Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

The French election: Mélenchon to make the runoff looks a value bet – politicalbetting.com

123468

Comments

  • FossFoss Posts: 991
    edited March 2022
    geoffw said:

    Thanks to you guys reporting Twitter stuff here. When I get on Twitter it gives me about a minute before it covers the window telling me to log in or sign up, which I will not do.

    Try 'nitter.net'.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,393

    JUST IN - VISA suspends all operations in #Russia: All cards issued in Russia will no longer work outside the country and any cards issued outside of Russia will no longer work within the Russian Federation.

    https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1500232614661300226

    Zerohedge reporting Mastercard has also suspended service.

    Russian credit card, go fuck yourself.
  • Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    Chameleon said:

    Farooq said:

    Daily Star reporting exclusive that Putin is dying from bowel cancer.

    Only problem is, people have been saying this sort of thing for several years now.
    Then we might be closer to the end than we hope.

    On a different note, one of the RuAF Majors they caught today is the same one who was in a photo with Assad, Putin, and Shoigu in Syria. Given the amount of war crime investigative work already done on the RuAF in Syria, it looks like we have our first destined for the Hague.
    Firstly, you probably need to draw the opposite conclusion. The fact that someone was saying in 2018 that Putin had months to live probably means that they were wrong and that it could be more of the same guesswork/malicious rumour mongering.
    Secondly, Putin will never end up in the Hague. Would that I'm wrong, but it's never going to happen. He deserves it, but that means nothing.
    I think it is highly unlikely illness

    Putin's end will be one of terminal illness, coup from within, assination or suicide
    Suicide! I hope not. There are some dark scenarios in that direction.
    When cornered with nowhere to go it is possible though I would prefer he was removed by those in suits
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,661
    Foss said:

    geoffw said:

    Thanks to you guys reporting Twitter stuff here. When I get on Twitter it gives me about a minute before it covers the window telling me to log in or sign up, which I will not do.

    Try 'nitter.net'.
    I mean when I follow the links in posts here.

  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,509
    HYUFD said:

    ydoethur said:

    HYUFD said:

    ydoethur said:

    tlg86 said:

    First. Someone at the gathering reckoned laying Melenchon is a safe bet.

    That's the great thing about betting - it is all based on punters having different views.
    Like History, except apparently in the minds of certain Tory supporters.
    You are entitled to your own views, not your own facts. History at its best is empirical and factual above all
    The irony of that post, Hyufd, is that my view is based on the facts, and yours is based on your political opinions.
    No, your view is based on your opinions. Too many history departments have been infected with Marxist interpretations of history since the 1960s rather than traditional empirical fact based history.

    If this Conservative government is doing conservative things in education all to the good, that is what it won a majority for in 2019. If you want to change things you will need to elect a Labour led government as you failed to do in 2019
    Not sure how you can rabbit on about facts in this absurd manner, when you can’t even acknowledge your PM is a liar….
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 49,586

    Alistair said:

    Alistair said:

    What's the bedrock of the History PhD? The literature review.

    No it isn't. Reading literature is the heart of English literature not history.

    This needs to be engraved in stone or something. Maybe we can get a t-shirt.

    One of my old colleagues used to say that a month in the lab would save an hour in library. But this was chemistry, and trying reactions for 31 days IS more fun than reading why they won’t work...
    That's the kind of attitude that makes you think that working with chlorine trifluoride might be an interesting diversion.

    https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/sand-won-t-save-you-time

    The compound also a stronger oxidizing agent than oxygen itself
    That might be the best blog post of all time, though much of it was quoting "Ignition!".
    Did some wondering around the web.

    Apparently, Dayang Chem (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd are open to enquires about purchasing DIOXYGEN DIFLUORIDE in 1000kg amounts....

    https://www.chemsrc.com/en/Product/4751305.html

    Anyone want to share an order?
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,534
    kyf_100 said:

    Chameleon said:

    Does russia have a major payment processor outside of mastercard, paypal and visa? If not then ouch, this is beyond the worst case anyone envisaged surely?

    With Visa and Mastercard pulling out of Russia it is hard to see how much longer the Russian economy can go on for. The rouble is rapidly becoming worthless, bank runs are happening.

    It's a different kind of warfare to the ones that the Russians are practicing in Ukraine, but it's warfare sure enough.

    I fear Putin will double down and try something drastic to try to remain in power.
    From Crony Capitalism to War Neo-Communism. Wonder how that's playing in Pikalyovo?
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,340
    Foss said:

    geoffw said:

    Thanks to you guys reporting Twitter stuff here. When I get on Twitter it gives me about a minute before it covers the window telling me to log in or sign up, which I will not do.

    Try 'nitter.net'.
    Then he's in danger of seeing what's on Twitter.
    You are cruel.
  • FossFoss Posts: 991
    geoffw said:

    Foss said:

    geoffw said:

    Thanks to you guys reporting Twitter stuff here. When I get on Twitter it gives me about a minute before it covers the window telling me to log in or sign up, which I will not do.

    Try 'nitter.net'.
    I mean when I follow the links in posts here.

    Open the URL, replace twitter.com with nitter.net and you should be able to read the thread without issue.
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,661
    Foss said:

    geoffw said:

    Foss said:

    geoffw said:

    Thanks to you guys reporting Twitter stuff here. When I get on Twitter it gives me about a minute before it covers the window telling me to log in or sign up, which I will not do.

    Try 'nitter.net'.
    I mean when I follow the links in posts here.

    Open the URL, replace twitter.com with nitter.net and you should be able to read the thread without issue.
    Muchas gracias.

  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,668

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 21,965
    Foxy said:

    dixiedean said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    Thank goodness for that.
    I'm out of this now. It is scary that there are probably quite a few in the Cabinet who think it is simply a series of approved facts. To be rote learned by all.
    Who'd want to study that for a start?
    No fun and zero intellectual challenge.
    Conservatives correctly mostly believe history is based on facts.

    We are in power at the moment with a majority, we will therefore ensure schools teach proper history which is fact based
    Which facts though? How many people died in the Black Death? How many planes did the British shoot down on August 15th 1940? Did Covid come from a lab or from the wet market? Facts only get you so far, and tbh most of history we just don’t know about. I’ve read that people in past times would regularly wake in the middle of the night, and chat, and do other things, and then go back to sleep. Something we don’t really do now. Is that a fact? I’ve no idea.
    That the average medieval peasant worked about 4 hours a day?
    There is no source material for that. It has been inferred from experimentation and extrapolation. And is also heavily disputed. Is that a fact or not?
    And if it isn't, then what was the actual factual working time?
    We simply don't know.
    Would allow you time to wake up in the middle of the night and have a natter and stuff, mind.
    I suspect 4 hours a day is averaging some quiet seasons with some very busy seasons. Certainly lots of subsidence farmers in Malawi spend a lot of time sitting under a tree watching their maize grow.

