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ITV News: “46 CON MPs might have sent confidence vote letters” – politicalbetting.com

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  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 27,842
    Cookie said:

    Taz said:

    Cookie said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Timmycool said:

    Leon said:

    Do we have any Alabama experts on the board today?

    I have one day here in the far north west bit. Tuscumbia/Muscle Shoals. By the mighty Tennessee River

    I was gonna hike the river or some canyons.... but it's decided to rain. Heavily (the first day of bad weather after a week of pure sun - which returns tomorrow, huzzah)

    Things To Do In Alabama When It Rains. Are there any? I thought of driving to Alabama's Most Depressing Town, say Selma, or Bessemer, to indulge in a day of Full on Feasting on American Declinism, but are they that bad? I want BAD. I want Mississippi BAD. Detroit BAD. Shuttered streets, empty factories, fentanyl addicts, desolate malls, maybe a rich Woke student shouting at poor white people about their privilege - in the rain.

    Where can I get that?

    Quick YouTube (there are channels dedicated to driving the "hood" of these kind of places), Bessemer looks pretty bad. Worst of those kind of places I have been, Gary, Indiana.
    Gary, Indiana at one point was the murder capital of the US. You are right, FU, it is a horrible little town on the Southwest corner of Lake Michigan. So depressing. Stopped once on the way from Chicago to Warsaw, Indiana and my hosts were amazed I'd gotten out alive!!!
    I know Indiana quite well from the David Soul song Silver Lady. The wind and rain cuts through you, there, and leaves you chilled to the bone. Bleak, as you say. Best to play the song rather than visit. This applies to quite a few places in America, come to think of it. Galverston is another good example. Just play the song and leave it at that.
    Sorry, K, but you do not know shit about Indiana, which is a VERY diverse state plenty of great places & people from Lake Michigan dunes to the banks of the Ohio River. Or Galveston for that matter.

    Ignorance does NOT become you.
    Yes, I'm sure. Only kidding. Or only not kidding in the sense there often IS a mismatch between how a song makes a place sound and the more prosiac reality of that place - and since songs usually talk about American places it's American places that are romanticized (in this way) the most. Pity but that's how it is.

    By the time I got to Romford.
    I wish they all could be Liverpudlian girls.
    It took me 4 days to hitchhike from Doncaster
    And now he's leaving ... on the midnight train to Chester.

    We lack the cultural confidence to write this sort of stuff.
    I left the north again
    I travelled south again
    I got confused
    I killed a horse
    I can’t help the way I feel
    I lost my bag in Newport Parnell.
    Panic on the streets of London
    Panic on the streets of Birmingham
    I wonder to myself
    Could life ever be sane again?
    The Leeds side-streets that you slip down
    I wonder to myself
    Hopes may rise on the Grasmere
    But honey pie, you're not safe here
    So you run down to the safety of the town
    But there's panic on the streets of Carlisle
    Dublin, Dundee, Humberside
    I wonder to myself

    Brilliant. I don’t know if it is the case but a mate of mine insisted ‘hang the DJ’ was dedicated to Steve Wright.

    Charles, don't you ever crave
    To appear on the front of the Daily Mail
    Dressed in your Mother's bridal veil?
    It was Steve Wright. Moz took exception to him following up a news report about the explosion at chernobyl - about which his inclination was to panic - by playing a song by Wham! - which he felt was treating the situation with insufficient gravity.
    Somewhat unusual for him to need a reason to take exception.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,039
    I expect Boris to face a VoNC after the May locals.

    I also expect him to win it.
  • TazTaz Posts: 10,704
    Cookie said:

    Taz said:

    Cookie said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Timmycool said:

    Leon said:

    Do we have any Alabama experts on the board today?

    I have one day here in the far north west bit. Tuscumbia/Muscle Shoals. By the mighty Tennessee River

    I was gonna hike the river or some canyons.... but it's decided to rain. Heavily (the first day of bad weather after a week of pure sun - which returns tomorrow, huzzah)

    Things To Do In Alabama When It Rains. Are there any? I thought of driving to Alabama's Most Depressing Town, say Selma, or Bessemer, to indulge in a day of Full on Feasting on American Declinism, but are they that bad? I want BAD. I want Mississippi BAD. Detroit BAD. Shuttered streets, empty factories, fentanyl addicts, desolate malls, maybe a rich Woke student shouting at poor white people about their privilege - in the rain.

    Where can I get that?

    Quick YouTube (there are channels dedicated to driving the "hood" of these kind of places), Bessemer looks pretty bad. Worst of those kind of places I have been, Gary, Indiana.
    Gary, Indiana at one point was the murder capital of the US. You are right, FU, it is a horrible little town on the Southwest corner of Lake Michigan. So depressing. Stopped once on the way from Chicago to Warsaw, Indiana and my hosts were amazed I'd gotten out alive!!!
    I know Indiana quite well from the David Soul song Silver Lady. The wind and rain cuts through you, there, and leaves you chilled to the bone. Bleak, as you say. Best to play the song rather than visit. This applies to quite a few places in America, come to think of it. Galverston is another good example. Just play the song and leave it at that.
    Sorry, K, but you do not know shit about Indiana, which is a VERY diverse state plenty of great places & people from Lake Michigan dunes to the banks of the Ohio River. Or Galveston for that matter.

    Ignorance does NOT become you.
    Yes, I'm sure. Only kidding. Or only not kidding in the sense there often IS a mismatch between how a song makes a place sound and the more prosiac reality of that place - and since songs usually talk about American places it's American places that are romanticized (in this way) the most. Pity but that's how it is.

    By the time I got to Romford.
    I wish they all could be Liverpudlian girls.
    It took me 4 days to hitchhike from Doncaster
    And now he's leaving ... on the midnight train to Chester.

    We lack the cultural confidence to write this sort of stuff.
    I left the north again
    I travelled south again
    I got confused
    I killed a horse
    I can’t help the way I feel
    I lost my bag in Newport Parnell.
    Panic on the streets of London
    Panic on the streets of Birmingham
    I wonder to myself
    Could life ever be sane again?
    The Leeds side-streets that you slip down
    I wonder to myself
    Hopes may rise on the Grasmere
    But honey pie, you're not safe here
    So you run down to the safety of the town
    But there's panic on the streets of Carlisle
    Dublin, Dundee, Humberside
    I wonder to myself

    Brilliant. I don’t know if it is the case but a mate of mine insisted ‘hang the DJ’ was dedicated to Steve Wright.

    Charles, don't you ever crave
    To appear on the front of the Daily Mail
    Dressed in your Mother's bridal veil?
    It was Steve Wright. Moz took exception to him following up a news report about the explosion at chernobyl - about which his inclination was to panic - by playing a song by Wham! - which he felt was treating the situation with insufficient gravity.
    Ha ha, brilliant. Glad it was true.

    On a similar note I recall Dan Wootton whining that Amy Winehouse didn’t get top billing on the news as coverage of the Anders Breivik atrocity was still getting top billing the day after it happened.
  • TazTaz Posts: 10,704

    I expect Boris to face a VoNC after the May locals.

    I also expect him to win it.

    But will he be holed below the waterline.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,408
    Was reading a book earlier, and it had eerie parallels to the Russian conflict with the false facing nature of threats and demands presented as reasonable. Right after a threat to punish couched as being in the name of peace, and violent loss being within control of those being attacked (that is, they should not fight back), a character reflects:

    The false gentility of the threat made her wish he'd just said he'd burn their cities and take their children. It would have felt more honest.

    Given the images from Ukraine, and continued bombardment of civilian structures, you have to think some of the Russian forces would probably prefer to cut the bullshit and be honest about things too.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,044
    "If the invasion of Ukraine leads to political change in Russia, one must be prepared for different scenarios, of which the posi­tive are not the most plausible."

    https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/russia-on-the-road-to-dictatorship
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,408
    Taz said:

    I expect Boris to face a VoNC after the May locals.

    I also expect him to win it.

    But will he be holed below the waterline.
    JRM maintained that if you don't win a VoNC by enough you should resign for some made up constituional reason.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,408

    "If the invasion of Ukraine leads to political change in Russia, one must be prepared for different scenarios, of which the posi­tive are not the most plausible."

    https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/russia-on-the-road-to-dictatorship

    Russian history - things can always get worse?
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,044
    kle4 said:

    "If the invasion of Ukraine leads to political change in Russia, one must be prepared for different scenarios, of which the posi­tive are not the most plausible."

    https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/russia-on-the-road-to-dictatorship

    Russian history - things can always get worse?
    I'm sure they have a proverb for that!
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,039
    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Timmycool said:

    Leon said:

    Do we have any Alabama experts on the board today?

    I have one day here in the far north west bit. Tuscumbia/Muscle Shoals. By the mighty Tennessee River

    I was gonna hike the river or some canyons.... but it's decided to rain. Heavily (the first day of bad weather after a week of pure sun - which returns tomorrow, huzzah)

    Things To Do In Alabama When It Rains. Are there any? I thought of driving to Alabama's Most Depressing Town, say Selma, or Bessemer, to indulge in a day of Full on Feasting on American Declinism, but are they that bad? I want BAD. I want Mississippi BAD. Detroit BAD. Shuttered streets, empty factories, fentanyl addicts, desolate malls, maybe a rich Woke student shouting at poor white people about their privilege - in the rain.

    Where can I get that?

    Quick YouTube (there are channels dedicated to driving the "hood" of these kind of places), Bessemer looks pretty bad. Worst of those kind of places I have been, Gary, Indiana.
    Gary, Indiana at one point was the murder capital of the US. You are right, FU, it is a horrible little town on the Southwest corner of Lake Michigan. So depressing. Stopped once on the way from Chicago to Warsaw, Indiana and my hosts were amazed I'd gotten out alive!!!
    I know Indiana quite well from the David Soul song Silver Lady. The wind and rain cuts through you, there, and leaves you chilled to the bone. Bleak, as you say. Best to play the song rather than visit. This applies to quite a few places in America, come to think of it. Galverston is another good example. Just play the song and leave it at that.
    Sorry, K, but you do not know shit about Indiana, which is a VERY diverse state plenty of great places & people from Lake Michigan dunes to the banks of the Ohio River. Or Galveston for that matter.

    Ignorance does NOT become you.
    Yes, I'm sure. Only kidding. Or only not kidding in the sense there often IS a mismatch between how a song makes a place sound and the more prosiac reality of that place - and since songs usually talk about American places it's American places that are romanticized (in this way) the most. Pity but that's how it is.

