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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » As expected Biden storming to big victory in South Carolina

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  • MysticroseMysticrose Posts: 4,688

    Mr. Root, I try and buy from Waterstones when I can. It's a chain, but a proper bookshop too.

    I wait 6 months till they appear second hand in v good condition... at less than half that price...
    And the author gets what from that ...?

    It's tough writing for a living even as a bestseller.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    edited March 2020
    I know percentage wise it is tiny movements but Liz has shortened for about 120 yesterday to 80 today despite having a disasterous South Carolina result. She should have rocketed off to the moon.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,359

    Two related stories:

    https://twitter.com/JournoStephen/status/1233877978175676416?s=20

    NHS gender clinic 'should have challenged me more' over transition
    https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51676020

    How desperate can you get , now it is SNP's fault that English NHS is doing things, what a saddo
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,623
    edited March 2020

    Messrs Square Root & Sandpit, it's obviously a scam, but I wish I could make them stop. It's a different number each time so I can't block them. I'm reaching the stage of not answering anything; friends & family will leave a message.
    Incidentally, why don't those calls come through on mobiles.
    We andyway get few if any such calls on those. About the only ones I get on that are once a month asking me about a non-existent accident.

    Try calling your phone company. They usually have a way of screening calls for you, such that numbers not in a list of contacts go straight to a voicemail. Anyone genuinely trying to get hold of you will leave a message, but marketers or scammers won’t usually bother.

    Edit: not a recommendation, but BT have a phone that they say works in a similar way.
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/BT-Advanced-Cordless-Nuisance-Answering-Black/dp/B0787KRDFT/
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,806
    Mr. Root, problem with that is it's very hard to make a living as an author, so I'd prefer to help them if I can (particularly if I'm enjoying their work).

    Mr. Rose, no idea about bookshops in Leeds, alas, beyond Waterstones. Borders was good, when it was there. Hmm.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,468
    Sandpit said:

    Messrs Square Root & Sandpit, it's obviously a scam, but I wish I could make them stop. It's a different number each time so I can't block them. I'm reaching the stage of not answering anything; friends & family will leave a message.
    Incidentally, why don't those calls come through on mobiles.
    We andyway get few if any such calls on those. About the only ones I get on that are once a month asking me about a non-existent accident.

    Try calling your phone company. They usually have a way of screening calls for you, such that numbers not in a list of contacts go straight to a voicemail. Anyone genuinely trying to get hold of you will leave a message, but marketers or scammers won’t usually bother.
    BT say block them afterwards, but as they just use random numbers that doesn't help much. A friend has Sky telephones which seem to have a good, if rather clunky, system.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,868
    Sandpit said:

    When will Amazon learn I don't want to review every purchase I make with it?

    Waitrose don't ask me every time I go into their store. For every product..

    Good morning all. And a real first day of Spring it is here, too!

    Amazon seem to have undergone some sort of hacking. We frequently...... sometimes three or four times a day..... bet an American woman telling us our Prime account is about to be renewed.
    We haven't got a Prime account.
    Tells me that if I press 1 I can be connected, but I'm not getting into their system.
    The calling numbers are all different, so it can't be genuine.
    Sounds like the latest version of “Windows Support” calls from a few years ago.

    My office full of genuine IT support folks would play games with how long we could keep one of them on the line, as they attempted to dial in to our PC to install their malware.

    We figured it was community service, as they wouldn’t be on the phone to our parents and grandparents while we were dicking them around. ;)

    Amazon haven’t been hacked, the scammers are just calling random numbers. Registering with the Telephone Preference Service might help, but most of these scammers are offshore, usually in India. If you get through to a human, ask them if their mum is proud of what they do - they really don’t like that question.
    If you haven't seen it, some of the videos on James Veitch's YouTube channel are priceless.
  • Alistair said:

    I know percentage wise it is tiny movements but Liz has shortened for about 120 yesterday to 80 today despite having a disasterous South Carolina result. She should have rocketed off to the moon.

    Yes, if she can't even beat Buttigieg in SC what's the point of her continuing?
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,868

    Sanders is back into 2.02 for the nomination. He drifted for a time overnight but is now back in to where he was yesterday.

    Mr Palmer clearly got in first...
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,230
    Andy_JS said:

    In South Korea the death rate from coronavirus is 0.48%, considerably less than many other countries like China and Iran. 3,526 cases and 17 fatalities according to John Hopkins University.

    https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

    Though as it can take a month from initial infection to succumbing to it, the South Korea number could go up significantly.

    Right now there is a large degree of uncertainty over the mortality rate, and also how much it might vary by circumstance (as an example, the 1918 flu had a mortality rate of around 2% in the developed world, and well into double figures in some countries).

    For now, we just don’t have a very good idea - though even the current S Korean number is about five times as bad as seasonal flu.

  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,623
    IanB2 said:

    Sandpit said:

    When will Amazon learn I don't want to review every purchase I make with it?

    Waitrose don't ask me every time I go into their store. For every product..

    Good morning all. And a real first day of Spring it is here, too!

    Amazon seem to have undergone some sort of hacking. We frequently...... sometimes three or four times a day..... bet an American woman telling us our Prime account is about to be renewed.
    We haven't got a Prime account.
    Tells me that if I press 1 I can be connected, but I'm not getting into their system.
    The calling numbers are all different, so it can't be genuine.
    Sounds like the latest version of “Windows Support” calls from a few years ago.

    My office full of genuine IT support folks would play games with how long we could keep one of them on the line, as they attempted to dial in to our PC to install their malware.

    We figured it was community service, as they wouldn’t be on the phone to our parents and grandparents while we were dicking them around. ;)

    Amazon haven’t been hacked, the scammers are just calling random numbers. Registering with the Telephone Preference Service might help, but most of these scammers are offshore, usually in India. If you get through to a human, ask them if their mum is proud of what they do - they really don’t like that question.
    If you haven't seen it, some of the videos on James Veitch's YouTube channel are priceless.
    Yes, Veitch is very good. He persuaded a Nigerian scammer to fly to London and stalked him around the city!
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,868

    When will Amazon learn I don't want to review every purchase I make with it?

    Waitrose don't ask me every time I go into their store. For every product..

    I don't understand this. Do you get a notification or something? They never badger me.

    I don't really like Amazon very much but when I went into Waterstones to buy the latest Michael Connelly 'The Night Fire' (which is quite superb by the way) they wanted £20 off me. Amazon offered me the same hardback for £8. It does get really hard to support your local bookshop under such circumstances.
    Isnt is normally just items bought from marketplace sellers?
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,468
    Sandpit said:

    Messrs Square Root & Sandpit, it's obviously a scam, but I wish I could make them stop. It's a different number each time so I can't block them. I'm reaching the stage of not answering anything; friends & family will leave a message.
    Incidentally, why don't those calls come through on mobiles.
    We andyway get few if any such calls on those. About the only ones I get on that are once a month asking me about a non-existent accident.

