Start the Week Thread 8th February 2021

The Licence enforcement arm of the Far Left BBC is continuing to target the over 75s to buy a licence . 750000 have so far failed to buy one since the ‘free ‘ licence concession was removed . So before the BBC accuses others of sharp practices perhaps it should look to itself .

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335 Responses to Start the Week Thread 8th February 2021

  1. Guest Who says:

    BBC Radio 4

    The return to traditional comfort foods in the pandemic means we’re eating more meat.

    ***

    Bless. They stuffed a chorizo in a bed of nettles and are reaping the consequences.

    Me, I am just impressed the BBC recognises what food is comforting traditionally, and what has not served so far, despite the pr.

       21 likes

  2. Beltane says:

    The concerted attack on the Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine is not especially surprising with the EU being so wrong-footed and their predictably spiteful reactions to any loss of face, but might there also be a problem with ethnicity and the South African covid variant?
    That could account for its apparent virulence – and for the fact that no-one dares mention the reason why.

       34 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Beltane – that is an exceptionally important point . Political correctness will ‘trump’ the (potential ) truth that different races react differently to the vaccines –
      Particularly if the coloured races are less able to fight the various models of Chinese virus …we are all equal …

         23 likes

  3. Tabs says:

    Stabbing victim ‘could have been prime minister’
    with a photo of Boris Johnson is currently a link on the BBC news website homepage. Nothing to do with Boris whatsoever.

    Fake news or click bait? Either way it shows the depths the BBC will go to get hits on their website.

       40 likes

    • digg says:

      Or maybe more sinister Tabs, perhaps if you read the headline in another way it might be taken as a suggestion to the stabber?

         11 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      A 22-year-old victim
      “was going to be prime minister”
      his mother has said. Jasna Badzak

      That is the aforementioned anti-UKIP mother

         22 likes

  4. andyjsnape says:

    Lift off! 10 incredible facts about the elevator
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/41WsyycMrXQmxlPpdPp3ZTz/lift-off-10-incredible-facts-about-the-elevator?xtor=CS8-1000-%5BDiscovery_Cards%5D-%5BMulti_Site%5D-%5BSL10%5D-%5BBBC_DEFAULT~N~~A_10FactsAboutLifts%5D

    and dont forget they also spread the virus, with the other residents using the same button several times a day!!

    ffs who funds this cr*p

       18 likes

  5. Doublethinker says:

    There is a very interesting article in Conservative Global, the article can be found on Guido’s order ordered site, about changes in the polical make up of the EU that may happen in the next few years.
    Of course it’s all speculation but the author makes the case for there being a likelihood of countries such as Spain and Italy moving closer to the Visegrad group on many policy issues and forming a bloc of right of centre national centric governments which are not keen on third world immigration.

    So far so good. The author then opines that the only person in the UK who would want to re join such a group would be Nigel Farage !! We must hope that the author is entirely correct about the formation of an influential power bloc of Visegrad Italy and Spain but I am sure that millions in the UK would wish to rejoin an organisation run along the lines the author describes.
    Of course forcing the abolition of the Liberal federalists dream of a united Europe filled with third worlders may be beyond even the likes of Salvini but the more trouble that Brussels has in imposing its will on the memberstates of the EU the better as far as I am concerned.

       23 likes

  6. StewGreen says:

    Sargon dissects the Time article
    – “there was a conspiracy to fix the election”
    – ‘but this was ethical cos we are calling it FORTIFICATION’
    – ‘Righties lost a lot of Twitter followers
    .. this was cos Twitter deleted lots of Republican accounts
    .. but no Dem supporting accounts’

    https://youtu.be/h8oyTBzROhE

    – ‘Twitter has a habit of ‘quarantining certain tweets’

       19 likes

  7. G.W.F. says:

    Licences up to £159.

       10 likes

  8. Guest Who says:

    Not on the BBC radar.

       36 likes

  9. Guest Who says:

    Hot tip from Lurch?

       4 likes

  10. Eddy Booth says:

    “Man charged in Lanark over Captain Sir Tom Moore tweet
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-55986646

    A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “On Friday 5 February 2021, we received a report of an offensive tweet about Sir Captain Tom Moore .
    A 35-year-old man has subsequently been arrested and charged in connection with communication offences and is due to appear at Lanark Sheriff Court on Wednesday 17 February.”

    Captain Toms gone, but apparently still useful to the authorities.
    Maybe the BBC should be getting a fine for not reporting he caught Covid whilst IN Bedford Hospital.
    Of course we’re not told what this tweet was.

