leicsmac

For legacy value? Yeah. Scalpers that buy up as much as they can and then sell them on, screwing over legit buyers in the process? Nah, Dante would put them in at least seventh circle of Inferno, and with good reason.

Goodness knows. What might be more important, however, is actually having a better quality of service and, you know, preventing suffering and death across the board as much as possible. Which I don't think tends to happen (not often anyway) when you choose not to spend adequate amounts on it. I guess we'll find out, anyway.

Which is rather a big distinction because that covers a time period of practically the last fifty years, as per above, and the parties split massively on such matters post-1979. Anyhow, to round this off, I would suggest that anyone opining that such a critical service has been adequately funded at any time since 1979 other than the years 1997-2008 are themselves voicing unpopular opinions.

It surely would be a shame, wouldn't it? Here's something to fill in that more recent gap. Seems to bear out the trend illustrated in the first graph, as well as highlighting how much things changed once the post-war consensus went out the window post-1979.

Because there are enough data points over enough time (nearly 50 years) to establish the rather obvious point about funds a critical social service adequately and who doesn't as it is.

You must have watched that pretty much the same time as I did then. Very sharp piece of very dark comedy, lots of fun.

Littler on an unreal run of form at the minute. Likely the best player in the world at 17 years old.

It would be the single most important discovery in the history of humanity, no less, imo. That being said, I think the first step would be finding simple microbial life in our own Solar System, and I don't reckon that's too far away either. Yeah, I really get that. It does lead a person to examine their thoughts about the nature of it all.

Absolutely! Can certainly understand the depth of feeling when you see pictures like this - for me, gazing out into the black and seeing things out there like this makes me excited, rather than uneasy. There's so much to discover out there, and so many possibilities...

All of the galaxies in the background in such unreal clarity are the most amazing thing for me.

https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-horsehead-nebula Beautiful!

Given what's going on up there right now, I would certainly agree. Not good at all. For one thing, the farming community are utterly up in arms about how it's affecting their yields this year (and it really is), but there doesn't seem to be anyone in high places either able or willing to take on applying solutions.

If one is conspiracy minded, one might suspect that is the entire intent of the co-opting of both of those movements in the first place; to make them unpalatable because they pose too much of a threat to the status quo. Of course, on the latter of the two issues what the protestors are up to pales into the most minute insignificance compared to the consequences of what will happen if what they wish for isn't done.

Seems to be an odd one then, lots of employers seemingly screaming out for capable staff but then every reasonably skilled position has 100+ applicants. Whose market is it right now, I wonder?

Certainly. Just not when it's expressed as fact.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68897443 Deadly storms that left Dubai under water and killed more than 20 people in Oman were likely made worse by climate change, scientists say. Heat pumped into the atmosphere by humans made the record rainfall 10-40% heavier, they say. But the natural weather pattern El Niño also drove the intense storms. Scientists warn the link to climate change is not fully certain because the rarity of rainfall in the region gives them little data to work with. The study was carried out by scientists with the World Weather Attribution group. The experts also said the way that cities have been built made the impacts of the storm worse. The tip of the (shrinking) iceberg when it comes to the consequences to come.

What can I say? I like it when people can actually substantiate their arguments with data, rather than just putting forth opinion as fact.

Yes and no. Have some commission based gig work, which isn't bringing in much (which is bad), but it is writing for a very well known science communication YouTube channel (which is good). Appreciate you asking.

Football fans, populism and reactionary thought in a nutshell, and today shows why that isn't always the best basis for action. On the actual topic, Soton played to every one of the strengths the team has by looking to come forward rather than parking the bus and you'd think Enzo set them up knowing that, with this result.

IMO it was one of those nice situations where it was going to be funny either way - either the superiority complex of Man U and their fanbase is delivered a massive humiliating blow, or Cov and their fanbase get one of the finest moments of their history scrubbed away moments after it happened. It was going to make for equally good viewing no matter the outcome, for me.

For you, certainly, and it's a fair point. Sadly not everyone sees it that way and there's quite a few, certainly enough, viewpoints exactly as nostalgia-driven as those I describe above.

Nah, you don't get it. The idea of "pure" football is worth us not going up. Apparently.

Rachel Riley. "Should Enzo stay or go".

So... making the assumption for a second that this is a 100% accurate summary of the strategic situation, what is the optimal way that this all ends?

Both. Not skimping on selection given the result today.