People who go on about Doctor Who, Sherlock or Star Wars are just GITS. Just stupid stupid GITS
GITS
There. I said it. What we were all thinking. Shut up you GITS.
I saw your book being sold at Schonefeld's bookstore last week. Front of store, big display, but slightly behind and not as prominent as Rowling's new franchise instalment. Familiarity sells....
Schonefeld?! Is that in Germany? Was it Stiefkind?
@david_herdson. Fair and arguable points David. Yet curiously FPTP negates popular soveriegnty to the extent it never in practice leads to governments having won a majority of the vote. The Conservatives can govern on 37% of the vote opposed to 63% for varying opponents. But can't remain on a 48.1% to 51.9% split. And of course FPTP was overwhelmingly upheld by popular soveriegnty in a referendum only recently ! It all seems quite fluid at the moment.
Not quite true - the Conservatives won an outright majority of the popular vote. Admittedly only once and it was 86 years ago.
The closest anyone has come since is Eden in 1955 (which was also the last election that the Conservatives polled above 50% in their former stronghold of Scotland) - 49.5%. Curiously he won a much smaller majority than Macmillan did in 1959 on a fractionally lower share, largely thanks to the heavy squeeze on the Liberals who if memory serves polled something risible like 2% before recovering somewhat under Grimond's leadership.
There are a good deal more examples if you go back into the 19th century, although the figures there have to be treated with some caution due to the number of uncontested seats (though this, ironically, tends to skew the numbers for votes cast *against* the dominant party as that's likely to have more uncontested ones).
The National government of 1935 also received the support of more than 50%. Admittedly, no individual component within it did but I don't really accept that as an argument: there was an explicit pact between Conservatives, National Liberals and National Labour not to contest seats against each other. We don't count SDP and Liberals separately in the 1983 and 1987 elections.
Absolute non story, Klopp kept calm despite some shocking decisions.
The fourth official praised Klopp's passion in that episode.
I did feel sorry for the fourth official last night, he had the two most passionate and demonstrative managers in the league to deal with.
Conte, who I also like, kicked the ball in disgust, when Chelsea repeatedly misplaced their passes, then got a few words from Mark Clattenburg, then spent the next few mins apologising to the fourth official, Klopp, and anyone else within 20 yards of him.
You should have seen some of John Moss's decisions in the Burnley match. It doesn't excuse Wenger's behaviour. So Klopp and Conte act like brats all of the time, that gives them a free pass?
They aren't stupid enough to place their hands on an official.
The fourth official said he liked Klopp's passion.
So screaming in the face of an official is acceptable? A great example they are setting. Oh, and it was a penalty.
SeanT to write a SciFI novel about a right wing xenophobe travelling through space and time with barely concealed contempt for other worlds, but enjoying the wine.
@David_Herdson If the stuff the Tories are putting out in Copeland isn't a trial run for an early election I'm a Christmas Tree. Accelerating candidate selection is another sign.
An action can have more than one prompt. I'm sure that the Copeland literature is testing general election arguments but that won't be the only reason: I'm sure they'll be doing it because they think it's likely to be effective locally too. And of course, the information gained would still be valid to prepare for a 2020 election as long as Corbyn was in office.
People who go on about Doctor Who, Sherlock or Star Wars are just GITS. Just stupid stupid GITS
GITS
There. I said it. What we were all thinking. Shut up you GITS.
I saw your book being sold at Schonefeld's bookstore last week. Front of store, big display, but slightly behind and not as prominent as Rowling's new franchise instalment. Familiarity sells....
Schonefeld?! Is that in Germany? Was it Stiefkind?
Berlin's not Tegel airport.
I wonder what the latest news on the new Berlin airport is. Last time I checked it was already about 10 years late and costing billions more than expected.
Absolute non story, Klopp kept calm despite some shocking decisions.
The fourth official praised Klopp's passion in that episode.
I did feel sorry for the fourth official last night, he had the two most passionate and demonstrative managers in the league to deal with.
Conte, who I also like, kicked the ball in disgust, when Chelsea repeatedly misplaced their passes, then got a few words from Mark Clattenburg, then spent the next few mins apologising to the fourth official, Klopp, and anyone else within 20 yards of him.
You should have seen some of John Moss's decisions in the Burnley match. It doesn't excuse Wenger's behaviour. So Klopp and Conte act like brats all of the time, that gives them a free pass?
They aren't stupid enough to place their hands on an official.
The fourth official said he liked Klopp's passion.
So screaming in the face of an official is acceptable? A great example they are setting. Oh, and it was a penalty.
Percentage of PB Trumpers disappointed that the UK public doesn't support a ban on Syrian refugees, a temporary ban on all refugees and a temporary ban on immigration from some Muslim countries?
101%
~I think there are only about 1.5 PB Trumpers left, out of only about 5 in the first place, so it comes to less than 2 people.
On the Trump SCOTUS nomination - a judge with a strong record who believes in states rights and interprets the constitution literally. Democrats would be foolish to filibuster on him. This is a conservative replacing a conservative. It's the appointment after this one that ammunition should be conserved for. The likelihood is that that the next Justice down will be a liberal. Trump will ignore convention and nominate a conservative to replace. That's when the fight should take place.
