> In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower picked Richard Nixon for several reasons, including Ike's victory over conservative GOP stalwart Robert Taft ("Mr Republican") at the Republican convention, AND to tap into Nixon's youth and anti-communist credentials. However, exposure of RN's political slush fund and resultant crisis made the General come within a shaved ace of dumping Tricky Dick from his ticket; Nixon's recovery via "Checkers speech" made Ike calculate that keeping Nixon was less risky than replacing him.
Arguably it mattered little to ultimate result in November 1952 whether Eisenhower selected (or de-selected) Nixon or any other available GOPer for VP.
IS interesting to compare and contrast situation that Eisenhower-Nixon faced post-convention in 1952, with that faced by Trump-Vance in 2024. Thoughts?
I'm disquieted by this. If people unearthed what I was saying in my younger years in [REDACTED DECADE] I'd be mortified. Or arrested. Or laid. Or all three.
Jesus. That's the worst they have on her? I'm pretty confident if someone were to trawl this site for things to hold against any one of us they could find worse.
Every single comment is awesome and makes me even more team Kemi
> In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower picked Richard Nixon for several reasons, including Ike's victory over conservative GOP stalwart Robert Taft ("Mr Republican") at the Republican convention, AND to tap into Nixon's youth and anti-communist credentials. However, exposure of RN's political slush fund and resultant crisis made the General come within a shaved ace of dumping Tricky Dick from his ticket; Nixon's recovery via "Checkers speech" made Ike calculate that keeping Nixon was less risky than replacing him.
Arguably it mattered little to ultimate result in November 1952 whether Eisenhower selected (or de-selected) Nixon or any other available GOPer for VP.
IS interesting to compare and contrast situation that Eisenhower-Nixon faced post-convention in 1952, with that faced by Trump-Vance in 2024. Thoughts?
Jesus. That's the worst they have on her? I'm pretty confident if someone were to trawl this site for things to hold against any one of us they could find worse.
To be fair, some of them aren't wrong either.
Calling Dominic Cummings or JD Vance an idiot is not rude. It is true. The mere fact they do not realise or grasp it is merely proof of their idiocy.
And her acid comments on Nigeria's history are hardly out of the way. I think Chinua Achebe, for example, would have agreed with quite a lot of them.
Some of the others, however, are, um, embarrassing for her. I don't think the one about women and goats is going to go over well.
I normally hate opening ceremonies, and I am no Francophile, but I don't hate this. Fair play to the French - they are just so unapologetically French. Better than we managed in 2012, anyway, cameos from the Queen and Brian May aside.
I tend to like them and I'm thoroughly liking this. London was great imo apart from the bouncing nurses. I'd say Bejing was my fav.
> In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower picked Richard Nixon for several reasons, including Ike's victory over conservative GOP stalwart Robert Taft ("Mr Republican") at the Republican convention, AND to tap into Nixon's youth and anti-communist credentials. However, exposure of RN's political slush fund and resultant crisis made the General come within a shaved ace of dumping Tricky Dick from his ticket; Nixon's recovery via "Checkers speech" made Ike calculate that keeping Nixon was less risky than replacing him.
Arguably it mattered little to ultimate result in November 1952 whether Eisenhower selected (or de-selected) Nixon or any other available GOPer for VP.
IS interesting to compare and contrast situation that Eisenhower-Nixon faced post-convention in 1952, with that faced by Trump-Vance in 2024. Thoughts?
As I understand it Nixon saved himself through an appeal to his dog. Where did he stand on cats?
> In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower picked Richard Nixon for several reasons, including Ike's victory over conservative GOP stalwart Robert Taft ("Mr Republican") at the Republican convention, AND to tap into Nixon's youth and anti-communist credentials. However, exposure of RN's political slush fund and resultant crisis made the General come within a shaved ace of dumping Tricky Dick from his ticket; Nixon's recovery via "Checkers speech" made Ike calculate that keeping Nixon was less risky than replacing him.
Arguably it mattered little to ultimate result in November 1952 whether Eisenhower selected (or de-selected) Nixon or any other available GOPer for VP.
IS interesting to compare and contrast situation that Eisenhower-Nixon faced post-convention in 1952, with that faced by Trump-Vance in 2024. Thoughts?
As I understand it Nixon saved himself through an appeal to his dog. Where did he stand on cats?
He was a nasty piece of work, but surely he never stood on cats?
> In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower picked Richard Nixon for several reasons, including Ike's victory over conservative GOP stalwart Robert Taft ("Mr Republican") at the Republican convention, AND to tap into Nixon's youth and anti-communist credentials. However, exposure of RN's political slush fund and resultant crisis made the General come within a shaved ace of dumping Tricky Dick from his ticket; Nixon's recovery via "Checkers speech" made Ike calculate that keeping Nixon was less risky than replacing him.
Arguably it mattered little to ultimate result in November 1952 whether Eisenhower selected (or de-selected) Nixon or any other available GOPer for VP.
IS interesting to compare and contrast situation that Eisenhower-Nixon faced post-convention in 1952, with that faced by Trump-Vance in 2024. Thoughts?
Was Tricky D. sound on cats?
The F14 Tomcat first flew during his presidency if that counts.
The next big shakeout in the global EV industry is probably not that far off.
“Thailand now has 490,000 unsold EVs, according to the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT), equivalent to 63% of all vehicles the country turned out in the past 12 months.”
I didn't think I could love my OpenSwim Pro headphones more than I did - but I do!
Yes, dear readers, I did the thing no engineer should ever do.
I Read The Frigging Manual...
You have betrayed sacred "Anglo-Saxon" tradition upheld for centuries by UKers and USAers of all colors, creeds, genders, etc., etc.
HAVE YOU NO SHAME?!?!
To be fair, I've committed an even bigger sin: I've helped write manuals. I've excused myself by saying they're Write Once, Read Never manuals...
