Teuchter

Your experience in the workplace is the opposite of mine @Digs. I was in a minority - sometimes of one - but I still puffed away in the piece room. It was only after I had served my time that things changed and smokers had to go outside. It is strange to think that a YTS / Apprentice was tolerated as the only smoker at times, but that was the way things were. The awareness and fightback only really gathered pace in the early 90s.

Even in the 80s, the first question a smoker would ask in someone else's house was not "can I smoke" but more likely "where is your ashtray" 

14 hours ago, Lochalsh Par said:

Not sure what you are laughing at but the BBC and SM got Boris sacked while Curry Gate went unscathed. Sturgeon did many wrong things but got clean away. Just my view though and again not football or the Pars. Just to be clear, I am a socialist from a mining family. I just have my own values.

You are perfectly entitled to your own views and opinions.

One observation that I would make, is that on all the topics you list above, they do seem to align very closely to those frequently expressed by the Daily Mail.

1 hour ago, Lochalsh Par said:

I do not watch Match of the Day and do not believe in mixing football with politics. I will make 2 points here. 1. Garry Lineker signed a multi million pound deal which included an impartiality clause and 2. Many of the pundits got paid huge amounts to comment on the world Cup hosted by a country where Human Rights mean little. 

He wasn’t mixing football with politics- he tweeted in his own time. Andrew Neil is Chairman of the Spectator and is active on Twitter. They had him presenting a political show. You would have thought  that demonstrable impartiality would have been more important in that area. Lord Sugar is active on Twitter - in a right wing manner. The current Chairman of the BBC arranged a loan for Boris Johnson and is a Conservative activist / donor. The demand for impartiality looks awfully like a one way street.

Solidarity with Lineker from Inverness.

“the BBC deserves nothing but the fires of hell”

https://twitter.com/AndyClark22/status/1634305329348345859?s=20

25 minutes ago, GG Riva said:

This phenomenon has belatedly made the national news tonight. While many are of the opinion that E cigs are less harmful than tobacco, it's disturbing to contemplate that kids who have never smoked tobacco are own choosing to vape.

I'm reliably informed that the practice is rife in our secondary schools and has even been detected in some of our local West Fife primary schools. Two things I take issue with are that kids should not be able to get their hands on these products and that they should not be so flavoursome. I haven`t tried vaping myself but I know people who do and they tell me the flavour is even better than the smell.

Is it as prevalent as cigarettes were a few decades ago in schools do you know? 

I used to assume that vapes were cigarette substitutes for smokers. Seems not.

On the other side, it is a striking how few smokers there are these days - or at least that is how it seems to me. Not sure what the statistics are and if smoking has dramatically decreased.
 

@SanguinePar Excellent work. 

35 minutes ago, GG Riva said:

Are there a number of different MoMs? Like the different versions of World Boxing Champions?

I thought @Raymie made a good distinction. The sponsor's man of the match on Saturday differed from the opinion of many people who were at the game.

Their youth academy should start to bear some fruit soon…..ah, hold on!
 

I noticed that Hartley stated an interest in the Aberdeen job with a straight face.

18 hours ago, rosythpar said:

Wonder if the game will be in doubt with the weather forecast?

I was thinking of heading along for an away day, but if it is not off, it looks like it will be played high winds and rain. 

Happy with the draw. Will hopefully make it along.

Fraserburgh v Arbroath - the Broch’s unique home advantage instantly negated by drawing a team well used to playing yards away from the North Sea.

1 hour ago, SanguinePar said:

FFS, FALKIRK get the draw I wanted. Bar-stewards 😞

Commiserations to the town of Wick.

She equalled Brian Clough’s tenure at Leeds. 

FFS!

It is even worse than predicted.

This is what happens when an incoming PM talks to no one but Tory Party members and donors for three months.

Different game, but at the Forres match yesterday it was evident, for both teams, that black armbands were optional.

Good to see Charles getting booed in Wales and receiving a direct question about tax payers money funding the pageantry.