    By the time I got to Romford.
    I wish they all could be Liverpudlian girls.
    It took me 4 days to hitchhike from Doncaster
    And now he's leaving ... on the midnight train to Chester.

    We lack the cultural confidence to write this sort of stuff.
    Not sure that's true

    We write of Britain more ironically, grittily, and whimsically, and with less glamorisation, but we do write about it:

    The Beatles: Penny Lane - Liverpool
    Pogues: Dirty Old Town - Salford
    David Gray: Babylon - London - actual proper romanticisation there
    Gerry Rafferty: Baker Street - possibly the best song ever written about a city?
    Proclaimers - multiple places in Scotland, especially Leith
    Fyfe: I Belong to Glasgow - Glasgow!

    Waterloo Sunset, Streets of London, London Calling, Mull of Kintyre, Ferry Cross the Mersey, Up The Junction

    There is a theme tho. The vast majority of the most famous songs are about London, Liverpool, and Scotland
    Baker Street is a terrific song, I agree. Remember it well since it was a hit in the year I left my small northern town as a callow youth and, knowing no-one, came to Central London for uni.

    It's theme - loneliness in the big city - could therefore have been poignantly relevant, except it wasn't since I was an immediate big hit with everyone and made loads of friends very quickly and took to South Ken like I'd been born there.

    But my mum didn't know that and - I'm told - she used to cry when it came on the radio.
    Oh Baker Street: that saxophone riff; that amazing electric guitar solo at the end.

    Brilliant. Utterly brilliant.
  • TazTaz Posts: 10,704
    dixiedean said:

    Cookie said:

    Taz said:

    Cookie said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Timmycool said:

    Leon said:

    Do we have any Alabama experts on the board today?

    I have one day here in the far north west bit. Tuscumbia/Muscle Shoals. By the mighty Tennessee River

    I was gonna hike the river or some canyons.... but it's decided to rain. Heavily (the first day of bad weather after a week of pure sun - which returns tomorrow, huzzah)

    Things To Do In Alabama When It Rains. Are there any? I thought of driving to Alabama's Most Depressing Town, say Selma, or Bessemer, to indulge in a day of Full on Feasting on American Declinism, but are they that bad? I want BAD. I want Mississippi BAD. Detroit BAD. Shuttered streets, empty factories, fentanyl addicts, desolate malls, maybe a rich Woke student shouting at poor white people about their privilege - in the rain.

    Where can I get that?

    Quick YouTube (there are channels dedicated to driving the "hood" of these kind of places), Bessemer looks pretty bad. Worst of those kind of places I have been, Gary, Indiana.
    Gary, Indiana at one point was the murder capital of the US. You are right, FU, it is a horrible little town on the Southwest corner of Lake Michigan. So depressing. Stopped once on the way from Chicago to Warsaw, Indiana and my hosts were amazed I'd gotten out alive!!!
    I know Indiana quite well from the David Soul song Silver Lady. The wind and rain cuts through you, there, and leaves you chilled to the bone. Bleak, as you say. Best to play the song rather than visit. This applies to quite a few places in America, come to think of it. Galverston is another good example. Just play the song and leave it at that.
    Sorry, K, but you do not know shit about Indiana, which is a VERY diverse state plenty of great places & people from Lake Michigan dunes to the banks of the Ohio River. Or Galveston for that matter.

    Ignorance does NOT become you.
    Yes, I'm sure. Only kidding. Or only not kidding in the sense there often IS a mismatch between how a song makes a place sound and the more prosiac reality of that place - and since songs usually talk about American places it's American places that are romanticized (in this way) the most. Pity but that's how it is.

    By the time I got to Romford.
    I wish they all could be Liverpudlian girls.
    It took me 4 days to hitchhike from Doncaster
    And now he's leaving ... on the midnight train to Chester.

    We lack the cultural confidence to write this sort of stuff.
    I left the north again
    I travelled south again
    I got confused
    I killed a horse
    I can’t help the way I feel
    I lost my bag in Newport Parnell.
    Panic on the streets of London
    Panic on the streets of Birmingham
    I wonder to myself
    Could life ever be sane again?
    The Leeds side-streets that you slip down
    I wonder to myself
    Hopes may rise on the Grasmere
    But honey pie, you're not safe here
    So you run down to the safety of the town
    But there's panic on the streets of Carlisle
    Dublin, Dundee, Humberside
    I wonder to myself

    Brilliant. I don’t know if it is the case but a mate of mine insisted ‘hang the DJ’ was dedicated to Steve Wright.

    Charles, don't you ever crave
    To appear on the front of the Daily Mail
    Dressed in your Mother's bridal veil?
    It was Steve Wright. Moz took exception to him following up a news report about the explosion at chernobyl - about which his inclination was to panic - by playing a song by Wham! - which he felt was treating the situation with insufficient gravity.
    Somewhat unusual for him to need a reason to take exception.
    He’s usually so balanced. The man who compared meat eating to child molestation and calling the Chinese a subspecies.
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146

    I expect Boris to face a VoNC after the May locals.

    I also expect him to win it.

    Terrific. Said the partisan.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,039

    West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. One of the very best London songs - up there with Waterloo Sunset and London Calling. Also Rainy Night in Soho and Transmetropolitan by The Pogues. London gets some terrific tunes.

    What I like about the Pet Shop Boys is that they're remarkably British whilst remaining internationally very accessible.
  • I expect Boris to face a VoNC after the May locals.

    I also expect him to win it.

    That would be spectacular fun
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,039

    I expect Boris to face a VoNC after the May locals.

    I also expect him to win it.

    Terrific. Said the partisan.
    Said the betting man.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,082
    Decline and marginalisation is a great spur to musical creativity, whether US or UK. It is notable that most of the genres of US popular music arose in the South, or in its former population displaced to the urban NE or Midwest. There are exceptions such as the Californian sounds of the Sixties.

    It is true too of the UK, with Heavy Metal being the music of the industrial cities, and Punk, 2 Tone, and New Romantics all products of the long British crisis of the Seventies and early Eighties. I am a bit too old to appreciate modern urban music, but once again marginalisation is the spur.

    As Botham pointed out on his return from Australia. "You can only stand so much f***ing sunshine"
  • stodgestodge Posts: 12,745
    Mid evening all :)

    Just to wrap up yesterday's election nonsense.

    Emmanuel Macron won the second round of the French Presidential election defeating Marine Le Pen by 58.55% to 41.45% so a more than 17 point margin but an 8% swing from the 2017 second round.

    In Slovenia, Robert Golob's Svoboda Movement won a clear victory in the election to the National Assembly winning 34.5% of the vote and 41 seats in the 90 seat legislature.

    The previously ruling Slovenian Democratic Party of Janez Jansa won 23.5% of the vote and 27 seats, a gain of two despite a small drop in vote share.

    The Christian Democrats, allies of Jansa, won 6.9% of the vote and 8 seats (+1) while the Social Democrats won 6.7% of the vote and 7 seats (-3). The only other group to clear the 4% threshold for representation was the Left Party with 4.4% and 5 seats (-4).

    With seats reserved for the Hungarian and Italian minorities, Svoboda is five short of an overall majority.

    Turnout was 69.3%, very good for Slovenian elections.

    Robert Golob is no political novice but many in his party are and some are arguing it was more a repudiation of Jansa and his politics than a positive endorsement for Golob which is fair enough but Svoboda has won the opportunity to lead Slovenia for the next five years. A coalition with the Social Democrats seems the most likely option though Golob hasn't ruled out working with any party.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 14,093
    kle4 said:

    Taz said:

    I expect Boris to face a VoNC after the May locals.

    I also expect him to win it.

    But will he be holed below the waterline.
    JRM maintained that if you don't win a VoNC by enough you should resign for some made up constituional reason.
    More likely, he thought that TMay should resign under the principle of not having gone to Eton.
  • SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,879
    Challenging a very unpopular leader and failing to unseat him would be politically disastrous for the Tories, IMO.
  • Still waiting at Girona. I’m now reduced to drinking the airport rosé to reduce the wee ratio. I’ve been cut off three times from Ryanair live chat so am effectively 1000th in the queue. I have no idea how I’m going to get home from Bristol. I booked my return flight for a Monday, rather than Sunday, to improve the train options. I’ve nearly missed the last bus back from Swindon already. I’ll probably have to sleep at Bristol airport.

  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 27,016
    edited April 2022
    At Aberdeen airport on the first leg of my trip to Romania. The usual 2 minute security and then bemusement at yet another FUBAR for BA. They have two evening flights, one in 3+ hours late the other over an hour late.

    From my admittedly limited observations this seems to be a serious risk flying with Britain's Favourite Airline...

    EDIT - I fly easyJet. Who are on time. As usual.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 47,789

    kle4 said:

    "If the invasion of Ukraine leads to political change in Russia, one must be prepared for different scenarios, of which the posi­tive are not the most plausible."

    https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/russia-on-the-road-to-dictatorship

    Russian history - things can always get worse?
    I'm sure they have a proverb for that!
    One of the most famous phrases of the 1990s from PM Chernomyrdin was "We hoped for the best, but it turned out like always."

    West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. One of the very best London songs - up there with Waterloo Sunset and London Calling. Also Rainy Night in Soho and Transmetropolitan by The Pogues. London gets some terrific tunes.

    What I like about the Pet Shop Boys is that they're remarkably British whilst remaining internationally very accessible.
    That was true of a lot of acts from that era. The 1980s was a golden age of British pop culture.
  • stodgestodge Posts: 12,745
    By the way, if you want an example of how NOT to lose an election gracefully, go and have a look at the Nova 24 TV website from Slovenia.

    You'll need to translate if your Slovenian isn't up to it but remember this is a tv station owned by a supporter of Jansa's SDS.

    https://nova24tv.si/

    It's basically Fox News Slovenia.
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146

    Challenging a very unpopular leader and failing to unseat him would be politically disastrous for the Tories, IMO.

    Terrific. Said the partisan.
  • Still waiting at Girona. I’m now reduced to drinking the airport rosé to reduce the wee ratio. I’ve been cut off three times from Ryanair live chat so am effectively 1000th in the queue. I have no idea how I’m going to get home from Bristol. I booked my return flight for a Monday, rather than Sunday, to improve the train options. I’ve nearly missed the last bus back from Swindon already. I’ll probably have to sleep at Bristol airport.

