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Trump acolyte Lindsey Graham to fall victim to the blue wave? – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 11,703
edited October 2020 in General
Trump acolyte Lindsey Graham to fall victim to the blue wave? – politicalbetting.com

Apart from choosing the president next week there are a whole host of other contests taking place in the US and I’ve been looking at some to see if I can find interesting betting opportunities.

Read the full story here

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Comments

  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,164
    Graham of course used to be a pretty moderate Republican, especially for a deep South state like South Carolina and was a key ally of John McCain. He has had to shift to Trump to retain the support of the GOP base but I suspect he will be re elected even if a bit more closely than usual
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    eekeek Posts: 25,020

    Maybe Johnson is using the Rashford row to avoid talking about track and trace?

    As if he would use an issue to avoid talking about a different issue.

    I mean he has zero prior form in trying to pull that trick.
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    @ Mike's headline question, Yes. (I hope, but think it is a realistic possibility, as opposed to probability)
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    GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,094

    IBD/TIPP

    26th October (Today):

    Biden 51.7% (+0.1%)
    Trump 44.7% (+0.3%)

    25th October (Yesterday):

    Biden 51.6% (+0.9%)
    Trump 44.4% (+0.1%)

    24th October:

    Biden 50.7% (+0.9%)
    Trump 44.3% (-0.9%)

    23rd October:

    Biden 49.8% (-0.2%)
    Trump 45.2% (+0.2%)

    22nd October:

    Biden 50% (+1.5%)
    Trump 45% (-1%)

    21st October:

    Biden 48.5%
    Trump 46%
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    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,797
    On this one before you, Mike.

    I like this story...
    Lou Dobbs goes after Lindsey Graham: 'I don't know why anyone' would vote for him
    https://thehill.com/homenews/media/522567-lou-dobbs-goes-after-lindsey-graham-i-dont-know-why-anyone-would-vote-for-him
    Fox Business host Lou Dobbs on Friday went after Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), asking why anyone would vote for the Republican lawmaker just weeks before his hotly contested election.

    Dobbs lashed out at the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman for “not subpoenaing the left-wing heads of the censorships Twitter and Facebook until after the election.”

    “I don’t know why anyone in the great state of South Carolina would ever vote for Lindsey Graham. It’s just outrageous,” Dobbs said. “This is the guy who keeps saying, ‘Stay tuned.’ He said he would get to the bottom of Obamagate with the Judiciary Committee, which has been a year and a half, actually longer, of absolute inert response to these pressing issues of our day.”...
  • Options
    dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 28,013
    Has anyone addressed the question of why the Republicans are being out fund raised? Have their mega donors and Super PACs stepped back, are they feeling the pinch, or are the Dems just raising more?
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,387
    When Trump has been defeated, hopefully heavily, the Republican party are going to need to have a think about what they are about and how they build a coalition of voters to win once again. I personally do not believe that Graham would be a useful contributor to that conversation but I suspect that he will hang on.
  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,426
    I'm on the Dems at 7.
  • Options
    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,627
    HYUFD said:
    Biden is going to be complete crap, but he's not Trump and so will win.
  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,426
    A PB was asking yesterday what we thought of 'Roadkill'.

    Here's Simon Heffer's view:

    "One doesn’t need to be steeped in the realities of British politics (and I have written about them for 35 years) to discern on the briefest acquaintance that this series is one of the greatest turkeys even in the recent inglorious history of the BBC’s drama department."

    (telegraph)
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    rkrkrkrkrkrk Posts: 7,920
    I've chucked a fiver on it. Heart over head though I suspect.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,990
    I assume sent to antagonise a certain section of your twitter followers? :D
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,164

    A PB was asking yesterday what we thought of 'Roadkill'.

    Here's Simon Heffer's view:

    "One doesn’t need to be steeped in the realities of British politics (and I have written about them for 35 years) to discern on the briefest acquaintance that this series is one of the greatest turkeys even in the recent inglorious history of the BBC’s drama department."

    (telegraph)

    And Hugh Laurie did not even need the paycheque, after House he was the highest paid TV actor in the world.

    Watched the first episode but watched Rebecca on Netflix instead rather than the second episode, may watch on iplayer if really bored
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,797
    (FPT)
    Nigelb said:

    Stocky said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    538 now reckons Minnesota will be closer than Michigan. A far cry from @HYUFD's prediction.

    I disagree, Minnesota has not voted Republican since 1972 it will still go for Biden though I think Wisconsin will be more likely to go Trump than Michigan I think both are more likely to go Trump than Minnesota.
    We all know you disagree.
    In my opinion New Hampshire is Trump's best chance of a pickup, he had a big well attended rally there yesterday, New Hampshire only voted for Hillary by 0.37% while Minnesota voted for Hillary by 1.52% and George W Bush won New Hampshire in 2000, the last Republican to win Minnesota was Nixon in 1972
    I`m already on New Hampshire as an outside bet for the GOP.

    What are your thoughts about Nevada? Available at 4.1. Clinton won in 2016, but, due mainly to demographics, I wonder whether those odds may look to have been a tad generous if Trump does better than is widely thought. May be a decent hedge.
    You best hedges are still, I think, in the Betfair exchange EV markets.
    The narrow Biden loss/narrow Trump wins are both somewhere around 6/1 from memory. The Biden one even covers a tie (the corresponding Trump one starts at 270).
    Actually gone out to around 7/1 now, so better value still.
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    dixiedean said:

    Has anyone addressed the question of why the Republicans are being out fund raised? Have their mega donors and Super PACs stepped back, are they feeling the pinch, or are the Dems just raising more?

    People don't like to waste their money backing a loser.
  • Options
    HYUFD said:
    I'm confused. Is Biden a senile old man as argued by the Trump campaign? Or is Biden a criminal mastermind as argued by the Trump campaign?
  • Options
    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 42,067
    FPT
    algarkirk said:

    » show previous quotes
    If we have a poverty problem with people on 30k then where I live (factories and rural) we are all dying in the gutter.

