Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th March

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 7:33 pm

Shapps, caught lying again.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... r-while-mp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 7:34 pm

Rebecca wrote:
AngryAsWell wrote:
Rebecca wrote:I just got an email from Ed Miliband,so lots of you probably have too,wanting to be asked questions on just about anything.
I'm going to ask why carers allowance is lower than JSA.Every year there's a carers day,then we all are forgotten about.
Selfish,I know,but I have always wondered.
What are you all going to ask?
I'm reading backwards (always read last page of books first as well - grins) so answered to PorFavor's post

Oh,so do I!To make sure it has a happy ending.Glad I'm not the only one.I read magazines from back to front as well.

I'm not above skipping to a chunk in the middle of a book just to make sure its still going the "right" way and no one I like has met with an accident :lol!:

Yep on the magazines as well

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 7:39 pm

Goodnight, everyone.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 7:40 pm

PorFavor wrote:Goodnight, everyone.

Goodnight PF

well

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 7:45 pm

The joys of BGP.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 07168.html

In fact policies should be in place to stop this sort of thing happening, and the fact it went on for some time suggests that somebody needs to invest in monitoring tools.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 7:55 pm

Time for a laugh!
Best photobomb ever...

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 8:12 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Or, if anything still worse, "hardworking families"

Nice to see you Anatoly - the Remarx clan is up in Dumfrieshire in mid April, so if you fancy meeting up, PM me and we can do summat.Otherwise, I hope you're chilling and feeling fine.

rearofthestore · Post by **rearofthestore** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 8:33 pm

Surely this must already be the red hot favourite for several FTN awards for 2015.

George Osborne has been a success. But he might still lose
Matthew d'Ancona

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... t#comments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I'm nominating it now!

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 8:36 pm

rearofthestore wrote:Surely this must already be the red hot favourite for several FTN awards for 2015.
George Osborne has been a success. But he might still lose
Matthew d'Ancona
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... t#comments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I'm nominating it now!

Seconded !

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 8:37 pm

refitman wrote:One for Pratchett fans and computer geeks:
Redditors are using computer code and a niche reference from one of Terry Pratchett’s books to make sure his name lives on forever.

Hundreds of users have left the term ‘GNU Terry Pratchett’ on the /r/discworld forum and others are now leaving it in HTML and JavaScript on their own websites since the author passed away on Thursday.
http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/r ... lJjYpijRag" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Have you put that in FTN's overhead, then? I love the idea! GNU Terry Pratchett There, hopefully that's a way that'll he'll sort-of live on, in semi-plain – in this comment...

Edit: Buggerage. I forgot that out background isn't that particular white, anywhere, and that I don't know exactly what the code is for the background colours that {i]are[/b] used

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 8:42 pm

citizenJA wrote:I've been down the well for some time now.
I'm okay; I'm not alone.
FTN is a good place.
I love you, friends.
I'll write another day.
love
JA

Much love to you, cJA, and

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 8:49 pm

True or not, how will Mark Reckless feel about this headline ? I'd be pretty cross.

"Nigel Farage: Mark Reckless was so scared he visited me in disguise. We suspected our phones were tapped"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... apped.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 8:53 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:True or not, how will Mark Reckless feel about this headline ? I'd be pretty cross.

"Nigel Farage: Mark Reckless was so scared he visited me in disguise. We suspected our phones were tapped"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... apped.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Are you saying that he failed to live up to his name?

Phones tapped? Jeez...you really ain't that important chaps...

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:04 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
AngryAsWell wrote:True or not, how will Mark Reckless feel about this headline ? I'd be pretty cross.

"Nigel Farage: Mark Reckless was so scared he visited me in disguise. We suspected our phones were tapped"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... apped.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Are you saying that he failed to live up to his name?

Phones tapped? Jeez...you really ain't that important chaps...

Given the lax nature of oversight and the close relationship between GCHQ and government that might well have happened. I suspect their email was intercepted.

Secret police forces do this stuff because they can and it is easy.

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:05 pm

LadyCentauria wrote:
refitman wrote:One for Pratchett fans and computer geeks:
Redditors are using computer code and a niche reference from one of Terry Pratchett’s books to make sure his name lives on forever.

