"1️⃣ Sometimes I hate living in this country. I’m part of the generation whose university fees were tripled during austerity, while pensioners got the triple lock to protect their incomes.
2️⃣ I spent 3 years of my 20s locked indoors during Covid, to “protect the NHS” but let’s be honest: it was mostly to protect older people who faced far higher mortality.
3️⃣ Since then, living standards have collapsed, costs have soared, and older homeowners block new housing and infrastructure to protect the value of their assets leaving my generation locked out of home ownership and with soaring utilities bills.
4️⃣ Meanwhile, taxes keep rising to fund handouts for pensioners with household incomes of £70,000 — far more than many people my age earn — and we get nothing.
5️⃣ We’re spending £8 million a day housing and feeding illegal migrants, while my generation either lives with parents into our 30s or burns 50%+ of our income on rent.
6️⃣ Today's pensioners are the wealthiest cohort in Britain, ever. Over their lifetimes, they’ll take £2–£3 in state benefits & services for every £1 they paid in tax, state pensions, NHS, free education, housing market gains, minimal pension contributions.
7️⃣ It’s a complete pisstake.
No wonder young people are leaving.
We are treated with utter contempt compared to illegal arrivals and relatively wealthy retirees."
If it wasn't for the unpleasant and unnecessary racial dogwhistles that detract from the point, I would have liked that.
1. There’s no racist dog whistles
2. The guy that wrote the tweet is black
Other than that, good point
1. Point 5 and "We are treated with utter contempt compared to illegal arrivals" are racist dog whistles.
We're treated with contempt compared to relatively wealthy retirees, absolutely, but not compared to asylum seekers who are forbidden to work and given a pittance to live on.
2. Are =if you claiming black people can't be racist?
Attitudes like yours - "shut up, you racist" - are precisely why Reform is leading the polls, and is gaining ground, every day, with younger Britons
I never said shut up, but yes claiming to be treated worse than asylum seekers is an absurd falsehood/dog whistle.
Would you like to be forbidden from working and obliged to live off £49.18 per week?
I would not.
I would not wish it on you.
I would not wish it on anyone.
There are ways to critique the system and the amount spent without resorting to such hyperbole.
You absolutely accused him of being a racist. You said he used "an unpleasant and unnecessary racial dogwhistle", and you said for that reason you were going to ignore him. In short, you said "shut up, you racist"
Do keep going, As things stand I want Reform to win the next election and people like you will deliver that
I never said shut up, I am pro-free speech. Shut up is your words, not mine. I'm entirely comfortable with people I disagree with expressing their opinion.
I have said what I think was an unpleasant dog whistle and why. That's my free speech.
It is. And I heartily applaud. Because British people are really tired of being called "racist" for offering the slightest complaint about migration, and the accusation is, I now think, actually counter productive. Driving people to Reform. So, more please
Complain about migration all you like. I've had many a thoughtful debate on that with people here without saying anyone was making absurd racial dog whistles.
Complaining that you're treated worse than someone forbidden from working and obliged to live off £49.18 is absurd an absurd racial dog whistle though.
Unless for some reason you are prohibited from working and have less than £49 a week to live off, including for food?
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
It’s the forward of the latest reprint of the book. If it was some random person giving there opinion that’s one thing but thus is literally the foreward to the latest print.
Of course it merits discussion and critique.
Perkins-Valdez is going to struggle with Middlemarch, Emma, Dombey and Son, the Song of Solomon, and Barchester Towers. Once you have noted the lack of 'race and ethnicity' what more is there to say?
I love TS Eliot's poetry even though I hardly understand any of it.
TS Eliot thought of that when he said: ‘Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood’.
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
She’s (I think) pretty stupid if she can’t understand what 1984 is all about simply because there’s no black characters in it.
Her Foreword was accepted by the publishers. That's interesting in itself, since she seemingly can't find a way in to a novel which lacks her keywords.
Her foreword if you read more about it is quite thoughtful and entirely in line with the kind of discussion that Orwell was absolutely in favour of.
While the foreword has prompted the familiar battle lines playing out across the Trump-era culture wars, Beers sees the conversation itself as in keeping with Orwell's legacy.
"By attempting to place Orwell's work in conversation with changing values and historical understandings in the decades since he was writing," she said, "scholars like Perkins-Valdez are exercising the very freedom to express uncomfortable and difficult opinions that Orwell explicitly championed."
I wonder if a North Korean dissident who had the unlikely good fortune to be able to read 1984 would find the ethnic gaps a major obstacle.
For me, I have read it precisely once, years ago, I would never read it again as what is important about it (as a novel I don't think it's all that good) is embedded in my heart and is irremovable.
The Orwell novel I actually remember is 'A Clergyman's Daughter', which I loved and still do.
Orwell is a fascinating writer, if you're a writer
He was very skilful at lyrical prose as a young man: the compelling image, vivid similes, clever metaphors, he could do it all. eg About age 20 he described the flames of a hearth-fire as resembling "red holly" which is kinda genius
But he renounced all that - his own talent - and decided to adopt the most plain prose style possible. He said prose should be like "a window pane", through which you can clearly perceive the meaning. Any adornment is a distraction. So he junked his own gifts
And then wrote arguably the most important novel in the English language - 1984 - along with several other classics, Animal Farm, Down and Out, Homage to Catalonia. One wonders what he would have done if he hadn't died so young
I’d take California into our Union if they asked nicely.
"The United Kingdom of Great Britain and California" has a curiously interesting ring to it, like a stately home meeting Hollywood. Canada is surely the slightly more possible of the option, though.
Harry and Meghan could be Viceroys of California.
Not if California is part of the UK. No royal representative is needed. The United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Canada and California would be a single unity.
"1️⃣ Sometimes I hate living in this country. I’m part of the generation whose university fees were tripled during austerity, while pensioners got the triple lock to protect their incomes.
2️⃣ I spent 3 years of my 20s locked indoors during Covid, to “protect the NHS” but let’s be honest: it was mostly to protect older people who faced far higher mortality.
3️⃣ Since then, living standards have collapsed, costs have soared, and older homeowners block new housing and infrastructure to protect the value of their assets leaving my generation locked out of home ownership and with soaring utilities bills.
4️⃣ Meanwhile, taxes keep rising to fund handouts for pensioners with household incomes of £70,000 — far more than many people my age earn — and we get nothing.
5️⃣ We’re spending £8 million a day housing and feeding illegal migrants, while my generation either lives with parents into our 30s or burns 50%+ of our income on rent.
6️⃣ Today's pensioners are the wealthiest cohort in Britain, ever. Over their lifetimes, they’ll take £2–£3 in state benefits & services for every £1 they paid in tax, state pensions, NHS, free education, housing market gains, minimal pension contributions.
7️⃣ It’s a complete pisstake.
No wonder young people are leaving.
We are treated with utter contempt compared to illegal arrivals and relatively wealthy retirees."
If it wasn't for the unpleasant and unnecessary racial dogwhistles that detract from the point, I would have liked that.
1. There’s no racist dog whistles
2. The guy that wrote the tweet is black
Other than that, good point
1. Point 5 and "We are treated with utter contempt compared to illegal arrivals" are racist dog whistles.
We're treated with contempt compared to relatively wealthy retirees, absolutely, but not compared to asylum seekers who are forbidden to work and given a pittance to live on.
2. Are =if you claiming black people can't be racist?
Attitudes like yours - "shut up, you racist" - are precisely why Reform is leading the polls, and is gaining ground, every day, with younger Britons
I never said shut up, but yes claiming to be treated worse than asylum seekers is an absurd falsehood/dog whistle.
Would you like to be forbidden from working and obliged to live off £49.18 per week?
I would not.
I would not wish it on you.
I would not wish it on anyone.
There are ways to critique the system and the amount spent without resorting to such hyperbole.
You absolutely accused him of being a racist. You said he used "an unpleasant and unnecessary racial dogwhistle", and you said for that reason you were going to ignore him. In short, you said "shut up, you racist"
Do keep going, As things stand I want Reform to win the next election and people like you will deliver that
I never said shut up, I am pro-free speech. Shut up is your words, not mine. I'm entirely comfortable with people I disagree with expressing their opinion.
I have said what I think was an unpleasant dog whistle and why. That's my free speech.
It is. And I heartily applaud. Because British people are really tired of being called "racist" for offering the slightest complaint about migration, and the accusation is, I now think, actually counter productive. Driving people to Reform. So, more please
Complain about migration all you like. I've had many a thoughtful debate on that with people here without saying anyone was making absurd racial dog whistles.
Complaining that you're treated worse than someone forbidden from working and obliged to live off £49.18 is absurd an absurd racial dog whistle though.
Unless for some reason you are prohibited from working and have less than £49 a week to live off, including for food?
Just keep calling him a racist, is all I ask. It shouldn't be hard for you, because you absolutely LOVE to do Woke virtue signalling, don't you?
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
She’s (I think) pretty stupid if she can’t understand what 1984 is all about simply because there’s no black characters in it.
Her Foreword was accepted by the publishers. That's interesting in itself, since she seemingly can't find a way in to a novel which lacks her keywords.
Her foreword if you read more about it is quite thoughtful and entirely in line with the kind of discussion that Orwell was absolutely in favour of.
