Guest Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 (edited) Rockn Rolla was thinking about MrUK Hackz again. MrUK was an articulate queen with red warts and curvy ankles. Rockn walked over to the window and reflected on his sleepy surroundings. He had always hated dull Upper Boggington with its fancy, fine fields. It was a place that encouraged his tendency to feel sad. Then he saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the an articulate figure of MrUK Hackz. Rockn gulped. He glanced at his own reflection. He was a forgetful, modest, beer drinker with tall warts and sticky ankles. His friends saw him as an old-fashioned, obnoxious ogre. Once, he had even made a cup of tea for a boiling old man. But not even a forgetful person who had once made a cup of tea for a boiling old man, was prepared for what MrUK had in store today. The sleet rained like gyrating ostriches, making Rockn anxious. Rockn grabbed a peculiar guillotine that had been strewn nearby; he massaged it with his fingers. As Rockn stepped outside and MrUK came closer, he could see the fried smile on his face. "I am here because I want love," MrUK bellowed, in a cold-blooded tone. He slammed his fist against Rockn's chest, with the force of 1531 pigeons. "I frigging love you, Rockn Rolla." Rockn looked back, even more anxious and still fingering the peculiar guillotine. "MrUK, Is that real leather," he replied. They looked at each other with worried feelings, like two mutated, melted mice hopping at a very courageous engagement party, which had orchestral music playing in the background and two malicious uncles talking to the beat. Suddenly, MrUK lunged forward and tried to punch Rockn in the face. Quickly, Rockn grabbed the peculiar guillotine and brought it down on MrUK's skull. MrUK's red warts trembled and his curvy ankles wobbled. He looked lonely, his body raw like a magnificent, mushy map. Then he let out an agonising groan and collapsed onto the ground. Moments later MrUK Hackz was dead. Rockn Rolla went back inside and made himself a nice drink of beer. Rockn Rolla looked at the peculiar guillotine in his hands and felt sad. He walked over to the window and reflected on his sleepy surroundings. He had always hated dull Upper Boggington with its fresh, flabby fields. It was a place that encouraged his tendency to feel sad. Then he saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the figure of MrUK Hackz. MrUK was an articulate queen with red warts and curvy ankles. Rockn gulped. He glanced at his own reflection. He was a forgetful, modest, beer drinker with tall warts and sticky ankles. His friends saw him as an oily, odd ogre. Once, he had even brought a chubby old man back from the brink of death. But not even a forgetful person who had once brought a chubby old man back from the brink of death, was prepared for what MrUK had in store today. The sleet rained like gyrating ostriches, making Rockn anxious. As Rockn stepped outside and MrUK came closer, he could see the quickest glint in his eye. MrUK gazed with the affection of 6023 cold-blooded precious pigeons. He said, in hushed tones, "I love you and I want love." Rockn looked back, even more anxious and still fingering the peculiar guillotine. "MrUK, Is that real leather," he replied. They looked at each other with worried feelings, like two mashed, manky mice hopping at a very courageous engagement party, which had orchestral music playing in the background and two malicious uncles talking to the beat. Rockn regarded MrUK's red warts and curvy ankles. "I feel the same way!" revealed Rockn with a delighted grin. MrUK looked lonely, his emotions blushing like a motionless, mighty map. Then MrUK came inside for a nice drink of beer. He was a forgetful, modest, beer drinker with tall warts and sticky ankles. His friends saw him as an ordinary, outrageous ogre. Once, he had even revived a dying, old man. That's the sort of man he was. Rockn walked over to the window and reflected on his sleepy surroundings. The sleet rained like gyrating ostriches. Then he saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the figure of MrUK Hackz. MrUK was an articulate queen with red warts and curvy ankles. Rockn gulped. He was not prepared for MrUK. As Rockn stepped outside and MrUK came closer, he could see the wicked smile on his face. "Look Rockn," growled MrUK, with a cold-blooded glare that reminded Rockn of articulate pigeons. "It's not that I don't love you, but I want love. You owe me 4684 gold pieces." Rockn looked back, even more anxious and still fingering the peculiar guillotine. "MrUK, Is that real leather," he replied. They looked at each other with worried feelings, like two melodic, misty mice hopping at a very courageous engagement party, which had orchestral music playing in the background and two malicious uncles talking to the beat. Rockn studied MrUK's red warts and curvy ankles. Eventually, he took a deep breath. "I'm afraid I declared myself bankrupt," explained Rockn. "You will never get your money." "No!" objected MrUK. "You lie!" "I do not!" retorted Rockn. "Now get your red warts out of here before I hit you with this peculiar guillotine." MrUK looked lonely, his wallet raw like a many, mighty map. Rockn could actually hear MrUK's wallet shatter into 4684 pieces. Then the articulate queen hurried away into the distance. Not even a drink of beer would calm Rockn's nerves tonight. Edited April 2, 2021 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 There is a dark force working to take away what few freedoms we have left. That dark force is Mr. UK Hackz. So let’s begin, quite properly, with a brief look at the historical development of the problem, of its attempted solutions, and of the eternal argument about it. Now, I hope Mr. Hackz was joking when he implied he was going to carve out space in the mainstream for stingy, patronizing politics, but it sure didn’t sound like it. I plan to work within the system to persuade my fellow citizens that people who feel that he’s simply misunderstood and is actually interested only in peace don’t know what they’re talking about, not because I lack the courage for more drastic steps but because in his limited horizon he himself is the important object. As a sequence to this self-conceit, Mr. Hackz imagines that he is a spokesman for God. We therefore need to explain to him that I insist I know why he has been turning our country into a two-faced cesspool overrun with scum, disease, and crime. He considers it an interesting sociological experiment for determining whether people can be influenced to bar people from partaking in activities that he cannot monitor or control. By his own admission, Mr. Hackz swears he would never, ever deface a social fabric that was already deteriorating. Alas, actions speak loader than words. Just look at how Mr. Hackz has no discernible talents. The only things he has obviously mastered are biological functions. Well, I suppose Mr. Hackz is also good at convincing people that drug money is being used to pay for the construction of huge underground cities intended to house both humans and aliens who serve a secret, transnational shadow government, but my point is that if Mr. Hackz were to sidetrack us so we can’t address the legitimate anger, fear, and alienation of people who have been mobilized by Mr. Hackz because they saw no other options for change, social upheaval and violence would follow. It is therefore clear that he keeps telling us that society will cease to function if we fight to the end for our ideas and ideals. This alarmism is counterproductive and largely wrong. The truth is that I’m not afraid of Mr. Hackz. However, I am concerned that his criticisms symbolize lawlessness, violence, and misguided rebellion—extreme liberty for a few, even if the rest of us lose more than a little freedom. In purely political terms, Mr. Hackz makes it sound like he is a refined gentleman with the soundest education and morals you can imagine. That’s the rankest sort of pretense I’ve ever heard. The reality is that Mr. Hackz is on a crusade to get people to use the word phenomenalistic instead of anthropomorphotheist. You’ve no doubt noticed that this substitution makes no sense. Mr. Hackz is merely engaging in wordplay in an effort to deflect attention from his making our lives miserable. It may well be true that many perjurers have an intense identification with peevish rakes, but by the same token, Mr. Hackz warrants that the problem with men is that they change children’s values from those taught in the home to those considered chic by the worst types of used-car salesmen you’ll ever see and that the problem with women is that they toy with our opinions. Attitudes like those are an affront to both sexes. In reality, Mr. Hackz is the problem—not men or women in general, just Mr. Hackz in particular. Although Mr. UK Hackz disorder has yet to appear in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, I think it’s safe to say that Mr. Hackz’s bread-and-butter tactics involve using threats of fiscal harm to coerce furciferous libertines into robbing us of our lives, our health, our honor, and our belongings. And here, I think, lies a clue to the intellectual vacuum so gapingly apparent in his convictions. Although I can’t personally vouch for the facts, I have heard others profess that Mr. Hackz wants to produce an army of mindless insects who will obey his every command. To produce such an army, he plans to destroy people’s minds using either drugs or an advanced form of lobotomy. Whichever approach he takes, the erroneous things Mr. Hackz says about me are sometimes entertaining, oftentimes sad, and frequently totally yawping. So what’s the connection between that and Mr. Hackz’s sermons? The connection is that I can’t let him blackmail politicians into reducing human beings to the status of domestic animals. One should therefore conclude, ipso facto, that I honestly hope that if we all banish Mr. Hackz’s shambolic, callous refrains with contumely, this will bring us together in a national dialogue of learning instead of reducing us to recriminations and accusations. At a minimum, I expect it to help a large number of people see that Mr. Hackz just keeps on saying, I don’t give a [expletive deleted] about you. I just want to cause (or at least contribute to) a variety of social ills. I maintain that I am not alone when I say that if you think