News of the day

[Baz]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c05zpdq0lzgo

Justice for those who said it was a Muslim.

What actually happens to those who are in jail because of social media posts? (lol btw)

Like this guy: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y3gre3y9yo.amp

1852813950829908120

[Kikó]

He didn't go to jail because he said he was a Muslim.

[Spikey M]

He didn't go to jail because he said he was a Muslim.

Why did he go to jail? I assume there was something above and beyond these mildly offensive tweets?

[Shindig]

Childless husks. Featuring Kari's fucked teeth. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g7x5kl5l8o)

[Kikó]

It's in the article.

"The 35-year-old, of Salix Approach, Lincoln, admitted publishing written material online to stir up racial hatred between 28 July and 8 August."

[Spikey M]

Sounds like he went to jail for saying he was a Muslim then. Or am I missing something?

[Spikey M]

The only way I can read that as incitement is if you take the heads must roll comment literally. Which I think is highly unlikely, he almost certainly meant people should lose their jobs for trying to cover it up. A sentiment that Jimmy has echoed. I hope we aren't waiting for PC Plod to rock up at his door.

Freedom of speech is a key principle of democracy and that includes the likes of Mr Sickofit. I'm almost certain he is a deeply unpleasant person and there will be alot of shite on his twitter feed (or was, before it was likely deleted) but stupidity and being an arsehole should not carry prison sentences.

People supporting this are being very short sighted and I don't want to hear from them in 8 years when Lord Tice and Sir Farage are locking them up under this precedent for calling them racist on Twitter.

[Kikó]

He pleaded guilty mate. Ask him why he did.

[Shindig]

I don't think prosecutors would've focused entirely around those two tweets, either. The dates imply other tweets that would've been seen as evidence.

[Spikey M]

I don't think prosecutors would've focused entirely around those two tweets, either. The dates imply other tweets that would've been seen as evidence.

Quite possibly, but I only have the above 2 - probably cherry picked - tweets to go on.

[Lofty]

He pleaded guilty mate. Ask him why he did.

Weird that the company director from Cheshire got off with it. Almost like she could afford better legal representation.

[Kikó]

And the wife of an MP went to jail. www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3wkzgpjxvo.amp

[Lofty]

*Councillor.

[Kikó]

True. Will have rubbish legal representation then.

[Spikey M]

And the wife of an MP went to jail. www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3wkzgpjxvo.amp

She literally called for murders though.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8dy5v1kpno

This is pretty alarming stuff, given that cigarettes literally and quite obviously kill you. I always said that the cohort behind me (so now aged 28-32ish) were pretty sensible, but the cohort behind them appear to be irredeemable morons.

[Baz]

Addison Rae smoking not one but two at the same time in her music video

lolwut

[Magic]

The severed head in Edinburgh story is wild.

Some blokes picking it up thinking it's a Halloween decoration. :D

[Shindig]

Ran over by a bus, apparently.

[Spikey M]

The severed head in Edinburgh story is wild.

Some blokes picking it up thinking it's a Halloween decoration. :D

Jesus. :|

[Raoul Duke]

Tbf, it is a Halloween decoration, just very fucking intense

[Spikey M]

Just a heads up ( :henn0rz: ), the video is very available on Twitter.

[Shindig]

Seen it. The second fella jumping up and down for joy is probably on a watchlist.

[niko_cee]

I see Panorama have got to the bottom of the whole Chris Kaba thing. IOPC investigation headed up by the smarmiest Scotch 'Person of Colour' imaginable. Case closed quicker than it even took the jury in the trial.

[John Arne]

Nicole Kidman has absolutely ruined her face.

https://gyazo.com/8a4a8215dbade71212ec0821cccccc1b.jpeg

[Spikey M]

Without wanting to go full

https://i.ibb.co/RNTvGgp/Screenshot-20241105-141320-Brave.jpg

I've never really understood the attraction to her anyway.

[-james-]

As far as plastic surgery goes, I've seen much worse. She's 57.

[Lofty]

True. Will have rubbish legal representation then.
One of the lads I work with was a councillor, he wasn't exactly Mr Monopoly hoarding his deeds and retaining top lawyers whilst overseeing sorting out the local duck pond. I believe they are entitled to an expenses allowance up to around 5k a year.

[Dquincy]

Nicole Kidman has absolutely ruined her face.

https://gyazo.com/8a4a8215dbade71212ec0821cccccc1b.jpeg

I probably would.

[Dquincy]

Without wanting to go full

https://i.ibb.co/RNTvGgp/Screenshot-20241105-141320-Brave.jpg

I've never really understood the attraction to her anyway.

Are you more of an Anne Hathaway fan?

[Lofty]

Kidman was peak in Practical Magic but I'd still probably go for Sandra Bullock.

[SincereTheRebel]

Nicole Kidman has absolutely ruined her face.

https://gyazo.com/8a4a8215dbade71212ec0821cccccc1b.jpeg


As far as plastic surgery goes, I've seen much worse. She's 57.

Very true. Cant expect more because eof her age. I have yet to see anyone look better with noticeable surgery. You can reverse boob jobs but can the same be done with your face?

[niko_cee]

The legend never dies (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dl0nqdl10o)

Obviously in the context and thought free world of modern social media outcomes are sub-optimal.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's another one of these: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg4l3yz76neo


"There is no space in Australian publishing (or elsewhere) for our stories to be told through a colonial lens, by authors who have little if any connection to the people and place they are writing about," Dr Anita Heiss, a Wiradyuri author and publisher told the Guardian Australia.

Well guess what, he did it anyway, deal with it.

[niko_cee]

I love the fact that Jamie Oliver can somehow bang out a 400 page book about an Aborignal girl with magical powers who is at the centre of a story about abduction and at no point in that process did someone think to step in and say maybe it wasn't the best idea in the world.

Still available in hardback on Amazon. Quite tempted to get it.

Oh, looking at the cover it appears to be about fairies, is the second in a series and has probably never been near Mr Oliver.

[Boydy]

They really need to stop celebs writing kids' books.

[Manc]

Jamie Oliver needs stopping all together. Complete failure at whatever he turns his hand to.

[Yevrah]

They really need to stop celebs writing kids' books.

Absolutely, but I think there's a wider point that goes back to what you said in the US election thread, in that (a huge majority of) people are absolutely sick of these sort of professional offense taking responses.

[randomlegend]

Jamie Oliver needs stopping all together. Complete failure at whatever he turns his hand to.

He's the biggest selling British non-fiction author of all time and second best selling British author of all time (being JK Rowling), making ~£180m in the process (numbers from the quite excellent Wikipedia).

I'd call that relatively successful.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Also quite good at cooking.

Have to say I find his recipes pretty wank, Nigel and Nigella are the king and queen.

[Boydy]

Absolutely, but I think there's a wider point that goes back to what you said in the US election thread, in that (a huge majority of) people are absolutely sick of these sort of professional offense taking responses.

Oh, yeah, I wasn't really responding to the exact topic at hand here. I'm just sick of seeing so many celebs get book deals and churning out shit when there are probably loads of lesser known and very talented kids' authors out there who are getting very little or no work.

