大象传媒

Is it not ironic that those most likely to complain about lack of political leadership in dealing with this crisis, are also those who in the past have been the most vocal in calling for less Gvt interference in the free-market economy?

I wish I could have my bread buttered on both sides.

THE FIRST RULE OF WESTMINSTER DEMOCRACY - "DIVIDE (YOURSELVES) AND RULE"

What is Cameron playing at (apart from Dave of Libya)? A Libyan National Council of 140 people ALL ON ONE SIDE? That'll never work. You need an opposition to waste time, gratuitously undermine good ideas, and to insult the integrity of those struggling to govern. It's not as if Dave doesn't KNOW. After all, has Nick getting under his feet to remind him of all that he opposes.

@2

Goodness gracious Barrie! Dave has no experience of a two party system with a real government and opposition.

We have had a one party neo-liberal American-run state for around sixty years and Dave would surely never impose freedom and democracy in Libya before trying it here first?

'in which science itself seemed to be on trial'

Happens a lot. Outcome seems to depend on whether 'the science' is the 'right kind', or not. Just make sure you have a 'wo/man' on the inside. Or a Perfesser onside. Relevant discipline not a biggie.

Sorts a lot out.

PROOF OF SUBVERSIVE RT PROPAGANDA

Apparently Dave has moved on from his triumph in Libya, to make a sales call in Kuwait. In reporting this, RT had the temerity to call UK the second largest 'ARMS MANUFACTURER' in the world, which is INCREDIBLE because, as is well known, we only make DEFENCE EQUIPMENT.

That is bombing talk.

Careless talk costs contracts Barrie! Keep quiet while Dave carries on up the sales charts.

'7. At 18:01 16th Sep 2011, brossen99 wrote:


'Did you know?'

Well, I did, a bit. Not to the extent expounded here.

So that's a few niche politics programmes (well one, and another's blog readers), and their vast audiences, covered.

'Would it help if you knew the % going to green taxes'

Have to say, that seems likely. Best not allow too many to get asked too loudly in case the answer doesn't suit once, if it sinks in earlier than when too late.

'I...I... don't... think that's right'

Ministerial exactitude laid bare. Especially when talking money, enviROI+ & actual GHG reductions. Is he a non-science grad by 650:1 chance?

As to the Labour lady, well, vapid patronising, partisan tosh at best. Lucky she had only 30' to waffle.

'Paralysis of leadership' is being unduly kind to our politicians & political leaders (I didn't think we had any)

How about sucking up to the City (sq miles) of London?
Protecting bankers & party political donations & favours?

Without being able to confer further privileges on 'bankers' - the politicians would not have a clue what to do with all those knighthoods & internships

IS DUAL CANVASSING ILLEGAL DECEPTION?

Come on posters, thinking caps on. I know I have posed this conundrum before - with no takers.

When a candidate for General Election, appears briefly touting for votes, they present as both Party AND as Person. But, once returned as an MP, DEPENDENT UPON A VARIETY OF FACTORS, they act for the party or on their own judgement, according to no set of parameters LAID OUT WHEN CANVASSING. (Anyone bright enough to grapple fully with the ramifications of this, can define the variables that come into play in Westminster, so I shall not.)

Were Lord Denning still with us, I would be inclined to believe he would hammer the current smoke-and-mirrors canvassing as improper, to a degree that NULLIFIES THE VOTE.

Just as Al Capone was nicked for tax evasion, might we begin to dismantle Westminster, by having all party MPs DECLARED VOID?

OK. that's a pipe dream, but the principle is sound, and enquiry in that direction will shake loose all the iniquitous Codes of Conduct, designed to look good, but which MPs routinely flout. Investigation of such of Westminster's self-serving rules, exposes the cunning with which they protect their 'privileges' from us, behind those citadel walls.

As for parties: that they exercise such INFLUENCE while having no existence in law, is the cherry on the indigestible cake, that is the Westminster dynasty that we are permitting to endure.

CHALLENGE YOUR MP: RENOUNCE PERSONAL POWER OR DECLARE 'INDEPENDENT'.

@11
You seem to think in a legalistic way Barrie whereas I am a bigger picture/broad brush thinker.Both perspectives have their uses and place depending on the sort of issues you are tackling.

So bear with me and see if my approach offers any useful ideas/conclusions.

