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Old Bexley & Sidcup: The betting overstates CON chances – politicalbetting.com

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  • CookieCookie Posts: 11,184
    algarkirk said:

    Talking of pedantry, I know I have quite a few fellow grammarians on PB and I need your assistance.

    So what's the plural of task force? I wrote task forces and it seemed just wrong, is it like attorneys general and thus tasks force?

    It depends. If your are doubling up on tasks it is tasks force, if ditto on forces its task forces, if its both its tasks forces.

    Just as stopgap can have the plural stopsgaps.
    This is the way to do it:
    https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/plural
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,060
    edited December 2021
    algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    Nigelb said:

    Talking of pedantry, I know I have quite a few fellow grammarians on PB and I need your assistance.

    So what's the plural of task force? I wrote task forces and it seemed just wrong, is it like attorneys general and thus tasks force?

    A tasks force would be something very different from a task force.
    Task forces is correct, I think.

    (And it is definitely not like attorneys general.)
    Carnyx said:

    Talking of pedantry, I know I have quite a few fellow grammarians on PB and I need your assistance.

    So what's the plural of task force? I wrote task forces and it seemed just wrong, is it like attorneys general and thus tasks force?

    Task forces is right; force is the noun, task is an adjectival noun. In Attorny general it is attorney which is the noun and general the adjective.
    Cheers both, it just looked wrong when I typed it on screen.
    Happens to me all the time.
    English is clearly designed to be like that to confound foreigners.

    Attorney generals is also grammatically correct, of course, but just means something else.
    It is attorneys general, for the same reason you wouldn't say generals attorney.

    It would be “general’s attorney” I assume.

    Edit: though you could have “general’s attorneys”, “generals’ attorney” and “generals’ attorneys” depending on how bad everything got.
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 7,257

    At my local Tesco's in Bursledon there is a major police incident, it looks like someone had driven at people causing many injuries, whole area sealed off.

    Thought that sounded familiar - I used to get petrol there a lot, often driving into east Southampton (home) off the M27.

    Can't find anything substantive on the incident yet.
  • SandraMcSandraMc Posts: 582

    Stocky said:

    isam said:

    Nigelb said:

    TOPPING said:

    Can't believe I missed the top 10 film discussion.

    Late to the game so I'll save mine for the next time it comes round.

    As did I.
    Let's start it up again.

    I don't really have a top ten, but...
    Spirited Away
    Casablanca
    Vertigo
    Dr Strangelove
    Yojimbo
    The Band Wagon
    Memories of Murder
    Apocalypse Now
    All About Eve
    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Would be entirely different tomorrow.
    Something About Mary
    Cool Hand Luke
    Hombre
    The Sting
    The Godfather
    The Godfather ptII
    Waynes World
    Carry On Abroad
    The Lives of Others
    One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
    You put a Carry On film in your ten best?!
    Carry On Loving is a surprisingly good film. A sort of timepiece of older Britain meeting Swinging London in 1969, when it was filmed. All the films after are more obviously bawdy, and all their films before are more obviously coy. The exact moment at which a lot of things were changing for the majority.
    Carry On Don't Lose Your Head is a personal favourite of mine.
    Yes, I remember that as a good one too.

    There's a striking scene in Carry On Loving, where you see the exact moment the older social and generational order is crumbling down. The two "swinging" younger characters, one of whom is actually a middle-aged Terry Jones, are marooned in a Victorian-like atmosphere in a drawing room, where the extended older 'family' are having tea, stock-still like statues. Needless to say it ends in chaos and the action soon turns to Terry and the miniskirted heroine.

    There's nothing like the head-on social clash in any of the other films - the 70's films get gradually more and more lewd and relaxed.
    Terry Jones in a Carry On film? I was excited by the idea of a Python star being in a Carry On as I thought it might make a good quiz question but I couldn't find him in the cast list on IMDB. Do you mean Terry Scott?
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 14,884

    Stocky said:

    isam said:

    Nigelb said:

    TOPPING said:

    Can't believe I missed the top 10 film discussion.

    Late to the game so I'll save mine for the next time it comes round.

    As did I.
    Let's start it up again.

    I don't really have a top ten, but...
    Spirited Away
    Casablanca
    Vertigo
    Dr Strangelove
    Yojimbo
    The Band Wagon
    Memories of Murder
    Apocalypse Now
    All About Eve
    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Would be entirely different tomorrow.
    Something About Mary
    Cool Hand Luke
    Hombre
    The Sting
    The Godfather
    The Godfather ptII
    Waynes World
    Carry On Abroad
    The Lives of Others
    One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
    You put a Carry On film in your ten best?!
    Carry On Abroad is even the best Carry On film (that honour goes to Carry On Cleo: “Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me”).
    Carry on Cleo or Carry on up the Kyber for me. Classics of the genre.
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 8,480
    edited December 2021
    SandraMc said:

    Stocky said:

    isam said:

    Nigelb said:

    TOPPING said:

    Can't believe I missed the top 10 film discussion.

    Late to the game so I'll save mine for the next time it comes round.

    As did I.
    Let's start it up again.

    I don't really have a top ten, but...
    Spirited Away
    Casablanca
    Vertigo
    Dr Strangelove
    Yojimbo
    The Band Wagon
    Memories of Murder
    Apocalypse Now
    All About Eve
    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Would be entirely different tomorrow.
    Something About Mary
    Cool Hand Luke
    Hombre
    The Sting
    The Godfather
    The Godfather ptII
    Waynes World
    Carry On Abroad
    The Lives of Others
    One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
    You put a Carry On film in your ten best?!
    Carry On Loving is a surprisingly good film. A sort of timepiece of older Britain meeting Swinging London in 1969, when it was filmed. All the films after are more obviously bawdy, and all their films before are more obviously coy. The exact moment at which a lot of things were changing for the majority.
    Carry On Don't Lose Your Head is a personal favourite of mine.
    Yes, I remember that as a good one too.

    There's a striking scene in Carry On Loving, where you see the exact moment the older social and generational order is crumbling down. The two "swinging" younger characters, one of whom is actually a middle-aged Terry Jones, are marooned in a Victorian-like atmosphere in a drawing room, where the extended older 'family' are having tea, stock-still like statues. Needless to say it ends in chaos and the action soon turns to Terry and the miniskirted heroine.

    There's nothing like the head-on social clash in any of the other films - the 70's films get gradually more and more lewd and relaxed.
    Terry Jones in a Carry On film? I was excited by the idea of a Python star being in a Carry On as I thought it might make a good quiz question but I couldn't find him in the cast list on IMDB. Do you mean Terry Scott?
    Yes .. - of course ! It would have been great to see the real Terry Jones, or anyone from Monty Python, joining a Carry On film.;.)
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,165
    Selebian said:

    At my local Tesco's in Bursledon there is a major police incident, it looks like someone had driven at people causing many injuries, whole area sealed off.

    Thought that sounded familiar - I used to get petrol there a lot, often driving into east Southampton (home) off the M27.

    Can't find anything substantive on the incident yet.
    Someone on Twitter says reports that someone is trapped under a car. Purely speculative but it might be an accident (i.e. some old dear hit the accelerator rather than the brake).
  • TimSTimS Posts: 9,169
    Everything about old Bexley and Sidcup screams easy Conservative hold, so if Labour can make a big dent in the majority then that should do for now. Assuming Labour can't win this seat, ideally for Keir a big swing there sets things up for a shock victory for the Lib Dems in NS. That would actually be much better for the narrative and momentum than a close run thing in Bexley and then an easy Tory hold in Shropshire.

    The A2-A20 wedge that Bexley and Sidcup sits in is strongly leave voting, relatively elderly by London standards, heavily WWC (or more accurately perhaps self-identified working class but financially comfortable), and I suspect more at the Steve Baker end of the Covid spectrum. Labour don't stand a chance. Richard Tice is the only meaningful threat I think. If RefUK is at 6% nationally I wouldn't be surprised to see them at 25% there.
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,092
    Nepomniachtchi - does anyone know of any other celeb with 6 or more successive consonants in their name?
    Only other one I can think of is Angelika Kirchschlager.

  • Stocky said:

    isam said:

    Nigelb said:

    TOPPING said:

    Can't believe I missed the top 10 film discussion.

    Late to the game so I'll save mine for the next time it comes round.

    As did I.
    Let's start it up again.

