btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
Sorry I have to still disagree with that idea, I don't believe it for a moment
How would you know.
How would you?
D'oh.
Mine is a theory. I happen to think it's compelling. I haven't done the scientific study. People are dismissing it which is ofc fair enough, but they are only dismissing it on gut feel.
There is something that make boys and men become (if you are pro) or think they are (if you are anti) women. But no one has satisfactorily answered the Matt Walsh question.
I am attempting to.
What's your version.
I am merely saying I think your theory is like the theory about phlogiston....it bears no relation to the real world
With a sample, for you, of one.
What is your answer to Matt Walsh.
As is your and I have no idea who matt walsh is nor do I really care. Its a stupid theory postulated by stupid people
Given when Canadian polls close, I assume we won't get much of an idea tonight, but should know where things lay tomorrow morning?
If things are as they were when I lived in Canada information comes out quickly.
In Toronto we lived in an apartment block which constituted a polling precinct. As soon as the polls closed the ballot box was opened in front of party observers and counted. The result was then phoned in to a central point for that riding. So within half an hour of the poll closing we knew how our apartment block had voted and the parties soon had a pretty clear idea of who was winning overall as they could look at the result for the block and compare it to previous elections.
The other interesting feature is that the results are broken down for individual groups of around 100 -200 voters. Very different to UK where we only ever get to know the result for the whole constituency.
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
I understand your point, I think. I'm not saying it's completely ridiculous, or impossible - just in my experience, unlikely.
Yes, the Trans-folk of my acquaintance are certainly not doing it for an easy life.
I think there is something in the rigidity of perceived gender roles, but it is a minor rather than major factor. Often it is exhibited in how Trans-folk express their preferred gender, with Transwomen favouring skirts over trousers, bright rather than subdued colours and brightly coloured lipstick*, and Trans-men favouring leather jackets, short hair and facial hair. Or possibly its just the ones I notice, with the more androgenous dressers passing un-noticed.
* I had a Trans patient once who was experiencing relationship difficulties with their girlfriend, but with counselling it turned out that the girlfriend didn't object so much to the cross-dressing as the appalling dress sense and poor ability with make up. Once the Trans patient bought some better suited clothing they got on much better.
Rigidty in gender roles is something I like to believe is changing, however its true some trans friends have appalling tastes in clothing I have one that keeps dressing laura ashley and its ok when you are a soccer mom age but she wasnt she was in her 20's
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
Sorry I have to still disagree with that idea, I don't believe it for a moment
How would you know.
How would you?
D'oh.
Mine is a theory. I happen to think it's compelling. I haven't done the scientific study. People are dismissing it which is ofc fair enough, but they are only dismissing it on gut feel.
There is something that make boys and men become (if you are pro) or think they are (if you are anti) women. But no one has satisfactorily answered the Matt Walsh question.
I am attempting to.
What's your version.
I am merely saying I think your theory is like the theory about phlogiston....it bears no relation to the real world
With a sample, for you, of one.
What is your answer to Matt Walsh.
As is your and I have no idea who matt walsh is nor do I really care. Its a stupid theory postulated by stupid people
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
I understand your point, I think. I'm not saying it's completely ridiculous, or impossible - just in my experience, unlikely.
Yes, the Trans-folk of my acquaintance are certainly not doing it for an easy life.
I think there is something in the rigidity of perceived gender roles, but it is a minor rather than major factor. Often it is exhibited in how Trans-folk express their preferred gender, with Transwomen favouring skirts over trousers, bright rather than subdued colours and brightly coloured lipstick*, and Trans-men favouring leather jackets, short hair and facial hair. Or possibly its just the ones I notice, with the more androgenous dressers passing un-noticed.
* I had a Trans patient once who was experiencing relationship difficulties with their girlfriend, but with counselling it turned out that the girlfriend didn't object so much to the cross-dressing as the appalling dress sense and poor ability with make up. Once the Trans patient bought some better suited clothing they got on much better.
Rigidty in gender roles is something I like to believe is changing, however its true some trans friends have appalling tastes in clothing I have one that keeps dressing laura ashley and its ok when you are a soccer mom age but she wasnt she was in her 20's
What does your mate wear when they are beating up women.
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
Sorry I have to still disagree with that idea, I don't believe it for a moment
How would you know.
How would you?
D'oh.
Mine is a theory. I happen to think it's compelling. I haven't done the scientific study. People are dismissing it which is ofc fair enough, but they are only dismissing it on gut feel.
There is something that make boys and men become (if you are pro) or think they are (if you are anti) women. But no one has satisfactorily answered the Matt Walsh question.
I am attempting to.
What's your version.
I am merely saying I think your theory is like the theory about phlogiston....it bears no relation to the real world
With a sample, for you, of one.
What is your answer to Matt Walsh.
As is your and I have no idea who matt walsh is nor do I really care. Its a stupid theory postulated by stupid people
Seriously?
He asks what is a woman.
Retreat! Fast paced, facing the enemy, but retreat!
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
Sorry I have to still disagree with that idea, I don't believe it for a moment
How would you know.
How would you?
I have a trans friend I have known for 30 years the first 20 years they were a he and the very epitome of toxic masculinity....ex squaddie....goaded other guys into gut punching competitions in pubs. Constantly being the hard man. Not sounding like your example of someone escaping toxic masculinity
See also: US preachers railing against homosexuality who....
… are found on their weary old knees, in some dingy motel or latrine, paying over the odds to be urinated on, by an Apache transvestite.
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
I understand your point, I think. I'm not saying it's completely ridiculous, or impossible - just in my experience, unlikely.
Yes, the Trans-folk of my acquaintance are certainly not doing it for an easy life.
I think there is something in the rigidity of perceived gender roles, but it is a minor rather than major factor. Often it is exhibited in how Trans-folk express their preferred gender, with Transwomen favouring skirts over trousers, bright rather than subdued colours and brightly coloured lipstick*, and Trans-men favouring leather jackets, short hair and facial hair. Or possibly its just the ones I notice, with the more androgenous dressers passing un-noticed.
* I had a Trans patient once who was experiencing relationship difficulties with their girlfriend, but with counselling it turned out that the girlfriend didn't object so much to the cross-dressing as the appalling dress sense and poor ability with make up. Once the Trans patient bought some better suited clothing they got on much better.
Rigidty in gender roles is something I like to believe is changing, however its true some trans friends have appalling tastes in clothing I have one that keeps dressing laura ashley and its ok when you are a soccer mom age but she wasnt she was in her 20's
What does your mate wear when they are beating up women.
She generally favours mini skirts and boob tubes not sure how that is relevant however
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
Sorry I have to still disagree with that idea, I don't believe it for a moment
How would you know.
How would you?
D'oh.
Mine is a theory. I happen to think it's compelling. I haven't done the scientific study. People are dismissing it which is ofc fair enough, but they are only dismissing it on gut feel.
There is something that make boys and men become (if you are pro) or think they are (if you are anti) women. But no one has satisfactorily answered the Matt Walsh question.
I am attempting to.
What's your version.
I am merely saying I think your theory is like the theory about phlogiston....it bears no relation to the real world
With a sample, for you, of one.
What is your answer to Matt Walsh.
As is your and I have no idea who matt walsh is nor do I really care. Its a stupid theory postulated by stupid people
Seriously?
He asks what is a woman.
Sorry your point is there?
How do you define a woman such that your mate who beats women up knows she is one.
Given when Canadian polls close, I assume we won't get much of an idea tonight, but should know where things lay tomorrow morning?
There are some earlier results that come in from New Brunswick which could give an idea of the direction of travel .
The two key ones there are Miramichi-Grand Lake, and Fredericton-Oromocto.
Both are very closely contested between the LPC and CPC .
All the key ridings in Canada are in Ontario and Quebec so we'll know once the key marginals in both declare on EST, which they will do far faster than the USA because they aren't nobbers when it comes to vote counting.
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
Sorry I have to still disagree with that idea, I don't believe it for a moment
How would you know.
How would you?
D'oh.
Mine is a theory. I happen to think it's compelling. I haven't done the scientific study. People are dismissing it which is ofc fair enough, but they are only dismissing it on gut feel.
There is something that make boys and men become (if you are pro) or think they are (if you are anti) women. But no one has satisfactorily answered the Matt Walsh question.
I am attempting to.
What's your version.
I am merely saying I think your theory is like the theory about phlogiston....it bears no relation to the real world
With a sample, for you, of one.
What is your answer to Matt Walsh.
As is your and I have no idea who matt walsh is nor do I really care. Its a stupid theory postulated by stupid people
Seriously?
He asks what is a woman.
Retreat! Fast paced, facing the enemy, but retreat!
Is this the most interesting Canadian election ever?
2021 was pretty interesting in the sense Trudeau was trying to capitalise on a Covid bounce to regain a majority and everything remained basically the same for everyone, interesting for being so lacking in interest.
This was even though there's a favourite there's been such a shift in position with the new PM and the orange ogre to the south, and still the prospect of opposition gains and changes with the smaller parties that it is surely one of the most interesting 'incumbent returned' elections.
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
Sorry I have to still disagree with that idea, I don't believe it for a moment
How would you know.
How would you?
I have a trans friend I have known for 30 years the first 20 years they were a he and the very epitome of toxic masculinity....ex squaddie....goaded other guys into gut punching competitions in pubs. Constantly being the hard man. Not sounding like your example of someone escaping toxic masculinity
See also: US preachers railing against homosexuality who....
… are found on their weary old knees, in some dingy motel or latrine, paying over the odds to be urinated on, by an Apache transvestite.
Given when Canadian polls close, I assume we won't get much of an idea tonight, but should know where things lay tomorrow morning?
There are some earlier results that come in from New Brunswick which could give an idea of the direction of travel .
The two key ones there are Miramichi-Grand Lake, and Fredericton-Oromocto.
Both are very closely contested between the LPC and CPC .
All the key ridings in Canada are in Ontario and Quebec so we'll know once the key marginals in both declare on EST, which they will do far faster than the USA because they aren't nobbers when it comes to vote counting.
I expect by 3am UK time we'll know.
Those have lots of seats but early indicators will come from New Brunswick . I’ve added a link to that article which explains why.
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
Sorry I have to still disagree with that idea, I don't believe it for a moment
How would you know.
