Your confidence probably isn't high when you've just been dropped from the team. Maybe it would have been better to have someone else fielding as sub.
I never quite understand why an international team where every chance counts you don't have gun fielders as backups rather than the bloke who you dropped. I mean I would be tempted to have you ropey fielders who aren't bowlers have terrible bouts of illness.
Having someone like Jonty Rhodes as a sub fielder is huge
Crawley Duckett Pope Root Brook Stokes Smith Atkinson Bashir Archer Wood
Tongue 12th. Carse 13th
for Oz.
Wouldn't bother with Dawson or Overton.
Bin Carse and Tongue for Hull and Stone if fit
Why Stone? He isn't the bowler he was and has been basically injured for 5 years.
Norwich lad innit
Which ever set of bowlers they pick, most of them will have to be bubble wrapped and have a fragile, handle with care sticker slapped on them for the trip to Oz.
Crawley Duckett Pope Root Brook Stokes Smith Atkinson Bashir Archer Wood
Tongue 12th. Carse 13th
for Oz.
Wouldn't bother with Dawson or Overton.
Bin Carse and Tongue for Hull and Stone if fit
Why Stone? He isn't the bowler he was and has been basically injured for 5 years.
Norwich lad innit
Which ever set of bowlers they pick, most of them will have to be bubble wrapped and have a fragile, handle with care sticker slapped on them for the trip to Oz.
I could unretire and send down a few medium pace leg cutters
I sometimes reflect on my student days, late 1970s, when friends were widely dispersed and not only did we not have mobile phones, obviously, but we also didn't have landlines, and wonder how on earth we managed to organise the brilliant social life we had. I really can't remember how we managed to meet up in pub x at time y most nights, but we did, and it wasn't a problem at all at the time.
Same for me in the mid eighties. Basically you used your legs, went round to somone's house or prearranged meeting time at whatever venue you were heading for. Word of mouth and face to face contact plus a much greater commitment to actually turning up when something had been arranged.
I sometimes reflect on my student days, late 1970s, when friends were widely dispersed and not only did we not have mobile phones, obviously, but we also didn't have landlines, and wonder how on earth we managed to organise the brilliant social life we had. I really can't remember how we managed to meet up in pub x at time y most nights, but we did, and it wasn't a problem at all at the time.
Same for me in the mid eighties. Basically you used your legs, went round to somone's house or prearranged meeting time at whatever venue you were heading for. Word of mouth and face to face contact plus a much greater commitment to actually turning up when something had been arranged.
There was the advantage you could have a house party and no issue of "somebody posted on Facebook" and 5000 people show up to wreck the place.
Apols if posted as I've been out all day but BMG have this months Inews poll out including one with Your Party and one without
Ref 32 (+2) Lab 23 (-4) Con 18 (-1) LD 13 (+1) Grn 8 (+1) Changes since end June
With Corbyn Ref 31 Lab 20 Con 19 LD 13 Grn 7 YP 6
That’s two great polls for Reform. Cruising to victory
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Wait until he gets the old Jezza roadshows going again. He is in his element and they are genuinely popular. Starmer isn't going to be getting on any soap boxes in town centres and convincing people.
I sometimes reflect on my student days, late 1970s, when friends were widely dispersed and not only did we not have mobile phones, obviously, but we also didn't have landlines, and wonder how on earth we managed to organise the brilliant social life we had. I really can't remember how we managed to meet up in pub x at time y most nights, but we did, and it wasn't a problem at all at the time.
Same for me in the mid eighties. Basically you used your legs, went round to somone's house or prearranged meeting time at whatever venue you were heading for. Word of mouth and face to face contact plus a much greater commitment to actually turning up when something had been arranged.
I really can't remember how we organised stuff without the internet. For travel people used to use travel agents, but in the 70s I organised a 3 week drive around France with my girlfriend. I planned it myself. I don't know how I did it now. I don't think I booked anything except a ferry.
- What's interesting of course is that the Levis ad 'objectifies' men (in a fun way) and is made for the female gaze. Quite forward for its time in a way. And more interesting still, is they remade it a year ago with Beyonce in the male role but it fell flat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q40oimgnN00 - mainly because it lacked any of the playfulness of the original and just felt... meh. But there is a definite *trend* towards reobjectification that started before the Sweeney ad.
So lots here to play with in terms of changes in attitudes between the 80s (which Sweeney's ad is deliberately rooted in) and now.
Just an ex-marketing bod's opinion, hope that is useful.
That's quite interesting. There's quite a lot to be said. Hegarty has written books on the subject after the success of his various Levi ads particularly 'Laundrette'. But it goes further back than that and as for sexism in ads that has come and gone and been written about many times. I've shot topless chocolate ads for France and Germany which have had to be recut for the UK. Cadbury flake is worth looking at. Could you get away with it now? The answer's no but not for the reason people might think..........
I sometimes reflect on my student days, late 1970s, when friends were widely dispersed and not only did we not have mobile phones, obviously, but we also didn't have landlines, and wonder how on earth we managed to organise the brilliant social life we had. I really can't remember how we managed to meet up in pub x at time y most nights, but we did, and it wasn't a problem at all at the time.
Same for me in the mid eighties. Basically you used your legs, went round to somone's house or prearranged meeting time at whatever venue you were heading for. Word of mouth and face to face contact plus a much greater commitment to actually turning up when something had been arranged.
There was the advantage you could have a house party and no issue of "somebody posted on Facebook" and 5000 people show up to wreck the place.
I sometimes reflect on my student days, late 1970s, when friends were widely dispersed and not only did we not have mobile phones, obviously, but we also didn't have landlines, and wonder how on earth we managed to organise the brilliant social life we had. I really can't remember how we managed to meet up in pub x at time y most nights, but we did, and it wasn't a problem at all at the time.
Same for me in the mid eighties. Basically you used your legs, went round to somone's house or prearranged meeting time at whatever venue you were heading for. Word of mouth and face to face contact plus a much greater commitment to actually turning up when something had been arranged.
I really can't remember how we organised stuff without the internet. For travel people used to use travel agents, but in the 70s I organised a 3 week drive around France with my girlfriend. I planned it myself. I don't know how I did it now. I don't think I booked anything except a ferry.
After I finished my O levels 3 16 year old mates and I cycled around Normandy camping for a fortnight. We booked the ferry and nothing else, just found campsites when we got tired. You don't really need to plan ahead with these things.
On my way back from New Zealand through SE Asia in 1990 Mrs Foxy and I back packed for 3 months, with nothing booked ahead apart from flights. We just caught bus and train, and when we got to a place there were always hostel touts. It shows the degree of trust that we would hop in a van at midnight to go to a hostel, but we never had any problems, indeed had a great time. You just need a bit of flexibility and faith that you will find somewhere to stay.
In the 90s I used to get the Saturday Telegraph (equivalent to the Sunday paper). 95% non political and that, that was, was mainstream Tory stuff. No batty stuff.
I sometimes reflect on my student days, late 1970s, when friends were widely dispersed and not only did we not have mobile phones, obviously, but we also didn't have landlines, and wonder how on earth we managed to organise the brilliant social life we had. I really can't remember how we managed to meet up in pub x at time y most nights, but we did, and it wasn't a problem at all at the time.
Same for me in the mid eighties. Basically you used your legs, went round to somone's house or prearranged meeting time at whatever venue you were heading for. Word of mouth and face to face contact plus a much greater commitment to actually turning up when something had been arranged.
I really can't remember how we organised stuff without the internet. For travel people used to use travel agents, but in the 70s I organised a 3 week drive around France with my girlfriend. I planned it myself. I don't know how I did it now. I don't think I booked anything except a ferry.
After I finished my O levels 3 16 year old mates and I cycled around Normandy camping for a fortnight. We booked the ferry and nothing else, just found campsites when we got tired. You don't really need to plan ahead with these things.
On my way back from New Zealand through SE Asia in 1990 Mrs Foxy and I back packed for 3 months, with nothing booked ahead apart from flights. We just caught bus and train, and when we got to a place there were always hostel touts. It shows the degree of trust that we would hop in a van at midnight to go to a hostel, but we never had any problems, indeed had a great time. You just need a bit of flexibility and faith that you will find somewhere to stay.
Sometimes the flexibility has gone away as it's no longer required and so is longer commonplace. A hundred years ago you could (I remember reading) walk into a village and ask in the pub to see if anyone in the village would put you up for the night for cash. I doubt you'd get much luck trying that now.
Watching old films it seemed common to tell a hotel desk clerk you'll be staying for a few nights, but you don't know how long. I'm not sure that works these days either. Perhaps it was only ever in the movies.
