simmo
Senior Jockey
Careful now, she's appointing the most right-wing cabinet seen since the Wolfschanze.
Brexit
- Thread starter icebreaker
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Careful now, she's appointing the most right-wing cabinet seen since the Wolfschanze.
Anyone confused about British politics at the moment? Here's a useful Game of Thrones analogy:
Ok, so although there are other minor houses, the main ones in Britain right now are the Lannisters and the Starks. Joffrey Lannister was on the iron throne until recently - baby faced and harmless seeming, but actually horribly ruthless and very mean, especially to the poor. But, due to his own incompetence, arrogance and stupidity, he's buggered off now and Cersei has taken over. We don't really know what she's going to do with her new power yet but, it's Cersei, so it's going to be bad.
Meanwhile in the north, The Starks have been struggling to control Winterfell for a while, partly due to not really having a very popular leader since Ned Stark died. Also. Lots of people, especially in the north of Westeros, were getting fed up of the wildlings coming from north of the wall and wanting to share their sheep and wine and whores. Even though they brought other useful things to share in return, like furry coats and fish, people were suspicious of them because King Joffrey had spent ages telling them the wildlings were to blame for everyone being so poor (so that nobody would realise it was actually because he was stealing all their money to give to his rich Lannister friends) and loads of people believed him, because they were afraid.
Amidst all the confusion at Winterfell, the High Sparrow turned up and started going on about how everyone was a sinner, and they needed to stop all the heads on spikes and whoring at once and follow the word of the seven gods instead. This annoyed a lot of the angry scared people of the north, because although religion was nice, it wasn't going to keep them in sheep and whores and it didn't really have anything to do with what they were pissed off about, but a lot of the other more spiritually-minded and less poor and angry people in Westeros really liked him, and soon he had lots and lots of follower sparrows. So, even though the Starks really didn't want him at Winterfell, and he didn't really fit in there in the snow with his sandals on, his many followers told the Starks it was tough **** and they had to have him as the new King of the North, so, they had to let him. This caused a lot of confusion because really, the High Sparrow wasn't really bothered about the wildlings, or even about Winterfell, he really just wanted to spread the word of the seven gods and being King was a great way to do that, so he went along with it. But everyone else at Winterfell was secretly fuming and were soon plotting how to get rid of him.
So basically now, Winterfell is in chaos whilst Cersei is busy plotting her next ruthless moves from the iron throne. Winterfell need to get their **** together because otherwise Cersei is going to make Westeros really really horrible, possibly worse than Joffrey, but they can't because the High Sparrow won't bugger off back to Kings Landing and the rest of Winterfell can't get their heads round all the god stuff he keeps banging on about. And, like I said, since Ned died (and, as we know, even he turned out to be a bit of a liar and a coward in the end), they don't really have anyone to challenge him that the people will kneel down for anyway. Brienne of Tarth has turned up to give it a bit of a half-hearted bash, but nobody likes her very much because she's a bit weird, and she has a history of swearing allegiances to slightly dodgy people like Jaime Lannister.
But we need them to hurry up and sort their **** out, because winter is coming. And we don't have a dwarf, or any dragons.
Ok, so although there are other minor houses, the main ones in Britain right now are the Lannisters and the Starks. Joffrey Lannister was on the iron throne until recently - baby faced and harmless seeming, but actually horribly ruthless and very mean, especially to the poor. But, due to his own incompetence, arrogance and stupidity, he's buggered off now and Cersei has taken over. We don't really know what she's going to do with her new power yet but, it's Cersei, so it's going to be bad.
Meanwhile in the north, The Starks have been struggling to control Winterfell for a while, partly due to not really having a very popular leader since Ned Stark died. Also. Lots of people, especially in the north of Westeros, were getting fed up of the wildlings coming from north of the wall and wanting to share their sheep and wine and whores. Even though they brought other useful things to share in return, like furry coats and fish, people were suspicious of them because King Joffrey had spent ages telling them the wildlings were to blame for everyone being so poor (so that nobody would realise it was actually because he was stealing all their money to give to his rich Lannister friends) and loads of people believed him, because they were afraid.
