Saturday 1 August 2015

SOPPY SUNDAY


25 comments:

  1. R.I.P. Cecil and now also apparently Cecil's brother Jericho!

    I just hope the b******s who shot Cecil and Jericho never come withing my sight!

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  2. Likewise...

    I think (much though I dislike him) that Galloway made a good point.

    The press have (rightly in my opinion) made a lot of this and I believe the dentist is in hiding. He should go back to Zimbabwe and stand trial. I don't expect he will because he is very rich and presumably he'll be able to pull strings. I'd not really like to be him now though even if he gets to stay in USA. Someone will probably get him. I'm not into mob justice so I can't condone that, but I'll not cry about it if it happens.

    But a Palestinian baby was burnt to death by Israeli forces and we're hearing nothing. Palestinian kids are being killed daily; shot on beaches, taken to detention centres, and some reports say physically and sexually abused. I see pictures of it every day on my Twitter feed. I'm not for a second saying that the Palestinians are whiter than white. I'm sure they are not. But children, babies? What kind of people kill them?

    And what kind of press ignores it?

    Ours!

    And what kind of government ignores it?

    Ours.

    Proud to be British...my arse.

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    1. It seems to me that there are a number of issues with the lion killing. One involves whether or not lions are legally an endangered species, and what the local hunting laws are......endangered species or not. Did the miscreant dentist actually break any laws? Were the necessary licenses and permits obtained, and was the killing legal or not where it occurred? If it appears that laws were broken, he should certainly be extradited and prosecuted. But frankly, the fact that the lion is a beautiful animal and was a local favorite is irrelevant emotional nonsense, in light of the fact that people go into the field all the time (here in the US and elsewhere I'm sure) and blast birds out of the sky with shotguns (for example). All kinds of wildlife are killed for sport everywhere in the world. And fishermen put lines in the water and catch fish with hooks. In this case, these "sportsmen" always point to the fact that it's all legal and licensed, and the proceeds go to wildlife conservation. Apparently big game hunting is generally treated much the same way in some African countries, where the cost of the licenses can be huge. So if the lion kill was legal, the problem is with he law, and I don't see any moral or ethical difference between killing a lion according to law verses killing a bird or a deer or a fish or anything else. It seems to me that the reaction in the press and social media has been absolutely over-the-top hysterical and emotional, with objectivity and rationality hardly in evidence at all. And as Tris suggests, I wish I could see the same reaction to the killing of innocent people that we've seen about the killing of this lion.

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    2. Danny

      I can never understand why people kill animals just for the sport/fun ??
      if you need to eat them that at least has a logic but just for fun bit sick
      iffen you ask me.

      watched a doc wherein some African tribesmen went out hunt some food
      one elder and two younger men. they came across a pride of lions with
      a fresh kill...the elder instructed as he should and they watched the lions
      eat for a while then at the time he judged right he led them forward towards
      the feeding lions. The lions in surprise run a small distance away and watched
      the men. The elder swiftly cut a large piece of meat from the lions kill.
      placed onto his shoulder and said they best leave just as quick as the lions will
      soon get over the surprise of their approach and come back to reclaim their kill.

      the three tribesman with the food for their familys then walked away all just
      carrying spears and with no armed backup.

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    3. I agree completely Niko. Since I like a good steak, I can't logically proclaim any opposition to killing animals in principle. But what I AM against, is doing it for sport. Great story about the lions!

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    4. Yes true Danny.

      We are getting loads of info here about it being an illegal killing as the lion was lured out of the reserve.

      I loath the killing of anything for the fun of it. I am repulsed by the idea that people get joy out of killing, when it genuinely pains me if I step on a slug on a woodland path, or fail to rescue a fly when it falls into water.

      I'm not a great meat eater, and I'd defiantly not thank you for steak, but I have no objection to animals of any kind killing to eat.

      Killing for pleasure is the kind of things royals get up to.

      The british (and probably other) press know that the story of a dead lion will sell papers. They must have judged that the killing of Palestinian children doesn't really excite too much interest in the average Brit.

      Yeah, great story

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  3. Compare and contrast that with the Madeleine McCann story.

    Not to belittle the human tragedy of the McCanns, but, in terms of newsprint mileage, the death of a Palestinian child is as a nothing. There is something very wrong with that.

    Proud to be British...my arse.

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    1. Yes. And it happens every day. I see it on Twitter in inglorious technicolor!

      What's wrong with people. A life is a life.

      Are we so perfect that we can say that because someone is a refugee, or a different colour or religion they are of less worth than us... and look at the pleasure these animals give us. Are they worth less than humans in some way that they can be shot for the amusement of rich people?

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    2. I hate that any life is considered to be disposable I do tend to spend our charitable contributions on animals, they have no voice to complain. I do think that people who consider that others are disposable are the ones we need disposing off, I do not want to share this planet with them.
      I think there is an answer to the likes of Mr Dentist and his ilk, put them on an island and let them hunt each other. Who ever tries to come off, well we dispose of them. It is the only answer, what is wrong with a camera.
      The photo's are as usual beautiful and isn't that a cute one with the baby Panda's and their bottles.

