TFA: 6 1/4 / 10. Passable but Dear God why would anyone want to see it 4 times.
The astronomer in me was pissed off with the fact they could see those five or so other planets from the planet they were on. Similar as in the Star Trek reboot.. grrrrrrrrrr
How far in you is this alleged astronomer?
I shall avoid Uranus jokes out of good taste and modesty.
Multiple personality disorder My other is a PB Tory
One of the Tory Party’s rising stars has revealed how he is living on a boat in east London while attending Parliament to avoid “obscene” house prices in the capital.
Johnny Mercer, a former soldier in Afghanistan elected in May, decided to bring his boat up from the South coast and moor it near Canada Water rather than rent a flat.
The set-up sees the 34-year-old survive without central heating or a shower but he says he prefers the reminder of family life to a hotel room.
The choice will see the Plymouth Moor View MP claim just £2,400 a year in expenses for accommodation – far less than the £23,000 politicians with children are entitled to.
I am sure the Mirror headline to this news will be, Bloody Tories and their boats ;-)
I hope PBers understand why I have humongous mancrush on Johnny Mercer.
I am assuming that this is not the Johnny Mercer who wrote "I'm an old cowhand from the Rio Grande", "Too marvellous for Words", "Hooray for Hollywood", and was a cousin of Gen. George S. Patton?
I'm not going to defend or attempt to Justify Philby, Burgess, Maclean, Cairncross and Blunt in any way at all.
That they believed in communism and betrayed their country is beyond doubt. We will probably never know how many lives were lost because of their treachery.
If in his declining years he was somewhat disillusioned with what he had dedicated his life to, then that's a plus.
Mr. B., fair comment but I would take exception to one small point: the idea that the Cambridge five believed in Communism. Obviously I am not in a position to prove my case, but I very much doubt any of them did.
Ideological traitors, those who genuinely approve of the systems of the country they have been brought-up to, at least, distrust, are rarer than rocking-horse shit. The main drivers for someone to turn traitor are, in order of commonality:
1. Arrogance (I am cleverer than everyone around me) 2. Money 3. Blackmail (the opposition has a hold on me that I cannot break) 4. Guilt/Revenge (the organisation I want to betray has done something very wrong)
The Cambridge group seem to sit firmly into category 1. Philby was never a communist, any more than McLean, or that very nasty little man Blunt (if the Uk security services were anywhere near as naughty as some like to paint them Blunt would have died long before he did).
TFA: 6 1/4 / 10. Passable but Dear God why would anyone want to see it 4 times.
The astronomer in me was pissed off with the fact they could see those five or so other planets from the planet they were on. Similar as in the Star Trek reboot.. grrrrrrrrrr
How far in you is this alleged astronomer?
I shall avoid Uranus jokes out of good taste and modesty.
Multiple personality disorder My other is a PB Tory
So you are also your own evil twin Skippy. That's handy
Regarding Cameron's wellies, I don't want to read Simon Heffer on a full stomach but if it's the same story as from a few weeks back - got garage wellies to replace his own decent ones as they looked expensive, then viewers said his new-looking wellies showed how rich and out-of-touch he is - I thought it was funny but I wouldn't hold it against him. There something rather charming about such a cack-handed and ill-fated attempt at image-manipulation. The sort of thing that would happen to Jim Hacker.
One of the Tory Party’s rising stars has revealed how he is living on a boat in east London while attending Parliament to avoid “obscene” house prices in the capital.
Johnny Mercer, a former soldier in Afghanistan elected in May, decided to bring his boat up from the South coast and moor it near Canada Water rather than rent a flat.
The set-up sees the 34-year-old survive without central heating or a shower but he says he prefers the reminder of family life to a hotel room.
The choice will see the Plymouth Moor View MP claim just £2,400 a year in expenses for accommodation – far less than the £23,000 politicians with children are entitled to.
I am sure the Mirror headline to this news will be, Bloody Tories and their boats ;-)
I hope PBers understand why I have humongous mancrush on Johnny Mercer.
I am assuming that this is not the Johnny Mercer who wrote "I'm an old cowhand from the Rio Grande", "Too marvellous for Words", "Hooray for Hollywood", and was a cousin of Gen. George S. Patton?
