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My last bet was stupid – Win or lose – politicalbetting.com

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  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 51,821
    You can tell TSE didn't go to grammar school, if only because his threads are usually riddled with grammatical mistakes.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,632
    edited July 2021

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 51,821

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    The A40/M40 goes to Cambridge? I think you meant the M11!
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,220

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    It may have improved now, but given the state of the A428, M40/M25/A1(M)/A10 isn't that stupid a route.
  • YoungTurkYoungTurk Posts: 158

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.
    Is that an Oxford Brookes comma?

  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,431
    O/t but.
    According to a Sky newsflash on my phone a 'US electric vehicle maker, backed by Amazon and Ford, is in talks about building a giant factory in UK.'
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,285
    pigeon said:

    kle4 said:

    I learnt almost nothing in English. Far more useful info on language structure etc was learnt from French and German lessons. The English lessons I had could've been entirely replaced at no detriment to my education.

    I cannot actually recall now what I did in English language GCSE as opposed to the English literature one.

    I presume i learned something, but it's one of those areas I feel being an avid reader as a child helped more than anything else.
    Now you mention it, I think my experience was exactly the same. Even though it was a very long time ago and I have an appalling memory, I can still just about recall one or two of the works I studied in English Lit - but I've not a clue what I did in English Lang or what point, if any, there was to it.
    You probably practiced writing and speaking in different styles and contexts until it became automatic. This should have helped you to communicate effectively in writing, firstly in exams, then in the wider world.

    Most people can’t remember learning the really basic things they use everyday: I can’t remember leading to read for instance, just vague memories of the reading book scheme that I had to work though before I was let loose on the “real” books.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,632

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    The A40/M40 goes to Cambridge? I think you meant the M11!
    Does the M11 come out directly from Oxford?

    It didn't when I was a student.
  • Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 8,377
    kle4 said:

    I do enjoy these mixed sex events, good spectacle, but it did make me wonder if they would be even more weighted to big, rich nations than other events, due to it being easier to find 4 pretty good participants to be involved, when individually anyone good enough might get through for their nation.

    Given the linguistic discussion on here, the ambiguity of saying you 'enjoy these mixed sex events' may be a bit risque.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,896

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    The A40/M40 goes to Cambridge? I think you meant the M11!
    Exactly. You'd have to be lost to get the A40/M40 from anywhere. The M11 goes from London to Newmarket Cambridge. No other motorways are needed, although the M25 serves as a defensive moat for the capital.
  • Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 8,377

    O/t but.
    According to a Sky newsflash on my phone a 'US electric vehicle maker, backed by Amazon and Ford, is in talks about building a giant factory in UK.'

    I don't think we have a shortage of giants, do we?
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,896
    edited July 2021
    Never mind Latin. What about teaching the noble art? This from Steve Bunce on the BBC's Olympics running blog thing:-

    You have to feel for Luke McCormack.

    10 years. Youth European. Youth world championships. Full world championships. Full European. Olympic qualifiers.

    Maybe 20 major events - I doubt he's had a boxing lesson like this. Even when he's lost, that's what's probably shocking him. That's what he can't work out. At 26, he can't work out why he can't get near this guy after all these years.

    That's the class, and that's the gap in class, that the Cubans build in their centre of excellence in Havana.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/olympics/50974149
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,285

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,220

    On Latin. The revival of Latin in state schools has often been debated. Indeed, the then Mayor of London had a similar proposal in 2010, which came to nothing:

    https://citywire.co.uk/funds-insider/news/is-boris-johnson-right-should-more-state-school-children-learn-latin/a388437

    The last sentence of the article linked to does presage the future:

    Or is Boris Johnson a barking mad posh idiot with little or no connection to the real world?

    Gavin's proposal is very modest, if one reads the (grammatically flawed) small print:

    ...the Latin Excellence Programme will be led by a centre of excellence, which will work with up to 40 schools to develop teacher training resources and lesson materials for 11-16 year-olds. Once developed, the programme will support schools over four years from 2022 to 2026, which will be evaluated for future years.

    It's enough to keep the boss happy, which is all that matters.

    But the standard question to ask whenever anyone suggests adding something to the school curriculum is relevant here;

    What should be cut from the he timetable to allow this important new thing to be taught?

    (One of the smart hacks some super successful free schools have used is to pretty much scrap options at GCSE and align virtually every lesson from Y7 with a GCSE subject.)
  • DougSealDougSeal Posts: 12,541

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    Thought you were a Cameron fan?
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,632
    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,525
    Nigelb said:

    MaxPB said:

    Report from London's night life.

    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.

    Each to their own, Max.
    Some of us introverts are quite happy with it.
    As an aside, why are there no decent breakfast places open in parts of London before 9am ?
    That is sad.
    Yes, it's really great that you're having fun, Max, but no need to diss everyone else. I prefer working from home. I also like the occasional late night out, and when I was younger would enjoy them a lot. Half the problems of humanity come from attempts to divide us into neat categories and sneer at the other half.

    Thanks to quincel for the humble header - very good points. Of course, a problem arises from knowing what you're not good at. I won a couple of large Omaha (poker) online tournaments a couple of months ago after making a serious effort to concentrate on them, and decided this meant I was a genius at Omaha. Subsequent results show exactly the opposite...
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,431

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    The A40/M40 goes to Cambridge? I think you meant the M11!
    Exactly. You'd have to be lost to get the A40/M40 from anywhere. The M11 goes from London to Newmarket Cambridge. No other motorways are needed, although the M25 serves as a defensive moat for the capital.
    Looked at the map. Almost looks better, if one wants to avoid the M25 (and why not, if possible) to go from Oxford towards Buckingham, then Northampton and go along the A14 to Cambridge.
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    geoffw said:

    Is Latin useful? A colleague once told me he met a group of Polish monks visiting Rome who had their money stolen. Not speaking Italian they sought help from passers by, saying in Latin "non habemos pecuniam". This was met by blank expressions until they met my colleague linguist with his Irish-Catholic background and sure-footed knowledge of Latin.