Writing manuals is a good thing. It lets you say things like ‘Have you read the manual?’ and then a big chunk of your weaker-willed problems just go away and stop bothering you.
Jesus. That's the worst they have on her? I'm pretty confident if someone were to trawl this site for things to hold against any one of us they could find worse.
I didn't think I could love my OpenSwim Pro headphones more than I did - but I do!
Yes, dear readers, I did the thing no engineer should ever do.
I Read The Frigging Manual...
You have betrayed sacred "Anglo-Saxon" tradition upheld for centuries by UKers and USAers of all colors, creeds, genders, etc., etc.
HAVE YOU NO SHAME?!?!
To be fair, I've committed an even bigger sin: I've helped write manuals. I've excused myself by saying they're Write Once, Read Never manuals...
Writing manuals is a good thing. It lets you say things like ‘Have you read the manual?’ and then a big chunk of your weaker-willed problems just go away and stop bothering you.
In the good old days your computer came with a manual as big as the PC.
It was very useful. When the PC went wrong, you could pick the manual up and hit the computer very hard indeed.
On exercise. While staying at my ex-army exercise-mad friend’s house in Provence a couple of weeks ago I noticed he had a 20kg kettlebell
Never tried it before. thought I’d give it a go. 20 minute HIIT each day
I can honestly say it’s the best exercise I’ve ever done in terms of making me feel better and fitter and giving me that testosterone boost. Bloody heavy but so effective
Add in some walking in Provençal woods and daily sunbathing and by the end of ten days I was feeling perky as all fuckettyperk
The great advantage of a kettlebell is that you don’t need a gym or a pool. Its just there
I used to do 25 minutes of kettlebells 3 days a week. It's a total lifehack - does the same as a couple of hours at the gym 'doing your legs' etc.
Don't do it so much any more. All I do with complete regularity is hand stands up against a wall and as many depressions as I can do, every night. I've done a few little kettlebell bits recently, planning to ease myself back in.
First time the teams have not paraded in the stadium. Seems France prefers them sailing along the Seine serenaded by Lady Gaga
The green fields and industrial revolution scenes were excellent in 2012. Paris doing individual historical scenes and dances and songs along the Seine
Jesus. That's the worst they have on her? I'm pretty confident if someone were to trawl this site for things to hold against any one of us they could find worse.
That's a right-wing magazine, though. Not entirely unbiased, or at least arguably likely to be selective in what it publishes about whom it presumably supports. Now if it were New Statesman or Socialist Worker ...
Steerpike raked a fair bit of muck on Farage during the election, much of it unfair. Doesn’t like right wingers it would appear. Interesting that he's got his claws into Kemi. Makes me like her more - though perhaps that is what's intended and it's all a double bluff.
I normally hate opening ceremonies, and I am no Francophile, but I don't hate this. Fair play to the French - they are just so unapologetically French. Better than we managed in 2012, anyway, cameos from the Queen and Brian May aside.
I tend to like them and I'm thoroughly liking this. London was great imo apart from the bouncing nurses. I'd say Bejing was my fav.
I'm revising my opinion. They're milking it now. Really, all they need is: athletes parade past (I quite like Paris's aquatic approach to this), light the Olympic torch, then the queen or local equivalent stands up and says "Olympics: start!". It really shouldn't take more than an hour.
> In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower picked Richard Nixon for several reasons, including Ike's victory over conservative GOP stalwart Robert Taft ("Mr Republican") at the Republican convention, AND to tap into Nixon's youth and anti-communist credentials. However, exposure of RN's political slush fund and resultant crisis made the General come within a shaved ace of dumping Tricky Dick from his ticket; Nixon's recovery via "Checkers speech" made Ike calculate that keeping Nixon was less risky than replacing him.
Arguably it mattered little to ultimate result in November 1952 whether Eisenhower selected (or de-selected) Nixon or any other available GOPer for VP.
IS interesting to compare and contrast situation that Eisenhower-Nixon faced post-convention in 1952, with that faced by Trump-Vance in 2024. Thoughts?
Was Tricky D. sound on cats?
Checkers - dog. (Though not really his, and used only for cynical purposes.)
I didn't think I could love my OpenSwim Pro headphones more than I did - but I do!
Yes, dear readers, I did the thing no engineer should ever do.
I Read The Frigging Manual...
You have betrayed sacred "Anglo-Saxon" tradition upheld for centuries by UKers and USAers of all colors, creeds, genders, etc., etc.
HAVE YOU NO SHAME?!?!
To be fair, I've committed an even bigger sin: I've helped write manuals. I've excused myself by saying they're Write Once, Read Never manuals...
Writing manuals is a good thing. It lets you say things like ‘Have you read the manual?’ and then a big chunk of your weaker-willed problems just go away and stop bothering you.
In the good old days your computer came with a manual as big as the PC.
It was very useful. When the PC went wrong, you could pick the manual up and hit the computer very hard indeed.
Odds were it would then work again.
I’ve just been given a 175 page manual for a Wordpress site. Neither I nor the chap who’s leading on our bit of the project have read it. Or intend to do so.
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
I normally hate opening ceremonies, and I am no Francophile, but I don't hate this. Fair play to the French - they are just so unapologetically French. Better than we managed in 2012, anyway, cameos from the Queen and Brian May aside.
I tend to like them and I'm thoroughly liking this. London was great imo apart from the bouncing nurses. I'd say Bejing was my fav.
I'm revising my opinion. They're milking it now. Really, all they need is: athletes parade past (I quite like Paris's aquatic approach to this), light the Olympic torch, then the queen or local equivalent stands up and says "Olympics: start!". It really shouldn't take more than an hour.
We're only up to Estonia. Hope the alphabetical distribution is left skewed.
Really not very good. Not even wholeheartedly camp. Pandering to stereotypes of zeee French. Marie Antoinette gag crass and very disrespectful of a pioneering scientist. Rain serves them right. Hope that piano is not too valuable.
