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SKS reaches new betting high as PM after general election – politicalbetting.com

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  • CookieCookie Posts: 11,184
    Jonathan said:

    The BBC is great, no one has its breadth or reach. Why the Tories are against it is quite beyond me. Fund it properly, conquer the world.

    Tories are against it for two reasons: the first reason is the same reason that Tories are against the Guardian and the same reason lefties are against the Telegraph; both contain some good quality material but have a wholly different worldview to the tribes in question. The second reason is the same reason that Tories would be against having to pay for the Guardian even if they then wanted to buy the Times; or that lefties would be against having to pay for the Telegraph even if they wanted to buy the New Statesman.

    Doesn't seem an unreasonable position to take.
  • GIN1138 said:

    I cannot believe that the bunch of damaged sleazebags formerly known as The Conservative Party are even remotely electable.

    Roll on PM Starmer. You might be dull and uninspiring, but at least you are not a self-promoting glory hound determined to trash anything that stands in your way to the top.

    I mean SKS did try and get an anti-Semitic Trotskyite elected as well as trying to cancel the biggest political mandate in British history.

    Remember too that the PLP is far more left-wing than SKS is trying to present himself as so if he attempts to govern in the center there will be havoc in the Labour Party though my guess is that given he stuck it out on Jezza's shadow cabinet right to end he will turn out to be a pretty radical left-winger himself once elected.

    Don't get me wrong he will be PM in 2025 but I don't think he will be saviour of the nation somehow...
    I see SKS's most important role to be the forcing of the Conservative Party to take a good hard look at itself whilst in opposition. I want them to rebuild along the lines of the party they used to be with politicians that appeared to be competent.

    It would not hurt SKS to do some purging of his own although it does seem that a lot of the Corbynite nutters have been dumped.
    The PLP has not in my memory been AT ALL left-wing, GIN - that's why Corbyn struggled even to get the minimal 40 MPs to get him on the ballot, and only squeaked in because Margaret Beckett and a couple of others thought he should get a hearing before being defeated ("a fucking stupid decision", she later said). The membership as a whole is certainly left of the PLP, though as the recent NEC vote showed there is now a slim centre-right majority.

    I'm still a member of Momentum, as are several friends, but we all feel we need to concentrate on winning the election at this point. We can and no doubt will whinge about Starmer not being left enough later, but as in 1997 there's plenty to do merely to restore sensible government with a vaguely social democratic flavour. It'll do for the first term.
    Although he was never PM, I feel that Corbyn's impact on the country was massive. He virtually turned the UK into a single party state by effectively removing the only opposition party with a chance. It left a wide open goal for the Bluekippers and they did not miss the opportunity.

    I cannot see Corbyn as anything other than an utter disaster. I fail to understand how you could support him.
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 40,950
    edited September 2022
    Jonathan said:

    Sitting here in Brighton hospital waiting for wife to be discharged. Was signed out this morning at 10am.

    The reason we are blocking a bed is apparently there is just ONE medic covering the wards able to sign the paperwork.

    We have to self discharge and come back tomorrow to pick up drugs. 2:30 round trip and more time off work.

    Still the NHS saved her life. The agony and ecstasy of the NHS.

    Very very pleased to hear it. Discharge can be a shocker, though. Be thankful it's not a Friday (and doubly thankful it's not *this* Friday).
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625
    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    kle4 said:

    Foxy said:

    Cyclefree said:

    @Phil asked earlier today

    "How is the Cass review relevant to a court case on the validity of the charitable status of the LGB alliance?"

    On the assumption that this was a genuine question, I will attempt to answer.

    The court case has to determine two matters:-

    1. Does the charity Mermaids have the legal standing to bring a claim at all? This is the most important question because if it does not - and the bar is very high indeed - none of the rest of its claims matter.

    2. Can it establish that LGB Alliance are in breach of their charitable objects and charity law?

    Both issues are being reviewed at the same time.

    As part of this LGB Alliance are stating that they are concerned about young lesbians and whether they are being wrongly categorised as trans and made subject to treatment. Mermaids are disputing this. The Cass Interim Report is relevant to this issue because it deals with the question of how children with gender issues are being treated, whether some of those concerns may in fact relate to their sexuality rather than any gender issues and the effect of Mermaids' advocacy on how clinics like the Tavistock have operated. And by implication on young lesbians.

    Hence the questioning about this topic. If the judge thought this irrelevant, he would have stopped the questioning. What is interesting is that in their answers Mermaids say that they have not really reviewed the Cass Report because they are not experts on health. This is a bit odd because it appears to conflict with other public statements they have made about the health treatment to be given to children. It is, however, early stages in the case.

    The case is interesting for a large number of reasons, not all of them related to the trans issue.

    Hope that helps.

    Not something that I am following and does sound the sort of case where one wants both sides to lose.

    Is a legal case really the best way to take forward the issues of child gender?
    Whoever brought the action apparently thinks so.
    Sure, but lots of people take forward stupid cases. The Wagatha Christie trial being a prime example.
    You have 2 choices

    1) a nation of laws
    2) a nation of whatever bullshit the current ruler thinks will float their boat

    Choices, choices…..
    Yes, I am all in favour of the rule of law. Fox Jr got his training contract last week.

    The oppositional nature of British law often just makes a mess of sensitive issues like this, when a non-partisan evidence based approach is needed.
    The continental approach to law makes a non-oppositional mess of sensitive issues.

    What I miss is things like the Warnock Report https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l1531
  • When The King is indisposed or out of the country, his responsibilities are assumed by 5 Counsellors of State: his wife, and the four next in line to the throne over the age of 21.

    This now includes Mrs Beatrice Mozzi.
  • biggles said:

    Jonathan said:

    https://www.bbc.com/burmese

    My favourite BBC website. Important. Beautiful script. Not something you get from pure commercial operations.

    My main feeling about the BBC is sadness. I agree that things like that are brilliant, but on the other hand I barely watch anything other than the news now. I still listen to some radio but even then they keep losing stuff like Kermode and Mayo, and even TMS isn’t what it was. So I don’t want it to die, but I fear it might, and even more so I fear that it will do so with a whimper.
    The drama is particularly dire imho. Endless series of police/MI5/crime "thrillers". Nothing ever can be challenging or different or difficult. Cookie cut stuff every single time. It is utterly depressing.

    Incredible to think the same organization made House of Eagles and put it on prime time TV in 1970s.

    Or Denis Porter.

    Or Play for Today.

    At least some of the comedy still has a heartbeat.

  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,408
    edited September 2022
    IshmaelZ said:

    kle4 said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    kle4 said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Leon said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    tlg86 said:

    I will see this about the BBC - they might be liberal-lefties most of the time (annoyingly so) but they are also very very very monarchist.

    I suppose that's something. Their median view would probably be David Attenborough - an establishment patrician Leftie with a massive soft spot for the Royal Family.

    It makes sense. If the monarchy goes, why not the BBC?
    Neither are
    https://twitter.com/YouGov/status/1569698859831508995?s=20&t=tu8jOD5uWxQhSbzEDes5_g
    Monarchy's going downhill over time, as discussed here. And the BBC is becoming a relic, as PB rightwingers keep insisting, in the modern media world. Nobody will watch it in a decade or two. Nobody may be able to.
    You kept telling us in 2014 that the Young are Yes, so the Union was doomed. How is that working out? Have the Yes voting young overwhelmed the wrinkly unionists? Or are the polls in total and remarkable stasis, as the young grow up and become more small c conservative - as they do everywhere in the world - and see the value of the Union?

    Same goes for the UK monarchy. Except that in this case the monarchy has 60% support and 20% opposition. It really is not going anywhere. It is quite possible it is more popular now than it has ever been
    It is now. the problem is, the baton has been passed to a pompous self regarding fuckpig.

    Revisit this issue in a year's time.
    He'd have to be reallllly bad to noticably impact support levels inside a year.

    I expect probably a bit of a dip as some Commonwealth Realms become republics and that causes a few people to go, ''eh, I suppose it is time for it", but he wasn't as unpopular as some thought before he got a boost from being king, and the polling hasn't massively changed I believe.

    You clearly feel very very strongly about him personally, and I just don't think most will one way or another, and so the prevailing position is sustained.

    The monarchy get survive on general apathy and some fervent support. It's mass opposition it could not handle, and we're a long long way from that.
    I don't feel strongly about him, in the sense that it keeps me awake at night.
    Maybe not in that sense, but it doesn't seem like people react so passionately and vulgarly unless they feel very strongly about it.
    Wrong, and what the fuck is this "vulgarly"? Have we fallen through a wormhole into the 1960s?

    Don't know about you but I am a net payer of tax. When my money is being lavished on a fuckpig, I feel I have the right to point this out.
    I don't know why you're even denying it. You're now trying to pretend someone said you don't have the right to point it out, which is completely out of left field and I've no idea why you even bring that up.

    But you are ranting and raging, and clearly extremely angry about him and all of this. That's cool, bring it up however you like, but you're not fooling anyone that your feelings are very strong. Why else would you put it in the terms you have?

    Am I to believe people rage about fuckpicks when they don't feel strongly about things? Is that what people do when they feel only moderately about things? Give me a break. At least Leon acknowledged his passions run high and doesn't clutch his pearls when people point that out.

    People have mocked casino for his emotional reaction to the Queen's passing, it's been called mad even, but your just as emotional rants in the opposite direction we have to pretend are not highly emotional? The only reason not to would be to spare your feelings, but since you claim not to be feeling it strongly why would we do that?

    So I hope the expression of your incredibly intense rage is helping.
  • DynamoDynamo Posts: 651
    edited September 2022

    Why do we have a road called Constitution Hill? We don't have a Constitution and it's barely a hilll.

    We do have a constitution - just not codified
    All constitutions are written. A constitution is a body of higher law that other laws have to comply with and can only itself be changed by a more stringent procedure than the other laws.

    Almost every country in the world has one.

