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Who on earth prefers margarine to butter? – politicalbetting.com

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Comments

  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,608

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Has anyone watched Love After Lockup?

    It's a reality TV show that follows people who fell in love with inmates (and, yes, there are prison dating websites in the US). It's full of people who are completely deluded about what marriage is about: people whose only wish is to be married, and it almost doesn't matter who they will be marrying.

    If you want to lower the divorce rate, then I would start with educating people about the realities of being married.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 52,268

    I like margarine more than butter. Sorry, not sorry.

    Any kind of oil that can’t be extracted without industrial chemicals isn’t likely to be good for you.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 56,496
    MattW said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    carnforth said:

    My photo today is on topic.



    A delightful Morrocan breakfast in a pension in the medina of Tangier. Delightful, except for the hard margerine. And not supermarket spread, but old fashioned cooking margerine.

    Of course, butter would be too expensive. But I left the marge.

    If we’re doing “beautiful breakfast photos” here’s one of my top five

    Without googling, can anyone guess where it is?


    Skeggy?
    Dammit. Right first time!

    No, only joking. Close tho
    SKEGGY ? !
    No, not actually Skegness


    That breakfast was served for me at the Villa Sant Andrea Belmond, Taormina, Sicily, where I stayed a few nights as part of an "east coast of Sicily" travel assignment

    A horribly over-touristed town (even worse now, thanks to White Lotus) but the hotel is magnificent. I stayed mainly in the hotel, with its little private beach. Bliss

    https://www.belmond.com/hotels/europe/italy/taormina/belmond-villa-sant-andrea/gallery
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,608
    viewcode said:

    rcs1000 said:

    viewcode said:

    rcs1000 said:

    I'm about to get on a plane to Japan.

    This means you lot will get the pleasure of my constant posting for about the next six hours.

    Hopefully there will be decent internet.

    • Los Angeles to Japan takes about eleven hours by air
    • London to Japan takes about eleven hours by air
    Where are you flying from?
    LA
    Have you taken the different time zones into account - ie are you going to be in the air for six hours or eleven by your personal clock?
    I was taking into account the fact that PB goes dead at midnight.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,879

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    That's good to hear. I think I mentioned those some weeks ago - my first-associated-with CofE church used to run those back in the 1980s, when marriage-considering couples would go away on a residential weekend with a leader, and 3 or 4 couples who had been married from 2-3 up to 30-40 years.
  • ydoethur said:

    On topic:

    1) Cheapskates;

    2) People who are dieting.

    *opens fridge and looks mournfully at his not buttery spreads*

    On 2, there's a reason people who diet via eating low far shit really struggle to lose the weight.

    Further to rcs1000 "carefully crafted message" there seems to be a whole industry of foods designed to be sold to people who are dieting that never actually lead to people losing the weight. Almost as if, if they actually worked, then the firms would lose their consumers.

    Instead of cutting out butter and other good foods, have you tried cutting out carbs instead?
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,099

    I like margarine more than butter. Sorry, not sorry.

    Any kind of oil that can’t be extracted without industrial chemicals isn’t likely to be good for you.
    These guys beg to differ

    https://goodphats.com
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 63,114
    MattW said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    carnforth said:

    My photo today is on topic.



    A delightful Morrocan breakfast in a pension in the medina of Tangier. Delightful, except for the hard margerine. And not supermarket spread, but old fashioned cooking margerine.

    Of course, butter would be too expensive. But I left the marge.

    If we’re doing “beautiful breakfast photos” here’s one of my top five

    Without googling, can anyone guess where it is?


    Skeggy?
    Dammit. Right first time!

    No, only joking. Close tho
    SKEGGY ? !
    Montenegro.


  • Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 9,990

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
  • TresTres Posts: 2,723
    Pagan2 said:

    fpt

    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    MaxPB said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    .

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Stereodog said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fishing said:

    I lean in favour of assisted dying, but don't have a strong view.

    Of course, one can take one's stance from our moral leaders - any proposed reform that churches oppose, from ending the burning of witches and heretics to legalising divorce to more or less anything Mrs Thatcher did, is usually an excellent idea.

    Divorce laws in the UK are too liberal now with no fault divorce. Having a negative effect on the family and fertility rates
    What conceivable benefit would you expect to acru from restricting divorce? Couples stuck in loveless marriages are not likely to bring children into them and if they did it would be for entirely the wrong reasons to the detriment of everyone.
    Unless it was an arranged marriage no marriage would be loveless otherwise they would never have got married in the first place.

    No marriage is perfect, you work through the downs and arguments as well as the ups
    What a naive view.

    Love sometimes lasts, but love sometimes dies. At which point it becomes loveless.

    Go through ups and downs, yes, my wife and I have had ups and downs and we still love each other. That is a healthy marriage.

    If you only have downs and the love is gone, then it's not a healthy marriage and it should be terminated.

    All my biological grandparents divorced. Both my dad's parents remarried before I was even born and had a happy, healthy second marriage that took them to the end of their lives. Them divorcing and remarrying was the best thing that ever happened to them, and the family as a whole.

    I was also lucky enough then to grow up with 5 grandparents (3 biological, 2 not) and am fortunate still have the two non-biological grandparents whom I love as my grandparents every bit as much as the biological ones.
    My father's parents divorced and it had a negative impact on his teenage years and hit his mother hard while his father remarried.

    Divorce is simply too easy nowadays, unless there is adultery or domestic violence involved divorce should be an absolute last resort and best avoided
    My mother got a divorce in the late 1960's. It was incredibly difficult and took an absolute age, being one of the reasons the Denning Reforms came about. My father was a serial philanderer and he walked out the family home just after my sister was born in 1962. There was no fault on my mother's part. He was finally forced by the courts to pay maintenance in the princely sum of £4 a week. But the marriage still could not be ended for an age longer.

    Allowing my mother to escape being trapped in a marriage was no "last resort"; splitting from him was not "best avoided", as for one thing it would have prevented her getting another successful, joyous marriage to my stepfather. The strain of the broken relationship and the attempts to get a divorce caused her to have several nervous breakdowns. No child should have had to endure seeing their parent go through ECT.

    Your world view is so constrained. It would result in so much pain for others if rigidly adopted.

    I have already said I don't oppose divorce on the grounds of adultery, even Jesus did not oppose divorce when one party had committed sexual immorality and cheated on the other.

    That is not the same as supporting no fault divorce though, which I oppose even though it is now legal in the UK
    "Sorry, kids, me and yer dad can't split up, even though we hate each other because some bloke called Jesus, who may or may not have existed 2000 years ago, wouldn't like it and the government don't like it very much, either, so we'll just stay together and make your life a misery until you're old enough to leave home"
    That's right?

    If you clearly hated each other you would never have married in the first place. Most kids want both their parents at home with them
    1 - People change
    2 - Sometimes, especially when young and full of hormones, we make bad decisions
    3 - Information that wasn't known beforehand can come to light

    Your stance rejects all of the above.
    My mother is twice divorced. Anathema to you.
    For her first marriage, she fell deeply in love. A year or two down the line, her husband was diagnosed with schizophrenia. They had one daughter by then, but decided to divorce when, in the middle of an episode, he threatened the baby.

    For her second marriage, she married "on the rebound." Partly because she was now used to being away from her over-controlling mother. She and my father had very different personalities - which they found out. Unfortunately, after the marriage. After several years of trying their best to make it work (and two children), they agreed to divorce.

    To be honest, their divorce was the best thing they could have done for the children (me included). Rather than grow up in an air of mutual resentment and "making the best of it" through clenched teeth, we grew up in a home of love, learning, and laughter. Mum and Dad got on much better after the divorce and when they could live separately and when they didn't have to be in each other's business all the time. I actually think it was that which may have led to my sister and I both being in stable long-term marriages (her for 30 years+ at this point, me approaching 25 years). We didn't have the experience of the resentment we would doubtless have had in that alternate universe.

    I reject entirely your didactic and unempathic stance.
    Yes empathy is only uber liberalism, everyone else is evil and beyond the pale. Marriage, commitment of both parents to raising children, the nation's fertility rate, all irrelevant in comparison to the desires of the self first.

    Well tough, I represent an argument millions agree with, especially the religious and don't give a shit whether you dislike me making it or not I will continue to do so
    You represent an argument that was rejected 70 years ago and continues to be rejected since.
    Far from it, Italy has recently elected a government with a more traditional view of women and the family, the US has also just elected a President and Congress with a more traditional view of the family.

    The backlash against wokeism and uber liberalism has begun
    Wrong.

    America has just elected a twice divorced, repeatedly unfaithful adulterer as President.

    Not a traditional view of the family.
    And Giorgia Meloni has had a kid out of wedlock. Not exactly a bastion of religious morality.
    One of the curiosities of right-populism is how many of its leaders don't reflect the values their rhetoric espouses. There's a definite lack of Corbyn/Livingstone like figures- even when their views were odd/wrong, they did sort of try to live by them.
    Not that curious. There's a simple explanation.

    Neither the leaders nor the voters give the slightest damn about Biblical values. HYUFD shows his contempt for the teaching of Jesus on a daily basis.

    All they care about is cherrypicking elements they care about and then telling other people what they can and can't do.
    Rubbish, Jesus was not a communist woke social liberal
    For his day he bloody well was.

    Overturning the money tables and the whole eye of the needle thing. Wanting to feed the hungry, help the poor, heal the sick.

    He was incredibly woke for his era.
    Wokeism is ultra pro LGBTQ+, pro division on race and sexuality lines with a particular rejection of white heterosexual male 'privilege' and uber feminist (albeit with some clash with them and the equally woke uber trans).