While the foreword has prompted the familiar battle lines playing out across the Trump-era culture wars, Beers sees the conversation itself as in keeping with Orwell's legacy.
"By attempting to place Orwell's work in conversation with changing values and historical understandings in the decades since he was writing," she said, "scholars like Perkins-Valdez are exercising the very freedom to express uncomfortable and difficult opinions that Orwell explicitly championed."
I wonder if a North Korean dissident who had the unlikely good fortune to be able to read 1984 would find the ethnic gaps a major obstacle.
For me, I have read it precisely once, years ago, I would never read it again as what is important about it (as a novel I don't think it's all that good) is embedded in my heart and is irremovable.
The Orwell novel I actually remember is 'A Clergyman's Daughter', which I loved and still do.
Orwell is a fascinating writer, if you're a writer
He was very skilful at lyrical prose as a young man: the compelling image, vivid similes, clever metaphors, he could do it all. eg About age 20 he described the flames of a hearth-fire as resembling "red holly" which is kinda genius
But he renounced all that - his own talent - and decided to adopt the most plain prose style possible. He said prose should be like "a window pane", through which you can clearly perceive the meaning. Any adornment is a distraction. So he junked his own gifts
And then wrote arguably the most important novel in the English language - 1984 - along with several other classics, Animal Farm, Down and Out, Homage to Catalonia. One wonders what he would have done if he hadn't died so young
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
She’s (I think) pretty stupid if she can’t understand what 1984 is all about simply because there’s no black characters in it.
Her Foreword was accepted by the publishers. That's interesting in itself, since she seemingly can't find a way in to a novel which lacks her keywords.
Her foreword if you read more about it is quite thoughtful and entirely in line with the kind of discussion that Orwell was absolutely in favour of.
While the foreword has prompted the familiar battle lines playing out across the Trump-era culture wars, Beers sees the conversation itself as in keeping with Orwell's legacy.
"By attempting to place Orwell's work in conversation with changing values and historical understandings in the decades since he was writing," she said, "scholars like Perkins-Valdez are exercising the very freedom to express uncomfortable and difficult opinions that Orwell explicitly championed."
I wonder if a North Korean dissident who had the unlikely good fortune to be able to read 1984 would find the ethnic gaps a major obstacle.
For me, I have read it precisely once, years ago, I would never read it again as what is important about it (as a novel I don't think it's all that good) is embedded in my heart and is irremovable.
The Orwell novel I actually remember is 'A Clergyman's Daughter', which I loved and still do.
Orwell is a fascinating writer, if you're a writer
He was very skilful at lyrical prose as a young man: the compelling image, vivid similes, clever metaphors, he could do it all. eg About age 20 he described the flames of a hearth-fire as resembling "red holly" which is kinda genius
But he renounced all that - his own talent - and decided to adopt the most plain prose style possible. He said prose should be like "a window pane", through which you can clearly perceive the meaning. Any adornment is a distraction. So he junked his own gifts
And then wrote arguably the most important novel in the English language - 1984 - along with several other classics, Animal Farm, Down and Out, Homage to Catalonia. One wonders what he would have done if he hadn't died so young
Maybe 1984 wouldn't have been 1984 if he hadn't known he was running out of time.
"1️⃣ Sometimes I hate living in this country. I’m part of the generation whose university fees were tripled during austerity, while pensioners got the triple lock to protect their incomes.
2️⃣ I spent 3 years of my 20s locked indoors during Covid, to “protect the NHS” but let’s be honest: it was mostly to protect older people who faced far higher mortality.
3️⃣ Since then, living standards have collapsed, costs have soared, and older homeowners block new housing and infrastructure to protect the value of their assets leaving my generation locked out of home ownership and with soaring utilities bills.
4️⃣ Meanwhile, taxes keep rising to fund handouts for pensioners with household incomes of £70,000 — far more than many people my age earn — and we get nothing.
5️⃣ We’re spending £8 million a day housing and feeding illegal migrants, while my generation either lives with parents into our 30s or burns 50%+ of our income on rent.
6️⃣ Today's pensioners are the wealthiest cohort in Britain, ever. Over their lifetimes, they’ll take £2–£3 in state benefits & services for every £1 they paid in tax, state pensions, NHS, free education, housing market gains, minimal pension contributions.
7️⃣ It’s a complete pisstake.
No wonder young people are leaving.
We are treated with utter contempt compared to illegal arrivals and relatively wealthy retirees."
If it wasn't for the unpleasant and unnecessary racial dogwhistles that detract from the point, I would have liked that.
1. There’s no racist dog whistles
2. The guy that wrote the tweet is black
Other than that, good point
1. Point 5 and "We are treated with utter contempt compared to illegal arrivals" are racist dog whistles.
We're treated with contempt compared to relatively wealthy retirees, absolutely, but not compared to asylum seekers who are forbidden to work and given a pittance to live on.
2. Are =if you claiming black people can't be racist?
Attitudes like yours - "shut up, you racist" - are precisely why Reform is leading the polls, and is gaining ground, every day, with younger Britons
I never said shut up, but yes claiming to be treated worse than asylum seekers is an absurd falsehood/dog whistle.
Would you like to be forbidden from working and obliged to live off £49.18 per week?
I would not.
I would not wish it on you.
I would not wish it on anyone.
There are ways to critique the system and the amount spent without resorting to such hyperbole.
You absolutely accused him of being a racist. You said he used "an unpleasant and unnecessary racial dogwhistle", and you said for that reason you were going to ignore him. In short, you said "shut up, you racist"
Do keep going, As things stand I want Reform to win the next election and people like you will deliver that
I never said shut up, I am pro-free speech. Shut up is your words, not mine. I'm entirely comfortable with people I disagree with expressing their opinion.
I have said what I think was an unpleasant dog whistle and why. That's my free speech.
It is. And I heartily applaud. Because British people are really tired of being called "racist" for offering the slightest complaint about migration, and the accusation is, I now think, actually counter productive. Driving people to Reform. So, more please
Complain about migration all you like. I've had many a thoughtful debate on that with people here without saying anyone was making absurd racial dog whistles.
Complaining that you're treated worse than someone forbidden from working and obliged to live off £49.18 is absurd an absurd racial dog whistle though.
Unless for some reason you are prohibited from working and have less than £49 a week to live off, including for food?
Just keep calling him a racist, is all I ask. It shouldn't be hard for you, because you absolutely LOVE to do Woke virtue signalling, don't you?
Whereas you like to call a spade a spade, but God forbid anyone call a racist a racist.
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
She’s (I think) pretty stupid if she can’t understand what 1984 is all about simply because there’s no black characters in it.
Her Foreword was accepted by the publishers. That's interesting in itself, since she seemingly can't find a way in to a novel which lacks her keywords.
Her foreword if you read more about it is quite thoughtful and entirely in line with the kind of discussion that Orwell was absolutely in favour of.
While the foreword has prompted the familiar battle lines playing out across the Trump-era culture wars, Beers sees the conversation itself as in keeping with Orwell's legacy.
"By attempting to place Orwell's work in conversation with changing values and historical understandings in the decades since he was writing," she said, "scholars like Perkins-Valdez are exercising the very freedom to express uncomfortable and difficult opinions that Orwell explicitly championed."
I wonder if a North Korean dissident who had the unlikely good fortune to be able to read 1984 would find the ethnic gaps a major obstacle.
For me, I have read it precisely once, years ago, I would never read it again as what is important about it (as a novel I don't think it's all that good) is embedded in my heart and is irremovable.
The Orwell novel I actually remember is 'A Clergyman's Daughter', which I loved and still do.
Orwell is a fascinating writer, if you're a writer
He was very skilful at lyrical prose as a young man: the compelling image, vivid similes, clever metaphors, he could do it all. eg About age 20 he described the flames of a hearth-fire as resembling "red holly" which is kinda genius
But he renounced all that - his own talent - and decided to adopt the most plain prose style possible. He said prose should be like "a window pane", through which you can clearly perceive the meaning. Any adornment is a distraction. So he junked his own gifts
And then wrote arguably the most important novel in the English language - 1984 - along with several other classics, Animal Farm, Down and Out, Homage to Catalonia. One wonders what he would have done if he hadn't died so young
Maybe 1984 wouldn't have been 1984 if he hadn't known he was running out of time.
Yes, I've often wondered that. Trading your life for a small period of immortal creative genius, like the bluesman Robert Johnson trading with the Devil at the crossroads
Like Sylvia Plath in her last months, as she wrote the poems that made "Ariel"
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
It’s the forward of the latest reprint of the book. If it was some random person giving there opinion that’s one thing but thus is literally the foreward to the latest print.
Of course it merits discussion and critique.
Perkins-Valdez is going to struggle with Middlemarch, Emma, Dombey and Son, the Song of Solomon, and Barchester Towers. Once you have noted the lack of 'race and ethnicity' what more is there to say?
I love TS Eliot's poetry even though I hardly understand any of it.
TS Eliot thought of that when he said: ‘Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood’.
It's in an essay on Dante.
Eliot is an absolutely brilliant critic. Almost better than his poetry, definitely better than his verse drama
I’d take California into our Union if they asked nicely.
"The United Kingdom of Great Britain and California" has a curiously interesting ring to it, like a stately home meeting Hollywood. Canada is surely the slightly more possible of the option, though.
Harry and Meghan could be Viceroys of California.
