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.

ExecLine,

Fully agree re your Common Sense post.
As to others views...I do tend to listen to people I know re recommendations. I nearly always get others views re tradesmen, job quality, not likability. Word of mouth, good or bad can be of huge assistance, as usually if a tradesman does a good job once he usually does a good job every time and visa versa (bad job).
It is amazing how often you hear about a cowboy tradesman who continues getting plenty of work. If ever I have a bad experience, I make dam sure as many people know about it the better. In fact several years ago I had a threat of court action re a conservatory company. They did an excellent initial job but when 1 fault did appear (a skylight leak) about 12 months later they made several failed attempts to fix it, finally giving up. I said the whole skylight wanted replacing, they disagreed.
After several repeated attempt on my part to get them to return, one Saturday (their busiest day) I visited the main sales premises and approached anyone who looked like a potential customer and assailed them with my experiences. After only approaching 2 such persons, I was (after attempts at the aforementioned court action, at which I told them to go ahead and sue) promised attention the following week.
It was fixed that week.
I can never understand why people don't make more noise re bad service.
You often read about unbelievable service from so called professionals.
People seem frightened to take direct (legal) action.
Most of those who post on this thread appear of the stropy type, and I don't mean that in an insulting way. If less were wimps, bad service would be far less evident.

Re my post....Gypsys. Now I Wonder Why.
The Question was facetious.

Again, funny how you should mention H&S with regard to stepladders.

Did anyone read the very recent damages case where a school caretaker had fallen from his stepladders and sued the LEA?

The court awarded him damages as he had not been trained to use stepladders. I am no expert on stepladders (safe usage thereof) but am pretty certain the training cannot be more than someone shouting "Other way up, you berk", and anyone claiming they did not know how to use them and should have been trained should never have been let out of the institution they were in.
On my way to sue Tetleys as they have not printed "Hold this way up" on their tins of beer, and I have ruined my trousers. Where was the course they should have sent me on?????

Damn! I have just had my access to Halifax Online Banking suspended. (This morning it was Abbey Banking and Royal Bank of Scotland).

Anyhow, they say, "Important Notice:- You are strictly advised to match your Security Question and Answers rightly to avoid service suspension."

Ah well. So there we are then. Gotcha! Little do they know, but I don't have an account with Halifax OB. Hehehe. :-)

Alan,

It was the school caretaker case that I was thinking of, also if you remember he had been working with ladders for years (30+ I think).
As to the ruined trousers, you don't make it clear if it was the result of opening the tin incorrectly (it could be the word and is misleading me) or the result of drinking too much and not making it to the mens room on time.
If it was number 1 I would definitely sue Tetleys. If it was number 2 don't bother, although nowadays you never know.

As most of us here are investors, I have copied this from my post on another site.
It might just brighten up the day if your shares are down.

The experiment was actually conducted in 2000.
http://www.mgmt.purdue.edu/faculty/rau/funny/DartThrowing.html
It was on TV about 3 to 4 weeks ago.
Perhaps they should get such an IQ primate to run the country. Oh they have.

golly there are queer people on websites

'golly' and 'queer'?

That's racist and sexist too! And you only typed 7 words! 'Struth!

;-)

Max Mosley admits passion for sadomasochistic sex
By Graham Tibbetts
Last Updated: 6:28PM BST 07/07/2008

Max Mosley, the boss of Formula 1 motor racing, has admitted a lifelong passion for sadomasochistic sex but denied it involved Nazi role-playing, which he described as "unerotic".

He was accused of indulging in a "sick orgy" with five prostitutes that featured them dressing up as, allegedly as concentration camp figures.

At the High Court Mr Mosley, 68, admitted the article in a tabloid newspaper had "devastated" not only his own life but that of his wife of 48 years and their sons.

They had had no knowledge of his unusual preferences until the News of the World published the results of their sting operation in March.

However, James Price QC, appearing for Mr Mosley, said he had indulged in "S & M" - meaning sadomasochistic - role play for many years.

"Bottom spanking, whip fantasy and role play scenarios are an interest he accepts he has had since quite a young age," said Mr Price.

"Most people probably think that S & M behaviour - spanking of bottoms, whips and roleplays, doctors and nurses, Sheik and harem, guards and prisoners - are permissible and private and even funny.

"The News of the World, we say, is out of touch with the instincts of decent British people."

He said that such people believe that one's private life should remain private "so long as it does not involve exploiting children or vulnerable people".

The court heard that the session took place in a rented flat in Chelsea paid for by Mr Mosley for the purpose of meeting the women, whom he paid 500 each.

Covert recording equipment captured Mr Mosley, son of 1930s Fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley, being spanked by one of the women with a whip, as well as using a strap to spank a woman. He also talked to one of the women in German.

In the article, headlined "F1 boss has sick Nazi orgy with 5 hookers", the newspaper claimed he pretended to be both a concentration camp inmate and commandant.

But Mr Mosley told Mr Justice Eady in London that there were no Nazi connotations whatsoever.

"I can think of few things more unerotic than Nazi role play," said Mr Mosley, president of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).

"It also has associations for me in other ways which would make it even less interesting.

"All my life, I have had hanging over me my antecedents, my parents, and the last thing I want to do in some sexual context is be reminded of it."

The court heard that Mr Mosley was given no chance to respond to the article before its publication, which shocked his wife Jean and his two sons, two sons Alexander , 38, and Patrick, 36.

"My wife and I have been married for 48 years and together for more than 50 - and she never knew of this aspect of my life, so that headline in the newspaper was completely, totally devastating for her and there is nothing that I can say that can ever repair that.

"Also, for my two sons, I don't think there is anything worse for a son than to see in a newspaper, particularly one like the News of the World, pictures of the kind they printed.

"I can think of nothing more undignified or humiliating than that."

Mr Mosley is claiming breach of privacy and the action includes an unprecedented claim in such a case for exemplary or punitive damages as well as compensatory damages.

The News of the World contests the claim and argues that publication was justified in the public interest.

Mark Warby QC, counsel for the News of the World, argued that it had published a "legitimate and lawful story".

He said: "The activities that went on here are not deserving of respect, however much they might have been kept behind closed doors."

Mr Warby told the judge that "whipping or beating someone until he bleeds is a criminal offence" and amounted to the offence of wounding.

The case continues.

.....................................

My own take on this, is that someone in a position of power, who clearly exhibits mental attitudes to do with sadism and masochism, is not healthily able to exercise normal rational judgment whenit is necessary for that person to make business decisions, which can affect the livelihood of others.

It is well know that Mosley and McClaren are not the best of friends. Well, what of that?

Q. Last year, what do we hear and witness?

A. A record breaking, stunning $100m fine levied on McClaren, the F1 racing team, for the mere possession of a competitor's technical information.

And from whom?

A. A committee headed up by Mosley and his cohorts.

A sadistic fine? No doubt about it!

"They had had no knowledge of his unusual preferences until the News of the World published the results of their sting operation in March"

So what's Max Moseley complaining about? I thought he enjoyed something with a sting in it?!

How many hot blooded men have not fantasized (unless your famous or rich that all you can do) of having numerous gorgeous sexy women in bed at the same time, uniforms included. Never fancied military uniforms myself though, more into the usual nurse/french maid/schoolgirl stile, (not that bothered what the girls wear).
Don't fancy any pain so sadistic sex is out, but bit of healthy spanking brings a bit of rose to the cheeks. Come on be honest, who when hearing about these orgies, or those cases where an older schoolboy has been dragged (kicking and screaming no doubt) into bed by his school mistress, say to themselves, 'if only'. The kicking and screaming by the way is before not during or after.
Kinky sex is OK as long as its not perverted or sadistic. I'm sure there is a difference.
Oh well back to my dream world.
Anyone for a cold shower. I will supply the flying helmet and wet lettuce
Thank goodness these posts are anonymous.

How dare Mr Magoo say "golly there are queer people on websites".
Kim, Careful, 'Sting' might take offense.

You couldn't make it up.
According to The Daily Telegraph, a council have delayed clearing an overgrown area of undergrowth due to an objection by a Gay Rights Group.
It appears that this local group use this area for late night Gay Sex (known as dogging), as the undergrowth shields them from prying eyes.
Lunatics/Asylum springs to mind.

At least with your bottom in the air it keeps it clear of stinging nettles ...

Well, if it's a choice between 'having numerous gorgeous sexy women in bed at the same time' and 'gay sex with my bottom in the air to keep it clear of stinging nettles in an overgrown area of undergrowth', I'd have to give some serious thought - about exactly just how many gorgeous sexy women I could get the bed to hold.

Once again, the answer to this simple question is obviously '42'. :-)

Have you seen the latest in Jeans? It's called the 'Jeankini'.

Back to the G8 summit menu.
The sheer lavishness of the menu is indecent when the same politicians spent the day discussing how to combat food poverty.
Also huge amounts of food were thrown away.

Dinner

Corn-stuffed caviar
Smoked salmon and sea urchin "pain surprise" style
Winter lily bulb and summer savoury
Kelp-flavoured cold kyoto beef shabu-shabu, asparagus dressed with sesame cream
Diced fatty fles of tuna fish, avocado and jellied soy sauce and Japanese herb "shiso"
Boiled clam, tomato, Japanese herb "shiso" in jellied clear soup of clam
Water shield and pickled conger dressed with vinegar soy sauce
Boiled prawn with jellied tosazu-vinegar
Grilled eel rolled around burdock strip
Sweet potato
Fried and seasoned Goby with soy sauce and sugar
Hairy Crab "Kegani" bisque soup
Salt-grilled bighand thornyhead with vinegary water pepper sauce
Milk fed lamb from "shiranuka" flavoured with aromatic herbs and mustard
Roasted lamb and cepes and black truffle with emulsion sauce of lamb's stock and pine seed oil
Special cheese selection, lavender honey and caramelised nuts
G8 fantasy dessert

... And it would be deeply wrong in any assessment to forget the selection of wines on offer ...

Wine list

Le Reve grand cru champagne
Japanese saki
Corton Charlemagne 2005
Chateau Latour burgundy
Ridge California Monte Bello 1997
Tokaji Essencia 1999 from Hungary

Well now we know what's in that trough, our leaders keep putting their snouts in.

mcbarker likes overgrown areas too - you have to feel for the dogs

This isn't just an orgy. It's an M & S orgy!

Shorting distorts the markets.

If you think shorting distorts the markets.

If you agree, cut and paste this to your favorite threads and don't forget to sign.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/shortsellsecy/

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO SHORT SELL STOCK EXCHANGE SECURITIES

dont think they should be banned - afterall i need some new shorts

As part of my health rehabilitation, I was at the pub at the request of Trevor, to meet his cousin - "I don't know" Jack.
Now Jack is a medical expert on account of doing 3 years for breaking into a local chemists and so he was making me buy rounds of unleaded beer and free range pork scratchings. He is also a very knowledgable man on the financial systems, having 2 charges of obtaining money by deception taken into account.
His position on shorts was that they should not be banned. If people want to invest in Whiskey and Rum, thats their business, but he would like to see them lower in price.
On the investing front he advised me to buy into garden centres because of the credit crunch. This was hazy, so he asked me to buy another pint of low cholestrol lager and explained.
Loads of repossessions coming. It threfore stands to reason (according to that most knowledgable of species - the man in the pub) that loads of snails will be evicted from their homes. Snails without homes are of course slugs and we will all be going mad for slug pellets from our local garden centre.
generously, Jack took 2000 quid from me to invest in one, and gave me a receipt on the back of a beermat.
He's a top bloke and I think knowing a family like Trevors is like winning the lottery. No idea why he left through the gents window when that copper turned up in the bar.