Unfortunately, our plans to train our AI models to understand the EU’s rich cultural, social and historical contributions remain paused while EU regulators remain unable to agree how the law should be applied. As Mark and Daniel Ek, CEO of Spotify, recently warned, the EU risks falling behind because of incoherent and complex regulation
And the EU had a competitor in Mistral AI, founded by ex-Deepmind employees, but I presume all the regulations are causing them lots of headaches.
Red Bull bar Adrian Newey from F1 races after Aston Martin unveiling
‘Premature’ announcement of chief technical officer’s move across the grid in March 2025 is criticised by Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal
538 says that out of 100 simulations in Pennsylvania Harris wins 52 and Trump 48. That’s about as close to a coin toss as you can get.
Walz has been very good but I still think Shapiro was the better choice.
Walz didn’t have baggage with regard to Gaza. Shapiro did. Big time.
Pissing off a chunk of the base over the VP nomination would be very stupid.
Notably, Walz was endorsed by both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups.
And has proved to be a very popular and effective campaigner, besides.
The VP choice has, historically, made little difference in the home state of the VP.
It depends whether the Dems win PA and the election. If they don't it'll look like they made the wrong choice on Shapiro.
Possibly, but losing with Walz doesn't prove that they would have won with Shapiro. When Walz was appointed we started talking about Vance diddling couches, his jolly way of serving drinks, homely anecdotes about rewiring, and which states he will win. If she had appointed Shapiro we would be talking incessantly about the Gaza conflict, a weak spot for Harris, and wondering which states he would lose.
At work nobody is allowed to bring a Huawei device on premises.
How very dare you. It was none other than OGS himself who put me onto Xiaomi phones and they have been fantastic. That the CCP knows my every move is but a minor inconvenience, up with which I am able to put.
Apple is the best.
There is no further discussion to be had.
It is slightly (ok hugely) sad to see how completely people fall for such marketing.
I’ve been an Apple user since 1994.
Only ever had one blue screen of death.
Thing is, if you buy a phone for £200-300 it makes you a lot less worried about losing it, dropping it on the floor, etc. Plus if you are in the google ecosystem then you just log in a la your Apple ID and on you go on a new machine.
Though if it's the only way you have of paying for anything then losing it might be slightly inconvenient.
True but it's £200 worth of inconvenience and you can get another android phone super quickly, rather than £1,500.
Go CeX they give you a 2 year warranty and get a better phone for same price
Also true. I find that warranties aren't always as reliable as you would like.
My current phone (of 3yrs standing) is a Xiaomi Redmi cost me £170 from the company itself and hasn't put a foot wrong. Not the fastest out there but perfect for what I want or need.
I always go for a Google pixel and a £7 contract. Slightly weirdly the 7a is up for £20 (£349 Vs 329) than I paid for it in April
I've just shot a video saying that Tesla is iPhone and every other EV is Android.
Its not to say that Android is bad or that there aren't brilliant Android devices. Its just that Apple is better. And I was a long time Apple refuser and iPhone cynic...
iPhone is horribly controlling and nannying. It took decades to allow you to put apps away in a drawer, and that silly animation when you are trying to rearrange them on your home screen always made me want to nuke Cupertino. If you think Tesla is better than the competition your message will be clearer if you just say so, because around 50% of your audience will hear "overpriced and over hyped" if you do the iPhone thing.
Cash has been used for exchange for 4 or 5,000 years if not longer.
It 'aint going to disappear.
Horses were used for transportation for over 5,000 years too.
Horses haven’t gone away you know…
But they are obsolete as the primary mode of transportation is concerned.
Now they're a niche hobby for people, which was not the case in the past.
Same with cash, there might remain niche people who use it in the future but as far as a mode of exchange is concerned, its obsolete.
True: you don’t see many horses in central London these days. But the number isn’t zero either.
Actually you do see loads of horses in central London - it's the one place in the urban landscape where you do. (Not in the suburbs and not in most other cities)
Hyde park is served by a couple of private stables. Then you have the Guards. One of the people I row with helps teach the soldiers and horses of the cavalry.
What subject do they teach the horses?
FFS
Singing. Obviously.
Some will understand that, some on the other hand will not. And on the gripping hand...
Cash has been used for exchange for 4 or 5,000 years if not longer.
It 'aint going to disappear.
Horses were used for transportation for over 5,000 years too.
Horses haven’t gone away you know…
But they are obsolete as the primary mode of transportation is concerned.
Now they're a niche hobby for people, which was not the case in the past.
Same with cash, there might remain niche people who use it in the future but as far as a mode of exchange is concerned, its obsolete.
True: you don’t see many horses in central London these days. But the number isn’t zero either.
Actually you do see loads of horses in central London - it's the one place in the urban landscape where you do. (Not in the suburbs and not in most other cities)
Hyde park is served by a couple of private stables. Then you have the Guards. One of the people I row with helps teach the soldiers and horses of the cavalry.
What subject do they teach the horses?
FFS
Singing. Obviously.
Some will understand that, some on the other hand will not. And on the gripping hand...
Eddie is always Crazy
That's what being in the space-time continuum can do to you.
Cash is better for budgeting. A lot of people like to put cash in envelopes so they know how much theyre spending on particular things.
Winnings always feel good however they reach you, but there is nothing to match that sensuous thrill of a bookie handing over large wads of the folding stuff.
I've just shot a video saying that Tesla is iPhone and every other EV is Android.
Its not to say that Android is bad or that there aren't brilliant Android devices. Its just that Apple is better. And I was a long time Apple refuser and iPhone cynic...
iPhone is horribly controlling and nannying. It took decades to allow you to put apps away in a drawer, and that silly animation when you are trying to rearrange them on your home screen always made me want to nuke Cupertino. If you think Tesla is better than the competition your message will be clearer if you just say so, because around 50% of your audience will hear "overpriced and over hyped" if you do the iPhone thing.
The comparison is about ecosystems and cohesiveness. With Tesla, everything works seamlessly. Same with Apple. Controlling means that things work. If you want the wild west, other things are available.
BBC lead story about their employee. Nuclear war beckons - a mere newsbite!
They are having quite a run of their top talent running into trouble with their personal lives....I wonder if Jenas got the boot super quick because of this latest story coming down the pipeline.
Racecourse bookies. They take card/phone etc., but it is so slow compared to the old £20 number 4 transactions. Obviously cash flow in the ring is a fraction of what it used to be but at a big meeting the card and phone bettors are a pain in the arse.
I have a mate who organises stuff and still insists on being paid by cheque. Sure, he’s a luddite but the logic is that if the stuff he organises doesn’t meet threshold participation he can just rip the cheques up and no hassle paying everybody back.
Tbh I like cash. As soon as you get rid of it the Powers that be, be they banks, Government, anybody else, could know exactly how you spend every penny you have. I’m not comfortable with that….
Good job England bat ddd....why the hell with Butler out did they not pick Banton or Smeed? Instead call up a half fit Overton, who can't bowl, and isn't international T20 bowler anyway.
I haven’t been to the ATM. I’ve paid for everything with card or phone. I’ve not got any Canadian money anyway. Nor have I seen anyone else paying in cash for anything, even really old people (and the Okanagan valley has lots of retirees soaking up the relatively abundant sun)
Unfortunately, our plans to train our AI models to understand the EU’s rich cultural, social and historical contributions remain paused while EU regulators remain unable to agree how the law should be applied. As Mark and Daniel Ek, CEO of Spotify, recently warned, the EU risks falling behind because of incoherent and complex regulation
And the EU had a competitor in Mistral AI, founded by ex-Deepmind employees, but I presume all the regulations are causing them lots of headaches.
It's never really been a competitor. 'Best in class' if we're being generous.
I haven’t been to the ATM. I’ve paid for everything with card or phone. I’ve not got any Canadian money anyway. Nor have I seen anyone else paying in cash for anything, even really old people (and the Okanagan valley has lots of retirees soaking up the relatively abundant sun)
Cash is indeed dying - worldwide
Okanagan valley is a great place to visit. Have you been on the ice wines yet?
No tax to be levied on overtime worked after 40hrs/week.
Actually an interesting gambit, What does PB think ? (Does it apply to investment bankers ? If so they’ll sleep in the office in the morning, and work through the night…)
What would it cost (he doesn’t care), and is it practical ?
So I'll work the first 40 hours a week at minimum wage and the next two hours at £10,000 per hour.
Yes, that’s the obvious dodge. Though it won’t be $10k for the workers.
Earlier in the week a taxi driver insisted I pay in cash. He was shocked when I said I didn't have any on me. Many fish and chip shops are cash only. It is going to take a while.
