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.

Imagine a jobless academic to work as cashier, driver or web-designer for a small company.

That's only good for companies not individuals.

in that instance, Cameron is absolutely right ..... just because you have good (who says?) qualifications does not mean the world is gagging to give you a job ..... my local taxi firm has a number of drivers who were made redundant from decent jobs ..... one of the gardening firms that operates around here has an oxford graduate working for him

Daftland

We live in a country called Daftland
The England we knew is no more
Where sensible people do ludicrous things
Or risk breaking some Daftland law.

In Daftland we've police dogs with muzzles
Less the villain has cause to complain
And to steal from a shop and say 'sorry'
Means your free with no stain to your name.

You had better leave lights on in buildings
When you lock up and go home at night
'cause the burglars might hurt themselves entering
And there's no way you'll be in the right.

When speaking be wary in Daftland
As some terms that you've used all your life
Now have connotations unintended
And you'll end up in all sorts of strife.

We elect politicians in Daftland
To give us the laws of the land
Yet eight laws in ten now come from abroad
The whole thing has got out of hand.

The exception to this is the hero
Who fought for this land in the war
He's old and he's sick, he might cost us a bit
So he's not welcome here any more.

When the history is written of Daftland
Historians may just recall
That the craziest people in Daftland
Were the public who put up with it all.

Work harder; millions on benefits depend on your taxes!

How very true This_is_me.

3m - new recipes for you on on the relevant thread (COOK)

ref above - i could not believe to hear on the news this morning about a guy who did serious and unprovoked damage to a young lad - fractured skull and may still lose sight in one eye ...... he was jailed for ONLY 2 YEARS and now is applying for early release after only 14 WEEKS on the preposterous basis that he no longer poses a threat to anyone

Nothing surprises me cynic. Waiting to see what the driver gets for smashing my brother of his push bike at 55mph on an open view road. He is still off work from Sept. I would guess 3 points on his licence and a small fine.

and i wonder how much if any disability allowance your brother will receive ....

though no doubt the driver (his insurers) will be sued by your brothers insurers (i assume he has that cover), it will probably take 2/3 years or longer to get to court or to reach a respectable settlement

The driver is at work earning a living. Cannot go into to much detail at the moment.
His work cut his pay to the book and has not even phoned or sent a get well message. The court case is in June with the CPS as the prosecutors. The disability allowance is sadly not enough to live on, family are helping out.

Sorry to hear that dreamcatcher.

Cheers cynic for the relevant recepies will look later. The law is an ass.

Sorry to hear about your brother dc. you are probably right 3 points and a telling off.
The boys and I were nearly taken out yesterday coming home from the pictures, a driver coming around a bad bend completely on the wrong side - I quickly braked and steered out of the way nearly hitting a tree - the boys screamed I looked through my mirror and the prick was speeding down the road. I sat for a while and shook like a jelly. A couple of feet further on and and we would have been in a ditch nose down. Life hey, it's great if one doesn't weaken. He was probably as -issed as a newt.

Thanks ahoj, you just hope for a sensible judge on the day.

Agree 3m, I can only say how can you hit a cyclist with 500yrd visibility on a straight road. He of course was not on the phone or putting a text together. :-))

Dreams.

Supposing, that as a cyclist he doesn't have insurance cover and the court case is a criminal case and not a civil action, will your brother be able to obtain State Legal Aid to enable him, to sue the car driver and the driver's insurance company?

Or are the family going to support ongoing, possibly expensive, often drawn out legal expenses.

(I hope your brother makes a complete recovery.)

Sorry dc, I don't know how one can hit a cyclist with a 500 yard visibility on a straight road and I feel sorry for your Brother. Injuries have a knock on affect and no money in the world can put things right, it can help and I do hope the judge is kind on that day. Good Luck in June. btw it does not surprise me about your brothers works - one is only a number and I swallowed that pill once.

Thanks Fred and 3m, again until the case cannot say to much,. Money is not a problem Fred.

New law may be here soon as like some European countries , hit a cyclist end of story.

fred - legal aid almost certainly will not apply .... nevertheless, as with sports injuries, there are very good lawyers who will handle this type of claim on a no win no pay basis .... and no, i do not mean the ambulance chasers who keep advertising everywhere

Thanks for your interest as well cynic.

Derby fire deaths: Mick Philpott jailed for life

DC - let me know if you need any guidance and i'll scratch around