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.

I agree with your point, but these guys brought up in very controlled environment, we should not simply assume they follow the same rules as we do or like them to follow.

As far as I understand, this is partially a war for oil.

....The North has apparently been angered by UN sanctions imposed after a recent nuclear test. Pyongyang has escalated its warlike rhetoric amid the current round of US-South Korea military drills.....

So the reason for North Korea actions are:

1. Military drills conducted by the United States and South Korea
2. The latest United Nations sanctions designed to punish it for its third nuclear test

source: http://www.koreaherald.com/

Brain washing beats dialogue every time!

This egotistical idiot, Kim Jong probably couldn't let off a firework without burning himself.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/davidblair/100210753/what-does-north-korea-hope-to-gain-from-all-this-tub-thumping-belligerence/

this latest osborne + disabled parking bay is yet another example of the press firing on all barrels at anything and everything that this gov't does, and of course ensuring that any little story is blown out of all proportions

this episode is a typical example for a great many reasons, but the easy way for GO to have scuppered it was to admit his driver - it was not GO himself who perpetrated the gaffe - was wrong and immediately pay a fine (i think it's meant to be £25) straight into a suitable charity

he's certainly an ass for not doing so

The story is not worth the time of day. Before Fred jumps in, nor is Ed Balls being done for 56 mph in a 50mph zone.

Cynic,

Just an expression of the Dream's iconic party.

A shambles.

Dream's just for you, to keep up to date.

.

Must be worth a fortune that painting. :-))

The Ed Miller Band to sue Labour Party for financial loss

16 piece brass band, 'The Ed Miller Band' has commenced court proceedings against the Labour Party to recoup financial losses which they attribute to an association with Labour leader and Wallace and Grommit stunt double Ed Miliband.

The Ed Miller Band are claiming the public's awareness of Ed Miliband and the similarity of their names has has a devastating affect to their bookings and album sales.

Fans of the unorthodox brass medley are leaving the fan club at an astonishing rate and several have even unfriended the band members on Facebook. One ex-fan Sharonda D'Courcey Di Mattheo Smith, whose hobbies include button counting and rock touching, told us; "I used to love the Ed Miller Band, until I realised their name sounded quite similar to Ed Miliband off the telly, and I just think he's a cheese eating arse clown. Total moron."

The Ed Miller Band have had all their upcoming bookings at Labour Clubs across the country cancelled. Tony Sideboob, entertainment secretary for the Labour Club in Knightsbridge, told us; "We really didn't really have any choice but to cancel the Ed Miller Band once we realised the name sounded like that Ed Miliband. What kind of organisation would want to be associated with that clart? He looks like my aunt Joyce, and nobody likes her either."

David Cameron was quizzed on the case during Prime Minister's questions by MP Eric Pickles. Cameron replied "who the hell is Ed Miliband?".

Worth a read.......... Osbornes dicing with his political career.......

http://paulburgin.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/george-osborne-and-welfare-argument.html

Of course, golfinger being a suitable representative of the looney left is making political capital out of Osborne's comment. He was asked a question and gave this reply (this is the whole quote and not a fragment).

"Philpott is responsible for these absolutely horrendous crimes and these are crimes that have shocked the nation; the courts are responsible for sentencing him.

"But I think there is a question for government and for society about the welfare state - and the taxpayers who pay for the welfare state - subsidising lifestyles like that, and I think that debate needs to be had."

Now, what Osborne said is ferfectly reasonable. The lefties are desperately trying to 'get something' on Osborne, but the remark is one that any politician might well say, whether from the right or the left.

Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it reserves

Albert Einstein

i'm afraid it still reads rather like guilt by association, and it was certainly not an intelligent link to have made ...... being under the spotlight 100% of the time will inevitably lead to certain gaffes and similar which the press will latch onto with glee, especially if the owner/editor/reporter is of "another persausion"

Osborne was not the one who linked Philpott to the benefits system. The question put to him while on a visit to the City was whether Mick Philpott was a "vile product" of the benefit system. Considering the question, his answer was pretty considered and mild.

Hays,

You are measuring Osborne’s reply against your own standards.

Blaming the person who asked the question for one’s own response is naivety. His answer reflected his views and position. He was foolish to have given that reply.

He is supposed to be one of the leading lights of the tory party and was until recently chalked in by the many of the tory party “elite” to be the replacement for Cameron.


His answer was crass and the response he made due to grasping any opportunity to advance his own right winged fascist position.

Philpotts, “developed” into a psychopath, whose “conscious” decisions appeared to allow him to abuse the “Welfare System” and other elements of society.


(One of the characteristics of psychopathology is short term opportunism.) (A bit like Osborne’s reaction.)

It would seem reasonable to try to reduce the possibilities of the Philpotts’ “type” actions, but the naive right winged attempt of slashing of “welfare support” for the “weakest and probably most incompetent” in society, are likely to produce greater problems than they cure.

The right winged ideologues are using cynically using the “case” as an opportunity to further their slash and burn policies.

Although such actions may be seen as giving you and others immediate gratification, these actions with other incompetent actions of the present government many based upon of the ill thought-out ideology, with little thought to the consequences of those actions, are probably creating more long term problems than they are resolving.

(I suggest you relate back to the McMillan period of government and its more pragmatic form of “Conservatism” with its economic practices and ongoing thought-out long term policies, but recognition of social responsibilities.)

He was just replying to a posed link to the Philpott case. The only part he mentioned in relation to the suggested link was that society should look at funding similar lifestyles. All a fuss about nothing.

" All a fuss about nothing."

Or "it is silly".
Are these expressions handed down from head office to be repeated as often as possible, at any time when you can't construct a reasonable reply?

Like the repeated whine from of, "it is all down to the previous government", from the tory ridden coalition government, when trying to excuse themselves from their ongoing U-turns and failing of its economic policies.

Notice, other than for some party zealots, the public is beginning to groan more and more when the remarks are made.

------------------------------

Osborne should pay attention to tax evasion and avoidance, the latter being taken to new heights, and many liken these forms of tax evasion to the practices of old fashioned thiefdoms and banana republics.

Large and small companies and individuals avoiding due taxes due on “income and wealth” earned and accumulated at the expense of the UK population to far off islands and other tax havens,.

Many of the above remaining politically active and involved in control of direction of political parties and the general democracy of the UK. (Financing of political advertisement in the last and previous elections can be seen as this influence, but at least it appears one or more participants seem to be giving up on the “tory “party after evaluating its “success” since the last election.
=====================

Considering the cost to the country by the abuse of the “Welfare Services” by a
relatively small number of scroungers, it would appear to be little in comparison with the cost of Tax evasions and avoidance schemes.

The latter should be addressed, as well as reforms to the Welfare System.
 

The same tax avoidance methods are used by Conservative supporters as are used by Labour ones. How much did Labour do to stop tax avoidance in all their years in officer - answer, nothing.

There is little that can be done unilaterally to stop tax avoidance of companies. The process has been going on for as long as companies have had a multinational nature. Differential pricing and licensing across borders is almost impossible to prevent.

fred
Public opinion is not on your side. Six out of ten people think benefits are too generous.