Tuesday 12 February 2013

Pancake Day Ramble about paint, presents, politics and the pope.



At my age one seldom gets unexpected presents and so it was with great pleasure I received a lump of paint that I use from fellow blogger Alan http://alan-turtle.blogspot.co.uk/

This is a colour that you just can’t buy anymore Brown Madder Alizarin, I am very funny about paint I like it to have names with historical and scientific interest, of course mainly it has to be the right colour.



Watercolour paint which is the type I mostly use either comes in tubes or in lumps that are in a little plastic box called a half pan, once the half pan is empty I usual fill it up by squirting paint from a tube into it, this is the cheapest way to do it.

I really don’t get much time to paint and draw, which means I carry all the equipment around in the hope that the moment will arrive. You don’t really need many colours but you do need primary colours, red, yellow and blue and as well as the fairly washy ones it helps to have ones that are very dark and powerful, Brown Madder Alizarin is my dark and powerful red.



If you draw your hand which is always handy as model in Brown Madder Alizarin it will look fairly red, you can draw with watercolour using an ordinary mapping pen, the normal dip pens are no good for this. If you are not an idiot like me you will probably select the hand that isn’t doing the drawing and therefore moving.

I guess you can either see what I like about the colour or will avoid it, which is the easiest course as you can no longer buy it.

I had one of those long chats today with a member of the Conservative party locally, I think he was trying to make out exactly what a lot of the local Conservative councillors are, since they don’t seem to be identifiably Conservative.

I think he was also trying to make out Ian Driver who seems to be the only councillor actively forming an opposition.

When you try to explain our local politics you find yourself in considerable difficulty, I mean yes for the most part the Labour Councillors are identifiably Labour, so is Ramsgate Labour? Another difficult one as most Ramsgate people seem fairly happy with the Conservative MP they elected.

Perhaps I will come back to this subject later.

I guess one has to say something about the resignation of the pope, most people are talking about it and very few seem to know what to make of it, a bit like the abdication of an English monarch it just doesn’t happen voluntarily.

Pushing 60 myself I do wonder why popes are so old, I know St Peter, simplistically the first pope lived to about 60, but that was the end not the beginning and Christ only lived to be about 33 1/3 perhaps the church only trusts old people in role.

One wonders what would happen in industry if a prerequisite for the day to day running of major companies was being past retirement age.

I have resisted, with some difficulty, pope cartoons about giving up dresses for lent or only eating seahorse on Friday, although I am not sure I will be able to keep this up.

Back to local politics, I guess about the most popular Ramsgate politician I can remember was Jonathan Aitken, a hard act to follow, he was excellent constituency mp. 


Another reason that it is so very difficult to explain how Ramsgate can be almost exclusively Labour when it comes to council elections. 


I guess much of it is down to bad presentation, click on the link to read their press releases http://thanetpress.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Conservative%20Group%20Press%20Release and you will get some idea of what I mean. 


Anyway the upshot of this conversation, like the one I had with the ex council leader the other day was for me to ask this Conservative what he though the solution was.



His solution is a unitary authority, his arguments for this seemed fairly sound and there wasn’t much I could say about the issue as I know very little about them.


Looking at this area I haven’t yet managed to work out how the balance of political power would work out, but I think that may be the main snag i.e. always having the same party in power.   


Back to thoughts on popes.


I guess the problem electing a pope is that they are very difficult if not impossible to get rid of, so if you chose one that isn’t any good you are stuffed. The only solution would seem to be choosing one who is so old that you won’t have them for too long.  


Back to local politics this time it’s Alan Poole, he seems to have started early canvassing for the county council elections on behalf of the Conservative party here in Ramsgate.


This is an interesting opportunity to watch a member of our Labour district council cabinet in action, watch the Thanet Watch video below.   


About 1 min 20 secs into the video Alan stands up and tells his voters that them holding meetings with the bbc present generates bad publicity, in fact he gives them a right ticking off.


He also tells them it will make it more difficult for the developers to get the money he wants them to get so he and they can get on with the luxury apartment development that local people don’t want on the town’s main leisure and tourism site.

Not only did he seem to be doing a superb job for the Conservative party but he seems to be 100% supportive of a development that is to be built without having the life and limb safety checks the environment agency recommend.

He certainly comes across as being on the developer’s side and not at all on the side of the Ramsgate people who voted for him.  


