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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The hearing with Trump’s ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, doesn’t bode well for the President

In the US the big political news has been the appearance before a Congressional committee of Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer who is set to go to prison in May after being convicted last year. The Republicans on the committee have been seeking to discredit him but his comments could have a big impact on WH2020.

Read the full story here

TheScreamingEagles

Lock him up

TheScreamingEagles

This was the highlight of the hearing for me

https://twitter.com/EdwardGLuce/status/1100807381905113089

Scott_P

https://twitter.com/itvpeston/status/1100884934409895936

No_Offence_Alan

Make America Honest Again

TheScreamingEagles

Looks like Conor Burns has been a very naughty boy.

He has questions to answer.

Scott_P

https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1100886796332949505

kle4

YBarddCwsc said:

kle4 said:

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/AllieHBNews/status/1100882586212155402

A bold headline - can one picture, however terrible, really betray all women?

She looks anorexic.

If so, then the headline is not strong enough.

I was making an easy joke, but that lady does not look well.

TheScreamingEagles said:

kle4 said:

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/AllieHBNews/status/1100882586212155402

A bold headline - can one picture, however terrible, really betray all women?

Double breasted suits are so 20th century.

Now double breasted waistcoats are all the rage.

Full disclosure, I own six double breasted waistcoats.

Flash b*stard.

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/itvpeston/status/1100884934409895936

And so we shall see if Labour's 'better late than never' approach to remainers will succeed.

Endillion

FPT:

The_Taxman said:

If Labour had been in government or the Lib Dems we would never had the advisory referendum in the first place!

Beg to differ; Nick Clegg was pushing for one as early as 2008:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/feb/25/eu.liberaldemocrats

Presumably he thought it would be easily won by Remain ("In", at the time) and settle the question for a generation. In 2008, maybe it would've. Oops.

rottenborough

kle4 said:

YBarddCwsc said:

kle4 said:

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/AllieHBNews/status/1100882586212155402

A bold headline - can one picture, however terrible, really betray all women?

She looks anorexic.

If so, then the headline is not strong enough.

I was making an easy joke, but that lady does not look well.

TheScreamingEagles said:

kle4 said:

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/AllieHBNews/status/1100882586212155402

A bold headline - can one picture, however terrible, really betray all women?

Double breasted suits are so 20th century.

Now double breasted waistcoats are all the rage.

Full disclosure, I own six double breasted waistcoats.

Flash b*stard.

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/itvpeston/status/1100884934409895936

And so we shall see if Labour's 'better late than never' approach to remainers will succeed.

More fool them, if they do. This is '2nd ref' Labour talk is so flimsily pathetic.

Scott_P

https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1100887682685767680

Scott_P

https://twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1100888072118550529

Endillion

On topic: I've been sort of following this but don't really understand what's going on - it all seems unnecessarily complicated. My guess is most Americans have effectively tuned it out by now. I am unsurprised it hasn't impacted the betting.

rottenborough

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1100888072118550529

Can't stop laughing.

How many purists does it take to change a light bulb?

kle4

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1100888072118550529

The heart bleeds. And I know they know the answer to this, but what's the point of hard demands if it doesn't achieve anything? Anyone can ask for moon.

edmundintokyo

kle4 said:

And so we shall see if Labour's 'better late than never' approach to remainers will succeed.

In fairness to Labour late is better than early here: The later it gets the more obvious it is that everything else has failed, and the more obvious it is that everything else has failed the more cover MPs have to vote for the referendum. This is particularly true once it's getting delayed, because MPs get to say "we need the referendum to make brexit happen" instead of "we need the referendum to stop brexit happening".

solarflare

It's been such a busy news day I almost forgot two nuclear powers were shooting at each others fighter jets earlier today.

rpjs

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1100888072118550529

The Revolution devours its children.

kle4

edmundintokyo said:

kle4 said:

YBarddCwsc said:

kle4 said:

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/AllieHBNews/status/1100882586212155402

A bold headline - can one picture, however terrible, really betray all women?

She looks anorexic.

If so, then the headline is not strong enough.

I was making an easy joke, but that lady does not look well.

TheScreamingEagles said:

kle4 said:

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/AllieHBNews/status/1100882586212155402

A bold headline - can one picture, however terrible, really betray all women?

Double breasted suits are so 20th century.

Now double breasted waistcoats are all the rage.

Full disclosure, I own six double breasted waistcoats.

Flash b*stard.

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/itvpeston/status/1100884934409895936

And so we shall see if Labour's 'better late than never' approach to remainers will succeed.

In fairness to Labour late is better than early here: The later it gets the more obvious it is that everything else has failed, and the more obvious it is that everything else has failed the more cover MPs have to vote for the referendum. This is particularly true once it's getting delayed, because MPs get to say "we need the referendum to make brexit happen" instead of "we need the referendum to stp brexit happening".

Oh, I think Labour's leadership have played things pretty well on Brexit actually. Perhaps slightly later than it should have been - can we be certain all the Tiggers would have jumped if this had happened a little earlier? - and whether one thinks overall this will hurt them or not if we measure success by delivering what voters, particularly your own, want, then Labour might be able to manage it, though obviously it is not assured.

williamglenn

edmundintokyo said:

kle4 said:

And so we shall see if Labour's 'better late than never' approach to remainers will succeed.

In fairness to Labour late is better than early here: The later it gets the more obvious it is that everything else has failed, and the more obvious it is that everything else has failed the more cover MPs have to vote for the referendum. This is particularly true once it's getting delayed, because MPs get to say "we need the referendum to make brexit happen" instead of "we need the referendum to stop brexit happening".

If May did want to engineer a referendum things have fallen pretty well for her. Even if Corbyn doesn't really want a referendum, by this point he'd have no way to back out if May called his bluff.

kle4

solarflare said:

It's been such a busy news day I almost forgot two nuclear powers were shooting at each others fighter jets earlier today.

Small beer - the longstanding MP for North West Pootingshire is concerned about Brexit extensions or something, causing a ruckus among the venerable European Rave Group of MPs.

edmundintokyo

Endillion said:

On topic: I've been sort of following this but don't really understand what's going on - it all seems unnecessarily complicated. My guess is most Americans have effectively tuned it out by now. I am unsurprised it hasn't impacted the betting.

As they get more of Trump's conspirators to testify the Dems should be able to pull out some nice simple, obvious bits of criminality.

solarflare

kle4 said:

solarflare said:

It's been such a busy news day I almost forgot two nuclear powers were shooting at each others fighter jets earlier today.

Small beer - the longstanding MP for North West Pootingshire is concerned about Brexit extensions or something, causing a ruckus among the venerable European Rave Group of MPs.

Well, North West Pootingshire does have the bomb, to be fair, so I can understand the drama.

matt

What Cohen highlights is the dubious US lawyer is several steps beyond what we can manage. Interesting discussion on CBS about attorney - client privilege.

edmundintokyo

williamglenn said:

edmundintokyo said:

kle4 said:

And so we shall see if Labour's 'better late than never' approach to remainers will succeed.

