Ransfordrowe

:greeting: Hiya, eh... Sorry I've taken so buckin' long to get back to you. It's just that I've had some potentially life-changing since we last conversed here.

I'm might be getting that orthopedic surgery by the end of the year to help with my mobilty issues. Had a hospital appointment last week, got a final set of x-rays done and a couple of compliments. One about my physique, the other about how well-thought-out I've been in my reasoning for getting these operations done. :shyness:

And I got a letter today to say I've been added to the waiting list for surgery. The 12 week wait begins... So I've been fair chuffed but slightly anxious about going under the knife again. Ma heid's mince as the Scots expression goes, that just means my head's mixed up. :bigsmile: Just trying to adjust, but I'm kinda freaking out internally. But, from how the talks have went with my othopedic surgeon, she doesn't think things wll be as bad as my last surgical experience.

I enjoy reading fantasy and sic-fi novels.

also do you know MotherWolff's other contact info or website by any chance. I want to talk to her and she's been banned for voicing rightful concerns and it sucks that she felt that she was in the wrong for screaming out her frustrations when everyone literally has their palms over her mouth. I know how she feels and I would love to greatly reach out to her.

Hiya, sorry for the late reply. Just re-adjusting after spending most of the month in Edinburgh. Eh, so my favourite clean Scottish saying would have to be...

• Giein it laldy
• Keep the heid
• Ah dinnae ken *
• Ken whit ah mean, like? *
• Haud yer wheesht!
• Yer a long time deid

And ma personal favourite... Awa an bile yer heid :bigsmile:

* These 2 expressions being fairly frequent in the south of Scotland where I'm from.
Can't think of any others clean Scots saying, off the top of my head, though.

As for the Edinburgh book festival, it's, like, slap-bang right in the middle of August and only on for a week. Not sure what the attendance would be like, but it probably get a decent number of folk going, considering it's competing with 2 other more publisized festivals during that same month. Though, the book festival does and has attracted some well-known writers in the past, so it's not like they're losing out. It's alright if yer going to Edinburgh for a bit of literary culture, but kinda shite if yer wanting to make the most of yer visit.

Anyway, that's enough fae me. Nice chatting with ye, Rans. Hope yer doing well. :thumbup:

Sorry, I'm starting to ramble on a bit. What else did ye ask me? Oh, aye, Fred MacAulay. I think he does other comedy festivals, like Just for Laugh in Canada, like most UK based comics. Aside from that, I don't think he's got as big an audience outside of Scotland or UK-wide, really.

Also, Fred MacAulay's humour is very Scottish, meaning you'd either have to been born and raised or living in Scotland long enough to understand some of Scottish colloquialisms.

Yep, that's just how it is. Though, Edinburgh's always bringing in the money due to tourism. Since Edinburgh is the first place most tourists decide to visit before moving on to the rest of Scotland - that's if venture as far south as Dumfries and Galloway? Which is really a peaceful place. Great scenary but not much else...

But I digress, somewhat. I think it's just during the Fringe that the prices go up. Not being local to the city, I can only speculate. The drink's certainly no cheap for yin thing. Ah know, sticking with auld stereotype there, eh? :bigsmile:

And, since you mentioned it, I think Richard Herring's decision not to play the Edinburgh Fringe this year was really more of a criticism on how hotels in Edinburgh are taking advantage of the both the Edinburgh Fringe and International Festivals - as well as the International Book Festival - which is usually around the mid-August - putting accomodation prices up to get as much money out of the tourists, mainly.

Forgetting that the comedians and performers who have travelled from England, Wales, Ireland or elsewhere in the world just to be at the Fringe, they have alot to pay for by the end of the Fringe. Including the Scottish acts who, more than likely, aren't local to Edinburgh. I mean, they've got the fliers and posters to pay for; on top of the renting of the venue and their accommodation for the whole money. Which isn't going to be cheap for any of them, unless they're not doing the whole month at the Fringe.

As for the response my shirt got during Fred MacAulay's set. Well... I think I, very nearly, put Fred off a few times. Because I hadn't counted on being sat to the left of the stage in the Ballroom venue, which, unlike the Music Hall of Assembly Rooms is quite wee and intimate. Intimate enough for the aforementioned comedian to len down and give ye a fist bump as I found last year

Nor did I count on there being a bright as f**k spot light hanging from the right-hand side of the lighting rig above the stage, meaning I was lit up like a freaking Christmas. So, as Fred paced the stage, he could clearly read my shirt. I could tell he was, too. Because, whenever he walked to the left of the stage where I was, he'd linger for a few seconds, smile at me, then walk to the other side. Wanting to mention it, but knowing some of the audience might get offended. And we'd both be in hysterics.

Though, I probably shouldn't have wore the t-shirt I was wearing, last weekend.

I thought, for a laugh and given my love of ironic humour, I decided to wear this t-shirt and sit by the side of the stage in my wheelchair during both gigs I had tickets for.

Hiya

Oh, Fred MacAulay's show was quite interesting. Due in part to him recognising me from when I attended his Edinburgh show last year, and was the only audience member who laughed at particularly sick joke, which referenced Oscar Pistorius. Nothing on par with Frankie Boyle, though.

Anyway, this time round I'd probably say the routine about Mhairi Black's comments on Twitter were really funny - "The Nuns can get tae f**k" and how the expression "Get tae f**k" become more personalised depending on which part of Scotland yer in. Oh, and the banter he had with the American and South African lads in the audience.

And Scottish lad asked about Scotland's upcoming football matches, and made a joke about Scotland's next football matches being home and away, but, sadly, they weren't playing against Australia. Get it...? :bigsmile:

I saw Fred MacAulay and Stewart Lee just this past Saturday. Fred MacAulay's show was the funnier show overall. But then Stewart Lee was only doing a work-in-progress show. Tickets are usually between £12 to £15 or cheaper if you book tickets online as some shows had a 2 for 1 offer.

I've also got tickets to see Hardeep Singh Koli, Jerry Sadowitz, Elaine C. Smith, Tommy Tiernan and Ricky Tomlinson. So I've got one this week, two shows the next and one show in the last week of the Fringe.

Hello, again... Sorry for taking so long to get back to ya. Between tidying out my bedroom, getting ready to go the Edinburgh Fringe (first couple of gigs were yesterday afternoon and evening).

Also, just a weeks' worth of family drama, which ah decided to keep myself out of - I'm going to take sides. That's what happens when yer raised in a dysfunctional family. Anyway, hope yer doing well ?

Oh, and here's a few songs which I feel that I can kinda relate to as of late.
Limp Bizkit - Walking Away
Limp Bizkit - Build A Bridge
Limp Bizkit - My Way

Thank You

About the corruption in Greece, it's not just politicians but in public organisations too, like hospitals. As for bad private companies, that should be taken care of via proper law-making. As for my last point, public hospitals, public schools/universities, town halls, etc all have huge deficits because they get more money from the government if they don't get profits. This encourages them to keep spending and not saving. This isn't my opinion, these are facts I learned in my Public Finance class.

I don't have much knowledge regarding the EU. It's great to have a currency like the Euro because it makes buying online much easier, but in economical terms it is terrible for small economies. It also feels like Germany and France have all the power and the rest just goes along, so we end up doing what is best for those two and not what is best for everyone. Maybe it would be better if the small economies had their own currency.

I think doing bailouts is useless when the country isn't trying to get back on track. Changing taxes from 24% to 25% isn't going to make a difference, what needs to change are laws: to reduce corruption and to allow investment. Corruption is really high in Greece, and also high in Portugal. Our government always manages to lose millions of dollars in really stupid stuff as well.

Regarding investment, I don't know how it is in Greece. In Portugal, you need 5000€ to start a business, which is a big obstacle to small businesses. Another issue is that everyone hates privatisations, because that means "the company only wants profit and the workers can go screw themselves". These people just want to keep their stupid little privileges like receiving a bonus for showing up to work. Or maybe they think these companies could be a source of revenue for the State. What they don't realise is that since public companies don't need to profit, they're much more likely to have deficits.

I have a pet Crested Gecko. Unfortunately I just had to give him away today because I moved into an apartment that won't allow them.

On the Greek situation, I follow it a bit. It gets kinda confusing though, since there are new plans all the time, and these guys voting for this one week and those guys voting for that the next week.

How were you able to overcome your fear of simultaneous sound by your neighbors?

I saw a doctor about my depression last year, tried medication but it just made me feel worse. Attempted therapy but when I brought up how I thought my anxiety issues might be due to my dysfunctional, sheltered upbringing and my dad not being there for me, my therapist just glossed over that. So I didn't bother discussing that being a possibility.

I don't look to my family for emotional support either, which is why I've stop being open about my feelings with them anymore. Now they're all concerned. Plus, finding common ground is kinda hard since my family and I seem to have very little in common.