SumOne

Well yeah, I said (or alluded to) both of those things.

Whether it'd be right or not I'm not sure, but I do think if Europe was as united as countries like China, or Russia, the United States, then it could be a military Superpower: Europe: Population 750m, GDP $28 trillion USA: Population 340m, GDP $28 trillion China: Population 1.4bn, GDP $18 trillion Russia: Population 144m, GDP $2 trillion. I suppose that is a big if as getting all of Europe aligned to one military goal is a lot easier said than done. Europe as a region probably hoped more than most that the days or 'might is right' were past us as two world wars started in Europe didn't really bring Europe anything other than suffering, collectively had the feeling that others will realise that too and effort can be spent on better things. If Russia wasn't unpredictable and with Nuclear weapons then it wouldn't be much of a threat to a united Europe. Europe has more than 5x the population and 14x the GDP, I mean, I'm sure pretty much any European country could develop their own nuclear weapons pretty quickly if they really wanted to, I suppose they hoped the world would move towards other priorities. In fact, if it was a game of Risk or top trumps it looks like Europe would be a winner on all other than vs China for population (....India enters the room as the next nuclear armed superpower).

It's good to have these two back on (pedal) board. ...not many things quite as smooth yet powerful 'wall of doom' sounding as these two combined.

Bought a pedal from Paddy and all was good!

Yes, another problem with 'selling' the concept of international aid is that it is very difficult to measure how much it has helped to reduce risks. Would we have had more of those attacks without it? Would there have been more pandemics? Would there have been more wars that we'd got involved with? Difficult to say with certainty, but people who know about these things - like heads of the army think so.

Since this comment the UK Gov have quite predictably gone for the path of least resistance 'play to the gallery' and follow the Trump playbook by cutting international aid to fund defence. They have framed it as either/or, which isn't correct, they go hand in hand. It often seems the only reporting is NGO leaders etc complaining aid cuts are a bad idea, people might rightly say 'of course they do!', it plays right into the Trump/Farage 'woke lefties' us vs them playbook. What should have more focus is this response from the ex head of the British Army: Gen Lord Richard Dannatt (hardly a title associated with some 'woke lefty'!) "I ran Britain’s army. I know what it needs. Don’t cut aid to fund defence" "Britain’s security and influence on the world stage depend on a balanced approach – one that integrates our military strength with diplomacy and development. To wield power effectively, we need hard and soft power working hand in hand. Cutting development aid undermines our ability to stabilise fragile states, reduce the conditions for extremism and build alliances that enhance our security. Simply put, well-targeted aid prevents conflict and reduces the burden on our armed forces in the long run. Moreover, the premise that aid and defence are in competition is a false one. In reality, they are two sides of the same coin. Well-targeted development assistance helps to stabilise fragile regions, preventing crises before they require military intervention. It is aid that helps to rebuild war-torn societies, counter radicalisation and reduce the refugee flows that destabilise Europe. Without this investment, Britain will face an increased terrorist threat, more humanitarian emergencies and greater pressure on our borders. By neglecting this crucial component of security, we are setting ourselves up for greater instability, which will require even more military spending in the long term. Furthermore, the burden on Britain’s armed forces will only grow. If we cut aid, we will be forced to deploy military resources in areas where we could have mitigated instability through targeted development" And Gen James Mattis, the former US secretary of defence previously said “If you don’t fund the state department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition, ultimately.” These aren't aid charities or aid beneficiaries, or people that could be described as being lefties - these are ex-heads of UK and UK armed forces. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/27/britain-armed-forces-cut-aid-fund-defence The problem with governments spending on international aid in an increasingly selfish and insular world seems mostly down to problems with communicating the nuances to voters when they are up against simple 'we give foreigners £ but should spend it at home instead' messages that initially sound correct, whereas it is a bit more complicated to explain 'we spend £ to influence the world and make it a better place for everyone - including us'

Yeah, or a more degenerate example - anything with a free bar, or 'all you can eat' there is a lot of waste. Either charge a bit for it, or have a wastage fee and it's make things more efficient. Perhaps rather than charging for Dr appointments a small fine for missed ones would work (although I guess quite an admin hassle to deal with, but you'd think all the digitisation of records and NI the government could just take that bit extra as NI from you).

They definitely should have gone with your 'Petit Four' suggestion. Looks good, main thing for me was the v4 having improved accuracy and the option of speed/accuracy option (I didn't like the octave jump thing) so I was already tempted, smaller enclosure option is a bonus. Realistically, for a gigging pedalboard I don't actually mind the bigger version as my size 12 boots in a dark pub need a big area with plenty of room for stomping error....although I'm already considering what would fit well in that space saved if I go 'Petit', something like a Zvex Mastotron would fit nicely beneath it.

....I have also owned a few multiscale Basses, so there's another reason for them being nerdy!

Here's my offending Bass that started me thinking this sacrilege: It is my very nice Lakeland DJ4 (yeah, not actually a Jazz Bass, but trying to as close to one as it can without a lawsuit). ...... In many ways that Cadillac is cool, or certainly was - but cool for a certain type of person in a certain time and place, nowadays to drive one around the UK gives the vibe of a 'things were better in the good old days' MAGA adjacent mindset (not meant as an anti-USA statement - all the Union Jack waving, 'vintage' cosplay, Dads Army, Spitfire flypast, throwback stuff I get living near Goodwood gets on my tits too and is the same sort of 'good old days' mindset). In fact though, that's a bit unfair on Jazz (type) Basses as it is the case for many Bass guitars that are a throwback to at least 50 years ago. I'm contradicting my original hypothesis here as I suppose I'm not actually talking about it being a 'nerdy' bass due to Geddy and Jaco being the most famous users and their noodling connections, more that it isn't cool to be a throwback and live in a cosplay version of the past. Cool is when something comes along and upsets conventions of the past and the youth get into it, Jazz did it, then Rock n Roll, then Punk, then Hip Hop, then Electronic music etc. Playing a Bass that looks like it is modelled on being played 50+ years ago in a US Diner just isn't cool. But yeah, things that are overly technical are probably more 'nerdy' territory. Multiscale, chapman sticks, lots of knobs!

Nice. Are they going to be an additional thing (like the 'Future Compact') or a size option from FI (to either buy 'mini' or 'original' size)? And any news of when available?

You know what, I take it back. The Jazz is cool compared to a Chapman stick.

What do you reckon the nerdiest Bass is? My vote is the Jazz Bass. There's something a bit 'noodling/prog'...Geddy Lee, Jaco Pastorius sort of association about them. (And I play Jazz Basses ...and am a nerd!). Cool points for the Reggae connections though. Whereas Rickenbacker are associated with Lemmy, Precision with Soul and Punk, Stingray with Disco and Funk, ESP and Warwick with Metal. .... all are a bit Americana throwback style with people thinking they're the Fonz though. Retired Dentist from Surrey with a Harley. Ibanez would be a Boy racer with a Mitsubishi though, not high-end or exactly cool - but quite 'everyman' with a bit of forward thinking and somewhat youthful....so my vote for a cool bass goes to Ibanez.