    My Dad once hitched a lift across Spain on the back of a motor scooter driven by a Roman Catholic priest. Latin was the only way they could communicate with each other
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,632
    DougSeal said:

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    Thought you were a Cameron fan?
    I am, always was, always will be.

    This was a bit of a dramatic flourish and avoid ending up with a what have the Romans ever done for us moment?

    For the record, Dave, George, and the blessed Margaret were awesome despite their unfortunate educational upbringing.

    Though Thatcher saw the error of her ways.

    https://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/archives/collections/thatcher-papers/
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    Greenland just lost a massive amount of ice

    With climate change fueling high temperatures across the Arctic, Greenland lost a massive amount of ice on Wednesday with enough melting to cover the U.S. state of Florida in two inches of water, scientists said.

    https://mobile.reuters.com/video/watch/greenland-just-lost-a-massive-amount-of-id733572276?chan=8gwsyvzx
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,208

    Gavin Williamson thinks teaching Latin will improve maths and modern foreign language learning (and by coincidence, Boris is a keen classicist so that would be a reason to keep Williamson on).

    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/ (£££)

    ad kalendas Graecas.

    Like everything else to do with Gavin Williamson.
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    kle4 said:

    Memo to Gavin Williamson, can you please spend extra money to teach kids how to use apostrophes (correctly).

    My use of the apostrophe is generally very good. However when using my Chinese phone, auto correct adds apostrophes to pretty well anything ending in an s, or where there is a double l present. Without fail "ill" becomes "I'll". Infact I have just had to recorrect "I'll" back to "ill". (twice).
    That's all phones. Autocorrect/predictive text is the bane* of my existence.

    *Because I have dealings with a firm called Bain and I also have a friend with the surname Bain, autocorrect often changes bane to Bain.
    Isnt that the company Mitt Romney worked for?
    Not only worked for but founded.
    Mitt founded Bain Capital as a spin off from Bain Consulting. I assume you deal with Bain Consulting rather than Capital?
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,285

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    pigeon said:

    Gavin Williamson thinks teaching Latin will improve maths and modern foreign language learning (and by coincidence, Boris is a keen classicist so that would be a reason to keep Williamson on).

    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/ (£££)

    Fascinating. I wonder where he plans on finding all these Latin teachers?
    We have a small classics department. Latin is reasonably popular in KS3, but few pick it for GCSE and even fewer for A-level.

    Latin teachers might be easier to find than you think: there are a surprising number of classics graduates teaching something else in schools: our first IT teacher was a classicist.

    As to how learning Latin and/or Greek would help with otter subjects: a significant number of scientific (and other technical) terms are derived from those two languages, so a basic knowledge of them can help understand what is going on a bit. Physics and (even more) maths also use a large chunk of the Greek alphabet as symbols so being able to recognise those symbols as letters is always useful. For this reason Latin (and possibly a bit of Greek) are more useful than you might think, given that nobody speaks Latin any more, and modern Greek is as closely related to Ancient Greek as the language I’m using here is to the one Chaucer used.
    Otter subjects I guess are English Lit? Ring of Bright Water and so forth?
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,811
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/010676fc-f13d-11eb-8f01-2c678acbb979?shareToken=c6d8fbde166ed1efe466670d4b16f60b

    Interesting look at the UK rowing failure. Feel like it's going to be a barren few cycles for our rowing team, hopefully it won't spread to other sports or we face pre-2020 levels of Olympic and sports failure as a nation.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Charles said:

    pigeon said:

    Gavin Williamson thinks teaching Latin will improve maths and modern foreign language learning (and by coincidence, Boris is a keen classicist so that would be a reason to keep Williamson on).

    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/ (£££)

    Fascinating. I wonder where he plans on finding all these Latin teachers?
    We have a small classics department. Latin is reasonably popular in KS3, but few pick it for GCSE and even fewer for A-level.

    Latin teachers might be easier to find than you think: there are a surprising number of classics graduates teaching something else in schools: our first IT teacher was a classicist.

    As to how learning Latin and/or Greek would help with otter subjects: a significant number of scientific (and other technical) terms are derived from those two languages, so a basic knowledge of them can help understand what is going on a bit. Physics and (even more) maths also use a large chunk of the Greek alphabet as symbols so being able to recognise those symbols as letters is always useful. For this reason Latin (and possibly a bit of Greek) are more useful than you might think, given that nobody speaks Latin any more, and modern Greek is as closely related to Ancient Greek as the language I’m using here is to the one Chaucer used.
    Otter subjects I guess are English Lit? Ring of Bright Water and so forth?
    No need for Tarkasm, Charles.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,431

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
    Apple gives 2 & 1/2 hours via the A421.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,632
    Charles said:

    kle4 said:

    Memo to Gavin Williamson, can you please spend extra money to teach kids how to use apostrophes (correctly).

    My use of the apostrophe is generally very good. However when using my Chinese phone, auto correct adds apostrophes to pretty well anything ending in an s, or where there is a double l present. Without fail "ill" becomes "I'll". Infact I have just had to recorrect "I'll" back to "ill". (twice).
    That's all phones. Autocorrect/predictive text is the bane* of my existence.

    *Because I have dealings with a firm called Bain and I also have a friend with the surname Bain, autocorrect often changes bane to Bain.
    Isnt that the company Mitt Romney worked for?
    Not only worked for but founded.
    Mitt founded Bain Capital as a spin off from Bain Consulting. I assume you deal with Bain Consulting rather than Capital?
    Capital mostly.

    Most recently on the LV deal.

    Ours was only a peripheral role.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Charles said:

    Mr. Eagles, you're being naughty and you know it.

    No, honestly reading Catullus 16 will get teenagers hooked on Latin.
    Although Wikipedia’s parsing of the precise entomology of the words always makes me chuckle
    "Entomology"?
  • DougSealDougSeal Posts: 12,541

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
    Apple gives 2 & 1/2 hours via the A421.
    *Opens PB*

    *Sees detailed discussion of how different online maps route Oxford to Cambridge*

    *Closes PB*
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    It’s not. “En route” would have been correct but not “towards”
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,431
    DougSeal said:

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
    Apple gives 2 & 1/2 hours via the A421.
    *Opens PB*

    *Sees detailed discussion of how different online maps route Oxford to Cambridge*

    *Closes PB*
    LOL!!!

    It was the English Language syllabus over the years earlier! Would that have been more to your taste?
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,632
    DougSeal said:

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
    Apple gives 2 & 1/2 hours via the A421.
    *Opens PB*

    *Sees detailed discussion of how different online maps route Oxford to Cambridge*

    *Closes PB*
    Keep your energy and focus for tomorrow.

    Tomorrow afternoon’s thread is about Scottish independence.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,361
    edited July 2021

    O/t but.
    According to a Sky newsflash on my phone a 'US electric vehicle maker, backed by Amazon and Ford, is in talks about building a giant factory in UK.'

    I don't think we have a shortage of giants, do we?
    Angel of the North, the bloke with his todger on the side of a hill, not thinking of many more.
  • YoungTurkYoungTurk Posts: 158
    Charles said:

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    It’s not. “En route” would have been correct but not “towards”
    If Mary Wakefield could "emerge into London lockdown" from hundreds of miles away, then when in Oxford why not just cross Magdalen Bridge to Cambridge?
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    IshmaelZ said:

    Charles said:

    Mr. Eagles, you're being naughty and you know it.

    No, honestly reading Catullus 16 will get teenagers hooked on Latin.
    Although Wikipedia’s parsing of the precise entomology of the words always makes me chuckle
    "Entomology"?
    Autocorrect… etymology obviously
  • TresTres Posts: 2,696

    DougSeal said:

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
    Apple gives 2 & 1/2 hours via the A421.
    *Opens PB*

    *Sees detailed discussion of how different online maps route Oxford to Cambridge*

    *Closes PB*
    Keep your energy and focus for tomorrow.

    Tomorrow afternoon’s thread is about Scottish independence.
    Seeing Limmy's reaction video to Radio 4's review of his memoir I think is a new and compelling argument for independence.
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,175
    I’m going to Lord’s on 12 August and there’s no vaccine passport and no need to test negative for COVID. God bless the MCC.
  • AslanAslan Posts: 1,673

    DougSeal said:

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    Thought you were a Cameron fan?
    I am, always was, always will be.

    This was a bit of a dramatic flourish and avoid ending up with a what have the Romans ever done for us moment?

    For the record, Dave, George, and the blessed Margaret were awesome despite their unfortunate educational upbringing.

    Though Thatcher saw the error of her ways.

    https://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/archives/collections/thatcher-papers/
    Things Cameron got right:

    - Gay marriage
    - Free schools

    Things Cameron got wrong:

    - Scrapping the "green crap"
    - Managing the EU
    - Austerity too soon
    - Sucking up to China
    - Embracing Modi
    - Arms sales to the Gulf
    - Cutting the value of universal credit
    - Reorganizing the NHS
    - Libya
    - Windrush scandal
  • AslanAslan Posts: 1,673

    O/t but.
    According to a Sky newsflash on my phone a 'US electric vehicle maker, backed by Amazon and Ford, is in talks about building a giant factory in UK.'

    I don't think we have a shortage of giants, do we?
    Angel of the North, the bloke with his todger on the side of a hill, not thinking of many more.
    The BFG is clearly from the Westcountry.
  • AslanAslan Posts: 1,673

    Steven Swinford
    @Steven_Swinford
    ·
    1h
    Exclusive:

    Cabinet revolt over vaccine passports intensifies

    Ministers warn that policy will deny people their basic freedoms

    'This is the kind of thing that Dominic Cummings would endorse. It’s not who we are'

    It is a sensible temporary measure and a horrific permanent measure.
  • pigeonpigeon Posts: 4,839
    edited July 2021

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    On choosing between Oxford and Cambridge:
    Returning to the UK after my time in India, I went up to Oxford for my natural sciences degree. During my time there, I did little work. I am not proud of this but it was the student culture at the time. So I didn’t do very well in my final exams. I had to be interviewed by the examiners to determine my final grade. I told them that if they gave me a first, I would go to Cambridge to do research. If I only got a second, I would stay in Oxford. They gave me a first.

    Stephen Hawking
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,431
    edited July 2021
    This deserves congratulating.. From the Guardian sports site.

    'when Fiji beat Great Britain 21-12 they became the first women from Fiji to take home a chunk of Olympic metal. They also took a knee on the podium while receiving their medals to support Black Lives Matter.

    “This team had zero funding and had to use second hand kit and equipment for their training,” a correspondent from Fiji tells me. “They haven’t seen their families for months.They really deserved this.”'
  • DougSealDougSeal Posts: 12,541
    Late 90s U.K. pop sensation Craig David is part of the Team GB archery backroom team. He’s the bow selector.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,361

    Greenland just lost a massive amount of ice

    With climate change fueling high temperatures across the Arctic, Greenland lost a massive amount of ice on Wednesday with enough melting to cover the U.S. state of Florida in two inches of water, scientists said.

    https://mobile.reuters.com/video/watch/greenland-just-lost-a-massive-amount-of-id733572276?chan=8gwsyvzx

    The area of Florida is roughly a 30th of one percent of the area of the Earth, so it's pretty good as a unit of measurement for this sort of thing.

    They'd have had more than a foot of water if they'd constrained it to Wales, which is roughly four thousandths of a percent of the area of the Earth.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 122,921

    DougSeal said:

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
    Apple gives 2 & 1/2 hours via the A421.
    *Opens PB*

    *Sees detailed discussion of how different online maps route Oxford to Cambridge*

    *Closes PB*
    Keep your energy and focus for tomorrow.

    Tomorrow afternoon’s thread is about Scottish independence.
    Irrelevant as long as we have a Tory government as it will refuse indyref2 and Sturgeon has ruled out UDI
  • pigeonpigeon Posts: 4,839

    DougSeal said:

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
    Apple gives 2 & 1/2 hours via the A421.
    *Opens PB*

    *Sees detailed discussion of how different online maps route Oxford to Cambridge*

    *Closes PB*
    Keep your energy and focus for tomorrow.

    Tomorrow afternoon’s thread is about Scottish independence.
    Why?! It never ends well.
  • DougSealDougSeal Posts: 12,541
    HYUFD said:

    DougSeal said:

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
    Apple gives 2 & 1/2 hours via the A421.
    *Opens PB*

    *Sees detailed discussion of how different online maps route Oxford to Cambridge*

    *Closes PB*
    Keep your energy and focus for tomorrow.

    Tomorrow afternoon’s thread is about Scottish independence.
    Irrelevant as long as we have a Tory government as it will refuse indyref2 and Sturgeon has ruled out UDI
    Do you have those words saved somewhere so you can repost them more quickly?
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,811
    Hope Dina Asher-Smith makes it through to the final if the 100m but it's the 200m she's best at right?
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,431
    HYUFD said:

    DougSeal said:

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
    Apple gives 2 & 1/2 hours via the A421.
    *Opens PB*

    *Sees detailed discussion of how different online maps route Oxford to Cambridge*

    *Closes PB*
    Keep your energy and focus for tomorrow.

    Tomorrow afternoon’s thread is about Scottish independence.
    Irrelevant as long as we have a Tory government as it will refuse indyref2 and Sturgeon has ruled out UDI
    But as we'll have a Lab/SNP government after the next election, might it not be appropriate?
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,175
    MaxPB said:

    Hope Dina Asher-Smith makes it through to the final if the 100m but it's the 200m she's best at right?

    The way she struggled at the end of that race doesn’t bode well for the 200m. Expect her odds for SPoTY to drift further.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,361
    DougSeal said:

    HYUFD said:

    DougSeal said:

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
    Apple gives 2 & 1/2 hours via the A421.
    *Opens PB*

    *Sees detailed discussion of how different online maps route Oxford to Cambridge*

    *Closes PB*
    Keep your energy and focus for tomorrow.

    Tomorrow afternoon’s thread is about Scottish independence.
    Irrelevant as long as we have a Tory government as it will refuse indyref2 and Sturgeon has ruled out UDI
    Do you have those words saved somewhere so you can repost them more quickly?
    It's an autocorrect rule.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 122,921

    Gavin Williamson thinks teaching Latin will improve maths and modern foreign language learning (and by coincidence, Boris is a keen classicist so that would be a reason to keep Williamson on).

    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/ (£££)

    Excellent, restoring a subject of intellectual rigour and which is the foundation for most European languages
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 122,921

    HYUFD said:

    DougSeal said:

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
    Apple gives 2 & 1/2 hours via the A421.
    *Opens PB*

    *Sees detailed discussion of how different online maps route Oxford to Cambridge*

    *Closes PB*
    Keep your energy and focus for tomorrow.

    Tomorrow afternoon’s thread is about Scottish independence.
    Irrelevant as long as we have a Tory government as it will refuse indyref2 and Sturgeon has ruled out UDI
    But as we'll have a Lab/SNP government after the next election, might it not be appropriate?
    If we have a Labour minority government reliant on the SNP after the next general election which leads to PM Starmer promising indyref2 plus devomax it might be relevant, until 2023/24 it is not
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,782
    Aslan said:

    DougSeal said:

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    Thought you were a Cameron fan?
    I am, always was, always will be.

    This was a bit of a dramatic flourish and avoid ending up with a what have the Romans ever done for us moment?

    For the record, Dave, George, and the blessed Margaret were awesome despite their unfortunate educational upbringing.

    Though Thatcher saw the error of her ways.

    https://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/archives/collections/thatcher-papers/
    Things Cameron got right:

    - Gay marriage
    - Free schools

    Things Cameron got wrong:

    - Scrapping the "green crap"
    - Managing the EU
    - Austerity too soon
    - Sucking up to China
    - Embracing Modi
    - Arms sales to the Gulf
    - Cutting the value of universal credit
    - Reorganizing the NHS
    - Libya
    - Windrush scandal
    He also called Dominic Cummings a career psychopath, if I remember correctly. So you can enter that in the "got it right" column.
  • TresTres Posts: 2,696
    HYUFD said:

    Gavin Williamson thinks teaching Latin will improve maths and modern foreign language learning (and by coincidence, Boris is a keen classicist so that would be a reason to keep Williamson on).

