david_carnell

Agreed. Untilhe proves his worth on the domestic scene (the traditional route to a world title fight) I think it's a bit rich of Khan to go dashing off to Miami and start calling out bigger fish. Come back, win the British title, maybe the Commonwealth and European too, defend them a couple of times, then.....and only then, do you earn the right to call out title holders. Khan's good. He's quick, big for his weight, has a great jab. But he's not world class, not yet. And beating Barrera won't make him so.

Keef Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Oh, and agree with Tony that it is polite to give > a wave to the car that stops for you. I also tend > to scream "Wan*er" and give the finger to the ones > that don't. Glad I'm not the only one, Keef. Keep it up.

Whislt I agree with you than local government bureacracy can be impenetrable, and is also moneywasting, I only have to phone my mobile telephone/water/gas/eletric company (all of whome are privatised and have little regulatory burden by comparison) to notice that "innumerable phone calls, ever changing staff and advisors, numerous visits, much chasing up, almost incomprehensible forms to be filled in, statements, counter statements, conflicting advice and confusion" are hardly unique to the public sector. I fail to see the irrefutable proof that a private company would suddenly alleviate such inefficiencies. And surely a local council is not central planning. That would involve Whitehall departments running and managing local services. Something which, to a large extent, they do not.

A few years ago BMW released a series of short films/adverts for their new car (Z7?) starring famous actors/musicians and directed by Hollywood heavywieghts. They were internet only as the ASA don't allow car companies to glorify speed or danger on TV (spoilsports). Anyhoo, imho, the best of the lot is The Hire: Beat The Devil which starts Clive Owen, James Brown, Gary Oldman and Marilyn Manson. Oh, and it's directed by Tony Scott (with Ridley as Exec Producer). It's 10 mins long, and not really a proper ad in the traditional sense but still very, very, cool!

I'm not sure I get this one tbh. If Khan wins (and I think he probably will on points) it's a win over a ageing, faded legend who's at least two weight divisions above his natural limit. No credit due. If Barrera wins, he's beaten a pup who failed to live up to Olympic hype after four years as a pro. No credit due. So who wins from this? Frank Warren! @&%$! It's beginning to get all Audley Harrison for my liking.

Huguenot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Well, look at me wading in like a right 'arris. > > Salary-wise, WTF? I started on 9 grand in 1992 > which inflation adjusted is 14 grand now. 20 > grand? Great stuff, but you can stick the > hoity-toity righteousness right where the sun > don't shine. Have you considered the possibility that a newly qualified nurse has more social value than whatever job you performed when leaving college? Or that other market factors are at play? For example, perhaps not enough people want to or can be nurses, therefore the pay is higher. Perhaps your chosen profession on leaving college was very popular or particularly unskilled necessitating a low starting salary. If you could illuminate us all to your job at the time I'm sure we can dissect it in a similar way. And what was a nurses salary in 1992 anyway? Without that your argument is even more irrelevent. > "Compared with other sectors'...? I mean WTF? WTF > do nurses know about other sectors? The world > doesn't revolve around pampered civil service > jobs: most people work at Tescos on the till, or > in the bakery, or driving cabs, or doing just > about anything that doesn't pay over 20 grand a > year. Again, you've missed the point. A job on a till at tesco, serving pies in Greggs or driving a cab is not a skilled job (aside from the need for a driving license). They are unskilled, manual roles that require little training. I could do a decent job on a till in Tescos after half and hours induction; I doubt I'd do such a handy job in na hospital ward after a similar amount of time. Highly skilled nurses require higher salaries to make that training worthwhile. Why would anyone bother investing years to train as a nurse if they could earn the same money being a cabbie? > The highest earning sector in Britain is 'health > professionals'. That includes nurses. If doctors > earn more, then go to medical school for 7 years. And this figure also includes the endless administrators and managers lining the offices in local health trusts. I would advocate looking in that direction for job cuts and money saving rather than front line medical staff. In fact there is a good argument that given the size of the NHS (I believe the 2nd biggest employer in the world after the Indian railways) that managers and chief execs should be getting hugely inflated salaries. Compare to an equal position in the private sector. If you want a well-run health service we should be paying to attract the best candidates. Pay peanuts, get monkeys. > Nurses look after people? Well tell you what, > here's a nothing, most other people give a monkeys > too! I'm not a nurse but I wouldn't let you die in > the street either. But I know who I want to be there when I'm sick or collapsing in the street, and it's not you! It's a consultant, then a doctor, then a nurse, then a whole load of people with vague first aid knowledge followed, somewhere in the remote distance, by you - a random passer-by who cares (maybe) but knows nothing. > I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm enormously > grateful that nurses have taken the time and > mega-salary (see earlier) to look after me when > I'm ill - but this put-upon braying righteousness > is utterly undeserved. Get blinking real. Except it's not a mega-salary. It's marginally higher than the national average and for the level of training, expertise and demands of the job is hardly extortionate. Nurses are not angels but they deserve more of a break than you're giving them.

