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FT reporting that Twitter could face EU ban – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 12,623
edited December 2022 in General
imageFT reporting that Twitter could face EU ban – politicalbetting.com

The FT is reporting this morning that the EU has threatened Elon Musk with being banned in Europe unless the social media giant continues to follow its strict moderation rules.

Read the full story here

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Comments

  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 55,610
    So Musk will ensure Twitter will become the cheerleader for all things Brexit....
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,795
    Elon Musk again.

    Who cares?
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 36,857
    edited November 2022
    Can't see this actually happening.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,118
    williamglenn said:

    The EU may be overestimating its leverage here. Twitter has relatively few users in the EU. For example there are more in the UK than Germany and France combined.

    It’s not a question of leverage in that way; just that if Twitter doesn’t comply with EU law, then it might well face a ban.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 56,314
    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    The EU may be overestimating its leverage here. Twitter has relatively few users in the EU. For example there are more in the UK than Germany and France combined.

    It’s not a question of leverage in that way; just that if Twitter doesn’t comply with EU law, then it might well face a ban.
    My point is that Musk may not care as much as the EU thinks, and may even relish the optics of them trying to block access to Twitter.
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 14,394
    MoonRabbit said:

    On topic.

    Cricket players (men) 43%

    Wasn’t there an interesting statistic, huge disparity between batsmen and bowlers, the batsman from posh schools in the south, the bowlers working class northerners?

    Meanwhile - “Labour would end tax breaks for private schools and invest in thousands more teachers, more mental health support in every school and professional careers advice to ensure young people are ready for work and ready for life”

    I hate this gimmicky politics, and Labour leading the field in shit like this now Boris is out the game - that statement reads like a brexiteers magic money tree promise, because even at Labours best estimate it nets treasury £1.7bn, to prove how pathetic the game Labour are playing a reminder the current education budget is £100bn. And what about the obvious inherent vice of it not being paid at all nowhere near 1.7bn but creates new government costs instead as children switch to state schooling? At the moment is the better scenario of the wealthy subsidising education with their own money rather than dumping those costs on the state. Economically illiterate Labour think we are stupid.

    I’m pleased my mum and dad didn’t send me away to a posh boarding school, I would have hated it and run away,

    A couple of other examples of Labours economic illiteracy - the insanely expensive bucking of the energy market for 6 months was their idea. And ending non Dom status supposedly nets only about £3.2bn. There’s estimated 68,300 non doms actually paying £8bn in tax each year - what Labour don’t tell you the nom doms can so easily leave Britain once non Dom status axed , so Starmer doesn’t get the 3.2bn, and not the 8bn either, the policy actually makes the exchequer poorer.

    It’s unproven the VAT on schooling will be paid so they can’t claim that 1.7bn. And Labour threatening the current 8bn tax paid by nom doms. Yet they are promising a wasteful “subsidise rich peoples energy bills” scheme the OBR said costs at least 60bn, and the latest OECD attacked too (not that Starmer read it) - Labour are clearly a long way short of properly funding their insanely expensive idea’s with these latest money raising gimmicks aren’t they?

    And Starmer’s been promising tax cuts this week too!
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 56,314
    edited December 2022
    mwadams said:

    williamglenn said:

    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    The EU may be overestimating its leverage here. Twitter has relatively few users in the EU. For example there are more in the UK than Germany and France combined.

    It’s not a question of leverage in that way; just that if Twitter doesn’t comply with EU law, then it might well face a ban.
    My point is that Musk may not care as much as the EU thinks, and may even relish the optics of them trying to block access to Twitter.
    Ultimately though it doesn't really matter what Musk thinks. It's what the advertisers think.
    70% of their revenue comes from the US and Japan alone. They don't publish a breakdown for the rest of the world, but the EU will be a minority share.

    If the EU tried to ban it, it would be as farcical as Russia banning it while Dmitry Medvedev continued to tweet. There's no way they will achieve compliance so it will just make the Commission a laughing stock.
  • EPGEPG Posts: 6,741
    williamglenn said:

    mwadams said:

    williamglenn said:

    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    The EU may be overestimating its leverage here. Twitter has relatively few users in the EU. For example there are more in the UK than Germany and France combined.

    It’s not a question of leverage in that way; just that if Twitter doesn’t comply with EU law, then it might well face a ban.
    My point is that Musk may not care as much as the EU thinks, and may even relish the optics of them trying to block access to Twitter.
    Ultimately though it doesn't really matter what Musk thinks. It's what the advertisers think.
    70% of their revenue comes from the US and Japan alone. They don't publish a breakdown for the rest of the world, but the EU will be a minority share.

    If the EU tried to ban it, it would be as farcical as Russia banning it while Dmitry Medvedev continued to tweet. There's no way they will achieve compliance so it will just make the Commission a laughing stock.
    They can just impose fines, much as they do to successfully enforce GDPR.
  • TheKitchenCabinetTheKitchenCabinet Posts: 2,275
    EPG said:

    williamglenn said:

    mwadams said:

    williamglenn said:

    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    The EU may be overestimating its leverage here. Twitter has relatively few users in the EU. For example there are more in the UK than Germany and France combined.

    It’s not a question of leverage in that way; just that if Twitter doesn’t comply with EU law, then it might well face a ban.
    My point is that Musk may not care as much as the EU thinks, and may even relish the optics of them trying to block access to Twitter.
    Ultimately though it doesn't really matter what Musk thinks. It's what the advertisers think.
    70% of their revenue comes from the US and Japan alone. They don't publish a breakdown for the rest of the world, but the EU will be a minority share.

    If the EU tried to ban it, it would be as farcical as Russia banning it while Dmitry Medvedev continued to tweet. There's no way they will achieve compliance so it will just make the Commission a laughing stock.
    They can just impose fines, much as they do to successfully enforce GDPR.
    But why would Twitter / Musk pay? He just says f**k you, and then complains to the US authorities. Sure Biden won't be sympathetic but, by the time any fines were imposed, RDS may be in the White House and the EU will back down as usual when faced by the US
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,749
    Any hints from the Surrey county by-election?
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 60,986
    williamglenn said:

    mwadams said:

    williamglenn said:

    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    The EU may be overestimating its leverage here. Twitter has relatively few users in the EU. For example there are more in the UK than Germany and France combined.

    It’s not a question of leverage in that way; just that if Twitter doesn’t comply with EU law, then it might well face a ban.
    My point is that Musk may not care as much as the EU thinks, and may even relish the optics of them trying to block access to Twitter.
    Ultimately though it doesn't really matter what Musk thinks. It's what the advertisers think.
    70% of their revenue comes from the US and Japan alone. They don't publish a breakdown for the rest of the world, but the EU will be a minority share.

    If the EU tried to ban it, it would be as farcical as Russia banning it while Dmitry Medvedev continued to tweet. There's no way they will achieve compliance so it will just make the Commission a laughing stock.
    Even if the EU was just 10% of Twitter's revenues, that would be a fairly sizeable sum. Especially for a business that's struggling with revenues.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 60,986
    TheKitchenCabinet said:

    EPG said:

    williamglenn said:

    mwadams said:

    williamglenn said:

    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    The EU may be overestimating its leverage here. Twitter has relatively few users in the EU. For example there are more in the UK than Germany and France combined.

    It’s not a question of leverage in that way; just that if Twitter doesn’t comply with EU law, then it might well face a ban.
    My point is that Musk may not care as much as the EU thinks, and may even relish the optics of them trying to block access to Twitter.
    Ultimately though it doesn't really matter what Musk thinks. It's what the advertisers think.
    70% of their revenue comes from the US and Japan alone. They don't publish a breakdown for the rest of the world, but the EU will be a minority share.

