Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th May Weekend Edition

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sat 23 May, 2015 8:20 am

Morning

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Sat 23 May, 2015 8:35 am

I was dropping someone off recently with cars parked on both sides of the street. I can't for the life of me remember what the conversation was about but he insisted on carrying on. It wasn't long before another vehicle approached so cutting him short I headed off, expecting it to stop at the nearby crossroads so we could pass. Bloody hell the oncoming vehicle kept on, even worse the driver was vigorously waving both hands at me with two fingers raised. One of us was going to have to back up.

"Wtf, fuck you too, you fucker!" or words to that effect. Then I saw an old mate looking back who I'd not seen for a while, a resident of the street as it happened. Oh how we laughed.

Good morning.

Swarthlander · Post by **Swarthlander** » Sat 23 May, 2015 9:09 am

And now begins the scouring of the north...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-yo ... e-32842250" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Mind you, it's a strong Tory area.

Good morning.

PS: Just read yesterday's thread. Disapointing.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Sat 23 May, 2015 9:14 am

Good morning all - thank you for starting us off today, TC.

I will be posting less often here - partly due to my part in yesterday's rows, and partly due to some other stuff I'm going to do.

Along with getting involved locally (which we discussed on the "Left" thread) I am planning to work with some other people on a blog (which we also discussed). My health gets in the way a lot of the time - but that's no excuse for avoiding my responsibility to try to change things for the better.

I'll be in and out, so you'll see me now and then; and before I take my break from here I'd like to say something. Well, a few things...

As with the politics discussion we flew away from, there are some problems here that come up again and again - and I am as guilty of them as anyone else. I'm aware that when this happens, it makes life very uncomfortable for some folks, who then stay away.

We can be a bit tribal here; we have our intolerant moments just like anywhere else; Robert made some fair points yesterday.
Sometimes we allow old battles to resurface, and I suspect that was the main thing yesterday and I am at fault with that too.

I want to say thank you to the people who keep this going, to the people who post regularly and have taught me a lot, and to those who have chosen not to indulge themselves as I have in arguments when passion and anger are high and reason flies out of the window.

I'll see you soon. Take care, all.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 23 May, 2015 9:15 am

Jessica Asato
‏@Jessica_Asato
Useful analysis of where Labour's vote came from, and went. No easy "aspiration" or "core" answers http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... es-turnout" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

AndrewSparrow ‏@AndrewSparrow 12m12 minutes ago
AndrewSparrow retweeted Jessica Asato
Twas over-65s wot won it. 5.5ppt swing from Lab to Tories & 78% turnout-Keeping winter fuel cash pm's shrewdest pol?

Hey Anatoly - if and when you look in. You were right when you said a couple of times how important the young people's vote was ... any ideas how to get more of them to vote next time (excluding Russell Brand)?

Morning all.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 23 May, 2015 9:21 am

Thank you ephemerid for that nice message. Have to say my heart sinks at yet another person announcing they won't be around much. I hope you can still contribute a bit. As a regular poster - not sure how many gaps and lost voices we can take before it really does become an echo chamber here.

That said - I'd like to remind people of Tish's post a few weeks back when she reminded us that - despite spats - this is a much kinder, polite and reasonable place to discuss things than most of the other comment boards out there. Let's not forget that again.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 9:49 am

Nicola Sturgeon did want David Cameron to win the general election, report concludes

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 71382.html

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 23 May, 2015 9:52 am

Nice to see there are still a *few* people around here today, then.......

Its never good when people announce they are going. Quite a few return here after a while, though.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 9:54 am

Alberto Nardelli ‏@AlbertoNardelli 6 mins6 minutes ago

Very early in the count, but looks like Ireland has made history - and has overwhelmingly said Yes to equality.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 9:59 am

Tobacco firms challenge plain packaging law

British American Tobacco and Philip Morris say that stopping them from using their trademarks goes against English and EU property law.
"Legal action is not something we wanted to have to consider and is not something we undertake lightly, but the UK government has left us with no other choice," said a British American Tobacco spokesperson.
"Any business that has property taken away from it by the state would inevitably want to challenge and seek compensation."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32843205

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 23 May, 2015 10:00 am

ohsocynical wrote:Alberto Nardelli ‏@AlbertoNardelli 6 mins6 minutes ago

Very early in the count, but looks like Ireland has made history - and has overwhelmingly said Yes to equality.

