I'm finding the cybertweet attitude to the EDL really quite fascinating - they are dismissed as stupid morons without a seconds thought as if that made what they feel immaterial.
Very silly. The same was said about the BNP and then UKIP - ignoring people because you don't like what they think is immensely arrogant and doomed to failure.
I don't get Islamist terrorists with degrees from Greenwich Uni beheading serving soldiers either - but I don't ignore their grievances or what they're saying about a wider feeling of alienation.
It is a very strange political body that wants to reach out and understand alienated Islamists committing atrocities, while dismissing alienated EDL supporters as having no legitimate grievances.
Sean Fear of this parish and Luton will be able to furnish us with the full SP but to my mind Luton is an odd place - leafy, pleasing and neighbourly in areas but also with a quiet menace about it.
The fnic communities are hugely diverse like many around the nation but I'd have to say the town has also attracted a small minority of radicals with highly vocal hatemongers among them that ensure an underlying tension in town is all too often prevalent.
I've walked through Luton and its environs on a fair few occasions (a branch of the Icknield Way passes nearby). It's obviously an ethnically diverse area and poor in places, but I sensed no problems, although the last time was six years ago.
However: one Saturday afternoon about eight years ago, I was walking to Luton station after a walk. It was a sunny day and the centre was bustling. As I passed under a rail bridge a fairly unkempt-looking woman asked me if I wanted a blow job. She was asian, petite, and looked really manky, if you pardon the expression.
I've walked all over the country and never once had a prostitute approach me like that. I had a rucksack on my back and was sweaty after my walk, so I guess she wasn't too picky. ;-)
And yes, I refused.
I actually found it quite unutterably sad.
Did she mistake you for another poster here ?
I doubt said poster would ever lower himself that much. :-)
I only exchanged a few words with her - little more than 'no thanks' - but could see that she was in a bad way. But just to be out there, on a sunny afternoon, waiting around/under a bridge whilst cars and shoppers passed; it's not a life.
Then there was the fact she was propositioning me: let's just say I was not at my tidiest or freshest. Utter desperation.
There's a whole side to many people's lives that I know little about, and am not sure I want to know. Just 20 to 30 seconds, the time it took me to walk past, and the memory has stuck with me ever since.
A perfectly reasonable response which marked him up several slots in my estimation. Absolutely no attempt to link it to any wider agenda. Some here could learn from it. It's not that other agendas are necessarily wrong, but that one case like this doesn't prove anything about anyone, and it's a mistake to try to fit everything that happens into evidence for one's wider opinions.
Out of interest Nick, do you oppose people bringing up the wider agenda of gun control when a school gets shot up in the US?
If you look further back in history it is interesting that some of the earliest leaders in the Irish independence movement were actually protestant - Michael Collins being a good example.
Not that it's hugely important but Michael Collins was not protestant. Where would pbc be without pedantry?
I'm not sure where it would be, but, in the spirit of your question, feel it incumbent upon me to point out that there would be strong arguments for a comma after the fifth word of your first sentence.
I make it 3 rain delays in the Ireland V Pakistan game so far. We're not doing too badly but may suffer from missing Mooney who is still suspended after a tweet about Margaret Thatcher that was judged to be in poor taste. Margaret Thatcher - still scr*wing the Irish over!
I'm finding the cybertweet attitude to the EDL really quite fascinating - they are dismissed as stupid morons without a seconds thought as if that made what they feel immaterial.
Very silly. The same was said about the BNP and then UKIP - ignoring people because you don't like what they think is immensely arrogant and doomed to failure.
I don't get Islamist terrorists with degrees from Greenwich Uni beheading serving soldiers either - but I don't ignore their grievances or what they're saying about a wider feeling of alienation.
It is a very strange political body that wants to reach out and understand alienated Islamists committing atrocities, while dismissing alienated EDL supporters as having no legitimate grievances.
I think they're more scared of Islamists and their hangers on, than EDLers and theirs - I think that's a mistake as we've seen. It's morphed into 16% of YouGovers for UKIP last night. That's consistently a lot more than the DPM's own party.
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
This is a madman - not a politically motivated killer who hung around for the Plod to make him a martyr. Why the distinction between the two eludes some stuns me.
"A psychotic bodybuilder obsessed with Batman's arch nemesis the Joker has admitted carrying out a terrifying unprovoked axe attack on a stranger in a public gym.
Former chef Dale Pipe asked 'Why so serious?' - the phrase uttered by Heath Ledger's character in The Dark Knight - immediately after attacking a fellow leisure centre user.
The deranged 20-year-old had armed himself with an axe as well as kitchen and craft knives, before targeting a 22-year-old man at Belle Vue Leisure Centre in Consett, County Durham, in January.
The victim, who was using a urinal when he was attacked, suffered 16 wounds to the head, neck and chest.
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
On the political implications, there's a lot of talk about the EDL around the place. I know it mostly hasn't been positive, but publicity is publicity.
