help my father make ammunition for he was a keen shooter, both shotguns and full bore pistol. Made lots of .44 magnum rounds, using 'unique' powder, casting bullets, resizing cases, re priming etc, also made plenty of cold .45 ACP rounds for practical pistol, of course before Hungerford and the ban on the indigenous owning handguns guns. I fired the .44 mag at a range and the kick was amazing, missed the target though and hit the wooden rails.

Lloyds at the mercy of the UK, and with President Trump now forever going to hate the UK, cant see much joy, as the EU also will use this weakness to their advantage much to Stammers delight, so he can have a Trump given excuse to cosy up as much as he wishes too.

Hope I have answered all, been working today, well someone has to as the rich don't need to and the poor are kept in the style that suits by not bothering.

PS, I think that Lti also was brought up in a council house, and he is a millionaire and some. But I bet his house wasn't as cold as ours, nor did he likely have hot bits drop on him whilst bathing.

Perhaps we could all sue the councils for ruining our lives, but we were born not expecting that the world owed us a living.

What I find really interesting and quite puzzling too, is that both asimpleinvestor and troublesome, and, for that matter, myself, were all living in Council houses with very basic facilities, some quite dangerous like our old gas boiler, which was placed over the bath, and hot bits of flaking rust would drop down onto you if you were unaware as it had a massive round burner, with an open hole to allow in air, but drop hot bits.

The puzzling thing I find, is you two seem to feel that Labour needs to provide ever more money, perfect houses for the children of today, yet experienced the horrors you mention along with no doubt damp, ice on windows and or condensation dripping from single glazed metal windows.

One room heated with and open coal fire and a parrafin stuffy heater in the tiny bathroom.

Yet you seem to have come through it ok, so WHY do you both think that our poor and the worlds arriving poor need to be living in what to us would have been luxury homes, when the UK is so poor, in debt and with little housing stock?

You are living proof that to struggle to escape poverty is good for people, and we also have living proof today of give them everything and the motivation to work and better yourself vanishes for many, and children living now, seeing Mum and Dad do nothing, but still have a good a house as someone on basic wages is hardly going to persuade kids that work makes life better, when Mum and Dad have all the time to do as they please.

Perhaps the board could recruit knot. Then he could comfort as peoples and their loved ones wealth, hopes and dreams for the future slide future out of view.

Shareholders need the truth, the whole truth etc, but where huge sums of money are made on lies to boost a share or to destroy it, that will never happen.

To me the shorters who had had plenty of chances to exit, but didn't was always a concern.

As were posters never seeing anything as 'bad' for CBG, any extremist views must be taken with much caution. But when the masses don't know, they listen to those with the loudest voice if it agrees with what they want to occur. Don't mean it is right though, or wrong.

PS, reply was to, asimpleinvestor.

Oh you have to be assessed every day to get benefit now do you? Not what I have heard from a professional who works high level for NHS mental health.

As I said, even those claiming such can avoid DHSS interview appointments by claiming it increases their anxiety, thus forcing time consuming and costly home visits, all pre arranged, or perhaps they now fit hidden cameras into every home to monitor their behaviour?

Surely that would be an infringement on human rights, despite it ensuring that our money, not HMG's was being correctly allocated?

I think you having close personal reasons for saying what you do are a little blinkered to the wider scale more common people than yourself and close friends understand.

On estates it is common knowledge how to max income in any way possible.

ANYWAY with Lloyds and the up and coming FCA car DCA outcome this regrading Close Bros is concerning imo, clearly not everyone's who see with different vision ONLY what they wish to see.

Thus: Shares in the company tumbled late on Monday after Viceroy Research said it has "systematically misrepresented" its exposure to the car finance scandal.

Viceroy said in a research note that examination of the Financial Conduct Authority's redress scheme suggests that Close Brothers will have to "at least, double its existing provisions".

The short-seller, famous for its exposes on Wirecard and Home Reit, said Close Brothers has not fully provisioned for the redress because further provisions would breach CET1 regulatory capital restrictions and could create "an equity wipeout event".

Viceroy said Close Brothers' redress exposure ranges from £572m to £1.2bn, which is well above its current provision of £300m.

The research firm's 'blue sky' outcome puts CBG at risk of regulatory intervention, while its base case indicates that equity-holders will be "substantially wiped out in a restructure".

Calming and reassuring take on all this?

Mummy will kiss it better, until the professionals show the true lasting damage and pain to come.

HMG need to fund the public with greedy shareholders money to boost the high street spending more than ever now.

