Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
Mortimer is a Brexiter, of course he's a psychopath!
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
Mortimer is a Brexiter, of course he's a psychopath!
Does Mortimer keep himself to himself? If so, we should be worried.
I am on about the fact that you (seem to be) bemoaning the change in the EU from common market to ever closer union and that that was never mooted in 1975 so somehow we have been sold a pup or we ignored the warnings. Whereas the EU has changed and at each stage of change, the UK has agreed to change with it.
Sort of. The UK government has agreed to the changes but the UK voters didn't.
The UK voters were promised in 2005 a vote on the upcoming EU Constitution. French, Dutch and other voters were given a vote on the EU Consitution and rejected it.
In response the EU Constitution was repackaged as the Lisbon Treaty and ratified. The UK government, like the French and Dutch governments never gave the voters the promised vote on it.
The public never endorsed the government's choice to ratify the Treaty. In fact at the following election the UK voters ejected the government that had ratified the treaty and the rest as they say is history.
It's worth noting that not just the British voters have rejected the EU as it is now. The Irish repeatedly have rejected the changes, albeit accepting it after being asked to vote again. The French and Dutch have also rejected it, but were never even given another chance to vote again in case they gave the "wrong answer" again.
It's only in the UK where apparently no means no to Europe. Quite refreshing.
Apparently the Westminster terrorist was a decent enough bloke at school, got into petty crime, was jailed after a fight in a pub then subsequently radicalised in prison.
People will shoot the messenger ,Tommy Robinson, but it is the Huffington Post, so that may dilute the bias.. he seems to talk a lot of sense on this issue, I saw him interviewed by Matt Forde a couple of years ago. Maybe when it has got properly out of hand, and an establishment figure notices, something will be done
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
In the reinsurance industry, we refer to this as a "tail event".
Were you an adult in 1975? Did you have an interest in politics? I was, and one of the main complaints of my demographic was that the preamble to the Treaty of Rome was never mentioned in 1975.
You seemed to have unearthed a reference to it in an hour and half debate on a Saturday night. What were viewing figures? Did you watch the whole 90 minutes?
I don't remember watching it, and from my memory I know no one who did. I was 25 and didn't get married until later that year. OK, that's an anecdote, but it was still news to me when we voted last year. Even though, I'm more politically involved than most.
It was never an issue in the intervening years - and I attended Euro meetings in Brussels.
Dr Palmer believes it was mentioned, but he's hardly the average member of the public.
I was 15 ish and not overly interested in politics. My recollection is that everyone thought it was about a common market, not abour political union. I think that view is quite strongly borne out by the wording of the question, "Do you think the UK should stay in the European Community (Common Market)?" The gloss in brackets was necessary because that was what everyone called it.
It is of course possible that we were warned about Ever Closer Union and just ignored it, like smokers with the warnings on fag packets.
You're missing the point. Successive democratically-elected governments (ie the ones you supported, or not) agreed to all the measures that you say are now so profoundly undemocratic.
I don't say any such thing, wtf are you on about? If I thought the EU was that profoundly undemocratic I would not have voted to stay in it.
I am on about the fact that you (seem to be) bemoaning the change in the EU from common market to ever closer union and that that was never mooted in 1975 so somehow we have been sold a pup or we ignored the warnings. Whereas the EU has changed and at each stage of change, the UK has agreed to change with it.
Naah, just contributing to the sum of human knowledge my recollection of what i thought other people thought they were voting about.
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
At the risk of incurring Mike "Jehovah" Smithson's wrath, surely an exchange of emails would have sufficiently reassured OGH. I can see that Mortimer was a little presumptuous, but banning does seem quite.... Old Testamental.
But there we are. It's best I shut up. I gotta go do a weekend of solo parenting anyhow.
Later.
I specifically and directly asked Mike if he was coming along, and tagged him in a post so he would see it, along with Fat Steve, as I felt they might feel left out.
Jesus, a few people said shall we have a drink to celebrate A50, all Mortimer did was take the bull by the horns and reserve a space in a pub! Yourself, Sean Fear and me all suggested places, @TheScreamingEagles said he wanted to come, it was hardly undercover! There but for the grace of God!
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
Pretty brutal way of cutting down the PBLeavers quota!
I am on about the fact that you (seem to be) bemoaning the change in the EU from common market to ever closer union and that that was never mooted in 1975 so somehow we have been sold a pup or we ignored the warnings. Whereas the EU has changed and at each stage of change, the UK has agreed to change with it.
Sort of. The UK government has agreed to the changes but the UK voters didn't.
The UK voters were promised in 2005 a vote on the upcoming EU Constitution. French, Dutch and other voters were given a vote on the EU Consitution and rejected it.
In response the EU Constitution was repackaged as the Lisbon Treaty and ratified. The UK government, like the French and Dutch governments never gave the voters the promised vote on it.
The public never endorsed the government's choice to ratify the Treaty. In fact at the following election the UK voters ejected the government that had ratified the treaty and the rest as they say is history.
It's worth noting that not just the British voters have rejected the EU as it is now. The Irish repeatedly have rejected the changes, albeit accepting it after being asked to vote again. The French and Dutch have also rejected it, but were never even given another chance to vote again in case they gave the "wrong answer" again.
It's only in the UK where apparently no means no to Europe. Quite refreshing.
I think we are all on a slippery slope if we can take the line: "The UK government has agreed to [whatever you dislike] but the UK voters haven't."
"Masood, may have eventually snapped because of racism in his village leading him to slash the face of a cafe owner. It is thought he may have then been radicalised while in jail, eventually leading to his involvement in terrorism. "
I'm not sure if there is a strict definition/agreed set of criteria for what determines a demos. I suppose it would be a shared sense of history, commonly accepted geographic boundaries, clear government structure, etc.
I think it's also reasonable to point out that there are quite a few countries today that probably don't have coherent demos - Belgium being the most obvious example.
And there were many countries that did not have coherent demos when they were formed, and it only developed over time. I think the US would be one example of that, as was the United Kingdom itself.
Many states without coherent demos lasted some time before breaking up: Yugoslavia or the Austro-Hungarian Empire for example.
Strictly speaking, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn't a unitary state - it was a collection of assets owned by one family
Strictly strictly speaking, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn't a unitary state - it was a collection of assets administered by one family
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
I've met @Mortimer and I don't believe he's capable of carving up anyone with a machete...
Were you an adult in 1975? Did you have an interest in politics? I was, and one of the main complaints of my demographic was that the preamble to the Treaty of Rome was never mentioned in 1975.
You seemed to have unearthed a reference to it in an hour and half debate on a Saturday night. What were viewing figures? Did you watch the whole 90 minutes?
I don't remember watching it, and from my memory I know no one who did. I was 25 and didn't get married until later that year. OK, that's an anecdote, but it was still news to me when we voted last year. Even though, I'm more politically involved than most.
It was never an issue in the intervening years - and I attended Euro meetings in Brussels.
Dr Palmer believes it was mentioned, but he's hardly the average member of the public.
