Lockdown In The New Year ?

[Gromit]

Johnson would not dare to impose a lockdown at Christmas, but is another lockdown in January now inevitable?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2021/dec/12/johnson-addresses-the-nation-as-covid-alert-level-raised-due-to-omicron-video

[ToraToraTora]

Gromit 23:32 "It's not a gamble if you are confident is it? So you don't actually believe your own rhetoric then? Yawn, another paper tiger shoots mouth of runs scared when called out. "

[jim360]

Why not just give some money to charity anyway?

This manufactured outrage that people don't take up your bets has gone on long enough. People may choose not to gamble for a variety of reasons. By all means, feel free to offer bets, but to deride people who refuse to take them is not on. End of.

[ToraToraTora]

I'm not outraged jim, just a little dissapointed that people will mouth off their BS but when push comes to shove do not even back their own views.

[jim360]

Fine, be disappointed. But it's a nonsense that not putting money on something is equivalent to not truly believing in it. There are many reasons people may choose not to gamble. Turning it into an insult is the problem.

[ToraToraTora]

jim: "But it's a nonsense that not putting money on something is equivalent to not truly believing in it." - it must be, by definition, surely if you are confident of your view on something, you'd invest in it??
"There are many reasons people may choose not to gamble. " - it's not a gamble if you are sure of your position is it?
"Turning it into an insult is the problem. " - it's more of an evaluation of mettle or lack of it.

[naomi24]

TTT, I wouldn't gamble simply because it's not what I do. If you pushed me to gamble in order to provide some sort of evidence that I was confident in my opinions I would tell you to take a hike. No one is under any obligation to defend their position to you by staking money on it.

[douglas9401]

Worry not, just the tactics of the golf club bully in full sail.

[davebro]

Gromit you are such a rissole - don't you have a good word to say about anything?

[ToraToraTora]

naomi, if you are sure of your position it's not a gamble.

[naomi24]

I don't think he does, dave. The voice of doom - but in fairness he's not alone round here. No wonder global warming is such a problem with all the hot air that's spouted.

[naomi24]

TTT, I don't gamble. End of!

[ToraToraTora]

but it would not be gambling, end of.

[jim360]

I'll make things simple for you, TTT: no more posts accusing people of being insincere for not taking up your bets. It's ridiculous, opinionated nonsense. End of.

[ToraToraTora]

who are you to tell me what to post?

[ToraToraTora]

If I have an opinion which I am sure is correct then I would back it with my own money and would not consider it a gamble it would be a certainty......unless....
I did not truly believe my own opinion then I would not back it with my own money and would be forced to admit that I do not have the confidence in my own view, first to myself then to others. Can't have it both ways.

[naomi24]

TTT, I agree that no one should be telling you - or anyone - what to post. That said, if people have no wish to enter into the bets you suggest, don’t you think you should take 'no' for an answer rather than pursue it relentlessly? It does get a bit tedious for the innocent bystander.

[jim360]

On the philosophy of it, you seem to be missing the vital characteristic of things like this, which is that they are not within our control. Whether Johnson decides or doesn't decide to institute a lockdown in January will be a matter for him, his advisers and the Cabinet (to say nothing of Parliament), and certainly not for Gromit, or anyone else on AB for that matter.

It's the same in everything else in life -- or, put another way, you seem to be mistaking personal certainty for objective certainty. Even if I am personally certain then, as long as it's beyond my control to influence the outcome, of course it would be gambling to put money on it.

As far as I can remember, I have taken up two of your bets in the past. It's worth stressing that on neither occasion did I do so because I was certain about my position. But since it would only lead to a small donation to charity if I lost, I didn't then see it as gambling. People are entitled not to share my perspective on this. This is also the reason that I only play poker with fixed stakes, say a tenner for the evening, which means that really it's just buying an evening's entertainment rather than genuinely betting on anything.

As to your first question -- I point you to rules 1, 7, and 9 in the list of Site Rules. It's getting spammy to go on and on about offering bets that others aren't interested in, especially when (a) directed towards the same person/people, and (b) when it's coupled with a criticism of their character for not engaging with you.

[naomi24]

// I point you to rules 1, 7, and 9 in the list of Site Rules. //

You were doing ok ....until then. Jim. Groan-worthy.

[jim360]

I'm sorry to have disappointed you.

[naomi24]

You never disappoint.