    Try calling your phone company. They usually have a way of screening calls for you, such that numbers not in a list of contacts go straight to a voicemail. Anyone genuinely trying to get hold of you will leave a message, but marketers or scammers won’t usually bother.

    Edit: not a recommendation, but BT have a phone that they say works in a similar way.
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/BT-Advanced-Cordless-Nuisance-Answering-Black/dp/B0787KRDFT/
    Thanks for edit; will look into. Wonder why the trio pack is cheaper than the twin!
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,533
    One poll finding that was interesting was how influential the endorsement of James Clyburn was - he's not even a senator, just one of many members of the House, but something like 60% said his endorsement of Biden had been very or fairly important in deciding how to vote.

    I tend to think of endorsements as nice to have but no big deal - for instance, John McDonnell backing RLB was interesting, but not something that made most corbynites-for-Starmer reconsider- but in the US they can carry real weight.
  • squareroot2squareroot2 Posts: 6,729
    edited March 2020

    Mr. Root, I try and buy from Waterstones when I can. It's a chain, but a proper bookshop too.

    I wait 6 months till they appear second hand in v good condition... at less than half that price...
    And the author gets what from that ...?

    It's tough writing for a living even as a bestseller.
    err the author gets the money from the original purchaser. I am now retired on limited income. I have to cut my cloth... there has always been a market for second hand books. In any event , most of my purchase are books 30 yrs or more old, and no longer in print.

    I suppose you are going to castigate kindle purchases too(I never buy kindle). The author will get jack shit out of that.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,210
    Alistair said:

    I know percentage wise it is tiny movements but Liz has shortened for about 120 yesterday to 80 today despite having a disasterous South Carolina result. She should have rocketed off to the moon.

    Lol I've taken the £15 at 85. I'm actually still Liz heavy but yes she should be in the hundreds now.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,230
    Pulpstar said:

    Here kids (He admits he fucked up) is why listening to pundits is a terrible idea

    https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/02/joe-biden-now-only-democrat-who-can-stop-bernie-sanders.html

    That is a good article, nonetheless.
    Has anyone noted this ?
    the first primary he has ever won in his three presidential campaigns...
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    malcolmg said:

    Two related stories:

    https://twitter.com/JournoStephen/status/1233877978175676416?s=20

    NHS gender clinic 'should have challenged me more' over transition
    https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51676020

    How desperate can you get , now it is SNP's fault that English NHS is doing things, what a saddo
    No, it’s a warning to Scotland to beware steamrollering reforms because the SNP government only funds bodies which support its policies.

    Do you support giving puberty blockers to children?
  • When will Amazon learn I don't want to review every purchase I make with it?

    Waitrose don't ask me every time I go into their store. For every product..

    I don't understand this. Do you get a notification or something? They never badger me.

    I don't really like Amazon very much but when I went into Waterstones to buy the latest Michael Connelly 'The Night Fire' (which is quite superb by the way) they wanted £20 off me. Amazon offered me the same hardback for £8. It does get really hard to support your local bookshop under such circumstances.
    Even if you're buying hard-back novels at full price, the cost-per-hour of reading is still cheaper than going to a movie or buying one. (I'm a starry-eyed romantic.)
  • ChrisChris Posts: 11,751
    Andy_JS said:

    In South Korea the death rate from coronavirus is 0.48%, considerably less than many other countries like China and Iran. 3,526 cases and 17 fatalities according to John Hopkins University.

    https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

    Unfortunately that probably reflects the fact that the outbreak is still in progress, and that typically people don't die until several weeks after being diagnosed. At one stage in China outside Hubei province, the apparent fatality rate was only 0.2%. Now, with new infections in that area at only 1% of their peak in early February, the fatality rate is still climbing slowly, at about 0.86%.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,806
    Miss Vance, a story on that note:
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51676020
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,868
    Chris said:

    Andy_JS said:

    In South Korea the death rate from coronavirus is 0.48%, considerably less than many other countries like China and Iran. 3,526 cases and 17 fatalities according to John Hopkins University.

    https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

    Unfortunately that probably reflects the fact that the outbreak is still in progress, and that typically people don't die until several weeks after being diagnosed. At one stage in China outside Hubei province, the apparent fatality rate was only 0.2%. Now, with new infections in that area at only 1% of their peak in early February, the fatality rate is still climbing slowly, at about 0.86%.
    Some way to go before we reach the sort of figures Eadric is using for his calculations, however.
  • SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 39,653
    Probably best to wait for the court case now.

  • QuincelQuincel Posts: 4,042
    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Noone is ever going to give a toss about Iowa again

    Betfair STILL hasn’t settled the Iowa Caucus market, and it was nearly four weeks ago now. Everyone else has long since moved on (Pete who?) and thinking about ‘Super’ Tuesday. What an almighty screw-up by the Iowa Democrats.
    Betfair are like a utility company delaying your final bill and refund after your switch.

    They just dig that free cashflow so much.
    To be fair to Betfair, they’re not the ones at fault here. The result has only just been formally announced, so if there’s no way of challenging it further they should pay out when someone on their politics desk wakes up this morning.
    There is a further challenge. The Iowa Party has signed off the result but the national party is considering a Sanders challenge for a wider recount. I can't blame Betfair if they wait to pay out when that is rejected.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,210
    edited March 2020
    Bernie's rally in Boston was enormous lol.

    If it comes down to Sanders having a plurality vs Biden in second place and other candidates passing him their delegates - they should probably go with Sanders. My guess is now... they'll rig it for Biden.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,359
    I see farmers are about to join fishermen as the Tories most loved groups of absolute mugs, all those promises that the dupes fell for:
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8060473/Britain-doesnt-need-farmers-reveal-leaked-emails-senior-government-official.html
  • state_go_awaystate_go_away Posts: 5,816
    I think supporting bookshops (and authors) is a good thing and it comes down to your personal circumstances. I earn enough for a new £20 book to not make any difference to my lifestyle . I know I can buy the same book of Amazon for £10 but would feel a bit of my soul had gone if i did . I always lament a book shop closure and god forbid if they all have to close if people save a bit of money when they dont really need to . I appreciate its not the same for some people but I suspect most buyers of books can actually really afford to support book shops and not online tech giants if they really searched their soul .
  • QuincelQuincel Posts: 4,042
    As others are speaking of their Bloomberg holes, I'm happy to share mine. I've decided not to fill it up with bets now despite his slip. I think he's still a bit short and I try and take it 'one bet at a time' so if I wouldn't back him now with a clean book I won't do it despite my hole. I may regret that in a week's time, but if he has the Super Tuesday it's looking like then I'll finally be able to sleep easy for the first time in 3 months.

    For the record, I don't always bet this much. This is my largest bet ever. My second largest was in 2016. That Trump wouldn't be nominated...


