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Just 3 of the April polls have LAB 20% or more ahead – politicalbetting.com

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  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 10,701
    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes. It's pretty ghastly. I imagine a younger Biden would have made a better fist of it.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 41,955
    edited April 2023
    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    More importantly, it is 7C and with a nasty wind chill here in Primrose Hill reiver country. Like fucking January

    25 in Louisville, Kentucky.
    Gosh have you gone to Red State? Brave, but why?
    I had to transfer here.
    It feels v southern, culturally, despite abutting the Mason Dixon line.

    My org has a hub in Dallas, I’ve just spent a week checking in on the team there.
    My maths prof brother lived for 3 years in Austin. The best time of his life, he says.
    Austin is severely overrated. People only like it coz it has Texan tax rates, a lack of winter (but brutal summers) and about nine actually walkable blocks of "downtown" - unlike Houston and Dallas etc which are utterly dystopian
    Well he liked it. And he's a socialist so it wasn't the low tax or the weather.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,803
    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    More importantly, it is 7C and with a nasty wind chill here in Primrose Hill reiver country. Like fucking January

    25 in Louisville, Kentucky.
    Gosh have you gone to Red State? Brave, but why?
    I had to transfer here.
    It feels v southern, culturally, despite abutting the Mason Dixon line.

    My org has a hub in Dallas, I’ve just spent a week checking in on the team there.
    My maths prof brother lived for 3 years in Austin. The best time of his life, he says.
    Austin is severely overrated. People only like it coz it has Texan tax rates, a lack of winter (but brutal summers) and about nine actually walkable blocks of "downtown" - unlike Houston and Dallas etc which are utterly dystopian
    Well he liked it. And he's a socialist so it wasn't the low tax or the weather.
    It will be the girls at UT, if he's a red blooded heterosexual, unlike yourself

    The cheerleaders for the Longhorns are famed for a reason
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,576
    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,189
    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    It's weird how American's identify as Irish because their ancestors 200-150 years ago were Irish... 🙄

    My great grandfather on my mothers side was Irish and my roots are as recent as the early 20th century but do I think of myself as having any connection to Ireland? No!
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,375

    DavidL said:

    The RCN offer was pretty poor and I am surprised the leadership recommended it. It is hardly surprising that members marched to the top of the hill seeking 19% were somewhat underwhelmed with 5% + a non recurring 6% bonus. It is just not enough.

    We can't afford any more of this. The government should tweak the offer, say 7% pay and 4% bonus and get acceptance. And junior doctors should be offered the same.

    Joining the threads together...

    The government had a pretty good March, which included getting (possibly reluctant) acceptance of the NHS pay offer by union leaders. That started to unravel as the details became clearer- the clever-clever structure is one of the reasons that teachers were so pissed off, along with the "it's got to come out of existing budgets" thing.

    The boat-stopping is similarly looking less impressive now than earlier, and rightly so. So what exactly is a Sunak government for?

    So yes, the government has deservedly improved in the polls since the start of the year, and if they can continue that (harder) things get spicier. But lest we forget, the current wikiworm average is L44 C29; this time last year it was L40 C33.
    Alternatively, the horrors of Liar Boris and the Truss Interregnum only cost the Tories a 4% swing.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,803
    GIN1138 said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    It's weird how American's identify as Irish because their ancestors 200-150 years ago were Irish... 🙄

    My great grandfather on my mothers side was Irish and my roots are as recent as the early 20th century but do I think of myself as having any connection to Ireland? No!
    It's because you get to identify with a romantically oppressed minority, from this dreamy mythologised homeland, and you can get drunk a lot because it's your culture, and it gives you a rebellious brand, blah de blah, without ever having to cope with living there and the rain, and the boredom

    The most amusing are the ones who fly over there for about five days and start crying, like Biden has just done. What a twat

    My actual Irish born-in-Ireland friends used to talk about plastic paddies with brutal contempt, I can kinda see why now
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,102

    Foxy said:

    FPT:

    MikeL said:

    dixiedean said:

    RCN rejects pay offer

    54%.
    Strike April 30 -May 2.
    Apparently they have to ballot their members to continue strikes beyond those dates
    What was the turnout in result announced today?

    Key question will be can they get more than 40% of total membership to vote for more strikes?
    61% voted and 54% of them rejected the deal
    It gets complicated. Previously the RCN balloted by NHS Trust, which is why some areas were striking and others not. In Leicester the strike didn't reach threshold.

    The RCN are planning a national rather than local ballot this time as I understand, so hard to know the sums.

    Then there is the issue of the Staff council with the other unions, notably Unison.
    The head of Unison health has just said her membership ballot was overwhelming at 74% acceptance and she said she thought the RCN was much closer which it is and it seems Unison are not going to give up on this rise, but the unions are divided
    Don’t see how the government can give more to one union’s members vs the others

  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,180
    FPT, development, it struck me, driving through Radlett tonight, how many new high value houses are ghastly. Developers used to be able to do Tudor, Jacobean, and Georgian pastiches very well. Now, they look like a poor man’s idea of how a rich man ought to live.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,582
    Leon said:

    Nigelb said:

    An AI-generated image wins the Sony World Photography Awards.

    "Boris Eldagsen himself has come out and stated after the winning result was announced that this isn’t a photograph at all. It’s an image generated by inputs he provided to the Open AI photo tools".

    https://mobile.twitter.com/javilopen/status/1646804222187393030

    Isn't it obviously AI? The hands are really bad/weird. It's always the hands
    It is.
    But that’s not the point, is it ?
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 41,955
    I've just discovered Didier Drogba is a Chartered Accountant. Wonder if we have anything else in common.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,180
    Leon said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    It's weird how American's identify as Irish because their ancestors 200-150 years ago were Irish... 🙄

    My great grandfather on my mothers side was Irish and my roots are as recent as the early 20th century but do I think of myself as having any connection to Ireland? No!
    It's because you get to identify with a romantically oppressed minority, from this dreamy mythologised homeland, and you can get drunk a lot because it's your culture, and it gives you a rebellious brand, blah de blah, without ever having to cope with living there and the rain, and the boredom

    The most amusing are the ones who fly over there for about five days and start crying, like Biden has just done. What a twat

    My actual Irish born-in-Ireland friends used to talk about plastic paddies with brutal contempt, I can kinda see why now
    Oireland ceased to exist a long time ago, but Irish Americans haven’t realised.

  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,803
    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Nigelb said:

    An AI-generated image wins the Sony World Photography Awards.

    "Boris Eldagsen himself has come out and stated after the winning result was announced that this isn’t a photograph at all. It’s an image generated by inputs he provided to the Open AI photo tools".

    https://mobile.twitter.com/javilopen/status/1646804222187393030

    Isn't it obviously AI? The hands are really bad/weird. It's always the hands
    It is.
    But that’s not the point, is it ?
    I'm not quite sure of the point. Genuinely. The news story is a little opaque

    Did Sony give him the award believing the image was entirely "natural" and man-made?
  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,810
    Evening all 😀

    Very little change in the Techne numbers but Omnisis shows the Labour lead extending again to 23 points.

    The Omnisis data shows a swing from Conservative to Labour of 18% and from Conservative to Liberal Democrat of 9%.

    In terms of the forthcoming local contests, in 2019 the Conservatives won 31.4% of actual votes cast, Labour polled 26.6%, the Liberal Democrat’s 16.8%, Greens 9.2%, UKIP 4.5% and other Independents, Residents and the like 11.4% so nearly one vote in four went to parties other than the Conservatives, Labour and LDs.

    The Conservatives and LDs are polling nationally close to where they were in late April 2019 but Labour was then around 30% and are now closer to 45% so you would expect big Labour gains from both the Conservatives and LDs and other parties.