Excellent manufacturing PMIs out this morning - in most places they're at a five or six year high.
Netherlands 56.5 Germany 56.4 UK 55.9 Spain 55.6 Ireland 55.5 France 53.6 Italy 53.0
Even 53 is a reasonable number, pointing to c. 1.5% GDP growth, with the numbers for us, the Dutch, the Germans and the Spanish all looking more like 3%.
Excellent manufacturing PMIs out this morning - in most places they're at a five or six year high.
Netherlands 56.5 Germany 56.4 UK 55.9 Spain 55.6 Ireland 55.5 France 53.6 Italy 53.0
Even 53 is a reasonable number, pointing to c. 1.5% GDP growth, with the numbers for us, the Dutch, the Germans and the Spanish all looking more like 3%.
@David_Herdson If the stuff the Tories are putting out in Copeland isn't a trial run for an early election I'm a Christmas Tree. Accelerating candidate selection is another sign.
An action can have more than one prompt. I'm sure that the Copeland literature is testing general election arguments but that won't be the only reason: I'm sure they'll be doing it because they think it's likely to be effective locally too. And of course, the information gained would still be valid to prepare for a 2020 election as long as Corbyn was in office.
The Tories are clearly prepping for an early election. But who wouldn't? If there is a hold-up on A50 or other Brexit stuff then May will have to go to the country.
In Bristol West 12,619 have signed the anti-Trump visit petition and 204 the pro one. You wouldn't guess from that that 49% of the public apparently support the visit, even when adjusting for the particular demographics of that constituency.
Poll has DUP down but still likely to come first, UUP and Alliance as well as SF also on the rise
Good news generally, politics becoming more normalised in NI. "Interestingly, when voters were asked which issue was at the top of their agenda in the snap election, a majority said the Health Service." "Among trends detected in the poll, there are suggestions of an increase in SDLP voters transferring other preferences to the UUP – and vice versa."
Percentage of PB Trumpers disappointed that the UK public doesn't support a ban on Syrian refugees, a temporary ban on all refugees and a temporary ban on immigration from some Muslim countries?
101%
Not much comment on the Quebec mass murder on here since the identity of the suspect became known. It's good to see that everyone is respecting the judicial process ;-)
On the Trump SCOTUS nomination - a judge with a strong record who believes in states rights and interprets the constitution literally. Democrats would be foolish to filibuster on him. This is a conservative replacing a conservative. It's the appointment after this one that ammunition should be conserved for. The likelihood is that that the next Justice down will be a liberal. Trump will ignore convention and nominate a conservative to replace. That's when the fight should take place.
Some Democrats might right idiots of themselves last night. I understand they are angry because the Republicans played silly buggers, but seems a mistake to play the man here as even the likes of CNN say he would be an uncontroversial pick as historical "traditionalists" go.
"Short stories are odd beasts to write. Working on one now (finally think I'm making headway with an idea)."
Best of luck.
I had a weird dream last August (I blame the cheese). The next morning, it remained vivid so I wrote a short story (2,000 words) based on it in about an hour. I called it 'an appetite for change' and sent it off to an online site (Fictive Dream) for obvious reasons and they published it in their September issue.
No money involved but the copyright reverts to me soon.
I wondered if it might be better to sleep more and write less!
But it's only for fun. I don't begrudge Mr T his sexual adventures and money. Does it make him happy?
Mr. Matt, I've said before, in truthful jest, that I could write a bestseller if I called it Lord of the Thrones and changed my name to George RR Tolkien.
Very difficult to make a breakthrough though, alas. Incidentally, just a fortnight until my next book, Journeys (anthology, also features stories by a number of award-winning/nominated authors).
If it's any consolation, it took years for Lord of the Rings and A Game of Thrones to become really popular. Sales of LOTR only took off after 1966, and probably 90% of Martin's sales were post 2010 (the first book was published in 1996). One of Martin's novels, the Armageddon Rag, sold so badly that he thought his career as a novelist was over.
Paradoxically, one of the great risks for any writer is the massive advance that ends in a flop.
If they give you £2000 and it doesn't sell, heck, no one cares, have another go, indeed if it's good we'll give you a £4000 advance. Knock yerself out.
If they give you £200,000 and it doesn't sell then Eeeek, you've got a reputation as a huge money-loser and it's VERY hard to shake off.
An example: Londonstani, by Gautam Malkani (2006). It was a big debut by a British Asian. I think the publishers thought they had a new Zadie Smith (who was very fashionable back then). It sold at auction, in Frankfurt, for a reported $675,000
It sold less than 15,000 copies and ended Malkani's literary career. He's now a journalist at the FT, and hasn't written a novel since.
People who go on about Doctor Who, Sherlock or Star Wars are just GITS. Just stupid stupid GITS
GITS
There. I said it. What we were all thinking. Shut up you GITS.
I saw your book being sold at Schonefeld's bookstore last week. Front of store, big display, but slightly behind and not as prominent as Rowling's new franchise instalment. Familiarity sells....
Schonefeld?! Is that in Germany? Was it Stiefkind?
Berlin's not Tegel airport.
I wonder what the latest news on the new Berlin airport is. Last time I checked it was already about 10 years late and costing billions more than expected.
