Search found 11334 matches

by al_yrpal
11 May 2015, 5:12pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Should we discuss politics on this forum?
Replies: 194
Views: 11470

Re: Should we discuss politics on this forum?

Freddie wrote:Al...but politics is banned, if it is of the wrong stripe. Pete75's thread about Scottish Independence can roll on, because no on has been naughty yet. Could I suggest that is because people with differing views to the OP can conduct themselves reasonably.

Start a thread round here saying UKIP or Tories may have a point and see how long it lasts. You even have mods say "I knew it would get out of hand and should have deleted it right away". So, politics can be discussed, but only the right (actually left) kind. The wrong kind and you invite people who want to mark undue personal remarks and wilfully disrupt it and then the mods delete it, rather than deal with the offenders. This is a easy way to stifle certain politics and elevate others on the part of these disruptive posters.


I have noticed that myself. I think there are lots of folk who think like me here but they don't stick their head over the parapet because they notice it too.

Al
by al_yrpal
11 May 2015, 4:48pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Should we discuss politics on this forum?
Replies: 194
Views: 11470

Re: Should we discuss politics on this forum?

I have been the but of many unwarranted personal slurs and insults on here just lately because I hold different views to many. Such personal attacks should be dealt with by the mods I believe. Just deleting these posts would be sufficient. But I wouldnt want politics to be banned on here. Its been a very interesting few days.

Al
by al_yrpal
11 May 2015, 4:34pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Scottish Independence
Replies: 83
Views: 3011

Re: Scottish Independence

thirdcrank wrote:
I wonder then, if that's the cunning plan for achieving independence? After failing to win a referendum restricted to people living in Scotland because it was nobody else's business, engineer a situation where a surge of English nationalism achieves the independence to which they aspire.


I wondered that too? Nicola seems canny, is she that canny? Or, make sure the wicked Tories get elected and then make a hulaballoo about detaching from the wicked UK ruled by them with no hope of getting rid of them thats hitting the poor needy sick and old. If it wasnt plan A it was probably plan B.

Al
by al_yrpal
11 May 2015, 3:03pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Scottish Independence
Replies: 83
Views: 3011

Re: Scottish Independence

Whatever it was its a system fault. You cannot just send a helpless person out knowingly in the NHS. The doctor concerned, the nursing staff, the social worker and her GP would all be involved in the decision to send her home according to my Mrs who was in charge of a medical unit as a Senior Nurse for many years. No-one would knowingly send someone out like that. If there was any doubt that someone wasnt there she would have been sent to a care home first. It wasnt those wicked Torys!

Al
by al_yrpal
11 May 2015, 2:46pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Scottish Independence
Replies: 83
Views: 3011

Re: Scottish Independence

Thats faulty procedures. Hadnt anyone warned her relatives to be there to recieve her? Carers were coming from the local authority? I fail to see how this can get blamed on the government, its just shambolic organisation and lack of a joined up interaction of services. You do notice this when you use the NHS, sometimes it stutters. Just throwing more money at it wont solve the problems of people not doing their jobs properly. It illustrates the notion of everything being done by public servants some of whom will be shoulder shrugging jobsworths, less than ideal. Thats why I think the RNLI is better in the hands of people who are there because they care - volunteers! The NHS couldnt work like that though, its too big and requires lots of trained people.

Al
by al_yrpal
11 May 2015, 2:21pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Hebrides tour? Or other Scottish Island tours with young one
Replies: 19
Views: 1557

Re: Hebrides tour

jamesgilbert wrote:Yet another option (but again you'd need to check train times to see if it's feasible):

- Leave the car at Tyndrum
- Train to Oban, ferry to Castlebay
- Cycle up through Barra, Eriskay, the Uists and the southern bit of Harris (3-4 days)
- Ferry from Tarbert to Uig on isle of Skye
- Cycle across Skye to Armadale & short ferry over to Mallaig (2-3 days)
- Train from Mallaig to Tyndrum


+1 Excellent route. I have done it twice.

Al
by al_yrpal
11 May 2015, 1:44pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Scottish Independence
Replies: 83
Views: 3011

Re: Scottish Independence

bovlomov wrote:
al_yrpal wrote: The old sick and poor around here are looked after, its a myth that they arent.

That's rather a bold statement. I have seen loads of people being failed by the NHS, in various ways. Sometimes it's to do with lack of resources and sometimes to do with bad management or faulty procedures. By all means defend the NHS, but don't dismiss justified criticism as being myths.


Yes, you often see such things in the Newspapers, but so often these are down to mistakes and incompetence rather than funding. The NHS has been a political football for BOTH parties. Its not solely the wicked Tories fault.
Nicola scored an own goal by promising to lock the Tories out of Westminster in conjunction with the Labour party. Speaking to folk around here that made everyone get out to the polls double quick and caused the unexpected clear win. That statement has also damaged many peoples view of Scotland.