Hundreds of users have left the term ‘GNU Terry Pratchett’ on the /r/discworld forum and others are now leaving it in HTML and JavaScript on their own websites since the author passed away on Thursday.
http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/r ... lJjYpijRag" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Have you put that in FTN's overhead, then? I love the idea! GNU Terry Pratchett There, hopefully that's a way that'll he'll sort-of live on, in semi-plain – in this comment...

Edit: Buggerage. I forgot that out background isn't that particular white, anywhere, and that I don't know exactly what the code is for the background colours that {i]are[/b] used

Here you go

It is either #DCE1E5 or #ECECEC

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:08 pm

Rebecca wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
Rebecca wrote:
What's up Mrs ohso?
Hard work getting any sort of response. Only a few bothering.
Maybe people are busy with mothers day?
Not me,Rosie won't even allow me a cake,boo hoo !got a glass of wine tho.
Have you read any good books lately?am waiting for the new elly Griffiths to come out in a few days.

Tried to read Boswell and Johnson's journey to Scotland. Have given it up temporarily. I'd anticipated it would be as enjoyable as Samuel Pepy's diaries but it isn't.

Waiting to be read I have Michael Heseltine's autobiography, Elizabeth George's latest Inspector Lynley and a book about serial killers. A book about Churchill in wartime, Hilary Clintons and Tony Blair's autobiographies and Paul Hollywoods book on making bread. Oh and I have a complete set of Inspector Morse. Read them all many years ago, but will enjoy reading them again, because I'm dreadful at remembering who did it.

I've just finished reading the complete set of Susannah Gregory's books about a medieval physician living in Oxford. Really enjoyed those.

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:13 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
Rebecca wrote:
ohsocynical wrote: Hard work getting any sort of response. Only a few bothering.
Maybe people are busy with mothers day?
Not me,Rosie won't even allow me a cake,boo hoo !got a glass of wine tho.
Have you read any good books lately?am waiting for the new elly Griffiths to come out in a few days.
Tried to read Boswell and Johnson's journey to Scotland. Have given it up temporarily. I'd anticipated it would be as enjoyable as Samuel Pepy's diaries but it isn't.

Waiting to be read I have Michael Heseltine's autobiography, Elizabeth George's latest Inspector Lynley and a book about serial killers. A book about Churchill in wartime, Hilary Clintons and Tony Blair's autobiographies and Paul Hollywoods book on making bread. Oh and I have a complete set of Inspector Morse. Read them all many years ago, but will enjoy reading them again, because I'm dreadful at remembering who did it.

I've just finished reading the complete set of Susannah Gregory's books about a medieval physician living in Oxford. Really enjoyed those.

Blimey,how do you manage to spend time here as well?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:14 pm

Rebecca wrote:
AngryAsWell wrote:
Rebecca wrote:I just got an email from Ed Miliband,so lots of you probably have too,wanting to be asked questions on just about anything.
I'm going to ask why carers allowance is lower than JSA.Every year there's a carers day,then we all are forgotten about.
Selfish,I know,but I have always wondered.
What are you all going to ask?
I'm reading backwards (always read last page of books first as well - grins) so answered to PorFavor's post

Oh,so do I!To make sure it has a happy ending.Glad I'm not the only one.I read magazines from back to front as well.

I am very disciplined.

Always resist the temptation.

Post by **refitman** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:14 pm

LadyCentauria wrote:
refitman wrote:One for Pratchett fans and computer geeks:
Redditors are using computer code and a niche reference from one of Terry Pratchett’s books to make sure his name lives on forever.

Hundreds of users have left the term ‘GNU Terry Pratchett’ on the /r/discworld forum and others are now leaving it in HTML and JavaScript on their own websites since the author passed away on Thursday.
http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/r ... lJjYpijRag" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Have you put that in FTN's overhead, then? I love the idea! GNU Terry Pratchett There, hopefully that's a way that'll he'll sort-of live on, in semi-plain – in this comment...

