In the news

Totally missed this.

For some reason basically all the stories are from the Scottish Daily Express (which I never even knew was a thing).

I got fed up of misspelling reverend.

Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazilian Congress

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-64204860

People were worried Bolsonaro would follow Trump's example. He certainly laid the groundwork for this.

I didn't know you could get a 4mm calibre revolver. But the police say it's lethal.

Late to this - but I found a small box of 4mm ammo (and a couple of 16 gauge shells) in some old furniture I got on Gumtree a year or two ago - called the cops to remove / dispose of it and they laughed at me, saying it was harmless...

Makes me wonder what the previous owner was up to.

Pest control and water fowl shooting several decades ago most likely with those calibres!

Interesting that law enforcement is being criticised for not acting. Normally you'd expect Brazilian police to be pretty 'hands on' when it comes to this sort of thing.

Assuming ACAB, a bit like 'merica, a lot of the cops are probably fascists and would rather be on the other side.

The revolutionaries have been trying to get the cops and army to join them in their coup. Would not be surprised if a lot of collusion is proved.

Makes sense, especially round here (Cambs). The coppers here knew our address though from years ago, when we had to dispose of a load of old ammunition from my partner's grandfather, (a horse vet). They sent an armed response unit, which spooked the neighbbours!

HairyChris of this manor found a grenade in his mum's potting shed once. Pretty sure there was a similar response to that too!

Police and military are fairly pro bolsanaro, as exhibited by them trying to prevent people from voting. I think it varies by States fair bit though

Wowsers!

We found some bullets left in the garage bit the PSNI just came with a standard car to lift it.

I imagine all PSNI cops are firearms officers as well so they would have the same level of expertise as ARV officers this side of the Irish Sea.

To be fair, it's probably a bit more routine for them than their counterparts in England

Sounds like the Unite negotiator thinks (rightly) he was stitched up in today's talks. It's surely obvious to everyone by now that the government wants these strikes to push through their agenda?

Yep they all carry arms.

The Belfast harbour police is a private force with the right to carry arms, which is rather unique.

My only experience with them is when they went to the Audi garage to notify a test car had been driven at 80 in a 30 zone. My colleague overheard the garage owner bitching about it in the lunch queue.

Some iffy stuff happening sometimes, drugs etc. being smuggled into the port. Perhaps that's the reason they can bear arms if needed.

Them showing up an an armoured van would have been fun, but it was a standard Vauxhall sedan, the local cop car.

feel like pure shit just want tony back

Wondering what kind of wild Excel you'd need to generate that.

But yeah.

Wouldn't be surprised if these:

outnumber the Vauxhall sedans though!

Yep that's the one, Pangolin brand I think.

They are somewhat iconic as they show up on t-shirts sold in tourists shops.
Also fine meme material, last riot an OAP was hitting one with his walking stick. Hilarity ensued on Twitter, not for the person whose car got set on fire during the mini riot...

Usually it is Vauxhalls, some of them unmarked.

But if you see more than 2 of those parked on a road, it is probably not a random car driver checkpoint but Trouble Ahead...

The end is nigh. There are already half a million extra deaths every year because there's less fruit and veg in the world because the reduction in the insect population means not enough pollination. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/09/global-pollinator-losses-causing-500000-early-deaths-a-year-study

The end is nigh.

I wouldn't be that optimistic, how many million to go to reverse population growth?

It is all feeling a lot like "living in the endtimes", economy a mess, people dying in hospitals due to sheer nhs/social care underfunding...and ecological collapse.

I am going to be stubborn in the face of pessimism, joined the GPNI, will put hedges in the garden, put a lot of flowers in and get some planters to grow potatoes on the tiled area but it is grim.