3 things that slow the pace of epigenetic aging, from my conversation with @prof_horvath, the pioneer of these clocks —Exercise —More vegetables in diet —GLP-1 drugs In the new Ground Truths podcast (link in profile) "Have these findings changed your diet or made you exercise more or anything like that?" Steve Horvath: "So I eat a lot of frozen vegetables. My freezer is full of frozen vegetables." https://x.com/EricTopol/status/1828158492441825555
It's when your freezer is full of defrosted vegetables that you have a problem.
She had been baffled by what Private Eye referred to as ‘Ugandan affairs’ in relation to Parkinson’s affair with Sarah Keays, saying: ‘I know it’s untrue. He’s never been to Africa.’
Also OT just spent three quarters of an hour in a Zoom meeting wondering if I was having a heart attack. Then as soon as it ended, the acute chest pain was gone, so I've no idea what that was all about but I should probably press ahead with writing a will, just in case.
Also OT just spent three quarters of an hour in a Zoom meeting wondering if I was having a heart attack. Then as soon as it ended, the acute chest pain was gone, so I've no idea what that was all about but I should probably press ahead with writing a will, just in case.
Probably worth getting an ECG and some cardiac enzymes done first!
Also OT just spent three quarters of an hour in a Zoom meeting wondering if I was having a heart attack. Then as soon as it ended, the acute chest pain was gone, so I've no idea what that was all about but I should probably press ahead with writing a will, just in case.
Rather disconcerting that you decided to make the Thatcher anecdote a priority? Get checked out. Best of luck and wishes.
Solar and battery build out continues to accelerate in the US.
There's an old technology adage: things go slower at first than you would expect, but then go further than you could possibly imagine. Solar and batteries is there right now.
I expect to make a lot of money playing the implications of this over the next decade.
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
Missouri. Reddish state. Abortion is on the ballot. The Republican Senate candidate is leading the anti-abortion charge. If Harris is really starting to pull ten points clear it might come into play.
And for a crazy left-field bet:
Arkansas. Arkansas's Republican-packed Supreme Court has just backed the Secretary of State's procedural dismissal of a ballot on abortion. This was a popular ballot - it exceeded the threshold of signature by 12% without breaking a sweat - and the Republican hierarchy have foolishly been gloating that they introduced and have now kept a total ban on abortion.
Even with that, if Arkansas goes blue it will be a colossal landslide for Harris, but it may come in in price.
Arkansas elected Bill Clinton as Governor.
And it voted for Clinton as President. Twice.
That was a long, long time ago.
Errr: Bill Clinton is younger than Trump, so that can't possibly be true.
Also OT just spent three quarters of an hour in a Zoom meeting wondering if I was having a heart attack. Then as soon as it ended, the acute chest pain was gone, so I've no idea what that was all about but I should probably press ahead with writing a will, just in case.
Solar and battery build out continues to accelerate in the US.
There's an old technology adage: things go slower at first than you would expect, but then go further than you could possibly imagine. Solar and batteries is there right now.
I expect to make a lot of money playing the implications of this over the next decade.
David Davis campaigning to abolish our unfair extradition treaty with the US in memory of Mike Lynch.
It's an important campaign (one that Lynch himself was planning when he died) and frankly a brave one. We'll have matured as a nation when it succeeds.
He gave a long interview to the BBC shortly after returning to the UK, during which he talked about it in some detail, emphasising that had he not been very wealthy, it would have been virtually impossible to afford the legal representation necessary to fight the charges,
The US criminal justice system is even more flawed than ours, and the essentially zero standard of evidence required for extradition, to a country where it’s hard to get a fair trial without bankrupting yourself, was a manifest injustice back when the treaty was agreed.
The Ukrainian Air Force says Russia launched 236 missiles and UAVs today, including: -3 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile -6 Iskander-M / KN-23 ballistic missiles -77 Kh-101 cruise missiles -28 Kalibr cruise missiles -3 Kh-22 cruise missiles -10 Kh-59 / Kh-69 air-to-surface missiles from Su-57 and Su-34 aircraft -109 Shahed-131 / 136 https://x.com/RALee85/status/1828109957356487086
The evidence that they are running out of modern armaments because of sanctions etc is...mixed.
The question is can they do it two days in a row? Or three? Or thirty?
Because otherwise, all this is is an unpleasant distraction. It's the V-2 strategy all over again.
