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Hippopotami are the most dangerous animal to humans based on the number of deaths they directly cause each year. But scientists are intrepid. Apparently, they get all four feet off the ground when running at full pelt. Flying hippos will probably feature in my nightmares for a little while. Though there's apparently a minor Egyptian goddess of motherhood, Ipy, and another one considered malevolent, Ahti, to worry about, too.
British politics makes a change from the U.S. type, thank heavens. U.S. elections are like a baseball or cricket game. They can last all day and still not have much to show for it. The British elections are more like basketball, high scoring and time limited.
The exit poll in the UK -- which isn't allowed to be published until the polls have closed everywhere [U.S. take note]-- showed the Tories with 131 seats in Parliament and Labour with 410. It takes 326 for a majority in the Commons.
In the event, Labour lost 4 seats to pro-Palestinian candidates and still ended up with 412. The Conservative Party ended up with 121. The big surprises include that the Green Party now has 4 seats in Parliament and the Lib/Dems, which have been on life support since I started following British politics in the Thatcher era, had a big night gaining 63 seats which puts them at 71. Plaid Cymru, the Welsh National party -- more into full devolution rather than nationalist in the nastier sense -- gained a couple of seats which puts them at 4.
The nastier sense nationalists, the Reform Party, also ended up with 4 seats. Northern Ireland's vote seems to be leaning toward Irish reunification. And the Scottish National Party which has been huge in Scotland for at least a decade, lost several seats, most to Labour though a few went Lib/Dem.
Wow. I have a little bit of hope for the U.S. election now.
British politics makes a change from the U.S. type, thank heavens. U.S. elections are like a baseball or cricket game. They can last all day and still not have much to show for it. The British elections are more like basketball, high scoring and time limited.
The exit poll in the UK -- which isn't allowed to be published until the polls have closed everywhere [U.S. take note]-- showed the Tories with 131 seats in Parliament and Labour with 410. It takes 326 for a majority in the Commons.
In the event, Labour lost 4 seats to pro-Palestinian candidates and still ended up with 412. The Conservative Party ended up with 121. The big surprises include that the Green Party now has 4 seats in Parliament and the Lib/Dems, which have been on life support since I started following British politics in the Thatcher era, had a big night gaining 63 seats which puts them at 71. Plaid Cymru, the Welsh National party -- more into full devolution rather than nationalist in the nastier sense -- gained a couple of seats which puts them at 4.
The nastier sense nationalists, the Reform Party, also ended up with 4 seats. Northern Ireland's vote seems to be leaning toward Irish reunification. And the Scottish National Party which has been huge in Scotland for at least a decade, lost several seats, most to Labour though a few went Lib/Dem.
Wow. I have a little bit of hope for the U.S. election now.