    It is perfectly possible for big corporations to be very woke and many now are and for a poor man to be socially conservative and anti woke. Hence Harris won lots of executives from the former and Trump lots of the latter
    I would seriously recommend you and and chill for a bit offline. You used to be a fairly mainstream Tory, but this culture war stuff from you is getting increasingly strange.

    Jesus was clear that the route to heaven was not via the rules and traditions of the Pharisees but rather via compassion and charity to the least in society.

    On personal morality his most pertinent point when stopping a stoning of an adulteress was "let him who is without sin cast the first stone".

    I think it is incorrect and blasphemous to claim Jesus for any political party or view. His Kingdom is not of this world.

    If Christianity and its Churches were more like you and Jesus, and less like HYUFD and Paul, I'd respect it a lot more.
    Christians are still humans, they are just Christian ones. In most cases, following the example of Christ leads to living a life with a greater element of giving and social responsibility, but it doesn't transform you into an angel.
    A significant problem is that far too many Christians do not try to follow the example of Christ, and instead pick the bits out of his life and the bible that allow them to live their lives as they want. Which Christ may not have approved of.

    I'm really at the stage where I do wonder if organised religion has caused far more harm to the world than it has caused good.
    If you have the statistics to support this view, I am interested to read them. Everything that I have read indicates that on average, Christians are far likelier to engage in charitable and other positive social activity than their non-Christian counterparts.

    I also think that there's a huge trend in popular media to demonise Christianity, in ways both clearly stated (evil Christian characters) and indicated (evil characters in fantasy or pre-Christian settings but who demonstrate clear Christian traits), and this does colour views, especially when you don't really have your guard up against what is basically propaganda.
    No statistics. But I would point you to our very own HYUFD as an example of someone who wants more wrong done in the world. As this thread shows.

    "especially when you don't really have your guard up against what is basically propaganda."

    Ahem. *you* said that???? :)
    Propaganda can come in the form of misinformation, but it can also come in the form of negative portrayals of a target group in popular drama - something discovered by the Germans when they created Jud Suss, a drama that featured an evil Jew, which was enormously more successful than their previous attempts at propaganda film documentaries portraying Jews as rats, which had been counterproductive. Similar portrayals of Christians are everywhere in popular culture.
    I can't think of any such portrayals of Christians in popular culture, which is unsurprising given that Christians are a major consumer of pop culture and people don't like pissing off their customers.

    What I do see is such Christians in real life, such as HYUFD of this parish.

    Most pop-culture references to Christianity are gently jovial than outright nasty portrayals. And atheists tend to have equally jovial references too.

    EG this exchange between the very atheist Sheldon Cooper and his very religious mother after he accidentally sees his mother engaged in coitus outside of wedlock.

    Sheldon Cooper : I think what bothers me the most is the hypocrisy. Doesn't this contradict all the religious rules you've been expounding your whole life?

    Mary Cooper : You're right, it does. And it is something I have been struggling with these days.

    Sheldon Cooper : Then why are you doing it?

    Mary Cooper : Because I'm not perfect, Shelly, and that man's booty is.

    Sheldon Cooper : Well, this is confusing for me. But I don't want to stand in the way of your happiness so I'll condemn you internally while maintaining an outward appearance of acceptance.

    Mary Cooper : That is very Christian of you.
    I'm not really surprised, because you are the sort of mark who would simply assimilate such material without giving it any thought, except to grow a bit more strident in your anti-Christian diatribes.

    A random example of the explicit form would be the dramatisations of The Handmaid's Tale - but there are too many to even mention. Any explicitly Christian character in popular media is destined to turn out to be a hypocrite philanderer at best and an axe murderer at worst.

    A random example of the implicit form would be from the film Clash of the Titans, where a proto-Christian sect led by a form of prophet attempts to sacrifice Princess Andromeda to the Kracken. Or in 300, where the Persian King Xerxes (I could have that name wrong) asks the disabled character to 'kneel' before him as part of an extended allegory on Christianity vs. pagan religions. Or in series one of Game of Thrones, there's a portrayal of a sect that follows 'a good shepherd', curing the body of a tribal King but seeming to steal his soul. They all end up being burned to death afaicr. You can have a good giggle at these examples, but should you adopt a more thoughtful approach and rewatch the clips, you'll see I'm right.
    Oh what a pathetic snowflake you are.

    None of those are remotely comparable to Germans portraying Jews as rats.

    You can have a giggle at anyone and everyone, pick any category ever, including atheists, and there will be examples of people having a giggle at them, as there absolutely should be.

    It is unhealthy not to have a sense of humour or self-deprecation.
    I am not saying that they are remotely comparable to the Germans portraying jews as rats - they did this in The Eternal Jew, a documentary featuring stock footage of rats, which as I've said, was incredibly unpopular, making ladies faint in the cinema. The Germans then decided to stick to far more insidious portrayals within rip-roaring entertainment blockbusters, like Jud Suss, which was far more successful, and is very similar to the way Christians are portrayed by in popular drama these days: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jud_Süß
    Christians are not portrayed more critically in popular dramas than anyone else.
    You want to know who mostly get a bad rap in popular drama's? Its us pagans always pictured as sacrificing virgins....partaking in bizarre sexual rites etc.
    I attended a pagan handfasting on Hampstead Heath once. I've never been able to look at ginger nuts in the same way since.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 52,268
    Scott_xP said:

    I like margarine more than butter. Sorry, not sorry.

    Any kind of oil that can’t be extracted without industrial chemicals isn’t likely to be good for you.
    These guys beg to differ

    https://goodphats.com
    No it looks like they agree with me. To get olive oil or avocado oil, you just need a press. It's not the same as the process to get seed oils that involves using solvents.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 8,942
    rcs1000 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Has anyone watched Love After Lockup?

    It's a reality TV show that follows people who fell in love with inmates (and, yes, there are prison dating websites in the US). It's full of people who are completely deluded about what marriage is about: people whose only wish is to be married, and it almost doesn't matter who they will be marrying.

    If you want to lower the divorce rate, then I would start with educating people about the realities of being married.
    Is that the only thing they have on in the plane? :open_mouth:
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,609
    edited November 24
    Pagan2 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
    We have over 60 years marriage and of course there were up and downs but we have never been closer and one thing that binds us together is a good sense of humour, and of course the family and our grandchildren

    I think marriage is a wonderful institution but there are times couples grow apart and they move on
  • Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 9,990
    Tres said:

    Pagan2 said:

    fpt

    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    MaxPB said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    .

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Stereodog said:

    HYUFD said:

    Fishing said:

    I lean in favour of assisted dying, but don't have a strong view.

    Of course, one can take one's stance from our moral leaders - any proposed reform that churches oppose, from ending the burning of witches and heretics to legalising divorce to more or less anything Mrs Thatcher did, is usually an excellent idea.

    Divorce laws in the UK are too liberal now with no fault divorce. Having a negative effect on the family and fertility rates
    What conceivable benefit would you expect to acru from restricting divorce? Couples stuck in loveless marriages are not likely to bring children into them and if they did it would be for entirely the wrong reasons to the detriment of everyone.
    Unless it was an arranged marriage no marriage would be loveless otherwise they would never have got married in the first place.

    No marriage is perfect, you work through the downs and arguments as well as the ups
    What a naive view.

    Love sometimes lasts, but love sometimes dies. At which point it becomes loveless.

    Go through ups and downs, yes, my wife and I have had ups and downs and we still love each other. That is a healthy marriage.

    If you only have downs and the love is gone, then it's not a healthy marriage and it should be terminated.

    All my biological grandparents divorced. Both my dad's parents remarried before I was even born and had a happy, healthy second marriage that took them to the end of their lives. Them divorcing and remarrying was the best thing that ever happened to them, and the family as a whole.

    I was also lucky enough then to grow up with 5 grandparents (3 biological, 2 not) and am fortunate still have the two non-biological grandparents whom I love as my grandparents every bit as much as the biological ones.
    My father's parents divorced and it had a negative impact on his teenage years and hit his mother hard while his father remarried.

    Divorce is simply too easy nowadays, unless there is adultery or domestic violence involved divorce should be an absolute last resort and best avoided
    My mother got a divorce in the late 1960's. It was incredibly difficult and took an absolute age, being one of the reasons the Denning Reforms came about. My father was a serial philanderer and he walked out the family home just after my sister was born in 1962. There was no fault on my mother's part. He was finally forced by the courts to pay maintenance in the princely sum of £4 a week. But the marriage still could not be ended for an age longer.

    Allowing my mother to escape being trapped in a marriage was no "last resort"; splitting from him was not "best avoided", as for one thing it would have prevented her getting another successful, joyous marriage to my stepfather. The strain of the broken relationship and the attempts to get a divorce caused her to have several nervous breakdowns. No child should have had to endure seeing their parent go through ECT.

    Your world view is so constrained. It would result in so much pain for others if rigidly adopted.

    I have already said I don't oppose divorce on the grounds of adultery, even Jesus did not oppose divorce when one party had committed sexual immorality and cheated on the other.

    That is not the same as supporting no fault divorce though, which I oppose even though it is now legal in the UK
    "Sorry, kids, me and yer dad can't split up, even though we hate each other because some bloke called Jesus, who may or may not have existed 2000 years ago, wouldn't like it and the government don't like it very much, either, so we'll just stay together and make your life a misery until you're old enough to leave home"
    That's right?

    If you clearly hated each other you would never have married in the first place. Most kids want both their parents at home with them
    1 - People change
    2 - Sometimes, especially when young and full of hormones, we make bad decisions
    3 - Information that wasn't known beforehand can come to light

    Your stance rejects all of the above.
    My mother is twice divorced. Anathema to you.
    For her first marriage, she fell deeply in love. A year or two down the line, her husband was diagnosed with schizophrenia. They had one daughter by then, but decided to divorce when, in the middle of an episode, he threatened the baby.