Back to a More In Common poll which at least will stop some constantly referring to a poll nearly a month old. The main thing in the figures is the large number of DKs and WNVs. Other than that, this poll tells us very little except the state of opinion is volatile with at least four and arguably five parties (the Greens) all vying for support.
It's often the case initial disillusionment with a Government doesn't manifest directly in increased support for the main opposition party. The Labour decline is split more or less evenly between the LDs, Greens and Reform.
Con/Lab at just 54% is probably one of the lowest shares ever recorded while LDs, Greens and Reform at 40% one of the highest.
No tax to be levied on overtime worked after 40hrs/week.
Actually an interesting gambit, What does PB think ? (Does it apply to investment bankers ? If so they’ll sleep in the office in the morning, and work through the night…)
What would it cost (he doesn’t care), and is it practical ?
So I'll work the first 40 hours a week at minimum wage and the next two hours at £10,000 per hour.
Yes, that’s the obvious dodge. Though it won’t be $10k for the workers.
Are you suggesting that @TheScreamingEagles *isn’t* a modest working class lad, with a subdued taste in shoes?
Earlier in the week a taxi driver insisted I pay in cash. He was shocked when I said I didn't have any on me. Many fish and chip shops are cash only. It is going to take a while.
These days anybody insisting on being cash only should have alarm bells going off. It costs far too much to actually handle cash if you are on the up and up.
I haven’t been to the ATM. I’ve paid for everything with card or phone. I’ve not got any Canadian money anyway. Nor have I seen anyone else paying in cash for anything, even really old people (and the Okanagan valley has lots of retirees soaking up the relatively abundant sun)
Cash is indeed dying - worldwide
I listen to quite a few tech podcasts and I've been amused at various times by Californian/SV techies being :: mind blown :: by even just contactless card payments. And electric kettles. Can you imagine of such a thing?
BBC lead story about their employee. Nuclear war beckons - a mere newsbite!
They are having quite a run of their top talent running into trouble with their personal lives....I wonder if Jenas got the boot super quick because of this latest story coming down the pipeline.
It's a very odd photo to choose on the website too. They seem to be saying 'look who YOU liked, and what do you say now'. Maybe that's their game.
No tax to be levied on overtime worked after 40hrs/week.
Actually an interesting gambit, What does PB think ? (Does it apply to investment bankers ? If so they’ll sleep in the office in the morning, and work through the night…)
What would it cost (he doesn’t care), and is it practical ?
So I'll work the first 40 hours a week at minimum wage and the next two hours at £10,000 per hour.
Yes, that’s the obvious dodge. Though it won’t be $10k for the workers.
Are you suggesting that @TheScreamingEagles *isn’t* a modest working class lad, with a subdued taste in shoes?
The main financial change I have observed in the last 25-30 years has been the decline of cheques. I used to write a lot of cheques on a monthly basis but haven't written one in five years. The advent of online payments has been a real gamechanger.
As for cash, I still use it and, as @Monksfield noted, it's still widely used in racecourse betting rings. There's a cafe in Surbiton which is cash only (they have a statement explaining why which seems a matter of principle to them but a matter of a decent breakfast to me) and many of the Chinese buffets in Chinatown are also cash only. I don't use it as much as I do but I wouldn't say I never use it and the level has settled to a constant over the past couple of years or so.
Earlier in the week a taxi driver insisted I pay in cash. He was shocked when I said I didn't have any on me. Many fish and chip shops are cash only. It is going to take a while.
These days anybody insisting on being cash only should have alarm bells going off. It costs far too much to actually handle cash if you are on the up and up.
I was offered 20% off a repair to my car if I paid in cash (talking several hundred £).
One of the top mechanics in the area but that was enough of a red flag for me to go elsewhere. The repair is the kind of thing that makes the car roadworthy and I don't want to rely on someone who doesn't play by the rules.
I haven’t been to the ATM. I’ve paid for everything with card or phone. I’ve not got any Canadian money anyway. Nor have I seen anyone else paying in cash for anything, even really old people (and the Okanagan valley has lots of retirees soaking up the relatively abundant sun)
Cash is indeed dying - worldwide
Okanagan valley is a great place to visit. Have you been on the ice wines yet?
It’s a fascinating part of the world. Not entirely beautiful. Lots of tat and tourist crap. Suburban sprawl
But endlessly interesting. I’ve just been up anarchist mountain and now I’m down in the valley at the tribal winery where I’ve bought some Nk-mip Syrah and now I’m off down the lakes to Kelowna and Quails winery for a proper tasting. Should get some ice wine there
Also, it really really really is desert. It’s hot in September. In Canada
Apparently it’s a weird “pocket desert” northern outlier of the great Arizonan deserts. And it does feel like Arizona but everyone says “eh” and “sorry” all the time
And another thing, a good long power cut and let’s see how everybody manages with e-transactions,,,,
Or indeed how they open a till or withdraw money. Or light their house. Or fire up their boiler. Or, god help us, post on PB about how amazing cash is.
Cash has been used for exchange for 4 or 5,000 years if not longer.
It 'aint going to disappear.
Horses were used for transportation for over 5,000 years too.
Mounted horse-lady spotted in Fairlop Waters Country Park yesterday. Two mounted horse-police officers spotted in St James's Park (London) last Sunday.
I haven’t been to the ATM. I’ve paid for everything with card or phone. I’ve not got any Canadian money anyway. Nor have I seen anyone else paying in cash for anything, even really old people (and the Okanagan valley has lots of retirees soaking up the relatively abundant sun)
Cash is indeed dying - worldwide
I listen to quite a few tech podcasts and I've been amused at various times by Californian/SV techies being :: mind blown :: by even just contactless card payments. And electric kettles. Can you imagine of such a thing?
I saw a list the other day of 20 things a modern 20 year old would not understand - VHS tapes and so on. For literally all 20 I would not have understood them at 20 either, because they were all in the future.
But yes electric kettles, agonizingly retro since I had a quooker put in 2 months ago.
I was in an English market town in the summer and saw this line for a Post Office cash machine about twenty deep, which piqued my interest in the topic as it didn't seem to fit the narrative of cash having gone out of fashion.
The basic point is correct. The overwhelming majority of payments by number and even more by value are made by card or electronic equivalent. However ...
There is more cash in circulation than there's ever been. This is largely people hoarding cash but it's more than the odd forgotten banknote at the back of the drawer. There seems to be some aspect of holding a significant fund for a rainy day.
About 20% of the population are highly wedded to cash. As with anything financial this includes most people who are vulnerable or socially excluded. Also cash is an important budgeting tool for many people.
The percentage of payments in cash is actually increasing, albeit from a low base
!!!! a very defensive Trump defends his relationship with Laura Loomer and says "she's a free spirit ... I don't know exactly what you're referring to"… https://x.com/atrupar/status/1834656023312769285
I haven’t been to the ATM. I’ve paid for everything with card or phone. I’ve not got any Canadian money anyway. Nor have I seen anyone else paying in cash for anything, even really old people (and the Okanagan valley has lots of retirees soaking up the relatively abundant sun)
Cash is indeed dying - worldwide
Okanagan valley is a great place to visit. Have you been on the ice wines yet?
As I said earlier our eldest got married in 2015 at the Ancient Wine Estates Winery in the Okanaghan valley on a beautiful day and the wine was good. The ice wines are fun
I was in an English market town in the summer and saw this line for a Post Office cash machine about twenty deep, which piqued my interest in the topic as it didn't seem to fit the narrative of cash having gone out of fashion.
The basic point is correct. The overwhelming majority of payments by number and even more by value are made by card or electronic equivalent. However ...
There is more cash in circulation than there's ever been. This is largely people hoarding cash but it's more than the odd forgotten banknote at the back of the drawer. There seems to be some aspect of holding a significant fund for a rainy day.
About 20% of the population are highly wedded to cash. As with anything financial this includes most people who are vulnerable or socially excluded. Also cash is an important budgeting tool for many people.
The percentage of payments in cash is actually increasing, albeit from a low base
There was a pub in Oxford, where the landlord had one of those mini cash machines. So people would take out cash and spend it across the bar.
Because the landlord had an agreement with the cash machine company, he would refill it from the cash in the till.
He pointed out that, on occasion, he would see the same note over weeks, cycling back and forth….
On topic, I don't think I've used either cash or card (with a physical card) payments once this year. I don't carry any form of wallet on me, and my physical cards are stored away somewhere in my house that I can't remember, probably with my Passport.
I will take a card if travelling abroad, as you can be less sure of what will be accepted in a given town. But in the UK, digital payments only for me.
As a liberal, I support cash continuing as a legal form of tender, and it'll continue to have a niche role. But more and more outlets will be card only, which is fine so long as there are rules that make sure everyone - from small children to a convicted murderers who have also commited card fraud but have served their sentence - can get easy access to a card-based payment system.
