Cycling UK Forum

TonyR wrote:................I do miss Miss Widdecombe in that sore thumb sort of way.

What a way to talk about such a raging beauty - she's been a dancing girl on television you know.

TonyR wrote:

JohnW wrote:On political matters - I do miss Anne Widdecombe.

Help is at hand

Hey - just a minute Tony - I wasn't being serious

JohnW wrote:

TonyR wrote:................I do miss Miss Widdecombe in that sore thumb sort of way.

What a way to talk about such a raging beauty - she's been a dancing girl on television you know.

So was Danny La Rue

TonyR wrote:Is it any better or worse for a bit of light entertainment than the "Its time we had more fun" thread which has gone on for ten times as long, shows no sign of abating and has contributed nothing to the knowledge of the forum? And yes I do miss Miss Widdecombe in that sore thumb sort of way.

Ah, but there's a difference. Can't speak for the 'time we had more fun' thread, I've never contributed to it, but it's still outstripped by the Three Word Story of fond memory, which does indeed account for the bulk of my post count - even though the latter seems to have juddered to a halt for some months. The point is, these threads are harmless and not likely to upset anyone. And being tucked away as they now are, in a separate section, they can be shut out of the search engine, a welcome move for those who prefer to take this forum more seriously....

Anyway, I'm not saying that the Labour Party thread has caused any upset yet - that's got to be for any potential victims to declare. I'm not even asking for the thread to be closed - I don't think it's my call. All I'm saying is, be prepared for - things - to occur.

TonyR wrote:

JohnW wrote:.................What a way to talk about such a raging beauty - she's been a dancing girl on television you know.

So was Danny La Rue

Er - let me explain, Tony..................... - he wasn't a politician.

661-Pete wrote:Anyway, I'm not saying that the Labour Party thread has caused any upset yet - that's got to be for any potential victims to declare. I'm not even asking for the thread to be closed - I don't think it's my call. All I'm saying is, be prepared for - things - to occur.

Yes, things are bound to happen, it's in the nature of a forum. It's why we have moderators and forum members accept them and why this forum has lasted so long and is still so productive.

JohnW wrote:Er - let me explain, Tony..................... - he wasn't a politician.

Though he purported to be something he wasn't,which is a bit like a lot of politrickians err sorry,I mean

reohn2 wrote:

JohnW wrote:Er - let me explain, Tony..................... - he wasn't a politician.

Though he purported to be something he wasn't,which is a bit like a lot of politrickians err sorry,I mean

He was quite honest and open about his trickery though, and quite a nice person, which is more than you can say for most politicians...............except Anne Widdecombe!

TerryJones wrote:Religion and politics are two subjects that will divide people who would otherwise get on. I certainly don't want to fall out with anyone I share a hobby such as cycling with.

I don't see why that's a necessity. If you don't agree with someone about politics or share their religious views that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a bike ride with them. All that is required is for both people to accept that the other is entitled to hold and express their own opinions and religious convictions, and that it doesn't make them less of a person if those convictions differ from one's own. It shouldn't be too much to ask, but I accept that some people do indeed exhibit an irrational hatred for those whose views conflict with their own.

We shouldn't cater to such people's sense of their own superiority by removing all possibility for them to hear contrary points of view. No, this is a forum for the tolerant as much as the intolerant. Most of us are perfectly capable of understanding and responding politely to others' opinions. If someone shows that they are incapable of doing so then that may become a matter for moderation, but it is they rather than the forum at large who should be restricted.

Many people aren't interested in political discussion. That, of course, is fine. Political discussions in the Tea Shop do not interfere with cycling discussions elsewhere on the forum and people are free to participate, read, skim or ignore threads as they wish.

JohnW wrote:

reohn2 wrote:

JohnW wrote:Er - let me explain, Tony..................... - he wasn't a politician.

Though he purported to be something he wasn't,which is a bit like a lot of politrickians err sorry,I mean

He was quite honest and open about his trickery though, and quite a nice person, which is more than you can say for most politicians.......

I can't argrue with that John

........except Anne Widdecombe!

I met her once,informally at a friend's house during the Choose Life campaign in the '90's.

reohn2 wrote:

JohnW wrote:........................except Anne Widdecombe!

I met her once,informally at a friend's house during the Choose Life campaign in the '90's.

Do tell John - what's she really like? Although she represents a political party which is not top of my favourites list, I always thought of her as decent, and for a politician, honest.................and I often wondered whether her honesty made her stay on the front benches a bit short.

JohnW wrote:Do tell John - what's she really like? Although she represents a political party which is not top of my favourites list, I always thought of her as decent, and for a politician, honest.................and I often wondered whether her honesty made her stay on the front benches a bit short.

My old Dad long dead, used to say "you don't know someone until you know them",it's not a bad adage.
I was only in her company for an hour or two,but she came across as one of the better politicians,I've always thought of her as such,if mildly quirky.

I once saw Anne Widdecombe on within some discussion on her Christian faith. It might have been with Dawkins or a Dawkins type character. Towards the end of the interview Widdecombe became quite unsettled and,I thought,a little frightened and unsure. I felt very sorry for the lady. I tend to think of her as robust and a rhino sort of character,but when she was skewered by 'a better intellect',I thought she felt the floor giving way: her idea of God being erased.

By the way, I tend see Dawkins reductive arguments confirming the Indian idea of 'God': Neti Neti. You reduce the atom,you reduce the quark,you reduce the proton(or whatever)...and whatever's left you reduce: IT can't be named. To intellectually shred someone of their supportive psychological prop isn't good viewing...or nice to the person.

On the subject of reductionist thinking

THHG wrote: `I refuse to prove that I exist,' says God, `for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing.'
`But,' says Man, `The Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED.'
`Oh dear,' says God, `I hadn't thought of that,' and promptly vanished in a puff of logic.

We haven't found a Babel fish yet, so there's hope!

Bicycler wrote:

TerryJones wrote:Religion and politics are two subjects that will divide people who would otherwise get on. I certainly don't want to fall out with anyone I share a hobby such as cycling with.

I don't see why that's a necessity. If you don't agree with someone about politics or share their religious views that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a bike ride with them. All that is required is for both people to accept that the other is entitled to hold and express their own opinions and religious convictions, and that it doesn't make them less of a person if those convictions differ from one's own. ...

I suspect in practice no two people will always agree on everything (in my case I can't even always agree with myself). In life we have to accept different people hold opinions different from ourselves. Discussion about all sorts of things is very important to keeping society running.

Ian