    If the EU tried to ban it, it would be as farcical as Russia banning it while Dmitry Medvedev continued to tweet. There's no way they will achieve compliance so it will just make the Commission a laughing stock.
    They can just impose fines, much as they do to successfully enforce GDPR.
    But why would Twitter / Musk pay? He just says f**k you, and then complains to the US authorities. Sure Biden won't be sympathetic but, by the time any fines were imposed, RDS may be in the White House and the EU will back down as usual when faced by the US
    Twitter has legal entities in Europe. They would pay or have their assets seized.
  • WillGWillG Posts: 2,366
    TheKitchenCabinet said:

    EPG said:

    williamglenn said:

    mwadams said:

    williamglenn said:

    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    The EU may be overestimating its leverage here. Twitter has relatively few users in the EU. For example there are more in the UK than Germany and France combined.

    It’s not a question of leverage in that way; just that if Twitter doesn’t comply with EU law, then it might well face a ban.
    My point is that Musk may not care as much as the EU thinks, and may even relish the optics of them trying to block access to Twitter.
    Ultimately though it doesn't really matter what Musk thinks. It's what the advertisers think.
    70% of their revenue comes from the US and Japan alone. They don't publish a breakdown for the rest of the world, but the EU will be a minority share.

    If the EU tried to ban it, it would be as farcical as Russia banning it while Dmitry Medvedev continued to tweet. There's no way they will achieve compliance so it will just make the Commission a laughing stock.
    They can just impose fines, much as they do to successfully enforce GDPR.
    But why would Twitter / Musk pay? He just says f**k you, and then complains to the US authorities. Sure Biden won't be sympathetic but, by the time any fines were imposed, RDS may be in the White House and the EU will back down as usual when faced by the US
    I don't think the EU would be minded to back down against a Republican President.

    On this topic RDS has threatened a congressional investigation of Apple for daring to not advertise on Twitter. It's full scale corruption now in US conservatism.
  • DJ41DJ41 Posts: 792
    edited December 2022
    Language shares on Sh*tter seem to be quite stable (source). As for the EU, the Lusophone users are almost certainly mostly in Brazil.

    image

  • WillGWillG Posts: 2,366
    MarqueeMark said:

    So Musk will ensure Twitter will become the cheerleader for all things Brexit....

    I don't know why people are excited about the idea of a handful of billionaires trying to have a whip hand over government. It's pure fawning to the rich and powerful.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 56,314
    WillG said:

    TheKitchenCabinet said:

    EPG said:

    williamglenn said:

    mwadams said:

    williamglenn said:

    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    The EU may be overestimating its leverage here. Twitter has relatively few users in the EU. For example there are more in the UK than Germany and France combined.

    It’s not a question of leverage in that way; just that if Twitter doesn’t comply with EU law, then it might well face a ban.
    My point is that Musk may not care as much as the EU thinks, and may even relish the optics of them trying to block access to Twitter.
    Ultimately though it doesn't really matter what Musk thinks. It's what the advertisers think.
    70% of their revenue comes from the US and Japan alone. They don't publish a breakdown for the rest of the world, but the EU will be a minority share.

    If the EU tried to ban it, it would be as farcical as Russia banning it while Dmitry Medvedev continued to tweet. There's no way they will achieve compliance so it will just make the Commission a laughing stock.
    They can just impose fines, much as they do to successfully enforce GDPR.
    But why would Twitter / Musk pay? He just says f**k you, and then complains to the US authorities. Sure Biden won't be sympathetic but, by the time any fines were imposed, RDS may be in the White House and the EU will back down as usual when faced by the US
    I don't think the EU would be minded to back down against a Republican President.

    On this topic RDS has threatened a congressional investigation of Apple for daring to not advertise on Twitter. It's full scale corruption now in US conservatism.
    Tim Cook and Elon Musk had a meeting today:

    @elonmusk
    Good conversation. Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store. Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing so.

    https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1598090996281413638
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,118
    Georgia runoff not going so well for Walker.
    “It’s the most disappointing ballot I’ve ever stared at in my entire life,” said Duncan, who showed up to vote this AM — and walked out without casting a ballot.
    https://twitter.com/bluestein/status/1598153578933555200

    That’s the Republican Lieutenant Governor.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,118
    edited December 2022
    williamglenn said:

    WillG said:

    TheKitchenCabinet said:

    EPG said:

    williamglenn said:

    mwadams said:

    williamglenn said:

    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    The EU may be overestimating its leverage here. Twitter has relatively few users in the EU. For example there are more in the UK than Germany and France combined.

    It’s not a question of leverage in that way; just that if Twitter doesn’t comply with EU law, then it might well face a ban.
    My point is that Musk may not care as much as the EU thinks, and may even relish the optics of them trying to block access to Twitter.
    Ultimately though it doesn't really matter what Musk thinks. It's what the advertisers think.
    70% of their revenue comes from the US and Japan alone. They don't publish a breakdown for the rest of the world, but the EU will be a minority share.

    If the EU tried to ban it, it would be as farcical as Russia banning it while Dmitry Medvedev continued to tweet. There's no way they will achieve compliance so it will just make the Commission a laughing stock.
    They can just impose fines, much as they do to successfully enforce GDPR.
    But why would Twitter / Musk pay? He just says f**k you, and then complains to the US authorities. Sure Biden won't be sympathetic but, by the time any fines were imposed, RDS may be in the White House and the EU will back down as usual when faced by the US
    I don't think the EU would be minded to back down against a Republican President.

    On this topic RDS has threatened a congressional investigation of Apple for daring to not advertise on Twitter. It's full scale corruption now in US conservatism.
    Tim Cook and Elon Musk had a meeting today:

    @elonmusk
    Good conversation. Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store. Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing so.

    https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1598090996281413638
    Musk’s Neuralink has killed 3000 monkeys, many rather brutally, in its brain implant experiments.
    https://twitter.com/MOMMYBlGDICK/status/1598002755381010432

    Human trials are reportedly planned in six months’ time.
    (Absolutely no way that’s going to happen.)
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,118
    How’s the whole freedom of speech thing going ?
    https://twitter.com/EliErlick/status/1598011331658948609
  • darkagedarkage Posts: 5,398
    Musk is doing interesting work at Twitter. He is exposing how 'content moderation' is highly vulnerable to political interference; it had clearly got out of control at Twitter.
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 27,080
    No one has told the England openers that this is a five day test match.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 46,518
    darkage said:

    Musk is doing interesting work at Twitter. He is exposing how 'content moderation' is highly vulnerable to political interference; it had clearly got out of control at Twitter.

    And you believe that Musky baby is going to improve that?
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 46,518
    IMV Musk realises he is in deep trouble with the Twitter takeover, and is positioning it all to be somebody else's fault - anybody else's. And his legion of brainless fanbois are slurping it all up.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 52,580
    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    WillG said:

    TheKitchenCabinet said:

    EPG said:

    williamglenn said:

    mwadams said:

    williamglenn said:

    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    The EU may be overestimating its leverage here. Twitter has relatively few users in the EU. For example there are more in the UK than Germany and France combined.

