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Your regular reminder that the betting markets are frequently and spectacularly wrong

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  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,618
    DUCKETT
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,522
    More than 300,000 Georgians cast ballots on the first day of early voting - *obliterating* surpassing the previous record.
    https://x.com/bluestein/status/1846335140487737477

    And no one knows what it means.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,900
    Sandpit said:

    Taz said:

    Nigelb said:

    Taz said:

    And here we have it. The daily Harris lovefest.

    Cannot wait for this election to be over.

    What are you doing on this site ?
    There's been a significant shift in the odds, for no readily discernible reason. It would be exceedingly odd if people didn't discuss it.

    Your characterisation of the discussion is equally odd.

    I shall probably only bet on the night of the election, as I did last time when Biden's odds drifted during the counting so I did well.
    There were loads of “oh, Trump again, good night” comments here on the night last time, when Biden was 10/1 or thereabouts on Betfair.

    Everyone seems to forget that US elections take literally weeks to count and two months to certify, nearly three months before the new President is sworn in. No-one else does this, and in the UK everyone is used to seeing the handover within 24 hours. 2010 is the only exception in my lifetime, when it still took less than a week.

    Last time the postal vote favoured Biden, because in the context of the pandemic he was encouraging it whereas Trump was encouraging on-the-day voting. It’s not going to be so one-sided this time around. The chance of a Florida 2000 repeat isn’t off the charts sadly.
    Yeh. They've got time to slip in a brutal but short civil war before the inauguration.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,656
    Well done Ben Duckett, that’s a fine hundred.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,545
    Duckett's got his ton!
  • BurgessianBurgessian Posts: 2,772

    Andy_JS said:

    I thought this sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen anymore with a Labour government.

    "London Underground workers to strike next month over pay, union says"

    https://news.sky.com/story/london-underground-workers-to-strike-next-month-over-pay-union-says-13234456

    I tried to use a black cab for the first time in about 3 years yesterday and had the clichéd "nah, I don't want to do it mate - not going that way" response. When I asked how long it would take he then described the impact on him and his schedule for the rest of the day rather than mine, so I gave up and went back to the delayed tube.

    I just won't bother again, or just use Uber.

    It really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.
    t really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.

    I believe it was lobbying by the yellow cab drivers that scotched a decent public transport link from JFK to Manhattan being developed. The taxi fare now is a standard 70 dollars plus extras and tolls meaning very little change from $100. But the alternatives are not much cheaper and a lot less convenient - partic after enduring a transatlantic flight. A real stitch-up.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,291

    Contributor to the Beeb.

    Both Pakistan opening bowlers have played for Whiston Parish Church CC in the South Yorkshire Premier Cricket League. I wonder if that's ever happened before in Test cricket.

    I used to watch Littleborough in the South Lancashire league. Their list of professionals who played for them included Sir Garfield Sobers, Joel Garner, Sir Andy Roberts...
    A few years back when out and about near York I came across a village cricket match, so thought I'd watch a few overs, as you do, and took up a position on the boundary.

    The first ball of the next over sailed right over the pavilion and straight through the back window of an unfortunate BMW in the car park.

    The batsman? A 60 year old Collis King...
    https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/prudential-world-cup-1979-60806/england-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard
    Next season, ex-England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn will be playing in North Yorkshire Premier League at the ripe old age of 58.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,618
    Barnesian said:

    Pulpstar said:

    +5 poll today with Harris at 52% (+3 from previous, Marist). 6-4 looks bonkers big to me tbh. Topping up a ton on her.

    I think someone with a lot of money is playing silly beggars betting on Trump for some reason. Could be an insurance bet or it could be a deliberate attempt to create a narrative. It's big market, approaching £100million, so it's an expensive strategy. Who could afford it?
    IBD/Tipp has Harris up 4pts today.

    It got the result pretty much spot on in 2020 as I recall.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 28,083

    Foss said:

    Andy_JS said:

    viewcode said:

    Nigelb said:

    Nigelb said:

    TimS said:

    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    I only tend to hear Hardtalk via bouts of insomnia but I’m always impressed. Well played BBC, well played.

    https://x.com/stephensackur/status/1846166070664511853?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q

    Feels like we’re at an inflection point with the BBC where a multiple pincer movement could take it down rapidly.

    It’s a national asset and probably the UK’s most powerful brand (I appreciate those features are unlikely to appeal to you). As important as Trident (ditto) and our top universities.
    I agree completely. Why the fuck would you get rid of that? When you look at some of the infantile pap the BBC churns out?

    How much does it cost to produce a good in depth news interview programme? Sack one Gary Lineker and you’ve probably got enough to fund it for for a decade
    And why aren't they forced to focus on the stuff others wont/can't do? Hardtalk being a top example. Why are they allowed to slash news output and journalists and stuff like Newsnight but spend millions on Strictly, and "the talent" and property buying porn?
    It’s the same problem that blights the Met Office. Both organisations are world beating in the talent and quality of their infrastructure, but both are kept alive on an intermittent fasting diet of not enough public money but a set of constraints that mean they can’t operate truly commercially either.

    Contrast with NOAA in the US. Funded so generously by the US military that they can give out their data for free. Result: despite having statistically much poorer weather models than either the Met Office or ECMWF, their output is everywhere.

    Or the French national champions since forever: protected by regulation at home, aggressively commercial abroad.
    Until fairly recently NOAA were funded pretty badly, and the Met Office are generally quite happy with their hybrid approach. Having most of their government funding in the form of commercial-style contracts enables them to negotiate to protect their funding from departmental cuts, because they can point to the loss of services that will follow from a cut in funding.

    This is one of the reasons why the Met Office have historically been quite successful in arguing for the government investment that has made them better than NOAA, and competing for commercial contracts with private weather firms has also imposed the discipline of achieving results to keep those contracts.

    NOAA is not a successful model for the Met Office to follow.

    There's are some problems with the current Met Office setup, and some tweaks you could make, but it has been reviewed numerous times and the conclusion has always been that the current model is better than the alternatives.

    The BBC is a different matter. They need to escape the licence fee, but it's a huge amount of income to replace. Not easy.
    Fund it out of general taxation.
    That would save 4% of its budget straight away.
    If you fund it out of general taxation it will end up being salami-sliced away to nothing. Why spend tax revenue on the BBC when you could fund nurses instead?

    It's the only alternative that is worse than the status quo.
    It is being salami sliced to death.
    Aided by the unpopularity of the license fee.
    Its market is also getting salami-sliced away.

    I love the BBC, and much of its output. But I'm watching it less and less. There's just too many competitors, often doing the job better than the Beeb. (At other times, not doing a better job...)
    What I want is 20-60 min spoken documentaries in lecture format. I hate the podcast format and interview format. Here is an example
    It is why YouTube is so popular, it has something for everybody. But in particular the niche of long form interviews and high quality science / history factual content is extremely popular in a way I don't think outside the odd exception has ever been the case on linear tv in recent history.
    Many of the biggest YouTubers, like Tom Scott, would probably have been TV presenters on BBC programmes like Tomorrow's World if they'd been around a couple of decades earlier.
    Scott, as a York Uni boy, would probably have found it hard to break into the southern Oxbridge clique at the BBC. Youtube gave him a chance it's unlikely the BBC ever would...
    Technical Difficulties (him and his uni mates) should get a show...The wikipedia game they play is very good.
    It's QI isn't it? And half of Radio 4 is a few mates sitting round nattering to each other.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,711
    Any truth in the whale theory?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,291
    edited October 16

    Foss said:

    Andy_JS said:

    viewcode said:

    Nigelb said:

    Nigelb said:

    TimS said:

    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    I only tend to hear Hardtalk via bouts of insomnia but I’m always impressed. Well played BBC, well played.

    https://x.com/stephensackur/status/1846166070664511853?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q

    Feels like we’re at an inflection point with the BBC where a multiple pincer movement could take it down rapidly.

    It’s a national asset and probably the UK’s most powerful brand (I appreciate those features are unlikely to appeal to you). As important as Trident (ditto) and our top universities.
    I agree completely. Why the fuck would you get rid of that? When you look at some of the infantile pap the BBC churns out?

    How much does it cost to produce a good in depth news interview programme? Sack one Gary Lineker and you’ve probably got enough to fund it for for a decade
    And why aren't they forced to focus on the stuff others wont/can't do? Hardtalk being a top example. Why are they allowed to slash news output and journalists and stuff like Newsnight but spend millions on Strictly, and "the talent" and property buying porn?
    It’s the same problem that blights the Met Office. Both organisations are world beating in the talent and quality of their infrastructure, but both are kept alive on an intermittent fasting diet of not enough public money but a set of constraints that mean they can’t operate truly commercially either.

    Contrast with NOAA in the US. Funded so generously by the US military that they can give out their data for free. Result: despite having statistically much poorer weather models than either the Met Office or ECMWF, their output is everywhere.

    Or the French national champions since forever: protected by regulation at home, aggressively commercial abroad.
    Until fairly recently NOAA were funded pretty badly, and the Met Office are generally quite happy with their hybrid approach. Having most of their government funding in the form of commercial-style contracts enables them to negotiate to protect their funding from departmental cuts, because they can point to the loss of services that will follow from a cut in funding.

    This is one of the reasons why the Met Office have historically been quite successful in arguing for the government investment that has made them better than NOAA, and competing for commercial contracts with private weather firms has also imposed the discipline of achieving results to keep those contracts.

    NOAA is not a successful model for the Met Office to follow.

    There's are some problems with the current Met Office setup, and some tweaks you could make, but it has been reviewed numerous times and the conclusion has always been that the current model is better than the alternatives.

    The BBC is a different matter. They need to escape the licence fee, but it's a huge amount of income to replace. Not easy.
    Fund it out of general taxation.
    That would save 4% of its budget straight away.
    If you fund it out of general taxation it will end up being salami-sliced away to nothing. Why spend tax revenue on the BBC when you could fund nurses instead?

    It's the only alternative that is worse than the status quo.
    It is being salami sliced to death.
    Aided by the unpopularity of the license fee.
    Its market is also getting salami-sliced away.

    I love the BBC, and much of its output. But I'm watching it less and less. There's just too many competitors, often doing the job better than the Beeb. (At other times, not doing a better job...)
    What I want is 20-60 min spoken documentaries in lecture format. I hate the podcast format and interview format. Here is an example
    It is why YouTube is so popular, it has something for everybody. But in particular the niche of long form interviews and high quality science / history factual content is extremely popular in a way I don't think outside the odd exception has ever been the case on linear tv in recent history.
    Many of the biggest YouTubers, like Tom Scott, would probably have been TV presenters on BBC programmes like Tomorrow's World if they'd been around a couple of decades earlier.
    Scott, as a York Uni boy, would probably have found it hard to break into the southern Oxbridge clique at the BBC. Youtube gave him a chance it's unlikely the BBC ever would...
    Technical Difficulties (him and his uni mates) should get a show...The wikipedia game they play is very good.
    It's QI isn't it? And half of Radio 4 is a few mates sitting round nattering to each other.
    The wikipedia game they play, no its not QI. Its make up a wikipedia entry for a obscure term (one of which is correct). So i guess its a bit of a more intellectual Would I Lie To You.

    As for isn't half of BBC / R4 all mates sitting around nattering, yes, but its the same sodding set of mates. All the panels shows are the stuffed with a very small niche group of people.

    Tom Scott mates are slightly different in they are quite off the wall folk who know a lot about some very weird things rather than yet another stand-up comic fed lines by a big team of writers.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,243
    Nigelb said:

    More than 300,000 Georgians cast ballots on the first day of early voting - *obliterating* surpassing the previous record.
    https://x.com/bluestein/status/1846335140487737477

    And no one knows what it means.

    Carter's got his vote in.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,656

    Contributor to the Beeb.

    Both Pakistan opening bowlers have played for Whiston Parish Church CC in the South Yorkshire Premier Cricket League. I wonder if that's ever happened before in Test cricket.

    I used to watch Littleborough in the South Lancashire league. Their list of professionals who played for them included Sir Garfield Sobers, Joel Garner, Sir Andy Roberts...
    A few years back when out and about near York I came across a village cricket match, so thought I'd watch a few overs, as you do, and took up a position on the boundary.

    The first ball of the next over sailed right over the pavilion and straight through the back window of an unfortunate BMW in the car park.

    The batsman? A 60 year old Collis King...
    https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/prudential-world-cup-1979-60806/england-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard
    Next season, ex-England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn will be playing in North Yorkshire Premier League at the ripe old age of 58.
    That’s impressive.

    There’s still the possibility that we might see Mike Tyson, 59, back in the ring in the next few months as well. I don’t care how much younger is the opponent, and how much he thinks he can train, he’ll still be facing Mike f*****g Tyson who’s a total freak of a human being.

    I don’t fancy my chances of running against an old and fat Usain Bolt either, unless I’m already in the elite sprinter category.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,468

    Andy_JS said:

    I thought this sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen anymore with a Labour government.