My first question would be a "what if" along the lines of what if Barrie won his argument and achieved his ambition to have MP`s declared "void". How would that help achieve Barrie`s broad brush overall objectives?

You will have to answer that question because you tend to use phrases like "spoil party games "and my way of thinking immediately ponders where we might go once the music had been successfully stopped?

And this is where I get irritating and you must forgive me for repeating my Dad`s idea that "if it was really going to change anything they would never let it happen" and variations on that theme.

I wonder if you ever did manage to stop the Westminster musical chairs "they" would quickly start a new game with slightly different rules and a new "Call me Dave or Tony" with no history of duplicity or perversity YET! (Call an election?)

Examples? The expenses fiasco,the removal of Liz Filkin,Murdochgate and the pantomime surrounding the two most recent Speakers!

Seems to me Barry that wherever we look they are right royally taking the #### and so party poopers like you would go the way of Martin Bell and Robert Kilroy-Silk while Mandy and the Blairs laugh all the way to the bank?

Hope that hasn`t spoiled your evening? But it may have saved you a lot of frustration and time and ultimately a lot of disillusionment?

It`s heavy entertainment Barrie. A diversion from confronting the truth that they don`t run Britain anyway!And if they don`t really have the power in the first place why bother attacking them?

A Corporate Nazi Stitch Up ?

11 barrie get with the programme. the ONLY way [for the masses] is essex. life has no higher purpose than a vjazzle.

the first step to dismantle the norman monarchy occupation is to change the national oath to one that protects all the people and their laws and customs and not one family. everything follows from that.

#14 - an inadvertant truth

''life has no higher purpose than a vjazzle''

Sounds like the mantra from an obscure but extremely happy ecologically balanced religious sect confined to an obscure planet 'veeja' surrounded by an invisibility cloak designed by the Golgofreshans to isolate them lest they disrupt the accepted intergalactic status quo of misery and desire punctuated by occasional acts of extreme violence between life forms.

That is probably what Douglas Adam would make of it anyway.

I don`t care about grandiose higher purposes.I want to live in a much more honest society that offers me a reasonably effective say in how society works which is designed to offer our children a decent future.

Instead I live in a pretend democracy where I have no power to influence how society works,whether for good or ill.

What is clear to me that folk like Soros and the Media and CIA and the EU and Washington/Wall Street et al,have far more influence over who can arrive from abroad and take our jobs and homes and behave as they wish than Westminster and party politicians can.

In fact politics seems like a conspiracy to disempower me and hand my taxes and national resources to strangers,and pillory me as a racist or xenophobe if I attempt to protest.

Spoil party games? No! That won`t scratch the surface !

We need some form of democratic global political structure and a crack team of financial untouchables and a global revolution.Perhaps it`s time to use organisations like the CIA and NATO to clean up the global economy rather than allow them to carry on running the world for the benefit of Soros and Wall Street and the oligarchs?

I would put all the oligarchs in Guantanamo until we find out what`s going on in their casino "market economy" and find out who got the Glass-Stegal Acts repealed.

Then I would start a global truth and reconciliation process that is not vindictive but designed to bring more social justice and far less crime and corruption into global affairs.

It will be interesting to see how the science-lite media narratives weigh the opportunity to knock the coaltion liability that is Mr. Huhne, with evident politically-neutral fealty to the ever more bizarre energy con that is being pulled with the UK public that he epitomises.

Telling pensioners to boost Uswitch's commission because he and his merry responsibility-shunters are as powerless as they are inept seems less than savvy even politically, though I must say that I have never voted for anyone (person or party) because the WUVI bubble admires them.

@17 Which way do you vote JM?

18. At 08:09 17th Sep 2011, woosterjim wrote:
@17 Which way do you vote JM?

An interesting question, but it must be said it took a long time for advocates of true democracy to get the secret ballot enshrined to avoid being abused.

I did however raise that I did vote (if not because an influential pundit finds a liar's skill to be endearing), so fair enough, but I fear I must decline a specific answer. Whilst blog names are hard to tie to anything much, it can lead to complications, especially as there are some who do love their boxes, for ticking and/or ticking off.

Suffice to say I constantly wrestle with the flaws of a truly imperfect system, whilst generally accepting it is better than most alternatives presented.

My chief frustration is that 'my' MP, whatever hue gets elected, is much less 'representative' than we are lead to believe.