  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    Absolutely bonkers - not only eminently qualified but also popular with the public - but appears this is the previous regimes snafu, not the current one’s
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,806
    Mr. Away, that's a crucial point.

    I'm not wealthy now, certainly by PB's standards, but my situation a year ago was much, much worse. Spending a few pounds more per book can be either utterly inconsequential or just unaffordable.
  • edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,708
    edited March 2020

    Alistair said:

    I know percentage wise it is tiny movements but Liz has shortened for about 120 yesterday to 80 today despite having a disasterous South Carolina result. She should have rocketed off to the moon.

    Yes, if she can't even beat Buttigieg in SC what's the point of her continuing?
    To take over in the event that Bernie drops down dead, which could literally happen any day
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,359

    malcolmg said:

    Two related stories:

    https://twitter.com/JournoStephen/status/1233877978175676416?s=20

    NHS gender clinic 'should have challenged me more' over transition
    https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51676020

    How desperate can you get , now it is SNP's fault that English NHS is doing things, what a saddo
    No, it’s a warning to Scotland to beware steamrollering reforms because the SNP government only funds bodies which support its policies.

    Do you support giving puberty blockers to children?
    No I certainly don't and neither do I support the clique of SNP zealots pushing all this crap, but that does not hide fact that you could link the SNP to anything happening anywhere in the world. I have yet to see you push any article around the topic regarding the groups in England where it is much more prevalent. You do need to broaden your horizons and get over your hatred of the SNP, have a look at the criminal Tories running the UK, you might learn a few things.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,623
    edited March 2020
    Quincel said:

    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Noone is ever going to give a toss about Iowa again

    Betfair STILL hasn’t settled the Iowa Caucus market, and it was nearly four weeks ago now. Everyone else has long since moved on (Pete who?) and thinking about ‘Super’ Tuesday. What an almighty screw-up by the Iowa Democrats.
    Betfair are like a utility company delaying your final bill and refund after your switch.

    They just dig that free cashflow so much.
    To be fair to Betfair, they’re not the ones at fault here. The result has only just been formally announced, so if there’s no way of challenging it further they should pay out when someone on their politics desk wakes up this morning.
    There is a further challenge. The Iowa Party has signed off the result but the national party is considering a Sanders challenge for a wider recount. I can't blame Betfair if they wait to pay out when that is rejected.
    Americans are totally mad when it comes to elections. Adding 0.05% to Bernie’s total won’t change the number of delegates, and Buttigeig is unlikely to make it through to Wednesday anyway.

    Yes, Betfair are screwed either way here, they can’t pay out while the result is still changeable in theory - they’re not Paddy Power who can take a marketing hit paying early on a wrong result.

    Hope no-one is betting on the California primary either, they’ll probably declare the final result a day or two before the convention! It takes them weeks to ratify the actual election result too.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,720
    On topic, it seems fairly pointless for Amy, Pete, Liz, to drop out now, with just a couple of days to Super Tuesday, surely?

    On the subject of Amazon, I am not a big fan and buy from Waterstones when possible, but it does have its uses.

    For example, a home pulse oximeter can be had for £14, and a peak flow meter for £8. Alongside an electronic thermometer, you have a pretty effective home monitoring kit for severity of Coronavirus type symptoms, with next day delivery.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 13,677

    I think supporting bookshops (and authors) is a good thing and it comes down to your personal circumstances. I earn enough for a new £20 book to not make any difference to my lifestyle . I know I can buy the same book of Amazon for £10 but would feel a bit of my soul had gone if i did . I always lament a book shop closure and god forbid if they all have to close if people save a bit of money when they dont really need to . I appreciate its not the same for some people but I suspect most buyers of books can actually really afford to support book shops and not online tech giants if they really searched their soul .

    I torrent everything. Fuck the authors.
  • alex_alex_ Posts: 7,518
    The US appear to be doing almost no testing for COVID-19. They are relying almost exclusively on travel restrictions to contain the virus, which is likely to be very much stable door stuff. It is therefore highly likely that people infected is way above currently reported numbers, and at some point will explode rapidly and out of nowhere.

    The implications for the US, of all countries, not having adequate measure to combat this virus are as yet unknowable for both US and global politics.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,491
    Quincel said:

    As others are speaking of their Bloomberg holes, I'm happy to share mine. I've decided not to fill it up with bets now despite his slip. I think he's still a bit short and I try and take it 'one bet at a time' so if I wouldn't back him now with a clean book I won't do it despite my hole. I may regret that in a week's time, but if he has the Super Tuesday it's looking like then I'll finally be able to sleep easy for the first time in 3 months.

    For the record, I don't always bet this much. This is my largest bet ever. My second largest was in 2016. That Trump wouldn't be nominated...


    Wow. That's a great book.
  • Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 32,570
    Dura_Ace said:

    I think supporting bookshops (and authors) is a good thing and it comes down to your personal circumstances. I earn enough for a new £20 book to not make any difference to my lifestyle . I know I can buy the same book of Amazon for £10 but would feel a bit of my soul had gone if i did . I always lament a book shop closure and god forbid if they all have to close if people save a bit of money when they dont really need to . I appreciate its not the same for some people but I suspect most buyers of books can actually really afford to support book shops and not online tech giants if they really searched their soul .

    I torrent everything. Fuck the authors.
    You did always strike me as the criminal type. A self serving moral vacuum.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,491
    Fuck it. Laying Buttigieg to the max.
  • QuincelQuincel Posts: 4,042

    Quincel said:

    As others are speaking of their Bloomberg holes, I'm happy to share mine. I've decided not to fill it up with bets now despite his slip. I think he's still a bit short and I try and take it 'one bet at a time' so if I wouldn't back him now with a clean book I won't do it despite my hole. I may regret that in a week's time, but if he has the Super Tuesday it's looking like then I'll finally be able to sleep easy for the first time in 3 months.

    For the record, I don't always bet this much. This is my largest bet ever. My second largest was in 2016. That Trump wouldn't be nominated...


