You misunderstand what I am saying, and are proving nothing with your tables. You are proving a point that I am not questioning
I am not saying he is unpopular with his own supporters, I am saying he is popular because he is the Conservative PM rather than any identifiable quality.. they like him because he is their guy and he is PM, because he stopped the PM being a Labour guy as it had for 13 years
Ascribing qualities to him personally misses that point, and when asked, Conservative voters didn't unanimously say he was specifcally good at anything
There are multiple difficulties with that theory:
1) David Cameron is more popular than his party, and has been so pretty consistently for a long time. So it's not just that he's Conservative leader - he clearly appeals to a considerable number of voters for other reasons.
2) His approval ratings both with his party and with the wider electorate have fluctuated over the years but seem to be on an upward trend. There wouldn't be any great variation in his ratings if your theory of slavish adoration by the Conservative public had anything much in it.
3) You assume that the only attributes that the public value in a Prime Minister are those listed. That seems a very dangerous and almost certainly incorrect assumption to me.
4) As Richard Nabavi correctly points out, people will answer this type of multiple selection question in varying ways when polled.
"If two collegues fall out it is a matter between them."
The star of the show and the assistant producer are not collegues. The BBC will use assistant producer to describe anyone from PA to the person who cleans the cars.
The BBC said the producer was a man - but what kind of man hides behind their employer in this petty dispute?
Can we presume that you would have a relaxed attitude towards being punched by a colleague in the course of your work duties and wouldnt expect your employer to intervene in any way?
"If two collegues fall out it is a matter between them."
The star of the show and the assistant producer are not collegues. The BBC will use assistant producer to describe anyone from PA to the person who cleans the cars.
The BBC said the producer was a man - but what kind of man hides behind their employer in this petty dispute?
Can we presume that you would have a relaxed attitude towards being punched by a colleague in the course of your work duties and wouldnt expect your employer to intervene in any way?
Indeed. The only work situation outside competitive fighting you can get away with that, if it happens, is in Hollywood I believe.
"If two collegues fall out it is a matter between them."
The star of the show and the assistant producer are not collegues. The BBC will use assistant producer to describe anyone from PA to the person who cleans the cars.
The BBC said the producer was a man - but what kind of man hides behind their employer in this petty dispute?
Pretty clear his union rep got involved...
Genius. There could be a whole crew looking for new jobs soon, if the production gets shut down. Will the union help then?
"If two collegues fall out it is a matter between them."
The star of the show and the assistant producer are not collegues. The BBC will use assistant producer to describe anyone from PA to the person who cleans the cars.
The BBC said the producer was a man - but what kind of man hides behind their employer in this petty dispute?
Pretty clear his union rep got involved...
Genius. There could be a whole crew looking for new jobs soon, if the production gets shut down. Will the union help then?
Is there a line Clarkson could have crossed that even you would have felt justified some form of intervention? Killing the first born child of every female member of staff perhaps?
The point is it shows no one thinks he is particularly great at anything.. they like him because he is the Conservative PM
Quietly competent and a safe pair of hands isn't a bad thing to be.
God forbid we have someone who wants to stride the global stage starting wars all over the place, or whose meddling and general buffoonery is likely to collapse the banking system and bankrupt NHS trusts with PFI vanity projects.
My wife is an anesthesiologist (anesthetist in US speak). Your post reminded me of what she often says about her cases - "Boring is good". Exciting cases are rarely good for the patient.
"If two collegues fall out it is a matter between them."
The star of the show and the assistant producer are not collegues. The BBC will use assistant producer to describe anyone from PA to the person who cleans the cars.
The BBC said the producer was a man - but what kind of man hides behind their employer in this petty dispute?
Pretty clear his union rep got involved...
Genius. There could be a whole crew looking for new jobs soon, if the production gets shut down. Will the union help then?
Is there a line Clarkson could have crossed that even you would have felt justified some form of intervention? Killing the first born child of every female member of staff perhaps?
Bloody Unions have put a stop to all that minor slaying stuff at work.
Can I admit to being a little surprised at how much play this Clarkson business is getting on political websites? Nothing wrong with that, not at all, but it's a guy with a history of incidents being accused of another incident - even with him not being liked by the left, it doesn't at this point seem that politically controversial yet. But in fairness I'm only picking up the information via osmosis.
So are you suggesting that people are incapable of following the survey instructions and instead decide to do their own thing?
It seems to me that if it says 'Tick All That Apply' and people then don't tick some of them then it is reasonable to believe that that actually means they don't think those qualities apply rather than they can't be bothered to fill in the survey properly.
As I said, look at other examples of this sort of question being asked, and you will see that I am right.
