Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The woman in this great ad wins the Senator race in Iowa to

2

Comments

  • TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    BenM said:

    Interesting line from Gary Younge:

    Americans have just elected the party they like the least to run the government body they least trust. Even greater cynicism is the most likely outcome.
    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/04/republicans-win-big-election-midterms

    "Obama didn't lose"

    Interesting take ...
  • AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 25,514

    Oooh another Mike Smithson-Lord Ashcroft love in. Can't wait ;)

    Good midterms by the Republicans. Back as a force, notably because they have restrained their loony Tea Party fringe. A lesson for all.

    UKIP = England's Tea Party?
    https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/michael-skey/older-anxious-and-white-why-ukip-are-english-tea-party
    Yes.

    Good one.
    In the case of the Tea Party, ‘nationwide surveys produce a consistent picture of Tea Party supporters… Between 55 and 60 percent of supporters are men; 80–90 percent are white; and 70–75 percent are over 45 years old’ (Williamson, Skocpol & Coggin, 2011: 27). According to YouGov data, 85% of UKIP supporters are over 40 years old and 57% are men. Surprisingly, there is no official data on ethnicity, but it’s generally agreed that most of their supporters are white.


    I bet a straw poll of pb.com kippers will find they are predominantly:

    Over 40
    White
    Male

    And judging by the times at which they post, I reckon many of you-kippers on here are retired. Happy to be corrected on that one.

    The kippers I know fit this bill perfectly. And they have given rise to my view that it's a protest party. In the case of two close friends in Buckinghamshire, it's HS2 which has led to them supporting Farage. In the case of someone else, it's the number of eastern Europeans in her area (although she is switching back Conservative for "the real thing"). For some others it's Heathrow expansion. For others it's the EU. Wherever you look, it's protest: it's a party of what they are against, not what they are for. And that, my friends, does not a General Election victory make.
    so a bit like yourself then.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,406
    TGOHF said:

    BenM said:

    Interesting line from Gary Younge:

    Americans have just elected the party they like the least to run the government body they least trust. Even greater cynicism is the most likely outcome.
    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/04/republicans-win-big-election-midterms
    "Obama didn't lose"

    Interesting take ...

    He seems to have done better in the exit poll than 2010, so how is this such an awful night for him - got votes in precisely the wrong places ?
  • I notice that the addition of the Green Party to the main table of opinion poll results on Wikipedia has been reverted.

    There's a very lively argument on the associated Talk page as to whether the Greens should be included in the table (and subsequently the graph). What do people here think?
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,624
    Ishmael_X said:

    More to the point, why not take a map of the world and colour in the bits where you think all these new exaflops are being made? Be afraid, be very afraid of the Yellow Peril.

    Is that true?

    The Exoflops are being made by:

    Intel - in Ireland, the US, Israel and Singapore
    and
    ARM (via Samsung, etc.) - in South Korea, Taiwan and (to a lesser extent) in China
  • Ishmael_XIshmael_X Posts: 3,664

    And that, my friends, does not a General Election victory make.

    So you are predicting that UKIP will not secure most seats at the GE?
    isam said:

    Oooh another Mike Smithson-Lord Ashcroft love in. Can't wait ;)

    Good midterms by the Republicans. Back as a force, notably because they have restrained their loony Tea Party fringe. A lesson for all.

    UKIP = England's Tea Party?
    https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/michael-skey/older-anxious-and-white-why-ukip-are-english-tea-party
    Yes.

    Good one.
    In the case of the Tea Party, ‘nationwide surveys produce a consistent picture of Tea Party supporters… Between 55 and 60 percent of supporters are men; 80–90 percent are white; and 70–75 percent are over 45 years old’ (Williamson, Skocpol & Coggin, 2011: 27). According to YouGov data, 85% of UKIP supporters are over 40 years old and 57% are men. Surprisingly, there is no official data on ethnicity, but it’s generally agreed that most of their supporters are white.


    I bet a straw poll of pb.com kippers will find they are predominantly:

    Over 40
    White
    Male

    And judging by the times at which they post, I reckon many of you-kippers on here are retired. Happy to be corrected on that one.

    The kippers I know fit this bill perfectly. And they have given rise to my view that it's a protest party. In the case of two close friends in Buckinghamshire, it's HS2 which has led to them supporting Farage. In the case of someone else, it's the number of eastern Europeans in her area (although she is switching back Conservative for "the real thing"). For some others it's Heathrow expansion. For others it's the EU. Wherever you look, it's protest: it's a party of what they are against, not what they are for. And that, my friends, does not a General Election victory make.
    The ostrich takes his or her head out of the sand to relay it's wishful thinking
    Cliche, cliche, cliche, therefore UKIP are not going to have an overall majority at the GE, I think is what it says. Did pixels have to die for this?

  • Oooh another Mike Smithson-Lord Ashcroft love in. Can't wait ;)

    Good midterms by the Republicans. Back as a force, notably because they have restrained their loony Tea Party fringe. A lesson for all.

    UKIP = England's Tea Party?
    https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/michael-skey/older-anxious-and-white-why-ukip-are-english-tea-party
    Yes.

    Good one.
    In the case of the Tea Party, ‘nationwide surveys produce a consistent picture of Tea Party supporters… Between 55 and 60 percent of supporters are men; 80–90 percent are white; and 70–75 percent are over 45 years old’ (Williamson, Skocpol & Coggin, 2011: 27). According to YouGov data, 85% of UKIP supporters are over 40 years old and 57% are men. Surprisingly, there is no official data on ethnicity, but it’s generally agreed that most of their supporters are white.


    I bet a straw poll of pb.com kippers will find they are predominantly:

    Over 40
    White
    Male

    And judging by the times at which they post, I reckon many of you-kippers on here are retired. Happy to be corrected on that one.

    The kippers I know fit this bill perfectly. And they have given rise to my view that it's a protest party. In the case of two close friends in Buckinghamshire, it's HS2 which has led to them supporting Farage. In the case of someone else, it's the number of eastern Europeans in her area (although she is switching back Conservative for "the real thing"). For some others it's Heathrow expansion. For others it's the EU. Wherever you look, it's protest: it's a party of what they are against, not what they are for. And that, my friends, does not a General Election victory make.
    so a bit like yourself then.
    I've never met AudreyAnne, but suspect may not be male or retired.
    So, AlanBrooke would you like to engage with the subject or just snipe?
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,564



    Increasingly I meet people working after conventional retirement age. There are three doctors in my dept over 65 who plan to work for several years longer. They have reasonable pensions so are mostly planning to carry on because they enjoy it.

    I have a few patients with similar plans. One 82 year old cattle dealer explained to me the other day "I would rather wear out than rust out", but he only works part time now.

    Sure. I'll be 65 in February, and I'm standing for Parliament in May. Arguably I'm the most energetic campaigner of any party in the constituency.

    More generally, increasing longevity is being accompanied by increasing good health in the 60s and 70s. There's a lot of luck in it, but deciding when to stop by checking your birthday is ridiculous.

  • isam said:

    Oooh another Mike Smithson-Lord Ashcroft love in. Can't wait ;)

    Good midterms by the Republicans. Back as a force, notably because they have restrained their loony Tea Party fringe. A lesson for all.

    UKIP = England's Tea Party?
    https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/michael-skey/older-anxious-and-white-why-ukip-are-english-tea-party
    Yes.

    Good one.
    In the case of the Tea Party, ‘nationwide surveys produce a consistent picture of Tea Party supporters… Between 55 and 60 percent of supporters are men; 80–90 percent are white; and 70–75 percent are over 45 years old’ (Williamson, Skocpol & Coggin, 2011: 27). According to YouGov data, 85% of UKIP supporters are over 40 years old and 57% are men. Surprisingly, there is no official data on ethnicity, but it’s generally agreed that most of their supporters are white.


    I bet a straw poll of pb.com kippers will find they are predominantly:

    Over 40
    White
    Male

    And judging by the times at which they post, I reckon many of you-kippers on here are retired. Happy to be corrected on that one.

