Monthly Musings: December 2017

An overview of opinions and observations for the month.

Whisper: December 2017

18/12/2017 @08:55
The respect, love and admiration of my children; to be their hero.

Content Consumption 2017

*insert generic philosophical and deeply introspective status about New Year whilst knowing tomorrow will be the same as today except with more hangovers and more non committed gym membership applications*

Relapse Avoidance #10

I haven't posted in a while because life has been somewhat hectic with the Christmas preparations; between work, my daughter and shopping, I haven't had any opportunity.

Ironically I also hadn't had any risk of relapse, I have been that preoccupied I haven't even had time to think about it. Until last night.

It was a work Christmas meal and a colleague of mine is still a frequent/moderate user. He knows my situation and resultantly once we've had a few drinks we end up discussing drug tales; we both have some interesting stories about situations, scenarios and experiences. We were the only smokers too, so I found myself repeatedly in his sole company, outside just bantering.

Halfway through the night he begins playing with the idea of how cool it would be if we had a mad night together on cocaine. I concede he has a point and it would be a laugh, as on drugs people tend to become closer after sharing the experience. He brought it up multiple times throughout the night, and drinks kept flowing making it harder to fight off the temptation.

Ultimately I managed to survive the night without succumbing but it wasn't easy by a long shot. On a few occasions I had contemplated silently whether to agree to it but deep down I knew I would regret it afterwards when I had to reset my sobriety.

In life there will always be temptations; we just have to be stronger and stay true to our integrity.

Monthly Musings: November 2017

An overview of opinions and observations for the month.

Whisper: November 2017

04/11/2017 @18:35
My friends wife said she wanted a divorce, broke up with him, slept with his best friend of 15 years and the best man at their wedding, & now says she wants him back...

07/11/2017 @19:05
Interested to hear people's pros and cons of a romantic relationship. I am a cynic and don't understand why people bother with relationships - they just hold you back.

07/11/2017 @19:32
I actively avoid them. I see them as an inconvenience.

07/11/2017 @19:46
I just don't see it. I don't see the benefit - I've had long term relationships before and they never did anything beside bring me drama and stress in the end.

07/11/2017 @20:02
I have people I am very strongly connected too - I just know that labelling it will complicate things and create a sense of ownership and selfishness.

07/11/2017 @22:19
I'm 6ft 2 and fairly stacked, so lifting ain't an issue. Prefer brews I make than other people's. Cuddle up with fwb's. 😂

07/11/2017 @22:20
Almost isn't the same. I have no sense of obligation to them, no requirement of compromise, sacrifice or ownership.

07/11/2017 @23:24
You're raising a gentleman who will get walked all over by women in the modern society. Prepare yourself for a confused son when he gets older and gets treated like an ATM.

08/11/2017 @00:42
Lol, when you assume, you look like an ass. Never happened to me; I just stay aware of the cesspool of modern day feminism.

09/11/2017 @08:30
Athazagoraphobia. The fear of being forgotten.

09/11/2017 @08:58
Yup. The fear that your life is nothing more than another notch on the bedpost of life. Another one it fucked and forgot about.

20/11/2017 @02:14
Trying to find love in the current cesspool of modern age dating.

23/11/2017 @02:09
The fact I have to be up for work in 5hrs.

24/11/2017 @02:08
Turkey's have families too.

Relapse Avoidance #9

So, last night I spent a few hours until 3am trying to provide support for a friend who is trying to break the hold of his addiction. Myself and another friend, let's call him Chess, were offering ideas and suggestions to a mutual friend, Felt.

Felt has suffered many years with drug abuse; his circumstances make it difficult to help him as many of his family members also use recreationally. Myself and Chess both used to indulge alongside Felt, but we've both moved on and have been clean for quite lengthy times - it just seems Felt has never been able to find his escape route, his reason.

I will never make excuses for an addict, but I cannot help but sympathise. Felt doesn't have much in his life to keep him on the straight and narrow, he works in a bar where he is exposed to drugs, he lives with a friend who is also a heavy user, and he has nothing else in his life in the sense of romance, children or an exit strategy.

We have been trying to advise him that he needs to change his environment - as long as he stays where he is, he will always be dragged back in no matter how good his intentions are. We've recommended changing jobs, moving house and finding a new social crowd in a different venue where drugs are not as common, such as the casino, the gym or a snooker hall.

The problem is, it's not as simple as changing everything you know in life, and those changes just seem to big for him to push for at the minute. It hurts though, because I see behind the false bravado and flamboyant drug abuse, he is a broken man just finding his escape from a world that he feels doesn't care.

Relapse Avoidance #8

I think the most important thing to find when leaving the life of drug abuse is a reason; without a reason, you are a lot more likely to relapse.

Whenever this little Princess is here beside me, I am invincible. Nothing can break me, and I have no risk of relapse.

If only it could be like this all the time ❤

Relapse Avoidance #7

I just want to take a moment to thank everybody who has supported my journey so far, and especially those of you who have taken the time to actually comment and offer kind words and opinions.

Addiction isn't an easy thing to live with, and neither is it easy to overcome, but hopefully other people in similar situations to myself can find some support and reassurance in my posts and find the strength to succeed in their own journey.

Hard drugs are no laughing matter, and before long they lose their appeal, but often not until after you have become so habitual in your indulgence that it's a difficult cycle to break.

Always remember in your darkest hours, support is always available. Stay strong fellow companions, together we are stronger.

Relapse Avoidance #6

A friend who also has battled with drug addiction for years once told me "no matter what, regardless of how long you stay clean/sober, it never goes away".

He revered in stories of times he'd gone as long as six years without using, and the urge still persisted. This always concerned me when I was contemplating going clean. Would I really have to spend the rest of my life resisting an insatiable urge to indulge in recreational abuse?

It's strange; when we know there is a cut off point, it's easier. If an addict was told "all you have to do is stay clean for 60 days, and then you'll lose all attraction to the drug, and you'll never have the urge to do it again" then I'm quietly confident a lot of users would battle and fight themselves to that 60 day achievement calm in the knowledge that once they got there, it was over.

Instead, as my friend correctly warned me, addiction isn't something you can "tick off" as complete. Like been there, done that, overcame it, next. It truly is a lifelong battle against a little voice in the back of your mind trying to lead you to relapse.

Tonight I had four pints and my demons are trying their damnedest to convince me to stray. I'm going to bed before I can become weak enough to lose. It's exhausting though knowing this is something I am destined to fight with forever.

Even after six years clean it still pops into your head after a few pints "just one gram of cocaine, nobody has to know". Ugh.

Relapse Avoidance #5

I notice lately the prevalence of drug culture in everything around me; all types of media, art, history, and life in general. It's seemingly everywhere I look, drugs are thrust into my face like the gyrating pelvis of a dancer in a strip club.

I guess it's subconscious, my own ego piquing interest where I actively must refrain. As though the devil himself is temping me, "just one final blowout" - meanwhile I'm laying in bed trying to drown out the voice with loud music thundering through headphones.

Just one final blowout. Just one last nostalgia hit. Just one more. That's the trouble; there is always just one more. The pattern of an addict seeking justification in any situation.

I had a bad day so I used to drown my sorrows. I had a good day so I used to celebrate. Weddings, funerals, birthdays, Tuesdays. It truly doesn't matter - an addict will find a reason (read: excuse) in literally anything. Boredom? Take drugs. Lonely? Take drugs. Scared? Take drugs. Excited? Take drugs. Basically, just take drugs.

The devil will not win tonight. I am too vigilant to fall for his honeyed words. Just one more day being clean. And do that forever. That's the trick.

Relapse Avoidance #4

After suffering and enduring drug abuse for many years, I expected myself to become intolerant and condemning of those who recreationally use drugs. I expected to look down on them as weak and pathetic. That they need to just stop taking and sort their lives out etc.

Instead I find myself sympathetic and understanding of their mindset. Let me just make it clear - nobody plans on becoming an addict, nobody takes drugs thinking they're going to destroy their lives.

It doesn't happen overnight but by the time you realise you've lost control over your usage, it's too late. One minute you think you have it under control, that you can stop whenever you want... the next minute you realise you have a problem but by then you're addicted.

I see drug abusers now, and I wonder why they got addicted in the first place rather than seeing them as a failure. I see them as people who use it as a coping mechanism because their life dealt them a shitty hand. Rather than condemning them, I try to reach out to them, and I find myself actively defending them against others who would insult them.

It's strange, but in an ironic way, drugs have made me a more accepting and less judgmental person.