    For her second marriage, she married "on the rebound." Partly because she was now used to being away from her over-controlling mother. She and my father had very different personalities - which they found out. Unfortunately, after the marriage. After several years of trying their best to make it work (and two children), they agreed to divorce.

    To be honest, their divorce was the best thing they could have done for the children (me included). Rather than grow up in an air of mutual resentment and "making the best of it" through clenched teeth, we grew up in a home of love, learning, and laughter. Mum and Dad got on much better after the divorce and when they could live separately and when they didn't have to be in each other's business all the time. I actually think it was that which may have led to my sister and I both being in stable long-term marriages (her for 30 years+ at this point, me approaching 25 years). We didn't have the experience of the resentment we would doubtless have had in that alternate universe.

    I reject entirely your didactic and unempathic stance.
    Yes empathy is only uber liberalism, everyone else is evil and beyond the pale. Marriage, commitment of both parents to raising children, the nation's fertility rate, all irrelevant in comparison to the desires of the self first.

    Well tough, I represent an argument millions agree with, especially the religious and don't give a shit whether you dislike me making it or not I will continue to do so
    You represent an argument that was rejected 70 years ago and continues to be rejected since.
    Far from it, Italy has recently elected a government with a more traditional view of women and the family, the US has also just elected a President and Congress with a more traditional view of the family.

    The backlash against wokeism and uber liberalism has begun
    Wrong.

    America has just elected a twice divorced, repeatedly unfaithful adulterer as President.

    Not a traditional view of the family.
    And Giorgia Meloni has had a kid out of wedlock. Not exactly a bastion of religious morality.
    One of the curiosities of right-populism is how many of its leaders don't reflect the values their rhetoric espouses. There's a definite lack of Corbyn/Livingstone like figures- even when their views were odd/wrong, they did sort of try to live by them.
    Not that curious. There's a simple explanation.

    Neither the leaders nor the voters give the slightest damn about Biblical values. HYUFD shows his contempt for the teaching of Jesus on a daily basis.

    All they care about is cherrypicking elements they care about and then telling other people what they can and can't do.
    Rubbish, Jesus was not a communist woke social liberal
    For his day he bloody well was.

    Overturning the money tables and the whole eye of the needle thing. Wanting to feed the hungry, help the poor, heal the sick.

    He was incredibly woke for his era.
    Wokeism is ultra pro LGBTQ+, pro division on race and sexuality lines with a particular rejection of white heterosexual male 'privilege' and uber feminist (albeit with some clash with them and the equally woke uber trans).

    It is perfectly possible for big corporations to be very woke and many now are and for a poor man to be socially conservative and anti woke. Hence Harris won lots of executives from the former and Trump lots of the latter
    I would seriously recommend you and and chill for a bit offline. You used to be a fairly mainstream Tory, but this culture war stuff from you is getting increasingly strange.

    Jesus was clear that the route to heaven was not via the rules and traditions of the Pharisees but rather via compassion and charity to the least in society.

    On personal morality his most pertinent point when stopping a stoning of an adulteress was "let him who is without sin cast the first stone".

    I think it is incorrect and blasphemous to claim Jesus for any political party or view. His Kingdom is not of this world.

    If Christianity and its Churches were more like you and Jesus, and less like HYUFD and Paul, I'd respect it a lot more.
    Christians are still humans, they are just Christian ones. In most cases, following the example of Christ leads to living a life with a greater element of giving and social responsibility, but it doesn't transform you into an angel.
    A significant problem is that far too many Christians do not try to follow the example of Christ, and instead pick the bits out of his life and the bible that allow them to live their lives as they want. Which Christ may not have approved of.

    I'm really at the stage where I do wonder if organised religion has caused far more harm to the world than it has caused good.
    If you have the statistics to support this view, I am interested to read them. Everything that I have read indicates that on average, Christians are far likelier to engage in charitable and other positive social activity than their non-Christian counterparts.

    I also think that there's a huge trend in popular media to demonise Christianity, in ways both clearly stated (evil Christian characters) and indicated (evil characters in fantasy or pre-Christian settings but who demonstrate clear Christian traits), and this does colour views, especially when you don't really have your guard up against what is basically propaganda.
    No statistics. But I would point you to our very own HYUFD as an example of someone who wants more wrong done in the world. As this thread shows.

    "especially when you don't really have your guard up against what is basically propaganda."

    Ahem. *you* said that???? :)
    Propaganda can come in the form of misinformation, but it can also come in the form of negative portrayals of a target group in popular drama - something discovered by the Germans when they created Jud Suss, a drama that featured an evil Jew, which was enormously more successful than their previous attempts at propaganda film documentaries portraying Jews as rats, which had been counterproductive. Similar portrayals of Christians are everywhere in popular culture.
    I can't think of any such portrayals of Christians in popular culture, which is unsurprising given that Christians are a major consumer of pop culture and people don't like pissing off their customers.

    What I do see is such Christians in real life, such as HYUFD of this parish.

    Most pop-culture references to Christianity are gently jovial than outright nasty portrayals. And atheists tend to have equally jovial references too.

    EG this exchange between the very atheist Sheldon Cooper and his very religious mother after he accidentally sees his mother engaged in coitus outside of wedlock.

    Sheldon Cooper : I think what bothers me the most is the hypocrisy. Doesn't this contradict all the religious rules you've been expounding your whole life?

    Mary Cooper : You're right, it does. And it is something I have been struggling with these days.

    Sheldon Cooper : Then why are you doing it?

    Mary Cooper : Because I'm not perfect, Shelly, and that man's booty is.

    Sheldon Cooper : Well, this is confusing for me. But I don't want to stand in the way of your happiness so I'll condemn you internally while maintaining an outward appearance of acceptance.

    Mary Cooper : That is very Christian of you.
    I'm not really surprised, because you are the sort of mark who would simply assimilate such material without giving it any thought, except to grow a bit more strident in your anti-Christian diatribes.

    A random example of the explicit form would be the dramatisations of The Handmaid's Tale - but there are too many to even mention. Any explicitly Christian character in popular media is destined to turn out to be a hypocrite philanderer at best and an axe murderer at worst.

    A random example of the implicit form would be from the film Clash of the Titans, where a proto-Christian sect led by a form of prophet attempts to sacrifice Princess Andromeda to the Kracken. Or in 300, where the Persian King Xerxes (I could have that name wrong) asks the disabled character to 'kneel' before him as part of an extended allegory on Christianity vs. pagan religions. Or in series one of Game of Thrones, there's a portrayal of a sect that follows 'a good shepherd', curing the body of a tribal King but seeming to steal his soul. They all end up being burned to death afaicr. You can have a good giggle at these examples, but should you adopt a more thoughtful approach and rewatch the clips, you'll see I'm right.
    Oh what a pathetic snowflake you are.

    None of those are remotely comparable to Germans portraying Jews as rats.

    You can have a giggle at anyone and everyone, pick any category ever, including atheists, and there will be examples of people having a giggle at them, as there absolutely should be.

    It is unhealthy not to have a sense of humour or self-deprecation.
    I am not saying that they are remotely comparable to the Germans portraying jews as rats - they did this in The Eternal Jew, a documentary featuring stock footage of rats, which as I've said, was incredibly unpopular, making ladies faint in the cinema. The Germans then decided to stick to far more insidious portrayals within rip-roaring entertainment blockbusters, like Jud Suss, which was far more successful, and is very similar to the way Christians are portrayed by in popular drama these days: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jud_Süß
    Christians are not portrayed more critically in popular dramas than anyone else.
    You want to know who mostly get a bad rap in popular drama's? Its us pagans always pictured as sacrificing virgins....partaking in bizarre sexual rites etc.
    I attended a pagan handfasting on Hampstead Heath once. I've never been able to look at ginger nuts in the same way since.
    Blinks performed a few handfasting never included ginger nuts or any other biscuit in them, or was it sky clad with a harry lookalike as groom
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,694
    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    viewcode said:

    rcs1000 said:

    I'm about to get on a plane to Japan.

    This means you lot will get the pleasure of my constant posting for about the next six hours.

    Hopefully there will be decent internet.

    • Los Angeles to Japan takes about eleven hours by air
    • London to Japan takes about eleven hours by air
    Where are you flying from?
    LA
    Take off at 1130am Sunday... Land 430pm Monday.

    On the way back, I take off at 9pm Tuesday... and land at 2pm Tuesday.
    Flew from Bangkok to Hawaii once. Via Tokyo. Timescales very confusing especially for our five year old granddaughter.

    Incidentally, I don’t recall having butter until I was about seven, when we went to an uncle’s farm.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 56,496
    Just noticed that the Belmond Villa Sant Andrea, Taormina, gets a whacking 9.6 on Booking.com, and a solid 5/5 on TripAdvisor. Those are historically high ratings, even by luxe 5 star standards

    https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g1183006-d239201-Reviews-Villa_Sant_Andrea_A_Belmond_Hotel_Taormina_Mare-Mazzaro_Taormina_Province_of_Messina_S.html

    Remarkable

    Don't all rush at once tho, looks like they've closed for the winter for refurb

    But by next June, when it reopens, you can get a nice double with sea view for £2000 a night
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 72,172
    Stereodog said:

    My mother apologised to me for feeding us margarine as children, instead of butter. We even used to bake with it, which I consider unthinkable now.

    Truly the past is a foreign country.

    Its concerning how long the myth that butter is bad for you and margarine healthier for you persisted.

    Thankfully we know better now.

    Like the myths that fats are bad for you, or that vegetables are necessary, both of which some still persist with to this day.
    For some reason my mum still insists on baking with Stork even though she'd use butter for everything else.
    My mother uses a particular baking margarine for shortcrust pastry.
    Can’t recall the brand, but her pastry is awesome.
  • rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    viewcode said:

    rcs1000 said:

    I'm about to get on a plane to Japan.