    Wow. That's a great book.
    Also a cautionary tale of how getting it right 9 times out of 10 can not matter if it's the other time is a big bet. I laid a bunch of no hopers (including Bloomberg when he wasn't in the race and polling 2.5%) and made a bunch of judicious backs which I later closed out, generally it's been a great hit rate for me. But if I get caught out by Bloomberg it won't matter.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,359
    How Westminster cons Scotland with its fake figures.
    Scotland paying off interest on the uk debt – which is not our debt – makes Scotland’s economy look far worse than it actually is – it is an accounting trick. A lot more information here if you would like to delve further (and some nice graphs):

    https://www.businessforscotland.com/revealed-the-accounting-trick-that-hides-scotlands-wealth/

    “How debt loading works

    There is an expenditure line in GERS called Public Sector Debt Interest (PSDI). It’s the sixth largest expenditure of the Scottish Government and a larger spend than Scotland’s allocated share of the UK Armed forces expenditure. Historical analysis of GERS reports demonstrates that every year since records began, Scotland has been paying interest on a population share of the UK’s debts. In the last five years (2014-19), PSDI has added £16.2bn – an average of £3.241bn per year to the cost of running Scotland.
  • Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 32,570
    Given Roman Britain was part of a version of a unified Europe I would have thought Mary Beard was a perfect fit for a trustee at the British Museum. Downing Street are being petty and stupid.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,806
    Mr. Ace, are you being sarcastic, or serious?
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,491
    Quincel said:

    Quincel said:

    As others are speaking of their Bloomberg holes, I'm happy to share mine. I've decided not to fill it up with bets now despite his slip. I think he's still a bit short and I try and take it 'one bet at a time' so if I wouldn't back him now with a clean book I won't do it despite my hole. I may regret that in a week's time, but if he has the Super Tuesday it's looking like then I'll finally be able to sleep easy for the first time in 3 months.

    For the record, I don't always bet this much. This is my largest bet ever. My second largest was in 2016. That Trump wouldn't be nominated...


    Wow. That's a great book.
    Also a cautionary tale of how getting it right 9 times out of 10 can not matter if it's the other time is a big bet. I laid a bunch of no hopers (including Bloomberg when he wasn't in the race and polling 2.5%) and made a bunch of judicious backs which I later closed out, generally it's been a great hit rate for me. But if I get caught out by Bloomberg it won't matter.
    I think most of us did that.

    I've got a book about a quarter your size for about half the pro rata profit.

    So basically you're doing 8 x better than me.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    Two related stories:

    https://twitter.com/JournoStephen/status/1233877978175676416?s=20

    NHS gender clinic 'should have challenged me more' over transition
    https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51676020

    How desperate can you get , now it is SNP's fault that English NHS is doing things, what a saddo
    No, it’s a warning to Scotland to beware steamrollering reforms because the SNP government only funds bodies which support its policies.

    Do you support giving puberty blockers to children?
    No I certainly don't and neither do I support the clique of SNP zealots pushing all this crap, but that does not hide fact that you could link the SNP to anything happening anywhere in the world. I have yet to see you push any article around the topic regarding the groups in England where it is much more prevalent. You do need to broaden your horizons and get over your hatred of the SNP, have a look at the criminal Tories running the UK, you might learn a few things.
    The UK government is not proposing to change the GRA in the way that the SNP government is - I hope the court case will give the SNP pause for thought - they’re not going to get it from the lobby groups they fund.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,868
    alex_ said:

    The US appear to be doing almost no testing for COVID-19. They are relying almost exclusively on travel restrictions to contain the virus, which is likely to be very much stable door stuff. It is therefore highly likely that people infected is way above currently reported numbers, and at some point will explode rapidly and out of nowhere.

    The implications for the US, of all countries, not having adequate measure to combat this virus are as yet unknowable for both US and global politics.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has shipped testing kits to 57 countries. China had five commercial tests on the market 1 month ago and can now do up to 1.6 million tests a week; South Korea has tested 65,000 people so far. The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in contrast, has done only 459 tests since the epidemic began. The rollout of a CDC-designed test kit to state and local labs has become a fiasco because it contained a faulty reagent. Labs around the country eager to test more suspected cases—and test them faster—have been unable to do so. No commercial or state labs have the approval to use their own tests.

    In what is already an infamous snafu, CDC initially refused a request to test a patient in Northern California who turned out to be the first probable COVID19 case without known links to an infected person.


    https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/02/united-states-badly-bungled-coronavirus-testing-things-may-soon-improve
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    Foxy said:

    For example, a home pulse oximeter can be had for £14, and a peak flow meter for £8. Alongside an electronic thermometer, you have a pretty effective home monitoring kit for severity of Coronavirus type symptoms, with next day delivery.

    Would you suggest those of a nervous disposition invest in those?
  • QuincelQuincel Posts: 4,042

    Quincel said:

    Quincel said:

    As others are speaking of their Bloomberg holes, I'm happy to share mine. I've decided not to fill it up with bets now despite his slip. I think he's still a bit short and I try and take it 'one bet at a time' so if I wouldn't back him now with a clean book I won't do it despite my hole. I may regret that in a week's time, but if he has the Super Tuesday it's looking like then I'll finally be able to sleep easy for the first time in 3 months.

    For the record, I don't always bet this much. This is my largest bet ever. My second largest was in 2016. That Trump wouldn't be nominated...


    Wow. That's a great book.
    Also a cautionary tale of how getting it right 9 times out of 10 can not matter if it's the other time is a big bet. I laid a bunch of no hopers (including Bloomberg when he wasn't in the race and polling 2.5%) and made a bunch of judicious backs which I later closed out, generally it's been a great hit rate for me. But if I get caught out by Bloomberg it won't matter.
    I think most of us did that.

    I've got a book about a quarter your size for about half the pro rata profit.

    So basically you're doing 8 x better than me.
    Yeah, I console myself by recognising that I'd have laid Bloomberg to the hilt when he collapsed to 10 or so after announcing, so if he wins I'd have lost the same amount of money anyway. If he doesn't win then my timing lost me some profit.
  • edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,708
    Dura_Ace said:

    I think supporting bookshops (and authors) is a good thing and it comes down to your personal circumstances. I earn enough for a new £20 book to not make any difference to my lifestyle . I know I can buy the same book of Amazon for £10 but would feel a bit of my soul had gone if i did . I always lament a book shop closure and god forbid if they all have to close if people save a bit of money when they dont really need to . I appreciate its not the same for some people but I suspect most buyers of books can actually really afford to support book shops and not online tech giants if they really searched their soul .

    I torrent everything. Fuck the authors.
    You wouldn't steal a car.

    Hang on, is a tuk-tuk a car???
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,230
    Off topic -

    Just looked at Liverpool's remaining fixtures and it is not at all clear to me where those 12 points are coming from.
  • alex_alex_ Posts: 7,518

    Quincel said:

    As others are speaking of their Bloomberg holes, I'm happy to share mine. I've decided not to fill it up with bets now despite his slip. I think he's still a bit short and I try and take it 'one bet at a time' so if I wouldn't back him now with a clean book I won't do it despite my hole. I may regret that in a week's time, but if he has the Super Tuesday it's looking like then I'll finally be able to sleep easy for the first time in 3 months.

    For the record, I don't always bet this much. This is my largest bet ever. My second largest was in 2016. That Trump wouldn't be nominated...


    Wow. That's a great book.
    Are you being sarcastic?
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,153

    This is going to cause a stir...

    NHS gender clinic 'should have challenged me more' over transition

    A 23-year-old woman who is taking legal action against an NHS gender clinic says she should have been challenged more by medical staff over her decision to transition to a male as a teenager.