[Pepe]

If mugs didn't buy them...

[Giggles]

Also quite good at cooking.

Have to say I find his recipes pretty wank, Nigel and Nigella are the king and queen.

Hard to beat the bony fish and casual racism of a Rick Stein.

[niko_cee]

Sounds like a coastal bestseller.

[Ben]

They really need to stop celebs writing kids' books.

My wife bought the David Walliams ones and they're creepy as. Obviously.

[niko_cee]

In fairness to Walliams, I'm pretty sure he properly writes them himself and some of them are pretty good, unlike a lot of the ghost written put their name to it wank.

[Lofty]

Didn't he write a kid's book where the villain was another kid at school who was fat and sweaty?

Just Roald Dahl mashed up and spat out in the simplest format.

[Spikey M]

I have an irrational hatred of Jamie Oliver - not least because he was really nice when he came into 19 year old Spikeys work - so I'm conflicted here.

On the one hand, lol, what did you expect, you soppy fucker? On the other hand, can someone please tell these race grifting arseholes to fuck off and not just immediately buckle to their bollocks for once?

[Lewis]

The blackfellas criticising Jamie Oliver for appropriating indigenous history look this this (https://nit.com.au/26-08-2024/13332/national-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-education-corporation-welcomes-inaugural-ceo) and this (https://www.anitaheiss.com/speaker). Why does Australia go along with this bollocks?

[niko_cee]

Australia and New Zealand are the home of grievance culture and have been for many decades.

[Boydy]

The blackfellas criticising Jamie Oliver for appropriating indigenous history look this this (https://nit.com.au/26-08-2024/13332/national-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-education-corporation-welcomes-inaugural-ceo) and this (https://www.anitaheiss.com/speaker). Why does Australia go along with this bollocks?

I don't see Anita Heiss mentioned in the article?

Sue-Anne Hunter is. Here's her picture:

https://womensagenda.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/avatar_user_3147_1615875224-500x500.png

Everyone's on a fucking grift.

[Manc]

Good to see the Taliban at COP29.

[Lofty]

Rachel Dolezal will be gutted she had to resort to Onlyfans whilst those Aussies coin it in.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This massive lib-left twitter flounce is amazing. They just will not learn.

[Kikó]

Why do people need to stay on Twitter?

[Giggles]

It's the only reliable news source any more.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They can do what they like, they are just immensely foolish to do so. It's like Marie Antoinette or whoever refusing to expose her ears to the vulgarities of the masses.

Clifton Suspension Bridge leaves twitter due to 'inappropriate content' is just hilarious lies, they're leaving twitter because a few people in the media office are disappointed by the election of Trump (in a different country) and it's suddenly seen as the high-status move to declare you're now only going to be putting information out on Facebook, which famously has no inappropriate content at all.

[Spikey M]

The women shaving their heads have been my favourite news story of the week.

I don't think Trump voters would be your types to start with, huns.

[Spikey M]

It's the only reliable news source any more.

Agree and disagree. You can still find sources that completely contradict each other, so as always you have to take everything you read with a pinch of salt.

There's not really any decent news sources out there these days. Everything has a narrative and an agenda.

[niko_cee]

The twitter stuff is funny. An understandable reaction to having been 4D big-brained by the Muskrat.

But, ummmmm, Elon, the company is worth nowhere near what you paid for it and advertisers are abandoning you in their droves . . .

[Jimmy Floyd]

If we're talking pure news reporting then the BBC is the best. They increasingly like to throw a lot of 'investigations' and ID politics sob stories in though so you have to be careful which is which.

[Kikó]

It's the only reliable news source any more.

No really.

[Kikó]

They can do what they like, they are just immensely foolish to do so. It's like Marie Antoinette or whoever refusing to expose her ears to the vulgarities of the masses.

Clifton Suspension Bridge leaves twitter due to 'inappropriate content' is just hilarious lies, they're leaving twitter because a few people in the media office are disappointed by the election of Trump (in a different country) and it's suddenly seen as the high-status move to declare you're now only going to be putting information out on Facebook, which famously has no inappropriate content at all.

It's called taking your custom elsewhere. It's an openly right wing site designed to push conspiracy theories and with an algorithm to promote the owners views on you. If you're not interested in that, why would you stay?

Knock yourself out if that's your bag but not for me Geoff.

[niko_cee]

Someone should start up their own social media platform so they can share the real truth, oh wait.

[Lofty]

The twitter stuff is funny. An understandable reaction to having been 4D big-brained by the Muskrat.

But, ummmmm, Elon, the company is worth nowhere near what you paid for it and advertisers are abandoning you in their droves . . .

To be fair he did smugly say 'if advertisers don't like it they can fuck off' and when they fucked off started a lawsuit saying 'hey you can't do that!', so he big brained himself on that one.

[-james-]

I had no interest in migrating from Twitter but five minutes on Bluesky and it's quite clear that it's a better place to be spending any amount of time. https://bsky.app/profile/dinoj.bsky.social :)

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The worst thing about Twitter right now is the sheer amount of bots/advertising posts in replies.

I'm sure I read that they're almost all gone but any time I check the replies there are a shit tonne of them and it's so much more noticeable than pre-Elon.

[Lewis]

I had no interest in migrating from Twitter but five minutes on Bluesky and it's quite clear that it's a better place to be spending any amount of time. https://bsky.app/profile/dinoj.bsky.social :)

'Invalid Handle' could be your climbing nickname.

[Giggles]

No really.

Yes really. Who's left?

[Yevrah]

I see COP and everyone involved continues to absolutely disgrace themselves.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2lknel1xpo

[niko_cee]

I thought the Taliban turning up this year would really have swung it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We're moving into an every man for himself protectionist era and it's glorious. Not for us, obviously, because we have the most expensive energy imaginable and have spent the last 30 years slashing defence capability. But for everyone else, man it's going to be a vibe.

[Yevrah]

And it gets worse.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq52l95dd3vo

Just leave it to the private sector to sort this chaps, you're all absolutely useless, incompetent and/or morally bankrupt.

[niko_cee]

https://news.sky.com/story/meeting-the-deeply-radical-anti-tax-group-that-is-growing-in-popularity-13254219


Pete Stone, better known as Sovereign Pete, is explaining how "the system" works. Mr Stone is in his mid-50, bald with a goatee beard

This describes most of the conspiracy nuts I know. Bald and bearded. Does hair [on your head] shield us 'normies' from whatever is getting into these maniacs' brains?

[Shindig]

Their fundamental point is that nobody is required to obey laws they have not specifically consented to - especially when it comes to tax.

With us are six other people, mainly dressed in neat jumpers. They're members of the Sovereign Project (SP), an organisation Mr Stone founded in 2020, which, he says, now has more than 20,000 paying members.

Grift those suckers good, Pete.

https://www.thesovereignproject.live/goals

End world debt by not paying tax. Protect KIDS with a £37.99 t-shirt with our logo on it. Buy some of our gold, while you're at it. Might I interest you in a book called, "SCHOOL: NO PLACE FOR CHILDREN."