How does a politically indepedent BoE suddenly include the government? I was under the impression that the council-up-on-high that set interest rates were the greast and the good of the financial sector and private industry. The very people you wish to hand more power to. BoE independence was a cornerstone of Labour and for the first time allowed large economic decisions to be taken without political point-scoring. A Very Good Thing imho.

I'd be interested to hear exactly what. On the proviso you actually have an idea about where there is wastage in this dept and not using it merely as a scapegoat. I rather hoped that proper economic planning and investment (and the costs incurred) was rather essential but I'm open to new ideas. The mysterious "Other Services" might warrant further investigation, mind you.

Sandperson Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Kaka. ?500,000 A WEEK! I nearly choked on my > museli. You'd have to pay me that to get me to live in Manchester instead of Milan! And I'm useless at football!

I'm going to quote it before SeanMac does, but Aussie comedian Brendan Burns sums things up nicely.... "It's not racist to ask someone 'Are you Indian or Pakistani?' but it is racist to ask someone 'So which one are you?'"

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > They best get the ice cream supplies in - I fancy > one of their solero cocktails A cocktail umbrella for the lady!

Sarf London boy Patrick Wolf (who has Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton appearing on his next album): Tristan mmm....glam-folk!?

How's the Killa playing these days Simon? We could badly do with a classy defender back at Elland Rd these days. And who is Graysons first transfer? Lee Trundle. Give me strength.

ratty Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Annasfield Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > What are your thoughts on the way that Rooney > > spoke to the linesman after "that" corner? > > I thought it was hillarious. The linesman - who > had made a complete fook up, looked like he was > about to cry! > > Cannot blame Rooney for screaming at him imo. > Perfectly good and well executed goal disallowed > for nothing against Chelsea. I'd scream too! Sorry, but no. This is the problem. Petulent little sh*ts (not just Man Utd by any stretch) who, when a decision doesn't go their way, go off the deep-end. I shudder to think what a lip-reader would have made of it! Compare this to rugby, and how decisions and discipline are dealt with and the difference is clear. I'm aware of the "pressures" of the modern game (somewhat alleviated by ?80k a week salaries I should think) but this sort of behaviour is one of the biggest turn-offs of the modern game.

What's the quote I'm thinking of? Something to do with "Why is everyone fighting in the Middle East?" - "Because it's very hot and there's not enough water"

Amazingly..... ....it seems he does. Or at least did in November of last year. Heh.

Fair play to Rafa. Seems to have an interesting line in bits of paper in his pocket!

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/Vanilla%20Ice.jpg "This is how many copies I sold of my latest album"

What, you think he's under-rated?! ;-)

Vanilla Ice

Why do I think that's something you would have done Piers?! Hilarious though!

Also, the debate has been going on here: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,31883,page=27

HonaloochieB Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > EDO, I heard it was for trying to sell meat pasta > sell by date. Chortle. HonaloochieB - stop telling porkies

SimonM Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Clough was hardly unique in holding this opinion > of Leeds. That was the general reputation they had > at that time, and by and large it was pretty well > deserved. Yes Eddie Gray and Peter Lorimer were > sublime - but Hunter's reputation was well-earned, > as was Jack Charlton's. So, internal appointments > like Giles apart, any new, eligible appointment > would have arrived with this opinion of Leedstoo, > admittedly not broadcasted so loudly as Clough's You're right of course, but I think the "Dirty Leeds" tag was both over-used and lingered for far too long. Whilst some of the team (Bremner, Charlton, Hunter etc) could certainly put it about if required it was neither unique to Leeds (Stiles at ManU, Harris at Chelsea) during a particularly "hard" era of English football, nor was it something the team put before footballing skill. With the exception of perhaps Jack Charlton (who was definitely an archetypal "boot it out" centre back) the rest of those players were sublimely talented. A iron fist clad in a velvet glove if you will. Interesting parallels were beginning to be made at the height of success under O'Leary. Whilst we had mercurial talents such as Kewell and Viduka there was a steel to the team with some hard players such as Bowyer, Mills and Smith. These days their ilk are seen as just unpleasant. In the 60s and 70s they were essential to a well rounded team. > And if Clough "liked a bung" I doubt he was much > different to many other managers of this period: > it seems to have been part and parcel of the whole > subculture. He certainly was no different to the > famously grasping Revie in this respect. Agreed. I think, much as they'd be loathed to admit it, most Leeds fans know that Revie bribed a few refs. But I don't think it was out of the ordinary for the era - just fatter envelopes. > Just before Leeds appointed Clough Sheffield > United needed a new manager. It was pointed out to > some Blades board buffoon by the local press that > Clough was available and this idiot gave a knowing > superiro laugh and said words to the effect "Oh > rest assured we won't be appointing him!". The > atttitude sickened me, espcially when Forest went > on to win all those trophies whilst the Bramall > Lane trophy cupboard remained - remains! - quite > bare. Heehee....I didn't know that. Just think of the bragging rights across Yorkshire you could have had with a couple of European Cups in your trophy room!! The mind boggles.

On a much lighter note (and with added kudos for a quite splendid moustache at the sprightly age of 24 - lucky git): Rocket Man set to become Record Man It's recent, if not quite from today. Now....back to this other unpleasantness if you will....