One thing that has been helping UKIP lately has been that the BNP had eaten its own head and left the entire populist right to them. To his credit it's unlikely that Farage would be willing or able to do what it takes to keep this constituency happy, and politics abhors a vacuum so you'd think someone on the far right would be able to get their shit together and peel some of the BNP's old voters back from their temporary home with Farage and his party of bleeding-heart centrists.
However there aren't actually all that many on the genuine far right - those that might be considered the BNP core vote. The BNP upped their support in the middle of the last decade because they picked up a sizable (for an extremist party) protest vote using them as a vehicle of convenience to make a point about immigration at a time when many on the centre-left were still equating complaining about the scale and/or nature of immigration with racism. The immigration debate has moved on and so would those protest voters, even if the BNP itself hadn't imploded. As for the EDL, they're so far off the scale that even the BNP kept relations cool with them.
If you look further back in history it is interesting that some of the earliest leaders in the Irish independence movement were actually protestant - Michael Collins being a good example.
Not that it's hugely important but Michael Collins was not protestant. Where would pbc be without pedantry?
Oops - thanks for the correction (which I have also corrected in my original post). Although the point remains, that initially there were plenty in the Irish independence movement who were protestant and initially this was less about religio-cultural identity than independence pure and simple. De Valera created the model for a catholic dominated republic.
It would be interesting to speculate whether NI protestants would have been more willing to integrate with the rest of Ireland had the Collins model been adopted.
@MrJones RoidRage is a very strange thing - I've seen both men and women affected by it and its most peculiar re behaviour.
Roiders are just as much junkies as other addicts - they just see the outcomes as physical rather than psychological. The most extreme users are just wayyyyyyy out there.
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
Animals killing other animals is part and parcel of nature. Besides, the overall bird population of the country is not affected by cats. And even if that wasn't the case, cats bring more human happiness than birds do.
I wouldnt know how to find it but I as sure you were equally non commital /judgemental on the Brevik case with regard to any right wing groups
Yes, IIRC I was.
Twitter rumour that the woman on the diverted bus is an immigrant. French is the story, appears to have integrated so well she's thrown British understatement under the stereotype bus, might have a lie down
@MrJones RoidRage is a very strange thing - I've seen both men and women affected by it and its most peculiar re behaviour.
Roiders are just as much junkies as other addicts - they just see the outcomes as physical rather than psychological. The most extreme users are just wayyyyyyy out there.
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
Your DeValera V Collins - catholic theocracy V secular state theory is completely and utterly bogus.If anything the CnaG leadership was closer to the Catholic hierarchy. Most of the "Catholic" laws on social issues from divorce to contraception to abortion to censorship to homosexuality were on the statute book before Independence never mind before Fianna Fail coming to power (and, indeed, would probably prove more popular amongst northern protestants than southern catholics today). De Valera resisted huge pressure from the church to make Catholicism the state religion in his 1937 constitution.
I have less time for De Valera than most people but the idea that he scuppered a secular vision for Ireland with his personal Catholic tastes is made-up bunkum.
Well I note one glaring error in this piece of journalism, in that Field Marshall Harold Alexander never led the D Day landings; Montgomery did. So what else is fiction?
Boring old racist locals complaining about ghettoes contrasted with creditable comments from Muslim leaders that reflect well on them
Soldiers are often killed by drunken British people co religionists
Certainly a different take on things from most normal people
But this is The Guardian
Bet he doesnt respect the plucky pensioners who survived the Blitz with a shrug of their shoulders so much when he finds out how many of them are going to vote UKIP
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
Animals killing other animals is part and parcel of nature. Besides, the overall bird population of the country is not affected by cats. And even if that wasn't the case, cats bring more human happiness than birds do.
cats bring more human happiness than birds do
How do you measure that then? Are cats worldwide more popular? I guess you're skewing your sample towards the childless westerner.
I was talking about the UK. It is based on my experience of meeting and talking to people rather than spending all my time posting on one political blog.
What is your evidence that most cat owners are childless?
I posted earlier that one of the Woolwich attackers had lost a thumb when his gun recoiled - I assume its his dominant hand.
What a shame...
It is damn lucky his gun did recoil, had he already been shot at this point ? If he had the police may wish to review where they aimed for on a suspect - If its the chest then that is a larger area then the head so perhaps easier to hit, as I'd say the quickest way to disable a gunman is with a bullet between the eyes. If the advice is to shoot once to the body and hes got the shot off afterwards perhaps this should be amended to shoot till the suspect is on the floor no matter how many bullets this takes. The safety of the officer must be the only concern in situations such as this.
Our cat, Matty, died last week. I still get upset thinking about him. Rationally, I ought to be more upset by the murder yesterday - and I'm certainly more concerned about it - but it's not so personal. God knows what the poor soldier's family must be going through.
I posted earlier that one of the Woolwich attackers had lost a thumb when his gun recoiled - I assume its his dominant hand.
What a shame...
It is damn lucky his gun did recoil, had he already been shot at this point ? If he had the police may wish to review where they aimed for on a suspect - If its the chest then that is a larger area then the head so perhaps easier to hit, as I'd say the quickest way to disable a gunman is with a bullet between the eyes. If the advice is to shoot once to the body and hes got the shot off afterwards perhaps this should be amended to shoot till the suspect is on the floor no matter how many bullets this takes. The safety of the officer must be the only concern in situations such as this.