- What's interesting of course is that the Levis ad 'objectifies' men (in a fun way) and is made for the female gaze. Quite forward for its time in a way. And more interesting still, is they remade it a year ago with Beyonce in the male role but it fell flat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q40oimgnN00 - mainly because it lacked any of the playfulness of the original and just felt... meh. But there is a definite *trend* towards reobjectification that started before the Sweeney ad.
So lots here to play with in terms of changes in attitudes between the 80s (which Sweeney's ad is deliberately rooted in) and now.
Just an ex-marketing bod's opinion, hope that is useful.
That's quite interesting. There's quite a lot to be said. Hegarty has written books on the subject after the success of his various Levi ads particularly 'Laundrette'. But it goes further back than that and as for sexism in ads that has come and gone and been written about many times. I've shot topless chocolate ads for France and Germany which have had to be recut for the UK. Cadbury flake is worth looking at. Could you get away with it now? The answer's no but not for the reason people might think..........
I sometimes reflect on my student days, late 1970s, when friends were widely dispersed and not only did we not have mobile phones, obviously, but we also didn't have landlines, and wonder how on earth we managed to organise the brilliant social life we had. I really can't remember how we managed to meet up in pub x at time y most nights, but we did, and it wasn't a problem at all at the time.
Same for me in the mid eighties. Basically you used your legs, went round to somone's house or prearranged meeting time at whatever venue you were heading for. Word of mouth and face to face contact plus a much greater commitment to actually turning up when something had been arranged.
I really can't remember how we organised stuff without the internet. For travel people used to use travel agents, but in the 70s I organised a 3 week drive around France with my girlfriend. I planned it myself. I don't know how I did it now. I don't think I booked anything except a ferry.
After I finished my O levels 3 16 year old mates and I cycled around Normandy camping for a fortnight. We booked the ferry and nothing else, just found campsites when we got tired. You don't really need to plan ahead with these things.
On my way back from New Zealand through SE Asia in 1990 Mrs Foxy and I back packed for 3 months, with nothing booked ahead apart from flights. We just caught bus and train, and when we got to a place there were always hostel touts. It shows the degree of trust that we would hop in a van at midnight to go to a hostel, but we never had any problems, indeed had a great time. You just need a bit of flexibility and faith that you will find somewhere to stay.
Sometimes the flexibility has gone away as it's no longer required and so is longer commonplace. A hundred years ago you could (I remember reading) walk into a village and ask in the pub to see if anyone in the village would put you up for the night for cash. I doubt you'd get much luck trying that now.
Watching old films it seemed common to tell a hotel desk clerk you'll be staying for a few nights, but you don't know how long. I'm not sure that works these days either. Perhaps it was only ever in the movies.
Prior to widespread internet, airlines, hotels, etc, if somebody hadn't booked through travel agents, there was no other avenue that you would sell than via walk ups, so you had to entertain their trade. Because of that you could haggle prices because they knew if you didn't buy they were highly unlikely to sell to anybody else that day. Now, it is still very possible that people will be booking those services even on the day.
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of late financier Jeffrey Epstein, has been moved from a Florida prison to a minimum-security facility in Texas, authorities have confirmed.
Also housed among the approximately 650 female inmates at the facility is disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence after being found guilty of defrauding investors in her blood-testing start-up in 2022.
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
well if it's good enough for China, why should orange be at a disadvantage due to facts and figures?
I sometimes reflect on my student days, late 1970s, when friends were widely dispersed and not only did we not have mobile phones, obviously, but we also didn't have landlines, and wonder how on earth we managed to organise the brilliant social life we had. I really can't remember how we managed to meet up in pub x at time y most nights, but we did, and it wasn't a problem at all at the time.
Same for me in the mid eighties. Basically you used your legs, went round to somone's house or prearranged meeting time at whatever venue you were heading for. Word of mouth and face to face contact plus a much greater commitment to actually turning up when something had been arranged.
I really can't remember how we organised stuff without the internet. For travel people used to use travel agents, but in the 70s I organised a 3 week drive around France with my girlfriend. I planned it myself. I don't know how I did it now. I don't think I booked anything except a ferry.
After I finished my O levels 3 16 year old mates and I cycled around Normandy camping for a fortnight. We booked the ferry and nothing else, just found campsites when we got tired. You don't really need to plan ahead with these things.
On my way back from New Zealand through SE Asia in 1990 Mrs Foxy and I back packed for 3 months, with nothing booked ahead apart from flights. We just caught bus and train, and when we got to a place there were always hostel touts. It shows the degree of trust that we would hop in a van at midnight to go to a hostel, but we never had any problems, indeed had a great time. You just need a bit of flexibility and faith that you will find somewhere to stay.
Sometimes the flexibility has gone away as it's no longer required and so is longer commonplace. A hundred years ago you could (I remember reading) walk into a village and ask in the pub to see if anyone in the village would put you up for the night for cash. I doubt you'd get much luck trying that now.
Watching old films it seemed common to tell a hotel desk clerk you'll be staying for a few nights, but you don't know how long. I'm not sure that works these days either. Perhaps it was only ever in the movies.
Yes, it may well be harder now.
In all my travels I only remember being stuck for accommodation once, in a country town in the Transvaal in 1994 when it was getting dark, too dark to drive to the next place. All the accommodation was full as there was a lumberjack festival that had drawn crowds. We ate dinner in a local pizza place, and asked the manager if she knew anywhere with a spare room, and she offered the spare bedroom at their farm. It was a bit weird as it was draped with Nazi regalia, as she was part of Eugene Terreblanches hard-core Afrikaaner bitter-ender faction, but apart from that was fine.
A culture of hospitality to strangers used to be pretty universal in rural areas all around the world, with the expectation that casual travellers would be put up and fed, often in return for some chores. Its a culture that is still there in many places, but not really viable where there are lots of tourists.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
well if it's good enough for China, why should orange be at a disadvantage due to facts and figures?
Republican color [sic] is Communist Red after all!
Were we talking about "nothing will be done until 3 people have been killed".
Here's another one, at a place called Plusha in Cornwall. 3 killed since 2015.
Right turns across the A30, and also out across and into the other side; it is a 70mph limit dual carriageway at that point. There's a big petrol station/halt on one side, so a lot of turning traffic I assume.
There's a bit of self-serving nonsense: "Amelia Collins had been travelling at 70mph along the A30 and said: "I did not see her pull out. I could not have done anything to avoid the collision."
Dear, there's half a mile of a lot of bloody great signs showing how complex the junction is and what is there; you could have slowed down to 40 or 50mph which would have cut your kinetic energy by 1/2 to 2/3 . And even a "downhill, turning vehicles, reduce speed" one. You chose to drive at an inappropriate speed through potential traffic predictably crossing in both directions, when the consequences could have been mitigated. All exasperated by the turning driver being 79. (Personally, I suggest it is careless or reckless, bit not enough intention for dangerous.)
Apols if posted as I've been out all day but BMG have this months Inews poll out including one with Your Party and one without
Ref 32 (+2) Lab 23 (-4) Con 18 (-1) LD 13 (+1) Grn 8 (+1) Changes since end June
With Corbyn Ref 31 Lab 20 Con 19 LD 13 Grn 7 YP 6
That’s two great polls for Reform. Cruising to victory
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Wait until he gets the old Jezza roadshows going again. He is in his element and they are genuinely popular. Starmer isn't going to be getting on any soap boxes in town centres and convincing people.
Colour me sceptical but his undoubted Magic Grandpa charm didn't work in 2019.
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
Inability to make it up is what cost Erika McEntarfer her job.
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
Inability to make it up is what cost Erika McEntarfer her job.
I think he's done that to data collection for inflation, too. Just like weather forecasting.
"We don't need the Civil Service - wave the chainsaw Elon!"
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
Inability to make it up is what cost Erika McEntarfer her job.
I think he's done that to data collection for inflation, too. Just like weather forecasting.
"We don't need the Civil Service - wave the chainsaw Elon!"
Just over six months gone. I’m not sure if the US can take 4 years of this madness.
Apols if posted as I've been out all day but BMG have this months Inews poll out including one with Your Party and one without
Ref 32 (+2) Lab 23 (-4) Con 18 (-1) LD 13 (+1) Grn 8 (+1) Changes since end June
With Corbyn Ref 31 Lab 20 Con 19 LD 13 Grn 7 YP 6
That’s two great polls for Reform. Cruising to victory
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Wait until he gets the old Jezza roadshows going again. He is in his element and they are genuinely popular. Starmer isn't going to be getting on any soap boxes in town centres and convincing people.
Colour me sceptical but his undoubted Magic Grandpa charm didn't work in 2019.