    I don't really have a top ten, but...
    Spirited Away
    Casablanca
    Vertigo
    Dr Strangelove
    Yojimbo
    The Band Wagon
    Memories of Murder
    Apocalypse Now
    All About Eve
    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Would be entirely different tomorrow.
    Something About Mary
    Cool Hand Luke
    Hombre
    The Sting
    The Godfather
    The Godfather ptII
    Waynes World
    Carry On Abroad
    The Lives of Others
    One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
    You put a Carry On film in your ten best?!
    Carry On Abroad is even the best Carry On film (that honour goes to Carry On Cleo: “Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me”).
    Carry on Cleo or Carry on up the Kyber for me. Classics of the genre.
    Not sure having half the cast browning up would go down well these days.
  • JBriskin3JBriskin3 Posts: 1,254

    My top ten (but this often changes)

    1) The Wrath of Khan
    2) The Usual Suspects
    3) To Kill A Mockingbird
    4) Avengers: Endgame
    5) The LOTR Trilogy (as I consider that one film)
    6) Aliens
    7) The Godfather I or The Godfather II
    8) The Shawshank Redemption
    9) The Dollars Trilogy (like LOTR I consider that one film)
    10) Love Actually

    And I also need to add Metropolis to the list.

    1) Highlander 2 (sequels are *always* better)
    2) The Human Centipede
    3) Superman IV
    4) Star Wars: the Phantom Menace
    5) Cats
    6) Speed 2 (again, sequels are always better)
    7) The Blair Witch Project 2 (ditto)
    8) American Pie Reunion
    9) Police Academy (films 3-x - they're all brilliant and just get better!)
    10) Star Trek V (or for the revisioned films, Star Trek Into Darkness)

    An honourable mention to Mon Oncle.
    You were getting away with it till you tried to slip The Phantom Menace past us - It's not even a sequal!
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625

    My top ten (but this often changes)

    1) The Wrath of Khan
    2) The Usual Suspects
    3) To Kill A Mockingbird
    4) Avengers: Endgame
    5) The LOTR Trilogy (as I consider that one film)
    6) Aliens
    7) The Godfather I or The Godfather II
    8) The Shawshank Redemption
    9) The Dollars Trilogy (like LOTR I consider that one film)
    10) Love Actually

    And I also need to add Metropolis to the list.

    1) Highlander 2 (sequels are *always* better)
    2) The Human Centipede
    3) Superman IV
    4) Star Wars: the Phantom Menace
    5) Cats
    6) Speed 2 (again, sequels are always better)
    7) The Blair Witch Project 2 (ditto)
    8) American Pie Reunion
    9) Police Academy (films 3-x - they're all brilliant and just get better!)
    10) Star Trek V (or for the revisioned films, Star Trek Into Darkness)

    An honourable mention to Mon Oncle.
    There was no sequel to Highlander (aka the best Queen video).

    If they had made one it would probably have been shit.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 14,884

    Stocky said:

    isam said:

    Nigelb said:

    TOPPING said:

    Can't believe I missed the top 10 film discussion.

    Late to the game so I'll save mine for the next time it comes round.

    As did I.
    Let's start it up again.

    I don't really have a top ten, but...
    Spirited Away
    Casablanca
    Vertigo
    Dr Strangelove
    Yojimbo
    The Band Wagon
    Memories of Murder
    Apocalypse Now
    All About Eve
    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Would be entirely different tomorrow.
    Something About Mary
    Cool Hand Luke
    Hombre
    The Sting
    The Godfather
    The Godfather ptII
    Waynes World
    Carry On Abroad
    The Lives of Others
    One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
    You put a Carry On film in your ten best?!
    Carry On Abroad is even the best Carry On film (that honour goes to Carry On Cleo: “Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me”).
    Carry on Cleo or Carry on up the Kyber for me. Classics of the genre.
    Not sure having half the cast browning up would go down well these days.
    No, but judging on its merits of the time.
  • My top ten (but this often changes)

    1) The Wrath of Khan
    2) The Usual Suspects
    3) To Kill A Mockingbird
    4) Avengers: Endgame
    5) The LOTR Trilogy (as I consider that one film)
    6) Aliens
    7) The Godfather I or The Godfather II
    8) The Shawshank Redemption
    9) The Dollars Trilogy (like LOTR I consider that one film)
    10) Love Actually

    And I also need to add Metropolis to the list.

    1) Highlander 2 (sequels are *always* better)
    2) The Human Centipede
    3) Superman IV
    4) Star Wars: the Phantom Menace
    5) Cats
    6) Speed 2 (again, sequels are always better)
    7) The Blair Witch Project 2 (ditto)
    8) American Pie Reunion
    9) Police Academy (films 3-x - they're all brilliant and just get better!)
    10) Star Trek V (or for the revisioned films, Star Trek Into Darkness)

    An honourable mention to Mon Oncle.
    There was no sequel to Highlander (aka the best Queen video).

    If they had made one it would probably have been shit.
    The best Queen video was Flash Gordon surely?
  • JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 5,997
    edited December 2021
    geoffw said:

    Nepomniachtchi - does anyone know of any other celeb with 6 or more successive consonants in their name?
    Only other one I can think of is Angelika Kirchschlager.

    It's only one letter in Russian of course, щ, more usually transliterated as shch but more a longer, sharper sh (actually I think in this case it is the French translation that is being used). Pronounced Nipomnishshi and means "unforgettable"
  • My top ten (but this often changes)

    1) The Wrath of Khan
    2) The Usual Suspects
    3) To Kill A Mockingbird
    4) Avengers: Endgame
    5) The LOTR Trilogy (as I consider that one film)
    6) Aliens
    7) The Godfather I or The Godfather II
    8) The Shawshank Redemption
    9) The Dollars Trilogy (like LOTR I consider that one film)
    10) Love Actually

    And I also need to add Metropolis to the list.

    1) Highlander 2 (sequels are *always* better)
    2) The Human Centipede
    3) Superman IV
    4) Star Wars: the Phantom Menace
    5) Cats
    6) Speed 2 (again, sequels are always better)
    7) The Blair Witch Project 2 (ditto)
    8) American Pie Reunion
    9) Police Academy (films 3-x - they're all brilliant and just get better!)
    10) Star Trek V (or for the revisioned films, Star Trek Into Darkness)

    An honourable mention to Mon Oncle.
    There was no sequel to Highlander (aka the best Queen video).

    If they had made one it would probably have been shit.
    Did anyone else watch the Highlander cartoon series?

    It amused me to have a children's cartoon series based upon immortals cutting each others heads off.
  • Stocky said:

    isam said:

    Nigelb said:

    TOPPING said:

    Can't believe I missed the top 10 film discussion.

    Late to the game so I'll save mine for the next time it comes round.

    As did I.
    Let's start it up again.

    I don't really have a top ten, but...
    Spirited Away
    Casablanca
    Vertigo
    Dr Strangelove
    Yojimbo
    The Band Wagon
    Memories of Murder
    Apocalypse Now
    All About Eve
    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Would be entirely different tomorrow.
    Something About Mary
    Cool Hand Luke
    Hombre
    The Sting
    The Godfather
    The Godfather ptII
    Waynes World
    Carry On Abroad
    The Lives of Others
    One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
    You put a Carry On film in your ten best?!
    Carry On Abroad is even the best Carry On film (that honour goes to Carry On Cleo: “Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me”).
    Carry on Cleo or Carry on up the Kyber for me. Classics of the genre.
    Not sure having half the cast browning up would go down well these days.
    No, but judging on its merits of the time.
    True. The scene with the dinner party during the siege is priceless.
  • FlatlanderFlatlander Posts: 3,853
    edited December 2021

    My top ten (but this often changes)

    1) The Wrath of Khan
    2) The Usual Suspects
    3) To Kill A Mockingbird
    4) Avengers: Endgame
    5) The LOTR Trilogy (as I consider that one film)
    6) Aliens
    7) The Godfather I or The Godfather II
    8) The Shawshank Redemption
    9) The Dollars Trilogy (like LOTR I consider that one film)
    10) Love Actually

    And I also need to add Metropolis to the list.

    1) Highlander 2 (sequels are *always* better)
    2) The Human Centipede
    3) Superman IV
    4) Star Wars: the Phantom Menace
    5) Cats
    6) Speed 2 (again, sequels are always better)
    7) The Blair Witch Project 2 (ditto)
    8) American Pie Reunion
    9) Police Academy (films 3-x - they're all brilliant and just get better!)
    10) Star Trek V (or for the revisioned films, Star Trek Into Darkness)

    An honourable mention to Mon Oncle.
    There was no sequel to Highlander (aka the best Queen video).

