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Could we see a speech like this at a 2023 party conference? – politicalbetting.com

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    Good evening

    I am complete ambivalent about the royal family but prefer it to a republic

    Charles was never going to be in the same league as his mother and I expect over time their influence will wain

  • Options
    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981

    Looking at the video in the header, we wouldn’t go over the top predicting big things for the speaker, but it’s a perfectly adequate turn on the podium. Fluency okay, engaged the audience very well, and more genuine heart felt passion for a policy than we have seen from our current and most previous prime minister.

    So. Despite getting more and more assistance to her speeches and public engagement, such as auto cue to help with speed and naturalness, how did Truss actually get worse at it, leaving this the best speech we have ever seen from her?

    She will be PM one day! I guarantee it :D:D
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,991

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    Yes, we elect our House of Commons to make the laws, tax and spend and go to war. Our PM is head of government.

    The King is just a figurehead, non party political, ceremonial head of state
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,991

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    People who genuinely think that, usually think other classes of person should be stoned too.

    It wasn't the adultery which makes Charles' behaviour so profoundly vile.

    We need rid because these problems are always going to happen, because monarchs cannot be relied on not to be gay or impotent or sterile or profoundly selfish. Had Charles not been a lying coward, the options open to him were:

    1. Do a deal in advance with a brood mare (seems to be what William has done, given the alleged incompatibility of the pair on the pegging issue).

    2. Do a Ed VIII, and then we are straight on to King Andrew.

    Enough.

    And when we are the United Republic, perhaps the EU won't realise who we are, and will let us back in.
    Gays can have their own children too you know, via artificial insemination
  • Options

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    I would expect if there was a strong demand for a republic then a republic would come about but to be honest there are far more important issues facing us over the next decade to be distracted by this
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,962

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    Yep, by voting for a party that has the abolition of the monarchy in their manifesto.
  • Options
    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    Yes, we elect our House of Commons to make the laws, tax and spend and go to war. Our PM is head of government.

    The King is just a figurehead, non party political, ceremonial head of state
    So we cannot vote him out then. We have no control.
  • Options
    Like many long-lasting things, affection & respect, or lack thereof, for British Royalty, waxes and wanes in semi-cyclical manner.

    For example, this ditty composed at death of Prince Frederick, until his demise heir to George II and the father of future George III

    Here lies poor Fred who was alive and is dead,
    Had it been his father I had much rather,
    Had it been his sister nobody would have missed her,
    Had it been his brother, still better than another,
    Had it been the whole generation, so much better for the nation,
    But since it is Fred who was alive and is dead,
    There is no more to be said!

    Remarks passed and published at the passing of George IV were even less positive!
  • Options
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    Yes, we elect our House of Commons to make the laws, tax and spend and go to war. Our PM is head of government.

    The King is just a figurehead, non party political, ceremonial head of state
    You routinely address PB as if it were a party of Taiwanese primary school children to whom you are giving a coach tour of central London.
  • Options
    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    I would expect if there was a strong demand for a republic then a republic would come about but to be honest there are far more important issues facing us over the next decade to be distracted by this
    And what would they be?
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,599
    ohnotnow said:

    ohnotnow said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    ChatGPT’s ability to turn borderline Total Gibberish into highly plausible, literate English is actually one of its most profound yet undiscussed attributes. It is incredible, and utterly ominous for education

    Not really. It will change education. More oral assessment is a possibility, particularly if an algorithm implementation is capable enough to do the assessment.
    NARRATOR: education as we know it is fucked
    Didn't pick you as someone scared of a little change. Switching from essays to oral presentations is hardly the end times.
    I was chatting to a lecturer friend about 'the ChatGPT problem'. One of his first-year classes has 400 students. Doing oral presentations with them all would be problematic.
    Yes, but so is marking 400 essays.
    Marking essays is - just about - doable for the course. But if every student even has to give a five minute presentation, even with just a couple of minutes faff on either side then it becomes a real problem. As WillG says - hire more people to do them. But between there and here - it's a problem.

    Edit: meant to say that one saving grace is that OpenAI will probably start charging for use sometime soon and that might be enough of a barrier for a while until there's a 'good enough' open source tool.
    There is already an App to signal which pieces are written by AI:

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chatgpt-princeton-student-gptzero-app-edward-tian/

    Then the Lecturer just needs to call a few for vivas, and chuck out the ones who cannot answer questions that an author could.

    Another giveaway is the lack of references and citations.
  • Options
    WillGWillG Posts: 2,096

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    People who genuinely think that, usually think other classes of person should be stoned too.

    It wasn't the adultery which makes Charles' behaviour so profoundly vile.

    We need rid because these problems are always going to happen, because monarchs cannot be relied on not to be gay or impotent or sterile or profoundly selfish. Had Charles not been a lying coward, the options open to him were:

    1. Do a deal in advance with a brood mare (seems to be what William has done, given the alleged incompatibility of the pair on the pegging issue).

    2. Do a Ed VIII, and then we are straight on to King Andrew.

    Enough.

    And when we are the United Republic, perhaps the EU won't realise who we are, and will let us back in.
    The most prominent political leader who enjoys pegging, is of course Vladimir Putin. That's why his wife and other girlfriends have been bigger than him. Of course, he would prefer a big hurly burly man to do it to him, but is worried the secret will get out. That's why he limits it to Medvedev, who is also worried about his proclivities being shared.
  • Options
    Foxy said:

    ohnotnow said:

    ohnotnow said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    ChatGPT’s ability to turn borderline Total Gibberish into highly plausible, literate English is actually one of its most profound yet undiscussed attributes. It is incredible, and utterly ominous for education

    Not really. It will change education. More oral assessment is a possibility, particularly if an algorithm implementation is capable enough to do the assessment.
    NARRATOR: education as we know it is fucked
    Didn't pick you as someone scared of a little change. Switching from essays to oral presentations is hardly the end times.
    I was chatting to a lecturer friend about 'the ChatGPT problem'. One of his first-year classes has 400 students. Doing oral presentations with them all would be problematic.
    Yes, but so is marking 400 essays.
    Marking essays is - just about - doable for the course. But if every student even has to give a five minute presentation, even with just a couple of minutes faff on either side then it becomes a real problem. As WillG says - hire more people to do them. But between there and here - it's a problem.

    Edit: meant to say that one saving grace is that OpenAI will probably start charging for use sometime soon and that might be enough of a barrier for a while until there's a 'good enough' open source tool.
    There is already an App to signal which pieces are written by AI:

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chatgpt-princeton-student-gptzero-app-edward-tian/

    Then the Lecturer just needs to call a few for vivas, and chuck out the ones who cannot answer questions that an author could.