I was 15 ish and not overly interested in politics. My recollection is that everyone thought it was about a common market, not abour political union. I think that view is quite strongly borne out by the wording of the question, "Do you think the UK should stay in the European Community (Common Market)?" The gloss in brackets was necessary because that was what everyone called it.
It is of course possible that we were warned about Ever Closer Union and just ignored it, like smokers with the warnings on fag packets.
You're missing the point. Successive democratically-elected governments (ie the ones you supported, or not) agreed to all the measures that you say are now so profoundly undemocratic.
I don't say any such thing, wtf are you on about? If I thought the EU was that profoundly undemocratic I would not have voted to stay in it.
I am on about the fact that you (seem to be) bemoaning the change in the EU from common market to ever closer union and that that was never mooted in 1975 so somehow we have been sold a pup or we ignored the warnings. Whereas the EU has changed and at each stage of change, the UK has agreed to change with it.
Naah, just contributing to the sum of human knowledge my recollection of what i thought other people thought they were voting about.
BBC Parliament re showed that program last year. It was really interesting in contrasting it to the vacuous waffle of modern politicos.
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
I've met @Mortimer and I don't believe he's capable of carving up anyone with a machete...
I hope this meeting Mr Charles, was sanctioned by the management….!
I'm not sure if there is a strict definition/agreed set of criteria for what determines a demos. I suppose it would be a shared sense of history, commonly accepted geographic boundaries, clear government structure, etc.
I think it's also reasonable to point out that there are quite a few countries today that probably don't have coherent demos - Belgium being the most obvious example.
And there were many countries that did not have coherent demos when they were formed, and it only developed over time. I think the US would be one example of that, as was the United Kingdom itself.
Many states without coherent demos lasted some time before breaking up: Yugoslavia or the Austro-Hungarian Empire for example.
Strictly speaking, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn't a unitary state - it was a collection of assets owned by one family
Strictly strictly speaking, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn't a unitary state - it was a collection of assets administered by one family
Is that a bit like the difference between a fund manager and a wealthy man?
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
I've met @Mortimer and I don't believe he's capable of carving up anyone with a machete...
I hope this meeting Mr Charles, was sanctioned by the management….!
He attended a book fair held in my office... Purely coincidental.
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
I've met @Mortimer and I don't believe he's capable of carving up anyone with a machete...
I hope this meeting Mr Charles, was sanctioned by the management….!
He attended a book fair held in my office... Purely coincidental.
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
lol, I'm not sure it's fair to pick out @mortimer. He's (presumably) no more likely to be a nutter than any other PB poster.
But anyway (and this is quite grim) - I wonder what the crime statistics are for something like that happening? ie, randomly meeting up with someone from the internet and something very bad happening?
1%? 0.1% 0.001%?
You're probably a fair bit safer if *you* persuade other people to meet up, rather than allowing them to persuade you.
But there we are. It's best I shut up. I gotta go do a weekend of solo parenting anyhow.
Later.
I think we had enough about your new girlfriend on here yesterday...
Very good, very good
Actually if anyone has any bright idea, for things to do with my smart, but very easily bored ten year old daughter, do please let me know. Bit desperate.
It's meant to be a sunny weekend. Where do ten year old kids like to go in the sun, near London?
But there we are. It's best I shut up. I gotta go do a weekend of solo parenting anyhow.
Later.
I think we had enough about your new girlfriend on here yesterday...
Very good, very good
Actually if anyone has any bright idea, for things to do with my smart, but very easily bored ten year old daughter, do please let me know. Bit desperate.
It's meant to be a sunny weekend. Where do ten year old kids like to go in the sun, near London?
Were you an adult in 1975? Did you have an interest in politics? I was, and one of the main complaints of my demographic was that the preamble to the Treaty of Rome was never mentioned in 1975.
You seemed to have unearthed a reference to it in an hour and half debate on a Saturday night. What were viewing figures? Did you watch the whole 90 minutes?
I don't remember watching it, and from my memory I know no one who did. I was 25 and didn't get married until later that year. OK, that's an anecdote, but it was still news to me when we voted last year. Even though, I'm more politically involved than most.
It was never an issue in the intervening years - and I attended Euro meetings in Brussels.
Dr Palmer believes it was mentioned, but he's hardly the average member of the public.
I was 15 ish and not overly interested in politics. My recollection is that everyone thought it was about a common market, not abour political union. I think that view is quite strongly borne out by the wording of the question, "Do you think the UK should stay in the European Community (Common Market)?" The gloss in brackets was necessary because that was what everyone called it.
It is of course possible that we were warned about Ever Closer Union and just ignored it, like smokers with the warnings on fag packets.
You're missing the point. Successive democratically-elected governments (ie the ones you supported, or not) agreed to all the measures that you say are now so profoundly undemocratic.
I don't say any such thing, wtf are you on about? If I thought the EU was that profoundly undemocratic I would not have voted to stay in it.
I am on about the fact that you (seem to be) bemoaning the change in the EU from common market to ever closer union and that that was never mooted in 1975 so somehow we have been sold a pup or we ignored the warnings. Whereas the EU has changed and at each stage of change, the UK has agreed to change with it.
Naah, just contributing to the sum of human knowledge my recollection of what i thought other people thought they were voting about.
And I'm not disputing that. I am also, however, saying that successive governments have agreed to the various changes that the EU has mooted.
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
lol, I'm not sure that's fair to pick out mortimer. He's (presumably) no more likely to be a nutter than any other PB poster.
But anyway (and this is quite grim) - I wonder what the crime statistics are for something like that happening? ie, randomly meeting up with someone from the internet and something very bad happening?
1%? 0.1% 0.001%?
You're probably a fair bit safer if *you* persuade other people to meet up, rather than allowing them to persuade you.
Still, the stuff of nightmares.
The safest place to meet is somewhere public. A poncy sounding wine bar near Holborn should fit the bill ok.
But there we are. It's best I shut up. I gotta go do a weekend of solo parenting anyhow.
Later.
I think we had enough about your new girlfriend on here yesterday...
Very good, very good
Actually if anyone has any bright idea, for things to do with my smart, but very easily bored ten year old daughter, do please let me know. Bit desperate.
It's meant to be a sunny weekend. Where do ten year old kids like to go in the sun, near London?
Whipsnade Zoo? Woburn Centerparcs? You need a wad for that though... oh hang on.
But there we are. It's best I shut up. I gotta go do a weekend of solo parenting anyhow.
Later.
I think we had enough about your new girlfriend on here yesterday...
Very good, very good
Actually if anyone has any bright idea, for things to do with my smart, but very easily bored ten year old daughter, do please let me know. Bit desperate.
It's meant to be a sunny weekend. Where do ten year old kids like to go in the sun, near London?
Paintballing. My kids used to love it, and in the current climate, probably handy to learn a few special forces moves! We still go once a year or so as a father/son thing.
But there we are. It's best I shut up. I gotta go do a weekend of solo parenting anyhow.
Later.
