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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 2h

The problem is not the argument - the impact of Brexit is undeniable and polling show most people see and understand the damage it has done.

The problem is that it's taken so long for this Labour government to even start to make this case.

Fear is very much the mind-killer for Starmer et al

Andrew Sparrow @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social · 2h

Brexit has had ‘severe and long lasting’ impact on economy, says Reeves, as she confirms budget tax rise - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

Brexit has had ‘severe and long lasting’ impact on economy, says Reeves, as she confirms budget tax rises – UK politics live

Chancellor cites the UK’s exit from EU alongside austerity and Truss’s mini-budget as issues affecting economy

www.theguardian.com

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 19h

Anyway, it's the Chinese who kill Lamas isn't it?

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 1d

Well this is... bleak.

Abandoned towns, huge costs and we're still building huge numbers of homes in at-risk areas.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Towns may have to be abandoned due to floods with millions more homes in Great Britain at risk

Every constituency projected to be at greater risk, with many areas likely to be uninsurable, Guardian investigation finds

www.theguardian.com

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 1d

Chiseled on the doors of toilet cubicles might be safer.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Have plans on paper in case of cyber-attack, firms told

Prepare to switch to off-line systems in the event of a cyber-attack, firms are being advised.

www.bbc.co.uk

Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 1d

Clair Dobbin KC at the Covid inquiry is proof that there's very little on this planet scarier than an Ulster woman with her cross head on.

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 1d

O1 811 8055

I will never forget the Multi-Coloured Swap Shop's telephone number.

bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 1d

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing?
2? Questions
I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up.
Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 1d

Boss's Day Card...

... you have got to be fecking kidding me...

Do they also sell "world's biggest arse licker" badges and "I gave up my self-respect for this job and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" t-shirts?

An image from an email from grouptogether.com encouraging me to "send a card from the whole team to celebrate your boss" on 16 October.

Do not do this.

Examples of "Boss's Day" cards from GroupTogether.com ("Behind every successful team is a boss who believed in them", "Best boss ever", "Happy Boss's Day" - oddly there isn't one that says "Your Arse-licking Minion thanks you for allowing his nose to get a little browner every day"

Reposted by Martin McGrath

Rhonda Henry @rhonda234567.bsky.social · 3d

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 4d

Miggeldy, Lord love him, is five years older than that other President who boasts about the "perfect score" he got in his cognitive test.

Someone should ask Trump about where he stands on Plato vs Aristotle. Just for a laugh.

Fintan Mallory @fintanmallory.com · Sep 9

I think all the candidates for the Irish presidency should be asked if they side with Plato or Aristotle here

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 4d

Imagine how much worse things would have been for the humans in Alien if the xenomorph had implanted itself in Jonesy...

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 4d

It's weird that no matter how many times I watch Alien (BBC3 now - and I've watched it a *lot*) I'm always surprised and how sharp and clear and beautiful it is (in its way) because all my memories are still shaped by watching it originally on shitty rented VHS tapes through "tracking" snow.

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 4d

Cannot claim to have been entirely familiar with the insides, but I spent a lot of time looking at the outside....

Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 4d

I heard she once saw a cat yawn and stretch and didn't say, in a squeaky voice, "oooh, biiiig stretch!

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 4d

Someone on LinkedIn posted a word-soup thing about something LinkedIn-ish which was, inexplicably, illustrated with an image of Brunel University lecture theatre

Reassuringly he got no replies to his substantive point (whatever it was) but lots of ex-Brunel students rushed to defend the old monster

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 4d

My Girl—The Temptations 10/10
(playing on radio as my daughter was born, non-negotiable)
My Girl—Madness 8/10 (tune, shush!)

Money—Barrett Strong 8/10
Money—Pink Floyd 8/10

Hallelujah—Leonard Cohen 8/10
(diluted by all those covers?)
Hallelujah—Happy Mondays 8/10
(danced, badly, to this a lot)

Rob Davies @byrobdavies.bsky.social · 4d

Fun music game.

Take two songs with the same name and post your combined score out of 10. How high can you get?

No covers/no triples (e.g. Power of Love)

My first effort, which i think is hard to beat...

Zombie (Fela Kuti) 10/10
Zombie (The Cranberries) 7/10

Total score: 17

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 4d

"Sure it's damp, but where else could we afford a mortgage this close to London?"

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 5d

Eventually we could get rid of long, expensive, confusing movies all together and reduce visual storytelling to three 45 second "previously on..." clips (followed by a final "previously on, previously on..." for those who couldn't concentrate on three whole "previously ons" in a row.

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 5d

The other advantage of this awful idea is that you would no longer have to explain what just happened in a movie to the dozy family member who constantly fails asleep during movies [carefully does not stare at wife]

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 5d

Yes. Yes it is

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 5d

And, yes, I have just woken from a long, involved, and at times horrifying dream about pitching a movie to streaming platforms

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 5d

Therefore, I conclude, skippable "previously" sequences every 45 minutes in Netflix movies might free writers from the tyranny of over-exposition. This would be annoying but, I think, less annoying than the current dumbing down of movie writing and ruining of movies' rhythm through constant exegesis

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 5d

Theory: TV shows can be better/smarter than movies on Netflix (and the rest) because on TV producers worry less about constantly explaining and recapping action to a two-screen audience because they know there's a "previously on..." sequence coming up every 45 minutes.

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 5d

Film (two syllables, please)
Horse (rhymes with "arse")
Yellow (rhymes with "Bella")
We demand you respect our community's traditions to build a giant bonfire in an entirely unsuitable position and decorate in a way designed to incite anger and/or fear amongst our neighbours (rhymes with "anchor")

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 6d

What’s the word where you’re from that, when pronounced exactly as it looks, identifies a tourist immediately?

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Martin McGrath @martinmcgrath.bsky.social · 5d

Too many beans?

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Reposted by Martin McGrath

Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 7d

Anyway, in case you missed it, some wondering from me about whether Kemi Badenoch has ever actually read Terry Pratchett

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Has Kemi Badenoch actually read Terry Pratchett?

She claims he’s her favourite author, but his books have a few lessons for her

www.newstatesman.com

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