No the Johnny Mercer TSE has a "mancrush" on is I think the chap who used to be lead tenor in the Black and White Minstrel Show
The past few days remind of the days of Blair vs Brown power struggle, when every Sunday we got stories reporting "scandals", bad enough to damage but not execute. There was a hell of a lot of damage done in that war and one of the reason Labour have been so weak since 2010.
I'm not going to defend or attempt to Justify Philby, Burgess, Maclean, Cairncross and Blunt in any way at all.
That they believed in communism and betrayed their country is beyond doubt. We will probably never know how many lives were lost because of their treachery.
If in his declining years he was somewhat disillusioned with what he had dedicated his life to, then that's a plus.
Mr. B., fair comment but I would take exception to one small point: the idea that the Cambridge five believed in Communism. Obviously I am not in a position to prove my case, but I very much doubt any of them did.
Ideological traitors, those who genuinely approve of the systems of the country they have been brought-up to, at least, distrust, are rarer than rocking-horse shit. The main drivers for someone to turn traitor are, in order of commonality:
1. Arrogance (I am cleverer than everyone around me) 2. Money 3. Blackmail (the opposition has a hold on me that I cannot break) 4. Guilt/Revenge (the organisation I want to betray has done something very wrong)
The Cambridge group seem to sit firmly into category 1. Philby was never a communist, any more than McLean, or that very nasty little man Blunt (if the Uk security services were anywhere near as naughty as some like to paint them Blunt would have died long before he did).
You would need to ask Arnold Deutsch what they believed in, which would be a tad difficult at this point. The 30s were a very different period than today, regarding the USSR.
The chip on Simon Heffer's shoulder sure comes with plenty of vinegar. He will never forgive Cameron for being PM when he is so clearly intellectually inferior to Heffer. He has been seething since 2005, and there is no cure.
One of the Tory Party’s rising stars has revealed how he is living on a boat in east London while attending Parliament to avoid “obscene” house prices in the capital.
Johnny Mercer, a former soldier in Afghanistan elected in May, decided to bring his boat up from the South coast and moor it near Canada Water rather than rent a flat.
The set-up sees the 34-year-old survive without central heating or a shower but he says he prefers the reminder of family life to a hotel room.
The choice will see the Plymouth Moor View MP claim just £2,400 a year in expenses for accommodation – far less than the £23,000 politicians with children are entitled to.
I am sure the Mirror headline to this news will be, Bloody Tories and their boats ;-)
I hope PBers understand why I have humongous mancrush on Johnny Mercer.
I am assuming that this is not the Johnny Mercer who wrote "I'm an old cowhand from the Rio Grande", "Too marvellous for Words", "Hooray for Hollywood", and was a cousin of Gen. George S. Patton?
No the Johnny Mercer TSE has a "mancrush" on is I think the chap who used to be lead tenor in the Black and White Minstrel Show
That makes me think of Leslie Crowther. - and Crackerjack.
I'm not going to defend or attempt to Justify Philby, Burgess, Maclean, Cairncross and Blunt in any way at all.
That they believed in communism and betrayed their country is beyond doubt. We will probably never know how many lives were lost because of their treachery.
If in his declining years he was somewhat disillusioned with what he had dedicated his life to, then that's a plus.
Mr. B., fair comment but I would take exception to one small point: the idea that the Cambridge five believed in Communism. Obviously I am not in a position to prove my case, but I very much doubt any of them did.
Ideological traitors, those who genuinely approve of the systems of the country they have been brought-up to, at least, distrust, are rarer than rocking-horse shit. The main drivers for someone to turn traitor are, in order of commonality:
1. Arrogance (I am cleverer than everyone around me) 2. Money 3. Blackmail (the opposition has a hold on me that I cannot break) 4. Guilt/Revenge (the organisation I want to betray has done something very wrong)
The Cambridge group seem to sit firmly into category 1. Philby was never a communist, any more than McLean, or that very nasty little man Blunt (if the Uk security services were anywhere near as naughty as some like to paint them Blunt would have died long before he did).
From reading his autobiography "My Secret War" I believe that Philby genuinely believed Communism would make a better world. I think that the people who run off to IS do too.
Indeed ideological convinced fanatics are much more dangerous than mercenary, blackmailed or arrogant ones. They are much more calm and collected.
There are critiques of western consumer capitalism from many sides, and also a fair degree of distaste from many people (often fairly hypocritical of course) that is poorly focussed and latches onto seeming allies.
