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Yes, it’s completely bonkers.logical_song said:
Bitcoin uses more power than Serbia – the environmental cost of cryptocurrenciesSandpit said:
Here’s a reasonable summary, written a few months ago.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. Sandpit, could you explain in layman's terms how Bitcoin and similar things work?
https://www.thewrap.com/bitcoin-charges-towards-2000-what-the-hell-is-it/
It’s basically virtual currency, created by a network of computers churning through difficult maths problems - rather than by a government, central bank or other regulated authority.
https://newatlas.com/bitcoin-cryptocurrency-power-consumption/52556/
The total value of all bitcoins in circulation is now something around $270bn, larger than all but around 40 countries’ annual product, somewhere around the GDP of Pakistan or Ireland but seven times the size of Serbia - and double what it was a fortnight ago.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)0 -
Mr. Sandpit, that's nuts.0
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Given we would be retaking our seats on the many international bodies that directly decide these standards and regulations rather than relying upon the EU to do it (badly) on our behalf, I think we are very much going to get what we want in this context.SouthamObserver said:
Hmmm - I think we do get that. What I think you fail to understand is that you are not going to get it!Elliot said:
It's amazing that after all this time Remainers still don't seem to understand the position of most Leavers. Those of us that think this sort of thing is important don't mind alignment to similar international standards, as long as the way it is done is by UK lawmakers rather than incorporation of every new directive directly into UK law, there is no EU enforcement body and we can still sign trade deals elsewhere . It allows us to tailor the regulations to the UK context, means we can drag our feet to haggle out compromises and, if we really don't like it, refuse to incorporate it meaning the EU would have to go nuclear over a tiny issue when they have bigger fish to fry.SouthamObserver said:A very interesting dilemma for the Labour leadership on Brexit. The Times is reporting that the Canada +++ deal that Davis wants will require the UK to agree significant regulatory alignment across a number of areas. That's not great news for the Brexiteers, of course. But it will also severely restrict the ability of the UK to develop state aid packages. That would be a huge problem for the far left. So it's not just Theresa May that needs to square circles.
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A boy asks his Bitcoin investor father if he can borrow £10 worth of Bitcoin. The father replies, "£9.31? What on earth do you need £10.27 for?"Sandpit said:
It’s very much completely bananas. All we are seeing now is a speculatory bubble as mainstream financial institutions start to get involved in something that until very recently they would have run a mile from.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. Sandpit, cheers for the concise summary.
Seems bananas to me.
To say the price is extremely volatile would be something of an understatement.
http://xe.com/currencycharts/?from=XBT&to=USD&view=1Y0 -
I read somewhere that the daily energy usage for BTC transactions is higher than the bottom 150 countries put together.0
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I'm not an economist, but my layman's understanding says that money supply is the right comparison, not GDP.Sandpit said:
Yes, it’s completely bonkers.logical_song said:
Bitcoin uses more power than Serbia – the environmental cost of cryptocurrenciesSandpit said:
Here’s a reasonable summary, written a few months ago.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. Sandpit, could you explain in layman's terms how Bitcoin and similar things work?
https://www.thewrap.com/bitcoin-charges-towards-2000-what-the-hell-is-it/
It’s basically virtual currency, created by a network of computers churning through difficult maths problems - rather than by a government, central bank or other regulated authority.
https://newatlas.com/bitcoin-cryptocurrency-power-consumption/52556/
The total value of all bitcoins in circulation is now something around $270bn, larger than all but around 40 countries’ annual product, somewhere around the GDP of Pakistan or Ireland but seven times the size of Serbia - and double what it was a fortnight ago.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)0 -
OK, then this is where we are going to have to trust the civil service to really dig down into the detail. It's one thing to agree environmental standards which prevent companies from 'dirty' manufacture, and perfectly laudable.SouthamObserver said:
"Senior European diplomats and officials have said, however, that Britain would need to accept a series of EU rules, including environmental regulations, labour standards and competition law, to achieve a trade deal better than the one Canada negotiated with the bloc."TonyE said:
Significant regulatory alignment of course relates to exported items and services. But what about Environment, Labour, internal services, etc. These are areas where the EU's one size fits all level of regulating has been the cause of poor policy decisions, or at least restricted ones. Environment is a bit of a bugbear of mine - especially in terms of flood management, rivers and areas like the Somerset levels. So how deep does regulatory alignment go.SouthamObserver said:A very interesting dilemma for the Labour leadership on Brexit. The Times is reporting that the Canada +++ deal that Davis wants will require the UK to agree significant regulatory alignment across a number of areas. That's not great news for the Brexiteers, of course. But it will also severely restrict the ability of the UK to develop state aid packages. That would be a huge problem for the far left. So it's not just Theresa May that needs to square circles.
State aid packages are a bit of a difficult area, because they don't only have EU hurdles to jump. EU law allows for some subsidy where the industry is deemed 'strategically important'. WTO rules are a little more flexible. So for example, for security reasons there is some leeway on Steel, Aerospace etc - items that might be deemed important for defence.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/canada-plus-plus-plus-brexit-deal-could-mean-mass-of-red-tape-vjzlmq23v
It's something else altogether to use EU regs to control wetland management, wildlife or planning in rural areas, control localised air quality. These things have no direct effect on the 'Marketplace' and therefore should be purely UK matters (Apart from in NI, where devolution allows the NI govt to approach these issues differently anyway, as in Scotland and Wales).0 -
SPD say coalition talks will take to May 2018
https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/live171035998/SPD-General-rechnet-mit-Groko-Gespraechen-bis-Mai.html0 -
I was convinced Roy Moore was going to win, but now I'm wondering he's going to fire up the African-American community.
https://twitter.com/natemcdermott/status/939994930352713729
https://twitter.com/natemcdermott/status/9399955382164234240 -
Strong and stable.....Alanbrooke said:
SPD say coalition talks will take to May 2018
https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/live171035998/SPD-General-rechnet-mit-Groko-Gespraechen-bis-Mai.html
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Of course money supply is a more correct comparator, but using GDP produces more dramatic figures!Elliot said:
I'm not an economist, but my layman's understanding says that money supply is the right comparison, not GDP.Sandpit said:
Yes, it’s completely bonkers.logical_song said:
Bitcoin uses more power than Serbia – the environmental cost of cryptocurrenciesSandpit said:
Here’s a reasonable summary, written a few months ago.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. Sandpit, could you explain in layman's terms how Bitcoin and similar things work?
https://www.thewrap.com/bitcoin-charges-towards-2000-what-the-hell-is-it/
It’s basically virtual currency, created by a network of computers churning through difficult maths problems - rather than by a government, central bank or other regulated authority.
https://newatlas.com/bitcoin-cryptocurrency-power-consumption/52556/
The total value of all bitcoins in circulation is now something around $270bn, larger than all but around 40 countries’ annual product, somewhere around the GDP of Pakistan or Ireland but seven times the size of Serbia - and double what it was a fortnight ago.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
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As with tulips, there are two ways you can join the Bitcoin fun
1. As a speculator
You can buy bitcoins in the hope that someone else will buy them from you ata later date for more money. This is the driver of the bubble.
2. As a producer
You can make your own Bitcoins. All you need is the appropriate computer hardware and enough electricity. This is where it gets a bit complicated. The amount of horsepower and electricity required to mine a coin is correlated to the amount of resources already doing it. At $20,000 each, it might be worth firing up a rig, unless everyone else also thinks the same thing...
And spare a thought for the poor consumers. Those who only want to own some bitcoin so they can use it to purchase recreational chemicals, and especially those who already snorted the equivalent of the deposit on a house0 -
Certainly a brain surgeon without any knowledge of brain surgery but with clean fingernails might reduce the infection rate.Ishmael_Z said:
That is actually true for all jobs. As John Mortimer said, all you need to succeed in the law is common sense and reasonably clean fingernails.williamglenn said:
http://uk.businessinsider.com/david-davis-does-not-have-to-be-clever-to-be-brexit-secretary-2017-12SouthamObserver said:The Minister for Winging It ...
"What's the requirement of my job?" Davis asked LBC's Nick Ferrari.
"I don't have to be very clever. I don't have to know that much. I just do have to be calm."0 -
Yep, sounds reasonable.TonyE said:
OK, then this is where we are going to have to trust the civil service to really dig down into the detail. It's one thing to agree environmental standards which prevent companies from 'dirty' manufacture, and perfectly laudable.SouthamObserver said:
"Senior European diplomats and officials have said, however, that Britain would need to accept a series of EU rules, including environmental regulations, labour standards and competition law, to achieve a trade deal better than the one Canada negotiated with the bloc."TonyE said:
Significant regulatory alignment of course relates to exported items and services. But what about Environment, Labour, internal services, etc. These are areas where the EU's one size fits all level of regulating has been the cause of poor policy decisions, or at least restricted ones. Environment is a bit of a bugbear of mine - especially in terms of flood management, rivers and areas like the Somerset levels. So how deep does regulatory alignment go.SouthamObserver said:A very interesting dilemma for the Labour leadership on Brexit. The Times is reporting that the Canada +++ deal that Davis wants will require the UK to agree significant regulatory alignment across a number of areas. That's not great news for the Brexiteers, of course. But it will also severely restrict the ability of the UK to develop state aid packages. That would be a huge problem for the far left. So it's not just Theresa May that needs to square circles.