Trojan truly sorry to hear about that. This post was never to diss genuine need for help on my part, but fearing that as many people can hide the effects of mental illness, then so many can fake them.

Of course when anyone challenges fake claims be it for mental illness, or any benefit fraud, it is only the genuine people who, as you have, reply or phone in to radio progs about such. Those faking it will keep quite for obvious reasons.

So the true numbers will never be known, but like any fraud it takes money away from those who really need help and as you know the pain of such then surely you would have preferred more clinical help than just getting more money?

Weak parenting is a lot to blame for childrens screen abuse. Heard only today that even babies are on ave having screen time of around an hour I think they said a day. May be slightly less, but unnecessary and foolish

T, thanks for link, which I read but still say that many more than 'were' are faking mental illness and not coincidently since benefits have included such in some where they once were not.

Of course all genuine cases need help, but as heard on r2, all doctors on there agreed that they have never refused to agree to sign anyone from claiming such.

So be interested to know why you think we have more claims now. Covid can't be the cause, for if a little trauma of not being allowed out, or visiting a Granny etc is the excuse, then I would say it is bad parenting to have caused such stress as a good parent would shield young vulnerable minds from the fear at the time with little white lies etc.

When you think of what children endured during the war, and many evaccuted etc to live with strangers in war conditions, then to use Covid hardships for the reason is not imo valid.

Too much dope and other drugs by parents, who shouldn't own a dog, let alone have children may cause some abnormal minds in children, but I would bet that the recent rise is more to do with being able to be far better off is the major cause.

A free shrink and meds, is the only 'extra' that people should get, and the money now spent on real and fake cases would be better spent on training more shrinks IF we really are in need of such. Money won't cure genuine cases but it encourages fakers.

88 Re: "did covid play a major part in this ?"

It is more a case of the Government made mental health eligible to be able to claim some very lucrative benefits, and many of the artful know, that unlike the old backache excuse, which was easier to detect fraud, mental health is very very easy to fake.

I have a very close friend whose wife works in mental health, and it is widely known that many fake claims are made, but most people in the medical world haven't the time to be able to provide enough proof to the contrary.

So, it is little to do with a child not being able to visit granny with a posy of primroses during covid, but the fact that many found that being paid to stay home was rather nice, and with low pay jobs, that if having children and if paying rent, that they are often better off not working than working. So HMG giving pip or whatever the benefit was for mental health has been very very abused by many people.

Of course the genuine cases will leap in defence of benefits, but the truth is to those on low pay the fact that once a means tested benefit is given, then much more can be claimed, and IF as many are, just faking such, they often work for cash in hand, easy now employers are strapped for cash, as no NI, pensions etc, and low as possible wages are given. Many drug deal or grow such in tents in lofts, adding to this tax free income, and of course with all essentials like rent, c.tax, child allowance, free dental and prescriptions, the decent income along with the time off being their choice not an employers makes it very tempting.

Even when they are asked to come in for interviews, they just use the anxiety ploy to say they can't face it, and eventually a home visit may occur but all pre arranged and easy to fake symptoms. Hence why the number of claims and sen kids are on the rise, along with the parents of many doing drugs and ending up with more joey children.

All benefits should be just enough to live on, and only then if you get clothing at charity shops, and food at the lower end supermarkets, invalid cars should be stopped and taxi rides for only essential medical visits met, charity should fund any other needs.

To the wokes, it will seem hard, but to the sensible a fully paid rent, council tax, extra money for heating, eating, extra disability money, vehicle, free parking, free dental care, free health care including prescriptions, free school meals, school transport, along with all the time off you want and more money than most low pay see with all the above to be taken from it, hardly seems tough to me.

It would ease the number of liars of which there are plenty from home and away now.

Erratum, for 'not' read 'now'

Re: "Is there a level at which the oil price has a negative impact on sp?"

The negative impact will be having a Government desperate to fund the costly growing dead wood in society and those dirty polluting oil companies shareholders who have profited by higher oil prices.

Issue is, chances are oil will be high for a short period and yet the profits will still be taken by HMG to fund some spongers lifestyle here despite the share price having dropped back to it's normal pitiful price.

Still at least we will all feel a warm glow, knowing our own, and not the worlds nere do wells will be nice and cosy at our cost.

....never thought that the US owed the world a free ride. He was voted in on putting America first.

He could see the USA with its massive debt could not continue to stay top dog if nothing was done.

Whilst the woke jealous USA haters gleefully awaited the fall of the US dollar and hoped to see the US debt pile force them into the same poverty and lower standard of living that their own equally greedy or corrupt and weak leaders over the years had created for them much by being seemingly 'nice' to all the nere do wells both locally and imported. President Trump committed the ultimate modern crime as he tried to cut costly arrivals, hence ensuring his hatred forever, by the 'be nice and all will be nice to you' fools.

