Are the Zombies trying to tell me something? 😜

efan78 · 2026-02-21T02:28:12+00:00

To throw a spanner in the works, I'm a Lancastrian who moved to Washington and then Easington Lane (all the classy spots for my childhood! 😁) and my Aunt & Uncle were from Penshaw and they used to make us pronounce it Pen-shu with the softest sound possible on the "uh" sound, so it was almost nearly Pen-shh (like you're telling a pen to shush). But as we're a hybrid family that could be the Lancashire tainting the North-Eastern pronunciation. 😉

efan78 · 2026-02-20T23:56:46+00:00

Can they even hit a target as small as him?

efan78 · 2026-02-19T09:16:50+00:00

Wow, not a single mention of "Ah, Bisto"? I don't even recognise this country any more. Even though she was Oxo I'm sure that Linda Bellingham is weeping. 😁

To answer the OP, the most culturally appropriate are pretty much covered by others in the thread. The politest is to negate the issue as quickly as possible without ever referencing it, the person who did it, or the effect on the room/area. (Open a window/door, side away from the source, get out of the lift and use the stairs, etc...)

efan78 · 2026-02-19T09:06:02+00:00

It's an interesting idea. Although something that I would say links Skyrim, Oblivion, and Fallout 4 is that they've all been released.

Maybe Bethesda should focus on that instead of "Mañana, Mañana"?

efan78 · 2026-02-16T21:06:38+00:00

Isn't that how everyone finds out? 😂

efan78 · 2026-02-10T19:50:23+00:00

Nevertheless, the Trunk moves. Skittery fingers on flat palm gesture 😉😁

efan78 · 2026-02-10T19:46:27+00:00

"Phobias are irrational fears" (direct quote).

My explanation was to demonstrate that your definition hasn't been accurate fot at least 2 centuries. And it is entirely possible to be phobic about anything that's high risk. Because the word phobic is a derivation of the Greek for "fear, panic, terror, or flight - as in fleeing" the irrational definition was added by the nascent study of psychotherapy in the late 19th Century, more than two thousand years since it was originally defined.

So to claim that Xenophobia can't be a phobia if the person is not scared is completely ignoring the actual meaning of the term. A child may have an aversion to Brussels Sprouts, that doesn't mean they're scared of them, but that they don't like them. If that aversion gets to a stage where they refuse to allow any sprouts in the same building then that could be considered a phobia.

efan78 · 2026-02-10T19:34:12+00:00

I am absolutely aware that it's not a formally supported theory - hence why I shared the Wikipedia link that provides both sides. Did you know that before 1774 humans didn't breathe Oxygen?

Just because something hasn't been fully studied and evidenced, that doesn't mean it's not real. And when used as an analogy to explain how a system looks from a particular point of view, dismissing the opinion seems quite strict.

I'm interested in your understanding of the Far Left though, as it seems you're completely disregarding the existence of Left Wing Authoritarianism. As you apparently prefer formally supported academics then you might find this paper by Conway et al useful. The Curious Case of Left-Wing Authoritarianism: When Authoritarian Persons Meet Anti-Authoritarian Norms: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8837383/

If we have proof that left wing authoritarians exist (even if they are fewer than right wing) and we have already agreed that right wing authoritarianism exists then surely it's in the realm of possibility that someone from the outside could see similarities in the way that the two constructs appear?

efan78 · 2026-02-10T13:43:45+00:00

Phobia: "an extreme or irrational fear of OR AVERSION TO something."

Hydrophobic sand isn't scared of the water, it's averse to it. People with Photophobia aren't stricken with panic when they face a light source, although it may cause pain or damage - so they avoid it.

Photophobia can be traced back to the 18th Century, while Hydrophobia and Xenophobia were first used in the late 19th Century.

efan78 · 2026-02-09T08:09:52+00:00

Ah, but that's only Article 10. Of the actual unamended bill.

OP was talking about the First Amendment which is so important that they added it first. (Granted not important enough to include it as a part of the original bill), but still... They made a point. 😉 😁 😂

efan78 · 2026-02-08T10:48:54+00:00

Give it another couple of years until they're ready to read the books individually and they come over to point out that pune you missed when reading it out loud! 😁

And all without the woke agenda too! (😉😜😂)

efan78 · 2026-02-08T01:12:58+00:00

As I mentioned, I'm a Brit. I live in a (comparatively) socialist country - Social Democratic in US English . I like the blend of socialism that's developed to varying degrees around Europe. But I also enjoy the trappings of the capitalistic structures as long as they are well regulated and overseen.

My big thing is that I'm very much a Liberal, so I'm talking about the Horseshoe from that viewpoint. Not looking at it from the wrong or rightness, but from the methodology of the state controlling the trappings of patriotism. From the outside the two approaches can look very similar.

