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.

Worth a look. The grilling of Gordon Brown. Bloody Excellent.
Would have loved to see how he replied.

http://ukhousebubble.blogspot.com/2009/03/devalued-prime-minister-of-devalued.html

Nice to be right sometimes.

A few months ago I mentioned that I expected investors to be looking a the Stock Markets again to make money, especially in the blue chip sector, mainly due to the low interest levels everywhere else.
I also mention that I thought the popular, so called 100% safe haven of Government Bonds would become a less safe investment due to the vast amounts being proposed by the government.
On reading todays Telegraph, I see that one of many proposed big auctions re these gilts has failed for the first time since 1995 to be fully taken up.
Fears are growing that the government may not be able to cover these gilts.
Obviously if an auction this early on in the list fails, then future auction prospects look poor.
Either the government will need to withdraw further bonds from auction (something they definitely can't do) or lower the price (something that will increase their direct debt).
You can't expect to flood the bond/guilt market and expect any other reaction that you would get from flooding any market. Surely that is basic economics.
They are quickly running out of get out clauses.
his makes the stock market taking in the risk/reward factor, although still of more risk than gilts, a much better bet.
All IMHO of course.

See Jamie Oliver make EU fudge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LHqpzjMTDY

Seen on another site. Original posted by user name YuYus.

Just heard on radio 2 that New labour under the helmswomenship of Harriet Harman have made numerous firms ,products change their name to be more apt ,or not intentionally misleading.
MARS bars will have to be renamed.
There is no dog in dog food so.
There is no food in cat food.
Jamaica ginger cake that has not been to Jamaica must also fall into line.

Now if the EU get wind of this no doubt they will have their own ideas.

Suggestions anyone.

Babycham??????

McDonalds Beefburger????

Spotted Dick.
Toad in the hole.

It is rumoured that Jacqui Smith was overheard in the House of Commons saying that when she got home she was going to give her husband a damn good spanking.

To which he replied, well blow me...............

As I understand it the first thing Richard Timney (her husband) said when she informed him that they had been found out was, "Well bugger me".

From the 300,000 list circulating the city it appears that the ratio of Tories to labour and Liberals with sticky fingers is put at 3-1.

The price of the list is being increased hourly. This is just aother rumour, but I wish I could get a bet on it.

I think there will be quiet a lot of blushes, even for this brazen lot.

Hi Fred,

Its not a rumour its fact. The Daily Telegraph went to court in order to gain access to all expenses. They are being released daily.
Not sure about the ratio though.
BUT it is understood that MP's are being allowed (by the rules) to edit items by obliterating them in order of security.
This beggars belief.
How can a court ruling state that all expenses have to be released under the Freedom of Information act, then the parliamentary rules on expenses, state they can obliterate certain items.
Now I wonder how many dodgy items they will edit. At a guess, thousands.

Having toured several bookies on Saturday, (see my post 7551) they all refused to give me odds re Tony McNulty being found guilty of any wrongdoing.
The reason being that they only take bets where individuals are concerned regarding sport, competition or tournaments such as Chess, Darts etc.
But a couple did say they would have liked to take my bet.

Freedom of Information act I think it is a crass act. It is protectionist of those who should be exposed. I think that it should be "publish and be damned".

If the press did so, I may have a little more respect for them.

If we were in state of war and likely to be invaded I would moderate the opinion. But we are not.

Fred, according to the Telegraph today, the top 10 claimants include only 1 Tory, with 7 Labour MPs and 2 lib dem.

List here:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/5078141/Eric-Joyce-is-most-expensive-MP-at-187334.html

The 10 MPs with the highest claims were:

1. Eric Joyce (Lab, Falkirk) 187,334

2. Michael Connarty (Lab, Linlithgow & Falkirk East) 183,466

3. Alistair Carmichael (Lib Dem, Orkney & Shetland) 176,190

4. Ben Wallace (Con, Lancaster & Wyre) 175,523

5. Mohammad Sarwar (Lab, Glasgow Central) 174,882

6. Charles Kennedy (Lib Dem, Ross, Skye & Inverness West) 174,232

7. Janet Anderson (Lab, Rossendale & Darwen) 173,556

8. David Borrow (Lab, South Ribble) 172,706

9. Jim McGovern (Lab, Dundee West) 171,989

10. Fabian Hamilton (Lab, North East Leeds) 171,824

'Siobhan McDonagh (Lab, Croydon) spent 35,207 on postage equivalent to 103,550 first-class stamps'

She most have sent a lot of Christmas cards!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1567398/MPs-expenses-now-more-than-87-million.html

She should have sent them 2nd class, more representative of the Labour Government!

Fred,

The problem is (publish and be damned) the media often can not get the info they want, without approaching the court to enforce the act.
But I fully agree with you that the act protects different people in different ways.
Power is everything.
My Dad had many profound sayings, one being....We are all equal, but some are more equal than others. How true.

Kim,

when the labour government have closed all the post offices and destroyed Royal Mail, she won't be able to send them at all. It'll be the first time the government has saved money!

My Dad had many profound statements, too.

My favourite was when he said; "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".

He said this just before he was imprisoned in Italy for killing 20,000 Christians.

hewittalan6

Bit of a lion, your dad.