You can see the mayor and his wife who I assume will be standing in the county council soon looking on with interest.

This does of course beg the question of where apart from Cllr Driver is the opposition and why are they missing this opportunity to regain support in Ramsgate.   



I will ramble on here.         

77 comments:

  1. Yadda yadda yadda - yes Labour good, conservative bad for god's sake change the record. you really think this passes for unbiased commentary? conservatives wanted to reduce council tax only last week - isn't that standing for something? conservatives trying to scrutinise Royal Sands (not making as much noise as Driver but still), conservatives opposed Labour's 4.8% increase in councillors allowances etc etc maybe you're just not listening because you don't want to know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perhaps being fairly happy with the Conservative mp we elected, translates into conservatives bad to you 6.03. Perhaps I should explain the normal stare of affairs these days is being fairly unhappy with mp you have elected.

      Delete
    2. anonymous 6:03PM,

      I take your point. But the Conservatives are hiding their light under a bushel. I know what Cllr Driver thinks about Pleasurama and I agree with him; but I do not know what what my local Conservative Councillor thinks.

      We need more publicity and more press scrutiny. This would help our local politicians to clarify their thoughts and keep on the straight and narrow.

      Delete
  2. Conservatives had 8 years to scrutinise the Royal Sands, did we hear a dicky bird from the tory chair of the OSP in that time?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have no intetest in religion or the catholic church, but I think the Pope ha made a very sensible decision. He has concluded that he is no longer able to do the job as it should be done, and is standing down. He is taking a more modern and informed approach snd setting aside the expectation that he would temain inpost until death. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands has made a similarly bold move. Far better than the spectacle of an ageing, decrepit and dribbling John Paul II.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ......or ancient MP's making confusing comments about incest

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Human condition SG, with religion, politics and art if you aren’t confused then you probably don’t have all the available information.

      Delete
    2. The comment was only confusing if you are thick!

      Delete
    3. I was referring to my sexuality

      Delete
    4. SG I would say you would be hard pressed to find anyone who wasn’t, confused about their sexuality that is. Those who are not tend to be much more focused on the chicken than the feather when it comes to eroticism and are probably best avoided by those of who form the confused majority.

      Delete
    5. Michael,

      Your 1:47.

      I am not sure that I would include myself in your assertion that most people are confused about their sexuality. I am not and never have been confused. Other than to say that if I were compelled to go gay then I would want to be a lesbian.

      I have never had an aversion to homosexuality in others.

      I am still trying to work out the meaning of your final sentence. Can you elaborate?

      Delete
    6. John I subscribe to the Sigmund Freud school of thinking on this one, sort of expanded along the lines of humanities instinctual predisposition to reproduce has outlasted being good for the human race.

      On your area of confusion, fraid to say it was a literary joke the passed if not over your head then below the belt. I do hope you are not going to require a series of diagrams in order to be able to differentiate between the erotic potential of a chicken and that of a feather.

      Delete
    7. Don't worry solo Tom Clarke (who is really a local Tory Cllr) only called you thick because you are gay.

      I guess we can't all be clever like his mates Ken Gregory and Roger Latchford

      Delete
    8. Michael,

      Yep, it went over my head. I'll keep trying to work it out. I've got some idea but its a bit crude.

      Delete
    9. The comment was by DFL so no one could have known the gender let alone sexuality of the writer. As for being a local Tory councillor, now you have seriously lost the plot. I may have no time for Labour, but I am also no fan of Cameron or, indeed, most of the parliamentary lot who tend to place political expediency above all else. However, 3:36 if it pleases your childish mind to think I am a Toery, who am I to deny you your pathetic little pleasures. After all, I sometimes dream of winning the lottery.

      Delete
    10. Tom given the context I find I have to ask you, is toery some specialist aspect of podophilia and are you an adherent?

      Delete
    11. It was a typo, Michael, but I thought I could have got some sympathy from you. People brand you Labour, despite your floating voter claims, because you often criticise the Conservatives. I criticise Labour and so, to the left wing faithful, I must be a Tory, but not just any old Tory, a Tory councillor no less. How we must all fit into our boxes to keep the tiny minded happy.

      Delete
    12. Tom sorry about that, it’s the sense of humour you know, I have asked about having it removed, but apparently it can’t be done on NHS.