There's this scene in the movie "Copycat" where police officer Holly Hunter shoots a crim in the shoulder, apparently successfully disarming him after he tried to take her partner hostage in a police station. But while she's on the verge of being congratulated by her partner and other officers then the crim manages to re-take his weapon off the floor and shoots her partner dead. I always find that poignant.
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
Animals killing other animals is part and parcel of nature. Besides, the overall bird population of the country is not affected by cats. And even if that wasn't the case, cats bring more human happiness than birds do.
I've changed my mind on cats since I started knitting and trying to grow vegetables in the back garden. Having a cat that would try to sleep on my head during the night (thankfully he's with the Ex in Scotland now), or would wake me in the early hours so that I could watch her eat food that she still had in her bowl (I still feed her though), has not helped, but it's the knitting and the gardening that was the main thing.
I would never have seen so many amazing hawkmoths if she'd never brought them inside for me to see, though. Top cat!
I posted earlier that one of the Woolwich attackers had lost a thumb when his gun recoiled - I assume its his dominant hand.
What a shame...
It is damn lucky his gun did recoil, had he already been shot at this point ? If he had the police may wish to review where they aimed for on a suspect - If its the chest then that is a larger area then the head so perhaps easier to hit, as I'd say the quickest way to disable a gunman is with a bullet between the eyes. If the advice is to shoot once to the body and hes got the shot off afterwards perhaps this should be amended to shoot till the suspect is on the floor no matter how many bullets this takes. The safety of the officer must be the only concern in situations such as this.
There's this scene in the movie "Copycat" where police officer Holly Hunter shoots a crim in the shoulder, apparently successfully disarming him after he tried to take her partner hostage in a police station. But while she's on the verge of being congratulated by her partner and other officers then the crim manages to re-take his weapon off the floor and shoots her partner dead. I always find that poignant.
I wouldn't be in favour of officers shooting people on the floor, I think thats going beyond 'the rules' a tad, unless said victim is still somehow holding their weapon, then its probably legit.
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
Animals killing other animals is part and parcel of nature. Besides, the overall bird population of the country is not affected by cats. And even if that wasn't the case, cats bring more human happiness than birds do.
cats bring more human happiness than birds do
How do you measure that then? Are cats worldwide more popular? I guess you're skewing your sample towards the childless westerner.
I was talking about the UK. It is based on my experience of meeting and talking to people rather than spending all my time posting on one political blog.
What is your evidence that most cat owners are childless?
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
Animals killing other animals is part and parcel of nature. Besides, the overall bird population of the country is not affected by cats. And even if that wasn't the case, cats bring more human happiness than birds do.
cats bring more human happiness than birds do
How do you measure that then? Are cats worldwide more popular? I guess you're skewing your sample towards the childless westerner.
I was talking about the UK. It is based on my experience of meeting and talking to people rather than spending all my time posting on one political blog.
What is your evidence that most cat owners are childless?
Talking to our PAs. Ownership of VW Beetles, with the flower, is also likely.
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
Animals killing other animals is part and parcel of nature. Besides, the overall bird population of the country is not affected by cats. And even if that wasn't the case, cats bring more human happiness than birds do.
cats bring more human happiness than birds do
How do you measure that then? Are cats worldwide more popular? I guess you're skewing your sample towards the childless westerner.
I was talking about the UK. It is based on my experience of meeting and talking to people rather than spending all my time posting on one political blog.
What is your evidence that most cat owners are childless?
Who said "most" cat owners are childless?
But we know cat ownership is skewed towards countries with lower birthrates.
UK, China, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Russia all in the top vermin-owning and all with low birth rates
Do you consider falcons 'vermin', after all their diet is quite similiar to a cat. Or because they are reasonably low in number and not owned by 'childless couples' are they exempt ?
Your DeValera V Collins - catholic theocracy V secular state theory is completely and utterly bogus.If anything the CnaG leadership was closer to the Catholic hierarchy. Most of the "Catholic" laws on social issues from divorce to contraception to abortion to censorship to homosexuality were on the statute book before Independence never mind before Fianna Fail coming to power (and, indeed, would probably prove more popular amongst northern protestants than southern catholics today). De Valera resisted huge pressure from the church to make Catholicism the state religion in his 1937 constitution.
I have less time for De Valera than most people but the idea that he scuppered a secular vision for Ireland with his personal Catholic tastes is made-up bunkum.
I think you'll find Craig was the true secularist, he believed everyone should be treated the same as long as they were all Presbyterian.
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
Animals killing other animals is part and parcel of nature. Besides, the overall bird population of the country is not affected by cats. And even if that wasn't the case, cats bring more human happiness than birds do.
cats bring more human happiness than birds do
How do you measure that then? Are cats worldwide more popular? I guess you're skewing your sample towards the childless westerner.
I was talking about the UK. It is based on my experience of meeting and talking to people rather than spending all my time posting on one political blog.