About time, you should also need a cycling licence and pass a test to ride a bike on a main road as you do to drive a car or lorry or van or ride a motorbike
80% of cyclists already hold such a licence, in line with the population in general.
Bikeability for children (formerly cycle proficiency) was cut by the Conservatives, with only half of kids outside London getting the training.
Not 100% and a driving licence is not the same as a cycle licence and cycling proficiency should really be for residential streets and country paths not A roads where a full cycling licence should be required and a test passed before going on
Tying the world up in red tape to sort a problem that by and large does not exist.
Similarly with third party insurance which most people have under their contents or household cover.
it is hardly red tape to ensure cyclists must pass a theory test on the Highway Code and a practical test on the main road like drivers do before they are allowed on an A road and to ensure they respect pedestrians
It is because bikes do not weigh over a ton and travel at 60 mph and as a consequence deaths and serious injury is very rare on a bike. However the opposite is true for a car or truck hence a test and licence is needed.
Where do you want to draw the line? Do I need to take a test and get a licence for walking down the pavement because that is where you are going with this.
No as pedestrians don't walk on motorways or even A roads except at traffic islands
Cyclists don't cycle on motorways either.
They do on main road A roads
And pedestrians walk down them also. All the time.
You are going around in circles here. You made a distinction between cyclists and pedestrians on Motorways and A roads neither of which holds up. Neither use motorways and both use A roads. They are no different, so do pedestrians need a licence then?
Pedestrians rarely walk on A roads, most of the time they walk on pavements, in residential streets or on rural B roads
We are getting really silly here and I'm sure you must have seen a lot of the countryside but neither pedestrians nor cyclists tend to use major A roads like say the A3 or the A12 (I drive along both a lot and have never seen a cyclist ever because you would be mad to cycle along them). When it comes to normal A roads you get a lot of cyclists and guess what you get a lot of pedestrians as well. They cross them all the time and step on them to pass people and cars parked on the kerb by twats and where there are no pavements they walk down them.
Honestly this is dancing on the top of a pin head.
It is totally mad to licence cyclists or bikes. You are opening a whole can of worms:
At what age do you take your test? Before that does a 5 year old have a provisional licence? Who tests all these people? Can you lose your licence or get it endorsed? Are you going to mandate third party insurance? Most household policies cover 3rd party for non motorised vehicles, but what if you rent a house. Not sure you can take out 3rd party liability that is not associated with another type of insurance unless it is for something like a motor vehicle or boat as it is not financially viable. It is usually a giveaway. How is the bike number plate going to work? What part of the bike constitutes the bike? The frame I suppose as all the other bits are easily changed. Is the Government going to hold a register of all of these. When you take your bike off the road will you SORN it? Will you notify them when you scrap it or sell it? To cover all these costs will you need a road tax? Will it need an MOT?
Where are you going with this?
And the next move will to do all the above for each pair of shoes you buy as a pedestrian.
We are in La La land.
On third party, my current bike insurance (for theft etc) throws it in as standard, but you can also through the same company get only 3rd party bike insurance - just checked and £1m is £16.21, £2m £20.93 and £5m £22.42. Not sure who buys that without insuring the bike (it was standard on my cover, which covered bike and accessories and some costs for me in case of bike problems, taxi etc for ~£40).
Are you in the UK?
In the UK virtually every house contents insurance policy provides third party liability cover for household members who are cycling to that £1-£2m level; it's just an included basic. The number of households with such insurance is around 70%.
It won't cover you for racing or sport.
And that's before all the other routes that provide it as an inclusive - I also get cover on the travel insurance policy bundled with my bank account throughout Europe for example. And many membership organisations provide similar.
That's one reason I get slightly annoyed by idiots like Lord Hogan-Howe using his prominent platform in the House of Lords to propagate bollocks. It's a pity he isn't a hereditary, then he would be for the chop.
I was in an English market town in the summer and saw this line for a Post Office cash machine about twenty deep, which piqued my interest in the topic as it didn't seem to fit the narrative of cash having gone out of fashion.
The basic point is correct. The overwhelming majority of payments by number and even more by value are made by card or electronic equivalent. However ...
There is more cash in circulation than there's ever been. This is largely people hoarding cash but it's more than the odd forgotten banknote at the back of the drawer. There seems to be some aspect of holding a significant fund for a rainy day.
About 20% of the population are highly wedded to cash. As with anything financial this includes most people who are vulnerable or socially excluded. Also cash is an important budgeting tool for many people.
The percentage of payments in cash is actually increasing, albeit from a low base
There was a pub in Oxford, where the landlord had one of those mini cash machines. So people would take out cash and spend it across the bar.
Because the landlord had an agreement with the cash machine company, he would refill it from the cash in the till.
He pointed out that, on occasion, he would see the same note over weeks, cycling back and forth….
Supermarkets used to do this and also offer cashback in the days when they readily accepted cash payments. Get your customers to do your cash handing and save the upto 4% fee banks were charging.
Racecourse bookies. They take card/phone etc., but it is so slow compared to the old £20 number 4 transactions. Obviously cash flow in the ring is a fraction of what it used to be but at a big meeting the card and phone bettors are a pain in the arse.
I have a mate who organises stuff and still insists on being paid by cheque. Sure, he’s a luddite but the logic is that if the stuff he organises doesn’t meet threshold participation he can just rip the cheques up and no hassle paying everybody back.
Tbh I like cash. As soon as you get rid of it the Powers that be, be they banks, Government, anybody else, could know exactly how you spend every penny you have. I’m not comfortable with that….
Agree totally. Cash remains pretty basic to tiny bits of the social economy which are irrelevant to movers and shakers but matter in rural communities. The village/small town/small school bazaar, with 15 stalls (tombola, junk, knitted hats, unreadable paperbacks, guess the number of sweets, baby toys with the vomit mostly washed off, gloop jam, Santa, marmite cake, instant coffees to order, the occasional unattributed Vermeer), manned by a mixture of Brownies, flower arrangers, allotment holders and people who struggle to count.
How do these bits of social glue function without coins and small notes? Explain and describe. They are central to the world in which I have lived for decades, and I shall pop into such a one tomorrow. And it is still going on going on.
About time, you should also need a cycling licence and pass a test to ride a bike on a main road as you do to drive a car or lorry or van or ride a motorbike
80% of cyclists already hold such a licence, in line with the population in general.
Bikeability for children (formerly cycle proficiency) was cut by the Conservatives, with only half of kids outside London getting the training.
Not 100% and a driving licence is not the same as a cycle licence and cycling proficiency should really be for residential streets and country paths not A roads where a full cycling licence should be required and a test passed before going on
Tying the world up in red tape to sort a problem that by and large does not exist.
Similarly with third party insurance which most people have under their contents or household cover.
it is hardly red tape to ensure cyclists must pass a theory test on the Highway Code and a practical test on the main road like drivers do before they are allowed on an A road and to ensure they respect pedestrians
It is because bikes do not weigh over a ton and travel at 60 mph and as a consequence deaths and serious injury is very rare on a bike. However the opposite is true for a car or truck hence a test and licence is needed.
Where do you want to draw the line? Do I need to take a test and get a licence for walking down the pavement because that is where you are going with this.
No as pedestrians don't walk on motorways or even A roads except at traffic islands
Cyclists don't cycle on motorways either.
They do on main road A roads
And pedestrians walk down them also. All the time.
You are going around in circles here. You made a distinction between cyclists and pedestrians on Motorways and A roads neither of which holds up. Neither use motorways and both use A roads. They are no different, so do pedestrians need a licence then?
Pedestrians rarely walk on A roads, most of the time they walk on pavements, in residential streets or on rural B roads
We are getting really silly here and I'm sure you must have seen a lot of the countryside but neither pedestrians nor cyclists tend to use major A roads like say the A3 or the A12 (I drive along both a lot and have never seen a cyclist ever because you would be mad to cycle along them). When it comes to normal A roads you get a lot of cyclists and guess what you get a lot of pedestrians as well. They cross them all the time and step on them to pass people and cars parked on the kerb by twats and where there are no pavements they walk down them.
Honestly this is dancing on the top of a pin head.
It is totally mad to licence cyclists or bikes. You are opening a whole can of worms:
At what age do you take your test? Before that does a 5 year old have a provisional licence? Who tests all these people? Can you lose your licence or get it endorsed? Are you going to mandate third party insurance? Most household policies cover 3rd party for non motorised vehicles, but what if you rent a house. Not sure you can take out 3rd party liability that is not associated with another type of insurance unless it is for something like a motor vehicle or boat as it is not financially viable. It is usually a giveaway. How is the bike number plate going to work? What part of the bike constitutes the bike? The frame I suppose as all the other bits are easily changed. Is the Government going to hold a register of all of these. When you take your bike off the road will you SORN it? Will you notify them when you scrap it or sell it? To cover all these costs will you need a road tax? Will it need an MOT?
