Welcome and introductions

by witchfinder Fri Oct 07, 2011 1:40 pm

First topic message reminder :

Around the autumn of 2007 I came across the MSN message boards and found one entitled "UK Politics" which I joined and enjoyed for over three and a half years, then around April 2011 MSN decided in their wisdom to close down that particular message board.

Over time the MSN message board posters had become like friends, and though I had never met any of them, they became as familiar as the regulars I have a pint with in the local village pub, one or two were fairly nasty and quite vile, most were very pleasant people.

Fortunately, one of the redundant MSN bloggers (Ivan) decided to start his own political blogging site, and many of the old MSN posters followed him to his newly created site, and after a competition to find a name, it was agreed to call it "Cutting Edge".

I have to point out that Ivan ran things in a very fair and democratic way, the members decided the rules, they chose the name and logo, several of us were appointed as moderators and common sense prevailed.

Unfortunately the host of our board was "ProBoards" whom I would definately NOT recommend to anyone, they pulled the plug and closed Cutting Edge down saying that we had broken the rules.
To this day we still do not know what rule(s) were broken, and by whom, we wrote very polite emails to ProBoards asking for an explanation, but we got no answer other than "you broke the rules".

And so here we are WELCOME

by oftenwrong Fri Apr 20, 2012 10:48 pm

cue Mrs. Slocombe.

by Adele Carlyon Fri Apr 20, 2012 10:52 pm

OMG! Don't mention Mrs Slocombe or her purple pussy! :affraid:

by **moonbeam** Sat Apr 21, 2012 12:58 am

Ok. Rather than me pick out the pics of my furbabies, I will just post a link to an online album that has all sorts of things. The cats are towards the bottom.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

by Shirina Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:30 am

Aw! She's beautiful, just look at that face.

Yeah, a little TOO beautiful. She was an outdoor cat even when I lived in the city. One day she disappeared and, after around 4 months, I knew she was gone for good. Then one day I came home from class and I heard a very familiar meow. And there she was, and she practically leaped into my arms when she saw me. She was in perfect health, her hair was clean, and she looked as if she hadn't spent a day outside. My guess is that someone "kidnapped" her and wouldn't let her out, but when she did get out, she came right back home ... after 4 months. That's loyalty. Anyone who says cats have none are fooling themselves.

Your cat Seamus makes me want to hear him meow LOL! I just love that sound.

by ROB Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:54 am

Cat lovers! Lord have mercy!

Give me a dog any day. My mongrel, a sooner that passed away in my laundry room at 15, would protect my family, my house, and even me from time to time. When he got out, which was both often and illegal, he would roam God only knows where until he decided it was time for some chow. Opened the garage door one morning, moved the car out, forgot something back in the house, walked back into the garage, opened the door from the garage to the house, and something black shot past me like a speeding bullet into the house. I hollered and thought about finding the shotgun before investigating, and then a family member shouted from the car, “It’s just Rowdy!”

I think he’d been wandering around the house outside half the night, trying to figure out how to go back into the yard through the hole in the wooden fence he had pushed outward, because he was happy as a mongrel dog when I opened the back door into the yard. Wait a minute… he WAS a mongrel dog!

by **Ivan** Sat Apr 21, 2012 10:50 am

As I have a dog and two cats, I guess I have a foot in both camps! My West Highland Terrier is seven now; her previous owners emigrated to Australia when she was a year old. The cats (a black male and a black-and-white female) are twelve. Some neighbours moved away and left the cats behind when they were about a year old, and the cats decided to move in with me.

From 2006 until January last year, I had a third cat, a beautiful tortoiseshell stray who turned up on the doorstep and started eating the bread I put out for birds. For the last year of her life she had feline leukemia but survived much longer than the vet expected. I was pleased I'd taken out insurance for all the animals, the vet bills for her exceeded £1,000.

The pecking order was interesting with four animals. The tortoiseshell cat, as friendly as any animal I've ever known, very quickly put the dog in her place, and then they got on well and sometimes slept together. The black-and-white female is now the boss, with the dog second.

by sickchip Sat Apr 21, 2012 11:22 am

Cats! Dogs! Pah!

Gimme a guinea pig anyday.

by astra Sat Apr 21, 2012 2:21 pm

astra wrote:All this about pets has got me started!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]" alt="" />

this is 7 of Clyde's first litter of 11 puppies, at lessons!

by **moonbeam** Sat Apr 21, 2012 3:06 pm

sickchip wrote:Cats! Dogs! Pah!