    "London Underground workers to strike next month over pay, union says"

    https://news.sky.com/story/london-underground-workers-to-strike-next-month-over-pay-union-says-13234456

    I tried to use a black cab for the first time in about 3 years yesterday and had the clichéd "nah, I don't want to do it mate - not going that way" response. When I asked how long it would take he then described the impact on him and his schedule for the rest of the day rather than mine, so I gave up and went back to the delayed tube.

    I just won't bother again, or just use Uber.

    It really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.
    t really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.
    I believe it was lobbying by the yellow cab drivers that scotched a decent public transport link from JFK to Manhattan being developed. The taxi fare now is a standard 70 dollars plus extras and tolls meaning very little change from $100. But the alternatives are not much cheaper and a lot less convenient - partic after enduring a transatlantic flight. A real stitch-up.

    Do New York cabbies get to dodge safety regulations like cabbies do in London?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,522
    edited October 16

    Andy_JS said:

    I thought this sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen anymore with a Labour government.

    "London Underground workers to strike next month over pay, union says"

    https://news.sky.com/story/london-underground-workers-to-strike-next-month-over-pay-union-says-13234456

    I tried to use a black cab for the first time in about 3 years yesterday and had the clichéd "nah, I don't want to do it mate - not going that way" response. When I asked how long it would take he then described the impact on him and his schedule for the rest of the day rather than mine, so I gave up and went back to the delayed tube.

    I just won't bother again, or just use Uber.

    It really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.

    t really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.
    I believe it was lobbying by the yellow cab drivers that scotched a decent public transport link from JFK to Manhattan being developed. The taxi fare now is a standard 70 dollars plus extras and tolls meaning very little change from $100. But the alternatives are not much cheaper and a lot less convenient - partic after enduring a transatlantic flight. A real stitch-up.
    Wait until they introduce electric air-taxis.
    That kind of trip is the perfect market for them, though they'll start operating in the more welcoming regulatory environment of California first.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,656
    Pulpstar said:

    Nigelb said:

    More than 300,000 Georgians cast ballots on the first day of early voting - *obliterating* surpassing the previous record.
    https://x.com/bluestein/status/1846335140487737477

    And no one knows what it means.

    Carter's got his vote in.
    That was sad to watch. I know he just turned 100, but even so…
  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,468
    edited October 16

    Andy_JS said:

    I thought this sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen anymore with a Labour government.

    "London Underground workers to strike next month over pay, union says"

    https://news.sky.com/story/london-underground-workers-to-strike-next-month-over-pay-union-says-13234456

    I tried to use a black cab for the first time in about 3 years yesterday and had the clichéd "nah, I don't want to do it mate - not going that way" response. When I asked how long it would take he then described the impact on him and his schedule for the rest of the day rather than mine, so I gave up and went back to the delayed tube.

    I just won't bother again, or just use Uber.

    It really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.
    t really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.
    I believe it was lobbying by the yellow cab drivers that scotched a decent public transport link from JFK to Manhattan being developed. The taxi fare now is a standard 70 dollars plus extras and tolls meaning very little change from $100. But the alternatives are not much cheaper and a lot less convenient - partic after enduring a transatlantic flight. A real stitch-up.

    Me (quotes duffed) -------------------

    Do New York cabbies get to dodge safety regulations like cabbies do in London?
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,581
    edited October 16
    Nigelb said:

    Taz said:

    Nigelb said:

    Taz said:

    And here we have it. The daily Harris lovefest.

    Cannot wait for this election to be over.

    What are you doing on this site ?
    There's been a significant shift in the odds, for no readily discernible reason. It would be exceedingly odd if people didn't discuss it.

    Your characterisation of the discussion is equally odd.

    I shall probably only bet on the night of the election, as I did last time when Biden's odds drifted during the counting so I did well.
    Which is fine. And probably sensible.

    But I still don't get your problem with others chatting about it.
    As I said yesterday, my issue is more the slavish devotion we are getting here to Kamala from some posters. For example during the discussion of her barmy tweets about black men and drugs and black men and crypto.

    I get that people are against a Trump win. I am sure you know I am from my previous commentary, but I do not get the level of adoration in some parts, which goes over and above betting on the outcome, for friend Harris.

    As for the odds I genuinely have not got a clue which way this is going to go and what will happen. My feeling is there is a drift back to Trump and some desperation in the Kamala camp.
  • Alphabet_SoupAlphabet_Soup Posts: 3,283
    edited October 16
    ...
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,522
    Nigelb said:

    More than 300,000 Georgians cast ballots on the first day of early voting - *obliterating* surpassing the previous record.
    https://x.com/bluestein/status/1846335140487737477

    And no one knows what it means.

    Is there a turnout market yet ?
    Haven't seen one on Betfair.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,656
    edited October 16
    Nigelb said:

    Andy_JS said:

    I thought this sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen anymore with a Labour government.

    "London Underground workers to strike next month over pay, union says"

    https://news.sky.com/story/london-underground-workers-to-strike-next-month-over-pay-union-says-13234456

    I tried to use a black cab for the first time in about 3 years yesterday and had the clichéd "nah, I don't want to do it mate - not going that way" response. When I asked how long it would take he then described the impact on him and his schedule for the rest of the day rather than mine, so I gave up and went back to the delayed tube.

    I just won't bother again, or just use Uber.

    It really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.

    t really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.
    I believe it was lobbying by the yellow cab drivers that scotched a decent public transport link from JFK to Manhattan being developed. The taxi fare now is a standard 70 dollars plus extras and tolls meaning very little change from $100. But the alternatives are not much cheaper and a lot less convenient - partic after enduring a transatlantic flight. A real stitch-up.
    Wait until they introduce electric air-taxis.
    That kind of trip is the perfect market for them, though they'll start operating in the more welcoming regulatory environment of California first.
    Pan-Am used to do helicopter transfers from JFK to Manhattan back in the ‘70s. It eventually got shut down by the FAA after too many accidents, one of which involved an helicopter crashing into the landing site building but mostly ending up on the street below.

    There’s going to be a very high bar to resuming such operations.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,711
    edited October 16

    Contributor to the Beeb.

    Both Pakistan opening bowlers have played for Whiston Parish Church CC in the South Yorkshire Premier Cricket League. I wonder if that's ever happened before in Test cricket.

    I used to watch Littleborough in the South Lancashire league. Their list of professionals who played for them included Sir Garfield Sobers, Joel Garner, Sir Andy Roberts...
    A few years back when out and about near York I came across a village cricket match, so thought I'd watch a few overs, as you do, and took up a position on the boundary.

    The first ball of the next over sailed right over the pavilion and straight through the back window of an unfortunate BMW in the car park.

    The batsman? A 60 year old Collis King...
    https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/prudential-world-cup-1979-60806/england-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard
    It's a fact of life that in a conflict between a cricket ball and anything else the cricket ball is always right. 😊
  • Alphabet_SoupAlphabet_Soup Posts: 3,283
    JFK to Manhattan by cab best avoided during the UN General Assembly, I can confirm from bitter experience. It took two hours a fortnight ago.

    On the subject of London taxis, all the traffic flow gains thanks to the congestion charge have since been nullified by road closures so they are almost always the slowest option available, apart from Uber and other minicabs who can't use bus lanes and are therefore even slower.

  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,522
    edited October 16
    Sandpit said:

    Nigelb said:

    Andy_JS said:

    I thought this sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen anymore with a Labour government.

    "London Underground workers to strike next month over pay, union says"

    https://news.sky.com/story/london-underground-workers-to-strike-next-month-over-pay-union-says-13234456

    I tried to use a black cab for the first time in about 3 years yesterday and had the clichéd "nah, I don't want to do it mate - not going that way" response. When I asked how long it would take he then described the impact on him and his schedule for the rest of the day rather than mine, so I gave up and went back to the delayed tube.

    I just won't bother again, or just use Uber.

    It really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.

    t really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.
    I believe it was lobbying by the yellow cab drivers that scotched a decent public transport link from JFK to Manhattan being developed. The taxi fare now is a standard 70 dollars plus extras and tolls meaning very little change from $100. But the alternatives are not much cheaper and a lot less convenient - partic after enduring a transatlantic flight. A real stitch-up.
    Wait until they introduce electric air-taxis.
    That kind of trip is the perfect market for them, though they'll start operating in the more welcoming regulatory environment of California first.
    Pan-Am used to do helicopter transfers from JFK to Manhattan back in the ‘70s. It eventually got shut down by the FAA after too many accidents, one of which involved an helicopter crashing into the landing site building but mostly ending up on the street below.
    Drones (certainly the ones being developed) are far safer than helicopters - and far quieter.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,291
    Sandpit said:

    Contributor to the Beeb.

    Both Pakistan opening bowlers have played for Whiston Parish Church CC in the South Yorkshire Premier Cricket League. I wonder if that's ever happened before in Test cricket.

    I used to watch Littleborough in the South Lancashire league. Their list of professionals who played for them included Sir Garfield Sobers, Joel Garner, Sir Andy Roberts...
    A few years back when out and about near York I came across a village cricket match, so thought I'd watch a few overs, as you do, and took up a position on the boundary.

    The first ball of the next over sailed right over the pavilion and straight through the back window of an unfortunate BMW in the car park.

    The batsman? A 60 year old Collis King...
    https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/prudential-world-cup-1979-60806/england-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard
    Next season, ex-England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn will be playing in North Yorkshire Premier League at the ripe old age of 58.
    That’s impressive.

    There’s still the possibility that we might see Mike Tyson, 59, back in the ring in the next few months as well. I don’t care how much younger is the opponent, and how much he thinks he can train, he’ll still be facing Mike f*****g Tyson who’s a total freak of a human being.

    I don’t fancy my chances of running against an old and fat Usain Bolt either, unless I’m already in the elite sprinter category.
    A don't know about Tyson, hasn't he smoked his brains out?

    Elite athletes seem to go one of two ways, they either pack it all in and let themselves totally go e.g. Botham or they just can't kick the habit and looking for the next competitive thing and stay in really good shape, such that they could still rinse any normie at sports.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,468

    Foss said:

    Andy_JS said:

    viewcode said:

    Nigelb said:

    Nigelb said:

    TimS said:

    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    I only tend to hear Hardtalk via bouts of insomnia but I’m always impressed. Well played BBC, well played.

    https://x.com/stephensackur/status/1846166070664511853?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q

    Feels like we’re at an inflection point with the BBC where a multiple pincer movement could take it down rapidly.

    It’s a national asset and probably the UK’s most powerful brand (I appreciate those features are unlikely to appeal to you). As important as Trident (ditto) and our top universities.
    I agree completely. Why the fuck would you get rid of that? When you look at some of the infantile pap the BBC churns out?

    How much does it cost to produce a good in depth news interview programme? Sack one Gary Lineker and you’ve probably got enough to fund it for for a decade
    And why aren't they forced to focus on the stuff others wont/can't do? Hardtalk being a top example. Why are they allowed to slash news output and journalists and stuff like Newsnight but spend millions on Strictly, and "the talent" and property buying porn?
    It’s the same problem that blights the Met Office. Both organisations are world beating in the talent and quality of their infrastructure, but both are kept alive on an intermittent fasting diet of not enough public money but a set of constraints that mean they can’t operate truly commercially either.

    Contrast with NOAA in the US. Funded so generously by the US military that they can give out their data for free. Result: despite having statistically much poorer weather models than either the Met Office or ECMWF, their output is everywhere.

    Or the French national champions since forever: protected by regulation at home, aggressively commercial abroad.
    Until fairly recently NOAA were funded pretty badly, and the Met Office are generally quite happy with their hybrid approach. Having most of their government funding in the form of commercial-style contracts enables them to negotiate to protect their funding from departmental cuts, because they can point to the loss of services that will follow from a cut in funding.

    This is one of the reasons why the Met Office have historically been quite successful in arguing for the government investment that has made them better than NOAA, and competing for commercial contracts with private weather firms has also imposed the discipline of achieving results to keep those contracts.

    NOAA is not a successful model for the Met Office to follow.

    There's are some problems with the current Met Office setup, and some tweaks you could make, but it has been reviewed numerous times and the conclusion has always been that the current model is better than the alternatives.

    The BBC is a different matter. They need to escape the licence fee, but it's a huge amount of income to replace. Not easy.
    Fund it out of general taxation.
    That would save 4% of its budget straight away.
    If you fund it out of general taxation it will end up being salami-sliced away to nothing. Why spend tax revenue on the BBC when you could fund nurses instead?

    It's the only alternative that is worse than the status quo.
    It is being salami sliced to death.
    Aided by the unpopularity of the license fee.
    Its market is also getting salami-sliced away.

