I feel like I'm about to throw a box full of laxatives into the monkey house, but here goes.
THE historian David Starkey, never short of an outspoken word, has turned his ire on the Scottish National party, likening them to the Nazis and the Saltire to the swastika.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Starkey, 70, said the way the SNP blamed the English for Scotland’s woes was similar to how Hitler blamed the Jews for Germany’s ruin after the First World War.
The historian, a regular member of the panel on BBC1’s Question Time, made a detailed comparison between the SNP and the Nazis, even trying to draw a joke out of the desire to wear kilts and lederhosen.
Of the two, Andy Burnham's text is even bizarrely worded than Liz Kendall's. "I'm running to lead our party & want to be part of the changes we need to make. What's your priority?".
It's that 'and'. It makes it sound as if even if he's elected, there's a chance that the changes will take place while he's on holiday or locked in the lavatory or something.
The text says "I'm running to lead our party & want you to be part of the changes ....".
Mr. Dair, bloody English, taking the world past steam power.
This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s and then diseasels till the 1990s (in the main and still today in the minority) while the world being "taken past steam power" had moved onto Electric Locomotives in the 1930s?
I think, perhaps, you need to remove the rose tinted glasses.
He is referring to the introduction of oil fuel for ships. Welsh coal was very good (usable BTU/ton). It was sent round the world as vast expense for special applications - the Japanese had a stock of Welsh coal they reserved for the Battle of Tsushima.
The problem was that it was very expensive to extract. Oil delivered even more BTU/ton and was cheaper, plus it needed many fewer crew to operate.
Oil fuel was developed into an effective form by the Royal Navy - getting it to burn properly was a substantial piece of research that took a number of years. Once the technique was available, it spread rapidly post WWI.
Mr. M, time for a hard one, as the nun said to the schoolboys.
Ninth: who succeeded Aurelian?
I read Tacitus at school and translated it as homework. But then again, I was privately educated in an age when learning Latin wasn't sneered at by the socialism scum who these days take joy in dragging our education system ever downwards.
Mr. M, time for a hard one, as the nun said to the schoolboys.
Ninth: who succeeded Aurelian?
I read Tacitus at school and translated it as homework. But then again, I was privately educated in an age when learning Latin wasn't sneered at by the socialism scum who these days take joy in dragging our education system ever downwards.
Did you study Catullus 16 at school ?
LOL I'm not sure our Latin master would have approved.
Speaking of Horsemen and tangentially Ovid, I saw a remarkable Horizon about metamorphosis. Locust swarming behaviour is a form of this/changes their colouring from solitary grasshopper green to locust yellow/black. And it can be reversed as necessary according to the local environment.
Mr. Dair, bloody English, taking the world past steam power.
This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s and then diseasels till the 1990s (in the main and still today in the minority) while the world being "taken past steam power" had moved onto Electric Locomotives in the 1930s?
I think, perhaps, you need to remove the rose tinted glasses.
I think, perhaps, that you should do more research.
The reason was that they wanted to get their full use out of their locomotives. Britain, OTOH, scrapped a lot of locos prematurely (for several reasons).
Mr. M, time for a hard one, as the nun said to the schoolboys.
Ninth: who succeeded Aurelian?
I read Tacitus at school and translated it as homework. But then again, I was privately educated in an age when learning Latin wasn't sneered at by the socialism scum who these days take joy in dragging our education system ever downwards.
Did you study Catullus 16 at school ?
LOL I'm not sure our Latin master would have approved.
We had the best Latin teacher, he made us aware of it.
Mr. Dair, bloody English, taking the world past steam power.
This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s and then diseasels till the 1990s (in the main and still today in the minority) while the world being "taken past steam power" had moved onto Electric Locomotives in the 1930s?
I think, perhaps, you need to remove the rose tinted glasses.
The Northeastern Railway had electric locos as early as 1914. So there!
Mr. M, time for a hard one, as the nun said to the schoolboys.
Ninth: who succeeded Aurelian?
I read Tacitus at school and translated it as homework. But then again, I was privately educated in an age when learning Latin wasn't sneered at by the socialism scum who these days take joy in dragging our education system ever downwards.
Hmm. Can't think many chaps would've got that right.
Tenth, and last: the emperor who whose mutilation of a rival instigated a prolonged period of the practice in Byzantium.
As I said earlier by way of explanation, Mr Dancer, I am very familiar with Tacitus. I have the Annals on my bookcase here so I regard that as a much easier question than you seem to!
This last one, on the other hand, seems to be an opinion-based one. I will need a think and a guess.
Mr. Eagles, just checked. Population of the Faroes is around 50,000. That's not even twice Monaco.
Seems rather symbolic.
Depending on events and how I feel, the morning thread (or the afternoon thread) will be about Greece, and features a reference to Classical History (eat your heart out David Herdson)
Mr. Dair, bloody English, taking the world past steam power.
This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s and then diseasels till the 1990s (in the main and still today in the minority) while the world being "taken past steam power" had moved onto Electric Locomotives in the 1930s?
I think, perhaps, you need to remove the rose tinted glasses.
The Northeastern Railway had electric locos as early as 1914. So there!
The line from London Liverpool Street to Shenfield via my home-patch, Ilford, was electrified as early as 1949. The multiple units introduced back then even had sliding doors.
I revisited the line today to mark its recent passage to Transport for London operations, in effect being run by Mayor Boris! Even appears an open blue line on the standard Tube Map!
Some cracking historical tweets about from the time that Unionists thought Murphy was the Sun King incarnate.
David Maddox @DavidPBMaddox Dec 13 Looking at the hyperbolic, frenzied tweets from the cybernats tonight clearly the snp are scared sh**less of @jimmurphymp
Fraser Nelson @FraserNelson Dec 13 Great news about Jim Murphy. Blairites always were good at winning elections. Now let the restoration begin!
