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Apart from one poll Salmond’s Alba party looks doomed – politicalbetting.com

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  • Options
    GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,079
    FF43 said:

    Only weirdos end a text message with a sign off and their own name.

    Best, Gallowgate

    Oh dear, I'm that weirdo. I get worried that I might send a message and the recipient doesn't have clue who is texting.
    It's good practice on the 1st message to someone new but after that they already know who you are as 99% of phones have threading.
  • Options
    TimT said:

    Biden: Homicide is the leading cause of African American males aged 15-34

    Jeez. That's terrible.

    If it wasnt Homicide it would be suicide. It's not really that shocking because males between 15-34 dont really die of anything else.
    Overdose, car accidents. But, yes, take your point.
    Yes, maybe a more generic 'misadventure' is more accurate.
  • Options
    Daveyboy1961Daveyboy1961 Posts: 3,386

    Remainers voted against a brexit where Britain is knee deep in apparently vital vaccines?

    Yeah right.
    We would have been even without Brexit. Our pharma sector is huge. Participation in the EU procurement program would almost certainly been dodged by a UK government. The only "victory for Brexit" is, like Brexit itself, a simplistic load of bollox
    genuinely funny
    I would hazard a guess that my knowledge of the pharma industry gives me a reasonable perspective. You are not quite in the same ludicrous fantasy world of Philip Thompson, but I think based on your unintentionally funny pronouncement on most matters, this is not an area of expertise for you! Your nom de plume is a give away for your ludicrous and sad perspective on life. Keep taking the tablets.
    Nobody does bile like Remainers. World class
    Au contraire, I think most "Remainers" are quite polite and reserved. I choose not to fit into either category when calling out bollox by people that believe in the fairy tales that were spun by lying little toads like Boris Johnson.

    There is a certain irony in you calling yourself a "contrarian" when you are clearly unable to see the ridiculousness of the Brexit cause, and find ways to argue against it. All your posts suggest you are a brainwashed Brexit conformist without the slightest ability to think for yourself.
    Brexiteers only have the successful vaccine roll out to cling to. This is why whenever anyone challengies brexiteers to mention any benefits they immediately go back onto the vaccine issue. Our economy is on the way to hell in a handcart, but nobody discusses it, not the BBC, Sky or any newspapers. We have effectively lost our fisheries industry. Our farming industry is in a mess because we don't have the woekforce now to pick the crops. Our exports to the EU are miniscule now. Our so-called new export agreements are just extentions of the old eu agreements but on a worse footing. We have a massive virus bill to pay, yet we can't pay it unless we start TRADING again.
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,274
    PB is obsessed with Scotland! Three leads in a row, meanwhile Northern Ireland erupts in long-predicted violence. Is there no-one qualified to write a lead about the principal issue of the day?
  • Options
    OmniumOmnium Posts: 9,775
    Stocky said:

    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.


    Bells?

    I jest - I know nothing about whiskies but my neighbour fancies himself as a whiskey connoisseur so I wind him up by asking how he's enjoying his Bells. He splutters "I wouldn't use THAT to disinfect my loo"!
    Bells isn't as bad as one might think. Admittedly I'm basing this on about 30 years ago when was the last time I drank it.

    Like wine you can spend as much as you like and perhaps you get something better. As I mentioned above my favourite whisky ever was a thing called the Black Bowmore - you basically can't find it, but if you do it's many thousands for a bottle. It was nice, but not that nice. I think I decided not to buy a case priced at about 30 pounds a bottle back then. I'd just have drunk it anyway, so it's hardly a missed opportunity.
  • Options
    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,060
    Stocky said:

    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.


    Bells?

    I jest - I know nothing about whiskies but my neighbour fancies himself as a whiskey connoisseur so I wind him up by asking how he's enjoying his Bells. He splutters "I wouldn't use THAT to disinfect my loo"!
    Sadly whisky has been infected by the constitutional debate, gratifyingly the Union has a shit one.






  • Options
    Daveyboy1961Daveyboy1961 Posts: 3,386
    TOPPING said:

    Lennon said:

    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.

    I've been unexpectedly enjoying a Welsh Whisky (Penderyn) recently after being given it as a Christmas present.
    No special spelling for Welsh whisky, then.
    I must admit Penderyn is really nice, but oh so expensive..
  • Options
    IanB2 said:

    PB is obsessed with Scotland! Three leads in a row, meanwhile Northern Ireland erupts in long-predicted violence. Is there no-one qualified to write a lead about the principal issue of the day?

    I would do but I'm busy this weekend

    I would refer you all to this literally seminal thread header on Northern Ireland I wrote a few weeks ago.

    Much like getting your girlfriend pregnant on a pull out sofa there’s a deep sense of irony that the Conservative & Unionist Party, aided and abetted by the DUP, have via Brexit done more to weaken Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom than the IRA.

    As we can see from Northern Ireland pollster LucidTalk, 77% of all voters in the province and 67% of DUP voters think Boris Johnson’s Northern Ireland protocol will weaken Northern Ireland position in the United Kingdom.



    https://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2021/02/07/how-do-you-solve-a-solution-like-the-northern-ireland-protocol/
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,108

    Remainers voted against a brexit where Britain is knee deep in apparently vital vaccines?

    Yeah right.
    We would have been even without Brexit. Our pharma sector is huge. Participation in the EU procurement program would almost certainly been dodged by a UK government. The only "victory for Brexit" is, like Brexit itself, a simplistic load of bollox
    genuinely funny
    I would hazard a guess that my knowledge of the pharma industry gives me a reasonable perspective. You are not quite in the same ludicrous fantasy world of Philip Thompson, but I think based on your unintentionally funny pronouncement on most matters, this is not an area of expertise for you! Your nom de plume is a give away for your ludicrous and sad perspective on life. Keep taking the tablets.
    Nobody does bile like Remainers. World class
    Au contraire, I think most "Remainers" are quite polite and reserved. I choose not to fit into either category when calling out bollox by people that believe in the fairy tales that were spun by lying little toads like Boris Johnson.

    There is a certain irony in you calling yourself a "contrarian" when you are clearly unable to see the ridiculousness of the Brexit cause, and find ways to argue against it. All your posts suggest you are a brainwashed Brexit conformist without the slightest ability to think for yourself.
    Brexiteers only have the successful vaccine roll out to cling to. This is why whenever anyone challengies brexiteers to mention any benefits they immediately go back onto the vaccine issue. Our economy is on the way to hell in a handcart, but nobody discusses it, not the BBC, Sky or any newspapers. We have effectively lost our fisheries industry. Our farming industry is in a mess because we don't have the woekforce now to pick the crops. Our exports to the EU are miniscule now. Our so-called new export agreements are just extentions of the old eu agreements but on a worse footing. We have a massive virus bill to pay, yet we can't pay it unless we start TRADING again.
    We can now elect and throw out all the important people who have power over us. The poor EU citizenry are stuck with Ursula von der L, even tho she has probably killed 50,000 of them with her vaccine blunders

    That is the greatest Brexit bonus of all, and probably the only one that really matters, and it entirely outweighs any downside. We are free
  • Options
    contrariancontrarian Posts: 5,818
    Andy_JS said:

    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.


    I was drinking Talisker the other day but I don't have any idea whether it's regarded as a good whisky or not. I hope it is. Just happened to be the first one I saw in the shop.
    Any Speyside single malt is good for me.

    Age is a factor too. I never drink anything under 12 years old. If the bottle does not specify the age, I never buy.


  • Options
    dr_spyndr_spyn Posts: 11,287
    Andy_JS said:

    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.


    I was drinking Talisker the other day but I don't have any idea whether it's regarded as a good whisky or not. I hope it is. Just happened to be the first one I saw in the shop.
    Nothing wrong with Talisker. Hope you still appreciate it.
    -
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    FF43 said:

    Only weirdos end a text message with a sign off and their own name.

    Best, Gallowgate

    Oh dear, I'm that weirdo. I get worried that I might send a message and the recipient doesn't have clue who is texting.
    I do it with people I don't know well, or those I do but haven't messaged in a very long time (so may have changed their number or phone).
  • Options
    Daveyboy1961Daveyboy1961 Posts: 3,386
    Leon said:

    Remainers voted against a brexit where Britain is knee deep in apparently vital vaccines?

    Yeah right.
    We would have been even without Brexit. Our pharma sector is huge. Participation in the EU procurement program would almost certainly been dodged by a UK government. The only "victory for Brexit" is, like Brexit itself, a simplistic load of bollox
    genuinely funny
    I would hazard a guess that my knowledge of the pharma industry gives me a reasonable perspective. You are not quite in the same ludicrous fantasy world of Philip Thompson, but I think based on your unintentionally funny pronouncement on most matters, this is not an area of expertise for you! Your nom de plume is a give away for your ludicrous and sad perspective on life. Keep taking the tablets.
    Nobody does bile like Remainers. World class
    Au contraire, I think most "Remainers" are quite polite and reserved. I choose not to fit into either category when calling out bollox by people that believe in the fairy tales that were spun by lying little toads like Boris Johnson.

    There is a certain irony in you calling yourself a "contrarian" when you are clearly unable to see the ridiculousness of the Brexit cause, and find ways to argue against it. All your posts suggest you are a brainwashed Brexit conformist without the slightest ability to think for yourself.
    Brexiteers only have the successful vaccine roll out to cling to. This is why whenever anyone challengies brexiteers to mention any benefits they immediately go back onto the vaccine issue. Our economy is on the way to hell in a handcart, but nobody discusses it, not the BBC, Sky or any newspapers. We have effectively lost our fisheries industry. Our farming industry is in a mess because we don't have the woekforce now to pick the crops. Our exports to the EU are miniscule now. Our so-called new export agreements are just extentions of the old eu agreements but on a worse footing. We have a massive virus bill to pay, yet we can't pay it unless we start TRADING again.
    We can now elect and throw out all the important people who have power over us. The poor EU citizenry are stuck with Ursula von der L, even tho she has probably killed 50,000 of them with her vaccine blunders

    That is the greatest Brexit bonus of all, and probably the only one that really matters, and it entirely outweighs any downside. We are free
    You sound like an absolute d**khead.

    There's no way I can throw out Johnson or any other Tory, that's the fallacy of it all. Most people in this country have not had any change to their power of "kicking out" any politicians.
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,274
    edited April 2021
    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.


    The ones I like are Talisker, Bowmore, Springbank, Highland Park, Jura, Dalwhinnie, and, provided I am feeling ill already, Laphroig or Lagavulin.
  • Options
    stodgestodge Posts: 12,850


    You sound like an absolute d**khead.

    There's no way I can throw out Johnson or any other Tory, that's the fallacy of it all. Most people in this country have not had any change to their power of "kicking out" any politicians.

    Indeed and according to some on here, every constituency is trending Conservative so it'll be 400 seats in 204, 500 in 2029 etc.

