A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

[Beagletorque]

Apparently, since the threat to Boris' leaving "do or die" has arisen from the members, his hasn't. Slightly surprising given the number of rumored asignations that abound. Unable to perform his duties due working 24/7 to "get Brexit done" Brois' main aid has been given the poodle.

When questioned on the matter he said that we would leave the EU on or before 31st of October and it was a long standing rule of his not to talk about his private life. The only cummings I can talk about is Dominic.

When told that the Jack Russell cross would not be able to travel to or from europe after a no deal Brexit without spending time in quarantine he said he didn't think it would come to that, she will be bored of it by then.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-49548946

[Zuiko]

Re: A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

That's actually a heart-warming story and I hope Boris and his new pet spend many happy years together, wherever they are living. Hopefully we can focus on this positive story about the dog, rather than get bogged down in Brexit again.

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

I would say that politicians of any colour could do a lot worse than going for a long walk with the dog across the moors and the mountains, well away from mobile phone coverage, where they can think things through properly instead of making knee-jerk decisions for popularity's sake. Maybe then way we could hear some reasoned debate instead of the present disgraceful shambles. Animals and the open countryside can teach us all a lot about ourselves and how we live.

[Graham_of_Rainham]

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

We hear a lot about mental health issues these days. Deprivation aside, I wonder how this is affected by where people live. Do people living in towns and cities suffer more than those who live in the country? And what about the thousands of high-density newbuild estates around the country which I find depressing even driving past.

I also wonder how different European countries are affected and whether culture plays a part.

[Otto]

Re: A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

Mental health problems in the farming community are becoming well known so I'm not sure it's any better in rural communities (like this one) than urban. I do know that my GP is seeing more and more cases of anxiety induced by the present toxic political situation.

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

Mental health problems in the farming community are becoming well known so I'm not sure it's any better in rural communities (like this one) than urban. I do know that my GP is seeing more and more cases of anxiety induced by the present toxic political situation.

Yes; I think farming is a particularly stressful vocation for many, especially those running smaller cattle farms, although the ubiquitous oil seed rape seems to fund no end of large houses, Range Rovers and public school fees around here. No wonder the bees have died of boredom.

Social isolation is another problem, made worse by the Drink-Drive laws and closure of rural pubs. Indeed, it is claimed that social isolation in remote areas results in more deaths through suicide than drink driving ever caused.

Back onto the subject of dogs, we don't have any ourselves (management edict) but those who do seem to enjoy regular social meetings the park, even at eight o'clock in the morning.

[Rocknroll59]

Re: A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

I used to have a dog which we used to walk daily and yes it was great to be out in the fresh air and open spaces...he pulled me through a very tricky time in 2008/9 with both family issues and personal issues which are thankfully long behind me, would love another but my wife is not so keen as it does tie you down quite a bit when you want away somewhere...

Agree wholeheartedly regarding our politicians taking a walk out in the hills with a dog the current madness is affecting everyone.

Farmers in the hills are suffering with mental issues and cutting communities with nothing around them is a real problem so many local shops boarded up and pubs being turned into houses or left boarded up, we are losing I feel a little bit of social identity which my parents told me was the saviour during WW2, when so many people now sit at home in front of screen and order everything via Amazon, I have a friend who orders everything he needs via Amazon and when I said I don't order anything he said I must be the only person on the planet who doesn't !! I can only seeing it getting worse before it gets better. Sad times indeed.

Peter

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

Farmers in the hills are suffering with mental issues and cutting communities with nothing around them is a real problem so many local shops boarded up and pubs being turned into houses or left boarded up, we are losing I feel a little bit of social identity which my parents told me was the saviour during WW2, when so many people now sit at home in front of screen and order everything via Amazon, I have a friend who orders everything he needs via Amazon and when I said I don't order anything he said I must be the only person on the planet who doesn't !! I can only seeing it getting worse before it gets better. Sad times indeed.

Peter

The economics of running small, local businesses are such that the majority will fail if they haven't already done so. Most local pubs are small cogs in massive multi-national business, and the bean counters at Head Office don't have the same attachment to our local that we do. Sky high business rates and the costs of employing staff don't help. Whilst some people are happy to live on a subsistence wage keeping the local pub or shop open the investors who often own the properties are looking for much bigger and quicker returns. If you can convert a shop or a pub into houses or flats there is a much quicker return to be made than pulling pints or selling groceries. In short they want money and they want it now!

However, you are wrong about Amazon. Whilst I am not averse to buying online I avoid using Amazon (and eBay) unless all else fails. Apart from the damage caused to the high street and the wider UK economy I believe their business modal and avoidance of UK taxes stinks.