    Another giveaway is the lack of references and citations.
    That's a ChatGPT thing. Blenderbot, the facebook AI, lets you click on its output to see where it is getting stuff from.
  • Options
    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    ChatGPT’s ability to turn borderline Total Gibberish into highly plausible, literate English is actually one of its most profound yet undiscussed attributes. It is incredible, and utterly ominous for education

    Not really. It will change education. More oral assessment is a possibility, particularly if an algorithm implementation is capable enough to do the assessment.
    NARRATOR: education as we know it is fucked
    Didn't pick you as someone scared of a little change. Switching from essays to oral presentations is hardly the end times.
    In 5 years time AI implants will be Leon's next big thing. In 20 years they will be reality.
    Steady on!

    I can believe many things. Some are quite a strange.

    But @Leon’s “next big thing” being “reality”?!

    There I draw the line.
    Wait until he discovers that we are all just human duracells in baths full of goop and reality is on version 5
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,991
    edited January 2023

    According to unofficialroyalty.com there have been 6 Queens of England or United Kingdom who were 2nd wives of the then-ruling King:

    > Queen Adeliza of Louvain, 2nd wife of King Henry I
    > Queen Margaret of France, 2nd wife of King Edward I
    > Queen Isabella of Valois, 2nd wife of King Richard II
    > Queen Joan of Navarre, 2nd wife of King Henry IV
    > Queen Anne Boleyn, 2nd wife of King Henry VIII
    > Queen Maria Beatrice of Modena, 2nd wife of King James II

    List does NOT include 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th wifes of King Henry VII. Add them in, and number of Queens who were NOT their hubby's first wifey climbs to double digits.

    Does include 2nd wives of Kings whose first wives were never Queen, because their husband was NOT yet King = Queen Joan (Henry IV) and Queen Maria Beatrice (James II).

    All but one of them married the King after the King had been widowed, all but one of them were not mistresses of the monarch when they were still married.

    The exception was Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII had to divorce Catherine of Aragon and strip her of her title of Queen and create a new established church first
  • Options
    dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 27,957

    Looking at the video in the header, we wouldn’t go over the top predicting big things for the speaker, but it’s a perfectly adequate turn on the podium. Fluency okay, engaged the audience very well, and more genuine heart felt passion for a policy than we have seen from our current and most previous prime minister.

    So. Despite getting more and more assistance to her speeches and public engagement, such as auto cue to help with speed and naturalness, how did Truss actually get worse at it, leaving this the best speech we have ever seen from her?

    She will be PM one day! I guarantee it :D:D
    But not many more.
  • Options

    Looking at the video in the header, we wouldn’t go over the top predicting big things for the speaker, but it’s a perfectly adequate turn on the podium. Fluency okay, engaged the audience very well, and more genuine heart felt passion for a policy than we have seen from our current and most previous prime minister.

    So. Despite getting more and more assistance to her speeches and public engagement, such as auto cue to help with speed and naturalness, how did Truss actually get worse at it, leaving this the best speech we have ever seen from her?

    She will be PM one day! I guarantee it :D:D
    I think Truss stopped talking about issues she believed in.
  • Options

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    I would expect if there was a strong demand for a republic then a republic would come about but to be honest there are far more important issues facing us over the next decade to be distracted by this
    And what would they be?
    If it was a manifesto commitment by a winning party then yes
  • Options
    MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,415
    Leon said:

    I from Greenland. I am Inuit and eat many seals. Me go fish fish in ice. Me want goCambridge college do that Physics so Imake igloo better for mammy. Plz rite aplication from Grenland to colleg do this ting and mention haddock

    [verbatim]

    ChatGPT: Dear Admissions Committee,

    I am writing to apply for the Physics program at Cambridge College. As an Inuit from Greenland, I have a strong interest in using my education to improve the traditional igloo building techniques that are important to my community.

    I have practical experience in both hunting and fishing, particularly in the challenging conditions of the Arctic. I have a deep understanding of the unique environmental conditions in my region and believe that the skills and knowledge I gain from studying physics will enable me to develop innovative solutions to the challenges faced by my community.

    In addition to my passion for physics, I am also an experienced fisherman and have a particular interest in haddock. I believe that the combination of my traditional knowledge and modern education will allow me to make valuable contributions to both my community and the field of physics.

    Thank you for your consideration.

    Sincerely,
    [Your name]

    “I from Greenland. I am Inuit and eat many seals. Me go fish fish in ice. Me want goCambridge college do that Physics so Imake igloo better for mammy. Plz rite aplication from Grenland to colleg do this ting and mention haddock”

    Ha. You think they speak Estuary English in Greenland? 🤣

    Wait! then again look - no mention of haddock here.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit_cuisine

    Cod! maybe Eskimo ain’t Northern Monkey’s, but Cockeneys after all.

    This site is full of insights and revelations
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,599
    edited January 2023
    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    People who genuinely think that, usually think other classes of person should be stoned too.

    It wasn't the adultery which makes Charles' behaviour so profoundly vile.

    We need rid because these problems are always going to happen, because monarchs cannot be relied on not to be gay or impotent or sterile or profoundly selfish. Had Charles not been a lying coward, the options open to him were:

    1. Do a deal in advance with a brood mare (seems to be what William has done, given the alleged incompatibility of the pair on the pegging issue).

    2. Do a Ed VIII, and then we are straight on to King Andrew.

    Enough.

    And when we are the United Republic, perhaps the EU won't realise who we are, and will let us back in.
    Gays can have their own children too you know, via artificial insemination
    Or adoption.

    (Which would present very interesting problems to have an adopted kid as heir)
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,991
    RobD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    Yep, by voting for a party that has the abolition of the monarchy in their manifesto.
    Indeed and the republican Corbyn was beaten by the monarchist Tories in 2019 and now both Starmer and Sunak back the monarchy
  • Options
    WillGWillG Posts: 2,096

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    Yes, we elect our House of Commons to make the laws, tax and spend and go to war. Our PM is head of government.

    The King is just a figurehead, non party political, ceremonial head of state
    You routinely address PB as if it were a party of Taiwanese primary school children to whom you are giving a coach tour of central London.
    Better Taiwanese school children than Russians visiting Salisbury Cathedral.
  • Options
    mwadams said:

    TOPPING said:

    HYUFD said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Harry and Meghan now more unpopular with voters over 65 than Prince Andrew.

    Meghan 73% have a very negative view of
    Harry 69%
    Andrew 60%

    https://twitter.com/YouGov/status/1613476152693395458?s=20&t=fmT9Z2dUjFbXjLYYjT6WBw

    Old people are properly nuts. What's going on with them?
    Just getting back to a discussion from the previous threads as to Megan vs Kate in terms of looks. There is no doubt Megan has aged better than Kate but, quite frankly, Megan looks as though she would not be fun into bed at all - Harry probably gets instructions from Megs all the time about how he needs to give her the perfect orgasm etc etc. Kate looks like she would be far more filthy.
    I expect in her younger days Camilla was the dirtiest, after all Charles left one of the most beautiful and glamorous women in the world for the Queen Consort
    A good royalist like you talking about ladies in that way in public?!
    Well she was the King's mistress, hence even now she is only Queen Consort not Queen
    She is Queen.