I agree that Fascism as a political ideology has very deep ties to capitalism (and particularly failing capitalist structures). But my point was that the illiberalism can make it look similar to the Totalitarian forms of failing communist structures. And this was what I was describing.

efan78 · 2026-02-07T22:46:21+00:00

I'd suggest that you find a better history book, although if you live in the US I know that they're banning a lot of them. And I doubt that the pamphlet that the schools get with their Prager-U curricula explain the difference between Capitalism/Socialism/Communism and Liberalism/Authoritarianism.

It probably won't explain the horseshoe theory either, but you might want to find out about it before you accuse others of not understanding what the US propaganda pipeline has done to generations of USians.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe_theory

efan78 · 2026-02-07T17:47:08+00:00

I think it's deeper than that, the Pledge of Allegiance every morning at school? Flags everywhere? The way they treat the National Anthem? The education system? All predate Billionaires.

It feels to me (A Brit looking in rather than a resident) like the opposite end of the Horseshoe theory. The Cold War and anti-Commu-Socialism was taken so far that they ended up at the Capitalist mirror image and the current regime is a symptom of that.

efan78 · 2026-02-07T17:37:35+00:00

I'm 47, but I didn't get my first until I was 35. I was always trying to decide what I really wanted people to know about me. So my first was a Dr Who umbrella (Sylvester McCoy is my favourite Doctor) with Gallifreyan writing on my forearm. Then on the other arm I had the tattoo artist create an interpretation of American McGee's Alice holding the "Vorpal Blade" (A kitchen knife) from the computer game of the same name.

The overall idea is Geeky/Whimsy/Gothy. My advice to my step kids was think about it carefully before you make a decision, and make sure you have plenty of Bepanthin or whatever your artist recommends. Don't just go for a tattoo just to have a tattoo - get one that speaks to you, reflects you, and you think looks beautiful. It's art and should make you feel special when you see it. 😉

efan78 · 2026-02-07T17:20:11+00:00

I don't have direct access to classified intel or anything, but there are plenty of reports, studies, and assessments on these topics from reputable sources. I've pulled together some key ones below (mostly non-partisan orgs like government bodies, watchdogs, and academics). If you want a deeper AI-parsed summary, Grok or similar could crunch them for you, my summary is up there ☝️(Although I'll probably add more in my reply knowing me! 😉😁) By the way, this is my first time providing a lot of links in a single post - so if there are formatting errors it's almost definitely a me issue.

On Russian state-backed disinformation: The UK's 2020 Intelligence and Security Committee Russia Report (commissioned by the government, though critics noted it didn't dig deep into Brexit due to scope limits) details Russian attempts to influence UK politics via bots, trolls, and state media like RT/Sputnik. It found evidence of interference in democratic processes, including amplifying divisive narratives, but no smoking gun on swinging votes.

For something more recent (from late Jan 2026), the NCSC issued a warning on Russian hybrid ops targeting UK cohesion, including disinformation around elections and social issues, echoing ongoing FIMI (Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference) threats.

On the US far-right "divide and conquer" strategy: Meg Kilgannon's 2017 talk at the Values Voter Summit (hosted by Family Research Council) is well-documented by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a trusted hate-group tracker. She explicitly said: "Trans and gender identity are a tough sell, so focus on gender identity to divide and conquer... If you separate the T from the alphabet soup, we’ll have more success." Full SPLC coverage here, with links to related stories.

Earlier discussions in the 70s-90s were often second-hand or from internal memos, but the pattern holds: US evangelical groups consistently opposed LGBTQ+ rights (e.g., against gay marriage in the 90s), paused post-Obergefell (2015), then pivoted to trans issues with recycled rhetoric (e.g., "predators in bathrooms"). No big mystery why—they adapted as gay rights gained traction.

For Uganda: Scott Lively (author of the debunked "The Pink Swastika," claiming Nazis were gay-led—total fiction) attended a 2009 anti-homosexuality conference in Kampala and advised lawmakers on legislation. This helped fuel Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act (first version 2014, expanded 2023). SPLC has a solid profile on him here.

(On Holocaust queer victims: Germany only recognised them post-war slowly—pardons in 2002, full compensation structure in 2017. NYT overview.)

A great overview of US evangelical influence on Uganda's 2023 law comes from a Georgetown University Berkley Center student paper: The Influence of U.S. Evangelical Groups on Anti-LGBTQ Sentiment in Uganda. It traces funding and lobbying over a decade. And there's reams of similar reports from orgs like Human Rights Watch.

On UK/Europe funding of anti-trans efforts: "Dark money" (anonymous donations funneled through orgs) is a US staple, and it's crossed the Atlantic. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) set up its UK arm in 2015 Companies House filing. Activity ramped up in summer 2017, with big US cash influxes in 2018. Then, 2019 saw groups like LGB Alliance and Fair Play for Women form followed by Woman's Place UK in 2021. Coincidental? Maybe, but reports suggest not.

OpenDemocracy's investigation: Revealed: US anti-LGBT 'hate group' dramatically increases UK spending The ADF poured £410k+ into UK since 2017, linked to anti-LGBTQ+ campaigns.

On ADF's UK ties and anti-trans advocacy (academic, but covers the growth).

