Trump's tariff wars...long post.

[Steve Browning]

I'd kill for some Citrus Symphony, from the 'world's best ice cream shop' in Sorrento. Never was a shop better named.

[Russ]

4 hours ago, BigRedX said:

 

Until I discovered music forums on the internet I'd never met a musician, or anyone else creative for that matter, who wasn't left of centre. 

Go on Talkbass. There's thousands of them.  Stay away from the Lobby forum.

 

[tegs07]

37 minutes ago, chris_b said:

 

IMO better still is Haagen Dazs and all of the ice cream makes I've bought in Italy. . . .

There are some excellent ice cream makers in bristol, the south west and wales that can hold their own against italian producers (which is saying something as the standard is high).

[SteveXFR]

9 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

There are some excellent ice cream makers in bristol, the south west and wales that can hold their own against italian producers (which is saying something as the standard is high).

 

Theres very good ones in the Brizzle area. Marshfield ice cream from near Bath is really good and Luccombe from near Bridgwater is the best.

[Russ]

2 hours ago, Obrienp said:

Sorry mate! It’s a memory thing 🥴.

 

I always used to be embarrassed about my home country’s love of Country music, especially having moved to the UK young and being brought up here. It was decidedly uncool in the early 70s, with some notable exceptions (Flying Burrito Brothers, Albert Lee, etc). As I have aged, it has grown on me and I appreciate the skill levels of many country musicians. Apparently, country is having a huge surge in popularity over here in the UK now (not sure how they gauge that).

 

BTW, I think Martin would win a shoot out with Maton and Cole Clark. 

I quite liked it when I was a kid - my parents used to listen to a lot of American and Irish country music. Still got some fond memories of Charley Pride, Don Williams and old Dolly Parton.

 

What I can't stand is a lot of the current country-pop - overproduced rubbish that's only considered "country" because the singer sings in a Southern accent and there's a bit of pedal steel on there. A lot of it is also massively, insanely right-wing, and full of flag-shagging jingoism, thinly veiled racism and rampant sexism.

 

The institutions that promote country music also seem to have a major problem with non-whites, or anyone who messes with the form. Remember all the backlash when Beyoncé released her country album? Or when Darius Rucker (the ex-Hootie singer) and Lil Nas X (who's not only black, but gay too - double strike there for the bigots) struggled to be accepted as country artists? 

 

Hopefully none of my bosses are reading this, but I do like a Maton.  Especially when it's in the hands of someone like Tommy Emmanual. I wish they'd bring back their 1980s basses though - they were fantastic, especially the fretlesses. 

[tegs07]

3 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

 

Theres very good ones in the Brizzle area. Marshfield ice cream from near Bath is really good and Luccombe from near Bridgwater is the best.

https://www.swoononaspoon.co.uk/

 

http://tarrsicecream.co.uk/

 

Both are good 

[prowla]

2 hours ago, martthebass said:

I was concerned I'd feel guilty about my 2 EBMM basses........I've consoled myself by deciding that they are proudly built by Mexicans in the Democratic Republic of California.

I don't think there's any need to get rid of preexisting kit. 🙂

[PaulWarning]

Does anybody else think the only way to get Putin into serious negotiations is for Trump and Europe to promise Ukraine all the weapons they want?

[Beer of the Bass]

5 hours ago, BigRedX said:

 

Until I discovered music forums on the internet I'd never met a musician, or anyone else creative for that matter, who wasn't left of centre. 

There's definitely some old ex-punks in the UK leaning populist right. And knowing a lot of hippy sorts myself, the conspiracy world has led a lot of those towards ideas that definitely aren't left, especially since 2020.

It's not uncommon that people who made a bob or two in the 80s might go a bit Thatcherite, too.

Edited Wednesday at 17:10 by Beer of the Bass

[tegs07]

8 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

Does anybody else think the only way to get Putin into serious negotiations is for Trump and Europe to promise Ukraine all the weapons they want?

I don’t think serious negotiations will happen. Best case give up Dombas, Crimea etc, promise no NATO or EU membership but IMO even that would not be enough. Putin would still not accept a western military presence in Ukraine which just leaves the current situation. Ukraine either runs out of soldiers or Russia runs out of cash.

[tegs07]

Just now, Beer of the Bass said:

 And knowing a lot of hippy sorts myself, the conspiracy world has led a lot of those towards ideas that definitely aren't left, especially since 2020.

Totally agree with this statement. Know several so far down the echo chamber conspiracy online disinformation sphere moving towards nihilism and right wing la la land.

