BRFR Cake Stop 'breaking news' miscellany

[Pinno718]

Same here. I think he's tried to do the right thing to enable the concerts to go ahead in the face of hostile stadium owners, but it's backfired spectacularly.

He'd be better off cancelling the tour and telling his fans he'll reschedule when America ceases to be a hostile country again.

And in contrast, Macklemore has shown a spine.

Rapper Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour in September 2026 after leading pro-Palestinian chants and accusing Israel of genocide and apartheid on stage.

For Ed Sheeran (the man who is apparently worth £400m), I think the damage is irrevocable
Now, I mention the money because it's not as if expressing a view is going to financially hurt him and secondly, this gives him the power to say to whoever, "No, I am not going to tour under these conditions".
Taylor Swift did it. She broke from her manager. She re-recorded every song and released those songs under her own label thereby nullifying the copyright held by previous managers.

[It was a slightly drastic response as her previous manager had actually offered Swift the rights to all her music at a reasonable cost but Taylor didn't even acknowledge the offer and later accused her manager for coercive and controlling behaviour towards her and her music ownership. But we won't go into that. The point I was making is that it can be done. If you are big enough - and Sheeran is].

 

[briantrumpet]

I simply can't wrap my head around why (some) Protestants still do not want to live peacefully with Catholics. But then I've never understood tribalism.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ckz6z4z57y5nt

• A controversial parade organised by Northern Ireland's Orange Order is due to go down the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road later this morning for the first time in almost 30 years
• The Orange Order, the most prominent of the loyal orders associated with Protestants, say the Garvaghy Road is part of its traditional marching route but the event is opposed by many Catholic residents who live there
• The parade comes after 24 hours of legal drama that went into the early hours of Sunday, with the High Court ruling that an initial decision to allow the march to take place had to be respected
• The Parades Commission had ruled on Friday that the march can go ahead, but with 35 participants and no bands taking part

 

[Dorset Boy]

A return to the bad old days of deliberately routing their marches through the Catholic areas, trying to rub the nationalist's noses in gthe dirt,

 

[briantrumpet]

A return to the bad old days of deliberately routing their marches through the Catholic areas, trying to rub the nationalist's noses in gthe dirt,

That's the bit I don't get (and never did). When even Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness could transform into 'the chuckle brothers', why would people deliberately want to prolong division and hatred?

 

[Ian H]

That's the bit I don't get (and never did). When even Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness could transform into 'the chuckle brothers', why would people deliberately want to prolong division and hatred?

Some Unionists are still sore about losing their economic and political dominance. Add a soupçon of bigotry and you have a situation like this sort of symbolic 'fark you'.

 

[C R]

Some Unionists are still sore about losing their economic and political dominance. Add a soupçon of bigotry and you have a situation like this sort of symbolic 'fark you'.

But why did the commission approve it?

 

[briantrumpet]

But why did the commission approve it?

"But it's only 35 marchers permitted!", as if that makes the provocation any less symbolic. And it's the symbolism that's the point.

 

[Ian H]

But why did the commission approve it?

Good question. I have no idea.

 

[briantrumpet]

Trying to get some perspective on it... but even if I get a little more, I still don't understand it.

Not sure about the SF point, as surely all they've got to do is sit tight for a decade or two, given the way that things are going, though that doesn't take into account that I suspect there are habitual thugs on both sides, given the history.

We've lost our resident reporter, @TailWindHome, since a spat on the EU thread in June.

 

[Psamathe]

I simply can't wrap my head around why (some) Protestants still do not want to live peacefully with Catholics. But then I've never understood tribalism.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ckz6z4z57y5nt

I'm unsure if it has anything to do with religion (Catholic vs Protestant). I suspect it's just tribalism, in the same way as people can't live peacefully with muslims or LGBTQ+ or Gender dysphoria, etc.

 

[AndyRM]

I'm unsure if it has anything to do with religion (Catholic vs Protestant). I suspect it's just tribalism, in the same way as people can't live peacefully with muslims or LGBTQ+ or Gender dysphoria, etc.

It's religious sectarianism. Not as bad as it used to be, nowhere near, but still a major issue in Ireland and parts of Scotland (as well as outside the UK).

 

[Ian H]

I'm unsure if it has anything to do with religion (Catholic vs Protestant). I suspect it's just tribalism, in the same way as people can't live peacefully with muslims or LGBTQ+ or Gender dysphoria, etc.

Go back to when elections were gerrymandered, Catholics were denied jobs in public services, and there was in effect a near apartheid society. For Catholic you can substitute Nationalist as suits, or even most people with Irish as opposed to Scottish or English surnames. Some Unionists resent losing their entitled position. Some Nationalists feel the Unionists still have too much power.

 

[briantrumpet]

A bit more context doesn't make it make any more sense.

 

[Rusty Nails]

That's the bit I don't get (and never did). When even Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness could transform into 'the chuckle brothers', why would people deliberately want to prolong division and hatred?

Because the Orange Day parades are about much more than religion.

The fact that you don't get it is probably due more to your naivety/idealism. People can be vicious in the way they demonstrate their intolerance.

 

[briantrumpet]

The fact that you don't get it is probably due more to your naivety/idealism. People can be vicious in the way they demonstrate their intolerance.

Oh yes, those, and completely not understanding how tribalism has such a strong grip on even vaguely educated people and societies. I feel like I must be missing a gene, so complete is my incomprehension.