15 Comments
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Judith Williams's avatar

As you now "own" the picture of Farage, may I suggest creating a dartboard or punchbag with it. I suspect you'll find it very cathartic!

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Helen Spedding-Lowe's avatar

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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Helen Spedding-Lowe's avatar

But, but, but I LOVED the shouty, snarky, angry Bear on Twitter! That's where I first started following you, and was enchanted by this guy who said exactly what I was thinking ( especially the sweary bits!) Don't ever change dear Bear - perhaps cover your back and stay safe from prosecution etc, but please don't ever turn into an ass licking sycophantic pussycat - cos a growly Bear is MUCH more fun! Sending you loads of Bear 🐻 hugs 🫂 xxxxxxxxx 💗

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Sam Bright's avatar

Commiserations!

I had a similar experience a few years ago when a copyright agency working for Alamy demanded several hundred quid for an image I used on my personal website.

I was merely signposting to an article that I’d written elsewhere, which had used the image.

Apparently it didn’t matter that the original media outlet had a multi-thousand pound agreement with Alamy and had legally purchased the image. Me using it on my website was apparently a copyright breach, and Alamy said they were powerless (yeah right) to stop me from being charged.

It happens to the best of us!

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Mike's avatar

I enjoy your writing very much Bear, so often you put into words what my aging scrambled brain wishes my thoughts would/could become.

It seems a shame that the mainstream media don’t spend as much time deliberating over what they publish, as you clearly do, where they to do so, much of our present apparent “troubles” would disappear overnight!

Keep up the good work Bear and, I think a Bear in a Beret would set a trend!

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TRT's avatar
4hEdited

Your way with words is quite remarkable.

Stuck a massive needle through my somewhat disjointed mind and threaded the end of stitches that run through the whole piece, so that when you start pulling on those thought threads, the piece folds up nicely like the front of a ruffle shirt and takes on a new shape.

Keeps the reading fresh.

And a line to exemplify this, the spark that lit the fuse of this comment?

"...horrifying administrative mincer..." — I think I might have met him.

Keep up the good word!

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Lady of Lovedon's avatar

Hilarious as ever -thank you for taking us on your literary journey & the giggles at the mishaps along the way!

( hugs also to your husband who is such a support 🥰)

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Ruth Valentine's avatar

Thank heavens for overworked homosexual .immigrants - or even the laid-back straight ones - speaking truth to power. And to themselves, and us.

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Monnina's avatar

Thanks. I enjoyed this Augustian confession. A recognisable and shared learning curve. I am also delighted to read that I am not the only one who calls this globally mediated shouty pub conversation portal the interweb.

Do keep growling.

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Kane Clements's avatar

Hello Bear.

I used to comment on platforms using a false name.

Years ago I decided to use my real name.

I can still hurl casual insults.

However I do self edit, and try to be accurate when I state data. I figured that being myself, in some small even insignificant way, carries more power.

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Paola Lagi's avatar

Have been following the growly Bear from the beginning (I think), always loved your knack of cutting the BS to zero. I love the calmer Bear too, especially if it means no more unvoluntarily aquired art...😁

Addendum - if you have time and the inclination, I would point you to The Newsroom, for a (idealistic, alas) view of how the media operates. It's Sorkin, so...

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Andrea Jennings's avatar

Can we all club together to pay for this pic? Should be around 12p each which is as much as any one person should pay for such an image 🙂

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Elaine Maisey's avatar

Oh bear, sorry to hear that you've been stung for a picture of the odious frog. You're more of a journalist than most of the muck spreaders who work for the likes of the Telegraph, Mail, Times, Sun etc.

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Carolyn Anderson's avatar

Oh Bear! When that awful lying grifter's face appears to be everywhere I look, I wonder how much more money he is trousering simply by demanding payment for showing that face. I would have thought he preferred the publicity. I wonder how much of our licence fee the BBC is paying him as he is pictured on virtually every news programme and in almost every online item, whether or not it concerns reform. Today's weather is.....let's ask Nigel what he thinks.

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Steve Brown's avatar

This is the shit. This is exactly why I am here.

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