Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Mnamreh,

I appreciate your posts were not intended to annoy, (I get annoyed very easily, just ask the wife) so please reconsider not posting again.

I have enjoyed our communicating on this thread and although I am sure we have not always agreed, I have found your 'content' posts well argued and your views relevant.

If you leave this thread, as I did for a few weeks, because of the replying to the idiots I have on squelch, the muppets will have won.

If you do stay or leave, best regards.

Greek.

It is good to see Osborne is growing up and recognising that UK economic problems are link into European and World economies and that Britain is not an “Island unto itself”.

Also, it is good to see that he is at last trying to plough money into the infrastructure in order to stimulate the economy.

(Devaluing the pound in his and your pocket.)

Now, he needs to do now is reduce VaT

--------

In the Press

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Cameron says that he now expects the crisis in the eurozone to drag on for years, blighting the British economy. He indicates that the programme of spending cuts, initially planned to take five years, is now likely to last for the entire decade. Mr Cameron insists that he still wants to cut tax but that any reductions would have to be funded by even greater public spending reductions. Asked whether the austerity programme would now last a decade until 2020, the Prime Minister replies: “I think it’s going to be...this is a period for all countries, not just in Europe but I think you will see it in America too, where we have to deal with our deficits and we have to have sustainable debts. I can’t see any time soon when…the pressure will be off.

===========

From Yahoo

“"No man is an island unto himself"

“Donne is comparing all of mankind to a continent and therefore each person is a piece of the continent , not an island. Donne goes on to say that if a clod breaks off from a continent , the continent is less than it was before. Therefore when one person dies, all of mankind is lessened by that death. Thus, he indicates that one should not ask for whom the bell tolls announcing someone's death but rather it tolls for everyone.”

Perhaps, worth remembering by some of the little Englanders.


No Man Is An Island

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

John Donne

Apple must run "Samsung did not copy iPad" ads - report


(Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) has been instructed by a British judge to run ads saying that Samsung (005930.KS) did not copy its design for the iPad in the latest twist in the ongoing patent battles between the two tech giants, according to Bloomberg.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/333795/Now-Britain-exports-more-to-rest-of-the-world-than-EU

BRITAIN sent a defiant message to Europe yesterday after it emerged our trade is booming with the rest of the world.
We are exporting more goods to non-EU countries than those in the economic bloc for the first time in 40 years, figures showed.
It delivers a crushing blow to the Euro-­fanatics who insist that we can’t survive without Brussels

Perhaps, the EU don't want UK products!

World population 7 billion people.

EU population approx 730million

UK population approx 65 million.

The channel is an expensive drop of water.

The EU accounts for over 40% of UK exports, but the percentage is dropping and if the EU "devalues" in one way or another the percentage will drop further and the UK GDP will follow to a degree.

Cameron is blathering on about he would never campaign to leave Europe if there was a referendum.
What the hell is he on about.
Britain was part of Europe well before the EU, its where it is placed that rules that. Perhaps we should tow it a few miles into the middle of the Atlantic.
Very few people want to cut the UK off from European trade, which is the great scary story that Europhiles are touting.
What myself and Euro sceptics want is to leave the EU, with its petty and overtly expensive rules and regulations.
Cameron sees it, as we all sink or swim together, whilst I see it as we are already sinking together, and are destined to share the same leaky lifeboat.
Mind you, the interview that he gave, at least tells us where his true feelings lie, and its not for a self ruled UK, but for a continuing membership of the bureaucratic, gravy train monster called the EU.

And another moan.
The current government has agree to pay £10,000 to councils for each problem family that they 'turn round', which means that these families receive personal assistance to get their kids out of bed in the mornings, assist with breakfast (I kid you not) and to get them to school by taxi if required.
Me, I would say, get your idle butts out of bed, breakfast if you want it and get your kids to school, or all your scrounging benefits will be stopped, without notice.
Bloody nanny state, they will soon be offering to wipe peoples back *****, if they are too lazy to do it themselves.
I will be one of those who vote for UKIP, or if they do not put up a candidate in my constituency, a fringe party, just for protest sake.
What I will not do is vote for this mealy mouthed, no back boned lot.

I could go on, but my wifes just moved me and my computer into the shed which has no electric, so the batteries just about to run o.

Cameron's interests are mainly self interest and those of his ilk.

A one liner from Fred , that makes a change

A lot of truth in that one line!

The Labour party when in power feather their own nest

A lot of truth in this one liner as well

It seems that IMF disagrees with the Osborne and Cameron's economic policies, as suggested by many previously.

I suppose the toriies, UKIP and the BNP will blunder on.

====================================

Retail sales in the UK also failed to spread the cheer, increasing by just 0.1% in June (+1.6% on last year), under consensus forecasts of a 0.6% rise (+2.4% year-on-year). In other domestic news, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that the UK needs to take more aggressive action to kick-start growth. “Repair and rebalancing of the UK economy is likely to be more prolonged than initially envisaged Confidence is weak and uncertainty is high.”

====================

Ian Tomlinson death: PC cleared

This appears to me to be a travesty of justice.