J Corbz got 40% in 2017. In 2019 even when everyone had had a good look at him, he still got half a million more votes than Starmer managed last year.
I am the opposite of a Corbynista but I find it odd how so many are ready to write him off. He’s fricking old now but it’s far from impossible he’d poll nationally in double figures but with a highly efficient vote, due to tactical voting / constituency pacts.
I sometimes reflect on my student days, late 1970s, when friends were widely dispersed and not only did we not have mobile phones, obviously, but we also didn't have landlines, and wonder how on earth we managed to organise the brilliant social life we had. I really can't remember how we managed to meet up in pub x at time y most nights, but we did, and it wasn't a problem at all at the time.
Same for me in the mid eighties. Basically you used your legs, went round to somone's house or prearranged meeting time at whatever venue you were heading for. Word of mouth and face to face contact plus a much greater commitment to actually turning up when something had been arranged.
I really can't remember how we organised stuff without the internet. For travel people used to use travel agents, but in the 70s I organised a 3 week drive around France with my girlfriend. I planned it myself. I don't know how I did it now. I don't think I booked anything except a ferry.
After I finished my O levels 3 16 year old mates and I cycled around Normandy camping for a fortnight. We booked the ferry and nothing else, just found campsites when we got tired. You don't really need to plan ahead with these things.
On my way back from New Zealand through SE Asia in 1990 Mrs Foxy and I back packed for 3 months, with nothing booked ahead apart from flights. We just caught bus and train, and when we got to a place there were always hostel touts. It shows the degree of trust that we would hop in a van at midnight to go to a hostel, but we never had any problems, indeed had a great time. You just need a bit of flexibility and faith that you will find somewhere to stay.
Sometimes the flexibility has gone away as it's no longer required and so is longer commonplace. A hundred years ago you could (I remember reading) walk into a village and ask in the pub to see if anyone in the village would put you up for the night for cash. I doubt you'd get much luck trying that now.
Watching old films it seemed common to tell a hotel desk clerk you'll be staying for a few nights, but you don't know how long. I'm not sure that works these days either. Perhaps it was only ever in the movies.
Yes, it may well be harder now.
In all my travels I only remember being stuck for accommodation once, in a country town in the Transvaal in 1994 when it was getting dark, too dark to drive to the next place. All the accommodation was full as there was a lumberjack festival that had drawn crowds. We ate dinner in a local pizza place, and asked the manager if she knew anywhere with a spare room, and she offered the spare bedroom at their farm. It was a bit weird as it was draped with Nazi regalia, as she was part of Eugene Terreblanches hard-core Afrikaaner bitter-ender faction, but apart from that was fine.
A culture of hospitality to strangers used to be pretty universal in rural areas all around the world, with the expectation that casual travellers would be put up and fed, often in return for some chores. Its a culture that is still there in many places, but not really viable where there are lots of tourists.
I've asked people where I could pitch my tent when backpacking on a fair few occasions. One time I was pointed to a churchyard (Croick Church, in the Highlands, which has names engraved on the windows from locals who fled into the church during the clearances). Putting my tent up between the gravestones felt rather eerie.
But the best was in a small and posh village in Oxfordshire, near the start of the Thames Path. I was going to the pub to see if I could pitch my tent in their beer garden (I would, of course, buy a meal and a pint) when I saw a middle-aged man getting out of his posh car to close a gate. I walked over to him and asked him where I could pitch my tent. He asked me a few questions, then said: "Pitch it in my paddock around the back for the night."
So I did. There were no horses or animals in the paddock, and I erected my bright yellow tent in one corner. After an hour or so, a woman came up to me and asked something like: "What the Hell are you doing in my garden?"
It turns out her husband had not told her that they had a visitor for the night...
I have received lots of similar kindness from pub landlords, gypsies, homeowners, B&B owners, farmers, and many others. One farmer caught me wild camping on his land and invited me in for breakfast.
- What's interesting of course is that the Levis ad 'objectifies' men (in a fun way) and is made for the female gaze. Quite forward for its time in a way. And more interesting still, is they remade it a year ago with Beyonce in the male role but it fell flat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q40oimgnN00 - mainly because it lacked any of the playfulness of the original and just felt... meh. But there is a definite *trend* towards reobjectification that started before the Sweeney ad.
So lots here to play with in terms of changes in attitudes between the 80s (which Sweeney's ad is deliberately rooted in) and now.
Just an ex-marketing bod's opinion, hope that is useful.
That's quite interesting. There's quite a lot to be said. Hegarty has written books on the subject after the success of his various Levi ads particularly 'Laundrette'. But it goes further back than that and as for sexism in ads that has come and gone and been written about many times. I've shot topless chocolate ads for France and Germany which have had to be recut for the UK. Cadbury flake is worth looking at. Could you get away with it now? The answer's no but not for the reason people might think..........
The thing about the Brooke Shields ad is she literally does the whole genes/jeans schtick at about 3:00 in my link above, arguably going a lot further, referencing 'natural selection' while sexualising a 15 year old. The ad was widely criticised at the time, but for sexualising a 15 year old, not for the obvious eugenics element to the original script. So there's a story here about media outrage and how the focus of that outrage has changed in a more racially diverse america, away from overt sexualisation (normalised) and towards eugenics (less normalised) as the thing to hate on.
In both cases, the advertisers knew what they were doing in terms of enjoying free earned media through courting controversy. The Cadbury's Bunny on the other hand, that just turned an entire generation of kids weird...
- What's interesting of course is that the Levis ad 'objectifies' men (in a fun way) and is made for the female gaze. Quite forward for its time in a way. And more interesting still, is they remade it a year ago with Beyonce in the male role but it fell flat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q40oimgnN00 - mainly because it lacked any of the playfulness of the original and just felt... meh. But there is a definite *trend* towards reobjectification that started before the Sweeney ad.
So lots here to play with in terms of changes in attitudes between the 80s (which Sweeney's ad is deliberately rooted in) and now.
Just an ex-marketing bod's opinion, hope that is useful.
That's quite interesting. There's quite a lot to be said. Hegarty has written books on the subject after the success of his various Levi ads particularly 'Laundrette'. But it goes further back than that and as for sexism in ads that has come and gone and been written about many times. I've shot topless chocolate ads for France and Germany which have had to be recut for the UK. Cadbury flake is worth looking at. Could you get away with it now? The answer's no but not for the reason people might think..........
The ad would be thought to be demonic as in this recent one which was apparently an homage to the earlier one and was banned. (incidentally shot by Jonathan Glazer)
I sometimes reflect on my student days, late 1970s, when friends were widely dispersed and not only did we not have mobile phones, obviously, but we also didn't have landlines, and wonder how on earth we managed to organise the brilliant social life we had. I really can't remember how we managed to meet up in pub x at time y most nights, but we did, and it wasn't a problem at all at the time.
Same for me in the mid eighties. Basically you used your legs, went round to somone's house or prearranged meeting time at whatever venue you were heading for. Word of mouth and face to face contact plus a much greater commitment to actually turning up when something had been arranged.
There was the advantage you could have a house party and no issue of "somebody posted on Facebook" and 5000 people show up to wreck the place.
Hmmm: we'd still hear word of mouth about parties and turn up at someone we didn't know's place. And - put it like this - I wouldn't have liked to have been the person cleaning up in the morning.
Delivering the Supreme Court's ruling, Lord Reed says the court allows appeals brought by the finance companies.
But, Lord Reed says the court upholds Mr Johnson's claim "that the relationship between him and the finance company was unfair".
"We award him the amount of commission plus interest," Lord Reed says before adding that "other customers claims are rejected".
The point of law is whether car dealers have a fiduciary duty to their customers. eg. solicitors and company directors are expected not to benefit personally from any actions taken on behalf of clients or shareholders beyond being paid a fee for their services.
I would think it's obvious car dealers are motivated by the profit in each transaction and don't have fiduciary duties similar to solicitors and company directors but it took the Supreme Court to work that out.
The one case allowed entailed a grotesquely large commission so was deemed to be contrary to consumer duty regulations in force at the time.
- What's interesting of course is that the Levis ad 'objectifies' men (in a fun way) and is made for the female gaze. Quite forward for its time in a way. And more interesting still, is they remade it a year ago with Beyonce in the male role but it fell flat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q40oimgnN00 - mainly because it lacked any of the playfulness of the original and just felt... meh. But there is a definite *trend* towards reobjectification that started before the Sweeney ad.
So lots here to play with in terms of changes in attitudes between the 80s (which Sweeney's ad is deliberately rooted in) and now.
Just an ex-marketing bod's opinion, hope that is useful.
