Mr Ice-ni

[quote user="5-element"] How would any of us react at the thought of having our own father or grandfather chemically castrated, whatever they may have done? [/quote] You have hit the nail on the head. My famly (sic) can do no wrong, whatever they have done wrong - I am sure Ma Kray said this or was it Barbara Windsor? And now you are saying it. Step 1 to cleaning up the world would be to punish criminals not waste money attempting to feel sorry for them or rehabilitate them. Worry about the victims, not the perpetrators - the latter had a choice, made the wrong choice and should pay - hopefully for ever. Just because they are let out to rejoin the world of decent people does not mean they have paid their debt to society, far from it. As for the question above, I hope that I would be delighted that for just once the punishment almost fits the crime. John  

Not quite, Coops, but a good point. An excellent reason to scrap Universal Suffrage. John

When you list all those aspects of life where passing an exam or some sort of test is deemed necessary why is the most important and potentially expensive  thing open to all and sundry in an unregulated way ? John  

So why this obsession with DIY when you can buy ready made? John

[quote user="You can call me Betty"]Sorry for the person involved. It is, indeed, awful. But why do you want an NHS of which you, who don't live in the UK, can be proud? People living away from the UK only want to "be proud" of the NHS when they come across a publicised horror story, or when they or a family member or friend has a bad experience. The rest of the time, surely, you don't give a damn, because you have the wonderful French health service, where mistakes never happen and all is bright and beautiful? Or maybe you're just deeply altrusitic? [/quote] I am English though I choose to live in France. My children and friends still live there, hence my interest. My personal experience of the NHS is that they didn't care much about me when I was flown back as a stretcher case, nor my wife when she was inside. Whereas we have both been treated well in France. My best friend, a non-smoker currently dying  of lung cancer and complications in Suffolk, has also had poor treatment, the latest episode being a trip to ENT where-one knew why he had been called in nor even who had arranged the appt. Doubtless similar cock-ups happen in France but I have no personal experience of them. As for the suggestion implying that family etc should make more fuss, probably they should but why should they have to? There will no hope for many patients of the NHS until Cameron et al work out how to employ people who care. John      

Cut from an e-mail I received this morning from a close friend "My brother in law is not really making good progress.  He seems to be having setbacks and it feels as if no one knows what to do.  He spent 4 hours in A @ E the other evening having not passed urine for 48 hours.  The pain must have been awful.  while the staff were deciding what to do he flooded the department and my sister was given some tissues to clean the floor and gave him a hospital gown to go home in.  They got home at one o clock in the morning without anyone deciding why he had the retention in the first place.  Poor man's dignity has just flown out of the window. " Doubtless the staff will claim extenuating circumstances - perhaps the week's compassion target had already been achieved? John  

I don't fear death, it's dying that I am less keen on. After the event I don't care what happens to anything left, I will hardly be in a position to complain if my wishes are ignored. The one thing I definitely don't want is one centime more than the absolute minimum to be spent on my last one-way ticket and hopefully Di has more sense anyway. John

[quote user="cooperlola"] If you bring a microwave you might have to increase the cooking times very slightly. [/quote] Only if you are high, surely? John

[quote user="brianagain"]   Bradley will hopefully finish well enough to be the final winner after tomorrow's time trial - one of the best of his career and maybe looking good for the Tour in July. [/quote] Not sure about Le Tour - I fear that Sky will split itself into nothingness by trying to win both yellow and green and return with neither. Then of course a week later we have the greatest waste of money London has ever seen and BW and MC will still be too out of puff to do well there either. But what do I know, I'm not an overpaid pundit. John  

PPP - where have you been for the last n years ? Free speech went out the day PC was heralded in. John  

BTW are you still "the gateway to the South"? John

B****y typical - they have gone past my front door (well, not quite but you know what I mean) and I'm in Suffolk watching my best friend of almost 50 years dying of cancer. But I'd rather be here. Go, Paul Weller, go (and the rest of the Sky team of course). John

[quote user="Sprogster"] Since then Ryanair have been contracting their French routes and I am sure will continue to do so if their aircraft can be operated more profitably elsewhere.  [/quote] Nothing to do with the spat, just sound business sense - and that's one of the things that Michael O'Ryanair has in spades. John

Only to those who can. Even Kiara, who claims to, shows her ignorance over the reason for having a spell checker.  John

Well said, PPP, any advertised price is merely an invitation to treat. John