Uhtred

Yes, like putting the fat kid in goal so that the decent players can get on with the match.

Sadly true.

Not in the slightest - I’m just a little disappointed that our “National” parliament pulled a flanker and appointed a blustering, floundering, (egotistical) dimwit as the “leader” of our government. I don’t have it in for Howard Quayle; I have it in for what he is.

My point exactly!

Having not read any of this thread at all can I just say that we’re all better off the less Quayle knows about anything. So if he doesn’t know who the Island’s biggest employer is that’s a good thing. Providing Quayle with information invites the same consequences as providing a chimpanzee with firearms.

And how long has this taken?

It certainly isn’t what it used to be.

Okay - thanks.

Suicide is just desperately, desperately sad. For the person whose thought processes lead them to believe it’s a way to reconcile matters, and for everyone left behind affected by it. I know only one person who took their own life, but did know them fairly well. I was racked by thoughts that perhaps I missed signs that might have led me to help, that I didn’t invest enough time in the person, or that I was overly preoccupied with my own life. I’ve never satisfactorily answered those questions. In some way, suicide is a failure of the system - but I don’t know how to resolve matters. I’m quite an upbeat, optimistic person, but every time I hear of someone taking their own life it brings me right down...I guess in some difficult to define way it makes me feel impotent to do anything positive to reduce the chances of others seeking the same way out. Anyway, enough of my ramblings.

That’s really inappropriate - so why do my sides hurt from laughing?

A trait among teachers of yore not confined solely to Mr. Coole.

So much for transparency!

Is this a variation on the Head Road kitchen voyeurism? “On Your Doorstep”.

Eh?

Well Rog, one wouldn’t challenge the opinion of the mechanic because they’re a mechanic and one isn’t! But all Tynwald members are equal (in the main) and doing the same parliamentary job, so if member A says “The answer is a huge shed with a bell on the top” and member B says “No it isn’t, that’s stupid” member B should step up and illustrate why...that’s member B’s job (for which they’re paid fairly well). I don’t accept the “there’s no time” argument either Rog - if you’re a member voicing an opinion, then make time to research the argument to back up your views...that’s what you’re paid for. I would absolutely accept however a comment along the lines of “Look, I’m no expert on this, but my initial reading of the matter suggest that the shed with the bell on top isn’t the best way forward because of blah, blah and blah, but I accept that my analysis isn’t deep enough to be definitive”. The long-standing Tynwald habit of “That’s shit”, “I don’t like that” “That won’t work”, “A man in the pub said that’ll kill people” unsupported by any rational comment is bollocks and the clowns who practice it need to be called out.