    I'd like to think East Ham will hold out for a while but there was a 4.8% swing to the Conservatives last time so it'll be a marginal after 2024 and safely in the blue camp by 2029.

    Apparently...
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    The trouble with whisky is that the ratio of gratification to liver damage is less favourable than it is for fine wine.
  • Options
    OmniumOmnium Posts: 9,775
    To the many replies below.

    Thanks very much for all the suggestions.

    @Daveyboy1961 - I'm not so keen on Irish Whisky (or is it Whiskey) - anyway I've never found one that has a wow factor.

    Welsh whisky (whoever mentioned it) - yes I'd like to try that, and will.

    Talisker (@andy_js) - good, but doesn't light my fire.

  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,108

    Leon said:

    Remainers voted against a brexit where Britain is knee deep in apparently vital vaccines?

    Yeah right.
    We would have been even without Brexit. Our pharma sector is huge. Participation in the EU procurement program would almost certainly been dodged by a UK government. The only "victory for Brexit" is, like Brexit itself, a simplistic load of bollox
    genuinely funny
    I would hazard a guess that my knowledge of the pharma industry gives me a reasonable perspective. You are not quite in the same ludicrous fantasy world of Philip Thompson, but I think based on your unintentionally funny pronouncement on most matters, this is not an area of expertise for you! Your nom de plume is a give away for your ludicrous and sad perspective on life. Keep taking the tablets.
    Nobody does bile like Remainers. World class
    Au contraire, I think most "Remainers" are quite polite and reserved. I choose not to fit into either category when calling out bollox by people that believe in the fairy tales that were spun by lying little toads like Boris Johnson.

    There is a certain irony in you calling yourself a "contrarian" when you are clearly unable to see the ridiculousness of the Brexit cause, and find ways to argue against it. All your posts suggest you are a brainwashed Brexit conformist without the slightest ability to think for yourself.
    Brexiteers only have the successful vaccine roll out to cling to. This is why whenever anyone challengies brexiteers to mention any benefits they immediately go back onto the vaccine issue. Our economy is on the way to hell in a handcart, but nobody discusses it, not the BBC, Sky or any newspapers. We have effectively lost our fisheries industry. Our farming industry is in a mess because we don't have the woekforce now to pick the crops. Our exports to the EU are miniscule now. Our so-called new export agreements are just extentions of the old eu agreements but on a worse footing. We have a massive virus bill to pay, yet we can't pay it unless we start TRADING again.
    We can now elect and throw out all the important people who have power over us. The poor EU citizenry are stuck with Ursula von der L, even tho she has probably killed 50,000 of them with her vaccine blunders

    That is the greatest Brexit bonus of all, and probably the only one that really matters, and it entirely outweighs any downside. We are free
    You sound like an absolute d**khead.

    There's no way I can throw out Johnson or any other Tory, that's the fallacy of it all. Most people in this country have not had any change to their power of "kicking out" any politicians.
    I know this point enrages dim-as-dung Remoaners like you. It does this because it is indisputably true, unlike all the other talking points, mainly economic, which can be tediously argued back and forth. As you just did.
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chameleon said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Salmond fails to win a seat so also disappears any pressure Sturgeon might feel to declare UDI if the SNP win a majority and hold a referendum and Boris as is likely ignores the result.

    Out of interest, is there any credible outcome of the Holyrood elections that isn't a big win for the Conservatives/Union in your opinion?
    If the Nationalists win a majority then Boris can continue to press home that failing to vote Tory at the 2024 UK general election means a minority Labour government with Starmer propped up by the SNP and a divisive indyref2 that Boris would keep refusing.

    If Unionists win a majority then that of course removes the chance of Sturgeon even trying for an indyref2 anyway
    Not propped up. Supported by.

    Will be doing this correction until you drop it. Let's see who blinks first.
    Neither is correct. 'Controlled by' is the term that would describe the reality of the situation. And just like in 2015, the voters will notice that reality too.
    Always the partisan angle with you.

    I can never utilize one of my favourite barbs - "the mask slips" - because you don't bother wearing one.
    Saying whatever I like is simply a pleasure of mine; that it happens to make some of your favourite tactics less useful is just a side bonus.

    Unless of course my frontless parrhesia is itself but a mimesis, a mask within a mask...

    < Deep >
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73UfgMoWv8E
    Airplane is genius. The stupidest jokes, yet done so well they are still childishly hilarious

    There must be 20 or 30 gags/scenes that have endured over FIVE decades

    Half of them would probably get you cancelled now

    Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?
    It is the first movie I recall where very serious actors took on roles where they made fools of themselves on purpose for cheap gags. Truly brilliant.

    Now, how would that scene of the nun providing interpretation into Jive work today?
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,269
    Leon said:

    Remainers voted against a brexit where Britain is knee deep in apparently vital vaccines?

    Yeah right.
    We would have been even without Brexit. Our pharma sector is huge. Participation in the EU procurement program would almost certainly been dodged by a UK government. The only "victory for Brexit" is, like Brexit itself, a simplistic load of bollox
    genuinely funny
    I would hazard a guess that my knowledge of the pharma industry gives me a reasonable perspective. You are not quite in the same ludicrous fantasy world of Philip Thompson, but I think based on your unintentionally funny pronouncement on most matters, this is not an area of expertise for you! Your nom de plume is a give away for your ludicrous and sad perspective on life. Keep taking the tablets.
    Nobody does bile like Remainers. World class
    Au contraire, I think most "Remainers" are quite polite and reserved. I choose not to fit into either category when calling out bollox by people that believe in the fairy tales that were spun by lying little toads like Boris Johnson.

    There is a certain irony in you calling yourself a "contrarian" when you are clearly unable to see the ridiculousness of the Brexit cause, and find ways to argue against it. All your posts suggest you are a brainwashed Brexit conformist without the slightest ability to think for yourself.
    Brexiteers only have the successful vaccine roll out to cling to. This is why whenever anyone challengies brexiteers to mention any benefits they immediately go back onto the vaccine issue. Our economy is on the way to hell in a handcart, but nobody discusses it, not the BBC, Sky or any newspapers. We have effectively lost our fisheries industry. Our farming industry is in a mess because we don't have the woekforce now to pick the crops. Our exports to the EU are miniscule now. Our so-called new export agreements are just extentions of the old eu agreements but on a worse footing. We have a massive virus bill to pay, yet we can't pay it unless we start TRADING again.
    We can now elect and throw out all the important people who have power over us.
    House of Lords? The Windsors?
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,375
    Stocky said:

    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.


    Bells?

    I jest - I know nothing about whiskies but my neighbour fancies himself as a whiskey connoisseur so I wind him up by asking how he's enjoying his Bells. He splutters "I wouldn't use THAT to disinfect my loo"!
    Puts me in mind of a chap who sneared at the Baron de Sigognac I was drinking. Not good enough for him apparently.

    He had spent the previous couple of weeks drinking Everest Whisky. Not sure what the Nepalese made that from, but it was quite... interesting... in a four-anti-acid-tablet kind of way....



  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,187
    I used to drink a VERY reasonably priced whisky called High Commissioner. Seems to have disappeared from supermarket shelves now though. Nothing to do with the pandemic, it had already been withdrawn before that. Maybe the company went under. Not sure. Was never quite interested enough to investigate.

    But no probs. Red wine only these days. Always Chilean.
  • Options
    MattWMattW Posts: 18,505
    IanB2 said:

    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.


    The ones I like are Talisker, Bowmore, Springbank, Highland Park, Jura, Dalwhinnie, and, provided I am feeling ill already, Laphroig or Lagavulin.
    Glen Scotia.
  • Options
    ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 4,971
    IanB2 said:

    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.


    The ones I like are Talisker, Bowmore, Springbank, Highland Park, Jura, Dalwhinnie, and, provided I am feeling ill already, Laphroig or Lagavulin.
    Springbank is awesome. Not as easy to find in England as most of the others on your list, and consequently seriously underrated.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,191
    IanB2 said:

    PB is obsessed with Scotland! Three leads in a row, meanwhile Northern Ireland erupts in long-predicted violence. Is there no-one qualified to write a lead about the principal issue of the day?

    I’ll do one on county cricket if you specially want.

    In fact, I did do an early draft of one at 7am today, but it looks a bit silly this evening in light of Surrey’s batting collapse.
  • Options
    MattWMattW Posts: 18,505
    edited April 2021
    Quite remarkably, Comical Dave has a sensible thread reporting words by Peter Liese MEP. I'm sure we'll all disagree with bits of it, but even so..

    https://twitter.com/DaveKeating/status/1380213809516851205
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,375
    TimT said:

    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chameleon said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Salmond fails to win a seat so also disappears any pressure Sturgeon might feel to declare UDI if the SNP win a majority and hold a referendum and Boris as is likely ignores the result.

    Out of interest, is there any credible outcome of the Holyrood elections that isn't a big win for the Conservatives/Union in your opinion?
    If the Nationalists win a majority then Boris can continue to press home that failing to vote Tory at the 2024 UK general election means a minority Labour government with Starmer propped up by the SNP and a divisive indyref2 that Boris would keep refusing.

    If Unionists win a majority then that of course removes the chance of Sturgeon even trying for an indyref2 anyway
    Not propped up. Supported by.

    Will be doing this correction until you drop it. Let's see who blinks first.
    Neither is correct. 'Controlled by' is the term that would describe the reality of the situation. And just like in 2015, the voters will notice that reality too.
    Always the partisan angle with you.

    I can never utilize one of my favourite barbs - "the mask slips" - because you don't bother wearing one.
    Saying whatever I like is simply a pleasure of mine; that it happens to make some of your favourite tactics less useful is just a side bonus.

    Unless of course my frontless parrhesia is itself but a mimesis, a mask within a mask...

    < Deep >
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73UfgMoWv8E
    Airplane is genius. The stupidest jokes, yet done so well they are still childishly hilarious

    There must be 20 or 30 gags/scenes that have endured over FIVE decades

    Half of them would probably get you cancelled now

    Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?
    It is the first movie I recall where very serious actors took on roles where they made fools of themselves on purpose for cheap gags. Truly brilliant.

    Now, how would that scene of the nun providing interpretation into Jive work today?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0j2dVuhr6s
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,056
  • Options
    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,060
    Leon said:

    Remainers voted against a brexit where Britain is knee deep in apparently vital vaccines?

    Yeah right.
    We would have been even without Brexit. Our pharma sector is huge. Participation in the EU procurement program would almost certainly been dodged by a UK government. The only "victory for Brexit" is, like Brexit itself, a simplistic load of bollox
    genuinely funny
    I would hazard a guess that my knowledge of the pharma industry gives me a reasonable perspective. You are not quite in the same ludicrous fantasy world of Philip Thompson, but I think based on your unintentionally funny pronouncement on most matters, this is not an area of expertise for you! Your nom de plume is a give away for your ludicrous and sad perspective on life. Keep taking the tablets.
    Nobody does bile like Remainers. World class
    Au contraire, I think most "Remainers" are quite polite and reserved. I choose not to fit into either category when calling out bollox by people that believe in the fairy tales that were spun by lying little toads like Boris Johnson.

