As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Worth a watch about how Disney is just crushing everybody....its much more than the Baby Yoda factor....
Disney+ has only been going a year. 0 to 100m subs in a year is stunning. Took Netflix something like 10 years when they switched from DVDs to streaming to get to that number.
Sure. Commercially it’s a huge hit. I’m just going through their catalogue however, and I can’t find anything that makes me wanna subscribe
I’m sure that will change in time. They have so much money, they can’t fail
Well also the proposition in the US, where the bulk of their subscribers are is very different. For one monthly fee you can all of a sudden cut your cable / sat tv, and just sub to Disney+, Hulu Live and ESPN+.
Netflix doesn't have the deals for live OTT tv or any live sports.
If I was Sky, I would be shitting it. Disney+ have deadly combo more money than god, the best streaming tech based on restreaming masses of MLB games all at the same time and long history of expertise in buying sports rights and production, (unlike say Amazon who are amateur hour at sports production), to genuinely just blow them out of the water.
Not so sure
Disney revenue is around $65bn
Amazon revenue is around $230bn
(Netflix is $25bn)
Amazon is so huge they dwarf even a mega-Corp like Disney. If Amazon REALLY focused on TV they could destroy everyone (except maybe Apple)
The threat to British TV is clear, however, as you say. Sky’s revenue is $18bn. The BBC is about $7bn
If after the events of this week re; Government dodgy dealing it turns out not to be, I think I can buckle up for a Johnson premiership until the Grim Reaper calls me downstairs in around 20 years time
This is obviously pandemic bounce back, but it’s worth remembering China was the only major economy to grow LAST year. Whether the bug was deliberately created, accidentally leaked, or ‘spontaneously leapt from bat to pangolin to zebra to human in the middle of the city with the world’s only lab researching bat-pangolin-zebra-human Coronaviral zoonosis’, there is no doubt the bug has, relatively, benefited China
This decade will, therefore, be the decade when China comprehensively and definitively overtakes the USA as the world’s pre-eminent power
Not a great time for the USA to be led by a doddery old bloke, or be mired in culture wars around ridiculous Marxist woke-crap, but maybe they are symptoms of that same American decline, and therefore predictable, if not inevitable
The ridiculous woke crap includes treating minorities with respect, rather than subjecting them to genocide. I'd say that's a competitive advantage for the US.
There is a sweet midpoint between ‘stopping police from shooting black people all the time’ and ‘burning down Portland because we don’t need police at all’
Unfortunately, America seems determined to miss that sweet spot, and swing wildly and dangerously to the burning cities bit
(CNN)Major American cities saw a 33% increase in homicides last year as a pandemic swept across the country, millions of people joined protests against racial injustice and police brutality, and the economy collapsed under the weight of the pandemic — a crime surge that has continued into the first quarter of this year.
No one's arguing the US is perfect, least of all me. But I'm pretty clear which of the two countries smart immigrant engineers and scientists might see as the more attractive destination.
And the idea that China is a guaranteed global hegemon, as opposed to one of two world superpowers, is just silly.
I'm not convinced that Chinese genocide of Uighurs in Xinjiang is likely to deter promising non-Uighur scientists from moving to Beijing or Shanghai, which are thousands of miles away geographically, and even further in societal terms.
American police killing unarmed black people in Minneapolis is (arguably) as much of a deterrent to people moving to New York/LA.
Look at the list of authors on pretty well any US research publication, and compare with those on Chinese research papers. And look at what's happening in Hong Kong.
I think that's reasonable objective evidence for relative attractiveness.
That'a not to say that China doesn't have very good science, and a huge supply of domestic science graduates. The growing breadth and depth of their research efforts is extremely impressive.
But they have problems which the US does not - including a coming demographic crunch. (indeed it's not entirely inconceivable that the US population overtakes theirs in the next half century, should the US decide once again that immigration is rather a good idea...)
Another telling point is Westerners who have taken positions in Chinese Universities have started to leave over the last few years. (Two of my friends have). The restrictions on foreign nationals have become more & more cumbersome & irritating.
Chinese science has made excellent progress, but it is still well behind the US, UK, all of Western Europe, Russia, Japan, Korea and some parts of Eastern Europe in terms of consistent quality of research outputs (but perhaps not quantity).
There is also extensive political interference in academic appointments & funding for scientific projects.
A gifted Chinese scientist will almost always prefer a job in a good Western University even against the most prestigIous & wealthy Chinese university like Tsinghua. China are still losing their very best scientists.
And yet, weirdly, Chinese universities are ascending the global rankings.
‘Oxford has been named the world’s best university for the fifth consecutive year. But the latest rankings show that it’s China's universities that are the rising stars of global higher education.‘
I feel like a man on the balcony of a hotel in Phuket, pointing at a distant but incoming tsunami, while the rest of you are down in the bar having a chat about the day’s surfing
Being bullied and patronised by the USA has not always been a comfortable experience since WW2 but we have on the main been on the same page and pretended to believe the same things. A century where China is the dominant power will have us harkening after the good old days without a doubt. Basic freedoms and principles that we hold dear will be quashed as will countries who find themselves in China's way and there will be nothing we can do about it.
I think we should be starting to brace ourselves for such a world, that we should stop China buying up enterprise companies with IP in the west, restrict their access to our markets and go as far as we need to go to make sure that we are not beholden to them for things our society needs to operate. But we can't stop it. The pass was sold when they were given pretty much unrestricted access to our markets in the name of "free trade" which has proven to be nothing of the sort. They now have sufficient critical mass not to be vulnerable anymore.
Yes. They are invulnerable. And uncontainable. In a way the USSR never was. Because they are the biggest trader on earth. When they absorb Taiwan - as they shall - this supremacy will harden.