That's quite interesting. There's quite a lot to be said. Hegarty has written books on the subject after the success of his various Levi ads particularly 'Laundrette'. But it goes further back than that and as for sexism in ads that has come and gone and been written about many times. I've shot topless chocolate ads for France and Germany which have had to be recut for the UK. Cadbury flake is worth looking at. Could you get away with it now? The answer's no but not for the reason people might think..........
The thing about the Brooke Shields ad is she literally does the whole genes/jeans schtick at about 3:00 in my link above, arguably going a lot further, referencing 'natural selection' while sexualising a 15 year old. The ad was widely criticised at the time, but for sexualising a 15 year old, not for the obvious eugenics element to the original script. So there's a story here about media outrage and how the focus of that outrage has changed in a more racially diverse america, away from overt sexualisation (normalised) and towards eugenics (less normalised) as the thing to hate on.
In both cases, the advertisers knew what they were doing in terms of enjoying free earned media through courting controversy. The Cadbury's Bunny on the other hand, that just turned an entire generation of kids weird...
My best friend out here in LA used to work for Gavin de Becker in private security, and was Brooke Shield's bodyguard for a couple of years.
Apols if posted as I've been out all day but BMG have this months Inews poll out including one with Your Party and one without
Ref 32 (+2) Lab 23 (-4) Con 18 (-1) LD 13 (+1) Grn 8 (+1) Changes since end June
With Corbyn Ref 31 Lab 20 Con 19 LD 13 Grn 7 YP 6
That’s two great polls for Reform. Cruising to victory
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Wait until he gets the old Jezza roadshows going again. He is in his element and they are genuinely popular. Starmer isn't going to be getting on any soap boxes in town centres and convincing people.
Colour me sceptical but his undoubted Magic Grandpa charm didn't work in 2019.
He still had it in Islington North last year. Honestly, it was like a tsunami - a tide rising slowly at first but which just kept coming in and in and in. Labour pushed hard from the start and even appeared to be ahead at first, but they were drowned in the final weeks.
I'd expect plenty of other inner-ish London seats to be vulnerable. Lammy in Tottenham, Streeting in Ilford North, whoever Labour stand in Hackney North (assuming it won't be Abbott!) - they all could be swept away. Similar places with new Labour MPs who haven't had time to establish a local support base - Vauxhall, Peckham, Stratford and Bow.
Elsewhere, look at places won by Labour with the Greens and Refuk battling for position as the challengers for next time. Hastings, definitely. East Thanet, maybe. Canterbury, depending on who Labour select to replace Duffield.
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
"That could fuel concerns" is a fine example of both-sides journalism.
I sometimes reflect on my student days, late 1970s, when friends were widely dispersed and not only did we not have mobile phones, obviously, but we also didn't have landlines, and wonder how on earth we managed to organise the brilliant social life we had. I really can't remember how we managed to meet up in pub x at time y most nights, but we did, and it wasn't a problem at all at the time.
Same for me in the mid eighties. Basically you used your legs, went round to somone's house or prearranged meeting time at whatever venue you were heading for. Word of mouth and face to face contact plus a much greater commitment to actually turning up when something had been arranged.
I really can't remember how we organised stuff without the internet. For travel people used to use travel agents, but in the 70s I organised a 3 week drive around France with my girlfriend. I planned it myself. I don't know how I did it now. I don't think I booked anything except a ferry.
Part of it was the freedom just to pitch up somewhere and look for a hotel. I used to do that in the early days driving south through France, some time between three and four you’d start calling at town hotels and pretty soon get a vacancy. Nowadays that just wouldn’t work; best case, you’d get a crap price, and usually wouldn’t get a room at all.
Otherwise you used agents to book hotels, as you say, or if you were brave, telephone or write. There was a brief period of a few years when fax was a very good way to arrange hotels overseas. When online booking first became a thing, it didn’t seem very trustworthy and I used to send a fax to confirm anything done online. But that must have been just for a year or two. Then suddenly, you could arrange a whole trip yourself from your PC. My current trip would have been a logistical nightmare to have arranged without the internet. I am currently the only British car on a ferry from Finland to Sweden; not sure how that would have been done in the old days other than through a travel agent?
I didn't see anything about it. It just shows how accepted Pride marches are, that they are no longer news.
We even have Rutland pride now. Its that respectable.
The thing about this year's trans pride was the difference in numbers.
Trans pride attracted 100k this year, but only 60k a year ago. And the 100k who marched for trans pride this year was more than those who marched for the main pride event, just 30k. While pride is more of a celebration / booze up these days, trans pride is intensely political and becoming more so with recent events. I know it's not PB's demographic, but a lot of people in my social circle are very angry about the way the government is acting over this - particularly a Labour government.
Apols if posted as I've been out all day but BMG have this months Inews poll out including one with Your Party and one without
Ref 32 (+2) Lab 23 (-4) Con 18 (-1) LD 13 (+1) Grn 8 (+1) Changes since end June
With Corbyn Ref 31 Lab 20 Con 19 LD 13 Grn 7 YP 6
That’s two great polls for Reform. Cruising to victory
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Wait until he gets the old Jezza roadshows going again. He is in his element and they are genuinely popular. Starmer isn't going to be getting on any soap boxes in town centres and convincing people.
Colour me sceptical but his undoubted Magic Grandpa charm didn't work in 2019.
J Corbz got 40% in 2017. In 2019 even when everyone had had a good look at him, he still got half a million more votes than Starmer managed last year.
Ancient history never was my strong point, but did he become PM? I must have missed that.
Apols if posted as I've been out all day but BMG have this months Inews poll out including one with Your Party and one without
Ref 32 (+2) Lab 23 (-4) Con 18 (-1) LD 13 (+1) Grn 8 (+1) Changes since end June
With Corbyn Ref 31 Lab 20 Con 19 LD 13 Grn 7 YP 6
That’s two great polls for Reform. Cruising to victory
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Wait until he gets the old Jezza roadshows going again. He is in his element and they are genuinely popular. Starmer isn't going to be getting on any soap boxes in town centres and convincing people.
Colour me sceptical but his undoubted Magic Grandpa charm didn't work in 2019.
J Corbz got 40% in 2017. In 2019 even when everyone had had a good look at him, he still got half a million more votes than Starmer managed last year.
Ancient history never was my strong point, but did he become PM? I must have missed that.
(Checks notes)
Hmm
Apparently not. It was a lard-based heffalump called "Boris". Entirely more sensible.
Were we talking about "nothing will be done until 3 people have been killed".
Here's another one, at a place called Plusha in Cornwall. 3 killed since 2015.
Right turns across the A30, and also out across and into the other side; it is a 70mph limit dual carriageway at that point. There's a big petrol station/halt on one side, so a lot of turning traffic I assume.
There's a bit of self-serving nonsense: "Amelia Collins had been travelling at 70mph along the A30 and said: "I did not see her pull out. I could not have done anything to avoid the collision."
Dear, there's half a mile of a lot of bloody great signs showing how complex the junction is and what is there; you could have slowed down to 40 or 50mph which would have cut your kinetic energy by 1/2 to 2/3 . And even a "downhill, turning vehicles, reduce speed" one. You chose to drive at an inappropriate speed through potential traffic predictably crossing in both directions, when the consequences could have been mitigated. All exasperated by the turning driver being 79. (Personally, I suggest it is careless or reckless, bit not enough intention for dangerous.)
That's very similar to the problematic junctions on the A9, particularly Aviemore. I always slow down for them given their brutal history. I've witnessed 8 German motorcyclists going through wrong way coming out of the Ralia junction.
Anyway, it would simple just to pop a 40mph limit on them, or one of those "8 fatalities in last 10 years" signs up. I have no idea why they don't, and it's self-regulating anyway because of the average speed cameras.
I didn't see anything about it. It just shows how accepted Pride marches are, that they are no longer news.
We even have Rutland pride now. Its that respectable.
The thing about this year's trans pride was the difference in numbers.
Trans pride attracted 100k this year, but only 60k a year ago. And the 100k who marched for trans pride this year was more than those who marched for the main pride event, just 30k. While pride is more of a celebration / booze up these days, trans pride is intensely political and becoming more so with recent events. I know it's not PB's demographic, but a lot of people in my social circle are very angry about the way the government is acting over this - particularly a Labour government.
I didn't see anything about it. It just shows how accepted Pride marches are, that they are no longer news.
We even have Rutland pride now. Its that respectable.
The thing about this year's trans pride was the difference in numbers.
Trans pride attracted 100k this year, but only 60k a year ago. And the 100k who marched for trans pride this year was more than those who marched for the main pride event, just 30k. While pride is more of a celebration / booze up these days, trans pride is intensely political and becoming more so with recent events. I know it's not PB's demographic, but a lot of people in my social circle are very angry about the way the government is acting over this - particularly a Labour government.
