Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Options

Is Nicola Sturgeon an agent of MI5? – politicalbetting.com

2456

Comments

  • Options
    bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,027
    14 months of this from the Tory rags building to a crescendo at GE 2024

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/19/keir-starmer-is-now-the-least-trustworthy-man-in-british-po/
  • Options
    Pagan2 said:

    Great analysis.
    I would extend the disadvantaged age threshold to under 50.

    Anyone 50 or over reached the age of 30 before 2003 and was therefore able to get on the housing ladder before the great inflation of the 2000s.

    I am 44 and only *just* managed to get on to a property that suited me in 2011. It was already probably 2x more expensive than it had been a decade before. It is now 2x more again.
    For me its the defined benefit/defined contribution pension gap. Seems to map quite cleanly between those who benefited from high stability (un-globalised) jobs and the generation after.
    There will be a growing divide because of this between private and public sector workers. Personally getting fed up with friends that work public sector telling me that their pensions aren't gold plated as they will give them only 10k to 15k a year. I have contributed more than them and my dc pension will pay me the square root of fuck all due to 20 years of low interest rates....so much for the miracle of cumulative interest
    I've got a private sector dc pension pot that has declined by more than a quarter in the past two years because the fund managers keep picking the wrong lottery numbers or whatever else they've invested it in. Russian potato futures possibly.
  • Options
    LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 15,826
    viewcode said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    His partner was dependent on medication from the EU. Meeks was angry about this as he feared supplies would be disrupted by Brexit. Leavers were less than sympathetic, and escalation took place. Alastair left and never looked back. PB is frequently - how can I put this - interesting and it can serve as a useful early warning system for whatever the mad fuck politariat are planning this week, but it is not always necessary, and he worked out he could cope perfectly well without us.

    Some PBers have blogs: Cyclefree has one, Alastair has one, Isam has/had one. Are there any others?
    The three greatest events (i.e. betting victories) on pb.com were:

    1. The 50-1 bet by OGH on Obama for US President.
    2. The SNP to sweep the board at the 2015GE.
    3. AndyJS' legendary spreadsheet for the Brexit referendum.

    Will the site produce another betting victory to compare with those past triumphs?
  • Options
    londonpubmanlondonpubman Posts: 3,299

    14 months of this from the Tory rags building to a crescendo at GE 2024

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/19/keir-starmer-is-now-the-least-trustworthy-man-in-british-po/

    It's going to be a long 14 months to the GE! Things will really start to get going once we get to Party Conference season in September.

    We are only in the 'phoney war' stage at the moment.
  • Options
    Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 8,908

    Pagan2 said:

    Great analysis.
    I would extend the disadvantaged age threshold to under 50.

    Anyone 50 or over reached the age of 30 before 2003 and was therefore able to get on the housing ladder before the great inflation of the 2000s.

    I am 44 and only *just* managed to get on to a property that suited me in 2011. It was already probably 2x more expensive than it had been a decade before. It is now 2x more again.
    For me its the defined benefit/defined contribution pension gap. Seems to map quite cleanly between those who benefited from high stability (un-globalised) jobs and the generation after.
    There will be a growing divide because of this between private and public sector workers. Personally getting fed up with friends that work public sector telling me that their pensions aren't gold plated as they will give them only 10k to 15k a year. I have contributed more than them and my dc pension will pay me the square root of fuck all due to 20 years of low interest rates....so much for the miracle of cumulative interest
    I've got a private sector dc pension pot that has declined by more than a quarter in the past two years because the fund managers keep picking the wrong lottery numbers or whatever else they've invested it in. Russian potato futures possibly.
    Nods it is going to produce a huge divide. I do understand why my friends don't see it as gold plated. After all its only 12000 or so a year. They just dont seem to realise how much the rest of us need to have in our pension pot to get anywhere near there pension especially if as theres is it is index linked
  • Options
    Peter_the_PunterPeter_the_Punter Posts: 13,478
    edited August 2023
    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
  • Options
    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,650

    viewcode said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    His partner was dependent on medication from the EU. Meeks was angry about this as he feared supplies would be disrupted by Brexit. Leavers were less than sympathetic, and escalation took place. Alastair left and never looked back. PB is frequently - how can I put this - interesting and it can serve as a useful early warning system for whatever the mad fuck politariat are planning this week, but it is not always necessary, and he worked out he could cope perfectly well without us.

    Some PBers have blogs: Cyclefree has one, Alastair has one, Isam has/had one. Are there any others?
    The three greatest events (i.e. betting victories) on pb.com were:

    1. The 50-1 bet by OGH on Obama for US President.
    2. The SNP to sweep the board at the 2015GE.
    3. AndyJS' legendary spreadsheet for the Brexit referendum.

    Will the site produce another betting victory to compare with those past triumphs?
    @BartholomewRoberts' Rishi tip.
  • Options
    Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 8,908

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    To be fair to plato said poster was a mysogynist arsehole that targetted female posters for vituperation. I feel no loss to the site that he fucked off
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,598
    KJT has done it.
  • Options
    SandpitSandpit Posts: 50,230
    Gold for KJT!!! 🥇
  • Options
    Pagan2 said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    To be fair to plato said poster was a mysogynist arsehole that targetted female posters for vituperation. I feel no loss to the site that he fucked off
    Fairy nuff, but outing is still outing.
  • Options
    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,650

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    Charles never shrunk from telling us about his family so one poster told him about his (Charles') family and Charles wasn't happy so off he fucked.
  • Options
    londonpubmanlondonpubman Posts: 3,299
    Sandpit said:

    Gold for KJT!!! 🥇

    👍👍👍
  • Options
    Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 8,908

    Pagan2 said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    To be fair to plato said poster was a mysogynist arsehole that targetted female posters for vituperation. I feel no loss to the site that he fucked off
    Fairy nuff, but outing is still outing.
    I don't condone the outing, I also don't condone the actions he committed leading her to do it
  • Options
    ChrisChris Posts: 11,211
    Of course Nicola Sturgeon is not an MI5 agent. The idea is ridiculous!

    Particularly as all her time is already taken up with her undercover duties on behalf of the Prince and Princess of Wales, on a mission of sabotaging the British Women's World Cup team.
  • Options
    ROFL Leon hasn't gone anywhere, this is just what Sean does.

    He'll be back with a new personality soon.
  • Options
    carnforthcarnforth Posts: 3,299
    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Great analysis.
    I would extend the disadvantaged age threshold to under 50.

    Anyone 50 or over reached the age of 30 before 2003 and was therefore able to get on the housing ladder before the great inflation of the 2000s.

    I am 44 and only *just* managed to get on to a property that suited me in 2011. It was already probably 2x more expensive than it had been a decade before. It is now 2x more again.
    For me its the defined benefit/defined contribution pension gap. Seems to map quite cleanly between those who benefited from high stability (un-globalised) jobs and the generation after.
    There will be a growing divide because of this between private and public sector workers. Personally getting fed up with friends that work public sector telling me that their pensions aren't gold plated as they will give them only 10k to 15k a year. I have contributed more than them and my dc pension will pay me the square root of fuck all due to 20 years of low interest rates....so much for the miracle of cumulative interest
    I've got a private sector dc pension pot that has declined by more than a quarter in the past two years because the fund managers keep picking the wrong lottery numbers or whatever else they've invested it in. Russian potato futures possibly.
    Nods it is going to produce a huge divide. I do understand why my friends don't see it as gold plated. After all its only 12000 or so a year. They just dont seem to realise how much the rest of us need to have in our pension pot to get anywhere near there pension especially if as theres is it is index linked
    I did one of those online pension calculators. If I want a cushy pension of £20000 pa on top of the state pension, I need to pay £1150 per month into my SIPP from now until the age of 68. Unsurprisingly, I am not.
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,598

    viewcode said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    His partner was dependent on medication from the EU. Meeks was angry about this as he feared supplies would be disrupted by Brexit. Leavers were less than sympathetic, and escalation took place. Alastair left and never looked back. PB is frequently - how can I put this - interesting and it can serve as a useful early warning system for whatever the mad fuck politariat are planning this week, but it is not always necessary, and he worked out he could cope perfectly well without us.