    Exactly total bollox and anyone getting equivalent of 30K on benefits is an absolute scandal. Maximum should be the living wage and they should pay tax and NI on it like all workers. Though I suspect for anywhere outside M25 that 1000 housing is fantasy. In Scotland 2 bedroom allowance is circa £400 ish, if single person £350 max.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,164

    IBD/TIPP

    26th October (Today):

    Biden 51.7% (+0.1%)
    Trump 44.7% (+0.3%)

    25th October (Yesterday):

    Biden 51.6% (+0.9%)
    Trump 44.4% (+0.1%)

    24th October:

    Biden 50.7% (+0.9%)
    Trump 44.3% (-0.9%)

    23rd October:

    Biden 49.8% (-0.2%)
    Trump 45.2% (+0.2%)

    22nd October:

    Biden 50% (+1.5%)
    Trump 45% (-1%)

    21st October:

    Biden 48.5%
    Trump 46%
    So a 0.1% swing to Trump then today
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    RobDRobD Posts: 58,990

    HYUFD said:
    I'm confused. Is Biden a senile old man as argued by the Trump campaign? Or is Biden a criminal mastermind as argued by the Trump campaign?
    Biden Sr. is the senile one, Jr. is the criminal mastermind. ;)
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    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    dixiedean said:

    Has anyone addressed the question of why the Republicans are being out fund raised? Have their mega donors and Super PACs stepped back, are they feeling the pinch, or are the Dems just raising more?

    All of the above. Dems are raising obscene amounts of money at virtually every level. I heard some very local races (not even State level) are raising millions. It is a measure of how much affluent America hates Trump - and most of these donations are small sum donations.
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    RobD said:

    I assume sent to antagonise a certain section of your twitter followers? :D
    Quite often I get a twitter pile on of Kali Ma cultists who look back through my Twitter feed for proof that I am evil. Being followed by GnasherJew and always winding up the blessed one are definite black marks against my name that I am happy to keep refreshing
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    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,797
    edited October 2020
    dixiedean said:

    Has anyone addressed the question of why the Republicans are being out fund raised? Have their mega donors and Super PACs stepped back, are they feeling the pinch, or are the Dems just raising more?

    The Democrats are just raising more.
    I think the Republicans have bounced back a little both nationally and at the state level in the last few days (in the funding stakes), but given a third of the electorate has already voted, it's a bit late.
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    DavidL said:

    When Trump has been defeated, hopefully heavily, the Republican party are going to need to have a think about what they are about and how they build a coalition of voters to win once again. I personally do not believe that Graham would be a useful contributor to that conversation but I suspect that he will hang on.

    The QAnonites/Trumpers are here to stay. I haven't seen the slightest shred of evidence that the GOP have the intellectual and moral courage to dispense with the most reliable part of their base.
  • Options
    GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,094
    HYUFD said:

    IBD/TIPP

    26th October (Today):

    Biden 51.7% (+0.1%)
    Trump 44.7% (+0.3%)

    25th October (Yesterday):

    Biden 51.6% (+0.9%)
    Trump 44.4% (+0.1%)

    24th October:

    Biden 50.7% (+0.9%)
    Trump 44.3% (-0.9%)

    23rd October:

    Biden 49.8% (-0.2%)
    Trump 45.2% (+0.2%)

    22nd October:

    Biden 50% (+1.5%)
    Trump 45% (-1%)

    21st October:

    Biden 48.5%
    Trump 46%
    So a 0.1% swing to Trump then today
    At this rate by the election he'll have clawed back a whole 0.8%!
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,164
    A gender gap opening up in the UK too, the Tories now lead with men 43% to 36% but Labour now lead with women by 41% to 37%
    https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/use3qqelyz/TheTimes_VI_Tracker_201022_W.pdf
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    RobDRobD Posts: 58,990
    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
  • Options

    HYUFD said:
    I'm confused. Is Biden a senile old man as argued by the Trump campaign? Or is Biden a criminal mastermind as argued by the Trump campaign?
    I think we know who the Sun wants to win. It would be ironic if it transpired that they were more pro Trump than Rupert.
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    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328

    DavidL said:

    When Trump has been defeated, hopefully heavily, the Republican party are going to need to have a think about what they are about and how they build a coalition of voters to win once again. I personally do not believe that Graham would be a useful contributor to that conversation but I suspect that he will hang on.

    The QAnonites/Trumpers are here to stay. I haven't seen the slightest shred of evidence that the GOP have the intellectual and moral courage to dispense with the most reliable part of their base.
    I agree they are here to stay, but not necessarily within the GOP. After the coming shellacking, many House and Senate GOP hopefuls around the country will realize that the Trump 'alliance' is insufficient to win in their districts, and so will have to try to cobble together a different coalition to win. I don't see how they can do this while retaining the true QAnon core within the party.
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    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,797
    Dry air (in a centrally heated house in winter, for instance) tends to make us more susceptible to respiratory infection.

    https://twitter.com/VirusesImmunity/status/1320430656481120256

    https://twitter.com/VirusesImmunity/status/1320430665154859015
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    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Similar reported here in the US (CNBC link in previous thread)
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,797
    rkrkrk said:

    I've chucked a fiver on it. Heart over head though I suspect.

    I already bet on that basis, but I'm beginning to think he's in with a genuine shout.
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    Nigelb said:

    Dry air (in a centrally heated house in winter, for instance) tends to make us more susceptible to respiratory infection.

    https://twitter.com/VirusesImmunity/status/1320430656481120256

    https://twitter.com/VirusesImmunity/status/1320430665154859015

    And yet the evidence is that there is very little transmission in aircraft. Perhaps there, the HEPA filtration and the direction of airflow (ceiling to floor) offsets the dry air effects.
  • Options
    MikeSmithsonMikeSmithson Posts: 7,382
    TimT said:

    DavidL said:

    When Trump has been defeated, hopefully heavily, the Republican party are going to need to have a think about what they are about and how they build a coalition of voters to win once again. I personally do not believe that Graham would be a useful contributor to that conversation but I suspect that he will hang on.

    The QAnonites/Trumpers are here to stay. I haven't seen the slightest shred of evidence that the GOP have the intellectual and moral courage to dispense with the most reliable part of their base.
    I agree they are here to stay, but not necessarily within the GOP. After the coming shellacking, many House and Senate GOP hopefuls around the country will realize that the Trump 'alliance' is insufficient to win in their districts, and so will have to try to cobble together a different coalition to win. I don't see how they can do this while retaining the true QAnon core within the party.
    A big issue will be the number of State Legislatures that the GOP loses - just ahead of the redistricting.
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,429

    HYUFD said:
    Biden is going to be complete crap, but he's not Trump and so will win.
    We’ve all been there.