Iain Martin @iainmartin1 Dec 13 Nationalists trying to pretend election of @jimmurphymp is a disaster for Labour. It isn't. Good day for Labour, good day for the Union.
Meanwhile Iain Gray to be caretaker leader for SLAB. I'm guessing everyone's hyperbole buttons will be well muted.
This is proof the right aren't always the oracle when it comes to who Labour should elect as leader. Not that some right-wing twitter commentators can admit they are wrong, that is. I recall Tom Newton-Dunn's reaction to Murphy's departure. Jesus Christ. Talk about deluded.
And Fraser Nelson. I actually like him as political commentator (despite not agreeing with him all too much) but my god, as a Scot he should know that if Blairism is going to down badly anywhere, it's probably Scotland. Also Murphy is a personality vaccum.
Mr. Dair, bloody English, taking the world past steam power.
This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s and then diseasels till the 1990s (in the main and still today in the minority) while the world being "taken past steam power" had moved onto Electric Locomotives in the 1930s?
I think, perhaps, you need to remove the rose tinted glasses.
I think, perhaps, that you should do more research.
The reason was that they wanted to get their full use out of their locomotives. Britain, OTOH, scrapped a lot of locos prematurely (for several reasons).
You are missing the point. Getting the most use out of existing investment is very different to what happened in the UK. The UK was still investing Government Money in development of steam locomotives in the 1950s and building them into the 1960s.
Other countries were entirely electric by that date (or much earlier). And the UK was still ploughing taxpayers money into steam engines. Even in 2015 the UK does not have a completely electric railway.
Mr. M, the annals don't go into the third century.
"Tacitus studied rhetoric in Rome and rose to eminence as a pleader at the Roman Bar. In 77 he married the daughter of Agricola, conqueror of Britain, of whom he later wrote a biography. His other works includethe Germania and the Historiae."
Greece have been beaten by the Faroe Islands in tonight's Soccerball match.
Bloody hell. Population = 49,709 according to Wikipedia
The Faroe Islands might be in the news again on Thursday when they could be the deciding factor in the Danish general election which is on a knife-edge.
Mr. Dair, bloody English, taking the world past steam power.
This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s and then diseasels till the 1990s (in the main and still today in the minority) while the world being "taken past steam power" had moved onto Electric Locomotives in the 1930s?
I think, perhaps, you need to remove the rose tinted glasses.
Mr. M, the annals don't go into the third century.
"Tacitus studied rhetoric in Rome and rose to eminence as a pleader at the Roman Bar. In 77 he married the daughter of Agricola, conqueror of Britain, of whom he later wrote a biography. His other works includethe Germania and the Historiae."
I am just wandering idly and more widely from your specific questions into other areas that interest me, so my apologies for muddying the waters.
I read this last year on my tablet; haven't got it in hard copy. Is it on your reading list? Hellenism in Byzantium: The Transformations of Greek Identity and the Reception of the Classical Tradition" by Anthony Kaldelli
I'd thought about John Julius Norwich's "Short History of Byzantium" which you mention downthread as your source but was advised it was a bit outdated in its interpretations and was only good as a primer for dates and events. So I accepted the other one as an alternative gift instead. Do you have any other suggestions?
Mr. Dair, bloody English, taking the world past steam power.
This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s and then diseasels till the 1990s (in the main and still today in the minority) while the world being "taken past steam power" had moved onto Electric Locomotives in the 1930s?
I think, perhaps, you need to remove the rose tinted glasses.
I think, perhaps, that you should do more research.
The reason was that they wanted to get their full use out of their locomotives. Britain, OTOH, scrapped a lot of locos prematurely (for several reasons).
You are missing the point. Getting the most use out of existing investment is very different to what happened in the UK. The UK was still investing Government Money in development of steam locomotives in the 1950s and building them into the 1960s.
Other countries were entirely electric by that date (or much earlier). And the UK was still ploughing taxpayers money into steam engines. Even in 2015 the UK does not have a completely electric railway.
Came back from Coventry to London via Oxford and Reading yesterday - saw the electrification out from London to Bristol is well underway. Scheduled for 2017 operations.
I feel like I'm about to throw a box full of laxatives into the monkey house, but here goes.
THE historian David Starkey, never short of an outspoken word, has turned his ire on the Scottish National party, likening them to the Nazis and the Saltire to the swastika.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Starkey, 70, said the way the SNP blamed the English for Scotland’s woes was similar to how Hitler blamed the Jews for Germany’s ruin after the First World War.
The historian, a regular member of the panel on BBC1’s Question Time, made a detailed comparison between the SNP and the Nazis, even trying to draw a joke out of the desire to wear kilts and lederhosen.
He's not insane. He has a fine calculation of the advantages of throwing a deliberately provocative statement to tickle the prejudices of his constituency. Too much and he'd be slapped, too little and he'd be underpaid. He's what you'd get if you took Jeremy Clarkson (the pre-divorce version, before he went off the rails) and removed the in-depth knowledge and sense of humor.
I could bang on about how Starkey represents everything wrong with this country (overinflated repuation, provocative without reprisal, rewards beyond merit, appointment without virtue, the unending mediocrity of the great and the good) but I'd have to have a lie down. There are good reasons why we don't go down the red-in-tooth-and-claw Hong-Kong/USA version of capitalism, but everytime I see Starkey banging on, the voice in my head says "cut all arts and academic funding to zero and get a proper job already".
No, and, alas, it shan't be on the basis of my Kindle already been stuffed like a glutton's gut and there being several books I want (two by Livy, the Chronographia, the Alexiad, a couple of Crusades and so on) as well.
I was going to buy another book last year about the Diadochi, but I checked the sample and the author used that Common Era nonsense.
