Thread 13 - TalkLair: “I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.”

[Kucinghitam]

(Previous thread 12).

Looks like spring has sprung! Tulips, apple blossom and early hay fever are upon us. In the TalkLair, we remain hunkered down keeping cosy and warm, because "something something 'til May is out". The hearth is glowing, the walls covered in dubious artwork, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them).

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

@MouseMinge - since we came back to the UK in 2013, after 14 years in multiple forrin parts (we wouldn't have done this had I known Brexit was on the cards) I have spoiled more ballots than I ever dreamed of in General, County Council, District Council and Town Council elections. Oh, and the Police Commissioner - WTAF are they thinking, running based on party affiliation? It's depressing, really. I don't know if what is depressing is the options, or that I still care enough to walk 100 metres across the green just to spoil my ballot.

Re the Portillo moment - he was actually my MP till that moment, and yes, I was up for it. And I cackled.

I have similar issues with our election in November but I couldn’t possibly vote for Trump and I feel I have to vote for Biden because every vote counts to stop Trump getting in. But Biden is all”be kind” and none of the establishment here is paying any attention to the Cass report. Most people are more worried about reproductive rights, and who can blame them?

Are you in a marginal State, Brit? I thought it was solid blue in your part of the world.

The NYT have reported the Cass Report, haven't they?

I was also up for the Portillo moment; it was ace!

So many are bailing before the election this time it’s hard to predict whether we’ll have that kind of defining moment this time. Jeremy Hunt, maybe?

I'd happily stay up to watch him lose his seat. Or Truss.

Either Truss or Hunt would be great (or, better still, both, obvs). They both have the right sort of face for it.

They do, don't they? And I suspect a slow enough realisation time.for the camera.to get a really good shot.

@duc748 - by no means solid blue. Maine is one of the few states that split their electoral college vote in the Presidential election. My bit of Maine is blue but northern Maine is Trump country. One of our Senators (Angus King) is Independent but caucuses with the Democrats and the other is Republican Susan Collins who always sounds moderate until she’s backed into a corner and has to actually make a decision. Our Representatives are both Democrats though.

My ultimate dream Portillo moment would be that vampiric, dust-spaffing, haunted pencil, Victorian undertaker, Rees-Mogg.

What's a Portillo moment?

I would stay up for a week to watch that!

Sinner, 3 am - when Portillo lost his seat - was when it became clear there would be a Labour victory in 97. And as he was both in a key seat and deeply unpopular, a lot of people stayed up to wait for that result.

He seems.so benign now compared with the current lot.

There's a political memoir from then that's called "Were you up for Portillo?" IIRC.

It wasn’t just that he lost his seat; it was also the look on Portillo’s face.

And yes, Rees-Mogg would provide an excellent Portillo moment.

It wasn't just his face it was Stephen Twigg's cheeky little face along with his that sort of made the whole thing perfect.

Funny thing is I'll happily watch him in his awful trousers going on train journeys around the world and enjoy them which makes me realise just how much more awful everyone we currently have/just had are. I think the biggest difference is the level of competence. We might have despised these people but we trusted that they knew what the fuck they were doing and by and large they did. That can be said of so few of them these days and unfortunately not just the Conservatives although they are of course almost uniquely fucking useless. I think that quite a few of the shadow cabinet are close to being halfwitted as well.

Yeah, Stephen Twigg’s grin made it all that much better. Thatcher’s government was hellish to live through but she and those around her with were (mostly) competent and committed to an ideology rather than corruptly lining the pockets of mates. It was a dreadful ideology but this lot don’t believe in anything and that’s worse because they’re just breaking stuff for no reason.

One of my favourites was Putney 1997, when David Mellor lost his seat. It was a shambles, with lots of lunatic candidates in the mix, plus Sir James Goldsmith joining in the cries of "Out! Out! Out!" from the platform.

I’d forgotten all about David Mellor. He was awful.

So many great moments in 1997. And so much hope. The hope will be lacking this time but I feel we are owed some election night highlights after putting up with this lot for so long.

And yet John Gummer unaccountably held on to his seat. I shall never forget him trying to feed his daughter a burger for the cameras during the BSE business.

I thought of that when the Mayor of Royston Vasey said, "There's no fucking nose bleed!"

Yet another cold, wet day. We're all sitting indoors staring out at the rain - everybody is wearing a blanket. It's the end of May, FFS.

My "memories" on my phone keep showing me all the nice outdoor things we were doing at this time, in years past.

We went to the Northumberland County Show yesterday and it was a quagmire! It's usually a bit muddy, but goodness! It was more than ankle deep, in places. Lots of interesting animals, including a critically endangered Radiated tortoise, which I hadn't heard of previously.
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/radiated-tortoise

112 year old French car, still working.

There were loads of fancy chickens and eggs produced by them.