A very short blog to provide a very interesting link about the Daily Mail. Please pass it on to your favourite Mail readers if you can find two in a row! They normally hide upstairs on the double decker buses on the front seats with their feet up on the window in case they are selected for a premature death. Of course many of us cannot afford to visit the UK anymore so get your favourite nephew to do it for you!
Brian it is very cold particularly when you have suffered a direct lightning strike which came close to killing all but in any event blew up 2 metres of chimney and showered 3 terraces with the debris, has derstroyed your electrical sysatem bar parts, one of which I am using for the computer. Which has also destroyed your washing machine, airco which we use for heating, destroyed the oven, tv, sky box (dare I mention ) and just about everything else you had that was electrical in the house.
No hot water for 4 days to shower or wash with, destroyed your garage door motor, hotwater boiler, blah, blah, blah..... yes its not to good to be herte at this time.
However, the avaaz petition was not to promote me in any shape size or form it is there to publicise the rotten British Governments obnoxious behaviour. No there is no self-promotion as you put it. Mate ! go and pour yourself another drink.-
I am glad that my comment has 'strirred' you into action! I very much look forward to seeing you recipe but no arsnic please! The copy of the complaint to the PCC is only one of dozens I have seen for myself and hundreds I have heard about. We cant all be wrong!!
Incidentally, the Editor of the MailRag will not be sitting in on this complaint despite being a panel member. This I have been informed by the PCC today.
I have looked longingly several timex today outside my door for any sign of a vino van but nothing!! When I suceed in selling up in Spain and move to La Belle France I will buy you a drink!
P.S I really would prefer to find an old copy in the rubbish bin outside of a shop and burn that since as a poor pensioner and not one with a yacht parked off the Spanish mainland. €2.50 is hard to find to buy rubbish, I would rather buy food.
Well struck Brian and well strummed Vic. (I have a Hagstrom guitar from the 60's - I might even include it in a picture (with me) on my profile!
Brian you are right we don't need to fall out over this but if Vic was to follow the thread he will see that Christine had replied to my reply to her with a x which shows she was not peed off with me. I do however thank you sincerely for your signature on the petition - I'm sure other expats would agree too.
Now lets get down to taking some photos of us burning the Daily Mail Newsrag and send them all to IDS (the stuff you put in car radiators to stop them.......................freezing in winter!!!
Woah, people don't start a sidetrack when we have the argument with 1) IDS, 2) the DM, 3) their very wealthy cartoonist and 4) probably a large number of jealous people in the UK who would love to live in our balmy (or do I mean barmy?) climates but are so anxious about being surrounded by foreigners they cannot make it.
I likewise bear in mind that the same minister and news (?) rag are also slagging off those unfortunate enough to have food banks as their last resort because they cannot find one of the non-existent jobs and have been struck off benefits. I am sure they would also love to be here, but with a bit of food and warmth. So chaps, differences aside and lets concentrate on defending what we are entitled to.
I am sure that quite a number of people would wish to register their complaint about the insulting article and cartoon in the Daily Mail but might not know the email address. This is :_ -
Explanation : Please explain how you believe the Code of Practice has been breached I wish to lodge and register a complaint concerning the above cartoon which appeared in the 15th November 2013 copy of the Daily Mail. The cartoon features two people dressed in swimming costumes sitting on sun loungers beside a swimming pool in what is clearly meant to be the hot summer months. A delivery van is also shown delivering cases of wine which clearly identifies the location of the cartoon as being Spain. The caption reads , "Oh goody! Here comes our winter fuel."
This is a completely and inaccurate portrayal of the reality of November and winter life in Spain and other EU countries like; Cyprus, France & Portugal. This most definetely is a propoganda exercise to foster bad will and ill feelings to all Brits who have decided to retire to other countries within the EU. The article itself hasn´t been well researched and giving a false position of those retirees now living in other EU countries.
During the winter months there is much snow in many EU countries and Les Pyrenees is very popular for its sking resort as are many others. The article and the cartoon depict a false picture of what temperatures are like all year round. Many retired expats tha t I know are very relieved that they can still receive their annual WFP which, although modest, does go someway to offseting their winter fuel bills for logs, gas and electricty. Again electricty bills continue to rise with our French provider EDF raising prices 5% this year and a further pronised rise of 5% next year. The WFP is most definetly used for fuel costs and not purchasing cases of wine during the summer months.
My complaint is based on the fact that the Daily Mail has published a highly inaccurate, mailicious, badly and completly ill researched article and cartoon and is insulting to the vast majority of retired expats now living in other EU countries. It is an article of propaganda and falsifies their lifestyle as to alienate them from those still living in the UK.
