With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
I damn well hope not. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is almost entirely similar to Germany's invasion of Czechoslovakia. What is astonishing is that the same pathetic appeased are still with us.
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
I don't think that Ukraine would which means a major war, millions of refugees, economic chaos etc. So, I think no would be the self interested answer.
As a British citizen I get my state pension from the British government. If I move to another country I continue to get my British state pension from the British government.
I assume I'd continue to get it if I changed my nationality to that of the country I was now living in. Yes?
If so, what is the difference to a person with Scottish nationality living in an independent Scotland getting their British pension from the British state?
I'm not seeking to make a point. It's a genuine question.
What is the legal obligation on the British state to pay a state pension to its citizens? Is it based on nationality or residence (we know that's not the case) or what?
Because you don't cease to be a British citizen. Though it may be time to revisit those rules as well any pensioner who has the means to live overseas probably doesn't need the state pension benefit.
The question shifts then to who living in Scotland would become a Scottish citizen upon independence. Doubtless anyone from the UK living in Scotland would be offered a passport, but I'll bet a significant number would choose to retain a UK passport. In those cases, who pays?
I wanted to retain my EU passport after Brexit, but I'm told I can't!
Well you can. Go live in the EU.....
Or find an Irish relative.
That reads very much like "suck it up losers".
Your first statement is also factually incorrect. More fake news from the Leave side.
Looking for offence where none was intended.
For example, you can get citizenship in France in just two years, if you complete a postgraduate course at a French university. That will return you the rights within the EU foregone by Brexit as a UK citizen.
Fake news?
That's a bit of a streach for most of us.
Also, getting a totally new passport is a little way away from the idea of "retaining" your EU passport.
Well, if you don't really want all those rights that having an EU-member passport grants, why the six year sulk?
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
I damn well hope not. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is almost entirely similar to Germany's invasion of Czechoslovakia. What is astonishing is that the same pathetic appeased are still with us.
Will you be going to Ukraine and joining the Azov Battalion in the event of a Russian invasion?
Whether NI or Scotland leave the UK is anybody's guess but in the meantime you have a situation where half of Scotland don't want to be in the UK, half of NI don't want to be in the UK and on top of that half of the UK still thinks it was a mistake to leave the EU.
Probably about time we dropped the "United" from our name before someone makes a complaint to the ASA! We are as bitterly divided a nation as the USA and, like them, all the weaker for it.
There's a fair few 'republics' and 'democratic' places that need getting to first.
True. Nothing much "united" about the United States either.
My serious point is that the US and UK are more divided and thereby weaker than at any point I can remember. That is what is emboldening Russia and China.
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
I damn well hope not. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is almost entirely similar to Germany's invasion of Czechoslovakia. What is astonishing is that the same pathetic appeased are still with us.
Will you be going to Ukraine and joining the Azov Battalion in the event of a Russian invasion?
No, there's plenty enough Ukrainians willing to fight. But what they need is supplies, air cover and economic sanctions on their enemy. But nice to see you using the same arguments as the appeasers used in the 1930s. Really helped British troops not having to fight that time didn't it?
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
I damn well hope not. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is almost entirely similar to Germany's invasion of Czechoslovakia. What is astonishing is that the same pathetic appeased are still with us.
Will you be going to Ukraine and joining the Azov Battalion in the event of a Russian invasion?
No, there's plenty enough Ukrainians willing to fight. But what they need is supplies, air cover and economic sanctions on their enemy. But nice to see you using the same arguments as the appeasers used in the 1930s. Really helped British troops not having to fight that time didn't it?
By not signing up, you are just as bad an appeaser!
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
I don't think that Ukraine would which means a major war, millions of refugees, economic chaos etc. So, I think no would be the self interested answer.
Your mistake is assuming appeasers believe that Ukrainians are entitled to a say in their own future. They actually have a 19th Century mindset where the world is divided up among the great powers and smaller nations have to lump it. Regardless what oppression and dictatorship comes from being allocated to an unfavourable "sphere of influence".
My Dad was a British citizen. He moved to NZ aged 40-something. He now draws a NZ pension. There is no contribution from the UK. He remains a British citizen.
If he paid NI for at least 10 years when in the UK (no matter how long ago), then I think that if he applies he'll find he is entitled to a modest UK pension too. Worth enquiring.
If you’ve paid at least three years’ of NI from working in the UK you can carry on paying voluntary Class 2 NICs after you’ve left. It’s about £3 a week, an absolute bargain.
Don't you have to pay class 3, not class 2?
Some who work in certain countries can pay Class 2. The “voluntary” Class 3 is £15/week.
Interesting that this is the portion of her letter that Royal Family Twitter chose to highlight:
In her message, she references the broadcast she made on her 21st birthday in which she pledged her life’s work to the people of the Commonwealth with the words:
“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.”
What an astonishing life, and service, it has been.
She hasn't been on the tills in Iceland for decades so let's not get carried away. The 'service' mainly consisted of getting taken to the races in a Rolls-Royce or grinning inanely at foreign children somewhere hot and dusty.
While out for a bike ride this morning, I stopped at a local coffee stall to take a break.
At this point in the river, the road often floods partially at high tide. The road there is 2 lanes, plus parking, plus a pavement - the water can fill one lane. And leave a puddle some inches deep over a distance of a score of yards...
The area is popular for walking on a Sunday. There is an annoyance - the habit of large groups of people to walk in a line, side by side. To day was an especially large group, filling the entire road, blocking everyone else. I wondered why there was a certain familiarity in it - it was that, due to a number of them wearing skiing gear, they resembled the skirmish line of German troops heading up the mountain in The Guns of Navaronne.....
Anyway, I notice the time - hmmmm. And indeed, as if summoned, the Fat Men On Fixies appeared. This....conglomeration of large cyclists is a well know local hazard. Their resemblance to a fleet of aggressive Zeppelins on wheels is marked.
They past me and the coffee stand, as usually, making no adjustment for those out walking, and headed down the slight slope.
As they did do so, they elongated their mass, becoming a (in plan form) a single, large angry Zeppelin. Shaped to the width of the half of the road ahead, that was not occupied by the Road Combers of Navaronne. The half that was fairly full of water.
I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns.
The splash angle of the water takes the form reminiscent of the simulations of ejecta from a large comet hitting the earth - a sheet of material at a low angle. At staggering velocity.
This utterly and perfectly soaked the Road Combers of Navaronne. A more complete job could not have been done with malevolence and a fire hose.
The road combers dispersed, and the FOAF were a large angry blob in the distance. The waves in the water gradually subsided.
I finished the excellent coffee and left.
*Look out for a paper on "The Dynamic Interactions of High-BMI Cyclists And Stationary Bodies Of Liquid"
Has Rishi ever told the House of Commons he never attended a party in Downing Street during the lockdown period? Because that is why Boris will have to resign.
Don't think Rishi's every spoken in the House about it. He's mentioned it in interviews, IIRC, saying something anodyne.
Incidentally, we sometimes see pictures of him with a glass of beer in his hand, when we know he's teetotal; I realise it's 'publicity', but surely that's dishonest. Personally, while I do, I have no problem with people who choose not to drink alcoholic drinks. It's a respectable lifestyle choice which is different to mine, that's all.
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
I don't think that Ukraine would which means a major war, millions of refugees, economic chaos etc. So, I think no would be the self interested answer.
What about?
1) Russia promises not to invade Ukraine. 2) Germany promises to pay 200% of the market rate for gas for the next 20 years. 3) Russia promises not to charge more or cut off gas to other states in Eastern Europe.
So the Germans get a massive incentive to get off Russian Gas. Putin gets a win with piles of money to steal. The Ukrainians don't get invaded. Lots of people don't die.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
Word of warning for anyone who uses the Dartford Crossing. My brother-in-law comes from Essex so my sister and him regularly go round the M25 and use the crossing. As such they set up the auto pay thing that meant their card would pay when they used it.
They used it for the first time post-COVID just before Christmas. Anyway, a few weeks ago they get notified that bailiffs had turned up at their old address (they moved in Aug 2019) demanding payment of £1,000 fine for not paying the charge. The new occupiers of that property probably got a bit of a shock!
It turns out that because they hadn’t used it for a long time (I wonder why?!!!), the people running it took them off the system. Apparently they sent an email informing them of this, but my sister says she is sure this didn’t happen.
Quite frankly these people are utter scumbags. I’ve told her to contact our MP as it’s pretty outrageous behaviour.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
They would be changed or ignored for Scotland. Do you think Greece actually met the accession criteria when they joined? There was a romantic notion, primarily pushed by Mitterrand, that Europe was incomplete without Greece. Scotland would be accommodated for similar sentimental reasons.
Unworthily one might think there would also be the fandabeedozi bonus of annoying England. I'm sure that wouldn't figure in calculations though.
Popped in for a mo ... also the not so small matter that many of us in Scotland have been pukka Europeans for decades, the current annoying interruption aside.
Indeed. Even the red, white, blue and orange brigade seem to identify strongly with a Dutchman.
There's that too, and also, somewhat more recently, the voters in Scotland collectively voted very firmly for Europe.
Anyway have to go again ...
I see this view (a very longstanding and common one in Scotland) as a bit naive. Ending up in the sort of stunt that Sturgeon pulled by projecting that message referring to Scotland on to a Brussels building. The 'projection' metaphor couldn't have been starker.
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
I don't think that Ukraine would which means a major war, millions of refugees, economic chaos etc. So, I think no would be the self interested answer.
What about?
1) Russia promises not to invade Ukraine. 2) Germany promises to pay 200% of the market rate for gas for the next 20 years. 3) Russia promises not to charge more or cut off gas to other states in Eastern Europe.
So the Germans get a massive incentive to get off Russian Gas. Putin gets a win with piles of money to steal. The Ukrainians don't get invaded. Lots of people don't die.
While out for a bike ride this morning, I stopped at a local coffee stall to take a break.
