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 wish animals could revert the process and treat human life with the equal disdain.

This guy sounds like a final solution type:



Bengt Holst, the zoo's scientific director, said he had never considered cancelling the killing, despite the protests. "We have been very steadfast because we know we've made this decision on a factual and proper basis. We can't all of a sudden change to something we know is worse because of some emotional events happening around us.

"It's important that we try to explain why we do it and then hope people understand it. If we are serious about our breeding activities, including participation in breeding programmes, then we have to follow what we know is right. And this is right."

DB 4,

They do so when they have a chance.

Do you think Wavy Dave will order another U-Turn and save the Kangaroo?

Some light reading

Good to see the Pickle apologizing for Flooding mistakes!

London flooding.

Like Haze suggested I think they should be allowed to flood. No point in resisting it.

It wasn't a simple apology.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has admitted the Government made a "mistake" in not dredging rivers to prevent flooding, because it relied too heavily on Environment Agency advice.

Good to see Cameroon has a united government.

Means they will all sink together.

What will Big Dave do about this?



EU to force Britons to publish details of wills and property

A bill being debated in Brussels would force UK citizens to disclose 'reams' of private, financial information on a public register


Mark Field MP said the EU proposals "threaten a family's right to keep their affairs confidential"


Richard Dyson
By Richard Dyson

6:55AM GMT 09 Feb 2014



New legislation planned in Brussels is set to heap fresh costs and paperwork on families’ financial planning, as well as leaving their affairs open to unwanted public scrutiny.


A European law is being drafted whose original aim was to prevent corporate money-laundering. The objective, supported by the UK, was to force companies to disclose on a register the money and other assets held inside trusts or equivalent legal arrangements.


But officials in Brussels have widened out the proposals as the bill has evolved, to include trusts. The effect could be to force millions of families to compile elaborate accounts of their assets and financial arrangements including insurance policies, property and bequests made in their wills, for entry into a register. And that register, if legislators get their way, could be made available to any member of the public.


British lawyers and tax experts are baffled by the potential implications. Most are bitterly opposed to the costs and intrusion that could result. The use of trusts or what the EU would define as “legal arrangements” is commonplace in Britain and Ireland, but not elsewhere in Europe. As a result many run-of-the-mill transactions between British individuals, or between individuals and financial institutions, would fall within the net of the law if applied to the UK. Similar transactions in Europe would not be affected, lawyers say.


Richard Frimston, partner at solicitors Russell-Cooke, said: “The European Parliament thinks all trusts are the work of the devil designed to aid tax dodgers. But trusts are an integral part of English law and underpin the most everyday of transactions.”


More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/10624818/EU-to-force-Britons-to-publish-details-of-wills-and-property.html

About time it was done.

Also, is one of the main reasons some some Euro-phobics do not want more integration into Europe.

It will reduce organised tax dodging.

=========

Interesting to hear Chris Smith interview on Today in response to Pickle's attempt to "smear" him.

Seems the real problem is government financial management policies are a major root of the present "flooding" problem.

===

As this government totters on, how many other problems are going to surface.

Just the tip of the iceberg this Fred.

Watch out for social unrest this summer.

Got to watch the big benefits row prog last night a week late but never the less, if that show is representative of how people feel on the poor and benefits NOW it shows their has been a big turnaround from the demonisation imposed on them from IDS and co.

I was very suprised just how much public support is turning.

I think the tories have pushed it too much and people are finaly seeing through them realising they could BE NEXT.

Update - Labour lead at 4
by YouGov in Politics
Sun February 9, 2014 6 a.m. GMT

Latest YouGov / Sunday Times results 7th February - Con 35%, Lab 39%, LD 10%, UKIP 10%

Populous poll from Friday 7 Feb

CON 33%, LAB 36%, LDEM 9%, UKIP 15%

.

As a patriotic Scot it hurts to say that I agree with Paul Hayward:


Six Nations 2014: Scotland should be told to shape up or ship out

Scotland's pathetic performance against England at Murrayfield was an absolute travesty - the Six Nations committee is within their rights to intervene




By Paul Hayward

3:50PM GMT 09 Feb 2014

Scotland should be told by the Six Nations Championship to start taking it seriously or step aside for another country to have a go. This may seem a melodramatic response to their lamentable 20-0 home defeat to England at the weekend but the Scots are becoming an embarrassment to one of sport's greatest tournaments.


This is not English arrogance speaking but genuine dismay at the tosh served up by Scotland on a pitch described by Mike Brown, the England full-back, as "not good enough for international rugby." As with the surface, so with the team. And Murrayfield itself is not much better. The great cauldron of Scottish union is now a heavily corporatised world of synthetic patriotism, firework bangs and pre-match cavorting by the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.


After the heirs of Ian McGeechan, John Rutherford and Jim Telfer scored nought against the Auld Enemy for the first time since 1978, Scottish rugby needs saving from itself - and the Six Nations committee would be within their rights to tell the game north of the border that it is really bringing the mood down.


The Home Nations Championship - the forerunner of today's Six Nations - has been going since 1883, so offence is bound to be taken in Edinburgh at the idea of Scotland being put on notice. But no tournament should be a haven for countries who dilute their national identity, mess up their club structure, hire foreign coaches by the busload and lay on a playing surface that is a wildlife reserve for worms.

DB 4.

Rubbish.

Teams come and go.

There is certain taste to the clashes.

But on the your observation.

England without any flare and relying on brute force and brawl should have been expelled after their loss to Wales.

WALES (9) 30
Tries: Cuthbert 2 Con: Biggar Pens: Halfpenny 4, Biggar Drop-goal: Biggar
ENGLAND (3) 3
Pen: Farrell
Wales stormed to the Six Nations title as they secured a record win over England and crushed the visitors' Grand Slam hopes in the process.


I think for a small Nation and money supplied the Small Nations of the Championship do remarkably well.

But I think Wales needs to pull their socks up and improve their strategical play.

Where are Waver Davy and his Chutney partner to-day?

Probably, hiding down a warren from a Cobra in the bowels of London.

Fred - teams come and go I agree, but that performance was truly abysmal and all the pre-match hype is a complete waste of money. I remember trying to go to a match at Murrayfield a long time ago and I couldn't get in as there was no space left in the ground - the fans were being turned back in droves. We could actually play in the days of Andy Irvine, Peter & Gordon Brown, Ian McGeechan etc. and I can remember one Scottish forward who actually played for half-an-hour with a broken leg. Where's the pride and passion gone, never mind the lack of talent.

Just seen Edwina Curry on the politics show BBC2, debating food banks.

WAY OUT OF TOUCH.

DISGRACE TO THE TORY PARTY.

GF.

I think she is a true advert for the Con party values.

Perhaps, she should get a safe seat and stand for leadership with haze as her deputy and Manuel as bag carrier.

Just a thought.

8-)

---------

DC 4

When Wales had a dreadful run in the championship, they had good backs but relatively small forwards and didn't get enough ball.

Also, training facilities and coaching was not that professional, if compared with today.


The problem was solved when parents were encouraged to put compost and fertilizer in the shoes and socks of the children.

Not sure what weight comparison of the packs are, but you have to have a hell of a lot of skill to make up for weight difference over an 80mins period.