Michael White’s Moustache
Hats off to the Daily Reckless:
.
You thought you’d never even heard of me
But I’ve been patronising Lesley Riddoch on TV
I’m defending all the liars but it’s really not fair
All you notice is my farcical facial hair
Michael White’s moustache, Michael White’s moustache
It’s a right stramash, a right stramash
And it’s a real car crash, a real car crash
Is it on the lash?
You probably think this song’s about your politics
But I can’t take my eyes off your horrible lip
Try to focus on the words spilling out your face
But I cannae take you seriously, for f**k’s sake
Michael White’s moustache, White’s moustache
It’s a right stramash, a right stramash
And it’s a real car crash, a real car crash
Is it on the lash? Is it on the lash?
Michael White’s Moustache
Brilliant, Suzi Quatro would approve.
Rev, many thanks for the chance to hear this babbling fool but I just couldn’t bear to suffer it again.
I could listen to it all night.
Oh, what about Michael White’s a trash with a stupid white mustache, Groan.
The most dangerous moustache in Britain?
This halfwit summed up in one interview everything that is wrong with WM politics and why the hell we gotta get outta this place. It’s not just a clash of political ideology between WM and Holyrood, it is a clash of ethical standards. One man’s white lie is another man’s white tash.
Patronising BT ‘tache. Deserves a spot in Moodie.
Silly sod. No-one ever noticed the thing before. Now? For the rest of his life people will ask him, with a straight face, ‘Michael, I must ash you a question…’ and he’ll never be sure if they’re taking the piss or not.
Brilliant!
A caterpillar finally gets a song written about it.
White Trash.
There’s nothing wrong with his tash – it’s the twisted BTUKOK gob that’s all wonky.
(Maybe someone cut it when he was out for the count and he hasn’t noticed yet?)
I think it looks like an upside doon wings.
The Guardian is to the lying Liberal Democrats what the Record is to the lying Labour’s Scottish branch politicians.
The Moustache His Faither Wore.
Enough to make you sleep and snore.
What a bigot. What a bore.
Show the lot of them the bloody door.
Ya fakkin dancer!
Well done the lads ;-D
An instant classic.
It might have to be pressed as a 78 so that patronising old farts can have a listen.
In that case it needs a B-side:
“Don’t interrupt, Lesley (there’s a good girl)”
Poor Mike. You’d better watch or “mild mannered” The Guardian will set one of their hired goons on you. lol
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Quite apart from the tache he’s got the pus of the proverbial bulldog licking piss off a nettle, as though the whole world is a miserable disappointment to him. He’s not going to like that choon either. “It’s just a bloody noise, music today, not like proper pop when I was a lad, that nice Jimmy Saville, he played all the good stuff…”
Downloaded as MP3
Brilliant
Not only is it squint, it’s bizarrely cropped at a ridiculous distance above the lip.
I wasn’t expecting that.
Off to bed with a smile on my face
I had the misfortune to observe the moustache having breakfast in a certain Edinburgh hotel – put me right aff mine!
I thought then that for a’ his years, he’s nivver learnt tae use a razor properly.
Mebbe a bit like shortening a table leg, with the inevitable result?
Buffoonery needs a #tashtag
Staying with that 70s groove, here’s the Daily Reckless version of a Devo classic:
link to youtube.com
Devo Macs ‘Are we not Scots’, putting the Jock into Jocko Homo!
Sorry Broch.
A tash that belongs on the Yesterday channel.
There’s nothing wrong with having a moustache, I have one myself. The problem is he’s trimmed it in the wrong way and it’s too high up his face. He should let it grow a bit, maybe curl the ends if he’s feeling dastardly. I know I do.
This guy does not get basic reason.
Full of the rubbish that is the essence of better together / british nationalists / unionism.
RUk has a great future to look forward to with guys like that going around?
Love it my age demographic spot on
Looks like theres a moth thats trying tae fly up that old bastards nose!
Fantashtic
O/T
Ian Murray,Shadow SOS for Scotland interviwed outside WM earlier girding his loins to smite the SNP if they have the temerity to demand Full Fiscal Responsibility. However though he disliked F FR he was overjoyed to laud the Tories for allowing The Scottish Government the privilege of topping up any welfare cuts by the UK Government .Utter madness for a subsidiery Government on a fixed budget to compensate for the depredations of the Imperial Government.
I never agreed with the policy of taking scarce resources to lessen the pain of the bedroom tax I thought our response should have been a mass march on London and paralysing the place till they ended that cruelty.
Looks like one o those novelty clip on taches you used to get in Christmas crackers that you wore for 2 seconds cos it nipped your nose like fuck and made you look like an utter bell end……….
What a sad old demented man. Think he’s just about ready for the care home, sorry House of Lards. He can become a white knight in a straight jacket. To think this fruitcake is walking the streets. Very worrying
He might be talking pish but that’s no reason to take the mick because “oh look; he looks odd”.
There’s enough ammunition in the dialogue, so please leave name-calling out of it.
Great stuff! And Suzie Quatro would be a Yes-er for sure!
From the Daily Mash:
“VOTERS in England last night found themselves terrorised and seduced by a medium sized Scottish woman.
As SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was released across the UK, English viewers of the election debate said they found her deeply threatening ‘but in a good way’.
Jane Thompson, from Hatfield, said: “She’s a combination of Suzi Quatro and Sir Alex Ferguson. But I understand that all Scottish women are exactly like that.
“Noisy, efficient and utterly merciless.”
Julian Cook, from Finsbury Park, said: “She’s strong like Thatcher, but with a human touch that says, ‘I’m going to let you live, but on my terms’.
“She will now conquer us because we are led by M&S mannequins that don’t even have heads.
“But I think Sturgeon’s will be a mostly benign dictatorship and I have no objection to adopting vile Scottish habits if that becomes the law.””
(bolds are mine)
I thought Ian Murray sounded more Tory than a Tory
If he hadn’t mentioned he was in the Labour Party you would never have known, and isn’t he a sour faced misery guts
(Nae Pals?) except for other Tories?