Edit: Buggerage. I forgot that out background isn't that particular white, anywhere, and that I don't know exactly what the code is for the background colours that {i]are[/b] used

Pterry lives on in our header:

: GNUPratchett.png (23.13 KiB) Viewed 11808 times

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:18 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
Winning candidate: Phillip James Lee

Majority: 15,704
Electorate: 76,888
Total number of votes cast: 52,432
Adjusted turnout: 67.81
Number of postal votes cast: 10,098
Number of proxy votes cast: 309
Number of rejected votes: 73

Vote share

P.J. Lee, Conservative Party (52.4%)
R.W. Earwicker, Liberal Democrat (22.3%)
J.S. Piasecki, Labour Party (16.8%)
M.P. Barter, United Kingdom Independence Party (4.4%)
M.A. Burke, British National Party (2.4%)
D.H. Young, Green Party (1.6%)
D.J. Haycocks, Scrap Members Allowances (0.1%)

Table of detailed results

Candidate surname Candidate initials Party / description Votes (no) Percentage of votes won
Lee P.J. Conservative Party 27,327 52.4
Earwicker R.W. Liberal Democrat 11,623 22.3
Piasecki J.S. Labour Party 8,755 16.8
Barter M.P. United Kingdom Independence Party 2,297 4.4
Burke M.A. British National Party 1,253 2.4
Young D.H. Green Party 821 1.6
Haycocks D.J. Scrap Members Allowances 60 0.1
Help!!!

The UKIP manifesto I posted a short while ago optimistically states Bracknell is a marginal...
The LibDems are pretty much wiped out I believe.

Does a 15,000 or so Conservative majority make this a marginal? Given the swings in this weekends polls is a UKIP takeover for 2nd pushing Labour into 3rd place possible?

Is it me or does a 4.4% of the vote in 2010 for UKIP, equate with being a close runner to the Conservatives in 2015?
I really don't know but will have a crack at it
Looking at the above I wouldn't call it a marginal but would think Labour will be hard pushed to get to 2dn place. Even if all LibDems swapped to Labour it would be a struggle and a lot (few?) may go Green with BNP and some tory's going UKip.
Sorry not to be more help

I'm rotten at maths, but adding up all the percentages from the various parties there is no way I can see UKIP taking the seat.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:20 pm

Rebecca wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
Rebecca wrote: Maybe people are busy with mothers day?
Not me,Rosie won't even allow me a cake,boo hoo !got a glass of wine tho.
Have you read any good books lately?am waiting for the new elly Griffiths to come out in a few days.
Tried to read Boswell and Johnson's journey to Scotland. Have given it up temporarily. I'd anticipated it would be as enjoyable as Samuel Pepy's diaries but it isn't.

Waiting to be read I have Michael Heseltine's autobiography, Elizabeth George's latest Inspector Lynley and a book about serial killers. A book about Churchill in wartime, Hilary Clintons and Tony Blair's autobiographies and Paul Hollywoods book on making bread. Oh and I have a complete set of Inspector Morse. Read them all many years ago, but will enjoy reading them again, because I'm dreadful at remembering who did it.

I've just finished reading the complete set of Susannah Gregory's books about a medieval physician living in Oxford. Really enjoyed those.
Blimey,how do you manage to spend time here as well?

Insomnia.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:25 pm

PorFavor wrote:Goodnight, everyone.

Night PF

Hope your headache's better tomorrow.

Post by **refitman** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:31 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:
rearofthestore wrote:Surely this must already be the red hot favourite for several FTN awards for 2015.
George Osborne has been a success. But he might still lose
Matthew d'Ancona
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... t#comments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I'm nominating it now!
Seconded !

d'Ancona - never knowingly found without he head firmly wedged up some conservatives bum

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:35 pm

Nigel 'I'm not a racist me' Farage and his latest brainfart...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... immigrants" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The children of new immigrants coming to Britain should not immediately be allowed to attend state schools, Nigel Farage has suggested.

The Ukip leader made the comments when asked about a policy on the party’s website saying immigrants and their dependents would need private education for five years after entering the UK.

Farage said it was a “difficult” issue and that it was not a manifesto pledge. But he said his personal view was that immigrants would only bring their dependents after a period of time and after that he would not envisage their children being allowed to go straight into state schools.

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:42 pm

Spacedone wrote:Nigel 'I'm not a racist me' Farage and his latest brainfart...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... immigrants" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The children of new immigrants coming to Britain should not immediately be allowed to attend state schools, Nigel Farage has suggested.

