The argument against gambling is surely the crime caused by people who make themselves illiquid or even insolvent by doing so then stealing money from others (theft, as tax, being always incident on people) to continue to feed their habit, causing third-party harm, and our hopelessly inefficient police force, prosecution service and courts then having to pick up the pieces at insane costs to the taxpayer far outweighing the amount stolen?
Bloke in Germany
I hate bans, but having just spent 3 undernourished weeks going back and forth, US food is really the most appaling shite available anywhere in the developed world. The meat especially. It’s difficult enough in Europe getting proper beef, rather than dairy cast-off young male calves, but even the latter make incomparably better steak than the 16-oz abortions described as “steak” in the US.
Yeah, I am sure you can get decent beef there if you look really, really hard for it too, but it sure as hell is crowded out by hormone-pumped papain-tenderized feedlot garbage.
bloke in spain
Well there’s a thing I never knew. There is actually a sign banning card games. It’s hard to imagine anything more pointless. In the entire history of the planet since 4 suits were inscribed on cardboard no one has ever managed to stop people playing cards. In fact banning card games would be an immediate invitation to set up a card game. It’s the illicitness of the activity is one of its major attractions.
Rob Moss
Also, I was under the impression that the argument against fast-food takeaways being located near to schools was that, given the strong correlation between childhood and adult obesity, and between childhood obesity and adult disability, that did actually make someone obese at a young age more expensive, over their lifetime, than someone fit and healthy with a long lifespan.
That said, I certainly agree with the gist of everything and it’s rather excellent.
Chris Miller
@BiG
As I’ve said before, my experience in NJ and Manhattan is 20 years out of date, but I used to look forward to US steaks when I was there. Keen’s, Gallagher’s, and for chains Smith & Wollensky (now in London, apparently) and Ruth’s Chris – all excellent. My local fine dining place here in England (sadly retired) served USDA prime 28-day aged and a US 1,000 degree oven to cook it on – I never had any complaints. 🙂
So Germany now has competition for the worst food in the developed world?
Bloke in Germany
You can eat very finely in Manhattan, and in certain places in New Jersey. When you are a hostage of the desolate burb your client is in, your choice is the hotel bar menu and mall food. Trust me they do not serve 28 day dry aged heritage breed free range beef.
And It’s precisely because the general food standard in Germany is so low that my observations of the USA count for something!
Boganboy
This is basically the argument against imperialism. Taking up the white man’s burden is an immoral imposition on the lesser breeds without the law.
Of course, in practice, it usually means the ‘lesser breeds’ make an unholy mess of things and then scream about how racist it is that we didn’t make it turn out the way they wanted it regardless of what they did, and pay them compensation for putting them to the bother. Yet another example of the difference between theory and reality.
Hallowed Be
Liked the points, the policies though?
Brand quangos’ charters with a 3rd party harm Prime Directive? – would be a quick one.
Kevin B
OT, (although Climate Change is addressed in the IEA post):
When I cautioned against voting Tory solely to get Brexit while the party were going full speed ahead on the year zero climate emergency bollocks, I was assured that Boris was just going along with it for a quiet life and once Brexit was over he’d quietly drop all the green nonsense.
Well there are three stories out today which suggest that might not be the case.
First the gov have announced that they will ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars in 2035, (five years earlier than promised).
Second, OFGEM have announced they will be ripping out all gas central heating and cooking supplies by 2030.
Third, the gov have drafted in that nasty old misanthropist Sir David bloody Attenborough as an advisor.
These three things together do not give me any confidence in Boris’s or the ‘Conservative’ party’s pragmatism. It seems to me that they are as loony as the greens and BoJo really is all in on climate crap.
DocBud
I stopped reading when “economic science” and a carbon tax were mentioned.
It is the climate change measures that cause third party harm, not climate change itself.
bloke in spain
@Kevin B
The first two items are promises by politicians for a long term in the future As you can’t rely on the promises of politicians the day after they’re made…
But the third item may be a shrewd move. You’re going to have the pompous twat blithering on, whatever happens. Maybe inside the tent pissing out is better than outside the tent pissing in.
Chris Miller
@BiG
Sorry to hear that 🙁
I was lucky in that I wasn’t worked so hard that I couldn’t find time to do some exploring, there are usually ‘decent’ eateries and bars even in quite small NJ towns, recommendations from folks I was working with. And my time largely pre-dates t’Internet – it ought to be easier to find such places today.
Bloke in Germany
Chris, I eat (or not) based on how disorganised the client is. Very disorganised client = I ultimately get to eat better, but not necessarily while on their project.
