It would be nice to have some calibration of the question - ask whether voters think May or Corbyn is above or below average, and split by VI to see if the answers reflect anything more than tribalism.
Of UK party leaders in my time, I'd rate everyone highly intelligent except Ashdown and Corbyn - both about average - and IDS - well below.
David Lidington was on Today with the Humf. Slightly tricky wicket but I was unimpressed. If he is now Minister for the Today program the government is going to struggle to get its message over. He sounded pompous, vague and just a tad unsure of himself.
Must have sounded just like Humphrys then. Blustering and talking over people would complete the impersonation.
Nah - Humphreys is a national treasure, and rightly deserves the accolade.
There is CCTV footage of a group of students being led over it as it collapses - nothing to suggest an abnormal load - the area beneath it was pretty empty, but it will be remarkable if there are no fatalities.
It would be nice to have some calibration of the question - ask whether voters think May or Corbyn is above or below average, and split by VI to see if the answers reflect anything more than tribalism.
Of UK party leaders in my time, I'd rate everyone highly intelligent except Ashdown and Corbyn - both about average - and IDS - well below.
Trump is bound to have above-average intelligence.
But he also meets the criteria of a psychopath.
Anyone who has read 'The Smartest Guys In The Room' will know that a certain Mr Jeff Skilling was a ferociously intelligent fella but also arguably the most calamitous CEO in corporate history.
It has been argued that Skilling is a psychopath.
Vain; narcissistic; lacking in self awareness; driven by money and power.
There is CCTV footage of a group of students being led over it as it collapses - nothing to suggest an abnormal load - the area beneath it was pretty empty, but it will be remarkable if there are no fatalities.
Jeez... That's nasty. On viewing, it reminds me somewhat of the Hyatt Regency Collapse (a failure that was mentioned on our course), although that was much worse, with more people and walkways involved.
It's an interesting failure: it looks as though the top of the hangers have either fractured or come undone. I'd be surprised if there were not fatalities.
Mr. Herdson, do you mean the Lord Chancellor or the Chancellor of the Exchequer?
Just thinking of Osborne giving May the Hundreds before she could sack him.
It's the CoE.
In theory, Osborne could have done that. In practice, I suspect it might have landed him with a Misconduct in Public Office charge. And it'd have been pointless anyway as May would have been PM with or without a seat and she would hardly have lost a by-election in the circumstances of Autumn 2016.
The latest Ashcroft focus groups are interesting. The [Brexit] story had just become “background noise. You kind of zone out of it. It’s been going on for nearly two years.” Or, more forthrightly: “I’m bored with it. I’m bored to the back teeth so I switch off. You’ve just got to hope they know what they’re doing.”
Most of us here are engaged with Brexit and know the ins and outs of it but most people aren't at all, and have only the vaguest idea of what is happening politically. Their views aren't changing, not because they're listening to the arguments and are not persuaded to change their vote, but because they're just not interested. So the status quo prevails but it isn't deep at all.
Carillion going bust and not being bailed out is a good thing - in the medium/long term.
Unsuccessful businesses should be allowed to fail.
RBS should have been allowed to go under too - would have set a good example.
If RBS had gone bust in an uncontrolled way, there could well have been a revolution within a week. There's a good chance that the entire retail banking system would have seized up, electronic payments would have ceased, ATMs would have stopped paying out and the movement of goods would have ground to a halt. The practical consequences of that are profound.
Was it Mao, Marx or Lenin who said "No society is more than three meals from revolution?
Believe it or not, I think the original quote is from Red Dwarf. There are older variants, the earliest of which goes back to pre-Revolutionary France, IIRC.
Nixon was probably the brightest post-war President alongside Carter, neither were a great success
Ended the war in Vietnam, repaired relations with China, created the EPA, lowered the voting age to 18, desegregated southern schools... Nixon was the most successful US president since WWII, arguably earlier.
Nixon was probably the brightest post-war President alongside Carter, neither were a great success
Ended the war in Vietnam, repaired relations with China, created the EPA, lowered the voting age to 18, desegregated southern schools... Nixon was the most successful US president since WWII, arguably earlier.
And JFK was the worst. He stoked up the missile gap whilst a candidate, despite knowing it was baloney, nearly caused nuclear war, and had the personal morals of Nagini.
It's interesting to consider the way JFK's presidency might have gone if he hadn't died in office.
Nixon was probably the brightest post-war President alongside Carter, neither were a great success
Ended the war in Vietnam, repaired relations with China, created the EPA, lowered the voting age to 18, desegregated southern schools... Nixon was the most successful US president since WWII, arguably earlier.
And JFK was the worst. He stoked up the missile gap whilst a candidate, despite knowing it was baloney, nearly caused nuclear war, and had the personal morals of Nagini.
It's interesting to consider the way JFK's presidency might have gone if he hadn't died in office.
Patton was a poor academic but renowned as one of the great leaders of men.