I wonder what the civil courts will find.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18900484

Fred

I think for the first time that I agree with you


It has emerged that, in 2000, five years after he joined the Met, PC Harwood was involved in what was described at Mr Tomlinson's inquest as a "road rage" incident but his employment record was kept from the jury.

He was off-duty and the other driver complained of unlawful arrest and abuse of authority.

PC Harwood denied the accusation but retired on medical grounds in 2001 before a disciplinary hearing took place.



Sound's a lot like many other case's in the past , when they have walked free.

Who's going to be the first to post today ? Oh its me

The interesting thing about PC Harwood is that he retired on health grounds which stopped the disiplinary hearing. He then joined the police force almost immediately as a civilian worker before rejoining as a PC. It was an interesting device to avoid any punishment.

I was in a super market just now. The guy behind me was only buying 2 items. He had a small bunch of flowers and a bottle of very cheap cream sherry. He may be optimistic about getting lucky tonight!

It is about time something was done about strike legislation. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union at the Home Office are set to go on strike.

The PCS said 57.2% of those who voted backed strike action - the turnout was 20%. That's just 11.44% of the union in favour of a strike. There needs to be some change to the law to make unions get at least 50% of the union voting before their votes count. For preference, I would insist on 100% voting.

Far too many people in this country are running around with guns, just like the USA. The lack of gun laws in America are an absolute joke and you still get idiots like the Governor of California saying it isn't a problem.

KEY U.S. MASS SCALE SHOOTINGS



Virgina Tech, April 2007


Seung-Hui Cho, a student, shot and killed 32 people and inured 15 others at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

He then turned the gun on himself.

Fort Hood, November 2009


Major Nidal Hasan , a U.S. army psychologist, fired at a military base in Fort Hood, Texas. 13 people were killed and 42 others were injured.

Columbine High School, April 1999


Two teenage schoolboys shot and killed 12 schoolmates and a teacher at the school in Littleton, Colorado, before killing themselves.


Gabrielle Giffords, January 2011

Six people including a nine-year-old girl were killed and 12 others were wounded when a gunman opened fire at a public gathering outside a grocery in Tuscon, Arizona.


Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was at the scene and was severely injured with a gunshot to the head.

Civic centre, April 2009


13 people shot dead by a gunman in Binghamton, New York


Alabama, 2009


While driving a car through towns in Alabama, a 28-year-old redundant worker starting shooting randomly killing 10 people.


Omaha, December 2007


Nine people killed and injured five others in a shopping center in Omaha, Nebraska after a 20-year-old man started shooting


Northern Illinois University, February 2008


Five students killed and 16 injured after a man opened fire in a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. At the end of the shooting spree he surrendered, laying down his weapon

20 July 2012
Hayden Miller told KUSA-TV that he was inside Theatre 16 and heard several shots. He said at first he thought it was part of a louder movie next door, but then he saw 'people hunched over leaving theatre.'

The gunman was arrested without incident in a car park nearby and told the police that explosives were stored at his home. He remains in police custody.

Police chief Dan Oates told reporters that an apartment block in the north of Aurora had been evacuated as a consequence of the man's claims his apartment had explosives.

They found the suspect's apartment rigged with tripwires tied to bottles of unknown substances. 'It's not something I've ever been before,' Oates told an early-afternoon press conference.


Around 6.40 a.m. local time, there were a reports of an explosion at the apartment.

Police said that another handgun was found left in the cinema but there was no evidence of any other attackers.

They added there was no immediate knowledge of the motive.

The FBI say they are working with local police. They say it is still early in the investigation, but that there is no terrorism link so far. The car park of the mall remains closed off.

Police spokeswoman Cassidee Carlson said: 'The scene is still very active and we have little information for release at this time.'

Hospitals reported shrapnel injuries and Denver University hospital reported it was treating three people for 'chemical exposure'.

With ambulances rushing to the hospitals, some chose to get to the nearest medical facility by foot.

Mitt Romney said today: 'This is a time for each of us to look inot our hearts and remember how much we love each other. Our hearts break for the victims and their families.'

Brenda Stuart, of 850 KOA Radio, said: 'Police are taking people to hospital in their own cars,


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2176377/The-Dark-Knight-Rises-screening-shooting-Gunman-gas-mask-shoots-dead-12-people--including-children--midnight-screening-Batman-premiere-Denver.html#ixzz21BwNKqiX

Hays,

I think it would be more sensible if the government negotiated in good faith.

I don't think this government is capable of doing so, hence the strikes.

Just as Bob Diamond can withdraw his labour so can others further down the scale.

Not advocating strikes, but there is the smell of poor management and downward pressure from this government who are not taking the same financial cuts and pressures and reductions in probable future payments and pensions.

I may be wrong, but I don't think the unemployment figures given are true representative of what is happening in the labour market and "take home pay".

At the moment the a large percentage of the labour force is demoralised, depressed and apathetic, but also beginning to feel abused and resentful.

Unfortunately, that will probably manifest itself in more "strikes" and "social disruption".