In fairness to Labour late is better than early here: The later it gets the more obvious it is that everything else has failed, and the more obvious it is that everything else has failed the more cover MPs have to vote for the referendum. This is particularly true once it's getting delayed, because MPs get to say "we need the referendum to make brexit happen" instead of "we need the referendum to stop brexit happening".

If May did want to engineer a referendum things have fallen pretty well for her. Even if Corbyn doesn't really want a referendum, by this point he'd have no way to back out if May called his bluff.

Yup, she's doing a great job of getting the opposition to pay for the fire escapes. She's even managed to dump the inevitable extension on parliament.

oxfordsimon

Today was a piece of political theater (to be all American about it) - it wasn't designed to get at the truth.

Given everything that is said about Trump, I can't see this really making that much difference. People have made up their minds about him.

Cohen is looking at his post-prison life - book deals, tv spots, a future career - of course he is going to make a big splash. Who wouldn't?

But as to credibility - I just don't know (and don't really care) - US politics is just too toxic for words.

Endillion

edmundintokyo said:

Endillion said:

On topic: I've been sort of following this but don't really understand what's going on - it all seems unnecessarily complicated. My guess is most Americans have effectively tuned it out by now. I am unsurprised it hasn't impacted the betting.

As they get more of Trump's conspirators to testify the Dems should be able to pull out some nice simple, obvious bits of criminality.

Forgive me; I've lost track. Criminality is bad, yes? Or is that only if you're a Democrat?

The_Taxman

solarflare said:

It's been such a busy news day I almost forgot two nuclear powers were shooting at each others fighter jets earlier today.

Well if hard Brexit does not happen at least all the people who have stocked up on food to last them a while will be better equipped for the nuclear winter if something horrific occurs on the Indian sub continent. I don't want to be negative but even a limited Nuclear war between the two states will lead to crop failure and nuclear winter world wide. Not sure that any trade deals will be pending though with what remains of India!

edmundintokyo

Endillion said:

edmundintokyo said:

Endillion said:

On topic: I've been sort of following this but don't really understand what's going on - it all seems unnecessarily complicated. My guess is most Americans have effectively tuned it out by now. I am unsurprised it hasn't impacted the betting.

As they get more of Trump's conspirators to testify the Dems should be able to pull out some nice simple, obvious bits of criminality.

Forgive me; I've lost track. Criminality is bad, yes?

Not all of it, only the parts that are off-brand.

GIN1138

Oh god that moron Matt Hancock is on Newnight!

Make it stop! Make it stop!

Sunil_Prasannan

TheScreamingEagles said:

Double breasted suits are so 20th century.

Now double breasted waistcoats are all the rage.

Full disclosure, I own six double breasted waistcoats.

No, double-breasted suits are so 19th century. It was at the turn of the 20th century that single-breasted suits became fashionable.

The_Taxman

I have been watching some documentaries on Clintons affair with Monica Lewinsky recently.

I have to say that it will be highly entertaining if Trump is ever interrogated in the same vain as Clinton about his past life! I could not imagine Trump having the faculties or intelligence to talk about definitions of "is" and "sexual relations" in any comparable context.

Endillion

edmundintokyo said:

Endillion said:

edmundintokyo said:

Endillion said:

On topic: I've been sort of following this but don't really understand what's going on - it all seems unnecessarily complicated. My guess is most Americans have effectively tuned it out by now. I am unsurprised it hasn't impacted the betting.

As they get more of Trump's conspirators to testify the Dems should be able to pull out some nice simple, obvious bits of criminality.

Forgive me; I've lost track. Criminality is bad, yes?

Not all of it, only the parts that are off-brand.

Ah, like racism over in the UK. Got it.

Y0kel

Cohen's testimony only has three significant points:

The accusation that Trump committed a criminal offence over payments
That there is an investigation into Trump himself going on. Not his campaign, not just his son, him
Felix Sater

This coming election is the Democrats to lose. The concern they have is two fold a chaotic and bitter primary with a leftist winner and a credible 3rd party candidate running. Trumps base hovers at around 38 to 40% but its firm, the Democrats are currently carrying a lot froth on their poll figures and will suffer disproportionately with a centerist 3rd party candidate based on some analysis I've looked at.

Bear in mind some Republicans are desperately looking for a spoiler to damage Trump but it actually might actually damage the Democrats.

India/Pakistan

Imran Khan is having a great conflict at the moment, domestic opinion will see Pakistan more than holding its own but he is now looking for a cessation whilst the going is good.

rcs1000

oxfordsimon said:

Today was a piece of political theater (to be all American about it) - it wasn't designed to get at the truth.

Given everything that is said about Trump, I can't see this really making that much difference. People have made up their minds about him.

Cohen is looking at his post-prison life - book deals, tv spots, a future career - of course he is going to make a big splash. Who wouldn't?

But as to credibility - I just don't know (and don't really care) - US politics is just too toxic for words.

It won't make much difference.

The problem President Trump has is that it doesn't have to make much difference.

If it means that Democrats are 1% more likely to go out and vote because they're really upset a criminal is in the White House, and if it means Republicans are 1% more likely to stay home, then he's in trouble.

I think the real trouble comes for President Trump if Fox News begins slowly withdrawing its support. I'm not suggesting they go for some Democrat, or somesuch, but if they decide the President is holed below the waterline, then they will find someone else to back. James Murdoch is no dummy: if he thinks 2020 is lost, then he will not hesitate to stick the knife in.

Sunil_Prasannan

GIN1138 said:

Oh god that moron Matt Hancock is on Newnight!

Make it stop! Make it stop!

One Matt in Hancock and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but their pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every Tory cloister
And if you're lucky, then the god's a she
I can feel a Brexit sliding up to me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgc_LRjlbTU

Drutt

Fysics_Teacher said:

TheAncientMariner said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Rashid is bowling utter shit.

This did not age well...

You can bowl shit and take wickets - Ian Botham was famous/ notorious for it.

I've umpired U13 cricket matches, so I've seen plenty of awful bowling get wickets while good bowling didn't because the batsman couldn't hit it. At that level any ball which was aimed at the stumps has a good chance of getting a wicket.

FPT

At pub/office cricket level, the best batsmen come out first and the best bowlers bowl at them. Each played at school and might occasionally turn out for village 2nd XIs, or did so before they got fat and old. It's a decent cut-and-thrust, the fielding is sober as a judge and as tight as a Ryan Gosling suit jacket, and matters proceed at about a run a ball.

Six overs in, though, and the guys who said 'yeah, I play a bit' are facing the guys who said 'yeah, I can play a bit'. The run rate goes up, fielding becomes more - shall we say - informal and wickets fall as people give leading edges to mid-on and non-strikers construct easy 'yes - no - go back - sorry' run-outs to the fielder at backward point. Cans are opened at deep backward square

By the time we get to thirteen or fourteen overs in, though, recognised batsmen are out or retired, anyone who can bowl in a straight line is bowled out, and the comedy starts. This, of course, is where the match is actually won and lost. Up rolls someone's wife, or 9-year-old son, bowling at someone else's mate from the pub. The first two are wides. Are we playing one-day wides or test wides? Okay, it's a free hit. A hush descends. The man fielding at boot hill has no lid on but does have a pint. The batsman advances a yard out of his crease as the ball is released. It's the secret weapon. A high, non-spinning, non-flighted donkey dropper. Swing and connect, and it's in the car park. Swing and a miss, and it's a stumping, although the wicketkeeper will sportingly allow the batsman four or five seconds to recover their ground.