The Ukip leader made the comments when asked about a policy on the party’s website saying immigrants and their dependents would need private education for five years after entering the UK.

Farage said it was a “difficult” issue and that it was not a manifesto pledge. But he said his personal view was that immigrants would only bring their dependents after a period of time and after that he would not envisage their children being allowed to go straight into state schools.

But,that is crazy.
What if they can't afford private school fees.The kids still need to attend school because that's the law.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:44 pm

Spacedone wrote:Nigel 'I'm not a racist me' Farage and his latest brainfart...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... immigrants" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The children of new immigrants coming to Britain should not immediately be allowed to attend state schools, Nigel Farage has suggested.

The Ukip leader made the comments when asked about a policy on the party’s website saying immigrants and their dependents would need private education for five years after entering the UK.

Farage said it was a “difficult” issue and that it was not a manifesto pledge. But he said his personal view was that immigrants would only bring their dependents after a period of time and after that he would not envisage their children being allowed to go straight into state schools.

Our local UKIP candidate kindly

sent me their manifesto. He doesn't mention any of the more extreme things our Nige keeps coming out with. I'm wondering how he's going to cope with the announcement about forming a Coalition with the Tories.

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:49 pm

refitman wrote:
LadyCentauria wrote:
refitman wrote:One for Pratchett fans and computer geeks: http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/r ... lJjYpijRag" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Have you put that in FTN's overhead, then? I love the idea! GNU Terry Pratchett There, hopefully that's a way that'll he'll sort-of live on, in semi-plain – in this comment...

Edit: Buggerage. I forgot that out background isn't that particular white, anywhere, and that I don't know exactly what the code is for the background colours that {i]are[/b] used
Pterry lives on in our header:

GNUPratchett.png

I don't get it

Am I not supposed to see it in the header? Is it supposed to be invisible? If so, why? I just don't get it. I've un

just so I can display my laughable ignorance of all things IT. As you were everyone.

Post by **refitman** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 9:56 pm

daydreamer wrote:
refitman wrote:
LadyCentauria wrote: Have you put that in FTN's overhead, then? I love the idea! GNU Terry Pratchett There, hopefully that's a way that'll he'll sort-of live on, in semi-plain – in this comment...

Edit: Buggerage. I forgot that out background isn't that particular white, anywhere, and that I don't know exactly what the code is for the background colours that {i]are[/b] used
Pterry lives on in our header:

GNUPratchett.png
I don't get it Am I not supposed to see it in the header? Is it supposed to be invisible? If so, why? I just don't get it. I've un just so I can display my laughable ignorance of all things IT. As you were everyone.

The header is something that you won't see, unless you look for it. The idea is that Terry's name just keeps bouncing around the background of the internet, like John Dearheart in Going Postal.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 10:02 pm

Star Etheridge ‏@StarEtheridge 25 mins25 minutes ago
Policy Announcement;

I am happy to confirm that #UKIP will scrap the Work Capability Assessment as used by ATOS... http://fb.me/1zK96429a" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So easy to make promises they have no chance of carrying out.
I suppose the Conservatives and LibDems have left us one invaluable legacy...To not to put all our trust in politician's promises.

I pray he won't. But if Ed lets us down what are we left with?

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 10:02 pm

Thanks Refit.

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 10:02 pm

If you haven't seen this Willow, it will cheer you up (and not just you) :

http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/conl ... tNorthEast" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tish · Post by **Tish** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 10:04 pm

Rebecca wrote:
Spacedone wrote:Nigel 'I'm not a racist me' Farage and his latest brainfart...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... immigrants" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The children of new immigrants coming to Britain should not immediately be allowed to attend state schools, Nigel Farage has suggested.

The Ukip leader made the comments when asked about a policy on the party’s website saying immigrants and their dependents would need private education for five years after entering the UK.

Farage said it was a “difficult” issue and that it was not a manifesto pledge. But he said his personal view was that immigrants would only bring their dependents after a period of time and after that he would not envisage their children being allowed to go straight into state schools.
But,that is crazy.
What if they can't afford private school fees.The kids still need to attend school because that's the law.