      I very much doubt you would really want me to offer you my sympathy, perhaps you don’t think I was harsh enough on Comrade Poole and his recommendation that us lot who vote for him should shut up, while superior intellectuals like he make the decisions for us.

      Anyway please accept my apologies.

      Delete
    13. No apology needed for I am all for a bit of humour. As for Cllr Poole, well isn't the nanny state approach a Labour hallmark, albeit now also picked up by Cameron, that only they know what is best for us. Accordingly nothing we can say would have any relevance anyway for they will do what they want regardless of public opinion, we are but plebs to be governed by those that know best.

      Delete
    14. Tom I disagree about it being nanny state, it’s much more like Animal Farm.

      “No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?”

      Delete
  5. Confused? I thought Cllr Driver was opposed to the development hence his previous comments to the media in general. Or is it a case that he'd rather do the talking than allow local residents to have their voices heard.
    I'm not a resident but have been following this saga for some time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pat I think you may have mistaken the identity of the councillors in the video, it is the Labour Cabinet member Alan Poole saying that he'd rather do the talking than allow local residents to have their voices heard.

      Delete
  6. Ian Driver is a died in the wool socialist; I most certainly am not. However, Driver speaks for me on the subject of pleasurama.

    It is not less publicity that we need but more, much more. There is a good story here to be uncovered.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John could it be that Cllr Driver, once elected, has put his socialism to one side and is doing his best to represent his constituents regardless of whether the voted for him, hve socialist views or anything else for that matter.

      Looking at the video where Comrade Poole seemed to expounding the virtues of a socialist state of Thanet where the locals need to be kept quiet while their masters got on with the decision making process, Cllr Drivers response seemed to be more democratic than socialist to me.

      Perhapss with a beard he would look a bit like Keir Hardy.

      Delete
    2. Michael,

      As I said earlier Cllr Driver speaks for me on Pleasurama. Whether or not he is still true to his espoused socialist politics I do not know. One should ask him. Whatever the case may be, importantly, on pleasurama he alone among the Cllrs says what I want to hear.

      I agree with your assessment of Cllr Pool's curious performance at the meeting.

      Delete
    3. Was Keir Hardy really an ugly, fat bellied northern sort then?

      Delete
    4. Presumably you meant "dyed in the wool" John, as "died in the wool" makes him sound like a bug!

      Delete
    5. Churchill wasn't exactly handsome and slim anon!

      Delete
    6. Peter,

      Oops, yes I meant dyed in the wool.

      Delete
    7. Peter,

      Churchill was slim an dashing as a young man.

      Delete
    8. Peter, I was not talking about Churchill, just feeling sorry for Keir Hardy if he really looked like Ian Driver as Michael suggested. I suppose there are worse fates but there cannot be too many.

      Delete
    9. Well he was fatter than Stan Laurel!

      Delete
  7. Michael,

    Churchill was 66 when he took over as war leader.

    Churchill did a good job I think you will agree. He was a proven leader of the free world. But to be fair we only get a Churchill about once every 300 years. We shall need one soon.

    NB. Before any anonymous comes on calling Churchill a right wing war monger they should first read his biography. He was a freedom loving liberal [small 'l'].

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think the point is that if someone is fit and capable for the job in hand, at whatever age, no problem. The point about the pope, queen and others in roles that are "for life" is that it makes sense to be able to say "no, the time has come..." rather than feel committed to traditional expectations that forever must mean that. Problem with Churchill is that he was a drunk.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So, Prescott was an adulterer, Huhne a speeding points cheat, several Labour MPs expenses fiddlers and, no doubt, many others would not stand close scrutiny. At least Churchill was a fine orator, even after a glass or two, whereas most of the teatotal brigade would hardly inspire anyone.

      Delete
  9. I seem to recollect that Churchill had a rather fine riposte to a lady (?) MP who accused him of being a drunk; something along the lines of "and you madam are ugly but tomorrow I shall be sober".
    Cllr Driver seems to have smelt a rat is all the Royal Sands saga and, it would appear, has taken a non-party political stance (as indeed he has done over live exports). I am not anywhere near his political persuasion, but time and time again commentators on local blogs bemoan local politicians who stick to party lines and then when one steps outside these confines they still moan.

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    Replies
    1. Only methinks, Tim, because the guy has form for publicity seeking and one wonders at the motivation.

      Delete
    2. Who cares, his posts are hilarious.

      Michael

      I have just done my first blog post. I would be grateful if you would consider creating a link?