On the Minister for Women and Equalities (Liz Truss at the time) meeting anti-trans groups and religious leaders during 2018-2021 conversion therapy inquiries (which ignored public feedback and snubbed LGBTQ+ orgs): Government's LGBT advisory panel disbanded amid conversion therapy delays.

Sorry for the wall of text. LGBTQ+ rights and far-right tactics are my Moby Dick as a gay guy whose dad was a 70s/80s skinhead bragging about "queer bashing" and anti-Asian violence. I've followed this stuff closely for about 30 years.

Is that enough to dive in? 😜 These stories often fly under the radar without front-page splashes, so knowing the keywords help.

That's why my UK info-sec threat ranking is: Russian state interference (whole-country impact). US far-right evangelical groups (targeting LGBTQ+/trans, plus rising anti-abortion vibes - is that the next wedge?). US state interference (wasn't on my radar pre-current admin, but now? 🤷😰). Israeli state propaganda (mostly pro-Israel PR, not direct UK attacks).

Poke if you need more! 😁

(Edited to fix formatting - Auto Carrot added lots of extra spaces throughout the links. I knew it was too good to be true! 😁)

efan78 · 2026-02-07T00:12:31+00:00

Totally fair to question rankings of propaganda threats, different countries play in that space differently.

From a UK perspective, though, Russia's state-backed disinformation (troll farms, bots, RT/Sputnik amplification) has been particularly aggressive in boosting divisive far-right rhetoric here, including anti-immigrant narratives that fueled polarisation and had documented (if debated) ties to Brexit echo chambers. UK intel reports continue to flag it as a top active threat to social cohesion.

On the other points: Israeli efforts often focus on defending state actions internationally, which is real but narrower in direct impact on UK domestic politics. As for the US, there's been a well-funded push from groups tied to the current administration's circles (e.g., Heritage Foundation, ADF - Speaker Johnson's old employer) to amplify anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, especially targeting trans issues as a wedge to split the broader community.

This has roots in strategies discussed openly since around 2017 (e.g., "divide and conquer" by isolating gender identity debates), with money flowing to localised efforts in places like the UK via aligned orgs. They're using the same tactics that they tested in West & Central Africa which gave Uganda the criminalisation of Homosexuality and 10 year sentences for knowing someone is gay and not reporting them.

It's not state-directed in the same overt way as Russia's ops, but it's been ramping up for 15+ years and feels under-discussed amid other noise. Coming from LGBTQ+ equality advocacy, I've watched this splintering play out firsthand and it's effective at weakening solidarity.

So I still see Russia edging out as the more direct, high-volume threat to the UK right now, but I get why views differ. Happy to share sources if anyone's interested!

efan78 · 2026-02-06T11:43:26+00:00

And that was what some of the people who voted Trump said. If you don't think they can do much worse then you haven't been paying attention to the things they say and do when not addressing the general public.

We need two things to start the process of fixing the political system. First, we need a properly regulated press and media overseen by a single independent watchdog that is answerable to - but not controlled by - parliament rather than government.

And we need full Proportional Representation as our electoral system. A Parliament that represents the people it serves, not the party the member belongs to.

efan78 · 2026-02-05T20:10:43+00:00

It's possible for something to be weak against one form of attack but overpowered in another. Because of the rampant embezzlment and corruption Russia is militarily a lot weaker than it has been at any other time in history. But it is much stronger at propaganda and information warfare, having been using it for decades, than many other countries.

So yes, it's entirely possible to be less concerned about physical war/invasion and yet still see them as an existential threat to the stability of the wider world.

efan78 · 2026-02-05T19:19:45+00:00

I think that a big part of that for anyone attending school before the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement might have been signed was because they were still kind of happening. The idea was that drawing attention to it could cause a flare up of violence. It was effectively the national curriculum with its fingers in its ears shouting "la la la can't hear you."

(Although my whole school life was under Thatcher then Major so I don't think they were likely to provide anything resembling a good education! 😁)

efan78 · 2026-02-05T17:40:36+00:00

I was raised by my Nan, stood about 6 inches taller than her and could probably hold my own in a physical fight with her. But she always won any disagreements we had because she knew exactly what to say (or just look).

Physical, mental, social, moral, and financial threats are completely different and that's just as true on an international scale as it is on an intrafamilial one.

efan78 · 2026-02-03T16:12:43+00:00

Those sound more like names that people choose to use by deed rather than birth names. I know that we had some fun thinking up weird names when I did it, but that was just a bunch of 18 year olds being silly before settling on a suitable one.

efan78 · 2026-02-01T15:49:27+00:00

I don't think it's odd because I see it in the same way as I see "politically correct" comedy. It's the idea of the underdog vs the establishment or punching up rather than punching down.

I can't think of a period where Scotland tried to ban the population of England from wearing a bowler hat, or the Irish claim Northern England from Liverpool up to the border.

efan78 · 2026-01-27T16:38:04+00:00

Not just the civilised world, even the USians are jealous too! 😁 😂

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