#Thistle will be the menace to society!!

[spicythistlesatdawn]

Why Thistle is Thistle

Soap: Why does the cap call ye Thistle, lass? *Is dealing with the gremlin using his arm as a personal chew toy.*

Thistle: MMMM Probably cuz 420 isn't an acceptable call sign in a non smoking household.

*Cue Price suddenly scruffing Thistle and pulling her off of Soap*

Price: Because she's too pretty to be called a weed, and much too difficult to get rid of to be a rose.

*Thistle.exe has stopped working at this time.*

[villain-in-love]

muahaha so at the end after thistle gets attacked by the winged lion. his desires got eaten right? including his desire to resist any bad thing that someone else wants to do to him. Idk you could probably write something really cruel and sexy about that.

ALSO im so glad we share a source now <3 i was actually thinking itd be so cute if our s/is interacted!! if that’s possible. i dont know what kiera’s situation is (like who is she what is she doing down here how did she meet thistle) but cath is just a normal adventurer hanging out in the dungeon sometimes?

- @minkymeatshop

Ah, the Winged Lion incident... I’ve been thinking about that for quite some time, actually.

But I have to disappoint you – I don’t think I would take advantage of Thistle’s loss of desires. To say that Kiera wasn't happy about Thistle's current condition would be a major understatement.

That is to say, there’s still plenty of suffering potential for this pair post-canon.

But first, I think I should talk a bit about Kiera separately. Good news: if your s/i is an adventurer, then they can surely meet.

To make it brief, Kiera is a 302 year old half-elf mercenary who decided to fight depression by getting addicted to adrenaline. She stands out thanks to her strategic talents, use of magic, and most likely illegally acquired regeneration abilities.

Kiera descended into the dungeon when it first opened, hired by the local authorities to explore it and to hunt down the Lunatic Magician, but it’s been years since anyone last saw her on the surface.

Technically, she also used to have a party – there was an entire team of distinguished warriors and scientists hired alongside her, but her companions long since abandoned her. Kiera doesn't mind it – despite how boisterous and eccentric she is, she has always been a loner.

Anyways, she’s a bit intense, but friendly. She wouldn’t mind hanging out, but probably not for long – she’s doesn’t like taking companions as they just slow her down. From the information you have given, I think Kiera would like Cath, mostly because she would find her interesting. However, she might try to provoke her to a battle... I think it would be fun to imagine how they would interact, but I really need to know more about your s/i first.

Now, when it comes to Kiera's relationship with Thistle, I must say that she never hated him. Her reasons to antagonize him and try to kill him are a bit more complicated. Also there were multiple stages to their relationship, their attitude and approach towards each other changing with time.

No matter how much she didn't want this to happen, by the time of the manga timeline, Thistle is Kiera's only friend, her favourite enemy, and the person she loves the most.

So to answer the question of "why did she try to kill him?" Well, at first she was just doing her job. But in later years she was only half serious. On one hand, she used "I'm trying to kill you" as an excuse to just start a fight because that's her way of entertainment. On the other hand, she was seriously trying to force herself to kill him to sever this unfortunate attachment, to protect her freedom and her peace of mind.

Everything else she did – hurting him, pushing his buttons, or just teasing him – was done because she finds Thistle's personality fascinating and she wanted to study his reactions. And he's oh so reactive. Fun thing about Thistle is how honest he is – he's bad at hiding his emotions, and he doesn't hold back when expressing his opinion.

So when Winged Lion ate all his desires... There's no point in doing that anymore. She sees no point in hurting him when he won't fight back or avenge himself, or even react at all. And honestly, she's scared of doing something wrong that could only worsen his condition. Because she wants her tiny menace to society back, and she will do everything in her power to bring him out of this state.

I can say that there’s still a lot of possibilities for suffering, since from now on things will be… difficult (well, things were already difficult before, but in a different way). Now, to name a few...

First of all, Kiera was also traumatized by Thistle being eaten. Thistle she fell in love with is expressive, powerful and driven. He's got a strong personality and a bitchy attitude. So seeing him so apathetic and passive was disturbing.

Imagine seeing your only friend being reduced to an empty shell. He's breathing, his eyes are open, he's probably even conscious, but he's completely unmoving and unresponsive. I think that when Kiera first saw him in such state she was close to a hysteric, trying desperately to wake him up. Made even scarier by the fact that no one at that moment knew what exactly Winged Lion did to him.

To think about it, if Kiera got really desperate, she could try doing something drastic to try and force some kind of reaction out of Thistle, hoping that maybe some violence might shake him out of his catatonia. But it is likely that she would just make things worse for them both.

Also! Since being devoured by the demon strongly parallels sexual assault and includes violation of the body, Kiera would have to be very careful with any future intimacy because it is possible that the wrong action might trigger him. Made even worse by the fact that Thistle lost his desire to resist so she will have to be super vigilant to read his reactions and know when to stop... And now I want to write a fanfic when something does go terribly wrong like that. Make it a smut that just turns into psychology halfway through.

But that kind of scenario will most likely happen at least 20 years into the future, when he's conscious and functional enough to gain an interest in sexual intimacy.

(Similar to what I said earlier, I'm not into dub-con or non-con, because I'm not interested in sexual activities if my partner doesn't show equal enthusiasm.)

There's also some misery reserved specially for Thistle: post-canon Kiera stayed in Melini, refusing to leave his side, yet she obviously misses the battlefield and is bored staying in one place. I imagine that realizing that now he finally has a person who loves him and will not leave him, but at the same time being stuck here because of him makes her miserable... Yeah, there's definitely quite a lot of guilt and maybe even self-hate here. Especially considering how Thistle always seemed to hold the happiness of his loved ones as the highest priority (even thought with time he stopped understanding what makes them happy)...

.

.

.

.

