Off Topic The "Discuss Anything Else" Thread

No it isn't beefy. Was always known beforehand. It's up to Parliament to initiate the exit. Cameron was very clever to leave that step to the next leader, as time is proving that "Project Fear" was not without foundation. Theresa May has said she won't trigger it this year; that will piss off the EU leaders. It gives more time to get public backing to not trigger it at all and also creates more time in which more unrest could develop in other EU countries. That could lead to either a re-structure of the EU or in extreme, its collapse. If they press on with the idea of a single parliament EU superstate I could imagine the French public calling for a referendum and that would definitely give the EU leaders a headache that tablets won't help to cure

 

Ah, Cheers. Didn't know that

 

As far as I know the MPs only select the two candidates and the tory party members choose the leader. I feel electing Gove would actually be electing Murdoch so we best hope that the party members prefer May. Were Gove to succeed Murdoch would force him to press the button (if he has power to without parliamentary backing), but if May is leader I doubt it will be pressed. I don't think there is much doubt that a new referendum would vote comfortably remain, not because there are not a great deal of people that wish to leave but the pragmatic among them would have now seen that the leave campaign cannot deliver what was promised and more importantly even if they got even half way the reward would still be massively outweighed by the risk. It turns out that funnily enough we were not scaremongering.

In the history books this episode will be discussed in classrooms long after we are all gone. It is a sad tale about politics, media, democracy and the EU, it has brought all these things into the light and none of them look better for it.

The thing I most regret is that Mark Carney is not British and a politician as he is the only one I have confidence in and I hope to God he does not jump ship as it's sinking.

 

Just read that on home soil, France has not lost a game in a major tournament since July 1960. Betting has them at 4-9 against Iceland, while the upstarts are 9-1 shots. From what I've been reading, France has not looked all that flash so far, (not that I'd know) so does the 15-4 a draw look any good?

 

All this talk about the UK sinking is nonsense. It is Europe that is in trouble and they know it..

As people on here are saying the referendum is only a referendum and must now be passed through the commons. Thankfully I listened to May yesterday and there is to be no turning back.

If there was a 2nd referendum it would engender something close to anarchy. It is almost as if people who state they are democratic are frightened of it when they see it in action. They are really closet Trotskyites.

 

Cyc, after 90-minutes, I guess you mean? Possibly a bet, but I rarely ever bet on football. Germans are crackers about it and bet on the remotest of games, outback Australia, you name it.

Horseracing hardly interests them at all, harness racing up north more, I guess. When their wonderful filly Danedream won the Arc (2011) and the King George IV (2012), it hardly got a mention in the sporting media here. They have some fine trainers here, bet Peter Schiergen and Andreas Wöhler (trained Novellist who won King George VI in 2013) sometimes feel like giving it all up?

 

In all the turbulence this thread provides a calming shelter from the storm

 

Don't agree Oddy. Don't forget:

• 14m or so didn't vote at all
• it was only a 1m majority
• Farrage had openly said before the vote that if the result had been the other way he would be looking for a second vote
• many that did vote did so with emotion and not common sense (and may well vote the other way if given the chance)
• the leaders of the out campaign have back-tracked on so many vote winning pledges
• some of the "facts" used by the out campaign were outright lies and I suspect more than 1m people were influenced by them

Therefore, it is quite possible that, if people had voted with their eyes open (ie with some hindsight) it could have been a totally different democratic result. Surely the public (particularly the unenlightened and/or gullible) are entitled to and deserve to be given the chance to vote again. One could argue that being misled into voting for something you regret is not exactly democratic.

That was my initial reaction also. However, I think that May will probably win the leadership race (comfortably) and, given that she has stated she will not invoke Article 50 until next year, a lot can happen in that timescale. Apart from pissing off EU leaders they will go one of two ways which could have drastically different consequences.
1. There may be enough pressure from other EU members (particularly threats of more referendums) to cause the EU leadership to consider re-structuring, or there may be a vote of no confidence in the current EU leaders if they refuse to listen to the main objections
2. The EU may press on with their aim of a single parliament EU Super State. If that happens I suspect the **** will hit the fan, Article 50 would be invoked without hesitation and some other countries would want out, resulting in either the collapse of the EU or a stronger EU with fewer countries in it

It's all beyond me but it is clear to me that, given the above, the referendum result can not be regarded as a convincing argument for democracy.

 

• When my mum was on the go we used to visit the racetracks throughout Germany. We experienced high grade racing at Munich, Baden-Baden (fabulous), Koln, Frankfurt am Main, Dusseldorf and Dortmund however my favourite was the evening racing at Neuss. We loved the nights especially, I think, on Christmas Eve or Hogmanay. The food was great and the 'regulars' very friendly. It had a similar feel to the trotting at Munchen Daglfing and reminded me of an evening at the greyhounds here in Edinburgh.
• My mum really enjoyed the free gifts supplied by the sponsors of the main Group 1 races including a 'goodie' bag from Dallmayr at Munchen Riem.
• There was always a full bookmaker service at the track where you could bet on the international racing from the UK, Ireland and France.
• SH; got to agree about the football betting in the shops in Germany. Have wandered into 'bookies' looking to have a punt on the cuddies only to discover that my options (no horse racing) included the Ethiopian second division or the Scottish fourth league!!!!!

 

I hope it won't sink. Can't see that happening. It is a fact that the referendum was a survey and not legally binding. It is Parliament's decision to go ahead. and if they believe that the public were misled into voting out, a second survey (to ratify or not) would seem the most responsible thing to do. Meanwhile May (assuming she is elected) has given the EU time to contemplate their navels as to what might happen when we do initiate the exit. As I have said earlier a lot can happen before then which could swing things one way or the other. There would be no point having a second referendum right now but, if the ground rules change before Article 50 is triggered, a second referendum could result in a completely different democratic result.

Let's face it, the climate is changing daily, depending on who says what, who supports who, emerging public feeling in this other EU countries. Who, at this point in time, can predict with any confidence where it will end?

 

Yes, I've been to more than one of those places you mention, and we were regulars at München Daglfing trotting. München Riem has one, possibly more, Grade 1's every season, and Baden-Baden is in a class of its own in Germany.

Have to say. München Daglfing did the best Hackbraten outside our own kitchen that I've ever tasted here. Like Newmarket, best pork pies in England. However, I certainly missed out on the goodie-bag from Dallmayr, the rotten sods!

 

Never been a pork pie fan, Just ugly for mine.

please log in to view this image

 

How's about these apples?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36681475

 

Are you making me eat my hat?

 

Own a leather (Stetson) number in the above mode!!!!! Guaranteed to get you into any class of 'boozer' throughout our lovely planet!!!!

 

I can see myself in one of these. The wife might not agree though.

please log in to view this image

 

I believe May was right to say we'd do it at our own pace. The EU reacted appallingly on Friday with an arrogance that was contemptible. It is our decision to leave and we should do it at our pace.
It is as you say EUs job to look to themselves now. So far the response has been arrogant and if their answer is to commit to a superstate rather than asking what is wrong with the EU then I believe most sane people in Europe, let alone the UK, would want out.

 

bad

 

Bahram. 1935 Epsom Derby winner.

please log in to view this image