So, as you say, it’s too late. The best we can do is make sure we keep crucial tech, science, etc, in western hands (even if they have them too) so they cannot bully us. And we really need to ditch the worst of wokeness, even as we pray their curtailed liberties hinder them assuming total power
At the moment the trends aren’t great, there is too much basic denial. As we see here
We should also ditch the defeatism.
China's regime needs to keep convincing its burgeoning middle class that its way is better than the west's. That the new Chinese don't need all this democracy bullsh8t.
If, as in the past, the West's enormous powers of innovation allow it to pull ahead technically once again, the Chinese regime has a big problem.
That is why China has tried desperately to get its fingers into as much Western know-how as possible. It needs absolutely to cover all those bases.
It cannot afford to have Westerners trolling about in air cars, making use of fusion power and flying from London to Sydney in four hours while its citizens cannot.
That is the way to beat Xi.
It’s easy to sneer at its politicians, its guns, its culture wars. But America remains the most extraordinary boiling pot of innovation, collaboration and optimism that arguably humans have ever constructed.
And this, as Laloux states in his opening chapters, comes down to how its citizens can conceptualize their purpose and role in society, and hence how they are able to conceive of new ways of organizing.
For all those that decry the woke generation, they are in fact evolving those concepts and developing new approaches to organizing that we crusties hate because they make us uncomfortable. I, for one, do not despair with the coming generation, but see them as our hope to evolve away from the globe-destroying global corporate model to something more people, rather than product, oriented.
The next generation is, literally, stupider than us.
I guess every 20 or 30 years there must have been some nutter in Rome, during the Empire, who pointed to the East and screamed ‘the barbarians are coming!’
For 500 years he was wrong and everyone carried on, just ignoring him.
But then, one day, he was right.
I AM THAT SCREAMING NUTTER
Glad you've reached self-awareness.
I don't think any of us doubt that China will be the biggest power economically and militarily. The question is how dominant and for how long with their current blend of political and societal thinking.
For myself, I think they won't be the single hegemon, but the most powerful of 2 or 3 (US/West and India), and that they will not, unless they change their political and societal philosophy, achieve even leading group status on thought and culture. If they do change, then they won't be the beast to fear.
So I am reasonably confident the West will not be submerged under a Chinese political cultural wave, at least not in its current form.
Let’s hope you’re right
But consider this. What if it turns out state directed, high surveillance Asian capitalism is much more efficient, and enriching, than looser, western capitalism which obsesses about transphobic computers?
You don’t have to look far for an example. Covid 19. Yes the west has produced marvelous vaccines, it seems, but the East Asians don’t really need them, as they have managed the disease so much better than us. Their economies have barely shrunk. Ours have shriveled. They are better at this. Partly because they have applied technology in a cleverer but more imposing way.
If this trend continues and China becomes Singapore times a million, China will completely dominate, surrounded by hi tech Asian satellites, even as Philip Thompson is still wibbling on about multi-gender bogs
You can already see this Chinese leadership in developing countries. Does any African nation now look to the USA as an exemplar? The divided, violent USA which recently elected a madman, is riven with crime and drug addiction, and which endured an attempted coup about 5 minutes ago?
No, they do not. They look to China, which surges in strength and enriches its people. That’s the nation and the system they want to copy
There's much to like here but I think it's best if I pick out what isn't. And that's the inference that "we" in the democratic west are having our "moral fibre" - and thus our ability to compete with the totalitarian east - eroded by our overly precious concern for racial and gender equality and for the rights of sundry minorities to live their best authentic lives. This is tosh. Unpleasant tosh too, since it hints at a desire to big up and use the sino threat to turn the clock back on social progress.
‘The rights of sundry minorities to lead their best, authentic lives’ has to be right up there in terms of patronising, sanctimonious, world-class bullshit. What does it even mean? What is a ‘best authentic life’ for a BAME person?
What valueless, meretricious nonsense
It was a perfectly good sentence. It means, for example, respecting transgender people instead of using them as a cheap hook to hang cheap points for a (you hope) cheap audience on.
What does it mean, then? What is the ‘best authentic life’ for ‘sundry minorities’?
I emphasize the words in quotes are yours not mine. I find them valueless and borderline offensive. But you used them. So what do they mean?
Best = Realizing your potential. Authentic = Not having to hide your difference. Life = Self explanatory. Sundry = Various. Minorities = People who are different.
Further to "difference" and "different" - sharply other than the norm. For example, something you mention a lot, transgender people.
Living your best authentic life. Can't see the problem. Isn't this what everybody wants to do?
Again, offensive.
Minorities are ‘people who are different’, ‘sharply other than the norm’. Jesus. They’re not different. They’re us. Humans.
But you say everyone who isn’t white, straight (and male?) is ‘different’, and ‘sharply other than the norm’?
What a horrible world you want us to live in. Everyone hyper aware of ‘sharply other’ people
I didn't define the norm.
But anyway, progress. So you're fine with "living your best authentic life" now, but are bridling at "sundry minorities".
I agree that has an "off" ring to it and can go. Thanks for that particular steer. I won't use that phrase again. Let's replace with "people", which doesn't alter the meaning but makes it sound a lot better. It now reads -
The inference that "we" in the democratic west are having our "moral fibre" - and thus our ability to compete with the totalitarian east - eroded by our overly precious concern for racial and gender equality and for the rights of people to live their best authentic lives.
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Worth a watch about how Disney is just crushing everybody....its much more than the Baby Yoda factor....
Disney+ has only been going a year. 0 to 100m subs in a year is stunning. Took Netflix something like 10 years when they switched from DVDs to streaming to get to that number.
Sure. Commercially it’s a huge hit. I’m just going through their catalogue however, and I can’t find anything that makes me wanna subscribe
I’m sure that will change in time. They have so much money, they can’t fail
Well also the proposition in the US, where the bulk of their subscribers are is very different. For one monthly fee you can all of a sudden cut your cable / sat tv, and just sub to Disney+, Hulu Live and ESPN+.