Percentage of PB Trumpers disappointed that the UK public doesn't support a ban on Syrian refugees, a temporary ban on all refugees and a temporary ban on immigration from some Muslim countries?
101%
Not much comment on the Quebec mass murder on here since the identity of the suspect became known. It's good to see that everyone is respecting the judicial process ;-)
They're all on tenterhooks for the psychological reports.
Mr. Matt, I've said before, in truthful jest, that I could write a bestseller if I called it Lord of the Thrones and changed my name to George RR Tolkien.
Very difficult to make a breakthrough though, alas. Incidentally, just a fortnight until my next book, Journeys (anthology, also features stories by a number of award-winning/nominated authors).
If it's any consolation, it took years for Lord of the Rings and A Game of Thrones to become really popular. Sales of LOTR only took off after 1966, and probably 90% of Martin's sales were post 2010 (the first book was published in 1996). One of Martin's novels, the Armageddon Rag, sold so badly that he thought his career as a novelist was over.
Paradoxically, one of the great risks for any writer is the massive advance that ends in a flop.
If they give you £2000 and it doesn't sell, heck, no one cares, have another go, indeed if it's good we'll give you a £4000 advance. Knock yerself out.
If they give you £200,000 and it doesn't sell then Eeeek, you've got a reputation as a huge money-loser and it's VERY hard to shake off.
An example: Londonstani, by Gautam Malkani (2006). It was a big debut by a British Asian. I think the publishers thought they had a new Zadie Smith (who was very fashionable back then). It sold at auction, in Frankfurt, for a reported $675,000
It sold less than 15,000 copies and ended Malkani's literary career. He's now a journalist at the FT, and hasn't written a novel since.
Mr. Matt, I've said before, in truthful jest, that I could write a bestseller if I called it Lord of the Thrones and changed my name to George RR Tolkien.
Very difficult to make a breakthrough though, alas. Incidentally, just a fortnight until my next book, Journeys (anthology, also features stories by a number of award-winning/nominated authors).
If it's any consolation, it took years for Lord of the Rings and A Game of Thrones to become really popular. Sales of LOTR only took off after 1966, and probably 90% of Martin's sales were post 2010 (the first book was published in 1996). One of Martin's novels, the Armageddon Rag, sold so badly that he thought his career as a novelist was over.
Paradoxically, one of the great risks for any writer is the massive advance that ends in a flop.
If they give you £2000 and it doesn't sell, heck, no one cares, have another go, indeed if it's good we'll give you a £4000 advance. Knock yerself out.
If they give you £200,000 and it doesn't sell then Eeeek, you've got a reputation as a huge money-loser and it's VERY hard to shake off.
An example: Londonstani, by Gautam Malkani (2006). It was a big debut by a British Asian. I think the publishers thought they had a new Zadie Smith (who was very fashionable back then). It sold at auction, in Frankfurt, for a reported $675,000
It sold less than 15,000 copies and ended Malkani's literary career. He's now a journalist at the FT, and hasn't written a novel since.
Mr. Matt, I've said before, in truthful jest, that I could write a bestseller if I called it Lord of the Thrones and changed my name to George RR Tolkien.
Very difficult to make a breakthrough though, alas. Incidentally, just a fortnight until my next book, Journeys (anthology, also features stories by a number of award-winning/nominated authors).
If it's any consolation, it took years for Lord of the Rings and A Game of Thrones to become really popular. Sales of LOTR only took off after 1966, and probably 90% of Martin's sales were post 2010 (the first book was published in 1996). One of Martin's novels, the Armageddon Rag, sold so badly that he thought his career as a novelist was over.
Paradoxically, one of the great risks for any writer is the massive advance that ends in a flop.
If they give you £2000 and it doesn't sell, heck, no one cares, have another go, indeed if it's good we'll give you a £4000 advance. Knock yerself out.
If they give you £200,000 and it doesn't sell then Eeeek, you've got a reputation as a huge money-loser and it's VERY hard to shake off.
An example: Londonstani, by Gautam Malkani (2006). It was a big debut by a British Asian. I think the publishers thought they had a new Zadie Smith (who was very fashionable back then). It sold at auction, in Frankfurt, for a reported $675,000
It sold less than 15,000 copies and ended Malkani's literary career. He's now a journalist at the FT, and hasn't written a novel since.
What's interesting is about this SCOTUS pick is that he's said nothing about Roe v Wade. Which is just odd especially given how strongly most Republicans feel about Row v Wade.
Mr. T, that's a relative problem to have though. I'd take shit sales and £200k over shit sales and no advance at all.
Mr. CD13, cheers. I rarely get dream inspiration. The only time I clearly did was for a name of a character in a won't-be-published old story (Liaska).
Obviously sales trump reviews, but good reviews do mean if you get stumbled across later on that increases the chances of someone buying your books.
Mr. Matt, I've said before, in truthful jest, that I could write a bestseller if I called it Lord of the Thrones and changed my name to George RR Tolkien.
Very difficult to make a breakthrough though, alas. Incidentally, just a fortnight until my next book, Journeys (anthology, also features stories by a number of award-winning/nominated authors).
