Bishop Hill The boy played a blinder
Jun 15, 2010 Climate: Oxburgh Professor John Beddington, or Sir John as we must start learning to call him soon, was the man who suggested Lord Oxburgh as the head of the inquiry into UEA's scientific oeuvre (or at least those parts that were likely to be uncontroversial.
As readers here know, I have previously obtained some of Professor Beddington's emails under FoI and I've now obtained one more.
It's pretty interesting.
It was sent on the afternoon after the publication of the Oxburgh report.
;)
Click to enlarge
This is the text:
Dear Ron
Much appreciated the hard work put into the review, general view is a blinder played. As we discussed at HoL, clearly the drinks are on me!Best wishes, John
Bishop Hill
For the benefit of non-speakers of cockney, "played a blinder" simply means "played very well", usually in the context of a game of football...erm....soccer.
In the circumstances though, one can't help wonder if there's some kind of pun in Sir John's words.
Reader Comments (21)
I think that I understand the phrase "...a blinder played..." from the context but would someone who is a native speaker of the Queen's English please clarify for the benefit of someone from America where we haven't spoken it in years?
TIA,
RayG
Beddington seems to think this climate business is a dumb game of poker or something. What's really funny is that Beddington and whoever comprises the "general view" actually thought that the Oxburgh report was a winning hand. I can't find anyone, anywhere, that thought that was a hand worth playing. One has to wonder what kind of idiots Beddington is interacting with on a day-to-day basis.
Strike a light guv'nor, this Beddington bloke's a bit of a lark, all this E mail malarkey, couldn' 'e give the uvver bloke a bell on the dog? I mean, the whole thing pen and inks a bit, dunnit? Whitewash, an' all that, I mean are they tryin' to pull the wool over our mincers, or what?
Bit of a two-and-eight, if you ask me. Oh well, time for a stout, then up the apples and pears for a bit of shut-eye (after the 'ows yer father - know what I mean)?
Played a blinder, usually refers to an individual’s exceptional skills displayed in a sporting event. Hardly something a couple of overweight old lardies could achieve with a BMI well in excess of 30. Clearly I’ll ‘ave a pint of Bollinger Johnny down dah boozer.
[snip - venting]
"One has to wonder what kind of idiots Beddington is interacting with on a day-to-day basis."
[snip-venting]
Just a bit of nonsense from The Free Library
STRANGE BUT TRUE: Blind yet again? Eye that will be right.
FRAUDSTER (a person who commits a fraud; swindler) Brian Calen tried to play a blinder once too often.
In 1985, he told an insurance firm he was blinded in the right eye in a cruise ship accident.
And seven years later he claimed a ship's telescope blinded him again.
Later, he alleged twice more he was blinded on voyages - by a flying frisbee and an exploding champagne bottle.
All in the same eye. Calen, 48, of White Plains, New York was arrested after collecting more than a million dollars in damages over 10 years on insurance policies that required no medical proof.
He faces up to 15 years in jail for grand larceny.
Amazing! Who would have thought that the subject of Ron's review was the unintended release of a raft of indiscreet emails..?
'As we discussed at HoL, clearly the drinks are on me!'
I do believe the HoL boasts an extremely well-stocked cellar, where the drinks are all on.... us!
Could one say the Lord swept the ball to Silly point?
'played a blinder' usually means 'played blindingly well'. which does refer to blinding the soectator but is common colloquilism now. but just like 'nature trick' it could distract from the other stuff. why does he earn drinks for his report 'as discussed'? whats 'HoL'?
i think the drinks were a bet, hence the exclamation mark.
HoL = House of Lords
Perhaps something pertinent. I do not want to get into Bloody Sunday, but the name Widgery...
The Widgery Report has been the basis of the British Government's response to the events of Bloody Sunday since its publication on 18 April 1972. As a credible version of events, it has long been widely regarded as seriously flawed by many sections of opinion in Ireland and abroad.
Lord Widgery, the then Lord Chief Justice of England, now has his name firmly planted in History. As the author of a politically motivated whitewash.
There is always a price to pay when a professional person leaves his integrity by the door, in Widgery's case that price will be high.
What about Oxburgh? How will history view him in 20 years?
So a rushed review that produced a flimsy nine page report, that we are told had no other supporting material, which concluded that UEA-CRU scientists were men of integrity, irrespective of the validity of the science, secured for the chairman free drinks from the person who nominated him.
We can conclude ourselves that the consensus view uttered by Beddington, "blinder played", now confirms that this was indeed an official whitewash.
They knew it. We suspected it. They confirmed it.
"One has to wonder what kind of idiots Beddington is interacting with on a day-to-day basis."
Presumably MPs and government ministers?
E O'Connor, Could one say the Lord swept the ball to Silly point?
Not really. A sweep shot is to leg, while silly point is on the off. However, a top edge might do the trick.
the point of the game was.......
Oh come on Tim picky picky, haven’t you heard of the reverse sweep.
Whatever they're playin', it ain't cricket.
=================
It is not a GAME ..it's deadly serious.
Government policy, thru spending and restrictive laws directly effects humans lifespan, quality of that life and its freedom.
Truthfulness is extremely important in optimising that government policy.
When I point out lying and deceit to climate alarmists, they often say things like "Well, if course we have to lie, the future of the planet is at stake...and we are fighting against masses of climate denial funded by big oil"