Respondents are not being stupid. They are, not unreasonably, answering a question which appears to asking about 'what sort of person is Cameron?'. They have been asked firstly to 'think about David Cameron'. Following that instruction, they then select the characteristics which most closely match their thoughts about him. They are selecting the strongest matches.
As I said, this is pretty basic stuff in terms of the psychology of people responding to surveys.
Well given then that the results of such questions therefore are purely interpretative and cannot be taken at face value it begs the question why pollsters bother with them because from the way you are presenting it, it is impossible to determine which characteristics people don't feel apply and those which they didn't feel were important enough to them to tick. If you are right then such results are not worth the paper they are written on.
If that were the case I would have thought pollsters would have developed some sort of weighting to take account of the psychological phenomena you refer to else it would surely become common knowledge that such polling was meaningless
'It was called the Chipping Norton set, an incestuous collection of louche, affluent, power-hungry and amoral Londoners, located in and around the Prime Minister’s Oxfordshire constituency............'
"If two collegues fall out it is a matter between them."
The star of the show and the assistant producer are not collegues. The BBC will use assistant producer to describe anyone from PA to the person who cleans the cars.
The BBC said the producer was a man - but what kind of man hides behind their employer in this petty dispute?
Pretty clear his union rep got involved...
Genius. There could be a whole crew looking for new jobs soon, if the production gets shut down. Will the union help then?
Is there a line Clarkson could have crossed that even you would have felt justified some form of intervention? Killing the first born child of every female member of staff perhaps?
TBH, I couldn't really care about him, nor the show.
The real entertainment is watching the BBC twist itself into gordian knots, as it tries to solve the tricky problem of how to save the worlds most successful factual programme, and a revenue stream worth £150 million. That's quite a few 'Suit' salaries swirling around the plughole.
They've slashed every other department to ribbons, and outsourced the majority of production, so it will be small justice to see some of the great and the good in W1 finally get the boot.
Mr. kle4, it's probably related to political correctness and, to an extent, a left/right split.
Well sure, and he is a big name, but it's not as though we generally lack triggers for debates on PCness between the nonsense left/right split. The intensity surprises me.
"If two collegues fall out it is a matter between them."
The star of the show and the assistant producer are not collegues. The BBC will use assistant producer to describe anyone from PA to the person who cleans the cars.
The BBC said the producer was a man - but what kind of man hides behind their employer in this petty dispute?
Pretty clear his union rep got involved...
Genius. There could be a whole crew looking for new jobs soon, if the production gets shut down. Will the union help then?
Is there a line Clarkson could have crossed that even you would have felt justified some form of intervention? Killing the first born child of every female member of staff perhaps?
The real entertainment is watching the BBC twist itself into gordian knots, as it tries to solve the tricky problem of how to save the worlds most successful factual programme, and a revenue stream worth £150 million. That's quite a few 'Suit' salaries swirling around the plughole.
This, at least, I can agree with wholeheartedly. Maybe he's crossed a line, maybe he was told next time he did something he was out, but there is just so much money at stake that there is no way they actually wanted this, but have to do something.
Unless they think it's so important, they run it first?
It's about the BBC itself, if an embarrassment, so I wouldn't be surprised if they gave it top billing.
Not the debate about the debates? They have been pointing at an empty chair most of today.
Different types of story I guess - that one has been dragged along, bubbling along, for weeks if not months, and the broadcasters want it to go on even longer, so they maybe don't want it top billing every day. Just a guess.
Mr. kle4, it's probably related to political correctness and, to an extent, a left/right split.
Well sure, and he is a big name, but it's not as though we generally lack triggers for debates on PCness between the nonsense left/right split. The intensity surprises me.
"If two collegues fall out it is a matter between them."
The star of the show and the assistant producer are not collegues. The BBC will use assistant producer to describe anyone from PA to the person who cleans the cars.
The BBC said the producer was a man - but what kind of man hides behind their employer in this petty dispute?
Pretty clear his union rep got involved...
Genius. There could be a whole crew looking for new jobs soon, if the production gets shut down. Will the union help then?
Is there a line Clarkson could have crossed that even you would have felt justified some form of intervention? Killing the first born child of every female member of staff perhaps?
The real entertainment is watching the BBC twist itself into gordian knots, as it tries to solve the tricky problem of how to save the worlds most successful factual programme, and a revenue stream worth £150 million. That's quite a few 'Suit' salaries swirling around the plughole.
This, at least, I can agree with wholeheartedly. Maybe he's crossed a line, maybe he was told next time he did something he was out, but there is just so much money at stake that there is no way they actually wanted this, but have to do something.
5 of the 10 most read stories on the BBC website right now are about Clarkson/Top Gear. The top story is news that the petition has reached 400,000
I don't think it matters whether the BBC says almost half a million or over half a million. The figure is staggering and there hasn't been popular public support for an online petition since over a million people signed against some other motoring issue. I think it was pay as you drive taxation or maybe a duty rise.