How America’s Fastest Swimmers Use Math to Win Gold
https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-americas-fastest-swimmers-use-math-to-win-gold-20240710/ ..Would you believe that we’ve never measured anyone who was more than 60% efficient in the four strokes — freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke? It’s basically impossible. In April, we had Paige Madden wear force sensors, and we modeled the path of her hand as she took a stroke and recovered. We computed that in the first lap of her swim, 59.1% of the force her right hand generated was propelling her in the direction she wanted to go. That is awesome.
But by lap 8, only 42.1% was propelling her forward. Not only was she getting more tired, but her execution was starting to fall apart. So using just these insights from linear algebra, we gave her some cues about how to swim the race differently. And the next day, on lap 8, she was close to 50%. One month later, she swam her personal best.
Our paddles don’t let you lie. We don’t let you fool yourselves.
And this math works the same for all four strokes?
I’ve never been able to get our force sensors to work for breaststroke. There’s too much going on. I get data, but I can’t make heads or tails out of it...
I've started learning to swim 'properly' this year, ready to race. It's surprising how little actual strength or fitness is needed to swim fast: I swim with a couple of blokes considerably rounder than me, and who cannot run. Yet they'll swim a length ten or twenty seconds faster than me, and keep that pace up for 40 or more lengths. One of them sometimes completes three lengths in the time I take to do two, and he's older and looks far heavier than me. But his swimming technique looks effortless.
Swimming - at least at amateur level - is far more about technique than fitness. IMV running is the other way around, with fitness meaning much more than technique for most people.
As for cycling? I dunno. At the top level, like swimming, it'll be both strength and technique. But at a lower level? Would I be better off improving my strength, or getting a more aero bike setup?
That's right on swimming. It's my exercise of choice and I have good crawl technique but poor breaststroke. Upshot is I'll be passed by almost anybody on breaststroke - I really am a slow moving object - but when it comes to crawl I absolutely motor. Over a length of crawl I can beat guys half my age who look like athletes. It surprises people to see it. But big caveat, only over a length. Two max. (25m pool). I can't keep going like that, full pelt crawl, for long distances. The reason isn't that my legs or arms get tired, I have quite good stamina there, it's lung capacity. I get out of breath. Only way I can swim say 20 lengths without a rest is by alternating fast and slow.
Swimming is my excercise of choice - and I swim faster than most other people (apart from competitive swimmers). I usually only swim 20 lengths at a time but alternate between 2x25m crawl/fast sprint followed by 2×25m breast/recovery. It is excellent for good all round excercise
That's quite similar to what I have been doing recently. I've been swimming regularly for 9 months and I'm still trying to work out the best approach. I was doing 40 x 25 yards lengths nonstop, breaststroke one way, (technique poor) and front crawl the other way, technique fair. But I started to get bored of this and wasn't sure how much good it was doing me. So now I am doing 4 gentle lengths, alternating breastsroke and crawl, then 2 front crawl lengths as fast as I can x 4, with 4 minutes rest between each two lengths. Then 2 breaststroke lengths as fast as I can x 2, with 4 minutes rest between each two lengths. Then a repeat of the 4 gentle lengths at the end. What do you think? I think I would struggle to do more fast lengths than I am doing currently.
I used to swim competitively when I was very young and we used to do something called the Hungarian Schedule. I can't remember the details but it used to alternate strokes and speeds. Whatever works for you is best
On exercise. While staying at my ex-army exercise-mad friend’s house in Provence a couple of weeks ago I noticed he had a 20kg kettlebell
Never tried it before. thought I’d give it a go. 20 minute HIIT each day
I can honestly say it’s the best exercise I’ve ever done in terms of making me feel better and fitter and giving me that testosterone boost. Bloody heavy but so effective
Add in some walking in Provençal woods and daily sunbathing and by the end of ten days I was feeling perky as all fuckettyperk
The great advantage of a kettlebell is that you don’t need a gym or a pool. Its just there
I used to do 25 minutes of kettlebells 3 days a week. It's a total lifehack - does the same as a couple of hours at the gym 'doing your legs' etc.
Don't do it so much any more. All I do with complete regularity is hand stands up against a wall and as many depressions as I can do, every night. I've done a few little kettlebell bits recently, planning to ease myself back in.
Note, speaking of both US presidential politics AND healthy exercise, that back in his days at the White House, Herbert Hoover famously used to toss a medicine ball around with cabinet members, executive staff and other victims
I normally hate opening ceremonies, and I am no Francophile, but I don't hate this. Fair play to the French - they are just so unapologetically French. Better than we managed in 2012, anyway, cameos from the Queen and Brian May aside.
I tend to like them and I'm thoroughly liking this. London was great imo apart from the bouncing nurses. I'd say Bejing was my fav.
I'm revising my opinion. They're milking it now. Really, all they need is: athletes parade past (I quite like Paris's aquatic approach to this), light the Olympic torch, then the queen or local equivalent stands up and says "Olympics: start!". It really shouldn't take more than an hour.
This is the Olympic Games not a school sportsday. If protracted pomp ever has a place it surely does here.
How America’s Fastest Swimmers Use Math to Win Gold
https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-americas-fastest-swimmers-use-math-to-win-gold-20240710/ ..Would you believe that we’ve never measured anyone who was more than 60% efficient in the four strokes — freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke? It’s basically impossible. In April, we had Paige Madden wear force sensors, and we modeled the path of her hand as she took a stroke and recovered. We computed that in the first lap of her swim, 59.1% of the force her right hand generated was propelling her in the direction she wanted to go. That is awesome.
But by lap 8, only 42.1% was propelling her forward. Not only was she getting more tired, but her execution was starting to fall apart. So using just these insights from linear algebra, we gave her some cues about how to swim the race differently. And the next day, on lap 8, she was close to 50%. One month later, she swam her personal best.
