TALK TO YOURSELVES

Something I’ve been thinking about for a while is the number of things I find annoying, I mean apart from being part of the UK, Brexit and politicians in general.

Image result for paying at the till in a supermarket

So, for example, I hate that when you are standing behind someone in a supermarket queue and they get all their stuff packed and then the assistant asks them for the money, and they have to rake for their wallet or purse and then they have to try to find their card and it takes ages…

I mean it’s not like they didn’t know they were going to have to pay, is it?

It wouldn’t have hurt to have their method of payment ready, would it?

Another thing is people wandering around town with their faces stuck to their phones oblivious of other people on the pavement, banging into others and glaring like it was everyone’s fault but theirs!

Well, I could go on, then you’d know what a grumpy person I really am…

I just wondered what kind of things annoy you. And I thought, while I’m out of circulation, you might like to share these things with other Munguinites.

Over to you…

115 thoughts on “TALK TO YOURSELVES”

  2. You’re turning into me. A grumpy auld bassart, Tris 🤣
    It happened to me one day when I realised I’d become my Dad.
    The phone thing is the most common annoyance for me. I don’t mind the trolly dollies around here. They’re clearly just off the train at, Haymarket and looking for their destination.
    It’s the space cadets that piss me off. Texting their pals while walking their half dug – half Tasmanian Devil, who’s sniffing the lassies arse in front of him. Totally oblivious to the people jumping off the pavement, in front of oncoming busses, just to avoid the slavours (his, not the dug’s).
    Hope you’re well, T.
    All the best,
    Dx

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    1. Sorry Darren, I should have been tut tutting along with you, in complete parallel sympathy but you made that too funny. Almost drowned, now made note not to drink anything whilst reading your comments.

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  3. This is going to be called out as sexist & you’d be right except I’m right statistically 😉

    Its 90% women rummaging through purses etc for change. Worst one is the bus – you knew it was coming, you know its a flat fare so why don’t you have the money ready?

    As to the age/etc – I find its irrelevant*, its as likely to be a teenage woman as a pensioner & it always seems like a surprise to them when the driver wants money.

    *apart from the local co-op where its always elderly because they know the till staff & chat to them. I don’t mind that so much.

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    1. Famously the wummin folk can multi-task so I don’t see why they can’t gossip and sort out paying for groceries at one and the same time. The fact that they don’t leads me to the conclusion that its deliberate.
      But what rips my knitting are the folk that stop for a chat in the shopping aisle…blocking the free flow of traffic in both directions…and so engrossed in their gossip they are quite oblivious to the chaos and congestion they are causing. AND ANOTHER THING…have you noticed that more often than not they stop at the narrowest part of the aisle or at the doors!
      I think its quite peculiar to my part of the world but folks also do this in their cars. Seriously…cars going in opposite directions along the road just stop, windows come down, heads poke out and cheery inquiries ensue about the health and wellbeing of the full extended family . Woe betide anyone who expresses frustration at this…the looks you get.

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      1. I’m sick fed up of standing in the bus shelter and then along comes one of the Gibson’s expecting me to speak to them. As if I would after their carryon. When I see themopening their mouths I turn to Mrs Pirie and ask about the girls. She’s always there, thank God.

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  4. Oh and the ultimate supermarket faux pas :

    Packing your weekly shop into bags AT THE CHECKOUT in Aldi 🙂

    Everyone in the queue glares at the person ignoring the big signs saying “Pack your bags over here”, checkout operator rolls eyes, some people never get it 😀

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  5. I can’t stand folk walking with their pal, saying nothing until they are at the level of your ear then shouting at their mate, and in your aforementioned ear, when their pal is about 2cm away from them.

    Also folk walking in a line with their pals, across the entire pavement then drawing a dirty look at you because you don’t fancy walking in the road and have dared say excuse me

    Also shop folk who when you answer that’s all you want, then seek to try to flog you something else.

    Yip I’m a grumpy middle aged sod.

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  6. Off-topic, but a matter of interest. The Supreme Court says:

    “The decision to advise Her Majesty to prorogue Parliament was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating or preventing the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justification.”