    Some PBers have blogs: Cyclefree has one, Alastair has one, Isam has/had one. Are there any others?
    The three greatest events (i.e. betting victories) on pb.com were:

    1. The 50-1 bet by OGH on Obama for US President.
    2. The SNP to sweep the board at the 2015GE.
    3. AndyJS' legendary spreadsheet for the Brexit referendum.

    Will the site produce another betting victory to compare with those past triumphs?
    Certainly due one then. The most recent of those is 2016.
  • Options
    CiceroCicero Posts: 2,381

    14 months of this from the Tory rags building to a crescendo at GE 2024

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/19/keir-starmer-is-now-the-least-trustworthy-man-in-british-po/

    Newspaper circulation has fallen off a cliff in the past five years. You can see why, when so many of them insult the intelligence of their readership in this way. If the proprietors continue down this path of pure propaganda I can see several very long established titles going under pretty soon.

    Sad thing is, for several of them, it really will not be a loss.
  • Options
    Stark_DawningStark_Dawning Posts: 9,351

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    It was actually SeanT that finally made tim pack his bags (I assume it's tim you're referring to). The business with EdP and Plato (EdP did the actual doxing; Plato merely used the information to post a picture of tim's house) happened several months before, and tim let it pass at the time.
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,598
    TOPPING said:

    viewcode said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    His partner was dependent on medication from the EU. Meeks was angry about this as he feared supplies would be disrupted by Brexit. Leavers were less than sympathetic, and escalation took place. Alastair left and never looked back. PB is frequently - how can I put this - interesting and it can serve as a useful early warning system for whatever the mad fuck politariat are planning this week, but it is not always necessary, and he worked out he could cope perfectly well without us.

    Some PBers have blogs: Cyclefree has one, Alastair has one, Isam has/had one. Are there any others?
    The three greatest events (i.e. betting victories) on pb.com were:

    1. The 50-1 bet by OGH on Obama for US President.
    2. The SNP to sweep the board at the 2015GE.
    3. AndyJS' legendary spreadsheet for the Brexit referendum.

    Will the site produce another betting victory to compare with those past triumphs?
    @BartholomewRoberts' Rishi tip.
    Yes that was very good. 250 into evens at one point.
  • Options
    DavidL said:

    I presume 2/3 of children having a parent born outside the UK is in reference to London. It is 1/3 for the UK as a whole I think.
    My daughter had a brilliant definition of middle class. Middle class people were those that could keep the same alcohol in the house for more than a week. It really works and differentiates between those who genuinely live hand to mouth and those who just have that little band of comfort, even if it is psychological.
    Hurrah!

    Further proof that I am not middle class.

    #GoodMuslimBoy
  • Options
    TimSTimS Posts: 10,140
    Absolutely filthy weather for the bank holiday weekend coming up. Make the most of what we have now.
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,598

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I sensed that Leon was becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of deference he was receiving for the spine-tingling accuracy of some of his prophecies: AI and Lab Leak in particular.
    Nah, I think he just got a bit bored. Politics is a bit boring at the moment and probably will continue that way for a while, I think.

    He'll be back, but the Site will survive if he isn't.
    The US is anything but boring.
  • Options
    bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,027

    Pagan2 said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    To be fair to plato said poster was a mysogynist arsehole that targetted female posters for vituperation. I feel no loss to the site that he fucked off
    Fairy nuff, but outing is still outing.
    Sean Thomas outed Tim I think
  • Options
    kinabalu said:

    TOPPING said:

    viewcode said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    His partner was dependent on medication from the EU. Meeks was angry about this as he feared supplies would be disrupted by Brexit. Leavers were less than sympathetic, and escalation took place. Alastair left and never looked back. PB is frequently - how can I put this - interesting and it can serve as a useful early warning system for whatever the mad fuck politariat are planning this week, but it is not always necessary, and he worked out he could cope perfectly well without us.

    Some PBers have blogs: Cyclefree has one, Alastair has one, Isam has/had one. Are there any others?
    The three greatest events (i.e. betting victories) on pb.com were:

    1. The 50-1 bet by OGH on Obama for US President.
    2. The SNP to sweep the board at the 2015GE.
    3. AndyJS' legendary spreadsheet for the Brexit referendum.

    Will the site produce another betting victory to compare with those past triumphs?
    @BartholomewRoberts' Rishi tip.
    Yes that was very good. 250 into evens at one point.
    What about my Labour lead?
  • Options
    SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 20,889
    It's the cocktail hour: Becherovka mixed with Coop alcohol-free Pina Colada.

    A winning combination.

    And no prizes for guessing what Wor Lass brought me back from Prague!
  • Options

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    It was actually SeanT that finally made tim pack his bags (I assume it's tim you're referring to). The business with EdP and Plato (EdP did the actual doxing; Plato merely used the information to post a picture of tim's house) happened several months before, and tim let it pass at the time.
    Yes, it was Tim but I couldn't remember the name.

    I wouldn't want to go into the details even if I could remember them accurately but I think posting a pic of someone's house without their consent is a bit much.
  • Options
    viewcodeviewcode Posts: 19,338
    edited August 2023

    viewcode said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    His partner was dependent on medication from the EU. Meeks was angry about this as he feared supplies would be disrupted by Brexit. Leavers were less than sympathetic, and escalation took place. Alastair left and never looked back. PB is frequently - how can I put this - interesting and it can serve as a useful early warning system for whatever the mad fuck politariat are planning this week, but it is not always necessary, and he worked out he could cope perfectly well without us.

    Some PBers have blogs: Cyclefree has one, Alastair has one, Isam has/had one. Are there any others?
    The three greatest events (i.e. betting victories) on pb.com were:

    1. The 50-1 bet by OGH on Obama for US President.
    2. The SNP to sweep the board at the 2015GE.
    3. AndyJS' legendary spreadsheet for the Brexit referendum.

    Will the site produce another betting victory to compare with those past triumphs?
    There was one week when Cabinet Members were dropping like flies and (I think it was) @TSE predicted two 30plus-to-one shots back to back, a cumulative probability of 900ish/1 . In terms of single odds, if the prediction of Chris Christie for POTUS at 120/1 comes off, it'll be the greatest single-odds winner in my memory. @RodCrosby predicted a Cameron 2015 majority, and I think the odds were 10+/1. There was also one case (@Sandpit?) who pointed out that the odds on the LDs getting X+ seats (where X=20 or 30, I forget which) were wildly out and free money existed for about three hours until they recalibrated.
  • Options
    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 25,681
    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    To be fair to plato said poster was a mysogynist arsehole that targetted female posters for vituperation. I feel no loss to the site that he fucked off
    Fairy nuff, but outing is still outing.
    I don't condone the outing, I also don't condone the actions he committed leading her to do it
    If it is the poster I am thinking of, it was when the site was at its most loyal to the Conservative/conservative cause and dissent was slapped down with ruthless abandon, and he was very outspoken against all that was then good and righteous. It is around the time I took several years leave of absence.

    If it is that poster, he was very knowledgeable and a punter. A knowledgeable punter too.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 92,497

    The Ukrainians are claiming to have destroyed one of Russia's 65 Tu-22M3 long range bomber aircraft with a UAV that hit a Russian airbase in Novgorod. These bombers have been used to fire long-range missiles at Ukraine from as far away as the Caspian Sea.

    There's been a large expansion in Ukraine's home-produced drone capability this year. A capability that isn't subject to the restriction not to hit targets in Russia that applies to weapons supplied by NATO countries.