Mr. Max, no idea if you'll have an inside line on this, but I'm contemplating getting a PS4, but have a bad history of buying a console shortly before a new, better version hits the market. Any idea if we're due a new PS4 model?
It's because it IS political. The left hoped to finally sack Clarkson because they REALLY DO dislike him, the same way they hate Farage, most Tories, Murdoch, etc.
However the viewers/voters are now seeing this - especially the petition - to say a big F U to the liberal elite and political correctness.
It's a minor incident in itself, yet it is emblematic of a wider struggle.
Yes, people are fed up with having the liberal elites moral norms enforced on them to the extent of criminalising deviations from them. They resent both the liberal elite telling them what they must disapprove of, what they mustn't disapprove of (in most cases the opposite of 50 years ago) and how they can deal with those under their charge who do things they disapprove of.
While I'm not sure it was ever acceptable to strike or attempt to strike a work colleague, what is new to this era is that such an (alleged action) would have been sorted locally by either the parties sorting it out between themselves before they went home (or settling it with a fight on the common outside the factory after work) or the foreman instantly dismissing the person striking their colleague. Months of people suspended on full pay while ovepaid HR bods have endless meetings to agonise over what to do and write reams of reports is the modern malaise in this case.
In summary the encroacment of the state and legal processes into day to day social interaction is what is bitterly resented.
60 years ago a teacher, parent or foreman would generally have sorted any assualts (basically anything other than grevious body harm, or actual body harm needing hospital treatment) committed domestically within the institution of work, school or home as they saw fit (usually by thumping the miscreant themselves) with no right to haul the foreman teacher or parent to court. It was quicker, less stresssful to everyone and most important, meant taxes were lower as there wasn't a whole industry of social workers, lawyers, and domestic violence police at huge public expense).
Clarkson arrived at the Simonstone Hall Hotel last Wednesday night to find that dinner service had ended and the chef had gone home.
A source said the Top Gear team had been expected for dinner at 8pm but did not arrive until around two hours later. It was during a row over the meal that producer Oisin Tymon was allegedly punched.
The hotel’s general managet Robert Scott said: "It was mid-week and the whole crew stayed for several nights."
I don't think it matters whether the BBC says almost half a million or over half a million. The figure is staggering and there hasn't been popular public support for an online petition since over a million people signed against some other motoring issue. I think it was pay as you drive taxation or maybe a duty rise.
Half a Million people Chicken Feed
When I were a lad 2 million people marched against the Iraq war.
Ad to walk over broken glass anall
The kids of today dont know they're born sat at ome signing online petitions.
Well Sire De Grugy beat Sprinter Sacre I suppose :S
Pretty poor renewal though, no offence to Somersby but showed it was a fairly modest renewal. Champagne Fever would have probably run close.
Yes I did wrong Nicholl's horse , had Sire Collonges. Another close day, 2nd at 7-1 , winner at 9-1 and 3rd nowhere. Still have come out a little ahead on both days so far which is an achievement.
Clarkson arrived at the Simonstone Hall Hotel last Wednesday night to find that dinner service had ended and the chef had gone home.
A source said the Top Gear team had been expected for dinner at 8pm but did not arrive until around two hours later. It was during a row over the meal that producer Oisin Tymon was allegedly punched.
The hotel’s general managet Robert Scott said: "It was mid-week and the whole crew stayed for several nights."
Mr. Max, no idea if you'll have an inside line on this, but I'm contemplating getting a PS4, but have a bad history of buying a console shortly before a new, better version hits the market. Any idea if we're due a new PS4 model?
Not for a while. There might be an internal revision coming soon, but no external change due until 2017 AIUI.
"There is also no comparison between what I do: create, and what you do: make commercials for tampons and breakfast cereals."
They've produced an excellent cover for you by the way. I've no doubt it's the best part of the book
But PS, you're right about the cover tho. It's brilliant. I got lucky.
I only wish the Americans had used the same one, but they've gone "upmarket".
*sigh*
I'd heard that was a common thing in publishing, american covers being worse, but couldn't really see the reason for it being given, if it is indeed normal. Different ideas of classiness?
Well Sire De Grugy beat Sprinter Sacre I suppose :S
Pretty poor renewal though, no offence to Somersby but showed it was a fairly modest renewal. Champagne Fever would have probably run close.
Yes I did wrong Nicholl's horse , had Sire Collonges. Another close day, 2nd at 7-1 , winner at 9-1 and 3rd nowhere. Still have come out a little ahead on both days so far which is an achievement.
Only bet for tommorow is Vautour for me.