    A judge gave the go-ahead this week for a full hearing of the case against the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust.

    Lawyers will argue children cannot give informed consent to treatment delaying puberty or helping them to transition.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51676020

    We dont trust children to do a lot of things, it would seem odd to trust such a huge decision to them.
  • state_go_awaystate_go_away Posts: 5,816
    kinabalu said:

    Off topic -

    Just looked at Liverpool's remaining fixtures and it is not at all clear to me where those 12 points are coming from.

    You sound like the Liverpool fan(?) equivalent of the Colin Firth character in Fever Pitch !
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,720
    edited March 2020
    Chameleon said:

    Apparently the first case discovered in Italy was a fit 38 year old with no pre-existing conditions.

    Mattia, the 38-year-old from Lodi "patient 1" of the Coronavirus in Italy, who since Friday, February 21 is hospitalized in serious condition in the infectious diseases department of the Policlinico San Matteo di Pavia, a facility run by Raffaele Bruno from Cosenza, where he was transported from Codogno Hospital when what appeared to be common flu symptoms began to show serious respiratory complications. Mattia is the most serious patient of all patients hospitalized for Coronavirus in Italy: The Calabrian doctor Bruno explains that Mattia is "sedated, unconscious and intubated because he is not autonomous in breathing.

    http://www.strettoweb.com/2020/02/coronavirus-38enne-lodi-gravi-condizioni/977269/

    Without adequate medical care Mattia would be dead. The care he is receiving at the moment would not be possible if there were many more cases. While the risk to healthy young people is low, there is still a very real risk.

    I think this correct.

    I am not entirely convinced of the validity of the comparison, but it does seem as if the hospitalization rate of Covid does skew much more to the middle aged compared with Flu, seemingly with good recovery rates.

    https://twitter.com/ScottGottliebMD/status/1233940433081896960?s=19
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,153
    I recall a few people out there insisting Biden would be the nominee after Iowa, which doesn't seem a terrible call though Sanders still looks good.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,868
    I notice the BFE rules on the nominee are who gets elected at the convention, not who fights the election. Reducing the health risk marginally for the older candidates.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,359
    Foxy said:

    On topic, it seems fairly pointless for Amy, Pete, Liz, to drop out now, with just a couple of days to Super Tuesday, surely?

    On the subject of Amazon, I am not a big fan and buy from Waterstones when possible, but it does have its uses.

    For example, a home pulse oximeter can be had for £14, and a peak flow meter for £8. Alongside an electronic thermometer, you have a pretty effective home monitoring kit for severity of Coronavirus type symptoms, with next day delivery.

    would you recommend any particular type or any specific features etc
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670

    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    Two related stories:

    https://twitter.com/JournoStephen/status/1233877978175676416?s=20

    NHS gender clinic 'should have challenged me more' over transition
    https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51676020

    How desperate can you get , now it is SNP's fault that English NHS is doing things, what a saddo
    No, it’s a warning to Scotland to beware steamrollering reforms because the SNP government only funds bodies which support its policies.

    Do you support giving puberty blockers to children?
    No I certainly don't and neither do I support the clique of SNP zealots pushing all this crap, but that does not hide fact that you could link the SNP to anything happening anywhere in the world. I have yet to see you push any article around the topic regarding the groups in England where it is much more prevalent. You do need to broaden your horizons and get over your hatred of the SNP, have a look at the criminal Tories running the UK, you might learn a few things.
    The UK government is not proposing to change the GRA in the way that the SNP government is - I hope the court case will give the SNP pause for thought - they’re not going to get it from the lobby groups they fund.
    How, pray tell, are the SNP proposing to change it?
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,148
    Pulpstar said:

    Bernie's rally in Boston was enormous lol.

    If it comes down to Sanders having a plurality vs Biden in second place and other candidates passing him their delegates - they should probably go with Sanders. My guess is now... they'll rig it for Biden.

    If Bernie wins California and Texas on Tuesday as is still likely hard to see how they can rig it for Biden, the former VP would need to win the lone star state I would have thought to leave open the chance of a contested convention
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,720

    Foxy said:

    For example, a home pulse oximeter can be had for £14, and a peak flow meter for £8. Alongside an electronic thermometer, you have a pretty effective home monitoring kit for severity of Coronavirus type symptoms, with next day delivery.

    Would you suggest those of a nervous disposition invest in those?
    They are easy to use, cheap and reliable. Pulse oximetry is good for picking up respiratory distress. If the resting pulse is over 100 or the O2 saturation in the low nineties, then the person is getting significantly compromised, depending a little on their baseline figures.
  • ChelyabinskChelyabinsk Posts: 500
    malcolmg said:

    How Westminster cons Scotland with its fake figures.

    Impressive that Westminster can do this with a report produced by the Scottish Government.

    'Q: Who produces GERS?

    A: GERS is produced by Scottish Government statisticians. It is designated as a National Statistics product, which means that it is produced independently of Scottish Ministers and has been assessed by the UK Statistics Authority as being produced in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. This means the statistics have been found to meet user needs, to be methodologically sound, explained well and produced free of political interference.'

  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,148

    Given Roman Britain was part of a version of a unified Europe I would have thought Mary Beard was a perfect fit for a trustee at the British Museum. Downing Street are being petty and stupid.
    I have to agree there, Cummings throwing his weight around again, Mary Beard would be an ideal British Museum trustee
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,623
    IanB2 said:

    I notice the BFE rules on the nominee are who gets elected at the convention, not who fights the election. Reducing the health risk marginally for the older candidates.

    Indeed, which makes the 10% under-round even less justified.
  • edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,708
    edited March 2020
    OT just to brag about how great my town is:

    Apparently in Tokyo (where I'm not, despite my handle) you can't get masks for love or money, here my town just delivered a pack of them direct to my door.

    Ah, you say, masks provide little or no protection against Covid-19 and due to the low base rate you are far more likely to die in a traffic accident. Well get this: The masks have road safety messages on them.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,359

    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    Two related stories:

    https://twitter.com/JournoStephen/status/1233877978175676416?s=20

    NHS gender clinic 'should have challenged me more' over transition
    https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51676020

    How desperate can you get , now it is SNP's fault that English NHS is doing things, what a saddo
    No, it’s a warning to Scotland to beware steamrollering reforms because the SNP government only funds bodies which support its policies.