Presumably the law will have to be changed! In UKIP land children will only be allowed to attend school once their parents have earned the right after five years of solid toil. Until then they'll just have to roam the streets, their parents obviously being far too busy toiling to look after them themselves. And as an added bonus, when they do start school, after five years of no education, they'll all be far too behind to sully the wonderful new Grammar Schools that UKIP will have set up in every town and city.

I'm guessing the reasoning behind it is to make the UK so inhospitable to migrants that no one will actually want to come here, even those who are lucky enough to top Nigel's point based system. The fact that people are currently willing to risk their lives getting smuggled here, and then spend years living here illegally, sleeping in garages and working for a few pounds an hour, with no access to any kind of public services, seems to have escaped their attention.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 10:06 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
Spacedone wrote:Nigel 'I'm not a racist me' Farage and his latest brainfart...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... immigrants" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The children of new immigrants coming to Britain should not immediately be allowed to attend state schools, Nigel Farage has suggested.

The Ukip leader made the comments when asked about a policy on the party’s website saying immigrants and their dependents would need private education for five years after entering the UK.

Farage said it was a “difficult” issue and that it was not a manifesto pledge. But he said his personal view was that immigrants would only bring their dependents after a period of time and after that he would not envisage their children being allowed to go straight into state schools.

Our local UKIP candidate kindly sent me their manifesto. He doesn't mention any of the more extreme things our Nige keeps coming out with. I'm wondering how he's going to cope with the announcement about forming a Coalition with the Tories.

Just a though, is it worth copying that to the UKIP folder Roger (I think!) made?

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 10:06 pm

Spacedone wrote:
LadyCentauria wrote:
refitman wrote:One for Pratchett fans and computer geeks: http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/r ... lJjYpijRag" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Have you put that in FTN's overhead, then? I love the idea! GNU Terry Pratchett There, hopefully that's a way that'll he'll sort-of live on, in semi-plain – in this comment...

Edit: Buggerage. I forgot that out background isn't that particular white, anywhere, and that I don't know exactly what the code is for the background colours that {i]are[/b] used
Here you go

It is either #DCE1E5 or #ECECEC

Ah, but as you have emoticonally pointed out I'd still have to either check in preview to see which one to use or write a script that said (roughly) if background is pale grey make tex pale grey, if background is light blue make text light blue...
GNU Terry Pratchett
P.S. 'emoticonally' is a real word. I claim the coinage, here and now.

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 10:10 pm

LadyCentauria wrote:
Spacedone wrote:
LadyCentauria wrote: Have you put that in FTN's overhead, then? I love the idea! GNU Terry Pratchett There, hopefully that's a way that'll he'll sort-of live on, in semi-plain – in this comment...

Edit: Buggerage. I forgot that out background isn't that particular white, anywhere, and that I don't know exactly what the code is for the background colours that {i]are[/b] used
Here you go

It is either #DCE1E5 or #ECECEC
Ah, but as you have emoticonally pointed out I'd still have to either check in preview to see which one to use or write a script that said (roughly) if background is pale grey make tex pale grey, if background is light blue make text light blue...
GNU Terry Pratchett
P.S. 'emoticonally' is a real word. I claim the coinage, here and now.

I'm still coming to terms with the invention of the wheel.

Tish · Post by **Tish** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 10:18 pm

mikems wrote:If you haven't seen this Willow, it will cheer you up (and not just you) :

http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/conl ... tNorthEast" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's definitely one to stay up for, along with Danny Alexander and Hester McVile.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 10:21 pm

mikems wrote:If you haven't seen this Willow, it will cheer you up (and not just you) :

http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/conl ... tNorthEast" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The thing that strikes me is that the north returns Labour MPs and the south/south west/south east retrurns Tories, or worse, FibDem scum. I mean, what's up people in the south? Isn't anyone poor down there? I'm sure they are. The only conclusion I can come to is that the majority of voters in the south - excepting southern FTNers of course - are not terribly discriminating, and extremely comfortable with Tory cuts. Which, in itself is quite depressing, as it points to southerners being unconcerned with the plight of the disabled and other subject to IDS' Stalinist junta. I know that's not so, so what the fuck makes them vote Tory?

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 10:27 pm

P.S. 'emoticonally' is a real word. I claim the coinage, here and now.