What is your evidence that most cat owners are childless?
Who said "most" cat owners are childless?
But we know cat ownership is skewed towards countries with lower birthrates.
UK, China, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Russia all in the top vermin-owning and all with low birth rates
Instead of anodyne statements from the various Muslim leaders I would like to see some concrete action. Similar to the statements after the various convictions for child rape and abuse, hand wringing can only go so far.
If these people are so respected within their communities why can't they root out the minority of evil monsters and hand them over to the police.
Edit - an additional thought. If they're not part of the solution, they're part of the problem.
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
Animals killing other animals is part and parcel of nature. Besides, the overall bird population of the country is not affected by cats. And even if that wasn't the case, cats bring more human happiness than birds do.
cats bring more human happiness than birds do
How do you measure that then? Are cats worldwide more popular? I guess you're skewing your sample towards the childless westerner.
I was talking about the UK. It is based on my experience of meeting and talking to people rather than spending all my time posting on one political blog.
What is your evidence that most cat owners are childless?
Who said "most" cat owners are childless?
But we know cat ownership is skewed towards countries with lower birthrates.
UK, China, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Russia all in the top vermin-owning and all with low birth rates
Our cat, Matty, died last week. I still get upset thinking about him. Rationally, I ought to be more upset by the murder yesterday - and I'm certainly more concerned about it - but it's not so personal. God knows what the poor soldier's family must be going through.
RIP Matty - losing a family friend is always sad,no matter how many legs they have. Px
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
Animals killing other animals is part and parcel of nature. Besides, the overall bird population of the country is not affected by cats. And even if that wasn't the case, cats bring more human happiness than birds do.
cats bring more human happiness than birds do
How do you measure that then? Are cats worldwide more popular? I guess you're skewing your sample towards the childless westerner.
I was talking about the UK. It is based on my experience of meeting and talking to people rather than spending all my time posting on one political blog.
What is your evidence that most cat owners are childless?
Who said "most" cat owners are childless?
But we know cat ownership is skewed towards countries with lower birthrates.
UK, China, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Russia all in the top vermin-owning and all with low birth rates
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
Animals killing other animals is part and parcel of nature. Besides, the overall bird population of the country is not affected by cats. And even if that wasn't the case, cats bring more human happiness than birds do.
cats bring more human happiness than birds do
How do you measure that then? Are cats worldwide more popular? I guess you're skewing your sample towards the childless westerner.
I was talking about the UK. It is based on my experience of meeting and talking to people rather than spending all my time posting on one political blog.
What is your evidence that most cat owners are childless?
Who said "most" cat owners are childless?
But we know cat ownership is skewed towards countries with lower birthrates.
UK, China, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Russia all in the top vermin-owning and all with low birth rates
Do you consider falcons 'vermin', after all their diet is quite similiar to a cat. Or because they are reasonably low in number and not owned by 'childless couples' are they exempt ?
How often do falcons crap in your garden?
Less often than my indian runners. Changing the metrics for vermin since I came up with a decent counter-example are we now Tim ?
RT @davidjsadler Treasury raises extra £1.3 billion from income tax in first month of 45p rate - Telegraph fb.me/1J0VWqogj
Yeah, that'll be the amount relating to bonuses held over to April to benefit from the tax cut. Given that infinite deferral isn't really feasible but a year's deferral is quite easy, that's mostly money that would have been taxed at 50p over the next couple of years otherwise. So the accurate headline would be "Treasury raises £1.3 billion instead of £1.44 billion in tax on income deferred for one year as result of pre-announced cut in top rate to 45p".
(Actually the delta is larger because, all being equal, the tax on deferred amounts would be the £1.3bn plus the difference between other top rate income now taxed at 45p instead of 50p... but you get the idea).
Is it just me or has anyone else found the ads on this page have now changed from the usual promotion of some well-funded reactionary cause or other to ickle toothbrushes for cats?
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
This is a political betting site. Those that do not wish to consider the political betting implications of news stories should perhaps look elsewhere?
Whilst it is obvious that this will have political and therefore betting implications, I can still find Ashcroft's tweet distateful and opportunist.
quite what the fluck this has to do kittens i'm not sure. Speculation about political fortunes is one thing, but using murder to suggest a politician show leadership is distasteful. I simply called it out for what it was.
Is it just me or has anyone else found the ads on this page have now changed from the usual promotion of some well-funded reactionary cause or other to ickle toothbrushes for cats?
RT @davidjsadler Treasury raises extra £1.3 billion from income tax in first month of 45p rate - Telegraph fb.me/1J0VWqogj
Yeah, that'll be the amount relating to bonuses held over to April to benefit from the tax cut. Given that infinite deferral isn't really feasible but a year's deferral is quite easy, that's mostly money that would have been taxed at 50p over the next couple of years otherwise. So the accurate headline would be "Treasury raises £1.3 billion instead of £1.44 billion in tax on income deferred for one year as result of pre-announced cut in top rate to 45p".
(Actually the delta is larger because, all being equal, the tax on deferred amounts would be the £1.3bn plus the difference between other top rate income now taxed at 45p instead of 50p... but you get the idea).
