Alan Medic

My Kings College born, EU passport holding son is in China and intends staying there. When his studies finish he has been offered a position by a Chinese company. They sent him a few documents one of which is translated into English. As he doesn't appear to be too bothered about the content of the documents which I can only put down to the idiocy of youth, I got a quote here to have them translated. It was over ?300, which I thought was a bit much especially as it won't be me who is having only 5 days annual leave and who knows what other restrictions imposed on me. Anyway, should I take these to the local take-away and see if they'll read them to me or any other good less expensive suggestions?

Those comforted by the sun rising again in the morning should read this.........there's trouble ahead: https://phys.org/news/2015-02-sun-wont-die-billion-years.html

I didn't take your remark seriously Jeremy. Food in pubs is new by my criteria. If it started in the last 40 years, it's new.

I think you're getting me confused with.........well you Jeremy. Aren't you the man who didn't think food in a pub was a new thing? Thirty + years ago the old cheese sandwich was in a special wrapper to be toasted if one wanted it to be. It's not that long ago.....

KidKruger Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The Castle does a consistently plain and passable > grated cheese sarnie - and at the price point > where there's no upset over the occasional crusty > corner. Now that sounds like a pub. Can they be toasted?

Hi Lordship. I appreciate a lot your contribution to this thread. I'm curious though how you know so much about what Albert got up to? I'm from where he lived. Your knowledge of the dog food factory suggests you must have had sources of information quite close to him. This is something John Major wrote about that time: One of Reynolds's main achievements during his term as Taoiseach was in the peace process in the long-running conflict in Northern Ireland. Piecemeal negotiations had gone on during 1993 between Reynolds and British Prime Minister John Major resulting in the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1993. On 15 December 1993 the Downing Street Declaration was signed in London. Reynolds remained involved in discussion with Northern nationalist parties, and along with John Hume and Gerry Adams, persuaded the IRA to call a complete ceasefire on 31 August 1994.[12] Major was quoted in The Guardian at the time as saying: ? Let me now say something that may surprise you. Throughout the process, I was acutely conscious that IRA leaders were taking a risk, too: if Albert and I upset our supporters we might ? as Albert put it, be 'kicked out'. That was true, but the IRA's supporters were more deadly than our backbench colleagues. And their leaders were taking a risk too, possibly with their own lives.

Nah. I don't have the headed paper. I nicked it from twitter. #brexitday............I think

Happy Brexit Day JohnL. I have the official announcement:

Who said they were justified?

Great post Lordship. Puts a lot into context which has mostly been missing in this thread.

Veterans discussing food in pubs. What happened to you?

You're not very good 😊 at it then.

Re the OP. Isn't that what Martin McGuinness did?

Doesn't anyone have a job on this thread?

Makes a nice change from fans being ripped off........ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39418577 https://www.facebook.com/events/964525040348829/

Mick Mac Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Jeremy Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > quids - I don't buy this "Scotland good, > England > > bad" narrative that you describe, either. > > (Although IMO you exaggerate how tolerant we > are > > as a country). > > > > Agreed - I think we (in England) are intolerant of > BNP/UKIP labels and voting etc. Am I misunderstanding something about this Mick? UKIP got the best part of 13% of the vote in the last election. That's a lot of the vote and doesn't show intolerance.

Phew. Last time I looked in I thought the thread had reached a conclusion even if the topic hadn't. Anyway, who thinks the Plantation of Ulster should be reversed?

Are you ready to hand back the 6 counties then? ☺

200 :)

Well I chose An American in Paris. As it was for the benefit of my OH it worked well, as she really liked it. The sets were amazing but other than that not my cup of tea. It did get a standing ovation though.

Pure speculation Rah. Poets, writers attached themselves to the cause of Independence in Ireland. That guy on the bridge....fuck knows who he was fighting.

No. You brought up the subject of rules of war as if the IRA were the only ones to have broken them.

The ballot box wasn't much of an option in those times RD. If you want to read why here's a link, though I'm sure there's much more recorded elsewhere: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland_Civil_Rights_Association

I don?t agree Quids. The Troubles brought these people/organisations to prominence. If there had been civil rights for the minority in the North it?s likely the IRA would not have resurfaced as a force. However the ruling Unionists did not appear to want to share opportunities with their Republican neighbours. When objections raised by the pacifist civil rights movement failed, trouble was inevitable. Only after years of futile killings did people finally see that it wasn?t going to achieve anything. Losses became unbearable for both sides. I?m not sure what path could have been taken to reach the current state of affairs in NI that would have been less harrowing and shorter as you allude to.

@DaveR If anyone is being one eyed it the posters here who judge McGuinness simply for what he did or was responsible for. Not taking into account why events led to the troubles in NI is missing the point. I'm just pleased for the people there that things have changed somewhat. As most people have said this change wouldn't have occured without McGuinness. Whatever you see his motives as being doesn't matter. Things have changed for the better and for that I am grateful. As for the point that the UK government abused its own people, maybe it didn't as it didn't consider the minority in NI as its own people. It certainly seemed like it.