Left of the Dial

As a Brit, I didn't quite get that. There's coverage of the protests, and has been throughout. We know that people are turning out against him. What we find more puzzling is that 40% or so who still view him favourably, no matter what - like, what's it ever going to take for those guys?

Grim. This thing looks like it belongs in Mega-City One.

I saw them live when their first album came out (highly recommended!) and they just propped back into my head all of two days ago. Gave it another listen, plus the second I'd missed along the way (which I also enjoyed). Currently feeling a brief moment of synchronicity / cosmic alignment

The thing with rats fleeing a sinking ship is that wherever they wash up, they're still rats.

Also, if "England and Wales are the only countries in the world with a privatised water system" and our system is a failure, it's not like there are positive examples of such a system working that he can point to.

"He was told not to consider nationalising the industry in his review"

And there have been at least two examples of 'Young Republicans' chat groups being released which - surprise, surprise - have been rife with neo-nazi talk.

For years to come the American right is going to be chock-full of nazis and nazi sympathisers.

When I heard the news about his death, no part of it came as a shock. I cannot imagine there is anything more to uncover, especially after so many years.

Seconded. These are fantastic 👍

And yet, he maintains a baseline level of support that hovers around 40%, no matter what he does, no matter how he lies or breaks every promise he ever made. They don't care - they're here for the cruelty, not the policies.

This assumes that he cares about levels of public support as most politicians might. Evidence so far suggests he's less concerned with how many people support him and more with how much he can impose on those who don't. He literally doesn't care about anyone else, including his own supporters.

I've recently started re-reading Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72. Great stuff (even if I do have to sit with Wikipedia open to look up which politicians he's referring to from time to time)

So sorry to hear. I might be pessimistic about the US as a country on the international stage, but there are still decent people there and you all have to deal with the horrors of what's happening in person. It must be awful.

I'm a Brit, and we watched on in incredulity when your country elected him the first time and sheer disbelief when you did it again (yes, millions of you didn't vote for him but here he is, nonetheless). We can't / shouldn't trust you now - not for years. Decades even?

Even amongst the Tories, she did stand out as a particularly awful and unpleasant human being, so Reform seems like a natural fit.

Nah - there's no way people out there think of Golden Brown as a 'bad' song.

Certified banger

How many of Trump's cabinet have previously compared him to Hitler or said he was a con artist unfit for office?

This procession of former Tories have also made similar observations regarding Farage, but are now just treading the same path.

Integrity, decency, principles? Long since jettisoned...

Real "Grab them by the pussy" energy here.

The article isn't bad, but making no mention of political parties that to this day label climate change and green energy a 'hoax', while promoting pro fossil-fuel policies is... a choice.

I guess they've just moved from "We can murder suspected (but unconfirmed) TdA members on the high seas" to "Let's murder them on land too!"

"I don't think what happened with Covid were vaccinations, because you have to keep having them every 6 months"

So by the same logic, he doesn't believe in the yearly flu vaccinations offered every Autumn / early Winter?

YouTube video by BBC Comedy Greats Going Over the Top | Blackadder Goes Forth | BBC Comedy Greats

Blackadder goes Forth is the one that immediately springs to mind. After managing to cheat death again and again, Capt. Blackadder and company find they can't avoid fate forever.

I haven't seen the ending of Cheers, but it'd have to be pretty damn special to top this.

youtu.be/NgyB6lwE8E0?...

Yup - sensible people who have their ear would be telling them that it's not worth dying over (not least when the thing you're trying is doomed to failure) and to call a stop to things -I would say before any of them are seriously harmed, but I think that ship has already sailed in some cases.

It's a farce that they haven't already had their trials given all the rules around Custody Time Limits, so they have my sympathies in that respect.

However, going on a hunger strike because you have a list of demands you want the Government to accede to is foolish and doomed to failure.

I was lucky enough to play King Rat in Dick Whittington a few years ago. I love playing villains in general, but ol' Ratty is probably my favourite to date.
🐀👑

The final Calvin and Hobbes, which appeared in papers 30 years ago today.

Sadly long since closed, but the Luminaire in Kilburn used to have a prominent sign on display that I can't help but agree with.

Mutually assured destruction?

A small, blue plastic Dimetrodon toy dinosaur. There's a big sail of sorts with lots of vertical spines running down the centre of its back. Combined with it being quite short and squat, it's a recipe for pain were you to tread on it.

I expect the consensus will be a Triceratops or Stegosaurus, but can I throw Dimetrodon into the mix for a possible honourable mention?