    The question of whether Britain has a constitution is a litmus test. Those who can think for themselves try to define constitution and then look at whether anything in Britain matches up. The other 99.9% know that they're supposed to say Britain has an unwritten constitution, so they either parrot that line as if the person who can think for himself had never heard it before, or else if they "fancy themselves" they start thinking up "reasons" to justify the idiotic "unwritten constitution" position that obviously they didn't reason themselves into in the first place.
  • IanB2 said:

    CNN must be running the BBC close for the proportion of its coverage devoted to the demise of HMQE2.

    Meanwhile, no re-showing of the bendy penis disease advert, which appears to be targetted at the breakfast-time audience.

    Speaking of penises:

    https://www.peta.org/blog/smuggled-donkey-penises-ejiao-lagos-nigeria-airport/
  • CookieCookie Posts: 11,184

    Leon said:



    The BBC is instinctively Woke-ish centre Left, due to the kind of people it employs, young liberal London types. I’m not sure how you avoid that

    This is partly balanced by the usual Tory governments installing rightwing administrators, from time to time

    It is deeply imperfect and will probably die unless it evolves fast. I am unsure that whatever replaces it will be any better

    I tghink a good journalist should be able to get beyond their instinctive preferences, just like a good civil servant. If I worked for the BBC I'd unhesitatingly give airtime to anti-immigrants, anti-vaxxers etc. (and indeed to your good self), but also to Trots, anarchists, Putinists and any other opinions out there, as well as lots of the centrists who we see now. It'd just be more interesting.

    Sweden used to have (perhaps still does have) a tax on mass media advertising, the proceeds of which were used to support publications with an unusual opinion, so as to support diversity. There was controversy when they gave a subsidy to a Trotskyist group that explicitly favoured a dictatorship (of the proletariat, all that stuff) - weren't they undermining the very principles on which they wrere established? No, said the board responsible IIRC - this is an unusual view, so it gets the subsidy - nothing in the law says it has to be a "nice" view. (I defer to @StuartDickson Dickson to correct anything i've misremembered.)
    A good journalist should be able to get beyond their instinctive preferences, just like a good civil servant. I'm not sure we're over-blessed with either.
    The problem with both cadres is that they see their views as - rather thanone set of views among many - as so universal that they see anyone with a different worldview - like half the country and their political representatives - is seen as a dangerous extremist.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,712
    IshmaelZ said:

    HYUFD said:

    Foxy said:

    NYT Politics
    @nytpolitics
    ·
    14m
    Breaking News: Ken Starr, the independent counsel whose investigation uncovered Bill Clinton’s affair with a White House intern and led to his impeachment for lying under oath and obstructing justice, died on Tuesday. He was 76.

    Jean-Luc Godard died today too:

    https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/sep/13/jean-luc-godard-giant-of-the-french-new-wave-dies-at-91
    Or more to the point arranged his own suicide
    Yeah, 100% Christian post. You must be very proud of yourself.

    You have no idea how much we all hope that Mrs HYUFD discloses to you that she was a he until all that surgery at age 16. Praise the Lord.
    It was merely a factual point rather than a judgemental one, even if the Roman Catholic church for instance still considers suicide a mortal sin
  • When The King is indisposed or out of the country, his responsibilities are assumed by 5 Counsellors of State: his wife, and the four next in line to the throne over the age of 21.

    This now includes Mrs Beatrice Mozzi.

    iirc it is quorate with 2 so wife and William can get things done.
  • CookieCookie Posts: 11,184
    Dynamo said:

    Why do we have a road called Constitution Hill? We don't have a Constitution and it's barely a hilll.

    We do have a constitution - just not codified
    All constitutions are written. A constitution is a body of higher law that other laws have to comply with and can only itself be changed by a more stringent procedure than the other laws.

    Almost every country in the world has one.
    Almost every country in the world has a WRITTEN constitution. We have an unwritten one. Or at least, not written in one place.
    If we didn't have a constitution, any old random shit could happen. Elections would never happen. Force would be used. But that doesn't happen. We are unusual in the degree of order and protocol by which governance is done. Only a madman or a foreigner could think there were no rules by which government happens in the UK.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 20,697
    edited September 2022
    Eabhal said:

    pm215 said:

    kle4 said:


    People may think the extent is too much, personal taste will vary, but I find it hard to believe when people act surprised that others are not just going 'Oh, she had a great life'. It was the Head of State, in a place where Heads of State do not change often. It's not just some random very old lady dying.

    It's not mad. Or even if it is, it is not hard to understand.

    I dunno, I do find it a bit hard to understand at the more extreme end, ie not just "it really affected me" but "willing to be in a multi hour queue across London". That seems not merely like heartfelt grief but a kind of public acting out and display of emotion that is alien to me. (The grief I have less trouble with understanding -- clearly other people felt a closer connection to the monarch than I ever have.)
    Yep. I tend to see royalism a bit the same as religion, ie not my cup of tea but whatever floats your boat just as long as you DON’T FECKING EVANGELISE. The present spasm seems towards the cultish ends of things, and of course the monarchy and how it expresses itself is entwined with the way we’re governed whether we like it or not.
    I think other PBers should understand that this is a uniquely difficult week for republican Scottish nationalists. Sturgeon singing GSTK and pledging to uphold the Protestant religion...ouch.
    I do wonder if the Queen dying at Balmoral was something she planned all along.

    Involving Scotland so intimately in her death and reminding the Scots of their vital role within Britain and the UK was perhaps her final act of service to the country?

    Or maybe it was just "circumstances..." ?
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,074
    Foxy said:

    Cyclefree said:

    @Phil asked earlier today

    "How is the Cass review relevant to a court case on the validity of the charitable status of the LGB alliance?"

    On the assumption that this was a genuine question, I will attempt to answer.

    The court case has to determine two matters:-

    1. Does the charity Mermaids have the legal standing to bring a claim at all? This is the most important question because if it does not - and the bar is very high indeed - none of the rest of its claims matter.

    2. Can it establish that LGB Alliance are in breach of their charitable objects and charity law?

    Both issues are being reviewed at the same time.

    As part of this LGB Alliance are stating that they are concerned about young lesbians and whether they are being wrongly categorised as trans and made subject to treatment. Mermaids are disputing this. The Cass Interim Report is relevant to this issue because it deals with the question of how children with gender issues are being treated, whether some of those concerns may in fact relate to their sexuality rather than any gender issues and the effect of Mermaids' advocacy on how clinics like the Tavistock have operated. And by implication on young lesbians.

    Hence the questioning about this topic. If the judge thought this irrelevant, he would have stopped the questioning. What is interesting is that in their answers Mermaids say that they have not really reviewed the Cass Report because they are not experts on health. This is a bit odd because it appears to conflict with other public statements they have made about the health treatment to be given to children. It is, however, early stages in the case.

    The case is interesting for a large number of reasons, not all of them related to the trans issue.

    Hope that helps.

    Not something that I am following and does sound the sort of case where one wants both sides to lose.

    Is a legal case really the best way to take forward the issues of child gender?
    No.

    Nor is it a good idea to have charities questioning the right to exist of other charities when we have a regulator to determine that.

    But the Good Law Project are funding it.

    So I am following it because I love following legal cases and reading judgments etc. Obviously I am also doing it as a public service to PB'ers and I hope you are all jolly grateful.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625
    Cookie said:

    Leon said:



    The BBC is instinctively Woke-ish centre Left, due to the kind of people it employs, young liberal London types. I’m not sure how you avoid that

    This is partly balanced by the usual Tory governments installing rightwing administrators, from time to time

    It is deeply imperfect and will probably die unless it evolves fast. I am unsure that whatever replaces it will be any better

    I tghink a good journalist should be able to get beyond their instinctive preferences, just like a good civil servant. If I worked for the BBC I'd unhesitatingly give airtime to anti-immigrants, anti-vaxxers etc. (and indeed to your good self), but also to Trots, anarchists, Putinists and any other opinions out there, as well as lots of the centrists who we see now. It'd just be more interesting.

    Sweden used to have (perhaps still does have) a tax on mass media advertising, the proceeds of which were used to support publications with an unusual opinion, so as to support diversity. There was controversy when they gave a subsidy to a Trotskyist group that explicitly favoured a dictatorship (of the proletariat, all that stuff) - weren't they undermining the very principles on which they wrere established? No, said the board responsible IIRC - this is an unusual view, so it gets the subsidy - nothing in the law says it has to be a "nice" view. (I defer to @StuartDickson Dickson to correct anything i've misremembered.)
    A good journalist should be able to get beyond their instinctive preferences, just like a good civil servant. I'm not sure we're over-blessed with either.
    The problem with both cadres is that they see their views as - rather thanone set of views among many - as so universal that they see anyone with a different worldview - like half the country and their political representatives - is seen as a dangerous extremist.
    I am right
    You are an extremist
    He has been referred to Prevent
  • ..


  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 38,852
    IanB2 said:

    CNN must be running the BBC close for the proportion of its coverage devoted to the demise of HMQE2.

    Meanwhile, no re-showing of the bendy penis disease advert, which appears to be targetted at the breakfast-time audience.

    Bill Clinton had a bendy penis apparently. Although less so now, I imagine
  • Goodnight all
  • CookieCookie Posts: 11,184

    It's what she would habe wanted.
  • DynamoDynamo Posts: 651
    edited September 2022
    I wish people would stop saying show respect because it's a funeral, the king has just lost his mother, and so on.

    How many families march up and down in front of people's faces for a fortnight when their mother dies, protected by goons openly carrying guns, getting the police to tell whole citiesful of people to stay at home, and have so many sessions of prancing up and down and cocking about in public, from one end of the country to the other, that it would make almost any sane person vomit?

    It's not a funeral. It's a far right wing political demonstration in favour of "natural order". Which incidentally, we paid for. Has any newspaper published the cost of this foul heap of events yet? Has any politician had the temerity to ask?

    Maximise the disrespect.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 4,339
    edited September 2022

    ..


    In real terms, after American boundary nonsense, where does that get them?
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,712
    Dynamo said:

    I wish people would stop saying show respect because it's a funeral, the king has just lost his mother, and so on.

