Recent Discussions — Ship of Fools http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/ Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:41:52 +0000 en Recent Discussions — Ship of Fools Can Count Binface Save us from Farage? http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6976/can-count-binface-save-us-from-farage Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:59:50 +0000 Purgatory sionisais 6976@/index.php?p=/discussions
At the moment only Count Binface, the Rejoin the EU party, the Monster Raving Loonies Party and Reclaim, which is led by the dreadful Laurence Fox have announced that they will stand against Farage. While Farage is a firm favourite at the bookies, he is drifting.
The election is likely to take place on 13th August, a week after the date proposed by Reform, so I think that indicates that they wanted as short a campaign as possible.
The question has to be
1) to what extent can Farage be discredited and
2) how many Clacton voters will then vote against Farage.

There are five weeks until the election: what do you think or recommend?]]> Are The Reform Party Actually a Threat http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6555/are-the-reform-party-actually-a-threat Thu, 21 Aug 2025 08:47:36 +0000 Purgatory Hugal 6555@/index.php?p=/discussions Do they have enough funds to stand enough candidates? After their disaster in local politics are we able to trust them nationally?
I have never seen Farage as charismatic. He is a rich idiot. ]]> Donald ******* Trump http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6020/donald-trump Tue, 29 Oct 2024 07:02:06 +0000 Hell ChastMastr 6020@/index.php?p=/discussions
The Madison Square Garden stuff seems like a new low.]]> July Book Club - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6966/july-book-club-the-sparrow-by-mary-doria-russell Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:13:06 +0000 Heaven TurquoiseTastic 6966@/index.php?p=/discussions Here is a link to World of Books...

And of course you could also get it you-know-where....

I will post some questions for discussion in a couple of weeks. You can post below if you plan to join in, but feel free to chip in at any time. Happy reading!]]> Bloody Hell it's Hot http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6957/bloody-hell-its-hot Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:25:54 +0000 Hell la vie en rouge 6957@/index.php?p=/discussions
I usually have a fairly high tolerance for heat but this is ridiculous. And it's only June. Sodding climate change. ]]> Le Mondial, 2026 http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6948/le-mondial-2026 Sun, 14 Jun 2026 23:08:53 +0000 The Circus sionisais 6948@/index.php?p=/discussions Although the massive stadium is air conditioned, I think some of the players were suffering cramp towards the end, but the pitch could affect that.]]> What did the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) people do this time? http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6977/what-did-the-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-ice-people-do-this-time Sat, 11 Jul 2026 18:17:25 +0000 Purgatory Gramps49 6977@/index.php?p=/discussions
In Houston.

Short an immigrant construction worker

Claimed he weaponized his vehicle

Witnesses dispute that.

People that were in the vehicle said driver was shot through the passenger window.

Mexico is threatening to take legal action.

As if ICE didn't have enough problems already.

Ban ICE.]]> 2026 Travel plans and exciting adventures. http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6749/2026-travel-plans-and-exciting-adventures Thu, 01 Jan 2026 16:15:38 +0000 Heaven jedijudy 6749@/index.php?p=/discussions General Good-byes And RIPs http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/500/general-good-byes-and-rips Wed, 18 Apr 2018 23:49:18 +0000 All Saints Golden Key 500@/index.php?p=/discussions
(And, as Zappa said in starting it, "though not precluding individual threads too".)]]> Sexism. misogyny and Church Membership http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6964/sexism-misogyny-and-church-membership Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:23:22 +0000 Epiphanies Barnabas62 6964@/index.php?p=/discussions
The Hell thread was based on membership of a Church which does not ordain women. But I doubt whether experiences of sexism and misogyny are confined to the established Churches which do not ordain.

So here is an opportunity to discuss experiences, coping mechanisms, and the tipping point for departure. ]]> Working towards a tidy house http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/5831/working-towards-a-tidy-house Mon, 08 Jul 2024 16:32:49 +0000 All Saints Boogie 5831@/index.php?p=/discussions
I dislike tidying but I love a tidy house. I find tidiness calming.

When we moved here we got rid of two thirds of all our stuff and furniture - so we don't have any clutter or things we don't need. It's a very small house.

But, even so, it's never really tidy.

Any ideas, thoughts or tips?]]> The Labour Government - 2025 http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6201/the-labour-government-2025 Tue, 14 Jan 2025 13:07:43 +0000 Purgatory Louise 6201@/index.php?p=/discussions
One of the reasons I was glad to be in Scotland and not feel I had to vote Labour at the recent election was because their whole 'we will pay for better public services out of economic growth' pitch looked like obvious snake oil.

If you wanted any decent chance of significant economic growth, the realistic thing to do would be to start reversing Brexit. Brexit is such a clear and colossal case of self-harm that any politicians who start from the position that it's fine or beneficial or we should keep it are right out of the gate the political equivalent of anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers or the kind of grifter who adopts that colouration as advantageous never minding the harm it does.