Netflix doesn't have the deals for live OTT tv or any live sports.
If I was Sky, I would be shitting it. Disney+ have deadly combo more money than god, the best streaming tech based on restreaming masses of MLB games all at the same time and long history of expertise in buying sports rights and production, (unlike say Amazon who are amateur hour at sports production), to genuinely just blow them out of the water.
Not so sure
Disney revenue is around $65bn
Amazon revenue is around $230bn
(Netflix is $25bn)
Amazon is so huge they dwarf even a mega-Corp like Disney. If Amazon REALLY focused on TV they could destroy everyone (except maybe Apple)
The threat to British TV is clear, however, as you say. Sky’s revenue is $18bn. The BBC is about $7bn
Amazon's app is really poor in comparison, in my experience.
Which is weird as with Amazon's AWS experience they ought to be top of the class really, but they're just not.
I'm surprised All Souls College Oxford has got off so lightly considering the Rhodes business and its very, very dodgy connections with the slave trade, but I see they have been virtue signalling furiously in the past couple of years in advance of any aggro.
What has All Souls got to do with Rhodes?
Nothing, I am just saying BLM arguably have a better case against All Souls than Oriel.
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Genuine question: what is so great about Disney+?
I’m running out of good drama to watch. Yesterday, after much hunting on Netflix, I was reduced to an OKish eight year old drama set in the Israeli orthodox Jewish community. Subtitled from the Hebrew
It was decent, but it was not Breaking Bad. If there is a new reservoir of great TV, I’m in
Less obvious series which are excellent include: Rectify, Unbelievable, Godless, American Crime and My Brilliant Friend.
Have you seen those?
I've got the opposite problem with tv drama. There's way too much good stuff for me to keep on top of. And I don't even have Netflix. I think I must be very slow getting through them compared to most. Either that or I'm seeing things as good that hardly anybody else does. Uncomfortable thought.
Easily found out, check what your watching against imdb. If you are mostly getting 8+ you are selective with good taste. If you have much under 7 that you like you have poor taste or are not very selective.
They were never needed. They would only be of any use when everyone had been offered a vaccine, but our take up rates were so high that by that time they would be as much practical use as Gavin Williamson. The issue was whether they would be introduced.
The difference in lead is again down to the Labour score.
Now do we still believe in the old adage of take the worst Labour score across a range of polls or not? I have to say I think the other poll with Labour sub 30% was big outliers, Labour get 30% regardless of who or what.
I'm pessimistic on Labour's current popularity but 29% does sound too low.
I agree
It's Michael Foot territory and that was with the SDP/Liberal Alliance scoring 25%.
25% and 23 seats. What a scandal that was, regardless of your politics.
I'd take an eight point deficit at the moment. It seems about right. However I also believe Boris opening shops and pubs might explain the YouGov. It could be a post release Stockholm syndrome.
I'm surprised All Souls College Oxford has got off so lightly considering the Rhodes business and its very, very dodgy connections with the slave trade, but I see they have been virtue signalling furiously in the past couple of years in advance of any aggro.
What has All Souls got to do with Rhodes?
Nothing, I am just saying BLM arguably have a better case against All Souls than Oriel.
As Rhodes was not a slave trader or owner you may be right.
If the building were just named after him no one would have noticed.
Quite right the Duke of Gloucester should be at Philip's funeral - he could easily have been the King today.
All it would have needed would have been for George VI not to have had any children and current Duke of Gloucester would now be King.
Also he's the Queen and Philip's generation - Dukes of Gloucester and Kent and Princess Alexandra are all their generation - everyone else are the kids. I would have thought everyone would want their own generation at their funeral as a priority as they are your contemporaries - though Prince Michael of Kent misses out.
I'm surprised All Souls College Oxford has got off so lightly considering the Rhodes business and its very, very dodgy connections with the slave trade, but I see they have been virtue signalling furiously in the past couple of years in advance of any aggro.
What has All Souls got to do with Rhodes?
Nothing, I am just saying BLM arguably have a better case against All Souls than Oriel.
How come they’ve overlooked Lloyds of London? I would have thought one way and another they would have been the perfect target.
Or have they campaigned against it and I simply not noticed?
The difference in lead is again down to the Labour score.
Now do we still believe in the old adage of take the worst Labour score across a range of polls or not? I have to say I think the other poll with Labour sub 30% was big outliers, Labour get 30% regardless of who or what.
I'm pessimistic on Labour's current popularity but 29% does sound too low.
I agree
It's Michael Foot territory and that was with the SDP/Liberal Alliance scoring 25%.
25% and 23 seats. What a scandal that was, regardless of your politics.
I'd take an eight point deficit at the moment. It seems about right. However I also believe Boris opening shops and pubs might explain the YouGov. It could be a post release Stockholm syndrome.
Positive tests down Admissions down Deaths down Testing up
Total patient count still falling fairly rapidly, and approaching the 2,000 barrier. The low point after the first wave was just over 800 in early September (when ventilator cases were almost down to nothing and deaths were averaging in single figures per day.) So, we have a way to go, but things are heading in the right direction.
Of course, whether any of this will be good enough for the Government and the scientists remains to be seen.
Why even bother publishing the data if the roadmap is set in stone? A waste of everyone's time - we might as well just sit here and count the days.
The roadmap says lots of things like "this will happen no earlier than...". It's the plan if everything happens as we expect it to.
The difference in lead is again down to the Labour score.
Now do we still believe in the old adage of take the worst Labour score across a range of polls or not? I have to say I think the other poll with Labour sub 30% was big outliers, Labour get 30% regardless of who or what.
I'm pessimistic on Labour's current popularity but 29% does sound too low.
I agree
It's Michael Foot territory and that was with the SDP/Liberal Alliance scoring 25%.
25% and 23 seats. What a scandal that was, regardless of your politics.