    This means you lot will get the pleasure of my constant posting for about the next six hours.

    Hopefully there will be decent internet.

    • Los Angeles to Japan takes about eleven hours by air
    • London to Japan takes about eleven hours by air
    Where are you flying from?
    LA
    Take off at 1130am Sunday... Land 430pm Monday.

    On the way back, I take off at 9pm Tuesday... and land at 2pm Tuesday.
    Flew from Bangkok to Hawaii once. Via Tokyo. Timescales very confusing especially for our five year old granddaughter.

    Incidentally, I don’t recall having butter until I was about seven, when we went to an uncle’s farm.
    When I was young we flew from Melbourne to Hawaii.

    Landed in Hawaii before we had woken up to go to the airport in Melbourne.
  • Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 9,990

    Pagan2 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
    We have over 60 years marriage and of course there were up and downs but we have never been closer and one thing that binds us together is a good sense of humour, and of course the family and our grandchildren

    I think marriage is a wonderful institution but there are times couples grow apart and they move on
    My imputation was more marriage is a useless institution when it is transient. There are people like you however the average marriage I believe lasts about 7 years. It is now merely a contract for most not a life long commitment. For those that marriage has worked I salute you but there are not many now and getting fewer
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,895

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    People are a bit quick to play the man and not the ball, yes. I try to be content with giving my view and allowing other people to have the last word if they wish.

    In most areas of life we know that if you want to be good at something you have to practice it, and study it. But with long-term relationships we expect it to be easy and assume that someone must be to blame if it isn't.

    Neither my [second] wife or I are actively religious, but we had relationship counselling before we married, and found it very helpful.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 56,496

    Scott_xP said:

    I like margarine more than butter. Sorry, not sorry.

    Any kind of oil that can’t be extracted without industrial chemicals isn’t likely to be good for you.
    These guys beg to differ

    https://goodphats.com
    No it looks like they agree with me. To get olive oil or avocado oil, you just need a press. It's not the same as the process to get seed oils that involves using solvents.
    Cold pressed rapeseed oil is fine, and flavoursome
  • rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    viewcode said:

    rcs1000 said:

    I'm about to get on a plane to Japan.

    This means you lot will get the pleasure of my constant posting for about the next six hours.

    Hopefully there will be decent internet.

    • Los Angeles to Japan takes about eleven hours by air
    • London to Japan takes about eleven hours by air
    Where are you flying from?
    LA
    Take off at 1130am Sunday... Land 430pm Monday.

    On the way back, I take off at 9pm Tuesday... and land at 2pm Tuesday.
    I have flown Sydney to Tokyo and Tokyo to Heathrow

    The Sydney to Tokyo was with ANA and they were excellent

    The return was with BA who were average
    It amazes me how shite BA continually are and yet continue to prosper.

    Tbf, their pilots are top-notch. But being the flag-carrier is doing an awful lot of lifting for them.
    Shitish Airways?
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 12,857
    Pagan2 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
    As to utility try Googling 'Can Unmarried People Transfer IHT Allowances'. I am pleased to say (45 years and counting) that utility is, though not trivial, the least of the blessings of marriage.
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,704
    Yokes said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Apprently the way to reduce divorce is to have less lavish and expensive weddings based on a US study.
    'According to the data, women who spent more than $20,000 on their wedding were 1.6 times more likely to eventually divorce than women who spent between $5,000 and $10,000'

    The logic is apprently twofold, 1 Finances are prominent reason for divorce so starting off with a financial millstone of paying for the wedding and everything around it is not a good start and 2. its been theorised if you are that concerned about impressing everyone else with a lavish do maybe you havent quite got the focus on the relationship itself.


    I can believe that. Some people just want the party.
  • Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
    We have over 60 years marriage and of course there were up and downs but we have never been closer and one thing that binds us together is a good sense of humour, and of course the family and our grandchildren

    I think marriage is a wonderful institution but there are times couples grow apart and they move on
    My imputation was more marriage is a useless institution when it is transient. There are people like you however the average marriage I believe lasts about 7 years. It is now merely a contract for most not a life long commitment. For those that marriage has worked I salute you but there are not many now and getting fewer
    I would say the polar opposite.

    That marriages survive only when they are fit for purpose is a good thing, not a bad one, and makes the surviving marriages more not less meaningful.

    Having healthy and happy marriages between equal partners is better than having people stuck in relationships with people they can't stand but for whom there is no choice but to remain with them.

    We've been married 11 years. We married because we love each other, we remain married as we still love each other. I have friends who got married and divorced in that time, I do not look down on them, if it doesn't work it doesn't work and there's no harm in trying again.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,879
    edited November 24

    MattW said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    carnforth said:

    My photo today is on topic.



    A delightful Morrocan breakfast in a pension in the medina of Tangier. Delightful, except for the hard margerine. And not supermarket spread, but old fashioned cooking margerine.

    Of course, butter would be too expensive. But I left the marge.

    If we’re doing “beautiful breakfast photos” here’s one of my top five

    Without googling, can anyone guess where it is?


    Skeggy?
    Dammit. Right first time!

    No, only joking. Close tho
    SKEGGY ? !
    Montenegro.
    One of my local cycling clubs does a ride every year called "Everybody Rides To Skeggy".

    It's a 300km Audax round trip over a Saturday and Sunday in September.

    https://ridewithgps.com/routes/6831802?lang=en
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 52,268
    https://x.com/patrickruffini/status/1860704398789239131

    Voters under 30 are at 65% approval of the Trump transition
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,694

    Pagan2 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
    We have over 60 years marriage and of course there were up and downs but we have never been closer and one thing that binds us together is a good sense of humour, and of course the family and our grandchildren

    I think marriage is a wonderful institution but there are times couples grow apart and they move on
    We’re in a similar position, but because of my current, and probably now permanent, disabilities, Mrs C is having to give me a lot of physical support.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 43,434
    rcs1000 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Has anyone watched Love After Lockup?

    It's a reality TV show that follows people who fell in love with inmates (and, yes, there are prison dating websites in the US). It's full of people who are completely deluded about what marriage is about: people whose only wish is to be married, and it almost doesn't matter who they will be marrying.

    If you want to lower the divorce rate, then I would start with educating people about the realities of being married.
    At Company Y, we were developing a computer for browsing the web, with a bespoke browser from another Cambridge firm. As such, we would get sent in websites that did not display properly. One of these was (from memory) prisonbabes.com, or somesuch.

    It was women in prison wanting to meet men. Whilst 'testing' the website, I came across one young lady who was in for life, and whose marital status was widowed...
  • Yokes said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Apprently the way to reduce divorce is to have less lavish and expensive weddings based on a US study.
    'According to the data, women who spent more than $20,000 on their wedding were 1.6 times more likely to eventually divorce than women who spent between $5,000 and $10,000'

    The logic is apprently twofold, 1 Finances are prominent reason for divorce so starting off with a financial millstone of paying for the wedding and everything around it is not a good start and 2. its been theorised if you are that concerned about impressing everyone else with a lavish do maybe you havent quite got the focus on the relationship itself.


    Makes sense.

    Curious where ours fits the bill, we had a great day in a lovely venue - but we also cut costs where we could, including getting married on a Wednesday which cut about the bill by about a third.

    We had our date nearly 2 years before the wedding day (her family lives overseas so a lot of planning) so everyone was able to book the time off work who wanted to come so it being midweek didn't mean at work tomorrow. Interestingly the venue was booked for every Saturday for longer than 2 years in the future, I am amused more couples don't think of having a midweek wedding rather than a weekend one.
  • CatManCatMan Posts: 3,066
    rcs1000 said:

    I'm about to get on a plane to Japan.

    This means you lot will get the pleasure of my constant posting for about the next six hours.

    Hopefully there will be decent internet.

    This one?

    https://www.flightradar24.com/ANA5/381ade59
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 12,857
    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    carnforth said:

    My photo today is on topic.



    A delightful Morrocan breakfast in a pension in the medina of Tangier. Delightful, except for the hard margerine. And not supermarket spread, but old fashioned cooking margerine.

    Of course, butter would be too expensive. But I left the marge.

    If we’re doing “beautiful breakfast photos” here’s one of my top five

    Without googling, can anyone guess where it is?


    Skeggy?
    Dammit. Right first time!

    No, only joking. Close tho
    SKEGGY ? !
    Montenegro.
    One of my local cycling clubs does a ride every year called "Everybody Rides To Skeggy".

    It's a 300km Audax round trip over a Saturday and Sunday in September.

    https://ridewithgps.com/routes/6831802?lang=en
    What a splendid route, passing only about 12 miles to the north of Algarkirk, and mile after mile of glorious Lincolnshire.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 43,434

    Pagan2 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
    We have over 60 years marriage and of course there were up and downs but we have never been closer and one thing that binds us together is a good sense of humour, and of course the family and our grandchildren

    I think marriage is a wonderful institution but there are times couples grow apart and they move on
    We’re in a similar position, but because of my current, and probably now permanent, disabilities, Mrs C is having to give me a lot of physical support.
    I'm ill at the moment. I've been in bed much of the day as Mrs J has been doing the copious amount of washing I've been generating, doing the shopping, preparing dinner, looking after our son, etc, etc. In other words, doing many of the tasks I would ordinarily share with her.

    The thing is, I've done similar for her when she's been ill. It's all part and parcel of being married, taking the rough with the smooth (and the last few days have been fairly rough...), knowing that you are doing it because you love your partner, and that they love you.
  • Ugh, farmers are terrible people.

