Mungler

No point discussing anything Russian with Rewulf - Russia does it better, bigger, faster, harder than anywhere else of course 😆 Those Dachas don’t come with swimming pools off plan. Yes the Russians have a lot of nukes, so does NATO. Whilst I hope to never see the day, I wonder what their effective capabilities are - their little foray into the mud that is Ukraine, has without a doubt shown they’re not exactly a shining example of a well thought out and well maintained military machine 😆

Well, unlike Rewulf that chap actually denounced Putin 😆 No Dacha for him. If only he could cast a vote in a free and fair election - maybe Putin wouldn’t have got in the last time or the time before that (etc) and we wouldn’t be on this thread…

There you go again with your balanced critique of how all the Russians live free and it is we in the west are held captive and fed untrue propaganda 24/7. The thing is, we do get to have elections and even had a vote on leaving Europe which the political elite rather wished we hadn’t. Indeed we can be rude and critical of our rulers without fear of Chepiga and Mishkin doing one of their infamous murder suicide numbers or our being sent without a fair trial to a Labour camp for a decade. I do love your version of balance - you must be adding extra floors and a pool to your Dacha 😆 Incidentally, before covid I visited cyprus and saw lots of spray murals of Putin on the pavements at the street corners. According to the Russians we spoke to, that was Putin / the FSB letting all the Russians who were temporarily out of the country on business or on holiday know that Ol Vlad was still watching them. I didn’t see a mural of Boris or Theresa May out there 😆

You miss the point. I support Ukraine pretty much unquestioningly because there is no ‘balance’ to a Russian invasion or questioning of the Ukrainians as to how they have had to deal with being invaded. 100% unnecessary, 100% Russian land grabbing aggression and 100% Russian choice. Indeed, the Ukrainians have been left to deal with a totalitarian aggressor and can’t be criticised in how they have to do that. Russian forces and resources out number Ukrainian many fold but it’s not gone Putin’s way on any analysis. Indeed it will go down in history as the Russian version of Vietnam. What cheers me up is how wrong the pro Putin camp armchair experts have been and long may it continue. Ah but don’t forget he’s a master tactician 😆 and it’s landed in the Yank’s laps- they probably can’t believe their luck. .

Russian special forces tried to specifically kill Zelensky early on - oh hang on, don't tell me that was Ukrainian false news. As for pointing out how horrible the Ukrainians are and that they are Nazis and all the rest (whilst remaining silent as to the failings of the Russians): 1. Ukraine was invaded. 2. Ukraine neither wanted to be invaded nor become 100% Russian 3. Russia did not "need" to send 250,000 troops over the border 4. "Wagner Group" As for the torture right here and now, the Russian conscript phone intercepts are all you need to know about to make your mind up - oh hang on, don't tell me that was Ukrainian false news. And it's all the worse because of course Russia were / are the aggressing force who needlessly invaded a neighbor when they didn't have to. Indeed, all the calls for diplomacy and talks don't apply to Russia or weren't a step Russia needed to consider right up to the point of invading a neighbour? In all these pages i still don't think I've seen you or Stonepark say anything significantly critical of Putin - no doubt you will now find something to say which is critical and cutting to the Russian core like Putin tries too hard, is bad at delegating and doesn't like Monday mornings 🙂 May be you and Stonepark will get to share a nice Dacha when this is all over 🙂 .

You’re proper bonkers 😆😆

1. You should try questioning some of the Russian propaganda and decisions in this. 2. He is mad or at best poorly advised / informed. It’s a consequence of his isolation and love of Peter the Great. The fact that you cant conceive either of these as possibilities (or indeed that the invasion of the Ukraine by Russia as not one of the best ideas or plans yet) belies your partisan status - your choice but for all your crowing about how we need to open our eye to all that is wrong with Ukraine and Zelensky you don’t, can’t or won’t for Russia or Putin. 3. For someone who says he’s anti BS you willing accept Russian BS in all its forms. 4. I wasn’t using an old event as comparison. I am making the point that some actions can’t be justified, explained or provided with any balance or mitigation.

The problem with your version of balance is that it’s questionable and further questionable that it can exist under all the circumstances of an invasion based on a madman’s land grab - I think those nato, nazi, threat to mother russia boats have all long sailed. The tenor of all your posts is anti West / Ukraine, and with no criticism of the madman Putin - where’s the balance to your balance? You say you are impartial but no one here believes you 😀 Why don’t you have a stab a finding something that russia has done wrong in all of this to critique? Some things don’t need and can’t attract ‘balance’; you got any balance to offer on Hitler murdering 6 million Jews or the 9 million Stalin whacked, for example?