At this point in the river, the road often floods partially at high tide. The road there is 2 lanes, plus parking, plus a pavement - the water can fill one lane. And leave a puddle some inches deep over a distance of a score of yards...
The area is popular for walking on a Sunday. There is an annoyance - the habit of large groups of people to walk in a line, side by side. To day was an especially large group, filling the entire road, blocking everyone else. I wondered why there was a certain familiarity in it - it was that, due to a number of them wearing skiing gear, they resembled the skirmish line of German troops heading up the mountain in The Guns of Navaronne.....
Anyway, I notice the time - hmmmm. And indeed, as if summoned, the Fat Men On Fixies appeared. This....conglomeration of large cyclists is a well know local hazard. Their resemblance to a fleet of aggressive Zeppelins on wheels is marked.
They past me and the coffee stand, as usually, making no adjustment for those out walking, and headed down the slight slope.
As they did do so, they elongated their mass, becoming a (in plan form) a single, large angry Zeppelin. Shaped to the width of the half of the road ahead, that was not occupied by the Road Combers of Navaronne. The half that was fairly full of water.
I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns.
The splash angle of the water takes the form reminiscent of the simulations of ejecta from a large comet hitting the earth - a sheet of material at a low angle. At staggering velocity.
This utterly and perfectly soaked the Road Combers of Navaronne. A more complete job could not have been done with malevolence and a fire hose.
The road combers dispersed, and the FOAF were a large angry blob in the distance. The waves in the water gradually subsided.
I finished the excellent coffee and left.
*Look out for a paper on "The Dynamic Interactions of High-BMI Cyclists And Stationary Bodies Of Liquid"
... I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns. ...
Beautifully written, but a substantial air pressure differential is unlikely to be created, or sufficient to create the observed phenomena.
What will be more pertinent is that the extra weight will result in a combination of increased pressure at the road/tire interface, and in a greater area of road/tire contact, with the exact balance between the two dependent on the tire pressure. This will result in the water being displaced from a greater area, with greater force.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
Me too. The EU would admit Indy Scotland in a heartbeat - More's the pity for those old SNP types who actually believe in political independence for Scotland as opposed to those who just hate England.
While out for a bike ride this morning, I stopped at a local coffee stall to take a break.
At this point in the river, the road often floods partially at high tide. The road there is 2 lanes, plus parking, plus a pavement - the water can fill one lane. And leave a puddle some inches deep over a distance of a score of yards...
The area is popular for walking on a Sunday. There is an annoyance - the habit of large groups of people to walk in a line, side by side. To day was an especially large group, filling the entire road, blocking everyone else. I wondered why there was a certain familiarity in it - it was that, due to a number of them wearing skiing gear, they resembled the skirmish line of German troops heading up the mountain in The Guns of Navaronne.....
Anyway, I notice the time - hmmmm. And indeed, as if summoned, the Fat Men On Fixies appeared. This....conglomeration of large cyclists is a well know local hazard. Their resemblance to a fleet of aggressive Zeppelins on wheels is marked.
They past me and the coffee stand, as usually, making no adjustment for those out walking, and headed down the slight slope.
As they did do so, they elongated their mass, becoming a (in plan form) a single, large angry Zeppelin. Shaped to the width of the half of the road ahead, that was not occupied by the Road Combers of Navaronne. The half that was fairly full of water.
I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns.
The splash angle of the water takes the form reminiscent of the simulations of ejecta from a large comet hitting the earth - a sheet of material at a low angle. At staggering velocity.
This utterly and perfectly soaked the Road Combers of Navaronne. A more complete job could not have been done with malevolence and a fire hose.
The road combers dispersed, and the FOAF were a large angry blob in the distance. The waves in the water gradually subsided.
I finished the excellent coffee and left.
*Look out for a paper on "The Dynamic Interactions of High-BMI Cyclists And Stationary Bodies Of Liquid"
Truth or Lie?, as per the marvellous "Would i lie to you?"
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
I don't think that Ukraine would which means a major war, millions of refugees, economic chaos etc. So, I think no would be the self interested answer.
Your mistake is assuming appeasers believe that Ukrainians are entitled to a say in their own future. They actually have a 19th Century mindset where the world is divided up among the great powers and smaller nations have to lump it. Regardless what oppression and dictatorship comes from being allocated to an unfavourable "sphere of influence".
You don't think that is still what happens? Do you think Britain is free to make foreign policy independently of America? How quaint.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
They would be changed or ignored for Scotland. Do you think Greece actually met the accession criteria when they joined? There was a romantic notion, primarily pushed by Mitterrand, that Europe was incomplete without Greece. Scotland would be accommodated for similar sentimental reasons.
Unworthily one might think there would also be the fandabeedozi bonus of annoying England. I'm sure that wouldn't figure in calculations though.
If Scotland can get Germany and France to put their hands in their pockets to finance them post independence, good luck to them. I wouldn't wait up though....
While out for a bike ride this morning, I stopped at a local coffee stall to take a break.
At this point in the river, the road often floods partially at high tide. The road there is 2 lanes, plus parking, plus a pavement - the water can fill one lane. And leave a puddle some inches deep over a distance of a score of yards...
The area is popular for walking on a Sunday. There is an annoyance - the habit of large groups of people to walk in a line, side by side. To day was an especially large group, filling the entire road, blocking everyone else. I wondered why there was a certain familiarity in it - it was that, due to a number of them wearing skiing gear, they resembled the skirmish line of German troops heading up the mountain in The Guns of Navaronne.....
Anyway, I notice the time - hmmmm. And indeed, as if summoned, the Fat Men On Fixies appeared. This....conglomeration of large cyclists is a well know local hazard. Their resemblance to a fleet of aggressive Zeppelins on wheels is marked.
They past me and the coffee stand, as usually, making no adjustment for those out walking, and headed down the slight slope.
As they did do so, they elongated their mass, becoming a (in plan form) a single, large angry Zeppelin. Shaped to the width of the half of the road ahead, that was not occupied by the Road Combers of Navaronne. The half that was fairly full of water.
I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns.
The splash angle of the water takes the form reminiscent of the simulations of ejecta from a large comet hitting the earth - a sheet of material at a low angle. At staggering velocity.
This utterly and perfectly soaked the Road Combers of Navaronne. A more complete job could not have been done with malevolence and a fire hose.
The road combers dispersed, and the FOAF were a large angry blob in the distance. The waves in the water gradually subsided.
I finished the excellent coffee and left.
*Look out for a paper on "The Dynamic Interactions of High-BMI Cyclists And Stationary Bodies Of Liquid"
Truth or Lie?, as per the marvellous "Would i lie to you?"
It's obviously balls because almost nobody rides fixes.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
Me too. The EU would admit Indy Scotland in a heartbeat - More's the pity for those old SNP types who actually believe in political independence for Scotland as opposed to those who just hate England.
Scotland would, of course, be many times more independent in the EU than it is today in the UK.
While out for a bike ride this morning, I stopped at a local coffee stall to take a break.
At this point in the river, the road often floods partially at high tide. The road there is 2 lanes, plus parking, plus a pavement - the water can fill one lane. And leave a puddle some inches deep over a distance of a score of yards...
The area is popular for walking on a Sunday. There is an annoyance - the habit of large groups of people to walk in a line, side by side. To day was an especially large group, filling the entire road, blocking everyone else. I wondered why there was a certain familiarity in it - it was that, due to a number of them wearing skiing gear, they resembled the skirmish line of German troops heading up the mountain in The Guns of Navaronne.....
Anyway, I notice the time - hmmmm. And indeed, as if summoned, the Fat Men On Fixies appeared. This....conglomeration of large cyclists is a well know local hazard. Their resemblance to a fleet of aggressive Zeppelins on wheels is marked.
They past me and the coffee stand, as usually, making no adjustment for those out walking, and headed down the slight slope.
As they did do so, they elongated their mass, becoming a (in plan form) a single, large angry Zeppelin. Shaped to the width of the half of the road ahead, that was not occupied by the Road Combers of Navaronne. The half that was fairly full of water.
I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns.
The splash angle of the water takes the form reminiscent of the simulations of ejecta from a large comet hitting the earth - a sheet of material at a low angle. At staggering velocity.
This utterly and perfectly soaked the Road Combers of Navaronne. A more complete job could not have been done with malevolence and a fire hose.
The road combers dispersed, and the FOAF were a large angry blob in the distance. The waves in the water gradually subsided.
I finished the excellent coffee and left.
*Look out for a paper on "The Dynamic Interactions of High-BMI Cyclists And Stationary Bodies Of Liquid"
Truth or Lie?, as per the marvellous "Would i lie to you?"
While out for a bike ride this morning, I stopped at a local coffee stall to take a break.
At this point in the river, the road often floods partially at high tide. The road there is 2 lanes, plus parking, plus a pavement - the water can fill one lane. And leave a puddle some inches deep over a distance of a score of yards...
The area is popular for walking on a Sunday. There is an annoyance - the habit of large groups of people to walk in a line, side by side. To day was an especially large group, filling the entire road, blocking everyone else. I wondered why there was a certain familiarity in it - it was that, due to a number of them wearing skiing gear, they resembled the skirmish line of German troops heading up the mountain in The Guns of Navaronne.....
Anyway, I notice the time - hmmmm. And indeed, as if summoned, the Fat Men On Fixies appeared. This....conglomeration of large cyclists is a well know local hazard. Their resemblance to a fleet of aggressive Zeppelins on wheels is marked.
They past me and the coffee stand, as usually, making no adjustment for those out walking, and headed down the slight slope.
As they did do so, they elongated their mass, becoming a (in plan form) a single, large angry Zeppelin. Shaped to the width of the half of the road ahead, that was not occupied by the Road Combers of Navaronne. The half that was fairly full of water.
I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns.
The splash angle of the water takes the form reminiscent of the simulations of ejecta from a large comet hitting the earth - a sheet of material at a low angle. At staggering velocity.
