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A personal note from Mike Smithson – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 12,160
edited November 2023 in General
imageA personal note from Mike Smithson – politicalbetting.com

PBers will notice that I have not been active recently. Just over a fortnight ago I had a fall which is not a very good thing for someone approaching their 78th birthday.

Read the full story here

«1345

Comments

  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,183
    All the best
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,243
    Get well soon, Mr Smithson.

    It is the only thing that will save us from Global Annihilation.

    @TSE running PB!?!? Sell everything! To the bunkers!
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258
    Noooooooooo not @TSE

    It will be nuclear war by January. Or aliens, natch

    Hope the recovery continues, OGH
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,653
    Leon said:

    Noooooooooo not @TSE

    It will be nuclear war by January. Or aliens, natch

    Hope the recovery continues, OGH

    Surprised you're not offering AI to take over!
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,243
    Leon said:

    Noooooooooo not @TSE

    It will be nuclear war by January. Or aliens, natch

    Hope the recovery continues, OGH

    Why not both?

    Nuclear War with Aliens?
  • Glad to hear Mike you are on the mend.

    Looking forward to next year's frenzy of political betting.
  • GWS, and try to avoid falling over again would be my advice.
  • CookieCookie Posts: 13,779
    Best wishes Mike.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,582
    Get well soon Mike OGH.
  • Hope you get well soon, Mr. Smithson.
  • Get well soon, Mr Smithson.

    It is the only thing that will save us from Global Annihilation.

    @TSE running PB!?!? Sell everything! To the bunkers!

    The bunkers. Slurp.

    Sorry- thought you were proposing a toast.

    Beyond that, get well soon OGH, for all our sakes.
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,708
    Keep steady Mike
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258
    I’ve got the same dilemma AGAIN

    Pool or sea?


  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258
    In fact the dilemma is even worse this time because I’ve realised the main hotel pool is about 10 yards to my right

    So my dilemma is private pool, big pool, or sea

    How the fuck are you meant to know what to do? It’s ridiculous.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258
    Might go sea. Go mad
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258
    Or pool to start with. Both
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258
    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma
  • TimSTimS Posts: 12,984
    Get well soon Mike.
  • All the best Mike
  • Sorry to hear about your fall and wishing you a speedy recovery. As you say, you certainly have a lot of political betting opportunities to incentivise your recovery!
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,399
    Best wishes to Mike.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,106
    Speedy recovery Mike. Yes, big year coming up in politicsville. Much to hope for, much to dread.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,567
    All the best Mike. Hope you recover quickly.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258
    Beaches are nice

    You can sit around and do stuff, especially if you have some kind of towel or rug. Sometimes have a drink

    Then you can walk over and go in the sea and then come out again
  • TimSTimS Posts: 12,984
    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    Meanwhile in London. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln’s Inn Hall. Implacable November weather. As much mud in the streets as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth, and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus, forty feet long or so, waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill.

    Smoke lowering down from chimney-pots, making a soft black drizzle, with flakes of soot in it as big as full-grown snow-flakes gone into mourning, one might imagine, for the death of the sun. Dogs, undistinguishable in mire. Horses, scarcely better; splashed to their very blinkers. Foot passengers, jostling one another’s umbrellas in a general infection of ill-temper, and losing their foot-hold at street-corners, where tens of thousands of other foot passengers have been slipping and sliding since the day broke (if the day ever broke), adding new deposits to the crust upon crust of mud, sticking at those points tenaciously to the pavement, and accumulating at compound interest.

  • Sorry to hear this Mike. Best of luck in making a full recovery.

    We are all very luck to have @TheScreamingEagles running the site.
  • Take it easy, Mike.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,345
    Best of luck, Mike.
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,523
    All the very best, Mike, and many thanks to TSE.
  • Mike, TSE, RCS,

    The thought occurs that there are quite a few of us on here who are retired with a bit of time to spare, and many with IT skills and experience. If there's ever a need for more support or input to keep the site going I am sure there would be willing and skilled volunteers (or semi-skilled in my case).