      Delete
    3. SG I can’t until you change your settings.

      On the top right of your blog click on design.

      Then bottom left settings.

      Then bottom left other.

      Then where it says Enable Title Links and Enclosure Links move the drop down to Yes.

      Then near the top on the right of the page click on Save Settings.

      If you need me to write you the java for recent posts on your sidebar you will need to email me because being live java I can’t post it on the blog.

      Any other help you need let me know.

      Delete
    4. Thanks Michael
      I have just altered the settings as you have laid out. I did notice my blog come up my end on your page, but that may just be it? Hope it works, I need more explanation about java scripts though?
      Alan

      Delete
    5. Alan, hot diggery dog, works a treat as you noticed.

      I would recommend turning the word verification off as it is just puts off people from commenting, you may need to turn it on during spam storms though.

      You also need to go to layout and add the gadget that adds a blogroll on your sidebar like the one I just added your blog to, every time you publish a new post the link will go to the top.

      The reason being that if you want people to link to your site they will usually want a reciprocal link, also the search engines don’t bother much with dead end sites that lead nowhere

      The recent comments gadgets don’t work properly, I guess if you are conversant with java and have conventional web hosting to host the pickup scripts you could do it yourself. To work very quickly the script needs to be short, otherwise instead of appearing instantaneously they will take several hours to appear.

      Otherwise just email me and I will write the script for you and send you instructions for adjusting the number and length of comments.

      Delete
    6. Well M
      I don't think I have done too bad for a novice, especially as I was viewed as some sort of anonymous infestation just a few days ago!
      This is a bit too much info for now, but ta ever so, will email you in the next day or so. I assume I can find your email via your website?
      A.

      Delete
    7. Not by me SG, yep the email address is on the sidebar, or you can just wander in to the bookshop and I will help you sort any problems.

      Delete
  10. Tom. All those years as a RAF copper have made you dreadfully cynical. There is clearly something not right at Royal Sands and quite frankly I'd be happy if Old Nick, Karl Marx and every publicity junkie from every reality TV show there has ever been joined forces to get to the bottom of this mess. Councils of both persuasions seem to have behaved in a somewhat curious fashion over this affair and if Cllr Driver's personal ambition leads coincidentally to a satisfactory conclusion for the people of Ramsgate then I would say that we were both winners.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tim,

      I often wonder, does TDC use gagging agreements?

      Delete
    2. Tim, if I say too much I will blow my cover but, in service parlance you will understand, I had a short service commission as a Redcap and then transferred over to the Rockapes on a PC. Heaven forbid that I should ever have been a Snowdrop barrier lifter.

      Agree, though, I am extremely cynical where politicians are concerned and whatever causes they may champion one always has to wonder why, what will be the pay back.

      Delete
  11. If only the Manston aquifer pollution, monitoring and air pollution/overflights and missing fines were being investigated too. Maybe another 10 years of failure like Pleasurama and Dreamland. Are the councillors standing for re-election in May after these hideous disasters?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If only you would shut up about the pesky aquifer.

      Delete
  12. When our day comes anon 6:14, these things can go on the agenda. This is only an observation, but it does appear that the more special interest blogs we have around, the stronger our overall voice will be.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not sure what you mean by our day or our voice or an agenda 10:25. Re-election of councillors in May for example isn't an agenda point and 10 years of inaction at Dreamland and Pleasurama has been debated endlessly at TDC. While Manston pollution will have already affected many of the public and especially their children and grandchildren with asthma etc.

      Delete
    2. The re-election, as you put it, is for KCC not TDC and, although some wear two hats, it will bring about no change to the governance of Thanet. Interested to see your complaint against Manston pollution has switched from causing cancer to causing asthma. Wasn't there some wit a while back who suggested untreated open water on the airfield posed a malaria risk. Seems there is more than one nutter in the world say take heart, 11:30, you are not alone.

      Delete
    3. Look, someone needs to be covering Manston with all its warts.

      Michael was kind enough to publish a list of standards board complaints towards the end of 2012. On it I noticed a complaint against six Manston Parish Councillors from a local resident. It had "Closed" marked on it, but this was crossed out and replaced with "open" (I think I have got that right?).