How would you?
I have a trans friend I have known for 30 years the first 20 years they were a he and the very epitome of toxic masculinity....ex squaddie....goaded other guys into gut punching competitions in pubs. Constantly being the hard man. Not sounding like your example of someone escaping toxic masculinity
See also: US preachers railing against homosexuality who....
… are found on their weary old knees, in some dingy motel or latrine, paying over the odds to be urinated on, by an Apache transvestite.
Let him who has not been urinated on by an Apache transvestite cast the first stone.
On the subject of bread: you guys have no idea how lucky you are. Whether it's Germany, France or the UK, your bread is lightyears better than the crap that is sold in every supermarket in the US.
Now, sure, can you get decent bread in the US? Of course. But it's not widely available. Most supermarkets don't have their own bakery in the way Tesco's and Sainsbury's do in the UK.
The disjunct between the affluence of the USA and the shiteness of its food is quite astonishing
I’ve never seen a really good explanation for it
If the USA was a desolate tundra or mainly desert it might make some sense, but it contains much of the most fertile land in the world, and has every possible climate. It is surrounded by magnificent seas, it ranges from frozen Alaska to tropical Florida….
WEIRD
That would mainly be that they don't believe in regulation for the benefit of the public, perhaps?
If I were in the USA I'd have a bread machine, and buy flour once a year when I passed an independent mill.
Lack of regulation is a partial explanation but not enough. There are other things at work: psychosocial, cultural and more
Eg beer. For decades American beer was laughable despite them inheriting an epic beer making tradition from, especially, millions of English and German immigrants. Plus Czechs etc
Then suddenly about 40 years ago something changed, Samuel Adams was a thing, America had a beer revolution, and now they have some of the best beer in the world, marvellous variety, and you can get it everywhere. Even the local gas station will have a very decent craft ipa or lager in the fridge
That was nothing to do with regulation. That was a change in culture and taste
Cask Ale is very very rare in the US.
Prohibition absolutely killed the the beer breweries, the volumes are too big to hide your illegal industry. After the end of prohibition some companies started up again with their original names, but the demand for European beer had more or less disappeared and so it was no longer economic to produce a beer that was x-times more expensive than Budweiser.
The Sam Adams and micro-brewery craze was effectively a recovery from the prohibition problem.
It's amazing that passed into law in the first place.
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
I understand your point, I think. I'm not saying it's completely ridiculous, or impossible - just in my experience, unlikely.
Yes, the Trans-folk of my acquaintance are certainly not doing it for an easy life.
I think there is something in the rigidity of perceived gender roles, but it is a minor rather than major factor. Often it is exhibited in how Trans-folk express their preferred gender, with Transwomen favouring skirts over trousers, bright rather than subdued colours and brightly coloured lipstick*, and Trans-men favouring leather jackets, short hair and facial hair. Or possibly its just the ones I notice, with the more androgenous dressers passing un-noticed.
* I had a Trans patient once who was experiencing relationship difficulties with their girlfriend, but with counselling it turned out that the girlfriend didn't object so much to the cross-dressing as the appalling dress sense and poor ability with make up. Once the Trans patient bought some better suited clothing they got on much better.
Rigidty in gender roles is something I like to believe is changing, however its true some trans friends have appalling tastes in clothing I have one that keeps dressing laura ashley and its ok when you are a soccer mom age but she wasnt she was in her 20's
I am old enough to remember when young women wore Laura Ashley. Indeed Mrs Foxy wore a Laura Ashley wedding dress when she married me aged 23. It still looks great in the wedding photos.
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
Sorry I have to still disagree with that idea, I don't believe it for a moment
How would you know.
How would you?
D'oh.
Mine is a theory. I happen to think it's compelling. I haven't done the scientific study. People are dismissing it which is ofc fair enough, but they are only dismissing it on gut feel.
There is something that make boys and men become (if you are pro) or think they are (if you are anti) women. But no one has satisfactorily answered the Matt Walsh question.
I am attempting to.
What's your version.
I am merely saying I think your theory is like the theory about phlogiston....it bears no relation to the real world
With a sample, for you, of one.
What is your answer to Matt Walsh.
As is your and I have no idea who matt walsh is nor do I really care. Its a stupid theory postulated by stupid people
Seriously?
He asks what is a woman.
Sorry your point is there?
How do you define a woman such that your mate who beats women up knows she is one.
She has a grc? Am I not meant to think she is a transgender woman she was also excited for the op last time I saw her 4 years ago. Just saying turning trans did not kill her aggression just her targets.
What it did do however as she looked the part, not like a man in a dress is make it harder for the few people who used to intervene before when she was male to stop it.
Given when Canadian polls close, I assume we won't get much of an idea tonight, but should know where things lay tomorrow morning?
There are some earlier results that come in from New Brunswick which could give an idea of the direction of travel .
The two key ones there are Miramichi-Grand Lake, and Fredericton-Oromocto.
Both are very closely contested between the LPC and CPC .
All the key ridings in Canada are in Ontario and Quebec so we'll know once the key marginals in both declare on EST, which they will do far faster than the USA because they aren't nobbers when it comes to vote counting.
I expect by 3am UK time we'll know.
Those have lots of seats but early indicators will come from New Brunswick . I’ve added a link to that article which explains why.
Yeah, I know. I have family who live there.
I'm saying the election result will be clear by the time Ontario and Quebec come in.
Given when Canadian polls close, I assume we won't get much of an idea tonight, but should know where things lay tomorrow morning?
There are some earlier results that come in from New Brunswick which could give an idea of the direction of travel .
The two key ones there are Miramichi-Grand Lake, and Fredericton-Oromocto.
Both are very closely contested between the LPC and CPC .
All the key ridings in Canada are in Ontario and Quebec so we'll know once the key marginals in both declare on EST, which they will do far faster than the USA because they aren't nobbers when it comes to vote counting.
I expect by 3am UK time we'll know.
Those have lots of seats but early indicators will come from New Brunswick . I’ve added a link to that article which explains why.
Yeah, I know. I have family who live there.
I'm saying the election result will be clear by the time Ontario and Quebec come in.
Yes of course . I’m hoping to not have to do one of my all nighters so hopefully things can become clear sooner rather than later !
Only spoke to 80 people, perhaps, so totally unscientific, but I met more people planning to vote Green than Tory.
Essentially zero of the discontent with Labour (of which there is a lot!) is being channeled towards the Tory party….
You can get 125/1 on the Tories winning, which is consistent with Bastani's observation.
I suggest the Tories need to attack Reform UK relentlessly if they want to beat them anywhere.
The starting point for a Tory recovery is them deciding what they are for, not what they are against. Then they need to start explaining how Joe and Jane Average benefit from it.
Incessant moaning about modernity is not policy, and anyway that is Reforms bag now.
The contemporary iteration of the tory part is just being AliExpress Fukkers. I have no idea where they go next nor, I suspect, do they. Some brexit contrition and re-engagement on environmental matters might be a start. Or it might make things even worse. Lol.
I am able to bring this site the unique (actually there are zillions of us) insight of a sickened ex-Tory who believes the party became toxic which believed it could out-Reform Reform only to find, as small children in Hartlepool could have told you, that you can never out-extreme the extremes.
I would like, from the Tories, some "Europe is our closest and largest trading partner, therefore..." and some "we understand the trans issue and then [Nick Herbert's excellent piece]" and some "Party of economic stability" and also some "public sector vital for the nation but shouldn't be immune to reform" and then, ofc, naming me President for Life with a free (as I googled it, tyvm) Toyota Century plus driver.
Then I would take a second look.
Yes. A damn good detox. But would the last initiative not risk undoing all the excellent work of the rest?
Sounds like you're a Lib Dem really..😏
No, I'd just like to see those Tories wising up.
I'm Labour through and through. Wilson, Castle, Benn, Foot, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband, Starmer, Gardiner, it's all good for me.
Labour.
Surely you've missed someone vital, nay transcendent, off that list? Accidentally I am sure.
Yes, omission doesn't mean anything negative. The Labour movement has countless icons.
I personally have a thing for some of those Wilson era figures. Crossman, Crossland, Jenkins, Healey, and on the union side, Jones, Scanlon, Jackson.
Absolutely nothing wrong with all of that stuff. Consensus collectivism. It will return one day.
Only spoke to 80 people, perhaps, so totally unscientific, but I met more people planning to vote Green than Tory.
Essentially zero of the discontent with Labour (of which there is a lot!) is being channeled towards the Tory party….
You can get 125/1 on the Tories winning, which is consistent with Bastani's observation.
I suggest the Tories need to attack Reform UK relentlessly if they want to beat them anywhere.
The starting point for a Tory recovery is them deciding what they are for, not what they are against. Then they need to start explaining how Joe and Jane Average benefit from it.
Incessant moaning about modernity is not policy, and anyway that is Reforms bag now.
The contemporary iteration of the tory part is just being AliExpress Fukkers. I have no idea where they go next nor, I suspect, do they. Some brexit contrition and re-engagement on environmental matters might be a start. Or it might make things even worse. Lol.
I am able to bring this site the unique (actually there are zillions of us) insight of a sickened ex-Tory who believes the party became toxic which believed it could out-Reform Reform only to find, as small children in Hartlepool could have told you, that you can never out-extreme the extremes.
I would like, from the Tories, some "Europe is our closest and largest trading partner, therefore..." and some "we understand the trans issue and then [Nick Herbert's excellent piece]" and some "Party of economic stability" and also some "public sector vital for the nation but shouldn't be immune to reform" and then, ofc, naming me President for Life with a free (as I googled it, tyvm) Toyota Century plus driver.
Then I would take a second look.
Yes. A damn good detox. But would the last initiative not risk undoing all the excellent work of the rest?
Sounds like you're a Lib Dem really..😏
No, I'd just like to see those Tories wising up.
I'm Labour through and through. Wilson, Castle, Benn, Foot, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband, Starmer, Gardiner, it's all good for me.
Labour.
Surely you've missed someone vital, nay transcendent, off that list? Accidentally I am sure.
Yes, omission doesn't mean anything negative. The Labour movement has countless icons.
I personally have a thing for some of those Wilson era figures. Crossman, Crossland, Jenkins, Healey, and on the union side, Jones, Scanlon, Jackson.