Probably not - they put on a show for Ukraine’s independence day. Nonetheless, it’s more than an unpleasant distraction. The V2 didn’t take out our power grid, for example.
Hugh: Glenn, the Special Needs Bill. With your, you know, particular interest, I can't do this. Glenn: You know my views, you know. Inclusion is an illusion. It doesn't work. Hugh: But you-you don't mind if I -- if I go ahead with it? Glenn: Of course not. You know, look...you're only following orders. Hugh: Oh, thanks. So you won't make me feel bad except by comparing me to a concentration camp guard?
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
I think he thinks he's successfully controlling the news agenda... when he isn't. It's almost a bit sad.
She'd probably have been a slightly better VP candidate in many ways.
That's probably true actually, at least in terms of the kind of reaction she would have provoked from the Democrats, and she's got more experience in the spotlight than Vance.
The Ukrainian Air Force says Russia launched 236 missiles and UAVs today, including: -3 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile -6 Iskander-M / KN-23 ballistic missiles -77 Kh-101 cruise missiles -28 Kalibr cruise missiles -3 Kh-22 cruise missiles -10 Kh-59 / Kh-69 air-to-surface missiles from Su-57 and Su-34 aircraft -109 Shahed-131 / 136 https://x.com/RALee85/status/1828109957356487086
The evidence that they are running out of modern armaments because of sanctions etc is...mixed.
The question is can they do it two days in a row? Or three? Or thirty?
Because otherwise, all this is is an unpleasant distraction. It's the V-2 strategy all over again.
Probably not - they put on a show for Ukraine’s independence day. Nonetheless, it’s more than an unpleasant distraction. The V2 didn’t take out our power grid, for example.
Note they just tried to blow up the Kiev hydro electric dam. Were they to succeed in that, it could cause mass casualties.
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
I think he thinks he's successfully controlling the news agenda... when he isn't. It's almost a bit sad.
I think that's what's giving me the late John Major-era vibes. It's like he's going to hold a press conference about the unaffordability of the 'Cone Hotline'.
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
I think he thinks he's successfully controlling the news agenda... when he isn't. It's almost a bit sad.
I think that's what's giving me the late John Major-era vibes. It's like he's going to hold a press conference about the unaffordability of the 'Cone Hotline'.
"People ask me when we will be able to clear away the cones, and I tell them that the cones will need to be out for at least 10 years while we fix the ruin left behind by the Tories."
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
Compared unfavourably to John Major in - checks calendar - less than two months. Going swimmingly, isn't it?
The Ukrainian Air Force says Russia launched 236 missiles and UAVs today, including: -3 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile -6 Iskander-M / KN-23 ballistic missiles -77 Kh-101 cruise missiles -28 Kalibr cruise missiles -3 Kh-22 cruise missiles -10 Kh-59 / Kh-69 air-to-surface missiles from Su-57 and Su-34 aircraft -109 Shahed-131 / 136 https://x.com/RALee85/status/1828109957356487086
The evidence that they are running out of modern armaments because of sanctions etc is...mixed.
The question is can they do it two days in a row? Or three? Or thirty?
Because otherwise, all this is is an unpleasant distraction. It's the V-2 strategy all over again.
Probably not - they put on a show for Ukraine’s independence day. Nonetheless, it’s more than an unpleasant distraction. The V2 didn’t take out our power grid, for example.
The power grid will be up and running again tomorrow.
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
Compared unfavourably to John Major in - checks calendar - less than two months. Going swimmingly, isn't it?
Some of you may remember "Every Frame a Painting". It was a series of 29 video essays about film form, film editing, and cinematography created by Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou between 2014 and 2016. It was the archetype for YouTube film essays and IMHO was simply the best, with its lustre burnished by its limited run
Now with some amazement on my part they are bringing it back, albeit for a limited run only. Yes, really
Every great artist has a second wind. Spielberg had his with his one-two punch of Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, Scorsese had Goodfellas and Casino. Can they pull it off or will they, like Russell T Davis, find a return to the well fruitless?
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
Also OT just spent three quarters of an hour in a Zoom meeting wondering if I was having a heart attack. Then as soon as it ended, the acute chest pain was gone, so I've no idea what that was all about but I should probably press ahead with writing a will, just in case.
Get yourself checked out. It may have just been stress spending 45 minutes on Zoom, but you should see your GP and get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked just to make sure all is well.
David Davis campaigning to abolish our unfair extradition treaty with the US in memory of Mike Lynch.
