Loz

Annette Curtain Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Loz Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I don't know why you English get so excited. > Andy > > Murray is very Scottish and he hates you. > > > I can lay claim to a foot in both lands > > So UP yours > > Next ? > > Nette::o Does this mean you hate yourself?

I don't know why you English get so excited. Andy Murray is very Scottish and he hates you.

georgegarrett Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Funny that the sagatel fellow seems to have been > deactivated and on strike day ! Funny how 'georgegarrett' pops up on the same day (with the same poor writing style). Funny how the sagatel fellow appeared just after TT3 got the chop.

'bout now Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Loz Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > AHHHH....why is there this notion that "if I > can't > > have it, why should they"? > > > > I don't object to them having it. I object to > my > > taxes paying for it. > > > Are you suggesting people in public service don't > pay tax? Or is it your tax/you are more important > than other people? Neither, obviously. I'm suggesting that the PS have their pensions supported by tax money and I don't. We are both putting in, but only one of us is taking out, as far as pensions go. > > Crass. So you asked two questions, instantly assumed you knew my answers and then felt it wise to berate me for the answers you made up yourself? That's taking a strawman to a whole new level.

Chippy Minton Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > hmmm....do you also object to your council tax > paying for street lighting on Frien Road even > though you don't live there? Nope. But I would object if I paid for my own street lighting and they were jumping up and down asking for the council to install some more.

I don't object to them having it. I object to my taxes paying for it.

Annette Curtain Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > He drinks in The Herne. Does he get really plastered?

I laughed out loud when you called DM a pompous ass, but I think you can be called up on it to here. Where do you draw the line? Going private on dental (hard not to these days)? Being caught in possession of private medical insurance? Like it or not, private schooling saves the government money. Like the child-free, private school parents have paid for a state education out of their taxes. However, these parent choose to pay again for a private education. Close all the private schools and the education budget will soar. Calling it 'opting out of society' is just political dogma of the worst order.

I am about to kick off on a loft conversion. Quotes given to me say about 8 to 12 weeks for planning permission (if needed) and to get everything planned and scheduled, then a similar time to actually build the loft.

On the other hand, Mick Mac, I wouldn't want to have to deal daily with a bunch of arrogant shitbags who 'know their rights' and have parents that think the sun shines out their little darling's behind. Most teachers I know get sworn at on a daily basis by the little dears. And are they allowed to go medieval on their ass - nope. That's not to say they are right on this issue, though, but I wouldn't do the job. But I would issue each and every teacher with a taser and carte blanche to use it.

Brendan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Marmora Man Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > > 3. Shifting from RPI to CPI has a logic - RPI > > excludes the costs of a mortgage, CPI does not. > > Few people pay a mortgage once retired. > > Maybe not in your generation pal. Since I'm just going through this (overly painful) process I can say that banks are not at all happy if your age + mortgage length > retirement age. I'm having to get a smaller term because of this.

*Bob* Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think it's important to 'brown out' your clothes > as you get older. Just try not to 'brown out' your pants. Though sometimes age makes that inevitable.

Jah Lush Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Soundtrack to the weather. Play LOUD! > > > Argent - Thunder & Lightning The album covers on that video scream 'Spinal Tap' so much!

About half an hour ago up near the station there was a huge flash of lightning and near-simultaneous enormous crack of thunder that went for about the or four seconds. Sounds like a new set is just rolling in now.

first mate Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Why not have volunteer lollipop people- perhaps > parents who are not working could do a rota. If > enough parents volunteer it might mean you only > have to do a stint once a month. Parent power to > protect your kids? Until you are looking the wrong way for one moment and a kid gets hit by a car. Potential legal nightmare.

I've been with VM for years and never had problems with reception, except in Sainbury's, which is a VM dead zone. That's a bit of a pain in the rear. As for the BB - I have an 8510 on O2 (company phone). Brilliant for email and very good for calls, but if you expecting the sort of apps you get on Android and iPhones then you may be disappointed.

If you take the speed limiting course, do you still have to declare the infringement to insurers?