Absolutely nothing wrong with all of that stuff. Consensus collectivism. It will return one day.
Well flares keep coming back into fashion so I guess
"Three men and three teens jailed for park murder"
Over a year remanded in custody. Two months from trial to sentencing.
That's not long for a murder trial, and not long for pre-sentence reports.
My genius-level quick fix is to do away with pre-sentence reports and all that malarkey. Pass the sentence, and later worry about mitigation as part of the parole process. So they'd end up serving the same time inside but the bottleneck at the start would be moved to later on.
No chance. A cardinal rule of cost reduction is get it right first time.
One of the things a pre-sentencing report tells you is whether someone actually needs to be in prison.
Holding people on remand for more than a year does not help with that.
Only spoke to 80 people, perhaps, so totally unscientific, but I met more people planning to vote Green than Tory.
Essentially zero of the discontent with Labour (of which there is a lot!) is being channeled towards the Tory party….
You can get 125/1 on the Tories winning, which is consistent with Bastani's observation.
I suggest the Tories need to attack Reform UK relentlessly if they want to beat them anywhere.
The starting point for a Tory recovery is them deciding what they are for, not what they are against. Then they need to start explaining how Joe and Jane Average benefit from it.
Incessant moaning about modernity is not policy, and anyway that is Reforms bag now.
The contemporary iteration of the tory part is just being AliExpress Fukkers. I have no idea where they go next nor, I suspect, do they. Some brexit contrition and re-engagement on environmental matters might be a start. Or it might make things even worse. Lol.
I am able to bring this site the unique (actually there are zillions of us) insight of a sickened ex-Tory who believes the party became toxic which believed it could out-Reform Reform only to find, as small children in Hartlepool could have told you, that you can never out-extreme the extremes.
I would like, from the Tories, some "Europe is our closest and largest trading partner, therefore..." and some "we understand the trans issue and then [Nick Herbert's excellent piece]" and some "Party of economic stability" and also some "public sector vital for the nation but shouldn't be immune to reform" and then, ofc, naming me President for Life with a free (as I googled it, tyvm) Toyota Century plus driver.
Then I would take a second look.
Yes. A damn good detox. But would the last initiative not risk undoing all the excellent work of the rest?
Sounds like you're a Lib Dem really..😏
No, I'd just like to see those Tories wising up.
I'm Labour through and through. Wilson, Castle, Benn, Foot, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband, Starmer, Gardiner, it's all good for me.
Labour.
Surely you've missed someone vital, nay transcendent, off that list? Accidentally I am sure.
Yes, omission doesn't mean anything negative. The Labour movement has countless icons.
I personally have a thing for some of those Wilson era figures. Crossman, Crossland, Jenkins, Healey, and on the union side, Jones, Scanlon, Jackson.
Absolutely nothing wrong with all of that stuff. Consensus collectivism. It will return one day.
You can have consensus collectivism or open borders, but not both.
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
Only spoke to 80 people, perhaps, so totally unscientific, but I met more people planning to vote Green than Tory.
Essentially zero of the discontent with Labour (of which there is a lot!) is being channeled towards the Tory party….
You can get 125/1 on the Tories winning, which is consistent with Bastani's observation.
I suggest the Tories need to attack Reform UK relentlessly if they want to beat them anywhere.
The starting point for a Tory recovery is them deciding what they are for, not what they are against. Then they need to start explaining how Joe and Jane Average benefit from it.
Incessant moaning about modernity is not policy, and anyway that is Reforms bag now.
The contemporary iteration of the tory part is just being AliExpress Fukkers. I have no idea where they go next nor, I suspect, do they. Some brexit contrition and re-engagement on environmental matters might be a start. Or it might make things even worse. Lol.
I am able to bring this site the unique (actually there are zillions of us) insight of a sickened ex-Tory who believes the party became toxic which believed it could out-Reform Reform only to find, as small children in Hartlepool could have told you, that you can never out-extreme the extremes.
I would like, from the Tories, some "Europe is our closest and largest trading partner, therefore..." and some "we understand the trans issue and then [Nick Herbert's excellent piece]" and some "Party of economic stability" and also some "public sector vital for the nation but shouldn't be immune to reform" and then, ofc, naming me President for Life with a free (as I googled it, tyvm) Toyota Century plus driver.
Then I would take a second look.
Yes. A damn good detox. But would the last initiative not risk undoing all the excellent work of the rest?
Sounds like you're a Lib Dem really..😏
No, I'd just like to see those Tories wising up.
I'm Labour through and through. Wilson, Castle, Benn, Foot, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband, Starmer, Gardiner, it's all good for me.
Labour.
Surely you've missed someone vital, nay transcendent, off that list? Accidentally I am sure.
Yes, omission doesn't mean anything negative. The Labour movement has countless icons.
I personally have a thing for some of those Wilson era figures. Crossman, Crossland, Jenkins, Healey, and on the union side, Jones, Scanlon, Jackson.
Absolutely nothing wrong with all of that stuff. Consensus collectivism. It will return one day.
You can have consensus collectivism or open borders, but not both.
A statement that seems almost impossible to explain. I trust you'll give it a spin though?
Only spoke to 80 people, perhaps, so totally unscientific, but I met more people planning to vote Green than Tory.
Essentially zero of the discontent with Labour (of which there is a lot!) is being channeled towards the Tory party….
You can get 125/1 on the Tories winning, which is consistent with Bastani's observation.
I suggest the Tories need to attack Reform UK relentlessly if they want to beat them anywhere.
The starting point for a Tory recovery is them deciding what they are for, not what they are against. Then they need to start explaining how Joe and Jane Average benefit from it.
Incessant moaning about modernity is not policy, and anyway that is Reforms bag now.
The contemporary iteration of the tory part is just being AliExpress Fukkers. I have no idea where they go next nor, I suspect, do they. Some brexit contrition and re-engagement on environmental matters might be a start. Or it might make things even worse. Lol.
I am able to bring this site the unique (actually there are zillions of us) insight of a sickened ex-Tory who believes the party became toxic which believed it could out-Reform Reform only to find, as small children in Hartlepool could have told you, that you can never out-extreme the extremes.
I would like, from the Tories, some "Europe is our closest and largest trading partner, therefore..." and some "we understand the trans issue and then [Nick Herbert's excellent piece]" and some "Party of economic stability" and also some "public sector vital for the nation but shouldn't be immune to reform" and then, ofc, naming me President for Life with a free (as I googled it, tyvm) Toyota Century plus driver.
Then I would take a second look.
Yes. A damn good detox. But would the last initiative not risk undoing all the excellent work of the rest?
Sounds like you're a Lib Dem really..😏
No, I'd just like to see those Tories wising up.
I'm Labour through and through. Wilson, Castle, Benn, Foot, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband, Starmer, Gardiner, it's all good for me.
Labour.
Surely you've missed someone vital, nay transcendent, off that list? Accidentally I am sure.
Yes, omission doesn't mean anything negative. The Labour movement has countless icons.
I personally have a thing for some of those Wilson era figures. Crossman, Crossland, Jenkins, Healey, and on the union side, Jones, Scanlon, Jackson.
Absolutely nothing wrong with all of that stuff. Consensus collectivism. It will return one day.
You can have consensus collectivism or open borders, but not both.
"Three men and three teens jailed for park murder"
Over a year remanded in custody. Two months from trial to sentencing.
That's not long for a murder trial, and not long for pre-sentence reports.
My genius-level quick fix is to do away with pre-sentence reports and all that malarkey. Pass the sentence, and later worry about mitigation as part of the parole process. So they'd end up serving the same time inside but the bottleneck at the start would be moved to later on.
Ok, but only if they're remanded already. In which case, what time does it save?
If not remanded already, and they get a prison sentence which is suspended upon receipt of the pre-sentence report, you've done something irreversible: for example, taking a child away from their parents for a couple of months. Or, worse, the prison suicide of the defendent.
If they've been convicted and sentenced, they are no longer the defendant. The time defendants commit suicide is when they are on remand. The proposal would free up court time and so grease the wheels of the criminal justice system and also enhance any deterrent effect by providing a clearer and timely link between crime and punishment.
Only spoke to 80 people, perhaps, so totally unscientific, but I met more people planning to vote Green than Tory.
Essentially zero of the discontent with Labour (of which there is a lot!) is being channeled towards the Tory party….
You can get 125/1 on the Tories winning, which is consistent with Bastani's observation.
I suggest the Tories need to attack Reform UK relentlessly if they want to beat them anywhere.
The starting point for a Tory recovery is them deciding what they are for, not what they are against. Then they need to start explaining how Joe and Jane Average benefit from it.
Incessant moaning about modernity is not policy, and anyway that is Reforms bag now.
The contemporary iteration of the tory part is just being AliExpress Fukkers. I have no idea where they go next nor, I suspect, do they. Some brexit contrition and re-engagement on environmental matters might be a start. Or it might make things even worse. Lol.
I am able to bring this site the unique (actually there are zillions of us) insight of a sickened ex-Tory who believes the party became toxic which believed it could out-Reform Reform only to find, as small children in Hartlepool could have told you, that you can never out-extreme the extremes.
I would like, from the Tories, some "Europe is our closest and largest trading partner, therefore..." and some "we understand the trans issue and then [Nick Herbert's excellent piece]" and some "Party of economic stability" and also some "public sector vital for the nation but shouldn't be immune to reform" and then, ofc, naming me President for Life with a free (as I googled it, tyvm) Toyota Century plus driver.
Then I would take a second look.
Yes. A damn good detox. But would the last initiative not risk undoing all the excellent work of the rest?
Sounds like you're a Lib Dem really..😏
No, I'd just like to see those Tories wising up.
I'm Labour through and through. Wilson, Castle, Benn, Foot, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband, Starmer, Gardiner, it's all good for me.
Labour.
Surely you've missed someone vital, nay transcendent, off that list? Accidentally I am sure.
Yes, omission doesn't mean anything negative. The Labour movement has countless icons.
I personally have a thing for some of those Wilson era figures. Crossman, Crossland, Jenkins, Healey, and on the union side, Jones, Scanlon, Jackson.
Absolutely nothing wrong with all of that stuff. Consensus collectivism. It will return one day.
You can have consensus collectivism or open borders, but not both.
Ah the Lenin v Trotsky conundrum.