Maybe. From what I saw (a lot) earlier today, the Treasury wasn't jumping around excitedly but in effect saying, it's good to see but let's wait and see over the rest of the year. I appreciate that sentiment doesn't fit in with what people want to hear but that would seem the pragmatic approach rather than rushing to judgement in any direction.
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
Animals killing other animals is part and parcel of nature. Besides, the overall bird population of the country is not affected by cats. And even if that wasn't the case, cats bring more human happiness than birds do.
cats bring more human happiness than birds do
How do you measure that then? Are cats worldwide more popular? I guess you're skewing your sample towards the childless westerner.
I was talking about the UK. It is based on my experience of meeting and talking to people rather than spending all my time posting on one political blog.
What is your evidence that most cat owners are childless?
Who said "most" cat owners are childless?
But we know cat ownership is skewed towards countries with lower birthrates.
UK, China, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Russia all in the top vermin-owning and all with low birth rates
Do you consider falcons 'vermin', after all their diet is quite similiar to a cat. Or because they are reasonably low in number and not owned by 'childless couples' are they exempt ?
Is it just me or has anyone else found the ads on this page have now changed from the usual promotion of some well-funded reactionary cause or other to ickle toothbrushes for cats?
Your DeValera V Collins - catholic theocracy V secular state theory is completely and utterly bogus.If anything the CnaG leadership was closer to the Catholic hierarchy. Most of the "Catholic" laws on social issues from divorce to contraception to abortion to censorship to homosexuality were on the statute book before Independence never mind before Fianna Fail coming to power (and, indeed, would probably prove more popular amongst northern protestants than southern catholics today). De Valera resisted huge pressure from the church to make Catholicism the state religion in his 1937 constitution.
I have less time for De Valera than most people but the idea that he scuppered a secular vision for Ireland with his personal Catholic tastes is made-up bunkum.
Well, that is a point of view, and ultimately it is rather difficult to know what would have happened were Collins not to have died.
However, I don't think you are right on detail regarding divorce. There was no constitutional ban on divorce in Ireland prior to independence, and there are examples of divorces in Ireland in the 60 or so years before independence. As far as I'm aware divorce was legal (albeit difficult if not impossible to obtain in practise) in independent Ireland until the new constitution was enacted by De Valera in 1937. Prior to that, there was no constitutional ban.
@tim is fighting the good fight on this issue. There is little doubt that an imported invasive species that destroys indigenous British wildlife ought to be classified as vermin and destroyed. Japanese knotweed is one such example, domestic cats are another.
I find the speculation about the political fortunes of Dave & the Tories as a result of this horrific murder distasteful.
You seem to have come to the wrong website. This one is about people's political fortunes. They're a good thing to think about if you're trying to understand what's going on in the world, and activities aren't suspended when there's a horrific murder, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
Animals killing other animals is part and parcel of nature. Besides, the overall bird population of the country is not affected by cats. And even if that wasn't the case, cats bring more human happiness than birds do.
cats bring more human happiness than birds do
How do you measure that then? Are cats worldwide more popular? I guess you're skewing your sample towards the childless westerner.
I was talking about the UK. It is based on my experience of meeting and talking to people rather than spending all my time posting on one political blog.
What is your evidence that most cat owners are childless?
Who said "most" cat owners are childless?
But we know cat ownership is skewed towards countries with lower birthrates.
UK, China, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Russia all in the top vermin-owning and all with low birth rates
Do you consider falcons 'vermin', after all their diet is quite similiar to a cat. Or because they are reasonably low in number and not owned by 'childless couples' are they exempt ?
How often do falcons crap in your garden?
I'm guessing that you don't get on very well with your neighbours, so it's probably human waste in your garden.
As I added to my comment below. The Muslim community leaders have to stop hand wringing and act. They need to root out these evil monsters in their communities and hand them over to the police.
If they're not part of the solution, they're part of the problem.
Pah! Who cares about cats! How to destroy the real vermin in gardens - slugs and snails (not to mention squirrels) - is far more important.
Keep ducks, but then the grass will be destroyed too Snails don't last long in my garden !
I knew a guy who used to tipex the date on the shell of snails before using a child's catapult to fire them off over his fence. He could then see how long they took to come back.
I see the two savages that carried out yesterday's attack are "recovering in hospital". I presume it's myself and other taxpayers that are paying for this?
Instead of anodyne statements from the various Muslim leaders I would like to see some concrete action. Similar to the statements after the various convictions for child rape and abuse, hand wringing can only go so far.
If these people are so respected within their communities why can't they root out the minority of evil monsters and hand them over to the police.
Edit - an additional thought. If they're not part of the solution, they're part of the problem.
It is noticeable that honour killings are of women who have boyfriends; not paedophile grooming men. We all have different conceptions of dishonour I suppose. Though going to the police would be far prefererable to vigilantism.
Pah! Who cares about cats! How to destroy the real vermin in gardens - slugs and snails (not to mention squirrels) - is far more important.