Brilliant if so. Oh please let it be so.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 10:01 am

Scott Nelson ‏@TheMockneyRebel 15 hours ago Aveley, England

Google Maps directs people searching for 'Ham face Cameron' to 10 Downing Street

http://ind.pn/1F1y9k0

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 10:07 am

Marriage referendum: Early tallies indicate strong urban Yes

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics ... -1.2223646

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 10:16 am

An Assault on Our Universal Human Rights
MAY 22, 2015

http://www.debbieabrahams.org.uk/2015/a ... man-rights

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Sat 23 May, 2015 10:21 am

ohsocynical wrote:
Tobacco firms challenge plain packaging law

British American Tobacco and Philip Morris say that stopping them from using their trademarks goes against English and EU property law.
"Legal action is not something we wanted to have to consider and is not something we undertake lightly, but the UK government has left us with no other choice," said a British American Tobacco spokesperson.
"Any business that has property taken away from it by the state would inevitably want to challenge and seek compensation."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32843205

From yesterday's Scotsman:

The £11bn compensation is based on independent analysis drawn up by investment company Exane BNP Paribas, which was in turn based on an annual tobacco profit pool of £1.5bn.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/philip- ... -1-3780398

This does seem to negate the argument previously put forward - that branding doesn't attract new smokers, but only persuades existing ones to change brands.

And from the BBC report:

They also argue that the plain packaging law prevents the free movement of goods.

No it doesn't - plain packaging is not illegal in the rest of Europe.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 23 May, 2015 10:31 am

ohsocynical wrote:
Tobacco firms challenge plain packaging law

British American Tobacco and Philip Morris say that stopping them from using their trademarks goes against English and EU property law.
"Legal action is not something we wanted to have to consider and is not something we undertake lightly, but the UK government has left us with no other choice," said a British American Tobacco spokesperson.
"Any business that has property taken away from it by the state would inevitably want to challenge and seek compensation."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32843205

Looks like this is TTIP up front. We can expect a lot more of this from large companies if it goes through.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 10:44 am

MPs took tobacco firms' gifts before packaging vote
Thirty-eight MPs have received a total of £60,000 of industry hospitality since changes to packets were first suggested in 2010

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

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 10:46 am

Owen O'Shea ‏@OwenOShea 10 mins10 minutes ago

Seeing differing trends now. Some urban Killarney boxes No but rural area boxes broadly Yes (only just). Tally persons still saying Yes

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 10:52 am

Pen @westernshores
Murdoch To Be In Charge of E-voting From 2020 http://news.bfnn.co.uk/murdoch-to-be-in ... from-2020/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … via @BFNN_

Francesca Santoro ‏@Phyllida1234 14 mins14 minutes ago
@Phyllida1234 @marc_elizabeth @lightacandleOTM @mschin01 Did you all see this about @rupertmurdoch being in charge of voting machines?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 23 May, 2015 11:00 am

Good morfternoon.

Secret Bank of England taskforce investigates financial fallout of Brexit

News of undercover project emerges after Bank staff accidentally email details to the Guardian including PR notes on how to deny its existence

The report could prove incendiary, but without a public notice advertising the Bank’s research project, parliament and the public would be unable to demand its publication. (Guardian)

http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... out-brexit

Apologies if this is a repeat - I haven't yet caught up.

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Sat 23 May, 2015 11:04 am

ohsocynical wrote:Pen @westernshores
Murdoch To Be In Charge of E-voting From 2020 http://news.bfnn.co.uk/murdoch-to-be-in ... from-2020/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … via @BFNN_

Francesca Santoro ‏@Phyllida1234 14 mins14 minutes ago
@Phyllida1234 @marc_elizabeth @lightacandleOTM @mschin01 Did you all see this about @rupertmurdoch being in charge of voting machines?

That's quite an amusing site. Other articles:
"'David Cameron to force ‘female drivers’ to retake driving test"
"Burger King to launch new halal bacon burger"
"Muslim Bakery sued ‘because they wouldn’t make a cake of the prophet Muhammed’"

and possibly the best:
"David Cameron appoints Katie Hopkins as Minister for Social Equality"

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 23 May, 2015 11:16 am

tinyclanger2 wrote:Morning

Good-morning.
I'm still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, drinking a cup of tea.
And writing this post.
We're going to visit more family today & I'll miss you while I'm away.
I'll have to go soon.
I don't write well, not as good as Ohso or others.
Writing now, I'm trying to communicate how I love you all, as family, some friends closer.
Throughout the long time I've posted here, I've bungled in my posts, misunderstanding - lacking sensitivity, forgetting the circumstances of each friend. I've been insensitive often not realising I was so at the time in response to others.
I'm sorry.
I hope I'm more helpful than not.
I'll be back in a couple of days.
love
cJA