    During Tom’s last days someone posted this on a joke website, (a saying, in my opinion, always helpful to put things in perspective)

    “I’ve just read in the Daily Star that Captain Tom is being Trolled.
    Well if that’s the worst thing that happens to him today …”

       22 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Basically said ‘the only good British soldier is a dead one’
      The sender being preoccupied with Irish nationalism
      even though he himself is a Scottish Nationalist
      thread with tweet and name

      …Offending is free speech
      but I guess wishing death on British soldiers is possible incitement.
      But in his own community might make the guy look like a martyr.

         23 likes

  11. StewGreen says:

    Made by BBC Studios for Channel4 ..9pm tonight

       8 likes

    • Eddy Booth says:

      Let me guess it’ll be about heterosexual paedophiles.
      Even though the 1% homosexual community appears in at least 50 % of child abuse court cases reported in the media.

         25 likes

  12. Zelazek says:

    Reporting Scotland, the local BBC news prog in Scotland, reports the “concern” about the Scottish rugby players not taking the knee at Twickenham. Somebody justified their action by claiming that having a “moment of reflection” was just as good as taking a knee.

    I was hoping somebody would just come right out and say they would never kneel in support of the fascist BLM but, alas, they did not.

    I will only ever kneel before my God, my sovereign or my executioner.

    (I wish I had come up with that last line myself but I have to admit I stole it.)

       47 likes

    • JohnC says:

      Unfortunately your desired outcome leads to ruined career and a blizzard of hate and venom from the twitter mob..

         21 likes

    • Dobyns says:

      To borrow another phrase,

      “Better to die on one’s feet than live on one’s knees”

         24 likes

      • Scroblene says:

        Ask Slick Willy about that particular quote, Dobyns…

        That was after the event of course, so nothing to see!

           5 likes

  13. vlad says:

    The beeb are to increase the extortion tax (on April 1st, appropriately).

    Let’s hope that loses them thousands more subscribers and accelerates their final demise.

       29 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      BBC TV licence fee will increase by £1.50 from £157.50 a year to £159
      that’s less than 1%

         6 likes

      • vlad says:

        Your point being?

        Mine was that any increase might further alienate viewers, especially when half the staff are sitting at home doing nothing, and especially on the heels of the over 75’s fiasco.

        Stop nitpicking.

           24 likes

        • StewGreen says:

          @Vlad that seems very snowflakey
          why should you be bothered what I wrote ?
          I wasn’t even thinking of you when I wrote it
          I simply automatically contexted the the rise .

          I have no objection to good broadcasters charging a fee
          and paying themselves a salary for a good service they deliver.

          I think what we object to is the BBC forcibly collecting money
          and then ABUSING us and the country by forcing its agendas and bias at us
          It’s not a matter of £1.50, their management owe us their entire pensions for the fraud they are committing.
          In a just world there would be criminal investigations into the managers.
          It is not only damage to democracy, and culture but other crime like failing to safeguard children from massive sexual abuse by Savile, Harris , Stuart Hall etc.

             17 likes

  14. theisland says:

       51 likes

    • Dobyns says:

      A prophet without honour

         36 likes

    • Zelazek says:

      A politician of unmatched courage who put his principles before his career. (This is often forgotten about, especially by his detractors.) A man who dared to understand the danger of mass immigration before anyone else. Rightly regarded as a prophet. The most impressive politician of my lifetime. He could have been the greatest prime minister in our history. A brilliant mind, a great debater. His demolition of Jonathan Miller on the Dick Cavett Show is one of my favourite videos on YouTube.

         51 likes

  15. Northern Voter says:

    Not the BBC but Channel 5, trailing a piece of American TV programming. Its called Sistas, sic, a piece about a young woman who is wronged by a man. Nothing wrong with that, unfortunately, all parts are played by black actors. I don’t suppose there will be any squawking from BLM. Apparently there aren’t enough parts for black actors.

       28 likes

  16. Scroblene says:

    It was a few posts back, in that – I think – Digg, posted a ‘before and after’ pic of US presidents before and after, with the old Joe bloke and Kamilla Park-and-ride as the ‘after’ pic!

    I just can’t work out how to copy it, and because I’m such an old fart, I’m too scared to ask…

    …but I want to copy it to all my chums…

    sob

       18 likes

    • digg says:

      Hi Scroblene, if you are on a computer, lightly hover the cursor over the pic and you should get a pop up panel which contains choices, one of which should be “copy link” you might also see “copy image” then it’s a case of pasting the link into email etc to send to the chums, hope it works!

      If you are on a tablet or phone it’s similiar but a lot more tricky!

      On an iPad you will get a “share” menu item so you can despatch via message or email etc.

      You just have to make sure you hover rather than click as this will just send you off into oblivion!

