Posts by Backdrifter

  • Are political threads allowed?

    I disagree. Well, I think I do, as you seem to be saying that misogynistic views are fuelled by "progressives" calling out misogyny, causing the people holding those views to feel alienated. Please correct me if I've misunderstood you.


    For progressives I would say people with decent reasonable views rightly calling out vile attitudes. There might possibly be a small number of men who attain those attitudes because of what those people say, but you then have to ask why they take that course rather than considering that they - oh I don't know - shouldn't be misogynists.


    As part of trump's campaign he said Harris progressed in her career by granting sexual favours and if elected would be a "playtoy" for male world leaders. This slur immediately became a repeated fact by his supporters, including his campaign team. He called Nancy Pelosi a bitch, and laughingly encouraged attendees at a rally to repeat it. He joked how interesting it would be to throw Harris into a boxing ring with Mike Tyson. At his MSG rally he laughed as a speaker said Harris was "a prostitute controlled by pimps". Vance said liberal female leaders were "miserable childless cat ladies." Tucker Carlson said all this sort of stuff was simply trump being like "an angry father showing tough love to a bad little girl." Conservative youth organisation Turning Point said wives who vote for Harris "undermine their husbands."


    Following trump's victory white nationalist & outspoken misogynist podcaster Nick Fuentes tweeted "Your body, MY choice, forever" in a distortion of the "MY body, MY choice" female reproductive rights slogan. (EDIT 1: since the election there's been a surge of reports by women on social media that they're having Fuentes's twisted version posted at them).


    There's way more of this stuff just from the election campaign alone. I don't believe any of the above comes from alienation, but rather from enabling of already entrenched views, causing those who hold them to feel they now have a green light to freely express them. Imagine young boys absorbing all this, by osmosis given it's in the air and directly from fathers, older brothers, other male elders with these views. In the UK alone, schoolgirls increasingly cite overt sexism towards them from boys enabled by easy access to porn and the toxic views of scumbags like Fuentes and Andrew Tate with huge followings. What hope is there?


    EDIT 2: I focused on the misogyny issue but I agree there is a broad set of reasons why trump won so comfortably.

  • Are political threads allowed?

    The EU should expel Hungary but, considerations of trouser suits aside, it'd be a big decision not to be taken lightly given that a majority of the Hungary population still support remaining as a member state and there'd be severe economic consequences for them from a Hungarexit.

    Quote

    she would still be useless if she were a man

    Notwithstanding the metaphysical considerations of that, it's giving me an image of a male politician "poncing around in a pastel trouser suit".


    Re Musk, I'm wondering if he's going to experience any form of the phenomenon that afflicts others who ally themselves with trump in that he will get burned in some way. Trump is ultimately all about conflict and division as a way of bullying through to what he sees as best for himself, and it has a tendency to eventually affect even his close supporters.

  • Are political threads allowed?

    Quote from FeelItComing

    I don't know where to start, so I will just say that whatever remains of 'the left' in the US, which barely had a 'left' anyway, is dead. Because constantly going on about 'misogyny' and identity politics does not galvanise people who don't care about those things. It alienates them.

    Who's constantly gone on about those things and why is misogyny in sneery-sounding quotes?

  • Are political threads allowed?

    Quote from thewatcher

    I simply feel horrible about it in so many ways. Selfishly for my own kids. Americans voted loudly against decency, common sense and fundamentally, against democracy.

    It's not selfish to worry about your family, especially as you're clearly also concerned for your adopted home nation as a whole.


    It'll have ripple effects for us here in Europe too. 'Tough guy' orbanic putinoid politics just received a major boost.

  • Are political threads allowed?

    Voters in the key states have fucked their country over, while acting like it's a victory.

    Last time trump had staffers with some traces of conscience, who advised against his actions and turned against him when he tried overthrowing the election. He's now surrounded himself with loyal supporters with no such qualms. As he becomes increasingly deranged and non-functioning in the next few years, they will ensure every dictatorial scheme of his is enacted. Expect US democracy to be dismantled from the top and global security is about to look very shaky.

  • Are political threads allowed?

    At time of writing, currently no way of calling it yet. States largely going the predicted way so the key swing states will settle it. Yes, it's appalling that it's this close given one of the candidates is such a colossal sack of shit as trump.


