Undefined discussion subject.

https://twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/status/833432148665389056

https://twitter.com/zorasuleman/status/833432496540880898

Charles said:

MTimT said:

Charles said:

MTimT said:

SeanT said:

I'm drunk and happy.

Just thought I should say that. Sometimes PB needs a dose of positivity.

Well, I'm here to provide it.

Just ate a fabulous 28-aged rib eye from Sainsburys (cost: £7.50) and am now drinking a superb Damilano Barolo from Waitrose, £27.

That's not oligarch money. That's £35 or so for a truly fantastic dinner.

Life is getting better, for most people. Never forget that

Just ate like a king in Granada for 15 Euros, including a bottle of Rioja between 2

Fantastic meal for less than a fiver

Where?

London

Need the address, unless it's chez vous. Second thoughts, still need the address. And an invite!

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/zorasuleman/status/833432496540880898

Always said that place was a dump, their alliance with France is the cherry on the parfait.

They'll be singing La Marseillaise at the beginning of each term before you know it, and opening a new college named 'Collaborator College'

Mortimer said:

SeanT said:

I'm drunk and happy.

Just thought I should say that. Sometimes PB needs a dose of positivity.

Well, I'm here to provide it.

Just ate a fabulous 28-aged rib eye from Sainsburys (cost: £7.50) and am now drinking a superb Damilano Barolo from Waitrose, £27.

That's not oligarch money. That's £35 or so for a truly fantastic dinner.

Life is getting better, for most people. Never forget that

Chapeau!

I'm feeling pretty positive myself. Today we picked up the new pup, had a lovely roast chicken and a decent Beaune from M&S.

Life is pretty good sometimes.

Need more info on the pup. Breed, age? I think their is no better definition of optimism than a puppy in a loving home. Ours constantly has the "I don't know what is about to happen, but I know it's going to be absolutely awesome! And I can't wait!" look on his face.

foxinsoxuk said:

midwinter said:

AlastairMeeks said:

Danny565 said:

Going to put my neck on the line.

I predict not only will Labour hold in both byelections this week, they'll have a swing towards them in both.

Bookmark this post for schadenfreude on Friday, if you wish.

That is what you'd expect normally. Oldham West & Royton is a precedent. If Labour's ground game is to be important (and it did very well in the north west in 2015) I would expect it to be stronger in Stoke, which is easily accessible, than in Copeland, which is not.

Do you think Labour are a value bet at 5/2 in Copeland. I think it will probably be very close and the combination of what appears to be a decent candidate and the local hospital stuff give them a far better chance than the odds imply. The possible lack of ground game isn't something I'd considered.

Judging by @GillTroughton twitterfeed, she has had plenty of fraternal help with the ground game, and has a pretty good trackrecord of pounding the pavements herself.

I reckon good value.

Thanks. I really like this bet. It may not win but the price seems mad. I may be wrong but I do think the Tories are often far too short a price, particularly in by-elections.

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Just seen the Stoke conservative candidate on Sophy Ridge. He looks very young but seems miles better than the nasty labour and UKIP candidates. Sure he won't come near but Stoke could do a lot worse.

Pleasantly surprised with Sophy on Sunday. She has a nice interview technique and is well briefed. Change from the Faisal Islam's of this World. She could have a very successful career as a political journalist and she should be congratulated on her early promise

I reckon him beating UKIP.

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/833430397518233600

Of course he does. He has to otherwise they might take away his vast EU pension.

surbiton said:

SeanT said:

Scott_P said:

SeanT said:

I'm drunk and happy.

Just thought I should say that. Sometimes PB needs a dose of positivity.

Well, I'm here to provide it.

Just ate a fabulous 28-aged rib eye from Sainsburys (cost: £7.50) and am now drinking a superb Damilano Barolo from Waitrose, £27.

And yet, the darkness is all around us.

The Imperial Reserva Rioja, 2010 is sold out...

Sad.

I bought two dozen!

You can still get that fabulous Chilean Syrah

https://www.tesco.com/wine/product/details/default.aspx?searchBox=marques+de+casa+concha&id=272593883

£12!

At one point it was, apparently, £6 at Morrisons. I jest you not.

It would be £20 if it was Aussie, or SA, and £25 if it was Italian. France fuck knows.