    “the court has quashed both [Boris’s] advice to the Queen and the Order in Council which officially suspended parliament. That means Parliament was never prorogued”

    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49810261

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/24/bercow-mps-return-urgent-supreme-court-ruling-suspension-parliament

    The lady read the entire ruling, even though a big spider appeared to be crawling on her:

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      1. Panda Paws……Thanks. I like the lady’s brooches. More imaginative than the ladies’ attire on the US Supreme Court.
        Perhaps Boris is reading the report in The New York Times as we speak. (See below.) If he seeks asylum, he’ll at least know the city. 😉

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    3. We’ll miss Lady Hale, she’s been a “clean broom” as the head of the SC after Neuberger (Blairs creature). She’ll be remembered well.

      For all us indy people its a dark day (this year IIRC) when she goes as we get Lord Reed – uber UBER unionist Scot who the Tories have allegedly been desperate to get in place for a couple of years. Not going to say more than that.

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        1. I wonder if he’s planning to appeal the decision in the European Court?

          More seriously I’m watching what will happen to the The Nobile Officium business still pending

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      2. AND I love the idea that we Scots might put out a warrant for his arrest (under seal) so we can lift him if he sets foot in our country again, and throw him in clink with a few big Glaswegian bruisers who really don’t like posh Eton-educated ex-Bullingdon Boy barstewards.

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        2. PS Ed……Since the prorogation was illegal, surely the Queen is complicit with Boris in the crime. After all, it was she who sent the people in red robes over to the Lords chamber and put on that charade of closing Parliament. 😉

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            1. PS – I’m winding up Rangers supporters over this on Wings. They don’t seem to be able to agree on whether the Queen is god or that’s just the latest manager.

              Get well soon, I have some photos for Sunday. Will get them sent. Honest guv 😉

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              1. If you really want to wind up the folks at wings, just insist that trans people have every right to use public toilets like everyone else.

                That really gets up Stu’s bum.

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            3. Heh heh hee [evil cackle]… I’ve been doing that every since Lady Hale gave BoJo his comeuppance. I am especially Schadenfreudingly gleeful at the idea of him trying to act the statesman over at the UN. The rest of the world must be laughing at him and Trumpy.

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              1. Ed……Trumpy got caught phoning a foreign leader with an illegal plot against a political rival. He seems to be in serious impeachment trouble now. Bad days for Boris and Trumpy! 😉

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              2. PS Ed……..When I wrote the comment, I didn’t know how bad a day Trumpy would have on the same day as Boris.
                Trump finally went too far. He phoned the head of state of a foreign country (Ukraine) and made some sort of “promise” (maybe involving monetary assistance or other thing of value) involving Ukraine pursuing a criminal inquiry against Trumpy’s opponent (Biden) in next year’s election. This is textbook corruption, and THEN the whistle-blower complaint was handled in a way to try to cover it up. SO, we finally have a formal impeachment inquiry!

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                  1. Illy……Right! Pence is a far right homophobic Bible-thumper. Probably just as well that Trump will almost surely not be convicted and removed from office.

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                    2. Ed……Yes, it was surprising to see Mitch McConnell exhibit such an uncharacteristically cooperative attitude in the Senate. Even Trumpy phoned Nancy Pelosi and asked if they could “work something out.” Perhaps the impeachment inquiry finally got the Republicans’ attention. 😉

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                    3. Ed…..A BIG Deal! Front page of today’s New York Times. Headline six columns wide, with four articles both above and below the fold. Pelosi in full color. 🙂

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                    5. Yes Ed, the political news/opinion shows on MSNBC were hopping tonight. 😉
                      Nancy Pelosi is back in the good graces of previously frustrated impeachment-minded Democrats. Nancy has clearly decided that she will have the necessary number of impeachment votes in the Democratic House caucus.

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                  2. Releasing a “transcript” of the conversation – not good enough. We know what Bill Barr did with the Mueller Report. I don’t think anyone sane or sensible would trust any damn thing that comes out of that administration without unimpeachable proof and corroboration.

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                    1. Ed…..The phone call thing blew up like it did because the legally defined whistle-blower procedure got mixed up with Bill Barr at the Justice Department in an apparent move to cover up the complaint. The White House would then not even commit to sending the information to Congress as the law requires.
                      So nobody is taking the Trump promises seriously now, and nobody will trust anything that Bill Barr touches. The impeachment inquiry in the House will demand not only one transcript of one telephone call, but the complete unredacted whistle-blower complaint with all supporting documentation. THEN, it appears that the House will arrange to interrogate the whistle-blower him (or her) self in a format that will keep his or her identity secret from a Trump reprisal.
                      You would have to say that this time the cover-up and stonewall response to Congressional investigations backfired badly on the White House. And Attorney General Barr is in no position to help Trump this time.