This continues for thirty-something balls, or until the fielding team have run out of drinks. I have been in games where we recovered from 110-0 off 10 to reach 130-7 off 20, and where we have collapsed from 57-6 to 150-8 in the same time. In each of the last 10 overs of these innings the MCC coaching manual stayed resolutely shut.

I love idiot-level cricket and if anyone has a spare spot in an office weeknight team in the Bristol area this summer I'm almost certainly available.

Scott_P

https://twitter.com/BenKentish/status/1100892602516291584

AramintaMoonbeamQC

Labour spox on Newsnight almost said 'We have to be whiter than white on anti-racism' before managing to stop himself halfway.

Awkward.

Sunil_Prasannan

AramintaMoonbeamQC said:

Labour spox on Newsnight almost said 'We have to be whiter than white on anti-racism' before managing to stop himself halfway.

Awkward.

Well, Ed did once mention "Blackbusters" on Twitter

Dura_Ace

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/itvpeston/status/1100884934409895936

Looks and sounds like a PM in waiting. Corbyn's likely successor in my opinion.

kle4

AramintaMoonbeamQC said:

Labour spox on Newsnight almost said 'We have to be whiter than white on anti-racism' before managing to stop himself halfway.

Awkward.

Damned, inadvertently racist sayings. He could be blackballed for that.

Charles

kle4 said:

edmundintokyo said:

kle4 said:

YBarddCwsc said:

kle4 said:

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/AllieHBNews/status/1100882586212155402

A bold headline - can one picture, however terrible, really betray all women?

She looks anorexic.

If so, then the headline is not strong enough.

I was making an easy joke, but that lady does not look well.

TheScreamingEagles said:

kle4 said:

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/AllieHBNews/status/1100882586212155402

A bold headline - can one picture, however terrible, really betray all women?

Double breasted suits are so 20th century.

Now double breasted waistcoats are all the rage.

Full disclosure, I own six double breasted waistcoats.

Flash b*stard.

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/itvpeston/status/1100884934409895936

And so we shall see if Labour's 'better late than never' approach to remainers will succeed.

In fairness to Labour late is better than early here: The later it gets the more obvious it is that everything else has failed, and the more obvious it is that everything else has failed the more cover MPs have to vote for the referendum. This is particularly true once it's getting delayed, because MPs get to say "we need the referendum to make brexit happen" instead of "we need the referendum to stp brexit happening".

Oh, I think Labour's leadership have played things pretty well on Brexit actually. Perhaps slightly later than it should have been - can we be certain all the Tiggers would have jumped if this had happened a little earlier? - and whether one thinks overall this will hurt them or not if we measure success by delivering what voters, particularly your own, want, then Labour might be able to manage it, though obviously it is not assured.

Corbyn has timed this well. He *wanted* the TIG out

AndyJS

The India/Pakistan situation is a timely reminder that there are more important things in the world than Brexit.

Fysics_Teacher

Drutt said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

TheAncientMariner said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Rashid is bowling utter shit.

This did not age well...

You can bowl shit and take wickets - Ian Botham was famous/ notorious for it.

.

FPT

At pub/office cricket level, the best batsmen come out first and the best bowlers bowl at them. Each played at school and might occasionally turn out for village 2nd XIs, or did so before they got fat and old. It's a decent cut-and-thrust, the fielding is sober as a judge and as tight as a Ryan Gosling suit jacket, and matters proceed at about a run a ball.

Six overs in, though, and the guys who said 'yeah, I play a bit' are facing the guys who said 'yeah, I can play a bit'. The run rate goes up, fielding becomes more - shall we say - informal and wickets fall as people give leading edges to mid-on and non-strikers construct easy 'yes - no - go back - sorry' run-outs to the fielder at backward point. Cans are opened at deep backward square

By the time we get to thirteen or fourteen overs in, though, recognised batsmen are out or retired, anyone who can bowl in a straight line is bowled out, and the comedy starts. This, of course, is where the match is actually won and lost. Up rolls someone's wife, or 9-year-old son, bowling at someone else's mate from the pub. The first two are wides. Are we playing one-day wides or test wides? Okay, it's a free hit. A hush descends. The man fielding at boot hill has no lid on but does have a pint. The batsman advances a yard out of his crease as the ball is released. It's the secret weapon. A high, non-spinning, non-flighted donkey dropper. Swing and connect, and it's in the car park. Swing and a miss, and it's a stumping, although the wicketkeeper will sportingly allow the batsman four or five seconds to recover their ground.

This continues for thirty-something balls, or until the fielding team have run out of drinks. I have been in games where we recovered from 110-0 off 10 to reach 130-7 off 20, and where we have collapsed from 57-6 to 150-8 in the same time. In each of the last 10 overs of these innings the MCC coaching manual stayed resolutely shut.

I love idiot-level cricket and if anyone has a spare spot in an office weeknight team in the Bristol area this summer I'm almost certainly available.

On the subject of wides, in the last few games I had to umpire before I persuaded the sports department I was too old to continue we tended to play two runs for a wide but no extra ball. If we hadn’t some of those innings would still be going...

MikeSmithson

AndyJS said:

The India/Pakistan situation is a timely reminder that there are more important things in the world than Brexit.

Indeed. Can Fulham stave off relegation

Fysics_Teacher

Drutt said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

TheAncientMariner said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Rashid is bowling utter shit.

This did not age well...

You can bowl shit and take wickets - Ian Botham was famous/ notorious for it.

I've umpired U13 cricket matches, so I've seen plenty of awful bowling get wickets while good bowling didn't because the batsman couldn't hit it. At that level any ball which was aimed at the stumps has a good chance of getting a wicket.

FPT

At pub/office cricket level, the best batsmen come out first and the best bowlers bowl at them. Each played at school and might occasionally turn out for village 2nd XIs, or did so before they got fat and old. It's a decent cut-and-thrust, the fielding is sober as a judge and as tight as a Ryan Gosling suit jacket, and matters proceed at about a run a ball.

Six overs in, though, and the guys who said 'yeah, I play a bit' are facing the guys who said 'yeah, I can play a bit'. The run rate goes up, fielding becomes more - shall we say - informal and wickets fall as people give leading edges to mid-on and non-strikers construct easy 'yes - no - go back - sorry' run-outs to the fielder at backward point. Cans are opened at deep backward square

By the time we get to thirteen or fourteen overs in, though, recognised batsmen are out or retired, anyone who can bowl in a straight line is bowled out, and the comedy starts. This, of course, is where the match is actually won and lost. Up rolls someone's wife, or 9-year-old son, bowling at someone else's mate from the pub. The first two are wides. Are we playing one-day wides or test wides? Okay, it's a free hit. A hush descends. The man fielding at boot hill has no lid on but does have a pint. The batsman advances a yard out of his crease as the ball is released. It's the secret weapon. A high, non-spinning, non-flighted donkey dropper. Swing and connect, and it's in the car park. Swing and a miss, and it's a stumping, although the wicketkeeper will sportingly allow the batsman four or five seconds to recover their ground.