Why would Ukraine nuke the Ukraine? Stolen from elsewhere: “I simply cannot believe what Mordor is doing with the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. First they stuff it full of vehicles and weapons, including the turbine halls. Well, assuming you are a bunch of genocidal savages, that's quite smart, because nobody is going to shell a nuclear power plant. Then they shell a nuclear power plant. Only the Russian orcs, eh? The logic, apparently, is to blame it on UKR, and you won't actually blow it up, it's meant to survive a missile strike, you shouldn't release any radiation provided you are careful not to hit anywhere where waste nuclear materials are stored. Then they hit the place where waste nuclear materials are stored. Still, it's not THAT much radiation they will release, it's not going to be Chernobyl. It's not like they've mined it to blow up. Now they've mined it to blow up. And, ominously, given everyone the day off. While insisting furiously that Ukraine is doing the shelling and that it’s Ukraine that plans to blow the place up. I mean, what are they DOING? They might be able to convince many of the world's dingbats and loonies it is Ukraine's fault if it blows, but is that compensation? The winds are unpredictable this time of year and it isn't that far from the Russian border. Is Sauron seriously ready to irradiate his own people and blame it on Ukraine so he has an excuse for pulling out, or, worse, ending the story with nukes? You would not think he'd dare, or be that crazy, but no one thought he'd dare, or be crazy enough, to blow up 300 of his own citizens as an excuse to attack Chechnya. Almost no one thought he'd dare, or be crazy enough, to start a genocidal war of conquest with Ukraine.”

This all started with Russia; nothing to do with Ukraine (of no threat) or NATO (not bothered but thanks for giving Finland and Sweden a push). This is bleeding Russia hard, their choice, their invasion and their tough luck. You say follow the money, what’s their return on this little escapade? The Ukrainians know they’re up against it but still they go on - because they don’t fancy what the Russians are selling. Their choice and I’m glad they are getting support from the rest of the world. Putin made a big mistake - opened the door to the US sponsoring Ukraine and sitting safely at the side lines. I think the Americans can’t believe their luck or Putin’s stupidity.

Agreed. How many men / resources required to hold Ukraine ? The numbers are ridiculous and unsustainable.

Rocks at tanks? The HIMARS whilst in short supply are knocking out lots of expensive ammo dumps, bridges, air bases etc. Then there was that shiny new warship and all those expensive planes, and in the background the Russian state and economy is looking more like North Korea. Add in the $36 million in guided weaponry used to just flatten the Hall of Officers and more recently the home for the deaf, I don’t see where the boxes aren’t being ticked? For so long as the Ukrainians want to keep fighting and resisting the Russians, and for so long as the Russians won’t leave and for so long as the West keeps giving Ukraine enough kit to hold the Russians up, then this still looks like a bigger Russian problem to me.

Give it a rest. It will be over when it’s over and posting videos from YouTube armchair critics is meaningless - for every one that says the Russians will win this week, there’s at least one that disagrees and says otherwise. This is a David vs Goliath grind down; it could still be going on in some form by this time next year.

Me too. Nothing motivates quite like debt even if it’s artificially induced or there is actually no debt over the totality of the whole. And who doesn’t like treating themselves or spending money? 😆 .

Agree with 90% of that. I don’t see the Yanks backing out. The cost of having Ukraine fight Russia and set Russia back 40 years is peanuts in the scheme of things. Afghanistan was $2-3 trillion and look where that ended, and here it’s soft cost because all those US defence contractors get the contracts, the cash from which recirculates in the US economy - and all with no election losing loss of US life. If I was the US I would throw everything at keeping Zelensky alive and keep a plan B alive - probably the Klischkos - everyone in Ukraine loves boxing and who doesn’t love a winner?

Well, let’s hope Zelensky stays alive and continues to grind this out until the Russians work out it’s not worth it - in fairness they will have worked that out by now, they just need to be motivated do something about it….

I see the co-founder of amnesty has resigned disgusted at the bias reporting and victim blaming of the Ukraine. https://tvpworld.com/61761753/amnesty-international-cofounder-resigns-over-biased-ukraine-report Indeed, it’s always worth remembering that this all started with an invasion. Be interesting to see how many bridges get dropped this week and who gets cut off from where.

