disabled will NOT be exempt from 'bedroom tax'

It's a long time since J A wrote The Clan of the Cave Bear and much more knowledge than now. But any anthropological speculation is going to be just that - the use of imagination, based on what we know about the huge variety of human (homo sapiens) cultural patterns.
Science daily website or New Scientist are rich veins of info on Neanderthal research.

I haven't read the book. Would you recommend it?

It is a good yarn, Bags. She did a lot of research into what was known when she started on the saga (it was intended to be 12 books) and inferred more from anthropological accounts of surviving "ancient" cultures to fill in the gaps with how they might have been living. The descriptions of the flora and fauna are stunning, if anything too detailed - you get bogged down in the minutiae.

They are (more or less) about the progress of man from near-animal to inventor of tools and more sophisticated ways of living, and the conflicts between conservatism and innovation, with a human girl as heroine.

"Clan of the Cave Bear" is the first, and to my mind the best. The next, "The Valley of Horses" is also good. After that they get a bit samey, and I got the impression that she was running out of steam, but still had a stack of data to get through. I believe there are six finished. Whether she will manage twelve is another question.

No, not really.
I read it years ago and found it simply a fictional account of a group of people who lived a long time ago.

That's sounds good enough for me. Thanks, elegran. I was worried that the outdated science might be too annoying. I might even enjoy the flora and fauna details!

Oh. Just read your review, butty. Now I'm undecided again!

Ah well, I've got a stack of books to read anyhow and I'm not getting through them very fast!

Maybe, maybe....

There was along gap when she published nothing, so the first ones may be rather long in the tooth by now!

Quite enjoyed it.agree withElegran basically. A bit too speculative for my liking with glaring errors. Eg I seem to remember that she infers Neanderthals couldn't cry, which is rubbish!
I might be wrong though, it's well over 10 years since I read them.

I hope you read it - it illustrates very well how Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens may well have met and even bred-

but more importantly for this thread how 'ignoring' can become a very pervasive and deadly punishment. I may well disagree with someone totally, but I'll fight for their right to say it. And at the end of the day, one form of extreme is often just as bad as another ... Should we ignore all the rantings of the extreme left, as well as those of the extreme right? Where does this stop?

Ignore what and whom you like, but truly I do not want to be told, by pm or openly, who I am to communicate or agree with- here, there or anywhere.

Surely it was just a suggestion, with the humorous and exasperated undertones common when we talk about Frank?

Or even the oft-repeated advice - don't join in, go and do something more useful.

Easy to advise, difficult to carry through. The temptation to have the last word is very strong - but it never is the last word, is it? Someone always pops in for one more "absolutely the last word".

Not always the same someone, I must add quickly. Most of us fall into the trap of adding the few words we must say.

But surely,'having our say' is one of the reasons to be on this forum.

jura, nobody has been TOLD to do anything. A suggestion to ignore annoying posts was made. That's all. You can ignore that too if the mood takes you. It's the same advice that GNHQ give if a post annoys you.

It really is a bit silly and OTT to blow such things out of all proportion. As ariadne says, it was just an exasperated remark.

Shrug. Move on. Having a remark ignored by some people (it will rarely be everyone) on a forum is not going to hurt anyone.

I believe Frank is entitled to post here, same as everyone else, he never says anything sordid, just sometimes IMO gentle winding -up.

I think it quite mean spirited to suggest "He might go away" , I for one hope he does not .

wry to F.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

ALL our remarks are ignored by thousands of members of gransnet every day!

PLEASE stop feeding Bags If we all ignore her, she might go away.

Feels nice?

Doesn't feel anything, jopa

JOPA -I like !

It could have the effect of making me have a less than high opinion of whoever jopa is than I otherwise might have done, but from a stranger it doesn't affect me at all.

Since you asked.

Then I congratulate you on a very thick skin, not all are so blessed. A little kindness in life goes a long way. I think someone highlighted that there is another thread saying that very thing.

jopa, I think we are on a different wavelength. Enjoy gransnet

The advice not to encourage Frank and not to 'feed' him has been made three times on this thread alone! People don't like being told what to do even if it is phrased as a suggestion.

As has been said, it's up to the individual whether they wish to respond to any other member's posts.

I hadn't noticed it had been three times on this thread, ana. By different people?

your remark about poeple not liking being told what to do reminds me of a story from when DH and I were sailing together. He was helm and said to me: "You might like to tighten the jib."
I looked at the jib and thought: "Looks fine to me" and did nothing.
He later asked me why I had done nothing. Answer: because it was a suggestion. That means I can choose whether to do what has been suggested or not. If you'd said "Tighten the jib" of course I would have tightened it since it would have been obvious that you, helming the boat, wanted it done. As it was phrased it wasn't a command, I wasn't being told to do anything.

No, Bags, by the same person each time.