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New poll confirms the infinite wisdom of the British people – politicalbetting.com

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Comments

  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,517
    MattW said:

    algarkirk said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Omnium said:

    Carnyx said:

    Omnium said:

    rcs1000 said:

    viewcode said:

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Lots of tweets on Twix stating that NATO is over because Russia has a new superweapon: the Oreshnik.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreshnik_(missile)

    Which seems so much cope. The claims - such as all the US's carriers gone immediately - would see repercussions. That's what Russia and their propagandists - child-molester Scott Ritter amongst them - forget. They seem to think Russia can use weapons and there will be no consequences. Because Russia is stronk or something.

    Errr: isn't the difficult bit with carriers finding them?

    There have been lots of weapons (including nuclear ones) that are pretty effective at destroying carriers. The difficult bit is finding the carrier group in an ocean of sea, and knowing exactly where it will be when your missile arrives there, and having the missile move at a speed that enables it to use sensors to maneuver.

    Because the problem with hypersonic missiles and the like is that sensor performance is essentially destroyed by the act of travelling through the air at Mach 8 or whatever. So how can you see what it is that you want to hit?

    Edit to add: that means that these missiles can be great at hitting ground based targets that don't move (hospitals! power stations!) but are rubbish at hitting moving targets. Even slowly moving ones.
    I'm sure a few reconnaissance satellites could track a carrier port to port without a problem. No doubt the Chinese know exactly where each US carrier groups is and I'd imagine they know where each USN surface ship is.

    Apparently Russians satellites are providing the Houthis with targeting information for their USVs/ASBM/ASCM.
    Spy satellites are not geostationary: they are typically in low earth orbit and will take a picture of a particular area (on their orbit) every 90 minutes or so.

    So you don't get real time pictures of your little spot. You get a photo every hour and a half.
    Is that still true? With so many satellites up there, the odds on at least one of them covering a specific patch of ocean must be huge. We forget that these days there are over ten thousand satellites (Musk owns over 7,000 of them!)
    Yes.

    The only spy satellites that have geostationary orbits are either SIGINT satellites or missile warning systems.

    Bear in mind too, that if you are a long, long way from earth, then maneuvering becomes very expensive. In LEO, it's easy. One does a little burn, and your next track in 100 miles different.

    With geostationary, you aren't 150 miles from earth (like a typical spy satellite), you're 21,000 miles out. That makes manauevering slow and almost impossibly expensive from a fuel perspective.
    Surely it makes manoeuvring (a word I hate and can never spell) cheap?
    Correct spelling. It's the Usonians confusing the ROW that makes it tricky.
    I know it's the correct spelling because I had help from all the tech. I would never in a million years spell it that way of my own accord.
    I've yielded to the far more sensible American "maneuver", no word should ever have three or more consecutive syllables

    Seriously. Queueing. qUEUEUIng. What the fuck were they thinking? Is it a joke?
    Vowels or syllables???
    Indeed, vowels. Blame the jet lag

    Speaking of consecutive vowels, or indeed consonants, has anyone ever correctly spelled Friedrich Nietzsche on the first go?

    I must have written his name a thousand times. Yet EACH TIME I have to check

    N I E T Z S C H E

    No wonder he went mad
    I look it up every time. What name would have TZSCH in consecutive order?

    Like - next question - what name has GHTSB in that order?
    I'd plump for Hungarian surnames.

    No idea, unless it is GAHETISOBU .

    My immediate reaction is BRIGHTS etc plus B-something, so it's perfectly plausible to an Anglophone.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 24,079
    edited December 2024
    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    algarkirk said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Omnium said:

    Carnyx said:

    Omnium said:

    rcs1000 said:

    viewcode said:

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Lots of tweets on Twix stating that NATO is over because Russia has a new superweapon: the Oreshnik.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreshnik_(missile)

    Which seems so much cope. The claims - such as all the US's carriers gone immediately - would see repercussions. That's what Russia and their propagandists - child-molester Scott Ritter amongst them - forget. They seem to think Russia can use weapons and there will be no consequences. Because Russia is stronk or something.

    Errr: isn't the difficult bit with carriers finding them?

    There have been lots of weapons (including nuclear ones) that are pretty effective at destroying carriers. The difficult bit is finding the carrier group in an ocean of sea, and knowing exactly where it will be when your missile arrives there, and having the missile move at a speed that enables it to use sensors to maneuver.

    Because the problem with hypersonic missiles and the like is that sensor performance is essentially destroyed by the act of travelling through the air at Mach 8 or whatever. So how can you see what it is that you want to hit?

    Edit to add: that means that these missiles can be great at hitting ground based targets that don't move (hospitals! power stations!) but are rubbish at hitting moving targets. Even slowly moving ones.
    I'm sure a few reconnaissance satellites could track a carrier port to port without a problem. No doubt the Chinese know exactly where each US carrier groups is and I'd imagine they know where each USN surface ship is.

    Apparently Russians satellites are providing the Houthis with targeting information for their USVs/ASBM/ASCM.
    Spy satellites are not geostationary: they are typically in low earth orbit and will take a picture of a particular area (on their orbit) every 90 minutes or so.

    So you don't get real time pictures of your little spot. You get a photo every hour and a half.
    Is that still true? With so many satellites up there, the odds on at least one of them covering a specific patch of ocean must be huge. We forget that these days there are over ten thousand satellites (Musk owns over 7,000 of them!)
    Yes.

    The only spy satellites that have geostationary orbits are either SIGINT satellites or missile warning systems.

    Bear in mind too, that if you are a long, long way from earth, then maneuvering becomes very expensive. In LEO, it's easy. One does a little burn, and your next track in 100 miles different.

    With geostationary, you aren't 150 miles from earth (like a typical spy satellite), you're 21,000 miles out. That makes manauevering slow and almost impossibly expensive from a fuel perspective.
    Surely it makes manoeuvring (a word I hate and can never spell) cheap?
    Correct spelling. It's the Usonians confusing the ROW that makes it tricky.
    I know it's the correct spelling because I had help from all the tech. I would never in a million years spell it that way of my own accord.
    I've yielded to the far more sensible American "maneuver", no word should ever have three or more consecutive syllables

    Seriously. Queueing. qUEUEUIng. What the fuck were they thinking? Is it a joke?
    Vowels or syllables???
    Indeed, vowels. Blame the jet lag

    Speaking of consecutive vowels, or indeed consonants, has anyone ever correctly spelled Friedrich Nietzsche on the first go?

    I must have written his name a thousand times. Yet EACH TIME I have to check

    N I E T Z S C H E

    No wonder he went mad
    I look it up every time. What name would have TZSCH in consecutive order?

    Like - next question - what name has GHTSB in that order?
    I'd plump for Hungarian surnames.

    No idea, unless it is GAHETISOBU .

    My immediate reaction is BRIGHTS etc plus B-something, so it's perfectly plausible to an Anglophone.
    Thinking through the ZS, I've met it most recently in a first name in Zsolt Schuller, who is the Cyclists Welcome Project Manager at the National Trust, which covers mobility aids accessibility amongst other things. He's the one who is responsible for the ramp that lets you @Leon with backache in to the historic mansion you would like to live in, in a bath chair.

    "Zs" is pronounced like the S in "Pleasure" in that position, which is quite Leon.

    Zsolt means Sultan, which is also quite Leon - all those Sultanas.
  • algarkirk said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Omnium said:

    Carnyx said:

    Omnium said:

    rcs1000 said:

    viewcode said:

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Lots of tweets on Twix stating that NATO is over because Russia has a new superweapon: the Oreshnik.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreshnik_(missile)

    Which seems so much cope. The claims - such as all the US's carriers gone immediately - would see repercussions. That's what Russia and their propagandists - child-molester Scott Ritter amongst them - forget. They seem to think Russia can use weapons and there will be no consequences. Because Russia is stronk or something.

    Errr: isn't the difficult bit with carriers finding them?

    There have been lots of weapons (including nuclear ones) that are pretty effective at destroying carriers. The difficult bit is finding the carrier group in an ocean of sea, and knowing exactly where it will be when your missile arrives there, and having the missile move at a speed that enables it to use sensors to maneuver.

    Because the problem with hypersonic missiles and the like is that sensor performance is essentially destroyed by the act of travelling through the air at Mach 8 or whatever. So how can you see what it is that you want to hit?

    Edit to add: that means that these missiles can be great at hitting ground based targets that don't move (hospitals! power stations!) but are rubbish at hitting moving targets. Even slowly moving ones.
    I'm sure a few reconnaissance satellites could track a carrier port to port without a problem. No doubt the Chinese know exactly where each US carrier groups is and I'd imagine they know where each USN surface ship is.

    Apparently Russians satellites are providing the Houthis with targeting information for their USVs/ASBM/ASCM.
    Spy satellites are not geostationary: they are typically in low earth orbit and will take a picture of a particular area (on their orbit) every 90 minutes or so.

    So you don't get real time pictures of your little spot. You get a photo every hour and a half.
    Is that still true? With so many satellites up there, the odds on at least one of them covering a specific patch of ocean must be huge. We forget that these days there are over ten thousand satellites (Musk owns over 7,000 of them!)
    Yes.

    The only spy satellites that have geostationary orbits are either SIGINT satellites or missile warning systems.

    Bear in mind too, that if you are a long, long way from earth, then maneuvering becomes very expensive. In LEO, it's easy. One does a little burn, and your next track in 100 miles different.

    With geostationary, you aren't 150 miles from earth (like a typical spy satellite), you're 21,000 miles out. That makes manauevering slow and almost impossibly expensive from a fuel perspective.
    Surely it makes manoeuvring (a word I hate and can never spell) cheap?
    Correct spelling. It's the Usonians confusing the ROW that makes it tricky.
    I know it's the correct spelling because I had help from all the tech. I would never in a million years spell it that way of my own accord.
    I've yielded to the far more sensible American "maneuver", no word should ever have three or more consecutive syllables

    Seriously. Queueing. qUEUEUIng. What the fuck were they thinking? Is it a joke?
    Vowels or syllables???
    Indeed, vowels. Blame the jet lag

    Speaking of consecutive vowels, or indeed consonants, has anyone ever correctly spelled Friedrich Nietzsche on the first go?

    I must have written his name a thousand times. Yet EACH TIME I have to check

    N I E T Z S C H E

    No wonder he went mad
    I look it up every time. What name would have TZSCH in consecutive order?

    Like - next question - what name has GHTSB in that order?
    Well there's an area of London with the letters GHTSBR in that order, I would guess it's something similar to that!
  • felixfelix Posts: 15,175
    algarkirk said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Omnium said:

    Carnyx said:

    Omnium said:

    rcs1000 said:

    viewcode said:

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Lots of tweets on Twix stating that NATO is over because Russia has a new superweapon: the Oreshnik.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreshnik_(missile)

    Which seems so much cope. The claims - such as all the US's carriers gone immediately - would see repercussions. That's what Russia and their propagandists - child-molester Scott Ritter amongst them - forget. They seem to think Russia can use weapons and there will be no consequences. Because Russia is stronk or something.

