Monday 8th December 2014

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 7:05 am

Morning all.

Tories seek to avert rift with Church of England in wake of food bank report

http://gu.com/p/44xdt" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Has got me angry for multiple reasons. Firstly, the article is written in the style of 'well we weren't sure what was happening, but this report appears to explain it, although government sources hint at taking this partisan report with a pinch of salt'. Secondly, BTL is horrible. Truly horrible. If you are poor and hungry then shame on you, it's your own fault. Not only that but you're a drain on society, don't you realise how big the national debt is? Thirdly, given how intertwined the CofE is with the Conservatives (and the number of MPs that use their faith as a shield to display their enhanced qualities) can some interviewer please nail IDS etc down on how these policies tally with any Christian teachings. It's not difficult to show the inherent hypocrisy.

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 7:33 am

StephenDolan wrote:Morning all.

Tories seek to avert rift with Church of England in wake of food bank report

http://gu.com/p/44xdt" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Has got me angry for multiple reasons. Firstly, the article is written in the style of 'well we weren't sure what was happening, but this report appears to explain it, although government sources hint at taking this partisan report with a pinch of salt'. Secondly, BTL is horrible. Truly horrible. If you are poor and hungry then shame on you, it's your own fault. Not only that but you're a drain on society, don't you realise how big the national debt is? Thirdly, given how intertwined the CofE is with the Conservatives (and the number of MPs that use their faith as a shield to display their enhanced qualities) can some interviewer please nail IDS etc down on how these policies tally with any Christian teachings. It's not difficult to show the inherent hypocrisy.

There are indeed some splendid examples of the depths to which humanity can plunge BTL. Some of them seem to think that foodbanks are preventing really effective deficit reduction because those pesky charities are stopping the government from reducing the surplus population.

DonutHingeParty · Post by **DonutHingeParty** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 7:38 am

MPs still paying their spouses to be Office Managers, and guess who's at the top? Its our old Friend Christopher Chope.
What I don't understand is that apparently they're "banded" and Francis Maude, a man who seriously conflicts me as he's done a lot of good for gay people but seriously screws over low paid workers, only pays his wife 14,000. Is this a pro rata thing?

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 8:05 am

Set up twitter account. It's been hacked. I can change the password but then can't log in (even though it's let me change the password it then says it doesn't recognise account). I can't find any contact details for twitter and want to close the account. Can anyone advise?

Post by **refitman** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 8:09 am

tinyclanger2 wrote:Set up twitter account. It's been hacked. I can change the password but then can't log in (even though it's let me change the password it then says it doesn't recognise account). I can't find any contact details for twitter and want to close the account. Can anyone advise?

Tiny, sorry to hear that. Help form is here (you don't need to be signed in): https://support.twitter.com/articles/18 ... n-t-log-in#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 8:12 am

refitman wrote:
tinyclanger2 wrote:Set up twitter account. It's been hacked. I can change the password but then can't log in (even though it's let me change the password it then says it doesn't recognise account). I can't find any contact details for twitter and want to close the account. Can anyone advise?
Tiny, sorry to hear that. Help form is here (you don't need to be signed in): https://support.twitter.com/articles/18 ... n-t-log-in#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hi RFM - thanks. Problem is that just takes you round and round in circles. Doesn't ACTUALLY let you sent in a request form just takes you through the same process of changing password and then saying the account details can't be found. It's quite early to be already tearing hair out. From loving twitter to hating it in less then 12 hours.

Post by **refitman** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 8:16 am

tinyclanger2 wrote:
refitman wrote:
tinyclanger2 wrote:Set up twitter account. It's been hacked. I can change the password but then can't log in (even though it's let me change the password it then says it doesn't recognise account). I can't find any contact details for twitter and want to close the account. Can anyone advise?
Tiny, sorry to hear that. Help form is here (you don't need to be signed in): https://support.twitter.com/articles/18 ... n-t-log-in#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Hi RFM - thanks. Problem is that just takes you round and round in circles. Doesn't ACTUALLY let you sent in a request form just takes you through the same process of changing password and then saying the account details can't be found. It's quite early to be already tearing hair out. From loving twitter to hating it in less then 12 hours.