I think we had enough about your new girlfriend on here yesterday...
Very good, very good
Actually if anyone has any bright idea, for things to do with my smart, but very easily bored ten year old daughter, do please let me know. Bit desperate.
It's meant to be a sunny weekend. Where do ten year old kids like to go in the sun, near London?
Took my 12 year old to the Shrek adventure thing just by Westminster Bridge recently - she loved it. London Eye. Lunch at Wagamama. South Bank's a fairly easy way to amuse for an afternoon. (you could go and look at the tribute flowers on the bridge and around parliament too if she is at all curious / grown up for a 10 year old)
But there we are. It's best I shut up. I gotta go do a weekend of solo parenting anyhow.
Later.
I think we had enough about your new girlfriend on here yesterday...
Very good, very good
Actually if anyone has any bright idea, for things to do with my smart, but very easily bored ten year old daughter, do please let me know. Bit desperate.
It's meant to be a sunny weekend. Where do ten year old kids like to go in the sun, near London?
Paintballing. My kids used to love it, and in the current climate, probably handy to learn a few special forces moves! We still go once a year or so as a father/son thing.
I was reading on Quora about someone who had been paintballing in Kuwait when there was a bunch of US special forces playing.
Their advice was don't ever try. You don't stand a snowballs chance in hell.
But there we are. It's best I shut up. I gotta go do a weekend of solo parenting anyhow.
Later.
I think we had enough about your new girlfriend on here yesterday...
Very good, very good
Actually if anyone has any bright idea, for things to do with my smart, but very easily bored ten year old daughter, do please let me know. Bit desperate.
It's meant to be a sunny weekend. Where do ten year old kids like to go in the sun, near London?
Paintballing. My kids used to love it, and in the current climate, probably handy to learn a few special forces moves! We still go once a year or so as a father/son thing.
I was reading on Quora about someone who had been paintballing in Kuwait when there was a bunch of US special forces playing.
Their advice was don't ever try. You don't stand an snowballs chance in hell.
We did go once with my mate who was an armed response copper. He bought his mates. The battle did not turn out to our advantage.
But there we are. It's best I shut up. I gotta go do a weekend of solo parenting anyhow.
Later.
I think we had enough about your new girlfriend on here yesterday...
Very good, very good
Actually if anyone has any bright ideas, for things to do with my smart, but very easily bored ten year old daughter, do please let me know. Bit desperate.
It's meant to be a sunny weekend. Where do ten year old kids like to go in the sun, near London?
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
I've met @Mortimer and I don't believe he's capable of carving up anyone with a machete...
Indeed he's an amateur in such matters ....
On the other hand other PBers of a more mature vintage ....
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
I've met @Mortimer and I don't believe he's capable of carving up anyone with a machete...
Indeed he's an amateur in such matters ....
On the other hand other PBers of a more mature vintage ....
Ta for all the ideas. Sincerely appreciated. Trouble is she's done nearly all of them already. Several times. Eek.
For creative outlet, probably breaking every god-awful health and safety regulation, you can't beat a workshop well equipped with tools and bench space, with a stock pieces of wood, metal, nuts & bolts, nails, screws, glues, pens, pencils, paint, and general junk and other odds and sods. Sewing machine and material too. Such a space costs money of course. Ideally it should occupy a largish room, or even a basement I suppose.
But there we are. It's best I shut up. I gotta go do a weekend of solo parenting anyhow.
Later.
I think we had enough about your new girlfriend on here yesterday...
Very good, very good
Actually if anyone has any bright idea, for things to do with my smart, but very easily bored ten year old daughter, do please let me know. Bit desperate.
It's meant to be a sunny weekend. Where do ten year old kids like to go in the sun, near London?
Paintballing. My kids used to love it, and in the current climate, probably handy to learn a few special forces moves! We still go once a year or so as a father/son thing.
I was reading on Quora about someone who had been paintballing in Kuwait when there was a bunch of US special forces playing.
Their advice was don't ever try. You don't stand a snowballs chance in hell.
I took my Company before we deployed once. It was quite amusing when the paintball employees began to give advice on tactics, whereupon my company sergeant major gave him "the look" and he shut up.
But there we are. It's best I shut up. I gotta go do a weekend of solo parenting anyhow.
Later.
I think we had enough about your new girlfriend on here yesterday...
Very good, very good
Actually if anyone has any bright ideas, for things to do with my smart, but very easily bored ten year old daughter, do please let me know. Bit desperate.
It's meant to be a sunny weekend. Where do ten year old kids like to go in the sun, near London?
Thinking what my Kent-based 11-year-old might like:
Bit of a trek, but Hurstmonceux science centre? My daughter always enjoys it there. Not outdoors, but new Beauty and the Beast film? Leeds Castle, Hever Castle, Bodiam Castle, Rochester Castle. Howletts zoo or Porte Lympne. Or Wildwood near Herne bay for British wildlife. My daughters also enjoyed a fossil hunting walk in Hastings, but there doesn't seem to be one on this weekend. http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/fossil_hunting_trips.htm Then there's Dreamland in Margate, but you would have to check if it is open. Margate also has the Turner gallery which is small enough to see the whole lot before boredom sets in.
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
lol, I'm not sure it's fair to pick out @mortimer. He's (presumably) no more likely to be a nutter than any other PB poster.
But anyway (and this is quite grim) - I wonder what the crime statistics are for something like that happening? ie, randomly meeting up with someone from the internet and something very bad happening?
1%? 0.1% 0.001%?
You're probably a fair bit safer if *you* persuade other people to meet up, rather than allowing them to persuade you.
Still, the stuff of nightmares.
I think I am prepared to risk it. in a public location with many others coming.
But considering the back drop, I'm wondering what is the correct eticut is with Mr Smithson? This is his web site, and he has a perfectly legitimate right to ban anybody at any time he fells like it. I may be surprised, by his actions on this occasion, but then there may be more, that I do not know about.
Has anybody asked him if he minds others going to this event? now that it is arranged.
But there we are. It's best I shut up. I gotta go do a weekend of solo parenting anyhow.
Later.
I think we had enough on here yesterday...
Paintballing. My kids used to love it, and in the current climate, probably handy to learn a few special forces moves! We still go once a year or so as a father/son thing.
I was reading on Quora about someone who had been paintballing in Kuwait when there was a bunch of US special forces playing.
Their advice was don't ever try. You don't stand a snowballs chance in hell.
I took my Company before we deployed once. It was quite amusing when the paintball employees began to give advice on tactics, whereupon my company sergeant major gave him "the look" and he shut up.
Found the thing I read. It was Dubai not Kuwait
"In December 2003 I was in Dubai with my family, visiting my uncle who was working for a large freight forwarding company (we're from the west coast of Scotland). Looking for things to do we were recommended to a local paintball facility by another ex-pat. It was a charming but shoddy outfit, obviously hastily put together by some local entrepreneurs cashing in on Dubai's influx of immigrants and tourists.
