en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/629294 Comments by Stoneyground http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2010/01/sir-ian-blair-defends-indefensible.html#IDComment51899169 If the police had apprehended one, just one, potential terrorist as a result of harrassing all these thousands of innocent people, then they might have had a sliver of credibility for supporting this law. But the net result of adding thousands of people to the growing number that view the police with suspicion, loathing and contempt, is precisely nothing. On the last sentence of the OP, I don't think that our country would be slightly less unpleasant to live in, I think that it would be a lot less unpleasant to live in. Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:28:52 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2010/01/sir-ian-blair-defends-indefensible.html#IDComment51899169 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2010/01/god-squad.html#IDComment51103898 How out of touch with the British people do NuLab have to be to think that this collection of deluded misfits represent us? The problem is that both Conservative and LibDem parties seem to think no differently. Fri, 8 Jan 2010 21:03:56 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2010/01/god-squad.html#IDComment51103898 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2010/01/our-terrorism-crisis.html#IDComment50519733 Unfortunately our masters love these threats to our security no matter how imaginary. Just like the threats caused by Climate Change, Salt, Bad Diet, Lack of excercise (partly caused by our irrational fear of peadophiles) Alchohol, not getting our "Five a Day", Smoking, Legal Highs, etc. etc. It means that they can introduce more and more laws to control us. Tue, 5 Jan 2010 20:26:28 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2010/01/our-terrorism-crisis.html#IDComment50519733 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2010/01/tiger-has-its-day-in-court.html#IDComment50061930 It may be of interest to those that believe that censorship is necessary to prevent the total collapse of civilisation that since the advent of the internet some twenty odd years ago, censorship of any kind has become more or less impossible. It seems odd that after twenty years this descent into barbarism has so far failed to occur. Sat, 2 Jan 2010 13:32:45 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2010/01/tiger-has-its-day-in-court.html#IDComment50061930 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2010/01/tiger-has-its-day-in-court.html#IDComment50061538 "Threat of injury to breasts or genitals" ? I have in my posession a VHS video recording of a 1989 Karate tournament. Though I gave up practicing the martial arts years ago, this video is special because it contains actual footage of the moment that I first met my wife. I was an official on area three and she had been assigned the job of score-keeper on area three. Karate tournaments can get a little rough and despite the best efforts of the people who design protective equipment, anyone who dons the white kimono knows that they are putting their genitals and breasts, if they have them, in harms way. I have not viewed this video in years, but I would be very surprised if it does not contain at least one incident involving actual, never mind threat of, injury to someone's genitals. The gooly kicker would have been disqualified, I don't know if that would prevent the entire video from being viewed as illegal violent porn. Sat, 2 Jan 2010 13:27:41 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2010/01/tiger-has-its-day-in-court.html#IDComment50061538 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/government-message-to-teenagers-dont.html#IDComment47658091 Personally I think that he should take his prodding nose out of my effing business and go and get a real effing job. Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:29:21 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/government-message-to-teenagers-dont.html#IDComment47658091 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/britain-turns-into-poundland.html#IDComment46560848 Having a lifelong fascination with motorcycles I read the book "Whatever happened to the British motorcycle industry" By industry insider Bert Hopwood. Even if you have no interest in Motorbikes I would recommend the book as it is very readable and must have parallels in other industries that have lost their way in spectacular style. It is difficult to avoid seeing similarities with the state of denial that existed within the UK motorcycle industry in the late sixties and early seventies, and our situation now. Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:12:36 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/britain-turns-into-poundland.html#IDComment46560848 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/thanks-for-lovely-meal.html#IDComment46308370 Weepingcross, you hit on the only aspect of this issue that I failed to mention. The horrors of slavery must have directly improved my way of life because of the prosperity that came to Britain as a consequence. It is an interesting question, if I could go back in time and prevent all that suffering, though at some considerable cost to myself and my family, would I do so? How easy it is to say "of course I would" when you know that the question will never truly arise. Honestly I would. Tue, 8 Dec 2009 21:20:03 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/thanks-for-lovely-meal.html#IDComment46308370 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/two-weeks-to-save-world.html#IDComment46280974 Thank you for your response, the question was not rhetorical and your reply has gone some way toward answering it. I still think that people are claiming to know more than they can possibly know but must humbly acknowledge that I do not have the in depth knowledge to make a sound judgement and that this is no more than an opinion and on reflection I suppose a pretty worthless one at that. I suppose time will eventually provide an answer, thanks again for your attempt to enlighten me. Tue, 8 Dec 2009 18:00:02 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/two-weeks-to-save-world.html#IDComment46280974 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/thanks-for-lovely-meal.html#IDComment46279230 I find it difficult to get my head around the notion that I can bear responsibility for something that happened before I was born and as a consequence being able to apologise for it. I suppose it is just as well that when I looked at my family tree, my ancestors appear to have been pretty boring with every closet having a disappointing lack of skeletons in it. Tue, 8 Dec 2009 17:47:44 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/thanks-for-lovely-meal.html#IDComment46279230 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/two-weeks-to-save-world.html#IDComment46183381 Is there any record of anyone ever predicting the weather more than a couple of days ahead and acheiving anything better than chance results? I know that climate and weather are not quite the same thing, climate being about stuff that occurs on a bigger and slower scale, less about day to day stuff and more about general trends. The UK must have some of the most