If you use this link: https://support.twitter.com/forms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and select Hacked Account under Account Access, then "Couldn't sign in", it will change to a contact form.

Hope this helps.

DonutHingeParty · Post by **DonutHingeParty** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 8:18 am

That bloke who co founded the Oxford food bank is whinging about "lefties" taking over in the Maul, in the same way as he did last year in the Telegraph. Never mind that his group isn't even client facing, but just brings food from supermarkets to charities (something the supermarkets should be doing themselves with their fleet of delivery vans - out of hours, naturally)

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 8:18 am

Hi - thanks, will give it a go - where is "couldn't sign in"?

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 8:24 am

They have basically set it up so you CANNOT send any kind of request for help.

Post by **refitman** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 8:31 am

tinyclanger2 wrote:Hi - thanks, will give it a go - where is "couldn't sign in"?

After you select 'Hacked Account', click No then Yes on this page:

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 8:39 am

Excellent thanks - have at least sent off form.

Must have cup of tea to recover. This is why I'm afraid. My technological skills = 0.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 8:49 am

More importantly:

www.uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/photos/the-w ... slideshow/
Alan Shearer mocked for laughable coat

Man's a Geordie. Isn't any coat, ergo, laughable?

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 8:51 am

Morning all.
Isn't the CofE traditionally known as the Tory party at prayer?

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 8:58 am

Mr Snozers wrote:Having said that, the Bank of England comes to the rescue with a report that says if interest rates went up by 2% in thee years, only 480,000 households would struggle to maintain payments. So that's all right then.

I know I keep on about this, but more and more I think that the public schools have to go. It's the only explanation that springs to my mind for the complete absence of either humanity or reality that pervade (if an absence can pervade) the thinking of the modern British elite. I keep thinking of the episode of "the village" where the son is shot for desertion. The levelling effect of WW2 has clearly receded and we are really back much closer to where we started.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 9:08 am

Morning.

'Tories running dirty tricks call campaign against Lib Dems'
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/to ... ll-4766319" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Maybe the Lib Dems are upset because dirty tricks campaigning is normally their territory.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 9:17 am

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/osbornes-right ... er-1478498" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

"Who would have thought that of the two parties that formed the Coalition, it would be the Tories who would be blown off course?" [Danny] Alexander wrote in an article for the Daily Telegraph.

Unbelievable.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 9:23 am

Spacedone wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:Morning all.

Tories seek to avert rift with Church of England in wake of food bank report

http://gu.com/p/44xdt" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Has got me angry for multiple reasons. Firstly, the article is written in the style of 'well we weren't sure what was happening, but this report appears to explain it, although government sources hint at taking this partisan report with a pinch of salt'. Secondly, BTL is horrible. Truly horrible. If you are poor and hungry then shame on you, it's your own fault. Not only that but you're a drain on society, don't you realise how big the national debt is? Thirdly, given how intertwined the CofE is with the Conservatives (and the number of MPs that use their faith as a shield to display their enhanced qualities) can some interviewer please nail IDS etc down on how these policies tally with any Christian teachings. It's not difficult to show the inherent hypocrisy.
There are indeed some splendid examples of the depths to which humanity can plunge BTL. Some of them seem to think that foodbanks are preventing really effective deficit reduction because those pesky charities are stopping the government from reducing the surplus population.

You're quite right about the vitriol BTL - a lot of them have this idea that poor people can't manage their very generous benefits and are now scrounging free food on top.
All failing to read what the article actually says - ie. that the people who use food banks don't actually have any benefits because they've been sanctioned or whatever.
And all bitterly resentful of what they perceive as other getting something they're not. Politics of envy indeed.

I am particularly incensed at that quisling Clegg. Busy telling anyone who'll listen that he thinks it's all gone a bit too far etc.
He it was who imposed a three-line-whip on his MPs to vote with the government on the Welfare Reform Act.
He it was who later admitted he hadn't even bothered to read the legislation he was insisting his MPs voted for.

And now we have the great and the good opining that the government should be organising food banks - the very food banks there would be no need for if it wasn't for the government. Food bans they'd sanction, probably.
Some food banks will not issue food at all if they think a person has a "chaotic lifestyle" or has been sanctioned (the Food Box in Slough is a case in point) as the idea seems to be that their hunger is all their own doing.

