BRFR Cake Stop 'breaking news' miscellany

[Pross]

They visited an 'iconic' tourist spot and found it full of tourists. I really feel for them.

At first I genuinely assumed it was a link to the Daily Mash. Once I opened it and started reading I still thought it must be a spoof, there are a few spoof news sites that masquerade under genuine news sounding names but no, it’s real. I’d agree that visiting Bourton in summer is horrendous, I used to work nearby and had to visit sites there regularly, but going as a tourist and moaning about tourists is a serious lack of self-awareness.

There are plenty of touristy paces I’ve stopped going as they’re too busy (Salcombe is the worst, not so much due to the crowds but the second-home boat owning Wayne Kerrs that infest the place) but I wouldn’t write to the Council complaining about it.

 

[AndyRM]

At first I genuinely assumed it was a link to the Daily Mash. Once I opened it and started reading I still thought it must be a spoof, there are a few spoof news sites that masquerade under genuine news sounding names but no, it’s real. I’d agree that visiting Bourton in summer is horrendous, I used to work nearby and had to visit sites there regularly, but going as a tourist and moaning about tourists is a serious lack of self-awareness.

There are plenty of touristy paces I’ve stopped going as they’re too busy (Salcombe is the worst, not so much due to the crowds but the second-home boat owning Wayne Kerrs that infest the place) but I wouldn’t write to the Council complaining about it.

To be fair, local rags like that may as well be parodies. Newcastle's Chronicle is utterly ridiculous these days with "hidden gems" being unearthed all the time which have either been known about for years or don't actually exist any more.

 

[briantrumpet]

What's the view of Meloni now? She got into power being a le Pen lite, I think, but appears to be vaguely competent and holding things together politically and economically (which is a rarity in Italy).

 

[Ian H]

What's the view of Meloni now? She got into power being a le Pen lite, I think, but appears to be vaguely competent and holding things together politically and economically (which is a rarity in Italy).

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How about 'not quite as bad as Orban'?

 

[briantrumpet]

How about 'not quite as bad as Orban'?

This piece suggests that your comparison might be a little harsh, with a suggestion she might yet be outflanked on the right if she continues to show signs of pragmatism and not being a complete nutter.

https://www.iemed.org/publication/giorgia-melonis-italy-more-continuity-than-change/

Despite her strong Euroscepticism and sharp anti-EU rhetoric, as Prime Minister, Meloni’s approach to the EU has been pragmatic. Italy has not become a pariah like Hungary or a problematic Member State like Poland with its rule of law disputes with the EU. Meloni has retained close ties to her allies in the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) European party group, but she has also sought to build good relations with other EU leaders like Ursula Von der Leyen and Olaf Scholz. Broadly speaking she has succeeded in doing so, with most European leaders relieved by her constructive approach. One notable exception is France’s Emmanuel Macron, with whom Meloni has had a tense relationship, mainly due to bilateral tensions over migration policy.

Vis-à-vis the Meloni-Macron chemistry, well, maybe Trump will help them find a working relationship...

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

What's the view of Meloni now? She got into power being a le Pen lite, I think, but appears to be vaguely competent and holding things together politically and economically (which is a rarity in Italy).

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Difficult to tell. Some of the other major EU leaders (a la Macron as above) seem to hold her in genuine regard (not just pretending as per Trump) which may suggest that she is not quite at the extreme side of things. I say this having very little knowledge of her or Italian politics in general though!

 

[briantrumpet]

Difficult to tell. Some of the other major EU leaders (a la Macron as above) seem to hold her in genuine regard (not just pretending as per Trump) which may suggest that she is not quite at the extreme side of things. I say this having very little knowledge of her or Italian politics in general though!

Yep, that's where I am, hence my question. She's an interesting one... maybe, just maybe, she's actually vaguely competent and isn't isn't just a populist. I'm always more likely to give a little benefit of the doubt if pragmatism gets a look in in place of knuckle-headed wrecking of relationships and institutions, à la Johnson/Truss.

 

[matticus]

To be fair, when you test an IT system it all works perfectly. Then you let the users on and they do completely batshit stuff that no-one thought of testing. "Oh it should be working" is a euphemism for "oh god, what have they tried to do now?"

Fair point. After my forced reboot/update this morning, the first thing I did was go completely off-piste and
tried opening PDF files

I know! How batshit was that?!?

 

[briantrumpet]

I think this has it right: I realise it's not some stunning aperçu, but it underlines how batshit crazy Brexit was in an era of instability and uncertainty, thinking that the UK could go it alone economically and politically. It'll go down in the history books as the definition of hubris.

 

[briantrumpet]

Who needs chopsticks when you've got Honda?

 

[icowden]

Who needs chopsticks when you've got Honda?

I think the chopsticks are needed once you scale up. The Honda rocket is very tiny at 6.3m and 85cm diameter. The super heavy booster is 73m tall and 9m in diameter. That's 11.58 times bigger and 10 times wider.

 

[briantrumpet]

I think the chopsticks are needed once you scale up. The Honda rocket is very tiny at 6.3m and 85cm diameter. The super heavy booster is 73m tall and 9m in diameter. That's 11.58 times bigger and 10 times wider.

You're probably right, but BR Cakestoppers will realise who's the wind-up target (who got lost in transit to CC)... a bit of an in-joke, sorry.

 

[briantrumpet]

Ha, another Brexit benefit...

 

[briantrumpet]

Loath as I am to link to anything X or GB News, this is worth a watch... I think this is what you might call righteous anger... credit to Daubney for not interrupting.

 

[secretsqirrel]

Loath as I am to link to anything X or GB News, this is worth a watch... I think this is what you might call righteous anger... credit to Daubney for not interrupting.

My god. This is exactly what politics needs. Fire in the belly and taking it to the likes of Badenoch (and GB News).

The Tories need to call this out themselves if they are to get any credibility back.