    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/ (£££)

    Excellent, restoring a subject of intellectual rigour and which is the foundation for most European languages
    Actually teaching modern foreign languages would be of more benefit. Typical Tory party obsessed with looking backwards rather than forwards.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,811
    tlg86 said:

    MaxPB said:

    Hope Dina Asher-Smith makes it through to the final if the 100m but it's the 200m she's best at right?

    The way she struggled at the end of that race doesn’t bode well for the 200m. Expect her odds for SPoTY to drift further.
    Different kind of race.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,094
    DougSeal said:

    HYUFD said:

    DougSeal said:

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
    Apple gives 2 & 1/2 hours via the A421.
    *Opens PB*

    *Sees detailed discussion of how different online maps route Oxford to Cambridge*

    *Closes PB*
    Keep your energy and focus for tomorrow.

    Tomorrow afternoon’s thread is about Scottish independence.
    Irrelevant as long as we have a Tory government as it will refuse indyref2 and Sturgeon has ruled out UDI
    Do you have those words saved somewhere so you can repost them more quickly?
    I think he has it as a macro
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,789
    Mr. kle4, in the dim and distant past, I had macros for my MUD character(s) for more effective combat.

    Back before fancy 'graphics' became all the rage.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    Most recent CO-CIN report to SAGE demonstrates really well why occupancy isn't rising as fast as did before.

    By day 5 around 50% of all patients were discharged (pic 1)

    In March patients discharged within 10 days never fell below ~60% (pic 2)


    https://twitter.com/cfinnecy/status/1421406905470263297?s=20
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,011
    Our neighbours are on holiday and their cat is home alone. He seems to be feeling lonely and keeps coming round to ours for attention.

    Translation into Finbarr Saunders-speak:

    My neighbour is away and his wife's pussy isn't getting any attention. I'm happy to oblige and give it a stroke every morning.
  • pigeonpigeon Posts: 4,839
    MaxPB said:

    Hope Dina Asher-Smith makes it through to the final if the 100m but it's the 200m she's best at right?

    That is correct, but all the same the performance looked sub-optimal. And bear in mind that she was the silver medallist in 100m at the World Championships in 2019.

    If she's out of sorts, and we know that KJT suffered a serious injury last December and is rumoured to be sub-par as well, then who else is there?

    I wonder what the odds are on the entire British Athletics squad coming away from the Olympics with nothing?
  • YoungTurkYoungTurk Posts: 158
    Aslan said:

    Steven Swinford
    @Steven_Swinford
    ·
    1h
    Exclusive:

    Cabinet revolt over vaccine passports intensifies
    Ministers warn that policy will deny people their basic freedoms
    'This is the kind of thing that Dominic Cummings would endorse. It’s not who we are'

    It is a sensible temporary measure and a horrific permanent measure.
    There may be a limit to how easy it is for the government to get away with saying to the general market "This is permanent", or "This is until further notice", while allowing "proper people" to infer that they don't really mean it, because it's only a way to help chivvy some of the remaining unvaccinated into getting jabbed, to be dropped almost as soon as it's introduced. If Macron is successful then Johnson will be, but more likely Macron will have his face completely rubbed in it.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 122,921
    Tres said:

    HYUFD said:

    Gavin Williamson thinks teaching Latin will improve maths and modern foreign language learning (and by coincidence, Boris is a keen classicist so that would be a reason to keep Williamson on).

    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/ (£££)

    Excellent, restoring a subject of intellectual rigour and which is the foundation for most European languages
    Actually teaching modern foreign languages would be of more benefit. Typical Tory party obsessed with looking backwards rather than forwards.
    It already is taught, modern foreign languages are compulsory to 14
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,896

    Aslan said:

    DougSeal said:

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    Thought you were a Cameron fan?
    I am, always was, always will be.

    This was a bit of a dramatic flourish and avoid ending up with a what have the Romans ever done for us moment?

    For the record, Dave, George, and the blessed Margaret were awesome despite their unfortunate educational upbringing.

    Though Thatcher saw the error of her ways.

    https://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/archives/collections/thatcher-papers/
    Things Cameron got right:

    - Gay marriage
    - Free schools

    Things Cameron got wrong:

    - Scrapping the "green crap"
    - Managing the EU
    - Austerity too soon
    - Sucking up to China
    - Embracing Modi
    - Arms sales to the Gulf
    - Cutting the value of universal credit
    - Reorganizing the NHS
    - Libya
    - Windrush scandal
    He also called Dominic Cummings a career psychopath, if I remember correctly. So you can enter that in the "got it right" column.
    David Cameron may well have described Cummings as a career psychopath but he also approved Cummings' appointment against the urgings of Andy Coulson. That's two for the debit column in one sentence.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,361

    Greenland just lost a massive amount of ice

    With climate change fueling high temperatures across the Arctic, Greenland lost a massive amount of ice on Wednesday with enough melting to cover the U.S. state of Florida in two inches of water, scientists said.

    https://mobile.reuters.com/video/watch/greenland-just-lost-a-massive-amount-of-id733572276?chan=8gwsyvzx

    The area of Florida is roughly a 30th of one percent of the area of the Earth, so it's pretty good as a unit of measurement for this sort of thing.

    They'd have had more than a foot of water if they'd constrained it to Wales, which is roughly four thousandths of a percent of the area of the Earth.
    To add more context, the area of Greenland is more than one hundred times that of Wales, and more than half of it experienced surface melt on Wednesday, so they are measuring melt of about one-third of an inch of the ice sheet on the half that was melting on Wednesday.

    Greenland has an average thickness of about 5,000 feet.
  • TresTres Posts: 2,696
    HYUFD said:

    Tres said:

    HYUFD said:

    Gavin Williamson thinks teaching Latin will improve maths and modern foreign language learning (and by coincidence, Boris is a keen classicist so that would be a reason to keep Williamson on).

    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/ (£££)

    Excellent, restoring a subject of intellectual rigour and which is the foundation for most European languages
    Actually teaching modern foreign languages would be of more benefit. Typical Tory party obsessed with looking backwards rather than forwards.
    It already is taught, modern foreign languages are compulsory to 14
    So millions of children not getting any qualifications in a modern foreign language if they can opt out at 14.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,094

    O/t but.
    According to a Sky newsflash on my phone a 'US electric vehicle maker, backed by Amazon and Ford, is in talks about building a giant factory in UK.'

    I don't think we have a shortage of giants, do we?
    Angel of the North, the bloke with his todger on the side of a hill, not thinking of many more.
    The Cerne Abbas Giant deserves more attention. It may not be an ancient monument, but it may even be better as a centuries old practical joke.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 122,921
    Tres said:

    HYUFD said:

    Tres said:

    HYUFD said:

    Gavin Williamson thinks teaching Latin will improve maths and modern foreign language learning (and by coincidence, Boris is a keen classicist so that would be a reason to keep Williamson on).

    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/ (£££)

    Excellent, restoring a subject of intellectual rigour and which is the foundation for most European languages
    Actually teaching modern foreign languages would be of more benefit. Typical Tory party obsessed with looking backwards rather than forwards.
    It already is taught, modern foreign languages are compulsory to 14
    So millions of children not getting any qualifications in a modern foreign language if they can opt out at 14.
    I would make them compulsory to 16 yes but they are part of the Ebacc
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,094
    Tres said:

    HYUFD said:

    Tres said:

    HYUFD said:

    Gavin Williamson thinks teaching Latin will improve maths and modern foreign language learning (and by coincidence, Boris is a keen classicist so that would be a reason to keep Williamson on).

    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/ (£££)

    Excellent, restoring a subject of intellectual rigour and which is the foundation for most European languages
    Actually teaching modern foreign languages would be of more benefit. Typical Tory party obsessed with looking backwards rather than forwards.
    It already is taught, modern foreign languages are compulsory to 14
    So millions of children not getting any qualifications in a modern foreign language if they can opt out at 14.
    I remember more of the 2 months of Latin I did at uni than the 5 years of spanish and 2 years of French I did at school. That's on me, but what a waste.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,003
    edited July 2021
    pigeon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Hope Dina Asher-Smith makes it through to the final if the 100m but it's the 200m she's best at right?

    That is correct, but all the same the performance looked sub-optimal. And bear in mind that she was the silver medallist in 100m at the World Championships in 2019.

    If she's out of sorts, and we know that KJT suffered a serious injury last December and is rumoured to be sub-par as well, then who else is there?

    I wonder what the odds are on the entire British Athletics squad coming away from the Olympics with nothing?
    Adam Gemili in the 200m is the only other one I can think of that when it comes to majors he often is around 3-4-5th.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited July 2021
    Shelley-Anne Fraser-Pryce has got the best Barnet ever!

    Amazing how elite athletes aren’t even out of breath at the end of their races
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 41,961
    IshmaelZ said:

    Charles said:

    pigeon said:

    Gavin Williamson thinks teaching Latin will improve maths and modern foreign language learning (and by coincidence, Boris is a keen classicist so that would be a reason to keep Williamson on).

    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/ (£££)

    Fascinating. I wonder where he plans on finding all these Latin teachers?
    We have a small classics department. Latin is reasonably popular in KS3, but few pick it for GCSE and even fewer for A-level.

    Latin teachers might be easier to find than you think: there are a surprising number of classics graduates teaching something else in schools: our first IT teacher was a classicist.

    As to how learning Latin and/or Greek would help with otter subjects: a significant number of scientific (and other technical) terms are derived from those two languages, so a basic knowledge of them can help understand what is going on a bit. Physics and (even more) maths also use a large chunk of the Greek alphabet as symbols so being able to recognise those symbols as letters is always useful. For this reason Latin (and possibly a bit of Greek) are more useful than you might think, given that nobody speaks Latin any more, and modern Greek is as closely related to Ancient Greek as the language I’m using here is to the one Chaucer used.
    Otter subjects I guess are English Lit? Ring of Bright Water and so forth?
    No need for Tarkasm, Charles.
    IshmaelZ said:

    Charles said:

    pigeon said:

    Gavin Williamson thinks teaching Latin will improve maths and modern foreign language learning (and by coincidence, Boris is a keen classicist so that would be a reason to keep Williamson on).

    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/ (£££)

    Fascinating. I wonder where he plans on finding all these Latin teachers?
    We have a small classics department. Latin is reasonably popular in KS3, but few pick it for GCSE and even fewer for A-level.

    Latin teachers might be easier to find than you think: there are a surprising number of classics graduates teaching something else in schools: our first IT teacher was a classicist.

    As to how learning Latin and/or Greek would help with otter subjects: a significant number of scientific (and other technical) terms are derived from those two languages, so a basic knowledge of them can help understand what is going on a bit. Physics and (even more) maths also use a large chunk of the Greek alphabet as symbols so being able to recognise those symbols as letters is always useful. For this reason Latin (and possibly a bit of Greek) are more useful than you might think, given that nobody speaks Latin any more, and modern Greek is as closely related to Ancient Greek as the language I’m using here is to the one Chaucer used.
    Otter subjects I guess are English Lit? Ring of Bright Water and so forth?
    No need for Tarkasm, Charles.
    ‘Salar load of bollox.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,003
    Should we call it the BBC curse....all the athletes they picked as winners and all the focus with mini docs etc, only Peaty has done the businesss.
  • kjhkjh Posts: 11,786

    Greenland just lost a massive amount of ice

    With climate change fueling high temperatures across the Arctic, Greenland lost a massive amount of ice on Wednesday with enough melting to cover the U.S. state of Florida in two inches of water, scientists said.

    https://mobile.reuters.com/video/watch/greenland-just-lost-a-massive-amount-of-id733572276?chan=8gwsyvzx

    One of the interesting facts is the gravitational effect of the loss of ice. As the ice melts in Greenland, Greenland will be higher as if the sea level has dropped. Net effect on us will be about neutral. Other side of the world even more dramatic underwater. This is obviously only the Greenland effect and others will obviously apply.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,811

    pigeon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Hope Dina Asher-Smith makes it through to the final if the 100m but it's the 200m she's best at right?

    That is correct, but all the same the performance looked sub-optimal. And bear in mind that she was the silver medallist in 100m at the World Championships in 2019.

    If she's out of sorts, and we know that KJT suffered a serious injury last December and is rumoured to be sub-par as well, then who else is there?

    I wonder what the odds are on the entire British Athletics squad coming away from the Olympics with nothing?
    Adam Gemili in the 200m is the only other one I can think of that when it comes to majors he often is around 3-4-5th.
    Isn't Zharnel Hughes the more likely medal candidate from the men's side?
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,285
    Tres said:

    HYUFD said:

    Gavin Williamson thinks teaching Latin will improve maths and modern foreign language learning (and by coincidence, Boris is a keen classicist so that would be a reason to keep Williamson on).

    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/ (£££)

    Excellent, restoring a subject of intellectual rigour and which is the foundation for most European languages
    Actually teaching modern foreign languages would be of more benefit. Typical Tory party obsessed with looking backwards rather than forwards.
    That depends: teaching enough of a modern language to be any good takes a lot of time and effort. How many people with a GCSE or O-level language qualification can actually hold a conversation with someone in that language? A small bit of Latin or even Greek can be useful in helping to understand quite a lot of technical vocabulary.
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,175
    edited July 2021
    DAS out to 26 on Betfair for SPoTY.

    And Laura Kenny is second favourite at 6.8. Does anyone know if she’s in good shape/form? DAS wasn’t and the market still thought she’d win, so I wonder if the same is happening with Kenny.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    Thinking about FOM, and my view that it failed when countries that had nothing to entice British people to live there joined, couldn’t the EU have pumped money into projects that meant it was attractive to live in Romania or Bulgaria? I was thinking building/part funding luxury holiday resorts in the warm parts of their coasts and hoping British tourist would holiday there/the youngsters could work the season for instance

    For all my posts criticising it, FOM is a nice idea that could work if participating countries were able to offer something other than cheap Labour for rich corporations
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,135
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    DougSeal said:

    .

    I'd also make English lessons teach the Oxford comma.

    I know I hide it well, but I love the Oxford comma.

    Apart from the A40/M40 towards Cambridge the Oxford Comma is the only decent thing to come out of Oxford.

    If you think either the A40 or the M40 go anywhere near Cambridge (or even in its direction) then your geographic knowledge is… what I would expect from someone who had to settle for Cambridge.
    Reread what I wrote, it is accurate.

    The A40 comes out of Oxford if you want to come out of Oxford and go towards Cambridge.

    The same way I have to take the M67 out of Manchester when I drive to Sheffield even if most of my journey is on the A57, A616, and A628.
    If you are heading north then you use the A34.
    Google route planner goes my way, via the A40.

    I am right as always.


    Interesting: on Google maps the A34 route is both the fastest and the shortest. Your route takes ten minutes more than it does on your version.

    I wonder why different versions of Google produce different results?
    Apple gives 2 & 1/2 hours via the A421.
    *Opens PB*

    *Sees detailed discussion of how different online maps route Oxford to Cambridge*

    *Closes PB*
    Keep your energy and focus for tomorrow.

    Tomorrow afternoon’s thread is about Scottish independence.
    Irrelevant as long as we have a Tory government as it will refuse indyref2 and Sturgeon has ruled out UDI
    But as we'll have a Lab/SNP government after the next election, might it not be appropriate?
    If we have a Labour minority government reliant on the SNP after the next general election which leads to PM Starmer promising indyref2 plus devomax it might be relevant, until 2023/24 it is not
    Well done, H. Resisted the jaundiced, Scotaphobic "propped up by". People say a leopard can't change its spots but that's horseshit.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,135
    isam said:

    Shelley-Anne Fraser-Pryce has got the best Barnet ever!

    Amazing how elite athletes aren’t even out of breath at the end of their races

    And for me not a bad price at 1.9 for gold.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,003
    edited July 2021
    If we excluded any sport that involves water from Team GB medal haul it would be a disastrous Olympics.
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,175
    isam said:

    Thinking about FOM, and my view that it failed when countries that had nothing to entice British people to live there joined, couldn’t the EU have pumped money into projects that meant it was attractive to live in Romania or Bulgaria? I was thinking building/part funding luxury holiday resorts in the warm parts of their coasts and hoping British tourist would holiday there/the youngsters could work the season for instance

    For all my posts criticising it, FOM is a nice idea that could work if participating countries were able to offer something other than cheap Labour for rich corporations

    Look how much it’s cost West Germany to get the former GDR up to scratch. You’re talking serious bucks to do that to the whole of Eastern Europe.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 41,961
    I wonder if the ennobled bloater has been similarly critical of Priti’s dropped ‘g’s?

    https://twitter.com/grumpy_uncle/status/1421345806804787200?s=21
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,135

    Should we call it the BBC curse....all the athletes they picked as winners and all the focus with mini docs etc, only Peaty has done the businesss.

    I'm on him at 18 for Spoty - smug city.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,361
    kle4 said:

    O/t but.
    According to a Sky newsflash on my phone a 'US electric vehicle maker, backed by Amazon and Ford, is in talks about building a giant factory in UK.'

    I don't think we have a shortage of giants, do we?
    Angel of the North, the bloke with his todger on the side of a hill, not thinking of many more.
    The Cerne Abbas Giant deserves more attention. It may not be an ancient monument, but it may even be better as a centuries old practical joke.
    I fell into Wikipedia and found that there's a giant George III cut into the side of a hill somewhere. Lose America, sabotage the Union with Ireland, and gain a massive chalk monument. Might be a more appealing precedent for Johnson than Lord North.

    Perhaps if the SNP youth wing offer to trade the creation of a massive monument of Johnson with his Johnson, in return for IndyRef 2, and it might happen?
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,896
    edited July 2021

    If we excluded any sport that involves water from Team GB medal haul it would be a disastrous Olympics.

    We did badly in rowing boats on water.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 122,921

    If we excluded any sport that involves water from Team GB medal haul it would be a disastrous Olympics.

    Most of the first week is water, swimming, diving, rowing, canoeing etc. The athletics only starts today
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,003
    kinabalu said:

    Should we call it the BBC curse....all the athletes they picked as winners and all the focus with mini docs etc, only Peaty has done the businesss.

    I'm on him at 18 for Spoty - smug city.
    Got one more chance for a medal tomorrow.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,003
    HYUFD said:

    If we excluded any sport that involves water from Team GB medal haul it would be a disastrous Olympics.

    Most of the first week is water, swimming, diving, rowing, canoeing etc. The athletics only starts today
    I was half joking, but the athletics Team GB has hardly any medal hopes.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,220
    HYUFD said:

    Tres said:

    HYUFD said:

    Gavin Williamson thinks teaching Latin will improve maths and modern foreign language learning (and by coincidence, Boris is a keen classicist so that would be a reason to keep Williamson on).

    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/ (£££)

    Excellent, restoring a subject of intellectual rigour and which is the foundation for most European languages
    Actually teaching modern foreign languages would be of more benefit. Typical Tory party obsessed with looking backwards rather than forwards.
    It already is taught, modern foreign languages are compulsory to 14
    It's in the national curriculum, sure.

    But academies and free schools don't have to teach the NC, which makes that a bit moot;

    https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7388/CBP-7388.pdf
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,003
    edited July 2021

    If we excluded any sport that involves water from Team GB medal haul it would be a disastrous Olympics.

    We did badly in rowing boats on water.
    Yes and no....yes by expectation and recent history, but most events in the final and how many 4th places? Was it 5?

    In the athletics, Team GB aren't even going to have finalists in most events. In fact there was a decent number of events, no Team GB even got the qualifying time / distance.
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    Covid risk for heart attacks and stroke: tripled during first two weeks after infection

    Risk of acute myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke following COVID-19 in Sweden: a self-controlled case series and matched cohort study

    https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00896-5/fulltext
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,175

    If we excluded any sport that involves water from Team GB medal haul it would be a disastrous Olympics.

    Better than when we only won when sitting down. :tongue:
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited July 2021

    I wonder if the ennobled bloater has been similarly critical of Priti’s dropped ‘g’s?

    https://twitter.com/grumpy_uncle/status/1421345806804787200?s=21

    Yes he was, in the following tweet… with bad grammar!

    https://twitter.com/digbylj/status/1421164858280747015?s=21
  • pigeonpigeon Posts: 4,839

    pigeon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Hope Dina Asher-Smith makes it through to the final if the 100m but it's the 200m she's best at right?

    That is correct, but all the same the performance looked sub-optimal. And bear in mind that she was the silver medallist in 100m at the World Championships in 2019.

    If she's out of sorts, and we know that KJT suffered a serious injury last December and is rumoured to be sub-par as well, then who else is there?

    I wonder what the odds are on the entire British Athletics squad coming away from the Olympics with nothing?
    Adam Gemili in the 200m is the only other one I can think of that when it comes to majors he often is around 3-4-5th.
    It would be a complete debacle but, unlike the sudden collapse in the rowing, it's been a long time coming. Huge sums of money are thrown at UK Athletics, but it relies on a tiny number of stars to win anything, and if they're all off the boil for one reason or another then they're stuffed.

    I don't know, it might not be a complete wipeout - one or two bronzes in the relays, perhaps? - but if athletics won no golds it would be the first time since Atlanta.

    The nadir of British performance in athletics at an Olympic Games is one bronze medal in 1976, so I guess they've a fighting chance of doing better than that.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,003

    Double Pfizered as of this morning. How long does it take for the superpowers to kick in?

    2-3 weeks.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,402
    Are there any reasons why Latin is taught in only 2.7% of State schools at the moment?
This discussion has been closed.