Actually, I moan about the beef but just a vegetable occasionally would have been nice. I concede sometimes there were freedom fries with one of the different ways of serving flavour-free beef.
I guess, the difference is, in Germany, I know where to get good food. In New Jersey, even if I knew, I can’t get there.
Pcar
@Tim W
Agree
Chicken: last time I checked Tesco breasts were ~4.5% more expensive than Walmart; is that enough margin to export to UK?
@Kevin B
+1
I’d seen 1 and 3. Not 2
On 2, isn’t it “no gas in new builds”? SNP are doing it in 2025 iirc
1 Ban on sale of new Petrol, Diesel, Gas and Hybrid cars and vans (LCVs) by 2035″
Boris has an incentive to be Green, sex with GF. That said, he did say many years ago “I will be first Green leader of Conservatives and PM”
Furthermore, Green Gove is defending Johnson
However, sacked Claire “Green Nanny” Perry on attack: Boris told me he didn’t understand, but it sounded nice
@BiG
You’re not compelled to use a hotel/restaurant. Do what I’ve been doing from when I was at school: find a good deli/supermarket and buy food there
When I was in Bloomsbury (pre-internet), hotel was 5*, but food too good/rich for every night, I used a Safeway nearby found in yellow pages
Or bring premium MREs with you
Pcar
@Chris
+1 Same, when working away I go walkabout/tourist exploring at lunch and after work, always manage to find good food and interesting things
I remember one place I worked, I found a little shop selling new split yoke cotton shirts cheaper than hotel laundry charge and shop wrote receipt as “wash & iron”
I like being outside & relaxing at lunch and found this delightful ‘secret’ garden in Edinburgh while sheltering from rain (pre Int)
@BiG
Talking of lunch, do Germans view graveyards as parks and a nice place to eat lunch & read/relax?
Bloke in Germany
Pcar,
The entire fucking point about New Jersey, as large parts of the USA, is that without a car you are basically stranded. You cannot walk anywhere, cannot explore.
Chris Miller
@BiG
While I recognise your description applies to many areas of the US, the NJ towns I was familiar with (Summit, Berkeley Heights, Mountain View, Murray Hill) were fine for walking about. It’s true that to get to the next town, you probably need a car (though NJ Transit isn’t bad if you’re on one of the lines).
Pcar
@BiG
Most can walk at 4mph, a one mile radius in a town is a lot to explore; going behind the main streets is where gems often found
Do Germans view graveyards as parks and a nice place to eat lunch &/or read/relax?
The argument against gambling is surely the crime caused by people who make themselves illiquid or even insolvent by doing so then stealing money from others (theft, as tax, being always incident on people) to continue to feed their habit, causing third-party harm, and our hopelessly inefficient police force, prosecution service and courts then having to pick up the pieces at insane costs to the taxpayer far outweighing the amount stolen?
I hate bans, but having just spent 3 undernourished weeks going back and forth, US food is really the most appaling shite available anywhere in the developed world. The meat especially. It’s difficult enough in Europe getting proper beef, rather than dairy cast-off young male calves, but even the latter make incomparably better steak than the 16-oz abortions described as “steak” in the US.
Yeah, I am sure you can get decent beef there if you look really, really hard for it too, but it sure as hell is crowded out by hormone-pumped papain-tenderized feedlot garbage.
Well there’s a thing I never knew. There is actually a sign banning card games. It’s hard to imagine anything more pointless. In the entire history of the planet since 4 suits were inscribed on cardboard no one has ever managed to stop people playing cards. In fact banning card games would be an immediate invitation to set up a card game. It’s the illicitness of the activity is one of its major attractions.
Also, I was under the impression that the argument against fast-food takeaways being located near to schools was that, given the strong correlation between childhood and adult obesity, and between childhood obesity and adult disability, that did actually make someone obese at a young age more expensive, over their lifetime, than someone fit and healthy with a long lifespan.
That said, I certainly agree with the gist of everything and it’s rather excellent.
@BiG
As I’ve said before, my experience in NJ and Manhattan is 20 years out of date, but I used to look forward to US steaks when I was there. Keen’s, Gallagher’s, and for chains Smith & Wollensky (now in London, apparently) and Ruth’s Chris – all excellent. My local fine dining place here in England (sadly retired) served USDA prime 28-day aged and a US 1,000 degree oven to cook it on – I never had any complaints. 🙂
So Germany now has competition for the worst food in the developed world?
You can eat very finely in Manhattan, and in certain places in New Jersey. When you are a hostage of the desolate burb your client is in, your choice is the hotel bar menu and mall food. Trust me they do not serve 28 day dry aged heritage breed free range beef.
