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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Don’t expect a Street Coronation in the West Midlands Mayoral

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  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,984
    Mortimer said:

    isam said:

    That David Goodhart article is just Common People in prose, with a side order of martyrdom.

    'Common people' is probably the most succinct and accessible description of why the country is divided/whyBrexit happened.

    https://youtu.be/yuTMWgOduFM

    Isn't there some connection to a certain Greek ex-Finance minister too?
    Actually, 'mis-shapes' is almost as relevant

    https://youtu.be/S0DRch3YLh0
  • Options
    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,526

    That David Goodhart article is just Common People in prose, with a side order of martyrdom.

    You'd do well to read it again, and again, until you understand it and appreciate it.

    He is bang on the money.
    I've read it twice. It's not half as profound as you or he thinks it is.
    Oh, it very much is. But he is clearly asking far too much in humility from you to be able to see the truth of what he's saying - because you are part of the problem he describes.

    Andrew Marr gets it, of course. But he is far less pompous and almost certainly cleverer than you.
  • Options
    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,526

    That David Goodhart article is just Common People in prose, with a side order of martyrdom.

    You'd do well to read it again, and again, until you understand it and appreciate it.

    He is bang on the money.
    I've read it twice. It's not half as profound as you or he thinks it is.
    PS. Don't patronise me. You've already called me an idiot today.

    I'm fed up of your shit.
  • Options
    CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,221

    @Cyclefree all that is true. But a Northern Ireland without late period Martin McGuinness would be a much worse, much sadder, much bloodier and much more backward-looking place.

    I don't deny that. I just think that the forgotten victims deserve someone to give them a voice.



  • Options
    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340

    That David Goodhart article is just Common People in prose, with a side order of martyrdom.

    You'd do well to read it again, and again, until you understand it and appreciate it.

    He is bang on the money.
    I've read it twice. It's not half as profound as you or he thinks it is.
    Oh, it very much is. But he is clearly asking far too much in humility from you to be able to see the truth of what he's saying - because you are part of the problem he describes.

    Andrew Marr gets it, of course. But he is far less pompous and almost certainly cleverer than you.
    Earlier today you were whingeing about having the piss taken out of you. Posts like that remind me why you deserved it.
  • Options
    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,526

    That David Goodhart article is just Common People in prose, with a side order of martyrdom.

    You'd do well to read it again, and again, until you understand it and appreciate it.

    He is bang on the money.
    I've read it twice. It's not half as profound as you or he thinks it is.
    Oh, it very much is. But he is clearly asking far too much in humility from you to be able to see the truth of what he's saying - because you are part of the problem he describes.

    Andrew Marr gets it, of course. But he is far less pompous and almost certainly cleverer than you.
    Earlier today you were whingeing about having the piss taken out of you. Posts like that remind me why you deserved it.
    Eh? Where?

    Citation needed.
  • Options
    MarkHopkinsMarkHopkins Posts: 5,584
    AndyJS said:

    Mhairi Black has tweeted that it's unfair Scotland has fewer MPs than London. Perhaps she doesn't know that London has about 3.5 million more people.


    Or that London doesn't have its own parliament.

    (Yet)

  • Options
    RoyalBlueRoyalBlue Posts: 3,223

    That David Goodhart article is just Common People in prose, with a side order of martyrdom.

    You'd do well to read it again, and again, until you understand it and appreciate it.

    He is bang on the money.
    I've read it twice. It's not half as profound as you or he thinks it is.
    Oh, it very much is. But he is clearly asking far too much in humility from you to be able to see the truth of what he's saying - because you are part of the problem he describes.

    Andrew Marr gets it, of course. But he is far less pompous and almost certainly cleverer than you.
    Earlier today you were whingeing about having the piss taken out of you. Posts like that remind me why you deserved it.
    Eh? Where?

    Citation needed.
    Ignore him. He's trying to compensate for the lack of joy in his own life by making the rest of us miserable.
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,927
    Cyclefree said:

    Completely O/T and apologies in advance but on the Irish question:

    Sometimes you have to do deals with bad people and McGuinness – eventually – played his part in trying to sort out the mess he created. But let's not imagine virtues that did not exist. Whatever he did in the peace process did not involve saying sorry for what the IRA did. Nor did it involve justice for the dead and wounded and the widows and widowers and orphans and all those deprived of people they loved. They should not be forgotten, today of all days.

    Making this simple point somehow seems controversial. As if it is somehow not done to look past the cheery smile. All that killing and pain. And for what? A NI still in the UK and what has been achieved could have been achieved decades ago if the men of peace had been as celebrated and fawned over and supported as much as the men of violence.

    We live in a meritocracy where people with no experience or knowledge whatsoever can be appointed to senior jobs and where any notion that man is a moral animal and can make a choice between good and evil and be held accountable for his/her choices is seen as something quaintly old-fashioned if not downright perverse.

    There. I have got that off my chest.

    Sorry.

    Off to have my dinner now.

    I agree with all of that. I don't rejoice at his death, but nor do I mourn it, or attribute to him virtues that he never possessed. I hope he felt remorse for his actions before he died.
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,984

    isam said:

    That David Goodhart article is just Common People in prose, with a side order of martyrdom.

    'Common people' is probably the most succinct and accessible description of why the country is divided/whyBrexit happened.

    https://youtu.be/yuTMWgOduFM

    In my experience everyone thinks they're Jarvis Cocker in that song, no matter how implausible.
    I have been told I look like him! And my hair is very similar to that at the mo... I took it as an insult at the time but I'd probably have it now

  • Options
    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,047
    Cyclefree said:

    Completely O/T and apologies in advance but on the Irish question:

    Sometimes you have to do deals with bad people and McGuinness – eventually – played his part in trying to sort out the mess he created. But let's not imagine virtues that did not exist. Whatever he did in the peace process did not involve saying sorry for what the IRA did. Nor did it involve justice for the dead and wounded and the widows and widowers and orphans and all those deprived of people they loved. They should not be forgotten, today of all days.

    Making this simple point somehow seems controversial. As if it is somehow not done to look past the cheery smile. All that killing and pain. And for what? A NI still in the UK and what has been achieved could have been achieved decades ago if the men of peace had been as celebrated and fawned over and supported as much as the men of violence.

    We live in a meritocracy where people with no experience or knowledge whatsoever can be appointed to senior jobs and where any notion that man is a moral animal and can make a choice between good and evil and be held accountable for his/her choices is seen as something quaintly old-fashioned if not downright perverse.

    There. I have got that off my chest.

    Sorry.

    Off to have my dinner now.

    TBH I don't think we would have got anywhere near the present power-sharing/equality for the minority community without the violence. The majority community were just NOT going to have it.

    Very, very sadly.
  • Options
    glwglw Posts: 9,554
    AndyJS said:

    Mhairi Black has tweeted that it's unfair Scotland has fewer MPs than London. Perhaps she doesn't know that London has about 3.5 million more people.

    Well if she doesn't like seats being roughly proportional to population perhaps she'd prefer it if it was done by GDP. ;)
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,927

    Cyclefree said:

    Completely O/T and apologies in advance but on the Irish question:

    Sometimes you have to do deals with bad people and McGuinness – eventually – played his part in trying to sort out the mess he created. But let's not imagine virtues that did not exist. Whatever he did in the peace process did not involve saying sorry for what the IRA did. Nor did it involve justice for the dead and wounded and the widows and widowers and orphans and all those deprived of people they loved. They should not be forgotten, today of all days.

    Making this simple point somehow seems controversial. As if it is somehow not done to look past the cheery smile. All that killing and pain. And for what? A NI still in the UK and what has been achieved could have been achieved decades ago if the men of peace had been as celebrated and fawned over and supported as much as the men of violence.

    We live in a meritocracy where people with no experience or knowledge whatsoever can be appointed to senior jobs and where any notion that man is a moral animal and can make a choice between good and evil and be held accountable for his/her choices is seen as something quaintly old-fashioned if not downright perverse.

    There. I have got that off my chest.

    Sorry.

    Off to have my dinner now.

    TBH I don't think we would have got anywhere near the present power-sharing/equality for the minority community without the violence. The majority community were just NOT going to have it.

    Very, very sadly.
    All sorts of reforms have been achieved in this country without recourse to terrorism. Indeed, the Civil Rights campaign had achieved most of its aims before the PIRA campaign really got going.
  • Options
    MarkHopkinsMarkHopkins Posts: 5,584
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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    isam said:

    isam said:

    That David Goodhart article is just Common People in prose, with a side order of martyrdom.