No need to destroy squirrels, just send them over to us. We feed them with enthusiasm - adorable creatures. Sometimes the birds steal the squirrel nuts, but fortunately the cats usually chase the birds away (they don't bother the squirrels). It's nice to see some snails around too.
I think we have different ideas on the ideal garden, eh?
I see the two savages that carried out yesterday's attack are "recovering in hospital". I presume it's myself and other taxpayers that are paying for this?
What would you like to happen? That suspects are allowed to bleed to death, or asked to produce evidence of ability to pay, or ...?
One could have a new oath for doctors who refused to treat patients who were accused of offences. One might call it the Hypocritic Oath.
Pah! Who cares about cats! How to destroy the real vermin in gardens - slugs and snails (not to mention squirrels) - is far more important.
No need to destroy squirrels, just send them over to us. We feed them with enthusiasm - adorable creatures. Sometimes the birds steal the squirrel nuts, but fortunately the cats usually chase the birds away (they don't bother the squirrels). It's nice to see some snails around too.
I think we have different ideas on the ideal garden, eh?
I have a garden full of tree rats, send me some traps and you can have them.
We had some robins nesting in our garage. Every time I went in there I could see beady eyes watching me over the rim of the nest. The chicks (three) are hatched now and I think the nest is deserted.
I wrote about this case yesterday but in the hullabaloo of muslim terrorism it was not remarked on.
How many of these bloody gangs are there? One thing for sure, there must have been massive blind eyeing by the authorities, including the police and local govenment.
I see the two savages that carried out yesterday's attack are "recovering in hospital". I presume it's myself and other taxpayers that are paying for this?
What would you like to happen? That suspects are allowed to bleed to death, or asked to produce evidence of ability to pay, or ...?
One could have a new oath for doctors who refused to treat patients who were accused of offences. One might call it the Hypocritic Oath.
They are clogging up a bed though Nick, tough time, austerity and all that. Hard choices..
I see the two savages that carried out yesterday's attack are "recovering in hospital". I presume it's myself and other taxpayers that are paying for this?
What would you like to happen? That suspects are allowed to bleed to death, or asked to produce evidence of ability to pay, or ...?
One could have a new oath for doctors who refused to treat patients who were accused of offences. One might call it the Hypocritic Oath.
They are clogging up a bed though Nick, tough time, austerity and all that. Hard choices..
If a choice had to be made, that wouldn't be a hard one.
I see the two savages that carried out yesterday's attack are "recovering in hospital". I presume it's myself and other taxpayers that are paying for this?
What would you like to happen? That suspects are allowed to bleed to death, or asked to produce evidence of ability to pay, or ...?
One could have a new oath for doctors who refused to treat patients who were accused of offences. One might call it the Hypocritic Oath.
So Nick, so you could act positively on this rather than making jokes, how about campaigning for Muslim leaders to take a more active role in identifying suspects within their communities and handing the information to the police.
Edit - You could use it as a campaign slogan if you're selected to stand for Broxtowe next time.
I see the two savages that carried out yesterday's attack are "recovering in hospital". I presume it's myself and other taxpayers that are paying for this?
What would you like to happen? That suspects are allowed to bleed to death, or asked to produce evidence of ability to pay, or ...?
One could have a new oath for doctors who refused to treat patients who were accused of offences. One might call it the Hypocritic Oath.
They are clogging up a bed though Nick, tough time, austerity and all that. Hard choices..
If it wasn't for the 2004 contract reforms, they'd have been dealt with cheaply and quickly by out-of-hours care operated by GPs [is this right?]
Pah! Who cares about cats! How to destroy the real vermin in gardens - slugs and snails (not to mention squirrels) - is far more important.
No need to destroy squirrels, just send them over to us. We feed them with enthusiasm - adorable creatures. Sometimes the birds steal the squirrel nuts, but fortunately the cats usually chase the birds away (they don't bother the squirrels). It's nice to see some snails around too.
I think we have different ideas on the ideal garden, eh?
Well indeed we do - but if you could see the profusion of tulips, wallflowers, anenomes and allium I have growing in my garden now (not to mention the gladioli beginning to develop) you would understand why I don't want bloody squirrels digging up and stealing all the bulbs.
Nothing good about snails: am more than happy to pick 'em up and post the whole damn lot to you!!
I wrote about this case yesterday but in the hullabaloo of muslim terrorism it was not remarked on.
How many of these bloody gangs are there? One thing for sure, there must have been massive blind eyeing by the authorities, including the police and local govenment.
It's good that people are finally getting to see the scale of what the political class was covering up.
edit: It was only a while ago they were collectively calling it "Rochdale" to try and pretend it was just in one place.
Just come across an interesting passage from Dan Brown's Inferno. ' Langdon recalled a recent Web-tracking study of students at some Ivy League universities which revealed that even highly intellectual users displayed an instinctual tendency towards denial. According to the study, the vast majority of university students, after clicking on a depressing news article about arctic ice melt or species extinction, would quickly exit that page in favor of something trivial that purged the mind of fear; favorite choices included sports highlights, funny cat videos, and celebrity gossip.' Seems that this thread bears it out.
