yorkshire_spam Posted June 5 Posted June 5 There's a great skit on John Finnemore's radio comedy about Noah - basically the family discussing with Noah how many arks they need to separate the hunter and the prey animals and stop breading but then they stumble on the problem of feeding the hunter animals and it get's complicated. (Series 8 episode 1 of "John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme" according to goggle.)
RogerH Posted June 6 Posted June 6 Here goes - Noah has a premonition that there is a coming flood. He needs to save the animals - SEVEN of each (not two) So whilst the Ark is being built the family go off to find the animals (how big is this family and whio built their boats). Elephants and Lions in North Africa. Red Squirrels on the Isle of White AND the Kangaroos and Koalas in Australia. The JW's eye start to widen. The rains come and go. The flood subsides. This is where it gets interesting. All the animals are taken back to where they came from Elephants and Lions to North Africa, Red Squirrels to the Isle of Wight AND the Kangaroo's and Koalas back to Oz. Now, the miracle here is not getting the animals from Australia or even taking them back but NOT telling anybody about this place on the other side of the world Bearing in mind that the edge of their world was just around the corner. Here endeth a load of rubbish. Roger
JohnD Posted June 6 Posted June 6 Well, if they did that then they would have done lot better than most despatch offices. Imagine, Lions and 'roos in Oz, Koalas in the Isle of Wight etc, or worse, Liolas in Scotland, and eleroos in Oz. But, how we know that they didn't? I mean, look at the duckbilled platypus - if the despatching officer in Noah's family had mixed up a duck and an otter? See what I mean? There, that proves it! John 1
AndyM Posted September 24 Posted September 24 On 6/6/2024 at 8:54 AM, RogerH said: Here goes - Noah has a premonition that there is a coming flood. He needs to save the animals - SEVEN of each (not two) So whilst the Ark is being built the family go off to find the animals (how big is this family and whio built their boats). Elephants and Lions in North Africa. Red Squirrels on the Isle of White AND the Kangaroos and Koalas in Australia. The JW's eye start to widen. The rains come and go. The flood subsides. This is where it gets interesting. All the animals are taken back to where they came from Elephants and Lions to North Africa, Red Squirrels to the Isle of Wight AND the Kangaroo's and Koalas back to Oz. Now, the miracle here is not getting the animals from Australia or even taking them back but NOT telling anybody about this place on the other side of the world Bearing in mind that the edge of their world was just around the corner. Here endeth a load of rubbish. Roger But what about the fish? If they have enough aquaria will it sink?
Escadrille Ecosse Posted September 24 Posted September 24 13 minutes ago, AndyM said: But what about the fish? If they have enough aquaria will it sink? So long, and thanks for all the fish...
JohnD Posted October 5 Posted October 5 I caught the very end of a play on Radio 4 this afternoon. The characters spoke American, and were clearly involved in something clandestine, against the federal state, but too recent to be anti-slavery. I looked in the Radio Times and it was a version of a 1936 novel called "It can't happen here". So I looked it up in the Wiki and Wow! This production won't please Mr.Trump, if he notices, and will confirm that the BBC is a nest of woke lefties, determined to bring him down. But have a look yourself! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Can't_Happen_Here. The entry even has a section (under Legacy) about the parallels between the novel and Trump. John
mossmonaco Posted October 6 Posted October 6 The word 'Trump' is an Americanism. Please use the correct British term 'Fart' when refering to any malodorus blast of hot air. 1 1
PaulAA Posted October 6 Posted October 6 Well reminded, John. I read the Sinclair Lewis novel years ago and it had slipped my mind, but the parallels are chillingly close.
Nick Jones Posted October 23 Posted October 23 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/23/trump-and-harris-are-neck-and-neck-this-is-a-five-alarm-fire
Hamish Posted October 23 Posted October 23 Hmmm I fear it’s not enough. and I fear many swing voters have already voted for trump too late to be swayed.
JohnD Posted October 23 Posted October 23 (edited) Gosh, an alarm call if there ever was. Even more worrying, that the Guardian gets to publish it. Can Reich find no media in the US brave enough to print his article? John Edited October 23 by JohnD
Nick Jones Posted November 5 Posted November 5 If someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time! Not a praying man….. but please America…… for the sake of the world, for your own sakes, don’t let the orange lunatic in….. the experiment has been tried before - it wasn’t good 1
mpbarrett Posted November 6 Posted November 6 10 hours ago, Nick Jones said: If someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time! Not a praying man….. but please America…… for the sake of the world, for your own sakes, don’t let the orange lunatic in….. the experiment has been tried before - it wasn’t good depressing news to wake up to but I dont think anyone was listening as he has won.... Not good for the world.