    'Common people' is probably the most succinct and accessible description of why the country is divided/whyBrexit happened.

    https://youtu.be/yuTMWgOduFM

    In my experience everyone thinks they're Jarvis Cocker in that song, no matter how implausible.
    I have been told I look like him! And my hair is very similar to that at the mo... I took it as an insult at the time but I'd probably have it now

    I'd settle for hair.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,974
    AndyJS said:

    Mhairi Black has tweeted that it's unfair Scotland has fewer MPs than London. Perhaps she doesn't know that London has about 3.5 million more people.

    Is she usually such a fool?
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,974

    @Cyclefree all that is true. But a Northern Ireland without late period Martin McGuinness would be a much worse, much sadder, much bloodier and much more backward-looking place.

    The Prime Minister's words were spot on.

    Not a fan of May, but it was a well crafted statement.
  • Options
    ChaosOdinChaosOdin Posts: 67
    SeanT said:

    Hello PB. I wrote another 3240 words today. In two hours.

    Tomorrow I will finish the first draft. A 93,000 word novel in two months and one day.

    No idea if it is any good, could be anything from dreck to worldbeater, but I sure did it quick.

    Here's the thing. During the writing of this novel, when the writing has been most intense/prolific, I have been sleeping 10 or more hours a day, sometimes 12. In Thailand this came in the form of 2-3 hour siestas, then another 8 hours normal sleep, here in London I just conk out for 11 hours. Go to bed at 1am, wake up at noon. Write. Repeat.

    How odd is that? Has anyone else ever experienced something like this? Intense mental activity, requiring huge amounts of kip?

    Back in the days when I used to write my own code I would sometimes go non stop for 12/13/14 hours and then sleep for a full day.

    But then I have always been a bit like that. I am not bipolar, but I regularly oscillate between achieving nothing and periods of enormous productivity.
  • Options
    kle4 said:

    AndyJS said:

    Mhairi Black has tweeted that it's unfair Scotland has fewer MPs than London. Perhaps she doesn't know that London has about 3.5 million more people.

    Is she usually such a fool?
    Yup, except when she's sucking on the teat of the taxpayer.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,563
    edited March 2017
    If you want a laugh/be depressed, have a browse through this twitter account.

    https://twitter.com/EasterWatch/with_replies

    It's collating all those numpties who think Cadbury's are ignoring the Christian roots of Easter and pandering by making Easter Eggs halal.

    https://twitter.com/EasterWatch/with_replies

    The story is here

    http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/cadburys-easter-egg-halal-twitter-christian_uk_58d105c9e4b00705db525f12
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,984

    isam said:

    isam said:

    That David Goodhart article is just Common People in prose, with a side order of martyrdom.

    'Common people' is probably the most succinct and accessible description of why the country is divided/whyBrexit happened.

    https://youtu.be/yuTMWgOduFM

    In my experience everyone thinks they're Jarvis Cocker in that song, no matter how implausible.
    I have been told I look like him! And my hair is very similar to that at the mo... I took it as an insult at the time but I'd probably have it now

    I'd settle for hair.
    Stipe to my Jarvis!
  • Options
    ChaosOdinChaosOdin Posts: 67
    kle4 said:

    AndyJS said:

    Mhairi Black has tweeted that it's unfair Scotland has fewer MPs than London. Perhaps she doesn't know that London has about 3.5 million more people.

    Is she usually such a fool?
    She is a very bad egg.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,334
    edited March 2017

    some here dislike Simon with remarkable venom.

    What is remarkable about disliking Simon? He's a rude, lazy, arrogant and extraordinarily stupid sycophant who has no discernible principles, no original ideas, no capacity for independent thought or critical evaluation, and who has successively failed as a journalist, politician, campaigner and most recently all the lot together. He is utterly unfit to run a village post office, never mind the West Midlands.

    The suggestion that he should make the campaign about him rather than Jez to improve his chances is the equivalent of someone advising Khrushchev to play down his links to Stalin and instead big up his friendship with Yezhov to secure the post of General Secretary.

    What is more remarkable in many ways is that there still people out there odd enough to actually rate this gurning fool. Frankly, it doesn't say much for the intellect of the average Labour member in the West Midlands that they preferred him to Bedser.

    He may still win of course. But he is testing the theory of 'put up a donkey with a red rosette and they'll vote for it' far beyond the point of safety.
  • Options
    ydoethur said:

    some here dislike Simon with remarkable venom.

    What is remarkable about disliking Simon? He's a rude, lazy, arrogant sycophant who has no discernible principles, no original ideas, no capacity for independent thought or critical evaluation, and who has successively failed as a journalist, politician, campaigner and most recently all the lot together.
    Oh behave. Only a man of erudition, awesome journalistic skills could have written that magnum opus.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,334

    ydoethur said:

    some here dislike Simon with remarkable venom.

    What is remarkable about disliking Simon? He's a rude, lazy, arrogant sycophant who has no discernible principles, no original ideas, no capacity for independent thought or critical evaluation, and who has successively failed as a journalist, politician, campaigner and most recently all the lot together.
    Oh behave. Only a man of erudition, awesome journalistic skills could have written that magnum opus.
    Mr Eagles - those first two words - really! :smiley:
  • Options
    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    Mortimer said:

    AndyJS said:

    Thought-provoking article by David Goodhart:

    "Why I left my liberal London tribe
    As a divided Britain prepares for Brexit, David Goodhart reveals why he broke up with the metropolitan elite"

    https://www.ft.com/content/39a0867a-0974-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43

    I think Goodhart's book is likely to become the set text on Brexit and Mayism. Though his bright-lines division of the population into Somewheres (50%) and Anywheres (25%)* is obviously an oversimplification, it does seem to have a good deal of explanatory power.


    * with 25% exhibiting elements of both
    Agreed.

    @Casino_Royale and other PBers keen on an Article 50 celebration. How about next Wednesday in Town?

    I'll be around and either poor but happy or flush but unhappy after what promises to be the best auction of the YTD.

    Any venue prefs?
    Works for me although not too late as failing into s board meeting at 00:30 that morning
  • Options
    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    I shall be marking 29 March in quiet contemplation and mortification in rural Hungary.
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    philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704
    Charles said:

    Mortimer said:

    AndyJS said:

    Thought-provoking article by David Goodhart:

    "Why I left my liberal London tribe
    As a divided Britain prepares for Brexit, David Goodhart reveals why he broke up with the metropolitan elite"

    https://www.ft.com/content/39a0867a-0974-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43

    I think Goodhart's book is likely to become the set text on Brexit and Mayism. Though his bright-lines division of the population into Somewheres (50%) and Anywheres (25%)* is obviously an oversimplification, it does seem to have a good deal of explanatory power.


    * with 25% exhibiting elements of both
    Agreed.

    @Casino_Royale and other PBers keen on an Article 50 celebration. How about next Wednesday in Town?

    I'll be around and either poor but happy or flush but unhappy after what promises to be the best auction of the YTD.

    Any venue prefs?
    Works for me although not too late as failing into s board meeting at 00:30 that morning
    Not for me, I'll be on my way back from Netherlands
  • Options
    RestharrowRestharrow Posts: 233
    edited March 2017
    ydoethur said:

    some here dislike Simon with remarkable venom.

    What is remarkable about disliking Simon? He's a rude, lazy, arrogant and extraordinarily stupid sycophant who has no discernible principles, no original ideas, no capacity for independent thought or critical evaluation, and who has successively failed as a journalist, politician, campaigner and most recently all the lot together. He is utterly unfit to run a village post office, never mind the West Midlands.

    The suggestion that he should make the campaign about him rather than Jez to improve his chances is the equivalent of someone advising Khrushchev to play down his links to Stalin and instead big up his friendship with Yezhov to secure the post of General Secretary.

    What is more remarkable in many ways is that there still people out there odd enough to actually rate this gurning fool. Frankly, it doesn't say much for the intellect of the average Labour member in the West Midlands that they preferred him to Bedser.

    He may still win of course. But he is testing the theory of 'put up a donkey with a red rosette and they'll vote for it' far beyond the point of safety.
    It was a misfortune for the West Midlands that they failed to persuade Warwickshire to join their merry throng. Otherwise Grocer Street would be a shoo-in. I'd still rate his chances better than evens, as the overwhelmingly more attractive candidate. The Tories need to think outside the box and make a huge donation to Labour's campaign funds, raising Sion Simon's profile as much as possible.
  • Options
    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    SeanT said:

    I shall be marking 29 March in quiet contemplation and mortification in rural Hungary.