    Just put the call out.

    Appreciate it.

    If anybody has ideas for guest threads message me.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258
    I’m surprised they aren’t more popular. Beaches. There’s virtually no one here. Look




    I reckon I’m the first person to realise this: beaches are nice. Lots of space and you can swim and stuff

    Could be money in it
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,567
    BTW, SpaceX may well be launching their massive SH/SS rocket at around 13.00 today (UK time).
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258
    If anyone is interested, I think this is an investment opportunity

    You find a really nice beach, like this one, with warm sun and soft surf and white sand. Then you build a hotel RIGHT BY THE BEACH!! Call it a “resort”

    So it’s easy for people to go down to the sea and come out again and sit on towels or special long chairs

    Message me on vanilla
  • Leon said:

    I’m surprised they aren’t more popular. Beaches. There’s virtually no one here. Look




    I reckon I’m the first person to realise this: beaches are nice. Lots of space and you can swim and stuff

    Could be money in it

    Plenty beaches las empty as that to be found on the west coast ofScotland
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 122,897
    Best wishes for your continued recovery OGH
  • Get well soon Mike!
  • ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,331
    TimS said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    Meanwhile in London. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln’s Inn Hall. Implacable November weather. As much mud in the streets as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth, and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus, forty feet long or so, waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill.

    Smoke lowering down from chimney-pots, making a soft black drizzle, with flakes of soot in it as big as full-grown snow-flakes gone into mourning, one might imagine, for the death of the sun. Dogs, undistinguishable in mire. Horses, scarcely better; splashed to their very blinkers. Foot passengers, jostling one another’s umbrellas in a general infection of ill-temper, and losing their foot-hold at street-corners, where tens of thousands of other foot passengers have been slipping and sliding since the day broke (if the day ever broke), adding new deposits to the crust upon crust of mud, sticking at those points tenaciously to the pavement, and accumulating at compound interest.

    The greatest opening chapter to a novel ever.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
  • AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 25,402
    Mike

    hope you have a speedy recovery

    Take it easy for a bit
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258

    TimS said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    Meanwhile in London. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln’s Inn Hall. Implacable November weather. As much mud in the streets as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth, and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus, forty feet long or so, waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill.

    Smoke lowering down from chimney-pots, making a soft black drizzle, with flakes of soot in it as big as full-grown snow-flakes gone into mourning, one might imagine, for the death of the sun. Dogs, undistinguishable in mire. Horses, scarcely better; splashed to their very blinkers. Foot passengers, jostling one another’s umbrellas in a general infection of ill-temper, and losing their foot-hold at street-corners, where tens of thousands of other foot passengers have been slipping and sliding since the day broke (if the day ever broke), adding new deposits to the crust upon crust of mud, sticking at those points tenaciously to the pavement, and accumulating at compound interest.

    The greatest opening chapter to a novel ever.
    No wonder Dickens moved to France
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,368
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
  • AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 25,402

    Mike, TSE, RCS,

    The thought occurs that there are quite a few of us on here who are retired with a bit of time to spare, and many with IT skills and experience. If there's ever a need for more support or input to keep the site going I am sure there would be willing and skilled volunteers (or semi-skilled in my case).

    Just put the call out.

    Appreciate it.

    If anybody has ideas for guest threads message me.
    we need one on Scotland or Wales
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,814

    Leon said:

    I’m surprised they aren’t more popular. Beaches. There’s virtually no one here. Look




    I reckon I’m the first person to realise this: beaches are nice. Lots of space and you can swim and stuff

    Could be money in it

    Plenty beaches las empty as that to be found on the west coast ofScotland
    There's one aboiut 40km long along the west coast of South Uist - okay, interrupted by the odd rocky headland, but still. And with the machair behind the dunes with its flowers in season.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,582
    Get well soon Mike OGH.

