herfiehandbag

Size matters!

Personally I really cannot be bothered. The Tories are in a mess, and face devastating poll results. It is quite simply their own fault. Party discipline, party loyalty, effective leadership and formulating effective policies nationally are all in bits, and subservient to the egos of the movers and shakers in the parliamentary party. They squandered a significant majority and threw out the leader who won them that majority, in the pursuit of advancing their egos. They are "Donald Ducked", all worn out; the electorate know that and have abandoned them, even traditional tories like me ( not a member, not uncritical, but have consistently supported them electorally) have pretty much given up on them. They're toast, locally and nationally. They did it to themselves. They know it, and the electorate know it. I would love to know how many local council seats they will lose, not because people are enthused by Labour or heaven help us the Liberal Democrats, but because their traditional voting base can't be bothered to turn out. That would be the most telling statistic. As for the general election, they haven't a hope of winning it with the current leadership, and it is far too late to change. I'll hazard a guess, but if they had stood by Johnson, who was after all elected by the membership, and convincingly won them an election, whilst they could have been facing a challenge, they would still have been very much in the race. What an abject failure.

The biggest threat to Europe and it's civilisation are it's Muslim immigrants.

That used to be a favourite saying of my Grandmother; don't forget, your halo only has to slip 6 inches and its a noose!

Fame is transitory, fleeting even; speaking as someone who had 5 seconds of exposure on the BBC nightly news, peering round a corner in West Belfast and then sprinting across the road! The fame didn't last, although when I rang home that week my mum said she and all the neighbours had seen me on the telly!

Who is David Bowie? Is he famous?

In cases such as this, one must take such postings in context, and take into account so many aspects and considerations; before reaching the inevitable conclusion that the fellow is a brain scrambled plonker!

I don't think that Thai doctors are quacks, in my interactions with the various Thai medical professions I have always been happy with their professional competence. The shenanigans surrounding the deal struck to allow Thaksin to return from exile reflect more the deviousness and obsession with not losing face amongst the ruling echelons. They obviously couldn't admit that the legal proceedings which led to his convictions, sentencing and exile were " Junta justice" so the medical elements provided a suitable smokescreen. Why did they need him back? Because, put simply, they have lost the younger generation, and Bangkok in particular, to the progressive movement; they desperately need to shore up support amongst the older generations - and that means Pheu Thai, and that means Thaksin. Must be bitter medicine! It has no bearing on the professional competence of doctors.

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But then we look across the Atlantic at the utter cluster <deleted> going on there, and maybe..

A byword for getting a good deal when buying a campervan one believes!

I don't think many trolls are!

The "intifada" for which their banners call is a campaign of terrorism throughout Israel. The previous two intifadas have involved the bombing of buses, shooting of people in the streets, the slaughter of many men women and children. They want more of it. Peaceful protests, rubbish.

Leaving us with the good old, reliable, soundly managed, impartial and morally impeccable BBC then... Employing a politically unsavoury clergyman from a fringe protestant sect is unwise, but rather pales when compared to employing, for example Chris Denning, Tim Westwood, Jimmy Saville, Rolf Harris and Martin Bashir!

The classic is the Mormons - didn't like the bible, went for a walk in the mountains and found a much better one!

As a practicing Catholic (God knows I need to practise, I'm not very good at it) I was intrigued as to what the "Nordic Catholic Church" exactly is. Google is my friend. Turns out it is a Norwegian High Church Lutheran fringe movement; a description which is rather puzzling, and contradictory. So not Catholic at all! Just another example of Protestants inventing a church to suit their preferences and political opinions, and then arguing with others. I'll stick with the Pope I think; at least you know where he stands - mind you he is a Jesuit so that may be an ambitious statement!

Then there is a Tuk Tuk driver in the mix...

The gag order is in place because of Trump's record, and actions, of saying and posting things which amount to threats against court officials (and their families) and inevitably the jurors. No doubt if others were making such threats then they to would be subject to orders. What is remarkable is that despite breaching the order 9 times, multiple acts of contempt of court, he has been let off with a fine, remarkable compassion!

It is a prerequisite for dedicated MAGA supporters, to have their irony filters deactivated. How else could they make sense of their trains of thought?

There is no such thing as "American English"; there is English, and then there are mistakes...

Indeed, it was the task of the white, land owning, slave holding classes. Changed now of course, land owning replaced by corporate interests and slave holding replaced by other means of exploiting poorer people. The Electoral College still exists to further the interests of the white and the wealthy, and wherever possible stop "the mob", or the electorate as we call them these days having their say.

Unfortunately it is entirely possible that Trump can win through the Electoral College, without the popular vote, particularly given that institutions vulnerability to, umh, manipulation. Like wise, gerrymandering of district boundaries and voter obstruction could result in a majority in Congress, again without a popular vote majority. If that happens, and remember the Supreme Court is already bought and paid for, then democracy will end. The Stakes are that high.

Well there is a difference: in the USA the crimes that Trump is arraigned for are real, with actual evidence of criminal activity...

Donkeys years ago I flew here on Aeroflot. On the Bangkok - Moscow leg just about every family brought on board one of those large cylindrical cardboard tubs of washing detergent powder. All left in the aisle Presumably washing powder was "dues out" in Russia?

Manual gear change is much more common in the UK than automatic gear boxes. I think I am qualified to comment, not only do I have lots and lots of English friends, but I am English!