Awol

Anybody ever tried dimethyltryptamine (DMT)?

I knew a kid at Uni who did and he was away with fairies and demons for about 8 hours. He thought he could see through our skin and look at our sculls and plenty of other very weird shit. I've seen some freaky stuff but I was scared for him. He was a different bloke afterwards and although I'm not in touch with him anymore I hear it's twisted his head permanently.

Never ever touch this drug.

Top work. Mind you they'll all be too blootered tay vote, big man.

Exactly. They were going to vote SNP :winkold:

So sorry Ian, snowy mentioned Labour bribing people so thought I'd throw it in. Glad you're not denying it though

Quite good at bribing MP's though eh? *cough* 42 days

I bought John Gale's car for 300 quid about three years ago. Got very drunk with two Villa mates the night MON joined us and in a burst of misplaced enthusiasm completely trashed it. Still got 100 quid for it from a passing gypo some weeks later so 200 well spent!

They were debating this on TalkSport this morning.

Let me guess, she's having a medical at Spurs?

I don't think so, the only person I think worthy of a state funeral in the next few years - provided Lizzie stays fit and well - is Harry Patch, the last Tommy.

Thatcher was simply too divisive imo.

I'd like them to win this seat in the hope it would finally see off Courage Brown and give the country a chance to recover from Labour.

I don't support them but in the interests of the the whole UK it would be better if they won this by-election.

So the anyone but Labour thing is right!!!

Again, no. I'd see an SNP victory in this seat as a means to an end, I certainly don't think the country would be run better by 'anyone but Labour'. The Tories or Lib Dem's then probably yes but not literally anyone but Labour.

Sorry Jon but it's not round and round, your post clearly states anyone but Labour, which sort of defeats any argument you had against that accusation.

Two for one in Specsavers mate.

Interesting that the Tory vote in Scotland remains so low, why is that? Is it because they are a South East centric party only catering for that part of the country?

I'd imagine it's because the Tories treated Scotland like shite in the 80's-90's, poll tax et all. Wouldn't you?

The SNP are an interesting bunch. Play the right-wing nationalistic card at all times but are never seen as racist in the same way as others.

I don't think Plaid Cymru are racist, or the SNP etc. I don't agree with their agenda for independence but then I don't think the majority of Welsh/Scots do either. I'd like them to win this seat in the hope it would finally see off Courage Brown and give the country a chance to recover from Labour.

Does this mean that nationalism for one part of the UK is deemed to be OK/ Support for the SNP is surely support for the breakup of the UK.

I don't support them but in the interests of the the whole UK it would be better if they won this by-election.

I read at the weekend that Brown will force every Labour MP North and South to campaign in Glasgow for this one so he obviously realises it's shit or bust now. Still, it can't be very good for the old parliamentary carbon footprint eh? :winkold:

If Labour can't hold onto a seat where the electorate are dependent on the benefits they have hooked half of the population on then they really have no hope. Hence me rooting for the SNP, although I think Labour will win.

I believe Labour's majority is about 14,000 and if they lose that to the SNP Brown can't last much longer. I don't like the nationalist parties but it would be fun if they won this seat.

and you said you didn't subscribe to the idea of "anyone but Labour"!

ooops sort of pissed on that Jon

Round and round we go...

I don't subscribe to anyone but Labour, take the BNP or Monster Raving Loonies as cases in point. However that doesn't mean I don't despise the lying shitbags.

Now Labour finally have a candidate it's maybe worth looking at why the by-election has been called..

Labour MP David Marshall step down due to 'ill health', or did he?

Labour MP spent £500,000 of taxpayers' money running office from home staffed by wife

A Labour MP used almost £500,000 of taxpayers' money over six years to help run an office from his home which was staffed by his wife.

David Marshall, 67, who has quit to spark the Glasgow East by-election on July 24, used the expenses to pay for a constituency office and staff.

But Mr Marshall's office was in his semi-detached Glasgow home and he employed his wife T ina as his secretary. It is also believed he paid his daughter Christina to work from his home from the same pool of money.

A Commons spokesman said MPs can use their home as an office but only claim for additional costs like 'extra phone lines, heating and lighting'.

From 2001-2007, Mr Marshall claimed £91,000 incidental expenses provision, which is used to pay for constituency offices, plus £400,000 for staff and £11,000 for their travel expenses.

He listed only one member of staff on the Commons register - Christina Marshall. It was unclear if this was his wife Tina or daughter Christina.

Continued on link.

But what about his 'replacement'? Why did he quit before he'd begun?

ELEVEN GLASGOW LABOUR COUNCILLORS UNDER INVESTIGATION

Eleven Labour Glasgow City Councillors, including Councillor George Ryan, who last night suddenly pulled out of the contest to represent Labour in the crucial Glasgow East by-election, were reported to the Standards on 18 June 2008 in connection with a controversial land deal in the city centre.

Crikey, more dodgy goings on..So they settle on an MSP to sit in the Scottish Parliament and Westminster. Funny this job share thing, Des Browne is Minister for Defence and Scotland and if he can manage that.. oh yeah, he can't.

I believe Labour's majority is about 14,000 and if they lose that to the SNP Brown can't last much longer. I don't like the nationalist parties but it would be fun if they won this seat.

MP's seem to agree we're not all paranoid nutters..

MPs fear ID cards could be used for spying

The multibillion-pound identity card scheme could be used to carry out surveillance on millions of people, a Commons select committee said yesterday.

MPs added that they were seriously concerned at the way that local councils and other agencies were using spying powers to deal with low-level crimes such as dropping litter.