[Lofty]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq8v4p2dj01o

'Can you just refer to me as 'Jack' please?'

'No problem, can we take a picture?'

[Pepe]

There were posters explaining to 'ask for Angela' if you felt unsafe? How is that discreet at all?

[Yevrah]

I did wonder how on earth that scheme was supposed to provide an effective safety net even if exploited, rushed off their arse, minimum wage staff were following it to the letter.

[Spikey M]

Surely you just go to the toilet, wait for a woman to come in and raise the alarm that way. Nothing about "call me Angela" makes sense. What if the guy knows your name isn't Angela? What if he's seen the posters? What if the guy knows what you're trying to do but the member of staff doesn't.

Dumb.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

What if you just start screaming Angela? They will surely know something is up.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They obviously need to make the signal more subtle, how about putting this on the jukebox - robust measures that will surely make the gropers retreat.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3H1ynNLHHM

[niko_cee]

Is this bald tory guy on Newsnight drunk?

[Manc]

Disabled, I think. Same difference.

[niko_cee]

Has he recently become disabled (more noticeably) then? I'm sure I've seen him loads of times before and he's not been like that. Had all the mannerisms of someone trying to blag not being really pissed.

[niko_cee]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2k03qz5jqno

:happycry:

Bad luck Africans. Intellectual rigour demands you sort yourself out/starve to death.

[Lewis]

That wouldn't be a bad basis for foreign policy.

[Lofty]

I mean if they don't want colonial charity there are plenty of causes that will take it.

I get what they are saying about 'invest in Africa' instead but expecting that is just unrealistic, the only major investment they get is from superpowers making power plays for their own ends.

[niko_cee]

Dunno really where to put this (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/oct/29/new-wallabies-rugby-jersey-dylan-pietsch-indigenous-artwork), as the eggball thread doesn't get much interest, but is there some sort of style convention akin to having to say "the football club" in football which mandates that all indigenous people are "proud"?

[Pepe]

Speaking of, that Haka thing is completely out of control.

[Spikey M]

It always makes me cringe.

Both the Haka it's self and the people that pretend it's powerful.

[Manc]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/nov/19/baby-girl-registered-wrong-sex-mansfield-registration-office

Lord Lucan up to his old tricks.

[niko_cee]

“Even if people do notice the correction, they’ll assume our daughter is transgender – which isn’t an issue if that’s what she wants to be when she’s older, but it’s not the case now,” she added.

:D

What a world.

[niko_cee]

Also, it's their own stupid fault. There are clear public policy reasons these things can't be amended, in the same way there was nothing that could be done for that couple who were accidentally divorced, the decree nisi is absolute. It cannot be undone. This is a total headfuck for some, including 30p Lee.

[Jimmy Floyd]

:D

What a world.

I imagine the beeb spent 35 man hours drafting that sentence for her.

[Yevrah]

:D That wasn't lost on me either.

They also didn't get it right either as I don't doubt some left losing lunatics will be looking at that sentence while internally screaming "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT ISN'T WHAT SHE WANTS NOW!?!"

Winning here.

[Manc]

This also caught my eye.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/19/conor-mcgregor-accuser-will-always-be-a-marked-woman-court-hears

McGregor denies rape and says that he and Hand had consensual “athletic” sex on the night.

[Spikey M]

I hope my hand consents, because I never asked. :uhoh:

[niko_cee]

As if the whole COP thing wasn't a big enough shitshow wtf is this (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxvpl5zw19o)?

:lol:

[niko_cee]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckglp4nz75zo

Doh!

The homeowner has obviously failed being an American 101 and not armed himself with an AR-15 to stop this sort of thing happening.

[Lofty]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c86qdq67dd5o

[SvN]

Absolutely wild. Noone could've predicted that twist.

[Lofty]

Quite, but the promising the companies helping them push the grift they would donate to the foundation and then failing to is some extra depth to the grift.

[niko_cee]

Probably didn't need a 2 year statutory inquiry to come to that conclusions really.

[Pepe]

As if the whole COP thing wasn't a big enough shitshow wtf is this (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxvpl5zw19o)?

:lol:

Giggles

[Spikey M]

TTH were at the forefront of calling Captain Tom a massive fraud. Pretty sure we were on it before he completed his first lap of the garden.

[Ben]

The daughter is a right slimy cunt.

[Jimmy Floyd]

She's the 2020s in human form.

Nice thing happens
Nice thing gains wider attention
Bad person realises they can make money off the nice thing, thanks to its wider attention
Nice thing is ruined forever and everyone is more miserable than they were at the start

[Spikey M]

Let's not forget them taking him to Barbados in December 2020, him catching Covid while over there / travelling back and dying a few days later.

She literally killed him to get that spa. :sick:

[Giggles]

@Giggles (https://www.thethirdhalf.co.uk/member.php?u=26)

Say what?

[-james-]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/17/it-has-been-a-year-since-i-felt-joy-paul-sagar-on-coming-to-terms-with-the-climbing-accident-that-paralysed-him

Not news but whatevs. Fuck me if it isn't the most harrowing shit I've ever read.

[Boydy]

Christ. I've met him. He was a friend of a friend.

[Lofty]

Absolutely brutal.

[Magic]

Damn, very unlucky not to die.

[Foe]

“Climbing” is one of those sports or hobbies where clearly you have to go into it with that acceptance that there is non-zero, but slim, chance of this happening.

Same with stuff like bungee jumping, sky diving etc. Sport where you’re putting yourself in danger is foreign to me. Too much downside. Be it your failure, fatigue or error, or some piece of equipment failure you end up in a life altering situation.

I’d have been begging for the pills to end long ago.

[Spikey M]

Me and my mate Lofty have a theory that the ultra wealthy either seek thrills via extreme sports / tourism, or by becoming sexual deviants.

Now, we know Foe is minted. And now we know that extreme sports are "not for" him.

So, well... nonce.

[Foe]

Hey. Hey. Hey. Mean. :(

I’m not sure I could read that entire article though, the fear of how grim it could seem stopped me. Poor lad.

[Spikey M]

In other noncing news:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm27dp0e226o

This seems insanely harsh. The girls mum might actually be a bigger witch than Captain Tom's daughter.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If I thought my daughter had been enjoying herself in any way on holiday, the first thing I'd do would be to report it to the UAE authorities. You can't be too careful.

[Spikey M]

His local MP is David Lammy too. In normal circumstances having the Foreign Secretary as your local MP, while banged up abroad for sleeping with someone your own age, would be ideal.

In this instance... yeah. I'm not sure he's going to be much help. The Arabs aren't going to immediately bend over just because you call them racist.

[Yevrah]

UN climate talks are on the verge of collapse as a group representing small island states walks out of a key meeting at COP29 in Azerbaijan

:harold:

Can't even agree amongst yourselves but expect average Joe to pick up the tab. Add this to the long list of reasons why Trump won. Absolute fucking shit show.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Reading into this a little bit, but had to stop when I encountered the phrase 'the G77 and China group of developing countries'.