This utterly and perfectly soaked the Road Combers of Navaronne. A more complete job could not have been done with malevolence and a fire hose.
The road combers dispersed, and the FOAF were a large angry blob in the distance. The waves in the water gradually subsided.
I finished the excellent coffee and left.
*Look out for a paper on "The Dynamic Interactions of High-BMI Cyclists And Stationary Bodies Of Liquid"
Truth or Lie?, as per the marvellous "Would i lie to you?"
It's obviously balls because almost nobody rides fixes.
I call them that, and most of them in fact have gears, but their resolute refusal to stop for anything.....
Word of warning for anyone who uses the Dartford Crossing. My brother-in-law comes from Essex so my sister and him regularly go round the M25 and use the crossing. As such they set up the auto pay thing that meant their card would pay when they used it.
They used it for the first time post-COVID just before Christmas. Anyway, a few weeks ago they get notified that bailiffs had turned up at their old address (they moved in Aug 2019) demanding payment of £1,000 fine for not paying the charge. The new occupiers of that property probably got a bit of a shock!
It turns out that because they hadn’t used it for a long time (I wonder why?!!!), the people running it took them off the system. Apparently they sent an email informing them of this, but my sister says she is sure this didn’t happen.
Quite frankly these people are utter scumbags. I’ve told her to contact our MP as it’s pretty outrageous behaviour.
I got one of those emails; they did take non-users off the system and I haven’t been that way for a long time.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
They would be changed or ignored for Scotland. Do you think Greece actually met the accession criteria when they joined? There was a romantic notion, primarily pushed by Mitterrand, that Europe was incomplete without Greece. Scotland would be accommodated for similar sentimental reasons.
Unworthily one might think there would also be the fandabeedozi bonus of annoying England. I'm sure that wouldn't figure in calculations though.
Popped in for a mo ... also the not so small matter that many of us in Scotland have been pukka Europeans for decades, the current annoying interruption aside.
Indeed. Even the red, white, blue and orange brigade seem to identify strongly with a Dutchman.
There's that too, and also, somewhat more recently, the voters in Scotland collectively voted very firmly for Europe.
Anyway have to go again ...
I see this view (a very longstanding and common one in Scotland) as a bit naive. Ending up in the sort of stunt that Sturgeon pulled by projecting that message referring to Scotland on to a Brussels building. The 'projection' metaphor couldn't have been starker.
Yep, that was the moment Scottish support for the EU started draining away and we collectively started getting on board with Project Brexit, which is going marvellously well btw.
I see that Duncan-Smith is very amusingly spinning the new line that Johnson has to stay on "to deal with the big crises, such as the parties scandal and the cost of living crisis".
An almost comically transparent attempt to adapt the previous spin, on Boris being a "prime minister for the big calls", to the unavoidably obvious crises that are staring everyone in the face. It won't achieve much, though, because the instant preposterousness of the prime minister being the man to tackle the big crises he himself created defeats it even before he's begun.
Johnson seems lost to me whether he survives or not. He's gotten to where he is so cheaply, this is the problem. All he ever offered was an amiable entertaining persona and a kind of ra ra chanting of simple slogans and vague inflated aspirations. It's been enough throughout his career and it was enough for people to vote for him in droves and make him PM, that's the evidence thus far, so he can't really be blamed for assuming no more than this is required of him, and if what he can offer is no longer enough - which it probably isn't - he's stuffed because he doesn't have anything else.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
They would be changed or ignored for Scotland. Do you think Greece actually met the accession criteria when they joined? There was a romantic notion, primarily pushed by Mitterrand, that Europe was incomplete without Greece. Scotland would be accommodated for similar sentimental reasons.
Unworthily one might think there would also be the fandabeedozi bonus of annoying England. I'm sure that wouldn't figure in calculations though.
If Scotland can get Germany and France to put their hands in their pockets to finance them post independence, good luck to them. I wouldn't wait up though....
I don't know whether this counts for anything, but Scotland has a higher GDP per capita than France. Lower than Germany, though.
... I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns. ...
Beautifully written, but a substantial air pressure differential is unlikely to be created, or sufficient to create the observed phenomena.
What will be more pertinent is that the extra weight will result in a combination of increased pressure at the road/tire interface, and in a greater area of road/tire contact, with the exact balance between the two dependent on the tire pressure. This will result in the water being displaced from a greater area, with greater force.
Incidentally, these considerations are why there is often some debate as to whether, when cycling in snowy conditions, it is better to use narrower tyres (to cut through the snow layer and make contact with the road below), or wider tyres (to have a greater surface area in contact with the snow layer, and make the most of whatever grip can consequently be gained).
And I am very tired, which explains earlier spelling confusion.
... I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns. ...
Beautifully written, but a substantial air pressure differential is unlikely to be created, or sufficient to create the observed phenomena.
What will be more pertinent is that the extra weight will result in a combination of increased pressure at the road/tire interface, and in a greater area of road/tire contact, with the exact balance between the two dependent on the tire pressure. This will result in the water being displaced from a greater area, with greater force.
I was being a bit sarcastic - sort of thinking of waves coming off a large bodies at high velocities....
Hmmmm.... This needs modelling, I thing. First we need to generate a reasonable model of the riders+bikes, including leg motion. then includes aerodynamics and then interaction between the aerodynamics and the water.
It's not my field, but I understand that air/water interactions and the various forms of turbulence involved are considered hard problems to model?
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
Me too. The EU would admit Indy Scotland in a heartbeat - More's the pity for those old SNP types who actually believe in political independence for Scotland as opposed to those who just hate England.
Scotland would, of course, be many times more independent in the EU than it is today in the UK.
The visible influence of EU Government over Scotland would be a lot less than the visible influence of the UK Government over it. But a lot of that is due to the way that these different institutions work. EU decrees must be written into member state legislation by the Governments of the day. And contrary to the claims of remainers, this was always done very quietly.
One must also take into account that the influence of Scotland over the decisions of the EU Government would be virtually nil, compared to a significant representation for Scotland within the decision making structures of the UK.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
They would be changed or ignored for Scotland. Do you think Greece actually met the accession criteria when they joined? There was a romantic notion, primarily pushed by Mitterrand, that Europe was incomplete without Greece. Scotland would be accommodated for similar sentimental reasons.
Unworthily one might think there would also be the fandabeedozi bonus of annoying England. I'm sure that wouldn't figure in calculations though.
If Scotland can get Germany and France to put their hands in their pockets to finance them post independence, good luck to them. I wouldn't wait up though....
Speaking of finances, didn't we have a bet on earth being broken on BJ's putative bridge/tunnel from Scotland to NI in the term of this government? Of course if you wish to hold off until this confederacy of rsoles comes to a shuddering halt..
Word of warning for anyone who uses the Dartford Crossing. My brother-in-law comes from Essex so my sister and him regularly go round the M25 and use the crossing. As such they set up the auto pay thing that meant their card would pay when they used it.
They used it for the first time post-COVID just before Christmas. Anyway, a few weeks ago they get notified that bailiffs had turned up at their old address (they moved in Aug 2019) demanding payment of £1,000 fine for not paying the charge. The new occupiers of that property probably got a bit of a shock!
It turns out that because they hadn’t used it for a long time (I wonder why?!!!), the people running it took them off the system. Apparently they sent an email informing them of this, but my sister says she is sure this didn’t happen.
Quite frankly these people are utter scumbags. I’ve told her to contact our MP as it’s pretty outrageous behaviour.
TBH, and TBF, I'm a bit surprised, but only a bit. I live in Essex and have family in Kent, so have an account with the Crossing company, and have an agreement to keep it in credit. Works very well; I'm at worst about 1.5 crossings in credit. Couple of years ago I changed my car, realised after a day trip there and back and contacted, and was charged, IIRC an extra £5. We go to and fro about three or four times a year, normally.
However some years ago another son, who lies abroad so rents cars when he comes over got one digit wrong when he paid the fee. He was charged; as it was a rental car it took about 3 months for the charge to get to him, by which time the penalty had built up. The crossing company were very unhelpful indeed so we fought it, and with the assistance of my MP (P. Patel) got the penalty stopped.
... I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns. ...
Beautifully written, but a substantial air pressure differential is unlikely to be created, or sufficient to create the observed phenomena.
What will be more pertinent is that the extra weight will result in a combination of increased pressure at the road/tire interface, and in a greater area of road/tire contact, with the exact balance between the two dependent on the tire pressure. This will result in the water being displaced from a greater area, with greater force.
Incidentally, these considerations are why there is often some debate as to whether, when cycling in snowy conditions, it is better to use narrower tyres (to cut through the snow layer and make contact with the road below), or wider tyres (to have a greater surface area in contact with the snow layer, and make the most of whatever grip can consequently be gained).
And I am very tired, which explains earlier spelling confusion.
Isn't there a move to wider tires on "road racing" bikes?
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
Me too. The EU would admit Indy Scotland in a heartbeat - More's the pity for those old SNP types who actually believe in political independence for Scotland as opposed to those who just hate England.
Aren't those hardbitten ancient ones more likely to hate England than the more moderate and modern Sturgeony ones?
While out for a bike ride this morning, I stopped at a local coffee stall to take a break.
At this point in the river, the road often floods partially at high tide. The road there is 2 lanes, plus parking, plus a pavement - the water can fill one lane. And leave a puddle some inches deep over a distance of a score of yards...
The area is popular for walking on a Sunday. There is an annoyance - the habit of large groups of people to walk in a line, side by side. To day was an especially large group, filling the entire road, blocking everyone else. I wondered why there was a certain familiarity in it - it was that, due to a number of them wearing skiing gear, they resembled the skirmish line of German troops heading up the mountain in The Guns of Navaronne.....
Anyway, I notice the time - hmmmm. And indeed, as if summoned, the Fat Men On Fixies appeared. This....conglomeration of large cyclists is a well know local hazard. Their resemblance to a fleet of aggressive Zeppelins on wheels is marked.