Anyways, here's a cute picture of Kiera made in picrew because I'm too depressed to draw:

(The face of a girl who will sneak around your house, drink your liquor, and read your diaries when you aren't looking)

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday our longest running comic, first published on July 30th 1938 the Beano is 85 years old today!

An ostrich called Big Eggo was the front page star, and the comic only cost 2d. The central composition was also different. While the modern Beano is entirely based on comic strips, the early Beano had stories told with pictures with text beneath explaining what was going on, and stories told only with text. It also lacked many of the characters that are synonymous with it now, Dennis, Rodger and Minnie only arriving in the golden years of the 1950s.

A few months before The Beano came its sister paper, The Dandy, and a year after another sister, The Magic comic. Due to the Second World War however, only two of these were to survive. The war meant that comics had to use fewer pages, by printed in lesser numbers and less often. This meant that the Beano and Dandy were made smaller, only available to those who pre-ordered them, and were only printed on alternate weeks. They provided a vital service in the war, warning children to leave alone things like mines on beaches and printing stories to outline the difference between Nazis and normal Germans and so teaching children not to demonize people based on nationality. They also pictured the enemy leaders as bungling fools, such as in The Beano strip, Musso the Wop and in the many times that Lord Snooty and pals went to give the Fuhrer a piece of their mind.

The 1950s is thought to be the golden age of The Beano as so many of the most popular and long running characters were created then, such as Dennis the Menace, Minnie the Minx, Rodger the Dodger and the characters that would eventually become known as The Bash Street Kids, whose original incarnation was a basically identical story called When The Bell Rings.

As well as it’s regular characters, the Beano also had it’s supply of irregulars, who popped in every so often for one off-stories. These were usually less cartoony, the characters looking more realistic and detailed, and the stories themselves were often more serious. These stories included General Jumbo and The Iron Fish. A more recent example would be Billy The Cat.

Of course being a Scottish publication there were some characters who were based here, most notable were two from the 1970's Wee Ben Nevis T\and he McTickles., the latter involved Chief Jock and his highland clan fought a comic war of attrition against their rivals the McNasties, while avoiding the pranks played on them by the "McHaggises", small round animals with a similar shape to a haggis and with long noses and thistles for ears. Some McHaggises had legs of different length on opposite sides of their bodies, allowing them to remain horizontal while walking around the sides of mountains.

More recently The Beano has been moving with the times n recent years there have been a number of tweaks and changes made to some of the principal characters and now, to mark the publication’s 85th anniversary, five new characters have been added to the Bash Street Kids: Harsha, Mandi, Khadija, Mahira and Stevie Starr to better reflect 21st Century life.

One of the new characters suffers from anxiety while another wears a hijab and they have already been scrutinised by some sections of the media. Beano bosses are prepared for accusations of ‘wokery’ and yet another so-called politically correct assault on our heritage, but insist that we all have to move with the times and that, prior to the changes, all ten of the original Bash Street Kids were white and nine were boys.

This outdated picture, they quite rightly argue, doesn’t reflect the society that today’s Beano readers inhabit and, if they want to retain existing readers, not to mention attract new ones, they need to move with the times. It was the same motivation which prompted management at the comic to rename key characters Fatty and Spotty, Freddy and Scotty a couple of years ago.

While Freddy still looks like someone who wouldn’t ever say no to extra chips, there is no need for his old, outdated nickname, which quite frankly, has been outlawed in playgrounds across the land for the past three decades at least

Of course there will be thosde who disagree with the newer characters and name changes, but I wonder how many of these folk have actually picked up a copy of The Beano since the 1970's?

If being respectful of others’ beliefs and feelings makes me woke then I’m guilty as charged and, quite frankly, I would be worried if I wasn’t considered to be as such.

Tens of thousands of copies of The Beano are sold every week which, in this digital age, is very impressive and is testament to its enduring relevance. We live in different times to those of our grandparents and recognising that fact is a strength rather than a weakness.

[onemanscienceband]

Thank you for the info! I'd forgotten that detail about the dungeon masters being different aspects of the same being.

I also was reading the Monster Tidbits 14 post-story chapters and they mentioned that dungeons form naturally and monsters form where wild magic gathers - which actually clears up some of the haziness I was feeling about dungeons in their society. Clearly small "dungeons" are possible without being a full-blown manifestation of the demons. They probably represent a slower or unsuccessful attempt at intrusion? But regardless, if dungeons just Happen even without an inciting incident like what happened with Thistle's whole thing, that brings a lot of clarity to their place in society.

I think a better way to express what was I feeling in my first post was... if capital-D Dungeons are Rare, how is "adventuring" a thing? The impression I get is that everyone knows about exploring dungeons for loot, they just need a dungeon to explore, and those are either hard to come by or they're really dangerous. But if that were true, there wouldn't be any infrastructure, no pre-existing sets of skills, no concept of what it would mean to build a society centered on dungeoneering. But if "dungeons" are mostly just small cave systems where monsters appear, and you just have to go clear them out or they will menace the nearby town, that makes a lot more sense to me.

The one thing that's always puzzled me about Dungeon Meshi and its titular dungeons is the relationship between the Lion's dungeon and the rest of the world.

