indiepanda

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Well yes, but people go to Waitrose 'cos of its > poncey brand rather than any quality issue. The > woman all think they're doing what Nigella does > and their husbands hope they're going to bump into > her Bit of a generalisation I think. Before I lived in my old house I always used Sainsbury's because I thought the frsh stuff was nicer quality than Tesco, but the choice of supermarkets in my small town was limited to Waitrose or Lidl, and so I did use Waitrose and it was nicer quality than Sainsbury's. Customer service was generally better too. I don't watch Nigella on the TV, and I didn't know she shopped in Waitrose either. So now I use Ocado, which is also the best delivery service from what I can make out.

Persuading suckers to spend more than they can afford to get onto the housing ladder perhaps?? Though I can't imagine anyone is having much luck there now. Can't see anyone trying to buy unless they really really need to now.

david_carnell Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > And I quite like being a citizen of a country that > attempts to instill in its people a sense of > athletic acheivement. There's far too many fatsos > around as it is. I agree (trying to ignore the fact I am one of the "fatsos"!) Seriously though, it's good for young people especially to have some good role models - better they look up to those than the moronic celebrities in Heat magazine every week. Inspiring people to get fitter should cut costs for the NHS anyway - reverse the obesity epidemic and all that. I like the fact the Olympics showcases a whole load of sports that you don't usually see much on the TV. And not only ones that you need to be pretty well off to get into like sailing, but ones like badminton where the costs are pretty low. Give people more ideas of things they could get into beyond the usual football / running / rugby / cricket and golf that seem to dominate the TV the rest of the time.

Hmm, anywhere that won't recruit graduates until they are ready to start work isn't going to get the cream of the graduates unless something has signifcantly changed since I was a student. By the time I graduated, only those in my year who had specialized in drinking hadn't got jobs lined up to go to.

mightyroar Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'm quite scared of the dark too. But is that > irrational? well, has the dark itself ever killed or harmed anyone? (I get scared in the dark sometimes too - though it's usually imagined intruders not the dark itself... not that imagining intruders isn't also irrational)

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Minnies - Youghal > Gigis - Youghal > Spiders - Cork > Level 3 - Swindon > Boxes/Warehouse - Exeter > > > But to call them clubs in the sense that you > probably mean ratty is probably wrong. I used to go to Level 3.. about the only place in Swindon that played some decent music. Not saying much of course... I've never been much of a clubber... seems to have bypassed having a misspent youth and I doubt I'd have the stamina to be doing it every weekend now!

Film was based on a book by John Wyndham wasn't it? I've a feeling I read it when I was at school. (So I don't remember much about it either), though this sounds familiar now I read it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Midwich_Cuckoos

I used to have nightmares about being trapped in a burning building - not being impossible to get out but so paralysed by fear I couldn't move. I have no idea why, never been in a fire, or know anyone who has. Now I seem to have nightmares about being executed. All those nasty news stories about people being caught and beheaded in Iraq....

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If the person is intolerant to dairy produce and > they stopped consuming them, resulting in skin > condition improving - then that is medicine. > Medicine is only that which works - there is no > "alternative" or "conventional". Conventional > medicine changes all the time to include latest > knowledge - it is never a closed book > > It sounds like the GP in question mis-diagnosed or > didn't have sufficient time to deal with the > patient - that's a compentence or resource issue > however. Now if the doctor claimed there is NO > SUCH THING as dairy intolerance, that might be a > different story. > > As has been suggested on here before, a bit more > times and attention from our "carers/healers" is > probably more beneficial than anything else I think time available for GPs to deal with conditions is a huge issue - the NHS just doesn't have the funds available to deal with everything properly, so it tends to focus on the things that are more life threatening and some of the day to day ailments that can damage the quality of life without seriously disabling you don't get the same attention. I think that is why some people turn to other therapies for help, fed up of getting nowhere with the medical profession. And Jamma, as for your scorn re my sister's case, love the way you've got from me saying it thins the skin to me implying you will get holes round the eyes. If you want people to take your point of view seriously, do them the courtesy of reading what was actually said instead of distorting it in an attempt to sound clever and belittling them. The only thing you are going to achieve is to make people even less inclined to listen to you. Long term use of steriod cream is not advisable, take it from the BBC if you won't take it from me: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/ask_the_doctor/steroidcreams.shtml. In any case ongoing use of steroid cream was clearly treating the symptom not the cause. Surely the logical thing to do is to get to the route cause of the issue? Perhaps as Sean said, the doctor's competence or time available might have been the issue. However, the simple facts were my sister's GP failed her and one of your so called woo woo merchants helped. Should she have been preventing from seeing them because they haven't got lots scientific proof of their methods, or is it better that she was able to give it a try, and as a result she has got rid of her eczema properly and is now not an ongoing drain on the NHS, going back for repeat prescriptions and further consultations.

