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Walking ten miles would take about three hours, so required a fair bit of free time.kle4 said:
I joke about New Year's resolutions, but without terming it as such I did start a diet and exercise regime from around January 4th last year, and lost 2 stone in 2 months (only a quarter of which has been put back on), so it does work out sometimes.
I doubt my 'walk ten miles a day, have one chicken breast in one slice of bread with a small piece of cheese for dinner' regime was very healthy though.0 -
Nonsense. He's at least done something and isn't being given any position of power (unlike someone with a peerage) - plenty of people who have done literally nothing and are much shadier, or have just given money to a party, who get rewarded.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
As a continued example of disliking the honours system, I get it. As an egregious example of its flaws? I do not see it. It is no more a disgrace than most political honours - that being the case, how can someone get especially angry at this one example?
I voted LD (in a Tory held seat) if it helps at all. If Labour want to reward someone the same way, that's fine too.0 -
Mr. Meeks, it doesn't. The outrage is from people with columns to fill and nothing else happening, and those who wish to knock Cameron.0
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Capital "L". It is a noun -so Party.ydoethur said:
The party, the verb or the process?surbiton said:
I prefer teach the children to love Labour.AlastairMeeks said:Maybe disaffected Labour supporters need to take Crosby Stills & Nash's advice. If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.
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Blair ennobled Philip Gould, Lady Thatcher ennobled Tim Bell, Maurice Saatchi got a peerage too.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
PMs give honours to those that help them win elections.
If anything Crosby should be pissed off he only got a Knighthood.
At minimum he should have become a Royal Duke, Lynton Crosby, Duke of Sheffield would have been appropriate0 -
I didn't say it broke new ground I said it's a disgrace. Crosby is superb at what he's paid to do, he undermined the Labour campaign in a very effective way, that was his job. But honours should be about service to the country not a political party. (Yes, I hear you say, when it's a Tory that's the same thing).AlastairMeeks said:
There are abundant examples of party strategists getting honours, Spencer Livermore being the most recent but also Philip Gould and Tim Bell. I'm not a fan of the honours system but I struggle to see how this knighthood breaks new ground.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
This award demeans the system and highlights Cameron's continual bad personal judgement.
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It is Blackburn. Cameron did something ergo it must be a bad thing Cameron did.Plato_Says said:Labour made Gould a lord. I don't understand your point.
blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.0 -
It is the Conservatives who have cut the army by even more than they've cut the navy and RAF.Sean_F said:
The Queen and the British Army.AlastairMeeks said:If Labour aren't going to rally around Jeremy Corbyn they need to find something to rally against. In the first part of the last Parliament, Nick Clegg served that function. Who or what might serve the purpose this time round?
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Has anyone watched The Affair? S1 reminds me of True Detective. Just about to start S2
For Showtime, there's less gratuitous sex than usual.0 -
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
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Mr. F, perhaps they are. But if I want to read a diary full of bile, I'll make do with Procopius.0
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German update for New Year:
http://www.wahlrecht.de/umfragen/
Governing parties and FDP (pro-business liberals) down a bit, Left/Greens/AfD (UKIP) up a bit, overall position pretty stable. The AfD is getting bad coverage at the moment after their advance earlier this year, as racist regional leaders are making the efforts of the leader to become the "respectable right" difficult. But it's not affecting their polling visibly, as their voters presumably aren't bothered by being thought a bit racist (it may be setting a ceiling on who else will vote for them, though).0 -
The Conservatives have not treated the uniformed services well. But Corbyn would be worse.DecrepitJohnL said:
It is the Conservatives who have cut the army by even more than they've cut the navy and RAF.Sean_F said:
The Queen and the British Army.AlastairMeeks said:If Labour aren't going to rally around Jeremy Corbyn they need to find something to rally against. In the first part of the last Parliament, Nick Clegg served that function. Who or what might serve the purpose this time round?
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I'm not a fan of the honours system full stop and given its longterm abuse I don't see this bringing it deeper into disrepute. One might comment that it's only a knighthood rather than a peerage, which seems previously to have been the norm.blackburn63 said:
I didn't say it broke new ground I said it's a disgrace. Crosby is superb at what he's paid to do, he undermined the Labour campaign in a very effective way, that was his job. But honours should be about service to the country not a political party. (Yes, I hear you say, when it's a Tory that's the same thing).AlastairMeeks said:
There are abundant examples of party strategists getting honours, Spencer Livermore being the most recent but also Philip Gould and Tim Bell. I'm not a fan of the honours system but I struggle to see how this knighthood breaks new ground.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
This award demeans the system and highlights Cameron's continual bad personal judgement.0 -
It is TSE, Cameron did something ergo it's fine by me.TheScreamingEagles said:
It is Blackburn. Cameron did something ergo it must be a bad thing Cameron did.Plato_Says said:Labour made Gould a lord. I don't understand your point.
blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
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Funny how all the Tory papers are complaining about the honours list. Obviously they did not get the pb Tories memo that Cameron's cronies are political and humanitarian giants and anyway Labour did it worse with Lord Kagan of Gannex in ... checks wikipedia ... 1976.0
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I think Morris_Dancer is spot on. One can admire Campbell as extremely effective, but 'poisoned' is precisely what he did.
I read his diaries and was simultaneously impressed and revolted . I refuse to read anything written by McBride.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
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Campbell and Crosby are excellent at what they are paid to do, I know little of Crosby other than he is Australian, we all know plenty about the attention seeking Campbell.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
But the point is: what is the Honours system for?
If it's to reward people for scratching backs and personal gain then I hope the whole tawdry charade is scrapped.
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We rejected Salmond and Sturgeon unlike you lot.malcolmg said:
Easily taken in down there, any old snake oil salesman can fool themThreeQuidder said:
Oh, indeed.Wanderer said:
The Salmond's-pocket meme was effective in England though.ThreeQuidder said:
SNP gains from Labour had no direct effect on the election result.SquareRoot said:
Quite , IMHO it was the SNP wot won it for Dave... both in destroying Labour in Scotland , plus frightening voters into voting for Dave (Salmond writing Labour budget )david_herdson said:On topic, we need to be careful about not over-reacting. We also need to be careful about trusting the pollsters on one metric while ignoring them on another. Why should they be any more reliable on leader ratings than voting intention? Arguably, you could answer that by saying that one is a current view and the other is to an extent predictive, even if the question is "how would you in an election today", but it's a fine distinction.
The 1979 example has been trotted out enough times but remains valid. Had we gone with the leader ratings then we'd have predicted a Labour win, or at least, another hung parliament.
There were a lot of straws in the wind that suggested that the online polling was wrong. There were few straws in the wind that suggested the entire industry was as wrong as it was. In particular, the scale of the key Con-Lab battleground swing was missed.