I heard about a lady locally the other day who has been eating donated food for some time. She wanted some shampoo in her parcel because she has been washing her hair with washing-up liquid for months.
Things have come to a pretty pass when it is a rare treat to wash your hair with something that isn't a household detergent.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 9:30 am

tinyclanger2 wrote:
Mr Snozers wrote:Having said that, the Bank of England comes to the rescue with a report that says if interest rates went up by 2% in thee years, only 480,000 households would struggle to maintain payments. So that's all right then.
I know I keep on about this, but more and more I think that the public schools have to go. It's the only explanation that springs to my mind for the complete absence of either humanity or reality that pervade (if an absence can pervade) the thinking of the modern British elite. I keep thinking of the episode of "the village" where the son is shot for desertion. The levelling effect of WW2 has clearly receded and we are really back much closer to where we started.

I agree with you, TC.

The "elites" know they are the top dogs before they even start. Their sense of entitlement seems to be imbibed with their mothers' milk.

They are told all their young lives that they are special and different and better than everyone else, and they believe it. No wonder when the rest of us have so little in comparison. They're born to rule, bred for success, and become a self-fulfilling prophecy when they end up in charge and assume that those who have nothing are just useless and have only themselves to blame for not being like them.

The days of "noblesse oblige" are long gone. The likes of Churchill and Macmillan at least had a sense of duty to the rest of us.
This new breed of Tories and aristos are not similarly encumbered.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 9:31 am

ephemerid wrote: I heard about a lady locally the other day who has been eating donated food for some time. She wanted some shampoo in her parcel because she has been washing her hair with washing-up liquid for months.
Things have come to a pretty pass when it is a rare treat to wash your hair with something that isn't a household detergent.

Thanks ephemerid ... I've been compiling a shopping list for a larger contribution to the food bank next week. Shampoo will now be on the list - along with toothpaste and soap.

The Tories and Lib Dems are utterly contemptible in their vile hypocritical protestations - both pretending the problem is nothing to do with them .... The Lib Dems actually seem to be basing their election offer on removing / scrapping the destructive shit they have been responsible for. The Tories are promising that they can be even nastier.

I hope those church going Tories and Lib Dems have more sense than their political leaders credit them with ... and base their vote on what they can see with their own eyes ... rather than the claptrap spouted by IDS, Freud, McVey, Clegg and Alexander.

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 9:33 am

According to Mike Smithson, Labour are only 3% behind the SNP in Scotland

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 7h7 hours ago

New post LAB running just 3% behind SNP in Scotland according to the Populus November aggregate - http://po.st/8AYlCj" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 9:34 am

RobertSnozers wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:Morning all.

Tories seek to avert rift with Church of England in wake of food bank report

http://gu.com/p/44xdt" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Has got me angry for multiple reasons. Firstly, the article is written in the style of 'well we weren't sure what was happening, but this report appears to explain it, although government sources hint at taking this partisan report with a pinch of salt'. Secondly, BTL is horrible. Truly horrible. If you are poor and hungry then shame on you, it's your own fault. Not only that but you're a drain on society, don't you realise how big the national debt is? Thirdly, given how intertwined the CofE is with the Conservatives (and the number of MPs that use their faith as a shield to display their enhanced qualities) can some interviewer please nail IDS etc down on how these policies tally with any Christian teachings. It's not difficult to show the inherent hypocrisy.
Hmm. That hyperbolic reporting of the effects of austerity seems to be spreading from the BBC, eh George?

Having said that, the Bank of England comes to the rescue with a report that says if interest rates went up by 2% in thee years, only 480,000 households would struggle to maintain payments. So that's all right then.

Morning all.

'Only' 480,000 households may actually struggle to pay their mortgage, but rather more will simply have less money for other things - the retail sector would suffer and we'd probably end up back in recession. The Bank of England must know that. I assume it's why rates haven't risen already. There's still plenty of covering for Osborne's poor economic record, isn't there? I presume because if they tell the truth, the reality of how dependent we were on the financial sector and just how our country has been stuffed by the shenanigans in the banking sector would be laid bare and demands for banking reform would once again surface.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 9:36 am

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB
LAB running just 3% behind SNP in Scotland according to the Populus November aggregate -

http://www1.politicalbetting.com/index. ... aggregate/

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 9:36 am

danesclose wrote:Morning all.
Isn't the CofE traditionally known as the Tory party at prayer?

Yes - but the Coalition of Clowns are not Tories - they're a different kind of disconnected management-speak regurgitators...they are right about every single little thing and everyone who opposes them is a big fat bully who doesn't understand the breathless vapidity that passes for intelligent thought and debate in their sh1t-for-brained reality.

Oooh, that feels better

and Morning all!

I see don't-Mensch'n'er is getting a bit upset at Peter Jukes...apparently going to sue as Jukes inferred in a Tweet that she'd favoured Murkydochia at the DCMS...interesting she's not sued Tom Watson though...

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/m ... are_btn_tw

...and Twitter-wags (must be a word for the humourists on Twitter?) are sgesting she call Uncle Rupert as a witness

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 9:47 am

RobertSnozers wrote:
Willow904 wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote: Hmm. That hyperbolic reporting of the effects of austerity seems to be spreading from the BBC, eh George?

Having said that, the Bank of England comes to the rescue with a report that says if interest rates went up by 2% in thee years, only 480,000 households would struggle to maintain payments. So that's all right then.
Morning all.

'Only' 480,000 households may actually struggle to pay their mortgage, but rather more will simply have less money for other things - the retail sector would suffer and we'd probably end up back in recession. The Bank of England must know that. I assume it's why rates haven't risen already. There's still plenty of covering for Osborne's poor economic record, isn't there? I presume because if they tell the truth, the reality of how dependent we were on the financial sector and just how our country has been stuffed by the shenanigans in the banking sector would be laid bare and demands for banking reform would once again surface.
That would have been my next point. I feel I and Mrs(actually Dr)Snozers would probably manage to keep up payments, because we'd have to, but things would be more of a struggle because they already are somewhat. At the moment we have a little extra to spend on a few luxuries now and then and put a bit in savings, but if our mortgage repayments increased at all, things would start to look a fair bit tighter.

I sympathise, genuinely.

We nearly lost our home when interest rates were very high in the distant past under the Tories.
Had to sell books, furniture, dinner service just to eat.

But now we have some savings, and downsized to pay off our mortgage, we are getting a very small return on our little nest egg, because of low interest rates.
Owning a property may seem a luxury but costs of repairs, maintenance are very steep.

If interest rates on savings don't rise we'll have to start cutting back.
But no one cares about us, or people like us, [despite political rhetoric about encouraging people to save or 'do the right thing' whatever that may be] or more importantly no one cares about the impact people like us not spending may have on recovery.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:03 am

Just in case you thought our MPs and Lords are out of touch and pampered ...

House of Lords refused to share catering with the Commons because they were worried about the quality of CHAMPAGNE
Peers rejected plan to merge contracts over fears about their bubbly
Commons and Lords already share IT, cleaning and archives contracts
But meddling with their meals was seen as a step too far for the Lords
Ex-Clerk Sir Malcolm Jack insisted Commons tipples were up to scratch
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... PAGNE.html

What was that about small state being better? Don't see why the state is providing subsidised bars to any of this lot - let alone bubbly.

And meanwhile the ever gobby David Mellor has the cheek to tell the Archbishop of Canterbury about religion and food ..

‘My understanding of religion ... is it’s about religious responsibility.
'I don’t remember any part of the Gospel where people were told to queue up outside Pontius Pilate’s office and tell him to give more money to the poor. [The Archbishop] should allow himself to be aware that he shouldn’t be used as a pawn in a political game.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... drink.html

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:09 am

RobertSnozers wrote:
Willow904 wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote: Hmm. That hyperbolic reporting of the effects of austerity seems to be spreading from the BBC, eh George?

Having said that, the Bank of England comes to the rescue with a report that says if interest rates went up by 2% in thee years, only 480,000 households would struggle to maintain payments. So that's all right then.
Morning all.