    I think the sleep thing is true, the evidence is discussed here:

    https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/medieval-sleeping-habits-insomnia-segmented-biphasic/621372/
    I always say that I work 24/7.

    24 minutes an hour, 7 hours a day.
  • OllyTOllyT Posts: 5,006
    kinabalu said:

    Aslan said:

    For all those who bang on about Putin will get ousted or even get refused when ordering a nuclear attack , just think if that would happen on the Uk side - If Boris ordered a nuclear strike it woudl be obeyed (in fact who knows if he has already in the standing orders in the subs) . People need to get real and realise the world is at a brink and needs to deescalate this not inflame anymore, The BBC showing footage of downing Russian helicoptors is not helping

    Why do you want to censor our media and play into Putin hands

    We have to stand strong with Ukraine and all NATO states and not role over to a war criminal

    I am very pleased with the measures the UK - EU - US - NATO are taking and it is time we came in behind them all

    Each has had an important input to this crisis and I hope that finally this will bring us all together in unity

    It is also time to stop UK - good EU - bad and vice versa as it is simply divisive and plays into Putin's agenda
    well I fundamentally disagree- Please get it into your heads (those that want to pursue this war) that you can not always win or good will always win. This is a situation where if Russia loses the world is on the brink - It needs (and Putin because he will not get toppled) a face saver . one can be done ,always one can be done but you have to try. All wars end at some point , the earlier the better especially in this case for EVERYONE
    You do not win by rolling over to a bully

    He has to be challenged and made to realise he cannot succeed in his war and the crimes he is committing

    Russia cannot win this and the best hope is for an internal coup

    Appeasement does not work
    soundbite stuff and not the real reality of a nuclear filled Russia
    According to you, the real reality of nuclear filled Russia is letting them invade any neighbor and commit whatever war crimes they like.
    Did you get all gung-ho when Saudi arabia bombed Yemen ? Or the genocide in Rwanda or even when Russia invaded Georgia or sided with Assat in Syria? The suffering is the same in those places yet we seem to have built up this bellicose nature that is really taking it to the edge with Ukraine - Time to back off now and start coming down the other side of the mountain before its all gone - everything .
    Some of the internet is bellicose but so far the Western response has been controlled and risk aware.
    Agreed but we really need to hope and pray (for those so inclined) that Putin does not succeed in Ukraine. Who even knows what "success" looks like in his warped imagination?

    If in his mind he has succeeded he will also know that he can use the nuclear threat to blackmail the west into doing nothing very much. Emboldened by that he would surely calculate that our response to attacking Moldova and Georgia wouldn't be any different, even Finland maybe.

    He may hesitate to attack a NATO country but I'm not even convinced that the NATO alliance would hold if, say, one of the Baltic nations were attacked. Of course all sorts of things could intervene, Putin could be ousted but if not we all face a terrible dilemma in the not too distant future and there would be no real winning outcome.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 49,586
    edited March 2022

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    At quite a young age, I pointed out to my father that there seemed to be a tedious insistence on Moral Philosophy (one of his specialities). What about Immoral Philosophy?

    His only comment was to hand me a work by Bertrand Russell....

    EDIT: Judas College, Oxford, does that count?
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    I'd have thought some of the White Tile lot might be better candidates....being Yellow Stone myself.....
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,340
    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,284

    Alistair said:

    Alistair said:

    What's the bedrock of the History PhD? The literature review.

    No it isn't. Reading literature is the heart of English literature not history.

    This needs to be engraved in stone or something. Maybe we can get a t-shirt.

    One of my old colleagues used to say that a month in the lab would save an hour in library. But this was chemistry, and trying reactions for 31 days IS more fun than reading why they won’t work...
    That's the kind of attitude that makes you think that working with chlorine trifluoride might be an interesting diversion.

    https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/sand-won-t-save-you-time

    The compound also a stronger oxidizing agent than oxygen itself
    That might be the best blog post of all time, though much of it was quoting "Ignition!".
    Did some wondering around the web.

    Apparently, Dayang Chem (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd are open to enquires about purchasing DIOXYGEN DIFLUORIDE in 1000kg amounts....

    https://www.chemsrc.com/en/Product/4751305.html

    Anyone want to share an order?
    For delivery to an address on Red Square?
  • kyf_100kyf_100 Posts: 4,866

    kyf_100 said:

    Chameleon said:

    Does russia have a major payment processor outside of mastercard, paypal and visa? If not then ouch, this is beyond the worst case anyone envisaged surely?

    With Visa and Mastercard pulling out of Russia it is hard to see how much longer the Russian economy can go on for. The rouble is rapidly becoming worthless, bank runs are happening.

    It's a different kind of warfare to the ones that the Russians are practicing in Ukraine, but it's warfare sure enough.

    I fear Putin will double down and try something drastic to try to remain in power.
    From Crony Capitalism to War Neo-Communism. Wonder how that's playing in Pikalyovo?
    Let's assume his Praetorian Guard is completely loyal to him and he can't be assassinated, nor is a palace coup possible.

    At this point, autarky is his only option if he is able to remain in power for any length of time. How's that going to work? Are the Russian people prepared to accept North Korean living standards? Can the Russian state seriously repress mass protests? What happens when their infrastructure starts falling apart because they can't get (or pay for) any western imports to service their cars, factories, computers etc...

    We're unbanking them back to the stone age.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,340
    Listening to Counterpoint semi final.
    Bloody hell it's been modernised.
    Actually has music an average person might be listening to.
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,284
    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,393

    Alistair said:

    Alistair said:

    What's the bedrock of the History PhD? The literature review.

    No it isn't. Reading literature is the heart of English literature not history.

    This needs to be engraved in stone or something. Maybe we can get a t-shirt.

    One of my old colleagues used to say that a month in the lab would save an hour in library. But this was chemistry, and trying reactions for 31 days IS more fun than reading why they won’t work...
    That's the kind of attitude that makes you think that working with chlorine trifluoride might be an interesting diversion.

    https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/sand-won-t-save-you-time

    The compound also a stronger oxidizing agent than oxygen itself
    That might be the best blog post of all time, though much of it was quoting "Ignition!".
    Did some wondering around the web.

    Apparently, Dayang Chem (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd are open to enquires about purchasing DIOXYGEN DIFLUORIDE in 1000kg amounts....

    https://www.chemsrc.com/en/Product/4751305.html

    Anyone want to share an order?
    For delivery to an address on Red Square?
    Love they way they quote a 98% purity rate.

    Have they made some to actually test that?
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    Amateurs, etc etc.....