    Ukraine will come out of this as a major European power in its own right.
    They are one of the larger populations in Europe, and even if poor by comparison it's fair to assume they will have an outsized military after all this.
  • Options
    boulayboulay Posts: 4,251

    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    To be fair to plato said poster was a mysogynist arsehole that targetted female posters for vituperation. I feel no loss to the site that he fucked off
    Fairy nuff, but outing is still outing.
    I don't condone the outing, I also don't condone the actions he committed leading her to do it
    If it is the poster I am thinking of, it was when the site was at its most loyal to the Conservative/conservative cause and dissent was slapped down with ruthless abandon, and he was very outspoken against all that was then good and righteous. It is around the time I took several years leave of absence.

    If it is that poster, he was very knowledgeable and a punter. A knowledgeable punter too.
    He was fantastically snarky and dry - despite being the opposite on the political spectrum I loved his posts. He would bring a stiletto and a bazooka to a conker match.
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,598

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I sensed that Leon was becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of deference he was receiving for the spine-tingling accuracy of some of his prophecies: AI and Lab Leak in particular.
    Lab Leak he was incredibly invested in. Don't know if he'll return but I would hope so. Yucky politics but a very skilled writer. Mind you, there's a few PBers who are. Once I stopped talking on here and did a bit more listening I realized that.
  • Options
    SandpitSandpit Posts: 50,230

    Sandpit said:

    Gold for KJT!!! 🥇

    👍👍👍
    Gold medals do not come along that often for us in the athletic world championships so KJT's performance should be loudly applauded!
    Indeed so. She was hoping to be in contention, but didn’t expect to be right up there. A PB in the 800m as well, two seconds slower and shee have lost that gold medal.

    Tomorrow’s front page picture editors now have a decision to make! I’d go for the winner.
  • Options

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    MikeL said:

    Polling for Australian Indigenous Voice is interesting.

    Started with huge support for Yes but now looks likely that No will win.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2023_Australian_Indigenous_Voice_referendum

    Yes which would be shock for Australia on a par with Brexit here.

    Looks like Victoria, Tasmania (and NT and ACT will vote for) but South Australia, NSW and overwhelmingly Western Australia and Queensland will vote against
    No, you're showing your lack of knowledge again, it won't be that much of a shock.

    Almost every proposed referendum in Australian history has failed. Referendums failing down-under is the norm, not a shock.

    Robert Menzies famously once said The truth of the matter is that to get an affirmative vote from the Australian people on a referendum proposal is one of the labours of Hercules.
    Of course it would be a shock especially given the big Yes lead at the start of the campaign and also show deep cultural divisions in Australia on the extent of wokeness and its history
    No, it won't.

    The truth is that referenda in Australia have typically followed such a pattern. Its something I studied, in school, down-under in the 90s (ie prior to the republic referendum). Its a well known and well understood phenomenon. The same happened with the republic referendum, started with large Yes poll leads, then became the typical No by the time of the poll.

    So please stop trying to pretend otherwise.
    Bart, you've really disappointed me.

    We all know about Latin plurals but this is England and we are English. Referendums please, or wear a toga when posting.

    [Skulks off.]
    You sound like a funguses
  • Options
    Alphabet_SoupAlphabet_Soup Posts: 2,793
    TOPPING said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    Charles never shrunk from telling us about his family so one poster told him about his (Charles') family and Charles wasn't happy so off he fucked.
    Charles' departure was a loss to the site. There aren't many old-school Tories left. Just the aspirational sort with over-wide lapels.
  • Options
    CookieCookie Posts: 11,716

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Brexit messed with him, like it did so many.
    More that Brexiteers messed with him? They were at their most aggressively triumphant at that point I think.
    Not really. Many of us really, really wanted to find some common ground with him but he was so furious all the time on tge subject it was impossible. He rana regular column subtitled 'Why no voters are all awful'. I paraphrase only slightly.
    I really liked him prior to Brexit, but Brexit sent him madder than most.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 92,497
    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I sensed that Leon was becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of deference he was receiving for the spine-tingling accuracy of some of his prophecies: AI and Lab Leak in particular.
    Lab Leak he was incredibly invested in. Don't know if he'll return but I would hope so. Yucky politics but a very skilled writer. Mind you, there's a few PBers who are. Once I stopped talking on here and did a bit more listening I realized that.
    Even in the Leon persona he'd said before he'd go and didn't. He'll be happy just to be talked about.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 45,223

    Pagan2 said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    To be fair to plato said poster was a mysogynist arsehole that targetted female posters for vituperation. I feel no loss to the site that he fucked off
    Fairy nuff, but outing is still outing.
    Indeed, doxxing has driven out a fair few in my time here.

  • Options
    CookieCookie Posts: 11,716
    Cookie said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Brexit messed with him, like it did so many.
    More that Brexiteers messed with him? They were at their most aggressively triumphant at that point I think.
    Not really. Many of us really, really wanted to find some common ground with him but he was so furious all the time on tge subject it was impossible. He rana regular column subtitled 'Why no voters are all awful'. I paraphrase only slightly.
    I really liked him prior to Brexit, but Brexit sent him madder than most.
    Gah. 'Why Leave voters are awful', I meant. Must have got subliminally confused on referenda as I was replying to a Nat!
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 20,331
    boulay said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    To be fair to plato said poster was a mysogynist arsehole that targetted female posters for vituperation. I feel no loss to the site that he fucked off
    Fairy nuff, but outing is still outing.
    I don't condone the outing, I also don't condone the actions he committed leading her to do it
    If it is the poster I am thinking of, it was when the site was at its most loyal to the Conservative/conservative cause and dissent was slapped down with ruthless abandon, and he was very outspoken against all that was then good and righteous. It is around the time I took several years leave of absence.

    If it is that poster, he was very knowledgeable and a punter. A knowledgeable punter too.
    He was fantastically snarky and dry - despite being the opposite on the political spectrum I loved his posts. He would bring a stiletto and a bazooka to a conker match.
    Tim is one of the all-time greats of PB, the site is much the weaker for his departure.
  • Options
    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 115,008
    edited August 2023
    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    His partner was dependent on medication from the EU. Meeks was angry about this as he feared supplies would be disrupted by Brexit. Leavers were less than sympathetic, and escalation took place. Alastair left and never looked back. PB is frequently - how can I put this - interesting and it can serve as a useful early warning system for whatever the mad fuck politariat are planning this week, but it is not always necessary, and he worked out he could cope perfectly well without us.

    Some PBers have blogs: Cyclefree has one, Alastair has one, Isam has/had one. Are there any others?
    The three greatest events (i.e. betting victories) on pb.com were:

    1. The 50-1 bet by OGH on Obama for US President.
    2. The SNP to sweep the board at the 2015GE.
    3. AndyJS' legendary spreadsheet for the Brexit referendum.

    Will the site produce another betting victory to compare with those past triumphs?
    There was one week when Cabinet Members were dropping like flies and (I think it was) @TSE predicted two 30plus-to-one shots back to back, a cumulative probability of 900ish/1 . In terms of single odds, if the prediction of Chris Christie for POTUS at 120/1 comes off, it'll be the greatest single-odds winner in my memory. @RodCrosby predicted a Cameron 2015 majority, and I think the odds were 10+/1. There was also one case (@Sandpit?) who pointed out that the odds on the LDs getting X+ seats (where X=20 or 30, I forget which) were wildly out and free money existed for about three hours until they recalibrated.
    In 2017 I had two 33/1 winners in the space of 12 hours.

    Amber Rudd as next out of the cabinet then Sajid Javid as next Home Secretary.

