You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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Watcha Doin' - 2017.1 edition
Today's a book day here in the UK with the general election. I am very curious how things are going to pan out.
Curious what you mean, Sarah, about the current general election and why that makes it a "book day"? Interested, too, in how things will pan out.
Good I meant. I meant good day! I think I spelled "good" wrong the first time through and then when I noticed, it looked vaguely like it should have been book, so I just corrected it to book and didn't reread the sentence before hitting post! lol
That's very funny : D And here i thought i was going to learn some new Brit cultural thing, lol!!
But good and book do seem pretty much like the same thing to me!!!
I probably write book more on here than anything else which is why I just assumed that was what it was.
Janice wrote: "I wonder if we were at the same resort."I just google mapsed it. It was The Westin. We were there for 3 hours while people tried to sell us a time share, when we got told if we sat through the presentation, we'd get accommodation in any Westin in the world for a week within a year. Turned out it was only in St Martin, and non-transferrable. They told us just to come back (and didn't seem to think that the 40 hour flight was a big deal). Lexx threw the vouchers at them lol.
Lol Sarah. Good luck! Make sure you all go vote UK peeps. No whinging about politicians for the next 5 years unless you vote! ;)
Rusalka wrote: "Janice wrote: "I wonder if we were at the same resort."I just google mapsed it. It was The Westin. We were there for 3 hours while people tried to sell us a time share, when we got told if we sat..."
Yikes! That's disgusting.
This picture is from The Westin's beach. It looks across the bay to the resort we stayed at.
Rusalka wrote: "Lol Sarah. Good luck! Make sure you all go vote UK peeps. No whinging about politicians for the next 5 years unless you vote! ;)"
I did :)
I've voted now. Now we just have to wait. Only half hour until the polling stations close now. I guess we'll know by the time we wake up tomorrow morning.
Tejas Janet wrote: "About Cancun, Mexico... not a place I've ever really wanted to visit. Ditto Acapulco. Both too resort oriented with high-rise hotels dominating the skyline and beach. Not my cup of tea, nor my spou..."Thank you for the very detailed post! Cancun hasn't ever really been on my radar either, it has such a touristy reputation. But seeing my niece's pictures and hearing her talk about her recent trip there made me curious about it.
I've been to Cozumel on a cruise and have mentioned to my husband about going back there just to stay. The small part we were able to visit while on the cruise was so beautiful.
My goal with this trip is to go somewhere that has post-card beautiful beaches/water and lots of things to do and explore while also being budget friendly.
@ Sarah, I just assumed your "book day" meant it was "a day for the books" as the expression goes.
The Caribbean sound very good to me right now. This afternoon I looked up the current temperatures in the places we'll be visiting in Norway in 3 weeks. I almost cried! It's between 8 and 13 C! And rain! What the... I knew it would be a few degrees colder than here (which it was when I compared 2 weeks ago) and that we will get some rain, but I didn't think I'd have to bring a winter coat! 8 degrees! In June! It's not even the north of Norway!
I hope they're just having an extraordinary cold few days which will go back to normal again soon.
I immediately informed bf that next year we're going somewhere with at least 25 C and guaranteed sunshine.
Our Cozumel trips have been memorable. We may go back again yet. We've been trying to visit more places tho and not just keep returning to same places. However, a mix of old and new is good : )Note that Cozumel is a favorite with the scuba diving crowd, who tend to have an in-group attitude. Like "we're the cool kids," and if you don't scuba dive, then you're not. Kind of like private air pilots, lol.
At Cozumel, we've stayed in town and we've stayed along the beach. Both good. There are some beautiful places around Cozumel to stay that cater to beginning scuba divers and/or snorkelers. Y'all might enjoy that, Kimey.
To get around, we've used cabs and/or rented a scooter. Visiting Chankanaab National Park is always a highlight. http://www.dolphindiscovery.com/cozum...
Woken up to chaos in the UK this morning. We have a hung parliament with no party having a majority of the votes. I think the Tories as the current party have first dibs at forming a coalition government and they are in talks with the DUP. Could make Brexit a bit easier but still not an ideal government. Corbyn is talking about a minority government, forming with SNP and others. That sounds a lot more representative of the country and how it voted to me. There is still one seat to be announced. No idea what's going to happen. And Brexit talks are due to start in 11 days. Talk about bad timing. May thought she had it in the bag be she was so wrong. People are not happy with her or her government. In the constituency I voted in, Tories got in. I voted with my heart rather than tactically but either way wouldn't have mattered. But Tories lost seats in quite a few key constituencies and Labour made some good gains. We've all done our bit (well 69% of us anyway) so now it's up to them to squabble it out.
Yes the weather has really changed here too Peggy. We were getting 25C just the other day but this week we've had gale force winds and torrential rain and the temperature has plummeted. We even had to light our fire over the night a few days ago. It is supposed to be picking up though for next week.
The outcome of the UK General Election went exactly the way I thought it was going to go, a hung parliament, with the Tories as the largest party with 318/319 seats to Labour's 261/262 seats. The whole thing has been a complete waste of time, money and energy. It's looking like the Conservatives are going to form a government, helped by an "understanding" (whatever that means) with the DUP. How long is that going to last I wonder? What's the betting there will be another election in the autumn? I don't think the Labour Party can form a minority government because even with SNP support and support from elsewhere, they are still going to be a bit short of the numbers they need, so what's the point of going into coalition with many different parties if you still don't make a majority? Plus, the SNP and Lib Dems said earlier they would not form a coalition with the Tories or Labour.
Not good news for the Republic. Foster in not flavour of the month over here! Could be worse news for Briton though!
I don't think it was a waste (well money perhaps). The Tories have lost seats and Labour and the other party have gained them. Regardless of who forms the coalition, with the input of another party, Brexit will not be as harsh as a pure Tory government would have made it. However if it's just an "understanding" that the Tories work out with the DUP, that's not on and if the DUP were stupid enough to agree, I think they'd lose face and they've just gained ground. Margo, I know you are from Ireland as opposed to Northern Ireland but I'd love to here your thoughts on DUP and the potential coalition and what kind of news your getting over there at the moment.
I've decided not to watch any news today. I'll periodically check the net I think rather than being bombarded and hearing scaremongering from all sides.
Yes I did wonder how having a Northern Irish party in with the Brits might play out. Some people will not be happy. Will it affect the peace agreements? I have to say this is not my area of expertise whatsoever.
Looks like we crossed posts Margo. lol.
It's wasted valuable Brexit negotiating time. If Theresa May had wanted an election, she should have called one as soon as she became party leader after David Cameron stepped down. Instead, she kept on actively ruling out an election, triggers Article 50 and then calls an election, saying that she needed a stronger majority. No she didn't, she had a working majority (albeit a small one) and she should have had the guts to push on through with Brexit. How she could even expect to gain a larger majority after the campaign she put together is beyond me. And now we are left in a complete and utter mess a mere 10 days before Brexit talks are due to start. I feel like the whole thing was just an ego trip for her and the Conservatives, that they wanted to kick Labour when they were down so to speak, and it's backfired pretty spectacularly.
I agree. The election should either have been triggered when Cameron resigned, or back in May when the local elections happened. There would have been more time to get things settled ahead of the Brexit negotiations. No idea what she was thinking of. It wouldn't surprise me if it were all ego on her/party part. I'm pleased there was a general election though, just an earlier one would have been better. But we have what we have. Crazy that she had no idea what the population actually felt. But then not many politicians do (or care). I guess a couple days delay on negotiations won't hurt.
Hmm. May is off to see the Queen at 12.30 to discuss the proposed coalition. I hope the Queen laughs in her face. But I'm guessing it's just a formality and it will go ahead.
Sarah wrote: "I agree. The election should either have been triggered when Cameron resigned, or back in May when the local elections happened. There would have been more time to get things settled ahead of the B..."I heard a Conservative (can't remember who it was now) say on the news earlier that Theresa May didn't want the election, but was talked into calling it by her two aides. He also hinted that she spends a lot of time listening to and consulting with her aides and not a great deal of time consulting with her Cabinet. That's very comforting to hear. She doesn't seem to talk to the people she should be talking too and can't seemingly think for herself.
Sarah wrote: "Hmm. May is off to see the Queen at 12.30 to discuss the proposed coalition. I hope the Queen laughs in her face. But I'm guessing it's just a formality and it will go ahead."Lol, it's probably very tempting for her! However, I think the Queen is far too dignified for that ;)
Lisa wrote: "Lol, it's probably very tempting for her! However, I think the Queen is far too dignified for that ;) ."True. I would love her even more though if she did. Anyway, back to reality....
On a different note, I am over the moon right now as I have just completed my coursework for the course I've been doing. I still need to finish writing up my case studies but I am three quarters through that too. Hoping to hand in at the end of next week. I should be able to pick up my certificate on the last day of the course, photo included :-)
Sarah wrote: "On a different note, I am over the moon right now as I have just completed my coursework for the course I've been doing. I still need to finish writing up my case studies but I am three quarters th..."How exciting, Sarah! Congrats!
I hope you have good weather when you're in Norway, Peggy. Maybe this chilly weather will pass.Yeah Sarah for finishing your coursework!
Isn't the word "understanding" in connection with two parties a bit of an oxymoron?
UK is all very interesting. My understanding from what I read was that the "understanding" with the DUP would be for supply and confidence. Which means that they won't block the supply of money and possibly grind the country to a halt (this happened in Aus in the 70s, not hung parliament, but the Senate (upper House) blocked supply) and they will vote with the Tories in votes of no confidence, so for the PM. Because of this, it's not a formal coalition.Makes sense May thinks she can go to Queenie today, she only needs 8 votes to form government. Corbyn unfortunately would need to negotiate similar deals with the SNP, LD and some of the others. That seems like a large undertaking.
May took a political gamble, but got outplayed and outmaneuvered. It was what we would call here a clusterfuck. But she only has herself to blame.
It's looking lije the between Tories in DUP will go ahead. May has given a statement after her visit with the Queen. Her reasoning for an election was for a stronger government with a larger majority to go in to the brexit negotions. But what she has got is a weaker government instead. Definitly a harder task for Labour to create a coalition but i would have liked to have seen what that might have looked like.
Congrats on finishing your coursework, Sarah! That's very exciting. I've just decided to go to Romania with a friend of mine on a mission trip. I am really excited about it. She's been several times, so she will show me the ropes. I think we are going in September.
I am also heading out to an island later in the year with my husband. We're thinking later October or November. We have had a long and busy year, so we decided that a little rest & relaxation is in order before we get back at it. I can't wait!! I'm not sure where we're going yet, but this thread may come in handy! As of right now, we are considering Punta Cana because some friends keep telling us that we need to go. I think we will check out the weather for that time of year. I don't want to end up somewhere during a rainy season or hurricane season or something.
Hmmm this on the Guardian about the DUP, whom I know nothing about. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/...
Romania would be an interesting place to visit!
What is a mission trip?No matter what it is, it sounds exciting anyway! I would like to visit Romania some day.
Skipping all the politics as I don't really have anything useful to say about it.
Rusalka wrote: "Oooo Romania!!"I've never been. It's very exciting and we will be helping out at The Isaiah Center with the Roma children and young mothers.
Peggy wrote: "What is a mission trip?No matter what it is, it sounds exciting anyway! I would like to visit Romania some day.
Skipping all the politics as I don't really have anything useful to say about it."
I am going to Romania to work with the Roma children versus a vacation. It's volunteer work typically done through a church, but we are going on our own.
I had the same feeling about the political conversation. I don't know enough to really have an opinion.
I'm not sure if you're on Facebook, but this is where I'll be: https://www.facebook.com/rachel.ross....
Sarah wrote: "I don't think it was a waste (well money perhaps). The Tories have lost seats and Labour and the other party have gained them. Regardless of who forms the coalition, with the input of another party..."Oh Sarah, I don't envy you! I agree with all those who predict an election sooner rather than later. I don't really try to understand NI politics as I see them as a law unto themselves. Too many extremists, too few moderates! IMO Foster is a step is a step is a step back in unionist/republican relations. She is very bitter about the past and very outspoken about it.
I believe the only way the north is going to move forward is to let the past alone - on both sides. Foster is old-school and has made some very non-PC comments about the Irish langue. She is very anti-EU and a diplomat she is not! If she has much input into Brexit then I predict trouble. I also can't imagine she and May will work well together :-(
I had a productive afternoon sorting out cupboards while listening to my current audiobook - I was actually sorry to finish o:-)
That trip helping toe Roma kids sounds fantastic Kristie. And Romania sounds like a great destination.Thanks for that link Rusalka - it doesn't look good for abortion and gay rights if they get to have any say on how the mainland is run.
Thanks for your insight Margo - that's really useful.
We are due to move our boat tonight and then we will be sanding down the sides over the weekend preparing her for painting next week. She will be taken out of the water for that. It might be a bit strange living on the boat whilst it is completely static. I might get land sickness.
Sarah wrote: "That trip helping toe Roma kids sounds fantastic Kristie. And Romania sounds like a great destination.Thanks for that link Rusalka - it doesn't look good for abortion and gay rights if they get t..."
I'm not too worried about the effect their views on abortion and gay rights will have because I don't think they will get much say on that front. Their biggest influence in what happens on the UK mainland will likely be to do with Brexit and they only have 10 MPs against 318 Conservatives, 262 Labour MPs and all the other elected MPs across the remaining parties, so I'm hopeful that their less palatable views will be kept in check. Fingers crossed. And you never know, being in a "coalition" of sorts with the Tories might mean they have to rethink some of their views and policies. We can but hope.
It's funny how May has said she's sorted a government out for us but the DUP basically have said they haven't discussed things. All very odd. I think we won't know any definites until early next week.
Sarah wrote: "It's funny how May has said she's sorted a government out for us but the DUP basically have said they haven't discussed things. All very odd. I think we won't know any definites until early next week."I took that to mean initial talks have taken place between the Tories and DUP, but the specifics haven't been sorted out yet.
Sarah - Good luck with living on the boat while it's not in the water. I'm sure that will feel really strange.
Me too. But I just don't get how you can agree to jump in to bed with someone if you don't know what you're getting in to first. Metaphorically speaking of course. The more I read about the DUP, the more I think it might have been better to have had a Tory majority. And I hate the Tories. Obviously a Labour majority would have been my preferred but even a Labour minority would be better than what we potentially have now. I'm secretly (or not so as I've written it here) hoping for everything to go tits up so we can have another election. Is that bad of me?!
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You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
Proof: The Science of Booze (other topics)The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles (other topics)
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles (other topics)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (other topics)
The Little Prince (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Michael J. Sullivan (other topics)Joe Hill (other topics)
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Kazuo Ishiguro (other topics)
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Besides numerous visits to Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, Mexico, we've visited Yelapa, also in Jalisco, Manzanillo in Colima, and Cozumel in Quintana Roo, which is close to Cancun, also in state of Quintana Roo. All very enjoyable trips. Would love to visit the city and state of Oaxaca. Hoping that will happen before too long.
I don't have much experience with the Caribbean. Have visited St. Croix, Virgin Islands, and the water and beach were stunningly gorgeous. Went scuba diving off Buck Island.
Have also visited Puerto Rico, as I already mentioned, and really enjoyed that. Very stimulating place culturally, great food, and I loved visiting this place that is part of USA, and yet also outside USA. So unique. But while the beach was okay, it didn't compare to St Croix/Caribbean or Cozumel or even Puerto Vallarta.
My spouse has visited Jamaica, and loved it. But we haven't visited there together ever as yet.
Different places offer different things to experience. One place has prettier beaches and ocean. Other places have more interesting history and culture. Some have some blend of these. All good really - just know a bit what kind of vacation you're wanting.