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IT’S A DAY of rest, and you may be in the mood for a quiet corner and a comfy chair.
We’ve hand-picked the week’s best reads for you to savour.
The show Unreal hasn’t quite made it across this side of the pond yet, but this profile of its creator is still worth reading. It has sex, gossip, and behind-the-reality-show tidbits that will make you want to read and read.
(New Yorker, approx 29 mins reading time)
Shapiro could see how shrewd “The Bachelor” was, but she hated that it objectified women and vaunted heterosexual romance. She especially disliked working in an environment that fetishized beauty. To rebel, she wore a “George Bush, Out of My Uterus” T-shirt, and jeans that exposed her butt crack. She says, “Since then, I’ve always been body positive, refusing to talk about myself as a sexual object that way—and am so adamant about it that I just don’t even think I have a body.”
Being a doctor in Syria is becoming a more and more dangerous game. Ben Taub outlines how Assad’s government has killed almost 700 medical personnel, and details exactly what professionals are going through.
(New Yorker, approx 31 mins reading time)
Despite the onslaught, doctors and international N.G.O.s have forged an elaborate network of underground hospitals throughout Syria. They have installed cameras in intensive-care units, so that doctors abroad can monitor patients by Skype and direct technicians to administer proper treatment. In besieged areas, they have adapted hospitals to run on fuel from animal waste.
You’ve probably wondered about the history of euroscepticism in the UK, and how it led to Brexit. Wonder no more, and give this a read.
(The Guardian, approx 22 mins reading time)
As Robert Tombs, the Cambridge historian and author of The English and Their History, recently put it: “The campaign seems hardly about Europe at all, but it’s all about us and the English identity.” Both of the first two British attempts to join the Common Market were vetoed by Charles de Gaulle, and it was he who also said that all his life he had been inspired by “une certaine idée de la France”. Behind our present turmoil lurks a certain idea of Britain, or of England. We are trying to find our identity.
It’s been five years since a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant which was caused by an earthquake and devastating tsunami. Last autumn, the first town in Fukushima reopened. What has life been like there since?
(The New Republic, approx 23 mins reading time)
Wakizawa doesn’t blame his neighbors for preferring the conveniences of city life in Iwaki, where 80 percent of Naraha’s evacuees went during the disaster, to the preternatural quiet of their hometown. “It’s even worse here than before the nuclear plants were built 40 years ago,” he says. “When I drive up Route 6, I don’t see any life, not even insects. Around 8 o’clock it’s scary, because nobody’s here.”
5. Meet Donald Trump’s right-hand woman
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign communications manager Hope Hicks, right, and Daniel Scavino Jr., Director for Social Media for Trump CampaignSource: Pablo Martinez MonsivaisHope Hicks, who works as campaign communications manager for Donald Trump, is just 27 years old, but her star is on the rise. She's somewhat of an accidental press secretary, says GQ - and here's why she's so successful.
(GQ, approx 17 mins reading time)
Hicks's job—a sui generis role of outsize importance that she half invents on the fly—involves keeping the media at bay and operating as Trump's chief gatekeeper. But she's also summoned in critical moments of confusion to play instigator and score-settler. It was her job to facilitate Trump's rebuke of the Pope after His Holiness questioned the Christianity of anybody who would build a border wall (kind of Trump's thing). And it was she who helped malign a female reporter who'd been manhandled by Trump's campaign manager, immediately claiming she was a lying attention hound.
6. The undercover prison guard
One of the most-shared longreads this week was this one from Mother Jones, about a journalist who went undercover for four months as a prison guard in the US. What he discovered makes for some shocking reading.
(Mother Jones, approx 179 mins reading time)
"We just put him on his bed. He had fell off this side of his fucking bed just now, bro," an inmate says to me. "He's fucked up." I radio for a stretcher. Mason starts to cry. His left hand is a fist. His back arches. "I'm scared," he mouths. Someone puts a hand on his arm for the briefest moment: "I know, son. They finna come see you now."
...AND A CLASSIC FROM THE ARCHIVES...
Back in 2003, LeBron James entered the NBA. He had a big contract, was under lots of scrutiny and was just 18 years old.
(Sports Illustrated, approx 25 mins reading time)
No one has gotten this much this soon, no one has ever entered any league under so much scrutiny. The three-year, $10.8 million rookie contract he's getting from the Cavaliers is Monopoly money to James, who has endorsement deals worth more than $100 million. "I've been around the game for 40 years," says Cavs coach Paul Silas, "and I've never seen anything like it. It's scary."