Nick Jones Posted November 6 Posted November 6 Yep, looks like they have failed their collective intelligence test. Dark day for USA and the world as a whole IMO. Fits the pessimist ethos of “think of what’s the worst that could happen, and it will” though….
BiTurbo228 Posted November 6 Posted November 6 (edited) Depressing news indeed. The man is an outright fascist. Not in the 'politics I don't like' use of the term, but in the 'actually fits the academic definition of fascism that's used to define people like Hitler and Mussolini'. Interestingly, he didn't when he ran the previous two times, so don't believe anyone saying he is a 'known quantity'. The man and his outlook have changed. As have the brakes on his excesses afforded by more moderate republicans balancing him out. First thing fascists tend to do is make certain they can't be deposed (purging opposition legally or through violence if necessary, changing systems of power to ensure they are the only ones who can win...all things Trump has outright stated he will do). It took Hitler 2 years. It took Mussolini 3 months. This is going to be a real acid test of how robust the American democratic system is. If it had to happen, I'd much rather it didn't happen in my time. Edited November 6 by BiTurbo228
Nick Jones Posted November 6 Posted November 6 11 minutes ago, BiTurbo228 said: This is going to be a real acid test of how robust the American democratic system is. I fear it’s already proven not be. Politically appointed (shamelessly so) “Supreme Court” is a strong clue! The “right” and all the rich bastards who thrive on chaos and disruption will seize their opportunity to ensure their hold on power, and I fear that they have never had opportunity like it. 12 minutes ago, BiTurbo228 said: If it had to happen, I'd much rather it didn't happen in my time. Quite. Add in a few more hurricanes and some other random climate based disasters (which are inevitable) and the terminal decline of the US as we know it will be well underway. Have you’ve ever read “The Handmaiden’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood”? I struggled to finish it because it (the general political atmosphere created) felt too awfully plausible and possible to me. Now even more so….
JohnD Posted November 6 Posted November 6 What really got me out of bed and cursing this morning was that BBC News/Today chose to broadcast (live?)Trump's prolonged and rambling victory speech, and then trumped it with the Knave of Spades by interviewing Nigel Farage on the political implications. They have so many excellent correspondents on the US Election, who must have felt more insulted than I did. John 2
Escadrille Ecosse Posted November 6 Posted November 6 10 minutes ago, JohnD said: What really got me out of bed and cursing this morning was that BBC News/Today chose to broadcast (live?)Trump's prolonged and rambling victory speech, and then trumped it with the Knave of Spades by interviewing Nigel Farage on the political implications. They have so many excellent correspondents on the US Election, who must have felt more insulted than I did. John Quite agree John ... 1
BiTurbo228 Posted November 6 Posted November 6 @Nick Jones You may well be right there. Let's hope he dies of natural causes. Or is shot. I'm not particularly fussed about the method, it's the results that matter. Whoever replaces him is likely to be just as fascist, but they don't have the pre-existing cult of personality so may be less likely to be successful in the future. 4 minutes ago, JohnD said: What really got me out of bed and cursing this morning was that BBC News/Today chose to broadcast (live?)Trump's prolonged and rambling victory speech, and then trumped it with the Knave of Spades by interviewing Nigel Farage on the political implications. They have so many excellent correspondents on the US Election, who must have felt more insulted than I did. John Speaking of people who need to die of natural causes. Although I much preferred the idea of Nigel Farage being lost at sea for some reason. Seems more poetic to me.
PaulAA Posted November 6 Posted November 6 45 minutes ago, BiTurbo228 said: Let's hope he dies of natural causes. The trouble is that he is not the biggest threat to stability and continuity. He is as senile and short-focused as many 80 year-olds have a right to be and may not complete his four-year term, but his (?) choice of Vance as VP is telling. The control that the Christian Nationalists and other assorted fruitcakes will have on domestic and international policy through Vance should be deeply worrying. Also, his victory has been facilitated and bankrolled by some pretty odious people, who will now want their payback. Musk is an extraordinarily dangerous individual, whom Trump will effectively anoint as his Martin Borman.