Gimme a guinea pig anyday.

We have one of those, too! LOL. Got her from a friend of my babysitter, who couldn't keep her for some reason.

I like dogs. But I don't have a fenced yard, and cats don't require walking. Wink

Actually, I like all sorts of animals. I have had snakes, an iguana, chinchillas, rats, mice, a tarantula, a turtle, and fish for pets at various times. We have raised praying mantises a couple of times as well, hatching them from an egg sac and attempting to get a mating pair. Last year, we were able to get one to adulthood. Their final molt is very hard on them and a couple died during that process. We keep trying though!

I also feed and water a bunch of the feral cats in the neighborhood.

by **moonbeam** Sat Apr 21, 2012 3:07 pm

Loving everyone's pics, by the way.

by oftenwrong Sat Apr 21, 2012 3:33 pm

Cats do not have Owners.

They have Staff.

by Chivnail Sat Apr 21, 2012 3:46 pm

Hi.

For a while now I've been looking (well, not in a very active sense) for a new message board, forum, or such community of wit and/or substance on which to waste my remaining youth, and this morning stumbled across this place by means I've already forgotten, so thought I'd give it a go. I've no idea whether I'll take to it, or it/you to my virtual presence, but if it gives me somewhere to vent-political without getting barred from my local for interrupting the cross-bar bigotry of staff and other regulars, I'll call it a success.

...aaaand I see that, truly, no part of the internet is safe from the malevolent presence of our clawing feline overlords, with their mind-altering parasites and propensity to malt on the bed.

(Also, should I post again tonight, consider this my apology in advance for whatever gibberish may result. There's an ale festival down the road...)

by **moonbeam** Sat Apr 21, 2012 3:52 pm

LOL, Chivnail (about the ale fest).

Welcome aboard!

PS. I have an admin on my own board who has selected snow leopards, specifically, as being evil incarnate. Wink

For his birthday last year, he was "gifted" with the sponsorship of a cub in his name.

by astra Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:01 pm

Hello Chivnail,

YOu will find us quite quiet on here as we chew the fat about what's wrong around us - I hope you like the place.

Which part of Lancashire? (Just so I do not extol the virtues of the wrong place ie St Helens or Wigan)
Over here, it is a sure thing if you get it wrong - Sunderland and Newcastle! that a "Heated discussion" will ensue bounce

by Shirina Sat Apr 21, 2012 5:15 pm

Loving everyone's pics, by the way.

Mr. Whiskers reminds me a lot of Morris from the 9 Lives commercials!

I like dogs, too, but dogs are much higher maintenance which is a major reason why I prefer cats over dogs. Cats generally don't suffer from separation anxiety and tear the house apart if you leave for the afternoon, and dogs have to be kenneled for any longer trip. When I left for 10 days to visit British Columbia a few years ago, I just had a neighbor feed the cats a few times and I provided an extra litter box ... and they were fine. As Moonbeam said, I don't have to walk them, no following them around with a bag and scooper, and cats don't meow incessantly whenever a twig snaps outside. I will give dogs credit for their guarding abilities, though, and their protective instincts. If dogs were as independent as cats, I would have one of each.

And welcome to our humble abode, Chivnail. I look forward to reading your ale-inspired gibberish. Wink

by ROB Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:03 pm

I’ve never had a non-independent dog. Had Rowdy lived in an area which didn’t by law require fencing dogs in, he would have been just fine roaming the neighborhood until dinnertime.

But Rowdy was an outdoor dog, big enough, and with a sufficiently low bark and growl, to put the fear of dogs into miscreants. He didn’t function well indoors. His innate dominance/submissive instinct didn’t allow him to reach a happy medium; instead, he would exhibit submissive behavior until “released” into his territory, his backyard.

Among my other dogs have been two Shelties, both outdoor dogs, and both much taller than the AKC “perfect” Sheltie because their “mother”, my mother, continued augmenting their food with generous portions of milk, “to make their bones strong”, until they were fully grown. One of them was habituated to functioning indoors, but he was still an outdoor, independent dog. He could sleep outside, and on the occasions when he escaped his state imposed prison (the fenced yard), he roamed far and wide until he decided to come home.

