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My last bet was stupid – Win or lose – politicalbetting.com
My last bet was stupid – Win or lose – politicalbetting.com
Last week I wrote about the Olympic medal markets, and why I had bet on the USA to get under 111 and 113 medals with two bookies. This was stupid. I placed the bet for the wrong reasons and went beyond my Circle of Competence.
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blogtwittersubstack.It's back. It's almost as if the last 18 months never happened. Genuinely think that nothing can break us. London will always prevail where other places won't.
It's legitimately everything I remember from two years ago with the same sad haters who believe no one ever really wants to leave their house after 9pm. I think there's a pretty big correlation between those saddos and the people who think permanent remote working is how we'll all live forever.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-58021718.amp
For all the money pumped into athletics that is very poor.
But on paper, this year, Elliot Giles and Oliver Dustin should have been competitive, and should have made the final. Not sure what went wrong with Dustin. Earlier this year he had a drug scare when a reported positive for cocaine turned out to be due to cross-contamination.
Although not as strong as previous, normally Brits always have competitive sprinters in 100m and 200m, where we expect at least a finalist in both at these Olympics and also had good 400m athletes over recent past.
- New cases: 2,280
- Average: 1,909 (+184)
- In hospital: 304 (+41)
- In ICU: 30 (-2)
- New deaths: 3
Population vaccinated:
- 1st dose: 62.19% (+0.05)
- 2nd dose: 57.76% (+0.18)
- 3rd dose: 0.02% (+0.00002)
A few years ago, when Channel 4 used to show this sort of thing in the early mornings, they covered a triathlon race. The lead woman ran into the transition area after the bike stage ... and could not find her bag. The other competitors streamed in as she searched. After a couple of minutes she found it, hooked her bike up and changed shoes.
Except you have to leave all your kit within lines on the floor (to avoid interrupting anyone else's changing routine), and her shoes were all over the place. So she got a penalty.
Heartbreaking and hilarious at the same time ...
…Government scientists set out three scenarios in which coronavirus could evolve to become more dangerous, with experts branding the chance of gradual changes in the illness eventually making vaccines fail ‘almost inevitable’.
…‘The consequence could be a virus that causes disease at a level similar to Covid-19 when it first emerged but against which our current battery of spike glycoprotein-based vaccines would not work.’
… Dr Philippa Whitford MP [SNP], Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vaccines for All said: ‘This report, which should have sent shock waves through the UK Government, was instead quietly snuck out among a glut of reports during parliamentary recess.
https://metro.co.uk/2021/07/30/sage-experts-almost-certain-new-variants-will-eventually-beat-vaccines-15017199/amp/
Latin will be taught in state schools to end its ‘elitist’ status
Officials believe subject will help pupils learn modern foreign languages and could bring improvements in English and maths
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/07/30/latin-will-taught-state-schools-end-elitist-status/ (£££)
To be fair to the Metro, if you read the whole piece it's not so alarming as selective editing can make it sound. The scenario of 'gradual vaccine escape' is viewed as the most probable means by which a problem variant could arise, but is "...unlikely for some time – meaning booster jabs, new treatments and other preparations could mitigate the impact.
Well, booster jabs are being planned for, new treatments and tweaked vaccines are being worked on, donations to developing countries have begun, the UK Government has offered a seemingly valid rationale for why it is not sensible to keep applying lockdown measures forever (one which has been largely accepted by all the devolved administrations to boot,) and it's currently following JCVI advice - backed by, amongst other people, the originator of the Oxford vaccine - on not pursuing blanket vaccination of teenagers. As far as I can see, the only real bone of contention is, therefore, the extent to which we should adopt Australian-style border restrictions.
The UK Government is not particularly good, but in this particular instance I'm not sure to what extent Dr Whitford has legitimate cause for complaint, as opposed merely to wanting to indulge in the usual 'Westminster is the root of all evil' point-scoring. Besides anything else, the statement that the Government 'quietly snuck out' this report during recess is factually incorrect. The schedule for publication of this report was dictated by when SAGE held its most recent meeting to discuss it, and not by the UK Government or the Parliamentary timetable. The Commons rose on July 22nd; SAGE meeting 94 was held the same day. Details here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/long-term-evolution-of-sars-cov-2-26-july-2021
In which case…. Duhrrrrrr….
Every so often, as I recall, there's some sort of justification for the teaching of Latin. Last time it was because it developed skills which were useful in computer programming.
And Good Morning one and all. Trust all goes well for Big G's festivities today.
As I've said before, now that community transmission there is well-established, Sydney could be stuck in lockdown until Australia is somewhere close to where we are in terms of vaccination levels. That might take until next year.
Sydney (2,2,2):
Gold:
Denise Lewis, Heptathlon
Jonathan Edwards, Triple Jump
Silver:
Darren Campbell, 200m
Steve Backley, Javelin
Bronze:
Katharine Merry, 400m
Kelly Holmes, 800m
Athens (3,0,1):
Gold:
Kelly Holmes, 800m & 1500m
Men's 4x100m relay
Silver:
None
Bronze:
Kelly Sotherton, Heptathlon
Beijing (1,2,5):
Gold:
Christine Ohuruogu, 400m
Silver:
Phillips Idowu, Triple Jump
Germaine Mason, High Jump
Bronze:
Men's 4x400m relay
Women's 4x400m relay
Tasha Danvers, 400m hurdles
Goldie Sayers, Javelin
Kelly Sotherton, Heptathlon
London (3,1,1):
Gold:
Mo Farah, 5,000m & 10,000m
Greg Rutherford, Long Jump
Jessica Ennis, Heptathlon
Silver:
Christine Ohuruogu, 400m
Bronze:
Robbie Grabarz, High Jump
Rio de Janeiro (2,1,4):
Gold:
Mo Farah, 5,000m & 10,000m
Silver:
Jessica Ennis-Hill, Heptathlon
Bronze:
Women's 4x100m relay
Women's 4x400m relay
Greg Rutherford, Long Jump
Sophie Hitchon, Hammer
In short, there have been only two British medallists at any distance over 400m this century, even if they so happened to be exceptional ones.
And thank you for your kind comments
And at least the forecast here is for a dry day after yesterday deluge
All the best to you and your family, Mr BG!
Even probably!
In any event, why not look for evidence before committing resources? If it helps, great; if not, well, there's a case for learning classics and classical civilisation as the heart of European history anyway but let that case be made.
AIUI there's some evidence, but patchy. If it was general and undeniable, wouldn't we have dozens of tri- and quadri- lingual graduates of Asian origin in, for example the Foreign Office?
Or is that too simplistic? Apply only to 'similar' languages?
Mr. D, the romance languages are similar to Latin, surely?
It’s also very useful in many fields of archaeology which is a very important subject that in this country is dying on its feet.
I have misgivings however about where he will find the teachers. It’s not just whether they’re qualified, it’s how they could cope in a state school. Albeit several older languages teachers of my acquaintance do know at least some Latin.
Incidentally on the subject of multi-talented people, nobody mentioned Tom Lehrer - author, composer, satirist, concert pianist, rocket scientist and mathematics professor.
Or indeed Victor Borge - singer, composer, linguist, pianist, comedian and chicken farmer.
I can see how Latin might help with Science given how many scientific names derive from Latin and give an idea of their purpose as a result. But I would have thought if any classical language was useful for maths and by extension ICT it would be Greek, not Latin.
My honeymoon to my late wife was in July 1980. We honeymooned in Cornwall based at Lostwithiel. It was Wimbledon finals the 5th to be precise and we set off full of hope in bright sunshine in her lovely little MGB GT. We arrived in Cornwall and it started to rain. The windscreen wipers failed. We had to go to Bodmin to get it fixed. It rained almost ceaselessly for two weeks... wonderful company, shame about the weather!
I’m not sure what the relative times are like, but I’d have thought you’d want a man to do the butterfly leg (which is what we did), and then it’s a toss up for the rest. Obviously we went Peaty on breaststroke and he delivered as usual.
I made exactly the same mistake in the Euros; I lost over £100 betting on (and laying) England all at the wrong time because I thought I knew more about football betting than the average punter.
"Variants arising with increased transmissibility but decreased pathogenesis/virulence as the virus becomes fully adapted to the human host becoming an endemic infection. Coupled with the likelihood of eventual high populations immunity the infection produces less disease. In other words, this virus will become like other human CoV that causes common colds, but with much less severe disease predominantly in the old or clinically vulnerable.
Likelihood: Unlikely in the short term, realistic possibility in the long term."
What was also interesting and mentioned on the BBC was the way not all our gold medallist swimmers met the stereotypical build: tall with a huge "wing span".
The likely mode of accident here is truck driver not seeing cyclist. Sitelines are excellent if you look, and there are not really any opportunities for a cyclist to lose control. On that assumption...
This is the entrance. The bunches of flowers are on that lamppost. On Google Farmwell Lane finds it. The entrance is to an Aloga UK warehouse (AP6).
This is the wider satellite view. The road has a 30mph limit. Normal speed for artics yesterday was 40mph, and I observed a Stobart lorry overtaking another one, the slower one doing 40. Timed from my car speedo. It is a large estate with perhaps 1500-2500 employee movements per day along that road at that point. Plus artics. The shopping centre is Macarthur Glen M1J28.
This is the close up on the junction, and the separate cycle track is on that side, up a kerb. 2.4m wide estd.
The junction is poorly designed as anyone on a bike has to look directly behind over their right shoulder to see the entrance, immediately after looking directly behind over their left should shoulder to see the approach road. At the same time. Whilst going round a corner to the left. Then doing a right angle turn on textured paving sloping to the right. This was built a couple of years ago.
The correct design here is a cycle track swept away from the junction which approaches the road at right angles so that people on bikes can see both ways without looking backwards and being off balance or turning a corner. Perhaps crossing the entrance on a raised platform.
Alternatively make the cycle track straight across the entrance on a raised platform at track level so the lorry has to stop, and know he does not have priority.
Plus appropriate signage. And make the curve more difficult for the artic.
Would the Highway Code changes have helped. I'd say probably through informing road design over time.
Plus you get the job skills for when you become a Cardinal
My knowledge of maths extends to trolling the maths teachers at my school by putting up 2+2=5 on the whiteboards before maths lessons. I couldn’t personally see a link but I thought there might be one for Greek. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong.
Whereas in the Euro2020/1 football, we are not taking on the average punter but syndicates who bet in millions on England games and have very likely considered (and reasonably weighted) most angles. There is still some value around on who will win those games but it is rarely obvious or quick to find.
What the thing needed was a decent cycle track to all the units, away from the road, which also provided access to MacArthur Glen (3m visitors a year, cycle space about 4, very difficult to cycle to).
Health & Exercise, Cooking & Nutrition, Relationships, Money, Mind & Body, "How to use tech to enhance life as opposed to let it become life" (Can't think of a word for this at the moment but it is important in an age where tech companies increasingly exploit and control us).
Anyone coming up with Latin is doing this for nostalgia only, fortunately it will fail as will resonate only with Tory public school oldies, and be laughed out by the crucial Tory red wall oldies.
PS I can make that 2+ 2 = 5 work for you with a bit of thought.
My 2+2=5 is as follows:
2.49+2.49=4.98
Round all of them to the nearest whole number.
Amuses the children no end.
If there’s a proper way of doing it I’d be interested to hear it.
1 Xander Schauffele -14
2 Hideki Matsuyama -13
3= Paul Casey -12
3= Carolos Ortiz -12
Especially for patriotic Casey backers, and "local hero" Matsuyama punters, there is the question whether to take profits now or let bets run and hope for the gold (and that none of the others improve past them in the final round) tonight.
Gareth is the last of our three children to marry though he has been with his partner for 12 years and have two wonderful children
I am not saying that there are not more useful subjects but there have been studies in the US where it was found that those who studied Latin did better in other subjects although I always wondered about the correlative effects there.
The question of where to find the Latin teachers is definitely pertinent. When I left school over 40 years ago all of my classics teachers were older than I am now.