    Hello fellow evening flyer! Can I ask what has happened at your end?
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,039
    Leon said:

    Eabhal said:

    Eabhal said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Of all the migrants and asylum seekers I spoke to in Calais and Dunkirk, none of them are deterred by Priti Patel’s policy of sending illegal arrivals to Rwanda

    Many different stories from people from very different backgrounds, but all with one goal: 1/9

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/threat-of-africa-wont-stop-us-insist-dunkirk-camps-refugees-g7xrrb9q0

    Err, sample selection bias?
    Contradicts Sky recent piece filmed in Calais with real refugees declaring they are changing their plans as they do not want to be sent to Rwanda
    My point was that those deterred are unlikely to ever find themselves in Calais.
    Those interviewed were in Calais and made their fear of going to Rwanda very clear
    If they were already in Calais and it deterred them they'd be looking to leave Calais at the time.

    They likely wouldn't be in Calais anymore and wouldn't be heading there anymore.

    Almost by definition, apart from when the policy is introduced, those who are deterred won't be found but that's because they're deterred.

    That will go over Scott's head though.
    Twitter is saying there have been no cross Channel boats in the last 4 days

    No idea if this is true, or - if it is true - whether it is "Rwanda" doing it

    If the plan succeeds then it will be a coup for Patel. The whole idea, of course, is DETERRENCE. You only have to send a few people to Rwanda and there's a good chance the entire trafficking network will collapse. The risk is too great. You spend $10k to get to England and you might end up in Rwanda??
    The Spectator reported on this today as well.

    You can be sure much of the retired Tory core vote, those that read newspapers, will have noticed.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 48,928
    Hmmm...

    I haven't been to Aberdeen since March 2020, and Barcelona since October 2019.

    I just saw the bluebells in Wanstead Park today, and paid a visit to Liverpool Street and the Square Mile on Saturday.
  • BlancheLivermoreBlancheLivermore Posts: 5,130
    edited April 2022

    Still waiting at Girona. I’m now reduced to drinking the airport rosé to reduce the wee ratio. I’ve been cut off three times from Ryanair live chat so am effectively 1000th in the queue. I have no idea how I’m going to get home from Bristol. I booked my return flight for a Monday, rather than Sunday, to improve the train options. I’ve nearly missed the last bus back from Swindon already. I’ll probably have to sleep at Bristol airport.

    Hello fellow evening flyer! Can I ask what has happened at your end?
    They claimed, four (edit five) hours ago, that there was a piece of paper in the engine. They said they needed an engineer to come from Barcelona.
  • darkagedarkage Posts: 4,748
    Foxy said:

    Decline and marginalisation is a great spur to musical creativity, whether US or UK. It is notable that most of the genres of US popular music arose in the South, or in its former population displaced to the urban NE or Midwest. There are exceptions such as the Californian sounds of the Sixties.

    It is true too of the UK, with Heavy Metal being the music of the industrial cities, and Punk, 2 Tone, and New Romantics all products of the long British crisis of the Seventies and early Eighties. I am a bit too old to appreciate modern urban music, but once again marginalisation is the spur.

    As Botham pointed out on his return from Australia. "You can only stand so much f***ing sunshine"

    In my experience second tier cities is the best place to be a musician or find a decent music scene. Enough variety of people to work with, small enough to get a committed local following, etc. Not so sure it is about decline and marginalisation, although that may be one of the causes.

    In england, it was historically surpising how little music came out of London, it was a place bands went to.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,082

    West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. One of the very best London songs - up there with Waterloo Sunset and London Calling. Also Rainy Night in Soho and Transmetropolitan by The Pogues. London gets some terrific tunes.

    My favourite is The Correspondants "What happened to Soho?"

    https://youtu.be/MZukiRrYROA
  • Andy_CookeAndy_Cooke Posts: 4,794

    Leon said:

    And on to the airport! It’s a really nice one, but because it’s depressingly empty. There are two departure boards; less than half of one is filled.

    I grabbed a quick beer before moving into the departure lounge. I was entertained by the little girl (four years old, I heard her declare) in the background, who’s been dancing and singing, in excellent English - I think to a Disney song - to her mum on the right.


    Quite odd that the airport is so empty. Travel is experiencing a boom, especially in the USA and Europe (ex Ukraine, Moldova, etc). Who knows if it will continue, but Yay for the Return of Holibobs!

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/24/all-omens-look-positive-greece-grateful-tourists-flock-back

    In my opinion, travel will continue to boom despite everything. There is SO much pent-up demand, so many people are yearning to get out and explore. It's a primal human need that has been repressed for two long terrible years, so people will sacrifice a lot of other things (Netflix subs, dinners out) to get their weeks in the sun or just Be Somewhere Else



    I believe it’s almost empty because they overbuilt the airport, hoping for masses of Ryanair etc flights that never came. I’ve been called for boarding, but thought I could grab another beer given the queue!
    25 years ago, I skydived into Girona airport a few times.
    The Empuriabrava Skydiving Centre had an agreement with them to use the place when the winds were too high at Empuriabrava, because Girona was so quiet.

    We were jumping when a Ryanair flight came in. I have wondered what people on board would have said when they were looking out of the windows at all of us under our canopies and gliding in to the grass.

    Maybe something like, “I didn’t realise they charged extra for landing and chucked you out if you didn’t pay the surcharge”
  • SandraMcSandraMc Posts: 583
    I noted on here a little while ago that there wasn't a Labour candidate standing in my ward on the South Coast, which I thought was strange as Labour came second in the ward last time. I asked if Labour was having problems fielding candidates to which no -one replied, but I would be grateful for a reply to my latest query.
    The reason there is no Labour candidate is due to a cock-up; his nomination papers weren't submitted in time.
    In a grovelling apology in the local free sheet, he says that his consituency Labour Party received the nomination papers on 15 February but he didn't received them until 28 March. He says only had a week to get 10 nomination signatures and do the necessary paperwork and submitted his nomination a day late. I wondered if seasoned campaigners here could tell me if this sort of thing happens often. Also, is it the fault of the consituency or the candidate; shouldn't he have chased them for the papers?

    I am not trying to make a local issue out of this; I am just interested in the mechanics of local elections.
  • I’ve been chatting to a chap from Bristol (at least he can get home easily!) who is here with his little toddler. He brought two spare nappies, already filled. They couldn’t help him get any more. I hope I’m not sat near him.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 27,842

    Still waiting at Girona. I’m now reduced to drinking the airport rosé to reduce the wee ratio. I’ve been cut off three times from Ryanair live chat so am effectively 1000th in the queue. I have no idea how I’m going to get home from Bristol. I booked my return flight for a Monday, rather than Sunday, to improve the train options. I’ve nearly missed the last bus back from Swindon already. I’ll probably have to sleep at Bristol airport.

    Was Last Bus from Swindon the British answer to Last Train to Clarksdale?
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 38,865

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Timmycool said:

    Leon said:

    Do we have any Alabama experts on the board today?

    I have one day here in the far north west bit. Tuscumbia/Muscle Shoals. By the mighty Tennessee River

    I was gonna hike the river or some canyons.... but it's decided to rain. Heavily (the first day of bad weather after a week of pure sun - which returns tomorrow, huzzah)

    Things To Do In Alabama When It Rains. Are there any? I thought of driving to Alabama's Most Depressing Town, say Selma, or Bessemer, to indulge in a day of Full on Feasting on American Declinism, but are they that bad? I want BAD. I want Mississippi BAD. Detroit BAD. Shuttered streets, empty factories, fentanyl addicts, desolate malls, maybe a rich Woke student shouting at poor white people about their privilege - in the rain.

    Where can I get that?

    Quick YouTube (there are channels dedicated to driving the "hood" of these kind of places), Bessemer looks pretty bad. Worst of those kind of places I have been, Gary, Indiana.
    Gary, Indiana at one point was the murder capital of the US. You are right, FU, it is a horrible little town on the Southwest corner of Lake Michigan. So depressing. Stopped once on the way from Chicago to Warsaw, Indiana and my hosts were amazed I'd gotten out alive!!!
    I know Indiana quite well from the David Soul song Silver Lady. The wind and rain cuts through you, there, and leaves you chilled to the bone. Bleak, as you say. Best to play the song rather than visit. This applies to quite a few places in America, come to think of it. Galverston is another good example. Just play the song and leave it at that.
    Sorry, K, but you do not know shit about Indiana, which is a VERY diverse state plenty of great places & people from Lake Michigan dunes to the banks of the Ohio River. Or Galveston for that matter.

    Ignorance does NOT become you.
    Yes, I'm sure. Only kidding. Or only not kidding in the sense there often IS a mismatch between how a song makes a place sound and the more prosiac reality of that place - and since songs usually talk about American places it's American places that are romanticized (in this way) the most. Pity but that's how it is.

    By the time I got to Romford.
    I wish they all could be Liverpudlian girls.
    It took me 4 days to hitchhike from Doncaster
    And now he's leaving ... on the midnight train to Chester.

    We lack the cultural confidence to write this sort of stuff.
    It’s not cultural confidence, per se.

    England is an essentially suburban nation.
    It’s place-names mostly evoke a kind of pooterish quality, or at best a sense of pastoral tranquility.

    America has the high romance of “the West”, frontier-land. Discovery. Danger. Danmnation.

    In Britain such qualities can perhaps only be found, vanishingly, in the Celtic nations.
    Yes. Also I think the sheer size of America has something to do with it. Eg one of my examples - she's leaving on the midnight train to Chester. Assuming you're in, say, London or Birmingham, this does not have a finality about it. You immediately think, well give it a day or two and I'll pop up there myself and see how she's doing. And if you're in Manchester even more so - you could be there in half an hour.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,082
    edited April 2022
    darkage said:

    Foxy said:

    Decline and marginalisation is a great spur to musical creativity, whether US or UK. It is notable that most of the genres of US popular music arose in the South, or in its former population displaced to the urban NE or Midwest. There are exceptions such as the Californian sounds of the Sixties.

    It is true too of the UK, with Heavy Metal being the music of the industrial cities, and Punk, 2 Tone, and New Romantics all products of the long British crisis of the Seventies and early Eighties. I am a bit too old to appreciate modern urban music, but once again marginalisation is the spur.