Amidst all the confusion at Winterfell, the High Sparrow turned up and started going on about how everyone was a sinner, and they needed to stop all the heads on spikes and whoring at once and follow the word of the seven gods instead. This annoyed a lot of the angry scared people of the north, because although religion was nice, it wasn't going to keep them in sheep and whores and it didn't really have anything to do with what they were pissed off about, but a lot of the other more spiritually-minded and less poor and angry people in Westeros really liked him, and soon he had lots and lots of follower sparrows. So, even though the Starks really didn't want him at Winterfell, and he didn't really fit in there in the snow with his sandals on, his many followers told the Starks it was tough **** and they had to have him as the new King of the North, so, they had to let him. This caused a lot of confusion because really, the High Sparrow wasn't really bothered about the wildlings, or even about Winterfell, he really just wanted to spread the word of the seven gods and being King was a great way to do that, so he went along with it. But everyone else at Winterfell was secretly fuming and were soon plotting how to get rid of him.
So basically now, Winterfell is in chaos whilst Cersei is busy plotting her next ruthless moves from the iron throne. Winterfell need to get their **** together because otherwise Cersei is going to make Westeros really really horrible, possibly worse than Joffrey, but they can't because the High Sparrow won't bugger off back to Kings Landing and the rest of Winterfell can't get their heads round all the god stuff he keeps banging on about. And, like I said, since Ned died (and, as we know, even he turned out to be a bit of a liar and a coward in the end), they don't really have anyone to challenge him that the people will kneel down for anyway. Brienne of Tarth has turned up to give it a bit of a half-hearted bash, but nobody likes her very much because she's a bit weird, and she has a history of swearing allegiances to slightly dodgy people like Jaime Lannister.
But we need them to hurry up and sort their **** out, because winter is coming. And we don't have a dwarf, or any dragons.
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simmo
Senior Jockey
And where the **** is Danaerys?
Grasshopper
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My apologies. I didn't realise that you could exclusively channel May's brain, and identify not only what she thinks, but also the reasons she thinks it.
Grasshopper
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I know, but I forgive you for it, and all the others that came before.
On a (not really even) partially-related topic, I am currently devouring Tom Bower's excellent 'Broken Vows: Tony Blair - The Tragedy of Power'. Impeccably researched, it peers right through the spin, to define how utterly hopeless and amateurish his Government was, and how his policy of (ahem) "ethical intervention" had its genesis as far back as the Balkan conflict.
I heartily, heartily recommend it. It will be a huge eye-opener for many Labour voters who remember those years fondly.
Grasshopper
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As usual, I recommend you actually read the book, before passing your horse-sh*it, uninformed, judgement on it.
I don't read bios with an agenda. I recall he admitted that himself in an interview last year at which point you have to put a line through it.
Its ts well known that bower only does hatchet bios on people he doesn't like. Boring
No interest at all. I'll await a serious writer such as john campbell
Its ts well known that bower only does hatchet bios on people he doesn't like. Boring
No interest at all. I'll await a serious writer such as john campbell
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Better bet is the documentary Weiner which is cinemas now. Ok it's off subject being New York mayoral race but is astonishing. Funny and a little sad at same time. He's not altogether likeable but the self destruct resonates
remarkably revealing and well put together. A great film
remarkably revealing and well put together. A great film
I know, but I forgive you for it, and all the others that came before.
On a (not really even) partially-related topic, I am currently devouring Tom Bower's excellent 'Broken Vows: Tony Blair - The Tragedy of Power'. Impeccably researched, it peers right through the spin, to define how utterly hopeless and amateurish his Government was, and how his policy of (ahem) "ethical intervention" had its genesis as far back as the Balkan conflict.
I heartily, heartily recommend it. It will be a huge eye-opener for many Labour voters who remember those years fondly.
in fairness, even though it's a very poor choice, we all have to start somewhere and it is good to see you are reading books.
well done
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Grasshopper
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I dunno why you would dismiss it so blithely. It's actually right up your strasse, I suspect.
Far from it being a hatchet-job, it is actually a very considered treatise on the dysfunction at the heart of the entire New Labour government. It does not focus on Blair exclusively (though it makes it abundantly clear that he was the 'driving-force', with all of the problems fundamentally stemming from his MO), and touches on all manner of ineptitudes; not least the constant war between PM and Chancellor, the inherent mistrust of agnostic Civil Servants and the consequent lack of decision-making expertise, and the contrast between the vacuity of Blair's "numbers game" approach, and the left-wing ideologues who formed his first Cabinet (which the book makes clear was a Cabinet in name only).