Like, the dungeon we see was created because Thistle wanted to freeze the kingdom as it was instead of letting it change. That means stuff like resurrection magic worked really well, because the dungeon's magic kept their souls from straying too far.

but what about the other dungeons? We see a dungeon outbreak in Kabru's backstory - was that from another aspect of the Lion? Another being entirely? If (as seems likely to me) Kabru's dungeon was born of a different desire entirely, then is resurrection magic similarly as useless in other dungeons as it is outside the dungeon? (I'm assuming it kinda works outside, but probably has a time limit of a few minutes or something before it fails. i forget what exactly the manga said)

I guess a better way to put it is, the importance of the Lion's Dungeon to the island it's on makes it seem like society centers around dungeons and exploring them. But the impression I got was that truly valuable dungeons are prime Canary-bait and that a dungeon, and a dungeon outbreak, are unexpected events. Having a dungeon makes, then breaks, a country. Most civilizations probably don't have a dungeon (or have one that barely counts).

and the dungeon outbreak in the manga's case had potentially disastrous effects globally. the whole world was at stake, and the whole world is changed. the others seemed more like... regional catastrophes at best. Was this just coincidentally the most important dungeon? were similar crises averted in other outbreaks? Or is this dungeon just the one that the biggest baddest unknowable outer realms asshole touched down in?

re-reading this I still don't think I'm really expressing the tension I feel. It's not a Plot Hole, more just puzzle pieces where I don't see how they fit together.

[angie-serpant]

—My irl friends out of context—

-TAKE YOUR PENIS BOOK AND BAKED LAYS CHIPS AND GET OUT

-Who’s that Pokémon? It’s always the gingers.

-Gingers (derogatory)

-Try for the backside of the donkey

-is it normal to want to platonically fuck your friends

-NASA's still fucking looking for that dick Niki

-I’ve actually just become god

-anyways that william afton guy was doing what he had to do to become immortal and yk what i don’t blame him🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 like sure he killed kids but like he unlocked immortality so🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

-shyummy

-this was payback for my Marcus Lopez rambles

-THATZ ILLEALY

-CHRIST???

-Does anyone else’s sneezes sound like explosions

-william afton is way too old. mans could sneeze and turn to dust. who’s letting peepaw run around killing people.

-Good for fucking you

-Wulti level warketing

-Demigirl? More like Demigod

-Emma you are a walking tiktok section

-The penis in the butt

-I’m educating you on kinks

-It’s okie you guys have socks

-He just randomly starts throwing people

-I wanna make out with some zombies

-I missed the ✨hole✨

-I’m not thinking I just don’t wanna do it

-My brother just walked in the door and called me a turd what in the Disney Channel Original Movie

-the yassifying of me, a 3 part series

-Mkay so should they talk more before that happens or just get straight into the chaos like a YouTube intro?

-G̶̬͌̈́́̄͝͠e̴̡͙͎̙̦̻̲͈͓̹̍͑̈̎̽̐̕͘ͅȯ̷̗͉̭̤̘͇̦̗̀̈́̌̏͑͝͝ḑ̸̧̙͈̖̬̣͚͇̖͔̲̲̳̓̌͂̉̀́̈́͝e̶̹͈͒̄

-ITS A SUSSY CHICKEN NUGGET

-I’m fucking one of our tables many holes

-STOP MAKING UNDERWEAR SEXUAL

-You are the thistle in the tender and sensitive arse crack of my life.

-reaperussy

-Look at his cute little butthole

-I saw gay I’m happy

-What the FUCK milk man!?

-I like big titties

-Who’s ginger is this? Somebody come get their ginger child!

-Cumtext

-We’ve adopted the ginger, say hello

-Thankedr

-Emma I’ve wanted to fuck to grim reaper too

-It’s like a magnifying glass but smarter

-HELLO POLICE IVE WITNESSED A MAKEOUT SESSION

-Ah yes, the color of horn-e

-You can touch my ass if you want

-Being gay IS fantastic!

-Why do we have those stupid ankles!? They’re useless!!!

-We have different temperatured fingers

-You’re not a very roomable person

-shush you’re a secret undercover ginger

-Wait what’s the ferrets gender?

-All hail the stinky noodles

-Foot emoji

-I LOVE TRUCKS AND BEER AND GUNS AND ALCOHOL AND WOMEN TIME TO SHOVE A FIREWORK UP MY ASS FIR FOURTH OF JULY

-I was scrolling through Tiktok and I did not expect to see a shirtless Bruno but here I am, utterly shocked, and needing soap for my eyes

-GUCK

-SIFRY

-The chess hierarchy

-I used to date my father

-New suicide method; shoving a firework up my ass

-*gasp* WHAT THE FRICK FRACK TIC TAC SNICK SNACK CARDIAC QUARTERBACK DUDE NAMED JACK BIG MAC LICK LACK BIG BACK DID YOU JUST SAY???1?1?1?1???1??1

-Either baby or menace to society

-I have committed vehicular manslaughter once

-their head? gone. their eyes? scooped. their hair? ripped out. their mom? fucked by me. their limbs? separated from their body. their soul? sent to hell. their neck? broken.

-only reason i’m not is because it’s cold and my dad would question me

-demigod more like i am god

-Fuck now im thinking of dirty shit

-should i write the most heart wrenching saddest thing ever and send it to a friend who did nothing wrong i’m just a writer with evil sad writing? The correct answer is yes brb

-how many sins can one commit in a family friendly game the answer is all 7.

-The lord cant help you here, this is horny jail

-snuck out. went out into the freezing cold. played in the snow rolling around yk like normal. men were staring at me. tried to call people. no one was awake so i did what any sane person does. flipped them off and continued playing in the snow occasionally showing i had a weapon on me and went inside when my hands were numb.

-I’m so cold my metaphoric dick could fall off

-Stop being Scottish

-……Would I fuck that?

-michigan was actually kind of a bitch

-I’m the sewer rat of the table monarchy

-Spit on the skeleton man

-Guys I just accidentally called a demon mama

-it was really quiet too and i just went “dick!”

-Well I would assume from the womb

-Don’t tell the Christians I said that

-I don’t think ghosts have genitalia

-fuckerino but okie

-Cleansed but casually

-The bar is low and they’re limbo dancing with Satan

-You are no longer the Virgin Mary

-White people scare me

-I think my dog hates white people

-Is that a picture of two robot toys having sex????

-Do not do anything related to genitalia

-water so cold my metaphysical dick had disappeared

-hath thou mother lie in bed with i? yeseth. yeseth she hath.

-fuck the celestial nap

-Holy shit godsona

-Penis

-Texas chainsaw yassacre

-Would getting your eye holes fingered feel good if you didn’t have eyese

-pussy poppingly good

-Why does he look so hot when he’s bloody?

-Fucking boogie woogies

-“i am vengeance” yeah ok i’m horny. next story.

-My underwear smells like orgasms

-cöckenbållen

-You just kneed my vagina

-You put the pp in the arse

-I’m almost done with that drawing of the pregnant lady

-Nah I’m gonna go listen to sad music and cry over dog shit some more

-I just imagined your father having sex *wails*

-I’m not touching your penis water bottle

-you pray to god in your hair routine?

-quench it deep

-I DO NOT HAVE A ROBOT FETISH

-i’m fucking one of our tables many WET holes

-Nah bitch is my love language

-I think it was the penis

-The angels are looking down on us in disappointment

-müsic mæn

-You are a gremlin you stole the wand of an all powerful wizard

-I can do the worm but I’m too embarrassed to

-My bed is in the sky now

-I think I stepped in old cum

-Ah yes, Oinherest and Ponterist, my favorite medias of the social

-That’s still repeating it dumbãss

-A sexy inchworm

-I know what skin feels like

-I promise I won’t moan again

-I DID NOT ASK ABOUT CAR GENITALIA!!!

-What if we’re all just sperm swimming in gods balls

-Keep your crouch away from my fucking ass

-I FEEL VERY GENDER

-i have rubbed off the gender

-Happy awakening hour

-i want death in the form of sex so that i can die an unvirgin

-As a person with a dick

-“Sexy” mmmmm dishwater😍😍🥵🥵🥵🤤🤤🤤

-I have a serotonin inducing concept

-Would you rather eat oven baked rotten potatoes or ask Jesus why he has no bitches

-That’s the last time- OW-

-I want it! BALLS!

-You have very disproportionate balls Killian

-Why are we talking about dick hair

-I want abs, I have a squishy girl body

-you should play the sexaginta-quattuordle

-I think a ghost just tried to fuck me

-titty stress balls

-i live paralyzing fear that im going to hit a grandmother with a car

-guys killian is thinking about tactical advantages to shoot me

-killian gets turned on by among us

-Oh it’s on the floor I’m gonna kill myself

-i would fuck myself- YOU ARENT ATTRACTED TO YOURSELF YOU ARE JUST SELF CONFIDENT

-oh no i forgot how to human

-I’m going to combust into a column of flame

-Imagination goes crazy when it’s 12.30 in the morning and you’re 📯🦵 it just goes to 100% percent

-I’m thinking about your mom

-i need someone to just take my spine out and play with it like a fucking cowboy rope

-That’s awkward❤️

-i’d rather solve one of the seven greatest wonders then solve my mental issues

-I feel my thigh bones expanding

-Oh my god kill. YES

-i’m a pussy, a bitch if you may, a coward as the youngins say, a weakling also

-dying is fatherless behavior

-minty bread

-It’s cuz your torso’s longer then mine

-THIS IS CRANBERRY ABUSE

-Oh I do Desire for that😙

-like ok oui oui baguette go fuck yourself

[jodybouchard9]

Adios, Alvin! How to Get Rid of Chipmunks—and Keep Them Away for Good

designflavour/iStock

Sure, they’re adorable, with their nut-filled cheeks and fuzzy tails. But unlike Alvin and his band of singing brothers, chipmunks can be a menace to your property. The small, striped critters eat everything from insects to garden plants and can damage electrical wires and dig under your home.

Chipmunks mainly live in trees, shrubs, logs, and underground burrow systems. But you can also find them scampering across patios, under brush, near garbage, and close to homes.

“Chipmunks rarely damage property, but they might occasionally injure ornamental plants in the process of harvesting fruits or nuts, or they may burrow in flower beds or under sidewalks and porches,” says John Griffin, senior director of urban wildlife programs for the Humane Society.

In general, chipmunks are cute and tolerable little creatures. But if you find them wreaking havoc on your property, there are some things you can do to shoo their little tails away.

Identify an infestation

There are a few signs that these furry creatures have taken up residence on your property. If your yard suddenly has holes in several places, foundational damage, chew marks, waste trails, and stockpiles of food, then you probably have an infestation.

Chipmunks also have been known to make a mess of the garden. They will eat flower bulbs and seeds and leave nutshells behind.

Listen carefully, because you may also hear chipmunks scurrying around your property. There may be scratching noises above ceilings, behind walls, and under floors, or sharp chirping noises among chipmunks to signal danger.

Make your landscape less attractive

The natural habitat of chipmunks is in open wooded areas with trees and bushes. But your property can make a nice home, too. Chipmunks are attracted to yards that have objects they can hide under and an abundance of food sources.

“They typically burrow in the ground, so keeping the landscape simple will help to not hide their dens,” says Drew Cowley, president of Cowleys Pest Services and Little Rascals Nuisance Wildlife Removal Services, in New Jersey.

Shrubs, logs, and stumps may serve as good hiding spots for chipmunks. Clearing yard debris and ground clutter near patios, decks, and foundations can discourage chipmunks from digging under structures.

Trimming shrubbery that can provide food sources and removing rock piles and wood can also help.

Prevent access to easy food sources

Like other rodents, chipmunks often rely on humans to get their food, water, and shelter. You may be inadvertently inviting them to settle down by leaving easily accessible pet food or spilled birdseed on your property.

Bird feeders will also attract chipmunks, and Griffin recommends picking up spilled seeds and securing feeders from access. But there are seeds they don’t like.

“Chipmunks certainly will not favor thistle seed as much as they do sunflower seed, and they’re not wild about safflower either,” says Griffin. Certain birds, on the other hand, prefer those seeds.

Seal holes, close gaps

To keep chipmunks out, experts recommend sealing as many points of entry as possible, no matter how small they are.

“Close all gaps around plumbing and HVAC pipes and under doors,” says Cowley. “Don’t only think low, but high. Chipmunks love climbing gutters and ladders to access food and water.”

Caulk any holes where internet cables, air-conditioning lines, and gas lines lead to the house. Keeping the chipmunks away also means keeping a tight cap on chimneys and sealing vent lines and rain gutters with hardwire mesh. This will keep critters from building nests and prevent potential water damage.

Use repellants

Commercial repellents labeled for use against squirrels, deer, and rabbits can be effective. Taste-aversion repellents, like Thiram, can be applied to landscape plants to discourage chewing and eating.

If you’d like to go the more natural route, Griffin suggests planting bulbs like daffodils (for spring flowering), garlic, and onions.

Put up proper fencing

Chipmunks are known to be good diggers, but they are also good climbers. So, fences aren’t 100% effective, but they can work if done right.

Experts suggest installing tall fences deep in the ground. It’s a good idea to place a few chipmunk traps around the fence, using seeds and fruit as bait. Netting over the top and sides of your fence can further discourage chipmunks from climbing fences.

Set up traps

Trapping is probably the most effective method of removing chipmunks from your property. Homeowners can use snap traps, box traps, and mesh traps placed at burrow openings. Traps can be baited with peanut butter or other enticing foods.

The post Adios, Alvin! How to Get Rid of Chipmunks—and Keep Them Away for Good appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

[euroman1945-blog]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Wednesday 8th August 2018

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. where ever you are, as we spin endlessly through space and time on this little blue planet we call Earth.. Bella my 3 year old Black Labrador and my constant companion, had a great walk this morning around the quiet street of Estepona our home town, the smell of the night blooming Jasmine was very heady this morning as we had a very light shower before we went out and that seems to increase the intensity of the smell 100% .. not that I'm complaining, I love the smell it hides all the other pongs that you find in a small town... Our walk over it's back to the house, fresh cold water for Bella and Hot fresh Colombian Coffee for me.. a look at the news and then I'm ready to write, You ready to read..? good then let’s go!

SCOTTISH MAN YOUNGEST PERSON TO ROW THE PACIFIC…. A 23-year-old from Moray has become the youngest person to row the Pacific. Michael Prendergast completed the crossing from California to Honolulu with his three American team-mates in 49 days, 23 hours and 15 minutes. They were the first team to cross the finish line at Waikiki in the annual Great Pacific Race Michael undertook the challenge to raise money for Down's Syndrome Scotland because his younger brother, Andrew, has the condition. More than £7,000 has been raised for the charity so far but he hopes to reach his target of £40,000 following his achievement. Reflecting on his experience, Michael said: "Mentally, it was the toughest challenge I could ever do. "There was never a chance to relax and if I was lying down for more than an hour-and-a-half, I was having a lie-in! "I knew that we all have good days and bad days and that it was all temporary, even though the nights at sea were the longest, hardest, wettest, coldest nights you could imagine." Michael learned to sail while attending Gordonstoun boarding school in Moray. Staff and pupils at his former school have been following his progress. Lisa Kerr, principal of Gordonstoun, said: "This is an incredible achievement and we're really proud of Michael. "All Gordonstoun pupils learn to sail because it's a great way to teach team-work, resilience and confidence, although we didn't expect anyone to go on to row the Pacific."

SOVIET-ERA TOY PIECE FOUND IN MUSSELBURGH BEACH CLEAN….  Part of a controller for a game made in the former USSR in the 1960s has been found during a beach clean in East Lothian. The plastic was from a Novo Raceways set. The game involved racing toy cars on a track. It was among items of rubbish cleared from the shore at Fisherrow Harbour, Musselburgh. The Wild about Scotland beach clean was organised by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS). Organisers said the controller was another example of plastic waste in the marine environment. The Russia-led federation of the USSR ended in the early 1990s. A lighter made for the 1986 World Cup was found in another beach clean earlier this year. In January, merchandise from a FIFA World Cup held more than 30 years ago was among piles of rubbish cleared from a Highlands beach. Organisations Plasticatbay and Durness Active Health carried out the beach clean at Balnakeil, near Durness, in Sutherland. Lotion bottles from Russia and jam containers from Newfoundland were also among the 450lbs (204kg) of litter tidied away.

ARMED ROBBERS IN KNIFE RAID AT GREGGS SHOPS IN SHETTLESTON…. Two armed robbers escaped with a four-figure sum of money after threatening staff at a Greggs bakery shop in Glasgow. The thieves produced a knife after entering the store in Budhill Avenue, Shettleston, at about 17:50 on Thursday. They made off in a gold or orange-coloured car. Police said two members of staff were badly shaken but not injured during the incident. The first suspect is described as white and of thin build. He was wearing a blue hooded top, pale blue jeans and black trainers. The second suspect was wearing a blue hooded top and jeans. Both men had blue scarves covering their faces. Det Sgt Colin Kilgour appealed for any witnesses to come forward. He said: "Officers have been out in the area carrying out house-to-house inquiries and studying CCTV footage to gather more information on this incident and trace the two men responsible."

CREEL FISHERMEN WANT FASTER ACTION OVER TRAWLER BAN CALL….  The Scottish Creel Fishermen's Federation (SCFF) commissioned a report into the potential benefits of banning trawlers from inshore waters. Its findings suggested 400 new boats could join the fleet if a ban covered the first three miles from the shore. The Scottish government says pilot projects are planned, as well as more research to guide fishing policy. It also says it does want to develop the inshore fishery. The SCFF says "little progress" has been made since the report was presented to ministers in May 2017. Alistair Sinclair from the SCFF said: "Time is of the essence if we are trying to protect the marine environment and the fishermen that make their living from the inshore waters. Creel fishermen say the method of laying pots on the seabed to catch live prawns means the shellfish can be sold for more money than those caught by trawlers. The creel industry says its "low impact, high value" fishing method is better for the environment and say that even a more limited, half-mile ban would be beneficial to local communities, particularly on the west coast. But such a move is resisted by other sectors of the fishing industry. The Scottish Fishermen's Federation has insisted the industrial scale method of fishing is sustainable and that trawlermen would be out of business if inshore waters were closed to them. Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said: "Last year, the Scottish government made a reasoned response to an advocacy paper from one sector of the Scottish fishing industry calling for another sector to be banned from areas of the coast of Scotland. "It was noted politely that 'there is more work to be done' and some trials are now planned. "The arguments made in the paper do not bear much inspection and if executed would be damaging to fishing communities in the west of Scotland."

MEET MACCA: THE UK'S FIRST STOAT DETECTION DOG…. Orkney has a stoat problem, and Macca the Fox Terrier has been flown in from New Zealand to help get rid of them. It is the first time in the UK a dog has been used for the task. Stoats are native to the British mainland but are a menace to small creatures like voles, hen harriers and short-eared owls in Orkney. Macca does not kill stoats, but indicates their location to his handler. This helps conservationists to decide where to set humane traps. He has been finding stoats in New Zealand, the only other place where the animal is an invasive species, for over two years. Sarah Sankey, from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project, told BBC Radio Orkney: "Stoats arrived in Orkney in 2010 and until recently had been confined to the mainland and islands linked by bridges, but we are now getting reported sightings from other islands. "We put traps and cameras onto these islands, but the presence of stoats is really difficult to confirm. So a dog is a failsafe way of finding out whether they're there or not." Stoats are can swim up to 3km (2 miles), so there is a risk that even if they're completely eradicated from the mainland, others could swim back from smaller islands. Macca, and his handler Ange Newport, will make sure there are no stoats living on islands like Hoy and Shapinsay before a full removal can take place on the mainland. It would be the world's largest island eradication project.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of Ange Newport who has been working with Macca for over two years looking for Stoats… I do like the fact that the Stoats are not killed but relocated….

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Wednesday 8th August 2018 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus #Scotland #News #Spain

[robertmcangusgroup]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Friday 2nd June 2017

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. where ever you are, as we spin endlessly through space and time on this little blue planet we call Earth.. Bella my Black Labrador and my constant companion, had a great walk this morning around the quiet street of Estepona our home town, the smell of the night blooming Jasmine was very heady this morning as we had a very light shower before we went out, and that seems to increase the intensity of the smell 100% .. not that I'm complaining, I love the smell it hides all the other pongs that you find in a small town... Our walk over it's back to the house, fresh cold water for Bella and Hot fresh Colombian Coffee for me.. a look at the news and then I'm ready to write, You ready to read.. good then let’s go!

POLICE SCOTLAND CATCH 339 DRIVERS USING PHONES ILLEGALLY…. An average of 12 drivers a day were caught using their mobile phones illegally in Scotland, in the wake of a major crackdown on the practice. A total of 339 motorists were penalised for the offence by Police Scotland in the four weeks after tougher punishments took effect on 1 March. They were among almost 6,000 drivers caught using a phone at the wheel by police forces across Britain. Penalties for the offence doubled to six points and a £200 fine. The changes mean new drivers risk losing their licence for sending a single text. The figures emerged in response to a series of freedom of information (FOI) requests by the Press Association. Campaigners claimed the "worrying" findings suggest many drivers are ignoring repeated warnings about the dangers of using phones at the wheel despite a string of publicity campaigns and the risk of harsher sanctions. It found that police recorded 5,977 instances of the practice between 1 and 28 March in England, Scotland and Wales. The actual figure is likely to be higher as seven forces did not provide figures and some cases may not have been logged at the time FOI responses were issued. The Metropolitan Police registered the highest number at 2,037, while Police Scotland recorded the third highest total. The RAC Foundation described the increased penalties as "a start", but warned the figures for March suggest "the key message still isn't sinking in". Steve Gooding, director of the motoring research charity, said: "Driving is a safety-critical activity that requires our full attention. Hands need to be on the wheel and eyes looking out of the windscreen, not down at the phone screen." Brake spokesman Jack Kushner described the number of drivers "selfishly using their mobile phones behind the wheel" as concerning. "Driver distraction is a growing menace and it's worrying that drivers don't seem to be getting the message," he said. The charity wants the £200 fine to be "significantly increased" to deter offenders. Police say they want to make using a mobile while driving as "socially unacceptable" as drink-driving. Anthony Bangham, of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: "Drivers need to understand that this is not a minor offence and you will be prosecuted under new, tougher penalties." He said forces were committed to tackling the behaviour, adding: "Encouraging results from recent campaigns show how effective new tactics and innovative approaches can be."

NEARLY A HALF OF BRITS ‘COD NO CLUE’…. New research from Seven Seas has revealed that Brits are totally clueless when it comes to Cod Liver Oil and Omega-3 - despite over a third claiming they take fish oil capsules on a regular basis. While some people can site the health benefits of Omega-3 relating to joints, cardiovascular and memory, a shocking one in 10 adults believe fish fingers, calamari rings and fish cakes will provide them with enough of the health-boosting nutrient. Seven Seas consultant dietician, Helen Bond says: “Our research shows that while a lot of people understand the many health benefits of Omega-3, they are clearly confused about what it is and where it comes from. Regular portions of oily fish can help people boost their Omega-3 intake. In addition, Cod Liver Oil naturally contains Omega-3 - and also contains other health boosting vitamins including vitamins D.” Even though 80% of adults are aware that oily fish contains high levels of Omega-3, 1 in 2 made the ultimate fishy faux pas by admitting they didn’t have any idea at all about where cod liver oil actually comes from. And those that did were shockingly torn between believing it was a ‘mix of plants’ and a mixture of ‘man-made chemicals’. Helen Bond continued: “It’s so important that we eat oily fish in order to increase our intake of omega-3 nutrients. Omega-3’s cannot be produced by the body, but are essential to good health, which means they must be obtained from the diet or through supplementation. “Oily fish such as trout, salmon, mackerel, sardines and fresh tuna are rich in essential long chain omega 3-fats - eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which have been clinically proven to help maintain normal brain function and healthy vision, healthy triglyceride levels, normal blood pressure and healthy heart function. “While a healthy balanced diet should always come first, a high quality fish oil supplement can support your daily Omega-3 intake.”