Whats the conundrum apart from which was the most evil ideology?
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
Would love to do The Canadian. Can't see the attraction of The Rocky Mountaineer, where the overnights are in hotels.
Only spoke to 80 people, perhaps, so totally unscientific, but I met more people planning to vote Green than Tory.
Essentially zero of the discontent with Labour (of which there is a lot!) is being channeled towards the Tory party….
You can get 125/1 on the Tories winning, which is consistent with Bastani's observation.
I suggest the Tories need to attack Reform UK relentlessly if they want to beat them anywhere.
The starting point for a Tory recovery is them deciding what they are for, not what they are against. Then they need to start explaining how Joe and Jane Average benefit from it.
Incessant moaning about modernity is not policy, and anyway that is Reforms bag now.
The contemporary iteration of the tory part is just being AliExpress Fukkers. I have no idea where they go next nor, I suspect, do they. Some brexit contrition and re-engagement on environmental matters might be a start. Or it might make things even worse. Lol.
I am able to bring this site the unique (actually there are zillions of us) insight of a sickened ex-Tory who believes the party became toxic which believed it could out-Reform Reform only to find, as small children in Hartlepool could have told you, that you can never out-extreme the extremes.
I would like, from the Tories, some "Europe is our closest and largest trading partner, therefore..." and some "we understand the trans issue and then [Nick Herbert's excellent piece]" and some "Party of economic stability" and also some "public sector vital for the nation but shouldn't be immune to reform" and then, ofc, naming me President for Life with a free (as I googled it, tyvm) Toyota Century plus driver.
Then I would take a second look.
Yes. A damn good detox. But would the last initiative not risk undoing all the excellent work of the rest?
Sounds like you're a Lib Dem really..😏
No, I'd just like to see those Tories wising up.
I'm Labour through and through. Wilson, Castle, Benn, Foot, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband, Starmer, Gardiner, it's all good for me.
Labour.
Surely you've missed someone vital, nay transcendent, off that list? Accidentally I am sure.
Yes, omission doesn't mean anything negative. The Labour movement has countless icons.
I personally have a thing for some of those Wilson era figures. Crossman, Crossland, Jenkins, Healey, and on the union side, Jones, Scanlon, Jackson.
Absolutely nothing wrong with all of that stuff. Consensus collectivism. It will return one day.
You can have consensus collectivism or open borders, but not both.
A statement that seems almost impossible to explain. I trust you'll give it a spin though?
I thought it was almost a cliché. The kind of politics that would enable collectivist social solidarity to have sustainable support is only possible when the society has a level of homogeneity and shared identity that isn't possible above a certain level of diversity and transience.
Only spoke to 80 people, perhaps, so totally unscientific, but I met more people planning to vote Green than Tory.
Essentially zero of the discontent with Labour (of which there is a lot!) is being channeled towards the Tory party….
You can get 125/1 on the Tories winning, which is consistent with Bastani's observation.
I suggest the Tories need to attack Reform UK relentlessly if they want to beat them anywhere.
The starting point for a Tory recovery is them deciding what they are for, not what they are against. Then they need to start explaining how Joe and Jane Average benefit from it.
Incessant moaning about modernity is not policy, and anyway that is Reforms bag now.
The contemporary iteration of the tory part is just being AliExpress Fukkers. I have no idea where they go next nor, I suspect, do they. Some brexit contrition and re-engagement on environmental matters might be a start. Or it might make things even worse. Lol.
I am able to bring this site the unique (actually there are zillions of us) insight of a sickened ex-Tory who believes the party became toxic which believed it could out-Reform Reform only to find, as small children in Hartlepool could have told you, that you can never out-extreme the extremes.
I would like, from the Tories, some "Europe is our closest and largest trading partner, therefore..." and some "we understand the trans issue and then [Nick Herbert's excellent piece]" and some "Party of economic stability" and also some "public sector vital for the nation but shouldn't be immune to reform" and then, ofc, naming me President for Life with a free (as I googled it, tyvm) Toyota Century plus driver.
Then I would take a second look.
Yes. A damn good detox. But would the last initiative not risk undoing all the excellent work of the rest?
Sounds like you're a Lib Dem really..😏
No, I'd just like to see those Tories wising up.
I'm Labour through and through. Wilson, Castle, Benn, Foot, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband, Starmer, Gardiner, it's all good for me.
Labour.
Surely you've missed someone vital, nay transcendent, off that list? Accidentally I am sure.
Yes, omission doesn't mean anything negative. The Labour movement has countless icons.
I personally have a thing for some of those Wilson era figures. Crossman, Crossland, Jenkins, Healey, and on the union side, Jones, Scanlon, Jackson.
Absolutely nothing wrong with all of that stuff. Consensus collectivism. It will return one day.
You can have consensus collectivism or open borders, but not both.
A statement that seems almost impossible to explain. I trust you'll give it a spin though?
I thought it was almost a cliché. The kind of politics that would enable collectivist social solidarity to have sustainable support is only possible when the society has a level of homogeneity and shared identity that isn't possible above a certain level of diversity and transience.
Only spoke to 80 people, perhaps, so totally unscientific, but I met more people planning to vote Green than Tory.
Essentially zero of the discontent with Labour (of which there is a lot!) is being channeled towards the Tory party….
You can get 125/1 on the Tories winning, which is consistent with Bastani's observation.
I suggest the Tories need to attack Reform UK relentlessly if they want to beat them anywhere.
The starting point for a Tory recovery is them deciding what they are for, not what they are against. Then they need to start explaining how Joe and Jane Average benefit from it.
Incessant moaning about modernity is not policy, and anyway that is Reforms bag now.
The contemporary iteration of the tory part is just being AliExpress Fukkers. I have no idea where they go next nor, I suspect, do they. Some brexit contrition and re-engagement on environmental matters might be a start. Or it might make things even worse. Lol.
I am able to bring this site the unique (actually there are zillions of us) insight of a sickened ex-Tory who believes the party became toxic which believed it could out-Reform Reform only to find, as small children in Hartlepool could have told you, that you can never out-extreme the extremes.
I would like, from the Tories, some "Europe is our closest and largest trading partner, therefore..." and some "we understand the trans issue and then [Nick Herbert's excellent piece]" and some "Party of economic stability" and also some "public sector vital for the nation but shouldn't be immune to reform" and then, ofc, naming me President for Life with a free (as I googled it, tyvm) Toyota Century plus driver.
Then I would take a second look.
Yes. A damn good detox. But would the last initiative not risk undoing all the excellent work of the rest?
Sounds like you're a Lib Dem really..😏
No, I'd just like to see those Tories wising up.
I'm Labour through and through. Wilson, Castle, Benn, Foot, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband, Starmer, Gardiner, it's all good for me.
Labour.
Surely you've missed someone vital, nay transcendent, off that list? Accidentally I am sure.
Yes, omission doesn't mean anything negative. The Labour movement has countless icons.
I personally have a thing for some of those Wilson era figures. Crossman, Crossland, Jenkins, Healey, and on the union side, Jones, Scanlon, Jackson.
Absolutely nothing wrong with all of that stuff. Consensus collectivism. It will return one day.
Also the crew that gave us stagflation and took us to our economic nadir with the IMF bailout and the Winter of Discontent, at least Margaret Thatcher put in years of hard graft and temporarily reversed our decline.
Forgive me if I don't join you in celebrating that bunch of obviously out-of-their-depth losers.
Can anyone tell me why Ukraine should observe the Russian three day ceasefire so that Putin can have his parade in Moscow without fear of drones attacking left, right and centre? No doubt the Russians could use the three days to get some respite for the depleted forces. If Ukraine agrees it will surely be because its supporters have not just gone wobbly but turned into jelly. We have what looks like a surprisingly hawkish German government coming into office at which moment Europe (including UK) will quietly betray Ukraine so as not to displease Donald Trump.
Only spoke to 80 people, perhaps, so totally unscientific, but I met more people planning to vote Green than Tory.
Essentially zero of the discontent with Labour (of which there is a lot!) is being channeled towards the Tory party….
You can get 125/1 on the Tories winning, which is consistent with Bastani's observation.
I suggest the Tories need to attack Reform UK relentlessly if they want to beat them anywhere.
The starting point for a Tory recovery is them deciding what they are for, not what they are against. Then they need to start explaining how Joe and Jane Average benefit from it.
Incessant moaning about modernity is not policy, and anyway that is Reforms bag now.
The contemporary iteration of the tory part is just being AliExpress Fukkers. I have no idea where they go next nor, I suspect, do they. Some brexit contrition and re-engagement on environmental matters might be a start. Or it might make things even worse. Lol.
I am able to bring this site the unique (actually there are zillions of us) insight of a sickened ex-Tory who believes the party became toxic which believed it could out-Reform Reform only to find, as small children in Hartlepool could have told you, that you can never out-extreme the extremes.
I would like, from the Tories, some "Europe is our closest and largest trading partner, therefore..." and some "we understand the trans issue and then [Nick Herbert's excellent piece]" and some "Party of economic stability" and also some "public sector vital for the nation but shouldn't be immune to reform" and then, ofc, naming me President for Life with a free (as I googled it, tyvm) Toyota Century plus driver.
Then I would take a second look.
Yes. A damn good detox. But would the last initiative not risk undoing all the excellent work of the rest?
Sounds like you're a Lib Dem really..😏
No, I'd just like to see those Tories wising up.
I'm Labour through and through. Wilson, Castle, Benn, Foot, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband, Starmer, Gardiner, it's all good for me.
Labour.
Surely you've missed someone vital, nay transcendent, off that list? Accidentally I am sure.
Yes, omission doesn't mean anything negative. The Labour movement has countless icons.
I personally have a thing for some of those Wilson era figures. Crossman, Crossland, Jenkins, Healey, and on the union side, Jones, Scanlon, Jackson.
Absolutely nothing wrong with all of that stuff. Consensus collectivism. It will return one day.
Well flares keep coming back into fashion so I guess
For good reason. They look great. As does so much of 70s era political philosophy. Note how the idea that public essentials should be publicly owned is no longer considered to be the ravings of a lunatic.
Only spoke to 80 people, perhaps, so totally unscientific, but I met more people planning to vote Green than Tory.
Essentially zero of the discontent with Labour (of which there is a lot!) is being channeled towards the Tory party….