My own distaste is far more traditional Dissenter Protestantism, so falls well within English traditions. Others may also be opposed from other varieties of British tradition, indeed there is a strong strand of this in the "Social Conservatism" of populist movements like UKIP.
I'm not going to defend or attempt to Justify Philby, Burgess, Maclean, Cairncross and Blunt in any way at all.
That they believed in communism and betrayed their country is beyond doubt. We will probably never know how many lives were lost because of their treachery.
If in his declining years he was somewhat disillusioned with what he had dedicated his life to, then that's a plus.
Mr. B., fair comment but I would take exception to one small point: the idea that the Cambridge five believed in Communism. Obviously I am not in a position to prove my case, but I very much doubt any of them did.
Ideological traitors, those who genuinely approve of the systems of the country they have been brought-up to, at least, distrust, are rarer than rocking-horse shit. The main drivers for someone to turn traitor are, in order of commonality:
1. Arrogance (I am cleverer than everyone around me) 2. Money 3. Blackmail (the opposition has a hold on me that I cannot break) 4. Guilt/Revenge (the organisation I want to betray has done something very wrong)
The Cambridge group seem to sit firmly into category 1. Philby was never a communist, any more than McLean, or that very nasty little man Blunt (if the Uk security services were anywhere near as naughty as some like to paint them Blunt would have died long before he did).
From reading his autobiography "My Secret War" I believe that Philby genuinely believed Communism would make a better world. I think that the people who run off to IS do too.
Indeed ideological convinced fanatics are much more dangerous than mercenary, blackmailed or arrogant ones. They are much more calm and collected.
There are critiques of western consumer capitalism from many sides, and also a fair degree of distaste from many people (often fairly hypocritical of course) that is poorly focussed and latches onto seeming allies.
My own distaste is far more traditional Dissenter Protestantism, so falls well within English traditions. Others may also be opposed from other varieties of British tradition, indeed there is a strong strand of this in the "Social Conservatism" of populist movements like UKIP.
Doc, If you want to believe the word of a liar I wish you well.
Terrorist who shot BBC's Frank Gardner executed by Saudi Arabia
Adel al-Dhubaiti is executed more than a decade after the attack on Frank Gardner, the BBC security correpsondent, which left him paralysed and in which his camerman Simon Cumbers was killed
I have a skiing question. I'm watching the FIS Tour de Ski.
The commentators are going on and on about how it favors classic over freestyle.
Isn't skiing just skiing? What's the difference?
Classic is the traditional step-and glide technique, which needs a grip wax underfoot for traction and a gliding wax on the rest of the ski. Freestyle became more prevalent in the 1980s and is close to ice skating in style, is faster ( and ahtletically more demanding) and only need a gliding wax over the whole ski.
...There is a yearning for a counter-narative, a coherent critique of all of the problems of the shallow materialist consumerism of liberal capitalism. Ours is a society that has sold our birthright of enlightenment values very cheaply.
I like shallow materialist consumerism. You get iPads for Christmas.
Shallow materialism is undoubtably popular, but we cannot live on bread alone.
There is a tendency in Islamism to find a set of counter values opposite to mercenary capitalism
Yes. Burning gays to death. Remind me again what's wrong with capitalism?
So why is Islamism so popular with disaffected youth? The two convicted this week were not devout pious Muslims. There is a craving out there for the Ummah. The universal brotherhood, the support of fellow believers, the desire to serve. There is a desire for something to believe in that is intrinsic to the human condition, and Islamism allows that off the shelf. Of course Islamism is offensive and barbaric, and I have condemned it many times here, but we do need to understand its appeal if we are to defeat it.
For at least a decade before the collapse of the Soviet Union its rotten state was clear. There is a tendency in Islamism to find a set of counter values opposite to mercenary capitalism, and much the same with environmentalism and greenism.
So, Labour now falls into the same set as Islamism, environmentalism and greenism?
Labour shares the same desire for an alternative world. All 3 philosphies share an enemy, just as the British Empire, USA and Soviet Union in WW2. It does not mean that they are the same thing. Some on the Left make the same mistake as yourself though, hence some on the Left like Corbyn expressing support for "friends" like Hamas.
So it goes - just like the those who spied for Stalin wanting a more "spiritual world"....
Thats right. Kim Philby genuinely believed he was working for a better world.
My family had many killed by the Nazis and many killed by the Communists. It is why I like social democratic mixed market capitalistic societies - my family gets to live. But then again, we are a picky lot
"Sure as I know anything, I know this - they will try again. Maybe on another world, maybe on this very ground swept clean. A year from now, ten? They'll swing back to the belief that they can make people... better. And I do not hold to that.... I aim to misbehave."
Ooh, people dispirited by Tory (and particular, Cameroon) resurgency since the GE will like the title of this piece - much more commonly seen thoughts prior to the GE
We've moved back away from 'Actually, it turns out that, in relative terms, people actually like Cameron ok' to the once more common, and no doubt future more common 'Cameron is a posh phoney who people don't warm to'.
Simon Heffer is a tw@
He's one of those bell ends who has never forgiven the Tory party for ditching IDS, because he would have won the 2005 general election.
Ooh, people dispirited by Tory (and particular, Cameroon) resurgency since the GE will like the title of this piece - much more commonly seen thoughts prior to the GE
We've moved back away from 'Actually, it turns out that, in relative terms, people actually like Cameron ok' to the once more common, and no doubt future more common 'Cameron is a posh phoney who people don't warm to'.
Simon Heffer is a tw@
He's one of those bell ends who has never forgiven the Tory party for ditching IDS, because he would have won the 2005 general election.
The chip on Simon Heffer's shoulder sure comes with plenty of vinegar. He will never forgive Cameron for being PM when he is so clearly intellectually inferior to Heffer. He has been seething since 2005, and there is no cure.
He's up there with Tim Montgomerie in the backed a loser IDS fan club......
...There is a yearning for a counter-narative, a coherent critique of all of the problems of the shallow materialist consumerism of liberal capitalism. Ours is a society that has sold our birthright of enlightenment values very cheaply.
I like shallow materialist consumerism. You get iPads for Christmas.
Shallow materialism is undoubtably popular, but we cannot live on bread alone.
There is a tendency in Islamism to find a set of counter values opposite to mercenary capitalism
Yes. Burning gays to death. Remind me again what's wrong with capitalism?
So why is Islamism so popular with disaffected youth? The two convicted this week were not devout pious Muslims. There is a craving out there for the Ummah. The universal brotherhood, the support of fellow believers, the desire to serve. There is a desire for something to believe in that is intrinsic to the human condition, and Islamism allows that off the shelf. Of course Islamism is offensive and barbaric, and I have condemned it many times here, but we do need to understand its appeal if we are to defeat it.
For at least a decade before the collapse of the Soviet Union its rotten state was clear. There is a tendency in Islamism to find a set of counter values opposite to mercenary capitalism, and much the same with environmentalism and greenism.
So, Labour now falls into the same set as Islamism, environmentalism and greenism?
like Corbyn expressing support for "friends" like Hamas.
So it goes - just like the those who spied for Stalin wanting a more "spiritual world"....
Thats right. Kim Philby genuinely believed he was working for a better world.
My family had many killed by the Nazis and many killed by the Communists. It is why I like social democratic mixed market capitalistic societies - my family gets to live. But then again, we are a picky lot
"Sure as I know anything, I know this - they will try again. Maybe on another world, maybe on this very ground swept clean. A year from now, ten? They'll swing back to the belief that they can make people... better. And I do not hold to that.... I aim to misbehave."
The chip on Simon Heffer's shoulder sure comes with plenty of vinegar. He will never forgive Cameron for being PM when he is so clearly intellectually inferior to Heffer. He has been seething since 2005, and there is no cure.
He's up there with Tim Montgomerie in the backed a loser IDS fan club......
Ooh, people dispirited by Tory (and particular, Cameroon) resurgency since the GE will like the title of this piece - much more commonly seen thoughts prior to the GE
We've moved back away from 'Actually, it turns out that, in relative terms, people actually like Cameron ok' to the once more common, and no doubt future more common 'Cameron is a posh phoney who people don't warm to'.
Simon Heffer is a tw@
He's one of those bell ends who has never forgiven the Tory party for ditching IDS, because he would have won the 2005 general election.
@PickardJE: Farage fears he was victim of assassination attempt after his car was sabotaged causing a terrifying motorway crash. https://t.co/LPe97RDtAP
I'm not going to defend or attempt to Justify Philby, Burgess, Maclean, Cairncross and Blunt in any way at all.