    A tweet thread on why we are almost certainly overestimating the amount of strength the Russian Army has on hand, and the amount they can actually get to Ukraine when their first force losses get so high that it starts becoming combat ineffective. Yes, its logistics.
    @BoringWar


    https://twitter.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/1500213943012319252
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 49,586

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    I got a 2 U offer from UCL.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,340

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    UCL is an entirely acceptable place to study though.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 49,586

    Alistair said:

    Alistair said:

    What's the bedrock of the History PhD? The literature review.

    No it isn't. Reading literature is the heart of English literature not history.

    This needs to be engraved in stone or something. Maybe we can get a t-shirt.

    One of my old colleagues used to say that a month in the lab would save an hour in library. But this was chemistry, and trying reactions for 31 days IS more fun than reading why they won’t work...
    That's the kind of attitude that makes you think that working with chlorine trifluoride might be an interesting diversion.

    https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/sand-won-t-save-you-time

    The compound also a stronger oxidizing agent than oxygen itself
    That might be the best blog post of all time, though much of it was quoting "Ignition!".
    Did some wondering around the web.

    Apparently, Dayang Chem (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd are open to enquires about purchasing DIOXYGEN DIFLUORIDE in 1000kg amounts....

    https://www.chemsrc.com/en/Product/4751305.html

    Anyone want to share an order?
    For delivery to an address on Red Square?
    Love they way they quote a 98% purity rate.

    Have they made some to actually test that?
    98% pure FOOF would mean spontaneous joy joy....
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,420
    edited March 2022

    Amateurs, etc etc.....

    A tweet thread on why we are almost certainly overestimating the amount of strength the Russian Army has on hand, and the amount they can actually get to Ukraine when their first force losses get so high that it starts becoming combat ineffective. Yes, its logistics.
    @BoringWar


    https://twitter.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/1500213943012319252

    The wendover productions linked down below was excellent on this.

    The well trained, well equipped Ukrainian SoF do seem to be causing havoc to the supply lines.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,340
    dixiedean said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    UCL is an entirely acceptable place to study though.
    Good grief! I sound like an Oxbridge wanker. Arguing with HYUFD has addled my brain.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,474

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    Chameleon said:

    Farooq said:

    Daily Star reporting exclusive that Putin is dying from bowel cancer.

    Only problem is, people have been saying this sort of thing for several years now.
    Then we might be closer to the end than we hope.

    On a different note, one of the RuAF Majors they caught today is the same one who was in a photo with Assad, Putin, and Shoigu in Syria. Given the amount of war crime investigative work already done on the RuAF in Syria, it looks like we have our first destined for the Hague.
    Firstly, you probably need to draw the opposite conclusion. The fact that someone was saying in 2018 that Putin had months to live probably means that they were wrong and that it could be more of the same guesswork/malicious rumour mongering.
    Secondly, Putin will never end up in the Hague. Would that I'm wrong, but it's never going to happen. He deserves it, but that means nothing.
    I think it is highly unlikely illness

    Putin's end will be one of terminal illness, coup from within, assination or suicide
    Suicide! I hope not. There are some dark scenarios in that direction.
    When cornered with nowhere to go it is possible though I would prefer he was removed by those in suits
    Or white coats...
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,069
    edited March 2022

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    Only a fraction of them are improper.

    (Serious answer is that some RG snobs get sniffy about Queen Mary London.)
  • ClippPClippP Posts: 1,889
    geoffw said:

    History is a bit like science really. You have data and you use it to come up with a hypothesis. I suppose the difference is that you can never really prove your hypothesis definitively.

    Nor can you in 'science'.
    That is the nature of a hypothesis......
  • rpjsrpjs Posts: 3,787
    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    Thank goodness for that.
    I'm out of this now. It is scary that there are probably quite a few in the Cabinet who think it is simply a series of approved facts. To be rote learned by all.
    Who'd want to study that for a start?
    No fun and zero intellectual challenge.
    Conservatives correctly mostly believe history is based on facts.

    We are in power at the moment with a majority, we will therefore ensure schools teach proper history which is fact based
    And for your next trick will you be legislating that pi equals 4?
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,534
    IF one must view history though an ideological framework, prism, microscope, telescope, kaleidoscope, what-have, then I humbly submit, that slightly-updated Whig Interpretation of History is FAR superior to neo-Thomist Scholasticism. OR neo-Scholastic Thomism.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    That was quick......

    Staggering. Dutton says on Insiders that Australia will announce its full nuclear-powered submarine plan *within two months* - “we will have an announcement within the next couple of months about which boat we are going with (and) what we can do in the interim” 1/
    https://twitter.com/stephendziedzic/status/1500246748413202432
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,668
    Putin has lost, hasn't he?
  • ClippPClippP Posts: 1,889

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Looks as if they were not too good at it then
    Naughty, Big G. Though highly tempting, of course......

    Which was your Russell Group University, young HY? Presumably not Oxford, or you would have been a Conservative MP by now......
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,474
    edited March 2022

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    My Medical School was quite improper, in those hedonistic days of the Eighties...
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,420
    edited March 2022
    Leon said:

    Putin has lost, hasn't he?

    Depends what constitutes a win or a loss.

    He has certainly lost in terms of quick victory take out paddington bear and put in his own man under the cover of his crazy narrative of the neo nazis on brink of invading Russian led by the jew.

    Doesn't mean the Russians eventually do over power the Ukrainians and descend into years of insurgency.
  • FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,707
    Leon said:

    Putin has lost, hasn't he?

    He can still take a lot of others down with him.
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,284
    edited March 2022

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    I got a 2 U offer from UCL.
    :smile:

    Durham said FU to me...
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,474

    That was quick......

    Staggering. Dutton says on Insiders that Australia will announce its full nuclear-powered submarine plan *within two months* - “we will have an announcement within the next couple of months about which boat we are going with (and) what we can do in the interim” 1/
    https://twitter.com/stephendziedzic/status/1500246748413202432

    Election is in May...
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    There appears to be some debate whether Putin was actually in the meeting with Aeroflot crew given his hand appeared to pass through a microphone. While some argue its just low quality video, top trolling from Zelenskyy, who made the point of moving his microphone after his briefing:

    https://twitter.com/SobolLubov/status/1500227898606866433
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,421
    Coventry Tech University i.e. Warwick Uni is just a poly
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,284
    ClippP said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Looks as if they were not too good at it then
    Naughty, Big G. Though highly tempting, of course......

    Which was your Russell Group University, young HY? Presumably not Oxford, or you would have been a Conservative MP by now......
    Oxbridge is not Russell Group...
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,353
    My mum is so 💜 with Mail on Sunday, I just know she’ll text me in morning to say “it’s alright Jade, Bojo has a six point plan, he’s going to win the war.”

    image
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,668

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    Two E's from me. After that my A Levels were a hoot, I knew I couldn't fail. Quite joyous

    Also, UCL was a totally brilliant uni to study at, as a provincial lad in the 80s. It was snooty and elite enough to be confidence-inducing (yay, I made it here!), yet also challenging and fascinating and urban. A world class university with no Durhamite inferiority complex to Oxbridge, yet also in the middle of fucking London!