    If they had made one it would probably have been shit.
    Quite. There can be only one!
  • JBriskin3JBriskin3 Posts: 1,254
    Aslan said:

    Top 10 movies:

    Bladerunner 2049
    The Godfather (Parts I and II)
    The Shawshank Redemption
    The Constant Gardener
    The Road
    Fight Club
    Aliens
    Apocalypse Now!
    Pulp Fiction
    Road to Perdition

    Glad to see Fight Club has made it to someones list.

    Pulp Fiction is another cracker.

    Bladerunner 2049 is one of the few films I own on DVD - pretty slooooow going on the the re-watch.
  • StockyStocky Posts: 9,653
    TimS said:

    Everything about old Bexley and Sidcup screams easy Conservative hold, so if Labour can make a big dent in the majority then that should do for now. Assuming Labour can't win this seat, ideally for Keir a big swing there sets things up for a shock victory for the Lib Dems in NS. That would actually be much better for the narrative and momentum than a close run thing in Bexley and then an easy Tory hold in Shropshire.

    The A2-A20 wedge that Bexley and Sidcup sits in is strongly leave voting, relatively elderly by London standards, heavily WWC (or more accurately perhaps self-identified working class but financially comfortable), and I suspect more at the Steve Baker end of the Covid spectrum. Labour don't stand a chance. Richard Tice is the only meaningful threat I think. If RefUK is at 6% nationally I wouldn't be surprised to see them at 25% there.

    You could get odds-against Tice over 5% earlier in week (I took some) - now down to 1.59 (Smarkets)
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,092
    isam said:

    von der Leyen: "one-third of the European population is not vaccinated. These are 150 million people."


    Gonna be an awful winter across the channel.

    Does she just mean EU citizens, or are we included?
    Not. What did you think?
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 8,480
    edited December 2021

    Stocky said:

    isam said:

    Nigelb said:

    TOPPING said:

    Can't believe I missed the top 10 film discussion.

    Late to the game so I'll save mine for the next time it comes round.

    As did I.
    Let's start it up again.

    I don't really have a top ten, but...
    Spirited Away
    Casablanca
    Vertigo
    Dr Strangelove
    Yojimbo
    The Band Wagon
    Memories of Murder
    Apocalypse Now
    All About Eve
    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Would be entirely different tomorrow.
    Something About Mary
    Cool Hand Luke
    Hombre
    The Sting
    The Godfather
    The Godfather ptII
    Waynes World
    Carry On Abroad
    The Lives of Others
    One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
    You put a Carry On film in your ten best?!
    Carry On Abroad is even the best Carry On film (that honour goes to Carry On Cleo: “Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me”).
    Carry on Cleo or Carry on up the Kyber for me. Classics of the genre.
    Not sure having half the cast browning up would go down well these days.
    No, but judging on its merits of the time.
    True. The scene with the dinner party during the siege is priceless.
    That's the precursor of the drawing-room tea scene in Carry Om Loving, I think. One of the two scenes where the series really was making a social comment, first with the end of empire, and then changes at home.

    Edit - not Carry Om Loving ; that sounds like some sort of Buddhist, or 1960's commune-inspired sauciness.
  • geoffw said:

    isam said:

    von der Leyen: "one-third of the European population is not vaccinated. These are 150 million people."


    Gonna be an awful winter across the channel.

    Does she just mean EU citizens, or are we included?
    Not. What did you think?
    Here's her full quote.

    “If you look at the numbers, we have now 77% of the adults in the European Union vaccinated or if you take the whole population, it’s 66%. And this means one-third of the European population is not vaccinated. These are 150 million people.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,618
    The Human Centipede??
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,415
    TOPPING said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    TOPPING said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Looks like a bit of an inaccuracy by Magnus. But he's not playing stockfish.

    I love the fact that along with Cricket et al, PBers are confident enough to dabble in a bit of Chess comentary of a match between two grandmasters
    What can you say, PBers are a very talented bunch.
    Indeed - I'd love to claim a draw against Kasparov on my CV!
    Wasn't there a story that Kasparov was playing a simultaneous match and he offered one of the players a draw, which the player accepted. And then Kasparov gave the player a bollocking saying you are playing in a once in a lifetime match and you aren't getting beaten roundly and you decide to stop it early and settle for a draw....!
    Rather poor form from Kasparov if it's true I'd say.

    Re: the live chess

    I'd go for NxB

    Horseys are rubbish compared to Bishops.
    I was in a shop the other day which sells board games, and such like and there was "The Queen's Gambit [the Netflix show] - The Board Game".

    Surely Queen's Gambit - The Board Game is..er..chess.
    Not if it’s played on the ceiling! 🙂

    Some of the clothes in that show are amazing. I couldn’t get away with wearing them without a bra as she did though as my nips would show too much.
  • The Human Centipede??

    Awesome family friendly film.

    You can watch it with your kids to your grandparents.

    I'd recommend it as a perfect film to watch at Christmas.
  • BurgessianBurgessian Posts: 2,395
    TimS said:

    Everything about old Bexley and Sidcup screams easy Conservative hold, so if Labour can make a big dent in the majority then that should do for now. Assuming Labour can't win this seat, ideally for Keir a big swing there sets things up for a shock victory for the Lib Dems in NS. That would actually be much better for the narrative and momentum than a close run thing in Bexley and then an easy Tory hold in Shropshire.

    The A2-A20 wedge that Bexley and Sidcup sits in is strongly leave voting, relatively elderly by London standards, heavily WWC (or more accurately perhaps self-identified working class but financially comfortable), and I suspect more at the Steve Baker end of the Covid spectrum. Labour don't stand a chance. Richard Tice is the only meaningful threat I think. If RefUK is at 6% nationally I wouldn't be surprised to see them at 25% there.

    "If RefUK is at 6% nationally I wouldn't be surprised to see them at 25% there."

    Blimey, I would. Really think Tice could get that sort of cut through? RefUK has seemed a damp squib to me, like the Umuna/Soubry outfit (well, not like, but you know what I mean - destined for obscurity)
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,618

    The Human Centipede??

    Awesome family friendly film.

    You can watch it with your kids to your grandparents.

    I'd recommend it as a perfect film to watch at Christmas.
    Apparently watching the whole trilogy back to back makes for the perfect Boxing Day en famille?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,575
    algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    Nigelb said:

    Talking of pedantry, I know I have quite a few fellow grammarians on PB and I need your assistance.

    So what's the plural of task force? I wrote task forces and it seemed just wrong, is it like attorneys general and thus tasks force?

    A tasks force would be something very different from a task force.
    Task forces is correct, I think.

    (And it is definitely not like attorneys general.)
    Carnyx said:

    Talking of pedantry, I know I have quite a few fellow grammarians on PB and I need your assistance.

    So what's the plural of task force? I wrote task forces and it seemed just wrong, is it like attorneys general and thus tasks force?

    Task forces is right; force is the noun, task is an adjectival noun. In Attorny general it is attorney which is the noun and general the adjective.
    Cheers both, it just looked wrong when I typed it on screen.
    Happens to me all the time.
    English is clearly designed to be like that to confound foreigners.

    Attorney generals is also grammatically correct, of course, but just means something else.
    It is attorneys general, for the same reason you wouldn't say generals attorney.

    It's amazing anyone wants to or manages to learn this absurd language.

    Attorney generals is grammatically fine - it just means generals who are attorneys.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,618

    @sailorrooscout
    WHO press conference. Chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said the greatest risk is posed to those who are aged over 45 who have co-morbidities. She said there is NO evidence so far of reduced vaccine efficacy to Omicron.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,575

    My top ten (but this often changes)

    1) The Wrath of Khan
    2) The Usual Suspects
    3) To Kill A Mockingbird
    4) Avengers: Endgame
    5) The LOTR Trilogy (as I consider that one film)
    6) Aliens
    7) The Godfather I or The Godfather II
    8) The Shawshank Redemption
    9) The Dollars Trilogy (like LOTR I consider that one film)
    10) Love Actually

    And I also need to add Metropolis to the list.

    1) Highlander 2 (sequels are *always* better)
    2) The Human Centipede
    3) Superman IV
    4) Star Wars: the Phantom Menace
    5) Cats
    6) Speed 2 (again, sequels are always better)
    7) The Blair Witch Project 2 (ditto)
    8) American Pie Reunion
    9) Police Academy (films 3-x - they're all brilliant and just get better!)
    10) Star Trek V (or for the revisioned films, Star Trek Into Darkness)

    An honourable mention to Mon Oncle.
    Did he come up with the list ?
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,618
    Is it trades union or trade unions?
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,415
    Nigelb said:

    TOPPING said:

    Can't believe I missed the top 10 film discussion.