I'd suggest that the biggest error in predicting the 2015 result was not so much a failure of overall figures - though that was bad - but a failure to understand the extent to which regional or sectional factors would magnify the national picture.0 -
I agree wholeheartedly with the last sentence. It is just a tawdry charade.blackburn63 said:
Campbell and Crosby are excellent at what they are paid to do, I know little of Crosby other than he is Australian, we all know plenty about the attention seeking Campbell.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
But the point is: what is the Honours system for?
If it's to reward people for scratching backs and personal gain then I hope the whole tawdry charade is scrapped.0 -
Lolz
So the BBC websites are all down. Never fear, they will just go to the back up system! #BBC #BBCwebsite #BBCdown https://t.co/7HkJIeBysP0 -
You idiot you did not have a vote for themThreeQuidder said:
We rejected Salmond and Sturgeon unlike you lot.malcolmg said:
Easily taken in down there, any old snake oil salesman can fool themThreeQuidder said:
Oh, indeed.Wanderer said:
The Salmond's-pocket meme was effective in England though.ThreeQuidder said:
SNP gains from Labour had no direct effect on the election result.SquareRoot said:
Quite , IMHO it was the SNP wot won it for Dave... both in destroying Labour in Scotland , plus frightening voters into voting for Dave (Salmond writing Labour budget )david_herdson said:On topic, we need to be careful about not over-reacting. We also need to be careful about trusting the pollsters on one metric while ignoring them on another. Why should they be any more reliable on leader ratings than voting intention? Arguably, you could answer that by saying that one is a current view and the other is to an extent predictive, even if the question is "how would you in an election today", but it's a fine distinction.
The 1979 example has been trotted out enough times but remains valid. Had we gone with the leader ratings then we'd have predicted a Labour win, or at least, another hung parliament.
There were a lot of straws in the wind that suggested that the online polling was wrong. There were few straws in the wind that suggested the entire industry was as wrong as it was. In particular, the scale of the key Con-Lab battleground swing was missed.
I'd suggest that the biggest error in predicting the 2015 result was not so much a failure of overall figures - though that was bad - but a failure to understand the extent to which regional or sectional factors would magnify the national picture.0 -
It's quite usual.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
I wouldn't see anything out of the way in knighting Campbell either. I think you're projecting with the "apoplectic".
The honours system itself may need reform or abolition but as things stand this is business as usual for it.0 -
Love it.
I'm Atticus
It appears the Tories have cut everything #BBCdown0 -
I should like to reassure the site that both my blog and website are up. And that without £3bn of public money
http://thaddeusthesixth.blogspot.co.uk/
http://thaddeuswhite.weebly.com/0 -
And (though outrage may be little strong) Mark Garnier, Con MP.Morris_Dancer said:The outrage is from people with columns to fill and nothing else happening, and those who wish to knock Cameron.
'A bad idea'0 -
And even so we were still clever enough to find a way to reject them.malcolmg said:
You idiot you did not have a vote for themThreeQuidder said:
We rejected Salmond and Sturgeon unlike you lot.malcolmg said:
Easily taken in down there, any old snake oil salesman can fool themThreeQuidder said:
Oh, indeed.Wanderer said:
The Salmond's-pocket meme was effective in England though.ThreeQuidder said:
SNP gains from Labour had no direct effect on the election result.SquareRoot said:
Quite , IMHO it was the SNP wot won it for Dave... both in destroying Labour in Scotland , plus frightening voters into voting for Dave (Salmond writing Labour budget )david_herdson said:On topic, we need to be careful about not over-reacting. We also need to be careful about trusting the pollsters on one metric while ignoring them on another. Why should they be any more reliable on leader ratings than voting intention? Arguably, you could answer that by saying that one is a current view and the other is to an extent predictive, even if the question is "how would you in an election today", but it's a fine distinction.
The 1979 example has been trotted out enough times but remains valid. Had we gone with the leader ratings then we'd have predicted a Labour win, or at least, another hung parliament.
There were a lot of straws in the wind that suggested that the online polling was wrong. There were few straws in the wind that suggested the entire industry was as wrong as it was. In particular, the scale of the key Con-Lab battleground swing was missed.
I'd suggest that the biggest error in predicting the 2015 result was not so much a failure of overall figures - though that was bad - but a failure to understand the extent to which regional or sectional factors would magnify the national picture.
Sturgeon banging on about "locking Cameron out of Downing Street" gave us the opportunity.0 -
Mr. Divvie, worth also noting that not all Conservatives are predisposed towards Cameron.
Mr. Quidder, for the SNP and Conservatives, a crushing defeat for Labour/Miliband was ideal.0 -
It is a tawdry charade. I think even its defenders must acknowledge that. It may be a useful tawdry charade and defensible on that basis.AlastairMeeks said:
I agree wholeheartedly with the last sentence. It is just a tawdry charade.blackburn63 said:
Campbell and Crosby are excellent at what they are paid to do, I know little of Crosby other than he is Australian, we all know plenty about the attention seeking Campbell.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
But the point is: what is the Honours system for?
If it's to reward people for scratching backs and personal gain then I hope the whole tawdry charade is scrapped.0 -
Mr wanderer, it is for precisely the reason you state ie business as usual, that it needs ending. Cameron had an opportunity to silence his critics, once again he gave us an opportunity to point fingers and compare him with previous self serving fools. I'm disappointed that respected commentators such as Mr Herdson are applauding this award.Wanderer said:
It's quite usual.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
I wouldn't see anything out of the way in knighting Campbell either. I think you're projecting with the "apoplectic".
The honours system itself may need reform or abolition but as things stand this is business as usual for it.
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Voting Conservative in England may be driven, in part, by a desire to keep the SNP out of power in Westminster.malcolmg said:
You idiot you did not have a vote for themThreeQuidder said:
We rejected Salmond and Sturgeon unlike you lot.malcolmg said:
Easily taken in down there, any old snake oil salesman can fool themThreeQuidder said:
Oh, indeed.Wanderer said:
The Salmond's-pocket meme was effective in England though.ThreeQuidder said:
SNP gains from Labour had no direct effect on the election result.SquareRoot said:
Quite , IMHO it was the SNP wot won it for Dave... both in destroying Labour in Scotland , plus frightening voters into voting for Dave (Salmond writing Labour budget )david_herdson said:On topic, we need to be careful about not over-reacting. We also need to be careful about trusting the pollsters on one metric while ignoring them on another. Why should they be any more reliable on leader ratings than voting intention? Arguably, you could answer that by saying that one is a current view and the other is to an extent predictive, even if the question is "how would you in an election today", but it's a fine distinction.
The 1979 example has been trotted out enough times but remains valid. Had we gone with the leader ratings then we'd have predicted a Labour win, or at least, another hung parliament.
There were a lot of straws in the wind that suggested that the online polling was wrong. There were few straws in the wind that suggested the entire industry was as wrong as it was. In particular, the scale of the key Con-Lab battleground swing was missed.