Where are you going with this?
And the next move will to do all the above for each pair of shoes you buy as a pedestrian.
We are in La La land.
On third party, my current bike insurance (for theft etc) throws it in as standard, but you can also through the same company get only 3rd party bike insurance - just checked and £1m is £16.21, £2m £20.93 and £5m £22.42. Not sure who buys that without insuring the bike (it was standard on my cover, which covered bike and accessories and some costs for me in case of bike problems, taxi etc for ~£40).
Are you in the UK?
In the UK virtually every house contents insurance policy provides third party liability cover for household members who are cycling to that £1-£2m level; it's just an included basic. The number of households with such insurance is around 70%.
It won't cover you for racing or sport.
And that's before all the other routes that provide it as an inclusive - I also get cover on the travel insurance policy bundled with my bank account throughout Europe for example. And many membership organisations provide similar.
That's one reason I get slightly annoyed by idiots like Lord Hogan-Howe using his prominent platform in the House of Lords to propagate bollocks. It's a pity he isn't a hereditary, then he would be for the chop.
Silly question for PBers - I think, through various policies and memberships, I'm insured to cycle about (non-sport) three times over. Which should I approach in the event something happens? The most generous and inform the others I've had an incident but don't need their assistance?
About time, you should also need a cycling licence and pass a test to ride a bike on a main road as you do to drive a car or lorry or van or ride a motorbike
80% of cyclists already hold such a licence, in line with the population in general.
Bikeability for children (formerly cycle proficiency) was cut by the Conservatives, with only half of kids outside London getting the training.
Not 100% and a driving licence is not the same as a cycle licence and cycling proficiency should really be for residential streets and country paths not A roads where a full cycling licence should be required and a test passed before going on
Tying the world up in red tape to sort a problem that by and large does not exist.
Similarly with third party insurance which most people have under their contents or household cover.
it is hardly red tape to ensure cyclists must pass a theory test on the Highway Code and a practical test on the main road like drivers do before they are allowed on an A road and to ensure they respect pedestrians
It is because bikes do not weigh over a ton and travel at 60 mph and as a consequence deaths and serious injury is very rare on a bike. However the opposite is true for a car or truck hence a test and licence is needed.
Where do you want to draw the line? Do I need to take a test and get a licence for walking down the pavement because that is where you are going with this.
No as pedestrians don't walk on motorways or even A roads except at traffic islands
Cyclists don't cycle on motorways either.
They do on main road A roads
And pedestrians walk down them also. All the time.
You are going around in circles here. You made a distinction between cyclists and pedestrians on Motorways and A roads neither of which holds up. Neither use motorways and both use A roads. They are no different, so do pedestrians need a licence then?
Pedestrians rarely walk on A roads, most of the time they walk on pavements, in residential streets or on rural B roads
We are getting really silly here and I'm sure you must have seen a lot of the countryside but neither pedestrians nor cyclists tend to use major A roads like say the A3 or the A12 (I drive along both a lot and have never seen a cyclist ever because you would be mad to cycle along them). When it comes to normal A roads you get a lot of cyclists and guess what you get a lot of pedestrians as well. They cross them all the time and step on them to pass people and cars parked on the kerb by twats and where there are no pavements they walk down them.
Honestly this is dancing on the top of a pin head.
It is totally mad to licence cyclists or bikes. You are opening a whole can of worms:
At what age do you take your test? Before that does a 5 year old have a provisional licence? Who tests all these people? Can you lose your licence or get it endorsed? Are you going to mandate third party insurance? Most household policies cover 3rd party for non motorised vehicles, but what if you rent a house. Not sure you can take out 3rd party liability that is not associated with another type of insurance unless it is for something like a motor vehicle or boat as it is not financially viable. It is usually a giveaway. How is the bike number plate going to work? What part of the bike constitutes the bike? The frame I suppose as all the other bits are easily changed. Is the Government going to hold a register of all of these. When you take your bike off the road will you SORN it? Will you notify them when you scrap it or sell it? To cover all these costs will you need a road tax? Will it need an MOT?
Where are you going with this?
And the next move will to do all the above for each pair of shoes you buy as a pedestrian.
We are in La La land.
On third party, my current bike insurance (for theft etc) throws it in as standard, but you can also through the same company get only 3rd party bike insurance - just checked and £1m is £16.21, £2m £20.93 and £5m £22.42. Not sure who buys that without insuring the bike (it was standard on my cover, which covered bike and accessories and some costs for me in case of bike problems, taxi etc for ~£40).
Are you in the UK?
In the UK virtually every house contents insurance policy provides third party liability cover for household members who are cycling to that £1-£2m level; it's just an included basic. The number of households with such insurance is around 70%.
It won't cover you for racing or sport.
And that's before all the other routes that provide it as an inclusive - I also get cover on the travel insurance policy bundled with my bank account throughout Europe for example. And many membership organisations provide similar.
That's one reason I get slightly annoyed by idiots like Lord Hogan-Howe using his prominent platform in the House of Lords to propagate bollocks. It's a pity he isn't a hereditary, then he would be for the chop.
Silly question for PBers - I think, through various policies and memberships, I'm insured to cycle about (non-sport) three times over. Which should I approach in the event something happens? The most generous and inform the others I've had an incident but don't need their assistance?
The most approachable and clued up. The basic position is each of them is 100% liable to you, and they can fight it out amongst themselves for contributions.
Best approach for this stuff is join the club. E.g. if you pay UK cycling £50 a year for membership you get £20m liability cover. (I also belong to the Austrian mountaineering club for worldwide cover for search and rescue. That's a very cool policy, it says I can't spend more than 2 weeks a year above 6,500 metres unless I clear it with them in advance).
At work nobody is allowed to bring a Huawei device on premises.
How very dare you. It was none other than OGS himself who put me onto Xiaomi phones and they have been fantastic. That the CCP knows my every move is but a minor inconvenience, up with which I am able to put.
Apple is the best.
There is no further discussion to be had.
It is slightly (ok hugely) sad to see how completely people fall for such marketing.
I’ve been an Apple user since 1994.
Only ever had one blue screen of death.
LOL that's interesting.
I've been a deliberate NOT Apple user since years before that- maybe 1988.
IIRC they lost me with their Mac advertising claiming that their postcard size 9" black & white screen was better than a 14" colour equivalent. The corporate culture has not changed - it is still a walled garden, and they still groom their customers into being cash cows.
It came up last night when I was asking a friend about iPhones, who I thought was a Mac Man (saw him with one once), and it turned out he is as hostile as I am. We are both IT / Engineer peeps.
My phone bricked itself this week (and it's only a Samsung S6), and I needed a replacement pronto.
About time, you should also need a cycling licence and pass a test to ride a bike on a main road as you do to drive a car or lorry or van or ride a motorbike
80% of cyclists already hold such a licence, in line with the population in general.
Bikeability for children (formerly cycle proficiency) was cut by the Conservatives, with only half of kids outside London getting the training.
Not 100% and a driving licence is not the same as a cycle licence and cycling proficiency should really be for residential streets and country paths not A roads where a full cycling licence should be required and a test passed before going on
Tying the world up in red tape to sort a problem that by and large does not exist.
Similarly with third party insurance which most people have under their contents or household cover.
it is hardly red tape to ensure cyclists must pass a theory test on the Highway Code and a practical test on the main road like drivers do before they are allowed on an A road and to ensure they respect pedestrians
It is because bikes do not weigh over a ton and travel at 60 mph and as a consequence deaths and serious injury is very rare on a bike. However the opposite is true for a car or truck hence a test and licence is needed.
Where do you want to draw the line? Do I need to take a test and get a licence for walking down the pavement because that is where you are going with this.
No as pedestrians don't walk on motorways or even A roads except at traffic islands
Cyclists don't cycle on motorways either.
They do on main road A roads
And pedestrians walk down them also. All the time.
You are going around in circles here. You made a distinction between cyclists and pedestrians on Motorways and A roads neither of which holds up. Neither use motorways and both use A roads. They are no different, so do pedestrians need a licence then?
Pedestrians rarely walk on A roads, most of the time they walk on pavements, in residential streets or on rural B roads
We are getting really silly here and I'm sure you must have seen a lot of the countryside but neither pedestrians nor cyclists tend to use major A roads like say the A3 or the A12 (I drive along both a lot and have never seen a cyclist ever because you would be mad to cycle along them). When it comes to normal A roads you get a lot of cyclists and guess what you get a lot of pedestrians as well. They cross them all the time and step on them to pass people and cars parked on the kerb by twats and where there are no pavements they walk down them.
Honestly this is dancing on the top of a pin head.