If it's any consolation, it took years for Lord of the Rings and A Game of Thrones to become really popular. Sales of LOTR only took off after 1966, and probably 90% of Martin's sales were post 2010 (the first book was published in 1996). One of Martin's novels, the Armageddon Rag, sold so badly that he thought his career as a novelist was over.
Paradoxically, one of the great risks for any writer is the massive advance that ends in a flop.
If they give you £2000 and it doesn't sell, heck, no one cares, have another go, indeed if it's good we'll give you a £4000 advance. Knock yerself out.
If they give you £200,000 and it doesn't sell then Eeeek, you've got a reputation as a huge money-loser and it's VERY hard to shake off.
An example: Londonstani, by Gautam Malkani (2006). It was a big debut by a British Asian. I think the publishers thought they had a new Zadie Smith (who was very fashionable back then). It sold at auction, in Frankfurt, for a reported $675,000
It sold less than 15,000 copies and ended Malkani's literary career. He's now a journalist at the FT, and hasn't written a novel since.
What's interesting is about this SCOTUS pick is that he's said nothing about Roe v Wade. Which is just odd especially given how strongly most Republicans feel about Row v Wade.
You'd never think that from the BBC's reporting! (Trump seems to have upset so many people's critical faculties!)
I get the impression that his nominee might turn out to be as big a headache for over-mighty or autocratic executives as for liberals looking for judicial activism to circumvent the democratic process.
People who go on about Doctor Who, Sherlock or Star Wars are just GITS. Just stupid stupid GITS
GITS
There. I said it. What we were all thinking. Shut up you GITS.
I saw your book being sold at Schonefeld's bookstore last week. Front of store, big display, but slightly behind and not as prominent as Rowling's new franchise instalment. Familiarity sells....
Schonefeld?! Is that in Germany? Was it Stiefkind?
Berlin's not Tegel airport.
I wonder what the latest news on the new Berlin airport is. Last time I checked it was already about 10 years late and costing billions more than expected.
What's interesting is about this SCOTUS pick is that he's said nothing about Roe v Wade. Which is just odd especially given how strongly most Republicans feel about Row v Wade.
He's pretty libertarian in his outlook, so I suspect he thinks RvW was judicial over-reach. He's also repeatedly sided with defendants against the police, and his opinions are extremely well written, so I think he's going to be a great (possibly unpredictable) addition to the bench.
Fake news seems to be infecting the left now, with a lot of people on Twitter saying their opinion and the e-petition is more valid than the YouGov findings.
Mr. Matt, I've said before, in truthful jest, that I could write a bestseller if I called it Lord of the Thrones and changed my name to George RR Tolkien.
Very difficult to make a breakthrough though, alas. Incidentally, just a fortnight until my next book, Journeys (anthology, also features stories by a number of award-winning/nominated authors).
If it's any consolation, it took years for Lord of the Rings and A Game of Thrones to become really popular. Sales of LOTR only took off after 1966, and probably 90% of Martin's sales were post 2010 (the first book was published in 1996). One of Martin's novels, the Armageddon Rag, sold so badly that he thought his career as a novelist was over.
Paradoxically, one of the great risks for any writer is the massive advance that ends in a flop.
If they give you £2000 and it doesn't sell, heck, no one cares, have another go, indeed if it's good we'll give you a £4000 advance. Knock yerself out.
If they give you £200,000 and it doesn't sell then Eeeek, you've got a reputation as a huge money-loser and it's VERY hard to shake off.
An example: Londonstani, by Gautam Malkani (2006). It was a big debut by a British Asian. I think the publishers thought they had a new Zadie Smith (who was very fashionable back then). It sold at auction, in Frankfurt, for a reported $675,000
It sold less than 15,000 copies and ended Malkani's literary career. He's now a journalist at the FT, and hasn't written a novel since.
Do you get to keep all the advance even if the book flops?
Yes.
I suppose the trick would be to get an advance so large you never have to work again, come what may. You may never get another publisher, but you'll be sat on the patio with a drink in the afternoons.
I believe huge advances are long gone though, post 2008.
What's interesting is about this SCOTUS pick is that he's said nothing about Roe v Wade. Which is just odd especially given how strongly most Republicans feel about Row v Wade.
He's pretty libertarian in his outlook, so I suspect he thinks RvW was judicial over-reach. He's also repeatedly sided with defendants against the police, and his opinions are extremely well written, so I think he's going to be a great (possibly unpredictable) addition to the bench.
Presumably his take on abortion will be that it is a states issue.
If I were a Democrat I would take this nomination all day long. It could have been a lot, lot worse. The next one is where the fight should be.
What's interesting is about this SCOTUS pick is that he's said nothing about Roe v Wade. Which is just odd especially given how strongly most Republicans feel about Row v Wade.
He's pretty libertarian in his outlook, so I suspect he thinks RvW was judicial over-reach. He's also repeatedly sided with defendants against the police, and his opinions are extremely well written, so I think he's going to be a great (possibly unpredictable) addition to the bench.
I have huge doubts about Neil Gorsuch.
He did his PhD in legal philosophy at Oxford University.
Blair read Jurisprudence at Oxford and he didn't even know he couldn't abolish the role of Lord Chancellor.
Mr. F, interesting, was unaware of that backstory. Short stories are odd beasts to write. Working on one now (finally think I'm making headway with an idea).
