Cows are the real pollution

And now for something completely different

@PennyD It's...

Alright, stop that - it's silly!

@Whirlwound
I want more beans!

@PennyD Storage Jars? (May come in handy when preparing for Brexit.)

@PennyD Is it an African swallow/Cow, or a European swallow/cow?

Having tired of tea, England has turned to drugs

I honestly thought this would be about cow farts...

@chaosgirl13 and their poo festering emits more methane than that.

Please make a comic for Stan Lee, one of the greatest minds to ever live.

@Katsurai When Stan Lee died I suddenly realized that George Lucas is going to die someday. Sometimes I forget the point of life.

@Henlaar Yeah. Its sad when a legend dies

@Katsurai Wait, oh no...... #savebettywhite
#honorstanlee

@EclipseMaster459 i- i'm sorry who is betty White?

@Katsurai Who is Betty White? She is an icon! She was in so many movies and TV shows, and at 99(I think), she is, literally, older than sliced bread.

@EclipseMaster459 I-
ive never Heard nor seen her
i feel so disrespectful

@Katsurai It's ok. You aren't disrespectful. She must just be a US staple.

@EclipseMaster459 Yeah...

@Katsurai Seriously, she must only be an icon here. If you'd like, Google her. Also, have you heard of Oprah?

@EclipseMaster459 No, i have not

@Katsurai She is an awesome person. Same with Ellen DeGeneras. They both have TV shows that are performed live, and give out huge prizes to the entire audience. Once, Oprah gave away new cars to everyone in the audience.

@EclipseMaster459 Ellen DeGeneras? I don't know her...

@Katsurai She is awesome! She is a comedian, and over Christmas, she gives away phones, and iPads, and even Vacations, to people in the audience

@Katsurai


While very famous in North America, part of the reason she's called an "icon" is that she and the characters she's played have kind of defined the stereotype of a "sweet old lady" (even when she turns that stereotype upside down for comedy).

She became most famous staring in a 1985 sitcom about a group of old women living together called "Golden Girls" (a reference to that time of one's live being called one's "golden years"). It ran for 7 seasons and was very popular.

More recently, in 2010, she was the big-name star of another sitcom called "Hot in Cleveland" where three superficial LA women move to Cleveland, yet "grandma" has the most exciting social life out of them all. It was quite popular, even though competition for new sitcoms was pretty fierce in those years.

Most recently, a short-lived (but HILLARIOUS!) prank show called "Betty White's Off Their Rockers", where elderly actors and actresses (who are less immediately recognizable than Betty herself) pull pranks on young people just walking around in public. The show had a very sporadic airing, three seasons spread between 2012 and 2017, on different networks.

Here's Betty in some clips from Hot in Cleveland:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMoap7StUTw

To be honest, WE don't think we're handlling Brexit very well either. It's turning into a complete fustercluck which should absolutely terrify everyone in the UK. If you're British and not crapping yourself hollow at what's going on, you really haven't been listening for the past two and a half years. Our choices are now basically cut off our nose to spite our face (Bad Deal), or the economic equivalent of ritual seppuku while driving a Routemaster bus crammed with C4 over the white cliffs of Dover (No Deal).

Well, I -say- 'our' choices - it's the decision of the swivel-eyed window-lickers in the government who drove us into this mess in the first place. And they're fighting among themselves like a burning sack of rabid wolverines hopped up on a five-drug cocktail. We are sooooooo beyond screwed.

Still - this is what happens when the Leave campaign lies pathologically, panders ragingly to racists' base fears and breaks every campaigning law it can. Right-wingers are like Magic players who favour mono Black - they'll do anything to win, just as long as they do.

Sorry I missed you at MCM London by the way - I was meaning to spin by and say hello, but was completely deflated by being effectively locked out of the Critical Role panels, and my head was in no fit state.

@Whirlwound : Any chance for a second Brexit vote? The EU's terms are clearly not what the Brexiters had in mind.

@Kummerspeck There are myriad protests going on, but Maybot isn't listening. She's completely hellbent on anti-facial rhinectomy or explosive bus hara-kiri cliff-diving, shouting her usual "WE'VE TAKEN BACK CONTROL!!!!!" dog-whistle as she goes.

Bollocksed doesn't even come close to describing our current situation right now.

@Whirlwound : A leader using nationalistic dog whistle narrative to promote short sighted and foolhardy policies? Who would do such a thing?

@Kummerspeck Somehow I suspect that many people all over the world may relate to that these days.

@Kummerspeck

At this rate, i predict a fascist Gouvernement in Britain within the next ten years... T-T

@Nedalin

Extremely unlikely. What's being said is highly inaccurate. May is claiming she's met the aims of the Britexiters to try and hide the fact the mess the Tories have made of the negotiations means Britain is going to be screwed over even more than we were being before. In large part because she accepted the idiotic suggestion that Britain be made responsible for making the EU accept a continuation of the current open border between Britain and Ireland. There have been a number of major errors in the 'British' camp but that is by far the worst.

Just gonna sit here and pretend to understand European politics

@n8cwhite Like U.S politics are any better.

In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished.

@Kummerspeck The result would be the same. Polls show that the number of voters who have changed their minds is about the same on both sides.

@Whirlwound #9798713

"Right-wingers are like Magic players who favour mono Black - they'll do anything to win, just as long as they do."

Here too.

@Whirlwound
Hopefully you can delay and stick it out for another couple years, and vote for people who at least say their opinions align with the voterbase next election. IF not, I'll wish you luck.

@NeframeTheCosmonaut

Well since the voterbase is probably still to leave that won't change much. Its a problem of the Tories being their usual crap mess of corruption, incompetence and general contempt for ordinary people and the interests of the country. If they had bothered to negotiate responsibly, then when they realised the EU had no intention of doing the same actually planned for a controlled exit things would be a damned sight better but as usual they cocked it all up. Best thing for Britain would be if we could deport them to Brussels and get some competent and responsible politicians in, although unfortunately their in very short supply as the same sort of corrupt and/or ideological idiots dominate as they do in Brussels.

Unfortunately it looks like we will be paying through the nose to Brussels for some time to come while being denied any real say on our economy or ability to move towards true independence.

Its also a pity that so many people are falling for the manta that all opposition to Brussels is coming from hard-line right wing fanatics. Grossly inaccurate. In many cases groups like that are benefiting from Brussel's contempt for the concerns of ordinary people, whereas others are also benefiting on the left, as Italy and Greece shows. Like Macrone in his repulsive outburst on the 11th their confusing cause and effect. If Brussels got its head out of its ares then it wouldn't be facing so much unrest but the [self-proclaimed] deities who are certain they are right are likely to tear the entire structure apart.

@stevep59
You are aware that we voted the 'megalomaniacs in Brussels' into office, right? The members elect their representatives to the union, and then those representatives represent the opinions of the nations they represent.
Brittain choosing to step out or not is your choice; noone else have any right to tell you if it's right or not. Reverserly, if you do not want closer cooperation but still stay in the union, do not cooperate closer but do stay in the union. There are nations that are part of the EU on paper only, and there are nations that are outside on paper only. How closely they want to cooperate is their choice, but as long as there are nations pushing for full cooperation they will send representatives pushing for full cooperation.
That's how federal democracy works. The UK being one, you should know that. Hell, most democracies larger than a single city district are federal to some degree; to some the EU is nothing but a 5th or even 6th level of confederacy.

You are entiteled to your opinions, you don't have to agree with further unification, and you're not a worse person for disliking it. Some manner of affinity for your own nation and it's independence is healthy. But the main reason that the "if you're against cooperation you're a facist" rethoric have such a power is that many of the most outspoken critics use words like 'racial purity' and 'national purity' as if they were legally mandated to use them once a sentence. It's good to hear someone on the other side who is a voice of reason though. If we had more people like that it could have saved us a lot of trouble.

@NeframeTheCosmonaut

The problem is that often the pro-EU side often isn't as restrained as you. The basic reason I've long been opposed to the EEC/EU was because of the extreme language of its supporters, rather than of its opponents. Being repeatedly told that anyone who opposes EU membership is some sort of fascist or that Britain outside the EU wouldn't just be poorer but would be a disaster and by implication incapable of governing itself definitely puts my back up.

This was why Macron's outburst against 'nationalism' on the 11th offended me so much. Apart from the fact that with a knowledge of history I strongly dislike it being used for petty politics of course. He seems not to understand that a major reason why the political 'extremes' - because its happening on the left as well as the right, although the latter gets more attention - are growing in strength is because Brussels is refusing to consider their approach may have flaws.

I don't know about on the continent, although there are some nasty elements emerging in parts of eastern Europe, but definitely little if any such use of racial purity and such language in Britain and even groups like UKIP are stomping quickly on the occasional individuals that use such language. IIRC there was a case where the girlfriend of a Councillor I think it was made an outburst something like that and he dropped her like a red hot brick.

Its not just that I think the EU structure doesn't suit Britain or the dishonesty of some of the EU 'negotiators' - although that was only really made destructive by the incompetence of the Tories on the British side. There are clear problems being caused across much of southern Europe by the Euro and in eastern Europe by fears of immigration and the fact the EU insists that it wouldn't consider any changes in policy regardless of what people want is storing up tension and driving at least some of those who are turning to extreme elements as a result. There seems to be a basic disconnect between the population of the EU and those in charge who are intent on a centralised European 'national state' regardless.

Anyway, its good to hear someone who doesn't go off the deep end when discussing the EU. I'm the 1st to agree there are idiots and bigots on the British side but as I say find it frustrating that this is used as an excuse to blanket all opposition to the EU in the same narrow range when that's totally untrue.

@stevep59
Well, at least you're keeping the nasty elements in check. Parting as friends is preferable to sticking together and letting the tensions rise.
Much of the 'disconnect' seems to be between certain demographics and political factions: just because 80% wants to stay doesn't mean the other 20% will quitely accept; in fact, discontent people tend to be more vocal about issues than satisfied ones. With certain rights; we should try to see to the problems faced by all our citizens, not just the majority.
And just because I'm with the pro-union 80% doesn't mean I think the system is perfect; it has it's flaws, some fairly large ones, but I'm confident that we can solve them. Sadly, deliberate misinformation is the modus operandi for both sides, so I wouldn't expect any civil discussions soon.
And don't worry: there are moronic people on both sides (which is why the misinformation arguments work), and clever people on both sides (which is why the misinformation arguments are called out). In short, there are people on both sides. Until our peoples are educated enough to engage in informed debate, we won't get far. Keep fighting the good fight, and hopefully truth and democratic principle will win out.

@NeframeTheCosmonaut

Many thanks. Not sure we're keeping the nasty elements on either side in check as they seem to proliferating in Britain but we can only keep trying. My preference is for an independent Britain but would like friendly relations with anyone who chooses to state in the EU.

Best wishes

Steve

@Whirlwound I was saying this is how it would end even before the vote, problem is the leave campaign just played to people fears and pandered to racists/nationalist to get them to vote.

wonder if it's too late for another vote on welsh independence. maybe europe will let us stay while england sinks into the sea lol

@Whirlwound I agree with all your comments, and that all these even affect British people who live abroad. But I gotta commend you on your well-thought of analogies.

@dudemanbro Oh, when you've watched this crap going on first-hand for over three years now, you get to hone your metaphor to a razor-sharp edge.

@Whirlwound Honestly, Brexit, although bad for the UK, is good for the EU.

@Whirlwound
You get used to it. The U.S is stuck in a permenant state of clusterfuck.
It makes for good jokes tho..

@Hail_Void HECK TRUMP

Also the woman: Only you can prevent forest fires. Then she turns into a bear.

@Bluesamurai A mermaid bear.

@Rogers I think she's more of a merbear maid? Half fish, half Bear, half woman.

@Zervo Brexit is causing all sorts of strange mutations.

@Rogers yes

@Bluesamurai Our island's too damp for forest fires to be a problem TBH...

@OBrien Oh, right it rains all the time in Britain.

@OBrien You'd think so, but then you have to consider a large part of it is basically mounds of coal.

@Bluesamurai a bearmaid?

@Notmanyhomonyms yes

Cow's question mark (i was drowning, now.. I'm flying... So, what next?)

@Zuperkrunch I personally have always found cows very cute. This one is especially cute.

RULE BRITTANIA BRITTANIA RULE THE waves/cows

@Rayati
#9797924
"I heard about the Scottish kelpie (but that's not British)"

Actually, it is. You're confusing British with English here. Scotland is part of the island Great Britain, just like England and Wales, so Scotland is as British as those two.

@EricTheRedAndWhite Oh yeah. Sorry, my bad.

@EricTheRedAndWhite Haha some Scots might like to have a word with you about that.

@Thelving Even if Scotland will be independent one day, it will still be part of the island of Great Britain, which is part of the British Islands. Unless they literally dig out Scotland and rebuild it somewhere in the ocean, it will always be part of Britain. Just not of the United Kingdom, then. Which is something completely different.

@EricTheRedAndWhite
It's a surprisingly common mistake, especially with Americans and Australians - who use "British" in place of "English", while still distinguishing Scottish, Irish and Welsh separately.

Things can get a little confusing though:
- The main island is made up of England, Scotland and Wales and is collectively known as Great Britain.
- The UK's full title is "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Northern Irish hold British passports and are thus considered British.
- The two mains islands and all the small surrounds islands are collectively known as "The British Isles" - So technically even the Republic of Ireland could be considered British.... just as Canadans, Mexicans, etc can be considered "American" as they are on the continent of America.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go hide from the IRA.

I don't get my country at times

@SmashNerd23

Mind you, you're not alone. We are a lot Brits and non-Brits to remain dumbfounded at what is happening in Britain.
You used to be odd, sometimes irritating, often inspired. As a kid and after that a teen visiting London, driving an E-Type, speaking English, watching Kate Bush singing and dancing... were things I wanted to experience.

I've been a happy teacher of English for almost 40 years and I'm at a loss with what is happening in Albion.

@Daru

Too long with too many corrupt politicians in control. Especially since 79. Helped [or they are] by a lack of realistic opposition with Labour going deep into the hard left and the Lib Dems committed to political suicide first by the destructive alliance with the Tories and since then with the commitment to submission to the EU under all circumstances.

Acheson's famous line was only half accurate. Some publicity aside the empire was never that important for Britain but we're lost both sight of our traditional role and a sense of identity, which has allowed a lot of nasty things to happen, both internally and externally. That's why you have a mess with a weak and bitterly divided Tory party making such a mess of the Britexit non-negotiations, which is likely to continue to cost the ordinary people of the country for a long time in the future.

@stevep59
Thanks Steve for this well-constructed reply I can only agree with.

Let me add among the guilty, the media which didn't do its job of criticizing the liars and the cheats (e.g. the one's respected BBC is now a disgrace) in the successive governments who systematically put the blame on the EU (EC, EEC etc...) for decisions they themselves made in Westminster.

You can't imagine how much this Brexit-shambles makes me angry and sad.

BTW but you don't have to answer if you don't wish to, what do you do in life ?
I have a soft spot for the northern half of England. I particularly like Yorkshire and the Lake District.

@Daru

Nowadays I live in Hampshire but originally I come from S Lincolnshire.

Actually you misunderstand. I didn't vote in the referendum on exit because of family matters. Was looking after my mother at the time, who has since passed on , so was away from where I live. If I had I was uncertain because while I deeply mistrust the EU for its behaviour I was aware that leaving the EU would leave us even more in the hands of the Tories, who I probably trust even less.

Since then I've become even more disgusted with both sides. The chaotic mess the Tories have made of it and the outright lying to people like Barnier. Note I'm referring to what he and other EU members have said, not any interpretation of them in the British media. Demands for special privileges for EU people over British inside Britain, consistent cherry picking and moving the goal posts etc.

The Tories have made an awful mess of things but they should have realised at least a year ago that the EU had no intention of real negotiation and started planning for a no deal option. Get some trade deals in place and beef up customs for when Britexit is completed and the tariff barriers the EU insists on comes into place. Accept that it won't allow a continuation of the open border with Ireland and talk with Dublin to see if we can minimise the damage to both countries. [Possibly May's biggest single error was to accept the idea that Britain is responsible for finding a way to make the EU accept an open border because its the EU that rejects that, whereas both the governments and population of the UK and Ireland want it to continue] Even for the Thatcherite Tories its been a blood crap performance.

So no we definitely disagree on what the problem is. Britain has made serious internal problems but we have been badly done by the EU partly because it was designed for a different society, [continental, introvert, centralised] and partly because too often British leaders sought to play by the rules rather than put Britain first as many other members have. This has compounded by the serious mess that our own governments over recent decades have. Both sides are at fault and it angers me when the fanatics on either side seek to put all the blame on the other. I found it ironic when Barnier mentioned about a Farage in every country when its been people like him with their contempt for what ordinary people want who have generated the support for such idiots.

@stevep59
You wrote :
"So no we definitely disagree on what the problem is. Britain has made serious internal problems but we have been badly done by the EU partly because it was designed for a different society, [continental, introvert, centralised]"

Continental, okay, it's obvious from the map. But what does that change ?

Introvert, come again. Brexiters are way more introvert than the "Continental EU-ers". My students went on Erasmus, I have a wife of another notionality than mine, I have two nationalities, I've got plenty of friends and colleagues who share this. Whenever we have a look at our ancestors, we don't need to go very far back to find we all have at least one ancestor from abroad. I even have friends who had grandparents from 4 different origins. If that is introvert...

Centralized ? Gosh you really didn't get how the EU works. I'll strongly advise to read on The Guardian comment section the explanations of Fabrizio Agnello (I'm not he.). Unlike the UK, where almost everything (apart from some limited devoted powers to Scotland, Wales etc...) is decided in Westminster, there are plenty of checks and balances in the EU. A single country or a group of large countries cannot decide for all the others. Even small members have the power to veto a decision until requirements are met.

You are unhappy with the EU, so am I (I find it should be a federation). I can understand that, but get at least the reasons for your discontent right.

@Daru

You do realise why there is such discontent in the EU don't you? Attempts by the organisation to allocate immigration ratios for all states? The problems caused in the south by the Euro disaster and the refusal of its supporters to accept its screwing over those countries. Also the national veto disappeared several decades back. True when it suits the suits they will allow single nations to kick up a stink, such as the recent farce with Spain but that's simply because they wanted to put more pressure on Britain. Recall also how often when countries voted against EU decisions the reaction was 'hold another referendum and get it right [i.e. the result we want] next time.'

Macron's outburst about nationalism on the 11th Nov would have been meaningful if it wasn't the closed nationalism of the EU that was driving so many people into the arms of the extremists. I was mad at the time that he was seeking to abuse such a symbolic date for political purposes to degrade those who disagree with him, like any fanatic, but accept he could simply be stupid and blinded by his bigotry.

Yes there are serious problems in Britain where in many ways the Tories over recent decades have become very like the EU. Arrogant, contemptuous of ordinary people and buried in their own little world of delusion. Hopefully, if we can ever get out of the EU, rather than the limbo which May is trying to leave us in, we can then start to sort them out and get an half way decent government but with two sets of parasites preying on us and each blaming the other for their activities it makes it a damned sight harder.

@stevep59

You do realise that the Visegrad group are among the EU members with the lowest percentage of inhabitants of foreign origin i.e. between 1.6 and 4.7% of their inhabitants ?

