Newton Heath LYR was the original name of which football club?
Bonus point for knowing what LYR stands for.
Looked it up. Very interesting.
Yes, a great question!
Lanashire and Yorkshire Railway, no?
Quite a lot of football clubs formed around railway works. Not many as successful as Newton Heath though.
Presumably the historic railway link is why there are so many Man Utd fans from outside Manchester...
A couple of years back a London friend and I went to Woolwich to see what was left of the RN dockyard and the Arsenal, and have a look around the artillery museum just as it was packing up to make room for yuppies and property speculators. We found a pub had been installed in the actual Arsenal workshop whose staff had been the first members of Arsenal FC. A nice bit of social history to go with the beer and sandwiches.
What decade saw the last US Civil War pension paid?
The last Union pensioner was Albert Woolson who died in 1956, but that was not the end of Civil War pensions. The last known widow died in 2008 and there were still at least two dependents receiving benefits in 2012.
2020s. It was last year. I have commented on it a couple of times on here since then.
It is oft said that Mozambique joined the Commonwealth in 1995, the first member without any historic links to the Empire, but which port was a British Concession between 1891 and 1923?
Justin incoming in 5...4...3....2...1....to tell.us it is still a good poll for Labour because of a similar situation in 1894.
SKS fans please explain
Labour going backward in every poll.
Dont blame me I voted Nandy (DBMIVN)
Its far from over for Gordon Brittas lookalikey....Boris is still useless and COVID has cost the country a small fortune and the economic fallout will scar the nation for years to come.
I've got an hour to prepare 10 quiz questions again. Does anyone have any tidbits of questions to chuck my way? Think lowbrow (that's not deregatory to my friends, I apply the same designation to me).
The question of what to do with ex-leaders is a hardy perennial for political parties everywhere.
The Conservatives have John Major, William Hague, Iain Duncan-Smith, Michael Howard, David Cameron and Theresa May in their ex-leaders club and they have certainly played very different roles since ceasing to be leader whether in support of or criticising the current leadership.
Labour have Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn and that's not been problem-free either.
It's easier when the ex-leader never got to the top job but when you have a former Prime Minister and Cabinet colleague behind you (as Thatcher had with Heath and Johnson does with May), it's even more problematic as the former Prime Minister is able to bring their own gravitas to the subject.
So much depends on whether the party itself has moved on - seven years after her departure, Thatcher's endorsement of William Hague proved significant in 1997. She had a much longer shadow over the Party than Blair or Brown had on Labour.
Indeed, parties are often very quick to move on from some leaders as the mood of the party changes abruptly but in the case of the GOP let's not forget the wounds are still open and the body warm. In 1990, some Conservative associations threatened to deselect MPs who voted against Thatcher but a more pragmatic approach prevailed. Has the GOP got any sense of pragmatism or is ideological purity all that matters? In a sense, that's the difference between a party and a faction.
It's the same question all parties confront - what is the price of power?
Most ex PMs have in recent years had the quiet dignity to leave the political scene behind.
Sadly not Theresa May.
Theresa May does not have "gravitas". She is the definition of over-promotion.
Agreed. We are boring and actually quite shit. Surprised more people haven’t realised this.
The box kick....again and again and again....today wasn't the worst for that, but since the WC, that has been England's gameplan.
It’s predictable and dull.
Eddie Jones most go. We are a dour team.
The worst thing about it is: England are oozing talent. They have amazing players. Yes, this is always true, as a bigger rugby nation they have a larger pool to trawl from, like France - but even so, the present generation is golden.
Eddie Jones has over-coached them, or something. They lack confidence and pzazz. This is largely the team which nailed the All Blacks in the World Cup semis two seasons ago (and should have won the Cup). Now they can't beat Scotland or Wales. Something has gone very wrong
Jesus Christ! I knew she was sloppy and silly, but that's certifiable!
Is it madness or what happens when well-intentioned analogies are taken literally?