If sales are low (of your own stuff) they're more sensible financially than writing novels. Spot of advertising too. And brief exclusivity means they can be recycled for a solo anthology later (which is another long term idea I have).
Mr D - Top tip - when you run out of ideas or the story is getting too long, just write "And then I woke up". It did the job at school.
The last piece of fiction I wrote was in my O-level English language exam. Maybe it is time to try again. I did get an A, after all. (But an E for English Lit!)
Why? She loses 2:1 against Macron, and is polling 7% less than she was three years ago.
"the election may become an unenviable choice between Le Pen and a gentleman called Emmanuel Macron, the shouty, thrusting independent chap on the centre or moderate centre-left who is billed as a French Tony Blair. (What could possibly go wrong?)"
What's interesting is about this SCOTUS pick is that he's said nothing about Roe v Wade. Which is just odd especially given how strongly most Republicans feel about Row v Wade.
He's pretty libertarian in his outlook, so I suspect he thinks RvW was judicial over-reach. He's also repeatedly sided with defendants against the police, and his opinions are extremely well written, so I think he's going to be a great (possibly unpredictable) addition to the bench.
Presumably his take on abortion will be that it is a states issue.
If I were a Democrat I would take this nomination all day long. It could have been a lot, lot worse. The next one is where the fight should be.
Abortion should be a states issue. And politicians should be the ones deciding what the law is, not judges.
Excellent manufacturing PMIs out this morning - in most places they're at a five or six year high.
Netherlands 56.5 Germany 56.4 UK 55.9 Spain 55.6 Ireland 55.5 France 53.6 Italy 53.0
Even 53 is a reasonable number, pointing to c. 1.5% GDP growth, with the numbers for us, the Dutch, the Germans and the Spanish all looking more like 3%.
What's interesting is about this SCOTUS pick is that he's said nothing about Roe v Wade. Which is just odd especially given how strongly most Republicans feel about Row v Wade.
He's pretty libertarian in his outlook, so I suspect he thinks RvW was judicial over-reach. He's also repeatedly sided with defendants against the police, and his opinions are extremely well written, so I think he's going to be a great (possibly unpredictable) addition to the bench.
Presumably his take on abortion will be that it is a states issue.
If I were a Democrat I would take this nomination all day long. It could have been a lot, lot worse. The next one is where the fight should be.
Abortion should be a states issue. And politicians should be the ones deciding what the law is, not judges.
With that principle Jim Crow would still be on the books as would separate but equal.
Hurrah for The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision.
What's interesting is about this SCOTUS pick is that he's said nothing about Roe v Wade. Which is just odd especially given how strongly most Republicans feel about Row v Wade.
He's pretty libertarian in his outlook, so I suspect he thinks RvW was judicial over-reach. He's also repeatedly sided with defendants against the police, and his opinions are extremely well written, so I think he's going to be a great (possibly unpredictable) addition to the bench.
Presumably his take on abortion will be that it is a states issue.
If I were a Democrat I would take this nomination all day long. It could have been a lot, lot worse. The next one is where the fight should be.
There were some right head bangers on trumps original list.
Mr. Matt, I've said before, in truthful jest, that I could write a bestseller if I called it Lord of the Thrones and changed my name to George RR Tolkien.
Very difficult to make a breakthrough though, alas. Incidentally, just a fortnight until my next book, Journeys (anthology, also features stories by a number of award-winning/nominated authors).
If it's any consolation, it took years for Lord of the Rings and A Game of Thrones to become really popular. Sales of LOTR only took off after 1966, and probably 90% of Martin's sales were post 2010 (the first book was published in 1996). One of Martin's novels, the Armageddon Rag, sold so badly that he thought his career as a novelist was over.
Iwonder how much of the LOTR increase was down to Led Zepp IV
Excellent manufacturing PMIs out this morning - in most places they're at a five or six year high.
Netherlands 56.5 Germany 56.4 UK 55.9 Spain 55.6 Ireland 55.5 France 53.6 Italy 53.0
Even 53 is a reasonable number, pointing to c. 1.5% GDP growth, with the numbers for us, the Dutch, the Germans and the Spanish all looking more like 3%.
Why? She loses 2:1 against Macron, and is polling 7% less than she was three years ago.
"the election may become an unenviable choice between Le Pen and a gentleman called Emmanuel Macron, the shouty, thrusting independent chap on the centre or moderate centre-left who is billed as a French Tony Blair. (What could possibly go wrong?)"
Macron was surging even before the Fillon stories.
I think people on the board still underestimate how transfer unfriendly the FN is. I struggle to find a single election where they've increased their vote numbers more than 10% between the first and second rounds. Indeed, in both sets of elections in 2015 they effectively went backwards.
In Bristol West 12,619 have signed the anti-Trump visit petition and 204 the pro one. You wouldn't guess from that that 49% of the public apparently support the visit, even when adjusting for the particular demographics of that constituency.
Watching Sir Ivan Rogers at the HoC Committee, I am struck by how poor a poker player he would be. Very openly wears his emotions in his body language and his answers wander all over the place. Very little sign of a calm, controlled, presence. No wonder Cameron's renegotiation failed to deliver anything meaningful.