Also, I got the trilogy on Byzantium, which may well be a different work. [Byzantium: the Early Centuries is book 1].
Also, there's the latter volumes of Edward Gibbon, of course [but you'd also need the first three because starting at Volume IV would be blasphemy].
I don't own this, but I considered it a while ago. RHC Davis' A History of Medieval Europe: From Constantine to Saint Louis seems well-regarded.
Edited extra bit: I really can recommend the Norwich trilogy. It's utterly fantastic, and one of the few histories I've read more than once, cover-to-cover.
You are missing the point. Getting the most use out of existing investment is very different to what happened in the UK. The UK was still investing Government Money in development of steam locomotives in the 1950s and building them into the 1960s.
Other countries were entirely electric by that date (or much earlier). And the UK was still ploughing taxpayers money into steam engines. Even in 2015 the UK does not have a completely electric railway.
No, Dair, YOU are missing the point.
Your original sneering comment was "This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s", which coupled with your other nonsensical posting that "Since the Industrial Revolution, the UK has been utterly opposed to innovation." is clearly implying that the UK is backward looking and resistant to new technology.
My point is that your example of steam locomotives was a bad one (unless you want to call Germany technologically resistant to change as well).
You merely did what you always do, and changed your tune when you got found out.
Mr. Dair, bloody English, taking the world past steam power.
This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s and then diseasels till the 1990s (in the main and still today in the minority) while the world being "taken past steam power" had moved onto Electric Locomotives in the 1930s?
I think, perhaps, you need to remove the rose tinted glasses.
I think, perhaps, that you should do more research.
The reason was that they wanted to get their full use out of their locomotives. Britain, OTOH, scrapped a lot of locos prematurely (for several reasons).
You are missing the point. Getting the most use out of existing investment is very different to what happened in the UK. The UK was still investing Government Money in development of steam locomotives in the 1950s and building them into the 1960s.
Other countries were entirely electric by that date (or much earlier). And the UK was still ploughing taxpayers money into steam engines. Even in 2015 the UK does not have a completely electric railway.
Which other countries were 'entirely electic' by that date? Which ones are 'entirely electric' nowadays, aside from small countries like Belgium (nearly) and Switzerland?
Even Japan was still building steam locomotives in 1960, the year we built our last main-line one (The Evening Star) (*)
Look at it this way. We made our first diesel main-line locomotives in 1948 (a worthy mention to the LMS 10000/10001 twins). Within twelve years of that date we had given up building steam locomotives, and within twenty years diesel and electric had replaced all steam locomotives. That's quite some going.
If you were wondering, Mr. M, the answer was Flavius Phocas, who deposed Maurice and was in turn destroyed by the tragic but splendid emperor Heraclius.
Mr. Dair, bloody English, taking the world past steam power.
This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s and then diseasels till the 1990s (in the main and still today in the minority) while the world being "taken past steam power" had moved onto Electric Locomotives in the 1930s?
I think, perhaps, you need to remove the rose tinted glasses.
I think, perhaps, that you should do more research.
The reason was that they wanted to get their full use out of their locomotives. Britain, OTOH, scrapped a lot of locos prematurely (for several reasons).
You are missing the point. Getting the most use out of existing investment is very different to what happened in the UK. The UK was still investing Government Money in development of steam locomotives in the 1950s and building them into the 1960s.
Other countries were entirely electric by that date (or much earlier). And the UK was still ploughing taxpayers money into steam engines. Even in 2015 the UK does not have a completely electric railway.
Came back from Coventry to London via Oxford and Reading yesterday - saw the electrification out from London to Bristol is well underway. Scheduled for 2017 operations.
The Thatcher and Major governments electrified many hundreds of miles of railways - the east coast, London to Norwich, London to Cambridge and King's Lynn, and many others.
The Blair and Brown governments electrified ... nine miles (1), excluding the new-build HS1.
The Cameron governments are electrifying hundreds more miles.
The railways do better under the Conservatives than Labour. ;-)
Greece have been beaten by the Faroe Islands in tonight's Soccerball match.
It's not Greece's fault. Greece suffered greatly during WWII and must be given 100 goals a week to spend on pensioner footballers. The Faroe Islanders did not do due diligence and must give them a thousand goals. Angela Merkel is ugly and does not smile: look, there's a cartoon in the Times! - so Germany must give them ten thousand goals. If they fall out of the Eurofootball league the UK must give them emergency funding of ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND GOALS. Greece's population cannot be held responsible for its football players and must receive ONE MILLION GOALS NOW!
Off-topic: just found this. An item from the 2010 leadership contest with swing voters (SOUTHERN swing voters at that) saw Andy Burnham emerge as the top choice, ahead of both Milibands.
Faroe Islands population 49,000 and change. Attendance at match 5,000. In terms of proportion of population, that is the equivalent of 5.3 million turning up at Wembly for an England home game! (But then the team represents about 0.03% of the population or 0.06% of the male population)
I'm choking. Kendo Nagasaki, the most frightening wrestler this country ever produced, has got me in a three-quarter nelson: my head is in the crook of his elbow; his forearm is tight against my throat and he's lifting it. I can't breathe. I'm seeing stars, hearing popping sounds in my neck and trying not to pass out. So I bang my palm against his leg, which feels like steel cable under his red leggings, but he won't stop.
Mr. Dair, bloody English, taking the world past steam power.
This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s and then diseasels till the 1990s (in the main and still today in the minority) while the world being "taken past steam power" had moved onto Electric Locomotives in the 1930s?
I think, perhaps, you need to remove the rose tinted glasses.
I think, perhaps, that you should do more research.
The reason was that they wanted to get their full use out of their locomotives. Britain, OTOH, scrapped a lot of locos prematurely (for several reasons).