Our paddles don’t let you lie. We don’t let you fool yourselves.
And this math works the same for all four strokes?
I’ve never been able to get our force sensors to work for breaststroke. There’s too much going on. I get data, but I can’t make heads or tails out of it...
I've started learning to swim 'properly' this year, ready to race. It's surprising how little actual strength or fitness is needed to swim fast: I swim with a couple of blokes considerably rounder than me, and who cannot run. Yet they'll swim a length ten or twenty seconds faster than me, and keep that pace up for 40 or more lengths. One of them sometimes completes three lengths in the time I take to do two, and he's older and looks far heavier than me. But his swimming technique looks effortless.
Swimming - at least at amateur level - is far more about technique than fitness. IMV running is the other way around, with fitness meaning much more than technique for most people.
As for cycling? I dunno. At the top level, like swimming, it'll be both strength and technique. But at a lower level? Would I be better off improving my strength, or getting a more aero bike setup?
That's right on swimming. It's my exercise of choice and I have good crawl technique but poor breaststroke. Upshot is I'll be passed by almost anybody on breaststroke - I really am a slow moving object - but when it comes to crawl I absolutely motor. Over a length of crawl I can beat guys half my age who look like athletes. It surprises people to see it. But big caveat, only over a length. Two max. (25m pool). I can't keep going like that, full pelt crawl, for long distances. The reason isn't that my legs or arms get tired, I have quite good stamina there, it's lung capacity. I get out of breath. Only way I can swim say 20 lengths without a rest is by alternating fast and slow.
Swimming is my excercise of choice - and I swim faster than most other people (apart from competitive swimmers). I usually only swim 20 lengths at a time but alternate between 2x25m crawl/fast sprint followed by 2×25m breast/recovery. It is excellent for good all round excercise
So we have the exact same routine. 500m alternating fast slow. I try and do it every weekday afternoon. The swimming.
On exercise. While staying at my ex-army exercise-mad friend’s house in Provence a couple of weeks ago I noticed he had a 20kg kettlebell
Never tried it before. thought I’d give it a go. 20 minute HIIT each day
I can honestly say it’s the best exercise I’ve ever done in terms of making me feel better and fitter and giving me that testosterone boost. Bloody heavy but so effective
Add in some walking in Provençal woods and daily sunbathing and by the end of ten days I was feeling perky as all fuckettyperk
The great advantage of a kettlebell is that you don’t need a gym or a pool. Its just there
I used to do 25 minutes of kettlebells 3 days a week. It's a total lifehack - does the same as a couple of hours at the gym 'doing your legs' etc.
Don't do it so much any more. All I do with complete regularity is hand stands up against a wall and as many depressions as I can do, every night. I've done a few little kettlebell bits recently, planning to ease myself back in.
Note, speaking of both US presidential politics AND healthy exercise, that back in his days at the White House, Herbert Hoover famously used to toss a medicine ball around with cabinet members, executive staff and other victims
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
> In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower picked Richard Nixon for several reasons, including Ike's victory over conservative GOP stalwart Robert Taft ("Mr Republican") at the Republican convention, AND to tap into Nixon's youth and anti-communist credentials. However, exposure of RN's political slush fund and resultant crisis made the General come within a shaved ace of dumping Tricky Dick from his ticket; Nixon's recovery via "Checkers speech" made Ike calculate that keeping Nixon was less risky than replacing him.
Arguably it mattered little to ultimate result in November 1952 whether Eisenhower selected (or de-selected) Nixon or any other available GOPer for VP.
IS interesting to compare and contrast situation that Eisenhower-Nixon faced post-convention in 1952, with that faced by Trump-Vance in 2024. Thoughts?
As I understand it Nixon saved himself through an appeal to his dog. Where did he stand on cats?
Checkers never got a vote, or a voice beyond a few barks.
Nixon describe in loving detail, how a kindly supporter from where ever sent the Nixon family a dog, and how his two young daughters, Julie and Tricia, loved the critter who they named Checkers because it was black and white. "And we're not sending him back!" or words to that effect.
Most famous Presidential cat was Spot, the Clinton's cat. Note that Hillary caught some flack at the tail end (!) of Bill's second administration, for allegedly NOT being a Cat Lady.
> In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower picked Richard Nixon for several reasons, including Ike's victory over conservative GOP stalwart Robert Taft ("Mr Republican") at the Republican convention, AND to tap into Nixon's youth and anti-communist credentials. However, exposure of RN's political slush fund and resultant crisis made the General come within a shaved ace of dumping Tricky Dick from his ticket; Nixon's recovery via "Checkers speech" made Ike calculate that keeping Nixon was less risky than replacing him.
Arguably it mattered little to ultimate result in November 1952 whether Eisenhower selected (or de-selected) Nixon or any other available GOPer for VP.
IS interesting to compare and contrast situation that Eisenhower-Nixon faced post-convention in 1952, with that faced by Trump-Vance in 2024. Thoughts?
As I understand it Nixon saved himself through an appeal to his dog. Where did he stand on cats?
Checkers never got a vote, or a voice beyond a few barks.
Nixon describe in loving detail, how a kindly supporter from where ever sent the Nixon family a dog, and how his two young daughters, Julie and Tricia, loved the critter who they named Checkers because it was black and white. "And we're not sending him back!" or words to that effect.
Most famous Presidential cat was Spot, the Clinton's cat. Note that Hillary caught some flack at the tail end (!) of Bill's second administration, for allegedly NOT being a Cat Lady.
I'm not surprised about Spot. It was well known that Bill loved pussy.
This is tedious. It doesn’t have the energy and atmosphere of the stadium show. It’s obvs a nice puff piece for French tourism but it’s just lacking that je ne sais quoi or whatever phrase the French would use.
