Today’s headlines .........

[MyNameIsTerry]

Placing this here for Tony (our Tony) who I believe will find this an interesting, but sad, read due to his own bipolar and love of improv as I expect he well remembers the very talented Tony Slattery:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeands...slightly-barmy

He looks older than his years and from his frank account he still has battles with drink or at least some extra way to go in removing it from his life. Now he ahs ended his meds that must raise some further concerns especially adding the stress of work on top of it.

I always wondered why he disappeared. He was a good actor as well as comedian and I could see him doing so well in the same way the likes of Fry, Laurie, etc have. A great shame. Hopefully he can recover enough to have his later years in better health.

[MyNameIsTerry]

From the BBC:

‘Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has declared a "climate emergency" in her speech to the SNP conference.’

Yes, she certainly has the impediment of global warming in her speech. Every time she opens her mouth a waft of hot air escapes – you can see the heat shimmer. It was so bad the delegates in the front rows had to remove their jackets or remove themselves to escape heat stroke.

Indeed. Is this that political strategy known as bandwagon jumping?

Gove is meeting with XR shortly. The young activist is speaking to Parliament too. I expect in a few months it will all have returned to where it was

[mezzaninedoor]

Placing this here for Tony (our Tony) who I believe will find this an interesting, but sad, read due to his own bipolar and love of improv as I expect he well remembers the very talented Tony Slattery:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeands...slightly-barmy

He looks older than his years and from his frank account he still has battles with drink or at least some extra way to go in removing it from his life. Now he ahs ended his meds that must raise some further concerns especially adding the stress of work on top of it.

I always wondered why he disappeared. He was a good actor as well as comedian and I could see him doing so well in the same way the likes of Fry, Laurie, etc have. A great shame. Hopefully he can recover enough to have his later years in better health.

Thanks Terry, I had seen a cut down of this in the printed Guardian I think. It makes for a very sad read, made sadder by 'Almost all his other celebrity chums and hangers-on vanished “when the money dried up, which was saddening. Yes, very saddening,” he says, quietly'
though with my own BiPolar im sometimes shocked by how many of my friends stick around for me. I've always liked Slatterys quirky character, the last I saw of him was a villager he played in Stephen Fry's 'Kingdom' tv series where Slattery still showed he was a talent.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Thanks Terry, I had seen a cut down of this in the printed Guardian I think. It makes for a very sad read, made sadder by 'Almost all his other celebrity chums and hangers-on vanished “when the money dried up, which was saddening. Yes, very saddening,” he says, quietly'
though with my own BiPolar im sometimes shocked by how many of my friends stick around for me. I've always liked Slatterys quirky character, the last I saw of him was a villager he played in Stephen Fry's 'Kingdom' tv series where Slattery still showed he was a talent.

I always loved that version WLIIA with the likes of Mike McShane, Ryan ?, Colin Mockery, etc. Drew Cary was good later but I preferred Clive Anderson who was very funny on HIGNFY and QI.

It might have been the film in the photo I once saw with Slattery in. Very good. Wasn't it about Stephen Fry's character inviting them all to a country house where he told them he had HIV?

It is sad about his friends. It's difficult to comment without knowing more. Given he was seen more as a substance misuser they may have be fighting against denial he was ready to admit the problems but he clearly did do that with the cocaine after his mum found it, to his credit. But these types of disorders, as I suspect you will know more from your journey through it seeing those around you, they come with addictive personalities or obsessive traits that can be mistaken and remain untreated until it reaches that point where the person has done enough to warrant them sitting in an assessment. But it does make me question whether he would have been supported more if they had known this?

And sometimes you have to walk away to look after yourself. There is that cliché about hitting rock bottom before wanting to change but it seems such a gamble when some just end up on the streets or prison in even worse states.

All credit to his partner for sticking by him through it all. Top bloke!

[mezzaninedoor]

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown makes an interesting point about where the anowflakes might be in UK politics at the moment

https://inews.co.uk/opinion/roger-sc...rdan-peterson/

I must admit I did think Roger Scrutons recent rally against the left, diversity & enemies of the west was a bit rich and yet apparently he had reason to be irked as he was misrepresented however he was apoplectic & suddenly all sorts came to Rogers aid

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown makes an interesting point about where the anowflakes might be in UK politics at the moment

https://inews.co.uk/opinion/roger-sc...rdan-peterson/

I must admit I did think Roger Scrutons recent rally against the left, diversity & enemies of the west was a bit rich and yet apparently he had reason to be irked as he was misrepresented however he was apoplectic & suddenly all sorts came to Rogers aid

That might depend on who you see as "the right"? That then means "the left" should be judged based on their more loony representatives to the far left.

It's valid in isolation. I guess it's part of the back & forth of the left vs right issue those further to each side engage in? Not sure if that's where she sits but I did notice her championing Lammy for having a go at far right reps so perhaps a healthy bit of scepticism about her affiliations. Regardless the whole binary you vs us stuff is likely why most people will read the celeb stories over the political ones. It's so negative. So much arguing who's way is right when there is no such thing and never has been. Until we all become clones we have to learn to accept the others sides right to have their views whether we agree of not.

When it's all back & forth in a good vs evil way you wonder how people live in the real world.

And somewhere in the middle, the rest of us looking around thinking both sides are loons.

Steeler's Wheel time "snowflakes to the left of me, gammons to the right" but the original lyrics seem to work just as well

[mezzaninedoor]

That might depend on who you see as "the right"? That then means "the left" should be judged based on their more loony representatives to the far left.

