Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

9 hours ago, DaveF said:

At least in a few days time we might get back to real news on the local TV programmes.

At this time of year ERs are usually complaining about too much tennis on television.

 

(I am happily watching it now.)

[4630]

58 minutes ago, PupCam said:

 

Didn't one of the recent blue teams try that?   Not pretty .....

 

 

As the previous Governor of the Bank of England remarked,

 

“The UK has to rely on the “kindness of strangers” to keep the economy functioning.”

 

It pays to keep them ‘on-side’, or at the very least to make sure that your taxation and spending plans are grounded in what passes for ‘real world orthodoxy’.

 

In actual fact the incoming government is very likely to catch a break if the Bank of England monetary policy committee reduces bank rate by 0.25% at their next meeting on 1st August.  An anticipated reduction is already ‘priced in’ according to the money markets.  

 

 

[Andy Hayter]

2 hours ago, Tony_S said:

There was a referendum about changing the system a few years ago during the Con Lib coalition .Turnout wasn’t high but No change was the result. 

 

 

First past the post works well with 2 parties in a constituency and pretty well with three - the effective situation in most constituencies when that referendum was held.  However, as the serious contender groups grow, it becomes a less and less effective reflection of the will of the people.  Now, with 4, 5, or even 6 serious parties being represented in a constituency, you see the disparities between how people have voted and how that is represented in parliament.   Left as is, it will end in tears in a few years time.

[Ozexpatriate]

7 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

I strongly object to politics being involved in my former profession.

Jamie, is there a place where it is not? Though I will stipulate there are times they are left alone to do their jobs.

 

The Portland Police Bureau has been clever lately. They worked with a oncology university professor and applied some data mining approaches to help police use data in stops rather than pulling over people who simply "looked" suspicious (which historically had a strong racial bias).  (Of course they can't pull people over 'without cause' but there are always ways to 'find' cause.)

 

Stops went down dramatically, but the ratio of stolen cars, arrests, and guns recovered per stop all went up dramatically. Much more effective.

 

A positive result and kudos from the local politicians for doing a good job - rather than interference.

[Ozexpatriate]

6 hours ago, The White Rabbit said:

Personally, a none of the above or a write in option is something I'd like to see. If voting was ever compulsory then for me having that option would be very important. 

It is an option here.

 

I wish they would report on the national write-in 'winner'. There were 159,752 votes cast for "write-ins" in 2020 (0.1% of votes cast). There were 70,296 votes for Kanye West - who was on the ballot.

[The White Rabbit]

1 minute ago, Ozexpatriate said:

It is an option here. ...

 

I hear a Mouse, M often does well. Joking and sarcasm aside, I think it's a useful option, whether to express a protest vote or to suggest someone (IYHO) might do a decent job. And maybe one day, just maybe, the USSS might turn up on someone's doorstep and make them an offer they can't refuse. Meanwhile, back in the real world ... ☹️

[Ozexpatriate]

5 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

What all this means for future pollsters is that you shouldn’t trust them more than as an indication.

A lesson learned the hard way in the US in 2016. 

 

The actual polling by 538 was very accurate in terms of total votes cast - but significant detail differences in swing states led to an unpredicted outcome, though to be fair 538 gave the winner better odds than other pollsters.

 

Edited July 5 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

5 minutes ago, The White Rabbit said:

I hear a Mouse, M often does well.

Traditionally yes, but I suspect less often now. More competition from the likes of Batman and Grogu. 

[The White Rabbit]

Evening all,

 

It is piddlin' down. The forecast was fairly accurate and the builders spent quite a bit of the afternoon sitting in the conservatory, drinking my coffee, consulting weather websites, scowling and muttering things t'vicar would not approve of. We gave up mid afternoon. However - the new drains got a thorough test and all looks OK at the moment. Shame about the rendering and painting due... 