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Europhobia my Arse. This was a result of emotional uneducated voting.
Democracy Rosie….
Rosie..everyone gets a vote, smart and stupid. It’s called democracy … Would you prefer some other form of government?
The was a famous headline in the times in the 1800s (not sure of exact date) on a slow news day it was “fog over channel Europe stranded” the mentality has not changed
A big like us with first Lisbon treaty Let’s hope Brits get a second chance at the referendum
Rosie
Democracy is the only time people get any sort of say and those in control hate this. I did not want them to exit, but now that they have I just have to accept it and take on the positives that will arrive (and there will be some). As for the uneducated the people who really drove brexit Johnston, Grove (who I both dislike) are Oxbridge educated.
All 17 million uneducate ? Gosh Britain is in a worse mess than I thought no wonder they are leaving.
Hope that this democracy that Johnson and Farange have crowed on about – will be allowed for the Scottish and Northern Irish.
I detest democracy too Rosie. They should have just asked your opinion on it.
Ktsiwot…both Oxford educated. Neither have been educated in Cambridge. No need for the unnecessary amalgamation of both universities.
Second referendums: if the leavers had lost they wouldn’t be calling for a second referendum. How is it that the whining EUrophiles always want to take their football back every time they lose? #Lisbon2 It’s sad, pathetic and frankly dangerous.
Typical leftie comment – they didn’t vote/think the way I do – they MUST be the great uneducated unwashed.
Yet Rosie fails to see that it’s decades of leftie influenced decisions that have lead to this decision.
No point in beating a dog and complaining when it finally bites back.
Rosie never said anything about denying people a vote she said they were uneducated and emotional and she was right. They’re getting educated now.
Never did I say anything against democracy. But I do hate when people waste their vote because they don’t really understand what exactly they were voting for. They focus solely one tiny aspect of the big picture. They know now..
Only you understand of course Rosie…..
The Remain side showing their true colours now. They do not respect democracy. The people have spoken but it will not be respected. EU is not a democracy, it is a dictatorship run by men in black, faceless bureacrats who are unelectefld and nobody can even name. They will not accept this result. They will browbeat, bully and punish the British people and then force another referendum to get the answer they require. Their supporter are brainwashedvidiots who cannot see the agenda. A well documented plan for a European super state with a super army eventually leading to a one world government. A new world order.
It’s stunning how brainwashed people are, an outright disdain for democracy in the media and the younger generations. Blind to what the EU and its master intentions truly are even though it is freely admitted by the powers that be, people need to read for themselves the views of Kalergi, Monet, Sutherland to name a few. These men hate European cultures and ethnicities and have pushed the EU as a federation from the start. They want the white European wiped out and replaced with a mixed race, culture free working class that is easily controlled.
This is all in the public sphere.
And now we have morons defending the EU and attacking people’s right to vote and intelligence because they value their own identity??? I bet if it was a population that wasn’t white these same people would fight tooth and nail to protect their identity!! Because hating white people and their contribution to the world is trendy and desirable these days. This is a highly dangerous direction that will only lead to European civil war. You cannot destroy peoples identity and not expect blood.
Europhobia me hoop. Lemmings.
And for the record, Scotland has 97% native population, England 85%, seems multiculturalism is only popular when it isn’t in your own backyard, give the Scots 20 years and let’s see how they vote!
…..your post here encapsulates the ideas of Cecil Rhodes who intended Britain to dominate the world rather than the German dominated Europe.
I am not one for the change Europe wants to bring, but we are all define by some one who was in/took power many centuries ago they had values that we were made to follow if not we rebel or went and set up camp else where but no one ever won there was all ways one that had to accept even within their own tribe, till we reach were are now.
This where Europe is now, but this is the worst fight we ever had due to people for what reason not standing up and protesting with fear of been arrested, lousing their jobs, their homes etc… By giving us debt and rights they have taken so much from us, they have us were they want unless we say NO and truly willing to make a sacrifice, we must stop moaning and accept the generic world we coming into.
What is happen is Europe is the ethnic cleansing of all these tribes that eventually became Ireland,Spain,France UK etc…
We, children been born will not probably not see, but there children will see one country called Federal state of Europe or United States of Europe, by then we will no longer have an Irish President just one a European,
The effect of this huge, unlike when governments / councils destroy a party of city to bring prices down and few years later do a regeneration,
This will happen to countries some will be other will be return to land, others will become major cities or big towns,
we still have little villages more for tourism.