    It’s not a question of leverage in that way; just that if Twitter doesn’t comply with EU law, then it might well face a ban.
    My point is that Musk may not care as much as the EU thinks, and may even relish the optics of them trying to block access to Twitter.
    Ultimately though it doesn't really matter what Musk thinks. It's what the advertisers think.
    70% of their revenue comes from the US and Japan alone. They don't publish a breakdown for the rest of the world, but the EU will be a minority share.

    If the EU tried to ban it, it would be as farcical as Russia banning it while Dmitry Medvedev continued to tweet. There's no way they will achieve compliance so it will just make the Commission a laughing stock.
    They can just impose fines, much as they do to successfully enforce GDPR.
    But why would Twitter / Musk pay? He just says f**k you, and then complains to the US authorities. Sure Biden won't be sympathetic but, by the time any fines were imposed, RDS may be in the White House and the EU will back down as usual when faced by the US
    I don't think the EU would be minded to back down against a Republican President.

    On this topic RDS has threatened a congressional investigation of Apple for daring to not advertise on Twitter. It's full scale corruption now in US conservatism.
    Tim Cook and Elon Musk had a meeting today:

    @elonmusk
    Good conversation. Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store. Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing so.

    https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1598090996281413638
    Musk’s Neuralink has killed 3000 monkeys, many rather brutally, in its brain implant experiments.
    https://twitter.com/MOMMYBlGDICK/status/1598002755381010432

    Human trials are reportedly planned in six months’ time.
    (Absolutely no way that’s going to happen.)
    So the Musk fan boys don't like vaccines, but do like Musk literally inserting microchips in people's brains?

    My money says that Musk himself won't be first in line.

    It all reads like the plot of some substandard straight to video movie.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 123,238
    On topic.

    Rejoin now!
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 123,238
    JohnO said:

    NickPalmer said:

    Any hints from the Surrey county by-election?

    Harry BOPARAI (LD) 735
    Helen Elizabeth COUCHMAN (TUSC) 63
    Naz ISLAM (Con) 720
    Khalid MUSTAFA (Lab) 383
    Rory O’BRIEN (Reform UK) 144

    LD gain from Con
    TUSC got votes in Surrey?

    In Surrey!

    What on earth is going on with the world?
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 46,518
    Foxy said:

    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    WillG said:

    TheKitchenCabinet said:

    EPG said:

    williamglenn said:

    mwadams said:

    williamglenn said:

    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    The EU may be overestimating its leverage here. Twitter has relatively few users in the EU. For example there are more in the UK than Germany and France combined.

    It’s not a question of leverage in that way; just that if Twitter doesn’t comply with EU law, then it might well face a ban.
    My point is that Musk may not care as much as the EU thinks, and may even relish the optics of them trying to block access to Twitter.
    Ultimately though it doesn't really matter what Musk thinks. It's what the advertisers think.
    70% of their revenue comes from the US and Japan alone. They don't publish a breakdown for the rest of the world, but the EU will be a minority share.

    If the EU tried to ban it, it would be as farcical as Russia banning it while Dmitry Medvedev continued to tweet. There's no way they will achieve compliance so it will just make the Commission a laughing stock.
    They can just impose fines, much as they do to successfully enforce GDPR.
    But why would Twitter / Musk pay? He just says f**k you, and then complains to the US authorities. Sure Biden won't be sympathetic but, by the time any fines were imposed, RDS may be in the White House and the EU will back down as usual when faced by the US
    I don't think the EU would be minded to back down against a Republican President.

    On this topic RDS has threatened a congressional investigation of Apple for daring to not advertise on Twitter. It's full scale corruption now in US conservatism.
    Tim Cook and Elon Musk had a meeting today:

    @elonmusk
    Good conversation. Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store. Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing so.

    https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1598090996281413638
    Musk’s Neuralink has killed 3000 monkeys, many rather brutally, in its brain implant experiments.
    https://twitter.com/MOMMYBlGDICK/status/1598002755381010432

    Human trials are reportedly planned in six months’ time.
    (Absolutely no way that’s going to happen.)
    So the Musk fan boys don't like vaccines, but do like Musk literally inserting microchips in people's brains?

    My money says that Musk himself won't be first in line.

    It all reads like the plot of some substandard straight to video movie.
    It's because Musk comes up with occasional good ideas (Starlink, SpaceX). But to keep Tesla's share price up, he has to announce NEW HYPE! Hence the travesty of common sense that was Hyperloop, the rather medically dubious Neuralink, The boringly uninnovative Boring Company etc.

    Then there are the out-and-out lies: like Teslas being automated Taxis that would earn owners $30k a year. He said 1 million would be on the road by the end of 2020.He recently 'reannounced' it.

    Hint: it won't happen in the next few years. And I doubt it'll be Tesla to do it.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 52,595
    JohnO said:

    NickPalmer said:

    Any hints from the Surrey county by-election?

    Harry BOPARAI (LD) 735
    Helen Elizabeth COUCHMAN (TUSC) 63
    Naz ISLAM (Con) 720
    Khalid MUSTAFA (Lab) 383
    Rory O’BRIEN (Reform UK) 144

    LD gain from Con
    A big swing away from the Tories, in Kwasi’s seat, especially considering the previous Tory Cllr died from cancer in her 40s. The new LD councillor is a defector from the Brexit Party - good luck to (and with!) him!
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 52,580
    edited December 2022
    IanB2 said:

    JohnO said:

    NickPalmer said:

    Any hints from the Surrey county by-election?

    Harry BOPARAI (LD) 735
    Helen Elizabeth COUCHMAN (TUSC) 63
    Naz ISLAM (Con) 720
    Khalid MUSTAFA (Lab) 383
    Rory O’BRIEN (Reform UK) 144

    LD gain from Con
    A big swing away from the Tories, in Kwasi’s seat, especially considering the previous Tory Cllr died from cancer in her 40s. The new LD councillor is a defector from the Brexit Party - good luck to (and with!) him!
    BXP to LD? Tsunami incoming for the Blue Wall.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 123,238
    Brexit adds £200 to food bills

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/brexit-adds-200-to-food-bills-n3gltct58
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 32,277
    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Brexit adds £200 to food bills

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/brexit-adds-200-to-food-bills-n3gltct58

    Yeah but they sell food in France too so it can't be Brexit.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 52,580
    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Given all the nice things ministers have said about Kate Bingham this is going to be rather damaging.

    Britain is not properly prepared for another pandemic because ministers have deliberately dismantled vaccine capability, the former head of the Vaccines Taskforce said.

    Dame Kate Bingham was “baffled” by government decisions in an attack on ministers’ handling of the legacy of the success of the pandemic response.

    Rishi Sunak hailed the taskforce as a “blueprint” for tackling cancer and dementia as well as driving the innovative research that he argues will be the foundation for economic growth.

    Yesterday Bingham said ministers had ignored all her recommendations about working with industry and experts and had handed control of key policies to civil service generalists.

    Her taskforce was central to procuring a range of Covid jabs ensuring that Britain could begin vaccination before the rest of the world. But she said that the EU had overtaken us and told MPs on the science and health select committees: “Our approach seems to have been to go backwards rather than to continue the momentum”.

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/vaccine-scheme-legacy-squandered-says-dame-kate-bingham-hht2tkmgx

    We jabber, they jab!

    (Have I got this right?)
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 19,389
    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Brexit adds £200 to food bills

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/brexit-adds-200-to-food-bills-n3gltct58

    You mean Jacob Rees Mogg got something wrong?

    https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/831450/Jacob-Rees-Mogg-Brexit-food-wine-clothes-shoes-lower-20-per-cent

    Say it isn't so.
  • JohnOJohnO Posts: 4,312
    IanB2 said:

    JohnO said:

    NickPalmer said:

    Any hints from the Surrey county by-election?