    The kippers I know fit this bill perfectly. And they have given rise to my view that it's a protest party. In the case of two close friends in Buckinghamshire, it's HS2 which has led to them supporting Farage. In the case of someone else, it's the number of eastern Europeans in her area (although she is switching back Conservative for "the real thing"). For some others it's Heathrow expansion. For others it's the EU. Wherever you look, it's protest: it's a party of what they are against, not what they are for. And that, my friends, does not a General Election victory make.
    The ostrich takes his or her head out of the sand to relay it's wishful thinking
    So, ISAM would you like to engage with the subject or just snipe?
  • PongPong Posts: 4,693
    edited November 2014

    I notice that the addition of the Green Party to the main table of opinion poll results on Wikipedia has been reverted.

    There's a very lively argument on the associated Talk page as to whether the Greens should be included in the table (and subsequently the graph). What do people here think?

    pft

    What happened to the good old days when people alleviated their boredom by making babies? Not spending your life on wikibloodypedia arguing over some green pixels. I need y'all to have more babies to pay for my retirement.

    Come on people!
  • AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 25,514

    Oooh another Mike Smithson-Lord Ashcroft love in. Can't wait ;)

    Good midterms by the Republicans. Back as a force, notably because they have restrained their loony Tea Party fringe. A lesson for all.

    UKIP = England's Tea Party?
    https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/michael-skey/older-anxious-and-white-why-ukip-are-english-tea-party
    Yes.

    Good one.
    In the case of the Tea Party, ‘nationwide surveys produce a consistent picture of Tea Party supporters… Between 55 and 60 percent of supporters are men; 80–90 percent are white; and 70–75 percent are over 45 years old’ (Williamson, Skocpol & Coggin, 2011: 27). According to YouGov data, 85% of UKIP supporters are over 40 years old and 57% are men. Surprisingly, there is no official data on ethnicity, but it’s generally agreed that most of their supporters are white.


    I bet a straw poll of pb.com kippers will find they are predominantly:

    Over 40
    White
    Male

    And judging by the times at which they post, I reckon many of you-kippers on here are retired. Happy to be corrected on that one.

    The kippers I know fit this bill perfectly. And they have given rise to my view that it's a protest party. In the case of two close friends in Buckinghamshire, it's HS2 which has led to them supporting Farage. In the case of someone else, it's the number of eastern Europeans in her area (although she is switching back Conservative for "the real thing"). For some others it's Heathrow expansion. For others it's the EU. Wherever you look, it's protest: it's a party of what they are against, not what they are for. And that, my friends, does not a General Election victory make.
    so a bit like yourself then.
    I've never met AudreyAnne, but suspect may not be male or retired.
    So, AlanBrooke would you like to engage with the subject or just snipe?
    Is there a subject, if so what is it ?

    I'd rather assumed I was just adding more sniping to a snipe match.
  • FinancierFinancier Posts: 3,916
    Brent Crude $82 floor being tested.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,406
    Financier said:

    Brent Crude $82 floor being tested.

    $81.94
  • Cheerio. See you to-morrow all being well.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,406

    I notice that the addition of the Green Party to the main table of opinion poll results on Wikipedia has been reverted.

    There's a very lively argument on the associated Talk page as to whether the Greens should be included in the table (and subsequently the graph). What do people here think?

    Yes, perhaps the SNP too.

    Use 3% as a cut off point
  • TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Pulpstar said:

    TGOHF said:

    BenM said:

    Interesting line from Gary Younge:

    Americans have just elected the party they like the least to run the government body they least trust. Even greater cynicism is the most likely outcome.
    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/04/republicans-win-big-election-midterms
    "Obama didn't lose"

    Interesting take ...
    He seems to have done better in the exit poll than 2010, so how is this such an awful night for him - got votes in precisely the wrong places ?

    He lost his majority by miles - seats count, votes er don;t..

  • Ishmael_XIshmael_X Posts: 3,664
    rcs1000 said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    More to the point, why not take a map of the world and colour in the bits where you think all these new exaflops are being made? Be afraid, be very afraid of the Yellow Peril.

    Is that true?

    The Exoflops are being made by:

    Intel - in Ireland, the US, Israel and Singapore
    and
    ARM (via Samsung, etc.) - in South Korea, Taiwan and (to a lesser extent) in China
    Lots of that looks yellow to me, and I know what I think the trend is.

  • I'm an Englishman, and England should not be dismembered for political convenience or because some right-on idiots dislike England.

    England is already divided into counties. It already has district councils and city councils and all manner of administrative divisions below the level of its national borders.

    No-one is talking about trying to destroy England. I just rather like the idea of trying something new, of devolving power away from Westminster to a lower level, and I think regions of varying sizes would be something worth trying.

    Why are you so insecure about your English identity that you think it would be threatened by creating a regional level of governance?
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,406
    GBP down almost a cent.

    If we could end the year with an oil price equivalent of £50.01 that would be lovely :O)
  • AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 25,514
    Pulpstar said:

    GBP down almost a cent.

    If we could end the year with an oil price equivalent of £50.01 that would be lovely :O)

    LOL

    well you'd certainly enjoy it, though it might give Osborne a headache.

    Does he let more money stay in people's pockets or raise fuel duty running in to an election when to cover the gap in his budget ?
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,406
    edited November 2014
    TGOHF said:

    Pulpstar said:

    TGOHF said:

    BenM said:

    Interesting line from Gary Younge:

    Americans have just elected the party they like the least to run the government body they least trust. Even greater cynicism is the most likely outcome.
    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/04/republicans-win-big-election-midterms
    "Obama didn't lose"

    Interesting take ...
    He seems to have done better in the exit poll than 2010, so how is this such an awful night for him - got votes in precisely the wrong places ?
    He lost his majority by miles - seats count, votes er don;t..



    Almost parity in the "asian" vote I note, seems to be the biggest switching demographic... must be encouraging for the Republicans for the presidency.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,406
    edited November 2014

    Pulpstar said:

    GBP down almost a cent.

    If we could end the year with an oil price equivalent of £50.01 that would be lovely :O)

    LOL

    well you'd certainly enjoy it, though it might give Osborne a headache.

    Does he let more money stay in people's pockets or raise fuel duty running in to an election when to cover the gap in his budget ?
    I don't think fuel duty gets touched in November. Too close to an election.
  • Mr. Me, do Scotland and Wales not also have counties and the like?

    I am sure most of those who errantly believe city-regions or broader regions are a good way to go do not think it will destroy England, in much the same way that Labour believed Scottish devolution would kill Scottish nationalism stone dead.

    Trying something new can mean an English Parliament. Why is a Parliament for all Scotland, a large and varied land including lowlands, highlands and islands, a fine and just and obvious thing, but a Parliament for England some unwieldy and strange device?

    I am not insecure about my English identity, but nor am I blind to what has happened with Scotland. Less than two decades after getting its own elected body it came very close to leaving the UK altogether. If we entrench political and geographical divisions through a political structure deliberately designed to encourage difference (and argument) between the various parts of England we are designing a system of instability and separation.

    When Diocletian designed the tetrarchy his intent was to stabilise the empire. Instead it ended up leading to prolonged civil war as soon as he retired, and ultimately to a permanent division of the empire itself.

    England does not have a divine right to exist. Complacency may do for Labour in Scotland, and it may do for England if we allow it to be carved up into petty political fiefdoms.
  • SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322
    Pulpstar said:

    TGOHF said:

    Pulpstar said:

    TGOHF said:

    BenM said:

    Interesting line from Gary Younge:

    Americans have just elected the party they like the least to run the government body they least trust. Even greater cynicism is the most likely outcome.
    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/04/republicans-win-big-election-midterms
    "Obama didn't lose"

    Interesting take ...
    He seems to have done better in the exit poll than 2010, so how is this such an awful night for him - got votes in precisely the wrong places ?
    He lost his majority by miles - seats count, votes er don;t..

    Almost parity in the "asian" vote I note, seems to be the biggest switching demographic... must be encouraging for the Republicans for the presidency.

    That's of no relevance because the states that were voting this time were Republican states. The biggest Asian community is in California, which didn't vote.
  • Pulpstar said:

    GBP down almost a cent.

    If we could end the year with an oil price equivalent of £50.01 that would be lovely :O)

    LOL

    well you'd certainly enjoy it, though it might give Osborne a headache.

