Narnia

I am amazed that to make an appointment at a local ED surgery their relatively new number is premium rate. I reckon it works out at about 15p per minute. Of course there is the obligation to listen to a message and then choose an option and then hold on until someone answers as well. Is this standard practice? There must be many many older folk and less well off who probably don't realise what they are being charged. This doesn't seem right to me given it's a surgery. Does anyone have a view that might justify it?

Then use the existing thread please!

Are you trying to distract people from the original thread not far below the one you started?

AcedOut Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I stayed in Best Western hotel (much against my > will!) in Berlin not long ago, so I'll probably > become the next victim of all this! What is it with Best Western? We stayed in a hotel in N.Ireland a couple of weeks ago (part of that chain). Soon afterwards my wife's card was being used to take cash out of ATM's in Wimbledon as well as make numerous purchases in the far east. Is there a link with this chain and card cloning I've missed on the thread?

betsyrocks Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The bastards cleared out ?760 from my account. It > was from an ATM in Canada. I think Somerfield are > the culprits. I only pay cash in supermarkets, > petrol stations etc now. When you say from your account do you mean you used a debit card? I got a call the other day from our bank asking about withdrawing cash with my wife's card here and also it's use in the far east.To withdraw cash they must have known her pin. This is about the third time it has happened to us in 12 months. Luckily the bank refunds anything fraudulant to our account.Will that not be the case with you?I've often used my debit card to withdraw cash locally but that has so far never caused a problem.

I'm just curious as to why a thread is locked. Perhaps the Admin. can tell us why please?

This thread is a joke. Someone steals, gets roughed up and next thing it's class warfare. Would someone define how 'working class' and 'middle class' are defined? According to some posts here it seems only the middle class reproduce while presumably the 'working' class support them as they have jobs! Being an alien i.e from another country as opposed to a planet, I've met people with different accents who are English but presumably there's more to it than that. Looking forward to being enlightened.

Azul Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Declan Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Oh there you are you slimey greasy Portugese > good > > for nothing pric*! That's what I would say if I > > was to belittle myself. Obviously I wouldn't > want > > to do that. However it is about time you showed > > your face. You started the thread or don't you > > remember? > > > well you asked for it Ugh.....I did not ask for that. First you throw a hand grenade, then you vanish and now you are so afraid you have to wear a disguise. I feel hostile towards people who look like bananas this evening!

Brendan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I would agree with ?essential a decent people.? > You can see this by just how socially accepting > and liberal much of British public opinion is > compared to some other countries. It does however > have an underlying vein of peculiarly British > mean-spirited nastiness. This sometimes surfaces > varicosely in unsightly blemishes. Brendan, are we talking skin disease here?

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Mostly good stuff Piers - but again, I don't think > it was Britain's in-power elite who posted the > > "No blacks No dogs No Irish" signs in B&B's across > the land in teh 50's 60's and 70's > > Not that the Irish are behaving any better now > they have a few coppers mind you.... Why do you say the Irish are not behaving any better Sean?

Oh there you are you slimey greasy Portugese good for nothing pric*! That's what I would say if I was to belittle myself. Obviously I wouldn't want to do that. However it is about time you showed your face. You started the thread or don't you remember?

My imagination has run out. Tell me!

Actually the French appreciate people trying to use their language even if they can speak English. Who said one story is a reflection of the English race? The more you write and the less you read seems to actually to reflect on you being arrogant. Who said your thuggish football fans are a reflection of the race as a whole? The fact is that even if they are not, they are preceived as such. You specialise is two expressions: 'can't accept' and lazy pop'. Perhaps you could try being witty or original. One will do.

Who are you talking to?

Brendan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > So if you didn't insist on firstly playing soccer > and secondly being shite at it you would all get > along fine. Brendan, I take your South Africian with a name like that? If you ignore the 'soccer' there's always the rugby to get upset about. After that there's a whole other list of excuses for not getting on...............the 1916 rebellion, the Black and Tans, just to name a couple. However all was forgiven in 1973 when the English travelled to Dublin to fulfill a rugby fixture that the Scots and Welsh thought too dangerous the previous year. We could have had a grand slam that year as we won the other two matches. Interestingly in that year the French came over to play a friendly to help the IRFU as we had no income due to the cancelled matches. In 73 at the after dinner speeches the English captain whose name I can't recall stated that 'we may not be any good but at least we turn up'. Their reception at Lansdowne Road when they took to the pitch was even greater than that given to the home team.