    How many families march up and down in front of people's faces for a fortnight when their mother dies, protected by goons openly carrying guns, getting the police to tell whole citiesful of people to stay at home, and have so many sessions of prancing up and down and cocking about in public, from one end of the country to the other, that it would make almost any sane person vomit?

    It's not a funeral. It's a far right wing political demonstration in favour of "natural order". Which incidentally, we paid for.

    Maximise the disrespect.

    No it is a full show of respect and honour for one of our greatest ever monarchs, as plenty of nations would do with great Presidents.

    If it winds up republicans like you all to the better!
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 5,226
    https://twitter.com/ukr_week_en/status/1569777745005010945?s=46&t=X0cJ6rQ-i-Tl3JGzm-2rKQ

    Mayor of Melitopol: “Russian forces are fleeing the city and heading towards Crimea. We’ve seen Russian military vehicles trying to cross to Crimea in Chonhar, a village in Kherson region”.
  • Dynamo said:

    Why do we have a road called Constitution Hill? We don't have a Constitution and it's barely a hilll.

    We do have a constitution - just not codified
    All constitutions are written. A constitution is a body of higher law that other laws have to comply with and can only itself be changed by a more stringent procedure than the other laws.

    Almost every country in the world has one.

    The question of whether Britain has a constitution is a litmus test. Those who can think for themselves try to define constitution and then look at whether anything in Britain matches up. The other 99.9% know that they're supposed to say Britain has an unwritten constitution, so they either parrot that line as if the person who can think for himself had never heard it before, or else if they "fancy themselves" they start thinking up "reasons" to justify the idiotic "unwritten constitution" position that obviously they didn't reason themselves into in the first place.
    Am I to guess that the USSR "Stalin" Constitution is a particular favorite of yours?

    It was written - and worth far less than the paper & ink wasted in printing it.

  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 5,226
    moonshine said:

    https://twitter.com/ukr_week_en/status/1569777745005010945?s=46&t=X0cJ6rQ-i-Tl3JGzm-2rKQ

    Mayor of Melitopol: “Russian forces are fleeing the city and heading towards Crimea. We’ve seen Russian military vehicles trying to cross to Crimea in Chonhar, a village in Kherson region”.

    This begins to feel like a managed retreat from at least all territory occupied since Feb 2022. One wonders who is really in charge now.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 4,339
    moonshine said:

    https://twitter.com/ukr_week_en/status/1569777745005010945?s=46&t=X0cJ6rQ-i-Tl3JGzm-2rKQ

    Mayor of Melitopol: “Russian forces are fleeing the city and heading towards Crimea. We’ve seen Russian military vehicles trying to cross to Crimea in Chonhar, a village in Kherson region”.

    We can only hope.

    Of these reports are true, one problem for the Russians is that once you start to get a taste for retreating, it’s hard to rally. Why fight here and not there - it’s all Ukraine?
  • Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,774

    ..


    A 1.3% lead for the Democrats in the House probably translates into a ten seat lead or so, for the Republicans.
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 8,480
    edited September 2022
    A bit of a better balance of coverage on the BBC tonight. All the main points of the arrival in London covered and the same generally respectful tone, but also a bit of time allowed for dissent, too. A protestor of Newsnight also seemed to believe the police were shifting their approach.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 4,339
    edited September 2022

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    The most embarrassing thing about this is that the New York Times is resorting to reporting three day old Daily Mail stories as news.

    Not exactly the Pentagon papers.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,774
    Cyclefree said:

    Foxy said:

    Cyclefree said:

    @Phil asked earlier today

    "How is the Cass review relevant to a court case on the validity of the charitable status of the LGB alliance?"

    On the assumption that this was a genuine question, I will attempt to answer.

    The court case has to determine two matters:-

    1. Does the charity Mermaids have the legal standing to bring a claim at all? This is the most important question because if it does not - and the bar is very high indeed - none of the rest of its claims matter.

    2. Can it establish that LGB Alliance are in breach of their charitable objects and charity law?

    Both issues are being reviewed at the same time.

    As part of this LGB Alliance are stating that they are concerned about young lesbians and whether they are being wrongly categorised as trans and made subject to treatment. Mermaids are disputing this. The Cass Interim Report is relevant to this issue because it deals with the question of how children with gender issues are being treated, whether some of those concerns may in fact relate to their sexuality rather than any gender issues and the effect of Mermaids' advocacy on how clinics like the Tavistock have operated. And by implication on young lesbians.

    Hence the questioning about this topic. If the judge thought this irrelevant, he would have stopped the questioning. What is interesting is that in their answers Mermaids say that they have not really reviewed the Cass Report because they are not experts on health. This is a bit odd because it appears to conflict with other public statements they have made about the health treatment to be given to children. It is, however, early stages in the case.

    The case is interesting for a large number of reasons, not all of them related to the trans issue.

    Hope that helps.

    Not something that I am following and does sound the sort of case where one wants both sides to lose.

    Is a legal case really the best way to take forward the issues of child gender?
    No.

    Nor is it a good idea to have charities questioning the right to exist of other charities when we have a regulator to determine that.

    But the Good Law Project are funding it.

    So I am following it because I love following legal cases and reading judgments etc. Obviously I am also doing it as a public service to PB'ers and I hope you are all jolly grateful.
    If the Good Law Project is backing the case, that's probably the kiss of death.
  • biggles said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    The most embarrassing thing about this is that the New York Times is resorting to reporting three day old Daily Mail stories as news.

    Not exactly the Pentagon papers.
    So NYT deliberately sat on this breaking story? No doubt hoping the bees would rebel and swarm the mourners?

    Grow up.
  • biggles said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    The most embarrassing thing about this is that the New York Times is resorting to reporting three day old Daily Mail stories as news.

    Not exactly the Pentagon papers.
    yes certainly takes the sting out of it
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 38,852
    Cyclefree said:

    Foxy said:

    Cyclefree said:

    @Phil asked earlier today

    "How is the Cass review relevant to a court case on the validity of the charitable status of the LGB alliance?"

    On the assumption that this was a genuine question, I will attempt to answer.

    The court case has to determine two matters:-

    1. Does the charity Mermaids have the legal standing to bring a claim at all? This is the most important question because if it does not - and the bar is very high indeed - none of the rest of its claims matter.

    2. Can it establish that LGB Alliance are in breach of their charitable objects and charity law?

    Both issues are being reviewed at the same time.

    As part of this LGB Alliance are stating that they are concerned about young lesbians and whether they are being wrongly categorised as trans and made subject to treatment. Mermaids are disputing this. The Cass Interim Report is relevant to this issue because it deals with the question of how children with gender issues are being treated, whether some of those concerns may in fact relate to their sexuality rather than any gender issues and the effect of Mermaids' advocacy on how clinics like the Tavistock have operated. And by implication on young lesbians.

    Hence the questioning about this topic. If the judge thought this irrelevant, he would have stopped the questioning. What is interesting is that in their answers Mermaids say that they have not really reviewed the Cass Report because they are not experts on health. This is a bit odd because it appears to conflict with other public statements they have made about the health treatment to be given to children. It is, however, early stages in the case.

    The case is interesting for a large number of reasons, not all of them related to the trans issue.

    Hope that helps.

    Not something that I am following and does sound the sort of case where one wants both sides to lose.

    Is a legal case really the best way to take forward the issues of child gender?
    No.

    Nor is it a good idea to have charities questioning the right to exist of other charities when we have a regulator to determine that.

    But the Good Law Project are funding it.

    So I am following it because I love following legal cases and reading judgments etc. Obviously I am also doing it as a public service to PB'ers and I hope you are all jolly grateful.
    There's that other one too relating to trans from a few months ago. The rape charity being sued for not providing a trans exclusive service option. Being funded by the "GC" side in that case. Ramifications either way depending how it goes. The courts as battleground for a hot potato social issue. Maybe not optimal but better by far than a literal battle.
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 8,480
    edited September 2022
    A protestor who was also a barrister *on* Newsnight seemed to believe the police were shifting heir approach for the better, that should say there, below.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 4,339

    biggles said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    The most embarrassing thing about this is that the New York Times is resorting to reporting three day old Daily Mail stories as news.

    Not exactly the Pentagon papers.
    So NYT deliberately sat on this breaking story? No doubt hoping the bees would rebel and swarm the mourners?

    Grow up.
    Eh? What? Your post seems entirely unrelated to my post. I’m just having a pop at a once great paper recycling someone else’s silly seasons story.

    Sigh….
  • Cyclefree said:

    Foxy said:

    Cyclefree said:

    @Phil asked earlier today

    "How is the Cass review relevant to a court case on the validity of the charitable status of the LGB alliance?"

    On the assumption that this was a genuine question, I will attempt to answer.

    The court case has to determine two matters:-

    1. Does the charity Mermaids have the legal standing to bring a claim at all? This is the most important question because if it does not - and the bar is very high indeed - none of the rest of its claims matter.

    2. Can it establish that LGB Alliance are in breach of their charitable objects and charity law?

    Both issues are being reviewed at the same time.

    As part of this LGB Alliance are stating that they are concerned about young lesbians and whether they are being wrongly categorised as trans and made subject to treatment. Mermaids are disputing this. The Cass Interim Report is relevant to this issue because it deals with the question of how children with gender issues are being treated, whether some of those concerns may in fact relate to their sexuality rather than any gender issues and the effect of Mermaids' advocacy on how clinics like the Tavistock have operated. And by implication on young lesbians.

    Hence the questioning about this topic. If the judge thought this irrelevant, he would have stopped the questioning. What is interesting is that in their answers Mermaids say that they have not really reviewed the Cass Report because they are not experts on health. This is a bit odd because it appears to conflict with other public statements they have made about the health treatment to be given to children. It is, however, early stages in the case.

    The case is interesting for a large number of reasons, not all of them related to the trans issue.

    Hope that helps.

    Not something that I am following and does sound the sort of case where one wants both sides to lose.

    Is a legal case really the best way to take forward the issues of child gender?
    No.

    Nor is it a good idea to have charities questioning the right to exist of other charities when we have a regulator to determine that.

    But the Good Law Project are funding it.