Got on Don Poli for the 2016 Gold Cup too. Silvianaco Conti is the best horse in this year's race but he just doesn't like the hill, so no bet I reckon.
Clarkson arrived at the Simonstone Hall Hotel last Wednesday night to find that dinner service had ended and the chef had gone home.
A source said the Top Gear team had been expected for dinner at 8pm but did not arrive until around two hours later. It was during a row over the meal that producer Oisin Tymon was allegedly punched.
The hotel’s general managet Robert Scott said: "It was mid-week and the whole crew stayed for several nights."
Clarkson arrived at the Simonstone Hall Hotel last Wednesday night to find that dinner service had ended and the chef had gone home.
A source said the Top Gear team had been expected for dinner at 8pm but did not arrive until around two hours later. It was during a row over the meal that producer Oisin Tymon was allegedly punched.
The hotel’s general managet Robert Scott said: "It was mid-week and the whole crew stayed for several nights."
Well Sire De Grugy beat Sprinter Sacre I suppose :S
Pretty poor renewal though, no offence to Somersby but showed it was a fairly modest renewal. Champagne Fever would have probably run close.
Yes I did wrong Nicholl's horse , had Sire Collonges. Another close day, 2nd at 7-1 , winner at 9-1 and 3rd nowhere. Still have come out a little ahead on both days so far which is an achievement.
Only bet for tommorow is Vautour for me.
Got on Don Poli for the 2016 Gold Cup too. Silvianaco Conti is the best horse in this year's race but he just doesn't like the hill, so no bet I reckon.
Ptit Zig will make it hard for Vautour. Think Nicholl's could have another couple tomorrow. Tough choice between his 2 in the 15:20 Think it will Ptit Zig and probably Saphir de Rheu for me, but maybe Zarkander.
"There is also no comparison between what I do: create, and what you do: make commercials for tampons and breakfast cereals."
They've produced an excellent cover for you by the way. I've no doubt it's the best part of the book
But PS, you're right about the cover tho. It's brilliant. I got lucky.
I only wish the Americans had used the same one, but they've gone "upmarket".
*sigh*
I'd heard that was a common thing in publishing, american covers being worse, but couldn't really see the reason for it being given, if it is indeed normal. Different ideas of classiness?
Exactly right. It's bizarre because in many other ways American publishers are superior to UK publishers (thanks to greater resources?), they take more time over editing, they are often more individually dedicated to books, even paper quality is often better.
Yet their covers.... I guess it's just a different public with different tastes. Bizarre that they should differ so much tho (by contrast European publishers are generally very happy to take the often excellent UK covers).
SeanT - alas my book did not get a US print run - HarperCollins used the UK version - which had a great cover - in the US markets. However, the German print had a truly dreadful cover.
Clarkson arrived at the Simonstone Hall Hotel last Wednesday night to find that dinner service had ended and the chef had gone home.
A source said the Top Gear team had been expected for dinner at 8pm but did not arrive until around two hours later. It was during a row over the meal that producer Oisin Tymon was allegedly punched.
The hotel’s general managet Robert Scott said: "It was mid-week and the whole crew stayed for several nights."
Clarkson arrived at the Simonstone Hall Hotel last Wednesday night to find that dinner service had ended and the chef had gone home.
A source said the Top Gear team had been expected for dinner at 8pm but did not arrive until around two hours later. It was during a row over the meal that producer Oisin Tymon was allegedly punched.
The hotel’s general managet Robert Scott said: "It was mid-week and the whole crew stayed for several nights."
"There is also no comparison between what I do: create, and what you do: make commercials for tampons and breakfast cereals."
They've produced an excellent cover for you by the way. I've no doubt it's the best part of the book
But PS, you're right about the cover tho. It's brilliant. I got lucky.
I only wish the Americans had used the same one, but they've gone "upmarket".
*sigh*
I'd heard that was a common thing in publishing, american covers being worse, but couldn't really see the reason for it being given, if it is indeed normal. Different ideas of classiness?
Exactly right. It's bizarre because in many other ways American publishers are superior to UK publishers (thanks to greater resources?), they take more time over editing, they are often more individually dedicated to books, even paper quality is often better.
Yet their covers.... I guess it's just a different public with different tastes. Bizarre that they should differ so much tho (by contrast European publishers are generally very happy to take the often excellent UK covers).
I didn't realise you'd written a new one so I have just downloaded it to read on the Tube home tonight.
It might make a good intro to the PB drinks later on........
Galloway might need all those £5k's he has been collecting from people being nasty about him on twitter...
Frankly were I Galloway I'd be wary about going into a courtroom to be asked about my attitude to Jews.......but as I don't want to get OGH into trouble I will say no more.
MODERATORS: if you think necessary I'm happy to delete.
