White orcs and black orcs and green orcs and the daffodils

Heartbroken by Ireland’s tragic crash-out last week, I forgot about putting up a new post yesterday. So this is a rushed affair.

Further reading

Don’t miss Deebee’s analysis of the quarter-finals, or Utnapistm’s predictions for this weekend.

On the telly this week

Friday 25th October

Ulster v Cardiff 19:35 S4C / Premier Sports 1
Munster v Ospreys 19:35 TG4 / Premier Sports 2
Bath v Exeter 19:45 BT Sport 1

Saturday 26th October

England v New Zealand09:00ITV
Dragons v Glasgow14:45Premier Sports 2
Gloucester v Wasps15:00BT Sport 1
Treviso v Kings15:00FreeSports
Connacht v Cheetahs17:15TG4 / Premier Sports 1
Zebre v Leinster17:15Premier Sports 2
Edinburgh v Scarlets19:30Premier Sports 2

Sunday 27th October

Wales v S Africa09:00ITV
Leicester v Saracens15:00BT Sport 1

1,071 thoughts on “White orcs and black orcs and green orcs and the daffodils

  1. ClydeMillarWynant's avatarClydeMillarWynant

    “Oh goody, an election. Cos that’s going to solve everything.”

    Let’s hope the electorate’s DNA has undergone the necessary changes.

    Liked by 4 people

  2. Paw Patrol is on the same level as Jake and the Neverland Pirates; harmless nonsense.

    It doesn’t have the deeper message that Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom does.

    Like

  3. OurTerry's avatarOurTerry

    Ben and Holly is genuinely subversive. The children are basically revolutionaries plotting against the stupidity of their superiors(King Thistle and the Wise Old Elf).

    Like

  4. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    Scooby Doo, while politically inconsistent, does essentially argue that the rent-seeking private property developer class is evil.

    Liked by 3 people

  5. OT – also add in Nanny Plum who, whilst a bit silly, is more competent than her bosses and the Wise Old Elf.

    Liked by 2 people

  6. “Although I am more of a fan of Closer than Unknown Pleasures. Just can’t get UP but love Closer.”

    Agree, part 1.

    “…I do like Emmylou’s album with Daniel Lanois (Wrecking Ball) a lot, but it’s not really country.”

    Agree, part 2.

    Liked by 2 people

  7. I’d also argue that the opening ditty is on par with the Black Sails song.

    Sag should have done it.

    Like

  8. OK, got to admit that in my 20’s I was the guy who wondered “who put the ‘synt’ in country music”. But years later I realised that most ‘country’ music was basically white man’s blues. Much of it not particularly literate but with an inherent validity.
    Since then I’ve got into all manner of ‘ country’ from Tony Joe White to Dolly Parton; Gillian Welch to Kris Kristoffersen; Dwight Yoakam to Gram Parsons.

    There is something for everyone, even Thaum, within the familial ‘country’ label. Try Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams (‘whiny bitch’ according to LaSuava) or Tedeschi Trucks Band as an easy entry or gateway listen.

    Disclaimer: still listen to mostly guitar-based rock but still recognized BB’s ref earlier to the faun and counter with “I’m just a lawn -mower, you can tell me by the way I walk”.

    Liked by 6 people

  9. Triskaidekaphobia's avatarTriskaidekaphobia

    @ticht

    “I’d love to go to the Irish distilleries, Thaum, there are around a dozen of them I think.”

    Yeah, popping up all over the place now – closer to 20 now. Lot of them started with gin/vodka to make some money before the whiskey was old enough to sell….. our local brewery is starting distilling…based in Killarney the name-recognition will be huge in the US….suspect the aim is export market rather than home market.

    Now, have to say I’ve not drunk much whiskey in a long time – was a time when I’d get a duty free bottle every time I travelled – but things change…

    Like

  10. utnapistm's avatarutnapistm

    Music? We got both kinds, we got country and we got western

    Liked by 3 people

  11. Thomas the tank engine is the worst. bunch of engines slaving away under the diktat of the ultimate rentier.

    Event the graun did an expose of this sorry state of affairs a few years back.