    Make the most of it. Soon you will have to choose. Hideous, xenophobic, race-hatred-filled Brexit Britain, or the super-tolerant liberal delights of Viktor Orban's Hungary.
    There are other options.
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,984
    SeanT said:

    Charles said:

    Mortimer said:

    AndyJS said:

    Thought-provoking article by David Goodhart:

    "Why I left my liberal London tribe
    As a divided Britain prepares for Brexit, David Goodhart reveals why he broke up with the metropolitan elite"

    https://www.ft.com/content/39a0867a-0974-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43

    I think Goodhart's book is likely to become the set text on Brexit and Mayism. Though his bright-lines division of the population into Somewheres (50%) and Anywheres (25%)* is obviously an oversimplification, it does seem to have a good deal of explanatory power.


    * with 25% exhibiting elements of both
    Agreed.

    @Casino_Royale and other PBers keen on an Article 50 celebration. How about next Wednesday in Town?

    I'll be around and either poor but happy or flush but unhappy after what promises to be the best auction of the YTD.

    Any venue prefs?
    Works for me although not too late as failing into s board meeting at 00:30 that morning
    I might be around. Fuck it. Let's quaff a silver tankard of champagne JUST to annoy the Remainers.
    Venue??
  • Options
    Tissue_PriceTissue_Price Posts: 9,039
    SeanT said:

    Charles said:

    Mortimer said:

    AndyJS said:

    Thought-provoking article by David Goodhart:

    "Why I left my liberal London tribe
    As a divided Britain prepares for Brexit, David Goodhart reveals why he broke up with the metropolitan elite"

    https://www.ft.com/content/39a0867a-0974-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43

    I think Goodhart's book is likely to become the set text on Brexit and Mayism. Though his bright-lines division of the population into Somewheres (50%) and Anywheres (25%)* is obviously an oversimplification, it does seem to have a good deal of explanatory power.


    * with 25% exhibiting elements of both
    Agreed.

    @Casino_Royale and other PBers keen on an Article 50 celebration. How about next Wednesday in Town?

    I'll be around and either poor but happy or flush but unhappy after what promises to be the best auction of the YTD.

    Any venue prefs?
    Works for me although not too late as failing into s board meeting at 00:30 that morning
    I might be around. Fuck it. Let's quaff a silver tankard of champagne JUST to annoy the Remainers.
    I would like to come though it may prove impractical.
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,927
    edited March 2017
    SeanT said:

    Charles said:

    Mortimer said:

    AndyJS said:

    Thought-provoking article by David Goodhart:

    "Why I left my liberal London tribe
    As a divided Britain prepares for Brexit, David Goodhart reveals why he broke up with the metropolitan elite"

    https://www.ft.com/content/39a0867a-0974-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43

    I think Goodhart's book is likely to become the set text on Brexit and Mayism. Though his bright-lines division of the population into Somewheres (50%) and Anywheres (25%)* is obviously an oversimplification, it does seem to have a good deal of explanatory power.


    * with 25% exhibiting elements of both
    Agreed.

    @Casino_Royale and other PBers keen on an Article 50 celebration. How about next Wednesday in Town?

    I'll be around and either poor but happy or flush but unhappy after what promises to be the best auction of the YTD.

    Any venue prefs?
    Works for me although not too late as failing into s board meeting at 00:30 that morning
    I might be around. Fuck it. Let's quaff a silver tankard of champagne JUST to annoy the Remainers.
    I could be around. The Cork & Bottle in Leicester Square would be a good location. Or Davys in St. James.
  • Options
    SeanT said:

    Charles said:

    Mortimer said:

    AndyJS said:

    Thought-provoking article by David Goodhart:

    "Why I left my liberal London tribe
    As a divided Britain prepares for Brexit, David Goodhart reveals why he broke up with the metropolitan elite"

    https://www.ft.com/content/39a0867a-0974-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43

    I think Goodhart's book is likely to become the set text on Brexit and Mayism. Though his bright-lines division of the population into Somewheres (50%) and Anywheres (25%)* is obviously an oversimplification, it does seem to have a good deal of explanatory power.


    * with 25% exhibiting elements of both
    Agreed.

    @Casino_Royale and other PBers keen on an Article 50 celebration. How about next Wednesday in Town?

    I'll be around and either poor but happy or flush but unhappy after what promises to be the best auction of the YTD.

    Any venue prefs?
    Works for me although not too late as failing into s board meeting at 00:30 that morning
    I might be around. Fuck it. Let's quaff a silver tankard of champagne JUST to annoy the Remainers.
    If you want a token Remainer to hurl insults at, I'm in London that day.
  • Options
    TomsToms Posts: 2,478
    edited March 2017
    SeanT said:

    Hello PB. I wrote another 3240 words today. In two hours.

    Tomorrow I will finish the first draft. A 93,000 word novel in two months and one day.

    No idea if it is any good, could be anything from dreck to worldbeater, but I sure did it quick.

    Here's the thing. During the writing of this novel, when the writing has been most intense/prolific, I have been sleeping 10 or more hours a day, sometimes 12. In Thailand this came in the form of 2-3 hour siestas, then another 8 hours normal sleep, here in London I just conk out for 11 hours. Go to bed at 1am, wake up at noon. Write. Repeat.

    How odd is that? Has anyone else ever experienced something like this? Intense mental activity, requiring huge amounts of kip?

    When young I had a pure mathematician for a room mate. He would take a long time, maybe days or weeks simply mulling things over, and then he'd sit down and produce a spotless solution/proof. A few years later, he supplied a massive proof of a generalisation of a speculation by the great C F Gauss, thereby becoming famous in the community of number theorists. He had been developing towards that result from early childhood. You had to more or less set a bomb off to wake him up in the morning to go to classes.

    On a lower level, I often do my best planning on long walks, preferably alone & away from bloody cars. No headphones.
    For me napping is a forte.
    I rise at 5am if not earlier.
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,984
    Sean_F said:

    SeanT said:

    Charles said:

    Mortimer said:

    AndyJS said:

    Thought-provoking article by David Goodhart:

    "Why I left my liberal London tribe
    As a divided Britain prepares for Brexit, David Goodhart reveals why he broke up with the metropolitan elite"

    https://www.ft.com/content/39a0867a-0974-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43

    I think Goodhart's book is likely to become the set text on Brexit and Mayism. Though his bright-lines division of the population into Somewheres (50%) and Anywheres (25%)* is obviously an oversimplification, it does seem to have a good deal of explanatory power.


    * with 25% exhibiting elements of both
    Agreed.

    @Casino_Royale and other PBers keen on an Article 50 celebration. How about next Wednesday in Town?

    I'll be around and either poor but happy or flush but unhappy after what promises to be the best auction of the YTD.

    Any venue prefs?
    Works for me although not too late as failing into s board meeting at 00:30 that morning
    I might be around. Fuck it. Let's quaff a silver tankard of champagne JUST to annoy the Remainers.
    I could be around. The Cork & Bottle in Leicester Square would be a good location. Or Davys in St. James.
    Or Rules!
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,986
    The average Birmingham, Coventry or Meriden man or woman wouldn't know Sion Simon from Adam I'd have thought.
  • Options
    NeilVWNeilVW Posts: 710
    AndyJS said:

    Mhairi Black has tweeted that it's unfair Scotland has fewer MPs than London. Perhaps she doesn't know that London has about 3.5 million more people.

    Wait till she finds out Scotland will soon be shedding 6 seats (down to 53), while London loses 5 (down to 68).
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,984
    SeanT said:

    isam said:

    Sean_F said:

    SeanT said:

    Charles said:

    Mortimer said:

    AndyJS said:

    Thought-provoking article by David Goodhart:

    "Why I left my liberal London tribe
    As a divided Britain prepares for Brexit, David Goodhart reveals why he broke up with the metropolitan elite"

    https://www.ft.com/content/39a0867a-0974-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43

    I think Goodhart's book is likely to become the set text on Brexit and Mayism. Though his bright-lines division of the population into Somewheres (50%) and Anywheres (25%)* is obviously an oversimplification, it does seem to have a good deal of explanatory power.


    * with 25% exhibiting elements of both
    Agreed.

    @Casino_Royale and other PBers keen on an Article 50 celebration. How about next Wednesday in Town?

    I'll be around and either poor but happy or flush but unhappy after what promises to be the best auction of the YTD.