Relapse Avoidance #3

It is crazy that when you're young and not involved in drugs, they seem almost exotic. You have this naive notion that they are scarce and that only the poorest class (homeless etc) and the wealthiest (businessmen) really partake in them. At least that was the narrative I was fed as a youth.

I honestly believed it was only the lowlife scum who indulged in heroin, the rebellious teens who became stoners, and the richest Wall Street types/Mexican drug cartel types who abused cocaine.

Then I grew up and began to dabble. Before long I learned what it meant to be a functioning addict, and I began to recognise others I knew in the same position. Relatively quickly I learned how rife drug abuse is amongst all walks of life and societal classes.

Even people you wouldn't ever have imagined having a penchant for drugs would suddenly reveal their dark attraction for ketamine or amphetamines, or whatever other drug of choice they have. It's strange how when people know you have done/do drugs, they feel completely at ease to confess their sins to you for validation.

I think these people provide confirmation bias for abusers to legitimise their addiction and convince themselves it isn't a problem - because after all, if everyone is doing it, it can't be that bad right?

Relapse Avoidance #2

Allow me to describe a standard scenario that an addict endures.

Tonight I am completely free of everything. I have nobody to spend it with, no event to attend, nothing to do. I am sat here watching TV, well, I say watching TV but it's more background noise. I am sat here in deep contemplation.

I lost 90% of my friends/acquaintances when I quit drugs. I sit here now imagining what they are up to, who they are with. I contemplate firing them a quick text with an innocuous message about "hey how's things?" with the agenda of promoting a response that yields an invite. Once I have an invite I can grab a taxi and be with them in 10 minutes. They'll likely have drugs on them and they will share with me, since I was once a very close friend and in deep with them. We would always share scores and take care of each other.

I know that if I chose to, I could have drugs in my system within around half an hour, for free.

And I sit here in mind numbing boredom, romanticising the euphoric rush of escape, sweet freedom from this current nothingness I am experiencing. I fantasise about that first hit, the feeling as it ravages my senses and takes me away to a better place without care or concern.

I could do this now, and the only ones who would know would be me & whoever I indulged with. There would be no consequences besides the knowledge that I've destroyed my clean streak. Dishonoured my integrity.

And yet here I am, writing this post, not the text message saying "hey how's things?"

I'm pretty proud of myself for that. Let's hope it remains that way for the rest of the night.

Monthly Musings: October 2017

An overview of opinions and observations for the month.

Whisper: October 2017

06/10/2017 @19:00
When you're an introvert and people keep demanding you reply to their incessant relentless messaging despite knowing your persona. 🙄😒

06/10/2017 @19:50
I hope whichever of you will take care of the child best wins custody. I don't know any of you, but the child's safety and happiness are the most important aspect.

06/10/2017 @20:35
I agree, and what I said doesn't suggest otherwise. Custody and contact are not synonymous.

12/10/2017 @00:26
I'm a manager who tries to treat his team like friends, but I still wonder if they bitch about me behind my back, but smile to my face because they are worried about the repercussions.

15/10/2017 @09:28
Sleep. Because in my life, the day doesn't end at midnight, it ends when you go to bed.

21/10/2017 @00:07
Today I got a £3,500 pay rise! Fortune favours the bold, and if you don't ask you don't get!

30/10/2017 @00:20
Cool, I assume you discount the cost of the food you steal and put the difference to the order out your own pocket? Course you don't, dick.

30/10/2017 @00:21
Lol, lazy.
Delivery $2.
Driving to collect it when you don't own a car $12 cab.

30/10/2017 @01:04
18th birthday find out it wasn't his!?

30/10/2017 @01:06
My dick is 17 inches long, and I have £100,000,000 in the bank. Fact.

30/10/2017 @01:07
Fuck, didn't work. Turns out writing 'fact' after a lie doesn't make it true. 😩

Relapse Avoidance #1

I was 21 before I got involved in the drug scene.

I had finished University and broken up with my fiancee; it left me isolated with a large chasm in my life I had no idea how to occupy.

I began moving with the wrong crowd. It started with marijuana, at first a few joints and by the end I was a moderate/heavy user buying by the ounce and regularly using bongs.

I phased out the marijuana as I began experimenting with other drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, and methoxetamine. It was cocaine that was my downfall. I arrogantly believed I was above addiction, but I was sadly mistaken.

Before long I was a heavy abuser, up to six nights a week, taking a bump to work for a pick me up when I was coming down during shift. I exhausted all available revenue streams just prolonging the inevitable comedown. I racked up considerable debts in bank loans, credit cards and overdrafts. By the end of it, I was a financial car wreck, with no grasp on my life that was rapidly spiraling out of control.

Thankfully, I got into a new relationship that though only brief in duration, it resulted in pregnancy for my partner. This may seem contradictory; how could a child be a healthy addition to my life considering my lifestyle at the time?

Well that child motivated me to turn my life around. I quit at the news of conception and began the lengthy road to recovery. It hasn't been easy and I have relapsed (isolated occasions) during the years following.

My daughter is now 5, and I have been clean for 2 years and 5 months. It hasn't been easy and at times I really have to fight the urge to indulge myself in a night of selfish escape. These tendencies occur largely when I feel like life has plateaued, or at times of high stress/emotional distress.

I handle it well, but it takes great amounts of willpower to not relapse. Addiction isn't something you overcome; it's something you can suppress or hide away from, but it's always there lurking in the shadows waiting to reappear and torment you.

Anotha B: Deep Waters

Monthly Musings: September 2017

An overview of opinions and observations for the month.

Whisper: September 2017

01/09/2017 @20:10
Life is so much simpler when you realise sex is overrated, and that the 'risks' aren't worth the 'rewards'.

09/09/2017 @12:03
The kind that comes with the risk of  rape allegations, STD's, or an unwanted pregnancy with 18 years of child support payments. What is the other kind?

09/09/2017 @12:06
The first step towards true happiness is learning to dismiss other people's opinions on how you choose to live your life.

09/09/2017 @12:10
Wanted to write a really thought provoking Whisper and this is the best I got.

09/09/2017 @12:15
I don't even know what this is. I'm guessing it was supposed to say 'pathetic'? If so, your spelling is patetik.

09/09/2017 @12:18
Ok bozakko, cool story.

09/09/2017 @12:45
The irony is staggering. You spelt "pathetic" wrong so I corrected your attempted insult. Then you wrote "nyralk" when my alias is Nyrök.

09/09/2017 @16:16
Not all STD's can be stopped by a condom.
Condoms don't 100% prevent pregnancy.
rape accusations can happen from anyone.

09/09/2017 @16:29
Lol, split condoms happen. If you're happy with 99% effectiveness, good for you. I aren't. 15% of your income for 18 years just for getting laid is a heavy price to pay.

09/09/2017 @16:36
Not having sex is 100%.
£20,000 p/a * 18 years = £360,000
15% = £54,000
Overacting? Nope, it's not a gamble I'd take.

09/09/2017 @16:43
Lose money, reputation, or health. I find it amusing that media has convinced most men that sex is the be all and end all. I've had enough sex to know it really isn't.

09/09/2017 @16:52
N'aww bless, you're resorting to anecdotes to push your opinion. I've played the game long enough & been burned a few times - more than enough to know better.

09/09/2017 @17:20
And there it is, the "virgin" card. So predictably alpha. Hope you never get fucked over by infintismal odds buddy, but given your attitude, you likely will.

09/09/2017 @18:53
Aww you're trying so hard, bless. It's adorable.

09/09/2017 @19:06
It's hilarious that you are attempting to use your empty bravado of having a "fulfilling sex life" to somebody who is abstinent through personal preference.

09/09/2017 @19:13
It's embarrassing that you're throwing around these assumptions that don't apply to me. You are so desperate to "win" that you just chat absolute twaddle.

09/09/2017 @21:02
From the guy who thinks someone who chooses to not have sex must be a virgin with a neckbeard. The irony of your hypocrisy is staggering.

16/09/2017 @05:42
Because Feminism has ruined women.

16/09/2017 @11:31
Because society and media have destroyed the traditional status quo of relationships and turned them into disposable commodities fraught with narcissism & infidelity.

18/09/2017 @00:45
😭💔👨 👧

18/09/2017 @00:48
Perhaps the guys you refer too write similar Whispers about you? They may not be "desperate" either... They sound lucky they aren't your type.

18/09/2017 @00:52
Weight doesn't bother me unless she is 300lbs and trying to get on top. I don't want a broken pelvis. But her looking like a fat mess bothers me.

20/09/2017 @00:30
Oatcakes.

21/09/2017 @01:01
Internet connection required.

21/09/2017 @01:06
Are children welcome?

