I keep reading Ainsty as Angsty.

Back in 2015, we actually stayed in Frome, using it as jump-point for both Longleat and Bath.

Stuartinromford said:

solarflare said:

I keep reading Ainsty as Angsty.

Angsty is likely to be the Prime Minister's state of mind after the results come in.

Squeaky Sunak time.

Do any Conservative MPs still enjoy getting spanked?

Stuartinromford said:

This thread has

Been sent off to knock up voters in one of the by elections

I thought Johnson wasn't campaigning in this one?

MattW said:

Do any Conservative MPs still enjoy getting spanked?

AIRI, Harvey Proctor enjoyed being the spanker rather than the spankee. The story was that it was his habit to hire out a particular rent boy for Tory by-election defences and spank him while the results came in. Apocryphal, surely.

MattW said:

Incidentally, we were discussing closure of ticket offices.

There is now a legal action, focused on the inadequate consultation process:
https://www.leighday.co.uk/news/news/2023-news/disabled-people-launch-legal-challenge-to-consultation-over-planned-closure-of-rail-ticket-offices/

Interesting that Doug Paulley is involved. He has quite the record.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/mar/30/doug-paulley-not-my-benefit-tackling-injustice

The ticket office closures has gone down like a bowl of cold sick. Note; this is not a policy from the operators; it's the government / DfT / RD that are pushing this forwards. Politicians who screech about 'privatisation!' as being the reason are rather missing the real perpetrators.

Cookie said:

MattW said:

Do any Conservative MPs still enjoy getting spanked?

AIRI, Harvey Proctor enjoyed being the spanker rather than the spankee. The story was that it was his habit to hire out a particular rent boy for Tory by-election defences and spank him while the results came in. Apocryphal, surely.

A spanking! A spanking! And after the spanking?

The chaos at the heart of government last year cost the British taxpayer more than £3m in severance fees, because of the huge turnover of ministers and advisers over the course of three prime ministerships, documents have revealed.

The government spent hundreds of thousands of pounds paying off senior ministers, including the former prime ministers Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, and another £2.9m in payouts to their advisers.

Rishi Sunak handed back nearly £17,000 that he received after quitting as Boris Johnson’s chancellor, and others are under pressure to do the same, as Labour and the Liberal Democrats attacked senior Conservatives for taking large one-off sums having overseen deteriorating economic conditions.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jul/20/truss-and-kwarteng-given-more-than-16000-each-after-leaving-office

Is anyone counting overnight?

Omnium said:

Farage, apology, World news.. WTF!

If you are watching the BBC that is because they have done this idiotic thing where they have basically got rid of the differentiation between the world news channel and the national news channel as far as 24 hour news goes. So you get this strange situation where the news travels round the world in an 8 hour cycle but still keeps both the national and international news mixed together. So you get this strange situation where during, for example, the Singapore slot, you still get UK national news items being reported from the newsdesk in Singapore.

LostPassword said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

One of the very best TV programmes every made in my opinion.

But I'd be a bit concerned that someone would find something to object to in it these days. There's a bit of caricature about some of the characters that people often kick up a fuss about these days. And hasn't Tony Robinson been cancelled for one offence or another?

LostPassword said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

One of the very best TV programmes every made in my opinion.

But I'd be a bit concerned that someone would find something to object to in it these days. There's a bit of caricature about some of the characters that people often kick up a fuss about these days. And hasn't Tony Robinson been cancelled for one offence or another?

It was bloody marvellous. Empowering for girls and minorities, quirky, funny, teaching (kind of) history. All the things that GBeebies viewers despise.

TheScreamingEagles said:

ydoethur said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Is anyone counting overnight?

Every night. Lots of sheep.

Tell me you are Welsh without telling me you are Welsh.

I was wondering if you would spot that.

RochdalePioneers said:

LostPassword said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

One of the very best TV programmes every made in my opinion.

But I'd be a bit concerned that someone would find something to object to in it these days. There's a bit of caricature about some of the characters that people often kick up a fuss about these days. And hasn't Tony Robinson been cancelled for one offence or another?

