before worrying about and admittedalty tragic situation in Haiti, a country which I've never even bothered to spare a thought before so I'm not going to come onto here and be told I need a reality check whilst I've enough problems of my own here

You see, I blame Thatcher for this kind of attitude.

They were crying because they'd just heard someone over here hadn't had their wheelie bin emptied for a fortnight even though they paid their Council Tax! I don't think they have Council tax in Haiti, so it was something of a shock to them and put all their problems into perspective

😆
nice

I'd be interested to see how many of these people saying we need to worry about Haiti, not our own country actually put some of their hard earned into a charity every month that would help aid agencies out there to sort stuff out? Despite my views that I need to worry about getting my own life sorted back out due to a bit of snow bringing the whole country to a standstill, I do actually pay various charities money every month via a standing order. So I am doing my bit. Whose doing theirs while whinging on an internet forum?

I donate to international aid agencies – as long as they're not connected to God in any way. Not by standing order though – as and when I can afford it – and I commend you for doing so DBW.

Iraqi's etc etc suffer daily and I'm painfully aware of the total inequality in Palestinian. It doesnt stop my capacity to care.

A little base, however do you guys lack the ability to emphase on different levels or multi-task? 🙄

Hora – I'm not sure what is more shocking – your daily ritual of forum seppuku or your grammar.

mudsux, we could both enroll on a grammar course?

Alternatively, hora you could just do the seppuku thing. 🙂

I donate to international aid agencies – as long as they're not connected to God in any way.

I donate £15 a month (+GiftAid)to British Red Cross, because they always seem to be one of the first on the scene when there is a disaster like this.

I like the work Christian Aid do too. But like you I'm not all that comfortable with the religious side of it – especially when they are working in non-Christian areas.

Alternatively, hora you could just do the seppuku thing.

Not a chance.

I like the work Christian Aid do too. But like you I'm not all that comfortable with the religious side of it – especially when they are working in non-Christian areas.

I know what you mean G, they do wonderful stuff for sure, but I just wonder what kind of mission they're on once the clearing up's been done and people are ripe for conversion.

Just curious as to why you called him 'Scottish Idiot'

Because he's scottish, and an idiot. I'm sure the poster wasn't implying that all Scots are idiots, but nonetheless if you wish to read into it that way, you may be lending that daft assertion some credence after all…

Because he's scottish, and an idiot. I'm sure the poster wasn't implying that all Scots are idiots, but nonetheless if you wish to read into it that way, you may be lending that daft assertion some credence after all…

I'm glad it wasn't just me thinking that.

As billy connolly said, paraphrased, there are only so many things you can care about, you only have so much empathy to spare, and most people have sufficient things going on in their immediate area to (seriously) consider worrying about things from other places. However they do put things into perspective.

People of my grandparents era would generally put up with things when times were tough, and find their own solution to problems. It seems people of my era just whine about things and expect everyone to do things for them. I can see the taxes>roads point of view, but that can be taken to any level and made rediculous, they've done a good job of keeping the major routes open. If there are loads of older people around your house that can't get out and the council can't grit, YOU help them.

As for saving the dog, well thats your call depending on how much you like your pets. I'd find a way of getting mine back, probably not by walking on the ice and falling through.

coffeeking- I see where you are coming from. You also forget the level of taxation we are at. The more we pay the more we can reasonable expect. The fact we pay taxes on fuel, a road tax and VAT on any new car should mean we expect a gritted road as the norm.

Yes. This winter has been harsher than some however our area still hasnt seen any council workers for weeks. What do they do again?

The fact we pay taxes on fuel, a road tax and VAT on any new car should mean we expect a gritted road as the norm.

Why? Those taxes are to dissuade you from buying/using a car, not to pay for the upkeep of the roads. Some reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigovian_tax

im with cofeeking

too many people expect the world to revolve around them in modern britain

oldfart your thread is an amazing example of how right you were!!

a) grit wont work on sheet ice, or snow for that matter, it only works to stop moisture freezing, so light freezing rain, freezing fog etc. It can work in snow if theres a constant streem of cars passing over it to constanly mash it up.

b) a snowplough wont shift sheet ice either (the clue's in the name)

For the sake of a weeks inconvenience every 10 years in parts of the country, is it worth the millions it would cost to buy in enough gritters and snow ploughs to cover every single road? Bearing in mind each gritter can only cover a few hundred miles of road? and it wouldnt have saved us? Our road was under a sheet of ice despite being gritted.

