"Are there any local by-elections tonight, even though its Good Friday eve? I hope so, anything to change the turgid motions of endless pop groups. "
Sorry, can't help you there. However, given that my Gf has just walked in with the Times, and to try to move the conversation along a bit and be a bit on topic - Lindsay McIntosh seems to be on the front page in Scotland an awful lot nowadays doesn't she?
On topic, the only gig I've been to was Pink Floyd, mainly because I fancied someone who wanted to go. Sadly, I can't remember anything about her (and I'm sure she feels the same), but Floyd were good.
In general I think we all like music we heard when we were 20 or so. Some progress, others like me (and TSE) remain loyal to Abba. It helps when you've got some sort of personal stake - I'd already liked the members of Abba as individual singers, so when they got together it was wonderful.
Oh, THAT topic? Well, neither election is getting much coverage yet south of the border, but I'd think the Euros will warm up closer to May 22, with lots of press stuff about UKIP poised to break through. Still hope to win my bet with DavidL that turnout will be up as a result.
On topic, the only gig I've been to was Pink Floyd, mainly because I fancied someone who wanted to go. Sadly, I can't remember anything about her (and I'm sure she feels the same), but Floyd were good.
In general I think we all like music we heard when we were 20 or so. Some progress, others like me (and TSE) remain loyal to Abba. It helps when you've got some sort of personal stake - I'd already liked the members of Abba as individual singers, so when they got together it was wonderful.
Oh, THAT topic? Well, neither election is getting much coverage yet south of the border, but I'd think the Euros will warm up closer to May 22, with lots of press stuff about UKIP poised to break through. Still hope to win my bet with DavidL that turnout will be up as a result.
wow Nick - one more for the bucket list: climb a tree and go to a gig somewhere.
Roddy Frame has a new album out next month and a tour where no doubt I will be forced to attend one or two nights..
Thankfully the proclaimers are quiet at the moment. Seeing them in concert is hilarious as they namecheck the 10 year olds dragged there by their parents.
In general I think we all like music we heard when we were 20 or so.
Probably. I also think there is also that either you rebel against the music your parents were always playing, or you end up liking the same sort of thing as them. Hence why I am a fan of the Moody Blues and Abba (speaking of, does anyone really not like Abba? I've always thought they were timelessly catchy - I was a teen ten years ago and they were extremely popular)
An English hymn by a collection of men soon - if not already - filled by Her Majesty's finest English, Scots, Oirish, Fijian, Saffers, Tongans, etc....
On topic, the only gig I've been to was Pink Floyd, mainly because I fancied someone who wanted to go. Sadly, I can't remember anything about her (and I'm sure she feels the same), but Floyd were good.
In general I think we all like music we heard when we were 20 or so. Some progress, others like me (and TSE) remain loyal to Abba. It helps when you've got some sort of personal stake - I'd already liked the members of Abba as individual singers, so when they got together it was wonderful.
Oh, THAT topic? Well, neither election is getting much coverage yet south of the border, but I'd think the Euros will warm up closer to May 22, with lots of press stuff about UKIP poised to break through. Still hope to win my bet with DavidL that turnout will be up as a result.
wow Nick - one more for the bucket list: climb a tree and go to a gig somewhere.
Mr Palmer is a strange cove. Doesn't drink, doesn't like music, doesn't feel British, doesn't climb trees, doesn't have kids, doesn't do anything naughty, worries about badgers.
He is living proof that the Commons still welcomes shrieking eccentrics. And I guess that is good.
Nick seems a nice enough bloke and super-reasonable (although that might be because he is yet to re-assume his position as a legislator) but if we allow bullingdon boys/toff/out of touch/etc as a valid criticism of today's tory politicians then the attributes you list surely place him further out of touch than the most remote of remote etonians.
Back on topic, and this name drop trumps yours big style, all things considered: I remember seeing U2 support the Lemon Kittens at the Moonlight Club in West Hampstead some years ago. To quite an enthusiastic, if sparse crowd.
Mogwai; their soundtrack for The Returned was one of the best things about it.
Perhaps an indication of Scotland being a relatively small place, I used to work in an office beside Al (Zal) Cleminson, a whiz at Excel and really nice bloke, shared a flat with one of the Revillos' backing singers (and in an entirely unconnected incident, had a mild grapple with another one), also went to primary school with Colin from The Shamen.