Michael White reminds me of one of those “Heady’s” you used to get that belted all the kids
Especially the ones who “Forgot ma uniform sur”
And more from the Daily Mash:
Nicola Sturgeon was the Bellahouston Suzi Quatro Look-a-Like Champion in 1997, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007
link to thedailymash.co.uk
And Sturgeon again as Suzi Quatro, this time in a Greg Moodie cartoon strip:
link to bellacaledonia.org.uk
And finally, Nicola Sturgeon in Suzi Quatro-like attire in her younger days:
link to ekilbride.com
@Derek at 12.01 am
There’s enough ammunition in the dialogue, so please leave name-calling out of it.
Go dry your eyes then move right on, numbnuts.
I think had he worn his hair in an Elvis quiff and said his nonsense then it would have been equally fair game.
Whatever it is about diligently serviced facial hair it just seems to draw a smirk.
Unlike the modern vogue for unkempt hipster crazy wild thicket or even dole queue/soap dodger dirty stop-out 3 day bender stubble, the contrasting preening required to arrive at a tache like above indicates an intensity best avoided.
I once foiled a robbery at a London town eatery, the gentleman stood behind me whispered to his female accomplice. Unusual I thought , and standing to one side I faced the pair, something’s not right here. Then she nudges a seated diner’s handbag with her foot. I look straight at the man in his opaque sunglasses and notice his fake moustache. I shout and they immediately bolt to a waiting car and recklessly escape.
That robber wore a more convincing moustache than Mr. White because he didn’t want to appear ridiculous.
( I can’t believe I used to enjoy the guardian years ago)
Excellent Song. Encore!
Stu, you are a very naughty boy.
I clicked on that video, and spluttered coffee all over my computer keyboard.
Haven’t laughed out loud like that for months.
Thank you Stu.
Now does anyone know how to dry out a computer keboard that is covered in slabbers
A bit of humour amidst the madness, nice before bedibybys, thanks…on another note (see what I did there)…
Here’s the seat layout for the commons, turns out the SNP aren’t ‘seat grabbing’ at all, they are sitting in their designated 3rd party area. Aye the joys of msm’s laughable attempts at ongoing demonising of the SNP…there’s nothin’ they won’t stoop to, to undermine our representatives.
Courtesy of Rev’s twitter….(I only use reliable and trusted sources…mair than you can say fur the tellabdygraph, smirk):
link to twitter.com
Remember thon actor who used to play Percy Sugden in coronation Street? I knew that the picture above reminded me of someone!
OT – Breaking News
From the realms of Lollypop World.
Meanwhile back in the Real World.
My take is that the package is toxic and that Team GB has loaded it to ensure that Scotland falls on her ass, at the offset.
Brilliant, aye
Poirot would not be amused
Thanks Stu
Roll On, that Record link is an exercise in blatant self preservation, now they are claiming that they did the ‘vow’ so that they could ‘use it after the referendum’ to ‘hold the government’ to account! Are they on crack cocaine over there?
That’s not why you published it you bunch of lying sods, you published it as part of the biggest propaganda campaign that this country has ever undergone in peacetime so that a No vote would be secured. The Smith commission proposals are widely understood to be watered down pish by any one wi a modicum of common sense and a reasonable grasp on basic arithmetic. The Record is knowingly reselling the same pup that it did with the Vow.
Why don’t you holier than vow Record wreckers, go look at the Herald article on the Smith commission outlining the actual problems with these ‘powers’. And stop feeding who you consider to be your ‘audience’ as fucking idiots who are gonnae fall for this backsliding bullshit all over again.
From my recent post at 01:42 am
Here is the original of the Cuthberts report:
From the Jimmy Reid Foundation web site.
Or alternatively via a MS Office Word document (.doc) file.
Here yi go Record editor et al, a wee snippet from the Herald’s article:
‘The report concludes: “Any Scottish Government will actually be severely constrained in its freedom of action – and will also have to spend a lot of its policy effort acting in a reactive, rather than pro-active, mode. The constraints arise because, in practice, it will not be able to change rates of income tax in Scotland too much from those in the rest of the UK: because it is being handed a single tool to manage multiple problems: and because it has limited economic powers to attempt to grow the economy and the tax base.
“The perversity of the way the Smith reforms are being implemented means that Scotland could well find itself in a position rather like Greece – locked into a cycle of relative decline within a malfunctioning monetary union. Indeed, in certain important respects, Scotland’s position would be worse than that of Greece. Scotland is a resource rich country, but barred from controlling or accessing much of its own resources, and Scotland does not have anything like the range of economic and taxation powers possessed by Greece.”
Mr and Mrs Cuthbert said: “The paper is of particular importance just now, when the new Conservative government is putting forward its proposals and timetable for implementing the Smith recommendations, and when the SNP will be seeking to use its increased muscle at Westminster to modify the proposals to give Scotland greater powers.
“The debates about implementation and modification have to be informed by a proper understanding of the problems inherent in Smith, some of which are highly technical, but have profound consequences.”
link to archive.is
Which directly contradicts your (Record) assertions that you have secured some sort of win on behalf of the people of Scotland and that:
‘Now, perhaps, would be a good time for the SNP Government to decide how they will use these powers to deliver the more equitable Scotland we all want to see.’
link to archive.is
You could not make this shit up. Shower of chancers, the lot of you. Go do some journalism and research instead of insulting people’s intelligence.
Aye K1 I agree with you totally… Scotland is being sold a pup… a lot of shit.
Especially as David Cameron tells Nicola Sturgeon to ‘stop talking and start acting’
The stitch up begins Roll_On…that telegraph link is…disturbing, they are going for the full ‘monstering’ affect. Btl there are some seriously certifiable nutters. Such small minded bigotry on display you begin to wonder do these people exist, they are like right wing parody characters, the sort you ‘make up’.
Anyway, we knew this was coming re the smith commission, hopefully our lot can have some sway, but the way the press are playing this out is full on ‘snp powerless’ even Cameron’s tone is one of sneering derision toward Alex. Hard not to be really angry about this treatment, it shows their hand though: they intend to marginalise, undermine, smear and sneer…and in essence are saying: Gaun yersel, go fuck yersel Scotland, and we’ll help you along by participating in one of the biggest fraud’s that will cripple your country and laugh as we do it!
Shower of dishonourable bastards.
With his top couple of buttons undone (and maybe a gold medallion round his neck?) I can just see him driving a wee convertible number so he can let the wind blow through the place where his hair used to be,
The image of him leering at a young woman in the next car while waiting at traffic lights is putting me of my porridge.