    Does he let more money stay in people's pockets or raise fuel duty running in to an election when to cover the gap in his budget ?
    An increase in fuel duty would have been the logical consequence had the fuel price stabiliser not died a death.

    Robert Halfon used to be all other the media with first his requests for a cut in fuel duty, and then I think calls for a higher minimum wage, but I haven't heard anything from him for a long while. He was always one of the more interesting MPs, does anyone know what he's been up to recently?
  • AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 25,514
    Pulpstar said:

    Pulpstar said:

    GBP down almost a cent.

    If we could end the year with an oil price equivalent of £50.01 that would be lovely :O)

    LOL

    well you'd certainly enjoy it, though it might give Osborne a headache.

    Does he let more money stay in people's pockets or raise fuel duty running in to an election when to cover the gap in his budget ?
    I don't think fuel duty gets touched in November. Too close to an election.
    Oh I agree

    but the drop in pump prices will hit GO with a reduction in VAT which may leave a hole of a billion or two unless we all start driving a bit more.
  • PongPong Posts: 4,693
    btw if anyone likes investing their money on long-term bets;

    Paddy Power

    DATE OF NEXT SCOTTISH REFERENDUM

    2015-2024 @ 9/2

    http://www.paddypower.com/bet/other-politics/scottish-politics/Date-Of-Next-Scottish-Referendum-7629996.html

    I would price that bet at ~evens right now.
  • SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322
    edited November 2014

    I'm an Englishman, and England should not be dismembered for political convenience or because some right-on idiots dislike England.

    England is already divided into counties. It already has district councils and city councils and all manner of administrative divisions below the level of its national borders.

    No-one is talking about trying to destroy England. I just rather like the idea of trying something new, of devolving power away from Westminster to a lower level, and I think regions of varying sizes would be something worth trying.

    Why are you so insecure about your English identity that you think it would be threatened by creating a regional level of governance?
    The "regions" are massively gerrymandered to ensure Labour rule in as many places as possible. Where the Labour-cities have bigger populations than the surrounding countryside, like Manchester and Liverpool in the Northwest, they're kept together. When it's the other way round, like London in the South East, it's split apart. In the home nations where Labour had a majority, like Scotland and Wales, no regional split is given at all. The whole thing is a left-wing stitch-up from the left-leaning civil service.
  • PongPong Posts: 4,693
    edited November 2014
    Oh, and another long-term value bet that may be of interest;

    Next UKIP leader;

    Mark Reckless @ 33/1

    http://sports.williamhill.com/bet/en-gb/betting/g/4761634/Next-UKIP-Leader.html
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,406
    edited November 2014
    Pong said:

    Oh, and another long-term value bet;

    Next UKIP leader;

    Mark Reckless @ 33/1

    http://sports.williamhill.com/bet/en-gb/betting/g/4761634/Next-UKIP-Leader.html

    "Trader" is having a good long look at this...

    Requested 20, got £1.52 - arf.
  • Trying something new can mean an English Parliament. Why is a Parliament for all Scotland, a large and varied land including lowlands, highlands and islands, a fine and just and obvious thing, but a Parliament for England some unwieldy and strange device?

    I simply do not care about an English Parliament. It's not that I'm opposed to such a thing, I just don't think it will make anything other than the most marginal difference. So it bores me.

    Devolution to a regional level would create polities that had a real and substantial amount of power and budget to choose their own future. There's a lot of complaining about over-bearing London from the extremities of England, and giving the regions power and freedom from London would also give them the responsibility to stop moaning and start improving.

    Have your English Parliament if you want, but I'm more interested in devolving power to a lower level so that there is more doing and less complaining.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,406
    edited November 2014
    Pong said:

    btw if anyone likes investing their money on long-term bets;

    Paddy Power

    DATE OF NEXT SCOTTISH REFERENDUM

    2015-2024 @ 9/2

    http://www.paddypower.com/bet/other-politics/scottish-politics/Date-Of-Next-Scottish-Referendum-7629996.html

    I would price that bet at ~evens right now.

    £5.47 allowed on that one !

    It is arbable with

    http://sports.williamhill.com/bet/en-gb/betting/g/4733169/Will-There-Be-Another-Independence-Referendum-Before-The-End-Of-2024?.html

    No @ 1-2 at the moment.

    But consumating the arb only produces a return of 1.6% per annum so isn't worth doing ^_~
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,959
    edited November 2014
    Pong said:

    btw if anyone likes investing their money on long-term bets;

    Paddy Power

    DATE OF NEXT SCOTTISH REFERENDUM

    2015-2024 @ 9/2

    http://www.paddypower.com/bet/other-politics/scottish-politics/Date-Of-Next-Scottish-Referendum-7629996.html

    I would price that bet at ~evens right now.

    Cheers, they let me have a huge £4.04 on this.

    Edit: I do like the fact they are offering 1/4 on a return post 2035
  • TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    Pulpstar said:

    Pulpstar said:

    GBP down almost a cent.

    If we could end the year with an oil price equivalent of £50.01 that would be lovely :O)

    LOL

    well you'd certainly enjoy it, though it might give Osborne a headache.

    Does he let more money stay in people's pockets or raise fuel duty running in to an election when to cover the gap in his budget ?
    I don't think fuel duty gets touched in November. Too close to an election.
    Oh I agree

    but the drop in pump prices will hit GO with a reduction in VAT which may leave a hole of a billion or two unless we all start driving a bit more.
    You are thinking that if we don't spend money on petrol we will stick it under the bed ?

    Interesting..
  • Alex Massie in fighting talk:

    http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/alex-massie/2014/11/educational-apartheid-is-scotlands-greatest-national-disgrace/

    Maybe that's what 2016 should be fought upon, not more politicians bickering about which powers they should have?
  • Mr. Me, devolving power to regions would increase, not decrease complaints.

    London would effectively export money to the other regions. This would lead to complaints from those regions that spending per head was higher in London than in poorer parts. It would lead to complaints in London that they send money elsewhere and get criticism rather than gratitude. Such devolution would leave the door wide open for petty little demagogues to arise everywhere, criticising London for not sending enough or other areas for being unproductive and ungrateful.

    And that's without considering that England can only have the same powers as Scotland if we have a Parliament.

    Or that England is a single land and has been unified for over a thousand years. Who are these empty-headed political pygmies to carve up England, when all they seek is petty party advantage?
  • FalseFlagFalseFlag Posts: 1,801

    Trying something new can mean an English Parliament. Why is a Parliament for all Scotland, a large and varied land including lowlands, highlands and islands, a fine and just and obvious thing, but a Parliament for England some unwieldy and strange device?

    I simply do not care about an English Parliament. It's not that I'm opposed to such a thing, I just don't think it will make anything other than the most marginal difference. So it bores me.

    Devolution to a regional level would create polities that had a real and substantial amount of power and budget to choose their own future. There's a lot of complaining about over-bearing London from the extremities of England, and giving the regions power and freedom from London would also give them the responsibility to stop moaning and start improving.

    Have your English Parliament if you want, but I'm more interested in devolving power to a lower level so that there is more doing and less complaining.
    No one wants regional assemblies. The issue is Scottish, Welsh and NI MPs voting on England only laws. The solution is to restrict MPs to being able to vote only on issues affecting their constituents. There is no need for another parliament let alone regional assemblies.
  • Socrates said:

    I'm an Englishman, and England should not be dismembered for political convenience or because some right-on idiots dislike England.

    England is already divided into counties. It already has district councils and city councils and all manner of administrative divisions below the level of its national borders.

    No-one is talking about trying to destroy England. I just rather like the idea of trying something new, of devolving power away from Westminster to a lower level, and I think regions of varying sizes would be something worth trying.

    Why are you so insecure about your English identity that you think it would be threatened by creating a regional level of governance?
    The "regions" are massively gerrymandered to ensure Labour rule in as many places as possible. Where the Labour-cities have bigger populations than the surrounding countryside, like Manchester and Liverpool in the Northwest, they're kept together. When it's the other way round, like London in the South East, it's split apart. In the home nations where Labour had a majority, like Scotland and Wales, no regional split is given at all. The whole thing is a left-wing stitch-up from the left-leaning civil service.
    I agree that the current regions are a load of codswallop - for example London should not be separated from the rural hinterland from which many of its workers commute.