    Anyway, it's nearing 3.30am here and I have stuff to do tomorrow so must switch off the TV coverage and leave it there to see what awaits in the next few hours. 😬

  • Are political threads allowed?

    Quote from Fabrizio

    An american friend put it quite succinctly, Obama was what gave us Trump, the US elected the first black president and half of the country lost their collective mind. I think he had a point, and I think it is unbelievably sad.

    That might be a contributing factor but, and I'm saying this as an observer from afar, when HRC was nominated my heart sank and I had the first glimmerings of the possibility trump might win. Not that I had any major problem with HRC in herself, but I sensed the electorate would have had enough of the Clinton brand and trump, as repulsive as he is to most reasonable people, would provide a seemingly gutsy alternative.


    Plus there was something in the air in 2016 which made certain constituencies feel their voices weren't being heard and they sought ways of addressing this. To many Americans, trump apparently provided the means of this. Add in the intense polarisation and growing tribalism in political discourse that was evident at that time (and deeply entrenched now) and which was fuel to trump's fire.

  • Are political threads allowed?

    Today trump said:


    “And I said, first lady, first lady see this is a little bit of a weave, you see those stories, first lady book boom, but you can always bring it back when it comes to a time when it doesn't meet at the bottom, then it's time to say let's not do this shit anymore. We won't do this anymore. But so what happened…”


    How can people vote for that? How can it be so close?


    In a twitter thread mocking that stream of babbling shit a trumpoid countered with "Well at least he talks like a human being." It was highly amusing to see the barrage of responses expressing concern at the state of the alleged human beings this guy hangs out with. My favourite comment was someone saying trump talks "like an alien trying to fit in on Earth".


    An attempt to defend him by someone saying he can at least speak off the cuff while Harris needs scripts was met with someone pointing out he emitted this nonsense with an autocued script.

  • The Book Thread

    Quote from Backdrifter

    Currently undecided what to move on to next. Having finished a novel, perhaps some nonfiction.

    I did indeed opt for nonfiction, Fingers Crossed, the autobiography of Miki Berenyi, formerly singer/guitarist with 90s indie shoegazy band Lush. I'm about ⅓way through, enjoying it very much. Her account of being raised by her philandering Hungarian father and Japanese actress/model mother is variously crazy, amusing, hair-raising and occasionally unsettling especially regarding the behaviour of her deeply unpleasant paternal grandmother.


    So far she's reached secondary school and just met the person who'd become a longtime friend and Lush bandmate.

  • Peter Gabriel - Shaking The Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats

    Quote from THOM

    this compilation called HIT contains some non-hit (nor even beloved) material.


    Burn You Up, Burn You Down? - Okay, it's one of this "never-released-before"-bonuses which comes often with compilations to please the die hard fans. But I doubt that many people sees this as being something really worthy (other than the Flood New Recording from Shaking The Tree).


    Growing Up and More Than This - I think they were supposed to become the hits of Up - but never were some. Probably there are not so many people who eagerly wait to hear them played live. Or would miss them if they weren't included on HIT. I think it was a bit premature to put them on the album.

    You're making some assumptions there about what's seen by others as beloved or worthy, but also bear in mind it's ultimately the artist who chooses what they want on these compilations (or at least it should be). Those Up tracks did chart, so while not huge hits like the earlier stuff they still are technically hits. Plus I surmise there's a hint of irony about the title 'Hit' and it's not meant to be taken too literally.


    Quote

    Don't get me started here about the MISS disk...

    I want to say no, DO get started! But I don't wish to derail the 16GGs discussion any further.

  • Do you think CAS is the worst Genesis album?

    Quote from Thelawnmower

    I’d have to say CAS is the worst Genesis album for me as it is the least likeable.

    Yes, "worst" feels too damning. For me it's among a small clutch of their albums which are the ones I like least - FGTR, W&W, ATTW, WCD. All have tracks I like and I don't think any of them are bad albums. I never think beyond these being my least-liked ones but if I had to pick a LEAST-of-all-liked it'd probably be FGTR.

  • Peter Gabriel - Shaking The Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats

    Quote from Harold

    Hit / Miss was a bit odd. Yet another Best of and somehow inconsistent choice of tracks.