[niko_cee]

:D

Yeah, I loved that grouping as well.

"Representing the Global South"

[Spikey M]

Obviously scammers are absolute fucking scum bags, but the overwhelming stupidity (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyvj754d9lo) of people really is baffling.

[niko_cee]

Aye, it's genuinely astounding. I blame the move to phone usage [over computer usage] for a lot of it - it is much harder to spot dodgy email addresses on a phone and there is a more homogeneous approach to 'message received', if that makes sense, ie it is not necessarily immediately clear what form the message has arrived in. Where do those Evri missed delivery message lead, for example?

The banks having various approaches to actual legitimate communications, rather than some sort of industry standard, is also problematic. I had my ebanking shutdown and point blank didn't believe the legitimate communication sent about it so had to go through the fraud process/phone line instead - although this was suggested in the initial message if you didn't believe/trust the contact information being provided in it.

Your bank phoning you up and telling you to transfer all of your cash into this other account with a different bank that they have set up for you is pure wallet inspector territory.

[Spikey M]

In more overwhelmingly stupid (and evil) news:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78dyryreyxo

I can only assume the con works via kidnapping babies and stretching the vaginas of the "mothers" whilst stopping them from looking and that the women know that's what's happening, but they go along with it because they're so desperate to have a child.

Jesus.

[Yevrah]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dlw5pq967o

That this sort of stuff is still being characterised as a shock just demonstrates how asleep the incumbent political parties and national media are.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Our system has made us broadly resistant to such things but I think there's a real opportunity for Reform to change that and achieve critical mass in the next year or so. Admittedly it will require Farage, Tice etc to play things sensibly and avoid ridiculous ego plays and internal wrangling, which could be too much of an ask.

[Spikey M]

They have too many retarded members for it to happen I think. They only had a handful of candidates at the last election and they still had atleast 2 of them disgrace themselves. Including the Southend candidate saying he'd murder illegal migrants in the North Sea.

Ultimately I, and I think most people, just want politics to step away from identity and culture wars nonsense and focus on actually fixing the country. Hopefully the far right rising can force them to do that before we actually end up with a far right government.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think there will come a point when it just won't matter if they have retarded candidates or not. They put up paper candidates in Scotland and were winning solid shares. There's a real appetite for fucking off the liberal consensus now that didn't exist 5-10 years ago. If it isn't them it'll be someone else.

[Yevrah]

The real win Reform could get and desperately need is through defections from the main parties. Which is a bit chicken and egg in reality, but if something were to ignite it then it'd snowball them into at least a serious position of influence if not sharing power.

Like you Spikey, all I want is what you've outlined and I'm actually sympathetic to, and was on board with, a lot if not all of the culture wars/identity politics/woke stuff/whatever you want to call it, until the point where it genuinely ran mad.

[randomlegend]

Ultimately I, and I think most people, just want politics to step away from identity and culture wars nonsense and focus on actually fixing the country. Hopefully the far right rising can force them to do that before we actually end up with a far right government.

Why would the far right force discourse away from identity and culture wars nonsense? It's their entire platform.

[Spikey M]

Why would the far right force discourse away from identity and culture wars nonsense? It's their entire platform.

Yes and no. What appeals to many is simply that they sneer at "wokery". It's the same deal with Trump. I don't think most people voted for him because they particularly like him, it's just a protest vote against The Establishment/Elites forcing their increasingly liberal ideas onto the wider population.

People don't like it. It was the same with Brexit, too. I don't know what it's going to take for the left to learn this lesson.

[randomlegend]

Yes and no. What appeals to many is simply that the sneer at "wokery". It's the same deal with Trump. I don't think most people voted for him because they particularly like him, it's just a protest vote against the establishment/Elites forcing their increasingly liberal ideas onto the wider population.

No, they voted for him because they thought he'd make the lives of people they don't like miserable.

Completely ignorant of how it would actually affect themselves. Hence all the lol crying on social media now they've realised that "Obamacare" was actually the affordable healthcare they had and that China in fact won't be footing the bill for the tariffs.

[Jimmy Floyd]

To get away from the culture wars, one side or another first has to win the culture wars. Seems pretty clear to me at the moment which side that is going to be.

[niko_cee]

Sounds like the perfect time for old Deadly Dom to have published his 400 page rambling pdf treatise on Bismark.

[niko_cee]

On the subject of the culture wars.


It’s a historic pub that has played host to a cast of famous faces including Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy since it opened its doors in 1891.

But now animal rights activists are demanding the Sly Old Fox in Birmingham change its name because it is “derogatory”, “inaccurate” and “unfair” to foxes.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) is calling on the pub to replace “sly” with “clever” in a bid to reflect society’s “ever-evolving empathy for animals”.

I see the Midget pub one in Abingdon has been met with a counter protest/petition to the original moaning midget one.

[Yevrah]

To get away from the culture wars, one side or another first has to win the culture wars. Seems pretty clear to me at the moment which side that is going to be.

Indeed. That the left still can't see this after all of the signs over the last eight years is absolutely laughable.

[Luke Emia]

I've said it many times before but what we probably need is Farage to actually win a whole election and prove that it's very fucking easy to shout from the side about things like foreign's, border control, British jobs for British people, housing and all the other bollocks he talks about constantly. To see him in power and unable to deliver on all the things he has spent the last 20 years claiming were a piece of piss might be just want this country needs to see that it's not quite as easy as it seems.

Hopefully we could then drag out Jeremy Corbyn's ghost as well for everyone to see just how shit the extreme left is and we can get on with trying to make things better without listening to the absolute spastics on the far right and left for the next 20 years.

[randomlegend]

I've said it many times before but what we probably need is Farage to actually win a whole election and prove that it's very fucking easy to shout from the side about things like foreign's, border control, British jobs for British people, housing and all the other bollocks he talks about constantly. To see him in power and unable to deliver on all the things he has spent the last 20 years claiming were a piece of piss might be just want this country needs to see that it's not quite as easy as it seems.


Well that happened in America and they've just voted him back in.

Last time he lied about the border wall easily fixing the immigration problem with Mexico paying for it.

This time he's lied about tariffs on imports fixing....something? Cost of living? With China paying for it. People were too stupid to see it's the exact same play.

[Spikey M]

Trumps brilliance is that he understands what's happening. He essentially lies, then cups his mouth and says "psssst, I'm lying" and his supporters say "yeah we know" and parrot the lie anyway. Because for them it's not about being truthful, it's about winning by any means necessary. It's very, very American. I don't think it would work here, because we care more about being right than we do about winning.

[Yevrah]

Last time he lied about the border wall easily fixing the immigration problem with Mexico paying for it.



Lieing about being able to fix the border is still more attractive to people than "Border problem? What border problem? Pipe down you filthy racist".

[Yevrah]

Trumps brilliance is that he understands what's happening. He essentially lies, then cups his mouth and says "psssst, I'm lying" and his supporters say "yeah we know" and parrot the lie anyway. Because for them it's not about being truthful, it's about winning by any means necessary. It's very, very American. I don't think it would work here, because we care more about being right than we do about winning.

