@Katsurai She is an awesome person. Same with Ellen DeGeneras. They both have TV shows that are performed live, and give out huge prizes to the entire audience. Once, Oprah gave away new cars to everyone in the audience.
While very famous in North America, part of the reason she's called an "icon" is that she and the characters she's played have kind of defined the stereotype of a "sweet old lady" (even when she turns that stereotype upside down for comedy).
She became most famous staring in a 1985 sitcom about a group of old women living together called "Golden Girls" (a reference to that time of one's live being called one's "golden years"). It ran for 7 seasons and was very popular.
More recently, in 2010, she was the big-name star of another sitcom called "Hot in Cleveland" where three superficial LA women move to Cleveland, yet "grandma" has the most exciting social life out of them all. It was quite popular, even though competition for new sitcoms was pretty fierce in those years.
Most recently, a short-lived (but HILLARIOUS!) prank show called "Betty White's Off Their Rockers", where elderly actors and actresses (who are less immediately recognizable than Betty herself) pull pranks on young people just walking around in public. The show had a very sporadic airing, three seasons spread between 2012 and 2017, on different networks.
To be honest, WE don't think we're handlling Brexit very well either. It's turning into a complete fustercluck which should absolutely terrify everyone in the UK. If you're British and not crapping yourself hollow at what's going on, you really haven't been listening for the past two and a half years. Our choices are now basically cut off our nose to spite our face (Bad Deal), or the economic equivalent of ritual seppuku while driving a Routemaster bus crammed with C4 over the white cliffs of Dover (No Deal).
Well, I -say- 'our' choices - it's the decision of the swivel-eyed window-lickers in the government who drove us into this mess in the first place. And they're fighting among themselves like a burning sack of rabid wolverines hopped up on a five-drug cocktail. We are sooooooo beyond screwed.
Still - this is what happens when the Leave campaign lies pathologically, panders ragingly to racists' base fears and breaks every campaigning law it can. Right-wingers are like Magic players who favour mono Black - they'll do anything to win, just as long as they do.
Sorry I missed you at MCM London by the way - I was meaning to spin by and say hello, but was completely deflated by being effectively locked out of the Critical Role panels, and my head was in no fit state.
@Kummerspeck There are myriad protests going on, but Maybot isn't listening. She's completely hellbent on anti-facial rhinectomy or explosive bus hara-kiri cliff-diving, shouting her usual "WE'VE TAKEN BACK CONTROL!!!!!" dog-whistle as she goes.
Bollocksed doesn't even come close to describing our current situation right now.
Extremely unlikely. What's being said is highly inaccurate. May is claiming she's met the aims of the Britexiters to try and hide the fact the mess the Tories have made of the negotiations means Britain is going to be screwed over even more than we were being before. In large part because she accepted the idiotic suggestion that Britain be made responsible for making the EU accept a continuation of the current open border between Britain and Ireland. There have been a number of major errors in the 'British' camp but that is by far the worst.
In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished.
@Whirlwound
Hopefully you can delay and stick it out for another couple years, and vote for people who at least say their opinions align with the voterbase next election. IF not, I'll wish you luck.
Well since the voterbase is probably still to leave that won't change much. Its a problem of the Tories being their usual crap mess of corruption, incompetence and general contempt for ordinary people and the interests of the country. If they had bothered to negotiate responsibly, then when they realised the EU had no intention of doing the same actually planned for a controlled exit things would be a damned sight better but as usual they cocked it all up. Best thing for Britain would be if we could deport them to Brussels and get some competent and responsible politicians in, although unfortunately their in very short supply as the same sort of corrupt and/or ideological idiots dominate as they do in Brussels.
Unfortunately it looks like we will be paying through the nose to Brussels for some time to come while being denied any real say on our economy or ability to move towards true independence.
Its also a pity that so many people are falling for the manta that all opposition to Brussels is coming from hard-line right wing fanatics. Grossly inaccurate. In many cases groups like that are benefiting from Brussel's contempt for the concerns of ordinary people, whereas others are also benefiting on the left, as Italy and Greece shows. Like Macrone in his repulsive outburst on the 11th their confusing cause and effect. If Brussels got its head out of its ares then it wouldn't be facing so much unrest but the [self-proclaimed] deities who are certain they are right are likely to tear the entire structure apart.
@stevep59
You are aware that we voted the 'megalomaniacs in Brussels' into office, right? The members elect their representatives to the union, and then those representatives represent the opinions of the nations they represent.
Brittain choosing to step out or not is your choice; noone else have any right to tell you if it's right or not. Reverserly, if you do not want closer cooperation but still stay in the union, do not cooperate closer but do stay in the union. There are nations that are part of the EU on paper only, and there are nations that are outside on paper only. How closely they want to cooperate is their choice, but as long as there are nations pushing for full cooperation they will send representatives pushing for full cooperation.
That's how federal democracy works. The UK being one, you should know that. Hell, most democracies larger than a single city district are federal to some degree; to some the EU is nothing but a 5th or even 6th level of confederacy.