I'd suggest that the biggest error in predicting the 2015 result was not so much a failure of overall figures - though that was bad - but a failure to understand the extent to which regional or sectional factors would magnify the national picture.0 -
Afaik Garnier isn't a member of that particular club.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. Divvie, worth also noting that not all Conservatives are predisposed towards Cameron.
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65yrs. Golly. I stopped listening when Nigel fell off the roof. I'm tempted to try again. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/what-to-listen-to/the-archers-65-years-of-love-death-and-dairy-farming/
In 1948 an enterprising BBC Midlands radio producer, Godfrey Baseley, was inspired by a suggestion that “a farming Dick Barton” was needed to publicise post-war changes in agriculture.
Dick Barton, Special Agent, was a nightly thriller full of baddies, goodies and sound effects, and was hugely popular. It took Baseley two years to assemble something similar about a traditional Midlands farming family.
His masterstroke was to get the Dick Barton team, Edward J Mason and Geoffrey Webb, to write it. After five pilot Archers episodes on Midland Region only, The Archers went national on the Light Programme at 11.45am on January 1 1951.0 -
Mr. 63, the choice isn't just continue or abolish. The system could refocused so that the military, emergency services, and so forth benefit, rather than gongs being handed out as a matter of course to people who also get good, or excellent, rates of pay and bulletproof pensions.0
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That's fair enough, because it is about scratching backs and always has been. I'm not opposed to some modest back scratching, in principle, but the system has certainly never been about some objective deserved award.blackburn63 said:
Campbell and Crosby are excellent at what they are paid to do, I know little of Crosby other than he is Australian, we all know plenty about the attention seeking Campbell.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
But the point is: what is the Honours system for?
If it's to reward people for scratching backs and personal gain then I hope the whole tawdry charade is scrapped.0 -
The SNP are trying to turn politics in Scotland into permanent identity politics after the fashion of Northern Ireland or Malaysia. I suppose that's all they have left after decisive defeat in the referendum and without the power to call another one.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. Divvie, worth also noting that not all Conservatives are predisposed towards Cameron.
Mr. Quidder, for the SNP and Conservatives, a crushing defeat for Labour/Miliband was ideal.0 -
Oh, sure, there's a good case for ending the whole system. I wouldn't really expect a Tory Government to do that though.blackburn63 said:
Mr wanderer, it is for precisely the reason you state ie business as usual, that it needs ending. Cameron had an opportunity to silence his critics, once again he gave us an opportunity to point fingers and compare him with previous self serving fools. I'm disappointed that respected commentators such as Mr Herdson are applauding this award.Wanderer said:
It's quite usual.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
I wouldn't see anything out of the way in knighting Campbell either. I think you're projecting with the "apoplectic".
The honours system itself may need reform or abolition but as things stand this is business as usual for it.
And I can't really get worked up about these things. It's more comedy than anything.0 -
Seems alot easier to get a knighthood if you're involved with politics rather than any other aspect of life.AlastairMeeks said:
I'm not a fan of the honours system full stop and given its longterm abuse I don't see this bringing it deeper into disrepute. One might comment that it's only a knighthood rather than a peerage, which seems previously to have been the norm.blackburn63 said:
I didn't say it broke new ground I said it's a disgrace. Crosby is superb at what he's paid to do, he undermined the Labour campaign in a very effective way, that was his job. But honours should be about service to the country not a political party. (Yes, I hear you say, when it's a Tory that's the same thing).AlastairMeeks said:
There are abundant examples of party strategists getting honours, Spencer Livermore being the most recent but also Philip Gould and Tim Bell. I'm not a fan of the honours system but I struggle to see how this knighthood breaks new ground.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
This award demeans the system and highlights Cameron's continual bad personal judgement.0 -
And lifer civil servants who make up the D List. I've met several and can't see any reason for theirs bar buggins quota filling.Morris_Dancer said:
Mr. 63, the choice isn't just continue or abolish. The system could refocused so that the military, emergency services, and so forth benefit, rather than gongs being handed out as a matter of course to people who also get good, or excellent, rates of pay and bulletproof pensions.
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The most disappointing thing about these honours is JohnO still hasn't got his peerage.
Utter disgrace from Dave0 -
If Cameron fed the 5000, some would condemn him for putting fishermen and bakers out of work!Wanderer said:
Oh, sure, there's a good case for ending the whole system. I wouldn't really expect a Tory Government to do that though.blackburn63 said:
Mr wanderer, it is for precisely the reason you state ie business as usual, that it needs ending. Cameron had an opportunity to silence his critics, once again he gave us an opportunity to point fingers and compare him with previous self serving fools. I'm disappointed that respected commentators such as Mr Herdson are applauding this award.Wanderer said:
It's quite usual.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
I wouldn't see anything out of the way in knighting Campbell either. I think you're projecting with the "apoplectic".
The honours system itself may need reform or abolition but as things stand this is business as usual for it.
And I can't really get worked up about these things. It's more comedy than anything.
Gongs are a fairly harmless way of rewarding cronies. Far better than making them peers to lord it over us in perpetuity.
There are even some in the list who deserve it, such as Prof Melanie Davies now CBE, who has come a long way from modest beginnings to become one of the top diabetes researchers in the world, and also an excellent colleague of mine in Leicester.
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/press/press-releases/2015/december/professor-of-diabetes-medicine-awarded-cbe
0 -
Seconded. But I still live in hope.TheScreamingEagles said:The most disappointing thing about these honours is JohnO still hasn't got his peerage.
Utter disgrace from Dave0 -
!0+ years a PM -UKIP and the rest could do with some of his bad judgement. Too much vinegar on your cornflakes...again.blackburn63 said:
I didn't say it broke new ground I said it's a disgrace. Crosby is superb at what he's paid to do, he undermined the Labour campaign in a very effective way, that was his job. But honours should be about service to the country not a political party. (Yes, I hear you say, when it's a Tory that's the same thing).AlastairMeeks said:
There are abundant examples of party strategists getting honours, Spencer Livermore being the most recent but also Philip Gould and Tim Bell. I'm not a fan of the honours system but I struggle to see how this knighthood breaks new ground.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
This award demeans the system and highlights Cameron's continual bad personal judgement.
0 -
I'm 50 and I can't remember a time when there hasn't been frothing over the honours list. I remember my parents, when I was a child, laughing about thisfoxinsoxuk said:
If Cameron fed the 5000, some would condemn him for putting fishermen and bakers out of work!Wanderer said:
Oh, sure, there's a good case for ending the whole system. I wouldn't really expect a Tory Government to do that though.blackburn63 said:
Mr wanderer, it is for precisely the reason you state ie business as usual, that it needs ending. Cameron had an opportunity to silence his critics, once again he gave us an opportunity to point fingers and compare him with previous self serving fools. I'm disappointed that respected commentators such as Mr Herdson are applauding this award.Wanderer said:
It's quite usual.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
I wouldn't see anything out of the way in knighting Campbell either. I think you're projecting with the "apoplectic".
