Where’s Willy? – politicalbetting.com

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Where’s Willy? – politicalbetting.com

BREAKING: Prince William has said "sorry we can't be there in person" as he wished the Lionesses good luck ahead of the Women's World Cup final tomorrow.https://t.co/QHcCd30yXh? Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/j4yRri7KMw

Read the full story here

edmundintokyo

It doesn't matter what they think, that's the whole point of a monarchy. If they let Charles be king they're not going to have a revolution over William.

Also this is the kind of "topics nobody really gives a fuck about" polling that will give you wildly different results depending how you ask the question. Remind the voters about the CO2 and the cost of the security and they'd be telling him to stay at home. Ignore it.

Monksfield

This country is increasingly hysterical about nonsense issues whilst strangely passive about the big ones. It doesn’t bode well.

Morris_Dancer

Good morning, everyone.

I don't care. Well, about number 1 on that list. Stories 2 and 3 appear to be actually significant.

El_Capitano

Anyway it’s only a week until the Vuelta a Espana

El_Capitano

FPT:

Andy_JS said:

Jim_Miller said:

The best single piece I have seen on the drug overdose problem in the US is a column by Megan McArdle, which ends as follows:
"Drug users must understand that if they cannot take drugs without also committing crimes, injecting in public places or camping on the street, they will be forced into treatment.

Now, as a libertarian, I was pretty uncomfortable writing that last sentence, and reading it might well have made you uneasy, too. Many people will no doubt be equally wary of giving up on controlling the use of indisputably harmful drugs. But overdose has become the leading cause of nonmedical death in the United States, and we seem to be out of comfortable options. We might have to settle for one that results in fewer deaths."
source$: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/25/legalize-fentanyl-overdose-deaths/

Walking around big British cities, it's actually quite unusual to see anyone who looks like a drug addict these days.

We took our boat into Birmingham the other day. Three clear addicts in the space of a mile.

(Camp Hill Flight, for those that know it.)

Casino_Royale

Monksfield said:

This country is increasingly hysterical about nonsense issues whilst strangely passive about the big ones. It doesn’t bode well.

That sort of head in the sand behaviour and celebration of trivia is normal.

The big stuff is sometimes too hard, horrible and depressing to really engage with, and you can't always do much about it either.

Foxy

edmundintokyo said:

It doesn't matter what they think, that's the whole point of a monarchy. If they let Charles be king they're not going to have a revolution over William.

Also this is the kind of "topics nobody really gives a fuck about" polling that will give you wildly different results depending how you ask the question. Remind the voters about the CO2 and the cost of the security and they'd be telling him to stay at home. Ignore it.

Well, he is going to be heavily scrutinised next time he flies anywhere now. People will compare the importance of the event to today.

It is also quite a criticism of other FA staff for flying, not least the team itself. Perhaps they should only play home fixtures in the future.

IanB2

The royals are being paid by us to do a job, which is to be figureheads and represent the country at major events. If they’re not doing it, it’s not good.

Chris

TSE is almost as obsessive about the Royals as Graham Linehan is about trans.

ydoethur

El_Capitano said:

FPT:

Andy_JS said:

Jim_Miller said:

The best single piece I have seen on the drug overdose problem in the US is a column by Megan McArdle, which ends as follows:
"Drug users must understand that if they cannot take drugs without also committing crimes, injecting in public places or camping on the street, they will be forced into treatment.

Now, as a libertarian, I was pretty uncomfortable writing that last sentence, and reading it might well have made you uneasy, too. Many people will no doubt be equally wary of giving up on controlling the use of indisputably harmful drugs. But overdose has become the leading cause of nonmedical death in the United States, and we seem to be out of comfortable options. We might have to settle for one that results in fewer deaths."
source$: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/25/legalize-fentanyl-overdose-deaths/

Walking around big British cities, it's actually quite unusual to see anyone who looks like a drug addict these days.

We took our boat into Birmingham the other day. Three clear addicts in the space of a mile.

(Camp Hill Flight, for those that know it.)

I take it that you mean you *saw* three people who were clearly addicted in a mile of working...

Casino_Royale

Chris said:

TSE is almost as obsessive about the Royals as Graham Linehan is about trans.

To be fair, someone's got to write the Sunday header. And the main news story was done - brilliantly - yesterday.

Nothing gets this site going better than a good troll.

ydoethur

Casino_Royale said:

Chris said:

TSE is almost as obsessive about the Royals as Graham Linehan is about trans.

To be fair, someone's got to write the Sunday header. And the main news story was done - brilliantly - yesterday.

Nothing gets this site going better than a good troll.

Not a troll, this is the Sunday roast.

BlancheLivermore

Why don't the Lionesses have three lionesses on their shirts?

DecrepiterJohnL

edmundintokyo said:

It doesn't matter what they think, that's the whole point of a monarchy. If they let Charles be king they're not going to have a revolution over William.

Also this is the kind of "topics nobody really gives a fuck about" polling that will give you wildly different results depending how you ask the question. Remind the voters about the CO2 and the cost of the security and they'd be telling him to stay at home. Ignore it.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Mr Sunak has opted not to attend the southern hemisphere final in person, sending Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to Australia to represent the UK Government.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/rishi-sunak-tells-lionesses-whole-nation-is-rooting-for-you-in-world-cup-final/ar-AA1fuy2V

So the defence about carbon footprints is clearly spurious if we are sending two cabinet ministers down under. I'm sure they could have found room for the prince on the plane.

One might also ask why the Prime Minister himself will not be there. He has been happy to be photographed on holiday in California so it is not as if he is too busy.

Surely the truth is the men who arrange these things do not take women's sport seriously and had not noticed that after winning the Euros, the Lionesses had a leading chance in the World Cup.

northern_monkey

Vorderman’s on the case.

SouthamObserver

Why would the Prince if Wales fly half way round the world to support England?

Carnyx

Shouldn't this be on PB (English subsection)?

Good luck to the ladies, but it's a bit much to expect me to pay for the Chooky Rosay to do things like nipping down to Oz at 6 hours' notice.

Plus think of the poor royalists who already have appointments with him. I'd be heartbroken if I were (a) a royalist and (b) missed out on meeting him.

ydoethur

SouthamObserver said:

Why would the Prince if Wales fly half way round the world to support England?

To stop people getting the hump.

TheScreamingEagles

Carnyx said:

Shouldn't this be on PB (English subsection)?

Good luck to the ladies, but it's a bit much to expect me to pay for the Chooky Rosay to do things like nipping down to Oz at 6 hours' notice.

Plus think of the poor royalists who already have appointments with him. I'd be heartbroken if I were (a) a royalist and (b) missed out on meeting him.

I've got a Scotland thread this afternoon.

Carnyx

BlancheLivermore said:

Why don't the Lionesses have three lionesses on their shirts?

Male Chauvinist Lions in the FA (and in mediaeval times, too).

IIRC, if you took the manes off, they'd become leopards anyway, or is that only when they have spots added? IANAGKoA.

Carnyx

TheScreamingEagles said:

Carnyx said:

Shouldn't this be on PB (English subsection)?

Good luck to the ladies, but it's a bit much to expect me to pay for the Chooky Rosay to do things like nipping down to Oz at 6 hours' notice.

Plus think of the poor royalists who already have appointments with him. I'd be heartbroken if I were (a) a royalist and (b) missed out on meeting him.

I've got a Scotland thread this afternoon.

Excellent.

Taz

DecrepiterJohnL said:

edmundintokyo said:

It doesn't matter what they think, that's the whole point of a monarchy. If they let Charles be king they're not going to have a revolution over William.

