Another Reform Party policy that has clearly not considered the unintended consequences. A whole life term is given for the most serious offending. If you start to dilute it, various problems occur. /1 www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

The bigger problem is surely that freezing the tax thresholds (done by the Tories and continued by Labour) is putting up taxes, yet not perceived to be in the same way. I really despise Sunak, but his bleating about “they will put up taxes” when the Tories hugely increased taxation is irksome.

As I am in an airport with an hour to kill, a quick thread on youth crime. The term “grooming” was traditionally used to describe the mechanisms by which offenders enticed their victims by pretending to be nice, in order to commit offences against them. They would offer money and gifts. /1

I remember hearing the news at school and the discussion being he would be dead within months. Incredible progress has been made on treating HIV.

Well here we go. Whether it is Hartson/Kitson or McCarthy/Mido only time will tell.

Happy new year. You know you are getting old when the next rumoured manager of Chelsea is the son of a man you idolised as a child. That said, eventually everyone will manage Chelsea for 15 minutes. #LiamRosenior

Anyway, someone has settled down for New Year’s Eve. Not a bad year personally, a pretty dire year globally. Let’s hope 2026 brings more peace, kindness, tolerance and happiness. And West Ham avoid relegation.

Happy anniversary to still my favourite ever New Year’s Eve Twitter interaction.

There is a very curious attachment to pubs, like “the high street” that simply fails to recognise the reality of life - fewer people are drinking, and consequently spend less time in the pub. There are other ways to spend time with people. /1

I am going to make you all massively jealous! My bin day (Tuesday) has been unaffected by Christmas and the New Year, and the council have sent round clear and precise instructions for Christmas tree collection. For a 50 something, this is as big a win as it gets.

Possibly the best post of the year comes on the last day.

No, they work by producing hormones that tell you that you're full much quicker, so you eat less than you normally would and don't get the hunger problems that are the issue with the overwhelming majority of people dieting in a way that loses serious weight.

I am having difficulty seeing why the AE department doesn’t tell someone with a cough or hiccups that they are in the wrong place and should go away.

Minou is not angry, he is just disappointed.

Sasha is furious with West Ham United this season and expects a much better performance and three points.

Lord Wolfson, a very simple issue. There is no criticism for his taking on Abramovic as a client. Literally the cab rank rule in action. There may be an issue for his doing so as a Shadow AG. I do not comment on this, others are better placed to discuss conflicts. /1

It mixes up three separate issues. Too many people eat a poor diet that lacks nutrients, not enough protein and vegetables and too many simple carbs. This is addressed by improving diet, rather than marketing ready meals. Weight loss drugs work by reducing appetite, something may can’t control.

Excellent penguin related content here!!

Ruin two bands by combining them. JJ72 Unlimited.

I am not particularly fussed about the honours system. I even like the idea of long standing public servants getting a reward for long term service when others (like myself) took other routes. But the celebrity ones are rather silly. Getting an award for being successful seems pointless. /1

I seem to have woken up in 1529…

Yes, do so. Right into the beginning of March at the very earliest.

Oh great.

I have never been hunting, trail or otherwise, or even ridden a horse. But is there any particular reason why everyone who enjoys the “hunt” would find going for a ride together led by a horse any less pleasurable? How much pleasure to the hounds give?

Can we please stop comparing women’s elite sports to men’s. An issue so often politicised, by people who want to take a broad “women are rubbish and they only play three sets” brigade to the “it is only the patriarchy holding women back” nonsense. Elite women’s sport is amazing - watch some golf

An interesting article on Scottish juries. Three points: 1. Not proven is an insane verdict - vague, and leaving everyone in limbo. It has been rightly abolished. 2. A 10-5 majority verdict is also insane - if you can only convince 2/3 of a jury of guilt there is reasonable doubt. /1

So you disappear for four days and expect a warm welcome!

Some are losing their minds over this, suggesting all kinds of deliberate misleading allusion. I feel the most likely is Andrew begins with an A and Zac with a Z.

A left leaning 28 yr old has lunch with a left leaning 72 yr old and they pretty much agree on everything. Hardly “dining across the divide”.

It may just be me, but Christmas Day feels quite a long time ago yet the summer feels like it was last week.

* West Ham thread * And just like that, an almost certain relegation before New Year. (Actually I would put it at 75% chance.) Another game where we played well for long periods, yet lacked anyone to finish. And if you don’t pick up home points against bottom ten sides, you get relegated. /1

I saw Christopher Biggins walking through London City Airport about 15 years ago when I was travelling to Geneva with a younger colleague. I said “it’s Christopher Biggins”. He replied “who the fuck is Christopher Biggins”?

Several valid responses to why the move from podcast to videocast is a bad idea. I always struggle with the idea it is difficult to embrace something with a single sense.

A new star is here!

As a humble podcaster, it’s good to see this headline. You feel immense pressure to get on the video pod train, but it’s so fucking expensive to do - which feels like the complete antithesis of what podcasting was supposed to be; a chance for the indies to have a shot.

This is a corker of a read.

I don’t think this can be right as a couple of blokes in the gym last week were talking about how everyone they know who had the vaccine was or would be dying soon.

The wife who loved me. The man with the golden filling. No time to tie laces.

A question many legal people would love to answer but can’t.

Cinema chains - this is all fine, but if you want me back you need to impose an absolute no talking, no munching on crunchy food and no use of mobile phones, silent or otherwise, during films. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

We have named him Arthur Christmas after everyone's favourite Christmas movie. He is very silly, and very small, and still learning how to be a cat. I'll have him for a month or so while he grows enough to have his vet work done.

This is excellent news!

Merry Christmas from Ozzy in his basin (Picture by Sophie Fischer)

T’was the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Because Sasha ate them. Merry Christmas!

How media works. We need something that is a bit Christmassy and will make our readers angry about Labour/woke etc. any ideas. How about “Starmer to ban singing Jingle Bells in pubs”. “Its shit, but it will do”.

Let’s take the politics and partisan thinking out of this. A simple reminder that when prosecuting, or using the legal system in any capacity whatsoever, you have to come forward with candour. This is particularly important in he said/she said social media spats.

I am not sure it is harsh. The bottom line is Brexit was always going to require a huge amount of time, effort and money from government and industry, effort that could otherwise be put into growth. When the benefits are a fantasy - the rest of the world seeing access to the EU as a negative… /1

Sasha still annoyed that breakfast was 20mins late due to essential human Christmas Eve lie in.