beefybake

Just thought I'd apologize for accidently clicking 'Like' on your comment. I couldn't really give 2 stuffs where you were educated. Rather a lot of your political comments read like they come from a standard play list. Not from a real person who's thought through how they view life, sees how things can be changed for the better, and is open to new ideas. .

I made a decision a couple of years ago that I would be very inactive in making Facebook friends, apart from a handful. One of them was someone from 40 years ago. We were friends then, worked at the same place, then we both moved on and away. He chose the corporate life.., joined a company, stayed there and became the CEO. I hated corporate life, chose freelancing, and worked here there and everywhere. Over the last 18 months his Facebook feed has become a list of all the Brexiteer stuff, anti-Islamic. I wondered who it was that I'd actually made friends with in the first place. I searched round, and found that like his father, he'd become a mason, and was very active. At that point, a few months back, I removed him as a Facebook friend. And no, he's not changed his views one bit.

A voice that could strip paint from walls, after giving them a good sanding down first.

With me, it was a beach in Thailand in '84. A kid came along while I was recovering, with a bottle of Singha, from the night before. He had several of the 'Rolexes' on his arm. Cost was the Thai equivalent of about $10. As you say, I did treat it as a bit of fun. Never in a million years would I buy the real thing. it's just a watch. The 'Rolex' has spent 99% of its life in a drawer. It's had several replacement batteries, after I've remembered I still have it. Keeps decent time, and never had a problem with local watch place in replacing the battery.

My comment was more along the lines that I find it difficult to believe that a Scottish Tory leader who is a complete cheerleader for Boris Johnson.... could actually do anything to sustain Tory votes in Scotland.. in a GE.

One way, or another, the Johnson sh*tshow, and his horrible little bunch of ideologues is going to be a short term government at Westminster. Looks to me that if Johnson were to undermine Ruth Davidson, and have someone more amenable as Scottish Tory leader, the chances of there being any Scottish Tory MP's at Westminster in a GE, would reduce to about the fingers on one hand.

The Arab Spring isn't the subject of the discussion. The killings in Tiananmen Square were most certainly not broadcast on Western media.

This isn't like Tianamen Square in 1989 where everybody has been silenced, and no public discussion, or commemoration of it is allowed in Chine. . Everything that Beijing does can be instantly uploaded to the internet. This is people fighting for their freedoms and deserve to be supported.

Unfortunately, he's my MP, and he lives about 250 yards down the road from me. When he was elected he made much of his time as a soldier..., 'parading the medals... ', appealing to the Tory voters. What he didn't mention, and doesn't now ( no sign of it on Wikipedia last time I looked ).. was that after leaving the army, he did a degree course in politics at Birmingham University. He's well versed in the lowest common denominator, dog whistle stuff, that pleases his local audience, as above. in 1969, my family left Stranraer for Somerset ( teacher father going for a more senior post ). I did my last year of secondary school here before returning to Scotland for university. That year was all Angus this, or Angus that. I took most of it on the chin, didn't say much, and was really glad to get away . Couple of years ago, I read a quote from the retired headmaster of the biggest local secondary school... on independence.. " The Scotch can do what they like.... "

I used to regularly vote for them, till they slept with the Tories. Only then did I become aware of the phrase 'Orange Book'. Basically , all those 'nice folk', the sandal wearers, had been pushed aside by people you really couldn't differentiate from Tories. Imo, huge number of their former voters still consider LD to be scumbags, regardless of their position on Brexit.

Whether there is or there isn't... war what really gets me is the craven way in which the British government, and also the BBC refuse to say anything which might offend the US. For example, in the last week or so, I've seen the BBC website describe US behaviour as .... ".... unilateral withdrawal..... " ( from the nuclear treaty ). and also "...... abandoned ..... " the deal ( like it was some kind of sinking ship ) when, quite simply, the proper description is reneged. Which points straight at where the blame lies. But they're all too gutless to use it.

That's what Raith thought when they dropped to this league.

Maybe it's just me, but the BBC seems to be slower than others when it comes to reporting the excesses of Trump utterances. Almost like there is internal corporate agonizing about causing problems for the ( Westminster ) government.

