Happy in Cyprus wrote: ↑Thu Dec 20, 2018 1:25 am
mikesjn wrote: ↑Wed Dec 19, 2018 3:30 pmHow judgemental.
I think you missed the point. If you watch both videos it is quite clear they were Brexiteers and not Remainers. Pretty dumb ones at that too, as is evident from their conversations with the presenter.
Sorry HiC, don't come on this bit very often, I will explain what I meant. I was a police constable some years ago, how do you think they talk people down from unstable situations, nice shiny buttons and silly hat superhero power? I jest. Take this for an advice case a volunteer might deal with, some are serious and some are silly. A small elderly lady comes into the office and sits, she explains that she has a new neighbour and he scares her. You sit and talk for a few minutes and you discover that he is young, tall and black. At this point you could be judgemental, and run out get your phone, grab a quick selfie and go virtue signalling on anti-social media. Part of the training, both Police, certainly used to be, and this type of volunteering is being non-JUDGEMENTAL (This is why charity volunteers refuse to wear the gay pride flag, bet some of them are gay, it is about engaging and not being judgemental. During her training my wife was told not to wear good earrings or bracelets, someone might want to discuss debt and you have the solution to all their problems in your ears. It extends to watches, phones, cameras, badges). So rather than the great anti-social media cachet of snagging a racist, you take the non-JUDGEMENTAL stance. Is she really racist or is it something else? You talk it through and it turns out that she is on her own, she was burgled 6 months ago, the place she lives in is not one of the good bits. So you get onto talking about her new neighbour, after a while it is just obvious it is the "new" bit that is the issue, so you ask where is he from she says he sounds local, that is not really how racists describe things. So you ask her how he acts, she says he is always polite, but he won't stop for a chat. signal (Non virtue type.), she's scared and wants a bit of company, not a racist. You say the Police have a scheme and someone can come round to check and advise you on security, would you like me to ring them, she says she is only on basic pension, you say no problem, all free and if you need to do something they have a contact that will do it for nothing, if not we have someone so come back (There are schemes for this and loads of other things, right down to specific odd local ones that some setup a few hundred years ago and left their estate to, but it is knowing about them. Accessibility is the issue with benefits and services of all kinds, ask my wife 30 years and volunteer specialist adviser, most of the Guardian reporters were still in shorts when she started.). So you have scared solved. Right, you know she is on her own and lonely, so you chat a bit and you say about the community centre, she can't walk that far, so you say about the bus pass, still can't manage it. So you mention the community transport, never heard of it, so you explain how it works and the fact that the community centre has a club and the bus covers that area on the same day. Did you know they have shopping clubs, so they will take you into town on another day. Her voice has changed and she looks happier. Now you have to settle for that as a buzz, you get to miss all the keyboard commandoing, what some rich celebrity thinks but won't actually help, or even worse what their latest surgical implant thinks, vitriol, b******* and down right stupidity of anti-social media. Oh what a sacrifice. That is being non-JUDGEMENTAL and also the power of it, gets you to the truth.
To me the person with the 3 pin plug was engaging, the three pin plug has never been mentioned, so why? Lets take it they wanted to talk about immigration, a big part of Brexit, but backed out, the thing no self respecting Latte Liberal thinks should be discussed, but the primary point is they are engaging, the hard bit. So how about a win win solution to the refugee part of immigration, you could even take the following and exempt towns with large EU migration, that would make it even better. It is a subject close to your heart, and perceived a large part of the Immigration "problem", perception is very important in these matters because as you know; you can change perception. I know you read The Independent, or you quote it anyway, you might have read this; David Milliband wrote an article some time back about taking more refugees by resettling them by electoral ward (I think he used the term area.). There are 10000 odd electoral wards, just 4 refugees, 1 small family, per ward would double what we have agreed to. Why did that die the death or more to the point become a cause amongst the Liberal press? it would be egalitarian, everyone would be seen to be in it together, the much abused Overseas Development Fund could be used for their housing, extra policing, health, giving the services the villages that would have to take refugees are demanding, etc. So surely Win-Win, why do I see Hell Freezing Over before that happens. Hypocrisy, I think it is called. This is what is creating the issue, not discussing things and finding a mutually agreed solution, everybody takes something other than crumbs from the table, I thought that was socialism by the way. No one would even notice any difference with this level of settlement, which I think was the tone of the article.
I could have been judgemental about your opinion of Cambridge, I have lived here for at least half my life, I put it down to your family excitement and the fact you have only just become equated and at face value it is expensive houses, thriving city, posh this, posh restaurants, loads of expensive cars - first thing my wifes Australian cousin noticed. So I held my tongue. Arbury and Kings Hedges are rough, the same type of rough that any East Anglian town would have. The posh Apartments near the station have become buy to let territory and there is a huge problem with drugs, lots of needles being left about, ETC. As time goes on you will see Cambridge for what it is, another town that has problems and by then you will probably grow to agree that the lower socio-economic half of Cambridge would be better off somewhere else, because it is so expensive. I grant you the Universities are expert at sweeping them under the carpet, but everyone sees it in the end, if they choose to. It isn't heaven for a lot of people, Brexit or no Brexit.
I have been in IT for 20 years, my wife has been a volunteer adviser and mentor for 30 odd years, she runs her own business and copes with a lifelong, sometimes painful, serious health issue, so if she an do it we all can. Get into the refugee charity, the rewards will not just be theirs, you might miss out on this vipers nest though (How different from the main forum.). A better understanding of social issues is the main one, do you think 1 million visits to food banks is all down to poverty, there are more reasons than you can shake a stick at, but when when the front line gets to refer someone the reason why is not obviously categorised, if you want I can tell you a few tales, like the lady with 3 freezers and a love of food banks, she has issues and a sister exactly the same. Love the doctors and A&E as well. Labour have fallen into the trap, head office are passing the stats on, I doubt half of the head office staff know which charity they are working for, it is just another office job on the way up the greasy pole, I know some, they are just people. But the politicians are asking them and because of political stance, it is austerity, and to be fair they have just a number to work on. Well, from spending most of my life solving problems from human, business (I had a business for over a decade as well.)and IT. You and I know that unless you have a true understanding of the problem, you will never solve it, unless you strike lucky. In parlance, "S**t in, S**t out.".
PS. If you want a good read on how the EU negotiates read "Adults in the room" by Yanis Varoufakis. By the way I voted REMAIN and if there were a fairly gained second referendum, please don't insult everyone with "Peoples Vote", I am absolutely appalled at the shenanigans that are going on, I would vote to remain again.