Not if California is part of the UK. No royal representative is needed. The United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Canada and California would be a single unity.
Surely it has to earn its spurs as a colony for a while?
I’d take California into our Union if they asked nicely.
"The United Kingdom of Great Britain and California" has a curiously interesting ring to it, like a stately home meeting Hollywood. Canada is surely the slightly more possible of the option, though.
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
She’s (I think) pretty stupid if she can’t understand what 1984 is all about simply because there’s no black characters in it.
Her Foreword was accepted by the publishers. That's interesting in itself, since she seemingly can't find a way in to a novel which lacks her keywords.
Her foreword if you read more about it is quite thoughtful and entirely in line with the kind of discussion that Orwell was absolutely in favour of.
While the foreword has prompted the familiar battle lines playing out across the Trump-era culture wars, Beers sees the conversation itself as in keeping with Orwell's legacy.
"By attempting to place Orwell's work in conversation with changing values and historical understandings in the decades since he was writing," she said, "scholars like Perkins-Valdez are exercising the very freedom to express uncomfortable and difficult opinions that Orwell explicitly championed."
I wonder if a North Korean dissident who had the unlikely good fortune to be able to read 1984 would find the ethnic gaps a major obstacle.
For me, I have read it precisely once, years ago, I would never read it again as what is important about it (as a novel I don't think it's all that good) is embedded in my heart and is irremovable.
The Orwell novel I actually remember is 'A Clergyman's Daughter', which I loved and still do.
Orwell is a fascinating writer, if you're a writer
He was very skilful at lyrical prose as a young man: the compelling image, vivid similes, clever metaphors, he could do it all. eg About age 20 he described the flames of a hearth-fire as resembling "red holly" which is kinda genius
But he renounced all that - his own talent - and decided to adopt the most plain prose style possible. He said prose should be like "a window pane", through which you can clearly perceive the meaning. Any adornment is a distraction. So he junked his own gifts
And then wrote arguably the most important novel in the English language - 1984 - along with several other classics, Animal Farm, Down and Out, Homage to Catalonia. One wonders what he would have done if he hadn't died so young
I'd add Coming up for Air to your list. A peon to England before they ruined it.
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
She’s (I think) pretty stupid if she can’t understand what 1984 is all about simply because there’s no black characters in it.
Her Foreword was accepted by the publishers. That's interesting in itself, since she seemingly can't find a way in to a novel which lacks her keywords.
Her foreword if you read more about it is quite thoughtful and entirely in line with the kind of discussion that Orwell was absolutely in favour of.
While the foreword has prompted the familiar battle lines playing out across the Trump-era culture wars, Beers sees the conversation itself as in keeping with Orwell's legacy.
"By attempting to place Orwell's work in conversation with changing values and historical understandings in the decades since he was writing," she said, "scholars like Perkins-Valdez are exercising the very freedom to express uncomfortable and difficult opinions that Orwell explicitly championed."
I wonder if a North Korean dissident who had the unlikely good fortune to be able to read 1984 would find the ethnic gaps a major obstacle.
For me, I have read it precisely once, years ago, I would never read it again as what is important about it (as a novel I don't think it's all that good) is embedded in my heart and is irremovable.
The Orwell novel I actually remember is 'A Clergyman's Daughter', which I loved and still do.
Orwell is a fascinating writer, if you're a writer
He was very skilful at lyrical prose as a young man: the compelling image, vivid similes, clever metaphors, he could do it all. eg About age 20 he described the flames of a hearth-fire as resembling "red holly" which is kinda genius
But he renounced all that - his own talent - and decided to adopt the most plain prose style possible. He said prose should be like "a window pane", through which you can clearly perceive the meaning. Any adornment is a distraction. So he junked his own gifts
And then wrote arguably the most important novel in the English language - 1984 - along with several other classics, Animal Farm, Down and Out, Homage to Catalonia. One wonders what he would have done if he hadn't died so young
I'd add Coming up for Air to your list. A peon to England before they ruined it.
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
She’s (I think) pretty stupid if she can’t understand what 1984 is all about simply because there’s no black characters in it.
Her Foreword was accepted by the publishers. That's interesting in itself, since she seemingly can't find a way in to a novel which lacks her keywords.
Her foreword if you read more about it is quite thoughtful and entirely in line with the kind of discussion that Orwell was absolutely in favour of.
While the foreword has prompted the familiar battle lines playing out across the Trump-era culture wars, Beers sees the conversation itself as in keeping with Orwell's legacy.
"By attempting to place Orwell's work in conversation with changing values and historical understandings in the decades since he was writing," she said, "scholars like Perkins-Valdez are exercising the very freedom to express uncomfortable and difficult opinions that Orwell explicitly championed."
I wonder if a North Korean dissident who had the unlikely good fortune to be able to read 1984 would find the ethnic gaps a major obstacle.
For me, I have read it precisely once, years ago, I would never read it again as what is important about it (as a novel I don't think it's all that good) is embedded in my heart and is irremovable.
The Orwell novel I actually remember is 'A Clergyman's Daughter', which I loved and still do.
Orwell is a fascinating writer, if you're a writer
He was very skilful at lyrical prose as a young man: the compelling image, vivid similes, clever metaphors, he could do it all. eg About age 20 he described the flames of a hearth-fire as resembling "red holly" which is kinda genius
But he renounced all that - his own talent - and decided to adopt the most plain prose style possible. He said prose should be like "a window pane", through which you can clearly perceive the meaning. Any adornment is a distraction. So he junked his own gifts
And then wrote arguably the most important novel in the English language - 1984 - along with several other classics, Animal Farm, Down and Out, Homage to Catalonia. One wonders what he would have done if he hadn't died so young
I'd add Coming up for Air to your list. A peon to England before they ruined it.
Ironically about the development and building of Surrey stockbroker belt and suburbia that we see as quintessentially English now.
One thing that we can be sure of about Orwell is how much he hated fascism and it's fellow travellers.
Breaking: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has dismissed all 17 members of an expert panel of vaccine advisors that has historically guided the federal government’s vaccine recommendations.
My bedtime reading will be Why Orwell is Important by much-missed Christopher Hitchens.
Many early English novels had identifiably non-white characters (Robinson Crusoe, The Moonstone, arguably Wuthering Heights) and one wonders how many other Black characters may have been latent in the mind of the author. A popular paperback in the style of John Sutherland suggests itself. Was Mrs Bennet Black? What was Elizabeth's problem? being an obvious starting point.
Breaking: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has dismissed all 17 members of an expert panel of vaccine advisors that has historically guided the federal government’s vaccine recommendations.
I’d take California into our Union if they asked nicely.
"The United Kingdom of Great Britain and California" has a curiously interesting ring to it, like a stately home meeting Hollywood. Canada is surely the slightly more possible of the option, though.
We need your help now more than ever to keep providing lifesaving blood to the NHS. Please book an appointment in London, Bristol, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester and other city centre locations. "
"1️⃣ Sometimes I hate living in this country. I’m part of the generation whose university fees were tripled during austerity, while pensioners got the triple lock to protect their incomes.
2️⃣ I spent 3 years of my 20s locked indoors during Covid, to “protect the NHS” but let’s be honest: it was mostly to protect older people who faced far higher mortality.
3️⃣ Since then, living standards have collapsed, costs have soared, and older homeowners block new housing and infrastructure to protect the value of their assets leaving my generation locked out of home ownership and with soaring utilities bills.
4️⃣ Meanwhile, taxes keep rising to fund handouts for pensioners with household incomes of £70,000 — far more than many people my age earn — and we get nothing.
5️⃣ We’re spending £8 million a day housing and feeding illegal migrants, while my generation either lives with parents into our 30s or burns 50%+ of our income on rent.
6️⃣ Today's pensioners are the wealthiest cohort in Britain, ever. Over their lifetimes, they’ll take £2–£3 in state benefits & services for every £1 they paid in tax, state pensions, NHS, free education, housing market gains, minimal pension contributions.
7️⃣ It’s a complete pisstake.
No wonder young people are leaving.
We are treated with utter contempt compared to illegal arrivals and relatively wealthy retirees."
If it wasn't for the unpleasant and unnecessary racial dogwhistles that detract from the point, I would have liked that.
1. There’s no racist dog whistles
2. The guy that wrote the tweet is black
Other than that, good point
1. Point 5 and "We are treated with utter contempt compared to illegal arrivals" are racist dog whistles.
We're treated with contempt compared to relatively wealthy retirees, absolutely, but not compared to asylum seekers who are forbidden to work and given a pittance to live on.
2. Are =if you claiming black people can't be racist?
Attitudes like yours - "shut up, you racist" - are precisely why Reform is leading the polls, and is gaining ground, every day, with younger Britons
I never said shut up, but yes claiming to be treated worse than asylum seekers is an absurd falsehood/dog whistle.
Would you like to be forbidden from working and obliged to live off £49.18 per week?
I would not.
I would not wish it on you.
I would not wish it on anyone.
There are ways to critique the system and the amount spent without resorting to such hyperbole.
You absolutely accused him of being a racist. You said he used "an unpleasant and unnecessary racial dogwhistle", and you said for that reason you were going to ignore him. In short, you said "shut up, you racist"
Do keep going, As things stand I want Reform to win the next election and people like you will deliver that
I never said shut up, I am pro-free speech. Shut up is your words, not mine. I'm entirely comfortable with people I disagree with expressing their opinion.
