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How to stop small boats crossing the English Channel

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Run one ferry a month from Le Harve to Portsmouth, that anybody can get on for free, no questions asked when boarding.  Numbers would however be limited to the ferry's safe capacity.  This might be increased if the car decks could be made safe for passengers. The People Smugglers will not be able to compete against this and will go out of business.  Most of these small boats send an SOS when they get to UK waters so that they can be rescued.  This is how we know how many people there are, (they aren't slipping in undiscovered).  While a few people may still want to use the Smugglers, perhaps because they are in the 10% that are not granted asylum when discovered, (and hope to avoid the authorities as soon as they are close enough to land), this would become unaffordable without the large numbers to spread the cost. Instead of French Police patrolling the shores trying to spot the groups wanting to cross, and then not able to do anything, local counci...

It is not a binary choice

I think the narrative that Workers should be paid more and Corporations should profit less is wrong.  It is not a binary choice.  The Government, and by extension the Nation, should be the beneficiary of higher worker productivity or greater business efficiency. The opposite of this is for every individual to pay for what they use.  To fund only their personal healthcare, only their personal security, only their personal infrastructure.  To manage only their personal resources such as water and energy and land.  To make their own laws and be their own Judge, Jury and Executioner. This may appeal to a few Billionaires who feel they have this now. The greater good is for to people and Nations to work together for a world that gives to everybody according to their needs and takes from everybody according to their means.  

I just want to use the toilet

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I just want to use the toilet of my adopted gender. I just want to be able to walk in, do my business, wash my hands and walk out. Without having to worry about getting into a confrontation with somebody who doesn't like how I look or how I dress. And I want the same for everybody else. I don't know about sport. I've read the arguments on both sides and both sides have a case. I see team sports as different to individual sports, and I see degrees of advantage and I see no advantage. I would err on caution because I want to return the support I received from allies and be seen as grateful rather than demanding. But I don't know. I hope I never need a Rape Crisis Centre, but if I do, and somebody there has a problem with transgender women, they are the problem. I don't blame all men for the actions of a few in the same way I wouldn't blame any other minority, man or woman for any mistreatment I received from another.  If you don't like me just keep away from m...

Mark Zuckerberg Resigns as CEO of Meta

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By Kitty Riley Mark Zuckerberg has resigned as Meta CEO with immediate effect.  Mark, (40), said he has decided to use his huge fortune to promote world peace, fight hunger and poverty, and bring and end to inequality. 'Zucks' final act as Meta CEO was to initiate a policy of contrition by funding the legal team for Luigi Mangione.  As a gesture of good will Zuckerberg has donated his prize stallion to Pedigree Foods. When pressed if his decision had anything to do with President Elect, Don Trump, entering the White House shortly he said he had not discussed this decision with The Don and hadn't been made an offer he couldn't refuse. Incoming CEO, Lisa Simpson, was unavailable for comment but probably said, "I welcome Marks decision and wish him good luck in his new venture. He's going to need it".

Farm Labour is not for Locals

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The economics for people to take a job as a Farm Picker just don't work if you live in a wealthy country like the UK. It's expensive to live here. Property is expensive. Rents are high. These and the high cost of living means seasonal work doesn't cover the months where there is no work. On top of that the cost of transport means low paid work in remote areas takes a big piece of whatever you earn. You're unlikely to be able to move closer as you will have family commitments or a partner working elsewhere, and you won't be making enough to have two homes. On the other hand, for people who live in countries where property is cheap and rents are low you can make a good income by working here for the picking season. Temporary accommodation only has to be paid for during the season you are here. Farms can provide this nearby. And after the picking season you can take several months off back in your own country, where the weather is warmer and what would be a...

Harry Potter

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The thing about the Harry Potters books is that they are... okay. That's it. Not bad, not amazing, but okay. Written for a younger reader they made lots of strong morals points, but they also made use of quite a few lazy archetypes, to keep the stories easy to follow and understand. The obvious one is the Goblins similarity to how Jews were depicted, but others are more subtle. The 'thing' that made Harry Potter so successful was the movies, and the 'thing' that made the movies so great was the casting. JK Rowling insisting a Britsh cast, to fit the writing, was her contribution to the world, (although Great Britain in particular), and something I will always be grateful for. The subsequent buzz about her Trans views was probably more of a reflection on how Social Media works to stir up hatred. Rather than accept one unfortunate comment as ill judged it became a line where sides could be taken, division sown, battles fought, and advertising revenue reaped. By the ti...

AI cannot write good

As I was watching the news a report came on about a very sad event in Rotterdam, and this sparked a chain of thought about AI writing stories.  On the screen was a picture of somewhere in Rotterdam where the tragedy had taken place, and I thought, that could be anywhere. It could be Liverpool, or Rome. Now I'm guessing that about half of you will get that reference, and please accept my apologies for the ear worm.  But an AI reading that won't get it and will learn nothing about writing from reading it. And even if it were explained to the AI, the AI has no life experiences to draw on to write anything original. And the difference between good writing and great writing, (which doesn't include my humble ranting), is that so much of it is not understood by every reader. Indeed very few readers will get all the connections the author makes. You can read the same book years later and have a very different understanding of it. You can enjoy the book without getting any of the re...