So imo fair play to the guy he is trying to sort out years of decline, clearly with mixed results, but 'eggs and omelette' proverb, needs time to come good.

Obviously all the media do is play to the haters, and I agree he is all for his country, its people and of course himself. Like few of our Politicians now ever are, except for the latter.

Yet whilst others have dissed for years the USA, despite them saving the free world in warfare, keeping it safe by spending billions on other countries, whilst running up massive debt, they have feed Africa for decades, and helped in many natural disasters, still to be hated by the green eyed onlookers.

So who can blame a President now cutting aid to the apron string holders, and put his country and his people first and foremost, whilst putting his own life and that of his family in much greater peril. As he personally had no need to, then he is very brave to do so, as he will never be able to spend all he has now, nor will his offspring so he is doing what he does in trying to keep the US at the top. Yet whether he can do so is questionable, and the way he goes about it is often seemingly wrong, but at least he is doing something, and changing history not sitting back taking the money and kicking the can down the street for the next guy or woman to deal with.

Time alone will show, but the freeloaders have now to stand on their feet, hence the whinging.

Meoryou

Re "If your thinking is never challenged,it never grows ,you continue to hold the same views as the world changes."

Fully agree with above, but that applies EVEN MORE to the leaders of Iran, for IF anyone dares challenge them they are dead, not sacked.

So President Trump still has a long long way to go to be anywhere near as single minded as they are and the VERY reason he knew diplomacy would never end their nuclear ambition and the reason WHY we are in the near war state now.

It cuts both ways, and more so against Iran leadership who can't just be voted out.

I am out now as don't want to waste all my time off on here, but thanks for the valid points of views from all

Re "Trump said he's not ready to make a deal to end the war with Iran despite the country's willingness to do so "because the terms aren't good enough yet"

Yes I read that comment and it made me laugh, as President Trump dissed the Ukraine leader for not accepting Putin's deal for the same reason.

As I say, I admire what the POTUS is trying to do for his country, I like the fact that he says what he thinks, not pre rehearsed or woke narrative, but it is clear with him that he feels he is wiser than anyone else and it has to be his way or no way. He has openly dissed his allies too much but is that worst than, as the allies likely are doing behind his back saying things about him in the most negative manner possible.

I doubt too that POTUS started this to avoid the charges against him with Epstein etc, as they won't vanish, if or once this war is just old news.

Only thing I will say on such, is that IF ONLY the British public had given as much emotion and venom to the Rochdale, Rotherham and other organised rape gangs by non indigenous on just white British girls.

Likely IF Trump is guilty of any s ex crime it will be with well paid, fully consenting young girls, who would no doubt have been in that trade anyway and just saw this as a way of earning huge amounts more than if in some inner city back ally.

Don't make it right, but at the time of the Rotherham and Rochester gangs, I thought IF the British now don't rise against such, abusing OUR children, then all hope is lost for this nation. As they didn't, and partly because of the deliberate lack of coverage by our BBC and media, then I have lost faith in our justice and our politicians totally now.

So to me a few highly paid young hookers are less mentally damaged than those gang rape victims ever will be, but watch the news coverage difference.

All is wrong, but think IF the Rotherham and Rochdale gangs had been indigenous white Brits deliberately choosing black children to abuse in that way, the BBC would never drop it, progs would be made about it, the name of the rapis ts would be household names and 'race rape' laws would be made to prevent inner cities running out of trainer and electrical shops.

See the world how it is, and ask yourself why it is such now.

President Trump is odd, perhaps in ways yet to be exposed, but there are far, far worse out there who evade justice too.

Banb, can't disagree on many of your latter points, just seems any 'leader' who does something, to prevent the slow train crash, which other previous leaders have just ignored or kicked the can down the road, are then always classed as mad, Hitler, Putin, Kim jon, Trump and a few others too.

Imagine OUR country IF we never had had an empire, much of our current wealth, cities building, and standing came from such, and whilst immoral, and wrong, it gave our nation a better life, not for a day but for generations. Of course those at the top benefited most, but the wealth filters down.

So whilst being nice, doing the 'right' thing is text book behaviour, that ONLY works if the whole world acts the same. It doesn't and never will.