There was myself (20), my brother (15), my brother (12), my cousin (15), and my uncle. Given that collectively we didn't constitute a full team, the person who took our booking asked if we would mind playing mixed teams with another group that was coming in that morning. No problem, we said. That sounds fun, we said.
Dubai at that time was being used as a major strategic port by the US Navy. So when we turned up the next morning and found out that it was us - thin, pale Scots with a total of zero fighting experience beyond the playground/pub - playing 'mixed' teams against the US Navy SEALS we were apprehensive. We doubled up on the jumpsuits and tried to ingratiate ourselves to our American cousins in the locker room cum shipping container. I suppose the real alarm bells should have sounded when the SEAL guys strolled out into the arena in their white VESTS and in SHORTS, SHOOTING EACH OTHER IN THE ARMS WITH PAINTBALLS, LAUGHING.
Needless to say within one minute of the whistle being blown to start the game my family and I were pinned behind a packing crate construct, trying to crawl behind one another, trying to use each other as human shields. My youngest brother had thrown his gun down and was crying on the floor. My uncle was using his son as a human shield. I was using my crying, distraught little brother as a human shield.
To answer the question then: It is terrifying, and it will haunt you."
Was Mortimer really red carded for organising a shindig?!
The follicly challenged overlord stroked his cat then smote him. Banished for presuming.
To be honest Mike does have a point. What would happen if Mortimer was a psychopath who, having lured various PBers to this place, proceeded to carve them up with a machete? Mike would certainly be investigated as some kind of accomplice.
lol, I'm not sure it's fair to pick out @mortimer. He's (presumably) no more likely to be a nutter than any other PB poster.
But anyway (and this is quite grim) - I wonder what the crime statistics are for something like that happening? ie, randomly meeting up with someone from the internet and something very bad happening?
1%? 0.1% 0.001%?
You're probably a fair bit safer if *you* persuade other people to meet up, rather than allowing them to persuade you.
Still, the stuff of nightmares.
I think I am prepared to risk it. in a public location with many others coming.
But considering the back drop, I'm wondering what is the correct eticut is with Mr Smithson? This is his web site, and he has a perfectly legitimate right to ban anybody at any time he fells like it. I may be surprised, by his actions on this occasion, but then there may be more, that I do not know about.
Has anybody asked him if he minds others going to this event? now that it is arranged.
May be we should all send him emails asking permission.
Although, I think it's reasonable to assume that a Liberal would believe in allowing consenting adults to do whatever they like in their own time
" The points spread market suggestions will come just as soon as the market itself springs into life."
I'll look forward to that Morris - I'm assuming you have a particular bee in your bonnet (or whatever it is that Morris Dancers wear atop their heads).
Mortimer should consider his absence as a mark of honour on PB. All the best posters .... cough cough .... have from time to time been wrapped over the knuckles by OGH ....
I recall in the genesis of PB, when Mike still managed a comb over and SeanT was only attracting female cockroaches in a gloomy garret, that PB's most consummate Jacobite incurred the wrath of the powers that be by penning a comment about Iain Dale ....
I'm not sure that the US Constitution has worked very well, because it (like the European one) fudged the federal/confederal choices, to the point that you could say that a 6-year civil war was fought over how to interpret it. It is still fundmaentally broken, in that (a) it's undemocratic, giving small states disproportionate Senate representation and electoral college representation (which is why Clinton got a popular majority and Trump got an EC majority) (b) it delegates the fixing of bouyndaries to partisan local bodies who routinely gerrymander (c) the separation of powers only works to the extent of preventing bad things from happening, but builds in deadlocks which make it difficult to progress in any direction, as Trump is now finding despite a majority in both Houses
[snip]
not sure that's true.
(a) all systems are undemocratic in some degree. Britain gives disproportionate power to large parties. The deliberate disparity in representation between the House and Senate is a check to prevent an over-mighty secitonal majority abusing its power. it's a feature, not a bug.
(b) it doesn't delegate: that's a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of where power lies. The power never left the states. That states gerrymander is certainly a failure but it's a consequence of culture, not a constitutional failure: it's seen as a 'spoil of victory'. American commentators might take a similar view of the traditional ability of a UK PM to fix the date of an election.
(c) Again, that's a feature not a bug.
I think you're implicitly assuming that British democracy *is* a good example of democracy, but as you say it discriminates to large parties and is dominated by money (though to a lesser extent than the US) and trash media (to a greater extent than the US). Arguably PR countries with more responsible media (Germany, Sweden, Norway, indeed Netherlands) do a better job at reasonable democracy. Doesn't mean we necessarily like the results, of course.
And I'm not sure that most Americans would really agree that inability to pursue any agenda successfully was a feature rather than a bug, thought here's always the conservative small-government argument. Is it democratic than it's neither possible for Democrats to put through effective universal health care nor for Republicans to get rid of it?
Certainly most Americans do think the system doesn't really work, as evidenced by the overwhelming lack of confidence in Congress, shown over many years regardless of who is nominally running it:
That's not to say America doesn't have many attactive features and of course that they've been eonomically successful. But I was disagreeing that their Constitution is much of a model to try to follow.
The pro-remain in EU, march Unit for Europe will be taking place tomorrow, in London. It was at one time predicted to be the biggest political protest in UK history. That may have been over excitement by some of the organises, but haw many are we expecting and how may would their need to be before it could have an impact, (on the debate as much as on policy)
I'm not certain how useful as a predictor it is but, according to its Facebook page,
19,505 are going (which is 500 up on this morning) 31,029 are interested 71,509 have been invited
Ta for all the ideas. Sincerely appreciated. Trouble is she's done nearly all of them already. Several times. Eek.
How about a falconry centre? Lots of those just outside London. Leeds castle, for instance (disclosure: my son works there some of the time). Very popular with children. Might be a bit late to organise an experience day but you could try your luck.
I took my Company before we deployed once. It was quite amusing when the paintball employees began to give advice on tactics, whereupon my company sergeant major gave him "the look" and he shut up.
Found the thing I read. It was Dubai not Kuwait
"In December 2003 I was in Dubai with my family, visiting my uncle who was working for a large freight forwarding company (we're from the west coast of Scotland). Looking for things to do we were recommended to a local paintball facility by another ex-pat. It was a charming but shoddy outfit, obviously hastily put together by some local entrepreneurs cashing in on Dubai's influx of immigrants and tourists.
There was myself (20), my brother (15), my brother (12), my cousin (15), and my uncle. Given that collectively we didn't constitute a full team, the person who took our booking asked if we would mind playing mixed teams with another group that was coming in that morning. No problem, we said. That sounds fun, we said.
Dubai at that time was being used as a major strategic port by the US Navy. So when we turned up the next morning and found out that it was us - thin, pale Scots with a total of zero fighting experience beyond the playground/pub - playing 'mixed' teams against the US Navy SEALS we were apprehensive. We doubled up on the jumpsuits and tried to ingratiate ourselves to our American cousins in the locker room cum shipping container. I suppose the real alarm bells should have sounded when the SEAL guys strolled out into the arena in their white VESTS and in SHORTS, SHOOTING EACH OTHER IN THE ARMS WITH PAINTBALLS, LAUGHING.
