I lived in America for five years and know it well.
I would not choose to live there, but could be tempted by Australia, particularly Adelaide or Melbourne, both much.more pleasant to live in than Sydney, though less for the tourist.
I love America, butI find most North American cities seriously lacking in culture and good food, many are identikit. I hear some Australian cities are possibly even worse.
What are you meaning by "culture"? What does, say, Leicester have over Charlotte?
Most decent sized American cities have several major sports franchises, and they're far more affordable than a Premiership game. Yes, I know the reaction is going to be "well the sport I know well and enjoy is far better than the sports I don't understand very much", but that's just a subjective bias.
I love America, butI find most North American cities seriously lacking in culture and good food, many are identikit. I hear some Australian cities are possibly even worse.
I'm doing a visit to Washington and New York in November, should be fun, and New York, like London just feels like a unique place, distinct from the rest of country.
Oh god don't go to Washington DC...Dave Gorman does a good bit about the place in his GoogleWhack show and he is absolutely spot on.
The BlueRidge Mountain Parkway on the other hand is awesome.
I liked Washington - it was one of the few places in America where I saw middle class black Americans waited on by white Americans......it's almost always the other way round.....
I love America, butI find most North American cities seriously lacking in culture and good food, many are identikit. I hear some Australian cities are possibly even worse.
What are you meaning by "culture"? What does, say, Leicester have over Charlotte?
Also has a world snooker champion and the National Space Centre!
Richard III (well, perhaps not in the future ...) And New Walk - a very fine wooded Victorian pedestrian precinct between the city centre and the Victoria Park/University area which itself has a magnificent Great War memorial by Lutjens - obviously the little sister of the one at Thiepval.
To be fair Leicester is also dreadfully dull. It still ranks above most American cities, many of which struggle to serve you meal that you don't need two hands to carry, and three stomachs to accommodate.
Absurd ignorance. There's great Mexican and Japanese food all over the place. We have far more trashy kebab shops and fried chicken places in our town centres.
True, but you try and get a decent curry over there. Mr. Fett does have a point on the size or the portions in the USA too, they can be massive to our eyes and stomachs.
I love America, butI find most North American cities seriously lacking in culture and good food, many are identikit. I hear some Australian cities are possibly even worse.
I'm doing a visit to Washington and New York in November, should be fun, and New York, like London just feels like a unique place, distinct from the rest of country.
Oh god don't go to Washington DC...Dave Gorman does a good bit about the place in his GoogleWhack show and he is absolutely spot on.
@Socrates - my brother lives in the States and I holiday there regularly. It has many great restaurants but frequently you find yourself limited to junk food I'm afraid.
To be fair Leicester is also dreadfully dull. It still ranks above most American cities, many of which struggle to serve you meal that you don't need two hands to carry, and three stomachs to accommodate.
I spent a short time living in Leicester and compared to Birmingham it was rather dull.
They move them around and they are in sports almost no other country plays.
Next.
In terms of moving them around. Let's take the example of Chicago:
Basketball: the Bulls have been in the city since their founding in 1966. Baseball: the White Sox have been there since 1900, and the Cubs since founding in 1870 Hockey: Blackhawks have been in Chicago since their founding in 1926 American football: the Bears have been in the town since founding in 1919
So you're just showing your ignorance based off a handful of teams moving.
In terms of "no other country playing them", you're just showing your own close-mindedness now, as emphasised by the "next" at the end of your post. The idea that Gaelic Football or Hurling don't count as sports because they're culturally unique to the country would be preposterous, but if it's couched in anti-Americanism it's somehow fair comment. And besides, baseball and hockey probably outcompete rugby in terms of international support.
It is a close run thing...I was there last year and downtown you couldn't walk more than 5 yards without aggressive pan-handlers getting in your face, and as it gets dark it turns into a pretty sketchy place (even just 1-2 blocks from somewhere like Pike Place Market).
It is a common misconception that because Microsoft, Boeing, etc are based there, it is a really wealthy city. It is far from it, and a lot of really bad areas not that far from tourist central.
I have friends who live in the city, they say the authorities just try and ignore this problem, but it is getting worse. A lot of businesses downtown are closing up early as a result.