    Harry BOPARAI (LD) 735
    Helen Elizabeth COUCHMAN (TUSC) 63
    Naz ISLAM (Con) 720
    Khalid MUSTAFA (Lab) 383
    Rory O’BRIEN (Reform UK) 144

    LD gain from Con
    A big swing away from the Tories, in Kwasi’s seat, especially considering the previous Tory Cllr died from cancer in her 40s. The new LD councillor is a defector from the Brexit Party - good luck to (and with!) him!
    And apparently stood as a Tory candidate in 2018. Presumably will make his first appearance at next week’s Full Council.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 56,106
    Nigelb said:

    Georgia runoff not going so well for Walker.
    “It’s the most disappointing ballot I’ve ever stared at in my entire life,” said Duncan, who showed up to vote this AM — and walked out without casting a ballot.
    https://twitter.com/bluestein/status/1598153578933555200

    That’s the Republican Lieutenant Governor.

    He didn't know in advance who the candidates were?
    The Daily Kos claims that the advance voting numbers, which is basically only allowed in the Democratic parts of the State are excellent, well ahead of the midterms when you would expect a drop off. Women particularly. Republicans still paying for Roe-v-Wade.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 32,277
    JohnO said:

    IanB2 said:

    JohnO said:

    NickPalmer said:

    Any hints from the Surrey county by-election?

    Harry BOPARAI (LD) 735
    Helen Elizabeth COUCHMAN (TUSC) 63
    Naz ISLAM (Con) 720
    Khalid MUSTAFA (Lab) 383
    Rory O’BRIEN (Reform UK) 144

    LD gain from Con
    A big swing away from the Tories, in Kwasi’s seat, especially considering the previous Tory Cllr died from cancer in her 40s. The new LD councillor is a defector from the Brexit Party - good luck to (and with!) him!
    And apparently stood as a Tory candidate in 2018. Presumably will make his first appearance at next week’s Full Council.
    Always wrong, never in doubt.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 16,721
    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Brexit adds £200 to food bills

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/brexit-adds-200-to-food-bills-n3gltct58

    Let them eat sovereignty.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 16,721
    Stuartinromford said:

    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Brexit adds £200 to food bills

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/brexit-adds-200-to-food-bills-n3gltct58

    You mean Jacob Rees Mogg got something wrong?

    https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/831450/Jacob-Rees-Mogg-Brexit-food-wine-clothes-shoes-lower-20-per-cent

    Say it isn't so.
    A great advertisement for the benefits of private education.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 52,580
    OnlyLivingBoy said:

    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Brexit adds £200 to food bills

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/brexit-adds-200-to-food-bills-n3gltct58

    Let them eat sovereignty.
    Brexit solves the obesity crisis!
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 39,523
    Boris says his ousting from No10 to make way for Liz Truss was a 'mistake' https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/20609904/boris-johnson-removal-office-liz-truss-mistake/
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 123,238
    Stuartinromford said:

    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Brexit adds £200 to food bills

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/brexit-adds-200-to-food-bills-n3gltct58

    You mean Jacob Rees Mogg got something wrong?

    https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/831450/Jacob-Rees-Mogg-Brexit-food-wine-clothes-shoes-lower-20-per-cent

    Say it isn't so.
    Another Brexit bonus is Labour's ability to persecute private schools, the CJEU wouldn't wouldn't allow it.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 19,726
    tlg86 said:

    No one has told the England openers that this is a five day test match.

    Total number of wickets to fall in the match might be quite low.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 52,580
    JohnO said:

    IanB2 said:

    JohnO said:

    NickPalmer said:

    Any hints from the Surrey county by-election?

    Harry BOPARAI (LD) 735
    Helen Elizabeth COUCHMAN (TUSC) 63
    Naz ISLAM (Con) 720
    Khalid MUSTAFA (Lab) 383
    Rory O’BRIEN (Reform UK) 144

    LD gain from Con
    A big swing away from the Tories, in Kwasi’s seat, especially considering the previous Tory Cllr died from cancer in her 40s. The new LD councillor is a defector from the Brexit Party - good luck to (and with!) him!
    And apparently stood as a Tory candidate in 2018. Presumably will make his first appearance at next week’s Full Council.
    So, will be in Labour by 2024?
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 32,277
    Scott_xP said:

    Boris says his ousting from No10 to make way for Liz Truss was a 'mistake' https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/20609904/boris-johnson-removal-office-liz-truss-mistake/

    Boris was brought down by his personality, not his politics.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 39,523
    JosiasJessop said:

    It's because Musk comes up with occasional good ideas (Starlink, SpaceX). But to keep Tesla's share price up, he has to announce NEW HYPE! Hence the travesty of common sense that was Hyperloop, the rather medically dubious Neuralink, The boringly uninnovative Boring Company etc.

    I saw something recently about the boring company not actually digging many holes.

    And Tesla is not a car company, it's a carbon credit company that produces cars as a by-product
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 39,523
    Meanwhile...

    Starlink: Elon Musk's satellites to beam high-speed broadband to remote areas of UK in government trial http://news.sky.com/story/starlink-elon-musks-satellites-to-beam-high-speed-broadband-to-remote-areas-of-uk-in-government-trial-12759097
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 46,518
    Scott_xP said:

    JosiasJessop said:

    It's because Musk comes up with occasional good ideas (Starlink, SpaceX). But to keep Tesla's share price up, he has to announce NEW HYPE! Hence the travesty of common sense that was Hyperloop, the rather medically dubious Neuralink, The boringly uninnovative Boring Company etc.

    I saw something recently about the boring company not actually digging many holes.

    And Tesla is not a car company, it's a carbon credit company that produces cars as a by-product
    The Boring Company is an interesting one. I know I've not got a brain the size of a planet like Musk, but I did study a little geological engineering (e.g. tunnelling), and TBC doesn't make that much sense, in either the 'new' technology promised or the proposed end-uses.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,422
    Why is the Scottish government afraid of debate? The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill was only introduced at Holyrood in March and MSPs only got to vote on it in October, but it is expected to be approved before Christmas. The proposals would enable people to change their biological sex in legal documents through self-identification and would lower the age at which children can make similar decisions without parental consent. Among other things, this would impact single-sex services and spaces such as women’s prisons and refuges for victims of male violence.

    This week national media reported that the Spanish government’s “trans law”, which shares striking similarities to its Scottish counterpart, had been delayed until at least 2023, an electoral year.

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/avoiding-debate-on-gender-bill-is-authoritarian-50vcq9jqz
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,422
    It has hitherto been deemed ‘transphobic’ to suggest not all trans people are the same and that some people claiming to be trans might in fact scarcely be trans at all. And yet here is the first minister accepting precisely that proposition. Not all trans women are women, some may be ‘men abusing a system to attack women’.

    God loves and will forgive even a slow learner but it says something about this debate that even this concussion to palpable reality – predatory men will take advantage of even well-intentioned schemes for their own ends – counts as a moment of shining, revelatory, progress.

    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/is-nicola-sturgeon-now-guilty-of-transphobia/

  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 46,518
    Scott_xP said:

    Meanwhile...

    Starlink: Elon Musk's satellites to beam high-speed broadband to remote areas of UK in government trial http://news.sky.com/story/starlink-elon-musks-satellites-to-beam-high-speed-broadband-to-remote-areas-of-uk-in-government-trial-12759097

    They've also greatly increased the Starlink charges to Ukraine, at a time when 'normal' Internet in the country is increasingly unreliable.