I should add, I don't really subscribe to any of this. He won because he had the better proposition, it really is as simple as that as far as I can see. Now I watched this all from afar but I watched enough of it to know what he was standing for but had no clue what Harris was standing for. Something about "embrace love not hate" and here's Beyonce (at considerable expense) to tell you the same. It was just dogshit. As I said upthread, if there was more to it than that then let me know.

[randomlegend]

Lieing about being able to fix the border is still more attractive to people than "Border problem? What border problem? Pipe down you filthy racist".

We hark back to "but the people are retarded".

[Spikey M]

I should add, I don't really subscribe to any of this. He won because he had the better proposition, it really is as simple as that as far as I can see. Now I watched this all from afar but I watched enough of it to know what he was standing for but had no clue what Harris was standing for. Something about "embrace love not hate" and here's Beyonce (at considerable expense) to tell you the same. It was just dogshit. As I said upthread, if there was more to it than that then let me know.

They're eating the cats, they're eating the dogs. He loves an obvious lie and his supporters eat it up. It also generates headlines and gets people talking about him.
Alot of his appeal is in trolling the opposition, and he's Jose Mourinho when it comes to that.

RL is right when he says that many Trump voters want to see this:


https://youtu.be/wDYNVH0U3cs?si=rsuIQfd16NqU5VsX

[randomlegend]

He won because he had the better proposition,

Very easy to have the better proposition when none of it is true.

If people are thick/vengeful enough to vote for it when none of it is true (or to judge it the "better proposition" despite knowing none of it is true) then what are you going to do?

You can't just lie yourself because the non-MAGA crowd who you rely on for the majority of your votes will actually care if you're just talking demonstrable bullshit.

[Yevrah]

We hark back to "but the people are retarded".

And we've then completed the "why the left keep losing" circle once again.

[Yevrah]

If people are thick/vengeful enough to vote for it when none of it is true (or to judge it the "better proposition" despite knowing none of it is true) then what are you going to do?


Be better. Stop attacking (as it turned out) half of the electorate. Realise how absolutely tone deaf it is spunking millions up the wall on already very rich people when a lot of your country is poor as fuck. Stop "going to war" for incredibly tiny portions of the population that most of the rest of it haven't got the time or money to think or care about. Come up with something that is deliverable and is attractive to people and focus on that.

Now I know the response will be "well Trump didn't have to do any of that". And that'd be right, he didn't. But it doesn't matter that he didn't as he won. Again.

[Yevrah]

They're eating the cats, they're eating the dogs. He loves an obvious lie and his supporters eat it up. It also generates headlines and gets people talking about him.
Alot of his appeal is in trolling the opposition, and he's Jose Mourinho when it comes to that.

RL is right when he says that many Trump voters want to see this:


https://youtu.be/wDYNVH0U3cs?si=rsuIQfd16NqU5VsX

Yeah, I'll admit it must be hard not to want to indulge in a bit of schadenfreude when confronted with that. Was that first time round? Probably another reason why he won the 2nd time if so, in that I had it on good authority that he'd drive the US off a cliff during his first term. Which... oh.

[niko_cee]

The progress of the Labour government over the course of the next 4 years or so will be an interesting acid test for the competent but essentially technocratic/administrative stewardship versus outlandish populist promises debate. Obviously off to a bit of a ropey start and is 5 years long enough for anything to be demonstrably fixed? I reckon 'I just want them to sort things out/run things better' might be a bit like that thing where football fans think they want a level playing field but really they don't, and much prefer the familiarity of an established hierarchy - see that original football stats book about England Losing or whatever it is.

[randomlegend]

Be better. Stop attacking (as it turned out) half of the electorate. Realise how absolutely tone deaf it is spunking millions up the wall on already very rich people when a lot of your country is poor as fuck. Stop "going to war" for incredibly tiny portions of the population that most of the rest of it haven't got the time or money to think or care about. Come up with something that is deliverable and is attractive to people and focus on that.

Now I know the response will be "well Trump didn't have to do any of that". And that'd be right, he didn't. But it doesn't matter that he didn't as he won. Again.

"Just offer a better proposition than the guy who offers the exact proposition people want to hear with no obligation for it to actually be true" yeah good luck with that mate

[Yevrah]

"Just offer a better proposition than the guy who offers the exact proposition people want to hear with no obligation for it to actually be true" yeah good luck with that mate

Do you think Obama would have lost to Trump?

[Yevrah]

Anyway, the thing I find most intriguing about THE NONSENSE is how businesses have so thoroughly embraced it. You'd have thought pure hard profit and cash would have made them somewhat impervious to it. Ensuring their ads represent properly makes solid business sense to me. Not stopping at that and ending up with this (if you're Jaguar) having seen how badly some of this stuff has landed over the last 5 or so years has me genuinely scratching my head.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLtFIrqhfng

I mean, what were they thinking?

[randomlegend]

Then? No. Now? Quite possibly

[niko_cee]

I lolled as much as the next person at the Jag stuff, but in a world where no publicity is bad publicity and the brand itself is a bit of a basketcase, which I find surprising as I thought their newer cars where more popular [I know nothing about cars], it sort of makes sense. I'll reserve further lolling until they roll out the Homer 3.0 in Miami soon.

Also, apparently it's JaGUar now. What is it with syntax/capitals [don't know what the word is] and these people in the rebranding world? I find it intensely annoying when organisations rebrand themselves and then insist you use their stupid no caps name in correspondence with them, for example.

[Yevrah]

That's the marketing equivalent of calling your son Martyn. Just a life of needless frustration.

[Ben]

I lolled as much as the next person at the Jag stuff, but in a world where no publicity is bad publicity and the brand itself is a bit of a basketcase, which I find surprising as I thought their newer cars where more popular [I know nothing about cars], it sort of makes sense. I'll reserve further lolling until they roll out the Homer 3.0 in Miami soon.

Also, apparently it's JaGUar now. What is it with syntax/capitals [don't know what the word is] and these people in the rebranding world? I find it intensely annoying when organisations rebrand themselves and then insist you use their stupid no caps name in correspondence with them, for example.

All their current models are surprisingly excellent. Their 90s stuff was, although grand, very unreliable. And then in the 2000s they went through the phase of pumping out expensive Fords. Mid 2010s onwards though they finally sorted their shit out and despite everyone's perception of them prior to the rebrand (basketcase, as you put it), they're at their best in decades. But that doesn't matter these days.

[Spikey M]

I've seen so many posts taking the piss out of that Advert on social media and I honestly didn't realise it was the car company until now. I thought it was a fashion brand that just happened to share the name.

[niko_cee]

All their current models are surprisingly excellent. Their 90s stuff was, although grand, very unreliable. And then in the 2000s they went through the phase of pumping out expensive Fords. Mid 2010s onwards though they finally sorted their shit out and despite everyone's perception of them prior to the rebrand (basketcase, as you put it), they're at their best in decades. But that doesn't matter these days.