  • eekeek Posts: 28,107
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Just worked out that I am paying at least £500+ a month for a modestly flashy car that I drive about 20-30 times a year. Which equates to about £250 a journey. Not including petrol

    I fear it may have to go

    Alternatively, you need to get out more....
    No, I get out far too much. As in: I am abroad so much, owning a car in London is insane. It is fairly insane anyway, but in my case it is entirely insane

    But I will be sad. My beloved Mini JCW 56 with the unique blue-black shaded roof. SIGH
    You were mad to lease it. My JCW has depreciated £3000 or so max in the 5 years I've owned it. So £50 or so a month...
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    GIN1138 said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    It's weird how American's identify as Irish because their ancestors 200-150 years ago were Irish... 🙄

    My great grandfather on my mothers side was Irish and my roots are as recent as the early 20th century but do I think of myself as having any connection to Ireland? No!
    Similar tbh; three of my four grandparents are English born of Irish folk, yet I don’t entertain any real connection to the place. I was in Dublin recently with my lad and felt nothing other than northern English.

    Side note; I did read a bit of family history a great uncle did recently, and was absolutely staggered at the parallels between the Small Boats now and the forceful eviction of the Irish during the famine (as some of my ancestors were). So similar I n their desperate origins, dangerous journey and in their depressingly horrible reception on arrival, especially in the media.

    I dare say a fair few of the cretins rioting outside the refugee centre in Knowsley recently might be surprised to learn that their own ancestors were once in the same position as the immigrants they’re attacking?
  • StockyStocky Posts: 10,146
    kinabalu said:

    I've just discovered Didier Drogba is a Chartered Accountant. Wonder if we have anything else in common.

    Bet he wears a cravatte.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,803
    edited April 2023
    eek said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Just worked out that I am paying at least £500+ a month for a modestly flashy car that I drive about 20-30 times a year. Which equates to about £250 a journey. Not including petrol

    I fear it may have to go

    Alternatively, you need to get out more....
    No, I get out far too much. As in: I am abroad so much, owning a car in London is insane. It is fairly insane anyway, but in my case it is entirely insane

    But I will be sad. My beloved Mini JCW 56 with the unique blue-black shaded roof. SIGH
    You were mad to lease it. My JCW has depreciated £3000 or so max in the 5 years I've owned it. So £50 or so a month...
    Yeah, looking back, I probably was. But leasing Minis for a decade or so gave me a brand new car every 2-3 years

    And brand new cars are fun. Expensive, but fun
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 8,463
    edited April 2023
    Leon said:

    Just worked out that I am paying at least £500+ a month for a modestly flashy car that I drive about 20-30 times a year. Which equates to about £250 a journey. Not including petrol

    I fear it may have to go

    If you can't beat us, join us.

    🚲
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 3,713
    Thunder and hailstones here tonight. Not quite the spring weather the Met Office were promising me...
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,189
    edited April 2023
    Absolutely terrible reading about the injuries and suffering inflicted on this baby in his short life.

    Injuries included 71 bruises, 57 fractures, "crushed and twisted bones" , "several burns" , pneumonia, endocarditis, and sepsis and he eventually died of a cardiac arrest.

    It's hard to believe how a child's parents could be so cruel isn't it? Just bleak, horrible and terrible.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11945857/Parents-guilty-murdering-Finley-Boden.html
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060
    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    He's a dickhead.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,803
    GIN1138 said:

    Absolutely terrible reading about the injuries and suffering inflicted on this baby in his short life.

    Injuries included 71 bruises, 57 fractures, "crushed and twisted bones" , "several burns" , pneumonia, endocarditis, and sepsis and eventually died of a cardiac arrest.

    It's hard to believe how a child's parents could be so cruel isn't it? Just bleak, horrible and terrible.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11945857/Parents-guilty-murdering-Finley-Boden.html

    Just hang them. They will be in prison forever. What purpose does it serve? Hang them

    I'm not going full on Shoot the Litterers De Santis, but I can feel the world swinging back to the Death Penalty. The permissive age is done. String em up
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 51,380
    It seems that Keir Starmer was once part of Silvio Berlusconi's legal team.

    https://twitter.com/BareLeft/status/1646907713517920260
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060
    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
    And, whilst that is probably embarrassing for them to indulge, he's actually seriously upset the NI Unionists and been continually rude about the British. His main objective seems to have been personal indulgence of some rather prejudiced and mildly bigoted views he was no doubt raised upon.

    He should never have come.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,189
    Ghedebrav said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    It's weird how American's identify as Irish because their ancestors 200-150 years ago were Irish... 🙄

    My great grandfather on my mothers side was Irish and my roots are as recent as the early 20th century but do I think of myself as having any connection to Ireland? No!
    Similar tbh; three of my four grandparents are English born of Irish folk, yet I don’t entertain any real connection to the place. I was in Dublin recently with my lad and felt nothing other than northern English.

    Side note; I did read a bit of family history a great uncle did recently, and was absolutely staggered at the parallels between the Small Boats now and the forceful eviction of the Irish during the famine (as some of my ancestors were). So similar I n their desperate origins, dangerous journey and in their depressingly horrible reception on arrival, especially in the media.

    I dare say a fair few of the cretins rioting outside the refugee centre in Knowsley recently might be surprised to learn that their own ancestors were once in the same position as the immigrants they’re attacking?
    My great grandather came over to Newcastle to work on the docks (I'm not sure how he got from Ireland to Newcastle)

    There's some talk/rumours that he may or may not have gone on the run after being caught up in the Easter Uprising in some way lol... #SkeletonsInTheCloset ;)
  • MattWMattW Posts: 22,739
    Eabhal said:

    Leon said:

    Just worked out that I am paying at least £500+ a month for a modestly flashy car that I drive about 20-30 times a year. Which equates to about £250 a journey. Not including petrol

    I fear it may have to go

    If you can't beat us, join us.

    🚲
    There must be a car club in Camden, too?
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,803

    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
    And, whilst that is probably embarrassing for them to indulge, he's actually seriously upset the NI Unionists and been continually rude about the British. His main objective seems to have been personal indulgence of some rather prejudiced and mildly bigoted views he was no doubt raised upon.

    He should never have come.
    Who cares, the man's an idiot, and Ireland is meaningless in the greater scheme, and in the end America will align with the UK, because it has to: the Anglosphere is the future for America, combatting China. Hence AUKUS
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060
    Sean_F said:

    Leon said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    It's weird how American's identify as Irish because their ancestors 200-150 years ago were Irish... 🙄

    My great grandfather on my mothers side was Irish and my roots are as recent as the early 20th century but do I think of myself as having any connection to Ireland? No!
    It's because you get to identify with a romantically oppressed minority, from this dreamy mythologised homeland, and you can get drunk a lot because it's your culture, and it gives you a rebellious brand, blah de blah, without ever having to cope with living there and the rain, and the boredom

    The most amusing are the ones who fly over there for about five days and start crying, like Biden has just done. What a twat

    My actual Irish born-in-Ireland friends used to talk about plastic paddies with brutal contempt, I can kinda see why now
    Oireland ceased to exist a long time ago, but Irish Americans haven’t realised.

    What I've found funny is one of his "cousins", who's actually called Biden and lives in Surrey, sardonically comment that he's just as English as Irish, if not more so.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,375

    It seems that Keir Starmer was once part of Silvio Berlusconi's legal team.

    https://twitter.com/BareLeft/status/1646907713517920260

    You can see the poster now:

    "Do you think Silvio Berlusconi should have served jail time for abuse of office and paying for sex with a "minor"?

    Keir Starmer doesn't...."
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060
    Leon said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    It's weird how American's identify as Irish because their ancestors 200-150 years ago were Irish... 🙄

    My great grandfather on my mothers side was Irish and my roots are as recent as the early 20th century but do I think of myself as having any connection to Ireland? No!
    It's because you get to identify with a romantically oppressed minority, from this dreamy mythologised homeland, and you can get drunk a lot because it's your culture, and it gives you a rebellious brand, blah de blah, without ever having to cope with living there and the rain, and the boredom

    The most amusing are the ones who fly over there for about five days and start crying, like Biden has just done. What a twat

    My actual Irish born-in-Ireland friends used to talk about plastic paddies with brutal contempt, I can kinda see why now
    His whole visit has pissed me off so much I'm now nostalgic for Trump.