I'd take an eight point deficit at the moment. It seems about right. However I also believe Boris opening shops and pubs might explain the YouGov. It could be a post release Stockholm syndrome.
Longer days, a bit of sunshine this week too.
Plus the kids are back at school.
How many times do I have to explain that not all schools have the same Easter holidays? The majority of counties go back *next* week.
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Genuine question: what is so great about Disney+?
I’m running out of good drama to watch. Yesterday, after much hunting on Netflix, I was reduced to an OKish eight year old drama set in the Israeli orthodox Jewish community. Subtitled from the Hebrew
It was decent, but it was not Breaking Bad. If there is a new reservoir of great TV, I’m in
Less obvious series which are excellent include: Rectify, Unbelievable, Godless, American Crime and My Brilliant Friend.
Have you seen those?
I've got the opposite problem with tv drama. There's way too much good stuff for me to keep on top of. And I don't even have Netflix. I think I must be very slow getting through them compared to most. Either that or I'm seeing things as good that hardly anybody else does. Uncomfortable thought.
Easily found out, check what your watching against imdb. If you are mostly getting 8+ you are selective with good taste. If you have much under 7 that you like you have poor taste or are not very selective.
Right, thanks. That's a useful resource. Just done a quick sample of some I've watched and enjoyed recently. I have some high and some low. In my defence the low ones are as I'd rate them too. So I kind of have good taste but bad habits, if you see what I mean. I'm capable of enjoying some right old trash.
A question on the vaccine trials. As far as I can tell they havent looked at things like alcohol consumption in the period prior to or after the vaccination. Why not? I would have thought they should be collecting as much info about participants lifestyles (smoking, alcohol, diet, exercise, sleep) etc as is practical.
A simple daily or weekly online questionnaire would surely tell us lots? Fortunately the vaccines seem very effective regardless, but if they had been effective only if minimal alcohol was consumed around the vaccination date we would not have known this key fact.
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Genuine question: what is so great about Disney+?
I’m running out of good drama to watch. Yesterday, after much hunting on Netflix, I was reduced to an OKish eight year old drama set in the Israeli orthodox Jewish community. Subtitled from the Hebrew
It was decent, but it was not Breaking Bad. If there is a new reservoir of great TV, I’m in
Less obvious series which are excellent include: Rectify, Unbelievable, Godless, American Crime and My Brilliant Friend.
Have you seen those?
I've got the opposite problem with tv drama. There's way too much good stuff for me to keep on top of. And I don't even have Netflix. I think I must be very slow getting through them compared to most. Either that or I'm seeing things as good that hardly anybody else does. Uncomfortable thought.
Easily found out, check what your watching against imdb. If you are mostly getting 8+ you are selective with good taste. If you have much under 7 that you like you have poor taste or are not very selective.
Right, thanks. That's a useful resource. Just done a quick sample of some I've watched and enjoyed recently. I have some high and some low. In my defence the low ones are as I'd rate them too. So I kind of have good taste but bad habits, if you see what I mean. I'm capable of enjoying some right old trash.
Nothing wrong with that, if you enjoy it, you enjoy it, which is the point of entertainment. But obviously right old trash is far more commonly available than the better shows.
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Worth a watch about how Disney is just crushing everybody....its much more than the Baby Yoda factor....
Disney+ has only been going a year. 0 to 100m subs in a year is stunning. Took Netflix something like 10 years when they switched from DVDs to streaming to get to that number.
Sure. Commercially it’s a huge hit. I’m just going through their catalogue however, and I can’t find anything that makes me wanna subscribe
I’m sure that will change in time. They have so much money, they can’t fail
Well also the proposition in the US, where the bulk of their subscribers are is very different. For one monthly fee you can all of a sudden cut your cable / sat tv, and just sub to Disney+, Hulu Live and ESPN+.
Netflix doesn't have the deals for live OTT tv or any live sports.
If I was Sky, I would be shitting it. Disney+ have deadly combo more money than god, the best streaming tech based on restreaming masses of MLB games all at the same time and long history of expertise in buying sports rights and production, (unlike say Amazon who are amateur hour at sports production), to genuinely just blow them out of the water.
Not so sure
Disney revenue is around $65bn
Amazon revenue is around $230bn
(Netflix is $25bn)
Amazon is so huge they dwarf even a mega-Corp like Disney. If Amazon REALLY focused on TV they could destroy everyone (except maybe Apple)
The threat to British TV is clear, however, as you say. Sky’s revenue is $18bn. The BBC is about $7bn
Amazon's app is really poor in comparison, in my experience.
Which is weird as with Amazon's AWS experience they ought to be top of the class really, but they're just not.
They are very good at functionality - AWS is horrific as a user experience.
Doesn’t look to me as though batting is too easy anywhere today, possibly due to the weather. Certainly it’s dark and cold at Taunton.
Wonderful sunny spring day here in Llandudno sitting on our patio drinking coffee and looking out the sun cream
I hate to be uncharacteristically pessimistic, but the warm sunny weather predicted for the rest of April, in london, at last - 17C and a southerly breeze - has suddenly reverted to cool, grey and cloudy. AGAIN
Get yourself into the country, boy. It’s warmer here; or at least it is, down by the sea.
Which town in the UK has the highest annual temperature in combination with low rainfall. I may move there. In Essex/Kent maybe?
We claim the most sun, and our botanic garden manages to grow plants from Australasia and South Africa in our open air microclimate. But I doubt we can claim low rainfall, and certainly not low wind.
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Worth a watch about how Disney is just crushing everybody....its much more than the Baby Yoda factor....
Disney+ has only been going a year. 0 to 100m subs in a year is stunning. Took Netflix something like 10 years when they switched from DVDs to streaming to get to that number.
Sure. Commercially it’s a huge hit. I’m just going through their catalogue however, and I can’t find anything that makes me wanna subscribe
I’m sure that will change in time. They have so much money, they can’t fail
Well also the proposition in the US, where the bulk of their subscribers are is very different. For one monthly fee you can all of a sudden cut your cable / sat tv, and just sub to Disney+, Hulu Live and ESPN+.
