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UK/R.O.I GAF - Thread of geopolitical confusion
- Thread starter Meadows
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Musha_Soturi
Member
Plus I don't think vk would freeze, seeing as it's vodka.
But no, I was not drinking vk blue last night. That shit is strictly kept to the weekends.
But no, I was not drinking vk blue last night. That shit is strictly kept to the weekends.
Jedeye Sniv
Banned
I haven't read a newspaper since my early 20s. The whole news thing just annoys and stresses me out. I was listening to Marc Maron recently and he said something that clicked with me, in that he refuses to expend emotional energy on thinking about 'the news' in that it's something you can never have an affect on. You read a terrible story about someone getting raped and murdered - how does that help you? You're now fractionally more depressed than you were ten minutes ago. You can't help the victim, you can't punish the attacker, you're just marginally more aware that people are scumbags. Same for politics - it's so frustrating to read some things and there is precisely fuck all I can do about it. So I choose to opt out. I live my life and deal with the things I can have an impact on.
Plus there's all the issues around the narrative told by the news media and how it affects the public. The spreading of fear and unrest etc. I'm fairly certain that the current economic recession is in part caused by news media and their self fulfilling prophecies of doom, and I also believe that the news plays a massive role in the function of terrorism and its effectiveness on the public.
So yeah, fuck that
I was only joking anyway
...so Borderlands 2 is pretty fantastic. Which is good news to ease the pain of my good friend Playstation Vita slowly dying in the corner
I haven't read a newspaper since my early 20s. The whole news thing just annoys and stresses me out. I was listening to Marc Maron recently and he said something that clicked with me, in that he refuses to expend emotional energy on thinking about 'the news' in that it's something you can never have an affect on. You read a terrible story about someone getting raped and murdered - how does that help you? You're now fractionally more depressed than you were ten minutes ago. You can't help the victim, you can't punish the attacker, you're just marginally more aware that people are scumbags. Same for politics - it's so frustrating to read some things and there is precisely fuck all I can do about it. So I choose to opt out. I live my life and deal with the things I can have an impact on.
Plus there's all the issues around the narrative told by the news media and how it affects the public. The spreading of fear and unrest etc. I'm fairly certain that the current economic recession is in part caused by news media and their self fulfilling prophecies of doom, and I also believe that the news plays a massive role in the function of terrorism and its effectiveness on the public.
So yeah, fuck that
Totally agree with you about avoiding news for the exact same reasons - though I still fail and end up checking the BBC News website most days.
You're totally right about the media spotlight on the recession making it 10x worse
Though I hugely don't agree with you about burying your head in the sand when it comes to politics.
There's very little you can do about what's going on most of the time, but I think it's my responsibility as a voter to know the issues and be informed about who I'm potentially voting for. It really annoys me how most people seem to vote because "that's my party - I'm a tory voter til I die". It's not a fucking football team.
Yeah but it's like 4%, if you can freeze beer i'm sure VKs would be freezable.
In fact this is an amazing idea. Gonna freeze some Smirnoff Ices on a hot day.
Omg, the number of people I spoke to who do this is just disgusting. "Oh, I voted for Lib Dems because that Clegg got a pretty face" or "My family has voted Labour in the past 6 elections so that means I have no other choice but to vote Labour too!" uugh, wtf.
A friend of mine did this with a bottle of wine once when we had a BBQ.
Turned out pretty well, actually.
I know, right? As if the political stance of your great grandparents has any relevence to politics going on right now!
I don't think people understand what they're actually doing when they vote. We need to start teaching policial awareness in schools. I suppose the problem is there would be so much accusation of bias this way and that in the way kids are taught about it.
Just fyi, godelsmetric will come in here and tell you you are wrong and it's all the Torys fault.
he is half right, but the media certainly don't help, glad to see I am not totally alone on that
Jedeye Sniv
Banned
I think my political apathy has mutated into full-on antagonism. I just see no purpose in it any more. I used to be a total political junky, watching PMQs, writing about issues in my journalism classes, debating any tory I could find for kicks but I burned out hard. There is no real difference between the parties, no real ideological fights in this country any more... or maybe there are, but they're certainly not represented by our political classes any more. Actually, that is it - there are significant problems and issues facing the country but they're not problems the politcal system has any interest in or power to effect. The issues around the working classes and the unemployed underclasses and especially the attitdues of these classes towards things like education and social cohesion, or outdated drugs policies that waste so much police time, these are the issues I care about but they're fairly untouched with any effectiveness by any party.
Really, when we vote we're voting for some guys in suits to look after the country for a few years. The changes they make are mostly just cosmetic, they're just stewarding the ship for a little while. As such I find the choice fairly laughable - which group of bland toffs do I want running the place? I honestly could not care any less.