    He might be malignant but at least he proclaimed to like us.
  • eekeek Posts: 28,107
    edited April 2023
    Leon said:

    eek said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Just worked out that I am paying at least £500+ a month for a modestly flashy car that I drive about 20-30 times a year. Which equates to about £250 a journey. Not including petrol

    I fear it may have to go

    Alternatively, you need to get out more....
    No, I get out far too much. As in: I am abroad so much, owning a car in London is insane. It is fairly insane anyway, but in my case it is entirely insane

    But I will be sad. My beloved Mini JCW 56 with the unique blue-black shaded roof. SIGH
    You were mad to lease it. My JCW has depreciated £3000 or so max in the 5 years I've owned it. So £50 or so a month...
    Yeah, looking back, I probably was. But leasing Minis for a decade or so gave me a brand new car every 2-3 years

    And brand new cars are fun. Expensive, but fun
    The only difference between the original F56 and the more recent one is carplay and the rear lights.

    And the union jack rear lights cost me £250 and 2 minutes to add to the car.

    Looking back this is by far the longest time I've owned a single car and I have little interest in replacing it. Even the next version looks a bit meh compared to this version.
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 3,713
    Leon said:

    Nigelb said:

    An AI-generated image wins the Sony World Photography Awards.

    "Boris Eldagsen himself has come out and stated after the winning result was announced that this isn’t a photograph at all. It’s an image generated by inputs he provided to the Open AI photo tools".

    https://mobile.twitter.com/javilopen/status/1646804222187393030

    Isn't it obviously AI? The hands are really bad/weird. It's always the hands
    When I was doing photography I had a weakness for old ropey film cameras I found at car boot sales. It does remind me a bit of the kind of shot I'd get from them.


  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060
    Leon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
    And, whilst that is probably embarrassing for them to indulge, he's actually seriously upset the NI Unionists and been continually rude about the British. His main objective seems to have been personal indulgence of some rather prejudiced and mildly bigoted views he was no doubt raised upon.

    He should never have come.
    Who cares, the man's an idiot, and Ireland is meaningless in the greater scheme, and in the end America will align with the UK, because it has to: the Anglosphere is the future for America, combatting China. Hence AUKUS
    You can't come over pretending to help the peace process and restore power sharing, like he did, and then shit all over the other side and flick the V to the UK government.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,582
    edited April 2023
    Leon said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Nigelb said:

    An AI-generated image wins the Sony World Photography Awards.

    "Boris Eldagsen himself has come out and stated after the winning result was announced that this isn’t a photograph at all. It’s an image generated by inputs he provided to the Open AI photo tools".

    https://mobile.twitter.com/javilopen/status/1646804222187393030

    Isn't it obviously AI? The hands are really bad/weird. It's always the hands
    It is.
    But that’s not the point, is it ?
    I'm not quite sure of the point. Genuinely. The news story is a little opaque

    Did Sony give him the award believing the image was entirely "natural" and man-made?
    It’s that you can apparently fool some of the people all of the time, already.

    Article here.
    https://www.thephoblographer.com/2023/04/06/photography-awards-judges-need-to-do-better/
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,196
    GIN1138 said:

    Absolutely terrible reading about the injuries and suffering inflicted on this baby in his short life.

    Injuries included 71 bruises, 57 fractures, "crushed and twisted bones" , "several burns" , pneumonia, endocarditis, and sepsis and he eventually died of a cardiac arrest.

    It's hard to believe how a child's parents could be so cruel isn't it? Just bleak, horrible and terrible.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11945857/Parents-guilty-murdering-Finley-Boden.html

    Horrific. Been trying to get my 11 week old son to sleep after a long day at work. Cannot imagine how a parent could actively hurt their own child.
    I know people despise the death penalty, but cases like this are what makes some want it back.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,180

    Sean_F said:

    Leon said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    It's weird how American's identify as Irish because their ancestors 200-150 years ago were Irish... 🙄

    My great grandfather on my mothers side was Irish and my roots are as recent as the early 20th century but do I think of myself as having any connection to Ireland? No!
    It's because you get to identify with a romantically oppressed minority, from this dreamy mythologised homeland, and you can get drunk a lot because it's your culture, and it gives you a rebellious brand, blah de blah, without ever having to cope with living there and the rain, and the boredom

    The most amusing are the ones who fly over there for about five days and start crying, like Biden has just done. What a twat

    My actual Irish born-in-Ireland friends used to talk about plastic paddies with brutal contempt, I can kinda see why now
    Oireland ceased to exist a long time ago, but Irish Americans haven’t realised.

    What I've found funny is one of his "cousins", who's actually called Biden and lives in Surrey, sardonically comment that he's just as English as Irish, if not more so.
    My mother and her siblings were desperate to get out of De Valera’s Ireland, so they all left in the early Sixties. But, the new, ultra-woke, fervently pro EU Ireland has no more appeal, either.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060

    GIN1138 said:

    Absolutely terrible reading about the injuries and suffering inflicted on this baby in his short life.

    Injuries included 71 bruises, 57 fractures, "crushed and twisted bones" , "several burns" , pneumonia, endocarditis, and sepsis and he eventually died of a cardiac arrest.

    It's hard to believe how a child's parents could be so cruel isn't it? Just bleak, horrible and terrible.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11945857/Parents-guilty-murdering-Finley-Boden.html

    Horrific. Been trying to get my 11 week old son to sleep after a long day at work. Cannot imagine how a parent could actively hurt their own child.
    I know people despise the death penalty, but cases like this are what makes some want it back.
    I can't even read about things like that.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,803
    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Nigelb said:

    An AI-generated image wins the Sony World Photography Awards.

    "Boris Eldagsen himself has come out and stated after the winning result was announced that this isn’t a photograph at all. It’s an image generated by inputs he provided to the Open AI photo tools".

    https://mobile.twitter.com/javilopen/status/1646804222187393030

    Isn't it obviously AI? The hands are really bad/weird. It's always the hands
    It is.
    But that’s not the point, is it ?
    I'm not quite sure of the point. Genuinely. The news story is a little opaque

    Did Sony give him the award believing the image was entirely "natural" and man-made?
    It’s that you can apparently fool some of the people all of the time, already.

    Article here.
    https://www.thephoblographer.com/2023/04/06/photography-awards-judges-need-to-do-better/
    Wow. Does rather prove my point tho, doesn't it?

    AI is now fooling senior photographic judges, it will soon "fool" Turner Prize judges and Booker Prize judges, and then eventually all the best art will be AI, maybe with some human input (but in the end probably not, AI will prompt itself?)

    AI is the end of human creativity as we know it. Including writing. You read it here first


    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/ai-is-the-end-of-writing/
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,640
    edited April 2023
    algarkirk said:

    Eabhal said:

    Eabhal said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    These weird rumours about the Nits are still floating about Twitter


    "Breaknews A growing number of #SNP politicians removing any mention of the #SNP from their social media accounts appears to be a first step to resigning the whip before the party is declared bankrupt? However the membership data cannot be used for a new party. Big Trouble"

    https://twitter.com/DavidDhenry/status/1646870302851203073?s=20

    "Does anyone in the Twittersphere have any idea why a number of SNP MP's and MSP's have deleted reference to the SNP from their social media bios? I've asked my own MSP but she hasn't responded yet."


    https://twitter.com/CameronMcNeish/status/1646914129913888770?s=20

    I think this is a conspiracy theory.
    Branding adherence seems to be spotty across the board, and if there’s plot afoot by SNPers, many of them did not seem to get the same memo.
    Yes, I think it's a non-story. But a fun one, nonetheless

    Because it shows how bad things are for the Nats, that lots of people will easily believe they are indeed about to go bankrupt
    I still can’t explain the campervan that nobody knows how to drive, though.
    And that stayed parked in "his mum's drive" for two years

    Even better is the fact that only Sturgeon and Murrell knew that the SNP auditors had resigned, for six entire months. Just two people in the whole of Scotland, apparently. And when asked, Sturgeon told people to "shut up talking about the finances. The finances are fine"

    Delicious

    The fact that neither Sturgeon nor Murrell know how to drive - in a country like Scotland - is deeply, deeply odd.

    Odder than the obviously odd thing about then.
    Dunno - we are a surprisingly urban country. This is fun:




    Basically, we don't have towns and accessible rural areas like England. It's postcards or tenements.
    The remoteness of the southern uplands is remarkable. Gentle, beautiful, utterly empty and to most, unlike the highlands, totally unknown.