         5 likes

      • StewGreen says:

        mouse over , and right-click to get the options menu

        You can copy the image, or save it, or pick up it’s URL address

        to get that off the clip board
        You click in the email or comment box and right click again, then select paste

           6 likes

        • Scroblene says:

          Thank you – again, Stew! The one worry I had was that whatever I copied might include ‘private’ info like my email address, inside leg measurement etc…

          Actually, talking about adverts being ‘tailored’ by Google, I actually had one as a sidebar on our PC (I share one with Senora O’Blene sometimes), and my true, reasonably uncommon surname came up as large as life…

          Coincidence?

             6 likes

      • Scroblene says:

        Aaaah, thank you Digg – that’s very helpful! I’m always using a PC for serious stuff – like reading comments here, and don’t try to make the iPad do anything except watch YouTube, as bunches of bananas just blur everything, and if on Ebay, I finish up buying an African village or something similar…

        Working on it as we speak – thanks again!

           9 likes

    • Emmanuel Goldstein says:

      Scroblene.

      https://ibb.co/t8NvvZH

         2 likes

  17. Guest Who says:

       25 likes

  18. TrickCyclist says:

       13 likes

  19. BBCNarrativeB says:

    Another day, another anti-Brexit story from the corrupt and biased BBC. This one is complaining about a British shop in Belgium that can’t sell British stock because its owners can’t be bothered filling in the necessary paperwork. When you have to dig into a random shop in Belgium that can no longer sell custard creams or scones, you know you’re desperate in trying to find another anti-Brexit piece.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55985956

       45 likes

  20. taffman says:

    maxincony
    Like most people that post here, I think that Al Beeb is biased. Apart from trolling why do you post here ? In a nutshell, what motivates you ?

       15 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      The compilation of lists, and archived files. Selectively. Apparently.

      That, and knocking on doors at midnight.

      Mutti would be proud.

         7 likes

  21. taffman says:

    “Covid: Travellers to UK set to be tested after arrival”

    Does this apply to those arriving by dinghy?
    Given the huge number of illegal immigrants already here because of our very porous border what is the government going to do about that? So many came in since the start of the lockdowns it could explain that we have one of the biggest death rates in the world .
    Do we have a government with a deliberate covert ‘open door’ policy?

       31 likes

    • JimS says:

      When people were escaping East Germany it was right and proper that anyone who got into the West anyhow and anywhere should have been able to make an asylum claim at that point.

      People who depart France from an illegal exit point and attempt to get into the UK through illegal entry points, given that thouands enter legally every day by ferry, train and plane, are breaking the law.

      They should either be turned back or arrested and Tommy-liked tried and imprisoned. On release from prison they should be deported and notice served on them that they are forever banned from the UK.

      Shouldn’t it be as simple as that – use the door and you can make a claim; climb over the wall and we will lock you up and throw you out?

         39 likes

      • taffman says:

        JimS
        Covert ‘open door’ policy?
        It’s deliberate . The government of this country know its being done against the wishes of a huge majority of the people of this country and do nothing .
        They are dragging their feet just like they did with Brexit.
        The hard working tax payers are even funding 4 Star hotels for the criminals . All under the control of a so called Tory Government. You just could not make it up!

           32 likes

  22. taffman says:

    “Brexit effect: No custard creams for Brits in Europe”
    ????
    Ha Ha ! maxincony, are you writing these headlines for the BBC ?

       28 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      taffman, you would think that a major store would arrange alternative suppliers. Especially after four and a half years notice. Would you not? Not if you are the anti-Brexit BBC.

      The BBC are normally quick to question the competence of ‘government’. What about questioning the the competence of that store’s management, BBC?

         20 likes

    • WildWomanOfThe Woods says:

      Qu’ils mangent du chocolat!

         1 likes

  23. taffman says:

    “Brexit: 71 pages of paperwork for 1 lorry of fish Brexit:”

    Time to slap the same amount of “paperwork “ on goods coming in from the EU . Cars, wine, cheese etc .
    It works both ways. The EU is making an example us and punishing us for leaving.

       38 likes

  24. Guest Who says:

    BBC News

    The star of the viral Handforth Parish Council Zoom meeting has been recreated using angel cake and chocolate ganache.

    ***
    Envy of the world.

       20 likes

  25. Up2snuff says:

    TOADY and BBC WEB-SITE Watch #1 – Sheriff Nancy Pelosi quick on the draw?

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/ That’s what the BBC would have you believe – ‘rapid Impeachment Trial’ – on their Home Page but the radio broadcasts on TOADY by David Willis and John Sopel (two BBC journos up before dawn – remarkable!) suggest the Trump Impeachment may fail for a variety of reasons, not least the slowness of the Democrats to proceed.

    This independent observer did point out the slowness of the Democrat Impeachment process and that they should have initiated the proceedings much sooner. Maybe Snuffy should be a highly paid BBC journo?

    Or could it be that for all the Democrat bluster, after 6 January, Pelosi & Co. really knew that they didn’t have a case. Or perhaps didn’t want the same thing happening to their President in December 2024 or January 2025?

