The Sunday Rumble: 14.8.16

'Gotta lurve those Gershwin guys':   Last night's BBC Prom from the Albert Hall was devoted to the music of George and Ira Gershwin, than which, etc, etc!  It was performed by the John Wilson Orchestra, a new outfit to me, which consisted of a full mixture of symphonic and dance orchestras.  It was an enchanting evening only slightly spoiled by the gloomy knowledge that there will never be a greater collection of musical genius than that which accrued in 'Noo Yawk' in the '30s, '40s and early '50s of which the Gershwin brothers were only a part.

 

Just for you, SoD:   An interesting - well, interesting for Brexit nerds like me and SoD - in The Telegraph today, analysing how many of the doom 'n' gloom prognostications of the Euro fanatics have actually come to pass. Not that many, seems to be the summary.  Yes, there is the odd problem here and there, but then, when did we ever have no problems at all?  Also, not mentioned in the article, is the joyful fact that we have dodged the proposed new Euro Income Tax which is approaching the European horizon even as I write!

 

One of our Bishops is missing!   I confess that as it has become increasingly clear, except to a manic fringe of mouth-dribblers, that anthropological global warming is no real problem, I rarely visit those sensible sites, like 'Bishop Hill' because, well, what is there left to say?  Alas, the good 'Bishop' obviously feels the same because his site has more or less lapsed.  However, before it disappears entirely, I would like to express my thanks for his always scrupulous but deadly attacks on the loonies.

 

The best news I've seen in yonks:   There was some newsreel footage on 'telly' showing some Syrian people whose town had just been liberated from ISIS.  Some of the men were busy cutting off the beards they had been forced to grow and the women were running down the street cheering whilst some were busy burning their burqas.  it was a salutary reminder that not all Muslims are mouth-foaming, murderous loonies!

 

A simple question:   Would you have the nerve to dive into that Olympic cesspool swimming pool that keeps changing colour?  Riiiight, thought not!

 

But not all bad at the Olympics:   According to a report via Drudge, a Russian flag has been torn down and despoiled in the Olympic village.  I'm shocked, I tell you, shocked!  However, a 'Rooskie' official has said that it might have been a mistake by a cleaner!  Yeah, well, try telling  that to 'Vlad the Impaler' before he invades Brazil!

 

Not so much "'Allo, 'Allo" as goodbye, goodbye:  For the sake of my foreign readers, "'Allo, 'Allo" was an old BBC TV comedy(!) series set in occupied France during WWII.  I think I once watched about ten minutes of it and, well, talk about laugh, I nearly did!  Well, there's nothing that funny about the Gestapo, is there?  Anyway, the BBC in its infinite wisdom(not) has decided not to run a new series because some people might be upset by the appearance of Nazis!

 

No more rumbles today

 

 

Comments

[Whitewall]

David, I trust you have been well? You seem to have been in short supply lately.

The most "American like thing" I have seen in the last few years was Britain taking a stand for Herself with the Brexit vote. It made me feel good and I don't live there!

[Antisthenes]

Whitewall with the right more or less in charge the UK is quite a good place to live at the moment. The current left wing power struggle is great entertainment and winners and losers are going to come out of it all battered and bruised which means they are doing more damage to one another than us at the moment and will not be able to get up to their harmful ways for a bit.

Some of the extremists the unions are doing their best to make our lives miserable especially the railway and doctors union. Alas it will take decades of right wing government to undo all the damage the left has done and I doubt they will be given the chance as left wing government is bound to be back sometime in the future. Although past immigration policies and the present one on main land Europe may well blow up in our face(pun intentional) instead of at the moment in public buildings and the like and violent conflict may ensue.

[jimmy glesga]

Whitewall, the pro EU mob are still running the scare stories about our economy post Brexit and of course Obama was not helpful when he said Britain could not get priority with new trade deals. He said we would have to wait in the queue. So much for being friends and the sacrifices made during WW2.

[Whitewall]

Antisthenes and Jimmy, the left always thrive on chaos and disruption. No matter where they are found it is the same. If they ever become fully in charge, then they will turn on each other in the name of "ideological purity". A more proactive right is needed rather than the stodgy old notion of "let the disruptions run their course".

Jimmy, you know what Obama is and is about. Let's just let Obama raise his thumb, perch on it and rotate. He is no friend of Britain, Western Civ., and he is no friend of America...meaning no friend of mine too.

From what I can tell over here, France is on the edge of liberty or falling to the level of a European Islamic State. She is nearly ready to explode in civil war. Germany as well.

Any way you cut it, Islam is working in tandem with the radical left- here and over there.

[Doonhamer]

I fully agree with your state.ent of thanks to Bishop Hill.
He and afew others in various countries have been brave stalwarts in the campaign against vicious opponents.
Brexit seems to have replaced Global Warming as the media's favorite bogey.
And much thanks to you also.

[JK]

Eh David? Your calendar open between September 7th and the 9th? You can still get a hotel booked in Manchester? Now the 7th I believe may be falling on a Sunday which would be convenient for The Rumble - we'll be at the edge of our monitors expecting a report ... eh no video please just the usual alphabet.

http://observer.com/2016/08/will-sex-robots-destroy-the-human-race-experts-host-a-tech-conference-to-discuss/

[David Duff]

But ... but ... I am a sex robot, JK!

[JK]

As mentioned David, no video.

[David Duff]

Quite so, JK, no video because you might see my, er, rust spots!

[mike fowle]

Bishop Hill (Andrew Montford) stopped blogging a few weeks ago, apparently getting a bit bored and so forth. It is not clear whether he will resume but I think if he has stopped altogether he will announce it. It may be he just wants a break having blogged for several years on a regular basis. Certainly his blog is a beacon of sense and honesty in a very corrupt field.

[TheBigHenry]

mike fowle,

I am not familiar with Bishop Hill's blog, but I am familiar with a blogger's need for "a break, having blogged for several years on a regular basis ... in a very corrupt field."

[JK]

David?

You ever heard tell of a feller by the name of Monroe Schwarzlose?

Well, me neither but on this here rainier'n all get out Arkansas toad strangler I got to readin' an ... well David, meet Monroe;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_Schwarzlose

[David Duff]

Well, JK, I enjoyed 'meeting' the late Mr. Schwarzlose and only wish I could have met him in real life. He confirms my opinion that Arkansas is the most eccentric and therefor most interesting State in the entire Union!

[Loz]

Bregrets,
You've had a few,
But then again.
Not to few to mention ...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CpAfVgPWIAATGLX.jpg

SoD

[Andra]

Well, that's all very well but something's digging up my front lawn.
I think it's a bandicoot.
What do you smart blokes think I should do?

[TheBigHenry]

David,

Have not been to Arkansas yet (sorry, JK), one of the few states I have never even passed through. But I lived in New Mexico for 17 years -- I am confident it would give Arkansas a run for its money in eccentricity. Come to think of it, so could Florida (lived there 3 years) and Californicatia (5+ years and counting).

[TheBigHenry]

Andra,

Cover lawn with concrete. Paint it green.

[TheBigHenry]

SoD,

Tha's not Sinatra's way.

[David Duff]

And it's not the Brexit way either, SoD! What a load of old twaddle!

Andra, first of all you must explain what an earth a 'bandicoot' is. For a moment I thought you were referring to JK!

[AussieD]

Andra you could try putting it in a slow cooker with some spuds, onions and tomatoes.

Either that or get out the 12 gauge.

[mike fowle]

Might I add that Bishop Hill (Andrew Montford) has written two excellent books (as well as papers for the GWPF etc.) The Hockey Stick Illusion and Hiding the Decline. They deal with very technical matters (misuse of statistics surrounding global warming) but are immensely readable.

[Bob]

Both Duffs might be interested in this terse summary by Bloomberg:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-14/here-comes-the-brexit-era-british-economy-in-hard-numbers

David, it seems the "conservative" government intends to rely on Attlee-style Keynesian policies to help mitigate your folly: "...Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond is dropping heavy hints that government stimulus is on the way to back up the BOE’s monetary easing."

SoD, if you're serious about moving to the US I'd recommend California or Colorado over Illinois. Also, I suppose Microsoft's cloudy, rainy headquarters in Redmond, Washington might not bother a Brit too much. At least it doesn't have Chicago's -35 C winter days.

[David Duff]

Bob, economics is not called "the dismal science" for nothing! Yes, of course, there will be downs but there will also be ups in economic terms but economics is not what it is all about.

What matters is the old political question - who rules? Do we want British politicians whom we can vote for - or sack? Or do we want a collection of foreigners, most of whom have an inbuilt antipathy towards Britain and whom we can never vote for or sack?

We could have thrown our lot in with Europe in 1914 or again in 1939 but we chose independence - and quite right, too!

[David Duff]

Bob, you could knock me down with a feather! No sooner had I commented above than I read this at The Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/15/shine-light-on-lobbyists-far-reaching-influence-over-us-politics/

[Bob]

David, it's even worse than The Telegraph piece implies. Our system has largely degenerated into one of open bribery, thanks in no small part to our "conservative" Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC

The American right is so awed by money it equates it with a philosophical right to political free speech, among other Constitutionally guarantee rights.

[Bob]

Sorry, dropped the "d" from "guaranteed".

[JK]

Never figured to address a link this aways

David, Bob - See here:

https://www.brennancenter.org/publication/secret-spending-states

[Bob]

JK,

Downloaded and converted for my ebook.