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                    2. Update on the Trump impeachment:

                      There was concern that the Trump telephone call transcript to Ukraine might be so innocent and appropriate that the impeachment-minded Democrats would be embarrassed. (Trumpy said the phone call was entirely appropriate and “beautiful.”) We needn’t have worried. The transcript came out today and it was even worse for Trump than originally thought. Impeachment seems a sure thing now. Just a matter of time!
                      Attorney General Bill Barr appears to be complicit. The full whistle blower complaint with supporting documentation has been declassified and will probably be published tomorrow. More bombshell evidence of corruption for sure!

                      https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/transcript-of-trumps-call-with-ukrainian-president-shows-him-offering-us-assistance-for-biden-investigation/2019/09/25/16aa36ca-df0f-11e9-8dc8-498eabc129a0_story.html

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              1. I would find it absolutely hilarious if the queen and PM of britain stopped visiting Scotland because they’re afraid of getting arrested.

                How do we make that happen?

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  9. A blond hair chap is being sought by police for deception. He tricked a 93 year old woman in signing a legal document that he knew was illegal. Further inquiries are continuing.

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  10. And the clock ticks onward to All Saints Day, the day we’ll have left the EU, the Law says so.
    The big idea is to force an election where doris wins a majority and Changees the LAW to one he likes or simply we crash out.
    I have no confidence in how this westmonster parliament works, it is just a game to be played as politics.
    I thought that doris may be forced to appeal but note that there is no right of appeal as the SC is the highest court in englandland, where Scotlands highest court stands I have no Idea. The union agreement says we have our own system but blair has muddied the water.
    Time for us Scots to make our own way in the World, surely we can be more Strong and Stable than the recent history has given us.
    Time to fire the starting pistol, over to you Nicola. Turn up for the biggest AUOB rally in Edinburgh and bring your cabinet.

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    1. OK Dave, let me shine some light on your question. There are effectively two Constitutions in the UK an Englsih and a separate Scots one. They sometimes meet and sometimes overlap. This is an example.

      1. The Supreme Court is the highest Court in the United Kingdom. It was Tony Blairs idea and replaced the previous position of the House of Lords hearing the appeal. Judges versed in Scots Law hear Scottish appeals and judges versed in English Law hear English appeals. There is NO overlap here, they are separate. However the optics make it look as if there is an overlap and English judges can hear Scottish cases and vice versa. That is not the case.
      2. The highest Court in England and Wales is the English High court. Thus is where Gina Miller lost her case 3 nil as English law ruled that prorogued was not justiciable.
      3. The highest Court in Scotland is the Inner House of the Court of Session. This is where Joanna Cherry won her case 3 nil as Scots Law ruled that proroguing was justifiable and the PM acted unlawfully .

      The Supreme Court basically threw out the English case and fully supported the Scottish legal position in its entirety. So effectively English Law on this matter has been overwritten by Scots Law by a unanimous 11 nil verdict.

      Hope this helps.

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      1. Thanks for the update.
        I thought that johnston and co failed to produce the document swearing that reason for the prorogue was that it was to produce the queen’s speech.
        See now that there has been a huge change in the relative position ref the supreme court.
        The chair was Hale, an english judge. I thought that there were fewer Scots judges on the supreme court, certainly not 11.
        A bit of further research called for by me.

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        1. That’s correct Johnson did fail to produce the necessary averment at the Court of Session and this was strong evidence that he lied.
          Lady Hale is an English judge and therefore one of the panel on the Supreme Court that ruled on English Law. There were Scots judges who ruled on the Scots Law case. As Chairperson of the Court it was Lady Hales role to verbally offer the verdict. She would also have been one of the English judges to have understood that she could not overrule Scots Law and thus made the decision to upgrade English law to that of the Scots. They also, whether deliberately or not, create the impression that there is “UK Law”, when there is no such thing.

          You can look up the cv of the various judges and if they studied in English University then they are English judges assuming they also did their bar exams in England, Scots university then Scots judges assuming tgey did their bar exams in Scotland. The bar exams being the number one indicator. It is possible that they did bar exams in both jurisdictions and therefore were versed in both legal statutes.