    Late to the game so I'll save mine for the next time it comes round.

    As did I.
    Let's start it up again.

    I don't really have a top ten, but...
    Spirited Away
    Casablanca
    Vertigo
    Dr Strangelove
    Yojimbo
    The Band Wagon
    Memories of Murder
    Apocalypse Now
    All About Eve
    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Would be entirely different tomorrow.
    What about a list of what planning to watch next havn’t yet seen.

    I havn’t seen nomad land. The green knight. jojo rabbit. And looking forward to Netflix releasing don’t look up over Christmas.
  • BurgessianBurgessian Posts: 2,395
    SandraMc said:

    Stocky said:

    isam said:

    Nigelb said:

    TOPPING said:

    Can't believe I missed the top 10 film discussion.

    Late to the game so I'll save mine for the next time it comes round.

    As did I.
    Let's start it up again.

    I don't really have a top ten, but...
    Spirited Away
    Casablanca
    Vertigo
    Dr Strangelove
    Yojimbo
    The Band Wagon
    Memories of Murder
    Apocalypse Now
    All About Eve
    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Would be entirely different tomorrow.
    Something About Mary
    Cool Hand Luke
    Hombre
    The Sting
    The Godfather
    The Godfather ptII
    Waynes World
    Carry On Abroad
    The Lives of Others
    One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
    You put a Carry On film in your ten best?!
    Carry On Loving is a surprisingly good film. A sort of timepiece of older Britain meeting Swinging London in 1969, when it was filmed. All the films after are more obviously bawdy, and all their films before are more obviously coy. The exact moment at which a lot of things were changing for the majority.
    Carry On Don't Lose Your Head is a personal favourite of mine.
    Yes, I remember that as a good one too.

    There's a striking scene in Carry On Loving, where you see the exact moment the older social and generational order is crumbling down. The two "swinging" younger characters, one of whom is actually a middle-aged Terry Jones, are marooned in a Victorian-like atmosphere in a drawing room, where the extended older 'family' are having tea, stock-still like statues. Needless to say it ends in chaos and the action soon turns to Terry and the miniskirted heroine.

    There's nothing like the head-on social clash in any of the other films - the 70's films get gradually more and more lewd and relaxed.
    Terry Jones in a Carry On film? I was excited by the idea of a Python star being in a Carry On as I thought it might make a good quiz question but I couldn't find him in the cast list on IMDB. Do you mean Terry Scott?
    Gawd. I remember Terry Scott playing Tarzan in a Carry On. Can you imagine?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,575
    JBriskin3 said:

    My top ten (but this often changes)

    1) The Wrath of Khan
    2) The Usual Suspects
    3) To Kill A Mockingbird
    4) Avengers: Endgame
    5) The LOTR Trilogy (as I consider that one film)
    6) Aliens
    7) The Godfather I or The Godfather II
    8) The Shawshank Redemption
    9) The Dollars Trilogy (like LOTR I consider that one film)
    10) Love Actually

    And I also need to add Metropolis to the list.

    1) Highlander 2 (sequels are *always* better)
    2) The Human Centipede
    3) Superman IV
    4) Star Wars: the Phantom Menace
    5) Cats
    6) Speed 2 (again, sequels are always better)
    7) The Blair Witch Project 2 (ditto)
    8) American Pie Reunion
    9) Police Academy (films 3-x - they're all brilliant and just get better!)
    10) Star Trek V (or for the revisioned films, Star Trek Into Darkness)

    An honourable mention to Mon Oncle.
    You were getting away with it till you tried to slip The Phantom Menace past us - It's not even a sequal!
    Wrong - itsequally bad.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,941


    @sailorrooscout
    WHO press conference. Chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said the greatest risk is posed to those who are aged over 45 who have co-morbidities. She said there is NO evidence so far of reduced vaccine efficacy to Omicron.

    That last statement isn't news, simply because the tests haven't been done to assess whether or not there is a reduced efficacy.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,774
    Farooq said:

    Botswana today revealed that 85 per cent of its Omicron cases so far were asymptomatic

    How does that compare with Delta, etc?
    Asympotomatic can also mean presymptomatic.
  • CookieCookie Posts: 11,184
    JBriskin3 said:

    Aslan said:

    Top 10 movies:

    Bladerunner 2049
    The Godfather (Parts I and II)
    The Shawshank Redemption
    The Constant Gardener
    The Road
    Fight Club
    Aliens
    Apocalypse Now!
    Pulp Fiction
    Road to Perdition

    Glad to see Fight Club has made it to someones list.

    Pulp Fiction is another cracker.

    Bladerunner 2049 is one of the few films I own on DVD - pretty slooooow going on the the re-watch.
    According to this site@
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BFI_Top_100_British_films
    the only Carry On film which makes it into the top 100 British Films is Carry On up the Khyber.

    Which, on reflection, would be my choice. Well, I'm not sure about best, but perhaps 'most archetypal'. It also has the most Carry On title.

    I'm struggling to think of 10 films I'd have in my top 10. My top 2 would be:

    24 Hour Party People
    Local Hero

    and the other 8 might include:

    Whisky Galore
    Sleuth
    The Railway Children
    Shallow Grave
    The Royal Tenenbaums
    2001
    Airplane
    LA Story
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 20,401
    Can I offer clingfilm as my favourite?

    Keeps left overs fresh, ready for the next day. What's not to like?

    Second favourite, the film of oil you see on a puddle in the road, making pretty colours.

    I'm afraid that I can't think of another eight.


    BTW, those things you see at the pictures - they are pronounced "fillim".
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,618
    RobD said:


    @sailorrooscout
    WHO press conference. Chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said the greatest risk is posed to those who are aged over 45 who have co-morbidities. She said there is NO evidence so far of reduced vaccine efficacy to Omicron.

    That last statement isn't news, simply because the tests haven't been done to assess whether or not there is a reduced efficacy.
    Actually, there was a report out yesterday showing slightly reduced efficacy.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,575

    The Human Centipede??

    Awesome family friendly film.

    You can watch it with your kids to your grandparents.

    I'd recommend it as a perfect film to watch at Christmas.
    Apparently watching the whole trilogy back to back makes for the perfect Boxing Day en famille?
    As I recall, it wasn't back to back ?
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,941

    RobD said:


    @sailorrooscout
    WHO press conference. Chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said the greatest risk is posed to those who are aged over 45 who have co-morbidities. She said there is NO evidence so far of reduced vaccine efficacy to Omicron.

    That last statement isn't news, simply because the tests haven't been done to assess whether or not there is a reduced efficacy.
    Actually, there was a report out yesterday showing slightly reduced efficacy.
    So it's news, but fake news?
  • Nigelb said:

    TOPPING said:

    Can't believe I missed the top 10 film discussion.

    Late to the game so I'll save mine for the next time it comes round.

    As did I.
    Let's start it up again.

    I don't really have a top ten, but...
    Spirited Away
    Casablanca
    Vertigo
    Dr Strangelove
    Yojimbo
    The Band Wagon
    Memories of Murder
    Apocalypse Now
    All About Eve
    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Would be entirely different tomorrow.
    What about a list of what planning to watch next havn’t yet seen.

    I havn’t seen nomad land. The green knight. jojo rabbit. And looking forward to Netflix releasing don’t look up over Christmas.
    Love jo jo Rabbit - Never seen a film with so many adjectives to describe bit of it - Funny , optimistic, quirky , heartbreaking, offbeat, determined.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,842
    The new Dune could be something special, I await next year's instalment eagerly. Not sure if it's a two or three parter.
  • maaarshmaaarsh Posts: 3,391
    rcs1000 said:

    Farooq said:

    Botswana today revealed that 85 per cent of its Omicron cases so far were asymptomatic

    How does that compare with Delta, etc?
    Asympotomatic can also mean presymptomatic.
    The same interview said most had already tested negative again so unlikely in this case unless she's making it up.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,149
    Cookie said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    Aslan said:

    Top 10 movies:

    Bladerunner 2049
    The Godfather (Parts I and II)
    The Shawshank Redemption
    The Constant Gardener
    The Road
    Fight Club
    Aliens
    Apocalypse Now!
    Pulp Fiction
    Road to Perdition

    Glad to see Fight Club has made it to someones list.

    Pulp Fiction is another cracker.