Just imagine how his particular brand of political correctness would be received today
Nixon was probably the brightest post-war President alongside Carter, neither were a great success
Ended the war in Vietnam, repaired relations with China, created the EPA, lowered the voting age to 18, desegregated southern schools... Nixon was the most successful US president since WWII, arguably earlier.
I'm not sure you can really credit Nixon with ending the Vietnam war when he prolonged it for a further seven years.
I was expecting Carillion to go into Administration, not compulsory liquidation. Although the company has been in trouble for a while, the serious decline has been astonishingly fast. It's only three years ago that Carillion was trying to buy Balfour Beatty. The directors have certainly got some difficult questions to answer.
The latest Ashcroft focus groups are interesting. The [Brexit] story had just become “background noise. You kind of zone out of it. It’s been going on for nearly two years.” Or, more forthrightly: “I’m bored with it. I’m bored to the back teeth so I switch off. You’ve just got to hope they know what they’re doing.”
Most of us here are engaged with Brexit and know the ins and outs of it but most people aren't at all, and have only the vaguest idea of what is happening politically. Their views aren't changing, not because they're listening to the arguments and are not persuaded to change their vote, but because they're just not interested. So the status quo prevails but it isn't deep at all.
Even though I'm a political anorak, I share the feeling of ennui. It's out of voters' hands at the moment; however you voted, there's little point or pleasure in frothing about it, Mr Glenn of this parish excepted.
Nixon was probably the brightest post-war President alongside Carter, neither were a great success
Ended the war in Vietnam, repaired relations with China, created the EPA, lowered the voting age to 18, desegregated southern schools... Nixon was the most successful US president since WWII, arguably earlier.
And JFK was the worst. He stoked up the missile gap whilst a candidate, despite knowing it was baloney, nearly caused nuclear war, and had the personal morals of Nagini.
It's interesting to consider the way JFK's presidency might have gone if he hadn't died in office.
That's a bit unfair re Cuba. While you're not wrong in what you say, his thinking and actions were very much in line with the general Washington mentality of his time and to the doveish end, if anything. He did put the US's arm into the Vietman mangle though.
Trump is bound to have above-average intelligence.
But he also meets the criteria of a psychopath.
Anyone who has read 'The Smartest Guys In The Room' will know that a certain Mr Jeff Skilling was a ferociously intelligent fella but also arguably the most calamitous CEO in corporate history.
It has been argued that Skilling is a psychopath.
Vain; narcissistic; lacking in self awareness; driven by money and power.
Very similar to Trump, sadly.
Trump is first and foremost ignorant. Ignorance has nothing to do with intellitecual ability. Trump chooses to only be interested in a small sphere of things, namely himself, his businesses and what people are saying about them.
Nixon was probably the brightest post-war President alongside Carter, neither were a great success
Ended the war in Vietnam, repaired relations with China, created the EPA, lowered the voting age to 18, desegregated southern schools... Nixon was the most successful US president since WWII, arguably earlier.
I'm not sure you can really credit Nixon with ending the Vietnam war when he prolonged it for a further seven years.
Nixon was probably the brightest post-war President alongside Carter, neither were a great success
Ended the war in Vietnam, repaired relations with China, created the EPA, lowered the voting age to 18, desegregated southern schools... Nixon was the most successful US president since WWII, arguably earlier.
And JFK was the worst. He stoked up the missile gap whilst a candidate, despite knowing it was baloney, nearly caused nuclear war, and had the personal morals of Nagini.
It's interesting to consider the way JFK's presidency might have gone if he hadn't died in office.
Were JFKs morals worse than Trump's?
Should poor morals disqualify you from being leader anymore than not having a high IQ?
Trump is bound to have above-average intelligence.
But he also meets the criteria of a psychopath.
Anyone who has read 'The Smartest Guys In The Room' will know that a certain Mr Jeff Skilling was a ferociously intelligent fella but also arguably the most calamitous CEO in corporate history.
It has been argued that Skilling is a psychopath.
Vain; narcissistic; lacking in self awareness; driven by money and power.
Very similar to Trump, sadly.
Trump is first and foremost ignorant. Ignorance has nothing to do with intellitecual ability. Trump chooses to only be interested in a small sphere of things, namely himself, his businesses and what people are saying about them.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
It would be nice to have some calibration of the question - ask whether voters think May or Corbyn is above or below average, and split by VI to see if the answers reflect anything more than tribalism.
Even the most ardent of the May dickriders (of which there are few on here) would struggle to describe her as exceptionally intelligent.
Corbyn isn't even worth discussing. He is quite obviously and unequivocally as thick as shit.
I think May is intelligent (non-May dickrider speaking here). Very much so.
Doesn't for a second mean that she is fit for any public office, still less PM.
May is your classic head-down, class swot type. Her tin-ear, inability to deal or strike compromise and knack of mishandling basic processes suggest very ordinary levels of intelligence.
The latest Ashcroft focus groups are interesting. The [Brexit] story had just become “background noise. You kind of zone out of it. It’s been going on for nearly two years.” Or, more forthrightly: “I’m bored with it. I’m bored to the back teeth so I switch off. You’ve just got to hope they know what they’re doing.”