    Any venue prefs?
    Works for me although not too late as failing into s board meeting at 00:30 that morning
    I might be around. Fuck it. Let's quaff a silver tankard of champagne JUST to annoy the Remainers.
    I could be around. The Cork & Bottle in Leicester Square would be a good location. Or Davys in St. James.
    Or Rules!
    I can sign four people into the Groucho. Nice champagne.
    Well I'd love to... but there will surely be more than four?
  • Options
    calumcalum Posts: 3,046
    SeanT said:

    isam said:

    Sean_F said:

    SeanT said:

    Charles said:

    Mortimer said:

    AndyJS said:

    Thought-provoking article by David Goodhart:

    "Why I left my liberal London tribe
    As a divided Britain prepares for Brexit, David Goodhart reveals why he broke up with the metropolitan elite"

    https://www.ft.com/content/39a0867a-0974-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43

    I think Goodhart's book is likely to become the set text on Brexit and Mayism. Though his bright-lines division of the population into Somewheres (50%) and Anywheres (25%)* is obviously an oversimplification, it does seem to have a good deal of explanatory power.


    * with 25% exhibiting elements of both
    Agreed.

    @Casino_Royale and other PBers keen on an Article 50 celebration. How about next Wednesday in Town?

    I'll be around and either poor but happy or flush but unhappy after what promises to be the best auction of the YTD.

    Any venue prefs?
    Works for me although not too late as failing into s board meeting at 00:30 that morning
    I might be around. Fuck it. Let's quaff a silver tankard of champagne JUST to annoy the Remainers.
    I could be around. The Cork & Bottle in Leicester Square would be a good location. Or Davys in St. James.
    Or Rules!
    I can sign four people into the Groucho. Nice champagne.
    Do they serve

    https://lovin.ie/counties/armagh/this-is-not-a-drill-a-buckfast-easter-egg-now-exists
  • Options
    nunununu Posts: 6,024

    If you want a laugh/be depressed, have a browse through this twitter account.

    https://twitter.com/EasterWatch/with_replies

    It's collating all those numpties who think Cadbury's are ignoring the Christian roots of Easter and pandering by making Easter Eggs halal.

    https://twitter.com/EasterWatch/with_replies

    The story is here

    http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/cadburys-easter-egg-halal-twitter-christian_uk_58d105c9e4b00705db525f12

    I hope someone tells them all easter eggs are halal.
  • Options
    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    Martin McGuinness' life would make for a great play. Martin McDonagh would do it wonderfully.
  • Options

    2017 Thread of the Year.

    Next.

    Wait until you see my Sunday thread.
    I shall indeed... 2 weeks more to admire the PB league positions too
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,984

    Martin McGuinness' life would make for a great play. Martin McDonagh would do it wonderfully.

    I have a horrible feeling the next Martin McGuinness will be Anjem Choudray
  • Options

    2017 Thread of the Year.

    Next.

    Wait until you see my Sunday thread.
    I shall indeed... 2 weeks more to admire the PB league positions too
    Lets hope you don't go all Spursy.
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,986

    That David Goodhart article is just Common People in prose, with a side order of martyrdom.

    It is a curious article. David says he has broken up with the metropolitan elite, but he's remaining in post as a chief wonk at a London based think tank, about as far from the common people as you can get really.
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,927
    SeanT said:

    Toms said:

    SeanT said:

    Hello PB. I wrote another 3240 words today. In two hours.

    Tomorrow I will finish the first draft. A 93,000 word novel in two months and one day.

    No idea if it is any good, could be anything from dreck to worldbeater, but I sure did it quick.

    Here's the thing. During the writing of this novel, when the writing has been most intense/prolific, I have been sleeping 10 or more hours a day, sometimes 12. In Thailand this came in the form of 2-3 hour siestas, then another 8 hours normal sleep, here in London I just conk out for 11 hours. Go to bed at 1am, wake up at noon. Write. Repeat.

    How odd is that? Has anyone else ever experienced something like this? Intense mental activity, requiring huge amounts of kip?

    When young I had a pure mathematician for a room mate. He would take a long time, maybe days or weeks simply mulling things over, and then he'd sit down and produce a spotless solution/proof. A few years later, he supplied a massive proof of a generalisation of a speculation by the great C F Gauss, thereby becoming famous in the community of number theorists. He had been developing towards that result from early childhood. You had to more or less set a bomb off to wake him up in the morning to go to classes.

    On a lower level, I often do my best planning on long walks, preferably alone & away from bloody cars. No headphones.
    For me napping is a forte.
    I rise at 5am if not earlier.
    That's been my experience with this book. I basically thought about it for an entire year - location, character, narrative devices, plot, even basic dialogue. Just sat there and THOUGHT ("diligent indolence", as Keats called it). I was accused of laziness, but I was really thinking.

    Then when the moment came, in the Dynasty Grande hotel in Bangkok, in late January, I typed the first sentence: "The dead birds are neatly arranged in a row."

    And that was it - wham. Suddenly I was up and running, the voice felt good, I wrote 2000 words the first day. And it kept on coming.

    Nice feeling, but bloody exhausting.

    I'd better shut the F up now, as this book could very easily be total, total shite and I am a flailing idiot exulting over a career-ending piece of dreck. EEEEEEK.

    But at least I ended my career swiftly, if that turns out to be the case. If so, I shall take up wild sea-bass fishing.



    I bet you wrote your work more quickly than Anne Frank did.
  • Options
    YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172
    ydoethur said:

    some here dislike Simon with remarkable venom.

    What is remarkable about disliking Simon? He's a rude, lazy, arrogant and extraordinarily stupid sycophant who has no discernible principles, no original ideas, no capacity for independent thought or critical evaluation, and who has successively failed as a journalist, politician, campaigner and most recently all the lot together. He is utterly unfit to run a village post office, never mind the West Midlands.

    The suggestion that he should make the campaign about him rather than Jez to improve his chances is the equivalent of someone advising Khrushchev to play down his links to Stalin and instead big up his friendship with Yezhov to secure the post of General Secretary.

    What is more remarkable in many ways is that there still people out there odd enough to actually rate this gurning fool. Frankly, it doesn't say much for the intellect of the average Labour member in the West Midlands that they preferred him to Bedser.

    He may still win of course. But he is testing the theory of 'put up a donkey with a red rosette and they'll vote for it' far beyond the point of safety.
    I assumed it was Welsh revenge for flooding the Elan Valley by Birmingham CC in 1905.

    We found the stupidest man in Wales and sent him to Birmingham to be Mayor.
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,557
    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    Oh I don't know. In the second part of his IRA career, Marty murdered and tortured with considerable enthusiasm.

    The thing was, that those he tortured and murdered were very largely the die-hard holdouts in the IRA opposed to any kind of peace process.

    At the time it was claimed that they were all informers for the Evul Brits. Now many of Marty's boon companions have their doubts.
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,984
    Long journey home for away fans!

    https://twitter.com/sporf/status/844239787049598976
  • Options
    Sean_F said:

    SeanT said:

    Toms said:

    SeanT said:

    Hello PB. I wrote another 3240 words today. In two hours.

    Tomorrow I will finish the first draft. A 93,000 word novel in two months and one day.

    No idea if it is any good, could be anything from dreck to worldbeater, but I sure did it quick.

    Here's the thing. During the writing of this novel, when the writing has been most intense/prolific, I have been sleeping 10 or more hours a day, sometimes 12. In Thailand this came in the form of 2-3 hour siestas, then another 8 hours normal sleep, here in London I just conk out for 11 hours. Go to bed at 1am, wake up at noon. Write. Repeat.

    How odd is that? Has anyone else ever experienced something like this? Intense mental activity, requiring huge amounts of kip?

    When young I had a pure mathematician for a room mate. He would take a long time, maybe days or weeks simply mulling things over, and then he'd sit down and produce a spotless solution/proof. A few years later, he supplied a massive proof of a generalisation of a speculation by the great C F Gauss, thereby becoming famous in the community of number theorists. He had been developing towards that result from early childhood. You had to more or less set a bomb off to wake him up in the morning to go to classes.

    On a lower level, I often do my best planning on long walks, preferably alone & away from bloody cars. No headphones.
    For me napping is a forte.
    I rise at 5am if not earlier.
    That's been my experience with this book. I basically thought about it for an entire year - location, character, narrative devices, plot, even basic dialogue. Just sat there and THOUGHT ("diligent indolence", as Keats called it). I was accused of laziness, but I was really thinking.

    Then when the moment came, in the Dynasty Grande hotel in Bangkok, in late January, I typed the first sentence: "The dead birds are neatly arranged in a row."

