Briny Reck

Twilight and a Kylie video. I'm convinced.

Thank you. Since we're being nice to each other, I'll reach inside the blackened sepulchre that I laughingly call a heart and admit that I enjoyed reading your posts and respect your opinion. I'll also admit that I may have ever-so-slightly exaggerated my opinion to drive home a point. However, there is more than a kernel of truth in what I said. Hang on, I may have toned down my views to win people over and avoid causing too much offence. I'm losing track of which. I hold that the beast has three heads although one of them, the one that looks like it belongs on the shoulders of a horrifyingly cocky insurance salesman, has been artificially inflated to the point where it's visible to the naked eye.

I didn't say that people should have their voting rights curtailed if they vote for a party whose values run contrary to my own. I simply wished to communicate that it didn't bother me in the slightest that some people weren't able to vote and that I find it laughable that some of them spoke of feeling disenfranchised. The truly disenfranchised in this illusory democracy, this three headed dictatorship of wealth and inherited power tend not to live in that district. It's true that Labour are an absolute disgrace in many respects but they won't cut as deep as the other two parties would have.

On the contrary, my post was inspired by my regard for people less fortunate than myself, people you might think of as 'chavs'. As for stereotypes, don't be surprised when people with bulging pockets live up to them with great fervour. If Captain Smarmy does the right thing instead of pursuing his lust for power by bending over for The Eton Trifle, I'll gladly eat some of my words.

True, I apologise. I can't believe I misspelled 'right'.

I don't think too many well off people died for the rightt to vote but perhaps a good number of people who challenged them did. Nevertheless, consider yourself forgiven. What I find unforgivable is selfish people voting for a party that will save them a few scanty quid in taxes but prove disasterous for people working in public services and those struggling to find reasonably paid work. As far as I and many others are concerned, the less people able to vote for the Conservatives or a 'kingmaker' who may treacherously support them, the better.

That wasn't necessarily a direct reference to you, it concerned a number of melodramatic, hysterical whingers I saw on telly. You may choose to live up to that description if you wish, it's entirely up to you. I hope you would have chosen where to place your vote more wisely than you choose your words. Until the next time, you may want to be grateful for your wealth and keep your petulance within reasonable bounds.

Does the wealth you boast of entitle you to make personal insults? Yes, it probably does. That's part of the point I was making. It does not matter who you vote for, as a wealthy person you will always be ok. At least until we start to see real political change begin to take effect, one way or another.

The worst kind of snobbishness involves dumping on the poor not observing a basic truth about the lifestyle and privileges of the people of Hallam. Whoever gets in, their human rights will always take precedence over those of most other parts of the city and they will likely never know what it feels like to be truly disenfranchised.

Considering that the wealthy residents of Hallam inevitably vote in a ruthlessly self interested fashion, the pockets of vulnerable ones that you speak of would probably have fared better if no-one had been able to vote.

If all this had happened in an area where a large percentage of the constituents are vulnerable and disadvantaged I might have been bothered by it. As things stand the people of Hallam tend to be 'comfortably off' at worst. Many of them have wealth and influence that most people will never know, they'll always be alright regardless of what party has the overall majority. Considering that the area tends to return candidates that actively seek to further the interests of the wealthy over those of the needy, I found it rather amusing to watch the bleating posh gits bang on about feeling disenfranchised. If only they knew what that actually means.

It's a fantastic place, great for bringing a new range of tastes to jaded palates. It makes a great change from the usual gloopy chunks swimming in ghee.

The Fat Cat is the kind of place to go for a quiet drink amongst well behaved people and I hope it always remains that way. There are plenty of pubs and bars that actively encourage loud, annoying idiots, I don't see why they can't stay in the sort of places where they'll be welcomed and leave the rest of us alone.

Sheffield is Folk City. My favourite for spontaneity, atmosphere and quality is Fagans on Broad Lane. Musicians will turn up and play most nights of the week.

I wonder how it was discovered that you could clarify beer by adding fish's bladders and how many other things were tried before.