    I love the BBC, and much of its output. But I'm watching it less and less. There's just too many competitors, often doing the job better than the Beeb. (At other times, not doing a better job...)
    What I want is 20-60 min spoken documentaries in lecture format. I hate the podcast format and interview format. Here is an example
    It is why YouTube is so popular, it has something for everybody. But in particular the niche of long form interviews and high quality science / history factual content is extremely popular in a way I don't think outside the odd exception has ever been the case on linear tv in recent history.
    Many of the biggest YouTubers, like Tom Scott, would probably have been TV presenters on BBC programmes like Tomorrow's World if they'd been around a couple of decades earlier.
    Scott, as a York Uni boy, would probably have found it hard to break into the southern Oxbridge clique at the BBC. Youtube gave him a chance it's unlikely the BBC ever would...
    Technical Difficulties (him and his uni mates) should get a show...The wikipedia game they play is very good.
    It's QI isn't it? And half of Radio 4 is a few mates sitting round nattering to each other.
    The wikipedia game they play, no its not QI. Its make up a wikipedia entry for a obscure term (one of which is correct). So i guess its a bit of a more intellectual Would I Lie To You.

    As for isn't half of BBC / R4 all mates sitting around nattering, yes, but its the same sodding set of mates. All the panels shows are the stuffed with a very small niche group of people.

    Tom Scott mates are slightly different in they are quite off the wall folk who know a lot about some very weird things rather than yet another stand-up comic fed lines by a big team of writers.
    It's Call My Bluff with concepts, not words.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,900
    Nigelb said:

    More than 300,000 Georgians cast ballots on the first day of early voting - *obliterating* surpassing the previous record.
    https://x.com/bluestein/status/1846335140487737477

    And no one knows what it means.

    It's got to be good news for Dems surely? Trump has brainwashed his cult into thinking voting early is the devil's work.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,415
    HYUFD said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "‘It’s social murder’ — is Canada’s assisted dying a model or a warning?

    The global capital for assisted death is considering including mental illness as a legitimate reason for ending one’s life, but its euthanasia laws are fiercely criticised by human rights advocates" (£)

    https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/canada-assisted-dying-law-wm7zfnpqv

    Canada's euthanasia laws are a disaster, one good thing about Poilevre and his Canadian Conservatives winning is he has promised to revoke the expansion of assisted dying under Trudeau and his Liberal government
    https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/poilievre-promises-revoke-expansion-maid
    The right to die soon becomes a duty not to burden others, by selfishly clinging to life.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,291
    MattW said:

    Foss said:

    Andy_JS said:

    viewcode said:

    Nigelb said:

    Nigelb said:

    TimS said:

    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    I only tend to hear Hardtalk via bouts of insomnia but I’m always impressed. Well played BBC, well played.

    https://x.com/stephensackur/status/1846166070664511853?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q

    Feels like we’re at an inflection point with the BBC where a multiple pincer movement could take it down rapidly.

    It’s a national asset and probably the UK’s most powerful brand (I appreciate those features are unlikely to appeal to you). As important as Trident (ditto) and our top universities.
    I agree completely. Why the fuck would you get rid of that? When you look at some of the infantile pap the BBC churns out?

    How much does it cost to produce a good in depth news interview programme? Sack one Gary Lineker and you’ve probably got enough to fund it for for a decade
    And why aren't they forced to focus on the stuff others wont/can't do? Hardtalk being a top example. Why are they allowed to slash news output and journalists and stuff like Newsnight but spend millions on Strictly, and "the talent" and property buying porn?
    It’s the same problem that blights the Met Office. Both organisations are world beating in the talent and quality of their infrastructure, but both are kept alive on an intermittent fasting diet of not enough public money but a set of constraints that mean they can’t operate truly commercially either.

    Contrast with NOAA in the US. Funded so generously by the US military that they can give out their data for free. Result: despite having statistically much poorer weather models than either the Met Office or ECMWF, their output is everywhere.

    Or the French national champions since forever: protected by regulation at home, aggressively commercial abroad.
    Until fairly recently NOAA were funded pretty badly, and the Met Office are generally quite happy with their hybrid approach. Having most of their government funding in the form of commercial-style contracts enables them to negotiate to protect their funding from departmental cuts, because they can point to the loss of services that will follow from a cut in funding.

    This is one of the reasons why the Met Office have historically been quite successful in arguing for the government investment that has made them better than NOAA, and competing for commercial contracts with private weather firms has also imposed the discipline of achieving results to keep those contracts.

    NOAA is not a successful model for the Met Office to follow.

    There's are some problems with the current Met Office setup, and some tweaks you could make, but it has been reviewed numerous times and the conclusion has always been that the current model is better than the alternatives.

    The BBC is a different matter. They need to escape the licence fee, but it's a huge amount of income to replace. Not easy.
    Fund it out of general taxation.
    That would save 4% of its budget straight away.
    If you fund it out of general taxation it will end up being salami-sliced away to nothing. Why spend tax revenue on the BBC when you could fund nurses instead?

    It's the only alternative that is worse than the status quo.
    It is being salami sliced to death.
    Aided by the unpopularity of the license fee.
    Its market is also getting salami-sliced away.

    I love the BBC, and much of its output. But I'm watching it less and less. There's just too many competitors, often doing the job better than the Beeb. (At other times, not doing a better job...)
    What I want is 20-60 min spoken documentaries in lecture format. I hate the podcast format and interview format. Here is an example
    It is why YouTube is so popular, it has something for everybody. But in particular the niche of long form interviews and high quality science / history factual content is extremely popular in a way I don't think outside the odd exception has ever been the case on linear tv in recent history.
    Many of the biggest YouTubers, like Tom Scott, would probably have been TV presenters on BBC programmes like Tomorrow's World if they'd been around a couple of decades earlier.
    Scott, as a York Uni boy, would probably have found it hard to break into the southern Oxbridge clique at the BBC. Youtube gave him a chance it's unlikely the BBC ever would...
    Technical Difficulties (him and his uni mates) should get a show...The wikipedia game they play is very good.
    It's QI isn't it? And half of Radio 4 is a few mates sitting round nattering to each other.
    The wikipedia game they play, no its not QI. Its make up a wikipedia entry for a obscure term (one of which is correct). So i guess its a bit of a more intellectual Would I Lie To You.

    As for isn't half of BBC / R4 all mates sitting around nattering, yes, but its the same sodding set of mates. All the panels shows are the stuffed with a very small niche group of people.

    Tom Scott mates are slightly different in they are quite off the wall folk who know a lot about some very weird things rather than yet another stand-up comic fed lines by a big team of writers.
    It's Call My Bluff with concepts, not words.
    Yes, that's probably a closer analogy. It works for them because at least 3 out of 4 have some impressive knowledge about some very niche topics.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 51,963

    Nigelb said:

    More than 300,000 Georgians cast ballots on the first day of early voting - *obliterating* surpassing the previous record.
    https://x.com/bluestein/status/1846335140487737477

    And no one knows what it means.

    It's got to be good news for Dems surely? Trump has brainwashed his cult into thinking voting early is the devil's work.
    If only the transfer of power didn't take over two months!

    We had our election on 4th July. Within 24 hours, Sunak vacated no. 10 and Starmer moved in.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,900
    Pensioners will get an increase in their benefits more than double that of working age benefit holders.



    Torsten Bell
    @TorstenBell
    ·
    3h
    On the basis of today’s inflation figures you can make that more than double

    https://x.com/TorstenBell/status/1846471711325065725
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,291

    Pensioners will get an increase in their benefits more than double that of working age benefit holders.



    Torsten Bell
    @TorstenBell
    ·
    3h
    On the basis of today’s inflation figures you can make that more than double

    https://x.com/TorstenBell/status/1846471711325065725

    Assuming the government don't "reform" the triple lock.
  • AnneJGPAnneJGP Posts: 3,082
    Sean_F said:

    HYUFD said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "‘It’s social murder’ — is Canada’s assisted dying a model or a warning?

    The global capital for assisted death is considering including mental illness as a legitimate reason for ending one’s life, but its euthanasia laws are fiercely criticised by human rights advocates" (£)

    https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/canada-assisted-dying-law-wm7zfnpqv

    Canada's euthanasia laws are a disaster, one good thing about Poilevre and his Canadian Conservatives winning is he has promised to revoke the expansion of assisted dying under Trudeau and his Liberal government
    https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/poilievre-promises-revoke-expansion-maid
    The right to die soon becomes a duty not to burden others, by selfishly clinging to life.
    Back in the day, pro-abortion MPs swore it would never become a form of birth control.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 51,963

    JFK to Manhattan by cab best avoided during the UN General Assembly, I can confirm from bitter experience. It took two hours a fortnight ago.

    Don't they have the Subway?
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,656

    Sandpit said:

    Contributor to the Beeb.

    Both Pakistan opening bowlers have played for Whiston Parish Church CC in the South Yorkshire Premier Cricket League. I wonder if that's ever happened before in Test cricket.

    I used to watch Littleborough in the South Lancashire league. Their list of professionals who played for them included Sir Garfield Sobers, Joel Garner, Sir Andy Roberts...
    A few years back when out and about near York I came across a village cricket match, so thought I'd watch a few overs, as you do, and took up a position on the boundary.

    The first ball of the next over sailed right over the pavilion and straight through the back window of an unfortunate BMW in the car park.

    The batsman? A 60 year old Collis King...
    https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/prudential-world-cup-1979-60806/england-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard
    Next season, ex-England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn will be playing in North Yorkshire Premier League at the ripe old age of 58.
    That’s impressive.

    There’s still the possibility that we might see Mike Tyson, 59, back in the ring in the next few months as well. I don’t care how much younger is the opponent, and how much he thinks he can train, he’ll still be facing Mike f*****g Tyson who’s a total freak of a human being.

    I don’t fancy my chances of running against an old and fat Usain Bolt either, unless I’m already in the elite sprinter category.
    A don't know about Tyson, hasn't he smoked his brains out?

    Elite athletes seem to go one of two ways, they either pack it all in and let themselves totally go e.g. Botham or they just can't kick the habit and looking for the next competitive thing and stay in really good shape, such that they could still rinse any normie at sports.
    https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/40244442/mike-tyson-vs-jake-paul-watch-date-location-more

    Tyson has apparently spent the last six months training, very much as he used to, and looks scary as Hell. His opponent is a guy who’s YouTube famous, and has about four professional boxing fights to his name plus a few exhibitions.

    Tyson appears to have gone through the let himself go phase, and is now back to the training madly phase. It’s sanctioned as a professional fight, and he’s taking it seriously. He knows that he’s probably not got the stamina over IIRC eight rounds, and needs to knock him out quickly.

    The promotor is expecting tens of millions in PPV revenues, almost up there with a title fight.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,291
    Here is Starmer releasing the sausages, I mean calling Sunak the PM...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSO5H3OuQUw
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,291
    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Contributor to the Beeb.

    Both Pakistan opening bowlers have played for Whiston Parish Church CC in the South Yorkshire Premier Cricket League. I wonder if that's ever happened before in Test cricket.

    I used to watch Littleborough in the South Lancashire league. Their list of professionals who played for them included Sir Garfield Sobers, Joel Garner, Sir Andy Roberts...
    A few years back when out and about near York I came across a village cricket match, so thought I'd watch a few overs, as you do, and took up a position on the boundary.

    The first ball of the next over sailed right over the pavilion and straight through the back window of an unfortunate BMW in the car park.

    The batsman? A 60 year old Collis King...
    https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/prudential-world-cup-1979-60806/england-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard
    Next season, ex-England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn will be playing in North Yorkshire Premier League at the ripe old age of 58.
    That’s impressive.

    There’s still the possibility that we might see Mike Tyson, 59, back in the ring in the next few months as well. I don’t care how much younger is the opponent, and how much he thinks he can train, he’ll still be facing Mike f*****g Tyson who’s a total freak of a human being.

    I don’t fancy my chances of running against an old and fat Usain Bolt either, unless I’m already in the elite sprinter category.
    A don't know about Tyson, hasn't he smoked his brains out?

    Elite athletes seem to go one of two ways, they either pack it all in and let themselves totally go e.g. Botham or they just can't kick the habit and looking for the next competitive thing and stay in really good shape, such that they could still rinse any normie at sports.
    https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/40244442/mike-tyson-vs-jake-paul-watch-date-location-more

    Tyson has apparently spent the last six months training, very much as he used to, and looks scary as Hell. His opponent is a guy who’s YouTube famous, and has about four professional boxing fights to his name plus a few exhibitions.

    Tyson appears to have gone through the let himself go phase, and is now back to the training madly phase. It’s sanctioned as a professional fight, and he’s taking it seriously. He knows that he’s probably not got the stamina over IIRC eight rounds, and needs to knock him out quickly.

    The promotor is expecting tens of millions in PPV revenues, almost up there with a title fight.
    I presume no drug testing.....not because of Tyson liking a smoke, Jake Paul is about as natural as an IFBB Body Building professional.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,522
    edited October 16

    Nigelb said:

    More than 300,000 Georgians cast ballots on the first day of early voting - *obliterating* surpassing the previous record.
    https://x.com/bluestein/status/1846335140487737477

    And no one knows what it means.

    It's got to be good news for Dems surely? Trump has brainwashed his cult into thinking voting early is the devil's work.
    That appears not so much to be the case this year.
    No one really has any good historical metric to extrapolate from, and the difficulty of polling a representative sample across the states that matter in deciding the result is horrendous, even if pollsters aren't trying to finagle a result for their clients.