This continues for thirty-something balls, or until the fielding team have run out of drinks. I have been in games where we recovered from 110-0 off 10 to reach 130-7 off 20, and where we have collapsed from 57-6 to 150-8 in the same time. In each of the last 10 overs of these innings the MCC coaching manual stayed resolutely shut.

I love idiot-level cricket and if anyone has a spare spot in an office weeknight team in the Bristol area this summer I'm almost certainly available.

And I should have added that this is a great bit of writing!

rcs1000

AndyJS said:

The India/Pakistan situation is a timely reminder that there are more important things in the world than Brexit.

Wait, aren't they fighting over whether Kashmir gets to stay in the EU?

Endillion

Sunil_Prasannan said:

GIN1138 said:

Oh god that moron Matt Hancock is on Newnight!

Make it stop! Make it stop!

One Matt in Hancock and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but their pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every Tory cloister
And if you're lucky, then the god's a she
I can feel a Brexit sliding up to me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgc_LRjlbTU

I wonder if Matt Hancock has ever had one of those nicknames where you add the first letter of the first name to the surname minus the first letter.

edmundintokyo

Thread on the crimes Cohen implicated Trump in:
https://twitter.com/KenGude/status/1100888190540496897

ReggieCide

MikeSmithson said:

AndyJS said:

The India/Pakistan situation is a timely reminder that there are more important things in the world than Brexit.

Indeed. Can Fulham stave off relegation

hat 'n' coat

edmundintokyo

Weirdly I think the one with the most political cut-through is this one which is petty but funny and highly believable:

https://twitter.com/KenGude/status/1100888202104197123

rcs1000

edmundintokyo said:

Weirdly I think the one with the most political cut-through is this one which is petty but funny and highly believable:

https://twitter.com/KenGude/status/1100888202104197123

The ones with the biggest potential to f*ck him are six and eight. If he was using dramatically different valuations (i.e. 25% or more apart) for properties on a loan application and on a tax return, at approximately the same time, then he's committed either wire fraud (with regards to the loan application) or tax fraud.

rcs1000

rcs1000 said:

edmundintokyo said:

Weirdly I think the one with the most political cut-through is this one which is petty but funny and highly believable:

https://twitter.com/KenGude/status/1100888202104197123

The ones with the biggest potential to f*ck him are six and eight. If he was using dramatically different valuations (i.e. 25% or more apart) for properties on a loan application and on a tax return, at approximately the same time, then he's committed either wire fraud (with regards to the loan application) or tax fraud.

Oh yeah, and if the insurance one is provable - although I suspect that someone else will take the fall for that.

williamglenn

edmundintokyo said:

Thread on the crimes Cohen implicated Trump in:
https://twitter.com/KenGude/status/1100888190540496897

There's some speculation that his comments about what Roger Stone said about Hillary's emails put Nigel Farage in the frame.

matt

MikeSmithson said:

AndyJS said:

The India/Pakistan situation is a timely reminder that there are more important things in the world than Brexit.

Indeed. Can Fulham stave off relegation

No.

matt

AndyJS said:

The India/Pakistan situation is a timely reminder that there are more important things in the world than Brexit.

They ought to jointly turn their attention to the part which China has grabbed.

Drutt

Fysics_Teacher said:

Drutt said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

TheAncientMariner said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Rashid is bowling utter shit.

This did not age well...

You can bowl shit and take wickets - Ian Botham was famous/ notorious for it.

snip

FPT

At pub/office cricket level, the best batsmen come out first and the best bowlers bowl at them. Each played at school and might occasionally turn out for village 2nd XIs, or did so before they got fat and old. It's a decent cut-and-thrust, the fielding is sober as a judge and as tight as a Ryan Gosling suit jacket, and matters proceed at about a run a ball.

Six overs in, though, and the guys who said 'yeah, I play a bit' are facing the guys who said 'yeah, I can play a bit'. The run rate goes up, fielding becomes more - shall we say - informal and wickets fall as people give leading edges to mid-on and non-strikers construct easy 'yes - no - go back - sorry' run-outs to the fielder at backward point. Cans are opened at deep backward square

By the time we get to thirteen or fourteen overs in, though, recognised batsmen are out or retired, anyone who can bowl in a straight line is bowled out, and the comedy starts. This, of course, is where the match is actually won and lost. Up rolls someone's wife, or 9-year-old son, bowling at someone else's mate from the pub. The first two are wides. Are we playing one-day wides or test wides? Okay, it's a free hit. A hush descends. The man fielding at boot hill has no lid on but does have a pint. The batsman advances a yard out of his crease as the ball is released. It's the secret weapon. A high, non-spinning, non-flighted donkey dropper. Swing and connect, and it's in the car park. Swing and a miss, and it's a stumping, although the wicketkeeper will sportingly allow the batsman four or five seconds to recover their ground.

This continues for thirty-something balls, or until the fielding team have run out of drinks. I have been in games where we recovered from 110-0 off 10 to reach 130-7 off 20, and where we have collapsed from 57-6 to 150-8 in the same time. In each of the last 10 overs of these innings the MCC coaching manual stayed resolutely shut.

I love idiot-level cricket and if anyone has a spare spot in an office weeknight team in the Bristol area this summer I'm almost certainly available.

And I should have added that this is a great bit of writing!

Very kind - I chuckled away writing it. Can I recommend Rain Men (Marcus Berkmann) and Balham to Bollywood (Chris England) if you'd like about 400 pages of that sort of thing done properly?

Sunil_Prasannan

matt said:

AndyJS said:

The India/Pakistan situation is a timely reminder that there are more important things in the world than Brexit.

They ought to jointly turn their attention to the part which China has grabbed.

Pakistan gave the Trans-Karakoram Tract to China in 1963. Aksai Chin is claimed by India.

Fysics_Teacher

Drutt said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

Drutt said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

TheAncientMariner said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Rashid is bowling utter shit.

This did not age well...

You can bowl shit and take wickets - Ian Botham was famous/ notorious for it.

snip

FPT

At pub/office cricket level, the best batsmen come out first and the best bowlers bowl at them. Each played at school and might occasionally turn out for village 2nd XIs, or did so before they got fat and old. It's a decent cut-and-thrust, the fielding is sober as a judge and as tight as a Ryan Gosling suit jacket, and matters proceed at about a run a ball.