First there is the chasm that exists between local and national (and party as a sidebar) politics. A good local rep. may be a dire national ruler, and vice versa.

Then, beyond fighting my (community's) selfish local corner in Westminster, on national/international issues there is how my proxy actually gets translated honestly and effectively once conferred. I do not profess to understand the Whip system, but it seems inexplicable that a person I have tasked on their beliefs, and given voting proxy on that basis, can then 'go back' or be 'forced' to, without my permission and hence mandate, yet remain in power on the basis of an untruth.

I also am deeply concerned about the presumption of mandate across all issues, when inevitably that cannot be the case. I recall at Uni being decried as a follower of a political dogma on the basis of my views on nuclear disarmament, but lauded because of my support on many social issues and the NHS. That rather informed my sensitivity to and distaste for 'you are right because you agree with me' mindsets, and again how that 'works' the other way. Being in the tribe can often prevail over listening to the argument and going where the most persuasive takes you.

Finally, there is the glimmer of accountability, or lack of it. However, as I say, alternatives seem thin on the ground, and weak on impact.

So I try and work with what I have got.

Currently, across the board, I am accepting the inevitability of a path of 'the least bad (of a truly dire selection)'. Not very ideal.

I am not an anarchist, and see 'giving up' as a short term satisfaction that serves my kids' futures poorly. I toyed with NOTA, but when I saw the establishment, especially the farcical media 'we' are inflicted with (or have imposed), go along with votes there being deemed 'spoiled', I realised there are games that need to be played, no matter how unpalatable.

I am now in 'the zone' of protest across so many areas (back to the dilemma of being tarred by consequences in one because of perceived support in another, with mandates being pooled unacceptably). Tactical voting is a minefield, as much as for the unintended consequences as how those in elected power (the media), and those who get it for the wrong reasons, spin it to suit.

I have been accused of not answering questions. An accusation I feel unfair or supported in fact (hard to give an answer when the questioner is indulged but my reply deemed OT). I have no answer yours specifically, because I believe it is my right not to, and in any case I have no firm one to give as yet.

However, I hope this helps frame whatever you are seeking to assess in your question.

To qualify a piece of poor phrasing due to unintended omission.

Media are of course not elected (other than by market forces, bar the odd unique exception that doesn't even allow that check/balance), though they often seem to feel they have been and speak as if they are, on a basis I can seldom recognise. And certainly too many have presumed power they don't deserve.

@19 and 20.
Thank you JM for a thoughtful and thought provoking answer to my question,which you correctly identified as a rhetorical one aimed at stimulating genuine debate.

I plead guilty to accusing you of not answering questions,but also now recognise that you have a discursive oblique thought pattern which is not an evasive ploy but natural to you as a genuine eccentric.

Perhaps it would be "helpful",in it`s true sense,if you revised your posts taking into account the limitations of your readers,who may be literal thinkers inclined to misunderstand your posts and assume you are being unduly mysterious and vexatiously enigmatic?

"I would put all the oligarchs in Guantanamo until we find out what`s going on in their casino "market economy" and find out who got the Glass-Stegal Acts repealed."


Bill Clinton repealed Glass-Steagall in the US.



Tony Blair deregulated The City by admonishing the FSA.

@22

Clinton was the figurehead at the time MuseV, but you have to be naive not to know that the politicians who masquerade as "ours" (and as representatives of political parties) at election time, morph into representatives of big business and Islam and Zionism/Israel and the Vatican and the Media and Trade Unions within minutes of winning their seats!

The reason Anglo Saxon politics is a sham is that very few of "our" politicians are at liberty to give our interests a first, far less a second thought.

Why do Obama and Cameron seem so dishonest and slippery? Because in our shamocracy they have to serve many masters (none of whom are "us") and the Bible tells us that "no man shall serve two masters"!

We know that Wall Street/Israel calls the shots in Anglo Saxon politics, with Islam and the Vatican and others close behind.

Where are "we" in the pecking order? (Non runners?)

When are our journalists going to dish up the truth, rather than collude with the powerful?

LOOTERS IN SUITS

Fire starter seeks praise for raising the alarm.