    If only we could do accumulators on political bets.
  • Options
    SandpitSandpit Posts: 50,230
    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    His partner was dependent on medication from the EU. Meeks was angry about this as he feared supplies would be disrupted by Brexit. Leavers were less than sympathetic, and escalation took place. Alastair left and never looked back. PB is frequently - how can I put this - interesting and it can serve as a useful early warning system for whatever the mad fuck politariat are planning this week, but it is not always necessary, and he worked out he could cope perfectly well without us.

    Some PBers have blogs: Cyclefree has one, Alastair has one, Isam has/had one. Are there any others?
    The three greatest events (i.e. betting victories) on pb.com were:

    1. The 50-1 bet by OGH on Obama for US President.
    2. The SNP to sweep the board at the 2015GE.
    3. AndyJS' legendary spreadsheet for the Brexit referendum.

    Will the site produce another betting victory to compare with those past triumphs?
    There was one week when Cabinet Members were dropping like flies and (I think it was) @TSE predicted two 30plus-to-one shots back to back, a cumulative probability of 900ish/1 . In terms of single odds, if the prediction of Chris Christie for POTUS at 120/1 comes off, it'll be the greatest single-odds winner in my memory. @RodCrosby predicted a Cameron 2015 majority, and I think the odds were 10+/1. There was also one case (@Sandpit?) who pointed out that the odds on the LDs getting X+ seats (where X=20 or 30, I forget which) were wildly out and free money existed for about three hours until they recalibrated.
    Was that me, half-drunk at 4am on election night? I’ll have to check it myself when I’m on the computer, I’d think it more likely to be @rcs1000
  • Options
    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 92,497
    edited August 2023

    Pagan2 said:

    Great analysis.
    I would extend the disadvantaged age threshold to under 50.

    Anyone 50 or over reached the age of 30 before 2003 and was therefore able to get on the housing ladder before the great inflation of the 2000s.

    I am 44 and only *just* managed to get on to a property that suited me in 2011. It was already probably 2x more expensive than it had been a decade before. It is now 2x more again.
    For me its the defined benefit/defined contribution pension gap. Seems to map quite cleanly between those who benefited from high stability (un-globalised) jobs and the generation after.
    There will be a growing divide because of this between private and public sector workers. Personally getting fed up with friends that work public sector telling me that their pensions aren't gold plated as they will give them only 10k to 15k a year. I have contributed more than them and my dc pension will pay me the square root of fuck all due to 20 years of low interest rates....so much for the miracle of cumulative interest
    Go and work in the Public Sector then.

    Plenty of vacancies due to the shit wages
    There's clearly tradeoffs between the two sectors, which are not homogenous even within themselves, so I never quite get like it is portrayed that one is so much superior to the other in some very obvious way - if that were so, why do we have anyone in the shit one, whichever that is?

    Yes yes, we couldn't have all one and not the other, but the point being when people complain about their one not being as good as the other, surely they can do something about that as an individual at least?
  • Options
    DougSealDougSeal Posts: 11,551

    kinabalu said:

    TOPPING said:

    viewcode said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    His partner was dependent on medication from the EU. Meeks was angry about this as he feared supplies would be disrupted by Brexit. Leavers were less than sympathetic, and escalation took place. Alastair left and never looked back. PB is frequently - how can I put this - interesting and it can serve as a useful early warning system for whatever the mad fuck politariat are planning this week, but it is not always necessary, and he worked out he could cope perfectly well without us.

    Some PBers have blogs: Cyclefree has one, Alastair has one, Isam has/had one. Are there any others?
    The three greatest events (i.e. betting victories) on pb.com were:

    1. The 50-1 bet by OGH on Obama for US President.
    2. The SNP to sweep the board at the 2015GE.
    3. AndyJS' legendary spreadsheet for the Brexit referendum.

    Will the site produce another betting victory to compare with those past triumphs?
    @BartholomewRoberts' Rishi tip.
    Yes that was very good. 250 into evens at one point.
    What about my Labour lead?
    Or my Truss comeback tip?
  • Options
    Betting related post.

    Elsewhere, the former Arkansas governor turned Trump critic Asa Hutchinson said he had qualified for the debate and would sign the pledge. Insisting that Trump would not be the nominee, Hutchinson refused to say what he would do if he was.

    Speaking from Des Moines, Iowa, Hutchinson told CNN’s State of the Union: “I am pleased to announce that we have met … the polling criteria and now we have met the 40,000 individual donor criteria. We submitted to the RNC 42,000 individual donors and I’m delighted.”

    FiveThirtyEight.com puts Hutchinson at 0.7% support – to 53.7% for Trump.

    “I’ll sign the pledge,” Hutchinson said. “I’m confident Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee of the party. And I’ve always supported the nominee. So I’m gonna sign the pledge.”


    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/20/trump-hutchinson-republican-debate-pence?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,598

    Foxy advising everyone that Leicester were serious title contenders was a decent tip too, albeit not political. And of course he did very nicely from his pre-season bet.

    Really? Well that beats everything. They were 4 digits. Another from ancient history though. Sounds like PB has been in serious decline approximately since I joined. 🤔
  • Options
    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 25,681
    Sandpit said:

    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    His partner was dependent on medication from the EU. Meeks was angry about this as he feared supplies would be disrupted by Brexit. Leavers were less than sympathetic, and escalation took place. Alastair left and never looked back. PB is frequently - how can I put this - interesting and it can serve as a useful early warning system for whatever the mad fuck politariat are planning this week, but it is not always necessary, and he worked out he could cope perfectly well without us.

    Some PBers have blogs: Cyclefree has one, Alastair has one, Isam has/had one. Are there any others?
    The three greatest events (i.e. betting victories) on pb.com were:

    1. The 50-1 bet by OGH on Obama for US President.
    2. The SNP to sweep the board at the 2015GE.
    3. AndyJS' legendary spreadsheet for the Brexit referendum.

    Will the site produce another betting victory to compare with those past triumphs?
    There was one week when Cabinet Members were dropping like flies and (I think it was) @TSE predicted two 30plus-to-one shots back to back, a cumulative probability of 900ish/1 . In terms of single odds, if the prediction of Chris Christie for POTUS at 120/1 comes off, it'll be the greatest single-odds winner in my memory. @RodCrosby predicted a Cameron 2015 majority, and I think the odds were 10+/1. There was also one case (@Sandpit?) who pointed out that the odds on the LDs getting X+ seats (where X=20 or 30, I forget which) were wildly out and free money existed for about three hours until they recalibrated.
    Was that me, half-drunk at 4am on election night? I’ll have to check it myself when I’m on the computer, I’d think it more likely to be @rcs1000
    @rcs1000 predicting a Conservative majority of 80 before the polls closed at GE2019 was either genius or a lucky guess.
  • Options

    boulay said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    To be fair to plato said poster was a mysogynist arsehole that targetted female posters for vituperation. I feel no loss to the site that he fucked off
    Fairy nuff, but outing is still outing.
    I don't condone the outing, I also don't condone the actions he committed leading her to do it
    If it is the poster I am thinking of, it was when the site was at its most loyal to the Conservative/conservative cause and dissent was slapped down with ruthless abandon, and he was very outspoken against all that was then good and righteous. It is around the time I took several years leave of absence.

    If it is that poster, he was very knowledgeable and a punter. A knowledgeable punter too.
    He was fantastically snarky and dry - despite being the opposite on the political spectrum I loved his posts. He would bring a stiletto and a bazooka to a conker match.
    Tim is one of the all-time greats of PB, the site is much the weaker for his departure.
    Absolutely. I come here for lots of reasons, none of them betting related, and Tim was always worth a read, especially when he was riled.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 92,497

    TOPPING said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    Charles never shrunk from telling us about his family so one poster told him about his (Charles') family and Charles wasn't happy so off he fucked.
    Charles' departure was a loss to the site. There aren't many old-school Tories left. Just the aspirational sort with over-wide lapels.
    And forelock tuggers?
  • Options
    geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,221
     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

  • Options
    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 45,102
    A
    Cookie said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Brexit messed with him, like it did so many.
    More that Brexiteers messed with him? They were at their most aggressively triumphant at that point I think.
    Not really. Many of us really, really wanted to find some common ground with him but he was so furious all the time on tge subject it was impossible. He rana regular column subtitled 'Why no voters are all awful'. I paraphrase only slightly.
    I really liked him prior to Brexit, but Brexit sent him madder than most.
    Yes. He reached a point of saying all Brexit advocates were pure evil and demanding they admit their error. It was due to an intensely personal circumstance.