[Rocknroll59]

Re: A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

Errrr.... I think that is what I was trying to say about Amazon. Large multi national....never pays the correct tax that small business does, white vans screaming around our streets polluting the air, large sheds paying smaller comparison rate values than your local high street, the fact that people don't move from their chair beside the laptop/computer, it just adds up to a world that I have no connection with.
Having worked all my life in customer service based industry I still like the day to day contact with people (and funnily enough so do the people I talk to), younger people are losing the ability to communicate in the same way, and that has def got worse in the last 10/15 years or so.
When you strip out the social ability of communities and isolate people from each other, other than by electronic means it is a disaster area and little wonder that we the problems that we do.
Fortunately here where I live we do have some thriving local small business's, our local butcher/baker has now to contend with Aldi as well as 4 other such outlets and yet he has seen no drop in business in fact customers return as his reputation for quality outstrips the small amount of price difference,we can walk to that shop as we do every other day, we meet and greet people we know and others that do actually talk to you, maybe about small things but they still like to talk to someone. We are lucky that we still have that and despite pressure from his landlord to carry on increasing rents year by year he is still around.
We have also just increased our doorstep delivery of milk after several years of using supermarket milk, we know where the milk comes from locally, so our supermarket milk order is now minimal and our throw away plastic bottles are few and far between....
This is what I meant when we talk about social identity and the harm that we are just now seeing by stripping this away to a faceless society.

Peter

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

Errrr.... I think that is what I was trying to say about Amazon. Large multi national....never pays the correct tax that small business does, white vans screaming around our streets polluting the air, large sheds paying smaller comparison rate values than your local high street, the fact that people don't move from their chair beside the laptop/computer, it just adds up to a world that I have no connection with.

Peter

Peter, I apologise for not making myself clearer. When I said you were wrong about Amazon I meant you were not the only one who boycotts them!

[Jax]

Re: A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

Unfortunately we now have an entire upcoming generation totally reliant on social media, the internet, Amazon and Ebay. From announcing births and deaths to summoning urgent assistance in life threatening situations to doing the weekly shopping, it all happens via social media, Amazon or Ebay. I admit to being an Ebay purchaser for small everyday items, toys and gadgets simply because I can't purchase the items I want locally. If they were available even at a slightly higher price then I wouldn't use Ebay but this is no doubt just another result of the demise of the high street.

It is a totally different society now, people text as opposed to phoning and holding a real voice conversation. The mobile phone now seems to be a mandatory fashion accessory which has to be held in one hand no matter where they are or what they are doing. On a recent visit to my doctors surgery there were 8 people in the waiting room, 6 or whom were doing whatever on a mobile phone.

With the increased use of "smart devices" things will only get worse. It is of course vital to modern life to be able to switch on the lights at home, switch the heating on and off, control the hi-fi, all from several miles from home. Not to mention monitoring your security cam etc etc etc. I have to wonder what people did prior to mobiles, social media, and smart devices. I do seem to recall they actually spoke to each other face to face or by voice using a telephone. The term "social media" is an oxymoron because it is anything but social and in fact is removing " socialising" from our way of life.

On a slightly related note, I get really annoyed when watching the Parliament Channel on TV to see the vast majority of MP's texting, or doing whatever it is they do on their phones and tablets, all whilst someone is on their feet discussing a vital piece of legislation. IMHO the use of phones and tablets should be banned in The House. It is not only distracting to anyone sat close but also, again in my opinion, extremely bad manners when someone is speaking.

I don't use any form of social media other than fora, use my mobile phone to make and receive calls and I admit to making the very occasional text. I have no Smart Devices and doubt if I ever will have. No doubt I am considered to be a total Dinosaur but frankly I don't give a damn.

As regards Amazon I agree with Nigel. Amazon is a totally disgusting organisation acting like a leech on the British economy and should be shunned at all costs.

Jax

[DerekW]

Re: A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

Sorry - you are a luddite with your views.

[Jax]

Re: A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

Sorry - you are a luddite with your views.

Thank you so much Derek, no need to apologise. In relation to this thread, I consider that term to be a compliment no matter how wrong or misinformed you have proved to be by using it.

Jax

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: A dog is for life, not just for Brexit.

Sorry - you are a luddite with your views.

So do you believe that living your entire life through a small, hand held device and never speaking to another human being is 'progress'?

Or for that matter allowing huge American outfits to destroy towns and jobs whilst bleeding the economy dry?