That they believed in communism and betrayed their country is beyond doubt. We will probably never know how many lives were lost because of their treachery.
If in his declining years he was somewhat disillusioned with what he had dedicated his life to, then that's a plus.
Mr. B., fair comment but I would take exception to one small point: the idea that the Cambridge five believed in Communism. Obviously I am not in a position to prove my case, but I very much doubt any of them did.
Ideological traitors, those who genuinely approve of the systems of the country they have been brought-up to, at least, distrust, are rarer than rocking-horse shit. The main drivers for someone to turn traitor are, in order of commonality:
1. Arrogance (I am cleverer than everyone around me) 2. Money 3. Blackmail (the opposition has a hold on me that I cannot break) 4. Guilt/Revenge (the organisation I want to betray has done something very wrong)
The Cambridge group seem to sit firmly into category 1. Philby was never a communist, any more than McLean, or that very nasty little man Blunt (if the Uk security services were anywhere near as naughty as some like to paint them Blunt would have died long before he did).
From reading his autobiography "My Secret War" I believe that Philby genuinely believed Communism would make a better world. I think that the people who run off to IS do too.
Indeed ideological convinced fanatics are much more dangerous than mercenary, blackmailed or arrogant ones. They are much more calm and collected.
There are critiques of western consumer capitalism from many sides, and also a fair degree of distaste from many people (often fairly hypocritical of course) that is poorly focussed and latches onto seeming allies.
My own distaste is far more traditional Dissenter Protestantism, so falls well within English traditions. Others may also be opposed from other varieties of British tradition, indeed there is a strong strand of this in the "Social Conservatism" of populist movements like UKIP.
Doc, If you want to believe the word of a liar I wish you well.
Well, something motivated Philby. The 1930s were a strange time: rigid class distinctions and grinding poverty at home; fascism and Nazism expanding in Europe; appeasement by the Establishment.
I've read a number of books on the Cambridge spies and tbh am not really concerned by their original motivation. For me, it is the sheer bloody incompetence of our intelligence agencies that is most striking.
Comments
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/teenager-sexted-shamed-mp-simon-7109909
https://twitter.com/nufcno1fan/status/683435722699894784
Ideological traitors, those who genuinely approve of the systems of the country they have been brought-up to, at least, distrust, are rarer than rocking-horse shit. The main drivers for someone to turn traitor are, in order of commonality:
1. Arrogance (I am cleverer than everyone around me)
2. Money
3. Blackmail (the opposition has a hold on me that I cannot break)
4. Guilt/Revenge (the organisation I want to betray has done something very wrong)
The Cambridge group seem to sit firmly into category 1. Philby was never a communist, any more than McLean, or that very nasty little man Blunt (if the Uk security services were anywhere near as naughty as some like to paint them Blunt would have died long before he did).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3382348/Corbyn-set-scrap-honours-list-cronyism-fears-reference-Empire.html
I suspect some combination of 1 and 4.
He will never forgive Cameron for being PM when he is so clearly intellectually inferior to Heffer.
He has been seething since 2005, and there is no cure.
Indeed ideological convinced fanatics are much more dangerous than mercenary, blackmailed or arrogant ones. They are much more calm and collected.
There are critiques of western consumer capitalism from many sides, and also a fair degree of distaste from many people (often fairly hypocritical of course) that is poorly focussed and latches onto seeming allies.
My own distaste is far more traditional Dissenter Protestantism, so falls well within English traditions. Others may also be opposed from other varieties of British tradition, indeed there is a strong strand of this in the "Social Conservatism" of populist movements like UKIP.
Adel al-Dhubaiti is executed more than a decade after the attack on Frank Gardner, the BBC security correpsondent, which left him paralysed and in which his camerman Simon Cumbers was killed
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/12078571/Terrorist-who-shot-BBCs-Frank-Gardner-executed-by-Saudi-Arabia.html
for a fuller description, see https://skiinghistory.org/history/cross-country-skating-how-it-started
PS make sure to watch the final TdS race on Jan 10 for the skiing equivalent of the Alpe d'Huez climb!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7idn3PcKBM
http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/expand.asp?uniqueID=F0E0D8B14EAE38C0802577C000465F45
I've read a number of books on the Cambridge spies and tbh am not really concerned by their original motivation. For me, it is the sheer bloody incompetence of our intelligence agencies that is most striking.