Six overs in, though, and the guys who said 'yeah, I play a bit' are facing the guys who said 'yeah, I can play a bit'. The run rate goes up, fielding becomes more - shall we say - informal and wickets fall as people give leading edges to mid-on and non-strikers construct easy 'yes - no - go back - sorry' run-outs to the fielder at backward point. Cans are opened at deep backward square

By the time we get to thirteen or fourteen overs in, though, recognised batsmen are out or retired, anyone who can bowl in a straight line is bowled out, and the comedy starts. This, of course, is where the match is actually won and lost. Up rolls someone's wife, or 9-year-old son, bowling at someone else's mate from the pub. The first two are wides. Are we playing one-day wides or test wides? Okay, it's a free hit. A hush descends. The man fielding at boot hill has no lid on but does have a pint. The batsman advances a yard out of his crease as the ball is released. It's the secret weapon. A high, non-spinning, non-flighted donkey dropper. Swing and connect, and it's in the car park. Swing and a miss, and it's a stumping, although the wicketkeeper will sportingly allow the batsman four or five seconds to recover their ground.

This continues for thirty-something balls, or until the fielding team have run out of drinks. I have been in games where we recovered from 110-0 off 10 to reach 130-7 off 20, and where we have collapsed from 57-6 to 150-8 in the same time. In each of the last 10 overs of these innings the MCC coaching manual stayed resolutely shut.

I love idiot-level cricket and if anyone has a spare spot in an office weeknight team in the Bristol area this summer I'm almost certainly available.

And I should have added that this is a great bit of writing!

Very kind - I chuckled away writing it. Can I recommend Rain Men (Marcus Beckmann) and Balham to Bollywood (Chris England) if you'd like about 400 pages of that sort of thing done properly?

I’ll look out for them.

HYUFD

Y0kel said:

Cohen's testimony only has three significant points:

The accusation that Trump committed a criminal offence over payments
That there is an investigation into Trump himself going on. Not his campaign, not just his son, him
Felix Sater

This coming election is the Democrats to lose. The concern they have is two fold a chaotic and bitter primary with a leftist winner and a credible 3rd party candidate running. Trumps base hovers at around 38 to 40% but its firm, the Democrats are currently carrying a lot froth on their poll figures and will suffer disproportionately with a centerist 3rd party candidate based on some analysis I've looked at.

Bear in mind some Republicans are desperately looking for a spoiler to damage Trump but it actually might actually damage the Democrats.

India/Pakistan

Imran Khan is having a great conflict at the moment, domestic opinion will see Pakistan more than holding its own but he is now looking for a cessation whilst the going is good.

Depends Emerson College has it Biden 51% Trump 42% Schultz 7% but Trump 45% Harris 43% Schultz 12%.

Change Research has it Biden 49% Trump 44% Schultz 3%, Trump 45% O'Rourke 42% Schulz 7% , Trump 45% Harris 43% Schultz 7%, Trump 45% Sanders 43% Schultz 7% and Trump 45% Warren 43% Schultz 6%, so Biden could still beat Trump even with a centrist 3rd party candidate, other candidates would not

http://emersonpolling.com/2019/02/16/majority-of-americans-disagree-with-trumps-national-emergency-despite-a-plurality-agreeing-with-border-wall-extension/

https://docsend.com/view/sxumns7

Pulpstar

rcs1000 said:

oxfordsimon said:

Today was a piece of political theater (to be all American about it) - it wasn't designed to get at the truth.

Given everything that is said about Trump, I can't see this really making that much difference. People have made up their minds about him.

Cohen is looking at his post-prison life - book deals, tv spots, a future career - of course he is going to make a big splash. Who wouldn't?

But as to credibility - I just don't know (and don't really care) - US politics is just too toxic for words.

It won't make much difference.

The problem President Trump has is that it doesn't have to make much difference.

If it means that Democrats are 1% more likely to go out and vote because they're really upset a criminal is in the White House, and if it means Republicans are 1% more likely to stay home, then he's in trouble.

I think the real trouble comes for President Trump if Fox News begins slowly withdrawing its support. I'm not suggesting they go for some Democrat, or somesuch, but if they decide the President is holed below the waterline, then they will find someone else to back. James Murdoch is no dummy: if he thinks 2020 is lost, then he will not hesitate to stick the knife in.

Wait, you're telling me normal people don't head out to the ballot box... And THEN decide who to vote for ?

Pulpstar

rcs1000 said:

rcs1000 said:

edmundintokyo said:

Weirdly I think the one with the most political cut-through is this one which is petty but funny and highly believable:

https://twitter.com/KenGude/status/1100888202104197123

The ones with the biggest potential to f*ck him are six and eight. If he was using dramatically different valuations (i.e. 25% or more apart) for properties on a loan application and on a tax return, at approximately the same time, then he's committed either wire fraud (with regards to the loan application) or tax fraud.

Oh yeah, and if the insurance one is provable - although I suspect that someone else will take the fall for that.

Surely a man of Trump's integrity and honour wouldn't throw an underling under the bus

rpjs

rcs1000 said:

edmundintokyo said:

Weirdly I think the one with the most political cut-through is this one which is petty but funny and highly believable:

https://twitter.com/KenGude/status/1100888202104197123

The ones with the biggest potential to f*ck him are six and eight. If he was using dramatically different valuations (i.e. 25% or more apart) for properties on a loan application and on a tax return, at approximately the same time, then he's committed either wire fraud (with regards to the loan application) or tax fraud.

And property tax fraud, except in DC, is a state, not federal offence, as property taxes are levied by munucipalities which are incorporated by the states.

rcs1000

rpjs said:

rcs1000 said:

edmundintokyo said:

Weirdly I think the one with the most political cut-through is this one which is petty but funny and highly believable:

https://twitter.com/KenGude/status/1100888202104197123

The ones with the biggest potential to f*ck him are six and eight. If he was using dramatically different valuations (i.e. 25% or more apart) for properties on a loan application and on a tax return, at approximately the same time, then he's committed either wire fraud (with regards to the loan application) or tax fraud.

And property tax fraud, except in DC, is a state, not federal offence, as property taxes are levied by munucipalities which are incorporated by the states.

Yes. And if the difference is really big (say 50-100% between the two valuations), then it's entirely possible he's guilty of two separate offences.

DecrepitJohnL

TheScreamingEagles said:

Double breasted suits are so 20th century.

Now double breasted waistcoats are all the rage.

Full disclosure, I own six double breasted waistcoats.

You know who else sported double-breasted waistcoats?

Jeremy Thorpe, who was at Oxford with Jacob Rees-Mogg's father.

rpjs

rcs1000 said:

rpjs said:

rcs1000 said:

edmundintokyo said:

Weirdly I think the one with the most political cut-through is this one which is petty but funny and highly believable:

https://twitter.com/KenGude/status/1100888202104197123

The ones with the biggest potential to f*ck him are six and eight. If he was using dramatically different valuations (i.e. 25% or more apart) for properties on a loan application and on a tax return, at approximately the same time, then he's committed either wire fraud (with regards to the loan application) or tax fraud.

And property tax fraud, except in DC, is a state, not federal offence, as property taxes are levied by munucipalities which are incorporated by the states.

Yes. And if the difference is really big (say 50-100% between the two valuations), then it's entirely possible he's guilty of two separate offences.

The misusing charitable funds one is also most likely a state-level crime as the Trump Foundation was incorporated in and regulated by the State of New York.

dots

rcs1000 said:

oxfordsimon said:

Today was a piece of political theater (to be all American about it) - it wasn't designed to get at the truth.