      Whilst everyone was obsessing with Councillors complaints against Councillors, this was missed. In my case, I have decided to give gay people a voice because I am gay anyway, and I know our issues will link up from time to time. But If anyone here is serious about Manston, they must look towards the welfare of Manston residents in the round and just start blogging. You can start with a very simple leading question, but do at least start.

      As far as a voice for us all is concerned, when the time is right, we have a constitution and community bank account, and David Green has flagged up his support of us by suggesting we apply for funds for whatever we like through the Ramsgate Community Fund.

      These are the only thoughts I can offer at this time. A.

      Delete
    4. What's happened to Mayor David Greens' blog? Anyone?

      It is coming up as not being in existence?! I just wanted to check what he said in relation to community group funding. From his initial response to my enquiry, I rather got the impression he thought I wanted it for Gay Coffee Mornings, or something like that? Rather than technical support and issues arising from Thanet Blogs? (as I just hint at now!).

      Probably just a technical hitch, and hopefully he will be able to rejoin us again soon. As with all these things, we do need encouragement from our local councillors.

      Delete
    5. He has found another previously untapped source of pork pies, Solo, which is temporarily keeping him busy.

      Delete
    6. SG David Green’s blog has changed to http://ramsgate1.blogspot.co.uk/ I don’t know why he has closed his old blog I guess the cached pages will still come up via google.

      Delete
    7. I wouldn't mind a few crumbs anon (back to helicopters again).

      I have in fact picked up his Ramsgate Matters site from Thanet Life( only one comment left on Cllr Moores last post when I looked- worth a read). I did not put a 1 on David Green's ramsgate1blogspot address when I was seaching.

      Still can't see Ramsgate Matters on Michaels's site here?

      I think I will take a break......

      Delete
    8. It’s there SG you have to click on the, show all, link at the bottom of the list as David hasn’t posted for some time.

      The aquifer and 0% commentator comes up from time to time with muddled and unsubstantiated comments often containing potential libels, in such a way as to stifle any reasonable debate.

      It is very hard to tell if these comments are indented to stop people from debating the issues, to get people’s blogs closed down due to legal action or just what the motives are.

      Delete
    9. Tom, air pollution causes both cancer and asthma especially in children - hence the importance of monitoring and overflights. Do keep up you're talking rubbish again to pretend Manston poses no danger. As for the KCC election not causing a change in governance of Thanet why not? As you point out unfortunately many of the councillors wear two hats - an opportunity for the stick in the muds to stick - and they can pledge not to do this in future. At the very least it's a waste of money having one person picking up two salaries for the same or very similar role.

      I don't understand Michael's having another paranoid rant about potential libels and unsubstantiated this and that, and closing down a blog by persons unknown for reasons unknown: the TDC 0% salaries are cause for concern and debate aren't they? And you've previously mentioned the - fairly obvious - danger of polluting the aquifer. To recognise that but continue to pollute or avoid the cleanup seems a major issue for Manston and Thanet.

      Delete
    10. The only problem with your anti-Manston air movements stance is that the air pollution caused in Thanet by the handful of flights is miniscule compared with that caused by the traffic just using the road that runs down the side of the airfield. Why are you not compaigning against that?

      On the issue of the governance of Thanet, the county council elections will not effect the make up of TDC at all, only KCC which, despite Labour possibly gaining the odd seat, will remain staunchly Tory.

      Whether the 0% salaries are cause for concern depends on whether there is any truth in your allegations which, so far, you have failed to produce. I see elsewhere James Maskell, who is a good ferret on digging out local government information, asked you for evidence and, as always, you fobbed him off with your find it yourself nonsense. In essence you still cannot grasp the principle that if you make allegations you need to have something to back them, You simply do not.

      As ever you accuse me of talking rubbish, but whether that is me or you I will leave others to judge. What is very evident is that whereas a host of other commentators seem to support my view, no one supports yours.

      Delete
    11. Tom,

      Surely you realise that you are talking to our Aquifer Manston zealot. You might just as well p... in the wind for all the notice he will take of any argument, other than his own. And I don't think he fully understands what he is saying. However, he seems to enjoy shouting at people on this blog, which is his primary purpose, curious.

      Delete
    12. Guess you are right, John, and I rose to the bait of his nonsensical ranting once again. Like so many of limited cells he knows a few bits of hearsay, something he overheard or was told by a like minded bigot, and it suddenly becomes fact in his mind to be ever trundled out regardless of the lack of substance.