I have said what I think was an unpleasant dog whistle and why. That's my free speech.
It is. And I heartily applaud. Because British people are really tired of being called "racist" for offering the slightest complaint about migration, and the accusation is, I now think, actually counter productive. Driving people to Reform. So, more please
Complain about migration all you like. I've had many a thoughtful debate on that with people here without saying anyone was making absurd racial dog whistles.
Complaining that you're treated worse than someone forbidden from working and obliged to live off £49.18 is absurd an absurd racial dog whistle though.
Unless for some reason you are prohibited from working and have less than £49 a week to live off, including for food?
Just keep calling him a racist, is all I ask. It shouldn't be hard for you, because you absolutely LOVE to do Woke virtue signalling, don't you?
Bart is right. It’s nowt to do with woke, the original list is a nasty bit of work. insidious. Linking real issues and slipping in a dose of victim blaming.
You are literate. And presumably reasonably informed on the drivers of asylum seeking.
I’d take California into our Union if they asked nicely.
"The United Kingdom of Great Britain and California" has a curiously interesting ring to it, like a stately home meeting Hollywood. Canada is surely the slightly more possible of the option, though.
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
She’s (I think) pretty stupid if she can’t understand what 1984 is all about simply because there’s no black characters in it.
Her Foreword was accepted by the publishers. That's interesting in itself, since she seemingly can't find a way in to a novel which lacks her keywords.
Her foreword if you read more about it is quite thoughtful and entirely in line with the kind of discussion that Orwell was absolutely in favour of.
While the foreword has prompted the familiar battle lines playing out across the Trump-era culture wars, Beers sees the conversation itself as in keeping with Orwell's legacy.
"By attempting to place Orwell's work in conversation with changing values and historical understandings in the decades since he was writing," she said, "scholars like Perkins-Valdez are exercising the very freedom to express uncomfortable and difficult opinions that Orwell explicitly championed."
I wonder if a North Korean dissident who had the unlikely good fortune to be able to read 1984 would find the ethnic gaps a major obstacle.
For me, I have read it precisely once, years ago, I would never read it again as what is important about it (as a novel I don't think it's all that good) is embedded in my heart and is irremovable.
The Orwell novel I actually remember is 'A Clergyman's Daughter', which I loved and still do.
Orwell is a fascinating writer, if you're a writer
He was very skilful at lyrical prose as a young man: the compelling image, vivid similes, clever metaphors, he could do it all. eg About age 20 he described the flames of a hearth-fire as resembling "red holly" which is kinda genius
But he renounced all that - his own talent - and decided to adopt the most plain prose style possible. He said prose should be like "a window pane", through which you can clearly perceive the meaning. Any adornment is a distraction. So he junked his own gifts
And then wrote arguably the most important novel in the English language - 1984 - along with several other classics, Animal Farm, Down and Out, Homage to Catalonia. One wonders what he would have done if he hadn't died so young
I'd add Coming up for Air to your list. A peon to England before they ruined it.
Ironically about the development and building of Surrey stockbroker belt and suburbia that we see as quintessentially English now.
One thing that we can be sure of about Orwell is how much he hated fascism and it's fellow travellers.
To Orwell Fascism (and Communism) represented Modernity in all its manifold ugliness. He was averse to change. He worshipped an English idyll that had achieved perfection during his childhood and he clung to the memory long after it had disappeared. He suffered from the same pessimism many of us do today: that the past was better and the future will be worse.
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
She’s (I think) pretty stupid if she can’t understand what 1984 is all about simply because there’s no black characters in it.
Her Foreword was accepted by the publishers. That's interesting in itself, since she seemingly can't find a way in to a novel which lacks her keywords.
Her foreword if you read more about it is quite thoughtful and entirely in line with the kind of discussion that Orwell was absolutely in favour of.
While the foreword has prompted the familiar battle lines playing out across the Trump-era culture wars, Beers sees the conversation itself as in keeping with Orwell's legacy.
"By attempting to place Orwell's work in conversation with changing values and historical understandings in the decades since he was writing," she said, "scholars like Perkins-Valdez are exercising the very freedom to express uncomfortable and difficult opinions that Orwell explicitly championed."
I wonder if a North Korean dissident who had the unlikely good fortune to be able to read 1984 would find the ethnic gaps a major obstacle.
For me, I have read it precisely once, years ago, I would never read it again as what is important about it (as a novel I don't think it's all that good) is embedded in my heart and is irremovable.
The Orwell novel I actually remember is 'A Clergyman's Daughter', which I loved and still do.
Orwell is a fascinating writer, if you're a writer
He was very skilful at lyrical prose as a young man: the compelling image, vivid similes, clever metaphors, he could do it all. eg About age 20 he described the flames of a hearth-fire as resembling "red holly" which is kinda genius
But he renounced all that - his own talent - and decided to adopt the most plain prose style possible. He said prose should be like "a window pane", through which you can clearly perceive the meaning. Any adornment is a distraction. So he junked his own gifts
And then wrote arguably the most important novel in the English language - 1984 - along with several other classics, Animal Farm, Down and Out, Homage to Catalonia. One wonders what he would have done if he hadn't died so young
I'd add Coming up for Air to your list. A peon to England before they ruined it.
Ironically about the development and building of Surrey stockbroker belt and suburbia that we see as quintessentially English now.
One thing that we can be sure of about Orwell is how much he hated fascism and it's fellow travellers.
To Orwell Fascism (and Communism) represented Modernity in all its manifold ugliness. He was averse to change. He worshipped an English idyll that had achieved perfection during his childhood and he clung to the memory long after it had disappeared. He suffered from the same pessimism many of us do today: that the past was better and the future is worse.
It is the Engish axiom: All change is for the worse.
He also loved the carefree days of revolutionary Catalonia too. It was Stalinism that he disagreed with.
I’d take California into our Union if they asked nicely.
"The United Kingdom of Great Britain and California" has a curiously interesting ring to it, like a stately home meeting Hollywood. Canada is surely the slightly more possible of the option, though.
You’ll now know how long it’ll take your phone to charge!
Definitely BlackBerry vibes now.
It is quite peculiar. They have so much money, but what are they doing with it? As far as I can see, zero in the last few years, even as their rivals race ahead
Who knows, tho. About a year ago I thought Google had lost it, then suddenly Wham, they revealed all the New Stuff. Incredible. And now they are right at the front of the pack. So maybe Apple have something quietly brewing, in the same way...
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
She’s (I think) pretty stupid if she can’t understand what 1984 is all about simply because there’s no black characters in it.
Her Foreword was accepted by the publishers. That's interesting in itself, since she seemingly can't find a way in to a novel which lacks her keywords.
Her foreword if you read more about it is quite thoughtful and entirely in line with the kind of discussion that Orwell was absolutely in favour of.
While the foreword has prompted the familiar battle lines playing out across the Trump-era culture wars, Beers sees the conversation itself as in keeping with Orwell's legacy.
"By attempting to place Orwell's work in conversation with changing values and historical understandings in the decades since he was writing," she said, "scholars like Perkins-Valdez are exercising the very freedom to express uncomfortable and difficult opinions that Orwell explicitly championed."
I wonder if a North Korean dissident who had the unlikely good fortune to be able to read 1984 would find the ethnic gaps a major obstacle.
For me, I have read it precisely once, years ago, I would never read it again as what is important about it (as a novel I don't think it's all that good) is embedded in my heart and is irremovable.
The Orwell novel I actually remember is 'A Clergyman's Daughter', which I loved and still do.
Orwell is a fascinating writer, if you're a writer
He was very skilful at lyrical prose as a young man: the compelling image, vivid similes, clever metaphors, he could do it all. eg About age 20 he described the flames of a hearth-fire as resembling "red holly" which is kinda genius
But he renounced all that - his own talent - and decided to adopt the most plain prose style possible. He said prose should be like "a window pane", through which you can clearly perceive the meaning. Any adornment is a distraction. So he junked his own gifts
And then wrote arguably the most important novel in the English language - 1984 - along with several other classics, Animal Farm, Down and Out, Homage to Catalonia. One wonders what he would have done if he hadn't died so young
I'd add Coming up for Air to your list. A peon to England before they ruined it.
Ironically about the development and building of Surrey stockbroker belt and suburbia that we see as quintessentially English now.
One thing that we can be sure of about Orwell is how much he hated fascism and it's fellow travellers.
One of the things we can be sure about Orwell is that actually, Orwell agreed with whoever is making the point about Orwell.
I’d take California into our Union if they asked nicely.
"The United Kingdom of Great Britain and California" has a curiously interesting ring to it, like a stately home meeting Hollywood. Canada is surely the slightly more possible of the option, though.
Breaking: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has dismissed all 17 members of an expert panel of vaccine advisors that has historically guided the federal government’s vaccine recommendations.
"If they spit, we will hit." This is a statement from the President of the United States concerning the catastrophic Gavin Newscum inspired Riots going on in Los Angeles. The Insurrectionists have a tendency to spit in the face of the National Guardsmen/women, and others. These Patriots are told to accept this, it's just the way life runs. But not in the Trump Administration. IF THEY SPIT, WE WILL HIT, and I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be tolerated!
