Proceedings of the Castle Aching Parish Council, 1905

[Compound2632]

On 14/05/2022 at 09:36, alastairq said:

But, as I intimated, few have even heard of the Traffic Commissioners, let alone understand the full breadth of their powers...with regards to those who earn a livelihood  driving on the UK's roads.

 

So I thought to educate myself. For instance:

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/decision-for-aj-uk-ltd-ok1108877/decision-for-aj-uk-ltd-ok1108877

 

[Edwardian]

15 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

So I thought to educate myself. For instance:

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/decision-for-aj-uk-ltd-ok1108877/decision-for-aj-uk-ltd-ok1108877

 

 

"You cannot learn honesty and integrity in a seminar."

 

But where do you learn it these days? School? Church? At Your mother's knee?

 

My legal practice years ago forced on me the reluctant conclusion that regulation in this country has taken the place of ethics in the commercial sphere. Presumably regulators would argue that increased regulation us in part a function of a lack of good standards resulting from ethical imperatives. No doubt true, but this has lead to a danger of regulation replacing ethics, so that Mr Busuness Man or Mr Financier or Mr Rentier can think to himself "well, if it's legal within the scope of the regulations, it must be acceptable", without passing his conduct through any moral filter. 

[Compound2632]

Just now, Edwardian said:

My legal practice years ago forced on me the reluctant conclusion that regulation in this country has taken the place of ethics in the commercial sphere. 

 

My experience as an employee led me to the conclusion that I would not wish to be in a managerial position as it was evident that the convention was that the people occupying such positions left their morality and sense of human decency outside the office door. 

[Nick Holliday]

On 13/05/2022 at 17:35, alastairq said:

An old style double deck bus [not a modern plastic-fantastic]...with close to 90 including standing passengers, ran to around 19 or 20 tonnes!

 

London dockers weighed even more.

 

Since an RT seems to only come in at a mere 7½ tons unladen, that would mean your average passenger weighed 21 stone, so I hate to think how much bigger a docker would be.  Can't imagine getting 90 of those man-mountains onto a double-decker bus, especially up the stairs to the top deck!

[monkeysarefun]

How cool is it being Ukranian right now, (apart from that Russian invasion, obviously)?

 

First you win the Eurovision singing competition, then Bono drops by, now Jah Wobbles dubbed up your national anthem.

 

Edited May 17, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[Johnson044]

43 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

My experience as an employee led me to the conclusion that I would not wish to be in a managerial position as it was evident that the convention was that the people occupying such positions left their morality and sense of human decency outside the office door. 

Very bleak and sadly often true. Time for some music. 

 

 

[Johnson044]

Sorry - must have hit the button at the same time as monkeysarefun! 

 

 

[monkeysarefun]

10 minutes ago, Johnson044 said:

Sorry - must have hit the button at the same time as monkeysarefun! 

 

 

Is it  Tuesday evening there too?

[Johnson044]

Sadly not yet!

 

But it's a sunny day and no-one's dropping bombs on me.

 

Much to be thankful for!

[Edwardian]

16 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

How cool is it being Ukranian right now, (apart from that Russian invasion, obviously)?

 

First you win the Eurovision singing competition, then Bono drops by, now Jah Wobbles dubbed up your national anthem.

 

 

Cool, though, still prefer .....

 

 

And no one should mind losing to ....

 

 

I rather like it.

 

In one sense, we're all Ukrainians, in the sense that we all face a common existential threat. A limited sense, however, as the actual Ukrainians are the only ones fighting that Enemy.

[Johnson044]

Play Ja Ja Ding ! Play it! Now!

[Johnson044]

Ja Ja Ding !!!

 

 

[Johnson044]

How curious! The third word from one of the songs in Eurovision, the story of Fire Saga is automatically censored- it's just the other noise that a bell makes.

[alastairq]

57 minutes ago, Nick Holliday said:

Since an RT seems to only come in at a mere 7½ tons unladen

There were other types and makes, I drove later, that weighed in, unladen at closer to the ten tonne mark....

Don;t forget the shopping bags...and the lunch boxes......they all add weight as well.

Never recall seeing an underweight London docker....

[Johnson044]

14 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

 

Cool, though, still prefer .....

 

 

And no one should mind losing to ....

 

 

I rather like it.

 

In one sense, we're all Ukrainians, in the sense that we all face a common existential threat. A limited sense, however, as the actual Ukrainians are the only ones fighting that Enemy.