Really, when we vote we're voting for some guys in suits to look after the country for a few years. The changes they make are mostly just cosmetic, they're just stewarding the ship for a little while. As such I find the choice fairly laughable - which group of bland toffs do I want running the place? I honestly could not care any less.
'Government and Politics' is a class for GCSE and up though isn't it? In England it is anyway, I did it. Was more about systems and history than social analysis and effects though.
Jedeye Sniv
Banned
We run govpol here at my school. But this is the school where future ministers comes from
We run govpol here at my school. But this is the school where future ministers comes from
I'd be interested to know what school - I think you mentioned 'near Godalming' a couple of pages ago, which is another odd coincidence because my OH works in (and we both used to live in) Hascombe, which is right next to Godalming!
Musha_Soturi
Member
Politics = Booooooooriiiiing
I try to keep up with it, I really do, but it just seems to be the same shit all the time. Whatever party is in government gets abuse from the public for doing a shit job, they blame everything on their predecessor, the party not in government just slags off everything they do and say they would do a much better job, then they do get in and the whole thing starts again exactly the same. All parties currently seem to be as bad as each other, for the first time I think I would really struggle to pick who to vote for.
I try to keep up with it, I really do, but it just seems to be the same shit all the time. Whatever party is in government gets abuse from the public for doing a shit job, they blame everything on their predecessor, the party not in government just slags off everything they do and say they would do a much better job, then they do get in and the whole thing starts again exactly the same. All parties currently seem to be as bad as each other, for the first time I think I would really struggle to pick who to vote for.
This is the exact problem with people not giving a shit about voting.
Not your fault obviously, but surely it highlights that politicians should be making an effort to get actual people INVOLVED with politics? Surely it should be more of a dynamic between politicians and normal people than it is now?
Ehh, if truth be told, I've never understood the real, working advantage of representative democracy. It seems like humans aren't able to effectively govern anything larger than a small town without alienating a large proportion of people, so maybe we shouldn't be making decisions in/for groups on larger scales than that? Who knows.
Yeah, I was in College when the elections happened and because I had just turned 18 I was all excited to vote so I was following it, reading up, etc. After that I just got tired, switched political parties and got fed up with the whole thing.
If we want people to be involved we need more Boris Johnsons, but ones that are actually good at politics.
I don't think its possible to be good at politics. You either suck up to big companies and powerful countries and get hated on by the public (Blair) or you bad mouth the system, get praised by some people and get labelled crazy by others (Galloway/Sheridan). Has there ever been a politician that got it right?
Not to say that I'm a Tory man (I refused to vote in the late election) but Cameron hasn't done anything annoying...yet.
Is Boris still mayor of London because he is a lovable goofball?
That's kinda what I meant before, at least he's lovable
I miss the old teletext looking screens at Argos, the new ones just aren't the same
Cycling around some off road paths and i come across this awesome STALKER type place.
I really need to find some local challenging downhill paths.
Get out of here, Kentpaul.
Get out of here, Kentpaul.
Get out of here, Kentpaul.
Get out of here, Kentpaul.
Exuse me, The politics discussion was putting me to sleep so I'm trying to spice up the thread with some urban exploring.
Urban exploring > Rich whiny men arguing in a big room
Sorry bud, it's just a thing from STALKER. When you go into one of the little bastions of life there's a bit you're not supposed to go into. If you're ANYWHERE near it some guy keeps repeating "Get out of here, STALKER" with infuriating repetition.
Jill Sandwich
the turds of Optimus Prime
I like exploring on my bike as well, just filling in the unknown corners of the mental map of my city. It always leads to patches of scorched grass, empty cans of Oranjeboom, ripped up porn mags and torn dirty knickers in the mud.
You're really selling it to me. Sounds magical.
In seriousness, is it odd that I think there's a certain romanticism to urban decay?
says the guy who votes Labour.
Z
ZombieFred
Unconfirmed Member
Hey guys sorry if I am hardly seen on here or vanished, blah just mentioned it and I completely felt a bit silly on not giving an answer before what I am doing now. Ive just been very focused on improving myself and escaping this crappy pay system so I can enjoy myself more in my career and also have a stronger physical presence so kind of put social stuff on the back burner for a little while and focus on making my life much better and be more happy with myself that can get me to return to the good old South East coat and reunite with my oldest pals (As I currently work in the midlands and I dont want to move away or anything due to a stable career and getting my Microsoft server certification out of the way and then I can give the working system the middle finger. Got to sacrifice a good year out of my life to work hard for it though 
Musha_Soturi
Member
Hey it's good to hear from you ZombieFred. We certainly missed you at the meet up on Saturday! Sounds like a good thing you're doing though, so keep it up, sort yourself out, and hopefully we'll see you soon!
blahblah...blah
Member
Hey, to be clear I wasn't having a go when I said it, was just curious as to what you were up to. Sounds like you're making good progress!