    Errr: isn't the difficult bit with carriers finding them?

    There have been lots of weapons (including nuclear ones) that are pretty effective at destroying carriers. The difficult bit is finding the carrier group in an ocean of sea, and knowing exactly where it will be when your missile arrives there, and having the missile move at a speed that enables it to use sensors to maneuver.

    Because the problem with hypersonic missiles and the like is that sensor performance is essentially destroyed by the act of travelling through the air at Mach 8 or whatever. So how can you see what it is that you want to hit?

    Edit to add: that means that these missiles can be great at hitting ground based targets that don't move (hospitals! power stations!) but are rubbish at hitting moving targets. Even slowly moving ones.
    I'm sure a few reconnaissance satellites could track a carrier port to port without a problem. No doubt the Chinese know exactly where each US carrier groups is and I'd imagine they know where each USN surface ship is.

    Apparently Russians satellites are providing the Houthis with targeting information for their USVs/ASBM/ASCM.
    Spy satellites are not geostationary: they are typically in low earth orbit and will take a picture of a particular area (on their orbit) every 90 minutes or so.

    So you don't get real time pictures of your little spot. You get a photo every hour and a half.
    Is that still true? With so many satellites up there, the odds on at least one of them covering a specific patch of ocean must be huge. We forget that these days there are over ten thousand satellites (Musk owns over 7,000 of them!)
    Yes.

    The only spy satellites that have geostationary orbits are either SIGINT satellites or missile warning systems.

    Bear in mind too, that if you are a long, long way from earth, then maneuvering becomes very expensive. In LEO, it's easy. One does a little burn, and your next track in 100 miles different.

    With geostationary, you aren't 150 miles from earth (like a typical spy satellite), you're 21,000 miles out. That makes manauevering slow and almost impossibly expensive from a fuel perspective.
    Surely it makes manoeuvring (a word I hate and can never spell) cheap?
    Correct spelling. It's the Usonians confusing the ROW that makes it tricky.
    I know it's the correct spelling because I had help from all the tech. I would never in a million years spell it that way of my own accord.
    I've yielded to the far more sensible American "maneuver", no word should ever have three or more consecutive syllables

    Seriously. Queueing. qUEUEUIng. What the fuck were they thinking? Is it a joke?
    Vowels or syllables???
    Indeed, vowels. Blame the jet lag

    Speaking of consecutive vowels, or indeed consonants, has anyone ever correctly spelled Friedrich Nietzsche on the first go?

    I must have written his name a thousand times. Yet EACH TIME I have to check

    N I E T Z S C H E

    No wonder he went mad
    I look it up every time. What name would have TZSCH in consecutive order?

    Like - next question - what name has GHTSB in that order?
    Knightsbridge
  • sladeslade Posts: 2,084
    A mixed bag of local by-elections tomorrow. We have Lab defences in St Helens and Wakefield; Con defences in Chelmsford and Essex; a Lib Dem defence in Barnsley; and an Ind defence in Runnymede.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 24,079
    edited December 2024
    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour
  • sladeslade Posts: 2,084
    I think the longest consonant range in English is catchphrase.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 43,615
    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
  • sladeslade Posts: 2,084
    slade said:

    I think the longest consonant range in English is catchphrase.

    and in German - Angstschweiss.
  • slade said:

    I think the longest consonant range in English is catchphrase.

    Rhythms
  • slade said:

    I think the longest consonant range in English is catchphrase.

    Rhythms
    Syzygy (Oopps only 6)
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,701
    edited December 2024
    slade said:

    I think the longest consonant range in English is catchphrase.

    I just asked the 4o version of ChatGPT, and it still really struggled with that question, telling me twelfths had seven consecutive consonants, which was the record.


  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,701

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 124,208
    edited December 2024

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    PJH said:

    I do wish we had some more Starmer fans here to balance out the site a bit. I feel like I’m the only one writing from that perspective.

    We’ve still got a small contingent of lefties but overall the site feels far more hostile to the government that it has since I’ve been around these parts.

    I liked this site because it had a range of views across the spectrum.

    Starmer is shite though. He's better than what he replaced, but only because he isn't what he replaced. He's just working his notice.
    I don’t think he is shite. I think his comms ability is poor but I really believe in some of the fundamental changes he is trying to make.

    My concern with him is that he needs to communicate and I’m struggling to see if he has that in him.

    My point wasn’t that I am hoping for lots of people to say how fabulous he is because that’s clearly nonsense but I do really think this forum is fairly one-sided on the government and has been since day one.

    I just struggle to take seriously some of the people who tell us how bad Starmer is but were also saying how Johnson would be going for a decade. I am struggling to understand how intelligent people here can conclude he’s finished in December 2024.
    As someone who didn't vote Labour I would just say I'm fed up with hearing (and not just on here) people saying how terrible Labour are, they're the worst government ever.

    Objectively, they have only had a few months, some of which was the summer recess, so they are unlikely to have fixed any of the deep-rooted issues left for them by 9 or 14 years of Tory rule (depending on where you start counting). Have all the people bellyaching been asleep for the past 9 years? It has been one shambles after another, with 3 successive administrations each being the worst in my adult lifetime until Sunak was a slight uptick after Truss.

    Perhaps less objectively, they have been poor at communications, timidly conservative and generally underwhelming. But they are a vast improvement on what has gone before; there is a seriousness of purpose that has been missing for a long time.

    Most of the noise is from the right, unused to being out of power, but also from the left who see the current government as Tory by another name (which it is, to be fair, partly out of necessity). So there are few natural supporters; I am centrist and don't support Labour so I'm critical, but I'd still much rather a Starmer government than anything the Tories have offered in my lifetime except perhaps for Cameron's version (and he ultimately fails for messing up over Brexit).
    I agree they are not as terrible as the last lot, but they should have made no unforced errors, (WFA, IHT, and when they broke their promise on no IT/NI/VAT rises they should have broken it by raising VAT).

    'Poor at comms' covers a big area. As they had an agenda starting from disastrous, commanding the narrative was the first priority. As nothing could get better quickly, and taxes had to rise, (and will have to again) the story of 'where are we going and how are we going to get there' had to be fabulously well told and constantly reiterated.

    It isn't even possible to discern their direction of travel on migration - which can be an election losing/winning matter. And Angela Rayner was disastrous this week on the relationship of housing need and migration.
    What did Rayner do/say this week on housing and migration?!
    When she was asked by Trevor Phillips on Sky where will she house all the immigrants she said there is no shortage of homes
    That is stupendously dumb and clumsy
    Yet it's been the unspoken position of the pro-immigration lobby for the last 25 years. They can just keep coming indefinitely.
    It's more that, to suggest that immigration has any costs/issues is considered "anti-immigration" or "pandering to the far right".
    Reform will win in 2028. I feel it in my bones
    The General Election is on 3rd May 2029 though.
    For Reform to win in *2028*:
    1) Would need Labour to be well ahead in the polls for Starmer to call an early election
    2) Starmer proceeds to have a car crash of a campaign which makes Theresa May's 2017 one look like Obama's 2008 election campaign
    3) Badenoch continues to be useless
    4) Reform has a set of policies which appeal beyond it's anti-immigration, anti-woke core base. This includes having something to offer younger, working age people in terms of housing, cost of living etc.
    You’ve forgotten that UK governments almost never proceed to the full term. They almost always find a reason to go beforehand - eg Rishi Sunak

    The last time we saw a full term was Gordon Brown in 2010? IIRC?
    And your forgetting the Reform vote is a protest vote - a none of the above vote. They get as many votes as they now get, on the basis they aren’t going to get anywhere near power. Reform have no credibility to their policies - the country is full, so there won’t be any immigration under us, is as detailed as their policy gets.

    Also FPTP prevents happening here what happened in America. Even with PR, and many more Reform MPs even largest party, no one will coalition with them.
    Wrong on current polls if we had PR we likely would get a Tory and Reform coalition government, under FPTP though a Labour minority government with LD support more likely
    There is 0% chance of Conservative Party going into government with Reform. It would be the most stupidest thing the Conservative Party has ever done, and probably the last thing because it would be a real threat to the Conservative Parties existence.

    You are also embarrassingly wrong when you always take the Reform polling, and tell us it equates to xxx seats. It doesn’t. 😌

    You can get an awful lot of seats under FPTP if voters from other parties chose you when their preference can’t win. For example you go up just 0.6% from last election yet go from 11 to 72 seats, up just 1.6% and add 211, or get 14.3% of votes for just 5 seats. In this regard, Reform are friendless. Nobody, including Conservatives, lend their vote to help Reform.

    So the Reform seat figures you post from the polling numbers are complete gibberish.

    It’s stark it’s not an era of two party politics, it’s like minded on election outcome voting blocks, voting interchangeable in FPTP. Where Reform are friendless in the FPTP exploitation, this has to change.
    Far from it, if there is a hung parliament and the only options with a majority are Conservative + Reform or Conservative + Labour then of course the Conservatives would go into government with Reform.

    As to not do so and reelect a Labour minority government Tory voters despise really would be the end of the Conservative party and would see most of its remaining voters defect en masse to Reform (mind you if Labour formed a government with the Tories half of the remaining Labour vote would likely go Green too)
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 43,615
    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    It started going up when Musk got into bed with Trump, and continued after Trump won the election. My *assumption* is therefore people think Musk (and Tesla) will get something back from the Trump administration in return.
  • MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    Pretty strong evidence Musk and Farage would fall out probably within a week of him becoming PM.
  • CookieCookie Posts: 14,104
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    PJH said:

    I do wish we had some more Starmer fans here to balance out the site a bit. I feel like I’m the only one writing from that perspective.

    We’ve still got a small contingent of lefties but overall the site feels far more hostile to the government that it has since I’ve been around these parts.

    I liked this site because it had a range of views across the spectrum.

    Starmer is shite though. He's better than what he replaced, but only because he isn't what he replaced. He's just working his notice.
    I don’t think he is shite. I think his comms ability is poor but I really believe in some of the fundamental changes he is trying to make.

    My concern with him is that he needs to communicate and I’m struggling to see if he has that in him.

    My point wasn’t that I am hoping for lots of people to say how fabulous he is because that’s clearly nonsense but I do really think this forum is fairly one-sided on the government and has been since day one.

    I just struggle to take seriously some of the people who tell us how bad Starmer is but were also saying how Johnson would be going for a decade. I am struggling to understand how intelligent people here can conclude he’s finished in December 2024.
    As someone who didn't vote Labour I would just say I'm fed up with hearing (and not just on here) people saying how terrible Labour are, they're the worst government ever.