Also this is the kind of "topics nobody really gives a fuck about" polling that will give you wildly different results depending how you ask the question. Remind the voters about the CO2 and the cost of the security and they'd be telling him to stay at home. Ignore it.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Mr Sunak has opted not to attend the southern hemisphere final in person, sending Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to Australia to represent the UK Government.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/rishi-sunak-tells-lionesses-whole-nation-is-rooting-for-you-in-world-cup-final/ar-AA1fuy2V

So the defence about carbon footprints is clearly spurious if we are sending two cabinet ministers down under. I'm sure they could have found room for the prince on the plane.

One might also ask why the Prime Minister himself will not be there. He has been happy to be photographed on holiday in California so it is not as if he is too busy.

Surely the truth is the men who arrange these things do not take women's sport seriously and had not noticed that after winning the Euros, the Lionesses had a leading chance in the World Cup.

The last time England were in a World Cup final in Australia for a major sport was 2003. Mens Rugby. And England were an immense side then, not the joke they are today.

Blair didn’t attend and withdrew his sports minister prior to the match to support his flailing govt in a vote it was going to lose.

Still, everything is sexism.

Taz

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

Carnyx

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

On the contrary, she's got a better intuitive understanding of the matter than you imply. The cost of a RF should be fairly invariant relative to population size. One K, one Q, one heir and some sprogs, a few spares, that's it. It's noticeable that there is a strong cluster around 9m pa.

And no way does Spain have 10% of the population of the UK. It's got just over two-thirds.

Heathener

Good morning all.

Difficult to disagree with @TSE over this.

Even my rabidly pro-royalist friend from Surrey, who is currently down in Devon, is appalled that Wills isn't there. With the flak yesterday she even thought he should have got off his backside and taken the quickest flight to be there.

I did point out to her that William was notoriously lazy whilst in the air ambulance service, so he has form. (My anti monarchy colours showing through with this remark!)

northern_monkey

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

Bet she’s gutted.

eek

Carnyx said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

On the contrary, she's got a better intuitive understanding of the matter than you imply. The cost of a RF should be fairly invariant relative to population size. One K, one Q, one heir and some sprogs, a few spares, that's it. It's noticeable that there is a strong cluster around 9m pa.

And no way does Spain have 10% of the population of the UK. It's got just over two-thirds.

The royal family is 10-15 people max. Surely it could be run for less £10m a year...

Taz

Carnyx said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

On the contrary, she's got a better intuitive understanding of the matter than you imply. The cost of a RF should be fairly invariant relative to population size. One K, one Q, one heir and some sprogs, a few spares, that's it. It's noticeable that there is a strong cluster around 9m pa.

And no way does Spain have 10% of the population of the UK. It's got just over two-thirds.

Well it all depends what is included in that cost though. We do not know if it is like for like. Spains monarchy may cost less for a variety of reasons.

My reference to size of population is in relation to all monarchies not just Spain.

Taz

Heathener said:

Good morning all.

Difficult to disagree with @TSE over this.

Even my rabidly pro-royalist friend from Surrey, who is currently down in Devon, is appalled that Wills isn't there. With the flak yesterday she even thought he should have got off his backside and taken the quickest flight to be there.

I did point out to her that William was notoriously lazy whilst in the air ambulance service, so he has form. (My anti monarchy colours showing through with this remark!)

His brother missed a trick here in the ultimate piece of one upmanship. He could have bummed a ticket and gone. The publicity would be great.

DecrepiterJohnL

Taz said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

edmundintokyo said:

It doesn't matter what they think, that's the whole point of a monarchy. If they let Charles be king they're not going to have a revolution over William.

Also this is the kind of "topics nobody really gives a fuck about" polling that will give you wildly different results depending how you ask the question. Remind the voters about the CO2 and the cost of the security and they'd be telling him to stay at home. Ignore it.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Mr Sunak has opted not to attend the southern hemisphere final in person, sending Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to Australia to represent the UK Government.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/rishi-sunak-tells-lionesses-whole-nation-is-rooting-for-you-in-world-cup-final/ar-AA1fuy2V

So the defence about carbon footprints is clearly spurious if we are sending two cabinet ministers down under. I'm sure they could have found room for the prince on the plane.

One might also ask why the Prime Minister himself will not be there. He has been happy to be photographed on holiday in California so it is not as if he is too busy.

Surely the truth is the men who arrange these things do not take women's sport seriously and had not noticed that after winning the Euros, the Lionesses had a leading chance in the World Cup.

The last time England were in a World Cup final in Australia for a major sport was 2003. Mens Rugby. And England were an immense side then, not the joke they are today.

Blair didn’t attend and withdrew his sports minister prior to the match to support his flailing govt in a vote it was going to lose.

Still, everything is sexism.

Well, let's hope there are no crucial votes in parliament this week. Maybe if Sarina Wiegman were trans the Establishment would pay attention.

Taz

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

Bet she’s gutted.

I doubt she cares at all. She’s there for likes and retweets and maintains/raising her profile like many C listers and daytime TV talking heads. It’s all about the brand. Doesn’t make my observation invalid.

Heathener

@TSE hails from Liverpool, where Bill Shankly once made the most famous quote in the history of football:

'Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.'

There are two aspects to this story. The first is football. The second is the monarchy. Both matter a huge amount to people in this country, for good or ill.

So to you nay'sayers from the dawn chorus below, I'm afraid YOU are the ones who are out of touch. Football and monarchy may not be of interest in your weltanschauung but if you're interested in life in the UK then these ought to matter to you too.

By describing the story as trivia you are abdicating yourself from British life.

Dura_Ace

DecrepiterJohnL said:

edmundintokyo said:

It doesn't matter what they think, that's the whole point of a monarchy. If they let Charles be king they're not going to have a revolution over William.

Also this is the kind of "topics nobody really gives a fuck about" polling that will give you wildly different results depending how you ask the question. Remind the voters about the CO2 and the cost of the security and they'd be telling him to stay at home. Ignore it.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Mr Sunak has opted not to attend the southern hemisphere final in person, sending Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to Australia to represent the UK Government.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/rishi-sunak-tells-lionesses-whole-nation-is-rooting-for-you-in-world-cup-final/ar-AA1fuy2V

So the defence about carbon footprints is clearly spurious if we are sending two cabinet ministers down under. I'm sure they could have found room for the prince on the plane.

One might also ask why the Prime Minister himself will not be there. He has been happy to be photographed on holiday in California so it is not as if he is too busy.

Surely the truth is the men who arrange these things do not take women's sport seriously and had not noticed that after winning the Euros, the Lionesses had a leading chance in the World Cup.

Pretending to like women's football is woke so Sunak has a careful line to tread if he's to maintain his new populist, man of the people, climate skeptic, autophile, common bloody sense persona.

Stupidly and the other one are just cannon fodder.

Heathener

p.s. I have deliberately refrained from suggesting the story is about women or women in sport. It isn't.

edmundintokyo

Heathener said:

Good morning all.

Difficult to disagree with @TSE over this.

Even my rabidly pro-royalist friend from Surrey, who is currently down in Devon, is appalled that Wills isn't there. With the flak yesterday she even thought he should have got off his backside and taken the quickest flight to be there.

I did point out to her that William was notoriously lazy whilst in the air ambulance service, so he has form. (My anti monarchy colours showing through with this remark!)

People who are appalled about this today will be appalled about something else tomorrow, ignore them and they'll go away. Once Charles is old and sick William can do something involving horses or whatever and they'll love him for the length of the revolution window.

