Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Jul 20th 2005, 12:35 pm
#121
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Originally Posted by Franklin
It's a bit more complicated perhaps, a lot of my roots are in Wales, and both my grandfathers were Welsh miners (one for a shorter period, he moved to London where he met my nana who was in service), I was told that one of them was seriously injured down the pit, carried home, and left on a kitchen table to die. Apparently, a wooden shaft support splintered and a splinter went through my father's father's back. That kind of thing sticks in the memory box when one is a kid around 7 years old.
The Labour Party revolutionized the coal mining industry, they nationalized it. A lot of men and their families were lifted out of starvation wages and could have decent lives. Conditions were very bad for a long time. A lot of people were loyal to Labour and Wales to this day is very strong for Labour. I would argue that since the majority of the Welsh incessantly vote Labour, they are largely taken for granted by Labour.
The Labour Party revolutionized the coal mining industry, they nationalized it. A lot of men and their families were lifted out of starvation wages and could have decent lives. Conditions were very bad for a long time. A lot of people were loyal to Labour and Wales to this day is very strong for Labour. I would argue that since the majority of the Welsh incessantly vote Labour, they are largely taken for granted by Labour.
So they left Glyneath and went to Coventry, boom town then.
Unfortunately poor timing, got there just before the Luftwaffe.
Solid Labour, always used to listen to Radio Wales.
And now I am here listening to Radio 5 Live.
Somethings do not change!
Jul 20th 2005, 12:36 pm
#122
Lapine Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas in my own little world
Posts: 21,691
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Originally Posted by anotherlimey
Healthcare for all might be nice, not exactly "benefits".
Healthcare.
Education.
Sanitary water.
Since they cannot work, for children:
Food.
Clothing.
A bed.
A roof over their heads (tiki hut will do), ideally somewhere safe.
Oh yeah, for everyone:
safety, which comes about when people feel like The Man isn't out to exploit them.
Is this really too much to ask?
Jul 20th 2005, 12:42 pm
#123
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Originally Posted by Boiler
Me too, my Grandad got the dust, two of his brothers died in the pits.
So they left Glyneath and went to Coventry, boom town then.
Unfortunately poor timing, got there just before the Luftwaffe.
Solid Labour, always used to listen to Radio Wales.
And now I am here listening to Radio 5 Live.
Somethings do not change!
So they left Glyneath and went to Coventry, boom town then.
Unfortunately poor timing, got there just before the Luftwaffe.
Solid Labour, always used to listen to Radio Wales.
And now I am here listening to Radio 5 Live.
Somethings do not change!
A village near where I lived suffered a massive loss of life, several hundred men and boys died in a coal gas explosion. Long before my time, but living near that place and hearing the stories left a deep impression on me. I cycled through that village for a couple of months to my summer job working in a water quality testing lab for Welsh Water, but I switched to a different cycle route. I just felt creeped out by it.
Last edited by Franklin; Jul 20th 2005 at 12:47 pm. Reason: Sentence structure
Jul 20th 2005, 12:45 pm
#124
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Originally Posted by Lion in Winter
Well as long as you're not advocating the overthrow of the U.S., which is unlikely on the face of it given Tony and Georgie's "special relationship", I fail to see the connection.
Yeah, I can rely on your assurance ...
I need assurance - what of it. Once I have it I will rejoin Labour and become very active. There is a possibility of a conflict (however remote) of allegiances, I just need assurance for my peace of mind. Are you going to get off my case about this now? 
Jul 20th 2005, 12:54 pm
#125
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: East Seaxe
Posts: 73,212
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Originally Posted by Franklin
Yeah, I can rely on your assurance ... I need assurance - what of it. Once I have it I will rejoin Labour and become very active. There is a possibility of a conflict (however remote) of allegiances, I just need assurance for my peace of mind. Are you going to get off my case about this now?
I need assurance - what of it. Once I have it I will rejoin Labour and become very active. There is a possibility of a conflict (however remote) of allegiances, I just need assurance for my peace of mind. Are you going to get off my case about this now? Think I'll go and give my kid a bath, sounds more peaceful.
Jul 20th 2005, 12:56 pm
#126
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Originally Posted by Lion in Winter
Don't see what there is to get all worked up about.
Think I'll go and give my kid a bath, sounds more peaceful.
Think I'll go and give my kid a bath, sounds more peaceful.
Then why are you going on and on about it?
Drop it already.
Jul 20th 2005, 1:11 pm
#127
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Dahn Sarf
Posts: 287
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
An Englishman on holiday in Wales goes into a pub and orders a pint. He stands there for a while, drinking his beer, and he notices that sitting by himself over in the corner is the ugliest man he's ever seen. He's only four feet tall and his face is so misshapen and distorted the Elephant Man would have kicked him out of bed...
As the newcomer watches, at regular intervals one or another of the locals takes a pint up to the table in the corner and places it in front of the bizarre looking little man. At one point, he's got four pints lined up in front of him, and over the course of time he manfully works his way through them all, and up jumps another local who runs up to the bar to buy him another pint.
The stranger can't resist. "Who's he?" he asks the local, "and why is everyone buying him drinks?"
"Oh, " says the local (insert best welsh/pakistan accent here) "That's Jones the Hero, that is..."
"How come he's called that, and why the beer?"
"Well, the whole town buys his beer becuase he saved twelve men during the great mine collapse of 1975, and the whole town promised to look after him for good after that..."
"Twelve men? What happened?"
"Oh, it was terrible, one of the supporting props broke and Jones there, well he held it up singlehandedly while everyone got out."
"Wow! So why's he so ugly??"
"That's where they wedged him in with the sledgehammer...."
As the newcomer watches, at regular intervals one or another of the locals takes a pint up to the table in the corner and places it in front of the bizarre looking little man. At one point, he's got four pints lined up in front of him, and over the course of time he manfully works his way through them all, and up jumps another local who runs up to the bar to buy him another pint.
The stranger can't resist. "Who's he?" he asks the local, "and why is everyone buying him drinks?"
"Oh, " says the local (insert best welsh/pakistan accent here) "That's Jones the Hero, that is..."
"How come he's called that, and why the beer?"
"Well, the whole town buys his beer becuase he saved twelve men during the great mine collapse of 1975, and the whole town promised to look after him for good after that..."
"Twelve men? What happened?"
"Oh, it was terrible, one of the supporting props broke and Jones there, well he held it up singlehandedly while everyone got out."
"Wow! So why's he so ugly??"
"That's where they wedged him in with the sledgehammer...."
Jul 20th 2005, 1:20 pm
#128
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Originally Posted by Big Vern
An Englishman on holiday in Wales goes into a pub and orders a pint. He stands there for a while, drinking his beer, and he notices that sitting by himself over in the corner is the ugliest man he's ever seen. He's only four feet tall and his face is so misshapen and distorted the Elephant Man would have kicked him out of bed...
As the newcomer watches, at regular intervals one or another of the locals takes a pint up to the table in the corner and places it in front of the bizarre looking little man. At one point, he's got four pints lined up in front of him, and over the course of time he manfully works his way through them all, and up jumps another local who runs up to the bar to buy him another pint.
The stranger can't resist. "Who's he?" he asks the local, "and why is everyone buying him drinks?"
"Oh, " says the local (insert best welsh/pakistan accent here) "That's Jones the Hero, that is..."
"How come he's called that, and why the beer?"
"Well, the whole town buys his beer becuase he saved twelve men during the great mine collapse of 1975, and the whole town promised to look after him for good after that..."
"Twelve men? What happened?"
"Oh, it was terrible, one of the supporting props broke and Jones there, well he held it up singlehandedly while everyone got out."
"Wow! So why's he so ugly??"
"That's where they wedged him in with the sledgehammer...."
As the newcomer watches, at regular intervals one or another of the locals takes a pint up to the table in the corner and places it in front of the bizarre looking little man. At one point, he's got four pints lined up in front of him, and over the course of time he manfully works his way through them all, and up jumps another local who runs up to the bar to buy him another pint.
The stranger can't resist. "Who's he?" he asks the local, "and why is everyone buying him drinks?"
"Oh, " says the local (insert best welsh/pakistan accent here) "That's Jones the Hero, that is..."
"How come he's called that, and why the beer?"
"Well, the whole town buys his beer becuase he saved twelve men during the great mine collapse of 1975, and the whole town promised to look after him for good after that..."
"Twelve men? What happened?"
"Oh, it was terrible, one of the supporting props broke and Jones there, well he held it up singlehandedly while everyone got out."
"Wow! So why's he so ugly??"
"That's where they wedged him in with the sledgehammer...."
http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/item10/26091
When my parents returned to Wales from London we lived in Caerphilly. For a while I worked in Caerphilly Miners Hospital, I worked in the path lab as a medical laboratory technician (Grade B I think) ... the miners paid for that hospital to be built out of their own wages. Is that funny for you too?
This is a raw nerve subject for me, it is why I am Labour through and through. Why I can never turn against Labour. I am totally committed to Labour and want to be active in Labour here in the DC metro area under International Labour. It is only because of Labour that Welsh miners and their families got a decent life. They suffered horrendously. I saw just a fraction of the aftermath of that suffering - IT WAS HORRENDOUS, and not the least bit funny. I was born in Cardiff, which was built on the backs of coal exports from the Welsh valleys. Literally hundreds of Welsh miners lost their lives bringing that coal up. It is NOT THE LEAST BIT FUNNY to make fun of it. Yes, I am emotional about it, because it is part of my family, part of my upbringing and some of the memories will be with me for the rest of my life. I recently lost an aunt to cancer, she lived near a coal/coke processing plant, benzene was in the air. She died a horribly painful death. Make a joke about that too ... please.
Last edited by Franklin; Jul 20th 2005 at 1:22 pm.
Jul 20th 2005, 1:24 pm
#129
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Dahn Sarf
Posts: 287
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Originally Posted by Franklin
Why don't you make fun of this instead:
http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/item10/26091
When my parents returned to Wales from London we lived in Caerphilly. For a while I worked in Caerphilly Miners Hospital, I worked in the path lab as a medical laboratory technician (Grade B I think) ... the miners paid for the hospital to be built out of their own wages. Is that funny for you too?