> In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower picked Richard Nixon for several reasons, including Ike's victory over conservative GOP stalwart Robert Taft ("Mr Republican") at the Republican convention, AND to tap into Nixon's youth and anti-communist credentials. However, exposure of RN's political slush fund and resultant crisis made the General come within a shaved ace of dumping Tricky Dick from his ticket; Nixon's recovery via "Checkers speech" made Ike calculate that keeping Nixon was less risky than replacing him.
Arguably it mattered little to ultimate result in November 1952 whether Eisenhower selected (or de-selected) Nixon or any other available GOPer for VP.
IS interesting to compare and contrast situation that Eisenhower-Nixon faced post-convention in 1952, with that faced by Trump-Vance in 2024. Thoughts?
As I understand it Nixon saved himself through an appeal to his dog. Where did he stand on cats?
Checkers never got a vote, or a voice beyond a few barks.
Nixon describe in loving detail, how a kindly supporter from where ever sent the Nixon family a dog, and how his two young daughters, Julie and Tricia, loved the critter who they named Checkers because it was black and white. "And we're not sending him back!" or words to that effect.
Most famous Presidential cat was Spot, the Clinton's cat. Note that Hillary caught some flack at the tail end (!) of Bill's second administration, for allegedly NOT being a Cat Lady.
I normally hate opening ceremonies, and I am no Francophile, but I don't hate this. Fair play to the French - they are just so unapologetically French. Better than we managed in 2012, anyway, cameos from the Queen and Brian May aside.
I tend to like them and I'm thoroughly liking this. London was great imo apart from the bouncing nurses. I'd say Bejing was my fav.
I'm revising my opinion. They're milking it now. Really, all they need is: athletes parade past (I quite like Paris's aquatic approach to this), light the Olympic torch, then the queen or local equivalent stands up and says "Olympics: start!". It really shouldn't take more than an hour.
This is the Olympic Games not a school sportsday. If protracted pomp ever has a place it surely does here.
It's supposed to be a big sporting occasion. This isn't sport. I'd rather be watching any Olympic aporting event than this. Except dressage, obviously.
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
Once took local buses are the way from Rotterdam and down the coast to Middleburg. Fantastic scenery of windswept dunes & amazing infrastructure to keep the sea at bay.
Only marred by fact that I got to the museum devoted to explaining and illustrating the later just as it was closing for a two hour break, so never saw it. Avoid this travel mistake!
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
I'm not great on the "counties" (don't even remember what they're called) of Netherlands so it may not be in Zuid Holland, but if not it'll be close - as a political nerd you should go to Baarle-Hertog if you've never been.
Fair warning: There's bugger all to do there once you've admired the borders other than drink beer, but that's fine.
On exercise. While staying at my ex-army exercise-mad friend’s house in Provence a couple of weeks ago I noticed he had a 20kg kettlebell
Never tried it before. thought I’d give it a go. 20 minute HIIT each day
I can honestly say it’s the best exercise I’ve ever done in terms of making me feel better and fitter and giving me that testosterone boost. Bloody heavy but so effective
Add in some walking in Provençal woods and daily sunbathing and by the end of ten days I was feeling perky as all fuckettyperk
The great advantage of a kettlebell is that you don’t need a gym or a pool. Its just there
I used to do 25 minutes of kettlebells 3 days a week. It's a total lifehack - does the same as a couple of hours at the gym 'doing your legs' etc.
Don't do it so much any more. All I do with complete regularity is hand stands up against a wall and as many depressions as I can do, every night. I've done a few little kettlebell bits recently, planning to ease myself back in.
Note, speaking of both US presidential politics AND healthy exercise, that back in his days at the White House, Herbert Hoover famously used to toss a medicine ball around with cabinet members, executive staff and other victims
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
Once took local buses are the way from Rotterdam and down the coast to Middleburg. Fantastic scenery of windswept dunes & amazing infrastructure to keep the sea at bay.
Only marred by fact that I got to the museum devoted to explaining and illustrating the later just as it was closing for a two hour break, so never saw it. Avoid this travel mistake!
I'm quite intrigued by that bit of coastline. Is Middelburg worth a mooch around, museum aside?
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
This is tedious. It doesn’t have the energy and atmosphere of the stadium show. It’s obvs a nice puff piece for French tourism but it’s just lacking that je ne sais quoi or whatever phrase the French would use.
There's no equivalent expression in their language. Nor for the sort of, 'ow you say, undertaker who would see the gap in the market and set up a business to import one.
Vance to Megyn Kelly on "childless cat ladies": "Obviously it was a sarcastic comment. I’ve got nothing against cats. ... People are focusing so much on the sarcasm and not on the substance … and the substance of what I said, Megyn — I’m sorry, it is true." https://x.com/PatrickSvitek/status/1816874356498161823
Nothing against the cats, but as for the women...
For a bright man, he really is an idiot.
'People get offended and don't realise I was being sarcastic, but it's true anyway.'
I’m watching events in Paris with a coned-dog just back this afternoon from his £2,500 emergency bladder surgery yesterday - on Thursday he was just a day or so from a rather nasty death. Lucky I rushed him to the vets before his bladder burst or kidneys failed.
An Elizabeth collar you mean? Not a “cone”. So inelegant
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
I'm not great on the "counties" (don't even remember what they're called) of Netherlands so it may not be in Zuid Holland, but if not it'll be close - as a political nerd you should go to Baarle-Hertog if you've never been.
Fair warning: There's bugger all to do there once you've admired the borders other than drink beer, but that's fine.
I'd never heard of that and have just looked it up - fascinating.
This is tedious. It doesn’t have the energy and atmosphere of the stadium show. It’s obvs a nice puff piece for French tourism but it’s just lacking that je ne sais quoi or whatever phrase the French would use.
It's all right as opening ceremonies go. It's interesting enough and each section is short, whereas some of ours went on a bit.
But so far it lacks that wow moment, like Mr Bean or James Bond & the Queen. (My all-time favourite jaw-dropper was the jet-packs in LA.)