Needless to say within one minute of the whistle being blown to start the game my family and I were pinned behind a packing crate construct, trying to crawl behind one another, trying to use each other as human shields. My youngest brother had thrown his gun down and was crying on the floor. My uncle was using his son as a human shield. I was using my crying, distraught little brother as a human shield.
To answer the question then: It is terrifying, and it will haunt you."
LOL
The thing I noticed about our time there (the only time I've been) was that they give you, the punters, these asthmatic little single shot "guns" which load one ball at a time, slowly. The clothing kit they give you is basic coveralls and a rudimentary mask. The staff, meanwhile, all had super-duper high-fandangle weapons shooting zillions of paintballs at a time, plus all kinds of fancy black mamba outfits to wear. Quite sad, really.
Mortimer should consider his absence as a mark of honour on PB. All the best posters .... cough cough .... have from time to time been wrapped over the knuckles by OGH ....
I recall in the genesis of PB, when Mike still managed a comb over and SeanT was only attracting female cockroaches in a gloomy garret, that PB's most consummate Jacobite incurred the wrath of the powers that be by penning a comment about Iain Dale ....
Sadly the offenders name escapes me .....
Iain Dale is clearly the blogging world's version of Mohammad. I once got moderated on here for describing him as being 'as drunk as a skunk'..
The US is one such model. It is probably one of the most successful models for a political structure encompassing a Continent in the Western world and it is, IMO, pretty bloody silly and arrogant of people like Giscard d'Estaing to loftily disdain the idea of learning anything from the US model. The EU has French political structure in its DNA and, frankly, French political structures have hardly been a success over the years, let alone over the two centuries since the US was founded.
The US model does not need to be copied in toto. But the reason the EU Constitution got into such a mess - remember, it was rejected by both the Dutch and the French - should perhaps have given the EU Poo-Bahs pause for some serious thought and reflection on these topics.
There wasn't - or not enough - and that is one reason why, 60 years after it was founded - its second largest member has decided to leave. Whatever the many successes of the EU over those 60 years, this is one very very significant failure and it would be good for the rest of the EU and its member states if someone somewhere in that organization had a bit of self-reflection on why that happened and what it might mean for them and how they are conducting themselves.
I'm not sure that the US Constitution has worked very well, because it (like the European one) fudged the federal/confederal choices, to the point that you could say that a 6-year civil war was fought over how to interpret it. It is still fundmaentally broken, in that (a) it's undemocratic, giving small states disproportionate Senate representation and electoral college representation (which is why Clinton got a popular majority and Trump got an EC majority) (b) it delegates the fixing of bouyndaries to partisan local bodies who routinely gerrymander (c) the separation of powers only works to the extent of preventing bad things from happening, but builds in deadlocks which make it difficult to progress in any direction, as Trump is now finding despite a majority in both Houses
I agree that these fundamntal issues need to be thought through. A problem in Europe has been tat the people who set up the system did intend it to evolve federally, but the big country governments really don't want to lose their power, so the Parliament is sidelined by the Council at every opportunity. A decision to be federal or not is relaly needed to avoid endless fudges.
(a) and (c) are features not bugs. The framers wanted to stop autocracy and wanted to make sure that even small states got equal representation. Both are good things.
The idea that US democracy is fundamentally broken is a curious one, mind.
And I thought that the Lisbon Treaty was not meant to be a constitution. Or is it only one when it is used to show how much better it is than the US one?
The pro-remain in EU, march Unit for Europe will be taking place tomorrow, in London. It was at one time predicted to be the biggest political protest in UK history. That may have been over excitement by some of the organises, but haw many are we expecting and how may would their need to be before it could have an impact, (on the debate as much as on policy)
I'm not certain how useful as a predictor it is but, according to its Facebook page,
19,505 are going (which is 500 up on this morning) 31,029 are interested 71,509 have been invited
I think you'll find the the countryside alliance had a couple more people when they held a march in London
Mortimer should consider his absence as a mark of honour on PB. All the best posters .... cough cough .... have from time to time been wrapped over the knuckles by OGH ....
I recall in the genesis of PB, when Mike still managed a comb over and SeanT was only attracting female cockroaches in a gloomy garret, that PB's most consummate Jacobite incurred the wrath of the powers that be by penning a comment about Iain Dale ....
Sadly the offenders name escapes me .....
Iain Dale is clearly the blogging world's version of Mohammad. I once got moderated on here for describing him as being 'as drunk as a skunk'..
What did I tell you ?!? .... all the best posters ..
" The points spread market suggestions will come just as soon as the market itself springs into life."
I'll look forward to that Morris - I'm assuming you have a particular bee in your bonnet (or whatever it is that Morris Dancers wear atop their heads).
I now have an image of our Morris, dancing away, wiffle stick in hand, wearing a Brian Blessed-type beard made entirely of bees....
» show previous quotes I agree Malc. You go if you want to. I'm not anti Sindy.
I know Patrick , but nasty Theresa will not even let us decide. She makes EU look like pussy cats, who would hav ethought she had Mugabe thinking before they crowned her. She will be doing an Erdogan shortly and making herself leader for life. Flag Quote · Off Topic
That's not true Malc. She will give you another vote if you scream loudly enough - but not until after Brexit. Otherwise you can't weigh the alternatives. Which is fair. You voted No just recently and she is the PM of the whole UK. Scotland is leaving too. But you'll get the chance to rejoin if you want. Patience young paduan. Meanwhile the SNP should get busy sorting Scotland out - keep up the current shite state of things and the SNP political fortress is going to crumble. And without SNP dominance the chances you'll get to leave the UK are zilch.
Patrick , should be weekly votes till it is YES. On a more serious note the SNP can only tinker around the edges as they have little to no powers that can change anything for the better.
So the Scottish Government has full control over health, education, policing, transport, etc but the shite state of these is the Tories' fault. Hmmm....not finding it hard to distinguish you from a ray of sunshine here Malc. Clue: They're socialists. They'll fuck up your country all the faster the more power you give 'em.
As the socialists may well fuck up England or a United Kingdom in the future. But surely the point is that people should be allowed to choose their own government even if they are a bunch of fuck ups (the government I mean not the people). Scotland has a unique identity separate from that of England. Now I do understand there are those who feel that we are better together but even that statement implies an understanding that England and Scotland are different. They are not one and the same country.
To my mind exactly the same arguments that applied to Brexit apply to Scottish independence. I can understand someone opposing both. I can understand someone being on favour of both. I do find it hard to understand someone using a set of arguments to justify Brexit but then denying those arguments are valid when it comes to Scottish Independence. By the same token I find it fairly bizarre that someone could want Scottish Independence but then want Scotland to re-enter the EU.
I'm not sure if there is a strict definition/agreed set of criteria for what determines a demos. I suppose it would be a shared sense of history, commonly accepted geographic boundaries, clear government structure, etc.
