SeanMacGabhann

Whilst I definitely agree they are elected and therefore open to scrutiny, that doesn't make us mere mortals or them elevated. Fair enough you haven't been impressed by politicians you have met but is there any reason you would be? Are you expecting to be swept away on a wave of charisma ? What would have impressed you? Nobody wants to be told rather than engaged with but when you are serving a constituency or a country then by definition a large proportion of that constituency is going to feel they have been "told" something and another part is going to feel they have been listened to whenever any change happens I don't feel "told" anything in particular tho - I'm open to examples and I'll tell you how I feel about them. You mention drugs debate but do you think the political parties are tha authors of drug policy in this country? As for iamhere - glad you think the same way I do

"Subservient tone to the political classes" - that's an odd one, and I know you and I have touched on it before, but I genuinely fail to see a separate class lablled "political" - So I just don't buy into the same "us" and "them" thing to begin with I do see people - not any different to you or me - who are willing to take control of the levers of power and try to make a change. As it happens I probably disagree with the people who are doing that much of the time and find the whole concept of politicing, which you describe well enough in your first few paragraphs, distasteful but equally I can see why people and parties need to do this You can say if you like that people are abandoning the political process because of how they perceive the parties to be bickering idiots - but what I see is the reality that any party which tries to abstain from this process is judged as weak by the very people who claim to dislike it - so yeah, "the political classes" have to get their hands dirty. So I refute completely that I am subservient to anyone - but I do respect the fact that in lieu of a better political system, this creaky democracy is as good as we have got. So unless you or anyone has any better ideas I'm not as willing to throw the baby out with the bathwater as you might be "visionless, out of touch, directed to by those that must be obeyed from on high" Sometimes all of these things must be true but not all of the time. and the last time this country had a party full of the opposite, it was the shambles that was Old Labour. I suspect that any party that let all of it's members dpeak at will would be judged, by we the public, as barmy and not allowed anywhere near power So I do think that people are not visionless or out of touch, but doing the best they can within the boundaries of what is doable I genuinely think the people of this country are by and large responsible for the current political status quo - and not any of the individuals in power And why do you have a bad taste about the Barber/Iamhere incident? You feel he was run out of town by a mob?

this is Lounge material surely?

damned if they engage, damned if they don't Whilst I don't want to see the place overrun with electioneering, it strikes me as as good a place as any to ask questions and judge the answers. Sneering and shite-stirring as a default option only contributes to the problem* and does nothing to help. It's all too easy to carp from the sidelines but unless you are going to roll up your sleeves and get involved yourself? what's the point? * the problem being voter disenfranchisement, or at least that's what I read

James - people aren't interested in facts. You can prove anthing with them. They prefer blind prejudice and gut feel I mean someone actually said on this thread that some people want the car un-invented. Where do you go with that? Running water is a great invention and we wouldn't get rid of it, but if someone left the tap on and it flooded the house, ruining the structure of the building and drowning people on the ground floor, you MIGHT suggest some kind of overflow system, or better drainage - you wouldn't want to un-invent the thing

That is one lonely slog to bump this thread to 100, quids....

It's not the first pile of poo Mr B has had to contend with on here and it won't be the last unfortunately I can't believe he still does it - I doff my cap to him

Well thank heavens you weren't pointing us to here then!

one of the lowest periods in the history of the forum

daizie - I thought you posted a link to some car-related site a while back? anyway to help with the basics, teh most important thing someone needs to know with these problems is not "it doesn't work" but at what point in the whole thing is it not working, what did you do just before it didn't work, how do you know it's not working, and what is the screen saying/doing In LadyM's steps above - it could be that when you click on the long address in Step 2 for exampl, your browser is not highlighting the whole address but maybe just a word or a letter - how much of it goes dark in other words?

now, whilst this thread has brightened up my day considerably, and those instructions are a thing of joy LadyM, it thas left me wondering how some of you managed to find the forum in the first place

Simian, do you also want to link to the many many many articles the same Ben (Gold)acre publishes trashing homeopathy? No? Here's one and another there are, of course many more That doesn't make your point about big pharma companies invalid of course but that's irrelevant to the nature of medicines that work (eg the injection before dental work) and which work because they are tested and they work in trials... and then those that don't work, and don't work in trials, but are vouched for by "nice" people who don't want to accept things like regression to the mean Last word again to Ben, and why promotion of homeopathy is morally wrong ouch

Hi Steph the 176 stops around the Charing X Road area - I catch it back to ED Blackwells bookshop on the corner of Charing X Rd and Shaftesbury Ave

silverfox - it can be government policy or it can be a conspiracy, can it be both? And do you not see any upsides to getting more people out of cars?

Laugh of the weekend that one quids. 8 / 10

Not to support labour quids, but nobody from any party is going to get far by talking about negatives. You and I might appreciate the honesty but with regards to getting anywhere it's a tactical non starter now.. Is this section of the forum the best place for electioneering? I would say no but on the other hand I like to see people stand up. But as James barber has found out the people one serves often don't deserve the service

I thought quids broke one if his own rules tho ladymuck, don't you think?

Nothing Hals fault declan. Chill your boots. Im just exhausted with nonsense arguments. By the time I regretted saying I would leave people had quoted my post so I left it. Hal isn't in any trouble you on the other hand your post about moderation Is about the forum so it's in the right place. If noone goes there then that just proves my point about conspiracies and people. I moderate on here. It's been recorded on the forum many a time Happy? Not all moderators are as happy being exposed tho. Maybe you could accord them some respect

Oh what a brave first time post

Mass Effect 2 as reviewed by ZP so, yknow... not friendly but very funny

Oh dear god - do you actually think I have spent the last 8 + years thinking this happened in November and not September? I get that little credit??

Hal Pick a sentence - any sentence - from your post above . That'll be reason enough All human beings, not just moneyed, powerful people, have vested interests. Wanting to keep sensitive info from the public - be that the general public or your neighbours - is no proof of conspiracy theories on the scale of the 9th November 2001 being an inside job

I give up I may well join Piers and retire

oh really? That sounds very certain of you puzzled

Exactly my point - in what thread did you find that quote? ah yes..."Tiny little things that cause you Irrational Rage" Which is where it belongs