That’s classic doldrums. It happens. I talk to lots of people and the consensus is everyone needs a reason to get out of bed and once you reach a point of meeting basic needs you need to do something that scares or excites you. A mate of mine will when he’s feeling flat get a loan out / over spend (eg daft new car, move to a bigger house, home extension) so he has ‘the fear’ again, and it’s the fear that drives him to get back to work and stuck in again because now he has to 😆

It’s a funny old market place. All the builders in the south east are banged out and the price of Labour / materials is through the roof. We are seeing more properties where if you costed them for a total loss / total rebuild (think fire), you could not physically get those houses rebuilt in this market place for the value they are being sold at (and which makes the land they sit on effectively ‘free’). That’s pretty much anything under £300k inside the M25/south east. It could all level off - we are seeing loads of development being shelved for another day when it’s all calmed down and Labour / materials are cheaper, but hey, can anyone ever remember when anything ever actually got cheaper? Also you look at the world right now and the various affected supply chains, I really can’t see anything ever getting cheaper. So if nothing is going to get cheaper than right now (food, energy, stuff from China, building materials and the cost of borrowing money) what next? Well, stagflation is on the cards - reduced growth coupled with unavoidable rising prices (inflation) driven by forces external to the UK economy. Who knows? And when the governments of the world were planning their respective ‘what next’ after Brexit then there came covid, and when planning ‘what next’ there came Ukraine - it’s hardly worth making a plan really because it all goes out the window with the next / latest ‘out of nowhere global disaster 😆 As for renting, a Labour government is likely to kill it stone dead and this energy crisis will do for the Tory’s- so you need a plan for between now and the next general election. I would still urge under renting to the right family - find some grafters with kids that they want to go to the local school and if the monthly rent could be say £1700 a month, charge that family £1500. It’s worked for me so far like a treat (touch wood) and when you do the maths and take into account rental gaps, agents / professional fees, damage, getting miscreants out and so on, it’s an economic no brainer. Also that family can’t get a better house for less money and they will stay and be grateful - everyone’s a winner.

Good enough idea and low cost to set up, but if there’s cash being handed over (and not put into a coin slot) and you’re not there 24/7, then you will get someone nicking off you - that is the law of the cosmos 😆

In my town, the longest standing / serving shop is a coin operated launderette - little gold mine. It’s the washing double duvets, dog beds and service cleaned wedding dresses - constant trickle.

Depends what you have, what it’s like (schools, location and rentability) what it owes you, and what your capital gains tax position is. I refinanced 3 last year (50% equity in all) and fixed interest rates for 5 years. All tenanted with same original tenants and so I’d be mad to touch them. Also, sitting on cash in high inflation is genuinely bonkers - in high inflation money tends to head towards fixed capital assets that can’t be inflated and bricks and mortar are a good place to start. £100k in the bank with real world inflation at say 10% and banks paying 2% on savings, you’re down £8k in year 1. Whilst interest rates are going up, they are still ridiculously low when viewed historically and against current inflation rates. A brave person would rip a large mortgage out now, fix the rate (assuming nothing is looking like getting any cheaper for at least 2 years) and then look to do something sensible with that money - what I don’t know though 😆

I don’t think it’s going to affect anything under £500,000 right now and we have ever increasing demand outstripping dwindling supply. Seen a couple of houses go through work - £180k solid ex council 2-3 bed terraced house with decent sized garden. If that got bull dozed tomorrow, with current supply issues, you could not rebuild that same house for £180k.

This, save that the housing market is still going mental and caution is required. I’d look at commercial property. Also it depends on your kids tax status / the rate they pay. I’ve been saying there’s a crash coming for about 2 years now and it’s still not arrived but it is coming sure enough. Whilst kids need to think about pensions, sucking money off them at a time they need it the most is going to limit their life choices ie they will need access to money now when they are young, first and foremost. It all depends on the kids themselves but I’d have them (ie make them) read Rich Dad Poor Dad or go on a 1 day investment crash course before handing over 5 figures or above. Long story short, until they can with every significant expenditure ask and answer the question ‘does this put money in my pocket / does this take money out of my pocket’ then I would wait until they can before parting up with the readies.

We are beyond the tipping point and are now well into in for a penny in for a pound - we’ll all get by with higher energy prices but it’s going to hurt, there will be casualties, no one will like it and it will probably cost the Tory’s the next election but no one is going to make friends with Putin. It’s a total Russian disaster of their own making and at least we’ll be pushing a few more nuclear power stations through sooner rather than later. If only Putin would get out and about bit more and let someone have a pop at him - the queue of his own countrymen must be growing longer by the day.