 

ION, salad trays planted and put aside for Nature to do her thing. Parcel arrived and unpacked, one of Pickering's finest works in grey. Some 'mucky magazines' perused and the advertising pages removed to help reduce the storage volume. A couple of emails tapped out. Two young sparrows from the brood hatched in the hedge observed for a few minutes after the builders left hopping about hunting for grubs and the insects they disturbed. No pictures snapped (yet?) but the blackbird nestlings have also hatched and are occasionally sighted. 

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

The Conservative party is walking on a very narrow mountain path.

Nah.

 

This is the lesson they needed to learn. They won't really "need" a leader until six-to-twelve months before the next general election.

 

As soon as parliament is back in session and they embrace their new role as the opposition and start lobbing things during question time and go on all the news shows talking about how the new government will find out just how difficult the country's problems are and what a bad job they are doing, etc, etc a new normal will quickly emerge.

 

The wisdom of Pete, Roger, John and Keith will be evident.

Quote

"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

 

[Coombe Barton]

3 hours ago, The White Rabbit said:

According to the Daily Telegraph, this is the result of using the first past the post system:

 

A more comprehensive analysis

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2024/jul/05/eleven-charts-that-show-how-labour-won-by-a-landslide

[jamie92208]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

 

A buddy of Bear's walked into his Boss's office (not at the Great Empire) and handed over his desk keys and security pass to a rather confused Boss - and then said:

 

"I'm 65 today - I'm now retired, see ya" and promptly walked out, leaving a very embarrassed Boss behind.... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Someone I knew did that when he was the duty Inspector at Pudsey. He walked into the CH. Insps office at 10.00 and hand in his retirement request as of that moment with over a month's accrued leave etc, then walked out. S

 

45 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Jamie, is there a place where it is not? Though I will stipulate there are times they are left alone to do their jobs.

 

The Portland Police Bureau has been clever lately. They worked with a oncology university professor and applied some data mining approaches to help police use data in stops rather than pulling over people who simply "looked" suspicious (which historically had a strong racial bias).  (Of course they can't pull people over 'without cause' but there are always ways to 'find' cause.)

 

Stops went down dramatically, but the ratio of stolen cars, arrests, and guns recovered per stop all went up dramatically. Much more effective.

 

A positive result and kudos from the local politicians for doing a good job - rather than interference.

Strangely no politician can order a Constable to arrest someone.  We were technically self employed Crown Servants and only swore allegience to the Sovereign.  Several parties over the years have tried to gain operational control without success. 

 

Jamie 

[Ozexpatriate]

3 hours ago, zarniwhoop said:

Yeah, I vote in council or national elections but voting for police and crime commissioners is a step too far towards the American model.

Not sure what you mean by the "American model". 

 

Usually the County Sheriff is an elected position. While the Police Commissioner in large city police forces could be elected, the position in most places is appointed by the mayor. The head of state police agencies (like the Oregon State Troopers*) is appointed by the Governor.

 

* Think Highway Patrol.

 

The big difference with the US system of policing is the crazy quilt of jurisdictions.  Besides 'the Feds' (like the FBI) many Federal departments have their own police (like National Park Service Park Police, or the Post Office Police) and there are police for all levels of government like States, Counties and Cities.

[polybear]

Bear here....

 

....who got an email earlier from Gatwick Official Parking with various tips in - one of which was to "book parking via my account in order to get a discount".  Well I always do that anyway - but thought I'd check the price of parking that would be for the same duration/week etc. as I've already got booked for later in the year....

And it came in £29 CHEAPER than the one I've already got booked.....

So that booking got cancelled, then immediately re-booked again, saving £29.  That's definitely a Big Tick.....

 

Incidentally, I received an email from Gatwick whilst still in Lisbon, offering to flog me "VIP Passport Control" on my return to the UK" - all for the bargain price of fourteen quid.  Now having seen some of the queues at Passport Control on previous hols I did ponder whether or not I should go for it, but in the end decided not to.

And what did I find on my return?  Nope, not great big Q's.....but lots of Electronic Passport Machines with ZERO travellers waiting to go thru' - it really was a case of pick an empty machine and go for it.  That's fourteen quid saved.  Huge Tick - and a happy Bear.