He could also walk with us anywhere in the neighborhood independent of leash, roaming ahead of his human pack members until he reached a corner. He would then wait until we caught up, at which time we would, for instance, say “Sandy, we’re that way. Cross the street and wait on us.” He would do just that. Then we would say “Sandy, we’re going down this street”, at which time he would roam ahead again.

When we turned for home, we’d say “Go home, Sandy”, and he would run ahead until he was out of sight. When his slow human pack members caught up, he was already on the front porch waiting to go inside, where he was perfectly comfortable until we let him into the backyard.

Back to Rowdy, he once attacked a horse-sized dog that was threatening one of his human pack members. Launched himself and tore into the “horse” like a sidewinder coming off the wing of an F/A-18 Hornet. He was kinda getting his backside whipped, but he stayed with it until the horse’s owner came from behind his house and grabbed his oversized pet. Meanwhile, Rowdy’s human pack member was unharmed. I miss that mongrel.

by Shirina Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:33 pm

I’ve never had a non-independent dog. Had Rowdy lived in an area which didn’t by law require fencing dogs in, he would have been just fine roaming the neighborhood until dinnertime.

The first dog I ever had, which I think was a border collie, ran away and never came back. As a little girl, I was traumatized by it. The second dog I had ran away quite often, too. Most of the time he came back, but sometimes he didn't. That meant my father and I had to go to the city pound where we would always find him. But whenever he ran away, I couldn't sleep at night because I was worried sick something might happen to him - namely getting hit by a car or simply not coming back. He also had horrible separation anxiety ... we had to lock him in the garage whenever we left the house or he would tear everything apart.

Had Rowdy lived in an area which didn’t by law require fencing dogs in

This is another issue with dogs. Sure you can let them out, but unless you live in the country, you can be fined, and if it happens too often, they can even take your dog away from you. What's worse is if your dog actually bites someone while its out roaming around. Then you face having your dog put down by court order and you can end up with a lawsuit that you can't possibly win. Our dog actually nipped a little girl's nose once out of anger, and I thought we were going to lose our dog, but the parents never made an issue of it. Probably because our dog was inside the house when it happened.

He could also walk with us anywhere in the neighborhood independent of leash, roaming ahead of his human pack members until he reached a corner.

My cat did that (the one pictured). She would walk side by side with me to the corner store, but she knew not to cross 20th Street, which was busy. She would simply sit down like a little statue and wait. I'd go into the store, come out, and she'd still be there. Then she would walk home with me in the same way.

by Red Cat Woman Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:08 am

Hi Everyone
Thank you for such a warm welcome to the site. Yes I love Cats very much indeed. I lost my last one after it was sadly killed. However, my Dad as given me three little kittens. When I work out how to post a pix of them I will be very happy to share the pix with you all.

Many thanks to
Ivan, Shirina, Scarecrow, Adele, and Blamhappy

Red Cat Woman xxxx [img][/img]

by **Ivan** Sun Apr 22, 2012 3:13 pm

My computing skills are fairly elementary. I can embed videos from You Tube, and post pictures from the internet and avatars from my computer, but I still haven't worked out how to get pictures from my computer into messages such as this one. I can't make either of those 'image' buttons work for me. That's the reason I haven't shown you my cats!

Adele, Shirina and moonbeam obviously know what to do. Could one of you kindly explain it here, for the benefit of Red Cat Woman and myself, and then I'll add the information to the 'posting tips' thread? Thanks.

by **moonbeam** Sun Apr 22, 2012 4:03 pm

Ivan wrote:My computing skills are fairly elementary. I can embed videos from You Tube, and post pictures from the internet and avatars from my computer, but I still haven't worked out how to get pictures from my computer into messages such as this one. I can't make either of those 'image' buttons work for me. That's the reason I haven't shown you my cats!

Adele, Shirina and moonbeam obviously know what to do. Could one of you kindly explain it here, for the benefit of Red Cat Woman and myself, and then I'll add the information to the 'posting tips' thread? Thanks.

There are 2 ways to post pictures here. One is to have the forum host it, and the other is to host the pic on Photobucket or Imageshack. The preferred method is probably the second one, because sites typically only get a certain amount of storage space. Hosting here may use that up , but I don't know for sure on this forum. When you use an image hosting site, it doesn't.

