Recent posts

#31

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by mongers - March 25, 2025, 04:26:29 PM

BBC cutting the world service et al... Saving 1.2 million by slashing hard talk does indeed seem mad.

I don't think there's another public broadcaster out there quite like the BBC. Thinking of my experience of the Swiss broadcaster for instance- its really dry and dull programmes for a specialist audience that the commercial channels don't touch. The BBC meanwhile is really trying to be this big multi national.

Read an article the other day too about how British drama investment is suffering, the production problems with Wolf Hall series 2....depressing stuff, and the idea about a tax on streamers to fund local shows does make sense.
Big budget drama like Wolf Hall of course. But I'd also like to see more really local shows.

Seems he did 
Can we set a quota on these people in parliament please

Quite sad to see him doing the rounds for these cuts. What I've seen of him previously he really seemed to be someone who actually spoke a lot of sense.

On metropolitan counties and the south coast et al.... Something that came to me a week or two ago and I just remembered. It's weird southampton - Portsmouth was never made a met county.

Oh there was a quite interesting radio programme about 1960s plans to do just that, create a huge urban complex, to be called 'Solent City' , here's the podcast:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00291pq

Shelf might like it, as it involved innovative urban planning on a big scale.

Its interesting, but even shy of big urban planning the conurbation seems perfect to be a met county (weird they say its densest outside London?). There wasn't too much joined up thinking before creating Tyne & Wear for instance.

I think that probably only relates to the main central wards of Portsmouth, as it's unusually dense, not because of the concentration of Pompey fans, but being a small island with a long history.

And of course that contrasts with Soton, which is quite spread out for various reasons.

#32

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Sheilbh - March 25, 2025, 04:14:47 PM

I think the problem is that Trump desperatly wants to be able that Putin said yes, no matter what that costs Ukraine.

Yeah I agree - that's the challenge for European leaders and diplomats - to nick a phrase, they need to heighten those contradictions between Putin desperately not wanting to agree to anything and Trump desperately wanting Putin to agree to anything.

#33

Off the Record / Re: Youtube Recommendations

Last post by Syt - March 25, 2025, 03:50:00 PM

(And I can't say I like Lafayette dialogues, his acting sounds forced)

As someone not fluent in French, I didn't notice. But it is notable with Frederick and his German. (Charlemagne speaks something close to Old Frankish/Germanic, I think, and it also sounds a bit "acted." Likewise, Augustus' Latin may be accurate-ish, but some of it sounds very Italian to this lay-person.)

#34

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Grey Fox - March 25, 2025, 03:49:09 PM

He wants to out do Obama, for that he needs a Nobel Peace prize within his first year.

#35

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by Syt - March 25, 2025, 03:47:49 PM

I've been trying to find where to stream it. Where are you getting it?

My DVDs.

#36

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by viper37 - March 25, 2025, 03:38:36 PM

CBC should have a anti-PP bias, he wants to defund it. Just like it has a anti-independance bias.

And he wants to use public funding for conservative medias.
Play ball and you get money.  Don't and I cut your funding.

#37

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by viper37 - March 25, 2025, 03:37:55 PM

So the "Poilievre doesn't have security clearance" is a valid story - but it's one thats months and months old.

But I want to talk about CBC bias.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics

4 of the 5 videos at the top of the page are about Poilievre's security clearance.

The lead story is about Poilievre's security clearance.


https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/

No stories about Poilivre's security clearance.

5-7 days ago, it was about Carney not having disclosed his assets yet.

I don't think you can evaluate media bias over a one day period.

I do find the SRC has a Liberal (big L) leaning for how they present their news, but their facts are straight, at least.

#38

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Tamas - March 25, 2025, 03:36:32 PM

I think the problem is that Trump desperatly wants to be able that Putin said yes, no matter what that costs Ukraine.

And one thing we have clearly confirmed by now is that fears of no check on Trump from his cabinet like during his first time were absolutely correct. Everyone around him are falling over themselves to prover they are exactly as stupid and reckless as their boss.

#39

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by crazy canuck - March 25, 2025, 03:33:05 PM

Been re-watching some Babylon 5. Some content has aged better than one would have hoped.

I've been trying to find where to stream it. Where are you getting it?

#40

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Sheilbh - March 25, 2025, 03:31:41 PM

So the Russians will agree to let the Ukrainians stop sinking the Russian navy, but only if in exchange Russian agriculture as a whole is freed from sanctions.

It's just bleak. Every day I am trying to figure out exactly what mix of evilness and stupidity is at play with the US government

Also once we get into sanctions - that doesn't work without the EU (Swift is Belgium based, for example).

I think it's Russia slow-walking this because Putin doesn't want to make a commitment one way or the other. Challenge for European diplomats is convincing the US to see that for what it is - effectively saying no.