That's funny! I once had a male and female model who by coincidence both happened to be vegans. For four days in Madrid they'd lived off bananas and mashed potatoes. On this particular night we arrived back to the hotel late and the male just lost it and lots of cutlery went flying. He'd asked for bananas with black spots and they'd just supplied greenish yellow bananas but by this time they were both starving.
It had for five or ten minutes but it is up again now..... [edited] or not
It's down again, presumably it's getting an after work surge as people watch the BBC news ABOUT the anti-BBC petition then decide they want to sign it.
The BBC is eating itself.
Clarkson is enormously popular in North America. The great American public is speaking.
It might make a good intro to the PB drinks later on........
Galloway might need all those £5k's he has been collecting from people being nasty about him on twitter...
Frankly were I Galloway I'd be wary about going into a courtroom to be asked about my attitude to Jews.......but as I don't want to get OGH into trouble I will say no more.
MODERATORS: if you think necessary I'm happy to delete.
Old George does very well these days, I am sure he can afford a tip top lawyer.
£100k a year from Press TV and £100k a year from Al-Mayadeen TV.
Isn't there a bit of over-egging of the Clarkson petition going on? It's hardly a Clash of Civilizations, is it?
Most people signing it are signing it because:-
1. They are annoyed at having a favourite programme taken off air. 2. The bandwagon effect - everyone's signing so I'm going to sign also.
It does not mean that all those people approve of people punching their colleagues nor that they think Farage should be PM nor that they are finally finding the courage to fight back against the oppressions of the Liberal-Left-EU-PC-Guardianista -fill in your own boo-group-classes.
I seem to remember reading a Philip Kerr novel 20 odd years ago involving yeti. He did an excellent job, as does Mr T and as does Frederick Forsyth, of blurring the line between what's factual and what's novel so thoroughly that you can't tell where he's left off relating facts and where he's started making it up.
The trouble though with yeti stories is they live above the snowline and they do bugger all. Who cares?
If anyone likes spy stories can I recommend Edward Wilson. He messes with your head.
Isn't there a bit of over-egging of the Clarkson petition going on? It's hardly a Clash of Civilizations, is it?
Most people signing it are signing it because:-
1. They are annoyed at having a favourite programme taken off air. 2. The bandwagon effect - everyone's signing so I'm going to sign also.
It does not mean that all those people approve of people punching their colleagues nor that they think Farage should be PM nor that they are finally finding the courage to fight back against the oppressions of the Liberal-Left-EU-PC-Guardianista -fill in your own boo-group-classes.
The change.org petitions in general are a load of nonsense. There are all sorts of bonkers / niche ones on there with a decent number of "signatures".
It might make a good intro to the PB drinks later on........
Galloway might need all those £5k's he has been collecting from people being nasty about him on twitter...
Frankly were I Galloway I'd be wary about going into a courtroom to be asked about my attitude to Jews.......but as I don't want to get OGH into trouble I will say no more.
MODERATORS: if you think necessary I'm happy to delete.
Old George does very well these days, I am sure he can afford a tip top lawyer.
£100k a year from Press TV and £100k a year from Al-Mayadeen TV.
It might make a good intro to the PB drinks later on........
Galloway might need all those £5k's he has been collecting from people being nasty about him on twitter...
Frankly were I Galloway I'd be wary about going into a courtroom to be asked about my attitude to Jews.......but as I don't want to get OGH into trouble I will say no more.
MODERATORS: if you think necessary I'm happy to delete.
Old George does very well these days, I am sure he can afford a tip top lawyer.
£100k a year from Press TV and £100k a year from Al-Mayadeen TV.
Mr. Bond, must say I'm not that into yetis. Most modern day folklore (zombies, vampires, werewolves) doesn't do much for me, unless it's especially well-done (such as The Last Of Us).
"There is also no comparison between what I do: create, and what you do: make commercials for tampons and breakfast cereals."
They've produced an excellent cover for you by the way. I've no doubt it's the best part of the book
But PS, you're right about the cover tho. It's brilliant. I got lucky.
I only wish the Americans had used the same one, but they've gone "upmarket".
*sigh*
I'd heard that was a common thing in publishing, american covers being worse, but couldn't really see the reason for it being given, if it is indeed normal. Different ideas of classiness?
Exactly right. It's bizarre because in many other ways American publishers are superior to UK publishers (thanks to greater resources?), they take more time over editing, they are often more individually dedicated to books, even paper quality is often better.
Yet their covers.... I guess it's just a different public with different tastes. Bizarre that they should differ so much tho (by contrast European publishers are generally very happy to take the often excellent UK covers).
SeanT - alas my book did not get a US print run - HarperCollins used the UK version - which had a great cover - in the US markets. However, the German print had a truly dreadful cover.