    As Botham pointed out on his return from Australia. "You can only stand so much f***ing sunshine"

    In my experience second tier cities is the best place to be a musician or find a decent music scene. Enough variety of people to work with, small enough to get a committed local following, etc. Not so sure it is about decline and marginalisation, although that may be one of the causes.

    In england, it was historically surpising how little music came out of London, it was a place bands went to.
    Yes, Though being second tier doesn't always do it. Kasabian do a great show, I have seen them a few times, after that we have to go back to the Gaye Bykers on Acid...
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,044

    Leon said:

    Eabhal said:

    Eabhal said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Of all the migrants and asylum seekers I spoke to in Calais and Dunkirk, none of them are deterred by Priti Patel’s policy of sending illegal arrivals to Rwanda

    Many different stories from people from very different backgrounds, but all with one goal: 1/9

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/threat-of-africa-wont-stop-us-insist-dunkirk-camps-refugees-g7xrrb9q0

    Err, sample selection bias?
    Contradicts Sky recent piece filmed in Calais with real refugees declaring they are changing their plans as they do not want to be sent to Rwanda
    My point was that those deterred are unlikely to ever find themselves in Calais.
    Those interviewed were in Calais and made their fear of going to Rwanda very clear
    If they were already in Calais and it deterred them they'd be looking to leave Calais at the time.

    They likely wouldn't be in Calais anymore and wouldn't be heading there anymore.

    Almost by definition, apart from when the policy is introduced, those who are deterred won't be found but that's because they're deterred.

    That will go over Scott's head though.
    Twitter is saying there have been no cross Channel boats in the last 4 days

    No idea if this is true, or - if it is true - whether it is "Rwanda" doing it

    If the plan succeeds then it will be a coup for Patel. The whole idea, of course, is DETERRENCE. You only have to send a few people to Rwanda and there's a good chance the entire trafficking network will collapse. The risk is too great. You spend $10k to get to England and you might end up in Rwanda??
    The Spectator reported on this today as well.

    You can be sure much of the retired Tory core vote, those that read newspapers, will have noticed.
    Is this not to do with the wind direction out in the Channel? Just a thought.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,039

    kle4 said:

    "If the invasion of Ukraine leads to political change in Russia, one must be prepared for different scenarios, of which the posi­tive are not the most plausible."

    https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/russia-on-the-road-to-dictatorship

    Russian history - things can always get worse?
    I'm sure they have a proverb for that!
    One of the most famous phrases of the 1990s from PM Chernomyrdin was "We hoped for the best, but it turned out like always."

    West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. One of the very best London songs - up there with Waterloo Sunset and London Calling. Also Rainy Night in Soho and Transmetropolitan by The Pogues. London gets some terrific tunes.

    What I like about the Pet Shop Boys is that they're remarkably British whilst remaining internationally very accessible.
    That was true of a lot of acts from that era. The 1980s was a golden age of British pop culture.
    It is but there's something about their songwriting, style and the way they carry themselves.

    Their utterly bizarre movie (It Couldn't Happen Here) is dialled up to eleven on Britishness and takes place at a run down kiss-me-quick seaside resort.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,039

    I’ve been chatting to a chap from Bristol (at least he can get home easily!) who is here with his little toddler. He brought two spare nappies, already filled. They couldn’t help him get any more. I hope I’m not sat near him.

    Sounds like he's taking the piss.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 27,842
    Foxy said:

    Decline and marginalisation is a great spur to musical creativity, whether US or UK. It is notable that most of the genres of US popular music arose in the South, or in its former population displaced to the urban NE or Midwest. There are exceptions such as the Californian sounds of the Sixties.

    It is true too of the UK, with Heavy Metal being the music of the industrial cities, and Punk, 2 Tone, and New Romantics all products of the long British crisis of the Seventies and early Eighties. I am a bit too old to appreciate modern urban music, but once again marginalisation is the spur.

    As Botham pointed out on his return from Australia. "You can only stand so much f***ing sunshine"

    Manchester noticeably ran out of creative steam after the Arndale bomb and the end of random shootings.
  • TazTaz Posts: 10,704
    Talk TV isn’t up to much. Just put it on. Dear me. Makes GB news look like it’s got good production values.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,039
    Taz said:

    I expect Boris to face a VoNC after the May locals.

    I also expect him to win it.

    But will he be holed below the waterline.
    I'm guessing but I'd say between 100 and 140 votes against and 210-250 in favour. Some abstentions perhaps.
  • dixiedean said:

    Foxy said:

    Decline and marginalisation is a great spur to musical creativity, whether US or UK. It is notable that most of the genres of US popular music arose in the South, or in its former population displaced to the urban NE or Midwest. There are exceptions such as the Californian sounds of the Sixties.

    It is true too of the UK, with Heavy Metal being the music of the industrial cities, and Punk, 2 Tone, and New Romantics all products of the long British crisis of the Seventies and early Eighties. I am a bit too old to appreciate modern urban music, but once again marginalisation is the spur.

    As Botham pointed out on his return from Australia. "You can only stand so much f***ing sunshine"

    Manchester noticeably ran out of creative steam after the Arndale bomb and the end of random shootings.
    Though it did significantly improve the city centre
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 6,778
    Scott_xP said:

    The policy is designed to stop people crossing from Calais.

    Calais is full of people wanting to cross.

    They have not been deterred.

    This is not complicated

    If they are still in Calais they haven’t crossed…
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 27,842
    SandraMc said:

    I noted on here a little while ago that there wasn't a Labour candidate standing in my ward on the South Coast, which I thought was strange as Labour came second in the ward last time. I asked if Labour was having problems fielding candidates to which no -one replied, but I would be grateful for a reply to my latest query.
    The reason there is no Labour candidate is due to a cock-up; his nomination papers weren't submitted in time.
    In a grovelling apology in the local free sheet, he says that his consituency Labour Party received the nomination papers on 15 February but he didn't received them until 28 March. He says only had a week to get 10 nomination signatures and do the necessary paperwork and submitted his nomination a day late. I wondered if seasoned campaigners here could tell me if this sort of thing happens often. Also, is it the fault of the consituency or the candidate; shouldn't he have chased them for the papers?

    I am not trying to make a local issue out of this; I am just interested in the mechanics of local elections.

    My ex-partner got the signatures in an evening.
    You just call up the local Party organiser and they'll give you contacts. Sounds like rank disorganisation and apathy.all round. It isn't difficult.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,548

    West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. One of the very best London songs - up there with Waterloo Sunset and London Calling. Also Rainy Night in Soho and Transmetropolitan by The Pogues. London gets some terrific tunes.

    I'd say the PSB's song 'Kings Cross' is a better reflection of 1980's London. About arriving in London for the first time, to the 'atmospheric' Kings Cross as it was.

    I knew the area in the early 1990s, and it's *massively* better now. But it has lost a certain something. Syringes, mostly.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,082

    I’ve been chatting to a chap from Bristol (at least he can get home easily!) who is here with his little toddler. He brought two spare nappies, already filled. They couldn’t help him get any more. I hope I’m not sat near him.

    You really need to work a bit more on the glamour of the jet age for that travel writer gig.

    Mind you horrendous travel stories are good in the telling. A friend of mines tale of realising he was dangerously lost in the Sahara, relief they saw a car in the distance, then despair again as they pulled up alongside a car up to its axel in a sand drift with two dessicated mummified Germans and a sign. "Please stop, out of water".
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,039

    West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. One of the very best London songs - up there with Waterloo Sunset and London Calling. Also Rainy Night in Soho and Transmetropolitan by The Pogues. London gets some terrific tunes.

    I'd say the PSB's song 'Kings Cross' is a better reflection of 1980's London. About arriving in London for the first time, to the 'atmospheric' Kings Cross as it was.

    I knew the area in the early 1990s, and it's *massively* better now. But it has lost a certain something. Syringes, mostly.
    I love that song.

    It's a great one to stare out of train windows to whilst travelling.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,274
    edited April 2022
    If you heard some terrible deafening screeching about half an hour ago, that will have been the "its a private company they can ban who they want / Elon Musk is too powerful a man to own twitter" brigade hearing the news.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 38,865

    West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. One of the very best London songs - up there with Waterloo Sunset and London Calling. Also Rainy Night in Soho and Transmetropolitan by The Pogues. London gets some terrific tunes.

    What I like about the Pet Shop Boys is that they're remarkably British whilst remaining internationally very accessible.
    I do like the Patrick Bateman vibe here, CR.

    My favourite literary character. Well, one of them.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 20,812
    Manchester was capital of the world for about two minutes in 1989 and they’ve been dining out on it ever since.
  • EndillionEndillion Posts: 4,960
    edited April 2022
    Twitter agrees Elon Musk takeover deal:
    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/25/twitter-elon-musk-buy-takeover-deal-tesla

    Predictions (mine):
    Trump to be reinstated
    Character limit to be increased to 420
    General standard of public discourse to worsen markedly. Hopefully it* will just die.

    *edit for ambiguity: Twitter, not public discourse
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 20,812
    kinabalu said:

    West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. One of the very best London songs - up there with Waterloo Sunset and London Calling. Also Rainy Night in Soho and Transmetropolitan by The Pogues. London gets some terrific tunes.

    What I like about the Pet Shop Boys is that they're remarkably British whilst remaining internationally very accessible.
    I do like the Patrick Bateman vibe here, CR.

    My favourite literary character. Well, one of them.
    I believe PB (a nauseating book, and I refuse to watch the film) was more of a Huey Lewis and the News fan.

    Fun fact, his fictional address is three doors down from where I now live.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 27,842

    West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. One of the very best London songs - up there with Waterloo Sunset and London Calling. Also Rainy Night in Soho and Transmetropolitan by The Pogues. London gets some terrific tunes.

    I'd say the PSB's song 'Kings Cross' is a better reflection of 1980's London. About arriving in London for the first time, to the 'atmospheric' Kings Cross as it was.

    I knew the area in the early 1990s, and it's *massively* better now. But it has lost a certain something. Syringes, mostly.
    Used to walk to the Scala from Euston 2 or 3 nights a week in the late eighties.
    Always interesting.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 20,812
    edited April 2022
    Endillion said:

    Twitter agrees Elon Musk takeover deal:
    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/25/twitter-elon-musk-buy-takeover-deal-tesla

    Predictions (mine):
    Trump to be reinstated
    Character limit to be increased to 420
    General standard of discourse to worsen markedly. Hopefully it will just die.

    I’m not necessarily going to pre-judge Musk.
    Maybe he could improve things.

