Friday 4th December 2020

Post by **refitman** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 6:59 am

Morning all.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 11:03 am

Good morning all, it will be Christmas in three weeks. Does that thought cheer you up?

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 12:30 pm

Well, at least by then the never-ending Brexit (non) negotiation should be over so that'll be a relief.

It seems the UK are surprised the EU hasn't moved on their demands for a "level playing field", accusing them of "hardening" their stance, though I'm pretty sure the EU have been consistent on this topic so presumably "hardening their stance" is some kind of code for "failing to completely cave to unreasonable UK demands at the eleventh hour like we convinced ourselves would happen despite there never being the slightest evidence it would".

Meanwhile the EU have rather more reasonably been expecting us to cave on fishing because we've caved on everything else and it's not even worth much to us anyway - other than as an excuse to have the crash out no deal Brexit Boris has wanted all along, of course, but the EU are gamely negotiating in good faith, bless them.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 12:35 pm

I do think most in the government want to do some sort of deal tbh, though perhaps only if it can be spun as a "great victory".

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 1:27 pm

Either Johnson wants a deal, in which case we'll get one, or Johnson has never intended to do a deal, in which case we won't. What I won't accept is "we wanted a deal but the EU made it impossible". The level playing field has been an obvious red line from the start. A UK that genuinely wanted a deal would have recognised that anything that threatened the integrity of the single market wasn't a realistic aim. Complaining the EU won't budge on something it's obvious they can't is just empty excuses for failing to deliver a deal that was supposed to be "easy" and "oven ready" but never was. I see no prospect for a "great victory", just a last minute cave, though I hope I'm wrong if that's what it's going to take to avoid a no deal.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 1:34 pm

I think he wants a deal, but is scared of it being painted as a climbdown. So the question has always been how to "finesse" that.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 3:42 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:I think he wants a deal, but is scared of it being painted as a climbdown. So the question has always been how to "finesse" that.

I honestly can't second guess what he's up to, which is why it will be good to get to Christmas and know for certain.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 5:39 pm

Oh dear, looks like "Big" Joe Anderson might have been a naughty boy.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 6:14 pm

Good evening, everyone.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 6:50 pm

Nice to see you back from your break.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 7:02 pm

It looks like Anderson's sticking to the old tradition of sex scandals for the Tories, financial scandals for Labour.
Some things never change, I guess.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 7:04 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Nice to see you back from your break.

"We’re all broken. This is the First Noble Truth in Buddhism: everyone’s broken. If you take these two words seriously, as I did not at the time, then you know that our brokenness doesn’t need fixing. It needs company. I used to think that being an adult meant being self-sufficient. These days I think it means realizing that the self is never sufficient. That’s just not the way we’re built."

- Shozan Jack Haubner
Single White Monk

GetYou · Post by **GetYou** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 7:15 pm

Priti Patel staying classy as ever

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 7:37 pm

Willow904 wrote:It looks like Anderson's sticking to the old tradition of sex scandals for the Tories, financial scandals for Labour.
Some things never change, I guess.

And arrested with him was a 72 year old former Labour councillor and erstwhile property developer. Any guesses?

(if you haven't worked it out yet, his car has the personalised numberplate DEG 5Y)

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 7:57 pm

avoiding getting caught alone with kids like Patel helped me make it to adulthood

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 7:58 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Nice to see you back from your break.

thank you!

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 8:05 pm

Loved Sky's post on sharing food with unpleasant Tory ministers who don't deserve it. Sky's kindness is an example for us all.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 8:09 pm

UK vows to outdo other economies with 68% emissions cuts by 2030
Boris Johnson promises to go further and faster by setting target of 68% reduction in annual carbon emissions
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ts-by-2030" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

by cutting power to 95% of UK peoples' homes
say goodbye to indoor plumbing, people

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 8:48 pm

Evening all.

Well. this looks fun...serious subject but look at the cast list.

https://committees.parliament.uk/event/ ... e-session/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

At 11.30am: Oral evidence
Inquiry Economics of music streaming
Fiona Bevan
Singer and songwriter
Soweto Kinch
Jazz alto-saxophonist and rapper
Nile Rodgers
Songwriter, producer and artist

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 9:32 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:(if you haven't worked it put yet, his car has the personalised numberplate DEG 5Y)

Oh ffs.

Hindle decided to tell me about his 'militant' days in Liverpool one afternoon after we'd walked about 20 miles in unrelenting heat under a blazing sun. I can't remember much because I was rather preoccupied with not dying (he was fine due to his marathon stuff despite being on his 76'th fag of the day) but I do recall he didn't have anything good to say about the charming Mr Hatton.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 9:37 pm

Blazing sun? Remind me - what's that?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 9:59 pm

PorFavor wrote:Blazing sun? Remind me - what's that?

California

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 10:01 pm

Venus

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 10:03 pm

citizenJA wrote:Sky's kindness is an example for us all.

Nice try but I'm not releasing the hostages until I get the money.

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 10:11 pm

Ok so this may be a really dumb question but why doesn't Starmer simply make any vote on a deal with the EU a free one? Let Labour MPs vote how they like. Is there some kind of Parliamentary rule forbidding it on this occasion? Because if not I can't see the point of whipping one way or the other creating grief for themselves when another option exists.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 10:12 pm

i often lament that it was big brother that sent us (humanity) in it's current direction - turning life into soap opera. or maybe it was endurance. or maybe it was just gladiators (roman not travelator style).

in 2009 we banned geert wilders. in the same year the bbc invited nick griffin onto question time. now look at us.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 10:14 pm

Willow904 wrote:Either Johnson wants a deal, in which case we'll get one, or Johnson has never intended to do a deal, in which case we won't.