LostPassword said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

One of the very best TV programmes every made in my opinion.

But I'd be a bit concerned that someone would find something to object to in it these days. There's a bit of caricature about some of the characters that people often kick up a fuss about these days. And hasn't Tony Robinson been cancelled for one offence or another?

It was bloody marvellous. Empowering for girls and minorities, quirky, funny, teaching (kind of) history. All the things that GBeebies viewers despise.

Robin Hood reminds me of David Cameron. A bit posh, a bit crap but full of himself, taking the credit for the work of others.

algarkirk said:

BBC website and radio news (don't know about TV) is leading on Farage's bank account. Is this really of greater importance than Ukraine (Russia bombing grain ports??), Sudan, heat waves and about 100 other stories?

Don't you know? He's someone of no political significance, we were assured on PB earlier.

algarkirk said:

BBC website and radio news (don't know about TV) is leading on Farage's bank account. Is this really of greater importance than Ukraine (Russia bombing grain ports??), Sudan, heat waves and about 100 other stories?

Edit: I see this has been mentioned before.

Probably more important in the sense of "If we don't give this prominence will we be bombarded with tweets/emails/newspaper messaging about 'Biased metro-elite liberal small-boat-lover BBC'"?

So glad I no longer have a Coutts account, just look at the riff-raff they let in, first Nigel Farage, then there's this from another PB.

Unexpected Coutts Account Holders, pt.II: Thom Yorke.

Richard_Tyndall said:

Omnium said:

Farage, apology, World news.. WTF!

If you are watching the BBC that is because they have done this idiotic thing where they have basically got rid of the differentiation between the world news channel and the national news channel as far as 24 hour news goes. So you get this strange situation where the news travels round the world in an 8 hour cycle but still keeps both the national and international news mixed together. So you get this strange situation where during, for example, the Singapore slot, you still get UK national news items being reported from the newsdesk in Singapore.

As far as I can see the World News channel in the morning is running British Daytime TV.

Is that correct? I haven't been more interested than to go "OMG", and switch to BBC WS radio or DW or France 24, all of which are more bearable at that time.

That is all they have ?

The Republicans just released the document they've claimed shows bribes were paid to President Biden. It has a few cryptic references to payments by a man* who later definitively told Rudy Giuliani "no one from Burisma ever had any contacts with VP Biden"
https://twitter.com/Fritschner/status/1682072808371765257

*Also currently a fugitive from justice.

Makes the Steele dossier look cast iron in comparison.

I don't normally have anything good to say about Ryanair, but this is a commendable move from them, and builds confidence in Ukraine's post-war future.

https://kyivindependent.com/ryanair-announces-post-war-return-to-ukraine-3-billion-investment/

TheScreamingEagles said:

So glad I no longer have a Coutts account, just look at the riff-raff they let in, first Nigel Farage, then there's this from another PB.

Unexpected Coutts Account Holders, pt.II: Thom Yorke.

No surprises

MattW said:

Richard_Tyndall said:

Omnium said:

Farage, apology, World news.. WTF!

If you are watching the BBC that is because they have done this idiotic thing where they have basically got rid of the differentiation between the world news channel and the national news channel as far as 24 hour news goes. So you get this strange situation where the news travels round the world in an 8 hour cycle but still keeps both the national and international news mixed together. So you get this strange situation where during, for example, the Singapore slot, you still get UK national news items being reported from the newsdesk in Singapore.

As far as I can see the World News channel in the morning is running British Daytime TV.

Is that correct? I haven't been more interested than to go "OMG", and switch to BBC WS radio or DW or France 24, all of which are more bearable at that time.

I like France 24 and Al Jazzera. They seems to have a much wider scope and range of news items that never really get mentioned on UK news channels. All the UK channels look very parochial by comparison.

Miklosvar said:

SirNorfolkPassmore said:

Miklosvar said:

There's 1,500 on offer on smarkets at 1.01. Who risks £1,500 to make £15?

If you're certain, 1% return in a few hours is quite good.