that Mr. Hackz has a close-to-perfect existence that’s the envy of the lubricious conspiracy theorists around him, then think again. Mr. Hackz is hooked on designer victimology but fails to notice the real victims: the entire next generation. By the way, if resistentialism were an Olympic sport, Mr. Hackz would clinch the gold medal. In a previous letter, I announced my intention to bring strength to our families, power to our nation, and health to our cities. Naturally, this announcement caused Mr. Hackz to mutter abuses befitting his education. Incidents like that truly demonstrate how he is unable to separate fact from fiction. And that’s why I’m writing this letter. This is my manifesto, if you will, on how to consign his footling credos to the pages of history. There’s no way I can do that alone, and there’s no way I can do it without first stating that we are passing a tipping point. The damage that his sevidical, pathetic schemes have caused to our society is unlikely to be repaired or put into remission, much less reversed, even if we successfully convert retreat into advance. So let’s stay focused on protecting little children from foolhardy gumps like Mr. Hackz while never forgetting that Mr. Hackz has been trying for ages to convince everyone that the poor, innocent, kitten-loving members of his league of loathsome, obnoxious fugitives are persecuted by people like you and me. The crux of his approach is to break down the distinction between subjective and objective truth, what Mr. Hackz refers to as breaking down dualisms. Yes, I realize that it is my contention that the subtext of what I’m saying is that Mr. Hackz expresses insufficient concern about the ozone layer, the Bhopal tragedy, and lesbian theater, but for the sake of brevity I’ve had to express myself in simplified terms. Unless we subject Mr. Hackz’s traducements to the rigorous scrutiny they warrant, our whole social structure will gradually disintegrate and crumble into ruins. While Mr. Hackz has a right, as do we all, to believe whatever he wants about propagandism, I act based on what I think is right, not who I think is right. That’s why I try always to kick butt and take names. It’s also why I say that in my observations upon antidisestablishmentarianism, I have expressed no opinion thus far of the mode of its extinguishment or melioration. I will note, however, though I still have nothing to propose, that one big problem we have is that splenetic pikers are rarely punished for going to great lengths to conceal Mr. Hackz’s true aims and mislead the public. Alas, rather than improving the situation, Mr. Hackz insists on petty posturing for his own self-aggrandizement. Not only does that accomplish nothing useful, but it demonstrates that when Mr. Hackz says that students should be molded into change agents to promote his mendacious agenda, that’s just a load of spucatum tauri. Mr. Hackz wants to squabash his hecklers. Is this so he can cultivate networks of snitches and spies to ensure that any unity against him can immediately be nipped in the bud, or is it to set up dissident groups and individuals for conspiracy charges and then carry out searches and seizures on flimsy pretexts? You be the judge. In either case, a number of untrustworthy, unsympathetic muttonheads were recently caught trying to take the focus off the real issues. The likelihood that this activity happened at the behest of anyone other than Mr. UK Hackz is negligible. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that Mr. Hackz teaches workshops on Bourbonism. Students who have been through the program compare it to a Communist re-education camp. Mr. Hackz should clean up his act. There’s really no other conclusion you can reach. When I first heard about Mr. Hackz’s slurs, I didn’t know whether to laugh, because Mr. Hackz’s endeavors are so debauched, or cry, because Mr. Hackz has name recognition, but that is all he has. Nothing else. In my humble opinion, Mr. Hackz ought to have at least the basic humility needed to admit that we must clearly shout back at his propaganda. This is not because doing so is the moralistic pipe dream of the uninformed citizenry but because many serious practitioners of international statecraft see it as an essential goal of a sustainable international order. I have even heard from such practitioners that we can all have daydreams about Happy Fuzzy Purple Bunny Land, where everyone is caring, loving, and nice. Not only will those daydreams not come true, but I know through painful experience that Mr. Hackz’s reportages are palpably hypersensitive. The more I reflect on such things, the more deeply I believe that I once notified the authorities that Mr. Hackz had been mustering enough force to empty the meaning of such concepts as self, justice, freedom, and other profundities. This caused Mr. Hackz to shriek one serious devil’s mass at me. I don’t really care because I regard putting Mr. Hackz’s self-deceiving pleas out to pasture as the basic purpose of my daily life. I am willing not only to consciously work and sacrifice for that goal but also to lead protests against Mr. Hackz’s daft effusions. Imagine a thousand people shouting in unison, What do we want? To disseminate as widely as possible all of the information we have regarding Mr. Hackz’s procacious, gruesome quips! When do we want it? Now! Okay, perhaps a pithier slogan would help, but Mr. Hackz keeps saying that the moon is made of green cheese. In such statements, as in most of his propaganda, there are major omissions and layers of codswallop wrapped around a small piece of the truth. The real story is that Mr. Hackz yields to the mammalian desire to assert individuality by attracting attention. Unfortunately, for Mr. Hackz, attracting attention usually implies, replacing our timeless traditions with his crazy ones. The dynamics of the situation are such that I am inarguably weary of listening to Mr. Hackz descant on the glories of Pyrrhonism. This is the flaw in Mr. Hackz’s opuscula. He doesn’t understand that vilification and guilt by association are not the only two mechanisms that he uses to discredit his foes. Misrepresentation is another. Consider, for example, how aggressively Mr. Hackz has been distorting my claim that many people think of his crabby, furacious treacheries as a joke, as something only half-serious. In fact, they’re deadly serious. They’re the tool by which intransigent stool pigeons will eavesdrop on all sorts of private conversations within a short period of time. A second all-too-serious item is that whenever Mr. Hackz announces that he can succeed without trying, his lieutenants applaud on cue and the accolades are long and ostentatious. What’s funny is that they don’t provide similar feedback whenever I tell them that if Mr. Hackz hadn’t been creating a Mr. Hackz-centric society in which the worst kinds of nymphomaniacs you’ll ever see dictate the populace’s values and myths, its traditions and archetypes, it simply would not have occurred to me to write the letter you now are reading. Why, I might have taken the day off altogether. Or maybe I would have been out protecting the interests of the general public against the greed and unreason of insufferable, voluble plutocrats. In any case, Mr. Hackz must have known that his homilies would cause high levels of outrage and would generate many letters in response (like this one). No, scratch that. Let me instead make the much stronger claim that I have a practical plan for improving the state of education in this country. I propose that we get knowledgeable and well-trained teachers, equip them with syllabi filled with challenging texts and materials, and have them teach students that Mr. Hackz has already begun reshaping our society around solecism. I wish I were joking, but I’m not. What’s more, once people obtain the critical skills that enable them to think and reflect and speculate independently, they’ll realize that I am reminded of the quote, It’s really hard to take someone as raucous as Mr. Hackz very seriously. This comment is not as disgusting as it seems because I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. Rather, I am saying it because if I were elected Ruler of the World, my first act of business would be to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. I would further use my position to inform certain segments of the Earth’s population that it amazes me how many nutty, undiplomatic sewer rats believe Mr. Hackz’s bletheration about how rambunctious idiots make the best scoutmasters and schoolteachers. It’s undoubtedly true that There’s a sucker born every minute. I have only two questions. First, aren’t Mr. Hackz’s ventures an existential expression of Man’s tragic separation, his awful estrangement, and his terrible sinfulness? Second—and I shouldn’t even have to ask this question but will for those of you who have been napping—what does Mr. Hackz’s salacious behavior say about his judgment? I’ve never gotten a clear and honest answer to that question from Mr. Hackz. But what is clear is that he sees himself as a postmodern equivalent of Marx’s proletariat, revolutionizing the world by wresting it from its oppressors (viz., those who take Mr. Hackz to task for making incorrect leaps of logic). And now, to end with a clever bit of doggerel: United we stand. Divided we fall. Mr. UK Hackz’s irritable ruminations will destroy us all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 I’ve reached a point where I feel the need to express my disappointment with TheGamblingCommunity. I assume you already know that diversivolent is the least offensive adjective that accurately describes TheGamblingCommunity, but I have something more important to tell you. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I am appalled by how TheGamblingCommunity has been organizing a troika of foul jackanapes, sanctimonious, conscienceless bribe-seekers, and confused jobsworths with the sole purpose of bombarding me with insults. I suppose I could bang my head on my desk until I sustain so much brain damage that I no longer care, although my friends suggest that a better alternative would be for me to penetrate the sunny façade of TheGamblingCommunity’s accusations with the sharpened stick of reality. They’re right. They’re also right when they say that TheGamblingCommunity is willing to promote truth and justice when it’s convenient. But when it threatens its creature comforts, TheGamblingCommunity throws principle to the wind. In plain, simple-to-understand English, as far as TheGamblingCommunity is concerned, facts and evidence are subordinate to, and mediated by, a discourse. There are no right or wrong answers, just competitive discourses. If that’s the case, then perhaps TheGamblingCommunity would like to explain why it disbelieves that its dissertations are like the Hydra from Greek mythology. They continually acquire new heads and new strength. The only way to stunt their growth is to stimulate honorable, thoughtful, and practical action. The only way to destroy TheGamblingCommunity’s Hydra entirely is to provide more people with the knowledge that by its standards, if you have morals, believe that character counts, and actually raise your own children—let alone teach them to be morally fit—you’re definitely a coldhearted dead-ender. My standards—and I suspect yours as well—are quite different from TheGamblingCommunity’s. For instance, I, for one, indubitably profess that a colleague recently informed me that a bunch of gutless dingbats and others in TheGamblingCommunity’s amen corner are about to play the blame game. I have no reason to doubt that story because TheGamblingCommunity appears committed to the proposition that its views are correct, self-evident, and based on fact and reason, while other organizations’ positions are not just wrong but illegitimate, ideological, and unworthy of serious consideration. If you were to get a second opinion from someone who’s not a member of TheGamblingCommunity’s allotheism society, however, he’d of course tell you that contrary to my personal preferences, I’m thinking about what’s best for all of us. My conclusion is that what’s best for all of us is for me to lead protests against TheGamblingCommunity’s unrestrained, volage-brained perversions. Imagine a thousand people shouting in unison, What do we want? To admonish TheGamblingCommunity not seven times, but seventy times seven! When do we want it? Now! Okay, perhaps a pithier slogan would help, but none of TheGamblingCommunity’s ideas are the least bit original. TheGamblingCommunity simply stole, rehashed, and re-branded perennial knowledge as its own in an attempt to convince the public that it’s aberrant to call it on the carpet for threatening national security. Granted, there may be some originality in being so moralistic, but the point remains that we can divide TheGamblingCommunity’s asseverations into three categories: mudslinging, diabolic, and Pyrrhonism-oriented. We must worry about two classes of venal bums: nutty and dictatorial. TheGamblingCommunity is among the former. Speaking of which, TheGamblingCommunity alleges that its obiter dicta are our final line of defense against tyrrany. Naturally, this is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. To put this in context, it spouts a lot of alternative facts such as that it is cunctipotent. In reaching that conclusion I have made the usual assumption that it’s TheGamblingCommunity’s deep-seated belief that one hallmark of an advanced culture is the rejection of rationalism. Sure, it might be able to justify conclusions like that—using biased or one-sided information, of course—but I prefer to know the whole story. In this case, the whole story is that TheGamblingCommunity is a scornful, morally questionable wiseacre. I use that label only when it’s true. If you don’t believe it is, then consider that TheGamblingCommunity can’t attack my ideas, so it attacks me. It could be worse, I suppose. It could distract people from making a serious analysis of the situation. Although TheGamblingCommunity won’t admit it, it has repeatedly been spotted creating an intimidating, hostile, and demeaning environment. When questioned about that, it either denies any knowledge of it or offers unbelievable and ludicrous explanations that only a fastidious, inerudite wally could believe. I assume that everyone reading this is already intimately familiar with the notion that TheGamblingCommunity has us hemmed in on all sides by a hegemony of globalized greed. Hence, I’ll spare you the sordid details and say only that we don’t always have to agree on every detail of every issue. Nevertheless, I believe that all of us do happen to agree that at every chance it gets, TheGamblingCommunity points out its self-declared moral superiority, its supposed deep awareness of subtle social issues and complex interpersonal relationships, and its opposition to any implication that it says it is within its legal right to paint pictures of unenlightened worlds inhabited by the most covinous, unprincipled cardsharps you’ll ever see. Whether or not it indeed has such a right, if we fail to encourage open, civic engagement then all of our sacrifices will be as forgotten as the sand blowing across Ozymandias’s dead empire. The decay of that colossal wreck, as the poet Shelley puts it, teaches us that TheGamblingCommunity proclaims that I’m too froward to lift the fog from its thinking. It bases this belief on dubious Internet sources, which backs up my claim that TheGamblingCommunity likes saying that its writings are a veritable encyclopedia of everything that is directly pertinent to mankind’s spiritual and intellectual development. Okay, that’s a parody—but not a very gross one. In point of fact, TheGamblingCommunity is eating our lunch. Whatever weight we accord to that fact, we may be confident that when TheGamblingCommunity accuses me of being a parasitic, brown-nosing racist, this is not about justice or the policing of prejudice. It is about the exercise of power. It is about forcing me to self-censor my critique of TheGamblingCommunity. It is about how TheGamblingCommunity has been, still is, and always will remain more bloody-minded than cankered, disorderly Neanderthals. The mere mention of that fact guarantees that this letter will never get published in any mass-circulation periodical over which TheGamblingCommunity has any control. But that’s inconsequential because I’ve heard of iracund things like tuchungism and Leninism. But I’ve also heard of things like nonviolence, higher moralities, and treating all beings as ends in and of themselves—ideas that TheGamblingCommunity’s ignorant, unthinking, ignorant brain is too small to understand. To be fair, TheGamblingCommunity’s ideas are destructive. They’re morally destructive, socially destructive—even intellectually destructive. And, as if that weren’t enough, I want to see all of us working together to restore our righteous rage and singular purpose to prevail over TheGamblingCommunity’s nocuous army of hebephrenic, hypocritical lowlifes. Yes, this is an idealistic approach to actualizing our restorative goals. Nevertheless, you should realize that I decidedly want to highlight all of the problems with TheGamblingCommunity’s unfriendly, phlegmatic words, but I can’t do that alone. So do me a favor and get people to sign a petition to limit its ability to cause trouble. That’ll show TheGamblingCommunity that if it successfully prevents us from teaching sneaky, crafty scofflaws about tolerance, we will rise up again, stronger, firmer, mightier. We will cast sunlight on its lamebrained think pieces. We will ensure that everyone knows that we must understand that many of the horrors introduced by TheGamblingCommunity’s plunderbund reflect TheGamblingCommunity’s own labile personality. And we must formulate that understanding into as clear and cogent a message as possible. Fortunately, the groundswell of quiet opposition to TheGamblingCommunity is getting less quiet and more organized. Still, the sappy adulterers in TheGamblingCommunity’s peuplade are all too eager to jump on everything that is written, said, or even implied and label it as either filthy or snitty. Such behavior represents evil at its best and humanity at its worst. At least it backs up my point that it amazes me how many naive, mumpish harijans believe TheGamblingCommunity’s bletheration about how metanarratives are the root of tyranny, lawlessness, overpopulation, racial hatred, world hunger, disease, and rank stupidity. It’s sincerely true that There’s a sucker born every minute. Does TheGamblingCommunity think its arguments through, or does it just chug along on its computer, writing about whatever trite apologues happen to suit its needs that day? I ask because TheGamblingCommunity is out to bring about a wonderland of tokenism. And when we play its game, we become accomplices. Its sermons will obviously lead to decay, to dissolution, to chaos, and to ruin. This is the flaw in its zingers. It doesn’t understand that I will stop at nothing to build a working consensus to tackle big problems. My resolve cannot fully be articulated, but it is unyielding. As evidence, consider that TheGamblingCommunity likes to posture as a guardian of virtue and manners. However, when it comes right down to it, what it is pushing is both caustic and devious. The struggle against querulous malcontents must be a struggle against miserabilism, Zendicism, and animalism, or it is doomed to failure. Try as I may, I can’t understand why TheGamblingCommunity would want to impose its prejudices on the public. Lest you think that I’m talking out of my hat here, I should point out that its apparatchiks accuse me of having written in one of my letters that a book’s value to the reader is somehow influenced by the color of the author’s skin. They heard this from TheGamblingCommunity, who never read any of my letters all the way through and merely assumed that that’s something I likely would have written. The accusation is therefore three degrees of separation from the truth. It would have been far more truthful to accuse me of addressing a number of important issues. This demands the sustained commitment of responsible people from all walks of life. Anything less will simply not be enough. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we lived in a world without acrasial skybalds? All right, enough of that. Now let’s talk about something else. Let’s talk about how we don’t have to tell over and over again the story of how TheGamblingCommunity has an uncanny ability to absolutely miss the point of any given issue. However, we do have to frame that story and provide some context to it. Let me begin that process by noting that one of the bewildering paradoxes of our time is the extent to which TheGamblingCommunity is willing to sucker us into buying a lot of junk we don’t need, especially given that it itself would be affected by such actions. If you disagree, then consider that one can usually be pretty sure when TheGamblingCommunity is lying. Sometimes there’s a little doubt: maybe it’s not a deliberate lie but merely a difference of opinion. But when TheGamblingCommunity claims that an inter-dimensional race of reptilian beings manipulates global events to keep humans in constant fear so the reptilians can feed off the negative energy this creates, there’s no room for ambiguity: it’s lying. Let me back up a little: Its recalcitrant theatrics are frequently used to intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, and wound people from all walks of life. The list goes on, but I decided to truncate it there to be able to devote more space to discussing how TheGamblingCommunity’s I’m right and you’re wrong attitude is rebarbative because it leaves no room for compromise. As I conclude this letter, let me remind you that my goal in writing it was not only to redirect our focus and energy towards peace and prosperity for all people. I sought also to use this letter as a means to clear the cobwebs out of people’s heads and help them understand that virtue is persecuted more by the wicked than it is loved by the good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinkerbells Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Are you high? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Abstract Despite the increasing prevalence and acceptance of the medical cannabis use among the general public, the evidence required by physicians to use cannabis as a treatment is generally lacking. Research on the health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids has been limited worldwide, leaving patients, health care professionals, and policymakers without the evidence they need to make sound decisions regarding the use of cannabis and cannabinoids. This case study outlines an intervention that involved a patient integrating medical cannabis into her treatment to better manage a generalized anxiety disorder and the debilitating symptoms of vertigo. This case demonstrates how the patient drastically improved her quality of life and reinforces the need for more rigorous testing on the use of medical cannabis to support patients and better manage the symptoms associated with their medical conditions. Keywords: Mental health, anxiety, medical cannabis, healthcare, quality of life, integrative medicine. Go to: INTRODUCTION Despite the increasing prevalence and acceptance among the general public, the prescription of cannabis for treating a range of medical conditions continues to be viewed with caution1. In the USA, there are 34 states that have legalized medical cannabis2. These legislative changes equate to over 59 million people that are legally using cannabis across the country3. While this represents roughly 18% of the population, the number could be considerably larger if the prescription of cannabis as a treatment was supported by physicians and the associations they are part of. Among other points, the claims against the prescription of medical cannabis include recommendations that approved conventional drugs are undertaken before cannabis products are used for treatment4 and that medical cannabis undergoes the same rigorous approval process of other medications prescribed by physicians, including randomized, placebo-and active-controlled trials5. Notwithstanding the requirement for evidencebased information on the health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids, a conundrum exists whereby the federal government has not legalized cannabis and continues to enforce restrictive policies and regulations6. As a result, research on the health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids has been limited in the United States, leaving patients, health care professionals, and policymakers without the evidence they need to make sound decisions regarding the use of cannabis and cannabinoids6. This lack of evidence-based information is the cause of the growing need to understand the role medical cannabis can have in improving the health outcomes for patients with complex medical conditions. Go to: CASE HISTORY a. The 88-year-old female presented to seek support around a decline in her quality of life and challenges with her emotional and psychological well-being. b. Her challenges were primarily associated with managing a generalized anxiety disorder and the debilitating symptoms of vertigo. She described experiencing “wonky days” that consisted of intense dizziness, extreme nausea, imbalance, and worry about what is going to happen if her symptoms worsened. She described a consistently low mood, discomfort in her daily life and a belief that she was losing control of her life. c. This problem commenced 24 months earlier and was compounded by an anxiety about the continual impact of these concerns if not resolved. The patient was also experiencing ongoing grief associated with losing her late husband of 68 years five years earlier. d. The debilitating symptoms were consistent over 24 months before the intervention. In a typical week, the symptoms consisted of “wonky days” that had a frequency of three to four times per week at an intensity where her quality of life was impacted to a score of eight out of 10. e. Initially, the benzodiazepine Kalma, was prescribed to treat her anxiety. However, the patient stopped taking this after two days due to incessant shaking. The patient was then prescribed another benzodiazepine, Xanax. She reported that she did not consume this drug due to concern that she would have a reaction similar to what she experienced with Kalma, since the active ingredient is the same, alprazolam. f. Relevant history includes lymphatic cancer and ongoing grief from the loss of her late husband. There was no relevant family history. g. The assessment revealed a white Australian female that was the mother of three adult daughters, several grandchildren and one great-grandson. She presented as friendly and was easy to engage and establish rapport with. She described strong family, peer and community relationships that provided practical and emotional support. Before these challenges, she provided an overview of a fulfilling, healthy, stable, and happy adult life. She was able to articulate her challenges with her independence, mobility and the uncertainty about the continual impact of debilitating symptoms for herself and her family. She expressed desperation to improve her deteriorating health that was a significant risk to her quality of life and overall survival. From the onset of these challenges, she had sought support from her medical team and this care continued throughout the intervention. Go to: METHODS AND RESULTS a. The patient undertook a mental health intervention in a format that consisted of weekly individual consulting sessions for the initial six weeks before it extended to individual sessions once every two weeks for a further 10 weeks. b. The mental health intervention was based on a humanistic methodology that combines a reparative approach most commonly associated with counselling, with the addition of exercise, meditation and other lifestyle components incorporated into her treatment plan. c. Throughout the intervention, the patient maintained a written record of her reflections and progress. In the beginning, she described her circumstances by saying “I just want the wonkiness to stop”, “I have lost my capacities” and “I have lost my independence”. d. During the initial four weeks, the patient was supported to reframe her beliefs about her changing capacities and she was encouraged to explore the ongoing grief that was associated with the loss of her late husband. e. By the fifth week, a protocol was designed for the patient to complete on a daily basis. This protocol involved the patient being instructed to replace known problematic times where her symptoms spiked with guided strategies that targeted the compounding impact of the beliefs associated with her debilitating symptoms. While the patient reported that the protocol resulted in reductions in the frequency of her symptoms to a maximum of one to two days per week, the intensity of her symptoms when occurring were still scored at an eight out of 10. f. In the sixth week, the patient reported that she had sourced her own medical cannabis oil that was made from the OG Kush strain of cannabis. She reported that she maintained a daily dose of 2 ml of a medical cannabis that contained Tetrahydrocannabinol or more commonly known as THC. The patient reported that, after incorporating the cannabis oil into the protocol, the intensity of her symptoms ceased and that she could be free from any symptoms for a period of at least two weeks. g. By the tenth week, the patient reported significant improvements to her quality of life. She reported that the “wonky days” had almost been completely eliminated and she was continuing to adhere to her protocol that involved recommencing daily physical exercises and meditation practices. At this stage of the intervention, the patient reported that “life is as good as it gets”. h. In the fifteenth week, the patient stopped using medical cannabis due to the inability to access more. She reported that the “wonkiness” returned and that she was again suffering from daily nausea, dizziness and an imbalance to her mobility. i. In the sixteenth and final week of the intervention, the patient had reintegrated medical cannabis into her daily protocol and she had been able to once again regain her quality of life through the cessation of her symptoms. j. In a review three months after the intervention, the patient reported that she had now resumed the daily protocol that includes taking a dose of 2 ml of medical cannabis in the morning. The patient reported that, since finishing the intervention, she experienced a four-week period where she was unable to access a further supply of medical cannabis. She reported that, during the four weeks, her physical health, mental health and quality of life deteriorated. These deteriorations included a life alert system being installed in her home by her family due to concern about her safety. The patient also reported that she had informed her medical team about her daily consumption of a medical cannabis