       23 likes

  26. Guest Who says:

    Another no joke for Maxi.

    Luckily such hate crimes will still be dealt with and the bbc will no long need worry about not reporting on the cause.

       17 likes

    • JohnC says:

      Odd how the BBC are so quick to publish her original accusations so prominently on the front page, but now it’s gone sour, the story is nowhere to be seen. Thats ‘balance’ – left-wing hypocrites style.
      Contrast that with Trump being headline news because he wore a mask after saying he wouldn’t.

         33 likes

  27. digg says:

    Slow news day so the cub reporters are let loose…..

    BBC have “No Custard Creams for Brits in Belgium”

    Guardian have “Mary Beard calling out trolls who think she is a witch” ( She has an upcoming series on the dark arts spookily)

    Independent have “Plastic ducks found on village pond”….

       24 likes

  28. AsISeeIt says:

    The ruling matriarchy, coming out and who’s Masterminding this stuff

    Our Daily Telegraph frontpage pinup is a BBC stalwart, Samira, 52, formerly host of Newswatch, the show that purports to answer viewers’ complaints about BBC news presentation. She’s one of the BBC Ahmeds of course, and is, we learn “favourite” to take over from John Humphrys as presenter of the well-past-its-prime quiz show with pretentions, Mastermind.

    Aside from the de rigueur formulation ‘…first woman to front the show in its 49-year history…‘ one can see little justification for our Samira getting this gig – apart from the fact she’s on a BBC contract and helped herself to a big salary boost as a leading light in the exclusive Female Presenters Trades Union Chapel. It’s not clear what qualifies her for Mastermind, a format devised by Bill Wright, who drew inspiration from his experiences of being interrogated by the Gestapo during World War II. On Newswatch Samira was notorious for failing to satisfy viewers by getting any satisfactory answers whatsoever out of BBC news manangers and editors.

    One can envisage, with our Samira at the helm, in addition to the familiar Matermind catchphase “pass”, a new appeals rule whereby contestants may object to their incorrect answers being rejected with the phrase – “I think I got that about right”

    Teacher faces life ban. The teacher dismissed from Eton over an anti-feminist video could be banned from teaching permanently‘ (Times) – that’ll teach him not to mess with the ruling matriarchy.

    We once used to joke that the government would tax fresh air, if only it could install a meter.

    The joke is comming true: ‘Oil groups rush for offshore wind rights‘ (FT) – if one imagined for one moment renewable energy would ever benefit the consumer think again: ‘Consortiums involving BP and Total are among big oil groups that have bid “staggering” prices to build wind farms around England and Wales that could deliver £8.8bn to the Treasury

    Sale of crown offshore sites may push up bills‘ (Telegraph) – really, yer think!

    The Guardian remains blissfully unconcerned about corporate cronyism whilst fretting about symbols of Britishness: ‘More than a 1,000 bills secretly vetted by Queen‘ – pray tell how much graft and self-interest do we reckon an elected Presidency would have got us in the last seven decades? What example of proberty would the Guardian suggest as a model republic, France, the US?

    Let’s remind ourselves of Giscard d’Estaing and his diamonds gift from the Emperor of the Central African Empire, the notorious dictator Bokassa I; Bill Clinton’s Clinton Foundation… to name but two, the list is endless…

    The Sun has a real Royal grifter bang to rights: ‘Taking the Mike. Zara’s £15m rugby husband Tindall is claiming furlough‘ – do you see the difference, Guardinistas?

    The Guardian on its seemingly endless quest for virtue takes a tilt at another windmill: ‘Can football’s cycle of hatred be broken?‘ – here’s a suggestion: take all local loyalties out of the game, have all twenty-two players on the pitch wear the same rainbow-coloured shirts and have them all work toward the same goal of scoring… in the one same… goal.

    Thousands arriving from vairent hit South Africa walk out airport unchecked‘ (sic – the Express with the editorial slip there) – what are these 1,000s of people from the Rainbow Nation dropping by little old Britain? Could they be sick? Are they winter safari holiday returnees – or what? South African tourists just bursting to see Buckingham Palace and Shakespeare’s Stratford? We should be told.

    The ‘i’ newspaper attempts to take our mind off the weather and the lockdowns: ‘How to write about sex by Daisy Buchanan‘ – apparently this isn’t the charcater from The Great Gatsby – no such literary merit here – this is Guardian writer Daisy Buchanan author of ‘The Sisterhood’

    The ‘i’ are really warming to their theme today with the further feature: ‘Mum, Dad there’s something I need to tell you… Coming out four moving personal stories‘ – I’ll pass on that, thanks all the same.

    It had to happen sooner or later, and I feel I’ve been putting this off for too long now – friends, readers hereabouts, there’s something I need to tell you… I want to come out – of lockdown.