    Like

  12. Chimpie's avatarChimpie

    Not sure what the underlying message of baby jake is.

    Like

  13. In The Night Garden is probably just an acid trip.

    Like

  14. Baby Jake is a fuck you to all those ableist bigots who think that babies can’t do anything.

    Babies have a voice too.

    Like

  15. flair99's avatarflair99

    Unless one considers books and cartoons leave no trace in childrens’ minds, Paw Patrol is certainly not “harmless nonsense”.
    I’ve written the French version of several seasons of the original episodes -shown here on the main private channel (TF1)- thus spending months on the beast, as it take about a full day to write a 10 minutes episode.
    PP is basically fascistoid propaganda where the military in general provide solutions to problems created by the civilians. Organization, total obedience, hierarchy, slogans repeated ad nauseam (and absolutely unchangeable, the producers and distributors made sure we, the authors, would not change a single word), tackiness of the characters, especially the feminine ones, PP is truly a brave new world. I’ll stop here.

    Liked by 6 people

  16. slademightbe#42again's avatarsladeis#42

    Ren and Stimpy

    Like

  17. “I’ll stop here.”

    Who told you to do that?

    Like

  18. OurTerry's avatarOurTerry

    @flair

    I’ve written the French version of several seasons of the original episodes

    Now THAT is cool.

    Please tell me you had to write the French version of Noel’s House Party as well.

    Like

  19. Chimpie's avatarChimpie

    would like to see In the Night Garden translated into French

    Like

  20. flair99's avatarflair99

    Craigs, I spent too much time on PP. I did not like it in the first place and I ended up hating it.
    I mostly work as a freelance cameraman (close to retirement now) and in between films, I learnt how to write/adapt dialogue for dubbed films or series. I only do cartoons and documentaries as I can’t stand dubbed films with real actors.

    Like

  21. Flair – that’s pretty cool tbh. I can never work out what the bad guy is supposed to represent. Other than being an idiot capitalist. Is that what he meant to you?

    Like

  22. flair99's avatarflair99

    In cartoons for kids, adults are either absent or bad. As you need conflict in any story, including in the aseptised world of PP, the bad guy has to be bad but not too threatening, hence the nearest village stupid mayor with his cats ( note that he is from a different village, hence bad as Jonny Foreigner).
    He’s a bad capitalist, yes, but only as in too greedy. The PP is the true capitalist paradise, paternalist and quiet, where everybody knows his place.

    Like

  23. *Rummages around for my carnet d’autographes*

    Liked by 1 person

  24. gunsofnetheravon's avatargunsofnetheravon

    Octonauts is a gateway drug for David Attenborough wildlife documentaries. I keep introducing my children to exciting facts about our oceans only for them to tell me they already knew that because they’d seen it on Octonauts.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. gunsofnetheravon's avatargunsofnetheravon

    That All Blacks team for Friday, though. I wonder how they would have done against us last Saturday.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. OurTerry's avatarOurTerry

    Operation Ouch on CBBC is very educational. Yesterday I learned about how poo interacts with the sphincter muscles to tell the brain that you need to go to the toilet.

    Like

  27. Chimpie's avatarChimpie

    ‘Octonauts is a gateway drug for David Attenborough wildlife documentaries.’

    I’m not really sure where the hell tunip and the vegimals fall on the whole animal / vegetable spectrum.

    Like

  28. OurTerry's avatarOurTerry

    Tom Sole, son of that not bad Scottish prop, has been banned from bowling in international cricket after his action has been deemed illegal by the ICC. He is currently playing for Scotland in the ICC T20 World Cup qualifying tournament in Dubai.

    Like

  29. flair99's avatarflair99

    If any of you has children / grandchildren, I suggest you get them a series made around 2005/2010 called “Peep and the big wild world”. It’s wonderfully funny and educational. And of course it wasn’t half as successful as the damn PP.

    Liked by 3 people

  30. Chimpie's avatarChimpie

    Only seen PP a couple of times. No idea it generated this level of anger.