    My halls of residence for about 2 and a half years were in London W1 or WC1, places it would cost you millions to live in, now

    At the same time it had a gritty London edge. Absurdly druggy and wildly bohemian. Brilliant place

    I fear it is somewhat neutered and full of wonderfully diligent East Asian students who don't add to the social life, these days. We had a bloody riot

  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,069
    Leon said:

    Putin has lost, hasn't he?

    Even if he wins, he loses shortly afterwards, because his country runs out of money. And he looks like not having a win, or even a "win" in the meantime.

    But it can still be ugly and get uglier.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 49,586
    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    My Medical School was quite improper, in those hedonistic days of the Eighties...
    UCH was fun in the 90s.... and more than half merged with UCL at that point, it seemed
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,421
    Best wishes @dixiedean. I have a similar best mates relationship with my ex (albeit of 6 years) and I’m grateful for it. Are you still living in the north east?
  • ChameleonChameleon Posts: 4,264
    A good thread on why we have every reason to think Russia may be screwed: https://twitter.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/1500213943012319252

    Mirrors lots of Wendover's video re: Russian not planning to have enough trucks, and not having as many trucks as they planned to have. Incredible how quickly things have gone wrong.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    My Medical School was quite improper, in those hedonistic days of the Eighties...
    In the seventies the medics always swore by neat O2 as a great hangover cure...
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,668
    dixiedean said:

    Anyways. At the risk of oversharing and maudlin wistfulness...
    I recently broke up with my partner of 32 years.
    Been in my own place for six weeks. She came over today, the first time we've seen each other since.
    We had a lovely day. Long walk to the beach and a light lunch. Not even close to a cross word.
    Absolutely realised why I loved her. And why we can never live together again.
    A wonderfully uplifting, yet deeply sad day. We are very good mates. Let's hope that continues. It was a great start.

    That's bloody tough. But sounds like you are managing. Good luck. Freedom is scary but exhilarating
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216

    ClippP said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Looks as if they were not too good at it then
    Naughty, Big G. Though highly tempting, of course......

    Which was your Russell Group University, young HY? Presumably not Oxford, or you would have been a Conservative MP by now......
    Oxbridge is not Russell Group...
    https://russellgroup.ac.uk/about/our-universities/
  • kyf_100kyf_100 Posts: 4,866
    dixiedean said:

    Anyways. At the risk of oversharing and maudlin wistfulness...
    I recently broke up with my partner of 32 years.
    Been in my own place for six weeks. She came over today, the first time we've seen each other since.
    We had a lovely day. Long walk to the beach and a light lunch. Not even close to a cross word.
    Absolutely realised why I loved her. And why we can never live together again.
    A wonderfully uplifting, yet deeply sad day. We are very good mates. Let's hope that continues. It was a great start.

    Good for you.

    I've tried being friends with my exes, but it never seems to work out. In my experience it's OK at first, but becomes much more painful when one of you moves on and finds someone else. But if you're OK with that, and you truly value them as a friend, there's no need to be enemies.

    I manage an at-arms-length with one or two people from my past, but it's limited to the occasional (i.e once or twice a year) email or text. Anything more than that and I struggle with the unresolved emotions.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,340
    edited March 2022

    Best wishes @dixiedean. I have a similar best mates relationship with my ex (albeit of 6 years) and I’m grateful for it. Are you still living in the north east?

    Yes. And thanks mate.
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,269
    Well, well.

    This story in the Sunday Times - https://twitter.com/gabriel_pogrund/status/1500232483324968970?s=21 - re Lebedev, the security services' assessment and Boris - has the potential to be much more damaging than Partygate.
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,534

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    Only a fraction of them are improper.

    (Serious answer is that some RG snobs get sniffy about Queen Mary London.)
    Personally am a proud graduate of LSU, Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge.

    Where, as Randy Newman (correctly) sang, "Good old boys at LSU / Go in dumb / Come out dumb too"

    Back in the day, we used to say at the History dept, that every Louisiana high school graduate was entitled, by state law, to attend one semester of Tiger football.

    Which was substantially true; every LA high school grad with 2.0 (out of 4.0) grade average WAS guaranteed admittance; start of school term coincided with football season; tuition (cheap) included admittance to all home games; and drop-out rate of freshman class after Fall semester was pretty steep.

    BUT out team could (and still can) wipe the gridiron with the likes of Harvard, Yale & rest of the Ivy League. Not to mention Queen Mary!
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,340
    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Anyways. At the risk of oversharing and maudlin wistfulness...
    I recently broke up with my partner of 32 years.
    Been in my own place for six weeks. She came over today, the first time we've seen each other since.
    We had a lovely day. Long walk to the beach and a light lunch. Not even close to a cross word.
    Absolutely realised why I loved her. And why we can never live together again.
    A wonderfully uplifting, yet deeply sad day. We are very good mates. Let's hope that continues. It was a great start.

    That's bloody tough. But sounds like you are managing. Good luck. Freedom is scary but exhilarating
    Cheers. It's a kindness to both of us. It wasn't working.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,393
    The pandemic is truly over kids!!! It's official.

    Prof Pagel photographed at a real life conference with no mask.

    https://twitter.com/DoughtyStPublic/status/1500136065478414337


  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,284
    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    Two E's from me. After that my A Levels were a hoot, I knew I couldn't fail. Quite joyous

    Also, UCL was a totally brilliant uni to study at, as a provincial lad in the 80s. It was snooty and elite enough to be confidence-inducing (yay, I made it here!), yet also challenging and fascinating and urban. A world class university with no Durhamite inferiority complex to Oxbridge, yet also in the middle of fucking London!

    My halls of residence for about 2 and a half years were in London W1 or WC1, places it would cost you millions to live in, now

    At the same time it had a gritty London edge. Absurdly druggy and wildly bohemian. Brilliant place

    I fear it is somewhat neutered and full of wonderfully diligent East Asian students who don't add to the social life, these days. We had a bloody riot

    I too went with a 2 E offer.

    If I want to depress a Y13 class I tell them the about the 2C offers: then that I went with one which was a bit lower.

    And yes, it made the last two terms absolutely the best of the whole time at school; my main memory of the exams is playing croquet on a very bumpy bit of grass between papers.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    Update on that logistics thread:

    Ukrainian path to victory is clear. Go for every Russian truck they can see, particularly fuel trucks. Russian Army will freeze in its tracks.