I think it's also reasonable to point out that there are quite a few countries today that probably don't have coherent demos - Belgium being the most obvious example.
And there were many countries that did not have coherent demos when they were formed, and it only developed over time. I think the US would be one example of that, as was the United Kingdom itself.
Many states without coherent demos lasted some time before breaking up: Yugoslavia or the Austro-Hungarian Empire for example.
Strictly speaking, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn't a unitary state - it was a collection of assets owned by one family
Strictly strictly speaking, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn't a unitary state - it was a collection of assets administered by one family
That would have gone down well with me at ten, and for the rest of my allotted span. So my general workshop below should also include a kitchen with good basic tools. Again that might conflict with modern namby-pamby health & safety nonsense.
I'm not sure if there is a strict definition/agreed set of criteria for what determines a demos. I suppose it would be a shared sense of history, commonly accepted geographic boundaries, clear government structure, etc.
I think it's also reasonable to point out that there are quite a few countries today that probably don't have coherent demos - Belgium being the most obvious example.
And there were many countries that did not have coherent demos when they were formed, and it only developed over time. I think the US would be one example of that, as was the United Kingdom itself.
Many states without coherent demos lasted some time before breaking up: Yugoslavia or the Austro-Hungarian Empire for example.
Strictly speaking, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn't a unitary state - it was a collection of assets owned by one family
Strictly strictly speaking, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn't a unitary state - it was a collection of assets administered by one family
Mortimer should consider his absence as a mark of honour on PB. All the best posters .... cough cough .... have from time to time been wrapped over the knuckles by OGH ....
I recall in the genesis of PB, when Mike still managed a comb over and SeanT was only attracting female cockroaches in a gloomy garret, that PB's most consummate Jacobite incurred the wrath of the powers that be by penning a comment about Iain Dale ....
Sadly the offenders name escapes me .....
'rapped', not 'wrapped', I think - unless said person found himself coated in clingfilm?
"In December 2003 I was in Dubai with my family, visiting my uncle who was working for a large freight forwarding company (we're from the west coast of Scotland). Looking for things to do we were recommended to a local paintball facility by another ex-pat. It was a charming but shoddy outfit, obviously hastily put together by some local entrepreneurs cashing in on Dubai's influx of immigrants and tourists.
There was myself (20), my brother (15), my brother (12), my cousin (15), and my uncle. Given that collectively we didn't constitute a full team, the person who took our booking asked if we would mind playing mixed teams with another group that was coming in that morning. No problem, we said. That sounds fun, we said.
Dubai at that time was being used as a major strategic port by the US Navy. So when we turned up the next morning and found out that it was us - thin, pale Scots with a total of zero fighting experience beyond the playground/pub - playing 'mixed' teams against the US Navy SEALS we were apprehensive. We doubled up on the jumpsuits and tried to ingratiate ourselves to our American cousins in the locker room cum shipping container. I suppose the real alarm bells should have sounded when the SEAL guys strolled out into the arena in their white VESTS and in SHORTS, SHOOTING EACH OTHER IN THE ARMS WITH PAINTBALLS, LAUGHING.
Needless to say within one minute of the whistle being blown to start the game my family and I were pinned behind a packing crate construct, trying to crawl behind one another, trying to use each other as human shields. My youngest brother had thrown his gun down and was crying on the floor. My uncle was using his son as a human shield. I was using my crying, distraught little brother as a human shield.
To answer the question then: It is terrifying, and it will haunt you."
Last year I went on a stag afternoon - clay pigeon shooting, archery etc. One of the company was an RM captain from the guard unit at Faslane, and he was absolutely rubbish at the clays. Modesty forbids me mentioning where I came out of the group of 14, but doubtless he could have disemboweled me with a matchstick or something of the sort.
I'm not sure if there is a strict definition/agreed set of criteria for what determines a demos. I suppose it would be a shared sense of history, commonly accepted geographic boundaries, clear government structure, etc.
I think it's also reasonable to point out that there are quite a few countries today that probably don't have coherent demos - Belgium being the most obvious example.
And there were many countries that did not have coherent demos when they were formed, and it only developed over time. I think the US would be one example of that, as was the United Kingdom itself.
Many states without coherent demos lasted some time before breaking up: Yugoslavia or the Austro-Hungarian Empire for example.
Strictly speaking, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn't a unitary state - it was a collection of assets owned by one family
Strictly strictly speaking, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn't a unitary state - it was a collection of assets administered by one family
And it lasted just 41 years.
Oh, tosh. It lasted centuries. Sure, it was reformed from time to time (and was likely to have been reformed again post-1916, had WWI not intervened), but the essential entity had a clear lineage going back at least as far as 1648.
Your argument is like saying that France has only been around for 58 years, or Britain for 95.
Mortimer should consider his absence as a mark of honour on PB. All the best posters .... cough cough .... have from time to time been wrapped over the knuckles by OGH ....
I recall in the genesis of PB, when Mike still managed a comb over and SeanT was only attracting female cockroaches in a gloomy garret, that PB's most consummate Jacobite incurred the wrath of the powers that be by penning a comment about Iain Dale ....
Sadly the offenders name escapes me .....
'rapped', not 'wrapped', I think - unless said person found himself coated in clingfilm?
The first rule of the PB hit squad is never to talk about the activities of the...
The pro-remain in EU, march Unit for Europe will be taking place tomorrow, in London. It was at one time predicted to be the biggest political protest in UK history. That may have been over excitement by some of the organises, but haw many are we expecting and how may would their need to be before it could have an impact, (on the debate as much as on policy)
I'm not certain how useful as a predictor it is but, according to its Facebook page,
19,505 are going (which is 500 up on this morning) 31,029 are interested 71,509 have been invited
I think you'll find the the countryside alliance had a couple more people when they held a march in London
The anti-Iraq War march holds the record, doesn't it?
The pro-remain in EU, march Unit for Europe will be taking place tomorrow, in London. It was at one time predicted to be the biggest political protest in UK history. That may have been over excitement by some of the organises, but haw many are we expecting and how may would their need to be before it could have an impact, (on the debate as much as on policy)
I'm not certain how useful as a predictor it is but, according to its Facebook page,
19,505 are going (which is 500 up on this morning) 31,029 are interested 71,509 have been invited
I think you'll find the the countryside alliance had a couple more people when they held a march in London
As far as I can see, the 2002 Liberty and Livelihood march had, according to the police, 400,000 attendees. At the time it was thought to be the largest British protest march since the 19th century. The Anti War March the following year was said by police to have at least 750,000 attendees but was probably around a million.
The anti-Brexit marches probably don't even get into the top 10 in terms of support.
