Malcolm Robinson

Ya joshing monsta aint ya?

Cromwell killed off the idea that the monarch had ‘divine’ right to govern a country and so initiated government by elected representatives; although in those days I guess that meant his mates, as has been ever the case! If discrimination is outlawed then positive discrimination should not be allowed either and for this reason I dislike imposed short lists, not to mention the wishes of the constituencies involved! Oh and Pete, she might have CIA membership but I guess not CUI......... Yes Pete Blair did appoint from outside his party but maybe we should look hard at the people he appointed!

Its not the black magic lot again is it?

Hang on a bit Pete, you might be getting a new car with a packet of cornflakes soon!

Pete, We have an electoral system which owes more of its being to the 18th & 19th centuries than anything resembling the 21st we find ourselves in, the party system being a principle part. (If anyone can explain the relevance of party politics in local elections please feel free to explain it to me coz I just don’t see what that has to do with getting the road outside Mrs Smith’s house repaired? If anything it distorts the picture! ) The country is in a mess and at the very least at times like this you need to be able to pick the best people to oversee the workings of government, irrespective of their political allegiances. It has happened before and produced one of the most publically respected political figures in the last 100 years. You mentioned Clarkie and however you feel about his politics he is usually worth listening to. When the media needed an opposition view in the midst of the financial crisis they didn’t go to Osborn they went to Cable, a guy who has no chance of being a minister but because of his wealth of personal expertise actually knew what he was talking about and the public agreed with him. At best we see initiatives based on outdated ideologies which do more harm than good, its ridiculous! Government should be about being fluid and responsive and all the while trying to be proactive in a way which benefits the people it serves not trying to stick to the dogmas of the past, there is no progress in that. The massively long odds gamble taken by the current Gov is akin to laying the country’s testicles on a board and selling a hammer to anyone who wants to use it! If you change them what do you get, more of the same because they have sold their soul to become electable and it’s the party system which has made them do it! So what do you do, vote for an independent, you will probably be wasting your vote because of the way the system works, they will never be allowed into a position of real power. Mainstream political nominations are overseen by the major political parties so anyone with innovative ideas is immediately ‘blackballed’ and quite often replaced with parachuted in figures or constituencies are told who they must have on their shortlists and that is called positive discrimination? The whole thing stinks of nepotism and backslapping and may well be the reason why the electorate are only given certain choices from time to time. Rant over!

And what educational qualifications are those Pete? Do you have to have a first from Cambridge to be able to !*!@# up an economy! Personally I would rather give my vote to someone I could identify with and who knew what the results would mean to the average guy when making their decisions. Most of these people are career politicans with no experience in the world you and I inhabit! In these times of recession and belt tightening they have just awarded themselves massive pay rises, shows just what contempt they hold the rest of us in! They now pontificate over the bankers bonuses they are legally obliged to pay out coz they didn't do their job right.........if you live in a greenhouse don't throw stones! It looks to me like a whole debarcle of double standards and hypocrisy, adjectives which are becoming common place in the political areas these days.

Much better analogy GGG! Having said that I have to say I have found a lot of decent, earnest, hard working people in the public sector who get tainted by the actions of a few. The problem is that the few have now coloured public perception to such a degree that it casts a shadow over all the public sector.

Well done Pete! You tried to access a system which is there for you to use and which you pay for only to find it not working. You may need to think laterally, I tend to go up the food chain because when you get the head honchos involved they normally make sure a minion has to see to you, probably the person you wanted in the first place!

Well this is staring to look like an interesting thread! People being held to account for their own actions, instead of hanging their hat on any flimsy excuse they can think up to get out of any repercussions for what they have done. Responsible, transparent and accountable government, Pete I am shocked! Don’t we like to think our society has these qualities now? If it hasn’t why not, as most people seem to agree with them? We can get an insight into the way government works nowadays looking at what is happening at county level and the introduction of this new Unitary Authority. Despite a majority vote against it is going ahead, promises made during the initial stages are being rescinded, promised saving made due to staff cuts etc are being thrown into salary increases, greater involvement and participation by the communities it serves looks to be just lip service as representative numbers are decimated. Its bull and costly bull at that and not just in time and money. Pete your new party comes about when someone stands up and says enough is enough!

Mongo, Perchance one reason for your recent rent rise?

In every case Mother Nature ‘cures’ overpopulation in her own inimitable way............

