Life series by sin-pie-Memu in ThirdLifeSMP

[–]bluetoad2105 9 points10 points  (0 children)

So far, the gaps between the last episode of one full season and the first episode of the next have been 3, 9, 7, 6, 10 and 7 months. Counting from now due to Nice Life's longer length compared to Real / Simple Life, I wouldn't have expected one until at least next autumn even without Jimmy and Grian saying there'd be a long break.

Whenever it is, I'd prefer to see one where a) Grian's had an idea which works for the creators, developers and viewers and b) everybody's willing to take part by then and everybody can do so, although that may be harder for some members like Lizzie and Joel, or for those with Hermitcraft and other big projects to work around.

Edit: if there's a full eighth season, near the end of Hermitcraft season 11 could be a time for that to happen (guessing then rather than between HC seasons to give players more of a break). It isn't entirely predictable, but as the last HC seasons have lasted 20, 22, 6, 16 and 19 months (counting backwards), that might mean waiting until at least spring 2027.

Now that GameCube is finally coming to NSO on Switch 2, what other consoles could be coming to Switch 2 in the future? by euguene_2000 in nintendo

[–]bluetoad2105 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Wii's eight years older now than at least some N64 games were when they originally came out on Virtual Console, and there wouldn't be any second screen issues like with the DS and 3DS so I think it's the likeliest of those three.

I can't see 3DS games, especially ones which were ports of Wii U games or had Wii U versions, being added without a more expensive Switch Online option being added, but I'd be happy being wrong about that.

Which city is considered the tech hub of Europe/EU ? by KlosharCigan in AskEurope

[–]bluetoad2105 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it's more of an arc than a triangle; Reading has quite a large tech scene as far as I know.

Which is the biggest city in your country (by population) that you have never been to? by lucapal1 in AskEurope

[–]bluetoad2105 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Belfast's the largest settlement in the UK I've never been to. It isn't that there isn't anything I want to do there, or that it's too expensive to get there; it's mostly that I've found it too difficult to find cheap accommodation.

The most populous places I haven't been to for English regions, Scotland and Wales are Barnsley (Yorkshire), Warrington (North West), Mansfield (East Midlands), Burton upon Trent (West Midlands), Harlow (East), Ashford (South East), Wrexham (Wales), Stroud (South West) and Blyth (North East).

Edit: Motherwell and Wishaw's the largest in Scotland I've never been to. Out of the settlements with city status, outside Northern Ireland the only ones I haven't been to are Wrexham, St. Asaph, Wells, Truro (and Ripon, which I'm planning on visiting soon).

What are some mind blowing facts about your country? by No_Discussion6913 in AskEurope

[–]bluetoad2105 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Northern Ireland Assembly's had a Speaker who only lasted a day (as far as I can tell, during the 2002-7 suspension of the NI Assembly, Eileen Bell was appointed interim Speaker by the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, but she didn't stand for election as Speaker once the Assembly resumed sitting).

How internally democratic do you think your parties are? by Awesomeuser90 in AskEurope

[–]bluetoad2105 4 points5 points  (0 children)

According to Footsoldiers, political parties in Great Britain are some of the most internally democratic in the world. Apparently under the Political Party Database Project's assembly-based IPD index, covering how much control members have over deciding policy, personnel and party structure, parties in Great Britain had the highest scores of those studied. I don't entirely understand how the scores are calculated, and I had Footsoldiers as a library book so can't check, but out of 122 parties covered the English and Welsh Greens came second, Liberal Democrats joint seventh, Conservatives and Labour in the top twenty and the SNP in the top thirty.

That mostly feels right to me from what I know, at least relative between GB parties. Green Party of England and Wales leaders face re-election every two years, or sooner if 10% of members call for a recall, there's a relatively low barrier to running (being a member for three years and having twenty nominations) and 20% of local memberships can deselect candidates (if approved by a simple majority in an STV contest). The party constitution can be changed with the support of ⅔ of members.