    So I am following it because I love following legal cases and reading judgments etc. Obviously I am also doing it as a public service to PB'ers and I hope you are all jolly grateful.
    After the shocking performance of Mermaid’s first two witnesses (neither of whom had read Cass) one tweet remarked that this case was not dissimilar to Wagatha Christie - the damage being done is to the claimant who brought the case.
  • Let them eat, well, nothing.


  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,712

    Let them eat, well, nothing.


    Most foodbanks aren't open 5 days a week and in any case unemployment has just fallen to its lowest level since 1974

    https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-unemployment-rate-falls-36-three-months-july-2022-09-13/
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 4,339
    edited September 2022

    Let them eat, well, nothing.


    The really sad bit is that the local supermarkets will have a lot left over on Sunday night they could have helped get to people who need it. Food Banks often get really good stuff on days like Bank Holidays. Now it’ll get chucked.
  • A fake @DefenceHQ letter is being shared by pro-Kremlin accounts claiming Ukrainian military personnel trained in the UK lack basic skills.

    In TV addition to grammatical errors, it uses terms like "British Royal Army", "raise the moral", "defense", "fast pacing" and "authorized".


    https://twitter.com/Shayan86/status/1569726934640218114
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 38,852
    Sean_F said:

    ..


    A 1.3% lead for the Democrats in the House probably translates into a ten seat lead or so, for the Republicans.
    And that's AFTER all the voter suppression!

    Running up that hill ...
  • DynamoDynamo Posts: 651
    Hilarious: there was a branch of the Bullingdon Club in Colditz. The lengths that some will go to to serve the people!
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,243
    edited September 2022

    Cyclefree said:

    Foxy said:

    Cyclefree said:

    @Phil asked earlier today

    "How is the Cass review relevant to a court case on the validity of the charitable status of the LGB alliance?"

    On the assumption that this was a genuine question, I will attempt to answer.

    The court case has to determine two matters:-

    1. Does the charity Mermaids have the legal standing to bring a claim at all? This is the most important question because if it does not - and the bar is very high indeed - none of the rest of its claims matter.

    2. Can it establish that LGB Alliance are in breach of their charitable objects and charity law?

    Both issues are being reviewed at the same time.

    As part of this LGB Alliance are stating that they are concerned about young lesbians and whether they are being wrongly categorised as trans and made subject to treatment. Mermaids are disputing this. The Cass Interim Report is relevant to this issue because it deals with the question of how children with gender issues are being treated, whether some of those concerns may in fact relate to their sexuality rather than any gender issues and the effect of Mermaids' advocacy on how clinics like the Tavistock have operated. And by implication on young lesbians.

    Hence the questioning about this topic. If the judge thought this irrelevant, he would have stopped the questioning. What is interesting is that in their answers Mermaids say that they have not really reviewed the Cass Report because they are not experts on health. This is a bit odd because it appears to conflict with other public statements they have made about the health treatment to be given to children. It is, however, early stages in the case.

    The case is interesting for a large number of reasons, not all of them related to the trans issue.

    Hope that helps.

    Not something that I am following and does sound the sort of case where one wants both sides to lose.

    Is a legal case really the best way to take forward the issues of child gender?
    No.

    Nor is it a good idea to have charities questioning the right to exist of other charities when we have a regulator to determine that.

    But the Good Law Project are funding it.

    So I am following it because I love following legal cases and reading judgments etc. Obviously I am also doing it as a public service to PB'ers and I hope you are all jolly grateful.
    After the shocking performance of Mermaid’s first two witnesses (neither of whom had read Cass) one tweet remarked that this case was not dissimilar to Wagatha Christie - the damage being done is to the claimant who brought the case.
    Same as with Oscar Wilde's libel suit against Lord Queensberry?

    Edit - Perhaps.
  • Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    As I think I mentioned the other day I went out and told our bees the morning after the Queen died. Yes it is just a silly superstition but it is a tradition that appeals to me and I think it is nice to keep these things alive.
  • HYUFD said:

    Let them eat, well, nothing.


    Most foodbanks aren't open 5 days a week and in any case unemployment has just fallen to its lowest level since 1974

    https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-unemployment-rate-falls-36-three-months-july-2022-09-13/
    Thank goodness people in work never have to use food banks.
  • pingping Posts: 3,724
    edited September 2022
    https://www.ft.com/content/96bb6e37-9116-47d9-98f3-5cee3e9c7c09

    “Investors on Tuesday priced in a 1-in-3 chance that the US central bank will raise rates by a full percentage point this month, according to data from CME Group rather than a 0.75 percentage point increase that remains the consensus expectation.”

    Note: BoE moved their meeting to the 22nd Sept. The day after the fed announcement.

    I recon the BoE know they’re going to have to go bigger than the markets currently expect and this gives them some extra cover.
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,265

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    ...
    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    Yeah, it a silly, nice custom, feeding the American traditional image of us as decent but quaint. No offens(c)e taken!
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,408
    edited September 2022
    Dynamo said:

    I wish people would stop saying show respect because it's a funeral, the king has just lost his mother, and so on.

    How many families march up and down in front of people's faces for a fortnight when their mother dies, protected by goons openly carrying guns, getting the police to tell whole citiesful of people to stay at home, and have so many sessions of prancing up and down and cocking about in public, from one end of the country to the other, that it would make almost any sane person vomit?

    It's not a funeral. It's a far right wing political demonstration in favour of "natural order". Which incidentally, we paid for. Has any newspaper published the cost of this foul heap of events yet? Has any politician had the temerity to ask?

    Maximise the disrespect.

    There's such a thing as trying too hard. It makes it hard to believe its sincere.

    A fake @DefenceHQ letter is being shared by pro-Kremlin accounts claiming Ukrainian military personnel trained in the UK lack basic skills.

    In TV addition to grammatical errors, it uses terms like "British Royal Army", "raise the moral", "defense", "fast pacing" and "authorized".


    https://twitter.com/Shayan86/status/1569726934640218114

    Americanised spelling is at least plausible as an error in theory, but I'll give the fakers the benefit of the doubt that they didn't even care to make it seem genuine with the rest. Say what you will about our armed forces, they can usually find someone to string together a sentence coherently.
  • Leon said:

    Dynamo said:

    I wish people would stop saying show respect because it's a funeral, the king has just lost his mother, and so on.

    How many families march up and down in front of people's faces for a fortnight when their mother dies, protected by goons openly carrying guns, getting the police to tell whole citiesful of people to stay at home, and have so many sessions of prancing up and down and cocking about in public, from one end of the country to the other, that it would make almost any sane person vomit?

    It's not a funeral. It's a far right wing political demonstration in favour of "natural order". Which incidentally, we paid for. Has any newspaper published the cost of this foul heap of events yet? Has any politician had the temerity to ask?

    Maximise the disrespect.


    Ah, fuck off
    Not sure what he is moaning about. Back home in Russia he would be expected to stand for hours in the snow outside of the Kremlin under the watchful eye of the FSB. At least here we get a choice.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,408
    Damn, safer to be on the frontlines.

    Putin ally Ivan Pechorin falls into the sea, adding to list of mysterious deaths suffered by Russian energy bosses.

    https://twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/1569710981420388359?cxt=HHwWjsC8-cT03cgrAAAA
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 4,339
    kle4 said:

    Dynamo said:

    I wish people would stop saying show respect because it's a funeral, the king has just lost his mother, and so on.

    How many families march up and down in front of people's faces for a fortnight when their mother dies, protected by goons openly carrying guns, getting the police to tell whole citiesful of people to stay at home, and have so many sessions of prancing up and down and cocking about in public, from one end of the country to the other, that it would make almost any sane person vomit?

    It's not a funeral. It's a far right wing political demonstration in favour of "natural order". Which incidentally, we paid for. Has any newspaper published the cost of this foul heap of events yet? Has any politician had the temerity to ask?

    Maximise the disrespect.

    There's such a thing as trying too hard. It makes it hard to believe its sincere.

    A fake @DefenceHQ letter is being shared by pro-Kremlin accounts claiming Ukrainian military personnel trained in the UK lack basic skills.

    In TV addition to grammatical errors, it uses terms like "British Royal Army", "raise the moral", "defense", "fast pacing" and "authorized".


    https://twitter.com/Shayan86/status/1569726934640218114

    Americanised spelling is at least plausible as an error in theory, but I'll give the fakers the benefit of the doubt that they didn't even care to make it seem genuine with the rest. Say what you will about our armed forces, they can usually find someone to string together a sentence coherently.
    See also the lack of three letter acronyms (TLAs). Must be fake.

  • LeonLeon Posts: 46,269

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    As I think I mentioned the other day I went out and told our bees the morning after the Queen died. Yes it is just a silly superstition but it is a tradition that appeals to me and I think it is nice to keep these things alive.
    It’s an absolutely exquisite tradition and one of the great things about a long ancient monarchy is that it keeps stuff like this alive, and in the public consciousness

    I’m not even sure it’s that stupid or silly, or if it’s even a superstition. Bees are bloody mysterious and keep us all fed. How powerful and intelligent is the hive mind? How does it work? Who knows

    If we want to keep the bees onside - AND WE DO - show them some respect. Go tell the bees



  • kle4 said:

    Dynamo said:

    I wish people would stop saying show respect because it's a funeral, the king has just lost his mother, and so on.

    How many families march up and down in front of people's faces for a fortnight when their mother dies, protected by goons openly carrying guns, getting the police to tell whole citiesful of people to stay at home, and have so many sessions of prancing up and down and cocking about in public, from one end of the country to the other, that it would make almost any sane person vomit?

    It's not a funeral. It's a far right wing political demonstration in favour of "natural order". Which incidentally, we paid for. Has any newspaper published the cost of this foul heap of events yet? Has any politician had the temerity to ask?

    Maximise the disrespect.

    There's such a thing as trying too hard. It makes it hard to believe its sincere.

    A fake @DefenceHQ letter is being shared by pro-Kremlin accounts claiming Ukrainian military personnel trained in the UK lack basic skills.