Most of us here are engaged with Brexit and know the ins and outs of it but most people aren't at all, and have only the vaguest idea of what is happening politically. Their views aren't changing, not because they're listening to the arguments and are not persuaded to change their vote, but because they're just not interested. So the status quo prevails but it isn't deep at all.
David Lidington was on Today with the Humf. Slightly tricky wicket but I was unimpressed. If he is now Minister for the Today program the government is going to struggle to get its message over. He sounded pompous, vague and just a tad unsure of himself.
Must have sounded just like Humphrys then. Blustering and talking over people would complete the impersonation.
Nah - Humphreys is a national treasure, and rightly deserves the accolade.
He does cost as much as the Crown Jewels. But otherwise he's anything but.
Well this is all interesting in Omagh. Barry seems to have finally been told to shove off as the heat isn't going over his Kingsmill stunt/error (delete as to whether you vote SF or not).
Realistically, SF should walk the by-election. Robin Swann has called for some sort of agreed victims campaigner to stand against him but I can't see how the SDLP can sell that to their remaining voters without being accused of being a Unionist patsy. The only way to beat SF is for Unionists to vote en-masse for young Daniel OR find an agreed anti-SF candidate from a CNR background. In fact, the latter seems the only goer to me.
In England, you would expect a low turnout to mean the party in the DUP position going in would have a chance but I expect turnout to be somewhere in the NI norm of 143 per cent.
It would be nice to have some calibration of the question - ask whether voters think May or Corbyn is above or below average, and split by VI to see if the answers reflect anything more than tribalism.
Even the most ardent of the May dickriders (of which there are few on here) would struggle to describe her as exceptionally intelligent.
Corbyn isn't even worth discussing. He is quite obviously and unequivocally as thick as shit.
I think May is intelligent (non-May dickrider speaking here). Very much so.
Doesn't for a second mean that she is fit for any public office, still less PM.
May is your classic head-down, class swot type. Her tin-ear, inability to deal or strike compromise and knack of mishandling basic processes suggest very ordinary levels of intelligence.
head-down class swot types are usually very intelligent.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Richard Branson explains the reason for the u-turn thus:
Freedom of speech, freedom of choice and tolerance for differing views are the core principles of any free and open society. While Virgin Trains has always said that their passengers are free to read whatever newspaper they choose on board West Coast trains, it is clear that on this occasion the decision to no longer sell the Mail has not been seen to live up to these principles.
I trust that all those on here who heaped opprobrium upon the Bearded One will apologize and beg his forgiveness.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
I've always found that by late afternoon there was nothing to buy in the Virgin shop other than Hello or the Express.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
Is the Times and the FT not decent broadsheets?
They only had the Telegraph last time I was on there.
The latest Ashcroft focus groups are interesting. The [Brexit] story had just become “background noise. You kind of zone out of it. It’s been going on for nearly two years.” Or, more forthrightly: “I’m bored with it. I’m bored to the back teeth so I switch off. You’ve just got to hope they know what they’re doing.”
Most of us here are engaged with Brexit and know the ins and outs of it but most people aren't at all, and have only the vaguest idea of what is happening politically. Their views aren't changing, not because they're listening to the arguments and are not persuaded to change their vote, but because they're just not interested. So the status quo prevails but it isn't deep at all.
I was expecting Carillion to go into Administration, not compulsory liquidation. Although the company has been in trouble for a while, the serious decline has been astonishingly fast. It's only three years ago that Carillion was trying to buy Balfour Beatty. The directors have certainly got some difficult questions to answer.
My understanding is (no insider info!) that Carillion could not find grounds for an administrator.
Having a high IQ does not make someone a good leader or mean they have good judgement.
Does it usually help though?
Denis Healy’s remark about David Owen comes to mind. One Good Fairy gave him looks, another brains, another charm. Then the Bad Fairy arrived and said ‘but you’ll be a shit'.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Richard Branson explains the reason for the u-turn thus:
Freedom of speech, freedom of choice and tolerance for differing views are the core principles of any free and open society. While Virgin Trains has always said that their passengers are free to read whatever newspaper they choose on board West Coast trains, it is clear that on this occasion the decision to no longer sell the Mail has not been seen to live up to these principles.
I trust that all those on here who heaped opprobrium upon the Bearded One will apologize and beg his forgiveness.
I hope the PR person who released the really hectoring explanation got a dressing down.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
Is the Times and the FT not decent broadsheets?
The FT is excellent and very neo liberal, although it has a rather anti Brexit bias in reporting.
Mr. M, whilst Twitter can be very grumpy, and has some maniacs, there are plenty of civilised and delightful people too. I've made a few lists, and the history one is almost always interesting and polite.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
Is the Times and the FT not decent broadsheets?
They only had the Telegraph last time I was on there.
According to the reports when initial decision, West coast only sell times, ft, mirror and daily mail.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
I've always found that by late afternoon there was nothing to buy in the Virgin shop other than Hello or the Express.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Richard Branson explains the reason for the u-turn thus:
Freedom of speech, freedom of choice and tolerance for differing views are the core principles of any free and open society. While Virgin Trains has always said that their passengers are free to read whatever newspaper they choose on board West Coast trains, it is clear that on this occasion the decision to no longer sell the Mail has not been seen to live up to these principles.