    Bladerunner 2049 is one of the few films I own on DVD - pretty slooooow going on the the re-watch.
    According to this site@
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BFI_Top_100_British_films
    the only Carry On film which makes it into the top 100 British Films is Carry On up the Khyber.

    Which, on reflection, would be my choice. Well, I'm not sure about best, but perhaps 'most archetypal'. It also has the most Carry On title.

    I'm struggling to think of 10 films I'd have in my top 10. My top 2 would be:

    24 Hour Party People
    Local Hero

    and the other 8 might include:

    Whisky Galore
    Sleuth
    The Railway Children
    Shallow Grave
    The Royal Tenenbaums
    2001
    Airplane
    LA Story
    Hmm, which WG and which RC?
  • EndillionEndillion Posts: 4,960
    JBriskin3 said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    TOPPING said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Looks like a bit of an inaccuracy by Magnus. But he's not playing stockfish.

    I love the fact that along with Cricket et al, PBers are confident enough to dabble in a bit of Chess comentary of a match between two grandmasters
    What can you say, PBers are a very talented bunch.
    Indeed - I'd love to claim a draw against Kasparov on my CV!
    Wasn't there a story that Kasparov was playing a simultaneous match and he offered one of the players a draw, which the player accepted. And then Kasparov gave the player a bollocking saying you are playing in a once in a lifetime match and you aren't getting beaten roundly and you decide to stop it early and settle for a draw....!
    Rather poor form from Kasparov if it's true I'd say.

    Re: the live chess

    I'd go for NxB

    Horseys are rubbish compared to Bishops.
    No, Bishops are confined to just the one colour of square. Knights can use squares of both colours.
    Unless you're making some kind of silly in-joke you could say the same about pawns.
    In a N v B endgame, with equal pawns on either side, I would rather have the N.
    I'm pretty crap at chess although I was second best chess player at my rather small primary school.

    Given that - for what it's worth - I'd rather have the bishop.
    Is the correct answer.

    The bishop is preferred to the knight because it can cross the whole board much more quickly than the knight, and therefore cover more squares. The knight also suffers from an odd moving pattern which means that once it is pushed off a square, it no longer covers any of the squares it was previously defending (unlike the bishop, which can just retreat along the diagonal).

    One of the mistakes new players often make is being told that the bishop and knight are of equal value, and therefore being too eager to exchange their bishops for an opponent's knights.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,517

    The Human Centipede??

    A classic. Reviewed very highly - just read Roger Ebert's review. As others have said, good family viewing. Also, it features some sewing, so good for grandma as well.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,618
    edited December 2021
    rcs1000 said:

    Farooq said:

    Botswana today revealed that 85 per cent of its Omicron cases so far were asymptomatic

    How does that compare with Delta, etc?
    Asympotomatic can also mean presymptomatic.
    Most of them have already 'recovered'.

    Pamela Smith-Lawrence, acting director of health in the ministry of health and wellness, told Reuters in an interview that the majority of the 19 people who were found to be infected with the new Omicron variant have already tested negative.
  • Few things better illustrate the madness that has taken over the Republican Party than this.

    Red States Are Now Paying Unemployment Benefits to Anti-Vaxxers Who Quit Their Jobs

    Republican governors have decided to coddle vaccine refusers, even as they cut benefits for everyone else.


    https://twitter.com/stephenpollard/status/1466074078721228803
  • maaarshmaaarsh Posts: 3,391
    Pulpstar said:

    The new Dune could be something special, I await next year's instalment eagerly. Not sure if it's a two or three parter.

    Part 2 confirmed for late 2023 so a while to wait.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,618
    maaarsh said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Farooq said:

    Botswana today revealed that 85 per cent of its Omicron cases so far were asymptomatic

    How does that compare with Delta, etc?
    Asympotomatic can also mean presymptomatic.
    The same interview said most had already tested negative again so unlikely in this case unless she's making it up.
    Sorry, you beat me to it.
  • algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    Nigelb said:

    Talking of pedantry, I know I have quite a few fellow grammarians on PB and I need your assistance.

    So what's the plural of task force? I wrote task forces and it seemed just wrong, is it like attorneys general and thus tasks force?

    A tasks force would be something very different from a task force.
    Task forces is correct, I think.

    (And it is definitely not like attorneys general.)
    Carnyx said:

    Talking of pedantry, I know I have quite a few fellow grammarians on PB and I need your assistance.

    So what's the plural of task force? I wrote task forces and it seemed just wrong, is it like attorneys general and thus tasks force?

    Task forces is right; force is the noun, task is an adjectival noun. In Attorny general it is attorney which is the noun and general the adjective.
    Cheers both, it just looked wrong when I typed it on screen.
    Happens to me all the time.
    English is clearly designed to be like that to confound foreigners.

    Attorney generals is also grammatically correct, of course, but just means something else.
    It is attorneys general, for the same reason you wouldn't say generals attorney.

    It's amazing anyone wants to or manages to learn this absurd language.

    Hart's guide says: "compound words formed by a noun and a following adjective, or two nouns connected by a preposition, generally form their plural by a change in the key word"

    e.g Attorneys General
    fathers-in-law
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 27,013
    edited December 2021
    Never mind best film, can I put in a word for best music video?

    I can't think of anything that so perfectly complements the music (and what a song) and claws at the heart/brain than Steve Wilson's Routine. Seriously, watch it: https://youtu.be/sh5mWzKlhQY

    "So what do I do with all the children's clothes, such tiny things that still smell of them..."
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625

    My top ten (but this often changes)

    1) The Wrath of Khan
    2) The Usual Suspects
    3) To Kill A Mockingbird
    4) Avengers: Endgame
    5) The LOTR Trilogy (as I consider that one film)
    6) Aliens
    7) The Godfather I or The Godfather II
    8) The Shawshank Redemption
    9) The Dollars Trilogy (like LOTR I consider that one film)
    10) Love Actually

    And I also need to add Metropolis to the list.

    1) Highlander 2 (sequels are *always* better)
    2) The Human Centipede
    3) Superman IV
    4) Star Wars: the Phantom Menace
    5) Cats
    6) Speed 2 (again, sequels are always better)
    7) The Blair Witch Project 2 (ditto)
    8) American Pie Reunion
    9) Police Academy (films 3-x - they're all brilliant and just get better!)
    10) Star Trek V (or for the revisioned films, Star Trek Into Darkness)

    An honourable mention to Mon Oncle.
    There was no sequel to Highlander (aka the best Queen video).

    If they had made one it would probably have been shit.
    The best Queen video was Flash Gordon surely?

    My top ten (but this often changes)

    1) The Wrath of Khan
    2) The Usual Suspects
    3) To Kill A Mockingbird
    4) Avengers: Endgame
    5) The LOTR Trilogy (as I consider that one film)
    6) Aliens
    7) The Godfather I or The Godfather II
    8) The Shawshank Redemption
    9) The Dollars Trilogy (like LOTR I consider that one film)
    10) Love Actually

    And I also need to add Metropolis to the list.

    1) Highlander 2 (sequels are *always* better)
    2) The Human Centipede
    3) Superman IV
    4) Star Wars: the Phantom Menace
    5) Cats
    6) Speed 2 (again, sequels are always better)
    7) The Blair Witch Project 2 (ditto)
    8) American Pie Reunion
    9) Police Academy (films 3-x - they're all brilliant and just get better!)
    10) Star Trek V (or for the revisioned films, Star Trek Into Darkness)

    An honourable mention to Mon Oncle.
    There was no sequel to Highlander (aka the best Queen video).

    If they had made one it would probably have been shit.
    The best Queen video was Flash Gordon surely?
    Second best.

  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,618
    RobD said:

    RobD said:


    @sailorrooscout
    WHO press conference. Chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said the greatest risk is posed to those who are aged over 45 who have co-morbidities. She said there is NO evidence so far of reduced vaccine efficacy to Omicron.

    That last statement isn't news, simply because the tests haven't been done to assess whether or not there is a reduced efficacy.
    Actually, there was a report out yesterday showing slightly reduced efficacy.
    So it's news, but fake news?
    The report showed slightly reduced efficacy but the reduction might not have been statistically significant? Dunno. I'm just reporting what I have seen.
  • So Macron (allegedly) calls Johnson a clown and a "gougnafier" ("knucklehead")

    Most interesting revelation in today's Canard Enchaîné is however ...