    And that was it - wham. Suddenly I was up and running, the voice felt good, I wrote 2000 words the first day. And it kept on coming.

    Nice feeling, but bloody exhausting.

    I'd better shut the F up now, as this book could very easily be total, total shite and I am a flailing idiot exulting over a career-ending piece of dreck. EEEEEEK.

    But at least I ended my career swiftly, if that turns out to be the case. If so, I shall take up wild sea-bass fishing.



    I bet you wrote your work more quickly than Anne Frank did.
    But not as quickly as Ben Okri.
  • Options



    I'd settle for hair.

    Me too, having just had "the grand total" of my hair laughed at by my 4-year-old nephew this weekend and been told that my hair should look like his. :D I decided not to raise the issue of family genetics with him... yet...

  • Options
    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,249
    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    He minced them pretty good over Savile.

    https://twitter.com/ReutersJamie/status/844152411820363777

  • Options
    MortimerMortimer Posts: 13,956
    isam said:

    SeanT said:

    isam said:

    Sean_F said:

    SeanT said:

    Charles said:

    Mortimer said:

    AndyJS said:

    Thought-provoking article by David Goodhart:

    "Why I left my liberal London tribe
    As a divided Britain prepares for Brexit, David Goodhart reveals why he broke up with the metropolitan elite"

    https://www.ft.com/content/39a0867a-0974-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43

    I think Goodhart's book is likely to become the set text on Brexit and Mayism. Though his bright-lines division of the population into Somewheres (50%) and Anywheres (25%)* is obviously an oversimplification, it does seem to have a good deal of explanatory power.


    * with 25% exhibiting elements of both
    Agreed.

    @Casino_Royale and other PBers keen on an Article 50 celebration. How about next Wednesday in Town?

    I'll be around and either poor but happy or flush but unhappy after what promises to be the best auction of the YTD.

    Any venue prefs?
    Works for me although not too late as failing into s board meeting at 00:30 that morning
    I might be around. Fuck it. Let's quaff a silver tankard of champagne JUST to annoy the Remainers.
    I could be around. The Cork & Bottle in Leicester Square would be a good location. Or Davys in St. James.
    Or Rules!
    I can sign four people into the Groucho. Nice champagne.
    Well I'd love to... but there will surely be more than four?
    Sounds tremendous but looks like there are about 8 keen already (isam, Cyclefree, C_R, Sean's x 2, Charles and TSE). Both Sean_F's wine bars look good - alternatively there's a pub off Berkeley sq west side that I can't remember the name of...
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,127
    Pulpstar said:

    That David Goodhart article is just Common People in prose, with a side order of martyrdom.

    It is a curious article. David says he has broken up with the metropolitan elite, but he's remaining in post as a chief wonk at a London based think tank, about as far from the common people as you can get really.
    Yes, he's followed the long and winding road from thinking he knew better than the 'elite', to thinking he knows better than the 'elite'.
  • Options
    RestharrowRestharrow Posts: 233
    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    Norman Tebbit and his wife suffered grievously, so he is fully entitled to his victim impact statement, and that should give one pause for thought. But one of the principles of Christianity (even the semi-Pagan variant known as Catholicism) is Redemption. Without Redemption we are all doomed (atheists excepted, obviously).
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,927
    Mortimer said:

    isam said:

    SeanT said:

    isam said:

    Sean_F said:

    SeanT said:

    Charles said:

    Mortimer said:

    AndyJS said:

    Thought-provoking article by David Goodhart:

    "Why I left my liberal London tribe
    As a divided Britain prepares for Brexit, David Goodhart reveals why he broke up with the metropolitan elite"

    https://www.ft.com/content/39a0867a-0974-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43

    I think Goodhart's book is likely to become the set text on Brexit and Mayism. Though his bright-lines division of the population into Somewheres (50%) and Anywheres (25%)* is obviously an oversimplification, it does seem to have a good deal of explanatory power.


    * with 25% exhibiting elements of both
    Agreed.

    @Casino_Royale and other PBers keen on an Article 50 celebration. How about next Wednesday in Town?

    I'll be around and either poor but happy or flush but unhappy after what promises to be the best auction of the YTD.

    Any venue prefs?
    Works for me although not too late as failing into s board meeting at 00:30 that morning
    I might be around. Fuck it. Let's quaff a silver tankard of champagne JUST to annoy the Remainers.
    I could be around. The Cork & Bottle in Leicester Square would be a good location. Or Davys in St. James.
    Or Rules!
    I can sign four people into the Groucho. Nice champagne.
    Well I'd love to... but there will surely be more than four?
    Sounds tremendous but looks like there are about 8 keen already (isam, Cyclefree, C_R, Sean's x 2, Charles and TSE). Both Sean_F's wine bars look good - alternatively there's a pub off Berkeley sq west side that I can't remember the name of...
    Also, Truckles in Pied Bull Yard, Holborn, is good.
  • Options
    TomsToms Posts: 2,478
    SeanT said:

    Toms said:

    SeanT said:

    Hello PB. I wrote another 3240 words today. In two hours.

    Tomorrow I will finish the first draft. A 93,000 word novel in two months and one day.

    No idea if it is any good, could be anything from dreck to worldbeater, but I sure did it quick.

    Here's the thing. During the writing of this novel, when the writing has been most intense/prolific, I have been sleeping 10 or more hours a day, sometimes 12. In Thailand this came in the form of 2-3 hour siestas, then another 8 hours normal sleep, here in London I just conk out for 11 hours. Go to bed at 1am, wake up at noon. Write. Repeat.

    How odd is that? Has anyone else ever experienced something like this? Intense mental activity, requiring huge amounts of kip?

    When young I had a pure mathematician for a room mate. He would take a long time, maybe days or weeks simply mulling things over, and then he'd sit down and produce a spotless solution/proof. A few years later, he supplied a massive proof of a generalisation of a speculation by the great C F Gauss, thereby becoming famous in the community of number theorists. He had been developing towards that result from early childhood. You had to more or less set a bomb off to wake him up in the morning to go to classes.

    On a lower level, I often do my best planning on long walks, preferably alone & away from bloody cars. No headphones.
    For me napping is a forte.
    I rise at 5am if not earlier.
    That's been my experience with this book. I basically thought about it for an entire year - location, character, narrative devices, plot, even basic dialogue. Just sat there and THOUGHT ("diligent indolence", as Keats called it). I was accused of laziness, but I was really thinking.

    Then when the moment came, in the Dynasty Grande hotel in Bangkok, in late January, I typed the first sentence: "The dead birds are neatly arranged in a row."

    And that was it - wham. Suddenly I was up and running, the voice felt good, I wrote 2000 words the first day. And it kept on coming.

    Nice feeling, but bloody exhausting.

    I'd better shut the F up now, as this book could very easily be total, total shite and I am a flailing idiot exulting over a career-ending piece of dreck. EEEEEEK.

    But at least I ended my career swiftly, if that turns out to be the case. If so, I shall take up wild sea-bass fishing.



    I think people vary hugely in their ability to be self critical, maybe with Trump defining one extreme. I suspect you are pretty realistic, but the greater readership will dictate things somewhat. For maths it's only between you and the result, however boring that may or may not be.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,126
    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    John Kerry rather more gushing in his tribute
    https://www.facebook.com/johnkerry/posts/10154190356892294
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,126

    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    Norman Tebbit and his wife suffered grievously, so he is fully entitled to his victim impact statement, and that should give one pause for thought. But one of the principles of Christianity (even the semi-Pagan variant known as Catholicism) is Redemption. Without Redemption we are all doomed (atheists excepted, obviously).
    Tebbit is an atheist I believe
  • Options
    MortimerMortimer Posts: 13,956
    Sean_F said:

    Mortimer said:

    isam said:

    SeanT said:

    isam said:

    Sean_F said:

    SeanT said:

    Charles said:

    Mortimer said:

    AndyJS said:

    Thought-provoking article by David Goodhart:

    "Why I left my liberal London tribe
    As a divided Britain prepares for Brexit, David Goodhart reveals why he broke up with the metropolitan elite"

    https://www.ft.com/content/39a0867a-0974-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43

    I think Goodhart's book is likely to become the set text on Brexit and Mayism. Though his bright-lines division of the population into Somewheres (50%) and Anywheres (25%)* is obviously an oversimplification, it does seem to have a good deal of explanatory power.


    * with 25% exhibiting elements of both
    Agreed.

    @Casino_Royale and other PBers keen on an Article 50 celebration. How about next Wednesday in Town?