I trust that all those on here who heaped opprobrium upon the Bearded One will apologize and beg his forgiveness.
Does selling the Daily Mail equate with encouraging freedom of speech.
David Lidington was on Today with the Humf. Slightly tricky wicket but I was unimpressed. If he is now Minister for the Today program the government is going to struggle to get its message over. He sounded pompous, vague and just a tad unsure of himself.
Must have sounded just like Humphrys then. Blustering and talking over people would complete the impersonation.
Nah - Humphreys is a national treasure, and rightly deserves the accolade.
Having below average IQ has not stopped Humphrys getting where he is today.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
I've always found that by late afternoon there was nothing to buy in the Virgin shop other than Hello or the Express.
The latest Ashcroft focus groups are interesting. The [Brexit] story had just become “background noise. You kind of zone out of it. It’s been going on for nearly two years.” Or, more forthrightly: “I’m bored with it. I’m bored to the back teeth so I switch off. You’ve just got to hope they know what they’re doing.”
Most of us here are engaged with Brexit and know the ins and outs of it but most people aren't at all, and have only the vaguest idea of what is happening politically. Their views aren't changing, not because they're listening to the arguments and are not persuaded to change their vote, but because they're just not interested. So the status quo prevails but it isn't deep at all.
If those comments are representative, the I-Can't-Balieve-It's-Not-Brexit solution the government is likely to end up with will be the best option. Sure, Britain will still be subject to all sorts of EU restrictions and the core UKIP voters - the 2-3% they used to poll pre-2012 - will be mightily upset. But for the rest of the country, life will go on and it'll look like mission accomplished.
I was expecting Carillion to go into Administration, not compulsory liquidation. Although the company has been in trouble for a while, the serious decline has been astonishingly fast. It's only three years ago that Carillion was trying to buy Balfour Beatty. The directors have certainly got some difficult questions to answer.
My understanding is (no insider info!) that Carillion could not find grounds for an administrator.
@PolhomeEditor: Clean sweep for the Corbynite slate - Labour now owned by the far left. twitter.com/jonlansman/status/952870325733285888
Extremely worrying. Even if we see off corbyn, his mad followers are going to be charge of the party and one day they will get elected to run the country.
Mr. M, whilst Twitter can be very grumpy, and has some maniacs, there are plenty of civilised and delightful people too. I've made a few lists, and the history one is almost always interesting and polite.
Quite so Mr Dancer, for example, I follow your good self. That notwithstanding, it's also a global platform for idiots and the perpetually discontented and/or outraged.
It would be nice to have some calibration of the question - ask whether voters think May or Corbyn is above or below average, and split by VI to see if the answers reflect anything more than tribalism.
Even the most ardent of the May dickriders (of which there are few on here) would struggle to describe her as exceptionally intelligent.
Corbyn isn't even worth discussing. He is quite obviously and unequivocally as thick as shit.
I think May is intelligent (non-May dickrider speaking here). Very much so.
Doesn't for a second mean that she is fit for any public office, still less PM.
May is your classic head-down, class swot type. Her tin-ear, inability to deal or strike compromise and knack of mishandling basic processes suggest very ordinary levels of intelligence.
A lack of emotional intelligence maybe, a kind of male Gordon Brown....
Many smaller firms who work for Carillion have contacted the BBC with concerns about whether they will be paid.
"No".
Historically it was always one of the problems when football clubs went bust. Hooray we’ve saved the club.... paying 6p in the pound or something. But the coach firm which had carried the players to away matches was stuffed. Not that that made the sports pages.
The latest Ashcroft focus groups are interesting. The [Brexit] story had just become “background noise. You kind of zone out of it. It’s been going on for nearly two years.” Or, more forthrightly: “I’m bored with it. I’m bored to the back teeth so I switch off. You’ve just got to hope they know what they’re doing.”
Most of us here are engaged with Brexit and know the ins and outs of it but most people aren't at all, and have only the vaguest idea of what is happening politically. Their views aren't changing, not because they're listening to the arguments and are not persuaded to change their vote, but because they're just not interested. So the status quo prevails but it isn't deep at all.
A rude awakening beckons.
But for whom?
Is that really in doubt? Even Boris Johnson thinks the whole thing will have been a huge waste of time.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
Is the Times and the FT not decent broadsheets?
They only had the Telegraph last time I was on there.
According to the reports when initial decision, West coast only sell times, ft, mirror and daily mail.
Not the Guardian? On routes round Manchester! Shame on them!
Was it Mao, Marx or Lenin who said "No society is more than three meals from revolution?
Believe it or not, I think the original quote is from Red Dwarf. There are older variants, the earliest of which goes back to pre-Revolutionary France, IIRC.
It would be nice to have some calibration of the question - ask whether voters think May or Corbyn is above or below average, and split by VI to see if the answers reflect anything more than tribalism.