Now it looks to me like they've gone full snake-oil on economic growth over AI. There's a current thread on AI itself. Some AI applications do specialist things well but the kind being pushed by the big corporate firms at the moment tend not to be of that sort and have many issues.

But two people I know who are professional IT experts both basically said the same thing to me - I give the pithier version- "Nothing makes me sweat like the three words "Government IT Project". There's a huge history of getting government IT projects disastrously and incredibly expensively wrong with a big side-order of corruption and deals for mates and donors.

Starmer himself has been quoted in the Financial Times saying
I don't think it's going to take five or ten years to double productivity, not for a moment", adding that he was "absolutely confident that the timeframes we're talking about are much, much shorter.

And while he pours money into this mirage, Rachel Reeves is basically going to be telling people who need public help 'Let them eat AI!' as she looks for cuts to benefits and public services, and the magic economic growth fairy promised by Starmer fails to appear.

There have been lots of posts previously tallking about how and where Labour use scapegoating to attack minorities. This is another more toxic form of snake oil and magical thinking: attacking migrants and immigration doesn't improve public services. It's immoral and acts as a distraction and a false solution to real problems when people are encouraged to blame real hardship on imaginary causes.

It also has the well-known harm seen in many other countries that if you accept the far-right framing and analysis behind scapegoating and offer a 'lite' version of that which fails to improve people's lives (because the whole framing was false in the first place), then it positions the far right with their full-fat version to win. You admitted they were right in their analysis of the problem but you just didn't go far enough. And your opponents have the advantage of not just having failed for all to see to improve anything.


The latest You Gov poll is now

LAB: 26% (-9)

RFM: 25% (+10)

CON: 22% (-2)

LDM: 14% (+1)

GRN: 8% (+1)

SNP: 3% (=)

Labour are only 1% ahead of Reform.


I honestly think this economic snake oil and social scapegoating approach is going to be catastrophic. It's the definition of a Right Wing party to me. And I simply don't know how it can be turned round by the next election because the flaws in this way of thinking go so deep.

(In depth discussion of the scapegoating side would belong in Epiphanies unless this thread is placed under dual rules)


]]> The Trivial Round, The Common Task - the British thread 2026 http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6726/the-trivial-round-the-common-task-the-british-thread-2026 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 04:31:12 +0000 All Saints Nenya 6726@/index.php?p=/discussions
What we're doing with our day, what we're having for tea - bring it on!]]> Earworm? 🐛 http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6050/earworm Fri, 15 Nov 2024 12:03:05 +0000 Heaven Boogie 6050@/index.php?p=/discussions 2026 Celebrity Death Pool http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6698/2026-celebrity-death-pool Sun, 14 Dec 2025 22:01:38 +0000 The Circus Sipech 6698@/index.php?p=/discussions
The rules are simple. You must pick up to 13 well-known people who you think will join the choir invisible during 2026. That is, starting from 00.01 GMT on 1st January 2026 and ending at 23.59 GMT on 31st December 2026.

The definition of "well-known" is that their deaths will be reported by at least one major news outlet. This would include (but is not limited to) The BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Church Times, Baptist Times, Private Eye, etc.

All selections must be real natural born people. No fictional characters, abstract entities or "corporate persons" will be accepted.

Points are awarded according to the following formula: 100 minus the celebrity's age at the time of death. For example, if the person you choose dies at the age of 67 you will earn 33 points. Should you pick someone who is 100 years old when they die you will receive no points; should your person be over 100 you will lose points.

You cannot choose anyone under the age of 18.

You are disqualified if you contribute in any way to the death of one of your chosen candidates. So no poisoning the Archbishop of Canterbury if you work in the catering department of Lambeth Palace.

All entries must be submitted on this thread no later than 23.59 GMT on 31st December 2025. No entries will be accepted after this time. No exceptions. You may make changes to your list up until this time but only if someone pops their clogs before the beginning of the year or if you've put someone in twice.

There are also some bonus awards:

Inside Track with the Grim Reaper Award: given for picking the first death of 2026.

Quantity Not Quality Award: given for picking the most people who croak in 2026, regardless of their points value.

Sudden Death: given for picking the last death of 2026

This is only a game. The Ship, its management and their associated minions do not necessarily endorse the death any human being. This is not in any way a "wish list". Reviewing past years will show that truly evil and nasty dictators seem to have a habit of lingering while those figures we truly respect and admire often don't. The Circus is a place for games, not discussion of the rights or wrongs of those games. If you want to discuss the ethics of this one there are other places you can do that. If you find the game distasteful, that’s fine - you’re under no obligation to take part.

There are no prizes other than the warm fuzzy feeling you get for being a winner.