It became sheet ice after weeks of no action. Basically snow compacted down by cars etc, more snow, then freeze. I estimated it was circa 2-3inches thick (the ice) on our roads.

On the rescuing dog on ice. I'd like to say I wouldnt rescue my dog as its mad to put yourself at risk. I really would like to say I wouldnt attempt it but I can see why someone would react in that situation. FFS- our dog sits on my lap and looks me in the eyes for hours most evenings! I dont think I could avoid his gaze in that situation 🙁

The fact we pay taxes on fuel, a road tax and VAT on any new car should mean we expect a gritted road as the norm.

Why those taxes in particular? After all, none of them particularly have any connection with the upkeep of roads.

I wouldnt jump in a river to save such a gayers dog either 😆

I too watched this for maybe 60 seconds and she camE across as a prize fool.
I got the impression the male interviewer was less than impressed with her too.

GMTV: Really struggling with things to say by the look of things.

However, did you see the BBC news report from Haiti, of the dozens of American Christian Missionaries fleeing in their aircraft?

jeebus i cant believe some people actually watch gmtv
I thought it was just old post menopausal downtrodden houswives with autistic children and people in care homes where the tv is behind some shatterproof glass and the channel cant be changed

However, did you see the BBC news report from Haiti, of the dozens of American Christian Missionaries fleeing in their aircraft?

Reminds me of the Ethiopian South Park sketch.

I eat my breakfast in front of the news on a morning.
I tried GMTV for a one-off change today.
Never again.
Then over to Trisha to see what I'm missing in my life (a very drunk father today trying to persuade his kids he's sober), and then onto Jeremy Kyle if I have the stomach for it.
One day, I too want to do all my dirty laundry in public.
Then whatever life throws at me never seems so awful as the people who appear on those shows.
(just kidding about Jeremy Kyle!)

dogs should be on a lead…….

kimbers – Member
jeebus i cant believe some people actually watch gmtv
I thought it was just old post menopausal downtrodden houswives with autistic children and people in care homes where the tv is behind some shatterproof glass and the channel cant be changed

Funny that my downtrodden mrs watches GMTV and we have an Autistic Child, how did you come across this fact..can you point me towards the study. ❗

t®ibal©hief – Member

just seen footage of about 50 'christian' missionaries, getting on the first plane out of Haiti. maybe they were just heading off to get some supplies, I can't believe they'd be fleeing the country unwilling to help in a time of great need, oh no…

I'd love to have a dig at the evils of the church, but supposedly in this instance they were asked to leave because they had no housing/food and they COULD get out of there and make way for people who actually could help

"It seems people of my era just whine about things and expect everyone to do things for them"

A nation that has made a virtue of idleness and complaining. Apocalyse now!

"It seems people of my era just whine about things and expect everyone to do things for them"

A nation that has made a virtue of idleness and complaining. Apocalyse now!

We accept mediocre.

Italy was described as politically corrupt however England is just as much so. We used to lead the world didnt we? We had an empire, pioneered. However since then we have destroyed ourselves accepting our lot is better than others so we shouldnt complain. We lost momentum after the first world war. Then post-second world war everything slowed- we started saying 'think about the starving children in Africa whilst eating your dinner properly young billy' instead of being told 'young billy why dont you help Africa properly'? at the dinner table.

The 'we have it better' will eventually grind us down.

Come on folks we do need a reality check but not the ones that you prescribe.

Why? Those taxes are to dissuade you from buying/using a car, not to pay for the upkeep of the roads. Some reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigovian_tax

Presumably income tax is a tax to persuade you not to have a job?

Oh, yeah. I see your point.

Presumably income tax is a tax to persuade you not to have a job?

Income Tax isn't a Pigovian tax.