It's an important campaign (one that Lynch himself was planning when he died) and frankly a brave one. We'll have matured as a nation when it succeeds.
CON could probably do worse than appoint DD as their intrim leader for a couple of years (and then review how things are going in 2026)
Comparing Botham to Johnson seems a tad generous for the former PM. No-one would doubt beefy's credential as a legend of the game. I'd have thought Phil Tufnell would be a better one.
Given Starmer's historic achievement in the election, gaining 211 seats(!), the only cricketing comparison that seems reasonable would be Donald Bradman. Are the Tories set to try bodyline tactics as the only way to undo the great man?
Perhaps more Douglas Jardine? The slippery customer who tamed Bradman but managed to blame everyone else for his actions?
What we really need here for Johnson is someone who was an effective (if unpleasant) winner who, by the way they won, made things impossible for their successors.
Tricky.
'Long Boris' being responsible for the Tories election defeat is a PB centrist dad myth, to avoid facing the fact that their much heralded 'grown ups' managed to recover control of the Tory Party and promptly buggered it up. Johnson didn't make it impossible for his successors - they both had a fair crack of the whip. Truss fluffed her chance to turn things around, and Sunk never tried to turn things around.
In hindsight, it seems CON should just have stuck with Boris until 2024 (just as they probably should have stuck with Maggie until 1992) and saw which way the cookie crumbled.
I doubt it would have been any worse than 4th July 2024? 🤷♂️
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
I think he thinks he's successfully controlling the news agenda... when he isn't. It's almost a bit sad.
will he continue to "rub thier noses in diversity" after the riots? Knowing him he will think we neede to be diversified harder!
"Emmanuel Macron rules out France having a leftwing government French president doubles down on his efforts to assemble a coalition of moderate politicians"
"...Agreed. They seem clueless. Indoctrinated in the failed economic orthodoxy of the last 40 years. They say things are worse than they thought yet stick to Osborne et al’s mantra and expect a different result. The reality must be they WANT to continue on the same destructive path..."
(There's nobody flying the plane. There's nobody flying the plane. Just kids in the cockpit, pressing buttons at random and making "neeeee-yoooooow" noises)
"1984" has a machine that generates stories: a "versificator" iirc.
"Novels" consisting of pages in a box that can be assembled at random were a thing in the 50/60s, although they may be more artistic than narrative generator: I think Burroughs did one?
The computer program "Eliza" attempted to mimic conversational speech in the 1980s, to no good effect.
Comparing Botham to Johnson seems a tad generous for the former PM. No-one would doubt beefy's credential as a legend of the game. I'd have thought Phil Tufnell would be a better one.
Given Starmer's historic achievement in the election, gaining 211 seats(!), the only cricketing comparison that seems reasonable would be Donald Bradman. Are the Tories set to try bodyline tactics as the only way to undo the great man?
Perhaps more Douglas Jardine? The slippery customer who tamed Bradman but managed to blame everyone else for his actions?
What we really need here for Johnson is someone who was an effective (if unpleasant) winner who, by the way they won, made things impossible for their successors.
Tricky.
'Long Boris' being responsible for the Tories election defeat is a PB centrist dad myth, to avoid facing the fact that their much heralded 'grown ups' managed to recover control of the Tory Party and promptly buggered it up. Johnson didn't make it impossible for his successors - they both had a fair crack of the whip. Truss fluffed her chance to turn things around, and Sunk never tried to turn things around.
They were all shit, and they were all in his administration.
The issue with Boris - beyond personal behaviour which badly dented his image - is that he was, in his own words, a cake and eat it PM. He was also the one Tory who could square the circle of completely contradictory policies because he's prepared to shamelessly lie about anything and everything in a way that goes beyond normal political spin. Which was for the Tories a little bit like being drunk at the party and having more drinks. Great fun while it lasts but eventually you collapse in a heap with an awful hangover.
In many ways he's economically closer to Corbyn economically than your average Conservative, in terms of making wild promises that could never be kept. It was only a question of when the music stopped, the bill became due and promises to everyone about levelling up while having lower taxes became as broken as his 'Brexit benefits'.
Even so. Without Partygate I think he could've probably got through an election with a reasonable result - maybe even won, thanks to force of personality and bluster. But as it was, that punctured the myth. And his successors just weren't up to the job of lying about the Tories' wild promises and dismal and disastrous record in government.