Good luck to all players and bad luck to your nominees.]]> Words We Love to Hate http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6950/words-we-love-to-hate Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:40:50 +0000 Hell sionisais 6950@/index.php?p=/discussions Anyway, my first word is “robust”, particularly in the sense of policies and especially in HR-Speak, where it is used, in my experience, to justify hard, ie, pig-headed decisions, that are legal, but barely decent. It’s astonishing how anti-bullying policies can be found in just about every workplace, but the management is all but exempt.]]> Between the Equator and the South Pole http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/4018/between-the-equator-and-the-south-pole Sun, 02 Jan 2022 22:43:53 +0000 All Saints WormInTheGrass 4018@/index.php?p=/discussions Hopefully also some more enjoyable events in 2022.]]> Wordle http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/4080/wordle Wed, 12 Jan 2022 20:03:33 +0000 The Circus Piglet 4080@/index.php?p=/discussions Wordle?

I got into it when my nephew posted a link to it on our family Whats App group, and to be honest, it's just as well they only offer one per day, or I'd be doing nothing else!

I'm not sure quite how it'll fly here: I'm thinking of people posting about their successes and failures.

Just remember: try and avoid spoilers - bearing in mind that we're in several time zones.

For the church music geeks, someone on Farcebark has set up a spin-off called Byrdle.

I'm not usually one to boast, but I got the first Byrdle in one guess. :smirk: ]]> Hands in the soil, head in the sun. The gardening thread 2026 🪏 http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6727/hands-in-the-soil-head-in-the-sun-the-gardening-thread-2026-%F0%9F%AA%8F Thu, 01 Jan 2026 10:42:17 +0000 Heaven Boogie 6727@/index.php?p=/discussions
May Sarton]]> Read, read, read! What we are reading in 2026. http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6740/read-read-read-what-we-are-reading-in-2026 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 12:14:46 +0000 Heaven Boogie 6740@/index.php?p=/discussions Animal companions in our happy homes http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/161/animal-companions-in-our-happy-homes Sat, 24 Feb 2018 01:01:09 +0000 All Saints Lothlorien 161@/index.php?p=/discussions Game, Set and Match - the Tennis Thread http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6758/game-set-and-match-the-tennis-thread Fri, 02 Jan 2026 19:29:36 +0000 The Circus la vie en rouge 6758@/index.php?p=/discussions Silly Point - the Cricket Thread http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6757/silly-point-the-cricket-thread Fri, 02 Jan 2026 19:27:34 +0000 The Circus la vie en rouge 6757@/index.php?p=/discussions The New, New Crew's Quiz http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/186/the-new-new-crews-quiz Sun, 25 Feb 2018 20:40:43 +0000 The Circus Ariston 186@/index.php?p=/discussions Guessometers ready?
Blasted Fillums are too hard
Dram of Highland Park.]]> Today I Consign To Hell -the All Saints version http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/315/today-i-consign-to-hell-the-all-saints-version Tue, 06 Mar 2018 19:13:05 +0000 All Saints Piglet 315@/index.php?p=/discussions Today I Consign To Hell, the All Saints version.

We've been tossing this idea round in the Hosts' lounge for a wee while now, so here it is.

If you have a grouse or a grump, or next door's cat is getting on your nerves, or even if you're just really hacked off about something, tell us here.

Just one topic per post, please, and while responses of support and advice are OK (this is AS after all), if a particular topic becomes a bit overwhelming, we may suggest it gets its own thread. Please remember, too, that All Saints rules apply, so no personal attacks on Shipmates.

Have at it! ]]> Make a Band Larger http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6943/make-a-band-larger Mon, 08 Jun 2026 03:57:13 +0000 The Circus mousethief 6943@/index.php?p=/discussions
The Lovin' Cupful
The Dave Clark 10
The Styx Watershed]]> Platform 9 and 4/4: A New Railway Appreciation Thread http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/5411/platform-9-and-4-4-a-new-railway-appreciation-thread Sat, 11 Nov 2023 12:29:51 +0000 Heaven Wesley J 5411@/index.php?p=/discussions
Ready for departure now. :)]]> What did you sing at church today? http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/3574/what-did-you-sing-at-church-today Wed, 21 Jul 2021 14:22:52 +0000 Ecclesiantics Nenya 3574@/index.php?p=/discussions
The original thread was started in March 2018 and ran until March 2020 when the first lockdown rendered it redundant. ]]> What was the sermon about today? http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/5292/what-was-the-sermon-about-today Mon, 18 Sep 2023 15:35:31 +0000 Ecclesiantics Nenya 5292@/index.php?p=/discussions
If the sermon was based on a Bible passage a link to it would be helpful, using a site such as Bible Gateway .

At Our Place yesterday the passage was Romans 1:18-32 and entitled "Sin and the Wrath of God" - we all know God is nice and loving but he has another side to him because we are all depraved, miserable sinners. It was, almost literally, a case of "Oh, look, a Dead Horse... let's not talk about that." Step over said Horse and carry on.]]> Dear Mavis Enderby... http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6955/dear-mavis-enderby Mon, 22 Jun 2026 20:35:55 +0000 The Circus March Hare 6955@/index.php?p=/discussions
Examples, please - English, Welsh, French, German or whatever!]]>