    Moment tractor driver sends wave of Storm Bert floodwater smashing through shop windows as he speeds through Worcestershire street - leaving locals furious

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14120653/storm-bert-tenbury-wells-tractor-video-floodwater.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=social-twitter_mailonline
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 43,434
    Jonathan said:

    rcs1000 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Has anyone watched Love After Lockup?

    It's a reality TV show that follows people who fell in love with inmates (and, yes, there are prison dating websites in the US). It's full of people who are completely deluded about what marriage is about: people whose only wish is to be married, and it almost doesn't matter who they will be marrying.

    If you want to lower the divorce rate, then I would start with educating people about the realities of being married.
    At Company Y, we were developing a computer for browsing the web, with a bespoke browser from another Cambridge firm. As such, we would get sent in websites that did not display properly. One of these was (from memory) prisonbabes.com, or somesuch.

    It was women in prison wanting to meet men. Whilst 'testing' the website, I came across one young lady who was in for life, and whose marital status was widowed...
    … and having met we’ve been happily married for twenty years. She gets out next Tuesday.
    Genuine LOL.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,895
    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
    We have over 60 years marriage and of course there were up and downs but we have never been closer and one thing that binds us together is a good sense of humour, and of course the family and our grandchildren

    I think marriage is a wonderful institution but there are times couples grow apart and they move on
    My imputation was more marriage is a useless institution when it is transient. There are people like you however the average marriage I believe lasts about 7 years. It is now merely a contract for most not a life long commitment. For those that marriage has worked I salute you but there are not many now and getting fewer
    The recent evidence suggests that marriage survival rates are now improving.
  • FlatlanderFlatlander Posts: 4,720
    edited November 24
    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    carnforth said:

    My photo today is on topic.



    A delightful Morrocan breakfast in a pension in the medina of Tangier. Delightful, except for the hard margerine. And not supermarket spread, but old fashioned cooking margerine.

    Of course, butter would be too expensive. But I left the marge.

    If we’re doing “beautiful breakfast photos” here’s one of my top five

    Without googling, can anyone guess where it is?


    Skeggy?
    Dammit. Right first time!

    No, only joking. Close tho
    SKEGGY ? !
    Montenegro.
    One of my local cycling clubs does a ride every year called "Everybody Rides To Skeggy".

    It's a 300km Audax round trip over a Saturday and Sunday in September.

    https://ridewithgps.com/routes/6831802?lang=en
    Bit harsh making everyone go to Sandilands as well. Skeggy is bad enough.

    [Nice bits in between though. I quite like Woodhall Spa for its unexpected nature after crossing the fens.]
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,608
    edited November 24

    Scott_xP said:

    I like margarine more than butter. Sorry, not sorry.

    Any kind of oil that can’t be extracted without industrial chemicals isn’t likely to be good for you.
    These guys beg to differ

    https://goodphats.com
    No it looks like they agree with me. To get olive oil or avocado oil, you just need a press. It's not the same as the process to get seed oils that involves using solvents.
    If you honestly believe that supermarket olive oil is solely press extracted, then I have a bridge to sell you.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 12,857
    Yokes said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Apprently the way to reduce divorce is to have less lavish and expensive weddings based on a US study.
    'According to the data, women who spent more than $20,000 on their wedding were 1.6 times more likely to eventually divorce than women who spent between $5,000 and $10,000'

    The logic is apprently twofold, 1 Finances are prominent reason for divorce so starting off with a financial millstone of paying for the wedding and everything around it is not a good start and 2. its been theorised if you are that concerned about impressing everyone else with a lavish do maybe you havent quite got the focus on the relationship itself.


    Yes. It will, IMHO, be much more correlation than causation.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,379
    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    viewcode said:

    rcs1000 said:

    I'm about to get on a plane to Japan.

    This means you lot will get the pleasure of my constant posting for about the next six hours.

    Hopefully there will be decent internet.

    • Los Angeles to Japan takes about eleven hours by air
    • London to Japan takes about eleven hours by air
    Where are you flying from?
    LA
    Take off at 1130am Sunday... Land 430pm Monday.

    On the way back, I take off at 9pm Tuesday... and land at 2pm Tuesday.
    So one of these:

    NH5 (TG6093 * UA7945 *) see https://www.flylax.com/flight-detail?fn=NH5&type=dep
    UA39 (NH7543 *) https://www.flylax.com/flight-detail?fn=UA39&type=dep

    Wear flight socks. You don't want a DVT: I've seen the surgical photos and they do go down to the bone and the scar is massive. So wear the flight socks.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,608

    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
    We have over 60 years marriage and of course there were up and downs but we have never been closer and one thing that binds us together is a good sense of humour, and of course the family and our grandchildren

    I think marriage is a wonderful institution but there are times couples grow apart and they move on
    My imputation was more marriage is a useless institution when it is transient. There are people like you however the average marriage I believe lasts about 7 years. It is now merely a contract for most not a life long commitment. For those that marriage has worked I salute you but there are not many now and getting fewer
    The recent evidence suggests that marriage survival rates are now improving.
    Nobody survives marriage.
  • To those interested in the assisted dying debate Election Maps has an interesting analysis of mps voting intentions

    https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1860711024933953615?t=t_v9A2ZOhPb0d28jmlFCYA&s=19

    The projection suggests it is going to be close. Surprised at level of Labour MPs against.
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 8,676

    To those interested in the assisted dying debate Election Maps has an interesting analysis of mps voting intentions

    https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1860711024933953615?t=t_v9A2ZOhPb0d28jmlFCYA&s=19

    The projection suggests it is going to be close. Surprised at level of Labour MPs against.
    Yes - very depressing.
    Current projection For 296, Against 301.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 12,857
    Leon said:

    Yokes said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Apprently the way to reduce divorce is to have less lavish and expensive weddings based on a US study.
    'According to the data, women who spent more than $20,000 on their wedding were 1.6 times more likely to eventually divorce than women who spent between $5,000 and $10,000'

    The logic is apprently twofold, 1 Finances are prominent reason for divorce so starting off with a financial millstone of paying for the wedding and everything around it is not a good start and 2. its been theorised if you are that concerned about impressing everyone else with a lavish do maybe you havent quite got the focus on the relationship itself.


    This is absolutely true in my personal experience

    I've been to loads of insanely lavish weddings, and at least half (rough guess) have ended in divorce, often quite quickly

    Of all the lovely little weddings I've been to (small groups of family and friends) 90% of the marriages are still going strong
    I was at just such a one a bit over two years ago. Now I am happily making friends with the baby.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,608
    viewcode said:

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    viewcode said:

    rcs1000 said:

    I'm about to get on a plane to Japan.

    This means you lot will get the pleasure of my constant posting for about the next six hours.

    Hopefully there will be decent internet.

    • Los Angeles to Japan takes about eleven hours by air
    • London to Japan takes about eleven hours by air
    Where are you flying from?
    LA
    Take off at 1130am Sunday... Land 430pm Monday.

    On the way back, I take off at 9pm Tuesday... and land at 2pm Tuesday.
    So one of these:

    NH5 (TG6093 * UA7945 *) see https://www.flylax.com/flight-detail?fn=NH5&type=dep
    UA39 (NH7543 *) https://www.flylax.com/flight-detail?fn=UA39&type=dep

    Wear flight socks. You don't want a DVT: I've seen the surgical photos and they do go down to the bone and the scar is massive. So wear the flight socks.
    NH5.

    So far, ANA is wonderfully and typically Japanese. They handed me a small blue pouch, which turns out to be a weird little carrier bag.


  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 12,857
    Barnesian said:

    To those interested in the assisted dying debate Election Maps has an interesting analysis of mps voting intentions

    https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1860711024933953615?t=t_v9A2ZOhPb0d28jmlFCYA&s=19

    The projection suggests it is going to be close. Surprised at level of Labour MPs against.
    Yes - very depressing.
    Current projection For 296, Against 301.
    I have not followed it in detail but, if I have understood correctly, it fails to cover the most important and urgent cases - the small number where life is objectively and subjectively intolerable beyond measure but the circumstances are not terminal.

    I support the bill but only reluctantly. We need a better one, dealing with the most urgent cases, and where the SC has indicated that they sympathise but it is a matter for parliament.
  • .
    Leon said:

    Yokes said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Apprently the way to reduce divorce is to have less lavish and expensive weddings based on a US study.
    'According to the data, women who spent more than $20,000 on their wedding were 1.6 times more likely to eventually divorce than women who spent between $5,000 and $10,000'

    The logic is apprently twofold, 1 Finances are prominent reason for divorce so starting off with a financial millstone of paying for the wedding and everything around it is not a good start and 2. its been theorised if you are that concerned about impressing everyone else with a lavish do maybe you havent quite got the focus on the relationship itself.


    This is absolutely true in my personal experience

    I've been to loads of insanely lavish weddings, and at least half (rough guess) have ended in divorce, often quite quickly

    Of all the lovely little weddings I've been to (small groups of family and friends) 90% of the marriages are still going strong
    My mate got married at Prestwold Hall in Leicestershire, with the bride's parents forking out the best part of 25 grand for the day. It was a lovely, lavish do, the poshest wedding I've been to. They were separated within 6 months, and she moved in with a Notts County reserve team player, 10 years younger than her. My mate ended up quitting the Fire Service and ended up living with a dancer in Thailand!
  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,879
    algarkirk said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    carnforth said:

    My photo today is on topic.



    A delightful Morrocan breakfast in a pension in the medina of Tangier. Delightful, except for the hard margerine. And not supermarket spread, but old fashioned cooking margerine.

    Of course, butter would be too expensive. But I left the marge.

    If we’re doing “beautiful breakfast photos” here’s one of my top five

    Without googling, can anyone guess where it is?