cdonline Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > indiepanda Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Jamma Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > > As for the notion that conventional medicine > is > > the answer to everything... O don't buy it. My > > sister suffered from eczema for years, the > doctor > > just gave her steroid cream - not great given > it > > thins the skin and hers was particularly bad > round > > the eyes where the skin is already thin enough. > > > > > That is rubbish. Is there anybody in the medical > profession who believes that they have the answer > to every medical condition. To compare the level > of training gained with a 3 year degree in, as you > call it "conventional", un-conventional medicine > is absurd. > > When you find yourself with an illness that might > posssibly kill you, rather than just having a skin > rash, believe me, I would not put my medical > well-being in the hands of anybody who was not a > fully qualified doctor. May I suggest you read what I said before telling me I am talking "rubbish"? I said conventional medicine was not the answer to everything, not that I am fool enough to say if you have cancer go and see a crystal healer and do a bit of chanting. People seem to be taking the view that you either follow one route or the other. I'm simply expressing the view that where the medical profession has already failed to help you, it can be worth exploring other options. I've always tried a doctor first and will continue to do so. But I'm not going to automatically accept that if they say they can't help me that there is nothing that can be done.

Jamma Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Well here's the thing. I didn't get personal, I > tried to discuss the issues If calling someone a nutjob and quack isn't getting personal I'd hate to see you when you are getting personal. As for the notion that conventional medicine is the answer to everything... O don't buy it. My sister suffered from eczema for years, the doctor just gave her steroid cream - not great given it thins the skin and hers was particularly bad round the eyes where the skin is already thin enough. The alterative practioner she saw when she had run out of patience with her doctor diagnosed lactose intolerance, she cut out dairy products and very quickly her skin cleared up and it hasn't recurred. I don't suppose the alternative practioner's methods had been subject to the same testing as the conventional doctors, but the result was much better. I'm not naive, sure there are plenty of charletans out there who do rob people blind with misguided notions that don't help anyone, but I wouldn't tar everyone with the same brush.

hmmm, thanks for the info Will, might save myself the trouble! I haven't missed TV that much over last three weeks anyway...

Anyone had problems with getting some channels but not others? I got a freeview box today and can get all the BBC channels but so far although plenty of others appear on my list, none seem to have a signal.

I've not had my card cloned (yet!, *touches wood* etc) However, my bank have been very good for checking when my card is used abroad. I recently tried to pay for a holiday in Italy and the Italian holiday company had the payment rejected and I had to phone the bank to authorize. And when I was in Dusseldorf last winter and the girl at the hotel didn't know how chip and pin worked (tried to put card in, type in payment, remove and then get me to enter pin), they called me on my mobile having put a block on further payments until confirmed if the payments were ok. And when I last went overseas I let them know in advance so they didn't block my payments and they didn't have a problem with noting that on my account, or mess up and block any payments. So, if you want to bank with someone good, try First Direct - give pretty good service overall, not just in this matter. They don't have any of those annoying "press 1 to get lost in a chain of menu options, press 2 to get put through to the wrong department, press 3 to get put on hold for 10 minutes and cut off" menus on their phone line. I hate those things! PS I don't work for First Direct/HSBC, just in case you are wondering.