    This is why it is vitally important that people other than Labour engage with the regional idea so that Labour are not left unchallenged to create a system that favours them.
  • AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 25,514
    TGOHF said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Pulpstar said:

    GBP down almost a cent.

    If we could end the year with an oil price equivalent of £50.01 that would be lovely :O)

    LOL

    well you'd certainly enjoy it, though it might give Osborne a headache.

    Does he let more money stay in people's pockets or raise fuel duty running in to an election when to cover the gap in his budget ?
    I don't think fuel duty gets touched in November. Too close to an election.
    Oh I agree

    but the drop in pump prices will hit GO with a reduction in VAT which may leave a hole of a billion or two unless we all start driving a bit more.
    You are thinking that if we don't spend money on petrol we will stick it under the bed ?

    Interesting..
    I think you're off on the wrong track there H.

    If we have more money in our pockets we'll do what suits us with it - spend it, save it, pay off debts whatever - and quite right too.

    The problem is going to be HMGs where falling pump prices will reduce their income in the short term ahead of an election.

  • SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322

    Socrates said:

    I'm an Englishman, and England should not be dismembered for political convenience or because some right-on idiots dislike England.

    England is already divided into counties. It already has district councils and city councils and all manner of administrative divisions below the level of its national borders.

    No-one is talking about trying to destroy England. I just rather like the idea of trying something new, of devolving power away from Westminster to a lower level, and I think regions of varying sizes would be something worth trying.

    Why are you so insecure about your English identity that you think it would be threatened by creating a regional level of governance?
    The "regions" are massively gerrymandered to ensure Labour rule in as many places as possible. Where the Labour-cities have bigger populations than the surrounding countryside, like Manchester and Liverpool in the Northwest, they're kept together. When it's the other way round, like London in the South East, it's split apart. In the home nations where Labour had a majority, like Scotland and Wales, no regional split is given at all. The whole thing is a left-wing stitch-up from the left-leaning civil service.
    I agree that the current regions are a load of codswallop - for example London should not be separated from the rural hinterland from which many of its workers commute.

    This is why it is vitally important that people other than Labour engage with the regional idea so that Labour are not left unchallenged to create a system that favours them.
    If the proposals are for Scotland and Wales to also get divided into regions, then we can have a discussion.
  • Mr. Me, devolving power to regions would increase, not decrease complaints.

    London would effectively export money to the other regions. This would lead to complaints from those regions that spending per head was higher in London than in poorer parts. It would lead to complaints in London that they send money elsewhere and get criticism rather than gratitude. Such devolution would leave the door wide open for petty little demagogues to arise everywhere, criticising London for not sending enough or other areas for being unproductive and ungrateful.

    And that's without considering that England can only have the same powers as Scotland if we have a Parliament.

    Or that England is a single land and has been unified for over a thousand years. Who are these empty-headed political pygmies to carve up England, when all they seek is petty party advantage?

    A Directly Elected Dictator of the United Kingdom would solve all these problems.
  • PongPong Posts: 4,693
    Pulpstar said:

    Pong said:

    btw if anyone likes investing their money on long-term bets;

    Paddy Power

    DATE OF NEXT SCOTTISH REFERENDUM

    2015-2024 @ 9/2

    http://www.paddypower.com/bet/other-politics/scottish-politics/Date-Of-Next-Scottish-Referendum-7629996.html

    I would price that bet at ~evens right now.

    £5.47 allowed on that one !

    It is arbable with

    http://sports.williamhill.com/bet/en-gb/betting/g/4733169/Will-There-Be-Another-Independence-Referendum-Before-The-End-Of-2024?.html

    No @ 1-2 at the moment.

    But consumating the arb only produces a return of 1.6% per annum so isn't worth doing ^_~
    Nice find, that.

    I'm also totally using your verbage in the future...

    "Hang on darling, I just need to pop into william hill to consumate my arb"

    Brilliant!
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 39,054
    rcs1000 said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    More to the point, why not take a map of the world and colour in the bits where you think all these new exaflops are being made? Be afraid, be very afraid of the Yellow Peril.

    Is that true?

    The Exoflops are being made by:

    Intel - in Ireland, the US, Israel and Singapore
    and
    ARM (via Samsung, etc.) - in South Korea, Taiwan and (to a lesser extent) in China
    Surely Nvidia/TSMC are higher than ARM. The bitcoin boom is responible for a massive rise in computing power. Plus gamers who buy 6-7tf GPUs.
  • @CasinoRoyale - Excellent blogpost, thanks
  • Mr. Socrates, quite.

    It's perverse and utterly inconsistent to say:
    Welsh devolution = super
    Scottish devolution = super
    English devolution = doubleplusungood

    If a Parliament is good enough for Scotland, it is good enough for England.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118

    isam said:

    Oooh another Mike Smithson-Lord Ashcroft love in. Can't wait ;)

    Good midterms by the Republicans. Back as a force, notably because they have restrained their loony Tea Party fringe. A lesson for all.

    UKIP = England's Tea Party?
    https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/michael-skey/older-anxious-and-white-why-ukip-are-english-tea-party
    Yes.

    Good one.
    In the case of the Tea Party, ‘nationwide surveys produce a consistent picture of Tea Party supporters… Between 55 and 60 percent of supporters are men; 80–90 percent are white; and 70–75 percent are over 45 years old’ (Williamson, Skocpol & Coggin, 2011: 27). According to YouGov data, 85% of UKIP supporters are over 40 years old and 57% are men. Surprisingly, there is no official data on ethnicity, but it’s generally agreed that most of their supporters are white.


    I bet a straw poll of pb.com kippers will find they are predominantly:

    Over 40
    White
    Male

    And judging by the times at which they post, I reckon many of you-kippers on here are retired. Happy to be corrected on that one.

    The kippers I know fit this bill perfectly. And they have given rise to my view that it's a protest party. In the case of two close friends in Buckinghamshire, it's HS2 which has led to them supporting Farage. In the case of someone else, it's the number of eastern Europeans in her area (although she is switching back Conservative for "the real thing"). For some others it's Heathrow expansion. For others it's the EU. Wherever you look, it's protest: it's a party of what they are against, not what they are for. And that, my friends, does not a General Election victory make.
    The ostrich takes his or her head out of the sand to relay it's wishful thinking
    So, ISAM would you like to engage with the subject or just snipe?
    When it comes to a joker like audreyanne I prefer to snipe
  • TGOHF said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Pulpstar said:

    GBP down almost a cent.

    If we could end the year with an oil price equivalent of £50.01 that would be lovely :O)

    LOL

    well you'd certainly enjoy it, though it might give Osborne a headache.

    Does he let more money stay in people's pockets or raise fuel duty running in to an election when to cover the gap in his budget ?
    I don't think fuel duty gets touched in November. Too close to an election.
    Oh I agree

    but the drop in pump prices will hit GO with a reduction in VAT which may leave a hole of a billion or two unless we all start driving a bit more.
    You are thinking that if we don't spend money on petrol we will stick it under the bed ?

    Interesting..
    I think you're off on the wrong track there H.

    If we have more money in our pockets we'll do what suits us with it - spend it, save it, pay off debts whatever - and quite right too.

    The problem is going to be HMGs where falling pump prices will reduce their income in the short term ahead of an election.

    Indeed. A huge amount of the consumer cost of petrol is tax. £100 that Mr Smith doesn't spend on petrol will not return the same to the government if he then chooses to spend it on new clothes or a meal out, even accepting that that extra money to the shop or restaurant would get further recycled within the economy.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    TGOHF said:

    TGOHF said:

    DavidL said:

    Worth sticking a small stake on Mark Warner on being the Dem candidate in 2016?

    You can get 49/1 on Betfair on him (£19) and 40/1 with other bookies.

    The one that caught my eye was Scott Walker who won again in Wisconsin, a state that would struggle to hold onto the title swing in recent times. He is far enough on the right to unite the Republicans and win the nutters that vote in their primaries but has a track record of success for the main contest.