    I think he left because being a constant rage was doing him harm, and he recognised that.
  • Options
    geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,221

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    He may have been a Scottish mountain in a previous incarnation

  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 45,102
    Foxy said:

    Pagan2 said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    To be fair to plato said poster was a mysogynist arsehole that targetted female posters for vituperation. I feel no loss to the site that he fucked off
    Fairy nuff, but outing is still outing.
    Indeed, doxxing has driven out a fair few in my time here.

    It’s another of those things where

    1) it is never a good idea
    2) people claim it was justified in this one case and why are other people upset with them?
  • Options
    stodgestodge Posts: 12,984
    Afternoon all :)

    The truth is many sold private pensions were sold a right pup predicated on stock markets keeping in front of inflation forever. "Managed" funds put into the stock market just haven't delivered what those selling them claimed they would.

    The same happened with those savings plans to pay off mortgages which were supposedly going to pay off your mortgage at the end of its term - you paid the Interest and into the Savings Plan which would deliver the capital balance - mine didn't coming in several thousand short.

    If inflation is 7% and the FTSE 100 is down 4%, there's no winner. Those who invest in managed funds are the equivalent of you all giving me £50 a race to bet at Lingfield tomorrow. You might get more than your £50 back but given my record as a tipster, it's more likely you'll end up with nothing.

    "Public Sector Pensions" covers a gamut of schemes from the ones enjoyed by Police and Firefighters through the Local Government scheme to the Teachers' scheme. They aren't all the same.
  • Options
    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 42,340

    TOPPING said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    Charles never shrunk from telling us about his family so one poster told him about his (Charles') family and Charles wasn't happy so off he fucked.
    Charles' departure was a loss to the site. There aren't many old-school Tories left. Just the aspirational sort with over-wide lapels.
    He only posted about his first class flights , fancy hotels , air miles and California / London mansions. Not one I miss for sure.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 45,223
    edited August 2023

    Foxy advising everyone that Leicester were serious title contenders was a decent tip too, albeit not political. And of course he did very nicely from his pre-season bet.

    Other very good tips were the tip on Macron when no one had heard of him. (Something) in Paris was his name. I did very well on that.

    Really successful tips require unanticipated outcomes. At the moment though both here and USA look very predictable. That may be wrong of course.

    I made £100+ on The Tories in Uxbridge recently. I am on the SNP in Rutherglen at 15/1, Nats being very sticky despite the last years shitshow in the SNP.
  • Options
    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 25,681

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    He angered OGH for dissing @Cyclefree 's excellent header yesterday. A long running itch that @Miklosvar and his previous incarnation sadly kept feeling they needed to scratch. An excellent if controversial poster.
  • Options
    FairlieredFairliered Posts: 4,126
    kle4 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Great analysis.
    I would extend the disadvantaged age threshold to under 50.

    Anyone 50 or over reached the age of 30 before 2003 and was therefore able to get on the housing ladder before the great inflation of the 2000s.

    I am 44 and only *just* managed to get on to a property that suited me in 2011. It was already probably 2x more expensive than it had been a decade before. It is now 2x more again.
    For me its the defined benefit/defined contribution pension gap. Seems to map quite cleanly between those who benefited from high stability (un-globalised) jobs and the generation after.
    There will be a growing divide because of this between private and public sector workers. Personally getting fed up with friends that work public sector telling me that their pensions aren't gold plated as they will give them only 10k to 15k a year. I have contributed more than them and my dc pension will pay me the square root of fuck all due to 20 years of low interest rates....so much for the miracle of cumulative interest
    Go and work in the Public Sector then.

    Plenty of vacancies due to the shit wages
    There's clearly tradeoffs between the two sectors, which are not homogenous even within themselves, so I never quite get like it is portrayed that one is so much superior to the other in some very obvious way - if that were so, why do we have anyone in the shit one, whichever that is?

    Yes yes, we couldn't have all one and not the other, but the point being when people complain about their one not being as good as the other, surely they can do something about that as an individual at least?
    Most PBers, being right of centre, prefer the greater prospects of the private sector. It’s a pity that some don’t accept that others are willing to trade that for lower pay but better security and pensions; although I’m not so sure about the better security nowadays.
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 45,102
    A

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    He posted direct personal attacks on @Cyclefree, on the thread under her header, after Mike made it clear that such attacks would result in a ban.
  • Options

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    He angered OGH for dissing @Cyclefree 's excellent header yesterday. A long running itch that @Miklosvar and his previous incarnation sadly kept feeling they needed to scratch. An excellent if controversial poster.
    There are some excellent posters here who I disagree with but find interesting, that is why I joined PB in the first place.

    The problem increasingly is that dissenting points of view are shut down too easily and too quickly. I don't see why if somebody isn't really pro Ukraine why they are necessarily a Russian stooge but that is the charge that is levelled.

    @MrEd didn't seem to commit any crime and was routinely shut down until he was banned.
  • Options
    stodge said:

    Afternoon all :)

    The truth is many sold private pensions were sold a right pup predicated on stock markets keeping in front of inflation forever. "Managed" funds put into the stock market just haven't delivered what those selling them claimed they would.

    The same happened with those savings plans to pay off mortgages which were supposedly going to pay off your mortgage at the end of its term - you paid the Interest and into the Savings Plan which would deliver the capital balance - mine didn't coming in several thousand short.

    If inflation is 7% and the FTSE 100 is down 4%, there's no winner. Those who invest in managed funds are the equivalent of you all giving me £50 a race to bet at Lingfield tomorrow. You might get more than your £50 back but given my record as a tipster, it's more likely you'll end up with nothing.

    "Public Sector Pensions" covers a gamut of schemes from the ones enjoyed by Police and Firefighters through the Local Government scheme to the Teachers' scheme. They aren't all the same.

    I was lucky, managed to be protected for my FS pension due to my age and length of service when the new pensions were bought in. Colleagues just a bit younger than me found out they had to work longer and get a lot less than what they signed up for. Cost me a fair chunk of wages when we went on strike to try and stop it, even though it didn't really affect me.
  • Options

    kle4 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Great analysis.
    I would extend the disadvantaged age threshold to under 50.

    Anyone 50 or over reached the age of 30 before 2003 and was therefore able to get on the housing ladder before the great inflation of the 2000s.

    I am 44 and only *just* managed to get on to a property that suited me in 2011. It was already probably 2x more expensive than it had been a decade before. It is now 2x more again.
    For me its the defined benefit/defined contribution pension gap. Seems to map quite cleanly between those who benefited from high stability (un-globalised) jobs and the generation after.
    There will be a growing divide because of this between private and public sector workers. Personally getting fed up with friends that work public sector telling me that their pensions aren't gold plated as they will give them only 10k to 15k a year. I have contributed more than them and my dc pension will pay me the square root of fuck all due to 20 years of low interest rates....so much for the miracle of cumulative interest
    Go and work in the Public Sector then.

    Plenty of vacancies due to the shit wages
    There's clearly tradeoffs between the two sectors, which are not homogenous even within themselves, so I never quite get like it is portrayed that one is so much superior to the other in some very obvious way - if that were so, why do we have anyone in the shit one, whichever that is?

    Yes yes, we couldn't have all one and not the other, but the point being when people complain about their one not being as good as the other, surely they can do something about that as an individual at least?
    Most PBers, being right of centre, prefer the greater prospects of the private sector. It’s a pity that some don’t accept that others are willing to trade that for lower pay but better security and pensions; although I’m not so sure about the better security nowadays.
    Really? I'd say this site is more centrist than when I joined several years ago. It was much more pro-Tory then and for a time it was only me and about three others that were remotely pro-Labour/left.
  • Options
    SandpitSandpit Posts: 50,230
    edited August 2023
    Well there’s tomorrow’s provisional front page photo. Good luck to Zharnel Hughes in the 100m.
  • Options

    A

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    He posted direct personal attacks on @Cyclefree, on the thread under her header, after Mike made it clear that such attacks would result in a ban.
    What were personal about the attacks? Didn't he just say he objected to the length but I may have missed any more context.

    Still, I think banning the user was the wrong approach. They had interesting stuff to say, as do you.
  • Options
    TazTaz Posts: 11,643

    A

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    He posted direct personal attacks on @Cyclefree, on the thread under her header, after Mike made it clear that such attacks would result in a ban.
    He’s had numerous bans in the past and, no doubt, will have numerous bans in the future too.
  • Options
    Taz said:

    A

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    He posted direct personal attacks on @Cyclefree, on the thread under her header, after Mike made it clear that such attacks would result in a ban.
    He’s had numerous bans in the past and, no doubt, will have numerous bans in the future too.
    Are you talking about me? You are absolutely right - but I will try not to mis-behave again
  • Options
    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 25,681

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    He angered OGH for dissing @Cyclefree 's excellent header yesterday. A long running itch that @Miklosvar and his previous incarnation sadly kept feeling they needed to scratch. An excellent if controversial poster.
    There are some excellent posters here who I disagree with but find interesting, that is why I joined PB in the first place.

    The problem increasingly is that dissenting points of view are shut down too easily and too quickly. I don't see why if somebody isn't really pro Ukraine why they are necessarily a Russian stooge but that is the charge that is levelled.

    @MrEd didn't seem to commit any crime and was routinely shut down until he was banned.
    Unless one uses the c-bomb, genuinely doxxes another poster, seriously insults another poster (I mean royally offends) or is an agent of Vladimir Putin, on the whole toleration is the watch word.

    Mr Ed was a great poster but a genuinely scary character. Perhaps you got on with him because of the horse connection.
  • Options

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?
    FAKE NEWS! (clue: he wasn't called that!)
  • Options
    CookieCookie Posts: 11,716

    kle4 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Great analysis.
    I would extend the disadvantaged age threshold to under 50.

    Anyone 50 or over reached the age of 30 before 2003 and was therefore able to get on the housing ladder before the great inflation of the 2000s.

    I am 44 and only *just* managed to get on to a property that suited me in 2011. It was already probably 2x more expensive than it had been a decade before. It is now 2x more again.
    For me its the defined benefit/defined contribution pension gap. Seems to map quite cleanly between those who benefited from high stability (un-globalised) jobs and the generation after.
    There will be a growing divide because of this between private and public sector workers. Personally getting fed up with friends that work public sector telling me that their pensions aren't gold plated as they will give them only 10k to 15k a year. I have contributed more than them and my dc pension will pay me the square root of fuck all due to 20 years of low interest rates....so much for the miracle of cumulative interest
    Go and work in the Public Sector then.

    Plenty of vacancies due to the shit wages
    There's clearly tradeoffs between the two sectors, which are not homogenous even within themselves, so I never quite get like it is portrayed that one is so much superior to the other in some very obvious way - if that were so, why do we have anyone in the shit one, whichever that is?

    Yes yes, we couldn't have all one and not the other, but the point being when people complain about their one not being as good as the other, surely they can do something about that as an individual at least?
    Most PBers, being right of centre, prefer the greater prospects of the private sector. It’s a pity that some don’t accept that others are willing to trade that for lower pay but better security and pensions; although I’m not so sure about the better security nowadays.
    I work in the public sector because I see pensions as part of my renumeration. It baffles me that others don't do the same.
  • Options

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    No. There are a number of posters on here who follow a pro-Russian, or at least a more neutral, position and they are not banned. Dura-Ace is one example that springs to mind.

    But crossing a line by ignoring repeated warnings not to make personal attacks on posters is pretty much gauranteed to get you banned. For clarity, I suspect it is not necesarily the personal attacks but ignoring the warnings that result in the departure.
  • Options

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    He angered OGH for dissing @Cyclefree 's excellent header yesterday. A long running itch that @Miklosvar and his previous incarnation sadly kept feeling they needed to scratch. An excellent if controversial poster.
    There are some excellent posters here who I disagree with but find interesting, that is why I joined PB in the first place.

    The problem increasingly is that dissenting points of view are shut down too easily and too quickly. I don't see why if somebody isn't really pro Ukraine why they are necessarily a Russian stooge but that is the charge that is levelled.

    @MrEd didn't seem to commit any crime and was routinely shut down until he was banned.
    Unless one uses the c-bomb, genuinely doxxes another poster, seriously insults another poster (I mean royally offends) or is an agent of Vladimir Putin, on the whole toleration is the watch word.

    Mr Ed was a great poster but a genuinely scary character. Perhaps you got on with him because of the horse connection.
    But MrEd didn't do any of those things. He had some out there views but nothing more than others who are still here.

    He was always polite and pleasant. It really made no sense to ban him, he was one of the few very right wing posters I really liked reading.
  • Options
    boulayboulay Posts: 4,251

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    Mikslovar was banned because he took umbrage to Cyclefree’s header. Problem was that he took a position before her very good post that you don’t need a thousand words to critique the Lucy Letby situation, his position was, to précis, it’s wrong and shit and their is no defence or need to spin it out, just wrong on every level.

    Unfortunately Mikslovar is quite “all or nothing” and so stuck to guns and was his cantankerous self which didn’t go down well. It did come across potentially as rude to Cyclefree but if you are punchy to everyone then it’s not personal to Cyclefree. I didn’t see anything remotely sexist, just punchy. But it’s the choice of the site owner, to which we owe a lot, but it’s a shame that it was seen in a way it wasn’t.

    I think it’s clear we like and need all voices and some of the funniest moments have been the explosions- I myself called for the death of senior Russian’s children in a moment of drunkenmadangerness- or flounces but the mix of attitudes, views, characters makes it PB and why it’s better than CIF or Mumsnet. We can be rude, punchy, silly, wrong, seriously wrong but it triggers discussions and debate.

    So I get banning people for putting the site at risk legally, using the C word but not for being rude because there are always diamonds in the rough. Sometimes a lot of rough to get through but a wide range of knowledge, experience and booze addled thoughts.
  • Options
    FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,097

    A

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    He posted direct personal attacks on @Cyclefree, on the thread under her header, after Mike made it clear that such attacks would result in a ban.
    It's rather sad that one of the few prominent women on here seems to get a lot of abuse.
  • Options
    I did a seven hour shift today. I like working Sundays; it's an easy day's work: like being an Amazon driver - no heavy bags of mail to carry while walking miles

    What has started to annoy me a little bit about it is how many people say, "I didn't know Royal Mail worked Sundays!"

    It's not annoying for anything of itself, just that I hear it so often and I'm bored of saying "oh yes we do"

    Today (when it was said to me fifteen to twenty times) I decided on a different response: I told them all, in my poshest voice, that RM doesn't; I'm just an eccentric millionaire who does this for fun at the weekend

    Every single person I said it to laughed heartily. I'm going to stick with it
  • Options

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    No. There are a number of posters on here who follow a pro-Russian, or at least a more neutral, position and they are not banned. Dura-Ace is one example that springs to mind.