25/09/2017 @07:39
Same, and not just women, also elderly people. I go out of my way to act approachable and not threatening.

Monthly Musings: August 2017

An overview of opinions and observations for the month.

Whisper: August 2017

08/08/2017 @08:10
I used to read a magazine whilst on the toilet. Then I played with my phone whilst on the toilet. Now I talk to my child whilst on the toilet.

26/08/2017 @07:25
Pop culture and the media have normalised casual hook-ups, one night stands, divorces and sexual promiscuity. Traditional and faithful relationships are now a remnant of bygone days.

26/08/2017 @08:15
Lol, it's an observation, not a complaint. 😉

26/08/2017 @09:09
Lel, it was an observation, not a complaint. 😉

Monthly Musings: July 2017

An overview of opinions and observations for the month.

Whisper: July 2017

01/07/2017 @18:38
If you think mansplaining is bad, try being a single Dad and having to endure the constant womansplaining about everything relating to being a parent. Even childless women are guilty of it.

01/07/2017 @23:02
You are correct.

14/07/2017 @22:53
Have you ever thought how shit life must be as an undomesticated animal? Like a cow stood in a field all day for example. No TV or phone or anything. I'd welcome the abattoir to put me out my misery.

15/07/2017 @07:50
Have you ever thought how boring life must be as a free animal? Like a cow stood in a field all day for example... No TV. No phone. No nothing. Just grass. I'd likely welcome the abattoir!

15/07/2017 @08:26
Amen! Case and point! 😂😂

30/07/2017 @14:22
I hate when porn keeps buffering.

30/07/2017 @14:37
Feminism only serves to further divide the genders.

Monthly Musings: June 2017

An overview of opinions and observations for the month.

EU's Forced Migration Policy

Today the EU Commission made it's first formal move against member states of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic for their failure to comply with the EU Relocation Agreement.

The "relocation agreement" does not sound like much of an "agreement" if 3 countries are disagreeing with it, no?

The bone of contention lies in Article 78 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union that states Member States must accept third-country nationals at the behest of the EU's decision. In the event that a member state of the EU becomes inundated with an unsustainable number of migrants, the other member states must make reasonable and fair efforts to help alleviate the volume of asylum seekers by accepting their forced relocation into their own countries.

The COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2015/1601 demanded that the three non-complying countries must accept the following numbers of migrants from Italy & Greece respectively:

1. Poland - 3881 (Greece) and 1201 (Italy)
2. Hungary - 988 (Greece) and 306 (Italy)
3. Czech - 1215 (Greece) and 376 (Italy)

The EU will provide financial assistance to the tune of €6000 per immigrant to the member state. This relocation project of forced relocation of third world nationals across Europe is costing the EU €720,000,000.

You'd be forgiven for thinking Germany won WW2 the way they try to rule the entire of Europe through Brussels, continually adding new directives and regulations it's hostage member states have to adhere to. Back when the UK joined the EU in 1973 it was solely sold as a Common Market. Over the last four decades it's slowly evolved into a fascist and controlling super state headed by Brussels.

I consider the recent migrant crisis lends credence to the Kalergi plan for the de-nationalisation all EU member states and the miscegenation of white Europeans out of existence.

Political Suicide of Theresa May

It was 2017 that saw Theresa May's bold over-reach that cost her party the political advantage and undoubtedly jeopardised their Hard Brexit stance in the ensuing lunacy.

"I’m not going to be calling a snap election. I’ve been very clear that I think we need that period of time, that stability to be able to deal with the issues that the country is facing and have that election in 2020." - Theresa May, September 4th 2016.

First off the bat I'd like to open by stating that I voted Labour. I found Jeremy Corbyn's outlook both endearing and genuine - he was a candidate who appeared authentic, transparent and rich in integrity. The Labour manifesto was solid, costed and inspiring for a population of struggling families suffering under the subjugation of backbreaking austerity. At the first perusal my only concern was how beautiful of a pipe dream was painted in the 128 pages; this Utopian idea of redistribution of wealth, reduction in economic disparity and the creation of a world I'd feel content raising my child in.

In contrast the Conservative Manifesto was one dimensional and vacuous; 88 pages of bland directionless rhetoric, suffocated amidst technical jargon and meaningless taglines. Strong and stable. Five giant challenges. The great meritocracy. The only policy that carried weight was the Hard Brexit stance, the rest of the Manifesto was a waste of the time taken to produce it. Delusional proposals included the Snoopers Charter to demolish digital privacy, the scrapping of the European Convention on Human Rights, an aggressive foreign policy, the continued austerity and public sector decimation including slashes to education, social care, emergency services and affordable housing. With a track record littered with so many damaging policies, cuts, austerity and financial pains, the list is so extensive that I cannot even begin to surmise it here. However, fully sourced and documented accounts are available online including a good starting point here.

The campaign undertaken by the Conservatives was embarrassing. It was purely a smear campaign against Jeremy Corbyn with little to no coverage offered in respect of the Manifesto or the policies in which we will be held to ransom for the next term of Government. A very bitter allegation was that Jeremy Corbyn is a terrorist sympathiser, a despicable approach given the recent terrorist attacks in Manchester and London. I questioned the absence of a solid Manifesto, provoking debate, goading Tory voters at every opportunity and was met with blank faces regurgitating propaganda fueled hyperbolic headlines from mainstream media, and of course personal attacks against Jeremy Corbyn. Nobody could debate, but then again, not even Prime Minister May was willing to debate her own position so that should not be surprising.

To reiterate the title of the article, and to come full circle to the over-reach of Theresa May, the U-turn decision for a Snap Election was taken purely from a predatory stance that saw a Labour party in disarray and sought to go for the kill. It failed, miserably. Theresa May sacrificed 13 seats on an arrogant gamble, and lost her party the Majority position in Parliament. This weakened the prospect of a Hard Brexit which was the strongest policy of the Tory vision. In the wake of a catastrophic campaign that echoed the failings of Cameron's approach to the 2016 EU Referendum, the Conservative have shot themselves in the foot, seemingly with a RPG.

Sobering reality hit on June 9th, as the reality of a well fought Labour campaign closed the gap between the two parties to a spectacularly minimal 792,228 voters. Conservative edged the Election by 1.2% of the population. In the wake of the results, an outcry called for Theresa May to relinquish her position and resign. She refused stubbornly and instead dug in her heels, further displaying the selfishness of her outlook with her subsequent decision to approach the DUP for an arrangement to prop up their now minority Government.

For context, the DUP was founded by members of the Ulster Resistance, a terrorist paramilitary group who violently clashed with the Irish Republican Army over three decades of civil conflict dubbed The Troubles. During the conflict, 85% of those killed by the Ulster Resistance were civilians. To further muddy the waters, it is important to understand the fragility and instability of the current situation in Northern Ireland, and the rising tensions that threaten to unravel the Good Friday Agreement that underpins the ceasefire and security in Ireland. More of this can be read in another blog post of mine found here. The DUP are adamant they do not want a Hard Brexit, as the reality of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is an unwelcome prospect; this brings the plausibility of a Hard Brexit under fire considering the Conservatives are relying on the support and confidence of the DUP to help carry their policies through parliament.

Theresa May has continued with her forward march defiantly in spite of her underwhelming election campaign; the Queen's speech has been prepared with more U-turns on policies their Manifesto proposed, making compromises and provisions to their beliefs and aims. It is my opinion that the very claim of "strong and stable" leadership under Theresa May has been directly contradicted by her misjudgments, unnecessary risks, inconsistency and proneness to collapse under pressure and backtrack on her own policies at the first challenge.

Undoubtedly Theresa May has committed political suicide; now we just need to wait patiently for her, and her party to realise it and move forward without her.

More Troubles for Ireland?

Until the 2017 Snap Election, I had never taken the time to look into Irish politics. It had never been relevant. Now with the prospect of a coalition of chaos between the Conservatives and the DUP, I thought it prudent to educate myself accordingly.

The Northern Ireland Assembly is the legislature of Northern Ireland, a democratically elected body of 90 members. The Assembly is one half of two institutions created under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that sought to end the violent Troubles which saw the deaths of more than 3,500 people, 52% of which were civilians. The Good Friday Agreement focuses on the shared power of Northern Ireland, with Ireland.

The Republic of Ireland hate England, and the fact we still retain Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom. I never understood why until now looking into it properly. This is predictably "British" history. After the Protestant Reformation when Henry VIII crowned himself the King of Ireland in 1542, we literally established ourselves as their illegitimate monarch. Then shortly after, James I imposed the Plantation of Ulster in 1609 to assert our dominance over the country and quash rebellion from the Gaelic Irish in the north.

The ROI have fought tooth and nail to reclaim their independence without any English involvement of their country ever since with repeated "Irish Home Rule" Bills in 1886, 1893 and 1914. The reality is that England literally took their land at gunpoint and added it to our Empire; anyone who rebelled against us holding their lands was executed. Northern Ireland wants to remain in the UK however the Gaelic Irish of the Republic of Ireland do not consider the Ulster Unionists as true Irish, and rather borne out of the Plantations of English and Scottish invaders who confiscated their lands. They view the Ulster Unionists as descendants of the oppressive British and dismiss their claims to Northern Ireland.

This is why the Republicans became established as the IRA and sought to turf the Ulster Unionists out of their lands. Their logic, "get out of our country or we'll force you out". This is why there pervades an inherit tension between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and resultantly the Sinn Fein party (Republicans) and the DUP (Unionists). The Good Friday Agreement was meant to be England taking a back seat, not getting involved and letting ROI and NI democratically rule Ulster. This was seen as the only way to broker a ceasefire - basically by ceding some control of Northern Ireland to the Republicans.

The Troubles were a three decade period of civil conflict between Ireland (Republican's such as the IRA) and Northern Ireland (Loyalist's such as the Ulster Resistance). The IRA wished for Northern Ireland to leave the UK and join a united Ireland; the Ulster Resistance wished for Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK. The Ulster Resistance caused more civilian deaths than the IRA; 85% of those they killed were civilians; the Ulster Resistance was founded by a collection of people who went on to be prominent DUP politicians.

The Good Friday Agreement included a ceasefire between Ireland and Northern Ireland, and introduced a democratic, diplomatic process that would help maintain stability. The DUP were the only major political group in Northern Ireland who opposed the Good Friday Agreement. Under the Good Friday Agreement, England acts as a mediator between Ireland and Northern Ireland to keep the peace.

The Sinn Fein party are the second largest Northern Ireland party, and also have representation in Ireland. They are Republicans, whereas the DUP are Loyalists making it a tense affair between the parties given the IRA/Ulster history during the Troubles. Sinn Fein refuse to actually take their seats at parliament as they do not consider the Northern Ireland Assembly a legitmate Government.

Sinn Fein have also refused to share power with DUP due to accusations that the DUP were responsible for the misspending of £500,000,000 of public money in the RHI scandal. The last Assembly collapsed in March 2017 after their latest snap election that saw the DUP take 28 seats, and the Sinn Fein party take 27. This means at present Northern Ireland do not have a Government, and the Republicans have a very firm foothold in Northern Ireland.

Concerns are mounting about the Tories giving DUP power in Westminster, as this will raise the ire of Sinn Fein and could potentially undo all of the progress made under the Good Friday Agreement. The view is that England cannot act as an impartial mediator between the Republican party Sinn Fein and the Loyalist party DUP when they have a vested interest in one side for their own purposes.

At present there are very justified concerns of a potential breakdown of the ceasefire in Ireland, and a resurgence of IRA and Ulster bombings in the near future as a result of the Tories aligning themselves with the DUP.

There is a rational logic to why the UK welcoming the DUP into a position of power would serve to further frustrate the Republicans. It is like we stole their country, refused to leave part of it, and agreed begrudgingly to allow them to influence how it's governed. To the Republic of Ireland, a close partnership with the Tories in Westminster will seem like the DUP can leverage preferential treatment at Stormont, the headquarters of the Northern Irish Assembly. This is not a strong and stable decision by our Government.

Tory Failure Deep Dive

When I read the Labour manifesto, it was presented with bullet points and statements about what they will do to change the country. When I read the Tory manifesto, I saw a lot of big words, but no actual explanations about how they're going to change things for the better. More like a reassuring "Trust us, we'll fix it. How? Don't worry about that, just vote for us and have faith." I keep seeing Tory voters that are more intent on destroying the image of the Labour party than providing a strong discussion of their own policies. So in the name of reciprocity, let's take a good look at the Tories.

The Tory party committed electoral fraud in 2015. They've already paid the maximum fine the Electoral Commission could levy against them for election cheating, and 30 Tories are facing the prospect of criminal prosecution for financially doping their way to victory: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/journalist/electoral-commission-media-centre/news-releases-donations/conservative-party-fined-70,000-following-investigation-into-election-campaign-expenses 

Under Tory rule British workers have suffered the longest sustained decline in the real value of their wages since records began. The fall is so bad that it's the joint worst wage collapse in the developed world with Greece: http://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/the-tory-war-on-british-workers-wages.html 

In 2010 the Tories promised to eliminate the deficit by 2015. In 2017 they're still nowhere near eliminating it, and they've openly admitted that they won't be doing it any time before 2021. Over 11 years to do what they promised to do in under 5, and more new public debt created in the process than every single Labour government in history combined: http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/overview-of-the-november-2016-economic-and-fiscal-outlook/ 

After such spectacularly missed targets and George Osborne's departure from Westminster politics it's amazing that millions still believe in his austerity con, but Theresa May is still parroting the same kind of economically illiterate justifications for a blatantly unjustifiable economic agenda. The evidence is now absolutely clear that austerity only succeeded in transferring wealth from the majority to the super rich minority at the expense of the real economy: http://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/are-people-finally-waking-up-to-fact.html 

Between 2010 and 2015 the Tories slashed £20 billion off the NHS budget. Their current spending plans involve a further £22 billion in funding cuts between 2015 and 2020. Slashing the NHS budget, closing dozens of hospitals and other NHS facilities; reducing services; and laying off tens of thousands of staff would be bad enough in it's own right, but at a time of rapidly increasing demand on NHS services it's a recipe for disaster: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/oct/17/nhs-cuts-impact-on-patients-revealed

One of Theresa May's first acts as Prime Minister was to scrap NHS bursaries, which caused an astonishing 10,000 decline in applications for nursing courses. Add into the mix the fact that NHS staff from EU countries are quitting the NHS in record numbers and there's a massive NHS recruitment crisis on the cards: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/18/nhs-eu-nurses-quit-record-numbers

The amount of appalling schemes and degrading assessment regimes disabled people have to go through under this Tory government is absolutely shocking: http://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/the-systematic-tory-abuse-of-disabled.html

Since 2010 the number of children growing up in poverty has risen by 400,000. The latest Tory cuts to the child welfare system and in-work benefits are set to plunge another 250,000 kids into lives of poverty: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/theresa-accused-being-denial-over-10038973

Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has revealed that under Tory spending plans the worst hit demographic of all will be poor families with children. The trend is absolutely clear. The poorer you are, the harsher the cuts you will be facing, and if you have kids you'll be hit harder than those without: https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/9164

Since 2010 the Tory government has overseen the lowest levels of housebuilding since the 1920s. When Theresa May was Home Secretary she increased demand on the nation's housing stock by overseeing the biggest surges of net migration in UK history. This combination of weak supply, very high demand and collapsing wages has pushed house prices to their most unaffordable level ever: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/04/17/uk-will-never-build-enough-homes-keep-prices/

In 2016 Tory MPs (1/3 of whom are landlords) voted down an opposition amendment to their housing bill that would have required landlords to ensure that rented accommodation is "fit for human habitation": https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/12/tories-reject-move-to-ensure-rented-homes-fit-for-human-habitation

As a result of the shambolic Tory privatisation of the railways the UK has the most expensive, most over-crowded and least reliable rail service of any comparable developed European nation. What's more is that the profiteering private companies who operate the services take more in government subsidies than it cost to run the entire system under British Rail: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/feb/06/uk-railway-judged-worse

The Tories are planning the biggest education funding cuts in decades: http://www.schoolcuts.org.uk/#!/

 An awful lot of people don't seem to have even noticed that the Tories have been privatising thousands of state owned schools, property and all, for free, into the hands of private sector pseudo-charities, many of which are owned by major Tory party donors: http://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/michael-gove-ideological-vandalism.html

The Tories introduced £9,000 per year tuition fees for university students, meaning English students now face the highest fees in the world for study at public universities. The fees are so high that 2/3 of graduates will never be able to pay off their student debts: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/university-tuition-fees-increase-2020-government-new-legislation_uk_5902f9ebe4b0bb2d086c850c

 The Tories have seen a huge rise in food bank dependency since 2010. Over a million food parcels were handed out by the Trussell Trust last year, and they're just one of the food bank organisations. New research has shown that areas that have suffered the rollout of the Tories' hopelessly botched Universal Credit scheme have significantly higher rates of food bank dependency than areas where it hasn't been rolled out yet: https://www.trusselltrust.org/news-and-blog/latest-stats/end-year-stats/