    Objectively, they have only had a few months, some of which was the summer recess, so they are unlikely to have fixed any of the deep-rooted issues left for them by 9 or 14 years of Tory rule (depending on where you start counting). Have all the people bellyaching been asleep for the past 9 years? It has been one shambles after another, with 3 successive administrations each being the worst in my adult lifetime until Sunak was a slight uptick after Truss.

    Perhaps less objectively, they have been poor at communications, timidly conservative and generally underwhelming. But they are a vast improvement on what has gone before; there is a seriousness of purpose that has been missing for a long time.

    Most of the noise is from the right, unused to being out of power, but also from the left who see the current government as Tory by another name (which it is, to be fair, partly out of necessity). So there are few natural supporters; I am centrist and don't support Labour so I'm critical, but I'd still much rather a Starmer government than anything the Tories have offered in my lifetime except perhaps for Cameron's version (and he ultimately fails for messing up over Brexit).
    I agree they are not as terrible as the last lot, but they should have made no unforced errors, (WFA, IHT, and when they broke their promise on no IT/NI/VAT rises they should have broken it by raising VAT).

    'Poor at comms' covers a big area. As they had an agenda starting from disastrous, commanding the narrative was the first priority. As nothing could get better quickly, and taxes had to rise, (and will have to again) the story of 'where are we going and how are we going to get there' had to be fabulously well told and constantly reiterated.

    It isn't even possible to discern their direction of travel on migration - which can be an election losing/winning matter. And Angela Rayner was disastrous this week on the relationship of housing need and migration.
    What did Rayner do/say this week on housing and migration?!
    When she was asked by Trevor Phillips on Sky where will she house all the immigrants she said there is no shortage of homes
    That is stupendously dumb and clumsy
    Yet it's been the unspoken position of the pro-immigration lobby for the last 25 years. They can just keep coming indefinitely.
    It's more that, to suggest that immigration has any costs/issues is considered "anti-immigration" or "pandering to the far right".
    Reform will win in 2028. I feel it in my bones
    The General Election is on 3rd May 2029 though.
    For Reform to win in *2028*:
    1) Would need Labour to be well ahead in the polls for Starmer to call an early election
    2) Starmer proceeds to have a car crash of a campaign which makes Theresa May's 2017 one look like Obama's 2008 election campaign
    3) Badenoch continues to be useless
    4) Reform has a set of policies which appeal beyond it's anti-immigration, anti-woke core base. This includes having something to offer younger, working age people in terms of housing, cost of living etc.
    You’ve forgotten that UK governments almost never proceed to the full term. They almost always find a reason to go beforehand - eg Rishi Sunak

    The last time we saw a full term was Gordon Brown in 2010? IIRC?
    And your forgetting the Reform vote is a protest vote - a none of the above vote. They get as many votes as they now get, on the basis they aren’t going to get anywhere near power. Reform have no credibility to their policies - the country is full, so there won’t be any immigration under us, is as detailed as their policy gets.

    Also FPTP prevents happening here what happened in America. Even with PR, and many more Reform MPs even largest party, no one will coalition with them.
    Wrong on current polls if we had PR we likely would get a Tory and Reform coalition government, under FPTP though a Labour minority government with LD support more likely
    There is 0% chance of Conservative Party going into government with Reform. It would be the most stupidest thing the Conservative Party has ever done, and probably the last thing because it would be a real threat to the Conservative Parties existence.

    You are also embarrassingly wrong when you always take the Reform polling, and tell us it equates to xxx seats. It doesn’t. 😌

    You can get an awful lot of seats under FPTP if voters from other parties chose you when their preference can’t win. For example you go up just 0.6% from last election yet go from 11 to 72 seats, up just 1.6% and add 211, or get 14.3% of votes for just 5 seats. In this regard, Reform are friendless. Nobody, including Conservatives, lend their vote to help Reform.

    So the Reform seat figures you post from the polling numbers are complete gibberish.

    It’s stark it’s not an era of two party politics, it’s like minded on election outcome voting blocks, voting interchangeable in FPTP. Where Reform are friendless in the FPTP exploitation, this has to change.
    Far from it, if there is a hung parliament and the only options with a majority are Conservative + Reform or Conservative + Labour then of course the Conservatives would go into government with Reform.

    As to not do so and reelect a Labour minority government Tory voters despise really would be the end of the Conservative party and would see most of its remaining voters defect en masse to Reform (mind you if Labour formed a government with the Tories half of the remaining Labour vote would likely go Green too)
    Well perhaps. But I think you're seeing things greylessly. Note for example that FF and FG have teamed up against SF in ROI. Who knows how parties will see each other in 4 years' time?
  • Cookie said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    PJH said:

    I do wish we had some more Starmer fans here to balance out the site a bit. I feel like I’m the only one writing from that perspective.

    We’ve still got a small contingent of lefties but overall the site feels far more hostile to the government that it has since I’ve been around these parts.

    I liked this site because it had a range of views across the spectrum.

    Starmer is shite though. He's better than what he replaced, but only because he isn't what he replaced. He's just working his notice.
    I don’t think he is shite. I think his comms ability is poor but I really believe in some of the fundamental changes he is trying to make.

    My concern with him is that he needs to communicate and I’m struggling to see if he has that in him.

    My point wasn’t that I am hoping for lots of people to say how fabulous he is because that’s clearly nonsense but I do really think this forum is fairly one-sided on the government and has been since day one.

    I just struggle to take seriously some of the people who tell us how bad Starmer is but were also saying how Johnson would be going for a decade. I am struggling to understand how intelligent people here can conclude he’s finished in December 2024.
    As someone who didn't vote Labour I would just say I'm fed up with hearing (and not just on here) people saying how terrible Labour are, they're the worst government ever.

    Objectively, they have only had a few months, some of which was the summer recess, so they are unlikely to have fixed any of the deep-rooted issues left for them by 9 or 14 years of Tory rule (depending on where you start counting). Have all the people bellyaching been asleep for the past 9 years? It has been one shambles after another, with 3 successive administrations each being the worst in my adult lifetime until Sunak was a slight uptick after Truss.

    Perhaps less objectively, they have been poor at communications, timidly conservative and generally underwhelming. But they are a vast improvement on what has gone before; there is a seriousness of purpose that has been missing for a long time.

    Most of the noise is from the right, unused to being out of power, but also from the left who see the current government as Tory by another name (which it is, to be fair, partly out of necessity). So there are few natural supporters; I am centrist and don't support Labour so I'm critical, but I'd still much rather a Starmer government than anything the Tories have offered in my lifetime except perhaps for Cameron's version (and he ultimately fails for messing up over Brexit).
    I agree they are not as terrible as the last lot, but they should have made no unforced errors, (WFA, IHT, and when they broke their promise on no IT/NI/VAT rises they should have broken it by raising VAT).

    'Poor at comms' covers a big area. As they had an agenda starting from disastrous, commanding the narrative was the first priority. As nothing could get better quickly, and taxes had to rise, (and will have to again) the story of 'where are we going and how are we going to get there' had to be fabulously well told and constantly reiterated.

    It isn't even possible to discern their direction of travel on migration - which can be an election losing/winning matter. And Angela Rayner was disastrous this week on the relationship of housing need and migration.
    What did Rayner do/say this week on housing and migration?!
    When she was asked by Trevor Phillips on Sky where will she house all the immigrants she said there is no shortage of homes
    That is stupendously dumb and clumsy
    Yet it's been the unspoken position of the pro-immigration lobby for the last 25 years. They can just keep coming indefinitely.
    It's more that, to suggest that immigration has any costs/issues is considered "anti-immigration" or "pandering to the far right".
    Reform will win in 2028. I feel it in my bones
    The General Election is on 3rd May 2029 though.
    For Reform to win in *2028*:
    1) Would need Labour to be well ahead in the polls for Starmer to call an early election
    2) Starmer proceeds to have a car crash of a campaign which makes Theresa May's 2017 one look like Obama's 2008 election campaign
    3) Badenoch continues to be useless
    4) Reform has a set of policies which appeal beyond it's anti-immigration, anti-woke core base. This includes having something to offer younger, working age people in terms of housing, cost of living etc.
    You’ve forgotten that UK governments almost never proceed to the full term. They almost always find a reason to go beforehand - eg Rishi Sunak

    The last time we saw a full term was Gordon Brown in 2010? IIRC?
    And your forgetting the Reform vote is a protest vote - a none of the above vote. They get as many votes as they now get, on the basis they aren’t going to get anywhere near power. Reform have no credibility to their policies - the country is full, so there won’t be any immigration under us, is as detailed as their policy gets.

    Also FPTP prevents happening here what happened in America. Even with PR, and many more Reform MPs even largest party, no one will coalition with them.
    Wrong on current polls if we had PR we likely would get a Tory and Reform coalition government, under FPTP though a Labour minority government with LD support more likely
    There is 0% chance of Conservative Party going into government with Reform. It would be the most stupidest thing the Conservative Party has ever done, and probably the last thing because it would be a real threat to the Conservative Parties existence.

    You are also embarrassingly wrong when you always take the Reform polling, and tell us it equates to xxx seats. It doesn’t. 😌

    You can get an awful lot of seats under FPTP if voters from other parties chose you when their preference can’t win. For example you go up just 0.6% from last election yet go from 11 to 72 seats, up just 1.6% and add 211, or get 14.3% of votes for just 5 seats. In this regard, Reform are friendless. Nobody, including Conservatives, lend their vote to help Reform.

    So the Reform seat figures you post from the polling numbers are complete gibberish.

    It’s stark it’s not an era of two party politics, it’s like minded on election outcome voting blocks, voting interchangeable in FPTP. Where Reform are friendless in the FPTP exploitation, this has to change.
    Far from it, if there is a hung parliament and the only options with a majority are Conservative + Reform or Conservative + Labour then of course the Conservatives would go into government with Reform.

    As to not do so and reelect a Labour minority government Tory voters despise really would be the end of the Conservative party and would see most of its remaining voters defect en masse to Reform (mind you if Labour formed a government with the Tories half of the remaining Labour vote would likely go Green too)
    Well perhaps. But I think you're seeing things greylessly. Note for example that FF and FG have teamed up against SF in ROI. Who knows how parties will see each other in 4 years' time?
    Both right-wing parties, FF and FG.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 52,402
    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 33,004
    Probably worth reading.

    "Mapping Voter Coalitions
    A guest post from Sir John Curtice and Lovisa Moller Vallgarda"

    https://samf.substack.com/p/mapping-voter-coalitions
  • eekeek Posts: 28,624
    edited December 2024

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    It started going up when Musk got into bed with Trump, and continued after Trump won the election. My *assumption* is therefore people think Musk (and Tesla) will get something back from the Trump administration in return.
    I would have thought Musk and SpaceX would do well out of Trump, what has Tesla got that changes with Trump in power?
  • eekeek Posts: 28,624
    edited December 2024

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I wouldn’t get any car that hasn’t got a mechanical means of opening a door when the electrics have failed.