    Defence Secretary highlights danger from chemical and biological weapons‘ (Times) – really? That’s like the mayor of Hiroshima giving his population an air raid warning, on the morning after the A-bomb dropped.

    ‘Pollution death rates. Air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels is linked to almost one-in-five deaths in Britain… acording to research‘ (Times) – blimey, they must be putting about seven or eight different causes of death on the certificates these days.

    Exposed: Oxford sells out professorship to Chinese firm “with links to spy agency”‘ (Daily Mail) – let’s get Inspector Morse to investigate who’s Masterminding this one. While he’s on the case he could maybe solve the puzzle of whether the Oxford jab works or not? You know after all the plot twists and turns, a bit of opera and lot of people have been bumped off, eventually all the threads of the mystery will come together in the end.

       30 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Asiseeit –
      I hope samira gets the mastermind gig – with the associated ratings reduction. Anything undermining the BBC brand is good for us.

      I watch mastermind on ‘recorded ‘now . You can get it down to 20 minutes .

      I find myself monitoring the planted ‘woke’ questions – ghandi – mandela – luther king – girl questions for girl contestants which makes a tedious old format a bit interesting.,..,

      This week we will get a re run of the OJ trial featuring the real US President. Why bother with the trial ? Just find him guilty and hang him …
      Although the sight of airheads like AOC in full victimhood will be good for popcorn sales…

         28 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        AISI, I liked the foot of the i newspaper front page which had a series of tasters and an unfortunate juxtaposition: ‘Gove warning for Brussels’, Mark Wallace on the LibDems’ and ‘Puzzles’ .

        Ooops!

           7 likes

      • JimS says:

        If I was really bored it might be a good exercise to determine the Minimal Information To Answer Point (MITAP) for Mastermind, which probably goes some way to explain why some contestants seem to get more questions and more points.

        For example:

        1) Noddy was a well-known character written by which female author?

        2) Which well-known female author wrote the stories whose leading character was Noddy?

        Most people will have 95% confidence of getting the answer after hearing ‘Noddy’ in question 1 and 100% by ‘written by’ with three words still to go. Hearing question 2 any premature answer will be wild guess until the last ‘Noddy’. Meanwhile all those possible wrong answers need to be cleared out of the vocal memory buffer before the correct answer can be given.

        Talking of quizzes, it would be very easy to have a system for indicating the right answer in Eggheads, “Was it, (pauses), A, was it B, (no pause) or (pauses) C?” “Correct! B! You eggsperts are so good!”.

           12 likes

  29. Guest Who says:

    BBC Moaning Emole, with another new name as warm up act for American Booty.

    ****
    By Owen Amos

    Trump’s lawyers deny insurrection

    Story detail

    Donald Trump may no longer be US president, but his impeachment goes on. The House of Representatives – the lower house of Congress – voted to impeach him last month for “inciting insurrection” before the Capitol riot. Today, his trial will begin in the upper house, the Senate – and Mr Trump’s lawyers say he was not responsible for the violence in Washington DC.

    Mr Trump’s lawyers argue that – according to FBI documents – the riot was planned days in advance, meaning he cannot have encouraged the violence. They also insist the trial is unconstitutional because Mr Trump has left office. It is a “selfish attempt” by Democrats to “prey upon the feelings of horror and confusion that fell upon all Americans” after the riot, they say.

    A two-thirds majority is needed to convict – meaning 17 Republicans would need to join 50 Democrats in the vote. Last month a bid to dismiss the case was backed by 45 of the Senate’s 50 Republicans. Mr Trump will not testify.

    Read more about how the trial will work here – and read our North America editor Jon Sopel’s preview below.

    ***
    Even if the trial will not work as Jon hopes, one can be sure his reporting of it will work as the BBC expects.

       26 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Woah…. guys…. ointment fly time!

      The Economist has North American Beauty expertises too!:

      Stiffing the piper
      Donald Trump will probably be acquitted of inciting an insurrection
      The evidence is damning but the outcome in little doubt

      ***
      Like election results?

         20 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        See… all the right buttons pushed.

           23 likes

        • G.W.F. says:

          She probably has her interview booked with the BBC. First black woman on the Supreme Court.
          Hey, I am waiting for the trial of the cops accused of killing Floyd George. Just suppose the defence has a strong case and the charges don’t stick. Watch out for the peaceful protests.

             21 likes

          • StewGreen says:

            The Economist is doing PR not news
            #1 Biden has always said that
            #2 Biden can’t nominate anyone until an existing one dies.
            and that isn’t imminent.

               12 likes

        • andyjsnape says:

          Move quickly at his age 🙂

             2 likes

        • Northern Voter says:

          She used to be a judge on America’s got Talent, but only if you are non-white.

             3 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Wild guesses?