You are missing the point. Getting the most use out of existing investment is very different to what happened in the UK. The UK was still investing Government Money in development of steam locomotives in the 1950s and building them into the 1960s.
Other countries were entirely electric by that date (or much earlier). And the UK was still ploughing taxpayers money into steam engines. Even in 2015 the UK does not have a completely electric railway.
Came back from Coventry to London via Oxford and Reading yesterday - saw the electrification out from London to Bristol is well underway. Scheduled for 2017 operations.
The Thatcher and Major governments electrified many hundreds of miles of railways - the east coast, London to Norwich, London to Cambridge and King's Lynn, and many others.
The Blair and Brown governments electrified ... nine miles (1), excluding the new-build HS1.
The Cameron governments are electrifying hundreds more miles.
The railways do better under the Conservatives than Labour. ;-)
Mr. Dair, bloody English, taking the world past steam power.
This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s and then diseasels till the 1990s (in the main and still today in the minority) while the world being "taken past steam power" had moved onto Electric Locomotives in the 1930s?
I think, perhaps, you need to remove the rose tinted glasses.
I think, perhaps, that you should do more research.
The reason was that they wanted to get their full use out of their locomotives. Britain, OTOH, scrapped a lot of locos prematurely (for several reasons).
You are missing the point. Getting the most use out of existing investment is very different to what happened in the UK. The UK was still investing Government Money in development of steam locomotives in the 1950s and building them into the 1960s.
Other countries were entirely electric by that date (or much earlier). And the UK was still ploughing taxpayers money into steam engines. Even in 2015 the UK does not have a completely electric railway.
Came back from Coventry to London via Oxford and Reading yesterday - saw the electrification out from London to Bristol is well underway. Scheduled for 2017 operations.
The Thatcher and Major governments electrified many hundreds of miles of railways - the east coast, London to Norwich, London to Cambridge and King's Lynn, and many others.
The Blair and Brown governments electrified ... nine miles (1), excluding the new-build HS1.
The Cameron governments are electrifying hundreds more miles.
The railways do better under the Conservatives than Labour. ;-)
Re Faroes doing a double over Greece, it reminded me of a joke which did the rounds a few years ago, though it does carry a health warning for Scottish readers.
Presenter: We have Jim on the line who wants to discuss the Faroe Islands v Scotland game. Jim: Thanks...er yeah. Just want to say it's an absolute disgrace. I mean, we're playing probably the weakest side in world football and we can't do better than a draw. Presenter: It was a poor result. Jim: Poor result! Poor result! It's absolutely scandalous. The manager has lost the plot completely, he's got to go. I know we've never set the world alight over the years on the international stage but I can't remember things being this bad. It's the end for us. The absolute end. I can't see us ever recovering from a setback like this. We're a complete laughing stock. Presenter: Look Jim. I know it seems bad now but there is still a long way to go. I can't see you qualifying for Euro 2004 but hopefully things will improve. Jim: I never expected for a moment we would qualify. I don't mind that so much. We're not good enough. But listen, to not qualify is one thing, but to fail to beat a team like Scotland is a different matter. It's a bitter blow for everyone here on the Islands.
* I have been a supporter of lost causes in my time, one of which plays in yellow and red in Scotland.
Mr. Dair, bloody English, taking the world past steam power.
This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s and then diseasels till the 1990s (in the main and still today in the minority) while the world being "taken past steam power" had moved onto Electric Locomotives in the 1930s?
I think, perhaps, you need to remove the rose tinted glasses.
I think, perhaps, that you should do more research.
The reason was that they wanted to get their full use out of their locomotives. Britain, OTOH, scrapped a lot of locos prematurely (for several reasons).
You are missing the point. Getting the most use out of existing investment is very different to what happened in the UK. The UK was still investing Government Money in development of steam locomotives in the 1950s and building them into the 1960s.
Other countries were entirely electric by that date (or much earlier). And the UK was still ploughing taxpayers money into steam engines. Even in 2015 the UK does not have a completely electric railway.
Came back from Coventry to London via Oxford and Reading yesterday - saw the electrification out from London to Bristol is well underway. Scheduled for 2017 operations.
The Thatcher and Major governments electrified many hundreds of miles of railways - the east coast, London to Norwich, London to Cambridge and King's Lynn, and many others.
The Blair and Brown governments electrified ... nine miles (1), excluding the new-build HS1.
The Cameron governments are electrifying hundreds more miles.
The railways do better under the Conservatives than Labour. ;-)
Re Faroes doing a double over Greece, it reminded me of a joke which did the rounds a few years ago, though it does carry a health warning for Scottish readers.
Presenter: We have Jim on the line who wants to discuss the Faroe Islands v Scotland game. Jim: Thanks...er yeah. Just want to say it's an absolute disgrace. I mean, we're playing probably the weakest side in world football and we can't do better than a draw. Presenter: It was a poor result. Jim: Poor result! Poor result! It's absolutely scandalous. The manager has lost the plot completely, he's got to go. I know we've never set the world alight over the years on the international stage but I can't remember things being this bad. It's the end for us. The absolute end. I can't see us ever recovering from a setback like this. We're a complete laughing stock. Presenter: Look Jim. I know it seems bad now but there is still a long way to go. I can't see you qualifying for Euro 2004 but hopefully things will improve. Jim: I never expected for a moment we would qualify. I don't mind that so much. We're not good enough. But listen, to not qualify is one thing, but to fail to beat a team like Scotland is a different matter. It's a bitter blow for everyone here on the Islands.
* I have been a supporter of lost causes in my time, one of which plays in yellow and red in Scotland.
Don't know if you caught the joke that got FIFA's spokesman fired, but I thought it was a corker.
Q. The President of FIFA, the Secretary-General of FIFA and the FIFA spokesman are in a car. Who's driving? A. The police.