    I think Harris is more likely to win - but I don't have huge confidence in that judgment, given the evidence available.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,656

    JFK to Manhattan by cab best avoided during the UN General Assembly, I can confirm from bitter experience. It took two hours a fortnight ago.

    Don't they have the Subway?
    …and the KFC, and the McDonalds, and the Burger King.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,479
    Sandpit said:

    ydoethur said:

    TimS said:

    This week’s edition of the world isn’t as shit as I thought it was. In a small way.

    I bought a coffee a Costa in Kings Cross. I’ve not bought coffee from Costa for years, because it’s crap. It wasn’t crap. It was actually quite decent.

    Then I got on the train and found an unreserved seat at a table. Bloody hell.

    Only downside having to walk past all the half empty first class coaches wondering what business these days pays for its people to travel first class? Bastards.

    My business pays for first class travel so I have a table to work from and a power socket to plug in my laptop.
    And you wonder why the ROIC is in the single digits…

    Just to be clear, I am think about costs. Not suggesting that the more work you do the more ROIC falls…

    Although on reflection…
    Dodgy analysis.

    What you should look at is things like staff retention rates when you have decent benefits, expense allowances, and flexible working practices.

    For example my employer makes sure you don’t have to use holiday allowance for routine medical appointments.

    You save money in the long term with that approach.
    Is it time for my daily rant about the state of education?

    If it will cheer @Northern_Al up I’m willing to throw in a prediction of Pakistan to win by an innings…
    Still sticking with that prediction?
    Not by an innings, perhaps 🙂

    In all seriousness, this isn’t a great performance with the bat. Duckett apart, everyone has got in and got out. Batting last on this pitch they need a big lead. Right now I would say Pakistan are favourites.
  • England soiling the bed here.
  • Alphabet_SoupAlphabet_Soup Posts: 3,283

    JFK to Manhattan by cab best avoided during the UN General Assembly, I can confirm from bitter experience. It took two hours a fortnight ago.

    Don't they have the Subway?
    There's a new-fangled train-like thingie that links to the Long Island Railroad somewhere or other but I'm too set in my ways. It would almost certainly take less than two hours!
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,656
    Harry Brook you tw@.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,479
    Omnium said:

    HYUFD said:

    Cookie said:

    HYUFD said:

    I take back all the rude things I have ever said about Sir Gavin WIlliamson.

    Tory MPs want Corbyn’s support to oust bishops from House of Lords

    Sir Gavin Williamson is trying to amend Labour’s reform bill to remove the right of the Archbishop of Canterbury and his colleagues to sit in the upper house


    Conservative MPs will seek to make common cause with Jeremy Corbyn to oust bishops from the House of Lords as part of Labour’s reform drive.

    Labour MPs face being embarrassed as they are forced to vote in favour of keeping Anglican bishops in the Lords as they back plans to oust hereditary peers.

    The bill, which passed its second reading on Tuesday evening, will remove the 92 remaining hereditary peers from the Lords in what ministers have described as the biggest constitutional overhaul in a quarter of a century.

    However, Sir Gavin Williamson, the Tory former chief whip, is putting forward an amendment that would remove bishops from the House of Lords, arguing that Labour’s modernisation does not go far enough.

    After ministers said it was “indefensible” for hereditary peers to sit in the upper house, Williamson has argued that the exclusive right of 26 Anglican clerics to sit in the chamber is equally outdated. Ministers have said they will consider reducing the number of bishops at a later date, but that kicking out hereditary peers has to come first.


    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/tory-mps-jeremy-corbyn-h9x8zjgjd

    Gavin Williamson is an utter disgrace and I will tell him so on twitter this morning.

    Tories are supposed to stand up for Crown, our peers and landed interest and our Anglican Bishops and established church.

    I can just about see such a move from a Liberal like you but from an elected Tory MP like Williamson it is completely unacceptable. He should be fighting to keep hereditary peers AND Church of England Bishops in the Lords
    But why, HYUFD? You take this as axiomatic - but there has to be a reason why standing up for these things is a good: why some people (besides the bishops themselves) will be better off as a result. For most people it's "I believe X, Y and Z are good things for reasons, A, B and C - therefore I will support party P". For you it appears to be "I support party P - therefore I believe X, Y and Z are good things - and the reasons are almost irrelevant."
    Because it is a TRUE TORY principle for God's sake!!!!!!

    Anyone who is not willing to stand up for our King, our hereditary peers and landed estates and C of E Bishops is NOT a TRUE TORY and does NOT deserve to be representing Tory colours.

    How on earth Williamson has the gall to call himself a Knight of the Realm after this oikish moronic behaviour is beyond me.

    I have a good mind to write to Baroness May and ask her to request the King strip him of his knighthood she got for him
    You’ll have to write to Boris Johnson, it was he got Williamson knighted.
    I presume what he actually said was that it was time to say good night to Gavin, and a civil servant got the wrong end of the stick.
    ’Johnson’ ‘good night’ and ‘Gavin Williamson’ is a mental image I just didn’t need 😳
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,291

    England soiling the bed here.

    Good job England bat deep....
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,291
    Stokes gone....
  • England soiling the bed here.

    Good job England bat deep....
    What does Ben Stokes bring to this team?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,479

    Nigelb said:

    More than 300,000 Georgians cast ballots on the first day of early voting - *obliterating* surpassing the previous record.
    https://x.com/bluestein/status/1846335140487737477

    And no one knows what it means.

    It's got to be good news for Dems surely? Trump has brainwashed his cult into thinking voting early is the devil's work.
    If only the transfer of power didn't take over two months!

    We had our election on 4th July. Within 24 hours, Sunak vacated no. 10 and Starmer moved in.
    Would somebody please tell Starmer that?

    About the time the sausages are released, maybe?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,522
    ydoethur said:

    Sandpit said:

    ydoethur said:

    TimS said:

    This week’s edition of the world isn’t as shit as I thought it was. In a small way.

    I bought a coffee a Costa in Kings Cross. I’ve not bought coffee from Costa for years, because it’s crap. It wasn’t crap. It was actually quite decent.

    Then I got on the train and found an unreserved seat at a table. Bloody hell.

    Only downside having to walk past all the half empty first class coaches wondering what business these days pays for its people to travel first class? Bastards.

    My business pays for first class travel so I have a table to work from and a power socket to plug in my laptop.
    And you wonder why the ROIC is in the single digits…

    Just to be clear, I am think about costs. Not suggesting that the more work you do the more ROIC falls…

    Although on reflection…
    Dodgy analysis.

    What you should look at is things like staff retention rates when you have decent benefits, expense allowances, and flexible working practices.

    For example my employer makes sure you don’t have to use holiday allowance for routine medical appointments.

    You save money in the long term with that approach.
    Is it time for my daily rant about the state of education?

    If it will cheer @Northern_Al up I’m willing to throw in a prediction of Pakistan to win by an innings…
    Still sticking with that prediction?
    Not by an innings, perhaps 🙂

    In all seriousness, this isn’t a great performance with the bat. Duckett apart, everyone has got in and got out. Batting last on this pitch they need a big lead. Right now I would say Pakistan are favourites.
    You just reverse jinxed us.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,656
    Here comes the collapse.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,243

    Pensioners will get an increase in their benefits more than double that of working age benefit holders.



    Torsten Bell
    @TorstenBell
    ·
    3h
    On the basis of today’s inflation figures you can make that more than double

    https://x.com/TorstenBell/status/1846471711325065725

    Assuming the government don't "reform" the triple lock.
    It needs it, does anyone else, anywhere have a triple ratchet system for calculation of anything ?

    To illustrate how bonkers it is, consider the following.

    Scenario 1:
    Year 1 Prices up 3%, Wages up 7%
    Year 2 Prices up 7%, wages up 3%

    Scenario 2:

    Year 1 Prices up 3%, Wages up 3%
    Year 2 Prices up 7%, wages up 7%

    Now in both scenarios both prices and wages are up 10.21%, but in scenario 1 the pension rises 14.5% from year 0 to year 2, rather than the "correct" 10.21% in either scenario.

    Bonus points for year 3 if both wages and prices stay flat, there's still 2.5% additional in there lol.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,479
    Sandpit said:

    Harry Brook you tw@.

    Stokes didn’t exactly cover himself in glory there either.

    And with only Carse and then the rabbits…
  • ClippPClippP Posts: 1,910

    HYUFD said:

    Cookie said:

    HYUFD said:

    I take back all the rude things I have ever said about Sir Gavin WIlliamson.

    Tory MPs want Corbyn’s support to oust bishops from House of Lords

    Sir Gavin Williamson is trying to amend Labour’s reform bill to remove the right of the Archbishop of Canterbury and his colleagues to sit in the upper house


    Conservative MPs will seek to make common cause with Jeremy Corbyn to oust bishops from the House of Lords as part of Labour’s reform drive.

    Labour MPs face being embarrassed as they are forced to vote in favour of keeping Anglican bishops in the Lords as they back plans to oust hereditary peers.

    The bill, which passed its second reading on Tuesday evening, will remove the 92 remaining hereditary peers from the Lords in what ministers have described as the biggest constitutional overhaul in a quarter of a century.

    However, Sir Gavin Williamson, the Tory former chief whip, is putting forward an amendment that would remove bishops from the House of Lords, arguing that Labour’s modernisation does not go far enough.

    After ministers said it was “indefensible” for hereditary peers to sit in the upper house, Williamson has argued that the exclusive right of 26 Anglican clerics to sit in the chamber is equally outdated. Ministers have said they will consider reducing the number of bishops at a later date, but that kicking out hereditary peers has to come first.


    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/tory-mps-jeremy-corbyn-h9x8zjgjd

    Gavin Williamson is an utter disgrace and I will tell him so on twitter this morning.

    Tories are supposed to stand up for Crown, our peers and landed interest and our Anglican Bishops and established church.

    I can just about see such a move from a Liberal like you but from an elected Tory MP like Williamson it is completely unacceptable. He should be fighting to keep hereditary peers AND Church of England Bishops in the Lords
    But why, HYUFD? You take this as axiomatic - but there has to be a reason why standing up for these things is a good: why some people (besides the bishops themselves) will be better off as a result. For most people it's "I believe X, Y and Z are good things for reasons, A, B and C - therefore I will support party P". For you it appears to be "I support party P - therefore I believe X, Y and Z are good things - and the reasons are almost irrelevant."
    Because it is a TRUE TORY principle for God's sake!!!!!!

    Anyone who is not willing to stand up for our King, our hereditary peers and landed estates and C of E Bishops is NOT a TRUE TORY and does NOT deserve to be representing Tory colours.

    How on earth Williamson has the gall to call himself a Knight of the Realm after this oikish moronic behaviour is beyond me.

    I have a good mind to write to Baroness May and ask her to request the King strip him of his knighthood she got for him
    You’ll have to write to Boris Johnson, it was he got Williamson knighted.
    Do the letters patent (or whatever they are called) mention the name of the prime minister who made the recommendation? I think it would be a good idea if they did.

    So a person who was recommended for a honour by Johnson, for example, would be held in the highest contempt.
  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 10,819
    MattW said:

    Foss said:

    Andy_JS said:

    viewcode said:

    Nigelb said:

    Nigelb said:

    TimS said:

    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    I only tend to hear Hardtalk via bouts of insomnia but I’m always impressed. Well played BBC, well played.

    https://x.com/stephensackur/status/1846166070664511853?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q

    Feels like we’re at an inflection point with the BBC where a multiple pincer movement could take it down rapidly.

    It’s a national asset and probably the UK’s most powerful brand (I appreciate those features are unlikely to appeal to you). As important as Trident (ditto) and our top universities.
    I agree completely. Why the fuck would you get rid of that? When you look at some of the infantile pap the BBC churns out?

    How much does it cost to produce a good in depth news interview programme? Sack one Gary Lineker and you’ve probably got enough to fund it for for a decade
    And why aren't they forced to focus on the stuff others wont/can't do? Hardtalk being a top example. Why are they allowed to slash news output and journalists and stuff like Newsnight but spend millions on Strictly, and "the talent" and property buying porn?
    It’s the same problem that blights the Met Office. Both organisations are world beating in the talent and quality of their infrastructure, but both are kept alive on an intermittent fasting diet of not enough public money but a set of constraints that mean they can’t operate truly commercially either.

    Contrast with NOAA in the US. Funded so generously by the US military that they can give out their data for free. Result: despite having statistically much poorer weather models than either the Met Office or ECMWF, their output is everywhere.

    Or the French national champions since forever: protected by regulation at home, aggressively commercial abroad.
    Until fairly recently NOAA were funded pretty badly, and the Met Office are generally quite happy with their hybrid approach. Having most of their government funding in the form of commercial-style contracts enables them to negotiate to protect their funding from departmental cuts, because they can point to the loss of services that will follow from a cut in funding.

    This is one of the reasons why the Met Office have historically been quite successful in arguing for the government investment that has made them better than NOAA, and competing for commercial contracts with private weather firms has also imposed the discipline of achieving results to keep those contracts.

    NOAA is not a successful model for the Met Office to follow.