Gordon Brown fears euro crisis worse than Lehman as 1930s beckon



鈥淭he former Prime Minister said EMU's malaise is at root a banking crisis, not a debt crisis. "The European banks as a whole are grossly under-capitalised: they have liabilities far in excess of American banks. We have now got the inter-play with sovereign debt because we socialised the liabilities," he said.鈥�

"Clinton was the figurehead at the time MuseV, but you have to be naive not to know that the politicians who masquerade as "ours" (and as representatives of political parties) at election time, morph into representatives of big business and Islam and Zionism/Israel and the Vatican and the Media and Trade Unions within minutes of winning their seats!"


Make your mind up...are they representatives of Zionism OR Islam? Surely it can't be both.

You keep making the same mistake.

The chosen ones are libertarian anarchist neo-cons. They are against catholicism. Who do you think were behind the catholic paedophile priest stories? Why was the reporting of those stories in the MSM biased? Do you think the prevalence of paedophilia can statistically be higher amongst catholic priests as apposed to any other religious representatives?

'Representatives of Islam'...then why the contrived war on terror? Islam is like statism, think of it as like socialism. The neo-cons don't like socialists. Socialism is bad for business and profits. Socialists have a habit of nationalising private companies.

Why is Israel named 'Little Satan' and the US 'Big Satan' in the Muslim world?

I did not notice 'Red Ed' representing the unions this week btw. Why is label 'Red Ed' an oxymoron? Who are they trying to fool?

"The reason Anglo Saxon politics is a sham is that very few of "our" politicians are at liberty to give our interests a first, far less a second thought...

...We know that Wall Street/Israel calls the shots in Anglo Saxon politics, with Islam and the Vatican and others close behind."


But it's not Anglo-Saxon politics...it's Jewish politics.

And here's why...read post #5 in the link below very carefully to understand what's behind the libertarian agenda in Wall St (and defacto Capitol Hill) and The City (defacto Westminster).

/blogs/newsnight/2007/09/wednesday_19_september_2007.html

Did you note that the chosen ones sent one of their representatives to Europe this week (twice) to bash some EU heads together?

Is there nowhere sacred?
Source:

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

BTW MuseV I can`t do links but you may find a blog called Rehmat`s World and an article on it entitled "Ed Miliband irks British friends of Israel" interesting.

For the record I did try to make a reasoned and fair minded response to your rather one sided comments at 26 and 27 but for some,to me unfathomable reason, it got referred to Big Brother at Gestapo HQ.

Au revoir!

#30 wj

LIARS IN SUITS

I read the piece about Ed Miliband on the Rehmat site.

As I have said before, do not judge these people by their rhetoric. They can actually lie to themselves (cf Tony Blair). They can only be judged by their BEHAVIOUR.

Have you ever read any of Prof Kevin B MacDonald's work on "group evolutionary strategy"?



(He's a catholic btw)

liked the Richard the Third lighting in Mark's piece.

the markets reflect bets. so what is the bet? that china will continue to bleed the west dry. so short the west is the bet.

handing out billions doesn't change the essential bet that china will steamroller the west who is being out thought, out played and out mercantiled. so handing out money is not the answer.

the answer lies in cutting the 10 yuan = 拢1 noose that is throttling growth.

the political failure is not recognising the essential divergence between the west and china in their view of reality. china is not about promoting a market economy.

if a journalist is not prepared to go to jail for 4 years for contempt of court to protect their sources then they shouldn't be journalists?

the met is increasing more flying circus than flying squad.

is science not the all seeing god? oh dear.

historically when witch doctors 'lost' their power to produce effects of benefit to the tribe they were either driven out of the tribe or killed for being 'fakes'.

probability is not the same as certainty.

nirvana

its fitting NN promotes the noise of ignorance as 'music'?

"BROWN PROVED RIGHT" - SAYS BROWN

He went on to say: "I have abolished the Euro crisis".

OH BOY - DID WE GET OURSELVES ANOTHER ONE!

It would appear that Lancashire County Council has ordered Pendle Borough Council to cease its fairly recently introduced Household Food Waste recycling scheme from this October. The potential " get out of jail free " card for the appeasers of the eco-fascists was that the collection centre was moved from the original Todmorden location to Leyland, and somehow that had screwed the alleged economics, although the difference in road fuel consumption factor was probably negligible. Pendle is a fairly rural area anyway, not ideal for overall efficiency but however good the theoretical conditions the project was always a non starter.