    The idea of letting Trump back on is nightmarish, though.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 27,842

    kinabalu said:

    West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. One of the very best London songs - up there with Waterloo Sunset and London Calling. Also Rainy Night in Soho and Transmetropolitan by The Pogues. London gets some terrific tunes.

    What I like about the Pet Shop Boys is that they're remarkably British whilst remaining internationally very accessible.
    I do like the Patrick Bateman vibe here, CR.

    My favourite literary character. Well, one of them.
    I believe PB (a nauseating book, and I refuse to watch the film) was more of a Huey Lewis and the News fan.

    Fun fact, his fictional address is three doors down from where I now live.
    The film is that rarity.
    Better, and not nauseating at all.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,548
    Why the Russians are not winning:

    Skif anti-tank guided missile operator taking out four Russian tanks and BMPs in a row in the vicinity of Izium, #Kharkiv Oblast.

    https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1518654601611956229
    Part 2:
    https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1518654644544802818

    (Note the Arabic text...)
  • CookieCookie Posts: 11,184
    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Timmycool said:

    Leon said:

    Do we have any Alabama experts on the board today?

    I have one day here in the far north west bit. Tuscumbia/Muscle Shoals. By the mighty Tennessee River

    I was gonna hike the river or some canyons.... but it's decided to rain. Heavily (the first day of bad weather after a week of pure sun - which returns tomorrow, huzzah)

    Things To Do In Alabama When It Rains. Are there any? I thought of driving to Alabama's Most Depressing Town, say Selma, or Bessemer, to indulge in a day of Full on Feasting on American Declinism, but are they that bad? I want BAD. I want Mississippi BAD. Detroit BAD. Shuttered streets, empty factories, fentanyl addicts, desolate malls, maybe a rich Woke student shouting at poor white people about their privilege - in the rain.

    Where can I get that?

    Quick YouTube (there are channels dedicated to driving the "hood" of these kind of places), Bessemer looks pretty bad. Worst of those kind of places I have been, Gary, Indiana.
    Gary, Indiana at one point was the murder capital of the US. You are right, FU, it is a horrible little town on the Southwest corner of Lake Michigan. So depressing. Stopped once on the way from Chicago to Warsaw, Indiana and my hosts were amazed I'd gotten out alive!!!
    I know Indiana quite well from the David Soul song Silver Lady. The wind and rain cuts through you, there, and leaves you chilled to the bone. Bleak, as you say. Best to play the song rather than visit. This applies to quite a few places in America, come to think of it. Galverston is another good example. Just play the song and leave it at that.
    Sorry, K, but you do not know shit about Indiana, which is a VERY diverse state plenty of great places & people from Lake Michigan dunes to the banks of the Ohio River. Or Galveston for that matter.

    Ignorance does NOT become you.
    Yes, I'm sure. Only kidding. Or only not kidding in the sense there often IS a mismatch between how a song makes a place sound and the more prosiac reality of that place - and since songs usually talk about American places it's American places that are romanticized (in this way) the most. Pity but that's how it is.

    By the time I got to Romford.
    I wish they all could be Liverpudlian girls.
    It took me 4 days to hitchhike from Doncaster
    And now he's leaving ... on the midnight train to Chester.

    We lack the cultural confidence to write this sort of stuff.
    It’s not cultural confidence, per se.

    England is an essentially suburban nation.
    It’s place-names mostly evoke a kind of pooterish quality, or at best a sense of pastoral tranquility.

    America has the high romance of “the West”, frontier-land. Discovery. Danger. Danmnation.

    In Britain such qualities can perhaps only be found, vanishingly, in the Celtic nations.
    Yes. Also I think the sheer size of America has something to do with it. Eg one of my examples - she's leaving on the midnight train to Chester. Assuming you're in, say, London or Birmingham, this does not have a finality about it. You immediately think, well give it a day or two and I'll pop up there myself and see how she's doing. And if you're in Manchester even more so - you could be there in half an hour.
    Yes, see also the paucity of British Road movies. There's no jeopardy at all - of course you'll get there. It's only a few hours away.
    To return to the Smiths though: 'London' - actually a song about Manchester at its nadir - is one of the finest road songs ever written. A short story in 14 lines. Nowadays it would be about the Ryanair from Gdansk.
    Anthrax covered it in the film 'Airheads'. A strange clash of Cookie' music tastes aged 14 and Cookie's music tastes aged 17.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 38,865

    kinabalu said:

    West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. One of the very best London songs - up there with Waterloo Sunset and London Calling. Also Rainy Night in Soho and Transmetropolitan by The Pogues. London gets some terrific tunes.

    What I like about the Pet Shop Boys is that they're remarkably British whilst remaining internationally very accessible.
    I do like the Patrick Bateman vibe here, CR.

    My favourite literary character. Well, one of them.
    I believe PB (a nauseating book, and I refuse to watch the film) was more of a Huey Lewis and the News fan.

    Fun fact, his fictional address is three doors down from where I now live.
    Not for everyone, I know, but I'm a big fan of his writing. I have most of his books. The film is good too imo.

    Yes, Huey Lewis. And the great Phil Collins. :smile:
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,725

    SandraMc said:

    I noted on here a little while ago that there wasn't a Labour candidate standing in my ward on the South Coast, which I thought was strange as Labour came second in the ward last time. I asked if Labour was having problems fielding candidates to which no -one replied, but I would be grateful for a reply to my latest query.
    The reason there is no Labour candidate is due to a cock-up; his nomination papers weren't submitted in time.
    In a grovelling apology in the local free sheet, he says that his consituency Labour Party received the nomination papers on 15 February but he didn't received them until 28 March. He says only had a week to get 10 nomination signatures and do the necessary paperwork and submitted his nomination a day late. I wondered if seasoned campaigners here could tell me if this sort of thing happens often. Also, is it the fault of the consituency or the candidate; shouldn't he have chased them for the papers?

    I am not trying to make a local issue out of this; I am just interested in the mechanics of local elections.

    Often? No. Does it happen on occasion? Yes. Having chaotic hours charging round to get new sheets done after the returning officer discovers an error when submitting on the final day also happens...
    While I’d agree with Mr P that it happens I’d have thought a week to get 10 signatures was plenty. I recall having to get the 10 in a day once!
  • CiceroCicero Posts: 2,182

    kle4 said:

    "If the invasion of Ukraine leads to political change in Russia, one must be prepared for different scenarios, of which the posi­tive are not the most plausible."

    https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/russia-on-the-road-to-dictatorship

    Russian history - things can always get worse?
    I'm sure they have a proverb for that!
    "Хотели как лучше, а получилось как всегда".. "We wanted the best, but it turned out like always".
  • JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 5,997

    I’ve been chatting to a chap from Bristol (at least he can get home easily!) who is here with his little toddler. He brought two spare nappies, already filled. They couldn’t help him get any more. I hope I’m not sat near him.

    He brought pre-filled nappies with him? Some people like parenthood.
  • TazTaz Posts: 10,704
    Endillion said:

    Twitter agrees Elon Musk takeover deal:
    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/25/twitter-elon-musk-buy-takeover-deal-tesla

    Predictions (mine):
    Trump to be reinstated
    Character limit to be increased to 420
    General standard of public discourse to worsen markedly. Hopefully it* will just die.

    *edit for ambiguity: Twitter, not public discourse

    He will add an edit button
    He will look to generate far more money from it.
    He’s paying $202 per active user.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 20,812
    Cookie said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Timmycool said:

    Leon said:

    Do we have any Alabama experts on the board today?

    I have one day here in the far north west bit. Tuscumbia/Muscle Shoals. By the mighty Tennessee River

    I was gonna hike the river or some canyons.... but it's decided to rain. Heavily (the first day of bad weather after a week of pure sun - which returns tomorrow, huzzah)

    Things To Do In Alabama When It Rains. Are there any? I thought of driving to Alabama's Most Depressing Town, say Selma, or Bessemer, to indulge in a day of Full on Feasting on American Declinism, but are they that bad? I want BAD. I want Mississippi BAD. Detroit BAD. Shuttered streets, empty factories, fentanyl addicts, desolate malls, maybe a rich Woke student shouting at poor white people about their privilege - in the rain.

    Where can I get that?

    Quick YouTube (there are channels dedicated to driving the "hood" of these kind of places), Bessemer looks pretty bad. Worst of those kind of places I have been, Gary, Indiana.
    Gary, Indiana at one point was the murder capital of the US. You are right, FU, it is a horrible little town on the Southwest corner of Lake Michigan. So depressing. Stopped once on the way from Chicago to Warsaw, Indiana and my hosts were amazed I'd gotten out alive!!!
    I know Indiana quite well from the David Soul song Silver Lady. The wind and rain cuts through you, there, and leaves you chilled to the bone. Bleak, as you say. Best to play the song rather than visit. This applies to quite a few places in America, come to think of it. Galverston is another good example. Just play the song and leave it at that.
    Sorry, K, but you do not know shit about Indiana, which is a VERY diverse state plenty of great places & people from Lake Michigan dunes to the banks of the Ohio River. Or Galveston for that matter.

    Ignorance does NOT become you.
    Yes, I'm sure. Only kidding. Or only not kidding in the sense there often IS a mismatch between how a song makes a place sound and the more prosiac reality of that place - and since songs usually talk about American places it's American places that are romanticized (in this way) the most. Pity but that's how it is.

    By the time I got to Romford.
    I wish they all could be Liverpudlian girls.
    It took me 4 days to hitchhike from Doncaster
    And now he's leaving ... on the midnight train to Chester.

    We lack the cultural confidence to write this sort of stuff.
    It’s not cultural confidence, per se.

    England is an essentially suburban nation.
    It’s place-names mostly evoke a kind of pooterish quality, or at best a sense of pastoral tranquility.

    America has the high romance of “the West”, frontier-land. Discovery. Danger. Danmnation.

    In Britain such qualities can perhaps only be found, vanishingly, in the Celtic nations.
    Yes. Also I think the sheer size of America has something to do with it. Eg one of my examples - she's leaving on the midnight train to Chester. Assuming you're in, say, London or Birmingham, this does not have a finality about it. You immediately think, well give it a day or two and I'll pop up there myself and see how she's doing. And if you're in Manchester even more so - you could be there in half an hour.
    Yes, see also the paucity of British Road movies. There's no jeopardy at all - of course you'll get there. It's only a few hours away.
    To return to the Smiths though: 'London' - actually a song about Manchester at its nadir - is one of the finest road songs ever written. A short story in 14 lines. Nowadays it would be about the Ryanair from Gdansk.
    Anthrax covered it in the film 'Airheads'. A strange clash of Cookie' music tastes aged 14 and Cookie's music tastes aged 17.
    There’s one British road movie which somehow manages to do it, @Cookie.

