adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 27, 2023 16:12:50 GMT
JRM's sprogs, so just about to be expected. Strangely, his daughter's name is relatively normal - Mary Anne Charlotte Emma. Perhaps he didn't think a girl important enough to worry about himself, so delegated her to his missus...more likely his nanny Nah, she's got far more important things to do - taking care of him...
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 27, 2023 15:54:57 GMT
I always thought that Bob Geldof stiched up his kids by calling them Peaches and Fifi Trixibelle, but this lot win hands down:
- Peter Theodore Alphege
- Thomas Wentworth Somerset Dunstan
- Alfred Wulfric Leyson Pius
- Anselm Charles Fitzwilliam
- Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher
JRM's sprogs, so just about to be expected. Strangely, his daughter's name is relatively normal - Mary Anne Charlotte Emma. Perhaps he didn't think a girl important enough to worry about himself, so delegated her to his missus...
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 27, 2023 13:51:07 GMT
But the lesser promoted point of HS2 is simply adding capacity to the route. And that IS needed. Indeed it is. Putting time ranges on googling reinforces the vague memories that the capacity argument wasn't much used before an early 2012 report said it "could" do that. www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/hs2-could-free-up-space-for-faster-more-frequent-trains-on-britains-busiest-rail-line-new-studyConsidering the line was announced at the start of 2009, and the route just before the 2010 election, a cynic might suggest that it was a bit of an afterthought to try to retro-justify the expenditure after the original logic started to get seriously questioned... 2011 - www.theengineer.co.uk/content/opinion/time-for-a-rethink-on-high-speed-rail/As you say, there's plenty of FAR cheaper ways to add passenger capacity. Besides being used in many other countries, two-level carriages go back to the 19th century, and have been in mainstream use since the 1930s... ![](https://image.over-blog.com/l3Xfwkjo_sTsf3nbHN51Rixau_s=/filters:no_upscale()/image%2F6317746%2F20210830%2Fob_779994_voitures-banlieue-a-etages-reseau-d.jpg) We've had long enough to remove the height restrictions that prevent easy adoption... and it'll be a LOT easier and cheaper and quicker than HS2. Most of the primary rail network allows 2.9m highcube shipping containers on a 1.1m carriage - so that's 4m, about the same as most modern locos... French double-decker carriages are 4.3m, most countries are about 4.6, Finland is 5.2m for more internal space... ...and UK overhead power lines are 6m+ above the rails.
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 27, 2023 11:41:35 GMT
Surely one thing that we can all agree on is that not discriminating on the grounds of the Equality Act protected characteristics in employment is a good thing... can't we? (Reminder: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/4 )having worked in the public sector for many years the reverse was often true, that as an able bodied white straight male I would be discriminated against so the Authority could have more disabled, non white, female staff, even if those staff were less qualified or able to perform the role. There should be a law against it! Oh, wait. There is. The Equality Act 2010. I'm sure you did read it. Probably in the Mail or Express, maybe the Telegraph.That doesn't mean it was actually TRUE, at least this side of the early '80s or so. www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/force-content/met/about-us/stride/stride-action-plan-2022-2023.pdfSection 3, Commitment 9, p45 of the PDF "From 2021, we have been aiming for 30% of our new recruits to be from ethnic minority backgrounds (excluding White minorities) and 40% to be women. In 2022, these aspirations rise to 40% and 50% respectively"
"The diversity of new joiners continues to increase. During 2021-22 our new recruits were 39% female; 23% were from Black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, and 4.4% were Black."www.police.uk/pu/your-area/metropolitan-police-service/performance/workforce-diversity/Asian/Asian-British - London population 17% vs 5.9% police. Black/Black-British - 13.3% vs 3.5% Chinese/Other - 5% vs 2.2% Mixed - 5% vs 3.5% White - 59.8% vs 85% Not one police force nationally has an ethnic mix that comes close to representative of the population of their area... And, of course, it's a basic fact of human biology that just over 50% of the population is female. Do you think that a body like the Met should aim to be representative of the population? Do you think that the Met have a very specific historical legacy that they need to move away from, when it comes to ethnicity and diversity...? Indeed they should. And that's exactly what equality and diversity legislation, monitoring, and reporting should be ensuring.
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 27, 2023 10:11:13 GMT
Does every part of the public sector really need to spend so much time and money on things like this Yes, it's a legal requirement. Not that it will actually take much time or money to produce. HR should have all the information to hand, so it's simply a bit of extra overhead for the same comms team that produce the financial annual reports etc. I'm *really* not sure that the cost issues that HS2 is facing are due to the fact they have to publish a report on something any and every responsible employer should be monitoring anyway. It's a damn sight cheaper to monitor than it is to pay out over breaches of equality legislation. And, as I already said, I'm *sure* we'd all agree that discrimination in employment is a bad thing, wouldn't we?