>40

It is patently obvious than any such service was never going to save one single ounce of CO2 by the time you take into account the fuel used for regular collection. It would appear that household waste recycling is nothing more than forcing all council taxpayers to pay the equivalent of a medieval religious indulgence in order to espouse the guilt of the profligate who throw loads of food away in a world full of the starving millions. But then being " environmental group prescribed " alleged eco friendly has now become a " quasi-religion " in itself over the past 30 years.

Well here's a good scam! ; )

'42. At 23:56 17th Sep 2011, ecolizzy wrote:
Well here's a good scam! ; )

In our politico-media establishment, 'conflict of interest' seems not to be a negative; more a mandatory.

'21. At 09:48 17th Sep 2011, woosterjim:

As the 'handle' was not familiar, I was unaware paths had been crossed before, but if the answer served, I am glad.

Another 'aspect' in replying is, of course, the effort expended. Rather frustrating when lost at the hands of a referral.

Hence my often erring on the more cryptic. If those capable get to grasp the point, whilst being capable of grasping it by virtue of staying up, then a victory, of sorts, is won.

I'll gladly embrace not meaning to be evasive, and the rest.

As to shaping round pegs to fitting round holes, in the spirit of communication that may be a worthy aim, but for the reasons above maybe not so possible. But I'll bear it in mind.

#34 jauntycyclist wrote

"the answer lies in cutting the 10 yuan = 拢1 noose that is throttling growth."


The deliberate suppresion of the value of the Yuan may be about to be ended.

I saw this link that Hawkeye posted over on Mason's blog...well worth a read imo.


If you want to know what鈥檚 going to happen tomorrow, watch what China does today.


鈥淲ith harsh inflation continuing unabated, eventually, the Asian nation will be forced to enact abrupt policies. This will likely take the form of a strong Yuan valuation, or a 鈥渇loating鈥� of the Yuan. A sizable increase in the value of the Chinese currency is the ONLY way that the government will be able to combat rising prices.鈥�

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

.
Chinese hit talent show to be replaced with housework programme

"The euro rescue packages now being mooted are eerily reminiscent of the reparations imposed so disastrously on Germany after the first world war."

Simon Jenkins, The Guardian.



If Keynes were alive, he would write "The Economic Consequences of Jean-Claude Trichet".

STILL WAITING (#49)

I have predicted that TV will be found to BYPASS all cerebral filters and culturally instruct the animal brain, directly. (In UK, this instruction is: fornication, violence, drinking, smoking, humiliation and degradation, ARE ALL OK.)

Perhaps those smart Chinese HAVE DONE THE RESEARCH?

It will be a long time before UK looks at this - too much money to be made while destroying hapless citizens.

AGE OF PERVERSITY

DISASTER PREDICTED IN MAASTRICT 1992 (#50 link)

"In my judgement that is a not inconsiderable error of reporting. Oh yes." (Signed JM)

Can China escape as world's debt crisis reaches Act III?

Will it ever happen?

Abdel Bari Atwan was allegedly on Colonel Gadaffi's payroll!

We're not even making a national profit from our wind!

Well hello again chaps!It`s Jim Evans in Worcester,and it`s time I stopped developing my serious multi-personalitarian behaviour and settled down to wasting half my time being referred and the rest making half-sensible comments that don`t entirely line up because.....some vital elements have been referred!See Kafka for further details!

Can someone please explain how I can cut and paste a question I have asked on another forum and bring it here for your thoughts?

"ENEMIES OF GROWTH" (#54 link)

Hi Liz. It is evident that Alexander and his ilk have no understanding of normal people.
A business might seek growth by running its workers like rats in a maze (timed toilet visits etc) and pay a higher wage, from higher profit, to keep them. BUT STAFF TURNOVER WOULD BE RAPID. Staff members do not SIGN AWAY THEIR RIGHT TO LEAVE. And, in the end they rebel against petty oppression such as the EU madmen apply to us.

But Quisling Dave - our gang master - WILL NOT LET US LEAVE. It's a long way from democracy. But then - when did we last exercise that in any recognisable form?
Dave is the heir to Blair; he also ensured we got what was good for us.

DISMANTLE WESTMINSER - SPOILPARTYGAMES - INSTALL INTEGRITY

'56. At 23:06 18th Sep 2011, ecolizzy wrote:
We're not even making a national profit from our wind!