This is a raw nerve subject for me, it is why I am Labour through and through. Why I can never turn against Labour. I am totally committed to Labour and want to be active in Labour here in the DC metro area under International Labour. It is only because of Labour that Welsh miners and their families got a decent life. They suffered horrendously. I saw just a fraction of the aftermath of that suffering - IT WAS HORRENDOUS, and not the least bit funny. I was born in Cardiff, which was built on the backs of coal exports from the Welsh valleys. Literally hundreds of Welsh miners lost their lives bringing that coal up. It is NOT THE LEAST BIT FUNNY to make fun of it. Yes, I am emotional about it, because it is part of my family, part of my upbringing and some of the memories will be with me for the rest of my life. I recently lost an aunt to cancer, she lived near a coal/coke processing plant, benzene was in the air. She died a horribly painful death. Make a joke about that too ... please.
http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/item10/26091
When my parents returned to Wales from London we lived in Caerphilly. For a while I worked in Caerphilly Miners Hospital, I worked in the path lab as a medical laboratory technician (Grade B I think) ... the miners paid for the hospital to be built out of their own wages. Is that funny for you too?
This is a raw nerve subject for me, it is why I am Labour through and through. Why I can never turn against Labour. I am totally committed to Labour and want to be active in Labour here in the DC metro area under International Labour. It is only because of Labour that Welsh miners and their families got a decent life. They suffered horrendously. I saw just a fraction of the aftermath of that suffering - IT WAS HORRENDOUS, and not the least bit funny. I was born in Cardiff, which was built on the backs of coal exports from the Welsh valleys. Literally hundreds of Welsh miners lost their lives bringing that coal up. It is NOT THE LEAST BIT FUNNY to make fun of it. Yes, I am emotional about it, because it is part of my family, part of my upbringing and some of the memories will be with me for the rest of my life. I recently lost an aunt to cancer, she lived near a coal/coke processing plant, benzene was in the air. She died a horribly painful death. Make a joke about that too ... please.
Oh, lighten up, Franklin.
Everyone has got some tragedy somewhere in their lives, accidents, people dying of cancer, suicides...but that doesn't mean we lose the ability to laugh.
You lose the ability to laugh -- about anything at all -- you lose some of the very thing that makes us human and keeps us going in the face of such terrible terrible dark things.
Jul 20th 2005, 1:29 pm
#130
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: East Seaxe
Posts: 73,212
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Originally Posted by Big Vern
Oh, lighten up, Franklin.
Everyone has got some tragedy somewhere in their lives, accidents, people dying of cancer, suicides...but that doesn't mean we lose the ability to laugh.
You lose the ability to laugh -- about anything at all -- you lose some of the very thing that makes us human and keeps us going in the face of such terrible terrible dark things.
Everyone has got some tragedy somewhere in their lives, accidents, people dying of cancer, suicides...but that doesn't mean we lose the ability to laugh.
You lose the ability to laugh -- about anything at all -- you lose some of the very thing that makes us human and keeps us going in the face of such terrible terrible dark things.
Jul 20th 2005, 1:29 pm
#131
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Originally Posted by Big Vern
Oh, lighten up, Franklin.
Everyone has got some tragedy somewhere in their lives, accidents, people dying of cancer, suicides...but that doesn't mean we lose the ability to laugh.
You lose the ability to laugh -- about anything at all -- you lose some of the very thing that makes us human and keeps us going in the face of such terrible terrible dark things.
Everyone has got some tragedy somewhere in their lives, accidents, people dying of cancer, suicides...but that doesn't mean we lose the ability to laugh.
You lose the ability to laugh -- about anything at all -- you lose some of the very thing that makes us human and keeps us going in the face of such terrible terrible dark things.
Jul 20th 2005, 1:32 pm
#132
Septicity
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 23,762
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Q: Do you know how to confuse a coal miner?
A: Show him two shovels and then ask him to take his pick.
A: Show him two shovels and then ask him to take his pick.
Jul 20th 2005, 1:33 pm
#133
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: East Seaxe
Posts: 73,212
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Originally Posted by fatbrit
Q: Do you know how to confuse a coal miner?
A: Show him two shovels and then ask him to take his pick.
A: Show him two shovels and then ask him to take his pick.
Jesus, half of London got blown to bits in WWII - you think they stopped laughing? Ask my mum.
Jul 20th 2005, 1:33 pm
#134
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Dahn Sarf
Posts: 287
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Originally Posted by Franklin
I can't laugh about that stuff ... it is too painful. IT IS NOT FUNNY. How is 400+ men and boys getting blown to bits funny? Mining in Wales led to thousands of serious injuries and hundreds of horrible deaths. Many in mines owned by absent landlords. It is not funny. I will never laugh at it. It is why I am Labour.
Oddly enough though, whenever I voted Labour I didn't lose my sense of humour until Tony Blair got in....
Jul 20th 2005, 1:34 pm
#135
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: East Seaxe
Posts: 73,212
Re: Bush picks John Roberts for the Supreme Court
Originally Posted by Big Vern
Tony Blair got in....
Some things are just not funny!
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