    She is not Queen Regnant but Queen Consort and usually most people leave out the suffix in both cases. In this case I believe it is being used out of some kind of deference to the Peoples' Princess (edit: and as @Driver points out Queen Elizabeth) but she, Camilla, will soon enough be "Queen".
    I remember reading that there was a QEII injunction that she should always be referred to as "Queen Consort" and never "Queen" (after QEII's death) which Charles scotched more or less immediately on accession.

    But I could have got that wrong.
    The tradition is that the wife of a King is always, officially. the Queen Consort to differentiate her from a Queen reigning in her own right. But equally traditionally this is always shorted to 'Queen'. I suspect that, given time, these traditions will be maintained.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,131
    And so we approach THE LEON SINGULARITY, when PB realises, with growing horror, that Leon was right about everything, even What3Words*

    *OK probably not What3Words

    Goodnight from Bangers
  • Options
    WillG said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    People who genuinely think that, usually think other classes of person should be stoned too.

    It wasn't the adultery which makes Charles' behaviour so profoundly vile.

    We need rid because these problems are always going to happen, because monarchs cannot be relied on not to be gay or impotent or sterile or profoundly selfish. Had Charles not been a lying coward, the options open to him were:

    1. Do a deal in advance with a brood mare (seems to be what William has done, given the alleged incompatibility of the pair on the pegging issue).

    2. Do a Ed VIII, and then we are straight on to King Andrew.

    Enough.

    And when we are the United Republic, perhaps the EU won't realise who we are, and will let us back in.
    The most prominent political leader who enjoys pegging, is of course Vladimir Putin. That's why his wife and other girlfriends have been bigger than him. Of course, he would prefer a big hurly burly man to do it to him, but is worried the secret will get out. That's why he limits it to Medvedev, who is also worried about his proclivities being shared.
    Does that not come across as at all infantile, if you read it back to yourself?
  • Options
    Leon said:

    And so we approach THE LEON SINGULARITY, when PB realises, with growing horror, that Leon was right about everything, even What3Words*

    *OK probably not What3Words

    Goodnight from Bangers

    "THE LEON SINGULARITY" is singularly inappropriate, for a PBer famed for having FAR more Faces than Eve?
  • Options
    WillG said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    Yes, we elect our House of Commons to make the laws, tax and spend and go to war. Our PM is head of government.

    The King is just a figurehead, non party political, ceremonial head of state
    You routinely address PB as if it were a party of Taiwanese primary school children to whom you are giving a coach tour of central London.
    Better Taiwanese school children than Russians visiting Salisbury Cathedral.
    see above.
  • Options
    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981

    Looking at the video in the header, we wouldn’t go over the top predicting big things for the speaker, but it’s a perfectly adequate turn on the podium. Fluency okay, engaged the audience very well, and more genuine heart felt passion for a policy than we have seen from our current and most previous prime minister.

    So. Despite getting more and more assistance to her speeches and public engagement, such as auto cue to help with speed and naturalness, how did Truss actually get worse at it, leaving this the best speech we have ever seen from her?

    She will be PM one day! I guarantee it :D:D
    I think Truss stopped talking about issues she believed in.
    I am not sure she believed in anything except her own desire to climb to the top.
  • Options
    MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,415
    dixiedean said:

    Looking at the video in the header, we wouldn’t go over the top predicting big things for the speaker, but it’s a perfectly adequate turn on the podium. Fluency okay, engaged the audience very well, and more genuine heart felt passion for a policy than we have seen from our current and most previous prime minister.

    So. Despite getting more and more assistance to her speeches and public engagement, such as auto cue to help with speed and naturalness, how did Truss actually get worse at it, leaving this the best speech we have ever seen from her?

    She will be PM one day! I guarantee it :D:D
    But not many more.
    How many do you say?

    How can there be a dispute - 45, 44 or 50?
  • Options
    dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 27,957

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    Yes, we elect our House of Commons to make the laws, tax and spend and go to war. Our PM is head of government.

    The King is just a figurehead, non party political, ceremonial head of state
    You routinely address PB as if it were a party of Taiwanese primary school children to whom you are giving a coach tour of central London.
    "你們都應該有文法學校"
  • Options
    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    I would expect if there was a strong demand for a republic then a republic would come about but to be honest there are far more important issues facing us over the next decade to be distracted by this
    And what would they be?
    If it was a manifesto commitment by a winning party then yes
    You win the prize for "Non-sequiteur of the Week" with that answer....
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,599
    edited January 2023
    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    People who genuinely think that, usually think other classes of person should be stoned too.

    It wasn't the adultery which makes Charles' behaviour so profoundly vile.

    We need rid because these problems are always going to happen, because monarchs cannot be relied on not to be gay or impotent or sterile or profoundly selfish. Had Charles not been a lying coward, the options open to him were:

    1. Do a deal in advance with a brood mare (seems to be what William has done, given the alleged incompatibility of the pair on the pegging issue).

    2. Do a Ed VIII, and then we are straight on to King Andrew.

    Enough.

    And when we are the United Republic, perhaps the EU won't realise who we are, and will let us back in.
    Gays can have their own children too you know, via artificial insemination
    Or adoption.

    (Which would present very interesting problems to have an adopted kid as heir)
    If KC3 decided to legally adopt me, as I am older than William then I would usurp him as heir. Interesting possibilities there.
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,700

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    I would expect if there was a strong demand for a republic then a republic would come about but to be honest there are far more important issues facing us over the next decade to be distracted by this
    And what would they be?
    If it was a manifesto commitment by a winning party then yes
    You win the prize for "Non-sequiteur of the Week" with that answer....
    Evening, BigG. I can't remember if you apply that rule to allowing a referendum for Scottish independence; if you do, then full marks for consistency.
  • Options
    Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 7,981
    edited January 2023
    RobD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    Yep, by voting for a party that has the abolition of the monarchy in their manifesto.
    So that would be a "No" then. We have to vote for someone else and hope they do what they promised.
  • Options
    dixiedean said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    Yes, we elect our House of Commons to make the laws, tax and spend and go to war. Our PM is head of government.

    The King is just a figurehead, non party political, ceremonial head of state
    You routinely address PB as if it were a party of Taiwanese primary school children to whom you are giving a coach tour of central London.
    "你們都應該有文法學校"
    :lol:
  • Options
    dixiedean said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    Yes, we elect our House of Commons to make the laws, tax and spend and go to war. Our PM is head of government.