Perhaps the most interesting (and surprising) aspect of the book, is the fact that many of the New Labour policies were tacitly acknowledged as failures after Blair's first term, and that they actually ended-up rolling these back and re-introducing policies which had been implemented by John Major's Tory government; principally in the areas of Education and the NHS.
It is no muck-raking exercise to "get Blair". It is a genuinely interesting and enlightening tome about New Labour (framed, as you would expect, around its principal actor), and once you have learned your words and times-tables, I do recommend you have a nose through it.
Far from it being a hatchet-job, it is actually a very considered treatise on the dysfunction at the heart of the entire New Labour government. It does not focus on Blair exclusively (though it makes it abundantly clear that he was the 'driving-force', with all of the problems fundamentally stemming from his MO), and touches on all manner of ineptitudes; not least the constant war between PM and Chancellor, the inherent mistrust of agnostic Civil Servants and the consequent lack of decision-making expertise, and the contrast between the vacuity of Blair's "numbers game" approach, and the left-wing ideologues who formed his first Cabinet (which the book makes clear was a Cabinet in name only).
Perhaps the most interesting (and surprising) aspect of the book, is the fact that many of the New Labour policies were tacitly acknowledged as failures after Blair's first term, and that they actually ended-up rolling these back and re-introducing policies which had been implemented by John Major's Tory government; principally in the areas of Education and the NHS.
It is no muck-raking exercise to "get Blair". It is a genuinely interesting and enlightening tome about New Labour (framed, as you would expect, around its principal actor), and once you have learned your words and times-tables, I do recommend you have a nose through it.
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Has anyone actually written a book on here btw? There are some good writers that have been on theses places over the years. I know Maxillon5 from TRF is an author I enjoyed his book. He encouraged me when writing my short story of 10 000 words a couple years ago. A shame we don't we don't speak anymore but I hope he is well. So anyone written anything?
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Grasshopper
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I also read 'Bernie Maddoff: Wizard of Lies' whilst on holiday. Maybe something else you might like.
granger
Senior Jockey
We have at least 2 journalists on here.
maybe but think i know all i need to know about him
Cameron at no 10 is my next read. Well reviewed and i like the writers
just reading joseph stiglitiz the leftish economist and John key the top uk economist take apart the banking industry if thats your thing. Stiglitz is a bit long on moans and short of solutions but writes well. Kay is very very smart.
Grasshopper
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Do either of them have pictures with tits?
Was Max's book titled 'Freaking-out on the Fibresand' ?
What was your tome Marble?
I like to regard myself as an Essayist i.e an author who runs out of ideas and/or gets bored at around 1000 words
Was Max's book titled 'Freaking-out on the Fibresand' ?
What was your tome Marble?
I like to regard myself as an Essayist i.e an author who runs out of ideas and/or gets bored at around 1000 words
Ha, a true gent is your good self, thanks for asking, Drone.
My story was called Section Free. Some 15 years ago now in London aged 17 I was sectioned.
Section Free covers the downward spiral of a first psychotic episode, and then learning about what 'mental health' is when you are smack bang in the middle on a Section Three of the mental health act.
I wrote this in 2013 when doing my journalism degree.
The title is admittedly a prickly pun which illustrates my frustration with certain parts of the mental health system back then.
I felt some issues needed addressing, which Section Free explains.
My family helped me recall some of the events at that time.
If the readers take out or two little lines from the read I'd be happy.
Section Free is not online anymore. However, I can send you a copy anytime, Drone. Just ask!
An NHS union bought a lot of copies, I used to do a lot of mental health advocacy and one or two conferences so they gave some copies to their new nursing students..
Max's was a psychological thriller called Carla. Btw. An interesting read it was.
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Thanks Clive, its an hours read, but I'm told it was edgy and entertaining. I can say that the thought of spending years and years tranquilised and under the control of a psychiatrist in a hospital was a situation that I didn't want as a young man. Some people cannot change their predicament but I could so I did everything to get well. There's nothing makes me more happy inside than bumping into people I met on the wards all those years ago, in the community trying to make a go of it.
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