The rankings always put Canadian cities like Vancouver and Montreal at the top of the list of best places to live, along with Melbourne, Sydney, Zurich.
I have travelled plenty. Many of the places you pick out are great for spending a week, but you won't get the quality of life you get in US cities. You have a very skewed view given your line of work. Most regular people most value good pay, low living costs, a large living space, stuff to do with their kids, a friendly community and good weather for the bulk of the year.
And you are citing anecdote to contest a clear truth - American sports teams are groundless and move around. Profits before fans.
Re: your weak point about hockey and baseball - can you point me to World Cups in those sports and show me the attendances those tournaments get
I effing resent the anti-American comment - I love the States, my brother lives there and is married to an American. I have an American niece and will soon have an American nephew. I just don't much care for many of their cities. You resort to slurs because you are losing the argument.
I'm afraid that's my rule for every American city I've been to except for New York. Actually I quite enjoyed my two days in Washington DC but that was enough. I couldnt believe how boring Boston was but again more than enough to do to fill a couple of days.
The rankings always put Canadian cities like Vancouver and Montreal at the top of the list of best places to live, along with Melbourne, Sydney, Zurich.
I completely understand Vancouver, but I never get why Montreal is up there. Montreal always feels like they are trying way too hard to be European / French city, and not succeeding, and in the winter you will freeze your balls off if you go outside.
They're not groundless at all - I could pick out other cities if you like. You do get a handful that move around but the vast majority stay in one place. And that's ignoring college sports, which have far more community grounding than the mostly foreign teams in the Premiership.
As for anti-Americanism, would you say Ireland has no decent sports because other people don't play them? The world cup point is a silly one that's just centred around the sports you like. There are huge audiences for basketball and baseball globally. How many countries even play rugby? Maybe six seriously, seven if you count Italy?
A great quality of life which includes having to drive everywhere - even, in many cities, the Tube stop. The pavements frequently disappear, along with the eating options, outside historic downtowns and New York City.
Curry in America - decent effort served up in Birmingham, AL in a place owned by a couple from Punjab. However, that was about the only good thing to say about the city.
They're not groundless at all - I could pick out other cities if you like. You do get a handful that move around but the vast majority stay in one place. And that's ignoring college sports, which have far more community grounding than the mostly foreign teams in the Premiership.
As for anti-Americanism, would you say Ireland has no decent sports because other people don't play them? The world cup point is a silly one that's just centred around the sports you like. There are huge audiences for basketball and baseball globally. How many countries even play rugby? Maybe six seriously, seven if you count Italy?
doing rugby a disservice there!! About 10 I would say play it seriously plus Italy etc
You have to drive everywhere across the vast majority of the UK. As if that's even a bad thing. I'd far rather have the ability to drive straight across town to the place I'm going out - in comfort incidentally - rather than spend 40 minutes going a few miles on the tube, and then if I dare to stay out past 1am, have to deal with the vomiting chavs on the nightbus on the way home.
I think you might need to recount how many countries play rugby seriously.
As I say, please point me to these international tournaments that demonstrate baseball's global appeal. While you are at it, do the same for American football, ice hockey and basketball.
They're not groundless at all - I could pick out other cities if you like. You do get a handful that move around but the vast majority stay in one place. And that's ignoring college sports, which have far more community grounding than the mostly foreign teams in the Premiership.
As for anti-Americanism, would you say Ireland has no decent sports because other people don't play them? The world cup point is a silly one that's just centred around the sports you like. There are huge audiences for basketball and baseball globally. How many countries even play rugby? Maybe six seriously, seven if you count Italy?
doing rugby a disservice there!! About 10 I would say play it seriously plus Italy etc
The UK, Ireland, France, NZ, Australia, South Africa (albeit only the whites)... I'm struggling after that. Georgia maybe?
I soon realised to order an appetiser - bigger than what we Europeans would call a main course (although rarely as tasty)
The two things I loved about working in the States was breakfasts (except I could never get decent tea) and steaks (the Ruths Cris chain was always stunning value and their branch in San Juan particularly superb). Oh, and lunch at Hooters at Bayside, Miami (can't remember what the food was like, though).
I think you might need to recount how many countries play rugby seriously.
As I say, please point me to these international tournaments that demonstrate baseball's global appeal. While you are at it, do the same for American football, ice hockey and basketball.