DaveR Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > "there has to be a reason why the 'Celts' for > example almost wish you lose at everything" > > There is - inferiority complex. But we won't hold > that against you. Tanks for enlightening me. I've an inferiority complex and you're not arrogant. Wish someone had told me this before!

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Why so annoyed tho' Declan - you've made some good > points in this thread and only about 3 o clock did > you seem to get a bit more heated > > I don't think I was one of your friends in that > pub but I can say I have thrice been in bars > watching an Irish game when English fans kicked > off - the last time was that ill-fated game in > Dublin. For that one I was in a genteel pub in > Exeter and all of the quite posh blooks were > cheering as hooligans tore the stadium apart. But > they were knobs with a misplaced patriotic pride. > They weren't cheering because they were English - > they were cheering because they were knobs > > I used to have a chip on my shoulder about what I > perceived to be English arrogance - but surprise > surprise, living here has disabused me of that > notion. And if I do still encounter someone with > an air of English superiority from time to time - > well... we Irish are more than capable of > generalising too. So I ignore knobs from both > camps Well Sean if 3 o clock is when I became more heated it's probably because I just came back from the dentisht and he wants to take a feckin tooth out tomorrow. I actually like the English in general and don't consider the most of them to be arrogant. In fact they have characteristics that the Irish should envy in some respects. I remember first coming here and realising after a while that people took what you said to mean EXACTLY what you said. It's taken my Spanish wife years to come to terms with the concept that you might mean something else. There was no room for 'ah shure jeysus I was only joking' type of thing. What you said is what you meant, except it wasn't necessairly. I had to adjust to that but in some respects it was a good thing in that there was no room for misunderstanding. However it takes a hell of a lot of fun out of a conversation if you start saying what you mean straight away.

Keef Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Do the Irish seriously find the English arrogant? I can only speak for me so I'm in a minority.I don't find the English arrogant on the whole but there has to be a reason why the 'Celts' for example almost wish you lose at everything. I know I am narrowing this down to the sporting world but that may be the best example in the modern age why people may feel there is arrogence.You sort of expect to do well and don't understand if you are not good enough. In the past it may have been to do with the colonies and your conquests. An idea that you can civilise these people. On the other hand those people in Wales who will speak in Welsh if an English person enters the room to make them feel outsiders deserve sheep, and the Scots who sing about the Flower of Scotland but don't have the balls to be independent make me sick. This thread started with an unfair comment on the French. I just thought I'd throw in my halfpenny's worth on the subject. The bottom line is that as humans we have more in common where ever we come from than we do have differences. Does that in anyway answer your question?

I'd find it funny if I wasn't so annoyed.

Michael Palaeologus Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > "The English are arrogant" - an easy and frankly > lazy pop which is a great stand-by in the absence > of any other angle; I believe the same thing is > being trotted out by one Robert Mugabe. It does > rather seem that making such comments about the > English is allowed, reciprocation is racist. > > There is a long history of (relatively) friendly > barracking between the English and the French. > Having said that, this should at least attempt to > be witty and the term "Tosser" is not witty and is > just abusive ... Should Try Harder. > > The French get brickbats thrown at them BECAUSE > (for the most part) they can take it and give it > and have been for centuries. There isnt actually > any history of systematic and current > discrimination against them, unlike many of the > other groups mentioned above. What other angle do you wan't. You go abroad and get upset with bloody foreigners if they don't understand your language. Your football supporters tend to think there is a war going on. I remember being told a story going back to Euro 88. Ireland beat England in Germany. My friend was in a large bar after the match full of celebrating Irish supporters. In come a few (admittedly) English fans who proceed to push their way to the bar to order drinks. It was obvious to those there that their intentions were not just to have a drink. They were hugely outnumbered though and it wouldn't have taken a lot to put them in their place if that was the way we did things. Instead a voice cried out to the masses 'right lads, lets go outside'. Everyone took their drinks outside and the left the bar for the sole use of the troublemakers. A lazy pop.....these are your people who tried to civilise the world. What a job you made of that! As for comparing my angle to that of Robert Mugabe, you need to read some history. What Mugabe is doing to his people is little different to what the English did in Ireland during the famine. You were exporting food in a country dying of starvation. Enough said.

RosieH Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Quite so. As i have said on a couple of > occasions, I am quite the francophile, but anyone > who can come on here espousing the arrogance of > the english at the expense of the pauvres francais > is un petit peu, how do you say, doolally. > > And I know we like personal experience on this > forum, so let me say now, I have lived in France. > I love the French. But come on, English > arrogance, reallv?? When we are ze stupid > rosbifs?? London derby, Manchester derby, sibling > rivalry, Moliere, Shakespeare and all that car > advert jazz The trouble with arrogance is that you are not aware of it so wouldn't expect you to recognise it.

