politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The May elections less than 4 weeks away – Why so few Torie

foxinsoxuk said:

initforthemoney said:

Wanderer said:

kle4 said:

If I ever through hard work or luck, or both, become rich, I'd like to think I could waste my money on other things for ostentatious displays.

I think that's true of anything you can buy. There are diminishing returns as you pay more. But, dammit, you've got to spend your money on something.

Retiring as early as possible?

Only if you do not enjoy your job.

More than the best (set of) affordable alternative(s) to working. It's difficult to fathom how most jobs could beat that even if the best set of affordable alternatives involved living off £10k a year (for a single person).

Just to say I am completely ignorant of wine and proud.

I have recently started looking in depth at the 2015 general election results - I know, it took me months to face up to it - and there's been quite a bit of discussion about the amazing Tory strategy of eliminating the Lib Dems. I started Tim Ross' book on the election today and there's an interesting profile of Crosby - blunt and to the point but also a bit of a character, handing out cuddly toys to people in CCHQ as rewards and even playing Queen 'One Vision.'

Anyway I digress. The Tory strategy against the Lib Dems is given prominence but the debate around it is far too Tory-centric (history being written by the victors). There was a small improvement in the Tory vote but it was the collapse in the Lib Dem vote that really mattered. And that vote went everywhere. For all the talk about Crosby's cunning targeting I suspect Lib Dem meltdown Cameron's inability to inspire anti-Tory tactical voting was the clincher.

SeanT said:

TOPPING said:

Can we please stop this ridiculous a ten quid bottle of Jacob's Creek tastes the same as a Lafite '45 bolleaux.

The more expensive a wine, generally, the better it is.

Of course.

What we're disputing is that, of the wines discussed tonight, Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 45 is literally 1000 times better than a bottle of Jacob's Creek, which is what the price difference implies.

Clearly it isn't. It's about ten times nicer, at most. Which is why you shouldn't pay more than £50 for a bottle of wine.

I can tell the difference between an average bottle of wine and a good bottle of wine. I can tell the difference between a good bottle of wine and a very good bottle of wine. But my tastebuds are inadequate to tell the difference between a very good bottle of wine and an amazing bottle of wine. So I'm not prepared to pay for amazing bottles of wine.

£50 a bottle is more than enough to meet my needs.

Except Tokaji Essencia. But that's a different category entirely. It's only wine in a technical sense.

initforthemoney said:

foxinsoxuk said:

initforthemoney said:

Wanderer said:

kle4 said:

If I ever through hard work or luck, or both, become rich, I'd like to think I could waste my money on other things for ostentatious displays.

I think that's true of anything you can buy. There are diminishing returns as you pay more. But, dammit, you've got to spend your money on something.

Retiring as early as possible?

Only if you do not enjoy your job.

More than the best (set of) affordable alternative(s) to working. It's difficult to fathom how most jobs could beat that even if the best set of affordable alternatives involved living off £10k a year (for a single person).

I love working - both managing money and creating new companies. I can't see a time when I don't work because, basically, working is more fun than not working.

SeanT said:

rcs1000 said:

initforthemoney said:

foxinsoxuk said:

initforthemoney said:

Wanderer said:

kle4 said:

If I ever through hard work or luck, or both, become rich, I'd like to think I could waste my money on other things for ostentatious displays.

I think that's true of anything you can buy. There are diminishing returns as you pay more. But, dammit, you've got to spend your money on something.

Retiring as early as possible?

Only if you do not enjoy your job.

More than the best (set of) affordable alternative(s) to working. It's difficult to fathom how most jobs could beat that even if the best set of affordable alternatives involved living off £10k a year (for a single person).

I love working - both managing money and creating new companies. I can't see a time when I don't work because, basically, working is more fun than not working.

Ian Fleming: "there comes a time in life when work is more fun than fun"

I reached that stage some time ago. It's a great privilege.

Finally getting there too. Wife is not thrilled about it

rcs1000 said:

initforthemoney said:

foxinsoxuk said:

initforthemoney said:

Wanderer said:

kle4 said:

If I ever through hard work or luck, or both, become rich, I'd like to think I could waste my money on other things for ostentatious displays.

I think that's true of anything you can buy. There are diminishing returns as you pay more. But, dammit, you've got to spend your money on something.

Retiring as early as possible?

Only if you do not enjoy your job.

More than the best (set of) affordable alternative(s) to working. It's difficult to fathom how most jobs could beat that even if the best set of affordable alternatives involved living off £10k a year (for a single person).

I love working - both managing money and creating new companies. I can't see a time when I don't work because, basically, working is more fun than not working.

I suppose I ought to envy you as I've never enjoyed working at all. Still a bit puzzled by people who do.

FrankBooth said:

rcs1000 said:

initforthemoney said:

foxinsoxuk said:

initforthemoney said:

Wanderer said:

kle4 said:

If I ever through hard work or luck, or both, become rich, I'd like to think I could waste my money on other things for ostentatious displays.

I think that's true of anything you can buy. There are diminishing returns as you pay more. But, dammit, you've got to spend your money on something.

Retiring as early as possible?

Only if you do not enjoy your job.

More than the best (set of) affordable alternative(s) to working. It's difficult to fathom how most jobs could beat that even if the best set of affordable alternatives involved living off £10k a year (for a single person).

I love working - both managing money and creating new companies. I can't see a time when I don't work because, basically, working is more fun than not working.

I suppose I ought to envy you as I've never enjoyed working at all. Still a bit puzzled by people who do.

That's a shame. Obviously for a lot of people that is true, perhaps like SeanT et al., I have been lucky in life to find things that I have genuinely enjoyed doing and willing to put 100hrs a week into (although without the sort of reward or recognition of being an international best seller).

FrancisUrquhart said:

rcs1000 said:

initforthemoney said:

foxinsoxuk said:

initforthemoney said:

Wanderer said:

kle4 said:

If I ever through hard work or luck, or both, become rich, I'd like to think I could waste my money on other things for ostentatious displays.

I think that's true of anything you can buy. There are diminishing returns as you pay more. But, dammit, you've got to spend your money on something.

Retiring as early as possible?

Only if you do not enjoy your job.

More than the best (set of) affordable alternative(s) to working. It's difficult to fathom how most jobs could beat that even if the best set of affordable alternatives involved living off £10k a year (for a single person).

I love working - both managing money and creating new companies. I can't see a time when I don't work because, basically, working is more fun than not working.

I personally find that when I do take a break from "work", within a couple of weeks I start to get very itchy feet to get involved in something new. I can't ever imagine just stopping and never doing anything for 20+ years of retirement.

There's a reason why OGH has politicalbetting...

FrancisUrquhart said:

rcs1000 said:

initforthemoney said:

foxinsoxuk said:

initforthemoney said:

Wanderer said:

kle4 said:

If I ever through hard work or luck, or both, become rich, I'd like to think I could waste my money on other things for ostentatious displays.

I think that's true of anything you can buy. There are diminishing returns as you pay more. But, dammit, you've got to spend your money on something.

Retiring as early as possible?

Only if you do not enjoy your job.

More than the best (set of) affordable alternative(s) to working. It's difficult to fathom how most jobs could beat that even if the best set of affordable alternatives involved living off £10k a year (for a single person).

I love working - both managing money and creating new companies. I can't see a time when I don't work because, basically, working is more fun than not working.

I personally find that when I do take a break from "work", within a couple of weeks I start to get very itchy feet to get involved in something new. I can't ever imagine just stopping and never doing anything for 20+ years of retirement.

Well I have been out of full-time work for ten years and full-time retired for nearly three and I am having a ball. It is not a case of doing nothing but of doing different things, and I struggle to find enough hours to do all the things I want to do.

SeanT said:

TOPPING said:

SeanT said:

TOPPING said:

Can we please stop this ridiculous a ten quid bottle of Jacob's Creek tastes the same as a Lafite '45 bolleaux.

The more expensive a wine, generally, the better it is.

Of course.

What we're disputing is that, of the wines discussed tonight, Chateau Mouton-Lafite 45 is literally 1000 times better than a bottle of Jacob's Creek, which is what the price difference implies.

Clearly it isn't. It's about ten times nicer, at most. Which is why you shouldn't pay more than £50 for a bottle of wine.

Looked at the other way, drinking cheap bad or mediocre wine is much more wasteful than spending a lot on expensive wine.

I suppose our tolerance for expense is related to our net worth.

If you had limitless wealth, for example (please god one day) what would you think the ceiling should be?

True.

Since becoming relatively affluent I will now happily pay £400 for a pair of well-made English shoes (hence my disgust at Cameron's slip-ons). This was an unthinkable amount for me, until 10 years ago.

Is it justified? I think so as I get great satisfaction from wearing REALLY PUKKA SHOES

But maybe I am deluded. It's not like they are more comfortable than £100 shoes. They just look that crucial bit better (to me)

They really do look better. I'm always shocked that so many people will pay c.850 for a decent off the peg suit, and then cheapskate the shoes.

FrancisUrquhart said:

FrankBooth said:

rcs1000 said:

initforthemoney said:

foxinsoxuk said:

initforthemoney said:

Wanderer said:

kle4 said:

If I ever through hard work or luck, or both, become rich, I'd like to think I could waste my money on other things for ostentatious displays.

I think that's true of anything you can buy. There are diminishing returns as you pay more. But, dammit, you've got to spend your money on something.

Retiring as early as possible?

Only if you do not enjoy your job.

More than the best (set of) affordable alternative(s) to working. It's difficult to fathom how most jobs could beat that even if the best set of affordable alternatives involved living off £10k a year (for a single person).

I love working - both managing money and creating new companies. I can't see a time when I don't work because, basically, working is more fun than not working.

I suppose I ought to envy you as I've never enjoyed working at all. Still a bit puzzled by people who do.

That's a shame. Obviously for a lot of people that is true, perhaps like SeanT et al., I have been lucky in life to find things that I have genuinely enjoyed doing and willing to put 100hrs a week into (although without the sort of reward or recognition of being an international best seller).

100 hrs a week? Wow. What do you do?

New thread up, innit.

rcs1000 said:

I love working - both managing money and creating new companies. I can't see a time when I don't work because, basically, working is more fun than not working.

I can't relate to this, but it appears rational. Being your own boss (which it sounds like you might be) certainly makes work more tolerable. Although I've made a modest living from gambling for more than a decade (only dabbling in politics), I'm very risk averse. The risk presumably inherent in creating new businesses seems to make for far more stressful activity than all of the more or less free leisure options in front of me.