    I'll be around and either poor but happy or flush but unhappy after what promises to be the best auction of the YTD.

    Any venue prefs?
    Works for me although not too late as failing into s board meeting at 00:30 that morning
    I might be around. Fuck it. Let's quaff a silver tankard of champagne JUST to annoy the Remainers.
    I could be around. The Cork & Bottle in Leicester Square would be a good location. Or Davys in St. James.
    Or Rules!
    I can sign four people into the Groucho. Nice champagne.
    Well I'd love to... but there will surely be more than four?
    Sounds tremendous but looks like there are about 8 keen already (isam, Cyclefree, C_R, Sean's x 2, Charles and TSE). Both Sean_F's wine bars look good - alternatively there's a pub off Berkeley sq west side that I can't remember the name of...
    Also, Truckles in Pied Bull Yard, Holborn, is good.
    Yes! I used to live literally next door in Bury Place.
  • Options
    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,965
    Surely Boisedale's is the place for you all to celebrate A50 day. You can toast Brexit and the Union at the same time. I'll be in Shenzhen doing the hard yards for our broken country in meetings and trying to explain to the Chinese, again, why we are leaving the Single Market. Something about halal easter eggs and bendy bananas, I'll say.

    Enjoy it!!
  • Options
    DixieDixie Posts: 1,221

    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    Norman Tebbit and his wife suffered grievously, so he is fully entitled to his victim impact statement, and that should give one pause for thought. But one of the principles of Christianity (even the semi-Pagan variant known as Catholicism) is Redemption. Without Redemption we are all doomed (atheists excepted, obviously).
    I've always agreed with every word Norman said. I've not changed my mind after this.
  • Options
    NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,359
    Toms said:



    When young I had a pure mathematician for a room mate. He would take a long time, maybe days or weeks simply mulling things over, and then he'd sit down and produce a spotless solution/proof. A few years later, he supplied a massive proof of a generalisation of a speculation by the great C F Gauss, thereby becoming famous in the community of number theorists. He had been developing towards that result from early childhood. You had to more or less set a bomb off to wake him up in the morning to go to classes.

    On a lower level, I often do my best planning on long walks, preferably alone & away from bloody cars. No headphones.
    For me napping is a forte.
    I rise at 5am if not earlier.

    When I did my PhD with Hugh Dowker, a leading light in point-set topology - he was just like that. Ask him a question and he'd close his eyes and think for some minutes. In the eary days I'd become uneasy - had he fallen asleep? Gone into a coma? Then he'd open them and give a complete answer with the entire proof.

    But I *hated* doing my PhD because I don't think like that. Basically the PhD had to have a couple of dozen original thoughts, to be accumulated over 3 sodding YEARS. I'd sit on the balcony of the top-floor flat staring into space, or lie in bed with my purring cat nestling inside the duvet up to my shoulder, and think. Fruitlessly, for an average 29 days out of 30, 6, 8, 9 hours a day. Then just occasionally some minor chink of light would dawn.

    I dedicated the thesis to the cat. She's the only one who enjoyed the process, and the only living being other than my tutor and invigilator who came close to actually reading the bloody thing.

    The PhD got me a job (in IT) and has periodically impressed people who aren't mathematicians. But it was in my view an unpleasant waste of time in every other respect. I'd have enjoyed a flowing research project - history, perhaps. But waiting for ideas? It sucks. Credit to SeanT for sticking with it.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,126

    Surely Boisedale's is the place for you all to celebrate A50 day. You can toast Brexit and the Union at the same time. I'll be in Shenzhen doing the hard yards for our broken country in meetings and trying to explain to the Chinese, again, why we are leaving the Single Market. Something about halal easter eggs and bendy bananas, I'll say.

    Enjoy it!!

    If the EU had an immigration policy as tough as China's there would never have been a Brexit
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,927
    HYUFD said:

    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    John Kerry rather more gushing in his tribute
    https://www.facebook.com/johnkerry/posts/10154190356892294
    Pass the sick bag.
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,127
    HYUFD said:

    Surely Boisedale's is the place for you all to celebrate A50 day. You can toast Brexit and the Union at the same time. I'll be in Shenzhen doing the hard yards for our broken country in meetings and trying to explain to the Chinese, again, why we are leaving the Single Market. Something about halal easter eggs and bendy bananas, I'll say.

    Enjoy it!!

    If the EU had an immigration policy as tough as China's there would never have been a Brexit
    If the EU had an immigration policy... it would be criticised for interfering in the business of the nation state.
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,557
    SeanT said:

    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    Oh I don't know. In the second part of his IRA career, Marty murdered and tortured with considerable enthusiasm.

    The thing was, that those he tortured and murdered were very largely the die-hard holdouts in the IRA opposed to any kind of peace process.

    At the time it was claimed that they were all informers for the Evul Brits. Now many of Marty's boon companions have their doubts.
    That was the most curious accusation. That he was turned, at an early age, and became the very deepest of British double agents. I doubt it, personally - but I have heard that he was, from several informed sources. And of course at the end some in the IRA came to believe it, whatever the case.

    One thing is for sure, MI5 and MI6 are still very very good at sowing doubt and fear in their enemies. I trust they are now all over Brussels.
    The list of his victims (and those of the bearded schoolteacher) in the latter part of their careers were among the hardest hardliners of the PIRA. Either British Intelligence was extremely good at recruiting the most ferocious anti-brits in the IRA or.....
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,127
    SeanT said:

    One thing is for sure, MI5 and MI6 are still very very good at sowing doubt and fear in their enemies. I trust they are now all over Brussels.

    An interesting thought. The perfect agent would have to be a Remoaner par excellence.
  • Options
    TomsToms Posts: 2,478

    Toms said:



    When young I had a pure mathematician for a room mate. He would take a long time, maybe days or weeks simply mulling things over, and then he'd sit down and produce a spotless solution/proof. A few years later, he supplied a massive proof of a generalisation of a speculation by the great C F Gauss, thereby becoming famous in the community of number theorists. He had been developing towards that result from early childhood. You had to more or less set a bomb off to wake him up in the morning to go to classes.

    On a lower level, I often do my best planning on long walks, preferably alone & away from bloody cars. No headphones.
    For me napping is a forte.
    I rise at 5am if not earlier.

    When I did my PhD with Hugh Dowker, a leading light in point-set topology - he was just like that. Ask him a question and he'd close his eyes and think for some minutes. In the eary days I'd become uneasy - had he fallen asleep? Gone into a coma? Then he'd open them and give a complete answer with the entire proof.

    But I *hated* doing my PhD because I don't think like that. Basically the PhD had to have a couple of dozen original thoughts, to be accumulated over 3 sodding YEARS. I'd sit on the balcony of the top-floor flat staring into space, or lie in bed with my purring cat nestling inside the duvet up to my shoulder, and think. Fruitlessly, for an average 29 days out of 30, 6, 8, 9 hours a day. Then just occasionally some minor chink of light would dawn.

    I dedicated the thesis to the cat. She's the only one who enjoyed the process, and the only living being other than my tutor and invigilator who came close to actually reading the bloody thing.

    The PhD got me a job (in IT) and has periodically impressed people who aren't mathematicians. But it was in my view an unpleasant waste of time in every other respect. I'd have enjoyed a flowing research project - history, perhaps. But waiting for ideas? It sucks. Credit to SeanT for sticking with it.
    I find moggies too relaxing for focussed thinking, 'though a nice break. Walking is my best choice.
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    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,249
    Dixie said:

    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    Norman Tebbit and his wife suffered grievously, so he is fully entitled to his victim impact statement, and that should give one pause for thought. But one of the principles of Christianity (even the semi-Pagan variant known as Catholicism) is Redemption. Without Redemption we are all doomed (atheists excepted, obviously).
    I've always agreed with every word Norman said. I've not changed my mind after this.
    Well done for being the sort of chap that thinks that in anyone's life one should look at both sides of the ledger.
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    NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,359
    edited March 2017
    ydoethur said:

    some here dislike Simon with remarkable venom.

    What is remarkable about disliking Simon? He's a rude, lazy, arrogant and extraordinarily stupid sycophant who has no discernible principles, no original ideas, no capacity for independent thought or critical evaluation, and who has successively failed as a journalist, politician, campaigner and most recently all the lot together. He is utterly unfit to run a village post office, never mind the West Midlands.

    The suggestion that he should make the campaign about him rather than Jez to improve his chances is the equivalent of someone advising Khrushchev to play down his links to Stalin and instead big up his friendship with Yezhov to secure the post of General Secretary.