In technology, physics and applied mathematics one routinely makes what are termed "mathematical models". But one must always remember that they are models, good or bad, of a real process. Who is Naomi Wolf anyway?
The worst thing about it is: England are oozing talent. They have amazing players. Yes, this is always true, as a bigger rugby nation they have a larger pool to trawl from, like France - but even so, the present generation is golden.
Eddie Jones has over-coached them, or something. They lack confidence and pzazz. This is largely the team which nailed the All Blacks in the World Cup semis two seasons ago (and should have won the Cup). Now they can't beat Scotland or Wales. Something has gone very wrong
None of them have played much this season. 5 of them have 0 game time for their club.
Jesus Christ! I knew she was sloppy and silly, but that's certifiable!
Is it madness or what happens when well-intentioned analogies are taken literally?
In technology, physics and applied mathematics one routinely makes what are termed "mathematical models". But one must always remember that they are models, good or bad, of a real process. Who is Naomi Wolf anyway?
Agreed. We are boring and actually quite shit. Surprised more people haven’t realised this.
The box kick....again and again and again....today wasn't the worst for that, but since the WC, that has been England's gameplan.
It’s predictable and dull.
Eddie Jones most go. We are a dour team.
The worst thing about it is: England are oozing talent. They have amazing players. Yes, this is always true, as a bigger rugby nation they have a larger pool to trawl from, like France - but even so, the present generation is golden.
Eddie Jones has over-coached them, or something. They lack confidence and pzazz. This is largely the team which nailed the All Blacks in the World Cup semis two seasons ago (and should have won the Cup). Now they can't beat Scotland or Wales. Something has gone very wrong
There is loads of talent not in the squad as well. Marcus Smith, Ruaridh McConnochie, Lewis Ludlam, Paolo Odogwu.
The worst thing about it is: England are oozing talent. They have amazing players. Yes, this is always true, as a bigger rugby nation they have a larger pool to trawl from, like France - but even so, the present generation is golden.
Eddie Jones has over-coached them, or something. They lack confidence and pzazz. This is largely the team which nailed the All Blacks in the World Cup semis two seasons ago (and should have won the Cup). Now they can't beat Scotland or Wales. Something has gone very wrong
None of them have played much this season. 5 of them have 0 game time for their club.
Sure, but they seem to have forgotten how to pass along the backs.
They were brilliant at it two years back, offloading like they were lobbing satsumas to the kids on Christmas Day, now they kick kick kick
If tonight's Opinium of Con 43%, Lab 36%, LibDem 7% is mirrored in the local elections in May, the changes from the actual results of the previous locals in 2016 and 2017 will be:
2016:
Con +13%
Lab +5%
LibDem -8%
This would represent a swing of Lab to Con of 4% and of LibDem to Con of 11.5% and LibDem to Lab of 6.5%
2017:
Con +5%
Lab +8%
LibDems -11%
This would represent a swing of Con to Lab of 1.5% and of LibDem to Con of 8% and LibDem to Lab of 9.5%
Labour might have a bit to cheer as they mop up a few LibDem councillors, but don't look to be making net gains from the Tories, who will also be mopping up LibDems.
The worst thing about it is: England are oozing talent. They have amazing players. Yes, this is always true, as a bigger rugby nation they have a larger pool to trawl from, like France - but even so, the present generation is golden.
Eddie Jones has over-coached them, or something. They lack confidence and pzazz. This is largely the team which nailed the All Blacks in the World Cup semis two seasons ago (and should have won the Cup). Now they can't beat Scotland or Wales. Something has gone very wrong
None of them have played much this season. 5 of them have 0 game time for their club.
Sure, but they seem to have forgotten how to pass along the backs.
They were brilliant at it two years back, offloading like they were lobbing satsumas to the kids on Christmas Day, now they kick kick kick
That's coaching. And it isn't working
Owen Farrell kicking is way below his previous standards. He missed 3 easy-ish kicks today, which would have had England ahead at one point.
England are also missing the Manu tuilagi / Ben Te'o type player that can hit the line from centre and require 2-3 players to put them down. Slade is much lighter weight.
Agreed. We are boring and actually quite shit. Surprised more people haven’t realised this.
The box kick....again and again and again....today wasn't the worst for that, but since the WC, that has been England's gameplan.
It’s predictable and dull.
Eddie Jones most go. We are a dour team.
The worst thing about it is: England are oozing talent. They have amazing players. Yes, this is always true, as a bigger rugby nation they have a larger pool to trawl from, like France - but even so, the present generation is golden.
Eddie Jones has over-coached them, or something. They lack confidence and pzazz. This is largely the team which nailed the All Blacks in the World Cup semis two seasons ago (and should have won the Cup). Now they can't beat Scotland or Wales. Something has gone very wrong
There is loads of talent not in the squad as well. Marcus Smith, Ruaridh McConnochie, Lewis Ludlam, Paolo Odogwu.
The Times rugby correspondent made a disturbing comparison the other day. Eddie Jones is England rugby's equivalent of Sven Goran Erikson. Given a truly brilliant generation of players, makes them somewhat better, but in the end makes them duller, and wins nothing.
Rugby is different, as there is less to win (and Jones has won 6N and so on), but it still perturbed me. Might be true. England could be turning into France 2010-2020: great players, mediocre team
The worst thing about it is: England are oozing talent. They have amazing players. Yes, this is always true, as a bigger rugby nation they have a larger pool to trawl from, like France - but even so, the present generation is golden.
Eddie Jones has over-coached them, or something. They lack confidence and pzazz. This is largely the team which nailed the All Blacks in the World Cup semis two seasons ago (and should have won the Cup). Now they can't beat Scotland or Wales. Something has gone very wrong
None of them have played much this season. 5 of them have 0 game time for their club.
Sure, but they seem to have forgotten how to pass along the backs.
They were brilliant at it two years back, offloading like they were lobbing satsumas to the kids on Christmas Day, now they kick kick kick
That's coaching. And it isn't working
Owen Farrell kicking is way below his previous standards. He missed 3 easy-ish kicks today, which would have had England ahead at one point.
England are also missing the Manu tuilagi / Ben Te'o type player that can hit the line from centre and require 2-3 players to put them down. Slade is much lighter weight.
Yes, Farrell needs to be dropped, if only to give him time to refocus. The 6N is lost. Time to Experiment. Replace some key players, see what works
Who is the oldest person to make it to he magnetic North Pole - and also punched a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature?
"‘You must be the hard man everyone’s talking about.’ Then he took a swing."
The Nobel Winner "was without doubt a great dramatist — the heaviest of them all — but his punches were more Gilbert & Sullivan. I dodged a couple, then let go a quick left hook, which sent him tumbling backwards."
Agreed. We are boring and actually quite shit. Surprised more people haven’t realised this.
The box kick....again and again and again....today wasn't the worst for that, but since the WC, that has been England's gameplan.
It’s predictable and dull.
Eddie Jones most go. We are a dour team.
The worst thing about it is: England are oozing talent. They have amazing players. Yes, this is always true, as a bigger rugby nation they have a larger pool to trawl from, like France - but even so, the present generation is golden.
Eddie Jones has over-coached them, or something. They lack confidence and pzazz. This is largely the team which nailed the All Blacks in the World Cup semis two seasons ago (and should have won the Cup). Now they can't beat Scotland or Wales. Something has gone very wrong
There is loads of talent not in the squad as well. Marcus Smith, Ruaridh McConnochie, Lewis Ludlam, Paolo Odogwu.
The Times rugby correspondent made a disturbing comparison the other day. Eddie Jones is England rugby's equivalent of Sven Goran Erikson. Given a truly brilliant generation of players, makes them somewhat better, but in the end makes them duller, and wins nothing.
Rugby is different, as there is less to win (and Jones has won 6N and so on), but it still perturbed me. Might be true. England could be turning into France 2010-2020: great players, mediocre team
I have heard one person explain this box kick tactic, its about how good international defences are and hiw fast they come up to the line...but a) I am not convinced, as every other team doesn't resort to it as their primary tactic and b) whats the point of having the likes of Watson, Cockasinga (when fit) in your team if he is never going to hit the line running with the ball....its like England football team playing Sterling, Sancho, Rashford and either playing it side to side at the back or whacking hopeful long balls...oh wait.....
'Which British celebrity told Picasso he couldn't draw and punched the Dalai Lama?'
Superb question. I'm not gonna Google.
*thinks*
Oliver Reed?
It was clearly someone who had never stepped inside an art gallery. Picasso was an excellent draughtsman. Whether van Gogh had ever seen an actual sunflower is open to doubt though.
If tonight's Opinium of Con 43%, Lab 36%, LibDem 7% is mirrored in the local elections in May, the changes from the actual results of the previous locals in 2016 and 2017 will be:
2016:
Con +13%
Lab +5%
LibDem -8%
This would represent a swing of Lab to Con of 4% and of LibDem to Con of 11.5% and LibDem to Lab of 6.5%
2017:
Con +5%
Lab +8%
LibDems -11%
This would represent a swing of Con to Lab of 1.5% and of LibDem to Con of 8% and LibDem to Lab of 9.5%
Labour might have a bit to cheer as they mop up a few LibDem councillors, but don't look to be making net gains from the Tories, who will also be mopping up LibDems.
In theory, in practice I expect the LDs to do a bit better in the Home Counties in opposition to Local Plans and new developments.
Labour will make gains from the Tories in the county elections but maybe less so in the districts
'Which British celebrity told Picasso he couldn't draw and punched the Dalai Lama?'
Superb question. I'm not gonna Google.
*thinks*
Oliver Reed?
It was clearly someone who had never stepped inside an art gallery. Picasso was an excellent draughtsman. Whether van Gogh had ever seen an actual sunflower is open to doubt though.
I've been to the monastery where Van Gogh lived in his final years, in St Remy de Provence (a touristy little town, but still worth a visit)
You can see the sunflowers from his bedroom. Indeed, you can go in the garden and snaffle a couple of the sunflower seeds, and then take them home, and plant them. And grow a Van Gogh sunflower. That's what we did.
Picasso was a brilliant draughtsman. He could draw before he could speak - literally: his first spoken words were, "piz! piz!" = "pencil! pencil!"
'Which British celebrity told Picasso he couldn't draw and punched the Dalai Lama?'
Superb question. I'm not gonna Google.
*thinks*
Oliver Reed?
To help along if you have not already seen TSE's answer.
He told Picasso he couldn't draw when he was a child and the artist visited his father in Sheffield as part of a socialism conference. Picasso drew him a dove and he took issue at its depiction. Paul Robeson was also present but as far as I know he didn't insist he couldn't sing
When he was older he was a fairly successful boxer before becoming an actor. The Dalai Lama was and is a huge boxing fan and when he met him in India the Dalai Lama insisted they set up a ring and have a sparring match in the middle of the village.
'Which British celebrity told Picasso he couldn't draw and punched the Dalai Lama?'
Superb question. I'm not gonna Google.
*thinks*
Oliver Reed?
To help along if you have not already seen TSE's answer.
He told Picasso he couldn't draw when he was a child and the artist visited his father in Sheffield as part of a socialism conference. Picasso drew him a dove and he took issue at its depiction. Paul Robeson was also present but as far as I know he didn't insist he couldn't sing
When he was older he was a fairly successful boxer before becoming an actor. The Dalai Lama was and is a huge boxing fan and when he met him in India the Dalai Lama insisted they set up a ring and have a sparring match in the middle of the village.
Didn't he also reject Picasso's drawing, not knowing who he was, which infuriated his dad when he found out (who did)?
'Which British celebrity told Picasso he couldn't draw and punched the Dalai Lama?'
Superb question. I'm not gonna Google.
*thinks*
Oliver Reed?
To help along if you have not already seen TSE's answer.
He told Picasso he couldn't draw when he was a child and the artist visited his father in Sheffield as part of a socialism conference. Picasso drew him a dove and he took issue at its depiction. Paul Robeson was also present but as far as I know he didn't insist he couldn't sing
When he was older he was a fairly successful boxer before becoming an actor. The Dalai Lama was and is a huge boxing fan and when he met him in India the Dalai Lama insisted they set up a ring and have a sparring match in the middle of the village.
HH Dalai Lama is a huge boxing fan? You do learn summat every day.
Who is the oldest person to make it to he magnetic North Pole - and also punched a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature?
"‘You must be the hard man everyone’s talking about.’ Then he took a swing."
The Nobel Winner "was without doubt a great dramatist — the heaviest of them all — but his punches were more Gilbert & Sullivan. I dodged a couple, then let go a quick left hook, which sent him tumbling backwards."
Attlee, Eden, Heath And Cameron were the only post war UK PM's who failed to do what?
Remember to flush the Number 10 loo when they left?
It's just a little more mainstream and political than that....
Didn’t move to the House of Lords?
Think International Relations.
Didn't have a change of US President on their watch?
Correct, failed to serve opposite more than one US president.
While Eden especially didn't last long its amusing to have Attlee and Cameron on that short list considering they're relatively two of the longer serving postwar PMs. Also amusing that Cameron's and Attlee's length of tenure was less than a month apart.
Attlee, Eden, Heath And Cameron were the only post war UK PM's who failed to do what?
Remember to flush the Number 10 loo when they left?
It's just a little more mainstream and political than that....
Didn’t move to the House of Lords?
Think International Relations.
Didn't have a change of US President on their watch?
Correct, failed to serve opposite more than one US president.
While Eden especially didn't last long its amusing to have Attlee and Cameron on that short list considering they're relatively two of the longer serving postwar PMs. Also amusing that Cameron's and Attlee's length of tenure was less than a month apart.
And Brown, May and Callaghan got a change of President despite serving relatively short terms (and Boris got one very quickly too).
Germany and France look set to approve the AstraZeneca Covid jab for the over 65s in a major U-turn aimed at speeding up their stuttering vaccine drives.
Germany and France look set to approve the AstraZeneca Covid jab for the over 65s in a major U-turn aimed at speeding up their stuttering vaccine drives.
Germany and France look set to approve the AstraZeneca Covid jab for the over 65s in a major U-turn aimed at speeding up their stuttering vaccine drives.
Agreed. We are boring and actually quite shit. Surprised more people haven’t realised this.
The box kick....again and again and again....today wasn't the worst for that, but since the WC, that has been England's gameplan.
It’s predictable and dull.
Eddie Jones most go. We are a dour team.
The worst thing about it is: England are oozing talent. They have amazing players. Yes, this is always true, as a bigger rugby nation they have a larger pool to trawl from, like France - but even so, the present generation is golden.
Eddie Jones has over-coached them, or something. They lack confidence and pzazz. This is largely the team which nailed the All Blacks in the World Cup semis two seasons ago (and should have won the Cup). Now they can't beat Scotland or Wales. Something has gone very wrong
They're passive, submissive, and too political. Some take the knee, some don't. They're not unified. They have huddles and factions. They don't have the live fans to shake them out of it.
Ditch the prima donnas. Ditch the politics. Ditch the egos. Focus on superb team unity and excellence, and the rugby.
Germany and France look set to approve the AstraZeneca Covid jab for the over 65s in a major U-turn aimed at speeding up their stuttering vaccine drives.
I bet these will be 75% of the full price, not 60% of the price.
The thing is going in will cost people several thousand quid extra a year, for basically nothing. They'll do it if they have to, but for employed WFH white collar workers they'll have less money than they do now:
The question of what to do with ex-leaders is a hardy perennial for political parties everywhere.
The Conservatives have John Major, William Hague, Iain Duncan-Smith, Michael Howard, David Cameron and Theresa May in their ex-leaders club and they have certainly played very different roles since ceasing to be leader whether in support of or criticising the current leadership.
Labour have Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn and that's not been problem-free either.
It's easier when the ex-leader never got to the top job but when you have a former Prime Minister and Cabinet colleague behind you (as Thatcher had with Heath and Johnson does with May), it's even more problematic as the former Prime Minister is able to bring their own gravitas to the subject.
So much depends on whether the party itself has moved on - seven years after her departure, Thatcher's endorsement of William Hague proved significant in 1997. She had a much longer shadow over the Party than Blair or Brown had on Labour.
Indeed, parties are often very quick to move on from some leaders as the mood of the party changes abruptly but in the case of the GOP let's not forget the wounds are still open and the body warm. In 1990, some Conservative associations threatened to deselect MPs who voted against Thatcher but a more pragmatic approach prevailed. Has the GOP got any sense of pragmatism or is ideological purity all that matters? In a sense, that's the difference between a party and a faction.
It's the same question all parties confront - what is the price of power?
Most ex PMs have in recent years had the quiet dignity to leave the political scene behind.
Sadly not Theresa May.
Theresa May does not have "gravitas". She is the definition of over-promotion.
The question of what to do with ex-leaders is a hardy perennial for political parties everywhere.
The Conservatives have John Major, William Hague, Iain Duncan-Smith, Michael Howard, David Cameron and Theresa May in their ex-leaders club and they have certainly played very different roles since ceasing to be leader whether in support of or criticising the current leadership.
Labour have Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn and that's not been problem-free either.
It's easier when the ex-leader never got to the top job but when you have a former Prime Minister and Cabinet colleague behind you (as Thatcher had with Heath and Johnson does with May), it's even more problematic as the former Prime Minister is able to bring their own gravitas to the subject.
So much depends on whether the party itself has moved on - seven years after her departure, Thatcher's endorsement of William Hague proved significant in 1997. She had a much longer shadow over the Party than Blair or Brown had on Labour.
Indeed, parties are often very quick to move on from some leaders as the mood of the party changes abruptly but in the case of the GOP let's not forget the wounds are still open and the body warm. In 1990, some Conservative associations threatened to deselect MPs who voted against Thatcher but a more pragmatic approach prevailed. Has the GOP got any sense of pragmatism or is ideological purity all that matters? In a sense, that's the difference between a party and a faction.
It's the same question all parties confront - what is the price of power?
Most ex PMs have in recent years had the quiet dignity to leave the political scene behind.
Sadly not Theresa May.
Theresa May does not have "gravitas". She is the definition of over-promotion.
Attlee, Eden, Heath And Cameron were the only post war UK PM's who failed to do what?
Remember to flush the Number 10 loo when they left?
It's just a little more mainstream and political than that....
Didn’t move to the House of Lords?
Think International Relations.
Didn't have a change of US President on their watch?
Correct, failed to serve opposite more than one US president.
While Eden especially didn't last long its amusing to have Attlee and Cameron on that short list considering they're relatively two of the longer serving postwar PMs. Also amusing that Cameron's and Attlee's length of tenure was less than a month apart.
And Brown, May and Callaghan got a change of President despite serving relatively short terms (and Boris got one very quickly too).
And Douglas-Home!
Without Googling it, I wonder how many have had two or more changes of POTUS? I don't think any have for decades as our longest serving PMs like Blair and Thatcher coincided with long serving Presidents.
The question of what to do with ex-leaders is a hardy perennial for political parties everywhere.
The Conservatives have John Major, William Hague, Iain Duncan-Smith, Michael Howard, David Cameron and Theresa May in their ex-leaders club and they have certainly played very different roles since ceasing to be leader whether in support of or criticising the current leadership.
Labour have Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn and that's not been problem-free either.
It's easier when the ex-leader never got to the top job but when you have a former Prime Minister and Cabinet colleague behind you (as Thatcher had with Heath and Johnson does with May), it's even more problematic as the former Prime Minister is able to bring their own gravitas to the subject.
So much depends on whether the party itself has moved on - seven years after her departure, Thatcher's endorsement of William Hague proved significant in 1997. She had a much longer shadow over the Party than Blair or Brown had on Labour.
Indeed, parties are often very quick to move on from some leaders as the mood of the party changes abruptly but in the case of the GOP let's not forget the wounds are still open and the body warm. In 1990, some Conservative associations threatened to deselect MPs who voted against Thatcher but a more pragmatic approach prevailed. Has the GOP got any sense of pragmatism or is ideological purity all that matters? In a sense, that's the difference between a party and a faction.
It's the same question all parties confront - what is the price of power?
Most ex PMs have in recent years had the quiet dignity to leave the political scene behind.
Sadly not Theresa May.
Theresa May does not have "gravitas". She is the definition of over-promotion.
The question of what to do with ex-leaders is a hardy perennial for political parties everywhere.
The Conservatives have John Major, William Hague, Iain Duncan-Smith, Michael Howard, David Cameron and Theresa May in their ex-leaders club and they have certainly played very different roles since ceasing to be leader whether in support of or criticising the current leadership.
Labour have Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn and that's not been problem-free either.
It's easier when the ex-leader never got to the top job but when you have a former Prime Minister and Cabinet colleague behind you (as Thatcher had with Heath and Johnson does with May), it's even more problematic as the former Prime Minister is able to bring their own gravitas to the subject.
So much depends on whether the party itself has moved on - seven years after her departure, Thatcher's endorsement of William Hague proved significant in 1997. She had a much longer shadow over the Party than Blair or Brown had on Labour.
Indeed, parties are often very quick to move on from some leaders as the mood of the party changes abruptly but in the case of the GOP let's not forget the wounds are still open and the body warm. In 1990, some Conservative associations threatened to deselect MPs who voted against Thatcher but a more pragmatic approach prevailed. Has the GOP got any sense of pragmatism or is ideological purity all that matters? In a sense, that's the difference between a party and a faction.
It's the same question all parties confront - what is the price of power?
Most ex PMs have in recent years had the quiet dignity to leave the political scene behind.
Sadly not Theresa May.
Theresa May does not have "gravitas". She is the definition of over-promotion.
I've got an hour to prepare 10 quiz questions again. Does anyone have any tidbits of questions to chuck my way? Think lowbrow (that's not deregatory to my friends, I apply the same designation to me).
'Which British celebrity told Picasso he couldn't draw and punched the Dalai Lama?'
Superb question. I'm not gonna Google.
*thinks*
Oliver Reed?
To help along if you have not already seen TSE's answer.
He told Picasso he couldn't draw when he was a child and the artist visited his father in Sheffield as part of a socialism conference. Picasso drew him a dove and he took issue at its depiction. Paul Robeson was also present but as far as I know he didn't insist he couldn't sing
When he was older he was a fairly successful boxer before becoming an actor. The Dalai Lama was and is a huge boxing fan and when he met him in India the Dalai Lama insisted they set up a ring and have a sparring match in the middle of the village.
HH Dalai Lama is a huge boxing fan? You do learn summat every day.
I think in the very long-term 50-60+ years £300 billion of debt is neither here nor there; it'll steadily be eroded by inflation and economic growth, and eventually paid back.
I'm much more interested in how the Government plan to close the new structural deficit in the budget by the mid-late 2020s (and, I think, so will be the markets) and their plans to stop this ever happening again.
Because there almost certainly will be a next time, and we can only do this once every 50 years (minimum).
Comments
https://www.dialarch.com/
https://nypost.com/2020/06/04/last-person-to-receive-pension-from-us-civil-war-dead-at-90/
Grandson of President John Tyler, Who Left Office in 1845, Dies at Age 95
Born 14 years after the nation’s founding, the tenth commander-in-chief still has one living grandson
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/grandson-10th-president-john-tyler-dies-180975992/
'Which British celebrity told Picasso he couldn't draw and punched the Dalai Lama?'