Netflix doesn't have the deals for live OTT tv or any live sports.
If I was Sky, I would be shitting it. Disney+ have deadly combo more money than god, the best streaming tech based on restreaming masses of MLB games all at the same time and long history of expertise in buying sports rights and production, (unlike say Amazon who are amateur hour at sports production), to genuinely just blow them out of the water.
Not so sure
Disney revenue is around $65bn
Amazon revenue is around $230bn
(Netflix is $25bn)
Amazon is so huge they dwarf even a mega-Corp like Disney. If Amazon REALLY focused on TV they could destroy everyone (except maybe Apple)
The threat to British TV is clear, however, as you say. Sky’s revenue is $18bn. The BBC is about $7bn
Amazon's app is really poor in comparison, in my experience.
Which is weird as with Amazon's AWS experience they ought to be top of the class really, but they're just not.
They are very good at functionality - AWS is horrific as a user experience.
Fair point.
If I was Sky I would be more worried about Disney bidding on the Premier League than Amazon.
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Genuine question: what is so great about Disney+?
I’m running out of good drama to watch. Yesterday, after much hunting on Netflix, I was reduced to an OKish eight year old drama set in the Israeli orthodox Jewish community. Subtitled from the Hebrew
It was decent, but it was not Breaking Bad. If there is a new reservoir of great TV, I’m in
Less obvious series which are excellent include: Rectify, Unbelievable, Godless, American Crime and My Brilliant Friend.
Have you seen those?
I've got the opposite problem with tv drama. There's way too much good stuff for me to keep on top of. And I don't even have Netflix. I think I must be very slow getting through them compared to most. Either that or I'm seeing things as good that hardly anybody else does. Uncomfortable thought.
Easily found out, check what your watching against imdb. If you are mostly getting 8+ you are selective with good taste. If you have much under 7 that you like you have poor taste or are not very selective.
Right, thanks. That's a useful resource. Just done a quick sample of some I've watched and enjoyed recently. I have some high and some low. In my defence the low ones are as I'd rate them too. So I kind of have good taste but bad habits, if you see what I mean. I'm capable of enjoying some right old trash.
Nothing wrong with that, if you enjoy it, you enjoy it, which is the point of entertainment. But obviously right old trash is far more commonly available than the better shows.
Yep. So with that, plus my plodding pace as I deal with each series, rewinding to catch bits again, pausing to discuss with my wife, missing some evenings altogether due to other things, I think we have the answer. And I've never even seen Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Wire, Mad Men, Thrones, The Crown, any of that. Life's too short for Netflix - statement of literal truth in my case not the saying.
The difference in lead is again down to the Labour score.
Now do we still believe in the old adage of take the worst Labour score across a range of polls or not? I have to say I think the other poll with Labour sub 30% was big outliers, Labour get 30% regardless of who or what.
I'm pessimistic on Labour's current popularity but 29% does sound too low.
I agree
It's Michael Foot territory and that was with the SDP/Liberal Alliance scoring 25%.
25% and 23 seats. What a scandal that was, regardless of your politics.
I'd take an eight point deficit at the moment. It seems about right. However I also believe Boris opening shops and pubs might explain the YouGov. It could be a post release Stockholm syndrome.
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Worth a watch about how Disney is just crushing everybody....its much more than the Baby Yoda factor....
Disney+ has only been going a year. 0 to 100m subs in a year is stunning. Took Netflix something like 10 years when they switched from DVDs to streaming to get to that number.
Sure. Commercially it’s a huge hit. I’m just going through their catalogue however, and I can’t find anything that makes me wanna subscribe
I’m sure that will change in time. They have so much money, they can’t fail
Well also the proposition in the US, where the bulk of their subscribers are is very different. For one monthly fee you can all of a sudden cut your cable / sat tv, and just sub to Disney+, Hulu Live and ESPN+.
Netflix doesn't have the deals for live OTT tv or any live sports.
If I was Sky, I would be shitting it. Disney+ have deadly combo more money than god, the best streaming tech based on restreaming masses of MLB games all at the same time and long history of expertise in buying sports rights and production, (unlike say Amazon who are amateur hour at sports production), to genuinely just blow them out of the water.
Not so sure
Disney revenue is around $65bn
Amazon revenue is around $230bn
(Netflix is $25bn)
Amazon is so huge they dwarf even a mega-Corp like Disney. If Amazon REALLY focused on TV they could destroy everyone (except maybe Apple)
The threat to British TV is clear, however, as you say. Sky’s revenue is $18bn. The BBC is about $7bn
While that's true, don't forget that Amazon has to pay the maker of the dildo that you order from them. Outside of the insanely profitable Amazon Web Services, they are a lower gross margin business that Disney and Netflix.
Just had a pub report from the some of the young free and single at our place - and its carnage out there.
They managed to snag a booking at a floating pub (!!) on a London canal but the pub's booking system crashed and they let too many on board. Real problems with social distancing ensued and issues with the hundreds of people walking along the towpaths looking for last minute cancellations.
Even so plenty of bonhomie and good natured bants apparently and you tend to meet loads of people who are essentially in the same boat (no pun intended).
They are heading for the same place tonight as apparently alternatives do not exist.
Russia has effectively expelled the US Ambassador after telling him to "go home for consultations" and it will ban the embassy from employing Russians.
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Genuine question: what is so great about Disney+?
I’m running out of good drama to watch. Yesterday, after much hunting on Netflix, I was reduced to an OKish eight year old drama set in the Israeli orthodox Jewish community. Subtitled from the Hebrew
It was decent, but it was not Breaking Bad. If there is a new reservoir of great TV, I’m in
Less obvious series which are excellent include: Rectify, Unbelievable, Godless, American Crime and My Brilliant Friend.