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
"Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes," he says.
Hours after disappointing jobs data reflected cracks in the U.S. economy, President Trump said Friday that he planned to fire the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, and implied on social media that she had manipulated the monthly data for political reasons.
Mr. Trump offered no evidence to support his claim.
NY Times blog
As ever, projection. He intends to select someone who will manipulate the data for political reasons.
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
"Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes," he says.
Only dictators pull shit like that.
Note Vance actively backed her appointment, back in the day.
George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 @gtconway3d · 52m Pretty soon all economic and jobs data released by the federal government will be handwritten with a black Sharpie
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
"Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes," he says.
Projection. Every time he accuses his enemies of doing something it is exactly what he is doing or plans to do.
George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 @gtconway3d · 52m Pretty soon all economic and jobs data released by the federal government will be handwritten with a black Sharpie
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
"Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes," he says.
Only dictators pull shit like that.
Note Vance actively backed her appointment, back in the day.
- What's interesting of course is that the Levis ad 'objectifies' men (in a fun way) and is made for the female gaze. Quite forward for its time in a way. And more interesting still, is they remade it a year ago with Beyonce in the male role but it fell flat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q40oimgnN00 - mainly because it lacked any of the playfulness of the original and just felt... meh. But there is a definite *trend* towards reobjectification that started before the Sweeney ad.
So lots here to play with in terms of changes in attitudes between the 80s (which Sweeney's ad is deliberately rooted in) and now.
Just an ex-marketing bod's opinion, hope that is useful.
That's quite interesting. There's quite a lot to be said. Hegarty has written books on the subject after the success of his various Levi ads particularly 'Laundrette'. But it goes further back than that and as for sexism in ads that has come and gone and been written about many times. I've shot topless chocolate ads for France and Germany which have had to be recut for the UK. Cadbury flake is worth looking at. Could you get away with it now? The answer's no but not for the reason people might think..........
The thing about the Brooke Shields ad is she literally does the whole genes/jeans schtick at about 3:00 in my link above, arguably going a lot further, referencing 'natural selection' while sexualising a 15 year old. The ad was widely criticised at the time, but for sexualising a 15 year old, not for the obvious eugenics element to the original script. So there's a story here about media outrage and how the focus of that outrage has changed in a more racially diverse america, away from overt sexualisation (normalised) and towards eugenics (less normalised) as the thing to hate on.
In both cases, the advertisers knew what they were doing in terms of enjoying free earned media through courting controversy. The Cadbury's Bunny on the other hand, that just turned an entire generation of kids weird...
Exactly. Get your ad banned for the right sort of reasons was a win win if it didn't cost too much. The boundaries were always being pushed beyond breaking point. There have been too many innovative and risky ideas this latest doesn't register try as the advertiser might wish. I thought Santa's Wife was more worthy of a controversy
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
"That could fuel concerns" is a fine example of both-sides journalism.
Who wrote that piece of craven analysis ?
3 and 1/2 more years of this shit.
At least.
No idea why the US stock market isn't properly reacting to all this insanity. NYSE is in a banana republic.
Apols if posted as I've been out all day but BMG have this months Inews poll out including one with Your Party and one without
Ref 32 (+2) Lab 23 (-4) Con 18 (-1) LD 13 (+1) Grn 8 (+1) Changes since end June
With Corbyn Ref 31 Lab 20 Con 19 LD 13 Grn 7 YP 6
That’s two great polls for Reform. Cruising to victory
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Wait until he gets the old Jezza roadshows going again. He is in his element and they are genuinely popular. Starmer isn't going to be getting on any soap boxes in town centres and convincing people.
Colour me sceptical but his undoubted Magic Grandpa charm didn't work in 2019.
J Corbz got 40% in 2017. In 2019 even when everyone had had a good look at him, he still got half a million more votes than Starmer managed last year.
Ancient history never was my strong point, but did he become PM? I must have missed that.
He doesn’t want to be PM does he, not really. He just wants to be a bit of a pickle and annoy the people who chucked him out of his beloved Labour Party. And he’s very well positioned to do that.
Apols if posted as I've been out all day but BMG have this months Inews poll out including one with Your Party and one without
Ref 32 (+2) Lab 23 (-4) Con 18 (-1) LD 13 (+1) Grn 8 (+1) Changes since end June
With Corbyn Ref 31 Lab 20 Con 19 LD 13 Grn 7 YP 6
That’s two great polls for Reform. Cruising to victory
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Wait until he gets the old Jezza roadshows going again. He is in his element and they are genuinely popular. Starmer isn't going to be getting on any soap boxes in town centres and convincing people.
Colour me sceptical but his undoubted Magic Grandpa charm didn't work in 2019.
J Corbz got 40% in 2017. In 2019 even when everyone had had a good look at him, he still got half a million more votes than Starmer managed last year.
Ancient history never was my strong point, but did he become PM? I must have missed that.
Apols if posted as I've been out all day but BMG have this months Inews poll out including one with Your Party and one without
Ref 32 (+2) Lab 23 (-4) Con 18 (-1) LD 13 (+1) Grn 8 (+1) Changes since end June
With Corbyn Ref 31 Lab 20 Con 19 LD 13 Grn 7 YP 6
That’s two great polls for Reform. Cruising to victory
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Wait until he gets the old Jezza roadshows going again. He is in his element and they are genuinely popular. Starmer isn't going to be getting on any soap boxes in town centres and convincing people.
Colour me sceptical but his undoubted Magic Grandpa charm didn't work in 2019.
J Corbz got 40% in 2017. In 2019 even when everyone had had a good look at him, he still got half a million more votes than Starmer managed last year.
Ancient history never was my strong point, but did he become PM? I must have missed that.
He doesn’t want to be PM does he, not really. He just wants to be a bit of a pickle and annoy the people who chucked him out of his beloved Labour Party. And he’s very well positioned to do that.
Indeed. Jeremy Corbyn's worst enemy is Jeremy Corbyn. But he can cause a lot of damage in the meantime.
Apols if posted as I've been out all day but BMG have this months Inews poll out including one with Your Party and one without
Ref 32 (+2) Lab 23 (-4) Con 18 (-1) LD 13 (+1) Grn 8 (+1) Changes since end June
With Corbyn Ref 31 Lab 20 Con 19 LD 13 Grn 7 YP 6
That’s two great polls for Reform. Cruising to victory
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Wait until he gets the old Jezza roadshows going again. He is in his element and they are genuinely popular. Starmer isn't going to be getting on any soap boxes in town centres and convincing people.
Colour me sceptical but his undoubted Magic Grandpa charm didn't work in 2019.
J Corbz got 40% in 2017. In 2019 even when everyone had had a good look at him, he still got half a million more votes than Starmer managed last year.
I am the opposite of a Corbynista but I find it odd how so many are ready to write him off. He’s fricking old now but it’s far from impossible he’d poll nationally in double figures but with a highly efficient vote, due to tactical voting / constituency pacts.
The problems that made him popular haven't gone away, if anything they are worse. Because he has never changed his mind about anything he has down pat his pitch and it is undeniable he can give a rabble rousing speech on home ground. And I can see why people buy into his socialist solutions. Also, there are the new breed of online influencers likes of Gary's Economics who can funnel people his way.
Does it mean his band of merry men, women, non-binaries will get 40%, no. But if he does actually decide to put some effort in, its not impossible they can hoover up left wing votes.
The counter is people might cling to nurse Starmer to stop Farage.
Apols if posted as I've been out all day but BMG have this months Inews poll out including one with Your Party and one without
Ref 32 (+2) Lab 23 (-4) Con 18 (-1) LD 13 (+1) Grn 8 (+1) Changes since end June
With Corbyn Ref 31 Lab 20 Con 19 LD 13 Grn 7 YP 6
That’s two great polls for Reform. Cruising to victory
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Wait until he gets the old Jezza roadshows going again. He is in his element and they are genuinely popular. Starmer isn't going to be getting on any soap boxes in town centres and convincing people.
Colour me sceptical but his undoubted Magic Grandpa charm didn't work in 2019.
J Corbz got 40% in 2017. In 2019 even when everyone had had a good look at him, he still got half a million more votes than Starmer managed last year.
Ancient history never was my strong point, but did he become PM? I must have missed that.
He doesn’t want to be PM does he, not really. He just wants to be a bit of a pickle and annoy the people who chucked him out of his beloved Labour Party. And he’s very well positioned to do that.
He might also hope to drag Labour Party back to the left more in the way Farage dragged the Tories right.