Given everything that is said about Trump, I can't see this really making that much difference. People have made up their minds about him.

Cohen is looking at his post-prison life - book deals, tv spots, a future career - of course he is going to make a big splash. Who wouldn't?

But as to credibility - I just don't know (and don't really care) - US politics is just too toxic for words.

It won't make much difference.

The problem President Trump has is that it doesn't have to make much difference.

If it means that Democrats are 1% more likely to go out and vote because they're really upset a criminal is in the White House, and if it means Republicans are 1% more likely to stay home, then he's in trouble.

I think the real trouble comes for President Trump if Fox News begins slowly withdrawing its support. I'm not suggesting they go for some Democrat, or somesuch, but if they decide the President is holed below the waterline, then they will find someone else to back. James Murdoch is no dummy: if he thinks 2020 is lost, then he will not hesitate to stick the knife in.

How does it harm them to back him to the last? He has all his policy’s from watching Fox News. He is their man, if he hasn’t embarrassed supporters off by now then they are hardly likely to forsake him based on lies, fake news from those trying to discredit him becuase of loathing for his policy, at least thats how his supporters will know it.

dots

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1100886796332949505

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1100886796332949505

Well, they would say that wouldn’t they

TheJezziah

https://twitter.com/alexwickham/status/1100843650463002624

TIGs voting for* hard Brexit.

They're disaster centrists, they realise the only way they get people to vote for centrism is in a no deal scenario where their opposition take the blame for no deal.

Brilliantly cynical, I just wonder whether people will fall for it.

*In a sort of a roundabout way by failing to oppose it.

CarlottaVance

rcs1000 said:

AndyJS said:

The India/Pakistan situation is a timely reminder that there are more important things in the world than Brexit.

Wait, aren't they fighting over whether Kashmir gets to stay in the EU?

No,

Its whether its in:

The Customs Union
A Customs Union or
A Customs Arrangement

Aren't you paying attention?

WhisperingOracle

I wonder if the day will ever come when UK newspapers, even such as the guardian, and forums like this will pick over continental european elections and legal processes to the same extent as American ones. This might also be the day when a sizeable proportion of british conservatives are ready to move on from the cultural climate that partly gave birth to Brexit.

A very far off day, that.

Nigelb

rcs1000 said:

edmundintokyo said:

Weirdly I think the one with the most political cut-through is this one which is petty but funny and highly believable:

https://twitter.com/KenGude/status/1100888202104197123

The ones with the biggest potential to f*ck him are six and eight. If he was using dramatically different valuations (i.e. 25% or more apart) for properties on a loan application and on a tax return, at approximately the same time, then he's committed either wire fraud (with regards to the loan application) or tax fraud.

I’m not sure about where they rank, but they probably represent the most immediate fruitful avenue for Congress to pursue, as they provide a strong argument to subpoena Trump’s tax returns. Notable that it was AOC who pursued this line of enquiry:
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/02/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-michael-cohen-trump-taxes.html

The cheques were also significant, since Cohen’s testimony in of itself is insufficiently probative.

AlastairMeeks

The thing that struck me was that Michael Cohen had evidence supporting many of his allegations. He might be a crook and a lousy lawyer but he was a lawyer.

Scott_P

https://twitter.com/debiedwarditv/status/1101000454333317120

Scott_P

https://twitter.com/WalkerSkyNews/status/1101004254423052293

MarqueeMark

WhisperingOracle said:

I wonder if the day will ever come when UK newspapers, even such as the guardian, and forums like this will pick over continental european elections and legal processes to the same extent as American ones. This might also be the day when a sizeable proportion of british conservatives are ready to move on from the cultural climate that partly gave birth to Brexit.

A very far off day, that.

American politics is ridiculously polarised. Small shifts in polling/outcomes give the chance to spot winners/losers as it moves from 50.5-49.5 to 49.5/50.5.

Plus the minutiae of the legal processes around Article 50 will do most folks for one life time....

OldKingCole

Drutt said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

Drutt said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

TheAncientMariner said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Rashid is bowling utter shit.

This did not age well...

You can bowl shit and take wickets - Ian Botham was famous/ notorious for it.

snip

FPT


This continues for thirty-something balls, or until the fielding team have run out of drinks. I have been in games where we recovered from 110-0 off 10 to reach 130-7 off 20, and where we have collapsed from 57-6 to 150-8 in the same time. In each of the last 10 overs of these innings the MCC coaching manual stayed resolutely shut.

I love idiot-level cricket and if anyone has a spare spot in an office weeknight team in the Bristol area this summer I'm almost certainly available.

And I should have added that this is a great bit of writing!

Very kind - I chuckled away writing it. Can I recommend Rain Men (Marcus Berkmann) and Balham to Bollywood (Chris England) if you'd like about 400 pages of that sort of thing done properly?

I am irresistibly reminded of the time, a few years ago, that the landlord of the pub where I drank decided to get a cricket team together and challenge other local pubs, drinking clubs and the like. My brief and inglorious playing days were long behind me, so I volunteered to act as umpire.
Lasted a couple of seasons and three or four matches.
One highlight was giving out the star...... in his mind anyway....... batsman of our opponents 'caught behind' off the bowling of a twelve year old lad, who looked as though he was going to be good one day.One would have expected someone representing a pub called The Cricketers to have a better idea of sportsmanship!
However as I walked home, it being June in England, there was a storm and I took refuge in that pub. I was welcomed with 'It's the ump. Come on ump, no, put your money away!'

There's something about cricket!

Charles

rpjs said:

rcs1000 said:

rpjs said:

rcs1000 said:

edmundintokyo said:

Weirdly I think the one with the most political cut-through is this one which is petty but funny and highly believable:

https://twitter.com/KenGude/status/1100888202104197123

The ones with the biggest potential to f*ck him are six and eight. If he was using dramatically different valuations (i.e. 25% or more apart) for properties on a loan application and on a tax return, at approximately the same time, then he's committed either wire fraud (with regards to the loan application) or tax fraud.

And property tax fraud, except in DC, is a state, not federal offence, as property taxes are levied by munucipalities which are incorporated by the states.

Yes. And if the difference is really big (say 50-100% between the two valuations), then it's entirely possible he's guilty of two separate offences.

The misusing charitable funds one is also most likely a state-level crime as the Trump Foundation was incorporated in and regulated by the State of New York.

Buying a portrait is not necessarily misuse of charitable funds. It all depends on the remit and how it is used. My foundation, for example, has commissioned pairings of the two previous chairmen and the former deputy chairman all of which are on public display at our headquarters.

If the Trump portrait is in his house, for example, then it become more challenging to justify

IanB2

TheJezziah said:

https://twitter.com/alexwickham/status/1100843650463002624

TIGs voting for* hard Brexit.

They're disaster centrists, they realise the only way they get people to vote for centrism is in a no deal scenario where their opposition take the blame for no deal.

Brilliantly cynical, I just wonder whether people will fall for it.

*In a sort of a roundabout way by failing to oppose it.