You can get 125/1 on the Tories winning, which is consistent with Bastani's observation.
I suggest the Tories need to attack Reform UK relentlessly if they want to beat them anywhere.
The starting point for a Tory recovery is them deciding what they are for, not what they are against. Then they need to start explaining how Joe and Jane Average benefit from it.
Incessant moaning about modernity is not policy, and anyway that is Reforms bag now.
The contemporary iteration of the tory part is just being AliExpress Fukkers. I have no idea where they go next nor, I suspect, do they. Some brexit contrition and re-engagement on environmental matters might be a start. Or it might make things even worse. Lol.
I am able to bring this site the unique (actually there are zillions of us) insight of a sickened ex-Tory who believes the party became toxic which believed it could out-Reform Reform only to find, as small children in Hartlepool could have told you, that you can never out-extreme the extremes.
I would like, from the Tories, some "Europe is our closest and largest trading partner, therefore..." and some "we understand the trans issue and then [Nick Herbert's excellent piece]" and some "Party of economic stability" and also some "public sector vital for the nation but shouldn't be immune to reform" and then, ofc, naming me President for Life with a free (as I googled it, tyvm) Toyota Century plus driver.
Then I would take a second look.
Yes. A damn good detox. But would the last initiative not risk undoing all the excellent work of the rest?
Sounds like you're a Lib Dem really..😏
No, I'd just like to see those Tories wising up.
I'm Labour through and through. Wilson, Castle, Benn, Foot, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband, Starmer, Gardiner, it's all good for me.
Labour.
Surely you've missed someone vital, nay transcendent, off that list? Accidentally I am sure.
Yes, omission doesn't mean anything negative. The Labour movement has countless icons.
I personally have a thing for some of those Wilson era figures. Crossman, Crossland, Jenkins, Healey, and on the union side, Jones, Scanlon, Jackson.
Absolutely nothing wrong with all of that stuff. Consensus collectivism. It will return one day.
Also the crew that gave us stagflation and took us to our economic nadir with the IMF bailout and the Winter of Discontent, at least Margaret Thatcher put in years of hard graft and temporarily reversed our decline.
Forgive me if I don't join you in celebrating that bunch of obviously out-of-their-depth losers.
Don't be unfair they did there job well as they were employed by the ussr
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
I did Toronto all the way through to Vancouver by train . I’d miss out the Toronto to Calgary leg if I did that again as it wasn’t that exciting and would just take a flight .The Calgary to Vancouver leg through Banff was amazing , out of this world . Next time I want to add in Churchill, Manitoba to hopefully see the polar bears , Quebec City and Atlantic Canada . I absolutely love Canada .
Only spoke to 80 people, perhaps, so totally unscientific, but I met more people planning to vote Green than Tory.
Essentially zero of the discontent with Labour (of which there is a lot!) is being channeled towards the Tory party….
You can get 125/1 on the Tories winning, which is consistent with Bastani's observation.
I suggest the Tories need to attack Reform UK relentlessly if they want to beat them anywhere.
The starting point for a Tory recovery is them deciding what they are for, not what they are against. Then they need to start explaining how Joe and Jane Average benefit from it.
Incessant moaning about modernity is not policy, and anyway that is Reforms bag now.
The contemporary iteration of the tory part is just being AliExpress Fukkers. I have no idea where they go next nor, I suspect, do they. Some brexit contrition and re-engagement on environmental matters might be a start. Or it might make things even worse. Lol.
I am able to bring this site the unique (actually there are zillions of us) insight of a sickened ex-Tory who believes the party became toxic which believed it could out-Reform Reform only to find, as small children in Hartlepool could have told you, that you can never out-extreme the extremes.
I would like, from the Tories, some "Europe is our closest and largest trading partner, therefore..." and some "we understand the trans issue and then [Nick Herbert's excellent piece]" and some "Party of economic stability" and also some "public sector vital for the nation but shouldn't be immune to reform" and then, ofc, naming me President for Life with a free (as I googled it, tyvm) Toyota Century plus driver.
Then I would take a second look.
Yes. A damn good detox. But would the last initiative not risk undoing all the excellent work of the rest?
Sounds like you're a Lib Dem really..😏
No, I'd just like to see those Tories wising up.
I'm Labour through and through. Wilson, Castle, Benn, Foot, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband, Starmer, Gardiner, it's all good for me.
Labour.
Surely you've missed someone vital, nay transcendent, off that list? Accidentally I am sure.
Yes, omission doesn't mean anything negative. The Labour movement has countless icons.
I personally have a thing for some of those Wilson era figures. Crossman, Crossland, Jenkins, Healey, and on the union side, Jones, Scanlon, Jackson.
Absolutely nothing wrong with all of that stuff. Consensus collectivism. It will return one day.
Well flares keep coming back into fashion so I guess
For good reason. They look great. As does so much of 70s era political philosophy. Note how the idea that public essentials should be publicly owned is no longer considered to be the ravings of a lunatic.
They don't look good and no 70's political philosophy doesn't appeal to anyone t hat was there where public services were run for the benefit of those employed. The only people generally who favour nationalisation especially of rail were the ones who never had to put up with the absolute shit that was br
If the retail price of the dress is $22 then the import price will be far less than that.
I understood the tariff to be on the import price rather than the retail price. Am I wrong? It probably didn't cost more than a couple of bucks to make and deliver the dress CIF to a US port of your choice.
Yes, that’s how I understand it. Based on the import value on the import paperwork.
The retail price then has all of the local cost drivers added to it as well as the profit. For example if inco terms are CIF to port then the cost of onward delivery to the warehouse will need to be covered and not be covered by tariffs.
I suspect a few companies will see this as an opportunity to gouge prices.
Indeed so a $5 CIF pair of Nikes retailing for a hundred bucks would be around $12 CIF plus tariff. The onward cost to store and on to POS would be the same so the reality is the sneakers should be circa $107. However I can't imagine the retailer won't take the opportunity to. jack the price up to $125.
Even with tariffs at 145% I can't imagine Nike shutting up shop in China and moving to Illinois. A $200,000 John Deere tractor might be somewhat different, although it doesn't have to be necessarily.
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
Would love to do The Canadian. Can't see the attraction of The Rocky Mountaineer, where the overnights are in hotels.
It stops in Kamloops, which is a shithole.
Also, it's worth noting - unlike in the UK - in Canada freight trains have priority, which is a travesty, but they make way more money for CNR and you can wait, sometimes hours, if they have a right of way.
Can anyone tell me why Ukraine should observe the Russian three day ceasefire so that Putin can have his parade in Moscow without fear of drones attacking left, right and centre? No doubt the Russians could use the three days to get some respite for the depleted forces. If Ukraine agrees it will surely be because its supporters have not just gone wobbly but turned into jelly. We have what looks like a surprisingly hawkish German government coming into office at which moment Europe (including UK) will quietly betray Ukraine so as not to displease Donald Trump.
Thank you for blowing the whistle on Starmer's treachery. I haven't seen it written anywhere other than PB yet (perhaps Leon could run the expose in the Spectator) but that would demonstrate our Prime Minister might be a disgusting quisling. Thank you.
I've had an absolutely beautiful day, almost every step of the way
Yesterday was actually pretty bleak; the weather was poor, the scenery was disappointing, and nothing was open since it was a Sunday. The only thing that rescued the day was the lovely hotel I stayed in
Today, the weather has been glorious - possibly a little too warm, but manageable. The views have been spectacular all day; I took loads of pictures, but I can't pick one out
My first stop of the day was at a very local "fumoir", a purveyor of fine cured meats from a hut by the side of the road. I left with a tasty saucisson and two cold bottles of Basque cider
The cider lasted just long enough for me to find a little Basque store that had cans of local craft beers. Fully stocked again I pressed on
At my first beer stop afterwards, I decided to book somewhere to stay in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Last year when I arrived there wasn't a room of any kind in twenty-five miles
I found a nice looking Airbnb and booked it, but it wasn't confirmed - I had to wait for the host to reply. Three hours later, at 5pm, he still hadn't. So I cancelled the booking and made another
The same happened again - no reply. So at 6, I cancelled that booking and went to booking.com. Thankfully I found a (quite pricey) room right in the centre of town. Just as I got the booking confirmation, I took the photo here. My room (which is even better than last night’s) is a hundred yards down the street, and the pilgrim girls in the pic had themselves just found a room for the night
I’m now having dinner at a Basque restaurant; I’ve had delicious baby trout to start and am waiting for my baby squid main course
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
I did Toronto all the way through to Vancouver by train . I’d miss out the Toronto to Calgary leg if I did that again as it wasn’t that exciting and would just take a flight .The Calgary to Vancouver leg through Banff was amazing , out of this world . Next time I want to add in Churchill, Manitoba to hopefully see the polar bears , Quebec City and Atlantic Canada . I absolutely love Canada .
I have done Halifax to Vancouver by train -- sleeper train to Quebec City, then day trains to Toronto, and then the Canadian to Vancouver, with a stopoff in Jasper along the way. I really enjoyed it: you get to see all the variation in Canadian cities, starting small and often European feeling on the east coast and gradually getting newer and more skyscrapery on the west. Also, when you've done a bunch of touristing and moving from hotel to hotel on the first part, it's nice to get on board the Canadian and know that you don't need to go anywhere or do anything for a few days, just enjoy the views, read books, and eat the food...
(Political connection: the train I was on for part of the journey -- I think the train into Québec City -- was one that Michael Portillo was also on to film one of his railway journey TV programmes.)
I've had an absolutely beautiful day, almost every step of the way
Yesterday was actually pretty bleak; the weather was poor, the scenery was disappointing, and nothing was open since it was a Sunday. The only thing that rescued the day was the lovely hotel I stayed in
Today, the weather has been glorious - possibly a little too warm, but manageable. The views have been spectacular all day; I took loads of pictures, but I can't pick one out
My first stop of the day was at a very local "fumoir", a purveyor of fine cured meats from a hut by the side of the road. I left with a tasty saucisson and two cold bottles of Basque cider
The cider lasted just long enough for me to find a little Basque store that had cans of local craft beers. Fully stocked again I pressed on
At my first beer stop afterwards, I decided to book somewhere to stay in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Last year when I arrived there wasn't a room of any kind in twenty-five miles
I found a nice looking Airbnb and booked it, but it wasn't confirmed - I had to wait for the host to reply. Three hours later, at 5pm, he still hadn't. So I cancelled the booking and made another
The same happened again - no reply. So at 6, I cancelled that booking and went to booking.com. Thankfully I found a (quite pricey) room right in the centre of town. Just as I got the booking confirmation, I took the photo here. My room (which is even better than last night’s) is a hundred yards down the street, and the pilgrim girls in the pic had themselves just found a room for the night
I’m now having dinner at a Basque restaurant; I’ve had delicious baby trout to start and am waiting for my baby squid main course
Thank-you. Well done to PB's peripatetic perambulating postman.
It's been a lovely day here, too. I'm not to your scale (yet), however I have met two goals today - averaging in excess of 10k steps per day over a week, and over 5k steps per day during April.
Our NHS has been stuck in the dark ages — that ends now.
By using the latest technology and expanding the NHS app, my government will slash waiting lists, get patients seen faster, and save taxpayers money.
Wouldn't it be great if Starmer could improve the delivery and rationalise the cost of NHS provision, just in time for Nigel to sell it to a US Healthcare provider for a pound, thus removing the liability of HMG and providing new Ministers with beachfront homes in West Palm Beach and Naples.
Our NHS has been stuck in the dark ages — that ends now.
By using the latest technology and expanding the NHS app, my government will slash waiting lists, get patients seen faster, and save taxpayers money.
Wouldn't it be great if Starmer could improve the delivery and rationalise the cost of NHS provision, just in time for Nigel to sell it to a US Healthcare provider for a pound, thus removing the liability of HMG and providing new Ministers with beachfront homes in West Palm Beach and Naples.
Would love to know who the Government thinks can write IT systems that actually improves things because they are likely to outsource it to a bunch of idiots
Probably seems a bit much unless the US President were an overgrown toddler desperate to be seen as a 'peacemaker', so who knows - if he can avoid Vance for a few days Trump might even be more reasonable.
Lavrov says Russia wants any peace deal to have "international recognition" of Crimea and the four other Ukrainian provinces it's annexed as an "imperative." That would mark a hardening of what was already a very hardline Russian position. https://nitter.poast.org/maxseddon/status/1916789577425047605#m
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
I would be tempted to do it in a fortnight, so as to not annoy Mrs Foxy too much. It's not her sort of thing. Did you go solo? I get there's a lot of monotony to the landscape at parts, but that is part of the trip as far as I am concerned. I have done some long road trips in the past, across Australia from South to North, and from Dallas to Las Vegas, from Tuscon to Puerto Vallata and that is part of the experience of surface travel. Flying is quicker but far more dull.
What time of year did you go? I was thinking autumn.
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
Would love to do The Canadian. Can't see the attraction of The Rocky Mountaineer, where the overnights are in hotels.
Some of the overnights are pretty spectacular, though.
The East coast releases its results around 7:30pmET/12:30amBST (ie just after midnight tonight) The West coast releases its results around 10pmET/3amBST
Notes * It's Canada so the constituencies are called "ridings". If memory serves they stand, not run. * @MoonRabbit has bet on the Conservatives winning most votes. I have bet on the Liberals. So it's a battle of the Titans (cue that David Mitchell video on WATCH THE FOOTBALL). * I have bet £20 on the outcome. This may be the smallest or second smallest amount I have ever bet on an election. By comparison I had approx £1K on POTUS24 and UKGE24. Sorry Canada but I had my head up the Hyperliberalism article and could not clear the headspace/Désolé Canada, mais j'avais lu l'article sur l'hyperlibéralisme et je n'ai pas réussi à me vider la tête.
Can anyone tell me why Ukraine should observe the Russian three day ceasefire so that Putin can have his parade in Moscow without fear of drones attacking left, right and centre? No doubt the Russians could use the three days to get some respite for the depleted forces. If Ukraine agrees it will surely be because its supporters have not just gone wobbly but turned into jelly. We have what looks like a surprisingly hawkish German government coming into office at which moment Europe (including UK) will quietly betray Ukraine so as not to displease Donald Trump.
May 9th is a big event in Ukraine too.
Six million Ukranians died in ww2, and while there were a few Banderite dead the vast majority both military and Civilian were killed by the Nazis.
The Battle honours of the 1st Ukranian Front put most armies to shame. It was them who met the US Troops on the Elbe.
The East coast releases its results around 7:30pmET/12:30amBST (ie just after midnight tonight) The West coast releases its results around 10pmET/3amBST
Notes * It's Canada so the constituencies are called "ridings". If memory serves they stand, not run. * @MoonRabbit has bet on the Conservatives winning most votes. I have bet on the Liberals. So it's a battle of the Titans (cue that David Mitchell video on WATCH THE FOOTBALL). * I have bet £20 on the outcome. This may be the smallest or second smallest amount I have ever bet on an election. By comparison I had approx £1K on POTUS24 and UKGE24. Sorry Canada but I had my head up the Hyperliberalism article and could not clear the headspace/Désolé Canada, mais j'avais lu l'article sur l'hyperlibéralisme et je n'ai pas réussi à me vider la tête.
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
Would love to do The Canadian. Can't see the attraction of The Rocky Mountaineer, where the overnights are in hotels.
Some of the overnights are pretty spectacular, though.
Right, but you can have them without paying through the nose for the fancy private train...
The East coast releases its results around 7:30pmET/12:30amBST (ie just after midnight tonight) The West coast releases its results around 10pmET/3amBST
Notes * It's Canada so the constituencies are called "ridings". If memory serves they stand, not run. * @MoonRabbit has bet on the Conservatives winning most votes. I have bet on the Liberals. So it's a battle of the Titans (cue that David Mitchell video on WATCH THE FOOTBALL). * I have bet £20 on the outcome. This may be the smallest or second smallest amount I have ever bet on an election. By comparison I had approx £1K on POTUS24 and UKGE24. Sorry Canada but I had my head up the Hyperliberalism article and could not clear the headspace/Désolé Canada, mais j'avais lu l'article sur l'hyperlibéralisme et je n'ai pas réussi à me vider la tête.
They stand on a riding?
Sounds like a circus trick...
Damn. According to perplexity.ai they run. It's us and the Australians who stand. Curse the maple syrup elbows-up poutine-munchers for their yankification, how very dare they, eh?
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
Would love to do The Canadian. Can't see the attraction of The Rocky Mountaineer, where the overnights are in hotels.
Can't see the point of doing ANY rail route at night! What can you see? How can you take pics?
The Navy has lost a $60 million jet at sea after it fell overboard from aircraft carrier. A U.S. official said that initial reports from the scene indicated that the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier made a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, which contributed to the fighter jet falling overboard
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
Would love to do The Canadian. Can't see the attraction of The Rocky Mountaineer, where the overnights are in hotels.
Can't see the point of doing ANY rail route at night! What can you see? How can you take pics?
To avoid doubling up. I did Oslo --> Bergen nighttime then back during the daytime next day.
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
Would love to do The Canadian. Can't see the attraction of The Rocky Mountaineer, where the overnights are in hotels.
Some of the overnights are pretty spectacular, though.
There was a Dick Francis book set on a trans-Canadian train iirc.
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
Would love to do The Canadian. Can't see the attraction of The Rocky Mountaineer, where the overnights are in hotels.
Can't see the point of doing ANY rail route at night! What can you see? How can you take pics?
To avoid doubling up. I did Oslo --> Bergen nighttime then back during the daytime next day.
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
Would love to do The Canadian. Can't see the attraction of The Rocky Mountaineer, where the overnights are in hotels.
Can't see the point of doing ANY rail route at night! What can you see? How can you take pics?
To travel without wasting one of your sightseeing days. And saving a night’s hotel bill into the bargain.
The East coast releases its results around 7:30pmET/12:30amBST (ie just after midnight tonight) The West coast releases its results around 10pmET/3amBST
Notes * It's Canada so the constituencies are called "ridings". If memory serves they stand, not run. * @MoonRabbit has bet on the Conservatives winning most votes. I have bet on the Liberals. So it's a battle of the Titans (cue that David Mitchell video on WATCH THE FOOTBALL). * I have bet £20 on the outcome. This may be the smallest or second smallest amount I have ever bet on an election. By comparison I had approx £1K on POTUS24 and UKGE24. Sorry Canada but I had my head up the Hyperliberalism article and could not clear the headspace/Désolé Canada, mais j'avais lu l'article sur l'hyperlibéralisme et je n'ai pas réussi à me vider la tête.
You're stepping on DoubleCarpet's toes with these links. Only joking, thanks.
I'd really really like it if Carney or someone else started spending lots of time publicly floating the idea that secessionist states could join a new union with Canada for no apparent reason other than to be a bell-end.
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
Would love to do The Canadian. Can't see the attraction of The Rocky Mountaineer, where the overnights are in hotels.
Can't see the point of doing ANY rail route at night! What can you see? How can you take pics?
To travel without wasting one of your sightseeing days. And saving a night’s hotel bill into the bargain.
They are showing a video of Farage being sensible and pragmatic. Surely that just helps him get votes unless it puts people off who want a loon and that portrays him as not being a loon.
It isn't quite that simple. The discussion is moving rapidly in the direction of deportations. So what might have seemed a move toward the comfy centre, parking tanks on the Tories lawn, now does look rather weak and a rare political misstep. People are not voting for Nigel so he can shrug his shoulders and tell them it's all too hard. That's what the other parties do.
The Lowe affair means that this sort of thing now seriously upsets many people on the Reform side. I am not sure it will depress the vote seriously, but it certainly discomfits the Reform leadership.
Don't forget that Reform have now come round to deportations.
I'd really really like it if Carney or someone else started spending lots of time publicly floating the idea that secessionist states could join a new union with Canada for no apparent reason other than to be a bell-end.
Best not to respond to Trolls. Ignoring them is generally the best strategy.
I'd really really like it if Carney or someone else started spending lots of time publicly floating the idea that secessionist states could join a new union with Canada for no apparent reason other than to be a bell-end.
Best not to respond to Trolls. Ignoring them is generally the best strategy.
You're probably right. I would be a childish PM. Still, it'd feel good.
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
Sorry I have to still disagree with that idea, I don't believe it for a moment
How would you know.
How would you?
I have a trans friend I have known for 30 years the first 20 years they were a he and the very epitome of toxic masculinity....ex squaddie....goaded other guys into gut punching competitions in pubs. Constantly being the hard man. Not sounding like your example of someone escaping toxic masculinity
Exactly sounding like my example of someone escaping toxic masculinity.
See also: US preachers railing against homosexuality who....
My question is - how does someone born male know what it is like to be a female? And vice versa?
I've no idea what it is like to be anyone else, never mind someone of the opposite sex.
I could certainly see that society expects certain things, but that's not innate.
Is the critical question.
Hence my theory. People know what they are and might be alienated by it so embrace what they think is the opposite of that. See young girls and puberty.
I read a long interview with the famous man who became a 'female' police officer. He was a very macho successful man in his own terms, in a loving relationship with a woman to whom he was attracted. But he just couldn't control his feelings that he was meant to be a woman, and it manifested itself in all sorts of ways, from make up, to high heels, until eventually his happy marriage had to go and he ended up alone (hope he/she has found somebody now). He underwent a full surgical transition, amd complementary operations to his face, but was open about the fact that as a large, muscly man, he would only ever be an approximation of a woman. But he still had to do it.
That is the person for whom gender reassignment was invented, and I have no hesitation in saying that's the sort of person who should be able to use ladies facilities because quite apart from not having the necessary equipment, she would only ever seek to protect and serve biological women.
What we have done is mistakenly lumped in feminine gay people, cross dressers, drag Queens, frustrated sportsman and perverts, and said that they can (and should) all be women. To the cost both of biological women and of genuine transsexuals who have no choice.
btw as we haven't had enough, or indeed any loo or trans talk today I thought I would share my insights as to what and why (some, many, most) trans people are trans. Trigger Warning: this may involve some stereotypes but bear with me.
MTF first (not unreasonable to think that FTM might "just" be the obverse of this):
Let's say you are a biological male. From a very early age you realise not only that the world is competitive, but that it is uniquely competitive from a male perspective. Not only that but it is nasty and brutish and the first manifestation of this often comes at school where violence can be a go-to method of asserting oneself, creating hierarchies, settling disputes over sherbet dabs and what have you. And it doesn't really let up. As you progress to and through the teens into youthdom and early adulthood the competitive world gets no easier and, critically, no less rough. The concept of "macho" begins to manifest itself and although not easily definable it includes elements such as being faster, stronger, competitive, fighting, fearlessness, and bravado (incomplete list).
But you are a gentle soul. You don't like all that and believe it is absurd that anyone could or should be judged on such terms. What does it matter if that bloke looked at your pint, or called you a pussy, or in other ways tried to assert themselves over you. It doesn't mean anything to you and you'd rather avoid all that. You'd rather opt out of that set of expectations and stereotypes and the pressure of having to "man up" all the time.
And one of the ways (there are several) that you could do this, that you could simply avoid those pressures and obligations to be "a man" are to say that, well, you are not a man. You would rather live your life where you walk into a pub and no one is eyeing you up, and you don't have to worry if you have violated some code or behavioural mode or expectation or are wearing the wrong clothes (I appreciate the irony here for MTF trans people). You just live your life free of that stuff. So you declare you are a woman. And all of a sudden you don't have to worry about that any more. You now have no such pressure. You can just jettison that side of life. You are free.
Now, of course, you will have any number of other challenges to navigate in your chosen existence mode, and for sure there are plenty of violent, competitive biological women, but that seems to me to be a likely reason why biological men might say they want to be women.
Your welcome.
All I can say is that you're way off-base with my schoolfriend, who was trans at the time, and indeed had the op a couple of decades ago. For him, it was far deeper than the somewhat shallow reasoning you give.
But I'd also add that it's unlikely to be just one singular reason for all m-t-f trans people, and might well be a whole matter of 'reasons'.
And why would someone so avoidant decide to put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to be transgender? that is inviting societal pressure not escaping it.
Its more likely they become light house keepers or database administrators.
Yes, from my direct experience, Topping's theory seems implausible.
This says that there is no such thing as masculinity, or machismo, or bravado or those other things I described...
No, it's saying that the trans kids I came across when my son was in school all suffered the same kind of social pressures - severe bullying in some cases, in others family rejection (a couple are still completely estranged) - that your theory that it's some sort of escape from social pressures just seems highly unlikely.
From what my daughters have told me compared to my son I think the social pressures on girls are generally far more extreme for most
I don't disagree; I also have a daughter. My son would laugh at you if you told him it was why he "became trans", though.
I didn't say there weren't pressures and specific pressures on young people. Plus it is perfectly possible for people not to "become" trans but realise they are trans.
My point was that being exposed to (for some boys or men) that let's call it toxic masculinity can be the catalyst for them realising that they are so far removed from that that they must be the most opposite you can get from being a man, and that is to be a woman.
Sorry I have to still disagree with that idea, I don't believe it for a moment
How would you know.
How would you?
I have a trans friend I have known for 30 years the first 20 years they were a he and the very epitome of toxic masculinity....ex squaddie....goaded other guys into gut punching competitions in pubs. Constantly being the hard man. Not sounding like your example of someone escaping toxic masculinity
The overwhelming evidence is that trans people have throughout history hidden their nature, for reasons that are pretty bloody obvious, given the attitude society towards them.
Topping is a decent guy, so I don't include him in this, but the stories of why people are teams that the anti-trans folk tell themselves, are quite something to behold.
EXCL: Senior Whitehall officials have asked golf bosses whether they can host the 2028 Open championship at Donald Trump’s Turnberry course after repeated requests from the US president
Probably seems a bit much unless the US President were an overgrown toddler desperate to be seen as a 'peacemaker', so who knows - if he can avoid Vance for a few days Trump might even be more reasonable.
Lavrov says Russia wants any peace deal to have "international recognition" of Crimea and the four other Ukrainian provinces it's annexed as an "imperative." That would mark a hardening of what was already a very hardline Russian position. https://nitter.poast.org/maxseddon/status/1916789577425047605#m
I don't think a peace deal is possible. Too far apart.
What is possible is an armistice or semi-permanent ceasefire on current lines.
Both parties agree to stop fighting including bombing and drone attacks. Ukraine agrees not to use force to remove Russia from its territory but retains the aspiration for the removal of Russia from its territory, including Crimea, but by diplomatic means only. It retains the right to seek membership of the EU and NATO. Both parties retain the right to strengthen their forces including support from allies. Europe retains sanctions against Russia. US probably not.
This will freeze the conflict and probably lead to a permanent DMZ whereby Ukraine loses Crimea but doesn't formally recognise the fact.
Tory council leader steps down over 'jobs for pals' recording
The Sunday Mail reported that it was given a 2023 tape of Martin Dowey, in which he calls council officers "useless" and boasts that "all the top ones I can sack".
The Conservative councillor also appears to promise help to secure multi-million pound demolition jobs - including work at Ayr's fire-damaged Station Hotel.
Cllr Dowey, 56, said he had "acted properly at all times" and requested a full investigation to "clear this up".
He said: "As a former police officer, I respect the law and follow the rules at all times."
The Navy has lost a $60 million jet at sea after it fell overboard from aircraft carrier. A U.S. official said that initial reports from the scene indicated that the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier made a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, which contributed to the fighter jet falling overboard
EXCL: Senior Whitehall officials have asked golf bosses whether they can host the 2028 Open championship at Donald Trump’s Turnberry course after repeated requests from the US president
It is rather stupid of them not to have got on the front foot and be dangling it as part of the US trade deal.
That's this Government all over - their EU 'negotiations' are just as disastrous. So far we appear to have agreed to a 'youth mobility' scheme, alignment on food, and fishing rights, and we have asked for nothing except the 'right to bid' for EU defence contracts. Chagos isn't a fluke, Labour really are just that bad at standing up for the national interest.
EXCL: Senior Whitehall officials have asked golf bosses whether they can host the 2028 Open championship at Donald Trump’s Turnberry course after repeated requests from the US president
“Whitehall officials have asked whether it could be arranged for Trump to be declared an honorary Open winner in recognition of his lifetime contribution to the sport.”
It's weird to think I was using the Porto metro yesterday afternoon and today it was apparently down due to the power outage. Some people must have missed their flights today if they were relying on it to get there.
Tory council leader steps down over 'jobs for pals' recording
The Sunday Mail reported that it was given a 2023 tape of Martin Dowey, in which he calls council officers "useless" and boasts that "all the top ones I can sack".
The Conservative councillor also appears to promise help to secure multi-million pound demolition jobs - including work at Ayr's fire-damaged Station Hotel.
Cllr Dowey, 56, said he had "acted properly at all times" and requested a full investigation to "clear this up".
He said: "As a former police officer, I respect the law and follow the rules at all times."
Is that why the cops fired him? For respecting the law and following the rules?
It's weird to think I was using the Porto metro yesterday afternoon and today it was apparently down due to the power outage. Some people must have missed their flights today if they were relying on it to get there.
Can anyone tell me why Ukraine should observe the Russian three day ceasefire so that Putin can have his parade in Moscow without fear of drones attacking left, right and centre? No doubt the Russians could use the three days to get some respite for the depleted forces. If Ukraine agrees it will surely be because its supporters have not just gone wobbly but turned into jelly. We have what looks like a surprisingly hawkish German government coming into office at which moment Europe (including UK) will quietly betray Ukraine so as not to displease Donald Trump.
May 9th is a big event in Ukraine too.
Six million Ukranians died in ww2, and while there were a few Banderite dead the vast majority both military and Civilian were killed by the Nazis.
The Battle honours of the 1st Ukranian Front put most armies to shame. It was them who met the US Troops on the Elbe.
The only trans I want to talk about tonight is trans-Canadian election reporting.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
As the Trans-Siberian is off for the foreseeable future, I have been musing doing the Trans-Canadian instead, preferably East to West.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I've only done it from Halifax to Toronto, via Truro, Miramichi, Newcastle-Chatham and Quebec, Ottawa (detour) etc. I've also done Banff to Vancouver. I haven't done the prairies and western provinces in the middle.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
I would be tempted to do it in a fortnight, so as to not annoy Mrs Foxy too much. It's not her sort of thing. Did you go solo? I get there's a lot of monotony to the landscape at parts, but that is part of the trip as far as I am concerned. I have done some long road trips in the past, across Australia from South to North, and from Dallas to Las Vegas, from Tuscon to Puerto Vallata and that is part of the experience of surface travel. Flying is quicker but far more dull.
What time of year did you go? I was thinking autumn.
Thanks for the other contributors too.
Hi, solo on first run and with my wife on the second, pre kids. Canada is just epic so I'd recommend it.
The Rocky Mountaineer had a hi-de-hi coach party vibe (forced fun) thing to it, which wasn't my cup of tea, but lots of retirees seemed to love it.
EXCL: Senior Whitehall officials have asked golf bosses whether they can host the 2028 Open championship at Donald Trump’s Turnberry course after repeated requests from the US president
Comments
He asks what is a woman.
In Toronto we lived in an apartment block which constituted a polling precinct. As soon as the polls closed the ballot box was opened in front of party observers and counted. The result was then phoned in to a central point for that riding. So within half an hour of the poll closing we knew how our apartment block had voted and the parties soon had a pretty clear idea of who was winning overall as they could look at the result for the block and compare it to previous elections.
The other interesting feature is that the results are broken down for individual groups of around 100 -200 voters. Very different to UK where we only ever get to know the result for the whole constituency.
The two key ones there are Miramichi-Grand Lake, and Fredericton-Oromocto.
Both are very closely contested between the LPC and CPC .
Here’s a bit more about Fredericton-Oromocto.
https://www.ipolitics.ca/2025/03/25/battleground-breakdown-the-path-for-a-majority-goes-through-fredericton-oromocto-say-experts/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_River
I expect by 3am UK time we'll know.
Ooh er...
This was even though there's a favourite there's been such a shift in position with the new PM and the orange ogre to the south, and still the prospect of opposition gains and changes with the smaller parties that it is surely one of the most interesting 'incumbent returned' elections.
What it did do however as she looked the part, not like a man in a dress is make it harder for the few people who used to intervene before when she was male to stop it.
I'm saying the election result will be clear by the time Ontario and Quebec come in.
https://x.com/keir_starmer/status/1916750747540095053
Our NHS has been stuck in the dark ages — that ends now.
By using the latest technology and expanding the NHS app, my government will slash waiting lists, get patients seen faster, and save taxpayers money.
Or the Trans Canadian Railway.
That'll do too.
Has anyone on PB done it and want to share some tips?
I personally have a thing for some of those Wilson era figures. Crossman, Crossland, Jenkins, Healey, and on the union side, Jones, Scanlon, Jackson.
Absolutely nothing wrong with all of that stuff. Consensus collectivism. It will return one day.
My main conclusions were: (a) it's cool, (b) the stations are somewhat bland and sometimes nowhere near the centre, (c) it's repetitive, Canada is full of billions of endless pine trees and not much else, (d) it's fucking large - you can go ages without much change, so bring good tunes, a book, or talk to people.
The trans continental epicness outweighs any negatives.
That he thinks Canada should become the equivalent of Alaska or North Dakota or Vermont shows his utter lack of respect for others.
Forgive me if I don't join you in celebrating that bunch of obviously out-of-their-depth losers.
Even with tariffs at 145% I can't imagine Nike shutting up shop in China and moving to Illinois. A $200,000 John Deere tractor might be somewhat different, although it doesn't have to be necessarily.
Indian MP Nishikant Dubey-“Pakistan will be divided into four parts by the end of 2025."
Also, it's worth noting - unlike in the UK - in Canada freight trains have priority, which is a travesty, but they make way more money for CNR and you can wait, sometimes hours, if they have a right of way.
Yesterday was actually pretty bleak; the weather was poor, the scenery was disappointing, and nothing was open since it was a Sunday. The only thing that rescued the day was the lovely hotel I stayed in
Today, the weather has been glorious - possibly a little too warm, but manageable. The views have been spectacular all day; I took loads of pictures, but I can't pick one out
My first stop of the day was at a very local "fumoir", a purveyor of fine cured meats from a hut by the side of the road. I left with a tasty saucisson and two cold bottles of Basque cider
The cider lasted just long enough for me to find a little Basque store that had cans of local craft beers. Fully stocked again I pressed on
At my first beer stop afterwards, I decided to book somewhere to stay in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Last year when I arrived there wasn't a room of any kind in twenty-five miles
I found a nice looking Airbnb and booked it, but it wasn't confirmed - I had to wait for the host to reply. Three hours later, at 5pm, he still hadn't. So I cancelled the booking and made another
The same happened again - no reply. So at 6, I cancelled that booking and went to booking.com. Thankfully I found a (quite pricey) room right in the centre of town. Just as I got the booking confirmation, I took the photo here. My room (which is even better than last night’s) is a hundred yards down the street, and the pilgrim girls in the pic had themselves just found a room for the night
I’m now having dinner at a Basque restaurant; I’ve had delicious baby trout to start and am waiting for my baby squid main course
(Political connection: the train I was on for part of the journey -- I think the train into Québec City -- was one that Michael Portillo was also on to film one of his railway journey TV programmes.)
Nothing revolutionises the NHS in the short term, it is all incremental.
The public will only reward actual change, on which they have already made a decent start.
It's been a lovely day here, too. I'm not to your scale (yet), however I have met two goals today - averaging in excess of 10k steps per day over a week, and over 5k steps per day during April.
Onwards and upwards.
https://x.com/thebarmyarmy/status/1916906596371701814?s=61
Lavrov says Russia wants any peace deal to have "international recognition" of Crimea and the four other Ukrainian provinces it's annexed as an "imperative." That would mark a hardening of what was already a very hardline Russian position.
https://nitter.poast.org/maxseddon/status/1916789577425047605#m
What time of year did you go? I was thinking autumn.
Thanks for the other contributors too.
10,300,812 Radical Left (60%)
6,633,094 Radical Right (39%)
100,337 Radical Centrist Dads/Moms (1%)
17,034,243 Total Vote
https://enr.elections.ca/National.aspx?lang=e
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-canada-election-results/
https://globalnews.ca/news/11095128/canada-election-live-results-2025-vote/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt2bgNChUnw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vfaDsMhCF4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SATBOqyYODU
The East coast releases its results around 7:30pmET/12:30amBST (ie just after midnight tonight)
The West coast releases its results around 10pmET/3amBST
Notes
* It's Canada so the constituencies are called "ridings". If memory serves they stand, not run.
* @MoonRabbit has bet on the Conservatives winning most votes. I have bet on the Liberals. So it's a battle of the Titans (cue that David Mitchell video on WATCH THE FOOTBALL).
* I have bet £20 on the outcome. This may be the smallest or second smallest amount I have ever bet on an election. By comparison I had approx £1K on POTUS24 and UKGE24. Sorry Canada but I had my head up the Hyperliberalism article and could not clear the headspace/Désolé Canada, mais j'avais lu l'article sur l'hyperlibéralisme et je n'ai pas réussi à me vider la tête.
Six million Ukranians died in ww2, and while there were a few Banderite dead the vast majority both military and Civilian were killed by the Nazis.
The Battle honours of the 1st Ukranian Front put most armies to shame. It was them who met the US Troops on the Elbe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Ukrainian_Front#:~:text=The 1st Ukrainian Front (Russian,the capital of Nazi Germany.
Sounds like a circus trick...
The Navy has lost a $60 million jet at sea after it fell overboard from aircraft carrier. A U.S. official said that initial reports from the scene indicated that the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier made a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, which contributed to the fighter jet falling overboard
https://x.com/kaitlancollins/status/1916932914861707440
The Lowe affair means that this sort of thing now seriously upsets many people on the Reform side. I am not sure it will depress the vote seriously, but it certainly discomfits the Reform leadership.
Don't forget that Reform have now come round to deportations.
Now if you said Trump's tan...
https://x.com/LondonEconomic/status/1916893414383063066
That is the person for whom gender reassignment was invented, and I have no hesitation in saying that's the sort of person who should be able to use ladies facilities because quite apart from not having the necessary equipment, she would only ever seek to protect and serve biological women.
What we have done is mistakenly lumped in feminine gay people, cross dressers, drag Queens, frustrated sportsman and perverts, and said that they can (and should) all be women. To the cost both of biological women and of genuine transsexuals who have no choice.
Topping is a decent guy, so I don't include him in this, but the stories of why people are teams that the anti-trans folk tell themselves, are quite something to behold.
@PippaCrerar
EXCL: Senior Whitehall officials have asked golf bosses whether they can host the 2028 Open championship at Donald Trump’s Turnberry course after repeated requests from the US president
https://x.com/PippaCrerar/status/1916940692393496872
What is possible is an armistice or semi-permanent ceasefire on current lines.
Both parties agree to stop fighting including bombing and drone attacks.
Ukraine agrees not to use force to remove Russia from its territory but retains the aspiration for the removal of Russia from its territory, including Crimea, but by diplomatic means only.
It retains the right to seek membership of the EU and NATO.
Both parties retain the right to strengthen their forces including support from allies.
Europe retains sanctions against Russia. US probably not.
This will freeze the conflict and probably lead to a permanent DMZ whereby Ukraine loses Crimea but doesn't formally recognise the fact.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yrzllne9yo
Tory council leader steps down over 'jobs for pals' recording
The Sunday Mail reported that it was given a 2023 tape of Martin Dowey, in which he calls council officers "useless" and boasts that "all the top ones I can sack".
The Conservative councillor also appears to promise help to secure multi-million pound demolition jobs - including work at Ayr's fire-damaged Station Hotel.
Cllr Dowey, 56, said he had "acted properly at all times" and requested a full investigation to "clear this up".
He said: "As a former police officer, I respect the law and follow the rules at all times."
That's this Government all over - their EU 'negotiations' are just as disastrous. So far we appear to have agreed to a 'youth mobility' scheme, alignment on food, and fishing rights, and we have asked for nothing except the 'right to bid' for EU defence contracts. Chagos isn't a fluke, Labour really are just that bad at standing up for the national interest.
I may have made that bit up.
Just weary disbelief.
The Rocky Mountaineer had a hi-de-hi coach party vibe (forced fun) thing to it, which wasn't my cup of tea, but lots of retirees seemed to love it.
I went in the Summer both times.