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
She’s (I think) pretty stupid if she can’t understand what 1984 is all about simply because there’s no black characters in it.
Her Foreword was accepted by the publishers. That's interesting in itself, since she seemingly can't find a way in to a novel which lacks her keywords.
Her foreword if you read more about it is quite thoughtful and entirely in line with the kind of discussion that Orwell was absolutely in favour of.
While the foreword has prompted the familiar battle lines playing out across the Trump-era culture wars, Beers sees the conversation itself as in keeping with Orwell's legacy.
"By attempting to place Orwell's work in conversation with changing values and historical understandings in the decades since he was writing," she said, "scholars like Perkins-Valdez are exercising the very freedom to express uncomfortable and difficult opinions that Orwell explicitly championed."
I wonder if a North Korean dissident who had the unlikely good fortune to be able to read 1984 would find the ethnic gaps a major obstacle.
For me, I have read it precisely once, years ago, I would never read it again as what is important about it (as a novel I don't think it's all that good) is embedded in my heart and is irremovable.
The Orwell novel I actually remember is 'A Clergyman's Daughter', which I loved and still do.
Orwell is a fascinating writer, if you're a writer
He was very skilful at lyrical prose as a young man: the compelling image, vivid similes, clever metaphors, he could do it all. eg About age 20 he described the flames of a hearth-fire as resembling "red holly" which is kinda genius
But he renounced all that - his own talent - and decided to adopt the most plain prose style possible. He said prose should be like "a window pane", through which you can clearly perceive the meaning. Any adornment is a distraction. So he junked his own gifts
And then wrote arguably the most important novel in the English language - 1984 - along with several other classics, Animal Farm, Down and Out, Homage to Catalonia. One wonders what he would have done if he hadn't died so young
I'd add Coming up for Air to your list. A peon to England before they ruined it.
Ironically about the development and building of Surrey stockbroker belt and suburbia that we see as quintessentially English now.
One thing that we can be sure of about Orwell is how much he hated fascism and it's fellow travellers.
One of the things we can be sure about Orwell is that actually, Orwell agreed with whoever is making the point about Orwell.
You’ll now know how long it’ll take your phone to charge!
Definitely BlackBerry vibes now.
It is quite peculiar. They have so much money, but what are they doing with it? As far as I can see, zero in the last few years, even as their rivals race ahead
Who knows, tho. About a year ago I thought Google had lost it, then suddenly Wham, they revealed all the New Stuff. Incredible. And now they are right at the front of the pack. So maybe Apple have something quietly brewing, in the same way...
I've heard that Apple are not happy with their internal AI development and are not far off junking it all and licencing Gemini from Google with a Siri interface. Google and Anthropic are just too far ahead and Apple are said to prefer Gemini because it has a much stricter guard rail than Claude and ChatGPT.
You’ll now know how long it’ll take your phone to charge!
Definitely BlackBerry vibes now.
It is quite peculiar. They have so much money, but what are they doing with it? As far as I can see, zero in the last few years, even as their rivals race ahead
Who knows, tho. About a year ago I thought Google had lost it, then suddenly Wham, they revealed all the New Stuff. Incredible. And now they are right at the front of the pack. So maybe Apple have something quietly brewing, in the same way...
Given how many times the C-level Anthopic exec's have refused to comment on Claude being the new Siri - I was quite surprised the main announcements were new emoji and... some other sh*t I don't care about.
A brilliant writer. A superb journalist. A right wing lunatic. But nobody is perfect.
Who are we talking about?
Frederick Forsyth.
Not Leon, don't worry.
Very much "Freddie" at the club.
But let's not be like that. RIP. Loved "the day of".
God you so wanted him to succeed after all that incredibly dedicated and cunning prep.
"...Don't be fooled by the rocks that he got He's still "Freddie" at the club..."
He did some out-and-out classics (The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File) but I think his later stuff was workmanlike (I enjoyed The Devil's Alternative). I though Len Deighton was perhaps better overall?
Serious development with Rachel Reeves this evening. Rachel Reeves has gone from a fringe to bangs.
Let’s deal with the facts - “A fringe is often more defined and makes a bold statement, while bangs offer a softer, more versatile look that can be adapted to suit.”
Isn't "bangs" just the American word for "a fringe"?
You’ll now know how long it’ll take your phone to charge!
Definitely BlackBerry vibes now.
It is quite peculiar. They have so much money, but what are they doing with it? As far as I can see, zero in the last few years, even as their rivals race ahead
Who knows, tho. About a year ago I thought Google had lost it, then suddenly Wham, they revealed all the New Stuff. Incredible. And now they are right at the front of the pack. So maybe Apple have something quietly brewing, in the same way...
Given how many times the C-level Anthopic exec's have refused to comment on Claude being the new Siri - I was quite surprised the main announcements were new emoji and... some other sh*t I don't care about.
I'd be surprised if it was Claude. Apple already has an existing and pretty deep relationship with Google, they can barter away the default search engine rights to get a big discount for Gemini and Gemini is a lot more woke than Claude which I think will be more in line with Apple's external brand and internal politics.
"If they spit, we will hit." This is a statement from the President of the United States concerning the catastrophic Gavin Newscum inspired Riots going on in Los Angeles. The Insurrectionists have a tendency to spit in the face of the National Guardsmen/women, and others. These Patriots are told to accept this, it's just the way life runs. But not in the Trump Administration. IF THEY SPIT, WE WILL HIT, and I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be tolerated!
"1️⃣ Sometimes I hate living in this country. I’m part of the generation whose university fees were tripled during austerity, while pensioners got the triple lock to protect their incomes.
2️⃣ I spent 3 years of my 20s locked indoors during Covid, to “protect the NHS” but let’s be honest: it was mostly to protect older people who faced far higher mortality.
3️⃣ Since then, living standards have collapsed, costs have soared, and older homeowners block new housing and infrastructure to protect the value of their assets leaving my generation locked out of home ownership and with soaring utilities bills.
4️⃣ Meanwhile, taxes keep rising to fund handouts for pensioners with household incomes of £70,000 — far more than many people my age earn — and we get nothing.
5️⃣ We’re spending £8 million a day housing and feeding illegal migrants, while my generation either lives with parents into our 30s or burns 50%+ of our income on rent.
6️⃣ Today's pensioners are the wealthiest cohort in Britain, ever. Over their lifetimes, they’ll take £2–£3 in state benefits & services for every £1 they paid in tax, state pensions, NHS, free education, housing market gains, minimal pension contributions.
7️⃣ It’s a complete pisstake.
No wonder young people are leaving.
We are treated with utter contempt compared to illegal arrivals and relatively wealthy retirees."
If it wasn't for the unpleasant and unnecessary racial dogwhistles that detract from the point, I would have liked that.
1. There’s no racist dog whistles
2. The guy that wrote the tweet is black
Other than that, good point
1. Point 5 and "We are treated with utter contempt compared to illegal arrivals" are racist dog whistles.
We're treated with contempt compared to relatively wealthy retirees, absolutely, but not compared to asylum seekers who are forbidden to work and given a pittance to live on.
2. Are you claiming black people can't be racist?
Attitudes like yours - "shut up, you racist" - are precisely why Reform is leading the polls, and is gaining ground, every day, with younger Britons
I never said shut up, but yes claiming to be treated worse than asylum seekers is an absurd falsehood/dog whistle.
Would you like to be forbidden from working and obliged to live off £49.18 per week?
I would not.
I would not wish it on you.
I would not wish it on anyone. There are ways to critique the system and the amount spent without resorting to such hyperbole.
Are you new to this site? You are responding to a Leon post. Hyperbole comes free of charge.
You’ll now know how long it’ll take your phone to charge!
Definitely BlackBerry vibes now.
It is quite peculiar. They have so much money, but what are they doing with it? As far as I can see, zero in the last few years, even as their rivals race ahead
Who knows, tho. About a year ago I thought Google had lost it, then suddenly Wham, they revealed all the New Stuff. Incredible. And now they are right at the front of the pack. So maybe Apple have something quietly brewing, in the same way...
Given how many times the C-level Anthopic exec's have refused to comment on Claude being the new Siri - I was quite surprised the main announcements were new emoji and... some other sh*t I don't care about.
It's very dull. And my God I hate what they have done to Apple Photos. You used to be able to search via Location. I think you still can but it is hidden away so deep I constantly forget the intricate method. And all the albums are now mad. Why? Why do that? How does anyone gain from making photos so much harder to find, sort, sift, recall?
That one "upgrade" by itself inclines me to loathe Apple. So if they become the next Nokia, frak 'em
Serious development with Rachel Reeves this evening. Rachel Reeves has gone from a fringe to bangs.
Let’s deal with the facts - “A fringe is often more defined and makes a bold statement, while bangs offer a softer, more versatile look that can be adapted to suit.”
Isn't "bangs" just the American word for "a fringe"
"If they spit, we will hit." This is a statement from the President of the United States concerning the catastrophic Gavin Newscum inspired Riots going on in Los Angeles. The Insurrectionists have a tendency to spit in the face of the National Guardsmen/women, and others. These Patriots are told to accept this, it's just the way life runs. But not in the Trump Administration. IF THEY SPIT, WE WILL HIT, and I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be tolerated!
Putting a trigger warning on 1984 by Orwell with no sense of irony?
There is no irony in debating Orwell's work openly.