    In TV addition to grammatical errors, it uses terms like "British Royal Army", "raise the moral", "defense", "fast pacing" and "authorized".


    https://twitter.com/Shayan86/status/1569726934640218114

    Americanised spelling is at least plausible as an error in theory, but I'll give the fakers the benefit of the doubt that they didn't even care to make it seem genuine with the rest. Say what you will about our armed forces, they can usually find someone to string together a sentence coherently.
    Yet another sign of the severe deterioration of Putin's Russia compared to (even) late Soviet standards?
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,265



    Although he was never PM, I feel that Corbyn's impact on the country was massive. He virtually turned the UK into a single party state by effectively removing the only opposition party with a chance. It left a wide open goal for the Bluekippers and they did not miss the opportunity.

    I cannot see Corbyn as anything other than an utter disaster. I fail to understand how you could support him.

    I like him and think he'd have been a decent PM, much better than Boris - I don't agree with those who characterise him as anti-semitic. I don't feel I have to base every personal decision on guessing what everyone else will think - as we saw in 2017, it was a close-run thing. But I agree it worked out badly!
  • DynamoDynamo Posts: 651
    edited September 2022

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    Good and nice doesn't explain the practice in the slightest. Mark Norman's book "Telling the Bees" will probably go up in price on the secondhand market now. From what I can tell of the extract I've seen, I haven't got high expectations of it. But beekeepers are an interesting bunch and their folklore sounds like a fascinating subject.

    I already knew the king was into honey.

    *Checks*...yes, Rudolf Steiner lectured on bees. As I expected. At least nine lectures.

    Norman's work on black dog folklore, which is already at a sky high price, may well be a better book.

    I'm wondering which I should buy first. The black dog one, probably.

    @SeaShantyIrish - where's the Anglophobia here?

  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 20,697

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    I had been thinking I might have a holiday in New York this December (see the Christmas lights etc) but I'm wondering if the rabidly anti British/anti English NYT is a reflection of New Yorkers generally and whether I'd be safe?

    I don't want to get beaten up the moment I open my mouth lol! :D
  • Leon said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    As I think I mentioned the other day I went out and told our bees the morning after the Queen died. Yes it is just a silly superstition but it is a tradition that appeals to me and I think it is nice to keep these things alive.
    It’s an absolutely exquisite tradition and one of the great things about a long ancient monarchy is that it keeps stuff like this alive, and in the public consciousness

    I’m not even sure it’s that stupid or silly, or if it’s even a superstition. Bees are bloody mysterious and keep us all fed. How powerful and intelligent is the hive mind? How does it work? Who knows

    If we want to keep the bees onside - AND WE DO - show them some respect. Go tell the bees



    Personally, if circumstances allow I always talk to the animals. And bugs, plus the occasional plant.

    They are all fantastic communicators in many ways far surpassing our own species, which (as you may have noticed) prides itself on it's gift o'gab.

    For example, I give the local crow population a friendly, "Yo crow!' when our paths cross. Never helps to be neighborly. And am pretty sure they can read us far better than we can read them.
  • DynamoDynamo Posts: 651

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    Good and nice doesn't explain the practice in the slightest. Mark Norman's book "Telling the Bees" will probably go up in price on the secondhand market now. From what I can tell of the extract I've seen, I haven't got high expectations of it. But beekeepers are an interesting bunch and their folklore sounds like a fascinating subject.

    I already knew the king was into honey.

    *Checks*...yes, Rudolf Steiner lectured on bees. As I expected. At least nine lectures.

    Norman's work on black dog folklore, which is already at a sky high price, may well be a better book.

    I'm wondering which I should buy first. The black dog one, probably.

    @SeaShantyIrish - where's the Anglophobia here?

  • pingping Posts: 3,724
    Great BBC start the week;

    “Birmingham”

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001byjc
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,408

    Eabhal said:

    pm215 said:

    kle4 said:


    People may think the extent is too much, personal taste will vary, but I find it hard to believe when people act surprised that others are not just going 'Oh, she had a great life'. It was the Head of State, in a place where Heads of State do not change often. It's not just some random very old lady dying.

    It's not mad. Or even if it is, it is not hard to understand.

    I dunno, I do find it a bit hard to understand at the more extreme end, ie not just "it really affected me" but "willing to be in a multi hour queue across London". That seems not merely like heartfelt grief but a kind of public acting out and display of emotion that is alien to me. (The grief I have less trouble with understanding -- clearly other people felt a closer connection to the monarch than I ever have.)
    Yep. I tend to see royalism a bit the same as religion, ie not my cup of tea but whatever floats your boat just as long as you DON’T FECKING EVANGELISE. The present spasm seems towards the cultish ends of things, and of course the monarchy and how it expresses itself is entwined with the way we’re governed whether we like it or not.
    I think other PBers should understand that this is a uniquely difficult week for republican Scottish nationalists. Sturgeon singing GSTK and pledging to uphold the Protestant religion...ouch.
    I don't think it is difficult for them at all. With the exception of a few extremists both the Nats and the Republicans have understood that the best way to advance their cause is to allow Monarchists and Unionists to have their time of grief for the old Monarch and happiness for the new one. No one (with the exception of the terminally thick like Dynamo and Dura) enjoys seeing people grieving, even if they may not share that grief or necessarily agree with it. Sturgeon wants to represent all of the people of Scotland - and we know that around about 50% of them are Unionists and a large majority of them were very fond of the Queen. So she represents them in her actions even if, after a suitable period, she returns to her political beliefs of independence and republicanism.

    I think that, on the whole, Republicans and Scots Nationalists have done their cause no harm at all by showing understanding and compassion.
    See also Sinn Fein.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 20,697
    edited September 2022
    Leon said:

    Dynamo said:

    I wish people would stop saying show respect because it's a funeral, the king has just lost his mother, and so on.

    How many families march up and down in front of people's faces for a fortnight when their mother dies, protected by goons openly carrying guns, getting the police to tell whole citiesful of people to stay at home, and have so many sessions of prancing up and down and cocking about in public, from one end of the country to the other, that it would make almost any sane person vomit?

    It's not a funeral. It's a far right wing political demonstration in favour of "natural order". Which incidentally, we paid for. Has any newspaper published the cost of this foul heap of events yet? Has any politician had the temerity to ask?

    Maximise the disrespect.


    Ah, fuck off
    @Leon Vs @Dynamo is going to keep us going on those long, cold winter nights (as long as we actually have the power to get on to PB ;) )
  • Eabhal said:

    pm215 said:

    kle4 said:


    People may think the extent is too much, personal taste will vary, but I find it hard to believe when people act surprised that others are not just going 'Oh, she had a great life'. It was the Head of State, in a place where Heads of State do not change often. It's not just some random very old lady dying.

    It's not mad. Or even if it is, it is not hard to understand.

    I dunno, I do find it a bit hard to understand at the more extreme end, ie not just "it really affected me" but "willing to be in a multi hour queue across London". That seems not merely like heartfelt grief but a kind of public acting out and display of emotion that is alien to me. (The grief I have less trouble with understanding -- clearly other people felt a closer connection to the monarch than I ever have.)
    Yep. I tend to see royalism a bit the same as religion, ie not my cup of tea but whatever floats your boat just as long as you DON’T FECKING EVANGELISE. The present spasm seems towards the cultish ends of things, and of course the monarchy and how it expresses itself is entwined with the way we’re governed whether we like it or not.
    I think other PBers should understand that this is a uniquely difficult week for republican Scottish nationalists. Sturgeon singing GSTK and pledging to uphold the Protestant religion...ouch.
    I don't think it is difficult for them at all. With the exception of a few extremists both the Nats and the Republicans have understood that the best way to advance their cause is to allow Monarchists and Unionists to have their time of grief for the old Monarch and happiness for the new one. No one (with the exception of the terminally thick like Dynamo and Dura) enjoys seeing people grieving, even if they may not share that grief or necessarily agree with it. Sturgeon wants to represent all of the people of Scotland - and we know that around about 50% of them are Unionists and a large majority of them were very fond of the Queen. So she represents them in her actions even if, after a suitable period, she returns to her political beliefs of independence and republicanism.

    I think that, on the whole, Republicans and Scots Nationalists have done their cause no harm at all by showing understanding and compassion.
    Could be wrong, but I don't think Sturgeon is a republican. Unlike Alba and the Greens, the SNP want to keep the monarchy
  • kle4 said:

    Eabhal said:

    pm215 said:

    kle4 said:


    People may think the extent is too much, personal taste will vary, but I find it hard to believe when people act surprised that others are not just going 'Oh, she had a great life'. It was the Head of State, in a place where Heads of State do not change often. It's not just some random very old lady dying.

    It's not mad. Or even if it is, it is not hard to understand.

    I dunno, I do find it a bit hard to understand at the more extreme end, ie not just "it really affected me" but "willing to be in a multi hour queue across London". That seems not merely like heartfelt grief but a kind of public acting out and display of emotion that is alien to me. (The grief I have less trouble with understanding -- clearly other people felt a closer connection to the monarch than I ever have.)
    Yep. I tend to see royalism a bit the same as religion, ie not my cup of tea but whatever floats your boat just as long as you DON’T FECKING EVANGELISE. The present spasm seems towards the cultish ends of things, and of course the monarchy and how it expresses itself is entwined with the way we’re governed whether we like it or not.
    I think other PBers should understand that this is a uniquely difficult week for republican Scottish nationalists. Sturgeon singing GSTK and pledging to uphold the Protestant religion...ouch.
    I don't think it is difficult for them at all. With the exception of a few extremists both the Nats and the Republicans have understood that the best way to advance their cause is to allow Monarchists and Unionists to have their time of grief for the old Monarch and happiness for the new one. No one (with the exception of the terminally thick like Dynamo and Dura) enjoys seeing people grieving, even if they may not share that grief or necessarily agree with it. Sturgeon wants to represent all of the people of Scotland - and we know that around about 50% of them are Unionists and a large majority of them were very fond of the Queen. So she represents them in her actions even if, after a suitable period, she returns to her political beliefs of independence and republicanism.