Actually my original point was that it doesn't if you look at the whole. But I think you knew that already.

Laddy Muck Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Could Undisputedtruth have hit on the reason earlier when he said: > > "...50% of Public Sectors employees earns less than ?21000 pa and it could be argued that women > forms a higher proportion of low income earners."? > > Now, also throw into the ring DJKQ's point vis a vis women's lack of negotiating skills when it > come to pay (and therefore the willingness to accept the offered salary). Is it not possible > then, that in a sector where the Government holds the purse strings and, where - perhaps - this > might mean less scope for negotiation, that this situation could be lending itself better to the > female population? Whereas their (more assertive) male counterparts - after being told that there is > no more money in the kitty - might simply vote with their feet in the direction of the private > sector? Dunno. > > *scratches head* Possibly. The structured pay award rates at the lower to mid ranges of PS pay scales would be more likely to attract the non-negotiating type. At higher pay grades the structure breaks down a bit, so even the PS high flyers would need to negotiate their own pay sooner or later. Would this explain some of DJKQ's stats showing that the 'gender' gap is just as applicable in the PS? My job has meant I have dealt with a lot of government departments over the years and it's not hard to notice that the higher up you go, the more male it gets. I suspect that an unofficial positive discrimination policy goes on a bit at entry level, though. PS types tend to stay that way as a career choice, so over the years this has probably been magnified to the point where it is so obvious today. Which brings us nicely back to my original point - is a PS job cutting programme 'unfairly impacting' a gender that is disproportionately benefiting?

Laddy Muck Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Out of interest, if you no longer looked for > Computer Science degrees - what else did you go > by? If you were interviewing graduates, my guess > is that many of the applicants (though not all, I > grant you) would have been relatively young and > hence without relevant practical experience? Mainly a change in roles to fill - less pure coding and more client facing consultant/analyst roles. These don't need the pure code spoddie type, so other degrees like sciences, business, etc, were needed. I think I even saw a couple of arts degrees come through. The day consisted of some tests (individual and group) and an interview. It was a pretty good way of separating the wheat from the chaff. The group test was especially interesting - seeing which one's led the group, which were the analytical thinkers, which were the documenters and which were the non-contributors. We also had quite a few people coming through the grad programme on second careers. It was a good win/win situation - they got a second chance at a career and we got people with a bit more life experience at a graddie rate.

Not at all. And I expect the Chair knows that. And that's all that matters. Anyway, this is again turning into the sort of tangential nonsense that seems to be the cause of issue at hand. Bye.

Ha! I suspect I am low on the Chair's hit list. Unlike some...

Here's hoping you get Dinitrotoluene and not Trinitrotoluene, else the smell may be the least of your neighbours worries...

I think in some cases there are moves to address the balance, some successful, most not. Even though a lot of good publicity has been done, only about 3% of UK firefighters are women. Male nurses are no longer seen as an affront to nature, but numbers there are still not high. In just about every company, HR departments are stuffed to the rafters with women, even in the most male-dominated companies. As we noted earlier, the public sector is about 70% female and I still haven't worked out why that is! On the other hand, I think there is still a large barrier to males entering childcare as some parents just plain outright distrust men being in that sector. Women in the armed forces are still, I believe, treated as an annoyance to be put up with. Crappy dirty outside jobs are mainly male and crappy, dirty inside jobs are mainly female. Bizarre, really.

I thought you'd approve. Most IT companies have a terrible male/female ratio and it's not good. I was an interviewer for our grad scheme. We didn't let anyone in that couldn't do the job, just decent female grads were very welcome. It's helped that we no longer look for Comp Science type degrees exclusively any more. And it's certainly not to say our female staff are token. By a strange quirk (considering said ratio) probably 70% of my immediate bosses have been female over the years. Most have been brilliant. Only one has been useless. Can't ask for better than that. (Of the men, most were also brilliant. Only one I wanted to beat around the head repeatedly with a heavy object for being a prize arse, messing up badly and trying to pin it on me. He failed.)