    There's are some problems with the current Met Office setup, and some tweaks you could make, but it has been reviewed numerous times and the conclusion has always been that the current model is better than the alternatives.

    The BBC is a different matter. They need to escape the licence fee, but it's a huge amount of income to replace. Not easy.
    Fund it out of general taxation.
    That would save 4% of its budget straight away.
    If you fund it out of general taxation it will end up being salami-sliced away to nothing. Why spend tax revenue on the BBC when you could fund nurses instead?

    It's the only alternative that is worse than the status quo.
    It is being salami sliced to death.
    Aided by the unpopularity of the license fee.
    Its market is also getting salami-sliced away.

    I love the BBC, and much of its output. But I'm watching it less and less. There's just too many competitors, often doing the job better than the Beeb. (At other times, not doing a better job...)
    What I want is 20-60 min spoken documentaries in lecture format. I hate the podcast format and interview format. Here is an example
    It is why YouTube is so popular, it has something for everybody. But in particular the niche of long form interviews and high quality science / history factual content is extremely popular in a way I don't think outside the odd exception has ever been the case on linear tv in recent history.
    Many of the biggest YouTubers, like Tom Scott, would probably have been TV presenters on BBC programmes like Tomorrow's World if they'd been around a couple of decades earlier.
    Scott, as a York Uni boy, would probably have found it hard to break into the southern Oxbridge clique at the BBC. Youtube gave him a chance it's unlikely the BBC ever would...
    Technical Difficulties (him and his uni mates) should get a show...The wikipedia game they play is very good.
    It's QI isn't it? And half of Radio 4 is a few mates sitting round nattering to each other.
    The wikipedia game they play, no its not QI. Its make up a wikipedia entry for a obscure term (one of which is correct). So i guess its a bit of a more intellectual Would I Lie To You.

    As for isn't half of BBC / R4 all mates sitting around nattering, yes, but its the same sodding set of mates. All the panels shows are the stuffed with a very small niche group of people.

    Tom Scott mates are slightly different in they are quite off the wall folk who know a lot about some very weird things rather than yet another stand-up comic fed lines by a big team of writers.
    It's Call My Bluff with concepts, not words.
    It's a shame that the BBC don't make programmes of that calibre now. Quite what they're thinking with the cancellation of hardtalk escapes me.

    I presume they'll get rid of Melvyn Bragg soon, and even Amol Rajan must be feeling he's gone from smug new world of the BBC to very much at risk of cuts.

    Still, Woman's Today Programme will be able to address these questions head on with a phone in, followed up by Woman's hour which will discuss the distress that the phone in may have caused.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,581

    Sandpit said:

    Contributor to the Beeb.

    Both Pakistan opening bowlers have played for Whiston Parish Church CC in the South Yorkshire Premier Cricket League. I wonder if that's ever happened before in Test cricket.

    I used to watch Littleborough in the South Lancashire league. Their list of professionals who played for them included Sir Garfield Sobers, Joel Garner, Sir Andy Roberts...
    A few years back when out and about near York I came across a village cricket match, so thought I'd watch a few overs, as you do, and took up a position on the boundary.

    The first ball of the next over sailed right over the pavilion and straight through the back window of an unfortunate BMW in the car park.

    The batsman? A 60 year old Collis King...
    https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/prudential-world-cup-1979-60806/england-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard
    Next season, ex-England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn will be playing in North Yorkshire Premier League at the ripe old age of 58.
    That’s impressive.

    There’s still the possibility that we might see Mike Tyson, 59, back in the ring in the next few months as well. I don’t care how much younger is the opponent, and how much he thinks he can train, he’ll still be facing Mike f*****g Tyson who’s a total freak of a human being.

    I don’t fancy my chances of running against an old and fat Usain Bolt either, unless I’m already in the elite sprinter category.
    A don't know about Tyson, hasn't he smoked his brains out?

    Elite athletes seem to go one of two ways, they either pack it all in and let themselves totally go e.g. Botham or they just can't kick the habit and looking for the next competitive thing and stay in really good shape, such that they could still rinse any normie at sports.
    A while ago when we were on an Emirates flight one of the TV shows on the entertainment package was this.

    It had to be seen to be believed.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Tyson_Mysteries

    The show follows the fictional misadventures of boxer/actor Mike Tyson, the ghost of the Marquess of Queensberry, Tyson's adopted daughter, and a wisecracking (my amendment) pigeon, as they solve mysteries around the world.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,479
    Nigelb said:

    ydoethur said:

    Sandpit said:

    ydoethur said:

    TimS said:

    This week’s edition of the world isn’t as shit as I thought it was. In a small way.

    I bought a coffee a Costa in Kings Cross. I’ve not bought coffee from Costa for years, because it’s crap. It wasn’t crap. It was actually quite decent.

    Then I got on the train and found an unreserved seat at a table. Bloody hell.

    Only downside having to walk past all the half empty first class coaches wondering what business these days pays for its people to travel first class? Bastards.

    My business pays for first class travel so I have a table to work from and a power socket to plug in my laptop.
    And you wonder why the ROIC is in the single digits…

    Just to be clear, I am think about costs. Not suggesting that the more work you do the more ROIC falls…

    Although on reflection…
    Dodgy analysis.

    What you should look at is things like staff retention rates when you have decent benefits, expense allowances, and flexible working practices.

    For example my employer makes sure you don’t have to use holiday allowance for routine medical appointments.

    You save money in the long term with that approach.
    Is it time for my daily rant about the state of education?

    If it will cheer @Northern_Al up I’m willing to throw in a prediction of Pakistan to win by an innings…
    Still sticking with that prediction?
    Not by an innings, perhaps 🙂

    In all seriousness, this isn’t a great performance with the bat. Duckett apart, everyone has got in and got out. Batting last on this pitch they need a big lead. Right now I would say Pakistan are favourites.
    You just reverse jinxed us.
    The world’s gone weird. I predict an England disaster and one happens. It’s October and I’m sat outside not feeling cold. And it’s in London* and I’m not feeling utterly miserable.

    *OK, so Russell Square Gardens which is one of the nice bits of London, but still.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,632

    Pulpstar said:

    Barnesian said:

    I see Trump is now 1.66/1.67 on Betfair. Very tempting to lay him again at this price but I'm already deep red on Trump.

    It's surely got to be close to his floor price with the present polls.

    Even with Harris' DEI dross on the socials.
    I'd be really embarrassed and cringed out by some of this stuff if I was black. My school has a BHM thing where they are teaching Year 5 and 6 how to do rap; like all black people love marijuana and rap.

    It'd be like doing a piece on White people where we all love gin & tonic and Baroque music.
    The original motivation for Black History Month was precisely to teach the less well known history of black people in order to dispel the lazy stereotypes, not to create an opportunity to reinforce those stereotypes. That's maddening.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,656

    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Contributor to the Beeb.

    Both Pakistan opening bowlers have played for Whiston Parish Church CC in the South Yorkshire Premier Cricket League. I wonder if that's ever happened before in Test cricket.

    I used to watch Littleborough in the South Lancashire league. Their list of professionals who played for them included Sir Garfield Sobers, Joel Garner, Sir Andy Roberts...
    A few years back when out and about near York I came across a village cricket match, so thought I'd watch a few overs, as you do, and took up a position on the boundary.

    The first ball of the next over sailed right over the pavilion and straight through the back window of an unfortunate BMW in the car park.

    The batsman? A 60 year old Collis King...
    https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/prudential-world-cup-1979-60806/england-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard
    Next season, ex-England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn will be playing in North Yorkshire Premier League at the ripe old age of 58.
    That’s impressive.

    There’s still the possibility that we might see Mike Tyson, 59, back in the ring in the next few months as well. I don’t care how much younger is the opponent, and how much he thinks he can train, he’ll still be facing Mike f*****g Tyson who’s a total freak of a human being.

    I don’t fancy my chances of running against an old and fat Usain Bolt either, unless I’m already in the elite sprinter category.
    A don't know about Tyson, hasn't he smoked his brains out?

    Elite athletes seem to go one of two ways, they either pack it all in and let themselves totally go e.g. Botham or they just can't kick the habit and looking for the next competitive thing and stay in really good shape, such that they could still rinse any normie at sports.
    https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/40244442/mike-tyson-vs-jake-paul-watch-date-location-more

    Tyson has apparently spent the last six months training, very much as he used to, and looks scary as Hell. His opponent is a guy who’s YouTube famous, and has about four professional boxing fights to his name plus a few exhibitions.

    Tyson appears to have gone through the let himself go phase, and is now back to the training madly phase. It’s sanctioned as a professional fight, and he’s taking it seriously. He knows that he’s probably not got the stamina over IIRC eight rounds, and needs to knock him out quickly.

    The promotor is expecting tens of millions in PPV revenues, almost up there with a title fight.
    I presume no drug testing.....not because of Tyson liking a smoke, Jake Paul is about as natural as an IFBB Body Building professional.
    I guess they take a pee the night before, but nothing earlier than that. Paul does indeed look somewhat like a white Ben Johnson.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,291
    edited October 16

    Pulpstar said:

    Barnesian said:

    I see Trump is now 1.66/1.67 on Betfair. Very tempting to lay him again at this price but I'm already deep red on Trump.

    It's surely got to be close to his floor price with the present polls.

    Even with Harris' DEI dross on the socials.
    I'd be really embarrassed and cringed out by some of this stuff if I was black. My school has a BHM thing where they are teaching Year 5 and 6 how to do rap; like all black people love marijuana and rap.

    It'd be like doing a piece on White people where we all love gin & tonic and Baroque music.
    The original motivation for Black History Month was precisely to teach the less well known history of black people in order to dispel the lazy stereotypes, not to create an opportunity to reinforce those stereotypes. That's maddening.
    Or this weird desire to make up stories or massively over state that black people were involved in famous moments in European history. Also, I always find it rather weird the obsession in relation to specifically black people, not people with say Asian or Arabic heritage.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 8,795
    edited October 16
    MattW said:

    Andy_JS said:

    I thought this sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen anymore with a Labour government.

    "London Underground workers to strike next month over pay, union says"

    https://news.sky.com/story/london-underground-workers-to-strike-next-month-over-pay-union-says-13234456

    I tried to use a black cab for the first time in about 3 years yesterday and had the clichéd "nah, I don't want to do it mate - not going that way" response. When I asked how long it would take he then described the impact on him and his schedule for the rest of the day rather than mine, so I gave up and went back to the delayed tube.

    I just won't bother again, or just use Uber.

    It really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.
    t really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.
    I believe it was lobbying by the yellow cab drivers that scotched a decent public transport link from JFK to Manhattan being developed. The taxi fare now is a standard 70 dollars plus extras and tolls meaning very little change from $100. But the alternatives are not much cheaper and a lot less convenient - partic after enduring a transatlantic flight. A real stitch-up.
    Mattw (quotes duffed) -------------------

    Do New York cabbies get to dodge safety regulations like cabbies do in London?

    Eabhal:

    I'm also aware of one major airport that lobbied hard against public transport provision because they earned so much from parking and taxi fees, so it might not be just the drivers who are responsible.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,479
    ydoethur said:

    Sandpit said:

    ydoethur said:

    TimS said:

    This week’s edition of the world isn’t as shit as I thought it was. In a small way.

    I bought a coffee a Costa in Kings Cross. I’ve not bought coffee from Costa for years, because it’s crap. It wasn’t crap. It was actually quite decent.

    Then I got on the train and found an unreserved seat at a table. Bloody hell.

    Only downside having to walk past all the half empty first class coaches wondering what business these days pays for its people to travel first class? Bastards.

    My business pays for first class travel so I have a table to work from and a power socket to plug in my laptop.
    And you wonder why the ROIC is in the single digits…

    Just to be clear, I am think about costs. Not suggesting that the more work you do the more ROIC falls…

    Although on reflection…
    Dodgy analysis.

    What you should look at is things like staff retention rates when you have decent benefits, expense allowances, and flexible working practices.

    For example my employer makes sure you don’t have to use holiday allowance for routine medical appointments.

    You save money in the long term with that approach.
    Is it time for my daily rant about the state of education?

    If it will cheer @Northern_Al up I’m willing to throw in a prediction of Pakistan to win by an innings…
    Still sticking with that prediction?
    Not by an innings, perhaps 🙂

    In all seriousness, this isn’t a great performance with the bat. Duckett apart, everyone has got in and got out. Batting last on this pitch they need a big lead. Right now I would say Pakistan are favourites.
    Well, this has had half of an effect.

    They’ve stopped getting in.

    Shame that they’ve lost four for four.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,291
    edited October 16
    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Contributor to the Beeb.

    Both Pakistan opening bowlers have played for Whiston Parish Church CC in the South Yorkshire Premier Cricket League. I wonder if that's ever happened before in Test cricket.

    I used to watch Littleborough in the South Lancashire league. Their list of professionals who played for them included Sir Garfield Sobers, Joel Garner, Sir Andy Roberts...
    A few years back when out and about near York I came across a village cricket match, so thought I'd watch a few overs, as you do, and took up a position on the boundary.