They past me and the coffee stand, as usually, making no adjustment for those out walking, and headed down the slight slope.
As they did do so, they elongated their mass, becoming a (in plan form) a single, large angry Zeppelin. Shaped to the width of the half of the road ahead, that was not occupied by the Road Combers of Navaronne. The half that was fairly full of water.
I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns.
The splash angle of the water takes the form reminiscent of the simulations of ejecta from a large comet hitting the earth - a sheet of material at a low angle. At staggering velocity.
This utterly and perfectly soaked the Road Combers of Navaronne. A more complete job could not have been done with malevolence and a fire hose.
The road combers dispersed, and the FOAF were a large angry blob in the distance. The waves in the water gradually subsided.
I finished the excellent coffee and left.
*Look out for a paper on "The Dynamic Interactions of High-BMI Cyclists And Stationary Bodies Of Liquid"
Truth or Lie?, as per the marvellous "Would i lie to you?"
I see that Duncan-Smith is very amusingly spinning the new line that Johnson has to stay on "to deal with the big crises, such as the parties scandal and the cost of living crisis".
An almost comically transparent attempt to adapt the previous spin, on Boris being a "prime minister for the big calls", to the unavoidably obvious crises that are staring everyone in the face. It won't achieve much, though, because the instant preposterousness of the prime minister being the man to tackle the big crises he himself created defeats it even before he's begun.
Johnson seems lost to me whether he survives or not. He's gotten to where he is so cheaply, this is the problem. All he ever offered was an amiable entertaining persona and a kind of ra ra chanting of simple slogans and vague inflated aspirations. It's been enough throughout his career and it was enough for people to vote for him in droves and make him PM, that's the evidence thus far, so he can't really be blamed for assuming no more than this is required of him, and if what he can offer is no longer enough - which it probably isn't - he's stuffed because he doesn't have anything else.
You are not giving him enough credit for skills suited to political ladder climbing. Utter ruthlessness in dealing with party management (other kind of party) and an extremely rare ability to hold multiple contradictory views at once whilst still having them believed by key stakeholders being the most useful for him.
... I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns. ...
Beautifully written, but a substantial air pressure differential is unlikely to be created, or sufficient to create the observed phenomena.
What will be more pertinent is that the extra weight will result in a combination of increased pressure at the road/tire interface, and in a greater area of road/tire contact, with the exact balance between the two dependent on the tire pressure. This will result in the water being displaced from a greater area, with greater force.
I was being a bit sarcastic - sort of thinking of waves coming off a large bodies at high velocities....
Hmmmm.... This needs modelling, I thing. First we need to generate a reasonable model of the riders+bikes, including leg motion. then includes aerodynamics and then interaction between the aerodynamics and the water.
It's not my field, but I understand that air/water interactions and the various forms of turbulence involved are considered hard problems to model?
Oh, I'm sure they are, but it's just that I suspect the force imparted by the wheel is likely to be many orders of magnitude greater than that created by the air displaced by the rider. I'm sure the wave that the cyclists created was no less impressive than would be created by the downdraught from a hovering helicopter.
I suppose it's possible that this effect might have more bearing for the water displaced by a bus/lorry, and potentially there would be something you could do to improve the aerodynamics of the underside of a bus/lorry to reduce the force of water displacement from those vehicles onto city pavements.
You have now been talking about Scottish independence for, ooh, six hours. Whatever your opinions, the chances of a new referendum before the next GE are about 2%, and after the GE the chances rise to about 5-10%, unless that GE produces a remarkable finely balanced result where Starmer desperately needs Sturgeon (but why? She would have to back him anybobs, because otherwise: Tories return). So this is something that is not going to be a germane question, at least until PB reaches its 25th birthday, not its 18th
Is the winter that dreary and the politics that repetitive back home? Should I stay out here?
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
They would be changed or ignored for Scotland. Do you think Greece actually met the accession criteria when they joined? There was a romantic notion, primarily pushed by Mitterrand, that Europe was incomplete without Greece. Scotland would be accommodated for similar sentimental reasons.
Unworthily one might think there would also be the fandabeedozi bonus of annoying England. I'm sure that wouldn't figure in calculations though.
Popped in for a mo ... also the not so small matter that many of us in Scotland have been pukka Europeans for decades, the current annoying interruption aside.
Indeed. Even the red, white, blue and orange brigade seem to identify strongly with a Dutchman.
There's that too, and also, somewhat more recently, the voters in Scotland collectively voted very firmly for Europe.
Anyway have to go again ...
I see this view (a very longstanding and common one in Scotland) as a bit naive. Ending up in the sort of stunt that Sturgeon pulled by projecting that message referring to Scotland on to a Brussels building. The 'projection' metaphor couldn't have been starker.
Yep, that was the moment Scottish support for the EU started draining away and we collectively started getting on board with Project Brexit, which is going marvellously well btw.
Eh? No idea what this is all about. I am just suggesting that Scotland has been used a lot by the Continental powers over the centuries because of its strategically important location, and then dropped with alacrity, but many here cherish a belief that the relationship means a lot more than it does on the Continental side. It's a bit like the fondly held British belief in the 'special relationship' with America.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
Me too. The EU would admit Indy Scotland in a heartbeat - More's the pity for those old SNP types who actually believe in political independence for Scotland as opposed to those who just hate England.
Aren't those hardbitten ancient ones more likely to hate England than the more moderate and modern Sturgeony ones?
The Scotch – what a verminous race! Canny, pushy, chippy, they’re all over the place, Battening off us with false bonhomie, Polluting our stock, undermining our economy. Down with sandy hair and knobbly knees! Suppress the tartan dwarves and the Wee Frees! Ban the kilt, the skean-dhu and the sporran As provocatively, offensively foreign! It’s time Hadrian’s Wall was refortified To pen them in a ghetto on the other side. I would go further. The nation Deserves not merely isolation But comprehensive extermination. We must not flinch from a solution. (I await legal prosecution.)
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
They would be changed or ignored for Scotland. Do you think Greece actually met the accession criteria when they joined? There was a romantic notion, primarily pushed by Mitterrand, that Europe was incomplete without Greece. Scotland would be accommodated for similar sentimental reasons.
Unworthily one might think there would also be the fandabeedozi bonus of annoying England. I'm sure that wouldn't figure in calculations though.
Popped in for a mo ... also the not so small matter that many of us in Scotland have been pukka Europeans for decades, the current annoying interruption aside.
Indeed. Even the red, white, blue and orange brigade seem to identify strongly with a Dutchman.
There's that too, and also, somewhat more recently, the voters in Scotland collectively voted very firmly for Europe.
Anyway have to go again ...
I see this view (a very longstanding and common one in Scotland) as a bit naive. Ending up in the sort of stunt that Sturgeon pulled by projecting that message referring to Scotland on to a Brussels building. The 'projection' metaphor couldn't have been starker.
Yep, that was the moment Scottish support for the EU started draining away and we collectively started getting on board with Project Brexit, which is going marvellously well btw.
Eh? No idea what this is all about. I am just suggesting that Scotland has been used a lot by the Continental powers over the centuries because of its strategically important location, and then dropped with alacrity, but many here cherish a belief that the relationship means a lot more than it does on the Continental side. It's a bit like the fondly held British belief in the 'special relationship' with America.
Would a sentimental view of the beneficence and generosity of the Union also fall into this category?
... I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns. ...
Beautifully written, but a substantial air pressure differential is unlikely to be created, or sufficient to create the observed phenomena.
What will be more pertinent is that the extra weight will result in a combination of increased pressure at the road/tire interface, and in a greater area of road/tire contact, with the exact balance between the two dependent on the tire pressure. This will result in the water being displaced from a greater area, with greater force.
I was being a bit sarcastic - sort of thinking of waves coming off a large bodies at high velocities....
Hmmmm.... This needs modelling, I thing. First we need to generate a reasonable model of the riders+bikes, including leg motion. then includes aerodynamics and then interaction between the aerodynamics and the water.
It's not my field, but I understand that air/water interactions and the various forms of turbulence involved are considered hard problems to model?
Oh, I'm sure they are, but it's just that I suspect the force imparted by the wheel is likely to be many orders of magnitude greater than that created by the air displaced by the rider. I'm sure the wave that the cyclists created was no less impressive than would be created by the downdraught from a hovering helicopter.
I suppose it's possible that this effect might have more bearing for the water displaced by a bus/lorry, and potentially there would be something you could do to improve the aerodynamics of the underside of a bus/lorry to reduce the force of water displacement from those vehicles onto city pavements.
I am pretty sure that the ejection of water from under busses has a lot too do with those large, very flat profile tires. Perfect to "squeeze" water out from under them at extreme velocity.
... I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns. ...
Beautifully written, but a substantial air pressure differential is unlikely to be created, or sufficient to create the observed phenomena.
What will be more pertinent is that the extra weight will result in a combination of increased pressure at the road/tire interface, and in a greater area of road/tire contact, with the exact balance between the two dependent on the tire pressure. This will result in the water being displaced from a greater area, with greater force.
Incidentally, these considerations are why there is often some debate as to whether, when cycling in snowy conditions, it is better to use narrower tyres (to cut through the snow layer and make contact with the road below), or wider tyres (to have a greater surface area in contact with the snow layer, and make the most of whatever grip can consequently be gained).
And I am very tired, which explains earlier spelling confusion.
Isn't there a move to wider tires on "road racing" bikes?
ETRTO 28-622 is becoming fashionable for aero and rolling resistance reasons but 25-622 is still popular.
You have now been talking about Scottish independence for, ooh, six hours. Whatever your opinions, the chances of a new referendum before the next GE are about 2%, and after the GE the chances rise to about 5-10%, unless that GE produces a remarkable finely balanced result where Starmer desperately needs Sturgeon (but why? She would have to back him anybobs, because otherwise: Tories return). So this is something that is not going to be a germane question, at least until PB reaches its 25th birthday, not its 18th
Is the winter that dreary and the politics that repetitive back home? Should I stay out here?