    Good morning

    Seems we have both been in the wars recently Mike, and best wishes to you and take care

    I have had a couple of falls recently, but fortunately did not end up in hospital, and I am more aware and pleased I fitted handrails everywhere in the house and garden recently

    It seems our family are going through a phase of emergency hospital visits with myself a month ago, our youngest granddaughter 10 days ago who is now OK, and last night another of our granddaughters admitted at 4.00am and is waiting for the surgeons to take out her appendix later today

    Oh dear, good luck to your granddaughter in surgery today.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    But isn’t it cheering to know that at least one pb-er is basking in glorious sunshine on a long, exquisite, white sand beach, knowing that in about an hour, as the sun sets over the Bay of Thailand, he will be having free cocktails? Doesn’t that - just a tiny bit - lift your spirits as you stare at the cold relentless drizzle?

    Why be such a sourpuss? In a very real sense you are with me, via my endless descriptions, pointless comments and annoying photos
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,067
    Hope to see you back in good form soon, Mike.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258
    I can see when I’m not wanted

    I’m going for a swim IN THE SEA
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 13,677
    Leon said:

    I can see when I’m not wanted

    If only.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,814
    edited November 2023

    TimS said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    Meanwhile in London. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln’s Inn Hall. Implacable November weather. As much mud in the streets as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth, and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus, forty feet long or so, waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill.

    Smoke lowering down from chimney-pots, making a soft black drizzle, with flakes of soot in it as big as full-grown snow-flakes gone into mourning, one might imagine, for the death of the sun. Dogs, undistinguishable in mire. Horses, scarcely better; splashed to their very blinkers. Foot passengers, jostling one another’s umbrellas in a general infection of ill-temper, and losing their foot-hold at street-corners, where tens of thousands of other foot passengers have been slipping and sliding since the day broke (if the day ever broke), adding new deposits to the crust upon crust of mud, sticking at those points tenaciously to the pavement, and accumulating at compound interest.

    The greatest opening chapter to a novel ever.
    Interestingly, on checking, too early for the Crystal Palace (Sydenham) Megalosaurus - which was Richad Owen's mammal-based reconstruction. Not the older, Gideon Mantell, lizard-based reconstruction. Dickens's wording does point to the latter.

    https://www.mediastorehouse.co.uk/science-photo-library/1838-megalosaurus-iguanodon-martin-6346659.html
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,071

    Leon said:

    I’m surprised they aren’t more popular. Beaches. There’s virtually no one here. Look




    I reckon I’m the first person to realise this: beaches are nice. Lots of space and you can swim and stuff

    Could be money in it

    Plenty beaches as empty as that to be found on the west coast of Scotland
    That's Leon's next trip planned then.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,631

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    Somethings are better on Instagram, particularly as I don't use it.

    Best wishes Mike, hope my colleagues are treating you well.
  • Leon said:

    I can see when I’m not wanted

    I’m going for a swim IN THE SEA

    Yes @Leon. Get in the sea.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,368
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    But isn’t it cheering to know that at least one pb-er is basking in glorious sunshine on a long, exquisite, white sand beach, knowing that in about an hour, as the sun sets over the Bay of Thailand, he will be having free cocktails? Doesn’t that - just a tiny bit - lift your spirits as you stare at the cold relentless drizzle?

    Why be such a sourpuss? In a very real sense you are with me, via my endless descriptions, pointless comments and annoying photos
    No.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,372
    Get well soon Mike.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,814

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    Bright sun here in SE Scotland, after a brief squall of rain.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,582
    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    I’m surprised they aren’t more popular. Beaches. There’s virtually no one here. Look




    I reckon I’m the first person to realise this: beaches are nice. Lots of space and you can swim and stuff

    Could be money in it

    Plenty beaches as empty as that to be found on the west coast of Scotland
    That's Leon's next trip planned then.
    Lots of flints to be knapped there!
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,582
    Carnyx said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    Bright sun here in SE Scotland, after a brief squall of rain.
    Bright sun here in Dubai, after a brief squall of rain.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,071

    BTW, SpaceX may well be launching their massive SH/SS rocket at around 13.00 today (UK time).