It is totally mad to licence cyclists or bikes. You are opening a whole can of worms:
At what age do you take your test? Before that does a 5 year old have a provisional licence? Who tests all these people? Can you lose your licence or get it endorsed? Are you going to mandate third party insurance? Most household policies cover 3rd party for non motorised vehicles, but what if you rent a house. Not sure you can take out 3rd party liability that is not associated with another type of insurance unless it is for something like a motor vehicle or boat as it is not financially viable. It is usually a giveaway. How is the bike number plate going to work? What part of the bike constitutes the bike? The frame I suppose as all the other bits are easily changed. Is the Government going to hold a register of all of these. When you take your bike off the road will you SORN it? Will you notify them when you scrap it or sell it? To cover all these costs will you need a road tax? Will it need an MOT?
Where are you going with this?
And the next move will to do all the above for each pair of shoes you buy as a pedestrian.
We are in La La land.
On third party, my current bike insurance (for theft etc) throws it in as standard, but you can also through the same company get only 3rd party bike insurance - just checked and £1m is £16.21, £2m £20.93 and £5m £22.42. Not sure who buys that without insuring the bike (it was standard on my cover, which covered bike and accessories and some costs for me in case of bike problems, taxi etc for ~£40).
Are you in the UK?
In the UK virtually every house contents insurance policy provides third party liability cover for household members who are cycling to that £1-£2m level; it's just an included basic. The number of households with such insurance is around 70%.
It won't cover you for racing or sport.
And that's before all the other routes that provide it as an inclusive - I also get cover on the travel insurance policy bundled with my bank account throughout Europe for example. And many membership organisations provide similar.
That's one reason I get slightly annoyed by idiots like Lord Hogan-Howe using his prominent platform in the House of Lords to propagate bollocks. It's a pity he isn't a hereditary, then he would be for the chop.
Silly question for PBers - I think, through various policies and memberships, I'm insured to cycle about (non-sport) three times over. Which should I approach in the event something happens? The most generous and inform the others I've had an incident but don't need their assistance?
The last time I made an insurance claim (travel) the insurance company were very interested about other insurance cover I might have had for the claim, and I think they managed to get the airline to pay out in the end.
So I'd guess the first insurer you contact will want to know about the others and they'll have some sort of quiet scuffle in the background about how to split the cost.
Racecourse bookies. They take card/phone etc., but it is so slow compared to the old £20 number 4 transactions. Obviously cash flow in the ring is a fraction of what it used to be but at a big meeting the card and phone bettors are a pain in the arse.
I have a mate who organises stuff and still insists on being paid by cheque. Sure, he’s a luddite but the logic is that if the stuff he organises doesn’t meet threshold participation he can just rip the cheques up and no hassle paying everybody back.
Tbh I like cash. As soon as you get rid of it the Powers that be, be they banks, Government, anybody else, could know exactly how you spend every penny you have. I’m not comfortable with that….
Agree totally. Cash remains pretty basic to tiny bits of the social economy which are irrelevant to movers and shakers but matter in rural communities. The village/small town/small school bazaar, with 15 stalls (tombola, junk, knitted hats, unreadable paperbacks, guess the number of sweets, baby toys with the vomit mostly washed off, gloop jam, Santa, marmite cake, instant coffees to order, the occasional unattributed Vermeer), manned by a mixture of Brownies, flower arrangers, allotment holders and people who struggle to count.
How do these bits of social glue function without coins and small notes? Explain and describe. They are central to the world in which I have lived for decades, and I shall pop into such a one tomorrow. And it is still going on going on.
Just do what my child's school did at its fair: - Sell tickets with cash or card accepted at a single point at the entrance. Different games or activities cost different amounts of tickets, so could be manned by a small child if needed. It had most the types of activities you mention. - Raffle was completed digitally via a QR code to buy tickets online, which enabled people to buy as many as they wish and not have to stay around until the announcement.
At work nobody is allowed to bring a Huawei device on premises.
How very dare you. It was none other than OGS himself who put me onto Xiaomi phones and they have been fantastic. That the CCP knows my every move is but a minor inconvenience, up with which I am able to put.
Apple is the best.
There is no further discussion to be had.
It is slightly (ok hugely) sad to see how completely people fall for such marketing.
I’ve been an Apple user since 1994.
Only ever had one blue screen of death.
LOL that's interesting.
I've been a deliberate NOT Apple user since years before that- maybe 1988.
IIRC they lost me with their Mac advertising claiming that their postcard size 9" black & white screen was better than a 14" colour equivalent. The corporate culture has not changed - it is still a walled garden, and they still groom their customers into being cash cows.
It came up last night when I was asking a friend about iPhones, who I thought was a Mac Man (saw him with one once), and it turned out he is as hostile as I am.
My phone bricked itself this week (and it's only a Samsung S6), and I needed a replacement pronto.
The main differentiator for Apple these days are its subscription services. Which doesn't necessarily contradict your comment about grooming customers as cash cows. It depends on how keen you are on these services, I guess.
The devices Google/Apple themselves have been much of a muchness for years. The first allows competition on features and price: the second ensures a more consistent user experience.
Just had the best seafood meal we have EVER experienced: Le Pily in Cherbourg - tasting menu with wines - absolutely amazing. iIf you're ever near Cherbourg, book and go, you wont regret it.
About time, you should also need a cycling licence and pass a test to ride a bike on a main road as you do to drive a car or lorry or van or ride a motorbike
80% of cyclists already hold such a licence, in line with the population in general.
Bikeability for children (formerly cycle proficiency) was cut by the Conservatives, with only half of kids outside London getting the training.
Not 100% and a driving licence is not the same as a cycle licence and cycling proficiency should really be for residential streets and country paths not A roads where a full cycling licence should be required and a test passed before going on
Tying the world up in red tape to sort a problem that by and large does not exist.
Similarly with third party insurance which most people have under their contents or household cover.
it is hardly red tape to ensure cyclists must pass a theory test on the Highway Code and a practical test on the main road like drivers do before they are allowed on an A road and to ensure they respect pedestrians
It is because bikes do not weigh over a ton and travel at 60 mph and as a consequence deaths and serious injury is very rare on a bike. However the opposite is true for a car or truck hence a test and licence is needed.
Where do you want to draw the line? Do I need to take a test and get a licence for walking down the pavement because that is where you are going with this.
No as pedestrians don't walk on motorways or even A roads except at traffic islands
Cyclists don't cycle on motorways either.
They do on main road A roads
And pedestrians walk down them also. All the time.
You are going around in circles here. You made a distinction between cyclists and pedestrians on Motorways and A roads neither of which holds up. Neither use motorways and both use A roads. They are no different, so do pedestrians need a licence then?
Pedestrians rarely walk on A roads, most of the time they walk on pavements, in residential streets or on rural B roads
We are getting really silly here and I'm sure you must have seen a lot of the countryside but neither pedestrians nor cyclists tend to use major A roads like say the A3 or the A12 (I drive along both a lot and have never seen a cyclist ever because you would be mad to cycle along them). When it comes to normal A roads you get a lot of cyclists and guess what you get a lot of pedestrians as well. They cross them all the time and step on them to pass people and cars parked on the kerb by twats and where there are no pavements they walk down them.
Honestly this is dancing on the top of a pin head.
It is totally mad to licence cyclists or bikes. You are opening a whole can of worms:
At what age do you take your test? Before that does a 5 year old have a provisional licence? Who tests all these people? Can you lose your licence or get it endorsed? Are you going to mandate third party insurance? Most household policies cover 3rd party for non motorised vehicles, but what if you rent a house. Not sure you can take out 3rd party liability that is not associated with another type of insurance unless it is for something like a motor vehicle or boat as it is not financially viable. It is usually a giveaway. How is the bike number plate going to work? What part of the bike constitutes the bike? The frame I suppose as all the other bits are easily changed. Is the Government going to hold a register of all of these. When you take your bike off the road will you SORN it? Will you notify them when you scrap it or sell it? To cover all these costs will you need a road tax? Will it need an MOT?
Where are you going with this?
And the next move will to do all the above for each pair of shoes you buy as a pedestrian.
We are in La La land.
On third party, my current bike insurance (for theft etc) throws it in as standard, but you can also through the same company get only 3rd party bike insurance - just checked and £1m is £16.21, £2m £20.93 and £5m £22.42. Not sure who buys that without insuring the bike (it was standard on my cover, which covered bike and accessories and some costs for me in case of bike problems, taxi etc for ~£40).
Are you in the UK?
In the UK virtually every house contents insurance policy provides third party liability cover for household members who are cycling to that £1-£2m level; it's just an included basic. The number of households with such insurance is around 70%.
It won't cover you for racing or sport.
