Smint

He walked off a show once when he was upset over the LGBT massacre in Orlando and he thought that they were dismissing the hate crime angle several years ago but don't recall him "crying" ever. He argues forcefully and yes writes a newspaper column where he makes commentary like most other political journalists. There are so, so few mainstream journalists who even go half the way he does on several progressive, human rights issues. Which influential people is he in the pockets of?

So looks like (and 30000+ innocent Palestinian deaths, mass injuries and famine, not to mention the destruction of entire cities too late) Biden has finally found a bit of a backbone and said that he would not keep sending offensive weapons to Israel. There will be a huge amount of pressure for him (including the worst kind of accusations) to keep supplying, including several politicians and donors but it would make a noticeable shift in fortunes. Plus on a much, much smaller scale but significantly, it seems that Trinity University Dublin have agreed to stop investing in Israel, following protests by students there. :clap: Hope UK institutions follow suit if the pressure is kept on.

Indeed, Owen is a legend, one of the very few mainstream journalists who dares to speak out on so many issues - Palestine, transphobia, poverty, racism. Of course a lot of people hate him - that's what you get in mainstream capitalist society for challenging the status quo.

'Banana Republic' is a great Boomtown Rats track, up there with 'I Don't Like Mondays' and 'Like Clockwork'. A bit avant garde which is always a good thing. Whereas 'Just Like Starting Over' is a bit meh - sounds very Elvis tribute if anything. 'Celebration' is a fun classic disco track which is impossible to dislike. 'Earth Dies Screaming' is pretty good too - UB40 did bland out in later years with all their covers but their early stuff sounded fresh and different.

They apparently gave the whip back to Kate Osamor from the left of the party purely to calm some of the disquiet in Labour ranks. But Abbot and Corbyn are apparently just too toxic - despite Starmer being in the same Shadow Cabinet as recently as 2019.

Terrible decision from Starmer - whose next? Suella Bravermann going to cross over to become Shadow Home Secretary next? :arrr:

And a very random use of Glasgow in the first verse- could have chosen any big city really but nice they chose that one!

Hopefully unrelated but shooting of a security guard outside Drake's residence in Toronto. Unsure if Drake was the intended target yet. :( https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/security...e-b1156204.html

I've read the Wikipedia article about it and it all screams playschool fighting, small dick, toxic masculinity energy. Although it's getting to a disturbing new level I see with allegations of paedophilia and domestic violence now. Ugly moment for the charts.

Was that Machine Gun Kelly 'Rap Devil' vs Eminem 'Killshot'. Those were marginally interesting as there was one a piece and that was that. The Eminem track was stronger than the actual singles he was promoting at that time IMO.

I really like the Dennis Waterman track although 'Minder' is so not my thing. It's really catchy and uplifting. Stephanie Mills is a nice track too!

1996 is a very interesting year for the charts, def a step up from 1995 IMO. Lots of diversity - will post lots in this thread I'm sure!

Talking of David Guetta, he has 2 with Becky Hill who herself has 2 duets with Sigala. Sigala has 2 duets with Ella Eyre who herself has 2 duets with Rudimental. Rudimental have 2 hits with Ed Sheeran, John Newman and Anne Marie This could go on for ever. The US rap is of course even more intertwined!

Sash/Tina Cousins 'Mysterious Times', 'Just Around the Hill' D Mob/Cathy Dennis 'C'Mon and Get My Love', 'That's the way of the World', 'Why?'

Ed Sheeran and Camilla Cabello 'Bam Bam' and 'South of the Border'

Galloway's Workers Party of Britain - terrible name of a party as it stigmatises people who can't work (I know that Labour could be the same but thats been the name of party for centuries whereas the WPB formed in 2019) will hopefully suffer due to their homophobic leader's recent interview where he said gay relationships aren't normal and shouldn't be taught at school. That's more extreme than the official Conservative party position. Prob a ploy to some of the Muslim community.

Chappel Roan has for the last few weeks done loads better on the final chart compared with First Look so could still get a new peak. Hope so anyway.

I'm sure the Mail and co will try their best, as in Desperate Dan Hodges trying to hype that boring tax affair story about Rayner tax for the 93832th day when nobody cares. Luckily, Johnson already released the Saville/Starmer connection nonsense about 2 years too early as we just knew that they'd throw that one out on election week but it's now debunked news. I just can't see anything working this time - certainly not enough to replace the horrific legacy of the Tories and their unpopular leader.

Genuinely shocked that Labour only have ONE more MP then 2019 after all their election success since PartyGate

'Fashion' is amazing - just so clever and multi layered earworm. He was on fire this year! I've never been that keen on Adam and the Ants - 'Prince Charming' was their best one. Odyssey's 'If You're Looking for a way out' is really beautiful sad ballad which reminds me of Rose Royce. Songs which are about acceptance about the partner doesn't feel the same way and letting them go are always the saddest - see 'Say Something' :( OMD are a fantastic band, one of my favourite of all time - 'Enola Gay' is great, although I think other candidates coming in the next couple of years deserve to be their signature song. Blondie's 'The Tide is High' is a catchy gem although a step down from 'Atomic' (let's face it everything is though). Weirdly, the Atomic Kitten cover is their biggest streamed hit on Spotify, eclipsing even 'Whole Again'.

But she's very anti Sunak at the moment - when the electorate goes left wing for the recent elections, why do the BBC give prominent airtime to someone who is extremely far right and by every measure unpopular? They should give airtime to Green/Lib Dems/anti war parties instead. I do hope that when Labour get in they sack Kuenssberg and have less bigots on.

Up to 22 and embarrassingly I find it addictive! Take it streams of Natasha's original do not count to this chart positio, do they?

Even Sunak's Nazi style round up of asylum seekers for detention camps pre Rwanda didn't help..maybe the British public is just not as nasty as the Tories think they are.

I can't see Reform winning a seat off their own back - even UKIP only ever had two MPs due to defections from Tories. Lee Anderson is almost certain to lose his seat (thankfully) so won't be re-elected under the Reform banner. BTW Laurence Fox and Dan Wooton have both vowed to move out of London after Khan's win. Our cup really overfloweth.

I definitely hear 'Say So' in the chorus - with an interpolation of George Michael 'Fastlove' in the verse.