    Skeggy?
    Dammit. Right first time!

    No, only joking. Close tho
    SKEGGY ? !
    Montenegro.
    One of my local cycling clubs does a ride every year called "Everybody Rides To Skeggy".

    It's a 300km Audax round trip over a Saturday and Sunday in September.

    https://ridewithgps.com/routes/6831802?lang=en
    What a splendid route, passing only about 12 miles to the north of Algarkirk, and mile after mile of glorious Lincolnshire.
    I am told that cycling in Lincolnshire is like cycling in certain areas of the Netherlands. I have a 65 year old friend who does things like cycling from Mansfield to Lincoln on his Brompton, then getting the train back. I'm not up to that currently, but I'm working up to 20 miles out, and back, for lunch on a Saturday.

    People who haven't done it go - Flat ! Pah !.

    Then they are introduced to the wind...
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 8,676
    algarkirk said:

    Barnesian said:

    To those interested in the assisted dying debate Election Maps has an interesting analysis of mps voting intentions

    https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1860711024933953615?t=t_v9A2ZOhPb0d28jmlFCYA&s=19

    The projection suggests it is going to be close. Surprised at level of Labour MPs against.
    Yes - very depressing.
    Current projection For 296, Against 301.
    I have not followed it in detail but, if I have understood correctly, it fails to cover the most important and urgent cases - the small number where life is objectively and subjectively intolerable beyond measure but the circumstances are not terminal.

    I support the bill but only reluctantly. We need a better one, dealing with the most urgent cases, and where the SC has indicated that they sympathise but it is a matter for parliament.
    I agree the bill is far from perfect in its scope. But it is step in the right direction.
    Let not the perfect drive out the good.
  • YokesYokes Posts: 1,345
    All the talk of multi-flight long haul travel is giving me a headache. I used to have to fly to Washington 3-4 times a year and even though comparatively short, just used to be a right pain alongside other flights during the year. The worst though was Belfast-Heathrow-Heathrow-LA-LA-Auckland and Auckland to Christchurch. Longest stay was Heathrow for 4 hours. When I arrived in Auckland I found that the most important person at the airport was the woman who ran the the flower/nick nack shop who also sold access to shower cubicles and the necessary towels.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 12,857

    .

    Leon said:

    Yokes said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Apprently the way to reduce divorce is to have less lavish and expensive weddings based on a US study.
    'According to the data, women who spent more than $20,000 on their wedding were 1.6 times more likely to eventually divorce than women who spent between $5,000 and $10,000'

    The logic is apprently twofold, 1 Finances are prominent reason for divorce so starting off with a financial millstone of paying for the wedding and everything around it is not a good start and 2. its been theorised if you are that concerned about impressing everyone else with a lavish do maybe you havent quite got the focus on the relationship itself.


    This is absolutely true in my personal experience

    I've been to loads of insanely lavish weddings, and at least half (rough guess) have ended in divorce, often quite quickly

    Of all the lovely little weddings I've been to (small groups of family and friends) 90% of the marriages are still going strong
    My mate got married at Prestwold Hall in Leicestershire, with the bride's parents forking out the best part of 25 grand for the day. It was a lovely, lavish do, the poshest wedding I've been to. They were separated within 6 months, and she moved in with a Notts County reserve team player, 10 years younger than her. My mate ended up quitting the Fire Service and ended up living with a dancer in Thailand!
    You don't get luck like that twice in a lifetime.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 12,857
    MattW said:

    algarkirk said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    carnforth said:

    My photo today is on topic.



    A delightful Morrocan breakfast in a pension in the medina of Tangier. Delightful, except for the hard margerine. And not supermarket spread, but old fashioned cooking margerine.

    Of course, butter would be too expensive. But I left the marge.

    If we’re doing “beautiful breakfast photos” here’s one of my top five

    Without googling, can anyone guess where it is?


    Skeggy?
    Dammit. Right first time!

    No, only joking. Close tho
    SKEGGY ? !
    Montenegro.
    One of my local cycling clubs does a ride every year called "Everybody Rides To Skeggy".

    It's a 300km Audax round trip over a Saturday and Sunday in September.

    https://ridewithgps.com/routes/6831802?lang=en
    What a splendid route, passing only about 12 miles to the north of Algarkirk, and mile after mile of glorious Lincolnshire.
    I am told that cycling in Lincolnshire is like cycling in certain areas of the Netherlands. I have a 65 year old friend who does things like cycling from Mansfield to Lincoln on his Brompton, then getting the train back. I'm not up to that currently, but I'm working up to 20 miles out, and back, for lunch on a Saturday.

    People who haven't done it go - Flat ! Pah !.

    Then they are introduced to the wind...
    Bikers love Lincolnshire too. Extraordinary county, it's got absolutely everything but no-one else knows it's there.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 49,112
    rcs1000 said:

    On topic: spreadable butter is - of course - regular butter mixed with vegetable oil to ensure that it is soft at lower temperatures. And given that margarine is basically just vegetable oil, the correct answer is surely that most people prefer a mix of butter and margarine. (The ratio is typically about two parts butter to one part vegetable oils, if anyone cares.)

    I prefer proper butter and keep it outside the fridge in a butter dish.

    The hybrid spreads have too much water in them and make the toast soggy.
  • https://x.com/patrickruffini/status/1860704398789239131

    Voters under 30 are at 65% approval of the Trump transition

    Trump is transitioning? Blimey!
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 49,112
    Yokes said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Apprently the way to reduce divorce is to have less lavish and expensive weddings based on a US study.
    'According to the data, women who spent more than $20,000 on their wedding were 1.6 times more likely to eventually divorce than women who spent between $5,000 and $10,000'

    The logic is apprently twofold, 1 Finances are prominent reason for divorce so starting off with a financial millstone of paying for the wedding and everything around it is not a good start and 2. its been theorised if you are that concerned about impressing everyone else with a lavish do maybe you havent quite got the focus on the relationship itself.


    Yes, there are few too many Murial's Weddings out there where the whole point is the wedding not the marriage.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 72,172

    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
    We have over 60 years marriage and of course there were up and downs but we have never been closer and one thing that binds us together is a good sense of humour, and of course the family and our grandchildren

    I think marriage is a wonderful institution but there are times couples grow apart and they move on
    My imputation was more marriage is a useless institution when it is transient. There are people like you however the average marriage I believe lasts about 7 years. It is now merely a contract for most not a life long commitment. For those that marriage has worked I salute you but there are not many now and getting fewer
    I would say the polar opposite.

    That marriages survive only when they are fit for purpose is a good thing, not a bad one, and makes the surviving marriages more not less meaningful.

    Having healthy and happy marriages between equal partners is better than having people stuck in relationships with people they can't stand but for whom there is no choice but to remain with them.

    We've been married 11 years. We married because we love each other, we remain married as we still love each other. I have friends who got married and divorced in that time, I do not look down on them, if it doesn't work it doesn't work and there's no harm in trying again.
    Divorce rates have been falling, not increasing.
    It’s hard to find stats on the number of marriages which are lifelong, but I get the impression it’s quite high.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,082

    rcs1000 said:

    I'm about to get on a plane to Japan.

    This means you lot will get the pleasure of my constant posting for about the next six hours.

    Hopefully there will be decent internet.

    Are the films that bad in first class?
    Read Enders Game.

    We are a part of a Evul Plan.
  • FishingFishing Posts: 5,125
    Barnesian said:

    To those interested in the assisted dying debate Election Maps has an interesting analysis of mps voting intentions

    https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1860711024933953615?t=t_v9A2ZOhPb0d28jmlFCYA&s=19

    The projection suggests it is going to be close. Surprised at level of Labour MPs against.
    Yes - very depressing.
    Current projection For 296, Against 301.
    The close votes are the most dramatic and the most thrilling when you win though. I always remember Macaulay's description of the passing of the Great Reform Act in 1832. He was a remarkable writer and makes the vote almost as vivid as if I'd been there::

    Such a scene as the division of last Tuesday I never saw, and never expect to see again. If I should live fifty years, the impression of it will be as fresh and sharp in my mind as if it had just taken place. It was like seeing Caesar stabbed in the Senate House, or seeing Oliver taking the mace from the table; a sight to be seen only once, and never to be forgotten.

    The crowd overflowed the House in every part. When the strangers were cleared out, and the doors locked, we had six hundred and eight members present,—more by fifty-five than ever were in a division before. The Ayes and Noes were like two volleys of cannon from opposite sides of a field of battle. When the opposition went out into the lobby, an operation which took up twenty minutes or more, we spread ourselves over the benches on both sides of the House; for there were many of us who had not been able to find a seat during the evening.

    When the doors were shut we began to speculate on our numbers. Everybody was desponding. "We have lost it. We are only two hundred and eighty at most. I do not think we are two hundred and fifty. They are three hundred. Alderman Thompson has counted them. He says they are two hundred and ninety-nine." This was the talk on our benches. I wonder that men who have been long in Parliament do not acquire a better coup d'oeil for numbers. The House, when only the Ayes were in it, looked to me a very fair House,—much fuller than it generally is even on debates of considerable interest. I had no hope, however, of three hundred.

    As the tellers passed along our lowest row on the left hand side the interest was insupportable,
    —two hundred and ninety-one,
    —two hundred and ninety-two,
    —we were all standing up and stretching forward, telling with the tellers. At three hundred there was a short cry of joy,—at three hundred and two another,—suppressed however in a moment; for we did not yet know what the hostile force might be. We knew, however, that we could not be severely beaten.