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 27, 2023 9:32:43 GMT
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 25, 2023 21:37:05 GMT
You have no problem with two gay men paying a women from a poor country to bare a child for them Let's break that down, shall we? I have no problem with the concept of surrogacy. You clearly do. I do have a problem with the wealthy exploiting the poor, whether that be nations or individuals. We clearly agree on that. I DO have a problem with the Italian neo-fascist government's entrenched homophobia. You clearly don't. I don't see the rights of the trans community as being in conflict with the rights of anybody else at all. Whatever she wants to be.
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 25, 2023 19:26:16 GMT
Maybe you mean the next general erection as its behind a paywall, I can't get beyond the bit which says "...The Telegraph can reveal....". I'm left intrigued, given the context. You can predict it. Transphobia hiding behind a veneer of feminism and sport. They're going to ask every single candidate "What is a woman?" and name-and-shame those that don't meet their bigotry standards.
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 24, 2023 16:10:30 GMT
Unless the following sentence was "mis-spoked" (or "mis-typed") I think it is reasonable to assume the answer to that question has already been given: "I'm less against the principle of gay men bringing up babies (it may be the least worst option in some cases but is still not ideal)""Less against" still means "not for it", and "may be the least worst option" equally carries meaning. LOL At least quote my whole sentence which contains a "less against X than I am Y...." or similar construct. Quoting "Less against" only deliberately changes the meaning and I'm sure you'll be along to apologise shortly. ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) I'm really not sure it does change anything. To be clear. I'm less against the principle of gay men bringing up babies (it may be the least worst option in some cases but is still not ideal) as I am about their situation increasing the need for "surrogate" mothers who must undergo unimaginable emotional and physical turmoil. Bear in mind that Italian same-sex couples are only pushed towards surrogacy because adoption is illegal for them. I presume you disagree with that ban, and think they should be able to adopt? If you disagree with surrogacy for anybody, that's a separate kettle of fish. Perhaps you should campaign to make it illegal in the US and other countries, rather than support Italians from being barred from using it? Remember, too, that 90% of Italian couples using foreign surrogates are not same-sex. Are you just as staunchly against their use of surrogacy? What's your view on UK surrogacy, where payment is illegal above and beyond covering simple expenses and contracts are not legally enforceable should the birth mother change her mind. Should Italians also be barred from using UK surrogates? Should surrogacy be banned completely here? Finally - will you be answering my request? MichaelC - would you be so bold as to confirm that you hold no truck at all with homophobia, and that you regard same-sex couples as every bit as legitimate as mixed-sex ones in all ways? Thank you. A failure to answer may mean assumptions get drawn.
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 24, 2023 11:32:40 GMT
Or perhaps are some kind of second class family because their child only has DNA from one parent and wasn't produced as the result of sex between them ? Since it's illegal in Italy for a same-sex couple to adopt (where, of course, the baby would share no DNA with either parent), if it were about DNA, then wouldn't surrogacy be preferable to adoption? I mean, it may be cynical of me to suggest that the catholic church has an interest here, having made Rather A Lot Of Money over the years by forcibly removing babies from "poor women" in one country and selling them to the highest bidder in wealthier countries... No, the most consistent explanation is that it is simple institutional homophobia on the part of a government led by somebody who has a well-documented history as a Mussolini-apologist, whose political background carries direct lineage to that regime, and who still consistently refuses to distance herself from fascism. foreignpolicy.com/2023/02/06/why-giorgia-meloni-wont-distance-herself-from-italys-fascist-past/MichaelC - would you be so bold as to confirm that you hold no truck at all with homophobia, and that you regard same-sex couples as every bit as legitimate as mixed-sex ones in all ways? Thank you.