See, this is what I thought, with their F-Types or whatever they are and the stupid SUV all seeming quite good and common on the roads, presumably a good thing in terms of selling units, so it came as a bit of a shock to read that they were doing shit and this madness was a final throw of the dice before Tata, is it them that owns them [?], pulls the plug on the whole thing and just focuses on selling twats expensive Land Rovers/Range Rovers.

[niko_cee]

They're eating the swans!


POLICE have shut down rumours of people 'stealing swans to eat them'.

A photo of a man handling a swan at Winsford Marina has been circulated on social media in recent days.

Various media outlets, including The European Conservative and The Noticer, have since reported that the bird 'was being stolen to be eaten'.

However, Winsford Police have said there is ‘absolutely no evidence that this is the case’.

A spokesperson said: “As is often the case with social media posts, they spread far and wide and certain groups use the information to put their own spin on events without having any evidence at all to back up what they are saying.

“A lot of people then believe what they are reading as fact, when in reality that isn't the case.

“These groups put their own spin on stories to generate likes and shares, to promote themselves, and to cause harm and disruption to communities that they don't live in, and have no association with.”

They added: “The information that we have so far is that a male grabbed a swan by its neck and picked it up.

“It looks like this was done to have a picture taken before the bird was put down.

“If you believe some of the stories circulating, the swans are being stolen so that they can be eaten.

“There is absolutely no evidence that this is the case, and anybody commenting or sharing such stories is doing nothing more than harming the Winsford community.”

Police have carried out patrols at Winsford Marina (Image: Winsford Police)

Winsford BEAT officers carried out patrols of the Marina on Sunday (November 24).

Sadly, a dead swan was found, however, this is believed to be the result of a fox attack.

“People have already started to link this dead swan to the male who picked one up a few days ago,” the spokesperson continued.

“There is absolutely no evidence that a person is responsible for the death of these birds at the marina, and we would urge people to stop spreading rumours, as it does nothing to help our town.”

Officers covered up the swan and arranged for it to be recovered by a wildlife charity.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Such a laughable statement from the police. Genuinely rolfmao stuff. These civil servants just don't have the mindset to keep up, they'll be swamped by reality in the next year or two.

Complete one-way traffic when it comes to 'disinformation'.

[Spikey M]

Is it still the Eastern Europeans like it was(n't) when the Daily Mail were pumping out headlines about them eating the Queens Swans 20 odd years ago?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't think they do swans so much, but Albanians in London definitely plough through geese and ducks like there's no tomorrow. All goes into the 'dark kitchens' and subsequently into your deliveroo. Now whether these specific two were doing / trying to do so I have no idea, but the tone of the statement being 'fake news you stupid racists' is only going to inflame things further.

[randomlegend]

I don't think they do swans so much, but Albanians in London definitely plough through geese and ducks like there's no tomorrow. All goes into the 'dark kitchens' and subsequently into your deliveroo. Now whether these specific two were doing / trying to do so I have no idea, but the tone of the statement being 'fake news you stupid racists' is only going to inflame things further.

Why would people steal ducks/geese to sell as cheap takeaways when they are worth way more than chicken? Surely you'd just find a way to sell them.

[Spikey M]

For the same reason the local crackhead in Southend used to sell the steak he nicked from the Co-Op in the pub over the road, rather than trying to flog it to the local Miller and Carter.

[randomlegend]

Yes but surely you could get more for it even via back alley dealings than you could pretending it's whatever bottom shelf chicken they use in dodgy takeaways?

[Yevrah]

I'm with RL on this one. When subjected to any scrutiny it seems about as likely as Thai farmers using monkeys to industrially farm coconuts.

[Lewis]

The notion that stoking the 'culture war' is exclusively a right-wing wedge issue does a decent job of explaining these election results. To take one example, every institution from the military to big business to sports leagues has been pushing the sanctity of trannyism for years, seemingly out of nowhere and to increasingly deranged heights, to the point where the only people saying 'Hang on...' were right-wing figures. Who started that 'culture war', and should they not be making the opposing case?

[Spikey M]

I'm with RL on this one. When subjected to any scrutiny it seems about as likely as Thai farmers using monkeys to industrially farm coconuts.

Oh, I have absolutely no idea if it goes on or not. I'm just saying that maximising profit isn't always the top priority of someone with dodgy gear.

[niko_cee]

Perhaps some take-aways sell duck? Not sure Jimmy was suggesting it was being sold on as chicken in your deliveroos.

[randomlegend]

I mean maybe duck I guess, but fucking goose?

There ain't no Albanian Fried Goose on deliveroo.

[niko_cee]

What is goose even like? Turkey? I'm sure you could nuggetize or salt-and-pepper shred it.

Where's DS when you need him?

[niko_cee]

Googling it looks like duck when cooked, easy to pass off as a bit of canard a l'orange or whatever it is Jimmy's getting from these deliveroo dark kitchens.

[randomlegend]

What is goose even like? Turkey? I'm sure you could nuggetize or salt-and-pepper shred it.

I'm sure you could but it would pretty quickly arouse suspicion if you were selling goose nuggets in some greasy takeaway at £4 for 6. Geese are like £100 each.

[Spikey M]

No Chinese is complete without crispy duck, so yeah, easy to understand that, but yeah, not goose/swan. I've never tried goose to be fair. Maybe it tastes like chicken.

[Kikó]

What is goose even like? Turkey? I'm sure you could nuggetize or salt-and-pepper shred it.

Where's DS when you need him?

Bit like rabbit and duck. It's a gamey meat.

[Spikey M]

Of course Lord Dawson's had all the Game animals.

[niko_cee]

Not that I don't believe that Albanians are abducting [?] wild birds en masse, surely in this day and age there would be an outraged social media video of them doing it? How is it happening? Shooting? Poison? Glue? Massive nets? Scam phone calls? Luring them in to games of chance on the street?

I assume, as is the natural order of things, the avian revenge comes in the form of seagulls taking the young Albanians.

[niko_cee]

In other, very old, wild bird news, I wonder if Romanian Duck Gangs (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-40445379) have made it over here.

[Pepe]

to the point where the only people saying 'Hang on...' were right-wing figures.

And if they were not, they were considered as such immediately after. See the likes of Jesse Singal.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Goose is also fattier than duck.

I really like it.

[Lofty]

Wasnt there a widespread trading standards investigation into a high percentage of curried goat offerings containing no goat?

[Kikó]

Of course Lord Dawson's had all the Game animals.

Only had it recently. It's the meat used to celebrate carnival / Saint Martin's in Germany. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Martin%27s_Day

[Jimmy Floyd]

Wasnt there a widespread trading standards investigation into a high percentage of curried goat offerings containing no goat?

Anything minced up / shredded will just be whatever meat they've found on the road or in their local duckpond.

I'll die on this hill. They're eating the ducks, they're eating the geese.

[Spikey M]

Wasnt there a widespread trading standards investigation into a high percentage of curried goat offerings containing no goat?

It is fairly common amongst Jamaicans - and potentially some othe Caribbean people - to refer to any meat (other than chicken) as goat. The same applies to pear, which can also mean pretty much any fruit.