    Do you support giving puberty blockers to children?
    No I certainly don't and neither do I support the clique of SNP zealots pushing all this crap, but that does not hide fact that you could link the SNP to anything happening anywhere in the world. I have yet to see you push any article around the topic regarding the groups in England where it is much more prevalent. You do need to broaden your horizons and get over your hatred of the SNP, have a look at the criminal Tories running the UK, you might learn a few things.
    The UK government is not proposing to change the GRA in the way that the SNP government is - I hope the court case will give the SNP pause for thought - they’re not going to get it from the lobby groups they fund.
    We agree on something for once, major mistake for them , they have a clique of people from these groups railroading things and it may well come back to bite them big time. They have been losing a good few members over it. Clear out at the top along with all the dodgy hangers on is badly needed.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    Alistair said:

    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    Two related stories:

    https://twitter.com/JournoStephen/status/1233877978175676416?s=20

    NHS gender clinic 'should have challenged me more' over transition
    https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51676020

    How desperate can you get , now it is SNP's fault that English NHS is doing things, what a saddo
    No, it’s a warning to Scotland to beware steamrollering reforms because the SNP government only funds bodies which support its policies.

    Do you support giving puberty blockers to children?
    No I certainly don't and neither do I support the clique of SNP zealots pushing all this crap, but that does not hide fact that you could link the SNP to anything happening anywhere in the world. I have yet to see you push any article around the topic regarding the groups in England where it is much more prevalent. You do need to broaden your horizons and get over your hatred of the SNP, have a look at the criminal Tories running the UK, you might learn a few things.
    The UK government is not proposing to change the GRA in the way that the SNP government is - I hope the court case will give the SNP pause for thought - they’re not going to get it from the lobby groups they fund.
    How, pray tell, are the SNP proposing to change it?
    https://www.thenational.scot/news/18255937.snp-group-says-gra-reform-may-expose-women-predatory-men/
  • QuincelQuincel Posts: 4,042
    HYUFD said:

    Given Roman Britain was part of a version of a unified Europe I would have thought Mary Beard was a perfect fit for a trustee at the British Museum. Downing Street are being petty and stupid.
    I have to agree there, Cummings throwing his weight around again, Mary Beard would be an ideal British Museum trustee
    The decision was made under the May government, wasn't it? Sorry if I misread.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,720
    malcolmg said:

    Foxy said:

    On topic, it seems fairly pointless for Amy, Pete, Liz, to drop out now, with just a couple of days to Super Tuesday, surely?

    On the subject of Amazon, I am not a big fan and buy from Waterstones when possible, but it does have its uses.

    For example, a home pulse oximeter can be had for £14, and a peak flow meter for £8. Alongside an electronic thermometer, you have a pretty effective home monitoring kit for severity of Coronavirus type symptoms, with next day delivery.

    would you recommend any particular type or any specific features etc
    They look pretty much all the same to me. The home use handheld ECG machines at £80+ are pretty good for monitoring rhythm abnormalities too, though not as good as a full 12 lead ECG for diagnostic purposes.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,153
    I buy almost everything through Amazon. Thats not good but its usually the cheapest and most convenient way for me so I dont feel that bad about it. I do swing buy Waterstones for their buy 1 get 1 free kind if deals, though the fantasy/sci fi offering is usually pretty minimal.
  • MysticroseMysticrose Posts: 4,688

    Mr. Root, I try and buy from Waterstones when I can. It's a chain, but a proper bookshop too.

    I wait 6 months till they appear second hand in v good condition... at less than half that price...
    And the author gets what from that ...?

    It's tough writing for a living even as a bestseller.


    I suppose you are going to castigate kindle purchases too(I never buy kindle). The author will get jack shit out of that.
    No kindle is okay and that's completely untrue. Because PanMacmillan fought Amazon to the wire, authors do get a decent kindle cut. A lot of my income comes from kindle sales.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    kle4 said:

    This is going to cause a stir...

    NHS gender clinic 'should have challenged me more' over transition

    A 23-year-old woman who is taking legal action against an NHS gender clinic says she should have been challenged more by medical staff over her decision to transition to a male as a teenager.

    A judge gave the go-ahead this week for a full hearing of the case against the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust.

    Lawyers will argue children cannot give informed consent to treatment delaying puberty or helping them to transition.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51676020

    We dont trust children to do a lot of things, it would seem odd to trust such a huge decision to them.

    malcolmg said:

    How Westminster cons Scotland with its fake figures.

    Impressive that Westminster can do this with a report produced by the Scottish Government.

    'Q: Who produces GERS?

    A: GERS is produced by Scottish Government statisticians. It is designated as a National Statistics product, which means that it is produced independently of Scottish Ministers and has been assessed by the UK Statistics Authority as being produced in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. This means the statistics have been found to meet user needs, to be methodologically sound, explained well and produced free of political interference.'

    That says who produces them, not what constraints they are placed under. Or do you think an independent Scotland would have paid for the London Olympics?
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,148
    Foxy said:

    Chameleon said:

    Apparently the first case discovered in Italy was a fit 38 year old with no pre-existing conditions.

    Mattia, the 38-year-old from Lodi "patient 1" of the Coronavirus in Italy, who since Friday, February 21 is hospitalized in serious condition in the infectious diseases department of the Policlinico San Matteo di Pavia, a facility run by Raffaele Bruno from Cosenza, where he was transported from Codogno Hospital when what appeared to be common flu symptoms began to show serious respiratory complications. Mattia is the most serious patient of all patients hospitalized for Coronavirus in Italy: The Calabrian doctor Bruno explains that Mattia is "sedated, unconscious and intubated because he is not autonomous in breathing.

    http://www.strettoweb.com/2020/02/coronavirus-38enne-lodi-gravi-condizioni/977269/

    Without adequate medical care Mattia would be dead. The care he is receiving at the moment would not be possible if there were many more cases. While the risk to healthy young people is low, there is still a very real risk.

    I think this correct.

    I am not entirely convinced of the validity of the comparison, but it does seem as if the hospitalization rate of Covid does skew much more to the middle aged compared with Flu, seemingly with good recovery rates.

    https://twitter.com/ScottGottliebMD/status/1233940433081896960?s=19
    https://twitter.com/ScottGottliebMD/status/1233941681046769664?s=20
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,602

    I think supporting bookshops (and authors) is a good thing and it comes down to your personal circumstances. I earn enough for a new £20 book to not make any difference to my lifestyle . I know I can buy the same book of Amazon for £10 but would feel a bit of my soul had gone if i did . I always lament a book shop closure and god forbid if they all have to close if people save a bit of money when they dont really need to . I appreciate its not the same for some people but I suspect most buyers of books can actually really afford to support book shops and not online tech giants if they really searched their soul .

    I don't know how we can know what other people can or cannot afford to do.
  • nichomarnichomar Posts: 7,483
    edited March 2020
    69 cases in Spain 2 cured. I think that’s up 11 since yesterday. No info on where they were infected yet. In Spain or abroad. 15 in Valencia
  • MysticroseMysticrose Posts: 4,688
    kle4 said:

    I buy almost everything through Amazon. Thats not good but its usually the cheapest and most convenient way for me so I dont feel that bad about it. I do swing buy Waterstones for their buy 1 get 1 free kind if deals, though the fantasy/sci fi offering is usually pretty minimal.