  • Labour’s Charlie Falconer says vocal opponents are leading voters to think government is against change

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/nov/24/ministers-speaking-out-against-assisted-dying-false-impression-charlie-falconer

    Will he resign in protest?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 72,172
    rcs1000 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
    We have over 60 years marriage and of course there were up and downs but we have never been closer and one thing that binds us together is a good sense of humour, and of course the family and our grandchildren

    I think marriage is a wonderful institution but there are times couples grow apart and they move on
    My imputation was more marriage is a useless institution when it is transient. There are people like you however the average marriage I believe lasts about 7 years. It is now merely a contract for most not a life long commitment. For those that marriage has worked I salute you but there are not many now and getting fewer
    The recent evidence suggests that marriage survival rates are now improving.
    Nobody survives marriage.
    The widow/widower, generally.

    35 years, so far.
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 8,832

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    I actually agree on that. A well put together course that did encourage thinking about relationships a bit, rather than just "yay, we're getting married".

    I've mentioned before a lesbian acquaintance who left her (male) partner and came out more or less immediately after the course - they were on the same course as us. Unfortunately, they'd been unable to attend before their wedding and had been permitted to instead attend afterwards, which added divorce to the situation, something they might have avoided had they had the course before the marriage. All actually on good terms now and both hitched up with others so it didn't work out too badly.

    We have our tenth anniversary next year and I think we're starting to get the hang of marrriage now :wink:
  • CookieCookie Posts: 14,069
    ydoethur said:

    On topic:

    1) Cheapskates;

    2) People who are dieting.

    *opens fridge and looks mournfully at his not buttery spreads*

    Also

    3) The dairy intoletant

    4) The ease-of-spreading-it-straight-from the-fridge lobby.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 72,172
    Nigelb said:

    Stereodog said:

    My mother apologised to me for feeding us margarine as children, instead of butter. We even used to bake with it, which I consider unthinkable now.

    Truly the past is a foreign country.

    Its concerning how long the myth that butter is bad for you and margarine healthier for you persisted.

    Thankfully we know better now.

    Like the myths that fats are bad for you, or that vegetables are necessary, both of which some still persist with to this day.
    For some reason my mum still insists on baking with Stork even though she'd use butter for everything else.
    My mother uses a particular baking margarine for shortcrust pastry.
    Can’t recall the brand, but her pastry is awesome.
    Trex.
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 8,832

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    God is single!
    I was led to believe He was part of a throuple, unless I remember Sunday school wrong. Holy trinity, isn't it?
  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,879
    Nigelb said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
    We have over 60 years marriage and of course there were up and downs but we have never been closer and one thing that binds us together is a good sense of humour, and of course the family and our grandchildren

    I think marriage is a wonderful institution but there are times couples grow apart and they move on
    My imputation was more marriage is a useless institution when it is transient. There are people like you however the average marriage I believe lasts about 7 years. It is now merely a contract for most not a life long commitment. For those that marriage has worked I salute you but there are not many now and getting fewer
    I would say the polar opposite.

    That marriages survive only when they are fit for purpose is a good thing, not a bad one, and makes the surviving marriages more not less meaningful.

    Having healthy and happy marriages between equal partners is better than having people stuck in relationships with people they can't stand but for whom there is no choice but to remain with them.

    We've been married 11 years. We married because we love each other, we remain married as we still love each other. I have friends who got married and divorced in that time, I do not look down on them, if it doesn't work it doesn't work and there's no harm in trying again.
    Divorce rates have been falling, not increasing.
    It’s hard to find stats on the number of marriages which are lifelong, but I get the impression it’s quite high.
    I was going to say FOI (or ask) Buck House to find out how many congratulations the Monarch sends out for Diamond Anniversaries.

    But that's a different stat, and you have to ask to receive one:

    https://www.royal.uk/sites/default/files/media/wedding_form_with_faqs.pdf
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 72,172
    The incoherence of the Trump program in three polling answers.
    https://x.com/billscher/status/1860730626816589881
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,082
    Barnesian said:

    algarkirk said:

    Barnesian said:

    To those interested in the assisted dying debate Election Maps has an interesting analysis of mps voting intentions

    https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1860711024933953615?t=t_v9A2ZOhPb0d28jmlFCYA&s=19

    The projection suggests it is going to be close. Surprised at level of Labour MPs against.
    Yes - very depressing.
    Current projection For 296, Against 301.
    I have not followed it in detail but, if I have understood correctly, it fails to cover the most important and urgent cases - the small number where life is objectively and subjectively intolerable beyond measure but the circumstances are not terminal.

    I support the bill but only reluctantly. We need a better one, dealing with the most urgent cases, and where the SC has indicated that they sympathise but it is a matter for parliament.
    I agree the bill is far from perfect in its scope. But it is step in the right direction.
    Let not the perfect drive out the good.
    On the other hand we have been cursed with plenty ill thought out legislation.

    If the bill is narrowly defeated, this suggests a better one would pass.

    Parliament doing its job, for a change.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,330
    Foxy said:

    Yokes said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Apprently the way to reduce divorce is to have less lavish and expensive weddings based on a US study.
    'According to the data, women who spent more than $20,000 on their wedding were 1.6 times more likely to eventually divorce than women who spent between $5,000 and $10,000'

    The logic is apprently twofold, 1 Finances are prominent reason for divorce so starting off with a financial millstone of paying for the wedding and everything around it is not a good start and 2. its been theorised if you are that concerned about impressing everyone else with a lavish do maybe you havent quite got the focus on the relationship itself.


    Yes, there are few too many Murial's Weddings out there where the whole point is the wedding not the marriage.
    One of the nicest weddings I ever went to, the wedding dinner was BYOB and a big pot of lentil curry at the (student) couple's terrace house.

    They're still together almost half a centiry later.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,694
    MattW said:

    Nigelb said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
    We have over 60 years marriage and of course there were up and downs but we have never been closer and one thing that binds us together is a good sense of humour, and of course the family and our grandchildren

    I think marriage is a wonderful institution but there are times couples grow apart and they move on
    My imputation was more marriage is a useless institution when it is transient. There are people like you however the average marriage I believe lasts about 7 years. It is now merely a contract for most not a life long commitment. For those that marriage has worked I salute you but there are not many now and getting fewer
    I would say the polar opposite.

    That marriages survive only when they are fit for purpose is a good thing, not a bad one, and makes the surviving marriages more not less meaningful.

    Having healthy and happy marriages between equal partners is better than having people stuck in relationships with people they can't stand but for whom there is no choice but to remain with them.

    We've been married 11 years. We married because we love each other, we remain married as we still love each other. I have friends who got married and divorced in that time, I do not look down on them, if it doesn't work it doesn't work and there's no harm in trying again.
    Divorce rates have been falling, not increasing.
    It’s hard to find stats on the number of marriages which are lifelong, but I get the impression it’s quite high.
    I was going to say FOI (or ask) Buck House to find out how many congratulations the Monarch sends out for Diamond Anniversaries.

    But that's a different stat, and you have to ask to receive one:

    https://www.royal.uk/sites/default/files/media/wedding_form_with_faqs.pdf
    The postman was quite excited when he delivered ours.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,608
    Nigelb said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    We could reduce divorce rates by abolishing marriage its a pretty useless institution these days
    We have over 60 years marriage and of course there were up and downs but we have never been closer and one thing that binds us together is a good sense of humour, and of course the family and our grandchildren

    I think marriage is a wonderful institution but there are times couples grow apart and they move on
    My imputation was more marriage is a useless institution when it is transient. There are people like you however the average marriage I believe lasts about 7 years. It is now merely a contract for most not a life long commitment. For those that marriage has worked I salute you but there are not many now and getting fewer
    The recent evidence suggests that marriage survival rates are now improving.
    Nobody survives marriage.
    The widow/widower, generally.

    35 years, so far.
    That's a long time widowed.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,736
    Jonathan said:

    Yokes said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Apprently the way to reduce divorce is to have less lavish and expensive weddings based on a US study.
    'According to the data, women who spent more than $20,000 on their wedding were 1.6 times more likely to eventually divorce than women who spent between $5,000 and $10,000'

    The logic is apprently twofold, 1 Finances are prominent reason for divorce so starting off with a financial millstone of paying for the wedding and everything around it is not a good start and 2. its been theorised if you are that concerned about impressing everyone else with a lavish do maybe you havent quite got the focus on the relationship itself.


    I can believe that. Some people just want the party.
    Most memorable bits of my wedding were us sneaking off for a bonk between the wedding and the reception.

    Also the total love by guests for the pork dripping sarnies during the disco
  • I hear margarine is due to be outlawed by Starmer and co.

    It's the Assisted Frying Bill.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,807
    kle4 said:

    Nothing wrong with margerine.

    Margerine
    Foxy said:

    rcs1000 said:

    On topic: spreadable butter is - of course - regular butter mixed with vegetable oil to ensure that it is soft at lower temperatures. And given that margarine is basically just vegetable oil, the correct answer is surely that most people prefer a mix of butter and margarine. (The ratio is typically about two parts butter to one part vegetable oils, if anyone cares.)

    I prefer proper butter and keep it outside the fridge in a butter dish.

    The hybrid spreads have too much water in them and make the toast soggy.
    Foxy is talking all sorts of sense today.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 49,112
    edited November 24
    Carnyx said:

    Foxy said:

    Yokes said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Apprently the way to reduce divorce is to have less lavish and expensive weddings based on a US study.
    'According to the data, women who spent more than $20,000 on their wedding were 1.6 times more likely to eventually divorce than women who spent between $5,000 and $10,000'

    The logic is apprently twofold, 1 Finances are prominent reason for divorce so starting off with a financial millstone of paying for the wedding and everything around it is not a good start and 2. its been theorised if you are that concerned about impressing everyone else with a lavish do maybe you havent quite got the focus on the relationship itself.