[niko_cee]

The jocks do the same but by calling all soft drinks 'ginger'.

[randomlegend]

Some Americans call all soft drinks "coke".

"I'll have a coke"

"What sort?"

"Sprite"

[Lofty]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3y60wzer6o

This is a good policy though the age bracket thing is a bit :moop:

[Yevrah]

Gambling and the space it occupies is one of the single biggest disgraces going in modern society.

[Lofty]

I know at least two people who used to play £50 a spin on roulette machines in the bookies.

[randomlegend]

At £50 a spin you're surely running out of money very, very quickly unless you have enough money to not care at all. You'd go through a grand in a couple of minutes, no?

Limiting to £5 a spin seems like it'll just lead to people gambling for 10x as long to lose all their money.

[SvN]

I wonder what is defined as a "spin." Like Lofty, I've seen people cover the table on a roulette machine in £1 chips - they must've wagered at least £50-60 in total.

Also - how the hell are they going to enforce the age bands? Scan your ID to play?

[Lofty]

Yes roulette chip coverage is how they do it, I do wonder if they are just counting slot machine stakes per play rather than roulette. And yes, it is high risk high reward, we once saw one of the aformentioned guys in the bookies sat on £960 won, we told him to cash out and he said he would when he got to £1000. We went up to the counter to put our football slips on and by the time we had got back to him he was down to £300. The only reason the shops are open for such hours.

Also saw one guy I worked with sat in there doing roulette spins with his young lad sat in the car outside waiting, about 7pm.

[Ben]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98dzyy850jo


EVs must make up 22% of a company's car sales and 10% of its van sales this year.

For every car sale outside of that, firms must pay a £15,000 fine.

Fining companies because the consumer doesn't want their product is a strange approach.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Ed Miliband needs to be plugged into the mains himself.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Yes roulette chip coverage is how they do it, I do wonder if they are just counting slot machine stakes per play rather than roulette. And yes, it is high risk high reward, we once saw one of the aformentioned guys in the bookies sat on £960 won, we told him to cash out and he said he would when he got to £1000. We went up to the counter to put our football slips on and by the time we had got back to him he was down to £300. The only reason the shops are open for such hours.

Also saw one guy I worked with sat in there doing roulette spins with his young lad sat in the car outside waiting, about 7pm.

The "I'll cash out when I hit X" is the worst line to use.

[Lofty]

Aren't EVs still in that weird space where the batteries cost a bomb and degrade rapidly so their value plummets as soon as they arent new? The wife is offered schemes through her work for Mercedes EVs that are very pretty but they aren't cheap and the humble petrol engine has a track record of decades if well maintained.

[Ben]

Yep. Let's take Mercedes for example. Their EQC was £70-80k new. You can pick up a 2021 reg for £20k now.

[niko_cee]

Really? That's mad.

I get the impression a lot of this net zero stuff is fairly ill thought out.

[Spikey M]

What would the value of a similarly priced 2021 Merc with a petrol engine be?

[niko_cee]

2021 C63s look like they come in a lot more than that, although I have no idea what price they would have started at.

[AJ23]

Yes roulette chip coverage is how they do it, I do wonder if they are just counting slot machine stakes per play rather than roulette. And yes, it is high risk high reward, we once saw one of the aformentioned guys in the bookies sat on £960 won, we told him to cash out and he said he would when he got to £1000. We went up to the counter to put our football slips on and by the time we had got back to him he was down to £300. The only reason the shops are open for such hours.

Also saw one guy I worked with sat in there doing roulette spins with his young lad sat in the car outside waiting, about 7pm.

The adverts all over the place for free spins and credits are troubling. Designed to suck you in. Then they'll tell you 'When the fun stops, stop'. So they're telling us it's fun.

Also don't like already very well off people like Harry Redknapp and Ray Winstone making money on promoting addiction.

There's definitely something that needs to be done. I've seen gambling addiction closely, especially with family and friends. Many of them got worse during lockdown when there wasn't much else to do.

The thing about it is that it's moved online, so there's another type of person that is being preyed on, those who would never enter a betting shop normally. It's also confusing to people, because when you see money on your account, it's almost like playing a computer game. Like it's not really your own money. So you're spinning on games like 'Goonies' and 'Ghostbusters'. It's all the type of games that are designed to draw in people who enjoyed those movies and feel a connection with it.

If you've ever gone on to a site like Tombola, it's full of pensioners betting their pensions away on bingo and slots. When you read the chat and hear of their losses, it's quite depressing.

[Baz]

I was asked to take on ‘gambling harms’ as part of my workload at work. I politely declined, then checked the time on a watch, and drove home in a car to a house with a kitchen where all three were paid for with money won from gambling. :harold:

[Boydy]

1861083406668308666

Two years and two months. For leaving someone paralysed because he was using his phone. Fucking hell.

He should be getting life for that and anyone caught using their phone driving should lose their licence on the spot.

I see so many people driving about with their heads down clearly looking at their phones these days. It's amazing there aren't even more accidents tbh.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, the number of people you see on phones whilst driving is mad. 40 years ago people barely bat an eyelid driving whilst severely drunk, wonder if it'll take that long, or ever get to that point, with phone use.

[Yevrah]

Yeah, that's fucking insane. He'll be out in what, a year?

I've tried to find stats on this but I spend a bit of time on the M40 these days having not done so for about 8 years and I swear the number of accidents has increased exponentially and I'd be stagged if it isn't down to mobile phone use.

They should force phone companies to put tech in them that locks the screen from being used while you're driving. It's realistically the only thing that'll stop it.

[Lewis]

There should be lifetime driving bans for the worst offences, with immediate prison if you are caught behind the wheel again, and I've never understood how people who do these things whilst already banned (which many of them seem to be) doesn't automatically turn careless driving into dangerous driving. If your qualification and/or permission to drive is at that point suspended, how are you not by definition driving dangerously?

The fact that the police have posted that like it represents some massive win for them tells you a lot.

[Giggles]

At least he didn't do anything too serious like post a mean tweet.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I agree that you see people on their phone constantly. The thing is though that statistically the roads have never been safer. 4.4 people die each day on British roads. If you adjust for population size, it's 9.7 Frenchmen, 22.5 Americans and 22.5 Indians.

So for that reason it's probably not a sentencing priority.

[Magic]

Imagine if we had mobiles in the 60/70/80s. Absolute carnage.

[Spikey M]

You have to wonder how America manages it. The roads are a mile wide, with no corners and every cunt drives a tank.

[Shindig]

Seatbelts. The yanks fear them.

[Yevrah]

I agree that you see people on their phone constantly. The thing is though that statistically the roads have never been safer. 4.4 people die each day on British roads. If you adjust for population size, it's 9.7 Frenchmen, 22.5 Americans and 22.5 Indians.

So for that reason it's probably not a sentencing priority.

Yeah, this is what I ran into when trying to prove my gut instinct. Although now I think about it it's probably a small sub-section of mobile wankers that drive ludicrous speeds while doing it so I guess not many fatalities are caused by rear ending while tik-tok-ing having slowed down a bit to do so.