Even the most ardent of the May dickriders (of which there are few on here) would struggle to describe her as exceptionally intelligent.
Corbyn isn't even worth discussing. He is quite obviously and unequivocally as thick as shit.
I think May is intelligent (non-May dickrider speaking here). Very much so.
Doesn't for a second mean that she is fit for any public office, still less PM.
May is your classic head-down, class swot type. Her tin-ear, inability to deal or strike compromise and knack of mishandling basic processes suggest very ordinary levels of intelligence.
A lack of emotional intelligence maybe, a kind of male Gordon Brown....
The latest Ashcroft focus groups are interesting. The [Brexit] story had just become “background noise. You kind of zone out of it. It’s been going on for nearly two years.” Or, more forthrightly: “I’m bored with it. I’m bored to the back teeth so I switch off. You’ve just got to hope they know what they’re doing.”
Most of us here are engaged with Brexit and know the ins and outs of it but most people aren't at all, and have only the vaguest idea of what is happening politically. Their views aren't changing, not because they're listening to the arguments and are not persuaded to change their vote, but because they're just not interested. So the status quo prevails but it isn't deep at all.
A rude awakening beckons.
But for whom?
Is that really in doubt? Even Boris Johnson thinks the whole thing will have been a huge waste of time.
The latest Ashcroft focus groups are interesting. The [Brexit] story had just become “background noise. You kind of zone out of it. It’s been going on for nearly two years.” Or, more forthrightly: “I’m bored with it. I’m bored to the back teeth so I switch off. You’ve just got to hope they know what they’re doing.”
Most of us here are engaged with Brexit and know the ins and outs of it but most people aren't at all, and have only the vaguest idea of what is happening politically. Their views aren't changing, not because they're listening to the arguments and are not persuaded to change their vote, but because they're just not interested. So the status quo prevails but it isn't deep at all.
A rude awakening beckons.
But for whom?
Is that really in doubt? Even Boris Johnson thinks the whole thing will have been a huge waste of time.
Oh I don't know. As long as we end up outside the treaty frameworks that require 'ever closer union', I'd be happy with a Barely-There Brexit.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
Is the Times and the FT not decent broadsheets?
They only had the Telegraph last time I was on there.
According to the reports when initial decision, West coast only sell times, ft, mirror and daily mail.
Not the Guardian? On routes round Manchester! Shame on them!
Given they only sell 70 mails a day in that route, be lucky to sell a single copy of the guardian.
Mr. M, yeah. Had a sample of lunacy when some fools were rabbiting on about not reading books by white men any more. Because racism and sexism is absolutely fine if you're targeting the evil demographics.
Mr. Herdson, perhaps initially. But every time a decision rubs against the public's preference, there'll be a stinging feeling we voted to end that.
Trump is bound to have above-average intelligence.
But he also meets the criteria of a psychopath.
Anyone who has read 'The Smartest Guys In The Room' will know that a certain Mr Jeff Skilling was a ferociously intelligent fella but also arguably the most calamitous CEO in corporate history.
It has been argued that Skilling is a psychopath.
Vain; narcissistic; lacking in self awareness; driven by money and power.
Very similar to Trump, sadly.
Trump is first and foremost ignorant. Ignorance has nothing to do with intellitecual ability. Trump chooses to only be interested in a small sphere of things, namely himself, his businesses and what people are saying about them.
I'd agree on the ignorance - and that's unlikely to change. As far as intelligence is concerned, that seems pretty well moot, given the clear symptoms of mental decline that he exhibits.
@PolhomeEditor: Clean sweep for the Corbynite slate - Labour now owned by the far left. twitter.com/jonlansman/status/952870325733285888
Extremely worrying. Even if we see off corbyn, his mad followers are going to be charge of the party and one day they will get elected to run the country.
That depends if the MPs nominate a Corbynista to go to the ballot to succeed him and the miners select them but given Corbyn is going nowhere soon that is all hypothetical.
Laura 'I could never be friends with a Tory' Pidcock is apparently the new Corbynista heir apparent according to the Sunday Times yesterday
Was it Mao, Marx or Lenin who said "No society is more than three meals from revolution?
Believe it or not, I think the original quote is from Red Dwarf. There are older variants, the earliest of which goes back to pre-Revolutionary France, IIRC.
I always liked Red Dwarf (Series 1 to 5)
7-8 get a bad rap, but I maintain that there are some very decent episodes there. And 6 has some of my favourites. Gunmen of Apocalypse? Psirens? Legion? Classics.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
Advertising 600,000 members is a hostage to fortune.
Not so good to headline the number of members when they start declining.
Unless they decline in a torrent, its not that much of a risk - it would need to decline a long long way to no longer be an impressive number, even if a sustained decline would no doubt be a disappointment.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Richard Branson explains the reason for the u-turn thus:
Freedom of speech, freedom of choice and tolerance for differing views are the core principles of any free and open society. While Virgin Trains has always said that their passengers are free to read whatever newspaper they choose on board West Coast trains, it is clear that on this occasion the decision to no longer sell the Mail has not been seen to live up to these principles.