    I think that, on the whole, Republicans and Scots Nationalists have done their cause no harm at all by showing understanding and compassion.
    See also Sinn Fein.
    Yep agreed. It is funny that a lot of the politicians I haven't rated on a day to day basis have stepped up to the mark here. Not fawning or hypocritical, just empathic and considerate.
  • DynamoDynamo Posts: 651

    Leon said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    As I think I mentioned the other day I went out and told our bees the morning after the Queen died. Yes it is just a silly superstition but it is a tradition that appeals to me and I think it is nice to keep these things alive.
    It’s an absolutely exquisite tradition and one of the great things about a long ancient monarchy is that it keeps stuff like this alive, and in the public consciousness

    I’m not even sure it’s that stupid or silly, or if it’s even a superstition. Bees are bloody mysterious and keep us all fed. How powerful and intelligent is the hive mind? How does it work? Who knows

    If we want to keep the bees onside - AND WE DO - show them some respect. Go tell the bees



    Personally, if circumstances allow I always talk to the animals. And bugs, plus the occasional plant.

    They are all fantastic communicators in many ways far surpassing our own species, which (as you may have noticed) prides itself on it's gift o'gab.

    For example, I give the local crow population a friendly, "Yo crow!' when our paths cross. Never helps to be neighborly. And am pretty sure they can read us far better than we can read them.
    I don't know whether you've heard of the so-called "nature fakers' controversy" in the USA that involved, among other participants, Theodore Roosevelt.

    Rupert Sheldrake wrote an intro to a new edition of William J Long's book "How Animals Talk".
  • GIN1138 said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    I had been thinking I might have a holiday in New York this December (see the Christmas lights etc) but I'm wondering if the rabidly anti British/anti English NYT is a reflection of New Yorkers generally and whether I'd be safe?

    I don't want to get beaten up the moment I open my mouth lol! :D
    Suggest that you initiate conversation with New Yorkers with that classic icebreaker, "I say, old cock, would you fancy a fag?"

    To clear up any remaining misunderstanding, politely inquire, "Being new to the colonies, would you mind terribly if I knocked up your sister?"

    Ought to do the trick!
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,712
    edited September 2022

    Eabhal said:

    pm215 said:

    kle4 said:


    People may think the extent is too much, personal taste will vary, but I find it hard to believe when people act surprised that others are not just going 'Oh, she had a great life'. It was the Head of State, in a place where Heads of State do not change often. It's not just some random very old lady dying.

    It's not mad. Or even if it is, it is not hard to understand.

    I dunno, I do find it a bit hard to understand at the more extreme end, ie not just "it really affected me" but "willing to be in a multi hour queue across London". That seems not merely like heartfelt grief but a kind of public acting out and display of emotion that is alien to me. (The grief I have less trouble with understanding -- clearly other people felt a closer connection to the monarch than I ever have.)
    Yep. I tend to see royalism a bit the same as religion, ie not my cup of tea but whatever floats your boat just as long as you DON’T FECKING EVANGELISE. The present spasm seems towards the cultish ends of things, and of course the monarchy and how it expresses itself is entwined with the way we’re governed whether we like it or not.
    I think other PBers should understand that this is a uniquely difficult week for republican Scottish nationalists. Sturgeon singing GSTK and pledging to uphold the Protestant religion...ouch.
    I don't think it is difficult for them at all. With the exception of a few extremists both the Nats and the Republicans have understood that the best way to advance their cause is to allow Monarchists and Unionists to have their time of grief for the old Monarch and happiness for the new one. No one (with the exception of the terminally thick like Dynamo and Dura) enjoys seeing people grieving, even if they may not share that grief or necessarily agree with it. Sturgeon wants to represent all of the people of Scotland - and we know that around about 50% of them are Unionists and a large majority of them were very fond of the Queen. So she represents them in her actions even if, after a suitable period, she returns to her political beliefs of independence and republicanism.

    I think that, on the whole, Republicans and Scots Nationalists have done their cause no harm at all by showing understanding and compassion.
    Could be wrong, but I don't think Sturgeon is a republican. Unlike Alba and the Greens, the SNP want to keep the monarchy
    Salmond and Alba also want to keep the monarchy, only the Greens in England, Scotland and Wales, SF and the SDLP are republican. Plaid would hold a referendum on it
  • LeonLeon Posts: 46,269

    Leon said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    As I think I mentioned the other day I went out and told our bees the morning after the Queen died. Yes it is just a silly superstition but it is a tradition that appeals to me and I think it is nice to keep these things alive.
    It’s an absolutely exquisite tradition and one of the great things about a long ancient monarchy is that it keeps stuff like this alive, and in the public consciousness

    I’m not even sure it’s that stupid or silly, or if it’s even a superstition. Bees are bloody mysterious and keep us all fed. How powerful and intelligent is the hive mind? How does it work? Who knows

    If we want to keep the bees onside - AND WE DO - show them some respect. Go tell the bees



    Personally, if circumstances allow I always talk to the animals. And bugs, plus the occasional plant.

    They are all fantastic communicators in many ways far surpassing our own species, which (as you may have noticed) prides itself on it's gift o'gab.

    For example, I give the local crow population a friendly, "Yo crow!' when our paths cross. Never helps to be neighborly. And am pretty sure they can read us far better than we can read them.
    Yes. Exactly. Also trees

    A big old tree demands respect, like an aged monarch. Something in me instinctively genuflects when I encounter a 400 year old oak or an 800 year old yew

    I confess I cried when I personally encountered the great Californian sequoias
  • GIN1138 said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    I had been thinking I might have a holiday in New York this December (see the Christmas lights etc) but I'm wondering if the rabidly anti British/anti English NYT is a reflection of New Yorkers generally and whether I'd be safe?

    I don't want to get beaten up the moment I open my mouth lol! :D
    There are packs of milquetoast NYT editorial staff dressed in corduroy and with biceps the size of walnuts roaming the streets looking for Brits to maim. Better safe than sorry.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 20,697
    edited September 2022

    GIN1138 said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    I had been thinking I might have a holiday in New York this December (see the Christmas lights etc) but I'm wondering if the rabidly anti British/anti English NYT is a reflection of New Yorkers generally and whether I'd be safe?

    I don't want to get beaten up the moment I open my mouth lol! :D
    Suggest that you initiate conversation with New Yorkers with that classic icebreaker, "I say, old cock, would you fancy a fag?"

    To clear up any remaining misunderstanding, politely inquire, "Being new to the colonies, would you mind terribly if I knocked up your sister?"

    Ought to do the trick!
    I might just spend my £ going to Lapland instead. #GodSaveFinland :D
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,774

    A fake @DefenceHQ letter is being shared by pro-Kremlin accounts claiming Ukrainian military personnel trained in the UK lack basic skills.

    In TV addition to grammatical errors, it uses terms like "British Royal Army", "raise the moral", "defense", "fast pacing" and "authorized".


    https://twitter.com/Shayan86/status/1569726934640218114

    It's true: they are absolutely rubbish at retreating.
  • Eabhal said:

    pm215 said:

    kle4 said:


    People may think the extent is too much, personal taste will vary, but I find it hard to believe when people act surprised that others are not just going 'Oh, she had a great life'. It was the Head of State, in a place where Heads of State do not change often. It's not just some random very old lady dying.

    It's not mad. Or even if it is, it is not hard to understand.

    I dunno, I do find it a bit hard to understand at the more extreme end, ie not just "it really affected me" but "willing to be in a multi hour queue across London". That seems not merely like heartfelt grief but a kind of public acting out and display of emotion that is alien to me. (The grief I have less trouble with understanding -- clearly other people felt a closer connection to the monarch than I ever have.)
    Yep. I tend to see royalism a bit the same as religion, ie not my cup of tea but whatever floats your boat just as long as you DON’T FECKING EVANGELISE. The present spasm seems towards the cultish ends of things, and of course the monarchy and how it expresses itself is entwined with the way we’re governed whether we like it or not.
    I think other PBers should understand that this is a uniquely difficult week for republican Scottish nationalists. Sturgeon singing GSTK and pledging to uphold the Protestant religion...ouch.
    I don't think it is difficult for them at all. With the exception of a few extremists both the Nats and the Republicans have understood that the best way to advance their cause is to allow Monarchists and Unionists to have their time of grief for the old Monarch and happiness for the new one. No one (with the exception of the terminally thick like Dynamo and Dura) enjoys seeing people grieving, even if they may not share that grief or necessarily agree with it. Sturgeon wants to represent all of the people of Scotland - and we know that around about 50% of them are Unionists and a large majority of them were very fond of the Queen. So she represents them in her actions even if, after a suitable period, she returns to her political beliefs of independence and republicanism.

    I think that, on the whole, Republicans and Scots Nationalists have done their cause no harm at all by showing understanding and compassion.
    Could be wrong, but I don't think Sturgeon is a republican. Unlike Alba and the Greens, the SNP want to keep the monarchy
    Arthur Griffith, founder of Sinn Fein, wanted to restore the Kingdom of Ireland by repealing the Union, and creating a Dual Monarchy on the model of Austria-Hungary. With the King (or Queen) of the United Kingdom of Great Britain minus Ireland as the holder of Irish Crown.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,408
    edited September 2022

    kle4 said:

    Eabhal said:

    pm215 said:

    kle4 said:


    People may think the extent is too much, personal taste will vary, but I find it hard to believe when people act surprised that others are not just going 'Oh, she had a great life'. It was the Head of State, in a place where Heads of State do not change often. It's not just some random very old lady dying.

    It's not mad. Or even if it is, it is not hard to understand.