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
Compared unfavourably to John Major in - checks calendar - less than two months. Going swimmingly, isn't it?
Quite amusing how Starmer's fiercest opponents - whether on left or right - are always his best friends by underestimating him due to their own delusions and prejudices that have festered in their own echo chambers.
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
I think he thinks he's successfully controlling the news agenda... when he isn't. It's almost a bit sad.
I think that's what's giving me the late John Major-era vibes. It's like he's going to hold a press conference about the unaffordability of the 'Cone Hotline'.
I agree, Starmer shows some signs of being as out of his depth as Major was but without any of the (post-ERM) economic competence.
But he is still strikingly lucky with his opposition. Under Major it was stunningly effective and helped by a fawning press. Now, it is fractured and so far incompetent and shows no sign of getting its act together.
"Mark Zuckerberg says White House pressured Meta over Covid-19 content Chief of Facebook parent says Biden administration was ‘wrong’ and is ready to ‘push back’ in future"
Comparing Botham to Johnson seems a tad generous for the former PM. No-one would doubt beefy's credential as a legend of the game. I'd have thought Phil Tufnell would be a better one.
Given Starmer's historic achievement in the election, gaining 211 seats(!), the only cricketing comparison that seems reasonable would be Donald Bradman. Are the Tories set to try bodyline tactics as the only way to undo the great man?
Perhaps more Douglas Jardine? The slippery customer who tamed Bradman but managed to blame everyone else for his actions?
What we really need here for Johnson is someone who was an effective (if unpleasant) winner who, by the way they won, made things impossible for their successors.
Tricky.
'Long Boris' being responsible for the Tories election defeat is a PB centrist dad myth, to avoid facing the fact that their much heralded 'grown ups' managed to recover control of the Tory Party and promptly buggered it up. Johnson didn't make it impossible for his successors - they both had a fair crack of the whip. Truss fluffed her chance to turn things around, and Sunk never tried to turn things around.
Why is it a 'myth' ? The fact you describe the need for his successors to 'turn things around' shows that the damage was done by Johnson.
Johnson is not *fully* responsible; but I'd say that he was mostly to blame. Truss's insanity did not help, and Sunak was left with a toxic legacy that was impossible to turn around - and then he chose the wrong paths.
But the initial damage was done by Johnson. And it was unforced damage.
Anyway, even if Johnson had never made those mistakes, and had lasted through to this GE, the chance are the Tories would have lost. They'd been in power for fourteen years, the last five of which had been particularly troublesome with Covid and inflation.
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
I think he thinks he's successfully controlling the news agenda... when he isn't. It's almost a bit sad.
I think that's what's giving me the late John Major-era vibes. It's like he's going to hold a press conference about the unaffordability of the 'Cone Hotline'.
I agree, Starmer shows some signs of being as out of his depth as Major was but without any of the (post-ERM) economic competence.
But he is still strikingly lucky with his opposition. Under Major it was stunningly effective and helped by a fawning press. Now, it is fractured and so far incompetent and shows no sign of getting its act together.
However, the press is, I think, more obviously biased than ever. The partisan drivel from the Mail, Express, Telegraph et al is making those outlets into tedious, mindless propaganda rags, but it is probably impacting on the overall mood music.
Comparing Botham to Johnson seems a tad generous for the former PM. No-one would doubt beefy's credential as a legend of the game. I'd have thought Phil Tufnell would be a better one.
Given Starmer's historic achievement in the election, gaining 211 seats(!), the only cricketing comparison that seems reasonable would be Donald Bradman. Are the Tories set to try bodyline tactics as the only way to undo the great man?
Perhaps more Douglas Jardine? The slippery customer who tamed Bradman but managed to blame everyone else for his actions?
What we really need here for Johnson is someone who was an effective (if unpleasant) winner who, by the way they won, made things impossible for their successors.
Tricky.
'Long Boris' being responsible for the Tories election defeat is a PB centrist dad myth, to avoid facing the fact that their much heralded 'grown ups' managed to recover control of the Tory Party and promptly buggered it up. Johnson didn't make it impossible for his successors - they both had a fair crack of the whip. Truss fluffed her chance to turn things around, and Sunk never tried to turn things around.
Why is it a 'myth' ? The fact you describe the need for his successors to 'turn things around' shows that the damage was done by Johnson.
Johnson is not *fully* responsible; but I'd say that he was mostly to blame. Truss's insanity did not help, and Sunak was left with a toxic legacy that was impossible to turn around - and then he chose the wrong paths.
But the initial damage was done by Johnson. And it was unforced damage.
Anyway, even if Johnson had never made those mistakes, and had lasted through to this GE, the chance are the Tories would have lost. They'd been in power for fourteen years, the last five of which had been particularly troublesome with Covid and inflation.
People, including Conservatives, did warn that making the unfit Johnson leader and PM would be pact with the devil that risked trashing the party. 2 years after he quit the Conservatives got their worst ever election result.
"1984" has a machine that generates stories: a "versificator" iirc.
"Novels" consisting of pages in a box that can be assembled at random were a thing in the 50/60s, although they may be more artistic than narrative generator: I think Burroughs did one?
The computer program "Eliza" attempted to mimic conversational speech in the 1980s, to no good effect.
"1984" has a machine that generates stories: a "versificator" iirc.
"Novels" consisting of pages in a box that can be assembled at random were a thing in the 50/60s, although they may be more artistic than narrative generator: I think Burroughs did one?
The computer program "Eliza" attempted to mimic conversational speech in the 1980s, to no good effect.
Comparing Botham to Johnson seems a tad generous for the former PM. No-one would doubt beefy's credential as a legend of the game. I'd have thought Phil Tufnell would be a better one.
Given Starmer's historic achievement in the election, gaining 211 seats(!), the only cricketing comparison that seems reasonable would be Donald Bradman. Are the Tories set to try bodyline tactics as the only way to undo the great man?
Perhaps more Douglas Jardine? The slippery customer who tamed Bradman but managed to blame everyone else for his actions?
What we really need here for Johnson is someone who was an effective (if unpleasant) winner who, by the way they won, made things impossible for their successors.
Tricky.
'Long Boris' being responsible for the Tories election defeat is a PB centrist dad myth, to avoid facing the fact that their much heralded 'grown ups' managed to recover control of the Tory Party and promptly buggered it up. Johnson didn't make it impossible for his successors - they both had a fair crack of the whip. Truss fluffed her chance to turn things around, and Sunk never tried to turn things around.
Why is it a 'myth' ? The fact you describe the need for his successors to 'turn things around' shows that the damage was done by Johnson.
Johnson is not *fully* responsible; but I'd say that he was mostly to blame. Truss's insanity did not help, and Sunak was left with a toxic legacy that was impossible to turn around - and then he chose the wrong paths.
But the initial damage was done by Johnson. And it was unforced damage.
Anyway, even if Johnson had never made those mistakes, and had lasted through to this GE, the chance are the Tories would have lost. They'd been in power for fourteen years, the last five of which had been particularly troublesome with Covid and inflation.
People, including Conservatives, did warn that making the unfit Johnson leader and PM would be pact with the devil that risked trashing the party. 2 years after he quit the Conservatives got their worst ever election result.
Yes, a mere two years later, with Boris out of politics and a totally different PM on offer, the electorate voted in Labour to 'punish Johnson'.
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
I think he thinks he's successfully controlling the news agenda... when he isn't. It's almost a bit sad.
I think that's what's giving me the late John Major-era vibes. It's like he's going to hold a press conference about the unaffordability of the 'Cone Hotline'.
I agree, Starmer shows some signs of being as out of his depth as Major was but without any of the (post-ERM) economic competence.
But he is still strikingly lucky with his opposition. Under Major it was stunningly effective and helped by a fawning press. Now, it is fractured and so far incompetent and shows no sign of getting its act together.
However, the press is, I think, more obviously biased than ever. The partisan drivel from the Mail, Express, Telegraph et al is making those outlets into tedious, mindless propaganda rags, but it is probably impacting on the overall mood music.
It isn't just the papers, it's the internet. This isn't 1997, you can't just get Murdoch on-side and then you've 'done it'. I don't think people bought Reeves' 'black hole', especially not after the union pay deals. I don’t think they buy that Labour are bringing a new probity to politics given the funding for access story that is growing. The riots were meant to be hung around Farage's neck, but Reform's polls are soaring. Starmer's grim tidings that he's going to try to blame the Tories for are very much going to be seen as Starmer's choices - you can't get away with giving people a turd and telling them it's a box of milk tray these days.
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
I think he thinks he's successfully controlling the news agenda... when he isn't. It's almost a bit sad.
I think that's what's giving me the late John Major-era vibes. It's like he's going to hold a press conference about the unaffordability of the 'Cone Hotline'.
I agree, Starmer shows some signs of being as out of his depth as Major was but without any of the (post-ERM) economic competence.
But he is still strikingly lucky with his opposition. Under Major it was stunningly effective and helped by a fawning press. Now, it is fractured and so far incompetent and shows no sign of getting its act together.
Another way of saying Starmer is much better than everyone else?
Comparing Botham to Johnson seems a tad generous for the former PM. No-one would doubt beefy's credential as a legend of the game. I'd have thought Phil Tufnell would be a better one.
Given Starmer's historic achievement in the election, gaining 211 seats(!), the only cricketing comparison that seems reasonable would be Donald Bradman. Are the Tories set to try bodyline tactics as the only way to undo the great man?
Perhaps more Douglas Jardine? The slippery customer who tamed Bradman but managed to blame everyone else for his actions?
What we really need here for Johnson is someone who was an effective (if unpleasant) winner who, by the way they won, made things impossible for their successors.
Tricky.
'Long Boris' being responsible for the Tories election defeat is a PB centrist dad myth, to avoid facing the fact that their much heralded 'grown ups' managed to recover control of the Tory Party and promptly buggered it up. Johnson didn't make it impossible for his successors - they both had a fair crack of the whip. Truss fluffed her chance to turn things around, and Sunk never tried to turn things around.
Why is it a 'myth' ? The fact you describe the need for his successors to 'turn things around' shows that the damage was done by Johnson.
Johnson is not *fully* responsible; but I'd say that he was mostly to blame. Truss's insanity did not help, and Sunak was left with a toxic legacy that was impossible to turn around - and then he chose the wrong paths.
But the initial damage was done by Johnson. And it was unforced damage.
Anyway, even if Johnson had never made those mistakes, and had lasted through to this GE, the chance are the Tories would have lost. They'd been in power for fourteen years, the last five of which had been particularly troublesome with Covid and inflation.
People, including Conservatives, did warn that making the unfit Johnson leader and PM would be pact with the devil that risked trashing the party. 2 years after he quit the Conservatives got their worst ever election result.
Well, yes. That's the point: it was predictable. The flaws that led to Johnson's downfall were all too visible well before he became PM. The Conservative Party ignored those flaws, and it is now paying the price.
Comparing Botham to Johnson seems a tad generous for the former PM. No-one would doubt beefy's credential as a legend of the game. I'd have thought Phil Tufnell would be a better one.
Given Starmer's historic achievement in the election, gaining 211 seats(!), the only cricketing comparison that seems reasonable would be Donald Bradman. Are the Tories set to try bodyline tactics as the only way to undo the great man?
Perhaps more Douglas Jardine? The slippery customer who tamed Bradman but managed to blame everyone else for his actions?
What we really need here for Johnson is someone who was an effective (if unpleasant) winner who, by the way they won, made things impossible for their successors.
Tricky.
'Long Boris' being responsible for the Tories election defeat is a PB centrist dad myth, to avoid facing the fact that their much heralded 'grown ups' managed to recover control of the Tory Party and promptly buggered it up. Johnson didn't make it impossible for his successors - they both had a fair crack of the whip. Truss fluffed her chance to turn things around, and Sunk never tried to turn things around.
Why is it a 'myth' ? The fact you describe the need for his successors to 'turn things around' shows that the damage was done by Johnson.
Johnson is not *fully* responsible; but I'd say that he was mostly to blame. Truss's insanity did not help, and Sunak was left with a toxic legacy that was impossible to turn around - and then he chose the wrong paths.
But the initial damage was done by Johnson. And it was unforced damage.
Anyway, even if Johnson had never made those mistakes, and had lasted through to this GE, the chance are the Tories would have lost. They'd been in power for fourteen years, the last five of which had been particularly troublesome with Covid and inflation.
People, including Conservatives, did warn that making the unfit Johnson leader and PM would be pact with the devil that risked trashing the party. 2 years after he quit the Conservatives got their worst ever election result.
Yes, a mere two years later, with Boris out of politics and a totally different PM on offer, the electorate voted in Labour to 'punish Johnson'.
Why put 'punish Johnson' in quotes when, as far as I can see from a quick look, no-one has said that?
Comments
Michael Gove has a lot to answer for.
Oxford: Queen's' first XV
She had been baffled by what Private Eye referred to as ‘Ugandan affairs’ in relation to Parkinson’s affair with Sarah Keays, saying: ‘I know it’s untrue. He’s never been to Africa.’
