#TheCompleteBritten #151 The trees they grow so high - Folksong Arrangements, Vol. 1 No. 5 (British Isles) (pre March 1942) The minimal piano part emphasizes the singer's lonely solitude as they sing of their teenage boy husband, married (against their wish) at 16, father at 17, dead at 18.

The trees they grow so high

YouTube video by Philip Langridge - Topic

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The whole middle-aged working stiff genre is being redefined. You can’t afford not to be involved, writes Robert Shrimsley: ft.trib.al/ldDCWoD

There is no longer any choice. We have to see a full UEFA withdrawal from FIFA. Private investment has absolutely no place in an organising body which has a moral duty to both remain neutral and be fully accountable. Infantino is a blight on the game and completely unfit for the role.

World Cup: Uefa furious at Fifa plan for private investment in tournament

European football's governing body Uefa reacts furiously to proposals from Fifa to seek private investment in its competitions, including the World Cup.

bbc.co.uk

#TheCompleteBritten #145 String Quartet No. 1 in D, Op. 25 (1941) On his excellent Listening to Britten blog, @benarcanafm.bsky.social calls this "a rather special piece", and he's right. I'd paid Britten's chamber music little attention before this year, and my first proper listen blew me away!

Benjamin Britten: String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25. ANIMATO KWARTET/QUARTET

YouTube video by Animato Quartet

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Fine. But the UK parliament has three parts. Only one is elected. What does Anas Sarwar think about the other one, besides the Lords, which is not elected?

Believe in Scotland@believeinscotland.bsky.social · last wk.

The House of Lords has no place in a modern democracy. A law-making chamber whose members are appointed or inherit their seats instead of being elected by the people is indefensible in the 21st century. Scotland deserves better. www.believeinscotland.org/how_long_wil...

The LRB website crashed at one point, as so many people wanted to read this review; but it is now available again, and thank goodness for that, as it is magnificent. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Emily Wilson · An Uncomplicated Man

As they say at the awards shows, I was humbled to learn that Christopher Nolan has read at least the first line of my...

lrb.co.uk

Trump appeared to repeatedly doze off as he headlined Washington’s most high-profile celebration of press freedom.

Sleepy Trump, 80, Struggles to Keep Eyes Open at WHCA Dinner

The president who demanded the WHCA dinner go on could barely stay awake.

thedailybeast.com

Paddy Power have Binface at 11-1. They have Newsom, 2028, at 7-1. I have gone for both.

Peter Kay@theonlypeterkay.bsky.social · 2w ago

Farage’s narcissism has handed Clacton a once in a century chance to make history: A chance to establish itself as a beacon of British good sense, humour and democracy by electing Count Binface. The World and his wife know who Farage is. Clacton voters will be derided forever if they reelect Farage.

Carney: "I'm going to take this opportunity to thank President Scheinbaum and the Mexican people for sending 200 firefighters to help us with our fires here. That's what friends do when you have crisis and fires." #cdnpoli

Yes. The cabal are all crims.

Patrick Chovanec@prchovanec.bsky.social · 2w ago

They could make the argument - which is plausible - that at least some of these infrastructure targets are being used for military purposes. But the fact that they don't even bother is telling.

I think I saw you in an ice cream parlour.

David Bowie News@davidbowienews.bsky.social · 2w ago

David Bowie, 1982, by Greg Gorman.

They don't have opera in the north so we are right to send them some of ours. (I think only the Mayor of Manchester at the time wanted it),

Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 2w ago

Just did a trawl through X re N10N comments and man are they making the case for why it's needed.

I think I saw you in an ice cream parlour.

Mike Masnick@masnick.com · 2w ago

So now I'm left wondering which junior person at the ad agency deliberately decided to use "Five Years," correctly betting that no one on Meta's team would realize it's about the end of the world.