    The first ball of the next over sailed right over the pavilion and straight through the back window of an unfortunate BMW in the car park.

    The batsman? A 60 year old Collis King...
    https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/prudential-world-cup-1979-60806/england-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard
    Next season, ex-England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn will be playing in North Yorkshire Premier League at the ripe old age of 58.
    That’s impressive.

    There’s still the possibility that we might see Mike Tyson, 59, back in the ring in the next few months as well. I don’t care how much younger is the opponent, and how much he thinks he can train, he’ll still be facing Mike f*****g Tyson who’s a total freak of a human being.

    I don’t fancy my chances of running against an old and fat Usain Bolt either, unless I’m already in the elite sprinter category.
    A don't know about Tyson, hasn't he smoked his brains out?

    Elite athletes seem to go one of two ways, they either pack it all in and let themselves totally go e.g. Botham or they just can't kick the habit and looking for the next competitive thing and stay in really good shape, such that they could still rinse any normie at sports.
    https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/40244442/mike-tyson-vs-jake-paul-watch-date-location-more

    Tyson has apparently spent the last six months training, very much as he used to, and looks scary as Hell. His opponent is a guy who’s YouTube famous, and has about four professional boxing fights to his name plus a few exhibitions.

    Tyson appears to have gone through the let himself go phase, and is now back to the training madly phase. It’s sanctioned as a professional fight, and he’s taking it seriously. He knows that he’s probably not got the stamina over IIRC eight rounds, and needs to knock him out quickly.

    The promotor is expecting tens of millions in PPV revenues, almost up there with a title fight.
    I presume no drug testing.....not because of Tyson liking a smoke, Jake Paul is about as natural as an IFBB Body Building professional.
    I guess they take a pee the night before, but nothing earlier than that. Paul does indeed look somewhat like a white Ben Johnson.
    He looks like he eat Ben Johnson for breakfast....his piss be glowing like he has been drinking water from Chernobyl.
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 22,949

    Nigelb said:

    More than 300,000 Georgians cast ballots on the first day of early voting - *obliterating* surpassing the previous record.
    https://x.com/bluestein/status/1846335140487737477

    And no one knows what it means.

    It's got to be good news for Dems surely? Trump has brainwashed his cult into thinking voting early is the devil's work.
    Assuming that those early votes get counted. The Trumpites wanting to slow count them and going through the courts already.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,479
    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Contributor to the Beeb.

    Both Pakistan opening bowlers have played for Whiston Parish Church CC in the South Yorkshire Premier Cricket League. I wonder if that's ever happened before in Test cricket.

    I used to watch Littleborough in the South Lancashire league. Their list of professionals who played for them included Sir Garfield Sobers, Joel Garner, Sir Andy Roberts...
    A few years back when out and about near York I came across a village cricket match, so thought I'd watch a few overs, as you do, and took up a position on the boundary.

    The first ball of the next over sailed right over the pavilion and straight through the back window of an unfortunate BMW in the car park.

    The batsman? A 60 year old Collis King...
    https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/prudential-world-cup-1979-60806/england-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard
    Next season, ex-England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn will be playing in North Yorkshire Premier League at the ripe old age of 58.
    That’s impressive.

    There’s still the possibility that we might see Mike Tyson, 59, back in the ring in the next few months as well. I don’t care how much younger is the opponent, and how much he thinks he can train, he’ll still be facing Mike f*****g Tyson who’s a total freak of a human being.

    I don’t fancy my chances of running against an old and fat Usain Bolt either, unless I’m already in the elite sprinter category.
    A don't know about Tyson, hasn't he smoked his brains out?

    Elite athletes seem to go one of two ways, they either pack it all in and let themselves totally go e.g. Botham or they just can't kick the habit and looking for the next competitive thing and stay in really good shape, such that they could still rinse any normie at sports.
    https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/40244442/mike-tyson-vs-jake-paul-watch-date-location-more

    Tyson has apparently spent the last six months training, very much as he used to, and looks scary as Hell. His opponent is a guy who’s YouTube famous, and has about four professional boxing fights to his name plus a few exhibitions.

    Tyson appears to have gone through the let himself go phase, and is now back to the training madly phase. It’s sanctioned as a professional fight, and he’s taking it seriously. He knows that he’s probably not got the stamina over IIRC eight rounds, and needs to knock him out quickly.

    The promotor is expecting tens of millions in PPV revenues, almost up there with a title fight.
    I presume no drug testing.....not because of Tyson liking a smoke, Jake Paul is about as natural as an IFBB Body Building professional.
    I guess they take a pee the night before, but nothing earlier than that. Paul does indeed look somewhat like a white Ben Johnson.
    That had me puzzled. I was thinking unless there’s been some really quite radical discoveries since last I studied the Elizabethan theatre, I’m fairly sure Ben Jonson was white.

    Then I realised you meant Ben Johnson.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,774
    edited October 16
    ydoethur said:

    Omnium said:

    HYUFD said:

    Cookie said:

    HYUFD said:

    I take back all the rude things I have ever said about Sir Gavin WIlliamson.

    Tory MPs want Corbyn’s support to oust bishops from House of Lords

    Sir Gavin Williamson is trying to amend Labour’s reform bill to remove the right of the Archbishop of Canterbury and his colleagues to sit in the upper house


    Conservative MPs will seek to make common cause with Jeremy Corbyn to oust bishops from the House of Lords as part of Labour’s reform drive.

    Labour MPs face being embarrassed as they are forced to vote in favour of keeping Anglican bishops in the Lords as they back plans to oust hereditary peers.

    The bill, which passed its second reading on Tuesday evening, will remove the 92 remaining hereditary peers from the Lords in what ministers have described as the biggest constitutional overhaul in a quarter of a century.

    However, Sir Gavin Williamson, the Tory former chief whip, is putting forward an amendment that would remove bishops from the House of Lords, arguing that Labour’s modernisation does not go far enough.

    After ministers said it was “indefensible” for hereditary peers to sit in the upper house, Williamson has argued that the exclusive right of 26 Anglican clerics to sit in the chamber is equally outdated. Ministers have said they will consider reducing the number of bishops at a later date, but that kicking out hereditary peers has to come first.


    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/tory-mps-jeremy-corbyn-h9x8zjgjd

    Gavin Williamson is an utter disgrace and I will tell him so on twitter this morning.

    Tories are supposed to stand up for Crown, our peers and landed interest and our Anglican Bishops and established church.

    I can just about see such a move from a Liberal like you but from an elected Tory MP like Williamson it is completely unacceptable. He should be fighting to keep hereditary peers AND Church of England Bishops in the Lords
    But why, HYUFD? You take this as axiomatic - but there has to be a reason why standing up for these things is a good: why some people (besides the bishops themselves) will be better off as a result. For most people it's "I believe X, Y and Z are good things for reasons, A, B and C - therefore I will support party P". For you it appears to be "I support party P - therefore I believe X, Y and Z are good things - and the reasons are almost irrelevant."
    Because it is a TRUE TORY principle for God's sake!!!!!!

    Anyone who is not willing to stand up for our King, our hereditary peers and landed estates and C of E Bishops is NOT a TRUE TORY and does NOT deserve to be representing Tory colours.

    How on earth Williamson has the gall to call himself a Knight of the Realm after this oikish moronic behaviour is beyond me.

    I have a good mind to write to Baroness May and ask her to request the King strip him of his knighthood she got for him
    You’ll have to write to Boris Johnson, it was he got Williamson knighted.
    I presume what he actually said was that it was time to say good night to Gavin, and a civil servant got the wrong end of the stick.
    ’Johnson’ ‘good night’ and ‘Gavin Williamson’ is a mental image I just didn’t need 😳
    Do you want me to post that Farage shorts photo as a palete cleanser?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,479

    ydoethur said:

    Omnium said:

    HYUFD said:

    Cookie said:

    HYUFD said:

    I take back all the rude things I have ever said about Sir Gavin WIlliamson.

    Tory MPs want Corbyn’s support to oust bishops from House of Lords

    Sir Gavin Williamson is trying to amend Labour’s reform bill to remove the right of the Archbishop of Canterbury and his colleagues to sit in the upper house


    Conservative MPs will seek to make common cause with Jeremy Corbyn to oust bishops from the House of Lords as part of Labour’s reform drive.

    Labour MPs face being embarrassed as they are forced to vote in favour of keeping Anglican bishops in the Lords as they back plans to oust hereditary peers.

    The bill, which passed its second reading on Tuesday evening, will remove the 92 remaining hereditary peers from the Lords in what ministers have described as the biggest constitutional overhaul in a quarter of a century.

    However, Sir Gavin Williamson, the Tory former chief whip, is putting forward an amendment that would remove bishops from the House of Lords, arguing that Labour’s modernisation does not go far enough.

    After ministers said it was “indefensible” for hereditary peers to sit in the upper house, Williamson has argued that the exclusive right of 26 Anglican clerics to sit in the chamber is equally outdated. Ministers have said they will consider reducing the number of bishops at a later date, but that kicking out hereditary peers has to come first.


    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/tory-mps-jeremy-corbyn-h9x8zjgjd

    Gavin Williamson is an utter disgrace and I will tell him so on twitter this morning.

    Tories are supposed to stand up for Crown, our peers and landed interest and our Anglican Bishops and established church.

    I can just about see such a move from a Liberal like you but from an elected Tory MP like Williamson it is completely unacceptable. He should be fighting to keep hereditary peers AND Church of England Bishops in the Lords
    But why, HYUFD? You take this as axiomatic - but there has to be a reason why standing up for these things is a good: why some people (besides the bishops themselves) will be better off as a result. For most people it's "I believe X, Y and Z are good things for reasons, A, B and C - therefore I will support party P". For you it appears to be "I support party P - therefore I believe X, Y and Z are good things - and the reasons are almost irrelevant."
    Because it is a TRUE TORY principle for God's sake!!!!!!

    Anyone who is not willing to stand up for our King, our hereditary peers and landed estates and C of E Bishops is NOT a TRUE TORY and does NOT deserve to be representing Tory colours.

    How on earth Williamson has the gall to call himself a Knight of the Realm after this oikish moronic behaviour is beyond me.

    I have a good mind to write to Baroness May and ask her to request the King strip him of his knighthood she got for him
    You’ll have to write to Boris Johnson, it was he got Williamson knighted.
    I presume what he actually said was that it was time to say good night to Gavin, and a civil servant got the wrong end of the stick.
    ’Johnson’ ‘good night’ and ‘Gavin Williamson’ is a mental image I just didn’t need 😳
    Do you want me to post that Farage shorts photo as a palette cleanser?
    That loud cry of *NNNNNNOOOOOOO* emanating from the general direction of Bloomsbury was me.
  • CatManCatMan Posts: 3,062
    Taz said:

    Sandpit said:

    Contributor to the Beeb.

    Both Pakistan opening bowlers have played for Whiston Parish Church CC in the South Yorkshire Premier Cricket League. I wonder if that's ever happened before in Test cricket.

    I used to watch Littleborough in the South Lancashire league. Their list of professionals who played for them included Sir Garfield Sobers, Joel Garner, Sir Andy Roberts...
    A few years back when out and about near York I came across a village cricket match, so thought I'd watch a few overs, as you do, and took up a position on the boundary.

    The first ball of the next over sailed right over the pavilion and straight through the back window of an unfortunate BMW in the car park.

    The batsman? A 60 year old Collis King...
    https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/prudential-world-cup-1979-60806/england-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard
    Next season, ex-England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn will be playing in North Yorkshire Premier League at the ripe old age of 58.
    That’s impressive.

    There’s still the possibility that we might see Mike Tyson, 59, back in the ring in the next few months as well. I don’t care how much younger is the opponent, and how much he thinks he can train, he’ll still be facing Mike f*****g Tyson who’s a total freak of a human being.

    I don’t fancy my chances of running against an old and fat Usain Bolt either, unless I’m already in the elite sprinter category.
    A don't know about Tyson, hasn't he smoked his brains out?

    Elite athletes seem to go one of two ways, they either pack it all in and let themselves totally go e.g. Botham or they just can't kick the habit and looking for the next competitive thing and stay in really good shape, such that they could still rinse any normie at sports.
    A while ago when we were on an Emirates flight one of the TV shows on the entertainment package was this.

    It had to be seen to be believed.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Tyson_Mysteries

    The show follows the fictional misadventures of boxer/actor Mike Tyson, the ghost of the Marquess of Queensberry, Tyson's adopted daughter, and a wisecracking (my amendment) pigeon, as they solve mysteries around the world.
    Sounds like the American version of Youth Hostelling with Chris Eubank
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,522
    Former KKK leader David Duke endorses Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.
    https://x.com/NewsWire_US/status/1846297949665386655
  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 10,819
    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    ydoethur said:

    Sandpit said:

    ydoethur said:

    TimS said:

    This week’s edition of the world isn’t as shit as I thought it was. In a small way.

    I bought a coffee a Costa in Kings Cross. I’ve not bought coffee from Costa for years, because it’s crap. It wasn’t crap. It was actually quite decent.