    Btw. Replacing military grade trucks with civilian ones is catastrophic on many levels. You have to stick to better roads, they are less robust and you can’t stock spare parts for all the different models

    We might be about to witness a logistic collapse


    https://twitter.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/1500245898403762176
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 49,586

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    I got a 2 U offer from UCL.
    :smile:

    Durham said FU to me...
    At UCL, a group of us got shown round. talking to the others, everyone in that group was predicted As with a scattering of Bs. Back then, that was high end - I think this was the group that the Dept wanted, essentially.

    Anyway, the offer interview was at the end of the day. The first guy went in and came out saying that he'd been asked what offer he wanted. He said 3 Bs and got that. The next guy in and came out saying he asked for 2Bs and Cs (or something like that and got it.

    I kind of shuffled to the back of the queue at that point....

    The guy before me asked for 2 Es and got it. So I went in and every time the Prof asked me what offer I wanted, I talked about other universities. Finally, he gave me the 2 U offer.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,420
    edited March 2022

    The pandemic is truly over kids!!! It's official.

    Prof Pagel photographed at a real life conference with no mask.

    https://twitter.com/DoughtyStPublic/status/1500136065478414337


    If she thinks she got it bad on twitter, I hope she hasn't been reading PB....

    Are we sure she wasn't speaking in public with no mask in the way Putin holds meetings?l, where the audience needs binoculars?
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,340
    kyf_100 said:

    dixiedean said:

    Anyways. At the risk of oversharing and maudlin wistfulness...
    I recently broke up with my partner of 32 years.
    Been in my own place for six weeks. She came over today, the first time we've seen each other since.
    We had a lovely day. Long walk to the beach and a light lunch. Not even close to a cross word.
    Absolutely realised why I loved her. And why we can never live together again.
    A wonderfully uplifting, yet deeply sad day. We are very good mates. Let's hope that continues. It was a great start.

    Good for you.

    I've tried being friends with my exes, but it never seems to work out. In my experience it's OK at first, but becomes much more painful when one of you moves on and finds someone else. But if you're OK with that, and you truly value them as a friend, there's no need to be enemies.

    I manage an at-arms-length with one or two people from my past, but it's limited to the occasional (i.e once or twice a year) email or text. Anything more than that and I struggle with the unresolved emotions.
    Thanks. Early days so we'll see. Today went better than I could have expected. So we'll see.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,668
    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Anyways. At the risk of oversharing and maudlin wistfulness...
    I recently broke up with my partner of 32 years.
    Been in my own place for six weeks. She came over today, the first time we've seen each other since.
    We had a lovely day. Long walk to the beach and a light lunch. Not even close to a cross word.
    Absolutely realised why I loved her. And why we can never live together again.
    A wonderfully uplifting, yet deeply sad day. We are very good mates. Let's hope that continues. It was a great start.

    That's bloody tough. But sounds like you are managing. Good luck. Freedom is scary but exhilarating
    Cheers. It's a kindness to both of us. It wasn't working.
    It definitely is. If it is not working

    My worst was breaking up with the mother of my eldest when the child was but a bairn. I'll spare you the details but it was absolutely harrowing. If there are children involved, it it so much worse. I sobbed

    Nevertheless, of all the many things I regret in my life - and there are many - this is not one of them. If we'd stayed together "for the sake of the kids" it would have been catastrophic for everyone. Utter misery, guaranteed. The relationship had totally broken down, now we are civil to each other and have been for years
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,284

    ClippP said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Looks as if they were not too good at it then
    Naughty, Big G. Though highly tempting, of course......

    Which was your Russell Group University, young HY? Presumably not Oxford, or you would have been a Conservative MP by now......
    Oxbridge is not Russell Group...
    https://russellgroup.ac.uk/about/our-universities/
    And? If anyone says they went to a Russell Group university as a way of showing how bright they are, you can be pretty sure they would have said Oxford or Cambridge if they could.
  • Stark_DawningStark_Dawning Posts: 9,657

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    Two E's from me. After that my A Levels were a hoot, I knew I couldn't fail. Quite joyous

    Also, UCL was a totally brilliant uni to study at, as a provincial lad in the 80s. It was snooty and elite enough to be confidence-inducing (yay, I made it here!), yet also challenging and fascinating and urban. A world class university with no Durhamite inferiority complex to Oxbridge, yet also in the middle of fucking London!

    My halls of residence for about 2 and a half years were in London W1 or WC1, places it would cost you millions to live in, now

    At the same time it had a gritty London edge. Absurdly druggy and wildly bohemian. Brilliant place

    I fear it is somewhat neutered and full of wonderfully diligent East Asian students who don't add to the social life, these days. We had a bloody riot

    I too went with a 2 E offer.

    If I want to depress a Y13 class I tell them the about the 2C offers: then that I went with one which was a bit lower.

    And yes, it made the last two terms absolutely the best of the whole time at school; my main memory of the exams is playing croquet on a very bumpy bit of grass between papers.
    What was the story with a 2Es offer? I know Oxbridge offers you that if you pass their own exam. Was this a similar arrangement or had grade inflation not kicked in?
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,474
    edited March 2022

    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    My Medical School was quite improper, in those hedonistic days of the Eighties...
    In the seventies the medics always swore by neat O2 as a great hangover cure...
    I knew a bloke who swore by a litre of iv fluids, and another by guiness on his cornflakes. Hair of the dog really works, but not a route to good health.
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,269
    dixiedean said:

    Best wishes @dixiedean. I have a similar best mates relationship with my ex (albeit of 6 years) and I’m grateful for it. Are you still living in the north east?

    Yes. And thanks mate.
    That's tough. Best wishes to you.
  • philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704
    Leon said:

    Putin has lost, hasn't he?

    I suspect his future is bleak no matter what he does now. I don't see a good ending for him.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,420
    edited March 2022

    Update on that logistics thread:

    Ukrainian path to victory is clear. Go for every Russian truck they can see, particularly fuel trucks. Russian Army will freeze in its tracks.

    Btw. Replacing military grade trucks with civilian ones is catastrophic on many levels. You have to stick to better roads, they are less robust and you can’t stock spare parts for all the different models

    We might be about to witness a logistic collapse


    https://twitter.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/1500245898403762176

    Lets hope all those shoulder launchers are getting to the right people.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,393

    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    My Medical School was quite improper, in those hedonistic days of the Eighties...
    In the seventies the medics always swore by neat O2 as a great hangover cure...
    I can imagine that actually did work.
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,353

    Farooq said:

    Chameleon said:

    Farooq said:

    Daily Star reporting exclusive that Putin is dying from bowel cancer.

    Only problem is, people have been saying this sort of thing for several years now.
    Then we might be closer to the end than we hope.