On topic, the only gig I've been to was Pink Floyd, mainly because I fancied someone who wanted to go. Sadly, I can't remember anything about her (and I'm sure she feels the same), but Floyd were good.
In general I think we all like music we heard when we were 20 or so. Some progress, others like me (and TSE) remain loyal to Abba. It helps when you've got some sort of personal stake - I'd already liked the members of Abba as individual singers, so when they got together it was wonderful.
Oh, THAT topic? Well, neither election is getting much coverage yet south of the border, but I'd think the Euros will warm up closer to May 22, with lots of press stuff about UKIP poised to break through. Still hope to win my bet with DavidL that turnout will be up as a result.
wow Nick - one more for the bucket list: climb a tree and go to a gig somewhere.
Mr Palmer is a strange cove. Doesn't drink, doesn't like music, doesn't feel British, doesn't climb trees, doesn't have kids, doesn't do anything naughty, worries about badgers.
He is living proof that the Commons still welcomes shrieking eccentrics. And I guess that is good.
...super-reasonable (although that might be because he is yet to re-assume his position as a legislator)
Oh I think many legislators are very reasonable people. They just have to pretend not to be out of party loyalty, which is more demanding when you are in government or directly opposing that government on the national stage. The better they are at ignoring that voice of reason, or depending on how willing they are to 'creatively interpret' all facts to suit the party line, the higher they will rise in their party hierarchy.
I almost fell out of my chair during the first 2010 GE debate when Cameron said that not everything Labour had done was wrong and he would keep the good bits - it's not often in such a partisan setting you hear a senior politician admit openly the other side had a point about something.
On topic, the only gig I've been to was Pink Floyd, mainly because I fancied someone who wanted to go. Sadly, I can't remember anything about her (and I'm sure she feels the same), but Floyd were good.
In general I think we all like music we heard when we were 20 or so. Some progress, others like me (and TSE) remain loyal to Abba. It helps when you've got some sort of personal stake - I'd already liked the members of Abba as individual singers, so when they got together it was wonderful.
Oh, THAT topic? Well, neither election is getting much coverage yet south of the border, but I'd think the Euros will warm up closer to May 22, with lots of press stuff about UKIP poised to break through. Still hope to win my bet with DavidL that turnout will be up as a result.
wow Nick - one more for the bucket list: climb a tree and go to a gig somewhere.
Mr Palmer is a strange cove. Doesn't drink, doesn't like music, doesn't feel British, doesn't climb trees, doesn't have kids, doesn't do anything naughty, worries about badgers.
He is living proof that the Commons still welcomes shrieking eccentrics. And I guess that is good.
...super-reasonable (although that might be because he is yet to re-assume his position as a legislator)
Oh I think many legislators are very reasonable people. They just have to pretend not to be out of party loyalty, which is more demanding when you are in government or directly opposing that government on the national stage. The better they are at ignoring that voice of reason, or depending on how willing they are to 'creatively interpret' all facts to suit the party line, the higher they will rise in their party hierarchy.
I almost fell out of my chair during the first 2010 GE debate when Cameron said that not everything Labour had done was wrong and he would keep the good bits - it's not often in such a partisan setting you hear a senior politician admit openly the other side had a point about something.
Oh, and of course if you play the monster long enough, you often become a monster for real, hence why many otherwise reasonable people become warped by the atmosphere of the political classes over time.
Some of it quite amusing, although I'm disappointed they didn't say who the 'new conservative leader' was in the scenario, it would have added something to imagine which of the current crop would have been overseeing the proposed situation.
My favourite Scottish band are the synthpop trio Chvrches, Sunil would love them though when I mentioned them on a thread a few months ago he hadn't heard of them.
Thought I'd de-lurk for long enough to say I'm surprised that none of the aficionados of Scottish music have mentioned Runrig! Apologies if I've missed it.
F1: soft and medium tyres in China. Same as the previous races, save Malaysia, which I think had medium and hard.
I'm hoping there'll be tyre degradation again. If there is, bear in mind Williams and Ferrari both had to make one stop more than the teams ahead of them (I think that includes McLaren). High tyre degradation is bad for those two teams.