    There is a certain irony in you calling yourself a "contrarian" when you are clearly unable to see the ridiculousness of the Brexit cause, and find ways to argue against it. All your posts suggest you are a brainwashed Brexit conformist without the slightest ability to think for yourself.
    Brexiteers only have the successful vaccine roll out to cling to. This is why whenever anyone challengies brexiteers to mention any benefits they immediately go back onto the vaccine issue. Our economy is on the way to hell in a handcart, but nobody discusses it, not the BBC, Sky or any newspapers. We have effectively lost our fisheries industry. Our farming industry is in a mess because we don't have the woekforce now to pick the crops. Our exports to the EU are miniscule now. Our so-called new export agreements are just extentions of the old eu agreements but on a worse footing. We have a massive virus bill to pay, yet we can't pay it unless we start TRADING again.
    We can now elect and throw out all the important people who have power over us. The poor EU citizenry are stuck with Ursula von der L, even tho she has probably killed 50,000 of them with her vaccine blunders

    That is the greatest Brexit bonus of all, and probably the only one that really matters, and it entirely outweighs any downside. We are free
    For every one of me I need the help of c.5 people like you to throw out the prick currently in charge. I can't be arsed with the wearying and fruitless ball ache of persuading 5 people like you so I'd prefer to try something different. Oh, that's right, the prick in charge is going to block any opportunity on deciding if we want to try something different.

    We are free, ffs.
  • Options
    ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 4,971

    The trouble with whisky is that the ratio of gratification to liver damage is less favourable than it is for fine wine.

    You do realise you don’t need to drink the whole bottle in one go?
  • Options

    Andy_JS said:

    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.


    I was drinking Talisker the other day but I don't have any idea whether it's regarded as a good whisky or not. I hope it is. Just happened to be the first one I saw in the shop.
    Any Speyside single malt is good for me.

    Age is a factor too. I never drink anything under 12 years old. If the bottle does not specify the age, I never buy.


    Your comment reminded me of this for some reason.


  • Options
    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,295

    Stocky said:

    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.


    Bells?

    I jest - I know nothing about whiskies but my neighbour fancies himself as a whiskey connoisseur so I wind him up by asking how he's enjoying his Bells. He splutters "I wouldn't use THAT to disinfect my loo"!
    Puts me in mind of a chap who sneared at the Baron de Sigognac I was drinking. Not good enough for him apparently.

    He had spent the previous couple of weeks drinking Everest Whisky. Not sure what the Nepalese made that from, but it was quite... interesting... in a four-anti-acid-tablet kind of way....



    Old Mull, available on the eponymous island, could knock sheep over from 20 paces.

    Never seen it elsewhere, that said.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    Leon said:

    Remainers voted against a brexit where Britain is knee deep in apparently vital vaccines?

    Yeah right.
    We would have been even without Brexit. Our pharma sector is huge. Participation in the EU procurement program would almost certainly been dodged by a UK government. The only "victory for Brexit" is, like Brexit itself, a simplistic load of bollox
    genuinely funny
    I would hazard a guess that my knowledge of the pharma industry gives me a reasonable perspective. You are not quite in the same ludicrous fantasy world of Philip Thompson, but I think based on your unintentionally funny pronouncement on most matters, this is not an area of expertise for you! Your nom de plume is a give away for your ludicrous and sad perspective on life. Keep taking the tablets.
    Nobody does bile like Remainers. World class
    Au contraire, I think most "Remainers" are quite polite and reserved. I choose not to fit into either category when calling out bollox by people that believe in the fairy tales that were spun by lying little toads like Boris Johnson.

    There is a certain irony in you calling yourself a "contrarian" when you are clearly unable to see the ridiculousness of the Brexit cause, and find ways to argue against it. All your posts suggest you are a brainwashed Brexit conformist without the slightest ability to think for yourself.
    Brexiteers only have the successful vaccine roll out to cling to. This is why whenever anyone challengies brexiteers to mention any benefits they immediately go back onto the vaccine issue. Our economy is on the way to hell in a handcart, but nobody discusses it, not the BBC, Sky or any newspapers. We have effectively lost our fisheries industry. Our farming industry is in a mess because we don't have the woekforce now to pick the crops. Our exports to the EU are miniscule now. Our so-called new export agreements are just extentions of the old eu agreements but on a worse footing. We have a massive virus bill to pay, yet we can't pay it unless we start TRADING again.
    We can now elect and throw out all the important people who have power over us. The poor EU citizenry are stuck with Ursula von der L, even tho she has probably killed 50,000 of them with her vaccine blunders

    That is the greatest Brexit bonus of all, and probably the only one that really matters, and it entirely outweighs any downside. We are free
    You sound like an absolute d**khead.

    There's no way I can throw out Johnson or any other Tory, that's the fallacy of it all. Most people in this country have not had any change to their power of "kicking out" any politicians.
    You can, by winning an election. It's democracy and the last election was won by Johnson.

    If you don't like it, don't lose the next one. Being a sore loser doesn't mean democracy doesn't work.
  • Options
    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    MattW said:

    Quite remarkably, Comical Dave has a sensible thread reporting words by Peter Liese MEP. I'm sure we'll all disagree with bits of it, but even so..

    Yes, that all seems pretty sensible, and free of political grandstanding as well.
  • Options
    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,295

    The trouble with whisky is that the ratio of gratification to liver damage is less favourable than it is for fine wine.

    You do realise you don’t need to drink the whole bottle in one go?
    What crazed talk is this?

    Just kidding although as mentioned I did drink a whole bottle overnight during the McGregor Mayweather card.
  • Options
    stodgestodge Posts: 12,850
    Evening all :)

    Once again, the debate on Scotland is clouded by the fundamental misconception Nicola Sturgeon wants a second referendum.

    She doesn't - her supporters might, the SNP might advocate it as a policy position but they don't want it.

    The current stand off works well for Sturgeon - she gets to be First Minister of Scotland ad infinitum now she has seen off Salmond. She can talk about a referendum safe in the knowledge she'll never have to do anything about it because of her and the SNP's greatest ally, not Keir Starmer but Boris Johnson.

    The Prime MInister's refusal to countenance a second vote, and we see this echoed by a "Senior Official" from the Department of the Bleedin' Obvious, is a double edged win-win strategy. It gives Sturgeon a let out for never having a second referendum and allows her to paint Boris Johnson as the source of all Scotland's problems thus strengthening her and the SNP's position.

    At the same time, Boris Johnson gets to look "firm" which does him no harm in England (which is what matters) and within the Conservative Party. Thus, the current stand off works well for Johnson as well.

    The last thing either Johnson or Sturgeon want or need is a disruption to the status quo. In essence, they've already achieved a de facto division - Johnson and the Conservatives have England, Sturgeon and the SNP have Scotland.

    The problem for both with a Second Referendum isn't what happens if they lose but what happens if they win. There's far too much for risk for both to countenance a second vote so it won't happen and the dance will carry on.
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,187

    Remainers voted against a brexit where Britain is knee deep in apparently vital vaccines?

    Yeah right.
    We would have been even without Brexit. Our pharma sector is huge. Participation in the EU procurement program would almost certainly been dodged by a UK government. The only "victory for Brexit" is, like Brexit itself, a simplistic load of bollox
    genuinely funny
    I would hazard a guess that my knowledge of the pharma industry gives me a reasonable perspective. You are not quite in the same ludicrous fantasy world of Philip Thompson, but I think based on your unintentionally funny pronouncement on most matters, this is not an area of expertise for you! Your nom de plume is a give away for your ludicrous and sad perspective on life. Keep taking the tablets.
    Nobody does bile like Remainers. World class
    Au contraire, I think most "Remainers" are quite polite and reserved. I choose not to fit into either category when calling out bollox by people that believe in the fairy tales that were spun by lying little toads like Boris Johnson.

    There is a certain irony in you calling yourself a "contrarian" when you are clearly unable to see the ridiculousness of the Brexit cause, and find ways to argue against it. All your posts suggest you are a brainwashed Brexit conformist without the slightest ability to think for yourself.
    Brexiteers only have the successful vaccine roll out to cling to. This is why whenever anyone challengies brexiteers to mention any benefits they immediately go back onto the vaccine issue. Our economy is on the way to hell in a handcart, but nobody discusses it, not the BBC, Sky or any newspapers. We have effectively lost our fisheries industry. Our farming industry is in a mess because we don't have the woekforce now to pick the crops. Our exports to the EU are miniscule now. Our so-called new export agreements are just extentions of the old eu agreements but on a worse footing. We have a massive virus bill to pay, yet we can't pay it unless we start TRADING again.
    I think this take will gain traction as time passes.
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,269
    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chameleon said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Salmond fails to win a seat so also disappears any pressure Sturgeon might feel to declare UDI if the SNP win a majority and hold a referendum and Boris as is likely ignores the result.

    Out of interest, is there any credible outcome of the Holyrood elections that isn't a big win for the Conservatives/Union in your opinion?
    If the Nationalists win a majority then Boris can continue to press home that failing to vote Tory at the 2024 UK general election means a minority Labour government with Starmer propped up by the SNP and a divisive indyref2 that Boris would keep refusing.

    If Unionists win a majority then that of course removes the chance of Sturgeon even trying for an indyref2 anyway
    Not propped up. Supported by.

    Will be doing this correction until you drop it. Let's see who blinks first.
    Neither is correct. 'Controlled by' is the term that would describe the reality of the situation. And just like in 2015, the voters will notice that reality too.
    Always the partisan angle with you.

    I can never utilize one of my favourite barbs - "the mask slips" - because you don't bother wearing one.
    Saying whatever I like is simply a pleasure of mine; that it happens to make some of your favourite tactics less useful is just a side bonus.

    Unless of course my frontless parrhesia is itself but a mimesis, a mask within a mask...

    < Deep >
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73UfgMoWv8E
    Airplane is genius. The stupidest jokes, yet done so well they are still childishly hilarious

    There must be 20 or 30 gags/scenes that have endured over FIVE decades

    Half of them would probably get you cancelled now

    Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?
    "Joey have you seen a flint-knapper naked?"
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,588
    edited April 2021

    Leon said:

    Remainers voted against a brexit where Britain is knee deep in apparently vital vaccines?

    Yeah right.
    We would have been even without Brexit. Our pharma sector is huge. Participation in the EU procurement program would almost certainly been dodged by a UK government. The only "victory for Brexit" is, like Brexit itself, a simplistic load of bollox
    genuinely funny
    I would hazard a guess that my knowledge of the pharma industry gives me a reasonable perspective. You are not quite in the same ludicrous fantasy world of Philip Thompson, but I think based on your unintentionally funny pronouncement on most matters, this is not an area of expertise for you! Your nom de plume is a give away for your ludicrous and sad perspective on life. Keep taking the tablets.
    Nobody does bile like Remainers. World class
    Au contraire, I think most "Remainers" are quite polite and reserved. I choose not to fit into either category when calling out bollox by people that believe in the fairy tales that were spun by lying little toads like Boris Johnson.