'Only' 480,000 households may actually struggle to pay their mortgage, but rather more will simply have less money for other things - the retail sector would suffer and we'd probably end up back in recession. The Bank of England must know that. I assume it's why rates haven't risen already. There's still plenty of covering for Osborne's poor economic record, isn't there? I presume because if they tell the truth, the reality of how dependent we were on the financial sector and just how our country has been stuffed by the shenanigans in the banking sector would be laid bare and demands for banking reform would once again surface.
That would have been my next point. I feel I and Mrs(actually Dr)Snozers would probably manage to keep up payments, because we'd have to, but things would be more of a struggle because they already are somewhat. At the moment we have a little extra to spend on a few luxuries now and then and put a bit in savings, but if our mortgage repayments increased at all, things would start to look a fair bit tighter.

I'm in a similar situation. I suspect most people with mortgages are. Without wage rises to absorb mortgage increases, a rate rise will have some pretty big negative impacts on the economy that it isn't yet ready to stand.

@Yahyah
The quandary of how to look after both mortgage holders and savers is a fundamental one that isn't being addressed by the current government. One of the most worrying things I've heard come out of this lot is a suggestion that a low base rate is a "good thing" and could continue well into the future. This is nonsense. The low base rate is an emergency measure in response to the recession. It was supposed to offer short term relief, preventing mass repossessions, whilst the underlying weaknesses in the economy were addressed. Needless to say the current government have failed completely to do so and continued low interest rates are the result of that failure. What I and other mortgage payers need to see is an increase in incomes to help us be able to continue to afford our mortgages as rates return to more normal levels. People like yourself have been hugely let down by this government, but I suspect you already knew that!

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:12 am

danesclose wrote:Morning all.
Isn't the CofE traditionally known as the Tory party at prayer?

Hasn't really been that for a while now, tbh.

Post by **refitman** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:14 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:Just in case you thought our MPs and Lords are out of touch and pampered ...
House of Lords refused to share catering with the Commons because they were worried about the quality of CHAMPAGNE
Peers rejected plan to merge contracts over fears about their bubbly
Commons and Lords already share IT, cleaning and archives contracts
But meddling with their meals was seen as a step too far for the Lords
Ex-Clerk Sir Malcolm Jack insisted Commons tipples were up to scratch
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... PAGNE.html
What was that about small state being better? Don't see why the state is providing subsidised bars to any of this lot - let alone bubbly.

And meanwhile the ever gobby David Mellor has the cheek to tell the Archbishop of Canterbury about religion and food ..
‘My understanding of religion ... is it’s about religious responsibility.
'I don’t remember any part of the Gospel where people were told to queue up outside Pontius Pilate’s office and tell him to give more money to the poor. [The Archbishop] should allow himself to be aware that he shouldn’t be used as a pawn in a political game.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... drink.html

I assume he skipped the loaves & the fishes in bible class

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:23 am

yahyah wrote:Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB
LAB running just 3% behind SNP in Scotland according to the Populus November aggregate -

http://www1.politicalbetting.com/index. ... aggregate/

Ha!
According to a myriad of nats btl at the guardian and scotsman,Slab have been wiped out and Salmond will be heading his band of unmerry men down to Westminster where he will be DPM and show Ed how to govern.I kid you not.
I do hope that Murphy becomes Slab leader.The nats loathe him so much and want a quiet nobody really so they can continue to bully /govern with little opposition.
When Murphy said he plans to target the 20 failing schools in the poorest areas,all Salmond could argue was that Labour are against free tuition fees at uni.
All very well,but all the kids leaving primary schools with little in the way of reading skills won't have a chance of university anyway.They need help at 5,not just at 18.
Oh,morning all.Lovely cold december day,woodburner roaring away,pup snoring and hogging 2/3rds of the sofa.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:28 am

There are currently many tweets with the #CameronMustGo but it's no longer 'trending'. I tweeted a comment last night asking if #CameronMustGo had been nobbled and it was retweeted a few times so I clearly wasn't alone in wondering. Jon Swindon (who started the #webackEd and #CameronMustGo twitter campaigns) tweeted he'd been informed that twitter had been doing updates that meant it didn't come up as trending in all regions but it was still trending nationwide. Some time later it reappeared as 'trending' on my feed but this morning it's no longer there, despite what appear to be still many, many tweets. I don't know enough about twitter to know if there have been any shenanigans or not, but the fact it's no longer trending just seems to be making people tweet more reasons for Cameron to go than anything. The Tory and media establishment can't really be worried enough about left wingers chatting to each other on twitter to nobble it, can they? It's not that I don't believe them beyond any kind of chicanery, it's just surprising it would worry them. Most of these tweets are just referencing policies and articles that have always been in the public domain.

