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Reply | Trump shot at.
at 00:29 14 Jul 2024
Says he meant to kill George Wallace. |
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Thread | So, who else won’t be watching the final?
at 14:45 13 Jul 2024
I was offered a ticket to a music festival tomorrow night a few months ago, and snapped it up without thinking of the fixtures. I’ve wanted to go for years and tickets are otherwise impossible to get hold of, so I’m not torn at all. Roll on August 10th! |
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Reply | Book recommendation
at 22:20 6 Jul 2024
That’s a very good question. The most about it I’ve read is Diarmaid MacCulloch’s “Refotmation”, which traces the emergence of Protestantism and the reaction to it in Europe and its colonies from 1450-1700. He implies that the main task of the Inquisition was to reform the Catholic church rather than root out heresy and he gives it credit for stamping out the abuses which fuelled popular Protestantism elsewhere. He claims it was much less violent than its reputation which was created by Protestant critics of later centuries and certainly less bloodthirsty in the pursuit of witches than the Protestant North. Writers focussing more on the experience of post-Reconquista Jewish and Moorish converts (“conversos”) have a different view of it. It’s a great (if lengthy!) read either way…I never knew that Poland and Hungary had once been strongholds of Protestantism. [Post edited 6 Jul 22:21]
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Reply | Euros Match Fred
at 21:56 6 Jul 2024
Thanks and goodbye, Turkey. So valiant and entertaining. |
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Reply | Euros Match Fred
at 21:12 6 Jul 2024
Who’s the old dosser sat next to Koeman? He looks like he’s been on the White Lightning since 11. |
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Reply | Book recommendation
at 14:24 6 Jul 2024
I’m just finishing “American Midnight” by Adam Hochschild, about the remarkable repression and violence which was launched by President Woodrow Wilson’s administration once America entered the First World War. Intended to suppress opposition to the draft and German espionage, it was quickly turned on unions, “unreliable” foreigners, and even after the War kept in place due to the fear of Communist uprisings and paranoia about the potential danger to the status quo from returning black servicemen.
It’s a horribly fascinating story, but Hochschild, who see himself as a moral tutor as much as an historian, over-eggs the pudding with frequent references to Trump, the Tea Party, QAnon etc that are either obvious or over-blown. I’d have preferred it if he’d trusted me to draw my own conclusion.
Ironically, one strong parallel Hochschild would have been able to draw if he had finished his book in 2024 rather than 2022 (though he might have chosen to leave it out) is this: Wilson suffered a series of strokes in 1919, originally in France negotiating the Treaty of Versailles and later in the US while travelling the country, trying to raise support for joining the League of Nations. He was brought back to Washington in a sealed train and was bedridden for two months, and only left the White House for the first time another six weeks later. At first he was unable to move and his speech was so indistinct it was unclear whether he was able to understand anything at all. His cabinet members recommended he resign but Edith Wilson disliked the Vice President and said she could act as the interpreter of his intentions. Cabinet members visited his room, individually at first and later together, to address him and she bent over him and gave what she said was his response. As late as the end of March 1920 she said he still planned to run for reelection until someone leaked his true condition to the press. Plus ça change… |
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Reply | Euros Match Fred
at 23:33 5 Jul 2024
He reminds me of the seven year old who loses it at his own party, and everyone is desperate to appease. |
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Reply | Euros Match Fred
at 20:49 5 Jul 2024
Started OK but steadily cancelled each other out. Clareman is going to get his penalties this time. |
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Reply | Euros Match Fred
at 19:16 5 Jul 2024
Musiala’s best moment just there. He’d regressed into his World Cup anonymous form otherwise. |
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Reply | Euros Match Fred
at 19:04 5 Jul 2024
I missed that! Which side?
There’s been a lot of body checks off the ball. Like watching Uruguay in the 80s. [Post edited 5 Jul 19:08]
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Reply | Euros Match Fred
at 18:55 5 Jul 2024
They will keep kicking each other. |
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Reply | Euros Match Fred
at 18:50 5 Jul 2024
Extra time. Goody. I love Füllkrug. |
| | MrSheen
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Site Scores| Forum Votes: | 4441 | | Comment Votes: | 9 | | Prediction League: | 0 | | TOTAL: | 4450 |
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