The countries within Europe will become states like in the USA, where each be known for different industries, if Irish you will no longer live in say Dublin you could end up living any were within the United States of Europe were eventually every thing will be under one Central EU government. and we in time will all be Europeans,
For people now its going to be rely hard there will be some sweeteners along the way, but we going see some major changes and destruction of who we are and what our values once were.
We are going to making some major sacrifices for greater good of the new Europe, we wont see it but our future generations will.
You have to ask yourself, WILL THEY THANK US OR WILL THEY SAY I WISH MY GRAND PARENTS DID MORE.
People must open their eyes to the EU plans and decide democracy is this what we want.
Well I haven’t called for domination of anything Michael so you are going to have to grow up and try again.
I’m calling for the preservation of European cultures, identities and values that are being systematically wiped out. I am also commenting on the complicity of those across the political spectrum in this travesty through the PC culture and mass immigration by design.
This is genocide, look up the UN definition and you will see that this is it, and it’s not even a conspiracy. It is freely admitted to by those who are it’s architects.
From the guardians comments section:
If Boris Johnson looked downbeat yesterday, that is because he realises that he has lost.
Perhaps many Brexiters do not realise it yet, but they have actually lost, and it is all down to one man: David Cameron.
With one fell swoop yesterday at 9:15 am, Cameron effectively annulled the referendum result, and simultaneously destroyed the political careers of Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and leading Brexiters who cost him so much anguish, not to mention his premiership.
How?
Throughout the campaign, Cameron had repeatedly said that a vote for leave would lead to triggering Article 50 straight away. Whether implicitly or explicitly, the image was clear: he would be giving that notice under Article 50 the morning after a vote to leave. Whether that was scaremongering or not is a bit moot now but, in the midst of the sentimental nautical references of his speech yesterday, he quietly abandoned that position and handed the responsibility over to his successor.
And as the day wore on, the enormity of that step started to sink in: the markets, Sterling, Scotland, the Irish border, the Gibraltar border, the frontier at Calais, the need to continue compliance with all EU regulations for a free market, re-issuing passports, Brits abroad, EU citizens in Britain, the mountain of legistlation to be torn up and rewritten … the list grew and grew.
The referendum result is not binding. It is advisory. Parliament is not bound to commit itself to it.
The Conservative party election that Cameron triggered will now have one question looming over it: will you, if elected as party leader, trigger the notice under Article 50? Who will want to have the responsibility of all those ramifications and consequences on his/her head and shoulders?
Boris knew this yesterday, when he emerged subdued from his home. He has been out-maneouvered and check-mated.
If he runs for leadership of the party, and then fails to follow through on triggering Article 50, then he is finished. If he does not run and effectively abandons the field, then he is finished. If he runs, wins and pulls the UK out of the EU, then it will all be over – Scotland will break away, there will be upheaval in Ireland, a recession … broken trade agreements. Then he is also finished. Boris Johnson knows all of this. When he acts like the dumb blond it is just that: an act.
The Brexit leaders now have a result that they cannot use. For them, leadership of the Tory party has Is a poison chalice.
When Boris said there was no need to trigger Article 50 straight away, what he really meant to say was “never”. When Gove went on about “informal negotiations”, why not the formal ones straight away? he also meant not triggering the formal departure. They both know what a formal demarche would mean: an irreversible step that neither is prepared to take.
All that remains is for someone to have the guts to stand up and say that Brexit is unachievable in reality without an enormous amount of pain and destruction, that cannot be borne. And David Cameron has put the onus of making that statement on the heads of the people who led the Brexit campaign.
Sorry about that. Just thought it was a good read.
COYBIG.
2:1 Ireland.
Yeah good read all right.
Love watching the Guardian clutching at straws.
Looks like the EU will come down heavy on the UK of England and Wales (less the sovereign state of London). Can’t have it both ways Boris. Wrong again lad.
So you’re for dictatorship then Brian? Would that suit you?
Excellent posts Brian.
I have never felt angry enough to fight for a cause. I realise there were no causes worth fighting for. As an Irishman I would fight for #Brexit. That said, I’m horrified by the death of Jo Cox RIP. I’m not for ANY political party. The EU has helped destroy the identity of my country. The EU monstrosity must be stopped.