    Note to Elon - spend more time on the rockets, and less on the open antisemitism and conspiracy theories. Wouldn't be the first to do that.
  • Foxy said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    Somethings are better on Instagram, particularly as I don't use it.

    Best wishes Mike, hope my colleagues are treating you well.
    FWIW I like @Leon travel postings.

  • Stay well, Mike. Thanks for everything and to TSE too, he has been doing great work although will be too modest to want it mentioned.
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,708
    Carnyx said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    Bright sun here in SE Scotland, after a brief squall of rain.
    You can stare at the Met Office's dynamic 15-min forecasts and prepare to dash outside when it shows an upcoming clear spell


  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,106
    Carnyx said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    Bright sun here in SE Scotland, after a brief squall of rain.
    Not here. The sky is grey here. And all the leaves are brown.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,106

    Stay well, Mike. Thanks for everything and to TSE too, he has been doing great work although will be too modest to want it mentioned.

    Yes he overdoes the modesty imo. It gets in the way sometimes.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,274
    edited November 2023
    Sorry to hear you had a fall, Mike. Get well soon and know we're all thinking of you.

    I suppose TSE has done well. Still has terrible fashion sense, mind. 😂
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,567
    kle4 said:

    BTW, SpaceX may well be launching their massive SH/SS rocket at around 13.00 today (UK time).

    Note to Elon - spend more time on the rockets, and less on the open antisemitism and conspiracy theories. Wouldn't be the first to do that.
    Whereas Tory Bruno, the head of rocket company ULA, is brilliant on social media.

    As an aside, ULA is currently up for sale, and the rumours are that the buyer is going to be Bezos's Blue Origin. Which will be quite a shake-up of the market. I really hope Bruno stays on.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,796
    All the best Mike!
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,368
    kinabalu said:

    Carnyx said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    Bright sun here in SE Scotland, after a brief squall of rain.
    Not here. The sky is grey here. And all the leaves are brown.
    You'd be safe and warm, if you were in LA.
  • SandraMcSandraMc Posts: 694
    edited November 2023
    I'm sorry to hear about your fall. I hope your hospital stay proved satisfactory.

    An 87-year-old friend recently fell backwards on the stairs and hit his head. His wife drove him to the local hospital, which checked him out and said he was OK. The next day he had a headache and felt woozy. She returned him to the hospital, which this time carried out a scan. They found he had a fractured skull, a bleed to the brain and a fractured hip.

    I do hope your hospital was more efficient. Best wishes for speedy recovery.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,796
    @Leon assume you've been keeping up with the rats leaving the sinking ship at OpenAI? Not seen a company throw talent away like that in a long time. Microsoft speed running the Nokia business plan IMO.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,106

    kinabalu said:

    Carnyx said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    Bright sun here in SE Scotland, after a brief squall of rain.
    Not here. The sky is grey here. And all the leaves are brown.
    You'd be safe and warm, if you were in LA.
    Yes. Although when I went there the last time I took a walk where I shouldn't have and I felt only one of those two things.
  • Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    But isn’t it cheering to know that at least one pb-er is basking in glorious sunshine on a long, exquisite, white sand beach, knowing that in about an hour, as the sun sets over the Bay of Thailand, he will be having free cocktails? Doesn’t that - just a tiny bit - lift your spirits as you stare at the cold relentless drizzle?

    Why be such a sourpuss? In a very real sense you are with me, via my endless descriptions, pointless comments and annoying photos
    Bay of Thailand? I thought you were in Colombia.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,631

    Foxy said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    Somethings are better on Instagram, particularly as I don't use it.

    Best wishes Mike, hope my colleagues are treating you well.
    FWIW I like @Leon travel postings.

    I don't mind the odd one, but the relentless narcissism of repeated posts is a bit wearing.
  • Very best wishes to you Mike. Here's to a full and rapid recovery.

    And thanks to TSE too, who does and sterling job and takes my teasing well.
  • Sorry to hear about your fall. Get well soon, Mike!
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,243
    edited November 2023

    kle4 said:

    BTW, SpaceX may well be launching their massive SH/SS rocket at around 13.00 today (UK time).