    Quite. As I remarked earlier, **** all but sheep shite between me and the border. Though not utterly empty. Some fine burghs and villages.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,640
    edited April 2023

    Leon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
    And, whilst that is probably embarrassing for them to indulge, he's actually seriously upset the NI Unionists and been continually rude about the British. His main objective seems to have been personal indulgence of some rather prejudiced and mildly bigoted views he was no doubt raised upon.

    He should never have come.
    Who cares, the man's an idiot, and Ireland is meaningless in the greater scheme, and in the end America will align with the UK, because it has to: the Anglosphere is the future for America, combatting China. Hence AUKUS
    You can't come over pretending to help the peace process and restore power sharing, like he did, and then shit all over the other side and flick the V to the UK government.
    You mean, like the Tory government in the UK did during the Brexit episode, only the other way round and worse? I recall Tory MPs very vocally indignant that the Irish wouldn't just do as they were told, but regarded themselves as of equal status.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,102
    DavidL said:

    The RCN offer was pretty poor and I am surprised the leadership recommended it. It is hardly surprising that members marched to the top of the hill seeking 19% were somewhat underwhelmed with 5% + a non recurring 6% bonus. It is just not enough.

    We can't afford any more of this. The government should tweak the offer, say 7% pay and 4% bonus and get acceptance. And junior doctors should be offered the same.

    Imagine that is exactly the strategy
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060
    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Leon said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    It's weird how American's identify as Irish because their ancestors 200-150 years ago were Irish... 🙄

    My great grandfather on my mothers side was Irish and my roots are as recent as the early 20th century but do I think of myself as having any connection to Ireland? No!
    It's because you get to identify with a romantically oppressed minority, from this dreamy mythologised homeland, and you can get drunk a lot because it's your culture, and it gives you a rebellious brand, blah de blah, without ever having to cope with living there and the rain, and the boredom

    The most amusing are the ones who fly over there for about five days and start crying, like Biden has just done. What a twat

    My actual Irish born-in-Ireland friends used to talk about plastic paddies with brutal contempt, I can kinda see why now
    Oireland ceased to exist a long time ago, but Irish Americans haven’t realised.

    What I've found funny is one of his "cousins", who's actually called Biden and lives in Surrey, sardonically comment that he's just as English as Irish, if not more so.
    My mother and her siblings were desperate to get out of De Valera’s Ireland, so they all left in the early Sixties. But, the new, ultra-woke, fervently pro EU Ireland has no more appeal, either.
    There's still a steady stream of young Irish who are coming over to London and Manchester.

    At the end of the day, Ireland is rather limited.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,576

    GIN1138 said:

    Absolutely terrible reading about the injuries and suffering inflicted on this baby in his short life.

    Injuries included 71 bruises, 57 fractures, "crushed and twisted bones" , "several burns" , pneumonia, endocarditis, and sepsis and he eventually died of a cardiac arrest.

    It's hard to believe how a child's parents could be so cruel isn't it? Just bleak, horrible and terrible.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11945857/Parents-guilty-murdering-Finley-Boden.html

    Horrific. Been trying to get my 11 week old son to sleep after a long day at work. Cannot imagine how a parent could actively hurt their own child.
    I know people despise the death penalty, but cases like this are what makes some want it back.
    I can't even read about things like that.
    It's truly sickening that people such as these exist.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,576
    Sean_F said:

    Leon said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    It's weird how American's identify as Irish because their ancestors 200-150 years ago were Irish... 🙄

    My great grandfather on my mothers side was Irish and my roots are as recent as the early 20th century but do I think of myself as having any connection to Ireland? No!
    It's because you get to identify with a romantically oppressed minority, from this dreamy mythologised homeland, and you can get drunk a lot because it's your culture, and it gives you a rebellious brand, blah de blah, without ever having to cope with living there and the rain, and the boredom

    The most amusing are the ones who fly over there for about five days and start crying, like Biden has just done. What a twat

    My actual Irish born-in-Ireland friends used to talk about plastic paddies with brutal contempt, I can kinda see why now
    His whole visit has pissed me off so much I'm now nostalgic for Trump.

    He might be malignant but at least he proclaimed to like us.
    Trump would shit on us.
    And worse, he'd be leaking like a sieve to Russia. Biden, foolish though he may be, isn't an active security risk for the west.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060
    Sean_F said:

    Leon said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    It's weird how American's identify as Irish because their ancestors 200-150 years ago were Irish... 🙄

    My great grandfather on my mothers side was Irish and my roots are as recent as the early 20th century but do I think of myself as having any connection to Ireland? No!
    It's because you get to identify with a romantically oppressed minority, from this dreamy mythologised homeland, and you can get drunk a lot because it's your culture, and it gives you a rebellious brand, blah de blah, without ever having to cope with living there and the rain, and the boredom

    The most amusing are the ones who fly over there for about five days and start crying, like Biden has just done. What a twat

    My actual Irish born-in-Ireland friends used to talk about plastic paddies with brutal contempt, I can kinda see why now
    His whole visit has pissed me off so much I'm now nostalgic for Trump.

    He might be malignant but at least he proclaimed to like us.
    Trump would shit on us.
    I'd rather have neither of them, to be honest.

    It's ridiculous this is the best America has to offer.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,582
    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,180
    MaxPB said:

    Sean_F said:

    Leon said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    It's weird how American's identify as Irish because their ancestors 200-150 years ago were Irish... 🙄

    My great grandfather on my mothers side was Irish and my roots are as recent as the early 20th century but do I think of myself as having any connection to Ireland? No!
    It's because you get to identify with a romantically oppressed minority, from this dreamy mythologised homeland, and you can get drunk a lot because it's your culture, and it gives you a rebellious brand, blah de blah, without ever having to cope with living there and the rain, and the boredom

    The most amusing are the ones who fly over there for about five days and start crying, like Biden has just done. What a twat

    My actual Irish born-in-Ireland friends used to talk about plastic paddies with brutal contempt, I can kinda see why now
    His whole visit has pissed me off so much I'm now nostalgic for Trump.

    He might be malignant but at least he proclaimed to like us.
    Trump would shit on us.
    And worse, he'd be leaking like a sieve to Russia. Biden, foolish though he may be, isn't an active security risk for the west.
    Yes, Trump is a menace.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,267
    ...
    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,180
    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    Fucker Carlson has his tongue up Putin’s colon.
  • TimSTimS Posts: 12,779
    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    Bizarre the way the American right has gone full horseshoe with the revived tankie far left.

    The Ukraine war has exposed just how much so many online people are simply reflexive contrarians regardless of the bedfellows they keep.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,102
    Omnium said:

    pigeon said:

    Oh God.

    The housing market has been more resilient than I thought possible in recent months. And it appears first time buyers are responsible. Clearly the rental market is in a terrible (insert swear word of choice) state and so buying is still preferable. But how are they affording it?

    https://twitter.com/resi_analyst/status/1646769169214455809

    No prizes for guessing the answer (revealed in the thread): ultra-long mortgage terms.

    We'll start seeing inter-generational mortgages - with terms of 50 or more years - being marketed, in London at first, in another five or ten years' time. Watch.

    The rich have effectively had such things for decades. When property is so ludicrously unaffordable it makes sense. It makes no sense in any sane world though.
    It may be urban myth, but I once heard of a discussion as to whether a loan should be rolled over from the 10th to 11th generation or whether some repayment was due

  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,810

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    He's a dickhead.
    Biden was President of the United States last time I looked - he has to think of US-Irish relations as well as US-UK relations which we may consider "special" but I'm pretty sure aren't considered as such in Washington and haven't been for some time.

    A general exhortation to work together is pretty bland and it does no harm to play to the home gallery to accentuate links to Ireland.

    You might be "upset" if Ulster left the United Kingdom and it would be regrettable but I'm getting tired of the only voices we hear being Arlene Foster and Sammy Wilson. There's far more to Ulster politics than the DUP but of course the Conservatives need to keep them on side as they are the only possible allies they have in the event of a close result in a Westminster election as 2017 demonstrated so the DUP's influence is far greater than it needs or deserves to be.

    If you want to have something about which to be concerned, consider the possibility of a Sinn Fein led Government in Dublin after the next Irish election.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,277
    edited April 2023
    Biden may be a bit of a duffer but the idea that he has somehow decided to offend either Unionists or the British is batshit in the extreme.