    Even though I'm an author I totally get this. I really try to buy from local bookshops but I often succumb to Amazon.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,148
    People to be asked to work from home if coronavirus worsens

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51693195
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,359

    malcolmg said:

    How Westminster cons Scotland with its fake figures.

    Impressive that Westminster can do this with a report produced by the Scottish Government.

    'Q: Who produces GERS?

    A: GERS is produced by Scottish Government statisticians. It is designated as a National Statistics product, which means that it is produced independently of Scottish Ministers and has been assessed by the UK Statistics Authority as being produced in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. This means the statistics have been found to meet user needs, to be methodologically sound, explained well and produced free of political interference.'

    You stupid halfwit , they have to use the fake made up Westminster numbers which are as bent as the Tories. There are 167 estimates in there and fact they have Scotland as responsible for about 70% of UK borrowing shows how bent they are.
    I can safely say without even knowing you that you are a stupid unthinking unionist halfwit who is unable to have an original thought , run off back to the flock.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,720
    kle4 said:

    This is going to cause a stir...

    NHS gender clinic 'should have challenged me more' over transition

    A 23-year-old woman who is taking legal action against an NHS gender clinic says she should have been challenged more by medical staff over her decision to transition to a male as a teenager.

    A judge gave the go-ahead this week for a full hearing of the case against the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust.

    Lawyers will argue children cannot give informed consent to treatment delaying puberty or helping them to transition.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51676020

    We dont trust children to do a lot of things, it would seem odd to trust such a huge decision to them.
    I haven't picked a side in the Transgender wars, but certainly a certain amount of sexual confusion, exploration and experimentation is normal in adolescents, so these decisions should not be taken lightly.

    I do sometimes think that gender stereotypes are too strong in childhood, with toys and clothes too rigidly defined. It seems to be impossible to be a boy who likes pink or sparkly things, or a girl who likes military stuff. There is no need to conform to an external gender to like this stuff. The world has long had a history of arty, dandy men, and the opposite in women.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,359

    kle4 said:

    I buy almost everything through Amazon. Thats not good but its usually the cheapest and most convenient way for me so I dont feel that bad about it. I do swing buy Waterstones for their buy 1 get 1 free kind if deals, though the fantasy/sci fi offering is usually pretty minimal.

    Even though I'm an author I totally get this. I really try to buy from local bookshops but I often succumb to Amazon.
    Down to just an author today , yesterday you were a world travelling bestseller.
  • ChelyabinskChelyabinsk Posts: 500
    edited March 2020
    Alistair said:

    malcolmg said:

    How Westminster cons Scotland with its fake figures.

    Impressive that Westminster can do this with a report produced by the Scottish Government.

    'Q: Who produces GERS?

    A: GERS is produced by Scottish Government statisticians. It is designated as a National Statistics product, which means that it is produced independently of Scottish Ministers and has been assessed by the UK Statistics Authority as being produced in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. This means the statistics have been found to meet user needs, to be methodologically sound, explained well and produced free of political interference.'

    That says who produces them, not what constraints they are placed under.
    If you'd bothered to read one line further, you'd see that the Scottish Government can change the report as it wishes.

    'Q: How do you decide on changes that are made to GERS?

    A: In line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, changes are only made to GERS after consultation and discussion with users. This includes discussion at the annual Scottish Economic Statistics Consultation Group,[2] which brings together users of economic statistics from industry, academia and the wider public sector. Public consultation exercises, open to all, are also carried out to allow all users of GERS to comment on planned and suggested changes to GERS.'
    Alistair said:

    Or do you think an independent Scotland would have paid for the London Olympics?

    That's really the issue here: that GERS shows a rather optimistic scenario for what Scotland's financial position would be, and the lunatic fringe of the separatists want to see a counterfactual report which gives Scotland all the benefits of having been in a common market with the rest of the UK for fifty years, but which ascribes it none of the member costs. It's as if the ERG had argued that Britain should take on no EU debt because it had been a net contributor all that time. Personally, I can't see why 'Business for Scotland' doesn't go the whole hog and produce a report showing that if the Darien expedition had never taken place the UK would owe Scotland seventy trillion pounds.
    malcolmg said:

    I can safely say without even knowing you that you are a stupid unthinking unionist halfwit who is unable to have an original thought , run off back to the flock.

    I'm going nowhere near a flock, given what Scottish Nationalists do to sheep.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,359
    Andy_JS said:

    I think supporting bookshops (and authors) is a good thing and it comes down to your personal circumstances. I earn enough for a new £20 book to not make any difference to my lifestyle . I know I can buy the same book of Amazon for £10 but would feel a bit of my soul had gone if i did . I always lament a book shop closure and god forbid if they all have to close if people save a bit of money when they dont really need to . I appreciate its not the same for some people but I suspect most buyers of books can actually really afford to support book shops and not online tech giants if they really searched their soul .

    I don't know how we can know what other people can or cannot afford to do.
    Yes and if you have to travel a distance to get to bookshop it can be easier to order online rather than have to wait till you have free time etc.
  • edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,708
    HYUFD said:

    People to be asked to work from home if coronavirus worsens

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51693195

    Seems like they're following the Japanese playbook of waiting until it's too late, then doing mostly the right things.
  • GideonWiseGideonWise Posts: 1,123
    I'm picking up vibes from Marr that the government is going to make a catastrophic mistake and go for a keep calm and carry on model and not a lock down model. Oh dear.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,153
    Andy_JS said:

    I think supporting bookshops (and authors) is a good thing and it comes down to your personal circumstances. I earn enough for a new £20 book to not make any difference to my lifestyle . I know I can buy the same book of Amazon for £10 but would feel a bit of my soul had gone if i did . I always lament a book shop closure and god forbid if they all have to close if people save a bit of money when they dont really need to . I appreciate its not the same for some people but I suspect most buyers of books can actually really afford to support book shops and not online tech giants if they really searched their soul .

    I don't know how we can know what other people can or cannot afford to do.
    It is not difficult or unreasonable to speculate that it would be possible for a lot of people to make up the difference by foregoing minor other spending elsewhere. Of course we cannot know anything for certain so I'm not sure what point you are making. The issue is whether even if it is possible for someone to do so should they do so, should they be expected to prioritise in that way regarding what may be meagre income. If say it would be nice if people, including me, did that, but it's not unreasonable for people to seek out the best deal for themselves though it does have societal costs.
  • Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 32,570

    Mr. Root, I try and buy from Waterstones when I can. It's a chain, but a proper bookshop too.

    I wait 6 months till they appear second hand in v good condition... at less than half that price...
    And the author gets what from that ...?

    It's tough writing for a living even as a bestseller.