Glad to hear you're doing ok Zombiefred Sacrificing that year might seem tough and there will be times when you'll probably want to give up but don't. Work hard and soon enough you'll start to see the rewards/benefits. You can count on us for support.
I'm thinking of having a flat-warming party around the beginning of October after I moved all my stuff but I've yet to introduce myself to my neighbours. Does anyone have any funny house party/weird neighbours stories?
Sacrificing that year might seem tough and there will be times when you'll probably want to give up but don't. Work hard and soon enough you'll start to see the rewards/benefits. You can count on us for support. I'm thinking of having a flat-warming party around the beginning of October after I moved all my stuff but I've yet to introduce myself to my neighbours. Does anyone have any funny house party/weird neighbours stories?
Glad to hear you're doing ok Zombiefred
I'm thinking of having a flat-warming party around the beginning of October after I moved all my stuff but I've yet to introduce myself to my neighbours. Does anyone have any funny house party/weird neighbours stories?
Oh God - remind me later and I'll talk about my flatwarming when I moved in with my girlfriend.
Almost utterly disastrous!
Jedeye Sniv
Banned
Even though I'm happy with my job and talking about it, I don't know if I explicitly want to type the name of the school and have it associated with my username
I don't want to make it too easy for people to put the pieces together!It's a good one though
Even though I'm happy with my job and talking about it, I don't know if I explicitly want to type the name of the school and have it associated with my username
It's a good one though
Fair enough - I'll try to weedle it out of you in person at some point
You know those days where you keep hitting play on the same album over and over again without getting tired of it?
Yeah, I've listened to Tegan & Sara - The Con about a dozen times today...
Jedeye Sniv
Banned
Fair enough - I'll try to weedle it out of you in person at some point
You know those days where you keep hitting play on the same album over and over again without getting tired of it?
Yeah, I've listened to Tegan & Sara - The Con about a dozen times today...
No sweat. I'll not only tell you the name of the school but I will mock the pupils mercilessly
I know that feeling with albums, I have been rinsing the new Grizzly Bear this week. SO GOOD.
I'll put Teagan and Sara on when I get home (yay Spotify!), see if it's as good as you say. It better be man!
No sweat. I'll not only tell you the name of the school but I will mock the pupils mercilessly
I know that feeling with albums, I have been rinsing the new Grizzly Bear this week. SO GOOD.
I'll put Teagan and Sara on when I get home (yay Spotify!), see if it's as good as you say. It better be man!
Ruh-roh.
Hope you enjoy!
Check out the track 'The Con' for them at their least weird - it's a fantastic pop song - and go for anything else after that (particularly from The Con, So Jealous or Sainthood albums)
I keep meaning to check out the new Grizzly Bear album as I loved the last one. Shall put it on tonight whilst I paint
No sweat. I'll not only tell you the name of the school but I will mock the pupils mercilessly
The stuff that goes on in the teacher's lounge..haha, I had the privilege of delivering the school's news sheets (prefect duties) to the teachers' lounge and for that split second it felt like a completely different world in there. Drinking coffee, laughing, reading the paper, socialising. I always wanted to hear them talk shit about particular students but it never happened.
As soon as you walked out of the door I'm sure it resumed.
You should've planted a bug.
zomgbbqftw
Banned
Back from Japan! Finally!
Just checked out the meetup thread, was sad to have missed it. D: I will definitely be making it to the next one, Maybe around early December?
So any awesome threads that I missed over the last week or so?
Just checked out the meetup thread, was sad to have missed it. D: I will definitely be making it to the next one, Maybe around early December?
So any awesome threads that I missed over the last week or so?
Several meetup ideas being thrown around - one near Jedeye and myself -we're going to a rock club for the night - I think that's late November?
Also there's something happening whenever Evilore is about, I think - Musha knows more...probably?
Hope you had a good time in Japan.
As for threads, it depends on whether you find threads about the WiiU awesome or not.
Musha_Soturi
Member
Welcome back dude! Yeah we missed you too on Saturday.
Early December is exactly what I was thinking. Gonna throw some dates out there, get the ball rolling.
So, London Gaf Meet Up IV.
24th November
1st December
8th December
What dates can people do?
Will post this in the meet up thread as well.
zomgbbqftw
Banned
Wii U is a steaming pile to me, so I guess there are many awesome meltdown threads, I'll have to check them out.
Japan was great. It's just a shame I couldn't stay a couple of extra days and check out TGS.
Just catching up on the worst sex thread, it's full of gold.
zomgbbqftw
Banned
Cheers!
I can do 1st and 8th, 24th is my dad's birthday and with it falling on a Saturday I expect my sister will organise something so I have to keep that free.
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