Has it not occurred to anyone that the German owners may wish to honour one of their own? 

Strange thing is, ever since a kid I have taken the booing of GSTQ as normal at the football - hence it being dropped by the national team. 

2 hours ago, Superally said:

Doubt it will even go to Court. The press interest will just be adverse. It will quietly disappear.

Especially now that David Davis (yes, the Right Hon David Davis, ex Tory Cabinet member) has written to Police Scotland expressing concern over the arrest.

8 minutes ago, SanguinePar said:

Charged with what?

Breach of the peace.

2 hours ago, Raymie said:

The lad that was arrested for shouting at Andrew is the son of ex-Pars player, John Clark

I see he has been charged. The court appearance is at a later date. Hopefully it will be after the country has calmed down a bit.
The publicity will keep Andrew’s dodgy connections in the spotlight.

The T.V. coverage is something else. 
How does your experience in real world compare to the fairytale being painted by the BBC and ITV?
 

As for the crowds at St Giles, what is the collective noun for such a phenomenon?
 

I would opt for a witchell of mewling simpletons.

11 minutes ago, Digs said:

I'll be honest, I'm not a monarchist, at all, and I wouldn't have any issue with it, I'm perfectly capable of keeping my opinions to myself if for no other reason than good manners. However, everyone is not me, and I reckon there would be a potentially embarrassing outcome no matter what way it is recognised. You'd have people who dislike it because they believe in a republic, you'd have people booing because it's GSTQ(K), it's just a massive minefield and all the clubs are damned if they do, damned if they don't.

Also 2-0 COYP

I agree with that. It was always obvious that her death would be a big deal. It is what happens after that I am more concerned about.

Saying that, there must be other ways of paying tribute. Perhaps Stephens could introduce Swan Bridies on to the menu for the day of the game.

I watched some of the coverage of the Queen’s final but one taxi journey between Braemar and Edinburgh today. The accompanying commentary was staggering really and belied what was early unfolding. Roping in the likes of Sarah Smith and Magnus Linklater, the party line was that this showed the enthusiasm in Scotland for the monarchy.

Looking at the crowds, a few things thing struck me.

1) Whilst over the whole route they could be measured in the 100s of thousands, I have a feeling they will be surpassed in England between Northolt and London. When it came to Edinburgh, 70% of the vox pops were tourists. 

2) The crowds en route seemed to be characterised mainly by rubberneckers holding up mobile phones. The were a few sporadic rounds of applause.

3) Union flags were thin on the ground

The monarchy may get a short boost, but it has lost its’ greatest asset. Already there are clips of Charles acting like a stereotypical toff, disrespecting an aide at yesterday’s ceremony.

I think with Queen gone, we may learn a lot more about Prince Philip also.

My partner and stepdaughter have been in Scotland a year. After watching the coverage on the T.V. on the day of her death, she was struck by the contrast in the real world, where indifference largely ruled - one shopkeeper spoke about her displeasure at the prospect of having to close for the funeral. Similarly my stepdaughter spoke about the chatter of woman at the hairdressers, ****ed off with the constant TV coverage.

The media are presenting one picture. People will see for themselves what is happening.

35 minutes ago, GG Riva said:

Italian news media reporting that the Queen's funeral has been set for 19th of Sept. That'll be our game v Falkirk off then. 🙁

I wonder if they would be prepared to play us the following day? 🤔 Better than a midweek game for attendance, 

The 19th is a Monday so not sure if would prevent the game.

24 minutes ago, Deutsch Par said:

 

I agree with this guy.

When looking at the social history of that era (behind the accepted history)it surprised me the amount of discontent there was at the enforced mourning in 1952.

We seem to have gone backwards in certain respects with regards the death of public figures. 

 

I am not sure what there is much to get so bothered about.

It was obvious this would be the case. The plans have been in the public realm for years. Do I agree? No. Is there anything I can do in this instance? No.

Will this happen in future? Unlikely I would say. That is the consolation.