GetYou · Post by **GetYou** » Sat 23 May, 2015 11:28 am

Have a good trip cJA

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 23 May, 2015 11:31 am

ohsocynical wrote:
Nicola Sturgeon did want David Cameron to win the general election, report concludes

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 71382.html

Would it have made any difference had this been conclusively proved during the campaign? One would like to think so, but I fear that the public mood in Scotland at present is so irrational that the SNP could have pledged to reintroduce slavery without it affecting the actual result much

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Sat 23 May, 2015 11:34 am

ohsocynical wrote:Pen @westernshores
Murdoch To Be In Charge of E-voting From 2020 http://news.bfnn.co.uk/murdoch-to-be-in ... from-2020/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … via @BFNN_

Francesca Santoro ‏@Phyllida1234 14 mins14 minutes ago
@Phyllida1234 @marc_elizabeth @lightacandleOTM @mschin01 Did you all see this about @rupertmurdoch being in charge of voting machines?

I'd rather not vote than trust Murdoch. This ought to be a massive scandal. But it won't be of course.

Just read this at the bottom of the article

For the avoidance of doubt: Most stories posted here are works of fiction, and you would have to be a moron to believe them!

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sat 23 May, 2015 11:34 am

Swarthlander wrote:And now begins the scouring of the north...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-yo ... e-32842250" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Mind you, it's a strong Tory area.

Good morning.

PS: Just read yesterday's thread. Disapointing.

Am trying to think of the word - is it "harrying" ?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 23 May, 2015 11:37 am

tinyclanger2 wrote:
Swarthlander wrote:And now begins the scouring of the north...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-yo ... e-32842250" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Mind you, it's a strong Tory area.

Good morning.

PS: Just read yesterday's thread. Disapointing.
Am trying to think of the word - is it "harrying" ?

Harrowing? Although harrying would work, too.

Swarthlander · Post by **Swarthlander** » Sat 23 May, 2015 11:43 am

PorFavor wrote:
tinyclanger2 wrote:
Swarthlander wrote:And now begins the scouring of the north...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-yo ... e-32842250" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Mind you, it's a strong Tory area.

Good morning.

PS: Just read yesterday's thread. Disapointing.
Am trying to think of the word - is it "harrying" ?
Harrowing? Although harrying would work, too.

Actually it can be both.

The French/Norman Billy the Bastard's revenge on stroppy northern barons.

Swarthlander · Post by **Swarthlander** » Sat 23 May, 2015 11:47 am

And, I don't know what you are all moaning about.

Tonight for our delectation is the great spectacle of the Eurovision Song Contest - be grateful.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Sat 23 May, 2015 12:13 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
An Assault on Our Universal Human Rights
MAY 22, 2015

http://www.debbieabrahams.org.uk/2015/a ... man-rights

That's a great link! She's good, is Debbie Abrahams. Always clear in the way she makes her points in the HoC and committees; and I've always thought she comes across well on television and can certainly hold her own in debates. She's supporting Andy Burnham for the leadership, although I'd have liked to see her stand herself.

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Sat 23 May, 2015 12:15 pm

Swarthlander wrote:And, I don't know what you are all moaning about.

Tonight for our delectation is the great spectacle of the Eurovision Song Contest - be grateful.

I don't have a telly. Fortunately.

thatchersorphan · Post by **thatchersorphan** » Sat 23 May, 2015 12:19 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Pen @westernshores
Murdoch To Be In Charge of E-voting From 2020 http://news.bfnn.co.uk/murdoch-to-be-in ... from-2020/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … via @BFNN_

Francesca Santoro ‏@Phyllida1234 14 mins14 minutes ago
@Phyllida1234 @marc_elizabeth @lightacandleOTM @mschin01 Did you all see this about @rupertmurdoch being in charge of voting machines?

Was trying to find confirmation on an msm site - and failed, so looked into bfnn
BFNN (British Fake News Network) is the new kid on the news block. - http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/gavin-ha ... etwork-521" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Edited to add - I should probably have read down, seems it was already picked up on by others

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Sat 23 May, 2015 12:33 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Pen @westernshores
Murdoch To Be In Charge of E-voting From 2020 http://news.bfnn.co.uk/murdoch-to-be-in ... from-2020/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … via @BFNN_

Francesca Santoro ‏@Phyllida1234 14 mins14 minutes ago
@Phyllida1234 @marc_elizabeth @lightacandleOTM @mschin01 Did you all see this about @rupertmurdoch being in charge of voting machines?

