david_carnell

I agree LM. The desire to consume is unrelenting in modern society. It is no longer just about keeping up with "the Jones's" but about being made to feel like unless you own a Bentley, a designer wardrobe and a huge house you have somehow failed in life. It's incredibly unhealthy. De-Botton's "status anxiety" sums it up nicely. When the role models of so many of the young are Premiership footballers and glamour models, what hope is there? Trying to teach children about equality when footballers get paid hundred's of thousands of pounds a week is like Canut trying to turn back the tide.

Brendan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Well LM here are some ideas, > > Under this government millions of people on low > incomes are forced to pay hundreds of pounds in > income tax every year, keeping pensioners on the > breadline and meaning that for many people in low > paid jobs work simply doesn?t pay. Even a person > working full-time earning minimum wage has nearly > ?1000 taken in income tax. At the same time we > have a tax system that lets big business and the > very rich treat tax as if it is optional. > > Somebody needs to radically rebalance the tax > system, cutting taxes for people on low and middle > incomes which will be paid for by cutting reliefs > and closing tax loopholes that benefit the > wealthiest. > > If you raised the threshold at which people start > paying income tax from current levels to ?10,000, > cutting the average working age person?s income > tax bill by ?700 and cutting pensioner?s income > tax bills by ?100. These plans will mean that > almost 4 million people on low incomes will no > longer have to pay any income tax at all. Seconded.

No...it's not OK. Which is exactly what I said. But I clarified it as being something that doesn't mean that equality isn't something to dismiss because of the actions of 3 ex-ministers. The morals of lobbying are something I could talk at some length about (having been a lobbyist) but it's for another thread. Where have you read that those are the two biggest winners....or are you guessing? On the basis that you're not, my proposal for an increase in the NMW would target those most in need in society. When your time and effort is taken up with feeding and clothing your family (see the Mamora Man experiment of last year) attempting to advance yourself is not easy. I believe a couple of extra pounds per hour could help that. As one of the middle-class white collar public sector workers that you seem obsessed and dismayed about, can I ask, with some degree of anger, what the fuck your problem is? Are you saying my work isn't useful or that I'm overpaid because neither is true. You want this job - have it. I don't get paid a great deal and if I get a few extra days holiday and maybe a decent pension in 40 years then I bloody earned them. And as for "patronising handouts" - you're just trying to wind me up now, right? So Working Tax Credits that top up people's income, allowing them the dignity of returning to work after long term unemployment, is patronising is it?! Do some research before recycling tired cliches about the benefits system.

He's referring to this article about Stephen Byers. That well know arch-socialist. C'mon Quids, you're better than raking up this as some sort of argument against equality. Even his own colleagues are astounded at his stupidity. And then man is no more a socialist than you are. I'm not defending his actions, he's a proper tool, but it's not massively relevent to this debate is it?

Another question for any computer knowledgeable types out there: Having upgraded from a net book to a Dell laptop running Windows 7 I am having trouble installing my HP Laserjet 1010 printer. Although there isn't a specific driver available for Windows 7 I've followed online instructions to work around this involving a Vista driver. I have downloaded this driver. However, in the Control Panel I am unable to select "Add Printer" as a spooler error appears. I've looked up the problem online and been into "Run/msc.services" and my spooler isn't starting. It's dependant on a Remote Procedure Call which is working fine. Trying to manually start the spooler leads to a 1053 Error. The orginal error for the spooler is a 1813 Error Code. I'm now at a loss as to what to try next. Can anyone help me before I have to call out an expert? Many thanks.

I often find myself thinking of those.

You and me both ????. I could get a taste for this....

Nope - I promised PGC half and PGC shall have half. If only my Carruthers bet had been an each-way....grrr....

I DON'T CARE...... COME ON!!!!!

Errr....idiots gambling question alert: I went into my nearest turf accountant and placed my bets but have no idea what odds I actually got. Never bothered to find out what they were. Do I get the odds as they were at the time of my bet or the closing odds. Doesn't really make much difference since they're highly unlikely to win but you never know so.....help please....

Relax PGC - in neighbourly spirit I have put a fiver on for you alongside my own on Carruthers. If IC wins I'll split the winnings with you.