    What is more remarkable in many ways is that there still people out there odd enough to actually rate this gurning fool. Frankly, it doesn't say much for the intellect of the average Labour member in the West Midlands that they preferred him to Bedser.

    He may still win of course. But he is testing the theory of 'put up a donkey with a red rosette and they'll vote for it' far beyond the point of safety.
    Yes, that's the sort of peculiar tirade that I had in mind. I know Simon slightly as a likeable backbench MP. interesting to chat to. There are lots of MPs, mayoral candidates, police commissioners and so on who are much less intelligent. No doubt he's made mistakes and said the odd silly thing, haven't we all. But either you loathe half of Parliament with irrational fury, or you've just got a funny obsession about him.
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,126
    Sean_F said:

    HYUFD said:

    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    John Kerry rather more gushing in his tribute
    https://www.facebook.com/johnkerry/posts/10154190356892294
    Pass the sick bag.
    All those years of keeping Boston donors happy clearly influenced Secretary Kerry's view of him
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    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,127
    Danny565 said:
    If ever we needed a reminder that May was weak, weak, weak...
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    AnneJGPAnneJGP Posts: 2,869

    Toms said:



    When young I had a pure mathematician for a room mate. He would take a long time, maybe days or weeks simply mulling things over, and then he'd sit down and produce a spotless solution/proof. A few years later, he supplied a massive proof of a generalisation of a speculation by the great C F Gauss, thereby becoming famous in the community of number theorists. He had been developing towards that result from early childhood. You had to more or less set a bomb off to wake him up in the morning to go to classes.

    On a lower level, I often do my best planning on long walks, preferably alone & away from bloody cars. No headphones.
    For me napping is a forte.
    I rise at 5am if not earlier.

    When I did my PhD with Hugh Dowker, a leading light in point-set topology - he was just like that. Ask him a question and he'd close his eyes and think for some minutes. In the eary days I'd become uneasy - had he fallen asleep? Gone into a coma? Then he'd open them and give a complete answer with the entire proof.

    But I *hated* doing my PhD because I don't think like that. Basically the PhD had to have a couple of dozen original thoughts, to be accumulated over 3 sodding YEARS. I'd sit on the balcony of the top-floor flat staring into space, or lie in bed with my purring cat nestling inside the duvet up to my shoulder, and think. Fruitlessly, for an average 29 days out of 30, 6, 8, 9 hours a day. Then just occasionally some minor chink of light would dawn.

    I dedicated the thesis to the cat. She's the only one who enjoyed the process, and the only living being other than my tutor and invigilator who came close to actually reading the bloody thing.

    The PhD got me a job (in IT) and has periodically impressed people who aren't mathematicians. But it was in my view an unpleasant waste of time in every other respect. I'd have enjoyed a flowing research project - history, perhaps. But waiting for ideas? It sucks. Credit to SeanT for sticking with it.
    A young boss of mine used to come in every Wednesday morning sparking with ideas.

    Why Wednesdays? He took the washing to the launderette on Tuesday evenings, and sitting there watching the washing go round & round helped him do blue-skies thinking.

    Good evening, everybody.
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,126
    edited March 2017

    HYUFD said:

    Surely Boisedale's is the place for you all to celebrate A50 day. You can toast Brexit and the Union at the same time. I'll be in Shenzhen doing the hard yards for our broken country in meetings and trying to explain to the Chinese, again, why we are leaving the Single Market. Something about halal easter eggs and bendy bananas, I'll say.

    Enjoy it!!

    If the EU had an immigration policy as tough as China's there would never have been a Brexit
    If the EU had an immigration policy... it would be criticised for interfering in the business of the nation state.
    The only immigration policy it has had was to dictate to the nation state an open borders policy
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    viewcodeviewcode Posts: 18,948
    edited March 2017
    Regular readers may remember a television genre I dubbed "Shit Brexit Telly", where some minutae of Britain is examined each week by a minor sleb, and usually terminates with "...our wonderful British countryside" whilst the drone pans overhead and the sleb quaffs cider whilst staring at a white cliff. Examples I knew of at the time was that stupid villages thing with Penelope Keith and that really stupid railway thing with Michael Portillo.

    Problem is, examples are beginning to pile up. Leaving aside the ones about canals (yes really) and underground cables/pipelines (yes, really really), I now find to my horror there exists a program called 'Rivers with Jeremy Paxman'.

    Oh. My. God.

    There has to be some kind of Shit Brexit Telly Generator, along the lines of [subnational British characteristic] with [media twit/luvvie/ex-pol]. Things like:

    Lakes with David Dimbleby
    Great British Mountains with Bear Grylls
    Our Beautiful National Parks with Felicity Kendal
    Dogs! Crufts finalists with Paul O'Grady
    Antennae with Peter Snow
    Wonderful Wonderful British Flowers with Miranda Hart

    If you can think of more examples of Shit Brexit Telly, real-life or not, please make them known.
  • Options
    GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 20,894
    edited March 2017
    HYUFD said:

    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    John Kerry rather more gushing in his tribute
    https://www.facebook.com/johnkerry/posts/10154190356892294
    I guess the difference in views is that McGuinness didn't try to murder John Kerry, unlike Lord and Lady Tebbit...

    Tebbit's bitterness makes HMQ's magnanimity in recent years all the more remarkable though...
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,927
    viewcode said:

    Regular readers may remember a television genre I dubbed "Shit Brexit Telly", where some minutae of Britain is examined each week by a minor sleb, and usually terminates with "...our wonderful British countryside" whilst the drone pans overhead and the sleb quaffs cider whilst staring at a white cliff. Examples I knew of at the time was that stupid villages thing with Penelope Keith and that really stupid railway thing with Michael Portillo.

    Problem is, examples are beginning to pile up. Leaving aside the ones about canals (yes really) and underground cables/pipelines (yes, really really), I now find to my horror there exists a program called 'Rivers with Jeremy Paxman'.

    Oh. My. God.

    There has to be some kind of Shit Brexit Telly Generator, along the lines of [subnational British characteristic] with [media twit/luvvie/ex-pol]. Things like:

    Lakes with David Dimbleby
    Great British Mountains with Bear Grylls
    Our Beautiful National Parks with Felicity Kendal
    Dogs! Crufts finalists with Paul O'Grady
    Antennae with Peter Snow
    Wonderful Wonderful British Flowers with Miranda Hart

    If you can think of more examples of Shit Brexit Telly, real-life or not, please make them known.

    Inner City Sumo with Alan Partridge.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,126
    He was also at Cameron's side in 2014 and 2015 when he won
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,927
  • Options
    nunununu Posts: 6,024
    GIN1138 said:

    HYUFD said:

    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    John Kerry rather more gushing in his tribute
    https://www.facebook.com/johnkerry/posts/10154190356892294
    I guess the difference in views is that McGuinness didn't try to murder John Kerry, unlike Lord and Lady Tebbit...

    Tebbit's bitterness makes HMQ's magnanimity in recent years all the more remarkable though...
    He's a white terrorist so america looks upon them differently.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,126

    Danny565 said:
    If ever we needed a reminder that May was weak, weak, weak...
    May is standing firmer than Major and reversing the damage Blair left
  • Options
    GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 20,894
    HYUFD said:

    He was also at Cameron's side in 2014 and 2015 when he won
    I don't think Lynton and that guy from the US thought much to him though...
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    QuincelQuincel Posts: 3,949
    Another Gorton thought: Who's Galloway going to get to canvass for him? Or will this be a strictly air war operation? And what was the case at Bradford West? I assume he had some form of Respect infrastructure for Bethnal Green & Bow.
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,126
    GIN1138 said:

    HYUFD said:

    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    John Kerry rather more gushing in his tribute
    https://www.facebook.com/johnkerry/posts/10154190356892294
    I guess the difference in views is that McGuinness didn't try to murder John Kerry, unlike Lord and Lady Tebbit...

    Tebbit's bitterness makes HMQ's magnanimity in recent years all the more remarkable though...
    Indeed, though Kerry did have a reconciliation with the Vietcong fighter who once shot at him though that does not quite compare to the Brighton Bomb. The Queen as Head of State and a constitutional monarch sensibly rarely discloses what she really thinks
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4121212/Back-delta-US-envoy-Kerry-meets-Viet-Cong-foe.html
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,792
    GIN1138 said:

    HYUFD said:

    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    John Kerry rather more gushing in his tribute
    https://www.facebook.com/johnkerry/posts/10154190356892294
    I guess the difference in views is that McGuinness didn't try to murder John Kerry, unlike Lord and Lady Tebbit...

