'Barry Humphries, meanwhile, is known primarily to the world as Dame Edna Everage, and he's set to play the Goblin King in The Hobbit. Jackson says, "We're looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves."'

In other news, Benedict Cumberbatch to play Smaug the dragon.

"PMQ is, in my oipinion, representative of all that is bad in British democracy. It does none of what its defenders claim it does, and does much to reduce the significance of what is going on to a silly game of points-scoring and debating-chamber rhetoric. It's something loved by political junkies and hated by people who wish politicians would spend their valuable time solving the shit that we find ourself in."

'The world is a hostile, alienating place. Power has been concentrated in the hands of often unaccountable elites; backed by covert insitutions. That much is as arguable as the words, “The sun is hot.” From there it’s just a matter of how altruistic they are – and, considering the decades of conflict and exploitation we’ve experienced, you wouldn’t trust the buggers – and how honest they’re prepared to be – and, considering their habits of lying to us, hiding things from us and swotting those who let things slip you wouldn’t bank on ‘em. This doesn’t mean we should envisage cosmic conspiracies, nor expect Ickean levels of iniquity. Accusations based on prejudice rather than facts should be dissected with the vehemence of an anatomist. But it’s still enough to think that plots aren’t merely features of the past; that world events demand suspicion, not assurance and that “conspiracy theories” deserve sceptical assessment, not contemptuous denial.'

This is awful news.

Extra-special segments from around the Seven Kingdoms include…
Nymeria’s Incredible Journey: Arya Stark’s lost direwolf (guest voice: Fran Drescher) befriends and eventually eats three other abandoned pets on a desperate journey back to her home at Winterfell in this animated odyssey that will warm your heart until it inevitably ends in tragedy.
A King’s Landing Carol: Three spirits of Lannisters past, present and future appear to teach Joffrey vital lessons about rulership. Unfortunately, he doesn’t take kindly to that and orders them all put to death, with hilarious consequences. 

'Victor was surprisingly pissed that I’d “wasted money” on an enormous chicken, because apparently he couldn’t appreciate the hysterical value of a 5 foot chicken ringing the doorbell.  Then I said, “Well, at least it’s not towels” and apparently that was the wrong thing to say because that’s when Victor screamed and stormed off, but I knew he was locked in his office because I could hear him punching things in there.'

Do you have domestic arguments like this???

David Rennie, as ever, speaks sense about Greece and the Euro.

Great philosophy, summarised (as reported by Communicator)

"Anyone who has acted as an interpreter – as I have – anyone who has played a tiny part in the corridors of political power – knows that what people say to you in your language isn’t always what they say or even think among themselves in theirs. I don’t need to tell you that we Brits in the large know almost nothing of the real Germany of today. And our popular media do precious little to enlighten us, quite the reverse."

Brilliant piece. Read it all.