This is very true. My country is probably a good example of this. In the 1996 games, the UK managed only 1 gold medal and finished in 36th place overall. It was a real low point, and there was a lot of national shame. After that, the government started channeling large sums of money into elite sport. Then we got awarded the games as a host nation, which increased the focus even more. And since then, the last few games we've finished in the top few places - even coming out second in Rio.

All countries have potentially great athletes, but they need funding to reach that potential.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/37150155

It may be a coincidence in this instance, and as others have said, the sample size is too small to form a conclusion.

However there is certainly an overlap between the skills required for sports betting and those required for poker. Your point about winning in the long run is I think important. I think I am reasonably good at poker, and have made more money than I've lost. Same for sports betting. The mathematics is important in both. If you judge there is a 30% chance of winning in any particular individual instance, then of course that will resolve to either win or lose, 0% or 100%. With two 30% events your outcomes can be 0, 50 or 100%... etc. In the long run, the combined outcomes will approach 30%. There are certainly differences in the skills required for poker and for sports betting, but understanding the mathematics and making decisions armed with a statistical analysis rather than going with gut instinct is invaluable in both.

They only just managed a Champions League place last season.. but this season with Lukaku, I think they should be able to open a clear gap on the teams below them and make qualifying for the Champions League a formality once again. The teams below them aren't really strengthening, and if Spurs lose Kane then that's another challenger gone. It's difficult to see beyond the two Manchester teams, Liverpool and Chelsea for the top four. I can't see where other challengers would come from.

The medals do sometimes come in bursts, depending on the scheduling. US is very strong in swimming, too, which comes early on in the schedule. For China it's things like diving, weightlifting, shooting, table tennis.

Yes, it was strange seeing all the men's sprinting events without the traditional US dominance. Women's sprints I suppose might have been different if Sha'Carri Richardson wasn't banned.

I think City might have gone for Messi as well as Grealish, and the fact they haven't means they still think they have a chance of getting Harry Kane.
Kane + Grealish + Messi would have been excessive even for City. But 2 out of the 3 is normal.

Meanwhile Barca are apparently challenging PSG's signing of Messi for breaching financial fair play rules...

Thanks for posting. I'm glad you beat it, and apparently it can take quite some time to recover, so just don't expect to get back to normal instantly. Take it easy for a while.

I agree with the first half of your statement; it does seem hypocritical.

As someone who falls into the second half, I would say that vaccination doesn't just affect you as an individual, it affects those you might infect... whereas abortion of a small bunch of cells is very different. 'Pro-choice' in the context of abortion does not generally refer to a pregnancy that is nearing full term. Potentially killing many people is different to aborting* one potential person.

*_{we can't use the word 'killing' if it is just a few cells.}


That image makes no sense. Which I think the person who drew it concedes, by just having lines rather than arrows joining the boxes - without arrows, it's just a vague set of ideas with no process flow. If the vaccines are effective, then of course it is useful to know whether or not someone has been vaccinated.

Yes, these posts can often be identified because they are just copy/pastes from a website or email... the person who posts them doesn't link to any data, and when their assertions are challenged with actual data, they refuse to engage or to attempt to justify their position... they either continue posting the same nonsense, or else start a new thread, and repeat with a new topic. There are more examples of this in the P&S section than anyone could possibly count.

He's one of the most active presidents the nation has had. Take this as an example. You would never have seen Trump doing this stuff.

I'm not sure about 'total domination'. Everywhere apart from the US counts the country with the most golds as top of the table, and this time it was exceptionally close. The US certainly have the most medals, but I think China will continue to rise and will battle it out for number 1 spot with the US next time, and at future Olympics.

One weird thing about this Olympics for the US is that they are usually so dominant in the men's sprinting... but this time they didn't get a single gold.

That wouldn't make sense; a quadrillion is a real number. How about a gazillion, or a bajillion, or... a krakillion !!!

I'm starting to think that this Kraken thing is based on myth rather than reality, and that it isn't very well constructed at all. I mean, you can even see the joints and where it's screwed together. And it's really more laughable than fearsome.

Well, then it's a good thing that no-one is attacking anyone with graphene oxide, isn't it?
The effects of being at ground zero during a nuclear detonation can't be protected against using a vaccine, either. Perhaps someone should start a nonsense thread about it.


^{[CITATION NEEDED]}
"Flat out lie as with just about every post of yours." COVID Vaccines Do NOT contain graphene oxide:

https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-grapheneoxide-vaccine-idUSL1N2OZ14F

But why let inconvenient facts get in the way of a good rant?

Horse riding is one of those sports where I'm a bit skeptical of the athlete's abilities. In my country at least, the horse riders in the Olympics seem to come from very wealthy backgrounds. Certainly winning an Olympic medal is a huge achievement whatever the sport, and requires a lot of skill, talent and dedication... I'm just saying that the pool of possible contenders is significantly smaller than for other sports, because there appears to be a considerable barrier to entry. Bruce Springsteen's daughter may be hugely talented, I don't know, but she is certainly one of the few people who can afford to enter the sport.

No, it will be just over three years.


He was more of a demagogue than a politician, more blunt instrument than tactical negotiator. Whilst I despise him, and don't think that someone of his intellectual wattage should be in charge of a motor vehicle, let alone the world's most powerful nation... he's undeniably superb at what he does, playing to people's prejudices and winning votes. Even if he fell short of winning the last election, he is still a major influence on US politics, particularly in the Republican party.

Man City were almost unstoppable anyway, and now they've added Grealish. They might still even be able to win the league purely on goals scored from free kicks and penalties from fouls on him.
JK... but seriously, I can't see anyone else winning the title.

It would take a dramatic improvement from other teams to get close. I think Chelsea are sniffing around Messi now (although PSG looks a more likely destination)... but even with Messi they'd not be a match for City. Liverpool and Man U aren't at the same standard, either.

You're saying:

Someone makes a slip-up, and mistakenly refers to the number of vaccine doses administered as the number of people vaccinated.
... so therefore democracy doesn't work.

I don't think you have a particularly compelling argument.


I think you need to consult a dictionary.


Well, he was a senator for nearly 40 years, then a vice president for 8... it's difficult to see how anyone could be more qualified. Your argument is emotional rather than factual.

If you don't take the vaccine, then you can pass the virus on to vulnerable people, and kill them. Freedom to kill others is not a fundamental human right.
What about the fundamental human right to wield a chainsaw in a busy public place whilst drunk and blindfolded? Should that be defended, too?

And when is he going to be out of the driver's seat? Have they still not managed to count the votes "properly" yet? And by "properly", I mean so that Trump wins. Because obviously there is no other acceptable answer, is there?

TBH I'm surprised that Trump actually left the White House walking on his feet with a small amount of dignity. I'd expected him to be carried out by the military, kicking and shrieking, and grabbing at the doorframe on the way out.

I think option one is the most likely to succeed.  Obviously it will take some time to lay the groundwork, but by my estimates everything will be ready to go in a little over three years' time.

Man City are one of the few clubs that could afford his wages. They are currently finalising the £100m deal for Grealish, and still trying to sign Harry Kane.
Presumably they'd want Messi as their number one choice of any incoming transfer this summer... but would this affect their pursuit of either Grealish or Kane?