    Indeed, we are there.
  • Options
    TimT said:

    DavidL said:

    When Trump has been defeated, hopefully heavily, the Republican party are going to need to have a think about what they are about and how they build a coalition of voters to win once again. I personally do not believe that Graham would be a useful contributor to that conversation but I suspect that he will hang on.

    The QAnonites/Trumpers are here to stay. I haven't seen the slightest shred of evidence that the GOP have the intellectual and moral courage to dispense with the most reliable part of their base.
    I agree they are here to stay, but not necessarily within the GOP. After the coming shellacking, many House and Senate GOP hopefuls around the country will realize that the Trump 'alliance' is insufficient to win in their districts, and so will have to try to cobble together a different coalition to win. I don't see how they can do this while retaining the true QAnon core within the party.
    Is QAnon a direct descendant of the Tea Party? My understanding of the latter is that they shrivelled away due to the mainstream GOP adopting quite a few of their positions. Insofar as QAnon has a coherent position on many areas, is that a possibility?
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,429

    A PB was asking yesterday what we thought of 'Roadkill'.

    Here's Simon Heffer's view:

    "One doesn’t need to be steeped in the realities of British politics (and I have written about them for 35 years) to discern on the briefest acquaintance that this series is one of the greatest turkeys even in the recent inglorious history of the BBC’s drama department."

    (telegraph)

    Several friends - who aren’t particularly political - recommended it to me, so I tried the first episode, but somehow it didn’t grab me. But I wasn’t giving it my full attention. Does anyone think it is worth another go?
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    I wonder if this may impact voting in the time remaining. In El Paso County TX, all hospitals and ICUs have reached 100% capacity.

    https://abcnews.go.com/Health/live-updates/coronavirus/?id=73829562
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,582
    TimT said:

    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Similar reported here in the US (CNBC link in previous thread)
    Nothing on efficacy.

    The one year effectiveness is good news - a program to vaccinate the population once a year is a manageable problem.

    A question for the medical experts. Can the antibody test be used to check for effectiveness of the vaccine. i.e. take the vaccine - some time later do an antibody test.

    Will that accurately tell you whether you are immune to COVID (from the vaccine or prior infection) or not?

    The idea is that if the vaccine is less than 100% effective (virtually certain) we can at least find out who is protected and who isn't, after they take it.
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,146
    Daniel Hannan has had another vision of the future.

    https://twitter.com/DanielJHannan/status/1320449587434397698
  • Options
    eristdooferistdoof Posts: 4,912
    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Works for about one year is absolutely ideal for Astra Zeneca.
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    Nigelb said:
    Sounds promising, but how can they know it provides protection for about 1 year? Isnt that something we cant know until over a years testing has been done?
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    MrEdMrEd Posts: 5,578
    On Lindsay Graham, Nate Silver had a piece on why it is so difficult for the Democrats to get over the line in SC.

    I think if he is going to be defeated, it would need a larger than usual Black turnout to do so. There are few signs anywhere in the US that the Black vote is seeing a big upswing vs 2016
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,429
    Extracts from the advice issued to care homes by the UK government in February:

    “ face masks do not provide protection from respiratory viruses such as Covid-19 and do not need to be worn by staff”

    “it remains very unlikely that people receiving care in a care home or the community will be infected“
  • Options
    not_on_firenot_on_fire Posts: 4,341
    Biden up to 95% chance in the Economist model
  • Options
    eristdooferistdoof Posts: 4,912
    TimT said:

    dixiedean said:

    Has anyone addressed the question of why the Republicans are being out fund raised? Have their mega donors and Super PACs stepped back, are they feeling the pinch, or are the Dems just raising more?

    All of the above. Dems are raising obscene amounts of money at virtually every level. I heard some very local races (not even State level) are raising millions. It is a measure of how much affluent America hates Trump - and most of these donations are small sum donations.
    But Trump was supposed to be favoured by "affluent America", what with his supposed tax cuts, minimising public health costs better handling of the economy.
  • Options
    eristdooferistdoof Posts: 4,912

    Nigelb said:
    Sounds promising, but how can they know it provides protection for about 1 year? Isnt that something we cant know until over a years testing has been done?
    It sounds more like a business based justification than a science based justification.
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,001
    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:
    Biden is going to be complete crap, but he's not Trump and so will win.
    We’ve all been there.

    Indeed, we are there.
    What Harry Cole didn't mention - The host's name was George
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,797
    IanB2 said:

    A PB was asking yesterday what we thought of 'Roadkill'.

    Here's Simon Heffer's view:

    "One doesn’t need to be steeped in the realities of British politics (and I have written about them for 35 years) to discern on the briefest acquaintance that this series is one of the greatest turkeys even in the recent inglorious history of the BBC’s drama department."

    (telegraph)

    Several friends - who aren’t particularly political - recommended it to me, so I tried the first episode, but somehow it didn’t grab me. But I wasn’t giving it my full attention. Does anyone think it is worth another go?
    I wasn't even tempted.
    If you want some slightly OTT, but enjoyable political conspiracy series, and can tolerate subtitles, the Korean series Chief of Staff is quite fun.
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328

    TimT said:

    DavidL said:

    When Trump has been defeated, hopefully heavily, the Republican party are going to need to have a think about what they are about and how they build a coalition of voters to win once again. I personally do not believe that Graham would be a useful contributor to that conversation but I suspect that he will hang on.

    The QAnonites/Trumpers are here to stay. I haven't seen the slightest shred of evidence that the GOP have the intellectual and moral courage to dispense with the most reliable part of their base.
    I agree they are here to stay, but not necessarily within the GOP. After the coming shellacking, many House and Senate GOP hopefuls around the country will realize that the Trump 'alliance' is insufficient to win in their districts, and so will have to try to cobble together a different coalition to win. I don't see how they can do this while retaining the true QAnon core within the party.
    Is QAnon a direct descendant of the Tea Party? My understanding of the latter is that they shrivelled away due to the mainstream GOP adopting quite a few of their positions. Insofar as QAnon has a coherent position on many areas, is that a possibility?
    My understanding is that QAnon arose from a single post on a very conservative site's bulletin board (4chan) by one poster, going under the name Q Clearance Patriot. But the true origin of the conspiracy is a tweet from a White Supremacist which circulated a while before Q's post. So, yes, it is born out of the conservative wing of the GOP, but no, it is not a direct descendant of the Tea Party in my understanding. Others might disagree.