      Anyone? Jon? Lurch?

         12 likes

      • digg says:

        I wonder if the rabid Dems pushing this witch hunt have stopped for 10 seconds to ponder what this is saying to the 70 million Trump voters who happen to still be a major section of the population in the USA.

        This WILL come back to bite them…

        They are at best the true Government of around half of the USA and probably a lot less!

        So what probably drives them is fear, they need to put a wooden stake through Trumps heart to ward him off, good luck with that!

           9 likes

  30. andyjsnape says:

    I didn’t realise the bBC still did comedy

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints

       15 likes

  31. StewGreen says:

    R4 Daily book is the biography of Robert Maxwell
    – In today’s episode he took the civilian mayor of German town into the town square & shot him dead in the head.
    .. That was after being double crossed as the town had raised the white flag, but when his platoon had moved in a German tank had opened fire on them.

    In the same episode he’d arrived in Liverpool done 3 years training with the army in Wales, become fluent in 6 languages, changed his name 8 times, got sent to help clean up after the end of the war, got a medal for a heroic rescue of a platoon, at 23 got married to a girl he saw in Paris, found out his mother father & most of his family had been killed in Auchswitz, did so much work for MI6 that they set him up with his British publishing company when he got back to Britain, which was started with 150 tonnes of academic books that he got after befriending the German publisher Springer.

       9 likes

  32. theisland says:

    So refreshing to watch segments from Sky News Oz.

       24 likes

  33. Up2snuff says:

    TOADY Watch #2 – battling for Remain all over again and that really takes the biscuit!

    The BBC that is. Right from the getgo, the Beeb were on it. I listened from 6 a.m. until 7.40 a.m. but just in the first half hour the BBC had two anti-Brexit stories. Then they managed to introduce Gina Miller to talk about a financial matter but without any Brexit mention apart from in the introduction for her. Gina was apparently a ‘Brexit campaigner’. Really. Really? Really. There was no mention of the Limp(un)Dems, either. Funny that.

    Apparently, some BBC (male) Brussels correspondent (is there no limit to the BBC’s overstaffing? – apparently not – Katya watch out) his favourite local supermarket has empty shelves and none of his favourite McVities Custard Creams. For those unacquainted with anything other than ‘keenwoi’ & ‘karritso’ from Waitrose, a Custard Cream is a biscuit. Apparently there is a store (sorry, name forgotten) that imports .. ahem, … correction, ….. used to import British products for all the British people working in Brussels but that do not work there any more, apart from the Beeboids. Brussels red tape (one of the reasons we wise Brexiteers voted Leave – hint, hint) is now preventing the import of said Custard Creams.

    This is slightly surprising because apparently, after all of 30 seconds journalistic research, Snuffy discovered they are made in the Republic of Ireland as well as in the UK and thus would be a legal import into the EU. Straight over, no questions asked. No doubt, an entrepreneur will now be working on that and hiring an empty container, before I finish this post.

    It is also surprising because retailers like the specialist one in Brussels and the other twelve Marks & Spencer stores in western Europe that were said by the BBC to have trouble stocking their shelves, they have had four and a half years of notice of this change and surely could have arranged alternative supplies from within Europe among remaining EU member States. After all, there are twenty-seven to choose from.

    Too much choice for the buyers at M&S and the other store?

       26 likes

  34. Guest Who says:

    Daily Fail

    BREAKING NEWS: WHO investigators BACK Beijing’s claim there’s ‘no evidence’ of Covid in China before December

    ***

    BBC ‘reporting’ will be interesting, given their new commitment to unimpeachable evidence. Or ignoring stuff.

       20 likes

    • Guest Who says:

         21 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      And…. there it is…

      ***

      BBC All but highly unlikely ‘News’ with quotes

      Covid: WHO team says ‘extremely unlikely’ virus leaked from lab

      A team of international experts investigating the origins of coronavirus have all but dismissed a theory that the virus came from a laboratory.

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-55996728?

      ***
      And hence, ‘proven’….. ish.

         16 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        In tweet form with two sets of ‘quotes’/“quotes”.

        So unlikely they quoted it twice. But not so much it did not happen that way. As such.

           14 likes

        • Up2snuff says:

          Lurking at the back of my head I have the (possibly incomplete science) that with a virus like Covid, especially with a virus like Covid, you get a time code with it. If it came from the animal market in Wuhan – the other likely and assumed initial scenario – then if the WHO scientists examine the Chinese samples from bloods, they ought to be able to confirm how long it has been around.

          If it originated in animals, then it is likely to have been around a very long time – or – at least pre-December 2019. If you are of the medical profession reading this – Docmarooned? and others – feel free to put me right if I’ve got that wrong or in a muddle.