Which Premiership ground has hosted a cricket test match ?
Just a wild guess.
(Thank you Groucho Marx.)
https://twitter.com/naomirwolf/status/1365715622584279041
I don't think I've ever seen anything from her that wasn't certifiable. I'm surprised Twitter still have her on their platform.
Eddie Jones has over-coached them, or something. They lack confidence and pzazz. This is largely the team which nailed the All Blacks in the World Cup semis two seasons ago (and should have won the Cup). Now they can't beat Scotland or Wales. Something has gone very wrong
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9307509/Germany-France-AstraZeneca-jab-65s-major-U-turn.html
*thinks*
Oliver Reed?
They were brilliant at it two years back, offloading like they were lobbing satsumas to the kids on Christmas Day, now they kick kick kick
That's coaching. And it isn't working
2016:
Con +13%
Lab +5%
LibDem -8%
This would represent a swing of Lab to Con of 4% and of LibDem to Con of 11.5% and LibDem to Lab of 6.5%
2017:
Con +5%
Lab +8%
LibDems -11%
This would represent a swing of Con to Lab of 1.5% and of LibDem to Con of 8% and LibDem to Lab of 9.5%
Labour might have a bit to cheer as they mop up a few LibDem councillors, but don't look to be making net gains from the Tories, who will also be mopping up LibDems.
England are also missing the Manu tuilagi / Ben Te'o type player that can hit the line from centre and require 2-3 players to put them down. Slade is much lighter weight.
Rugby is different, as there is less to win (and Jones has won 6N and so on), but it still perturbed me. Might be true. England could be turning into France 2010-2020: great players, mediocre team
"‘You must be the hard man everyone’s talking about.’ Then he took a swing."
The Nobel Winner "was without doubt a great dramatist — the heaviest of them all — but his punches were more Gilbert & Sullivan. I dodged a couple, then let go a quick left hook, which sent him tumbling backwards."
Labour will make gains from the Tories in the county elections but maybe less so in the districts
Always popular to tax somebody else
You can see the sunflowers from his bedroom. Indeed, you can go in the garden and snaffle a couple of the sunflower seeds, and then take them home, and plant them. And grow a Van Gogh sunflower. That's what we did.
Picasso was a brilliant draughtsman. He could draw before he could speak - literally: his first spoken words were, "piz! piz!" = "pencil! pencil!"
He told Picasso he couldn't draw when he was a child and the artist visited his father in Sheffield as part of a socialism conference. Picasso drew him a dove and he took issue at its depiction. Paul Robeson was also present but as far as I know he didn't insist he couldn't sing
When he was older he was a fairly successful boxer before becoming an actor. The Dalai Lama was and is a huge boxing fan and when he met him in India the Dalai Lama insisted they set up a ring and have a sparring match in the middle of the village.
Brilliant story and a brilliant story teller.
You do learn summat every day.
We threw that away by not giving them self-governance fast enough.
And Douglas-Home!
Biden and Keith are no Trump and Jezza replacement for entertainment factor.
At least we have Boris.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9307509/Germany-France-AstraZeneca-jab-65s-major-U-turn.html
Boris has parked his bus on Labour’s lawn whilst delivering what is probably the most successful vaccination rollout in the world.
I can’t see where Labour go from here?
Ditch the prima donnas. Ditch the politics. Ditch the egos. Focus on superb team unity and excellence, and the rugby.
Just the rugby.
The thing is going in will cost people several thousand quid extra a year, for basically nothing. They'll do it if they have to, but for employed WFH white collar workers they'll have less money than they do now:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/02/27/exclusive-flexible-rail-season-tickets-plan-tempt-commuters/
It wouldn't surprise me if Boris outlasts Biden.
https://twitter.com/DMRegister/status/1365441615700123655
I'm much more interested in how the Government plan to close the new structural deficit in the budget by the mid-late 2020s (and, I think, so will be the markets) and their plans to stop this ever happening again.
Because there almost certainly will be a next time, and we can only do this once every 50 years (minimum).