Money for nothing?
I'm so glad to hear the EU is going to 'decouple' my subsidy cheque from any useful production whatsoever.

I'll just sit on my backside, and be paid the same amount of taxpayers' money (averaged over 2000-2002) that I've been getting, only now I don't actually have to produce anything or do any work for it.

Marvellous! Quite marvellous!

"Anyone who thinks this harebrained idea is going to pan out needs their bumps felt"

I must remember to pay my NFU sub to help them to lobby for such a state of affairs to continue.

Anyone who thinks this harebrained idea is going to pan out needs their bumps felt.

I suspect that reality might put in a guest appearance prior to the implementation of this particular bit of nonsense.

Did anyone in the EU notice that we exported cereals to both the US and Australia, in the last year?

Doesn't that ring any bells?

Who needs the peace corps?
On a slightly different tack, I should like to brighten your February with a tale from a little while ago when I was hitching out over the coastal mountains, on the back roads of northern California, heading for the Pacific shore.

For those of you who don't know this neck of the woods it is still covered with the tallest trees in the world, has a golden sunshine, shady river gorges with pine scented breezes, and the 1960s are still very much alive, 'man'.

There were only 2 types of vehicle on the roads; VW Kombis driven by earth-mother types off to save the trees. And Pick-Up trucks that 'Pa Walton' would recognise, driven by the lumber jacks off to cut down the trees, or possibly gold miners of the '4ger' mould off to cut down the trees and then pan for gold in the creek.

Frank Zappa

A detail that caught my eye and comes to mind, was one of the VW Kombis (split windscreen, double side doors, original 2 tone green paint, the whole works).

On the backside of this iconic vehicle was a sticker saying 'Frank Zappa for President!'

I report this with unfolding unpleasantness in the Gulf in mind - you can draw your own conclusions.

Catch you later.

ANTON

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