It wasn't just TIG. There were forty fewer votes for Labour's amendment than for the SNP one. For whatever reason it looks like most of the smaller parties and various independents didn't go with Labours proposal. Maybe they don't believe it is realistic from where we are.

Scott_P

https://twitter.com/VinnyMcAv/status/1101010848162738181

Scott_P

https://twitter.com/BBCJonSopel/status/1101011691779706880

FF43

I wouldn't be surprised if the Hanoi summit being cut short and the Cohen testimony were linked. In normal circumstances leaders would at least stagger through to lunch.

Mortimer

IanB2 said:

TheJezziah said:

https://twitter.com/alexwickham/status/1100843650463002624

TIGs voting for* hard Brexit.

They're disaster centrists, they realise the only way they get people to vote for centrism is in a no deal scenario where their opposition take the blame for no deal.

Brilliantly cynical, I just wonder whether people will fall for it.

*In a sort of a roundabout way by failing to oppose it.

It wasn't just TIG. There were forty fewer votes for Labour's amendment than for the SNP one. For whatever reason it looks like most of the smaller parties and various independents didn't go with Labours proposal. Maybe they don't believe it is realistic from where we are.

Of course it isn’t.

The only deal possible is the deal. Perhaps with a tweak on the backstop.

This has been clear since before xmas.

ydoethur

dots said:

rcs1000 said:

oxfordsimon said:

Today was a piece of political theater (to be all American about it) - it wasn't designed to get at the truth.

Given everything that is said about Trump, I can't see this really making that much difference. People have made up their minds about him.

Cohen is looking at his post-prison life - book deals, tv spots, a future career - of course he is going to make a big splash. Who wouldn't?

But as to credibility - I just don't know (and don't really care) - US politics is just too toxic for words.

It won't make much difference.

The problem President Trump has is that it doesn't have to make much difference.

If it means that Democrats are 1% more likely to go out and vote because they're really upset a criminal is in the White House, and if it means Republicans are 1% more likely to stay home, then he's in trouble.

I think the real trouble comes for President Trump if Fox News begins slowly withdrawing its support. I'm not suggesting they go for some Democrat, or somesuch, but if they decide the President is holed below the waterline, then they will find someone else to back. James Murdoch is no dummy: if he thinks 2020 is lost, then he will not hesitate to stick the knife in.

How does it harm them to back him to the last? He has all his policy’s from watching Fox News reading the Morning Star. He is their man, if he hasn’t embarrassed supporters off by now then they are hardly likely to forsake him based on lies, fake news from those trying to discredit him becuase of loathing for his policy, at least thats how his supporters will know it.

It's quite eerie how well that works for Corbyn with that one not very important change.

Mortimer

OldKingCole said:

Drutt said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

Drutt said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

TheAncientMariner said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Rashid is bowling utter shit.

This did not age well...

You can bowl shit and take wickets - Ian Botham was famous/ notorious for it.

snip

FPT


This continues for thirty-something balls, or until the fielding team have run out of drinks. I have been in games where we recovered from 110-0 off 10 to reach 130-7 off 20, and where we have collapsed from 57-6 to 150-8 in the same time. In each of the last 10 overs of these innings the MCC coaching manual stayed resolutely shut.

I love idiot-level cricket and if anyone has a spare spot in an office weeknight team in the Bristol area this summer I'm almost certainly available.

And I should have added that this is a great bit of writing!

Very kind - I chuckled away writing it. Can I recommend Rain Men (Marcus Berkmann) and Balham to Bollywood (Chris England) if you'd like about 400 pages of that sort of thing done properly?

I am irresistibly reminded of the time, a few years ago, that the landlord of the pub where I drank decided to get a cricket team together and challenge other local pubs, drinking clubs and the like. My brief and inglorious playing days were long behind me, so I volunteered to act as umpire.
Lasted a couple of seasons and three or four matches.
One highlight was giving out the star...... in his mind anyway....... batsman of our opponents 'caught behind' off the bowling of a twelve year old lad, who looked as though he was going to be good one day.One would have expected someone representing a pub called The Cricketers to have a better idea of sportsmanship!
However as I walked home, it being June in England, there was a storm and I took refuge in that pub. I was welcomed with 'It's the ump. Come on ump, no, put your money away!'

There's something about cricket!

Brilliant!

Would like to echo comments for @Drutt. Beautiful prose.

Also sums up an annual game that I play, too. Will only add that skippers are there by virtue of administrative skill (and the ability to herd cats).

SandyRentool

IanB2 said:

TheJezziah said:

https://twitter.com/alexwickham/status/1100843650463002624

TIGs voting for* hard Brexit.

They're disaster centrists, they realise the only way they get people to vote for centrism is in a no deal scenario where their opposition take the blame for no deal.

Brilliantly cynical, I just wonder whether people will fall for it.

*In a sort of a roundabout way by failing to oppose it.

It wasn't just TIG. There were forty fewer votes for Labour's amendment than for the SNP one. For whatever reason it looks like most of the smaller parties and various independents didn't go with Labours proposal. Maybe they don't believe it is realistic from where we are.

Labour stated that if 'Labour Brexit' was defeated they would swing behind a second referendum. Therefore the right thing for Remainers to do was vote against the Labour amendment.

ydoethur

OldKingCole said:

Drutt said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

Drutt said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

TheAncientMariner said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Rashid is bowling utter shit.

This did not age well...

You can bowl shit and take wickets - Ian Botham was famous/ notorious for it.

snip

FPT


This continues for thirty-something balls, or until the fielding team have run out of drinks. I have been in games where we recovered from 110-0 off 10 to reach 130-7 off 20, and where we have collapsed from 57-6 to 150-8 in the same time. In each of the last 10 overs of these innings the MCC coaching manual stayed resolutely shut.

I love idiot-level cricket and if anyone has a spare spot in an office weeknight team in the Bristol area this summer I'm almost certainly available.

And I should have added that this is a great bit of writing!

Very kind - I chuckled away writing it. Can I recommend Rain Men (Marcus Berkmann) and Balham to Bollywood (Chris England) if you'd like about 400 pages of that sort of thing done properly?

I am irresistibly reminded of the time, a few years ago, that the landlord of the pub where I drank decided to get a cricket team together and challenge other local pubs, drinking clubs and the like. My brief and inglorious playing days were long behind me, so I volunteered to act as umpire.
Lasted a couple of seasons and three or four matches.
One highlight was giving out the star...... in his mind anyway....... batsman of our opponents 'caught behind' off the bowling of a twelve year old lad, who looked as though he was going to be good one day.One would have expected someone representing a pub called The Cricketers to have a better idea of sportsmanship!
However as I walked home, it being June in England, there was a storm and I took refuge in that pub. I was welcomed with 'It's the ump. Come on ump, no, put your money away!'

There's something about cricket!

It was bowled of you to go into that pub after that. But what a way to welcome you!

OldKingCole

Mortimer said:

OldKingCole said:

Drutt said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

Drutt said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

TheAncientMariner said:

Fysics_Teacher said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Rashid is bowling utter shit.

This did not age well...