I love the way all the African nations are so fucking loving it (except the livid-looking guy at the back of Liberia), at risk of stereotyping themselves. sourires à pastèque if you get my drift.
I normally hate opening ceremonies, and I am no Francophile, but I don't hate this. Fair play to the French - they are just so unapologetically French. Better than we managed in 2012, anyway, cameos from the Queen and Brian May aside.
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
Edam is a very nice small town even if you aren't obsessed by their cheese (though as you can imagine it figures somewhat obsessively there) and it's a 90 min or so flat cycle ride away from Amsterdam. Not Zuid-Holland though, sorry.
I’m watching events in Paris with a coned-dog just back this afternoon from his £2,500 emergency bladder surgery yesterday - on Thursday he was just a day or so from a rather nasty death. Lucky I rushed him to the vets before his bladder burst or kidneys failed.
An Elizabeth collar you mean? Not a “cone”. So inelegant
Vance to Megyn Kelly on "childless cat ladies": "Obviously it was a sarcastic comment. I’ve got nothing against cats. ... People are focusing so much on the sarcasm and not on the substance … and the substance of what I said, Megyn — I’m sorry, it is true." https://x.com/PatrickSvitek/status/1816874356498161823
Nothing against the cats, but as for the women...
For a bright man, he really is an idiot.
'People get offended and don't realise I was being sarcastic, but it's true anyway.'
I normally hate opening ceremonies, and I am no Francophile, but I don't hate this. Fair play to the French - they are just so unapologetically French. Better than we managed in 2012, anyway, cameos from the Queen and Brian May aside.
I tend to like them and I'm thoroughly liking this. London was great imo apart from the bouncing nurses. I'd say Bejing was my fav.
I'm revising my opinion. They're milking it now. Really, all they need is: athletes parade past (I quite like Paris's aquatic approach to this), light the Olympic torch, then the queen or local equivalent stands up and says "Olympics: start!". It really shouldn't take more than an hour.
This is the Olympic Games not a school sportsday. If protracted pomp ever has a place it surely does here.
It's supposed to be a big sporting occasion. This isn't sport. I'd rather be watching any Olympic aporting event than this. Except dressage, obviously.
But that's also part of the point. In addition to the framing there's the deferred gratification. You don't just plunge in, you have to get through this first.
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
Once took local buses are the way from Rotterdam and down the coast to Middleburg. Fantastic scenery of windswept dunes & amazing infrastructure to keep the sea at bay.
Only marred by fact that I got to the museum devoted to explaining and illustrating the later just as it was closing for a two hour break, so never saw it. Avoid this travel mistake!
I'm quite intrigued by that bit of coastline. Is Middelburg worth a mooch around, museum aside?
Was only there for a short time, overnight (at B&B owned by old Dutch sea captain & his wife) on a cold winter's day so didn't have much time for sightseeing.
However, what I did see looked pretty good.
Left early in the morning, and ended up in Bruges around noon (via public transport including ferry across the Scheldt that was free for foot passengers) just as snow started falling. Incredibly beautiful.
Doubt IF you can count on light covering of snow next week, but worth considering checking out this part of the world, the more slowly the better.
Vance to Megyn Kelly on "childless cat ladies": "Obviously it was a sarcastic comment. I’ve got nothRing against cats. ... People are focusing so much on the sarcasm and not on the substance … and the substance of what I said, Megyn — I’m sorry, it is true." https://x.com/PatrickSvitek/status/1816874356498161823
Nothing against the cats, but as for the women...
For a bright man, he really is an idiot.
'People get offended and don't realise I was being sarcastic, but it's true anyway.'
What would this MAGA-maniac impersonating a Congressman call Clarence Thomas?
Who has never given the impression that he's qualified to be a judge on TV, let alone a SCOTUS justice.
"One of ours", probably.
Republicans can actually claim credit for promoting, nominating and electing some decent, qualified African American to local, state and national office.
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
Once took local buses are the way from Rotterdam and down the coast to Middleburg. Fantastic scenery of windswept dunes & amazing infrastructure to keep the sea at bay.
Only marred by fact that I got to the museum devoted to explaining and illustrating the later just as it was closing for a two hour break, so never saw it. Avoid this travel mistake!
I'm quite intrigued by that bit of coastline. Is Middelburg worth a mooch around, museum aside?
Was only there for a short time, overnight (at B&B owned by old Dutch sea captain & his wife) on a cold winter's day so didn't have much time for sightseeing.
However, what I did see looked pretty good.
Left early in the morning, and ended up in Bruges around noon (via public transport including ferry across the Scheldt that was free for foot passengers) just as snow started falling. Incredibly beautiful.
Doubt IF you can count on light covering of snow next week, but worth considering checking out this part of the world, the more slowly the better.
I will be driving at some point from, roughly, the Hague to Bruges - strikes me I could divert via this way, possibly calling in at Middelburg or somewhere similar.
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
I'm not sure if you are familiar with cycling over there, but if not I'd say why not do a day a little shorter than your recent Settle-Carlisle one?
If you've not done it before then it's quite the experience - and you can use the network to tour between towns. Zuid Holland is good for that.
If you want a look at infra I'd say plan to visit Utrecht for the Hovenring and the space age Cycle Garage at the Station (13k spaces in just one of the garages - go one the train?). There's also the busiest junction in the world if you look for it.
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
Kinderdijk I guess is on your radar, but it's pleasant enough for a wander. Only visited with local friends on a damp Tuesday in Feb, so it might be a real tourist trap nightmare in summer
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
I'm not great on the "counties" (don't even remember what they're called) of Netherlands so it may not be in Zuid Holland, but if not it'll be close - as a political nerd you should go to Baarle-Hertog if you've never been.
Fair warning: There's bugger all to do there once you've admired the borders other than drink beer, but that's fine.
Believe Dutch part(s) of Baarle Hertog in North Brabant province; Belgian section(s) in Brabant province.