The worst cover I ever had (for my memoir) was my German paperback edition. Worse even than the Russian cover of Marks of Cain, which showed a naked woman being crucified in a church (something which never happens in the book, at any point, in any way).
The German memoir was WORSE than that.
When they want to the Germans can still really plumb the depths of naffness.
Agreed. They changed the title, too, to something darker altogether.
It might make a good intro to the PB drinks later on........
Galloway might need all those £5k's he has been collecting from people being nasty about him on twitter...
Frankly were I Galloway I'd be wary about going into a courtroom to be asked about my attitude to Jews.......but as I don't want to get OGH into trouble I will say no more.
MODERATORS: if you think necessary I'm happy to delete.
Old George does very well these days, I am sure he can afford a tip top lawyer.
£100k a year from Press TV and £100k a year from Al-Mayadeen TV.
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 5s6 seconds ago PM David Cameron who is Jeremy #Clarkson's MP says presenter is a "great talent" and hopes his suspension from Top Gear "can be sorted out"
"There is also no comparison between what I do: create, and what you do: make commercials for tampons and breakfast cereals."
They've produced an excellent cover for you by the way. I've no doubt it's the best part of the book
But PS, you're right about the cover tho. It's brilliant. I got lucky.
I only wish the Americans had used the same one, but they've gone "upmarket".
*sigh*
I'd heard that was a common thing in publishing, american covers being worse, but couldn't really see the reason for it being given, if it is indeed normal. Different ideas of classiness?
Yet their covers.... I guess it's just a different public with different tastes. Bizarre that they should differ so much tho (by contrast European publishers are generally very happy to take the often excellent UK covers).
I didn't realise you'd written a new one so I have just downloaded it to read on the Tube home tonight.
What was the rationale behind the new pen name?
A totally new kind of book needed a new pen name otherwise Tom Knox fans would feel utterly bewildered, even cheated. What no orang utan rape? What's all this crap about marital arguments? Where's the evil Mexican villain with the Chinese drugs that make you atheist?
We went for that precise name because Tremayne is my grandmother's maiden name, and because S K is "gender neutral".
Be warned, it really isn't like Tom Knox!
But many many thanks for buying.
The Tom Knox titles were actually not really my thing, but I find I enjoy reading anything as long as it's a well-executed example of its art. The dating novel was a hoot and somehow, probably lurking here, I had picked up the connection. I tried one, found it an enjoyable entertainment and bought the rest.
I do not underestimate how bloody difficult those things are to write. A few years ago, when I was spending 25 hours a week on long haul flights, I attempted to use the dead time this involved for some creative writing of my own, for the first time since I did it at school. Despite several scintillating plot ideas (IM unbiased HO), I found it extraordinarily hard to structure anything that long. In particular I had no idea whether what I was writing was even interesting to read.
Hence I remain a compliance officer.
The Edward Wilson spy novels I mentioned are effective as historical novels but what is interesting is that none of them reconciles properly with each other, which is not a mistake.
It might make a good intro to the PB drinks later on........
Galloway might need all those £5k's he has been collecting from people being nasty about him on twitter...
Frankly were I Galloway I'd be wary about going into a courtroom to be asked about my attitude to Jews.......but as I don't want to get OGH into trouble I will say no more.
MODERATORS: if you think necessary I'm happy to delete.
Old George does very well these days, I am sure he can afford a tip top lawyer.
£100k a year from Press TV and £100k a year from Al-Mayadeen TV.
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 5s6 seconds ago PM David Cameron who is Jeremy #Clarkson's MP says presenter is a "great talent" and hopes his suspension from Top Gear "can be sorted out"
Did He.. He was asked a question and gave a neutral(ish) response.
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 5s6 seconds ago PM David Cameron who is Jeremy #Clarkson's MP says presenter is a "great talent" and hopes his suspension from Top Gear "can be sorted out"
Mr. Bond, must say I'm not that into yetis. Most modern day folklore (zombies, vampires, werewolves) doesn't do much for me, unless it's especially well-done (such as The Last Of Us).
Sometimes it can be worth stepping outside the comfort zone and reading something you'd normally pass over. I read Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian and was utterly blown away by what is basically an art house western novel. OK it's more, much more, but readers of western novels would probably like it. That got me onto The Border Trilogy, The Road, No Country For Old Men, and so on.
Westerns set in 1941, 1950 and 1980. What's not to like?
All it needs now is Ed to demand a judge led inquiry into Clarksongate.
He is too busy being outraged at the fact the Mirror hacked Gazza's phone for 10 years...oh wait....what thats...tumbleweed....
I have little time for Gazza, but of all the Mirror hacking stories, his has annoyed me the most so far. He's a pathetic idiot, but he's also obviously fragile.