Re Faroes doing a double over Greece, it reminded me of a joke which did the rounds a few years ago, though it does carry a health warning for Scottish readers.
Presenter: We have Jim on the line who wants to discuss the Faroe Islands v Scotland game. Jim: Thanks...er yeah. Just want to say it's an absolute disgrace. I mean, we're playing probably the weakest side in world football and we can't do better than a draw. Presenter: It was a poor result. Jim: Poor result! Poor result! It's absolutely scandalous. The manager has lost the plot completely, he's got to go. I know we've never set the world alight over the years on the international stage but I can't remember things being this bad. It's the end for us. The absolute end. I can't see us ever recovering from a setback like this. We're a complete laughing stock. Presenter: Look Jim. I know it seems bad now but there is still a long way to go. I can't see you qualifying for Euro 2004 but hopefully things will improve. Jim: I never expected for a moment we would qualify. I don't mind that so much. We're not good enough. But listen, to not qualify is one thing, but to fail to beat a team like Scotland is a different matter. It's a bitter blow for everyone here on the Islands.
* I have been a supporter of lost causes in my time, one of which plays in yellow and red in Scotland.
One of my favourite 'terrible football team' jokes (also involving Scotland, though it hardly matters I suppose) was the one where England were playing Scotland and it was 0-0 at half time. A big brawl at the start of the second sees 10 England players sent off with only Rooney left, and they sit in the dressing room in shock for 45 minutes.
Come the final whistle the team sees Rooney walk into the dressing room and sit down, looking utterly depressed. They ask him the result and, tears in his eyes, he says England lost 1-0.
Stunned he could be upset after playing an entire half by himself and only losing 1-0, the team asks him why he's so upset.
'You don't understand' he cries. 'It was an own goal'.
Greece have been beaten by the Faroe Islands in tonight's Soccerball match.
Bloody hell. Population = 49,709 according to Wikipedia
The Faroe Islands might be in the news again on Thursday when they could be the deciding factor in the Danish general election which is on a knife-edge.
Tuesday! But you must be right about the more substantial point that the centre-right have said they'd support Cameron. I must have missed it in the Danish coverage.
Off-topic: just found this. An item from the 2010 leadership contest with swing voters (SOUTHERN swing voters at that) saw Andy Burnham emerge as the top choice, ahead of both Milibands.
Actually, on this thread it is one of the most ON-TOPIC posts!
Very interesting. Newsnight had a sample of only 12, but I Andy's "win" was still impressive because of the supporting comments of the audience.
It would be interesting to take a poll of a large sample Might-Vote-Labour voters after the televised hustings of the Labour leadership candidates to see what the reaction is to the 2015 candidates.
I've remarked before that in 2010 I recall liking Burnham best of the candidates but could not really recall why. So far I'm minded to agree with the suggestion it was just the not-Miliband factor (with Balls and Abbott not even considerations) - although I defended Ed M all those years, he was never great, and having seen nothing exceptional about Burnham so far this time, I can only conclude he was inoffensive and winner by default in my analysis last time around.
'Off-topic: just found this. An item from the 2010 leadership contest with swing voters (SOUTHERN swing voters at that) saw Andy Burnham emerge as the top choice, ahead of both Milibands.'
Based on a 3 minute interview and before the Mid Staffs report was published.
On-topic - I do feel that this text would've been better not pretending to be from Burnham at all. Surely nobody would ever believe it was (and the opt-out removes all doubt) and it would've been more straightforward to say something like "Andy Burnham would like to know what you think are the issues he should take on. Reply to this text to let him know".
As is, it does just seem weird. And the lack of at least a comma after "Hi" is going to make me lose sleep...
Britain has been forced to withdraw intelligence agents from operations because Russia and China have obtained access to secret information in files stolen by whistleblower Edward Snowden, according to senior government sources.
Greetings from San Francisco - where they know a bit about turning innovation into industries.
Dair is right - the UK is absolutely shocking at this. In addition to his list, let's throw in the jet engine and also, most recently, graphene. Our business culture - focused on cost control and quarterly returns - actively discourages long-term investment in the creation and roll-out of world class products and breeds a dysfunctional management class that judges itself on its ability to cut, rather than to create. It is little wonder our productivity is so poor and our exports so poor.
Greetings from San Francisco - where they know a bit about turning innovation into industries.
Dair is right - the UK is absolutely shocking at this. In addition to his list, let's throw in the jet engine and also, most recently, graphene. Our business culture - focused on cost control and quarterly returns - actively discourages long-term investment in the creation and roll-out of world class products and breeds a dysfunctional management class that judges itself on its ability to cut, rather than to create. It is little wonder our productivity is so poor and our exports so poor.
You certainly have a good point regarding the business culture in the UK being opposed to innovation.
But the four examples I gave were specifically chosen as ones where Government decision making utterly destroyed any competitive edge the UK should have enjoyed - especially as in all four the UK invented, or were significantly involved, in the technological development.
Greetings from San Francisco - where they know a bit about turning innovation into industries.
Dair is right - the UK is absolutely shocking at this. In addition to his list, let's throw in the jet engine and also, most recently, graphene. Our business culture - focused on cost control and quarterly returns - actively discourages long-term investment in the creation and roll-out of world class products and breeds a dysfunctional management class that judges itself on its ability to cut, rather than to create. It is little wonder our productivity is so poor and our exports so poor.
SO is right in much of his criticisms of the UK economy but the US capitalists are even worse on short-termism in mature markets. In the US truly innovative products get good funding from a much more highly developed financial sector so that the founders can make big money when they make an IPO. In the UK management is not very ambitious personally or for their businesses. Labour unions are controlled by idealogues who believe the State is the answer to our problems.
Greetings from San Francisco - where they know a bit about turning innovation into industries.
