kevinjohnsonmbe

Would that be the link that exists between badgers that have no higher predator (through no fault of their own) and the profit driven choice of intensive farmers to cram as many cattle as is inhumanely and inappropriately possible into confined areas creating the logistical issues of slurry management coupled with the creation of an environment which actively encourages disease multiplication whilst pursuing ‘sporting’ activities which further exacerbate the ‘problem’ which is being blame shifted onto a creature so as to satisfy the blood lust of the greedy? The ‘link’ you speak of I would not dispute, the cause however, I’d suggest is about as far from the target as it’s possible to be.....

I'm on the Scotch....!

It's not so 'black and white' as to simply be about the badgers though Mull me ol' mucker.... It has more to do with the pernicious lobbying effect of the NFU (which, by the greatest of irony refers to itself as a 'union' - for farmers), the sitting government's subservience to the landed gentry - who continue to reap rich rewards from the subsidy policies that, surprise, the NFU so vociferously defend, the blatantly obvious scientific evidence which (a) pretty much discounts the relevance of badgers in comparison to intensive farming, muck spreading, transportation and sale of cattle and again, surprise, the running of fox hounds over contaminated land as the main causal effects of the growth and spread of bTB, and (b) the ignorance of the 'actual' workers of the land so long as they continue to receive the crumbs from the table, which all adds up to show that, rather than there being anything particularly 'great' about badgers (other than the marvel of God's great creation), but rather that the whole rationale for the badger cull represents much of what is sick, corrupt and misguided about government subservience to external lobbying influence.... But apart from that, and if you discount the negative impact upon nesting birds and hedgehogs - which could be mitigated by the re-introduction of higher predators which have been removed by the senseless over predation, largely for sporting pleasure or the 'protection' of farmed herds, then perhaps the ever decreasing circles of mankind's exploitation of the natural environment might just be recognised as the source of the problem rather than the solution.... Loike....

But he'd be better than the average Jo at Latin tree nomenclature.... And.... It'd be hellish funny at lunch break... Poached quails eggs sprinkled with Almas caviar on melba toast followed by paternoster chop and spotted dick for pud! 3 ½ hours to consume with an extensive wine list, Port wine and a brandy in a high backed club chair before a kip!

Tosh... Phish... flag waving... I agree. I voted Green, I'm anti badger cull, I recognise that there is no credible argument for fox hunting, I'm anti mega-corporate, have no time for shiny ass keyboard jockies that don't actually "do" anything other than move 'stuff' from here to there in a digital world, I have a social conscience but despise wasters, I am pro (the original concept of) common market but anti EU, I want a points based immigration system, I like 'people' on an individual basis but don't like the principles of mixed cultures, I work (hard - sometimes), I earn my money and I don't want it frittered away by asshole government policies and most of all.... I would never, ever, vote Labour. In many respects, my stance should be considered Lefty, but the reality is, it's Righty....

I should have read on....

Stubby?

Be wise to have a quick read of the GDPR which will come into effect May 2018: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/

I'm no expert, but isn't there, potentially, a fundamental flaw with the concept and use of VPNs, "discreet" search engines and "access only" areas of the tinterweb? My logic would be that as soon as someone subscribes to something that purports to provide "discretion / or privacy" it simultaneously runs up a flag, which says to those that might want / need to know what's going on behind the cloak of anonymity, where to look... Like putting all the dodgy geezers in one place and providing a target where to focus all the attention. Hide in the wide open has been shown to be an effective method (to a point) for some very effective, noncy, scumbags - Saville for example.

Gotta be some positives.... It’s not as if the UK is a nation of mysoginistic, xenophobic, nazi storm troopers you know.... There is still some compassion left,like, in charitable organisations for example.... Maybe there should be a “skills” based system of awarding points for the attributes advertised in your sign?? A judging panel of sorts???

? meanwhile, getting fatter & lazier, our indigenous beetles are sat in doors cultivating their “blame culture” propagated on a diet of junk food, carbonated, high sugar drinks, fags and cheap booze, spawning multiple future generations during the ad break in the Jeremy Kyle show.... thanks a bunch Mr & Mrs Blair for your trendy, media obsessed, pseudo celeb, everything is SO cool, let’s have a war legacy.....

?

No..... hold on a min! what about them foreign beetles coming over here, eating our trees.... ??

I’m SO glad Khriss came in with the beetle post after the HGV shocker.... Maybe it’s not just the beetles that are in decline, maybe this thread has run its course and Mick can finally sign it off after so many restarts ? The infamy Khriss, look what you’ve gone and done.... ?

I'd do an island life.... That's just because them beys from Plymuff are so punchy! I did go over the bridge Sunday mind, quick dash down to Dorset to get the new dog. Was back home d'reckly though.

Ahhhhh, dilemna!!! Just can't bring myself to admit to her possibly having a point....

Bit of a change of tack from the usual: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/03/freezing-weather-storm-emma-cost-uk-economy-1-billion-pounds-a-day A £billion a day loss to UK economy after the effects of Storm Emma. Prior to the full effect of Storm Emma there were advanced Amber and Red weather warnings which advised only 'essential' travel or no travel at all. This, and Police / Highways dept warnings should have been factored into RAMS for road hauliers sending HGVs out onto UK roads in areas covered by the warnings. Yet still the UK roads were impacted by the accidents which followed loss of control of HGVs in inclement weather leading to the potential for death or serious injury. I wonder if any hauliers have submitted RIDDORs reports as a consequence of accidents involving HGVs in weather effected areas and will the HSE have any intention to conduct investigative work in the wake of this event / financial penalty - a major part of which will have been the closure, after road traffic accident, of the arterial routes. (Bloody EU drivers probably...... )

We had light, dry, powdery snow Friday. I used the blower to keep the drive reasonably clear every couple of hours. Worked quite well for that type of snow.

Yeah, Mr smarty-pants!

Already tried.... Impossible! But lets not get all cozied up over immigration though....

I couldn't see it even after you'd told me what I was looking at.... Then I just went back and tried again and, boom, there it was! You are a wizard Sir! (shall go to bed confused, wondering if there is any merit in looking at pictures whose sole purpose is to deceive us and wake up wondering what the purpose / meaning of such trickery might be....)

Bollocks! I'm not buying it!! I've already interrupted my Netflix addiction to House of Cards, put my whisky down, gone next door to get my glasses and all I can come up with is - it's an attempt to make me stare at a picture of bricks trying to find David Bowies kneecap in a moonscape to distract me from posting in other threads.... I'm not 'aving it!

Enlighten us Mr E!!

Or...... The apprentice of our future???