Jeremy

Neither! If you want a piano but are concerned about the size and portability, get a Yamaha digital piano. They sound great and have a fairly realistic touch (although of course they look a bit ugly). And I would go for a guitar instead of a ukulele. Much more versatile, much more music available... although it does lack the wacky comedy value.

For sure, the kids will grow up with a different perspective of what a family unit is. But is that such a bad thing? As long as they are free to follow their chosen path further down the line. It does, however, seem almost inevitable that kids at school are going to give them a hard time.

Brendan - very true, the 3rd/4th/5th albums are often considered to be their best. There are bit-torrents around... you can also listen to some of it on YouTube.

Worth a mention... possibly the most disastrous second album of all time - Bad Religion's Into The Unknown. The reaction was so bad, most of the albums were recalled to the warehouse.

Blur, Blondie, Elvis Costello... all peaked on their 2nd or 3rd albums.

Keef Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I sh!t you not, I have been for a Sunday roast > with him, and he pulled it out of his pocket and > poured it all over. Reminds me of the rather dubious "comedy" Undercover Brother, where the protagonist is given a special weapon to help him blend in - a watch which dispenses hot sauce. It makes even the blandest caucasian food edible.

As computedshorty says, cameras are not expensive. You could probably get a motion actived wireless one for ?50 or something.

I worked in Croydon for a few weeks, around 6/7 years ago. I used to park in a multi-storey in the town centre, the journey would usually take around 20-25 minutes (once I had refined the route)... one of the easiest commutes I've ever had. And the Mayday is closer than the town centre. I certainly wouldn't let the journey put you off. And on the way home, you get to see the best view of Croydon - in the rear-view mirror.

I think you can also change at London Bridge and get another train to Charing Cross under your season ticket.

thebestnameshavegone - don't be a dickhead please.

woofmarkthedog Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Vinnie " You're so busted " Jones What has he done?

Huguenot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I've never had a blow job in a car, I'm slightly envious. So you admit that cars have some advantages over public transport?

Not sure I agree... wouldn't it be better to have means testing, rather than free presciptions for everyone with long term conditions? I have asthma (although I'm guessing not as seriously as yours), but can afford the medication - so I don't mind paying.

I reckon a homeopathic sleeping rememedy could be a very effective placebo. A lot of people get anxious when they can't sleep, which in turn makes it hard to relax. So take a pill, you believe it's going to work, therefore you relax... and fall sleep. The problem comes when people start relying on these treatments for more serious conditions.

Sue Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > maybe add a jar of Madras curry paste Fry the curry paste with onions... add beans and simmer until they go gooey. Hmmm...

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Maybe they should adopt a Wenger like, train em young and don't pay over the odds policy? The premiership football analogy seems ironic to say the least, given the context of the conversation! Quids is right, good traders/quants/analysts/sales are not easily replaceable. People who can do these jobs well are highly sought after all over the world. But I agree that Geneva is boring. Nice place to live if you like skiing, I guess... but dull as dishwater for the rest of the year!

The area is good - lots of bars, shops, places to eat, and there are a couple of nice parks too. And I think it's a relatively safe area. Transport is the main downside in my opinion. The trains are fine during the day, but infrequent after 8pm. Buses take a long time to get into central London and can get pretty crowded.

What more do you need?

RBS are in a tricky situation... they will probably have to come up with various schemes (stock/options, deferred bonus, various perks) to keep people happy-ish.

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I suspect we'll make a profit on the 'bail out' of RBS and Lloyds/Halifax in time. It's certainly a possibility. But RBS will need to find a way to compensate their staff in line with the market, without causing mass hysteria...

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > the people in the city earning 30-50k or so are > not likely to get the kind of bonus that triggers > the extra 50% tax anyway so that issue is moot > surely? Not really... the overall bonus pool will be affected.

I'm not claiming that people on 50k are struggling. Not at all. Just pointing out that not everyone who works in the city is loaded (an alarmingly common misconception). And sure, many key players in the industry were greedy and made huge mistakes. But not everyone. I feel that a more appropriate reaction would be more effective regulation... instead what they've given us is a cynical headline grabbing tactic. I think we should get off the subject of what people "deserve"... it's not really the point. There are plenty of people who earn more than the average city worker, for doing jobs which are no more worthwhile.

sophiesofa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That's approaching double the rest of london but I > suppose it depends on what you class as wealthy > and an average figure does not show much really. Yep - the average will obviously be skewed by a minority of workers who earn mega salaries. > To me someone on more than around 50k is wealthy > but I understand that others may have a much > higher figure in mind. Fair enough, but bear in mind how much it costs to buy a home in an averagely priced area of London, e.g. Dulwich. On a salary of 50k a year (a realistic salary for an IT worker or back-office clerk), you'd only be able to buy a one bed flat. > I don't think the big bonuses are fair but I > probably wouldn't say that if I worked for the > banking sector. Bonuses are just a way for companies to alter the amount they pay people, according to performance. Even if you have left-leaning views and believe that high earners should contribute even more... that's all well and good, but I'm not comfortable with the singling out of a particular industry. Especially when it's politically motivated.

The last I heard, we were supposed to be a capitalist country with a market economy. In my opinion companies should be free to judge what to pay their staff (over 50% of it will end up back in the public purse as it is). And actually, the majority of city workers earn a fairly normal salary - most of them are not wealthy. I can understand the pressure on the likes of RBS, but the government didn't bail out every firm in the city. And not all the banks are guilty of irresponsible practises. But needless to say, the tax has acheived its objective of grabbing the headlines and securing a few votes.

Perhaps it could be a good project for a Camberwell Art College student?