Disqus - Latest Comments for terryblakey

Re: Say hello to safer online shopping: Introducing 3D Secure

Terry — Thu, 02 May 2019 05:25:47 -0000

A great idea...if it worked. Yesterday I encountered it for the first time after several weeks of my card being rejected by the Zomato app. I approved the payment on the TransferWise app yet it was still rejected by the retailer (in this case Zomato). I don't know if this is a problem with TransferWise, the retailer or just that I'm currently in India and sometimes things just fail for no real reason.

Re: Online petition to curb boy racers in Paphos

Terry — Sun, 01 May 2016 01:51:01 -0000

Traffic calming is not rocket science and towns and cities all over the world manage it successfully so why is it such a problem here? If speed humps are inappropriate then use staggered curb extensions to form chicanes as is used in many parts of Europe, or "speed cushions" which are speed bumps with wheel grooves spaced to fit the wheelbase of emergency vehicles. The solutions are there but it seems the willpower is not!

Re: The Brexit conundrum for expats in Cyprus

Terry — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 05:36:43 -0000

Then your husband is obviously willing to take a huge gamble, I'm not. The CBI have warned of the job cuts, the banks have warned that they will reconsider their UK status. This is a huge "all-in" bet on a blind hand and you are betting my future, something I'm not happy about.

Re: The Brexit conundrum for expats in Cyprus

Terry — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 01:19:54 -0000

You forget about the rebate which has given the UK a huge reduction in the amount contributed but at the cost of the ability to get EU funding for projects when required. As for your comments re German and Spanish tourists, I don't know where to start with that! A drop in the ocean compared to the larger picture. I don't "love the existing setup" but I believe the answer is to fix it and we can only do that as a member of the club.

Re: The Brexit conundrum for expats in Cyprus

Terry — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 01:10:14 -0000

No, I can't see that, as I took the time to understand how the EU works and don't base my views on the opinions of the Daily Fail. As Germany is the largest net contributor by some margin then they must be doing something very wrong if they also set the rules to disadvantage themselves.

Re: The Brexit conundrum for expats in Cyprus

Terry — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 01:01:57 -0000

You're obviously not a businessman. The EU is the second largest trading bloc in the world, no sane businessman turns his back on a market that size unless he wants to go out of business quickly.

Re: The Brexit conundrum for expats in Cyprus

Terry — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 06:14:55 -0000

Yes of course, thank you. I My only excuse is that I received an email from an Austrian friend whilst writing it resulting in brain freeze :-)

Re: The Brexit conundrum for expats in Cyprus

Terry — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 05:53:48 -0000

I wonder how many people understand that Switzerland and Austria contribute around the same amount to the EU as the UK and still have to abide by the same rules if they want to trade but yet have no say in setting those rules. People really need to do their homework before leaping into the dark.

Re: The Brexit conundrum for expats in Cyprus

Terry — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 05:50:21 -0000

There is no option "to leave the EU but stay in Europe". Europe is a continental mass, not some political organisation offering an alternative. The UK signed up to the EEC in 1973 and has been part of the development and evolution of that machine ever since. If it's broken it's because the members, of whom the UK is one of the largest, allowed it to be broken. The solution is to fix it, not throw it away. The EU is the second largest trading bloc in the world. A post EU Britain would still have to deal with it and in order to do so would have to abide by all of the same rules and regulation as now. The difference is that the UK would no longer have any influence in setting those rules and regulations.

Re: The Brexit conundrum for expats in Cyprus

Terry — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 05:39:34 -0000

30 years ago the EU didn't exist in it's current form. Much has changed in that time.

Re: The Brexit conundrum for expats in Cyprus

Terry — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 05:36:16 -0000

As have we, fully agree. I wonder how many little Englanders currently enjoying life abroad will return to the UK if the vote is to leave. I asked this question of a somewhat vociferous character in our village and his reply was "No, why should I?" Obviously doesn't know the meaning of the word hypocrisy .

Re: The Brexit conundrum for expats in Cyprus

Terry — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 02:23:05 -0000

“…will in all probability be fine…”

“…she feels it is unlikely…”

“…should not become more difficult”

“…had favourable agreements in place with the UK before it joined the EU, so many of those will remain.”

Nothing but guesswork and hopeful speculation by the exit brigade.

The only scare mongering I’m seeing is that coming from the exit campaign and the only certainty about leaving is the uncertainty such an act of folly would bring.

Re: Brexit ‘would cause decade of uncertainty’ – Whitehall

Terry — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 05:15:55 -0000

I wonder the same thing but my faith in the intelligence of the 'man in the street' is severely dented of late. Stay in and we have a predictable future which we can work to change. Leave and we'd be like a blind man walking into a room with a floor full of holes and hoping to get out of the other side unscathed. To me it's a no-brainer but the 'little Englanders' may yet win the day!