    Note to Elon - spend more time on the rockets, and less on the open antisemitism and conspiracy theories. Wouldn't be the first to do that.
    Whereas Tory Bruno, the head of rocket company ULA, is brilliant on social media.

    As an aside, ULA is currently up for sale, and the rumours are that the buyer is going to be Bezos's Blue Origin. Which will be quite a shake-up of the market. I really hope Bruno stays on.
    Sadly, there are few possibilities where Tory is actually given full decision making authority. The parents of ULA keep trying to turn off even the SMART project for Vulcan. As they see it, spending money on R&D is bad.

    In additional insanity, they also believe that ULA shouldn’t do reusability, since that’s what they (the parents) think they can sell to the US Taxpayers. See the X38. Yes, this completely ignore the large, stainless steel, elephant in the room.

    Blue buying ULA - not sure that will improve either. The management at Blue could do with wholesale replacement - but it would be unlikely to be Tory bringing in his guys.

    The hedge fund buyout sounds horribly plausible - fly the Vulcan contracts out, gut the company.

  • Did Boris Johnson’s circle try to ‘fix’ who became head of Ofcom?
    A potential cover-up I unearthed in the weeds of Nadine Dorries’s book remains a mystery. It has damaged the BBC, the broadcast regulator, and the process of public appointments

    https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/63982/boris-johnson-nadine-dorries-ofcom

    Not much unearthing required by former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger. He read about it in Nadine's book, or possibly the serialisation or coverage of the serialisation of Nadine's book.

    Anyway, Nad got her way over the wily fixers and Boris appointed her nominee, Michael Grade, who luckily enough is a Tory anyway.
  • Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    But isn’t it cheering to know that at least one pb-er is basking in glorious sunshine on a long, exquisite, white sand beach, knowing that in about an hour, as the sun sets over the Bay of Thailand, he will be having free cocktails? Doesn’t that - just a tiny bit - lift your spirits as you stare at the cold relentless drizzle?

    Why be such a sourpuss? In a very real sense you are with me, via my endless descriptions, pointless comments and annoying photos
    Bay of Thailand? I thought you were in Colombia.
    Cambodia
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,567
    I won't link to it, but this is the sort of Musk fanboism that would be laughable if it was not so darned dangerous:

    "Today 𝕏 and Elon faced a lot of adversity. Apple, Comcast, Disney, IBM, Lionsgate, Paramount, Warner Brothers, NBC universal, and the European Commission all pulled advertisement funding on 𝕏 because Elon has taken a stand against every form of racism.

    This will not stop Elon however.

    Tomorrow at 8am EST Starship will once again rise as a testament to adversities inability to stop Elon.

    Nothing will stop humanity, nothing will stop SpaceX, nothing will stop 𝕏, and nobody can stop Elon.

    Elon, you’re a hero of mine. It’s incredible to watch the work you do!"

    No, they pulled advertising because your hero is an @sshat.

    (BTW, I really wish I'd chosen a PB username of sshat, just for when people @'ed me...)
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,549
    Best wishes OGH.
  • Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    But isn’t it cheering to know that at least one pb-er is basking in glorious sunshine on a long, exquisite, white sand beach, knowing that in about an hour, as the sun sets over the Bay of Thailand, he will be having free cocktails? Doesn’t that - just a tiny bit - lift your spirits as you stare at the cold relentless drizzle?