    Check out, “Radio On” from 1979.
    It’s very arthouse, but very good in my opinion. It also has a memorable cameo from a young Sting.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,082

    Why the Russians are not winning:

    Skif anti-tank guided missile operator taking out four Russian tanks and BMPs in a row in the vicinity of Izium, #Kharkiv Oblast.

    https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1518654601611956229
    Part 2:
    https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1518654644544802818

    (Note the Arabic text...)

    Must admit the Ukranian home produced ATGMs do seem pretty good, or maybe just lend themselves to video clips because of the screen. The arabic script is because they were an export order apparently, before being nationalised.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,274
    edited April 2022
    I wonder how many hours a day Musk spends on each of his businesses?
  • stodgestodge Posts: 12,745
    As to why there have been no attempts to cross the Channel in the past four days, I'd only offer there has been a pretty persistent east north east wind through the Thames Estuary throughout the last few days.

    I wouldn't launch a boat from the French coast because the wind wouldn't blow them towards England and the sea in the Dover Straits has been rough with, as I say, a fresh to strong north easterly wind.

    Obviously, it's down to Patel's policy and the weather has nothing to do with it - we'll see.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,274
    edited April 2022
    "I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans," he added.

    The days of @AnonymousEgg8724 look like they are going to be over. Clever thing is if people have to authenticate, they will know instantly a lot more about their users, which is very helpful for targeting ads.
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,243
    SandraMc said:

    I noted on here a little while ago that there wasn't a Labour candidate standing in my ward on the South Coast, which I thought was strange as Labour came second in the ward last time. I asked if Labour was having problems fielding candidates to which no -one replied, but I would be grateful for a reply to my latest query.
    The reason there is no Labour candidate is due to a cock-up; his nomination papers weren't submitted in time.
    In a grovelling apology in the local free sheet, he says that his consituency Labour Party received the nomination papers on 15 February but he didn't received them until 28 March. He says only had a week to get 10 nomination signatures and do the necessary paperwork and submitted his nomination a day late. I wondered if seasoned campaigners here could tell me if this sort of thing happens often. Also, is it the fault of the consituency or the candidate; shouldn't he have chased them for the papers?

    I am not trying to make a local issue out of this; I am just interested in the mechanics of local elections.

    It happens in USA, though it's not usual; similar to situation in UK as described on this thred.

    Number of years ago long-standing incumbent member of King County Council in WA State passed away, and there was special election. One candidate, a conservative/libertarian Republican (now a MAGA-maniac) decided (as a statement?) to NOT pay the standard filing fee (1% of annual salary) but instead to file as an "indigent" by gathering voter signatures in lieu of paying dollars.

    When he submitted his signatures, the county checked them against voter sigs on file, and said he had just enough to qualify.

    Then one of his opponents went to court, saying that the indigent did NOT have sufficient signatures. And when the county re-checked, they discovered that the challenger was correct. Because it turned out that some of the sigs were from King Co voters who did NOT live in the right county council district. When these were properly disqualified, the indigent no longer hand enough to make the ballot. HOWEVER, since the county had certified that he did - even in error - the judge ruled (again correctly based on the law) that the indigent remain on the ballot.

    He lost, but his presence on the ballot did affect the outcome.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,548

    West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. One of the very best London songs - up there with Waterloo Sunset and London Calling. Also Rainy Night in Soho and Transmetropolitan by The Pogues. London gets some terrific tunes.

    I'd say the PSB's song 'Kings Cross' is a better reflection of 1980's London. About arriving in London for the first time, to the 'atmospheric' Kings Cross as it was.

    I knew the area in the early 1990s, and it's *massively* better now. But it has lost a certain something. Syringes, mostly.
    I love that song.

    It's a great one to stare out of train windows to whilst travelling.
    I used to regularly travel from St Pancras to Derby. St Pancras was all faded grandeur: smoke-stained glass in the magnificent roof; HSTs in the trainshed; the hotel looking like an ancient silent-movie starlet. I loved it.

    I was back there a couple of weeks ago with the little 'un. It's so saccharin now. It's better, but has lost all of its character.

    A program I always think of early 1990s London:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUsKes3eQjE
  • pingping Posts: 3,724
    Taz said:

    Endillion said:

    Twitter agrees Elon Musk takeover deal:
    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/25/twitter-elon-musk-buy-takeover-deal-tesla

    Predictions (mine):
    Trump to be reinstated
    Character limit to be increased to 420
    General standard of public discourse to worsen markedly. Hopefully it* will just die.

    *edit for ambiguity: Twitter, not public discourse

    He will add an edit button
    He will look to generate far more money from it.
    He’s paying $202 per active user.
    $202 per active user is insane.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 20,812

    "I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans," he added.

    The days of @AnonymousEgg8724 look like they are going to be over. Clever thing is if people have to authenticate, they will know instantly a lot more about their users, which is very helpful for targeting ads.

    Per that article by Jonathan Haidt we all read a few days ago, I now believe authentication should be mandated on platforms over a certain volume, ie Twitter, Facebook etc.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 6,778
    Cicero said:

    Applicant said:

    Am I trolling here? Perhaps just a little bit, so I apologise. But these crazy cats are trying to take this to court. I’m not sure whether I admire them or think they’re batshit crazy…



    More detail here - https://www.eucitizenship.org/news/article/15

    I know it probably won’t happen, but what if it did, what if they could get a court to declare that the referendum wasn’t a free and fair election cos of Russian interference? God that would unleash a shitstorm.

    I mean, I’m as Remainy as they come but Jesus, I’m not sure I’d want to go through something like that…

    Much too late, surely.
    There has been much discussion away from the Uk about certain key figures who financially backed the various Leave campaigns. To say the least there is a case to answer. However I also accept that we may not want to air this dirty laundry, at least until Putin is gone.
    There have been lots of allegations but very little evidence
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 6,778
    kinabalu said:

    Timmycool said:

    Leon said:

    Do we have any Alabama experts on the board today?

    I have one day here in the far north west bit. Tuscumbia/Muscle Shoals. By the mighty Tennessee River

    I was gonna hike the river or some canyons.... but it's decided to rain. Heavily (the first day of bad weather after a week of pure sun - which returns tomorrow, huzzah)

    Things To Do In Alabama When It Rains. Are there any? I thought of driving to Alabama's Most Depressing Town, say Selma, or Bessemer, to indulge in a day of Full on Feasting on American Declinism, but are they that bad? I want BAD. I want Mississippi BAD. Detroit BAD. Shuttered streets, empty factories, fentanyl addicts, desolate malls, maybe a rich Woke student shouting at poor white people about their privilege - in the rain.

    Where can I get that?

    Quick YouTube (there are channels dedicated to driving the "hood" of these kind of places), Bessemer looks pretty bad. Worst of those kind of places I have been, Gary, Indiana.
    Gary, Indiana at one point was the murder capital of the US. You are right, FU, it is a horrible little town on the Southwest corner of Lake Michigan. So depressing. Stopped once on the way from Chicago to Warsaw, Indiana and my hosts were amazed I'd gotten out alive!!!
    I know Indiana quite well from the David Soul song Silver Lady. The wind and rain cuts through you, there, and leaves you chilled to the bone. Bleak, as you say. Best to play the song rather than visit. This applies to quite a few places in America, come to think of it. Galverston is another good example. Just play the song and leave it at that.
    I am in Indiana on Wednesday and Thursday so I shall let you know whether it is better or worse than Hampstead
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 4,542
    With no shareholders to worry about Musk can do what he likes with Twitter .

    There will be less moderation so I expect it to turn into more of a hate factory . At least Trump will be happy as he will be welcomed back with open arms .
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,048

    I’ve been chatting to a chap from Bristol (at least he can get home easily!) who is here with his little toddler. He brought two spare nappies, already filled. They couldn’t help him get any more. I hope I’m not sat near him.

    Did he bring any for the toddler?
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 20,812

    Cicero said:

    Applicant said:

    Am I trolling here? Perhaps just a little bit, so I apologise. But these crazy cats are trying to take this to court. I’m not sure whether I admire them or think they’re batshit crazy…



    More detail here - https://www.eucitizenship.org/news/article/15

    I know it probably won’t happen, but what if it did, what if they could get a court to declare that the referendum wasn’t a free and fair election cos of Russian interference? God that would unleash a shitstorm.

    I mean, I’m as Remainy as they come but Jesus, I’m not sure I’d want to go through something like that…

    Much too late, surely.
    There has been much discussion away from the Uk about certain key figures who financially backed the various Leave campaigns. To say the least there is a case to answer. However I also accept that we may not want to air this dirty laundry, at least until Putin is gone.
    There have been lots of allegations but very little evidence
    The “Russia report” published by the Intelligence & Security committee basically ruled it out of scope since the government had refused a investigation into it.

    From an electoral perspective, I believe questions of legitimacy were rendered null by the subsequent elections (17 and 19).

    However, it would be good to see the facts come out at some stage.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 6,778

    ...

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Am I trolling here? Perhaps just a little bit, so I apologise. But these crazy cats are trying to take this to court. I’m not sure whether I admire them or think they’re batshit crazy…



    More detail here - https://www.eucitizenship.org/news/article/15

    I know it probably won’t happen, but what if it did, what if they could get a court to declare that the referendum wasn’t a free and fair election cos of Russian interference? God that would unleash a shitstorm.

    I mean, I’m as Remainy as they come but Jesus, I’m not sure I’d want to go through something like that…

    If the vote had been compromised by Russia, the only fair course of action would be to rerun the EU Referendum, we are not a Russian autocracy, we are a democracy after all.

    Anyway, on topic, if Johnson is deposed, what happens to the wallpaper?
    We are a parliamentary democracy not a direct democracy, as the 2016 to 2019 period proved it was only getting a Tory majority in December 2019 that delivered Brexit through Parliament into law in 2020.

    The referendum result itself changed nothing legally
    You say that now...evidence item 1 m'lud, the prorogation of Parliament.

    All the Brexiteers were crying foul. "The sovereign 2017 Parliament is undemocratic because it will not enact the will of the people, who voted (in a non- binding referendum) to leave the EU".