Carnyx

Taz said:

Carnyx said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

On the contrary, she's got a better intuitive understanding of the matter than you imply. The cost of a RF should be fairly invariant relative to population size. One K, one Q, one heir and some sprogs, a few spares, that's it. It's noticeable that there is a strong cluster around 9m pa.

And no way does Spain have 10% of the population of the UK. It's got just over two-thirds.

Well it all depends what is included in that cost though. We do not know if it is like for like. Spains monarchy may cost less for a variety of reasons.

My reference to size of population is in relation to all monarchies not just Spain.

Sure, but 'cost' can easily be slashed. As we know all too well these years. And my point is that population size is irrelevant.

Taz

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Taz said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

edmundintokyo said:

It doesn't matter what they think, that's the whole point of a monarchy. If they let Charles be king they're not going to have a revolution over William.

Also this is the kind of "topics nobody really gives a fuck about" polling that will give you wildly different results depending how you ask the question. Remind the voters about the CO2 and the cost of the security and they'd be telling him to stay at home. Ignore it.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Mr Sunak has opted not to attend the southern hemisphere final in person, sending Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to Australia to represent the UK Government.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/rishi-sunak-tells-lionesses-whole-nation-is-rooting-for-you-in-world-cup-final/ar-AA1fuy2V

So the defence about carbon footprints is clearly spurious if we are sending two cabinet ministers down under. I'm sure they could have found room for the prince on the plane.

One might also ask why the Prime Minister himself will not be there. He has been happy to be photographed on holiday in California so it is not as if he is too busy.

Surely the truth is the men who arrange these things do not take women's sport seriously and had not noticed that after winning the Euros, the Lionesses had a leading chance in the World Cup.

The last time England were in a World Cup final in Australia for a major sport was 2003. Mens Rugby. And England were an immense side then, not the joke they are today.

Blair didn’t attend and withdrew his sports minister prior to the match to support his flailing govt in a vote it was going to lose.

Still, everything is sexism.

Well, let's hope there are no crucial votes in parliament this week. Maybe if Sarina Wiegman were trans the Establishment would pay attention.

I do think part of the problem this competition has had has been the time zone and the times of the games. I had expected far more mismatches than we have had. It seems globally standards are improving. It bodes well for the next one.

Same with the womens RWC of which the only game I managed to see was the final.

I will be interested to see how the coverage compares and contrasts to the upcoming rugby World Cup in France.

Alphabet_Soup

BlancheLivermore said:

Why don't the Lionesses have three lionesses on their shirts?

Do they swop shirts at the end of the match? So that would be ... (consults busy gardening schedule) ... 12:45?

Tres

SouthamObserver said:

Why would the Prince if Wales fly half way round the world to support England?

Because he is President of the Football Association.

Carnyx

Heathener said:

@TSE hails from Liverpool, where Bill Shankly once made the most famous quote in the history of football:

'Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.'

There are two aspects to this story. The first is football. The second is the monarchy. Both matter a huge amount to people in this country, for good or ill.

So to you nay'sayers from the dawn chorus below, I'm afraid YOU are the ones who are out of touch. Football and monarchy may not be of interest in your weltanschauung but if you're interested in life in the UK then these ought to matter to you too.

By describing the story as trivia you are abdicating yourself from British life.

There is a difference between

(a) observing a phenomenon and its effects

and

(b) commenting on the crapness or otherwise of the justifications put forward for said phenomenon.

I think it's ****ing insane, personally, but objectively it is a real phenomenon and I am looking forward with interest to the results. Like the England fan with a flare up his bottom. It's mad, but one does want to know what happens in the end.

twistedfirestopper3

El_Capitano said:

FPT:

Andy_JS said:

Jim_Miller said:

The best single piece I have seen on the drug overdose problem in the US is a column by Megan McArdle, which ends as follows:
"Drug users must understand that if they cannot take drugs without also committing crimes, injecting in public places or camping on the street, they will be forced into treatment.

Now, as a libertarian, I was pretty uncomfortable writing that last sentence, and reading it might well have made you uneasy, too. Many people will no doubt be equally wary of giving up on controlling the use of indisputably harmful drugs. But overdose has become the leading cause of nonmedical death in the United States, and we seem to be out of comfortable options. We might have to settle for one that results in fewer deaths."
source$: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/25/legalize-fentanyl-overdose-deaths/

Walking around big British cities, it's actually quite unusual to see anyone who looks like a drug addict these days.

We took our boat into Birmingham the other day. Three clear addicts in the space of a mile.

(Camp Hill Flight, for those that know it.)

Just this last two month's travels: Skegness, Chapel St Leonards, Mablethorpe, Aberystwyth, Bournemouth, Poole, Swannage, Christchurch, Loughborough, Nottingham.... all with residents clearly displaying various takes on the druggie strut. Burley had a few donkeys and ponies asleep blocking roads, but I don't think they were off their tits on meth.

DavidL

He should have gone. Big mistake but hey ho, its done now. The English women's football team is something to be proud of. They are inspiring a generation of younger women to take up sport with all the physical and psychological benefits of that. They are good role models for our youth and our country. I may be a Scot but I wish them well today and I will be watching and cheering them on.

northern_monkey

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

Bet she’s gutted.

I doubt she cares at all. She’s there for likes and retweets and maintains/raising her profile like many C listers and daytime TV talking heads. It’s all about the brand. Doesn’t make my observation invalid.

I suspect she doesn’t give a flying fuck about her profile. If her pronouncements chimed more with your worldview I suspect you wouldn’t be so dismissive.

It’s going to be great when Musk disables the block function. You’ll be exposed to endless tweets pointing out the irrefutable, ever mounting evidence of the huge harm Brexit is doing, and I’ll be force-fed endless bullshit from blue-ticked flag shaggers. Wonderful.

boulay

Carnyx said:

BlancheLivermore said:

Why don't the Lionesses have three lionesses on their shirts?

Male Chauvinist Lions in the FA (and in mediaeval times, too).

IIRC, if you took the manes off, they'd become leopards anyway, or is that only when they have spots added? IANAGKoA.

I seem to remember that in heraldry a lion when in the position the England ones are is called a Leopard. It’s a weird old French thing.

Carnyx

boulay said:

Carnyx said:

BlancheLivermore said:

Why don't the Lionesses have three lionesses on their shirts?

Male Chauvinist Lions in the FA (and in mediaeval times, too).

IIRC, if you took the manes off, they'd become leopards anyway, or is that only when they have spots added? IANAGKoA.

I seem to remember that in heraldry a lion when in the position the England ones are is called a Leopard. It’s a weird old French thing.

Ah, thanks. must be what I was thinking of. So it's only the Scottish men's team that have an actual lion? How odd. The women have one of those modern corporate logos, on checking, no trace of any carnivoran of any kind.

Casino_Royale

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

What sort of international and global profile do those other monarchies have?

Taz

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

Bet she’s gutted.

I doubt she cares at all. She’s there for likes and retweets and maintains/raising her profile like many C listers and daytime TV talking heads. It’s all about the brand. Doesn’t make my observation invalid.

I suspect she doesn’t give a flying fuck about her profile. If her pronouncements chimed more with your worldview I suspect you wouldn’t be so dismissive.

It’s going to be great when Musk disables the block function. You’ll be exposed to endless tweets pointing out the irrefutable, ever mounting evidence of the huge harm Brexit is doing, and I’ll be force-fed endless bullshit from blue-ticked flag shaggers. Wonderful.

WTF are you burbling on about ? Are you on an E ? I voted remain. I’m no brexiteer and have not even once extolled the virtues of it.

Musk isn’t disabling the block button either.