I laid Trump and backed Biden as next President at very short odds at the time of the legal challenges at the last Presidential election. Maybe I was wrong and Trump had a non-zero chance. But it felt like taking small sums from idiots.

Pennies and steamrollers. At 1.01 you have to be looking at solvency and actuarial risks and stuff. You can make the same risk free in 8 weeks with a fscs guarantee at current interest rates

Eight hours is a shorter period than eight weeks.

I appreciate you may think the risk is sufficient not to bother on this one, and indeed I'm not. But very short odds betting isn't crazy if you're certain and the payout timeline is very short.

RochdalePioneers said:

RochdalePioneers said:

LostPassword said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

One of the very best TV programmes every made in my opinion.

But I'd be a bit concerned that someone would find something to object to in it these days. There's a bit of caricature about some of the characters that people often kick up a fuss about these days. And hasn't Tony Robinson been cancelled for one offence or another?

LostPassword said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

One of the very best TV programmes every made in my opinion.

But I'd be a bit concerned that someone would find something to object to in it these days. There's a bit of caricature about some of the characters that people often kick up a fuss about these days. And hasn't Tony Robinson been cancelled for one offence or another?

It was bloody marvellous. Empowering for girls and minorities, quirky, funny, teaching (kind of) history. All the things that GBeebies viewers despise.

Robin Hood reminds me of David Cameron. A bit posh, a bit crap but full of himself, taking the credit for the work of others.

But as with Robin Hood, he meant well.

As for the BBC News UK/World merger and the train ticket office thing, they're both canaries for the state of the nation.

A properly high-minded BBC News channel that looked at the world with its feet rooted in the UK... That would probably work. Might not get a huge audience, but like the World Service on radio, it could work as an idea. But what we've got is a mess, because it's just about cuts to save money. (Talking of which, the BBC local fiasco is starting to bite.)

Similarly, you could get rid of train ticket offices as a sign of confidence- the system is so simple and easy to use that people behind counters are literally redundant. But what we're getting is just another bit of cheese paring. And everyone knows it.

Unfortunately, we can't have nice things, because we're not rich enough any more

Cookie said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

In all honesty, that was my initial suspicion when I first saw it.
But the thing is, it was good.
You can get away with a lot if your product is actually good. Nowadays, mostly they forget that bit (see Women Ghostbusters (can't remember the real name)).
Everybody now: It's pancake day, it's pancake day, it's p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pancake day...

A load of classic kids TV on BritBox for the summer. Have now moved onto Rentaghost

Florida…

New Florida teaching standards say African Americans received some ‘personal benefit’ from slavery
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/20/florida-black-history-teaching-standards-00107067

Nigelb said:

Florida…

New Florida teaching standards say African Americans received some ‘personal benefit’ from slavery
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/20/florida-black-history-teaching-standards-00107067

Bit shit for the ones who didn't survive the trip to the Land of the Free, then.

Stuartinromford said:

RochdalePioneers said:

RochdalePioneers said:

LostPassword said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

One of the very best TV programmes every made in my opinion.

But I'd be a bit concerned that someone would find something to object to in it these days. There's a bit of caricature about some of the characters that people often kick up a fuss about these days. And hasn't Tony Robinson been cancelled for one offence or another?

LostPassword said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

One of the very best TV programmes every made in my opinion.

But I'd be a bit concerned that someone would find something to object to in it these days. There's a bit of caricature about some of the characters that people often kick up a fuss about these days. And hasn't Tony Robinson been cancelled for one offence or another?

It was bloody marvellous. Empowering for girls and minorities, quirky, funny, teaching (kind of) history. All the things that GBeebies viewers despise.

Robin Hood reminds me of David Cameron. A bit posh, a bit crap but full of himself, taking the credit for the work of others.

But as with Robin Hood, he meant well.

As for the BBC News UK/World merger and the train ticket office thing, they're both canaries for the state of the nation.