    Like

  31. gunsofnetheravon's avatargunsofnetheravon

    I managed to Like my own comment. It’s quality content but it’s not that good.

    Like

  32. yosoy's avataryosoy

    A XXIII that mixes experience with promise and Hallam Amos:

    No Dai from Pentyrch?

    Like

  33. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    Chimpie, last time that review got posted CJ and I made jokes about Michel Foucault and Rory Best’s line-out throwing.

    I’m not saying that was better and more highbrow, though it was, just lamenting that the discourse now is all anger about how terrible Paw Patrol is.

    Like

  34. Tomp – so you want CJ back? I’ll let him know.

    Like

  35. Sam Burgess charged with intimidation relating to domestic violence. It’s all gone a bit wrong for the arse patter.

    Like

  36. OurTerry's avatarOurTerry

    Slammin Sam Burgess update

    – He’s just announced his retirement due to a really bad shoulder injury
    – He’s split from his missus for the second time
    – He has been banned from going within a kilometre of his father-in-law’s house, and been charged with some domestic violence offence
    – He has been pictured dressed as Tarzan on a boat in Mexico
    – He has been linked with some American actress who I’ve never heard of.

    Other than that it’s all quiet on the Burgess front.

    Liked by 1 person

  37. Chimpie's avatarChimpie

    What’s the state of his DNA though?

    Like

  38. Killerline's avatarKillerline

    I’m having the Jannie de Beer nightmare again.

    Liked by 3 people

  39. Killer – is that the match or something else that you would like to share?

    Like

  40. Killerline's avatarKillerline

    The drop goals. That smile. The feeling of horror.

    I never really recovered. Of course, losing on Saturday will be much worse. It might be the end.

    Like

  41. OurTerry's avatarOurTerry

    @chimpie

    What’s the state of his DNA though?

    Well people he shares some DNA with are experiencing mixed fortunes:
    – his brother Luke retired with a knee injury last year after playing for Salford. He moved back to the UK after being sacked by the Rabbitohs for getting into a fight with a bouncer.
    – his brother George has just signed for Wigan. He left the Rabbitohs after getting banned for his second eye gouging offence in 6 months.
    – his brother Tom is in the Great Britain squad for the match vs New Zealand this weekend.

    Like

  42. Killer – it was unfair. Don’t worry, something else will get us on Saturday.

    Like

  43. Killerline's avatarKillerline

    Craigs – are you trying to help? If so it needs work.

    Like

  44. Triskaidekaphobia's avatarTriskaidekaphobia

    @killsy
    “The drop goals. That smile. The feeling of horror.”

    Crazy match really – 44-21. Nowadays, you’d expect that score to come from 3-4 tries (at least) from the winners and a couple from the losers – but no…
    2 tries (SA) , 5 DG (SA), 12 pens (Eng-7, SA-5)

    I’d only ever seen highlights of the game – so looking it up (https://www.world.rugby/match/1151) I didn’t realise it was 21-25 on 70 mins……(old fashioned timekeeping)

    Like

  45. flair99's avatarflair99

    England won’t lose on Saturday.
    Nor NZ on Friday.
    I expect comfortable wins for both.

    Like

  46. Killer – just sharing the same feeling. I was in a bar in South Africa during that match. I remember the smile well. And the reaction from the saffas in the bar.

    Liked by 1 person

  47. flair99's avatarflair99

    England by 12
    NZ by 40.
    Wales and SA to score by increments of 3.

    As a footnote, I’d love to see the RWC follow the 7 game example and have a plate or shield competition after the pool stage. Thus we could’ve had a few more games to watch (France/ Japan, Ireland/ Oz for instance).

    Like

  48. sunbeamtim's avatarsunbeamtim

    Sinkler out? England fucked. SA by 25
    Bin Smuth in, Wales are fucked. NZ by 35

    Like

  49. sunbeamtim's avatarsunbeamtim

    So, if Sink can’t play, presumeably Marler will have to bench as tighthead cover, and Genge will have to into squad on the pine?

    Like

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