I normally hate opening ceremonies, and I am no Francophile, but I don't hate this. Fair play to the French - they are just so unapologetically French. Better than we managed in 2012, anyway, cameos from the Queen and Brian May aside.
I tend to like them and I'm thoroughly liking this. London was great imo apart from the bouncing nurses. I'd say Bejing was my fav.
I'm revising my opinion. They're milking it now. Really, all they need is: athletes parade past (I quite like Paris's aquatic approach to this), light the Olympic torch, then the queen or local equivalent stands up and says "Olympics: start!". It really shouldn't take more than an hour.
This is the Olympic Games not a school sportsday. If protracted pomp ever has a place it surely does here.
It's supposed to be a big sporting occasion. This isn't sport. I'd rather be watching any Olympic aporting event than this. Except dressage, obviously.
Well watch some sport then. Instead of moaning about the opening ceremony.
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
Kinderdijk I guess is on your radar, but it's pleasant enough for a wander. Only visited with local friends on a damp Tuesday in Feb, so it might be a real tourist trap nightmare in summer
Also the wetlands at sliedrecht are worth an explore if you can get hold of a boat. Said friends lived on the river there and had a boat, so I don't know about hire options etc
I normally hate opening ceremonies, and I am no Francophile, but I don't hate this. Fair play to the French - they are just so unapologetically French. Better than we managed in 2012, anyway, cameos from the Queen and Brian May aside.
I tend to like them and I'm thoroughly liking this. London was great imo apart from the bouncing nurses. I'd say Bejing was my fav.
I'm revising my opinion. They're milking it now. Really, all they need is: athletes parade past (I quite like Paris's aquatic approach to this), light the Olympic torch, then the queen or local equivalent stands up and says "Olympics: start!". It really shouldn't take more than an hour.
This is the Olympic Games not a school sportsday. If protracted pomp ever has a place it surely does here.
It's supposed to be a big sporting occasion. This isn't sport. I'd rather be watching any Olympic aporting event than this. Except dressage, obviously.
Well watch some sport then. Instead of moaning about the opening ceremony.
I would, but there doesn't appear to be any on! The BBC aren't even showing the hundred because all their sports coverage is devoted to the opening ceremony. I am watching the highlights of the day at the test.
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
Once took local buses are the way from Rotterdam and down the coast to Middleburg. Fantastic scenery of windswept dunes & amazing infrastructure to keep the sea at bay.
Only marred by fact that I got to the museum devoted to explaining and illustrating the later just as it was closing for a two hour break, so never saw it. Avoid this travel mistake!
I'm quite intrigued by that bit of coastline. Is Middelburg worth a mooch around, museum aside?
Was only there for a short time, overnight (at B&B owned by old Dutch sea captain & his wife) on a cold winter's day so didn't have much time for sightseeing.
However, what I did see looked pretty good.
Left early in the morning, and ended up in Bruges around noon (via public transport including ferry across the Scheldt that was free for foot passengers) just as snow started falling. Incredibly beautiful.
Doubt IF you can count on light covering of snow next week, but worth considering checking out this part of the world, the more slowly the better.
I will be driving at some point from, roughly, the Hague to Bruges - strikes me I could divert via this way, possibly calling in at Middelburg or somewhere similar.
If you're going to Bruges anyway, reckon that coastal infrastructure might be better than M'burg.
Personally would be very interested in Baarle-Hertog/Baarle-Nassau (But then I've been to Point Roberts AND the disconnected toe at the far western extremity of Kentucky.)
Note that Zeebrugge is not far from Bruges. Not sure IF there's much there still re: the famous WWI Raid, but might be worth finding out.
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
I'm not sure if you are familiar with cycling over there, but if not I'd say why not do a day a little shorter than your recent Settle-Carlisle one?
If you've not done it before then it's quite the experience - and you can use the network to tour between towns. Zuid Holland is good for that.
If you want a look at infra I'd say plan to visit Utrecht for the Hovenring and the space age Cycle Garage at the Station (13k spaces in just one of the garages - go one the train?). There's also the busiest junction in the world if you look for it.
Thanks - would love to do that but I'm with family so it will br a little less self-indulgent! I WILL be taking the opportunity to check out cycling and pt infrastructure though. And plan to do a bit of pleasant cycling as a family.
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
Kinderdijk I guess is on your radar, but it's pleasant enough for a wander. Only visited with local friends on a damp Tuesday in Feb, so it might be a real tourist trap nightmare in summer
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
I'm not great on the "counties" (don't even remember what they're called) of Netherlands so it may not be in Zuid Holland, but if not it'll be close - as a political nerd you should go to Baarle-Hertog if you've never been.
Fair warning: There's bugger all to do there once you've admired the borders other than drink beer, but that's fine.
Be careful. Dutch roads are more dangerous than ours owing to beer-drinking cyclists whizzing around.
The Ohio senator was mocked on his own social media post because of a picture that he shared which showed a dolphin apparently attempting to mate with a woman.
"Maybe the internet was a mistake," Vance posted Saturday with the picture, which was captioned with: "Woman gets violated by a dolphin and enjoys it."
The problem, according to the commenters, is that the words "woman" and "dolphin" were highlighted in the image, suggesting that whoever took the screenshot apparently searched for those exact terms.
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
I'm not great on the "counties" (don't even remember what they're called) of Netherlands so it may not be in Zuid Holland, but if not it'll be close - as a political nerd you should go to Baarle-Hertog if you've never been.
Fair warning: There's bugger all to do there once you've admired the borders other than drink beer, but that's fine.
Be careful. Dutch roads are more dangerous than ours owing to beer-drinking cyclists whizzing around.
The Dutch roads are nothing, my mother told my sister today to be careful driving on the roads in Cheltenham as it’s a regency town and the roads are narrower and so more dangerous as they were designed for horse and carriages. I’m putting her in a home with Joe Biden in November.