Talking of weird words that slip out..
I claim top gun for this whilst talking to a computer person advising my g'son on building his own computer
"Seems good, and you would give him a hand if he needs it?
One thing though, how would we go on if any of the parts, like say the motherboard became.....decompatiblised"
No, I have no idea at all where that came from - but Oh how we laughed

G'son takes great delight in tormenting me with it whenever I get uppity with him, Oh Gran! Please don't decompatiblised me!

Tish · Post by **Tish** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 10:29 pm

Not all the South! Here in Southampton we are a little spot of red in an oasis of blue (even if Eastleigh let us down with their continued infatuation with the yellow peril).

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 10:47 pm

ErnstRemarx wrote:
mikems wrote:If you haven't seen this Willow, it will cheer you up (and not just you) :

http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/conl ... tNorthEast" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The thing that strikes me is that the north returns Labour MPs and the south/south west/south east retrurns Tories, or worse, FibDem scum. I mean, what's up people in the south? Isn't anyone poor down there? I'm sure they are. The only conclusion I can come to is that the majority of voters in the south - excepting southern FTNers of course - are as thick as shit.

I'm South East through and through and generations before me, but can't figure out the mind set anymore. In 2010 the BNP polled over 2%. The Greens just over 1%.
We have a very busy food bank but that's mainly due to late SS payments or sanctions. It's suburban but with a lot of companies including BMW head office and Waitrose main distribution centre and head office so not bad for work. No inner city problems, modern housing, and yet we have the BNP... In Bracknell for Gods sake!
We were solidly Labour, but the Tories did some sneaky boundary changes here and I suspect have done the same in a great many other places in the south and south east.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 10:53 pm

To add, didn't Willow post a few days ago, that boundary changes are how Reece-Mogg got his safe seat?

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 11:16 pm

You're probably right OhSo. But it's palpable up here. Come up here and I'll show you the Everton valley and areas of Manchester that'll shock you, although I dare say you can do it back to me. The point is we must unite and get rid of this Tory shit. Once it's gone, it's gone for a generation, and, if we work hard, forever.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 11:29 pm

mikems wrote:If you haven't seen this Willow, it will cheer you up (and not just you) :

http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/conl ... tNorthEast" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks Mikems. It does look surprisingly close here in NE Somerset. I don't really understand how Rees-Mogg has lost his reasonable margin given the tight national polls but it does look like he could be in trouble.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 11:41 pm

ohsocynical wrote:To add, didn't Willow post a few days ago, that boundary changes are how Reece-Mogg got his safe seat?

Yes, I did. It started with the need to create a new constituency for the rapidly expanding Bradley Stoke area of Bristol and then rippled out. The staunch Tory areas added from the other side of Bath made it pretty safe.....or so I thought!

Edited to get the Bristol area right - it's easy to get your Stokes mixed up this close to midnight!

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Sun 15 Mar, 2015 11:52 pm

Willow904 wrote:
mikems wrote:If you haven't seen this Willow, it will cheer you up (and not just you) :

http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/conl ... tNorthEast" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Thanks Mikems. It does look surprisingly close here in NE Somerset. I don't really understand how Rees-Mogg has lost his reasonable margin given the tight national polls but it does look like he could be in trouble.

The collapse in the Tory vote in England is the great unremarked story of the polls. Smithson keeps pointing to it. The Tory party had a 10% lead on Labour in England in 2010. Currently it is tied in polling; given many Tory votes stack up in the South East this could be pretty ugly for them. I suspect this is why some Tory seats are in play that wouldn't expect to be.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Mon 16 Mar, 2015 3:53 am

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... tudy-shows

The study, published on Monday in the Journal of Public Health, finds that worries around debt, rent arrears and the prospect of being forced to move from their family home produced a sense of “hopelessness verging on desperation”. They reported being trapped in a “vicious cycle” of loneliness and isolation; they could often no longer afford to go to the pub or cafe, or even carry out family roles such as grandparenting.

Contrary to the government’s assertion when the policy was introduced that it would have no negative impact on health and wellbeing, the study concludes that the bedroom tax has “increased poverty and had broad-ranging adverse effects on health, wellbeing and social relationships”.

Comments are not open – at least not yet – on this article by Patrick Butler but it's already had 146 shares since midnight, not including this one.