    Given that it is a series of conspiracy theories, I don't really see it as having a policy platform per se to adopt.
  • Options
    dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 28,013
    edited October 2020

    Daniel Hannan has had another vision of the future.

    https://twitter.com/DanielJHannan/status/1320449587434397698

    Mmm. "Iceland's fisheries account for 6% of GDP".
    Because they have a tiny population on a small island in the middle of a gigantic ocean with little fertile farmland, who almost all live on the coast away from glaciers, impenetrable mountains and volcanoes?
    Or because they aren't in the EU?
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    eristdoof said:

    TimT said:

    dixiedean said:

    Has anyone addressed the question of why the Republicans are being out fund raised? Have their mega donors and Super PACs stepped back, are they feeling the pinch, or are the Dems just raising more?

    All of the above. Dems are raising obscene amounts of money at virtually every level. I heard some very local races (not even State level) are raising millions. It is a measure of how much affluent America hates Trump - and most of these donations are small sum donations.
    But Trump was supposed to be favoured by "affluent America", what with his supposed tax cuts, minimising public health costs better handling of the economy.
    LOLz. Of those three:

    1. tax cuts did not benefit the affluent middle class, but primarily large corporations. Even doctors and lawyers did not benefit.
    2. cheaper healthcare. ROTFLMAO
    3. better economy: COVID
  • Options
    nico679nico679 Posts: 5,010
    MrEd said:

    On Lindsay Graham, Nate Silver had a piece on why it is so difficult for the Democrats to get over the line in SC.

    I think if he is going to be defeated, it would need a larger than usual Black turnout to do so. There are few signs anywhere in the US that the Black vote is seeing a big upswing vs 2016

    More over 65s black voters in Georgia have already voted than in the entire 2016 election !
  • Options
    dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 28,013
    IanB2 said:

    Extracts from the advice issued to care homes by the UK government in February:

    “ face masks do not provide protection from respiratory viruses such as Covid-19 and do not need to be worn by staff”

    “it remains very unlikely that people receiving care in a care home or the community will be infected“

    Do they explain why? With the benefit of hindsight it seems inconceivable that care homes wouldn't be affected.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,797


    Sounds promising, but how can they know it provides protection for about 1 year? Isnt that something we cant know until over a years testing has been done?

    They don't.
    That's just their best guess.
  • Options
    Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 7,584

    A PB was asking yesterday what we thought of 'Roadkill'.

    Here's Simon Heffer's view:

    "One doesn’t need to be steeped in the realities of British politics (and I have written about them for 35 years) to discern on the briefest acquaintance that this series is one of the greatest turkeys even in the recent inglorious history of the BBC’s drama department."

    (telegraph)

    Always useful to get an impartial review of the arts from a young political journalist at the Telegraph.

    I enjoyed Roadkill actually; watched all episodes on iplayer. It's a work of fiction with some tenuous real-life parallels, and should be treated as such.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,797
    edited October 2020
    dixiedean said:

    IanB2 said:

    Extracts from the advice issued to care homes by the UK government in February:

    “ face masks do not provide protection from respiratory viruses such as Covid-19 and do not need to be worn by staff”

    “it remains very unlikely that people receiving care in a care home or the community will be infected“

    Do they explain why? With the benefit of hindsight it seems inconceivable that care homes wouldn't be affected.
    Because at that point they hadn't yet decided to discharge sick patients into care homes ?
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,146
    17,440 new cases reported in Switzerland, which is nearly 15% of the entire case total since the beginning of the pandemic.

    https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/situation-schweiz-und-international.html
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    AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    edited October 2020
    TimT said:

    I wonder if this may impact voting in the time remaining. In El Paso County TX, all hospitals and ICUs have reached 100% capacity.

    https://abcnews.go.com/Health/live-updates/coronavirus/?id=73829562

    I'm old enough to remember when it was Coronavirus was eliminated in Texas

    https://twitter.com/AlistairHaimes/status/1303792587661340674
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328

    TimT said:

    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Similar reported here in the US (CNBC link in previous thread)
    Nothing on efficacy.

    The one year effectiveness is good news - a program to vaccinate the population once a year is a manageable problem.

    A question for the medical experts. Can the antibody test be used to check for effectiveness of the vaccine. i.e. take the vaccine - some time later do an antibody test.

    Will that accurately tell you whether you are immune to COVID (from the vaccine or prior infection) or not?

    The idea is that if the vaccine is less than 100% effective (virtually certain) we can at least find out who is protected and who isn't, after they take it.
    Generally, yes. There remains the assumption that high titres of antibodies equates to immunity, which in general is true for effective vaccines (vaccine experts can correct me if I am wrong here).

    So, for example, my wife who is a physician working in ORs, has her antibody titres tested every once in a while. Atm, her mumps titres are low, so she is scheduling a booster for MMR.
  • Options

    Daniel Hannan has had another vision of the future.

    https://twitter.com/DanielJHannan/status/1320449587434397698

    Wasn't Hannan supposed be part of the intellectual case for Brexit? I'm beginning to think this was based mainly him having a bald head.

    "a fish rots from the head down'
  • Options
    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Indeed. Hooray for boffins. Going from a virus not existing to (touch wood) a working vaccine in about a year is brilliant if you stop and think about it. I wonder how far back in history you'd have to go for that to be a pipe dream?

    We sometimes miss the under-the-radar things that science quietly delivers that make life better and cleaner. LED lights, which got mentioned this morning, are another.
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,001
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,429
    TimT said:

    Nigelb said:

    Dry air (in a centrally heated house in winter, for instance) tends to make us more susceptible to respiratory infection.

    https://twitter.com/VirusesImmunity/status/1320430656481120256

    https://twitter.com/VirusesImmunity/status/1320430665154859015

    And yet the evidence is that there is very little transmission in aircraft. Perhaps there, the HEPA filtration and the direction of airflow (ceiling to floor) offsets the dry air effects.
    Not really. There was one study, trumpeted by the airline industry, that suggested such. But there have been others suggesting the reverse.

    Unless you believe, back in February/March, that a good number of British holidaymakers were unlucky enough to have close contact with the then handfuls of infected people in Italy, Spain and Austria on their holidays, it is far more likely that there was a superspreader on their plane home.
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,582
    TimT said:

    TimT said:

    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Similar reported here in the US (CNBC link in previous thread)
    Nothing on efficacy.

    The one year effectiveness is good news - a program to vaccinate the population once a year is a manageable problem.

    A question for the medical experts. Can the antibody test be used to check for effectiveness of the vaccine. i.e. take the vaccine - some time later do an antibody test.

    Will that accurately tell you whether you are immune to COVID (from the vaccine or prior infection) or not?

    The idea is that if the vaccine is less than 100% effective (virtually certain) we can at least find out who is protected and who isn't, after they take it.
    Generally, yes. There remains the assumption that high titres of antibodies equates to immunity, which in general is true for effective vaccines (vaccine experts can correct me if I am wrong here).

    So, for example, my wife who is a physician working in ORs, has her antibody titres tested every once in a while. Atm, her mumps titres are low, so she is scheduling a booster for MMR.
    So in theory

    - Vaccinate
    - Come back for an antibody test x days later

    Would be a valid approach - to tell people if they are still vulnerable?
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    IanB2 said:

    TimT said:

    Nigelb said:

    Dry air (in a centrally heated house in winter, for instance) tends to make us more susceptible to respiratory infection.

    https://twitter.com/VirusesImmunity/status/1320430656481120256

    https://twitter.com/VirusesImmunity/status/1320430665154859015

    And yet the evidence is that there is very little transmission in aircraft. Perhaps there, the HEPA filtration and the direction of airflow (ceiling to floor) offsets the dry air effects.
    Not really. There was one study, trumpeted by the airline industry, that suggested such. But there have been others suggesting the reverse.

    Unless you believe, back in February/March, that a good number of British holidaymakers were unlucky enough to have close contact with the then handfuls of infected people in Italy, Spain and Austria on their holidays, it is far more likely that there was a superspreader on their plane home.
    Or in the airports, which I personally think is more likely.
  • Options
    On hold to HMRC. I don't think they have updated this hold music since the tax man and the customs man were put together...
  • Options
    Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 7,584
    HYUFD said:

    A gender gap opening up in the UK too, the Tories now lead with men 43% to 36% but Labour now lead with women by 41% to 37%
    https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/use3qqelyz/TheTimes_VI_Tracker_201022_W.pdf

    Gosh, what a surprise that a macho government that hardly ever features women (Patel nothwithstanding) during a health crisis is less popular with women.
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328

    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Indeed. Hooray for boffins. Going from a virus not existing to (touch wood) a working vaccine in about a year is brilliant if you stop and think about it. I wonder how far back in history you'd have to go for that to be a pipe dream?

    We sometimes miss the under-the-radar things that science quietly delivers that make life better and cleaner. LED lights, which got mentioned this morning, are another.
    I think the previous record for a vaccine was 4 years.
  • Options
    felixfelix Posts: 15,125
  • Options
    Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,551
    As I said at the time of the original row, the PM should have priced up the cost, and offered to match fund anything raised by Rashford and his friends. That would have shut down the argument pretty sharpish.
  • Options
    rpjsrpjs Posts: 3,787
    Caveat: I am not a bettor, I read PB for the political news and personalities (honest), but I think we have an interesting House race here in New York that the more puntery of you might find interesting to look into.

    tl;dr: NY-11 may be a "surprise" Republican House pick-up next week.

    The 11th Congressional District of New York (NY-11 to its friends), is by far the most conservative of the 11 NYS districts wholly or partially in the City of New York. It is made up of Staten Island, by a very long margin the most, and indeed only, Republican-leaning of the five boros, and a fairly small chunk of SW Brooklyn. It was the only NYC district to vote for Trump in 2016, 54-44.

    NY-11 has been the only NYC Congressional district to elect a Republican in the last few cycles, but that run came to an end in the 2018 "blue wave" when Democrat Max Rose flipped it 53-47 in one of the bigger surprises of the night.

    Right now, pretty much every other political ad on NYC market TV stations is for one side or the other in NY-11, both from the campaigns themselves and supportive PACs, and many of them are vicious. Rose himself is a conservative Democrat and a US Army veteran, but he is being pilloried for giving qualified support to police reform efforts in the wake of the George Floyd killing. His Republican opponent, state rep Nicole Malliotakis is being attacked as a "fraud" for trying to play down her voting record at Albany and other things. My wife grew up in Rhode Island, which has a history of rough-and-tumble political campaigns, and she says she cannot recall seeing ads quite like these before.

    What's interesting is that in the last week or so, the tenor the ads placed by the Rose campaign has shifted from attack ads (although there are still plenty running from Democrat-supporting PACs) to Rose simply saying it's been a hell of a year but we came together as a city and made the best of it, etc. etc. The GOP and affiliated-PAC ads have remained relentlessly negative against Rose.

    So, will NY-11 flip back to the Republicans? I don't know, but NY-11 is a "naturally" Republican seat. if not overwhelmingly so, as it's rated a modest R+3 (every other NYC House seat is D+1 or more). On a balance of probabilities, one would expect it to go for Trump again this year, and that suggests Malliotakis will ride home on his coat-tails. OTOH the power of incumbency in House elections should never be underestimated.

    The conventional wisdom is that the Democrats should easily retain their House majority and may even increase it somewhat, but there are always outliers that buck the trend. NY-11 may well be one.
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,001
    edited October 2020
    Is this AZ news about the phase 3 trial btw ? Less "events", and less severe events in the vax grp ? Or is that still not known yet.
  • Options
    eristdooferistdoof Posts: 4,912

    HYUFD said:

    IBD/TIPP

    26th October (Today):

    Biden 51.7% (+0.1%)
    Trump 44.7% (+0.3%)

    25th October (Yesterday):

    Biden 51.6% (+0.9%)
    Trump 44.4% (+0.1%)

    24th October:

    Biden 50.7% (+0.9%)
    Trump 44.3% (-0.9%)

    23rd October:

    Biden 49.8% (-0.2%)
    Trump 45.2% (+0.2%)

    22nd October:

    Biden 50% (+1.5%)
    Trump 45% (-1%)

    21st October:

    Biden 48.5%
    Trump 46%
    So a 0.1% swing to Trump then today
    At this rate by the election he'll have clawed back a whole 0.8%!
    Reading between the lines on the 538 forecast page, Trump is clawing a little bit back in the proportion of votes, but the rate at which he is doing so is too slow, with the net result that Trumps chances of >269 ECV are staying steady. This is a sharp difference from 2016. With two weeks to go Trump's P(win) on 538 was 17% but had jumped up to 36% with 4 days to go.
  • Options
    On topic, I think Lindsey Graham will just about be okay. But it shows the danger of the poorly executed volte-face. In turning from Trump's biggest critic to his biggest cheerleader, Graham hasn't really pleased either Trump-sceptics or Trump-fans, and has made himself appear a bit of a prat in the process. Which isn't great for him as he'd previously been viewed as a heavyweight.

    This wasn't easy for a lot of senior Republicans who'd criticised Trump before November 2016 and needed to row back. But many of them managed a tricky situation by either gradually coming round (and hinting he's met them halfway on some points), or remaining fairly sceptical, or even quitting. Whereas Graham took the electorate for fools and ended up looking like one.

    If he is re-elected but Trump loses, it will be interesting to see how Graham plays it. Another volte-face?
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,001
    rpjs said:

    Caveat: I am not a bettor, I read PB for the political news and personalities (honest), but I think we have an interesting House race here in New York that the more puntery of you might find interesting to look into.

    tl;dr: NY-11 may be a "surprise" Republican House pick-up next week.

    The 11th Congressional District of New York (NY-11 to its friends), is by far the most conservative of the 11 NYS districts wholly or partially in the City of New York. It is made up of Staten Island, by a very long margin the most, and indeed only, Republican-leaning of the five boros, and a fairly small chunk of SW Brooklyn. It was the only NYC district to vote for Trump in 2016, 54-44.

    NY-11 has been the only NYC Congressional district to elect a Republican in the last few cycles, but that run came to an end in the 2018 "blue wave" when Democrat Max Rose flipped it 53-47 in one of the bigger surprises of the night.

    Right now, pretty much every other political ad on NYC market TV stations is for one side or the other in NY-11, both from the campaigns themselves and supportive PACs, and many of them are vicious. Rose himself is a conservative Democrat and a US Army veteran, but he is being pilloried for giving qualified support to police reform efforts in the wake of the George Floyd killing. His Republican opponent, state rep Nicole Malliotakis is being attacked as a "fraud" for trying to play down her voting record at Albany and other things. My wife grew up in Rhode Island, which has a history of rough-and-tumble political campaigns, and she says she cannot recall seeing ads quite like these before.

    What's interesting is that in the last week or so, the tenor the ads placed by the Rose campaign has shifted from attack ads (although there are still plenty running from Democrat-supporting PACs) to Rose simply saying it's been a hell of a year but we came together as a city and made the best of it, etc. etc. The GOP and affiliated-PAC ads have remained relentlessly negative against Rose.

    So, will NY-11 flip back to the Republicans? I don't know, but NY-11 is a "naturally" Republican seat. if not overwhelmingly so, as it's rated a modest R+3 (every other NYC House seat is D+1 or more). On a balance of probabilities, one would expect it to go for Trump again this year, and that suggests Malliotakis will ride home on his coat-tails. OTOH the power of incumbency in House elections should never be underestimated.

    The conventional wisdom is that the Democrats should easily retain their House majority and may even increase it somewhat, but there are always outliers that buck the trend. NY-11 may well be one.

    Does half the New York City police force live there ? That's the only demographic I can see being GOP in New York City.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,797
    I hope team Biden is ready to hit the ground running.

    https://twitter.com/ddiamond/status/1320722820050157568
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,582
    IanB2 said:

    TimT said:

    Nigelb said:

    Dry air (in a centrally heated house in winter, for instance) tends to make us more susceptible to respiratory infection.

    https://twitter.com/VirusesImmunity/status/1320430656481120256

    https://twitter.com/VirusesImmunity/status/1320430665154859015

    And yet the evidence is that there is very little transmission in aircraft. Perhaps there, the HEPA filtration and the direction of airflow (ceiling to floor) offsets the dry air effects.
    Not really. There was one study, trumpeted by the airline industry, that suggested such. But there have been others suggesting the reverse.

    Unless you believe, back in February/March, that a good number of British holidaymakers were unlucky enough to have close contact with the then handfuls of infected people in Italy, Spain and Austria on their holidays, it is far more likely that there was a superspreader on their plane home.
    I would think it would depend a great deal on the internal setup of the aircraft. I was told by a pilot that the 787 airflow is much better at avoiding infection.
  • Options
    SelebianSelebian Posts: 7,489

    TimT said:

    TimT said:

    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Similar reported here in the US (CNBC link in previous thread)
    Nothing on efficacy.

    The one year effectiveness is good news - a program to vaccinate the population once a year is a manageable problem.

    A question for the medical experts. Can the antibody test be used to check for effectiveness of the vaccine. i.e. take the vaccine - some time later do an antibody test.

    Will that accurately tell you whether you are immune to COVID (from the vaccine or prior infection) or not?

    The idea is that if the vaccine is less than 100% effective (virtually certain) we can at least find out who is protected and who isn't, after they take it.
    Generally, yes. There remains the assumption that high titres of antibodies equates to immunity, which in general is true for effective vaccines (vaccine experts can correct me if I am wrong here).

    So, for example, my wife who is a physician working in ORs, has her antibody titres tested every once in a while. Atm, her mumps titres are low, so she is scheduling a booster for MMR.
    So in theory

    - Vaccinate
    - Come back for an antibody test x days later

    Would be a valid approach - to tell people if they are still vulnerable?
    Yes, in theory, I think. Probably not cost effective though, except for maybe a representative sub-sample to check on general protection and/or check after a period to time to decide when boosters might be needed.
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,429
    TimT said:

    IanB2 said:

    TimT said:

    Nigelb said:

    Dry air (in a centrally heated house in winter, for instance) tends to make us more susceptible to respiratory infection.

    https://twitter.com/VirusesImmunity/status/1320430656481120256

    https://twitter.com/VirusesImmunity/status/1320430665154859015

    And yet the evidence is that there is very little transmission in aircraft. Perhaps there, the HEPA filtration and the direction of airflow (ceiling to floor) offsets the dry air effects.
    Not really. There was one study, trumpeted by the airline industry, that suggested such. But there have been others suggesting the reverse.

    Unless you believe, back in February/March, that a good number of British holidaymakers were unlucky enough to have close contact with the then handfuls of infected people in Italy, Spain and Austria on their holidays, it is far more likely that there was a superspreader on their plane home.
    Or in the airports, which I personally think is more likely.
    Possibly so.

    Remember also those tweeted-out screengrabs in the spring of the contrast between European airspace, with flights mostly grounded, and US airspace, the sky full of internal flights carrying Americans hither and thither. It’s very likely that’s a large part of the explanation as to why Europe managed to get on top of the first wave when the US did not.
  • Options
    Wulfrun_PhilWulfrun_Phil Posts: 4,618

    HYUFD said:

    IBD/TIPP

    26th October (Today):

    Biden 51.7% (+0.1%)
    Trump 44.7% (+0.3%)

    25th October (Yesterday):

    Biden 51.6% (+0.9%)
    Trump 44.4% (+0.1%)

    24th October:

    Biden 50.7% (+0.9%)
    Trump 44.3% (-0.9%)

    23rd October:

    Biden 49.8% (-0.2%)
    Trump 45.2% (+0.2%)

    22nd October:

    Biden 50% (+1.5%)
    Trump 45% (-1%)

    21st October:

    Biden 48.5%
    Trump 46%
    So a 0.1% swing to Trump then today
    At this rate by the election he'll have clawed back a whole 0.8%!
    For much of the electorate, polling day has already been and gone.
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,582
    Selebian said:

    TimT said:

    TimT said:

    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Similar reported here in the US (CNBC link in previous thread)
    Nothing on efficacy.

    The one year effectiveness is good news - a program to vaccinate the population once a year is a manageable problem.

    A question for the medical experts. Can the antibody test be used to check for effectiveness of the vaccine. i.e. take the vaccine - some time later do an antibody test.

    Will that accurately tell you whether you are immune to COVID (from the vaccine or prior infection) or not?

    The idea is that if the vaccine is less than 100% effective (virtually certain) we can at least find out who is protected and who isn't, after they take it.
    Generally, yes. There remains the assumption that high titres of antibodies equates to immunity, which in general is true for effective vaccines (vaccine experts can correct me if I am wrong here).

    So, for example, my wife who is a physician working in ORs, has her antibody titres tested every once in a while. Atm, her mumps titres are low, so she is scheduling a booster for MMR.
    So in theory

    - Vaccinate
    - Come back for an antibody test x days later

    Would be a valid approach - to tell people if they are still vulnerable?
    Yes, in theory, I think. Probably not cost effective though, except for maybe a representative sub-sample to check on general protection and/or check after a period to time to decide when boosters might be needed.
    Might be a good way to use the existing antibody testing capacity and smash R into the ground.
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328

    TimT said:

    TimT said:

    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Similar reported here in the US (CNBC link in previous thread)
    Nothing on efficacy.

    The one year effectiveness is good news - a program to vaccinate the population once a year is a manageable problem.

    A question for the medical experts. Can the antibody test be used to check for effectiveness of the vaccine. i.e. take the vaccine - some time later do an antibody test.

    Will that accurately tell you whether you are immune to COVID (from the vaccine or prior infection) or not?

    The idea is that if the vaccine is less than 100% effective (virtually certain) we can at least find out who is protected and who isn't, after they take it.
    Generally, yes. There remains the assumption that high titres of antibodies equates to immunity, which in general is true for effective vaccines (vaccine experts can correct me if I am wrong here).

    So, for example, my wife who is a physician working in ORs, has her antibody titres tested every once in a while. Atm, her mumps titres are low, so she is scheduling a booster for MMR.
    So in theory

    - Vaccinate
    - Come back for an antibody test x days later

    Would be a valid approach - to tell people if they are still vulnerable?
    Basically, yes. See this advice for incoming students:

    http://huhealthcare.com/healthcare/students/~/media/Files/healthcare/student-health/Titer Explanation.ashx
  • Options
    rpjsrpjs Posts: 3,787
    edited October 2020
    Pulpstar said:

    rpjs said:

    Caveat: I am not a bettor, I read PB for the political news and personalities (honest), but I think we have an interesting House race here in New York that the more puntery of you might find interesting to look into.

    tl;dr: NY-11 may be a "surprise" Republican House pick-up next week.

    The 11th Congressional District of New York (NY-11 to its friends), is by far the most conservative of the 11 NYS districts wholly or partially in the City of New York. It is made up of Staten Island, by a very long margin the most, and indeed only, Republican-leaning of the five boros, and a fairly small chunk of SW Brooklyn. It was the only NYC district to vote for Trump in 2016, 54-44.

    NY-11 has been the only NYC Congressional district to elect a Republican in the last few cycles, but that run came to an end in the 2018 "blue wave" when Democrat Max Rose flipped it 53-47 in one of the bigger surprises of the night.

    Right now, pretty much every other political ad on NYC market TV stations is for one side or the other in NY-11, both from the campaigns themselves and supportive PACs, and many of them are vicious. Rose himself is a conservative Democrat and a US Army veteran, but he is being pilloried for giving qualified support to police reform efforts in the wake of the George Floyd killing. His Republican opponent, state rep Nicole Malliotakis is being attacked as a "fraud" for trying to play down her voting record at Albany and other things. My wife grew up in Rhode Island, which has a history of rough-and-tumble political campaigns, and she says she cannot recall seeing ads quite like these before.

    What's interesting is that in the last week or so, the tenor the ads placed by the Rose campaign has shifted from attack ads (although there are still plenty running from Democrat-supporting PACs) to Rose simply saying it's been a hell of a year but we came together as a city and made the best of it, etc. etc. The GOP and affiliated-PAC ads have remained relentlessly negative against Rose.

    So, will NY-11 flip back to the Republicans? I don't know, but NY-11 is a "naturally" Republican seat. if not overwhelmingly so, as it's rated a modest R+3 (every other NYC House seat is D+1 or more). On a balance of probabilities, one would expect it to go for Trump again this year, and that suggests Malliotakis will ride home on his coat-tails. OTOH the power of incumbency in House elections should never be underestimated.

    The conventional wisdom is that the Democrats should easily retain their House majority and may even increase it somewhat, but there are always outliers that buck the trend. NY-11 may well be one.

    Does half the New York City police force live there ? That's the only demographic I can see being GOP in New York City.
    Yes, a lot of NYPD live there, along with the suburban extra-NYC counties of Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk and Rockland. Relatively few cops live in the other four boros of the city (not that a cop's salary would get you much in Manhattan...).

    So yes, this is why the GOP has been pushing the "Max Rose has betrayed the blue" line so strongly.

    But also, Staten Island is pretty "suburban" in feel compared to the other boros, and is, I think, the "whitest" boro too. There are similar demographics elsewhere, e.g. the North Bronx, parts of Queens, but it's most concentrated in SI.
  • Options
    OnboardG1OnboardG1 Posts: 1,346
    Pulpstar said:

    Is this AZ news about the phase 3 trial btw ? Less "events", and less severe events in the vax grp ? Or is that still not known yet.

