Can’t say I’m particularly keen on any of the new railway line names personally.
Suffragette should maybe have been Suffrage instead, to celebrate the achievement, not the individuals? Rolls of the tongue better as well.
Mildmay doesn’t even go past the hospital - one of the other lines goes right past it!
Liberty is OK, bit weird but OK.
Windrush. Historical sure, but in modern times also one of the worst examples of the Home Office’s treatment of immigrants.
Weaver is sort of OK. But again, harking back to a history that no longer exists.
Lioness: why this particular women’s sporting team? In a decade’s time this is just going to look odd.
I guess it’s very hard to pick names that are sufficiently inoffensive that they won’t outrage someone, without also being completely meaningless. But this is a bit of a mish-mash that, to me, carries an undertone of a country that has lost confidence in itself: Constantly referencing past glories as some kind of self-soothing behaviour, as if it’s a toddler sucking on a dummy that it should have put away years ago.
Hard to name things after future glories.
Wolf 359 Line.
I would cite the Tatooine line...but that was a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.
At least one of them could have been the Kessel Run...
Zeihan has been claiming that the UK has no choice but to accept near-total economic and security vassalage to the US for some time now. Not really buying it.
Zeihan has some interesting views which make you think. Im not convinced on some of his wilder theories and he always seems to think the US is invincible. However his views on the shifting tectonic plates of global power are worth a read though he appears impervious to anything of value in Africa which will be this century;s demographic shift.
OI enjoy it when claims are made of invincibility. I think Putin was one of the more determined ones.
Zeihan has been claiming that the UK has no choice but to accept near-total economic and security vassalage to the US for some time now. Not really buying it.
Zeihan has some interesting views which make you think. Im not convinced on some of his wilder theories and he always seems to think the US is invincible. However his views on the shifting tectonic plates of global power are worth a read though he appears impervious to anything of value in Africa which will be this century;s demographic shift.
I like Zeihan’s Sino-pessimism, perhaps because it chimes with my own prejudices.
Agree on Africa, sheer demographics make it central to the coming decades. Time to buy real estate in Dar es Salaam.
Very late to see this and I wish I hadn't. The word 'dementia' gets thrown around a lot nowdays but this is a bastard of a disease. Try to keep positive and try to make the most of each passing day. That will not cure you but it will help both you and those around you.
I grew up reading old copies of Time Out and City Limits and Loot, and I got the Mildmay reference immediately (it was an old Aids treatment building/hospice). I will never cease to be amazed by PBers' inability to comprehend the space and times in which they live. You'll be asking about the Terrence Higgins Trust next.
Thing is everyone has there sphere of knowledge and experience. I'm a scientist, work at a Top 10 UK university (non- Russell Group), love sport, history, science but very limited knowledge of music. Very often someone on PB will post up that XXX has died and its a tragic lost, and I have no idea who they are. Almost always its a really fairly famous musician.
I don't think Mildmay is that well known. I can see it being a pointless answer on pointless, for instance. But maybe that's just my hinterland being exposed.
Someone called Steve Wright died this week, accompanied by colossal attention and lamentation. I had literally - literally - never heard of him. He had apparently worked for the BBC for about 40 years. I listen to the BBC for hours every day.
So very sorry to hear that, Mike. You've created a fantastic site that I and many others have found extremely useful and enjoyable for coming up to 20 years now.
Can’t say I’m particularly keen on any of the new railway line names personally.
Suffragette should maybe have been Suffrage instead, to celebrate the achievement, not the individuals? Rolls of the tongue better as well.
Mildmay doesn’t even go past the hospital - one of the other lines goes right past it!
Liberty is OK, bit weird but OK.
Windrush. Historical sure, but in modern times also one of the worst examples of the Home Office’s treatment of immigrants.
Weaver is sort of OK. But again, harking back to a history that no longer exists.
Lioness: why this particular women’s sporting team? In a decade’s time this is just going to look odd.
I guess it’s very hard to pick names that are sufficiently inoffensive that they won’t outrage someone, without also being completely meaningless. But this is a bit of a mish-mash that, to me, carries an undertone of a country that has lost confidence in itself: Constantly referencing past glories as some kind of self-soothing behaviour, as if it’s a toddler sucking on a dummy that it should have put away years ago.
Hard to name things after future glories.
Wolf 359 Line.
I would cite the Tatooine line...but that was a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.
At least one of them could have been the Kessel Run...
The Kessel Line - how long is it, or how much time does it take to go from end to end?
I looked at buying electric for the business, as I do a lot of short hops in and around Birmingham and generate a lot of my own power.
The power costs stack up. Insurance was bearable.
Depreciation came to around 30-35p per mile against 8-10p per mile on a diesel.
And the allowance for an electric car on HMRC is 20p per mile.
That didn't work.
I run my old diesel barge for about 25p/mile all in (not much depreciation on a £500 car). People buying new electric cars and getting hit for more than that on depreciation alone must be completely nuts.
Sorry to hear it Mike, and as someone with a terminally ill parent, I can only echo your sage advice: make the best of whatever time we have left. I always ends soon than you think.
Hello @MikeSmithson, I’m so very sorry to hear your news. I’ve been visiting this site since around the time of the 2005 Tory leadership contest and I don’t think I’ve ever said thank you for setting it up and keeping it going for all these years. So let me right that wrong now: thank you for a job well done.
Life after this diagnosis may be different, Mike, but it doesn’t mean it will all be bad, days can still be filled with laughter and adventures, please keep your positive mind, you still have talents and so much to share to the politicalbetting conversation.
Sad to hear this. I've been posting on this site (very infrequently - I beat the addiction) since it was set up. I first heard about it on Reuters, believe it or not, when I was engrossed in some punt or other.
I hope and expect there are still plenty of good things in your future.
As a constant reader and occasional commenter on this website for the past 20 years I owe Mike Smithson an enormous debt.
Mike, all the people in your life who love you will surely be there for you as you navigate the good times and the challenging times to come. Know that you also have many well wishers like me who you’ve never even met.
As another irregular poster but frequent reader, I echo everyone else's sentiments of thanks for keeping this site going for so long, and my best wishes for what may be a difficult path ahead.
I have only just read Mikes news - I am very sorry to hear it and I wish you Mike and your family all the best. Thank you for what has been and remains to me a wonderful place to come and debate and will remain so. Take care of yourself.
Comments
It only reminds me of one thing:
https://youtu.be/fXW02XmBGQw?t=18s
Agree on Africa, sheer demographics make it central to the coming decades. Time to buy real estate in Dar es Salaam.
We adopt a charity specialising in the area (research?) as the PB official charity. We can then organise events for fund raising.
You've created a fantastic site that I and many others have found extremely useful and enjoyable for coming up to 20 years now.
Exercise
Benefit proportional to intensity of exercise prescribed
https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1757930909796630703
NEW THREAD
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk
https://www.dementiauk.org/
https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org
best wishes Mike, if that helps.
I hope and expect there are still plenty of good things in your future.
Mike, all the people in your life who love you will surely be there for you as you navigate the good times and the challenging times to come. Know that you also have many well wishers like me who you’ve never even met.