Dickensman

It seems the Irish politicians and bankers were schooled at the same asylum or bin, as the British politicians and bankers. Nobody gets knicked for fraud, so the Irish judiciary is as dependable as the British judiciary. Through greed and incompetence the Irish have become a bankrupt state, so the British verging on the edge of the same financial precipice have agreed to loan them money, as they are the biggest trading partner we have. We are loaning money to a bankrupt state so they can continue to trade with us, whilst using our own money to do so, does that position seem precarious to you?

Whatever you agree on, one of our nanny's used to take the holiday money and work the time, so she was paid double wages. Which was great for me, and pleasing for her.

Look in the 'Which' books under insurance, I think they used to have them at the Plough library, but I haven't been in for a while, not since the revamp.

A plastic sledge each. A wind up recharging torch. You might take a look on the Science museum shop web page. A bit risky but all boys love them, a Swiss army knife. A set of binoculars. Kites. Water pistols.

Is it possible to ensure they are not sacrificed for a fast buck? wrote stereforth. That is a very cynical attitude stereforth, sadly that is most likely the case as it looks a big site with lots of money making potential.

I was pondering on the implications of the internet the way there was a 'flash' thingy at Liverpool st station when 25,000 people came from all over the country to act out some advert. Also the way it is putting shops out of business because of its trading efficiency from industrial parks etc, and not having to pay the premium costs of the shop rent and rates. The biggest thing or the most worrying possibility was releasing some information which might trigger some kind of cataclysmic slide of a currency, which might lead to a domino effect and spread say to worldwide proportions. Santerme thinks things should remain undercover and secret like in the wikileaks thread, and I can understand his point of view, to a degree. Do you believe that it could trigger some irreversible damage which no one could control?

The fatball tubs are available for around ?7 in B&Q

If I look back on my basic education what I took from it after 10 years of regular attendance is my times tables and being able to interact with other secondary modern rejects. That is the sum total of what I've used regularly 50 years after leaving school, my times tables are used almost daily, and the other useful thing was taking a reading from a rule but that I learned from my apprenticeship. I could read before I went to school but I would include it as I found some great books at school which I consider a good read. My apprenticeship was from 16 to 21, I went to college one day a week which to the most part was irrelevant, but I enjoyed mixing with the other guys who also thought it was pretty much a waste of time but preferred to go to college for the same reasons, it was a doss. Most of the useful stuff was learned from the tradesman you worked with and as there were many one learned different techniques from each one, and you learned most from the good ones who stood no nonsense. They were often angry and resentful but you learned more from them out of fear as you did not want to upset or provoke them into more anger by doing something in a clumsy or ham fisted manner as that would incite them to a dangerous rage. My youngest sister who was more academic went to a school where you could take O and A levels. The top two girls in her year at school went on to university, one of whom became the famous Jill Archer the one who married Phil. The rest of them left school and became typists or whatever else was available to earn money. My children who are not nearly as academic as my sister both did uni' one of them is still there. The vast majority of their school year went on to university too, it seems everyone goes now but there are no more opportunities in the work place than in the 50s and 60s and probably less. So we are giving people this higher education to serve in a bar, or work in a shop. I have no axe to grind with either job but you certainly don't need a degree to do them. In Germany they don't seem to finish their education until their early thirties and their the complaint is exactly the same in terms of what jobs are available and people asking why do they bother. I have wondered about the way education is delivered to the pupil and just how relevant it is to real life, I for one would recommend a far more practical type of education for life skills. How to run a house and balance the budget to avoid unnecessary debt would be advantageous for most people. Learning how to cook, wash and iron clothing, would be a useful subject for both males and females. Wood and metal work would be good for all pupils too. Housing maintenance is a constant source of misery for many people throughout their lives, and the more practical skills learned at school, the less intimidated one is by them when you are left to one's own devices. Gardening for produce might be considered a useful skill to learn at school. I have felt for many years a stricter discipline in the classrooms would benefit the teacher and pupil alike. A stroke of the cane for the rowdy and/or disruptive wouldn't go amiss, and would be a positive benefit for many pupils, for some obnoxious parents too. Recently I watched a program where a bunch of Amish teenagers went to live in Derbyshire for a few months. They found no difficulty in making a hen-house for their hosts, and digging a substantial portion of untilled land and creating a garden. I was very impressed at their confidence to tackle and complete a job which would be beyond the scope of most adults, who would have to buy a hen-house rather than build one, and hire some one with a rotavator to till the land. My point after this long winded ramble was whether it is worth the investment, when so little of what you pay for is valid? To be left with such a huge debt at the end when there are so few options, and such poorly paid opportunities to clear it.