DonutHingeParty · Post by **DonutHingeParty** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:32 am

refitman wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:Just in case you thought our MPs and Lords are out of touch and pampered ...
House of Lords refused to share catering with the Commons because they were worried about the quality of CHAMPAGNE
Peers rejected plan to merge contracts over fears about their bubbly
Commons and Lords already share IT, cleaning and archives contracts
But meddling with their meals was seen as a step too far for the Lords
Ex-Clerk Sir Malcolm Jack insisted Commons tipples were up to scratch
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... PAGNE.html
What was that about small state being better? Don't see why the state is providing subsidised bars to any of this lot - let alone bubbly.

And meanwhile the ever gobby David Mellor has the cheek to tell the Archbishop of Canterbury about religion and food ..
‘My understanding of religion ... is it’s about religious responsibility.
'I don’t remember any part of the Gospel where people were told to queue up outside Pontius Pilate’s office and tell him to give more money to the poor. [The Archbishop] should allow himself to be aware that he shouldn’t be used as a pawn in a political game.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... drink.html
I assume he skipped the loaves & the fishes in bible class

To be fair, Numbers 11 is a pretty dick move by God - people whinge about being hungry, so he drops a cloud of quails on them, which they eat and then die.

And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.
And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.
And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

Make sure IDS isn't let anywhere near the food warehouses.

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:36 am

Morning

Why is it only the Tories getting flack in Guardian headline? Their favourites don't have joint responsibility for the attacks on Social Security that have resulted in the foodbanks issue? And I can't properly express the rage I feel that 8 Cabinet Ministers should be responsible for a new quango to deal with foodbanks in THE UK IN 2014. Why is this all being accepted when the causes of the need for them should be sorted? So this is all going to be continued as part of living in the UK? This is the new society is it? Pure acceptance of food and poverty in the UK rather than taking to the streets and demanding the fucking rich pay some taxes?

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:38 am

Just to add to the horror of today (well, I haven't read any good news yet!) we have this:

Bus companies are not required by law to force parents with buggies to make way for wheelchair users in designated bays on vehicles, senior judges ruled.

First Bus appealed against a court ruling, won by a disabled man from West Yorkshire, that the firm's wheelchair policy was discriminatory.

Apparently, if you are refused permission to board because people will not move buggies, etc., from the wheelchair space...

The "proper remedy" for wheelchair users to get improvements in such cases is to ask Parliament, three judges have ruled

Fucking great

:crying:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-30376446

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:39 am

Kev Harper ‏@Kevin_J_Harper 2m2 minutes ago
#FarageBlamesImmigration They come over here, open door immigration, take the benefits, AND they commute to work everyday.... errrrr.......

Trying not to let Twitter annoyance interfere with Twitter enjoyment. Will rediscuss with self and try again.

On #CMG - it trended briefly earlier this morning but has since stopped again. I'd say by my "tab count" method that it has slowed down quite a bit - but it's still pretty active. And it trended for 15 days. Perhaps it will pick up again, but it's why I was thinking about how one can revitalise a long-running hashtag for campaigning purposes. Is interesting - how will social media (which is basically crowd-managed) be actively deployed for strategic purposes.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:43 am

On the other hand #FeedingBritain is top trend in UK currently

Post by **adam** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:44 am

On the Populus poll - the Scotland figures are interesting, but if anything the English regional figures are even more interesting...

South East - Con 26% Lab 25% LibDem 9% UKIP 10%
Midlands - Con 25% Lab 26% Lib Dem 4% UKIP 12%
North - Con 20% Lab 31% Lib Dem 4% UKIP 10%
Wales and SW - Con 22% Lab 26% Lib Dem 7% UKIP 12%

Lots of positive figures there.