That's bloody outrageous, if true. Why not the BBC, rather than either Murdoch or Ashcroft getting their hands on any more data from individual voters? Especially that supposedly most private of all matters.

Aargh! I've been pwned... That'll teach me to check sources...

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 23 May, 2015 12:37 pm

I refer you to the posts just above yours, Lady C

(yeah, it *does* sound believable though - all too much so!)

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 23 May, 2015 12:38 pm

I've caught up now. Sorry cJA (if you're still tuned in here) for the repeat.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 23 May, 2015 12:46 pm

Cameron to meet Juncker at Chequers in EU renegotiation 'charm offensive' (Guardian)

Not exactly new news - but I get the offensive bit. "Charm", though?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 23 May, 2015 12:51 pm

Labour urges Osborne to reveal what he knew about Bank's 'Brexit' taskforce

Labour asks whether chancellor was ‘in on the secret’ of Bank of England’s ‘Project Bookend’ which is assessing economic risks of UK leaving EU (Guardian)

http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... -taskforce

Asks? All a bit polite, given the gravity of the situation.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sat 23 May, 2015 12:56 pm

Watch homeless man reduce commuters to tears with beautiful Beethoven rendition on railway station piano
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/wa ... ar_twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My homeless friend campaign

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

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Sat 23 May, 2015 1:01 pm

PorFavor wrote:
Labour urges Osborne to reveal what he knew about Bank's 'Brexit' taskforce

Labour asks whether chancellor was ‘in on the secret’ of Bank of England’s ‘Project Bookend’ which is assessing economic risks of UK leaving EU (Guardian)
http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... -taskforce

Asks? All a bit polite, given the gravity of the situation.

I can't really see the problem with this - I said yesterday that I'd have been shocked if they weren't working on plans like this for what happens if we left.

The BoE is independent so it's possible that Osborne might not have known the details but Carney might well have told him that they were working on it.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Sat 23 May, 2015 1:06 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Nice to see there are still a *few* people around here today, then.......

Its never good when people announce they are going. Quite a few return here after a while, though.

I agree it's not good - so I'm not going, just taking a break - but others are and I think they'll stay away this time......
Quite a few have gone and not returned. I hope some DO come back, but this time I don't think some I've spoken to will.

I'll be in and out, as I said - but I have a lot to do with the local things I'm involved in, plus the new idea (if it comes to fruition) will take a bit of effort and my resources are limited at the best of times.....

Hopefully - and this is why I wrote the "Left" thing and why I'm doing other stuff - people can start making some steps towards a grand coalition of the left. The squabbling here (and I don't care who does it, starts it, engages with it, whatever) seems to me to be a microcosm of what's going on with the left generally in this country.

The centre ground has been moving inexorably to the right it seems to me; I was a left-leaning Liberal for decades, having lived through both the viciousness of Thatcher and the stupidity of the "loony left" councils - both as bad as each other.

I have some sympathy with Green ideas, I think there remain a few Labour and LibDem politicians with the sort of ideas I can support, but while the Liberals try to work out what and who they're for and Labour prat about with an unseemly rush to undo Ed Miliband's hard work of the past five years and try to be all things to all people, I want to try to find another way forward.

We in this country are allowing ourselves to turn into a mini-USA; our politics and media are beginning to reflect that. I don't like it, and will resist with all my might.
We on this forum are broadly agreed, but we - well, some of us.....no, skip that, I - get carried away with it all and passions run high at a time of disappointment like now.

I need a bit of time to reflect, to work, and to try to build something that might help me to move forwards with how I think; for me, that's local work and possibly writing and campaigning elsewhere.
RobertSnozers and some of the others commenting on the "Left" thread felt that FTN could do something like this; I feel that after the past few weeks, this may not be the forum for it unless we do something new.

Time will tell - and I hope that we can ALL settle whatever differences we have in time, and that some valued people come back.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 23 May, 2015 1:06 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
PorFavor wrote:
Labour urges Osborne to reveal what he knew about Bank's 'Brexit' taskforce

Labour asks whether chancellor was ‘in on the secret’ of Bank of England’s ‘Project Bookend’ which is assessing economic risks of UK leaving EU (Guardian)
http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... -taskforce

Asks? All a bit polite, given the gravity of the situation.
I can't really see the problem with this - I said yesterday that I'd have been shocked if they weren't working on plans like this for what happens if we left.

The BoE is independent so it's possible that Osborne might not have known the details but Carney might well have told him that they were working on it.