    The King is just a figurehead, non party political, ceremonial head of state
    You routinely address PB as if it were a party of Taiwanese primary school children to whom you are giving a coach tour of central London.
    "你們都應該有文法學校"
    提供冷水淋浴和暖屁股的文法學校!
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,115
    edited January 2023

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    People who genuinely think that, usually think other classes of person should be stoned too.

    It wasn't the adultery which makes Charles' behaviour so profoundly vile.

    We need rid because these problems are always going to happen, because monarchs cannot be relied on not to be gay or impotent or sterile or profoundly selfish. Had Charles not been a lying coward, the options open to him were:

    1. Do a deal in advance with a brood mare (seems to be what William has done, given the alleged incompatibility of the pair on the pegging issue).

    2. Do a Ed VIII, and then we are straight on to King Andrew.

    Enough.

    And when we are the United Republic, perhaps the EU won't realise who we are, and will let us back in.
    Looking forward to volume 2 of SPARE, where the sexual proclivities of the heir are explored in detail.

    Don't say you weren't warned.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,599

    University personal statements will be scrapped in their current form amid claims they give middle-class teenagers an advantage.

    Pupils applying for undergraduate degrees will no longer have to write a 47-line essay explaining why they are so passionate about the subject they wish to study.

    Instead, they will be asked to answer a series of short responses to questions on topics such as their motivation for studying courses, why they are ready to succeed, and any extenuating circumstances that would help put their achievements into context.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/01/12/university-personal-statements-scrapped-favour-middle-class/

    Yet more "bite-sizing" and steering of tasks.

    At my Medical School we ignore the personal statement and don't score it for applications. Far too many are ghostwriter by parents or teachers, so they have no use value.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,962

    RobD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    Yep, by voting for a party that has the abolition of the monarchy in their manifesto.
    So that would be a "No" then. We have to vote for someone else and hope they do what they promised.
    Isn’t that the basis of representative democracy?
  • Options
    Leon said:

    And so we approach THE LEON SINGULARITY, when PB realises, with growing horror, that Leon was right about everything, even What3Words*

    *OK probably not What3Words

    Goodnight from Bangers

    I loved how you were so right about Liz Truss being an awesome PM or Russian using nukes last autumn.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,599

    Good evening

    I am complete ambivalent about the royal family but prefer it to a republic

    Charles was never going to be in the same league as his mother and I expect over time their influence will wain

    I am not particularly bothered either, it is way down the list of things that need to change.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,204
    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    People who genuinely think that, usually think other classes of person should be stoned too.

    It wasn't the adultery which makes Charles' behaviour so profoundly vile.

    We need rid because these problems are always going to happen, because monarchs cannot be relied on not to be gay or impotent or sterile or profoundly selfish. Had Charles not been a lying coward, the options open to him were:

    1. Do a deal in advance with a brood mare (seems to be what William has done, given the alleged incompatibility of the pair on the pegging issue).

    2. Do a Ed VIII, and then we are straight on to King Andrew.

    Enough.

    And when we are the United Republic, perhaps the EU won't realise who we are, and will let us back in.
    Gays can have their own children too you know, via artificial insemination
    Or adoption.

    (Which would present very interesting problems to have an adopted kid as heir)
    Precedent would suggest it was legal. Stephen adopted Henry of Anjou as his heir to bring an end to the previous 16 years of civil war between the two branches of William I's descendants.
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,700

    Completely OT but for those of you interested in history and particularly old maps.

    Someone has just rebuilt the defunct Rootsweb Genmaps website under the name of Cartophilia

    4,500 old maps of England arranged by Shire

    https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~genmaps/genealogy/cartophilia

    Ooh, thanks. NLS do that for Scotland, but this is great to have for down south.

    Just dipped in and hit this fascinating map of the Plymouth area 1835 -

    https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~genmaps/genealogy/cartophilia/genfiles/COU_Files_02/ENG/dev/1835 Plymouth, Devonport and Stonehouse 1835 Dugdale for Tallis & Co..jpg
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,595
    The royals are okay as long as they're not saying or writing anything. That's why the Queen was so popular.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,204

    Completely OT but for those of you interested in history and particularly old maps.

    Someone has just rebuilt the defunct Rootsweb Genmaps website under the name of Cartophilia

    4,500 old maps of England arranged by Shire

    https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~genmaps/genealogy/cartophilia

    Great for regular users, who become creatures of hobbit.
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,700

    Leon said:

    And so we approach THE LEON SINGULARITY, when PB realises, with growing horror, that Leon was right about everything, even What3Words*

    *OK probably not What3Words

    Goodnight from Bangers

    I loved how you were so right about Liz Truss being an awesome PM or Russian using nukes last autumn.
    TBF the second point is an observer effect. If he was right there'd be no PB for you to admit it on.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,991

    RobD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    We have control, we are a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
    So we can vote Charles out then? Since we have control...
    Yep, by voting for a party that has the abolition of the monarchy in their manifesto.
    So that would be a "No" then. We have to vote for someone else and hope they do what they promised.
    We are a representative not direct democracy
  • Options
    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,204

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense

    TBF, I'd just have left it there.
  • Options
    ydoethur said:

    Completely OT but for those of you interested in history and particularly old maps.

    Someone has just rebuilt the defunct Rootsweb Genmaps website under the name of Cartophilia

    4,500 old maps of England arranged by Shire

    https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~genmaps/genealogy/cartophilia

    Great for regular users, who become creatures of hobbit.
    You Took the opportunity to get that one in, while I was busy enjoying my brandywine.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,204

    ydoethur said:

    Completely OT but for those of you interested in history and particularly old maps.

    Someone has just rebuilt the defunct Rootsweb Genmaps website under the name of Cartophilia

    4,500 old maps of England arranged by Shire

    https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~genmaps/genealogy/cartophilia

    Great for regular users, who become creatures of hobbit.
    You Took the opportunity to get that one in, while I was busy enjoying my brandywine.
    It's one of the few pleasures we Boffins have.
  • Options
    Is it possible, that glacially polite (as the English define politeness) yet deeply disaffected subjects of His Majesty, could begin referring to his (current) wife as "Consort" instead of "Queen" or even "Queen Consort"?

    "Have you heard? Consort Camilla will be cutting the ribbon for the opening of the new Blind Badger Rescue and Retraining Centre?"

    My own guess is, heck no. For one thing, easy enough just to use "Camilla" only; few will think you mean some other Camilla! But "Consort" will nonetheless linger (though for how long) as a signal that a good many UKers do not really regard her (in part or in total) as a truly legitimate Queen.