Rounders doesn't, but I don't think you are correct in thinking NFL or NBA don't have very large followings around the world these days.
NFL this year will have 3 games at Wembley, that will be sell outs. The England national football team doesn't even sell out Wembley every game.
Just look at the number of different nationalities in the NBA these days, shows you how many countries are developing world class players.
Interesting comments upthread about the Tories upping their game on campaigning. I have the same impression. They are also getting much better at relentlessly pushing a small number of simple messages, using similar phrasing each time. It's a very effective approach (which Labour, especially in the days of Blair and Campbell, got very good at), bearing in mind that most people aren't paying that much attention and so you do need to keep repeating the same stuff ad nauseam if you're going to get through.
I don't know who is responsible for the increased professionalism (Grant Shapps, Lynton Crosby?), but it's much better than their campaigning in the lead-up to the 2010 GE.
Mr. StClare, that reminds me of when Blair was 'ambushed' about this. I think it was during a the leader Question Time editions, so probably 2005. He seemed astounded that people were having difficulty making GP appointments at a convenient time.
Interesting comments upthread about the Tories upping their game on campaigning. I have the same impression. They are also getting much better at relentlessly pushing a small number of simple messages, using similar phrasing each time. It's a very effective approach (which Labour, especially in the days of Blair and Campbell, got very good at), bearing in mind that most people aren't paying that much attention and so you do need to keep repeating the same stuff ad nauseam if you're going to get through.
I don't know who is responsible for the increased professionalism (Grant Shapps, Lynton Crosby?), but it's much better than their campaigning in the lead-up to the 2010 GE.
So there won't be any excuses when they get trounced by UKIP! :-)
They're not groundless at all - I could pick out other cities if you like. You do get a handful that move around but the vast majority stay in one place. And that's ignoring college sports, which have far more community grounding than the mostly foreign teams in the Premiership.
As for anti-Americanism, would you say Ireland has no decent sports because other people don't play them? The world cup point is a silly one that's just centred around the sports you like. There are huge audiences for basketball and baseball globally. How many countries even play rugby? Maybe six seriously, seven if you count Italy?
doing rugby a disservice there!! About 10 I would say play it seriously plus Italy etc
The UK, Ireland, France, NZ, Australia, South Africa (albeit only the whites)... I'm struggling after that. Georgia maybe?
They're not groundless at all - I could pick out other cities if you like. You do get a handful that move around but the vast majority stay in one place. And that's ignoring college sports, which have far more community grounding than the mostly foreign teams in the Premiership.
As for anti-Americanism, would you say Ireland has no decent sports because other people don't play them? The world cup point is a silly one that's just centred around the sports you like. There are huge audiences for basketball and baseball globally. How many countries even play rugby? Maybe six seriously, seven if you count Italy?
doing rugby a disservice there!! About 10 I would say play it seriously plus Italy etc
The UK, Ireland, France, NZ, Australia, South Africa (albeit only the whites)... I'm struggling after that. Georgia maybe?
Again, you're putting in that "international tournaments" restriction because it helps the sports you like. Obviously the international tournaments aren't as popular in sports the US is good at because they'd wipe the floor with everyone else. Just look at overall total spectator sports. And I note you never answered the Irish question.
So you count the UK as one country? You might want to look at the rugby fixture list. When are UK playing France next?
Until the Scots vote for Independence the UK is, indeed, one country. That we play several different national teams for various sports is neither here nor there in judging the global appeal of sports played by those teams.
Argentina are a reasonably good rugby team that could be added to Socrates list, but then the fact that Pacific micro-nations like Tonga and Samoa can put up a decent international rugby side is a sign of the fact that few countries in the world take it seriously as a sport.
So you count the UK as one country? You might want to look at the rugby fixture list. When are UK playing France next?
Until the Scots vote for Independence the UK is, indeed, one country. That we play several different national teams for various sports is neither here nor there in judging the global appeal of sports played by those teams.
Argentina are a reasonably good rugby team that could be added to Socrates list, but then the fact that Pacific micro-nations like Tonga and Samoa can put up a decent international rugby side is a sign of the fact that few countries in the world take it seriously as a sport.