Edited to add - these figures haven't been adjusted to take account of would not vote/don't know/rather not say that total 29% nationally on the poll.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:49 am

Today's VI offering from Populus - Lab 36 Con 33 UKIP 15 LibDem 8.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:54 am

LadyCentauria wrote:Just to add to the horror of today (well, I haven't read any good news yet!) we have this:
Bus companies are not required by law to force parents with buggies to make way for wheelchair users in designated bays on vehicles, senior judges ruled.

First Bus appealed against a court ruling, won by a disabled man from West Yorkshire, that the firm's wheelchair policy was discriminatory.
Apparently, if you are refused permission to board because people will not move buggies, etc., from the wheelchair space...

The "proper remedy" for wheelchair users to get improvements in such cases is to ask Parliament, three judges have ruled
Fucking great :crying:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-30376446

Bus companies have to provide wheelchair space by law but there is no law that says other people can't use them, so the judge is right, only parliament have the power to change this. A bus driver can't eject or move someone (or contact the police to do so, if necessary) unless they have infringed a rule or law. The person who refused to move their buggy is clearly in the wrong from an ethical point of view, but not legally and that's the problem bus operators have, there's no law to back them up if they want a buggy moved. There are laws that allow bus drivers to eject people with alcohol etc, but no laws to allow them to eject selfish people, I'm afraid. Not to mention the fact that mums have to get places too. Other people get left on the bus stop when there isn't room on the bus. For me this isn't about discrimination so much as it's about our privatised public transport system being generally inadequate and failing a lot of people who want to get from A to B.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 10:59 am

CMG update - using Clanger "tab count" methodology over the last 10 minutes

CMG 158
FarageBlamesImmigration 8
FeedingBritain 27

on twitter.com/whats trending over the same period
FeedingBritain #1
CMG doesn't show ????

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 11:03 am

Willow904 wrote:There are currently many tweets with the #CameronMustGo but it's no longer 'trending'. I tweeted a comment last night asking if #CameronMustGo had been nobbled and it was retweeted a few times so I clearly wasn't alone in wondering. Jon Swindon (who started the #webackEd and #CameronMustGo twitter campaigns) tweeted he'd been informed that twitter had been doing updates that meant it didn't come up as trending in all regions but it was still trending nationwide. Some time later it reappeared as 'trending' on my feed but this morning it's no longer there, despite what appear to be still many, many tweets. I don't know enough about twitter to know if there have been any shenanigans or not, but the fact it's no longer trending just seems to be making people tweet more reasons for Cameron to go than anything. The Tory and media establishment can't really be worried enough about left wingers chatting to each other on twitter to nobble it, can they? It's not that I don't believe them beyond any kind of chicanery, it's just surprising it would worry them. Most of these tweets are just referencing policies and articles that have always been in the public domain.

I'm not so sure - I heard Dodgy Dave checks the Twitter trends every few minutes to keep up with the 'low people'...I certainly wouldn't put it past them...but it would need co-ordinated efficient action so not very likely (given the Coalition of Clowns' propensity for omnishambolic-frackwitted fur-cuppery

)

I think the numbers are still there...they've been taken over by Tory counting people so the numbers probably mean something different now

: cmgtwt023.PNG (21.84 KiB) Viewed 16717 times

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 11:10 am

George Monbiot and Zoe Williams will be vying for position in my Graun Awards and here's a new one from George

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... e#show-all" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And here's a BTL comment:

This is precisely why the Greens should be allowed to speak in the TV debates, and yet also the real reason that they are not allowed and blacked out by most of our media.

------

Yes, it is absolutely why the Greens should be allowed to take part in these debates, but the very reason they will be prevented from taking part in these debates.

They are the only political party not bought and paid for by vested interests.