    PB Tories really live in a weird hall of mirrors.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 49,635
    edited April 2023

    Omnium said:

    pigeon said:

    Oh God.

    The housing market has been more resilient than I thought possible in recent months. And it appears first time buyers are responsible. Clearly the rental market is in a terrible (insert swear word of choice) state and so buying is still preferable. But how are they affording it?

    https://twitter.com/resi_analyst/status/1646769169214455809

    No prizes for guessing the answer (revealed in the thread): ultra-long mortgage terms.

    We'll start seeing inter-generational mortgages - with terms of 50 or more years - being marketed, in London at first, in another five or ten years' time. Watch.

    The rich have effectively had such things for decades. When property is so ludicrously unaffordable it makes sense. It makes no sense in any sane world though.
    It may be urban myth, but I once heard of a discussion as to whether a loan should be rolled over from the 10th to 11th generation or whether some repayment was due

    The slow decimation of the rental sector is simply being swallowed by people buying the properties. To live in.

    Given the housing shortage this is inevitable.

    Strangely, adding chairs from the bar to the deckchairs hasn’t increased the number of chairs on the Titanic.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060
    stodge said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    He's a dickhead.
    Biden was President of the United States last time I looked - he has to think of US-Irish relations as well as US-UK relations which we may consider "special" but I'm pretty sure aren't considered as such in Washington and haven't been for some time.

    A general exhortation to work together is pretty bland and it does no harm to play to the home gallery to accentuate links to Ireland.

    You might be "upset" if Ulster left the United Kingdom and it would be regrettable but I'm getting tired of the only voices we hear being Arlene Foster and Sammy Wilson. There's far more to Ulster politics than the DUP but of course the Conservatives need to keep them on side as they are the only possible allies they have in the event of a close result in a Westminster election as 2017 demonstrated so the DUP's influence is far greater than it needs or deserves to be.

    If you want to have something about which to be concerned, consider the possibility of a Sinn Fein led Government in Dublin after the next Irish election.
    I am concerned about a Sinn Fein led Government in Ireland.

    You correctly point out that this is about how it plays back home to his base, as well as his own unfiltered self-indulgence.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,277

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,277
    So I asked everyone in Dallas how they liked living in Dallas.

    Texas is of course regarded with horror by East Coasters (and indeed British bien pensant opinion).

    Everyone - including the Somali lady who drives Ubers - declared that they loved it and could never live anywhere else.

    Leon may regard Dallas as dystopian, and I myself would struggle gravely, but revealed preference is an amazing thing.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,810

    stodge said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    He's a dickhead.
    Biden was President of the United States last time I looked - he has to think of US-Irish relations as well as US-UK relations which we may consider "special" but I'm pretty sure aren't considered as such in Washington and haven't been for some time.

    A general exhortation to work together is pretty bland and it does no harm to play to the home gallery to accentuate links to Ireland.

    You might be "upset" if Ulster left the United Kingdom and it would be regrettable but I'm getting tired of the only voices we hear being Arlene Foster and Sammy Wilson. There's far more to Ulster politics than the DUP but of course the Conservatives need to keep them on side as they are the only possible allies they have in the event of a close result in a Westminster election as 2017 demonstrated so the DUP's influence is far greater than it needs or deserves to be.

    If you want to have something about which to be concerned, consider the possibility of a Sinn Fein led Government in Dublin after the next Irish election.
    I am concerned about a Sinn Fein led Government in Ireland.

    You correctly point out that this is about how it plays back home to his base, as well as his own unfiltered self-indulgence.
    All American Presidents possess copious quantities of self-indulgence. It comes with being arguably the most powerful person on the planet.

    That means everyone wants to be your friend and therefore indulges you.

    It's what I think Boris Johnson expected as Prime Minister but that didn't quite happen.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,267

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    indeed, and I have watched several excruciating minutes of Dan Wooten on several occasions. I have to admit that the synchronization of words and pictures are much slicker than they once were, but Wooten is such an obnoxious spanner that it makes no odds. It remains unwatchable right wing drivel.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 35,897

    So I asked everyone in Dallas how they liked living in Dallas.

    Texas is of course regarded with horror by East Coasters (and indeed British bien pensant opinion).

    Everyone - including the Somali lady who drives Ubers - declared that they loved it and could never live anywhere else.

    Leon may regard Dallas as dystopian, and I myself would struggle gravely, but revealed preference is an amazing thing.

    The most famous residents of Dallas of course didn't live in Dallas...
  • fitalassfitalass Posts: 4,292
    The Times - Country divided: Rural Scotland left behind by cosmopolitan Scottish nationalists
    'Communities such as the Highlands and Islands feel marginalised and victimised by central belt policies'
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/434f7b90-dadd-11ed-89ad-19e3cfc05db4?shareToken=42642d55696a9967716bd2a82228ac53

    "In the bustle of the brewery shop in Aviemore, Sam Faircliff is trying her best to stay positive. It’s hard, she admits, because for months she’s been suffering from a sense that politicians and civil servants in distant Edinburgh are intent on putting her out of business.

    “They’re just not listening,” Faircliff sighs. “They pay lip service to the notion that they represent the whole of Scotland. I’m sorry but they don’t represent us.”

    Faircliff, 58, is the managing director of Cairngorm Brewery and her gloomy view is far from unique in the Highlands and Islands. In 25 years of reporting across post-devolution Scotland, I’ve never encountered such widespread frustration, antipathy even, towards government as there is towards the SNP-Green coalition at Holyrood. This is a country divided."

  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,277

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
    It would be weird if I insisted that broadcasting be limited only to things I personally agree with,

    I would not ban GB News, but I recognise that it is essentially a propaganda outlet, funded by private money in order to push right-wing memes to the gullible.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,306

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
    It would be weird if I insisted that broadcasting be limited only to things I personally agree with,

    I would not ban GB News, but I recognise that it is essentially a propaganda outlet, funded by private money in order to push right-wing memes to the gullible.
    GB News is no more partisan than other news outlets are partisan in the opposite direction IMO.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,102
    Leon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
    And, whilst that is probably embarrassing for them to indulge, he's actually seriously upset the NI Unionists and been continually rude about the British. His main objective seems to have been personal indulgence of some rather prejudiced and mildly bigoted views he was no doubt raised upon.

    He should never have come.
    Who cares, the man's an idiot, and Ireland is meaningless in the greater scheme, and in the end America will align with the UK, because it has to: the Anglosphere is the future for America, combatting China. Hence AUKUS
    It would be better if it was a caucus
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,277
    Andy_JS said:

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
    It would be weird if I insisted that broadcasting be limited only to things I personally agree with,

    I would not ban GB News, but I recognise that it is essentially a propaganda outlet, funded by private money in order to push right-wing memes to the gullible.
    GB News is no more partisan than other news outlets are partisan in the opposite direction IMO.
    Yes, but that’s because you’re quite batshit.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,102

    Leon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
    And, whilst that is probably embarrassing for them to indulge, he's actually seriously upset the NI Unionists and been continually rude about the British. His main objective seems to have been personal indulgence of some rather prejudiced and mildly bigoted views he was no doubt raised upon.

    He should never have come.
    Who cares, the man's an idiot, and Ireland is meaningless in the greater scheme, and in the end America will align with the UK, because it has to: the Anglosphere is the future for America, combatting China. Hence AUKUS
    You can't come over pretending to help the peace process and restore power sharing, like he did, and then shit all over the other side and flick the V to the UK government.
    The only thing I saw from stateside was the black & tans comment. Embarrassing misstep but meaningless. What else has he done?

  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,306

    So I asked everyone in Dallas how they liked living in Dallas.

    Texas is of course regarded with horror by East Coasters (and indeed British bien pensant opinion).

    Everyone - including the Somali lady who drives Ubers - declared that they loved it and could never live anywhere else.

    Leon may regard Dallas as dystopian, and I myself would struggle gravely, but revealed preference is an amazing thing.

    Not exactly surprising. Usually the vast majority of people in any given place will say that they wouldn't live anywhere else.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,277

    Leon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
    And, whilst that is probably embarrassing for them to indulge, he's actually seriously upset the NI Unionists and been continually rude about the British. His main objective seems to have been personal indulgence of some rather prejudiced and mildly bigoted views he was no doubt raised upon.