    On a different note, one of the RuAF Majors they caught today is the same one who was in a photo with Assad, Putin, and Shoigu in Syria. Given the amount of war crime investigative work already done on the RuAF in Syria, it looks like we have our first destined for the Hague.
    Firstly, you probably need to draw the opposite conclusion. The fact that someone was saying in 2018 that Putin had months to live probably means that they were wrong and that it could be more of the same guesswork/malicious rumour mongering.
    Secondly, Putin will never end up in the Hague. Would that I'm wrong, but it's never going to happen. He deserves it, but that means nothing.
    I think it is highly unlikely

    Putin's end will be one of terminal illness, coup from within, assination or suicide
    If this is some sort of parlour game, you can only have one of those.

    I like the idea of spy satellite falling through roof onto him.
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,502
    dixiedean said:

    Anyways. At the risk of oversharing and maudlin wistfulness...
    I recently broke up with my partner of 32 years.
    Been in my own place for six weeks. She came over today, the first time we've seen each other since.
    We had a lovely day. Long walk to the beach and a light lunch. Not even close to a cross word.
    Absolutely realised why I loved her. And why we can never live together again.
    A wonderfully uplifting, yet deeply sad day. We are very good mates. Let's hope that continues. It was a great start.

    Many sympathies - many of us have been there, though 32 years is a long time. What I've come to think is that we divide relationships in a binary way that doesn't really fit real life. There's an infinite gradation from couples who aren't happy unless they're together all the time to distant friendships, and one can have a really wonderful friendship with someone without wanting to be permanently married to them. It sounds as though you've hit the right level for both of you - here's to many happy years like that.
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,555
    philiph said:

    Leon said:

    Putin has lost, hasn't he?

    I suspect his future is bleak no matter what he does now. I don't see a good ending for him.
    Just watched an old PBS documentary on him. Apparently one of Putin's favorite childhood stories is of a cornered rat, which turned and fought back.

    I am not sure backing Putin into a corner is necessarily the wisest move, without preparing and mitigating his response.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,393
    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    Two E's from me. After that my A Levels were a hoot, I knew I couldn't fail. Quite joyous

    Also, UCL was a totally brilliant uni to study at, as a provincial lad in the 80s. It was snooty and elite enough to be confidence-inducing (yay, I made it here!), yet also challenging and fascinating and urban. A world class university with no Durhamite inferiority complex to Oxbridge, yet also in the middle of fucking London!

    My halls of residence for about 2 and a half years were in London W1 or WC1, places it would cost you millions to live in, now

    At the same time it had a gritty London edge. Absurdly druggy and wildly bohemian. Brilliant place

    I fear it is somewhat neutered and full of wonderfully diligent East Asian students who don't add to the social life, these days. We had a bloody riot

    Drugs you say? In central London? In the 1980s?

    I just cannot believe it.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,474
    dixiedean said:

    Anyways. At the risk of oversharing and maudlin wistfulness...
    I recently broke up with my partner of 32 years.
    Been in my own place for six weeks. She came over today, the first time we've seen each other since.
    We had a lovely day. Long walk to the beach and a light lunch. Not even close to a cross word.
    Absolutely realised why I loved her. And why we can never live together again.
    A wonderfully uplifting, yet deeply sad day. We are very good mates. Let's hope that continues. It was a great start.

    Sorry to hear it 32 years is a long time. Best wishes for the future.

  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    Cyclefree said:

    Well, well.

    This story in the Sunday Times - https://twitter.com/gabriel_pogrund/status/1500232483324968970?s=21 - re Lebedev, the security services' assessment and Boris - has the potential to be much more damaging than Partygate.

    I did find it striking Johnson's reply in PMQs about not visiting the sins of the fathers on their children......

    Has Andrew Neil stopped making his Lebvedev "two beards" joke?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,420
    edited March 2022
    Jonathan said:

    philiph said:

    Leon said:

    Putin has lost, hasn't he?

    I suspect his future is bleak no matter what he does now. I don't see a good ending for him.
    Just watched an old PBS documentary on him. Apparently one of Putin's favorite childhood stories is of a cornered rat, which turned and fought back.

    I am not sure backing Putin into a corner is necessarily the wisest move, without preparing and mitigating his response.
    Putin likes to tell that story a lot.
  • kyf_100kyf_100 Posts: 4,866
    dixiedean said:

    kyf_100 said:

    dixiedean said:

    Anyways. At the risk of oversharing and maudlin wistfulness...
    I recently broke up with my partner of 32 years.
    Been in my own place for six weeks. She came over today, the first time we've seen each other since.
    We had a lovely day. Long walk to the beach and a light lunch. Not even close to a cross word.
    Absolutely realised why I loved her. And why we can never live together again.
    A wonderfully uplifting, yet deeply sad day. We are very good mates. Let's hope that continues. It was a great start.

    Good for you.

    I've tried being friends with my exes, but it never seems to work out. In my experience it's OK at first, but becomes much more painful when one of you moves on and finds someone else. But if you're OK with that, and you truly value them as a friend, there's no need to be enemies.

    I manage an at-arms-length with one or two people from my past, but it's limited to the occasional (i.e once or twice a year) email or text. Anything more than that and I struggle with the unresolved emotions.
    Thanks. Early days so we'll see. Today went better than I could have expected. So we'll see.
    Best of luck. It's the mark of true maturity to manage friendship with an ex, which I suppose means I've never properly grown up.

    The other night, when the Russians were shelling that nuclear power plant (I still find it hard to believe I'm writing that sentence), I had a sudden moment where I realised I didn't want to die without telling (an ex) how much I still loved her. Then I remember she moved on a long time ago, and I felt sad.
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,534
    On Topic - don't polling numbers suggest that possibility exists, that right vote will start coalescing around EITHER Le Pen or Zemmour? Including recent rightward votes gained by Pécresse during her (otherwise disastrous) swerve that direction?
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,393

    My mum is so 💜 with Mail on Sunday, I just know she’ll text me in morning to say “it’s alright Jade, Bojo has a six point plan, he’s going to win the war.”

    image

    You know we are in deep and utter shit when the usual three word slogan has to be morphed into a six point plan.

    There'll be a Boris Stone next.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,668

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    Two E's from me. After that my A Levels were a hoot, I knew I couldn't fail. Quite joyous

    Also, UCL was a totally brilliant uni to study at, as a provincial lad in the 80s. It was snooty and elite enough to be confidence-inducing (yay, I made it here!), yet also challenging and fascinating and urban. A world class university with no Durhamite inferiority complex to Oxbridge, yet also in the middle of fucking London!

    My halls of residence for about 2 and a half years were in London W1 or WC1, places it would cost you millions to live in, now

    At the same time it had a gritty London edge. Absurdly druggy and wildly bohemian. Brilliant place

    I fear it is somewhat neutered and full of wonderfully diligent East Asian students who don't add to the social life, these days. We had a bloody riot

    I too went with a 2 E offer.