             8 likes

    • JohnC says:

      You are absolutely right with that now. With the introduction of ‘fact checking’ by the Left, I can tell the BBC are sticking to the safe stories and ignoring the others.
      I also notice an increasing trend to base entire articles on something someone said or on articles in other newspapers. That way they can selectively quote to bias it as they like and say it is just someone elses opinion if challenged.

         9 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        #1degreeofseparation 101, total selected sourcing and deniability with 100% added bbc editorial opinion input.

           5 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        They come in teams you know… for the ‘expertise’.

           1 likes

  35. Guest Who says:

    Being a podium bunny fielding hyena shots must be a pretty thankless task at the best of times, especially when on the behalf of those who misspeak for a living.

    I always thought the blonde lady made a good job of being on top of her brief.

    Maybe knowing pond life is different now before one makes you lazy?

    https://www.chicksonright.com/blog/2021/02/06/watch-jen-psaki-continues-to-struggle-as-white-house-press-secretary/?

    Speaking of blonde bombshells, my server gives me full page ads of that caravan lady from Dragon’s Den, which before lunch is unfair.

    Either that of it is a webcam of the mirror in Marianna’s loft.

       8 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      Guest, poor old Jen needs Jon to have his WH Press Pass back then he can:
      – fire in less hostile and more ‘helpful’ soft questions, and
      – buy Jen a Wendy Band as a gift so she doesn’t have so much trouble with that haircut

         2 likes

      • Northern Voter says:

        How does one pronounce her surname? Is the s silent?

           1 likes

        • Up2snuff says:

          NV, it might be little like Bertie Wooster’s fellow Drone Club member Psmith but who knows with our American cousins? I suspect it is pronounced pZaki with almost a stammer of a ‘p’ and the emphasis on the ‘s’ sounding like an English pronounced ‘Zee’ ie. Zed.

             0 likes

  36. Guest Who says:

    Clearly ‘not news’ to some, but interesting footage.

    The comment logic is likewise worthy of a BBc ECU director.

       17 likes

  37. StewGreen says:

    Paul Homewood’s article about Harra’s anti-coal mine campaigning has been republished by CW Conservative Woman
    https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/bbc-mans-anti-coal-mine-crusade/

       13 likes

  38. taffman says:

    “UK weather: Snow disruption continues as temperatures plummet”
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55992385
    More global warming ! That will teach you!
    Just about the right time to put a Carbon Tax on the people of the UK as they are struggling with an Economic Covid Disaster . The biggest economic disaster to hit the UK for hundreds of years .
    That’s an UK that makes little, if any, carbon emission in comparison with the rest of the world ?
    😀 😀 😀

       34 likes

    • taffman says:

      Bo Jo could alleviate the economic pain of those poor people who have to turn up their home heating by scrapping the Television Licence.

         27 likes

    • Garry Lavin says:

      Yes, it’s a funny old world……the IoM govt has just planted a field full of trees…..doing their bit for the climate emergency they say. Seriously.

      Well our speck in the Irish Sea should solve all that logging in the Amazon and the east.

      Can’t deny that the island needs trees though. Bit of a giveaway though…….they are in rows……as in…harvestable.

         5 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        Garry, what sort of wind speeds do you get over the IoM? Guess the hills protect from the prevailing winds. Up on the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland what passes for ‘a tree’ has a bit of a lean on thanks to the on-shore ‘breezes’.

           3 likes

  39. StewGreen says:

    Steve Laws tweets ” many illegals left at Napier Barracks, spoke to one of them today and he said they’ve got 5 days of quarantine left then being moved on. I asked where, he said a hotel.
    Doesn’t mean they’re all leaving though.
    It’s just what I was told by one of the illegals at Napier.

       19 likes

  40. StewGreen says:

    After Croyden’s Stabfest 2021 this last weekend
    Chris Philp @CPhilpOfficial tweeted

    The Mayor of London @SadiqKhan has been provided with extra officers and resources by the Govt but he has failed to use them to reduce knife crime.
    This is a terrible catalogue of failure on his watch.
    It’s time for change. We need @ShaunBaileyUK

       23 likes

  41. JimS says:

    Searching the BBC’s website for ‘Time Magazine’:

    Time Person of the Year: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. 11 December 2020

    Time ‘Girl of the Year’: 4 December 2020

    Seems only the CBBC Newsround team reads Time Magazine.

       17 likes

  42. Guest Who says:

    ‘What’s that Fran?, A Can of Worms?’

    “Here you go… Timmeh!, and an opener…”

       10 likes

  43. theisland says:

    AS part of its Wellness Initiative for intrepid and dedicated staff who have stayed safely in their homes for the past year, the BBC has devised a series of webinars to help them to deal with their isolation. The Conservative Woman has already revealed the contents of those concerning Hydration and Stress and we can now divulge the contents of the third, concerned with Nutrition and Emotional Balance . . .