IMO this is the most astonishing in a very long line of astonishing political situations since 2015.

How can it be that a) Johnson, apparently he, himself, personally, is the man with the decision to make, and b) that nobody, possibly including himself, knows which way he'll go?
There's 4 weeks left.

I just saw a repeat of Liam Fox's notorious 'easiest deal in history' comment.
He was exactly right, it is easy, you just do what the EU says. As one commentator on twitter is fond of saying, troika always wins.
I won't be alone in thinking that the EU is more likely to act in our best interests than the current govt.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 10:16 pm

Sky'sGoneOut wrote:Ok so this may be a really dumb question but why doesn't Starmer simply make any vote on a deal with the EU a free one? Let Labour MPs vote how they like. Is there some kind of Parliamentary rule forbidding it on this occasion? Because if not I can't see the point of whipping one way or the other creating grief for themselves when another option exists.

I'd say Starmer has already got quite a reputation for creating grief when another option exists.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 10:31 pm

When the transition ends

collectively, the British polity and media have persistently failed to take the opportunities to engage in a serious, public discussion of the practicalities of Brexit.

Case in point, C4 News tonight featured not only Peter Bone but also Andrew Bridgen.
That these people are still taken seriously shows why we are where we are.
C4 is far from being the worst offender.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 10:37 pm

a lot of it comes down to infantilisation.

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 10:43 pm

So I'm in Tesco earlier, all my shopping is on the conveyer belt and I'm waiting for the woman ahead of me to pay. She's already bagged all her stuff and put it in her trolley, over £90's worth. Then she gets in a discussion with the cashier about a coupon. The coupon won't scan so the cashier gets a colleague to try and it still doesn't work so the she asks the woman if she wouldn't mind taking it up with the information desk/fags/lottery folk at the front of the shop. But no she's not having it, she wants it sorted now, while she stands there with her nose sticking out over the top of her mask. At this point I'm getting agitated and thinking of picking up my chips and booze and going to another checkout, but they've all got queues so I have to wait while this idiot increases my risk of catching covid by the second. A more senior staff member is called and we go through the same procedure with the same outcome, by which time I'm beginning to mumble 'for fuck's sake' loudly enough to be heard but quietly enough to be legally considered 'under my breath'. At no point does this woman apologise to me, anyone else in the queue or the cashier and after over 10 minutes finally pays without her precious coupon being scanned. After she'd exited the scene with a face like someone had rubbed dog shit under unmasked nose I asked the cashier how much the coupon she'd made such a fuss over was worth. "85p" she said.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 10:57 pm

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 11:01 pm

tinyclanger2 wrote:in 2009 we banned geert wilders. in the same year the bbc invited nick griffin onto question time. now look at us.

I think inviting Griffin on actually worked, the problem was they replaced him with Farage as a point and laugh comedy act initially and it never occured to them anyone would take him seriously. A bit like Johnson on HIGNFY. The BBC get a lot of stick but you can't blame them if they present utter buffoons to people and a significant number of the great British public are dumb enough to be impressed.

The mistake they made was continuing to give Farage a pedestal even when it was clear they'd created a monster.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 11:05 pm

Joey expresses displeasure at the pink octapus/jellyfish (species undetermined)

[youtube]50qgLozAtSQ[/youtube]

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 11:09 pm

haggling over 85p for over 10 minutes
"I'll give you all my coinage - over 2 quid - on the condition you'll leave immediately"

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 11:25 pm

guardian

Trump loses 44th post-election appeal

A district court judge dismissed an attempt by Donald Trump’s campaign to contest the presidential election results in Nevada, marking the Trump team’s 44th loss in post-election litigation.

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 11:36 pm

That's cute but it appears they've persuaded a baby sea otter that octopuses/jellyfish are bad but sharks are ok.

This seems unwise.

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Fri 04 Dec, 2020 11:44 pm

gilsey wrote:I'd say Starmer has already got quite a reputation for creating grief when another option exists.

I bow to your greater knowledge as I don't follow Labour politics as closely as others here, but this seems like picking a fight for the sake of it.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sat 05 Dec, 2020 12:20 am

In case you missed it at the time:

[youtube]IvUU8joBb1Q[/youtube]

https://wintergatan.net/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers me up anyway

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Sat 05 Dec, 2020 12:21 am

Sea otter eating octopus.

[youtube]06CeDsiOmzk[/youtube]

Also sea otter trying to eat shark. 'Some nibbling may have occurred'.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... horn-shark

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Sat 05 Dec, 2020 12:30 am

Willy Wonka and The great Egg Race set to music.

I wonder how much it cost?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 05 Dec, 2020 12:30 am

@tinyclanger2

Very Steam Punk-ish.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sat 05 Dec, 2020 12:31 am

I believe he spent Quite Some Time on it

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sat 05 Dec, 2020 12:35 am

Elsewhere on the cheering up spectrum:

[youtube]5Lz6k5Zg2wA[/youtube]

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sat 05 Dec, 2020 12:36 am

What?

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Sat 05 Dec, 2020 12:56 am

[youtube]uJg8h1JpAb8[/youtube]

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Sat 05 Dec, 2020 12:57 am

Speaking of Peter Bone

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Sat 05 Dec, 2020 1:00 am

Also got the twingly ding dong noises. Stoned people like them.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 05 Dec, 2020 1:05 am

Goodnight, everyone.
I'm freezing.
love,
cJA

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sat 05 Dec, 2020 1:11 am

If it's twingly ding dong your after:
[youtube]a0SKEgMEw5Y[/youtube]