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    2. There was pressure from Europe – not sure if it was the Council of Europe or through the EU – to establish a supreme court that was independent of the legislature. We can see the wisdom in that because surely no one could imagine a House of Lords stuffed with Tory peers voting down their own Prime Minister…

      Thus the Supreme Court. The logic of keeping the judiciary separate from the legislature is persuasive, in my view, and the amendment to the supremacy of the Court of Session in Scotland was therefore justified. Also, it is compensated for by the mechanism that gives Scots Law cases to Supreme Court judges who are versed in it and, I assume, respectful of the authority of the Court of Session and the verdicts of its judges. (I think I’ve said something on this subject before, Danny.)

      It’s worth noting too that the independence movement in general wants nothing to do with the House of Lords and would like to see it abolished. There is no intention or appetite for setting up a Scottish House of Lords after independence; I think I’m safe in saying that, if anything, we would want to strip people of titles and prevent their use, as various republics have done, e.g., Austria, where you can’t be a von or a zu any more.

      As part of the reforms the Europeans wanted in the UK’s judicial system, the system for appointing Scottish judges was changed too – to keep the selection process out of the hands of the politicians. The selection is carried out by the (independent) Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland (http://archive.is/5Ywly), and only then does it go to the politicians to take it through the rest of the procedure.

      The bùrach our transatlantic cousins are in at the moment over impeachment and the nakedly partisan nature of their Supreme Court shows very clearly what the dangers are in mixing up the legislative and judicial branches. In a nutshell, it is a bad idea for politicians to select judges, because of the risk of partisanship, and it is a bad idea to allow people to be selected or elected to positions of power by people who are not qualified to judge whether they’re competent or not, or whose choices are dictated by partisan considerations. I see big problems ahead in the States because the Republicans in the Senate have so successfully stuffed the judiciary with horrible right-wing creeps, many of whom would seem to be less qualified than any Munguinite to be judges of any kind.

      That is not to say that judges and the like should be immune from prosecution for misdemeanours -the various parts of the judiciary – Crown Prosecution Office / Procurator Fiscal / public prosecutor, the Bench, the police / forces of Laura Norder and so on – are and should be prevented from having a hold on each other. That’s the theory, anyway, guv.

      We know that the Americans are all for checks and balances under their Constitution, which is all well and good, but they don’t always work very well – the Electoral College is another example, and in selecting Trump, did the reverse of what Madison (?) intended in establishing it: he saw it a bulwark against the electorate electing a fool or a madman to the presidency, but in Trump we have a BOGOF offer in spades. Not only that, the popular will expressed in the 2016 presidential election was thwarted as well – so it’s exactly the reverse of that Madisonian principle: the electorate rejected the mad fool and disgusting human being, and the Electoral College made the corrupt bastard President.

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    3. Hm – Dave, All Saints’ Day and leaving the EU – I understand that Parliament ordered BoJo to seek a three-month extension and ruled out a no-deal Brexit. Maybe I’m wrong. It wouldn’t be surprising if something got lost in all the confusion!

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  12. There should be a men only lane in the supermarket, nae pissing around, just pay for your 10, or less, items (6 beers, 4 packets of crisps) then out. Nae idle chat, tap and go.

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    1. “a men only lane”

      Sorry Jimmy but if women only places are trans exclusionary, then men only places are too. You’ll just need to wait a wee bit longer for your beer and crisps.

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      2. Huh?

        I haven’t actually found a trans-exclusionary women-only space in real life. Even the women’s shelters for domestic violence are trans-friendly.

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  13. People who take their dog for a walk and a poop and always take the dog to someone else’s street to do it, I see people actually driving their car to another part of town with their dog , they get the dog out ,walk to the nearest bit of grass and then let the dog poop.
    I always think to myself, why not do it in your own street.

    Or the people who take their dog for a walk on the local football and rugby pitches , the dogs running around , not on a leash , the owners too far away to see it pooping, all done on purpose of course , the perfect excuse if confronted , I didn’t see it.

    Or the people who walk around with a little dog poop bag but don’t use it, I know someone that keeps her fags and house keys in her dog poop bag and I know another that just puts pebbles in the bag to make it look like she had picked up the poop.

    It’s amazing how many people you see with their little poop bags that are swinging away as if they have contents but then the dog owner walks right past the dog poop bin
    what ? would they taking rather take their dog poop home. . .

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    1. Don’t forget the people who do pick up their dog’s crap but then leave the bag hanging on a bush or a fence, possibly as an offering to the Poo Fairy who they think comes round afterwards and clears their mess up for them.