    Reckon for many this is permanent condition, but for most their is ample room for changing views, as has been the case for her ever since her name began to be bandied about hordes of ink-splattered (or otherwise) wretches.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285
    edited January 2023
    Foxy said:

    ohnotnow said:

    ohnotnow said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    ChatGPT’s ability to turn borderline Total Gibberish into highly plausible, literate English is actually one of its most profound yet undiscussed attributes. It is incredible, and utterly ominous for education

    Not really. It will change education. More oral assessment is a possibility, particularly if an algorithm implementation is capable enough to do the assessment.
    NARRATOR: education as we know it is fucked
    Didn't pick you as someone scared of a little change. Switching from essays to oral presentations is hardly the end times.
    I was chatting to a lecturer friend about 'the ChatGPT problem'. One of his first-year classes has 400 students. Doing oral presentations with them all would be problematic.
    Yes, but so is marking 400 essays.
    Marking essays is - just about - doable for the course. But if every student even has to give a five minute presentation, even with just a couple of minutes faff on either side then it becomes a real problem. As WillG says - hire more people to do them. But between there and here - it's a problem.

    Edit: meant to say that one saving grace is that OpenAI will probably start charging for use sometime soon and that might be enough of a barrier for a while until there's a 'good enough' open source tool.
    There is already an App to signal which pieces are written by AI:

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chatgpt-princeton-student-gptzero-app-edward-tian/

    Then the Lecturer just needs to call a few for vivas, and chuck out the ones who cannot answer questions that an author could.

    Another giveaway is the lack of references and citations.
    That's very naïve. People will simply chain together tools (its already happening).
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,204

    Is it possible, that glacially polite (as the English define politeness) yet deeply disaffected subjects of His Majesty, could begin referring to his (current) wife as "Consort" instead of "Queen" or even "Queen Consort"?

    "Have you heard? Consort Camilla will be cutting the ribbon for the opening of the new Blind Badger Rescue and Retraining Centre?"

    My own guess is, heck no. For one thing, easy enough just to use "Camilla" only; few will think you mean some other Camilla! But "Consort" will nonetheless linger (though for how long) as a signal that a good many UKers do not really regard her (in part or in total) as a truly legitimate Queen.

    Reckon for many this is permanent condition, but for most their is ample room for changing views, as has been the case for her ever since her name began to be bandied about hordes of ink-splattered (or otherwise) wretches.

    Camilla, thou consortest with Charlie.

    Dost thou fiddle with his stick?
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,204

    Foxy said:

    ohnotnow said:

    ohnotnow said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    ChatGPT’s ability to turn borderline Total Gibberish into highly plausible, literate English is actually one of its most profound yet undiscussed attributes. It is incredible, and utterly ominous for education

    Not really. It will change education. More oral assessment is a possibility, particularly if an algorithm implementation is capable enough to do the assessment.
    NARRATOR: education as we know it is fucked
    Didn't pick you as someone scared of a little change. Switching from essays to oral presentations is hardly the end times.
    I was chatting to a lecturer friend about 'the ChatGPT problem'. One of his first-year classes has 400 students. Doing oral presentations with them all would be problematic.
    Yes, but so is marking 400 essays.
    Marking essays is - just about - doable for the course. But if every student even has to give a five minute presentation, even with just a couple of minutes faff on either side then it becomes a real problem. As WillG says - hire more people to do them. But between there and here - it's a problem.

    Edit: meant to say that one saving grace is that OpenAI will probably start charging for use sometime soon and that might be enough of a barrier for a while until there's a 'good enough' open source tool.
    There is already an App to signal which pieces are written by AI:

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chatgpt-princeton-student-gptzero-app-edward-tian/

    Then the Lecturer just needs to call a few for vivas, and chuck out the ones who cannot answer questions that an author could.

    Another giveaway is the lack of references and citations.
    That's very naïve. People will simply chain together tools (its already happening).
    Are we talking about the fate of the Government come the revolution?
  • Options
    solarflaresolarflare Posts: 3,623
    I know this isn't particularly on topic or relevant to the discussion but I just wanted to say MAKE RAIN STOP PLEASE
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,204

    I know this isn't particularly on topic or relevant to the discussion but I just wanted to say MAKE RAIN STOP PLEASE

    But not until our reservoirs are fully recharged, tanks.*

    *that's a typing error, but I like it so I'm leaving it in.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,991

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.

    Sunak is more centrist than Johnson and Truss were. In no way is he Corbyn, just Labour under Starmer is more centrist too
  • Options
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    ChatGPT’s ability to turn borderline Total Gibberish into highly plausible, literate English is actually one of its most profound yet undiscussed attributes. It is incredible, and utterly ominous for education

    Not really. It will change education. More oral assessment is a possibility, particularly if an algorithm implementation is capable enough to do the assessment.
    NARRATOR: education as we know it is fucked
    Didn't pick you as someone scared of a little change. Switching from essays to oral presentations is hardly the end times.
    AI is a bit more significant than that, educationally. For starters, it is a huge demotivator

    Why bother learning ANYTHING when the puters can do it all? And so on and so forth

    As I have said before, education in most fields will go from necessity to pleasant luxury. Like learning the clarinet to stage 5. Few people can be bothered to do that, if you only reach stage 5 why bother anyway, nonetheless a few admirable souls will have a bash and be able to do a poor Mozart sonata at the end, even as the machine plays clarinet like an archangel
    Why bother to learn maths when pocket calculators became common in the 1970s and are now on every phone?
  • Options
    CookieCookie Posts: 11,439
    ydoethur said:

    I know this isn't particularly on topic or relevant to the discussion but I just wanted to say MAKE RAIN STOP PLEASE

    But not until our reservoirs are fully recharged, tanks.*

    *that's a typing error, but I like it so I'm leaving it in.
    I think ours in the NW are pretty much full now.
  • Options

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    ChatGPT’s ability to turn borderline Total Gibberish into highly plausible, literate English is actually one of its most profound yet undiscussed attributes. It is incredible, and utterly ominous for education

    Not really. It will change education. More oral assessment is a possibility, particularly if an algorithm implementation is capable enough to do the assessment.
    NARRATOR: education as we know it is fucked
    Didn't pick you as someone scared of a little change. Switching from essays to oral presentations is hardly the end times.
    Especially as most have already made the switch from essays to multiple choice.
  • Options
    HYUFD said:

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.

    Sunak is more centrist than Johnson and Truss were. In no way is he Corbyn, just Labour under Starmer is more centrist too
    Sunak is pretty right wing. What with his boats policy and his wanting to give more tax breaks to pensioners.
  • Options
    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 25,173
    edited January 2023
    When my age cohort have fallen off the perch I am not sure those following on will be as enthusiastic over Monarchy.

    So President Boris Johnson it is
  • Options
    ydoethur said:

    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fuck the royals.

    Take back control from our unelected rulers.

    Adulterers should be stoned.

    People who genuinely think that, usually think other classes of person should be stoned too.

    It wasn't the adultery which makes Charles' behaviour so profoundly vile.