    Yes, there are few too many Murial's Weddings out there where the whole point is the wedding not the marriage.
    One of the nicest weddings I ever went to, the wedding dinner was BYOB and a big pot of lentil curry at the (student) couple's terrace house.

    They're still together almost half a centiry later.
    One of the best that I went to was catered by her parents when we were students, and all the student friends camped in her parents garden, so it was like a festival morning the night after. It was a fairly unconventional open marriage with both of the couple bisexual and sometimes a throuple depending on whose lover was living in. It lasted about 20 years.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,736
    On topic I am now

    Mr no spread

    Mrs BJ is Mrs Flora
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,807
    Can people who are dying and in severe pain not just be given control of the pain medication switch, with a warnings not to risk going too high, along with a theatrical wink? If the pain gets too much, do what feels right. I know that's oversimplified but it seems more British than hospitals DISPENSING DEATH. I don't think we want doctors given the power to even suggest it to be honest.
  • YokesYokes Posts: 1,345
    There have been several bomb alert and other potentially terror related incidents around England in the last few days.

    Whos responsible?
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,668
    Yokes said:

    All the talk of multi-flight long haul travel is giving me a headache. I used to have to fly to Washington 3-4 times a year and even though comparatively short, just used to be a right pain alongside other flights during the year. The worst though was Belfast-Heathrow-Heathrow-LA-LA-Auckland and Auckland to Christchurch. Longest stay was Heathrow for 4 hours. When I arrived in Auckland I found that the most important person at the airport was the woman who ran the the flower/nick nack shop who also sold access to shower cubicles and the necessary towels.

    Is flying ever any fun anymore?

    I will go to great lengths to avoid it, now, preferring trains and boats, preferably where I don't have to transit central London.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,668

    Jonathan said:

    Yokes said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Apprently the way to reduce divorce is to have less lavish and expensive weddings based on a US study.
    'According to the data, women who spent more than $20,000 on their wedding were 1.6 times more likely to eventually divorce than women who spent between $5,000 and $10,000'

    The logic is apprently twofold, 1 Finances are prominent reason for divorce so starting off with a financial millstone of paying for the wedding and everything around it is not a good start and 2. its been theorised if you are that concerned about impressing everyone else with a lavish do maybe you havent quite got the focus on the relationship itself.


    I can believe that. Some people just want the party.
    Most memorable bits of my wedding were us sneaking off for a bonk between the wedding and the reception.

    Also the total love by guests for the pork dripping sarnies during the disco
    Stay classy, BJO!

    You didn't have Hugh Grant hiding in a wardrobe, did you?
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,807

    On topic I am now

    Mr no spread

    Mrs BJ is Mrs Flora

    Neither of those are a particularly healthy option in my honest opinion. Too much Omega 6 in Flora and other vegetable spreads has, in my opinion, an inflammatory effect. And no spread at all is fine, but soms butter in my opinion can help level out your post prandial glucose spike, so in moderation is more helpful than not.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 49,112

    Jonathan said:

    Yokes said:

    I do wish people would lay off @HYUFD and the abuse. Yes, he likes to post slightly dogmatic highly traditionalist High Tory views, and then stubbornly digs in when challenged, but that's no reason to be nasty.

    I'd say the best way to lower divorce rates would be more marriage courses and marriage counselling.

    Marriage is hard and we've had some tough moments. We still hark back to the all weekend marriage course the CofE ran for us before we got hitched in our local church, which we still find useful.

    Apprently the way to reduce divorce is to have less lavish and expensive weddings based on a US study.
    'According to the data, women who spent more than $20,000 on their wedding were 1.6 times more likely to eventually divorce than women who spent between $5,000 and $10,000'

    The logic is apprently twofold, 1 Finances are prominent reason for divorce so starting off with a financial millstone of paying for the wedding and everything around it is not a good start and 2. its been theorised if you are that concerned about impressing everyone else with a lavish do maybe you havent quite got the focus on the relationship itself.


    I can believe that. Some people just want the party.
    Most memorable bits of my wedding were us sneaking off for a bonk between the wedding and the reception.

    Also the total love by guests for the pork dripping sarnies during the disco
    At my brothers wedding the best man seduced the bridesmaid. Not that unusual, one might think, but the challenge was to convince her to do it up a tree on a branch overhanging a lake. He said it took him the best part of an hour to convince her.
  • Yokes said:

    There have been several bomb alert and other potentially terror related incidents around England in the last few days.

    Whos responsible?

    ????
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,608

    Can people who are dying and in severe pain not just be given control of the pain medication switch, with a warnings not to risk going too high, along with a theatrical wink? If the pain gets too much, do what feels right. I know that's oversimplified but it seems more British than hospitals DISPENSING DEATH. I don't think we want doctors given the power to even suggest it to be honest.

    If you get a chance, look at the Swiss system: it's not that different from what you described.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,895
    edited November 24
    I don't know if anyone shared the latest opinion poll for the Irish general election (coming up on Friday).
    FG 22%
    FF 20%
    SF 20%
    SDP 5%
    Aontú 5%
    Lab 4%
    Grn 3%
    PBP-S 2%
    Others/Independents 19%

    This is Fine Gael's equal worst score since June and Sinn Fein's best score since September.

    Has Mary-Lou got the big mo? Did Harris acting the rude berk in Kanturk scupper his re-election chances? Will Holly Cairns give birth before election day?

    I think I'd currently give FG-FF-Independent Ireland the edge on forming the next government. But there's a long way to go.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,709

    https://x.com/patrickruffini/status/1860704398789239131

    Voters under 30 are at 65% approval of the Trump transition

    Trump is transitioning? Blimey!
    He’s been coy about his desire for a gender assignment.

    But we all know it’s project 2025.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 49,112

    Yokes said:

    There have been several bomb alert and other potentially terror related incidents around England in the last few days.

    Whos responsible?

    Can I Put in a suggestion?
    You're not rushin' to conclusions?
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,668

    Can people who are dying and in severe pain not just be given control of the pain medication switch, with a warnings not to risk going too high, along with a theatrical wink? If the pain gets too much, do what feels right. I know that's oversimplified but it seems more British than hospitals DISPENSING DEATH. I don't think we want doctors given the power to even suggest it to be honest.

    Can we talk about shagging at weddings instead?

    Bit more fun.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,608

    Yokes said:

    All the talk of multi-flight long haul travel is giving me a headache. I used to have to fly to Washington 3-4 times a year and even though comparatively short, just used to be a right pain alongside other flights during the year. The worst though was Belfast-Heathrow-Heathrow-LA-LA-Auckland and Auckland to Christchurch. Longest stay was Heathrow for 4 hours. When I arrived in Auckland I found that the most important person at the airport was the woman who ran the the flower/nick nack shop who also sold access to shower cubicles and the necessary towels.

    Is flying ever any fun anymore?

    I will go to great lengths to avoid it, now, preferring trains and boats, preferably where I don't have to transit central London.
    I was taken for a ride in a jet trainer (L39 Albatross) by a crazy ex Hungarian air force pilot.

    That was certainly entertaining.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,709
    Yokes said:

    There have been several bomb alert and other potentially terror related incidents around England in the last few days.

    Whos responsible?

    For terror alerts? Usually the police.
  • Can people who are dying and in severe pain not just be given control of the pain medication switch, with a warnings not to risk going too high, along with a theatrical wink? If the pain gets too much, do what feels right. I know that's oversimplified but it seems more British than hospitals DISPENSING DEATH. I don't think we want doctors given the power to even suggest it to be honest.

    Can we talk about shagging at weddings instead?

    Bit more fun.
    "Unexpected item in shagging area."
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,736

    On topic I am now

    Mr no spread

    Mrs BJ is Mrs Flora

    Neither of those are a particularly healthy option in my honest opinion. Too much Omega 6 in Flora and other vegetable spreads has, in my opinion, an inflammatory effect. And no spread at all is fine, but soms butter in my opinion can help level out your post prandial glucose spike, so in moderation is more helpful than not.
    Really I am buying butter then in the online order I am currently half way through.

    My Cardiologist must hate me I have obeyed his no butter rule for about 6 years
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,668

    Can people who are dying and in severe pain not just be given control of the pain medication switch, with a warnings not to risk going too high, along with a theatrical wink? If the pain gets too much, do what feels right. I know that's oversimplified but it seems more British than hospitals DISPENSING DEATH. I don't think we want doctors given the power to even suggest it to be honest.

    Can we talk about shagging at weddings instead?

    Bit more fun.
    "Unexpected item in shagging area."
    Please. Never do it there, Sunil.

    Tip from a friend.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,608

    Yokes said:

    All the talk of multi-flight long haul travel is giving me a headache. I used to have to fly to Washington 3-4 times a year and even though comparatively short, just used to be a right pain alongside other flights during the year. The worst though was Belfast-Heathrow-Heathrow-LA-LA-Auckland and Auckland to Christchurch. Longest stay was Heathrow for 4 hours. When I arrived in Auckland I found that the most important person at the airport was the woman who ran the the flower/nick nack shop who also sold access to shower cubicles and the necessary towels.

    Is flying ever any fun anymore?

    I will go to great lengths to avoid it, now, preferring trains and boats, preferably where I don't have to transit central London.
    Not even the Elizabeth Line?

  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 49,112

    Can people who are dying and in severe pain not just be given control of the pain medication switch, with a warnings not to risk going too high, along with a theatrical wink? If the pain gets too much, do what feels right. I know that's oversimplified but it seems more British than hospitals DISPENSING DEATH. I don't think we want doctors given the power to even suggest it to be honest.

    It's a fairly normal approach in the UK to crank up pain medication if someone is dying in pain, even if it speeds the end. Similarly sedation for respiratory distress.

    This is done as symptom control rather than euthanasia, but I can see why some might think that distinction isn't really genuine.
This discussion has been closed.