Jeremy

I think it's a good idea, but it's likely to work best for tasks which aren't your profession. Good examples might be teaching languages, helping out with DIY, driving, gardening, (non-professional) music lessons, music production, etc. The moment you're giving up your time as a professional, it's likely to get rather too serious.

I don't hate them by any means... but you're telling us that the most notable thing about this "amazing" experience was that fact that she's skinny? Seriously?

Most of them are fairly poor, serving the same bog-standard, generic dishes. We quite like Four Seasons, they do a decent attempt at authentic roast duck and pork. Not been to Haozhan, but I know the reviews were good when it first opened.

Could it be that on installing Opera, you agreed to allow it to associate all HTML files with Opera? Google how to change file associations for your version of Windows.

Surely you can't claim JSA if you've resigned without good reason? I am not speaking from experience, but it would be scandalous if it was paid out to somebody who quit their job because they thought they'd be better off on benefits. And if somebody really would be better by not working, there's something seriously wrong with the welfare system.

You've answered your own question. It is effectively treated as a currency. Yes the substance itself doesn't have a lot of use, but so what? Neither does paper money.

ibilly99 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > a 7 bedroom terrace for 68k is tempting .... Cool... thinking of getting the upswing on that bad boy?

There are two types of chorizo. Fresh and raw (which needs to be cooked), and the more common smoked/cured type (which is ready to eat). The type from WR is the former, and absolutely needs to be cooked!

Alan Medic Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thank you guys though top marks to Jeremy who has > motivated me to build my own plane next time I > want to go abroad!:)) Excellent idea! There are websites on how to do that too!

david_carnell Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Do you think any strikes are justified? I'm not > being arsey - genuinely asking? No worries, I didn't take that as arsey at all. I am not totally anti-strike, honest! But I do believe it should be a last resort. People earning decent salaries complaining about the pension is something of a bugbear of mine. It reminds me of the striking teachers last year, some of who were quoted in the media saying stuff like "we don't want to work into our sixties". It strikes me as a bit naive, and out of touch with what everybody else is facing.

I'm not trying to say that tanker drivers don't deserve their salary - I'm sure they work hard for it, and it's not a job I'd personally choose to do. Just saying that I don't understand how a strike can be justified.

A new train route which doesn't go to central London? A 0.2% increase sounds optimistic if anything!

Are you at all technical, Alan? You could try building your own, there are plenty of guides online for building a "hackintosh".

Apparently one of the reasons for striking is the end of the final pension salary scheme. Most of us are facing up to reality, and making our own provisions for retirement. So what makes fuel truck drivers so different? Is the job really dangerous? Certainly it may seem dangerous, but what are the stats? Highly skilled? Compared to what? How many years training does it take before you are qualified? Stressful? More so than a fireman or a paramedic? I don't see it.

What's the big deal with putting a muzzle on a dog? Surely it's not cruel. Better that than it biting another dog, human, or other animal.

How long does it take to take a photo of someone and send it to a friend? A minute maybe, if you're quick. Plenty of time for a mugger to get the phone off you. And he'd now have a reason to take it from you quickly - and possibly violently.

The 407 came mid-table in the JD Power survey, so maybe not as bad as nette suggests. http://www.whatcar.com/NonCar/Honda/2451111115759.jpg VW/Honda/Volvo do well, but I'm not sure if you'll get one with reasonable mileage for 6K. If you're willing to look at a slightly smaller car, I think the Skoda Octavia is alright.

Of all the jobs I can think of, I would struggle to think of truck drivers as "highly skilled"! Although admittedly there is a certain amount of training/knowledge necessary. ?45K sounds quite a lot to me, certainly not grounds for striking. If they don't want the job any more, I'm sure plenty of others would. Saying that, I don't think the description of "aggressive barely literate ex football hooligans" is exactly helpful.

Why on earth, when we already have co-op and Franklin's farm shop, would anybody want a new shop which is best described as a mixture of the two? Call me cynical (you wouldn't be the first), but I don't really get the concept of the People's Supermarket. People donate money to it AND volunteer their time, and still they struggle to make enough money to cover their overheads. Is this really sustainable?

Agree with LadyDeliah - different slots for different types of music would seem like a reasonable idea. Sly & Reggie may not be everyone's cup of tea, but neither is the Dulwich ukulele orchestra.

Hunger Games is a family-friendly version of BR, by the sounds of it.

Good news. Only the other day I found myself wishing there really was a math rock band called The Mean Triangles.

Mark Arram Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > the China artist Wu Wei Do you mean Ai Weiwei?

I get the train (7:15, 7:29, or 7:34) every day. Usually it is fine, although once a month you can expect a delay or cancellation. Trains are clean, and not overcrowded at that time. It doesn't usually run if there's snow on the ground, and weekend (particularly Sunday) closures are common. As others have said, for Shoreditch/Liverpool Street, the East London line from Forest Hill would be convenient, and this will soon be extended to Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill. Alternatively, Liverpool Street is a 20 min walk (or 10 mins on bus) from London Bridge.

Marie81 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > it's the owner to blame not the breed. I'm sure there is an element of truth to that - dogs need to be well trained/socialised. But all animals are unpredictable to some extent, and we're talking about a dog which has specifically been bred for a strong prey instinct and a powerful bite. Such an animal needs to either be on a lead or muzzled at all times.