Normal Island

[Pale Rider]

Or can I get back to Test Match Special now?

You might not want to.

 

[matticus]

You might not want to.

Yes, that was quite bad timing !!! But we're

Spoiler

478-6, 163 ahead of AUS so I'm still pretty happy for now ...

 

[matticus]

Perhaps you need to research Matticus's penchant for straight-faced ludicrousness. He doesn't do slapstick (at least, to my knowledge).

I'm not sure I totally understand this, but I'm going to take it as a compliment. Cheers mate.
While I'm here I should clarify my hilarious "joke":

I was making a joke on how this chap was being exposed as actually a fine fellow - whereas normally journos are labelled "scum" for exposing a fellow's weaknesses. I think it's still hilarious now I'm explaining it ... hopefully others will take joy from the article, especially the closing para. How can anyone dislike this guy:

Edward Braxton Reynolds, consulting chemist, was born December 20, 1940. He died from complications from mesothelioma on May 31, 2023.

His funeral took place at 10.30am at Heavitree Parish Church, Exeter, on Friday, June 30.

He leaves behind his beloved Jack Russell, Claud.

https://www.devonlive.com/news/local-news/owner-cornwalls-only-sex-shop-8597464

 

[BoldonLad]

Well thankyou - high praise indeed!

To clarify: whatever I think about BoJo's romantic home life, I would never use it to justify kicking the bloke out of office. As it happens we now have plenty of other ammunition. But if anyone really wants to accuse me of double-standards here, you can trawl through all my posts about Boris during his rise to power:

Before he actually had the chance to f*ck up the country, Boris was inundated with Leftie criticism of his character. In fact, hairstyle critique often outnumbered every other political issue of the time; I was always dismissive of this nonsense,
- partly cos I felt we shouldn't judge any politician by frippery like his hairstyle and personal/romantic life, and
- partly cos being broadly a leftie, I thought it made lefties look bloody stupid.

Any further questions? Or can I get back to Test Match Special now?

By all means, get back to the cricket 😊, I didn’t ask you to leave it.

 

[Pale Rider]

I'm not sure I totally understand this, but I'm going to take it as a compliment. Cheers mate.
While I'm here I should clarify my hilarious "joke":

View attachment 4280

I was making a joke on how this chap was being exposed as actually a fine fellow - whereas normally journos are labelled "scum" for exposing a fellow's weaknesses. I think it's still hilarious now I'm explaining it ... hopefully others will take joy from the article, especially the closing para. How can anyone dislike this guy:

https://www.devonlive.com/news/local-news/owner-cornwalls-only-sex-shop-8597464

Shame about the name of his dog.

 

[Fab Foodie]

A van I was behind this afternoon
View attachment 4117

Clearly this had political impact....

 

[newfhouse]

Before he actually had the chance to f*ck up the country, Boris was inundated with Leftie criticism of his character. In fact, hairstyle critique often outnumbered every other political issue of the time; I was always dismissive of this nonsense,
- partly cos I felt we shouldn't judge any politician by frippery like his hairstyle and personal/romantic life, and
- partly cos being broadly a leftie, I thought it made lefties look bloody stupid.

Do you think someone that can't be relied upon in serial intimate, employment, and business relationships is likely to behave in a trustworthy way in politics? I think it reveals a great deal about his true personality and character.

 

[AuroraSaab]

Same here; if you'll lie to your wife you'll lie to the country. With Edwards it's partly an issue of whether the public have a right to hold public figures or those in certain occupations to higher standards than we would others. Politicians, teachers, police officers ... I'd say yes, obviously. News readers, not so much, but given the nature of the incidents the public interest is unsurprising.

 

[BoldonLad]

Do you think someone that can't be relied upon in serial intimate, employment, and business relationships is likely to behave in a trustworthy way in politics? I think it reveals a great deal about his true personality and character.

I would agree, except, for a slight amendment to the bolded section, I would have said "is likely to behave in a trustworthy way in other aspects of their life"

Same here; if you'll lie to your wife you'll lie to the country. With Edwards it's partly an issue of whether the public have a right to hold public figures or those in certain occupations to higher standards than we would others. Politicians, teachers, police officers ... I'd say yes, obviously. News readers, not so much, but given the nature of the incidents the public interest is unsurprising.

True, in my view, except, maybe it should read "if you'll lie to to your wife/husband/partner you'll lie to the country"

 

[matticus]

Do you think someone that can't be relied upon in serial intimate, employment, and business relationships is likely to behave in a trustworthy way in politics? I think it reveals a great deal about his true personality and character.

Short answer: yes and no. And note that we hadn't talked about

employment, and business relationships

... so they're a bit different.

It was me that brought Boris - and thus politicians - into this, so I'll say they're a bit different to other public figures with "normal" jobs e.g. Aurora's police officers and teachers. Politics is very much a popularity contest (for good or bad). A teacher just needs to do their job (made a bit more complex by having a serious duty-of-care situation as guardians of children!); you don't let the kids elect their favourite teacher.

People (and lives) are too complex - what seems like "unethical" behaviour in someone's private life often has a complex back-story. It's quite rare for a divorce to be entirely the fault of one party (for example). And what happened to forgiveness??
Would you never employ a reformed criminal; condemn people for life?

As for other public figures ... well unless they've set themselves up as Moral Guardians of some sort, their private lives are generally their own business to me. Mostly when the mob labels someone a "hypocrite" or similar nonsense, they just mean they want to see a Tall Poppy taken down, or it's just a member of The Other Tribe; any justification will do.

 

[newfhouse]

Would you never employ a reformed criminal; condemn people for life?

I would, but I’d want to look very closely at taking on a recidivist.

As for other public figures ... well unless they've set themselves up as Moral Guardians of some sort, their private lives are generally their own business to me

Agreed. We’re into John Major Back to Basics territory, I think.

 

[AuroraSaab]

They shouldn't be regarded as moral guardians but if you've built your career (and profited handsomely) from presenting yourself as a wholesome family man the backlash is going to be more than if your persona is pretty louche to begin with. I can think of a few rock stars and film stars who could have brazened out similar incidents.

I'm not saying Edwards has built his career around a family man persona as I've never seen him on anything but the news, but rightly or wrongly there's going to be public interest, especially concerning the age difference, if you're a news reader or morning TV host, than if you're an aging rocker.

It does raise interesting issues about what we have a right to expect of public figures. We expect young sportsmen to set an example, but do we have a right to? And if so, why not mature newsreaders?

 

[icowden]

@BoldonLad lad asked if victim one was a teenager.
On any account, he was.
The main point of the post was to reference the other complainants, which seem to be largely forgotten on here.

No. On the account of the Sun who alleged he was a teenager and alleged that events happened.
The person in question says they weren't and they didn't.
Anything else is speculation.

 

[Pale Rider]

The person in question says they weren't and they didn't.

I think you will find the teenager says he accepts he was in contact with Edwards when he was 17, but that contact was text based and innocuous.

Dodgy pics didn't happen until he was 18, which makes it legal although hardly in the best possible taste.

 

[icowden]

I think you will find the teenager says he accepts he was in contact with Edwards when he was 17, but that contact was text based and innocuous.

I don't think the person is still a teenager. The only statement we have heard from the person is that all the allegations made by the parents are rubbish. If person A says it didn't happen and person B says it didn't happen and the Police say no crime was committed, then that's it.

Anything else is lurid speculation.