You can blame Brexit for that. The decline of the pound.

huh?

glw said:

kyf_100 said:

You could say "anon" culture foreshadowed Trump and Brexit in giving people who previously felt unable to talk politics that didn't conform to the left-liberal consensus a voice - something the author clearly feels threatened by.

As a twenty-something hanging out on 4chan a decade or so ago(!), it was a revelation to me to discover there were other people out there who didn't subscribe to the stifling left-liberal consensus of the university campus and my IRL friends.

4chan itself is really just a newer incarnation of the culture of the alt. hierarchy on USENET. There were a lot of right wing, libertarian, pro drugs, pro guns, free speech, free software advocates on the internet before Eternal September. It goes back way further than people seem to realise.

4chan is the Eternal September. Usenet was a place of erudition and wit. The finest trolls carved from the greatest intellects.

4chan is just a top poster with a 50 line sig.

glw said:

The_Apocalypse said:

I can't believe I'm reading that people needed Conservatism to be defined as cool to be at ease with themselves as conservatives. Good luck with convincing anyone other Conservatives that Conservatism is cool.

You can be cool if you like, Conservatives will take comfort with being in power.

I'm sure they do. However I wasn't making a point about Liberals seeing themselves as cool.

The_Apocalypse said:

glw said:

The_Apocalypse said:

I can't believe I'm reading that people needed Conservatism to be defined as cool to be at ease with themselves as conservatives. Good luck with convincing anyone other Conservatives that Conservatism is cool.

You can be cool if you like, Conservatives will take comfort with being in power.

I'm sure they do. However I wasn't making a point about Liberals seeing themselves as cool.

Liberals undoubtably do see themselves as cool, and how uncool is that?

MTimT said:

Mortimer said:

SeanT said:

I'm drunk and happy.

Just thought I should say that. Sometimes PB needs a dose of positivity.

Well, I'm here to provide it.

Just ate a fabulous 28-aged rib eye from Sainsburys (cost: £7.50) and am now drinking a superb Damilano Barolo from Waitrose, £27.

That's not oligarch money. That's £35 or so for a truly fantastic dinner.

Life is getting better, for most people. Never forget that

Chapeau!

I'm feeling pretty positive myself. Today we picked up the new pup, had a lovely roast chicken and a decent Beaune from M&S.

Life is pretty good sometimes.

Need more info on the pup. Breed, age? I think their is no better definition of optimism than a puppy in a loving home. Ours constantly has the "I don't know what is about to happen, but I know it's going to be absolutely awesome! And I can't wait!" look on his face.

Getting round to thinking about another dog, eight months after I lost my great chum. At lunch out yesterday there was a spit image of him - really uncanny in every detail. Reminded me of what I'm missing. (He was a Wire-haired fox Terrier btw.)

The_Apocalypse said:

glw said:

The_Apocalypse said:

glw said:

The_Apocalypse said:

I can't believe I'm reading that people needed Conservatism to be defined as cool to be at ease with themselves as conservatives. Good luck with convincing anyone other Conservatives that Conservatism is cool.

You can be cool if you like, Conservatives will take comfort with being in power.

I'm sure they do. However I wasn't making a point about Liberals seeing themselves as cool.

Liberals undoubtably do see themselves as cool, and how uncool is that?

No Liberal I know defines themselves as 'cool'. We just get on with our lives. However it is some Conservatives who as of late have defined themselves as cool, with Paul Joseph Watson tweeting that Conservatism is the 'new counter culture'. The likes of Watson and Milo appear to see themselves as revolutionaries, much like so-called SJWs do, incidentally.

What is an SJW?

Alistair said:

glw said:

kyf_100 said:

You could say "anon" culture foreshadowed Trump and Brexit in giving people who previously felt unable to talk politics that didn't conform to the left-liberal consensus a voice - something the author clearly feels threatened by.

As a twenty-something hanging out on 4chan a decade or so ago(!), it was a revelation to me to discover there were other people out there who didn't subscribe to the stifling left-liberal consensus of the university campus and my IRL friends.

4chan itself is really just a newer incarnation of the culture of the alt. hierarchy on USENET. There were a lot of right wing, libertarian, pro drugs, pro guns, free speech, free software advocates on the internet before Eternal September. It goes back way further than people seem to realise.

4chan is the Eternal September. Usenet was a place of erudition and wit. The finest trolls carved from the greatest intellects.

4chan is just a top poster with a 50 line sig.

Oh I'm not saying that they are the same. 4chan is from the public era of the internet, not the earlier era when being on the net meant you were studying science at a university, or working for a large computer of defence company. But the culture of 4chan does seem close to what you used to get on USENET; the same topics, obsessions, running jokes, memes, and "hacking" culture in its original sense.

The_Apocalypse said:

isam said:

The_Apocalypse said:

glw said:

The_Apocalypse said:

glw said:

The_Apocalypse said:

I can't believe I'm reading that people needed Conservatism to be defined as cool to be at ease with themselves as conservatives. Good luck with convincing anyone other Conservatives that Conservatism is cool.

You can be cool if you like, Conservatives will take comfort with being in power.

I'm sure they do. However I wasn't making a point about Liberals seeing themselves as cool.

Liberals undoubtably do see themselves as cool, and how uncool is that?

No Liberal I know defines themselves as 'cool'. We just get on with our lives. However it is some Conservatives who as of late have defined themselves as cool, with Paul Joseph Watson tweeting that Conservatism is the 'new counter culture'. The likes of Watson and Milo appear to see themselves as revolutionaries, much like so-called SJWs do, incidentally.

What is an SJW?

SJW: Social Justice Warrior.

Socialist Justice Warrior, surely?

The_Apocalypse said:

I can't believe I'm reading that people needed Conservatism to be defined as cool to be at ease with themselves as conservatives. Good luck with convincing anyone other Conservatives that Conservatism is cool.

As I understood it, the main point was that people became more ready to adopt Conservatism as part of their identity once they saw that "people like them" were also Conservative (at least, had adopted one particular strand of it), whereas previously their picture of Conservatives was that they were "Other" people. Not at all that they perceived, or needed to perceive, Conservatism as mainstream fashionable.

I read a really fascinating essay about advertising recently - and irritatingly my google-fu can't recover it. But it concerned how a lot of advertising is designed to sell the product not by persuading you that the product is great, or even that you need it, but that there is a group of people who do buy this product (perhaps not the one that you mentally associate with said product, or sometimes they play up the stereotype) and to persuade you (should you be in the target audience) that you are indeed the kind of person who buys this product. Apparently this is highly effective psychologically, because we model our behaviour on our self-image, and once we believe we are the kind of person who buys a product, that we belong to that product's tribe, we actually start buying it.

Perhaps Roger can tell us more. Or if it was an article that trended, someone can point me in the right direction for tracking it down again!

The_Apocalypse said:

I can't believe I'm reading that people needed Conservatism to be defined as cool to be at ease with themselves as conservatives. Good luck with convincing anyone other Conservatives that Conservatism is cool.

Have you seen the latest UK polls?

SeanT said:

surbiton said:

SeanT said:

Scott_P said:

SeanT said:

I'm drunk and happy.

Just thought I should say that. Sometimes PB needs a dose of positivity.

Well, I'm here to provide it.

Just ate a fabulous 28-aged rib eye from Sainsburys (cost: £7.50) and am now drinking a superb Damilano Barolo from Waitrose, £27.

And yet, the darkness is all around us.

The Imperial Reserva Rioja, 2010 is sold out...

Sad.

I bought two dozen!

You can still get that fabulous Chilean Syrah

https://www.tesco.com/wine/product/details/default.aspx?searchBox=marques+de+casa+concha&id=272593883

£12!

At one point it was, apparently, £6 at Morrisons. I jest you not.

It would be £20 if it was Aussie, or SA, and £25 if it was Italian. France fuck knows.

You can blame Brexit for that. The decline of the pound.

No, I think they just sold out. It happens with great and relatively underpriced wines.

Horrible news: I see you can only get 43 Bahts to the pound now compared to about 55 a couple of years ago.

MTimT said:

Mortimer said:

SeanT said:

I'm drunk and happy.

Just thought I should say that. Sometimes PB needs a dose of positivity.

Well, I'm here to provide it.

Just ate a fabulous 28-aged rib eye from Sainsburys (cost: £7.50) and am now drinking a superb Damilano Barolo from Waitrose, £27.

That's not oligarch money. That's £35 or so for a truly fantastic dinner.

Life is getting better, for most people. Never forget that

Chapeau!

I'm feeling pretty positive myself. Today we picked up the new pup, had a lovely roast chicken and a decent Beaune from M&S.

Life is pretty good sometimes.

Need more info on the pup. Breed, age? I think their is no better definition of optimism than a puppy in a loving home. Ours constantly has the "I don't know what is about to happen, but I know it's going to be absolutely awesome! And I can't wait!" look on his face.

Know the 'awesome' look well. And for us humans the very act of stroking a dog is a beautiful stress reliever.

8 week old black Cockerpoo. He's had a lovely playful day and has even started to recognise his name and sit on command. Of course he's now down for the night and whining a bit - but we'all be strong now for future benefit for all of us.

Working for yourself as I do can be quite lonely at times - I cannot wait to share the bookshop with him!

The_Apocalypse said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

The_Apocalypse said:

I can't believe I'm reading that people needed Conservatism to be defined as cool to be at ease with themselves as conservatives. Good luck with convincing anyone other Conservatives that Conservatism is cool.

Have you seen the latest UK polls?

Yeah, voting Conservative doesn't mean you think being one is cool, or even view yourself as a Conservative. My mother voted for Major in 1992, but she doesn't see herself a Conservative (and she tells me that she didn't see herself as a Conservative then, either). I voted Labour in 2015, but I have never seen the Labour party as cool.

I voted Labour in 2005 because I wanted to support Blair against the far-left. Not sure it was the right decision now though.

See if we had an effective opposition, the government wouldn't be making so many rookie mistakes, this only stokes up problems when we have a proper opposition

https://twitter.com/DJack_Journo/status/833442082740170752

The_Apocalypse said:

isam said:

The_Apocalypse said:

glw said:

The_Apocalypse said:

glw said:

The_Apocalypse said:

I can't believe I'm reading that people needed Conservatism to be defined as cool to be at ease with themselves as conservatives. Good luck with convincing anyone other Conservatives that Conservatism is cool.

You can be cool if you like, Conservatives will take comfort with being in power.

I'm sure they do. However I wasn't making a point about Liberals seeing themselves as cool.

Liberals undoubtably do see themselves as cool, and how uncool is that?

No Liberal I know defines themselves as 'cool'. We just get on with our lives. However it is some Conservatives who as of late have defined themselves as cool, with Paul Joseph Watson tweeting that Conservatism is the 'new counter culture'. The likes of Watson and Milo appear to see themselves as revolutionaries, much like so-called SJWs do, incidentally.

What is an SJW?

SJW: Social Justice Warrior.

Cheers

The_Apocalypse said:

glw said:

The_Apocalypse said:

glw said:

The_Apocalypse said:

I can't believe I'm reading that people needed Conservatism to be defined as cool to be at ease with themselves as conservatives. Good luck with convincing anyone other Conservatives that Conservatism is cool.

You can be cool if you like, Conservatives will take comfort with being in power.

I'm sure they do. However I wasn't making a point about Liberals seeing themselves as cool.

Liberals undoubtably do see themselves as cool, and how uncool is that?

No Liberal I know defines themselves as 'cool'. We just get on with our lives. However it is some Conservatives who as of late have defined themselves as cool, with Paul Joseph Watson tweeting that Conservatism is the 'new counter culture'. The likes of Watson and Milo appear to see themselves as revolutionaries, much like so-called SJWs do, incidentally.

Without wishing to take a mealy mouthed stance, you are both correct and incorrect, I feel. Certainly there is a rather pathetic desire from some people, left and right, to see themselves as revolutionaries, fighting back against some nebulous, ill defined establishment or elite, no matter how ridiculous it might be for them to be a part of a fight against said elite or establishment. UKIP have had this problem for bloody ages and plenty on the right have it. Rees-Mogg was even commenting in that Jess Phillips bit last week, I hope in jest, that his type, the old fashioned elite, are not elite anymore, which as much as I find the man charming, is total bollocks.

That being said, 'no liberal...defines themselves as cool' is also bollocks, relying on semantics to pass muster. Ok, cool is a word most people do not use to define themselves, but people use other labels to mean basically they same thing, that they are with it, they are trendy, progressive and so on, and though the right do themselves no favours when they whinge about bias too much, it is certainly the case media and entertainment figures are, generally, more to the left and more liberal, and more vocal about it as well; these 'cool' people are more likely to be liberal, much more likely to espouse progressive, trendy values and implicitly or explicitly indicate those of a contrary view are not like them, and so not cool.

I'm no social conservative, not in the least (any conservatism I possess is almost certainly in the economic sense, though as is the case for most people my views are hardly 100% consistent on that), I am definitely socially liberal, but those who are socially conservative are most definitely not seen as cool, and whether one uses the word or some substitute word, the alternative position is seen as cool.

RobD said:

surbiton said:

Judging by the odds, the Tories are going to win Copeland by a large margin.

Nothing quite like a bit of reverse expectations management

Or is it double reverse expectations management?

AndyJS said:

The_Apocalypse said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

The_Apocalypse said:

I can't believe I'm reading that people needed Conservatism to be defined as cool to be at ease with themselves as conservatives. Good luck with convincing anyone other Conservatives that Conservatism is cool.

Have you seen the latest UK polls?

Yeah, voting Conservative doesn't mean you think being one is cool, or even view yourself as a Conservative. My mother voted for Major in 1992, but she doesn't see herself a Conservative (and she tells me that she didn't see herself as a Conservative then, either). I voted Labour in 2015, but I have never seen the Labour party as cool.

I voted Labour in 2005 because I wanted to support Blair against the far-left. Not sure it was the right decision now though.

Blair was under threat by the far left in 2005?

SeanT said:

Charles said:

MTimT said:

Charles said:

MTimT said:

Charles said:

MTimT said:

SeanT said:

I'm drunk and happy.

Just thought I should say that. Sometimes PB needs a dose of positivity.

Well, I'm here to provide it.

Just ate a fabulous 28-aged rib eye from Sainsburys (cost: £7.50) and am now drinking a superb Damilano Barolo from Waitrose, £27.

That's not oligarch money. That's £35 or so for a truly fantastic dinner.

Life is getting better, for most people. Never forget that

Just ate like a king in Granada for 15 Euros, including a bottle of Rioja between 2

Fantastic meal for less than a fiver

Where?

London

Need the address, unless it's chez vous. Second thoughts, still need the address. And an invite!

Chez moi. But if you promise to be interesting you are welcome to the wilds of NW8 when you are in London

NW8?

You live in an.... 8?

UGH!

When in moments of great despair I console myself with the fact I have only lived in 1s.

My first student year UCL halls of residence; Ramsay, Fitzrovia, W1.

2nd year, horrible shared basement flat, but Montagu Sq, W1.

Third year, Nottingham Place, W1. Basement and grim, but W1.

At the end of the third year I lived in then desolate and deserted Wapping E1, followed by Thayer St and De Walden St, W1 for two years.

From then I lived in various squats and commandeered student digs, all along Gower Street, WC1, or Great Portland St, W1.

For almost a decade I lived in Barnsbury, N1.

Then I spent 5 years in Store St, WC1. Now I live in Delancey St, NW1.

Always the 1s! (apart from the time I was jailed in Wormwood Scrubs London W2998 or whatever, then Brixton prison, the only time I've been forced south of the river)

But I can PROUDLY say that, apart from the times when I was unjustly and involuntarily jailed for *allegedly* raping a beautiful Jewish princess, I have always lived in a 1. And I hope that epitaph goes on my gravestone.

NW8 is undoubtedly swankier than NW1, Charles is being modest with the postcode. It is St John's Wood. I believe Charles' house overlooks the park.

isam said:

What is an SJW?

Something that right-wing people who spend too much time on the internet call left-wing people who spend too much time on the internet.

GeoffM said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

The_Apocalypse said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

The_Apocalypse said:

I can't believe I'm reading that people needed Conservatism to be defined as cool to be at ease with themselves as conservatives. Good luck with convincing anyone other Conservatives that Conservatism is cool.

Have you seen the latest UK polls?

Yeah, voting Conservative doesn't mean you think being one is cool, or even view yourself as a Conservative. My mother voted for Major in 1992, but she doesn't see herself a Conservative (and she tells me that she didn't see herself as a Conservative then, either). I voted Labour in 2015, but I have never seen the Labour party as cool.

Ssssshhhh.... I voted Labour in 2015 too

Really? You haven't told us that before.
I'm shocked, I tell you. Shocked.

I told everyone on election morning!

surbiton said:

Judging by the odds, the Tories are going to win Copeland by a large margin.

I would be sceptical of assessing the chance of a win when there has been no reliable polling.

I think that turnout will be key, but usually Tories turn out. Nonetheless I reckon Labour by about 1000 votes.

Stoke too, but on an even lower turnout.

Sunil_Prasannan said:

GeoffM said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

The_Apocalypse said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

The_Apocalypse said:

I can't believe I'm reading that people needed Conservatism to be defined as cool to be at ease with themselves as conservatives. Good luck with convincing anyone other Conservatives that Conservatism is cool.

Have you seen the latest UK polls?

Yeah, voting Conservative doesn't mean you think being one is cool, or even view yourself as a Conservative. My mother voted for Major in 1992, but she doesn't see herself a Conservative (and she tells me that she didn't see herself as a Conservative then, either). I voted Labour in 2015, but I have never seen the Labour party as cool.

Ssssshhhh.... I voted Labour in 2015 too

Really? You haven't told us that before.
I'm shocked, I tell you. Shocked.

I told everyone on election morning!

You just wanted to vote for a winning candidate, it wasn't anything to do with Labour per se. (Only joking).

The_Apocalypse said:

glw said:

The_Apocalypse said:

No Liberal I know defines themselves as 'cool'. We just get on with our lives.

In the US Kennedy, Clinton, Obama they were all pitched as "cooler" than their opponents. Think about Blair and Cool Britannia. Think about the film and music business, as we will surely see at the Oscars soon. Even t-shirts with Marx or Che on them.

I don't think it's a sweeping generalisation to say that people see the left/liberalism = cool and youthful, and right/conservatism = uncool and old.

Of course coolness doesn't matter when you get in the voting booth.

I think celebrities see their politics as 'right on' as opposed to cool.

I don't think there is a difference.

MTimT said:

Mortimer said:

Of course he's now down for the night and whining a bit - but we'all be strong now for future benefit for all of us.

LOL. Our last pup was a shepherd who flew in from Seattle to Maryland. He yowled all the way, apparently, and only stopped once we got home and let him out. Then he started up again as soon as we put him in his crate for the night. That lasted 3 nights. No matter how wonderful he was during the days, I was about to wring his little neck. Then on the fourth night, there was sleep!

We are never lonely in our place. Two shepherds (a boy and a girl, neither with any concept of personal space) and a little Irish Jack.

How wonderful!

My favourite dogs were three Border Collies we shared a house with in a Canada for a few weeks about ten years ago. They were so bright they knew I was ill and gave me a lot of fuss.

That said I think Freddie will steal this accolade soon! He has been so good today. He was the last of the litter to be collected so this is his second night alone. Fingers crossed he sleeps!

I just had my biggest bet on a football match...and it lost!

I think Wes Streeting could win by 5,000 votes in Ilford North next time regardless of the national situation, due to fast-changing demographics in that part of north-east London.

surbiton said:

MaxPB said:

SeanT said:

Charles said:

MTimT said:

Charles said:

MTimT said:

Charles said:

MTimT said:

SeanT said:

I'm drunk and happy.

Just thought I should say that. Sometimes PB needs a dose of positivity.

Well, I'm here to provide it.

Just ate a fabulous 28-aged rib eye from Sainsburys (cost: £7.50) and am now drinking a superb Damilano Barolo from Waitrose, £27.

That's not oligarch money. That's £35 or so for a truly fantastic dinner.

Life is getting better, for most people. Never forget that

Just ate like a king in Granada for 15 Euros, including a bottle of Rioja between 2

Fantastic meal for less than a fiver

Where?

London

Need the address, unless it's chez vous. Second thoughts, still need the address. And an invite!

Chez moi. But if you promise to be interesting you are welcome to the wilds of NW8 when you are in London

NW8?

You live in an.... 8?

UGH!

When in moments of great despair I console myself with the fact I have only lived in 1s.

My first student year UCL halls of residence; Ramsay, Fitzrovia, W1.

2nd year, horrible shared basement flat, but Montagu Sq, W1.

Third year, Nottingham Place, W1. Basement and grim, but W1.

At the end of the third year I lived in then desolate and deserted Wapping E1, followed by Thayer St and De Walden St, W1 for two years.

From then I lived in various squats and commandeered student digs, all along Gower Street, WC1, or Great Portland St, W1.

For almost a decade I lived in Barnsbury, N1.

Then I spent 5 years in Store St, WC1. Now I live in Delancey St, NW1.

Always the 1s! (apart from the time I was jailed in Wormwood Scrubs London W2998 or whatever, then Brixton prison, the only time I've been forced south of the river)

But I can PROUDLY say that, apart from the times when I was unjustly and involuntarily jailed for *allegedly* raping a beautiful Jewish princess, I have always lived in a 1. And I hope that epitaph goes on my gravestone.

NW8 is undoubtedly swankier than NW1, Charles is being modest with the postcode. It is St John's Wood. I believe Charles' house overlooks the park.

Lords!

I am sure Charles is a humble and gentlemanly soul who would be much embarrassed by such a thing, but being a naturally deferential sort with acute class consciousness, I very much fear if I ever met him in person I would feel the urge to doff my cap.

midwinter said:

isam said:

I just had my biggest bet on a football match...and it lost!

Ouch..PSG?

Cavani to score... slightly unlucky!

https://twitter.com/wittyfutty/status/833424974761320448

The_Apocalypse said:

kle4 said:

[....]left and right, to see themselves as revolutionaries, fighting back against some nebulous, ill defined establishment or elite, no matter how ridiculous it might be for them to be a part of a fight against said elite or establishment. UKIP have had this problem for bloody ages and plenty on the right have it. Rees-Mogg was even commenting in that Jess Phillips bit last week, I hope in jest, that his type, the old fashioned elite, are not elite anymore, which as much as I find the man charming, is total bollocks.

That being said, 'no liberal...defines themselves as cool' is also bollocks, relying on semantics to pass muster. Ok, cool is a word most people do not use to define themselves, but people use other labels to mean basically they same thing, that they are with it, they are trendy, progressive and so on, and though the right do themselves no favours when they whinge about bias too much, it is certainly the case media and entertainment figures are, generally, more to the left and more liberal, and more vocal about it as well; these 'cool' people are more likely to be liberal, much more likely to espouse progressive, trendy values and implicitly or explicitly indicate those of a contrary view are not like them, and so not cool.

I'm no social conservative, not in the least (any conservatism I possess is almost certainly in the economic sense, though as is the case for most people my views are hardly 100% consistent on that), I am definitely socially liberal, but those who are socially conservative are most definitely not seen as cool, and whether one uses the word or some substitute word, the alternative position is seen as cool.

I said no Liberal I know sees themselves as cool. Obviously saying no liberal at all sees themselves as cool would be ridiculous, but I didn't say that. Sure, are there some liberals who see themselves as cool because they are liberals. But this isn't all liberals.

I agree that socially conservative people are not seen as cool. But my point was is that some of these people are trying to define themselves as cool. And if some liberals seeing themselves as cool is annoying, then it is the same for Conservatives who try to do the same thing.

That is the very point I was trying to make, but I have to say, the idea every liberal you know does not define themselves as cool I find statistically unlikely, given how prevalent it is for people to see themselves as cool, and it is quite possible they would use a different self descriptor, which is not uncommon - I would describe myself as sensible and moderate, but others might simply call me indecisive. I suspect our difference of opinion is you find a distinction between people thinking themselves as cool vs 'right on'(or equivalent), when I think they are synonyms, utilised because the word cool is, well, not cool.

SeanT said:

MaxPB said:

SeanT said:

Charles said:

MTimT said:

Charles said:

MTimT said:

Charles said:

MTimT said:

SeanT said:

I'm drunk and happy.

Just thought I should say that. Sometimes PB needs a dose of positivity.

Well, I'm here to provide it.

Just ate a fabulous 28-aged rib eye from Sainsburys (cost: £7.50) and am now drinking a superb Damilano Barolo from Waitrose, £27.

That's not oligarch money. That's £35 or so for a truly fantastic dinner.

Life is getting better, for most people. Never forget that

Just ate like a king in Granada for 15 Euros, including a bottle of Rioja between 2

Fantastic meal for less than a fiver

Where?

London

Need the address, unless it's chez vous. Second thoughts, still need the address. And an invite!

Chez moi. But if you promise to be interesting you are welcome to the wilds of NW8 when you are in London

NW8?

You live in an.... 8?

UGH!

When in moments of great despair I console myself with the fact I have only lived in 1s.

My first student year UCL halls of residence; Ramsay, Fitzrovia, W1.

2nd year, horrible shared basement flat, but Montagu Sq, W1.

Third year, Nottingham Place, W1. Basement and grim, but W1.

At the end of the third year I lived in then desolate and deserted Wapping E1, followed by Thayer St and De Walden St, W1 for two years.

From then I lived in various squats and commandeered student digs, all along Gower Street, WC1, or Great Portland St, W1.

For almost a decade I lived in Barnsbury, N1.

Then I spent 5 years in Store St, WC1. Now I live in Delancey St, NW1.

Always the 1s! (apart from the time I was jailed in Wormwood Scrubs London W2998 or whatever, then Brixton prison, the only time I've been forced south of the river)

But I can PROUDLY say that, apart from the times when I was unjustly and involuntarily jailed for *allegedly* raping a beautiful Jewish princess, I have always lived in a 1. And I hope that epitaph goes on my gravestone.

NW8 is undoubtedly swankier than NW1, Charles is being modest with the postcode. It is St John's Wood. I believe Charles' house overlooks the park.

Nope. Sorry, it's an 8. Even St John's Wood.

8.

It's where Victorian husbands kept their mistresses in villas.

It's just.... 8.

SHUDDER

8!

I think I'll probably go to NW8 when I decide to make my way back from Zurich, or if I can afford it, Bloomsbury.

isam said:

I just had my biggest bet on a football match...and it lost!

Quick check: was that your biggest bet ever (which just happened to be on a football match), or was it your biggest bet on a football match (tho you have had bigger bets on non-football related things)?

And while I'm here instead of watching X-Men:DOFP on Film4 like I should be doing, why were you betting on a football match? You're a professional gambler backed by a syndicate (if I remember correctly) who underwrite your predictions. Was football your area of interest?

glw said:

The_Apocalypse said:

No Liberal I know defines themselves as 'cool'. We just get on with our lives.

In the US Kennedy, Clinton, Obama they were all pitched as "cooler" than their opponents. Think about Blair and Cool Britannia. Think about the film and music business, as we will surely see at the Oscars soon. Even t-shirts with Marx or Che on them.

I don't think it's a sweeping generalisation to say that people see the left/liberalism = cool and youthful, and right/conservatism = uncool and old.

Of course coolness doesn't matter when you get in the voting booth.

Growing up in the 90s, being conservative meant images of Harry Enfield's 'Tory Boy' character - a spotty lickspittle who wanted to be part of the ruling class - everything a teenager doesn't want to be!

I don't think it's an overstatement to say that in many circles it's easier to come out as gay than conservative. During my teens / uni years if I had conservative thoughts I kept them to myself for fear of being outcast...

Which is why I think 4chan is a bit like Brexit or Trump in that it's a massive "you are not alone" moment for a lot of people - something the author of the original article is clearly terrified of. Conservatism not just as an ideology, but as a mass movement.

That's why he's so keen to paint 4chan's anons as basement dwelling losers. Much like the 'Tory Boy' image he wants to paint people with conservative views as social lepers, when in fact it turns out there's huge strength in numbers.

Labour to get 40%-50% of the voteshare in Copeland @ 4/1

https://sports.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/betting/politics/british/local-by-elections/copeland-by-election/223069460/

Value, IMO.

On the 'politician to have a beer with' test, I think Boris usually comes out top over here IIRC. I don't think he was trusted to put up shelves or the like though.

viewcode said:

isam said:

I just had my biggest bet on a football match...and it lost!

Quick check: was that your biggest bet ever (which just happened to be on a football match), or was it your biggest bet on a football match (tho you have had bigger bets on non-football related things)?

And while I'm here instead of watching X-Men:DOFP on Film4 like I should be doing, why were you betting on a football match? You're a professional gambler backed by a syndicate (if I remember correctly) who underwrite your predictions. Was football your area of interest?

I've had bigger bets (brexit/long term football) but this was the biggest in one match. It wasn't anything outrageous I am not a massive size gambler, I just bet a lot.

I bet on football for the syndicate, but this price was not available for them, so I had it myself. My cut of today's profit w them pays for the loss, but a bird in the hand and all that