    "In private, he tells me he's sorry he acts like he does, conceding he has first and foremost to accommodate public opinion"


    https://twitter.com/AlexTaylorNews/status/1466048439570116611?s=20

    Sounds like Macron is taking Johnson at face value......
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,575

    Nigelb said:

    TOPPING said:

    Can't believe I missed the top 10 film discussion.

    Late to the game so I'll save mine for the next time it comes round.

    As did I.
    Let's start it up again.

    I don't really have a top ten, but...
    Spirited Away
    Casablanca
    Vertigo
    Dr Strangelove
    Yojimbo
    The Band Wagon
    Memories of Murder
    Apocalypse Now
    All About Eve
    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Would be entirely different tomorrow.
    What about a list of what planning to watch next havn’t yet seen.

    I havn’t seen nomad land. The green knight. jojo rabbit. And looking forward to Netflix releasing don’t look up over Christmas.
    You really need to see Nomadland in the cinema, if possible.
    Jojo Rabbit is excellent, though not all agree.

    Green Knight is an interesting idea done badly, IMO - I was a bit bored and disappointed.
    (Though Dev Patel is brilliant, as is the cinematography.)
  • Pulpstar said:

    The new Dune could be something special, I await next year's instalment eagerly. Not sure if it's a two or three parter.

    Yes, the first part was best film I've seen for a long time. Think it will be a two parter, as the first took us to about halfway through the book. There are plenty of later books in the series to provide the material for further sequels.
  • Few things better illustrate the madness that has taken over the Republican Party than this.

    Red States Are Now Paying Unemployment Benefits to Anti-Vaxxers Who Quit Their Jobs

    Republican governors have decided to coddle vaccine refusers, even as they cut benefits for everyone else.


    https://twitter.com/stephenpollard/status/1466074078721228803

    It's a good idea. Fire them from their jobs and then pay them to stay at home away from everyone else where they can die of the rona in peace. :smiley:
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,842
    maaarsh said:

    Pulpstar said:

    The new Dune could be something special, I await next year's instalment eagerly. Not sure if it's a two or three parter.

    Part 2 confirmed for late 2023 so a while to wait.
    Hah. Best they don't rush it tho tbh.
  • Favourite films I haven’t already seen in a list on their thread and would be happy to watch again:

    Life of Brian
    Princess Bride (best sword fight in cinema)
    Hot Fuzz
    Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
    Wall-E
    The Martian
    Coco
    Grand Budapest Hotel
    Paddington (1&2)
    Knives Out

  • Selebian said:

    At my local Tesco's in Bursledon there is a major police incident, it looks like someone had driven at people causing many injuries, whole area sealed off.

    Thought that sounded familiar - I used to get petrol there a lot, often driving into east Southampton (home) off the M27.

    Can't find anything substantive on the incident yet.
    "A SERIOUS collision in a Tesco Extra car park has sparked a huge response from emergency services.

    Hamble Lane in Bursledon is partially blocked after the incident.

    A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary confirmed that injuries have been reported.

    “We were called at 3.03pm today (1 December) to reports of a serious collision in the car park next to Tesco in Hamble Lane, Bursledon," they said.

    “The car park has been closed and we remain at the scene.”

    Traffic in the area is building. "

    https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/19755400.traffic-incident-bursledon-tesco-extra-hamble-lane/
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,517

    Can I offer clingfilm as my favourite?

    Keeps left overs fresh, ready for the next day. What's not to like?

    Second favourite, the film of oil you see on a puddle in the road, making pretty colours.

    I'm afraid that I can't think of another eight.


    BTW, those things you see at the pictures - they are pronounced "fillim".

    A chemical factory I used to work in had puddles that were black, but beautifully sheened with rainbow colours when the sun hit them - I never knew what the chemicals were. The only other place I've seen a similar effect was on the NE coast, where conveyors used to dump spoil out to sea. Puddles on the beach had a similar effect - and people were fishing there!
  • It is time for the European Union 'to think about' making Covid vaccines mandatory across the entire bloc, Ursula von der Leyen has said as the continent battles a winter wave of virus amid fears about the Omicron variant.

    The EU Commission President, speaking in Brussels, said it will ultimately be up to member states to decide their own vaccine rules - but it is her 'personal opinion' that the time is right to discuss forcing people to get jabs.


    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10262737/amp/Europe-Covid-Time-think-mandatory-vaccines-Ursula-von-der-Leyen-says.html
  • EndillionEndillion Posts: 4,960
    Pulpstar said:

    The new Dune could be something special, I await next year's instalment eagerly. Not sure if it's a two or three parter.

    Plan is for a trilogy to cover the first two books in the series (ie part 2 finishes off Dune, and part 3 covers Dune Messiah). If those are all successful, I would expect them to film Children of Dune at some point (probably in two parts) and then stop - God Emperor of Dune is probably unfilmable, due to the lack of an actual plot.
  • maaarshmaaarsh Posts: 3,391

    Pulpstar said:

    The new Dune could be something special, I await next year's instalment eagerly. Not sure if it's a two or three parter.

    Yes, the first part was best film I've seen for a long time. Think it will be a two parter, as the first took us to about halfway through the book. There are plenty of later books in the series to provide the material for further sequels.
    Apparently current plan is indeed finish book 1 in part 2, then have a 3rd party covering the next book (before it goes mental).
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,575

    The Human Centipede??

    A classic. Reviewed very highly - just read Roger Ebert's review. As others have said, good family viewing. Also, it features some sewing, so good for grandma as well.
    And there was no pineapple pizza in it.
  • rawzerrawzer Posts: 189
    Endillion said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    TOPPING said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Looks like a bit of an inaccuracy by Magnus. But he's not playing stockfish.

    I love the fact that along with Cricket et al, PBers are confident enough to dabble in a bit of Chess comentary of a match between two grandmasters
    What can you say, PBers are a very talented bunch.
    Indeed - I'd love to claim a draw against Kasparov on my CV!
    Wasn't there a story that Kasparov was playing a simultaneous match and he offered one of the players a draw, which the player accepted. And then Kasparov gave the player a bollocking saying you are playing in a once in a lifetime match and you aren't getting beaten roundly and you decide to stop it early and settle for a draw....!
    Rather poor form from Kasparov if it's true I'd say.

    Re: the live chess

    I'd go for NxB

    Horseys are rubbish compared to Bishops.
    No, Bishops are confined to just the one colour of square. Knights can use squares of both colours.
    Unless you're making some kind of silly in-joke you could say the same about pawns.
    In a N v B endgame, with equal pawns on either side, I would rather have the N.
    I'm pretty crap at chess although I was second best chess player at my rather small primary school.

    Given that - for what it's worth - I'd rather have the bishop.
    Is the correct answer.

    The bishop is preferred to the knight because it can cross the whole board much more quickly than the knight, and therefore cover more squares. The knight also suffers from an odd moving pattern which means that once it is pushed off a square, it no longer covers any of the squares it was previously defending (unlike the bishop, which can just retreat along the diagonal).

    One of the mistakes new players often make is being told that the bishop and knight are of equal value, and therefore being too eager to exchange their bishops for an opponent's knights.
    One of your bishops is much better than the other early on (the one pointing at the other guys king). Generally which is more valuable later depends on shape of the middle game. If you have lots of pawn chains all over the board you want knights hopping over them not biships hemmed in by them. Personally prefer bishops, but knights can be more sneaky
  • Selebian said:

    At my local Tesco's in Bursledon there is a major police incident, it looks like someone had driven at people causing many injuries, whole area sealed off.

    Thought that sounded familiar - I used to get petrol there a lot, often driving into east Southampton (home) off the M27.

    Can't find anything substantive on the incident yet.
    "A SERIOUS collision in a Tesco Extra car park has sparked a huge response from emergency services.

    Hamble Lane in Bursledon is partially blocked after the incident.

    A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary confirmed that injuries have been reported.

    “We were called at 3.03pm today (1 December) to reports of a serious collision in the car park next to Tesco in Hamble Lane, Bursledon," they said.

    “The car park has been closed and we remain at the scene.”

    Traffic in the area is building. "

    https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/19755400.traffic-incident-bursledon-tesco-extra-hamble-lane/
    Oh God. Its always been the risk - people realise their vehicle is a lethal weapon and they don't need bombs or weapons to slaughter people at random in large numbers.
  • Endillion said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    TOPPING said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Looks like a bit of an inaccuracy by Magnus. But he's not playing stockfish.

    I love the fact that along with Cricket et al, PBers are confident enough to dabble in a bit of Chess comentary of a match between two grandmasters
    What can you say, PBers are a very talented bunch.
    Indeed - I'd love to claim a draw against Kasparov on my CV!
    Wasn't there a story that Kasparov was playing a simultaneous match and he offered one of the players a draw, which the player accepted. And then Kasparov gave the player a bollocking saying you are playing in a once in a lifetime match and you aren't getting beaten roundly and you decide to stop it early and settle for a draw....!
    Rather poor form from Kasparov if it's true I'd say.

    Re: the live chess

    I'd go for NxB

    Horseys are rubbish compared to Bishops.
    No, Bishops are confined to just the one colour of square. Knights can use squares of both colours.
    Unless you're making some kind of silly in-joke you could say the same about pawns.
    In a N v B endgame, with equal pawns on either side, I would rather have the N.
    I'm pretty crap at chess although I was second best chess player at my rather small primary school.

    Given that - for what it's worth - I'd rather have the bishop.
    Is the correct answer.

    The bishop is preferred to the knight because it can cross the whole board much more quickly than the knight, and therefore cover more squares. The knight also suffers from an odd moving pattern which means that once it is pushed off a square, it no longer covers any of the squares it was previously defending (unlike the bishop, which can just retreat along the diagonal).

    One of the mistakes new players often make is being told that the bishop and knight are of equal value, and therefore being too eager to exchange their bishops for an opponent's knights.
    I think the correct answer depends on the number of pawns! Perhaps their placement too. Clearly with few pawns bishops are much much better, but at some point it will flip with several well organised pawns making the knight better value than the bishop.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625

    Can I offer clingfilm as my favourite?

    Keeps left overs fresh, ready for the next day. What's not to like?

    Second favourite, the film of oil you see on a puddle in the road, making pretty colours.

    I'm afraid that I can't think of another eight.


    BTW, those things you see at the pictures - they are pronounced "fillim".

    A chemical factory I used to work in had puddles that were black, but beautifully sheened with rainbow colours when the sun hit them - I never knew what the chemicals were. The only other place I've seen a similar effect was on the NE coast, where conveyors used to dump spoil out to sea. Puddles on the beach had a similar effect - and people were fishing there!
    A certain oil refinery was built on a site that had been in use since pretty much the invention of oil refining.

    The stuff in the ground there was.... interesting.

    One time they were building a new building. The concrete raft they poured started sinking. So they added more concrete. More concrete. eventually stuff stopped bubbling out of the ground, and it stopped sinking...
  • Selebian said:

    At my local Tesco's in Bursledon there is a major police incident, it looks like someone had driven at people causing many injuries, whole area sealed off.

    Thought that sounded familiar - I used to get petrol there a lot, often driving into east Southampton (home) off the M27.

    Can't find anything substantive on the incident yet.
    "A SERIOUS collision in a Tesco Extra car park has sparked a huge response from emergency services.

    Hamble Lane in Bursledon is partially blocked after the incident.

    A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary confirmed that injuries have been reported.

    “We were called at 3.03pm today (1 December) to reports of a serious collision in the car park next to Tesco in Hamble Lane, Bursledon," they said.

    “The car park has been closed and we remain at the scene.”

    Traffic in the area is building. "

    https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/19755400.traffic-incident-bursledon-tesco-extra-hamble-lane/
    "An eyewitness to the incident has told ITV Meridian she believes a person is trapped under a vehicle in a disabled car parking area.

    It's reported a number of ambulances have been called to the scene.

    In a statement a spokesperson for Hampshire Police said, “We were called at 3.03pm today (1 December) to reports of a serious collision in the car park next to Tesco in Hamble Lane, Bursledon.

    “Injuries have been reported to us. The car park has been closed and we remain at the scene.”"
    https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2021-12-01/breaking-news-major-incident-declared-in-burlsedon
  • TimS said:

    Everything about old Bexley and Sidcup screams easy Conservative hold, so if Labour can make a big dent in the majority then that should do for now. Assuming Labour can't win this seat, ideally for Keir a big swing there sets things up for a shock victory for the Lib Dems in NS. That would actually be much better for the narrative and momentum than a close run thing in Bexley and then an easy Tory hold in Shropshire.

    The A2-A20 wedge that Bexley and Sidcup sits in is strongly leave voting, relatively elderly by London standards, heavily WWC (or more accurately perhaps self-identified working class but financially comfortable), and I suspect more at the Steve Baker end of the Covid spectrum. Labour don't stand a chance. Richard Tice is the only meaningful threat I think. If RefUK is at 6% nationally I wouldn't be surprised to see them at 25% there.

    "If RefUK is at 6% nationally I wouldn't be surprised to see them at 25% there."

    Blimey, I would. Really think Tice could get that sort of cut through? RefUK has seemed a damp squib to me, like the Umuna/Soubry outfit (well, not like, but you know what I mean - destined for obscurity)
    I'm guessing 15% tops although it's hard to say. Nothing would surprise me really except a Tory loss.

  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625

    Favourite films I haven’t already seen in a list on their thread and would be happy to watch again:

    Life of Brian
    Princess Bride (best sword fight in cinema)
    Hot Fuzz
    Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
    Wall-E
    The Martian
    Coco
    Grand Budapest Hotel
    Paddington (1&2)
    Knives Out

    Mel Ferrer vs Stewart Granger in Scaramouche was pretty good as sword fights in movies go.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 14,884

    Selebian said:

    At my local Tesco's in Bursledon there is a major police incident, it looks like someone had driven at people causing many injuries, whole area sealed off.

    Thought that sounded familiar - I used to get petrol there a lot, often driving into east Southampton (home) off the M27.

    Can't find anything substantive on the incident yet.
    "A SERIOUS collision in a Tesco Extra car park has sparked a huge response from emergency services.

    Hamble Lane in Bursledon is partially blocked after the incident.

    A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary confirmed that injuries have been reported.

    “We were called at 3.03pm today (1 December) to reports of a serious collision in the car park next to Tesco in Hamble Lane, Bursledon," they said.

    “The car park has been closed and we remain at the scene.”

    Traffic in the area is building. "

    https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/19755400.traffic-incident-bursledon-tesco-extra-hamble-lane/
    Oh God. Its always been the risk - people realise their vehicle is a lethal weapon and they don't need bombs or weapons to slaughter people at random in large numbers.
    Might be wise to avoid speculating at this stage. It could be a simple accident.
  • FarooqFarooq Posts: 10,775
    I can't stand looking at other people's Top 10 films list. There's ALWAYS something in there that makes me want to randomise their organs with sharp things.
  • theakestheakes Posts: 839
    Lib Demsd 7-4 at N Shrop now (William Hill), Cons 5-9, quite close, question will the two change places sometime next week?
  • isamisam Posts: 40,731

    Never mind best film, can I put in a word for best music video?

    I can't think of anything that so perfectly complements the music (and what a song) and claws at the heart/brain than Steve Wilson's Routine. Seriously, watch it: https://youtu.be/sh5mWzKlhQY

    "So what do I do with all the children's clothes, such tiny things that still smell of them..."

    Blimey, how depressing. I wish I hadn't watched
  • Thread on Omi:

    Trevor Bedford
    @trvrb
    ·
    27m
    Following up here with speculative estimates of the rate of spread of Omicron and a stab at how to apportion this rapid rate of spread between intrinsic transmissibility and immune escape. 1/18

    Monday's post was mainly meant to emphasize that observed rapid spread of Omicron can be influenced by both intrinsic transmissibility and immune escape. Here, I'll try to put (speculative) numbers on this rate of spread. 2/18

    https://twitter.com/trvrb/status/1466076805949841416


    He estimates Rt of omi as between 2.0 and 2.5
  • rawzer said:

    Endillion said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    TOPPING said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Looks like a bit of an inaccuracy by Magnus. But he's not playing stockfish.

    I love the fact that along with Cricket et al, PBers are confident enough to dabble in a bit of Chess comentary of a match between two grandmasters
    What can you say, PBers are a very talented bunch.
    Indeed - I'd love to claim a draw against Kasparov on my CV!
    Wasn't there a story that Kasparov was playing a simultaneous match and he offered one of the players a draw, which the player accepted. And then Kasparov gave the player a bollocking saying you are playing in a once in a lifetime match and you aren't getting beaten roundly and you decide to stop it early and settle for a draw....!
    Rather poor form from Kasparov if it's true I'd say.

    Re: the live chess

    I'd go for NxB

    Horseys are rubbish compared to Bishops.
    No, Bishops are confined to just the one colour of square. Knights can use squares of both colours.
    Unless you're making some kind of silly in-joke you could say the same about pawns.
    In a N v B endgame, with equal pawns on either side, I would rather have the N.
    I'm pretty crap at chess although I was second best chess player at my rather small primary school.

    Given that - for what it's worth - I'd rather have the bishop.
    Is the correct answer.

    The bishop is preferred to the knight because it can cross the whole board much more quickly than the knight, and therefore cover more squares. The knight also suffers from an odd moving pattern which means that once it is pushed off a square, it no longer covers any of the squares it was previously defending (unlike the bishop, which can just retreat along the diagonal).

    One of the mistakes new players often make is being told that the bishop and knight are of equal value, and therefore being too eager to exchange their bishops for an opponent's knights.
    One of your bishops is much better than the other early on (the one pointing at the other guys king). Generally which is more valuable later depends on shape of the middle game. If you have lots of pawn chains all over the board you want knights hopping over them not biships hemmed in by them. Personally prefer bishops, but knights can be more sneaky
    For me, another factor is time control. I mostly play blitz and find I can use up opponents time and prompt mistakes with the knight moves more regularly than with the bishops. In games with more time, the value of the bishops to me increases, to use them effectively requires more planning and therefore time.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625
    UK cases by specimen date

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  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625
    UK cases by specimen date and scaled to 100K

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  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625
    UK Local R

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  • CookieCookie Posts: 11,184
    Carnyx said:

    Cookie said:

    JBriskin3 said:

    Aslan said:

    Top 10 movies:

    Bladerunner 2049
    The Godfather (Parts I and II)
    The Shawshank Redemption
    The Constant Gardener
    The Road
    Fight Club
    Aliens
    Apocalypse Now!
    Pulp Fiction
    Road to Perdition

    Glad to see Fight Club has made it to someones list.

    Pulp Fiction is another cracker.

    Bladerunner 2049 is one of the few films I own on DVD - pretty slooooow going on the the re-watch.
    According to this site@
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BFI_Top_100_British_films
    the only Carry On film which makes it into the top 100 British Films is Carry On up the Khyber.

    Which, on reflection, would be my choice. Well, I'm not sure about best, but perhaps 'most archetypal'. It also has the most Carry On title.

    I'm struggling to think of 10 films I'd have in my top 10. My top 2 would be:

    24 Hour Party People
    Local Hero

    and the other 8 might include:

    Whisky Galore
    Sleuth
    The Railway Children
    Shallow Grave
    The Royal Tenenbaums
    2001
    Airplane
    LA Story
    Hmm, which WG and which RC?
    There are more than one? I think I mean the originals of each. The only WG I've seen was so primitively shot it was quite hard to make out what was going on; I can't imagine that was a remake. And the RC I know dates from well before I was born.
    "Daddy, my Daddy!". Welling up now just thinking about it.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625
    Case summary

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  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 7,257

    TimS said:

    Everything about old Bexley and Sidcup screams easy Conservative hold, so if Labour can make a big dent in the majority then that should do for now. Assuming Labour can't win this seat, ideally for Keir a big swing there sets things up for a shock victory for the Lib Dems in NS. That would actually be much better for the narrative and momentum than a close run thing in Bexley and then an easy Tory hold in Shropshire.

    The A2-A20 wedge that Bexley and Sidcup sits in is strongly leave voting, relatively elderly by London standards, heavily WWC (or more accurately perhaps self-identified working class but financially comfortable), and I suspect more at the Steve Baker end of the Covid spectrum. Labour don't stand a chance. Richard Tice is the only meaningful threat I think. If RefUK is at 6% nationally I wouldn't be surprised to see them at 25% there.

    "If RefUK is at 6% nationally I wouldn't be surprised to see them at 25% there."

    Blimey, I would. Really think Tice could get that sort of cut through? RefUK has seemed a damp squib to me, like the Umuna/Soubry outfit (well, not like, but you know what I mean - destined for obscurity)
    If they can't get >5% in a by election, with apparent great effort and their leader as candidate then they might as well give up now (and no other party should ever choose a name ending in 'UK', given what happened to Change, too).

    Like Stocky (and OGH?) I'm on the >5% (at a wee bit over evens - I hadn't even noticed the market until mentioned on here a few days back).

    25% though? If they got that high, then it could be trouble for the Tories.
  • Favourite films I haven’t already seen in a list on their thread and would be happy to watch again:

    Life of Brian
    Princess Bride (best sword fight in cinema)
    Hot Fuzz
    Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
    Wall-E
    The Martian
    Coco
    Grand Budapest Hotel
    Paddington (1&2)
    Knives Out

    Mel Ferrer vs Stewart Granger in Scaramouche was pretty good as sword fights in movies go.
    I bet neither were pretending to be left handed though.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625
    Hospitals

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  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625
    Deaths

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  • FlatlanderFlatlander Posts: 3,853

    Case summary

    Didn't realise there was any data yet...
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,517

    Can I offer clingfilm as my favourite?

    Keeps left overs fresh, ready for the next day. What's not to like?

    Second favourite, the film of oil you see on a puddle in the road, making pretty colours.

    I'm afraid that I can't think of another eight.


    BTW, those things you see at the pictures - they are pronounced "fillim".

    A chemical factory I used to work in had puddles that were black, but beautifully sheened with rainbow colours when the sun hit them - I never knew what the chemicals were. The only other place I've seen a similar effect was on the NE coast, where conveyors used to dump spoil out to sea. Puddles on the beach had a similar effect - and people were fishing there!
    A certain oil refinery was built on a site that had been in use since pretty much the invention of oil refining.

    The stuff in the ground there was.... interesting.

    One time they were building a new building. The concrete raft they poured started sinking. So they added more concrete. More concrete. eventually stuff stopped bubbling out of the ground, and it stopped sinking...
    This particular factory was built (or at least started) in WW1. It was an interesting place: if there was a burst water pipe, you had to go to the valve farm and try turning off massive valves one at a time, and see what it did as no-one was quite sure what pipes were attached to what valve. You would put a bar in the valve spindle, scaffold tubes on the end of the bar, and turn it around your head - as the valves were above ground. Each valve required dozens of turns, and you would get calls like "The men's washroom has lost water' or 'plant K2's off!'.

    It could take hours to find the correct valve and stop a leak.

    One slightly odd thing: the factory had its own power station; the chemical plant used the low pressure steam from the turbines for its processes. In the late eighties, someone decided to use the warm water that came off the plant to set up a fish farm. I spent weeks helping connect up pipes to large inflatable tanks.

    It's almost all gone now... :(
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 14,884

    Deaths

    image

    Has the dashboard updated yet? Doesn't appear to have?
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 8,480
    edited December 2021
    On the question of films, for anyone interested in the strangenesses of celebrity, Martin Scorsese's "The King of Comedy" is one of the most interesting U.S. films of the 70's and '80s, with Apocalypse Now.
  • ChrisChris Posts: 11,009
    Perhaps this has already been posted, but if the methodology is sound it is the strongest evidence I've seen suggesting Omicron may be producing milder disease than Delta. The figures on page 2 onwards show the R numbers for hospital admissions and deaths, which in previous months were slightly higher than that for cases, dropping below that for cases as Omicron has taken over. Of course it depends on the time lags having been chosen appropriately:
    https://www.nicd.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/COVID-19-Effective-Reproductive-Number-in-South-Africa-week-47.pdf

    However, the most recent estimate of the R number for cases in Gauteng province is well over 2.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625
    Age related data

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  • Top 10 films (in descending order, approximately):
    Casablanca
    It's a Wonderful Life
    Frozen
    The Philadelphia Story
    Toy Story 3
    The Blues Brothers
    Some Like It Hot
    Dr Strangelove
    The Railway Children
    The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
  • isam said:

    Never mind best film, can I put in a word for best music video?

    I can't think of anything that so perfectly complements the music (and what a song) and claws at the heart/brain than Steve Wilson's Routine. Seriously, watch it: https://youtu.be/sh5mWzKlhQY

    "So what do I do with all the children's clothes, such tiny things that still smell of them..."

    Blimey, how depressing. I wish I hadn't watched
    Didn't say it was a happy song - its brutal. But beautiful at the same time, and the animation in the video is stunning. The same studio have done a few of his other tracks - must take months to do them as they're all stop motion.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,625
    UK COvid summary

    Same again

    - Case increases crawling to a stop nationally. Cases falling in the older groups.
    - Hospitalisation continuing to fall - with the interesting segmentation (at least for England) in the 65-84 group doing much of the falls.
    - Deaths still falling
This discussion has been closed.