That's absolutely what Orwell advocated for.
Surreptitiously editing Orwell's works to change their meanings? That would be ironic.
The right, particularly the US right very often misrepresent Orwell.
But surely Orwell was very pro Califonian venture capitalists and very much in line with both Stoicism and Atlas Shrugged. How could that possibly be misrepresented? He hated the equality he encountered in Catalonia.
If I'm reading my YC-funded retelling of Animal Farm right?
You’ll now know how long it’ll take your phone to charge!
Definitely BlackBerry vibes now.
It is quite peculiar. They have so much money, but what are they doing with it? As far as I can see, zero in the last few years, even as their rivals race ahead
Who knows, tho. About a year ago I thought Google had lost it, then suddenly Wham, they revealed all the New Stuff. Incredible. And now they are right at the front of the pack. So maybe Apple have something quietly brewing, in the same way...
Given how many times the C-level Anthopic exec's have refused to comment on Claude being the new Siri - I was quite surprised the main announcements were new emoji and... some other sh*t I don't care about.
It's very dull. And my God I hate what they have done to Apple Photos. You used to be able to search via Location. I think you still can but it is hidden away so deep I constantly forget the intricate method. And all the albums are now mad. Why? Why do that? How does anyone gain from making photos so much harder to find, sort, sift, recall?
That one "upgrade" by itself inclines me to loathe Apple. So if they become the next Nokia, frak 'em
I was getting my boiler replaced the other week - and was asked to take various pictures of the front/case/pipes. And I 100% did not resent having to spend time googling about trying to figure out how to force the flash to fire when taking a picture in the current iOS. 'Open the camera app, then swipe this way, then that, then - if you're on iOS vX swipe like that and you'll see the option to...., but if you're on iIOS vY then .....'
Serious development with Rachel Reeves this evening. Rachel Reeves has gone from a fringe to bangs.
Let’s deal with the facts - “A fringe is often more defined and makes a bold statement, while bangs offer a softer, more versatile look that can be adapted to suit.”
Isn't "bangs" just the American word for "a fringe"?
I'm now convinced that 'Farage' is a deliberate acronym.
Apple Photos is more difficult to use today than it was 10 years ago. Not joking. (The name might have changed but the program that did the same thing).
There has been disorder in Ballymena after crowds gathered near the location of an alleged sexual assault in the town.
Youths with their faces masked and wearing gloves could be seen throwing masonry.
A police car had what appeared to be two of its windows smashed.
On Clonavon Terrace, which was blocked off on both ends by police Land Rovers, windows of a house had been smashed.
In a statement, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said a "number of missiles have been thrown towards police with damage reported to a number of properties".
You’ll now know how long it’ll take your phone to charge!
Definitely BlackBerry vibes now.
It is quite peculiar. They have so much money, but what are they doing with it? As far as I can see, zero in the last few years, even as their rivals race ahead
Who knows, tho. About a year ago I thought Google had lost it, then suddenly Wham, they revealed all the New Stuff. Incredible. And now they are right at the front of the pack. So maybe Apple have something quietly brewing, in the same way...
Given how many times the C-level Anthopic exec's have refused to comment on Claude being the new Siri - I was quite surprised the main announcements were new emoji and... some other sh*t I don't care about.
It's very dull. And my God I hate what they have done to Apple Photos. You used to be able to search via Location. I think you still can but it is hidden away so deep I constantly forget the intricate method. And all the albums are now mad. Why? Why do that? How does anyone gain from making photos so much harder to find, sort, sift, recall?
That one "upgrade" by itself inclines me to loathe Apple. So if they become the next Nokia, frak 'em
I was getting my boiler replaced the other week - and was asked to take various pictures of the front/case/pipes. And I 100% did not resent having to spend time googling about trying to figure out how to force the flash to fire when taking a picture in the current iOS. 'Open the camera app, then swipe this way, then that, then - if you're on iOS vX swipe like that and you'll see the option to...., but if you're on iIOS vY then .....'
Omg the flash! Yes!
Literally everything is worse than it was, photographically. From the camera onwards
If they weren’t so obviously busy destroying Britain, I would have a strong suspicion that Apple have installed Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves as joint CEOs
Serious development with Rachel Reeves this evening. Rachel Reeves has gone from a fringe to bangs.
Let’s deal with the facts - “A fringe is often more defined and makes a bold statement, while bangs offer a softer, more versatile look that can be adapted to suit.”
Isn't "bangs" just the American word for "a fringe"?
No.
A fringe is more defined and makes a bold statement, bangs are the softer and more versatile look, more adaptable to suit.
Perkins-Valdez, a Black writer also noted the novel's lack of racial representation: "That sliver of connection can be difficult for someone like me to find in a novel that does not speak much to race and ethnicity at all."
He literally says "for someone like me". He's not saying you can't read it; he's saying it doesn't connect with him. God forbid people should have opinions on books!
black people voicing opinions leads to fragile whiteys voting for trump or something. therefore black people should shut up. Am i doing this right?
You’ll now know how long it’ll take your phone to charge!
Definitely BlackBerry vibes now.
It is quite peculiar. They have so much money, but what are they doing with it? As far as I can see, zero in the last few years, even as their rivals race ahead
Who knows, tho. About a year ago I thought Google had lost it, then suddenly Wham, they revealed all the New Stuff. Incredible. And now they are right at the front of the pack. So maybe Apple have something quietly brewing, in the same way...
Given how many times the C-level Anthopic exec's have refused to comment on Claude being the new Siri - I was quite surprised the main announcements were new emoji and... some other sh*t I don't care about.
It's very dull. And my God I hate what they have done to Apple Photos. You used to be able to search via Location. I think you still can but it is hidden away so deep I constantly forget the intricate method. And all the albums are now mad. Why? Why do that? How does anyone gain from making photos so much harder to find, sort, sift, recall?
That one "upgrade" by itself inclines me to loathe Apple. So if they become the next Nokia, frak 'em
I was getting my boiler replaced the other week - and was asked to take various pictures of the front/case/pipes. And I 100% did not resent having to spend time googling about trying to figure out how to force the flash to fire when taking a picture in the current iOS. 'Open the camera app, then swipe this way, then that, then - if you're on iOS vX swipe like that and you'll see the option to...., but if you're on iIOS vY then .....'
Omg the flash! Yes!
Literally everything is worse than it was, photographically. From the camera onwards
If they weren’t so obviously busy destroying Britain, I would have a strong suspicion that Apple have installed Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves as joint CEOs
Apple is seriously missing someone with real vision at the top. Tim Cook is a glorified bean counter and ever since Jony Ive left there's been no one to guide the company vision and the why behind what they do. The vision pro is a good example of a product Steve Jobs would never have released.
Serious development with Rachel Reeves this evening. Rachel Reeves has gone from a fringe to bangs.
Let’s deal with the facts - “A fringe is often more defined and makes a bold statement, while bangs offer a softer, more versatile look that can be adapted to suit.”
Isn't "bangs" just the American word for "a fringe"?
No.
A fringe is more defined and makes a bold statement, bangs are the softer and more versatile look, more adaptable to suit.
But in the US they're all called bangs. See this example:
Apple Photos is more difficult to use today than it was 10 years ago. Not joking. (The name might have changed but the program that did the same thing).
There has been disorder in Ballymena after crowds gathered near the location of an alleged sexual assault in the town.
Youths with their faces masked and wearing gloves could be seen throwing masonry.
A police car had what appeared to be two of its windows smashed.
On Clonavon Terrace, which was blocked off on both ends by police Land Rovers, windows of a house had been smashed.
In a statement, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said a "number of missiles have been thrown towards police with damage reported to a number of properties".
You’ll now know how long it’ll take your phone to charge!
Definitely BlackBerry vibes now.
It is quite peculiar. They have so much money, but what are they doing with it? As far as I can see, zero in the last few years, even as their rivals race ahead
Who knows, tho. About a year ago I thought Google had lost it, then suddenly Wham, they revealed all the New Stuff. Incredible. And now they are right at the front of the pack. So maybe Apple have something quietly brewing, in the same way...
Given how many times the C-level Anthopic exec's have refused to comment on Claude being the new Siri - I was quite surprised the main announcements were new emoji and... some other sh*t I don't care about.
I'd be surprised if it was Claude. Apple already has an existing and pretty deep relationship with Google, they can barter away the default search engine rights to get a big discount for Gemini and Gemini is a lot more woke than Claude which I think will be more in line with Apple's external brand and internal politics.
Historically Apple have been happy being late on things if they can introduce something which works reliably and brand it so as to claim they invented it.
I suspect AI has caught them on the hop: too famous and too useful for this model to work. And reliability is not being valued.
"Trump administration to deploy hundreds of Marines in Los Angeles Decision escalates clash between the federal government and the US’s most populous state"
"Trump administration to deploy hundreds of Marines in Los Angeles Decision escalates clash between the federal government and the US’s most populous state"
"A battalion of 500 U.S. Marines are mobilizing to Los Angeles to respond to anti-immigration enforcement riots, Fox News has learned.
The Marines will be tasked with protecting federal property and federal personnel, according to a senior defense official, and the deployment is open-ended.
The Marines will not be carrying out a law enforcement role, but it’s unclear what their use of force rules are if protesters throw things or spit at them."