    Why be such a sourpuss? In a very real sense you are with me, via my endless descriptions, pointless comments and annoying photos
    Bay of Thailand? I thought you were in Colombia.
    Cambodia
    He misread the departure board and got on the wrong plane?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,067
    For Steely Dan enthusiasts, this is a great NPR interview from a couple of decades ago.
    https://www.npr.org/2014/04/18/304552322/steely-dan-on-piano-jazz

    Starts out a little slow, but picks up fast. Includes Josie and Black Friday performed live.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258
    I’m back





    *basks in welcoming smiles*

    *politely asks PB to stop cheering and sit down*
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,068

    kinabalu said:

    Carnyx said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    Bright sun here in SE Scotland, after a brief squall of rain.
    Not here. The sky is grey here. And all the leaves are brown.
    You'd be safe and warm, if you were in LA.
    Perhaps one could stop into a church. If worried about being ejected one could pretend to pray. Apparently the preacher likes the cold, because people entering the church are gonna stay because of it.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258
    MaxPB said:

    @Leon assume you've been keeping up with the rats leaving the sinking ship at OpenAI? Not seen a company throw talent away like that in a long time. Microsoft speed running the Nokia business plan IMO.

    I have. And I’ve heard rumours
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,241
    Hope you are feeling better Mike
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,567

    kle4 said:

    BTW, SpaceX may well be launching their massive SH/SS rocket at around 13.00 today (UK time).

    Note to Elon - spend more time on the rockets, and less on the open antisemitism and conspiracy theories. Wouldn't be the first to do that.
    Whereas Tory Bruno, the head of rocket company ULA, is brilliant on social media.

    As an aside, ULA is currently up for sale, and the rumours are that the buyer is going to be Bezos's Blue Origin. Which will be quite a shake-up of the market. I really hope Bruno stays on.
    Sadly, there are few possibilities where Tory is actually given full decision making authority. The parents of ULA keep trying to turn off even the SMART project for Vulcan. As they see it, spending money on R&D is bad.

    In additional insanity, they also believe that ULA shouldn’t do reusability, since that’s what they (the parents) think they can sell to the US Taxpayers. See the X38. Yes, this completely ignore the large, stainless steel, elephant in the room.

    Blue buying ULA - not sure that will improve either. The management at Blue could do with wholesale replacement - but it would be unlikely to be Tory bringing in his guys.

    The hedge fund buyout sounds horribly plausible - fly the Vulcan contracts out, gut the company.
    Blue buying it would be intriguing, especially give the recent change in BO's management.

    As an aside, can you remember how people said that SpaceX's Artmeis lander would require 16 refuellings in orbit? And Musky Baby said, at the time NASA awarded them the contract, that it would just be three or four? Well, SpaceX has now admitted it will be "high teens", which will have to be done quickly to avoid boil-off in orbit.

    It wasn't even a good lie; it was a stupid lie. Especially when Blu Origin made this infrographic. How the Musk Fanois laughed at the time...

    https://twitter.com/astrogrant/status/1725533704246939719
  • TimSTimS Posts: 12,984
    By the way that volcano near Grindavik is still due to erupt imminently.

    https://t.co/Twi4W2epdQ

    No suggestion of anything too catastrophic though.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    But isn’t it cheering to know that at least one pb-er is basking in glorious sunshine on a long, exquisite, white sand beach, knowing that in about an hour, as the sun sets over the Bay of Thailand, he will be having free cocktails? Doesn’t that - just a tiny bit - lift your spirits as you stare at the cold relentless drizzle?

    Why be such a sourpuss? In a very real sense you are with me, via my endless descriptions, pointless comments and annoying photos
    Bay of Thailand? I thought you were in Colombia.
    Cambodia

    Koh Rong island in the Bay of Thailand

    I STRONGLY recommend Cambodia at the moment. It is still empty post Covid. So it’s cheap and the beaches - as you can see - are blissfully quiet

    I met a French couple kayaking today and they said even Angkor Wat is quiet. They had Ta Prohm (the famous temple with the tree growing out of the wall) to themselves

    That’s basically unheard of. And paradoxically travel WITHIN Cambodia has never been easier, thanks to gleaming new Chinese roads. And the food is vastly improved from 5-10 years ago
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,241

    Did Boris Johnson’s circle try to ‘fix’ who became head of Ofcom?
    A potential cover-up I unearthed in the weeds of Nadine Dorries’s book remains a mystery. It has damaged the BBC, the broadcast regulator, and the process of public appointments

    https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/63982/boris-johnson-nadine-dorries-ofcom

    Not much unearthing required by former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger. He read about it in Nadine's book, or possibly the serialisation or coverage of the serialisation of Nadine's book.