I trust that all those on here who heaped opprobrium upon the Bearded One will apologize and beg his forgiveness.
I dare say the motive is entirely driven by profit and the desire to protect the wider brand. I don't believe for a second Branson had a hand in "banning" the Daily mail, I'm sure it was thought up by an apparatchik at Virgin Trains' PR department as a brilliant way of getting free publicity out of a business decision to stop stocking a product that wasn't selling well. However Daily Mail readers also purchase Virgin Broadband, frequent Virgin Gyms, etc, so someone from the master brand team will have stepped in.
Mr. M, yeah. Had a sample of lunacy when some fools were rabbiting on about not reading books by white men any more. Because racism and sexism is absolutely fine if you're targeting the evil demographics.
Mr. Herdson, perhaps initially. But every time a decision rubs against the public's preference, there'll be a stinging feeling we voted to end that.
Maomentumers appear to some of the most intolerant people going.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
There's always WH Smith's at London Euston
Will WH Smith's at Euston survive the HS2 rebuild?
Donald Trump has the emotional intelligence of a five year old. He literally behaves like a five year old - rather than like a teenager, for example. On that score he is clearly less intelligent than a normal adult. If Wolff's reports are true that Trump has a habit of retelling the same anecdote several times to the same person within minutes, it suggests he is in the early stages of dementia. He has very little curiosity about people, places and facts. On the other hand he has a high transactional ability and I suspect his IQ is high.
Against other recent presidents, which is maybe a meaningful comparison, I would say he is overall more intelligent than George W Bush and less so than Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. But the reason why we are discussing this and the poll was taken, is Donald Trump own claims to unusual intelligence.
On Carillion, the facilities services part should be an OK business on its own or sold off to a competitor. The construction side is a mess and will result in some very large bills for the taxpayer.
Nixon was probably the brightest post-war President alongside Carter, neither were a great success
What evidence is there for Carter's intelligence being so high? Bill Clinton, for all his faults, was a Rhodes Scholar. Obama edited the Harvard Law Review. Both of those suggest high academic intelligence. Carter went to Georgia Tech, which while a perfectly good school, is hardly top tier. Nor did he - if Wikipedia is any guide - gain any particular academic plaudits.
Carter had an IQ measured of 153 and was an engineer. Being a Rhodes Scholar studying PPE as Clinton was does not suggest exceptional intelligence, Hillary got higher law school grades at Yale than Bill and nor necessarily does editing the Harvard Law Review, Obama's first college was Occidental College in California which is not top tier nor Ivy League and entry to that would have been based on SATs.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Richard Branson explains the reason for the u-turn thus:
Freedom of speech, freedom of choice and tolerance for differing views are the core principles of any free and open society. While Virgin Trains has always said that their passengers are free to read whatever newspaper they choose on board West Coast trains, it is clear that on this occasion the decision to no longer sell the Mail has not been seen to live up to these principles.
I trust that all those on here who heaped opprobrium upon the Bearded One will apologize and beg his forgiveness.
I dare say the motive is entirely driven by profit and the desire to protect the wider brand. I don't believe for a second Branson had a hand in "banning" the Daily mail, I'm sure it was thought up by an apparatchik at Virgin Trains' PR department as a brilliant way of getting free publicity out of a business decision to stop stocking a product that wasn't selling well. However Daily Mail readers also purchase Virgin Broadband, frequent Virgin Gyms, etc, so someone from the master brand team will have stepped in.
Mr. M, yeah. Had a sample of lunacy when some fools were rabbiting on about not reading books by white men any more. Because racism and sexism is absolutely fine if you're targeting the evil demographics.
Mr. Herdson, perhaps initially. But every time a decision rubs against the public's preference, there'll be a stinging feeling we voted to end that.
Maomentumers appear to some of the most intolerant people going.
Many don't think the intolerable should be tolerated. Unfortunately defining intolerable can be very broad indeed.
Isn't Carillion going into liquidation a bigger problem for Virgin today. Wonder which side of the r/p ledger they're on net (I'd have thought they'd inevitably have dealt with them)
Advertising 600,000 members is a hostage to fortune.
Not so good to headline the number of members when they start declining.
Unless they decline in a torrent, its not that much of a risk - it would need to decline a long long way to no longer be an impressive number, even if a sustained decline would no doubt be a disappointment.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
There's always WH Smith's at London Euston
Will WH Smith's at Euston survive the HS2 rebuild?
Dunno, my London friends' watering hole "Bree Louise" (That serves pie and ale at astonishingly good prices) will unfortunately be for the chop.
Advertising 600,000 members is a hostage to fortune.
Not so good to headline the number of members when they start declining.
Unless they decline in a torrent, its not that much of a risk - it would need to decline a long long way to no longer be an impressive number, even if a sustained decline would no doubt be a disappointment.
Drip, drip, drip ............
As bragging rights go, it only really matters compared against their opponents' direction of travel.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
There's always WH Smith's at London Euston
Will WH Smith's at Euston survive the HS2 rebuild?
