*Bob*

Loz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It's absolutely amazing. I've done a few bits of > editing of home movies from ski holidays, cutting > clips against a few songs and it's fiddly, to say > the least. To find all the clips he needed to put > the rap together and edit it in such a short time > is truly incredible. And very funny. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I thought it was a bit crap. Impressive maybe in the same way that, say, an obsessive stamp collector might be. "Wow, you've put a lot of effort into that." Funny in the way that Rory Bremner's show was.. ie 'not very'.

Of course stamp duty, estate agent, legal, removal fees - and fixing some stuff in the house you move to - might amount to more than half the total cost of private education anyway. Not to mention 'moving near' is no guarantee of 'getting in'. Check out that egg on your face if that happens..

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > They preach > on from their pleasant expensive neighbourhoods > with decent performing state schools Where are all of these again? For the record.

I did give the opener from series one a go, by good god the accents are atrocious; suspension of disbelief jarred every other line. You can forgive one here and there, maybe in supporting roles.. but when the lead roles can't manage it.. Shame. Looked quite good apart from that.

Yes DC, the unfortunate answer to the question "how clever is Boris" is probably "as clever as he probably needs to be". 15% of people in London probably mistook the office of Mayor for the ceremonial one where the guy wearing the funny hat comes out and rings the bell from time to time - for the benefit of a photographer from the local paper. Another 15% seem happy enough with blue bicycles they never use.

There's too many of them at the moment - like flies buzzing around the dungheap. The 'you're at weeeeeebleeeeeey' (arena, ahem) has been a trial though. A masterclass in US-style clunky-editing, zooming-in on hapless acne-ridden proles whooping on demand, desperate pantomime drama - and that stupid finger pushing the fader up. Judges Houses and the first few live shows always a winner though, followed inevitably by the two month slow ride round the ITV u-bend and down into the stinking sewer below.

Parkdrive Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Or alternatively, he really is a bumbling idiot. He may not exactly be a bumbling idiot exactly (clearly he has some wit and sense of self - as indeed does Farage) but - seriously - how long is this myth of Boris going to be perpetuated? He has the smarts when it comes to playing the game, playing the crowd, diversion and deflection.. but if you (not you, Parky, others!) truly believe him to be some sort of Superhuman Political Puppetmaster Genius - then you've been totally taken in. Acting the buffoon (classic approved Boris terminology there) when you're not a buffoon does *not* automatically mean you must be at the other end of the brain scale.

Is there anything else about Britain that might be different 50 years ago compared to, say, today? If I suggested your son got his first because you play bridge with his tutor's Dad, you be annoyed, right? And yet you feel quite happy to generalise the other way. But feel free to take your ball home anytime you please.

Oh, I'm sorry. I assumed that when you said "private school children will overcome their inferior degrees by using the connections that school, mummy and daddy will have provided for them" and then "it appears that the privately educated kids move ahead again because of their connections" - I assumed that was what you meant - as opposed to, say, some more measured and less definitive statement which didn't manage to come across in the words themselves. I will be sure to look more carefully next time, to find the hidden meaning.

I mentioned Osbiurne because he *is* an example of someone that got ahead because of connections. One of those very visible minority that are often seized upon but unrepresentative of the rest. I thought that would have been obvious.

You did say - twice - that privately educated kids get ahead because they have better connections. Not in most cases. Now I've said it twice too. You could say it again - all the usual stuff about silver spoons and mummy and daddy. But it won't make it more true.

Zebedee Tring Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- And then it appears that > the privately educated kids move ahead again > because of their connections. Just 'saying it' (like it's some sort of scientific fact) doesn't make it so. I have several friends who were privately educated - and none of them got handed anything on a silver platter because of their alleged 'connections'. Sorry to disappoint. It may have given them other advantages, but not on that front. You open your paper, look at George Osbourne and decide everyone who goes to private school must be like him. You're wrong.

If you stream early though, you're more likely to get a great return on your investment* *past performance is no guarantee of future performance, relationship with your child can go down as well as up

El Pibe Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > i got to hang around with nutters and girls out of my > league and smoke drugs far too young....I'm not > selling this am i. I'm sold

I sat with Karen and Victoria on the swotty table. I would have much preferred to sit with Samantha, but she couldn't spell - and was also out of my league. That said, from her current Facebook picture - I'm happy to report that this would no longer be the case.

david_carnell Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have to confess I wasn't even aware such things > took place. It certainly didn't in my primary > school some 25 years ago and I'd naively assumed > that still to be the case universally. Didn't you sit on tables roughly according to ability at your primary? Streaming in all but name..

What about if it were a non-fee-paying Grammar-type school, with selective admission? Would you still avoid it?

Going to a fee-paying school; being able to afford to buy a house for a million quid near to a favoured primary; going state but paying for extra private tuition.. All fine lines / slippery slopes, depending on your point of view.

I don't think you need to go as far as Eton. It's a fair bit different to Dulwich College IMO. Of course if you're against the idea on principle it doesn't make any difference.

Green Goose Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Plenty pressure but we look on it as an investment > in our children for their benefit and all > investments involve risk. Reward comes when the > risk pays off. It is your kid though, not stocks and shares. I find the analogy icky, tbh. Don't think I'd lay that kind of sacrifice/expectation thing on mine, but each to their own ways.

Green Goose Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > We skimped, skivvied and saved for 20 years to pay > for our kids to go to Alleyns. When they get on > the career ladder I will consider it money well > spent. So no pressure, then.

Huguenot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Twenty years ago I heard El Pibe describe the > value of things that lay just beyond your reach - > things that could never be defined or seized upon > without their very essence slipping between your > fingers. Sounds like an excerpt from the 'Gladiator' script. You sure you're not getting mixed-up?

Has he decided to join UKIP?

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Because the despite the relentless propoganda on > their nastyness etc the tories have principles and > believe that the union is and has been a good > thing - above political expediency...just > possibly Happily for the Cons political expedience and principle are the same on this. Chicken / Egg.. who's to say? Anyhoo, this could come out well for the Cons. The Union is saved - and there's also perfectly decent reason to do away with those pesky Scottish Labour MPs when voting on English legislation. Bosh!

El Pibe Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I thought I was with you on Drive Bob, until i > realised I was thinking of Crash*, which whilst > not the worst, may qualify for most overrated. Crash - got about 30 minutes in. Rubbish! My alternative suggestion - should you ever see it crop up in the wee hours is "I don't Want To Be Born". Without giving too much away, the plot centres around a stripper who is cursed after spurning the amorous advances of a dwarf - and thus gives birth to the devil's child. Starring Joan Collins. And I think Don Pleasance was in it too.