    Anyway, Nad got her way over the wily fixers and Boris appointed her nominee, Michael Grade, who luckily enough is a Tory anyway.

    Isn’t it a government appointment by statute?

    So what is the definition of “fixing”?

    Choosing a candidate the guardian doesn’t like?

  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,567
    Okay, here's something that's really annoyed me: a new road is being built from Caxton Gibbett (west of Cambridge) to the A1 at the Black Cat. The road is needed; and sadly there was another fatality on it yesterday.

    The scheme was planned over a number of years, and planning granted. Then, at the last moment, an 'environmental' group put in a legal challenge to stop it. Then when that lost, they appealed. This challenge delayed work six months, when they were just about to start work.

    The builders, Skanska, got awarded £24 million to compensate them for the delays.

    That's £24 million, on top of the legal and other costs to fight the challenge.

    This fuckwittery is one of the reasons why our infrastructure costs so much.

    https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/national-highways-pays-skanska-additional-24m-for-a428-black-cat-scheme-after-legal-delays-16-11-2023/
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,567
    Leon said:

    MaxPB said:

    @Leon assume you've been keeping up with the rats leaving the sinking ship at OpenAI? Not seen a company throw talent away like that in a long time. Microsoft speed running the Nokia business plan IMO.

    I have. And I’ve heard rumours
    You mean you've read someone sh*tposting on Twitter... ;)
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,424
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Maybe pool, sea, big pool, sea again, cocktail, pool, beer, pool, sea, tequila sunrise, sea, big pool, look at hummingbird, sea, pool, pool, pool, caiprinha, mojito, coma

    The fifth consecutive "me, me, me" post from @Leon.

    It's not always about you. Where's the "off topic" button? Oh it's gone.

    Best wishes OGH.
    It was an existential riff on the quiddity of life

    Also, beaches. = nice
    Yeah, it really cheers the rest of us up here in wet, windswept chaotic old Blighty.
    But isn’t it cheering to know that at least one pb-er is basking in glorious sunshine on a long, exquisite, white sand beach, knowing that in about an hour, as the sun sets over the Bay of Thailand, he will be having free cocktails? Doesn’t that - just a tiny bit - lift your spirits as you stare at the cold relentless drizzle?

    Why be such a sourpuss? In a very real sense you are with me, via my endless descriptions, pointless comments and annoying photos
    Bay of Thailand? I thought you were in Colombia.
    Cambodia

    Koh Rong island in the Bay of Thailand

    I STRONGLY recommend Cambodia at the moment. It is still empty post Covid. So it’s cheap and the beaches - as you can see - are blissfully quiet

    I met a French couple kayaking today and they said even Angkor Wat is quiet. They had Ta Prohm (the famous temple with the tree growing out of the wall) to themselves

    That’s basically unheard of. And paradoxically travel WITHIN Cambodia has never been easier, thanks to gleaming new Chinese roads. And the food is vastly improved from 5-10 years ago
    The food wasn’t bad when we went, 10 or so years ago. The roads, though, were dreadful!
    And Angkor Wat was indeed busy.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258
    The most prominent foreign nationality here on Koh Rong - at least in this fairly posh resort - is Brits

    You have to admire the relentless British tourist. We’re everywhere. Either we still have the imperial spirit to conquer everywhere, and it is now sublimated into tourism, or we still have the perpetual and pathological need to escape our climate

    Perhaps it is a mix of both
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,258

    Leon said:

    MaxPB said:

    @Leon assume you've been keeping up with the rats leaving the sinking ship at OpenAI? Not seen a company throw talent away like that in a long time. Microsoft speed running the Nokia business plan IMO.

    I have. And I’ve heard rumours
    You mean you've read someone sh*tposting on Twitter... ;)
    No. Bit more than that. But mum’s the word

    I’m pretty sure the reality will be revealed quite soon
This discussion has been closed.