Bloody hell wee quinnie, I thought this thread was lost in time! Regarding the poem my effort was beaten by a Dwarf who had written a book on a 2 week holiday to Corsica prior to the event and another Dwarf who decide to sing his offering. I was cheated out of it! As for the games themselves I failed miserably. We played boules, table tennis, did a crossword (which I cheated in by using my Mrs's laptop, had penalties into a goal where my son was the keeper and gave me nothing, had a speedtrial on a lie low where my technique of getting off to a good start by diving off the edge of the pool holding on to it let me down,pitched golf balls into a moving hoop in the pool, likewise with tennis balls into a mini floating basketball net. As for the quiz and my specialist subject of Irish rugby Lions, I was stitched up with near impossible questions to answer. All I can say is thank god for Dopey who helped me avoid the dishonour of finishing last. I will be requesting an EGM of the Dwarf Council. Over the weekend we consumed over 60 bottles of red plus rose, whisky and various other top shelf drinks. Drug testing should be introduced as certain cute hoors avoided the alcohol like the plague which is totally against the spirit of the games. As a result the eldest Dwarf (a mere 60 years old) finished the winner. Next year we return to the homeland as Grumpy hosts the games in that village called Longford. All I can say about that is I hope they suit those partial to a drop!

tinagwee Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > VeryBerryCherry Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > > > What is the difference from those comments that > > were found offensive, and those above? What > makes > > it "ok" to make these sorts of comment towards > the > > French and not travellers or black people? > > > > > > Not that I want to condone racism or culturalism > against anyone on this earth, but I do think > people feel more free to say things about a > nation and its people in a jokey way, who are not > marginalised, poor, or generally in any way under > threat from any country and are not an ethnic > minority, (and France, lets face it were > themselves pretty good at the old colonialism as > england in the past), that they are more up for > being taken the piss out of in a mock > argumentative way, the way the ozzies and english > do to each other for example. Travellers are a > very much marginalised and misunderstood group of > people and black people are still experiencing > genuine inequality across the globe meaning it is > like kicking a man when he is down if you are > taking the piss or being racist and therefore a > lot more meaningful and dangerous and > unacceptable. The French are not the underdogs in > any arena I feel. It may be a small difference > when using sarcastic humour but an important one I > feel. You make very good points VBC and I can't disagree with anything you have written. My post was written to show some solidarity with Kim as the heading of the thread contained no humour and thus could only be taken as a genuine put down of all things French. My boss at work has travelled all over the world but would never contemplate going to France because of his views of the French. Ironically my company was taken over a few months ago..........we are now owned by a French company. Ce la vie!

Have to agree with you Kim. Even the 'subject' is idiotic. I'm neither English or French but it for reasons like this that Scots, Welsh and Irish find the English arrogant and they don't understand why! I suspect this is their way of dealing with an inferiority complex with regards to the French. Lets just insult them being the most childish way of dealing with it. I'm surprised the Administrator allowed this thread to continue frankly. Who will be next to be picked on? I'm Irish. Anyone feeling hostile today? PS Like you Kim I find the vast majority of English people are to be admired for many different reasons. I can't stand the rest though.

This topic is much more interisting than I thought it would be. That's not to say I couldn't do with a nutritionist or a dietician!If I wanted to be perfect there's probably a whole list of other people who could help me.......however..... I do have an opinion on the subject for what it's worth. Whichever way you look at it people are looking for help. Now the next bit may seem a bit off the wall. Still I'll persist as I think it's worth saying. Whatever you may think of babies you were one once. In my experience when they are not crying because they are hot, cold , hungry or with a nappy full of poo, they exude joy. A delight in being alive. They don't make judgements and are as likely to smile at a tramp as they are the Queen. We were like that once. Over the years we lost it and ended up thinking the 'toys' were the thing and not that feeling of wellbeing which became a distant memory if even that. We became screwed up to one extent or another thinking what made us important was how other people saw us or at least how we thought other people saw us. Instead of life being inside us it was gradually removed to being what was outside us. When I was a boy I fell over on a footpath and cut my knee. I needed 10 stitches. My view of orthodox medicine is one of the Doctor who repaired my wound. My view of complementary medicine is that of being advised to wear kneepads if I run on the footpath to avoid it happening. That's not to say the latter can't offer a repair service but mainly I think it's purpose is to get us back in touch with ourselves in a natural manner.Both forms have their uses and anyone who is ignorant on the subject should learn to be quiet.