In the news

https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/4/21164482/london-metropolitan-police-face-scanning-consent-civil-liberties

The system scanned 8,600 faces, and, as Business Insider reports, spit
out eight matches — only one of which was a person wanted by the
police.

Flybe has gone bust and bookings with Virgin are down 40%
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51746564

Just dodged getting stuck in Aberdeen by Flybe yesterday- they cancelled my afternoon flight for technical issues with the plane, but I managed to end up at the desk for re-booking before anyone else arrived there and got on the evening flight. At the time the imminent demise hadn’t made the news on the tv’s in the airport and the check in staff were telling people they’d be booked in hotels overnight and on flights today.

Depending on where you were flying to perhaps not very stuck since there are trains and apparently LNER are giving free travel: https://twitter.com/LNER/status/1235475343508754433

I wonder if that would have happened if a real TOC was running LNER?

That’s not a bad point, bit of a schlep to London but ultimately doable. Shit could’ve had a night out and a day sleeping on the train :(

I am/was booked to go back to NI for a few days with Flybe in a couple of weeks. Work paid for my ticket, so no issue there. But I stupidly/ignorantly paid for my wife and daughter's ticket on a debit card. Ah well.

Not contemplating not travelling due to other current affairs as I would have to go Gatwick-Belfast International via Easyjet. Bigger airports and bigger planes. Not sure if it would be irresponsible to visit another office/family, bringing a 10 month old along.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/05/dubai-ruler-sheikh-mohammed-organised-kidnapping-of-his-children-uk-court-finds

Ugh.

"he claimed his penis was sore and he "needed to look at it closer".

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/police-officer-sacked-filming-solo-21638817

37 minute video!

No wonder it was sore.

Are they allowing chargeback?

Do you have any travel insurance? Luckily I should be covered by insurance and section 75.

this is such a brilliant headline:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/08/burning-calories-pig-starts-farm-fire-by-excreting-pedometer

Labour Party has disappeared up its own arse:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51797316

Always had my doubts about him.

Racist.

.

Trevor Phillips asked us on Channel 4 last week whether political
correctness had gone mad. He ended the programme with the insight:
“The path to real progress may include learning to live with offence.”

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/27/trevor-phillips-political-correctness-racism-prejudice?CMP=share_btn_tw

Now Phillips is being cheered by scum like Nick Ferrari. When the only people defending you on racism charges is people already censured for racism you're done for.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/mar/10/mccarthyism-uk-universities-academics-fear-shaming-for-leftwing-views

In case anyone had any doubts... https://www.bylineinvestigates.com/murdoch/2020/3/9/schofield-exclusive-new-sun-chief-newton-blackmailed-phillip-schofield-to-come-out-live-on-t

Private Eye hinted at that story a couple of weeks ago.

Coronavirus: Health minister Nadine Dorries tests positive

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51827356?fbclid=IwAR1O5mfTeuavrm00pr-VKNDf0xZXVw9wXMripF63ujwlQUpZh589k5I67Fk

It has developed a sense of humour now...

If I was a Cynical Tory Twat™ today's budget would be the perfect opportunity to put through some horrid spending changes that would otherwise be met with resistance. Let's see.

Wow!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51831004

The worrying part to me here is that before the crash of '09, rates were at five percent and then lowered to .5% fairly quickly. Since then, they have been barely raised, meaning there is really almost nowhere to go in terms of cutting interest rates. As BoE base rates go, cash is already pretty readily available. For a comparison, here is a graph of the base rates since 1900: