Disqus - Latest Comments for AmethystDragon

Re: Is honey vegan? No, it isn't. Vegans do not eat or exploit other creatures, and this includes honey bees. Luckily, there are some great vegan alternatives to honey

DruidsGarden — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 05:06:22 -0000

Lets not forget Agave isn't the pancea it's made out to be either. Agave syrup production is badly affecting the bats that rely on the cacti it's made from. I'm not saying you should eat honey, that's a personal choice but atleast be properly informed and not peddle half-truths.

Re: Is honey vegan? No, it isn't. Vegans do not eat or exploit other creatures, and this includes honey bees. Luckily, there are some great vegan alternatives to honey

DruidsGarden — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 05:03:40 -0000

This is full of really really bad science and half truths! Have you ever actually spoken to a beekeeper and seen what they do? I would happily show you how beekeepers especially in the UK look after bees. I'm also in the North of England.

"For most beekeepers, it is cheaper to cull the hive and start again in the
spring than it is to feed the bees through the winter months.

Sometimes they won't cull the whole hive, but they will kill their queen. The
worker bees will climb into another hive to serve somewhere else. "

This part in particular is really really wrong! This is not how it works at all! It's been over 200 years since this was done. Some of this happened in pre-Victorian times because we only had skep hives and obviously people were less informed and wild colonies were plentiful. However I have had bees for over 10 years and I've never met a beekeeper who would do this! Bees are precious creatures, beeks love them! Why would you spend a vast fortune keeping them otherwise?

Re: A switch to all-member meetings? Here’s why that’s a bad idea

DruidsGarden — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 06:53:25 -0000

I can understand how in inner city constituencies, it makes sense to keep the GC structure. However in a CLP like ours with only 900 members in total, AMM works much better. Branch attendance is often limited to 5 or 6 members and it's extremely difficult to get an aging membership motivated.

We need the AMM to stop the CLP from completely atrophying. It's hard enough work to find enough members to stand on the various execs never mind get a full slate of candidates to stand as Councillors.

Re: "Billy Bragg: Jews “Have Work to Do” to Rebuild Trust With Labour"

DruidsGarden — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 02:04:32 -0000

Show me some proof that there are families where no one has worked for the past 70 years!

Assuming that we go from the millennials who are just joining the labour market, 4 generations means you are saying that as far back as the WWII generation people haven’t worked. None of the baby boomers, none of the Gen X’s, none of the Y’s no one!

There is no evidence to suggest that is happening, in fact it’s very difficult to find even two generations beyond a limited number of households

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/poli...

Re: "Billy Bragg: Jews “Have Work to Do” to Rebuild Trust With Labour"

DruidsGarden — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 01:51:55 -0000

70 out of a membership of over 800,000 is not endemic. Application for membership is done on trust, anyone who isn’t a member of another party apart from the co-operative party can join if they pay their membership fee.

There are 533 constituency Labour parties in England alone, most will have never dealt with anyone accused of anything let alone anti-semitism.

That isn’t to say that 70 isn’t 70 too many but it’s still very low.

Of course they need dealing with properly, no one has ever said otherwise.

I’ve no idea how long they’ve been in progress either, I’m just a rank and file member, anything I know has come from news reports rather than from a direct source.

Yes, the disciplinary process should be quicker, I absolutely agree with that, if a person is guilty, get them dealt with and out of the party ASAP is preferable especially if there are possibly criminal charges to be brought & if they are innocent, it’s a terrible cloud to be living under accused of something you know you didn’t do. However it shouldn’t be so quick vital information is lost. The balance between those two needs to be better.

Re: "Billy Bragg: Jews “Have Work to Do” to Rebuild Trust With Labour"

DruidsGarden — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 01:26:15 -0000

As far as I understand it, and I’m only a local member and have had. I thing to do with the NEC discussion, it is the full definition as laid out by the IHRA BUT there are specific examples that go along with it and two of those examples have been changed around legitimate criticism of the state of Israel.

Even two years ago, the Home Affairs select committee changed some of the definition in this area, saying that clarity was needed to ensure freedom of speech around the Palestinian issue, I don’t know if that’s the version they’ve used or they’ve put their own examples in.

Re: "Billy Bragg: Jews “Have Work to Do” to Rebuild Trust With Labour"

DruidsGarden — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 10:57:53 -0000

I think there are some real cases, I believe there are 70 are currently under investigation. It would be totally naive to think otherwise.

However if you are saying is it endemic in the party then no it isn't. The Home Affairs select committee came to the same conclusion.

We certainly wouldn't stand for any such behaviour in our CLP full stop, nor would we tolerate any other sort of racism or gender/sexuality based hatred, we have a clear code of conduct and we abide by it.

If you want to just assume that everyone is the same because of your hatred of the Labour Party and anyone associated with, then that is your choice and nothing I can do or say will make any difference to that.

Re: "Billy Bragg: Jews “Have Work to Do” to Rebuild Trust With Labour"

DruidsGarden — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 09:19:27 -0000

Oh Billy, why open your mouth and add fuel to the flames? It just feeds into the right-wing rhetoric that Labour is full of anti-semites when infact the opposite is true and the rank and file membership is horrified at the idea.

Nothing anyone says is going to make this better, Labour's NEC should have accepted the IHRA definition and added the amendments as reccomended by the Home Affairs select committee in 2016 to ensure that freedom of speech is maintained in the context of discourse
about Israel and Palestine, without allowing antisemitism to permeate
any debate instead of tying itself in knots.

All this does is cause distress to our Jewish members and for our non-Jewish members who have spent a lifetime campaigning against all forms of racism no matter what quarter it comes from. The Party needs to put this to bed once and for all!

Re: "Billy Bragg: Jews “Have Work to Do” to Rebuild Trust With Labour"

DruidsGarden — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 09:00:30 -0000

ABSOLUTE UTTER BOLLOCKS! The rank and file members of the Labour Party are not more anti-semitic than any other organisation infact research has shown that Labour members on the whole are less anti-semitic than the general public.

If ANYONE in our CLP was heard using anti-semitic language they'd be up on disciplinary charges faster than you could blink. We do not tolerate anti-semitism, islamophobia, transphobia, homophobia or any form of general racism!

Re: "Billy Bragg: Jews “Have Work to Do” to Rebuild Trust With Labour"

DruidsGarden — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 08:57:27 -0000

They won't have to because that scenario doesn't actually exist apart from inside your febrile brain!

Re: Britain is more diverse, so why are Labour’s candidates getting whiter?

DruidsGarden — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 05:13:11 -0000

Outside of the metropolitan areas and certain towns, Britain is predominantly white and trying to place BAME candidates in predominantly white working class areas that they aren't from is never going to work. It's not actually the colour of their skin, it's that they are from outside the area.

A BAME candidate that is a local candidate on the other hand would be much better placed but getting them to come up through the process to the point where they are ready to be selected is not easy.

I'm not saying that is right but it is reality. For goodness sake, the hoohaa over having candidate's for selection from the next constituency over was bad enough in Morecambe and Lunesdale!

Re: Gwynne backing helps power councillor to victory over Momentum candidate

DruidsGarden — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 11:10:37 -0000

Seriously poor reporting. Lizzi won because she was the candidate that people chose on the night. Momentum really had nothing to with it, they are barely a presence in Morecambe and Lunesdale.

I'm a member of Momentum and I've never even been to a local Momentum meeting. I doubt very much that Andrew Gwynne had much impact either.

She performed extremely well in the hustings, giving excellent responses to questions she'd never seen before and came across as a well rounded very personable candidate. The other two candidates were also excellent, there was very little to choose between them and I know it was a really tough choice for many of the members. I know because I was there and I was handing out the election papers. The chatter amongst the members was all about how tough the decision actually was.

Lizzi and Erica are good friends and both have worked closely with Cat Smith. To even suggest that there was some sort of factionalism going on is quite ridiculous.

The shortlisted campaign was wonderfully comradely, all three candidates have been out campaigning together on the doorstep, Erica is happy to help pass on the campaigning knowledge that she's gained working for Cat in her office and Julie Reid has offered to help with canvassing when we have a GE.

This isn't even a storm in a teacup however that doesn't make a newsworthy story does it?.

I have no doubt that Morecambe and Lunesdale CLP are really looking forward to having a brilliant PPC to work with to get rid of the useless Tory incumbent which is the real story!

Re: Just What Would It Mean to Have a Female Doctor Who?

DruidsGarden — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 05:16:08 -0000

I would be the first person to welcome a strong female lead in a show, I adore series like Orange is the New Black, Orphan Black and Lost Girl, where women lead the show rather than being part of the ensemble. I was a child of the 70's and it didn't matter to me that Wonder Woman's alter ego was effectively the sexy secretary, when she was Wonder Woman she kicked ass!

I don't need however the Doctor to be female, as others have said, it's a token gesture and not one I'm comfortable with. Yes, he's an alien with the ability to be any species, colour or gender. However, It's been long established that he prefers to regenerate into a male form and I know it's the writing that has dictated that but I don't care. The Doctor is male.

What I'd like to see is a modern day Romana or other such TimeLady, maybe Jenny the Doctors Daughter, a fully formed rounded character as clever as the Doctor and give him a run for his money, I'd think it would be hilarious to see his ego taken down a peg or two as he blunders in to save the day and someone has already sorted it out without him. It would take clever balanced writing though and I don't think Moffat is the person to do that at the moment. Maybe I'm wrong, we've no idea what the role Maisie Williams is playing, she looks significant but whether she's that significant, we'll have to wait and see.

Re: Martha Payne: girl's hit school dinner blog 'banned' by council

DruidsGarden — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 04:33:14 -0000

Outrageous but I suspect the council is going to regret their decision over this! Did they not think this through properly?

Re: A Jubilee letter from a republican to royalists

DruidsGarden — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 05:10:05 -0000

No it's pronounced Von Battenburg if you are going to bring in the German connection atleast get it right - The name Windsor was chosen to distance the British Royal Family from the Austrian part of the family instead of being insulting and derogatory

Doesn't matter if you are republican or royalist - getting your facts right always improves your chances of being taken seriously in an argument!

Personally I am torn - the Liberal part of me is utterly republican and believes in equality for all but I was brought up in a Royalist family, many of them who served in the Armed Forces and the pomp and circumstance is something we do better than the rest of the world and that should be celebrated - without royalty we wouldn't have a focus for that

Re: Save our Forests – what did your MP say?

DruidsGarden — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 09:00:25 -0000

I had an almost instantaneous reply as below:

"Dear Joanne,

The Government are committed to shifting the balance of power from ‘Big Government’ to ‘Big Society’ by giving individuals, businesses, civil society organisations and local authorities a much bigger role in protecting and enhancing the natural environment and a much bigger say about our priorities for it. As such this bill proposes to alter reform the status of the 18% of UK Forests that our governed by the Forestry Commission: the ownership of the rest is by private individuals, companies and trusts.

By including enabling powers in the Bill we will be in a position to make reforms to managing the estate. The Government has consulted the public on its proposals and has invited views from a wide range of potential private and civil society partners on a number of new ownership options and the means to secure public benefits. The Government envisages a managed programme of reform to further develop a competitive, thriving and resilient forestry sector that includes many sustainably managed woods operating as parts of viable land-based businesses.

The Government will not compromise the protection of our most valuable and biodiverse forests. Full measures will remain in place to preserve the public benefits of woods and forests under any new ownership arrangements. Tree felling is controlled through the licensing system managed by the Forestry Commission, public rights of way and access will be unaffected, statutory protection for wildlife will remain in force and there will be grant incentives for new planting that can be applied for. When publishing our proposals we will explore further the options for securing and increasing the wide range of public benefits currently delivered by Government ownership and how they might be achieved at lower cost.

This will be a new approach to ownership and management of woodlands and forests, with a reducing role for the State and a growing role for the private sector and civil society. At the same time, it reflects the Government’s firm commitment to the continued conservation of the biodiversity and other public benefits which forests and woodland provide. It is important to understand that these changes will not lead to the destruction of the woodlands, nor will it stop people being able to enjoy them.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

David Morris MP
Morecambe and Lunesdale
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA"

Re: Is Neil Gaiman Right: Are There Too Many Vampires?