Casino_Royale

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

This happens to so many people on Twitter, and it can spill over into real-life where they can become narcissists as well.

It's sad. Tragic, really.

Carnyx

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

Bet she’s gutted.

I doubt she cares at all. She’s there for likes and retweets and maintains/raising her profile like many C listers and daytime TV talking heads. It’s all about the brand. Doesn’t make my observation invalid.

I suspect she doesn’t give a flying fuck about her profile. If her pronouncements chimed more with your worldview I suspect you wouldn’t be so dismissive.

It’s going to be great when Musk disables the block function. You’ll be exposed to endless tweets pointing out the irrefutable, ever mounting evidence of the huge harm Brexit is doing, and I’ll be force-fed endless bullshit from blue-ticked flag shaggers. Wonderful.

WTF are you burbling on about ? Are you on an E ? I voted remain. I’m no brexiteer and have not even once extolled the virtues of it.

Musk isn’t disabling the block button either.

Er ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66550959

Taz

DavidL said:

He should have gone. Big mistake but hey ho, its done now. The English women's football team is something to be proud of. They are inspiring a generation of younger women to take up sport with all the physical and psychological benefits of that. They are good role models for our youth and our country. I may be a Scot but I wish them well today and I will be watching and cheering them on.

They are good role models. They conduct themselves very well, one incident of on pitch violent thuggery aside. They will be good future brand ambassadors and a win will raise their profiles

Just look at how well Jill Scott has done.

My wife and I will be tuning in too.

Sandpit

100m final at the World Athletics tonight, that’s my sport for the day.

Women’s 100m final tomorrow night, that might finally see that disgraceful ‘world record’ from more than three decades ago be consigned to the history books.

ydoethur

Heathener said:

@TSE hails from Liverpool, where Bill Shankly once made the most famous quote in the history of football:

'Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.'

There are two aspects to this story. The first is football. The second is the monarchy. Both matter a huge amount to people in this country, for good or ill.

So to you nay'sayers from the dawn chorus below, I'm afraid YOU are the ones who are out of touch. Football and monarchy may not be of interest in your weltanschauung but if you're interested in life in the UK then these ought to matter to you too.

By describing the story as trivia you are abdicating yourself from British life.

TSE is a Yorkshireman...

Casino_Royale

Carnyx said:

Shouldn't this be on PB (English subsection)?

Like @Leon has said in the past, this inferiority complex is really weird.

Taz

Carnyx said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

Bet she’s gutted.

I doubt she cares at all. She’s there for likes and retweets and maintains/raising her profile like many C listers and daytime TV talking heads. It’s all about the brand. Doesn’t make my observation invalid.

I suspect she doesn’t give a flying fuck about her profile. If her pronouncements chimed more with your worldview I suspect you wouldn’t be so dismissive.

It’s going to be great when Musk disables the block function. You’ll be exposed to endless tweets pointing out the irrefutable, ever mounting evidence of the huge harm Brexit is doing, and I’ll be force-fed endless bullshit from blue-ticked flag shaggers. Wonderful.

WTF are you burbling on about ? Are you on an E ? I voted remain. I’m no brexiteer and have not even once extolled the virtues of it.

Musk isn’t disabling the block button either.

Er ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66550959

Old news. The tweets where he has said that have been removed by him.

Taz

ydoethur said:

Heathener said:

@TSE hails from Liverpool, where Bill Shankly once made the most famous quote in the history of football:

'Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.'

There are two aspects to this story. The first is football. The second is the monarchy. Both matter a huge amount to people in this country, for good or ill.

So to you nay'sayers from the dawn chorus below, I'm afraid YOU are the ones who are out of touch. Football and monarchy may not be of interest in your weltanschauung but if you're interested in life in the UK then these ought to matter to you too.

By describing the story as trivia you are abdicating yourself from British life.

TSE is a Yorkshireman...

Is calling him, effectively, a Lancastrian on a par with serving him a pineapple pizza while playing Radiohead.

Casino_Royale

edmundintokyo said:

Heathener said:

Good morning all.

Difficult to disagree with @TSE over this.

Even my rabidly pro-royalist friend from Surrey, who is currently down in Devon, is appalled that Wills isn't there. With the flak yesterday she even thought he should have got off his backside and taken the quickest flight to be there.

I did point out to her that William was notoriously lazy whilst in the air ambulance service, so he has form. (My anti monarchy colours showing through with this remark!)

People who are appalled about this today will be appalled about something else tomorrow, ignore them and they'll go away. Once Charles is old and sick William can do something involving horses or whatever and they'll love him for the length of the revolution window.

Quite so. If he had gone people (like Vorderman, for example) would have been skewering him about the cost of the flights, security and carbon footprint. So there would have been a story regardless.

The common thread being to have a go at the monarchy.

twistedfirestopper3

It can't be that important a national event, anyway. You have to pay to watch it on the telly......

Carnyx

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Shouldn't this be on PB (English subsection)?

Like @Leon has said in the past, this inferiority complex is really weird.

What inferiority? I don't slavishly follow any football team, let alone some other country's, and I certainly don't go around claiming that the bloated cost of the RF is justified by the height of some numinous profile. 90% of which is the Ruritanian family soap opera element anyway.

Casino_Royale

DavidL said:

He should have gone. Big mistake but hey ho, its done now. The English women's football team is something to be proud of. They are inspiring a generation of younger women to take up sport with all the physical and psychological benefits of that. They are good role models for our youth and our country. I may be a Scot but I wish them well today and I will be watching and cheering them on.

If they do win, I suspect they'll get a big reception and gala at Buckingham Palace to make up for it.

Carnyx

Taz said:

Carnyx said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

Bet she’s gutted.

I doubt she cares at all. She’s there for likes and retweets and maintains/raising her profile like many C listers and daytime TV talking heads. It’s all about the brand. Doesn’t make my observation invalid.

I suspect she doesn’t give a flying fuck about her profile. If her pronouncements chimed more with your worldview I suspect you wouldn’t be so dismissive.

It’s going to be great when Musk disables the block function. You’ll be exposed to endless tweets pointing out the irrefutable, ever mounting evidence of the huge harm Brexit is doing, and I’ll be force-fed endless bullshit from blue-ticked flag shaggers. Wonderful.

WTF are you burbling on about ? Are you on an E ? I voted remain. I’m no brexiteer and have not even once extolled the virtues of it.

Musk isn’t disabling the block button either.

Er ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66550959

Old news. The tweets where he has said that have been removed by him.

Ah, thanks. It did surprise me.

Taz

Casino_Royale said:

edmundintokyo said:

Heathener said:

Good morning all.

Difficult to disagree with @TSE over this.

Even my rabidly pro-royalist friend from Surrey, who is currently down in Devon, is appalled that Wills isn't there. With the flak yesterday she even thought he should have got off his backside and taken the quickest flight to be there.

I did point out to her that William was notoriously lazy whilst in the air ambulance service, so he has form. (My anti monarchy colours showing through with this remark!)

People who are appalled about this today will be appalled about something else tomorrow, ignore them and they'll go away. Once Charles is old and sick William can do something involving horses or whatever and they'll love him for the length of the revolution window.

Quite so. If he had gone people (like Vorderman, for example) would have been skewering him about the cost of the flights, security and carbon footprint. So there would have been a story regardless.

The common thread being to have a go at the monarchy.

You’re right, same would apply to Sunak.

edmundintokyo

Carnyx said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

Bet she’s gutted.

I doubt she cares at all. She’s there for likes and retweets and maintains/raising her profile like many C listers and daytime TV talking heads. It’s all about the brand. Doesn’t make my observation invalid.

I suspect she doesn’t give a flying fuck about her profile. If her pronouncements chimed more with your worldview I suspect you wouldn’t be so dismissive.

It’s going to be great when Musk disables the block function. You’ll be exposed to endless tweets pointing out the irrefutable, ever mounting evidence of the huge harm Brexit is doing, and I’ll be force-fed endless bullshit from blue-ticked flag shaggers. Wonderful.

WTF are you burbling on about ? Are you on an E ? I voted remain. I’m no brexiteer and have not even once extolled the virtues of it.

Musk isn’t disabling the block button either.

Er ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66550959

He said he is, that doesn't mean he is. Generally he does about 1/3 of the things he says, he's going to do max.

The specific problem he's got is that he's changed the website to boost the content of the people who pay him $8 per month, who for whatever reason tend not to be the sharpest people on the internet. So if you want to keep your feed usable, one thing you need to do is to unfollow or block anyone with the telltale blue check unless their stuff is clearly very high quality. This is clearly damaging the experience of people who have paid to boost their weak content, which is a problem for his business strategy. Probably what he'll do is work out a way for people not to realize they're getting blocked.

Casino_Royale

Carnyx said:

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Shouldn't this be on PB (English subsection)?

Like @Leon has said in the past, this inferiority complex is really weird.

What inferiority? I don't slavishly follow any football team, let alone some other country's, and I certainly don't go around claiming that the bloated cost of the RF is justified by the height of some numinous profile. 90% of which is the Ruritanian family soap opera element anyway.

You (and @Theuniondivvie did so a couple of weeks ago) get triggered by any mention or putative celebration of English success in sport.

It stirs something deep within the Nat psyche; hence comments like this.

twistedfirestopper3

Casino_Royale said:

edmundintokyo said:

Heathener said:

Good morning all.

Difficult to disagree with @TSE over this.

Even my rabidly pro-royalist friend from Surrey, who is currently down in Devon, is appalled that Wills isn't there. With the flak yesterday she even thought he should have got off his backside and taken the quickest flight to be there.

I did point out to her that William was notoriously lazy whilst in the air ambulance service, so he has form. (My anti monarchy colours showing through with this remark!)

People who are appalled about this today will be appalled about something else tomorrow, ignore them and they'll go away. Once Charles is old and sick William can do something involving horses or whatever and they'll love him for the length of the revolution window.

Quite so. If he had gone people (like Vorderman, for example) would have been skewering him about the cost of the flights, security and carbon footprint. So there would have been a story regardless.

The common thread being to have a go at the monarchy.

To be fair to the lad, he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Personally, I think he should have gone, but can understand why he hasn't.

Tres

Casino_Royale said:

edmundintokyo said:

Heathener said:

Good morning all.

Difficult to disagree with @TSE over this.

Even my rabidly pro-royalist friend from Surrey, who is currently down in Devon, is appalled that Wills isn't there. With the flak yesterday she even thought he should have got off his backside and taken the quickest flight to be there.

I did point out to her that William was notoriously lazy whilst in the air ambulance service, so he has form. (My anti monarchy colours showing through with this remark!)

People who are appalled about this today will be appalled about something else tomorrow, ignore them and they'll go away. Once Charles is old and sick William can do something involving horses or whatever and they'll love him for the length of the revolution window.

Quite so. If he had gone people (like Vorderman, for example) would have been skewering him about the cost of the flights, security and carbon footprint. So there would have been a story regardless.

The common thread being to have a go at the monarchy.

leadership is about making choices, and dealing with the consequences of that decision

Carnyx

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Shouldn't this be on PB (English subsection)?

Like @Leon has said in the past, this inferiority complex is really weird.

What inferiority? I don't slavishly follow any football team, let alone some other country's, and I certainly don't go around claiming that the bloated cost of the RF is justified by the height of some numinous profile. 90% of which is the Ruritanian family soap opera element anyway.

You (and @Theuniondivvie did so a couple of weeks ago) get triggered by any mention or putative celebration of English success in sport.

It stirs something deep within the Nat pschy; hence comments like this.

Wrong there. It's this idea thast you *have* to support a national team to be patriotic. I don't give a monkey's about the Scottish teams either.

To be fair, as I recall, the PB righties and HMG were extremely unwilling to support England (Male) at footie because they were all woke, so it's not a required shibboleth.

Taz

Casino_Royale said:

DavidL said:

He should have gone. Big mistake but hey ho, its done now. The English women's football team is something to be proud of. They are inspiring a generation of younger women to take up sport with all the physical and psychological benefits of that. They are good role models for our youth and our country. I may be a Scot but I wish them well today and I will be watching and cheering them on.

If they do win, I suspect they'll get a big reception and gala at Buckingham Palace to make up for it.

They certainly would deserve it. And a reception at number 10.

If they win they should milk it for all it’s worth.

Carnyx

twistedfirestopper3 said:

Casino_Royale said:

edmundintokyo said:

Heathener said:

Good morning all.

Difficult to disagree with @TSE over this.

Even my rabidly pro-royalist friend from Surrey, who is currently down in Devon, is appalled that Wills isn't there. With the flak yesterday she even thought he should have got off his backside and taken the quickest flight to be there.

I did point out to her that William was notoriously lazy whilst in the air ambulance service, so he has form. (My anti monarchy colours showing through with this remark!)

People who are appalled about this today will be appalled about something else tomorrow, ignore them and they'll go away. Once Charles is old and sick William can do something involving horses or whatever and they'll love him for the length of the revolution window.

Quite so. If he had gone people (like Vorderman, for example) would have been skewering him about the cost of the flights, security and carbon footprint. So there would have been a story regardless.

The common thread being to have a go at the monarchy.

To be fair to the lad, he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Personally, I think he should have gone, but can understand why he hasn't.

It's an issue that's going to become more salient. Going to get messier and messier. Even those who complain about the mythical Stop the Oil trustafarian going business class accept the basic argument in a sense.

Carnyx

edmundintokyo said:

Carnyx said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

Bet she’s gutted.

I doubt she cares at all. She’s there for likes and retweets and maintains/raising her profile like many C listers and daytime TV talking heads. It’s all about the brand. Doesn’t make my observation invalid.

I suspect she doesn’t give a flying fuck about her profile. If her pronouncements chimed more with your worldview I suspect you wouldn’t be so dismissive.

It’s going to be great when Musk disables the block function. You’ll be exposed to endless tweets pointing out the irrefutable, ever mounting evidence of the huge harm Brexit is doing, and I’ll be force-fed endless bullshit from blue-ticked flag shaggers. Wonderful.

WTF are you burbling on about ? Are you on an E ? I voted remain. I’m no brexiteer and have not even once extolled the virtues of it.

Musk isn’t disabling the block button either.

Er ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66550959

He said he is, that doesn't mean he is. Generally he does about 1/3 of the things he says, he's going to do max.

The specific problem he's got is that he's changed the website to boost the content of the people who pay him $8 per month, who for whatever reason tend not to be the sharpest people on the internet. So if you want to keep your feed usable, one thing you need to do is to unfollow or block anyone with the telltale blue check unless their stuff is clearly very high quality. This is clearly damaging the experience of people who have paid to boost their weak content, which is a problem for his business strategy. Probably what he'll do is work out a way for people not to realize they're getting blocked.

Thanks for that.

Tres

Taz said:

Casino_Royale said:

DavidL said:

He should have gone. Big mistake but hey ho, its done now. The English women's football team is something to be proud of. They are inspiring a generation of younger women to take up sport with all the physical and psychological benefits of that. They are good role models for our youth and our country. I may be a Scot but I wish them well today and I will be watching and cheering them on.

If they do win, I suspect they'll get a big reception and gala at Buckingham Palace to make up for it.

They certainly would deserve it. And a reception at number 10.

If they win they should milk it for all it’s worth.

The current holders (the US) snubbed the White House after they won in 2019 because Trump had been so vindictive towards the players.

jamesdoyle

OT: my middle bother Rob, having just turned 56, is cycling solo and unsupported from Lands End to John O'Groats: 1085 miles in 12 days. You can follow him on Instagram at doyleyslejog, and he's raising money for Cruse bereavement Support, so if anyone feels like donating the link is https://www.justgiving.com/page/rob-doyle-lejog?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page/rob-doyle-lejog&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share&fbclid=PAAaZPATEfL7CPIPaL1LT0SIMdYKLO_3nR-6hqu7zStfYcK2x9bL79zZoZBc8

Taz

John Rentoul

Hasn’t Starmer missed a trick not being there ?

We do know Starmer is a genuine soccer follower too. The Arsenal are his team.

https://x.com/johnrentoul/status/1693168306964861068?s=61&t=s0ae0IFncdLS1Dc7J0P_TQ

DecrepiterJohnL

Carnyx said:

edmundintokyo said:

Carnyx said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

Vorderman is someone I have had to block on Twitter. At first her critiques of the govt were pretty much on the nail but I suspect she’s got carried away with her own twitter persona and comes across as slightly obsessive even deranged. Posting endless bilge for likes and retweets. The core message gets somewhat lost and she ends up preaching to the converted.

Bet she’s gutted.

I doubt she cares at all. She’s there for likes and retweets and maintains/raising her profile like many C listers and daytime TV talking heads. It’s all about the brand. Doesn’t make my observation invalid.

I suspect she doesn’t give a flying fuck about her profile. If her pronouncements chimed more with your worldview I suspect you wouldn’t be so dismissive.

It’s going to be great when Musk disables the block function. You’ll be exposed to endless tweets pointing out the irrefutable, ever mounting evidence of the huge harm Brexit is doing, and I’ll be force-fed endless bullshit from blue-ticked flag shaggers. Wonderful.

WTF are you burbling on about ? Are you on an E ? I voted remain. I’m no brexiteer and have not even once extolled the virtues of it.

Musk isn’t disabling the block button either.

Er ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66550959

He said he is, that doesn't mean he is. Generally he does about 1/3 of the things he says, he's going to do max.

The specific problem he's got is that he's changed the website to boost the content of the people who pay him $8 per month, who for whatever reason tend not to be the sharpest people on the internet. So if you want to keep your feed usable, one thing you need to do is to unfollow or block anyone with the telltale blue check unless their stuff is clearly very high quality. This is clearly damaging the experience of people who have paid to boost their weak content, which is a problem for his business strategy. Probably what he'll do is work out a way for people not to realize they're getting blocked.

Thanks for that.

Musk's other problem with the block function is removing it might see Twitter/X removed from Apple's and Google's app stores, whose terms require a way for users to block abusive content. So expect a lot of dancing on the head of a pin about blocking versus muting and whether the latter suffices, and don't be too surprised if Twitter drops blocking only when it has a shiny new button to do the same thing under another name. It is all about who blinks first.

DecrepiterJohnL

Taz said:

John Rentoul

Hasn’t Starmer missed a trick not being there ?

https://x.com/johnrentoul/status/1693168306964861068?s=61&t=s0ae0IFncdLS1Dc7J0P_TQ

QTWTAIY (except it would look like a political stunt).

Nigelb

DecrepiterJohnL said:

edmundintokyo said:

It doesn't matter what they think, that's the whole point of a monarchy. If they let Charles be king they're not going to have a revolution over William.

Also this is the kind of "topics nobody really gives a fuck about" polling that will give you wildly different results depending how you ask the question. Remind the voters about the CO2 and the cost of the security and they'd be telling him to stay at home. Ignore it.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Mr Sunak has opted not to attend the southern hemisphere final in person, sending Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to Australia to represent the UK Government.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/rishi-sunak-tells-lionesses-whole-nation-is-rooting-for-you-in-world-cup-final/ar-AA1fuy2V

So the defence about carbon footprints is clearly spurious if we are sending two cabinet ministers down under. I'm sure they could have found room for the prince on the plane.

One might also ask why the Prime Minister himself will not be there. He has been happy to be photographed on holiday in California so it is not as if he is too busy.

Surely the truth is the men who arrange these things do not take women's sport seriously and had not noticed that after winning the Euros, the Lionesses had a leading chance in the World Cup.

I couldn’t give a crap, either - but government really ought to.

Tories under fire after dramatic fall in school sport in England
New figures undermine Rishi Sunak’s claims to boost PE ahead of Women’s World Cup final
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/20/tories-under-fire-after-dramatic-fall-in-school-sport-in-england

Just over a decade back there were some excellent programs in primary schools - I recall my wife, who has less interest in sport than I do, being very enthusiastic about a beginners cricket coaching scheme, for example.

Nigelb

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Shouldn't this be on PB (English subsection)?

Like @Leon has said in the past, this inferiority complex is really weird.

What inferiority? I don't slavishly follow any football team, let alone some other country's, and I certainly don't go around claiming that the bloated cost of the RF is justified by the height of some numinous profile. 90% of which is the Ruritanian family soap opera element anyway.

You (and @Theuniondivvie did so a couple of weeks ago) get triggered by any mention or putative celebration of English success in sport.

It stirs something deep within the Nat psyche; hence comments like this.

One could say the same about your reaction to their comments.

HYUFD

The Prince's role is to be heir to the throne and next head of state. He does not run English football, his position of FA President is merely an honorary one.

In any case if he did go republican non Tories with an agenda against the monarchy like TSE would then criticise him for all the emissions spent on one trip to the other side of the world merely to watch a football match when he could watch it on TV. There is no evidence whatsoever Australia will ditch the monarchy at all, indeed many polls still have the monarchy ahead. Indeed the governing Labor Party cannot even get a clear lead for the autumn's referendum on a voice for Aborigines in the Australian Parliament. If that fails then zero chance they will be able to risk a referendum on Australia becoming a republic, which would require 2/3 of Australian states to vote for it not just a mere popular vote majority anyway.
https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/a-resounding-majority-of-australians-want-to-retain-the-monarchy-rather-than-become-a-republic
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2023_Australian_Indigenous_Voice_referendum

Not one Caribbean nation has become a republic since the Wales' tour there either, Barbados was a republic already. I assume TSE also expects a boost for the Spanish royal family if Spain win today as Queen Letizia will be at the final today?

viewcode

Monksfield said:

This country is increasingly hysterical about nonsense issues whilst strangely passive about the big ones. It doesn’t bode well.

Parkinson's Law of Triviality
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_triviality

The British electorate have (with good reason) become alienated from the political process. Not enough participate in and join political parties and as a result feedback is absent. In its absence the parties depend on their own issues and those of the media. Consequently the Government does not know what to focus on

malcolmg

Monksfield said:

This country is increasingly hysterical about nonsense issues whilst strangely passive about the big ones. It doesn’t bode well.

These parasites are always available when they are begging for more money or milking their ill gotten estates, free flights etc. A tough flight only in first class to Australia , "no thanks mate I am washing my hair"

RochdalePioneers

Dura_Ace said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

edmundintokyo said:

It doesn't matter what they think, that's the whole point of a monarchy. If they let Charles be king they're not going to have a revolution over William.

Also this is the kind of "topics nobody really gives a fuck about" polling that will give you wildly different results depending how you ask the question. Remind the voters about the CO2 and the cost of the security and they'd be telling him to stay at home. Ignore it.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Mr Sunak has opted not to attend the southern hemisphere final in person, sending Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to Australia to represent the UK Government.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/rishi-sunak-tells-lionesses-whole-nation-is-rooting-for-you-in-world-cup-final/ar-AA1fuy2V

So the defence about carbon footprints is clearly spurious if we are sending two cabinet ministers down under. I'm sure they could have found room for the prince on the plane.

One might also ask why the Prime Minister himself will not be there. He has been happy to be photographed on holiday in California so it is not as if he is too busy.

Surely the truth is the men who arrange these things do not take women's sport seriously and had not noticed that after winning the Euros, the Lionesses had a leading chance in the World Cup.

Pretending to like women's football is woke so Sunak has a careful line to tread if he's to maintain his new populist, man of the people, climate skeptic, autophile, common bloody sense persona.

Stupidly and the other one are just cannon fodder.

This is a valid point. Think about the aggro if England win the World Cup. This is supposed to be a man's game for manly men. And yet the men are useless and here come their girlfriends to humiliate them by winning.

There is a lot of resistance out there amongst the kind of weaponised stupidity voters the Tories have to chase. The women beating the men would be a Bad Thing.

Meanwhile, Labour have a 28 point lead over the Tories with women voters...

Carnyx

Nigelb said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

edmundintokyo said:

It doesn't matter what they think, that's the whole point of a monarchy. If they let Charles be king they're not going to have a revolution over William.

Also this is the kind of "topics nobody really gives a fuck about" polling that will give you wildly different results depending how you ask the question. Remind the voters about the CO2 and the cost of the security and they'd be telling him to stay at home. Ignore it.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Mr Sunak has opted not to attend the southern hemisphere final in person, sending Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to Australia to represent the UK Government.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/rishi-sunak-tells-lionesses-whole-nation-is-rooting-for-you-in-world-cup-final/ar-AA1fuy2V

So the defence about carbon footprints is clearly spurious if we are sending two cabinet ministers down under. I'm sure they could have found room for the prince on the plane.

One might also ask why the Prime Minister himself will not be there. He has been happy to be photographed on holiday in California so it is not as if he is too busy.

Surely the truth is the men who arrange these things do not take women's sport seriously and had not noticed that after winning the Euros, the Lionesses had a leading chance in the World Cup.

I couldn’t give a crap, either - but government really ought to.

Tories under fire after dramatic fall in school sport in England
New figures undermine Rishi Sunak’s claims to boost PE ahead of Women’s World Cup final
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/20/tories-under-fire-after-dramatic-fall-in-school-sport-in-england

Just over a decade back there were some excellent programs in primary schools - I recall my wife, who has less interest in sport than I do, being very enthusiastic about a beginners cricket coaching scheme, for example.

Now that is a more sensible comment.

DecrepiterJohnL

Taz said:

Casino_Royale said:

edmundintokyo said:

Heathener said:

Good morning all.

Difficult to disagree with @TSE over this.

Even my rabidly pro-royalist friend from Surrey, who is currently down in Devon, is appalled that Wills isn't there. With the flak yesterday she even thought he should have got off his backside and taken the quickest flight to be there.

I did point out to her that William was notoriously lazy whilst in the air ambulance service, so he has form. (My anti monarchy colours showing through with this remark!)

People who are appalled about this today will be appalled about something else tomorrow, ignore them and they'll go away. Once Charles is old and sick William can do something involving horses or whatever and they'll love him for the length of the revolution window.

Quite so. If he had gone people (like Vorderman, for example) would have been skewering him about the cost of the flights, security and carbon footprint. So there would have been a story regardless.

The common thread being to have a go at the monarchy.

You’re right, same would apply to Sunak.

No because, as already pointed out, the Foreign and Culture Secretaries will be there, and the Prime Minister has been happily snapped on his family holiday in California. I don't suppose they got there by glider.

Cookie

Casino_Royale said:

DavidL said:

He should have gone. Big mistake but hey ho, its done now. The English women's football team is something to be proud of. They are inspiring a generation of younger women to take up sport with all the physical and psychological benefits of that. They are good role models for our youth and our country. I may be a Scot but I wish them well today and I will be watching and cheering them on.

If they do win, I suspect they'll get a big reception and gala at Buckingham Palace to make up for it.

Which strikes me as far more appropriate.

If the final, why not the semi final? If the semi, why not the quarter final? If womens football world cup, why not the walker cup? etc.

Nigelb

Taz said:

northern_monkey said:

Vorderman’s on the case.

A pointless chart as it takes no respective account of the size or population of each nation.

The point, I think, was the comparison between Spain and the U.K., which is quite striking.

Also, the Netherlands seems to have a very well funded set of royals.

malcolmg

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Shouldn't this be on PB (English subsection)?

Like @Leon has said in the past, this inferiority complex is really weird.

What inferiority? I don't slavishly follow any football team, let alone some other country's, and I certainly don't go around claiming that the bloated cost of the RF is justified by the height of some numinous profile. 90% of which is the Ruritanian family soap opera element anyway.

You (and @Theuniondivvie did so a couple of weeks ago) get triggered by any mention or putative celebration of English success in sport.

It stirs something deep within the Nat psyche; hence comments like this.

60 years celebrating one cheated win is a bit rich though. I personally hope they get absolutely humped or we will be bombarded with crap for the next 60 years. Triggers your national inferiority complex getting constantly humped when you mistakenly think you are the best in world

Carnyx

Nigelb said:

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Shouldn't this be on PB (English subsection)?

Like @Leon has said in the past, this inferiority complex is really weird.

What inferiority? I don't slavishly follow any football team, let alone some other country's, and I certainly don't go around claiming that the bloated cost of the RF is justified by the height of some numinous profile. 90% of which is the Ruritanian family soap opera element anyway.

You (and @Theuniondivvie did so a couple of weeks ago) get triggered by any mention or putative celebration of English success in sport.

It stirs something deep within the Nat psyche; hence comments like this.

One could say the same about your reaction to their comments.

Also note his instant assumption that it's the 'English' I'm reacting to, as opposed to "general idiocy of requiring everyone to support some national team or other". I've made sarcastic comments on the Tebbit-Sillars doctrine on here before.

RochdalePioneers

This government is desperate to be photographed in front of vote winning things. The PM has decided not to bother with this one. Because it isn't seen as vote winning when they think about the knuckle-dragger vote. It's not proper football is it? Just the lasses having a kick-about. Why bother? Now if it was proper football with manly men, that would be different...

Just a thought, but if the women's team is more successful than the men's team, shouldn't they get paid more...?

DecrepiterJohnL

twistedfirestopper3 said:

It can't be that important a national event, anyway. You have to pay to watch it on the telly......

Missing word? The ladies' soccerball final is free on BBC1 and ITV.

Nigelb

Another perspective on football travel.

Neymar flying from Paris to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a private Boeing 747
https://twitter.com/Dexerto/status/1692942733973811269

malcolmg

ydoethur said:

SouthamObserver said:

Why would the Prince if Wales fly half way round the world to support England?

To stop people getting the hump.

I would pay if it was a one way ticket for the parasite

Cookie

RochdalePioneers said:

This government is desperate to be photographed in front of vote winning things. The PM has decided not to bother with this one. Because it isn't seen as vote winning when they think about the knuckle-dragger vote. It's not proper football is it? Just the lasses having a kick-about. Why bother? Now if it was proper football with manly men, that would be different...

Just a thought, but if the women's team is more successful than the men's team, shouldn't they get paid more...?

Not this again.
They're not playing the same opposition. Shouldn't Oxford City be paid more than Oxford United? After all, Oxford City got promoted last year, United only finished 8th.
They should get paid what the market will bear. Which is a lot more than it would have done 20 years ago, but still a lot less than men's football. Because the level of interest is a lot less.

Carnyx

Nigelb said:

Another perspective on football travel.

Neymar flying from Paris to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a private Boeing 747
https://twitter.com/Dexerto/status/1692942733973811269

Coo, isn't that also the kind with an extended upper deck? Must be really pushed for space.

malcolmg

Carnyx said:

Nigelb said:

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Shouldn't this be on PB (English subsection)?

Like @Leon has said in the past, this inferiority complex is really weird.

What inferiority? I don't slavishly follow any football team, let alone some other country's, and I certainly don't go around claiming that the bloated cost of the RF is justified by the height of some numinous profile. 90% of which is the Ruritanian family soap opera element anyway.

You (and @Theuniondivvie did so a couple of weeks ago) get triggered by any mention or putative celebration of English success in sport.

It stirs something deep within the Nat psyche; hence comments like this.

One could say the same about your reaction to their comments.

Also note his instant assumption that it's the 'English' I'm reacting to, as opposed to "general idiocy of requiring everyone to support some national team or other". I've made sarcastic comments on the Tebbit-Sillars doctrine on here before.

He is a twat, big inferiority complex about being English.

Nigelb

While the most experienced pilots perform combat tasks on older Soviet fighter jets, the new generation of Ukrainian pilots departed for F-16 & Gripen training

"The pilots who graduated this year went to study in the UK. As for Sweden, pilots who graduated in 2016 and have sufficient experience went there."
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1693174365196521589

Cookie

RochdalePioneers said:

Dura_Ace said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

edmundintokyo said:

It doesn't matter what they think, that's the whole point of a monarchy. If they let Charles be king they're not going to have a revolution over William.

Also this is the kind of "topics nobody really gives a fuck about" polling that will give you wildly different results depending how you ask the question. Remind the voters about the CO2 and the cost of the security and they'd be telling him to stay at home. Ignore it.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Mr Sunak has opted not to attend the southern hemisphere final in person, sending Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to Australia to represent the UK Government.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/rishi-sunak-tells-lionesses-whole-nation-is-rooting-for-you-in-world-cup-final/ar-AA1fuy2V

So the defence about carbon footprints is clearly spurious if we are sending two cabinet ministers down under. I'm sure they could have found room for the prince on the plane.

One might also ask why the Prime Minister himself will not be there. He has been happy to be photographed on holiday in California so it is not as if he is too busy.

Surely the truth is the men who arrange these things do not take women's sport seriously and had not noticed that after winning the Euros, the Lionesses had a leading chance in the World Cup.

Pretending to like women's football is woke so Sunak has a careful line to tread if he's to maintain his new populist, man of the people, climate skeptic, autophile, common bloody sense persona.

Stupidly and the other one are just cannon fodder.

This is a valid point. Think about the aggro if England win the World Cup. This is supposed to be a man's game for manly men. And yet the men are useless and here come their girlfriends to humiliate them by winning.

There is a lot of resistance out there amongst the kind of weaponised stupidity voters the Tories have to chase. The women beating the men would be a Bad Thing.

Meanwhile, Labour have a 28 point lead over the Tories with women voters...

But the women aren't beating the men. They are beating other women.
ISTR the USA national women's team played an U15 mens team from Texas in the warm up to the WC,and lost.

RochdalePioneers

Cookie said:

RochdalePioneers said:

This government is desperate to be photographed in front of vote winning things. The PM has decided not to bother with this one. Because it isn't seen as vote winning when they think about the knuckle-dragger vote. It's not proper football is it? Just the lasses having a kick-about. Why bother? Now if it was proper football with manly men, that would be different...

Just a thought, but if the women's team is more successful than the men's team, shouldn't they get paid more...?

Not this again.
They're not playing the same opposition. Shouldn't Oxford City be paid more than Oxford United? After all, Oxford City got promoted last year, United only finished 8th.
They should get paid what the market will bear. Which is a lot more than it would have done 20 years ago, but still a lot less than men's football. Because the level of interest is a lot less.

All I am saying is that perhaps the interest should be a lot less on the mens game - especially at national level - and a lot more on the more successful women.

TBH I'm just trying to parody the men who find the success of the women to be threatening to their definition of who they are.

Cookie

RochdalePioneers said:

Cookie said:

RochdalePioneers said:

This government is desperate to be photographed in front of vote winning things. The PM has decided not to bother with this one. Because it isn't seen as vote winning when they think about the knuckle-dragger vote. It's not proper football is it? Just the lasses having a kick-about. Why bother? Now if it was proper football with manly men, that would be different...

Just a thought, but if the women's team is more successful than the men's team, shouldn't they get paid more...?

Not this again.
They're not playing the same opposition. Shouldn't Oxford City be paid more than Oxford United? After all, Oxford City got promoted last year, United only finished 8th.
They should get paid what the market will bear. Which is a lot more than it would have done 20 years ago, but still a lot less than men's football. Because the level of interest is a lot less.

All I am saying is that perhaps the interest should be a lot less on the mens game - especially at national level - and a lot more on the more successful women.

TBH I'm just trying to parody the men who find the success of the women to be threatening to their definition of who they are.

But by thst logic more people should go to watch Oxford City than Oxford United.

Nigelb

malcolmg said:

Carnyx said:

Nigelb said:

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Casino_Royale said:

Carnyx said:

Shouldn't this be on PB (English subsection)?

Like @Leon has said in the past, this inferiority complex is really weird.

What inferiority? I don't slavishly follow any football team, let alone some other country's, and I certainly don't go around claiming that the bloated cost of the RF is justified by the height of some numinous profile. 90% of which is the Ruritanian family soap opera element anyway.

You (and @Theuniondivvie did so a couple of weeks ago) get triggered by any mention or putative celebration of English success in sport.

It stirs something deep within the Nat psyche; hence comments like this.

One could say the same about your reaction to their comments.

Also note his instant assumption that it's the 'English' I'm reacting to, as opposed to "general idiocy of requiring everyone to support some national team or other". I've made sarcastic comments on the Tebbit-Sillars doctrine on here before.

He is a twat, big inferiority complex about being English.

Casino's OK.
Just a bit combative on occasion, which I thought you might appreciate, malcolm.

Taz

Cookie said:

RochdalePioneers said:

This government is desperate to be photographed in front of vote winning things. The PM has decided not to bother with this one. Because it isn't seen as vote winning when they think about the knuckle-dragger vote. It's not proper football is it? Just the lasses having a kick-about. Why bother? Now if it was proper football with manly men, that would be different...

Just a thought, but if the women's team is more successful than the men's team, shouldn't they get paid more...?

Not this again.
They're not playing the same opposition. Shouldn't Oxford City be paid more than Oxford United? After all, Oxford City got promoted last year, United only finished 8th.
They should get paid what the market will bear. Which is a lot more than it would have done 20 years ago, but still a lot less than men's football. Because the level of interest is a lot less.

Which is why the tv rights went for far less. There was the rather hysterical response from FIFA to the offers from European broadcasters with all sorts of accusations. The tv rights offers will be based on commercial realities.

twistedfirestopper3

DecrepiterJohnL said:

twistedfirestopper3 said:

It can't be that important a national event, anyway. You have to pay to watch it on the telly......

Missing word? The ladies' soccerball final is free on BBC1 and ITV.

No it isn't. You have to pay 159 quid a year...