    And taking the door apart doesn’t count
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 124,208

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    He won't, apart from maybe Alberta and the Canadian praries no other Canadian provinces would even consider joining a Trump led US. Indeed if Vance or Trump Jr won in 2028 there is more chance of New England and New York, Illinois and Minnesota and the US Pacific west coast joining Canada than most of Canada joining a Trumpite USA
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,450
    Andy_JS said:

    Probably worth reading.

    "Mapping Voter Coalitions
    A guest post from Sir John Curtice and Lovisa Moller Vallgarda"

    https://samf.substack.com/p/mapping-voter-coalitions

    Whilst I appreciate the link Andy, it is for paid subscribers only... :(
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,701

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    We should also consider the possibility that Trump cures AIDS by simply touching the infected.
  • boulayboulay Posts: 5,572
    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    The main thing I don’t understand about Tesla is that they have access to billions, they can poach the best car designers in the world to design their sports cars, saloons, 4wds, whatever, And yet every single car they design (apart from that old knock-off lotus Elise) looks like some absolutely dull car with not the tiniest bit of style or a skip on wheels.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,450
    eek said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    It started going up when Musk got into bed with Trump, and continued after Trump won the election. My *assumption* is therefore people think Musk (and Tesla) will get something back from the Trump administration in return.
    I would have thought Musk and SpaceX would do well out of Trump, what has Tesla got that changes with Trump in power?
    He gets to lay down conditions that disadvantage his opponents or advantage him. He has enough money to survive the withdrawal of subsidies for electric cars but his enemies do not. The Trump announcement that billionaires who invest in America will be unregulated will advantage him. He's aiming to be the world's first trillionaire and as he's just bought a government and owns two-thirds of the world's satellites, I think he has a chance. He'll probably buy the next UK election too and I don't see Starmer stopping him.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,450

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    No.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 52,402

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    When someone continually asks stupid questions, is it a sign that they're actually stupid?
    If political integration is a good idea for Europe, why not North America? It would consolidate the US's position as the primary superpower.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,701
    eek said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    It started going up when Musk got into bed with Trump, and continued after Trump won the election. My *assumption* is therefore people think Musk (and Tesla) will get something back from the Trump administration in return.
    I would have thought Musk and SpaceX would do well out of Trump, what has Tesla got that changes with Trump in power?
    SpaceX is a massive success - and will be a massive success - irrespective of whoever is in power.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 33,004
    viewcode said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Probably worth reading.

    "Mapping Voter Coalitions
    A guest post from Sir John Curtice and Lovisa Moller Vallgarda"

    https://samf.substack.com/p/mapping-voter-coalitions

    Whilst I appreciate the link Andy, it is for paid subscribers only... :(
    I'm reading it and didn't think I was a subscriber. Maybe I subscribed without realising.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 124,208

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    When someone continually asks stupid questions, is it a sign that they're actually stupid?
    If political integration is a good idea for Europe, why not North America? It would consolidate the US's position as the primary superpower.
    A union of white majority Commonwealth realms post Brexit ie the UK, Canada, NZ and Australia is more likely than any US and Canada merger. Not that either would happen in reality
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,701
    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    The main thing I don’t understand about Tesla is that they have access to billions, they can poach the best car designers in the world to design their sports cars, saloons, 4wds, whatever, And yet every single car they design (apart from that old knock-off lotus Elise) looks like some absolutely dull car with not the tiniest bit of style or a skip on wheels.
    (Leaving aside the Cybertruck for a second...)

    That's because they are optmizing around drag coefficient. When your battery capacity was small, every tiny aero gain made a big difference.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,048
    .

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    When someone continually asks stupid questions, is it a sign that they're actually stupid?
    If political integration is a good idea for Europe, why not North America? It would consolidate the US's position as the primary superpower.
    Trump, the first PM of the Dominion of North America. A position conveniently without term limits.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 52,402
    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.
  • maxhmaxh Posts: 1,338
    Perfect example of the process state in action (hat tip @Malmesbury) today...

    ...at the last minute I've been asked to step in at school to mentor a new teacher going through qualification. It's extra work but enjoyable.

    Part of the reason it is so much extra work is because I am expected by the DfE to do 20 hours of training in preparation for welcoming the trainee. This is challenging to fit in, in large part because I was asked to do it on Thursday and the trainee arrived on Monday.

    Here's the process state in action: I skimmed through the training today; 3 hours of which was assessed by a 10 question multiple choice test. A monkey high on acid could have correctly completed the test.

    Yet because I have filled in the correct boxes, my school now gets £120 of funding for the 3 hours I supposedly spent in training.

    It's completely bonkers. Give me the gap fill first, allow me to self assess my training needs off the back of it, and fund any training needed. Save the DfE £120, save me being taught to suck eggs.

    But that doesn't follow the right process I suppose.

    Oh and as an aside @omnium are you about? After our discussion last week about percentage efficiency at work I did a minute by minute accounting of my day on Monday. I'm upping my claim for Monday's efficiency from 95% to 105%. From 0805 to 1610 I had the sum total of 6 minutes where I was not doing an activity necessary for my job (3 mins in the lunch queue, 3 mins drinking coffee and chatting about non work stuff). In the afternoon I was in compulsory training at the same time as emailing parents hence the 105%.
  • maxhmaxh Posts: 1,338

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    When someone continually asks stupid questions, is it a sign that they're actually stupid?
    If political integration is a good idea for Europe, why not North America? It would consolidate the US's position as the primary superpower.
    One could ask the same about the Middle East. Why not go with Barty and make it all greater Israel?
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,048

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    Drop in the ocean comes to mind.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345
    MattW said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Police looking at ‘people of interest’ in Post Office Horizon scandal criminal probe
    Met says investigation is ‘unprecedented in size’ and solicitors and barristers are among individuals being scrutinised"

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/12/11/police-looking-at-people-of-interest-in-post-office-horizon/

    The BBC says "dozens being looked at".

    This is the Post Office, so trials due in 2027 at the earliest :smile: .

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgr19lwgv0o
    The one to watch for -

    “In the case of a group of the junior employees, the CPS is taking the case forward and is recommending a sentence of Death. By chi-chi”.

    “In the case of the directors, too much time has passed. What would it change now? Lessons have been learnt. Prosecution wouldn’t be in the public interest.”
  • RobD said:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    Drop in the ocean comes to mind.
    2.8% public sector pay rise - now cuts to the Civil Service

    Reality is catching up with the 'Ming' vase and lots more pain ahead with the anti growth Reeves budget
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 50,200
    edited December 2024
    Andy_JS said:

    Probably worth reading.

    "Mapping Voter Coalitions
    A guest post from Sir John Curtice and Lovisa Moller Vallgarda"

    https://samf.substack.com/p/mapping-voter-coalitions

    They've today just published a follow up post, based on the same analysis (entitled "How the value divide is challenging Britain's two-party system"), of the contemporary state of UK politics - but sadly available to subcribers only. If you find it replicated on the internet, do post a link!
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 53,048
    TimS said:

    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    FPT in case missed (but without picture as I assume that would be breaking the one a day rule):

    I’ve been sending daily pics of riverine life in Senegal, but perhaps not at times you were online. I’ve only had time and bandwidth generally to post once per day.

    I am getting towards the end of my trip now and in a very interesting and atypical place: the ile de Goree where we’re spending 2 nights. It’s more like a quaint Mediterranean island than an African town, but with a slave house.

    I was impressed with the maison des esclaves and its famous door of no return. The nuanced descriptions of the history of Goree and the slave trade were pitched just right I thought, and didn’t patronise. The National Trust would be proud. Not the Americanised guilt trip I’d expected.

    And like many French style heritage hotspots it fills up with day trippers off the ferry during the day then empties out in the evening and takes on a serene air.

    Here’s a pic for the day - typical Goree backstreet:

    Would you recommend Senegal? I'm tempted by an early January trip and the airline prices are quite reasonable.... Also I am trying to hit 100 countries (I'm on 95, I think). I'm like a batsman nervously getting near his century. In West Africa I could easily do five in a fortnight, the equivalent of hitting your century by whacking a 6 over the pavliion and into north Marylebone
    I’d definitely recommend it, if you speak passable French. Everything is in French and there are very few nods to Anglophonie.

    If you are coming, then Dakar is decent and cosmopolitan as African cities go, though not with a huge amount to detain the traveller. Casamance is beautiful and very friendly, with proper old school animist religion complete with Tom Tom drums, chiefs, a king you can have an audience with, fetishes, the works.

    Cap Skirring is very pleasant in a palm lined beachy way but there are no luxe hotels there, just some good airbnbs and pensions. Goree is really rather pretty.

    The food, though a bit limited in range, is extremely tasty. It’s mainly fresh fish, usually with spicy sauces and rice. I’ve had “capitaine”, bream, monkfish, lots of prawns and langoustines throughout the visit. But there are good steak-frites to be had too, and the local beers are reasonable.
    Worst airport taxis I've ever experienced were at Dakar airport. The best looker still had giant cracks in the windscreen.

    And then broke down after a couple of miles.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 8,979

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    That's interesting. Of the 500,000 civil servants, nearly half are employed by MoJ, HMRC, and DWP - primarily delivering services directly to the public. Where will the cuts fall?
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 124,208

    RobD said:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    Drop in the ocean comes to mind.
    2.8% public sector pay rise - now cuts to the Civil Service

    Reality is catching up with the 'Ming' vase and lots more pain ahead with the anti growth Reeves budget
    A risky move given the government's approval rating is only 18%, given such moves might send a few more Labour voters to the Greens Labour's voteshare may have yet further to fall
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345
    eek said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    It started going up when Musk got into bed with Trump, and continued after Trump won the election. My *assumption* is therefore people think Musk (and Tesla) will get something back from the Trump administration in return.
    I would have thought Musk and SpaceX would do well out of Trump, what has Tesla got that changes with Trump in power?
    It has been claimed that ending the EV subsidies in the US will result in a number of the big manufacturers facing big loses on their lines. Unlike legacy auto, Tesla has much lower historic costs/debt to deal with.

    Just in time for the model Q to launch next year.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345
    maxh said:

    Perfect example of the process state in action (hat tip @Malmesbury) today...

    ...at the last minute I've been asked to step in at school to mentor a new teacher going through qualification. It's extra work but enjoyable.

    Part of the reason it is so much extra work is because I am expected by the DfE to do 20 hours of training in preparation for welcoming the trainee. This is challenging to fit in, in large part because I was asked to do it on Thursday and the trainee arrived on Monday.

    Here's the process state in action: I skimmed through the training today; 3 hours of which was assessed by a 10 question multiple choice test. A monkey high on acid could have correctly completed the test.

    Yet because I have filled in the correct boxes, my school now gets £120 of funding for the 3 hours I supposedly spent in training.

    It's completely bonkers. Give me the gap fill first, allow me to self assess my training needs off the back of it, and fund any training needed. Save the DfE £120, save me being taught to suck eggs.

    But that doesn't follow the right process I suppose.

    Oh and as an aside @omnium are you about? After our discussion last week about percentage efficiency at work I did a minute by minute accounting of my day on Monday. I'm upping my claim for Monday's efficiency from 95% to 105%. From 0805 to 1610 I had the sum total of 6 minutes where I was not doing an activity necessary for my job (3 mins in the lunch queue, 3 mins drinking coffee and chatting about non work stuff). In the afternoon I was in compulsory training at the same time as emailing parents hence the 105%.

    Congratulations on passing your multiple choice exam. You have won a secret prize - A monkey high on acid.

    I’ve just done 2 course like that - data security in compliance. Clicked through, then got 100% on the exams and another PDF for no one to ever read.

    Mentoring a new starter is one of the few things that puts a smile in my day.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,701

    eek said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    It started going up when Musk got into bed with Trump, and continued after Trump won the election. My *assumption* is therefore people think Musk (and Tesla) will get something back from the Trump administration in return.
    I would have thought Musk and SpaceX would do well out of Trump, what has Tesla got that changes with Trump in power?
    It has been claimed that ending the EV subsidies in the US will result in a number of the big manufacturers facing big loses on their lines. Unlike legacy auto, Tesla has much lower historic costs/debt to deal with.

    Just in time for the model Q to launch next year.
    The Q will be announced next year. Which means it'll roll off the production lines in... 2028?
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,510
    Leon said:

    Omnium said:

    Carnyx said:

    Omnium said:

    rcs1000 said:

    viewcode said:

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Lots of tweets on Twix stating that NATO is over because Russia has a new superweapon: the Oreshnik.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreshnik_(missile)

    Which seems so much cope. The claims - such as all the US's carriers gone immediately - would see repercussions. That's what Russia and their propagandists - child-molester Scott Ritter amongst them - forget. They seem to think Russia can use weapons and there will be no consequences. Because Russia is stronk or something.

    Errr: isn't the difficult bit with carriers finding them?

    There have been lots of weapons (including nuclear ones) that are pretty effective at destroying carriers. The difficult bit is finding the carrier group in an ocean of sea, and knowing exactly where it will be when your missile arrives there, and having the missile move at a speed that enables it to use sensors to maneuver.

    Because the problem with hypersonic missiles and the like is that sensor performance is essentially destroyed by the act of travelling through the air at Mach 8 or whatever. So how can you see what it is that you want to hit?

    Edit to add: that means that these missiles can be great at hitting ground based targets that don't move (hospitals! power stations!) but are rubbish at hitting moving targets. Even slowly moving ones.
    I'm sure a few reconnaissance satellites could track a carrier port to port without a problem. No doubt the Chinese know exactly where each US carrier groups is and I'd imagine they know where each USN surface ship is.

    Apparently Russians satellites are providing the Houthis with targeting information for their USVs/ASBM/ASCM.
    Spy satellites are not geostationary: they are typically in low earth orbit and will take a picture of a particular area (on their orbit) every 90 minutes or so.

    So you don't get real time pictures of your little spot. You get a photo every hour and a half.
    Is that still true? With so many satellites up there, the odds on at least one of them covering a specific patch of ocean must be huge. We forget that these days there are over ten thousand satellites (Musk owns over 7,000 of them!)
    Yes.

    The only spy satellites that have geostationary orbits are either SIGINT satellites or missile warning systems.

    Bear in mind too, that if you are a long, long way from earth, then maneuvering becomes very expensive. In LEO, it's easy. One does a little burn, and your next track in 100 miles different.

    With geostationary, you aren't 150 miles from earth (like a typical spy satellite), you're 21,000 miles out. That makes manauevering slow and almost impossibly expensive from a fuel perspective.
    Surely it makes manoeuvring (a word I hate and can never spell) cheap?
    Correct spelling. It's the Usonians confusing the ROW that makes it tricky.
    I know it's the correct spelling because I had help from all the tech. I would never in a million years spell it that way of my own accord.

    I've yielded to the far more sensible American "maneuver", no word should ever have three or more consecutive syllables

    Seriously. Queueing. qUEUEUIng. What the fuck were they thinking? Is it a joke?
    It’s an illiterate’s way of remembering what a queue is

    You is at the front, then ‘e is, then you (pointing to third person), then ‘e, then you. I is at the back of the line
  • PhilPhil Posts: 2,340
    rcs1000 said:

    slade said:

    I think the longest consonant range in English is catchphrase.

    I just asked the 4o version of ChatGPT, and it still really struggled with that question, telling me twelfths had seven consecutive consonants, which was the record.


    Counting letters (or any kind of sequence of terms) is the Achilles heel of all the current LLMs. Because they all tokenise their input they have no direct connection between words as ideas & words as a sequence of letters. They do appear to learn some of this information from their training data, but not enough to reliably answer these kind of "how many letters in ...?" questions.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345
    RobD said:

    .

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    When someone continually asks stupid questions, is it a sign that they're actually stupid?
    If political integration is a good idea for Europe, why not North America? It would consolidate the US's position as the primary superpower.
    Trump, the first PM of the Dominion of North America. A position conveniently without term limits.
    CoDomionion with Russia?

    Is that a Motie in your Eye?
  • boulayboulay Posts: 5,572
    rcs1000 said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    The main thing I don’t understand about Tesla is that they have access to billions, they can poach the best car designers in the world to design their sports cars, saloons, 4wds, whatever, And yet every single car they design (apart from that old knock-off lotus Elise) looks like some absolutely dull car with not the tiniest bit of style or a skip on wheels.
    (Leaving aside the Cybertruck for a second...)

    That's because they are optmizing around drag coefficient. When your battery capacity was small, every tiny aero gain made a big difference.
    Good point, well made. They are still ugly cars and a little bit of drag for a better looking car might be more popular than a little more range. This is just one reason why I’m. It a car designer or pioneer of technology perhaps.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345
    rcs1000 said:

    eek said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    It started going up when Musk got into bed with Trump, and continued after Trump won the election. My *assumption* is therefore people think Musk (and Tesla) will get something back from the Trump administration in return.
    I would have thought Musk and SpaceX would do well out of Trump, what has Tesla got that changes with Trump in power?
    It has been claimed that ending the EV subsidies in the US will result in a number of the big manufacturers facing big loses on their lines. Unlike legacy auto, Tesla has much lower historic costs/debt to deal with.

    Just in time for the model Q to launch next year.
    The Q will be announced next year. Which means it'll roll off the production lines in... 2028?
    Depends which unsourced rumour you buy into.

    The one thing I would bet on is the naming. Elon trolling again. Do you think the TESLAQ bunch will try and sue him?
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 52,402

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    Talking of time warps:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14182429/TONY-BLAIR-Taxes-NHS-disruption-change-everything.html

    TONY BLAIR: Taxes are high. The NHS is coming apart at the seams. We need a once-in-a-generation disruption. Here's what could change everything
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345
    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    The main thing I don’t understand about Tesla is that they have access to billions, they can poach the best car designers in the world to design their sports cars, saloons, 4wds, whatever, And yet every single car they design (apart from that old knock-off lotus Elise) looks like some absolutely dull car with not the tiniest bit of style or a skip on wheels.
    (Leaving aside the Cybertruck for a second...)

    That's because they are optmizing around drag coefficient. When your battery capacity was small, every tiny aero gain made a big difference.
    Good point, well made. They are still ugly cars and a little bit of drag for a better looking car might be more popular than a little more range. This is just one reason why I’m. It a car designer or pioneer of technology perhaps.
    Many electric cars follow the same pattern - trying to get the Cd to near 0.2 or even below.
  • RobD said:

    .

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    When someone continually asks stupid questions, is it a sign that they're actually stupid?
    If political integration is a good idea for Europe, why not North America? It would consolidate the US's position as the primary superpower.
    Trump, the first PM of the Dominion of North America. A position conveniently without term limits.
    Da Greater English-speaking Federation:

    USA and territories
    Canadia
    UK and dependencies and territories
    Ireland
    Australia and territories
    NZ and territories
    The remaining Commonwealth Realms
  • https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    You have to wonder just how worried Starmer and Reeves are on the economy

    Taxing, spending and borrowing are at unsustainable levels
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 124,208

    RobD said:

    .

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    When someone continually asks stupid questions, is it a sign that they're actually stupid?
    If political integration is a good idea for Europe, why not North America? It would consolidate the US's position as the primary superpower.
    Trump, the first PM of the Dominion of North America. A position conveniently without term limits.
    Da Greater English-speaking Federation:

    USA and territories
    Canadia
    UK and dependencies and territories
    Ireland
    Australia and territories
    NZ and territories
    The remaining Commonwealth Realms
    Can't be US or Ireland though as they are republics
  • boulayboulay Posts: 5,572

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    The main thing I don’t understand about Tesla is that they have access to billions, they can poach the best car designers in the world to design their sports cars, saloons, 4wds, whatever, And yet every single car they design (apart from that old knock-off lotus Elise) looks like some absolutely dull car with not the tiniest bit of style or a skip on wheels.
    (Leaving aside the Cybertruck for a second...)

    That's because they are optmizing around drag coefficient. When your battery capacity was small, every tiny aero gain made a big difference.
    Good point, well made. They are still ugly cars and a little bit of drag for a better looking car might be more popular than a little more range. This is just one reason why I’m. It a car designer or pioneer of technology perhaps.
    Many electric cars follow the same pattern - trying to get the Cd to near 0.2 or even below.
    Ok, thinking (lazily) about your point, and RCS’, all cars ICE or electric could/should be designed to their maximum efficiency but a lot aren’t because humans like many things where the perfect is overridden by the heart or soul. People will buy a Ferrari because it’s beautiful and powerful but not remotely efficient, or a G-Wagen. So surely at some point Tesla has to give a little on aero to attract the soul?
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 53,048
    edited December 2024

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    You have to wonder just how worried Starmer and Reeves are on the economy

    Taxing, spending and borrowing are at unsustainable levels
    Not worried enough to do anything about these unsustainable levels.

    Yet.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,450
    IanB2 said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Probably worth reading.

    "Mapping Voter Coalitions
    A guest post from Sir John Curtice and Lovisa Moller Vallgarda"

    https://samf.substack.com/p/mapping-voter-coalitions

    They've today just published a follow up post, based on the same analysis (entitled "How the value divide is challenging Britain's two-party system"), of the contemporary state of UK politics - but sadly available to subcribers only. If you find it replicated on the internet, do post a link!

    https://archive.is/4uf4D
    https://natcen.ac.uk/constituency-look-up
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,999

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    When someone continually asks stupid questions, is it a sign that they're actually stupid?
    If political integration is a good idea for Europe, why not North America? It would consolidate the US's position as the primary superpower.
    Aren't you selling the idea as an annexation by the USA and Canada is absorbed into the US, rather than a trade partnership between equal (more or less) parties?

    I am sure your average Canuck will be outraged.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 53,048
    Foxy said:

    By coincidence I watched Die Hard recently for the first time (it's on Channel 4 catch up).

    It's definitely a Christmas film. Christmas is fundamental to the plot.

    HO-HO-HO! NOW I HAVE A MACHINE GUN doesn't exactly work at Easter.
  • https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    You have to wonder just how worried Starmer and Reeves are on the economy

    Taxing, spending and borrowing are at unsustainable levels
    Not worried enough to do anything about these unsustainable levels.

    Yet.
    There comes a time when they will have no option
  • If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    When someone continually asks stupid questions, is it a sign that they're actually stupid?
    If political integration is a good idea for Europe, why not North America? It would consolidate the US's position as the primary superpower.
    Aren't you selling the idea as an annexation by the USA and Canada is absorbed into the US, rather than a trade partnership between equal (more or less) parties?

    I am sure your average Canuck will be outraged.
    Speaking for my son and Canadian daughter in law who live in Vancouver

    It is not going to happen
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345
    Foxy said:

    By coincidence I watched Die Hard recently for the first time (it's on Channel 4 catch up).

    It's definitely a Christmas film. Christmas is fundamental to the plot.

    It's not Christmas in my house until we've thrown Professor Snape off Nakatomi Towers.

    An analysis of Takagi's fashion choices -

    https://bamfstyle.com/2020/12/17/die-hard-takagi/
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,999
    edited December 2024

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    You have to wonder just how worried Starmer and Reeves are on the economy

    Taxing, spending and borrowing are at unsustainable levels
    After squandering their golden inheritance in just five months I am warming to your Musk funded coup. I have a good three word slogan too. Farage for Fuhrer!*

    *Nice alliteration I thought.

  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 4,099

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    You have to wonder just how worried Starmer and Reeves are on the economy

    Taxing, spending and borrowing are at unsustainable levels
    After squandering their golden inheritance after just five months I am warming to your Musk funded coup. I have a good three word slogan too. Farage for Fuhrer!*

    *Nice alliteration I thought.

    After a few years of power and the collapse of the country - "Farage for Forager!" has a nice ring too.
  • eekeek Posts: 28,624
    Foxy said:

    By coincidence I watched Die Hard recently for the first time (it's on Channel 4 catch up).

    It's definitely a Christmas film. Christmas is fundamental to the plot.

    The only way we can convince TSE that it's a Christmas movie is to start arguing that it isn't one.

    Then when he decides to adopt the contrary viewpoint to spite us we can switch back to the correct view.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345
    boulay said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    The main thing I don’t understand about Tesla is that they have access to billions, they can poach the best car designers in the world to design their sports cars, saloons, 4wds, whatever, And yet every single car they design (apart from that old knock-off lotus Elise) looks like some absolutely dull car with not the tiniest bit of style or a skip on wheels.
    (Leaving aside the Cybertruck for a second...)

    That's because they are optmizing around drag coefficient. When your battery capacity was small, every tiny aero gain made a big difference.
    Good point, well made. They are still ugly cars and a little bit of drag for a better looking car might be more popular than a little more range. This is just one reason why I’m. It a car designer or pioneer of technology perhaps.
    Many electric cars follow the same pattern - trying to get the Cd to near 0.2 or even below.
    Ok, thinking (lazily) about your point, and RCS’, all cars ICE or electric could/should be designed to their maximum efficiency but a lot aren’t because humans like many things where the perfect is overridden by the heart or soul. People will buy a Ferrari because it’s beautiful and powerful but not remotely efficient, or a G-Wagen. So surely at some point Tesla has to give a little on aero to attract the soul?
    Tesla (and others) have noted that when they launch a range of cars with different range, the best sellers are those with the longest range. In fact several times, Tesla discontinued the shortest range option because not enough people were buying it, to make it non-profitable to sell.

    So until people are comfortable with range, range will be everything in EVs.
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 4,099

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    You have to wonder just how worried Starmer and Reeves are on the economy

    Taxing, spending and borrowing are at unsustainable levels
    Not worried enough to do anything about these unsustainable levels.

    Yet.
    They're only unsustainable if you think about them the wrong way.

    Otherwise it's all fine.

    Vote Ohnotnow! Vote often!
  • boulayboulay Posts: 5,572

    Foxy said:

    By coincidence I watched Die Hard recently for the first time (it's on Channel 4 catch up).

    It's definitely a Christmas film. Christmas is fundamental to the plot.

    HO-HO-HO! NOW I HAVE A MACHINE GUN doesn't exactly work at Easter.
    Indeed. For the crime it has to take place at a time where people are gathered together at work for the easy hostage angle, people are less guarded, police and other agencies aren’t staffed as much, people are generally off-guard etc etc.

    The plot wouldn’t work/be plausible most other times. If you are saying it’s not a Christmas film then you would have to argue that Home Alone isn’t a Christmas film as it “could” happen at any time but just happens to be at Christmas which is patently bollocks because for all the parts to fit it needs to be at Christmas and the jokes and references, which are essential to the film’s appeal, are all about Christmas.

    We will just have to console ourselves with the knowledge that TSE actually does gather the family on Christmas Eve to watch their favourite Christmas film but can never admit it here.
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 4,099

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    Talking of time warps:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14182429/TONY-BLAIR-Taxes-NHS-disruption-change-everything.html

    TONY BLAIR: Taxes are high. The NHS is coming apart at the seams. We need a once-in-a-generation disruption. Here's what could change everything
    I'm not clicking a Daily Mail link. So please tell me it's 'AI will save the day'.
  • boulayboulay Posts: 5,572
    edited December 2024

    boulay said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    The main thing I don’t understand about Tesla is that they have access to billions, they can poach the best car designers in the world to design their sports cars, saloons, 4wds, whatever, And yet every single car they design (apart from that old knock-off lotus Elise) looks like some absolutely dull car with not the tiniest bit of style or a skip on wheels.
    (Leaving aside the Cybertruck for a second...)

    That's because they are optmizing around drag coefficient. When your battery capacity was small, every tiny aero gain made a big difference.
    Good point, well made. They are still ugly cars and a little bit of drag for a better looking car might be more popular than a little more range. This is just one reason why I’m. It a car designer or pioneer of technology perhaps.
    Many electric cars follow the same pattern - trying to get the Cd to near 0.2 or even below.
    Ok, thinking (lazily) about your point, and RCS’, all cars ICE or electric could/should be designed to their maximum efficiency but a lot aren’t because humans like many things where the perfect is overridden by the heart or soul. People will buy a Ferrari because it’s beautiful and powerful but not remotely efficient, or a G-Wagen. So surely at some point Tesla has to give a little on aero to attract the soul?
    Tesla (and others) have noted that when they launch a range of cars with different range, the best sellers are those with the longest range. In fact several times, Tesla discontinued the shortest range option because not enough people were buying it, to make it non-profitable to sell.

    So until people are comfortable with range, range will be everything in EVs.
    Maybe Ive fallen for some advertising. Was watching something on ITVX and they had adverts for a car called a Cupra. Good looking EV. Maybe they don’t have the range so lose the range fans but I guess there is a market for pretty? And if Tesla can get both…
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345
    boulay said:

    Foxy said:

    By coincidence I watched Die Hard recently for the first time (it's on Channel 4 catch up).

    It's definitely a Christmas film. Christmas is fundamental to the plot.

    HO-HO-HO! NOW I HAVE A MACHINE GUN doesn't exactly work at Easter.
    Indeed. For the crime it has to take place at a time where people are gathered together at work for the easy hostage angle, people are less guarded, police and other agencies aren’t staffed as much, people are generally off-guard etc etc.

    The plot wouldn’t work/be plausible most other times. If you are saying it’s not a Christmas film then you would have to argue that Home Alone isn’t a Christmas film as it “could” happen at any time but just happens to be at Christmas which is patently bollocks because for all the parts to fit it needs to be at Christmas and the jokes and references, which are essential to the film’s appeal, are all about Christmas.

    We will just have to console ourselves with the knowledge that TSE actually does gather the family on Christmas Eve to watch their favourite Christmas film but can never admit it here.
    Biggest one - building empty apart from the party attended by Takagi.


    Theo : One more to go then it's up to you. And you better be right, because it looks like this last one is going to take a miracle.
    Hans Gruber : It's Christmas, Theo. It's the time of miracles. So be of good cheer... and call me when you hit the last lock.

  • eekeek Posts: 28,624

    boulay said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    The main thing I don’t understand about Tesla is that they have access to billions, they can poach the best car designers in the world to design their sports cars, saloons, 4wds, whatever, And yet every single car they design (apart from that old knock-off lotus Elise) looks like some absolutely dull car with not the tiniest bit of style or a skip on wheels.
    (Leaving aside the Cybertruck for a second...)

    That's because they are optmizing around drag coefficient. When your battery capacity was small, every tiny aero gain made a big difference.
    Good point, well made. They are still ugly cars and a little bit of drag for a better looking car might be more popular than a little more range. This is just one reason why I’m. It a car designer or pioneer of technology perhaps.
    Many electric cars follow the same pattern - trying to get the Cd to near 0.2 or even below.
    Ok, thinking (lazily) about your point, and RCS’, all cars ICE or electric could/should be designed to their maximum efficiency but a lot aren’t because humans like many things where the perfect is overridden by the heart or soul. People will buy a Ferrari because it’s beautiful and powerful but not remotely efficient, or a G-Wagen. So surely at some point Tesla has to give a little on aero to attract the soul?
    Tesla (and others) have noted that when they launch a range of cars with different range, the best sellers are those with the longest range. In fact several times, Tesla discontinued the shortest range option because not enough people were buying it, to make it non-profitable to sell.

    So until people are comfortable with range, range will be everything in EVs.
    That's the thing - 95% of the time I don't need to drive 250 miles in a hurry. But when I do the last thing I want to have to do is stop for 30 minutes waiting for the car to charge because I'll have something else to worry about.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,545
    edited December 2024
    rcs1000 said:

    slade said:

    I think the longest consonant range in English is catchphrase.

    I just asked the 4o version of ChatGPT, and it still really struggled with that question, telling me twelfths had seven consecutive consonants, which was the record.


    I have experienced o1 glitch with spelling e.g. ask if something was spelled correctly (it is) and it says no it definitely isn't spelled correctly, the correct spelling is and it inserts the same word spelled the same way.
  • https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    You have to wonder just how worried Starmer and Reeves are on the economy

    Taxing, spending and borrowing are at unsustainable levels
    After squandering their golden inheritance in just five months I am warming to your Musk funded coup. I have a good three word slogan too. Farage for Fuhrer!*

    *Nice alliteration I thought.

    Where did I mention Musk or Farage

    The problem Labour face is nothing to do with US or even Farage - it is that unless you control borrowing, taxes and spending a 1976 rescue becomes a real prospect
  • eekeek Posts: 28,624
    boulay said:

    Foxy said:

    By coincidence I watched Die Hard recently for the first time (it's on Channel 4 catch up).

    It's definitely a Christmas film. Christmas is fundamental to the plot.

    HO-HO-HO! NOW I HAVE A MACHINE GUN doesn't exactly work at Easter.
    Indeed. For the crime it has to take place at a time where people are gathered together at work for the easy hostage angle, people are less guarded, police and other agencies aren’t staffed as much, people are generally off-guard etc etc.

    The plot wouldn’t work/be plausible most other times. If you are saying it’s not a Christmas film then you would have to argue that Home Alone isn’t a Christmas film as it “could” happen at any time but just happens to be at Christmas which is patently bollocks because for all the parts to fit it needs to be at Christmas and the jokes and references, which are essential to the film’s appeal, are all about Christmas.

    We will just have to console ourselves with the knowledge that TSE actually does gather the family on Christmas Eve to watch their favourite Christmas film but can never admit it here.
    Except I believe TSE's favourite Christmas movie is Muppets Christmas Carol.

    Because anyone who claims it's not their favourite Christmas movie is either lying or hasn't watched it.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345
    eek said:

    boulay said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    The main thing I don’t understand about Tesla is that they have access to billions, they can poach the best car designers in the world to design their sports cars, saloons, 4wds, whatever, And yet every single car they design (apart from that old knock-off lotus Elise) looks like some absolutely dull car with not the tiniest bit of style or a skip on wheels.
    (Leaving aside the Cybertruck for a second...)

    That's because they are optmizing around drag coefficient. When your battery capacity was small, every tiny aero gain made a big difference.
    Good point, well made. They are still ugly cars and a little bit of drag for a better looking car might be more popular than a little more range. This is just one reason why I’m. It a car designer or pioneer of technology perhaps.
    Many electric cars follow the same pattern - trying to get the Cd to near 0.2 or even below.
    Ok, thinking (lazily) about your point, and RCS’, all cars ICE or electric could/should be designed to their maximum efficiency but a lot aren’t because humans like many things where the perfect is overridden by the heart or soul. People will buy a Ferrari because it’s beautiful and powerful but not remotely efficient, or a G-Wagen. So surely at some point Tesla has to give a little on aero to attract the soul?
    Tesla (and others) have noted that when they launch a range of cars with different range, the best sellers are those with the longest range. In fact several times, Tesla discontinued the shortest range option because not enough people were buying it, to make it non-profitable to sell.

    So until people are comfortable with range, range will be everything in EVs.
    That's the thing - 95% of the time I don't need to drive 250 miles in a hurry. But when I do the last thing I want to have to do is stop for 30 minutes waiting for the car to charge because I'll have something else to worry about.
    Unless you discharge below 20%, a modern EV will get you to 80% in about 15 minutes at a proper high capacity charger. See motorway services....
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,999
    ohnotnow said:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    You have to wonder just how worried Starmer and Reeves are on the economy

    Taxing, spending and borrowing are at unsustainable levels
    After squandering their golden inheritance after just five months I am warming to your Musk funded coup. I have a good three word slogan too. Farage for Fuhrer!*

    *Nice alliteration I thought.

    After a few years of power and the collapse of the country - "Farage for Forager!" has a nice ring too.
    Starmer and Farage Beyond Thunderdome? Two men enter Farage leaves.

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    When someone continually asks stupid questions, is it a sign that they're actually stupid?
    If political integration is a good idea for Europe, why not North America? It would consolidate the US's position as the primary superpower.
    Aren't you selling the idea as an annexation by the USA and Canada is absorbed into the US, rather than a trade partnership between equal (more or less) parties?

    I am sure your average Canuck will be outraged.
    Speaking for my son and Canadian daughter in law who live in Vancouver

    It is not going to happen
    Don't you think William has Trump's ear. I'm sure it is on!
  • eekeek Posts: 28,624
    edited December 2024
    boulay said:

    boulay said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    The main thing I don’t understand about Tesla is that they have access to billions, they can poach the best car designers in the world to design their sports cars, saloons, 4wds, whatever, And yet every single car they design (apart from that old knock-off lotus Elise) looks like some absolutely dull car with not the tiniest bit of style or a skip on wheels.
    (Leaving aside the Cybertruck for a second...)

    That's because they are optmizing around drag coefficient. When your battery capacity was small, every tiny aero gain made a big difference.
    Good point, well made. They are still ugly cars and a little bit of drag for a better looking car might be more popular than a little more range. This is just one reason why I’m. It a car designer or pioneer of technology perhaps.
    Many electric cars follow the same pattern - trying to get the Cd to near 0.2 or even below.
    Ok, thinking (lazily) about your point, and RCS’, all cars ICE or electric could/should be designed to their maximum efficiency but a lot aren’t because humans like many things where the perfect is overridden by the heart or soul. People will buy a Ferrari because it’s beautiful and powerful but not remotely efficient, or a G-Wagen. So surely at some point Tesla has to give a little on aero to attract the soul?
    Tesla (and others) have noted that when they launch a range of cars with different range, the best sellers are those with the longest range. In fact several times, Tesla discontinued the shortest range option because not enough people were buying it, to make it non-profitable to sell.

    So until people are comfortable with range, range will be everything in EVs.
    Maybe Ive fallen for some advertising. Was watching something on ITVX and they had adverts for a car called a Cupra. Good looking EV. Maybe they don’t have the range so lose the range fans but I guess there is a market for pretty? And if Tesla can get both…
    Cupra Born is a better build VW ID3 but it's tempting.

  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 52,402
    ohnotnow said:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    Talking of time warps:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14182429/TONY-BLAIR-Taxes-NHS-disruption-change-everything.html

    TONY BLAIR: Taxes are high. The NHS is coming apart at the seams. We need a once-in-a-generation disruption. Here's what could change everything
    I'm not clicking a Daily Mail link. So please tell me it's 'AI will save the day'.
    No, the "time warp" was a clue. It's ID cards.
  • ohnotnow said:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    You have to wonder just how worried Starmer and Reeves are on the economy

    Taxing, spending and borrowing are at unsustainable levels
    After squandering their golden inheritance after just five months I am warming to your Musk funded coup. I have a good three word slogan too. Farage for Fuhrer!*

    *Nice alliteration I thought.

    After a few years of power and the collapse of the country - "Farage for Forager!" has a nice ring too.
    Starmer and Farage Beyond Thunderdome? Two men enter Farage leaves.

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    When someone continually asks stupid questions, is it a sign that they're actually stupid?
    If political integration is a good idea for Europe, why not North America? It would consolidate the US's position as the primary superpower.
    Aren't you selling the idea as an annexation by the USA and Canada is absorbed into the US, rather than a trade partnership between equal (more or less) parties?

    I am sure your average Canuck will be outraged.
    Speaking for my son and Canadian daughter in law who live in Vancouver

    It is not going to happen
    Don't you think William has Trump's ear. I'm sure it is on!
    I am not interested in @williamglenn speculation

    It is plain silly and not worth spending time on
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 4,099

    maxh said:

    Perfect example of the process state in action (hat tip @Malmesbury) today...

    ...at the last minute I've been asked to step in at school to mentor a new teacher going through qualification. It's extra work but enjoyable.

    Part of the reason it is so much extra work is because I am expected by the DfE to do 20 hours of training in preparation for welcoming the trainee. This is challenging to fit in, in large part because I was asked to do it on Thursday and the trainee arrived on Monday.

    Here's the process state in action: I skimmed through the training today; 3 hours of which was assessed by a 10 question multiple choice test. A monkey high on acid could have correctly completed the test.

    Yet because I have filled in the correct boxes, my school now gets £120 of funding for the 3 hours I supposedly spent in training.

    It's completely bonkers. Give me the gap fill first, allow me to self assess my training needs off the back of it, and fund any training needed. Save the DfE £120, save me being taught to suck eggs.

    But that doesn't follow the right process I suppose.

    Oh and as an aside @omnium are you about? After our discussion last week about percentage efficiency at work I did a minute by minute accounting of my day on Monday. I'm upping my claim for Monday's efficiency from 95% to 105%. From 0805 to 1610 I had the sum total of 6 minutes where I was not doing an activity necessary for my job (3 mins in the lunch queue, 3 mins drinking coffee and chatting about non work stuff). In the afternoon I was in compulsory training at the same time as emailing parents hence the 105%.

    Congratulations on passing your multiple choice exam. You have won a secret prize - A monkey high on acid.

    I’ve just done 2 course like that - data security in compliance. Clicked through, then got 100% on the exams and another PDF for no one to ever read.

    Mentoring a new starter is one of the few things that puts a smile in my day.
    I had my first new start for a while take up post this week. First port of call - 14.5hrs of HR-mandated 'training' videos. "How not to be a massive racist", "How not to be a sex pest", "Why you shouldn't burn the building down", "Why pouring petrol on a burning building is a bad idea", ...

    None of it remotely challenging, which at least would be a saving grace. Just hours of borderline am-dram actors saying "I don't like the furrins" and then being quizzed on "Do you think this was a) a good thing to say, or b) a bad thing to say?"
  • boulayboulay Posts: 5,572
    eek said:

    boulay said:

    boulay said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    The main thing I don’t understand about Tesla is that they have access to billions, they can poach the best car designers in the world to design their sports cars, saloons, 4wds, whatever, And yet every single car they design (apart from that old knock-off lotus Elise) looks like some absolutely dull car with not the tiniest bit of style or a skip on wheels.
    (Leaving aside the Cybertruck for a second...)

    That's because they are optmizing around drag coefficient. When your battery capacity was small, every tiny aero gain made a big difference.
    Good point, well made. They are still ugly cars and a little bit of drag for a better looking car might be more popular than a little more range. This is just one reason why I’m. It a car designer or pioneer of technology perhaps.
    Many electric cars follow the same pattern - trying to get the Cd to near 0.2 or even below.
    Ok, thinking (lazily) about your point, and RCS’, all cars ICE or electric could/should be designed to their maximum efficiency but a lot aren’t because humans like many things where the perfect is overridden by the heart or soul. People will buy a Ferrari because it’s beautiful and powerful but not remotely efficient, or a G-Wagen. So surely at some point Tesla has to give a little on aero to attract the soul?
    Tesla (and others) have noted that when they launch a range of cars with different range, the best sellers are those with the longest range. In fact several times, Tesla discontinued the shortest range option because not enough people were buying it, to make it non-profitable to sell.

    So until people are comfortable with range, range will be everything in EVs.
    Maybe Ive fallen for some advertising. Was watching something on ITVX and they had adverts for a car called a Cupra. Good looking EV. Maybe they don’t have the range so lose the range fans but I guess there is a market for pretty? And if Tesla can get both…
    Cupra Born is a better build VW ID3 but it's tempting.