    I dunno, I do find it a bit hard to understand at the more extreme end, ie not just "it really affected me" but "willing to be in a multi hour queue across London". That seems not merely like heartfelt grief but a kind of public acting out and display of emotion that is alien to me. (The grief I have less trouble with understanding -- clearly other people felt a closer connection to the monarch than I ever have.)
    Yep. I tend to see royalism a bit the same as religion, ie not my cup of tea but whatever floats your boat just as long as you DON’T FECKING EVANGELISE. The present spasm seems towards the cultish ends of things, and of course the monarchy and how it expresses itself is entwined with the way we’re governed whether we like it or not.
    I think other PBers should understand that this is a uniquely difficult week for republican Scottish nationalists. Sturgeon singing GSTK and pledging to uphold the Protestant religion...ouch.
    I don't think it is difficult for them at all. With the exception of a few extremists both the Nats and the Republicans have understood that the best way to advance their cause is to allow Monarchists and Unionists to have their time of grief for the old Monarch and happiness for the new one. No one (with the exception of the terminally thick like Dynamo and Dura) enjoys seeing people grieving, even if they may not share that grief or necessarily agree with it. Sturgeon wants to represent all of the people of Scotland - and we know that around about 50% of them are Unionists and a large majority of them were very fond of the Queen. So she represents them in her actions even if, after a suitable period, she returns to her political beliefs of independence and republicanism.

    I think that, on the whole, Republicans and Scots Nationalists have done their cause no harm at all by showing understanding and compassion.
    See also Sinn Fein.
    Yep agreed. It is funny that a lot of the politicians I haven't rated on a day to day basis have stepped up to the mark here. Not fawning or hypocritical, just empathic and considerate.
    Quite. Doesn't mean changing any opinions, just showing a bit of class. Elected officials are expected to do that on sombre occasions.

    I want to acknowledge the grief of the family of Queen Elizabeth II & also those from the Unionist community

    Queen Elizabeth worked to build peace between our islands, & to further reconciliation between all our people

    We must continue to work together to build a better future


    https://twitter.com/moneillsf/status/1568282583359967234

    They'll all be back to normal soon. Remember that priest asking NI's leaders why it took the murder of a young woman to get them in the same room?
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 39,753
    edited September 2022

    Eabhal said:

    pm215 said:

    kle4 said:


    People may think the extent is too much, personal taste will vary, but I find it hard to believe when people act surprised that others are not just going 'Oh, she had a great life'. It was the Head of State, in a place where Heads of State do not change often. It's not just some random very old lady dying.

    It's not mad. Or even if it is, it is not hard to understand.

    I dunno, I do find it a bit hard to understand at the more extreme end, ie not just "it really affected me" but "willing to be in a multi hour queue across London". That seems not merely like heartfelt grief but a kind of public acting out and display of emotion that is alien to me. (The grief I have less trouble with understanding -- clearly other people felt a closer connection to the monarch than I ever have.)
    Yep. I tend to see royalism a bit the same as religion, ie not my cup of tea but whatever floats your boat just as long as you DON’T FECKING EVANGELISE. The present spasm seems towards the cultish ends of things, and of course the monarchy and how it expresses itself is entwined with the way we’re governed whether we like it or not.
    I think other PBers should understand that this is a uniquely difficult week for republican Scottish nationalists. Sturgeon singing GSTK and pledging to uphold the Protestant religion...ouch.
    I don't think it is difficult for them at all. With the exception of a few extremists both the Nats and the Republicans have understood that the best way to advance their cause is to allow Monarchists and Unionists to have their time of grief for the old Monarch and happiness for the new one. No one (with the exception of the terminally thick like Dynamo and Dura) enjoys seeing people grieving, even if they may not share that grief or necessarily agree with it. Sturgeon wants to represent all of the people of Scotland - and we know that around about 50% of them are Unionists and a large majority of them were very fond of the Queen. So she represents them in her actions even if, after a suitable period, she returns to her political beliefs of independence and republicanism.

    I think that, on the whole, Republicans and Scots Nationalists have done their cause no harm at all by showing understanding and compassion.
    Could be wrong, but I don't think Sturgeon is a republican. Unlike Alba and the Greens, the SNP want to keep the monarchy
    I think it's a particulary English view to think of support for the monarchy in binary Y/N terms.

    Pretty sure Salmond is more monarchist than Sturgeon, in any case he seems very possessive of his connection to HMQ.



  • GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    I had been thinking I might have a holiday in New York this December (see the Christmas lights etc) but I'm wondering if the rabidly anti British/anti English NYT is a reflection of New Yorkers generally and whether I'd be safe?

    I don't want to get beaten up the moment I open my mouth lol! :D
    Suggest that you initiate conversation with New Yorkers with that classic icebreaker, "I say, old cock, would you fancy a fag?"

    To clear up any remaining misunderstanding, politely inquire, "Being new to the colonies, would you mind terribly if I knocked up your sister?"

    Ought to do the trick!
    I might just spend my £ going to Lapland instead. #GodSaveFinland :D
    Hope you do get chance to visit USA. As Gardenwalker has confirmed, Americans love a British accent.

    Granted, he's a NZer - like we can tell the difference!
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,712

    Eabhal said:

    pm215 said:

    kle4 said:


    People may think the extent is too much, personal taste will vary, but I find it hard to believe when people act surprised that others are not just going 'Oh, she had a great life'. It was the Head of State, in a place where Heads of State do not change often. It's not just some random very old lady dying.

    It's not mad. Or even if it is, it is not hard to understand.

    I dunno, I do find it a bit hard to understand at the more extreme end, ie not just "it really affected me" but "willing to be in a multi hour queue across London". That seems not merely like heartfelt grief but a kind of public acting out and display of emotion that is alien to me. (The grief I have less trouble with understanding -- clearly other people felt a closer connection to the monarch than I ever have.)
    Yep. I tend to see royalism a bit the same as religion, ie not my cup of tea but whatever floats your boat just as long as you DON’T FECKING EVANGELISE. The present spasm seems towards the cultish ends of things, and of course the monarchy and how it expresses itself is entwined with the way we’re governed whether we like it or not.
    I think other PBers should understand that this is a uniquely difficult week for republican Scottish nationalists. Sturgeon singing GSTK and pledging to uphold the Protestant religion...ouch.
    I don't think it is difficult for them at all. With the exception of a few extremists both the Nats and the Republicans have understood that the best way to advance their cause is to allow Monarchists and Unionists to have their time of grief for the old Monarch and happiness for the new one. No one (with the exception of the terminally thick like Dynamo and Dura) enjoys seeing people grieving, even if they may not share that grief or necessarily agree with it. Sturgeon wants to represent all of the people of Scotland - and we know that around about 50% of them are Unionists and a large majority of them were very fond of the Queen. So she represents them in her actions even if, after a suitable period, she returns to her political beliefs of independence and republicanism.

    I think that, on the whole, Republicans and Scots Nationalists have done their cause no harm at all by showing understanding and compassion.
    Could be wrong, but I don't think Sturgeon is a republican. Unlike Alba and the Greens, the SNP want to keep the monarchy
    I think it's a particulary English view to think of support for the monarchy in binary Y/N terms.

    Pretty sure Salmond is more monarchist than Sturgeon, in any case he seems very possessive of his connection to HMQ.



    Salmond is certainly still pro monarchy even if most of his party aren't
  • kle4 said:

    kle4 said:

    Eabhal said:

    pm215 said:

    kle4 said:


    People may think the extent is too much, personal taste will vary, but I find it hard to believe when people act surprised that others are not just going 'Oh, she had a great life'. It was the Head of State, in a place where Heads of State do not change often. It's not just some random very old lady dying.

    It's not mad. Or even if it is, it is not hard to understand.

    I dunno, I do find it a bit hard to understand at the more extreme end, ie not just "it really affected me" but "willing to be in a multi hour queue across London". That seems not merely like heartfelt grief but a kind of public acting out and display of emotion that is alien to me. (The grief I have less trouble with understanding -- clearly other people felt a closer connection to the monarch than I ever have.)
    Yep. I tend to see royalism a bit the same as religion, ie not my cup of tea but whatever floats your boat just as long as you DON’T FECKING EVANGELISE. The present spasm seems towards the cultish ends of things, and of course the monarchy and how it expresses itself is entwined with the way we’re governed whether we like it or not.
    I think other PBers should understand that this is a uniquely difficult week for republican Scottish nationalists. Sturgeon singing GSTK and pledging to uphold the Protestant religion...ouch.
    I don't think it is difficult for them at all. With the exception of a few extremists both the Nats and the Republicans have understood that the best way to advance their cause is to allow Monarchists and Unionists to have their time of grief for the old Monarch and happiness for the new one. No one (with the exception of the terminally thick like Dynamo and Dura) enjoys seeing people grieving, even if they may not share that grief or necessarily agree with it. Sturgeon wants to represent all of the people of Scotland - and we know that around about 50% of them are Unionists and a large majority of them were very fond of the Queen. So she represents them in her actions even if, after a suitable period, she returns to her political beliefs of independence and republicanism.

    I think that, on the whole, Republicans and Scots Nationalists have done their cause no harm at all by showing understanding and compassion.
    See also Sinn Fein.
    Yep agreed. It is funny that a lot of the politicians I haven't rated on a day to day basis have stepped up to the mark here. Not fawning or hypocritical, just empathic and considerate.
    Quite. Doesn't mean changing any opinions, just showing a bit of class. Elected officials are expected to do that on sombre occasions.

    I want to acknowledge the grief of the family of Queen Elizabeth II & also those from the Unionist community

    Queen Elizabeth worked to build peace between our islands, & to further reconciliation between all our people

    We must continue to work together to build a better future


    https://twitter.com/moneillsf/status/1568282583359967234

    They'll all be back to normal soon. Remember that priest asking NI's leaders why it took the murder of a young woman to get them in the same room?
    If Donald Trump had been able to summon up even a semi-sincere iota of this kind of class, he'd be President today. For real.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,712
    edited September 2022
    Michelle O'Neill grabs Liz Truss for a handshake at the service in Belfast this afternoon

    https://twitter.com/darrenmccaffrey/status/1569756825997688832?s=20&t=aexQxk_o6vDk970xZquFIw
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 20,697
    edited September 2022

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    I had been thinking I might have a holiday in New York this December (see the Christmas lights etc) but I'm wondering if the rabidly anti British/anti English NYT is a reflection of New Yorkers generally and whether I'd be safe?

    I don't want to get beaten up the moment I open my mouth lol! :D
    Suggest that you initiate conversation with New Yorkers with that classic icebreaker, "I say, old cock, would you fancy a fag?"