    There is a certain irony in you calling yourself a "contrarian" when you are clearly unable to see the ridiculousness of the Brexit cause, and find ways to argue against it. All your posts suggest you are a brainwashed Brexit conformist without the slightest ability to think for yourself.
    Brexiteers only have the successful vaccine roll out to cling to. This is why whenever anyone challengies brexiteers to mention any benefits they immediately go back onto the vaccine issue. Our economy is on the way to hell in a handcart, but nobody discusses it, not the BBC, Sky or any newspapers. We have effectively lost our fisheries industry. Our farming industry is in a mess because we don't have the woekforce now to pick the crops. Our exports to the EU are miniscule now. Our so-called new export agreements are just extentions of the old eu agreements but on a worse footing. We have a massive virus bill to pay, yet we can't pay it unless we start TRADING again.
    We can now elect and throw out all the important people who have power over us. The poor EU citizenry are stuck with Ursula von der L, even tho she has probably killed 50,000 of them with her vaccine blunders

    That is the greatest Brexit bonus of all, and probably the only one that really matters, and it entirely outweighs any downside. We are free
    You sound like an absolute d**khead.

    There's no way I can throw out Johnson or any other Tory, that's the fallacy of it all. Most people in this country have not had any change to their power of "kicking out" any politicians.
    If you're complaining about safe seats, any seat can become marginal if the voters decide it should. Look at Labour's previously safe seats in Scotland and the north east of England.
  • Options
    contrariancontrarian Posts: 5,818

    Andy_JS said:

    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.


    I was drinking Talisker the other day but I don't have any idea whether it's regarded as a good whisky or not. I hope it is. Just happened to be the first one I saw in the shop.
    Any Speyside single malt is good for me.

    Age is a factor too. I never drink anything under 12 years old. If the bottle does not specify the age, I never buy.


    Your comment reminded me of this for some reason.


    LOL very good
  • Options
    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,295

    Leon said:

    Remainers voted against a brexit where Britain is knee deep in apparently vital vaccines?

    Yeah right.
    We would have been even without Brexit. Our pharma sector is huge. Participation in the EU procurement program would almost certainly been dodged by a UK government. The only "victory for Brexit" is, like Brexit itself, a simplistic load of bollox
    genuinely funny
    I would hazard a guess that my knowledge of the pharma industry gives me a reasonable perspective. You are not quite in the same ludicrous fantasy world of Philip Thompson, but I think based on your unintentionally funny pronouncement on most matters, this is not an area of expertise for you! Your nom de plume is a give away for your ludicrous and sad perspective on life. Keep taking the tablets.
    Nobody does bile like Remainers. World class
    Au contraire, I think most "Remainers" are quite polite and reserved. I choose not to fit into either category when calling out bollox by people that believe in the fairy tales that were spun by lying little toads like Boris Johnson.

    There is a certain irony in you calling yourself a "contrarian" when you are clearly unable to see the ridiculousness of the Brexit cause, and find ways to argue against it. All your posts suggest you are a brainwashed Brexit conformist without the slightest ability to think for yourself.
    Brexiteers only have the successful vaccine roll out to cling to. This is why whenever anyone challengies brexiteers to mention any benefits they immediately go back onto the vaccine issue. Our economy is on the way to hell in a handcart, but nobody discusses it, not the BBC, Sky or any newspapers. We have effectively lost our fisheries industry. Our farming industry is in a mess because we don't have the woekforce now to pick the crops. Our exports to the EU are miniscule now. Our so-called new export agreements are just extentions of the old eu agreements but on a worse footing. We have a massive virus bill to pay, yet we can't pay it unless we start TRADING again.
    We can now elect and throw out all the important people who have power over us. The poor EU citizenry are stuck with Ursula von der L, even tho she has probably killed 50,000 of them with her vaccine blunders

    That is the greatest Brexit bonus of all, and probably the only one that really matters, and it entirely outweighs any downside. We are free
    You sound like an absolute d**khead.

    There's no way I can throw out Johnson or any other Tory, that's the fallacy of it all. Most people in this country have not had any change to their power of "kicking out" any politicians.
    You can, by winning an election. It's democracy and the last election was won by Johnson.

    If you don't like it, don't lose the next one. Being a sore loser doesn't mean democracy doesn't work.
    Philip you are not seeing the wood for the trees. Being in the EU was perfectly democratic for us and yes we could very very easily get rid of UvdL as we proved in 2016.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,108
    edited April 2021
    TimT said:

    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chameleon said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Salmond fails to win a seat so also disappears any pressure Sturgeon might feel to declare UDI if the SNP win a majority and hold a referendum and Boris as is likely ignores the result.

    Out of interest, is there any credible outcome of the Holyrood elections that isn't a big win for the Conservatives/Union in your opinion?
    If the Nationalists win a majority then Boris can continue to press home that failing to vote Tory at the 2024 UK general election means a minority Labour government with Starmer propped up by the SNP and a divisive indyref2 that Boris would keep refusing.

    If Unionists win a majority then that of course removes the chance of Sturgeon even trying for an indyref2 anyway
    Not propped up. Supported by.

    Will be doing this correction until you drop it. Let's see who blinks first.
    Neither is correct. 'Controlled by' is the term that would describe the reality of the situation. And just like in 2015, the voters will notice that reality too.
    Always the partisan angle with you.

    I can never utilize one of my favourite barbs - "the mask slips" - because you don't bother wearing one.
    Saying whatever I like is simply a pleasure of mine; that it happens to make some of your favourite tactics less useful is just a side bonus.

    Unless of course my frontless parrhesia is itself but a mimesis, a mask within a mask...

    < Deep >
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73UfgMoWv8E
    Airplane is genius. The stupidest jokes, yet done so well they are still childishly hilarious

    There must be 20 or 30 gags/scenes that have endured over FIVE decades

    Half of them would probably get you cancelled now

    Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?
    It is the first movie I recall where very serious actors took on roles where they made fools of themselves on purpose for cheap gags. Truly brilliant.

    Now, how would that scene of the nun providing interpretation into Jive work today?
    Well exactly. Would be struck from the script, like half of the jokes. That is one of the worst things about our censorious cancel culture, the crippling of humour

    I wonder if Airplane is the funniest movie ever made; certainly in terms of laughs per minute, I cannot think of a rival

    Life of Brian was a more profound humour, and is brilliantly insightful, but not quite as basically amusing?

    What others? Early Woody Allen

    I see Airplane is number 2 in this list, with Spinal Tap as number 1. In the top 100 comedy movies

    Spinal Tap is genius, but again not as consistently amusing as Airplane?


    https://www.timeout.com/london/film/100-best-comedy-movies
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    Leon said:

    Remainers voted against a brexit where Britain is knee deep in apparently vital vaccines?

    Yeah right.
    We would have been even without Brexit. Our pharma sector is huge. Participation in the EU procurement program would almost certainly been dodged by a UK government. The only "victory for Brexit" is, like Brexit itself, a simplistic load of bollox
    genuinely funny
    I would hazard a guess that my knowledge of the pharma industry gives me a reasonable perspective. You are not quite in the same ludicrous fantasy world of Philip Thompson, but I think based on your unintentionally funny pronouncement on most matters, this is not an area of expertise for you! Your nom de plume is a give away for your ludicrous and sad perspective on life. Keep taking the tablets.
    Nobody does bile like Remainers. World class
    Au contraire, I think most "Remainers" are quite polite and reserved. I choose not to fit into either category when calling out bollox by people that believe in the fairy tales that were spun by lying little toads like Boris Johnson.

    There is a certain irony in you calling yourself a "contrarian" when you are clearly unable to see the ridiculousness of the Brexit cause, and find ways to argue against it. All your posts suggest you are a brainwashed Brexit conformist without the slightest ability to think for yourself.
    Brexiteers only have the successful vaccine roll out to cling to. This is why whenever anyone challengies brexiteers to mention any benefits they immediately go back onto the vaccine issue. Our economy is on the way to hell in a handcart, but nobody discusses it, not the BBC, Sky or any newspapers. We have effectively lost our fisheries industry. Our farming industry is in a mess because we don't have the woekforce now to pick the crops. Our exports to the EU are miniscule now. Our so-called new export agreements are just extentions of the old eu agreements but on a worse footing. We have a massive virus bill to pay, yet we can't pay it unless we start TRADING again.
    We can now elect and throw out all the important people who have power over us.
    House of Lords? The Windsors?
    They don't rule over us. Parliament Act.
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,588
    The Americans got this wrong as well, although they haven't admitted it yet.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,191
    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    Remainers voted against a brexit where Britain is knee deep in apparently vital vaccines?

    Yeah right.
    We would have been even without Brexit. Our pharma sector is huge. Participation in the EU procurement program would almost certainly been dodged by a UK government. The only "victory for Brexit" is, like Brexit itself, a simplistic load of bollox
    genuinely funny
    I would hazard a guess that my knowledge of the pharma industry gives me a reasonable perspective. You are not quite in the same ludicrous fantasy world of Philip Thompson, but I think based on your unintentionally funny pronouncement on most matters, this is not an area of expertise for you! Your nom de plume is a give away for your ludicrous and sad perspective on life. Keep taking the tablets.
    Nobody does bile like Remainers. World class
    Au contraire, I think most "Remainers" are quite polite and reserved. I choose not to fit into either category when calling out bollox by people that believe in the fairy tales that were spun by lying little toads like Boris Johnson.

    There is a certain irony in you calling yourself a "contrarian" when you are clearly unable to see the ridiculousness of the Brexit cause, and find ways to argue against it. All your posts suggest you are a brainwashed Brexit conformist without the slightest ability to think for yourself.
    Brexiteers only have the successful vaccine roll out to cling to. This is why whenever anyone challengies brexiteers to mention any benefits they immediately go back onto the vaccine issue. Our economy is on the way to hell in a handcart, but nobody discusses it, not the BBC, Sky or any newspapers. We have effectively lost our fisheries industry. Our farming industry is in a mess because we don't have the woekforce now to pick the crops. Our exports to the EU are miniscule now. Our so-called new export agreements are just extentions of the old eu agreements but on a worse footing. We have a massive virus bill to pay, yet we can't pay it unless we start TRADING again.
    We can now elect and throw out all the important people who have power over us. The poor EU citizenry are stuck with Ursula von der L, even tho she has probably killed 50,000 of them with her vaccine blunders

    That is the greatest Brexit bonus of all, and probably the only one that really matters, and it entirely outweighs any downside. We are free
    You sound like an absolute d**khead.