    He has some skeletons in his cupboard but the recall was a disaster for his opponents and boosted his standing nationally. I think he is a real contender.
    He saw off public sector unions who were bankrupting the state .
    can we borrow him ?
    Worth a read - looks like it had got completely out of control. He faced a recall vote and won.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Wisconsin_Act_10

    The effect on union membership was startling !

    "Effect on unions[edit]
    Public employee union membership dropped significantly after the law passed, with AFSCME reporting a drop from 62,818 in 2011 to 28,745 in February 2012. In many cases, the union members were removed by the union after they declined to have dues collected by the union.

    Since teachers' unions were no longer able to automatically deduct dues from teachers' paychecks because of the new budget repair law, unions are using a variety of methods including using a combination of meetings, emails, phone calls and home visits to get teachers signed up for dues collection. "
    Two unions were exempt from the law Walker passed. Coincidentally they were the two unions that endorsed Walker's governorship bid.

    It's actions like that which would kill him in a Presidential Election.
  • Do I troll Carswell and Reckless or not via the medium of twitter.
  • SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322
    Alistair said:

    DavidL said:

    Worth sticking a small stake on Mark Warner on being the Dem candidate in 2016?

    You can get 49/1 on Betfair on him (£19) and 40/1 with other bookies.

    The one that caught my eye was Scott Walker who won again in Wisconsin, a state that would struggle to hold onto the title swing in recent times. He is far enough on the right to unite the Republicans and win the nutters that vote in their primaries but has a track record of success for the main contest.

    He has some skeletons in his cupboard but the recall was a disaster for his opponents and boosted his standing nationally. I think he is a real contender.
    I like Scott Walker.

    You can get 25/1 on him being the Republican Candidate

    http://www.oddschecker.com/politics/us-politics/us-presidential-election-2016/republican-candidate
    Walker strikes me as someone who can do it at state level but would crumble nationally. But still, we are looking at the Republican candidate not who will actually become president 25/1 seems like good odds.
    I used to be a big booster of Walker, but the more I've seen him, the more he looks better on paper than in reality. Better than Tim Pawlenty, but not by that much. Right wingers in general by the huge result tonight, as the party won't feel they have to change. Mike Pence is very interesting.
  • Socrates said:

    Socrates said:

    I'm an Englishman, and England should not be dismembered for political convenience or because some right-on idiots dislike England.

    England is already divided into counties. It already has district councils and city councils and all manner of administrative divisions below the level of its national borders.

    No-one is talking about trying to destroy England. I just rather like the idea of trying something new, of devolving power away from Westminster to a lower level, and I think regions of varying sizes would be something worth trying.

    Why are you so insecure about your English identity that you think it would be threatened by creating a regional level of governance?
    The "regions" are massively gerrymandered to ensure Labour rule in as many places as possible. Where the Labour-cities have bigger populations than the surrounding countryside, like Manchester and Liverpool in the Northwest, they're kept together. When it's the other way round, like London in the South East, it's split apart. In the home nations where Labour had a majority, like Scotland and Wales, no regional split is given at all. The whole thing is a left-wing stitch-up from the left-leaning civil service.
    I agree that the current regions are a load of codswallop - for example London should not be separated from the rural hinterland from which many of its workers commute.

    This is why it is vitally important that people other than Labour engage with the regional idea so that Labour are not left unchallenged to create a system that favours them.
    If the proposals are for Scotland and Wales to also get divided into regions, then we can have a discussion.
    At the moment I am an English person, living in England, talking about the governance of England. It's not for me to tell the Welsh and Scottish whether they should devolve powers away from Cardiff or Edinburgh.

    In any case, devolving power from a UK government in London to a Scottish government in Edinburgh represents a significant change from the status quo, since Scotland is about 1/12th the size of the UK. Devolving power from a UK Parliament in London to an English Parliament in Birmingham does not represent a significant change, since England is roughly 5/6ths the size of the UK.
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    @CD13 re immigration

    There was a very interesting article by John Bird, founder of the Big Issue, this morning. Admittedly it was in the Daily Fail, but he is a very thoughtful person so it was better quality than usual.

    He made two points that struck home: (a) about 20% their sales force is Eastern European immigrants; and (b) due to a loophole in the rules, they can register as self-employed salesmen and get £550pw (£26K pa) in in-work benefits

    Given that Big Issue was specifically set up to address a need (transitioning homeless back into mainstream life) it seems very counterproductive that these jobs are not being used for the indigenous homeless: effectively we are importing someone else's problem. Secondly, the very fact that they are then get £26K in benefits should mean that they don't need the job as a Big Issue salesman!
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,704
    Interesting to see right wingers arguing for more government.
  • Do I troll Carswell and Reckless or not via the medium of twitter.

    How is your campaigning in Rochester going, or have you given it up as a lost cause?
  • Mr. Socrates, quite.

    It's perverse and utterly inconsistent to say:
    Welsh devolution = super
    Scottish devolution = super
    English devolution = doubleplusungood

    If a Parliament is good enough for Scotland, it is good enough for England.

    If a parliament was achieved in Scotland after 2 referendums and political movements & parties hammering out a prospectus for such a thing, the same process is good enough for England.
  • TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Charles said:

    @CD13 re immigration

    There was a very interesting article by John Bird, founder of the Big Issue, this morning. Admittedly it was in the Daily Fail, but he is a very thoughtful person so it was better quality than usual.

    He made two points that struck home: (a) about 20% their sales force is Eastern European immigrants; and (b) due to a loophole in the rules, they can register as self-employed salesmen and get £550pw (£26K pa) in in-work benefits

    Given that Big Issue was specifically set up to address a need (transitioning homeless back into mainstream life) it seems very counterproductive that these jobs are not being used for the indigenous homeless: effectively we are importing someone else's problem. Secondly, the very fact that they are then get £26K in benefits should mean that they don't need the job as a Big Issue salesman!

    They have definitely lost their way from the original purpose. Why anyone buys the sub Trot rag anyway is beyond me.
  • Do I troll Carswell and Reckless or not via the medium of twitter.

    How is your campaigning in Rochester going, or have you given it up as a lost cause?
    Well when I found that Britain First was endorsing UKIP, I realised it might be uncomfortable for me.
  • Mr. Me, it is a significant change, because it would give us equality with Scotland. We would not have Scottish votes deciding English matters, as will increasingly happen with DevoMax.

    It will also drastically change the UK-wide government, shifting it to, basically, Foreign, Defence and part of the Treasury. Is that not a colossal change?
  • Ishmael_XIshmael_X Posts: 3,664

    Do I troll Carswell and Reckless or not via the medium of twitter.

    It would be rude not to.

    OTOH aren't you kind of a deputy speaker of the blog, and obliged to be kind of neutral (or at least LD, much the same thing)?

  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,624
    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    More to the point, why not take a map of the world and colour in the bits where you think all these new exaflops are being made? Be afraid, be very afraid of the Yellow Peril.

    Is that true?

    The Exoflops are being made by:

    Intel - in Ireland, the US, Israel and Singapore
    and
    ARM (via Samsung, etc.) - in South Korea, Taiwan and (to a lesser extent) in China
    Surely Nvidia/TSMC are higher than ARM. The bitcoin boom is responible for a massive rise in computing power. Plus gamers who buy 6-7tf GPUs.
    nVidia makes ARM chips - albeit ones with highly capable graphics coprocessors on-die. So, the nVidia Tegra K1 is four (plus one) ARM Cortex A-15 cores, plus a very large number of graphics cores.

    You're right that the Bitcoin mining boom has created a lot of demand for processing power, but (like with nVidia GPUs) I'd argue it's not general purpose computing power such as that from Intel/ARM.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,406

    Do I troll Carswell and Reckless or not via the medium of twitter.

    How is your campaigning in Rochester going, or have you given it up as a lost cause?
    "Expectations managment" kicked in a while ago I think, - I'd imagine efforts are being made to have a 'respectable' loss - a bit like Liverpool last night.
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @Charles
    "Self employing" to do a non job is one of the reasons the unemployment statistics look so good lately, (more money, and less onerous than JSA).
    What's not to like?
  • Mr. Divvie, it's remarkable how sometimes SNP types are seen as being anti-English, isn't it?