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      1. To be fair I think most of that is people taking their dog on a “circular” walk & not wanting to carry doggy crap around for an hour as they’re nowhere near a bin/home. They put the bag to the side of the path/on a twig with the intention of picking it up on the way back & just forget.

        People who actually have bags for doggy crap with them – and use the bags – are unlikely to then turn anti-social in the disposal of the bags.

        I used to think the same as you but I’ve seen lots of people leave bag to side of path & pickup on way back – I’ve done it myself as if you carry it around every dog you meet will be sniffing at the bag (or worse if your doggy had nicer food than they did).

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        1. …and for “countryside” locations (like the old golf course the Moose pics come from) unless the crap is where people can see/smell it (ie next to the footpath) then its better left where it is. It gets eaten by other dogs, foxes and hedgehogs – amongst others.

          I put in CCTV a while back and it records continuously. Scrubbing through the night footage at the back reveals that the same spot where the dog pees/craps is the same spot where the hedgehogs wander. I’m 99% sure they eat the remnants of the dog crap which I didn’t get off the grass.

          Not a nice topic really but perhaps a reminder that a bin full of concentrated dogshit is probably harder to recycle/compost than the odd shit in the woods 😉

          We won’t get into cats. Their crap is seriously toxic.

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  14. Wow
    Pelosi just put the skids under the orange one. No one is above the LAW.
    Who’s going to do the same to the blonde doris?
    Still think doris will have another few goes at closing parliament down but for a couple of days at a time, tick talk, wind the clock down.
    Danny will confirm the primaries are due to start, think in November.

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    1. Dave……Yes, Trump’s telephone call to a foreign head of state asking him to investigate one of his (Trump’s) political opponents, was finally a step too far for Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats. This is the very definition of political corruption! In fact, standing House Committees will now draft a detailed list of “Articles of Impeachment” for the entire House of Representatives to vote on.

      There’s an old saying that the road to the White House begins in the snows of New England. This refers to the fact that historically the first Presidential Preference Primary in the nation is held in New Hampshire. Sometimes the New Hampshire Primary is scheduled as early as January of the election year, but it’s a bit later this year. The 2020 New Hampshire primary will be held on Tuesday, February 11.

      In recent years…..the more informal (and sometimes really weird and stupid) state county caucuses have taken on added importance, now that the party nominating conventions in the summer are only formalities; with the pledged delegates chosen by the primaries and caucuses. The first county caucuses in the nation are in Iowa, so these days the very first test of the political strength of presidential candidates is there. The Iowa caucuses will be held on Monday, February 3, eight days before New Hampshire.

      Trump now seems likely to be impeached….making him the third president to be impeached in American history. Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton before him. After impeachment, the Senate sits as a judicial body and tries the president on the impeachment charges. Conviction and removal from office by a 2/3 vote of the Senate has never happened in American history. (Nixon resigned before he was impeached and convicted.)

      So it now seems likely that Trump will fight the 2020 campaign as an impeached (but not convicted) president. It seems unlikely the House of Representatives can do the formal investigations and take the impeachment vote before the primaries are already in full swing, maybe in March…..or even April. Impeachment is a big deal and will add lots of excitement and a major distraction during presidential primary season.

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      1. I look forward to Trumpy being led off in handcuffs the moment he is no longer President – I do hope there are some warrants for his arrest out under seal, of whatever form that might take.

        I read just now in the BBC news that “The PM has said he “profoundly disagreed” with Tuesday’s landmark ruling but he would respect it.”

        Talk about hubris! So he knows better than 3 Court of Session and 11 Supreme Court judges? The sheer gall of the man … such a narcissistic sense of his own entitlement and superiority. But at least he knows he can’t get away with defying the Supreme Court – but I fully expect him to try to slither past it, if he isn’t brought down first.

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        1. Ed…..I saw that a reporter had caught up with Boris at the UN. Having a bad day but trying to put a good face on it. Trump Tweeted his displeasure about impeachment. “So bad for our country!” He’ll have more to say no doubt.
          I too hope that prosecutors are piling up sealed indictments for use when he’s no longer president. 😉

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  16. Indeed I am. Everything went like clockwork. I’ve been reading all your comments. And enjoying them. A bit restricted in movement, but not surprising really. Thanks for all your good wishes.

    When i woke up yesterday, the first thing I did was ask about the judgment. Then I whooped. I didn’t hear about Trump till today.

    It’s all falling to bits! Hey ho.

