Best Of

O/T with apologies for diverting a thread right away but the Guardian have now published their readers' list of 100 greatest novels and it looks a lot better to me than the authors' and critics' list from a few weeks ago:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/jun/06/readers-top-100-novels-of-all-time

Amazed to see Memoirs of Hadrian on there. And deservedly. I thought I was the only person that had read it.

Not at all. A stunningly good book and an incredibly moving one. I rate it even higher than I Claudius as the foremost example of the genre. Read it when I was in my late teens and never forgot it.

Oooohhhh... I love I, Claudius. I reread (for the third time) last year, and it was every bit as good as I remembered.

I must try Memoirs of Hadrian.

Livia was the absolute star, even more in the book than she was in the TV series. What a character.

She reminds me very much of my wife.

As far as her virtues, obviously. My wife doesn't murder quite as many people as Livia.

"Middle-class white men banned from public sector internship
National Audit Office’s six-week paid programme only accepts female, black heritage or lower socio-economic applicants" (£)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/06/middle-class-white-men-banned-from-public-sector-internship/

Are white, middle-class heterosexual men the most put upon cohort in UK society?

That's not the point. This is officially sanctioned discrimination by sex and race, and that will create injustice.

If you play this game, you create social division.

I think most people would look at the situation and say that giving an occasional helping hand up to historically marginalised groups helps undo existing injustices. But some white middle class heterosexual men are snowflakes and easily triggered when their familiar advantages are reduced in the slightest.

I think most people would look at the situation and say that discriminating against anyone is wrong.

Two wrongs do not make a right.

"Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces launched a mass overnight strike on June 5 against a deployment site of Russia’s 90th Engineer-Sapper Regiment in occupied Pionerske, Donetsk region. The unit was involved in mining and building the Surovikin Line in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia sectors, and carried out engineer tasks near Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Trucks, logistics sites and substations also burned, including toward Mariupol port."

https://t.me/noel_reports/47380

There's been quite a few of these attacks by Ukraine on Russian units far behind the front line recently. Another sign, along with the attacks on Russian logistics, of Ukraine's growing middle-range strike capacity, and the inability of Russia to find a way to counter it.

Russia has a way to end these strikes immediately.

Withdraw out of Crimea and the Donbas, pull back to their own border and end the war.

"Middle-class white men banned from public sector internship
National Audit Office’s six-week paid programme only accepts female, black heritage or lower socio-economic applicants" (£)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/06/middle-class-white-men-banned-from-public-sector-internship/

Thames Water hosting a refugee only recruitment day !!

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/insight/thames-water-defends-refugee-only-careers-day-amid-backlash/gm-GM8D04174F?gemSnapshotKey=GM8D04174F-snapshot-1

Good post.

Just as good as the first time it was posted several days ago infact.

By me.

I’ll be sure to tag you every time I post it as you seem to like it. 👍

"Middle-class white men banned from public sector internship
National Audit Office’s six-week paid programme only accepts female, black heritage or lower socio-economic applicants" (£)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/06/middle-class-white-men-banned-from-public-sector-internship/

Are white, middle-class heterosexual men the most put upon cohort in UK society?

That's not the point. This is officially sanctioned discrimination by sex and race, and that will create injustice.

If you play this game, you create social division.

I don't agree with discrimination of any description, positive or negative. The narrative of white, heterosexual men being disadvantaged by positive discrimination remains largely untrue in my opinion. Doubtless you could find me one or two examples, but by and large I would rather take my chances with figures of authority as a white, heterosexual male than I would anyone else.

But this is about individuals. It is active discrimination against a set of individuals based on the colour of their skin, their gender and their sexuality. So yes, those white heterosexual males are bring disadvantaged. In any other examples of race or sexuality this would be illegal.

But the likes of Farage are selling a narrative that in general white men are being disadvantaged to the benefit of non white men. Clearly on ocassion it happens. I would argue it happened to Henry Nowak. That shouldn't have been the case. I would hope that the error was not the system but the individual policeman. Of course I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

David Sullivan steps down as West Ham chairman

After historical allegations, which he denies. He lives in Theydon Bois. Met him once, quite a character and the only billionaire I have met though he did like young ladies but given how he initially made his money no surprise there

Hard to knock what he did for Birmingham City FC

Bought us in early 90s on a day bailiffs we're literally locking the gates, invested, went down, reinvested, rebuilt 75% of the ground, got Barry Fry in, quids for a quid 27000 on a Monday night for lower league Cup game.

Bought it Trevor Francis, then Steve Bruce, League Cup final as EFL club v Liverpool robbed by David Ellary from a great win. 4th play off, season saw promoted to PL

4 great seasons dominated the Vile, got relegated promoted right back..

Dugarry signing a master stroke.

He shot from the hip never popular with fans, David Gold was though.

Lost interest got involved in horse racing.

Sold us to a Chinese moneylaunderer hairdresser who got sentenced in HK he sold us to feck knows who.. Cambodian, Vietnamese money launderers who would issue and buy shares to prop up hid knows what.

Thankfully some very genuine Yanks came in


All started with Sullivan but his wealth creation methods were always questionable too.

Perfect summary.

I think you’re right too. He was never loved at the Blues but the Golds were and when one sadly died a lot of Blues Twitter were very effusive in their praise

Dugarry, brilliant then he got a long term contract and phoned it in before leaving.

I think Dugarrys knees were shot.

His 2002 Easter Monday performance v Southampton was not on this planet... Outstanding.