       3 likes

  44. StewGreen says:

    TalkRadio adverts started today
    In his urgent authoritative new book : How To Avoid a Climate Disaster, Bill Gates sets out a practical plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions.
    BG “to avoid a climate disaster, we have to get to zero.
    We need to deploy the tools we already have faster and smarter.
    And we need to create and rollout of breakthrough technologies that will take us the rest of the way.
    This book is about what it will take and why I think we can do it.”

    How To Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates is available now now in hardback and audiobook.

    https://youtu.be/FWPDYKaKFBU

       3 likes

  45. Beltane says:

    The latest licence fee rise is being described as ‘government imposed’ in a sort of ‘don’t blame us we’re only following the rules’ mode. What’s not mentioned is that any such increases were sanctioned and granted on the strict understanding that the over-75s licence would remain free.
    That was the deal, agreed and signed. The BBC moved the goalposts, not Boris.

       25 likes

  46. andyjsnape says:

    More bad news from the eu sponsored beeb
    Brexit worse than feared, says JD Sports boss
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55997641

    WHY DO WE READ ELSEWHERE OF GOOD NEWS RELATING TO THE UK LEAVING THE EU, BUT NEVER ON THE BBC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

       28 likes

    • digg says:

      The ironic thing about the JD Sports story is the fact that the BBC have previously actually regarded Mike Ashley of JD as a villain and have invested many column inches pushing that point home, bad to his staff, irresponsible sourcing you name it.

      So why the sudden tears of sympathy?

      Oh I think I see it!

         15 likes

  47. StewGreen says:

    17 min video about Wokism and why the reverend went too far against Tom Moore

       3 likes

  48. taffman says:

    “Covid-19: Travellers face £1,750 cost for England quarantine hotels”
    “Travellers having to stay in quarantine hotels in England will be charged £1,750 for their stay, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced.”
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55995645
    Unless you come in on a dinghy ?

       18 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Apparently the Quarantine Hotel thing is a PR gimmick
      and almost no one will end up staying in one.

         0 likes

  49. Beltane says:

    Brilliant and heartwarming response from our head-teachers on the proposals for longer school days and shorter holidays, to make up some of the shortfall in education over the past year.
    ‘…we would warn against misconceived and unhelpful ‘gimmicks’ designed to grind out more hours from tired children.’
    There you are, you see. We always knew they had the childrens’ best interests at heart.
    It’s not a job, it’s a vacation.
    Sorry, that should read ‘vocation’.

       25 likes

  50. digg says:

    The Guardian continue with their Oliver Cromwellian assault on the Royals, having made little traction with the Queen story they have moved on to Charles.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/09/prince-charles-vetted-laws-that-stop-his-tenants-buying-their-homes

    This could be interpreted as bordering on sedition to the Monarchy.

    Of course the BBC will pick up and repeat the crumbs, adding a few quotes to cover their backside in due course.

    You really have to ask about the mindset of the toads scurrying about at the Guardian and question their true intent which I believe is to try to bring about a Republic of the UK and to then form alliances with the other great Republics on the Continent to create a Grand Republic of Europe.

    The Royal family tend to get in the way of this plan from a legal perspective so why not copy the yanks and go for a “Trumped” up impeachment route?

    The Guardian quotes 3 instances where Charles has been a bounder including this one….

    “The third bill vetted by Charles was the 2002 Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act, when the exemptions were again altered, this time to include houses in the tiny village of Newton St Loe near Bath, Somerset.

    Jane Giddins is one of three tenants in the village who are not permitted to buy their homes from the duchy of Cornwall.

    She and her husband bought the derelict Georgian house in 1996. “We have spent 25 years pouring a lot of money and love into renovating it.” But she said they will not be able to get that money back.

    “The question is: why should the crown be allowed to carry on with a feudal system just because they want to?”

    My question to Giddings “Did you not know when you moved in to your lovely home near Bath the terms of the tenancy and if so and you don’t like it why did you move in?

    You are either bandwagoning or you had a shit solicitor.”

    The properties are obviously held in trust for future generations, not as investments to allow the tenant to profit from the tenancy.

    Finally even the Guardian has to admit, buried in the text that Charles did not in fact “vet” the law, it was enacted by the queen 2 years before he took office so this headline is very misleading into the bargain.

       18 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Digg
      The old feudal land ownership thing is always there is the background . ‘The Firm ‘ isn’t called ‘the firm ‘ for nothing and it’s a side effect of the failure to end the monachy after Cromwell ….
      ………….I disagree of your view that the Guardian wants a UK Republic – I think it wants a united ireland and separate nationhood of Wales and Scotland . As for England – I think the guardian would just like to see it – and the white’ normal ‘English to disappear …. so much self hate …

         9 likes