THREE CALLOUTS OVER WEEKEND FOR KINGHORN LIFEBOAT…. Kinghorn Lifeboat had a busy bank holiday weekend with three callouts in two days. The lifeboat crew was paged just after 8.30am on Saturday morning to assist a disabled boat north east of Inchkeith, followed by a request to assess the safety of shellfish collectors on Pettycur Sands. Then at 12.20am on Sunday morning the team was called out to help in a search off the coast at Leven. Following reports of a person shouting at Leven beach just after midnight on Sunday, the Coastguard launched a search following concern that someone may have been in the water. Kinghorn Lifeboat launched around 12.35am, and arrived at Leven beach 20 minutes later. An extensive search of the area was undertaken, along with Coastguard rescue teams from Leven and Kinghorn. Mel McGarva, a member of the crew, said: “Following concern that someone may have been in the water at Leven, we were tasked to undertake a search off Leven golf course. “Search conditions were good, coupled with the use of four flares to illuminate the area. Following an hour of searching we were stood down, returning to station just after 2.30am.” Crewmembers on the search were Mark Brown, Paul Stather, Mel McGarva, Suzanne Baillie and Steve Robinson.

BMW DRIVER ‘CLOCKED AT MORE THAN 122MPH,’ SAY POLICE…. A police patrol car accelerated to 122mph but was unable to keep up with a speeding driver in Fife, a court has heard. Two officers claimed a BMW kept pulling away from despite them hitting the top speed their vehicle could manage. On trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court is Shahzad Aslam, 44, of Dean Park Court, Kirkcaldy. He denies that on September 25, 2015, on the M90 northbound between junctions two and three and the A92 eastbound, he drove a car dangerously and drove at speeds of up to 100mph in a 70mph speed restricted zone. It is alleged he pulled over sharply from the offside lane into the nearside lane, into the path of a vehicle and then braked sharply to exit the M90, entered the overpass slip road for the A92 at excessive speed for the road conditions, which had advisory 50mph speed limit signs and braked sharply to avoid collision with vehicles entering the vehicles entering from the Halbeath slip road. PC Stuart Gibson (36) told the court he was driving the police patrol at around 12.25am in wet conditions near Rosyth when he saw the car being driven by the accused. He said he believed the car was being driven at excess speed through an area of roadworks with a 40mph limit. PC Gibson said the car then accelerated sharply and he tried to carry out a tracking operation. This is where a police car maintains a consistent distance behind another vehicle to see what speed it is travelling at. However, this was not possible as the BMW driven by Aslam was pulling further away. “We were travelling at 122mph and that was as fast as our car could go,” said the officer. He added that it was only when Aslam’s car had to brake because of other vehicles on the road that the police were able to catch up and he pulled over to a lay-by. PC Andrew Siggers (49) was the passenger in the police patrol car. He said Aslam’s car had to brake to avoid cars coming to the A92 from a slip road. Both officers said they were not able to give the speed Aslam’s car was travelling at but that it was faster than their vehicle. The trial was adjourned until July 20.

ANNUAL POLL SHOWS SIX IN TEN PARENTS RAID THEIR CHILDREN’S PIGGY BANKS TO COVER COSTS…. Parents are plundering children’s ‘piggy banks’ to the tune of nearly £50 a year, according to an annual poll that shows a significant rise in the amount borrowed by mum and dad. The Nationwide Financial Planning survey into ‘piggy bank raiding’ quizzed 2,000 parents of children between four and 16. It shows three in five (60 per cent) admit taking money from their offspring – a 14 per cent increase on last year’s study. According to the Society’s poll, the average amount taken by parents over a 12 month period is £46.20 – a sharp rise of 115 per cent on the £21.41 indicated last year – while one in five (20 per cent) admit to pilfering £60 or more annually. Just over a fifth (21 per cent) admit to raiding the piggy bank twice or more times a month. And when it comes to the parental divide, dads (£51.12 per annum) take more than mums (£44.52). The money is used for: Paying the school lunch money (32 per cent), needing loose change for parking (29 per cent) and covering school trips (24 per cent) are the primary reasons parents need to dip into the ‘Bank of Child’. Other reasons include donating to school charity days (21 per cent) and paying for clubs and societies (20 per cent). In terms of mum and dad, it’s women who need the cash for school charity days (23 per cent v 16 per cent for men), school lunch money (33 per cent v 30 per cent for men) and school trips (24 per cent v 20 per cent for men). Men, on the other hand, will take money to pay a bill (16 per cent v 12 per cent for women), buy Christmas presents (14 per cent v 10 per cent for women) and to cover any doorstep charity requests (10 per cent v 7 per cent for women). However, both mum and dad are prone to raiding their children’s piggy banks to get a takeaway (12 per cent of men and 10 per cent of women). While the reason for borrowing money may be genuine, three quarters (76 per cent) of parents feel some sort of guilt, with a third (33 per cent) admitting they feel bad each time they do it. Children aren’t oblivious to this parental piggy bank raiding, however, as around two in five (39 per cent) parents admit their children had noticed the money had gone missing – the same percentage as in 2016’s survey. More than a third (34 per cent) parents say they don’t always pay the money back and it’s dads who are the biggest culprits, with 43 per cent admitting to this versus just 30 per cent of mums.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of Scurdie Ness Lighthouse in Angus

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Friday 2nd June 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus

[spicythistlesatdawn]

Soap: Remind me how we ended up with that again?

*gesturing vaguely to Thistle, who is attempting to coax a very wild wolf towards her.*

Price: I think Ghost pulled 'er out of the dumpster.

Ghost: No, Gaz picked 'er up ou' of the pound.

Thistle: Actually. Laswell sided you lot needed some actual brains.

(Keep an eye out for Thistle's official introduction to the 141! (And how they became the poly!141)) 😈

[spicythistlesatdawn]

It sucks and I actually hate it but here have some thistle and Simon

[spicythistlesatdawn]

Is Thistle an OC just for COD? Yes. Will I maybe make a fic specific to her? Maybe. Will I have more blurbs for Thistle? ABSOLUTELY 💯 (send me some asks if yall wanna see a specific blurb!!)

[robertmcangusgroup]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Saturday 22nd April 2017

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. Very slow this morning, I hurt my back yesterday, and as a result had to go to the ER and have three injections in the buttocks to eleviate the pain.. that alomg with the tablets has made Robert a slow boy today, which in turn made Bella’s walk short this morning.. Ah.. well it’s raining so she understands…

AMUR LEOPARDS WILL BE OFF-SHOW TO VISITORS AT SCOTTISH PARK…. Two of the world's rarest big cats are to join a zoo's collection, but visitors will not be able to see them. A female and a male Amur leopard are being introduced to a new enclosure at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's Highland Wildlife Park. The society hopes that by keeping the cats off-show they will breed and rear cubs almost devoid of human contact. If cubs are reared at the site in the Cairngorms it is planned to release them into the wild in Russia.

MAN DROVE AT 120MPH ON MOTORWAY…. A man who drove at speeds of up to 120mph on the M9 near Stirling has been banned from the road for 21 months. Wajhaht Akhtar was spotted undertaking numerous cars before being stopped by police last August. The 22-year-old from Glasgow admitted a charge of dangerous driving at Stirling Sheriff Court. Akhtar was also fined £2,700 for the incident, which police described as showing "utter disregard" for the safety of himself and other drivers. Insp Andrew Thomson said: "There is no doubt that inappropriate speed is one of the most serious road safety problems on Scotland's roads, and causes death and injury to many people each year."

JIM CLARK MUSEUM IN DUNS RACES TOWARDS FUNDING GOAL….  The trust is closing in on its £300,000 fundraising target for the museum. A fundraising campaign towards a museum celebrating the achievements of two-time Formula One champion Jim Clark is closing in on its target. The drive was launched this year to raise the final £300,000 towards the project in Duns in the Borders. A crowdfunding campaign which is coming to a close has raised more than £90,000, with more than £175,000 coming from direct donations and other groups. The Jim Clark Trust has urged the public to keep contributions coming. It thanked all the supporters who had already backed the proposals, which will cost £1.6m in total. It has secured £1.3m but launched the campaign earlier this year to bridge the funding gap.

ABERDEEN AIRPORT ANNOUNCES NEW FLIGHTS TO POPULAR SUNSHINE DESTINATION…. The route, operated by Thomson and First Choice, will operate between Aberdeen and Rues Airport on the Costa Dorada. Holidaymakers will be able to fly out to the sun spot on the Catalonian coast from next summer. Carol Benzie, the managing director of Aberdeen International Airport, said: “We’re really pleased to hear that Thomson and First Choice are increasing the number of flights, holidays and destinations available from Aberdeen. “The introduction of Costa Dorada as a destination is very exciting and I am sure it will attract plenty of holidaymakers.” Karen Switzer, director of aviation planning for TUI UK & Ireland – the company behind the Thomson and First Choice brands – said: “Adding more capacity from Aberdeen with the introduction of a new route to Costa Dorada demonstrates our commitment to both the airport and the local community in the area. “Increasing access to our exciting collection of destinations and hotels is a key part of our overall strategy and will enhance the holiday experience for our customers.”

CLAIMS AGGRESSIVE GULLS ARE TARGETING PASSERSBY IN NORTH-EAST COASTAL TOWN…. The growing menace of gulls in a coastal town has prompted renewed council action to prevent a population boom. Residents in Stonehaven have voiced concern about the birds after they were seen to be targeting pedestrians. Hotelier Sheila Howarth was recently the victim of what she called a “deliberate” attack as she left a bakery with a bag of bread rolls. Now Aberdeenshire Council is seeking public help in an attempt to replicate the successful clearance of 500 eggs from rooftops in Peterhead last year. Owners of properties in the town centre which have been identified as possible nesting locations for the gulls have been asked to contribute £50 towards the cost of using a specialist company to carry out nest and egg removal. The authority already takes action at its own properties to deal with the birds, including public buildings and schools, but this only has a limited effect in isolation. Mrs Howarth said she felt like she was in a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror film The Birds when her food attracted unwanted attention. She said: “It was a deliberate attack to the back of the head.” ”I had just come out of the baker’s and I felt something hit me. It was actually quite scary – it went and landed on top of a car right next to me at my eye level – and stared at me – it was freaky. “It was just the way it watched me – these birds are pretty intelligent.” Kincardine and Mearns area manager, Willie Munro said: “There has to be a concerted and community-based approach over a longer period of time to tackle this problem. “Every year we get complaints from residents and visitors about gulls in the town centre, in terms of the mess their droppings make, noise, litter strewn from bins, damage to property and vehicles and sometimes even aggressive gulls.”

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of the sea gulls of course!

 A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Saturday 22nd April 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in ….. Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus