Toast

Sun 7 Jan 34 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown +1 34 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +1 31 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows +2 30 The Troggs — Wild Thing 29 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich — Bend It 26 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 26 Manfred Mann - Semi Detached Suburban Mr James 26 Donovan — Sunshine Superman 25 Traffic — Hole In My Shoe 25 The Lovin’ Spoonful — Daydream 25 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Loving 25 The Monkees — Alternate Title (Randy Scouse Git) 25 Cat Stevens — Matthew And Son 24 The Mindbenders — A Groovy Kind Of Love 23 The Hollies — Stop Stop Stop 22 The Move — Flowers In The Rain 22 The Hollies — I Can’t Let Go 21 The Seekers — Morningtown Ride 20 The Move — Night Of Fear 18 The Beatles — Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever -6 14 The Mamas And The Papas — Dedicated To The One I Love 14 The Troggs - I Can’t Control Myself 13 Keith West — Excerpt From A Teenage Opera 08 Crispian St. Peters — You Were On My Mind 06 The Dave Clark Five — Everybody Knows 

It's a format often seen on headstones and death notices. Someone who died aged, say, 86 died "In his 87th year".

I'm surprised they haven't cried racism over him being described as a primate.

These are useful - can be used as a bookmark as well as a place to make notes. I bought a set as a gift for a friend who is in a book group. Reader's Notes I often buy cards from these nice people. https://www.rathergoodart.co.uk/ They regularly have sales with 30% off, and if you sign up for their newsletter you get a permanent 10% discount.

Actual BBC Derek Draper: How Kate Garraway's heartbreak and hope captured a nation

Sat 6 Jan 32 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset  31 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 28 Donovan — Sunshine Superman 28 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Loving 28 Cat Stevens — Matthew And Son 27 The Mamas And The Papas — Dedicated To The One I Love 27 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich — Bend It 26 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows +4 26 The Monkees — Alternate Title (Randy Scouse Git) 24 The Troggs — Wild Thing 24 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 23 The Mindbenders — A Groovy Kind Of Love 22 The Hollies — Stop Stop Stop 22 Manfred Mann— Semi detached Suburban Mr James 22 The Move — Flowers In The Rain 22 The Lovin’ Spoonful — Daydream 21 The Dave Clark Five — Everybody Knows 21 The Seekers — Morningtown Ride 21 The Hollies — I Can’t Let Go  20 The Troggs — I Can’t Control Myself 20 The Move — Night Of Fear 20 Traffic — Hole In My Shoe 18 The Beatles — Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever -6 17 Crispian St. Peters — You Were On My Mind 15 Keith West — Excerpt From A Teenage Opera 12 Tom Jones — I’m Coming Home 7 The Who — I’m A Boy

An impressive win, as it seemed a particularly difficult selection this time.

It's not a case of "deserving". It's whether the person voting likes the song .... or not. I might give a negative reaction if I disapprove of both the poster's plus and minus awards. But if they give a minus to a song that I like but also give a plus to a song I like (or vice versa with a disliked song), I wouldn't.

[Kate Garraway] continued: "I have so much more to say, and of course I will do so in due course." Please don't.

Oh, without doubt some utterly undeserving individuals have received honours through political corruption. That's another issue though.

Stanley Baxter

I'm reading the Slough House series by Mick Herron, currently a show on Apple TV. On the fourth one now, Spook Street. Really enjoying these, but I gave up on the TV series. It's very popular so it might just be me. Even though I'd read the book, I found the first episode confusing and if I hadn't read the book I wouldn't have understood wtf was going on. Poor diction as so often, so I couldn't make out most of the dialogue and the subtitles were only on screen for microseconds giving no time to read them. Just that one tiny adjustment might have made all the difference. Anyway the books are great: absorbing plots, well drawn characters and plenty of dry humour.

Two points. People are nominated for honours. Anyone can nominate someone for a Damehood, or any other honour. You could have nominated her - did you? Sometimes people decline an honour. They don't always make it public, so we wouldn't know if it had been offered.

Fri 5 Jan 31 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +1 31 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown +2 30 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows +1 28 Cat Stevens — Matthew and Son 28 Donovan — Sunshine Superman 27 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Loving 24 The Dave Clark Five — Everybody Knows 24 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich — Bend It 24 The Monkees — Alternate Title (Randy Scouse Git) 24 The Hollies — Stop Stop Stop 24 The Troggs — Wild Thing 24 The Beatles — Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever -6 23 Crispian St. Peter’s — You Were On My Mind 23 The Mindbenders — A Groovy Kind Of Love 23 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 22 The Move — Flowers In The Rain 22 Traffic — Hole In My Shoe 22 The Lovin’ Spoonful — Daydream 21 Keith West — Excerpt From A Teenage Opera 21 The Seekers — Morningtown Ride 20 The Hollies — I Can’t Let Go 20 The Troggs — I Can’t Control Myself 20 Manfred Mann — Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James 20 The Move — Night Of Fear 19 The Mamas And The Papas — Dedicated To The One I Love 16 Tom Jones — I’m Coming Home 12 The Who — I’m A Boy 11 Val Doonican — What Would I Be 6 Tom Jones — I’ll Never Fall In Love Again 

General consensus was S4 was shite. I made several attempts at watching it, but could never get into it.

Stanley Baxter

Think you'll find subs have to be used in order.

Off to an early start again

It started off OK, but they were obviously going for the Fargo vibe and it didn't come off for me. Which reminds me, I'm currently watching S5 of Fargo which is continuing weekly on Prime. Two more episodes to come.

Don't be so fucking ridiculous.

I never said it was. That doesn't mean it's not important. Because of the misuse of a word, I still don't know if Epstein was trafficking CHILDREN as opposed to teenagers, because that would make it all EVEN WORSE.

I'm not defending anyone. I'm trying to preserve the meaning of the word. The "watershed age", really? It shouldn't be defined by age. The difference is physical. Either a child is pre-pubescent or it's not. It varies with the individual. Really? I think there's a huge gulf between the two. Being sexually attracted to physically mature teenagers is natural. It's not an abnormal desire. That's not to say it should be acted upon. Being sexually attracted to babies and pre-pubescent children is an abhorrent perversion. We need to retain words that distinguish between them.

That is an entirely separate issue. My point is that the constant misuse of the term "paedophile" will leave us without a word to describe a very different form of abuse. Furthermore it leads to people being seriously misinformed about Epstein's practices.

I saw that somewhere else. I think it was the Joanne woman who says Andrew groped her tits.

Is there any evidence that Epstein et al were sexually abusing pre-pubescent children? Because that is what paedophilia is. It's very important that we keep a word for this specific perversion. Having sex with physically mature young people is not paedophilia, even if they are below the age of consent (which of course varies according to the jurisdiction).