But as usual, there is near silence from the left. I'll be (I think) the first to say it: the Mirror should be closed down.
All it needs now is Ed to demand a judge led inquiry into Clarksongate.
He is too busy being outraged at the fact the Mirror hacked Gazza's phone for 10 years...oh wait....what thats...tumbleweed....
I have little time for Gazza, but of all the Mirror hacking stories, his has annoyed me the most so far. He's a pathetic idiot, but he's also obviously fragile.
But as usual, there is near silence from the left. I'll be (I think) the first to say it: the Mirror should be closed down.
I actually had the misfortune of meeting Gazza many years ago, before his phone was hacked. He was a total mess, not helped by his friends / hangers on.
It is now only the 11th most important story on the BBC website....that one of UK most famous footballers is claiming they had their phone hacked for 10 years and it ruined their life. When it was the NOTW at it, I some how doubt it would have been listed in the "and another very minor story today is..."
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 5s6 seconds ago PM David Cameron who is Jeremy #Clarkson's MP says presenter is a "great talent" and hopes his suspension from Top Gear "can be sorted out"
The full quote:
David Cameron tells BBC Midlands Today 'Jeremy Clarkson is a great talent, its a great programme, he's a friend so I hope it can be sorted out'.
What are country supper friends for but to spout quease making platitudes in moments of crisis.
That's nothing. Their defence minister recently sad that - if the rest of the EU didn't accede to Greek demands - that Greece would flood Europe with illegal migrants "including jihadists".
It's not clear how this threat would be delivered, or indeed where Greece was planning on sourcing the jihadists.
It is fair to say that the rest of the Eurozone is beginning to shrug its shoulders and say "fuck it, let'em go."
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 5s6 seconds ago PM David Cameron who is Jeremy #Clarkson's MP says presenter is a "great talent" and hopes his suspension from Top Gear "can be sorted out"
The full quote:
David Cameron tells BBC Midlands Today 'Jeremy Clarkson is a great talent, its a great programme, he's a friend so I hope it can be sorted out'.
What are country supper friends for but to spout quease making platitudes in moments of crisis.
Comments
Fandabidozi
Did you see it or did it disappear?
Excuse me boss, I disagree with our marketing strategy for the upcoming product launch...BAM right in the kisser.
Excuse me boss, it seems the catering have been delayed delivering the sandwiches for the lunchtime presentation....WHAM right in the nuts
Maybe some posters have Joey Barton as their boss?
Nicola is Wee Jimmy fact
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2015/03/the-dominos-effect-can-fund-managers-tell-a-pizza-from-a-printer/
Or possibly they are more mouth than trousers?
Disgraceful political correct nonsense.
Multi ethnic iraqi force poised to push IS out of Tikrit. Wonder how the Iraqi government will mess this up.
I think that is big but wait for teams
If that were the case I would have thought pollsters would have developed some sort of weighting to take account of the psychological phenomena you refer to else it would surely become common knowledge that such polling was meaningless
Should be close
Could be close
Might be achievable
'It was called the Chipping Norton set, an incestuous collection of louche, affluent, power-hungry and amoral Londoners, located in and around the Prime Minister’s Oxfordshire constituency............'
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peteroborne/100095686/david-cameron-is-in-the-sewer-because-of-his-news-international-friends/
The real entertainment is watching the BBC twist itself into gordian knots, as it tries to solve the tricky problem of how to save the worlds most successful factual programme, and a revenue stream worth £150 million. That's quite a few 'Suit' salaries swirling around the plughole.
They've slashed every other department to ribbons, and outsourced the majority of production, so it will be small justice to see some of the great and the good in W1 finally get the boot.
Unlikelier than a LAB Maj
More likely that Sean Thomas wrote the Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
"There is also no comparison between what I do: create, and what you do: make commercials for tampons and breakfast cereals."
They've produced an excellent cover for you by the way. I've no doubt it's the best part of the book
While I'm not sure it was ever acceptable to strike or attempt to strike a work colleague, what is new to this era is that such an (alleged action) would have been sorted locally by either the parties sorting it out between themselves before they went home (or settling it with a fight on the common outside the factory after work) or the foreman instantly dismissing the person striking their colleague. Months of people suspended on full pay while ovepaid HR bods have endless meetings to agonise over what to do and write reams of reports is the modern malaise in this case.
In summary the encroacment of the state and legal processes into day to day social interaction is what is bitterly resented.
60 years ago a teacher, parent or foreman would generally have sorted any assualts (basically anything other than grevious body harm, or actual body harm needing hospital treatment) committed domestically within the institution of work, school or home as they saw fit (usually by thumping the miscreant themselves) with no right to haul the foreman teacher or parent to court. It was quicker, less stresssful to everyone and most important, meant taxes were lower as there wasn't a whole industry of social workers, lawyers, and domestic violence police at huge public expense).