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 24, 2023 8:40:33 GMT
Very sensible new law in Italy as usual clearly not approved of by the BBC. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66860266One of the fathers with babies says "I feel like I'm being forced into exile, just for wanting to become a father,". Perhaps he needs to understand in more detail how babies are made. The article even has the cheek to imply the "surrogate" could be in the US or Canada but in all liklihood is in a poor country where the poor women is being paid to have a baby for these men. The bond between mother and baby is enormous. What if she decides after birth that she made a mistake and doesn't want to give her baby up to some rich men in Italy ? To be clear. I'm less against the principle of gay men bringing up babies (it may be the least worst option in some cases but is still not ideal) as I am about their situation increasing the need for "surrogate" mothers who must undergo unimaginable emotional and physical turmoil. Then perhaps address the context that pushes so many Italian same-sex couples towards foreign surrogacy... "This is a country where the influence of the Catholic Church has always been strong - gay marriage is illegal, and same-sex couples have fewer rights than in most of Western Europe.Artificial insemination or adoption are not options for LGBT couples here, so for many, surrogacy abroad is the only way to have a family."And, just in case you think it's not just a veil of homophobia... "Experts have told the BBC that 90% of the couples who use surrogacy in Italy are straight, and many of them hide the fact that they have gone abroad to have a baby. But same-sex families returning to Italy with a child will not be able to hide.""And it's not just surrogacy - the Italian government is also using other ways to make it more difficult for LGBT parents to create a family.Before Mauro and Maurizio were able to have their twins' American birth certificates recognised in Italy, their council in Milan - like other local authorities across the country - were ordered by the government to stop registering same-sex parents' children.At the time of our interview they told us that the move had so far deprived their twins of Italian citizenship and means they would have difficulties having access to the country's free health care system and nursery schools."
"In the northern city of Padova things have taken a more drastic turn. A state prosecutor has demanded the cancellation of 33 birth certificates of children born to lesbian couples dating back to 2017. All non-biological mothers will be removed and they will lose their rights over their children."
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 22, 2023 7:29:49 GMT
I'm just going to put this here... www.echr.coe.int/documents/d/echr/convention_ENG - which applies to 46 countries, and has applied in the UK since 1951. Pay particular attention to 1C and 3. In fact, pay attention also to 1B, D, E, F. If incarceration without trial was outlawed, all of those situations would be outlawed. Just pause and think that if incarceration was not permitted prior to trial, nobody could spend a night in police cells while being questioned - or sobering up whilst awaiting questioning in a fit state. Nobody could even be detained and taken to a police system for questioning against their will. It's no exaggeration to say that the entire judicial system would collapse instantly.
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 21, 2023 18:11:02 GMT
Except he SHOULD have been there, because a court found it was the right place for him due to the severity of the charges, and the circumstances around any bail. Seriously, you're questioning the very existence of remand/pre-trial detention. That's a very well-settled basic fact in any and every judicial environment. publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmjust/264/report.htmlWhere in your very long link does it talk about what happens should a person who was wrongly remanded (in the sense that she was subsequently found innocent of the charge that put her on remand) escape whilst on remand? That isn't "wrongly remanded". That's remanded before a trial at which they're found innocent. What happens if they escape? They're guilty of a completely different offence - escaping from perfectly legal custody. Clue: Most people awaiting trial aren't remanded, they're out in the big wide word... on bail. The ones remanded are the ones that the court thinks can't be trusted on bail, because they'll either commit other offences or do a runner... Default is not remand, but bail.
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 21, 2023 17:04:53 GMT
No, and no. He was placed on remand for the original offences by a court in January, awaiting trial due for November, and has had at least two other court hearings on those charges in the interim. That's perfectly legal incarceration. His plea for the escape charge is totally separate from the original charges. Are you seriously suggesting you think nobody can be held whilst awaiting trial...? And that if they decide to break out, there's nothing could be done...?No and no. They can be held but if subsequently found innocent that would be a serious miss-carriage of justice. He was and is in prison legally but if he is subsequently proved to be innocent, surely justice would dictate he be put as close to the position he was in before he was wrongly remanded ? It would seem perverse to convict a person of escaping jail when he shouldn't have been in jail in the first place. Except he SHOULD have been there, because a court found it was the right place for him due to the severity of the charges, and the circumstances around any bail. Seriously, you're questioning the very existence of remand/pre-trial detention. That's a very well-settled basic fact in any and every judicial environment. publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmjust/264/report.html
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 21, 2023 16:39:04 GMT
If he was innocent of the charges that put him in prison in the first place, then wouldn't the time there amount to false imprisonment and thus he would be innocent of any break out ? Conversely, if he pleased guilty to the break out then wouldn't that be a tacit agreement he was guilty of the underlying charge? No, and no. He was placed on remand for the original offences by a court in January, awaiting trial due for November, and has had at least two other court hearings on those charges in the interim. That's perfectly legal incarceration. His plea for the escape charge is totally separate from the original charges. Are you seriously suggesting you think nobody can be held whilst awaiting trial...? And that if they decide to break out, there's nothing could be done...?
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