I will note that even though the first method has a link to upload under the url boxes, it didn't appear to do anything. Hence, my instructions ignore that part. I later found an email in my junk folder for a site called [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] which can be accessed by using the email and password associated w/ the forum account. However, all that really does is store the URLs in case you wanted to re-post the same pic again later.

Hosting on Cutting Edge
1. Click the "Host an Image" button shown below. It will open up the box you see.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

2. Find the photo on your computer
3. Click the "host it" button.
4. In this next box, copy the URL from the bottom box (Image url). After that, click the same button you did to start the process to make the box disappear.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

5. Click the "Image" button shown below.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

6. Paste in the URL and click ok. NOTE: the image code defaults to the end of the post, so if you don't see the code where you thought you had put it (or you want it embedded somewhere else), you'll have to move it manually.

Hosting on Photobucket or Imageshack
1. Upload the picture from your computer to Photobucket or Imageshack.
2. Copy the "Direct URL" that is provided.
3. Click the "Image" button shown below.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

4. Paste in the URL and click ok. NOTE: the image code defaults to the end of the post, so if you don't see the code where you thought you had put it (or you want it embedded somewhere else), you'll have to move it manually.

by Chivnail Sun Apr 22, 2012 6:16 pm

astra wrote:
Which part of Lancashire? (Just so I do not extol the virtues of the wrong place ie St Helens or Wigan)
Over here, it is a sure thing if you get it wrong - Sunderland and Newcastle! that a "Heated discussion" will ensue

West, not far from Preston. So long as you don't accuse me of being from Blackpool, or Blackburn, or Burnl... actually, anywhere starting, "B..." we should be all right Wink

by Adele Carlyon Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:19 pm

Hello and welcome Chivnail. I'm from Wigan and I work in St Helens lol

by Chivnail Mon Apr 23, 2012 2:59 am

One of my best mates is from Wigan... and he doesn't even seem to particularly like pies OR rugby!

What an age we live in, eh?

by **Phil Hornby** Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:12 am

"I'm from Wigan and I work in St Helens "

It's no good coming here looking for sympathy... Very Happy

by **Ivan** Mon Apr 23, 2012 11:19 am

moonbeam. Thanks for going to so much trouble to explain how to post pictures from a computer in messages.

by Shirina Mon Apr 23, 2012 11:26 am

LOL! I had just finished typing out how to post pictures, but when I hit 'send,' I received a notification that another post had been posted, did I want to post anyway?

Well, it was Moonbeam's ... and her explanation had pictures! So I went ahead and deleted mine.

by **moonbeam** Mon Apr 23, 2012 2:02 pm

Ivan wrote:moonbeam. Thanks for going to so much trouble to explain how to post pictures from a computer in messages.

You're welcome, Ivan. Hopefully they're clear enough to be helpful.

Shirina wrote:LOL! I had just finished typing out how to post pictures, but when I hit 'send,' I received a notification that another post had been posted, did I want to post anyway?

Well, it was Moonbeam's ... and her explanation had pictures! So I went ahead and deleted mine.

LOL, Shirina. I had nothing better to do at work yesterday, can you tell?

I truly think it's much easier to just host them on Photobucket or Imageshack though, as half the steps for the PC upload method are the same anyway.

by Scarecrow Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:22 pm

OMG , cats n dogs everywhere , may I suggest the moderators instal some virtual pets on the forum that members have to feed and nurture daily , I know for sure , the virtual pet section would be over subscribed hourly ha ha , as this isn't going to happen because I am familiar with the alogarithm code under which the forum runs , the Mods can rest easy ha ha .
Gotta admit, if such a section existed I would be guilty of checking in between online work commitments , to see how the kids , sorry pets were fairing , ready to force feed any cat / dog that looked slightly down or unfed or give a big virtual pat on the head to quell my anguish , then again knowing the cats , they would be doing just fine , viewing my virtual empathy with suspicion and curiosity.

Imagine getting rebuked in your place of work for taking a virtual dog for a walk in working hours argghhhhh , I have now lost the plot , I am checking how much virtual pets treadmills cost , I will save the rest for my therapist / shrink.

by Red Cat Woman Tue May 01, 2012 12:05 pm

Red Cat Woman wrote:Hi Everyone
Thank you for such a warm welcome to the site. Yes I love Cats very much indeed. I lost my last one after it was sadly killed. However, my Dad as given me three little kittens. When I work out how to post a pix of them I will be very happy to share the pix with you all.