    Am I correct that they have dropped Seat and flipped the brand into Cupra? Good looking cars if you aren’t badge loyal.
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 4,099

    ohnotnow said:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    Talking of time warps:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14182429/TONY-BLAIR-Taxes-NHS-disruption-change-everything.html

    TONY BLAIR: Taxes are high. The NHS is coming apart at the seams. We need a once-in-a-generation disruption. Here's what could change everything
    I'm not clicking a Daily Mail link. So please tell me it's 'AI will save the day'.
    No, the "time warp" was a clue. It's ID cards.
    The civil service really will never let that rest.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345

    ohnotnow said:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    Talking of time warps:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14182429/TONY-BLAIR-Taxes-NHS-disruption-change-everything.html

    TONY BLAIR: Taxes are high. The NHS is coming apart at the seams. We need a once-in-a-generation disruption. Here's what could change everything
    I'm not clicking a Daily Mail link. So please tell me it's 'AI will save the day'.
    No, the "time warp" was a clue. It's ID cards.
    The only way that ID cards would "save" the NHS were if there were large numbers of undocumented people in th country. And to deny them treatment.

    That's the right hand side of Reform.

    From talking with medics, 90%+ would ignore/strike over any requirement to see ID before treating.
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 4,099
    eek said:

    boulay said:

    Foxy said:

    By coincidence I watched Die Hard recently for the first time (it's on Channel 4 catch up).

    It's definitely a Christmas film. Christmas is fundamental to the plot.

    HO-HO-HO! NOW I HAVE A MACHINE GUN doesn't exactly work at Easter.
    Indeed. For the crime it has to take place at a time where people are gathered together at work for the easy hostage angle, people are less guarded, police and other agencies aren’t staffed as much, people are generally off-guard etc etc.

    The plot wouldn’t work/be plausible most other times. If you are saying it’s not a Christmas film then you would have to argue that Home Alone isn’t a Christmas film as it “could” happen at any time but just happens to be at Christmas which is patently bollocks because for all the parts to fit it needs to be at Christmas and the jokes and references, which are essential to the film’s appeal, are all about Christmas.

    We will just have to console ourselves with the knowledge that TSE actually does gather the family on Christmas Eve to watch their favourite Christmas film but can never admit it here.
    Except I believe TSE's favourite Christmas movie is Muppets Christmas Carol.

    Because anyone who claims it's not their favourite Christmas movie is either lying or hasn't watched it.
    ... Or hasn't watched Scrooged.
  • HYUFD said:

    RobD said:

    .

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    When someone continually asks stupid questions, is it a sign that they're actually stupid?
    If political integration is a good idea for Europe, why not North America? It would consolidate the US's position as the primary superpower.
    Trump, the first PM of the Dominion of North America. A position conveniently without term limits.
    Da Greater English-speaking Federation:

    USA and territories
    Canadia
    UK and dependencies and territories
    Ireland
    Australia and territories
    NZ and territories
    The remaining Commonwealth Realms
    Can't be US or Ireland though as they are republics
    What's stopping my Federation becoming a republic?
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345
    ohnotnow said:

    ohnotnow said:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    Talking of time warps:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14182429/TONY-BLAIR-Taxes-NHS-disruption-change-everything.html

    TONY BLAIR: Taxes are high. The NHS is coming apart at the seams. We need a once-in-a-generation disruption. Here's what could change everything
    I'm not clicking a Daily Mail link. So please tell me it's 'AI will save the day'.
    No, the "time warp" was a clue. It's ID cards.
    The civil service really will never let that rest.
    What the Home Office (specifically) will never let rest is the insane Minority Report idea of trying to link all the databases together.

    The plot of Die Hard 4.0 is not a good idea.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,345

    HYUFD said:

    RobD said:

    .

    If Trump succeeds in annexing Canada, will he be the greatest US president since Lincoln?

    When someone continually asks stupid questions, is it a sign that they're actually stupid?
    If political integration is a good idea for Europe, why not North America? It would consolidate the US's position as the primary superpower.
    Trump, the first PM of the Dominion of North America. A position conveniently without term limits.
    Da Greater English-speaking Federation:

    USA and territories
    Canadia
    UK and dependencies and territories
    Ireland
    Australia and territories
    NZ and territories
    The remaining Commonwealth Realms
    Can't be US or Ireland though as they are republics
    What's stopping my Federation becoming a republic?
    Federation? Did someone say Federation?


  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,450

    ohnotnow said:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    Talking of time warps:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14182429/TONY-BLAIR-Taxes-NHS-disruption-change-everything.html

    TONY BLAIR: Taxes are high. The NHS is coming apart at the seams. We need a once-in-a-generation disruption. Here's what could change everything
    I'm not clicking a Daily Mail link. So please tell me it's 'AI will save the day'.
    No, the "time warp" was a clue. It's ID cards.
    His time is long gone and all his ideas are bad.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 8,979
    edited December 2024
    eek said:

    boulay said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    The main thing I don’t understand about Tesla is that they have access to billions, they can poach the best car designers in the world to design their sports cars, saloons, 4wds, whatever, And yet every single car they design (apart from that old knock-off lotus Elise) looks like some absolutely dull car with not the tiniest bit of style or a skip on wheels.
    (Leaving aside the Cybertruck for a second...)

    That's because they are optmizing around drag coefficient. When your battery capacity was small, every tiny aero gain made a big difference.
    Good point, well made. They are still ugly cars and a little bit of drag for a better looking car might be more popular than a little more range. This is just one reason why I’m. It a car designer or pioneer of technology perhaps.
    Many electric cars follow the same pattern - trying to get the Cd to near 0.2 or even below.
    Ok, thinking (lazily) about your point, and RCS’, all cars ICE or electric could/should be designed to their maximum efficiency but a lot aren’t because humans like many things where the perfect is overridden by the heart or soul. People will buy a Ferrari because it’s beautiful and powerful but not remotely efficient, or a G-Wagen. So surely at some point Tesla has to give a little on aero to attract the soul?
    Tesla (and others) have noted that when they launch a range of cars with different range, the best sellers are those with the longest range. In fact several times, Tesla discontinued the shortest range option because not enough people were buying it, to make it non-profitable to sell.

    So until people are comfortable with range, range will be everything in EVs.
    That's the thing - 95% of the time I don't need to drive 250 miles in a hurry. But when I do the last thing I want to have to do is stop for 30 minutes waiting for the car to charge because I'll have something else to worry about.
    EVs are great for exactly the kind of journey we want more people to be walking or cycling instead. And given electricity is still only about 40% green... get on yer bike.

    Otoh, I was driving an EV round the highlands of Scotland this summer and didn't have any trouble at all, and only 0.7% of car journeys are over 100 miles long (6% over 25 miles). People vastly exaggerate it as an issue, and there are way more places to top up on electricity than on fuel in the highlands.
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 4,099

    ohnotnow said:

    ohnotnow said:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    Talking of time warps:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14182429/TONY-BLAIR-Taxes-NHS-disruption-change-everything.html

    TONY BLAIR: Taxes are high. The NHS is coming apart at the seams. We need a once-in-a-generation disruption. Here's what could change everything
    I'm not clicking a Daily Mail link. So please tell me it's 'AI will save the day'.
    No, the "time warp" was a clue. It's ID cards.
    The civil service really will never let that rest.
    What the Home Office (specifically) will never let rest is the insane Minority Report idea of trying to link all the databases together.

    The plot of Die Hard 4.0 is not a good idea.
    I'm never quite sure if it's the idea of linking everything up, or the delicious idea of massively fining people for not keeping the records straight for them. Both would need an awful lot of oversight, administration, legislative measures, inquiries.

    Either way.... Public United - 0 :: 2 - Whitehall Wanderers.


  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,545
    edited December 2024

    ohnotnow said:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/11/ministers-planning-to-cut-more-than-10000-civil-service-jobs

    Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.

    So the government is anti-immigration, doing austerity-by-cutting-all-departments-except-NHS and is now claiming to be cutting civil service jobs.

    Time warp time or what?

    Talking of time warps:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14182429/TONY-BLAIR-Taxes-NHS-disruption-change-everything.html

    TONY BLAIR: Taxes are high. The NHS is coming apart at the seams. We need a once-in-a-generation disruption. Here's what could change everything
    I'm not clicking a Daily Mail link. So please tell me it's 'AI will save the day'.
    No, the "time warp" was a clue. It's ID cards.
    Must be time for them to bring up dynamic road pricing as well....
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,701

    eek said:

    boulay said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    boulay said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    LOL. Giggle of the day.

    Tesla's letter to the Govt wanting more tax on petrol and diesel. No wonder he's pissed after the budget - a politician who won't do what he wants, even after he said please. At least he had the sense not to puff the Cybertruck, though he does promote his Semi.



    Source: https://www.fastcharge.email/p/revealed-tesla-letter-to-labour

    I wouldn't get a Tesla if they gave them away free. That's how much he's sh*t on his brand.
    I must admit that I find the recent strength in Tesla stock a bit odd: they've shat on their brand in Europe, in China they are likely to be the first company impacted by any retaliation to Trump's tariffs, and in the US people in Red states aren't buying Teslas.

    The main thing I don’t understand about Tesla is that they have access to billions, they can poach the best car designers in the world to design their sports cars, saloons, 4wds, whatever, And yet every single car they design (apart from that old knock-off lotus Elise) looks like some absolutely dull car with not the tiniest bit of style or a skip on wheels.
    (Leaving aside the Cybertruck for a second...)

    That's because they are optmizing around drag coefficient. When your battery capacity was small, every tiny aero gain made a big difference.
    Good point, well made. They are still ugly cars and a little bit of drag for a better looking car might be more popular than a little more range. This is just one reason why I’m. It a car designer or pioneer of technology perhaps.
    Many electric cars follow the same pattern - trying to get the Cd to near 0.2 or even below.
    Ok, thinking (lazily) about your point, and RCS’, all cars ICE or electric could/should be designed to their maximum efficiency but a lot aren’t because humans like many things where the perfect is overridden by the heart or soul. People will buy a Ferrari because it’s beautiful and powerful but not remotely efficient, or a G-Wagen. So surely at some point Tesla has to give a little on aero to attract the soul?
    Tesla (and others) have noted that when they launch a range of cars with different range, the best sellers are those with the longest range. In fact several times, Tesla discontinued the shortest range option because not enough people were buying it, to make it non-profitable to sell.

    So until people are comfortable with range, range will be everything in EVs.
    That's the thing - 95% of the time I don't need to drive 250 miles in a hurry. But when I do the last thing I want to have to do is stop for 30 minutes waiting for the car to charge because I'll have something else to worry about.
    Unless you discharge below 20%, a modern EV will get you to 80% in about 15 minutes at a proper high capacity charger. See motorway services....
    Even if you discharge below 20%, modern EVs fill up remarkably quickly now. It's one of these areas where there has been extraordinary progress, yet most people still "think" like it's 2018.
This discussion has been closed.