State aid packages are a bit of a difficult area, because they don't only have EU hurdles to jump. EU law allows for some subsidy where the industry is deemed 'strategically important'. WTO rules are a little more flexible. So for example, for security reasons there is some leeway on Steel, Aerospace etc - items that might be deemed important for defence.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/canada-plus-plus-plus-brexit-deal-could-mean-mass-of-red-tape-vjzlmq23v
It's something else altogether to use EU regs to control wetland management, wildlife or planning in rural areas, control localised air quality. These things have no direct effect on the 'Marketplace' and therefore should be purely UK matters (Apart from in NI, where devolution allows the NI govt to approach these issues differently anyway, as in Scotland and Wales).
In the end, I doubt there is going to be a huge amount of difference. Right now, the CJEU is the ultimate arbiter of EU directives and regulations. In future, in the cases you cite at least, it will be the UK courts. However, I would be surprised if there were much divergence between how a judge in the UK might look at a case and how the CJEU might. As we know, very few cases are referred from the UK to the CJEU now.
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I'm afraid I think that anything he says on this will be spun by people like your good self - the right are keen to establish the Corbyn=Iran+Hamas+Venezuela meme on a very thin basis. Nor is it true that Corbyn or others comment on everything that right-wing autocrats do - Russia, Brazil, Myanmar and this week's Central American shenanigans are examples where a constant stream of criticism would be appropriate on the same basis. Do you criticise May for not issuing daily statements about them?Elliot said:
Condemning the abolition of democracy is having to give an "unnecessary" "running public commentary". This is a crystal clear example of how Corbynism has degraded the ethical principles of the British left. Corbyn will condemn moderate conservatives in the most extreme terms while looking the other way to brutal dictators as long as they are left wing. And the rest of the Labour Party remains silent or excuses his actions. Shame on you Mr Palmer. I am glad you are an ex-MP.
I do appreciate that the appalling experience of your family in Iran gives you particular reason for concern there, though.0 -
When you say "on our behalf" - I mean you know we have been a member of the EU for 40 years. Quite an important one. Why do you think we were so ineffective when it came to defining the EU, and yet will be much more powerful and influential when we have to negotiate with the WTO's 140 nations?Richard_Tyndall said:
Given we would be retaking our seats on the many international bodies that directly decide these standards and regulations rather than relying upon the EU to do it (badly) on our behalf, I think we are very much going to get what we want in this context.SouthamObserver said:
Hmmm - I think we do get that. What I think you fail to understand is that you are not going to get it!Elliot said:
It's amazing that after all this time Remainers still don't seem to understand the position of most Leavers. Those of us that think this sort of thing is important don't mind alignment to similar international standards, as long as the way it is done is by UK lawmakers rather than incorporation of every new directive directly into UK law, there is no EU enforcement body and we can still sign trade deals elsewhere . It allows us to tailor the regulations to the UK context, means we can drag our feet to haggle out compromises and, if we really don't like it, refuse to incorporate it meaning the EU would have to go nuclear over a tiny issue when they have bigger fish to fry.SouthamObserver said:A very interesting dilemma for the Labour leadership on Brexit. The Times is reporting that the Canada +++ deal that Davis wants will require the UK to agree significant regulatory alignment across a number of areas. That's not great news for the Brexiteers, of course. But it will also severely restrict the ability of the UK to develop state aid packages. That would be a huge problem for the far left. So it's not just Theresa May that needs to square circles.
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Because right now we have 1 of 27 seats that decide what one person of the 140 discusses.TOPPING said:
When you say "on our behalf" - I mean you know we have been a member of the EU for 40 years. Quite an important one. Why do you think we were so ineffective when it came to defining the EU, and yet will be much more powerful and influential when we have to negotiate with the WTO's 140 nations?Richard_Tyndall said:
Given we would be retaking our seats on the many international bodies that directly decide these standards and regulations rather than relying upon the EU to do it (badly) on our behalf, I think we are very much going to get what we want in this context.SouthamObserver said:
Hmmm - I think we do get that. What I think you fail to understand is that you are not going to get it!Elliot said:
It's amazing that after all this time Remainers still don't seem to understand the position of most Leavers. Those of us that think this sort of thing is important don't mind alignment to similar international standards, as long as the way it is done is by UK lawmakers rather than incorporation of every new directive directly into UK law, there is no EU enforcement body and we can still sign trade deals elsewhere . It allows us to tailor the regulations to the UK context, means we can drag our feet to haggle out compromises and, if we really don't like it, refuse to incorporate it meaning the EU would have to go nuclear over a tiny issue when they have bigger fish to fry.SouthamObserver said:A very interesting dilemma for the Labour leadership on Brexit. The Times is reporting that the Canada +++ deal that Davis wants will require the UK to agree significant regulatory alignment across a number of areas. That's not great news for the Brexiteers, of course. But it will also severely restrict the ability of the UK to develop state aid packages. That would be a huge problem for the far left. So it's not just Theresa May that needs to square circles.
Our priorities can be outvoted by the French and Italians before our EU representative even gets to discuss them at the WTO.0 -
Mr. Palmer, that 'thin basis':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGj1PheWiFQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSIQAKpaR200 -
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Perhaps Corbyn might ask Chris Williamson - a shadow minister, after all - to stop Tweeting and appearing on TV to support for Venezuela, Cuba and various other unsavoury regimes, as well as backing various suspended Labour members accused of anti-Semitism.NickPalmer said:
I'm afraid I think that anything he says on this will be spun by people like your good self - the right are keen to establish the Corbyn=Iran+Hamas+Venezuela meme on a very thin basis. Nor is it true that Corbyn or others comment on everything that right-wing autocrats do - Russia, Brazil, Myanmar and this week's Central American shenanigans are examples where a constant stream of criticism would be appropriate on the same basis. Do you criticise May for not issuing daily statements about them?Elliot said:
Condemning the abolition of democracy is having to give an "unnecessary" "running public commentary". This is a crystal clear example of how Corbynism has degraded the ethical principles of the British left. Corbyn will condemn moderate conservatives in the most extreme terms while looking the other way to brutal dictators as long as they are left wing. And the rest of the Labour Party remains silent or excuses his actions. Shame on you Mr Palmer. I am glad you are an ex-MP.
I do appreciate that the appalling experience of your family in Iran gives you particular reason for concern there, though.
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Could a tent and urination be involved?TheScreamingEagles said:I feel a thread coming on
https://twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/status/9401540867999293450 -
What, and the US and Japan can't outvote us at the WTO?Sandpit said:
Because right now we have 1 of 27 seats that decide what one person of the 140 discusses.TOPPING said:
When you say "on our behalf" - I mean you know we have been a member of the EU for 40 years. Quite an important one. Why do you think we were so ineffective when it came to defining the EU, and yet will be much more powerful and influential when we have to negotiate with the WTO's 140 nations?Richard_Tyndall said:
Given we would be retaking our seats on the many international bodies that directly decide these standards and regulations rather than relying upon the EU to do it (badly) on our behalf, I think we are very much going to get what we want in this context.SouthamObserver said:
Hmmm - I think we do get that. What I think you fail to understand is that you are not going to get it!Elliot said:
It's amazing that after all this time Remainers still don't seem to understand the position of most Leavers. Those of us that think this sort of thing is important don't mind alignment to similar international standards, as long as the way it is done is by UK lawmakers rather than incorporation of every new directive directly into UK law, there is no EU enforcement body and we can still sign trade deals elsewhere . It allows us to tailor the regulations to the UK context, means we can drag our feet to haggle out compromises and, if we really don't like it, refuse to incorporate it meaning the EU would have to go nuclear over a tiny issue when they have bigger fish to fry.SouthamObserver said:A very interesting dilemma for the Labour leadership on Brexit. The Times is reporting that the Canada +++ deal that Davis wants will require the UK to agree significant regulatory alignment across a number of areas. That's not great news for the Brexiteers, of course. But it will also severely restrict the ability of the UK to develop state aid packages. That would be a huge problem for the far left. So it's not just Theresa May that needs to square circles.
Our priorities can be outvoted by the French and Italians before our EU representative even gets to discuss them at the WTO.
In the EU we helped to create a large economic bloc power which could negotiate strongly vs everyone else.
Still, if we are at the stage of having to explain this then gawd help expectations vs reality in the years ahead for you lot.0 -
Didn't someone say DD and Theresa May were friends going back a long way (same with the disgraced Liam Fox? )TheScreamingEagles said:I feel a thread coming on
https://twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/status/940154086799929345 0 -
Thin basis ? Oh do behave Mr Palmer...NickPalmer said:
I'm afraid I think that anything he says on this will be spun by people like your good self - the right are keen to establish the Corbyn=Iran+Hamas+Venezuela meme on a very thin basis.Elliot said:
Condemning the abolition of democracy is having to give an "unnecessary" "running public commentary". This is a crystal clear example of how Corbynism has degraded the ethical principles of the British left. Corbyn will condemn moderate conservatives in the most extreme terms while looking the other way to brutal dictators as long as they are left wing. And the rest of the Labour Party remains silent or excuses his actions. Shame on you Mr Palmer. I am glad you are an ex-MP.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/835994/Corbyn-Venezuela-Nicolas-Maduro-Hugo-Chavez-Labour-Party-Watch-Video
Mr Corbyn also spoke of the previous Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, and his visit to London.
He said: “During the visit of President Chávez to London, which was a huge demonstration of support. Myself, Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone spoke extensively with President Chávez.”0 -
For me, it's not about law, its about policy. Policy that makes perfectly good sense in Eastern Europe, doesn't necessarily work well here. Localised solutions are restricted by fear of breach of regs at a local govt level, which only top civil servants really understand.SouthamObserver said:
Yep, sounds reasonable.TonyE said:
OK, then this is where we are going to have to trust the civil service to really dig down into the detail. It's one thing to agree environmental standards which prevent companies from 'dirty' manufacture, and perfectly laudable.SouthamObserver said:
"Senior European diplomats and officials have said, however, that Britain would need to accept a series of EU rules, including environmental regulations, labour standards and competition law, to achieve a trade deal better than the one Canada negotiated with the bloc."TonyE said:
Significant regulatory alignment of course relates to exported items and services. But what about Environment,... there is some leeway on Steel, Aerospace etc - items that might be deemed important for defence.SouthamObserver said:A very interesting dilemma for the Labour leadership on Brexit. The Times is reporting that the Canada +++ deal that Davis wants will require the UK to agree significant regulatory alignment across a number of areas. That's not great news for the Brexiteers, of course. But it will also severely restrict the ability of the UK to develop state aid packages. That would be a huge problem for the far left. So it's not just Theresa May that needs to square circles.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/canada-plus-plus-plus-brexit-deal-could-mean-mass-of-red-tape-vjzlmq23v
It's something else altogether to use EU regs to control wetland management, wildlife or planning in rural areas, control localised air quality. These things have no direct effect on the 'Marketplace' and therefore should be purely UK matters (Apart from in NI, where devolution allows the NI govt to approach these issues differently anyway, as in Scotland and Wales).
In the end, I doubt there is going to be a huge amount of difference. Right now, the CJEU is the ultimate arbiter of EU directives and regulations. In future, in the cases you cite at least, it will be the UK courts. However, I would be surprised if there were much divergence between how a judge in the UK might look at a case and how the CJEU might. As we know, very few cases are referred from the UK to the CJEU now.0 -
Still a lot of disappointment around that an agreement was reached last week it seems..TheScreamingEagles said:I feel a thread coming on
https://twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/status/9401540867999293450 -
Despite Brexit or because of Brexit?another_richard said:I see the End Of Days also applies to Italy:
' In October 2017, the retail trade decreased by 2.1% compared with October 2016, all store types showed decline as food retailing was down 1.7% and non-food retailing was down 2.4%.
Estimates of the value of retail sales fell month-on-month also: -1.0% compared with September 2017. '
http://www.istat.it/en/archive/2071440 -
Again we see the negative effects of Corbynism, where Labour are now instinctively brushing off all criticism as giving way to "the right". I have voted Labour for almost every election. I voted for Blair, Brown and Miliband. This isn't a "daily basis" bad action. This is the effective end of democracy in Venezuela. That is a seismic step. When equivalent things occur elsewhere in the world, I expect politicians to condemn them. That is especially the case for politicians that have close relationships to such regimes. Your suggestion for Corbyn to use his back channel contacts shows this is the case.NickPalmer said:
I'm afraid I think that anything he says on this will be spun by people like your good self - the right are keen to establish the Corbyn=Iran+Hamas+Venezuela meme on a very thin basis. Nor is it true that Corbyn or others comment on everything that right-wing autocrats do - Russia, Brazil, Myanmar and this week's Central American shenanigans are examples where a constant stream of criticism would be appropriate on the same basis. Do you criticise May for not issuing daily statements about them?Elliot said:
Condemning the abolition of democracy is having to give an "unnecessary" "running public commentary". This is a crystal clear example of how Corbynism has degraded the ethical principles of the British left. Corbyn will condemn moderate conservatives in the most extreme terms while looking the other way to brutal dictators as long as they are left wing. And the rest of the Labour Party remains silent or excuses his actions. Shame on you Mr Palmer. I am glad you are an ex-MP.
I do appreciate that the appalling experience of your family in Iran gives you particular reason for concern there, though.0 -
I think he'd support them to do an awful lot, a lot he shouldn't, but outright dictatorship? I am not so sure.Elliot said:
Why are you so sure? Corbyn has long supported the Venezuelan socialists, as he does with all "anti-imperialists", regardless of their tactics. Look at his past close relationship with the Iranian regime for goodness sake.kle4 said:
I am sure that Corbyn will think the extremes Maduro has gone to re banning parties are wrong. Whether he will say so is another matter - it won't win him any praise from the right who will ask what took so long, and none from the far left either who no doubt think Maduro's only flaw is not being as great as Chavez.HYUFD said:
If Corbyn gets in I expect he may be thinking of it for his re election, after all we don't want misguided voters in the bread queue letting false consciousness put the Tories back in!RobD said:
Now why didn’t we think of that in the last election!Morris_Dancer said:Meanwhile, in socialist paradise the opposition (presumably South America's equivalent of baby-eating Tories) have been forbidden from standing for election:
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/939992112493420544
I know this is all a partisan bun fight to many on here, but it really isn't to people from these countries. I have had relations disappeared in Iran. No doubt they were tortured before being thrown in a pit somewhere but my family will likely never know.0 -
FOM “likely” “around” two years....
For EU citizens who arrive in the UK after the UK’s withdrawal on 29 March 2019, the proposed implementation period (announced by the Prime Minister in her Florence speech in September) will mean they can still live, work and study here after we have left the EU. How long this period lasts is subject to negotiations, however it is likely to be around 2 years.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/status-of-eu-nationals-in-the-uk-what-you-need-to-know0 -
"Better" is best defined in terms of outcomes for the future balance of trade between the EU and UK. Paying the EU huge sums merely to allow a continuation of their huge surplus in trade with the UK is not a "better" trade deal. At least John Redwood is not blind to that fact:SouthamObserver said:
"Senior European diplomats and officials have said, however, that Britain would need to accept a series of EU rules, including environmental regulations, labour standards and competition law, to achieve a trade deal better than the one Canada negotiated with the bloc."
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/canada-plus-plus-plus-brexit-deal-could-mean-mass-of-red-tape-vjzlmq23v
"Does the EU want a comprehensive free trade Agreement with us or not? .....
If the answer is No, then the UK needs to ask the second question. What new tariffs and barriers does the EU wish to impose on our exports to them, given that we will likely impose identical barriers on their exports to us? If we take goods, the EU could if it wishes impose the same tariffs on our goods and food exports as they do to other non EU countries under WTO rules which govern us both. This would mean they would face high tariffs on their large farm exports to us, where they run a £20 bn surplus. We have a year to source alternative cheaper food from around the world and for our farms to gear up to produce more at home behind the tariff wall. If the EU for example wants a high tariff on meat there are plenty of other suppliers who would like to sell us more. There is then the question of what impediments they would want to place on services. They have never completed a proper single market in services. There are still many national regulatory, language and qualification barriers around. The UK allows considerable access to its markets that helps continental business. If the EU wanted zero tariffs on goods but more restrictions on services the UK could say it sees a trade off between the two."
http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/
Redwood is silent here on what the UK government might beneficially use those tariffs for - presumably in his case he favours tax cuts. I suspect though that if we get to that point, a Labour government might find it quite difficult to give up those tariffs. They would amount to a voluntary tax on consumers who insisted on continuing to buy EU sourced goods. Would Corbyn forgo the opportunity to use that to fund a large scale injection of funds into the NHS as well as strategic state-aided interventions to rebuild many strategic UK industries decimated by 40 years of free trade with the EU? And as Davis confirmed yesterday, the question of whether the UK will be making any payments to the EU is yet to be settled, depending as it does on the outcome of trade talks.0 -
He has supported Cuba for long enough.kle4 said:
I think he'd support them to do an awful lot, a lot he shouldn't, but outright dictatorship? I am not so sure.Elliot said:
Why are you so sure? Corbyn has long supported the Venezuelan socialists, as he does with all "anti-imperialists", regardless of their tactics. Look at his past close relationship with the Iranian regime for goodness sake.kle4 said:
I am sure that Corbyn will think the extremes Maduro has gone to re banning parties are wrong. Whether he will say so is another matter - it won't win him any praise from the right who will ask what took so long, and none from the far left either who no doubt think Maduro's only flaw is not being as great as Chavez.HYUFD said:
If Corbyn gets in I expect he may be thinking of it for his re election, after all we don't want misguided voters in the bread queue letting false consciousness put the Tories back in!RobD said:
Now why didn’t we think of that in the last election!Morris_Dancer said:Meanwhile, in socialist paradise the opposition (presumably South America's equivalent of baby-eating Tories) have been forbidden from standing for election:
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/939992112493420544
I know this is all a partisan bun fight to many on here, but it really isn't to people from these countries. I have had relations disappeared in Iran. No doubt they were tortured before being thrown in a pit somewhere but my family will likely never know.0 -
Oh the irony.
Snowflakes force Britain First to cancel their rally in Belfast
http://metro.co.uk/2017/12/10/snowflakes-force-britain-first-to-cancel-their-rally-in-belfast-7146914/
0 -
As the price gets higher, the more electricity you can throw at Bitcoins to mine profitably.MaxPB said:I read somewhere that the daily energy usage for BTC transactions is higher than the bottom 150 countries put together.
It is like a free market renewable heating initiative with no end in sight.0 -
Jeremy Corbyn was given the Sean MacBride Award last week by the International Peace Bureau in Geneva, for turning off our nuclear deterrent by promising never to press the button.
https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/2017/12/07/jeremy-corbyn-prix-determination-courage?utm_source=amp0 -
Like I said, I think it's completely unacceptable, and if I were Corbyn I'd use the friendly links with Venezuela to say so in private. But I wouldn't take part in the public denunciations, since I think the main effect would be domestic misuse against him. As I say, the right (I'm happy to exclude you) adopt a double standard - they don't expect Conservatives to condemn right-wing regimes but they demand statements from Labour at every opportunity and then spin them, demand further statements, etc.Elliot said:
Again we see the negative effects of Corbynism, where Labour are now instinctively brushing off all criticism as giving way to "the right". I have voted Labour for almost every election. I voted for Blair, Brown and Miliband. This isn't a "daily basis" bad action. This is the effective end of democracy in Venezuela. That is a seismic step. When equivalent things occur elsewhere in the world, I expect politicians to condemn them. That is especially the case for politicians that have close relationships to such regimes. Your suggestion for Corbyn to use his back channel contacts shows this is the case.
Offline for a while as the day job calls!0 -
I think that depend on the old standby 'what if my opponent were in this situation'? Our governments, left and right, ally with the undesirable all the time, but if there was a regime frequently praised effusively by the tories which was, as blatantly as Venezuela, becoming or confirming a dictatorship, would Corbyn demand they comment? I think he would.NickPalmer said:
I don't think it's necessary for him to give a running public commentarykle4 said:
I am sure that Corbyn will think the extremes Maduro has gone to re banning parties are wrong. Whether he will say so is another matter - it won't win him any praise from the right who will ask what took so long, and none from the far left either who no doubt think Maduro's only flaw is not being as great as Chavez.HYUFD said:
If Corbyn gets in I expect he may be thinking of it for his re election, after all we don't want misguided voters in the bread queue letting false consciousness put the Tories back in!RobD said:
Now why didn’t we think of that in the last election!Morris_Dancer said:Meanwhile, in socialist paradise the opposition (presumably South America's equivalent of baby-eating Tories) have been forbidden from standing for election:
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/939992112493420544
Now, there is nothing he could say that would please the right on this, so I understand not wanting to comment, but the raising of a lack of comment is not unreasonable in itself. Would the tories get away with not criticising a despicable regime? TMay got stick for not criticising Trump sooner, and he's not a dictator.0 -
Putin begins withdrawal of forces from Syria, and appears to have a Trumpian flourish:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42307365
Mr Putin said that if "terrorists raise their heads again", Russia would "carry out such strikes on them which they have never seen".0 -
Good luck finding more than three voters who care and who are not Conservative Party activists. This is something that ought to be important but isn't.TGOHF said:
Thin basis ? Oh do behave Mr Palmer...NickPalmer said:
I'm afraid I think that anything he says on this will be spun by people like your good self - the right are keen to establish the Corbyn=Iran+Hamas+Venezuela meme on a very thin basis.Elliot said:
Condemning the abolition of democracy is having to give an "unnecessary" "running public commentary". This is a crystal clear example of how Corbynism has degraded the ethical principles of the British left. Corbyn will condemn moderate conservatives in the most extreme terms while looking the other way to brutal dictators as long as they are left wing. And the rest of the Labour Party remains silent or excuses his actions. Shame on you Mr Palmer. I am glad you are an ex-MP.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/835994/Corbyn-Venezuela-Nicolas-Maduro-Hugo-Chavez-Labour-Party-Watch-Video
Mr Corbyn also spoke of the previous Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, and his visit to London.
He said: “During the visit of President Chávez to London, which was a huge demonstration of support. Myself, Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone spoke extensively with President Chávez.”0 -
Mr. L, sadly, you may well be right.
*insert typical Morris Dancer censure of political coverage in the UK media here*0 -
Don’t let Shami hear that. She thinks that bombing the living f*** out of ISIS is a bad thing, and we should be somehow arresting them instead.Morris_Dancer said:Putin begins withdrawal of forces from Syria, and appears to have a Trumpian flourish:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42307365
Mr Putin said that if "terrorists raise their heads again", Russia would "carry out such strikes on them which they have never seen".
https://order-order.com/2017/12/10/shami-disappointed-suggestion-kill-jihadis/0 -
I think that depend on the old standby 'what if my opponent were in this situation'? Our governments, left and right, ally with the undesirable all the time, but if there was a regime frequently praised effusively by the tories which was, as blatantly as Venezuela, becoming or confirming a dictatorship, would Corbyn demand they comment? I think he would.NickPalmer said:
I don't think it's necessary for him to give a running public commentarykle4 said:
I am sure that Corbyn will think the extremes Maduro has gone to re banning parties are wrong. Whether he will say so is another matter - it won't win him any praise from the right who will ask what took so long, and none from the far left either who no doubt think Maduro's only flaw is not being as great as Chavez.HYUFD said:
If Corbyn gets in I expect he may be thinking of it for his re election, after all we don't want misguided voters in the bread queue letting false consciousness put the Tories back in!RobD said:
Now why didn’t we think of that in the last election!Morris_Dancer said:Meanwhile, in socialist paradise the opposition (presumably South America's equivalent of baby-eating Tories) have been forbidden from standing for election:
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/939992112493420544
Now, there is nothing he could say that would please the right on this, so I understand not wanting to comment, but the raising of a lack of comment is not unreasonable in itself. Would the tories get away with not criticising a despicable regime? TMay got stick for not criticising Trump sooner, and he's not a dictator.
Venezuela is a different situation than, say, comments re Hamas. Venezuela was an international darling to some, comments about it are much more than isolated quotes on Hamas. And very sadly it is now a dictarorial basket case. That's not Corbyn's fault, and he gets no political benefit to commenting, but it's not unfair to raise it, nor is it similar to the Hamas stuff.0 -
It's very important to older voters, albeit less so that Corbyn's and McDonnell's IRA positions.DecrepitJohnL said:Good luck finding more than three voters who care and who are not Conservative Party activists. This is something that ought to be important but isn't.
0 -
It's not necessarily a great deal more bonkers than (say) gold.Sandpit said:
Yes, it’s completely bonkers.logical_song said:
Bitcoin uses more power than Serbia – the environmental cost of cryptocurrenciesSandpit said:
Here’s a reasonable summary, written a few months ago.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. Sandpit, could you explain in layman's terms how Bitcoin and similar things work?
https://www.thewrap.com/bitcoin-charges-towards-2000-what-the-hell-is-it/
It’s basically virtual currency, created by a network of computers churning through difficult maths problems - rather than by a government, central bank or other regulated authority.
https://newatlas.com/bitcoin-cryptocurrency-power-consumption/52556/
The total value of all bitcoins in circulation is now something around $270bn, larger than all but around 40 countries’ annual product, somewhere around the GDP of Pakistan or Ireland but seven times the size of Serbia - and double what it was a fortnight ago.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
At current levels, the total market cap is not so large that it might seriously distort the financial system. As a tradeable asset it has some advantages over gold, as well as its obvious disadvantages.
At the moment it would be an absurd thing for any even slightly risk averse investor to purchase, but that need not remain the case forever. Over the next couple of years or so, it will likely either crash and become an irrelevance, or (less likely, but not inconceivably) be adopted as a consensus alternative asset a bit like gold.
The energy usage is perhaps a bit of a red herring too. If the whole scheme continues to hold value, the hard limit on the total number of bitcoins will see some sort of equilibrium reached as the current mining mania dissipates. Derivatives trading, where the transaction cost is far less, will greatly exceed actual Bitcoin trading which will be conducted in large parcels by institutions.0 -
Sean MacBride Award for Peace ?JonnyJimmy said:Jeremy Corbyn was given the Sean MacBride Award last week by the International Peace Bureau in Geneva, for turning off our nuclear deterrent by promising never to press the button.
https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/2017/12/07/jeremy-corbyn-prix-determination-courage?utm_source=amp
"Seán MacBride (26 January 1904 – 15 January 1988) was an Irish government minister, a prominent international politician and a Chief of Staff of the IRA.[1]"
What's next for Jezza - the Bobby Sands Masterchef award ?
0 -
I wasn't aware of comments from him on that. I would guess it's easier to turn a blind eye to a dictatorship already on place (that's how we ally with some after all) than one which is still consolidating it's grip.Elliot said:
He has supported Cuba for long enough.kle4 said:
I think he'd support them to do an awful lot, a lot he shouldn't, but outright dictatorship? I am not so sure.Elliot said:
Why are you so sure? Corbyn has long supported the Venezuelan socialists, as he does with all "anti-imperialists", regardless of their tactics. Look at his past close relationship with the Iranian regime for goodness sake.kle4 said:
I am sure that Corbyn will think the extremes Maduro has gone to re banning parties are wrong. Whether he will say so is another matter - it won't win him any praise from the right who will ask what took so long, and none from the far left either who no doubt think Maduro's only flaw is not being as great as Chavez.HYUFD said:
If Corbyn gets in I expect he may be thinking of it for his re election, after all we don't want misguided voters in the bread queue letting false consciousness put the Tories back in!RobD said:
Now why didn’t we think of that in the last election!Morris_Dancer said:Meanwhile, in socialist paradise the opposition (presumably South America's equivalent of baby-eating Tories) have been forbidden from standing for election:
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/939992112493420544
I know this is all a partisan bun fight to many on here, but it really isn't to people from these countries. I have had relations disappeared in Iran. No doubt they were tortured before being thrown in a pit somewhere but my family will likely never know.0 -
TheScreamingEagles said:
I feel a thread coming on
https://twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/status/940154086799929345
To make May seem competent and diplomatic in comparison ?0 -
I happen to be the old fashioned sort of person that thinks people should do what is right even if it isn't electorally advantaged. This constant downgrading of moral principle as being unimportant as long as it doesn't affect votes is what leads to Trumpism.DecrepitJohnL said:
Good luck finding more than three voters who care and who are not Conservative Party activists. This is something that ought to be important but isn't.TGOHF said:
Thin basis ? Oh do behave Mr Palmer...NickPalmer said:
I'm afraid I think that anything he says on this will be spun by people like your good self - the right are keen to establish the Corbyn=Iran+Hamas+Venezuela meme on a very thin basis.Elliot said:
Condemning the abolition of democracy is having to give an "unnecessary" "running public commentary". This is a crystal clear example of how Corbynism has degraded the ethical principles of the British left. Corbyn will condemn moderate conservatives in the most extreme terms while looking the other way to brutal dictators as long as they are left wing. And the rest of the Labour Party remains silent or excuses his actions. Shame on you Mr Palmer. I am glad you are an ex-MP.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/835994/Corbyn-Venezuela-Nicolas-Maduro-Hugo-Chavez-Labour-Party-Watch-Video
Mr Corbyn also spoke of the previous Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, and his visit to London.
He said: “During the visit of President Chávez to London, which was a huge demonstration of support. Myself, Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone spoke extensively with President Chávez.”0 -
Is it? Surely GE2017 tested that theory to destruction.Richard_Nabavi said:
It's very important to older voters, albeit less so that Corbyn's and McDonnell's IRA positions.DecrepitJohnL said:Good luck finding more than three voters who care and who are not Conservative Party activists. This is something that ought to be important but isn't.
0 -
To add to this, it isn't "right" as some abtract principle either. The potential PM of a major UNSC member not standing against dictatorship is genuinely crushing for the fight of democrats and progressives in the country in question. Lives hang in the balance.Elliot said:
I happen to be the old fashioned sort of person that thinks people should do what is right even if it isn't electorally advantaged. This constant downgrading of moral principle as being unimportant as long as it doesn't affect votes is what leads to Trumpism.DecrepitJohnL said:
Good luck finding more than three voters who care and who are not Conservative Party activists. This is something that ought to be important but isn't.TGOHF said:
Thin basis ? Oh do behave Mr Palmer...NickPalmer said:
I'm afraid I think that anything he says on this will be spun by people like your good self - the right are keen to establish the Corbyn=Iran+Hamas+Venezuela meme on a very thin basis.Elliot said:
Condemning the abolition of democracy is having to give an "unnecessary" "running public commentary". This is a crystal clear example of how Corbynism has degraded the ethical principles of the British left. Corbyn will condemn moderate conservatives in the most extreme terms while looking the other way to brutal dictators as long as they are left wing. And the rest of the Labour Party remains silent or excuses his actions. Shame on you Mr Palmer. I am glad you are an ex-MP.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/835994/Corbyn-Venezuela-Nicolas-Maduro-Hugo-Chavez-Labour-Party-Watch-Video
Mr Corbyn also spoke of the previous Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, and his visit to London.
He said: “During the visit of President Chávez to London, which was a huge demonstration of support. Myself, Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone spoke extensively with President Chávez.”0 -
Nick perhaps takes something of a Nelson attitude towards the less savoury elements of Labour, which is understandable for a Labour activist, but is less likely to appeal to those of us who are not attached to any particular party.SouthamObserver said:
Perhaps Corbyn might ask Chris Williamson - a shadow minister, after all - to stop Tweeting and appearing on TV to support for Venezuela, Cuba and various other unsavoury regimes, as well as backing various suspended Labour members accused of anti-Semitism.NickPalmer said:
I'm afraid I think that anything he says on this will be spun by people like your good self - the right are keen to establish the Corbyn=Iran+Hamas+Venezuela meme on a very thin basis. Nor is it true that Corbyn or others comment on everything that right-wing autocrats do - Russia, Brazil, Myanmar and this week's Central American shenanigans are examples where a constant stream of criticism would be appropriate on the same basis. Do you criticise May for not issuing daily statements about them?Elliot said:
Condemning the abolition of democracy is having to give an "unnecessary" "running public commentary". This is a crystal clear example of how Corbynism has degraded the ethical principles of the British left. Corbyn will condemn moderate conservatives in the most extreme terms while looking the other way to brutal dictators as long as they are left wing. And the rest of the Labour Party remains silent or excuses his actions. Shame on you Mr Palmer. I am glad you are an ex-MP.
I do appreciate that the appalling experience of your family in Iran gives you particular reason for concern there, though.0 -
Bitcoin’s great victory will be when institutions start having to hold it as part of a balanced risk portfolio.Nigelb said:
It's not necessarily a great deal more bonkers than (say) gold.Sandpit said:
Yes, it’s completely bonkers.logical_song said:
Bitcoin uses more power than Serbia – the environmental cost of cryptocurrenciesSandpit said:
Here’s a reasonable summary, written a few months ago.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. Sandpit, could you explain in layman's terms how Bitcoin and similar things work?
https://www.thewrap.com/bitcoin-charges-towards-2000-what-the-hell-is-it/
It’s basically virtual currency, created by a network of computers churning through difficult maths problems - rather than by a government, central bank or other regulated authority.
https://newatlas.com/bitcoin-cryptocurrency-power-consumption/52556/
The total value of all bitcoins in circulation is now something around $270bn, larger than all but around 40 countries’ annual product, somewhere around the GDP of Pakistan or Ireland but seven times the size of Serbia - and double what it was a fortnight ago.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
At current levels, the total market cap is not so large that it might seriously distort the financial system. As a tradeable asset it has some advantages over gold, as well as its obvious disadvantages.
At the moment it would be an absurd thing for any even slightly risk averse investor to purchase, but that need not remain the case forever. Over the next couple of years or so, it will likely either crash and become an irrelevance, or (less likely, but not inconceivably) be adopted as a consensus alternative asset a bit like gold.
The energy usage is perhaps a bit of a red herring too. If the whole scheme continues to hold value, the hard limit on the total number of bitcoins will see some sort of equilibrium reached as the current mining mania dissipates. Derivatives trading, where the transaction cost is far less, will greatly exceed actual Bitcoin trading which will be conducted in large parcels by institutions.0 -
No, some of them thought there was no chance of Corbyn winning so it looked OK to stay at home as a protest against the (admittedly misunderstood) 'dementia tax'. They won't make the same mistake next time.DecrepitJohnL said:
Is it? Surely GE2017 tested that theory to destruction.Richard_Nabavi said:
It's very important to older voters, albeit less so that Corbyn's and McDonnell's IRA positions.DecrepitJohnL said:Good luck finding more than three voters who care and who are not Conservative Party activists. This is something that ought to be important but isn't.
0 -
Maybe she would like to go out to the Middle East and start making citizens’ arrests......?Sandpit said:
Don’t let Shami hear that. She thinks that bombing the living f*** out of ISIS is a bad thing, and we should be somehow arresting them instead.Morris_Dancer said:Putin begins withdrawal of forces from Syria, and appears to have a Trumpian flourish:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42307365
Mr Putin said that if "terrorists raise their heads again", Russia would "carry out such strikes on them which they have never seen".
https://order-order.com/2017/12/10/shami-disappointed-suggestion-kill-jihadis/0 -
it just goes to show how toxic Brexit is. Leaving aside whether it was the right or wrong decision (note: it was the wrong one), it is an impossible task for any government. Dear god if Lab had the slightest sense they would ditch Jezza, wait for the B-word to destroy the Cons completely and march to a 300 seat majority.Nigelb said:TheScreamingEagles said:I feel a thread coming on
https://twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/status/940154086799929345
To make May seem competent and diplomatic in comparison ?0 -
DD is CEO to May's Non Exec Chairperson.TheScreamingEagles said:I feel a thread coming on
https://twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/status/940154086799929345
Oliver Robbins (the civil servant transferred from DD to May) probably cocked up the Ireland/NI arrangement and will now be out of favour with May.0 -
Does anyone know what first attracted Nigel Farage to Roy Moore?0
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-
I saw an advert for a "computational heating" product. You replace all your radiators with black boxes full of GPUs and an internet connection. You pay for the electricity to run them, and they heat your house.Pulpstar said:As the price gets higher, the more electricity you can throw at Bitcoins to mine profitably.
It is like a free market renewable heating initiative with no end in sight.
There wasn't a great deal of information about exactly which computations would be running on them though...0 -
Apart from his sinecure from the EU,where is Farage getting his wages from over there in the USA?0
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Having proved his does not understand how the EU or FTAs work, it's difficult to see what damage Davis could do outside the cabinet.logical_song said:
Could a tent and urination be involved?TheScreamingEagles said:I feel a thread coming on
https://twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/status/940154086799929345
0 -
Must be why the majority of Brits now think leaving the EU was the right decision. Remainers talking each other to confirm each others' prejudices doesn't change that.TOPPING said:
it just goes to show how toxic Brexit is. Leaving aside whether it was the right or wrong decision (note: it was the wrong one), it is an impossible task for any government. Dear god if Lab had the slightest sense they would ditch Jezza, wait for the B-word to destroy the Cons completely and march to a 300 seat majority.Nigelb said:TheScreamingEagles said:I feel a thread coming on
https://twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/status/940154086799929345
To make May seem competent and diplomatic in comparison ?0 -
No idea if he kept any coins, but...Scott_P said:
I saw an advert for a "computational heating" product. You replace all your radiators with black boxes full of GPUs and an internet connection. You pay for the electricity to run them, and they heat your house.Pulpstar said:As the price gets higher, the more electricity you can throw at Bitcoins to mine profitably.
It is like a free market renewable heating initiative with no end in sight.
There wasn't a great deal of information about exactly which computations would be running on them though...
A friend of mine: I sold 300 bitcoins for £1200. Good times.
Like
· Reply · 17 hrs0 -
Politics seems to have become all about personalities rather than policies.
Will voter support change substantially once May and Corbyn are replaced by their successors even if the current policies remain?0 -
Mr. Palmer, Corbyn used to be very keen on a running commentary on how wonderfully Venezuela was doing under socialism. Since the population have begun starving to death he seems strangely quiet.0
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Shall we start a collection for her plane ticket?MarqueeMark said:
Maybe she would like to go out to the Middle East and start making citizens’ arrests......?Sandpit said:
Don’t let Shami hear that. She thinks that bombing the living f*** out of ISIS is a bad thing, and we should be somehow arresting them instead.Morris_Dancer said:Putin begins withdrawal of forces from Syria, and appears to have a Trumpian flourish:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42307365
Mr Putin said that if "terrorists raise their heads again", Russia would "carry out such strikes on them which they have never seen".
https://order-order.com/2017/12/10/shami-disappointed-suggestion-kill-jihadis/
0 -
Some corker Champions League last 16 ties
Real Madrid v PSG
Chelsea v Barca
Porto v Liverpool
None of the other ties matter.0 -
Here’s the draw in full:
Juventus vs Tottenham
Basel vs Man City
Sevilla vs Man United
Real Madrid vs PSG
Shakhtar vs Roma
Porto vs LIVERPOOL
Chelsea vs Barcelona
Bayern Munich vs Besiktas0 -
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Another £375,000,000 added to the British economy, hundreds of skilled jobs there and generating a pile of VAT too.
http://www.evo.co.uk/mclaren/20491/mclaren-senna-revealed-mclarens-most-extreme-road-car-yet0 -
As long as Porto aren’t as good as Everton we’ll be okay.TheScreamingEagles said:Some corker Champions League last 16 ties
Real Madrid v PSG
Chelsea v Barca
Porto v Liverpool
None of the other ties matter.0 -
People like Redwood are still deluded about the nature of what is being negotiated. There will be no 'trade talks' this side of Brexit and absolutely no question of imposing new customs procedures, let alone tariffs.Wulfrun_Phil said:Redwood is silent here on what the UK government might beneficially use those tariffs for - presumably in his case he favours tax cuts.
0 -
Good luck fighting the next election if you think having his model for economic competence held up to ridicule is not going to hurt Corbyn with those who actually give a shit about the economy..... (I realise that the Venn diagram overlap of those who actually give a shit about the economy and Momentum is vanishingly small.)DecrepitJohnL said:
Good luck finding more than three voters who care and who are not Conservative Party activists. This is something that ought to be important but isn't.TGOHF said:
Thin basis ? Oh do behave Mr Palmer...NickPalmer said:
I'm afraid I think that anything he says on this will be spun by people like your good self - the right are keen to establish the Corbyn=Iran+Hamas+Venezuela meme on a very thin basis.Elliot said:
Condemning the abolition of democracy is having to give an "unnecessary" "running public commentary". This is a crystal clear example of how Corbynism has degraded the ethical principles of the British left. Corbyn will condemn moderate conservatives in the most extreme terms while looking the other way to brutal dictators as long as they are left wing. And the rest of the Labour Party remains silent or excuses his actions. Shame on you Mr Palmer. I am glad you are an ex-MP.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/835994/Corbyn-Venezuela-Nicolas-Maduro-Hugo-Chavez-Labour-Party-Watch-Video
Mr Corbyn also spoke of the previous Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, and his visit to London.
He said: “During the visit of President Chávez to London, which was a huge demonstration of support. Myself, Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone spoke extensively with President Chávez.”0 -
Here's a discussion of trading bitcoin options. They're the easiest way to bet on an asset. But the conclusion seems to be that at present this isn't, er, an option:MarqueeMark said:
Bitcoin’s great victory will be when institutions start having to hold it as part of a balanced risk portfolio.Nigelb said:
It's not necessarily a great deal more bonkers than (say) gold.Sandpit said:
Yes, it’s completely bonkers.logical_song said:
Bitcoin uses more power than Serbia – the environmental cost of cryptocurrenciesSandpit said:
Here’s a reasonable summary, written a few months ago.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. Sandpit, could you explain in layman's terms how Bitcoin and similar things work?
https://www.thewrap.com/bitcoin-charges-towards-2000-what-the-hell-is-it/
It’s basically virtual currency, created by a network of computers churning through difficult maths problems - rather than by a government, central bank or other regulated authority.
https://newatlas.com/bitcoin-cryptocurrency-power-consumption/52556/
The total value of all bitcoins in circulation is now something around $270bn, larger than all but around 40 countries’ annual product, somewhere around the GDP of Pakistan or Ireland but seven times the size of Serbia - and double what it was a fortnight ago.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
At current levels, the total market cap is not so large that it might seriously distort the financial system. As a tradeable asset it has some advantages over gold, as well as its obvious disadvantages.
At the moment it would be an absurd thing for any even slightly risk averse investor to purchase, but that need not remain the case forever. Over the next couple of years or so, it will likely either crash and become an irrelevance, or (less likely, but not inconceivably) be adopted as a consensus alternative asset a bit like gold.
The energy usage is perhaps a bit of a red herring too. If the whole scheme continues to hold value, the hard limit on the total number of bitcoins will see some sort of equilibrium reached as the current mining mania dissipates. Derivatives trading, where the transaction cost is far less, will greatly exceed actual Bitcoin trading which will be conducted in large parcels by institutions.
https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/7338/is-it-possible-to-buy-or-sell-bitcoin-options#13851
City Index offers spread betting on bitcoin. That's excessively exciting for most people because of the downside risk.0 -
LOL, the point at which you know it’s a bubble waiting to burst.Scott_P said:
I saw an advert for a "computational heating" product. You replace all your radiators with black boxes full of GPUs and an internet connection. You pay for the electricity to run them, and they heat your house.Pulpstar said:As the price gets higher, the more electricity you can throw at Bitcoins to mine profitably.
It is like a free market renewable heating initiative with no end in sight.
There wasn't a great deal of information about exactly which computations would be running on them though...0 -
At some point you obviously say: let's make a go of it. Totally understandable. I am in the camp of wanting the best possible Brexit and don't think we could or should rejoin.Elliot said:
Must be why the majority of Brits now think leaving the EU was the right decision. Remainers talking each other to confirm each others' prejudices doesn't change that.TOPPING said:
it just goes to show how toxic Brexit is. Leaving aside whether it was the right or wrong decision (note: it was the wrong one), it is an impossible task for any government. Dear god if Lab had the slightest sense they would ditch Jezza, wait for the B-word to destroy the Cons completely and march to a 300 seat majority.Nigelb said:TheScreamingEagles said:I feel a thread coming on
https://twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/status/940154086799929345
To make May seem competent and diplomatic in comparison ?
But voting to Leave was of course the wrong decision.0 -
Mr. Sandpit, hmm. If the McLaren suffer due to road car focus theory is correct, it'll be another weak season for them...
That said, great news for the UK.0 -
The bitcoin craziness has a hard limit when global power resources are insufficient to drive it.Sandpit said:
LOL, the point at which you know it’s a bubble waiting to burst.Scott_P said:
I saw an advert for a "computational heating" product. You replace all your radiators with black boxes full of GPUs and an internet connection. You pay for the electricity to run them, and they heat your house.Pulpstar said:As the price gets higher, the more electricity you can throw at Bitcoins to mine profitably.
It is like a free market renewable heating initiative with no end in sight.
There wasn't a great deal of information about exactly which computations would be running on them though...
Could we be heading for global blackouts maybe
? 0 -
Mr. Mark, will it be held up to ridicule? It wasn't last time.0
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Just seen this one - http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2017/12/10/taxman-cometh-senate-bills-marginal-rates-could-top-100-for-some.htmlMorris_Dancer said:Mr. Alistair, really?
I just saw a bit on the news about it passing, and nothing else.
.... That'll teach me to rely on the news for news!
They actually managed to write a bill that would create marginal tax rates of > 100%.0 -
Bitcoin options have just gone live today.rural_voter said:
Here's a discussion of trading bitcoin options. They're the easiest way to bet on an asset. But the conclusion seems to be that at present this isn't, er, an option:MarqueeMark said:
Bitcoin’s great victory will be when institutions start having to hold it as part of a balanced risk portfolio.Nigelb said:
It's not necessarily a great deal more bonkers than (say) gold.Sandpit said:
Yes, it’s completely bonkers.logical_song said:
Bitcoin uses more power than Serbia – the environmental cost of cryptocurrenciesSandpit said:
Here’s a reasonable summary, written a few months ago.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. Sandpit, could you explain in layman's terms how Bitcoin and similar things work?
https://www.thewrap.com/bitcoin-charges-towards-2000-what-the-hell-is-it/
It’s basically virtual currency, created by a network of computers churning through difficult maths problems - rather than by a government, central bank or other regulated authority.
https://newatlas.com/bitcoin-cryptocurrency-power-consumption/52556/
The total value of all bitcoins in circulation is now something around $270bn, larger than all but around 40 countries’ annual product, somewhere around the GDP of Pakistan or Ireland but seven times the size of Serbia - and double what it was a fortnight ago.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
At current levels, the total market cap is not so large that it might seriously distort the financial system. As a tradeable asset it has some advantages over gold, as well as its obvious disadvantages.
At the moment it would be an absurd thing for any even slightly risk averse investor to purchase, but that need not remain the case forever. Over the next couple of years or so, it will likely either crash and become an irrelevance, or (less likely, but not inconceivably) be adopted as a consensus alternative asset a bit like gold.
The energy usage is perhaps a bit of a red herring too. If the whole scheme continues to hold value, the hard limit on the total number of bitcoins will see some sort of equilibrium reached as the current mining mania dissipates. Derivatives trading, where the transaction cost is far less, will greatly exceed actual Bitcoin trading which will be conducted in large parcels by institutions.
https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/7338/is-it-possible-to-buy-or-sell-bitcoin-options#13851
City Index offers spread betting on bitcoin. That's excessively exciting for most people because of the downside risk.0 -
That's what you, I and most Remainers with a pulse think, Topping.TOPPING said:
At some point you obviously say: let's make a go of it. Totally understandable. I am in the camp of wanting the best possible Brexit and don't think we could or should rejoin.Elliot said:
Must be why the majority of Brits now think leaving the EU was the right decision. Remainers talking each other to confirm each others' prejudices doesn't change that.TOPPING said:
it just goes to show how toxic Brexit is. Leaving aside whether it was the right or wrong decision (note: it was the wrong one), it is an impossible task for any government. Dear god if Lab had the slightest sense they would ditch Jezza, wait for the B-word to destroy the Cons completely and march to a 300 seat majority.Nigelb said:TheScreamingEagles said:I feel a thread coming on
https://twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/status/940154086799929345
To make May seem competent and diplomatic in comparison ?
But voting to Leave was of course the wrong decision.
If Elliot hasn't picked up on that yet he can't be helped.0 -
If the best possible Brexit is indefinite purgatory within the single market and customs union, as now seems to be the direction of travel, is it not already apparent that it will have to be reversed at some point?TOPPING said:
At some point you obviously say: let's make a go of it. Totally understandable. I am in the camp of wanting the best possible Brexit and don't think we could or should rejoin.Elliot said:
Must be why the majority of Brits now think leaving the EU was the right decision. Remainers talking each other to confirm each others' prejudices doesn't change that.TOPPING said:
it just goes to show how toxic Brexit is. Leaving aside whether it was the right or wrong decision (note: it was the wrong one), it is an impossible task for any government. Dear god if Lab had the slightest sense they would ditch Jezza, wait for the B-word to destroy the Cons completely and march to a 300 seat majority.Nigelb said:TheScreamingEagles said:I feel a thread coming on
https://twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/status/940154086799929345
To make May seem competent and diplomatic in comparison ?
But voting to Leave was of course the wrong decision.
If we go through with Brexit on these terms, the UK will become a kind of non-state, strapped to the geopolitical operating table until its constituent parts re-establish their sovereignty within the EU.0 -
I'm sorry, but it is not equivalent at all. There are not large numbers of Conservative MPs or activists who are happy to declare their 'solidarity' with Putin or Erdogan. Many people in your party choose to identify with authoritarian dictatorships in places like Cuba and Venezuela, just because they are anti-American and wave the red flag. The fact that their people are starving thanks to socialist policies, or liable to be put in reeducation camps if they dissent, is immaterial.NickPalmer said:
Like I said, I think it's completely unacceptable, and if I were Corbyn I'd use the friendly links with Venezuela to say so in private. But I wouldn't take part in the public denunciations, since I think the main effect would be domestic misuse against him. As I say, the right (I'm happy to exclude you) adopt a double standard - they don't expect Conservatives to condemn right-wing regimes but they demand statements from Labour at every opportunity and then spin them, demand further statements, etc.Elliot said:
Again we see the negative effects of Corbynism, where Labour are now instinctively brushing off all criticism as giving way to "the right". I have voted Labour for almost every election. I voted for Blair, Brown and Miliband. This isn't a "daily basis" bad action. This is the effective end of democracy in Venezuela. That is a seismic step. When equivalent things occur elsewhere in the world, I expect politicians to condemn them. That is especially the case for politicians that have close relationships to such regimes. Your suggestion for Corbyn to use his back channel contacts shows this is the case.
Offline for a while as the day job calls!
It's also pretty gross of you to talk about the Venezuelan opposition 'misusing' international condemnation when so many of them are in jail or out of power because of blatant electoral fraud.
Corbyn and those around him have turned the Labour Party into a moral sewer.0 -
HMRC are hopeless at getting in taxes. The takeaway industry now turns over more than six billion a year but the majority in my town still insist on cash not even taking debit cards. Yes folks, a recipe for under recording served up to tax inspectors with a little salt and a large dose of sugar.0
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Is there not a limit on the number of bitcoins that can be mined?Pulpstar said:
The bitcoin craziness has a hard limit when global power resources are insufficient to drive it.Sandpit said:
LOL, the point at which you know it’s a bubble waiting to burst.Scott_P said:
I saw an advert for a "computational heating" product. You replace all your radiators with black boxes full of GPUs and an internet connection. You pay for the electricity to run them, and they heat your house.Pulpstar said:As the price gets higher, the more electricity you can throw at Bitcoins to mine profitably.
It is like a free market renewable heating initiative with no end in sight.
There wasn't a great deal of information about exactly which computations would be running on them though...
Could we be heading for global blackouts maybe ?0 -
McAutomotive are going to be absolutely fucked when the Bahraini money runs out. It's just going to be a question of which Chinese megacorp buys them.Sandpit said:Another £375,000,000 added to the British economy, hundreds of skilled jobs there and generating a pile of VAT too.
http://www.evo.co.uk/mclaren/20491/mclaren-senna-revealed-mclarens-most-extreme-road-car-yet0 -
It may well have to be; but status quo bias is quite strong in people and having to pay a couple more pence on beer and fags, which is the likely equivalent cost of Brexit to the average family, there will be no huge incentive to rejoin.williamglenn said:
If the best possible Brexit is indefinite purgatory within the single market and customs union, as now seems to be the direction of travel, is it not already apparent that it will have to be reversed at some point?TOPPING said:
At some point you obviously say: let's make a go of it. Totally understandable. I am in the camp of wanting the best possible Brexit and don't think we could or should rejoin.Elliot said:
Must be why the majority of Brits now think leaving the EU was the right decision. Remainers talking each other to confirm each others' prejudices doesn't change that.TOPPING said:
it just goes to show how toxic Brexit is. Leaving aside whether it was the right or wrong decision (note: it was the wrong one), it is an impossible task for any government. Dear god if Lab had the slightest sense they would ditch Jezza, wait for the B-word to destroy the Cons completely and march to a 300 seat majority.Nigelb said:TheScreamingEagles said:I feel a thread coming on
https://twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/status/940154086799929345
To make May seem competent and diplomatic in comparison ?
But voting to Leave was of course the wrong decision.
If we go through with Brexit on these terms, the UK will become a kind of non-state, strapped to the geopolitical operating table until its constituent parts re-establish their sovereignty within the EU.
Just as the myth of sovereignty helped get us out, the reality of lack of control post Brexit won't be enough to make people switch over from I'm Strictly a Factor.0 -
The road car and F1 teams are completely separate companies, albeit with similar shareholders and working out of the same Woking facility.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. Sandpit, hmm. If the McLaren suffer due to road car focus theory is correct, it'll be another weak season for them...
That said, great news for the UK.
In case anyone wondered where Liam Fox had disappeared to a couple of weeks ago, he was in the land down under doing his bit for showcasing British technology.
https://twitter.com/tradegovukAUS/status/9354238611426918410 -
something like 21 million iirc. Unless they change the protocols or whatever.tlg86 said:
Is there not a limit on the number of bitcoins that can be mined?Pulpstar said:
The bitcoin craziness has a hard limit when global power resources are insufficient to drive it.Sandpit said:
LOL, the point at which you know it’s a bubble waiting to burst.Scott_P said:
I saw an advert for a "computational heating" product. You replace all your radiators with black boxes full of GPUs and an internet connection. You pay for the electricity to run them, and they heat your house.Pulpstar said:As the price gets higher, the more electricity you can throw at Bitcoins to mine profitably.
It is like a free market renewable heating initiative with no end in sight.
There wasn't a great deal of information about exactly which computations would be running on them though...
Could we be heading for global blackouts maybe ?0 -
Mr. Alistair, Melenchon[sp] would approve!
Mr. Sandpit, my Alonso bets hope you're right.
As an aside, he was 20/1 on Betfair Sportsbook, now down to 11/1. I do hope the Renault engine is up to snuff.0 -
They're making money now. Piles of it. 13,000 cars delivered already and will be as big as Ferrari in terms of production by next year. Recently recruited a second shift at the factory, something like 400 skilled jobs - plus those in the supply chain which is almost all British. Great example of a company making innovative and successful products, the 650s I managed to 'borrow' for a day was quite the most amazing car.Dura_Ace said:
McAutomotive are going to be absolutely fucked when the Bahraini money runs out. It's just going to be a question of which Chinese megacorp buys them.Sandpit said:Another £375,000,000 added to the British economy, hundreds of skilled jobs there and generating a pile of VAT too.
http://www.evo.co.uk/mclaren/20491/mclaren-senna-revealed-mclarens-most-extreme-road-car-yet0 -
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1 coin is produced every 10 minutes. The difficulty of producing a coin is directly proportional to the global resources being focussed to produce the next coin.So in theory the power resources being consumed should be around $100,000 per hour globally right now. As the price rises so does the marginal energy costtlg86 said:
Is there not a limit on the number of bitcoins that can be mined?Pulpstar said:
The bitcoin craziness has a hard limit when global power resources are insufficient to drive it.Sandpit said:
LOL, the point at which you know it’s a bubble waiting to burst.Scott_P said:
I saw an advert for a "computational heating" product. You replace all your radiators with black boxes full of GPUs and an internet connection. You pay for the electricity to run them, and they heat your house.Pulpstar said:As the price gets higher, the more electricity you can throw at Bitcoins to mine profitably.
It is like a free market renewable heating initiative with no end in sight.
There wasn't a great deal of information about exactly which computations would be running on them though...
Could we be heading for global blackouts maybe ?0 -
Yes, but miners also charge transaction fees to include transactions in the block they have mined. Once fresh bitcoins are no longer mined transaction fees will jump massively.tlg86 said:
Is there not a limit on the number of bitcoins that can be mined?Pulpstar said:
The bitcoin craziness has a hard limit when global power resources are insufficient to drive it.Sandpit said:
LOL, the point at which you know it’s a bubble waiting to burst.Scott_P said:
I saw an advert for a "computational heating" product. You replace all your radiators with black boxes full of GPUs and an internet connection. You pay for the electricity to run them, and they heat your house.Pulpstar said:As the price gets higher, the more electricity you can throw at Bitcoins to mine profitably.
It is like a free market renewable heating initiative with no end in sight.
There wasn't a great deal of information about exactly which computations would be running on them though...
Could we be heading for global blackouts maybe ?0 -
That discrete audit found the CAP worked for the UK, which is obviously bonkers. It discredited the whole exercise. It made clear the whole thing was done by pro-EU civil servants seeking the conclusions they wanted to. Reminds me of the Yes, Minister line about independent inquiries being trains following the tracks you set before them.Scott_P said:0 -
Currently the reward is 12.5 coins every ten minutes not 1.Pulpstar said:
1 coin is produced every 10 minutes. The difficulty of producing a coin is directly proportional to the global resources being focussed to produce the next coin.So in theory the power resources being consumed should be around $100,000 per hour globally right now. As the price rises so does the marginal energy costtlg86 said:
Is there not a limit on the number of bitcoins that can be mined?Pulpstar said:
The bitcoin craziness has a hard limit when global power resources are insufficient to drive it.Sandpit said:
LOL, the point at which you know it’s a bubble waiting to burst.Scott_P said:
I saw an advert for a "computational heating" product. You replace all your radiators with black boxes full of GPUs and an internet connection. You pay for the electricity to run them, and they heat your house.Pulpstar said:As the price gets higher, the more electricity you can throw at Bitcoins to mine profitably.
It is like a free market renewable heating initiative with no end in sight.
There wasn't a great deal of information about exactly which computations would be running on them though...
Could we be heading for global blackouts maybe ?0 -
Monarchists, you can't you defend this can you?
https://twitter.com/Kevin_Maguire/status/9401859620799774720 -
Yes, 21m coins, of which around 16m have been mined already. The algorithm means that the last few will be almost impossible to mine unless there's a quantum leap in computing power. In 2009 an average gaming PC could mine a bitcoin in a few hours...tlg86 said:
Is there not a limit on the number of bitcoins that can be mined?Pulpstar said:
The bitcoin craziness has a hard limit when global power resources are insufficient to drive it.Sandpit said:
LOL, the point at which you know it’s a bubble waiting to burst.Scott_P said:
I saw an advert for a "computational heating" product. You replace all your radiators with black boxes full of GPUs and an internet connection. You pay for the electricity to run them, and they heat your house.Pulpstar said:As the price gets higher, the more electricity you can throw at Bitcoins to mine profitably.
It is like a free market renewable heating initiative with no end in sight.
There wasn't a great deal of information about exactly which computations would be running on them though...
Could we be heading for global blackouts maybe ?0