    Now I am not blaming you HY, you are, like myself a good honest yeoman serf who voted Remain.
    Yes but the prorogation of Parliament made sod all difference. Parliament still refused to vote for Brexit and the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional anyway.

    Only the Tory majority in December 2019 delivered Brexit as I said
    I have been somewhat (OK very) flippant, and technically you are right about Johnson's 2019 manifesto and subsequent Parliamentary landslide being sovereign. It is a tricky conundrum nonetheless if Putin directly and substantively changed the course of British history by chicanery against the real express will of the people.
    I don’t think even the most conspiracy minded nut jobs have ever suggested that.

    Brexit was “the real express will of the people”. The question is whether that “will” was moulded by malign actors behaving illicitly
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,548
    Cookie said:

    Sticking with my theme, surely the KLF's 'It's grim up north' covers a multitude of places?

    Bolton,
    Barnsley,
    Nelson,
    Colne,
    Burnley
    Bradford,
    Buxton,
    Crewe,
    Warrington,
    Widnes,
    Wigan,
    Leeds,
    Northwich,
    Nantwich,
    Knutsford,
    Hull,
    Sale,
    Salford,
    Southport,
    Leigh,
    Derby,
    Kearsley
    Keighley
    Maghull,
    Harrogate,
    Huddersfield,
    Oldham, Lancs,
    Grimsby,
    Glossop,
    Hebden Bridge,
    Brighouse,
    Bootle,
    Featherstone,
    Speke,
    Runcorn,
    Rotherham,
    Rochdale,
    Barrow,
    Morecambe,
    Macclesfield,
    Lytham St. Annes
    Clitheroe,
    Cleethorpes,
    The M62,
    Pendlebury,
    Prestwich,
    Preston,
    York,
    Skipton,
    Scunthorpe,
    Scarborough-on-Sea,
    Chester,
    Chorley,
    Cheedle Hulme,
    Ormskirk,
    Accrington Stanley,
    And Leigh,
    Ossett,
    Otley,
    Ikley Moor,
    Sheffield,
    Manchester,
    Castleford,
    Skem,
    Doncaster,
    Dewsbury,
    Hali-fax,
    Bingley,
    Bramall,
    Are all in the North.

    (I occasionally consider doing a walk between all these places, but it would become the 'travelling salesman' problem to work out the best route...

    I grew up in Cheadle Hulme. But I was always disproportionately worried that the lyric was 'Cheadle. Hulme.' Rather than 'Cheadle Hulme.'
    When you're from Cheadle Hulme, that's about the scale of your worries.
    Going to school in east Staffordshire, 'Cheadle' always meant a very different place...

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheadle,_Staffordshire
  • TazTaz Posts: 10,704
    nico679 said:

    With no shareholders to worry about Musk can do what he likes with Twitter .

    There will be less moderation so I expect it to turn into more of a hate factory . At least Trump will be happy as he will be welcomed back with open arms .

    It’s already a hate factory. Just a pretty one sided one.
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,243
    ping said:

    Taz said:

    Endillion said:

    Twitter agrees Elon Musk takeover deal:
    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/25/twitter-elon-musk-buy-takeover-deal-tesla

    Predictions (mine):
    Trump to be reinstated
    Character limit to be increased to 420
    General standard of public discourse to worsen markedly. Hopefully it* will just die.

    *edit for ambiguity: Twitter, not public discourse

    He will add an edit button
    He will look to generate far more money from it.
    He’s paying $202 per active user.
    $202 per active user is insane.
    No doubt there is method to his madness.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,725

    SandraMc said:

    I noted on here a little while ago that there wasn't a Labour candidate standing in my ward on the South Coast, which I thought was strange as Labour came second in the ward last time. I asked if Labour was having problems fielding candidates to which no -one replied, but I would be grateful for a reply to my latest query.
    The reason there is no Labour candidate is due to a cock-up; his nomination papers weren't submitted in time.
    In a grovelling apology in the local free sheet, he says that his consituency Labour Party received the nomination papers on 15 February but he didn't received them until 28 March. He says only had a week to get 10 nomination signatures and do the necessary paperwork and submitted his nomination a day late. I wondered if seasoned campaigners here could tell me if this sort of thing happens often. Also, is it the fault of the consituency or the candidate; shouldn't he have chased them for the papers?

    I am not trying to make a local issue out of this; I am just interested in the mechanics of local elections.

    It happens in USA, though it's not usual; similar to situation in UK as described on this thred.

    Number of years ago long-standing incumbent member of King County Council in WA State passed away, and there was special election. One candidate, a conservative/libertarian Republican (now a MAGA-maniac) decided (as a statement?) to NOT pay the standard filing fee (1% of annual salary) but instead to file as an "indigent" by gathering voter signatures in lieu of paying dollars.

    When he submitted his signatures, the county checked them against voter sigs on file, and said he had just enough to qualify.

    Then one of his opponents went to court, saying that the indigent did NOT have sufficient signatures. And when the county re-checked, they discovered that the challenger was correct. Because it turned out that some of the sigs were from King Co voters who did NOT live in the right county council district. When these were properly disqualified, the indigent no longer hand enough to make the ballot. HOWEVER, since the county had certified that he did - even in error - the judge ruled (again correctly based on the law) that the indigent remain on the ballot.

    He lost, but his presence on the ballot did affect the outcome.
    Years ago there was a BNP candidate in a SE Essex council election who lodged a nomination paper with two signatures from his ward and eight from outside!
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,082
    Cookie said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Timmycool said:

    Leon said:

    Do we have any Alabama experts on the board today?

    I have one day here in the far north west bit. Tuscumbia/Muscle Shoals. By the mighty Tennessee River

    I was gonna hike the river or some canyons.... but it's decided to rain. Heavily (the first day of bad weather after a week of pure sun - which returns tomorrow, huzzah)

    Things To Do In Alabama When It Rains. Are there any? I thought of driving to Alabama's Most Depressing Town, say Selma, or Bessemer, to indulge in a day of Full on Feasting on American Declinism, but are they that bad? I want BAD. I want Mississippi BAD. Detroit BAD. Shuttered streets, empty factories, fentanyl addicts, desolate malls, maybe a rich Woke student shouting at poor white people about their privilege - in the rain.

    Where can I get that?

    Quick YouTube (there are channels dedicated to driving the "hood" of these kind of places), Bessemer looks pretty bad. Worst of those kind of places I have been, Gary, Indiana.
    Gary, Indiana at one point was the murder capital of the US. You are right, FU, it is a horrible little town on the Southwest corner of Lake Michigan. So depressing. Stopped once on the way from Chicago to Warsaw, Indiana and my hosts were amazed I'd gotten out alive!!!
    I know Indiana quite well from the David Soul song Silver Lady. The wind and rain cuts through you, there, and leaves you chilled to the bone. Bleak, as you say. Best to play the song rather than visit. This applies to quite a few places in America, come to think of it. Galverston is another good example. Just play the song and leave it at that.
    Sorry, K, but you do not know shit about Indiana, which is a VERY diverse state plenty of great places & people from Lake Michigan dunes to the banks of the Ohio River. Or Galveston for that matter.

    Ignorance does NOT become you.
    Yes, I'm sure. Only kidding. Or only not kidding in the sense there often IS a mismatch between how a song makes a place sound and the more prosiac reality of that place - and since songs usually talk about American places it's American places that are romanticized (in this way) the most. Pity but that's how it is.

    By the time I got to Romford.
    I wish they all could be Liverpudlian girls.
    It took me 4 days to hitchhike from Doncaster
    And now he's leaving ... on the midnight train to Chester.

    We lack the cultural confidence to write this sort of stuff.
    It’s not cultural confidence, per se.

    England is an essentially suburban nation.
    It’s place-names mostly evoke a kind of pooterish quality, or at best a sense of pastoral tranquility.

    America has the high romance of “the West”, frontier-land. Discovery. Danger. Danmnation.

    In Britain such qualities can perhaps only be found, vanishingly, in the Celtic nations.
    Yes. Also I think the sheer size of America has something to do with it. Eg one of my examples - she's leaving on the midnight train to Chester. Assuming you're in, say, London or Birmingham, this does not have a finality about it. You immediately think, well give it a day or two and I'll pop up there myself and see how she's doing. And if you're in Manchester even more so - you could be there in half an hour.
    Yes, see also the paucity of British Road movies. There's no jeopardy at all - of course you'll get there. It's only a few hours away.
    To return to the Smiths though: 'London' - actually a song about Manchester at its nadir - is one of the finest road songs ever written. A short story in 14 lines. Nowadays it would be about the Ryanair from Gdansk.
    Anthrax covered it in the film 'Airheads'. A strange clash of Cookie' music tastes aged 14 and Cookie's music tastes aged 17.
    Radio On is a good, albeit slightly disturbing British road movie. Very evocative of the late Seventies.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,603

    If you heard some terrible deafening screeching about half an hour ago, that will have been the "its a private company they can ban who they want / Elon Musk is too powerful a man to own twitter" brigade hearing the news.

    While saying nothing about Jeff Bezos owning the Washington Post. Of course.
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,243
    edited April 2022

    kinabalu said:

    Timmycool said:

    Leon said:

    Do we have any Alabama experts on the board today?

    I have one day here in the far north west bit. Tuscumbia/Muscle Shoals. By the mighty Tennessee River

    I was gonna hike the river or some canyons.... but it's decided to rain. Heavily (the first day of bad weather after a week of pure sun - which returns tomorrow, huzzah)

    Things To Do In Alabama When It Rains. Are there any? I thought of driving to Alabama's Most Depressing Town, say Selma, or Bessemer, to indulge in a day of Full on Feasting on American Declinism, but are they that bad? I want BAD. I want Mississippi BAD. Detroit BAD. Shuttered streets, empty factories, fentanyl addicts, desolate malls, maybe a rich Woke student shouting at poor white people about their privilege - in the rain.

    Where can I get that?