And It’s precisely because the general food standard in Germany is so low that my observations of the USA count for something!
This is basically the argument against imperialism. Taking up the white man’s burden is an immoral imposition on the lesser breeds without the law.
Of course, in practice, it usually means the ‘lesser breeds’ make an unholy mess of things and then scream about how racist it is that we didn’t make it turn out the way they wanted it regardless of what they did, and pay them compensation for putting them to the bother. Yet another example of the difference between theory and reality.
Liked the points, the policies though?
Brand quangos’ charters with a 3rd party harm Prime Directive? – would be a quick one.
OT, (although Climate Change is addressed in the IEA post):
When I cautioned against voting Tory solely to get Brexit while the party were going full speed ahead on the year zero climate emergency bollocks, I was assured that Boris was just going along with it for a quiet life and once Brexit was over he’d quietly drop all the green nonsense.
Well there are three stories out today which suggest that might not be the case.
First the gov have announced that they will ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars in 2035, (five years earlier than promised).
Second, OFGEM have announced they will be ripping out all gas central heating and cooking supplies by 2030.
Third, the gov have drafted in that nasty old misanthropist Sir David bloody Attenborough as an advisor.
These three things together do not give me any confidence in Boris’s or the ‘Conservative’ party’s pragmatism. It seems to me that they are as loony as the greens and BoJo really is all in on climate crap.
I stopped reading when “economic science” and a carbon tax were mentioned.
It is the climate change measures that cause third party harm, not climate change itself.
@Kevin B
The first two items are promises by politicians for a long term in the future As you can’t rely on the promises of politicians the day after they’re made…
But the third item may be a shrewd move. You’re going to have the pompous twat blithering on, whatever happens. Maybe inside the tent pissing out is better than outside the tent pissing in.
@BiG
Sorry to hear that 🙁
I was lucky in that I wasn’t worked so hard that I couldn’t find time to do some exploring, there are usually ‘decent’ eateries and bars even in quite small NJ towns, recommendations from folks I was working with. And my time largely pre-dates t’Internet – it ought to be easier to find such places today.
Chris, I eat (or not) based on how disorganised the client is. Very disorganised client = I ultimately get to eat better, but not necessarily while on their project.
Actually, I moan about the beef but just a vegetable occasionally would have been nice. I concede sometimes there were freedom fries with one of the different ways of serving flavour-free beef.
I guess, the difference is, in Germany, I know where to get good food. In New Jersey, even if I knew, I can’t get there.
@Tim W
Agree
Chicken: last time I checked Tesco breasts were ~4.5% more expensive than Walmart; is that enough margin to export to UK?
@Kevin B
+1
I’d seen 1 and 3. Not 2
On 2, isn’t it “no gas in new builds”? SNP are doing it in 2025 iirc
1 Ban on sale of new Petrol, Diesel, Gas and Hybrid cars and vans (LCVs) by 2035″
Boris has an incentive to be Green, sex with GF. That said, he did say many years ago “I will be first Green leader of Conservatives and PM”
Furthermore, Green Gove is defending Johnson
However, sacked Claire “Green Nanny” Perry on attack: Boris told me he didn’t understand, but it sounded nice
@BiG
You’re not compelled to use a hotel/restaurant. Do what I’ve been doing from when I was at school: find a good deli/supermarket and buy food there
When I was in Bloomsbury (pre-internet), hotel was 5*, but food too good/rich for every night, I used a Safeway nearby found in yellow pages
Or bring premium MREs with you
@Chris
+1 Same, when working away I go walkabout/tourist exploring at lunch and after work, always manage to find good food and interesting things
I remember one place I worked, I found a little shop selling new split yoke cotton shirts cheaper than hotel laundry charge and shop wrote receipt as “wash & iron”
I like being outside & relaxing at lunch and found this delightful ‘secret’ garden in Edinburgh while sheltering from rain (pre Int)
@BiG
Talking of lunch, do Germans view graveyards as parks and a nice place to eat lunch & read/relax?
Pcar,
The entire fucking point about New Jersey, as large parts of the USA, is that without a car you are basically stranded. You cannot walk anywhere, cannot explore.
@BiG
While I recognise your description applies to many areas of the US, the NJ towns I was familiar with (Summit, Berkeley Heights, Mountain View, Murray Hill) were fine for walking about. It’s true that to get to the next town, you probably need a car (though NJ Transit isn’t bad if you’re on one of the lines).
@BiG
Most can walk at 4mph, a one mile radius in a town is a lot to explore; going behind the main streets is where gems often found
Do Germans view graveyards as parks and a nice place to eat lunch &/or read/relax?