OK pb brains trust: I'm going to Holland next week. I know about the cities - but is there anywhere in small town/countryside Zuid Holland I should be visiting?
Leiden. Main historical university town with loads to do. Mauritshaus in the Hague for a manageable but super-concentration of the highest quality art, including famously the The Girl with the Pearl Earring
The next big shakeout in the global EV industry is probably not that far off.
“Thailand now has 490,000 unsold EVs, according to the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT), equivalent to 63% of all vehicles the country turned out in the past 12 months.”
Comments
> In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower picked Richard Nixon for several reasons, including Ike's victory over conservative GOP stalwart Robert Taft ("Mr Republican") at the Republican convention, AND to tap into Nixon's youth and anti-communist credentials. However, exposure of RN's political slush fund and resultant crisis made the General come within a shaved ace of dumping Tricky Dick from his ticket; Nixon's recovery via "Checkers speech" made Ike calculate that keeping Nixon was less risky than replacing him.
Arguably it mattered little to ultimate result in November 1952 whether Eisenhower selected (or de-selected) Nixon or any other available GOPer for VP.
IS interesting to compare and contrast situation that Eisenhower-Nixon faced post-convention in 1952, with that faced by Trump-Vance in 2024. Thoughts?
Calling Dominic Cummings or JD Vance an idiot is not rude. It is true. The mere fact they do not realise or grasp it is merely proof of their idiocy.
And her acid comments on Nigeria's history are hardly out of the way. I think Chinua Achebe, for example, would have agreed with quite a lot of them.
Some of the others, however, are, um, embarrassing for her. I don't think the one about women and goats is going to go over well.
To be fair, I've committed an even bigger sin: I've helped write manuals. I've excused myself by saying they're Write Once, Read Never manuals...
And his most recent effort - a warm personal note to Xi.
It was very useful. When the PC went wrong, you could pick the manual up and hit the computer very hard indeed.
Odds were it would then work again.
Don't do it so much any more. All I do with complete regularity is hand stands up against a wall and as many depressions as I can do, every night. I've done a few little kettlebell bits recently, planning to ease myself back in.
Really, all they need is: athletes parade past (I quite like Paris's aquatic approach to this), light the Olympic torch, then the queen or local equivalent stands up and says "Olympics: start!". It really shouldn't take more than an hour.
(Though not really his, and used only for cynical purposes.)
They are going to put the British team on one of those garbage barges aren’t they?
It is Danse Macabre by Saen Sans, so French first.
That's how to deal with the rain.
Good tune though.I know little about classical music but I like Saint Saens.
Middle daughter is unreasonably annoyed by Gambia.
Really not very good. Not even wholeheartedly camp. Pandering to stereotypes of zeee French. Marie Antoinette gag crass and very disrespectful of a pioneering scientist. Rain serves them right. Hope that piano is not too valuable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooverball
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine_Ball_Cabinet
https://kdsm17.com/news/local/herbert-hoover-home-movies-first-white-house-films-in-color
(medicine ball makes appearance at 1.33 into film)
Nixon describe in loving detail, how a kindly supporter from where ever sent the Nixon family a dog, and how his two young daughters, Julie and Tricia, loved the critter who they named Checkers because it was black and white. "And we're not sending him back!" or words to that effect.
Most famous Presidential cat was Spot, the Clinton's cat. Note that Hillary caught some flack at the tail end (!) of Bill's second administration, for allegedly NOT being a Cat Lady.
The worst product placement ever
(Which reminds me, I need to go and see the film...
Only marred by fact that I got to the museum devoted to explaining and illustrating the later just as it was closing for a two hour break, so never saw it. Avoid this travel mistake!
Fair warning: There's bugger all to do there once you've admired the borders other than drink beer, but that's fine.
Who has never given the impression that he's qualified to be a judge on TV, let alone a SCOTUS justice.
But so far it lacks that wow moment, like Mr Bean or James Bond & the Queen. (My all-time favourite jaw-dropper was the jet-packs in LA.)
However, what I did see looked pretty good.
Left early in the morning, and ended up in Bruges around noon (via public transport including ferry across the Scheldt that was free for foot passengers) just as snow started falling. Incredibly beautiful.
Doubt IF you can count on light covering of snow next week, but worth considering checking out this part of the world, the more slowly the better.
J.D. Vance ridiculed after dolphin-based social media post backfires
https://x.com/RawStory/status/1816867651861258698
However, Clarence Thomas AIN'T one of 'em.
If you've not done it before then it's quite the experience - and you can use the network to tour between towns. Zuid Holland is good for that.
This site has some good mainly circular recommendations. The "windmill route" looks interesting for a start, along one of the rivers. 30 miles - ideal for a half day.
https://www.outdooractive.com/en/cycle-routes/south-holland-province/cycling-on-the-south-holland-province/3398680/
If you want a look at infra I'd say plan to visit Utrecht for the Hovenring and the space age Cycle Garage at the Station (13k spaces in just one of the garages - go one the train?). There's also the busiest junction in the world if you look for it.
Hovenring (I'm out of quota):
https://hedgehogcycling.co.uk/images/hovenring-500.jpg
I am watching the highlights of the day at the test.
Personally would be very interested in Baarle-Hertog/Baarle-Nassau (But then I've been to Point Roberts AND the disconnected toe at the far western extremity of Kentucky.)
Note that Zeebrugge is not far from Bruges. Not sure IF there's much there still re: the famous WWI Raid, but might be worth finding out.
The Ohio senator was mocked on his own social media post because of a picture that he shared which showed a dolphin apparently attempting to mate with a woman.
"Maybe the internet was a mistake," Vance posted Saturday with the picture, which was captioned with: "Woman gets violated by a dolphin and enjoys it."
The problem, according to the commenters, is that the words "woman" and "dolphin" were highlighted in the image, suggesting that whoever took the screenshot apparently searched for those exact terms.
Oh. Trump dumped that in day one of office.