MrBen

On an early plane to Scotland where by 3pm I'll be up to my waist in the glorious upper Tweed fly fishing for trout with my Dad. Just like old times. Which is WEIRD as this is also how I'd choose to spend my last day on earth....

Yes PR. Sorry....I aint knocking that. Beats having to drive past the M25 to see a real one too..

If like me, you grew up on a farm then going to see a goat sitting on some bricks is probably not going to thrill you. For everyone else that hasn't I'm sure it is a good day out. You can also go up to the Horniman which has a weird goat enclosure all of its own....

I went for a dip in Deal recently. The water was a bit murky and in April not the warmest. You'll get an ex fisherman's cottage there for 180K one block back from the sea and its a lot nicer than Hastings. Live the dream.

The Quiet American - still gets read once every six holidays.

The Naked Ape? Every bookshelf with a 70's heritage had a copy. And why oh why oh why is there no mention of To Kill a Mocking Bird?

Moos, Quidsy, Huge, *Bob*, Mockers, Snorky and er Taper all giving it good. I've not felt quite like this since Pink Floyd reformed for Live 8. Grown men wept.

Reality check - it's just not that polarised. There's good and bad in all broadsheets. You get the extremes but there's also a ton of good non-politically slanted stuff. Not every piece in the Guardian is written for militant lesbian socialist hipsters and neither is The Telegraph a hot bed of nazi fox hunting capitalists. I frequently buy both but avoid the slushy Family section in the Guardian as much as Homes & Properties in the Telegraph. I'll even read the Mail for pure entertainment and disbelief value if I find one on the bus.

I have a pal who moonlights on male fashion for that well respected source of style advice, GMTV. He says "fine but older men should never put the hood up". Wise words when you think about it eh? A while back he asked me to join him on the sofa for a feature on string vests. I should have done it.

Hey...like I'd feel cool in it man. Liberated and relaxed yet somehow fitter. Imagine a lithe, off duty corporate ninja and you'll get the picture. If only my fair lady agreed. She took one look and simply said "dress your age". But then if pushed, I feel much the same way about 40-something women with bad legs wearing denim mini skirts.

Despite being in good shape and aiming for something good quality (sans logo) I've been told I'm not allowed on the basis that I'm a 35 year old middle class businessman and would look like a twat. Right or wrong? Or does it depend?

Went for the first time on Saturday night (four of us) and the place was packed. I have to say I liked the buzziness of it, despite the crowds and not having a booking they handled us well at the bar and were efficient in finding us a table (they only take max 40% reservations I think). The basic wines were really good and the food was fairly good. We had one grilled spatchcock chicken which was incinerated but they happily replaced it with a new juicy one. Pasta and squid was good too. It's not top notch italian but I liked the feel of the place, its next to The Dog and takes people in to eat later (10pm). But best of all - the amazing prices. How can anyone can moan when you'll get a top plate of pasta for ?7 odd - thats only slightly more than Il Mirto but slap bang in a prime Village spot. We had three full courses, chilled prosecco's on arrival and 2 bottles of decent red all for ?40 a head. That's good value. Waiter's tip is not to go on a Friday or Saturday night - midweek will get you a table, a less rushed kitchen and a more consistent service.

Cameron's surprised me, he's making huge and positive gains in addressing our public finances.... Do you sell Trout and Salmon magazine? We liked it here when we were starting out but with the crime, noise and squashed overpriced terraces, we've decided to move to a quiet leafy street near Dulwich Village.

I may have a side bet on few yellow cards for "the Ginger Sythe" in the CL final. Messi will ensure that he will lose the plot. So United for the league. Barca for the CL. Red card for Scholesy.

Frankito Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Tunnocks caramel logs.... Yummm me up! It's weird. I was in a shop on the small Caribbean island of St Lucia recently where the only chocolate on sale was some gold foil wrapped Tunnocks Caramel Wafers. I rest my case.

Nope. Just 100% Angus beef.

Alan Medic Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > Enlighten us please Mr.Ben. In respect of talent drain, living anywhere else but etc etc But not thankfully, in the economic sense (despite the woes of RBS/HBOS)

Put simply, we would become the Portugal of the north. It's an economic non starter. I'll wager that for a significant number, a vote for the SNP is more an expression of a strong and proud national identity than a genuine yearning for independence. And as ???? says, it's likely that all those voters would not support that in a referendum. What frustrates me most is the economic drain of talent. The best leave and prosper just about anywhere else apart from Scotland. And yes, I'd love to open a branch of our business back in Edinburgh (which has a significant market for our services) but then I look at the small town politics, the lack of economic incentives, the journo's that stick the knife in unless you keep them sweet and just a general lack of ambition. And I think why bother? It needs inspired leadership, courage and vision to change that and I don't see any of those attributes in Salmond who is essentially a nationalist for nationalisms sake. A small man with a big chip on his shoulder. If you find anyone posting on this thread who genuinely believes it to be a good idea, I shall deep fry my kilt and eat it.

"I done my pud" I kind of like that.

I'm a wee bit embarrassed to be Scottish today. Staggering swing to the SNP votes for Salmond - a rotund, arrogant and patronising little man, determined to keep Scotland small minded and severed from future prosperity. And you wonder why all the home grown talent leaves? We're almost as bad as the Irish.

Not exactly - I'm still approx 400 up after banking half my winnings. The rest would have been nice but Judd's day is yet to come. Great to watch though no?

And those 1980's films with Steve Martin in them...that your dad liked? Anyone?

After some thought I have voted a big fat YES. Deathly quiet down at Darrel Road polling station although they did have some Monster Munch (beef flavour I think).

Thanks Loz, for enlightening me on the Australian system. I'm guessing that for many on the street, and regardless of politics, it partly boils down to whether it's just a bit too progressive for us old school Brits? We've got an appalling track record for world leading legislative change on a wider basis and so as a neutral I'm inclined to take this unique opportunity and bother my arse to vote YES on Thursday.

Is there truth that AV is currently only used in three nations worldwide; Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea? And that Australia is looking to drop the system?