Yes.
Get checked out. Best of luck and wishes.
I expect to make a lot of money playing the implications of this over the next decade.
Because otherwise, all this is is an unpleasant distraction. It's the V-2 strategy all over again.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyn01p5npgo
Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday that "it will not be business as usual" when Parliament returns next week.
In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, the prime minister will say that "we can't go on like this anymore" and that his government will do the "hard work" to "root out 14 years of rot" under the previous Conservative administration.
He will also suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".
Though alcoholic dementia is probably underrecognised.
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/types-dementia/alcohol-related-dementia
"Top tip!
If a singular noun already ends in 's', you don't need to add another 's'. You can just add an apostrophe at the end.
For example:
Iris' cat was sleepy."
But, Bitesize do not exclude that you can add the 's if you want
No doubt Bitesize's precision here is lost on most year 3s.
https://x.com/JasonKPargin/status/1828172417560433082
Frank Luntz
@FrankLuntz
It’s official: Tulsi endorses Trump.
Nonetheless, it’s more than an unpleasant distraction. The V2 didn’t take out our power grid, for example.
Possibly less so.
Coincidentally, I was listening to John Finnemore's Moth King sketch earlier today.
Were they to succeed in that, it could cause mass casualties.
(trigger warning: not politics nor betting
Some of you may remember "Every Frame a Painting". It was a series of 29 video essays about film form, film editing, and cinematography created by Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou between 2014 and 2016. It was the archetype for YouTube film essays and IMHO was simply the best, with its lustre burnished by its limited run
Now with some amazement on my part they are bringing it back, albeit for a limited run only. Yes, really
Every great artist has a second wind. Spielberg had his with his one-two punch of Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, Scorsese had Goodfellas and Casino. Can they pull it off or will they, like Russell T Davis, find a return to the well fruitless?
It's going to be fun finding out...
https://www.youtube.com/@everyframeapainting
The stadium in Exeter is St James Park.
The large open space between Westminster and Buckingham Palace is St James's Park.
I doubt it would have been any worse than 4th July 2024? 🤷♂️
French president doubles down on his efforts to assemble a coalition of moderate politicians"
https://www.ft.com/content/0a644ea2-924c-45a5-be37-c7020a8c16f9
https://nitter.poast.org/ZymurgyZo/status/1827807748999778528#m
(There's nobody flying the plane. There's nobody flying the plane. Just kids in the cockpit, pressing buttons at random and making "neeeee-yoooooow" noises)
"Novelist J.G. Ballard was experimenting with computer-generated poetry 50 years before ChatGPT was invented"
https://theconversation.com/novelist-j-g-ballard-was-experimenting-with-computer-generated-poetry-50-years-before-chatgpt-was-invented-228638
"Novels" consisting of pages in a box that can be assembled at random were a thing in the 50/60s, although they may be more artistic than narrative generator: I think Burroughs did one?
The computer program "Eliza" attempted to mimic conversational speech in the 1980s, to no good effect.
In many ways he's economically closer to Corbyn economically than your average Conservative, in terms of making wild promises that could never be kept. It was only a question of when the music stopped, the bill became due and promises to everyone about levelling up while having lower taxes became as broken as his 'Brexit benefits'.
Even so. Without Partygate I think he could've probably got through an election with a reasonable result - maybe even won, thanks to force of personality and bluster. But as it was, that punctured the myth. And his successors just weren't up to the job of lying about the Tories' wild promises and dismal and disastrous record in government.
But he is still strikingly lucky with his opposition. Under Major it was stunningly effective and helped by a fawning press. Now, it is fractured and so far incompetent and shows no sign of getting its act together.
Chief of Facebook parent says Biden administration was ‘wrong’ and is ready to ‘push back’ in future"
https://www.ft.com/content/202cb1d6-d5a2-44d4-82a6-ebab404bc28f
Johnson is not *fully* responsible; but I'd say that he was mostly to blame. Truss's insanity did not help, and Sunak was left with a toxic legacy that was impossible to turn around - and then he chose the wrong paths.
But the initial damage was done by Johnson. And it was unforced damage.
Anyway, even if Johnson had never made those mistakes, and had lasted through to this GE, the chance are the Tories would have lost. They'd been in power for fourteen years, the last five of which had been particularly troublesome with Covid and inflation.
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