'How many of these bloody gangs are there? One thing for sure, there must have been massive blind eyeing by the authorities, including the police and local govenment.'
Another week another town another grooming,clearly a cover up was preferable to upsetting ethnic minorities.
To be honest, I think - from what I have read in the past - that a lot of the radicalisation happens in some Islamic societies in universities and colleges with hate preachers invited to speak, segregation of men and women at talks and some pretty unpleasant anti-Semitism and the rest. There was a report on this not long ago (I seem to recall that UCL was one college which had quite a few of these problems) and the response of the university chancellors was a lofty turning of the blind eye.
So maybe we should asking some hard questions of our universities about what's going on within their communities. We all have a part to play in challenging the murderous Islamist ideology, wherever it manifests itself, not just Muslim leaders.
I see the two savages that carried out yesterday's attack are "recovering in hospital". I presume it's myself and other taxpayers that are paying for this?
What would you like to happen? That suspects are allowed to bleed to death, or asked to produce evidence of ability to pay, or ...?
One could have a new oath for doctors who refused to treat patients who were accused of offences. One might call it the Hypocritic Oath.
The best option would be to either requisition their assets, if they have any, or give them a debt that they need to work off in prison. Second option would be for them to rely on charity. Third option is for them to be left to God's will, which these sorts typically seem to be content with. I don't see why I should have to pay to fix the injuries incurred in the course of murder.
The Mirror reported recently there are at least 52 investigations into grooming gangs ongoing.
In fact there are plenty more because some police forces refused to disclose details of operations to journalists.
But before you get too angry, remember it was a muslim, the DPP in the North West, who first decided to prosecute these people.
The key problem is people in the media and political class whose *response* to crime is filtered by PC. Covering it up and beasting plod into ignorign it increases the number of people who get involved in the crime and that creates ten times more victims than there otherwise would have been.
I see the two savages that carried out yesterday's attack are "recovering in hospital". I presume it's myself and other taxpayers that are paying for this?
What would you like to happen? That suspects are allowed to bleed to death, or asked to produce evidence of ability to pay, or ...?
One could have a new oath for doctors who refused to treat patients who were accused of offences. One might call it the Hypocritic Oath.
So Nick, so you could act positively on this rather than making jokes, how about campaigning for Muslim leaders to take a more active role in identifying suspects within their communities and handing the information to the police.
Oh Blue_rog I don't think you'll get much change from Nick on this, good fellow though he is on other matters. His party, Labour, brought massive and uncontrolled immigration into this country as a deliberate policy to force multiculturalism onto the native population. There have been waves of immigration before in our history, but never on a scale promoted and let loose as by the Labour governments since 1997.
It's true that there were many muslims in this country before that date, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, etc, but before they were reinforced, so to speak, they were muted in their support of militant islam, although I do not doubt that it existed and in some quarters, passionately espoused.
We now have a situation of a state within a state and all that goes with that scenario.
– 33% claim that killing is justified if done to protect religion. – 40 percent support the introduction of sharia for British Muslims. – 33 percent support a worldwide Islamic caliphate based on sharia.
These results are from Muslims polled (16 – 24) for Policy Exchange: -37 percent of young British Muslims want Sharia law in Britain. -36 percent of young British Muslims think apostates should be killed. -13 percent of young British Muslims said they “admired” Al Qaeda.
Comments
I only exchanged a few words with her - little more than 'no thanks' - but could see that she was in a bad way. But just to be out there, on a sunny afternoon, waiting around/under a bridge whilst cars and shoppers passed; it's not a life.
Then there was the fact she was propositioning me: let's just say I was not at my tidiest or freshest. Utter desperation.
There's a whole side to many people's lives that I know little about, and am not sure I want to know. Just 20 to 30 seconds, the time it took me to walk past, and the memory has stuck with me ever since.
A guess is bad news in such an atmosphere. Facts must be king.
Here's an alternative site you may find more to your liking:
http://kittenwar.com/
PS. Please don't come back here until you've finished rating all the kittens.
http://kittenwar.com/c_images/2007/12/31/148485.1.jpg
And Stretch?
http://kittenwar.com/c_images/2005/04/30/663.jpg
Aww, come one, we know you love them really.
Edited to add:
Chuy? What about Chuy?
http://kittenwar.com/c_images/2012/11/01/212249.2.jpg
It would be interesting to speculate whether NI protestants would have been more willing to integrate with the rest of Ireland had the Collins model been adopted.
Roiders are just as much junkies as other addicts - they just see the outcomes as physical rather than psychological. The most extreme users are just wayyyyyyy out there.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Re KittenWars - awwwwwww... some people have no souls... Tinkerbelle is just purrfect.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2013/may/23/woolwich-attack-keeping-calm
What a shame...
Your DeValera V Collins - catholic theocracy V secular state theory is completely and utterly bogus.If anything the CnaG leadership was closer to the Catholic hierarchy. Most of the "Catholic" laws on social issues from divorce to contraception to abortion to censorship to homosexuality were on the statute book before Independence never mind before Fianna Fail coming to power (and, indeed, would probably prove more popular amongst northern protestants than southern catholics today). De Valera resisted huge pressure from the church to make Catholicism the state religion in his 1937 constitution.