    If I want to depress a Y13 class I tell them the about the 2C offers: then that I went with one which was a bit lower.

    And yes, it made the last two terms absolutely the best of the whole time at school; my main memory of the exams is playing croquet on a very bumpy bit of grass between papers.
    What was the story with a 2Es offer? I know Oxbridge offers you that if you pass their own exam. Was this a similar arrangement or had grade inflation not kicked in?
    For me this was UCL in the early 80s, and if they really wanted you, after your interview, they offered two E's so you almost certainly said Yes. Or so I understand it

    Anyway I am extremely grateful to one of the greatest universities on the planet. which opened up the world for me. I apologise to them for not attending any lectures after my first term, when I realised it literally didn't matter what degree I got
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,340
    edited March 2022
    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Anyways. At the risk of oversharing and maudlin wistfulness...
    I recently broke up with my partner of 32 years.
    Been in my own place for six weeks. She came over today, the first time we've seen each other since.
    We had a lovely day. Long walk to the beach and a light lunch. Not even close to a cross word.
    Absolutely realised why I loved her. And why we can never live together again.
    A wonderfully uplifting, yet deeply sad day. We are very good mates. Let's hope that continues. It was a great start.

    That's bloody tough. But sounds like you are managing. Good luck. Freedom is scary but exhilarating
    Cheers. It's a kindness to both of us. It wasn't working.
    It definitely is. If it is not working

    My worst was breaking up with the mother of my eldest when the child was but a bairn. I'll spare you the details but it was absolutely harrowing. If there are children involved, it it so much worse. I sobbed

    Nevertheless, of all the many things I regret in my life - and there are many - this is not one of them. If we'd stayed together "for the sake of the kids" it would have been catastrophic for everyone. Utter misery, guaranteed. The relationship had totally broken down, now we are civil to each other and have been for years
    That's great to hear. I suppose it gets easier not harder from here. Well done.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,420
    edited March 2022

    My mum is so 💜 with Mail on Sunday, I just know she’ll text me in morning to say “it’s alright Jade, Bojo has a six point plan, he’s going to win the war.”

    image

    You know we are in deep and utter shit when the usual three word slogan has to be morphed into a six point plan.

    There'll be a Boris Stone next.
    Its classic Boris booosterism. He never learns.
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,555
    edited March 2022

    Jonathan said:

    philiph said:

    Leon said:

    Putin has lost, hasn't he?

    I suspect his future is bleak no matter what he does now. I don't see a good ending for him.
    Just watched an old PBS documentary on him. Apparently one of Putin's favorite childhood stories is of a cornered rat, which turned and fought back.

    I am not sure backing Putin into a corner is necessarily the wisest move, without preparing and mitigating his response.
    Putin likes to tell that story a lot.
    He used it to create a persona, which he just might feel he now has to live up to. Dangerous times.
  • TimSTimS Posts: 12,720

    Update on that logistics thread:

    Ukrainian path to victory is clear. Go for every Russian truck they can see, particularly fuel trucks. Russian Army will freeze in its tracks.

    Btw. Replacing military grade trucks with civilian ones is catastrophic on many levels. You have to stick to better roads, they are less robust and you can’t stock spare parts for all the different models

    We might be about to witness a logistic collapse


    https://twitter.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/1500245898403762176

    We seem to have the strange juxtaposition of a regular army unable to organise a piss up in a vodka distillery, with artillery able to cause terror and mass casualties in multiple cities, an economy on the brink of complete collapse, and a leader able to carry out nuclear blackmail from a position of psychological strength.

    I’ve never been more mixed up about what to think. They’re simultaneously a joke and an existential threat.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    Two E's from me. After that my A Levels were a hoot, I knew I couldn't fail. Quite joyous

    Also, UCL was a totally brilliant uni to study at, as a provincial lad in the 80s. It was snooty and elite enough to be confidence-inducing (yay, I made it here!), yet also challenging and fascinating and urban. A world class university with no Durhamite inferiority complex to Oxbridge, yet also in the middle of fucking London!

    My halls of residence for about 2 and a half years were in London W1 or WC1, places it would cost you millions to live in, now

    At the same time it had a gritty London edge. Absurdly druggy and wildly bohemian. Brilliant place

    I fear it is somewhat neutered and full of wonderfully diligent East Asian students who don't add to the social life, these days. We had a bloody riot

    I too went with a 2 E offer.

    If I want to depress a Y13 class I tell them the about the 2C offers: then that I went with one which was a bit lower.

    And yes, it made the last two terms absolutely the best of the whole time at school; my main memory of the exams is playing croquet on a very bumpy bit of grass between papers.
    What was the story with a 2Es offer? I know Oxbridge offers you that if you pass their own exam. Was this a similar arrangement or had grade inflation not kicked in?
    In my day (mid-seventies) "2-Es" qualified you for the local authority grant. To get into Oxford you sat their entrance exam and were interviewed - after that came the offer, or not.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,136
    edited March 2022
    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    Two E's from me. After that my A Levels were a hoot, I knew I couldn't fail. Quite joyous

    Also, UCL was a totally brilliant uni to study at, as a provincial lad in the 80s. It was snooty and elite enough to be confidence-inducing (yay, I made it here!), yet also challenging and fascinating and urban. A world class university with no Durhamite inferiority complex to Oxbridge, yet also in the middle of fucking London!

    My halls of residence for about 2 and a half years were in London W1 or WC1, places it would cost you millions to live in, now

    At the same time it had a gritty London edge. Absurdly druggy and wildly bohemian. Brilliant place

    I fear it is somewhat neutered and full of wonderfully diligent East Asian students who don't add to the social life, these days. We had a bloody riot

    I envy anyone who was a student in London in the early/mid 80s. There were so many interesting things going on around that time. An "anything is possible" atmosphere.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,340

    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    My Medical School was quite improper, in those hedonistic days of the Eighties...
    UCH was fun in the 90s.... and more than half merged with UCL at that point, it seemed
    I recall UCH bar in the 90's.
    With some fondness.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 49,586
    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    My Medical School was quite improper, in those hedonistic days of the Eighties...
    In the seventies the medics always swore by neat O2 as a great hangover cure...
    I knew a bloke who swore by a litre of iv fluids, and another by guiness on his cornflakes. Hair of the dog really works, but not a route to good health.
    Couple of nurses I knew at UCH would start Sunday with iv bags while reading the papers..... Good blokes, but nutters. The pub down the road used to send barman round with a box to pick up the pint glasses that would end up in their flat...
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,420
    edited March 2022
    Jonathan said:

    Jonathan said:

    philiph said:

    Leon said:

    Putin has lost, hasn't he?