unpredictable weather on the planet and yet the Met office can now predict it with impressive accuracy, but only two days ahead at the most. Any attempt to predict further ahead seems to achieve no better results than I could get by tossing a coin. So even if we admit that we have a man made problem, I still think that we should be highly sceptical, at least, of the most apocolyptic predictions being made by the warmists. To me it makes much more sense to hold a global emergency fund to deal with climate disasters if and when they occur, and have some kind of international commitment to look after populations that are adversly effected by extreme weather or whatever than to commit billions of dollars into futile attempts to prevent something that may not even happen anyway. Mon, 7 Dec 2009 19:40:54 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/two-weeks-to-save-world.html#IDComment46183381 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/shadow-of-minaret.html#IDComment45307529 The problem with Islam in general is that it takes advantage of the western world's tolerance and rules about freedom of religion without reciprocating. As has been mentioned already, there is little freedom of religion in Islamic countries and the eagerness to take offence at the most trivial perceieved insult to their beliefs is most telling. If there are moderate, tolerant Muslims out there who just want to live their lives and practice their religion in peace without insisting that everyone else is converted to the one true faith, please feel free to refute me. Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:41:47 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/shadow-of-minaret.html#IDComment45307529 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/on-house.html#IDComment44473963 Personally I have no problem with MPs hiring expensive prostitutes, that includes those with a penchant for dressing up as school boys and visiting the strict headmistress' study. I do have a problem however if they are indulging themselves at my expense. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:51:03 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/on-house.html#IDComment44473963 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/get-out-and-walk.html#IDComment43964643 Interesting and thought provoking. When I was younger I used to cycle a 24 mile round trip to work and back, this was economical and I was very fit. It was time consuming and not much fun in winter or in bad weather but great fun when the sun shone. Interestingly, I now work 13.5 miles by road from where I live, if there was one more bridge over the river Hull it would be less than 6 miles and I could probably cycle again. I absolutely loath busses as a way of getting around and because I live in a village it is impossible to get anywhere at all by using them let alone to work. It is certainly true that the car isolates people, although I personally don't do the Jeckyll / Hyde thing when I get behind the wheel. I lived in my village for several years and didn't get to know anyone but my immediate neighbours. We only began to make freinds from other parts of the village once our daughter reached school age and we started hanging out at the school bus stop. Interestingly, riding a motorcycle tends to lead to striking up conversations with strangers. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:16:26 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/get-out-and-walk.html#IDComment43964643 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/faith-talk.html#IDComment43783088 Can I just say that I have withdrawn that remark and apologised for it, you are quite right to say that it was dogmatic and unthinking. In fact I don't have a problem with the government consulting religious people on policy. What seems to be happening though is that so called faith groups are being given an inside track from which unbelievers are being excluded. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:34:01 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/faith-talk.html#IDComment43783088 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/faith-talk.html#IDComment43781873 This is what is so depressing. I loath the current administation for a thousand different reasons but neither the Tories or the Lib-dems have given any indication that they would change anything if they won power. It appears that it will be business as usual whoever wins. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:28:49 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/faith-talk.html#IDComment43781873 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/faith-talk.html#IDComment43775605 I don't think that the abolition of slavery can be used as an argument in favour of Christian morality. Christians dominated Europe for 1400 years before anyone thought about abolishing slavery, And when it did happen it was in spite of Christianity not because of it. The fact that Wilberforce was a Christian is moot as only Anglicans were allowed to sit in Parliament at the time. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:03:22 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/faith-talk.html#IDComment43775605 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/faith-talk.html#IDComment43774342 Yes, Weepingcross and Skimmer you are quite correct, I would do well to remember that I tend to see religious people from the point of view of the Freethinker and the National Secular Society's newsletter which by definition are biased sources of information. I offer an unreserved apology to all non morally retarded believers who are likely to be the majority. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:58:16 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/faith-talk.html#IDComment43774342 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/faith-talk.html#IDComment43638158 I have a problem with the fact that in the UK those who actually take religion in any way seriously are now a tiny, dwindling minority. Yes the 2001 census revealed that a majority identify themselves as Christian but you don't have to scratch the surface of these default Christians very deeply to reveal the Deist, Humanist or Agnostic underneath. I come from an extended family of Methodists and only a handfull of the older ones are really serious about their faith, the rest seem to have drifted into apathy. Outside my family, I don't know anyone who takes religion seriously, no one. So what on earth is the government doing, in a supposedly democratic country, giving an elevated status not only to a minority but to the most deluded and morally retarded minority, when discussing government policy? Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:41:46 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/faith-talk.html#IDComment43638158 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/dna-home-office-still-determined-to.html#IDComment42976050 I am intrigued by the logic that led to the idea that your DNA should be stored for diffent lengths of time depending on the seriousness of the crime that you haven't committed. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:08:05 +0000 http://heresycorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/dna-home-office-still-determined-to.html#IDComment42976050