    He should never have come.
    Who cares, the man's an idiot, and Ireland is meaningless in the greater scheme, and in the end America will align with the UK, because it has to: the Anglosphere is the future for America, combatting China. Hence AUKUS
    You can't come over pretending to help the peace process and restore power sharing, like he did, and then shit all over the other side and flick the V to the UK government.
    The only thing I saw from stateside was the black & tans comment. Embarrassing misstep but meaningless. What else has he done?

    Nothing, except that he obviously enjoyed himself more in Dublin with the Irish than he did in Belfast with Sunak.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,803

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
    It would be weird if I insisted that broadcasting be limited only to things I personally agree with,

    I would not ban GB News, but I recognise that it is essentially a propaganda outlet, funded by private money in order to push right-wing memes to the gullible.
    And what the fuck is the Guardian? lol
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,267
    edited April 2023

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
    It would be weird if I insisted that broadcasting be limited only to things I personally agree with,

    I would not ban GB News, but I recognise that it is essentially a propaganda outlet, funded by private money in order to push right-wing memes to the gullible.
    I once heard a report of a woman in the US who had an aged Father who lived with her and her family, and would become angry on watching Fox. Exasperated by this she bought a new TV and had Fox removed from the channel selection. She explained to her father Fox was no longer available and that her father, sans Fox was considerably less angry. GBNews serves the same, albeit lower key function.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,582

    Omnium said:

    pigeon said:

    Oh God.

    The housing market has been more resilient than I thought possible in recent months. And it appears first time buyers are responsible. Clearly the rental market is in a terrible (insert swear word of choice) state and so buying is still preferable. But how are they affording it?

    https://twitter.com/resi_analyst/status/1646769169214455809

    No prizes for guessing the answer (revealed in the thread): ultra-long mortgage terms.

    We'll start seeing inter-generational mortgages - with terms of 50 or more years - being marketed, in London at first, in another five or ten years' time. Watch.

    The rich have effectively had such things for decades. When property is so ludicrously unaffordable it makes sense. It makes no sense in any sane world though.
    It may be urban myth, but I once heard of a discussion as to whether a loan should be rolled over from the 10th to 11th generation or whether some repayment was due

    Time to reintroduce this ?
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jubilee_(biblical)
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,189
    edited April 2023

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    I admit to occasionally having a watch of Michael Portillo's programe on a Sunday (usually on their YouTube channels live feed) but other than that the array of odd ball commentators like Calvin Robinson and loudmouth, attention seeking presenters like Dan Wooton and Farage himself isn't really my cup of tea.

    I agree they're providing a service though and as long there's a market for what they do I say good luck to them.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,277
    Andy_JS said:

    So I asked everyone in Dallas how they liked living in Dallas.

    Texas is of course regarded with horror by East Coasters (and indeed British bien pensant opinion).

    Everyone - including the Somali lady who drives Ubers - declared that they loved it and could never live anywhere else.

    Leon may regard Dallas as dystopian, and I myself would struggle gravely, but revealed preference is an amazing thing.

    Not exactly surprising. Usually the vast majority of people in any given place will say that they wouldn't live anywhere else.
    Maybe. Nevertheless, it is indeed too easy to dismiss a life that still offers cheap(ish) housing, low taxes, less traffic, etc. Of course it is probably an environmental disaster, but I’m going to put that to one side for the moment.
  • DougSealDougSeal Posts: 12,541
    Andy_JS said:

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
    It would be weird if I insisted that broadcasting be limited only to things I personally agree with,

    I would not ban GB News, but I recognise that it is essentially a propaganda outlet, funded by private money in order to push right-wing memes to the gullible.
    GB News is no more partisan than other news outlets are partisan in the opposite direction IMO.
    Even C4 News would not have 2 Labour MPs interviewing a Labour frontbencher about Labour policy, as GB News did with Conservative equivalents recently.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,267
    Andy_JS said:

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
    It would be weird if I insisted that broadcasting be limited only to things I personally agree with,

    I would not ban GB News, but I recognise that it is essentially a propaganda outlet, funded by private money in order to push right-wing memes to the gullible.
    GB News is no more partisan than other news outlets are partisan in the opposite direction IMO.
    Have you watched it?
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,277
    GIN1138 said:

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    I admit to occasionally having a watch of Michael Portillo's programe on a Sunday (usually on their YouTube channellive feed) but other than that the array of odd ball commentators like Calvin Robinson and loudmouth, attention seeking presenters like Dan Wooton and Farage himself isn't my cup of tea.

    I agree they're providing a service though and as long there's a market for what they do I'd say good luck to them.
    There isn’t a market though, not in the way a true free marketer would hope for. It’s subsidised heavily in order to further the political aims of its extremely right wing benefactor.
  • BurgessianBurgessian Posts: 2,735
    fitalass said:

    The Times - Country divided: Rural Scotland left behind by cosmopolitan Scottish nationalists
    'Communities such as the Highlands and Islands feel marginalised and victimised by central belt policies'
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/434f7b90-dadd-11ed-89ad-19e3cfc05db4?shareToken=42642d55696a9967716bd2a82228ac53

    "In the bustle of the brewery shop in Aviemore, Sam Faircliff is trying her best to stay positive. It’s hard, she admits, because for months she’s been suffering from a sense that politicians and civil servants in distant Edinburgh are intent on putting her out of business.

    “They’re just not listening,” Faircliff sighs. “They pay lip service to the notion that they represent the whole of Scotland. I’m sorry but they don’t represent us.”

    Faircliff, 58, is the managing director of Cairngorm Brewery and her gloomy view is far from unique in the Highlands and Islands. In 25 years of reporting across post-devolution Scotland, I’ve never encountered such widespread frustration, antipathy even, towards government as there is towards the SNP-Green coalition at Holyrood. This is a country divided."

    Absolutely agree with this. The rejection of Forbes, supposedly becsuse of her Wee Free views, which are authentically Highland, in favour of a performative beardy Muslim, who is demonstratively hopeless, will be going down like a lead balloon across rural Scotland.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,277

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
    It would be weird if I insisted that broadcasting be limited only to things I personally agree with,

    I would not ban GB News, but I recognise that it is essentially a propaganda outlet, funded by private money in order to push right-wing memes to the gullible.
    I once heard a report of a woman in the US who had an aged Father who lived with her and her family, and would become angry on watching Fox. Exasperated by this she bought a new TV and had Fox removed from the channel selection. She explained to her father Fox was no longer available and that her father, sans Fox was considerably less angry. GBNews serves the same, albeit lower key function.
    It’s Daily Mail stuff, but even more egregious. It’s hard to argue that Fox, GBNews, or the Daily Mail have anything but a pernicious effect on our democracy, but neverthless I’d want a very high threshold before banning them.

    I’m not even that happy we closed RT.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,102

    Leon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
    And, whilst that is probably embarrassing for them to indulge, he's actually seriously upset the NI Unionists and been continually rude about the British. His main objective seems to have been personal indulgence of some rather prejudiced and mildly bigoted views he was no doubt raised upon.

    He should never have come.
    Who cares, the man's an idiot, and Ireland is meaningless in the greater scheme, and in the end America will align with the UK, because it has to: the Anglosphere is the future for America, combatting China. Hence AUKUS
    You can't come over pretending to help the peace process and restore power sharing, like he did, and then shit all over the other side and flick the V to the UK government.
    The only thing I saw from stateside was the black & tans comment. Embarrassing misstep but meaningless. What else has he done?


    Nothing, except that he obviously enjoyed himself more in Dublin with the Irish than he did in Belfast with Sunak.
    That’s like saying Oxford is more fun than Rochdale…

    Belfast is pretty sodding dreary
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,102
    Nigelb said:

    Omnium said:

    pigeon said:

    Oh God.

    The housing market has been more resilient than I thought possible in recent months. And it appears first time buyers are responsible. Clearly the rental market is in a terrible (insert swear word of choice) state and so buying is still preferable. But how are they affording it?

    https://twitter.com/resi_analyst/status/1646769169214455809

    No prizes for guessing the answer (revealed in the thread): ultra-long mortgage terms.

