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.

Eijnar said: April 21, 2014 at 5:07 pm

The return to Victorian era methods of dealing with poverty does not end with the introduction of foodbanks.

Does it not strike anyone that the abolition of Housing Benefit for the Under 25′s MUST cause them to be made homeless? But of course that would be unthinkable(?) so a brilliant “new” idea will be born.

As we obviously can’t simply allow the under 25′s to live in their own homes(!) it will become necessary to provide them with some alternative form of housing.And it will obviously have to be well organised so as to “promote” the right values. It will also occur to our Ruling Elite that this type of institution would be the ideal place to teach these people various skills and that these are best taught on the job and thus the modern WORK HOUSE will be born.

And why not? People will be able to work all day in return for basic food and housing,uniform provided and in return the inevitable PRIVATE COMPANY that owns and runs this marvelous establishment will be able to compete on an equal footing with any sweatshop on earth! A wonderful rebirth of Gradgrind economics awaits the lucky inhabitants of these places of education and industry,how I envy them the opportunity to be worked to death before the age of 40,to relive the simple joys of 19th century social policy.Men and women can be kept entirely separate and every aspect of their lives subject to the control of kindly,well intentioned middle class types who will have no choice but to accept a very high index linked salary and regular arduous training in 5* hotels.Yet when this is finally done the very people being helped the most will never recognize how lucky they are !

Max,

Don't worry Wavy Dave and Porky will reduce income on the high "earners" and that will solve the problem.

--------

GF,

Sounds like a sound neo-fascist solution dreamt up by Hazy One and mates.

---------

Crazy, this lousy lot have been digging a deeper and deeper hole for 4 years and claiming victory by hitting a gas pipe.

(The I'm all right Jack period has arrived!

Vote for the barmy right wing tory, or the even barmier UKIP brigade!)

Bloody foreigners. Up and at "em boys.

Ych!

Hope you guys can help this inspirational young man reach his target:

Stephen Sutton, in his last hours of life, would like to raise £1m before he dies so as to make his life have been worthwhile.

As I type, he is just about 3/4 of the way there with more than £1/4M raised since the article was written in the paper yesterday.

meanwhile, it's very noticeable that "the west" has become very quiet indeed with regards to syria

don't like assad - he's backed by that terrorist crew hezbollah
don't like the rebels - they're backed by al qaeda

right move - steer well clear despite the appalling impact on the innocent population

The west has made a complete balls up in Syria...by mistake?

not so - it has walked away before getting badly embroiled for a change

Jamaica Inn
BBC apologises after hundreds of viewers complain they couldn't hear dialogue in 'Jamaica Inn'

glad to discover that it was far from just Beloved and myself who felt we needed sub-titles for both episodes one and two,especially for Joss, whose mumblings were totally unintelligible
such a shame as the production is great

Manuel,

Get a better hearing aid.

Treat yourself.

read on-line and you'll find there must be a good market for your devices

Anyone else watching 'Fargo' with Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton? The horror is hilarious!

I think it's brilliant. It's a series and if you are interested (check out the brilliant reviews), you can use catch up TV to download Episode 1 and start watching.

Also, I reckon one of the best shows on TV at the moment and which is guaranteed to keep you laughing or at the very least keep a smile on your face whilst you watch it, is Rob Brydon's 'The Guess List'

Update - Labour lead at 3
by YouGov in Politics
Wed April 23, 2014 6 a.m. BST

Latest YouGov / The Sun results 22nd April - Con 34%, Lab 37%, LD 10%, UKIP 12%;

Labour 44 seat majority!!!!!!!!

Labour 44 seat majority!!!!!!!!

is that even without your vote?

actually, even if the poll is accurate or even meaningful, 37% would give ZERO majority .... as old pal sticky will confirm, labour need 38%+ for a majority

A Labour 44 seat majority.


Is that something to celebrate?

David Cameron's constituency office calls police on food bank campaigners Bishop of Oxford and Reverend Keith Hebden



Door was shut in church leaders' faces as David Cameron wrote for The Church Times on his Anglican faith



Felicity Morse

Tuesday 22 April 2014



David Cameron’s constituency office has come under fire for calling the police on the Bishop of Oxford and Reverend Hebden as they attempted to present him with an open letter on food poverty.


Their letter, part of the End Hunger Fast campaign, was signed by 42 Anglican bishops and more than 600 clerics and called on the three party leaders to work with the parliamentary inquiry into food poverty to implement its recommendations.

However, despite David Cameron’s Witney office expecting their visit, they were barred from presenting the letter and instead greeted by three police officers. Around 40 people had walked to his office following a service, and while the congregation stood on the opposite side of the road, the Rt Revd John Pritchard and Rev Hebden went to deliver the letter on their own. The police “weren’t there very long” when they realised the situation, Reverend Keith Hebden told The Independent, saying that they could see Cameron’s office staff looking out the window as they were forced to abandon their visit.

He added: “It is deeply ironic, to say the least, that on the same day David Cameron was writing in the Church Times talking about what a good Anglican he is, he was wasn’t able to receive his own bishop in his constituency office. I think this speaks volumes.

“They were expecting us, we had phoned ahead. Most of my surprise was reserved for them not even opening the door. The letter was positive and addressed to all three party leaders, so it wasn’t political.”






Full story here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-camerons-constituency-office-calls-police-on-food-bank-campaigners-bishop-of-oxford-and-reverend-keith-hebden-9274303.html

MaxK
Where did you get 44 majority from?

Fred's post.


Fred1new - 23 Apr 2014 10:10 - 39842 of 39846

Labour 44 seat majority!!!!!!!!

while trussell are indeed a respected organisation and do an excellent job, the implication of the above table is that the number of people needing foodbank subsidy has risen ~2.5x between 2012 and 2013

of course that is something of a distortion, for though the number may well have grown, it does not show like/like but merely that there was a hidden need before more foodbanks were opened