    Musk is a shit. It is time the fanbois stopped drinking the kool-aid.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,118
    .
    Scott_xP said:

    JosiasJessop said:

    It's because Musk comes up with occasional good ideas (Starlink, SpaceX). But to keep Tesla's share price up, he has to announce NEW HYPE! Hence the travesty of common sense that was Hyperloop, the rather medically dubious Neuralink, The boringly uninnovative Boring Company etc.

    I saw something recently about the boring company not actually digging many holes.

    And Tesla is not a car company, it's a carbon credit company that produces cars as a by-product
    Not any longer.
    It's a pretty profitable car company.

    A highly plausible snake oil salesman with a degree of technical knowledge and an obsessive work ethic was, as it turns out, what was needed to jump start the electric vehicle industry a good half decade earlier than might otherwise have happened.

    Similarly SpaceX.

    But it's not magic, and his range of skills is massively unsuited to some other ventures.
    And he's an deeply unpleasant individual, FWIW.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,118
    JosiasJessop said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Meanwhile...

    Starlink: Elon Musk's satellites to beam high-speed broadband to remote areas of UK in government trial http://news.sky.com/story/starlink-elon-musks-satellites-to-beam-high-speed-broadband-to-remote-areas-of-uk-in-government-trial-12759097

    They've also greatly increased the Starlink charges to Ukraine, at a time when 'normal' Internet in the country is increasingly unreliable.

    Musk is a shit. It is time the fanbois stopped drinking the kool-aid.
    His being a shit does nothing to put off the fanbois. Quite the opposite.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 39,523
    Brexit added nearly £6bn to UK food bills in two years, research finds https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/dec/01/brexit-added-nearly-6bn-to-uk-food-bills-in-two-years-research-finds
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,118
    Looks as though his comments about Apple were economical with the actualite, too.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/30/musk-cook-twitter-apple-app-store-00071521
    ...Musk had a much different tone Monday, when he issued a series of tweets accusing Apple of threatening to “withhold” Twitter from the App Store, among other unspecified “censorship actions” that he laid at Apple’s feet. Those tweets remained live on Musk’s Twitter feed as of Wednesday night.

    Removal from the App Store would pose an almost existential threat to Twitter by making it impossible for iPhone and iPad users to load the social media app onto their devices. Musk’s accusation provoked a tide of anti-Apple attacks from Republicans, including lawmakers and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential GOP presidential nominee in 2024.

    Republicans cited the alleged threat as evidence that Congress needs to enact antitrust legislation loosening Apple’s control over the App Store, a bulwark of the company’s $2 trillion-plus fortune.

    Wednesday’s retraction is just the latest twist involving Musk..
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 52,580
    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    Have started my Toblerone advent calendar.

    Chocolate for breakfast means that Christmas is here!
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 52,580
    Nigelb said:

    Looks as though his comments about Apple were economical with the actualite, too.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/30/musk-cook-twitter-apple-app-store-00071521
    ...Musk had a much different tone Monday, when he issued a series of tweets accusing Apple of threatening to “withhold” Twitter from the App Store, among other unspecified “censorship actions” that he laid at Apple’s feet. Those tweets remained live on Musk’s Twitter feed as of Wednesday night.

    Removal from the App Store would pose an almost existential threat to Twitter by making it impossible for iPhone and iPad users to load the social media app onto their devices. Musk’s accusation provoked a tide of anti-Apple attacks from Republicans, including lawmakers and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential GOP presidential nominee in 2024.

    Republicans cited the alleged threat as evidence that Congress needs to enact antitrust legislation loosening Apple’s control over the App Store, a bulwark of the company’s $2 trillion-plus fortune.

    Wednesday’s retraction is just the latest twist involving Musk..

    It's almost as if eccentric and erratic billionaires controlling the media isn't a good thing.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 46,518
    Foxy said:

    Nigelb said:

    Looks as though his comments about Apple were economical with the actualite, too.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/30/musk-cook-twitter-apple-app-store-00071521
    ...Musk had a much different tone Monday, when he issued a series of tweets accusing Apple of threatening to “withhold” Twitter from the App Store, among other unspecified “censorship actions” that he laid at Apple’s feet. Those tweets remained live on Musk’s Twitter feed as of Wednesday night.

    Removal from the App Store would pose an almost existential threat to Twitter by making it impossible for iPhone and iPad users to load the social media app onto their devices. Musk’s accusation provoked a tide of anti-Apple attacks from Republicans, including lawmakers and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential GOP presidential nominee in 2024.

    Republicans cited the alleged threat as evidence that Congress needs to enact antitrust legislation loosening Apple’s control over the App Store, a bulwark of the company’s $2 trillion-plus fortune.

    Wednesday’s retraction is just the latest twist involving Musk..

    It's almost as if eccentric and erratic billionaires controlling the media isn't a good thing.
    I wouldn't call him eccentric or erratic, but has Bezos been a 'bad' owner of the Washington Post?
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 64,061
    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    I wish. Work is shit for me at the moment.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 40,501
    rcs1000 said:

    williamglenn said:

    mwadams said:

    williamglenn said:

    Nigelb said:

    williamglenn said:

    The EU may be overestimating its leverage here. Twitter has relatively few users in the EU. For example there are more in the UK than Germany and France combined.

    It’s not a question of leverage in that way; just that if Twitter doesn’t comply with EU law, then it might well face a ban.
    My point is that Musk may not care as much as the EU thinks, and may even relish the optics of them trying to block access to Twitter.
    Ultimately though it doesn't really matter what Musk thinks. It's what the advertisers think.
    70% of their revenue comes from the US and Japan alone. They don't publish a breakdown for the rest of the world, but the EU will be a minority share.

    If the EU tried to ban it, it would be as farcical as Russia banning it while Dmitry Medvedev continued to tweet. There's no way they will achieve compliance so it will just make the Commission a laughing stock.
    Even if the EU was just 10% of Twitter's revenues, that would be a fairly sizeable sum. Especially for a business that's struggling with revenues.
    Surely it depends on how much revenue they get from EU27 based advertisers. It's probably not very much, what the EU may end up doing here is showing that they really don't hold a lot of power over American big tech if Musk refuses to comply and the EU tries to block access with a China style firewall.
  • edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,758
    Scott_xP said:

    JosiasJessop said:

    It's because Musk comes up with occasional good ideas (Starlink, SpaceX). But to keep Tesla's share price up, he has to announce NEW HYPE! Hence the travesty of common sense that was Hyperloop, the rather medically dubious Neuralink, The boringly uninnovative Boring Company etc.

    I saw something recently about the boring company not actually digging many holes.

    And Tesla is not a car company, it's a carbon credit company that produces cars as a by-product
    I saw a claim to that effect going around but it was based on the trick where you find a quarter where a company didn't make much profit, and pull out the revenue for the hobby horse you want to ride (in this case carbon credits), and say that the hobby horse accounted for most of the profits.

    The trick when pulling this off is to find a period with just the right proportion of hobby-horse to profit. Ideally you want the hobby horse to be slightly lower than the profit. If it's only 3% or something then it's not very impressive, but equally if you say something like "2000% of their profits came from carbon credits" then people will see through your shenanigans.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 10,559
    JosiasJessop said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Meanwhile...