Can I bet on Carruthers just because I like Erskine Childer's novel? No, really, can I?

woofmarkthedog Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ruffers Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > > > Apparently Bernie is trying to get 2 compulsory > > pit stop so they can take a bit more risk with > > their tyres and, even better, short cuts to > > overtake. > > Still waiting for mushrooms or blue shells. > > > > (By the way I love F1 and watch all of every > race, > > but this season threatens to be a massive > > disappointment imho) > __________________________________________________ > ___ > > Ruffers... > > > In less than say 75 words ( so no one falls asleep > ) can you expand on the above a little > > So we can be F1 "crazeeee..." too > > > Please ( see my new "nice guy" logo below ) > > > W:):)F The "short cuts" are just that. Bernie Ecclestone (who owns/runs F1) has mooted the idea of short cuts on the track that drivers would be allowed to use a maximum number of times per race (3 for example) to enable them to overtake a slower car in front that had been holding them up. The "mushrooms and blue shells" idea, whilst funny, is a parody of mario kart that enable racers to either go very quickly for a short period or fire a projectile from their car to knock an opponent off the track. A sidewinder missile might be more appropriate for F1. *yawn*

Introduce a living wage at ?7.50ph would be my first step.

But Jeremy, what you're implicitly saying is that once you have made the purchase there is some moral framework that has to be adhered to by the vendor in what they spend their money on? That's a very difficult logical line to take: Lager - ok, as long as it's no more than two cans night and not the special brew stuff. Drugs - no, but the odd cheeky spliff I'll turn a blind eye to. Nappies - just make sure they're supermarket own brand or be damned. If a mate comes to me and asks for a loan of ?100 because he's short at the end of the month I don't demand a spreadsheet of his accounts and want to know what he's spending it on. You gives your money, you takes your choice. If you give to Oxfam do you demand to know precisely what they've done with your ?20 or do you assume that in some small way your money is being used for a "good thing" and feel better about yourself.

A week in and I'm now hovering around the 70k mark and my strings are beginning to come together. But goddamn those are good scores.

You mean he might actually be a plumber?

SteveT Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > david_carnell wrote:- If you're in favour of > social mobility, how would you go about ensuring > it occurs. > Being successful in your studies (double first at > Oxbridge) would help, provided you make the right > sounds during your > > interviews, or making pots of cash running a > successful business. Yeah - not the most useful suggestion Steve. I think the problems that inequality brings may rear their ugly head before the Oxbridge stage, don't you?

Rye Lane is, err, vibrant. I'm a big fan, I really am. You can buy all manner of items at low prices and it's all a bit theatrical. But....I can see people's point that, if you're not in the best of moods, a trip down Rye Lane, dodging other people, debris and the constant noise from ALL establishments can test the patience of any man. That said, I wouldn't live anywhere else in the local area (I'm in "Bellenden Village" btw). As someone else has mentioned you might have to get lucky to get a 2-bed for ?1kpcm. Maybe without the garden. It's been a while since I looked.

Yep, anywhere off Bellenden Road would be your best bet. Or perhaps the top end of Crystal Palace Road/Oakhurst Grove/The Gardens way. Walking distance of the stations, shops and bars but away from the the main roads to be quiet.

Jeremy - stay. No-one is arguing for equality of outcome - merely redressing the balance. And this comes from me and Brendan....we have useless jobs! We'd be penniless. If you're in favour of social mobility, how would you go about ensuring it occurs. And how would you measure it?

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Probably not. But not everyone puts in the same > amount of effort, so you can't measure it. > > It's not all about effort either. Some people have > the ability to do jobs which are more beneficial > to society than others. Should a bin man be > rewarded equally to a heart surgeon? Of course > not. I'm being a little flippant but not that much: Do you know who I think performs the more socially useful job out of those two? Well I know which one I'd miss first if both disappeared. Chances of me needing a heart surgeon - 100/1 at worst I should think. Chances of me needing my rubbish collected and the associated problems (such as disease) if it weren't collected. 100%. I'm not suggesting that they are equally skillful r even deserve the same salary but if you're talking about professions and their social worth/usefulness then refuse collectors come pretty high in my book.

Only if we can refer to you as "a Sheila".

You're correct that it is a shocking experiment GG. When I first came across it I was horrified. But if you read more, inlcuding some of Milgram's original work, there are points of salvation that help you understand human nature more - and I think that can only be a good thing. I'd start by just reading the wiki explanations of the interpretations and go from there. The Hofling Hospital experiment shows a similar real life version. If you're interested in this sort of thing I'd recommend two other famous experiments: The Rosenhan Experiment - concerns the validity of psychiatric diagnosis Bystander Apathy - why we do nothing when witnessing crime(s) Enjoy your new found insight into the human condition!

Well, they can (and do) sit A-Levels just like any pupil but the International Bac is more popular at private schools. Obviously universities want good exam results but (Oxbridge especially) are now looking for more than just 4 x A grade. They want well-rounded individuals with outside interests. Private schools produce these in droves. They have access to the finest arts and sports programmes and not having to worry about a place on a league table allows education to be broader than the exam-hot-houses that state schools are becoming.