A properly high-minded BBC News channel that looked at the world with its feet rooted in the UK... That would probably work. Might not get a huge audience, but like the World Service on radio, it could work as an idea. But what we've got is a mess, because it's just about cuts to save money. (Talking of which, the BBC local fiasco is starting to bite.)

Similarly, you could get rid of train ticket offices as a sign of confidence- the system is so simple and easy to use that people behind counters are literally redundant. But what we're getting is just another bit of cheese paring. And everyone knows it.

Unfortunately, we can't have nice things, because we're not rich enough any more

Of course we are rich enough. We are the 6th largest GDP in the world and our tax take as a share of GDP is bang in the middle of the G7. It is not how much money we have it is how we spend it that is at fault.

MattW said:

Richard_Tyndall said:

MattW said:

Richard_Tyndall said:

Omnium said:

Farage, apology, World news.. WTF!

If you are watching the BBC that is because they have done this idiotic thing where they have basically got rid of the differentiation between the world news channel and the national news channel as far as 24 hour news goes. So you get this strange situation where the news travels round the world in an 8 hour cycle but still keeps both the national and international news mixed together. So you get this strange situation where during, for example, the Singapore slot, you still get UK national news items being reported from the newsdesk in Singapore.

As far as I can see the World News channel in the morning is running British Daytime TV.

Is that correct? I haven't been more interested than to go "OMG", and switch to BBC WS radio or DW or France 24, all of which are more bearable at that time.

I like France 24 and Al Jazzera. They seems to have a much wider scope and range of news items that never really get mentioned on UK news channels. All the UK channels look very parochial by comparison.

I find France 24 to cover the Francophone world and especially former imperial areas (esp North Africa), whilst the BBC WS radio is very comprehensive. Which could of course be because we have far more former empire regions - in late Victorian times the British Empire was nearly 25% of world GDP.

I must admit I was surprised to see that the BBC reporter covering the New Zealand shootings was based in... Sydney. Does New Zealand no longer merit a correspondant?

Leon said:

Richard_Tyndall said:

I do find the concern about the colour of someones skin (or gender) in a work of fiction to be a strange concept. I think one of the best versions of David Copperfield I have ever seen was the 2019 version with Dev Patel. Just brilliant because all you could see was the quality of the acting.

It does worry me that we have this move towards claiming that minority characters can only be played by someone from that minority. It seems to undermine the whole point of acting.

Snow White not being very very white does seem a tad egregious. In the latest movie she is kinda Hispanic and dusky

The whole point of the fairy tale is that she has snowy white skin. Hence her name

I’ve no problem with casting anyone as anyone, within reason, but when it actually destroys the basic premise of the story: then yes. I have a problem.

Yep I can see that. But such specific examples don't detract from the overall argument.

Cookie said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

In all honesty, that was my initial suspicion when I first saw it.
But the thing is, it was good.
You can get away with a lot if your product is actually good. Nowadays, mostly they forget that bit (see Women Ghostbusters (can't remember the real name)).
Everybody now: It's pancake day, it's pancake day, it's p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pancake day...

The women ghostbusters was ace. Really well done. Do not understand the hostility towards it.

Does anyone here know anything about something called "Forbes Breaking News" which keeps popping up on my YouTube. And appears to be 100% MAGA-maniac bullshit.

For example, latest is touting . . . wait for it . . . Robert F Kennedy Jr.

They also think that Jim Jordan is the bees knees.

And saws online, that Forbes is now under majority-Chinese/HK ownership. Coincidence?

RochdalePioneers said:

Cookie said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

In all honesty, that was my initial suspicion when I first saw it.
But the thing is, it was good.
You can get away with a lot if your product is actually good. Nowadays, mostly they forget that bit (see Women Ghostbusters (can't remember the real name)).
Everybody now: It's pancake day, it's pancake day, it's p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pancake day...

A load of classic kids TV on BritBox for the summer. Have now moved onto Rentaghost

Not a series well served by DVD release or YouTube.

Lynda La Plante, when she was a jobbing actor, appeared in it for a season or two.

It’s entertaining stuff.

OnlyLivingBoy said:

Nigelb said:

Florida…

New Florida teaching standards say African Americans received some ‘personal benefit’ from slavery
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/20/florida-black-history-teaching-standards-00107067

The only major upside of climate change will be when Florida slips beneath the Atlantic waves.

And lose the treasure that is Maro-bonehead-o-sado? I wonder what he has there? Nutter, President, 4 years, 'no rules',... it's going to be disappointing. The empty man.

Leon said:

Richard_Tyndall said:

I do find the concern about the colour of someones skin (or gender) in a work of fiction to be a strange concept. I think one of the best versions of David Copperfield I have ever seen was the 2019 version with Dev Patel. Just brilliant because all you could see was the quality of the acting.

It does worry me that we have this move towards claiming that minority characters can only be played by someone from that minority. It seems to undermine the whole point of acting.

Snow White not being very very white does seem a tad egregious. In the latest movie she is kinda Hispanic and dusky

The whole point of the fairy tale is that she has snowy white skin. Hence her name

I’ve no problem with casting anyone as anyone, within reason, but when it actually destroys the basic premise of the story: then yes. I have a problem.

It's ironic because the Hispanic star, Rachel Zegler, rose to fame playing Maria in the Spielberg remake of West Side Story, where she took on the role (a Puerto Rican) that had been played by Natalie Wood, a white actress, in the original film. So perhaps this is some kind of payback.
I wonder whether this will cause the same furore as when Disney remade the Little Mermaid with a black actor, Halle Bailey, in the title role - when everyone knows that mermaids are white!

LostPassword said:

Cookie said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

In all honesty, that was my initial suspicion when I first saw it.
But the thing is, it was good.
You can get away with a lot if your product is actually good. Nowadays, mostly they forget that bit (see Women Ghostbusters (can't remember the real name)).
Everybody now: It's pancake day, it's pancake day, it's p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pancake day...

The women ghostbusters was ace. Really well done. Do not understand the hostility towards it.

Because it was NOT funny? Which is problematic for an (alleged) comedy?

Omnium said:

Farage, apology, World news.. WTF!

They're spreading the message that the City of London is happy to take (almost) ANY rich person's money, and they're spreading it worldwide.

The question is whether Nigel Farage has got Russian snow on his boots. This is a man who

1. Has frequently appeared on Russia Today.

2. Was a leading figure on one side of the Brexit referendum pushing for a result that among foreign leaders practically only President Putin signalled that he wanted.

3. Represents a political tendency that is somewhat fluid and has been backed by the Russian state elsewhere including in France.

4. Acts in a way that shall we say causes awkwardness in the City of London, at a time when the Russian government has signalled that it puts a lot of blame on the British government for backing the Ukrainian war effort including with specific reference to the latest Kerch bridge incident, to which they said they would respond.

OK roleplay it please. Say you watch British politics and media at the Russian embassy in London or the Britain desk in Moscow. Let's assume for the sake of argument that you had no involvement in the Coutts and Farage story. Do you frame it as a positive or negative development? Then take it from there.

Richard_Tyndall said:

SeaShantyIrish2 said:

Does anyone here know anything about something called "Forbes Breaking News" which keeps popping up on my YouTube. And appears to be 100% MAGA-maniac bullshit.

For example, latest is touting . . . wait for it . . . Robert F Kennedy Jr.

They also think that Jim Jordan is the bees knees.

And saws online, that Forbes is now under majority-Chinese/HK ownership. Coincidence?

Not being funny but doesn't Youtube push stuff based on your previous viewing history?

And no, not seen anything of it.

Think they also push stuff that they get paid to push.

I do check out some political stuff, but NOT enough to deserve FBN. Which appears to be similar to GB.

SeaShantyIrish2 said:

LostPassword said:

Cookie said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

In all honesty, that was my initial suspicion when I first saw it.
But the thing is, it was good.
You can get away with a lot if your product is actually good. Nowadays, mostly they forget that bit (see Women Ghostbusters (can't remember the real name)).
Everybody now: It's pancake day, it's pancake day, it's p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pancake day...

The women ghostbusters was ace. Really well done. Do not understand the hostility towards it.

Because it was NOT funny? Which is problematic for an (alleged) comedy?

The original film is actually shit too, as anyone who has watched it as an adult will know. Of course watching it as a kid when it came out I loved it.

Anabobazina said:

Any road… cricket.

Reckon the strategy is to absolutely smash us to 200 lead then stick them in just before lunch.

Thoughts?

It really would be daft for this to be the point at which they decide Bazball isn't the best way to go.

OnlyLivingBoy said:

SeaShantyIrish2 said:

LostPassword said:

Cookie said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

In all honesty, that was my initial suspicion when I first saw it.
But the thing is, it was good.
You can get away with a lot if your product is actually good. Nowadays, mostly they forget that bit (see Women Ghostbusters (can't remember the real name)).
Everybody now: It's pancake day, it's pancake day, it's p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pancake day...

The women ghostbusters was ace. Really well done. Do not understand the hostility towards it.

Because it was NOT funny? Which is problematic for an (alleged) comedy?

The original film is actually shit too, as anyone who has watched it as an adult will know. Of course watching it as a kid when it came out I loved it.

Disagree, seeing as how I was an adult when I first saw it, and still think it's funny.

BTT that "anyone who has watched it as an adult will know" is pretty juvenile IMHO.

Peck said:

Omnium said:

Farage, apology, World news.. WTF!

They're spreading the message that the City of London is happy to take (almost) ANY rich person's money, and they're spreading it worldwide.

The question is whether Nigel Farage has got Russian snow on his boots. This is a man who

1. Has frequently appeared on Russia Today.

2. Was a leading figure on one side of the Brexit referendum pushing for a result that among foreign leaders practically only President Putin signalled that he wanted.

3. Represents a political tendency that is somewhat fluid and has been backed by the Russian state elsewhere including in France.

4. Acts in a way that shall we say causes awkwardness in the City of London, at a time when the Russian government has signalled that it puts a lot of blame on the British government for backing the Ukrainian war effort including with specific reference to the latest Kerch bridge incident, to which they said they would respond.

So I guess we'll agree that Farage news is of little importance then? If there was never, ever a Farage story ever again I'd not be unhappy. (Unless of course he has something of merit to say. And once upon a time he did)

Your point 2 is meaningless - of course he was on the side of Brexit. He was there long before any world leaders could be involved.

1, 3 and 4 aren't terribly damning either.

Richard_Tyndall said:

OnlyLivingBoy said:

Leon said:

Richard_Tyndall said:

I do find the concern about the colour of someones skin (or gender) in a work of fiction to be a strange concept. I think one of the best versions of David Copperfield I have ever seen was the 2019 version with Dev Patel. Just brilliant because all you could see was the quality of the acting.

It does worry me that we have this move towards claiming that minority characters can only be played by someone from that minority. It seems to undermine the whole point of acting.

Snow White not being very very white does seem a tad egregious. In the latest movie she is kinda Hispanic and dusky

The whole point of the fairy tale is that she has snowy white skin. Hence her name

I’ve no problem with casting anyone as anyone, within reason, but when it actually destroys the basic premise of the story: then yes. I have a problem.

It's ironic because the Hispanic star, Rachel Zegler, rose to fame playing Maria in the Spielberg remake of West Side Story, where she took on the role (a Puerto Rican) that had been played by Natalie Wood, a white actress, in the original film. So perhaps this is some kind of payback.
I wonder whether this will cause the same furore as when Disney remade the Little Mermaid with a black actor, Halle Bailey, in the title role - when everyone knows that mermaids are white!

I think the Halle Bailey Mermaid is fine. But I do get the point Leon is making about a character called 'Snow White' because of a specific characteristic but who then... wasn't.

Not that it is really worth falling out over

First time I have ever heard anyone saw that "Snow White" was called that because of her lily-white skin color.

Stupidly, always assumed it was because she was pure at heart.