      See elsewhere, Ian Driver on his blog has dropped his last penultimate post, probably because it offended council standards, and has now, not only introduced comment modification, but all now have to have his approval before publication. So much for the champion of the people and free speech. Just another self inflating politician influenced more by expediency than principle.

      Delete
    13. OK to me as a prominent blogger this is a serious issue and the only one that could ultimately result in my stopping blogging.

      Take as an example the aquifer issue, there is a very serious issue with the airport operator here, which is they are operating without an environmental permit, this has been thrashed out with the EA gone to consultation, which I took part in, agreed with the operator who can well afford to make the airport compliant. Now after all this process, the airport operator has said they can’t afford to do the work and are starting the whole process which takes several years over again.

      The problem here is anon is saying that they have contaminated the aquifer and are poisoning local people in various ways, which as far as I have been able to find out they haven’t.

      Now if you wanted to draw attention away from the local airport operating without a basic safety requirement and as far as I can see, anyone who would want any airport to behave in a lax fashion over any safety, issue needs their head examining. You could go around the various local forums where this issue is discussed accusing the airport of breaking various safety rules that it hasn’t, in a way that was very close to libellous in order to stifle realistic debate.

      The point here is not that the airport has damaged the aquifer, but they have failed to put into place the agreed work to reduce the likelihood of them damaging the aquifer to the level normally required by the EA.

      At the moment there is another airport tissue relating to night flights and I have to admit I haven’t covered it because I don’t want to deal with masses of rubbish comment that may attract litigation.

      Look at it like this, suppose SG produces a good and useful blog for the local gay community dealing with issues like homophobia, which is still a very real issue with some people.

      Then suddenly when SG looks at his blog in morning and it is covered with anonymous and unsubstantiated comment accusing named prominent local individuals of being homophobic.

      How will SG react, my guess is that at the very least instigate comment moderation and quite possibly avoid any posts relating to homophobia, if not this then close the blog down altogether.

      It is important to understand here also that blogger rules say that the person hosting the blog is responsible for the comment appearing there and in the case of someone making a legitimate complaint about posts or comments on a blog, then Google will close the blog down, so it isn’t even necessary to go to court to achieve the desired result.

      Delete
    14. Its useful you mention this now M. I have just sent out a group email to my contacts flagging up this issue, which is not too dis-simailar to what you describe.

      This goes to the heart of equality issues, in that we need assistance to get a safe level playing field for discussion. I was intending to call in to see you this afternoon to take you up on your kind offer for technical assistance, to open up my blog for discussion. I think this may have to wait until further advice is received(although I still may just call in). I worry it would not benefit any of us in the long term M, if you alone take on the responsibility of giving residents in Thanet a voice in real time.

      I suppose it would be useful to have these java scripts you have referred to sent over anyway? I will email you shortly.

      Delete
  13. Why are you called Solo Gays for GOD SAKE?

    ReplyDelete
  14. why are you anonymous for pity's sake?

    If other Boggers with their established identities can be so accepting of me, then I see no reason to change my chosen identity for this purpose.

    What is you issue, and how can I help?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well said Solo Gays,

      These irritating anonymice need to have their tails jumped on.

      This anonymouse will come back and have a go at me now.

      Delete
    2. Sologays is actually known to some of us and has a blog site, hence, not anonymous. No I do not think car pollution is a problem whilst plane type is not, simply asked you why you campaign against one but not the other.

      If anyone is embarrassing around here it is you with your constant unproven allegations about pollution, 0% salaries, brown envelopes and incompetent officials. As Michael has said, you seem to exist to nullify sensible argument or to close down blogs with your libellous allegations against named councillors and officers.

      Delete
    3. Anon 7:53, if anyone is a pollution risk it is you for every time your open your trap to spout out spews untreated rubbish.

      Delete
    4. Who are they then Tom? While, you said car pollution at the Manston road was worse than the plane pollution - here: "the air pollution caused in Thanet by the handful of flights is miniscule compared with that caused by the traffic just using the road that runs down the side of the airfield." Now you're saying that neither car nor aviation pollution is a problem?

      You might be right although I very much doubt it - this is just another of your idiotic and random armchair statements - but as I mentioned not only is the aviation pollution bad at Manston (removing the monitors makes it difficult to quantify exactly but we can estimate based on 747 engines etc) but it would increase with extra flights wouldn't it?