Many thanks to
Ivan, Shirina, Scarecrow, Adele, and Blamhappy

Red Cat Woman xxxx [img][/img]

[img][/img]

by Red Cat Woman Tue May 01, 2012 12:33 pm

Red Cat Woman wrote:Hi Everyone
Thank you for such a warm welcome to the site. Yes I love Cats very much indeed. I lost my last one after it was sadly killed. However, my Dad as given me three little kittens. When I work out how to post a pix of them I will be very happy to share the pix with you all.

Many thanks to
Ivan, Shirina, Scarecrow, Adele, and Blamhappy

Red Cat Woman xxxx [img][/img]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by Red Cat Woman Tue May 01, 2012 12:38 pm

Red Cat Woman wrote:
Red Cat Woman wrote:Hi Everyone
Thank you for such a warm welcome to the site. Yes I love Cats very much indeed. I lost my last one after it was sadly killed. However, my Dad as given me three little kittens. When I work out how to post a pix of them I will be very happy to share the pix with you all.

Many thanks to
Ivan, Shirina, Scarecrow, Adele, and Blamhappy

Red Cat Woman xxxx [img][/img]
[img][/img]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by Red Cat Woman Tue May 01, 2012 1:27 pm

Red Cat Woman wrote:Hi Everyone
Thank you for such a warm welcome to the site. Yes I love Cats very much indeed. I lost my last one after it was sadly killed. However, my Dad as given me three little kittens. When I work out how to post a pix of them I will be very happy to share the pix with you all.

Many thanks to
Ivan, Shirina, Scarecrow, Adele, and Blamhappy

Red Cat Woman xxxx [img][/img]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

MY New little babies ha ha ha not very old as you can see

by Adele Carlyon Tue May 01, 2012 4:44 pm

Aw!!!! Here puss puss! I love you

by blueturando Wed May 02, 2012 3:03 pm

Nice pussies Red Embarassed

by Red Cat Woman Sat May 05, 2012 1:34 am

Adele Carlyon wrote:Aw!!!! Here puss puss!

Thanks Hun xxx [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by Red Cat Woman Sat May 05, 2012 1:37 am

blueturando wrote:Nice pussies Red

Thanks Blue. nice beech and pic too [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by **Ivan** Mon May 07, 2012 10:07 pm

Emma, you still haven't opened a message I sent you on 29 April. Perhaps it isn't visible?

I do like cats and have two of my own, but spare a thought for this dog:-

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by **moonbeam** Tue May 08, 2012 3:09 am

ROFL, Ivan...

by Red Cat Woman Tue May 08, 2012 10:12 am

Ivan wrote:Emma, you still haven't opened a message I sent you on 29 April. Perhaps it isn't visible?

I do like cats and have two of my own, but spare a thought for this dog:-

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Hi Ivan
I have sent you a nice PM. Sorry I forgot to reply ha ha love doggies too Ivan xxx

by BobEllard Tue May 15, 2012 5:25 pm

I've just joined Cutting Edge, looking forward to meeting you all.

About me: I'm a lifelong leftie Labour voter. Did student politics back in the 80's, then sort of drifted off into a working life and left it all behind.

Now the 80's have come back with a vengeance, thought it was time to stand up and be counted again. I got active again through 38 degrees campaigns (wish that had been there in the 80's) and then went on to Join the Labour Party and have been active on Twitter (@bobellard1) tweeting like a deranged budgie for Labour, Decency and Fairness (I also like very bad jokes). Thats where I met Ivan, who suggested I look at Cutting Edge. So here I am!

At the moment I am restricted to being an armchair warrior due to ill health, but I expect to make a full recovery so I am looking forward to help those pounding the pavements in future elections. Till then I'm trying to do my bit online as best as I can.

I am also a lifelong hereditary Gooner (Arsenal Supporter), other Gooners will tell you that means I never give up on lost causes! Very Happy

by Adele Carlyon Tue May 15, 2012 5:28 pm

Hello Bob! Welcome to cutting edge! I'm a leftie too! Drifted away under Blair and rejoined so I could help to elect Ed! Cutting edge is a credit to Ivan and the rest of the team, hope you enjoy the banter and debate here.

Hope you get well soon too! Smile

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