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.

Totally beyond belief. Apparently, according to the news on TV, a number of local authorities had accounts with Icelandic Banks and are exposed to the tune off many millions, 100+. What ever is the matter with these people who obviously have no idea about risk when handling other peoples money. They probably look at the higher interest rate and then go for it. They are not covered in anyway and have written to the Chancellor to tell him of their plight. For the amount of money they are dealing with any of the major UK banks would have loved the business at reasonable rates. Needs the old school back, or perhaps its too late. Be interesting to learn which the Councils are involved.

In my opinion most Council members are just in it for themselves, and when it comes to professionalism they fail miserably.
After last years floods Hull City Council had to admit that to save money many areas of the city that were flooded were not covered by insurance.
How the hell a council with it's massive buying power could fail to ensure properties were not covered by basic buildings insurance beggars belief.
Still the same council spent/wasted many thousands of pounds on a so called art structure for the city which resembles a (what some locals call) very large stench pipe.

We'll need loans to pay our council tax soon - anyone know a good lender?

'Town halls across the country may have to raise council tax and cut services as the repercussions of the collapse of the Icelandic economy broadened into a diplomatic row with Britain. '

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4910126.ece

We may now get our own back for them stealing our cod and inflicting Bjork on us. about time. I've never gorgiven them for either. Sue the bastards, I say.

'The Government used anti-terrorism powers to freeze an estimated 4 billion of British financial assets in Landsbanki, Icesaves parent bank. A spokesman for the Treasury said that the 2001 Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act was invoked as a precautionary measure. '

'Mr Darling expressed incredulity that Reykjavik was cold-shouldering British investors. The Icelandic Government have told me, believe it or not, they have no intention of honouring their obligations, he said. Britain started legal action yesterday in an effort to recover money belonging to Icesave customers. '

not sure what to make of all of this as i dont often read newspapers or watch a lot of tv etc.
but from what ive picked up it seems to me the government and media have and are handling news of the financial ' crisis' pretty well. maybe not the dealing with it etc. but thats another story.
what i mean is the informing us about it. we are now all aware of the enormity of it all.
maybe its got to the point where they just couldnt hide it from us anymore. guess it has. which leads me to wonder how long they may have been trying. the longer the worse it gets.maybe they werent aware themselves, maybe they were.
anyway i think we have all now been primed to expect some tough times ahead and some hard hitting policies from whoever governs.
thats my ramble over.

Anyone interested in the big US debate? I watched some of it and I can't believe any sensible person would vote for Palin/ Mcain. She comes across as lightweight no real contribution just nasty cracks against Obama and Mcain seems doddery, desperate and again nothing but nasty cracks against Obama. If they elect that pair head for the lifeboats!!

Yeah. Let's start a revolution to stop people pissing our money up the wall.

Start here with this typical example.

I've got my head buried in the sand about exactly what to do about this kind of stuff, so you go first.

Sh*t! No wonder she's smiling Exec!

First thing to do is persuade her it might be foolish to smile about it ;o)

Sign seen in a local gift shop with different types of piggy banks displayed in the window. 'Why not put your money in the only totally safe banks left in the UK'. Sad yes, but possibly true.
On a serious note, I wonder how these new banks, (you know the 'Brown and Darling Bank PLC') will make out. Hate to think where we are headed if they don't.

Not exactly got the best record to date have they?!

HI ALL BACK AGAIN LOL. I HAVE DECIDED GIVE SOME ADVICE WHICH IS RARE I JUST VOICE THINGS BUT DON'T OFFER ADVICE. OKAY THE PRICE OF THE FTSE IS APPROX 4100 RIGHT NOW AND YES IT COULD HIT 2700'S BUT IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER TO ZERO SO 4000 AT 1 PER POINT WILL COVER EVERYTHING AND YOU WILL STILL GET SOME INTEREST FOR HOLDING SHORT IF IT GOES TO ZERO. YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN. THE FTSE WILL NOT DISAPPEAR UNLESS MANKIND DISAPPEARS TOO. SO IF YOU BUY NOW OR LOWER AND HOLD FOR THE FUTURE, YOU CAN SECURE A TIDY NEST EGG FOR YOUR CHILDREN YOURSELF OR WHATEVER. IT WILL GO BACK UP FOR SURE JUST DON'T GET TOO GREEDY AND OVERSTRETCH YOURSELF.