The pro-remain in EU, march Unit for Europe will be taking place tomorrow, in London. It was at one time predicted to be the biggest political protest in UK history. That may have been over excitement by some of the organises, but haw many are we expecting and how may would their need to be before it could have an impact, (on the debate as much as on policy)
I'm not certain how useful as a predictor it is but, according to its Facebook page,
19,505 are going (which is 500 up on this morning) 31,029 are interested 71,509 have been invited
I think you'll find the the countryside alliance had a couple more people when they held a march in London
As far as I can see, the 2002 Liberty and Livelihood march had, according to the police, 400,000 attendees. At the time it was thought to be the largest British protest march since the 19th century. The Anti War March the following year was said by police to have at least 750,000 attendees but was probably around a million. The anti-Brexit marches probably don't even get into the top 10 in terms of support.
Was this demonstration not cancelled yesterday by one of the Conservative ministers? Presumably one of the anti-May faction...
I'm not sure if there is a strict definition/agreed set of criteria for what determines a demos. I suppose it would be a shared sense of history, commonly accepted geographic boundaries, clear government structure, etc.
I think it's also reasonable to point out that there are quite a few countries today that probably don't have coherent demos - Belgium being the most obvious example.
And there were many countries that did not have coherent demos when they were formed, and it only developed over time. I think the US would be one example of that, as was the United Kingdom itself.
Many states without coherent demos lasted some time before breaking up: Yugoslavia or the Austro-Hungarian Empire for example.
Strictly speaking, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn't a unitary state - it was a collection of assets owned by one family
Strictly strictly speaking, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn't a unitary state - it was a collection of assets administered by one family
And it lasted just 41 years.
Oh, tosh. It lasted centuries. Sure, it was reformed from time to time (and was likely to have been reformed again post-1916, had WWI not intervened), but the essential entity had a clear lineage going back at least as far as 1648.
Your argument is like saying that France has only been around for 58 years, or Britain for 95.
Not at all. Prior to 1867 the Austrian Empire and Kingdom of Hungary had been separate states in a manner very similar to England and Scotland. In fact the analogy of the unification which led to the formation of the British state is an excellent one for the formation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
I have a particular interest in this part of the world since, as I may have mentioned before, a Tudor ancestor of mine was offered the throne of Bohemia and when he turned it down it was offered to some third rate family called the Hapsburgs instead.
The pro-remain in EU, march Unit for Europe will be taking place tomorrow, in London. It was at one time predicted to be the biggest political protest in UK history. That may have been over excitement by some of the organises, but haw many are we expecting and how may would their need to be before it could have an impact, (on the debate as much as on policy)
I'm not certain how useful as a predictor it is but, according to its Facebook page,
19,505 are going (which is 500 up on this morning) 31,029 are interested 71,509 have been invited
I think you'll find the the countryside alliance had a couple more people when they held a march in London
As far as I can see, the 2002 Liberty and Livelihood march had, according to the police, 400,000 attendees. At the time it was thought to be the largest British protest march since the 19th century. The Anti War March the following year was said by police to have at least 750,000 attendees but was probably around a million. The anti-Brexit marches probably don't even get into the top 10 in terms of support.
Was this demonstration not cancelled yesterday by one of the Conservative ministers? Presumably one of the anti-May faction...
Mortimer should consider his absence as a mark of honour on PB. All the best posters .... cough cough .... have from time to time been wrapped over the knuckles by OGH ....
I recall in the genesis of PB, when Mike still managed a comb over and SeanT was only attracting female cockroaches in a gloomy garret, that PB's most consummate Jacobite incurred the wrath of the powers that be by penning a comment about Iain Dale ....
Sadly the offenders name escapes me .....
LOL! Sounds funny - To be fair I think Ian Dale has incurred the wrath of pretty much everyone on here (well those of us around during his Blogging days anyway) at one time or another!
Fancy the Jacobite Rogue being sin-binned though...
The anti-Brexit marches probably don't even get into the top 10 in terms of support.
Just wait until we're on the brink of crashing out without a deal...
You're a stuck record William. And of course when we do leave and all these disasters you predict don't come to pass you will be like so many others before you and will be no where to be seen.
Comments
The UK voters were promised in 2005 a vote on the upcoming EU Constitution.
French, Dutch and other voters were given a vote on the EU Consitution and rejected it.
In response the EU Constitution was repackaged as the Lisbon Treaty and ratified. The UK government, like the French and Dutch governments never gave the voters the promised vote on it.
The public never endorsed the government's choice to ratify the Treaty. In fact at the following election the UK voters ejected the government that had ratified the treaty and the rest as they say is history.
It's worth noting that not just the British voters have rejected the EU as it is now. The Irish repeatedly have rejected the changes, albeit accepting it after being asked to vote again. The French and Dutch have also rejected it, but were never even given another chance to vote again in case they gave the "wrong answer" again.
It's only in the UK where apparently no means no to Europe. Quite refreshing.
People will shoot the messenger ,Tommy Robinson, but it is the Huffington Post, so that may dilute the bias.. he seems to talk a lot of sense on this issue, I saw him interviewed by Matt Forde a couple of years ago. Maybe when it has got properly out of hand, and an establishment figure notices, something will be done
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/06/18/tommy-robinson-edl-_n_5506644.html
Jesus, a few people said shall we have a drink to celebrate A50, all Mortimer did was take the bull by the horns and reserve a space in a pub! Yourself, Sean Fear and me all suggested places, @TheScreamingEagles said he wanted to come, it was hardly undercover! There but for the grace of God!
"Masood, may have eventually snapped because of racism in his village leading him to slash the face of a cafe owner.
It is thought he may have then been radicalised while in jail, eventually leading to his involvement in terrorism. "
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/23/violent-extremist-dropped-polices-radar/
It was really interesting in contrasting it to the vacuous waffle of modern politicos.
http://www.investmentweek.co.uk/investment-week/news/3006760/moodys-warns-scotland-exit-could-leave-country-facing-junk-rating?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=IW.Daily_RL.EU.A.U&utm_source=IW.DCM.Editors_Updates&im_edp=finpru.com&im_company=
But anyway (and this is quite grim) - I wonder what the crime statistics are for something like that happening? ie, randomly meeting up with someone from the internet and something very bad happening?
1%? 0.1% 0.001%?
You're probably a fair bit safer if *you* persuade other people to meet up, rather than allowing them to persuade you.
Still, the stuff of nightmares.
https://www.legoland.co.uk/
A poncy sounding wine bar near Holborn should fit the bill ok.
(you could go and look at the tribute flowers on the bridge and around parliament too if she is at all curious / grown up for a 10 year old)
Their advice was don't ever try.
You don't stand a snowballs chance in hell.
#13 looks fun.
http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/family-activities/31-free-things-to-do-with-kids#o5HxRvWgJR30t4dv.97
https://london.craigslist.co.uk/cas/6057106550.html
There really is nothing that can't be converted into a niche interest.
As long as it's SSC etc.
On the other hand other PBers of a more mature vintage ....
Such a space costs money of course.
Ideally it should occupy a largish room, or even a basement I suppose.
Bit of a trek, but Hurstmonceux science centre? My daughter always enjoys it there.
Not outdoors, but new Beauty and the Beast film?
Leeds Castle, Hever Castle, Bodiam Castle, Rochester Castle.
Howletts zoo or Porte Lympne. Or Wildwood near Herne bay for British wildlife.
My daughters also enjoyed a fossil hunting walk in Hastings, but there doesn't seem to be one on this weekend. http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/fossil_hunting_trips.htm
Then there's Dreamland in Margate, but you would have to check if it is open. Margate also has the Turner gallery which is small enough to see the whole lot before boredom sets in.
But considering the back drop, I'm wondering what is the correct eticut is with Mr Smithson? This is his web site, and he has a perfectly legitimate right to ban anybody at any time he fells like it. I may be surprised, by his actions on this occasion, but then there may be more, that I do not know about.
Has anybody asked him if he minds others going to this event? now that it is arranged.
"In December 2003 I was in Dubai with my family, visiting my uncle who was working for a large freight forwarding company (we're from the west coast of Scotland). Looking for things to do we were recommended to a local paintball facility by another ex-pat. It was a charming but shoddy outfit, obviously hastily put together by some local entrepreneurs cashing in on Dubai's influx of immigrants and tourists.
There was myself (20), my brother (15), my brother (12), my cousin (15), and my uncle. Given that collectively we didn't constitute a full team, the person who took our booking asked if we would mind playing mixed teams with another group that was coming in that morning. No problem, we said. That sounds fun, we said.
Dubai at that time was being used as a major strategic port by the US Navy. So when we turned up the next morning and found out that it was us - thin, pale Scots with a total of zero fighting experience beyond the playground/pub - playing 'mixed' teams against the US Navy SEALS we were apprehensive. We doubled up on the jumpsuits and tried to ingratiate ourselves to our American cousins in the locker room cum shipping container.
I suppose the real alarm bells should have sounded when the SEAL guys strolled out into the arena in their white VESTS and in SHORTS, SHOOTING EACH OTHER IN THE ARMS WITH PAINTBALLS, LAUGHING.
Needless to say within one minute of the whistle being blown to start the game my family and I were pinned behind a packing crate construct, trying to crawl behind one another, trying to use each other as human shields. My youngest brother had thrown his gun down and was crying on the floor. My uncle was using his son as a human shield. I was using my crying, distraught little brother as a human shield.
To answer the question then: It is terrifying, and it will haunt you."
Although, I think it's reasonable to assume that a Liberal would believe in allowing consenting adults to do whatever they like in their own time
I'll look forward to that Morris - I'm assuming you have a particular bee in your bonnet (or whatever it is that Morris Dancers wear atop their heads).
You said it didn't mean it should be backed. I cant think what else it could.
I recall in the genesis of PB, when Mike still managed a comb over and SeanT was only attracting female cockroaches in a gloomy garret, that PB's most consummate Jacobite incurred the wrath of the powers that be by penning a comment about Iain Dale ....
Sadly the offenders name escapes me .....
(a) all systems are undemocratic in some degree. Britain gives disproportionate power to large parties. The deliberate disparity in representation between the House and Senate is a check to prevent an over-mighty secitonal majority abusing its power. it's a feature, not a bug.
(b) it doesn't delegate: that's a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of where power lies. The power never left the states. That states gerrymander is certainly a failure but it's a consequence of culture, not a constitutional failure: it's seen as a 'spoil of victory'. American commentators might take a similar view of the traditional ability of a UK PM to fix the date of an election.
(c) Again, that's a feature not a bug.
I think you're implicitly assuming that British democracy *is* a good example of democracy, but as you say it discriminates to large parties and is dominated by money (though to a lesser extent than the US) and trash media (to a greater extent than the US). Arguably PR countries with more responsible media (Germany, Sweden, Norway, indeed Netherlands) do a better job at reasonable democracy. Doesn't mean we necessarily like the results, of course.
And I'm not sure that most Americans would really agree that inability to pursue any agenda successfully was a feature rather than a bug, thought here's always the conservative small-government argument. Is it democratic than it's neither possible for Democrats to put through effective universal health care nor for Republicans to get rid of it?
Certainly most Americans do think the system doesn't really work, as evidenced by the overwhelming lack of confidence in Congress, shown over many years regardless of who is nominally running it:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/congressional_job_approval-903.html
That's not to say America doesn't have many attactive features and of course that they've been eonomically successful. But I was disagreeing that their Constitution is much of a model to try to follow.
Mr. Putney, I just want to see what's there and have a crack.
Following my pre-qualifying article: http://enormo-haddock.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/australia-pre-qualifying-2017.html I'll be looking most of all at Hulkenberg, also Perez and Grosjean.
Mr. T, have you baked a pizza with her?
I'm not certain how useful as a predictor it is but, according to its Facebook page,
19,505 are going (which is 500 up on this morning)
31,029 are interested
71,509 have been invited
The thing I noticed about our time there (the only time I've been) was that they give you, the punters, these asthmatic little single shot "guns" which load one ball at a time, slowly. The clothing kit they give you is basic coveralls and a rudimentary mask. The staff, meanwhile, all had super-duper high-fandangle weapons shooting zillions of paintballs at a time, plus all kinds of fancy black mamba outfits to wear. Quite sad, really.
The idea that US democracy is fundamentally broken is a curious one, mind.
And I thought that the Lisbon Treaty was not meant to be a constitution. Or is it only one when it is used to show how much better it is than the US one?
Give them an IPad for the day and consider yourself a huge parenting success.
Mr. Mark, my facial hair of choice is manly stubble, in keeping with my grizzled Yorkshireman look.
https://twitter.com/BBCParliament/status/845290748945805313
To my mind exactly the same arguments that applied to Brexit apply to Scottish independence. I can understand someone opposing both. I can understand someone being on favour of both. I do find it hard to understand someone using a set of arguments to justify Brexit but then denying those arguments are valid when it comes to Scottish Independence. By the same token I find it fairly bizarre that someone could want Scottish Independence but then want Scotland to re-enter the EU.
That puts Mr Smithson's actions in a whole new light.
https://twitter.com/JWoodcockMP/status/845280160760942593
Your argument is like saying that France has only been around for 58 years, or Britain for 95.
Discussing a health bill without a female in the room. Not even making tea.
Con most seats;
April 8th 1992: 3/1
April 9th 1992: 4/5
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=4fLMCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA119&lpg=PA119&dq=1992+election+betting+odds&source=bl&ots=peFHahOB86&sig=RtWn_85Eb_uKPxak5rKQ4098qec&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiskq24t-_SAhWlLcAKHU4kC2k4ChDoAQg5MAU#v=onepage&q=1992 election betting odds&f=false
I'd have probably backed Lab @ 5/4 based on the polls.
The anti-Brexit marches probably don't even get into the top 10 in terms of support.
I have a particular interest in this part of the world since, as I may have mentioned before, a Tudor ancestor of mine was offered the throne of Bohemia and when he turned it down it was offered to some third rate family called the Hapsburgs instead.
https://www.uniteforeurope.co.uk/
How many people would need to attend to get in to the top 10 political protest? in say the last 100 years
Fancy the Jacobite Rogue being sin-binned though...