    But crossing a line by ignoring repeated warnings not to make personal attacks on posters is pretty much gauranteed to get you banned. For clarity, I suspect it is not necesarily the personal attacks but ignoring the warnings that result in the departure.
    I must have missed the personal attacks he made, all I saw was commenting on the length of CycleFree's post.

    I will add no more comment on Cyclefree myself as I do not wish to engage in anything that might impact me.
  • Options
    Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 8,908

    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    To be fair to plato said poster was a mysogynist arsehole that targetted female posters for vituperation. I feel no loss to the site that he fucked off
    Fairy nuff, but outing is still outing.
    I don't condone the outing, I also don't condone the actions he committed leading her to do it
    If it is the poster I am thinking of, it was when the site was at its most loyal to the Conservative/conservative cause and dissent was slapped down with ruthless abandon, and he was very outspoken against all that was then good and righteous. It is around the time I took several years leave of absence.

    If it is that poster, he was very knowledgeable and a punter. A knowledgeable punter too.
    He may have been a knowledgeable punter, didn't make him not a mysoginst arsehole. He went after posters because they were female. Now I have a reputation for belligerence but I don't think I have ever gone after a poster because of what they are merely what they say. Tim however would go after a female poster with spite
  • Options
    boulay said:

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    Mikslovar was banned because he took umbrage to Cyclefree’s header. Problem was that he took a position before her very good post that you don’t need a thousand words to critique the Lucy Letby situation, his position was, to précis, it’s wrong and shit and their is no defence or need to spin it out, just wrong on every level.

    Unfortunately Mikslovar is quite “all or nothing” and so stuck to guns and was his cantankerous self which didn’t go down well. It did come across potentially as rude to Cyclefree but if you are punchy to everyone then it’s not personal to Cyclefree. I didn’t see anything remotely sexist, just punchy. But it’s the choice of the site owner, to which we owe a lot, but it’s a shame that it was seen in a way it wasn’t.

    I think it’s clear we like and need all voices and some of the funniest moments have been the explosions- I myself called for the death of senior Russian’s children in a moment of drunkenmadangerness- or flounces but the mix of attitudes, views, characters makes it PB and why it’s better than CIF or Mumsnet. We can be rude, punchy, silly, wrong, seriously wrong but it triggers discussions and debate.

    So I get banning people for putting the site at risk legally, using the C word but not for being rude because there are always diamonds in the rough. Sometimes a lot of rough to get through but a wide range of knowledge, experience and booze addled thoughts.
    Great post, totally agree with you.

    I myself have been banned for using the C word so I now steer well clear of it. I just hope for taking a more "neutral" view on Ukraine I will not be accused of being a stooge as others were. As for Cyclefree I will make no further comment from now.
  • Options
    SandpitSandpit Posts: 50,230
    How the hell can you sprint so hard for the last 1% of a 10km race, totally mad. Congrats to Cheptegei on three consecutive golds in the event, aged only 26.

    Next up, the big one. Which will be all over in less than ten seconds!
  • Options
    malcolmg said:

    TOPPING said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    Charles never shrunk from telling us about his family so one poster told him about his (Charles') family and Charles wasn't happy so off he fucked.
    Charles' departure was a loss to the site. There aren't many old-school Tories left. Just the aspirational sort with over-wide lapels.
    He only posted about his first class flights , fancy hotels , air miles and California / London mansions. Not one I miss for sure.
    That is, um, misleading at best. He posted on a great many things and was certainly an asset to the site. I am sorry he is no longer around. Just like many other posters. Socrates, Alistair Meeks, Tim and dozens of others. Some I agreed with, others - like Tim and AM - I very much disagreed with but they were all asets to the site as they had their own unique perspectives on things.

    This site is the poorer when people feel they can no longer participate.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 45,223
    stodge said:

    Afternoon all :)

    The truth is many sold private pensions were sold a right pup predicated on stock markets keeping in front of inflation forever. "Managed" funds put into the stock market just haven't delivered what those selling them claimed they would.

    The same happened with those savings plans to pay off mortgages which were supposedly going to pay off your mortgage at the end of its term - you paid the Interest and into the Savings Plan which would deliver the capital balance - mine didn't coming in several thousand short.

    If inflation is 7% and the FTSE 100 is down 4%, there's no winner. Those who invest in managed funds are the equivalent of you all giving me £50 a race to bet at Lingfield tomorrow. You might get more than your £50 back but given my record as a tipster, it's more likely you'll end up with nothing.

    "Public Sector Pensions" covers a gamut of schemes from the ones enjoyed by Police and Firefighters through the Local Government scheme to the Teachers' scheme. They aren't all the same.

    Though the recent rises in interest rates and bond yields may well shift the balance again. Annuity rates are markedly up on 2 years ago.
  • Options
    DougSealDougSeal Posts: 11,551
    stodge said:

    Afternoon all :)

    The truth is many sold private pensions were sold a right pup predicated on stock markets keeping in front of inflation forever. "Managed" funds put into the stock market just haven't delivered what those selling them claimed they would.

    The same happened with those savings plans to pay off mortgages which were supposedly going to pay off your mortgage at the end of its term - you paid the Interest and into the Savings Plan which would deliver the capital balance - mine didn't coming in several thousand short.

    If inflation is 7% and the FTSE 100 is down 4%, there's no winner. Those who invest in managed funds are the equivalent of you all giving me £50 a race to bet at Lingfield tomorrow. You might get more than your £50 back but given my record as a tipster, it's more likely you'll end up with nothing.

    "Public Sector Pensions" covers a gamut of schemes from the ones enjoyed by Police and Firefighters through the Local Government scheme to the Teachers' scheme. They aren't all the same.

    Ipswich Town are currently ultimately owed by a public sector pension scheme.
  • Options

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?
    FAKE NEWS! (clue: he wasn't called that!)
    I just checked and that is the correct user.
  • Options

    malcolmg said:

    TOPPING said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    Charles never shrunk from telling us about his family so one poster told him about his (Charles') family and Charles wasn't happy so off he fucked.
    Charles' departure was a loss to the site. There aren't many old-school Tories left. Just the aspirational sort with over-wide lapels.
    He only posted about his first class flights , fancy hotels , air miles and California / London mansions. Not one I miss for sure.
    That is, um, misleading at best. He posted on a great many things and was certainly an asset to the site. I am sorry he is no longer around. Just like many other posters. Socrates, Alistair Meeks, Tim and dozens of others. Some I agreed with, others - like Tim and AM - I very much disagreed with but they were all asets to the site as they had their own unique perspectives on things.

    This site is the poorer when people feel they can no longer participate.
    I am glad you are back to thinking people can be assets. You spent some time implying that me and others were not wanted here.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 59,074

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?
    FAKE NEWS! (clue: he wasn't called that!)
    I just checked and that is the correct user.
    He wasn’t called a Russian plant. It was the persistent sniping at above the line contributors, who may think otherwise about contributing.
  • Options
    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 31,120
    edited August 2023

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    No. There are a number of posters on here who follow a pro-Russian, or at least a more neutral, position and they are not banned. Dura-Ace is one example that springs to mind.

    But crossing a line by ignoring repeated warnings not to make personal attacks on posters is pretty much gauranteed to get you banned. For clarity, I suspect it is not necesarily the personal attacks but ignoring the warnings that result in the departure.
    I must have missed the personal attacks he made, all I saw was commenting on the length of CycleFree's post.

    I will add no more comment on Cyclefree myself as I do not wish to engage in anything that might impact me.
    Again I don't think it is the abuse but rather igoring warnings that gets you into trouble. I don't recall you ever having been warned about your comments on here. Nor are the vast majority of posters. Hell even Malcolm gets away with being obnoxious to just about everyone.
  • Options
    RobD said:

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?
    FAKE NEWS! (clue: he wasn't called that!)
    I just checked and that is the correct user.
    He wasn’t called a Russian plant. It was the persistent sniping at above the line contributors, who may think otherwise about contributing.
    I stand corrected on why he was banned but he was also accused of being a Russian plant as far as I can recall.
  • Options

    Againn I don't think it is the abse but rather igoring warnings that gets you into trouble. I don't recall you ever having been warned about your comments on here. Nor are the vast majority of posters. Hell even Malcolm gets away with being obnoxious to just about everyone.