Yes, sadly. And yes, I would if I were you.
Memo to self - must book some winter sunshine hols for next year.
Word of warning for anyone who uses the Dartford Crossing. My brother-in-law comes from Essex so my sister and him regularly go round the M25 and use the crossing. As such they set up the auto pay thing that meant their card would pay when they used it.
They used it for the first time post-COVID just before Christmas. Anyway, a few weeks ago they get notified that bailiffs had turned up at their old address (they moved in Aug 2019) demanding payment of £1,000 fine for not paying the charge. The new occupiers of that property probably got a bit of a shock!
It turns out that because they hadn’t used it for a long time (I wonder why?!!!), the people running it took them off the system. Apparently they sent an email informing them of this, but my sister says she is sure this didn’t happen.
Quite frankly these people are utter scumbags. I’ve told her to contact our MP as it’s pretty outrageous behaviour.
If I had to guess, I would guess it went to spam. Can happen even with perfectly genuine emails but account termination ones often look like phishing. I had one from Bath Spa University that did that about 18 months ago (fortunately it was one telling me I hadn't got a job, not one telling me I had)!
You have now been talking about Scottish independence for, ooh, six hours. Whatever your opinions, the chances of a new referendum before the next GE are about 2%, and after the GE the chances rise to about 5-10%, unless that GE produces a remarkable finely balanced result where Starmer desperately needs Sturgeon (but why? She would have to back him anybobs, because otherwise: Tories return). So this is something that is not going to be a germane question, at least until PB reaches its 25th birthday, not its 18th
Is the winter that dreary and the politics that repetitive back home? Should I stay out here?
Imbolc has passed, and with it the winter darkness. The brightness of spring has arrived, and the first crocuses are making their way up.
We have prevailed against the darkness once more (though it did rain for most of yesterday, my wife felt that it was surprisingly bright* considering).
* Admittedly, my Crookes radiometer hasn't spun since Friday, the level of light being below the intensity detectable by that scientific instrument.
As a British citizen I get my state pension from the British government. If I move to another country I continue to get my British state pension from the British government.
I assume I'd continue to get it if I changed my nationality to that of the country I was now living in. Yes?
If so, what is the difference to a person with Scottish nationality living in an independent Scotland getting their British pension from the British state?
I'm not seeking to make a point. It's a genuine question.
What is the legal obligation on the British state to pay a state pension to its citizens? Is it based on nationality or residence (we know that's not the case) or what?
Because you don't cease to be a British citizen. Though it may be time to revisit those rules as well any pensioner who has the means to live overseas probably doesn't need the state pension benefit.
The question shifts then to who living in Scotland would become a Scottish citizen upon independence. Doubtless anyone from the UK living in Scotland would be offered a passport, but I'll bet a significant number would choose to retain a UK passport. In those cases, who pays?
I wanted to retain my EU passport after Brexit, but I'm told I can't!
Well you can. Go live in the EU.....
Or find an Irish relative.
That reads very much like "suck it up losers".
Your first statement is also factually incorrect. More fake news from the Leave side.
Looking for offence where none was intended.
For example, you can get citizenship in France in just two years, if you complete a postgraduate course at a French university. That will return you the rights within the EU foregone by Brexit as a UK citizen.
Fake news?
Well, well, well.
I've researched in detail ways to get myself an EU passport, but that plainly obvious route passed me by.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
They would be changed or ignored for Scotland. Do you think Greece actually met the accession criteria when they joined? There was a romantic notion, primarily pushed by Mitterrand, that Europe was incomplete without Greece. Scotland would be accommodated for similar sentimental reasons.
Unworthily one might think there would also be the fandabeedozi bonus of annoying England. I'm sure that wouldn't figure in calculations though.
If Scotland can get Germany and France to put their hands in their pockets to finance them post independence, good luck to them. I wouldn't wait up though....
Speaking of finances, didn't we have a bet on earth being broken on BJ's putative bridge/tunnel from Scotland to NI in the term of this government? Of course if you wish to hold off until this confederacy of rsoles comes to a shuddering halt..
We did - £50 as I recall. I can pay you in person after the next general election, or pay it to a charity of your choosing now if you prefer.....
You have now been talking about Scottish independence for, ooh, six hours. Whatever your opinions, the chances of a new referendum before the next GE are about 2%, and after the GE the chances rise to about 5-10%, unless that GE produces a remarkable finely balanced result where Starmer desperately needs Sturgeon (but why? She would have to back him anybobs, because otherwise: Tories return). So this is something that is not going to be a germane question, at least until PB reaches its 25th birthday, not its 18th
Is the winter that dreary and the politics that repetitive back home? Should I stay out here?
You've made this point 473 times. Why not just to stick to UFOs and tonic instead of repeating yourself (though of course that gets pretty repetitive as well)?
I see that Duncan-Smith is very amusingly spinning the new line that Johnson has to stay on "to deal with the big crises, such as the parties scandal and the cost of living crisis".
An almost comically transparent attempt to adapt the previous spin, on Boris being a "prime minister for the big calls", to the unavoidably obvious crises that are staring everyone in the face. It won't achieve much, though, because the instant preposterousness of the prime minister being the man to tackle the big crises he himself created defeats it even before he's begun.
Johnson seems lost to me whether he survives or not. He's gotten to where he is so cheaply, this is the problem. All he ever offered was an amiable entertaining persona and a kind of ra ra chanting of simple slogans and vague inflated aspirations. It's been enough throughout his career and it was enough for people to vote for him in droves and make him PM, that's the evidence thus far, so he can't really be blamed for assuming no more than this is required of him, and if what he can offer is no longer enough - which it probably isn't - he's stuffed because he doesn't have anything else.
You are not giving him enough credit for skills suited to political ladder climbing. Utter ruthlessness in dealing with party management (other kind of party) and an extremely rare ability to hold multiple contradictory views at once whilst still having them believed by key stakeholders being the most useful for him.
Yes, very much so. It's amazing what he's been able to pull off. But I was thinking about his interface with the public and what he brings (or rather doesn't and can't) to the job he has somehow landed up with courtesy of the public - running the government.
... I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns. ...
Beautifully written, but a substantial air pressure differential is unlikely to be created, or sufficient to create the observed phenomena.
What will be more pertinent is that the extra weight will result in a combination of increased pressure at the road/tire interface, and in a greater area of road/tire contact, with the exact balance between the two dependent on the tire pressure. This will result in the water being displaced from a greater area, with greater force.
I was being a bit sarcastic - sort of thinking of waves coming off a large bodies at high velocities....
Hmmmm.... This needs modelling, I thing. First we need to generate a reasonable model of the riders+bikes, including leg motion. then includes aerodynamics and then interaction between the aerodynamics and the water.
It's not my field, but I understand that air/water interactions and the various forms of turbulence involved are considered hard problems to model?
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
Me too. The EU would admit Indy Scotland in a heartbeat - More's the pity for those old SNP types who actually believe in political independence for Scotland as opposed to those who just hate England.
Aren't those hardbitten ancient ones more likely to hate England than the more moderate and modern Sturgeony ones?
Yes, or at least, as much as. But they also seem to desire, in actuality, indy Scotland. Gaining the powers of an independent nation, and as soon as it can be arranged, giving most of them back, to an organisation with far less accountability to anyone in Scotland than the old one, is not a logical position if independence is the end goal. Hence many of the old guard are pro-Brexit - it's a step closer to real independence.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
They would be changed or ignored for Scotland. Do you think Greece actually met the accession criteria when they joined? There was a romantic notion, primarily pushed by Mitterrand, that Europe was incomplete without Greece. Scotland would be accommodated for similar sentimental reasons.
Unworthily one might think there would also be the fandabeedozi bonus of annoying England. I'm sure that wouldn't figure in calculations though.
If Scotland can get Germany and France to put their hands in their pockets to finance them post independence, good luck to them. I wouldn't wait up though....
Speaking of finances, didn't we have a bet on earth being broken on BJ's putative bridge/tunnel from Scotland to NI in the term of this government? Of course if you wish to hold off until this confederacy of rsoles comes to a shuddering halt..
We did - £50 as I recall. I can pay you in person after the next general election, or pay it to a charity of your choosing now if you prefer.....
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
They don’t have a currency, central bank or reserves, for starters.
Just answered a yougov on 'is the government relaxing covid restrictions too quickly?' Obviously (well obvious to anyone who knows my views on such things) I replied in the negative. It will be interesting to see the results when they emerge.
On a related note, today I have been to Tesco and am now in a climbing centrein Trafford Park. Both are considerably more mask-free than they were during the August-November 2021 period when restrictions were first relaxed. My limited-sample-view is that the public is - by and large - properly over this shit now.
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
I don't think that Ukraine would which means a major war, millions of refugees, economic chaos etc. So, I think no would be the self interested answer.
Your mistake is assuming appeasers believe that Ukrainians are entitled to a say in their own future. They actually have a 19th Century mindset where the world is divided up among the great powers and smaller nations have to lump it. Regardless what oppression and dictatorship comes from being allocated to an unfavourable "sphere of influence".
You don't think that is still what happens? Do you think Britain is free to make foreign policy independently of America? How quaint.
Of course we are Russianguy.
The reason we align so often with the USA is because it makes sense for us to do so, because our interests are aligned, not because we have to do so.
The Free World in general sticking together may not suit Putinists like yourself but it works nicely for the rest of us.
While out for a bike ride this morning, I stopped at a local coffee stall to take a break.
At this point in the river, the road often floods partially at high tide. The road there is 2 lanes, plus parking, plus a pavement - the water can fill one lane. And leave a puddle some inches deep over a distance of a score of yards...
The area is popular for walking on a Sunday. There is an annoyance - the habit of large groups of people to walk in a line, side by side. To day was an especially large group, filling the entire road, blocking everyone else. I wondered why there was a certain familiarity in it - it was that, due to a number of them wearing skiing gear, they resembled the skirmish line of German troops heading up the mountain in The Guns of Navaronne.....