The honours system itself may need reform or abolition but as things stand this is business as usual for it.
And I can't really get worked up about these things. It's more comedy than anything.
Gongs are a fairly harmless way of rewarding cronies. Far better than making them peers to lord it over us in perpetuity.
There are even some in the list who deserve it, such as Prof Melanie Davies now CBE, who has come a long way from modest beginnings to become one of the top diabetes researchers in the world, and also an excellent colleague of mine in Leicester.
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/press/press-releases/2015/december/professor-of-diabetes-medicine-awarded-cbe
http://ebid.s3.amazonaws.com/upload_medbig/9/9/3/1346627447-3351-30.jpg0 -
And we ought not forget Ave It, whose predictions of Boris' mayoralty were made when most of us thought it a jest, and whose confidence in a Conservative victory was second to none.0
-
Now, that's one helluva cheap date http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/woman-escapes-drink-driving-conviction-by-proving-that-her-body-is-a-brewery-a3146351.html
However, the woman was charged with driving while intoxicated when a breath test showed her blood-alcohol content to be 0.33 per cent.
The legal limit in New York is just 0.08.
The arrest led the woman to discover she has a rare condition called “auto-brewery syndrome”, where her digestive system converts ordinary food into alcohol.0 -
Rejoice! I have acquired my 500th follower on Twitter! None other than Dustin Lance Black! Hooray!0
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Mr. Loony, shade greedy of you. Jesus only needed 12.0
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Thing is, you would think that condition would permanently disqualify you from driving anyway.Plato_Says said:Now, that's one helluva cheap date http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/woman-escapes-drink-driving-conviction-by-proving-that-her-body-is-a-brewery-a3146351.html
However, the woman was charged with driving while intoxicated when a breath test showed her blood-alcohol content to be 0.33 per cent.
The legal limit in New York is just 0.08.
The arrest led the woman to discover she has a rare condition called “auto-brewery syndrome”, where her digestive system converts ordinary food into alcohol.0 -
For New Year humbugs
Letters of Note
From a letter written in 1863, Mark Twain on New Year's resolutions: https://t.co/sjWLFDPDCz0 -
Peerages are *so* 18th centuryTheScreamingEagles said:The most disappointing thing about these honours is JohnO still hasn't got his peerage.
Utter disgrace from Dave
0 -
0
-
Dr. Prasannan, I agree. They're clearly for n00bs.
Real men, like Aurelian, get proclaimed Restorer of the World.0 -
Another important PB contribution to political analysisPlato_Says said:I think Morris_Dancer is spot on. One can admire Campbell as extremely effective, but 'poisoned' is precisely what he did.
I read his diaries and was simultaneously impressed and revolted . I refuse to read anything written by McBride.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
Alastair Campbell = poisoned British public life
Michael Fallon = did the job he had to do by smearing Miliband and did it well0 -
Mr. EPG, you consider Campbell's general poisoning of politics over years, his behaviour regarding Dr. David Kelly, and his behaviour around the dodgy dossier to be comparable to Fallon's admittedly brusque but also essentially accurate one line accusation about Ed Miliband's conduct?
If so, thou art a drunken monkey.0 -
Dearie me. The last desperate refuge, exhume Thatcher. Is there a Godwin Law for her yet!?
Labourlist.org
Thatcher’s rotten government was only interested in discord and division says @KevinPMeagher https://t.co/tZYSgXdQSk0 -
Coulson = Criminal, but did his job well !EPG said:
Another important PB contribution to political analysisPlato_Says said:I think Morris_Dancer is spot on. One can admire Campbell as extremely effective, but 'poisoned' is precisely what he did.
I read his diaries and was simultaneously impressed and revolted . I refuse to read anything written by McBride.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
Alastair Campbell = poisoned British public life
Michael Fallon = did the job he had to do by smearing Miliband and did it well0 -
I don't see that there was anything "poisonous" about Campbell either. He was a bruiser but politics is a contact sport.EPG said:
Another important PB contribution to political analysisPlato_Says said:I think Morris_Dancer is spot on. One can admire Campbell as extremely effective, but 'poisoned' is precisely what he did.
I read his diaries and was simultaneously impressed and revolted . I refuse to read anything written by McBride.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
Alastair Campbell = poisoned British public life
Michael Fallon = did the job he had to do by smearing Miliband and did it well0 -
He's miffed that he's not Lord BongoBongo of Blackburn.felix said:
!0+ years a PM -UKIP and the rest could do with some of his bad judgement. Too much vinegar on your cornflakes...again.blackburn63 said:
I didn't say it broke new ground I said it's a disgrace. Crosby is superb at what he's paid to do, he undermined the Labour campaign in a very effective way, that was his job. But honours should be about service to the country not a political party. (Yes, I hear you say, when it's a Tory that's the same thing).AlastairMeeks said:
There are abundant examples of party strategists getting honours, Spencer Livermore being the most recent but also Philip Gould and Tim Bell. I'm not a fan of the honours system but I struggle to see how this knighthood breaks new ground.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
This award demeans the system and highlights Cameron's continual bad personal judgement.0 -
I suppose one could make a distinction between the occasional smear and coordinated campaigns and instinctive ordinary behaviours, but personally I thought Fallon's remarks unnecessary to his cause even if some think it might have helped them. I think the Tories didn't need to go down that route with Ed, it made me think better of Ed.EPG said:
Another important PB contribution to political analysisPlato_Says said:I think Morris_Dancer is spot on. One can admire Campbell as extremely effective, but 'poisoned' is precisely what he did.
I read his diaries and was simultaneously impressed and revolted . I refuse to read anything written by McBride.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
Alastair Campbell = poisoned British public life
Michael Fallon = did the job he had to do by smearing Miliband and did it well0 -
I won't argue with the conviction as the law is the law but in the light of the subsequent events one suspects he was the 'fall guy'. In all other respects a much nicer person than Campbell who even manages to give mental health a bad name.surbiton said:
Coulson = Criminal, but did his job well !EPG said:
Another important PB contribution to political analysisPlato_Says said:I think Morris_Dancer is spot on. One can admire Campbell as extremely effective, but 'poisoned' is precisely what he did.
I read his diaries and was simultaneously impressed and revolted . I refuse to read anything written by McBride.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
Alastair Campbell = poisoned British public life
Michael Fallon = did the job he had to do by smearing Miliband and did it well
0 -
Actually Coulson didn’t, did he?surbiton said:
Coulson = Criminal, but did his job well !EPG said:
Another important PB contribution to political analysisPlato_Says said:I think Morris_Dancer is spot on. One can admire Campbell as extremely effective, but 'poisoned' is precisely what he did.