You can bowl shit and take wickets - Ian Botham was famous/ notorious for it.

snip

FPT


This continues for thirty-something balls, or until the fielding team have run out of drinks. I have been in games where we recovered from 110-0 off 10 to reach 130-7 off 20, and where we have collapsed from 57-6 to 150-8 in the same time. In each of the last 10 overs of these innings the MCC coaching manual stayed resolutely shut.

I love idiot-level cricket and if anyone has a spare spot in an office weeknight team in the Bristol area this summer I'm almost certainly available.

And I should have added that this is a great bit of writing!

Very kind - I chuckled away writing it. Can I recommend Rain Men (Marcus Berkmann) and Balham to Bollywood (Chris England) if you'd like about 400 pages of that sort of thing done properly?

I am irresistibly reminded of the time, a few years ago, that the landlord of the pub where I drank decided to get a cricket team together and challenge other local pubs, drinking clubs and the like. My brief and inglorious playing days were long behind me, so I volunteered to act as umpire.
Lasted a couple of seasons and three or four matches.
One highlight was giving out the star...... in his mind anyway....... batsman of our opponents 'caught behind' off the bowling of a twelve year old lad, who looked as though he was going to be good one day.One would have expected someone representing a pub called The Cricketers to have a better idea of sportsmanship!
However as I walked home, it being June in England, there was a storm and I took refuge in that pub. I was welcomed with 'It's the ump. Come on ump, no, put your money away!'

There's something about cricket!

Brilliant!

Would like to echo comments for @Drutt. Beautiful prose.

Also sums up an annual game that I play, too. Will only add that skippers are there by virtue of administrative skill (and the ability to herd cats).

Indeed. Every so often we get some really good prose here and Mr D's was an excellent example.

Morris_Dancer

Good morning, everyone.

Did McDonnell[sp] specify what the options would be in said referendum? The timetable?

ydoethur

Morris_Dancer said:

Good morning, everyone.

Did McDonnell[sp] specify what the options would be in said referendum? The timetable?

Do you think:

1) Jeremy Corbyn is awesome and should be PM to negotiate a Labour Brexit that will involve unicorns, flying pigs and Richard Dawkins converting to Evangelical Christianity;

Or

2) Jeremy Corbyn is so awesome he should replace Chris Gayle as universe boss and order the EU to pay tribute to us?

Choose carefully. And remember, if you get it wrong, the Zionists will rule the world.

OldKingCole

Continuing the cricketing theme Newsthump has the following
'Duckworth-Lewis Amendment will see UK enter permanent customs union if it’s raining on March 29th'

ydoethur

OldKingCole said:

Continuing the cricketing theme Newsthump has the following
'Duckworth-Lewis Amendment will see UK enter permanent customs union if it’s raining on March 29th'

Hmm. I doubt it. We're going to have far more balls in the next few weeks than there were in the Timeless Test of '39.

RochdalePioneers

Corbyn personally vetoed the suspension of that rat fuck Williamson. Only backed down whena volley of complaints hit him such as the letter from the chair of that Tory front organisation Tribune.

I am considering my options.

Nigelb

Charles said:

rpjs said:

rcs1000 said:

rpjs said:

rcs1000 said:

edmundintokyo said:

Weirdly I think the one with the most political cut-through is this one which is petty but funny and highly believable:

https://twitter.com/KenGude/status/1100888202104197123

The ones with the biggest potential to f*ck him are six and eight. If he was using dramatically different valuations (i.e. 25% or more apart) for properties on a loan application and on a tax return, at approximately the same time, then he's committed either wire fraud (with regards to the loan application) or tax fraud.

And property tax fraud, except in DC, is a state, not federal offence, as property taxes are levied by munucipalities which are incorporated by the states.

Yes. And if the difference is really big (say 50-100% between the two valuations), then it's entirely possible he's guilty of two separate offences.

The misusing charitable funds one is also most likely a state-level crime as the Trump Foundation was incorporated in and regulated by the State of New York.

Buying a portrait is not necessarily misuse of charitable funds. It all depends on the remit and how it is used. My foundation, for example, has commissioned pairings of the two previous chairmen and the former deputy chairman all of which are on public display at our headquarters.

If the Trump portrait is in his house, for example, then it become more challenging to justify

The NY state attorney already shut his charity down as it was effectively a private slush fund.

Cicero

williamglenn said:

edmundintokyo said:

Thread on the crimes Cohen implicated Trump in:
https://twitter.com/KenGude/status/1100888190540496897

There's some speculation that his comments about what Roger Stone said about Hillary's emails put Nigel Farage in the frame.

Farage has been a regular visitor to Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy. One wonders what they find to talk about... The weather in Sochi, perhaps?

OldKingCole

ydoethur said:

OldKingCole said:

Continuing the cricketing theme Newsthump has the following
'Duckworth-Lewis Amendment will see UK enter permanent customs union if it’s raining on March 29th'

Hmm. I doubt it. We're going to have far more balls in the next few weeks than there were in the Timeless Test of '39.

Your historical knowledge extends far and wide. Far beyond the confines of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and that of Amiens! Impressive,

malcolmg

Y0kel said:

Cohen's testimony only has three significant points:

The accusation that Trump committed a criminal offence over payments
That there is an investigation into Trump himself going on. Not his campaign, not just his son, him
Felix Sater

This coming election is the Democrats to lose. The concern they have is two fold a chaotic and bitter primary with a leftist winner and a credible 3rd party candidate running. Trumps base hovers at around 38 to 40% but its firm, the Democrats are currently carrying a lot froth on their poll figures and will suffer disproportionately with a centerist 3rd party candidate based on some analysis I've looked at.

Bear in mind some Republicans are desperately looking for a spoiler to damage Trump but it actually might actually damage the Democrats.

India/Pakistan

Imran Khan is having a great conflict at the moment, domestic opinion will see Pakistan more than holding its own but he is now looking for a cessation whilst the going is good.

He will be lucky , bad timing with elections in India looming.

malcolmg

Mortimer said:

IanB2 said:

TheJezziah said:

https://twitter.com/alexwickham/status/1100843650463002624

TIGs voting for* hard Brexit.

They're disaster centrists, they realise the only way they get people to vote for centrism is in a no deal scenario where their opposition take the blame for no deal.

Brilliantly cynical, I just wonder whether people will fall for it.

*In a sort of a roundabout way by failing to oppose it.

It wasn't just TIG. There were forty fewer votes for Labour's amendment than for the SNP one. For whatever reason it looks like most of the smaller parties and various independents didn't go with Labours proposal. Maybe they don't believe it is realistic from where we are.

Of course it isn’t.

The only deal possible is the deal. Perhaps with a tweak on the backstop.

This has been clear since before xmas.

so it is No deal or revoke then

SquareRoot

Dura_Ace said:

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/itvpeston/status/1100884934409895936

Looks and sounds like a PM in waiting. Corbyn's likely successor in my opinion.

PM in waiting ? LOL..

Scrapheap_as_was

Old vs Young?

https://twitter.com/TheRedRoar/status/1101026875588136963?s=19