And that's before all the other routes that provide it as an inclusive - I also get cover on the travel insurance policy bundled with my bank account throughout Europe for example. And many membership organisations provide similar.
That's one reason I get slightly annoyed by idiots like Lord Hogan-Howe using his prominent platform in the House of Lords to propagate bollocks. It's a pity he isn't a hereditary, then he would be for the chop.
Silly question for PBers - I think, through various policies and memberships, I'm insured to cycle about (non-sport) three times over. Which should I approach in the event something happens? The most generous and inform the others I've had an incident but don't need their assistance?
The most approachable and clued up. The basic position is each of them is 100% liable to you, and they can fight it out amongst themselves for contributions.
Best approach for this stuff is join the club. E.g. if you pay UK cycling £50 a year for membership you get £20m liability cover. (I also belong to the Austrian mountaineering club for worldwide cover for search and rescue. That's a very cool policy, it says I can't spend more than 2 weeks a year above 6,500 metres unless I clear it with them in advance).
Thanks - I have Cycling UK membership via another organisation. My membership of Mountaineering Scotland is similar, and also brings discounts for BMC travel insurance and so on. Worth checking what's on offer every now and again.
About time, you should also need a cycling licence and pass a test to ride a bike on a main road as you do to drive a car or lorry or van or ride a motorbike
80% of cyclists already hold such a licence, in line with the population in general.
Bikeability for children (formerly cycle proficiency) was cut by the Conservatives, with only half of kids outside London getting the training.
Not 100% and a driving licence is not the same as a cycle licence and cycling proficiency should really be for residential streets and country paths not A roads where a full cycling licence should be required and a test passed before going on
Tying the world up in red tape to sort a problem that by and large does not exist.
Similarly with third party insurance which most people have under their contents or household cover.
it is hardly red tape to ensure cyclists must pass a theory test on the Highway Code and a practical test on the main road like drivers do before they are allowed on an A road and to ensure they respect pedestrians
It is because bikes do not weigh over a ton and travel at 60 mph and as a consequence deaths and serious injury is very rare on a bike. However the opposite is true for a car or truck hence a test and licence is needed.
Where do you want to draw the line? Do I need to take a test and get a licence for walking down the pavement because that is where you are going with this.
No as pedestrians don't walk on motorways or even A roads except at traffic islands
Cyclists don't cycle on motorways either.
They do on main road A roads
And pedestrians walk down them also. All the time.
You are going around in circles here. You made a distinction between cyclists and pedestrians on Motorways and A roads neither of which holds up. Neither use motorways and both use A roads. They are no different, so do pedestrians need a licence then?
Pedestrians rarely walk on A roads, most of the time they walk on pavements, in residential streets or on rural B roads
We are getting really silly here and I'm sure you must have seen a lot of the countryside but neither pedestrians nor cyclists tend to use major A roads like say the A3 or the A12 (I drive along both a lot and have never seen a cyclist ever because you would be mad to cycle along them). When it comes to normal A roads you get a lot of cyclists and guess what you get a lot of pedestrians as well. They cross them all the time and step on them to pass people and cars parked on the kerb by twats and where there are no pavements they walk down them.
Honestly this is dancing on the top of a pin head.
It is totally mad to licence cyclists or bikes. You are opening a whole can of worms:
At what age do you take your test? Before that does a 5 year old have a provisional licence? Who tests all these people? Can you lose your licence or get it endorsed? Are you going to mandate third party insurance? Most household policies cover 3rd party for non motorised vehicles, but what if you rent a house. Not sure you can take out 3rd party liability that is not associated with another type of insurance unless it is for something like a motor vehicle or boat as it is not financially viable. It is usually a giveaway. How is the bike number plate going to work? What part of the bike constitutes the bike? The frame I suppose as all the other bits are easily changed. Is the Government going to hold a register of all of these. When you take your bike off the road will you SORN it? Will you notify them when you scrap it or sell it? To cover all these costs will you need a road tax? Will it need an MOT?
Where are you going with this?
And the next move will to do all the above for each pair of shoes you buy as a pedestrian.
We are in La La land.
On third party, my current bike insurance (for theft etc) throws it in as standard, but you can also through the same company get only 3rd party bike insurance - just checked and £1m is £16.21, £2m £20.93 and £5m £22.42. Not sure who buys that without insuring the bike (it was standard on my cover, which covered bike and accessories and some costs for me in case of bike problems, taxi etc for ~£40).
Are you in the UK?
In the UK virtually every house contents insurance policy provides third party liability cover for household members who are cycling to that £1-£2m level; it's just an included basic. The number of households with such insurance is around 70%.
It won't cover you for racing or sport.
And that's before all the other routes that provide it as an inclusive - I also get cover on the travel insurance policy bundled with my bank account throughout Europe for example. And many membership organisations provide similar.
That's one reason I get slightly annoyed by idiots like Lord Hogan-Howe using his prominent platform in the House of Lords to propagate bollocks. It's a pity he isn't a hereditary, then he would be for the chop.
Silly question for PBers - I think, through various policies and memberships, I'm insured to cycle about (non-sport) three times over. Which should I approach in the event something happens? The most generous and inform the others I've had an incident but don't need their assistance?
The most approachable and clued up. The basic position is each of them is 100% liable to you, and they can fight it out amongst themselves for contributions.
Best approach for this stuff is join the club. E.g. if you pay UK cycling £50 a year for membership you get £20m liability cover. (I also belong to the Austrian mountaineering club for worldwide cover for search and rescue. That's a very cool policy, it says I can't spend more than 2 weeks a year above 6,500 metres unless I clear it with them in advance).
I'm not completely sure about whether Cycling UK membership covers participation in events, so I'd recommend a check if you want that coverage. But they supply a huge number of other benefits.
British Cycling used to have a category of membership called Race Membership, which was good value, but I think it now comes with their normal membership, judging by this: https://membership.britishcycling.org.uk/race
I'm in Cycling UK because they are far more active on the political / campaigning side, and I want access to more specialist lawyers. And British Cycling keep making what some consider tobe mis-steps, such as sponsorship by motor and oil companies.
I was in an English market town in the summer and saw this line for a Post Office cash machine about twenty deep, which piqued my interest in the topic as it didn't seem to fit the narrative of cash having gone out of fashion.
The basic point is correct. The overwhelming majority of payments by number and even more by value are made by card or electronic equivalent. However ...
There is more cash in circulation than there's ever been. This is largely people hoarding cash but it's more than the odd forgotten banknote at the back of the drawer. There seems to be some aspect of holding a significant fund for a rainy day.
About 20% of the population are highly wedded to cash. As with anything financial this includes most people who are vulnerable or socially excluded. Also cash is an important budgeting tool for many people.
The percentage of payments in cash is actually increasing, albeit from a low base
There was a pub in Oxford, where the landlord had one of those mini cash machines. So people would take out cash and spend it across the bar.
Because the landlord had an agreement with the cash machine company, he would refill it from the cash in the till.
He pointed out that, on occasion, he would see the same note over weeks, cycling back and forth….
Supermarkets used to do this and also offer cashback in the days when they readily accepted cash payments. Get your customers to do your cash handing and save the upto 4% fee banks were charging.
There used to be a nightclubs/private members club in South Kensington.
Just opposite the Natural History Museum.
The bar was doing a roaring trade in cash backs. In units of £50
To the point that they were making cash deliveries to the place.
I was quite surprised it took several years for the police to act.
The owner was a nice guy, but as thick as mince. He didn’t know what was going on.
At work nobody is allowed to bring a Huawei device on premises.
How very dare you. It was none other than OGS himself who put me onto Xiaomi phones and they have been fantastic. That the CCP knows my every move is but a minor inconvenience, up with which I am able to put.
Apple is the best.
There is no further discussion to be had.
It is slightly (ok hugely) sad to see how completely people fall for such marketing.
I’ve been an Apple user since 1994.
Only ever had one blue screen of death.
LOL that's interesting.
I've been a deliberate NOT Apple user since years before that- maybe 1988.
IIRC they lost me with their Mac advertising claiming that their postcard size 9" black & white screen was better than a 14" colour equivalent. The corporate culture has not changed - it is still a walled garden, and they still groom their customers into being cash cows.
It came up last night when I was asking a friend about iPhones, who I thought was a Mac Man (saw him with one once), and it turned out he is as hostile as I am.
My phone bricked itself this week (and it's only a Samsung S6), and I needed a replacement pronto.
The main differentiator for Apple these days are its subscription services. Which doesn't necessarily contradict your comment about grooming customers as cash cows. It depends on how keen you are on these services, I guess.
The devices Google/Apple themselves have been much of a muchness for years. The first allows competition on features and price: the second ensures a more consistent user experience.
