I think I’m going to try identifying as “it/alien” just to see what happens. 
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Or even claim that one finds no pronoun acceptable!
You might be deported to it/aly. 
At least the food is good and the scenery lovely. 
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Oops! In that case I shall try gr/eek!
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Nothing in Particular isn’t the best place to post this - I post it as something in particular.
It’s early days but I feel refreshed by both Starmer’s Labour win, and Kamala Harris’s rapidly growing rise to power. Things are looking up as they say and my sense of dismay & disbelief at what’s been happening politically on both sides of the Atlantic, has been replaced by relief. A burden is being lifted from my shoulders.
My gut tells me that a new and better way forward in the UK & USA has started to happen and is for real.
I hope that very soon there will be a ceasefire in Israel/Palestine, and some forward momentum in Ukraine, which I recognise will be more difficult.
But I feel hope is looking better these recent days and weeks.
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I agree with all that but would make 2 points. Firstly Madame Harris hasn’t won anything yet, if she gets the nomination, which seems highly likely, she still has to count on there being less loonies in the few most important states (if only they had a real democratic system) than sometimes seems to be the case.
Secondly, I feel really let down by Starmer creating a Ladyship in order to get someone who hasn’t been elected to serve in his cabinet. Shades of Sunac and Cameron. What a shameful admission to have to make, that he hasn’t got enough talent in the whole of that vast mob to fill the post with a democratically elected person.
I missed this (we’ve discussed the three Lords, and agreed to differ ). Who’s the new lady?
Mrs Jaqueline Smith a former Home Secretary from the Blair/Brown era. I don’t think she was all that good back then so even more sad to be resurrected by Starmer.
I don;t think it’s shameful - perhaps unfortunate - you have to remember that it’s been 14 years since the last Labour Government so people with experience (as opposed to talent) are thin on the ground.
Starmer’s policy seems to be to proceed with caution and ensure that all Government departments are in safe and steady hands - he needs to show a clear contrast with the last lot in terms of competence and efficiency, to prove to the public that politicians are not “all as bad as each other” - a belief which led to the lowest voter turnout since 2001.
In due course those with ability will be promoted - but they need to serve their time in junior roles first.
ETA: compare and contrast with the Johnson administration where people were given important Government posts purely on the basis of their degree of Brexit fervour and personal loyalty to Boris… Nadine Dorries being a prime example.
i agree that the optics of putting people in the House of Lords are not ideal, but that’s necessary if someone who is not an MP but holds office is to be able to report to Parliament and be questioned.
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Thoroughly agree. I’m delighted he’s reaching for experience and taking it wherever he finds it.
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I think she was generally undervalued, and blighted by a stupid mistake. Starmer does need some experience in the cabinet to get things moving quickly. A reasonably balanced article(with some vituperative commentators)
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Thanks, @David_Spardo . (I think I did hear about that.)
Sorry but I am and always have been a committed democrat and no matter how good or otherwise someone is if they can’t be arsed to put themselves up for election they shouldn’t be amongst those who govern.
Good to have someone who has direct experience across the educational spectrum.
I hope she can make FE do what it should be capable of , but I worry for universities unless the current restrictions on foreign students and post-grads’ families are lifted. Most UK universities are in a mess with falling numbers, falling income, closing courses for financial reasons, shedding academics and sliding down international league tables - and that’s without mentioning leaving Erasmus and the loss of UK and EU research funding.
Glad I was able to bale out when I did.
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To quote Cher, “Some women make mistakes but some marry them”
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I don’t know where to say this and din’t want to start a thread that goes nowhere, so ‘nothing in particular’ seems apropos
While I expect the Sky Shield is an effective tool to reduce air attacks, as seen from SNCF rail network, not all foreign (assuming) assault comes through the air.
Is spending this money, now, paying Isreal who makes it, really urgent? Or, is this a Peter paying Paul play?
It could well be an under the radar way to support Israel. OTOH iron dome seems to have been very effective at stopping rockets, so in a war against crude Russian weapons it might be extremely useful.
Are we getting prepared for expanding ‘hostilities’ in Europe?!?
Just when I (and maybe others) could be beginning to feel positive again!
I’m being pernickety!
I do a daily diary and I start each entry with the date, as you would. For some reason Microsoft Word will not automatically capitalise the months of march, may and august.
All days and all months of the year are automatically capitalised wherever they be in a sentence, except march, may and august.
Can that be fixed?
Don’t know if it can be fixed but I do know why they do that. Those 3 months are also words with other meanings which are not normally capitalised.
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