It's valid in isolation. I guess it's part of the back & forth of the left vs right issue those further to each side engage in? Not sure if that's where she sits but I did notice her championing Lammy for having a go at far right reps so perhaps a healthy bit of scepticism about her affiliations. Regardless the whole binary you vs us stuff is likely why most people will read the celeb stories over the political ones. It's so negative. So much arguing who's way is right when there is no such thing and never has been. Until we all become clones we have to learn to accept the others sides right to have their views whether we agree of not.

When it's all back & forth in a good vs evil way you wonder how people live in the real world.

And somewhere in the middle, the rest of us looking around thinking both sides are loons.

Steeler's Wheel time "snowflakes to the left of me, gammons to the right" but the original lyrics seem to work just as well

I think the point I was making really was that we know the alt-right likes to roll out the term Snowflake for any human rights protest or social responsibility concern from the Left that its interesting that there is much behaviour that might fit that on the right as well as the left.




I agree with you that its all part of the back and forth between the left and the right.

There is a spectrum of people that you may have political conversations with and I think in my head you only perhaps have a constructive dialogue with people who are a couple of steps from you oin that spectrum where as more than that your ideaology makes it harder to listen to their point of view.

e.g. I made this up !!!

Alt Right - Conservative Right - Centrist Right - Centre - Centre Left - Socialist Left - Extreme Left
Reactionary - Status Quo - Social Reform - Radical

???

eg Socialist Left can talk constructively to the Centrist Right but harder further along
Alt Right can talk to the Centre Left but harder further along to find any common ground

[MyNameIsTerry]

I think the point I was making really was that we know the alt-right likes to roll out the term Snowflake for any human rights protest or social responsibility concern from the Left that its interesting that there is much behaviour that might fit that on the right as well as the left.




I agree with you that its all part of the back and forth between the left and the right.

There is a spectrum of people that you may have political conversations with and I think in my head you only perhaps have a constructive dialogue with people who are a couple of steps from you oin that spectrum where as more than that your ideaology makes it harder to listen to their point of view.

e.g. I made this up !!!

Alt Right - Conservative Right - Centrist Right - Centre - Centre Left - Socialist Left - Extreme Left
Reactionary - Status Quo - Social Reform - Radical

???

eg Socialist Left can talk constructively to the Centrist Right but harder further along
Alt Right can talk to the Centre Left but harder further along to find any common ground

Yes, it's the nature of hypocrites. I think the thing about the snowflake label is more that those to the left are more likely to be viewed as "pure" or innocent whereas those to the right are less likely to be viewed in this way.

It's all nonsense. Just look at "gammon". There are as many middle aged white shouty men on the left as on the right.

Such terms focus on white. Tons of ethnic minorities are right wing. Asian cultures are big on making a success of yourself in a traditional manner and having a traditional family unit. They won't be targeted by this type of rhetoric in fear of racism being raised. I often wonder how this all works in countries where white people are ethnic minorities? Maybe they don't bother with it and it's a Western thing?

For instance, shedloads of Asian votes in the Midlands would have been for Brexit. I am yet to see people trashing them for it. We see "turkeys voting for Christmas" trotted out at the working class but I'm yet to see some version for ethnic minorities who don't vote on the left.

Due to the community aspect they tend to vote for candidates from their communities in locals too. My local councillor is Muslim, and he seems pretty good. He will likely attract more votes from the local Asian community on my doorstep and I don't see a problem with that really. Many vote in tribal ways a lot of the time if we understand the values of the candidates although it would be better if we didn't. I voted for him last time and have again in today's local elections as at least this young guy seems to care unlike the Labour woman who has a tendency not to even bother canvassing in this "donkey with a red rosette" country. Even if he doesn't, it keeps the other parties on their toes if they have to fight in marginals. I would like to see strongholds gone.

But I guess that's the point of diversity. Look at all the whining in the US about people not voting against Trump because they should be siding with the shining light of Clinton. The black vote tumbled after Obama so they clearly don't think it's like this but they did vote for someone they thought might prioritise their issues.

I agree with you about constructive dialogue. Maybe it's also a matter of those closer are more willing to listen and less likely to shout labels? But then doesn't that make those people more likely to be closer to the centre? I wonder if those they engage with to the farther edges of left & right are as willing? Perhaps they will engage ore even if they don't agree as they are less likely to have that big wall between them that is hatred?

[MyNameIsTerry]

I guess the question is whether he's a whistleblower to save us or an untrustworthy minister who could break the rukes whenever he feels like it? I'm sure some are championing his security breach because they don't want the Chinese involved who would otherwise be slating him for it. If breaching that meeting isn't enough to warrant a criminal offence, when we could breach the Official Secrets Acts in much smaller ways and face jail time, then I don't know what is? However they may take the view he has fallen on his sword for the country?

Not read about Grayling yet. Is that the contract to the company that had no ferries? If he fancies it I could pick up a few old barges, I could do with £50m! I'm sure Uncle Albert could captain one

Great news about the petition to get rid of that dodgy Labour MP. I doubt many could vote for her considering her arrogance and willingness to pervert the course of justice. I did laugh when the judge threw her appeal out, and what an amateur attempt it was (she's a solicitor! )

[MyNameIsTerry]

Gavin Williamson accused and sacked over allegedly letting the public know Mrs May was making yet another big mistake in wanting to allow Chinese tech firm Huawei into a position of potential national security compromise. Did Mr Williamson do the deed? If so, hero or villain? Was he set up? Did Sir Mark Sedwill (a high-ranking civil servant) metaphorically punch him out because he posed a ‘risk’ to the government/Mrs May? Is Mr Williamson now in the running for next leader of the Conservatives?

Exclusive: Special government advisor who put forward Huawei deal exposed...