"A battalion of 500 U.S. Marines are mobilizing to Los Angeles to respond to anti-immigration enforcement riots, Fox News has learned.
The Marines will be tasked with protecting federal property and federal personnel, according to a senior defense official, and the deployment is open-ended.
The Marines will not be carrying out a law enforcement role, but it’s unclear what their use of force rules are if protesters throw things or spit at them."
"A battalion of 500 U.S. Marines are mobilizing to Los Angeles to respond to anti-immigration enforcement riots, Fox News has learned.
The Marines will be tasked with protecting federal property and federal personnel, according to a senior defense official, and the deployment is open-ended.
The Marines will not be carrying out a law enforcement role, but it’s unclear what their use of force rules are if protesters throw things or spit at them."
Is it just me that would far rather go through a self-checkout than queue to go through a checkout with a person?
Or worse, get stuck behind someone who is enjoying a good gab with the cashier while I'm stood there waiting for them to bugger off, long after their shopping has been scanned.
I'm sure the supermarket workers prefer that you do too. These teabags are 50p off, luv.
So they've now decided to order some F35As, which also can't use it.
There is a couple of things driving this.
1. The RAF love many things about F-35: radar, ECM fit, sensor fusion, etc. They fucking hate one thing about it: the RN are involved. Switching to A keeps all of the things they like about B without the thing they don't. This nuclear weapon sharing bollocks is a cover story which may or probably may not ever happen.
2. The B has one user of any significant volume and that user, the USMC, aren't that keen on it. The MoD are alive to the risk that the B is going to end up orphaned and outside of the main development spiral as the USMC prefer the C and Lockmart focus on F-35 "5.5" which probably won't have a STOVL/B variant.
Is it just me that would far rather go through a self-checkout than queue to go through a checkout with a person?
Or worse, get stuck behind someone who is enjoying a good gab with the cashier while I'm stood there waiting for them to bugger off, long after their shopping has been scanned.
Depends whether I'm in a hurry or not. It's nice to have a choice, just as it's nice to have a choice whether to use cash or cards to pay for things.
His approval "going up and up" implies that it's been going up since his inauguration, which is not the case.
His approval ratings crashed after the liberation day tariffs, and reached a nadir of 53.2% Disapporval/43.6% Approval on April 29th.
His approval numbers started to go up again after he chickened out and "paused" most of the liberation tariffs and then chickend out again & reduced the 145% China tariffs.
I do agree that the MAGA way to win elections is now the default winning position in electoral politics, and is also being successfully copied by other populist parties in other countries.
Most of Reform's policy positions are a word-for-word copy of MAGA policy positions.
For example, Farage's support for coal mining is a copy of Trump's support for coal miners, and so is Farage's opposition to Net Zero.
Why is this surprising? Most people do not support illegal immigrants being in the country, whichever country it is, because they're leapfrogging genuine asylum seekers and making a mockery of the whole system and undermining the fairness of waiting in the queue for your turn. I expect Trump's popularity to stay the same or go up slightly.
You’ll now know how long it’ll take your phone to charge!
Definitely BlackBerry vibes now.
It is quite peculiar. They have so much money, but what are they doing with it? As far as I can see, zero in the last few years, even as their rivals race ahead
Who knows, tho. About a year ago I thought Google had lost it, then suddenly Wham, they revealed all the New Stuff. Incredible. And now they are right at the front of the pack. So maybe Apple have something quietly brewing, in the same way...
Given how many times the C-level Anthopic exec's have refused to comment on Claude being the new Siri - I was quite surprised the main announcements were new emoji and... some other sh*t I don't care about.
It's very dull. And my God I hate what they have done to Apple Photos. You used to be able to search via Location. I think you still can but it is hidden away so deep I constantly forget the intricate method. And all the albums are now mad. Why? Why do that? How does anyone gain from making photos so much harder to find, sort, sift, recall?
That one "upgrade" by itself inclines me to loathe Apple. So if they become the next Nokia, frak 'em
I was getting my boiler replaced the other week - and was asked to take various pictures of the front/case/pipes. And I 100% did not resent having to spend time googling about trying to figure out how to force the flash to fire when taking a picture in the current iOS. 'Open the camera app, then swipe this way, then that, then - if you're on iOS vX swipe like that and you'll see the option to...., but if you're on iIOS vY then .....'
Omg the flash! Yes!
Literally everything is worse than it was, photographically. From the camera onwards
If they weren’t so obviously busy destroying Britain, I would have a strong suspicion that Apple have installed Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves as joint CEOs
Apple is seriously missing someone with real vision at the top. Tim Cook is a glorified bean counter and ever since Jony Ive left there's been no one to guide the company vision and the why behind what they do. The vision pro is a good example of a product Steve Jobs would never have released.
Tim Cook was the execution guy, alongside the vision guy that was Jobs.
Great businesses need both execution and vision. If I have to choose one, I probably choose execution. But the problem with execution guys is that they don't realize they also need the vision guy. At least us vision guys know we can't do it on our own.
His approval "going up and up" implies that it's been going up since his inauguration, which is not the case.
His approval ratings crashed after the liberation day tariffs, and reached a nadir of 53.2% Disapporval/43.6% Approval on April 29th.
His approval numbers started to go up again after he chickened out and "paused" most of the liberation tariffs and then chickend out again & reduced the 145% China tariffs.
I do agree that the MAGA way to win elections is now the default winning position in electoral politics, and is also being successfully copied by other populist parties in other countries.
Most of Reform's policy positions are a word-for-word copy of MAGA policy positions.
For example, Farage's support for coal mining is a copy of Trump's support for coal miners, and so is Farage's opposition to Net Zero.
It's certainly true that if the attention of America is on immigration, then Trump benefits.
It's also true that Trump is desperate for a confrontation here. (And Newsom probably is too.)
When the reality is that the protests have been pretty small beer, certainly compared to George Floyd or the LA riots in the 90s. We're talking low thousands of people in total.
So they've now decided to order some F35As, which also can't use it.
There is a couple of things driving this.
1. The RAF love many things about F-35: radar, ECM fit, sensor fusion, etc. They fucking hate one thing about it: the RN are involved. Switching to A keeps all of the things they like about B without the thing they don't. This nuclear weapon sharing bollocks is a cover story which may or probably may not ever happen.
2. The B has one user of any significant volume and that user, the USMC, aren't that keen on it. The MoD are alive to the risk that the B is going to end up orphaned and outside of the main development spiral as the USMC prefer the C and Lockmart focus on F-35 "5.5" which probably won't have a STOVL/B variant.
It doesn't matter if the RAF buy the A, B, C or the Galaxy class, if we can't integrate missiles on it it's useless.
So they've now decided to order some F35As, which also can't use it.
There is a couple of things driving this.
1. The RAF love many things about F-35: radar, ECM fit, sensor fusion, etc. They fucking hate one thing about it: the RN are involved. Switching to A keeps all of the things they like about B without the thing they don't. This nuclear weapon sharing bollocks is a cover story which may or probably may not ever happen.
2. The B has one user of any significant volume and that user, the USMC, aren't that keen on it. The MoD are alive to the risk that the B is going to end up orphaned and outside of the main development spiral as the USMC prefer the C and Lockmart focus on F-35 "5.5" which probably won't have a STOVL/B variant.
It doesn't matter if the RAF buy the A, B, C or the Galaxy class, if we can't integrate missiles on it it's useless.
It's got AIM-120 and it's not within the gift of the UK government to make Lockmart do the Meteor/SPEAR integration any faster. A and C, but crucially not B, are going to 6 x AIM-120 internal carriage which will never happen for Meteor so that's another possible factor in the UK decision to go for A. A vs B, in a British context, is really just a proxy war for the RAF vs RN bitter conflict over fixed wing aviation that's been raging since the 50s.
So they've now decided to order some F35As, which also can't use it.
There is a couple of things driving this.
1. The RAF love many things about F-35: radar, ECM fit, sensor fusion, etc. They fucking hate one thing about it: the RN are involved. Switching to A keeps all of the things they like about B without the thing they don't. This nuclear weapon sharing bollocks is a cover story which may or probably may not ever happen.
2. The B has one user of any significant volume and that user, the USMC, aren't that keen on it. The MoD are alive to the risk that the B is going to end up orphaned and outside of the main development spiral as the USMC prefer the C and Lockmart focus on F-35 "5.5" which probably won't have a STOVL/B variant.
It doesn't matter if the RAF buy the A, B, C or the Galaxy class, if we can't integrate missiles on it it's useless.
It's got AIM-120 and it's not within the gift of the UK government to make Lockmart do the Meteor/SPEAR integration any faster. A and C, but crucially not B, are going to 6 x AIM-120 internal carriage which will never happen for Meteor so that's another possible factor in the UK decision to go for A. A vs B, in a British context, is really just a proxy war for the RAF vs RN bitter conflict over fixed wing aviation that's been raging since the 50s.
So they've now decided to order some F35As, which also can't use it.
There is a couple of things driving this.
1. The RAF love many things about F-35: radar, ECM fit, sensor fusion, etc. They fucking hate one thing about it: the RN are involved. Switching to A keeps all of the things they like about B without the thing they don't. This nuclear weapon sharing bollocks is a cover story which may or probably may not ever happen.
