FREEDOM!!!! [4]

The note about the internet destroying old meeting ways is very pertinent.

I remember when the internet was young and chat groups were a novelty, people would put great effort into composing posts: it encouraged writing because now more people would be reading your words then ever before. Great streams of creativity which nobody thought to save.

But now we've become desensitized, and rather than encouraging creativity we treat it more like a quick conversation, a human connection without the burden of travel beyond our doors. Forumshire has done a better job than most at preserving the old creative powers first engendered by the internet; but for most it has become an efficient means to disseminate information. Club meetings with raucous banter and carefully crafted newsletters have fallen by the wayside. And with it much of the personal touch.

Yep, the internet... it's a double-edged sword for rural communities everywhere. It gives us a voice in the greater world we've never had before, but in return it sucks the life out of our local institutions.

Local shops struggle to be relevant in the world of Amazon. Local diners and bars are no longer the social gathering places they once were, as people spend more of there time online in the evenings. Without the steady business they're slowly disappearing. As a result we don't know our neighbors the way we used to.

The church is the same. As a toddler I got to know all the other neighbor kids from miles around at Sunday School, and those social connections still are part of the brotherhood/sisterhood that defines our community. But the churches are fading too, meanwhile condominiums and large "second homes" are starting to appear, owned by people who come here for the view and the quiet while the internet enables them to still maintain their own community social life 200 miles away.

When the churches and the pubs are all gone, what's left of a community I wonder?

{{ I think you are being too pessimistic Dave. There are advantages - think of those who for a variety reasons could not attend village/town hall meetings, or whose voices were simply drowned out or not listened to.

Another good local example- several years ago a mate of mines wife, who had young children then, and a bunch of her mates, also with young children were unhappy about the state of the main swing-park in town for kids.
They set up a online group, got other mothers involved, then got local business involved and contractors, created a plan, took it to the council- the council liked it, help them set up as a temporary charity body until the work could be down- end result new swing park for everyone's kids.

But that wasn't just online- that was where it started, where the word got out, where they got backing from, how they reached the sponsors who did the work for free- but to organise they also had to meet face to night- and this being a bunch of women that tended to involve civilised pleasant social meetings involving coffee and/or wine.

It had all the benefits of any older way of community meeting - and lots of advantages, not least reaching people, keeping in contact even when not physically present ect- and it still has 'real' time face to face with folk working out the plans.

I see this sort of thing all the time, in fact I would go as far as to say that there is more community activity driven by the community now than when I was a kid- when there was a lot of talk but usually from the same few loud voices in the community. }}}

It's a mix, as all things are.  And a change - there's no doubt old institutions have faded even as others have sprung up under the new model.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:{{ I think you are being too pessimistic Dave. }}}

THIS from a Scotsman?!????!!!

{{Well, a drunk Scotsman! }}}

David H wrote:

Pettytyrant101 wrote:{{ I think you are being too pessimistic Dave.  }}}

THIS from a Scotsman?!????!!!

yeah, odd that.

https://www.facebook.com/skynews/videos/1735610159786907/

chris63 wrote:

Though if you've ever been on a night of heavy drinking then get a Chinese Takeaway the name might be more appropriate that you'd first think

Diane Abott is always making mistakes like that/saying stuff without thinking, how she had served as a MP for so long I'll never understand...

chris63 wrote:<large image>

www.penisland.net

Spoiler:

Also:

Spoiler:

{{{Local council elections today (dunno if thats in England too or not) but its all been rather overshadowed by the calling of the general election- mixing things up a bit between local and national levels.
My predictions are SNP remain top party but will take a hit- gains for the Tories and maybe slight Lib Dems (if there isnt any sign of recovery for them then they really are in the shit), greens to hold about the same and Labour to crash and burn.

Off to vote! }}}

Eldorion wrote:
www.penisland.net

If you haven't clicked on it, it's 'pen-island', which sounds like an odd name for a company. Makes you wonder if the name was intentional, until you come across the section title "We Specialize in Wood"

{{Thats my vote cast- I like that voting system, it's a list system- you nominate your choices from no1 to as many as you want in order of your preference.
Ironically the Tories are against any form of PR voting in favour of 1st past the post- but if they had that Scottish Tories would have next to no representation here- they only get as many Councillors ect as they do because the Scottish system is PR! }}

I take it you voted Labour Petty?

{{{ }}}

{{Result for the Scottish councils wont come in till about lunchtime tomorrow.

But here is how they stand currently going into it from the last council elections (by no. of Councillors elected)-

SNP - 425
Labour- 394
Conservative- 115
Lib Dems- 71
Greens- 14

I expect loses for SNP and Labour, partly because as with national elections the SNP really have only one way to go, downwards, and because I dont see signs of a Scottish Labour revival.
I expect the Tories to benefit but its hard to say at whose expense- its hard to imagine previous Labour voters moving as far as the Tories, they are more likely to pick up SNP votes and maybe Lib Dems. Which means if thee is a drop in Labour votes its hard to know where they will go instead- independents might do well this time out. }}

Kezia Dugdale is fantastic, I wish she was the Labour leader instead of Corbyn. She rips the Tories a new one.

One for Petty

A man in Scotland calls his son in London the day before Christmas Eve and says, “I hate to ruin your day but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough.”

'Dad, what are you talking about?' the son screams.

“We can't stand the sight of each other any longer” the father says. “We're sick of each other and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Leeds and tell her.”

Franticly, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. “Like hell they're getting divorced!” she shouts, “I'll take care of this!”

She calls Scotland immediately, and screams at her father “You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?” and hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. 'Sorted! They're coming for Christmas - and they're paying their own way.'

{{Sound fiscal policy there Chris

Well I might have been wrong in thinking Labour voters would not turn Tory!

Early days for results but one that is in Clackmannashire Council is interesting reading- the SNP remain in control with 8 seats, same as before, but the Tories are up from 1 seat to 5, mainly it seems at the expense of Labour who lost three seats on the council.

Amazingly it seems, that despite getting only 9% of the vote last time out, Scottish Labour have managed to drop five points in the polls again, somehow. If this gets repeated across the country then at the general election we are probably looking at the Tories being the 2nd largest party and main opposition at Holyrood and a Labour wipeout- as in almost total wipeout. }}

Chris -