We don’t do “content creators” because they are largely twats, but we’re making this exception to say “Look at this twat”. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Influencer who left bathtub on Pen y Fan apologises

Tom Christopher carried the tub up the mountain in flip flops, before bathing in it at the summit.

bbc.co.uk

Indeed. I add this grouse: people saying that the government "spends billions" (or "saves") as if this is an astronomical amount. In any case it covers any amount between 2 billion and infinity - so it is a useless measure. Ditto thousands, millions; ditto any organisation.

Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 2w ago

It's driving me insane. The govt spends £1.4 trillion a year. Borrowing estimates are often by tens of billions over a year. But we're supposed to imagine money is budgeted to the last penny.

Bit too late...

Best for Britain@bestforbritain.org · 2w ago

This Leave voter in Makerfield, Andy Burnham's own constituency, has completely changed her mind about Brexit and now wants to rejoin the EU - and she's not the only one. We need to talk about EU membership. Now.

Kindles, and universities too

@billkittle.bsky.social · 2w ago

Canada turning red is the geopolitical version of your golden retriever biting you.

Joke about the opening of Knowsley Safari Park. "But what if a lion gets escapes onto the streets?" "He'll just have to take his chances like the rest of us". (n.b. I can say this because I am Lancashire).

Angry People in Local Newspapers@apiln.bsky.social · 2w ago

Incredible that this should happen in the sleepy Lancashire market town of Garstang.

Just tax carbon. If you pick out one use of it (eg aircraft) then you get too complicated. Tax carbon - that is all you need to do. But governments will not do it because the electorate do not want to pay.

Brant Reeves@bireeves95.bsky.social · 2w ago

Absolutely 💯 Tax Them…. NEW: Over the World Cup final weekend, ~3,000 private jets flew in and out of the NY area. On the last day, private jet CO2 in the area doubled its 5-year norm(!). Private jets are the most carbon-intensive form of travel. Tax them.

We spoke to people in Andy Burnham's constituency. One woman who voted for Brexit told us she regretted her vote. Watch what else she had to say 👀

The way to do it is to improve productivity. Not cut the tax bill. This is regressive, as well. Climate, too?

Financial Times@financialtimes.com · 2w ago

Burnham to remove VAT on household electricity bills ft.trib.al/2r7uTTR

I also use the No Poo method when washing my hair, and people no longer avoid me in the street.

Indeed. But I think that Mamdani is a bit closer to Zack Polanski, the Greens leader.

The New Yorker@newyorker.com · 2w ago

With a populist touch, and a focus on affordability and raising up left-behind communities, Britain’s new Prime Minister has drawn comparisons to Zohran Mamdani. www.newyorker.com/news/the-fin...

Happy Birthday to Carlos Santana, guitarist and songwriter born in Autlán de Navarro, Mexico 🇲🇽 79 years ago today. What are your favourite songs by Santana? #CarlosSantana

Surely this should be the dominant criterion for appointment.

Financial Times@financialtimes.com · 2w ago

Andy Burnham’s allies expect the new prime minister to stress that female ministers will play a big role in his new cabinet, although Labour has yet to elect a female leader. Read the latest here: ft.trib.al/VAFYfeK

The Daily Mail (UK print version Monday) thought that Shakira actually shook up the World Cup final, and they put a picture of her miming her "song" on their front page. I have not heard any of her "songs", as I no longer raise children, and I am now wondering whether to listen to some, or not.

Philippe Auclair@philippeauclair.bsky.social · 2w ago

Are they allowed to show football between the close-ups of VIPs, the ads and Shakira miming a "song"?

Do Americans actually like sport? They seem to feel there must always be something else going on to keep you engaged. Most fans just want the game to restart. We’re capable of enjoying the break.

"If you can deal with triumph and disaster/and treat those two impostors just the same...". Well Argentina failed on both counts. They are not men but children. I blame the parents.

It is because for some people every tiny income stream is a battle to be fought against the state. So the state is obliged to respond, and the system becomes over-complicated with endless modifications and exemptions.

Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 2w ago

I know that 'I have a salaried job and then do the occasional bit of paid TV or radio work' is a small group, but the thing I would like from HMRC is if I could just have an account I was paid into, and they just took an exorbitant flat rate of everything as it paid in, no forms, no thinking.