You are entiteled to your opinions, you don't have to agree with further unification, and you're not a worse person for disliking it. Some manner of affinity for your own nation and it's independence is healthy. But the main reason that the "if you're against cooperation you're a facist" rethoric have such a power is that many of the most outspoken critics use words like 'racial purity' and 'national purity' as if they were legally mandated to use them once a sentence. It's good to hear someone on the other side who is a voice of reason though. If we had more people like that it could have saved us a lot of trouble.
The problem is that often the pro-EU side often isn't as restrained as you. The basic reason I've long been opposed to the EEC/EU was because of the extreme language of its supporters, rather than of its opponents. Being repeatedly told that anyone who opposes EU membership is some sort of fascist or that Britain outside the EU wouldn't just be poorer but would be a disaster and by implication incapable of governing itself definitely puts my back up.
This was why Macron's outburst against 'nationalism' on the 11th offended me so much. Apart from the fact that with a knowledge of history I strongly dislike it being used for petty politics of course. He seems not to understand that a major reason why the political 'extremes' - because its happening on the left as well as the right, although the latter gets more attention - are growing in strength is because Brussels is refusing to consider their approach may have flaws.
I don't know about on the continent, although there are some nasty elements emerging in parts of eastern Europe, but definitely little if any such use of racial purity and such language in Britain and even groups like UKIP are stomping quickly on the occasional individuals that use such language. IIRC there was a case where the girlfriend of a Councillor I think it was made an outburst something like that and he dropped her like a red hot brick.
Its not just that I think the EU structure doesn't suit Britain or the dishonesty of some of the EU 'negotiators' - although that was only really made destructive by the incompetence of the Tories on the British side. There are clear problems being caused across much of southern Europe by the Euro and in eastern Europe by fears of immigration and the fact the EU insists that it wouldn't consider any changes in policy regardless of what people want is storing up tension and driving at least some of those who are turning to extreme elements as a result. There seems to be a basic disconnect between the population of the EU and those in charge who are intent on a centralised European 'national state' regardless.
Anyway, its good to hear someone who doesn't go off the deep end when discussing the EU. I'm the 1st to agree there are idiots and bigots on the British side but as I say find it frustrating that this is used as an excuse to blanket all opposition to the EU in the same narrow range when that's totally untrue.
@stevep59
Well, at least you're keeping the nasty elements in check. Parting as friends is preferable to sticking together and letting the tensions rise.
Much of the 'disconnect' seems to be between certain demographics and political factions: just because 80% wants to stay doesn't mean the other 20% will quitely accept; in fact, discontent people tend to be more vocal about issues than satisfied ones. With certain rights; we should try to see to the problems faced by all our citizens, not just the majority.
And just because I'm with the pro-union 80% doesn't mean I think the system is perfect; it has it's flaws, some fairly large ones, but I'm confident that we can solve them. Sadly, deliberate misinformation is the modus operandi for both sides, so I wouldn't expect any civil discussions soon.
And don't worry: there are moronic people on both sides (which is why the misinformation arguments work), and clever people on both sides (which is why the misinformation arguments are called out). In short, there are people on both sides. Until our peoples are educated enough to engage in informed debate, we won't get far. Keep fighting the good fight, and hopefully truth and democratic principle will win out.
Many thanks. Not sure we're keeping the nasty elements on either side in check as they seem to proliferating in Britain but we can only keep trying. My preference is for an independent Britain but would like friendly relations with anyone who chooses to state in the EU.
@Whirlwound I was saying this is how it would end even before the vote, problem is the leave campaign just played to people fears and pandered to racists/nationalist to get them to vote.
wonder if it's too late for another vote on welsh independence. maybe europe will let us stay while england sinks into the sea lol
@Whirlwound I agree with all your comments, and that all these even affect British people who live abroad. But I gotta commend you on your well-thought of analogies.
@Rayati
#9797924
"I heard about the Scottish kelpie (but that's not British)"
Actually, it is. You're confusing British with English here. Scotland is part of the island Great Britain, just like England and Wales, so Scotland is as British as those two.
@Thelving Even if Scotland will be independent one day, it will still be part of the island of Great Britain, which is part of the British Islands. Unless they literally dig out Scotland and rebuild it somewhere in the ocean, it will always be part of Britain. Just not of the United Kingdom, then. Which is something completely different.
@EricTheRedAndWhite
It's a surprisingly common mistake, especially with Americans and Australians - who use "British" in place of "English", while still distinguishing Scottish, Irish and Welsh separately.
Things can get a little confusing though:
- The main island is made up of England, Scotland and Wales and is collectively known as Great Britain.
- The UK's full title is "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Northern Irish hold British passports and are thus considered British.
- The two mains islands and all the small surrounds islands are collectively known as "The British Isles" - So technically even the Republic of Ireland could be considered British.... just as Canadans, Mexicans, etc can be considered "American" as they are on the continent of America.
Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go hide from the IRA.