    There's no way I can throw out Johnson or any other Tory, that's the fallacy of it all. Most people in this country have not had any change to their power of "kicking out" any politicians.
    If you're complaining about safe seats, any seat can become marginal if the voters decide it should. Look at Labour's previously safe seats in Scotland and the north east of England.
    There was a time when the Tories held Bootle.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,725
    edited April 2021
    MattW said:
    If the Loonies can figure out how to register a party properly, it is not 'the system' being difficult for outsiders.

    Attempting to paint a cockup as being the fault of the system is just sad.
    Andy_JS said:

    The Americans got this wrong as well, although they haven't admitted it yet.
    They're also going fast enough and with so many supplies that they're not likely to bother at this point.

    Edit:

    Also, I've never seen Airplane.
  • Options
    Disgusting.

    Texts sent to a 21-year-old intern by British Conservative MP Rob Roberts inviting her to “fool around” were “unacceptable,” the party has concluded — but Roberts will not face dismissal over his behavior.

    Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) began an inquiry into the behavior of Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, in July 2020 after complaints that he had sexually harassed a young woman working in parliament.

    The probe was prompted when the BBC reported he had sent WhatsApp messages to an intern asking her to “fool around with no strings” and commenting that she had “lovely legs.”


    https://www.politico.eu/article/conservative-tory-mp-rob-roberts-not-suspended-texts/
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    Leon said:

    TimT said:

    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chameleon said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Salmond fails to win a seat so also disappears any pressure Sturgeon might feel to declare UDI if the SNP win a majority and hold a referendum and Boris as is likely ignores the result.

    Out of interest, is there any credible outcome of the Holyrood elections that isn't a big win for the Conservatives/Union in your opinion?
    If the Nationalists win a majority then Boris can continue to press home that failing to vote Tory at the 2024 UK general election means a minority Labour government with Starmer propped up by the SNP and a divisive indyref2 that Boris would keep refusing.

    If Unionists win a majority then that of course removes the chance of Sturgeon even trying for an indyref2 anyway
    Not propped up. Supported by.

    Will be doing this correction until you drop it. Let's see who blinks first.
    Neither is correct. 'Controlled by' is the term that would describe the reality of the situation. And just like in 2015, the voters will notice that reality too.
    Always the partisan angle with you.

    I can never utilize one of my favourite barbs - "the mask slips" - because you don't bother wearing one.
    Saying whatever I like is simply a pleasure of mine; that it happens to make some of your favourite tactics less useful is just a side bonus.

    Unless of course my frontless parrhesia is itself but a mimesis, a mask within a mask...

    < Deep >
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73UfgMoWv8E
    Airplane is genius. The stupidest jokes, yet done so well they are still childishly hilarious

    There must be 20 or 30 gags/scenes that have endured over FIVE decades

    Half of them would probably get you cancelled now

    Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?
    It is the first movie I recall where very serious actors took on roles where they made fools of themselves on purpose for cheap gags. Truly brilliant.

    Now, how would that scene of the nun providing interpretation into Jive work today?
    Well exactly. Would be struck from the script, like half of the jokes. That is one of the worst things about our censorious cancel culture, the crippling of humour

    I wonder if Airplane is the funniest movie ever made; certainly in terms of laughs per minute, I cannot think of a rival

    Life of Brian was a more profound humour, and is brilliantly insightful, but not quite as basically amusing?

    What others? Early Woody Allen

    I see Airplane is number 2 in this list, with Spinal Tap as number 1. In the top 100 comedy movies

    Spinal Tap is genius, but again not as consistently amusing as Airplane?


    https://www.timeout.com/london/film/100-best-comedy-movies
    Animal House is up there, but even that for laughs per minute lags.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,108
    edited April 2021
    MattW said:

    Quite remarkably, Comical Dave has a sensible thread reporting words by Peter Liese MEP. I'm sure we'll all disagree with bits of it, but even so..

    https://twitter.com/DaveKeating/status/1380213809516851205

    For every five mad tweets he makes one or two that are informative, and sometimes seriously smart. He's a strange cove, but worth reading


    He reminds me of Andrew Lilico, but on the other side
  • Options

    Cookie said:

    So what's the story here - does Sputnik not work as well as claimed?
    Is this the vaccine Germany is procuring lots of?
    Who knows? But if I had to guess, I'd say the likelihood is that the quality control and batch testing is the problem. It's not easy making these vaccines in large quantity, and I suspect that the Russian processes aren't as rigorous as they might be, especially given the pressure from Putin and his thugs to get them out of the door.
    Certainly the death figures in Hungary are not promising considering they have been using for a while.
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    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,187
    edited April 2021
    stodge said:

    Evening all :)

    Once again, the debate on Scotland is clouded by the fundamental misconception Nicola Sturgeon wants a second referendum.

    She doesn't - her supporters might, the SNP might advocate it as a policy position but they don't want it.

    The current stand off works well for Sturgeon - she gets to be First Minister of Scotland ad infinitum now she has seen off Salmond. She can talk about a referendum safe in the knowledge she'll never have to do anything about it because of her and the SNP's greatest ally, not Keir Starmer but Boris Johnson.

    The Prime MInister's refusal to countenance a second vote, and we see this echoed by a "Senior Official" from the Department of the Bleedin' Obvious, is a double edged win-win strategy. It gives Sturgeon a let out for never having a second referendum and allows her to paint Boris Johnson as the source of all Scotland's problems thus strengthening her and the SNP's position.

    At the same time, Boris Johnson gets to look "firm" which does him no harm in England (which is what matters) and within the Conservative Party. Thus, the current stand off works well for Johnson as well.

    The last thing either Johnson or Sturgeon want or need is a disruption to the status quo. In essence, they've already achieved a de facto division - Johnson and the Conservatives have England, Sturgeon and the SNP have Scotland.

    The problem for both with a Second Referendum isn't what happens if they lose but what happens if they win. There's far too much for risk for both to countenance a second vote so it won't happen and the dance will carry on.

    That Nicola Sturgeon does not want to achieve the goal of her political life - Scottish Independence - through getting and winning a legal referendum is a wholly evidence free assertion. It relies on mind reading and projecting onto her a sterile "man of the world" cynicism that is in itself a form of naivety.

    It is in other words, Stodge, complete and utter drivel.

    But nicely written as always. ☺
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    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,588
    O/T

    I didn't know Ed Miliband was this influential.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edstone_Aqueduct
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    LeonLeon Posts: 47,108

    Leon said:

    Remainers voted against a brexit where Britain is knee deep in apparently vital vaccines?

    Yeah right.
    We would have been even without Brexit. Our pharma sector is huge. Participation in the EU procurement program would almost certainly been dodged by a UK government. The only "victory for Brexit" is, like Brexit itself, a simplistic load of bollox
    genuinely funny
    I would hazard a guess that my knowledge of the pharma industry gives me a reasonable perspective. You are not quite in the same ludicrous fantasy world of Philip Thompson, but I think based on your unintentionally funny pronouncement on most matters, this is not an area of expertise for you! Your nom de plume is a give away for your ludicrous and sad perspective on life. Keep taking the tablets.
    Nobody does bile like Remainers. World class
    Au contraire, I think most "Remainers" are quite polite and reserved. I choose not to fit into either category when calling out bollox by people that believe in the fairy tales that were spun by lying little toads like Boris Johnson.

    There is a certain irony in you calling yourself a "contrarian" when you are clearly unable to see the ridiculousness of the Brexit cause, and find ways to argue against it. All your posts suggest you are a brainwashed Brexit conformist without the slightest ability to think for yourself.
    Brexiteers only have the successful vaccine roll out to cling to. This is why whenever anyone challengies brexiteers to mention any benefits they immediately go back onto the vaccine issue. Our economy is on the way to hell in a handcart, but nobody discusses it, not the BBC, Sky or any newspapers. We have effectively lost our fisheries industry. Our farming industry is in a mess because we don't have the woekforce now to pick the crops. Our exports to the EU are miniscule now. Our so-called new export agreements are just extentions of the old eu agreements but on a worse footing. We have a massive virus bill to pay, yet we can't pay it unless we start TRADING again.
    We can now elect and throw out all the important people who have power over us. The poor EU citizenry are stuck with Ursula von der L, even tho she has probably killed 50,000 of them with her vaccine blunders

    That is the greatest Brexit bonus of all, and probably the only one that really matters, and it entirely outweighs any downside. We are free
    For every one of me I need the help of c.5 people like you to throw out the prick currently in charge. I can't be arsed with the wearying and fruitless ball ache of persuading 5 people like you so I'd prefer to try something different. Oh, that's right, the prick in charge is going to block any opportunity on deciding if we want to try something different.

    We are free, ffs.
    At least you've now accepted that Boris is just gonna say Naw

    I believe that will better for you, mentally, in the medium term. Feel free to thank me for this therapy, whenever you like
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    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,060
    It's the coherence and consistency of the Albanians that really impresses me.

    https://twitter.com/naebD/status/1380215867548516356?s=20
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    algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 10,526

    Alistair said:

    One of the tropes the Nats trot out is that the UN will force the UK government to grant another Indyref, I keep on asking two questions which never get answered

    1) Why would the UN get involved and what powers and enforcement action does it have?

    and

    2) So why hasn't the UN enforced this principle for Catalonia?
    Even as an extremely online Scot Nat Twitter user I have never seen that said by anyone.
    You need to look harder.

    https://twitter.com/Lairdscott01/status/1354098345732689938

    https://twitter.com/SaorAlba59/status/1354053645017501697
    I think we should let the Tibetans and Uighars have a go at a referendum first, followed by the North Koreans. I am sure the UN will be keen to arrange it.

  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,056
    I don't think Charles Michel is winning many friends in the EU at the moment.
    https://twitter.com/DaveKeating/status/1380222098799480834
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    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,725
    Parliament also 'took control' in order to find a compromise, and failed.

    Too many on both sides wanted to go all or nothing. Only one side won.

    That's the game. And the politicians went in eyes open - they knew what was at risk by compromising, and what was at risk by not compromising. They took the latter risk.
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    LeonLeon Posts: 47,108
    TimT said:

    Leon said:

    TimT said:

    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    HYUFD said:

    Chameleon said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Salmond fails to win a seat so also disappears any pressure Sturgeon might feel to declare UDI if the SNP win a majority and hold a referendum and Boris as is likely ignores the result.

    Out of interest, is there any credible outcome of the Holyrood elections that isn't a big win for the Conservatives/Union in your opinion?
    If the Nationalists win a majority then Boris can continue to press home that failing to vote Tory at the 2024 UK general election means a minority Labour government with Starmer propped up by the SNP and a divisive indyref2 that Boris would keep refusing.

    If Unionists win a majority then that of course removes the chance of Sturgeon even trying for an indyref2 anyway
    Not propped up. Supported by.