    Tebbit's bitterness makes HMQ's magnanimity in recent years all the more remarkable though...
    As a matter of public policy it is probably a good thing that we approve, on balance, of terrorists who genuinely renounce terrorism and embrace democracy. As to where McGuinness sits in the scales of morality, I am quite happy to leave forming an opinion on that to his maker.
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,396
    Sean_F said:

    viewcode said:

    Regular readers may remember a television genre I dubbed "Shit Brexit Telly", where some minutae of Britain is examined each week by a minor sleb, and usually terminates with "...our wonderful British countryside" whilst the drone pans overhead and the sleb quaffs cider whilst staring at a white cliff. Examples I knew of at the time was that stupid villages thing with Penelope Keith and that really stupid railway thing with Michael Portillo.

    Problem is, examples are beginning to pile up. Leaving aside the ones about canals (yes really) and underground cables/pipelines (yes, really really), I now find to my horror there exists a program called 'Rivers with Jeremy Paxman'.

    Oh. My. God.

    There has to be some kind of Shit Brexit Telly Generator, along the lines of [subnational British characteristic] with [media twit/luvvie/ex-pol]. Things like:

    Lakes with David Dimbleby
    Great British Mountains with Bear Grylls
    Our Beautiful National Parks with Felicity Kendal
    Dogs! Crufts finalists with Paul O'Grady
    Antennae with Peter Snow
    Wonderful Wonderful British Flowers with Miranda Hart

    If you can think of more examples of Shit Brexit Telly, real-life or not, please make them known.

    Inner City Sumo with Alan Partridge.
    Sunil's Great British Railway Journeys

  • Options
    viewcodeviewcode Posts: 18,948

    But one of the principles of Christianity (even the semi-Pagan variant known as Catholicism) is Redemption. Without Redemption we are all doomed (atheists excepted, obviously).

    No redemption without confession of sins, sincere contrition and attempt to make restitution. And atheists don't go to heaven: good works and a sinless life are not enough, there must also be belief in God. This is why deathbed confessions and conversions are a *really* good idea.

  • Options
    nunununu Posts: 6,024
    Sean_F said:

    HYUFD said:

    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    John Kerry rather more gushing in his tribute
    https://www.facebook.com/johnkerry/posts/10154190356892294
    Pass the sick bag.
    "armed struggle" like isis I guess.
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,126
    edited March 2017
    GIN1138 said:

    HYUFD said:

    He was also at Cameron's side in 2014 and 2015 when he won
    I don't think Lynton and that guy from the US thought much to him though...
    Given Messina received 400 000 euro as a campaign adviser for Renzi's 2016 referendum campaign I don't think he is really one to lecture others on how to win referenda!
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Messina_(political_staffer)
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    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,965
    viewcode said:

    Regular readers may remember a television genre I dubbed "Shit Brexit Telly", where some minutae of Britain is examined each week by a minor sleb, and usually terminates with "...our wonderful British countryside" whilst the drone pans overhead and the sleb quaffs cider whilst staring at a white cliff. Examples I knew of at the time was that stupid villages thing with Penelope Keith and that really stupid railway thing with Michael Portillo.

    Problem is, examples are beginning to pile up. Leaving aside the ones about canals (yes really) and underground cables/pipelines (yes, really really), I now find to my horror there exists a program called 'Rivers with Jeremy Paxman'.

    Oh. My. God.

    There has to be some kind of Shit Brexit Telly Generator, along the lines of [subnational British characteristic] with [media twit/luvvie/ex-pol]. Things like:

    Lakes with David Dimbleby
    Great British Mountains with Bear Grylls
    Our Beautiful National Parks with Felicity Kendal
    Dogs! Crufts finalists with Paul O'Grady
    Antennae with Peter Snow
    Wonderful Wonderful British Flowers with Miranda Hart

    If you can think of more examples of Shit Brexit Telly, real-life or not, please make them known.

    Great English canal journeys with Timothy West & Prunella Scales
    Northamptonshire on five bob a day with Nick Owen


  • Options
    glwglw Posts: 9,554
    viewcode said:

    Regular readers may remember a television genre I dubbed "Shit Brexit Telly", where some minutae of Britain is examined each week by a minor sleb, and usually terminates with "...our wonderful British countryside" whilst the drone pans overhead and the sleb quaffs cider whilst staring at a white cliff. Examples I knew of at the time was that stupid villages thing with Penelope Keith and that really stupid railway thing with Michael Portillo.

    Problem is, examples are beginning to pile up. Leaving aside the ones about canals (yes really) and underground cables/pipelines (yes, really really), I now find to my horror there exists a program called 'Rivers with Jeremy Paxman'.

    Oh. My. God.

    There has to be some kind of Shit Brexit Telly Generator, along the lines of [subnational British characteristic] with [media twit/luvvie/ex-pol]. Things like:

    Lakes with David Dimbleby
    Great British Mountains with Bear Grylls
    Our Beautiful National Parks with Felicity Kendal
    Dogs! Crufts finalists with Paul O'Grady
    Antennae with Peter Snow
    Wonderful Wonderful British Flowers with Miranda Hart

    If you can think of more examples of Shit Brexit Telly, real-life or not, please make them known.

    That's the kind of crap the BBC wants the law to require the homepage of streaming services to promote. The success of such services is of course nothing to do with such drivel being produced by broadcasters.
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,126
    edited March 2017
    Liberal by name, liberal by nature (now we know how Mark Senior is occupying his evenings!)
    https://twitter.com/LeedsNWLibDems/status/844315718795644928
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    DixieDixie Posts: 1,221

    Dixie said:

    SeanT said:

    It's fair to say Norman Tebbit remains a man not given to the mincing of words.

    https://twitter.com/WelshToy/status/844116976121384960

    Norman Tebbit and his wife suffered grievously, so he is fully entitled to his victim impact statement, and that should give one pause for thought. But one of the principles of Christianity (even the semi-Pagan variant known as Catholicism) is Redemption. Without Redemption we are all doomed (atheists excepted, obviously).
    I've always agreed with every word Norman said. I've not changed my mind after this.
    Well done for being the sort of chap that thinks that in anyone's life one should look at both sides of the ledger.
    Norm was a trade unionist you know. I agree with him that 'the other side of ledger' has benefits. And I fight with the Unions against our idiotic council. When it comes to McGuiness, though, he is a murdering c*nt and I hope he rots in hell.
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    GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 20,894
    HYUFD said:

    Liberal by name, liberal by nature (now we know how Mark Senior is occupying his evenings!)
    https://twitter.com/LeedsNWLibDems/status/844315718795644928

    Someone's been hacked...
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    viewcodeviewcode Posts: 18,948
    SeanT said:

    viewcode said:

    Regular readers may remember a television genre I dubbed "Shit Brexit Telly", where some minutae of Britain is examined each week by a minor sleb, and usually terminates with "...our wonderful British countryside" whilst the drone pans overhead and the sleb quaffs cider whilst staring at a white cliff. Examples I knew of at the time was that stupid villages thing with Penelope Keith and that really stupid railway thing with Michael Portillo.

    Problem is, examples are beginning to pile up. Leaving aside the ones about canals (yes really) and underground cables/pipelines (yes, really really), I now find to my horror there exists a program called 'Rivers with Jeremy Paxman'.

    Oh. My. God.

    There has to be some kind of Shit Brexit Telly Generator, along the lines of [subnational British characteristic] with [media twit/luvvie/ex-pol]. Things like:

    Lakes with David Dimbleby
    Great British Mountains with Bear Grylls
    Our Beautiful National Parks with Felicity Kendal
    Dogs! Crufts finalists with Paul O'Grady
    Antennae with Peter Snow
    Wonderful Wonderful British Flowers with Miranda Hart

    If you can think of more examples of Shit Brexit Telly, real-life or not, please make them known.

    lol. Very good. Worthy of Viz

    Fry's Frys: best vintage British confectionery made by Frys, with Stephen Fry

    Fry's Fry's Fried: Stephen Fry visits chip shops nationwide that fry Cadbury's Creme Eggs (this is a real thing). The fryer explains to Fry each week what a chip is. Each program ends with Fry holding a portion of chips whilst staring into the sunset and sussurating "Britain, Britain, Britain..."
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    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    HYUFD said:

    Liberal by name, liberal by nature (now we know how Mark Senior is occupying his evenings!)
    https://twitter.com/LeedsNWLibDems/status/844315718795644928

    No blue tick, is that legit?
This discussion has been closed.