Some people claim there are too many "foreigners" in their countries. If you did some research you'd notice that many countries of the "Western" world are around 10 to 15%. Hre are some interesting figures.

In the UK 13.2% of the inhabitants are immigrants.

In the USA 14.3%
In Germany 14,9%
In Canada 21.9%
In Australia 27.7%
In Singapore, usually the Brexiteers' favourite model... 42.9% !!!

And for Vatican city it's... 100%!!!

While for the Visegrad group, those who are the most vocal opponents to immigration :
In Hungary 4.7 % of the inhabitants are immigrants.
In the Czech Republic 4%
In Slovakia 3.3%
In Poland 1.6% !!!

So, if for some 13.2% is far too much, how many immigrants is just okay ? How many people of foreign origin are "tolerable" ? And I don't want to hear the mendacious nationalist crap.

I'm utterly fed up of the "let's-curb-the-number-of-foreigners" debate. The countries where the government, supported by the media, complain most, are the countries with the lowest number of people of foreign origin. The same seems to be true in England (not the UK) where counties with very low numbers of immigrants made the most xenophobic votes.

Unlike you I find that the EU has been way too mild with the (I will repeat myself) mendacious populists. I'd go even a step further, non-EU lobbies who fund populist hate-mongering in the EU should be banned, the non-EU citizens organizing them declared persona non grata in the EU, their assets in the EU seized.

@Daru

I have no problems with actions against extremists, of any sort. I do have problems with extremists seeking to brand opponents as bigots and racists as a way of avoiding questioning their own actions. That's why Macron's outburst angered me so much, as well as him choosing to use the 11th Nov as a date for such a rant. Also should EU lobbies that fund hate-mongering be banned as well? Although I know you won't accept many of them as their EU bodies. Seizing private assets is getting dangerously close to purges of people the establishment doesn't like so less sure about that.

Actually in Britain the largest exit votes were often in areas with large numbers of migrants but as I said before while that was an issue there were plenty of other problems, most with the EU but I admit not all. [I think there was a general f**k you attitude to distant and contemptuous authorities since unlike in general elections for a referendum people could believe their vote mattered.

I notice you say nothing about the problems the Euro has caused across much of the Med region.

To make clear one point. Its not the Europhobs that has made me deeply unhappy with the EU. Its the Eurofanatics with their relentless hatreds, contempt for ordinary people and demands that everything be satisfied to their egos and delusions that have done that.

@stevep59

@Daru

When your talking about methane production and the sheer amount of resources used to produce beef those are definite problems.

@stevep59
Beef production is not "the" problem. Human overpopulation is.
You are 58 years old. Remember when you were a kid ? We were 3 billion inhabitants on Earth, and that was already a very high number. Today we are around 7 billion. That's way too many. I can't see a simple short term solution that would be ethically acceptable. One could already start with having just one kid per family from now on.
Humans are the real pollution.
You can always read :
https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/children-carbon-footprint-climate-change-damage-having-kids-research-a7837961.html

@Daru

Its a combination of both factors as we not only have a lot more people but as 'developed' country status spreads more and more people expect and eat more beef and other foodstuffs with a higher environment impact. [Both in terms of methane production, which I think the original discussion was about and in terms of the environmental demands for beef and other meats especially].

We could do with a smaller population but that does seem unlikely in the short term, bar some serious disaster. The one child per family would work in the medium term but has some serious potential social and economic problems, see China. However the big problem would be getting such a programme accepted world-wide, especially with the many religious communities that would bitterly oppose it.

@SmashNerd23
At least your leader isn't a shriveled up orange with mold growing on top with delusions of grandeur and the vocabulary of a 10 year old.

@LittleD Hey! Low blow take that back!

...leave the kids out of this, no need to insult them like that.

@VinnyHavoc
You are correct. I apologize to all the 10 year olds out there.

@LittleD I'm... not going to say anything

@LittleD Have you SEEN Theresa May?

@hackerjack
She doesn't look like an orange. She is too grey. Maybe a mushroom.

@SmashNerd23 Welcome to the club.