LostPassword said:

Richard_Tyndall said:

LostPassword said:

Cookie said:

RochdalePioneers said:

I'm watching this horrible woke kids program where they've regendered the lead role and added a rasta just to be PC. It's a terrible sign of modernity in this leftie do-gooder world.

No, hang on, it's Maid Marion and Her Merry Men from 1989.

In all honesty, that was my initial suspicion when I first saw it.
But the thing is, it was good.
You can get away with a lot if your product is actually good. Nowadays, mostly they forget that bit (see Women Ghostbusters (can't remember the real name)).
Everybody now: It's pancake day, it's pancake day, it's p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pancake day...

The women ghostbusters was ace. Really well done. Do not understand the hostility towards it.

I just didn't find it funny. I was surprised because I like the actors in it. But it really lacked that spark that made the first two such fun. I do wonder if it was just down to the lack of two specific actors - Dan Ackroyd and Bill Murray. I suspect that an all male remake would have fallen equally flat without them.

And I thought the writing was lazy. Its a bit like the Jodie Whittaker Doctor Who. She is a fab actress and it could have been fab. The fact it wasn't has nothing to do with her at all and everything to do with really (REALLY!) poor writing that walked all over canon.

I agree that the writing for the Jodie Whittaker Doctor was almost completely awful, but I found the ghostbusters very funny. Maybe it's easy to make me laugh.

To each their own! And vive la difference! (In manner of speaking.)

SeaShantyIrish2 said:

Richard_Tyndall said:

OnlyLivingBoy said:

Leon said:

Richard_Tyndall said:

I do find the concern about the colour of someones skin (or gender) in a work of fiction to be a strange concept. I think one of the best versions of David Copperfield I have ever seen was the 2019 version with Dev Patel. Just brilliant because all you could see was the quality of the acting.

It does worry me that we have this move towards claiming that minority characters can only be played by someone from that minority. It seems to undermine the whole point of acting.

Snow White not being very very white does seem a tad egregious. In the latest movie she is kinda Hispanic and dusky

The whole point of the fairy tale is that she has snowy white skin. Hence her name

I’ve no problem with casting anyone as anyone, within reason, but when it actually destroys the basic premise of the story: then yes. I have a problem.

It's ironic because the Hispanic star, Rachel Zegler, rose to fame playing Maria in the Spielberg remake of West Side Story, where she took on the role (a Puerto Rican) that had been played by Natalie Wood, a white actress, in the original film. So perhaps this is some kind of payback.
I wonder whether this will cause the same furore as when Disney remade the Little Mermaid with a black actor, Halle Bailey, in the title role - when everyone knows that mermaids are white!

I think the Halle Bailey Mermaid is fine. But I do get the point Leon is making about a character called 'Snow White' because of a specific characteristic but who then... wasn't.

Not that it is really worth falling out over

First time I have ever heard anyone saw that "Snow White" was called that because of her lily-white skin color.

Stupidly, always assumed it was because she was pure at heart.

Mae West: I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.

TheScreamingEagles said:

This might be the greatest piece of sports journalism ever.

This has been an Ashes series of nip and tuck, of ebb and flow, of fine margins and a pendulum that has swung one way and then the other. But on a giddy second day at Old Trafford these themes were burned to the ground by a frankly absurd 189 from Zak Crawley and three sessions of outright English dominance over Australia.

Will it be enough to set up a blockbuster decider at the Oval? The weather gods may yet have their say. But England could scarcely have put themselves in a better position to make it so, their plunderbats having treated Pat Cummins & co with a level of contempt last witnessed from the Fast Show’s competitive dad all those years ago.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jul/20/england-australia-ashes-fourth-test-day-two-match-report

Totally separate but I love how there is an advert for smartmeters now with "Dave Angel, Eco Warrior" in it, played in a way as to suggest everyone remembers who hell he. The Fast Show lives forever.

Nigelb said:

Florida…

New Florida teaching standards say African Americans received some ‘personal benefit’ from slavery
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/20/florida-black-history-teaching-standards-00107067

Wasn't there an HMG sponsored report that suggesting accentuating the positives for descendants of Carribean slaves?