I read his diaries and was simultaneously impressed and revolted . I refuse to read anything written by McBride.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
Alastair Campbell = poisoned British public life
Michael Fallon = did the job he had to do by smearing Miliband and did it well0 -
Particularly, the HMRC people who had dinners with big knobs and they got a bargain as discussed at the select committee .Plato_Says said:And lifer civil servants who make up the D List. I've met several and can't see any reason for theirs bar buggins quota filling.
Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, the choice isn't just continue or abolish. The system could refocused so that the military, emergency services, and so forth benefit, rather than gongs being handed out as a matter of course to people who also get good, or excellent, rates of pay and bulletproof pensions.
0 -
Comparing Campbell to Fallon is like comparing Flavius Phocas to John Tzimisces.0
-
The Tories think he did his job well.Wanderer said:
Actually Coulson didn’t, did he?surbiton said:
Coulson = Criminal, but did his job well !EPG said:
Another important PB contribution to political analysisPlato_Says said:I think Morris_Dancer is spot on. One can admire Campbell as extremely effective, but 'poisoned' is precisely what he did.
I read his diaries and was simultaneously impressed and revolted . I refuse to read anything written by McBride.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
Alastair Campbell = poisoned British public life
Michael Fallon = did the job he had to do by smearing Miliband and did it well
0 -
No, 500 is internal server error. Bad gateway is 502.rcs1000 said:
500 is bad gateway, I think.Sandpit said:
Yep, it's down. Whoops, at least one IT guy is going to have a long day...DecrepitJohnL said:
The BBC news page does seem to be having problems.Philip_Thompson said:Off topic I can't get to the BBC News webpage. It is giving an "Error 500" error code with an image of a clown against a black chalkboard with 500 written on it and fire behind it. But I've been having problems with my internet so don't know if its my side or the BBC's - is anyone else having problem connecting currently?
That means their load balancer has probably fallen over. I'd guess they're using nginx.
And in about 2 minutes it will have been restarted...
500 normally means some kind of fatal coding error in the site. The most likely cause is that they have rolled out an update to the site which is not working in live. Interestingly I can follow Google links to news pages other than the news home page. Similarly I can't get to the overall home page for the site but iPlayer is still there.
And, as I was typing this, the BBC has come back online.0 -
He is just so obsessed with Cameron - there's gotta be a deep underlying attraction therePlato_Says said:He's miffed that he's not Lord BongoBongo of Blackburn.
felix said:
!0+ years a PM -UKIP and the rest could do with some of his bad judgement. Too much vinegar on your cornflakes...again.blackburn63 said:
I didn't say it broke new ground I said it's a disgrace. Crosby is superb at what he's paid to do, he undermined the Labour campaign in a very effective way, that was his job. But honours should be about service to the country not a political party. (Yes, I hear you say, when it's a Tory that's the same thing).AlastairMeeks said:
There are abundant examples of party strategists getting honours, Spencer Livermore being the most recent but also Philip Gould and Tim Bell. I'm not a fan of the honours system but I struggle to see how this knighthood breaks new ground.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
This award demeans the system and highlights Cameron's continual bad personal judgement. 0 -
Of course they are comparable. They may not be of the same magnitude, but surely I don't have to make a pedantic distinction here of all placesMorris_Dancer said:Mr. EPG, you consider Campbell's general poisoning of politics over years, his behaviour regarding Dr. David Kelly, and his behaviour around the dodgy dossier to be comparable to Fallon's admittedly brusque but also essentially accurate one line accusation about Ed Miliband's conduct?
If so, thou art a drunken monkey.0 -
Re Phones: I want to know whether they are buying their chipsets from Mediatek or someone else; whether Intel is being aggressive in baseband; what negotiations for flash are looking like; negotiations with carriers etc. Basically, I'm trying to get a handle on the entire mobile phone supply chain, and where there are shortages/excess supply.MaxPB said:
Fair enough. Though I'm not convinced of the value in knowing all of the Chinese brands given they all clone each other's devices and most will never leave China. Those that do will end up in shanzai shops in Malaysia and Indonesia.rcs1000 said:
TBH, it's easier than trekking around China visiting all the up and coming mobile phone companies on a "one per city per day" basis. This way I see them all in the course of 48 hours. I also get to meet some quite exciting new start-ups. And I'm seeing a bunch of VR guys while I'm there (HTC, etc.)MaxPB said:
No, I was on our list of attendees but thankfully I managed to weasel my way out of it. Had enough conventions both as an exhibitor and in attendance. I'm surprised you're going though? They are long and hateful events.rcs1000 said:Any PBers going to CES next week?
I'm also going on from their to a telecoms conference in Utah. (Where I might manage an afternoon skiing...)
Vive is really good, Oculus needs a lot of work and PS VR is probably the best so far and also releasing soonest. I've used VR extensively (well PS VR) and I'm still not convinced on mass market appeal, media is a shared experience for the majority of people, I don't know how VR fits into that, a few million gamers and forever alone basement dwellers is not something I would be confident building a billion dollar industry on. Its also a shame that the porn expo isn't there until next month, I'm sure there are a lot of, err, interesting uses for VR and porn...
And I think I completely agree with you re VR.
I have an Oculus DK2, and while it's very cool (and Elite is fabulous on it), I'm not sure that it's mass market.0 -
What a pathetic slur. Shame on you ! Whether he was a fall guy or not, the others who were smarter were Tory supporters too. Coulson is a CRIMINAL and that is why he went to prison.felix said:
I won't argue with the conviction as the law is the law but in the light of the subsequent events one suspects he was the 'fall guy'. In all other respects a much nicer person than Campbell who even manages to give mental health a bad name.surbiton said:
Coulson = Criminal, but did his job well !EPG said:
Another important PB contribution to political analysisPlato_Says said:I think Morris_Dancer is spot on. One can admire Campbell as extremely effective, but 'poisoned' is precisely what he did.
I read his diaries and was simultaneously impressed and revolted . I refuse to read anything written by McBride.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
Alastair Campbell = poisoned British public life
Michael Fallon = did the job he had to do by smearing Miliband and did it well0 -
I saw this from @Charles (FPT):-
"I've just caught up on Mr Meek's admirable mea culpa and noted there was some discussion of Norman Fowler.
My Mum is close friends with Fiona Fowler... Let's just say that Norman was gently teasing his civil servants... "
Quite apart from my mind boggling at what your Mum talks about with her close friends, you have just ruined a good story.
Still, I suppose it was hard to swallow.
0 -
Morris dancer yes Ave It for supreme leader!
Happy new year to all even supporters of small regional Scottish parties!
