????

Sparks anyone?

Also, Salsaboy's a fan I know.... Level 42 The first Album is excellent and plenty of decent singles afterwards

The Monkeees stuff got me thinking......I know, I know, but these music threads are ok once in a while. Anyway, for starters ELO 10CC

...From El Pibe's favourite

Basic maths will do. I'm talking generally, the Public Finaces being sooo fooked combined with a dumbing down of results to make it look like the massive 'investment' (nicer buildings, more computers, poorer basic literacy/ and arithmetic) under Labour had improved education, education, education is hardly Osbourne's fault.

Plus - I'm absolutely in favour of good teachers and especially brilliant ones being paid for this at a true MARKET rate, their input is invaluable and they deserve far more money but good old all for one fits all lowest common denominator socialism has meant traditionally "its the same job, same rate, and no-one gets the sack for incompetence" for everyone. I'd like more competition, more incentive and more reward for achievement and more crap teachers measured, asked to improve or thrown out, not 'moved aside or ignored' to the detriment of us all and their important profession as has been the traditional approach to poor teaching I believe. Unions hate that sort of thing.

yup, that's one of its good points

I don't think that you need to be a maths graduate to teach some basic maths UDT - apparently a majority of school leavers don't even know what Compound interest is!

I agree with what Brendan says, if it's House of Commons mk 2 it'll be appalling. How about NO ex-MPS allowed in, half of the house elected areas of specialist knowledge/experience (which it is useful for) elected by their peer group/associations -say legal/medical/academic/maybe even journalist/etc; the other a reasonably representative sample of the general population, paid....and NOT politicians

...well nearly, Quatar got a draw so although they managed (ahem) their part of the equation it was to no avail.

More evidence of failure at the basic level ...here Thanks a lot lowest common denominator educational idealism

Gamesmanship not foul play - threw it back and closed him down instantly

had to chuckle at the Spuds debacle,...nearest one to my 8-0 predictions to be honest the Liverpool result just made me feel sick, I'm still scarred by 2006 and have never watched that game ever on TV. I didn't watch much of the second half in the Millenium, stopped staring at the ground when they put the 2 mins of Injury time board up just in time to see Liverpool pressurise us on the 'pass back# that resulted in Gerrards goal, still think it was a terrible bit of gamesmanship although only Hammers seem to have noticed it PS I bet MickM never layed that bet on Spurs, the idiot

He's not my type

*coughs, holds hand up and whispers I don't think Hockney's that great either

I dunno, the bottom line for me is that I've never seeb a tattoo that's that great....you know, thet'd be ok if someone sKetched it on a bit of paper and I looked at it for, oooh, maybe 30 seconds, but some Celtic Rhun shit on my back or round my ankle FOR EVER, behave. So, for me, a tattoo has to mean something Football team, Regiment, HMS Prison or Ship, Proper gang/firm ...the rest is just middleclass w*nk that looks average as far as I'm concerned

Irons sold out for lunchtime kick off that's on the box - back where we belong soon. Absoultely gutted for Pompey - can't have proper clubs going to the wall whilst the Milton Keynes franchise survives

That's quite easy Brendan just look at your monthly tax and NI payment and times it by 17%, that's how much the NHS has cost you last month....that's not counting the share of the 19% of govt spend for pensions that goes to NHS pensioners either.Don't get me wrong I'm happy about this (the NHS bit) before I get jumped on, but it's a fair old wack!

I am not a rugger bugger but Blackheath have a few teams at reasonable standard I think?

Woofmarkthedog is just covering his tracks

Hooo-foookin---rah

Loved the Guardian article, so typical. Snobby abouty the plebby estate agents, moans about bankers bonuses, disgust at buy to let, sneers at bank of mum and dad......the cliff is that the Guardian Jpournalist is himself trying to buy a place and is just SO ANGRY PEOPLE LIKE ME CAN'T AFFORD ONE

See, your bottles gone nowadays nettie

How about we hope the poor boy's ok rather than tactless squabbling eh? I'm sure sweetgirl didn't mean it to be tactless but not sure this was really the place to start a debate on Pedestrians/drivers etc etc

old or new? very old, been Talked Radioed to death. NO COMMENT