      There's nothing wrong with supporting an airport but you're simply ignoring the very real pollution problems which makes your argument so one-sided as to be ludicrous as we've seen from your posts.

      And pollution is especially problematic at Manston with the water supply under the runway. It couldn't be any more foolish could it? Although Ren's popped up to prove you're not the only village idiot. Infratil must be delighted with such compliant cancer victims - and asthma too remember.

      The 0% fraud is a fact and you can ask Cllr Moores for the details as your councillor, either it was a 0% pay increase or it wasn't. It's a very simple question and the payslips would confirm that. Brown envelopes is your own term. Incompetent officials at TDC are confirmed by its rating as one of the worst councils in UK. You have no sensible arguments only insults and random opinion.

      Manston's bust so there's hardly an economic basis for it except swilling in more tax-funds to prop it up.The question now is why have our MPs, councillors and civil servants kept quiet on these very real problems? When did they know about the monitors and aquifer and overflights and what have they done? Infratil seem to be telling them how they'll run the airport and selling it off without any cleanup - no doubt leaving it derelict like the Hoverport.

      Delete
    5. Nice rant as ever but, also as ever, totally devoid of factual information. You still have not answered the question as to why you campaign against aircraft pollution but not that caused by road traffic nor do you explain what you mean by 0% salaries. Cllr Moores is not my councillor for I do not live in Westgate, so you tell me since it is your allegation.

      As for Ren Wood popping up I think you will find that John Holyer, Michael Child, James Maskell, Allan Mallinson as well as Ren are at variance with your claims and over on Ramsgate Matters Cllr David Green extolls the virtues of a regional airport. I think you are more isolated than I.

      Delete
    6. Anonymouse 10:06,

      Your post has been an immense contribution to the debate on this subject. Your well thought out and moderately expressed synthesis is a lesson to us all. I am surprised that you have not mentioned all of this before. Please keep listening to the voices in your head and be sure to let us know what they are saying.

      May I suggest that you consider fabricating a tin foil helmet to defend against rays from a future Manston launched drone attack.

      I am prepared to accept that 0% is an imminent threat to the peace of the good citizens of Thanet. However, I should welcome your advice and guidance on how I may set about dealing with this peculiar aberration that you espouse so eloquently.

      Delete
    7. John, I really wish I had thought of that. Just loved the bit about him not mentioning it before though I see you neglected to cover the missing monitors which I think is some kind of throw back to his school days. No doubt he would be a dream subject for a psychiatrist trying to sort through the pollution, Thor, aquifer, 0%, missing monitors, uncollected fines, cancer, asthma and silent politicians, but imagine trying to live with all that buzzing around in your already overtaxed brain. Is he to be pitied rather than pilloried I ask?

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    8. Allan,

      Yeah, I forgot the monitors. Never mind I feel confident that he'll mention them again.

      To be honest I sometimes regret attacking him. I would treat him with respect if he were not so gratuitously rude. I keep admonishing myself not to rise to his bait, yet I do so anyway. I suspect he enjoys it.

      Delete
  15. Anonymouse 3:38pm

    You are incorrigible.

    Now it transpires that you have added something more to your hate list. You object to snipes. This is odd bearing in mind that a snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the Coenocorypha snipes are found only in the Outlying Islands of New Zealand. The three species of painted snipe are not closely related to the typical snipes, and are placed in their own family, the Rostratulidae.

    You'll have the RSPB on your tail if you're not careful.

    Mr anonynouse you are truly incorrigible.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I notice that the anonymouse post to which I was referring above has been deleted and, consequently, my reply is not clear. Never mind.

      Delete
    2. I receive a new e-mail from the Manston Aquirier Man; yet when I look on the blog site he is not there. Is the Manston Aquifier man haunting me.

      Delete

Comments, since I started writing this blog in 2007 the way the internet works has changed a lot, comments and dialogue here were once viable in an open and anonymous sense. Now if you comment here I will only allow the comment if it seems to make sense and be related to what the post is about. I link the majority of my posts to the main local Facebook groups and to my Facebook account, “Michael Child” I guess the main Ramsgate Facebook group is We Love Ramsgate. For the most part the comments and dialogue related to the posts here goes on there. As for the rest of it, well this blog handles images better than Facebook, which is why I don’t post directly to my Facebook account, although if I take a lot of photos I am so lazy that I paste them directly from my camera card to my bookshop website and put a link on this blog.