    Quick YouTube (there are channels dedicated to driving the "hood" of these kind of places), Bessemer looks pretty bad. Worst of those kind of places I have been, Gary, Indiana.
    Gary, Indiana at one point was the murder capital of the US. You are right, FU, it is a horrible little town on the Southwest corner of Lake Michigan. So depressing. Stopped once on the way from Chicago to Warsaw, Indiana and my hosts were amazed I'd gotten out alive!!!
    I know Indiana quite well from the David Soul song Silver Lady. The wind and rain cuts through you, there, and leaves you chilled to the bone. Bleak, as you say. Best to play the song rather than visit. This applies to quite a few places in America, come to think of it. Galverston is another good example. Just play the song and leave it at that.
    I am in Indiana on Wednesday and Thursday so I shall let you know whether it is better or worse than Hampstead
    Whereabouts? Perhaps you can check to see IF the frost is on the pumpkin? Though I doubt it!

    BTW (also FYI) one Indiana county is essential a large state park - Brown County.

    Not far from Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana U, which is also quite survivable (the town and the university).
  • I guess one of the advantages to Ryanair’s business model is that their reputation is already toilet level. Complaints on social media won’t make any difference. I’m on the plane now and they’ve just pulled out of a take off run and told us they need the engineer again..
  • solarflaresolarflare Posts: 3,623
    I'm looking forwards to the Tesla/Twitter tie-up combinations. You will only be able to drive your Tesla if you tweet about it inanely first, or something. Maybe. Maybe the Tesla will just tweet everything for you.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,082
    Taz said:

    Endillion said:

    Twitter agrees Elon Musk takeover deal:
    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/25/twitter-elon-musk-buy-takeover-deal-tesla

    Predictions (mine):
    Trump to be reinstated
    Character limit to be increased to 420
    General standard of public discourse to worsen markedly. Hopefully it* will just die.

    *edit for ambiguity: Twitter, not public discourse

    He will add an edit button
    He will look to generate far more money from it.
    He’s paying $202 per active user.
    How many of those are Russian bots?
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 14,093

    Taz said:

    I expect Boris to face a VoNC after the May locals.

    I also expect him to win it.

    But will he be holed below the waterline.
    I'm guessing but I'd say between 100 and 140 votes against and 210-250 in favour. Some abstentions perhaps.
    Ooh. That's getting close to the worst possible result for the Conservative Party as a whole. Good enough for Johnson that he's entitled to carry on, but with about a third voting against him in the privacy of the polling booth. Though presumably not in public.

    The 1995 leadership election was Major 218 - Redwood 89, and that didn't really solve anything.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,274
    edited April 2022
    Oh god, just what we don't need even more of this...

    https://www.standard.co.uk/business/thg-ingenuity-everymile-matt-moulding-wpp-mark-read-b996088.html

    The Hut Group business model is one of the most frustrating experiences....the price is never the price, you need to suffer huge deluge of marketing ad emails in order to get the "discount" code to pay the proper price, and if you leave the mailing list you will never get access to them.

    I really like Huel for not doing this, i am sure they could copy THG model to drive even more sales
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,603
    Taz said:

    nico679 said:

    With no shareholders to worry about Musk can do what he likes with Twitter .

    There will be less moderation so I expect it to turn into more of a hate factory . At least Trump will be happy as he will be welcomed back with open arms .

    It’s already a hate factory. Just a pretty one sided one.
    This is what wokists want, to aim their hate freely at everyone who disagrees with them unanswered because they can't deal with tough questions. It's like all those morons attempting and failing to defend women with cocks, the idea is laughable to anyone not in the insane bubble yet on twitter it's some kind of accepted truth and people who disagree are ostracised and cancelled.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,082

    ping said:

    Taz said:

    Endillion said:

    Twitter agrees Elon Musk takeover deal:
    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/25/twitter-elon-musk-buy-takeover-deal-tesla

    Predictions (mine):
    Trump to be reinstated
    Character limit to be increased to 420
    General standard of public discourse to worsen markedly. Hopefully it* will just die.

    *edit for ambiguity: Twitter, not public discourse

    He will add an edit button
    He will look to generate far more money from it.
    He’s paying $202 per active user.
    $202 per active user is insane.
    No doubt there is method to his madness.
    Or possibly madness to his method...
  • TazTaz Posts: 10,704

    ping said:

    Taz said:

    Endillion said:

    Twitter agrees Elon Musk takeover deal:
    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/25/twitter-elon-musk-buy-takeover-deal-tesla

    Predictions (mine):
    Trump to be reinstated
    Character limit to be increased to 420
    General standard of public discourse to worsen markedly. Hopefully it* will just die.

    *edit for ambiguity: Twitter, not public discourse

    He will add an edit button
    He will look to generate far more money from it.
    He’s paying $202 per active user.
    $202 per active user is insane.
    No doubt there is method to his madness.
    He must be looking to monetise it far more than it is already. Surely.
  • BournvilleBournville Posts: 303
    SandraMc said:

    I noted on here a little while ago that there wasn't a Labour candidate standing in my ward on the South Coast, which I thought was strange as Labour came second in the ward last time. I asked if Labour was having problems fielding candidates to which no -one replied, but I would be grateful for a reply to my latest query.
    The reason there is no Labour candidate is due to a cock-up; his nomination papers weren't submitted in time.
    In a grovelling apology in the local free sheet, he says that his consituency Labour Party received the nomination papers on 15 February but he didn't received them until 28 March. He says only had a week to get 10 nomination signatures and do the necessary paperwork and submitted his nomination a day late. I wondered if seasoned campaigners here could tell me if this sort of thing happens often. Also, is it the fault of the consituency or the candidate; shouldn't he have chased them for the papers?

    I am not trying to make a local issue out of this; I am just interested in the mechanics of local elections.

    As an agent who did the nomination papers for 60+ candidates this year - the paperwork is not difficult, it is mostly just repeatedly signing your own name (of course some candidates do struggle with this); the main issue is collecting the signatures, but this can be done in about an hour by just phoning round local members and asking them to sign.

    Really the incompetence here is from the agent, who should have gone through the papers with the candidate well ahead of time and made sure he was collecting the signatures. If you're an agent you have to assume your candidates are fucking something up at all times and it's your responsibility to intervene. "I sent him the papers but didn't get them back in time, whoops!" isn't an excuse.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 38,865
    edited April 2022
    nico679 said:

    With no shareholders to worry about Musk can do what he likes with Twitter .

    There will be less moderation so I expect it to turn into more of a hate factory . At least Trump will be happy as he will be welcomed back with open arms .

    It doesn't raise my spirits, I must admit. Perhaps he'll surprise but Elon Musk buying Twitter is not the most obvious step towards a better quality of public discourse.
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 15,547

    Cicero said:

    Applicant said:

    Am I trolling here? Perhaps just a little bit, so I apologise. But these crazy cats are trying to take this to court. I’m not sure whether I admire them or think they’re batshit crazy…



    More detail here - https://www.eucitizenship.org/news/article/15

    I know it probably won’t happen, but what if it did, what if they could get a court to declare that the referendum wasn’t a free and fair election cos of Russian interference? God that would unleash a shitstorm.

    I mean, I’m as Remainy as they come but Jesus, I’m not sure I’d want to go through something like that…

    Much too late, surely.
    There has been much discussion away from the Uk about certain key figures who financially backed the various Leave campaigns. To say the least there is a case to answer. However I also accept that we may not want to air this dirty laundry, at least until Putin is gone.
    There have been lots of allegations but very little evidence
    The specific main allegation held within the Russia Report is that UK security services were ordered not to investigate Russian spy activities in UK politics. That order came from the top. You obviously won't find wrongdoing if you deliberately choose not to look for it. The UK government tried to suppress the Russia Report.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 10,351
    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Timmycool said:

    Leon said:

    Do we have any Alabama experts on the board today?

    I have one day here in the far north west bit. Tuscumbia/Muscle Shoals. By the mighty Tennessee River

    I was gonna hike the river or some canyons.... but it's decided to rain. Heavily (the first day of bad weather after a week of pure sun - which returns tomorrow, huzzah)

    Things To Do In Alabama When It Rains. Are there any? I thought of driving to Alabama's Most Depressing Town, say Selma, or Bessemer, to indulge in a day of Full on Feasting on American Declinism, but are they that bad? I want BAD. I want Mississippi BAD. Detroit BAD. Shuttered streets, empty factories, fentanyl addicts, desolate malls, maybe a rich Woke student shouting at poor white people about their privilege - in the rain.

    Where can I get that?

    Quick YouTube (there are channels dedicated to driving the "hood" of these kind of places), Bessemer looks pretty bad. Worst of those kind of places I have been, Gary, Indiana.
    Gary, Indiana at one point was the murder capital of the US. You are right, FU, it is a horrible little town on the Southwest corner of Lake Michigan. So depressing. Stopped once on the way from Chicago to Warsaw, Indiana and my hosts were amazed I'd gotten out alive!!!
    I know Indiana quite well from the David Soul song Silver Lady. The wind and rain cuts through you, there, and leaves you chilled to the bone. Bleak, as you say. Best to play the song rather than visit. This applies to quite a few places in America, come to think of it. Galverston is another good example. Just play the song and leave it at that.
    Sorry, K, but you do not know shit about Indiana, which is a VERY diverse state plenty of great places & people from Lake Michigan dunes to the banks of the Ohio River. Or Galveston for that matter.

    Ignorance does NOT become you.
    Yes, I'm sure. Only kidding. Or only not kidding in the sense there often IS a mismatch between how a song makes a place sound and the more prosiac reality of that place - and since songs usually talk about American places it's American places that are romanticized (in this way) the most. Pity but that's how it is.

    By the time I got to Romford.
    I wish they all could be Liverpudlian girls.
    It took me 4 days to hitchhike from Doncaster
    And now he's leaving ... on the midnight train to Chester.

    We lack the cultural confidence to write this sort of stuff.
    It’s not cultural confidence, per se.

    England is an essentially suburban nation.
    It’s place-names mostly evoke a kind of pooterish quality, or at best a sense of pastoral tranquility.

    America has the high romance of “the West”, frontier-land. Discovery. Danger. Danmnation.

    In Britain such qualities can perhaps only be found, vanishingly, in the Celtic nations.
    Yes. Also I think the sheer size of America has something to do with it. Eg one of my examples - she's leaving on the midnight train to Chester. Assuming you're in, say, London or Birmingham, this does not have a finality about it. You immediately think, well give it a day or two and I'll pop up there myself and see how she's doing. And if you're in Manchester even more so - you could be there in half an hour.
    Yes. And Brits (English especially) do irony all the time in everything even when they aren't meaning to, which qualifies all attempts at high romance, heroic etc.

    'Weeping weeping multitudes
    Droop in a hundred ABC's'

This discussion has been closed.