Most recently read.... Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey. Financial advice good. Not too interested in his 'red neck'/Republican attitudes to anything that might sound vaguely socialist. That bit smacks pretty much of the US ethos of every man/woman for themself. But the financial advice good. Currently reading.... Doughnut Economics - Seven ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist by Kate Raworth. The antidote to neo-liberal economics.

At a very minimum, what they are saying concentrates minds. I can just about recall, as a 5 year old, living in Tollcross, the East side of Glasgow, being fitted with a 'smog mask'. And only recently, I was reading about the 'pea souper' in London in, I think the early '50's. it was said that that winter 12000 people died in London as a direct result of that pollution... the outcry over which led to the Clean Air Act. And all the way through that , the Prime MInister at the time was worrying about the effect on business profits that would result. Governments, businesses, tend to have to be pushed to do the right thing. A few weeks back, I was under my car at the back, doing a pre-MOT check for any leaks in the exhaust system. The engine was running, and my face got a bit close to the exhaust pipe. The smell, taste, up close is ****ing disgusting. ( the car passed the MOT , no advisories ). Part of what the Extinction Rebellion people are about is that governments are constantly being lobbied by business interests, and citizens really get very little look in. For example, when the Conservative Westminster government gained power, they filled up the strategic ministries with people straight from the oil and gas industries. This is part of why the Extinction Rebellion people are talking about a 'Citizens Assembly'.

The only person talking about utopia is you. And posting utopia up as a straw man to enable your own interests.

My old family dog, when let off the lead, would be through the first gap in a hedge she could find. Into the field, and head straight for the nearest , freshest pile of cow shit. She'd eat it, roll in it..... absolute ecstacy. I don't recall doing any of that .

You're making quite an effort to create a story that covers up the reality that the world has to wean itself away from digging up, pumping up, vacuuming up.... fossil fuels.

Obviously you've missed the fact that diesel cars are now regarded as toxic, are gradually being taxed off the road, every car manufacturer in the world is scrambling to produce electric cars, all the 'smart money' in investments is going down the road of low carbon, climate change, SRI ( Socially Responsbile Investment ). Basically , away from fossil fuels.

I live in a rural area, made up of villages 2 or 3 miles apart, and the nearest proper town a dozen miles in any direction. The good thing is that small local film societies spring up, and I get to see stuff that never appears in mainstream cinemas. About this time last year one of the societies put on an independent film called "Plastic Ocean". Quite eye-opening for me. Since then I really do make sure that the plastic milk bottles go to the recycling bins. And I've changed to using bamboo handled toothbrushes, and also almost stopped using plastic disposable razors, and have returned to using a steel safety razor. Little things, maybe, but doing my bit. Also, changed to using 100% renewable electricity a year ago, as the price came down to a level that I could afford. Extinction Rebellion..... They did a presentation at one of the film societies in March. I went along. They collected emails from those who were interested. A week or so later I received an email urging me to get more involved, with the aim, to go up to London for the big demo that took place April time. I didn't, as it costs a fortune to go from here to London. Personally, from my student days in Glasgow almost 50 years ago, I'm more of an urban stone thrower mentality. That's not what the Extinction Rebellion is about. I do support what they're doing , and the way they're going about it. (PS. I've never had a stipendiary job. It's all been working for pay, mostly self-employed )

Perhaps so. However, it seems to be like the Dark Ages in prisons here.

Not right now...., but I've been there a few times, and it was really enjoyable.

To be fair, what do you expect ? There's 1/10th of the votes. And the majority of that 1/10th absolutely ****ing hate Tories.

Back in your box. Your comment was a piece of opinionated generalisation, about the past and also the present. My response was specific, directed, and disagreed with yours.

I've never really forgiven Major for 'fessing up straight away..... "Yes, I did.... I was shagging Edwina..." Completely ruined it for the media, and me. I'd hoped for the denials, the long list of political supporters vouching for him, some more revelations, the family photographs outside his home, seething wife with gritted teeth smile.... "Will now spend more time with my family, and many other interests..." etc.