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.

Not according to polls! Cameron is still far more popular than Milliband.

,

Hays,

I wish you would ask your party's whips to get they party line straight.

Can keep up with all the ducking and diving its doing.

Did he or didn't he?

Don't ask Hunt.

He doesn't even know Cameron.

(Why is Georgie so quiet?

21:49, Wednesday 20 July 2011

Thirteen European economists have written an open letter to European leaders, imploring them to take decisive action on the eurozone crisis when they meet on Thursday. Here is their letter in full:

A call to action: EU leaders must act to save the euro and avoid a recession

The e urozone crisis is coming to a head. This column is an open letter to European leaders imploring them to take decisive action this week. Any more delays could mark the end of the Eurozone as we know it.

The debt crisis has reached the core of the Eurozone.

Italy and Spain are now directly involved in a serious credibility crisis.

The creditworthiness of more than one-third of the Eurozone is being challenged.

For the first time, the very survival of the euro is at stake.

EU leaders gathering in Brussels on Thursday face a historical responsibility. It is essential that an agreement be reached on a plan that prevents further escalation of the crisis.

As economists actively involved in the policy debate, we have offered a number of suggestions. The common thrust of these proposals is that the expansion the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) is essential; it must be able to make banks strong enough to withstand a default by Greece. The EFSF should also be allowed to operate in secondary bond markets and be given operational flexibility and independence. There are many technical details and many variants of these proposals. The important thing is to acknowledge that leaders are out of time. Deciding to not decide could mark the end of the Eurozone as we know it.

Angelo Baglioni , UniversitCattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan

Richard Baldwin , Graduate Institute, Geneva and CEPR

Samuel Bentolila , CEMFI, Madrid and CEPR

Tito Boeri , Bocconi University and CEPR

Paul De Grauwe , University of Leuven and CEPR

Juan Dolado , Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and CEPR

Luis Garicano , London School of Economics and CEPR

Francesco Giavazzi , Bocconi University and CEPR

Daniel Gros , Centre for European Policy Studies, Brussels

Jean Pisani-Ferry , BRUEGEL and UniversitParis-Dauphine

Richard Portes , London Business School and CEPR

Guido Tabellini , Bocconi University and CEPR

Beatrice Weder di Mauro , University of Mainz and CEPR

Can't stand Piers Morgan, how he's got to be a 'celeb' is beyond me.

its the hair

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/video/skyworldnews-14898227/shuttle-heading-home-for-the-last-time-25999590.html

Sky News 16 minutes ago

...More Than 34,000 Police Jobs To Go
....More than 34,000 police jobs will be lost as part of Government cuts, Her inspectors have said.

Around 16,200 police officers will be lost by 2015, giving rise to fears crime could go up by 3%, a report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary said.

Among police staff, 16,100 will lose their jobs, and 1,800 community support officers will also form part of the overall reduction of 14%.

The figures came from the inspectors' survey of 43 forces across England and Wales.

Protecting policing will be "very challenging", the report said, adding: "Forces will have to transform their efficiency if they are to protect frontline services."

HMIC chief Sir Denis O'Connor said: "The police service must adapt to these changing times in order to deliver the best deal for taxpayers and they will need some support to do this."

I wonder if the following information will be of useful humorous information to any of the punters on here?

"A Great Tit produces its waste in enclosed sacs that it later removes from its nest.

The average Great Tit removes approximately 500 sacs of manure from its nest each week."

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It is not clear from the above whether some of the 'sacs of manure' end up on this BB.

Dreams.

I thought we had the Law and Order Party in place, or were the promises made before the last election, just fairy stories for the gullible?

It would seem to me, with the increasing likelihood of public strife and criminality due to ongoing economic "recession", that reduction of "on the ground" policing numbers will be a folly.

Not against "cutting down" waste, reducing costs of "resourcing", or increasing other "efficiencies", and think these factors should always be considered.

But, any organisation of the size which the Police Authority is, needs an efficient "bureaucracy", or "administration".

Collation of data leads to successful apprehension of "criminals", but is also needed for "protection" of the police against "false" claims for compensation. Unfortunately, and increasing problem with a litigious society.

Also, look at those "necessary" increases in the investigation costs of the "Phone hacking" affair/s.

(Look at the cost of kicking some of the details into the long grass to "save money".)

I think this government is beginning to realise some the responsibilities and "problems" of being in "charge",

I think thinking before knee jerk responses based on outdate ideology may be appropriate/

I hope that Cameron doesn't have to make too many more "mistakes" in order to learn.



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

Now we know why the government is relaxing/clarifying how much force we can use to both defend ourselves and our homes. It is because we will end up being more self policing than the police themselves.
I know from experience that often when the police look to cut backroom waste, and believe me there is plenty to cut, they often end up cutting the front line more or at least as much.
The reason being that the decision makers are those of high rank, and where do most of these high rankers hide (sorry mean work), thats right in those back room officers.
One major point is 'statistics'. At least 25% of all police work is filling in forms that are nothing more than fulfilling the governments want for figures.
When I retired in 2003, I can state with full confidence that on average each job took at least 3 times as long to complete as when I started my career in 1977.
A simple what was then called 'Breach of the Peace or Drunk and Disorderly' required 4 very simple forms to complete the court file. When I left a Section 5 Public Order (the equal of a B of P or D and D) took 17 completed forms.
A simple theft in 1977 took either 4 or 5 forms (memory not as it was) not counting statements, in 2003 it took 23 plus statements.
I kid you not on both these instances.

Also every station had cells and counter staff where prisoners were dealt with (they are now called custody suites). The staff being bought in from other duties at the smaller stations, if there were any prisonres. If no prisoners, they were out policing the streets.
Now due to 'efficiency measures' bought in about 15 years ago, there are often only 2 to 3 custody suites in any 1 police force area.
This can mean that you can be miles away from such suites.
I can recall many an instance were I made an arrest which required a trip of 36 miles to a cell block (I never called them suites). The prisoner was deposited, then I had to return to the arrest area to obtain statements, (or you found someone else take them and bring them to you, which was difficult), so that was another 36 miles, returning to interview (36 miles) then returning back to your station (36 miles). So in total 144 miles to deal with 1 simple offense. In fact the furthest part of my force area was 41 miles from the nearest cell block.
In the old days of the cell blocks being connected to every station total mileage was a very small fraction of those totals.
So a job that took around 1 to 2 hours max in 1977, could take a whole 8 hour shift in 2003, and I have been old that it has got worse since then.
There are many other examples of such ridiculous policy.
Governments insatiable appetite for form filling takes priority, crime detection comes a poor second
Efficiency, don't make me laugh!

One thing's for sure, the double quote mark will never be out of a job while Fred's around.

Which is odd considering that in most cases single quotes or italics would be correct as the words and phrases are mainly not quotes.

Can I quote you on that!

Ah, I've got it now - Fred's quoting himself.

Amazing that it was 42 years ago - on this day.

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Yes - I vividly remember watching it with my Dad.