I agree Trump has gone about it wrongly and dissed his allies, but I feel he truly believes he is doing the right thing, and trying to make America the power house it is at risk of losing. Too many love to laugh and diss the USA about it massive debt, and Trump is trying, maybe badly maybe not to do something about it. Clearly to change will cost more at first but he is seeing the hope for the future. He has knowingly put his life, his kith and kins lives at far more risk than anyone else, and didn't 'need' to do so, for he will be living in luxury, traveling in planes, huge cars, heated pools as will his family no matter what price oil is, so don't think he is totally selfish, but has issues for sure. To me I think he feels he is always right, and anyone disagreeing is removed.

So a hopeless diplomat and has annoyed too many, but he seems focused on what he thinks is best for the USA not the rest of the world, but no man is an island even if you have the best military, the food bowl of the world, and floating on oil with a mostly loyal fully armed population and currently still a dollar which is a flight to safety in times of stress.

So we have more to lose than the USA and it hurts to now risk lives when we have been dissed, but it is about the bigger pic, and currently in our interests to so all we can.

This is more about preventing a NON democratic nation, whose deep religious beliefs in not thinking, but in their minds, knowing that to fight the infidel ensures them a wonderful afterlife, with virgins to amuse themselves with.

I doubt even Putin trusts fully, if at all, in a better afterlife, thus such minds are far, far less likely to risk starting a nuclear war, for even IF Putin finger was about the push the red button, no small doubt others within his 'trusted' top brass would execute him before doing so. Yet Iran with its leaders all singing from the same religious hymn sheet are a huge risk when they hate much of the Western values, and seeing how their treat their own women, and watching our semi hushed/censored news here, clearly too many have little regard for women wherever country they choose to impose themselves upon.

Whilst none of us want to see fuel go up, our share go down, for I have lost a lot more than many, I can see why President Trump has taken the action he has. At least he has done something about the issue, and to imagine you can secure world safety always through diplomacy is far more mental than Trump ever will be.

Iran can't change as it's people have no say it its leaders, and so they have no need to change.

Now they have if they wish to live as they did.

Sure we will all suffer terror attacks, dramatic ones like the twin towers, our young slaughtered and disfigured by bombs at festivals, as we now suffer the odd bombings, common knife attacks, all too often machette attacks, with a few vehicles running over the innocent, along with countless r ape and gang r apes, acid attacks.

Paying danegeld never worked, trying to appease the Nazi's never worked, so a show of strength is sometimes the ONLY answer but as stated will come at a price, but maybe an affordable one, unlike the price of doing nothing.

Will YOU be able to answer your children if they say through nuclear blast burnt lips " Daddy, why didn't 'they' do something" if we allow nuclear or WMD to be a threat to millions, not just the few reprisal attacks of undoubted victims to come?

This is the price we are paying now for being 'nice' lets not add nuclear destruction of the West to the growing list.

It must be remembered that the Iranian high command most, if not all, fully believe that they will have a wonderful after life, especially when fighting the infidels. So the Son who has lost much of his family will feel that they have gone to a better place, and he will see them again, along with a myriad of virgins to entertain him in the after life.

That though, is precisely WHY President Trump is doing the right thing by destroying their capability of creating a nuclear weapon or other WMD's.

For unlike most other countries INCLUDING Russia, Iran is likely to have used such a weapon with the top leaders not fearing death so much as the 'weaker faith' leaders, who are enjoying life to the max whilst 'here' and not FULLY trusting in an after life.

Even IF Putin truly believed in such, and was willing to push the nuke button, chances are a lot of his top leaders would not wish to risk their lives, the lives of their families etc on the 'hope' that the after life was a dead cert, whereas in Iran, the view of those with influence would likely be very different.

President Trump is a very brave man, he knows he is ever more at risk, as are all his family from death or hostage or some other harm now, and he is also rich enough and being old had more than enough money to last him, his children and grandchild to live a most wonderful lifestyle, and the POTUS and his loved ones will be driving huge cars, living in huge heated homes, heated pools, even if oil was $1000 a litre. BUT would the average American?

So he isn't doing this for himself, but for what he said, for America, the country he loves.

We are so used to lying polished, well rehearsed speeches from 'nice' politicians that we have lost our way as our country is invaded without a mention and our living standards fall from being 'nice' to even illegal lawbreakers now.

Whose the idiots? Being nice comes at a price, which the wealthy always avoid paying, and like Trump I care for my own country and its rightful peoples more than others. So long live President Trump, who could have sat back as the others did and do nothing, and then a few years down the line perhaps see millions killed with the survivors through burnt lips asking 'why didn't "they" do something when they had the chance'. THINK.

Why have the three shorts not exited on the recent lows IF the worse is over? Surely with the large drop any shorts who didn't know better would have exited, stage left?