I can't see a problem with the work itself. It would be foolish not to do it. It's the fact that the findings (and indeed the fact that the work is being carried out) are intended to be secret that is the problem.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 1:18 pm

frightful_oik wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:Pen @westernshores
Murdoch To Be In Charge of E-voting From 2020 http://news.bfnn.co.uk/murdoch-to-be-in ... from-2020/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … via @BFNN_

Francesca Santoro ‏@Phyllida1234 14 mins14 minutes ago
@Phyllida1234 @marc_elizabeth @lightacandleOTM @mschin01 Did you all see this about @rupertmurdoch being in charge of voting machines?
I'd rather not vote than trust Murdoch. This ought to be a massive scandal. But it won't be of course.

Just read this at the bottom of the article
For the avoidance of doubt: Most stories posted here are works of fiction, and you would have to be a moron to believe them!

Ow....Duuuhhhhhh.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 23 May, 2015 1:39 pm

UK tops chart of EU food waste (Guardian)

I know we spoke about this yesterday, but the graph in this Guardian article is interesting.

I'd like to know if the countries which score well (ie low) have any recorded higher instances of food poisoning etc. If they don't, we need more than a slight adjustment in the regulations.

Edited to add the link.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/m ... food-waste

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 1:48 pm

Phew !!! Just cleared my half of the garage. Had a jolly good clear out.
Mr Ohso's is still to be done. Difficult. He hates throwing anything away. He's going to have to though. When we finally get our sheltered accommodation, it won't come with a garage.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 23 May, 2015 1:55 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Phew !!! Just cleared my half of the garage. Had a jolly good clear out.
Mr Ohso's is still to be done. Difficult. He hates throwing anything away. He's going to have to though. When we finally get our sheltered accommodation, it won't come with a garage.

Does Mrohsocynical have to show his papers in order to cross into your half of the garage?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 1:57 pm

Eric Byrne ‏7 minutes ago

Dublin South Central 100% tally- fantastic result YES vote 72% one of the highest in Ireland.In the top three. Immensely proud!! @labour

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 2:03 pm

PorFavor wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:Phew !!! Just cleared my half of the garage. Had a jolly good clear out.
Mr Ohso's is still to be done. Difficult. He hates throwing anything away. He's going to have to though. When we finally get our sheltered accommodation, it won't come with a garage.
Does Mrohsocynical have to show his papers in order to cross into your half of the garage?

Hah.

I have to have papers to cross into his...

I used to wait until he was at work and then have a blitz, not tell him what I'd chucked out, and hope he wouldn't notice, but now he's pretty much home all day it's a case of who has the strongest will power.

Swarthlander · Post by **Swarthlander** » Sat 23 May, 2015 2:30 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
PorFavor wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:Phew !!! Just cleared my half of the garage. Had a jolly good clear out.
Mr Ohso's is still to be done. Difficult. He hates throwing anything away. He's going to have to though. When we finally get our sheltered accommodation, it won't come with a garage.
Does Mrohsocynical have to show his papers in order to cross into your half of the garage?
Hah. I have to have papers to cross into his...

I used to wait until he was at work and then have a blitz, not tell him what I'd chucked out, and hope he wouldn't notice, but now he's pretty much home all day it's a case of who has the strongest will power.

I know the situation well - It might just come in handy - everything has a value and nowt's worth throwing out.

I can regale you with a tale of spending months clearing out my late step-father's smallholding. The end result being over 100 tons of scrap metal and machinery - all totally useless and rotten. There were parts of the yard that hadn't see daylight since before I was born.

My mother (and the neighbours) were happy.

Edit: Grammar, dear boy, grammar!

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 23 May, 2015 2:31 pm

Nigel Farage SHOULDN'T front the EU referendum campaign, blasts UKIP MP Carswell

David Cameron has promised voters an in/out vote by the end of 2017 – but Carswell insisted that Farage should not be the face of the anti-EU campaign.

He said: "I don't think any politician should be fronting the referendum campaign.

"If a politician says, 'vote for X', people instantly thinks the politician has a vested interested in that."

h[url]ttp://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/579428/ ... Clacton-MP[/url]

Swarthlander · Post by **Swarthlander** » Sat 23 May, 2015 2:34 pm

PorFavor wrote:
UK tops chart of EU food waste (Guardian)
I know we spoke about this yesterday, but the graph in this Guardian article is interesting.

I'd like to know if the countries which score well (ie low) have any recorded higher instances of food poisoning etc. If they don't, we need more than a slight adjustment in the regulations.

Edited to add the link.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/m ... food-waste

Maybe we should all keep pigs and hens then there would be little waste.