The missionary position is no good for a mans possible future defence in court. Which is a shame.

I agree Rosie, I disagree with rape too, but the woman who writes a blog on how to get revenge on boyfriends, well that's hardly considered to be normal female behaviour. If she feels like that about men, what is she doing getting into bed with one for any kind of sex? Her history must make her a trifle suspect in terms of reliability of the statement, she sounds to me like a man hater. When it comes to fitting condoms the woman does that as part of the act, because I have never had sex with a woman and she did not know whether I was wearing one or not, surely every woman has to handle the man to guide him to avoid any possible clumsyness.

Brilliant link Jah!

The reason De gaulle didn't want Britain in was he feared that Britain would be used as a Trojan horse for American produce, which on the farming front would have stuffed France with all their little farmers costing far more to produce a ton of wheat than the Americans.

To get back to the Euro.......... The Germans railroaded everyone at breakneck speed into something which would have been better done slowly and carefully. I felt that the Euro should have become an additional currency, running alongside the individual currencies, which would then give the originals room to fluctuate, rather than everyone dropping their own legal tender. After a few years the individual currencies would have naturally phased out and left a more stable Eurocoin to use on the international market. The Germans were most responsible for the 'big hurry' in moulding countries into a europe controlled predominantly by Germany. Now its all going wrong Germany wants to drop the euro and return the mark, as it would most benefit Germany, so much for we're all in it together.

I would use a wikicard if only to highlight my position of not being dictated to.

Provided you squeeze your headlamps on to your bit of fish!

I bought some robin food from there and it was several pounds cheaper in the supermarket, but if you don't have a car and cannot be bothered with a bus ride you have to bite the bullet and throw out a slice of bread.

Ted Max wrote:- So to keep my very young children warm you want me to set fire to them with petrol, brand them with a coin, then shovel their charred, smoking remains into some strong bags before, in an act of sick materialist irony, glueing them to a shopping list? It's good to know you're fully embracing the Christmas spirit Ted.

I feel most affronted at the various governments trying to strong arm wikileaks, just as I would feel most indignant if someone tried to stop this forum from operating and providing a service the way it does.

mockney piers wrote:- It doesn't help that we've just witnessed the most duplicitous government this country has known in the modern era, who have misled the public and even parliament (which I believe is a crime) more times than we care to mention. I hate defending any government, but in fact we do not know whether this or the previous government is the most duplicitous of recent years, it is only that they have been caught with their 'fingers in the till', and not at the tiller. Thanks to an American reporter, who has had little acclaim for her effect on the British political system, but to my mind she has done us all (except for the sticky fingered politicians) a great service.

One of my buddies bought a second hand commercial Gaggia (the one with the two levers on the top for pulling a pint) and made great coffee and frothy milk. I think you may be able to get a bargain that is cheaper and more accomplished from a secondhand commercial caterers, rather than the twee new one which will not be as good in performance and cost 50% more to purchase. The greatest disadvantage is the space taken up by it, but it is a great talking point for new guests.

I believe that self opinionated racist bigot SteveT had mentioned that in previous posts.

Some geezer just knocked at my door saying "electric" I dutifully opened the door then he starts talking about Southern Electric, I growled at him saying "that is illegal" and pointed to a sticker saying 'no junk mail' he said "sorry I'm sorry" and couldn't leave quick enough. Which was nice.

"Good heavens not another one, you are the third one this week!" "Tell that driver of yours to get his map sorted." Then they go and growl at the driver when they get back on the van home.

Don't wrap it up Brendan, tell it to 'em straight.

Plus two's.