Brendan o’hara makes the first maiden speech,11 mins long.
link to youtube.com
I am pretty sure this labour guy is john mann,anyway i think
i like him,second half is grim,10 mins long.
link to youtube.com
OT
Before the GE the Labour Northern Branch were telling Scots that voting SNP would let the Tories in, in fact some Labour wonkers have carried that meme through to today, post GE.
The following illustrates how Labour down south got thrashed by the Tories.
‘You don’t have to be white to vote right’: Why young Asians are rebelling by turning Tory
To summaries from the quote above David Cameron won the election with the help of one million black and minority ethnic voters. So whilst Ed Miliband was carving his #EdStone the Tories were chasing the voters Labour should have been chasing.
Now I feel sure that activists on WoS can tell Labour ‘loud mouthers’ some home truths about their party’s shortcomings.
That tash looks mair like his eyeboos huv cum doon fur a drink
Tree of Liberty says @10.59
“I think it looks like an upside doon wings.”
It that faws aff it’ll go richt through his fit.
_____________________________________________________________
Ronnie says @11.14
“Mebbe a bit like shortening a table leg, with the inevitable result?”
My dad did that once
I hate sushi!
___________________________________________________________
Kes @ 11.28
Cumon Kes do you have any idea of what the rev does to you if you go O/T?
Its not pretty I can tell you,
I’m still getting therapy.
the post is about his mus…his moust… his, muost… its about his facial hair
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Morgatron (I always say your name out loud in a deep mid Atlantic accent, (ITS THE MORGATRON)
now where were we?
“Looks like theres a moth thats trying tae fly up that old bastards nose!”
Or this even?
link to youtube.com
____________________________________________________________
Have you ever thought about taking on Godzilla THE MORGATRON?
or are you really just a big girl? :0
_____________________________________________________________
G4jeepers says @11.47
“Fantashtic”
I’d recommend denture adhesive.
____________________________________________________________
Famous15 @11.52
“I never agreed with the policy of taking scarce resources to lessen the pain of the bedroom tax I thought our response should have been a mass march on London and paralyzing the place till they ended that cruelty.”
Couldnt agree more!
the fear they have of course is we would prove with FFA that the heartless punishment of the poorest in society is less to do with reducing the deficit (it doesn’t) and more to do with a cruel and evil policy to put down the lower classes back to where they belong, we’ll be sending 8 year old up chimneys next!
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Scotspine says
“Looks like one o those novelty clip on taches you used to get in Christmas crackers that you wore for 2 seconds cos it nipped your nose like fuck and made you look like an utter bell end……….”
OH!
Irene dear can we not buy our crackers out of a pound shop next Christmas?
Is it ok if they have a wee motor in them attached to a pair of glasses with the eyebrows so the mustache and eyebrows waggle?
Ah’ll eh…get ma disguise
__________________________________________________________
Dal Raita says @12.03
“From the Daily Mash:
“VOTERS in England last night found themselves terrorised and seduced by a medium sized Scottish woman.
As SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was released across the UK, English viewers of the election debate said they found her deeply threatening ‘but in a good way’.
Jane Thompson, from Hatfield, said: “She’s a combination of Suzi Quatro and Sir Alex Ferguson. But I understand that all Scottish women are exactly like that.
“Noisy, efficient and utterly merciless.”
Julian Cook, from Finsbury Park, said: “She’s strong like Thatcher, but with a human touch that says, ‘I’m going to let you live, but on my terms’.
“She will now conquer us because we are led by M&S mannequins that don’t even have heads.
“But I think Sturgeon’s will be a mostly benign dictatorship and I have no objection to adopting vile Scottish habits if that becomes the law.”
Dear sweet jesu…Oh the humanity
Do you have any idea what Paula Rose will do to us if she sees that post? quick hide it under a cushion or something or we’re doomed I tells ya DOOMED!
_________________________________________________________
@ME
I bristled at John Velcro telling off the SNP contingent for clapping in the Commons telling them “its not the done thing” but Braying like donkeys while waiving their papers and jeering well that’s ok,
link to youtube.com
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K1 @ 2.14
“Roll On, that Record link is an exercise in blatant self preservation, now they are claiming that they did the ‘vow’ so that they could ‘use it after the referendum’ to ‘hold the government’ to account! Are they on crack cocaine over there?”
Please tell me your kidding,
they’re never trying to pretend they were on our side all along?
Moustaches are not arguments. Everyone -play the ball(s) not the man.
How to deflate a balloon with a song.
baronesssamedi @ 6.24
Facial hair eh?
ever thought of electrolysis?
Mornin Sam.
@ bronessamedi.
Lighten up eh? It’s not an affliction we are laughing at, it’s a VERY, VERY, VERY (in the melodramatic stylee of Bercow) poor fashion choice.
You missed out the backing vocals –
Uh – Uh – Uh – Uh
Excellent. On this theme, Michael Gira of Swans other band, The Angels of Light, have a song called Michael´s White Hands:
watching michaels white hands
now the wind brings a thirst
and some seeds from the past
and they come in a swarm
to deliver their harm
to the people that hide
in their rooms in the walls
in a country nowhere
where their children eat gold
where our dreams are laid bare
where no future is laid past
link to youtube.com
Did I just hear right?
Phillip Hammond complaining that the SNP want to refuse the general public to a have a vote on the EU!
HYPOCRITE!
My theory is that he is simultaneously addicted to moustaches and tomato soup.
Mornin’ John
Heh, they’re doing a fine job so far down in Westminster. The establishment doesn’t know whether its punched, bored or countersunk.
Their sterling response to these Jocklanders that don’t show due respect for time honoured traditions? Insult them and their electorate some more of course. Tell them to get on with it vis a vis existing powers, treat them as unwelcome guests at table, have your right wing media savage them all over again.
Just let Westminster be Westminster and they’ll make it clear soon enough just how welcome a strong Scottish voice is in this partnership. They simply cannot help themselves. Auld Mr Tash up there being a near perfect example of the mindset.
Well now , just heard GMS , The minister on thought for the day @ 7.25
All about AC , all about the connection of relationships , honesty , trust & truth.
Wow even the church is pushing a few buttons on this one .
My money has always been on a slimey trail all the way back to DC .
Tick tock
Michael White another champagne socialist who fails to appreciate the civic changes that have taken place in Scotland since devolution.
As for Westminster’s traditions who says “Hair Hair”?
Another London centric institution that just like the BBC needs to change to reflect modern politics in the four home nations.
JK , if , and it’s a big IF , Philip Hammond did say that .
A decent MSM would call him out as a liar !
For me it’s not an error of judgement again it’s flat out lying .
Aye , Malky B was ,for once , very close to the truth !
We are on it and they just don’t get it !
Apparently, it’s acceptable for “British” MPs to bend the WM rules and clap on occasion, but those sweaty jocks?
“Get to the back of the bus, and shut up!”
Looks like a bit of masking tape in that picture – maybe could have done with being a bitty lower?!
Dislike posting this: a sharp quip about his over-trimmed moustache placed in some context or other is fine, the topic above is puerile and cringe-worthy.
This one from Free Scotland has wit and brevity: My theory is that he is simultaneously addicted to moustaches and tomato soup.
Mr White and his moustache find themselves in a position that many journalists are now discovering.They were the creators of public opinion and influence.The power they exerted over the views of the “masses” was significant. Now they find themselves and the views of their publications being challenged by ordinary Scots who at one time may have followed the lead of their publication.
They are reduced to attacking the public rather than informing them. They also round on the SNP ,hoping that they can discredit or destroy the perceived focus of this rebellious populous.
He reminds me very much of the Sergeant Major (Snudge),in a very old T.V comedy, called The Army Game. He too demanded obedience from his charges,but was usually treated with contempt,as is Mr White .The mouse on the lip is also very similar.
A buffoon of a man, clinging on to past glory.
When oh when will they learn.
Carmichael and Mundell are giving a huge sigh of relief at seeing FIFA corruption take the heat off them.
It’s the angry face that does it. If he was a happy jovial character, then the moustache would be ok. Every morning he must trim that beast with such concentration and seriousness, that’s what I can’t get my head around.
As for his comments; just like the tash, me, me, me, attention for me.
‘What ‘new’ powers.
While Cameron raises less taxes in the rest of the UK, and borrows and spends
£90Billion more to add to the debt. Tax evasion through the City of London by Conman Cameron and his associates while the vulnerable are sanctioned and starved to death. Cameron is now not collecting enough taxes in the rest of the UK to pay for essential services. When the ConDems came to power in 2010 £600Billion was raised in taxes. Now it is £466Billion a year. A drop of £134Billion a year.
Cameron is an ignorant, arrogant, greedy liar. Trying to secretly syphon £Billions out of Scotland. He will not get away with it. Conman Cameron is diverting £Billions of public money into him and his associates pockets. HS2, extending Heathrow, nuclear power stations etc. No business case, unaffordable, will cost more than alternatives. No consumers based. Not enough customers. White elephants that will always be subsidised, adding to the congestion in London S/E which is already stagnating the economy. No growth or investment.
Westminster policies are shutting Longannet in Fife. Coal is half the cost of imported Gas. Westminster has invested £2Billion (each?) in two coal energy plants in Yorkshire. Clegg’s constituency. To buy votes? Westminster has denied Scotland access to EU renewable and CC Grants because of Westminster indecision.
Mr White’s moustache looks fine – it’s actually his mouth that dropped 2cm on the early hours of May 9th. Now completely out of synch, it’s been like that ever since.
Cheers folks. There’s plenty mair pish on the Daily Reckless if ye want it including Jim Murphy’s Hair and Wee Willy Rennie. Just see the archives link to dailyreckless.com
Tackety Beets
“JK , if , and it’s a big IF , Philip Hammond did say that .
A decent MSM would call him out as a liar !”
Well unless he’s changed his name to Howard Handupme and some one else was working him I saw and heard the words coming out of his mouth!
Tackety Beets
“JK , if , and it’s a big IF , Philip Hammond did say that .
A decent MSM would call him out as a liar !”
Well unless he’s changed his name to Howard Handupme and some one else was working him I saw and heard the words coming out of his mouth!
________________________________________________________________
Bob mack says
“He reminds me very much of the Sergeant Major (Snudge),in a very old T.V comedy, called The Army Game.”
Hahahahaha bootsy
link to tinyurl.com
On the subject of Bercow’s reprimand.
I don’t honestly see why our representatives should show the traditions of the house any respect at all. Respect, much like trust, is earned and the actions of the house and from those who have sat on its benches, over the past four years especially, have been anything but respectful toward Holyrood or the Scottish electorate. In point of fact, the established inhabitants of that house have spent the entire election period inflaming racial hatred and mistrust toward all things Scottish and in particular representatives of the Scottish Government.
Simple human courtesy dictates that when you show respect, you get respect. Until then, if our 56 want to lay down beach towels on benches and turn up in jeans, sneakers and Hawiian shirts for the summer, that’s just peachy with me. They can whoop like an American game show audience and parade into chambers like a Rio festival troupe. All I ask is that they keep their word and fight austerity measures to the best of their abilities. That they work hard to enhance the piss poor Smith measures, do a job of work representing our national and constituency interests and give those disrespectful pricks in their disrespectful house no rest.
How…why…what?
Macart! I love this guy, don’t you just love this guy?
Carmicheal’s been completely erased down here now but Daily Heil say the BBC spends £130k buying The Graun, on Yes Shetland Facebook
“Tavish Scott then went on to say on BBC Radio Shetland tonight that the recent demos in Lerwick were organised by SNP in Edinburgh.
This is a blatant lie and he knows it, they were the brainchild of a local teacher and nothing to do with the SNP.
Unable to stop himself he then regurgitated the lie about Alex Salmond spending £20k on “hiding legal advice about the EU”.
Mr Salmond was exonerated for any wrongdoing after a thorough civil service investigation.
What Carmichael has managed to do in reducing the Lib Dem vote in Shetland, Scott has just doubled it.
It’s been a good week for the people.”
Another day in teamGB. Just why BBC r4 Jim Naughty cringe takes hours on FIFA fraud this morn, with Cameron dumping so much from queens speech yesterday but sliding in UKOK state stealth surveillance on everyone and LibDem Carmichael corruption etc is very odd, or service normal from propaganda machine.
@John king How…why…what?
Its alright John; its called a new day
We’ll take no lessons from Westminster on how to behave in the house!
link to youtube.com
Maybe if they would like to come up to Holyrood they will see respectful debate first hand and return to London with a bit more respect for the Scots than they appear to have at the moment!
O/T But don’t mind hijacking a thread on this vile colonial throwback to talk about a genuine socialist and very warmhearted, good person.