I've gone with a reconditioned Google Pixel 7 for £199.95, which matches my needs. The one concern is that it is only 128Gb, but 256 added about 50%.
I think the one thing I will miss wrt an iPhone will be the tracing tags, which seem excellent.
I was in an English market town in the summer and saw this line for a Post Office cash machine about twenty deep, which piqued my interest in the topic as it didn't seem to fit the narrative of cash having gone out of fashion.
The basic point is correct. The overwhelming majority of payments by number and even more by value are made by card or electronic equivalent. However ...
There is more cash in circulation than there's ever been. This is largely people hoarding cash but it's more than the odd forgotten banknote at the back of the drawer. There seems to be some aspect of holding a significant fund for a rainy day.
About 20% of the population are highly wedded to cash. As with anything financial this includes most people who are vulnerable or socially excluded. Also cash is an important budgeting tool for many people.
The percentage of payments in cash is actually increasing, albeit from a low base
There was a pub in Oxford, where the landlord had one of those mini cash machines. So people would take out cash and spend it across the bar.
Because the landlord had an agreement with the cash machine company, he would refill it from the cash in the till.
He pointed out that, on occasion, he would see the same note over weeks, cycling back and forth….
Supermarkets used to do this and also offer cashback in the days when they readily accepted cash payments. Get your customers to do your cash handing and save the upto 4% fee banks were charging.
I've just shot a video saying that Tesla is iPhone and every other EV is Android.
Its not to say that Android is bad or that there aren't brilliant Android devices. Its just that Apple is better. And I was a long time Apple refuser and iPhone cynic...
You don't get Rivians in the UK. If you did, you wouldn't say that.
The Rivian experience is meaningfully better than Tesla's, largely because their hardware quality control is superb.
OMG. MSNBC just aired the best montage I’ve seen—starting with Kamala Harris’s saying, “I invite you to attend one of Trump’s rallies” & then immediately showing Trump at his rally yesterday talking about everything from “geese” to grunting. SO good. Watch.
I've just shot a video saying that Tesla is iPhone and every other EV is Android.
Its not to say that Android is bad or that there aren't brilliant Android devices. Its just that Apple is better. And I was a long time Apple refuser and iPhone cynic...
iPhone is horribly controlling and nannying. It took decades to allow you to put apps away in a drawer, and that silly animation when you are trying to rearrange them on your home screen always made me want to nuke Cupertino. If you think Tesla is better than the competition your message will be clearer if you just say so, because around 50% of your audience will hear "overpriced and over hyped" if you do the iPhone thing.
The comparison is about ecosystems and cohesiveness. With Tesla, everything works seamlessly. Same with Apple. Controlling means that things work. If you want the wild west, other things are available.
It's a car, not a phone. My phone contains my entire life. My phone has apps that I have bought and that I would lose if I changed ecosystem.
By contrast, my car gets me from a to b.
I spend six hours a day on my phone. I spend 30 minutes a day in my car. And the experience - staring out the window with my hands on the steering wheel - is not differentiated between brands.
If you know how an iPhone works, you will be confused when you pick up an Android.
If you know how a Tesla works, you will experience exactly zero issues if you use another motor vehicle.
I haven’t been to the ATM. I’ve paid for everything with card or phone. I’ve not got any Canadian money anyway. Nor have I seen anyone else paying in cash for anything, even really old people (and the Okanagan valley has lots of retirees soaking up the relatively abundant sun)
Cash is indeed dying - worldwide
I listen to quite a few tech podcasts and I've been amused at various times by Californian/SV techies being :: mind blown :: by even just contactless card payments. And electric kettles. Can you imagine of such a thing?
Americans don't have electric kettles. Partly because they don't drink tea, and partly because at 110v they would take forever to boil
Just had the best seafood meal we have EVER experienced: Le Pily in Cherbourg - tasting menu with wines - absolutely amazing. iIf you're ever near Cherbourg, book and go, you wont regret it.
I haven’t been to the ATM. I’ve paid for everything with card or phone. I’ve not got any Canadian money anyway. Nor have I seen anyone else paying in cash for anything, even really old people (and the Okanagan valley has lots of retirees soaking up the relatively abundant sun)
Cash is indeed dying - worldwide
I listen to quite a few tech podcasts and I've been amused at various times by Californian/SV techies being :: mind blown :: by even just contactless card payments. And electric kettles. Can you imagine of such a thing?
Americans don't have electric kettles. Partly because they don't drink tea, and partly because at 110v they would take forever to boil
One I came across recently that was weird is that Usonian mobile telephones have a geography based dialling code. So your mobile phone on that basis in a UK analogy would have eg a Leicester number.
Just had the best seafood meal we have EVER experienced: Le Pily in Cherbourg - tasting menu with wines - absolutely amazing. iIf you're ever near Cherbourg, book and go, you wont regret it.
Paid by phone and left a cash tip, for balance.
Tips with cash are often much easier to organise.
Easier than key the exact you want to tip on the keypad (or pressing the button for a specific %) then tapping your phone against the screen?
Apparently Trump has ‘concepts of a plan.’ I taught high school for 20 years. Every one of my kids had a better excuse for not doing their homework than that.
At work nobody is allowed to bring a Huawei device on premises.
How very dare you. It was none other than OGS himself who put me onto Xiaomi phones and they have been fantastic. That the CCP knows my every move is but a minor inconvenience, up with which I am able to put.
Apple is the best.
There is no further discussion to be had.
It is slightly (ok hugely) sad to see how completely people fall for such marketing.
I’ve been an Apple user since 1994.
Only ever had one blue screen of death.
Thing is, if you buy a phone for £200-300 it makes you a lot less worried about losing it, dropping it on the floor, etc. Plus if you are in the google ecosystem then you just log in a la your Apple ID and on you go on a new machine.
Though if it's the only way you have of paying for anything then losing it might be slightly inconvenient.
Not really, far less worrying than losing your wallet.
I keep a spare old phone home as an emergency backup. I smashed my phone last year, I got home and took my old device out, put in the SIM card, logged onto my apps and all my cards were transferred over and I was back up and running immediately.
Olden days I'd have had to wait to get new cards printed and sent out, and even older days any cash I had would have been just lost.
When I got my new phone then I just transferred everything back immediately.
Plus its an option to have everything on your watch too, so can use that when phone is unavailable.
Why are you replying to me you fucking troll? fuck off
Play nicely.
That shit has repeatedly without any reason called me a Putin apologist (and an AfD supporter). All I've done in return is ask him to fuck off - and I'm the one that's supposed to play nicely??
I always travel with cash and credit cards . You never know when there will be some technical issue as we saw just a while back . And I always tip in cash as I don’t trust restaurants to pass that onto staff if you add it to your card . Call me old fashioned but I don’t have cards on my phone , again what if there’s some drama with that.
My town gets some vast proportion of its GDP from the two annual pottery festivals where pottery buyers come from all over and the people who have been making pots all year sell them directly. They were nearly all set up to take an e-cash system like PayPay [sic]. Luckily Japanese people mostly still carry cash, because when we had the first pottery festival after covid and hundreds of thousands of people showed up in a town built for 20,000, all the mobile networks fell over...
Apparently Trump has ‘concepts of a plan.’ I taught high school for 20 years. Every one of my kids had a better excuse for not doing their homework than that.
Just had the best seafood meal we have EVER experienced: Le Pily in Cherbourg - tasting menu with wines - absolutely amazing. iIf you're ever near Cherbourg, book and go, you wont regret it.
Paid by phone and left a cash tip, for balance.
Tips with cash are often much easier to organise.
Easier than key the exact you want to tip on the keypad (or pressing the button for a specific %) then tapping your phone against the screen?
God yes. Because the latter involves a) getting your glasses out, b) so much that could possibly go wrong (is my phone charged? canI get the app to work? will it insist on installing some new software? has my leg movement convinced the phone that I'm surreptitiously trying to unlock it, to which it has responded by locking the phone for five hours), and c) real social awkwardness: if you are calculating the exact tip you want to give, that's quite a specific judgement you're giving on the service; whereas if it's a handful of coins it's a 'yes, the service was sufficiently good for us to observe this awkward social nicety but let's not pretend there's too much meaning behind it'.
Two of my least favourite things: phones and tipping. Ugh.
Comments
‘Premature’ announcement of chief technical officer’s move across the grid in March 2025 is criticised by Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal
https://www.thetimes.com/sport/formula-one/article/adrian-newey-red-bull-aston-martin-christian-horner-wpc2qpv8b
https://youtu.be/lD1ixTr4JWY?si=sQBGChv2iCZL-Rc-
I want to be able to offer farmers notes to let me stay in their fields
I've bought a tent
Racecourse bookies. They take card/phone etc., but it is so slow compared to the old £20 number 4 transactions. Obviously cash flow in the ring is a fraction of what it used to be but at a big meeting the card and phone bettors are a pain in the arse.