Apols if posted as I've been out all day but BMG have this months Inews poll out including one with Your Party and one without
Ref 32 (+2) Lab 23 (-4) Con 18 (-1) LD 13 (+1) Grn 8 (+1) Changes since end June
With Corbyn Ref 31 Lab 20 Con 19 LD 13 Grn 7 YP 6
That’s two great polls for Reform. Cruising to victory
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Wait until he gets the old Jezza roadshows going again. He is in his element and they are genuinely popular. Starmer isn't going to be getting on any soap boxes in town centres and convincing people.
Colour me sceptical but his undoubted Magic Grandpa charm didn't work in 2019.
J Corbz got 40% in 2017. In 2019 even when everyone had had a good look at him, he still got half a million more votes than Starmer managed last year.
Ancient history never was my strong point, but did he become PM? I must have missed that.
He doesn’t want to be PM does he, not really. He just wants to be a bit of a pickle and annoy the people who chucked him out of his beloved Labour Party. And he’s very well positioned to do that.
He might also hope to drag Labour Party back to the left more in the way Farage dragged the Tories right.
I think there is more chance of this party doing a reverse takeover of the Labour Party than Reform doing it to the Conservatives.
The Reform pitch is that the Conservative Party is the enemy. Part of the problem.
Fruit & Nuts pitch is that the wrong people are running the Labour Party. It’s an externalised Maomentum.
I presumed it was going to be Palestine ReAction that did in Wes Streeting's office, but apparently not (although they are all the same group of people in all these groups),
Wes Streeting’s constituency office has been vandalised by “trans rage” protesters.
Windows at the Health Secretary’s Ilford North Office were smashed, and the words “child killer” daubed on the front in paint. Trans Bash Back, a “trans-led direct action project”, claimed they were responsible for the vandalism in a post on the social media platform BlueSky.
Apols if posted as I've been out all day but BMG have this months Inews poll out including one with Your Party and one without
Ref 32 (+2) Lab 23 (-4) Con 18 (-1) LD 13 (+1) Grn 8 (+1) Changes since end June
With Corbyn Ref 31 Lab 20 Con 19 LD 13 Grn 7 YP 6
That’s two great polls for Reform. Cruising to victory
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Wait until he gets the old Jezza roadshows going again. He is in his element and they are genuinely popular. Starmer isn't going to be getting on any soap boxes in town centres and convincing people.
Colour me sceptical but his undoubted Magic Grandpa charm didn't work in 2019.
J Corbz got 40% in 2017. In 2019 even when everyone had had a good look at him, he still got half a million more votes than Starmer managed last year.
Ancient history never was my strong point, but did he become PM? I must have missed that.
He doesn’t want to be PM does he, not really. He just wants to be a bit of a pickle and annoy the people who chucked him out of his beloved Labour Party. And he’s very well positioned to do that.
I think he would love to be PM but leading a party that wasn’t the platform that made him a name - if he could have a pure socialist party he would be happy. Conversely I think Farage would love to be PM leading the Conservative Party in his preferred clothes rather than the entity he used for prominence. He is so conservative he must have dreamt of being Conservative PM.
All credit to those posters calling out the racists, though.
The confected “crisis” with migrants in hotels. It all comes down to skin colour. The confected crisis with Mohammed being the most popular boys name. It all comes down to skin colour.
In the light of Trump's firing of the Labor Statistics chief who had the temerity to report Labor Statistics that the Dear Leader disliked, is there anyone who still believes that the votes cast at the mid-terms will be fairly and honestly counted?
All credit to those posters calling out the racists, though.
How much of the replies will be bots? It seems very odd that when he was actually in charge, there was very little racism thrown at him. Now all of a sudden today, it starts in volume. Rather suss.
Once you have seen that Donald Trump is confabulating, it cannot be unseen — and all sorts of other mildly disturbing incidents suddenly fall into place.
In the light of Trump's firing of the Labor Statistics chief who had the temerity to report Labor Statistics that the Dear Leader disliked, is there anyone who still believes that the votes cast at the mid-terms will be fairly and honestly counted?
Mostly, yes? The president doesn't run the election or appoint the people who do.
In the light of Trump's firing of the Labor Statistics chief who had the temerity to report Labor Statistics that the Dear Leader disliked, is there anyone who still believes that the votes cast at the mid-terms will be fairly and honestly counted?
I’ve been calling this for ages - America has gone.
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
Inability to make it up is what cost Erika McEntarfer her job.
I think he's done that to data collection for inflation, too. Just like weather forecasting.
"We don't need the Civil Service - wave the chainsaw Elon!"
Just over six months gone. I’m not sure if the US can take 4 years of this madness.
It's not going to be 4 years. Unless those famous checks and balances can actually start being effective, this is how the US will be run until there's a revolution.
All credit to those posters calling out the racists, though.
The confected “crisis” with migrants in hotels. It all comes down to skin colour. The confected crisis with Mohammed being the most popular boys name. It all comes down to skin colour.
There are two very important splits in the UK, probably most places, those who hate others for their skin colour and those who hate those for their beliefs/ways of life.
Effectively racists v “culturalists”.
Rishi is as British as most of us here, possibly more so. Kemi too. A lot of British people will “accept” Rishi and Kemi because aspects of their background culture are so in the background but they “behave” like British people. So the same people who might hate a lot of the migrants with similar parental backgrounds give a pass.
There are those who won’t forgive Rishi and Kemi for their skin colour.
I think it’s understandable for people to fear and not like people who look “different” if they also have a very alien culture and feel they have to adapt to accommodate that culture. They do however not see that there are white “cultures” which are every bit as different to their preferred ideal white/british/ english concept of culture.
It’s not as simple as people hating migrants because of their skin colour. It’s a simplistic argument and reaction that doesn’t help solve the problem.
I’m not a fan of the “Jafaikan” culture that captured a lot of the young of the UK with the lingo, icons, attitudes etc. I don’t like those who subscribe regardless of their skin colour. I find it misogynistic and basic and want the young to look to a more aspirational and dare I say it “respectful” culture.
I would imagine that a lot of people who have irrational issues with Muslims in the UK from largely the Pakistani background wouldn’t have the same issue with Indonesian Muslims. It’s not as simple as skin colour or “the other”.
More on those civil servant working class internships:
"If your parents were train drivers on £80k per year you qualify for government internships - which they now claim will be limited to just 'working class' kids.
In the light of Trump's firing of the Labor Statistics chief who had the temerity to report Labor Statistics that the Dear Leader disliked, is there anyone who still believes that the votes cast at the mid-terms will be fairly and honestly counted?
Mostly, yes? The president doesn't run the election or appoint the people who do.
The separation of powers and devolution of power are not things Trump respects. This isn't 2020 when Republican officials resisted the pressure to change the result, or when Democrat States didn't have to worry about ICE goon squads and the National Guard being deployed on spurious grounds.
Look at how most of the universities have caved to pressure from the Executive.
In the light of Trump's firing of the Labor Statistics chief who had the temerity to report Labor Statistics that the Dear Leader disliked, is there anyone who still believes that the votes cast at the mid-terms will be fairly and honestly counted?
I’ve been calling this for ages - America has gone.
No, it hasn't. Not quite.
But it is on the way, and if the GOP retain control of Congress in the midterms, then it will be a lot closer to being gone.
Democracies tend to be resilient; the habit is hard to break. Note even Hungary might just kick out Orban.
All credit to those posters calling out the racists, though.
How much of the replies will be bots? It seems very odd that when he was actually in charge, there was very little racism thrown at him. Now all of a sudden today, it starts in volume. Rather suss.
I presumed it was going to be Palestine ReAction that did in Wes Streeting's office, but apparently not (although they are all the same group of people in all these groups),
Wes Streeting’s constituency office has been vandalised by “trans rage” protesters.
Windows at the Health Secretary’s Ilford North Office were smashed, and the words “child killer” daubed on the front in paint. Trans Bash Back, a “trans-led direct action project”, claimed they were responsible for the vandalism in a post on the social media platform BlueSky.
In the light of Trump's firing of the Labor Statistics chief who had the temerity to report Labor Statistics that the Dear Leader disliked, is there anyone who still believes that the votes cast at the mid-terms will be fairly and honestly counted?
Mostly, yes? The president doesn't run the election or appoint the people who do.
The separation of powers and devolution of power are not things Trump respects. This isn't 2020 when Republican officials resisted the pressure to change the result, or when Democrat States didn't have to worry about ICE goon squads and the National Guard being deployed on spurious grounds.
Look at how most of the universities have caved to pressure from the Executive.
MAGA have worked very hard to get their most fanatical into positions in the electoral system. At every level.
In the light of Trump's firing of the Labor Statistics chief who had the temerity to report Labor Statistics that the Dear Leader disliked, is there anyone who still believes that the votes cast at the mid-terms will be fairly and honestly counted?
