Doesn't she look nice [smile]

It does read like a sound-off, absent, especially if one is inclined to take things literally

Expletives often being associated with impatience and bad temper, you see.

What? A was really praying? To You-Know-Who ^on a Lambretta?!

I haven't had my porridge yet.

Okey dokey. I stand corrected. I thought it was quite a mild expletive of a faintly humorous nature. That only goes to show what I have always said.

Oh no, you've been outed on that one, absent!

absent maybe before you swoop in and 'just type an expletive' you should pause and consider if others might find what you say offensive. You sounded rude and dismissive.

I've had my porridge - with blueberries!

Sel If I sounded dismissive, it's because I was being dismissive about knee-jerk comments that have been made lots of times before. However, I wasn't being rude, which is quite different. Thank you for your advice; I shall bear it in mind next time I post something. However, I wasn't aware that I swoop. How does that differ from any other sort of posting?

jO5 The Lambretta comment is a quote from a film called Circus.

I don't know whether it was my reference to President Thatcher that occasioned your remark, absent and if it was, I apologise because it distracted attention from the main point of my remarks which was about the contrast between celebrity lifestyles (including that of younger royals) and the lives of many ordinary people which are due to get worse because of the draconian policies of the coalition government.

a Personally I think you were, if not rude, then thoughtless. Using such an expletive, which you find mildly humourous, might well cause offence to others.

I haven't time to check but I don't think you've contributed to this thread before your one, offensive comment. That's my definition of 'swooping' in. Why do it? The thread was clearly about Royalty so keeping out of it would have been the simplest option.

I need to take a shower and a train in quick succession (ooops, the S word)!

annodomini I fully support your comment about royal celebrities. During the week there was something in one of the newspapers I buy, probably The Daily Telegraph as I can't believe it would have been the Guardian, about favourite celebrities and it included a picture of Prince Harry. It may also have had a picture of the Duchess of Cambridge. I can't remember exactly what it is what about as I didn't read it and it just made me snort and harrumph. I think the royals have become part of the bread and circuses attitude of the ruling class, but these days there is less bread and more circus.

Talking of bread: in Waitrose today representatives from a foodbank were asking customers to buy one extra item to donate and I noticed that there were boxes of staples like sugar and pasta donated by the store. I never thought I'd see this in my lifetime.

Yes Anno in my local Waitrose too! A sad reflection of the times we are living in

We have several collection points for the community larder round here and I am organsiing a concert for them to raise money for fresh food for Christmas for families in need. Sad but necessary.

Sel Jesus on a a Lambretta was my fourth comment on this thread. Does that, in your eyes, absolve me from swooping? Why should I, in particular, keep out of a thread about royalty? Are you saying that only royalists may post on threads about royalty – I apologise, I hadn't realised about that rule. Especially as my "offensive comment" was in reply to posts that were totally unconnected with royalty and all to do with republicanism? Just to remind you, they were to do with potential presidents – not a subject that I had raised. For the record, I am rarely, if ever, thoughtless but I have no objection to being offensive and no objection to people being offensive towards me. I think it is allowed but should not be gratuitous.

Actually, when it is quite obviously just a chatty, friendly sort of thread about a particular member of royalty, then I can't see any point in an anti-royalist posting. Sorry.

absent I can see that you did in fact post twice on the thread prior to your comment which I described as potentially offensive. I did not suggest you shouldn't post rather, that as your contribution was 'how many times have we had this discussion?, I would infer that you would prefer the thread was ended. I suggested then that the simplest thing would be for you to avoid it.

I am not sure if you are being deliberately obtuse or perhaps I wasn't clear why I said, in my opinion, your post was potentially offensive. There will, I presume be people who are members of grandsnet would would find the phrase Jesus H Christ on a Lambretta somewhat disrespectful. I also am at a loss to understand why Republicanism is unconnected to the subject of Monarchy - a ceremonial or absolute one.

Sel What exactly is potentially offensive? Surely a comment is either offensive or inoffensive. Either you were offended or you weren't. However, I cannot see on what basis you can claim to speak on behalf of other members. As for "somewhat disrespectful" – I have no idea what you mean. By the way, there have been many comments about god, Jesus and other religious figures that are far stronger than this particular silly image. Finally, the thread is about how nice the Duchess of Cambridge looked in a photograph which is a very long way from republicanism, a subject that warrants serious treatment.

A comment can be both offensive and not offensive at the same time because offensiveness depends on interpretation. I didn't find your comment offensive, absent, but I did think it unnecessarily grumpy.

Bags Exactly. Either the poster was offended or she wasn't. Maybe others were or others weren't – no one can speak for them. I apologise for sounding grumpy – it was more a sort of "oh, no, not again" sigh of irritation.

Why not just leave threads that make you feel like that instead of grumpily chucking in a wooden spoon?

It's a bit mean to newer posters who haven't seen such threads before.

Exactly

I'm beginning to wonder if you're my sister absentgrana, not that I've spoken to her for years, we just exchange Christmas cards. I see you're not 'blue' either so I can't check

Yes, the Duchess of Cambridge did look lovely. So natural and happy