    We don't know the efficacy profile yet, but this looks like an immunological study of the response triggered by the vaccine. As far as "adverse events" that they mean is that there are less side effects of all types from the vaccine in older people. That's rather to be expected since it stimulates the immune system and older people typically have less strong reactions to immune events. A good example from the flu jab is that my late sixties Dad had nothing but a slightly sore arm, while I had fatigue and aches for a few days afterwards. Admittedly that wasn't helped by a day of drilling holes in equipment enclosures...
  • Options
    eristdooferistdoof Posts: 4,912

    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Indeed. Hooray for boffins. Going from a virus not existing to (touch wood) a working vaccine in about a year is brilliant if you stop and think about it. I wonder how far back in history you'd have to go for that to be a pipe dream?

    We sometimes miss the under-the-radar things that science quietly delivers that make life better and cleaner. LED lights, which got mentioned this morning, are another.
    10 years ago despite a big marketing push from apple not many people had smartphones. They were popular with under 40 professionals with a high enough income to afford it. Now a very high proportion of adults have a smartphone, and I would guess the proportion of smartphone users is as high as the proportion of mobile phone users was in 2010. Just on example where STEM has had a huge impact on our lives.
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,913

    As I said at the time of the original row, the PM should have priced up the cost, and offered to match fund anything raised by Rashford and his friends. That would have shut down the argument pretty sharpish.
    They wouldn't do that. Messrs Rashford & Co are not the only people taking in 6- figure sums annually. And it would raise the question why footie stars and the taxpayer should be paying, and why Tory Party pols and their backers were refusing to join in.
  • Options
    algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 10,615

    HYUFD said:

    IBD/TIPP

    26th October (Today):

    Biden 51.7% (+0.1%)
    Trump 44.7% (+0.3%)

    25th October (Yesterday):

    Biden 51.6% (+0.9%)
    Trump 44.4% (+0.1%)

    24th October:

    Biden 50.7% (+0.9%)
    Trump 44.3% (-0.9%)

    23rd October:

    Biden 49.8% (-0.2%)
    Trump 45.2% (+0.2%)

    22nd October:

    Biden 50% (+1.5%)
    Trump 45% (-1%)

    21st October:

    Biden 48.5%
    Trump 46%
    So a 0.1% swing to Trump then today
    At this rate by the election he'll have clawed back a whole 0.8%!
    For much of the electorate, polling day has already been and gone.
    Novel idea: do elections like this; have a day set aside well in advance when everybody votes in person at their local polling booth on the same day.

  • Options
    OnboardG1OnboardG1 Posts: 1,346
    TimT said:

    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Indeed. Hooray for boffins. Going from a virus not existing to (touch wood) a working vaccine in about a year is brilliant if you stop and think about it. I wonder how far back in history you'd have to go for that to be a pipe dream?

    We sometimes miss the under-the-radar things that science quietly delivers that make life better and cleaner. LED lights, which got mentioned this morning, are another.
    I think the previous record for a vaccine was 4 years.
    Was that the Ebola vaccine? We did have a bit of an advantage out the gate on this one, which is one of the very, very few good things about this bloody virus. Since it's related to MERS and SARS a couple of companies that had vaccine candidates for those in their file systems were able to dust off the research and hit the ground running.

    One thing I am curious about: Would a flu pandemic have been easier to develop a vaccine against, because we're generally pretty good at targeting individual flu strains?
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    eristdoof said:

    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Indeed. Hooray for boffins. Going from a virus not existing to (touch wood) a working vaccine in about a year is brilliant if you stop and think about it. I wonder how far back in history you'd have to go for that to be a pipe dream?

    We sometimes miss the under-the-radar things that science quietly delivers that make life better and cleaner. LED lights, which got mentioned this morning, are another.
    10 years ago despite a big marketing push from apple not many people had smartphones. They were popular with under 40 professionals with a high enough income to afford it. Now a very high proportion of adults have a smartphone, and I would guess the proportion of smartphone users is as high as the proportion of mobile phone users was in 2010. Just on example where STEM has had a huge impact on our lives.
    Personally, I think synthetic biology is going to be the biggest STEM revolution we've ever seen. Rapid vaccine production is just the tip of the iceberg.
  • Options
    rpjsrpjs Posts: 3,787
    eristdoof said:

    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Indeed. Hooray for boffins. Going from a virus not existing to (touch wood) a working vaccine in about a year is brilliant if you stop and think about it. I wonder how far back in history you'd have to go for that to be a pipe dream?

    We sometimes miss the under-the-radar things that science quietly delivers that make life better and cleaner. LED lights, which got mentioned this morning, are another.
    10 years ago despite a big marketing push from apple not many people had smartphones. They were popular with under 40 professionals with a high enough income to afford it. Now a very high proportion of adults have a smartphone, and I would guess the proportion of smartphone users is as high as the proportion of mobile phone users was in 2010. Just on example where STEM has had a huge impact on our lives.
    I've noticed that a lot of the contemporary genre novels I've read recently have been set in the 90s or earlier to get around ubiquitous cell-phone usage derailing the plot where the protagonists get into trouble somewhere.
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    Daniel Hannan has had another vision of the future.

    https://twitter.com/DanielJHannan/status/1320449587434397698

    He's finally lost his mind.
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    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    OnboardG1 said:

    TimT said:

    RobD said:

    Nigelb said:
    Excellent news, especially if it's safer among the older population.
    Indeed. Hooray for boffins. Going from a virus not existing to (touch wood) a working vaccine in about a year is brilliant if you stop and think about it. I wonder how far back in history you'd have to go for that to be a pipe dream?

    We sometimes miss the under-the-radar things that science quietly delivers that make life better and cleaner. LED lights, which got mentioned this morning, are another.
    I think the previous record for a vaccine was 4 years.
    Was that the Ebola vaccine? We did have a bit of an advantage out the gate on this one, which is one of the very, very few good things about this bloody virus. Since it's related to MERS and SARS a couple of companies that had vaccine candidates for those in their file systems were able to dust off the research and hit the ground running.

    One thing I am curious about: Would a flu pandemic have been easier to develop a vaccine against, because we're generally pretty good at targeting individual flu strains?
    No. Mumps. 1963-1967
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