    We need rid because these problems are always going to happen, because monarchs cannot be relied on not to be gay or impotent or sterile or profoundly selfish. Had Charles not been a lying coward, the options open to him were:

    1. Do a deal in advance with a brood mare (seems to be what William has done, given the alleged incompatibility of the pair on the pegging issue).

    2. Do a Ed VIII, and then we are straight on to King Andrew.

    Enough.

    And when we are the United Republic, perhaps the EU won't realise who we are, and will let us back in.
    Gays can have their own children too you know, via artificial insemination
    Or adoption.

    (Which would present very interesting problems to have an adopted kid as heir)
    Precedent would suggest it was legal. Stephen adopted Henry of Anjou as his heir to bring an end to the previous 16 years of civil war between the two branches of William I's descendants.
    King Charles III, Address to the Nation 2030

    "In light of William's decision to renounce the throne for himself AND his children, and my continued estrangement from Harry, I have decided to adopt a third Son and Heir, so that together we can truly unite the United Kingdom, the Woke AND the Wack - Prince Nigel, Duke of Bromley!
  • Options
    CookieCookie Posts: 11,439

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.

    The Tories since Boris are the most left-wing givernment since the 70s. They are keener on public spending than Blair was.
  • Options
    Aagh. The Times has fixed its paywall so it works better with Edge.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,991

    HYUFD said:

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.

    Sunak is more centrist than Johnson and Truss were. In no way is he Corbyn, just Labour under Starmer is more centrist too
    Sunak is pretty right wing. What with his boats policy and his wanting to give more tax breaks to pensioners.
    For most voters he isn't doing enough to cut boats across the channel, hence leaks to RefUK.

    Increasing the state pension for those who rely on it is hardly controversial
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,700

    Aagh. The Times has fixed its paywall so it works better with Edge.

    Oh, does Edge have an ironing function now?
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,991
    Cookie said:

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.

    The Tories since Boris are the most left-wing givernment since the 70s. They are keener on public spending than Blair was.
    Brown was more leftwing but otherwise yes
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,204
    HYUFD said:

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.

    Sunak is more centrist than Johnson and Truss were. In no way is he Corbyn, just Labour under Starmer is more centrist too
    See 101 Things That Are Not Very Fucking Difficult.
  • Options
    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,178

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    ChatGPT’s ability to turn borderline Total Gibberish into highly plausible, literate English is actually one of its most profound yet undiscussed attributes. It is incredible, and utterly ominous for education

    Not really. It will change education. More oral assessment is a possibility, particularly if an algorithm implementation is capable enough to do the assessment.
    NARRATOR: education as we know it is fucked
    Didn't pick you as someone scared of a little change. Switching from essays to oral presentations is hardly the end times.
    AI is a bit more significant than that, educationally. For starters, it is a huge demotivator

    Why bother learning ANYTHING when the puters can do it all? And so on and so forth

    As I have said before, education in most fields will go from necessity to pleasant luxury. Like learning the clarinet to stage 5. Few people can be bothered to do that, if you only reach stage 5 why bother anyway, nonetheless a few admirable souls will have a bash and be able to do a poor Mozart sonata at the end, even as the machine plays clarinet like an archangel
    Why bother to learn maths when pocket calculators became common in the 1970s and are now on every phone?
    There’s a huge difference from the utility of being able to find information, rapidly, and hopefully accurately, and being an expert in your field. Leon seems to believe we don’t need consultants who specialise in the heart, or cancer, or any number of specialisms. Yet he is wrong. The ability to understand, truly understand your field takes more than just the information, it takes years of assimilation.
  • Options

    Completely OT but for those of you interested in history and particularly old maps.

    Someone has just rebuilt the defunct Rootsweb Genmaps website under the name of Cartophilia

    4,500 old maps of England arranged by Shire

    https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~genmaps/genealogy/cartophilia

    Great stash o' great maps - thanks!

    My favorite UK county is Rutland(shire) - for obvious reason.
  • Options
    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,178

    HYUFD said:

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.

    Sunak is more centrist than Johnson and Truss were. In no way is he Corbyn, just Labour under Starmer is more centrist too
    Sunak is pretty right wing. What with his boats policy and his wanting to give more tax breaks to pensioners.
    On boats I agree. I don’t think tax breaks to pensioners is right wing though.
  • Options
    kjhkjh Posts: 10,628

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    ChatGPT’s ability to turn borderline Total Gibberish into highly plausible, literate English is actually one of its most profound yet undiscussed attributes. It is incredible, and utterly ominous for education

    Not really. It will change education. More oral assessment is a possibility, particularly if an algorithm implementation is capable enough to do the assessment.
    NARRATOR: education as we know it is fucked
    Didn't pick you as someone scared of a little change. Switching from essays to oral presentations is hardly the end times.
    AI is a bit more significant than that, educationally. For starters, it is a huge demotivator

    Why bother learning ANYTHING when the puters can do it all? And so on and so forth

    As I have said before, education in most fields will go from necessity to pleasant luxury. Like learning the clarinet to stage 5. Few people can be bothered to do that, if you only reach stage 5 why bother anyway, nonetheless a few admirable souls will have a bash and be able to do a poor Mozart sonata at the end, even as the machine plays clarinet like an archangel
    Why bother to learn maths when pocket calculators became common in the 1970s and are now on every phone?
    Fair question, although this is arithmetic not maths, although from what Leon showed us the AI was pretty good at maths as well.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285
    edited January 2023

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    ChatGPT’s ability to turn borderline Total Gibberish into highly plausible, literate English is actually one of its most profound yet undiscussed attributes. It is incredible, and utterly ominous for education

    Not really. It will change education. More oral assessment is a possibility, particularly if an algorithm implementation is capable enough to do the assessment.
    NARRATOR: education as we know it is fucked
    Didn't pick you as someone scared of a little change. Switching from essays to oral presentations is hardly the end times.
    AI is a bit more significant than that, educationally. For starters, it is a huge demotivator

    Why bother learning ANYTHING when the puters can do it all? And so on and so forth

    As I have said before, education in most fields will go from necessity to pleasant luxury. Like learning the clarinet to stage 5. Few people can be bothered to do that, if you only reach stage 5 why bother anyway, nonetheless a few admirable souls will have a bash and be able to do a poor Mozart sonata at the end, even as the machine plays clarinet like an archangel
    Why bother to learn maths when pocket calculators became common in the 1970s and are now on every phone?
    There’s a huge difference from the utility of being able to find information, rapidly, and hopefully accurately, and being an expert in your field. Leon seems to believe we don’t need consultants who specialise in the heart, or cancer, or any number of specialisms. Yet he is wrong. The ability to understand, truly understand your field takes more than just the information, it takes years of assimilation.
    I have this theory that despite the whole of the worlds information at ones fingertips, people are on average more ignorant than ever.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,204
    Cookie said:

    ydoethur said:

    I know this isn't particularly on topic or relevant to the discussion but I just wanted to say MAKE RAIN STOP PLEASE

    But not until our reservoirs are fully recharged, tanks.*

    *that's a typing error, but I like it so I'm leaving it in.
    I think ours in the NW are pretty much full now.
    Wales is pretty much full (although oddly not Lake Vyrnwy) the East Midlands somewhat less so. Some of them are still hovering in the 60s. They are however much smaller than the Welsh reservoirs. The main reservoir for the entirely anomalous South Staffordshire Water Board was 93% at the last count and I'm assuming is higher now.
  • Options

    HYUFD said:

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.