    I suspect his future is bleak no matter what he does now. I don't see a good ending for him.
    Just watched an old PBS documentary on him. Apparently one of Putin's favorite childhood stories is of a cornered rat, which turned and fought back.

    I am not sure backing Putin into a corner is necessarily the wisest move, without preparing and mitigating his response.
    Putin likes to tell that story a lot.
    He used it to create a persona, which he just might feel he now has to live up to. Dangerous times.
    They are. The one thing that does encourage me is the west, in particular US / UK, clearly are getting a lot of leaked real time intel, so they aren't flying totally blind about this thoughts and plans.
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,284
    edited March 2022

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    Two E's from me. After that my A Levels were a hoot, I knew I couldn't fail. Quite joyous

    Also, UCL was a totally brilliant uni to study at, as a provincial lad in the 80s. It was snooty and elite enough to be confidence-inducing (yay, I made it here!), yet also challenging and fascinating and urban. A world class university with no Durhamite inferiority complex to Oxbridge, yet also in the middle of fucking London!

    My halls of residence for about 2 and a half years were in London W1 or WC1, places it would cost you millions to live in, now

    At the same time it had a gritty London edge. Absurdly druggy and wildly bohemian. Brilliant place

    I fear it is somewhat neutered and full of wonderfully diligent East Asian students who don't add to the social life, these days. We had a bloody riot

    I too went with a 2 E offer.

    If I want to depress a Y13 class I tell them the about the 2C offers: then that I went with one which was a bit lower.

    And yes, it made the last two terms absolutely the best of the whole time at school; my main memory of the exams is playing croquet on a very bumpy bit of grass between papers.
    What was the story with a 2Es offer? I know Oxbridge offers you that if you pass their own exam. Was this a similar arrangement or had grade inflation not kicked in?
    It was the fourth term entrance exam from Oxford: pass that, say the right things at interview and you were in.

    They don't do that any more: As and A*s all round.

    There was a spate of universities making 2E offers (aka unconditional) a few years back IF you gave them a firm acceptance. The universities liked it because it took the guessing out of working out who was coming, and the candidates were fairly happy as well, but it often meant students ended up on what would otherwise have been a second or third choice for them even if they could have gone somewhere more suitable.
    Schools and particularly teachers hated it because it was impossible to motivate students to do as well as they could, which affected grades.

    Edit to add:
    Grade inflation is also a thing: my highest offer was 2Cs from Imperial, UCL, and Queen Mary.
  • Stark_DawningStark_Dawning Posts: 9,657
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    King's London
    2 E's are all you need.
    King's College, King's College.
    UCL wanted two Cs from me...
    Two E's from me. After that my A Levels were a hoot, I knew I couldn't fail. Quite joyous

    Also, UCL was a totally brilliant uni to study at, as a provincial lad in the 80s. It was snooty and elite enough to be confidence-inducing (yay, I made it here!), yet also challenging and fascinating and urban. A world class university with no Durhamite inferiority complex to Oxbridge, yet also in the middle of fucking London!

    My halls of residence for about 2 and a half years were in London W1 or WC1, places it would cost you millions to live in, now

    At the same time it had a gritty London edge. Absurdly druggy and wildly bohemian. Brilliant place

    I fear it is somewhat neutered and full of wonderfully diligent East Asian students who don't add to the social life, these days. We had a bloody riot

    I too went with a 2 E offer.

    If I want to depress a Y13 class I tell them the about the 2C offers: then that I went with one which was a bit lower.

    And yes, it made the last two terms absolutely the best of the whole time at school; my main memory of the exams is playing croquet on a very bumpy bit of grass between papers.
    What was the story with a 2Es offer? I know Oxbridge offers you that if you pass their own exam. Was this a similar arrangement or had grade inflation not kicked in?
    For me this was UCL in the early 80s, and if they really wanted you, after your interview, they offered two E's so you almost certainly said Yes. Or so I understand it

    Anyway I am extremely grateful to one of the greatest universities on the planet. which opened up the world for me. I apologise to them for not attending any lectures after my first term, when I realised it literally didn't matter what degree I got
    The thing about not attending classes/lectures for an entire year is literally the theme of a reoccurring nightmare of mine, but that's another story.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,420
    edited March 2022
    I was under the impression that Lebedrev was George Osborne's big mate more than Boris.
  • philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704

    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    Eabhal said:

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    Am I banging my head against a brick wall here?
    Everyone else has fled the battlefield.

    Sorry Dixie. You are so completely in the right and HYUFD is so completely unwilling to accept he is wrong - ever - that it seems pointless to make any other comment.

    History is never just about 'facts' or 'events'. It is always about how they were recorded and by whom, why they were recorded and how we interpret them based upon their causes and their effects (as well as the observer bias we ourselves exhibit). To try and separate the reasons for events and their effects from the actual event itself is pointless as it renders the event meaningless.
    I did not go to university but in my 78 years I have experienced a wealth of knowledge and to be honest even I can see @HYUFD is all over the place yet again
    Well I did go to university and I did study history so on this subject at least I will favour my opinion over yours
    I got a B in Higher History and I think you're wrong.

    Let that be an end to the matter.
    I got an A in A Level History and I think I am right. So that is certainly not the end of the matter
    I raise you a 1 in Standard Grade History. Beat that!
    I got an A* in GCSE too, so overall I still got higher grades in history at school than you did
    I studied History of Economic Thought, British Social History and Economic History at a proper Scottish University.

    That's like 3x the History you have. History up to my eyeballs.
    I studied history at a proper Russell Group university too
    Are there any improper Russell Group Universities?

    If so, which?
    My Medical School was quite improper, in those hedonistic days of the Eighties...
    In the seventies the medics always swore by neat O2 as a great hangover cure...
    I can imagine that actually did work.
    It does
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,340

    dixiedean said:

    Anyways. At the risk of oversharing and maudlin wistfulness...
    I recently broke up with my partner of 32 years.
    Been in my own place for six weeks. She came over today, the first time we've seen each other since.
    We had a lovely day. Long walk to the beach and a light lunch. Not even close to a cross word.
    Absolutely realised why I loved her. And why we can never live together again.
    A wonderfully uplifting, yet deeply sad day. We are very good mates. Let's hope that continues. It was a great start.

    Many sympathies - many of us have been there, though 32 years is a long time. What I've come to think is that we divide relationships in a binary way that doesn't really fit real life. There's an infinite gradation from couples who aren't happy unless they're together all the time to distant friendships, and one can have a really wonderful friendship with someone without wanting to be permanently married to them. It sounds as though you've hit the right level for both of you - here's to many happy years like that.
    Yep. We grew apart. No fault. We just don't want or need the same things anymore.
This discussion has been closed.