    Will be doing this correction until you drop it. Let's see who blinks first.
    Neither is correct. 'Controlled by' is the term that would describe the reality of the situation. And just like in 2015, the voters will notice that reality too.
    Always the partisan angle with you.

    I can never utilize one of my favourite barbs - "the mask slips" - because you don't bother wearing one.
    Saying whatever I like is simply a pleasure of mine; that it happens to make some of your favourite tactics less useful is just a side bonus.

    Unless of course my frontless parrhesia is itself but a mimesis, a mask within a mask...

    < Deep >
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73UfgMoWv8E
    Airplane is genius. The stupidest jokes, yet done so well they are still childishly hilarious

    There must be 20 or 30 gags/scenes that have endured over FIVE decades

    Half of them would probably get you cancelled now

    Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?
    It is the first movie I recall where very serious actors took on roles where they made fools of themselves on purpose for cheap gags. Truly brilliant.

    Now, how would that scene of the nun providing interpretation into Jive work today?
    Well exactly. Would be struck from the script, like half of the jokes. That is one of the worst things about our censorious cancel culture, the crippling of humour

    I wonder if Airplane is the funniest movie ever made; certainly in terms of laughs per minute, I cannot think of a rival

    Life of Brian was a more profound humour, and is brilliantly insightful, but not quite as basically amusing?

    What others? Early Woody Allen

    I see Airplane is number 2 in this list, with Spinal Tap as number 1. In the top 100 comedy movies

    Spinal Tap is genius, but again not as consistently amusing as Airplane?


    https://www.timeout.com/london/film/100-best-comedy-movies
    Animal House is up there, but even that for laughs per minute lags.
    Animal House has that superb performance by John Belushi, but I wonder if it has dated now. Haven't watched it in decades

    I don't quite understand why Airplane doesn't date, but it doesn't. This is so rare in comedy. Life of Brian is similar. Sometimes Life of Brian seems eerily prescient, as if it describes the modern world of 2021. The Jehovah stoning scene is a superb critique of social media cancel culture

    Indeed it also seems to predict the trans debate, and the rise of ISIS and conservative Islam. Uncanny

    https://youtu.be/SYkbqzWVHZI
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,599

    TOPPING said:

    Lennon said:

    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.

    I've been unexpectedly enjoying a Welsh Whisky (Penderyn) recently after being given it as a Christmas present.
    No special spelling for Welsh whisky, then.
    I must admit Penderyn is really nice, but oh so expensive..
    I find it a bit sweet. Norfolk whisky is quite OK.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,108

    Disgusting.

    Texts sent to a 21-year-old intern by British Conservative MP Rob Roberts inviting her to “fool around” were “unacceptable,” the party has concluded — but Roberts will not face dismissal over his behavior.

    Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) began an inquiry into the behavior of Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, in July 2020 after complaints that he had sexually harassed a young woman working in parliament.

    The probe was prompted when the BBC reported he had sent WhatsApp messages to an intern asking her to “fool around with no strings” and commenting that she had “lovely legs.”


    https://www.politico.eu/article/conservative-tory-mp-rob-roberts-not-suspended-texts/

    I know we are all meant to be outraged by everything, but he's an adult, she's an adult, he fancies her, maybe she fancies him (who knows) and he's trying his luck

    If no man ever does this we will expire as a species
  • Options
    algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 10,526
    kinabalu said:

    stodge said:

    Evening all :)

    Once again, the debate on Scotland is clouded by the fundamental misconception Nicola Sturgeon wants a second referendum.

    She doesn't - her supporters might, the SNP might advocate it as a policy position but they don't want it.

    The current stand off works well for Sturgeon - she gets to be First Minister of Scotland ad infinitum now she has seen off Salmond. She can talk about a referendum safe in the knowledge she'll never have to do anything about it because of her and the SNP's greatest ally, not Keir Starmer but Boris Johnson.

    The Prime MInister's refusal to countenance a second vote, and we see this echoed by a "Senior Official" from the Department of the Bleedin' Obvious, is a double edged win-win strategy. It gives Sturgeon a let out for never having a second referendum and allows her to paint Boris Johnson as the source of all Scotland's problems thus strengthening her and the SNP's position.

    At the same time, Boris Johnson gets to look "firm" which does him no harm in England (which is what matters) and within the Conservative Party. Thus, the current stand off works well for Johnson as well.

    The last thing either Johnson or Sturgeon want or need is a disruption to the status quo. In essence, they've already achieved a de facto division - Johnson and the Conservatives have England, Sturgeon and the SNP have Scotland.

    The problem for both with a Second Referendum isn't what happens if they lose but what happens if they win. There's far too much for risk for both to countenance a second vote so it won't happen and the dance will carry on.

    That Nicola Sturgeon does not want to achieve the goal of her political life - Scottish Independence - through getting and winning a legal referendum is a wholly evidence free assertion. It relies on mind reading and projecting onto her a sterile "man of the world" cynicism that is in itself a form of naivety.

    It is in other words, Stodge, complete and utter drivel.

    But nicely written as always. ☺
    I think Stodge is about right here. One can't make windows into souls of course but if you take it that the Referendum was lost and Westminster isn't going to have another until well after NS's day, coupled with the apparent impossibility of getting the sort of c60% polling you would need to try to force and win a Ref2, NS's position of steady as she goes would make perfect sense.

    My only disagreement - tentative - with Stodge is that NS would be deeply fearful of losing a Ref2, as it would finish her, whereas the possibility being always there but not now will keep the troops going. I also think that politicians being what they are, in another world in which she could hold Ref2 and win, she would.

  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,921
    IanB2 said:

    PB is obsessed with Scotland! Three leads in a row, meanwhile Northern Ireland erupts in long-predicted violence. Is there no-one qualified to write a lead about the principal issue of the day?

    Sir Keir's poxy ratings? A noer no goer than somewhere in Ireland that's erupting in violence
  • Options
    Anyway

    Good to be watching the Masters with crowds in attendance

    Not so good watching Rory making a 'horlicks' of it
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    Leon said:

    Disgusting.

    Texts sent to a 21-year-old intern by British Conservative MP Rob Roberts inviting her to “fool around” were “unacceptable,” the party has concluded — but Roberts will not face dismissal over his behavior.

    Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) began an inquiry into the behavior of Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, in July 2020 after complaints that he had sexually harassed a young woman working in parliament.

    The probe was prompted when the BBC reported he had sent WhatsApp messages to an intern asking her to “fool around with no strings” and commenting that she had “lovely legs.”


    https://www.politico.eu/article/conservative-tory-mp-rob-roberts-not-suspended-texts/

    I know we are all meant to be outraged by everything, but he's an adult, she's an adult, he fancies her, maybe she fancies him (who knows) and he's trying his luck

    If no man ever does this we will expire as a species
    Was she interning for him? If so, I think that does make it an abuse of power. If not, well, I guess it does really mean that the meek shall inherit the world.
  • Options
    algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 10,526
    kle4 said:

    Parliament also 'took control' in order to find a compromise, and failed.

    Too many on both sides wanted to go all or nothing. Only one side won.

    That's the game. And the politicians went in eyes open - they knew what was at risk by compromising, and what was at risk by not compromising. They took the latter risk.
    And we still don't know what deal the DUP would have voted for. Because there is no answer to that question.

  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    TimT said:

    Leon said:

    Disgusting.

    Texts sent to a 21-year-old intern by British Conservative MP Rob Roberts inviting her to “fool around” were “unacceptable,” the party has concluded — but Roberts will not face dismissal over his behavior.

    Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) began an inquiry into the behavior of Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, in July 2020 after complaints that he had sexually harassed a young woman working in parliament.

    The probe was prompted when the BBC reported he had sent WhatsApp messages to an intern asking her to “fool around with no strings” and commenting that she had “lovely legs.”


    https://www.politico.eu/article/conservative-tory-mp-rob-roberts-not-suspended-texts/

    I know we are all meant to be outraged by everything, but he's an adult, she's an adult, he fancies her, maybe she fancies him (who knows) and he's trying his luck

    If no man ever does this we will expire as a species
    Was she interning for him? If so, I think that does make it an abuse of power. If not, well, I guess it does really mean that the meek shall inherit the world.
    OK, she's an employee of the Commons, and he's an MP. So pretty inappropriate, given the power structure.
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,921
    Leon said:

    Disgusting.

    Texts sent to a 21-year-old intern by British Conservative MP Rob Roberts inviting her to “fool around” were “unacceptable,” the party has concluded — but Roberts will not face dismissal over his behavior.

    Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) began an inquiry into the behavior of Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, in July 2020 after complaints that he had sexually harassed a young woman working in parliament.

    The probe was prompted when the BBC reported he had sent WhatsApp messages to an intern asking her to “fool around with no strings” and commenting that she had “lovely legs.”


    https://www.politico.eu/article/conservative-tory-mp-rob-roberts-not-suspended-texts/

    I know we are all meant to be outraged by everything, but he's an adult, she's an adult, he fancies her, maybe she fancies him (who knows) and he's trying his luck

    If no man ever does this we will expire as a species
    This kind of nonsense is academic, theoretical, overtthinking, leftyness to a tee - everything has to be equal, the confident, charming, successful socialite (not Rob Roberts I suppose, but talking generally) cant have any advantage over the insecure nerd at home having a wank and a pot noodle; so the ability to chat up someone you fancy is being phased out

  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,108
    edited April 2021
    TimT said:

    Leon said:

    Disgusting.

    Texts sent to a 21-year-old intern by British Conservative MP Rob Roberts inviting her to “fool around” were “unacceptable,” the party has concluded — but Roberts will not face dismissal over his behavior.

    Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) began an inquiry into the behavior of Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, in July 2020 after complaints that he had sexually harassed a young woman working in parliament.

    The probe was prompted when the BBC reported he had sent WhatsApp messages to an intern asking her to “fool around with no strings” and commenting that she had “lovely legs.”


    https://www.politico.eu/article/conservative-tory-mp-rob-roberts-not-suspended-texts/

    I know we are all meant to be outraged by everything, but he's an adult, she's an adult, he fancies her, maybe she fancies him (who knows) and he's trying his luck

    If no man ever does this we will expire as a species
    Was she interning for him? If so, I think that does make it an abuse of power. If not, well, I guess it does really mean that the meek shall inherit the world.
    Is it now an abuse of power to fancy the secretary? She's 21, not 16. She's an adult. She can tell him to Get stuffed, you old perv - if she wants

    This kind of faux horror infantilises adult women. They are not toddlers in need of eternal protection


    EDIT, to be fair, this bit does add some more troubling context: "Roberts is also alleged to have asked out a male Commons employee on several occasions and made repeated inappropriate comments, which led the man to change jobs."
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328

    Anyway

    Good to be watching the Masters with crowds in attendance

    Not so good watching Rory making a 'horlicks' of it

    Talking of the Masters, what happened to TimB. Long time no see.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,725
    algarkirk said:

    kle4 said:

    Parliament also 'took control' in order to find a compromise, and failed.