    I most certainly have been and rightfully so. Trying to do better as I am sure we all are.
  • Options
    CookieCookie Posts: 11,716
    I hope some took my tip earlier and backed Manchester Originals in the Hundred, as middle daughter extends her run of always seeing 'her' side win when watching live sport.
    The cricket was entertaining, but the Hundred is a horrible way to watch kive cricket. No opportunity for inanity is missed. A constant, loud soundtrack of terrible music. Ugly graphics. Unnecessary MCs. A DJ. A horrible and unnecessary but of hip hop about Manchester. Attempts to whip up the crowd into hyper-partisanship. Awful half time singing.

    Limited overs cricket is already exciting. You don't need to hype it up. We're already watching it.
    Enjoyed the games, though.
  • Options
    BlancheLivermoreBlancheLivermore Posts: 5,395
    edited August 2023

    malcolmg said:

    TOPPING said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    kinabalu said:

    Agreed. Anyone know why he left? He was prolific, then seemingly disappeared overnight.
    Yes I remember it well. Seems for each poster who leaves there's a very different reason, no theme. Eg Leon, just the other day, it was triggered by a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Bartholomew Roberts. Whereas with Mr Meeks it was after a prolonged and harrowing exchange with Philip Thompson.
    I’ve been here a couple of years and Leon has left a few times. A cheap dig at @BartholomewRoberts doesnt mean he’s the one who drove them off the site. Whereas we know some posters have actually driven members off the site. Like Charles.
    Although I do get your point, Charles's complaint was that somebody mentioned a family member, despite the fact that it was Charles who had named them in the first place. I am happy to keep the privacy of commentators, as witnessed by my treatment of @Miklosvar, but others may not be so ethical.
    He thought he'd been outed, which would certainly be beyond the pale if true.

    I can think of only one instance of this before on this Site. The culprit was the late Plato, and that led to the departure of an excellent poster.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often, which is a tribute to the standard of posters here, as well as the mods and the managers.

    [Btw, have just answered your private message.]
    Charles never shrunk from telling us about his family so one poster told him about his (Charles') family and Charles wasn't happy so off he fucked.
    Charles' departure was a loss to the site. There aren't many old-school Tories left. Just the aspirational sort with over-wide lapels.
    He only posted about his first class flights , fancy hotels , air miles and California / London mansions. Not one I miss for sure.
    That is, um, misleading at best. He posted on a great many things and was certainly an asset to the site. I am sorry he is no longer around. Just like many other posters. Socrates, Alistair Meeks, Tim and dozens of others. Some I agreed with, others - like Tim and AM - I very much disagreed with but they were all asets to the site as they had their own unique perspectives on things.

    This site is the poorer when people feel they can no longer participate.
    I am glad you are back to thinking people can be assets. You spent some time implying that me and others were not wanted here.
    I don’t remember ever reading a single post calling for you to be banned

    PS I do recall you appealing to mods when people pointed out your dimwittedly denied @dialup connection
  • Options
    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 42,340

    boulay said:

    geoffw said:

     

    In Charles' case it was because somebody mentioned knowing one of his cousins in real life and then Charles left.

    Personally I think Charles was insufferable and a bit of a tosser but I would support him coming back as I have recently changed my mind and banning people seems to achieve very little. I should know.

    I see @Miklosvar has been banned. First offence

    Wasn't @Miklosvar banned because yet again for having a slightly different view of Ukraine he was called a Russian plant?

    This site does operate as a bit of a hive-mind at times.
    Mikslovar was banned because he took umbrage to Cyclefree’s header. Problem was that he took a position before her very good post that you don’t need a thousand words to critique the Lucy Letby situation, his position was, to précis, it’s wrong and shit and their is no defence or need to spin it out, just wrong on every level.

    Unfortunately Mikslovar is quite “all or nothing” and so stuck to guns and was his cantankerous self which didn’t go down well. It did come across potentially as rude to Cyclefree but if you are punchy to everyone then it’s not personal to Cyclefree. I didn’t see anything remotely sexist, just punchy. But it’s the choice of the site owner, to which we owe a lot, but it’s a shame that it was seen in a way it wasn’t.

    I think it’s clear we like and need all voices and some of the funniest moments have been the explosions- I myself called for the death of senior Russian’s children in a moment of drunkenmadangerness- or flounces but the mix of attitudes, views, characters makes it PB and why it’s better than CIF or Mumsnet. We can be rude, punchy, silly, wrong, seriously wrong but it triggers discussions and debate.

    So I get banning people for putting the site at risk legally, using the C word but not for being rude because there are always diamonds in the rough. Sometimes a lot of rough to get through but a wide range of knowledge, experience and booze addled thoughts.
    Great post, totally agree with you.

    I myself have been banned for using the C word so I now steer well clear of it. I just hope for taking a more "neutral" view on Ukraine I will not be accused of being a stooge as others were. As for Cyclefree I will make no further comment from now.
    Out of interest why would anyone have any inkling of support for Russia.
  • Options
    SandpitSandpit Posts: 50,230
    KJT almost broke Denise Lewis with that interview!
  • Options

    I don’t remember ever reading a single post calling for you to be banned

    Banned and not wanted are two different things. That is certainly how I read Richard's posts and the same from one other user who I won't name.

    Anyway, I don't want to dig up old demons.
  • Options
    Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 8,908
    Cookie said:

    kle4 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Great analysis.
    I would extend the disadvantaged age threshold to under 50.

    Anyone 50 or over reached the age of 30 before 2003 and was therefore able to get on the housing ladder before the great inflation of the 2000s.

    I am 44 and only *just* managed to get on to a property that suited me in 2011. It was already probably 2x more expensive than it had been a decade before. It is now 2x more again.
    For me its the defined benefit/defined contribution pension gap. Seems to map quite cleanly between those who benefited from high stability (un-globalised) jobs and the generation after.
    There will be a growing divide because of this between private and public sector workers. Personally getting fed up with friends that work public sector telling me that their pensions aren't gold plated as they will give them only 10k to 15k a year. I have contributed more than them and my dc pension will pay me the square root of fuck all due to 20 years of low interest rates....so much for the miracle of cumulative interest
    Go and work in the Public Sector then.

    Plenty of vacancies due to the shit wages
    There's clearly tradeoffs between the two sectors, which are not homogenous even within themselves, so I never quite get like it is portrayed that one is so much superior to the other in some very obvious way - if that were so, why do we have anyone in the shit one, whichever that is?

    Yes yes, we couldn't have all one and not the other, but the point being when people complain about their one not being as good as the other, surely they can do something about that as an individual at least?
    Most PBers, being right of centre, prefer the greater prospects of the private sector. It’s a pity that some don’t accept that others are willing to trade that for lower pay but better security and pensions; although I’m not so sure about the better security nowadays.
    I work in the public sector because I see pensions as part of my renumeration. It baffles me that others don't do the same.
    The trouble there though is you dont see it as part of your remuneration when arguing for payrises and your pay not being equivalent to private sector people

    A public sector gets a nominal wage of 30k....you as on pension contributions and its 36k

    A provate sector worker doing the same sort of job earning 33k as a nominal salary will actually be earning 34650 when you add in pension contributions.

    Public sector workers will point to this and say see we could earn so much more in the private sector. Ignoring the fact that the private sector worker is actually earning less and will probably retire on about a third of your pension.

    There are a damn sight more private sector workers and sooner or later we are going to say fuck off
This discussion has been closed.