Is anything happening on the badminton front? I haven't played since I moved to London last year but would like to get back into it now. I'm no great shakes, but I used to play in a friendly club (i.e. not competitively) so I'm not utterly hopeless either. Anyway, if anyone needs a girl to make up a doubles game at any point / fancies a game of singles, please PM me.

hmmm, I can see a bit of overlap of my favourites with Bellenden Belle, I make no claims that this is the list of best films ever, purely the films I enjoy the most and would happily rewatch repeatedly, and with that caveat here goes:- Breakfast at Tiffany's The Truth About Cats and Dogs Ferris Buellers Day Off Before Sunrise / Before Sunset Charade High Fidelity Four Weddings and a Funeral When Harry met Sally Bridget Jones Dirty Dancing Basically I'm an unashamed chick flick fan and a huge fan of Audrey Hepburn - in my opinion never been nor ever will be a film star more elegant and graceful than her.

Lists can be pretty dull - but without lists, we wouldn't have High Fidelity, (the Nick Hornby book / film with John Cusack *swoons*) which would be a shame.

Haven't been to the cinema for a few weeks, but I'll offer a DVD recommendation, two films which should be watched in sequence, Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. There was a 9 year gap between them being released and I hadn't heard of them when they came out, but they were my third pick on a three for ?20 offer in HMV earlier this year and I couldn't recommend them more highly Romances but so far removed from the typical syrupy sweet American rom coms, actually seem kind of believable, if I were to get mushy, I'd say the kind of stuff I dream about. The first of the two is one of those rare films to ever be rated 100% on rotten tomatoes:- http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/before_sunrise/ and the follow up was still pretty highly rated http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/before_sunset/ I really wanted to see "In search of a midnight kiss" which came out this year and sounded like it would be similar in style, but I didn't get round to it, so that will have to be another one for the DVD list.

I suppose it would depend how many got into serious trouble. In any case, with the compensation scheme they have to pay a certain amount to cover the deposits most individuals would have anyway, so it may work out cheaper to inject some capital than let it go to the wall and pick up the compensation tab. The knock on effect of letting a big one go to the wall would be disasterous... could mean full scale deep recession, high unemployment and lower tax take to pay for it, at a time when we already aren't balancing the books. But hey, it's ok, I read the government were voting themselves an inflation busting 9% pay rise, if they are worth that they must be able to solve a little problem like this. *rolls eyes*

I am quite easily scared and don't have much of a stomach for gore so I tend to avoid most horror movies. The time I jumped the most at the cinema was watching Seven, where they find what looks like a decaying corpse on a bed, and then it sits up. Silence of the Lambs gave me nightmares for months after, Antony Hopkins was just chilling.

citizenED Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > how about "You're My Favourite Waste of Time" by > Owen Paul wasn't that Bellenden Belle's suggestion too? Did you know that his full name was Owen Paul McGee and that his brother Brian was one of the original members of Simple Minds.... yep idly surfing wikipedia is probably my favourite waste of time! :-$

I'm sure I'll end up hooked, and doing my usual sentimental cry along if we have any medal winners, especially gold. I swear I blub more than the winners sometimes :-$. I still find that Heather Small song, Proud, that they used a lot in the Sydney Olympics coverage gives me a lump in my throat. And that's so far from my usual choice of music. I can still recall staying up late to watch Steve Redgrave's last Olympic race, screeching away at the TV, getting carried away with it all. It's nice to get a chance to watch some sports you don't see on the TV that often like badminton (I don't have satellite / cable).

Can't do this Monday but will try to come along for a future one

I really like the idea but would rather do in person too - partly because I'd like the excuse to meet people and partly because I'm going to be trying to get rid of a lot of my books and it's more effort to type up a list than bring a carrier bag of books to a pub!

Provided you have less than ?35,000 in deposits with any one banking group it's guaranteed to be covered under the the financial services compensation scheme anyway, so not a major issue. If you have more probably a good idea to spread between banks. Be careful if you do that they aren't part of the same ultimate company - so many companies run more than one consumer brand it's not always obvious. http://www.fscs.org.uk/consumer/key_facts/limitations_of_the_scheme/compensation_limits/ As for Northern Rock, the FSA have been found to have been pretty incompetent in their supervision of Northern Rock, same as they were with Equitable. Basically the regulator wasn't regulating!