BRFR Cake Stop 'breaking news' miscellany

[briantrumpet]

Peers opposed to the Assisted Dying Bill are trying to talk it out in the Lords with 1200 amendments tabled, the equivalent of a DDOS attack, against the will of the Commons.

(Apologies, moved from the Russia thread where I posted it by mistake.)

 

[briantrumpet]

Pfft, you know what, I haven't got that much imagination, and I'm finding it pretty easy, actually. But then I don't want to take pervy pictures of strangers and load them into Grok.

 

[Pblakeney]

Pfft, you know what, I haven't got that much imagination, and I'm finding it pretty easy, actually. But then I don't want to take pervy pictures of strangers and load them into Grok.

View attachment 12700

Just demonstrates his lack of imagination.

 

[briantrumpet]

Just demonstrates his lack of imagination.

Maybe that's because he's outsourced all his thinking to machines.

 

[briantrumpet]

This seems like a perfect illustration of 'unicorn brain': like the pubs issue, the world has changed, and High Streets as we knew them are largely redundant. People have got used to drinking at home, as social connections are less dependent on all being in the same room together; and people have got used to buying stuff online. But they *demand* that politicians keep pubs open and High Streets thronged with people, simply because they can't let go of the memories of 50 years ago. It's absolutely nuts. But we know that no politician will dare tell the truth that that world ain't coming back, and seismic change is inevitable.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Just demonstrates his lack of imagination.

I have always had this idea that all these tech bros are so consumed by an artificial world because they are actually joyless people who struggle to engage with real life and are unable to understand the value of actual human interactions and experiences. It seems they actually need technology to live their lives for them as they are unable to cope with it themselves.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

View attachment 12701

This seems like a perfect illustration of 'unicorn brain': like the pubs issue, the world has changed, and High Streets as we knew them are largely redundant. People have got used to drinking at home, as social connections are less dependent on all being in the same room together; and people have got used to buying stuff online. But they *demand* that politicians keep pubs open and High Streets thronged with people, simply because they can't let go of the memories of 50 years ago. It's absolutely nuts. But we know that no politician will dare tell the truth that that world ain't coming back, and seismic change is inevitable.

Saw this yesterday. Agree, it is searching for the magic silver bullet of defining election issues. High Streets have been dead for years, it played no real part in the Tory downfall so to suggest this will decide the next election is ludicrous. They always seem to take the lead from a few people in focus groups when deciding on issues.

 

[briantrumpet]

I have always had this idea that all these tech bros are so consumed by an artificial world because they are actually joyless people who struggle to engage with real life and are unable to understand the value of actual human interactions and experiences. It seems they actually need technology to live their lives for them as they are unable to cope with it themselves.

From the FT. They know how to have fun.

 

[matticus]

Saw this yesterday. Agree, it is searching for the magic silver bullet of defining election issues. High Streets have been dead for years, it played no real part in the Tory downfall so to suggest this will decide the next election is ludicrous. They always seem to take the lead from a few people in focus groups when deciding on issues.

Exactly!

(although my personal view is that town centres can be saved, as all our European neighbours have managed the situation fine. But anyway ...)

 

[briantrumpet]

Saw this yesterday. Agree, it is searching for the magic silver bullet of defining election issues. High Streets have been dead for years, it played no real part in the Tory downfall so to suggest this will decide the next election is ludicrous. They always seem to take the lead from a few people in focus groups when deciding on issues.

Or, viewed another way, it might be the media actively trying to amplify an issue that will benefit a party that promises unicorns, as the media would enjoy the spectacle of Reform doing well in the polls: see how they promoted Trump's framing of issues (price of eggs, etc) and gave him a free pass on things that they hammered Biden on (inflation, age & cognitive decline, corruption etc)

 

[briantrumpet]

I guess this is us on NCAP 😉

 

[PurplePenguin]

View attachment 12701

This seems like a perfect illustration of 'unicorn brain': like the pubs issue, the world has changed, and High Streets as we knew them are largely redundant. People have got used to drinking at home, as social connections are less dependent on all being in the same room together; and people have got used to buying stuff online. But they *demand* that politicians keep pubs open and High Streets thronged with people, simply because they can't let go of the memories of 50 years ago. It's absolutely nuts. But we know that no politician will dare tell the truth that that world ain't coming back, and seismic change is inevitable.

Aren't business rates still an issue? Why is having something personally delivered more cost effective than getting it yourself? Also, high streets don't need to be a load of shops they can be other things, but creating an environment where everyone just stays at home sounds pretty miserable to me.

 

[PurplePenguin]

I guess this is us on NCAP 😉

View attachment 12704

Sounds like whataboutism to me.

 

[First Aspect]

Aren't business rates still an issue? Why is having something personally delivered more cost effective than getting it yourself? Also, high streets don't need to be a load of shops they can be other things, but creating an environment where everyone just stays at home sounds pretty miserable to me.

It is true, but if you are 20 minutes and a useless parking app from the nearest high street that may or may not have what you need, ordering online while you are trying to find opening times and whether or not the local shop might have what you need is more convenient. It also amazes me how I can get hold of something online quicker than someone in a shop hoping to sell it to me.

Small and unique places can help, but I don't understand the business model of pricing rents and rates at a level that leaves all of the units empty. Round here only barbers seem to survive, and I can't help but wonder whether cutting hair for £12 is really what funds my barber's Mercedes.

 

[briantrumpet]

Aren't business rates still an issue? Why is having something personally delivered more cost effective than getting it yourself? Also, high streets don't need to be a load of shops they can be other things, but creating an environment where everyone just stays at home sounds pretty miserable to me.

Yes, business rates are an issue, sure, but dealing with that is a minefield (loss of revenue for councils), and isn't going to suddenly get people to stop using Amazon and buying beers from Lidl. I agree re the everyone staying home, but the shift in people's habits has its echo in the Cnut legend.

I think the issue is how the inevitable (at least partial) decline of the High Street is managed, whether that's by creating more welcoming experiences for shoppers (e.g. Oxford St pedestrianisation), or other means, (for which I haven't got sufficient imagination). It's always hard to 'manage decline', as the word 'terminal' then tends to hove into view.