The thing that never seems to be mentioned is that the Ukrainians have suffered terribly at Russian hands before. In the early 1930's Stalin sent in troops to take all the grain and other food they could, sealed the borders and left millions to starve to death. 

 

What they have been through before and what they are going through now is beyond the comprehension of most of us. We are so, so fortunate.

[Johnson044]

 

[Edwardian]

So, Why isn't New Zealand in the Eurovision Song Contest?

 

I feel we must be told!

Edited May 18, 2022 by Edwardian

[alastairq]

Why is he holding Putin in front of him?

[Regularity]

2 hours ago, Edwardian said:

My legal practice years ago forced on me the reluctant conclusion that regulation in this country has taken the place of ethics in the commercial sphere. Presumably regulators would argue that increased regulation us in part a function of a lack of good standards resulting from ethical imperatives. No doubt true, but this has lead to a danger of regulation replacing ethics, so that Mr Busuness Man or Mr Financier or Mr Rentier can think to himself "well, if it's legal within the scope of the regulations, it must be acceptable", without passing his conduct through any moral filter. 

Very true. 

Funnily enough, by one of those coincidences, this was highlighted this morning on Radio 4, in episode 2 of “Empire of Pain”. Legal counsel was described as essentially taking two forms in corporate America: those who say “This is what you must do, and this is what you are allowed to do. Anything else, you check with me.” And those who say, “Let me see what we can get away with - tell me what you want to do, and I will find loopholes.” The example of the latter was brilliantly demonstrated by the character of Tom Hagan in “The Godfather”.

The other thing regulators like is being able to measure things, and then the measurements became the sole means of assessing compliance and performance. Witness school league tables, based on “results” but with no mention of values in the tables.

[monkeysarefun]

11 hours ago, Edwardian said:

So, What isn't New Zealand in the Eurovision Song Contest?

 

I feel we must be told!

Yes, cos they have a band and everything!

 

 

[Edwardian]

In the news ......

 

 

 

[Welchester]

39 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

In the news ......

 

 

 

 

Yet his successor still makes him look like an intellectual titan.

[Compound2632]

42 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

In the news ......

 

Hardly news. I often catch myself calling our neighbour's cat, Ziggy, by the name of our other neighbour's late cat, Timmy. Both (have) purrfected the techniques of home invasion. 

[Edwardian]

8 minutes ago, Welchester said:

 

Yet his successor still makes him look like an intellectual titan.

 

By which you mean GOP successor, of course.

 

Yes, when I was young we used to laugh at Regan as a fool, then came George Dubya, and then .... 

[alastairq]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Hardly news. I often catch myself calling our neighbour's cat, Ziggy, by the name of our other neighbour's late cat, Timmy. Both (have) purrfected the techniques of home invasion. 

  Indeed, home invasion being de rigueur, chez moi.

I currently have 4 not-my-cats.

I have become their daytime home. [nighttime, they go out doing cat-stuff, or go indoors to their 'mum'...next door!]

Cats on the whole do like company...if not to con or cuddle up to [except when it's wet]....but just knowing one is 'around' a I mostly am....[not being able to afford the fuel to go out anywhere else]

All have been named differently to the names imposed on them by the folk next door. Once through the front hedge, they become someone else!

Hence, for example, the one I [we, for I must include my family, who visit to stop, several days a week]...call 'Felix' [no guesses for his colour scheme or personality]....? Felix, formerly known as  Prince.....!

Of the 4 disparate colours of mogg, Felix is the least likely to be found doing serious hunting....being somewhat of a 'butterfly''chaser....We all probably know someone in our lives, who spends time chasing butterflies, methinks?

Felix is also an ardent chatterbox!

He is happy when engaging in a conversation, with anyone who has the time to chat.

[Before anyone thinks chatting to a cat to be strange, my next-door-but- one neighbour, also retired [plays with old motorbikes mostly]....is often to be heard having discussions with next-doors back-garden sheep....[a CAmeroon sheep]  Worryingly for my other-side neighbours, their 4 year old has also been spotted chatting away with the opposite-side back-garden sheep as well. [Clar across my own back garden!] Nothing to do with the fact both their kids are homeschooled.....Mum being an ex-teacher who left the system by way of protest. ]

 

They are [were?} all feral kittens taken in by the bunnyboiler next door.... from various places like Cats' Protection, etc All have been seen-to, jabbed and chipped.

It is an arrangement I am happy with......since I get the [dubious?] pleasure of their company, yet she gets all the vets bills and 'presents'...