As it seems most of our ruling classes (pol & media) are pretty much living, based, working or in hock to our overseas brothers and sisters, it seems hardly surprising that most advocacy is in favour of those pulling the strings on how the money for all this comes from here at least.

"Can someone please explain how I can cut and paste a question I have asked on another forum and bring it here for your thoughts?"

Hover the mouse cursor over the text you want to copy then click the left mouse button and hold it down. Drag the cursor over the text you want to copy. The text will then be highlighted (it may take several attemmpts until you get the hang of it).
Hover the mouse cursor over the highlighted text and then click the right mouse button, then click on 'copy' in the drop down menu. Go to the other blog/forum and in the comments section click the right mouse button again and then select 'paste' in the drop down menu. The copied/highlighted text will then be pasted into the new comments box.

It's easy.

'61. At 08:54 19th Sep 2011, museV - The copied/highlighted text will then be pasted into the new comments box.

It's easy.

Depending on blog being copied from, and system of blog being copied to do, however, be prepared for some unexpected fun if there is a bunch of hidden coding that can clash between the two, or explode a character limit.

#60 Ah it's that bad Junkk we've got to become sexless as well ; )

#59 Ah I believe I have Guy Fawks lingering in my mind Barrie, somewhere! ; )

@61 Thanks Muse...there will now be a very long intermission!

@64 What did Guy Fawkes really represent Lizzie.....was it an earlier form of the Holy Roman European Union trying to restore its feudal iron hold on England for the Church.....or a bid for freedom from oppression?

'63. At 09:07 19th Sep 2011, ecolizzy wrote:
#60 Ah it's that bad Junkk we've got to become sexless as well ; )

I'd always presumed my marital status had defined that long ago (To the missus: it is, of course, a joke, sweetheart).

Nice to see we are well 'governed' by those who have the priorities in life well ordered.

I see M. Patten, of the 'Trust' (PBUT) reckons there should be more women in the 大象传媒. If this new non box-ticking box tick prevails (to cheers from some very small communities I'd hazard), I suspect we may hear the delicate pop of various diversity controllers' heads exploding in HR... excuse me, 'The heads of people place'.

@66 BB大象传媒_1.5 (Or is is JJ_2.5?) and Lizzie @64 The consensus amongst historians is that the Gunpowder Plot was a false flag operation by the then government, orchestrated by Robert Cecil, and using Catholic dupes and double agents. If, as is widely believed, Fawkes was a double agent, then he was betrayed by the government. Plus 莽a change!

'68. At 11:00 19th Sep 2011, Sasha Clarkson - a false flag operation '

Having just watched the lunchtime news, I am wondering if Dale Farm is not something similar.

As the various talking heads within the barricades all wittered away to camera, and had to concede all they were standing with were not, as such, travelers but professional activists, one could almost sense the public being spoken for were perhaps not buying into the narrative being broadcast. So emoting on behalf of Fawksie as he lit the blue touch paper may not be the smartest play by ye national broadcaster if things go boom.

Having seen what the site was before becoming 'inhabited', I initially had some sympathy with the double standards on 'green and pleasant planning (see Telegraph for the multiples of standards at play there), but ironically in this last week I have had my council tax, water rates and 大象传媒 licence renewal, so the simple legal precedents do seem more worthy of being shared along with the heartbreaking tales of lost cultures being prevented from doing their ethnic thing in another country. Not sure these drier aspects of civic responsibility have been adequately covered as the twitterati and flak jacket brigade get all excited about more colourful fare.

Must say the thought of a bunch of Capita inspectors joining the bailiffs was an interesting one, given the war footing support again being shown those too many media luvvies have decided require unobjective support, perhaps to keep the good folk of this community nowhere near where they live.

The Monday link doesn't work yet !

'70. At 18:08 19th Sep 2011, brossen99 wrote:
The Monday link doesn't work yet !'

Still doesn't, had hasn't since mid-afternoon.

You'd think those at the cutting edge of social media 'n stuff might notice, and if a problem post a little note.

But fire & forget does speak it's own tale.

@70 It looks like another "be the first to comment - comments are now closed" situations! :-)

Several hours of dead air... and no one within this vast, cutting edge media empire notices. Even when prompted.

The mods must have figured it was another day 'off' at the 365/365, 24/7 'news' monopoly.