    Starlink: Elon Musk's satellites to beam high-speed broadband to remote areas of UK in government trial http://news.sky.com/story/starlink-elon-musks-satellites-to-beam-high-speed-broadband-to-remote-areas-of-uk-in-government-trial-12759097

    They've also greatly increased the Starlink charges to Ukraine, at a time when 'normal' Internet in the country is increasingly unreliable.

    Musk is a shit. It is time the fanbois stopped drinking the kool-aid.

    I think it’s the Pentagon paying those bills… they were not happy shall we say.

    There was even a suggestion that they would ask Congress to seize Starlink until legislation dating back to the First World War
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 52,580
    JosiasJessop said:

    Foxy said:

    Nigelb said:

    Looks as though his comments about Apple were economical with the actualite, too.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/30/musk-cook-twitter-apple-app-store-00071521
    ...Musk had a much different tone Monday, when he issued a series of tweets accusing Apple of threatening to “withhold” Twitter from the App Store, among other unspecified “censorship actions” that he laid at Apple’s feet. Those tweets remained live on Musk’s Twitter feed as of Wednesday night.

    Removal from the App Store would pose an almost existential threat to Twitter by making it impossible for iPhone and iPad users to load the social media app onto their devices. Musk’s accusation provoked a tide of anti-Apple attacks from Republicans, including lawmakers and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential GOP presidential nominee in 2024.

    Republicans cited the alleged threat as evidence that Congress needs to enact antitrust legislation loosening Apple’s control over the App Store, a bulwark of the company’s $2 trillion-plus fortune.

    Wednesday’s retraction is just the latest twist involving Musk..

    It's almost as if eccentric and erratic billionaires controlling the media isn't a good thing.
    I wouldn't call him eccentric or erratic, but has Bezos been a 'bad' owner of the Washington Post?
    No idea.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 40,501
    JosiasJessop said:

    Foxy said:

    Nigelb said:

    Looks as though his comments about Apple were economical with the actualite, too.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/30/musk-cook-twitter-apple-app-store-00071521
    ...Musk had a much different tone Monday, when he issued a series of tweets accusing Apple of threatening to “withhold” Twitter from the App Store, among other unspecified “censorship actions” that he laid at Apple’s feet. Those tweets remained live on Musk’s Twitter feed as of Wednesday night.

    Removal from the App Store would pose an almost existential threat to Twitter by making it impossible for iPhone and iPad users to load the social media app onto their devices. Musk’s accusation provoked a tide of anti-Apple attacks from Republicans, including lawmakers and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential GOP presidential nominee in 2024.

    Republicans cited the alleged threat as evidence that Congress needs to enact antitrust legislation loosening Apple’s control over the App Store, a bulwark of the company’s $2 trillion-plus fortune.

    Wednesday’s retraction is just the latest twist involving Musk..

    It's almost as if eccentric and erratic billionaires controlling the media isn't a good thing.
    I wouldn't call him eccentric or erratic, but has Bezos been a 'bad' owner of the Washington Post?
    Yes. Bezos is a Bond villain.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 19,389
    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    Churchwise, Advent Sunday was the earliest date it can be, which has made a difference chez Romford.

    But there do seem to be plenty of house Illuminations up in our street already. Did the Season Of Lights shuffle earlier in the Covid years, and we can't face pushing it back to something a bit more seemly?
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,749
    edited December 2022
    JohnO said:

    NickPalmer said:

    Any hints from the Surrey county by-election?

    Harry BOPARAI (LD) 735
    Helen Elizabeth COUCHMAN (TUSC) 63
    Naz ISLAM (Con) 720
    Khalid MUSTAFA (Lab) 383
    Rory O’BRIEN (Reform UK) 144

    LD gain from Con
    That's
    LD 36% +17
    Con 35% -12
    Lab 19% +3
    Ref 7% +2
    TUSC 3% (new)
    No Green (8%) or Ind (5%) this time.

    Generally in line with the perception that the Blue Wall is crumbling. The LDs clearly played the "only we can win here" card (correctly as it turns out) and mopped up the Green vote - in general the two parties are proving quite transfer-friendly to each other when one stands down. Labour did quite well not to be squeezed by the LD push and the TUSC intervention. Only a modest Reform advance. Low turnout (17.4%).
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,422
    Inflation adjusted terms fall:

    The average house price fell by 1.4% month on month in November, marking the biggest drop since June 2020, according to an index.

    November’s drop followed a 0.9% month-on-month fall in October.

    Across the UK, annual house price growth slowed sharply to 4.4%, from 7.2% annual growth recorded in October.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-house-prices-fall-nationwide-b2236717.html
  • rkrkrkrkrkrk Posts: 8,761
    On twitter, lots of people said it would have folded by now given all the key people Musk has fired. Maybe it still will, I don't know.

    Sounds like he's cut costs by firing lots of people, but if he really does have to make something like a billion dollars in interest payments a year... and he's not on fixed rates either... that's... a lot.

    My guess - this probably goes bankrupt regardless of what the EU does.

    But I've been saying that about uber every year since about 2015 and not been right yet.
  • rkrkrkrkrkrk Posts: 8,761
    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    I'm right there with you. It's been a long year.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 30,380
    NickPalmer said:

    JohnO said:

    NickPalmer said:

    Any hints from the Surrey county by-election?

    Harry BOPARAI (LD) 735
    Helen Elizabeth COUCHMAN (TUSC) 63
    Naz ISLAM (Con) 720
    Khalid MUSTAFA (Lab) 383
    Rory O’BRIEN (Reform UK) 144

    LD gain from Con
    That's
    LD 36% +17
    Con 35% -12
    Lab 19% +3
    Ref 7% +2
    TUSC 3% (new)
    No Green (8%) or Ind (5%) this time.

    Generally in line with the perception that the Blue Wall is crumbling. The LDs clearly played the "only we can win here" card (correctly as it turns out) and mopped up the Green vote - in general the two parties are proving quite transfer-friendly to each other when one stands down. Labour did quite well not to be squeezed by the LD push and the TUSC intervention. Only a modest Reform advance. Low turnout (17.4%).
    And yet. A Reform vote that has cost the seat.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 39,523
    Today, @ECIU_UK has new analysis showing the Tory 2015 planning ban + exclusion of onshore wind from two of the government’s Contracts for Difference (CfDs) renewables auctions could be adding around *£800 million* to UK energy costs this winter.
    https://twitter.com/paulwaugh/status/1598227253690654720
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 10,559
    rkrkrk said:

    On twitter, lots of people said it would have folded by now given all the key people Musk has fired. Maybe it still will, I don't know.

    Sounds like he's cut costs by firing lots of people, but if he really does have to make something like a billion dollars in interest payments a year... and he's not on fixed rates either... that's... a lot.

    My guess - this probably goes bankrupt regardless of what the EU does.

    But I've been saying that about uber every year since about 2015 and not been right yet.

    It will be a fixed rate. It’s why his banks are losing so much money

  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 22,107
    edited December 2022
    Casino_Royale said:

    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    I wish. Work is shit for me at the moment.
    I’m sorry about that. I know how you feel. At some point there is a moment to throw your hands up, sit back and appreciate the absurdity of it all. I think I might be Reggie Perrin.
  • BlancheLivermoreBlancheLivermore Posts: 6,523
    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    Only if the “break” refers to my back
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 64,061
    Jonathan said:

    Musk is a Wally with billions

    Casino_Royale said:

    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    I wish. Work is shit for me at the moment.
    I’m sorry about that. I know how you feel. At some point there is a moment to throw your hands up, sit back and appreciate the absurdity of it all. I think I might be Reggie Perrin.
    Need the money mate.