    I suppose you are going to castigate kindle purchases too(I never buy kindle). The author will get jack shit out of that.
    No kindle is okay and that's completely untrue. Because PanMacmillan fought Amazon to the wire, authors do get a decent kindle cut. A lot of my income comes from kindle sales.
    Agreed. I actually dislike reading books electronically but as an author I think they are great. I get 50% of any kindle sales from my publisher and only 10% on hard copy sales. That is pretty standard across the industry. Kindle books are cheaper for the purchaser but more profitable for me. A win all round.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,230

    You sound like the Liverpool fan(?) equivalent of the Colin Firth character in Fever Pitch !

    I more AM the Firth character. I support Arsenal, as is mandatory for a North London progressive. But Liverpool deserve it this year, I have to say.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,148

    HYUFD said:

    People to be asked to work from home if coronavirus worsens

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51693195

    Seems like they're following the Japanese playbook of waiting until it's too late, then doing mostly the right things.
    Currently there have been no deaths from coronavirus on UK soil and we have had fewer cases than most of Europe, Australia, the USA and Japan
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,153
    Foxy said:

    kle4 said:

    This is going to cause a stir...

    NHS gender clinic 'should have challenged me more' over transition

    A 23-year-old woman who is taking legal action against an NHS gender clinic says she should have been challenged more by medical staff over her decision to transition to a male as a teenager.

    A judge gave the go-ahead this week for a full hearing of the case against the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust.

    Lawyers will argue children cannot give informed consent to treatment delaying puberty or helping them to transition.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51676020

    We dont trust children to do a lot of things, it would seem odd to trust such a huge decision to them.
    I haven't picked a side in the Transgender wars, but certainly a certain amount of sexual confusion, exploration and experimentation is normal in adolescents, so these decisions should not be taken lightly.

    I do sometimes think that gender stereotypes are too strong in childhood, with toys and clothes too rigidly defined. It seems to be impossible to be a boy who likes pink or sparkly things, or a girl who likes military stuff. There is no need to conform to an external gender to like this stuff. The world has long had a history of arty, dandy men, and the opposite in women.
    I think you are right on both counts, but you have in fact picked a side in the wars, in the view of some of its participants, if you express any cautious view of early transitioning.

    Being frank, to me the debate generally seems like a complex area made even more complicated than it needs to be.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,148
    edited March 2020
    Burgon on Marr now saying Socialism was not the reason for Labour's defeat, the Brexit issue being the change from 2017 to 2019 and the party should keep its Socialist policies and not triangulate back to power
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    HYUFD said:

    Given Roman Britain was part of a version of a unified Europe I would have thought Mary Beard was a perfect fit for a trustee at the British Museum. Downing Street are being petty and stupid.
    I have to agree there, Cummings throwing his weight around again, Mary Beard would be an ideal British Museum trustee
    Cummings had nothing to do with it. That was pathetic and petty from Theresa May's government. Truly the most shameful and terrible government to ever besmirch the Conservative name.
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,533
    Given the power of endorsements mentioned earlier, I wonder if this isn't a moment of opportunity for Buttigieg and Klouchar and maybe Warren - if they endorse someone BEFORE ST and that someone goes on to win, they should be able to get a promise of the Cabinet position of their choice, if not VP. After ST, possibly it'll be too late to matter.
  • edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,708
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    People to be asked to work from home if coronavirus worsens

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51693195

    Seems like they're following the Japanese playbook of waiting until it's too late, then doing mostly the right things.
    Currently there have been no deaths from coronavirus on UK soil and we have had fewer cases than most of Europe, Australia, the USA and Japan
    I suppose I'm wasting my time explaining this but when you have a fairly contagious disease which takes 3 to 6 weeks to kill anybody, you don't want to base your response on how many people have so far died from it.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,153

    Mr. Root, I try and buy from Waterstones when I can. It's a chain, but a proper bookshop too.

    I wait 6 months till they appear second hand in v good condition... at less than half that price...
    And the author gets what from that ...?

    It's tough writing for a living even as a bestseller.


    I suppose you are going to castigate kindle purchases too(I never buy kindle). The author will get jack shit out of that.
    No kindle is okay and that's completely untrue. Because PanMacmillan fought Amazon to the wire, authors do get a decent kindle cut. A lot of my income comes from kindle sales.
    Agreed. I actually dislike reading books electronically but as an author I think they are great. I get 50% of any kindle sales from my publisher and only 10% on hard copy sales. That is pretty standard across the industry. Kindle books are cheaper for the purchaser but more profitable for me. A win all round.
    50%? Sounds a great deal. Like many I suspect I do like the feel of a book and sight of my collection, but I get increasing use out of my kindle (a recent series I wanted was going at 15-25 per book even on amazon but only 3.99 on kindle), a very handy device indeed.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,148

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    People to be asked to work from home if coronavirus worsens

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51693195

    Seems like they're following the Japanese playbook of waiting until it's too late, then doing mostly the right things.
    Currently there have been no deaths from coronavirus on UK soil and we have had fewer cases than most of Europe, Australia, the USA and Japan
    I suppose I'm wasting my time explaining this but when you have a fairly contagious disease which takes 3 to 6 weeks to kill anybody, you don't want to base your response on how many people have so far died from it.
    It shows that the Government's response and advice has been very good on this so far hence we are doing better than average in terms of containing coronavirus amongst western nations but that it is also prepared to adjust further if required
  • SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 39,653
    HYUFD said:

    Burgon on Marr now saying Socialism was not the reason for Labour's defeat, the Brexit issue being the change from 2017 to 2019 and the party should keep its Socialist policies and not triangulate back to power

    The unreconstructed, diehard, hard left is going to be a real help to Starmer if he wins. The more they attack him, the better. It will alienate Labour members and demonstrate to the wider public that Labour is under new management.

  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    How Westminster cons Scotland with its fake figures.

    Impressive that Westminster can do this with a report produced by the Scottish Government.

    'Q: Who produces GERS?

    A: GERS is produced by Scottish Government statisticians. It is designated as a National Statistics product, which means that it is produced independently of Scottish Ministers and has been assessed by the UK Statistics Authority as being produced in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. This means the statistics have been found to meet user needs, to be methodologically sound, explained well and produced free of political interference.'

    You stupid halfwit , they have to use the fake made up Westminster numbers which are as bent as the Tories. There are 167 estimates in there and fact they have Scotland as responsible for about 70% of UK borrowing shows how bent they are.
    I can safely say without even knowing you that you are a stupid unthinking unionist halfwit who is unable to have an original thought , run off back to the flock.
    When borrowing has been reduced to a small percentage of GDP and when Scotland takes more per capita in taxes why shouldn't it be responsible for a disproportionate share of borrowing?

    Eliminate the Barnett formula and take the same revenue per capita that England gets and then you can complain about that.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,491
    kle4 said:

    I recall a few people out there insisting Biden would be the nominee after Iowa, which doesn't seem a terrible call though Sanders still looks good.

    This may be one of those races where we'd all have made a fortune if we'd had a time machine*.

    *I appreciate you can say that about virtually any betting market but you sort of know what I mean.
This discussion has been closed.