United Kingdom VII: Taking Pride in Your Success

[Golgo]

I'd even say David Attenborough wildlife docs have gone down the toilet. Theyve become more about the jeopardy and drama of an animals life rather than actually telling us about the animals.
Also the 10 mins at the end were they show how they filmed it is just a circlejerk.

Yeah, I agree. They use animals for anthropomorphised domestic dramas - penguin dads, albatross lovers, polar bear mums, etc. - it's gone really quite cringe, although thankfully they drown out the worst of this narration under layers of urgent orchestral music like they've got Harry Gregson Williams on prozac. We watched the whole of Life on Earth from 1979 over the last few months and the difference with the more recent series' was startling. Lots of info., lots of science, no bombastic music ruining things, no audience condescension by pretending the animals are just like mini people larking about. Fantastic stuff. Worth the BBC licence fee for 1979. I'd happily pay that.

[Dogg Thang]

Imagine having to pay Ed Sheeran in
order to legally attend an AC/DC concert

Imagine any public service.

[wakka]

I get what people are saying, that the BBC should basically be Netflix and you should only pay for it if you specifically want what the BBC is offering - or that it should fund its unprofitable programmes by putting adverts in its profitable ones - but I think once you do either of those things, you fundamentally change what the BBC is. In either case it becomes beholden primarily to what will generate cash, either increasing subscriber figures and reducing churn, or growing advertising revenue.

The BBC can only do some of the stuff that it does because it is funded by what is effectively simply a tax, not an optional subscription. I think that's really unique and valuable. It's far from perfect, but for me it's worth defending. While we have it, it can be reformed and improved. If it goes, it'll be gone forever. And I really think that would be a great loss.

[wakka]

Imagine having to pay Ed Sheeran in
order to legally attend an AC/DC concert

Dude, we all pay taxes for stuff that we don't actually use. That's kind of how tax works.

[Brad]

This is different. Everyone pays tax to fund schools even if they have no kids. They pay tax to fund the NHS even if they never get ill, or have private health care. You don’t have a choice, you have to pay it. It keeps the country going and it’s the right thing to do.

But you don’t have to pay the bbc. You can say no. But if you say no then you you cannot watch the news provided by other channels. Other channels that are funded by other means. If you won’t fund the bbc news then you can’t watch any news. If you won’t fund cbbc then you can’t watch citv. If the bbc is a public service then I shouldn’t be allowed to not fund it. In fact my tax should pay for it just like everything else.

[wakka]

This is different. Everyone pays tax to fund schools even if they have no kids. They pay tax to fund the NHS even if they never get ill, or have private health care. You don’t have a choice, you have to pay it. It keeps the country going and it’s the right thing to do.

But you don’t have to pay the bbc. You can say no. But if you say no then you you cannot watch the news provided by other channels. Other channels that are funded by other means. If you won’t fund the bbc news then you can’t watch any news. If you won’t fund cbbc then you can’t watch citv. If the bbc is a public service then I shouldn’t be allowed to not fund it. In fact my tax should pay for it just like everything else.

I agree to be honest. I'm not sure about blending it all in with other tax - I'm fine with the idea in principle, but fear the actual implication might be a sever de-funding of the BBC - but the idea that it's intrinsically tied to the ownership of a television is outdated, when they offer so much digitally now via BBC Sounds etc.

[Brad]

To be clear, I don’t think it should be defunded. My issue is the notion of the TV license being required for any and all tv access, but the money going to the bbc. Is the bbc a public service? I don’t think it is but that’s for the government to say and if they said it was and my tax was used to fund it I’d be fine with that.

[charlesr]

I want to see a combination of all of these in 1 show. Ancient shark nazis!

I'm in! Sounds AWESOME

[Cepp]

The plan to put buses back under council control are going ahead in Manchester

https://tfgm.com/our-buses

The buses near me used to be run by First who I hope burn to the ground. Now they're run by two different companies who are more reliable but it's one or the other unless you pay more for an Anybus pass.

Having it all under one umbrella should be a big improvement.

[Neon Ignition]

When it comes to transport and Manchester council I have absolutely zero faith it'll be anything other than a burning wreck of a disaster and another paving stone on the way to throttling the city

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/27/boris-johnson-branded-irresponsible-over-back-to-the-office-call

Johnson turns on home working for the second time to the same response as last year with rivals and scientist experts pointing out what a moron he's being.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/27/uk-covid-deaths-pass-150000-milestone-analysis-shows

UK COVID deaths have now passed 150,000

[Cepp]

When it comes to transport and Manchester council I have absolutely zero faith it'll be anything other than a burning wreck of a disaster and another paving stone on the way to throttling the city

****ing hell. The relentless negativity is something else.

[Cassius_Smoke]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...he-office-call
Johnson turns on home working for the second time to the same response as last year with rivals and scientist experts pointing out what a moron he's being.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/27/uk-covid-deaths-pass-150000-milestone-analysis-shows

UK COVID deaths have now passed 150,000

Were I work, they have saved a million pounds from simply not having people in the offices. A million. There is no chance they'll happily give that up.

[Cepp]

Were I work, they have saved a million pounds from simply not having people in the offices. A million. There is no chance they'll happily give that up.

My place is starting to talk about gearing up for it. I wouldn't mind going in every now and then after I've been vaccinated, but a full return to the office? No thanks, I still put in the work and get two hours a day back from no travel.

I'll never understand why some people are so gung ho for it.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/28/moderna-covid-vaccine-to-be-introduced-in-uk-from-april

Moderna vaccine looking likely for the UK in April