In a 117-page report on surveillance, the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee urged the Government to make it easier for the public to challenge decisions to keep their DNA on the national database.

Keith Vaz, its chairman, said: “What we are calling for is an overall principle of ‘least data, for least time'. We have all seen over the past year extraordinary examples of how badly things can go wrong when data is mis-handled, with potentially disastrous consequences.”

He added: “The public don't have much choice over the data held on them by public bodies so they must be confident about how it is being collected, stored and used, otherwise we are in danger of becoming a surveillance society.”

The report, entitled A Surveillance Society?, said that it accepted assurances from ministers that surveillance was not part of the current plans for the ID card scheme, but it sought guarantees that no expansion would take place without MPs' approval.

The committee expressed alarm at the extent to which surveillance operations under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act are being used for minor offending. Recent figures show that local councils have been using the Act to conduct surveillance to deal with flytipping, littering, dog fouling and the sale of alcohol to those aged under 18.

Yesterday's report said that at the end of last year 656,000 of the 4.2 million samples on the DNA database were replicas and that thousands more were samples taken from people who were arrested but not charged subsequently with an offence.

The US oaths are all to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution"

With respect, they don't seem to be doing a very good job. Oh and as for Constitutions yours is based on Magna Carta. We're the one's with the history mate :winkold:

Also, for those praising the Maoist rise to power - what does it mean for the British Army?

Nothing stops the Gurkha's, if the Maoists try and get funny either the recruits will enlist from India - we'd just open a recruiting office at the consulate probably - or they will kill the Maoists then come.

Interesting point aside though is that the Gurkhas come to serve the Crown, not the State. Supposing the Monarchy could be peacefully retired - a big if - who would the Armed Forces swear their Oath to? It's to the people now through the Crown, the alternative is to a Blair clone.

Great plan.

oh well even Nepal have seen the stupidity of it, by abolishing the Monarchy

Yes, they binned their Autocratic Royal Family who actually ran their country as opposed to being the constitutional Head of State, like our Royal Family. But you knew that, right?

Well what they should do, is resign and all walk away but we don't live in a perfect world

Again I agree with you. So here's a question; If Labour make the decision sometime this year that Brown has to go and they want to replace him without calling a General Election, how do you think they'll try to sell it?

They cant put another unelected PM in without getting a mandate from the country.

Yes they can, you might argue that its wrong but there is nothing to stop them

Yeah that's what I meant Bicks, they could it's whether they should.

I now seriously think Brown will be out before the election

Or, as likely, Brown's resignation will trigger an election. They cant put another unelected PM in without getting a mandate from the country.

Well when you're charging 1500 GBP per day for the lowest consultant, I'm sure they are managing to cover their costs. Viva la free market.

I've had dealings with the tech guy who is heading up the Thales bid and that's around his rate. He's also the dogs knackers so I'd be surprised - if this abortion of a policy goes ahead - if they don't get the contract.

Apart from the automatic right to get in, the automatic right to be an officer, the zero chance of them getting failed on the training courses, it's a good argument for a Republic

Like Prince 'failed the Commando Course and Royal Marine selection' Edward? Give over mate.

But the only reason he failed the course was because he himself quit, he couldn't have failed selection because he was on the course

He couldnt hack it, if it had been anyone else this would have been realised in the selection process not 4 months into the course when he decided to walk out because the mud didn't match his nail varnish

The point here is that he was allowed on the course in the first place, if his name wasn't Windsor he wouldn't have got past the selection process would he

As none of us know the guy personally I don't think it's anything we could realistically assume either way. However going by some of shite wannabe officers I've come across I find it quite plausible he got into the 'selection process' on his own merit.

The fact that a Royal could still fail the selection process - and walking away is failing - is quite reassuring and shows that starting selection doesn't equal automatic success for anyone.

His brother however flew a helicopter in the Falklands war with the unenviable task of acting as an exocet missle decoy.

I don't think questioning their route into the Forces is correct because as Edward proved if you can't hack the training you aint getting in. Neither can you question the commitment shown on operations by those who have served/are serving.

Edit: Just to clarify, with the 'Commando course' and 'RM Selection' one means the same as the other.

^^ That's pretty impressive for this early on a Saturday.

I'd argue from my similarly limited knowledge of China specifically that the communist party is in fact as bad as it's worst excesses would indicate, but on the limited political pluralism provided by a supposed multi party state I think you have a very good point.

Royalist here, all the way.

Apart from the automatic right to get in, the automatic right to be an officer, the zero chance of them getting failed on the training courses, it's a good argument for a Republic

Like Prince 'failed the Commando Course and Royal Marine selection' Edward? Give over mate.

Let the Windsor Family earn a living like everyone else

I'd argue that they do and more, but to stick with the example of the Princes' who are currently serving, Harry was an FAC in Afghan. You know better than most that is not a role for a man who isn't extremely capable in a military sense.

What a great day this has turned out to be. Bye bye strokers, at least well get a decent derby against the Baggies.

see look at how people said we should have been allowed to get Guzan yet there are better English keepers as an example ...

Indeed. I read today Joe Hart could be looking for a move from Citeh this summer because they only want to pay him £10,000 a week!

Could be the Carson we thought we were getting.

I would like to know why 5 people have voted for the BNP? Disgusting then again that is your perogative

That's democracy! Would be nice if one or more of them fancied explaining why but as they are highly likely to get abuse rather than debate I don't expect them to.

Personally I'm disgusted by anyone who could vote for the motley collection of scum known as 'Respect' but totally support their right to do so.