If you’re going to red thumb I support your right to do so but please have the decency to reply and make your point.
Where would our infrastructure be without the EU? Let’s be very clear, we get far more funding than we give. So people on trolleys in hospitals is unbearable? Where will we put them when we canteen afford trollies?
Democracy!! Boris,Gove and Cameron are all the same,Two friends of Dave, Christ Gove’s wife is Cameron’s child’s godmother, the Tories sought to lead both the remain and exit campaign, controlling the message while sidelining Farrage, hasn’t worked out too well,even on Thursday night when they felt assure of remain they signed a letter backing Cameron,no surprise Boris looks fuddled.
The Brexit vote is a classic Pyrrhic victory.
Apart from the self-interested grey vote, the ‘ordinary people’ with 20-30 years left working in the economy will suffer as a result, both in their career opportunities and their personal lives disconnected to and outside Europe.
The hollow anti-establishment rhetoric of the Farage and Boris may have been convincing to some. But, like all destructive politics, it was just selfserving populism with no plans for the future.
As the UK disentangles itself from the EU it will gradually dawn on people what they are losing. Their MEPs and Commissioners are packing their card board boxes in Brussels, the U.K. will have zero representation at future pan EU meetings on every topic under the sun that will affect the UK. Brits will have the same rights within the EU as Syrians and Russians. British industry will compete with China to supply their goods from outside. Countless other disadvantages will reveal themselves pretty quickly.
And all of this in return for Farage and Boris’s promises that problems will be solved?
Immigration will be much worse for the UK going forward. Calais’s immigrant camps will now move to Dover – The EU will want to control its borders, and the U.K. sit outside them.
I hope the Brexiteers can see some upside in what they’ve achieved.
“Brits will have the same rights within the EU as Syrians and Russians”
You really think so? I would say they’ll have less rights than the Syrians as mama Merkel has a soft spot for them, or anyone who sounds and looks like them.
As opposed to the hollow end of the world rethoric and over the to scare mongering
Boris didn’t want to win. He wanted it to be a close fought loss, that way he has an issue but no possible action. Now he has something which must be done but will tear the UK apart. I look forward to seeing who puts their hand up to be the person at the wheel when that happens
Jeez!
All the furore and negative hype around Donald Trump’s sexist and misogynistic pronouncements and it turns out that his No1 advisor is a 27 year old woman Hope Hicks.
The Brexit exit will pale into insignificance compared to the Feminist Implosion from this revelation.
They’ll just insult her and tell her she’s a victim.
You know it’s possible to be sexist and employ women right?
Not Europhobia but a working class revolt. English nationalism? Tell that to Wales which voted 54-46 to Leave. Considering this, D4. The average salary in a Leave area is £18000, compared to £34000. Enlargement has pushed EU economic policy sharply to the Right, eroding working conditions. The zero hours contract is one example. Open borders has pushed hospitals and schools to breaking point. While there are many exemplary migrants working in public services, the truth is that we have a cap on PS employment and there are Irish who would do the work but the politicians dont want that because they want cheap labour. If you are from the professional classes you are okay with immigration. After all the legal profession is sole trader so you’re not going to lose your job. The provisions in the Legal Services bill for partnerships won’t get off the ground because the law makes it too difficult. If you are a boss immigration is a chance for to pay lower wages to cheap labour. Well I’m glad you like it, bosses. But if you think the working class are going to take it you are sadly mistaken. In the UK at least.
The £34000 is the average salary in Remain voting area according to analyst on Boulton on Sky News compared to £18000 in the Remain areas
£18000 in Leave are I mean
Farge is a very French name.
Pronounced very French by Nigel himself.
Nigel even looks French.
A new Norman Invasion of England?
He’s a banker married to an immigrant. But hates bankers and immigrants. Complex fellow
D4 stereotypes
Pat the irony, he is descended from Franco German Huguenots that fled religious persecution in Europe about 300 years ago, married first a lady from Ireland and secondly a German, his two sons are half Irish
Most disgusting thing about Farage is “without a single shot fired” ask the Cox family if they agree
A figure of speech.
Are you suggesting that the Brexit was achieved through armed struggle?
Surely a politician should have the presence of mind not to use such figures of speech when someone was actually shot and killed because of the side they represented
The States of fear article is a great read. Unbelievable whats happening in Syria. Scary
have your say