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 11:18 am

Re the 'some poor people can't cook' thing.
Well,this is true.And some people who are not poor cannot cook,but can afford not to be able to.
When I was a health visitor in Tower Hamlets ,going back to the late 80s,this problem wasn't so pronounced,though this maybe because of the high bengali population,also small pockets of vietnamese.There was terrible poverty,but the children were fed on (delicious) home cooking.Simply walking down the streets made me feel hungry.
Move on to the 2000s in Sunderland.I was astounded by the number of families who could not cook,and had no cooking skills to pass coo down to their children,which was people learnt to cook when I was a kid.
Yet my kids at school had cookery,food tech it was called.They made apple pie one day.With ready rolled pastry and apple pie filling.NO basic skills required.
So.not poor bashing,but having the knowledge to put together a cheap and nutritious meal would help.And I don't think it helps to get offended by the idea that people can't cook,but to do something about it.Though god knows what fresh ingredients would be found at a foodbank.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 11:21 am

It's almost like the Tory focus has shifted simply from getting us to hate each other to help them achieve their self-serving ends, to simply getting us to hate each other for their entertainment.

The likes of Big Brother (sensu de Mol not Orwell) are at the heart of this resurgence in gladiatorial mentality.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 11:34 am

Regarding Twitter trends.
https://support.twitter.com/articles/10 ... r-s-trends" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
“The new algorithm identifies topics that are immediately popular, rather than topics that have been popular for a while or on a daily basis, to help people discover the ‘most breaking’ breaking news from across the world. (We had previously built in this ‘emergent’ algorithm for all local trends, described below.) We think that trending topics which capture the hottest emerging trends and topics of discussion on Twitter are the most interesting."

So by definition you can't trend for a long time.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 11:35 am

Rebecca wrote:Re the 'some poor people can't cook' thing.
Well,this is true.And some people who are not poor cannot cook,but can afford not to be able to.
When I was a health visitor in Tower Hamlets ,going back to the late 80s,this problem wasn't so pronounced,though this maybe because of the high bengali population,also small pockets of vietnamese.There was terrible poverty,but the children were fed on (delicious) home cooking.Simply walking down the streets made me feel hungry.
Move on to the 2000s in Sunderland.I was astounded by the number of families who could not cook,and had no cooking skills to pass coo down to their children,which was people learnt to cook when I was a kid.
Yet my kids at school had cookery,food tech it was called.They made apple pie one day.With ready rolled pastry and apple pie filling.NO basic skills required.
So.not poor bashing,but having the knowledge to put together a cheap and nutritious meal would help.And I don't think it helps to get offended by the idea that people can't cook,but to do something about it.Though god knows what fresh ingredients would be found at a foodbank.

When my g'daughter was at school she made a variety of food from Victoria sandwich to pasta dishes and an assortment of chicken, pork, veg pies.
Now my g'son is at the same school and the cooking continues, last week with Thai chicken green curry.
All with fresh ingredients taken into school or provided to those eligible for free meals.
I'm really worried that they will be in the last drive for academy-isation before the tory's go. A move the school totally rejects.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 11:40 am

Morning!

In some ways Alexander is correct isn't he? He and Clegg always wanted to be Orange Book centre right old fashioned Liberals and if you ignore their increasingly disastrous "liberty" record that's pretty much where they are.

I still wonder where voters who in the past we would have labelled as "One Nation Tories" are and will be in May. Surely they can't be looking at UKIP, Greens or NATS. So maybe they don't really exist any more except among the over 65s, who Cameron and Osborne keep bribing to stay with them.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 11:41 am

giselle97 wrote:George Monbiot and Zoe Williams will be vying for position in my Graun Awards and here's a new one from George

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... e#show-all" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And here's a BTL comment:

This is precisely why the Greens should be allowed to speak in the TV debates, and yet also the real reason that they are not allowed and blacked out by most of our media.

------

Yes, it is absolutely why the Greens should be allowed to take part in these debates, but the very reason they will be prevented from taking part in these debates.

They are the only political party not bought and paid for by vested interests.

The Greens are being promoted by the Guardian and a few others to try and split the left wing vote, thus providing a passage to power for the Tory abolition of the welfare state and wrecking of the environment.

They will perform the same role Nader did in the 2000 election, providing Bush with a path to power because The Democrats (Al Gore FFS) weren't Green enough.

Miliband I note has put his head into the firing line to hammer Cameron on Global Warming. Yes it is a pitch for Green votes, but it isn't risk free either.

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 11:45 am

Meanwhile on another planet

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/d ... oon-murder" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Mon 08 Dec, 2014 11:48 am

I agree with you @TechnicalEphemera on the Greens.