2. The B has one user of any significant volume and that user, the USMC, aren't that keen on it. The MoD are alive to the risk that the B is going to end up orphaned and outside of the main development spiral as the USMC prefer the C and Lockmart focus on F-35 "5.5" which probably won't have a STOVL/B variant.
It doesn't matter if the RAF buy the A, B, C or the Galaxy class, if we can't integrate missiles on it it's useless.
It's got AIM-120 and it's not within the gift of the UK government to make Lockmart do the Meteor/SPEAR integration any faster. A and C, but crucially not B, are going to 6 x AIM-120 internal carriage which will never happen for Meteor so that's another possible factor in the UK decision to go for A. A vs B, in a British context, is really just a proxy war for the RAF vs RN bitter conflict over fixed wing aviation that's been raging since the 50s.
what ya think of the tempest?
It's a lot more viable in the Trump 47 era than it was before due to a thirst for autonomy. However, the British government doesn't show any inclination or capacity to fund it beyond a minor fraction of what it's actually going to take. They probably need more partners and a willingness to accept a consequent dilution of workshare or take a back seat and cede leadership to Japan. Either way, I confidently predict that, if it survives, it'll be very late and very expensive. It was supposed to be flying in 2025 which is.. err... now.
So they've now decided to order some F35As, which also can't use it.
There is a couple of things driving this.
1. The RAF love many things about F-35: radar, ECM fit, sensor fusion, etc. They fucking hate one thing about it: the RN are involved. Switching to A keeps all of the things they like about B without the thing they don't. This nuclear weapon sharing bollocks is a cover story which may or probably may not ever happen.
2. The B has one user of any significant volume and that user, the USMC, aren't that keen on it. The MoD are alive to the risk that the B is going to end up orphaned and outside of the main development spiral as the USMC prefer the C and Lockmart focus on F-35 "5.5" which probably won't have a STOVL/B variant.
It doesn't matter if the RAF buy the A, B, C or the Galaxy class, if we can't integrate missiles on it it's useless.
Comments
Complaining that you're treated worse than someone forbidden from working and obliged to live off £49.18 is absurd an absurd racial dog whistle though.
Unless for some reason you are prohibited from working and have less than £49 a week to live off, including for food?
‘Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood’.
It's in an essay on Dante.
He was very skilful at lyrical prose as a young man: the compelling image, vivid similes, clever metaphors, he could do it all. eg About age 20 he described the flames of a hearth-fire as resembling "red holly" which is kinda genius
But he renounced all that - his own talent - and decided to adopt the most plain prose style possible. He said prose should be like "a window pane", through which you can clearly perceive the meaning. Any adornment is a distraction. So he junked his own gifts
And then wrote arguably the most important novel in the English language - 1984 - along with several other classics, Animal Farm, Down and Out, Homage to Catalonia. One wonders what he would have done if he hadn't died so young
The United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Canada and California would be a single unity.
Like Sylvia Plath in her last months, as she wrote the poems that made "Ariel"
Yes
That's absolutely what Orwell advocated for.
Surreptitiously editing Orwell's works to change their meanings? That would be ironic.
One thing that we can be sure of about Orwell is how much he hated fascism and it's fellow travellers.
Breaking: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has dismissed all 17 members of an expert panel of vaccine advisors that has historically guided the federal government’s vaccine recommendations.
https://x.com/jimsciutto/status/1932187790042935585
Many early English novels had identifiably non-white characters (Robinson Crusoe, The Moonstone, arguably Wuthering Heights) and one wonders how many other Black characters may have been latent in the mind of the author. A popular paperback in the style of John Sutherland suggests itself. Was Mrs Bennet Black? What was Elizabeth's problem? being an obvious starting point.
Almost zero upgrades in their latest "unveiling". Tiny, incremental changes. They are heading into the dangerzone, despite their wealth
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/09/apple-wwdc-new-phone-features
We need your help now more than ever to keep providing lifesaving blood to the NHS. Please book an appointment in London, Bristol, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester and other city centre locations. "
https://www.blood.co.uk
list is a nasty bit of work. insidious. Linking real issues and slipping in a dose of victim blaming.
You are literate. And presumably reasonably informed on the drivers of asylum seeking.
Argument 3/10
Supporting visceral propaganda 7/10
Definitely BlackBerry vibes now.
He also loved the carefree days of revolutionary Catalonia too. It was Stalinism that he disagreed with.
Cross? It's bloody livid...
Who knows, tho. About a year ago I thought Google had lost it, then suddenly Wham, they revealed all the New Stuff. Incredible. And now they are right at the front of the pack. So maybe Apple have something quietly brewing, in the same way...
These will be the lawyers who replaced the ones sacked on day one of Hegseth reign because...reasons...
1. Kennedy overseas a plague ripping across the US that wipes out the entire population.
2 The world's asylum seekers go there to repopulate it.
3. What was Florida gets renamed Palestine.
4. What was California gets renamed Israel.
"If they spit, we will hit." This is a statement from the President of the United States concerning the catastrophic Gavin Newscum inspired Riots going on in Los Angeles. The Insurrectionists have a tendency to spit in the face of the National Guardsmen/women, and others. These Patriots are told to accept this, it's just the way life runs. But not in the Trump Administration. IF THEY SPIT, WE WILL HIT, and I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be tolerated!
He's still "Freddie" at the club..."
He did some out-and-out classics (The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File) but I think his later stuff was workmanlike (I enjoyed The Devil's Alternative). I though Len Deighton was perhaps better overall?
Unless during sex.
That one "upgrade" by itself inclines me to loathe Apple. So if they become the next Nokia, frak 'em
If I'm reading my YC-funded retelling of Animal Farm right?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg4v04p008o
There has been disorder in Ballymena after crowds gathered near the location of an alleged sexual assault in the town.
Youths with their faces masked and wearing gloves could be seen throwing masonry.
A police car had what appeared to be two of its windows smashed.
On Clonavon Terrace, which was blocked off on both ends by police Land Rovers, windows of a house had been smashed.
In a statement, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said a "number of missiles have been thrown towards police with damage reported to a number of properties".
Literally everything is worse than it was, photographically. From the camera onwards
If they weren’t so obviously busy destroying Britain, I would have a strong suspicion that Apple have installed Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves as joint CEOs
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/best-uk-restaurants-national-awards/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX2EPoYS2VQ
but has everyone noticed how unlike previous recent presidents, whose satisfaction went down, Trump bucks the trend by going up and up.
This Trump presidency just gets more and more popular with the voters. It’s installing MAGA as the default winning position in US electoral politics.
https://www.economist.com/interactive/trump-approval-tracker
A fringe is more defined and makes a bold statement, bangs are the softer and more versatile look, more adaptable to suit.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/v_Ra4yJrlUo
I suspect AI has caught them on the hop: too famous and too useful for this model to work. And reliability is not being valued.
"Train"
Edit: The black tie “Live at the Ritz” is extra fun.
Decision escalates clash between the federal government and the US’s most populous state"
https://www.ft.com
Keir Starmer
@Keir_Starmer
·
7h
I’m investing in the future of Britain.
https://x.com/Keir_Starmer/status/1932100904167321835
Hmm...
Gavin Newsom
@GavinNewsom
·
1h
U.S. Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defense of democracy. They are heroes.
They shouldn't be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President.
This is un-American.
The Marines will be tasked with protecting federal property and federal personnel, according to a senior defense official, and the deployment is open-ended.
The Marines will not be carrying out a law enforcement role, but it’s unclear what their use of force rules are if protesters throw things or spit at them."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-marines-deploy-los-angeles-help-quell-anti-ice-riots
Capital in Toronto? Or in a brand new city, like Brasilia?
Very inconvenient.
These teabags are 50p off, luv.
AND ANOTHER THING ABOUT HAMAS...
Steve Jobs would have fired everyone
1. The RAF love many things about F-35: radar, ECM fit, sensor fusion, etc. They fucking hate one thing about it: the RN are involved. Switching to A keeps all of the things they like about B without the thing they don't. This nuclear weapon sharing bollocks is a cover story which may or probably may not ever happen.
2. The B has one user of any significant volume and that user, the USMC, aren't that keen on it. The MoD are alive to the risk that the B is going to end up orphaned and outside of the main development spiral as the USMC prefer the C and Lockmart focus on F-35 "5.5" which probably won't have a STOVL/B variant.
His approval ratings crashed after the liberation day tariffs, and reached a nadir of 53.2% Disapporval/43.6% Approval on April 29th.
His approval numbers started to go up again after he chickened out and "paused" most of the liberation tariffs and then chickend out again & reduced the 145% China tariffs.
I do agree that the MAGA way to win elections is now the default winning position in electoral politics, and is also being successfully copied by other populist parties in other countries.
Most of Reform's policy positions are a word-for-word copy of MAGA policy positions.
For example, Farage's support for coal mining is a copy of Trump's support for coal miners, and so is Farage's opposition to Net Zero.
https://www.natesilver.net/p/trump-approval-ratings-nate-silver-bulletin
Great businesses need both execution and vision. If I have to choose one, I probably choose execution. But the problem with execution guys is that they don't realize they also need the vision guy. At least us vision guys know we can't do it on our own.
It's also true that Trump is desperate for a confrontation here. (And Newsom probably is too.)
When the reality is that the protests have been pretty small beer, certainly compared to George Floyd or the LA riots in the 90s. We're talking low thousands of people in total.