Have you seen those?
I've got the opposite problem with tv drama. There's way too much good stuff for me to keep on top of. And I don't even have Netflix. I think I must be very slow getting through them compared to most. Either that or I'm seeing things as good that hardly anybody else does. Uncomfortable thought.
Easily found out, check what your watching against imdb. If you are mostly getting 8+ you are selective with good taste. If you have much under 7 that you like you have poor taste or are not very selective.
Right, thanks. That's a useful resource. Just done a quick sample of some I've watched and enjoyed recently. I have some high and some low. In my defence the low ones are as I'd rate them too. So I kind of have good taste but bad habits, if you see what I mean. I'm capable of enjoying some right old trash.
Nothing wrong with that, if you enjoy it, you enjoy it, which is the point of entertainment. But obviously right old trash is far more commonly available than the better shows.
Yep. So with that, plus my plodding pace as I deal with each series, rewinding to catch bits again, pausing to discuss with my wife, missing some evenings altogether due to other things, I think we have the answer. And I've never even seen Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Wire, Mad Men, Thrones, The Crown, any of that. Life's too short for Netflix - statement of literal truth in my case not the saying.
You’ve just listed six of the best drama series ever made. By common consent.
So, yes, you really are missing out. I only wish I had such treats in store
As an aside I once read the pilot, ‘episode one’ scripts for about 30 of the greatest dramas ever made, British and American (including all these here listed)
The pilot episode of Mad Men is astonishingly good. The characters leap off the page, you see the tensions immediately, the period is captured with bravura skill, the dialogue is dry, witty, smart, revealing, the pacy narrative drive is perfectly parked at the end.
Few scripts are a work of art in themselves. They are just blueprints. The pilot script for Mad Men is an exception
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Worth a watch about how Disney is just crushing everybody....its much more than the Baby Yoda factor....
Disney+ has only been going a year. 0 to 100m subs in a year is stunning. Took Netflix something like 10 years when they switched from DVDs to streaming to get to that number.
Sure. Commercially it’s a huge hit. I’m just going through their catalogue however, and I can’t find anything that makes me wanna subscribe
I’m sure that will change in time. They have so much money, they can’t fail
Well also the proposition in the US, where the bulk of their subscribers are is very different. For one monthly fee you can all of a sudden cut your cable / sat tv, and just sub to Disney+, Hulu Live and ESPN+.
Netflix doesn't have the deals for live OTT tv or any live sports.
If I was Sky, I would be shitting it. Disney+ have deadly combo more money than god, the best streaming tech based on restreaming masses of MLB games all at the same time and long history of expertise in buying sports rights and production, (unlike say Amazon who are amateur hour at sports production), to genuinely just blow them out of the water.
Not so sure
Disney revenue is around $65bn
Amazon revenue is around $230bn
(Netflix is $25bn)
Amazon is so huge they dwarf even a mega-Corp like Disney. If Amazon REALLY focused on TV they could destroy everyone (except maybe Apple)
The threat to British TV is clear, however, as you say. Sky’s revenue is $18bn. The BBC is about $7bn
While that's true, don't forget that Amazon has to pay the maker of the dildo that you order from them. Outside of the insanely profitable Amazon Web Services, they are a lower gross margin business that Disney and Netflix.
Indeed. But if any western mega-company has shown innovation and growth potential in the last few years it is Amazon
They basically invented the Home Assistant market with Alexa, and they still dominate
Blistering performances in the first two series of Peaky Blinders
But has anyone died after a ‘cowardly, half hearted battle with cancer’?
So you're not happy with "heroic" there from Damian Lewis. I'm liking this bearing down on "off" language from you today even though I was on the sharp end of it.
Positive tests down Admissions down Deaths down Testing up
Total patient count still falling fairly rapidly, and approaching the 2,000 barrier. The low point after the first wave was just over 800 in early September (when ventilator cases were almost down to nothing and deaths were averaging in single figures per day.) So, we have a way to go, but things are heading in the right direction.
Of course, whether any of this will be good enough for the Government and the scientists remains to be seen.
I know this is a stressful period but there has been nothing to suggest that the opening up timetable will be delayed (once you close your ears to the constant media chatter). I think we could go faster, but for once they have set up a plan and seem to be sticking to it.
Nearly as poor as the attempted answer hr colleague tried to give on the Scottish currency recently
The problem for Sturgeon is that she's been banging on about how brexit will never have any economic benefits that its basically now impossible for her to sell any economic benefits of leaving the UK, given how similar the process will be.
Blistering performances in the first two series of Peaky Blinders
But has anyone died after a ‘cowardly, half hearted battle with cancer’?
So you're not happy with "heroic" there from Damian Lewis. I'm liking this bearing down on "off" language from you today even though I was on the sharp end of it.
I’m having a bad lockdown day, I confess. I still get them from time to time. When everything seems pointless and endless, simultaneously, and life is sucked of joy. And the marginal gains in freedom appear cruelly trivial: beer gardens are open but it’s still cold, and they’re all booked, gyms have re-opened but whats the purpose in getting fit?
I’ve had a decent week in the main, but I can still be hit by these shoddy lockdown moods, almost without warning. It’s a strange psychic rollercoaster
Hence my willingness to argue about anything and everything, all day, on here
Positive tests down Admissions down Deaths down Testing up
Total patient count still falling fairly rapidly, and approaching the 2,000 barrier. The low point after the first wave was just over 800 in early September (when ventilator cases were almost down to nothing and deaths were averaging in single figures per day.) So, we have a way to go, but things are heading in the right direction.
Of course, whether any of this will be good enough for the Government and the scientists remains to be seen.
I know this is a stressful period but there has been nothing to suggest that the opening up timetable will be delayed (once you close your ears to the constant media chatter). I think we could go faster, but for once they have set up a plan and seem to be sticking to it.