DruidsGarden — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 08:02:08 -0000

Hmm interesting - As a Vampire addict - I would usually say - the more Vamp's the better - I can't get enough of them but then I also prefer my Vamps to at least be just a little bit bad - The Vampires of the Twilight saga sparkle for crying out loud - they are supposed to explode in the sun not sparkle!

Vamp's are and always will be cool - Mr Gaiman obviously doesn't want his writing to be viewed as jumping on the bandwagon - His stuff is totally brilliant and perfectly capable of standing alone - So yes for him at this moment of time he's probably right but for me personally - Bring on the Vamp's especially Eric Northman from True Blood mmmmmmm!

Re: Lack of pagan concern for animal welfare and the environment makes this pagan angry

DruidsGarden — Wed, 05 May 2010 04:15:50 -0000

You are actually right of course - but as I bought my daughter one of those chicken curries - I am as guilty - I didn't even actually think it wouldn't be free-range - I assumed wrongly as it turns out - that an event like that would have insisted that all caterers met a minimum standard

Re: Where are the candidates and their canvassers? In a Tory safe seat, they’re nowhere to be found…

DruidsGarden — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:20:21 -0000

We've had no-one round either - the incumbent Labour MP was happy to stuff a leaflet through my door but didn't bother knocking on it to canvass my opinion - Nor has anyone else - Not even my local Green Party candidate has been round - Am I disappointed - yes very

Re: Another dose of Glee: Sue Sylvester performs Madonna’s ‘Vogue’

DruidsGarden — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 05:58:29 -0000

Utterly brilliant - Jane Lynch looks amazing in that video and it suits Sue Sylvester down to the ground - she's such a bitch

Re: ALERT: AFB found in Cumbria

DruidsGarden — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:34:15 -0000

This is just awful news - Very very sad

Re: Just say no to shopping at Tesco

DruidsGarden — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:09:43 -0000

No darling - Black always black! :-)

Re: Just say no to shopping at Tesco

DruidsGarden — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:47:20 -0000

Actually they do - and I know a woman who could do them - http://www.squatorange.com/ - Where I got the kids their Blink T-shirts from

Re: Just say no to shopping at Tesco

DruidsGarden — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:12:48 -0000

Oh and I forgot to add - You are a chicken-mad veg-growing hippy freak tinged with Disco AND Goth (oh yes you are!) but that's OK cos I'm a bee-wrangling chicken-mad veg-growing hippy freak tinged with Glam and Goth - so its a good job we are friends then isn't it ?

BTW - I initially put us down as chicken-loving but that sounds so very very wrong!

Re: Just say no to shopping at Tesco

DruidsGarden — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:53:38 -0000

I'm firmly in the Tesco haters corner and will only go in there as a last resort but I have the option to make that choice - Lots of people dislike them and their policies but don't feel strongly enough to boycott them especially if you are a harassed Mum trying to get all her shopping and its a choice between going in the Tesco in the shopping centre or traipsing a mile down the road to the local Morrisons - Tesco in these situations wins every time

I do not think we can sustain the cost of cheap food at its current level - it's just not possible because the industry is driven by oil - Oil to make the fertilisers, oil to drive the big harvesting machines, oil to transport, oil to process - Oil, oil, oil - Its running out and when the price rockets higher than it has ever reached in the past - Food prices as we've seen over the last year - rocket upwards too

Farmers are not to blame - they've only adapted to the business model that is provided by the supermarkets - Many of them are fed up with that now and that's why so many now sell through Farmers Markets or companies like Riverford Organics who are the largest producers of Organic Veg boxes in the country

Constraints on the Supermarkets won't work - Well that's not strictly true - they would work BUT they are too big and too powerful to tackle at the moment but their time will come - What is need is something like the Fair Trade label for UK products - showing that the farmer has been paid a fair price for his produce instead of being screwed into the ground by a greedy supermarket