Anyway, I notice the time - hmmmm. And indeed, as if summoned, the Fat Men On Fixies appeared. This....conglomeration of large cyclists is a well know local hazard. Their resemblance to a fleet of aggressive Zeppelins on wheels is marked.
They past me and the coffee stand, as usually, making no adjustment for those out walking, and headed down the slight slope.
As they did do so, they elongated their mass, becoming a (in plan form) a single, large angry Zeppelin. Shaped to the width of the half of the road ahead, that was not occupied by the Road Combers of Navaronne. The half that was fairly full of water.
I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns.
The splash angle of the water takes the form reminiscent of the simulations of ejecta from a large comet hitting the earth - a sheet of material at a low angle. At staggering velocity.
This utterly and perfectly soaked the Road Combers of Navaronne. A more complete job could not have been done with malevolence and a fire hose.
The road combers dispersed, and the FOAF were a large angry blob in the distance. The waves in the water gradually subsided.
I finished the excellent coffee and left.
*Look out for a paper on "The Dynamic Interactions of High-BMI Cyclists And Stationary Bodies Of Liquid"
Truth or Lie?, as per the marvellous "Would i lie to you?"
"I always lie. In fact, I am lying to you now!"
I know you have popped this one onto PB a few (ok a lot of) times in the past but isn't the simple solution that you do lie sometimes?
The first sentence is a lie and the second is true. A perfectly logical solution so long as you assume 'now' refers to the whole statement.
To the Indian commentators tweeting Ukraine should make concessions: how would you react if someone in Ukraine (or anywhere in Europe for that matter) suggested India should give Kashmir to Pakistan? Right, I thought so
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
They would be changed or ignored for Scotland. Do you think Greece actually met the accession criteria when they joined? There was a romantic notion, primarily pushed by Mitterrand, that Europe was incomplete without Greece. Scotland would be accommodated for similar sentimental reasons.
Unworthily one might think there would also be the fandabeedozi bonus of annoying England. I'm sure that wouldn't figure in calculations though.
If Scotland can get Germany and France to put their hands in their pockets to finance them post independence, good luck to them. I wouldn't wait up though....
Speaking of finances, didn't we have a bet on earth being broken on BJ's putative bridge/tunnel from Scotland to NI in the term of this government? Of course if you wish to hold off until this confederacy of rsoles comes to a shuddering halt..
We did - £50 as I recall. I can pay you in person after the next general election, or pay it to a charity of your choosing now if you prefer.....
Given Johnson's record on everything what the fuck made you so sure it would happen that you'd put 50 quid on it?
You have now been talking about Scottish independence for, ooh, six hours. Whatever your opinions, the chances of a new referendum before the next GE are about 2%, and after the GE the chances rise to about 5-10%, unless that GE produces a remarkable finely balanced result where Starmer desperately needs Sturgeon (but why? She would have to back him anybobs, because otherwise: Tories return). So this is something that is not going to be a germane question, at least until PB reaches its 25th birthday, not its 18th
You should have the most humongous bet then - because the market says there is a vastly higher than 2% chance of a Sindy Ref before 2025.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
They don’t have a currency, central bank or reserves, for starters.
Wasn't the Irish Free State in a similar position? They managed to finance a civil war as well. I'm sure the people and Government of Scotland could sort this out for themselves. They have 3 banks anyway, one could become the Central Bank. Reserves would be a proportion of the UK reserves, and the currency could be the Euro. The debt would obviously follow the reserves. The EU i'm sure can help there.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
They don’t have a currency, central bank or reserves, for starters.
That's because they're in the UK. They have to leave that first and *then* apply to join the EU. I think that'll be the order anyway.
As a British citizen I get my state pension from the British government. If I move to another country I continue to get my British state pension from the British government.
I assume I'd continue to get it if I changed my nationality to that of the country I was now living in. Yes?
If so, what is the difference to a person with Scottish nationality living in an independent Scotland getting their British pension from the British state?
I'm not seeking to make a point. It's a genuine question.
What is the legal obligation on the British state to pay a state pension to its citizens? Is it based on nationality or residence (we know that's not the case) or what?
Because you don't cease to be a British citizen. Though it may be time to revisit those rules as well any pensioner who has the means to live overseas probably doesn't need the state pension benefit.
The question shifts then to who living in Scotland would become a Scottish citizen upon independence. Doubtless anyone from the UK living in Scotland would be offered a passport, but I'll bet a significant number would choose to retain a UK passport. In those cases, who pays?
This was a question I was pondering last night. As an advocate of a harmonious and good will split between Scotland and England this is one of those issues that I think could cause more serious problems. How can a new country of 5 million people operate if, for example 1 or 2 million of its population choose to retain citizenship of another country? Can a country effectively operate with up to 40% of its population made up of non-nationals? I know that is probably at the extreme end of the likely number but it was something that got me thinking last night.
Highly unlikely Richard unless there are big financial reasons for it, I would imagine there would be issues with voting and possibly other disadvantages as well.
Word of warning for anyone who uses the Dartford Crossing. My brother-in-law comes from Essex so my sister and him regularly go round the M25 and use the crossing. As such they set up the auto pay thing that meant their card would pay when they used it.
They used it for the first time post-COVID just before Christmas. Anyway, a few weeks ago they get notified that bailiffs had turned up at their old address (they moved in Aug 2019) demanding payment of £1,000 fine for not paying the charge. The new occupiers of that property probably got a bit of a shock!
It turns out that because they hadn’t used it for a long time (I wonder why?!!!), the people running it took them off the system. Apparently they sent an email informing them of this, but my sister says she is sure this didn’t happen.
Quite frankly these people are utter scumbags. I’ve told her to contact our MP as it’s pretty outrageous behaviour.
TBH, and TBF, I'm a bit surprised, but only a bit. I live in Essex and have family in Kent, so have an account with the Crossing company, and have an agreement to keep it in credit. Works very well; I'm at worst about 1.5 crossings in credit. Couple of years ago I changed my car, realised after a day trip there and back and contacted, and was charged, IIRC an extra £5. We go to and fro about three or four times a year, normally.
However some years ago another son, who lies abroad so rents cars when he comes over got one digit wrong when he paid the fee. He was charged; as it was a rental car it took about 3 months for the charge to get to him, by which time the penalty had built up. The crossing company were very unhelpful indeed so we fought it, and with the assistance of my MP (P. Patel) got the penalty stopped.
My account was cancelled, and I have no record of an informative email, paid a 70.00 penalty for a few days late payment.
I'm really struggling to understand the viewpoint of those who think rump UK would retain a liability to pay Scottish State Pensions. Another poster made the point quite simply when they asked: "Who would set the rate at which the Scottish State Pension was paid?"
Suppose that inflation was higher in Scotland than in the rump UK - would Scottish politicians really be happy with seeing pension payments to Scottish pensioners decline in real terms? What if Scottish politicians didn't want to increase the State Pension Retirement age as quickly as in the rump UK - would they really cede this area of policy-making to the rump UK Parliament?
And there's no way that rump UK could sign a blank cheque to pay any level of increase to a Scottish State Pension - what if Scottish politicians wanted to increase it towards the Western European average?
Scottish politicians would have to find the money for Scottish state pensions in the Scottish budget if they wanted the independence to make Scottish political decisions over what the level of the pension should be. That's the essence of the Nationalist argument for Independence anyway, so strange for them to try to argue otherwise.
In what currency would the Scottish State Pension be paid?
If Scotland chooses to become a foreign country, then working English, Welsh and Northern Irish taxpayers should not pay for a foreign country's pension liabilities. GUY OPPERMAN U.K. Pensions Minister
The SNPs desperation to claim that English taxpayers would be liable for Scottish pensions is truly absurd and means there's not a chance of Scottish independence ever coming about now.
In the campaign it's going to be a case of SNP ministers and campaigners insisting the English will pay the pensions, the English will clearly say "no we won't" and quite right too. At which point pensioners and potential pensioners, will think quite reasonably "this is too risky" and vote No.
If the SNP were serious about independence they'd have serious answers. Not "the English will pay our liabilities for us".
Moronic Little Englanders for Dummies guidance. Unionists on here sh***ing their pants at the thought that they are not a "real" world power but rather a sad has been desperate not to be left on their own. Only one colony away from banana republic status.
I have no clue how any of that rather feable rant relates to anything I said about the pathetic attempts to ensure independence is never viable by the SNP under Sturgeon.
Salmond was deadly serious about seeking Scottish independence which is why he was unequivocal that Scottish pensions would be paid by Scotland, because that's a serious policy.
Sturgeon's cake and eat it desire to be independent but have England still pay all the liabilities is just a bad joke.
What's worse, is that you know it too. Why can't you just admit that the only reason the SNP are now coming out with this ridiculous bullshit that Salmond when he was in charge ran a mile from is because Sturgeon has no desire to actually make independence viable. She's far more interested in feathering her own nest than winning a referendum and you know it.
The bad joke is clown's like you thinking you know anything about Scotland. Sturgeon does not want independence.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
Me too. The EU would admit Indy Scotland in a heartbeat - More's the pity for those old SNP types who actually believe in political independence for Scotland as opposed to those who just hate England.
Aren't those hardbitten ancient ones more likely to hate England than the more moderate and modern Sturgeony ones?
Yes, or at least, as much as. But they also seem to desire, in actuality, indy Scotland. Gaining the powers of an independent nation, and as soon as it can be arranged, giving most of them back, to an organisation with far less accountability to anyone in Scotland than the old one, is not a logical position if independence is the end goal. Hence many of the old guard are pro-Brexit - it's a step closer to real independence.
Ah no, I won't buy that old chestnut, even if you roasted it for me. Sindy is about creating the sovereign nation state of Scotland. That can then join the EU or not depending on whether its people want to. Conceptually these are separate matters.
As a British citizen I get my state pension from the British government. If I move to another country I continue to get my British state pension from the British government.
I assume I'd continue to get it if I changed my nationality to that of the country I was now living in. Yes?
If so, what is the difference to a person with Scottish nationality living in an independent Scotland getting their British pension from the British state?
I'm not seeking to make a point. It's a genuine question.
What is the legal obligation on the British state to pay a state pension to its citizens? Is it based on nationality or residence (we know that's not the case) or what?
Because the British state stops existing in it's present state if / when Scotland goes independent.
So a single Government is split in 2 and 1 of those governments is trying to pass a very large bill on to the other Government.
Which may work for 30 seconds until the British Government witnessed the reaction to British Tax payers giving Scotland money.
LOL, you could not make up the stupidity on here, idiots who think they are great intellects pontificating on topics they have no clue about. Constitutional guidance by Dummies.
Please can you show me the Great British Investment Fund that is used to pay for State Pensions - that you continually claim exists.
Now you are doing a Boris, where have I ever said there was a British Investment Fund. Take your Lies elsewhere sunshine or perhaps read and understand what people post. Hint "Liability" does not equal "Great British Investment Fund".
So where will the money to pay for the Scottish State Pensions come from?
And why do you think any rUK Government would agree to continually send rUK tax payers money north of the border when those State pensions should be coming from Scottish tax payers money...
Ad infinitum , it will be paid by Scottish Government out of it's own money and reparations of the liabilities from the colonial master.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
They would be changed or ignored for Scotland. Do you think Greece actually met the accession criteria when they joined? There was a romantic notion, primarily pushed by Mitterrand, that Europe was incomplete without Greece. Scotland would be accommodated for similar sentimental reasons.
Unworthily one might think there would also be the fandabeedozi bonus of annoying England. I'm sure that wouldn't figure in calculations though.
If Scotland can get Germany and France to put their hands in their pockets to finance them post independence, good luck to them. I wouldn't wait up though....
Speaking of finances, didn't we have a bet on earth being broken on BJ's putative bridge/tunnel from Scotland to NI in the term of this government? Of course if you wish to hold off until this confederacy of rsoles comes to a shuddering halt..
We did - £50 as I recall. I can pay you in person after the next general election, or pay it to a charity of your choosing now if you prefer.....
Given Johnson's record on everything what the fuck made you so sure it would happen that you'd put 50 quid on it?
Because the only way he was ever going to deliver levelling up was on expedited bloody great infrastructure projects..... With somebody else paying. This seemed the sort of headline grabber he'd go for. And it was a way of winning round the Republic of Ireland to some Brexit fudge.
In my defence, I didn't factor in Covid eating all bandwidth of Government for the first 2+ years of his Premiership.
(I still think two tunnels, one from Cumbria to the Isle of Man and another from the Isle of Man to NI, has some considerable merit....)
It’s obvious to see from Brexit that English/Scottish relations will be…difficult.
It’s definitely worth doing though if you want to make life more complex and less peaceful.
And on the positive side when Czechoslovakia broke up they had something like 1300 arbitrations to resolve these issues. At least the lawyers won't starve!
You should be all for it David, make a killing and early retirement on a generous Scottish pension.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
They would be changed or ignored for Scotland. Do you think Greece actually met the accession criteria when they joined? There was a romantic notion, primarily pushed by Mitterrand, that Europe was incomplete without Greece. Scotland would be accommodated for similar sentimental reasons.
Interesting that this is the portion of her letter that Royal Family Twitter chose to highlight:
In her message, she references the broadcast she made on her 21st birthday in which she pledged her life’s work to the people of the Commonwealth with the words:
“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.”
What an astonishing life, and service, it has been.
She hasn't been on the tills in Iceland for decades so let's not get carried away. The 'service' mainly consisted of getting taken to the races in a Rolls-Royce or grinning inanely at foreign children somewhere hot and dusty.
You'd last about a fortnight doing it, if that.
He would only need to do it once a fortnight at most , on holiday most of teh time and among highest paid in the world, an easy gig.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
They would be changed or ignored for Scotland. Do you think Greece actually met the accession criteria when they joined? There was a romantic notion, primarily pushed by Mitterrand, that Europe was incomplete without Greece. Scotland would be accommodated for similar sentimental reasons.
Unworthily one might think there would also be the fandabeedozi bonus of annoying England. I'm sure that wouldn't figure in calculations though.
If Scotland can get Germany and France to put their hands in their pockets to finance them post independence, good luck to them. I wouldn't wait up though....
Speaking of finances, didn't we have a bet on earth being broken on BJ's putative bridge/tunnel from Scotland to NI in the term of this government? Of course if you wish to hold off until this confederacy of rsoles comes to a shuddering halt..
We did - £50 as I recall. I can pay you in person after the next general election, or pay it to a charity of your choosing now if you prefer.....
Given Johnson's record on everything what the fuck made you so sure it would happen that you'd put 50 quid on it?
Because the only way he was ever going to deliver levelling up was on expedited bloody great infrastructure projects..... With somebody else paying. This seemed the sort of headline grabber he'd go for. And it was a way of winning round the Republic of Ireland to some Brexit fudge.
In my defence, I didn't factor in Covid eating all bandwidth of Government for the first 2+ years of his Premiership.
(I still think two tunnels, one from Cumbria to the Isle of Man and another from the Isle of Man to NI, has some considerable merit....)
30 miles from Bees Head to Point of Ayr and a bit further the other side. I guess it's more feasible than going under the Beaufort Dyke, but the advantage of the Beaufort Dyke location is that it lies on the direct line between Glasgow and Belfast, and the Isle of Man link doesn't - it would most likely still be easier to take the ferry across the Northern Channel to travel between Belfast and Glasgow, so that reduces the utility of the link somewhat.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
They don’t have a currency, central bank or reserves, for starters.
Wasn't the Irish Free State in a similar position? They managed to finance a civil war as well. I'm sure the people and Government of Scotland could sort this out for themselves. They have 3 banks anyway, one could become the Central Bank. Reserves would be a proportion of the UK reserves, and the currency could be the Euro. The debt would obviously follow the reserves. The EU i'm sure can help there.
Carlotta's bitter hatred for Scotland will not let her believe it could just happen like all normal countries , she has to have us too wee and too poor.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
They don’t have a currency, central bank or reserves, for starters.
You fool we have the Bank of England at present as Central bank , it stores our reserves at £ for £ for all Scottish pounds and we use pounds Sterling, what planet are you on.
Pensions should be one of the easier areas to sort out. Clearly it won't be quite the way the SNP predicts, but I imagine rUK will pay something towards pensions for a little while - somewhat more state pensioners, and (I think) somewhat more civil service etc pensions in Scotland.
Scotland's finances will be tricky - and could get more or less so depending on more matters evolve after Independence. The big issue in my view is whether they can get readmitted to the EU on good terms (i.e free money).
EU membership would indeed be a big issue. I personally think they'd regain it fairly speedily.
How quickly do you think they would meet the Copenhagen Criteria? Specifically the economic ones?
I'd have thought they largely meet it now. Plus there'll be 2 willing counterparties here so I can envisage some shaping.
They don’t have a currency, central bank or reserves, for starters.
You fool we have the Bank of England at present as Central bank , it stores our reserves at £ for £ for all Scottish pounds and we use pounds Sterling, what planet are you on.
Sindy will not have the BoE as it’s central bank and rUK will not enter into a currency union with it.
the SNP's current currency position is to unofficially continue to use sterling outside the formal sterling area, much in the same way Montenegro uses the euro without the agreement of the eurozone or the European Central Bank. It is envisaged this 'sterlingisation' arrangement will last a considerable period. The SNP would then plan to launch a new Scottish currency if the economic conditions merited it.
McCrone sees the danger in this. Figures show that an independent Scotland would start life with a classic twin deficits problem. The country would be importing more than it is exporting and spending more money than it is generating in tax. It would therefore have unsustainably large current account and budget deficits.
'In the short term, even if taxes were raised or public expenditure cut, Scotland would have to borrow to finance both of these deficits,' notes McCrone. But as a new borrower with no long record of credibility like the UK, Scotland would 'have to pay considerably more on its borrowing'.
'Interest rates would be in danger of constantly increasing in a vicious circle, resulting in eventual collapse,' he warns.
With both Russia and China talking about it feels impossible that they could be so stupid as to not see current moves encourage expansion. Not in Ukraine, too much a mess, but elsewhere. So is it actually what they want for some weird reason?
Well, it would be in China's interests to have the US preoccupied with Russia in Europe, NATO expansion, stationing US troops in Eastern Europe, as that would presumably imply less US attention and resources to be directed to the Pacific, leaving China a freer hand to act as it wishes.
Not sure what is in it for Russia.
A big deal for oil and gas, perhaps?
If Russia offered a 50% reduction in gas prices in exchange for Ukraine, would we accept it?
I don't think that Ukraine would which means a major war, millions of refugees, economic chaos etc. So, I think no would be the self interested answer.
Your mistake is assuming appeasers believe that Ukrainians are entitled to a say in their own future. They actually have a 19th Century mindset where the world is divided up among the great powers and smaller nations have to lump it. Regardless what oppression and dictatorship comes from being allocated to an unfavourable "sphere of influence".
You don't think that is still what happens? Do you think Britain is free to make foreign policy independently of America? How quaint.
This is one of the most ridiculous false equivalencies I have seen on PB. Sure, Ukraine having its elected government replaced by a Russian appointed dictator is exactly the same as the UK often aligning its foreign policy with the US.
Macron hints that the West has to make concessions to Putin. “We have to be very realistic. We will not obtain unilateral moves, but it is essential to avoid a deterioration of the situation before building mechanisms and reciprocal gestures of trust.” 1/2
Since Russia has ignored or broken every agreement it has made with Ukraine, why?
Gas - because Germany cannot survive without Russian Gas at the moment.
Also Western Europe isn't stoked about the prospect of 2m+ Ukranian refugees fleeing a Russian invasion. From a French/German perspective's certainly worth giving Putin something to avoid that.
You may be right, but what is that something?
Russia's main demand is that the Ukraine not be allowed to join NATO. America's response is that Ukraine is a sovereign country and can apply to join what it likes. To which the answer surely has to be, well, yes but NATO does not have to agree. If NATO confimed that any such application would not be approved for, say, the next 20 years Putin may have his face saver.
I'm sure I read years ago there was no realistic prospect of Ukraine joining NATO precisely because its territorial integrity had already been compromised by Russia re Crimea, and if they were a member questions would arise on why that situation was acceptable, so it seems an unnecessary concession, but easy to make.
Macron hints that the West has to make concessions to Putin. “We have to be very realistic. We will not obtain unilateral moves, but it is essential to avoid a deterioration of the situation before building mechanisms and reciprocal gestures of trust.” 1/2
Since Russia has ignored or broken every agreement it has made with Ukraine, why?
Gas - because Germany cannot survive without Russian Gas at the moment.
Also Western Europe isn't stoked about the prospect of 2m+ Ukranian refugees fleeing a Russian invasion. From a French/German perspective's certainly worth giving Putin something to avoid that.
You may be right, but what is that something?
Russia's main demand is that the Ukraine not be allowed to join NATO. America's response is that Ukraine is a sovereign country and can apply to join what it likes. To which the answer surely has to be, well, yes but NATO does not have to agree. If NATO confimed that any such application would not be approved for, say, the next 20 years Putin may have his face saver.
I'm sure I read years ago there was no realistic prospect of Ukraine joining NATO precisely because its territorial integrity had already been compromised by Russia re Crimea, and if they were a member questions would arise on why that situation was acceptable, so it seems an unnecessary concession, but easy to make.
With hindsight, the acceptance of the Baltic States, Poland, Hungary and Romania etc as members of NATO was a strategic mistake. Are we really willing to risk thermonuculear war to protect Lithuiania, a country most of the population could not even find on the map and with a significant Russian minority? I rather think not but we have made those promises and have to honour them. I really do not think that we should be making any more. It would have been better to let their incorporation into the west be a matter for the EU.
That wasn't the strategic mistake. That was inevitable given the suspicion they held Russia in and the arrogance of the Americans as the world's hegemonic power.
The strategic mistake - and it was a big one - was not offering NATO membership to Russia. Even EU membership. That might have made a very considerable difference both to the attitude of Yeltsin and the course of his government.
Comments
My serious point is that the US and UK are more divided and thereby weaker than at any point I can remember. That is what is emboldening Russia and China.
While out for a bike ride this morning, I stopped at a local coffee stall to take a break.
At this point in the river, the road often floods partially at high tide. The road there is 2 lanes, plus parking, plus a pavement - the water can fill one lane. And leave a puddle some inches deep over a distance of a score of yards...
The area is popular for walking on a Sunday. There is an annoyance - the habit of large groups of people to walk in a line, side by side. To day was an especially large group, filling the entire road, blocking everyone else. I wondered why there was a certain familiarity in it - it was that, due to a number of them wearing skiing gear, they resembled the skirmish line of German troops heading up the mountain in The Guns of Navaronne.....
Anyway, I notice the time - hmmmm. And indeed, as if summoned, the Fat Men On Fixies appeared. This....conglomeration of large cyclists is a well know local hazard. Their resemblance to a fleet of aggressive Zeppelins on wheels is marked.
They past me and the coffee stand, as usually, making no adjustment for those out walking, and headed down the slight slope.
As they did do so, they elongated their mass, becoming a (in plan form) a single, large angry Zeppelin. Shaped to the width of the half of the road ahead, that was not occupied by the Road Combers of Navaronne. The half that was fairly full of water.
I have seen what happened next before, but this morning was a truly beautiful example of the phenomenon. My theory is that the air beneath the bodies of the FOAF gets trapped and creates a substantial pressure rise*.... In any event the ejection of water from beneath them is startling. The main body of the.... peloton, appears to actually be riding on dried ground, until they passed and the water returns.
The splash angle of the water takes the form reminiscent of the simulations of ejecta from a large comet hitting the earth - a sheet of material at a low angle. At staggering velocity.
This utterly and perfectly soaked the Road Combers of Navaronne. A more complete job could not have been done with malevolence and a fire hose.
The road combers dispersed, and the FOAF were a large angry blob in the distance. The waves in the water gradually subsided.
I finished the excellent coffee and left.
*Look out for a paper on "The Dynamic Interactions of High-BMI Cyclists And Stationary Bodies Of Liquid"
1) Russia promises not to invade Ukraine.
2) Germany promises to pay 200% of the market rate for gas for the next 20 years.
3) Russia promises not to charge more or cut off gas to other states in Eastern Europe.
So the Germans get a massive incentive to get off Russian Gas. Putin gets a win with piles of money to steal. The Ukrainians don't get invaded. Lots of people don't die.
What's not to like?
They used it for the first time post-COVID just before Christmas. Anyway, a few weeks ago they get notified that bailiffs had turned up at their old address (they moved in Aug 2019) demanding payment of £1,000 fine for not paying the charge. The new occupiers of that property probably got a bit of a shock!
It turns out that because they hadn’t used it for a long time (I wonder why?!!!), the people running it took them off the system. Apparently they sent an email informing them of this, but my sister says she is sure this didn’t happen.
Quite frankly these people are utter scumbags. I’ve told her to contact our MP as it’s pretty outrageous behaviour.
What will be more pertinent is that the extra weight will result in a combination of increased pressure at the road/tire interface, and in a greater area of road/tire contact, with the exact balance between the two dependent on the tire pressure. This will result in the water being displaced from a greater area, with greater force.
And I am very tired, which explains earlier spelling confusion.
Hmmmm.... This needs modelling, I thing. First we need to generate a reasonable model of the riders+bikes, including leg motion. then includes aerodynamics and then interaction between the aerodynamics and the water.
It's not my field, but I understand that air/water interactions and the various forms of turbulence involved are considered hard problems to model?
One must also take into account that the influence of Scotland over the decisions of the EU Government would be virtually nil, compared to a significant representation for Scotland within the decision making structures of the UK.
However some years ago another son, who lies abroad so rents cars when he comes over got one digit wrong when he paid the fee. He was charged; as it was a rental car it took about 3 months for the charge to get to him, by which time the penalty had built up. The crossing company were very unhelpful indeed so we fought it, and with the assistance of my MP (P. Patel) got the penalty stopped.
I suppose it's possible that this effect might have more bearing for the water displaced by a bus/lorry, and potentially there would be something you could do to improve the aerodynamics of the underside of a bus/lorry to reduce the force of water displacement from those vehicles onto city pavements.
Is the winter that dreary and the politics that repetitive back home? Should I stay out here?
Canny, pushy, chippy, they’re all over the place,
Battening off us with false bonhomie,
Polluting our stock, undermining our economy.
Down with sandy hair and knobbly knees!
Suppress the tartan dwarves and the Wee Frees!
Ban the kilt, the skean-dhu and the sporran
As provocatively, offensively foreign!
It’s time Hadrian’s Wall was refortified
To pen them in a ghetto on the other side.
I would go further. The nation
Deserves not merely isolation
But comprehensive extermination.
We must not flinch from a solution.
(I await legal prosecution.)
Memo to self - must book some winter sunshine hols for next year.
We have prevailed against the darkness once more (though it did rain for most of yesterday, my wife felt that it was surprisingly bright* considering).
* Admittedly, my Crookes radiometer hasn't spun since Friday, the level of light being below the intensity detectable by that scientific instrument.
I've researched in detail ways to get myself an EU passport, but that plainly obvious route passed me by.
Thanks for the heads up.
NEW THREAD
This thread has voted to slip free from its colonial oppressors
https://www.erskine.org.uk/give-support/donate-to-erskine
Your word is fine, no need for email receipts and all that guff between gentlemen.
Obviously (well obvious to anyone who knows my views on such things) I replied in the negative.
It will be interesting to see the results when they emerge.
On a related note, today I have been to Tesco and am now in a climbing centrein Trafford Park. Both are considerably more mask-free than they were during the August-November 2021 period when restrictions were first relaxed. My limited-sample-view is that the public is - by and large - properly over this shit now.
The reason we align so often with the USA is because it makes sense for us to do so, because our interests are aligned, not because we have to do so.
The Free World in general sticking together may not suit Putinists like yourself but it works nicely for the rest of us.
The first sentence is a lie and the second is true. A perfectly logical solution so long as you assume 'now' refers to the whole statement.
https://twitter.com/MacaesBruno/status/1490324037175844868?s=20&t=rUDRMnRIVi4fV-zyJRZAWA
In my defence, I didn't factor in Covid eating all bandwidth of Government for the first 2+ years of his Premiership.
(I still think two tunnels, one from Cumbria to the Isle of Man and another from the Isle of Man to NI, has some considerable merit....)
the SNP's current currency position is to unofficially continue to use sterling outside the formal sterling area, much in the same way Montenegro uses the euro without the agreement of the eurozone or the European Central Bank. It is envisaged this 'sterlingisation' arrangement will last a considerable period. The SNP would then plan to launch a new Scottish currency if the economic conditions merited it.
McCrone sees the danger in this. Figures show that an independent Scotland would start life with a classic twin deficits problem. The country would be importing more than it is exporting and spending more money than it is generating in tax. It would therefore have unsustainably large current account and budget deficits.
'In the short term, even if taxes were raised or public expenditure cut, Scotland would have to borrow to finance both of these deficits,' notes McCrone. But as a new borrower with no long record of credibility like the UK, Scotland would 'have to pay considerably more on its borrowing'.
'Interest rates would be in danger of constantly increasing in a vicious circle, resulting in eventual collapse,' he warns.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-book-that-shatters-the-snp-s-economic-myths