Robert Poste's Child

I choked on a wasabi pea.

Except some banks are doing just that, aren't they* - ending teaser rates in the interests of not pissing off loyal existing customers. Perhaps insurance firms will follow suit. (*To answer my own question, what they're actually doing is removing bonuses on interest rates, thus making their rates even lower.)

I think some of you may be taking this a bit too seriously. The older generation laughing affectionately at the younger is a longstanding custom in this country, just as much as the younger mocking the establishment. They'll do the same when they're older. Seen on a poster in the lift at Hospital today: 'Can you make a career out of blogging or are Generation Y living in a fantasy world when it comes to work?'

That's true enough.

On no, I went to Hoxton last week! I'm going to flagellate myself immediately.

Both my significant others were practically blind. So liberating to know you're just a pink blur.

Salsaboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What RPC said. Boringgggggg. You didn't get any either then?

Anything ValentineszzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZ.

And wears glasses. I do like a man with bad eyesight: it gives you a few minutes' grace first thing in the morning.

And 'can do at least one kind of dancing well'. And 'own kilt'. Mmm.

If you're having whistling, I'd like to add 'good seat on a horse'.

(Wrong thread, fat finger and wobbly eyes.)

There are loads of things you could do. Apart from Munich itself (not least a proper Bierkeller), you could do a day trip to Rothenburg, which is a gorgeous medieval town, and Neuschwanstein, the Disney-type castle built by the mad King Ludwig on the side of a mountain. Depending on the ages of your family you could also visit the remains of the Dachau concentration camp. Salzburg is definitely doable, and the lakes and mountains are lovely.

The showers haven't been working properly for month and in the women's ones there are generally one or two stalls missing doors. Lee Scoresby,I'd be happy to support a challenge to Southwark on this as all the other routes I've tried have failed so far. I would encourage parents whose children's schools use the pool for lessons to go down and take a look for themselves too.

I agree, Jeremy. Kind of the point I was making earlier. To be fair to William Hill, if Nigel Farage or Jeremy Clarkson had put this list together I think it might have been a lot worse.

May depend on your standpoint, I guess. There may be men who would be irritated by a list with 6 separate items relating to cars.

I mentioned only two points, Jeremy... Both conform to a lazy stereotypical view of women. If they did a list for women as well (unlikely William Hill would be that bold) you could potentially compare the two and make some deductions about respective roles. If the majority of the points were the same on both, perhaps not. For a man I'm not sure whether it's the items on the list that are patronising or the idea of a prescriptive deterministic checklist without which you aren't deemed to be a man, but then you know how men like 'top 10' lists - I've often noticed that in the Lounge.

There must be a lot of people on this forum who are paid via limited company and who use expenses, pension, entertainment etc to 'mitigate' (ie evade) their tax liability. I don't think it's fair to set the system and then accuse people of avoidance if they use those same rules to reduce their tax burden. Just fix the system and make the lines clearer.

From a woman's point of view (12)and (33) seem a bit patronising. If the list has to refer to relationships with women these would be better substituted with how to kiss and how to find the important bits (OK, bit) of a woman's anatomy.

Apparently there is now a list of the top 50 things you should know before you can consider yourself a real man. Can anyone tick off all 50? 1. His wedding anniversary date 2. Basic DIY 3. How to change a light bulb 4. How to tie up a tie 5. How to read a map 6. His partner's favourite drink 7. How to iron a shirt 8. How to change a tyre 9. How to wet shave correctly 10. The right amount of aftershave to use 11. How to change a fuse 12. When a woman says "I'm fine" she is not fine 13. How to put up a shelf 14. How to polish his shoes 15. How to give a confident handshake 16. How many inches are in a foot 17. When to accept defeat and apologise 18. Know the offside rule 19. The year England won the World Cup 20. How to do his own laundry 21. How to fix a bike puncture 22. How to jumpstart a car 23. How to parallel park 24. The difference between ale and lager 25. The best way to carve meat 26. His own height 27. How to drive in snow 28. What wires represent earth, live and neutral 29. How to introduce himself 30. His parents' address 31. What the football scores were at the weekend 32. How to light a BBQ 33. When a woman says "Do what you want" do not do what you want 34. How to change oil 35. What the biggest recent football transfers are 36. How to build a fire 37. Which way is North 38. How to use the contents of the toolbox 39. How to tune in a telly 40. How many miles are left after the petrol light appears 41. How to fix a toilet 42. How to put someone in a recovery position 43. His personal alcohol limits 44. Change a battery on a car 45. How to get a car unstuck 46. The words to the national anthem 47. How to change a nappy 48. How to perform CPR 49. How to put up a tent 50. Who are favourites to win the Premier League http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/11408971/Are-you-a-real-man-The-top-50-things-every-chap-should-know.html Not sure if there's one for women but I think I'd do better with the men's one.

KidKruger Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > "If you want to be a proper dad to your kids, the > answer is to get to know the woman properly and > get married first or at least make sure your > name's on the birth certificate". > > By 'negligent' I mean that's the inference I take > from your statement quoted above, if the > predicates you advocate for being a 'proper' Dad > are not adhered to. > > I'm sorry but I feel that proposition naive and > sexist, all the worse coming from someone who > seems to freely call others sexist or mysoginist > (sp). > > Fathers for justice set a bad example in some > cases, there's no doubt about that - but to paint > all situations with such a beligerent brush is IMO > uncalled for. It may apply to some of what you've > seen but that doesn't mean the rest of the world > matches what you think. > > I act as a McKenzie Friend for Fathers (or Mums) > in family courts, where there are custody > disputes. > There is a whole Angola going on out there, > perfectly reasonable and loving Fathers being > ruined by their ex-wives supported by the courts, > on account very often of their being male. There > are less than brilliant mums and dads everywhere > in all walks of life, whether married or not. > > Not sure what your angle is but your points are > very inaccurate and generalised with no sensible > merit. > I've known two men hang themselves through not > being able to see their children even when the > children themselves wanted the contact > re-established, solely because the Mother decided > it and the courts bought the lies. > If the Mother 'acts normal' for the hearing they > can boss the show, this doesn't translate to > Fathers 'deserving' what they get - which seems to > be what you're saying. > This is more prominent outside London in the > provincial counties. > > You don't work as a magistrate in family courts by > any chance do you ? To be honest I think your examples tend to back up what I'm saying.

I realise the defining factor is not irony but curating, particularly of the self. Maybe it's partly due to being brought up on social media.

It's the odd oil-and-water mix of ironic cultural knowingness with a complete lack of real self-awareness. Someone I know talks a lot about their successful self-actualising career Djing, blogging, vintage swap parties, painting and being a performance artist while living in a big flat paid for by the bank of mummy and daddy. Hopelessly unreliable and the attention span of a goldfish.

I'm talking more about social codes, I suppose.

That's what I see going on and I find it tedious when men play the fathers-for-justice victim card.