    Sunak is more centrist than Johnson and Truss were. In no way is he Corbyn, just Labour under Starmer is more centrist too
    Sunak is pretty right wing. What with his boats policy and his wanting to give more tax breaks to pensioners.
    And... Pretty much everything else Sunak has said about anything. He's within the Conservative tradition, but on it's dry side.

    But the Conservatives have spent their energy since 2019 excluding anyone who questions then from the centre. So the bunker drifts rightwards, with no "you're drifting away from the public" feedback.
  • Options
    MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,415
    edited January 2023

    I know this isn't particularly on topic or relevant to the discussion but I just wanted to say MAKE RAIN STOP PLEASE

    Are you in California?

    The sunshine state is beginning to look a lot like Britain on our news.
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,274
    BREAKING: PartyGate evidence was DESTROYED before the Met Police started their investigation into the parties, ITV News has revealed.
  • Options
    MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,415

    When my age cohort have fallen off the perch I am not sure those following on will be as enthusiastic over Monarchy.

    So President Boris Johnson it is

    Boo!

    God Save Our Queen.


  • Options
    DJ41DJ41 Posts: 792
    edited January 2023
    "How long before the monarchy becomes an issue?"

    It will probably happen before the current monarch gets crowned. Could be tomorrow. Could be some time in the next few months.

    A single mention of carboxyhaemoglobin by Harry would give the monarchy such an almighty shove that it might find it impossible to break its headlong fall towards the plughole.

    A mention of carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) together with a clear statement "My father should not be on the throne" (let alone "I think the monarchy should be abolished") would probably finish the monarchy off.

    I haven't finished reading "Spare" yet. As far as I know, Harry doesn't mention COHb in it. There's nothing to stop him mentioning it in an interview though.

    What he does make clear in the book is that he believes his mother was murdered. He describes how he got driven through the Pont de l'Alma tunnel at the speed she was going (~65mph, not the lyingly reported 125 mph), and he says it's not dangerous at all at that speed. He says even if the driver were sh*tfaced it still wouldn't have been dangerous. (Personally I wouldn't want to be driven at 65mph by a driver who was as p*ssed as a newt, but that's not the point.)

    The problem with what Harry writes considered simply as some words on some paper is that the driver was NOT drunk. The evidence for that statement is the blood sample that contained such a crazily high amount of COHb that whoever the sample really came from wouldn't have been able to stand up, let alone walk about, tie his shoelaces, and convince a 1 Para veteran employed as a bodyguard for the son of a billionaire that he was perfectly OK to get behind the wheel - at the time Henri Paul did all of these things.

    Harry is clearly someone who goes over everything until he works it out, or at least gets a handle on it, so surely he must be aware of the COHb question ... and it seems he is pulling his punches...

    ...por ahora.

    (Incidentally the said bodyguard is now head of security for AstraZeneca.)

    What we need is a market on whether the current king will still be king at the end of this year, or by certain other dates, perhaps including 8 September, the anniversary of his accession.
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    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 25,173
    HYUFD said:

    Cookie said:

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.

    The Tories since Boris are the most left-wing givernment since the 70s. They are keener on public spending than Blair was.
    Brown was more leftwing but otherwise yes
    Harold?

    I don't buy Johnson as a left winger. He has demonstrated some rather authoritarian policies, granted not a patch on PM Sunak who is both a social and fiscal conservative.
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    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,204
    IanB2 said:

    BREAKING: PartyGate evidence was DESTROYED before the Met Police started their investigation into the parties, ITV News has revealed.

    Really?

    I'm in much the same state of astonishment as Jaffar's parrot.
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    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,204

    I know this isn't particularly on topic or relevant to the discussion but I just wanted to say MAKE RAIN STOP PLEASE

    Are you in California?

    The sunshine state is beginning to look a lot like Britain on our news.
    What's Florida got to do with it?
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    HYUFD said:

    Cookie said:

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.

    The Tories since Boris are the most left-wing givernment since the 70s. They are keener on public spending than Blair was.
    Brown was more leftwing but otherwise yes
    Harold?

    I don't buy Johnson as a left winger. He has demonstrated some rather authoritarian policies, granted not a patch on PM Sunak who is both a social and fiscal conservative.
    Johnson is whatever is required of him to a) win a popularity contest and b) give him the best chance of getting into a woman knickers.
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    solarflaresolarflare Posts: 3,623

    I know this isn't particularly on topic or relevant to the discussion but I just wanted to say MAKE RAIN STOP PLEASE

    Are you in California?

    The sunshine state is beginning to look a lot like Britain on our news.
    No, just the west coast of Scotland. To be fair it does look marginally drier than parts of California, but even when large swathes of the rest of the UK were in drought last year I'm not sure it was ever that bad here and now it just seems to have rained heavily and solidly for the past month. It's been...grim.
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    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,204

    HYUFD said:

    Cookie said:

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.

    The Tories since Boris are the most left-wing givernment since the 70s. They are keener on public spending than Blair was.
    Brown was more leftwing but otherwise yes
    Harold?

    I don't buy Johnson as a left winger. He has demonstrated some rather authoritarian policies, granted not a patch on PM Sunak who is both a social and fiscal conservative.
    Johnson is whatever is required of him to a) win a popularity contest and b) give him the best chance of getting into a woman knickers.
    Fairly significant "'s" missing there. You make it sound like he's planning to use the new laws on gender identity in Scotland.
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    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.

    Sunak is more centrist than Johnson and Truss were. In no way is he Corbyn, just Labour under Starmer is more centrist too
    Sunak is pretty right wing. What with his boats policy and his wanting to give more tax breaks to pensioners.
    For most voters he isn't doing enough to cut boats across the channel, hence leaks to RefUK.

    Increasing the state pension for those who rely on it is hardly controversial
    The state pension should be frozen. Old people can suffer as young people have.
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    RobDRobD Posts: 58,962

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    The Tories at this point have lost all sense of the centre ground. Much like Labour of the 2015-2020 period. But the Tories seem to have looked at those years and decided to do the same. Very puzzling.