Dair is right - the UK is absolutely shocking at this. In addition to his list, let's throw in the jet engine and also, most recently, graphene. Our business culture - focused on cost control and quarterly returns - actively discourages long-term investment in the creation and roll-out of world class products and breeds a dysfunctional management class that judges itself on its ability to cut, rather than to create. It is little wonder our productivity is so poor and our exports so poor.
"... turning innovation into industries." I entirely agree with you in this. We don't EXPLOIT the innovations as well as we should, but that is an entirely different thing to Dair's ridiculous assertion that we are "utterly opposed to innovation". We are great innovators.
All Dair is doing (his usual trick) is to try to subtly shift the debate when his original point has been refuted.
He hates being part of the UK so much that he frantically tries to find any way he can of denigrating it to help justify his own political desire for Scottish Independence.
Greetings from San Francisco - where they know a bit about turning innovation into industries.
Dair is right - the UK is absolutely shocking at this. In addition to his list, let's throw in the jet engine and also, most recently, graphene. Our business culture - focused on cost control and quarterly returns - actively discourages long-term investment in the creation and roll-out of world class products and breeds a dysfunctional management class that judges itself on its ability to cut, rather than to create. It is little wonder our productivity is so poor and our exports so poor.
< "... turning innovation into industries." I entirely agree with you in this. We don't EXPLOIT the innovations as well as we should, but that is an entirely different thing to Dair's ridiculous assertion that we are "utterly opposed to innovation". We are great innovators.
They are not mutually exclusive statements.
Yes, Scotland and other parts of the UK are great innovators.
But the government of the UK has always crippled innovation. The four examples I gave are the best evidence of just how the UK government has destroyed the commercial and economic potential of innovation due to the innate and conservative fear of empowering the population.
The UK is weaker, poorer and worse served by the way the UK government has treated these core industries of modernity. And nothing suggests that the next great thing will be treated any differently.
Britain has been forced to withdraw intelligence agents from operations because Russia and China have obtained access to secret information in files stolen by whistleblower Edward Snowden, according to senior government sources.
This is all bullshit:
“Why do you think Snowden ended up in Russia?” said a senior Home Office source. “Putin didn’t give him asylum for nothing. His documents were encrypted but they weren’t completely secure and we have now seen our agents and assets being targeted.”
He ended up in Russia because that's where he was changing planes when they revoked his passport, and when they thought he was on a diplomatic plane going somewhere else they made it land and tried to arrest him. If they didn't want him to be in Russia, they shouldn't have forced him to stay in Russia.
Either way, he's been saying he didn't take the documents with them to Russia, in which case it doesn't matter how well encrypted they were.
< "... turning innovation into industries." I entirely agree with you in this. We don't EXPLOIT the innovations as well as we should, but that is an entirely different thing to Dair's ridiculous assertion that we are "utterly opposed to innovation". We are great innovators.
They are not mutually exclusive statements.
Yes, Scotland and other parts of the UK are great innovators.
But the government of the UK has always crippled innovation. The four examples I gave are the best evidence of just how the UK government has destroyed the commercial and economic potential of innovation due to the innate and conservative fear of empowering the population.
The UK is weaker, poorer and worse served by the way the UK government has treated these core industries of modernity. And nothing suggests that the next great thing will be treated any differently.
As far as I am concerned I've made my point defending great British innovators - all the women & men who've come up with the new ideas, products and technologies.
We all (you, me and Southam Observer) seem to agree that once we get the innovations we don't exploit them properly.
Southam blames the UK business culture, whereas you say "But the government of the UK has always crippled innovation". I don't have a dog in that particular fight, so I let you and SO argue the point. I need to go to bed.
Britain has been forced to withdraw intelligence agents from operations because Russia and China have obtained access to secret information in files stolen by whistleblower Edward Snowden, according to senior government sources.
Yeah, cause if we had been operationally compromised, we would definitely announce that to our enemies via international media
I don't own this, but I considered it a while ago. RHC Davis' A History of Medieval Europe: From Constantine to Saint Louis seems well-regarded.
...
I found that book a few years ago at a jumble sale and bought it because I realised it covered a period of history I didn't know much about. It is good and informative, but a bit limited because it covers mostly Germany, France and Italy, and has not much about Britain, Russia, Scandinavia etc. After reading it, it inspired me to go out and buy a book about Byzantium because that was another area of ignorance which needed to be filled. (I then realised that the Eastern Roman Empire was richer, more cultured and more advanced in various ways than the Western).
Since the Industrial Revolution, the UK has been utterly opposed to innovation.
I've read some strange stuff on PB threads, but that is the most bizarre!
"utterly opposed to innovation" - do you really believe that?
Go and sit down in a quiet room with a glass of water for an hour and calm down.
I'll give you four very pertinent examples to consider how the UK has botched modern technology and crippled it's own economy.
The telephone. The computer. Television. The Internet.
You've rather destroyed your own argument. Innovation took place in the UK in all of those instances. It was the exploitation of the innovation that was lacking. That is not too surprising, as exploitation of technologies tends to take place very close to the largest markets and earliest adopters for that technology, i.e. for those cases the US.
Even the botching of the exploitation has not crippled the economy. Compare and contrast with Greece, Argentina et al for 'crippling of the economy'. Or Scotland c1699.
Greetings from San Francisco - where they know a bit about turning innovation into industries.
Dair is right - the UK is absolutely shocking at this. In addition to his list, let's throw in the jet engine and also, most recently, graphene. Our business culture - focused on cost control and quarterly returns - actively discourages long-term investment in the creation and roll-out of world class products and breeds a dysfunctional management class that judges itself on its ability to cut, rather than to create. It is little wonder our productivity is so poor and our exports so poor.
It's not just our business culture. The patent system you know so well is very much exploited by the big players, often multinationals, making it very hard for small companies and start-ups to continue.