 

As for today - somewhat wasted really; I just couldn't be ar5ed to do much.  Can't have a repeat performance tomorrow.....

 

BG

[The White Rabbit]

[Coombe Barton]

26 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

A more comprehensive analysis

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2024/jul/05/eleven-charts-that-show-how-labour-won-by-a-landslide

And from the BBC

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4nglegege1o

[New Haven Neil]

Evening orl, from an election-free country.

 

It is Tynwald Day, our national day, so I listened to the National Anthem (ours....) on the steam radio at 8am and ignored the rest of the days shenanigans (Politicians sitting on a big grass hill in top hats and tails, while  lots of uniforms mill about the place and lots of stalls that look more like a car-boot sale than anything) and went out on the bikes with the Old Farts.  Much more fun.  As it is also a Bonk Holiday (copyright Olddudders once again)Mrs NHN was able to come along too.

 

Lunch stop at the MSPCA.

 

[TheQ]

Successfully avoided all Polly's ticks today, sitting the the radar museum that is a screened building, so radios and TVs wouldn't work anyway .

Struggled all day with pain from my right hand side particularly around / above the hip. Pink pills were taken..

 

Got an urgent request to fix a broken plastic switch in the radar museum, luckily I had the tools and bits already ready, fix took all of 5 minutes.

 

The radar museum has got approval for the new solar panels on the roof, they should be starting very soon. That'll cut some of the £13,000 electricity bill.

 

We had a bus load of kids from a primary school in this morning, so all hope of muddling was gone. But once they had gone, I built the transmitter cabin for a type 15 radar. 1/87 scale..

This very one.

https://www.therafatomahabeach.com/a-m-e-s-type-15-mk-1/

 

It'll need sanding and fettling next week when it's dried solid. 

 

Calculated how many track pins (aka 14mm dress makers pins)  I'll need for the  fencing on the next diorama... 1500ish...

Hmm this thing l is getting presumptuous, it's putting in the word while I'm typing, so it gets the word with the second half of the word repeated.

 

At the MRC, just made all the boards align together even if the parallel bits of metal don't.

 

Started light large blobs of rain before I left, became heavy large blobs of rain by the time I got here, it's going prematurely dark as well.

 

New slippers arrived, comfortable they are too.

 

Muggachoccy gone

Good night Awl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Finally got the results of my constituency. We now have a Reform MP but with a majority of less than 100 over the Labour candidate. The previous incumbent was pushed way down into third place.

[monkeysarefun]

5 hours ago, Tony_S said:

There was a referendum about changing the system a few years ago during the Con Lib coalition .Turnout wasn’t high but No change was the result. 

 

 

It would surprise me greatly if either of the two major parties put ANY effort into convincing the voters otherwise!

[DaveF]

I've had a peaceful evening spent listening to "Friday Night is Music Night" on Radio 3 where it has moved to from Radio 2.  For once I just listened to the music instead of doing something else at the same time.  

 

It took me back to student days when I usually listened to Radio 3 or 2 in the evenings unless a group of us were in someones room singing.  The latter was always better if we went to a girls' hall of residence as many of them played guitars to accompany us.  Back then none of us had a TV, some didn't even have a radio.  Only a very few people had record players so we made our own entertainment.

 

After the music I watched Sister Boniface, also enjoyable.

 

David

[Ozexpatriate]

1 minute ago, monkeysarefun said:

It would surprise me greatly if either of the two major parties put ANY effort into convincing the voters otherwise!

Same reason no one will get rid of the arcane Electoral College in the US.

[monkeysarefun]

3 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

At this time of year ERs are usually complaining about too much tennis on television.

 

(I am happily watching it now.)

Wait til the Olympics starts.

[PhilJ W]

2 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Wait til the Olympics starts.

At least in Australia the time difference means that most of it will be shown in the early hours of the morning, Paris time is only one hour ahead of us.

[monkeysarefun]

3 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Apparently it's the one with the dogs outside.

You can never mistake  OUR ones!

 

Edited July 5 by monkeysarefun