Clearly not helped by the fact that he was never a pure diplomat (or a business negotiator) but arose out of the Treasury as one of their advisors.
Mr. Rentool, English teachers often give bad advice.
A classic was when they told my class that 'said' is overused so you should go for things like 'exclaimed', 'shouted' etc a lot. You really shouldn't. 'Said' is almost invisible, which is what you want. It's weary and tiresome wading through seventeen unneeded variants in a page.
Mr. T, sadly, it's difficult, and becoming more so, to make money as a writer.
Incidentally, the proof of Kingdom Asunder's paperback arrived yesterday. I still need to check it properly, but it looks ok. Cover's a bit darker than expected but I rather like it (also fits the mood).
He's said he'll resign if he's prosecuted. Juppe has said he won't stand. Which leaves the poisonous dwarf Sarkozy. Which could be manna from heaven for Le Pen, but only if Sarkozy beats Macron in the first round... which seems unlikely.
On the Trump SCOTUS nomination - a judge with a strong record who believes in states rights and interprets the constitution literally. Democrats would be foolish to filibuster on him. This is a conservative replacing a conservative. It's the appointment after this one that ammunition should be conserved for. The likelihood is that that the next Justice down will be a liberal. Trump will ignore convention and nominate a conservative to replace. That's when the fight should take place.
I agree. Indeed, if the Democrats are foolish enough to take this to the brink, the casualty could be the 60-vote rule as reasonable public opinion which isn't partisanly bound to one side or the other, would come out against the unreasonableness of the Democrats. And if filibustering is made easier to overturn, that would make the GOP's legislative program (not to mention future SCOTUS nominees) a lot harder to oppose.
Of course, there is the risk to the GOP that the same rule change would work against them once they're in opposition but they have at least four years before that happens. Even if they lose Congress, they still have a presidential veto on their side (and I doubt that Trump will be shy in using it).
Sir Ivan talks some sense in highlighting the advantage we have through our large budget contributions and that we need to view it from the perspective of the poorest and who may have to make up the gap.
Fake news seems to be infecting the left now, with a lot of people on Twitter saying their opinion and the e-petition is more valid than the YouGov findings.
Isn't it fake news to say that 49% of respondents to the YouGov poll support the Trump state visit, when they were actually asked whether it should be cancelled?
Mr. 1000, I agree. As I've said before, if you were designing a presidential system that was unfriendly to fringe candidates, it'd be the French one. Le Pen to the second round is a real possibility, though not guaranteed, but I can't see her winning the presidency.
Paul Waugh @paulwaugh EU has told Rogers "u've exploded a bomb under" 7-yr EU budget process cos of Brexit. Their 'immense financial difficulty' gives UK leverage
"Whatever the gloss from what at first appeared like triumphal visit to Washington last week by the PM has fallen away following the executive orders from the White House on refugees, Muslims, and immigration."
Would someone kindly point me to the executive order on Muslims? I missed that.
Meanwhile, the nomination of Neil Gorsuch looks perfectly sensible. The reaction of some Democrats is bonkers. Are they deliberately trying to taint justified criticism of Trump by mixing in nonsensical criticism?
Excellent manufacturing PMIs out this morning - in most places they're at a five or six year high.
Netherlands 56.5 Germany 56.4 UK 55.9 Spain 55.6 Ireland 55.5 France 53.6 Italy 53.0
Even 53 is a reasonable number, pointing to c. 1.5% GDP growth, with the numbers for us, the Dutch, the Germans and the Spanish all looking more like 3%.
But Roger! I was always told by the creatives Put the ideas in the Pictures not the words - only one of them works with the sound turned down......
That's very true and good advice! The Scott one was earlier but they're both very watchable. By coincidence I did an Express ad with Paula Hamilton who had very bad dyslexia and that seemed to be her overriding interest
Mr. 1000, I agree. As I've said before, if you were designing a presidential system that was unfriendly to fringe candidates, it'd be the French one. Le Pen to the second round is a real possibility, though not guaranteed, but I can't see her winning the presidency.
AV surely? ;-)
Being serious, the French system does make a piss-poor run-off choice more likely than AV does, increasing the risk of a fringe candidate. Had the French used AV in 2002, Jospin would probably have won. The risk this time is that a seriously flawed candidate is put forward to challenge Le Pen in the second round, having secured only 20-22% in the first, and that not enough people transfer across.
Watching Sir Ivan Rogers at the HoC Committee, I am struck by how poor a poker player he would be. Very openly wears his emotions in his body language and his answers wander all over the place. Very little sign of a calm, controlled, presence. No wonder Cameron's renegotiation failed to deliver anything meaningful.
Clearly not helped by the fact that he was never a pure diplomat (or a business negotiator) but arose out of the Treasury as one of their advisors.
His testimony is fascinating and he has a deep knowledge of the EU but the case for leaving is enhanced and justified by the impotence of the organisation.
I would not put him in charge of negotiating anything, he just rambles on and is a typical eurocrat
Poll has DUP down but still likely to come first, UUP and Alliance as well as SF also on the rise
Good news generally, politics becoming more normalised in NI. "Interestingly, when voters were asked which issue was at the top of their agenda in the snap election, a majority said the Health Service." "Among trends detected in the poll, there are suggestions of an increase in SDLP voters transferring other preferences to the UUP – and vice versa."