    Sunak is more centrist than Johnson and Truss were. In no way is he Corbyn, just Labour under Starmer is more centrist too
    Sunak is pretty right wing. What with his boats policy and his wanting to give more tax breaks to pensioners.
    For most voters he isn't doing enough to cut boats across the channel, hence leaks to RefUK.

    Increasing the state pension for those who rely on it is hardly controversial
    The state pension should be frozen. Old people can suffer as young people have.
    The state pension is a pittance. Doing this would only hurt the most vulnerable pensioners.
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    NEW THREAD

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    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,599

    Foxy said:

    ohnotnow said:

    ohnotnow said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    ChatGPT’s ability to turn borderline Total Gibberish into highly plausible, literate English is actually one of its most profound yet undiscussed attributes. It is incredible, and utterly ominous for education

    Not really. It will change education. More oral assessment is a possibility, particularly if an algorithm implementation is capable enough to do the assessment.
    NARRATOR: education as we know it is fucked
    Didn't pick you as someone scared of a little change. Switching from essays to oral presentations is hardly the end times.
    I was chatting to a lecturer friend about 'the ChatGPT problem'. One of his first-year classes has 400 students. Doing oral presentations with them all would be problematic.
    Yes, but so is marking 400 essays.
    Marking essays is - just about - doable for the course. But if every student even has to give a five minute presentation, even with just a couple of minutes faff on either side then it becomes a real problem. As WillG says - hire more people to do them. But between there and here - it's a problem.

    Edit: meant to say that one saving grace is that OpenAI will probably start charging for use sometime soon and that might be enough of a barrier for a while until there's a 'good enough' open source tool.
    There is already an App to signal which pieces are written by AI:

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chatgpt-princeton-student-gptzero-app-edward-tian/

    Then the Lecturer just needs to call a few for vivas, and chuck out the ones who cannot answer questions that an author could.

    Another giveaway is the lack of references and citations.
    That's very naïve. People will simply chain together tools (its already happening).
    No doubt detection software will become more sophisticated too.

    It is a bit like studying past papers though. Study enough and you know the subject. If you use AI then need to fact check it, cite references and restructure sentences, surely you know the subject?
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    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,328
    My penis is oscillating between extremely sensitive, and borderline traumatised.
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    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,725
    Driver said:

    Leon said:

    This is an actual exchange I just had with ChatGPT. This is how good it is at making shit students sound smart

    Me: Plz rite personal statement to top class university. I want go study English ther


    ChatGPT: “As an avid reader and writer, I am excited to pursue a degree in English at your esteemed university. I have always been drawn to the power of language and the way it can be used to express thoughts, emotions, and ideas. Through my studies, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of literature and its role in shaping culture and society. I am eager to engage in discussions and debates with my peers and professors, and to learn from their diverse perspectives and experiences. In addition, I am eager to develop my own writing skills and to contribute to the literary community through my own creative work. I believe that the resources and opportunities at your university will provide me with the ideal environment to achieve my academic and personal goals.”

    Lost me at "esteemed". No 18 year old British child is writing that.
    18 year olds don't write in their normal fashion when seeking to impress a top class university.
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    MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,415

    My penis is oscillating between extremely sensitive, and borderline traumatised.

    Not really my field, but if Dear Juan is hypersensitive, perhaps best not to talk about it in public, nor post about it here.

    Have you tried the Embarrassing Bodies forum?
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    Carnyx said:

    Completely OT but for those of you interested in history and particularly old maps.

    Someone has just rebuilt the defunct Rootsweb Genmaps website under the name of Cartophilia

    4,500 old maps of England arranged by Shire

    https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~genmaps/genealogy/cartophilia

    Ooh, thanks. NLS do that for Scotland, but this is great to have for down south.

    Just dipped in and hit this fascinating map of the Plymouth area 1835 -

    https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~genmaps/genealogy/cartophilia/genfiles/COU_Files_02/ENG/dev/1835 Plymouth, Devonport and Stonehouse 1835 Dugdale for Tallis & Co..jpg
    Love the NLS resource - not least because it covers all of England as well.

    Interesting on that map to see the Vauban type defences around Devonport
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    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    ChatGPT’s ability to turn borderline Total Gibberish into highly plausible, literate English is actually one of its most profound yet undiscussed attributes. It is incredible, and utterly ominous for education

    Not really. It will change education. More oral assessment is a possibility, particularly if an algorithm implementation is capable enough to do the assessment.
    NARRATOR: education as we know it is fucked
    Didn't pick you as someone scared of a little change. Switching from essays to oral presentations is hardly the end times.
    AI is a bit more significant than that, educationally. For starters, it is a huge demotivator

    Why bother learning ANYTHING when the puters can do it all? And so on and so forth

    As I have said before, education in most fields will go from necessity to pleasant luxury. Like learning the clarinet to stage 5. Few people can be bothered to do that, if you only reach stage 5 why bother anyway, nonetheless a few admirable souls will have a bash and be able to do a poor Mozart sonata at the end, even as the machine plays clarinet like an archangel
    Why bother to learn maths when pocket calculators became common in the 1970s and are now on every phone?
    Because so much of maths is knowing about which buttons to push on your calculator.
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    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,981
    HYUFD said:


    According to unofficialroyalty.com there have been 6 Queens of England or United Kingdom who were 2nd wives of the then-ruling King:

    > Queen Adeliza of Louvain, 2nd wife of King Henry I
    > Queen Margaret of France, 2nd wife of King Edward I
    > Queen Isabella of Valois, 2nd wife of King Richard II
    > Queen Joan of Navarre, 2nd wife of King Henry IV
    > Queen Anne Boleyn, 2nd wife of King Henry VIII
    > Queen Maria Beatrice of Modena, 2nd wife of King James II

    List does NOT include 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th wifes of King Henry VII. Add them in, and number of Queens who were NOT their hubby's first wifey climbs to double digits.

    Does include 2nd wives of Kings whose first wives were never Queen, because their husband was NOT yet King = Queen Joan (Henry IV) and Queen Maria Beatrice (James II).

    All but one of them married the King after the King had been widowed, all but one of them were not mistresses of the monarch when they were still married.

    The exception was Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII had to divorce Catherine of Aragon and strip her

    of her title of Queen and create a new established church first
    People who expend this much time and energy studying the royalty should

    Get

    A

    Fucking

    Life

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    sarissasarissa Posts: 1,774

    Completely OT but for those of you interested in history and particularly old maps.

    Someone has just rebuilt the defunct Rootsweb Genmaps website under the name of Cartophilia

    4,500 old maps of England arranged by Shire

    https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~genmaps/genealogy/cartophilia

    Liest
    Pity that the earliest maps of Northumberland are 200 years too late for the brave Scottish marauders Staunch defenders.
This discussion has been closed.