 The Hinkley Point C deal is one of the most scandalous affairs in UK political history. The Tories have agreed to bribe the French and Chinese into building us a nuclear power station by promising to use taxpayers' cash to pay them double the market rate for electricity for 35 years, then cover the cleanup cost at the taxpayers' expense too. The reason we have to bribe foreign governments into building our nuclear infrastructure for us is that the Tories privatised the UK's nuclear expertise in the 1990s, and the private company was then allowed to be purchased by the French government: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/15/hinkley-point-c-guide-uk-first-new-nuclear-plant-for-20-years

The Tories have slashed £4.6 billion from the social care budget at a time of rising demand due to the UK's ageing population demographics. This social care funding crisis has coincided with the biggest increase in the death rate since the 1960s, and is putting an immense amount of pressure on already overstretched NHS services and unpaid carers: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/social-care-scandal-tory-cuts-9836261

The Tories have slashed local government budgets so harshly that the leader of David Cameron's own Tory council famously wrote to him to plead for him to stop. What's most disgusting about this assault on local government budgets is that the most savage local government cuts have been focused on the poorest areas, while some leafy Tory councils actually got increases in their budgets: http://www4.shu.ac.uk/research/cresr/sites/shu.ac.uk/files/welfare-reform-2016_1.pdf

The Tories have brought giant outsourcing corporations in to do all kinds of government functions. Huge numbers of these corporate leeches are now having their contracts renewed automatically with no cost-benefit analysis and no competitive tendering process. The Labour Party have proposed a new law to ban outsourcing companies from receiving government contracts if they're based in tax havens. The Tories are quite happy to continue using taxpayers' cash to pay tax-dodging corporate outsourcing companies to do the work the government should be doing itself: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26541375

 Between 2010 and 2015 the Tories slashed 30% off the fire service budget resulting in the loss of 10,000 firefighter jobs and the closure of 39 fire stations. Between 2015 and 2020 they intend to slash another 20%: https://www.fbu.org.uk/news/2016/09/13/fire-service-crisis-10000-firefighter-jobs-axed

In 2015/16 the number of fire deaths increased by 17.4%: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/584351/fire-incident-response-times-1516-hosb0117.pdf

 Between 2010 and 2015 the Tories axed 34,000 police jobs. Between 2015 and 2020 they intend to axe tens of thousands more. The police have managed to juke the statistics by non-recording vast numbers of reported crimes, but the impact of these police cuts can't be hidden off the violent crime statistics, which have increased by 96% between 2012 and 2016: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-39733225

 One of the sickest things about the Tory government is the way they allowed HMRC to draw up sweetheart tax deals with massive corporations like Google, Starbucks and Vodafone. Why should Google get to negotiate a 3% tax deal when ordinary working people have to pay what they actually owe: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/04/google-uk-tax-deal-share-options-scheme

Theresa May's Snoopers' Charter is the most extreme state surveillance law ever introduced in a developed nation. It allows over 20,000 government employees to trawl through the private communication data of innocent people (including loads of non-terrorism related organisations like the Food Standards Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and the Gambling Commission): http://www.whoishostingthis.com/blog/2017/03/10/ipa-numbers/

Theresa May and the Tories love sucking up to dictators and despots like the Islamist tyrants in Saudi Arabia and the Turkish autocrat Recep Erdoğan. The disgraced Liam Fox was even in the Philippines to suck up to the brutal dictator Rodrigo Duterte and talk up our "shared values": https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-5076-Theresa-May-The-dictators-dream#.WTWk9OsrKUl

 Theresa May has a burning contempt for your human rights. She has expressed her determination to tear up the European Convention on Human Rights on many occasions, and join Belarus as the only European nation that doesn't adhere to the human rights legislation that was bestowed on Europe by the British Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee: http://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Convention_ENG.pdf

One of the worst things about the Tory government is the fact that several of their malicious anti-welfare schemes actually cost more to administer in corporate outsourcing fees than they will ever save in reduced benefits payments. The Work Capacity Assessment regime for sick and disabled people and their draconian sanctions system are both examples of socially ruinous schemes that actually cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds to operate: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Benefit-sanctions-Summary.pdf

While UK workers suffered the worst collapse in the value of their wages on record the tiny super rich minority literally doubled their wealth. Take from the poor to give to the rich, that's always been the Tory agenda. The worst thing is that these malicious reverse Robin Hoods even had the gall to tell us "we're all in this together" as they were deliberately rigging society even more in favour of the tiny super-rich minority than it already was: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/apr/26/recession-rich-britains-wealthiest-double-net-worth-since-crisis

Perhaps the most worrying thing of all is the way Theresa May has made the threat of a "no deal" Brexit strop the centrepiece of her diplomatically inept Brexit negotiating strategy. If the EU 27 call her bluff and she ends up walking the UK over a "no deal" Brexit cliff edge the social and economic consequences will be catastrophic. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has estimated that the imposition of WTO tariffs, the flight of businesses, border checks and all the other chaos that would come with a "no deal" flounce would wipe between 6.3% and 9.5% off the national GDP. To put that in perspective the recession that followed the 2007-08 global financial sector insolvency crisis (you know, the one we're still trying to recover from) wiped 4.8% off GDP: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/brexit02.pdf

😳😲😱 

But wait... there's more! Let's keep going!! Piled on more debt in 4 years than Labour did in 13: https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2013/11/the-tories-have-piled-on-more-debt-than-labour/

A rise in wealth inequality on the horizon: https://www.ft.com/content/4642c8d6-eb95-11e6-ba01-119a44939bb6

Dismantling of disability benefits is a breach of human rights: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/un-report-disability-disabled-rights-violating-austerity-welfare-reform-esa-pip-a7404956.html

Number of homeless children hit an eight year high last year: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/03/child-homelessness-christmas-eight-year-high-shelter-12000-children-temporary-accommodation

Child poverty expected to rise by 50% by 2020: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jun/28/number-uk-children-living-inpoverty-jumps-200000

Living standards fell for all but the richest: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/05/uk-living-standards-fell-for-all-but-the-richest-under-coalition-analysis

UK wages dropped 10% since 2007, the second-biggest hit in Europe: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/uk-wages-drop-10-tuc-greece-recession-financial-crisis-brexit-a7157681.html

As of 2011, British people work the 3rd longest out of everyone in Europe: https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/dec/08/europe-working-hours

16 million people have less than £100 in savings: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37504449

UK productivity growth is the weakest since WW2 https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/apr/01/uk-productivity-growth-is-weakest-since-wwii-says-ons

GDP per capita is lower than it was before 2008: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/may/24/joseph-stiglitz-interview-uk-economy-lost-decade-zero-growth

Deficit was supposed to be eliminated by 2015, now the target is 2020: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/04/21/deficit-figures-an-embarrassment-for-george-osborne-as-he-misses/

For parents in full-time work the rate of poverty has risen to 8%, and the number of people in working-poor in absolute poverty grew by 2 million in the last decade: http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21701216-number-working-poor-growing-blame-high-house-prices-low-productivity-and-too-little

£1 billion inheritance tax cut pledged: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/feb/28/tory-1bn-inheritance-tax-cut-will-worsen-north-south-divide

Six million workers paid less than the living wage: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34691404

Shelter: 1 in 5 adults suffer from mental health issues due to housing issues: https://twitter.com/Shelter/status/854782916739706881

In 2013 the Red Cross had to start a campaign for food aid in Britain for the first time since WW2: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-24487146

On average workers families are set to be £1300 worse off this year: https://fullfact.org/economy/average-working-families-and-budget/

By 2022 Conservatives will cut a combined £70 billion in corporation tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, and bank levies, yet they claim they need to make savings by not guaranteeing triple-lock pensions: http://press.labour.org.uk/post/158315410419/the-tories-70bn-tax-giveaways-to-the-super-rich

More than 500,000 primary school pupils are taught in classes between 31 and 35 pupils: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/jan/15/primary-schools-oversize-classes-claims-labour

More than 40,000 primary children in classes over 36: https://www.educationbusinessuk.net/news/21042017/jeremy-corbyn-criticises-tories-over-overcrowded-classrooms

More than half of primary school teachers surveyed in a NUT poll said that pupils showed signs of holiday hunger, 39% of teachers said it affected more than a quarter of their pupils, 12% said it affected more than half, and 80% reported that holiday hunger increased over 2 years: https://www.teachers.org.uk/news-events/conference-2017/nut-survey-holiday-hunger

10,000 jobs axed and record fire station closures, fire prevention exercises have reduced by a quarter over 5 years, 13% less time on public safety initiatives - 15% increase in fire-related deaths in 2015/16: http://www.writeyou.co.uk/dangerous_tory_cuts_to_our_fire_rescue_service_need_to_end

20 hospitals declared a black alert in January: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/11/nhs-crisis-20-hospitals-declare-black-alert-as-patient-safety-no-longer-assured

The Red Cross declared the NHS was in humanitarian crisis in January: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/06/nhs-faces-humanitarian-crisis-rising-demand-british-red-cross

Around 1000 NHS England patients waited more than 12 hours on a trolley this January, compared to just 17 in Jan 2011: http://news.sky.com/story/worst-month-on-record-for-ae-waiting-times-10795364

There's been a 504% increase of patients waiting over four hours since Jan 2011: http://news.sky.com/story/worst-month-on-record-for-ae-waiting-times-10795364

Over 4000 urgent operations were cancelled last year, up 27% in two years: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/27/record-number-urgent-operations-cancelled-hospitals-england-2016

Knee and hip operations are "rationed" for only those who can't sleep because of the pain: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/26/hip-operations-much-pain-cant-sleep-new-nhs-rationing-plans/

The rules on how much the NHS could pay agency staff is breached 50,000 times a week because of staff shortages: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-36341285

Applications for nursing degrees are down 23% on September 2016 applications because nursing bursaries have been scrapped: https://www.ucas.com/corporate/news-and-key-documents/news/applicants-uk-higher-education-down-5-uk-students-and-7-eu-students

Half of junior doctors chose not to progress to specialty training last year: http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/Half+of+foundation+trainees+now+choose+not+to+progress+straight+to+specialty+training

NHS staff suffering pay cuts: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/nhs-staff-pay-cut-one-per-cent-rise-health-workers-doctors-dentists-nurses-midwives-a7654251.html

Private contracting has doubled from £4 billion to £8 billion since 2010: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-37087304

Still, the Tories continue to cut £22 billion by 2020: http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/uk_58322fcae4b09025ba32a16b

Even though the £15 billion in corporation tax cuts the Tories are enacting would be enough to train 10,000 teachers, 10,000 police officers, and 12,000 nurses full time every year for a decade: http://press.labour.org.uk/post/155290716819/tory-cuts-to-corporation-tax-worth-15-billion

😡😡😡 

But hey, at least May isn't an "IRA sympathiser" or a "loony"...!!

Monthly Musings: May 2017

An overview of opinions and observations for the month.

Whisper: May 2017

03/05/2017 @00:22
You can never be happily free until you unshackle yourself from the negativity.

06/05/2017 @21:44
I am slowly growing to resent all women. I wonder if this is how feminazi's feel about men? Allowing their personal experiences destroy their image of the opposite gender.

06/05/2017 @22:07
Touché. I haven't met a single man who hasn't been harassed by a woman at some point either.

06/05/2017 @23:57
I don't see the relevancy of reported rape statistics?

07/05/2017 @22:42
Reste en paix France.

07/05/2017 @22:43
Repose en paix France.

30/05/2017 @22:08
Feminazi's are not the same as Feminist's. Feminazi is the term applied specifically to misandrists who pose as Feminist's.

Travel: Berlin, Germany

Pullman Berlin Schweizerhof

Kilkenny Irish Pub Berlin

BVB Fankneipe Berlin -Mitte

Mikkeller Berlin

Hopfenreich - Craft Beer Bar Berlin

Reichstag

Berlin Wall

Topography of Terror

Berliner Mauer - East Side Gallery

Victory Column

Soviet Memorial Monument in Tiergarten

Brandenburg Gate

Checkpoint Charlie

Fernsehturm TV Tower

Olympic Stadium

Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam

Orangery Palace, Potsdam

Neues Palace, Potsdam

Nikolaikirche Church

Pergamon Museum, Museum Island

Neues Museum, Museum Island

Alte Nationalgalerie, Museum Island

2711 Slab Holocaust Memorial

Das Meisterstuck

Hops & Barley

Barist, Restaurant Café & Cocktailbar

Maredo Gaststatten

Computer Spiele Museum

Das Eis Café Am Brandenburger Tor

Gaffel Haus

Kolsches Konsulat

Monthly Musings: April 2017

An overview of opinions and observations for the month.

Whisper: April 2017

01/04/2017 @11:20
Single Mums like "I don't need a man's help to raise my child! 👊"
...whilst claiming benefits that working men's wages help fund.

01/04/2017 @11:38
What about them? They are irrelevant to my Whisper.

01/04/2017 @11:39
Then I am pretty sure this Whisper doesn't apply to them, so your reply isn't relevant to the point I was making.

01/04/2017 @11:42
Truth hurts when you're in denial 😂

01/04/2017 @11:50
So by extension they need the man.

01/04/2017 @11:53
Nope, it really doesn't. And it isn't sexist, it's observational honesty.

01/04/2017 @11:54
Nope. Child benefits are not paid out of a separate fund only contributed to by women.

01/04/2017 @11:56
Yes, and until they do, they need men to keep working hard to help fill the benefit pot they claim from.

01/04/2017 @11:59
That is why my Whisper says "help to fund" not "solely fund". You inability to read properly before spitting out your tampon annoys me.

01/04/2017 @12:00
That is why my Whisper says "help to fund" not "solely fund". Your inability to read properly before ranting annoys me.

01/04/2017 @12:02
Well yes, they are irrelevant since my Whisper is about single Mum's saying they don't need men's help.

01/04/2017 @12:07
You need me to show you the proof that men's wages also contribute to benefits payments? 🤔

01/04/2017 @12:09
No, I made a bold statement about single Mum's saying they don't need a man's help, yet happily accepting financial support contributed to by them. Not my fault you misinterpreted it.

01/04/2017 @12:11
Your inability to process basic English is astonishing.

01/04/2017 @12:15
Yes, however mentioning women isn't relevant to my point since single Mum's don't post about not needing "a man or woman's help to raise their child". It's always about not needing a "man".

01/04/2017 @12:18
Nope, single Father ironically who isn't entitled to any financial support and sick of seeing Father's get berated by single Mum's who can claim benefits that I contribute to.

01/04/2017 @12:22
I never see these jobless lazy men posting "I don't need any help from women 👊" so feel free to post examples to make your reply relevant.

01/04/2017 @12:27
I raise my child by myself & aren't entitled to benefits. I feel fully justified to be annoyed by Mum's berating Fathers indiscriminately whilst claiming benefits that I contribute too.

01/04/2017 @12:35
I find it exhausting living in a world where feminism has taught women to empower themselves by dismissing, humiliating and belittling men at every opportunity.

01/04/2017 @12:37
I agree it would be a sexist generalisation to say that - which is why I haven't said that. Also, no. A large amount of women force men out against their will and choose to be a single parent.

01/04/2017 @12:39
Nope, nothing sexist about stating facts. The uneducated ones are those who read my Whisper and completely misinterpret what was said.

01/04/2017 @12:40
You are indeed obvious.

01/04/2017 @12:40
Which outrageous claim?

01/04/2017 @12:46
Obvious troll is obvious.

01/04/2017 @12:53
I have personally been subjected to it, it cost me £3k to take my ex court for access. As a result I am constantly asked for advice about how to proceed when you're pushed out your own child's life.

01/04/2017 @13:00
Nevertheless my taxes contribute to her be income. If she doesn't need any man's help, can I stop contributing to her benefits? I don't work hard to have % of my wages given to women who insult.

01/04/2017 @13:06
Cool story.

01/04/2017 @13:11
Nope, not abandonment. My ex simply refused to let me see my child because she wanted to prove to her friends "she didn't need a man" despite my eagerness to be involved.

01/04/2017 @13:14
I agree all single Mothers aren't bad, and have not said anywhere that they are. I know a lot of single Mum's who are great. But there are also a lot of terrible single Mothers too.

01/04/2017 @13:17
Totally agree. My original post was directed at single Mum's who feel the need to discredit all Dad's simply because they regret who they chose to parent with.

01/04/2017 @13:20
I thought the quote I included in the original post would make it clear who it was aimed at...

01/04/2017 @13:25
No worries, perhaps it wasn't worded as intended. If you see the other comments, you aren't alone 😂

01/04/2017 @13:27
As a single parent, I move in a lot of circles with other single parents (school, classes etc). Perhaps it is a reflection on my area in the UK.

01/04/2017 @13:30
Reread my Whisper (about women saying they don't need men's help) and you will understand why women's contributions are irrelevant to the point of the post.

01/04/2017 @13:31
N'aww 'babycakes', I feel all cute and adorable now! ❤️

01/04/2017 @13:33
I'm tired of explaining this, read my on other posts.

01/04/2017 @13:43
Finally someone who can read!! 😂👌

01/04/2017 @13:46
I know what it means. It means "everyone look at my social signalling and tell me how awesome I am because I chose to have a kid with a shit Dad" 😂

01/04/2017 @13:48
I can't even have a general conversation 90% of the time without it devolving into a female trying to assert dominance by deriding men.

01/04/2017 @13:50
*Government assistance that is partially funded by men's taxes.
The same men they generalise and berate.

01/04/2017 @13:55
Well in my experience the subsequent conversation evolves into man bashing by all females involved about how they are better off without men because 'xyz'.

01/04/2017 @13:57
If the shoe fits, wear it. Otherwise stop implying I am tarring you with any brush. My comments refer to a subset of single Mum's, if you aren't part of that subset, stop taking offence.

01/04/2017 @13:59
I never said they don't.

01/04/2017 @14:00
Please stop posting that you "don't need a man's help to raise your child" on social media.

01/04/2017 @14:01
And you are unnecessarily angry.

01/04/2017 @14:03
Nope, I did not imply that. Reread the Whisper before getting offended.

01/04/2017 @14:04
Please stop posting that you "don't need a man's help to raise your child" on social media.

01/04/2017 @14:12
Please stop posting that you "don't need a man's help to raise your child" on social media.

01/04/2017 @14:17
Please stop posting that you "don't need a man's help to raise your child" on social media.

01/04/2017 @14:23
Then the post isn't about you, so your input is irrelevant.

01/04/2017 @14:23
Please stop posting that you "don't need a man's help to raise your child" on social media.

01/04/2017 @14:26
I'd rather be a retard than be you. Luckily I am neither.

01/04/2017 @14:28
It always amuses me when people try to get personal about stranger's lives that they know nothing about. 😂

01/04/2017 @14:29
So this post is not relative to you and your input is irrelevant.

01/04/2017 @14:31
Lol, no. My post was aimed at people I know who it definitely applies too. You chose to comment when it doesn't apply to you.

01/04/2017 @14:31
Cool story. Have fun.

01/04/2017 @14:32
Please stop posting that you "don't need a man's help to raise your child" on social media.

01/04/2017 @14:33
Nope, a single Dad.

01/04/2017 @14:34
Nope, I know the people it was aimed at irl. No assuming.

01/04/2017 @14:35
Please stop posting on social media that you "don't need men's help" to raise your child.

01/04/2017 @14:37
And just so you know, I never said they did. Reread the original Whisper.

01/04/2017 @14:38
Nope, it was aimed at women who post about not needing a man, whilst claiming benefits...
Like the original Whisper said.

01/04/2017 @14:40
Well if you don't post that, the Whisper wasn't aimed at you so your input isn't relevant.

01/04/2017 @14:40
Please stop posting on social media that you "don't need men's help" to raise your child.

01/04/2017 @14:41
I know, I do it well.

01/04/2017 @14:42
Lol, so the post isn't relevant to you.

01/04/2017 @14:46
Apologies if that was really blunt, I am tired of replying about it to people who have taken offence when it doesn't apply to them, and are just seeking an argument.

01/04/2017 @14:48
I aren't. I am fatigued of seeing women berating men on social media whilst claiming benefits I pay towards. Especially when I am a single Dad myself and not entitled to any benefits.

01/04/2017 @14:52
I fight to make ends meet for my child despite working full time, to then see women generalising and bashing all men over social media. It's hard to not get frustrated.

01/04/2017 @14:52
I applaud her 👌

01/04/2017 @14:57
1

01/04/2017 @14:58
Never said it was 'just men'...

01/04/2017 @14:59
Because the post is about women saying they don't need 'men'. Therefore the subject of the post is 'men's' contribution. Not women's.

01/04/2017 @15:01
Indeed, I feel constantly at war with most females because everything descends into an argument over gender dominance.

01/04/2017 @15:01
👌 Have a nice day.

01/04/2017 @15:02
Nope. It says "help fund" not "solely fund".

01/04/2017 @15:08
Yes! You are a rare breed these days, it's nice to converse with someone compassionate and not just eager to argue for the sake of arguing! ❤️

01/04/2017 @15:09
Nope, I would like women to stop generalising and bashing men simply because they can't get along with the father of their child.

01/04/2017 @15:10
Then the post wasn't aimed at you. ✌️

01/04/2017 @15:16
My Whisper was intended to imply my frustration at women who bash men by going on about "not needing men" whilst claiming benefits I pay towards.

01/04/2017 @15:17
Please tell your friends to stop going on about "not needing men" on social media.

01/04/2017 @15:18
Sorry but last time I checked my Whisper never said they don't, douchebag.

01/04/2017 @15:21
Lol, jokes on you, because she does. We have an awesome co-parenting arrangement because we realise the importance of both parents in our child's life.

01/04/2017 @15:25
My point is that 'some' single Mum's bash 'all' men because their baby daddy is a waste but are happy to take money from other men in the form of benefits.

01/04/2017 @15:31
*and bash all men

01/04/2017 @15:37
Hey twatmonkey, I never said it wasn't from all working people's wages.

01/04/2017 @15:37
Well aren't you the cryptic cunt.

01/04/2017 @15:38
What a twatmonkey you are! 😂

01/04/2017 @15:40
Nope, just bashing all the Mothers who bash all men.

01/04/2017 @15:44
Congrats for being in the minority. I trust they will have no male teachers during their entire education, or ever get taught any skills by men?

01/04/2017 @15:45
Just tired of being bashed by single Mum's who had kids with idiots.

01/04/2017 @15:47
It's the comments that follow full of generalising hate and contempt.

01/04/2017 @15:47
Yep, just it never said that.

01/04/2017 @15:47
Yep, never said otherwise.

01/04/2017 @15:49
I'm saying there is a contradiction in single Mum's bashing men and saying they don't need them, when we contribute to the benefits they claim via taxes.

01/04/2017 @15:49
Good on you 👌

01/04/2017 @15:51
Nope, that's child tax credits and child benefit in the UK.

01/04/2017 @15:52
Then this comment does not refer to her. It refers to women who bash all men yet take benefits that men contribute too.

01/04/2017 @15:54
Naturally a Whisper doesn't have space to over elaborate with examples; a lot of these statuses descend into bitter hate fuelled "fuck men" rants.

01/04/2017 @15:55
I am glad she is a strong positive role model. I am simply fatigued with seeing the influence and importance of a Father being dismissed.

01/04/2017 @15:57
The subsequent conversation often devolves into "yeah fuck men" exchanges between bitter men hating mums.

01/04/2017 @16:00
As a male, naturally I take offence at seeing men being bashed. Clearly you can empathise by the fact you are here defending women because you perceive me as bashing them.

01/04/2017 @16:02
Nah my problem is with women who openly attack the entire male gender based on their experience with a few idiots.

01/04/2017 @16:05
I never aimed it all women, hence the inclusion of an example of the type of quote that pisses me off. Just hoards of women it doesn't even apply to get offended lol.

01/04/2017 @16:07
Nope. This post is aimed at men hating single Mum's so altering the con renders it pointless.

01/04/2017 @16:09
😂😂 The post is about women slagging off men and then claiming benefits men pay towards.

01/04/2017 @16:11
Nope, the foolishness is in most  of women it does not refer to getting offended and going on the warpath... 😂

01/04/2017 @16:15
'men' aren't unreliable fuck sticks. 'some men' are unreliable fuck sticks. Generalising comments like yours inspired the original post.

01/04/2017 @16:24
I am simply returning the compliment twatbird.

01/04/2017 @16:41
This is OP. I am not going over the tax thing again in a reply. Both men and women pay taxes. My post does not say any different. It says men "help" not "solely" fund benefits.

01/04/2017 @16:54
I genuinely wish you no ill will, my frustration on this subject is toward singlemum's who generalise and insult men, yet I still contribute to their benefi ts via my taxes.

01/04/2017 @16:55
I wish you all the best in raising your child & supporting your parents. Family is the most important thing in this life x

01/04/2017 @17:03
❤️ this post if you are a Father who has at any point been pushed out of your child's life by your ex simply for not giving into unreasonable demands.

01/04/2017 @18:00
To argue with this means admitting you cannot read simple English.

01/04/2017 @18:26
I'm a single Dad who has zero entitlement to benefits so...

01/04/2017 @18:30
👌

01/04/2017 @18:32
Wow. Good luck with learning to read.