The new SF leader has family connections to the IRA, but is more distant than previous leaders.
I can see SF evolving into an Irish SNP, and getting unification by the ballotbox in a referendum within my lifetime. That wouldchange the ROI as much as Ulster, and give real meaning to the Irish Tricolour, with the white of peace between orange and green traditions.
Democrats shouldn't filibuster the scotus nominee. He's fine as far as nominees go and seems unlikely to be a trump stooge. Additionally, filibustering him will drive mainstream republicans closer to trump, when the democrat strategy should be to split the gop from the trump. They need to swallow their pride on Merrick garland and other obstructionist tactics from previous years. The voters had a chance to punish the GOP for their actions and chose not to.
So, it turns out that the multiple character attacks on Sir Ivan Rogers on here and in the right wing press as a Euro-fanatic and a traitor may not have been entirely fair. Whoever would have thought it?
What's interesting is about this SCOTUS pick is that he's said nothing about Roe v Wade. Which is just odd especially given how strongly most Republicans feel about Row v Wade.
He's pretty libertarian in his outlook, so I suspect he thinks RvW was judicial over-reach. He's also repeatedly sided with defendants against the police, and his opinions are extremely well written, so I think he's going to be a great (possibly unpredictable) addition to the bench.
Presumably his take on abortion will be that it is a states issue.
If I were a Democrat I would take this nomination all day long. It could have been a lot, lot worse. The next one is where the fight should be.
Abortion should be a states issue. And politicians should be the ones deciding what the law is, not judges.
With that principle Jim Crow would still be on the books as would separate but equal.
Hurrah for The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision.
Well, I have to say I agree with you there. My position on abortion is that I think it should be available all women within the confines of term limits. I think it's a matter of a women having control over her body.
Poll has DUP down but still likely to come first, UUP and Alliance as well as SF also on the rise
Good news generally, politics becoming more normalised in NI. "Interestingly, when voters were asked which issue was at the top of their agenda in the snap election, a majority said the Health Service." "Among trends detected in the poll, there are suggestions of an increase in SDLP voters transferring other preferences to the UUP – and vice versa."
The new SF leader has family connections to the IRA, but is more distant than previous leaders.
I can see SF evolving into an Irish SNP, and getting unification by the ballotbox in a referendum within my lifetime. That wouldchange the ROI as much as Ulster, and give real meaning to the Irish Tricolour, with the white of peace between orange and green traditions.
Reunification with the U.K. in your lifetime, I can see that.
Mr. 1000, I agree. As I've said before, if you were designing a presidential system that was unfriendly to fringe candidates, it'd be the French one. Le Pen to the second round is a real possibility, though not guaranteed, but I can't see her winning the presidency.
AV surely? ;-)
Being serious, the French system does make a piss-poor run-off choice more likely than AV does, increasing the risk of a fringe candidate. Had the French used AV in 2002, Jospin would probably have won. The risk this time is that a seriously flawed candidate is put forward to challenge Le Pen in the second round, having secured only 20-22% in the first, and that not enough people transfer across.
Especially if a load of dirt comes out about the non-Le Pen candidate between the first and second ballot.
I assume that the stuff about Fillon has been put out by 'the establishment' now to avoid that risk.
Paul Waugh @paulwaugh EU has told Rogers "u've exploded a bomb under" 7-yr EU budget process cos of Brexit. Their 'immense financial difficulty' gives UK leverage
It's a HUGE problem for the EU - about €10 billion a year - and the UK exit automatically exacerbates the contributor/recipient problem as contributors currently get rebates on the UK rebate - which of course disappears with the UK....
I think that's one of the reasons why Verhofstad/Tusk aren't identifying Brexit as a threat to the EU - they want a quick, simple, friendly deal - where both sides can claim victory, but we remain on good terms.
Macron made his own luck by making a clean break with the Parti Socialiste. A lot could still change but it's looking good for him.
There's something not quite right about Macron. " Macron is married to Brigitte Trogneux, who is 24 years older than him and was his former teacher in La Providence high school, Amiens. " I suspect there's an elephantine skeleton in the attic.
Nothing wrong with an older woman. Just ask Alex Salmond. He seems to be a fine balanced chap.
Comments
The National government of 1935 also received the support of more than 50%. Admittedly, no individual component within it did but I don't really accept that as an argument: there was an explicit pact between Conservatives, National Liberals and National Labour not to contest seats against each other. We don't count SDP and Liberals separately in the 1983 and 1987 elections.
Or fewer than 2 people.
"Interestingly, when voters were asked which issue was at the top of their agenda in the snap election, a majority said the Health Service."
"Among trends detected in the poll, there are suggestions of an increase in SDLP voters transferring other preferences to the UUP – and vice versa."
"Short stories are odd beasts to write. Working on one now (finally think I'm making headway with an idea)."
Best of luck.
I had a weird dream last August (I blame the cheese). The next morning, it remained vivid so I wrote a short story (2,000 words) based on it in about an hour. I called it 'an appetite for change' and sent it off to an online site (Fictive Dream) for obvious reasons and they published it in their September issue.
No money involved but the copyright reverts to me soon.
I wondered if it might be better to sleep more and write less!