Mostly, yes? The president doesn't run the election or appoint the people who do.
The separation of powers and devolution of power are not things Trump respects. This isn't 2020 when Republican officials resisted the pressure to change the result, or when Democrat States didn't have to worry about ICE goon squads and the National Guard being deployed on spurious grounds.
Look at how most of the universities have caved to pressure from the Executive.
Also, big tech. The latest executive order threatens to withhold federal money from companies whose AIs don't meet Trump's own personal "fairness" standards.
Justin Wolfers @JustinWolfers · 2m Firing the BLS Commissioner — the guy in charge of the statisticians who track economic reality — is an authoritarian four alarm fire.
It will also backfire: You can't bend economic reality, but you can break the trust of markets. And biased data yields worse policy.
All credit to those posters calling out the racists, though.
The confected “crisis” with migrants in hotels. It all comes down to skin colour. The confected crisis with Mohammed being the most popular boys name. It all comes down to skin colour.
There are two very important splits in the UK, probably most places, those who hate others for their skin colour and those who hate those for their beliefs/ways of life.
Effectively racists v “culturalists”.
Rishi is as British as most of us here, possibly more so. Kemi too. A lot of British people will “accept” Rishi and Kemi because aspects of their background culture are so in the background but they “behave” like British people. So the same people who might hate a lot of the migrants with similar parental backgrounds give a pass.
There are those who won’t forgive Rishi and Kemi for their skin colour.
I think it’s understandable for people to fear and not like people who look “different” if they also have a very alien culture and feel they have to adapt to accommodate that culture. They do however not see that there are white “cultures” which are every bit as different to their preferred ideal white/british/ english concept of culture.
It’s not as simple as people hating migrants because of their skin colour. It’s a simplistic argument and reaction that doesn’t help solve the problem.
I’m not a fan of the “Jafaikan” culture that captured a lot of the young of the UK with the lingo, icons, attitudes etc. I don’t like those who subscribe regardless of their skin colour. I find it misogynistic and basic and want the young to look to a more aspirational and dare I say it “respectful” culture.
I would imagine that a lot of people who have irrational issues with Muslims in the UK from largely the Pakistani background wouldn’t have the same issue with Indonesian Muslims. It’s not as simple as skin colour or “the other”.
Sophistry. Why is Kemi decrying her heritage? Because she wants to stop being Nigerian to the racists whose votes she wants to rely on. She will fail - racists only see colour.
All credit to those posters calling out the racists, though.
The confected “crisis” with migrants in hotels. It all comes down to skin colour. The confected crisis with Mohammed being the most popular boys name. It all comes down to skin colour.
There are two very important splits in the UK, probably most places, those who hate others for their skin colour and those who hate those for their beliefs/ways of life.
Effectively racists v “culturalists”.
Rishi is as British as most of us here, possibly more so. Kemi too. A lot of British people will “accept” Rishi and Kemi because aspects of their background culture are so in the background but they “behave” like British people. So the same people who might hate a lot of the migrants with similar parental backgrounds give a pass.
There are those who won’t forgive Rishi and Kemi for their skin colour.
I think it’s understandable for people to fear and not like people who look “different” if they also have a very alien culture and feel they have to adapt to accommodate that culture. They do however not see that there are white “cultures” which are every bit as different to their preferred ideal white/british/ english concept of culture.
It’s not as simple as people hating migrants because of their skin colour. It’s a simplistic argument and reaction that doesn’t help solve the problem.
I’m not a fan of the “Jafaikan” culture that captured a lot of the young of the UK with the lingo, icons, attitudes etc. I don’t like those who subscribe regardless of their skin colour. I find it misogynistic and basic and want the young to look to a more aspirational and dare I say it “respectful” culture.
I would imagine that a lot of people who have irrational issues with Muslims in the UK from largely the Pakistani background wouldn’t have the same issue with Indonesian Muslims. It’s not as simple as skin colour or “the other”.
Sophistry. Why is Kemi decrying her heritage? Because she wants to stop being Nigerian to the racists whose votes she wants to rely on. She will fail - racists only see colour.
How is Kemi decrying her heritage, btw no big fan of hers, disclaimer not because of her skin colour?
And sophistry is also nuance. If you see everything as being about skin colour then you will only get the wrong solutions.
Comments
Corbyn is going to kill the Left. Heh
Has anyone noticed press coverage of the "Trans+ Pride" demonstration last weekend in London last Saturday, that drew 100k+ people?
I only caught it from the Guardian feed, and nearly missed it.
Checking - Guardian, Indy, BBC London Region, ES covered it. Elsewhere - crickets, as far as I can see.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y3pw10zw2o
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=cadbury's+flake+commercial#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:09c72aca,vid:3FcjxpnbHhA,st:0
We even have Rutland pride now. Its that respectable.
Fairly straight report in the Mail at a quick look but no comments. Quite inflammatory in the Telegraph *. Mail:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-14943879/London-Trans-Pride-sees-record-breaking-turnout-100-000-people.html
* "We must arm ourselves, say trans activists
Provocative placards at London protest ‘call for violence against women’, says human rights charity"
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/27/we-must-arm-ourselves-say-trans-activists/
On my way back from New Zealand through SE Asia in 1990 Mrs Foxy and I back packed for 3 months, with nothing booked ahead apart from flights. We just caught bus and train, and when we got to a place there were always hostel touts. It shows the degree of trust that we would hop in a van at midnight to go to a hostel, but we never had any problems, indeed had a great time. You just need a bit of flexibility and faith that you will find somewhere to stay.
Watching old films it seemed common to tell a hotel desk clerk you'll be staying for a few nights, but you don't know how long. I'm not sure that works these days either. Perhaps it was only ever in the movies.
Trump accuses McEntarfer of faking "Jobs Numbers before the Election to try and boost Kamala’s chances of Victory".
"Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes," he says.
The imbecile of course ignored the last jobs report before the election which was dreadful.
Also housed among the approximately 650 female inmates at the facility is disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence after being found guilty of defrauding investors in her blood-testing start-up in 2022.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czd049y2qymo
"Donald Trump has said he will sack the head of the US’s labour statistics agency following a weak jobs report in a move that could fuel concerns that he is seeking to influence independent data tracking the world’s biggest economy."
In all my travels I only remember being stuck for accommodation once, in a country town in the Transvaal in 1994 when it was getting dark, too dark to drive to the next place. All the accommodation was full as there was a lumberjack festival that had drawn crowds. We ate dinner in a local pizza place, and asked the manager if she knew anywhere with a spare room, and she offered the spare bedroom at their farm. It was a bit weird as it was draped with Nazi regalia, as she was part of Eugene Terreblanches hard-core Afrikaaner bitter-ender faction, but apart from that was fine.
A culture of hospitality to strangers used to be pretty universal in rural areas all around the world, with the expectation that casual travellers would be put up and fed, often in return for some chores. Its a culture that is still there in many places, but not really viable where there are lots of tourists.
You could always book a cruise for 2027.
Here's another one, at a place called Plusha in Cornwall. 3 killed since 2015.
Right turns across the A30, and also out across and into the other side; it is a 70mph limit dual carriageway at that point. There's a big petrol station/halt on one side, so a lot of turning traffic I assume.
There's a bit of self-serving nonsense:
"Amelia Collins had been travelling at 70mph along the A30 and said: "I did not see her pull out. I could not have done anything to avoid the collision."
Dear, there's half a mile of a lot of bloody great signs showing how complex the junction is and what is there; you could have slowed down to 40 or 50mph which would have cut your kinetic energy by 1/2 to 2/3 . And even a "downhill, turning vehicles, reduce speed" one. You chose to drive at an inappropriate speed through potential traffic predictably crossing in both directions, when the consequences could have been mitigated. All exasperated by the turning driver being 79. (Personally, I suggest it is careless or reckless, bit not enough intention for dangerous.)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/3y3RNcxLYfWyeg7R7
My piccie for today:
BBC report:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyzvj24ge1o
We always have a family meal on Boxing Day, and it’s only another month or so before we really have to start getting somewhere booked.
"We don't need the Civil Service - wave the chainsaw Elon!"
I am the opposite of a Corbynista but I find it odd how so many are ready to write him off. He’s fricking old now but it’s far from impossible he’d poll nationally in double figures but with a highly efficient vote, due to tactical voting / constituency pacts.
But the best was in a small and posh village in Oxfordshire, near the start of the Thames Path. I was going to the pub to see if I could pitch my tent in their beer garden (I would, of course, buy a meal and a pint) when I saw a middle-aged man getting out of his posh car to close a gate. I walked over to him and asked him where I could pitch my tent. He asked me a few questions, then said: "Pitch it in my paddock around the back for the night."