2 Points;

Firstly, UK plc have bailed out the banks. For the good of the nation, and in a show of equity, surely they now have an obligation to provide assistance to familys losing their homes by offering similar help and protection from eviction due to mortgage arrears. It would seem reasonable to square the circle.

Second. Last night my 15 year old daughter did something very unusual. She made a statement of profound insight that left me scratching my head.
We were discussing something or other and I said the old saying that "In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king".
She asked why. I told her that because he could see, he would be treated as a gifted deity, and the population would do whatever he wanted.
She asked why again. She went on to say that the population would have no idea he had one eye, as they were all blind, and that he would more likely be treated as either a downright liar or locked up in a mental home as being delusional.
My witty reply?
I didn't have one. I had never thought of that.

Alan, start priming her for Prime Minister now. Just what we need for the top job, someone with a brain! ;o)

Alan,

Obviously you have a very clever daughter. Hope she is destined for higher more valuable contributory positions than PM. Perhaps she should go into finance and sort the mess out as it appears she has a far better grasp on reality that those presently running these institutions. Banking or the FSA perhaps as she can clearly see the obvious that they can't. Most of such institutions did not even keep 1 eye on the ball never mind 2. The saying, 'The blind leading the blind' springs to mind.
What does she charge per hour for financial advice?
Have you thought of putting her in charge of your portfolio?

Don't misunderstand me, guys.
She is 15, so spends almost every waking moment (about 1 hour a day) plugged in to something small, electronic, and beyond my ken, or grunting.
Just 18 hours later, she has no recollection of the discussion, so it was a passing moment en route to the happy valleys of ignorance.

NHS Health Trust TO BUY 400,000 YACHT.
A health trust is planning to spend 400,000 on a 72ft yacht to help jobless teenagers make better "lifestyle choices".

Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust is behind the scheme designed to help improve the long-term health prospects of teenagers.

It aims to remove 150 jobless people, initially those aged 17 to 19, from the unemployment register each year and engage them in training.

Ten week programmes would include two weeks at sea on the yacht, like those used in the round-the-world Clipper race, operated by a new organisation called the Wilberforce Sailing Academy.

The 400,000-a-year running costs would also be met from public funds

For full article see.....
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/health/3195750/NHS-trust-to-buy-400000-yacht.html

Of course if you require life saving drugs the trust might just refuse treatment due to COST.

No doubt these trips will only be available to those who fit a certain criteria, you know, the out of work juvenile delinquent with a criminal record and drug habit. Why are these head in the clouds, not living in the real world, brain dead idiots allowed to get away with such ridiculous schemes. Remember those, safari tours for young criminals of the 80's. Looks like nothing changes.

Makes me so bl**dy angry.

I thought this was an utterly 'Classic Brilliant' act!

Graffiti wall vandalised with 'waste of money' graffiti message before opening
By Hannah Wood, http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/15/10/2008



A 3,000 blank wall built for teenage graffiti artists has been daubed with a message branding it a total waste of money.

The 6ft high by 30ft long wall was put up by a council so youths could practice their graffiti without vandalising local property.

But ahead of its opening on Halloween a fed up resident has graffitied it with the slogan: I paid my tax and all I got was this lousy wall.

The wall, in Wadebridge, Cornwall, was funded by Wadebridge Town Council, Wadebridge Town Forum and North Cornwall District Council and was the brainchild of Sergeant Robin Moorcroft who has vowed to investigate the protest graffiti.

Oh Yesssss! Brilliant Exec!

Maybe the same person could 'do a job' on the NHS yacht!

:-))))

Mr Plod has no sense of humour

It would be interesting to see what charges could be drummed up against the perpetrator of this terrible crime!