oil. She reported that her medical team could not prescribe her a cannabis oil but that they supported and encouraged her to continue the cannabis oil as a daily treatment. The patient did not have a scheduled annual blood test due to her fear of needles. Thus, no blood tests have been completed to identify any chemical changes that were associated with her introducing medical cannabis into her life. Go to: DISCUSSION While it is clear that the popularity of cannabis is increasingly for the general public, there is a clear need to gain more scientific knowledge about the associated benefits and risks of cannabis for patients with medical conditions. Undoubtedly, there are many unsubstantiated claims about the use of cannabis for treating several medical conditions. However, there is scientific evidence that compounds naturally found in marijuana have therapeutic benefit for symptoms of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, cancer and specific forms of epilepsy6. More specifically for anxiety, scientific evidence is also showing cannabis is expected to relieve tension and help young females relax7. Although the future role that medical cannabis will play in healthcare is unknown, this case demonstrates how the patient was able to significantly benefit from the introduction of medical cannabis into her mental health intervention for the treatment of vertigo and a generalized anxiety disorder. In this case, the benefits for the 88-year-old patient using medical cannabis as a treatment in the both the short term and longer-term far outweighed the potential risks that may require consideration for children or adolescents8. This case demonstrates how the patient was able to use medical cannabis to reduce the debilitating symptoms associated with her vertigo to drastically improve her quality of life. A pattern seems evident for the patient where her symptoms for vertigo fluctuated according to whether or not she was able to access medical cannabis. This case also highlights the legislative conundrum for patients, physicians and government9. Despite her medical team supporting her continual use of medical cannabis, she was not able to receive a prescription. As a result, she accessed medical cannabis from an illegal and unregulated source. While the patient reported to trust this source and only use medical cannabis according to her daily protocol, there are potential safety risks associated with her self-medicating cannabis to combat her symptoms and not having accurate information about dosing, consistency and quality of the cannabis. Go to: CONCLUSION This case is a preliminary finding and reinforces the need for more rigorous testing on the application of medical cannabis to be used as a treatment for different medical conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinkerbells Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Yep he’s completely off his tits 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinkerbells Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Just now, Kinkerbells said: Yep he’s completely off his tits Pick a number, colour and location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev40 Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 @Denman either one of 2 things. Either you're far too intellectual for this forum or you've lost the plot. Which one is it ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salfordlad Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 I am not sure whether to laugh or be concerned? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 1 minute ago, Kev40 said: @Denman either one of 2 things. Either you're far too intellectual for this forum or you've lost the plot. Which one is it ? Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a girl in ancient China named Mulan. Mulan's father was a retired general. He had come home sick and frail. He was too old to fight, but not too old to teach Mulan how to ride a horse and use a sword. Girls usually did not learn these skills. But Mulan's father believed everyone should know how to fight, even girls. One day, the government officials sent warriors to Mulan's village. War was coming. Men were needed for the army. The military leader of the group posted a list of names in the village square. Each name represented one volunteer, one man from each family. Mulan saw her father's name on the list. She knew her father would never survive another battle. Mulan's brother was a young child. There was only Mulan who could take her father's place. But the military did not take girls as replacements for fighting men. Quietly, the next morning, before her father could report for duty, Mulan stole his armor. She disguised herself as a man. She reported for duty. The warriors accepted "him" in her father's place. Later that day, as the all men taken from the village marched away, Mulan saw her father, standing by the side of the road, shaking his head in confusion. He had reported for duty, but was told he was not needed. That made no sense to him. He had not yet returned home. He did not know that Mulan was missing. Mulan was very careful over the years. No one ever suspected that she was a girl. When the war was over, Mulan received a special award from the emperor himself for her outstanding courage. The emperor gave her a horse and a bagful of wealth, and wished her a safe trip home. Her family greeted her with joy. Her brother was delighted with gift of her military clothes. He dressed in them immediately. Mulan dressed once again in the clothes of a woman. That evening, Mulan and her family gathered together to watch the sunset. A few days later, two of the men who had served with Mulan stopped by her home, on their way home. When Mulan came forth to greet them, they could not believe their eyes. One of them shouted, "You are not Mulan! What have you done with our friend?" After recounting many memories, they finally believed that Mulan was a woman who had fought by their side in many a battle. They spread Mulan's story across China. Mulan's story inspired many young women, who demanded to learn how to ride a horse and use a sword, just like Mulan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinkerbells Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 4 minutes ago, Denman said: Pick a number, colour and location. 8 black New York Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrUKHackz Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salfordlad Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 David Icke like ramblings @Denman has found online somewhere and has then proceeded to replace the word government with thegamblingcommunity is my theory ha. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 2 minutes ago, Kinkerbells said: 8 black New York I see. Keywords: tradition, structure, teacher, mentor, counselor, religion, dogma, advice, status quo, organization, conformity, rules, church, obedience Attributes: Taurus General meaning: It may be best to follow the established rules at this time. Don’t rock the boat – instead, go with tradition. Feeling confused about a situation? A visit to a wise counselor or teacher can help you sort that stuff out. Sometimes a spiritual perspective is what you need to get back on track. Been really bad? Get your arse to confession and stop that nonsense. Often The Hierophant can indicate a religious ceremony like a wedding or baptism – so if your honey is acting reluctant, be patient. You may get to that altar in due time. Reversed: Time to fight the man! Conformity goes out the window and a new order is ready to rumble into place. Question EVERYTHING. Don’t accept the standard way. This is time for revolution, even if only a personal inward one. Break the rules and think for yourself. Problems with authority. Feeling like an outcast in your tribe. Rebellion. Originality. Don’t be a biter. Affirmation: “I embrace traditions both old and new.” Keywords: bondage, materialism, negativity, slavery, addiction, stuck, jealousy, deviance, excess Attributes: Capricorn (Earth) General meaning: When this card pops up in a reading, you can be assured that things are taking a turn towards the dark and obsessive. The Devil is about being “stuck” and limited by a situation. The energy is oppressive and heavy. This card can represent addiction in the absolute worse sense. Notice that the chains are loose on the figures – a sign that the situation can change if you want to (or find the courage muscles to let go). It is also a reminder to check yourself before you wreck yourself – are you allowing envy, greed or negativity to taint your worldview? Where can you let go a little more? Reversed: A big ole release! Bondage, schmondage – now you’re free and able to move about. The addiction no longer has a hold on you. Recovery from a bad situation. Leaving an abusive relationship. This is the big shift in consciousness from victim to victor. Liberation, baby! Affirmation: I find the courage to release my limitations. Keywords: pleasure, nostalgia, friendship, meeting, gifts, security, romance, the past, reunion, childlike General meaning: If you are in the market for love, you may be meeting a romantic partner or being courted. This could be someone new but more often, it’s a suggestion of a blast from the past or someone with whom you are already familiar. The energy here is about returning to one’s roots. Whether that be an old love, a former job or old memories, the past is calling. The Six of Cups may also indicate taht you may be receiving a gift – don’t look that gift horse in the mouth. Say thank you. Reversed: The energy moves from nostalgia to being hung up on the past. As in constantly bitching about the present and longing for days gone by. Those good old days may not be as good as you remember. It’s time to stop clinging to what was and embrace what is. Any sort of emotional immaturity, yours or others, will hold you back now. Man up and stop that b.s.. Affirmation: I respect the past but embrace the present moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salfordlad Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 @Denman the copy and paste function on your device is going to get worn out at this rate fella ha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 2 minutes ago, salfordlad said: David Icke like ramblings @Denman has found online somewhere and has then proceeded to replace the word government with thegamblingcommunity is my theory ha. Serious Crime Act 2015 Factsheet – female genital mutilation Background 1. Female genital mutilation (“FGM”) involves procedures that include the partial or total removal of the external female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice is extremely painful and has serious health consequences both at the time when the mutilation is carried out and in later life. 2. The age at which girls undergo FGM varies enormously according to the community. The procedure may be carried out when the girl is newborn, during childhood or adolescence, just before marriage or during the first pregnancy. However, the majority of cases of FGM are thought to take place between the ages of five and eight. 3. FGM has been a specific criminal offence in the UK since 1985 when the (UKwide) Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act (“the 1985 Act”) was passed. The Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 (“the 2003 Act”) replaced the 1985 Act in England, Wales and Northern Ireland1 . It modernised the offence of FGM and the offence of assisting a girl to carry out FGM on herself while also creating extra-territorial offences to deter people from taking girls abroad for mutilation. To reflect the serious harm caused, the 2003 Act increased the maximum penalty for any of the FGM offences from five to 14 years’ imprisonment. 4. To date no-one has been convicted of FGM in England and Wales. In July 2014, the UK Government and UNICEF hosted the first Girl Summit,2 aimed at mobilising domestic and international efforts to end FGM. The Government made a number of commitments for new legislation to tackle FGM. Current law 5. Under the 2003 Act it is an offence for any person in England, Wales or Northern Ireland (regardless of their nationality or residence status) to perform FGM (section 1); or to assist a girl to carry out FGM on herself (section 2). It is also an offence to assist (from England, Wales or Northern Ireland) a non-UK national or resident to carry out FGM outside the UK on a UK national or permanent UK resident (section 3). 6. Section 4 extends sections 1 to 3 to extra-territorial acts so that it is also an offence for a UK national or permanent UK resident to: perform FGM abroad; assist a girl to perform FGM on herself outside the UK; and assist (from outside the UK) a non-UK national or resident to carry out FGM outside the UK on a UK national or permanent UK resident. 1 The Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005 replaced the 1985 Act in Scotland. 2 https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/girl-summit-2014 7. The intention was for the extra-territorial provisions to catch offences involving those with a substantial connection to the UK but not those who were here temporarily. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions has highlighted a small number of cases where the CPS could not prosecute for FGM committed abroad because those involved were not, at the material time, permanent UK residents as defined by the 2003 Act. Extension of extra-territorial jurisdiction 8. Against that background, section 70(1) of the Serious Crime Act 2015 (“the 2015 Act”) amends section 4 of the 2003 Act so that the extra-territorial jurisdiction extends to prohibited acts done outside the UK by a UK national or a person who is resident in the UK. Consistent with that change, section 70(1) also amends section 3 of the 2003 Act (offence of assisting a non-UK person to mutilate overseas a girl’s genitalia) so it extends to acts of FGM done to a UK national or a person who is resident in the UK. 9. “UK resident” is defined as an individual who is habitually resident in the UK. The term habitually resident covers a person's ordinary residence, as opposed to a short, temporary stay in a country. 10.These changes will mean that the 2003 Act can capture offences of FGM committed abroad by or against those who are at the time are habitually resident in the UK irrespective of whether they are subject to immigration restrictions. It will be for the courts to determine on the facts of individual cases whether or not those involved are habitually resident in the UK and thus covered by the 2003 Act. 11.Section 70(2) of the 2015 Act makes equivalent amendments to the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005. Anonymity of victims of FGM 12.Reluctance to be identified as a victim of FGM is believed to be one of the reasons for the low incidence of reporting of this offence. It is anticipated that providing for the anonymity of victims of alleged offences of FGM will encourage more victims to come forward. 13.Section 71 of the 2015 Act amends the 2003 Act to prohibit the publication of any information that would be likely to lead to the identification of a person against whom an FGM offence is alleged to have been committed. This is similar, although not identical, to the anonymity given to alleged victims of sexual offences by the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992. 14.Anonymity will commence once an allegation has been made and will last for the duration of the victim’s lifetime. 15.There are two limited circumstances where the court may disapply the restrictions on publication. The first is where a person being tried for an FGM offence, could have their defence substantially prejudiced if the restriction to prevent identification of the person against whom the allegation of FGM was committed is not lifted. The second circumstances is where preventing identification of the person against whom the allegation of FGM was committed, could be seen as a substantial and unreasonable restriction on the reporting of the proceedings and it is considered in the public interest to remove the restriction. Offence of failing to protect a girl from risk of FGM 16.Section 72 of the 2015 Act inserts new section 3A into the 2003 Act; this creates a new offence of failing to protect a girl from FGM. This will mean that if an offence of FGM is committed against a girl under the age of 16, each person who is responsible for the girl at the time of FGM occurred will be liable under this new offence. The maximum penalty for the new offence is seven years’ imprisonment or a fine or both. 17.To be “responsible” for a girl, the person will either have parental responsibility for the girl (such as mothers, fathers married to the mothers at the time of birth and guardians) and have frequent contact with her, or where the person is aged 18 or over they will have assumed responsibility for caring for the girl “in the manner of a parent”, for example family members to whom parents might send their child during the summer holidays. 18.The requirement for “frequent contact” is intended to ensure that a person who in law has parental responsibility for a girl, but who in practice has little or no contact with her, would not be liable. Similarly, the requirement that the person should be caring for the girl “in the manner of a parent” is intended to ensure that a person who is looking after a girl for a very short period – such as a baby sitter – would not be liable. 19.It would be a defence for a defendant to show that at the relevant time, they did not think that there was a significant risk of FGM being committed, and could not reasonably have been expected to be aware that there was any such risk; or they took such steps as he or she could reasonably have been expected to take to protect the girl from being the victim of FGM. The onus would then be on the prosecution to prove the contrary. Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order (“FGMPO”) 20.At the Girl Summit on 22 July 2014 the Prime Minister launched a consultation on a proposal to introduce a specific civil law measure for the purpose of protecting potential or actual victims of FGM, closely modelled on the forced marriage protection orders in the Family Law Act 1996. 85% of the respondents to the consultation supported the proposal.3 21.Section 73 of the 2015 Act provides, therefore, for FGMPOs for the purposes of protecting a girl against the commission of a genital mutilation offence or protecting a girl against whom such an offence has been committed. Breach of an FGMPO would be a criminal offence with a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, or as a civil breach punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment. 22.The court may make a FGMPO on application by the girl who is to be protected or a third party. The court must consider all the circumstances including the need to secure the health, safety, and well-being of the girl. 3 https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/female-genital-mutilation-proposal-to-introduce-a-civilprotection-order 23.Under the new provisions an FGMPO might contain such prohibitions, restrictions or other requirements for the purposes of protecting a victim or potential victim of FGM. This could include, for example, provisions to surrender a person’s passport or any other travel document; and not to enter into any arrangements, in the UK or abroad, for FGM to be performed on the person to be protected. Duty to notify police of female genital mutilation 24.At the Girl Summit, the Prime Minister also announced the Government’s intention to introduce a mandatory reporting duty for FGM. A consultation on how to introduce the duty ran from 5 December 2014 to 12 January 2015, and the Government’s response was published on 12 February. The intention is that the new duty will make professionals’ responsibilities in respect of FGM absolutely clear, and that it will aid police investigations and support an increase in the number of perpetrators caught and prosecuted. 25.Section 74 inserts new section 5B into the 2003 Act which creates a new mandatory reporting duty requiring specified regulated professionals in England and Wales to make a report to the police. The duty applies where, in the course of their professional duties, a professional discovers that FGM appears to have been carried out on a girl aged under 18 (at the time of the discovery). 26.The duty applies where the professional either: is informed by the girl that an act of FGM has been carried out on her, or observes physical signs which appear to show an act of FGM has carried out and has no reason to believe that the act was necessary for the girl’s physical or mental health or for purposes connected with labour or birth. 27.The duty applies to professionals working within healthcare or social care, and teachers. It therefore covers: Professionals regulated by a body overseen by the Professional Standards Authority (with the exception of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland). This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, and, in England, social workers, Teachers, Social care workers in Wales. 28.The duty does not apply where a professional has reason to believe that another individual working in the same profession has previously made a report to the police in connection with the same act of FGM. For these purposes, professionals regulated by a body which belongs to the Professional Standards Authority are considered as belonging to the same profession. Guidance about female genital mutilation 29.Section 75 inserts new section 5C into the 2003 Act which confers on the Secretary of State a power to issue statutory guidance on FGM which relevant individuals are required to have regard to. Other steps being taken to tackle FGM 26.Amending the law is not the only answer to securing additional prosecutions and convictions for FGM nor can it eradicate a practice that has been deeply ingrained in the culture of practising communities. The Government is committed to preventing and ending this form of violence against women and girls. Other measures announced at the Girl Summit included: working to improve the police response to FGM. The College of Policing will issue new guidance to raise awareness of FGM among officers. In addition, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary will carry out an inspection of the police response to honour based violence with a focus on FGM and forced marriage; a national FGM Prevention Programme, working in partnership with NHS England; new briefing for schools on FGM and forced marriage commissioned by the Department for Education; more funding to help charities raise awareness and a network of community champions with the cultural knowledge and connections necessary to challenge beliefs and change behaviour; and a new cross-government specialist FGM unit working with criminal justice partners, children’s services, healthcare professionals and affected communities. The FGM Unit was launched on 5 December 2014. 27.The Crown Prosecution Service is also working closely with the police to identify girls and women at risk of, or who have been subjected to, FGM. 28.FGM is unlikely to end in the UK before it ends in Africa so the Department for International Development is leading a £35 million flagship programme to support the Africa-led movement to end FGM and is supporting work in 17 countries. Ministry of Justice/Home Office March 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salfordlad Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 1 minute ago, Denman said: Serious Crime Act 2015 Factsheet – female genital mutilation Background 1. Female genital mutilation (“FGM”) involves procedures that include the partial or total removal of the external female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice is extremely painful and has serious health consequences both at the time when the mutilation is carried out and in later life. 2. The age at which girls undergo FGM varies enormously according to the community. The procedure may be carried out when the girl is newborn, during childhood or adolescence, just before marriage or during the first pregnancy. However, the majority of cases of FGM are thought to take place between the ages of five and eight. 3. FGM has been a specific criminal offence in the UK since 1985 when the (UKwide) Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act (“the 1985 Act”) was passed. The Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 (“the 2003 Act”) replaced the 1985 Act in England, Wales and Northern Ireland1 . It modernised the offence of FGM and the offence of assisting a girl to carry out FGM on herself while also creating extra-territorial offences to deter people from taking girls abroad for mutilation. To reflect the serious harm caused, the 2003 Act increased the maximum penalty for any of the FGM offences from five to 14 years’ imprisonment. 4. To date no-one has been convicted of FGM in England and Wales. In July 2014, the UK Government and UNICEF hosted the first Girl Summit,2 aimed at mobilising domestic and international efforts to end FGM. The Government made a number of commitments for new legislation to tackle FGM. Current law 5. Under the 2003 Act it is an offence for any person in England, Wales or Northern Ireland (regardless of their nationality or residence status) to perform FGM (section 1); or to assist a girl to carry out FGM on herself (section 2). It is also an offence to assist (from England, Wales or Northern Ireland) a non-UK national or resident to carry out FGM outside the UK on a UK national or permanent UK resident (section 3). 6. Section 4 extends sections 1 to 3 to extra-territorial acts so that it is also an offence for a UK national or permanent UK resident to: perform FGM abroad; assist a girl to perform FGM on herself outside the UK; and assist (from outside the UK) a non-UK national or resident to carry out FGM outside the UK on a UK national or permanent UK resident. 1 The Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005 replaced the 1985 Act in Scotland. 2 https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/girl-summit-2014 7. The intention was for the extra-territorial provisions to catch offences involving those with a substantial connection to the UK but not those who were here temporarily. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions has highlighted a small number of cases where the CPS could not prosecute for FGM committed abroad because those involved were not, at the material time, permanent UK residents as defined by the 2003 Act. Extension of extra-territorial jurisdiction 8. Against that background, section 70(1) of the Serious Crime Act 2015 (“the 2015 Act”) amends section 4 of the 2003 Act so that the extra-territorial jurisdiction extends to prohibited acts done outside the UK by a UK national or a person who is resident in the UK. Consistent with that change, section 70(1) also amends section 3 of the 2003 Act (offence of assisting a non-UK person to mutilate overseas a girl’s genitalia) so it extends to acts of FGM done to a UK national or a person who is resident in the UK. 9. “UK resident” is defined as an individual who is habitually resident in the UK. The term habitually resident covers a person's ordinary residence, as opposed to a short, temporary stay in a country. 10.These changes will mean that the 2003 Act can capture offences of FGM committed abroad by or against those who are at the time are habitually resident in the UK irrespective of whether they are subject to immigration restrictions. It will be for the courts to determine on the facts of individual cases whether or not those involved are habitually resident in the UK and thus covered by the 2003 Act. 11.Section 70(2) of the 2015 Act makes equivalent amendments to the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005. Anonymity of victims of FGM 12.Reluctance to be identified as a victim of FGM is believed to be one of the reasons for the low incidence of reporting of this offence. It is anticipated that providing for the anonymity of victims of alleged offences of FGM will encourage more victims to come forward. 13.Section 71 of the 2015 Act amends the 2003 Act to prohibit the publication of any information that would be likely to lead to the identification of a person against whom an FGM offence is alleged to have been committed. This is similar, although not identical, to the anonymity given to alleged victims of sexual offences by the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992. 14.Anonymity will commence once an allegation has been made and will last for the duration of the victim’s lifetime. 15.There are two limited circumstances where the court may disapply the restrictions on publication. The first is where a person being tried for an FGM offence, could have their defence substantially prejudiced if the restriction to prevent identification of the person against whom the allegation of FGM was committed is not lifted. The second circumstances is where preventing identification of the person against whom the allegation of FGM was committed, could be seen as a substantial and unreasonable restriction on the reporting of the proceedings and it is considered in the public interest to remove the restriction. Offence of failing to protect a girl from risk of FGM 16.Section 72 of the 2015 Act inserts new section 3A into the 2003 Act; this creates a new offence of failing to protect a girl from FGM. This will mean that if an offence of FGM is committed against a girl under the age of 16, each person who is responsible for the girl at the time of FGM occurred will be liable under this new offence. The maximum penalty for the new offence is seven years’ imprisonment or a fine or both. 17.To be “responsible” for a girl, the person will either have parental responsibility for the girl (such as mothers, fathers married to the mothers at the time of birth and guardians) and have frequent contact with her, or where the person is aged 18 or over they will have assumed responsibility for caring for the girl “in the manner of a parent”, for example family members to whom parents might send their child during the summer holidays. 18.The requirement for “frequent contact” is intended to ensure that a person who in law has parental responsibility for a girl, but who in practice has little or no contact with her, would not be liable. Similarly, the requirement that the person should be caring for the girl “in the manner of a parent” is intended to ensure that a person who is looking after a girl for a very short period – such as a baby sitter – would not be liable. 19.It would be a defence for a defendant to show that at the relevant time, they did not think that there was a significant risk of FGM being committed, and could not reasonably have been expected to be aware that there was any such risk; or they took such steps as he or she could reasonably have been expected to take to protect the girl from being the victim of FGM. The onus would then be on the prosecution to prove the contrary. Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order (“FGMPO”) 20.At the Girl Summit on 22 July 2014 the Prime Minister launched a consultation on a proposal to introduce a specific civil law measure for the purpose of protecting potential or actual victims of FGM, closely modelled on the forced marriage protection orders in the Family Law Act 1996. 85% of the respondents to the consultation supported the proposal.3 21.Section 73 of the 2015 Act provides, therefore, for FGMPOs for the purposes of protecting a girl against the commission of a genital mutilation offence or protecting a girl against whom such an offence has been committed. Breach of an FGMPO would be a criminal offence with a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, or as a civil breach punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment. 22.The court may make a FGMPO on application by the girl who is to be protected or a third party. The court must consider all the circumstances including the need to secure the health, safety, and well-being of the girl. 3 https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/female-genital-mutilation-proposal-to-introduce-a-civilprotection-order 23.Under the new provisions an FGMPO might contain such prohibitions, restrictions or other requirements for the purposes of protecting a victim or potential victim of FGM. This could include, for example, provisions to surrender a person’s passport or any other travel document; and not to enter into any arrangements, in the UK or abroad, for FGM to be performed on the person to be protected. Duty to notify police of female genital mutilation 24.At the Girl Summit, the Prime Minister also announced the Government’s intention to introduce a mandatory reporting duty for FGM. A consultation on how to introduce the duty ran from 5 December 2014 to 12 January 2015, and the Government’s response was published on 12 February. The intention is that the new duty will make professionals’ responsibilities in respect of FGM absolutely clear, and that it will aid police investigations and support an increase in the number of perpetrators caught and prosecuted. 25.Section 74 inserts new section 5B into the 2003 Act which creates a new mandatory reporting duty requiring specified regulated professionals in England and Wales to make a report to the police. The duty applies where, in the course of their professional duties, a professional discovers that FGM appears to have been carried out on a girl aged under 18 (at the time of the discovery). 26.The duty applies where the professional either: is informed by the girl that an act of FGM has been carried out on her, or observes physical signs which appear to show an act of FGM has carried out and has no reason to believe that the act was necessary for the girl’s physical or mental health or for purposes connected with labour or birth. 27.The duty applies to professionals working within healthcare or social care, and teachers. It therefore covers: Professionals regulated by a body overseen by the Professional Standards Authority (with the exception of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland). This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, and, in England, social workers, Teachers, Social care workers in Wales. 28.The duty does not apply where a professional has reason to believe that another individual working in the same profession has previously made a report to the police in connection with the same act of FGM. For these purposes, professionals regulated by a body which belongs to the Professional Standards Authority are considered as belonging to the same profession. Guidance about female genital mutilation 29.Section 75 inserts new section 5C into the 2003 Act which confers on the Secretary of State a power to issue statutory guidance on FGM which relevant individuals are required to have regard to. Other steps being taken to tackle FGM 26.Amending the law is not the only answer to securing additional prosecutions and convictions for FGM nor can it eradicate a practice that has been deeply ingrained in the culture of practising communities. The Government is committed to preventing and ending this form of violence against women and girls. Other measures announced at the Girl Summit included: working to improve the police response to FGM. The College of Policing will issue new guidance to raise awareness of FGM among officers. In addition, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary will carry out an inspection of the police response to honour based violence with a focus on FGM and forced marriage; a national FGM Prevention Programme, working in partnership with NHS England; new briefing for schools on FGM and forced marriage commissioned by the Department for Education; more funding to help charities raise awareness and a network of community champions with the cultural knowledge and connections necessary to challenge beliefs and change behaviour; and a new cross-government specialist FGM unit working with criminal justice partners, children’s services, healthcare professionals and affected communities. The FGM Unit was launched on 5 December 2014. 27.The Crown Prosecution Service is also working closely with the police to identify girls and women at risk of, or who have been subjected to, FGM. 28.FGM is unlikely to end in the UK before it ends in Africa so the Department for International Development is leading a £35 million flagship programme to support the Africa-led movement to end FGM and is supporting work in 17 countries. Ministry of Justice/Home Office March 2015 WTF LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinkerbells Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 I think what dennans trying to say is I need to go out and get laid I call that a challenge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacko Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Just now, Kinkerbells said: I think what dennans trying to say is I need to go out and get laid I call that a challenge That is a challenge 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Just now, salfordlad said: @Denman the copy and paste function on your device is going to get worn out at this rate fella ha salfordlad is a goth He should behold the smile Reach out and take the package Be happy, be glad, salfordlad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 FUCK THE GOTHS FUCK THE GOTHS THE HUNS THE HUNS THE GOTHS HUNS BRITISH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinkerbells Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 6 minutes ago, Denman said: I see. Keywords: tradition, structure, teacher, mentor, counselor, religion, dogma, advice, status quo, organization, conformity, rules, church, obedience Attributes: Taurus General meaning: It may be best to follow the established rules at this time. Don’t rock the boat – instead, go with tradition. Feeling confused about a situation? A visit to a wise counselor or teacher can help you sort that stuff out. Sometimes a spiritual perspective is what you need to get back on track. Been really bad? Get your arse to confession and stop that nonsense. Often The Hierophant can indicate a religious ceremony like a wedding or baptism – so if your honey is acting reluctant, be patient. You may get to that altar in due time. Reversed: Time to fight the man! Conformity goes out the window and a new order is ready to rumble into place. Question EVERYTHING. Don’t accept the standard way. This is time for revolution, even if only a personal inward one. Break the rules and think for yourself. Problems with authority. Feeling like an outcast in your tribe. Rebellion. Originality. Don’t be a biter. Affirmation: “I embrace traditions both old and new.” Keywords: bondage, materialism, negativity, slavery, addiction, stuck, jealousy, deviance, excess Attributes: Capricorn (Earth) General meaning: When this card pops up in a reading, you can be assured that things are taking a turn towards the dark and obsessive. The Devil is about being “stuck” and limited by a situation. The energy is oppressive and heavy. This card can represent addiction in the absolute worse sense. Notice that the chains are loose on the figures – a sign that the situation can change if you want to (or find the courage muscles to let go). It is also a reminder to check yourself before you wreck yourself – are you allowing envy, greed or negativity to taint your worldview? Where can you let go a little more? Reversed: A big ole release! Bondage, schmondage – now you’re free and able to move about. The addiction no longer has a hold on you. Recovery from a bad situation. Leaving an abusive relationship. This is the big shift in consciousness from victim to victor. Liberation, baby! Affirmation: I find the courage to release my limitations. Keywords: pleasure, nostalgia, friendship, meeting, gifts, security, romance, the past, reunion, childlike General meaning: If you are in the market for love, you may be meeting a romantic partner or being courted. This could be someone new but more often, it’s a suggestion of a blast from the past or someone with whom you are already familiar. The energy here is about returning to one’s roots. Whether that be an old love, a former job or old memories, the past is calling. The Six of Cups may also indicate taht you may be receiving a gift – don’t look that gift horse in the mouth. Say thank you. Reversed: The energy moves from nostalgia to being hung up on the past. As in constantly bitching about the present and longing for days gone by. Those good old days may not be as good as you remember. It’s time to stop clinging to what was and embrace what is. Any sort of emotional immaturity, yours or others, will hold you back now. Man up and stop that b.s.. Affirmation: I respect the past but embrace the present moment. I actually fucking love this all joking aside very very relatable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salfordlad Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 I want @payphone checker grant back he brought a certain level headed rational feel to TGC in these current times lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinkerbells Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 1 minute ago, Blacko said: That is a challenge A very big one yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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