I see Tommy Sheridan’s Solidarity party are going to be contesting the list in 2016. They are urging people to vote SNP in constituency vote and Solidarity in the list (colour: peach).
Don’t know the full list of eight candidates from Solidarity, but I believe includes inspirational independence climber Lindsay Jarrett and South Lanarkshire Councillor Pat Lee.
I am sure these are the people we want to see on the opposition benches, contributing constructively to a better Scotland and holding the FM and scotgov to real account, rather than the ridiculous soundbites and amateurish point-making churned out by unionist embarrassments Deputy Dug, Wee Ruthie, Wee Willie…
I’ve just been catching up on the past few threads.
John King – good to see you in your usual early bird spot!
Macart – class, absolute class!
I am enjoying the longer posts that some contributors are putting up again (Fiona, Effigy, and always Robert P’ s!), rather than the petty sniping we’ve seen over the past wee while
A special mention must go to Doug Daniel for his fantastic article, nice work, thanks.
On the subject of Memogate/Nikileaks? – I think that “curiouser and curiouser” doesn’t begin to cover it. I’ve tried to imagine this story from an objective point of view (difficult, I know). Say you were reading about this happening in another country, eg USA, would you not tend to automatically, cynically maybe, conclude that everyone was involved
Handclapping
“Its alright John; its called a new day :D”
Oh thank God for that, I thought I was going into the light,
No I was confused as to how I had duplicated the previous post cost I didn’t post it twice honest guv.
Why is an 83 year old hogging a seat at Westminster. Unionist Pigs at the trough, thry can’t get enough. Hammond is another anti democratic, troughing pro Trident liar, causing trouble and destruction all over the world. Aided by the Westminster wing propaganda branch, which it controls. I.e.the right wing tax evading MSM. Thatcher secretly and illegally saw to that, to cover up their crimes.
Child molesters, tax evaders, illegal war criminals, banking fraudster who fund the Unionist/Tory Parties, wasting £Billions of public money. Westminster gets away with murder. Most of them should be in jail. Where is the Chilcot Report, kept out of the public domain by unelected civil servants, using the Official Secrets Act to act against the public interest.
Oops- I wasn’t finished typing
So, – everyone is involved and it goes all the way to the top!
That view is experience, not paranoia
I love this, so I’m reposting in case anyone missed it – re. Mundell;
“steveasaneilean says:
27 May, 2015 at 5:57 pm
We know he knew. He knows we know he knew. We know he knows we know he knew.
Can’t make it any clearer than that.”
Jerks the lot of em!
link to youtube.com
@ Macart
re: HoC conventions
I agree with what you say about mutual respect, but I think that this is about something far more important, at bottom
With any organisation or institution, there is a process of assimilation which goes one for new entrants. This is completely independent of the ostensible purpose of the body. So, for example, one can be fully qualified as a lawyer or a teacher, and demonstrably good at your job. But you will not get anywhere if you do not adopt the clothes, and the language and the manners which are expected within that profession. Those things are not “rules”, but they are very strong expectations and they are enforced ruthlessly in the normal course.
We are encouraged to believe that this is merely an aspect of human nature: that we like to have “badges” of club membership and to be overtly identifed as members. To some extent that is true and it can be seen in its purest form in the uniformed services. Uniforms do actually have a practical function, but people become proud of the outward symbol of the group, and that is independent of that practical purpose. Most groups have a similar mechanism, but it is less obvious where there is no uniform attached.
The concrete symbols of membership are as nothing compared to the “conventions” of behaviour, however. They are very influential and it is obvious that the unwritten rules constrain behaviour very directly. What that achieves, once accepted, is limits on action and ultimately assimilation into a form of “groupthink”.
Gradually the new entrant learns an arcane form of jargon which marks them out from the rest of the population. This is very familiar in professions, where again there is some justification for it. But it is also apparent in social class, as was shown by the outline of U and non U language by Nancy Mitford, in the 1950’s. And it extends to what is conceived as “good manners” as well. very often they are tools of exclusion.
The conventions of the house are part of this, and it is interesting to see how far those mimic the conventions of the public schools.
For any new entrant aiming to make change there is a tension. Overt refusal to assimilate makes you less effective within the group, because the majority enforce the rules subtly: they don’t listen unless you are part of that group. But accepting the conventions makes you part of the group, and of necessity distances you from the group you came from originally. Many working class kids who went to university as the first in their family to do it encountered this problem: I remember Beryl Bainbridge on this topic, famously. She had completely accepted the perceptions of the class she joined.She is far from alone
link to bbc.co.uk
The 56 are a big enough group to resist this, and appear to be conscious of it. This furore is a recognition of the danger of this to the ruling elite: assimilation is their primary tool to draw the teeth of opposition and we see how well it works when we look at the labour party
Although the stuff about clapping seems frankly silly, there is a serious purpose to this and it is just the start.
The elite can deal with a few who do not conform: witness Dennis Skinner, as a minor example. He is their token rebel, and there is room for that. But he has no influence at all, as is intended.
This is not about respect: it is about making sure that new entrants accept a whole system of values which will render them helpless to pursue their aims, because they will forget what they were. It is incredibly hard to deal with it.
I also noticed with interest that the SNP MP’s were proud and excited by their election and they showed that in the ways ordinary people do: by taking selfies in the chamber, etc. That too is dangerous to the elite, because it fails to differentiate them from the rest of us and makes us think “that could be me”. Quite unlike the braying or wearing of tights and wigs and that sort of stuff.
This is not about “respect” at all, imo. It is about shifting the primary loyalty from the constituency to the House itself.
Good post Fiona, it will be interesting to see if the 56 abide by the request to refrain from applauding after being chastised from the Chair.
I would thoroughly recommend that they ignore this request and push it to it conclusion, either change it or punished for it!
They are there to change things on our behalf and outdated conventions are part of this endeavour.
Could they introduce a motion to discuss this?
Just checking over the Wings nightshift/earlybirds:
@jock mc X 5.31 thanks for Brendan’s maiden speech link. Nicely balanced and good to see SNP benches packed in an empty-looking chamber. Mogg’s reply very fitting.
@ kirriereoch 7.21 a mention for Swans/Gira on Wings? Saw them once upon a time ago, ears still ringing. So it goes.