[Agent 00Soul]

The modern age has lots of crossing over of traditional points on the left-right political access.  For example, many New Age natural health people, who had traditionally been on the left have moved into MAGAland beginning with the anti-innoculation movement and then the anti-vaccine movement during Covid.  New US health secretary RFK is a prime example.  Canadian pundit Naomi Klein calls this "diagonalism."  The traditional centre left parties around the western world havn't come up with a way to counteract this yet.

[SteveXFR]

Tesla top investor has asked Musk to step down 

 

https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/topstories/will-elon-musk-step-down-as-tesla-ceo-top-investor-ross-gerber-calls-for-his-exit-amid-800-billion-value-freefall-since-december/ar-AA1Bfvwt

 

[prowla]

Revolving door...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy7x382je03o

Trump administration reinstating nearly 25,000 fired federal workers

[SteveXFR]

Firing and then reinstating must be very efficient. 

[Wombat]

Does it say if they are on lower salaries/benefits?

[Buddster]

Or agree with Trump policies. Fire everyone, rehire those those who support you 

[TimR]

1 hour ago, SteveXFR said:

Firing and then reinstating must be very efficient. 

 

1 hour ago, Wombat said:

Does it say if they are on lower salaries/benefits?

 

41 minutes ago, Buddster said:

Or agree with Trump policies. Fire everyone, rehire those those who support you 

 

He fired them illegally. They're all coming back. He simply doesn't have the power he thinks he does.

 

This is just the start. The people he deported will be bought back as well at some point. 

 

The Republicans are going to be in trouble. The Democrats will be applying pressure now and he's going to get frustrated and angry and do something that will expose him and get him impeached.

 

The people that DOGE have cancelled contracts with will be taking them to court as well.

Edited Wednesday at 19:17 by TimR

[SteveXFR]

The Democrats need to get some leadership and get it together. I know he's slightly older than the universe but maybe Bernie Sanders should lead until the next election. 

[Obrienp]

2 hours ago, PaulWarning said:

Does anybody else think the only way to get Putin into serious negotiations is for Trump and Europe to promise Ukraine all the weapons they want?

Yes. He won’t get in a fight he knows he will lose. The orange idiot gave away his cards (to use the metaphor he employed against Zelenskyy) before negotiations started. The rest of us need to get them properly tooled up, none of this half-arsed stuff we have all being doing up to now and let them use it how they want. Perhaps that will encourage Vladimir to drop his ridiculous demands. 

[Russ]

11 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

The Democrats need to get some leadership and get it together. I know he's slightly older than the universe but maybe Bernie Sanders should lead until the next election. 

AOC seems to be emerging as the unofficial leader of the Dems right now. As she should. She's intelligent, fiercely progressive, and, for those who deem such things important, pretty easy on the eyes. She'll also be over 35 by the time the next election rolls around. 

 

I'd love to see her run. But, sadly, as this last election proved, I'm not sure the US is ready to elect a woman as president yet, let alone a woman who's not white. 

[edstraker123]

2 hours ago, tegs07 said:

don’t think serious negotiations will happen. Best case give up Dombas, Crimea etc, promise no NATO or EU membership but IMO even that would not be enough. Putin would still not accept a western military presence in Ukraine which just leaves the current situation. Ukraine either runs out of soldiers or Russia runs out of cash.

I think that's the stark reality, the choice is to make concessions and end the war, continue it in its current format until Ukraine runs out of soldiers and more civilian lives are lost or for Europe to intervene and take us closer to WW3. All terrible options but I like the one with the fewest deaths.

[SteveXFR]

18 minutes ago, Russ said:

I'd love to see her run. But, sadly, as this last election proved, I'm not sure the US is ready to elect a woman as president yet, let alone a woman who's not white. 

 

Who knows what America will be ready for after Trump. 

[edstraker123]

3 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

Who knows what America will be ready for after Trump.

Will there be an America after Trump ?

[Chienmortbb]

On 03/02/2025 at 11:58, chris_b said:

Trump will get around to us in time. He wants the NHS and to offload their additive and pesticide ridden food stuffs on us, and that will be the basis of any trade deal. If we don't give it to him then watch out for massive tariffs. The US is our largest market so Trump can destroy our economy in a matter of months. We need a deal with the EU and France knows it. We will pay either way.

Only true if you count the countries of the EU as separate countries. Any two of Germany, The Netherlands and Ireland add up to more than the USA at approx 14% and the EU as a whole are closer to 50%.