    Too many on both sides wanted to go all or nothing. Only one side won.

    That's the game. And the politicians went in eyes open - they knew what was at risk by compromising, and what was at risk by not compromising. They took the latter risk.
    And we still don't know what deal the DUP would have voted for. Because there is no answer to that question.

    They just got too enamoured of holding the whip hand over May and saw it blow up in their face. They deserve zero sympathy for any of their whinges about what went down, even if the people in Northern Ireland have proper grievance about it.
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,187

    Anyway

    Good to be watching the Masters with crowds in attendance

    Not so good watching Rory making a 'horlicks' of it

    Yes, brilliant. Although not Rory as you say. He's lost his game. Very bad patch.
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    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,060
    Leon said:

    Disgusting.

    Texts sent to a 21-year-old intern by British Conservative MP Rob Roberts inviting her to “fool around” were “unacceptable,” the party has concluded — but Roberts will not face dismissal over his behavior.

    Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) began an inquiry into the behavior of Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, in July 2020 after complaints that he had sexually harassed a young woman working in parliament.

    The probe was prompted when the BBC reported he had sent WhatsApp messages to an intern asking her to “fool around with no strings” and commenting that she had “lovely legs.”


    https://www.politico.eu/article/conservative-tory-mp-rob-roberts-not-suspended-texts/

    I know we are all meant to be outraged by everything, but he's an adult, she's an adult, he fancies her, maybe she fancies him (who knows) and he's trying his luck

    If no man ever does this we will expire as a species
    I think I know.

    https://twitter.com/politicsforali/status/1380227968564355085?s=21
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    gealbhangealbhan Posts: 2,362

    gealbhan said:

    It’s shocking that when there is a nationalistic angle on vaccines, being able to play it straight goes out the window.

    The truth is we have already long passed the point of sharing, the nationalism has ensured this mistake, because the longer it’s out there in the rest of the world mutating the bigger the threat it is to us and what we are doing.

    The nationalistic angle on vaccines is that we have a national interest in reaching herd immunity so that we can get our economy functioning again without people dying.

    Your second point is logically wrong. Sharing an insignificant number of vaccines does nothing to reduce the risk of mutations elsewhere.
    Firstly, you are definitely wrong if you feel our sharing of vaccine with ROI two weeks ago would have been inconsequential, it would have been consequential and in terms more than just fighting covid on shared land border.

    If you think UK is going to rush and embrace new normal with open arms, and economy just isn’t going to suffer from inevitable hesitancy and cageyness from so many, then you are also blisteringly wrong. Can’t you see getting back on it is is more (and far more difficult) than a vaccination programme?

    Someone who is definitely right is Leon, who deserved more support today from PBers for saying Oxozenica is the core component of COVAX, what damage have UK politicians and media achieved in the last two days to COVAX and take up of this vaccine throughout a world, especially where that world is young and not given alternative vaccine option others in this world fortunate to have?

    Covid doesn’t recognise human nation states, it’s fight is daft to be so nationalistic because No ones safe till everyone’s safe. Nor should any covid fighting knowledge be protected by IPR law preventing manufacture, that’s just murdering people.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,108

    Leon said:

    Disgusting.

    Texts sent to a 21-year-old intern by British Conservative MP Rob Roberts inviting her to “fool around” were “unacceptable,” the party has concluded — but Roberts will not face dismissal over his behavior.

    Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) began an inquiry into the behavior of Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, in July 2020 after complaints that he had sexually harassed a young woman working in parliament.

    The probe was prompted when the BBC reported he had sent WhatsApp messages to an intern asking her to “fool around with no strings” and commenting that she had “lovely legs.”


    https://www.politico.eu/article/conservative-tory-mp-rob-roberts-not-suspended-texts/

    I know we are all meant to be outraged by everything, but he's an adult, she's an adult, he fancies her, maybe she fancies him (who knows) and he's trying his luck

    If no man ever does this we will expire as a species
    I think I know.

    https://twitter.com/politicsforali/status/1380227968564355085?s=21
    Yes, I just saw that. lol. It does somewhat reframe the argument
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,599
    TimT said:

    TimT said:

    Leon said:

    Disgusting.

    Texts sent to a 21-year-old intern by British Conservative MP Rob Roberts inviting her to “fool around” were “unacceptable,” the party has concluded — but Roberts will not face dismissal over his behavior.

    Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) began an inquiry into the behavior of Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, in July 2020 after complaints that he had sexually harassed a young woman working in parliament.

    The probe was prompted when the BBC reported he had sent WhatsApp messages to an intern asking her to “fool around with no strings” and commenting that she had “lovely legs.”


    https://www.politico.eu/article/conservative-tory-mp-rob-roberts-not-suspended-texts/

    I know we are all meant to be outraged by everything, but he's an adult, she's an adult, he fancies her, maybe she fancies him (who knows) and he's trying his luck

    If no man ever does this we will expire as a species
    Was she interning for him? If so, I think that does make it an abuse of power. If not, well, I guess it does really mean that the meek shall inherit the world.
    OK, she's an employee of the Commons, and he's an MP. So pretty inappropriate, given the power structure.
    It's all a bit Weinstein lite. Sleazy.
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    algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 10,526
    Floater said:
    Eastern Ukraine was part of Russia for centuries. Prediction: Russia will within the next few years take it and the rest of the world has no plan, and will have no plan to intervene.

    It is noteworthy that not a word from the west has made any promises to Ukraine of actual help.
  • Options
    FF43FF43 Posts: 15,710
    edited April 2021
    Andy_JS said:

    The Americans got this wrong as well, although they haven't admitted it yet.
    There are quite a few Americans who think the doses should be spread out, but Dr Fauci is opposed, which is why it is not happening. As I understand his reasoning it's that there is a balance of risks between extending the coverage to as many people as quickly as possible, against clobbering potential mutations with the full vaccination, and you can reasonably go either way on that. The clincher for him is on the public health messaging. He thinks people won't bother getting their second dose if you leave it to months later.
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,979
    Lennon said:

    Omnium said:

    Does anyone have any whisky recommendations? My taste being - favourite ever, a half glass that I had of the Black Bowmore, but also I really like a blended whisky called 'MacDonald's Glencoe' (no doubt for tourists, but I like it). I'm a great fan of Japanese whisky too.

    I've generally stuck to the Bowmore distillery, their 'darkest' was good, but I've been underwhelmed by them recently.

    Anyway I'd be interested to hear any suggestions.

    I've been unexpectedly enjoying a Welsh Whisky (Penderyn) recently after being given it as a Christmas present.
    Fantastic whisky. Will possibly be too sweet for the peaty Islay lovers on PB. But I absolutely adore Penderyn.
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328

    I don't think Charles Michel is winning many friends in the EU at the moment.
    https://twitter.com/DaveKeating/status/1380222098799480834


    Yeah. He'd be better off saying "we followed existing protocol regarding the relative standing of Presidents while on foreign trips, but in retrospect, seeing the impression it gave, particularly in relation to recent events in Turkey, I was wrong. This is something we need to address jointly in the EU, so similar embarrassing situations do not arise in the future."
  • Options
    EndillionEndillion Posts: 4,976
    isam said:

    Leon said:

    Disgusting.

    Texts sent to a 21-year-old intern by British Conservative MP Rob Roberts inviting her to “fool around” were “unacceptable,” the party has concluded — but Roberts will not face dismissal over his behavior.

    Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) began an inquiry into the behavior of Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, in July 2020 after complaints that he had sexually harassed a young woman working in parliament.

    The probe was prompted when the BBC reported he had sent WhatsApp messages to an intern asking her to “fool around with no strings” and commenting that she had “lovely legs.”


    https://www.politico.eu/article/conservative-tory-mp-rob-roberts-not-suspended-texts/

    I know we are all meant to be outraged by everything, but he's an adult, she's an adult, he fancies her, maybe she fancies him (who knows) and he's trying his luck

    If no man ever does this we will expire as a species
    This kind of nonsense is academic, theoretical, overtthinking, leftyness to a tee - everything has to be equal, the confident, charming, successful socialite (not Rob Roberts I suppose, but talking generally) cant have any advantage over the insecure nerd at home having a wank and a pot noodle; so the ability to chat up someone you fancy is being phased out

    Don't agree. Junior staff members have the right to do their jobs and go home without feeling like their career progression is tied to their willingness to provide non-work-related favours to their superiors. He can use his status as an MP to chat up whoever the hell he wants as long as they don't work anywhere underneath him. So to speak.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,191
    O/T, I’ve been having problems loading tweets on my iPhone for months, and now it’s started on my iPad.

    Is this because vanilla is totally useless, or is there a way round it?
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    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,588

    Leon said:

    Disgusting.

    Texts sent to a 21-year-old intern by British Conservative MP Rob Roberts inviting her to “fool around” were “unacceptable,” the party has concluded — but Roberts will not face dismissal over his behavior.

    Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) began an inquiry into the behavior of Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, in July 2020 after complaints that he had sexually harassed a young woman working in parliament.

    The probe was prompted when the BBC reported he had sent WhatsApp messages to an intern asking her to “fool around with no strings” and commenting that she had “lovely legs.”


    https://www.politico.eu/article/conservative-tory-mp-rob-roberts-not-suspended-texts/

    I know we are all meant to be outraged by everything, but he's an adult, she's an adult, he fancies her, maybe she fancies him (who knows) and he's trying his luck

    If no man ever does this we will expire as a species
    I think I know.

    https://twitter.com/politicsforali/status/1380227968564355085?s=21
    Don't forget that power is an aphrodisiac.
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    Black_RookBlack_Rook Posts: 8,905
    FF43 said:

    Andy_JS said:

    The Americans got this wrong as well, although they haven't admitted it yet.
    There are quite a few Americans who think the doses should be spread out, but Dr Fauci is opposed, which is why it is not happening. As I understand his reasoning it's that there is a balance of risks between extending the coverage to as many people as quickly as possible, against clobbering potential mutations with the full vaccination, and you can reasonably go either way on that. The clincher for him is on the public health messaging. He thinks people won't bother getting their second dose if you leave it to months later.
    It's also possible that he might feel differently if the Americans had supply constraint issues. But that's one problem they don't have to wrestle with.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,599
    FF43 said:

    Andy_JS said:

    The Americans got this wrong as well, although they haven't admitted it yet.
    There are quite a few Americans who think the doses should be spread out, but Dr Fauci is opposed, which is why it is not happening. As I understand his reasoning it's that there is a balance of risks between extending the coverage to as many people as quickly as possible, against clobbering potential mutations with the full vaccination, and you can reasonably go either way on that. The clincher for him is on the public health messaging. He thinks people won't bother getting their second dose if you leave it to months later.
    The other point is that:

    1) the USA is a litiginous place,

    2) the USA is approaching vaccine surplus where supplies are not an issue, reluctance still is.