I have less time for De Valera than most people but the idea that he scuppered a secular vision for Ireland with his personal Catholic tastes is made-up bunkum.
Philippa Thomas @PhilippaNews
"Part of the problem is that it's just Stone Age savagery" says Jack Straw on #WATO, asked about response to #Woolwich
Soldiers are often killed by drunken British people co religionists
Certainly a different take on things from most normal people
But this is The Guardian
Bet he doesnt respect the plucky pensioners who survived the Blitz with a shrug of their shoulders so much when he finds out how many of them are going to vote UKIP
What is your evidence that most cat owners are childless?
http://birdaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/47.jpg
I would never have seen so many amazing hawkmoths if she'd never brought them inside for me to see, though. Top cat!
Talking to our PAs. Ownership of VW Beetles, with the flower, is also likely.
That being a key skill for a cat.
RT @davidjsadler Treasury raises extra £1.3 billion from income tax in first month of 45p rate - Telegraph fb.me/1J0VWqogj
If these people are so respected within their communities why can't they root out the minority of evil monsters and hand them over to the police.
Edit - an additional thought. If they're not part of the solution, they're part of the problem.
Px
(Actually the delta is larger because, all being equal, the tax on deferred amounts would be the £1.3bn plus the difference between other top rate income now taxed at 45p instead of 50p... but you get the idea).
https://twitter.com/edmundedgar/status/337556067066187776/photo/1
Speculation about political fortunes is one thing, but using murder to suggest a politician show leadership is distasteful.
I simply called it out for what it was.
However, I don't think you are right on detail regarding divorce. There was no constitutional ban on divorce in Ireland prior to independence, and there are examples of divorces in Ireland in the 60 or so years before independence. As far as I'm aware divorce was legal (albeit difficult if not impossible to obtain in practise) in independent Ireland until the new constitution was enacted by De Valera in 1937. Prior to that, there was no constitutional ban.
The Irish Free State was heading for confessionalism regardless of whether Collins had survived.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-22626994
If they're not part of the solution, they're part of the problem.
I think we have different ideas on the ideal garden, eh?
One could have a new oath for doctors who refused to treat patients who were accused of offences. One might call it the Hypocritic Oath.
How many of these bloody gangs are there? One thing for sure, there must have been massive blind eyeing by the authorities, including the police and local govenment.
Also, I wonder what was the tax take in Jan - March 2013 relative to 2012 ?
Edit - You could use it as a campaign slogan if you're selected to stand for Broxtowe next time.
Nothing good about snails: am more than happy to pick 'em up and post the whole damn lot to you!!
edit: It was only a while ago they were collectively calling it "Rochdale" to try and pretend it was just in one place.
' Langdon recalled a recent Web-tracking study of students at some Ivy League universities which revealed that even highly intellectual users displayed an instinctual tendency towards denial. According to the study, the vast majority of university students, after clicking on a depressing news article about arctic ice melt or species extinction, would quickly exit that page in favor of something trivial that purged the mind of fear; favorite choices included sports highlights, funny cat videos, and celebrity gossip.'
Seems that this thread bears it out.
The Mirror reported recently there are at least 52 investigations into grooming gangs ongoing.
In fact there are plenty more because some police forces refused to disclose details of operations to journalists.
But before you get too angry, remember it was a muslim, the DPP in the North West, who first decided to prosecute these people.
'How many of these bloody gangs are there? One thing for sure, there must have been massive blind eyeing by the authorities, including the police and local govenment.'
Another week another town another grooming,clearly a cover up was preferable to upsetting ethnic minorities.
So maybe we should asking some hard questions of our universities about what's going on within their communities. We all have a part to play in challenging the murderous Islamist ideology, wherever it manifests itself, not just Muslim leaders.
It's true that there were many muslims in this country before that date, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, etc, but before they were reinforced, so to speak, they were muted in their support of militant islam, although I do not doubt that it existed and in some quarters, passionately espoused.
We now have a situation of a state within a state and all that goes with that scenario.
'If these people are so respected within their communities why can't they root out the minority of evil monsters and hand them over to the police.'
Maybe it's the size / scale of the problem.
Some polls.
'The extremist views of young Muslims in particular (aged 16-24)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/2461830/Killing-for-religion-is-justified-say-third-of-Muslim-students.html
These results are from a poll of Muslim students:
– 33% claim that killing is justified if done to protect religion.
– 40 percent support the introduction of sharia for British Muslims.
– 33 percent support a worldwide Islamic caliphate based on sharia.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1540895/Young-British-Muslims-getting-more-radical.html & http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-432075/Multiculturalism-drives-young-Muslims-shun-British-values.html
These results are from Muslims polled (16 – 24) for Policy Exchange:
-37 percent of young British Muslims want Sharia law in Britain.
-36 percent of young British Muslims think apostates should be killed.
-13 percent of young British Muslims said they “admired” Al Qaeda.