0 -
Spencer Livermore loses an election and gets a Peersagefoxinsoxuk said:
Gongs are a fairly harmless way of rewarding cronies. Far better than making them peers to lord it over us in perpetuity.Wanderer said:
Oh, sure, there's a good case for ending the whole system. I wouldn't really expect a Tory Government to do that though.blackburn63 said:
Mr wanderer, it is for precisely the reason you state ie business as usual, that it needs ending. Cameron had an opportunity to silence his critics, once again he gave us an opportunity to point fingers and compare him with previous self serving fools. I'm disappointed that respected commentators such as Mr Herdson are applauding this award.Wanderer said:
It's quite usual.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
I wouldn't see anything out of the way in knighting Campbell either. I think you're projecting with the "apoplectic".
The honours system itself may need reform or abolition but as things stand this is business as usual for it.
And I can't really get worked up about these things. It's more comedy than anything.
Lynton Crosby wins an election and gets a Knighthood.....0 -
Maybe he wants Cameron to clean behind his fridge.felix said:
He is just so obsessed with Cameron - there's gotta be a deep underlying attraction therePlato_Says said:He's miffed that he's not Lord BongoBongo of Blackburn.
felix said:
!0+ years a PM -UKIP and the rest could do with some of his bad judgement. Too much vinegar on your cornflakes...again.blackburn63 said:
I didn't say it broke new ground I said it's a disgrace. Crosby is superb at what he's paid to do, he undermined the Labour campaign in a very effective way, that was his job. But honours should be about service to the country not a political party. (Yes, I hear you say, when it's a Tory that's the same thing).AlastairMeeks said:
There are abundant examples of party strategists getting honours, Spencer Livermore being the most recent but also Philip Gould and Tim Bell. I'm not a fan of the honours system but I struggle to see how this knighthood breaks new ground.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
This award demeans the system and highlights Cameron's continual bad personal judgement.0 -
Mr Herdson is also a Tory. To them, the Conservative Party and Britain is the same thing.blackburn63 said:
Mr wanderer, it is for precisely the reason you state ie business as usual, that it needs ending. Cameron had an opportunity to silence his critics, once again he gave us an opportunity to point fingers and compare him with previous self serving fools. I'm disappointed that respected commentators such as Mr Herdson are applauding this award.Wanderer said:
It's quite usual.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
I wouldn't see anything out of the way in knighting Campbell either. I think you're projecting with the "apoplectic".
The honours system itself may need reform or abolition but as things stand this is business as usual for it.
Going back to Alastair Campbell. He was Blair Media Chief, a government paid job and not just for elections.
Crosby's role was only to elect a Tory government, which he failed badly in Canada.0 -
-------------Cyclefree said:I saw this from @Charles (FPT):-
"I've just caught up on Mr Meek's admirable mea culpa and noted there was some discussion of Norman Fowler.
My Mum is close friends with Fiona Fowler... Let's just say that Norman was gently teasing his civil servants... "
Quite apart from my mind boggling at what your Mum talks about with her close friends, you have just ruined a good story.
Still, I suppose it was hard to swallow.
So far we have got the following: Norman Fowler did not know what oral sex was, but his wife did !0 -
Nothing wrong with the poor man's business class. It has seats like any other plane. I have to admit I haven't flown Eva. My flights to Taiwan has always been with Dragon, an excellent airline.SeanT said:On another note, I have been advised by one of my nubile Thai servants that tyson accused me of being a "narcissistic prick" for debating the virtues of Eva Air Biz Class.
I plead Guilty.
Prior to sentencing, and in mitigation, I only wonder if this is the same tyson who told us he was a helpless millionaire, bored of horribly white north Oxford, which was why he was moving to his second home in Tuscany?
Tyson is a good chap. I don't think he votes Tory but like many he is not too fond of Corbyn.0 -
Rofl. I didn't deny the last bit - and the slur was spot on as shown by your reaction. BTW since when were all the Mirror journalists Tories ?surbiton said:
What a pathetic slur. Shame on you ! Whether he was a fall guy or not, the others who were smarter were Tory supporters too. Coulson is a CRIMINAL and that is why he went to prison.felix said:
I won't argue with the conviction as the law is the law but in the light of the subsequent events one suspects he was the 'fall guy'. In all other respects a much nicer person than Campbell who even manages to give mental health a bad name.surbiton said:
Coulson = Criminal, but did his job well !EPG said:
Another important PB contribution to political analysisPlato_Says said:I think Morris_Dancer is spot on. One can admire Campbell as extremely effective, but 'poisoned' is precisely what he did.
I read his diaries and was simultaneously impressed and revolted . I refuse to read anything written by McBride.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
Alastair Campbell = poisoned British public life
Michael Fallon = did the job he had to do by smearing Miliband and did it well0 -
Edit: deleted0
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Hurrah - when you moving to Canada?surbiton said:
Mr Herdson is also a Tory. To them, the Conservative Party and Britain is the same thing.blackburn63 said:
Mr wanderer, it is for precisely the reason you state ie business as usual, that it needs ending. Cameron had an opportunity to silence his critics, once again he gave us an opportunity to point fingers and compare him with previous self serving fools. I'm disappointed that respected commentators such as Mr Herdson are applauding this award.Wanderer said:
It's quite usual.blackburn63 said:
Mr Herdson you one of my favourite article writers on here but that is utter tosh, knighting somebody for masterminding an election victory is disgraceful, if Blair had knighted Alistair Campbell you would have been apoplectic. I'm afraid even the more rational Tories are embarrassing themselves here.david_herdson said:
Crosby's understanding of the public has been shown by events to be massively in excess of anything the pollsters managed. For that insight alone, from which others can learn, the honour is deserved. He is a market leader in his field by a mile: in any other industry there'd have been no criticism.Pong said:Lol @ Lynton Crosby.
Must be a contender for the most dishonourable honour ever.
Quite high risk, too.
Besides, far better for the state to reward political service with cheap gongs than with real power or money.
I wouldn't see anything out of the way in knighting Campbell either. I think you're projecting with the "apoplectic".
The honours system itself may need reform or abolition but as things stand this is business as usual for it.
Going back to Alastair Campbell. He was Blair Media Chief, a government paid job and not just for elections.
Crosby's role was only to elect a Tory government, which he failed badly in Canada.0 -
Have they been convicted ?felix said:
Rofl. I didn't deny the last bit - and the slur was spot on as shown by your reaction. BTW since when were all the Mirror journalists Tories ?surbiton said:
What a pathetic slur. Shame on you ! Whether he was a fall guy or not, the others who were smarter were Tory supporters too. Coulson is a CRIMINAL and that is why he went to prison.felix said:
I won't argue with the conviction as the law is the law but in the light of the subsequent events one suspects he was the 'fall guy'. In all other respects a much nicer person than Campbell who even manages to give mental health a bad name.surbiton said:
Coulson = Criminal, but did his job well !EPG said:
Another important PB contribution to political analysisPlato_Says said:I think Morris_Dancer is spot on. One can admire Campbell as extremely effective, but 'poisoned' is precisely what he did.
I read his diaries and was simultaneously impressed and revolted . I refuse to read anything written by McBride.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
Alastair Campbell = poisoned British public life
Michael Fallon = did the job he had to do by smearing Miliband and did it well0 -
Try reading your own post carefully and slowly. then you might just get it - oh wait who am I kidding.surbiton said:
Have they been convicted ?felix said:
Rofl. I didn't deny the last bit - and the slur was spot on as shown by your reaction. BTW since when were all the Mirror journalists Tories ?surbiton said:
What a pathetic slur. Shame on you ! Whether he was a fall guy or not, the others who were smarter were Tory supporters too. Coulson is a CRIMINAL and that is why he went to prison.felix said:
I won't argue with the conviction as the law is the law but in the light of the subsequent events one suspects he was the 'fall guy'. In all other respects a much nicer person than Campbell who even manages to give mental health a bad name.surbiton said:
Coulson = Criminal, but did his job well !EPG said:
Another important PB contribution to political analysisPlato_Says said:I think Morris_Dancer is spot on. One can admire Campbell as extremely effective, but 'poisoned' is precisely what he did.
I read his diaries and was simultaneously impressed and revolted . I refuse to read anything written by McBride.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
Alastair Campbell = poisoned British public life
Michael Fallon = did the job he had to do by smearing Miliband and did it well0 -
Maguire called Crosby The Lizard of Oz earlier today.
I'm embarrassed for him. He sounds 12yrs old.felix said:
Rofl. I didn't deny the last bit - and the slur was spot on as shown by your reaction. BTW since when were all the Mirror journalists Tories ?surbiton said:
What a pathetic slur. Shame on you ! Whether he was a fall guy or not, the others who were smarter were Tory supporters too. Coulson is a CRIMINAL and that is why he went to prison.felix said:
I won't argue with the conviction as the law is the law but in the light of the subsequent events one suspects he was the 'fall guy'. In all other respects a much nicer person than Campbell who even manages to give mental health a bad name.surbiton said:
Coulson = Criminal, but did his job well !EPG said:
Another important PB contribution to political analysisPlato_Says said:I think Morris_Dancer is spot on. One can admire Campbell as extremely effective, but 'poisoned' is precisely what he did.
I read his diaries and was simultaneously impressed and revolted . I refuse to read anything written by McBride.Sean_F said:
Campbell's diaries are fascinating. He was exceptionally gifted at showering shit over people who got in the way of New Labour. The treatment of Rose Addis was a classic example.Morris_Dancer said:Mr. 63, Campbell did more than that. He poisoned politics, and his approach towards Dr David Kelly was not exemplary. And then there's the dodgy dossier. It's hard to think of a more malign influence on modern politics (although the cabal of cronies who conspired with McBride et al. are worthy of comparison).
Alastair Campbell = poisoned British public life
Michael Fallon = did the job he had to do by smearing Miliband and did it well0 -
Hate to give out free advice, but re supply shortages surely better to look at foundry side supply shortages for processors/SoCs. The 14nm process at Samsung and GF are both heavily supply limited and TSMC's 16nm output is a joke, though the latter seems to be better engineered than the former two so demand is higher. Also, Samsung's 14nm is not like Intel 14nm, only the gates are really 14nm for Samsung (which is why their 14nm chips consume more power than TSMC's 16nm chips).rcs1000 said:
Re Phones: I want to know whether they are buying their chipsets from Mediatek or someone else; whether Intel is being aggressive in baseband; what negotiations for flash are looking like; negotiations with carriers etc. Basically, I'm trying to get a handle on the entire mobile phone supply chain, and where there are shortages/excess supply.MaxPB said:
Fair enough. Though I'm not convinced of the value in knowing all of the Chinese brands given they all clone each other's devices and most will never leave China. Those that do will end up in shanzai shops in Malaysia and Indonesia.rcs1000 said:
TBH, it's easier than trekking around China visiting all the up and coming mobile phone companies on a "one per city per day" basis. This way I see them all in the course of 48 hours. I also get to meet some quite exciting new start-ups. And I'm seeing a bunch of VR guys while I'm there (HTC, etc.)MaxPB said:
No, I was on our list of attendees but thankfully I managed to weasel my way out of it. Had enough conventions both as an exhibitor and in attendance. I'm surprised you're going though? They are long and hateful events.rcs1000 said:Any PBers going to CES next week?
I'm also going on from their to a telecoms conference in Utah. (Where I might manage an afternoon skiing...)
Vive is really good, Oculus needs a lot of work and PS VR is probably the best so far and also releasing soonest. I've used VR extensively (well PS VR) and I'm still not convinced on mass market appeal, media is a shared experience for the majority of people, I don't know how VR fits into that, a few million gamers and forever alone basement dwellers is not something I would be confident building a billion dollar industry on. Its also a shame that the porn expo isn't there until next month, I'm sure there are a lot of, err, interesting uses for VR and porn...
And I think I completely agree with you re VR.
I have an Oculus DK2, and while it's very cool (and Elite is fabulous on it), I'm not sure that it's mass market.
As for Flash and RAM, we subscribe to Trend Force (I think that's the name) which gives a decent overview of spot prices and futures for RAM and flash.0 -
Wait. You fly commercial?SeanT said:On another note, I have been advised by one of my nubile Thai servants that tyson accused me of being a "narcissistic prick" for debating the virtues of Eva Air Biz Class.
I plead Guilty.
Prior to sentencing, and in mitigation, I only wonder if this is the same tyson who told us he was a helpless millionaire, bored of horribly white north Oxford, which was why he was moving to his second home in Tuscany?0 -
He probably had to buy his own furniture too.....rcs1000 said:
Wait. You fly commercial?SeanT said:On another note, I have been advised by one of my nubile Thai servants that tyson accused me of being a "narcissistic prick" for debating the virtues of Eva Air Biz Class.
I plead Guilty.
Prior to sentencing, and in mitigation, I only wonder if this is the same tyson who told us he was a helpless millionaire, bored of horribly white north Oxford, which was why he was moving to his second home in Tuscany?0 -
BA normally prefers to land early in the morning. But, of course, trans Atlantic is different as there are so many flights.SeanT said:
Eva Air Biz used to be incredibly cheap, about £1200 return, London-Bangkok - not much more than BA Premium Economy.surbiton said:
Nothing wrong with the poor man's business class. It has seats like any other plane. I have to admit I haven't flown Eva. My flights to Taiwan has always been with Dragon, an excellent airline.SeanT said:On another note, I have been advised by one of my nubile Thai servants that tyson accused me of being a "narcissistic prick" for debating the virtues of Eva Air Biz Class.
I plead Guilty.
Prior to sentencing, and in mitigation, I only wonder if this is the same tyson who told us he was a helpless millionaire, bored of horribly white north Oxford, which was why he was moving to his second home in Tuscany?
Tyson is a good chap. I don't think he votes Tory but like many he is not too fond of Corbyn.
Now it has doubled, but now you get your own podules, it's as good as First in many other airlines.
Also the flight times are nice - an ideal 9pm night flight from Heathrow T3, a tolerable midday return from BKK.
I do wonder how they get such good slots from Heathrow - better than BA, or anyone else.
In general, any Asian airline provides a far better service than western airlines. I remember flying Asiana from Seoul to Shanghai and I was the only biz class passenger. The stewardess actually sat on the carpet, legs folded, her face no more than a foot away from me and was explaining the lunch menu to me.
For a moment I thought there were other services available.0 -
That sounds about right, the gearshift mid season was weird. IIRC there's a S3 too.
For anyone interested, there's another cracking French drama starring the gorgeous lead of Spiral on C4 next week.SeanT said:
The Affair was great.... until the damn ending (which caused universal howls of dismay).Plato_Says said:Has anyone watched The Affair? S1 reminds me of True Detective. Just about to start S2
For Showtime, there's less gratuitous sex than usual.
My guess is that the writers thought they were penning a one-off self-contained drama, which had an entirely different (and probably much darker) denouement but then the show turned into a hit and they had to briskly come up with a new, sunnier, upbeat ending which nonetheless sowed the ominous seeds for a second series, which is why the ending is so odd, contrived, disjointed, and crap.
I haven't seen series 2.0 -
You are making fun of Britain's #1 literary success story. The pound could go down if you don't show enough respect.CarlottaVance said:
He probably had to buy his own furniture too.....rcs1000 said:
Wait. You fly commercial?SeanT said:On another note, I have been advised by one of my nubile Thai servants that tyson accused me of being a "narcissistic prick" for debating the virtues of Eva Air Biz Class.
I plead Guilty.
Prior to sentencing, and in mitigation, I only wonder if this is the same tyson who told us he was a helpless millionaire, bored of horribly white north Oxford, which was why he was moving to his second home in Tuscany?0 -
Mr. T, one hopes to enjoy being ludicrously rich (or even moderately wealthy).
Not sure I'd ever have a fountain, though. Especially not one with a remote control.
A castle, on the other hand...0 -
What is BA first class like for long haul flights? I have a bunch of airmiles to use and have been eyeing up a trip to Washington.SeanT said:
Eva Air Biz used to be incredibly cheap, about £1200 return, London-Bangkok - not much more than BA Premium Economy.surbiton said:
Nothing wrong with the poor man's business class. It has seats like any other plane. I have to admit I haven't flown Eva. My flights to Taiwan has always been with Dragon, an excellent airline.SeanT said:On another note, I have been advised by one of my nubile Thai servants that tyson accused me of being a "narcissistic prick" for debating the virtues of Eva Air Biz Class.
I plead Guilty.
Prior to sentencing, and in mitigation, I only wonder if this is the same tyson who told us he was a helpless millionaire, bored of horribly white north Oxford, which was why he was moving to his second home in Tuscany?
Tyson is a good chap. I don't think he votes Tory but like many he is not too fond of Corbyn.
Now it has doubled, but now you get your own podules, it's as good as First in many other airlines.
Also the flight times are nice - an ideal 9pm night flight from Heathrow T3, a tolerable midday return from BKK.
I do wonder how they get such good slots from Heathrow - better than BA, or anyone else.0 -
With a remote control for the boiling oil?Morris_Dancer said:Mr. T, one hopes to enjoy being ludicrously rich (or even moderately wealthy).
Not sure I'd ever have a fountain, though. Especially not one with a remote control.
A castle, on the other hand...0 -
I still chuckle at @isam saying @Charles had a mahogany helicopter with gold taps.
Oh and the superb one-up about getting an overdraft. Just epic.CarlottaVance said:
He probably had to buy his own furniture too.....rcs1000 said:
Wait. You fly commercial?SeanT said:On another note, I have been advised by one of my nubile Thai servants that tyson accused me of being a "narcissistic prick" for debating the virtues of Eva Air Biz Class.
I plead Guilty.
Prior to sentencing, and in mitigation, I only wonder if this is the same tyson who told us he was a helpless millionaire, bored of horribly white north Oxford, which was why he was moving to his second home in Tuscany?0 -
FPT:
Basically, there is no competition in the UK Rail network. It is a licence to print money.Bromptonaut said:
That is...the magic of the marketplace in action.Tim_B said:
That price is amazing. I just checked the price of a train ticket from Atlanta to New York City, a distance of almost 900 miles.
The cheapest seat is $124.95. A flexible ticket is $239.70. The most expensive option - A viewliner roomette (bunk to you and me) is $302.95.
So from $125 to $300 on a 900 mile trip, vs $750 for a 200 mile trip to Euston.
That is stunning.
These fares are after receiving government subsidy.0 -
How much impact will the perception of an Honours List verging on the corrupt have on polls?0
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Lots of Oberoi trained staff are in British hotels now.SeanT said:
Asian standards of customer service are in general much better than the West. It's related to their cultures of hierarchy and caste and generalised grovelling (which are less appealing, in so many ways).surbiton said:
BA normally prefers to land early in the morning. But, of course, trans Atlantic is different as there are so many flights.SeanT said:
Eva Air Biz used to be incredibly cheap, about £1200 return, London-Bangkok - not much more than BA Premium Economy.surbiton said:
Nothing wrong with the poor man's business class. It has seats like any other plane. I have to admit I haven't flown Eva. My flights to Taiwan has always been with Dragon, an excellent airline.SeanT said:On another note, I have been advised by one of my nubile Thai servants that tyson accused me of being a "narcissistic prick" for debating the virtues of Eva Air Biz Class.
I plead Guilty.
Prior to sentencing, and in mitigation, I only wonder if this is the same tyson who told us he was a helpless millionaire, bored of horribly white north Oxford, which was why he was moving to his second home in Tuscany?
Tyson is a good chap. I don't think he votes Tory but like many he is not too fond of Corbyn.
Now it has doubled, but now you get your own podules, it's as good as First in many other airlines.
Also the flight times are nice - an ideal 9pm night flight from Heathrow T3, a tolerable midday return from BKK.
I do wonder how they get such good slots from Heathrow - better than BA, or anyone else.
In general, any Asian airline provides a far better service than western airlines. I remember flying Asiana from Seoul to Shanghai and I was the only biz class passenger. The stewardess actually sat on the carpet, legs folded, her face no more than a foot away from me and was explaining the lunch menu to me.
For a moment I thought there were other services available.
Their luxury hotels are better for the very same reason. I did the Oberois in India this year. Oh my word.0 -
None. Unless like Labour they're Cash For Honours.justin124 said:
How much impact will the perception of an Honours List verging on the corrupt have on polls?
0 -
''What is BA first class like for long haul flights? I have a bunch of airmiles to use and have been eyeing up a trip to Washington. ''
Went to Barbados and back BA 1st earlier this year.
Roomy, civilised, yes. Opulent, special?? no. And VERY sparing with the booze.0