Salmond calls for investigation as Cameron seeks to bring about Evel without a Westminster Bill
A NEW constitutional row is brewing after the Commons Speaker agreed to investigate the UK Government’s plan to restrict the voting rights of Scottish MPs not through a Bill but by simply changing parliamentary procedure.
English Votes for English Laws is David Cameron’s response to giving more powers to Holyrood. It would mean England-only laws would be put through Westminster with the consent of English MPs; albeit the final vote would still involve all UK MPs.
The Conservative Government believes Evel would end the “manifest unfairness” whereby Scotland can decide its own devolved laws while Scottish MPs could have potentially the decisive say on similar matters affecting only England and Wales.
Yet fears have been raised that on key Budget votes, Scottish MPs would be excluded given the Tories now want to introduce an English income tax.
On a point of order, Alex Salmond, the former First Minister, argued that making such a major constitutional change – that would breach the principle all MPs are equal – simply through standing orders needed to be investigated, otherwise any majority government could change MPs’ voting rights “without so much as a by your leave”.
While Tory backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg argued there was parliamentary precedent for restricting MPs’ rights, John Bercow said Mr Salmond had made a “perfectly legitimate point” and he would look into it.
@Fiona
Agreed. Its about putting them in their place effectively.
Heh, worked out well in the case of Mr Salmond.
The seven members with the most experience will be essential in helping the newer 49 avoid the pitfalls and bear traps of these smothering conventions.
@Fiona – the last line of your post sums up my opinion entirely!
Interestingly, on this topic of respect/compliance, Mogg referenced a “Scottish nationalist” party yesterday.
Should Bercow be dealing with that, or is it just a toff who ‘can’t possibly concern himself with such trivial details’ mentality?
@Macart..on the subject of Bercows reprimand
Applaud away, I say
Until they make a new rule just to silence the SNP then maybe the subservient Part of our Nation might pay attention to what Westminster and their like think of Scots
BTW There is no rule anywhere which says one may not clap
But Braying and Guffawing like a Horses Ass is apparently enjoyed by the more Educated MPs
Must be different in the circles they grew up or down in
I’ve seen on the WOS twitter feed a post by Anne-Marie Comber, who has posted a schematic of the HOC seating arrangements in the event of ‘a single party majority’
and where the third party is supposed to sit
Think it would be helpful if we could get this online and start helpfully passing it around and blow the MSM assertion that the SNP are just being awkward
OT
Just read that Lindsay Jarrett, that brave lady that scaled Edinburgh castle, is putting herself forward as a Solidarity candidate!
Simply amazing and inspirational!
Focussing on someone’s image and not their politics is sexist dontcha know?
@ Macart
No, it is not about “putting them in their place”. That way of expressing it is not helpful, imo. While I am sure you did not mean to, it feeds a perception that Scots believe themselves to be specially oppressed or done down, by some mythical “they”. I don’t think that is true.
The process I am drawing attention to is not directed specifically at Scots, and it is not consciously orchestrated, either. It is a function of an institution which is not different from others, as I hope my post showed. The process of assimilation is not inherently bad in all instances, and that is why it persists. But despite its upside, it is particularly pernicious in politics because it shifts the loyalty and even the sense of identity away from the voters the MP represents and to the institution which ostensibly enables that representation. So one becomes an MP first, and a representative second.
We know that this happens in all institutions to some extent: that is why we see repeated examples of an institution or a profession “closing ranks to protect its own”: whether that be in cases of medical negligence or in cases of MP paedophilia. Sometimes what looks like that is not: medical negligence, for example, should indeed be judged by doctors because only they actually have the knowledge to do it properly. And where the professional body is functioning well, with high standards and a recognition of the primary responsibility being to patients, there is nothing wrong with that. Tabloid demands that no profession should judge its members are ridiculous for that reason, and the idea that a lay person can do the job is as crazy as the notion that parents know better than teachers how to educate children. The denigration of the very idea of “expertise” has its own serious dangers and we should beware of that as well.
The process of assimilation is not “putting them in their place” because the agency is not as that implies. It is far more subtle
The only thing I could find regarding HOC seating arrangements was this :
link to thoughtundermined.com
IMO, if the SNP don’t continue to applaud, at every opportunity, and then call Berkov out on the matter then they have been humiliated and chastised in London’s House of Corruption.
There are many examples in existence of Berkovs double standards.
Go on SNP, give the b@st@rds a right good dose of Scottish clap.
Challenging conventions is no bad thing. Personally was delighted to see the SNP applaud yesterday. Can you imagine the outrage just 20 years ago if you had applauded at a passing funeral ? Today it is quite acceptable.
We talk of modernising an archaic system such as Westminster,but to side with and agree with their”conventions” I believe, is not the way to do it.
True democracy is a two way street,and Westminster has to learn it needs to give as well as take.
Clapping hands in the gallery whilst eating crisps and drinking ginger is bad form. These Scotch peasants should learn to shout, “Heah! Heah!” and Wubbish!”, then stand up and wave papers in the air, shouting and jeering at the Government of the day for doing the same as them when they were in power. Basturts will have to learn the rules.
Turn that white tash upside-down and it’s not far off looking like the Wings logo… just saying.
Fiona @ 9.22
Right there with you!
How many of us have seen some colleagues promoted thinking that, at last, ‘something will be done’ as they previously stood up for certain moral and intellectual principles. Too frequently we saw this spirit swamped by the mores of the higher echelons and our hoped for enlightenment and progressive action obliterated by forces of the embedded establishment behaviour.
Thankfully – there is strength in leadership, numbers, political intent and personality…. and of course, there is all of us!
I like your use of the word assimilation Fiona. Are you you a ‘Trekkie’?
There is indeed a parallel to be drawn between ‘The Borg Collective and Westminster. I hope our SNP contingent aren’t assimilated.
All the implants and dangly bits fair get in the way of being a human being.
Fiona @ 10:08 am
Great explanation. The question is, rather than succumb to the system (and its obviously corrupting influence) how do the 56 turn the system to their advantage?
I’ll leave that to the old boys, Angus and Alex, who know how to play this particular game. Now that they have a decent number of MPs in their group, this should become very interesting.
I suggest the Gordian knot approach to the convention Mr Bercow alluded to!
PS
Good article yesterday in the National about Lindsay Jarrett well done her.
When I listened to/watched the interview with White and Riddoch yesterday I felt angrier than I think I have about anything I’ve witnessed in the past year or so in the context of Scottish politics. Michael White’s argument was grossly insulting on just about every level and I think any fair-minded person could not fail to appreciate this.
However, I have to agree with some others on here who find much of the content of this post pretty puerile.
If we are to discuss Michael White at all, let’s stick to discussing the faults in his argument rather than those in his appearance. We don’t much like it when it’s done about people whose political/moral acumen we do approve of, after all, and with good reason. Let’s present ourselves as being a bit maturer than that.
@ David S Briggs:
Not a Trekkie, no.
But I like the parallel
He always reminds me of Mr Bronson from Grange Hill.
We have had wall to wall media reports now going into the second day, about ” Corruption “!
Gosh, they can’t half go to it when they get upset about something and yes, all corruption is wrong.
However this is about football. Unfortunately not about Carmichael!
O/T Another chance to fight corruption, football fans everywhere:
link to change.org
The Queen’s Speech was underwhelming from Scotland’s point of view and this is indicated in the muted press coverage of it.
They may imagine we are back in our box and all will return to normal after a little initial noise (and clapping) from the Scottish benches.
Iain Macwhirter describes it very well today. We will now enter a morass of constitutional and legal diversion as a determination to frustrate any significant constitutional concession to Scotland is played out.
So far,so good.
Exactly as expected.
Roll on referendum two
@ Chris Fay
I would normally agree with you, so this is a little inconsistent of me. But I think Mr White is utterly impervious to logic and evidence. I am fairly sure that treating his wittering with utter contempt has at least as good a chance of denting his pomposity as addressing his points, has. Do not forget what is wrong with concentrating on appearance: it is that it devalues the content of what the person is saying: and that it works in furthering that aim. Which is precisely what I wish to achieve in relation to Mr White. Pompous entitled people like him are not used to being treated that way. But his patronising of Lesley Riddoch is much the same thing, though it was more about her status as a “silly woman” than about her appearance. There is not much substantive difference. Sauce for the goose, as they say
That face just about sums up the “bitter together”campaign no joy,no hope,no future.A face that launched a thousand slaps.
@IvMoz says: 27 May, 2015 at 11:12 pm:
” … it’s bizarrely cropped at a ridiculous distance above the lip.”
Ah! But, IvMoz, there’s madness in his method – the cropping is to stop it sweeping the frothy head of his pint of bitter.
@ Robert Peffers
Can’t be that. He does not drink bitter: he is bitter enough already, as they say
I hope our MP’s do not follow convention. Westminster was set up to convert the distant natives to be in awe of London/Westminster/Whitehall.
The same conventions allow the elite to strut around as reward for loyalty and devotion to the system. It is not just the Lords that has unelected representatives. Every Mickey Mouse title and uniforms on display is an insult to democracy.
The cost of the pageant for one day would maintain all of the foodbanks across the UK for a year.
I really wish people would stop going off topic on this thread, the words coming out of that nonentities mouth are of zero relevance, now about this dodgy mustache though!
Luigi see if you put your url through link to tinyurl.com
it really makes the link a lot smaller such as
link to tinyurl.com
@Fiona
I never said it was aimed specifically at Scots, and you’re right it was not my intention to single out just our own newcomers. This indoctrination happens to all newcomers to chambers and many an idealistic young politician full of good intentions has lost their way in the face of it, but it absolute is Westminster’s way of effectively ensuring that everyone is assimilated into a heavily structured convention.
Part of that is most certainly ensuring the pecking order in chambers or ‘putting people in their place’. Who sits where and why, the order and number of questions and responses, how they are allowed to respond and behave. It is as you say a far wider and more subtle process than just that, but these initial ground rules can also be wielded quite brutally like a club when occasion and expediency demands. Again this is only one small part of a wider indoctrination process, but it is significant. It sets out those ground rules of what the house considers acceptable behaviour.
The point being should we conform to these rules? Do these rules ensure good government or are they in place to ensure conformity to the establishment order and stifle political growth and evolution? Who do the rules serve? The public or the rule makers?
Agreed, Macart
WGD puts this so much better than I have, in his latest post
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
Is it offtopic to say I can reveal something even more revolting than Michael White’s skelped-arse face.
I looked at Mundell’s twitter feed to see if if he had said anything about his dodgy statements yesterday – and I find he had tweeted about leching at Christine Perfect at a Fleetwood Mac gig at the O2.
I would rather go blind.
Is it true that Alastair Carmichael has put his name forward to be the next President of FIFA?
Carmichael has all the attributes needed to succeed and thrive within FIFFA’s culture.
There are a lot of reasonable folk on Wings and some good thinkers too and most of us try to see through the smoke and mirrors of politics to find a better solution for our country
But..We all have a difficulty inasmuch as the people we’re trying to be reasonable with don’t begin that process with clean intent
So, we then persevere from the standpoint that we know the other parties are not being transparent which leads us to then begin to play a game organised by their rules
That is not and never will be sensible and always leads to defeat
In order to win you must change the game and play your own game
To co-operate with Westminster is a different thing from being seen or believed to be co-operating
We are few and they are many but the one thing Westminster is heaving with is arrogance
They positively love themselves down there
The lowliest little Numptie no mark of a politician turns into the most self absorbed Twonk practically overnight
Example.. Ian Murray, last surviving Labour MP from Scotland now thinks he’s invincible for the next five years
and he’s on the losing side for God’s sake
Sneaky’s best, use every rule they have and find the loophole and then do it again over and over until you have enough to choke them
And we all know who’s good at that, and that’s why they hate and fear him at the same time
Give him six months and they’ll be tearing their hair out wanting rid of us
But for those waiting for a fair hearing from Westminster no matter how many MPs we have
You’ll wait and wait and…….
@ Dr Jim
Yes using the rules is the best strategy. This is because the rules are always written with an eye to what is reasonable. It is, as they say, the tribute vice pays to virtue and it is always available for use. Thankfully
@fiona
Brilliant observation. I hope the 56 read your post. And that’s just one of the reasons I’m delighted that alex is back in the Commons. He will keep them grounded and is well aware of the insidious nature of the place. His interview on the clapping question on sky news underlined this.
I see the Tories turned up in droves earlier to yap about FIFA. And yet they couldn’t be bothered to be present for the zero hours contracts debate last night – unlike the SNP.
Scotland is watching!
john king says:
28 May, 2015 at 10:55 am
Luigi see if you put your url through link to tinyurl.com
it really makes the link a lot smaller such as
link to tinyurl.com
Thanks John, I’ll probably get a bollocking from the Rev when he sees the mess!
Apologies.
Something to think about instead of clipped moustaches.
The Westminster ideology: link to grousebeater.wordpress.com
Maybe Mr White can trim each side of that wee mustache and dye it black?
Stephen.
The 56 should turn up wearing Jimmy Hats and see how that goes down with Speaker Bercow. I noticed that Dennis Skinner stayed in the Commons just in case somebody grabbed his seat!
Mundell on the wireless this morning insisting on his non-involvement in Frenchgate.
O/T – a wee reminder that the crowdfunder for legal action against Alistair Carmichael is still in need of donations.
link to indiegogo.com
Hand-clapping, and boorish noises are expressions of agreement or disagreement; clapping being a one-way method of showing appreciation and donkey-braying, whoops, catcalling, hear-hearing, etc being of the two-way variety.
The convention in Holyrood is for hand-clapping as the Scottish method of gesture and there can be no logical reason why that should not be permitted for Wasteminster also, particularly so, if loud derisive noises and hear-hears are but common currency in the same place.
Either ban all extraneous noises, or have an open-minded policy.
Perhaps the SNP group should write to the Speaker telling him that hand-clapping is the way they will go about their business in the House.
@Fiona
“This is not about “respect” at all, imo. It is about shifting the primary loyalty from the constituency to the House itself.”
Excellent point, let’s hope when one (or more) of the 56 are censured by the Speaker for defying convention they think about that.
Regarding convention, let’s start a new one. The first and second parties are to bray and huzzah at each other as appropriate, whilst the third party are to clap or give the thumbs down as appropriate. Simples!!
Shouldn’t take too long. As the Speaker said yesterday “It’s been convention for a very, very, very long time”. Luckily we have a time frame for that as there was clapping after Charles Walker’s speech on the 26 March.
So we should have the convention in place by 30th July
WGD says
“I want an MP who knows that it’s OK to clap, it’s not OK to lie, cheat, smear, pauchle expenses or start illegal wars.”
Hair, Hair …. as the pillocks traditionally bellow.
Edward@10.15
Here’s the schematic you are referring to..should be able to utilise it to share forward.
link to pbs.twimg.com
Fred says:
28 May, 2015 at 11:36 am
I noticed that Dennis Skinner stayed in the Commons just in case somebody grabbed his seat!
That old ringer has been their so long, “his” seat is probably moulded to the shape of his backside.
FIFA corruption media coverage is hugely spectacular in UK but FIFA is still a private business.
Carmicheal is an historically corrupt elected representative in Westminster, he was a UK.gov minister at the time and yet his appalling conduct has been bank holiday airbrushed away by same UKOK media, including that absurdity in the video up there.
Its entirely likely that Carmicheal’s corruption cost Labour the 2015 general election and it if didn’t quite do it, it clearly went a long long way to helping the Tory attack campaign.
Despite blatantly lying in public and costing the public purse £1.4 million, all Carmichael thinks he has to do is apologise.
All of this staggering corruption by Carmichael, is complete and utter Westminster traditional bullshit.
I can’t believe that a matter of this magnitude is barely mentioned in the National TV News. Sky news put so much more importance on a foriegn radio station killing a rabbit live on air than a Political scandal. While I find the killing distasteful, I find a, so called upstanding, MP in my own country, fibbing through his back teeth of vastly more importance. I guess Sky news wont be winning any more awards but it has become more and more Londoncentric of late. As a license payer I expect a lot more from the BBC though. I’m beggining to think that the broadcasters in this country are anti-Scottish. Hope there’s another referendum on seperation soon. I think the outcome would be very much different.
Thank you Jock @ 5.31 for the link to Brendan O’hara’s maiden speech. Well worth watching. A couple of things to say having watched it.
The first is that there were hardly any MPs from any other party there in the House. Is that not just so rude? Much worse than clapping in my opinion. The great and wonderful House that the SNP are thought not good enough to enter have the bad manners not to show their faces. Also, pointed out by Mann on the other YouTube video, the SNP new members were almost the only new members to make an appearance. As he said, these folk spend years trying to win the voters confidence and fighting elections to become MPs then they can’t be bothered to turn up for the maiden speeches. It’s disgusting.
Secondly, at the very end of Brendan’s speech Jacob Rees Mogg got up to reply and my first thought was that he would be insulting. How wrong I was. He complimented them on turnout, being well dressed, the speech and finally said that they had put the rest of the house to shame, including the Tories by their large numbers. Amazing.
if white doesnt model himself on carter pewterschmidt i will eat paddy pantsdowns hat
I am now of the opinion that it is really much better to ignore comments made by people like Michael White. The Blah Blah brigade relish the controversy they create at their usual targets, and we know who their targets are.
It has become so so predictable and boring when they unleash their torrents of abuse in the form of unwelcome and biased opinions.
‘Lets bait the CyberNats’ game is being won by them every time we respond to their drivel. I mean would you argue with an idiot in a pub who obviously didn’t know Jack shit. Surely not. Always better to ignore the idiot to shut him up.
Let’s be clever and not rise to the bait. Do we really care what they think ? No ! Is their argument worth contending ? No !
They have an agenda and think they can control and manipulate us. I for one do not want to participate in their games and much prefer to give my opinion on important issues. When a controversial comment is made solely to generate a negative reaction then surely it is better to treat it with the disdain it deserves.
We all know who the usual suspects are re scot bashing and SNPBAD so please just let them rant on to like minded people and lets not respond and waste energy on reacting to their uninformed drivel.
Hand on heart I could not, even after just listening to this interview with Mr White, remember or quote anything he said as it just seemed when listening to it that it added Nothing to the reality of Carmichael situation . So I filed it under usual shite not worth consideration.
These comments just a thought. Don’t shoot messenger as only my opinion.
ps. No smart party comments please re ‘ but you are commenting/responding ‘. No I am not , as I am not quoting anything he specifically said in interview , my comments are a general observation towards people like Mr White.
Have a nice evening everyone.
The people of Scotland now know more about the HOUSE OF COMMONS than the rest of the commonality – the times they are a-changing.
Neatly trimmed. No doubt this is an advantage given the amount of bullshit that pours out from below it…