    That's interesting, how is it odd and inconsistent? Given it wrapped up everything since 16GGs the timing made sense. While I'm never keen on commercial compilations it's one I like for its spread of material and the inclusion of some more unexpected stuff.


    Also interesting to see that 16 was a PG gateway for some here, fair enough and I see why it has significance in that sense.

  • The Thread Of Complete Randomness

    Mrs B's last day of work tomorrow, she's retiring. Yesterday a local artist called round with a wrapped package (clearly a framed picture) and card, and said it was a gift from Mrs B's colleagues, not to be opened until the big day. What a lovely gesture, and very kind of them.


    But... art is kind of a dicey present to give isn't it? It's quite a personal thing and indeed she has very specific tastes, as I'm sure we all do. Plus she's seen some of this artist's work and finds it okay-ish at best, it's mainly local landscapes around the region where we live so I can see how they thought it'd be a nice thing to mark her retirement. As I said, it's a really well-meant gift and they've been saying how much they're going to miss her, it's definitely heartfelt.


    It makes me think of xmas and birthdays in our family, we each send out a list of anything we specifically want and everyone else decides what they're going to get from it so there's little or no 'jeopardy'. Nowadays everyone mainly wants different brands of gift vouchers. In my case, specifically vouchers for the local arts centre and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I've reached an age where I just don't really want any more stuff in the house. As it is, before moving here last year we did a major cull of STUFF - books, cds, dvds, clothes, crockery, utensils, various other household items, all significantly trimmed down. We don't want to start building it up again!


    EDIT - just remembered, some people we know have eliminated present-giving altogether. A married couple we're close with decided a while ago to simply do away with the annual ritual of gifts to each other. They both agreed to it and seem perfectly happy.

  • Those odd little bits that you mull over

    Quote from panopticom

    Could it have been Robben Ford? He had Colaiuta and some other big names with him on tour during those years. Maybe Hentschel filled in on some UK/Europe dates.

    If it wasn't Robben Ford, giving what he produced during those years, I feel it probably was a sort of short-lived jazz fusion supergroup.

    Sorry, just came across this and realised I hadn't replied. The only reference I can see to DH playing synths for anyone is the Andy Summers band as mentioned on DH's wikipedia page and that only refers to AS's albums, no live shows. The theatre in question closed down in 2016 so no clues there, and while it features on setlist.fm it doesn't include this show. DH's website says he's retired and no longer responds to emails etc. So I'll probably never know!

  • Kate Bush - new album?

    Quote from FeelItComing

    As a female I love her for being a great musician, singer and songwriter, not because she's female.

    Absolutely fair enough. Many schoolgirls and young women were enthralled seeing a 19yo female being creative and innovative and achieving success in what was very much a male-dominated sphere (and to some extent still is). As such, for them (and some male fans) it was specifically her being a woman that made such an impression on them and inspired their fandom, and started the journey for a great number of female artists for the last 30-40 years. Others admire her but cite male artists as their main inspiration, while some fans like her for the same reasons as you.

  • Are political threads allowed?

    Quote from thewatcher

    They also believe the government is controlling the weather. They are brainwashed.

    Oh christ I'd forgotten that, or at least expunged it from my brain.


    Among too many other examples that one demonstrates the tragically now-firmly established principle that you can say anything and it doesn't matter any more. Vance, MTG, trump etc, know they can say whatever deranged crap they like and it will be swallowed whole - the overriding example of course being the "stolen election". I've also seen a different take on this principle: when some of trump's worse pronouncements are called out, his supporters often retort that he didn't say them. These are things he's said in public, whether on tv interviews or at rallies. Occasionally they counter that he's been misunderstood, his words distorted, taken out of context, etc. But frequently it's a simple "he didn't say that" - and that's it, solved, rebutted, and in their own heads they now 100% believe he didn't say it. It's hard to work out how to fight that; I'm not sure you can.


    I completely get what Joey means. In your place I too would be deeply unnerved by how close they're polling. I have three wonderful siblings and beyond the standard childhood "it was HIS fault!" stuff we've always got on and still have a great laugh together. Over the years I've increasingly come to feel fortunate when I've seen the tense relationships some friends have with their siblings, in some cases leading to communication ending entirely (in one case politics was a contributing factor). I'm happy to be able to say I simply can't imagine that situation with my family so I can understand how horrible it is for you Joey.