    But, yes. I fantasise about this. It's the people - I can work for and with anyone provided they treat me with respect and appreciate what I do.

    At the moment, I have a highly mixed team working for me - and one thing I'm learning as Director is the buck stops with you and you must compensate for that - and a very dickish client.

    So, not much fun.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 79,956
    I'm with Elon on this one.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 39,523
    Elon Musk's attempted fire-by-email of European Twitter VP @smcs has been overruled by Irish Court.

    You can't fire people like that in Europe.
    https://www.independent.ie/business/technology/news/twitter-has-reinstated-senior-irish-executive-sinead-mcsweeney-following-generic-firing-email-high-court-told-42185817.html
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 22,107
    Casino_Royale said:

    Jonathan said:

    Musk is a Wally with billions

    Casino_Royale said:

    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    I wish. Work is shit for me at the moment.
    I’m sorry about that. I know how you feel. At some point there is a moment to throw your hands up, sit back and appreciate the absurdity of it all. I think I might be Reggie Perrin.
    Need the money mate.

    But, yes. I fantasise about this. It's the people - I can work for and with anyone provided they treat me with respect and appreciate what I do.

    At the moment, I have a highly mixed team working for me - and one thing I'm learning as Director is the buck stops with you and you must compensate for that - and a very dickish client.

    So, not much fun.
    That does sound hard. All power to you.

    My joy has been spending the first part of the year developing and winning support for a new investment. Then spending the second half of the year incrementally picking it apart as the economy weakens and budgets are squeezed. Feels somewhat sub optimal. Hence the need for a philosophical approach.

    I spent the first four years of my career in a cancer hospital. I fall back on the knowledge that, unlike that, none of this is life or death.
  • rkrkrkrkrkrk Posts: 8,761
    StillWaters said:

    rkrkrk said:

    On twitter, lots of people said it would have folded by now given all the key people Musk has fired. Maybe it still will, I don't know.

    Sounds like he's cut costs by firing lots of people, but if he really does have to make something like a billion dollars in interest payments a year... and he's not on fixed rates either... that's... a lot.

    My guess - this probably goes bankrupt regardless of what the EU does.

    But I've been saying that about uber every year since about 2015 and not been right yet.

    It will be a fixed rate. It’s why his banks are losing so much money

    WSJ says before the takeover Twitter was all fixed rate but now has floating rate loans.
    https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-elon-musks-twitter-faces-mountain-of-debt-falling-revenue-and-surging-costs-11669042132
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 55,610
    edmundintokyo said:

    Scott_xP said:

    JosiasJessop said:

    It's because Musk comes up with occasional good ideas (Starlink, SpaceX). But to keep Tesla's share price up, he has to announce NEW HYPE! Hence the travesty of common sense that was Hyperloop, the rather medically dubious Neuralink, The boringly uninnovative Boring Company etc.

    I saw something recently about the boring company not actually digging many holes.

    And Tesla is not a car company, it's a carbon credit company that produces cars as a by-product
    I saw a claim to that effect going around but it was based on the trick where you find a quarter where a company didn't make much profit, and pull out the revenue for the hobby horse you want to ride (in this case carbon credits), and say that the hobby horse accounted for most of the profits.

    The trick when pulling this off is to find a period with just the right proportion of hobby-horse to profit. Ideally you want the hobby horse to be slightly lower than the profit. If it's only 3% or something then it's not very impressive, but equally if you say something like "2000% of their profits came from carbon credits" then people will see through your shenanigans.
    However the trick is done, can't see Musk firing that particular bunch of magicians.

    Yet.
  • edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,758
    MarqueeMark said:

    edmundintokyo said:

    Scott_xP said:

    JosiasJessop said:

    It's because Musk comes up with occasional good ideas (Starlink, SpaceX). But to keep Tesla's share price up, he has to announce NEW HYPE! Hence the travesty of common sense that was Hyperloop, the rather medically dubious Neuralink, The boringly uninnovative Boring Company etc.

    I saw something recently about the boring company not actually digging many holes.

    And Tesla is not a car company, it's a carbon credit company that produces cars as a by-product
    I saw a claim to that effect going around but it was based on the trick where you find a quarter where a company didn't make much profit, and pull out the revenue for the hobby horse you want to ride (in this case carbon credits), and say that the hobby horse accounted for most of the profits.

    The trick when pulling this off is to find a period with just the right proportion of hobby-horse to profit. Ideally you want the hobby horse to be slightly lower than the profit. If it's only 3% or something then it's not very impressive, but equally if you say something like "2000% of their profits came from carbon credits" then people will see through your shenanigans.
    However the trick is done, can't see Musk firing that particular bunch of magicians.

    Yet.
    That trickery wasn't Musk, it was whoever made the talking point about Tesla's profits nearly all being carbon credits that got circulated by a bunch of anti-Musk people.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,118
    Pulpstar said:

    I'm with Elon on this one.

    Which one ?
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 16,721
    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    The next two weeks are insanely busy not so much with work which is winding down for the year but with all the bloody Christmas shenanigans - various events and parties, getting prepared for childrens' concerts, organising presents, doing the advent window, rehearsing Christmas carols etc. On top of that trying to put our flooded basement back together and work with the refugee group we are involved in is intensifying. We're going away for Christmas too so it all has to be done before the 18th. Tldr; need to stop wasting time on here!
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 46,518
    MaxPB said:

    JosiasJessop said:

    Foxy said:

    Nigelb said:

    Looks as though his comments about Apple were economical with the actualite, too.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/30/musk-cook-twitter-apple-app-store-00071521
    ...Musk had a much different tone Monday, when he issued a series of tweets accusing Apple of threatening to “withhold” Twitter from the App Store, among other unspecified “censorship actions” that he laid at Apple’s feet. Those tweets remained live on Musk’s Twitter feed as of Wednesday night.

    Removal from the App Store would pose an almost existential threat to Twitter by making it impossible for iPhone and iPad users to load the social media app onto their devices. Musk’s accusation provoked a tide of anti-Apple attacks from Republicans, including lawmakers and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential GOP presidential nominee in 2024.

    Republicans cited the alleged threat as evidence that Congress needs to enact antitrust legislation loosening Apple’s control over the App Store, a bulwark of the company’s $2 trillion-plus fortune.

    Wednesday’s retraction is just the latest twist involving Musk..

    It's almost as if eccentric and erratic billionaires controlling the media isn't a good thing.
    I wouldn't call him eccentric or erratic, but has Bezos been a 'bad' owner of the Washington Post?
    Yes. Bezos is a Bond villain.
    Really? How has he been a 'bad' owner of the Washington Post?
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,815
    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    I hear you, but I'm not quite there yet... Uni teaching has two and a half weeks more (last day is 16th Dec), although I don't have many scheduled stuff, I do have three days of graduation next week and a visit from the regulators the following week. The wife is off from the 16th too (getting rather large with the pregnancy and suffering) so I will be tempted to stop then, but I have some stuff to do that needs no students around ideally...

    But yes, it feels like its been a long year (Covid hangover, too much political and international crisis?)
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 14,729
    Jonathan said:

    Casino_Royale said:

    Jonathan said:

    Musk is a Wally with billions

    Casino_Royale said:

    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    I wish. Work is shit for me at the moment.
    I’m sorry about that. I know how you feel. At some point there is a moment to throw your hands up, sit back and appreciate the absurdity of it all. I think I might be Reggie Perrin.
    Need the money mate.