This is especially true in my industry. There's f'all management can do about it, whatever the 'business culture'.
Comments
Chilcot: PM urged to pull the plug
#tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers http://t.co/yrBq2OWuCG
Hmm. Can't think many chaps would've got that right.
Tenth, and last: the emperor who whose mutilation of a rival instigated a prolonged period of the practice in Byzantium.
The problem was that it was very expensive to extract. Oil delivered even more BTU/ton and was cheaper, plus it needed many fewer crew to operate.
Oil fuel was developed into an effective form by the Royal Navy - getting it to burn properly was a substantial piece of research that took a number of years. Once the technique was available, it spread rapidly post WWI.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7404789.stm
Germany (that well known technologically backward country) was still using steam locomotives in the 1970s!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_locomotive#Germany
The reason was that they wanted to get their full use out of their locomotives. Britain, OTOH, scrapped a lot of locos prematurely (for several reasons).
If a lady dragon gets marooned on a lonely island, she can create viable eggs without needing a gentleman dragon.
I'd take that over having my skull used as a goblet.
Had us hooked on Latin after that.
Since the Industrial Revolution, the UK has been utterly opposed to innovation. The way the UK botched the internet is still costing us Billions.
He passed away as he would have wanted - mortar board clutched to his head.
RIP Mr S.
Greece have been beaten by the Faroe Islands in tonight's Soccerball match.
Seems rather symbolic.
I had money on 8-0 and hope on fewer. So I'm still happy with that.
This last one, on the other hand, seems to be an opinion-based one. I will need a think and a guess.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CHaMdZlW8AAr9MB.jpg
"utterly opposed to innovation" - do you really believe that?
Go and sit down in a quiet room with a glass of water for an hour and calm down.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_306
I revisited the line today to mark its recent passage to Transport for London operations, in effect being run by Mayor Boris! Even appears an open blue line on the standard Tube Map!
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lYWmqQKjMEk/VHulZg8tYrI/AAAAAAAASdY/Gj0jva5Yg6w/s1600/tubemapmay15.gif
http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2014/12/18/what-makes-jim-murphy-so-dangerous-to-the-snp-is-that-for-the-first-time-in-years-lab-has-a-credible-alternative-first-minister/
Other countries were entirely electric by that date (or much earlier). And the UK was still ploughing taxpayers money into steam engines. Even in 2015 the UK does not have a completely electric railway.
"Tacitus studied rhetoric in Rome and rose to eminence as a pleader at the Roman Bar. In 77 he married the daughter of Agricola, conqueror of Britain, of whom he later wrote a biography. His other works includethe Germania and the Historiae."
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Annals-Imperial-Rome-Classics/dp/0140440607/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacitus
Have you been cheating, you bounder?
The Faroe Islands might be in the news again on Thursday when they could be the deciding factor in the Danish general election which is on a knife-edge.
Absolutely brilliant
I read this last year on my tablet; haven't got it in hard copy. Is it on your reading list? Hellenism in Byzantium: The Transformations of Greek Identity and the Reception of the Classical Tradition" by Anthony Kaldelli
I'd thought about John Julius Norwich's "Short History of Byzantium" which you mention downthread as your source but was advised it was a bit outdated in its interpretations and was only good as a primer for dates and events. So I accepted the other one as an alternative gift instead. Do you have any other suggestions?
(* - only kidding!)
The sequel/prequel is even better (even if it as historically accurate as an American war movie)
I could bang on about how Starkey represents everything wrong with this country (overinflated repuation, provocative without reprisal, rewards beyond merit, appointment without virtue, the unending mediocrity of the great and the good) but I'd have to have a lie down. There are good reasons why we don't go down the red-in-tooth-and-claw Hong-Kong/USA version of capitalism, but everytime I see Starkey banging on, the voice in my head says "cut all arts and academic funding to zero and get a proper job already".
No, and, alas, it shan't be on the basis of my Kindle already been stuffed like a glutton's gut and there being several books I want (two by Livy, the Chronographia, the Alexiad, a couple of Crusades and so on) as well.
I was going to buy another book last year about the Diadochi, but I checked the sample and the author used that Common Era nonsense.
Also, I got the trilogy on Byzantium, which may well be a different work. [Byzantium: the Early Centuries is book 1].
Also, there's the latter volumes of Edward Gibbon, of course [but you'd also need the first three because starting at Volume IV would be blasphemy].
I don't own this, but I considered it a while ago. RHC Davis' A History of Medieval Europe: From Constantine to Saint Louis seems well-regarded.
Edited extra bit: I really can recommend the Norwich trilogy. It's utterly fantastic, and one of the few histories I've read more than once, cover-to-cover.
http://thaddeusthesixth.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/book-review-byzantium-by-john-julius.html
Your original sneering comment was "This is the Britain/England which was still using Steam Locomotives in the 1960s", which coupled with your other nonsensical posting that "Since the Industrial Revolution, the UK has been utterly opposed to innovation." is clearly implying that the UK is backward looking and resistant to new technology.
My point is that your example of steam locomotives was a bad one (unless you want to call Germany technologically resistant to change as well).
You merely did what you always do, and changed your tune when you got found out.
Even Japan was still building steam locomotives in 1960, the year we built our last main-line one (The Evening Star) (*)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_locomotive#The_end_of_steam_in_general_use
Look at it this way. We made our first diesel main-line locomotives in 1948 (a worthy mention to the LMS 10000/10001 twins). Within twelve years of that date we had given up building steam locomotives, and within twenty years diesel and electric had replaced all steam locomotives. That's quite some going.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_D16/1
You really are clueless on this matter.
(*) Tornado excepted.
My stint as Guest Editor of PB for a period of more than two weeks begins in the next day or so.
Critical comments about the film 300 increases the likelihood of there being daily threads on AV/electoral reform and Scotland during said stint.
If you were wondering, Mr. M, the answer was Flavius Phocas, who deposed Maurice and was in turn destroyed by the tragic but splendid emperor Heraclius.
Night, everyone.
The Blair and Brown governments electrified ... nine miles (1), excluding the new-build HS1.
The Cameron governments are electrifying hundreds more miles.
The railways do better under the Conservatives than Labour. ;-)
(1): researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN05907/SN05907.pdf
It's not Greece's fault
It's not Greece's fault.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YwOWckI3gs
I'm off to bed, and so can't write a new morning thread about
"Only AV can keep Scotland in the Union"
I loved Kendo Nagasaki myself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thornley
This interview is simply brilliant independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/wrestling-i-hurt-im-dizzy-i-want-to-throw-up--in-the-ring-with-kendo-nagasaki-507344.html
Edit: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2012-04-25a.102604.h
Presenter: We have Jim on the line who wants to discuss the Faroe Islands v Scotland game.
Jim: Thanks...er yeah. Just want to say it's an absolute disgrace. I mean, we're playing probably the weakest side in world football and we can't do better than a draw.
Presenter: It was a poor result.
Jim: Poor result! Poor result! It's absolutely scandalous. The manager has lost the plot completely, he's got to go. I know we've never set the world alight over the years on the international stage but I can't remember things being this bad. It's the end for us. The absolute end. I can't see us ever recovering from a setback like this. We're a complete laughing stock.
Presenter: Look Jim. I know it seems bad now but there is still a long way to go. I can't see you qualifying for Euro 2004 but hopefully things will improve.
Jim: I never expected for a moment we would qualify. I don't mind that so much. We're not good enough. But listen, to not qualify is one thing, but to fail to beat a team like Scotland is a different matter. It's a bitter blow for everyone here on the Islands.
* I have been a supporter of lost causes in my time, one of which plays in yellow and red in Scotland.
*Tm Terry Pratchett.
Must have been the route via Alsager.
Q. The President of FIFA, the Secretary-General of FIFA and the FIFA spokesman are in a car. Who's driving?
A. The police.
Come the final whistle the team sees Rooney walk into the dressing room and sit down, looking utterly depressed. They ask him the result and, tears in his eyes, he says England lost 1-0.
Stunned he could be upset after playing an entire half by himself and only losing 1-0, the team asks him why he's so upset.
'You don't understand' he cries. 'It was an own goal'.
Very interesting. Newsnight had a sample of only 12, but I Andy's "win" was still impressive because of the supporting comments of the audience.
It would be interesting to take a poll of a large sample Might-Vote-Labour voters after the televised hustings of the Labour leadership candidates to see what the reaction is to the 2015 candidates.
'Off-topic: just found this. An item from the 2010 leadership contest with swing voters (SOUTHERN swing voters at that) saw Andy Burnham emerge as the top choice, ahead of both Milibands.'
Based on a 3 minute interview and before the Mid Staffs report was published.
As is, it does just seem weird. And the lack of at least a comma after "Hi" is going to make me lose sleep...
The telephone.
The computer.
Television.
The Internet.
Sky News
Britain has been forced to withdraw intelligence agents from operations because Russia and China have obtained access to secret information in files stolen by whistleblower Edward Snowden, according to senior government sources.
Dair is right - the UK is absolutely shocking at this. In addition to his list, let's throw in the jet engine and also, most recently, graphene. Our business culture - focused on cost control and quarterly returns - actively discourages long-term investment in the creation and roll-out of world class products and breeds a dysfunctional management class that judges itself on its ability to cut, rather than to create. It is little wonder our productivity is so poor and our exports so poor.
But the four examples I gave were specifically chosen as ones where Government decision making utterly destroyed any competitive edge the UK should have enjoyed - especially as in all four the UK invented, or were significantly involved, in the technological development.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/sometimes-its-just-a-spade/#more-71964
In the UK management is not very ambitious personally or for their businesses. Labour unions are controlled by idealogues who believe the State is the answer to our problems.
Take a look at this list of British innovations and then try to claim that we are "utterly opposed to innovation" with a straight face:
http://www.topbritishinnovations.org/~/link.aspx?_id=6A3DE5CB2B4F41FDB7FB43601398817C&_z=z
In addition, we have more Nobel prize winners than any other country except the USA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nobel_laureates_by_country
All Dair is doing (his usual trick) is to try to subtly shift the debate when his original point has been refuted.
He hates being part of the UK so much that he frantically tries to find any way he can of denigrating it to help justify his own political desire for Scottish Independence.
Yes, Scotland and other parts of the UK are great innovators.
But the government of the UK has always crippled innovation. The four examples I gave are the best evidence of just how the UK government has destroyed the commercial and economic potential of innovation due to the innate and conservative fear of empowering the population.
The UK is weaker, poorer and worse served by the way the UK government has treated these core industries of modernity. And nothing suggests that the next great thing will be treated any differently.
Either way, he's been saying he didn't take the documents with them to Russia, in which case it doesn't matter how well encrypted they were.
We all (you, me and Southam Observer) seem to agree that once we get the innovations we don't exploit them properly.
Southam blames the UK business culture, whereas you say "But the government of the UK has always crippled innovation". I don't have a dog in that particular fight, so I let you and SO argue the point. I need to go to bed.
Sweet dreams everyone.
'Our business culture - focused on cost control and quarterly returns'
And US corporations are not focused on cost controls & quarterly returns, clearly you have never worked for a US corporation
Even the botching of the exploitation has not crippled the economy. Compare and contrast with Greece, Argentina et al for 'crippling of the economy'. Or Scotland c1699.
This is especially true in my industry. There's f'all management can do about it, whatever the 'business culture'.