Al
by al_yrpal
11 May 2015, 12:26pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Scottish Independence
Replies: 83
Views: 3011

Re: Scottish Independence

The thing is, those 'Colonel Blimp' type of Tories are a small minority, and they wont have significant influence in an EU referendum. Its everyone in the UK that will vote and like the referendum in Scotland we will vote for the status quo. The old sick and poor around here are looked after, its a myth that they arent. There are loads of kind people working as volunteers ready to help those in need working in all sorts of charities too. It isnt true to say that Scotland is better but I do acknowledge its different. I have many friends in Scotland and am there cycling with them, at Celtic Connections, Jazz festivals etc. And, part of my family has lived in Lanarkshire for years but finally moved South for better weather so I do have a feel for things albeit with a certain sort of people. One of my friends was a Tony Ben accolite, we have some great discussions.
I think the spare room subsidy was a big mistake, its a rottern policy to deprive folk of their homes they have lived in for years. But tackling benefit cheats and scroungers who dont want to work is long overdue. The system isnt perfect and sometimes makes mistakes. As for the old on a basic pension thats gradually being improved and there are all sorts of other benefits available to make life more comfortable, council tax, housing benefit, help with heating etc. If you want independence good luck to you.

Al
by al_yrpal
11 May 2015, 12:02pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Cable Locks
Replies: 20
Views: 1586

Re: Cable Locks

Sweep wrote:I appreciate that you probably only use it in safe-ish areas for short times and that it is convenient to carry but that lock does strike me as expensive indeed al for the level of security and deterrence it provides.

Not after an argument i stress, just an honest observation, all the best


There is a similar one which has steel sleeves around the cable. Its much more secure but much heavier at 1.5 kg. I bought this one because it seemed a good compromise between security and weight. If I lived in Saaf London, I would be going for the best D lock I could find. :D .

Al
ps I like civilised discussions not arguments :lol:
by al_yrpal
11 May 2015, 10:03am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Scottish Independence
Replies: 83
Views: 3011

Re: Scottish Independence

I dont believe the British people will vote for EU exit under any circumstances. The EU needs to reform and thats what the negotiations will be about. The EU powers that be realise this too so there will be lots of brinkmanship and hysteria going on.
If the Scots want independence they should have it. It will be complex and costly to sort out and the Scots will be worse off in many ways as an independent entity. Its up to them. I think the majority of Scots have good sense and will vote to stay like last time. Then the SNP will be dead in the water as an independence movement, but perhaps not as a political party.
As you say with FPTP no government will ever allow the voting system to be changed. The Torys have got the bit between their teeth now lets hope they control their right wing nutters.

Al
by al_yrpal
10 May 2015, 10:41pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Cable Locks
Replies: 20
Views: 1586

Re: Cable Locks

I have an Abus cable lock, it must be about 12mm diameter. Its heavy and it was expensive. I carry it stowed like this looped around the back stays.

ImageIMAG0300[1] by Al, on Flickr

Al
by al_yrpal
10 May 2015, 9:05pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Emigration
Replies: 162
Views: 6377

Re: Emigration

My wife was a ward sister for years and finally was senior nurse in charge of a huge medical unit. Cleaning was done by private contractors. If cleaning wasnt done properly she made sure the contractor was taken to task and the problem sorted. Poor performance was not tolerated it could result in the loss of a contract. Locally we are getting a brand new Orthopeadic unit this year and a brand new rebuilt hospital in our local market town. You are offered several choices of hospital for any treatment and two of them are private. All the hospitals are excellent in my experience. I take many old folk to and from our local hospitals public and private as a volunteer they are invariably full of praise. Our health service is under stress because of extra demand from those living longer and immigration. Many of the staff are immigrants from all over the world as they have always been and love their jobs and the NHS which simetimes creaks but invariably delivers

Al
by al_yrpal
10 May 2015, 5:27pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Emigration
Replies: 162
Views: 6377

Re: Emigration

It has always been the case that private insurance funded healthcare in the UK has not been able to deal with some really serious medical conditions and in the end these conditions are dealt with by the NHS free. For the more routine stuff I cannot see why some things cant be handled by a private company? If you arent satisfied with your treatment you have the option to go back to your GP and get him or her to sort it. Long in the past I had occasion to do this and it was sorted. The failing service back then was the NHS. They are not infalible. Profits in private hospitals provide equipment and are an incentive to run private businesses. There is nothing wrong with profit its what our whole economy and relative wealth is based on. As long as the UK health service remains free at the point of delivery, thats what all parties promised. I am comfortable with that.

Al
by al_yrpal
10 May 2015, 4:40pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Thank goodness for austerity
Replies: 94
Views: 13401

Re: Thank goodness for austerity

horizon wrote:
al_yrpal wrote:
horizon wrote:
We have entered a deflationary spiral. It's too late now, the votes have been counted and declared.


Who says - the Guardian? yet to be felt around here…

Al


Sorry Al, it was the Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/econ ... ction.html


Touché! But..one swallow doesnt make a Socialist summer ..

Al