Things Noticeable this week

[CARLTON BROWN]

Originally Posted by bloke57

I'm wondering if obsession with social media will last as long as the pundits say.

I noticed this week that 55% of my Facebook contacts had not posted anything or updated their page for months - some for over a year. So I spoke to a few and it seems they are all bored shitless with it and see it for the empty concept it is. I really only find it useful to keep up with people who live overseas now - and my friends and I are making more effort to actually meet in person.

I don't do Facebook or Twitter and couldn't care less what anyone says on either site, as most of it is total bollocks. However, I slipped into dinosaur mode a few years ago and simply don't appreciate these wonders of the modern world. Many of my friends have Facebook and Twitter accounts and until Snowden came along, it was possible to spy on their activities with ease and know what nonsense they were up to in some detail. Now things are almost at a standstill.

Hardly anyone of interest (to me) posts anything, unless its a new sprog or a house move and I suspect far fewer "oldish" people want all their details on public display any more. I also think that Bloke57 is absolutely right that the boredom factor has started to finally take a grip.

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by Puhbear69

The Catalan government asked for 4 times of mediation, as I remember.
I wrote it in my last post.

The (idiotic) Spanish prime will do, if the fire has burned all and the situation will be a no-win situation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41551337

It seems likely that the EU has made its mind up about Catalonia.

The French government has said it will not recognise Catalonia if it declares independence from Spain and such a move will mean expulsion from the EU.
European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said the crisis following the banned 1 October referendum had to be resolved through dialogue within Spain..."If there was a declaration of independence, it would not be recognised," Ms Loiseau told French broadcaster CNews (video in French).
"The first consequence would be its exit from the European Union."

One wonders where the Catalonians should go from here. I think the Catalan nationalists have over-reached themselves and will need to climb down, or else face being friendless in Europe in the face of vehement Spanish counter-action if they are so unwise as to follow through and make a full bid for independence.

[seany65]

Wanting a referendum was a legitimate thing, but calling for independance based on a 90% 'Yes' from a 40-something % turnout is mad.

It is a rather sad state of affairs when there are so many suporters of the harsh crack down by the police.

[Dr Pepper]

Originally Posted by bloke57

I'm wondering if obsession with social media will last as long as the pundits say.

I noticed this week that 55% of my Facebook contacts had not posted anything or updated their page for months - some for over a year. So I spoke to a few and it seems they are all bored shitless with it and see it for the empty concept it is. I really only find it useful to keep up with people who live overseas now - and my friends and I are making more effort to actually meet in person.

Remember 'MySpace' and 'Bebo' ? No?.....me neither! and twitter is the raucous noise made by too many birds occupying too little space.....

[Dr Pepper]

Originally Posted by Wendigo

The downside of social media, I cannot find the words to fully say how much I detest the brain-washed drones at work who blather on about our Twatter account, screw Twitter.

New Zealand Police sorry for crash death tweet
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-41550066

How quickly one wrongly chosen word or image can totally ruin your organisations public image.

Or to put it another way...."uh oh-looks like the fuck up fairy has visited ...again..."

Our police have proved just as vulnerable to the PC disease as most government departments...somewhat ironic-given the timing of the twitter post- as a 15 year little shit totalled himself yesterday during a police chase.....curiously the SAME 15 year old little shit who less than two weeks ago sparked a major incident in Auckland driving a stolen vehicle at high speed down the WRONG side of the Auckland motorway.

Gentlemen-fear not-the Darwin awards are alive and well...personally I feel sorry for the tree he hit.....we can but hope that true to the Darwin awards candidate rules, he had not yet managed to breed...

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by seany65

Wanting a referendum was a legitimate thing, but calling for independance based on a 90% 'Yes' from a 40-something % turnout is mad.

It is a rather sad state of affairs when there are so many suporters of the harsh crack down by the police.

The national police of Spain have demonstrated incompetence and stupidity in their tactics. Their underlying point is valid: it was a completely illegal act to hold the referendum. But unless you have sufficient force to be able to close every polling station and seize every ballot box, as evidently they did not, then the use of force was always likely to be a provocative act and a failure. The trouble is that the Catalan prime minister and government have acted in a criminal and irresponsible way and they are the ones who made this situation. There can be no indecisiveness in the face of treason; but the national police were incapable of the task: both too weak in numbers and too crude and brutish in behaviour. I fear the obvious Spanish counter-action if the Catalan parliament declares independence will be to declare martial law, suspend Catalonia's autonomy and send in the Army to restore order and arrest the ringleaders. I can't see this ending well.

[Puhbear69]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

The national police of Spain have demonstrated incompetence and stupidity in their tactics. Their underlying point is valid: it was a completely illegal act to hold the referendum. But unless you have sufficient force to be able to close every polling station and seize every ballot box, as evidently they did not, then the use of force was always likely to be a provocative act and a failure. The trouble is that the Catalan prime minister and government have acted in a criminal and irresponsible way and they are the ones who made this situation. There can be no indecisiveness in the face of treason; but the national police were incapable of the task: both too weak in numbers and too crude and brutish in behaviour. I fear the obvious Spanish counter-action if the Catalan parliament declares independence will be to declare martial law, suspend Catalonia's autonomy and send in the Army to restore order and arrest the ringleaders. I can't see this ending well.

The acting of the incompetent Spanish prime and parts of 'scoundrels' argumentations reminds me:

at the tombstone a car-driver, who is standing carved:
"I was having the right of the way !"

Once more: the separatists had not the majority in that referendum !
That had been impressively verified by the last demonstrations in Barcelona yesterday.

If there last week the referendum had been held peacefully, the referendum would have failed and nothing else would happen, eventually a new vote for the Catalan parliament the next months. All would have been fine, topic finished. .

Thanks to the police actions of the Spanish National Police, those beating up of voters, seizure of hundreds of bailout boxes, they had the majority now. I have to admit, I would be pissed too of such a police violence at very normal people, only wanted to go for a vote. In a democracy it must have hard consequences for the police leaders.
Not for the Spanish prime, he thanked the National police.

At least we are common, we both fear it might not end well - now!

[Oswald]

Over 73,000 people marched through London on Sunday as part of the 'Football Lads Alliance March Against Extremism'. As usual the MSM chose to largely ignore this event. The only coverage came from the Saudi media owned "The Independent" who published blatant lies and smeared the participants.

[vinceprince]

Originally Posted by Oswald

Over 73,000 people marched through London on Sunday as part of the 'Football Lads Alliance March Against Extremism'. As usual the MSM chose to largely ignore this event. The only coverage came from the Saudi media owned "The Independent" who published blatant lies and smeared the participants.

Only saw some pictures and video, strangely absent of females and people of colour (don't they go to football now?)

IMO"If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck"

[Devius]

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has said his people voted for independence from Spain - but that he wants a negotiated solution with Madrid.

He asked the regional parliament in Barcelona to suspend the effect of the vote so talks could begin - rather than breaking away immediately.

A vote on 1 October resulted in almost 90% of voters backing independence, Catalan officials say.

Madrid said it was illegal and Spain's Constitutional Court suspended it.

No voters largely boycotted the referendum ballot - which had a reported turnout of 43% - and there were several reports of irregularities.

National police were involved in violent scenes as they manhandled voters.

Details:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41574172