[Yevrah]

Seatbelts. The yanks fear them.

The introduction and adoption of seatbelts is one of our greatest small wins as a country. Draconian penalising of people effectively for not doing it was always going to be almost impossible, so we'll get the population to do it themselves instead through word of mouth and peer pressure.

[Jimmy Floyd]

My observation from my various travels is that we are just far more patient (on average) than people in other countries. No real idea why this is, but I think it's undoubtedly the case.

[-james-]

It's because driving in the UK has many rules, and people actually follow them. From what I can tell most of the rest of Europe adopts a vibes based approach.

[-james-]

I've heard about the Greek driving test and I'm pretty sure I'd have been ready to pass it 15 hours before I was my UK one.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Most things in Europe come down to religion and I don't think this is any different. You can basically map the road deaths rate onto Protestant/Catholic/Orthodox church in ascending order. Except Ireland, that's an annoying anomaly.

[niko_cee]

In a similar vein to the ostensibly light sentence passed on that idiot up thread, how come some Netflix reality tv brass has escaped prison having attempted to import a non-insignificant amount of cannabis into the country? Pretty sure your standard scally gets at least a couple of years for that most weeks.

[Yevrah]

1.6m people net in 24 months.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cjdlmprepl5t

Absolute madness.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Genuinely insane that it was 180,000 in 2019 and then nearly a million in each of the last three years. These guys are literally handing the country to the far right unless they cut it drastically and immediately.

Public imagination absolutely hasn't caught up with reality. All the illegals / boats chat is irrelevant bullshit. It's the legals and the student visas.

[Pepe]

You have to wonder how America manages it. The roads are a mile wide, with no corners and every cunt drives a tank.

They drive A LOT more and also it is hard to stay attentive or even awake on those long, boring roads, plus the average speeds are higher.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://news.sky.com/story/masterchef-host-gregg-wallace-steps-down-as-historical-allegations-of-misconduct-are-investigated-13262108

10 points to whoever said Greg Wallace is a wrong un.

[Ben]

I'm as delighted as the next viewer about that, but it seems it's all about comments he made and nothing physical.

So why has it took 13 years to come out? His jokes are bad in today's world but it was obviously not anything worthy of accusation at the time. I don't see how all this retrospective complaints hold any water when no crime has been committed?

Bloke is clearly a helmet but it shows up cancel culture for the mess it is.

[Spikey M]

By BBC standards he's a saint.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Most of these things happen when the presenter becomes too expensive and the production company wants rid. I'm pretty sure that's what happened to Richard Keys and Andy Gray.

[Danny]

https://news.sky.com/story/masterchef-host-gregg-wallace-steps-down-as-historical-allegations-of-misconduct-are-investigated-13262108

10 points to whoever said Greg Wallace is a wrong un.

1755184894689329161

[niko_cee]

:D

[Dquincy]

https://news.sky.com/story/masterchef-host-gregg-wallace-steps-down-as-historical-allegations-of-misconduct-are-investigated-13262108

10 points to whoever said Greg Wallace is a wrong un.

What a load of bollocks. I make inappropriate jokes every week. As do many others. To make an issue of so many years later is batshit crazy.

[Magic]

Walking around naked with a sock over your Johnson in the MasterChef studio isn't a joke lol.

[Dquincy]

Walking around naked with a sock over your Johnson in the MasterChef studio isn't a joke lol.

That's pretty funny tbf.

Sorry you were offended by it.

[randomlegend]

That's pretty funny tbf.

Sorry you were offended by it.

He did get a sock put over him to be fair.

[Bam]

Quin isn't having none of this woke nonsense off Tragic. :cool:

[Giggles]

A few weeks in university and Magic is gone full pink hair and nose ring. He'll be transitioning next.

[niko_cee]

I see the main problem with lewd innuendo Gregg constantly going on about his exploits with his new partner and whatnot would be that it would be done in a really boorish way. No oh matron are you being served twinkle in the eye stuff, just really terrible banter making everyone feel embarrassed.

[Giggles]

Does yer one that was on the news last night have a book coming out or something, or has she just held on to her anguish for long enough after all these years?

[Magic]

I see the main problem with lewd innuendo Gregg constantly going on about his exploits with his new partner and whatnot would be that it would be done in a really boorish way. No oh matron are you being served twinkle in the eye stuff, just really terrible banter making everyone feel embarrassed.

There's some examples on the BBC and it reads like he should be locked up. There's far worse to come on this cunt, trust me.

[niko_cee]

he was "fascinated" by the fact she dated women and asked her the "logistics" of how it worked

:D

Can absolutely imagine him saying that. Doesn't he have some sort of neurospicy child? He's clearly a massive autist himself.

[Magic]

Yes, he did an article about how he hates his autistic son then describes himself and how he spends his time in the most autistic way possible.

[Jimmy Floyd]

A true classic of the genre.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GFpEAq7WIAAZ2g_?format=jpg&name=medium

[phonics]

Him spending more time playing Medieval: Total War than with his son is my favourite bit of that.

[niko_cee]

If he prefers turn based strategy games he probably shouldn't be playing total war, with its real time battles and all.

And if only he was playing Medieval or Medieval 2, but no, Thrones of Britannia, the real runt of the litter.

[niko_cee]

I see Rupert Lowe is getting a lot of heat for asking his constituents what they think about the assisted dying issue.

Thought there was a cracking juxtaposition on Newsnight last night with big fat tory Kit Malthouse presenting his, in my view, eminently sensible views on the topic, with the reactionary foaming care of some labour old dear.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I know it's a private members' bill or whatever (I'm not great on parliamentary procedure) but this seems like such a needless topic to be rising to the surface at this particular juncture.

[niko_cee]

I also really don't get that argument from the naysayers. Too early in the parliament, many of these people have only just been elected etc. They're not starting fucking school. Presumably they have been elected with a functioning brain and some sort of outlook on things, although perhaps that is being too kind to the standard party drones parachuted into most seats. What do you mean you aren't going to tell me how to vote?

[wullie]

I refuse to believe anyone's been surprised to see Greggg Wallace in a Harvester.

[phonics]

I see Rupert Lowe is getting a lot of heat for asking his constituents what they think about the assisted dying issue.

Thought there was a cracking juxtaposition on Newsnight last night with big fat tory Kit Malthouse presenting his, in my view, eminently sensible views on the topic, with the reactionary foaming care of some labour old dear.

The Southampton Chairman?

[niko_cee]

Yeah, he's a Reform MP now. :cab:

[Spikey M]

Radicalised by Le Tiss.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx247dwx1p7o

What stunning journalism, personally I can't get over this part:


With regards to other confectionery, Harry enjoys most chocolate bars but is not a fan of all sweet treats.

“I don’t like the strawberry and orange cremes in a box of Roses or a box of Quality Street but I do like the coffee ones. I remember they took the coffee ones out a very long time ago but as a kid I remember them,” he added.

Amazing work from the BBC.

[Jimmy Floyd]

'Sweet treats' is alongside 'loved ones' at the very bottom of the journalese barrel.