Moos

I'm freaked out that BookStart are giving away stickers to parents of (small) children who're prepared to read 6 books to them over the summer. Gee whizz - a whole 6 picture books? Is it horrifying that this might be an achievement?

TedMax, the Robert Browning of prose.

jaybee82, as my mother likes to remind me from time to time when talking about her naughty past, you used to be able to buy a few cigarettes at a time. Why not?

Don't worry about it RosieH, the MacGabhann's on Rarrarrr today.

Oh yes - I loved it too SeanMac - almost, almost made me stop eating meat.

paulino Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- you sound like the kind of people who hate your jobs (or at the very least tolerate your jobs due to the payout you get at the end of the month), don't particularly like the people you work with, and have no desire to get to know them better. fair enough. I think that's a bit harsh, paulino. I like my job, I think I'm good at it and I don't just do it for the money. One of the reasons I do it well is because I can get on well with people. I think company socialising is a good idea - especially when it's encouraged but not required. I just think companies should judge their people by how well they perform their jobs (including getting on with people and team work, if relevant), not by how well they climb mountains, and I think team-building events that are excessively physical are exclusive and even humiliating for some.

*imagines SMG's Index of Forumites, carefully updated at all times*

Oh pommie, that's so sad. I'm so sorry for your loss. I've become much closer to my mother since becoming one myself, and that closer bond has brought us both a lot of happiness.

Helena handbasket (cool name), gently does it. While I accept the validity of your 'this is about formula' point, I don't think Fuschia was being pushy, just offering a view.

I thought it was a shame. He made some really intelligent, funny and constructive posts that provided a useful insight, and then recently seemed to go back to the penk/honk persona who was not such fun to be with.

Chubby?!

I do know a mum who works full time and expresses - more power to her. I'm not sure whether she does enough for just one or two feeds, or a whole day's-worth. But I think the energy that goes into making milk plus the energy that goes into being at work is a big requirement and would probably need careful planning. To be clear, as I would really not like to offend anyone, I really don't mean that staying at home with your children is easier than being at work. But my personal experience is that when you're in a paid job it's less socially acceptable to be relaxed and yawny, and you have to pretend not to be tired, which can be quite hard. Overall, it's probably about the same but the getting-back-into-it phase is tough.

I don't think there's a great deal of difference - most people I know tried a few brands and settled on the one the baby was prepared to drink! I think they are mostly all based on cow's milk and with added vitamins and fish oils. Aptamil got into trouble for claiming it could support a baby's immune system, for which they had no evidence whatsoever, which is pretty poor.

The example I was thinking of was when my other half's firm organised a summer time trip to Chamonix for graduates when they went ice-hiking and white-water rafting. I'm feeling kind of killjoyish, and they probably mostly had a blast, but I just found it really easy to imagine the chubby one or the weedy one thinking God, I thought I'd left all this shit behind at school. Aaanyway. As you say, they're mostly pretty tame and yes it is fun to get people together doing creative team-building stuff. I'm all for building bridges out of paper or whatever!

Good posts, Gimme and sophiesofa. I like to say good morning to bus drivers when I get on, and thank you when I get off (particularly if I have my buggy with me, and they've lowered the side of the bus to make it easier). Some bus drivers blank me, some look startled but quite a lot make a friendly acknowledgement and it makes for good feeling and courtesy. I've never encountered Nasty Nigel, but find it easy to believe that there are crappy bus drivers and I've definitely seen crappy passengers.

Laughter! I really hate the way these kinds of weekends away / graduate training courses / whatever focus on outdoor activities, and usually quite strenuous and difficult ones. Success in such an environment is therefore slanted towards the physically able-bodied and aggressive, larger and stronger people in the group - women, older people, the unfit and the less physically able are at an immediate disadvantage. The message is that success is (literally) embodied in healthy young men, it's prejudicial and unfair.

???? - funny. silverfox - how did you know? *blush*

Innit.

17. Annoy Ted Max Another thing ticked off my list of daily to-dos - and it's only 3pm.

Ha ha, I shall have to flounce more often, that was good stuff everyone! Mewls.

Ignored, and now mis-spelt! Sob!

Sheesh, never cross posts with the Max. You'll just be ignored. (6)

....and the details would never be sold to marketing companies, never.

So you were at a Garden Party, Kel? Do tell. ;-)

Sean, I think you're right but this is a change in the medium, not a change in the thinking. How many people put their photos in albums (even when photos were principally physical things) or keep their receipts or remember where they put their passport?