    Mr. Jonathan, arguing for democratic equality for England is not remarkable. For most people it's an obvious and natural desire.
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    Pulpstar said:

    Pulpstar said:

    GBP down almost a cent.

    If we could end the year with an oil price equivalent of £50.01 that would be lovely :O)

    LOL

    well you'd certainly enjoy it, though it might give Osborne a headache.

    Does he let more money stay in people's pockets or raise fuel duty running in to an election when to cover the gap in his budget ?
    I don't think fuel duty gets touched in November. Too close to an election.
    Also, I thought the bulk of income from petrol was duty on a pence per litre basis (so unaffected by price of the underlying) not VAT?
  • Mr. Divvie, it's remarkable how sometimes SNP types are seen as being anti-English, isn't it?

    Mr. Jonathan, arguing for democratic equality for England is not remarkable. For most people it's an obvious and natural desire.

    It's remarkable how you (and you certainly don't represent the English to me) seem to want your particular constitutional preference to be handed to you on a plate.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    rcs1000 said:

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    More to the point, why not take a map of the world and colour in the bits where you think all these new exaflops are being made? Be afraid, be very afraid of the Yellow Peril.

    Is that true?

    The Exoflops are being made by:

    Intel - in Ireland, the US, Israel and Singapore
    and
    ARM (via Samsung, etc.) - in South Korea, Taiwan and (to a lesser extent) in China
    Surely Nvidia/TSMC are higher than ARM. The bitcoin boom is responible for a massive rise in computing power. Plus gamers who buy 6-7tf GPUs.
    nVidia makes ARM chips - albeit ones with highly capable graphics coprocessors on-die. So, the nVidia Tegra K1 is four (plus one) ARM Cortex A-15 cores, plus a very large number of graphics cores.

    You're right that the Bitcoin mining boom has created a lot of demand for processing power, but (like with nVidia GPUs) I'd argue it's not general purpose computing power such as that from Intel/ARM.
    Bitcoin mining via Graphics cards is passe, it's all on custom ASICs these days.
  • MikeKMikeK Posts: 9,053
    Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 14m14 minutes ago
    Jim Messina told Tory MPs last week: "I've never, ever lost an election in my life." Well, he just has: http://polho.me/1GouQr8


    Douglas Carswell MP ‏@DouglasCarswell 11m11 minutes ago
    .@paulwaugh Messina's clever marketing cannot retail an appalling product
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,406

    Do I troll Carswell and Reckless or not via the medium of twitter.

    How is your campaigning in Rochester going, or have you given it up as a lost cause?
    Well when I found that Britain First was endorsing UKIP, I realised it might be uncomfortable for me.
    So much as I'd like to avoid linking to their website (So I'll break the link) https://www.britain first.org/category/rochester/ "Jayda Fransen, our candidate for the Rochester by-election, led a march and rally today in the town ..."

    It is plainly NOT the case that they are endorsing UKIP.
  • audreyanneaudreyanne Posts: 1,376
    edited November 2014
    isam said:

    isam said:

    Oooh another Mike Smithson-Lord Ashcroft love in. Can't wait ;)

    Good midterms by the Republicans. Back as a force, notably because they have restrained their loony Tea Party fringe. A lesson for all.

    UKIP = England's Tea Party?
    https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/michael-skey/older-anxious-and-white-why-ukip-are-english-tea-party

    The ostrich takes his or her head out of the sand to relay it's wishful thinking
    So, ISAM would you like to engage with the subject or just snipe?
    When it comes to a joker like audreyanne I prefer to snipe
    Which does rather illustrate my previous point about a protest party of malcontents. Too many kippers on here give the impression of being reactionaries.

    Oooh another Mike Smithson-Lord Ashcroft love in. Can't wait ;)

    Good midterms by the Republicans. Back as a force, notably because they have restrained their loony Tea Party fringe. A lesson for all.

    UKIP = England's Tea Party?
    https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/michael-skey/older-anxious-and-white-why-ukip-are-english-tea-party
    so a bit like yourself then.
    I've never met AudreyAnne, but suspect may not be male or retired.
    So, AlanBrooke would you like to engage with the subject or just snipe?
    Is there a subject, if so what is it ?

    I'd rather assumed I was just adding more sniping to a snipe match.
    It was about UKIP demographics, a comparison with the Tea Party, and whether a party founded essentially 'against' something can ever win enough support to be other than a protest group. Put in a more positive way, if UKIP did have pretensions to power they would need to cross the rubicon into proper positive policies across the spectrum. The problem with the latter is that it's called the centre ground, and I cannot see UKIP straddling it.
  • Ishmael_X said:

    Do I troll Carswell and Reckless or not via the medium of twitter.

    It would be rude not to.

    OTOH aren't you kind of a deputy speaker of the blog, and obliged to be kind of neutral (or at least LD, much the same thing)?

    I managed to do a thread header which said of Reckless "I can't say the word c**t but he's a f**king c**t who deserves a hot poker up his arse." and also managed to say ‘Tories who defect to Ukip are kind of people who have sex with vacuum cleaners’

    So I'll leave it at that
  • SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322

    Mr. Socrates, quite.

    It's perverse and utterly inconsistent to say:
    Welsh devolution = super
    Scottish devolution = super
    English devolution = doubleplusungood

    If a Parliament is good enough for Scotland, it is good enough for England.

    If a parliament was achieved in Scotland after 2 referendums and political movements & parties hammering out a prospectus for such a thing, the same process is good enough for England.
    Our politics was a lot less elitist in the 1980s and 1980s than it is now. The Conservatives and Labour simply don't care about grass roots campaigns from their activists any more.
  • Do I troll Carswell and Reckless or not via the medium of twitter.

    How is your campaigning in Rochester going, or have you given it up as a lost cause?
    Well when I found that Britain First was endorsing UKIP, I realised it might be uncomfortable for me.
    What has that go to do with it?

    You are a committed Tory who described Reckless in terms that would have got the rest of us banned, stated how angry you were and like thousands of Tories would be throwing the kitchen sink at this one.

    Obviously you don't like chasing lost causes, if Tories like you have given Rochester up as easily as Labour have given up the South of England then my UKIP 5+ seats bet at the GE will be home and dry.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,624
    Ishmael_X said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    More to the point, why not take a map of the world and colour in the bits where you think all these new exaflops are being made? Be afraid, be very afraid of the Yellow Peril.

    Is that true?

    The Exoflops are being made by:

    Intel - in Ireland, the US, Israel and Singapore
    and
    ARM (via Samsung, etc.) - in South Korea, Taiwan and (to a lesser extent) in China
    Lots of that looks yellow to me, and I know what I think the trend is.

    Errr: ARM chips are designed in Cambridge (and California)
    Intel chips are designed in Washington (state), California and Israel

    Manufacturing is done as near to the end customer (Dell, HP, Acer, Apple, Lenovo, Asus, etc.) as possible, as microchips depreciate at an extraordinary rate (1% a day is not uncommon), and therefore you want to minimise time in transit.

    If I had the choice between owning the chip designing capability, or the manufacturing, I'd know which one I'd chose. (If you want to create a chip fabrication plant - a 'fab' - then you will need to buy your equipment from an incredibly small list of vendors: ASM Lithography in the Netherlands, Applied Materials in the US, etc.)
  • SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322
    Jonathan said:

    Interesting to see right wingers arguing for more government.

    It would be the same amount of government: the same powers would just be moved to a different level.
  • Pulpstar said:

    Do I troll Carswell and Reckless or not via the medium of twitter.

    How is your campaigning in Rochester going, or have you given it up as a lost cause?
    Well when I found that Britain First was endorsing UKIP, I realised it might be uncomfortable for me.
    So much as I'd like to avoid linking to their website (So I'll break the link) https://www.britain first.org/category/rochester/ "Jayda Fransen, our candidate for the Rochester by-election, led a march and rally today in the town ..."