Re: UK expats in EU referendum quandary

Terry — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 05:02:11 -0000

Again with the harping back to a very different past. Have you even looked at the renegotiated terms? Britain is now in debt to the tune of over £15 TRILLION so the contribution to the EU pales into insignificance compared to that. The EU did not make Osbourne borrow that amount but if our trade balance goes the wrong way (which many businesses predict will happen) then that position can only get worse. Vote for exit by all means but do it based on facts and not on 43 year old history and an old sense of injustice.

Re: UK expats in EU referendum quandary

Terry — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 04:13:20 -0000

You beat me to it. This is from an article by Simon Sweeney of the Guardian and is well worth reading.

Re: UK expats in EU referendum quandary

Terry — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 04:12:22 -0000

First let me state my credentials. I am a British ex-serviceman, I ran my own businesses in both the UK and Cyprus, I served as a town councillor in the UK, I have travelled extensively around the world for my work and I have had a home in Cyprus since 2002. I do not make public statements without ensuring that I am well informed and I try not to play any fear factor, just state FACTS. I do find it astounding that you would refer back 43 years to 1973 to back your stance but I have yet to find any supporter of Brexit who can actually state any real positives for their belief. I was going to publish the article from the Guardian's Simon Sweeney about what the EU has done for us but I see cyprus_observer has beaten me to it. The future is uncertain but exit from the EU is far more so than staying in and advocating for change. Finally the next time you wish to call someone 'ill informed' you may wish to provide some evidence of that which is a little more up to date.

Re: UK expats in EU referendum quandary

Terry — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 02:26:51 -0000

All I ever hear from the Brexit lobby is "it'll be better when we leave" or "it'll be alright" but no one has ever explained exactly how it will be alright. Lots of speculation about reduced red tape and less 'interference' but no FACTS. Exit from the EU is indeed a leap into the dark and maybe it will "be alright" but if it's not then there's a good chance we'll be up effluent creek without a propulsion device. Major businesses including many foreign banks have already stated their intention to pull out and Frankurt is waiting with open arms for them. Development grants for small businesses will cease to be available and as for 'red tape' British businesses will still have to comply with EU standards and rules in order to trade with Europe. The Brexit brigade have put national pride and the 'little Englander' mentality to the forefront and quietly ignored the very real risks an exit would present. For us expats in Cyprus the future could be very different. New passports required (at out expense), reciprocal medical treatment could be a thing of the past and pensions could well be frozen as they are in many other non-EU states. Brexit is truly a leap into the dark and personally I'd rather stick with the devil I know and try to change it from within. I'll be voting to stay in.

Re: Repairs begin to vandalised Denia mosque as condemnation grows (Update 2: adds Mufti’s comments)

Terry — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 07:06:52 -0000

Sorry but anyone who thinks that letting their feelings out by setting fire to buildings and putting lives at risk is OK is beneath contempt and deserves the full force of the law to come down on them. Cowards and morons.

Re: Repairs begin to vandalised Denia mosque as condemnation grows (Update 2: adds Mufti’s comments)

Terry — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 05:46:13 -0000

Are you one of those responsible?

Re: Debunking the chemtrail conspiracy theory

Terry — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 01:15:09 -0000

There are too many real conspiracies in the world to worry about without adding scientific mumbo jumbo to the list. I am an aviation engineer so I understand how contrails work. The rest is just paranoid BS.

Re: Debunking the chemtrail conspiracy theory

Terry — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 05:04:41 -0000

I was more concerned that the Green Party supported the theory that chemtrails are real. They blew any credibility they might've had with me.

Re: ISIS fighters using Cyprus to reach Syria – Daily Mirror

Terry — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 08:25:12 -0000

Seriously? Cyprus might have it's problems but groups marching and carrying AK47s in the street would probably be a step too far even for Paphos. Looks more like Syria to me.

Re: ISIS fighters using Cyprus to reach Syria – Daily Mirror

Terry — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 08:02:52 -0000

Why would they fly in to Larnaka and cross the border when it's easier and less risky to fly directly into Ercan from the UK? I suspect this is not quite the coup the Mirror would like to claim it is.

Re: Wrong photos on new driving licences are ‘rare’

Terry — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 06:01:22 -0000

In March of this year (2015) we went to Paphos and replaced our old UK paper licences without photo for 'new' Cypriot licences. Imagine our surprise when we were issued crappy paper licences with photos stapled into them. When I asked why we weren't given credit card type licences I was told that they weren't yet in use in Cyprus. Just what is going on here?

Re: Pissouri water woes affecting business and tourism

Terry — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 11:10:21 -0000

Jay Bee is correct, this excuse "the Paphos pump has failed" is becoming tiresome as we see this at least twice a year. If this is true then the infrastructure is desperately in need of overhaul or replacement. As one visitor wrote on social media "Is this a third world country?". I love living here and being part of a great community but just sometimes the frustration gets too much!