Recent posts

#21

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Richard Hakluyt - December 08, 2025, 05:34:48 PM

Disabled people can get the personal independence payment (PIP) which has a mobility component, if they qualify for the higher rate then they are eligible to take part in the motability scheme Essentially you exchange your higher rate PIP payment for the motability vehicle. There is no extra cost to the taxpayer as the PIP covers the cost of the car lease. If they want to then the disabled person can pay extra to get a more hi-spec model, again there is no additional cost to the taxpayer.

I think there are two lines of potential criticism of the motability scheme. Firstly, how many people are allowed to get higher rate PIP mobility component when they really shouldn't be. Secondly, is the higher rate PIP mobility component too high?

The thing about the fancy cars though? Pure, unadulterated bullshit; and, instead of making that point, the government has caved...as usual.

#22

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Jacob - December 08, 2025, 05:21:57 PM

My working assumption is that it's all pay-to-play.

#23

Gaming HQ / Re: Europa Universalis V confi...

Last post by crazy canuck - December 08, 2025, 05:15:00 PM

Yeah, I would have much preferred they stayed with the game on release and addressed patches and DLCs in due course. That is what the community has come to expect.  This whipsawing of changes and then changes to changes has been problematic. 

They had a good stable (DG aside) game on release.  Call that a win and move on to the first planned DLC and address all the balance issues then.

At least for me the game is no longer stable and the game constantly crashes now.

#24

Off the Record / Re: Football (Soccer) Thread

Last post by Duque de Bragança - December 08, 2025, 05:11:00 PM

Alternately, FIFA could expand the field to 64, drop the group stage entirely, and structure the tournament as one large single-elimination bracket, similar to the way the NCAA basketball tournaments are structured.  The biggest problem is that they would need some means of ranking all the teams in the field in order to properly construct the bracket.

It's too radical a change to actually happen, but it would be interesting.

The group stage is really a post-war thing. The worst was probably Spain '82 with two group stages. FIFA already has the FIFA ranking system for seeding, so it would not be that much of an issue except what frunk mentions. Nobody wants to go home after a single game.

It's supposed to be a cup (World Cup) so single elimination matches are part of the game, after an inital phase to avoid going home after only one game as you.

Not a round robin.

#25

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Duque de Bragança - December 08, 2025, 05:08:49 PM

to sell on Russian oil they buy freely to countries affected by the sanctions, most notably Serbia.

I thought Trump was going after countries doing that? 

I guess Trump could get his cut too. 

#26

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by viper37 - December 08, 2025, 04:31:49 PM

to sell on Russian oil they buy freely to countries affected by the sanctions, most notably Serbia.

I thought Trump was going after countries doing that? 

#27

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Tamas - December 08, 2025, 04:19:54 PM

Having received a one year exemption from the latest Russian oil sanction from Trump, Orbán has been a busy bee. It seems there will be some kind of a deal where the Hungarian oil company buys up Lukoil stuff and use the infrastructure to sell on Russian oil they buy freely to countries affected by the sanctions, most notably Serbia.

The only question is how expensive was Trump's grant and if he is know ingly in on it.

#28

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Tamas - December 08, 2025, 04:15:21 PM

At the start of the year when we were looking to buy a car I was looking into motability simply because it was all over the place, seemed like it's own mini industry. Obviously I didn't for a second thought to abuse it but it was very obvious that a whole lot of people must if it was as popular as it seemed.

The government is rightfully cutting back on the type of cars you can babe the government lease for you under it, but count on Frances "a dystopian extreme version of it one day might be used against disabled people so let's fight tooth and nail against helping suffering terminal people die" Ryan to defend it and cry havoc at the prospect of "disabled" people not being able to claim luxury brands:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/08/disabled-people-luxury-cars-rightwing-lie-labour-motability

#29

Off the Record / Re: Football (Soccer) Thread

Last post by Josquius - December 08, 2025, 04:12:09 PM

I was thinking on Curaçao. Apart from the UK is this the first time a country has had two teams at the WC?

#30

Off the Record / Re: Football (Soccer) Thread

Last post by Zanza - December 08, 2025, 03:55:40 PM

Germany is facing mighty Curacao. Maybe this time we make it into the knockout stage. Then again, I no longer care. Did not even watch any game of the Qatar WC.