Tim Leach

"The effect of drinking a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick"

Oh for sure, definitely different levels of what the different parties claim their magic beans can do (some closer to reality than others), but the fundamental sense of unreality that Tom talks about at the top of the thread seems to be a common theme between them.

Yeah, Carney is what Starmer wants to be, a boringly competent technocrat, but he missed that part of what makes a technocrat competent, is the ability to frankly and directly explain the costs/tradeoffs of policies. Otherwise you're just selling a different brand of magic beans, boringly.

Text saying "You've read your last free article."

Jacked action hero with goon in headlock, in raspy yet firm voice:

9 games that make me who I am:

Elite
Double Dragon 2
Mechwarrior 2 Mercenaries
X-Wing
Baldur's Gate
Planescape Torment
Grim Fandango
Ocarina of Time
Final Fantasy 6

Yeah, I remember that deep strangeness of watching his speech after the Chilcot report. He seemed genuinely rattled at first, but as he continued managed to convince himself of the story that he wanted to believe in, because admitting the alternative (it was a disaster) would have destroyed him.

Aye, I think in both cases (Iraq and Iran) he considers it a) morally good (removing evil dictators) and b) geopolitically good (sticking close to the US). It's interesting that for him these two factors outweigh c) practicality and long-term effects and d) international norms and rule of law.

3. Hard Boiled

Slow motion gunfights, Chow Yun Fat rescuing babies, insane stunt work, what's not to like? And I love how Tony Leung gives an incredibly complex performance that is much, much better than is strictly necessary for the film to work, genuinely Oscar level stuff.

Big hugs, Kate.

8. The Conquest of Gaul, Caesar

Fascinating glimpse into ancient warfare. Especially with how much soft power, politics, and negotiation is involved (lessons that present day imperialists seem to have forgotten).

Ooh no I haven't, do they say something similar?

I suppose it scratches that psychological itch of telling the reader that they are right and that they don't have to change their mind at all, but that kind of defeats the point of writing or reading a book...

Yeah, there's an annoying tendency in popular non-fiction to state the thesis in the introduction, and then just say the same thing over and over again for 80,000 words without challenging that thesis at all.

7. Mare of Easttown

Rewatched with my partner, who hadn't seen it before. Still brilliant, a satisfying mystery with incredible character work.

And I want an anthology series that is just Jean Smart and Kate Winslet playing mother/daughter over and over again, they're just wonderful together.

Cover reveal for this book by a friend - out later this year, I've had a chance to take a sneak preview and it is GREAT.

If you're a kid or an adult who likes books that are Strange But Also Good (in an Alan Garner/Rosemary Sutcliff sort of way), check this out...

www.amazon.co.uk/Ocean-Bones-...

yeah. I know it feels like you should just be able to write the perfect words first time. if you go slow enough, you should be able to just find each next perfect word.

but it's not like that. it's like a bicycle. too slow & you fall. it has to be in motion even awkwardly to get where you're going.

Was just at my first live game today here in the UK, super fun game to watch!

PWHL is so good!

Meanwhile at the Boy Aquarium...

The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends, Beresford Ellis

Very lively retellings of old stories. Interesting to see the seeds of fairy tales and Arthurian legends, lots of rule of 3, shapeshifters, and a delightful sense of mischief and fun.

Yeah, that's where I land - I think he's an interesting character in concept and in world building, but don't think he really works very well in the story as it is written.

(Actually think he works much better in Rings of Power, interestingly enough.)

Labour need to rehire McSweeney today just so they can immediately fire him again, just to emphasise how much he has fucked this up.

Quite hard to overstate the hold and influence Red Dwarf had on me as a teenager, it was basically my introduction to sci-fi, sitcoms – even horror, in its own joking way. Even today, penguins are named Mr Flibble by default, and I giggle and wince whenever I see gazpacho soup on a menu...

Yeah - catastrophic damage done to the country, but much of it on a delayed timer (the full negative outcomes of austerity and Brexit have taken a while to fully be felt), so he's managed to swerve the scorn that he very much deserves.

Yup - callous ghoul who also happened to be a savvy political operator.

Ah, I'd almost forgotten Goldsmith, that was absolutely filthy.

That's interesting, how so? (Not sealioning, am genuinely interested in PR based dirty tricks!)

Yeah, I think the answer to the question "Who was the worst PM/Chancellor combo in recent years" is bleakly interesting.

Truss/Kwarteng the worst in terms of political/mental capability. But Cameron/Osborne easily the worst in terms of long term damage to the country.

Icarus at 300ft