I dunno, I'm quite normal in my circle, whereas SeanT would definitely stand out as an exotic bird. But I think most of us slightly play up our more eccentric sides on the forum for amusement. A slightly risky thing to do if you're standing for election, perhaps. Never mind.
Thought I'd de-lurk for long enough to say I'm surprised that none of the aficionados of Scottish music have mentioned Runrig! Apologies if I've missed it.
Or, indeed, Mr Derek Dick, aka Fish. Although I think the rest of the band was from Aylesbury.
also went to primary school with Colin from The Shamen.
Not often remembered as a Scottish band. I did a show with them when Will was still there
Bumped into Colin a few times when he was still doing Alone Again Or but didn't really see him after that. The Shamen certainly chimed with that decade.
I dunno, I'm quite normal in my circle, whereas SeanT would definitely stand out as an exotic bird. But I think most of us slightly play up our more eccentric sides on the forum for amusement. A slightly risky thing to do if you're standing for election, perhaps. Never mind.
More on that leaflet you guys are distributing Nick
As a grateful inheritor of genes through the highland clearances (the Scottish diaspora? ) can I just contribute my tuppence and write that I think SeanT is quite right to broadcast his distress at the possibility of `Yes'.
Scots were, I believe, never conquered---neither by the Romans nor by the English. And generally they punch above their weight---sometimes literally as at the Glasgow airport. Think more generally of their innumerable practical inventions (Watt, Napier and many others), of their contributions to science and mathematics (Maxwell, Higgs for example), and their food, such as haggis and the deep fried Mars Bar (Anon).
Just saying: I reckon we should cast aside our reserve and make it clear to the Scots that they are family and should continue to be so.
For a start, (too modern for me to be sure), I believe it was mostly Pictish when the Romans were about.
Secondly, the Antonine Wall is clearly in Scottish territory. Also, the Romans didn't make that much of an effort, because there wasn't that much they wanted in Caledonia.
There was the Kingdom of the Rock, a Brythonic (Welshy) kingdom in the... southwest, I think. It's mentioned in Vanished Kingdoms. William Wallace, who came from there, was called William the Briton during his lifetime, though I suspect that isn't mentioned in a certain film of dubious accuracy.
Some northern isles were only given to Scotland as a wedding gift by a Norwegian king, and so on.
The British Isles generally has been a tough nut to crack for anyone. Better for us to be nuts together. Ahem.
Mr. Briskin, a Conservative chap (Stewart Jackson?) did for a time, under his own name. We also had a one-off post from Mark Oaten following the revelations about his private life.
Mr. Briskin, a Conservative chap (Stewart Jackson?) did for a time, under his own name. We also had a one-off post from Mark Oaten following the revelations about his private life.
Didn't a former pb poster frighten mr Jackson off ;-)
One of the most interesting things that I find at the moment is that discussion about the vote is much more active when I am in England than in Scotland. I am not sure if this is because most Scots have already made their mind up or if it is just complete apathy. The majority of no votes are silent but the yes voters are very vocal. This tends to skew the perception from the airwaves.
So far the assumption in Scotland is the no vote will win. If this thought changes then we may move from apathy to panic bypassing all stages between. The reality is that business and peoples jobs are at stake. I have seen already some nervousness. Small companies cutting back on investment and credit and a general wait and see attitude amongst may others.
Today I heard that a major US owned company local to us in Lanarkshire has had enough and will close down with 200 jobs gone. They sell a lot in England but nothing in Scotland. Several people I know have already asked me if I have any jobs. Maybe the plant would have gone anyway but this referendum did not help at all.
Mr. Briskin, a Conservative chap (Stewart Jackson?) did for a time, under his own name. We also had a one-off post from Mark Oaten following the revelations about his private life.
I dunno, I'm quite normal in my circle, whereas SeanT would definitely stand out as an exotic bird. But I think most of us slightly play up our more eccentric sides on the forum for amusement. A slightly risky thing to do if you're standing for election, perhaps. Never mind.
More on that leaflet you guys are distributing Nick
As a grateful inheritor of genes through the highland clearances (the Scottish diaspora? ) can I just contribute my tuppence and write that I think SeanT is quite right to broadcast his distress at the possibility of `Yes'.
Scots were, I believe, never conquered---neither by the Romans nor by the English. And generally they punch above their weight---sometimes literally as at the Glasgow airport. Think more generally of their innumerable practical inventions (Watt, Napier and many others), of their contributions to science and mathematics (Maxwell, Higgs for example), and their food, such as haggis and the deep fried Mars Bar (Anon).
Just saying: I reckon we should cast aside our reserve and make it clear to the Scots that they are family and should continue to be so.
Mr Toms, Mr Dancer.
The name Scotland comes from the term used to describe certain Irish warriors who conquered at least parts of Scotland in about the 5th century I think.
Also look up the Kingdom of Dal Riata, as Mr Dancer mentioned the Antonine Wall is in Scotland, and the putting down of some of the Jacobin rebellions were almost de facto re-invasions.
I dunno, I'm quite normal in my circle, whereas SeanT would definitely stand out as an exotic bird. But I think most of us slightly play up our more eccentric sides on the forum for amusement. A slightly risky thing to do if you're standing for election, perhaps. Never mind.
More on that leaflet you guys are distributing Nick
I'm definitely in the Midlands Alliance League when it comes to name dropping. I played this game last night in the pub. My mate was doing some computer stuff for The Gorillas and walked into his own office to find Damon Albarn sitting in his chair, with his feet on my mates desk, moaning about everything. I countered that I'd been trolled by an international thriller writer on a blog. They were guessing it was Tom Clancy, or Dan Brown. I told them Tom Knox. Never heard of him. Though to be fair, a couple of guys did like to read SeanT in the Telegraph, so I clawed back a bit of kudos there.
I dunno, I'm quite normal in my circle, whereas SeanT would definitely stand out as an exotic bird. But I think most of us slightly play up our more eccentric sides on the forum for amusement. A slightly risky thing to do if you're standing for election, perhaps. Never mind.
More on that leaflet you guys are distributing Nick
That response is fairly UKIP skewed, and UKIP has had its own leaflet issues.
You read that leaflet and though it was fair game... ok
No Mr Isam I didn't (at least assuming the response is factual, I'm not up on UKIP's aircraft carrier policy). But I think claiming 3 as a lie, as he does is rather dubious tbh.
Bumped into Lulu and Yoko Ono coming out of the lifts in John Lewis Oxford St once.....both quite short....
Carlotta
Did they get out at the first floor and then take the escalators up to the top floor?
I served Lulu in Harrods at Xmas in about 1969/70. She is very short and was v freckly. I had I had no idea I had served her until someone told me after she had left the store.
We've had quite a few MPs here on a one-off basis, but the ones I knew felt it was a bit high-risk to do regularly. IIRC Stewart got the tone wrong by just rebroadcasting Tory attack lines, and ran into a hail of tim derision with nobody particularly rushing to defend him.
By the way, I'm stumped on an insurance translation with this medical treatment: "medizinische Umschläge". Anyone got any idea what the English might be? I assume it's one of those alternative thingies where you get wrapped in a damp blanket, but what do we call them?
I dunno, I'm quite normal in my circle, whereas SeanT would definitely stand out as an exotic bird. But I think most of us slightly play up our more eccentric sides on the forum for amusement. A slightly risky thing to do if you're standing for election, perhaps. Never mind.
More on that leaflet you guys are distributing Nick
I can appreciate why an MP or prospective MP might not want to post here under their own name. That's one of the things I dislike most about the media's political coverage. They complain about bland politicians who only parrot party lines, but the media's only interested in reporting genuine differences of opinion as splits, rebellions and challenges to authority. They're too busy scalp-hunting.
We've had quite a few MPs here on a one-off basis, but the ones I knew felt it was a bit high-risk to do regularly. IIRC Stewart got the tone wrong by just rebroadcasting Tory attack lines, and ran into a hail of tim derision with nobody particularly rushing to defend him.
By the way, I'm stumped on an insurance translation with this medical treatment: "medizinische Umschläge". Anyone got any idea what the English might be? I assume it's one of those alternative thingies where you get wrapped in a damp blanket, but what do we call them?
"medizinische Umschläge" = "medical envelopes" according to Google translate.
I guess that's why we still have human translators.
I can appreciate why an MP or prospective MP might not want to post here under their own name. That's one of the things I dislike most about the media's political coverage. They complain about bland politicians who only parrot party lines, but the media's only interested in reporting genuine differences of opinion as splits, rebellions and challenges to authority. They're too busy scalp-hunting.
Messrs. Dancer and Corporeal, Thank you for the historical information. What one can say, I guess, is that Scots are pretty tough. What really counts is their cultural contribution to the mix (mixed nuts?)
Sun Politics @Sun_Politics · 49 secs YouGov/Sun poll tonight - Labour lead now just two points, plus highest rating for UKIP since last Nov: CON 33%, LAB 35%, LD 11%, UKIP 15%
MP scalps - saving grace is that voters don't really care unless it's something really disreputable. I was the sole feature on the Mail on Sunday cover once as a HYPOCRITE. Only two or three people mentioned it and it was never mentioned again.
Sun Politics @Sun_Politics · 49 secs YouGov/Sun poll tonight - Labour lead now just two points, plus highest rating for UKIP since last Nov: CON 33%, LAB 35%, LD 11%, UKIP 15%
ukip taking votes from labour - 'chortle'
Only after the damage has already been done to the other lot. Until Labour actually fall behind though, if it ever happens, they'll sleep soundly.
but the media's only interested in reporting genuine differences of opinion as splits, rebellions and challenges to authority. They're too busy scalp-hunting.
Yes. I recall that RAF chap who contested (and never won) the Sutton and Cheam seat getting his name emblazoned across the Evening Standard after, on these threads, slagging off Ted Heath.
but the media's only interested in reporting genuine differences of opinion as splits, rebellions and challenges to authority. They're too busy scalp-hunting.
Yes. I recall that RAF chap who contested (and never won) the Sutton and Cheam seat getting his name emblazoned across the Evening Standard after, on these threads, slagging off Ted Heath.
So what you're saying is that most people on here would not have much chance of one day finding themselves a member of the Commons? Darn it.
I dunno, I'm quite normal in my circle, whereas SeanT would definitely stand out as an exotic bird. But I think most of us slightly play up our more eccentric sides on the forum for amusement. A slightly risky thing to do if you're standing for election, perhaps. Never mind.
More on that leaflet you guys are distributing Nick
That response is fairly UKIP skewed, and UKIP has had its own leaflet issues.
You read that leaflet and though it was fair game... ok
No Mr Isam I didn't (at least assuming the response is factual, I'm not up on UKIP's aircraft carrier policy). But I think claiming 3 as a lie, as he does is rather dubious tbh.
Ah right
I just asked if the leaflet was a bit much. I didn't write the response to it.
The response isn't the issue really, as that is just what someone else thought of the leaflet.
@NickPalmer silent on the issue... have you been handing them out yet Nick?
Sun Politics @Sun_Politics · 49 secs YouGov/Sun poll tonight - Labour lead now just two points, plus highest rating for UKIP since last Nov: CON 33%, LAB 35%, LD 11%, UKIP 15%
Sun Politics @Sun_Politics · 49 secs YouGov/Sun poll tonight - Labour lead now just two points, plus highest rating for UKIP since last Nov: CON 33%, LAB 35%, LD 11%, UKIP 15%
but the media's only interested in reporting genuine differences of opinion as splits, rebellions and challenges to authority. They're too busy scalp-hunting.
Yes. I recall that RAF chap who contested (and never won) the Sutton and Cheam seat getting his name emblazoned across the Evening Standard after, on these threads, slagging off Ted Heath.
So what you're saying is that most people on here would not have much chance of one day finding themselves a member of the Commons? Darn it.
I would run as a UKIP councillor but they already have plenty of members with a colourful past, they don't need me as well.
Brushes with pop stars - the best I can manage is talking to Phil Manzanera when he came to Dulwich College (yes, that's where I went, three years in front of Nigel Farage, who I don't remember at all and if Avery's about, not "College" - Nigel is, as I am, an "Old Alleynian")
Anyway, Phil M was a boarder in the 1960s (about a decade before me) and he came back to the College one lunchtime to talk about Roxy and play some of his brilliant guitar. I was already a big Roxy fan then but Phil was more interested in "Diamond Head" (this was 1974 or 75) and in talking about his Dulwich band which had a strange name like "Pooh and the Ostriches" as I recall. Really nice guy and one of the guitar greats.
Mensch keeps banging this drum on Twitter. I suspect it is an attempt to curry favour with Bojo's rivals for the leadership - e.g. Osborne.
Other than being more physically attractive than the majority of MP's what has Mensch done to qualify for the amount of press instead?
She's quite a decent polemical writer: her column for the Sun is often interesting. And she takes brave positions. And she is terrier-like on Twitter, hunting down the hypocrisies of the Left.
In general I think she is a Good Thing, even if she is slightly nuts, and prone to hypocrisy herself.
She doesn't take brave positions. She writes pro-Cameron positions for the Murdoch press after she backed pro-Murdoch positions for the Cameron ministry.
She's the absolutely worst case of the media-political complex and the revolving door corrupting our public life.
And then when we do nothing in response to him taking eastern Ukraine, he'll take the whole country. And then when he's re-established the whole country as a new puppet state, smothering the democratic freedoms of tens of millions, we'll do nothing. Then he'll start talking about the Baltic states and we'll realise we need to take a major response.
Smart politicans would just take the major response to begin with, as we'll have to ultimately doing it anyway, but without losing Ukraine first.
But then we don't have smart politicians, we have PR-obsessed muppets.
Evening all. I have lurked on this site for a few years now and am in awe of the wit, intelligence and entertainment that you regular guys post.
I have finally been tempted to comment on, no not the IndyRef, Euro's or GE 2015 but of course the music debate. Having seen the Eagles, Rolling Stones, Rush (I got the drumstick launched into the crowd), Hendrix, Cliff Richard (my ex wife's idea believe me!), Clapton, Queen, Elton John and a few others (Frank Sinatra once told me "Cocker, don't drop names") I have to say :
1) Rolling Stones 2) Indyref = No 3) Euros = UKIP 4) 2015 GE = Labour
Apart from number 1 the others are not necessarily what I want (although they may be). I just wish I knew how to understand the odds with the various betting sites that you guys do.
Mensch keeps banging this drum on Twitter. I suspect it is an attempt to curry favour with Bojo's rivals for the leadership - e.g. Osborne.
Other than being more physically attractive than the majority of MP's what has Mensch done to qualify for the amount of press instead?
She's quite a decent polemical writer: her column for the Sun is often interesting. And she takes brave positions. And she is terrier-like on Twitter, hunting down the hypocrisies of the Left.
In general I think she is a Good Thing, even if she is slightly nuts, and prone to hypocrisy herself.
She doesn't take brave positions. She writes pro-Cameron positions for the Murdoch press after she backed pro-Murdoch positions for the Cameron ministry.
She's the absolutely worst case of the media-political complex and the revolving door corrupting our public life.
Patrick Wintour @patrickwintour · 2 mins David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist in 2008 and 2012 Presidential campaigns, has been hired by Miliband to advise Labour
Christ no,hope we don't get a British version of 'yes we can'
Comments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSDG_orE2I8
Damn, I am sorry that I missed that.
Sorry, can't help you there. However, given that my Gf has just walked in with the Times, and to try to move the conversation along a bit and be a bit on topic - Lindsay McIntosh seems to be on the front page in Scotland an awful lot nowadays doesn't she?
"His father was a coal miner and pugilist, his mother a millworker."
I never knew that and yet he would go on to transform and inform new music for the past nearly 40 years.
In general I think we all like music we heard when we were 20 or so. Some progress, others like me (and TSE) remain loyal to Abba. It helps when you've got some sort of personal stake - I'd already liked the members of Abba as individual singers, so when they got together it was wonderful.
Oh, THAT topic? Well, neither election is getting much coverage yet south of the border, but I'd think the Euros will warm up closer to May 22, with lots of press stuff about UKIP poised to break through. Still hope to win my bet with DavidL that turnout will be up as a result.
Thankfully the proclaimers are quiet at the moment. Seeing them in concert is hilarious as they namecheck the 10 year olds dragged there by their parents.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=669517443109706&set=a.115083725219750.14844.115082048553251&type=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYGtXcDRoi0
An English hymn by a collection of men soon - if not already - filled by Her Majesty's finest English, Scots, Oirish, Fijian, Saffers, Tongans, etc....
Back on topic, and this name drop trumps yours big style, all things considered: I remember seeing U2 support the Lemon Kittens at the Moonlight Club in West Hampstead some years ago. To quite an enthusiastic, if sparse crowd.
Perhaps an indication of Scotland being a relatively small place, I used to work in an office beside Al (Zal) Cleminson, a whiz at Excel and really nice bloke, shared a flat with one of the Revillos' backing singers (and in an entirely unconnected incident, had a mild grapple with another one), also went to primary school with Colin from The Shamen.
Rock'n'Roll, phew.
I almost fell out of my chair during the first 2010 GE debate when Cameron said that not everything Labour had done was wrong and he would keep the good bits - it's not often in such a partisan setting you hear a senior politician admit openly the other side had a point about something.
The former Conservative MP says "there is no chance at all" the Mayor of London could lead the Tories given his "raging" Europhilia
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10772851/Boris-Johnson-an-epic-Europhile-claims-Louise-Mensch.html
http://jasonomahony.ie/life-under-the-im-all-right-jackboot-the-ukip-government-of-2016-2017/
Laura Kuenssberg @bbclaurak 29m
Le Pen says her party 'represent the same options' as UKIP on major issues #newsnight..awkward given UKIP turned down offer to work with her
Dear oh law..
http://www.columnist.org.uk/2014/04/17/labour-caught-distributing-lie-filled-leaflets-about-ukip/
All novelists must be treated with the deepest respect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzxuknbQ5VY
City is the keyword....
Did they get out at the first floor and then take the escalators up to the top floor?
Bercow has said that many female MPs are shunning PMQs because it's too loud:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27062577
If only there was someone whose job was to ensure some sort of order was kept.
As a male I chose to avoid such temptations. I know more crims then pop-stars....
* Mao hatted.
** Apols Tim.
I'm hoping there'll be tyre degradation again. If there is, bear in mind Williams and Ferrari both had to make one stop more than the teams ahead of them (I think that includes McLaren). High tyre degradation is bad for those two teams.
Mr. Briskin, I believe not. Could be wrong, I think it was before my time.
Another more-or-less Scottish group, The Chimes!
Bit much??
http://www.columnist.org.uk/2014/04/17/labour-caught-distributing-lie-filled-leaflets-about-ukip/
Scots were, I believe, never conquered---neither by the Romans nor by the English. And generally they punch above their weight---sometimes literally as at the Glasgow airport. Think more generally of their innumerable practical inventions (Watt, Napier and many others), of their contributions to science and mathematics (Maxwell, Higgs for example), and their food, such as haggis and the deep fried Mars Bar (Anon).
Just saying: I reckon we should cast aside our reserve and make it clear to the Scots that they are family and should continue to be so.
For a start, (too modern for me to be sure), I believe it was mostly Pictish when the Romans were about.
Secondly, the Antonine Wall is clearly in Scottish territory. Also, the Romans didn't make that much of an effort, because there wasn't that much they wanted in Caledonia.
There was the Kingdom of the Rock, a Brythonic (Welshy) kingdom in the... southwest, I think. It's mentioned in Vanished Kingdoms. William Wallace, who came from there, was called William the Briton during his lifetime, though I suspect that isn't mentioned in a certain film of dubious accuracy.
Some northern isles were only given to Scotland as a wedding gift by a Norwegian king, and so on.
The British Isles generally has been a tough nut to crack for anyone. Better for us to be nuts together. Ahem.
So far the assumption in Scotland is the no vote will win. If this thought changes then we may move from apathy to panic bypassing all stages between. The reality is that business and peoples jobs are at stake. I have seen already some nervousness. Small companies cutting back on investment and credit and a general wait and see attitude amongst may others.
Today I heard that a major US owned company local to us in Lanarkshire has had enough and will close down with 200 jobs gone. They sell a lot in England but nothing in Scotland. Several people I know have already asked me if I have any jobs. Maybe the plant would have gone anyway but this referendum did not help at all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill
Mr. Pulpstar, well quite.
Mr. Briskin, I'm reasonably sure he was, and is, an MP.
The name Scotland comes from the term used to describe certain Irish warriors who conquered at least parts of Scotland in about the 5th century I think.
Also look up the Kingdom of Dal Riata, as Mr Dancer mentioned the Antonine Wall is in Scotland, and the putting down of some of the Jacobin rebellions were almost de facto re-invasions.
Anyway, pleased to have been fairly accurate regarding such recent events.
I served Lulu in Harrods at Xmas in about 1969/70. She is very short and was v freckly. I had I had no idea I had served her until someone told me after she had left the store.
By the way, I'm stumped on an insurance translation with this medical treatment: "medizinische Umschläge". Anyone got any idea what the English might be? I assume it's one of those alternative thingies where you get wrapped in a damp blanket, but what do we call them?
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Umschlag#German
I can appreciate why an MP or prospective MP might not want to post here under their own name. That's one of the things I dislike most about the media's political coverage. They complain about bland politicians who only parrot party lines, but the media's only interested in reporting genuine differences of opinion as splits, rebellions and challenges to authority. They're too busy scalp-hunting.
I guess that's why we still have human translators.
Thank you for the historical information. What one can say, I guess, is that Scots are pretty tough. What really counts is their cultural contribution to the mix (mixed nuts?)
YouGov/Sun poll tonight - Labour lead now just two points, plus highest rating for UKIP since last Nov: CON 33%, LAB 35%, LD 11%, UKIP 15%
ukip taking votes from labour - 'chortle'
I just asked if the leaflet was a bit much. I didn't write the response to it.
The response isn't the issue really, as that is just what someone else thought of the leaflet.
@NickPalmer silent on the issue... have you been handing them out yet Nick?
More leafleting by labour on UKIP ;-)
http://www.theguardian.com/media/photography-blog/2014/apr/17/mirror-weeping-child-picture-lie-lazy-journalism?utm_content=buffere6764&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Slime Minister: David Cameron stung by jellyfish on his hols in Lanzarote: http://bit.ly/1nsVgNT
Where's tim ;-)
Brushes with pop stars - the best I can manage is talking to Phil Manzanera when he came to Dulwich College (yes, that's where I went, three years in front of Nigel Farage, who I don't remember at all and if Avery's about, not "College" - Nigel is, as I am, an "Old Alleynian")
Anyway, Phil M was a boarder in the 1960s (about a decade before me) and he came back to the College one lunchtime to talk about Roxy and play some of his brilliant guitar. I was already a big Roxy fan then but Phil was more interested in "Diamond Head" (this was 1974 or 75) and in talking about his Dulwich band which had a strange name like "Pooh and the Ostriches" as I recall. Really nice guy and one of the guitar greats.
She's the absolutely worst case of the media-political complex and the revolving door corrupting our public life.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/world/europe/russia-ukraine.html?_r=0
And then when we do nothing in response to him taking eastern Ukraine, he'll take the whole country. And then when he's re-established the whole country as a new puppet state, smothering the democratic freedoms of tens of millions, we'll do nothing. Then he'll start talking about the Baltic states and we'll realise we need to take a major response.
Smart politicans would just take the major response to begin with, as we'll have to ultimately doing it anyway, but without losing Ukraine first.
But then we don't have smart politicians, we have PR-obsessed muppets.
I have finally been tempted to comment on, no not the IndyRef, Euro's or GE 2015 but of course the music debate. Having seen the Eagles, Rolling Stones, Rush (I got the drumstick launched into the crowd), Hendrix, Cliff Richard (my ex wife's idea believe me!), Clapton, Queen, Elton John and a few others (Frank Sinatra once told me "Cocker, don't drop names") I have to say :
1) Rolling Stones
2) Indyref = No
3) Euros = UKIP
4) 2015 GE = Labour
Apart from number 1 the others are not necessarily what I want (although they may be). I just wish I knew how to understand the odds with the various betting sites that you guys do.
That would never have happened at the fish counter in Morrisons.
David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist in 2008 and 2012 Presidential campaigns, has been hired by Miliband to advise Labour
Christ no,hope we don't get a British version of 'yes we can'