  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,725
    edited April 2021
    Leon said:

    TimT said:

    Leon said:

    Disgusting.

    Texts sent to a 21-year-old intern by British Conservative MP Rob Roberts inviting her to “fool around” were “unacceptable,” the party has concluded — but Roberts will not face dismissal over his behavior.

    Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) began an inquiry into the behavior of Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, in July 2020 after complaints that he had sexually harassed a young woman working in parliament.

    The probe was prompted when the BBC reported he had sent WhatsApp messages to an intern asking her to “fool around with no strings” and commenting that she had “lovely legs.”


    https://www.politico.eu/article/conservative-tory-mp-rob-roberts-not-suspended-texts/

    I know we are all meant to be outraged by everything, but he's an adult, she's an adult, he fancies her, maybe she fancies him (who knows) and he's trying his luck

    If no man ever does this we will expire as a species
    Was she interning for him? If so, I think that does make it an abuse of power. If not, well, I guess it does really mean that the meek shall inherit the world.
    Is it now an abuse of power to fancy the secretary? She's 21, not 16. She's an adult. She can tell him to Get stuffed, you old perv - if she wants

    This kind of faux horror infantilises adult women. They are not toddlers in need of eternal protection

    I think, if that is the situation, that that is why context and exact details will matter, and may well make a lack of punishment for his actions reasonable even if his proposition was felt not to be acceptable. Tactless or 'age inappropriate' propositions, in themselves, would probably not usually be punishment worthy without aggravating factors (persistence, power dynamics). MPs are held to higher standards in general, and I don't think that is unreasonable given the power they have over us. We don't need saints, but we don't need idiots.

    I seem to recall an article making a similar point to yours when there was a dramatisation of the Profumo affiar a few years back, as the lead actress had made some comments which some author or another had felt infantilised Keeler, who was young but still an adult.
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    FF43 said:

    Andy_JS said:

    The Americans got this wrong as well, although they haven't admitted it yet.
    There are quite a few Americans who think the doses should be spread out, but Dr Fauci is opposed, which is why it is not happening. As I understand his reasoning it's that there is a balance of risks between extending the coverage to as many people as quickly as possible, against clobbering potential mutations with the full vaccination, and you can reasonably go either way on that. The clincher for him is on the public health messaging. He thinks people won't bother getting their second dose if you leave it to months later.
    I think Fauci is wrong on this, and I think the mutations are coming from long infections in the immuno-compromised, not from the unvaccinated in general.

    But he is right to be worried about whether people in the US would go back for a second shot if the gap were too long. I have heard several people mention unbidden that they are glad their second shot is only 2-3 weeks from the first, as otherwise they wouldn't bother. Incomprehensible to me, but there it is.
  • Options
    algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 10,526
    kle4 said:

    algarkirk said:

    kle4 said:

    Parliament also 'took control' in order to find a compromise, and failed.

    Too many on both sides wanted to go all or nothing. Only one side won.

    That's the game. And the politicians went in eyes open - they knew what was at risk by compromising, and what was at risk by not compromising. They took the latter risk.
    And we still don't know what deal the DUP would have voted for. Because there is no answer to that question.

    They just got too enamoured of holding the whip hand over May and saw it blow up in their face. They deserve zero sympathy for any of their whinges about what went down, even if the people in Northern Ireland have proper grievance about it.
    The people of Northern Ireland have to take responsibility for how they vote and who they elect. they chose to electorally demolish two (at least) moderate parties, the UU and the SDLP who brought them a high degree of sanity and peace. They have elected professional opposers and agitators with no plan and must live with it. You cannot please all the people all the time.

  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,187
    algarkirk said:

    kinabalu said:

    stodge said:

    Evening all :)

    Once again, the debate on Scotland is clouded by the fundamental misconception Nicola Sturgeon wants a second referendum.

    She doesn't - her supporters might, the SNP might advocate it as a policy position but they don't want it.

    The current stand off works well for Sturgeon - she gets to be First Minister of Scotland ad infinitum now she has seen off Salmond. She can talk about a referendum safe in the knowledge she'll never have to do anything about it because of her and the SNP's greatest ally, not Keir Starmer but Boris Johnson.

    The Prime MInister's refusal to countenance a second vote, and we see this echoed by a "Senior Official" from the Department of the Bleedin' Obvious, is a double edged win-win strategy. It gives Sturgeon a let out for never having a second referendum and allows her to paint Boris Johnson as the source of all Scotland's problems thus strengthening her and the SNP's position.

    At the same time, Boris Johnson gets to look "firm" which does him no harm in England (which is what matters) and within the Conservative Party. Thus, the current stand off works well for Johnson as well.

    The last thing either Johnson or Sturgeon want or need is a disruption to the status quo. In essence, they've already achieved a de facto division - Johnson and the Conservatives have England, Sturgeon and the SNP have Scotland.

    The problem for both with a Second Referendum isn't what happens if they lose but what happens if they win. There's far too much for risk for both to countenance a second vote so it won't happen and the dance will carry on.

    That Nicola Sturgeon does not want to achieve the goal of her political life - Scottish Independence - through getting and winning a legal referendum is a wholly evidence free assertion. It relies on mind reading and projecting onto her a sterile "man of the world" cynicism that is in itself a form of naivety.

    It is in other words, Stodge, complete and utter drivel.

    But nicely written as always. ☺
    I think Stodge is about right here. One can't make windows into souls of course but if you take it that the Referendum was lost and Westminster isn't going to have another until well after NS's day, coupled with the apparent impossibility of getting the sort of c60% polling you would need to try to force and win a Ref2, NS's position of steady as she goes would make perfect sense.

    My only disagreement - tentative - with Stodge is that NS would be deeply fearful of losing a Ref2, as it would finish her, whereas the possibility being always there but not now will keep the troops going. I also think that politicians being what they are, in another world in which she could hold Ref2 and win, she would.
    We've done this before. If she doesn't want a referendum now because she thinks No would win and that would kill Sindy, this IS a commitment to the cause.

    But that's in any case mere supposition. The fact is, a referendum is front and centre of the manifesto. The manifesto on which she is seeking a majority to implement.

    Any which way you look at, there is tons of evidence she does want Sindy and little or no evidence that she doesn't.

    So I find the oft heard, confident assertions to the contrary to be illogical, jaundiced and tbh rather ludicrous.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,108
    Endillion said:

    isam said:

    Leon said:

    Disgusting.

    Texts sent to a 21-year-old intern by British Conservative MP Rob Roberts inviting her to “fool around” were “unacceptable,” the party has concluded — but Roberts will not face dismissal over his behavior.

    Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) began an inquiry into the behavior of Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, in July 2020 after complaints that he had sexually harassed a young woman working in parliament.

    The probe was prompted when the BBC reported he had sent WhatsApp messages to an intern asking her to “fool around with no strings” and commenting that she had “lovely legs.”


    https://www.politico.eu/article/conservative-tory-mp-rob-roberts-not-suspended-texts/

    I know we are all meant to be outraged by everything, but he's an adult, she's an adult, he fancies her, maybe she fancies him (who knows) and he's trying his luck

    If no man ever does this we will expire as a species
    This kind of nonsense is academic, theoretical, overtthinking, leftyness to a tee - everything has to be equal, the confident, charming, successful socialite (not Rob Roberts I suppose, but talking generally) cant have any advantage over the insecure nerd at home having a wank and a pot noodle; so the ability to chat up someone you fancy is being phased out

    Don't agree. Junior staff members have the right to do their jobs and go home without feeling like their career progression is tied to their willingness to provide non-work-related favours to their superiors. He can use his status as an MP to chat up whoever the hell he wants as long as they don't work anywhere underneath him. So to speak.
    So no one in any business or organisation or whatever, male or female, is allowed to flirt with anyone else in that business, organisation or whatever, however distant they might be in jobs, if they are in any way inferior in rank.

    So.... You can only flirt with people superior to you? Or just exact equals?

    Genuine questions. I did not realise the anti-sex league had conquered so much territory
  • Options
    ydoethur said:

    O/T, I’ve been having problems loading tweets on my iPhone for months, and now it’s started on my iPad.

    Is this because vanilla is totally useless, or is there a way round it?

    Use the vanilla forums.
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,269
    kle4 said:

    algarkirk said:

    kle4 said:

    Parliament also 'took control' in order to find a compromise, and failed.

    Too many on both sides wanted to go all or nothing. Only one side won.

    That's the game. And the politicians went in eyes open - they knew what was at risk by compromising, and what was at risk by not compromising. They took the latter risk.
    And we still don't know what deal the DUP would have voted for. Because there is no answer to that question.

    They just got too enamoured of holding the whip hand over May and saw it blow up in their face. They deserve zero sympathy for any of their whinges about what went down, even if the people in Northern Ireland have proper grievance about it.
    Arlene should be the one resigning, not the PSNI chief...
  • Options
    Time_to_LeaveTime_to_Leave Posts: 2,547
    algarkirk said:

    Floater said:
    Eastern Ukraine was part of Russia for centuries. Prediction: Russia will within the next few years take it and the rest of the world has no plan, and will have no plan to intervene.

    It is noteworthy that not a word from the west has made any promises to Ukraine of actual help.
    Turkey might fancy a proxy contest. Otherwise it’s going to be test of what lot and training the west has supplied in the last 5 years and whether it’s any good.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,108

    algarkirk said:

    Floater said:
    Eastern Ukraine was part of Russia for centuries. Prediction: Russia will within the next few years take it and the rest of the world has no plan, and will have no plan to intervene.

    It is noteworthy that not a word from the west has made any promises to Ukraine of actual help.
    Turkey might fancy a proxy contest. Otherwise it’s going to be test of what lot and training the west has supplied in the last 5 years and whether it’s any good.
    Turkey, via Azerbaijan, whipped Russia (posing as Armenina) in the most recent bout. Turkey might give the Bear a singed, er, bear-pelt
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,375
    TimT said:

    I don't think Charles Michel is winning many friends in the EU at the moment.
    https://twitter.com/DaveKeating/status/1380222098799480834


    Yeah. He'd be better off saying "we followed existing protocol regarding the relative standing of Presidents while on foreign trips, but in retrospect, seeing the impression it gave, particularly in relation to recent events in Turkey, I was wrong. This is something we need to address jointly in the EU, so similar embarrassing situations do not arise in the future."
    He would have been better advised to go with "It was an awkward situation, and I made it worse by a mistaken action."
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,921

    ydoethur said:

    O/T, I’ve been having problems loading tweets on my iPhone for months, and now it’s started on my iPad.

    Is this because vanilla is totally useless, or is there a way round it?

    Use the vanilla forums.
    Once there are a lot of posts on a page it just conks out all the time. Tries t oload them then just says "Sorry page keeps failing" or words to that effect

    Forums is the one with the black header where the comments go oldest at the top to newest at the bottom?
This discussion has been closed.