But it's only for fun. I don't begrudge Mr T his sexual adventures and money. Does it make him happy?
Mr. CD13, cheers. I rarely get dream inspiration. The only time I clearly did was for a name of a character in a won't-be-published old story (Liaska).
Obviously sales trump reviews, but good reviews do mean if you get stumbled across later on that increases the chances of someone buying your books.
"Proposed title: All About Leave"
Very good.
I get the impression that his nominee might turn out to be as big a headache for over-mighty or autocratic executives as for liberals looking for judicial activism to circumvent the democratic process.
https://twitter.com/sarahloucohen/status/826733915545145349
Fully agree. Skyfall is okay. Spectre is crap.
That said, none of the Craig movies would be in my top five except Casino Royale (which would be number 1).
I believe huge advances are long gone though, post 2008.
FFW 12mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-6QD6ATktk
If I were a Democrat I would take this nomination all day long. It could have been a lot, lot worse. The next one is where the fight should be.
He did his PhD in legal philosophy at Oxford University.
Blair read Jurisprudence at Oxford and he didn't even know he couldn't abolish the role of Lord Chancellor.
The last piece of fiction I wrote was in my O-level English language exam. Maybe it is time to try again. I did get an A, after all. (But an E for English Lit!)
https://reaction.life/fillon-looking-finished-french-election-looking-farcical-frightening/
"Miss Jean Louise @KrustyAllslopp 11m11 minutes ago
The petitions speak for themselves. Signatures AGAINST a #TrumpStateVisit over 1.7 million. Those FOR - just over 100,000
@YouGov "
Petition more important than YouGov according to this tweeter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKQIUJOr1GA
Hurrah for The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision.
I think people on the board still underestimate how transfer unfriendly the FN is. I struggle to find a single election where they've increased their vote numbers more than 10% between the first and second rounds. Indeed, in both sets of elections in 2015 they effectively went backwards.
http://www.lesechos.fr/elections/presidentielle-2017/0211757760697-sondage-fillon-serait-elimine-des-le-premier-tour-de-la-presidentielle-2061837.php
Clearly not helped by the fact that he was never a pure diplomat (or a business negotiator) but arose out of the Treasury as one of their advisors.
Con: 76-15
Lab: 26-62
LD: 31-58
UKIP: 81-14
A classic was when they told my class that 'said' is overused so you should go for things like 'exclaimed', 'shouted' etc a lot. You really shouldn't. 'Said' is almost invisible, which is what you want. It's weary and tiresome wading through seventeen unneeded variants in a page.
Mr. T, sadly, it's difficult, and becoming more so, to make money as a writer.
Incidentally, the proof of Kingdom Asunder's paperback arrived yesterday. I still need to check it properly, but it looks ok. Cover's a bit darker than expected but I rather like it (also fits the mood).
Of course, there is the risk to the GOP that the same rule change would work against them once they're in opposition but they have at least four years before that happens. Even if they lose Congress, they still have a presidential veto on their side (and I doubt that Trump will be shy in using it).
https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/csu5iiee7p/InternalResults_170131_Trump_W.pdf
EU has told Rogers "u've exploded a bomb under" 7-yr EU budget process cos of Brexit. Their 'immense financial difficulty' gives UK leverage
" Macron is married to Brigitte Trogneux, who is 24 years older than him and was his former teacher in La Providence high school, Amiens. "
I suspect there's an elephantine skeleton in the attic.
Edited extra bit: weirdly, the top definition of that in Google is f***.
Would someone kindly point me to the executive order on Muslims? I missed that.
Meanwhile, the nomination of Neil Gorsuch looks perfectly sensible. The reaction of some Democrats is bonkers. Are they deliberately trying to taint justified criticism of Trump by mixing in nonsensical criticism?
This is turning into another rollercoaster!!!
https://twitter.com/pierrebri
#Labour Stoke candidate: Brexiteers are "confused", "inward looking" racists https://t.co/dIHzgHAfOk via @GuidoFawkes
Being serious, the French system does make a piss-poor run-off choice more likely than AV does, increasing the risk of a fringe candidate. Had the French used AV in 2002, Jospin would probably have won. The risk this time is that a seriously flawed candidate is put forward to challenge Le Pen in the second round, having secured only 20-22% in the first, and that not enough people transfer across.
I would not put him in charge of negotiating anything, he just rambles on and is a typical eurocrat
I can see SF evolving into an Irish SNP, and getting unification by the ballotbox in a referendum within my lifetime. That wouldchange the ROI as much as Ulster, and give real meaning to the Irish Tricolour, with the white of peace between orange and green traditions.
Still remember that morning when Gove suicide-bombed Boris.
Mr. Herdson, I suspect many Frenchmen will switch to whoever is Le Pen's rival. If she makes it through to the second round, we'll find out.
https://twitter.com/DCBMEP/status/826715182202228736
Mr. Eagles, the Dark Eldar[sp] are grim indeed.
I assume that the stuff about Fillon has been put out by 'the establishment' now to avoid that risk.
I think that's one of the reasons why Verhofstad/Tusk aren't identifying Brexit as a threat to the EU - they want a quick, simple, friendly deal - where both sides can claim victory, but we remain on good terms.