So I did. There were no horses or animals in the paddock, and I erected my bright yellow tent in one corner. After an hour or so, a woman came up to me and asked something like: "What the Hell are you doing in my garden?"
It turns out her husband had not told her that they had a visitor for the night...
I have received lots of similar kindness from pub landlords, gypsies, homeowners, B&B owners, farmers, and many others. One farmer caught me wild camping on his land and invited me in for breakfast.
The thing about the Brooke Shields ad is she literally does the whole genes/jeans schtick at about 3:00 in my link above, arguably going a lot further, referencing 'natural selection' while sexualising a 15 year old. The ad was widely criticised at the time, but for sexualising a 15 year old, not for the obvious eugenics element to the original script. So there's a story here about media outrage and how the focus of that outrage has changed in a more racially diverse america, away from overt sexualisation (normalised) and towards eugenics (less normalised) as the thing to hate on.
In both cases, the advertisers knew what they were doing in terms of enjoying free earned media through courting controversy. The Cadbury's Bunny on the other hand, that just turned an entire generation of kids weird...
This ad specifically for the same reason as this one........
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=cadbury's+flake+ad+jonathan+glazer#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:1455bbce,vid:8Uxnpc-JQ3o,st:0
The ad would be thought to be demonic as in this recent one which was apparently an homage to the earlier one and was banned. (incidentally shot by Jonathan Glazer)
I would think it's obvious car dealers are motivated by the profit in each transaction and don't have fiduciary duties similar to solicitors and company directors but it took the Supreme Court to work that out.
The one case allowed entailed a grotesquely large commission so was deemed to be contrary to consumer duty regulations in force at the time.
https://supremecourt.uk/news/latest-judgement
I'd expect plenty of other inner-ish London seats to be vulnerable. Lammy in Tottenham, Streeting in Ilford North, whoever Labour stand in Hackney North (assuming it won't be Abbott!) - they all could be swept away. Similar places with new Labour MPs who haven't had time to establish a local support base - Vauxhall, Peckham, Stratford and Bow.
Elsewhere, look at places won by Labour with the Greens and Refuk battling for position as the challengers for next time. Hastings, definitely. East Thanet, maybe. Canterbury, depending on who Labour select to replace Duffield.
Who wrote that piece of craven analysis ?
Otherwise you used agents to book hotels, as you say, or if you were brave, telephone or write. There was a brief period of a few years when fax was a very good way to arrange hotels overseas. When online booking first became a thing, it didn’t seem very trustworthy and I used to send a fax to confirm anything done online. But that must have been just for a year or two. Then suddenly, you could arrange a whole trip yourself from your PC. My current trip would have been a logistical nightmare to have arranged without the internet. I am currently the only British car on a ferry from Finland to Sweden; not sure how that would have been done in the old days other than through a travel agent?
Trans pride attracted 100k this year, but only 60k a year ago. And the 100k who marched for trans pride this year was more than those who marched for the main pride event, just 30k. While pride is more of a celebration / booze up these days, trans pride is intensely political and becoming more so with recent events. I know it's not PB's demographic, but a lot of people in my social circle are very angry about the way the government is acting over this - particularly a Labour government.
I noted earlier this week that the government is ruling by decree, invoking a statutory instrument to take away trans rights, - see https://iandunt.substack.com/p/the-trans-rights-stitch-up-2ca?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=7aibo&triedRedirect=true and has overruled the chairs of the women and equalities committee and the joint committee on human rights to appoint Mary Ann Stephenson to replace Kishwer Falkner, described as underqualified on race relations and lacking in credibility in a letter to Bridget Phillipson - https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jul/31/mary-ann-stephenson-confirmed-as-ehrc-chair-despite-mps-objections - she was clearly only appointed because the government wants to push through anti-trans legislation. As I pointed out this week, you don't have to support trans rights to support good government based on transparency, fairness, and parliamentary accountability. Everything the current government is not.
Hmm
Apparently not. It was a lard-based heffalump called "Boris". Entirely more sensible.
Anyway, it would simple just to pop a 40mph limit on them, or one of those "8 fatalities in last 10 years" signs up. I have no idea why they don't, and it's self-regulating anyway because of the average speed cameras.
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/gender-critical-ehrc-chair-mary-ann-stephenson-hf7mkzcwx
@SpencerHakimian
·
23m
*FED GOVERNOR ADRIANA KUGLER TO RESIGN EFFECTIVE AUG. 8
Biden appointee.
Going to be replaced by a MAGA hack.
Hours after disappointing jobs data reflected cracks in the U.S. economy, President Trump said Friday that he planned to fire the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, and implied on social media that she had manipulated the monthly data for political reasons.
Mr. Trump offered no evidence to support his claim.
NY Times blog
As ever, projection. He intends to select someone who will manipulate the data for political reasons.
Note Vance actively backed her appointment, back in the day.
@gtconway3d
·
52m
Pretty soon all economic and jobs data released by the federal government will be handwritten with a black Sharpie
https://x.com/gtconway3d/status/1951359169463767141
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWsKhMQ41lY
At least.
No idea why the US stock market isn't properly reacting to all this insanity. NYSE is in a banana republic.
Sarah Longwell
@SarahLongwell25
Trump is firing people for publishing statistics about the damage he is doing to the economy.
https://x.com/SarahLongwell25/status/1951349331736535340
Harry: Yeah, but they were all bad.
Does it mean his band of merry men, women, non-binaries will get 40%, no. But if he does actually decide to put some effort in, its not impossible they can hoover up left wing votes.
The counter is people might cling to nurse Starmer to stop Farage.
Happy Yorkshire Day! Proud to call it home, and even prouder to represent its people.
There’s nowhere quite like it.
https://x.com/RishiSunak/status/1951161325872357511
All credit to those posters calling out the racists, though.
The Reform pitch is that the Conservative Party is the enemy. Part of the problem.
Fruit & Nuts pitch is that the wrong people are running the Labour Party. It’s an externalised Maomentum.
Wes Streeting’s constituency office has been vandalised by “trans rage” protesters.
Windows at the Health Secretary’s Ilford North Office were smashed, and the words “child killer” daubed on the front in paint. Trans Bash Back, a “trans-led direct action project”, claimed they were responsible for the vandalism in a post on the social media platform BlueSky.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/08/01/trans-rage-protesters-vandalise-wes-streeting-office/
https://x.com/johnrentoul/status/1951330108569956387?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5429516-trump-confabulation-dementia-signs/
Effectively racists v “culturalists”.
Rishi is as British as most of us here, possibly more so. Kemi too. A lot of British people will “accept” Rishi and Kemi because aspects of their background culture are so in the background but they “behave” like British people. So the same people who might hate a lot of the migrants with similar parental backgrounds give a pass.
There are those who won’t forgive Rishi and Kemi for their skin colour.
I think it’s understandable for people to fear and not like people who look “different” if they also have a very alien culture and feel they have to adapt to accommodate that culture. They do however not see that there are white “cultures” which are every bit as different to their preferred ideal white/british/ english concept of culture.
It’s not as simple as people hating migrants because of their skin colour. It’s a simplistic argument and reaction that doesn’t help solve the problem.
I’m not a fan of the “Jafaikan” culture that captured a lot of the young of the UK with the lingo, icons, attitudes etc. I don’t like those who subscribe regardless of their skin colour. I find it misogynistic and basic and want the young to look to a more aspirational and dare I say it “respectful” culture.
I would imagine that a lot of people who have irrational issues with Muslims in the UK from largely the Pakistani background wouldn’t have the same issue with Indonesian Muslims. It’s not as simple as skin colour or “the other”.
"If your parents were train drivers on £80k per year you qualify for government internships - which they now claim will be limited to just 'working class' kids.
If your parents were nurses you will be banned."
https://x.com/tomhfh/status/1951363547763818663
Look at how most of the universities have caved to pressure from the Executive.
But it is on the way, and if the GOP retain control of Congress in the midterms, then it will be a lot closer to being gone.
Democracies tend to be resilient; the habit is hard to break. Note even Hungary might just kick out Orban.
The latest executive order threatens to withhold federal money from companies whose AIs don't meet Trump's own personal "fairness" standards.
Justin Wolfers
@JustinWolfers
·
2m
Firing the BLS Commissioner — the guy in charge of the statisticians who track economic reality — is an authoritarian four alarm fire.
It will also backfire: You can't bend economic reality, but you can break the trust of markets. And biased data yields worse policy.
https://x.com/JustinWolfers
And sophistry is also nuance. If you see everything as being about skin colour then you will only get the wrong solutions.