01/04/2017 @18:51
😂😂✌️

01/04/2017 @19:56
I crave conversation, yet when someone actually messages me, I have no motivation to respond and often ignore it for a few days so that when I do respond they don't continue the conversation.

02/04/2017 @06:41
You're a fucking moron. You cannot understand simple English, try to argue about your misinterpretation of what I wrote, then celebrate some imaginary victory. It's actually concerning.

02/04/2017 @06:45
Read my post you fucking moron. It clearly says that men's wages HELP FUND not SOLELY FUND. The post is about women saying they don't need men. Not about only men paying taxes ✌️

02/04/2017 @07:03
My alcoholism ended when I replaced the addiction with cannabis. My cannabis addiction was later replaced with cocaine. Then the cocaine was replaced with my daughter. I am 2 years clean.

02/04/2017 @07:11
It was the only way to phrase it whilst keeping in with the character limit. It was more a lifestyle thing where I would smoke it everyday. I stopped smoking it but simply substituted it.

02/04/2017 @07:27
Easy way to locate your child at home:
1) Sit on the toilet. or 2) Open a snack.
They will magically appear.

02/04/2017 @14:25
😂😂

02/04/2017 @15:09
Nope, not angry, sorry to shatter the illusion again. I'm simply disappointed. Your parents and/or the education system failed you. I pity you.

02/04/2017 @15:12
Much love. Get some help for your lack of education. Kthnxbai

02/04/2017 @23:48
My Mum always tells me "the right girl will come along when the time is right". She doesn't realise just how cynical of love I am. I romanticise staying single until I die.

03/04/2017 @17:14
Why is it... If a guy rejects a female and she gets upset, he is heartless. If a female rejects a guy and he gets upset, he needs to man up.

05/04/2017 @00:04
Never forget that you are perfectly imperfect just the way you are. Beautiful, unique and original. Be proud to simply be yourself.

05/04/2017 @00:07
Every single time you are trying to wrap up a call, another damn call wanna interrupt you.

05/04/2017 @00:08
Is it just my employer who thinks it's necessary to have pre-meetings about meetings, then post-meetings after meetings to discuss the meetings? I HATE MEETINGS.

05/04/2017 @00:33
Every single time I get in bed at a reasonable hour to get some much needed sleep, a 'quick look' on my phone evolves into a 2 hour trawl through every social media app I have.

05/04/2017 @00:38
I relate, on all avenues of social recognition. Art. Music. Writing. I am proud of my creativity, but nobody else seems to care.

05/04/2017 @00:42
It's bullshit that after outgoings I am left with about 12% of my wages as disposable income. Full time work should afford a better lifestyle than this.

05/04/2017 @06:34
I don't know why you're sorry, but apology accepted.

05/04/2017 @06:56
Perhaps he has been doing research into a surprise for you and doesn't want you to find out.

05/04/2017 @21:10
Most females I know just want "à la carte equality". Embrace the bits that benefit them, reject the bits that don't.

05/04/2017 @23:52
I'd mention this to my employer, but they'd likely schedule a meeting to discuss it!

06/04/2017 @00:39
I cannot fathom how other single parents have time to date and meet new romantic partners. I barely have time to even style my hair.

06/04/2017 @00:40
Only one other woman could ever come before my daughter.
And that's me if I transitioned gender.

06/04/2017 @21:25
In a world where good customer service is a rarity, always make an effort to show your gratitude when an advisor goes out of their way to assist you.

07/04/2017 @06:42
I was spending all my money and all my free time on it. Lazying around baked and shirking all my responsibilities. The affect on my lifestyle was horrendous.

07/04/2017 @06:43
I was spending all my money and all my free time on it. Lazying around baked and shirking my responsibilities. The affect on my lifestyle was horrendous.

07/04/2017 @06:43
Do better than what? :/

07/04/2017 @06:46
Regardless I was spending all my money and all my free time on it. Lazying around baked and shirking all my responsibilities. The affect on my lifestyle was horrendous.

07/04/2017 @06:50
😂👌

07/04/2017 @07:10
I was spending all my money and all my free time on it. Lazying around baked and shirking all my responsibilities. The affect on my lifestyle was horrendous.

07/04/2017 @07:12
I changed circles, moved away from my stoner friends in a bid to stop spending my life sitting monging out at the TV. The new circle of friends were coke abusers, and I have an addictive personality.

07/04/2017 @07:14
I totally agree, like my original post says. Now I haven't touched any recreational drug in 2 years and spend all my time and money on my daughter.

07/04/2017 @07:16
I am very happy for you. I am happier for myself though for improving myquality of life.

07/04/2017 @07:17
I was spending all my money and all my free time on it. Lazying aroundbaked and shirking all my responsibilities. The affect on my lifestyle was horrendous.

07/04/2017 @07:19
Oh, you are one of them types of people who are aren't interested in proper conversation about it, you just wanna troll. Cool, I'll leave you to it. Have a nice day.

07/04/2017 @07:35
It is incredible how more people are bothered by the term "cannabis addiction" than actually bothered with the actual point of the Whisper about turning your life around for your child.

07/04/2017 @07:52
Uhm, no. I didn't approach a female and say "let's have a child so I can overcome my demons". What woman would even agree to that? I had a kid, which motivated me to become a better person.

07/04/2017 @08:02
Thank you very much, there is so much toxic negativity everywhere these days! ❤️

07/04/2017 @18:03
I parent her.

07/04/2017 @21:28
Occasionally I really feel like talking to people. The other 99% of the time I just want people to leave me be.

07/04/2017 @21:32
Depression can overwhelm you and convince you that nobody cares. Somebody always cares. Taking your own life may end your pain, but it transfers the pain to everyone who loves you.

08/04/2017 @22:35
I'm stuck between wanting to be productive, and not being motivated to be productive.

08/04/2017 @23:32
Loneliness tricks us into emotionless relationships. We so desperately want to feel connected, we settle for people we aren't actually compatible with.

09/04/2017 @19:25
I have been there in the past, it used to brighten up my day when someone was openly appreciative. 😁

10/04/2017 @00:21
I prefer masturbation than intercourse. No pressure. No risk of STI's. No risk of pregnancy. No risk of being accused of rape.

15/04/2017 @17:40
Everybody else out living the life of Riley, throwing money around like they are millionaires, meanwhile I'm at the shop trying to figure out if I can afford a can of Fanta.

16/04/2017 @11:38
When you buy someone a gift, and then after the occasion when you give it them, you never see them with it ever again. 😑👎

16/04/2017 @17:43
I hate when someone declines plans with "sorry I can't afford" but then is plastered all over social media out spending money whilst spending time with other people.

16/04/2017 @18:13
Limited word count prevents elaboration in the original post. I have been waiting 2 months for them to "let me know" when they can afford...

16/04/2017 @19:56
And now they've posted that they just bought a Nintendo Switch. Clearly they just don't wanna catch up. Only known them 19 years, no biggie. 😢

19/04/2017 @00:49
The tension when you update your phone OS and you think it's crashed midway... And you're there, helplessly staring at your expensive phone praying that it comes back on alright.

20/04/2017 @19:59
Boundaries? Like what? Stay at home alone my sweet four year old, Daddy deserves to have some romance?

20/04/2017 @20:22
Lmao, it was exaggeration. Of course I make time for basic hygiene. I don't really trust babysitters. My child's safety is more important than me having any romance.

24/04/2017 @00:02
When you've lost people who meant everything to you for no apparent reason, it's difficult to fight for any remaining friendships because it feels pointless.

24/04/2017 @00:02
No you don't.

24/04/2017 @00:04
Lately I've become so apathetic about 99% of things I used to be passionate about.

24/04/2017 @00:06
Love has been romanticised so much in media that people have unrealistic ideals about it. They want the fairytale ending after the fi rst chapter.

24/04/2017 @00:09
I think deep down most of us feel isolated and without purpose. We drift through life desperately trying to fill a void that lingers uncomfortably within us.

24/04/2017 @00:15
No you don't.

25/04/2017 @07:41
N'aww thanks. I love you too. Stay strong. ❤️

30/04/2017 @08:10
A client came to pay for his insurance today, and because his price had increased by £100 due to him lying, he paid the £1300 in £1 coins that we had to count...

30/04/2017 @08:15
I wanted to tell him he was short and force him to recount them himself to prove it was all there but my boss wouldn't let me! 😂😣

30/04/2017 @08:18
My boss didn't want to give the client the satisfaction of knowing it bothered us. The client crashed his car on his way off the car park. Karma. 😂

30/04/2017 @08:19
Wasn't my call - I wanted to say it was short and force him to recount them himself but my boss wouldn't let me 😑