    But, yes. I fantasise about this. It's the people - I can work for and with anyone provided they treat me with respect and appreciate what I do.

    At the moment, I have a highly mixed team working for me - and one thing I'm learning as Director is the buck stops with you and you must compensate for that - and a very dickish client.

    So, not much fun.
    That does sound hard. All power to you.

    My joy has been spending the first part of the year developing and winning support for a new investment. Then spending the second half of the year incrementally picking it apart as the economy weakens and budgets are squeezed. Feels somewhat sub optimal. Hence the need for a philosophical approach.

    I don't have a job, career or anything to whinge about but I did buy an R8 in April for the 2022 summer trackday season. It's now December and it's in a thousand bits waiting for a third set of manifolds to arrive from Germany. Summer 2023 beckons...
  • pillsburypillsbury Posts: 373
    CarlottaVance said:

    It has hitherto been deemed ‘transphobic’ to suggest not all trans people are the same and that some people claiming to be trans might in fact scarcely be trans at all. And yet here is the first minister accepting precisely that proposition. Not all trans women are women, some may be ‘men abusing a system to attack women’.

    God loves and will forgive even a slow learner but it says something about this debate that even this concussion to palpable reality – predatory men will take advantage of even well-intentioned schemes for their own ends – counts as a moment of shining, revelatory, progress.

    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/is-nicola-sturgeon-now-guilty-of-transphobia/

    Concussion is excellent
  • CookieCookie Posts: 15,776
    edited December 2022
    Stuartinromford said:

    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    Churchwise, Advent Sunday was the earliest date it can be, which has made a difference chez Romford.

    But there do seem to be plenty of house Illuminations up in our street already. Did the Season Of Lights shuffle earlier in the Covid years, and we can't face pushing it back to something a bit more seemly?
    I'm not normally a Christmas person; at least, not until at least the week before. But this year is different. I'm genuinely looking forward to it. Genuinely happy it's December. Impatient to get the decorations up. Feeling well-disposed towards humanity in general. Going to put in an appearance at the work Christmas party. Not many lights up in the streets around here yet, and I'm impatiently willing them on. I genuinely don't recognise this mood in myself.
    I think it's because this year we're about to start on a big building project and we're going away for a week on the 27th, so all my worries have shifted from Christmas itself to those things.
    Anyway, it's my youngest's birthday tomorrow; traditionally in this house, aside from the elf and the advent calendars, Christmas cannot start until 3rd December at the earliest, so that my youngest gets a day when it's all about her.
    Middle daughter has gone to school in an elf hat today. She is far too cool to care what people think of her.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,865
    Stuartinromford said:

    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    Churchwise, Advent Sunday was the earliest date it can be, which has made a difference chez Romford.

    But there do seem to be plenty of house Illuminations up in our street already. Did the Season Of Lights shuffle earlier in the Covid years, and we can't face pushing it back to something a bit more seemly?
    Knox and Cromwell had a point.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 40,501
    JosiasJessop said:

    MaxPB said:

    JosiasJessop said:

    Foxy said:

    Nigelb said:

    Looks as though his comments about Apple were economical with the actualite, too.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/30/musk-cook-twitter-apple-app-store-00071521
    ...Musk had a much different tone Monday, when he issued a series of tweets accusing Apple of threatening to “withhold” Twitter from the App Store, among other unspecified “censorship actions” that he laid at Apple’s feet. Those tweets remained live on Musk’s Twitter feed as of Wednesday night.

    Removal from the App Store would pose an almost existential threat to Twitter by making it impossible for iPhone and iPad users to load the social media app onto their devices. Musk’s accusation provoked a tide of anti-Apple attacks from Republicans, including lawmakers and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential GOP presidential nominee in 2024.

    Republicans cited the alleged threat as evidence that Congress needs to enact antitrust legislation loosening Apple’s control over the App Store, a bulwark of the company’s $2 trillion-plus fortune.

    Wednesday’s retraction is just the latest twist involving Musk..

    It's almost as if eccentric and erratic billionaires controlling the media isn't a good thing.
    I wouldn't call him eccentric or erratic, but has Bezos been a 'bad' owner of the Washington Post?
    Yes. Bezos is a Bond villain.
    Really? How has he been a 'bad' owner of the Washington Post?
    No proper reporting on Amazon's worker abuse issues.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 14,729
    A cursory reading of Janes this weeks informs that Baldy Ben's defence cuts are in full swing. The extra A400M buy announced in February (always a threadbare fantasy) is in the bin. Boxer is cut from 1,300 vehicles to 1,000 and MLRS upgrade is cut from 75 to 61.

    This was always the danger of going round intimating that the Russians are a gang of boss-eyed drunks driving round up-armoured milk vans with Z painted on the side. The fat knacker should have been talking the Russians up to protect his turf.
  • DriverDriver Posts: 5,560
    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Brexit adds £200 to food bills

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/brexit-adds-200-to-food-bills-n3gltct58

    £200 a what? Week? Month? Year?

    *clicks*

    Oh.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,815
    Stuartinromford said:

    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    Churchwise, Advent Sunday was the earliest date it can be, which has made a difference chez Romford.

    But there do seem to be plenty of house Illuminations up in our street already. Did the Season Of Lights shuffle earlier in the Covid years, and we can't face pushing it back to something a bit more seemly?
    Obviously everywhere is different. The Town lights are up and on at the same time of year as normal (last weekend of November). Very few local houses have lights yet, aside of one in our close, but I expect a fair few more this weekend.

    I usually help out the local Lions with their Christmas collection and its striking to see the change in lights from week to week. Quite often, in early Dec, we get told to come back when its Christmas...

    I do sense that the 'seasons' are now set that Christmas starts when Remembrance finishes. Certainly for advertisers and shops.
  • CookieCookie Posts: 15,776
    Cookie said:

    Stuartinromford said:

    Jonathan said:

    Quick question. It’s 1 Dec. Is anyone here experiencing a slightly premature ‘oh f**k it, it’s time to break for Xmas’? It’s been a long, heavy year. It might just be me. Genuine question.

    Churchwise, Advent Sunday was the earliest date it can be, which has made a difference chez Romford.

    But there do seem to be plenty of house Illuminations up in our street already. Did the Season Of Lights shuffle earlier in the Covid years, and we can't face pushing it back to something a bit more seemly?
    I'm not normally a Christmas person; at least, not until at least the week before. But this year is different. I'm genuinely looking forward to it. Genuinely happy it's December. Impatient to get the decorations up. Feeling well-disposed towards humanity in general. Going to put in an appearance at the work Christmas party. Not many lights up in the streets around here yet, and I'm impatiently willing them on. I genuinely don't recognise this mood in myself.
    I think it's because this year we're about to start on a big building project and we're going away for a week on the 27th, so all my worries have shifted from Christmas itself to those things.
    Anyway, it's my youngest's birthday tomorrow; traditionally in this house, aside from the elf and the advent calendars, Christmas cannot start until 3rd December at the earliest, so that my youngest gets a day when it's all about her.
    Middle daughter has gone to school in an elf hat today. She is far too cool to care what people think of her.
    Also, following the unseasonal intrusion of the World Cup, I'm enjoying the sort-of-unseasonal intrusion of test cricket. It's got me humming this:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx4qZiiz7Cc
    - which I'd love to see England football fans adopt as a terrace song.
    (Mr. B, btw, is a side project from one of Collapsed Lung, who have also done an England football song; Mr. B freely admits he knows next to nothing about cricket. Still, I admire the spirit.)
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