You're probably right, but I'm suspicious and cynical. I dare say I overdo it sometimes, but then again would anybody trust everything that the Government says?
And even if the last two steps happen on time, I'm still concerned about how many rules and interventions may be left in place after June 21st.
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Worth a watch about how Disney is just crushing everybody....its much more than the Baby Yoda factor....
Disney+ has only been going a year. 0 to 100m subs in a year is stunning. Took Netflix something like 10 years when they switched from DVDs to streaming to get to that number.
Disney had a different streaming service called DisneyLife before plus existed and migrated the accounts from it to + when + opened.
Blistering performances in the first two series of Peaky Blinders
But has anyone died after a ‘cowardly, half hearted battle with cancer’?
Careful - nothing to be gained by pointing this kind of thing out, even if true. Same about the Duke, last week a dodgy old guy who made racist and distinctly un-woke comment, now a leader of the green revolution, and someone who knowingly used language to stir up comment...
May be a bit early to say, but I think deaths may be trending downwards again.
Taking the average data lag up until two days ago:
Still very early to say, as it's also compatible with hitting a plateau at 22-23 on the 5th and wobbling around that number ever since. If the next three days continue to look like a gentle glide down, it'll be useful.
Nearly as poor as the attempted answer hr colleague tried to give on the Scottish currency recently
The problem for Sturgeon is that she's been banging on about how brexit will never have any economic benefits that its basically now impossible for her to sell any economic benefits of leaving the UK, given how similar the process will be.
Golden centuries of peace and prosperity await once Scotland exchanges the unbearable yoke of being 8% of one Union that hoses it down with money and powers for being 1% of another Union that sucks money and powers out of it.
Nearly as poor as the attempted answer hr colleague tried to give on the Scottish currency recently
The problem for Sturgeon is that she's been banging on about how brexit will never have any economic benefits that its basically now impossible for her to sell any economic benefits of leaving the UK, given how similar the process will be.
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Worth a watch about how Disney is just crushing everybody....its much more than the Baby Yoda factor....
Disney+ has only been going a year. 0 to 100m subs in a year is stunning. Took Netflix something like 10 years when they switched from DVDs to streaming to get to that number.
Disney had a different streaming service called DisneyLife before plus existed and migrated the accounts from it to + when + opened.
The thing that’s really elevated Disney + recently (as well as star) is its marvel series (wandavision, falcon and winter soldier). Superb.
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Genuine question: what is so great about Disney+?
I’m running out of good drama to watch. Yesterday, after much hunting on Netflix, I was reduced to an OKish eight year old drama set in the Israeli orthodox Jewish community. Subtitled from the Hebrew
It was decent, but it was not Breaking Bad. If there is a new reservoir of great TV, I’m in
Less obvious series which are excellent include: Rectify, Unbelievable, Godless, American Crime and My Brilliant Friend.
Have you seen those?
I've got the opposite problem with tv drama. There's way too much good stuff for me to keep on top of. And I don't even have Netflix. I think I must be very slow getting through them compared to most. Either that or I'm seeing things as good that hardly anybody else does. Uncomfortable thought.
Easily found out, check what your watching against imdb. If you are mostly getting 8+ you are selective with good taste. If you have much under 7 that you like you have poor taste or are not very selective.
Right, thanks. That's a useful resource. Just done a quick sample of some I've watched and enjoyed recently. I have some high and some low. In my defence the low ones are as I'd rate them too. So I kind of have good taste but bad habits, if you see what I mean. I'm capable of enjoying some right old trash.
Nothing wrong with that, if you enjoy it, you enjoy it, which is the point of entertainment. But obviously right old trash is far more commonly available than the better shows.
Yep. So with that, plus my plodding pace as I deal with each series, rewinding to catch bits again, pausing to discuss with my wife, missing some evenings altogether due to other things, I think we have the answer. And I've never even seen Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Wire, Mad Men, Thrones, The Crown, any of that. Life's too short for Netflix - statement of literal truth in my case not the saying.
You’ve just listed six of the best drama series ever made. By common consent.
So, yes, you really are missing out. I only wish I had such treats in store
As an aside I once read the pilot, ‘episode one’ scripts for about 30 of the greatest dramas ever made, British and American (including all these here listed)
The pilot episode of Mad Men is astonishingly good. The characters leap off the page, you see the tensions immediately, the period is captured with bravura skill, the dialogue is dry, witty, smart, revealing, the pacy narrative drive is perfectly parked at the end.
Few scripts are a work of art in themselves. They are just blueprints. The pilot script for Mad Men is an exception
In fact, of the 6 mentioned, Mad Men is the one I'd most likely choose to do. It's all about character and atmosphere for me these days. I can't follow plots unless they're quite simple.
As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.
Its like the audience doesn't like being lectured to by hypocritical actors for 2-3hrs.....while Disney+ has gone from 0 to 100 million subscribers in just over a year.
Disney+ is great and the amount they have on the platform since adding Star is stunningly good value for money.
Genuine question: what is so great about Disney+?
I’m running out of good drama to watch. Yesterday, after much hunting on Netflix, I was reduced to an OKish eight year old drama set in the Israeli orthodox Jewish community. Subtitled from the Hebrew
It was decent, but it was not Breaking Bad. If there is a new reservoir of great TV, I’m in
Less obvious series which are excellent include: Rectify, Unbelievable, Godless, American Crime and My Brilliant Friend.
Have you seen those?
I've got the opposite problem with tv drama. There's way too much good stuff for me to keep on top of. And I don't even have Netflix. I think I must be very slow getting through them compared to most. Either that or I'm seeing things as good that hardly anybody else does. Uncomfortable thought.
Easily found out, check what your watching against imdb. If you are mostly getting 8+ you are selective with good taste. If you have much under 7 that you like you have poor taste or are not very selective.