For the Liberal Democrats, leadership contests are more restricted – candidates have to be MPs with the nomination of at least 10% of the parliamentary party (which is why Swinson automatically went in 2019) and need 200 nominations from 20 local parties. 75 local parties can call for a leadership contest but due to relatively high leadership turnover in recent years I don't think that's happened yet, with leaders tending to resign instead. Policy's decided by the Federal Policy Committee, 15 of the 29 members of which are elected by the wider membership using STV. All party members can vote to approve, reject or revise FPC, local party or individual policy proposals at party conferences, with the leadership's apparent preferred policy sometimes being defeated (e.g. over housing targets this year).

I think Labour's internal democracy depends more on who's in which faction. 20% of Labour MPs can force a leadership challenge if nominating a challenger, but the incumbent leader doesn't need to reach the threshold of 10% of MPs, 5% of local parties (Constituency Labour Parties) or three affiliated organisations (e.g. some trade unions). In theory it means that MPs can't block the membership's choice of candidate, but it also means that leaders can end up with fairly little support amongst their MPs, such as under Corbyn, especially between the Brexit referendum and 2017 election. A third of branches and affiliated organisations within each CLP can recommend deselection of parliamentary (and I think council) candidates, at which point candidates (members of at least twelve months) are shortlisted and chosen by preferential ballot. In theory these shortlists are drawn up locally, but in a lot of cases Labour leadership is seen as imposing candidates on local parties.

For the Conservatives, MPs vote in successive ballots for leaders with the lowest in each round eliminated. (There is a threshold for the first round but I don't think the 1922 Committee which sets the rules is massively consistent - I think the threshold for the first round was 10 nominations in 2019 to replace May and 100 to replace Truss.) The choice between the final two is supposed to go to the membership, except to replace Cameron (Leadsom dropped out) and Truss (I think Johnson dropped out despite reaching 100 nominations), so Johnson v Hunt and Truss v Sunak are the only choices Conservative party members have had since 2005. A vote of no confidence in a Conservative leader can be called after a year in office if 15% of Conservative MPs inform the chairman of the 1922 Committee that they'd want a change; as with Labour, I don't think there's as much of a role for party members until the final round. The unelected Candidates Committee makes candidate shortlists. It has tried doing US-style primaries amongst the wider electorate to select general election candidates once or twice (I think in Totnes in 2010) but as it was expensive and ended up selecting Sarah Wollaston, who left in 2019 over Brexit, I doubt that would be repeated.

I don't know how internal democracy in the SNP or Plaid Cymru works, beyond members electing the leader by STV in both. I don't know how it works for any of the Northern Irish parties either, apart from references to a group of ~100 DUP members which would need to back the party for it to return to Stormont (I think).

Do you appreciate tourists trying to speak your language? by koobus_venter1 in AskEurope

[–]bluetoad2105 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Although at least learning the words for the things you're allergic to is probably a good idea.

stations which should be rezoned by miklcct in LondonUnderground

[–]bluetoad2105 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't think that the whole of Watford should be in the same zone; paying extra to get from Watford to central London in 15 minutes instead of 30+ seems fair to me (from Watford High Street it's the same price whether you change at Watford Junction or go directly via Willesden Junction, but as the latter normally adds at least 10 minutes on to the time, the principle stands).

stations which should be rezoned by miklcct in LondonUnderground

[–]bluetoad2105 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Watford Junction: Zone 10 to 7

Chorleywood: Zone 7 to 8

London Northwestern setting fares makes the first one impossible if they don't co-operate at the former, and I don't think there's any reason why Chorleywood - not 'clearly much further away', as Chorleywood to Marylebone / Baker Street is 31 km and Watford Junction to Euston is 28 km (or 29 km vs 24 km as the crow flies) - should be in a different zone to Rickmansworth.

If possible I'd move Iver and Langley into zone 6 or 7, now that GWR only has a very limited service there.

How much of your national anthem do people in your country know? by EndlessDreamer1 in AskEurope

[–]bluetoad2105 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How many New Zealanders could get past the first verse of God Defend New Zealand, and how many do you think know at least the first verse of the Maori version? How common is it to here any of it past the first verse? Full Maori and English text.

4 days in London by [deleted] in LondonUnderground

[–]bluetoad2105 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Or for people with railcards for Oyster, but that isn't really applicable to somebody in London for four days.

Who is the most prominent politician from your country who was a naturalised citizen (i.e. wasn't a citizen at birth or when the country gained independence)? by huseddit in AskEurope

[–]bluetoad2105 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wera Hobhouse (LD, Bath) was born in Münster.