    To clear up any remaining misunderstanding, politely inquire, "Being new to the colonies, would you mind terribly if I knocked up your sister?"

    Ought to do the trick!
    I might just spend my £ going to Lapland instead. #GodSaveFinland :D
    Hope you do get chance to visit USA. As Gardenwalker has confirmed, Americans love a British accent.

    Granted, he's a NZer - like we can tell the difference!
    New York is somewhere I've always wanted to visit, See central park (when it's hopefully snow covered) and the 9/11 memorial sight. See all the Christmas lights and maybe catch a show on Broadway...

    It would be something nice to do at the end of an absolutely terrible year for me... as long as I'd be welcome.
  • Polls scheduled to close in NH, DE and RI at top of hour.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,286

    Polls scheduled to close in NH, DE and RI at top of hour.

    Are these primaries?
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 20,812
    edited September 2022

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    I had been thinking I might have a holiday in New York this December (see the Christmas lights etc) but I'm wondering if the rabidly anti British/anti English NYT is a reflection of New Yorkers generally and whether I'd be safe?

    I don't want to get beaten up the moment I open my mouth lol! :D
    Suggest that you initiate conversation with New Yorkers with that classic icebreaker, "I say, old cock, would you fancy a fag?"

    To clear up any remaining misunderstanding, politely inquire, "Being new to the colonies, would you mind terribly if I knocked up your sister?"

    Ought to do the trick!
    I might just spend my £ going to Lapland instead. #GodSaveFinland :D
    Hope you do get chance to visit USA. As Gardenwalker has confirmed, Americans love a British accent.

    Granted, he's a NZer - like we can tell the difference!
    Did I confirm that?
    I find generally that New Yorkers are sympathetic to Brits. The more well off ones have invariably visited London, the younger ones are keen to go.

    There are weird Anglophilic pockets, like the Greek-Californian guy I met who listens to Radio 4 comedy.

    There are lots of Brits so you won’t stick out or anything.
  • GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    I had been thinking I might have a holiday in New York this December (see the Christmas lights etc) but I'm wondering if the rabidly anti British/anti English NYT is a reflection of New Yorkers generally and whether I'd be safe?

    I don't want to get beaten up the moment I open my mouth lol! :D
    Suggest that you initiate conversation with New Yorkers with that classic icebreaker, "I say, old cock, would you fancy a fag?"

    To clear up any remaining misunderstanding, politely inquire, "Being new to the colonies, would you mind terribly if I knocked up your sister?"

    Ought to do the trick!
    I might just spend my £ going to Lapland instead. #GodSaveFinland :D
    Hope you do get chance to visit USA. As Gardenwalker has confirmed, Americans love a British accent.

    Granted, he's a NZer - like we can tell the difference!
    New York is somewhere I've always wanted to visit, See central park (when it's hopefully snow covered) and the 9/11 memorial sight. See all the Christmas lights and maybe catch a show on Broadway...

    It would be something nice to do at the end of an absolutely terrible year for me... as long as I'd be welcome.
    If you come pop me a private mail.
    I’ll probably be here at Christmas.
  • GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    I had been thinking I might have a holiday in New York this December (see the Christmas lights etc) but I'm wondering if the rabidly anti British/anti English NYT is a reflection of New Yorkers generally and whether I'd be safe?

    I don't want to get beaten up the moment I open my mouth lol! :D
    Suggest that you initiate conversation with New Yorkers with that classic icebreaker, "I say, old cock, would you fancy a fag?"

    To clear up any remaining misunderstanding, politely inquire, "Being new to the colonies, would you mind terribly if I knocked up your sister?"

    Ought to do the trick!
    I might just spend my £ going to Lapland instead. #GodSaveFinland :D
    Hope you do get chance to visit USA. As Gardenwalker has confirmed, Americans love a British accent.

    Granted, he's a NZer - like we can tell the difference!
    New York is somewhere I've always wanted to visit, See central park (when it's hopefully snow covered) and the 9/11 memorial sight. See all the Christmas lights and maybe catch a show on Broadway...

    It would be something nice to do at the end of an absolutely terrible year for me... as long as I'd be welcome.
    Am sure you would be, seriously.
  • New Yorkers are friendlier to Brits than other way round, I’d venture.
  • DynamoDynamo Posts: 651
    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    I had been thinking I might have a holiday in New York this December (see the Christmas lights etc) but I'm wondering if the rabidly anti British/anti English NYT is a reflection of New Yorkers generally and whether I'd be safe?

    I don't want to get beaten up the moment I open my mouth lol! :D
    Suggest that you initiate conversation with New Yorkers with that classic icebreaker, "I say, old cock, would you fancy a fag?"

    To clear up any remaining misunderstanding, politely inquire, "Being new to the colonies, would you mind terribly if I knocked up your sister?"

    Ought to do the trick!
    I might just spend my £ going to Lapland instead. #GodSaveFinland :D
    Hope you do get chance to visit USA. As Gardenwalker has confirmed, Americans love a British accent.

    Granted, he's a NZer - like we can tell the difference!
    New York is somewhere I've always wanted to visit, See central park (when it's hopefully snow covered) and the 9/11 memorial sight. See all the Christmas lights and maybe catch a show on Broadway...

    It would be something nice to do at the end of an absolutely terrible year for me... as long as I'd be welcome.
    5 Dec and 8 Jan are the cold-season days for this:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattanhenge

    I'm banned from the US :)
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,408
    Fascinating fact seen today - still alive today is someone who was a Head of State during WW2 - Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria, who came to the throne as a child in 1943, and was then Prime Minister in the early 2000s after returning from exile in the 90s.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simeon_Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

    Dalai Lama also counts apparenly.
  • @SeaShantyIrish2 I find occasionally that New Yorkers don’t understand my accent which I find highly irritating as it’s effectively a NZ-RP hybrid, so what the fuck is not to understand???

    Lol.
  • MikeLMikeL Posts: 7,281
    edited September 2022
    Per BBC:

    "The King's top aide, his principal private secretary Sir Clive Alderton, said in the letter to staff that the change in role for the former Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall meant that Clarence House would be "closed down".

    He said the former Prince of Wales's personal interests and former activities would no longer be carried out.

    "It is therefore expected that the need for the posts principally based at Clarence House whose work supports these areas, will no longer be needed.""

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62897488

    Goodness me, all these activities must be vitally important if a decision can simply be taken to terminate them all immediately, without even bothering to consider passing any of them on to anyone else.

    What a perfect way to sum up the pointlessness of the whole thing.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,093
    kinabalu said:

    IanB2 said:

    CNN must be running the BBC close for the proportion of its coverage devoted to the demise of HMQE2.

    Meanwhile, no re-showing of the bendy penis disease advert, which appears to be targetted at the breakfast-time audience.

    Bill Clinton had a bendy penis apparently. Although less so now, I imagine
    Concerned PB’ers should note that most commonly the disease strikes late 50s to early 60s
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,774
    Andy_JS said:

    Polls scheduled to close in NH, DE and RI at top of hour.

    Are these primaries?
    Yes.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,093

    @SeaShantyIrish2 I find occasionally that New Yorkers don’t understand my accent which I find highly irritating as it’s effectively a NZ-RP hybrid, so what the fuck is not to understand???

    Lol.

    Being asked to repeat yourself whenever you first engage anyone in conversation, and being accused of being Australian, are common occurrences.
  • The reactions of Scottish Nationalist and Irish Republicans as just cited, clearly show the mood of the Scottish and Irish people.

    Not universal, not identical, often mixed and conflicted.

    But in general, positive with respect and fondness for the memory of the late Queen and her many years of service. Which cuts across sharp divisions (to put it mildly) and demographic divides.

    And also respect for others (for example, older relatives and neighbors) who naturally and genuinely feel this way, regardless of one's own views.

    Semi-savvy politicos are generally NOT shy in picking up on the public mood of their public, especially when then tendency is so clear cut.

    NOW all this does NOT mean that robust (ahem) discussion on PB is (pun accidental) beyond the Pale. Just that most of us will be a bit more circumspect our-and-about and face-to-face. And NOT just out of concern for personal security!
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 20,697

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Yet another shocking example of New York Times's rampant Anglophobia:

    NYT - When the Queen died, someone had to tell the bees

    LONDON — As news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II reverberated through the world, a headline over the weekend puzzled many on social media: The Daily Mail’s exclusive that the “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

    Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

    But some beekeepers, backed by folklore historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed.

    “It’s a very old and well-established tradition but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of “Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts.”

    The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major family events, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly cover the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more commonly known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Norman said.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers might be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they continue to follow the tradition as “a mark of respect,” Norman said.

    Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once performed the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, quietly knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

    “It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

    After BeeCraft published an article about telling the bees in 2019, several people wrote in with their own stories of doing the task. One reader, addressing someone else’s bees, spoke in rhyme to tell them their master had died: “Honeybees, honeybees, hear what I say. Your master [name] has now passed away.”

    John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master.

    Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

    “It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

    I had been thinking I might have a holiday in New York this December (see the Christmas lights etc) but I'm wondering if the rabidly anti British/anti English NYT is a reflection of New Yorkers generally and whether I'd be safe?

    I don't want to get beaten up the moment I open my mouth lol! :D
    Suggest that you initiate conversation with New Yorkers with that classic icebreaker, "I say, old cock, would you fancy a fag?"

    To clear up any remaining misunderstanding, politely inquire, "Being new to the colonies, would you mind terribly if I knocked up your sister?"

    Ought to do the trick!
    I might just spend my £ going to Lapland instead. #GodSaveFinland :D
    Hope you do get chance to visit USA. As Gardenwalker has confirmed, Americans love a British accent.

    Granted, he's a NZer - like we can tell the difference!
    New York is somewhere I've always wanted to visit, See central park (when it's hopefully snow covered) and the 9/11 memorial sight. See all the Christmas lights and maybe catch a show on Broadway...

    It would be something nice to do at the end of an absolutely terrible year for me... as long as I'd be welcome.
    If you come pop me a private mail.
    I’ll probably be here at Christmas.
    I will. Thank you
This discussion has been closed.