GGG, I agree this one looks like a long hard slog. The problem I have is that I think innovative and exciting solutions are needed but for them you need strong leadership, something I cannot see anywhere on the political stage at present. The problem, as I have said many times, is that the current crop of political leaders have no real world experience and in fact are just career politicians who might talk a good fight but when the chips are down run around like headless chickens. I am not even sure the down cycle can be managed because untill you get back to sound economics you just throw good money after bad. Everything which the Gov have done is to get us back into the positions which caused this problem in the first place but saddled with another colossal debt mountain we don’t really have the prospect to repay. If we are to get rid of ‘boom and bust’ we need a different economic model and I would hope that will mean a different political structure to oversee it. I still think S&P’s re-rating of the PIGS and the now possible re-rating of UK and French debt will have real impact because the bond market pays for every major initiative they undertake, be it a war or economic stimulus! (BTW gone through all the stuff we talked about and it looks like there is a blocker! Timing will be critical of course, powder dry for now!)

Where's Charlton Heston when you need him?

Why do vegetarians want anything they`re eating to resemble meat anyway? Something I always wondered about Cympil. Nut cutlet anyone........

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-...ms-1366716.html

HP, Urano! Although I have to say I don't "get" Vic Reeves humour.

Philistines.........

If you’re seriously asking Pete, I assume Merlin was referring to the Fawlety Towers sketch, by reference, when the Germans stayed. “Don’t mention the war’ has since become a popular saying...........you MUST have seen that!

I was due for an appointment with the gynaecologist later in the week. Early one morning, I received a call from the doctor's office to tell me that I had been rescheduled for that morning at 9:30 am. I had only just packed everyone off to work and school, and it was already around 8:45 AM . The trip to his office took about 35 minutes, so I didn't have any time to spare. As most women do, I like to take a little extra effort over hygiene when making such visits, but this time I wasn't going to be able to make the full effort. So, I rushed upstairs, threw off my pajamas, wet the washcloth that was sitting next to the sink, and gave myself a quick wash in that area to make sure I was at least presentable. I threw the washcloth in the clothes basket, donned some clothes, hopped in the car and raced to my appointment. I was in the waiting room for only a few minutes when I was called in. Knowing the procedure, as I'm sure you do, I undressed, hopped up on the table, looked over at the other side of the room and pretended that I was in Paris or some other place a million miles away. I was a little surprised when the doctor said, 'My, we have made an extra effort this morning, haven't we?' I didn't respond. After the appointment, I heaved a sigh of relief and went home. The rest of the day was normal ... Some shopping, cleaning, cooking. After school when my 6 year old daughter was playing, she called out from the bath room, 'Mummy, where's my washcloth?' I told her to get another one from the cupboard. She replied, 'No, I need the one that was here by the sink, it had all my glitter and sparkles saved inside it.' Never going back to that doctor. Ever

Guy goes into pub, orders a pint ,sits down ,looks around the bar and is amazed to see a tiny fellow dressed in white tie and tails about a foot high running up and down the keyboard and playing Rachmaninov's piano concerto. When he's finished his beer he goes for another and asks the barman where he found the piano player, He replied " when I went to the bank yesterday I helped a little old lady across the road, at the other side she thanked me and told me that she was a witch and because of my compassion she was granting me 1 wish, but I think she must have been a bit deaf because I didn't ask for a 12 inch pianist!

Pete, Are you one of the guys we used to take down the street from the day centre, all roped together? I think there are still some beds available in St Georges!

Watch what you are saying Symtoms you might just get the jackboots at the door at 3.00am! I think Stalin would have been proud of some of the measures we see coming into law. Good job we live in a free democracy with freedom of speech............

Its too true to post in jokes............. Lesson 1: A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbour. Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.' After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves. The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?' 'It was Bob the next door neighbour,' she replies. 'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?' Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure. Lesson 2: A priest offered a Nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?' The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?' The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.' Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.' Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity. Lesson 3: A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.' 'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk 'I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.' Puff! She's gone. 'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.’ Puff! He's gone. 'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch' Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say. Lesson 4 An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?' The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.' So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it. Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up. Lesson 5 A turkey was chatting with a bull. 'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.' 'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.' The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree. Moral of the story: Bull !*!@# might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.. Lesson 6 A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him. Morals of the story: (1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy. (2) Not everyone who gets you out of !*!@# is your friend. (3) And when you're in deep !*!@#, it's best to keep your mouth shut!

Many happy returns MrsVic.