Is HS2 even going ahead? Hopefully Carillion aren't involved...
Was it Mao, Marx or Lenin who said "No society is more than three meals from revolution?
Believe it or not, I think the original quote is from Red Dwarf. There are older variants, the earliest of which goes back to pre-Revolutionary France, IIRC.
I always liked Red Dwarf (Series 1 to 5)
7-8 get a bad rap, but I maintain that there are some very decent episodes there. And 6 has some of my favourites. Gunmen of Apocalypse? Psirens? Legion? Classics.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Richard Branson explains the reason for the u-turn thus:
Freedom of speech, freedom of choice and tolerance for differing views are the core principles of any free and open society. While Virgin Trains has always said that their passengers are free to read whatever newspaper they choose on board West Coast trains, it is clear that on this occasion the decision to no longer sell the Mail has not been seen to live up to these principles.
I trust that all those on here who heaped opprobrium upon the Bearded One will apologize and beg his forgiveness.
I dare say the motive is entirely driven by profit and the desire to protect the wider brand. I don't believe for a second Branson had a hand in "banning" the Daily mail, I'm sure it was thought up by an apparatchik at Virgin Trains' PR department as a brilliant way of getting free publicity out of a business decision to stop stocking a product that wasn't selling well. However Daily Mail readers also purchase Virgin Broadband, frequent Virgin Gyms, etc, so someone from the master brand team will have stepped in.
Yup. It wasn’t so much that VT made the decision, as the accompanying press release that caused the problems for the brand. Master brand franchisers tend to be a little sensitive when it comes to stuff like that.
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Who cares? If you don't like the Mail, don't buy it. The biggest problem with the shops on their trains is that the selection of newspapers and magazines is utterly shite. The Mail and a range of crap sleb magazines – no decent broadsheets nor decent men's and women's magazines. A gallery of crap.
There's always WH Smith's at London Euston
Will WH Smith's at Euston survive the HS2 rebuild?
Is HS2 even going ahead? Hopefully Carillion aren't involved...
Carillion are most definitely involved. However because they are really an outsourcing business, prima facie, most of their role reverts in house and can be retendered. Which is of course not ideal, but survivable.
Mr. M, yeah. Had a sample of lunacy when some fools were rabbiting on about not reading books by white men any more. Because racism and sexism is absolutely fine if you're targeting the evil demographics.
Mr. Herdson, perhaps initially. But every time a decision rubs against the public's preference, there'll be a stinging feeling we voted to end that.
To an extent. There's also greater awareness of the costs and losses of what a hard Brexit would mean - and, I'd guess, a greater appreciation of the benefits of membership (which is likely to be what's driven the slight swing to Remain in the 'what of' polls since the referendum).
Was it Mao, Marx or Lenin who said "No society is more than three meals from revolution?
Believe it or not, I think the original quote is from Red Dwarf. There are older variants, the earliest of which goes back to pre-Revolutionary France, IIRC.
I always liked Red Dwarf (Series 1 to 5)
7-8 get a bad rap, but I maintain that there are some very decent episodes there. And 6 has some of my favourites. Gunmen of Apocalypse? Psirens? Legion? Classics.
Psirens was gross, but very funny. The "Gunmen" was well done, but a bit too corny for me.
Mr. B, it's a perennial problem assessing driver quality when the car is so important. Must admit, I'd never heard of him, but if Jim Clark rated him he must've been good.
On a lighter note, the underwhelming new F1 logo nobody wanted or likes might also be subject to legal action. From the BBC gossip page: "F1 bosses Liberty Media could face legal action from 3M, the makers of Scotch Tape and Post-it Notes, over the style of 'F' used in its new-look logo for the sport. (Telegraph)"
I didn't see the need to vote. The slate was going to walk it so why bother? I'd have voted for Garnham anyway as she was a comrade at Sheffield University back in the day
DAily mail to sold again on virgin trains. Twatterati aren’t going to happy about this u-turn.
Richard Branson explains the reason for the u-turn thus:
Freedom of speech, freedom of choice and tolerance for differing views are the core principles of any free and open society. While Virgin Trains has always said that their passengers are free to read whatever newspaper they choose on board West Coast trains, it is clear that on this occasion the decision to no longer sell the Mail has not been seen to live up to these principles.
I trust that all those on here who heaped opprobrium upon the Bearded One will apologize and beg his forgiveness.
I dare say the motive is entirely driven by profit and the desire to protect the wider brand. I don't believe for a second Branson had a hand in "banning" the Daily mail, I'm sure it was thought up by an apparatchik at Virgin Trains' PR department as a brilliant way of getting free publicity out of a business decision to stop stocking a product that wasn't selling well. However Daily Mail readers also purchase Virgin Broadband, frequent Virgin Gyms, etc, so someone from the master brand team will have stepped in.
Yup. It wasn’t so much that VT made the decision, as the accompanying press release that caused the problems for the brand. Master brand franchisers tend to be a little sensitive when it comes to stuff like that.