Right, thanks. That's a useful resource. Just done a quick sample of some I've watched and enjoyed recently. I have some high and some low. In my defence the low ones are as I'd rate them too. So I kind of have good taste but bad habits, if you see what I mean. I'm capable of enjoying some right old trash.
Nothing wrong with that, if you enjoy it, you enjoy it, which is the point of entertainment. But obviously right old trash is far more commonly available than the better shows.
Yep. So with that, plus my plodding pace as I deal with each series, rewinding to catch bits again, pausing to discuss with my wife, missing some evenings altogether due to other things, I think we have the answer. And I've never even seen Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Wire, Mad Men, Thrones, The Crown, any of that. Life's too short for Netflix - statement of literal truth in my case not the saying.
One good thing about lockdown is I managed to get through the DVD boxsets I had accumulated over the years.
Blistering performances in the first two series of Peaky Blinders
But has anyone died after a ‘cowardly, half hearted battle with cancer’?
So you're not happy with "heroic" there from Damian Lewis. I'm liking this bearing down on "off" language from you today even though I was on the sharp end of it.
I’m having a bad lockdown day, I confess. I still get them from time to time. When everything seems pointless and endless, simultaneously, and life is sucked of joy. And the marginal gains in freedom appear cruelly trivial: beer gardens are open but it’s still cold, and they’re all booked, gyms have re-opened but whats the purpose in getting fit?
I’ve had a decent week in the main, but I can still be hit by these shoddy lockdown moods, almost without warning. It’s a strange psychic rollercoaster
Hence my willingness to argue about anything and everything, all day, on here
Well all a person can do is try and live their best authentic life.
I'll cheer you up with a woke joke. Prove you and John Cleese wrong about it not being possible.
Why does David Starkey never buy a packet of midget gems?
Comments
Disney revenue is around $65bn
Amazon revenue is around $230bn
(Netflix is $25bn)
Amazon is so huge they dwarf even a mega-Corp like Disney. If Amazon REALLY focused on TV they could destroy everyone (except maybe Apple)
The threat to British TV is clear, however, as you say. Sky’s revenue is $18bn. The BBC is about $7bn
But anyway, progress. So you're fine with "living your best authentic life" now, but are bridling at "sundry minorities".
I agree that has an "off" ring to it and can go. Thanks for that particular steer. I won't use that phrase again. Let's replace with "people", which doesn't alter the meaning but makes it sound a lot better. It now reads -
The inference that "we" in the democratic west are having our "moral fibre" - and thus our ability to compete with the totalitarian east - eroded by our overly precious concern for racial and gender equality and for the rights of people to live their best authentic lives.
How does that look?
Which is weird as with Amazon's AWS experience they ought to be top of the class really, but they're just not.
If the building were just named after him no one would have noticed.
All it would have needed would have been for George VI not to have had any children and current Duke of Gloucester would now be King.
Also he's the Queen and Philip's generation - Dukes of Gloucester and Kent and Princess Alexandra are all their generation - everyone else are the kids. I would have thought everyone would want their own generation at their funeral as a priority as they are your contemporaries - though Prince Michael of Kent misses out.
Or have they campaigned against it and I simply not noticed?
If we get bad news, the roadmap gets pushed back.
A simple daily or weekly online questionnaire would surely tell us lots? Fortunately the vaccines seem very effective regardless, but if they had been effective only if minimal alcohol was consumed around the vaccination date we would not have known this key fact.
If I was Sky I would be more worried about Disney bidding on the Premier League than Amazon.
from case data
From hospital admissions data
Blistering performances in the first two series of Peaky Blinders
But has anyone died after a ‘cowardly, half hearted battle with cancer’?
They managed to snag a booking at a floating pub (!!) on a London canal but the pub's booking system crashed and they let too many on board. Real problems with social distancing ensued and issues with the hundreds of people walking along the towpaths looking for last minute cancellations.
Even so plenty of bonhomie and good natured bants apparently and you tend to meet loads of people who are essentially in the same boat (no pun intended).
They are heading for the same place tonight as apparently alternatives do not exist.
So, yes, you really are missing out. I only wish I had such treats in store
As an aside I once read the pilot, ‘episode one’ scripts for about 30 of the greatest dramas ever made, British and American (including all these here listed)
The pilot episode of Mad Men is astonishingly good. The characters leap off the page, you see the tensions immediately, the period is captured with bravura skill, the dialogue is dry, witty, smart, revealing, the pacy narrative drive is perfectly parked at the end.
Few scripts are a work of art in themselves. They are just blueprints. The pilot script for Mad Men is an exception
https://order-order.com/2021/04/16/sturgeon-flounders-when-asked-to-explain-economic-benefits-of-independence/
Nearly as poor as the attempted answer hr colleague tried to give on the Scottish currency recently
They basically invented the Home Assistant market with Alexa, and they still dominate
https://londonlovesbusiness.com/amazon-echo-dominates-smart-speaker-market/
That should have been Apple or Google. It was Amazon
I took that as a plus though as he avoided the worst of the pain and suffering
I’ve had a decent week in the main, but I can still be hit by these shoddy lockdown moods, almost without warning. It’s a strange psychic rollercoaster
Hence my willingness to argue about anything and everything, all day, on here
And even if the last two steps happen on time, I'm still concerned about how many rules and interventions may be left in place after June 21st.
Taking the average data lag up until two days ago:
Still very early to say, as it's also compatible with hitting a plateau at 22-23 on the 5th and wobbling around that number ever since. If the next three days continue to look like a gentle glide down, it'll be useful.
And anyway, TORIES!!!!!!
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/turkey/
David Cameron pitched the services of supply-chain financing group Greensill Capital to a… https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1383100673273827337
I'll cheer you up with a woke joke. Prove you and John Cleese wrong about it not being possible.
Why does David Starkey never buy a packet of midget gems?
Cos there's too many damn blacks.
NEW THREAD
https://order-order.com/2021/04/16/twitter-censors-biden-embarrassing-reporting-again/