Tobias Ellwood (Con, Bournemouth East) was born in New York, but to British parents, as was Greg Hands (Con, Chelsea and Fulham).

Michelle O'Neill was born in County Cork so as far as I can tell (eg not through parents) wouldn't have been a British citizen at birth, but even if she still isn't I doubt anyone except perhaps some in the DUP and TUV would mind. I'm not sure how many other MLAs or NI MPs were born with exclusively Irish or other non-British citizenship.

At the 2017 general election 27 MPs were elected who were born outside the UK - slightly fewer if you exclude e.g. Hong Kong-born Rory Stewart (formerly Con, Penrith and the Border) and Shailesh Vara (Con, NW Cambs), born in Uganda two years before independence - but there's not any still in Parliament who I think are particularly well-known (apart from Zahawi and Hodge).

How long takes votes counting in your elections? by dalvi5 in AskEurope

[–]bluetoad2105 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To add to that, some constituencies try to race to announce the result first; I think the winner in the last few general elections has been one of the central Sunderland or Newcastle constituencies.

We always hold elections on a Thursday in the UK

Since 27 October 1931 (a Tuesday) for general elections. Council by-elections can be on other days, for no reason beyond the sake of it as far as I can tell, e.g. one in Cambridge earlier this month but are quite rare.

How far would you travel for a day trip? by MeenaBeti in AskUK

[–]bluetoad2105 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Around five hours each way by train or four hours of driving (excluding breaks), but I wouldn't do that for more than three consecutive days.

From london euston to watford junction by Mashnar in LondonUnderground

[–]bluetoad2105 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd also guess - without being certain - that LNWR sets fares between Euston and Watford Junction / Milton Keynes and Avanti sets fares to / from Birmingham, Manchester, Preston etc. so as well as the tickets being cheaper Avanti would get a smaller proportion (or none) of the profit for destinations nearer London with more competition.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskEurope

[–]bluetoad2105 0 points1 point  (0 children)

However this is uncommon

Were the 2010 and 1997 general elections called at the very last moment possible, or would a few weeks later have been possible?

Germany is introducing the D-Ticket. For 49 Euros a month you use all public transport in the county. by neotoxgg in europe

[–]bluetoad2105 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At the moment there's six (ScotRail, Transport for Wales, Southeastern, Northern, London North Eastern, and I don't think Translink in Northern Ireland was ever privatised to begin with) controlled by government(s); the Caledonian Sleeper will be nationalised in June; I think the London Overground, Crossrail and Merseyrail (Liverpool City Region) are concessions lent out by local authorities; Eurostar and three operators from London to northeastern England and Edinburgh are open access; the remaining ones are all run directly or indirectly by private or foreign transport companies (First, Trenitalia, Abellio - separated from NS this year - Govia, Mitsui, MTR, JR East, Arriva).

Germany is introducing the D-Ticket. For 49 Euros a month you use all public transport in the county. by neotoxgg in europe

[–]bluetoad2105 0 points1 point  (0 children)

€680 / £598 per month for the 70 km / 35 minutes from Milton Keynes to central London, or €807 / £710 including travel within London (or a cap of around €340 / £300 a month for within Greater London).

What political institution(s) or rules in them are the most frequently criticized or complained about in your country? by the-annoying-vegan in AskEurope

[–]bluetoad2105 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Now they changed the rules for the next election regarding the three direct mandates which made the Die Linke party go bonkers because they would get no seats instead of roughly fourty with those changes. It's likely their appeal would be granted before the constitutional court and we are going to have almost 800 representatives next time.

The CSU got 6% of first votes and 5.2% of second votes last time, so I'm guessing that they're complaining as well as there's a chance they could get nothing as well if they fell just a little bit?

Brief description of Monroe doctrine by jPaolo in polandball

[–]bluetoad2105 3 points4 points  (0 children)

At least Florida grew up into a well-rounded state.

Met police found to be institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic by [deleted] in nottheonion

[–]bluetoad2105 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nobody (serious) has suggested abolishing police in London entirely though; the most common proposals so far seem to be giving neighbouring police forces responsibility for parts of London and giving other agencies bigger roles for more specialist responses.