    We'll start seeing inter-generational mortgages - with terms of 50 or more years - being marketed, in London at first, in another five or ten years' time. Watch.

    The rich have effectively had such things for decades. When property is so ludicrously unaffordable it makes sense. It makes no sense in any sane world though.
    It may be urban myth, but I once heard of a discussion as to whether a loan should be rolled over from the 10th to 11th generation or whether some repayment was due

    Time to reintroduce this ?
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jubilee_(biblical)
    Why? You had willing participants on both sides.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,277

    Leon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
    And, whilst that is probably embarrassing for them to indulge, he's actually seriously upset the NI Unionists and been continually rude about the British. His main objective seems to have been personal indulgence of some rather prejudiced and mildly bigoted views he was no doubt raised upon.

    He should never have come.
    Who cares, the man's an idiot, and Ireland is meaningless in the greater scheme, and in the end America will align with the UK, because it has to: the Anglosphere is the future for America, combatting China. Hence AUKUS
    You can't come over pretending to help the peace process and restore power sharing, like he did, and then shit all over the other side and flick the V to the UK government.
    The only thing I saw from stateside was the black & tans comment. Embarrassing misstep but meaningless. What else has he done?


    Nothing, except that he obviously enjoyed himself more in Dublin with the Irish than he did in Belfast with Sunak.
    That’s like saying Oxford is more fun than Rochdale…

    Belfast is pretty sodding dreary
    And Sunak, who looked excruciatingly awkward, is hardly the life of the party.

    Let Biden have his fun. He is very old.
    But no, there was offence to the British unless one has a serious chip on the shoulder.
  • theProletheProle Posts: 1,185

    Omnium said:

    pigeon said:

    Oh God.

    The housing market has been more resilient than I thought possible in recent months. And it appears first time buyers are responsible. Clearly the rental market is in a terrible (insert swear word of choice) state and so buying is still preferable. But how are they affording it?

    https://twitter.com/resi_analyst/status/1646769169214455809

    No prizes for guessing the answer (revealed in the thread): ultra-long mortgage terms.

    We'll start seeing inter-generational mortgages - with terms of 50 or more years - being marketed, in London at first, in another five or ten years' time. Watch.

    The rich have effectively had such things for decades. When property is so ludicrously unaffordable it makes sense. It makes no sense in any sane world though.
    It may be urban myth, but I once heard of a discussion as to whether a loan should be rolled over from the 10th to 11th generation or whether some repayment was due

    The slow decimation of the rental sector is simply being swallowed by people buying the properties. To live in.

    Given the housing shortage this is inevitable.

    Strangely, adding chairs from the bar to the deckchairs hasn’t increased the number of chairs on the Titanic.
    Presumably the displacement effect is contributing to the flat-lining/modest drop in house prices over the last six months or so, as well as driving rental prices even higher.

    I'm not sure that this was the planned result of politicans setting out to destroy the rental sector, but then politicians never were very good at predicting basic second order effects.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
    It would be weird if I insisted that broadcasting be limited only to things I personally agree with,

    I would not ban GB News, but I recognise that it is essentially a propaganda outlet, funded by private money in order to push right-wing memes to the gullible.
    It allows right-wing people to express their views. For you, that's propaganda because you don't agree with it.

    I take very short shrift with this.

    If it were inciting hatred, violence, or threatening our national security then that'd be different.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,277
    Leon said:

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
    It would be weird if I insisted that broadcasting be limited only to things I personally agree with,

    I would not ban GB News, but I recognise that it is essentially a propaganda outlet, funded by private money in order to push right-wing memes to the gullible.
    And what the fuck is the Guardian? lol
    Personally I think the Guardian has gone downhill. Unreadable these days.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,277

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
    It would be weird if I insisted that broadcasting be limited only to things I personally agree with,

    I would not ban GB News, but I recognise that it is essentially a propaganda outlet, funded by private money in order to push right-wing memes to the gullible.
    It allows right-wing people to express their views. For you, that's propaganda because you don't agree with it.

    I take very short shrift with this.

    If it were inciting hatred, violence, or threatening our national security then that'd be different.
    It’s propaganda because it peddles a lot of echo-chamber guff. It’s not “News”.

    I take short shrift with you for not recognising it for what it is.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060

    Leon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
    And, whilst that is probably embarrassing for them to indulge, he's actually seriously upset the NI Unionists and been continually rude about the British. His main objective seems to have been personal indulgence of some rather prejudiced and mildly bigoted views he was no doubt raised upon.

    He should never have come.
    Who cares, the man's an idiot, and Ireland is meaningless in the greater scheme, and in the end America will align with the UK, because it has to: the Anglosphere is the future for America, combatting China. Hence AUKUS
    You can't come over pretending to help the peace process and restore power sharing, like he did, and then shit all over the other side and flick the V to the UK government.
    The only thing I saw from stateside was the black & tans comment. Embarrassing misstep but meaningless. What else has he done?


    Nothing, except that he obviously enjoyed himself more in Dublin with the Irish than he did in Belfast with Sunak.
    That’s like saying Oxford is more fun than Rochdale…

    Belfast is pretty sodding dreary
    And Sunak, who looked excruciatingly awkward, is hardly the life of the party.

    Let Biden have his fun. He is very old.
    But no, there was offence to the British unless one has a serious chip on the shoulder.
    He's mentioned the Black and Tans, posed enthusiastically for a selfie with Gerry Adams, mentioned the repression of the British in Palestine, and told a BBC reporter when asked for a comment, "I'm Irish".

    It's happened once too often to be mere happenstance. His anti-Britishness is part of his identity, and the chip is his.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,803

    Andy_JS said:

    So I asked everyone in Dallas how they liked living in Dallas.

    Texas is of course regarded with horror by East Coasters (and indeed British bien pensant opinion).

    Everyone - including the Somali lady who drives Ubers - declared that they loved it and could never live anywhere else.

    Leon may regard Dallas as dystopian, and I myself would struggle gravely, but revealed preference is an amazing thing.

    Not exactly surprising. Usually the vast majority of people in any given place will say that they wouldn't live anywhere else.
    Maybe. Nevertheless, it is indeed too easy to dismiss a life that still offers cheap(ish) housing, low taxes, less traffic, etc. Of course it is probably an environmental disaster, but I’m going to put that to one side for the moment.
    And a life expectancy of 76, the advanced world's worst infant mortality, worst maternal mortality, no universal healthcare, no paid maternity leave, no holiday pay, severe gun crime, every day mass shootings, hideous homeless shit, terrible opioid problems, and on and on

    If people like life in Dallas or Houston, it is either because they are billionaires who can escape half the year and go to Europe, or because they have come from Honduras, Nicaragua or Venezuela, which most of them have

    It's like talking to Syrians in Luton
  • Leon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
    And, whilst that is probably embarrassing for them to indulge, he's actually seriously upset the NI Unionists and been continually rude about the British. His main objective seems to have been personal indulgence of some rather prejudiced and mildly bigoted views he was no doubt raised upon.

    He should never have come.
    Who cares, the man's an idiot, and Ireland is meaningless in the greater scheme, and in the end America will align with the UK, because it has to: the Anglosphere is the future for America, combatting China. Hence AUKUS
    You can't come over pretending to help the peace process and restore power sharing, like he did, and then shit all over the other side and flick the V to the UK government.
    The only thing I saw from stateside was the black & tans comment. Embarrassing misstep but meaningless. What else has he done?


    Nothing, except that he obviously enjoyed himself more in Dublin with the Irish than he did in Belfast with Sunak.
    That’s like saying Oxford is more fun than Rochdale…

    Belfast is pretty sodding dreary
    And Sunak, who looked excruciatingly awkward, is hardly the life of the party.

    Let Biden have his fun. He is very old.
    But no, there was offence to the British unless one has a serious chip on the shoulder.
    Good evening

    I really do not see why he even went to Belfast as Stormont is not sitting and he was hardly going to influence the DUP, not least now he has published a selfie with Gerry Adams

    His visit to Dublin and Ireland seemed like someone who was desperate to trace his roots, but frankly if he had been honest he would also have visited Nottingham as he has English heritage which to be fair he did recognise in his Belfast speech

    He may want to impress the Irish American vote but frankly I thought the whole trip was one of personal nostalgia and little political benefit to Northern Ireland
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
    It would be weird if I insisted that broadcasting be limited only to things I personally agree with,

    I would not ban GB News, but I recognise that it is essentially a propaganda outlet, funded by private money in order to push right-wing memes to the gullible.
    I once heard a report of a woman in the US who had an aged Father who lived with her and her family, and would become angry on watching Fox. Exasperated by this she bought a new TV and had Fox removed from the channel selection. She explained to her father Fox was no longer available and that her father, sans Fox was considerably less angry. GBNews serves the same, albeit lower key function.
    The trouble with this is that there are plenty of angry people on the other side who read the Guardian, watch C4 News or Novara media etc.

    The issue isn't the wing of politics. It's the bubble.
  • FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,728

    Leon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
    And, whilst that is probably embarrassing for them to indulge, he's actually seriously upset the NI Unionists and been continually rude about the British. His main objective seems to have been personal indulgence of some rather prejudiced and mildly bigoted views he was no doubt raised upon.

    He should never have come.
    Who cares, the man's an idiot, and Ireland is meaningless in the greater scheme, and in the end America will align with the UK, because it has to: the Anglosphere is the future for America, combatting China. Hence AUKUS
    You can't come over pretending to help the peace process and restore power sharing, like he did, and then shit all over the other side and flick the V to the UK government.
    The only thing I saw from stateside was the black & tans comment. Embarrassing misstep but meaningless. What else has he done?


    Nothing, except that he obviously enjoyed himself more in Dublin with the Irish than he did in Belfast with Sunak.
    That’s like saying Oxford is more fun than Rochdale…

    Belfast is pretty sodding dreary
    And Sunak, who looked excruciatingly awkward, is hardly the life of the party.

    Let Biden have his fun. He is very old.
    But no, there was offence to the British unless one has a serious chip on the shoulder.
    He's mentioned the Black and Tans, posed enthusiastically for a selfie with Gerry Adams, mentioned the repression of the British in Palestine, and told a BBC reporter when asked for a comment, "I'm Irish".

    It's happened once too often to be mere happenstance. His anti-Britishness is part of his identity, and the chip is his.
    No mention for the billions $$$$$ offered to NI then?
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,640
    edited April 2023

    Biden may be a bit of a duffer but the idea that he has somehow decided to offend either Unionists or the British is batshit in the extreme.

    PB Tories really live in a weird hall of mirrors.

    It's all very odd. Unionists are supposed, if anything, to approve of the RUC (in part, the Black and Tans) and the Auxies. So I don't understand how Mr Biden's slip of the tongue is supposed to have offended them.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,102
    Carnyx said:

    Biden may be a bit of a duffer but the idea that he has somehow decided to offend either Unionists or the British is batshit in the extreme.

    PB Tories really live in a weird hall of mirrors.

    It's all very odd. Unionists are supposed, if anything, to approve of the RUC (in part, the Black and Tans) and the Auxies. So I don't understand how Mr Biden's slip of the tongue is supposed to have offended them.
    Why would Unionists approve of the Black & Tans and the Auxies?

    That’s claptrap
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,081

    Andy_JS said:

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.

    ...

    Nigelb said:

    Fox now just broadcasts Russian propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1646685843438940161
    Tucker Carlson: "The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war. Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing."

    We now have our very own comedy version of Fox. Fortunately the production values of GB News render it unwatchable. But the time will come when either it becomes more professional or something less comedic but equally malign comes along.
    Have you actually ever watched GB News, or just the caricature of what you think GB News represents?

    Some of its programmes and talk shows are interesting precisely because - like on here - they allow views that you wouldn't normally hear on MSM unless token and limited, and even then heavily curtailed/interrupted by the interviewing journalist.
    Such as?

    GB News should, at the least, be stripped of its “News” label by Ofcom. It’s propaganda for the mentally deficient, occupying a space not unlike “Novara” on the left.
    Andrew Doyle, for one. Eamonn Holmes, Alister Stewart, and Nana Akua. And I look forward to John Cleese as well. Even Farage's chats and interviews are interesting.

    Do I agree with everything they all say?

    No, of course not - and neither would you with Channel 4 journalists, I'm sure - but objections to it are purely because it's offering something in the marketplace that people disagree with, and they'd rather it was shut up.
    It would be weird if I insisted that broadcasting be limited only to things I personally agree with,

    I would not ban GB News, but I recognise that it is essentially a propaganda outlet, funded by private money in order to push right-wing memes to the gullible.
    GB News is no more partisan than other news outlets are partisan in the opposite direction IMO.
    Have you watched it?
    He'd be unusual if he had. According to Wikipedia,

    In December 2022, Press Gazette reported that GB News had beaten Sky News in primetime ratings over a 30-day period, with 57,107 viewers to Sky's 52,230.


    Those figures are tiny; most Look Out for the Spotlight on the Region Where You Are Today, Tonight shows get a third to half a million.

    The conditions that make Fox News work don't really apply here.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,640

    Carnyx said:

    Biden may be a bit of a duffer but the idea that he has somehow decided to offend either Unionists or the British is batshit in the extreme.

    PB Tories really live in a weird hall of mirrors.

    It's all very odd. Unionists are supposed, if anything, to approve of the RUC (in part, the Black and Tans) and the Auxies. So I don't understand how Mr Biden's slip of the tongue is supposed to have offended them.
    Why would Unionists approve of the Black & Tans and the Auxies?

    That’s claptrap
    The claim was that Unionists would be especially offended by the reference to them.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,277
    Carnyx said:

    Biden may be a bit of a duffer but the idea that he has somehow decided to offend either Unionists or the British is batshit in the extreme.

    PB Tories really live in a weird hall of mirrors.

    It's all very odd. Unionists are supposed, if anything, to approve of the RUC (in part, the Black and Tans) and the Auxies. So I don't understand how Mr Biden's slip of the tongue is supposed to have offended them.
    And the late Queen had a selfie - of sorts - with Gerry Adams, though perhaps Biden looked liked he was enjoying himself too much.

    I don’t know what the Palestinian thing refers to.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,060

    Leon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    Biden is an absolutely classic Plastic Paddy, isn't he? Possibly the world's greatest example, ever

    Yes, Biden has attempted to curry favour with the Irish with one hand and with the other he's pushing through tax and economic reforms that will decimate the Irish economic model.
    And, whilst that is probably embarrassing for them to indulge, he's actually seriously upset the NI Unionists and been continually rude about the British. His main objective seems to have been personal indulgence of some rather prejudiced and mildly bigoted views he was no doubt raised upon.

    He should never have come.
    Who cares, the man's an idiot, and Ireland is meaningless in the greater scheme, and in the end America will align with the UK, because it has to: the Anglosphere is the future for America, combatting China. Hence AUKUS
    You can't come over pretending to help the peace process and restore power sharing, like he did, and then shit all over the other side and flick the V to the UK government.
    The only thing I saw from stateside was the black & tans comment. Embarrassing misstep but meaningless. What else has he done?


    Nothing, except that he obviously enjoyed himself more in Dublin with the Irish than he did in Belfast with Sunak.
    That’s like saying Oxford is more fun than Rochdale…

    Belfast is pretty sodding dreary
    And Sunak, who looked excruciatingly awkward, is hardly the life of the party.

    Let Biden have his fun. He is very old.
    But no, there was offence to the British unless one has a serious chip on the shoulder.
    He's mentioned the Black and Tans, posed enthusiastically for a selfie with Gerry Adams, mentioned the repression of the British in Palestine, and told a BBC reporter when asked for a comment, "I'm Irish".

    It's happened once too often to be mere happenstance. His anti-Britishness is part of his identity, and the chip is his.
    No mention for the billions $$$$$ offered to NI then?
    You can't bribe people to change when they think that fundamentally you're not on their side.

    Biden's failings are ones of basic diplomacy. There's a lot of excusing of him on here today, no doubt because we know Trump would be much worse and we're all desperate for that not to happen again, but that shouldn't give him a free pass.

    It's pretty clear to me Biden has prejudicial views against Britain, even if he's sensible enough to by and large not let them affect policy - UK/US trade deal notwithstanding - but it does mean he's not as effective as he could be.
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