    Then I got on the train and found an unreserved seat at a table. Bloody hell.

    Only downside having to walk past all the half empty first class coaches wondering what business these days pays for its people to travel first class? Bastards.

    My business pays for first class travel so I have a table to work from and a power socket to plug in my laptop.
    And you wonder why the ROIC is in the single digits…

    Just to be clear, I am think about costs. Not suggesting that the more work you do the more ROIC falls…

    Although on reflection…
    Dodgy analysis.

    What you should look at is things like staff retention rates when you have decent benefits, expense allowances, and flexible working practices.

    For example my employer makes sure you don’t have to use holiday allowance for routine medical appointments.

    You save money in the long term with that approach.
    Is it time for my daily rant about the state of education?

    If it will cheer @Northern_Al up I’m willing to throw in a prediction of Pakistan to win by an innings…
    Still sticking with that prediction?
    Not by an innings, perhaps 🙂

    In all seriousness, this isn’t a great performance with the bat. Duckett apart, everyone has got in and got out. Batting last on this pitch they need a big lead. Right now I would say Pakistan are favourites.
    You just reverse jinxed us.
    The world’s gone weird. I predict an England disaster and one happens. It’s October and I’m sat outside not feeling cold. And it’s in London* and I’m not feeling utterly miserable.

    *OK, so Russell Square Gardens which is one of the nice bits of London, but still.
    Clutching your novel to your breast and hoping that when you return to the publishers offices the surly doorman will have better news for you?
  • CatManCatMan Posts: 3,062
    Nigelb said:

    Former KKK leader David Duke endorses Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.
    https://x.com/NewsWire_US/status/1846297949665386655

    That's gonna piss Trump off
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,291
    edited October 16
    Apparently BBC Click has also got the chop.

    Many moons ago I was quite a good show, but again totally overtaken by much better YouTube content.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,656
    CatMan said:

    Nigelb said:

    Former KKK leader David Duke endorses Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.
    https://x.com/NewsWire_US/status/1846297949665386655

    That's gonna piss Trump off
    Not as much as it’ll piss off the Harris campaign, who probably had a pile of “Duke endorses Trump” ads ready to run.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,656

    Apparently BBC Click has also got the chop.

    WTF are they up to? This is all really cheap TV they’re canning.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,771

    @Leon - as a fellow middle aged white male, would be interested in your take on racism there. Japan is the only country I have been to where I have suffered prejudice for my ethnicity. Being shooed away from sitting next to someone in a vacant seat on trains, that sort of thing. Quietly but very firmly, and in a way that says very clearly that they find me offensive. And it's more than just the well-publicised and understandable pushback against overtourism. This was on a run of the mill half empty Shinkansen. My spouse and I are quiet, considerate people. I wasn't exactly traumatised by it, but it was sobering.

    They think we smell of cheese, because we eat so much dairy - compared to them. Our standards of hygiene are probably lower overall

    Against that you have the pronounced preference of Japanese women for western men, which is constantly demonstrated, I’m told this is because we are less misogynistic and patriarchal and we have bigger penises. I’m not joking. Educated Japanese women have told me this (and they weren’t trying to flatter me)
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,969

    Pensioners will get an increase in their benefits more than double that of working age benefit holders.



    Torsten Bell
    @TorstenBell
    ·
    3h
    On the basis of today’s inflation figures you can make that more than double

    https://x.com/TorstenBell/status/1846471711325065725

    Assuming the government don't "reform" the triple lock.
    They said they wouldn't in the manifesto so it's odds-on, surely.
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 4,670
    Taz said:

    Sandpit said:

    Contributor to the Beeb.

    Both Pakistan opening bowlers have played for Whiston Parish Church CC in the South Yorkshire Premier Cricket League. I wonder if that's ever happened before in Test cricket.

    I used to watch Littleborough in the South Lancashire league. Their list of professionals who played for them included Sir Garfield Sobers, Joel Garner, Sir Andy Roberts...
    A few years back when out and about near York I came across a village cricket match, so thought I'd watch a few overs, as you do, and took up a position on the boundary.

    The first ball of the next over sailed right over the pavilion and straight through the back window of an unfortunate BMW in the car park.

    The batsman? A 60 year old Collis King...
    https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/prudential-world-cup-1979-60806/england-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard
    Next season, ex-England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn will be playing in North Yorkshire Premier League at the ripe old age of 58.
    That’s impressive.

    There’s still the possibility that we might see Mike Tyson, 59, back in the ring in the next few months as well. I don’t care how much younger is the opponent, and how much he thinks he can train, he’ll still be facing Mike f*****g Tyson who’s a total freak of a human being.

    I don’t fancy my chances of running against an old and fat Usain Bolt either, unless I’m already in the elite sprinter category.
    A don't know about Tyson, hasn't he smoked his brains out?

    Elite athletes seem to go one of two ways, they either pack it all in and let themselves totally go e.g. Botham or they just can't kick the habit and looking for the next competitive thing and stay in really good shape, such that they could still rinse any normie at sports.
    A while ago when we were on an Emirates flight one of the TV shows on the entertainment package was this.

    It had to be seen to be believed.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Tyson_Mysteries

    The show follows the fictional misadventures of boxer/actor Mike Tyson, the ghost of the Marquess of Queensberry, Tyson's adopted daughter, and a wisecracking (my amendment) pigeon, as they solve mysteries around the world.
    I've seen this one. The late, great Norm Macdonald as the pigeon.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,479
    Omnium said:

    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    ydoethur said:

    Sandpit said:

    ydoethur said:

    TimS said:

    This week’s edition of the world isn’t as shit as I thought it was. In a small way.

    I bought a coffee a Costa in Kings Cross. I’ve not bought coffee from Costa for years, because it’s crap. It wasn’t crap. It was actually quite decent.

    Then I got on the train and found an unreserved seat at a table. Bloody hell.

    Only downside having to walk past all the half empty first class coaches wondering what business these days pays for its people to travel first class? Bastards.

    My business pays for first class travel so I have a table to work from and a power socket to plug in my laptop.
    And you wonder why the ROIC is in the single digits…

    Just to be clear, I am think about costs. Not suggesting that the more work you do the more ROIC falls…

    Although on reflection…
    Dodgy analysis.

    What you should look at is things like staff retention rates when you have decent benefits, expense allowances, and flexible working practices.

    For example my employer makes sure you don’t have to use holiday allowance for routine medical appointments.

    You save money in the long term with that approach.
    Is it time for my daily rant about the state of education?

    If it will cheer @Northern_Al up I’m willing to throw in a prediction of Pakistan to win by an innings…
    Still sticking with that prediction?
    Not by an innings, perhaps 🙂

    In all seriousness, this isn’t a great performance with the bat. Duckett apart, everyone has got in and got out. Batting last on this pitch they need a big lead. Right now I would say Pakistan are favourites.
    You just reverse jinxed us.
    The world’s gone weird. I predict an England disaster and one happens. It’s October and I’m sat outside not feeling cold. And it’s in London* and I’m not feeling utterly miserable.

    *OK, so Russell Square Gardens which is one of the nice bits of London, but still.
    Clutching your novel to your breast and hoping that when you return to the publishers offices the surly doorman will have better news for you?
    I haven’t finished it yet. So I couldn’t bring it.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,711
    This is so funny. Parker "loses" Lady Penelope's yacht at the casino.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGc0ruN1eYQ
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,479
    Sandpit said:

    Apparently BBC Click has also got the chop.

    WTF are they up to? This is all really cheap TV they’re canning.
    Angling for a big rise in the licence fee, or the scrapping of the over 75 exemption?
  • TimSTimS Posts: 13,068
    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    ydoethur said:

    Sandpit said:

    ydoethur said:

    TimS said:

    This week’s edition of the world isn’t as shit as I thought it was. In a small way.

    I bought a coffee a Costa in Kings Cross. I’ve not bought coffee from Costa for years, because it’s crap. It wasn’t crap. It was actually quite decent.

    Then I got on the train and found an unreserved seat at a table. Bloody hell.

    Only downside having to walk past all the half empty first class coaches wondering what business these days pays for its people to travel first class? Bastards.

    My business pays for first class travel so I have a table to work from and a power socket to plug in my laptop.
    And you wonder why the ROIC is in the single digits…

    Just to be clear, I am think about costs. Not suggesting that the more work you do the more ROIC falls…

    Although on reflection…
    Dodgy analysis.

    What you should look at is things like staff retention rates when you have decent benefits, expense allowances, and flexible working practices.

    For example my employer makes sure you don’t have to use holiday allowance for routine medical appointments.

    You save money in the long term with that approach.
    Is it time for my daily rant about the state of education?

    If it will cheer @Northern_Al up I’m willing to throw in a prediction of Pakistan to win by an innings…
    Still sticking with that prediction?
    Not by an innings, perhaps 🙂

    In all seriousness, this isn’t a great performance with the bat. Duckett apart, everyone has got in and got out. Batting last on this pitch they need a big lead. Right now I would say Pakistan are favourites.
    You just reverse jinxed us.
    The world’s gone weird. I predict an England disaster and one happens. It’s October and I’m sat outside not feeling cold. And it’s in London* and I’m not feeling utterly miserable.

    *OK, so Russell Square Gardens which is one of the nice bits of London, but still.
    It’s shit weather in Leeds. Misty drizzle and about 15C.
  • FossFoss Posts: 1,020
    Sean_F said:

    HYUFD said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "‘It’s social murder’ — is Canada’s assisted dying a model or a warning?

    The global capital for assisted death is considering including mental illness as a legitimate reason for ending one’s life, but its euthanasia laws are fiercely criticised by human rights advocates" (£)

    https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/canada-assisted-dying-law-wm7zfnpqv

    Canada's euthanasia laws are a disaster, one good thing about Poilevre and his Canadian Conservatives winning is he has promised to revoke the expansion of assisted dying under Trudeau and his Liberal government
    https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/poilievre-promises-revoke-expansion-maid
    The right to die soon becomes a duty not to burden others, by selfishly clinging to life.
    Only for the harmless. Because to suggest it for current and past convicts would be beyond the pale...
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,656
    Nigelb said:

    Sandpit said:

    Nigelb said:

    Andy_JS said:

    I thought this sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen anymore with a Labour government.

    "London Underground workers to strike next month over pay, union says"

    https://news.sky.com/story/london-underground-workers-to-strike-next-month-over-pay-union-says-13234456

    I tried to use a black cab for the first time in about 3 years yesterday and had the clichéd "nah, I don't want to do it mate - not going that way" response. When I asked how long it would take he then described the impact on him and his schedule for the rest of the day rather than mine, so I gave up and went back to the delayed tube.

    I just won't bother again, or just use Uber.

    It really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.

    t really does remind you how utterly self-serving Unions can be, and, yes, I put cabbies in that category despite their Reformy views.
    I believe it was lobbying by the yellow cab drivers that scotched a decent public transport link from JFK to Manhattan being developed. The taxi fare now is a standard 70 dollars plus extras and tolls meaning very little change from $100. But the alternatives are not much cheaper and a lot less convenient - partic after enduring a transatlantic flight. A real stitch-up.
    Wait until they introduce electric air-taxis.
    That kind of trip is the perfect market for them, though they'll start operating in the more welcoming regulatory environment of California first.
    Pan-Am used to do helicopter transfers from JFK to Manhattan back in the ‘70s. It eventually got shut down by the FAA after too many accidents, one of which involved an helicopter crashing into the landing site building but mostly ending up on the street below.
    Drones (certainly the ones being developed) are far safer than helicopters - and far quieter.
    But they need to *prove* their much better safety to the authorities. It’ll only need one to end up in bits on Manhattan streets before they’re banned again for another technology cycle.

    As others have said, build an Amercian version of the Heathrow Express from JFK to Manhattan, no matter how many billions it costs it’ll pay itself back inside a decade.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,291
    edited October 16
    Sandpit said:

    Apparently BBC Click has also got the chop.

    WTF are they up to? This is all really cheap TV they’re canning.
    I highly doubt it had any real viewership these days. That been said, explaining technology to the masses, isn't that part of the BBC remit to education and inform? But nothing much is happening in tech these days, checks notes from past week, rockets, robots, self driving cars, Gen AI, nah nothing, so probably no real interest.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,618
    TimS said:

    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    ydoethur said:

    Sandpit said:

    ydoethur said:

    TimS said:

    This week’s edition of the world isn’t as shit as I thought it was. In a small way.

    I bought a coffee a Costa in Kings Cross. I’ve not bought coffee from Costa for years, because it’s crap. It wasn’t crap. It was actually quite decent.

    Then I got on the train and found an unreserved seat at a table. Bloody hell.

    Only downside having to walk past all the half empty first class coaches wondering what business these days pays for its people to travel first class? Bastards.

    My business pays for first class travel so I have a table to work from and a power socket to plug in my laptop.
    And you wonder why the ROIC is in the single digits…

    Just to be clear, I am think about costs. Not suggesting that the more work you do the more ROIC falls…

    Although on reflection…
    Dodgy analysis.

    What you should look at is things like staff retention rates when you have decent benefits, expense allowances, and flexible working practices.