    It is plainly NOT the case that they are endorsing UKIP.
    Well

    BNP splinter group praises Mark Reckless and says Ukip is 'singing from same hymn sheet'

    Footage emerges of Jayda Fransen, Britain First's deputy leader, saying 'absolutely' no difference between the two parties and cheering Tory defector for joining Ukip

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/11194901/BNP-splinter-group-praises-Mark-Reckless-and-says-Ukip-is-singing-from-same-hymn-sheet.html

    and

    Of course they did

    'Ukip campaigners posed for picture with Britain First by mistake in Rochester,' party HQ claims

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ukip-campaigners-posed-for-picture-with-britain-first-by-mistake-in-rochester-party-hq-claims-9822732.html


    and finally

    http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/the-britain-first-story-is-getting-worse-and-worse-for-ukip--lkH4RYl0Ix
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,624
    Alistair said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    More to the point, why not take a map of the world and colour in the bits where you think all these new exaflops are being made? Be afraid, be very afraid of the Yellow Peril.

    Is that true?

    The Exoflops are being made by:

    Intel - in Ireland, the US, Israel and Singapore
    and
    ARM (via Samsung, etc.) - in South Korea, Taiwan and (to a lesser extent) in China
    Surely Nvidia/TSMC are higher than ARM. The bitcoin boom is responible for a massive rise in computing power. Plus gamers who buy 6-7tf GPUs.
    nVidia makes ARM chips - albeit ones with highly capable graphics coprocessors on-die. So, the nVidia Tegra K1 is four (plus one) ARM Cortex A-15 cores, plus a very large number of graphics cores.

    You're right that the Bitcoin mining boom has created a lot of demand for processing power, but (like with nVidia GPUs) I'd argue it's not general purpose computing power such as that from Intel/ARM.
    Bitcoin mining via Graphics cards is passe, it's all on custom ASICs these days.
    I was (personally) a founder investor in HashFast LLC. It did not go well :-(
  • SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322
    edited November 2014

    At the moment I am an English person, living in England, talking about the governance of England. It's not for me to tell the Welsh and Scottish whether they should devolve powers away from Cardiff or Edinburgh.

    You're absolutely right, the overall UK should not determine how the Scots and Welsh have internal devolution. Equally, the overall UK should not determine how the English have internal devolution. Let's have an English parliament first, and then we can decide, as the English nation, whether we want to devolve it down to regions beyond that.
  • Do I troll Carswell and Reckless or not via the medium of twitter.

    How is your campaigning in Rochester going, or have you given it up as a lost cause?
    Well when I found that Britain First was endorsing UKIP, I realised it might be uncomfortable for me.
    What has that go to do with it?

    You are a committed Tory who described Reckless in terms that would have got the rest of us banned, stated how angry you were and like thousands of Tories would be throwing the kitchen sink at this one.

    Obviously you don't like chasing lost causes, if Tories like you have given Rochester up as easily as Labour have given up the South of England then my UKIP 5+ seats bet at the GE will be home and dry.
    I was merely quoting what other MPs had said in a thread header, it wasn't aimed at any other Pbers.

    I know someone like you, who in the past said "The EDL are the voice of reason" might not be worried with Britain First, but some of us are.

    The reason I can't go to Rochester & Strood is scheduling, I took a holiday last week, and the dates for campaigning just didn't work.

    I did my bit last week to stop UKIP winning in South Yorkshire, so that'll do me.
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,704
    Socrates said:

    Jonathan said:

    Interesting to see right wingers arguing for more government.

    It would be the same amount of government: the same powers would just be moved to a different level.
    If you believe that you'll believe anything. 400 new eMPs legislating 4 days a week. A new civil service department to manage each devolved English power. To manage liaison with the UK, a new English office to mirror the Scottish and Welsh Office.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,406

    Mr. Divvie, it's remarkable how sometimes SNP types are seen as being anti-English, isn't it?

    Mr. Jonathan, arguing for democratic equality for England is not remarkable. For most people it's an obvious and natural desire.

    It's remarkable how you (and you certainly don't represent the English to me) seem to want your particular constitutional preference to be handed to you on a plate.
    So - are the SNP going to go for the big daddy Labour megasafe Glasgow North East, or will you focus efforts perhaps more on Glasgow East ?
  • SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322
    edited November 2014
    TSE's blathering about BritainFirst is ridiculous. Charles Manson was a fans of the Beatles: I guess that makes Lennon and Macartney equivalent to serial killers. BritainFirst are idiots: you wouldn't listen to them on anything else, but when you have a convenient false equivalency story, suddenly they speak the gospel truth.
  • @CasinoRoyale - Excellent blogpost, thanks

    Many thanks, Richard.

    @NickPalmer - thank you also.

    antifrank said:

    Casino Royale, I very much like your piece. You've approached things from the opposite direction to me - I've been looking at what current constituency odds tell us about the chances of the parties (and then looking for anomalies) while you've been looking at a given level of performance would require, and then looking for the best constituency odds. I'm thinking about Birmingham Northfield as a result.

    I would not be looking for many Conservative gains in London - quite the reverse, this is one region where Labour will do unusually well, relatively.

    Many thanks antifrank. You've summarised very neatly what I was doing.

    We don't always see eye-to-eye on political matters, but I'm a great admirer of your analysis and betting insight skills. Your kind words mean a lot to me!
    Very interesting reading. I used to live in Birmingham Northfield in the good 'ole days when it was a super-marginal and every vote was worth its weight. I still have contacts so I'll be trying to get some on-the-ground info in next couple of weeks. I do gather that the Tories have been highly active recently.

    Suggest that @Casino_Royale reposts his blog link later in the day, around PMQs as they'll be more of us PBers online around then.
    That'd be great, Rottenborough. I'd love to hear about what Intel you're hearing from the ground in Northfield. Many thanks.

    Unfortunately, I have a couple of meetings this morning, and am compere to a 4-hour seminar taking place this afternoon, so probably won't be able to repost.

    I'll check in again when I can this evening, as we digest the latest Ashcroft marginals, and perhaps join a bit more of a discussion then.
  • MikeKMikeK Posts: 9,053

    pic.twitter.com/NlQLwouD3a

    — UKIP Taz (@UKIPTaz) November 5, 2014

    Feed the birds. Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag................ Mary Poppins
  • Mr. Divvie, very heart-warming to be told by a Scotsman I don't represent England. Perhaps I'll have a Lancastrian telling me all about Yorkshire next.

    I want equality for England. I want for England what Scotland has. No more power, no less. On behalf of all Englishmen, we are greatly flattered by your interest in our governance.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670

    Do I troll Carswell and Reckless or not via the medium of twitter.

    How is your campaigning in Rochester going, or have you given it up as a lost cause?
    Well when I found that Britain First was endorsing UKIP, I realised it might be uncomfortable for me.
    What has that go to do with it?

    You are a committed Tory who described Reckless in terms that would have got the rest of us banned, stated how angry you were and like thousands of Tories would be throwing the kitchen sink at this one.

    Obviously you don't like chasing lost causes, if Tories like you have given Rochester up as easily as Labour have given up the South of England then my UKIP 5+ seats bet at the GE will be home and dry.
    I was merely quoting what other MPs had said in a thread header, it wasn't aimed at any other Pbers.

    I know someone like you, who in the past said "The EDL are the voice of reason" might not be worried with Britain First, but some of us are.

    The reason I can't go to Rochester & Strood is scheduling, I took a holiday last week, and the dates for campaigning just didn't work.

    I did my bit last week to stop UKIP winning in South Yorkshire, so that'll do me.
    I put money on Rochester on the basis you would be campaigning!
  • Mr. Jonathan, if Scotland gets DevoMax and England gets equality, the Westminster Parliament will be gutted. It'll be reduced to Defence, Foreign and some Treasury functions.
  • Socrates said:

    TSE's blathering about BritainFirst is ridiculous. Charles Manson was a fans of the Beatles: I guess that makes Lennon and Macartney equivalent to serial killers. BritainFirst are idiots: you wouldn't listen to them on anything else, but when you have a convenient false equivalency story, suddenly they speak the gospel truth.

    Some of us did warn you that UKIP's rhetoric would attract the far right but you didn't listen.
  • Mr. Socrates, quite.

    It's perverse and utterly inconsistent to say:
    Welsh devolution = super
    Scottish devolution = super
    English devolution = doubleplusungood

    If a Parliament is good enough for Scotland, it is good enough for England.