I confirm that I have lodged my complaint on the basis that both the offending cartoon and article both breach the guidelines contained on the PCC website. I request that the PCC in struct the Daily Mail to remove both the article and the cartoon as a matter of priority in order that no futher badwill will be created. Also both the Daily Mail and the cartoonist MAC should as matter of priority be instructed to issue unconditional apologies.
Judging by the support my arguement is getting online here and other places, it is far from being just one person's view. Loads of people are on their own volition writing to the PCC to complain about its disgusting and distasteful article which has offended them.
Why perople should get upset about a cheapskate newspaper that makes its money out of slagging other and oftimes innocent people off, escapes most of us.
Heyup mate have you got a really good recipe for a Christmas Pudding you can send me please or put it on here? Despite being a T2 Diabetic, I love home made Chrtistmas Pud. I also enjoy stirring, sometimes people and other times puddings, : )
Well put Maria and you are perfectly right about it. I wonder why so many people are so protective towards a newspaper that thriveds and earns its livinhg from libeling others"
Thank you for your invite to bog off. Quite rude and unnecessary under the circumstances since I had rep'lied to Catherine in a friendly, timely and mildly humorous way. Catherine has not complained about my response - why do you think it is your job to do so on her behalf? Why not write something useful or join the campaign for justice for expat pensioners on WFA, frozen pensions, disenfranchisement of the right to vote, etc, etc. There is much good work you could do, I'm sure to help your fellow man and woman and your grasndchildren if you have any!
Brian, AVAAZ invites people to put up petitions, somebody will/must do as he did. I would have done so in the near future after any more of the IDS statements we hear.
As regards the Daily Mail 'spoof', may I ask if 'semi illiterate Guardinista' (literacy also in question there, should be 'Guardianista', ditto should be 'my daughter and I' grammatically) is any better? As for SFN, the site itself does not censor members, therefore it is our responsibility to carry any blame or shame for what is put up. If Mrs Hutchinson prefers censorship then she should say so rather than accuse the entire membership by proxy through what she says. As for slander, in law that is defamation by oral statement rather than by writing, pictures, etc. I believe you mean libel, however whenever something held to be libellous is a view shared by several or many people in law it is very likely to be ignored as simply public opinion. The Mac cartoon could, in fact, be held as libellous by portly persons, sitting by their pool and having wine delivered on the Costa Brava. However, I imagine most people will laugh after the anger about the slur against them has been digested. The opinions people hold and their sense of humour, sometimes a bit warped perhaps by some people's standards, are still to the best of my knowledge part of the democratic environment and of our freedom of speech. If otherwise, then please inform us of that and we shall perhaps refrain from exchanges of humour or opinion forthwith.
In the event of being referred to as a Guardianista, literate or otherwise, does the fact I also read the Times, Daily Telegraph and Economist as well as papers of left, right and centre in other countries qualify me?
Ah but Clive - you will find that you get treated with a lot more sympathy / respect/ kindness etc. etc. etc when you DO add a photo. It makes a huge difference - trust me :)
So Brian English you seem to be concerned that I am breaking some rule on this site about blogging more than once on the same subject - be it that is relates to different aspects as the situation changes daily. I have seen some blogging and conversations going on now for almost 10 consecutive days about the fees that agencies charge to sell their property in France. After a while I stopped reading these comments because nothing new was being said. However these people have a perfect right to discuss this subject as long as they like and untill the cows come home and why not?
Similarly, as a member I too have a right to blog away as things change. There are many people who are upset at the way they are being treated by the British Government in their cowardly attack on pensioners.
As to the petition, your remark falls well below the belt! The petition is not my private property, it is done on behalf of all expat pensioners. I am not seeking celebrity status or recognition but merely to do all I can in fighting the injustices being metered out by the UK government and their cheapskate newspaper the Mail.
Please note - I have not even added a photo to my profile since it is totally irrelevant to the arguement that is raging around Europe and beyond.
@ Julie. I don't suppose you'll read this as you will have left SFN by now. You can't slander a newspaper but I suppose you can libel it. However one can't libel the dead and the Mail is most certainly brain dead.
I second Valerie - I am sure that not everyone on SFN feels this way about the Daily Mail, I think its just that more people tend to find it easier to knock or joke about something than to comment on it's positive aspects - for example from your post Julie - I see that they were obviously a good employer as your husband worked there many years. I also used to enjoy the Mail on Sunday (before we moved to France) - particularly the Home and Femail sections and in her day I enjoyed reading Helena Frith-Powells French Mistress columns. I guess my point is that most people wouldn't write that on a blog post which is clearly knocking the paper - well hey I just did so if there are other people who happily read the Daily Mail then I advise you either don't read the blog above or just take it with a pinch of salt (except u might want to keep the salt for the freezing roads depending on where you are in France...brrr)