A source said the Top Gear team had been expected for dinner at 8pm but did not arrive until around two hours later. It was during a row over the meal that producer Oisin Tymon was allegedly punched.
The hotel’s general managet Robert Scott said: "It was mid-week and the whole crew stayed for several nights."
When I were a lad 2 million people marched against the Iraq war.
Ad to walk over broken glass anall
The kids of today dont know they're born sat at ome signing online petitions.
Epic Fail
I'm tempted to take the plunge, but I have no idea, with install sizes, whether 500GB is delightful or will prove as tricky as the 40GB PS3.
Got on Don Poli for the 2016 Gold Cup too. Silvianaco Conti is the best horse in this year's race but he just doesn't like the hill, so no bet I reckon.
Edited extra bit: now I'm just faced with the unexpected moral choice of black or white. I know what Michael Jackson said, but still....
http://i.thisis.co.uk/274080/binaries/fawlty2.jpg
Think it will Ptit Zig and probably Saphir de Rheu for me, but maybe Zarkander.
Coincidentally, Maajid Nawaz has just asked Galloway whether he's libelled him - http://hurryupharry.org/2015/03/11/galloway-libels-liberal-muslim/.
It might make a good intro to the PB drinks later on........
What was the rationale behind the new pen name?
http://www.sffchronicles.com/threads/540394/page-5#post-1866808
MODERATORS: if you think necessary I'm happy to delete.
That's funny! I once had a male and female model who by coincidence both happened to be vegans. For four days in Madrid they'd lived off bananas and mashed potatoes. On this particular night we arrived back to the hotel late and the male just lost it and lots of cutlery went flying. He'd asked for bananas with black spots and they'd just supplied greenish yellow bananas but by this time they were both starving.
Clarkson is enormously popular in North America. The great American public is speaking.
"But many many thanks for buying."
I've just made you a sale! The biggest mistake of my career
£100k a year from Press TV and £100k a year from Al-Mayadeen TV.
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/11556866.George_Galloway__39_s_outside_earnings_third_highest_of_all_MPs/
Most people signing it are signing it because:-
1. They are annoyed at having a favourite programme taken off air.
2. The bandwagon effect - everyone's signing so I'm going to sign also.
It does not mean that all those people approve of people punching their colleagues nor that they think Farage should be PM nor that they are finally finding the courage to fight back against the oppressions of the Liberal-Left-EU-PC-Guardianista -fill in your own boo-group-classes.
I seem to remember reading a Philip Kerr novel 20 odd years ago involving yeti. He did an excellent job, as does Mr T and as does Frederick Forsyth, of blurring the line between what's factual and what's novel so thoroughly that you can't tell where he's left off relating facts and where he's started making it up.
The trouble though with yeti stories is they live above the snowline and they do bugger all. Who cares?
If anyone likes spy stories can I recommend Edward Wilson. He messes with your head.
We should have a list of overrated egomaniacs whose balloons need pricking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kempton_Bunton
Non-payment of the TV licence is so passée. Just steal a painting instead. ;-)
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 5s6 seconds ago
PM David Cameron who is Jeremy #Clarkson's MP says presenter is a "great talent" and hopes his suspension from Top Gear "can be sorted out"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31831694
I do not underestimate how bloody difficult those things are to write. A few years ago, when I was spending 25 hours a week on long haul flights, I attempted to use the dead time this involved for some creative writing of my own, for the first time since I did it at school. Despite several scintillating plot ideas (IM unbiased HO), I found it extraordinarily hard to structure anything that long. In particular I had no idea whether what I was writing was even interesting to read.
Hence I remain a compliance officer.
The Edward Wilson spy novels I mentioned are effective as historical novels but what is interesting is that none of them reconciles properly with each other, which is not a mistake.
Westerns set in 1941, 1950 and 1980. What's not to like?
But as usual, there is near silence from the left. I'll be (I think) the first to say it: the Mirror should be closed down.
It is now only the 11th most important story on the BBC website....that one of UK most famous footballers is claiming they had their phone hacked for 10 years and it ruined their life. When it was the NOTW at it, I some how doubt it would have been listed in the "and another very minor story today is..."
David Cameron tells BBC Midlands Today 'Jeremy Clarkson is a great talent, its a great programme, he's a friend so I hope it can be sorted out'.
What are country supper friends for but to spout quease making platitudes in moments of crisis.
It's not clear how this threat would be delivered, or indeed where Greece was planning on sourcing the jihadists.
It is fair to say that the rest of the Eurozone is beginning to shrug its shoulders and say "fuck it, let'em go."
OO Err missus. Is that the best you can do?