Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey Topics), 19 June 2016

Annette,   this must be very frustrating for you, viewing from a distance.

Aren't you glad you are not here. Oh, hang on!  I wouldn't want your choices either!

I think your last paragraph is correct in many cases.

Lindybird also has some good points, though. ( hope you are feeling better now Lindy))

Lindybird: We have 50 states with their own individual laws, histories, politics and perspectives and one Federal government that makes laws that apply to all states, whether they like it or not. They very often do not. We wait years for some court battles to work their way up to the U.S. Supreme Court through multiple state appeals courts to settle some disagreement or to clarify a ruling. So we are very familiar with the complications and frustrations of a central government.  In some cases, you have to drive to another state just to buy a glass of wine whereas guns are widely available. Go figure. Oddly - and bizarrely - the Brexit vote has now emboldened some Texans to renew their old call to secede from the United States because they don't like being governed by the so-called elites in Washington DC. Some of us wish they would secede and would happily hold the door open. Re Nicola, all politicians are ambitious for themselves, but since Scotland voted to Remain, I can see her point. Still, time will tell.

Anyway, tomorrow is a new week, so I'm going to disappear until then!

Take care all

We will all now just have to wait and see what ?

The article put down by the E U gives us 2 years for transition.

When I was at school we had continents full of individual countries..

Looking forward to bendy cucumbers.. Just joking !!

I will only speak about what I know about! Bed blocking is not a new thing. I retired in 1998 and it was a problem even then.  Not enough nursing home beds, not enough community nursing staff, not enough families who could look after their elders, not enough funding and not many people who weren't born in the UK.

I have two very dear daughters in law.  They are both children of immigration:  one is Polish and one is Greek Cypriot.  I would not change a thing about them or their relatives, who have all worked hard.

I intended but did not put, as it would have been far too long, that the United States of America is nothing at all alike to the many and varied countries of Europe.  They in USA were all brought together by a common cause which in the main, has worked admirably to bring a new (to us in Europe) country to relative prosperity and freedom.  The countries of Europe have long history of being very different to one another and indeed, war has broken out amongst them many times.  It would be nice to think, that in modern times, we could all "get along".

I too, was disgusted by the large poster of queues of people and the racist implications made by some, which was used in the campaign. I am also not a fan of Nigel Farage, who has become for a lot of people, a figure of fun - no doubt he will now disappear from the scene as he has no job.

It has been my personal opinion throughout that a whole lot of people were completely bamboozled by all the dreadful things which they were lied to about, on BOTH SIDES during this referendum.  I actually think that a lot of people didn't vote at all because they were so confused and frightened. If they had voted, who knows?  But I also think that at least a million of the voters who did go to the polls would have voted for Leave if they hadn't been so frightened of the unknown, and so voted for Remain because "better the devil you know".  That would have made a much more definite vote to Leave, sadly.  I said before the 23rd that there would be sad times afterward, because it would split the people in Britain in half.  And so it has.

Rosy:  I wish I could say I was improving greatly, but it is a slow process.  I spent the morning in bed and have eaten very little for two days now.  Not a way I recommend to lose weight, even though I need to, LOL!   Thanks for asking.

I am a big girl now and not much upsets me, but the comments on the internet in general have been quite unnerving. We all examined our consciences and voted how we thought best:  If it had gone The Other Way I would have been sad but would have shrugged and said "Well, they've made their own bed..... we tried."   But I would never ever have called people names or been so vitriolic.

It all comes down to what I said earlier today about not talking religion (don't get me started on that one!) or politics on Forums.  I regret even opening my mouth now, but am proud to say how I voted, nevertheless.

Scotland did but sadly only on a pathetic 50 percent turnout compared with 73 plus elsewhere.

A local poll has no appetite for her posturing.

LINDY- always lies in politics, of course. Extremists are embedded in far left and far right parties, they are ones to watch.OH has son in law with extremist left views. He voted tactically - 'remain' - to get Scottish Independence. Then will aim for an independent socialist Scotland. Sorry, haven't explained it very well. As you can imagine, family meals at our house are lively affairs! We hold completely differing political views :-)