Party pooper LJ!

[wiseheart]

Well, folks, it seems that LJ has decided to crash our birthday party - the original post is no longer visible. But I still have most of the comments in my inbox, and will re-post the original entry and list the available comments with the simple mentioning of the names, if it's all right with you. If not, tell me, and I'll delete yours.

We won't allow LJ to crash our party!

Original post

Hi folks! *waves*

Time is flying by, isn't it? It's that time of a year again - I'm getting older. In this case, I'm turning 56 on October 9, which means I'd have been retired for a year already, back under the old regime. Women could retire at the age of 55 back then. So I've decided to ignore all that fantastic headway we've supposedly made towards democracy in the last two decades and have considered myself retired for the last year, blithley overlooking the fact that I'll have to work another 6 or 7 or only God knows how many years.

So, let's party! Last years virtual birthday party yielded 943 comments on 7 pages, which won't be easy to top, but we're good, aren't we? WE CAN DO IT! WE CAN BREAK THE 1000-COMMENT-BARRIER! So, let's give it a try! In the recent years, it has always been great fun, so let's have fun again!

You're all cordially invited to help yourself to a slice of virtual cake of your choice. If you want to post your favourite recipe in a comment, be my guest. If not, just drop by and say hello.

Cheers!

Note: The party will be closed on October 9, at midnight, sharp.
Join us and have fun! Feel free to start any thread, any topic you want; we can discuss it, mock the general stupidity of life and laugh at it.

Last count was 1328 comments on 6 pages.

NB: Shoud the original party post mysteriously reappear, I'll delete this one.

Comments

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

And this was the "My Government Is Stupid"-thread:

How to make people's lives miserable?

You wanna know? Ask your government. Ours has just got the shiny idea of
> prohibiting the one-armed bandits (=slot machines) almost everywhere. The
> tax incomes they're losing that way (it's a two-digit number in billions,
> our currency is very weak) they compensate by raising the prices for all
> basic foodstuffs (meat and bakery products for starters) by 30 per cent.

> Good for small people, ain't it? *Tyr Anasazi actually applauds, as this
> move will certainly ensure the survival of the fittest.)

> So, how does your government make your life miserable?

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

To which rcfinch replied:

How shall I count the ways... They're making me work almost two years
months more than I had to when I started working. They raised the VAT.
They raised the assurance taxes. They raised the amount we have to pay
for medicines before the health assurance kicks in from 220 to 350 euros
a year. They...

But no, I won't spoil the birthday party any further.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Me about misery loving company and mocking the stupid being cathartic.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

wiseheart:
You don't. Misery loves company, and mocking the stupid is good for the
digestion.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

rcfinch:

Well, right now they're concocting new plans to let the people pay for
the current crisis, so I may come up with more atrocities later on. The
funny thing is, it's the right wing liberals and the labour party working
together (!) to form a government, and so far they've managed to piss
almost everyone off.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

wiseheart:
I think in these days it doesn't really count which side the government
comes from. My Grandpa - may he rest in peace - had awonderful saying for
this. He used to say: "My girl, remember: the shit is the same, only the
flies are different."

I only vote for the party I do vote for because I despise the other one
even more.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

rcfinch:
Your grandfather was a wise man.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

jenn_calaelen:

Ouch! That sounds nasty of them! :( Sadly it seems like all the
governments are being even worse than normal at the moment.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

jenn_calaelen:

Governments :( Making people miserable seems to be what they are best at.

That seems a particularly nasty thing to do :(

Here they are trying to cut all spending and privatise the health service
- while trying to cut taxes for the rich :(

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Me about our health system having floored completely and everyone paying the same percentage of taxes, including politicians and bankers.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

wiseheart:
> I hear you, sister! Here they created a tax system where everybody
> has to pay the same percentage. Ministers and bankiers, who earn more in
> a month than I earn in three frigging years, pay 16 percent... and so do
> I and the people who earn even less than I do (although that's not an
> easy task).

> The health service has floored, our doctors flee abroad... we're closing
> up to what was once symbolically called the Balkan. One can say a lot
> about the old regime that wouldn't be compimentary, but at least back
> then we were the country with the best living conditions behind the Iron
> Curtain. Now we are tagging along with the rearguard at best.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

rcfinch:
Bankers paying 16 % - that's gross.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Me:
> yuck! That is horrible, and very stupid of them! I really think things
> would be better if all politicians were paid is what they claim the rest
> of the people can live on (eg minimum wage/benefit levels) -- I predict
> those would quickly rise in that case.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

wiseheart:
That has been suggested repeatedly - alas, never by people who could
actually have make it happen.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

espresso_addict:

As Jenn writes, what the current government is doing to the national
health service is inexcusable. But what upsets me personally the most is
the way planning decisions (for building developments) have essentially
moved from local councils to central government. There are several
building developments up/down the road from us where the local
authorities repeatedly denied permission, only to have their decisions
overturned by the Secretary of State.

But hey, this isn't a great topic for a party! We need cheery topics!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Me about needing to rant and to share our misery.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

wiseheart:
I dunno, I feel it refreshing to went a little from time to time and
orchestrate a great mutual condolence feast with friends. *g*

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

At which point jenn_calaelen sent me virtual hugs.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Me: > because of course the central government knows best :( - after all local
> authorities might actually be considering local concerns

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

wiseheart:
Which, as we all know, would be a terrible, terrible thing. [/sarcasm]

Until last year, the district was the one dealing with school finances,
promotions and stuff. Now it's all become centralised. The result?
They've taken 3% of support from every single school, and we no longer
get our overtime paid.