The press release should be a case study in how not to do it. It basically branded all customers who read the Daily Mail as racist homophobic luddites, who they want on their trains even less than a homeless guy who hasn't washed for 2 weeks and clinging onto a 3l bottle of cheap cider.
Except if you are in serious trouble and about to start issuing profit warnings and have some key staff who may well choose to jump ship offering them some additional incentive to stay put and keep running the business just might be the smart thing to do. Not saying that is the case here but these things can be somewhat misleading when looked at in the rear mirror.
Comments
I should have mentioned the title: "How to be invisible...!"
I guess Carillion itself will be invisible in a short while ...
I won't post it but @adharves has it.
But he also meets the criteria of a psychopath.
Anyone who has read 'The Smartest Guys In The Room' will know that a certain Mr Jeff Skilling was a ferociously intelligent fella but also arguably the most calamitous CEO in corporate history.
It has been argued that Skilling is a psychopath.
Vain; narcissistic; lacking in self awareness; driven by money and power.
Very similar to Trump, sadly.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyatt_Regency_walkway_collapse
It's an interesting failure: it looks as though the top of the hangers have either fractured or come undone. I'd be surprised if there were not fatalities.
In theory, Osborne could have done that. In practice, I suspect it might have landed him with a Misconduct in Public Office charge. And it'd have been pointless anyway as May would have been PM with or without a seat and she would hardly have lost a by-election in the circumstances of Autumn 2016.
The [Brexit] story had just become “background noise. You kind of zone out of it. It’s been going on for nearly two years.” Or, more forthrightly: “I’m bored with it. I’m bored to the back teeth so I switch off. You’ve just got to hope they know what they’re doing.”
http://lordashcroftpolls.com/2018/01/cup-overflowed-political-stuff-theres-much-want-take-latest-focus-groups/
Most of us here are engaged with Brexit and know the ins and outs of it but most people aren't at all, and have only the vaguest idea of what is happening politically. Their views aren't changing, not because they're listening to the arguments and are not persuaded to change their vote, but because they're just not interested. So the status quo prevails but it isn't deep at all.
It's interesting to consider the way JFK's presidency might have gone if he hadn't died in office.
Just imagine how his particular brand of political correctness would be received today
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/us/politics/nixon-tried-to-spoil-johnsons-vietnam-peace-talks-in-68-notes-show.html
Should poor morals disqualify you from being leader anymore than not having a high IQ?
Realistically, SF should walk the by-election. Robin Swann has called for some sort of agreed victims campaigner to stand against him but I can't see how the SDLP can sell that to their remaining voters without being accused of being a Unionist patsy. The only way to beat SF is for Unionists to vote en-masse for young Daniel OR find an agreed anti-SF candidate from a CNR background. In fact, the latter seems the only goer to me.
In England, you would expect a low turnout to mean the party in the DUP position going in would have a chance but I expect turnout to be somewhere in the NI norm of 143 per cent.
Freedom of speech, freedom of choice and tolerance for differing views are the core principles of any free and open society. While Virgin Trains has always said that their passengers are free to read whatever newspaper they choose on board West Coast trains, it is clear that on this occasion the decision to no longer sell the Mail has not been seen to live up to these principles.
I trust that all those on here who heaped opprobrium upon the Bearded One will apologize and beg his forgiveness.
Denis Healy’s remark about David Owen comes to mind. One Good Fairy gave him looks, another brains, another charm. Then the Bad Fairy arrived and said ‘but you’ll be a shit'.
(Mention in pb Oct 2015.
Mr. M, whilst Twitter can be very grumpy, and has some maniacs, there are plenty of civilised and delightful people too. I've made a few lists, and the history one is almost always interesting and polite.
Not that that made the sports pages.
Oh when will I get a Labour party I am able to say "well, I might not vote for them, but it wouldn't be a disaster if they won" once again??
Mr. M, yeah. Had a sample of lunacy when some fools were rabbiting on about not reading books by white men any more. Because racism and sexism is absolutely fine if you're targeting the evil demographics.
Mr. Herdson, perhaps initially. But every time a decision rubs against the public's preference, there'll be a stinging feeling we voted to end that.
As far as intelligence is concerned, that seems pretty well moot, given the clear symptoms of mental decline that he exhibits.
Laura 'I could never be friends with a Tory' Pidcock is apparently the new Corbynista heir apparent according to the Sunday Times yesterday
Not so good to headline the number of members when they start declining.
F1 great and might have been champion...
https://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2018/01/15/dan-gurney/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42685356
"I'm the least racist person you have ever interviewed."...
*
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect
(link broken for some reason...)
http://newsthump.com/2018/01/15/uk-construction-industry-in-crisis-after-government-mistakenly-bails-out-marillion/
On a lighter note, the underwhelming new F1 logo nobody wanted or likes might also be subject to legal action. From the BBC gossip page:
"F1 bosses Liberty Media could face legal action from 3M, the makers of Scotch Tape and Post-it Notes, over the style of 'F' used in its new-look logo for the sport. (Telegraph)"