    You obviously managed fine without me !

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    1. Barely managed Tris, but not the same without you. Munguin wants you back on duty post haste. So glad to hear that all went well! Nice to have it over no doubt!

      Yesterday was a bad day for Boris and Trumpy. I read that Boris left New York this morning on a 4:00 AM red eye. Seems that contrary to his wishes parliament is going back into session. So he must be there to “lead” it. 😉

      Wishing you a speedy recovery! 🙂

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    2. glad you’re feeling better. I don’t know about managing fine without you though. So when you’re back to tip top shape, you can come back to herd us cats.

      Dedication to politics asking about court cases when the anaesthesia wears off!

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  17. Great to have you back.
    Take things steady.
    The fun and games in westmonster should be taken in small doses.
    Still thinking the doris will do a shut down again but within the current timespan of a few days.
    Cox just lost the plot calling the opposition ‘Turkeys’ and cowards, maybe he should consider his position. The answer to the question about whether another prorogation would not be called was a masterpiece of a non answer. The question on cabinet being refused the sight of his advice; ‘I have never refused to show advice’, again a conditional answer.
    His statement about the LAW states that a new parliament might want to change the LAW on prorogation so that doris’ wishes would be within the LAW.
    Dangerous times, the ordinary punter now has a number of pleadings if taken to court.
    1) The CArmichael. lying is ok
    2) The Dugdale. honestly held beliefs
    3) The Johnston. I don’t agree with the LAW

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    1. It is dangerous times. Did anybody notice any contrition? I missed it, if there was any on show. It is serious, the queen lied to or the queen complicit.

      Something might be afoot though. I thought greasy Gove was over egging his performance and toadying the backbenchers a tad much. Laying leadership foundations?

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      1. Gove [hawks up and spits on the floor] is a lying toad. I am particularly incensed by his blaming the SNP for sectarianism. He and Jo Swinson make a fine pair: Scottish civic nationalism as equivalent to blood-and-soil BritNat and English nationalism… it make me want to screw their heads off. Not literally, but it does make me pretty damn angry. And if it’s ignorance, I hate that too, because it’s not pure ignorance, it’s wilful pig-ignorance.

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        1. As I listened to more of the commons I realised that the goading and toadying was a choreographed plan to score cheap “I’m a well hard, ballsey guy” points from a section of the electorate, dangerous can easily run out of control. They are desperate for an election before the Scottish “nob off” bill is finalised and the loopholes in the Ben bill are plugged. Hence the Johnson “Scottish hurdle to get over” quote. At least that’s what I thought might be behind it.

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  18. Many thanks to all for the good wishes.

    Indeed I’m relieved that it’s over! Taking it easy. Even Munguin suggested I take the rest of the week, without pay, of course.

    I have to admit, I was gagging to know the result from the Supreme Court
    . The Trump thing was a bonus!

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    1. Tris, I am very, very glad you are back. I know it doesn’t do any good, but I worried anyway. It is good to know it’s all over and all you need is to take it easy for a bit. Don’t let Mr. Munguin make you carry big bags of cement like last time! Not that he would if he thought about it first, of course.

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  19. This has been annoying me for a while now.

    Thermos Flasks, the modern ones. Why oh why can they not have decent sized cups on them, instead of glorified thimbles. Such a crappy design. Remember the old flasks – you got 2 decent sized cups, an outer and an inner/spare one.

    And why do they make the cups from reinforced plastic, its not necessary and adds to the weight…. and when will someone invent a 2 ended flask, one for a brew and one for your soup? Hmmm, when?

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      1. Dunno, Danny. I’ve got a rather fine German one in thick red transparent plastic that makes a feature of the shiny thermos bottle inside. Not flimsy at all. Not so good for the environment maybe. It has a rather advantageous pouring cap and spout that doesn’t drip, which as you know isn’t as common as it ought to be.

        I work on the assumption that the Germans know a thing or two.

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        1. Ed…..Yes, the Germans do have a reputation for making things that work. I was thinking of super cheap plastic American models. All plastic for sure and very flimsy. Really good ones that are American made are usually stainless steel construction and very pricey. But they really do keep hot things hot and cold things cold. (How they know the difference is a mystery. 😉 )

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  21. What I find annoying? Surely not super original to say cell phones (AKA mobile phones, smartphones) and pretty much everything about the way people use them in public places. Maybe outfitting everyone with a Star Trek communicator and a computer screen was a bad idea. 😉

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    1. Particularly people who say, in very loud voices, “Hello, Justin, I’m on a train!”. Especially when they do it in one of the so-called “quiet” coaches. And people who use their phones while driving.