    That depends why you think devolved parliaments are a good idea for Scotland and Wales. If you think they're good because they're countries (or nations or whatever they are, can't remember, but it involves flags and rugby teams and things) then that would apply to England as well. But if you think they're good because they're reasonably-sized regions, that doesn't apply to England, because it's much too big as a proportion of the UK.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,406
    Why on earth are Britain First running a candidate for R&S if they are endorsing UKIP then lol - do they have a bet on the lower bands of Reckless' % total :P ?!
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,959
    edited November 2014
    Alistair said:

    Do I troll Carswell and Reckless or not via the medium of twitter.

    How is your campaigning in Rochester going, or have you given it up as a lost cause?
    Well when I found that Britain First was endorsing UKIP, I realised it might be uncomfortable for me.
    What has that go to do with it?

    You are a committed Tory who described Reckless in terms that would have got the rest of us banned, stated how angry you were and like thousands of Tories would be throwing the kitchen sink at this one.

    Obviously you don't like chasing lost causes, if Tories like you have given Rochester up as easily as Labour have given up the South of England then my UKIP 5+ seats bet at the GE will be home and dry.
    I was merely quoting what other MPs had said in a thread header, it wasn't aimed at any other Pbers.

    I know someone like you, who in the past said "The EDL are the voice of reason" might not be worried with Britain First, but some of us are.

    The reason I can't go to Rochester & Strood is scheduling, I took a holiday last week, and the dates for campaigning just didn't work.

    I did my bit last week to stop UKIP winning in South Yorkshire, so that'll do me.
    I put money on Rochester on the basis you would be campaigning!
    I might be there on the day, I'm trying to schedule work, so I'm knocking up the voters in Rochester on Thursday and at the PB Meet on Friday
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,821

    Trying something new can mean an English Parliament. Why is a Parliament for all Scotland, a large and varied land including lowlands, highlands and islands, a fine and just and obvious thing, but a Parliament for England some unwieldy and strange device?

    I simply do not care about an English Parliament. It's not that I'm opposed to such a thing, I just don't think it will make anything other than the most marginal difference. So it bores me.

    Devolution to a regional level would create polities that had a real and substantial amount of power and budget to choose their own future. There's a lot of complaining about over-bearing London from the extremities of England, and giving the regions power and freedom from London would also give them the responsibility to stop moaning and start improving.

    Have your English Parliament if you want, but I'm more interested in devolving power to a lower level so that there is more doing and less complaining.
    Then I take it you're a staunch opponent of the EU.
  • Pulpstar said:

    Do I troll Carswell and Reckless or not via the medium of twitter.

    How is your campaigning in Rochester going, or have you given it up as a lost cause?
    Well when I found that Britain First was endorsing UKIP, I realised it might be uncomfortable for me.
    So much as I'd like to avoid linking to their website (So I'll break the link) https://www.britain first.org/category/rochester/ "Jayda Fransen, our candidate for the Rochester by-election, led a march and rally today in the town ..."

    It is plainly NOT the case that they are endorsing UKIP.
    Well

    BNP splinter group praises Mark Reckless and says Ukip is 'singing from same hymn sheet'

    Footage emerges of Jayda Fransen, Britain First's deputy leader, saying 'absolutely' no difference between the two parties and cheering Tory defector for joining Ukip

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/11194901/BNP-splinter-group-praises-Mark-Reckless-and-says-Ukip-is-singing-from-same-hymn-sheet.html

    and

    Of course they did

    'Ukip campaigners posed for picture with Britain First by mistake in Rochester,' party HQ claims

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ukip-campaigners-posed-for-picture-with-britain-first-by-mistake-in-rochester-party-hq-claims-9822732.html


    and finally

    http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/the-britain-first-story-is-getting-worse-and-worse-for-ukip--lkH4RYl0Ix
    More sad smears from TSE. If Britain First (who are indeed a thoroughly despicable bunch) are so behind Reckless and want him to win then why are they standing a candidate against him in Rochester?

    You really have become a sad sack since some MPs decided that principles were more important than party.

    I can only assume it is because you yourself lack any real principles.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    edited November 2014
    rcs1000 said:

    Alistair said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    More to the point, why not take a map of the world and colour in the bits where you think all these new exaflops are being made? Be afraid, be very afraid of the Yellow Peril.

    Is that true?

    The Exoflops are being made by:

    Intel - in Ireland, the US, Israel and Singapore
    and
    ARM (via Samsung, etc.) - in South Korea, Taiwan and (to a lesser extent) in China
    Surely Nvidia/TSMC are higher than ARM. The bitcoin boom is responible for a massive rise in computing power. Plus gamers who buy 6-7tf GPUs.
    nVidia makes ARM chips - albeit ones with highly capable graphics coprocessors on-die. So, the nVidia Tegra K1 is four (plus one) ARM Cortex A-15 cores, plus a very large number of graphics cores.

    You're right that the Bitcoin mining boom has created a lot of demand for processing power, but (like with nVidia GPUs) I'd argue it's not general purpose computing power such as that from Intel/ARM.
    Bitcoin mining via Graphics cards is passe, it's all on custom ASICs these days.
    I was (personally) a founder investor in HashFast LLC. It did not go well :-(
    My view on Bitcoin is less then positive. Especially not helped by Bitcoin-boosters who didn't seem to understand how the underlying technology worked (or assumed that I didn't understand) when dismissing criticism.
  • Pulpstar said:

    Why on earth are Britain First running a candidate for R&S if they are endorsing UKIP then lol - do they have a bet on the lower bands of Reckless' % total :P ?!

    We're talking about them, job done.
  • Off-topic:

    Islam-of-Socialism will be pished that another "indentured-voter" fails to support the left....

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/newzealand/11207621/New-Zealand-athletes-referred-to-police-for-election-tweets.html

    Not sure if it effects the immigrant-swing in Cornwall much. But the precedent is gonna' hurt.
  • John_MJohn_M Posts: 7,503

    Mr. Jonathan, if Scotland gets DevoMax and England gets equality, the Westminster Parliament will be gutted. It'll be reduced to Defence, Foreign and some Treasury functions.

    You say that like it's a bad thing.
  • Mr. Tokyo, my first preference would be abolishing all devolution, but that's politically impossible.

    I find it incredible, quite literally, that some remark that Wales and Scotland are magically the perfect size (despite having substantially different populations) for devolution but England is just wrong.

    From both a pragmatic and historical/emotional perspective, an English Parliament is the only sustainable way forward for both England and the UK to have a realistic chance of long term survival.
  • volcanopetevolcanopete Posts: 2,078
    Ladbrokes are sole offering 5.5 on May for next Tory leader.Cathy Newman suggests 9-2 is still value in DT.
  • Ishmael_XIshmael_X Posts: 3,664
    rcs1000 said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    More to the point, why not take a map of the world and colour in the bits where you think all these new exaflops are being made? Be afraid, be very afraid of the Yellow Peril.

    Is that true?

    The Exoflops are being made by:

    Intel - in Ireland, the US, Israel and Singapore
    and
    ARM (via Samsung, etc.) - in South Korea, Taiwan and (to a lesser extent) in China
    Lots of that looks yellow to me, and I know what I think the trend is.

    Errr: ARM chips are designed in Cambridge (and California)
    Intel chips are designed in Washington (state), California and Israel

    Manufacturing is done as near to the end customer (Dell, HP, Acer, Apple, Lenovo, Asus, etc.) as possible, as microchips depreciate at an extraordinary rate (1% a day is not uncommon), and therefore you want to minimise time in transit.

    If I had the choice between owning the chip designing capability, or the manufacturing, I'd know which one I'd chose. (If you want to create a chip fabrication plant - a 'fab' - then you will need to buy your equipment from an incredibly small list of vendors: ASM Lithography in the Netherlands, Applied Materials in the US, etc.)
    That, no doubt, is the way things are. We were talking about the way things are going. You are not presumably claiming that no chips are currently designed or made in China and that that will be the position forever?

    As for end customers I've just turned my Sony Vaio upside down to see where it was made. Same country as all the Dell laptops in the world ...
This discussion has been closed.