BiTurbo228 Posted November 6 Posted November 6 (edited) 59 minutes ago, PaulAA said: The trouble is that he is not the biggest threat to stability and continuity. He is as senile and short-focused as many 80 year-olds have a right to be and may not complete his four-year term, but his (?) choice of Vance as VP is telling. The control that the Christian Nationalists and other assorted fruitcakes will have on domestic and international policy through Vance should be deeply worrying. Also, his victory has been facilitated and bankrolled by some pretty odious people, who will now want their payback. Musk is an extraordinarily dangerous individual, whom Trump will effectively anoint as his Martin Borman. Oh you're spot-on correct about people like Vance and Musk. Vance openly states that he is an illiberal (used in the terms of 'liberal democracy', meaning the foundation of what American democracy is built upon. Though I wouldn't underestimate Trump as a driving force in himself. Neither Mussolini, nor especially Hitler, were seen as being particularly intelligent or sane. That didn't stop them from gaining or staying in power once they were put there. In the cases of Hitler and Mussolini (Hitler especially), he rode into power in a similar way to how Trump has through a combination of populist rhetoric and appeasement of business interests (who saw him as a weapon to wield against who they saw as their adversaries: mainly the communists). This very quickly span out of their control as Hitler dropped his pretence to business and enacted a wide number of anti-economic policies (such as the ones Trump is proposing around trade tariffs). Mussolini is another interesting case where he was allowed to form a government by the then-king of Italy (again with the goal of countering the communists), who was promptly deposed the moment Mussolini had cause to think the king posed a risk to his continued power. It'll be interesting to see who stays in favour with the ultimate narcissist. 'Interesting' being used here in the same way someone might call a train derailment 'interesting'. Edited November 6 by BiTurbo228 1
PaulAA Posted November 6 Posted November 6 1 minute ago, BiTurbo228 said: Oh you're spot-on correct about people like Vance and Musk, though I wouldn't underestimate Trump as a driving force in himself. Neither Mussolini, nor especially Hitler, were seen as being particularly intelligent or sane. That didn't stop them from gaining or staying in power once they were put there. In the cases of Hitler and Mussolini (Hitler especially), he rode into power in a similar way to how Trump has through a combination of populist rhetoric and appeasement of business interests (who saw him as a weapon to wield against who they saw as their adversaries: mainly the communists). This very quickly span out of their control as Hitler dropped his pretence to business and enacted a wide number of anti-economic policies (such as the ones Trump is proposing around trade tariffs). Mussolini is another interesting case where he was allowed to form a government by the then-king of Italy (again with the goal of countering the communists), who was promptly deposed the moment Mussolini had cause to think the king posed a risk to his continued power. It'll be interesting to see who stays in favour with the ultimate narcissist. 'Interesting' being used here in the same way someone might call a train derailment 'interesting'. Agreed, Simon, but both Hitler and Mussolini were (relative to Trump) considerably younger men and nature may already be taking its course. Trouble is, blame for the outcome can be laid in equal proportion at the Dems' door - the weakness that they displayed under Biden is now laid bare. They failed to manage Biden into retirement and nurture a plausible candidate. They failed to prosecute the perpetrators of 6th Jan and deal with malevolent Russian influence with either speed or conviction. They also failed to deal with the structure and composition of the Supreme Court and allowed it to give Trump carte blanche for his new reign - he is now practically unassailable under American law. It may be that the support for Netanyahu cost them the presidency - a significant proportion of their natural constituency was put off by the failure to reign in the killing in Gaza and voted with their feet. Trump will offer more and worse to Netanyahu, with a view to provoking a proxy-war with Iran, but the supporters of Palestine will have missed the boat. And whilst the Dems slept, MAGA was working at grassroots level to fill local and regional public offices with their people, to the extent that there are no checks and balances left to the policies and vendettas that Trump will pursue. I see that their prime candidate for head of the FBI, Kash Patel, has already indicated his intention to pursue journalists who are insufficiently accommodating and sycophantic. Paul
JohnD Posted November 6 Posted November 6 Life expectancy for an average US Male aged 78 is NINE years. He is clearly obese, but that may not lower that estimate by more than three, so six years. These are averages, but sorry guys, we have him for the full term. John
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