I have a mate who organises stuff and still insists on being paid by cheque. Sure, he’s a luddite but the logic is that if the stuff he organises doesn’t meet threshold participation he can just rip the cheques up and no hassle paying everybody back.
Tbh I like cash. As soon as you get rid of it the Powers that be, be they banks, Government, anybody else, could know exactly how you spend every penny you have. I’m not comfortable with that….
I haven’t been to the ATM. I’ve paid for everything with card or phone. I’ve not got any Canadian money anyway. Nor have I seen anyone else paying in cash for anything, even really old people (and the Okanagan valley has lots of retirees soaking up the relatively abundant sun)
Cash is indeed dying - worldwide
Though it won’t be $10k for the workers.
I've been on holiday this week.
Back to a More In Common poll which at least will stop some constantly referring to a poll nearly a month old. The main thing in the figures is the large number of DKs and WNVs. Other than that, this poll tells us very little except the state of opinion is volatile with at least four and arguably five parties (the Greens) all vying for support.
It's often the case initial disillusionment with a Government doesn't manifest directly in increased support for the main opposition party. The Labour decline is split more or less evenly between the LDs, Greens and Reform.
Con/Lab at just 54% is probably one of the lowest shares ever recorded while LDs, Greens and Reform at 40% one of the highest.
As for cash, I still use it and, as @Monksfield noted, it's still widely used in racecourse betting rings. There's a cafe in Surbiton which is cash only (they have a statement explaining why which seems a matter of principle to them but a matter of a decent breakfast to me) and many of the Chinese buffets in Chinatown are also cash only. I don't use it as much as I do but I wouldn't say I never use it and the level has settled to a constant over the past couple of years or so.
One of the top mechanics in the area but that was enough of a red flag for me to go elsewhere. The repair is the kind of thing that makes the car roadworthy and I don't want to rely on someone who doesn't play by the rules.
But endlessly interesting. I’ve just been up anarchist mountain and now I’m down in the valley at the tribal winery where I’ve bought some Nk-mip Syrah and now I’m off down the lakes to Kelowna and Quails winery for a proper tasting. Should get some ice wine there
Also, it really really really is desert. It’s hot in September. In Canada
Apparently it’s a weird “pocket desert” northern outlier of the great Arizonan deserts. And it does feel like Arizona but everyone says “eh” and “sorry” all the time
Two mounted horse-police officers spotted in St James's Park (London) last Sunday.
But yes electric kettles, agonizingly retro since I had a quooker put in 2 months ago.
The basic point is correct. The overwhelming majority of payments by number and even more by value are made by card or electronic equivalent. However ...
There is more cash in circulation than there's ever been. This is largely people hoarding cash but it's more than the odd forgotten banknote at the back of the drawer. There seems to be some aspect of holding a significant fund for a rainy day.
About 20% of the population are highly wedded to cash. As with anything financial this includes most people who are vulnerable or socially excluded. Also cash is an important budgeting tool for many people.
The percentage of payments in cash is actually increasing, albeit from a low base
That said - some of the science people I know are very impressed with it. Coding-wise it seems a bit iffy so far.
https://x.com/atrupar/status/1834656023312769285
Curious…
Because the landlord had an agreement with the cash machine company, he would refill it from the cash in the till.
He pointed out that, on occasion, he would see the same note over weeks, cycling back and forth….
I will take a card if travelling abroad, as you can be less sure of what will be accepted in a given town. But in the UK, digital payments only for me.
As a liberal, I support cash continuing as a legal form of tender, and it'll continue to have a niche role. But more and more outlets will be card only, which is fine so long as there are rules that make sure everyone - from small children to a convicted murderers who have also commited card fraud but have served their sentence - can get easy access to a card-based payment system.
In the UK virtually every house contents insurance policy provides third party liability cover for household members who are cycling to that £1-£2m level; it's just an included basic. The number of households with such insurance is around 70%.
It won't cover you for racing or sport.
And that's before all the other routes that provide it as an inclusive - I also get cover on the travel insurance policy bundled with my bank account throughout Europe for example. And many membership organisations provide similar.
That's one reason I get slightly annoyed by idiots like Lord Hogan-Howe using his prominent platform in the House of Lords to propagate bollocks. It's a pity he isn't a hereditary, then he would be for the chop.
I'll make the list of some prominent insurance companies my Photo Quota:
https://x.com/mattwardman/status/1628327909906608129
How do these bits of social glue function without coins and small notes? Explain and describe. They are central to the world in which I have lived for decades, and I shall pop into such a one tomorrow. And it is still going on going on.
*Something* is up.
I hope you're Herring me here, because it won't bare repeating.
Best approach for this stuff is join the club. E.g. if you pay UK cycling £50 a year for membership you get £20m liability cover. (I also belong to the Austrian mountaineering club for worldwide cover for search and rescue. That's a very cool policy, it says I can't spend more than 2 weeks a year above 6,500 metres unless I clear it with them in advance).
I've been a deliberate NOT Apple user since years before that- maybe 1988.
IIRC they lost me with their Mac advertising claiming that their postcard size 9" black & white screen was better than a 14" colour equivalent. The corporate culture has not changed - it is still a walled garden, and they still groom their customers into being cash cows.
It came up last night when I was asking a friend about iPhones, who I thought was a Mac Man (saw him with one once), and it turned out he is as hostile as I am. We are both IT / Engineer peeps.
My phone bricked itself this week (and it's only a Samsung S6), and I needed a replacement pronto.
So I'd guess the first insurer you contact will want to know about the others and they'll have some sort of quiet scuffle in the background about how to split the cost.
- Sell tickets with cash or card accepted at a single point at the entrance. Different games or activities cost different amounts of tickets, so could be manned by a small child if needed. It had most the types of activities you mention.
- Raffle was completed digitally via a QR code to buy tickets online, which enabled people to buy as many as they wish and not have to stay around until the announcement.
The devices Google/Apple themselves have been much of a muchness for years. The first allows competition on features and price: the second ensures a more consistent user experience.
Just had the best seafood meal we have EVER experienced: Le Pily in Cherbourg - tasting menu with wines - absolutely amazing. iIf you're ever near Cherbourg, book and go, you wont regret it.
Paid by phone and left a cash tip, for balance.
British Cycling used to have a category of membership called Race Membership, which was good value, but I think it now comes with their normal membership, judging by this:
https://membership.britishcycling.org.uk/race
I'm in Cycling UK because they are far more active on the political / campaigning side, and I want access to more specialist lawyers. And British Cycling keep making what some consider tobe mis-steps, such as sponsorship by motor and oil companies.
Just opposite the Natural History Museum.
The bar was doing a roaring trade in cash backs. In units of £50
To the point that they were making cash deliveries to the place.
I was quite surprised it took several years for the police to act.
The owner was a nice guy, but as thick as mince. He didn’t know what was going on.
I think the one thing I will miss wrt an iPhone will be the tracing tags, which seem excellent.
Or digital watches marked the end of watches with hands.
Or keg beer marked the end of cask.
I'd say it corresponds approximately to a vehicle 3/4 of the way up the Range Rover product line on the lack of penis length scale
Kamala Harris doesn't have a brother.
https://youtu.be/YPASkoBCYP0?si=jGN8ZJPBThSBXUzV
He was confusing her with Tim Walz...
The Rivian experience is meaningfully better than Tesla's, largely because their hardware quality control is superb.
Victor Shi
@Victorshi2020
OMG. MSNBC just aired the best montage I’ve seen—starting with Kamala Harris’s saying, “I invite you to attend one of Trump’s rallies” & then immediately showing Trump at his rally yesterday talking about everything from “geese” to grunting. SO good. Watch.
https://x.com/Victorshi2020/status/1834556265344741699
By contrast, my car gets me from a to b.
I spend six hours a day on my phone. I spend 30 minutes a day in my car. And the experience - staring out the window with my hands on the steering wheel - is not differentiated between brands.
If you know how an iPhone works, you will be confused when you pick up an Android.
If you know how a Tesla works, you will experience exactly zero issues if you use another motor vehicle.
Republicans against Trump
@RpsAgainstTrump
Fox News has shifted Georgia and North Carolina from leaning Trump to toss up.
Happy Friday!
https://x.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/1834606968238915606
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alina-habba-bedminster-lawsuit-settles-b2611971.html
WTF?
He’s losing it.
Whatever it might be in his case.
And he's not wrong, is he?
https://x.com/CalltoActivism/status/1834376913801908293
My school had no mobiles for at least two years.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/sep/13/academy-chain-with-35000-pupils-to-be-first-in-england-to-go-phone-free
Two of my least favourite things: phones and tipping. Ugh.