    For example my employer makes sure you don’t have to use holiday allowance for routine medical appointments.

    You save money in the long term with that approach.
    Is it time for my daily rant about the state of education?

    If it will cheer @Northern_Al up I’m willing to throw in a prediction of Pakistan to win by an innings…
    Still sticking with that prediction?
    Not by an innings, perhaps 🙂

    In all seriousness, this isn’t a great performance with the bat. Duckett apart, everyone has got in and got out. Batting last on this pitch they need a big lead. Right now I would say Pakistan are favourites.
    You just reverse jinxed us.
    The world’s gone weird. I predict an England disaster and one happens. It’s October and I’m sat outside not feeling cold. And it’s in London* and I’m not feeling utterly miserable.

    *OK, so Russell Square Gardens which is one of the nice bits of London, but still.
    It’s shit weather in Leeds. Misty drizzle and about 15C.
    Glorious here in north London, as it always is when @Leon is abroad.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,522
    CatMan said:

    Nigelb said:

    Former KKK leader David Duke endorses Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.
    https://x.com/NewsWire_US/status/1846297949665386655

    That's gonna piss Trump off
    Is it ?
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,194

    viewcode said:

    Barnesian said:

    Pulpstar said:

    +5 poll today with Harris at 52% (+3 from previous, Marist). 6-4 looks bonkers big to me tbh. Topping up a ton on her.

    I think someone with a lot of money is playing silly beggars betting on Trump for some reason. Could be an insurance bet or it could be a deliberate attempt to create a narrative. It's big market, approaching £100million, so it's an expensive strategy. Who could afford it?
    A single whale is distorting the Pennsylvania position on Polymarket. Rumour is it's Musk

    https://nitter.poast.org/Domahhhh/status/1843320398735106155#m
    Could be part of the "steal" strategy? If Trump loses one source of "evidence" that the election was rigged and stolen would be - in his head at least - that he was the favourite on betting sites.
    No, I think it's part of the same strategy employed by Andrea Leadsom's husband (allegedly!) and Clement Freud (unashamedly), which is betting on your candidate to keep them in the public eye.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,381
    Nigelb said:

    Former KKK leader David Duke endorses Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.
    https://x.com/NewsWire_US/status/1846297949665386655

    This joins 'Leon voting Labour' on the list of things that make my brain hurt.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,381
    Nigelb said:

    CatMan said:

    Nigelb said:

    Former KKK leader David Duke endorses Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.
    https://x.com/NewsWire_US/status/1846297949665386655

    That's gonna piss Trump off
    Is it ?
    The opposite, I'd have thought. I bet there's been 'words'.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,771

    TimS said:

    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    ydoethur said:

    Sandpit said:

    ydoethur said:

    TimS said:

    This week’s edition of the world isn’t as shit as I thought it was. In a small way.

    I bought a coffee a Costa in Kings Cross. I’ve not bought coffee from Costa for years, because it’s crap. It wasn’t crap. It was actually quite decent.

    Then I got on the train and found an unreserved seat at a table. Bloody hell.

    Only downside having to walk past all the half empty first class coaches wondering what business these days pays for its people to travel first class? Bastards.

    My business pays for first class travel so I have a table to work from and a power socket to plug in my laptop.
    And you wonder why the ROIC is in the single digits…

    Just to be clear, I am think about costs. Not suggesting that the more work you do the more ROIC falls…

    Although on reflection…
    Dodgy analysis.

    What you should look at is things like staff retention rates when you have decent benefits, expense allowances, and flexible working practices.

    For example my employer makes sure you don’t have to use holiday allowance for routine medical appointments.

    You save money in the long term with that approach.
    Is it time for my daily rant about the state of education?

    If it will cheer @Northern_Al up I’m willing to throw in a prediction of Pakistan to win by an innings…
    Still sticking with that prediction?
    Not by an innings, perhaps 🙂

    In all seriousness, this isn’t a great performance with the bat. Duckett apart, everyone has got in and got out. Batting last on this pitch they need a big lead. Right now I would say Pakistan are favourites.
    You just reverse jinxed us.
    The world’s gone weird. I predict an England disaster and one happens. It’s October and I’m sat outside not feeling cold. And it’s in London* and I’m not feeling utterly miserable.

    *OK, so Russell Square Gardens which is one of the nice bits of London, but still.
    It’s shit weather in Leeds. Misty drizzle and about 15C.
    Glorious here in north London, as it always is when @Leon is abroad.
    Given that this is nearly all the time I presume it is always sunny in south london
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,656

    Sandpit said:

    Apparently BBC Click has also got the chop.

    WTF are they up to? This is all really cheap TV they’re canning.
    I highly doubt it had any real viewership these days. That been said, explaining technology to the masses, isn't that part of the BBC remit to education and inform?
    If they put review segments on YouTube, and hired someone who understands YouTube, they’d have millions of views for them.

    The BBC as an organisation has just totally lost the plot.

    I still can’t get over them cancelling HardTalk. Stephen Sackur is surely going to copy Tucker Carlson and move totally online, making millions (that he doesn’t make now) in the process while still attracting the very very top tier of guests?
  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 10,819
    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    Barnesian said:

    Pulpstar said:

    +5 poll today with Harris at 52% (+3 from previous, Marist). 6-4 looks bonkers big to me tbh. Topping up a ton on her.

    I think someone with a lot of money is playing silly beggars betting on Trump for some reason. Could be an insurance bet or it could be a deliberate attempt to create a narrative. It's big market, approaching £100million, so it's an expensive strategy. Who could afford it?
    A single whale is distorting the Pennsylvania position on Polymarket. Rumour is it's Musk

    https://nitter.poast.org/Domahhhh/status/1843320398735106155#m
    Could be part of the "steal" strategy? If Trump loses one source of "evidence" that the election was rigged and stolen would be - in his head at least - that he was the favourite on betting sites.
    No, I think it's part of the same strategy employed by Andrea Leadsom's husband (allegedly!) and Clement Freud (unashamedly), which is betting on your candidate to keep them in the public eye.
    To be fair I think we ought to call this the Brian Rose strategy. No better exemplar is likely to arise.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,618
    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    ydoethur said:

    Sandpit said:

    ydoethur said:

    TimS said:

    This week’s edition of the world isn’t as shit as I thought it was. In a small way.

    I bought a coffee a Costa in Kings Cross. I’ve not bought coffee from Costa for years, because it’s crap. It wasn’t crap. It was actually quite decent.

    Then I got on the train and found an unreserved seat at a table. Bloody hell.

    Only downside having to walk past all the half empty first class coaches wondering what business these days pays for its people to travel first class? Bastards.

    My business pays for first class travel so I have a table to work from and a power socket to plug in my laptop.
    And you wonder why the ROIC is in the single digits…

    Just to be clear, I am think about costs. Not suggesting that the more work you do the more ROIC falls…

    Although on reflection…
    Dodgy analysis.

    What you should look at is things like staff retention rates when you have decent benefits, expense allowances, and flexible working practices.

    For example my employer makes sure you don’t have to use holiday allowance for routine medical appointments.

    You save money in the long term with that approach.
    Is it time for my daily rant about the state of education?

    If it will cheer @Northern_Al up I’m willing to throw in a prediction of Pakistan to win by an innings…
    Still sticking with that prediction?
    Not by an innings, perhaps 🙂

    In all seriousness, this isn’t a great performance with the bat. Duckett apart, everyone has got in and got out. Batting last on this pitch they need a big lead. Right now I would say Pakistan are favourites.
    You just reverse jinxed us.
    The world’s gone weird. I predict an England disaster and one happens. It’s October and I’m sat outside not feeling cold. And it’s in London* and I’m not feeling utterly miserable.

    *OK, so Russell Square Gardens which is one of the nice bits of London, but still.
    It’s shit weather in Leeds. Misty drizzle and about 15C.
    Glorious here in north London, as it always is when @Leon is abroad.
    Given that this is nearly all the time I presume it is always sunny in south london
    Dunno mate, I rarely venture south of the water.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,522
    The swaying to the music in a semi-trance thing wasn't a one-off, then.
    It's a gamble whether he makes it to November.

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1846364035073110405

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1846368537868201994

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1846370848820596941
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 51,963

    TimS said:

    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    ydoethur said:

    Sandpit said:

    ydoethur said:

    TimS said:

    This week’s edition of the world isn’t as shit as I thought it was. In a small way.

    I bought a coffee a Costa in Kings Cross. I’ve not bought coffee from Costa for years, because it’s crap. It wasn’t crap. It was actually quite decent.

    Then I got on the train and found an unreserved seat at a table. Bloody hell.

    Only downside having to walk past all the half empty first class coaches wondering what business these days pays for its people to travel first class? Bastards.

    My business pays for first class travel so I have a table to work from and a power socket to plug in my laptop.
    And you wonder why the ROIC is in the single digits…

    Just to be clear, I am think about costs. Not suggesting that the more work you do the more ROIC falls…

    Although on reflection…
    Dodgy analysis.

    What you should look at is things like staff retention rates when you have decent benefits, expense allowances, and flexible working practices.

    For example my employer makes sure you don’t have to use holiday allowance for routine medical appointments.

    You save money in the long term with that approach.
    Is it time for my daily rant about the state of education?

    If it will cheer @Northern_Al up I’m willing to throw in a prediction of Pakistan to win by an innings…
    Still sticking with that prediction?
    Not by an innings, perhaps 🙂

    In all seriousness, this isn’t a great performance with the bat. Duckett apart, everyone has got in and got out. Batting last on this pitch they need a big lead. Right now I would say Pakistan are favourites.
    You just reverse jinxed us.
    The world’s gone weird. I predict an England disaster and one happens. It’s October and I’m sat outside not feeling cold. And it’s in London* and I’m not feeling utterly miserable.

    *OK, so Russell Square Gardens which is one of the nice bits of London, but still.
    It’s shit weather in Leeds. Misty drizzle and about 15C.
    Glorious here in north London, as it always is when @Leon is abroad.
    20 degrees forecast here in east London, blue sky now after a rather dull morning.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,632
    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    ydoethur said:

    Sandpit said:

    ydoethur said:

    TimS said:

    This week’s edition of the world isn’t as shit as I thought it was. In a small way.

    I bought a coffee a Costa in Kings Cross. I’ve not bought coffee from Costa for years, because it’s crap. It wasn’t crap. It was actually quite decent.

    Then I got on the train and found an unreserved seat at a table. Bloody hell.

    Only downside having to walk past all the half empty first class coaches wondering what business these days pays for its people to travel first class? Bastards.

    My business pays for first class travel so I have a table to work from and a power socket to plug in my laptop.
    And you wonder why the ROIC is in the single digits…

    Just to be clear, I am think about costs. Not suggesting that the more work you do the more ROIC falls…

    Although on reflection…
    Dodgy analysis.

    What you should look at is things like staff retention rates when you have decent benefits, expense allowances, and flexible working practices.

    For example my employer makes sure you don’t have to use holiday allowance for routine medical appointments.

    You save money in the long term with that approach.
    Is it time for my daily rant about the state of education?

    If it will cheer @Northern_Al up I’m willing to throw in a prediction of Pakistan to win by an innings…
    Still sticking with that prediction?
    Not by an innings, perhaps 🙂

    In all seriousness, this isn’t a great performance with the bat. Duckett apart, everyone has got in and got out. Batting last on this pitch they need a big lead. Right now I would say Pakistan are favourites.
    You just reverse jinxed us.
    The world’s gone weird. I predict an England disaster and one happens. It’s October and I’m sat outside not feeling cold. And it’s in London* and I’m not feeling utterly miserable.

    *OK, so Russell Square Gardens which is one of the nice bits of London, but still.
    It’s shit weather in Leeds. Misty drizzle and about 15C.
    Glorious here in north London, as it always is when @Leon is abroad.
    Given that this is nearly all the time I presume it is always sunny in south london
    I lived in South London until aged 21, and I don't remember a single day when the weather wasn't glorious. In some respect.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,522
    edited October 16
    kinabalu said:

    Nigelb said:

    Former KKK leader David Duke endorses Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.
    https://x.com/NewsWire_US/status/1846297949665386655

    This joins 'Leon voting Labour' on the list of things that make my brain hurt.
    Stein is a big fan of Putin, apparently.
    So she's more than a bit fash curious.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,576
    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Apparently BBC Click has also got the chop.

    WTF are they up to? This is all really cheap TV they’re canning.
    I highly doubt it had any real viewership these days. That been said, explaining technology to the masses, isn't that part of the BBC remit to education and inform?
    If they put review segments on YouTube, and hired someone who understands YouTube, they’d have millions of views for them.

    The BBC as an organisation has just totally lost the plot.

    I still can’t get over them cancelling HardTalk. Stephen Sackur is surely going to copy Tucker Carlson and move totally online, making millions (that he doesn’t make now) in the process while still attracting the very very top tier of guests?
    Indeed. Given the cachet of the BBC brand (especially in places like America), BBC podcasts seem like an obvious one to go for.

    Free to license payers. Subscription if you are not.
This discussion has been closed.