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      1. Ed…..I had no idea that you had “quiet” coaches.
        I’m friends with an American couple who were on a train in England. They became aware as they spoke to each other and to other passengers, that the English would seem to reply to them in almost a whisper. An English friend of theirs later explained that the English consider that Americans talk too loud, and that the English (especially the ones in trains) prefer to whisper to each other.

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          1. Ed……LOL……The “as loudly as possible” part of freedom of speech is an article of the lesser known “unwritten” part of our constitution. 😉

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  22. Interesting article on the Queen’s silence about the “illegal” prorogation.

    “And the cry has gone up – even from the present system’s doughtiest defenders – for a written constitution, one where the powers of the different parts of the state and the different nations of the kingdom, are clearly explained and defined.”

    “Elizabeth came to the throne as the age of deference slipped away.
    She has been a conservative monarch, content to play little more than a symbolic and ceremonial role. She understands that her position is dependent on her staying deep in the shadows of government.
    But now daylight has flooded in. No wonder the Palace has decided to stay silent.”

    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49811931

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    1. Can’t have a constitution as both signatories to the Act of Union would have to agree it.

      That’s not going to happen anytime soon.

      In addition there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that “republicans” in NI would trust the English – it’d result in a more or less immediate demand for a reunification referendum.

      So a “constitution” is only ever likely to cover E&W as neither Scotland or NI are stupid enough to go along with it – and if they are then they deserve EVERYTHING that happens afterwards.

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      1. Vestas……I see what you mean. I’m reminded of the wrangling that went on among the 13 sovereign states during the American constitutional convention of 1787 that finally resulted in the adoption of the federal constitution. Even after all the compromises had been made and the document was presented to the states for ratification, it was not at all a sure thing that it would be approved. The required nine states had ratified it within a year, but Rhode Island didn’t come on board until 1790.
        The American constitution of 1787, difficult as it was, was surely a piece of cake compared to what would be involved in a modern-day constitution uniting the interests of Scotland, England, and NI.

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  23. The thing is there actually is a written constitution. Its just not codified.
    The irony is that its the continental/franco-german systems of law that go in for codification.

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  24. Hold the front page – PRINCESS BEATRICE ENGAGED – to property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Huzzah! Let joy be unconfined! Bunting to be dressed and flags flown. Jeez, it wid make ye boak!
    Another thing, with a monniker like that, do you think this Mozzi fella might be one of them Europeans? Does that make the princess a traitor? Do we give a flying f***?
    Welcome back, Tris, to Ruritania! Take it easy, pal!

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    2. Yes! It’s not as if the Queen was supposedly taken in by BoJo’s – or Rees-Smugg’s – lies about the reason for the prorogation … a likely story. Oh no. How could it possibly be anything to do with that, or with Airmiles Andy’s involvement with Epstein… does anyone know how Epstein made his money yet? Blackmail? But Beatrice is engaged! Probly got a great big sparkler on the appropriate digit! Is she the one with the appalling hats?

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. panda,

      Well. yes. That was, I believe, satirical in a way that normal human beings could relate to? Perhaps bampots might have a problem with it but lunatics, will be pretendy offended and off their rocker?

      Much as we know and much as we suspected.

      Thanks for that.

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  27. Ho, hum.

    Apolgies Danny but this is too important for me to avoid,

    I am quite keen in discussing with Danny about global warming and stuff. (I spent around five years coming to my position and I expect Danny has spent at least the same about of time.)

    So’s, I am quite willing to lose, though I doubt I will, but we both have to explain how and why we arrived at our mutually exclusive conclusions.

    Quite astonished Danny. Were you just having a laugh?

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  28. This should be rewritten:

    “Ho, hum.

    Apolgies Danny but this is too important for me to avoid,

    I am quite keen in discussing with you about global warming and stuff. (I spent around five years coming to my position and I expect you has spent at least the same about of time.)

    So’s, I am quite willing to lose, though I doubt I will, but we both have to explain how and why we arrived at our mutually exclusive conclusions.

    Quite astonished Danny. Were you just having a laugh?

    Like

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  30. I’m curious as to how the stats for the blog varied while you weren’t really with us 🙂

    Did we play nice or nasty? 🙂

    Like

    Reply

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