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  4. Love this part of the week, it's my first site visit Sunday mornings, then Wings.

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    1. Lovely compliment Gerry. Thanks very much.

      I'm still trying to get over the fact that anyone would look here before Wings!!!

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  5. great pictures, an antidote to all that is wrong in this world. I remember reading somewhere that one white, pretty blonde kid in journalistic terms is more newsworthy than a 1000 brown kids elswhere. Vile!!

    Anyway what is that bug with the blue eyes? Arbroath is right, Cyril's brother is dead and now there is a worry about his cubs because any new males will kill them to be with the mother.

    And lastly, when did I give you permission to print a picture of me drinking from the bottle with my pals? Does reader confidentiality mean nothing on this blog :-)

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    1. Vile indeed PP.

      Not sure who old blue eyes is. I came across him on Twitter and I can;t find a name for him.

      He's a wee beauty though!

      Very sad to hear about Cyril's brother. Do you know how it happened? I hope the rangers can get to the cubs. Hat tip to all these people who work with the big game in Africa (and elsewhere). They do amazing work. Saw orphan baby elephants being fed milk by a team of rangers in Tanzania. They have to be fed milk for years, but they guys are out there every day doing it. Fantastic.

      As for the picture of you and Bugger le Panda drinking ...well, it's in the public interest to put it out there. I mean, as a contributor to Munguin's Republic you have a responsibility to behave decorously at all times. The public has a right to know, you know...

      :)

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    2. Och PP you and the others are just so cute. I am sure your French counterpart will agree though He would say it should contain some good old French wine.

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    3. Probablement un bon cognac serait à son goût

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  6. Another great set of pictures, the swan is magnificent.

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    1. Thanks you Jim. My favourite is the duckling sleeping on the log....

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  7. Replies
    1. They are fabulous creatures.

      I once watched a few neds trying to irritate a group of swans on a pond in Dundee. Some other people were muttering about how they should do something, but I knew that we didn't have to do anything at all. The swans took it for a while with a bit of hissing, which emboldened the brave lads . They got shoes off and started to paddle in the water in their direction, and that was enough. One of the swans started towards them, almost walking on water flapping wings. The lads turned tail and ran, one of them cutting his foot on glass on the bottom of the pond... Result: Swans 1 Humans 0.

      How we laughed!

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  8. Now, what are those Pandas drinking? I also found the newspaper reader amusing. Lovely pictures as usual.

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    1. Well Marcia, you'll need to ask Panda Paws what was in the bottle... (I suspect mothers ruin!)

      Nah, I'm guess it's boring old milk.

      The newspaper is good. He/she looks like he's enjoying it. Can't have been a British paper then... full of guff!

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  9. tris

    Group of hairy animals lying about on the ground guzzling
    greedily from bottles of ?????
    yes well nuff said

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    1. Yeah... you can see that any Saturday night in Edinburgh :)

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  10. tris

    off topic soppy/silly sunday
    http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/02/kezia-dugdale-corbyn-win-leave-labour-carping-sidelines-years

    Kezia Dugdale says
    gives the impression of “everyone fighting with each other” in the UK party.

    er thats not an impression thats reality


    She also warns that a Jeremy Corbyn victory in the UK contest could reduce Labour to “carping on the sidelines” for years
    As opposed to absorbing wholeheartedly the Torys agenda and being elected as
    second tier Torys ,




















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    1. First of all, why is complaining about how much time it's taking. She was the deputy leader until recently. Does she not have any influence?

      A reformed second chamber in Glasgow?

      Why?

      It doesn' deal with much Sottish law, why would they have it in Scotland at all?

      She clearly wanted to be elected unopposed and now she's blaming Ken for standing against her. She seems to think that if she'd been in charge during the summer that Scottish Labour would have been making progress, but, she absolutely insists that she must play second fiddle to a London boss...so if there were no London boss in place, how could she make any policies? She's not thinking that following Harman's complete capitulation to the Tories is a good idea, is she?

      She criticises Corbyn for not looking like a PM... Is this the 1950s? Does she look like a First Minister? No. Does she sound like a First Minister? No.

      She criticises him for going against the whip (presumably because he's not a warmonger or a weapons fan, but she told us not long ago that she would be a Maverick leader and no one in London would tell her what to do... and goes on later to illustrate it...So what's that about?

      Kez... you don;t have to have been around to understand what a word form the past means. otherwise none of us would have a clue about anything in history. Learn what entryism is, by looking it up. Maybe then you won't sound so stupid.

      I really can't see the HoL in Glasgow. I's an idiotic suggestion and one the Lords themselves wouldn't consider. What needs to happen to it is it needs to be slimmed down to 100, be elected every four years and have no titles.

      The only sensible thing she says is that her political career could be over by the time she's 40.

      I can see that coming true.

      Thanks for passing it on.

      On reflection perhaps Ken would make a better branch leader.

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