Yes , I don't think anybody is not saying few countries do take rugby seriously but arguing that to say only 6 do is plainly wrong
So there won't be any excuses when they get trounced by UKIP! :-)
Oh, I wouldn't go as far as to say that!
In all seriousness, one interesting thing to watch is the relative performance of UKIP and the Conservatives in the local elections and the Euros. My hunch is that UKIP will clean up in the Euros but not do so well in the locals. We shall see.
You have to drive everywhere across the vast majority of the UK. As if that's even a bad thing. I'd far rather have the ability to drive straight across town to the place I'm going out - in comfort incidentally - rather than spend 40 minutes going a few miles on the tube, and then if I dare to stay out past 1am, have to deal with the vomiting chavs on the nightbus on the way home.
The amazing thing about American cities is that despite many of them being specifically built for the car, their traffic problems are just as bad as European cities built centuries ago for small people on horses. Plus the European cities have public transport.
The lack of a proper city centre is disconcerting too. And they are bloody spread out... LA in particular sprawls loads
Greater London 607 sq m Density: 13,530 /sq mi LA Met area 4,850 sq. mi Density: 2,645.0/sq. mi.
So there won't be any excuses when they get trounced by UKIP! :-)
Oh, I wouldn't go as far as to say that!
In all seriousness, one interesting thing to watch is the relative performance of UKIP and the Conservatives in the local elections and the Euros. My hunch is that UKIP will clean up in the Euros but not do so well in the locals. We shall see.
From a ground game perspective 100 saved Councillors are more valuable next year than 2saved MEPs.
I was thinking of visiting either Copenhagen or Helsinki next weekend.
Might be a bit warmer than here.
Andy
You should combine Stockholm and Helsinki, transferring by overnight ferry (either the Viking or Silja lines, the debate as to which is best is endless). Leaves Stockholm at 6.00 pm and arrives in Helsinki around 8.00 am. On a fine day in May, passing through the Stockholm archipelago gives an opportunity to view one of the wonders of the Northern world. Food, entertainment and passengers all fun and Baltic crossings are almost always smooth.
Stay overnight in Stockholm in the old town (Gamla Stan) which has some relatively cheap small hotels (the most famous being the Lord Nelson, Lady Emma Hamilton and Victory trio but pricier than others).
In Helsinki, stay in a small central hotel near Esplanadi or along/behind the run of Mannerheimintie between the Central railway station and Stockmanns department store. A interesting choice would be Hotel Torni, which has an interesting history and was favoured by Lee Harvey Oswald in his transit to Moscow.
If you are feeling rich, an alternative could be the Hotel Kalastajatorppa. This is outside the centre of Helsinki and set on the sea shore with the best traditional (urban) sauna in Finland. Very minimalist but luxurious.
My advice would be to make it a long weekend or even a week, then you could spend more time in Stockholm and take a 40 minute sea crossing from Helsinki to Tallinn in Estonia.
As always with the Nordic countries you need to keep an eye on costs but pre-booking and shopping around should keep the trip affordable.
Mr. StClare, that reminds me of when Blair was 'ambushed' about this. I think it was during a the leader Question Time editions, so probably 2005. He seemed astounded that people were having difficulty making GP appointments at a convenient time.
I thought the bit he was astonished at was that GP surgeries were banning booking ahead as a way to get round the target. Is there a list anywhere that shows different GP surgeries by waiting times? I would love to find the one that is best in my area. Having to take time off work at the one time a week they will take new patients means it's frustrating to continually circle round them.
I think you might need to recount how many countries play rugby seriously.
As I say, please point me to these international tournaments that demonstrate baseball's global appeal. While you are at it, do the same for American football, ice hockey and basketball.
Rounders doesn't, but I don't think you are correct in thinking NFL or NBA don't have very large followings around the world these days.
NFL this year will have 3 games at Wembley, that will be sell outs. The England national football team doesn't even sell out Wembley every game.
Just look at the number of different nationalities in the NBA these days, shows you how many countries are developing world class players.
Ridiculous comparison. No one plays NFL apart from the Yanks. Literally, no one. Those games sell out to Americans in Europe and to the odd interested Brit.
It's all hype by the NFL who are desperate to expand the game, as football crushes it globally. The NFL claim, for instance, that 4m Brits watched the last superbowl.
This is for a match which went out at 11.30pm on a Sunday. I doubt there were 4m Brits watching telly in any way whatsoever at 11.30pm on a Sunday.
I agree that lots of preternaturally tall people want to earn millions at basketball, especially when their freakish physique prevents them doing anything else.
Basketball is THE one that goes beyond US these days. As for not really a serious international "world cup", it is because the NBA hoovers up all the talent. The NBA is the world vs world, it is a different model.
Football is going a little bit that way, in terms of I think the Champions League is becoming increasingly important in European football terms. Increasingly it seems players are becoming more and more focused on ensuring they are fit and ready for Champions League than representing their country in qualifiers for Euros.
That doesn't compare to World Cup, obviously that is still a different beast, but Champions league is becoming ever more powerful draw.
I am not seriously comparing American Football to "soccer".
But you are wrong about Wembley just being full of Americans in the UK. I thought it would be the same, but I have been to 2 of the games and surrounded completely by British people. Also, it has gone past the "odd interested Brit" when it has expanded from one game to 3. And the tickets are incredibly expensive, so it isn't just some cheap day out.
In terms of nobody players it other than Americans, more and more players being drafted are non-US in the past 2-3 years.
Mr. StClare, that reminds me of when Blair was 'ambushed' about this. I think it was during a the leader Question Time editions, so probably 2005. He seemed astounded that people were having difficulty making GP appointments at a convenient time.
You are quite right on the date and occasion Mr Dancer - the unforeseen consequences of Blair's 2004 changes to GP contracts are still with us today.
Sounds to me like those who oppose action on GHGs are doing the Yes Minister trick:
In stage one we say nothing is going to happen. Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it. In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we *can* do. Stage four, we say maybe there was something we could have done, but it's too late now.
Sea level rise has always been one of the more certain predictions of global warming, and one of the vast costs that we should seek to avoid if we can.
On a naive level, if the loss of the WAIS is inevitable then it would seem as though there is no point in trying to avoid it, but it is not the only Ice Sheet in play. There is still enough water locked up in the Greenland Ice Sheet to increase sea levels by 7m, so if we can prevent that from melting it will be worth doing. The last best guess estimate that I saw was that a 2C global rise in temperatures from the pre-industrial average would be the tipping point for complete melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet. So we can still avoid that.
Finally, just because other countries don't have a highly paid pro leagues etc, doesn't mean it doesn't have a huge draw. Basketball in China is just massive, even though the chances of them becoming a super power at it and players taking over the NBA is tiny.
Edit:- It is claimed in this Forbes article that 300 million Chinese participate in basketball (sounds a bit bs to me)
Helsinki - Was there a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. You need deep pockets for food and drink though. Had a good meal and craft beer at Bryggeri in the city centre.
O/T - where would be a nice place to retire to that meets the following conditions?
- hot. Like, Dubai hot - safe - low tax - booze available - nice beaches - nice places to eat out - minimal risk of property expropriation a la Malta, Spain, Porchickle
any suggestions?
Scotland ticks all the boxes except for the HOT part
Going to be worse when rUK keeps 92% of the sunshine.
So you count the UK as one country? You might want to look at the rugby fixture list. When are UK playing France next?
Until the Scots vote for Independence the UK is, indeed, one country. That we play several different national teams for various sports is neither here nor there in judging the global appeal of sports played by those teams.
Argentina are a reasonably good rugby team that could be added to Socrates list, but then the fact that Pacific micro-nations like Tonga and Samoa can put up a decent international rugby side is a sign of the fact that few countries in the world take it seriously as a sport.
Comments
I would not choose to live there, but could be tempted by Australia, particularly Adelaide or Melbourne, both much.more pleasant to live in than Sydney, though less for the tourist.
2 days is enough from the sounds of it.
Basketball: the Bulls have been in the city since their founding in 1966.
Baseball: the White Sox have been there since 1900, and the Cubs since founding in 1870
Hockey: Blackhawks have been in Chicago since their founding in 1926
American football: the Bears have been in the town since founding in 1919
So you're just showing your ignorance based off a handful of teams moving.
In terms of "no other country playing them", you're just showing your own close-mindedness now, as emphasised by the "next" at the end of your post. The idea that Gaelic Football or Hurling don't count as sports because they're culturally unique to the country would be preposterous, but if it's couched in anti-Americanism it's somehow fair comment. And besides, baseball and hockey probably outcompete rugby in terms of international support.
It is a common misconception that because Microsoft, Boeing, etc are based there, it is a really wealthy city. It is far from it, and a lot of really bad areas not that far from tourist central.
I have friends who live in the city, they say the authorities just try and ignore this problem, but it is getting worse. A lot of businesses downtown are closing up early as a result.
I have travelled plenty. Many of the places you pick out are great for spending a week, but you won't get the quality of life you get in US cities. You have a very skewed view given your line of work. Most regular people most value good pay, low living costs, a large living space, stuff to do with their kids, a friendly community and good weather for the bulk of the year.
And you are citing anecdote to contest a clear truth - American sports teams are groundless and move around. Profits before fans.
Re: your weak point about hockey and baseball - can you point me to World Cups in those sports and show me the attendances those tournaments get
I effing resent the anti-American comment - I love the States, my brother lives there and is married to an American. I have an American niece and will soon have an American nephew. I just don't much care for many of their cities. You resort to slurs because you are losing the argument.
Leicester is probably better than DC, well perhaps. Sadly that's not saying much as DC is loathsome.
Just about anywhere in the civilised world, even Liverpool, is better than Miami.
Two days is two too many ;-)
I soon realised to order an appetiser - bigger than what we Europeans would call a main course (although rarely as tasty)
1. Melbourne
2. Vienna
3. Vancouver
4. Toronto
5= Calgary
5= Adelaide
7. Sydney
8. Helsinki
9. Perth
10.Auckland
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2013/08/daily-chart-19
They're not groundless at all - I could pick out other cities if you like. You do get a handful that move around but the vast majority stay in one place. And that's ignoring college sports, which have far more community grounding than the mostly foreign teams in the Premiership.
As for anti-Americanism, would you say Ireland has no decent sports because other people don't play them? The world cup point is a silly one that's just centred around the sports you like. There are huge audiences for basketball and baseball globally. How many countries even play rugby? Maybe six seriously, seven if you count Italy?
A great quality of life which includes having to drive everywhere - even, in many cities, the Tube stop. The pavements frequently disappear, along with the eating options, outside historic downtowns and New York City.
you voted Labour?
You have to drive everywhere across the vast majority of the UK. As if that's even a bad thing. I'd far rather have the ability to drive straight across town to the place I'm going out - in comfort incidentally - rather than spend 40 minutes going a few miles on the tube, and then if I dare to stay out past 1am, have to deal with the vomiting chavs on the nightbus on the way home.
I think you might need to recount how many countries play rugby seriously.
As I say, please point me to these international tournaments that demonstrate baseball's global appeal. While you are at it, do the same for American football, ice hockey and basketball.
Been to New York before, so time to do different things than the obvious (empire state/statue of liberty etc)...
NFL this year will have 3 games at Wembley, that will be sell outs. The England national football team doesn't even sell out Wembley every game.
Just look at the number of different nationalities in the NBA these days, shows you how many countries are developing world class players.
Glass stumps in the middle, then urban sprawl.
So you count the UK as one country? You might want to look at the rugby fixture list. When are UK playing France next?
Global sports have global tournaments. Can you show me where to buy tickets for the American football World Cup?
I don't know who is responsible for the increased professionalism (Grant Shapps, Lynton Crosby?), but it's much better than their campaigning in the lead-up to the 2010 GE.
In fairness I have heard great things about the Smithsonian - I didn't visit but probably should have. Enjoy it sir.
Top-down directives won't do anything to solve the shortage of doctors and nurses on the front line of the NHS, says Dr Sarah Wollaston MP.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/10827534/Ed-Miliband-says-youll-see-your-GP-in-48-hours.-Weve-been-here-before.html
Mr. StClare, that reminds me of when Blair was 'ambushed' about this. I think it was during a the leader Question Time editions, so probably 2005. He seemed astounded that people were having difficulty making GP appointments at a convenient time.
Again, you're putting in that "international tournaments" restriction because it helps the sports you like. Obviously the international tournaments aren't as popular in sports the US is good at because they'd wipe the floor with everyone else. Just look at overall total spectator sports. And I note you never answered the Irish question.
Pfizer kept Cameron in the dark about the shut down in Sandwich. PODCWAS, sometimes he does not look like the sharpest knife in the draw.
Argentina are a reasonably good rugby team that could be added to Socrates list, but then the fact that Pacific micro-nations like Tonga and Samoa can put up a decent international rugby side is a sign of the fact that few countries in the world take it seriously as a sport.
In all seriousness, one interesting thing to watch is the relative performance of UKIP and the Conservatives in the local elections and the Euros. My hunch is that UKIP will clean up in the Euros but not do so well in the locals. We shall see.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frick_Collection
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JP_Morgan_Library
Greater London 607 sq m Density: 13,530 /sq mi
LA Met area 4,850 sq. mi Density: 2,645.0/sq. mi.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2014/05/13/if-antarctic-melting-has-passed-the-point-of-no-return-we-should-do-less-about-climate-change-not-more/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
http://www.breakingnews.com/item/2014/05/13/russias-deputy-pm-dmitry-rogozin-says-russia-will/
"... when a man is tired of Leicester, he is tired of life; for there is in Leicester all that life can afford."
Leicester contains all that life can afford? I mean, really?
You should combine Stockholm and Helsinki, transferring by overnight ferry (either the Viking or Silja lines, the debate as to which is best is endless). Leaves Stockholm at 6.00 pm and arrives in Helsinki around 8.00 am. On a fine day in May, passing through the Stockholm archipelago gives an opportunity to view one of the wonders of the Northern world. Food, entertainment and passengers all fun and Baltic crossings are almost always smooth.
Stay overnight in Stockholm in the old town (Gamla Stan) which has some relatively cheap small hotels (the most famous being the Lord Nelson, Lady Emma Hamilton and Victory trio but pricier than others).
In Helsinki, stay in a small central hotel near Esplanadi or along/behind the run of Mannerheimintie between the Central railway station and Stockmanns department store. A interesting choice would be Hotel Torni, which has an interesting history and was favoured by Lee Harvey Oswald in his transit to Moscow.
If you are feeling rich, an alternative could be the Hotel Kalastajatorppa. This is outside the centre of Helsinki and set on the sea shore with the best traditional (urban) sauna in Finland.
Very minimalist but luxurious.
My advice would be to make it a long weekend or even a week, then you could spend more time in Stockholm and take a 40 minute sea crossing from Helsinki to Tallinn in Estonia.
As always with the Nordic countries you need to keep an eye on costs but pre-booking and shopping around should keep the trip affordable.
Football is going a little bit that way, in terms of I think the Champions League is becoming increasingly important in European football terms. Increasingly it seems players are becoming more and more focused on ensuring they are fit and ready for Champions League than representing their country in qualifiers for Euros.
That doesn't compare to World Cup, obviously that is still a different beast, but Champions league is becoming ever more powerful draw.
I am not seriously comparing American Football to "soccer".
But you are wrong about Wembley just being full of Americans in the UK. I thought it would be the same, but I have been to 2 of the games and surrounded completely by British people. Also, it has gone past the "odd interested Brit" when it has expanded from one game to 3. And the tickets are incredibly expensive, so it isn't just some cheap day out.
In terms of nobody players it other than Americans, more and more players being drafted are non-US in the past 2-3 years.
In stage one we say nothing is going to happen. Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it. In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we *can* do. Stage four, we say maybe there was something we could have done, but it's too late now.
On a naive level, if the loss of the WAIS is inevitable then it would seem as though there is no point in trying to avoid it, but it is not the only Ice Sheet in play. There is still enough water locked up in the Greenland Ice Sheet to increase sea levels by 7m, so if we can prevent that from melting it will be worth doing. The last best guess estimate that I saw was that a 2C global rise in temperatures from the pre-industrial average would be the tipping point for complete melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet. So we can still avoid that.
Edit:- It is claimed in this Forbes article that 300 million Chinese participate in basketball (sounds a bit bs to me)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciajessop/2012/07/27/the-nbas-unprecedented-growth-in-china-fueled-by-jeremy-lin-and-media-platforms/