Mr Ceour de Lion II

[quote user="NickP"]Mr CDL says,"What does the common person know about etc.etc."? Well you seem to have lot to offer, so please enlighten all us commoners. We always like to hear from an expert. By the way what country will you try next?[/quote] That's the whole point. I don't know. I am a common person too. That's why it's pointless to ask people who don't know whether to be in or out. We all have our own ideas and perceptions, is it a good idea to put something like this to the vote? Also, I wasn't aware that moving country is a bad thing?

[quote user="Rabbie"]While I am in favour of the UK staying in the EU I get the impression that any vote will be very close. A lot of voters who so far have not voted for UKIP are in favour of leaving the EU which is currently seen as the root of all our problems. This is not helped by years of british bureaucrats using EU directives as a way of pushing more petty regulations on to us. A friend who was an MP told me that a single page from Brussels can generate 40 pages of UK legislation. Currently the EU is blamed for us not being able to deport some Muslim extremists whereas in reality this is due to European Court of Human Rights. Some of the popular press blames everything that goes wrong on the EU and this colours peoples perception of it. I do not have Mr CdL's confidence that good sense will prevail and that we will stay in. I fear that we will manage to get the worst of  both options. And once having left it will be very difficult to rejoin if it turns out we have made a mistake [/quote] I think it's nuts that there's even going to be a vote on it. What does the common person know about what the effects of staying in or opting out would be? Even the politicians would struggle with that one. Guess the vote is purely to placate the masses. It's funny, I can see so many similarities between the US and Europe. Can see how far behind Europe is in forming a centralised federal government in comparison. Yet in other ways Europe is so far ahead of the US.

The UK will not leave the EU. It would lose too much money if it did. They would be nuts to. Europe may be far from perfect, but in the long run it would lose so much. I think Europe is at a similar point that the US was at when it was under the Articles of Confederation in the 1780s. That failed because the central government had no power.

I discovered where the word fag came from the other day and how the Brits refer to it as a smoke, and the Yanks refer to it as a homesexual. They are both in fact linked. Apparently, the word fag meant a bundle of kindling tied together. These fags were used on the fires for burning homosexuals back in the medieval times. So there's the link between the word fag and homosexual. For the Brits, in the early days, smokes didn't come in cartons like they do now. They came tied together by a bit of string, and this resembled the fag kindling used to start the fires to burn the homosexuals. How true this is or not, I do not know, but it's an interesting bit of trivia nonetheless.

Ok, you talked me into it. ITV can go as well.

Oh yes. Them too.

hahaha I very rarely watch tv these days. When I do, the fast forward on the dvr works nicely :)

They don't.

At least you have the choice not to pay for it :)

This is what the tv licence pays for? The whole organization is corrupt. Shut it down.

I'm only 41 but I remember Mr and Mrs with Derek Batey. It's funny, but when I went for my immigration interview back in January, I was expecting that type of questioning. Thankfully, I'd put together such a good application, that the interview was merely a chat between the interviewer and my wife and I. It was very simple and friendly, but I was waiting for the 'what color is your spouses toothbrush' question. Nothing like Green Card with Deperdieu and the awful Andie McDowall.

[quote user="NormanH"][quote user="Mr Ceour de Lion II"][quote user="NormanH"]Those who inherit wealth do not necessarily inherit the qualities that created it, even supposing that it was created legitimately. [/quote] So the government has the right to take it away from them to give to others who haven't done anything to deserve it either then? [/quote] Of course. If the inheritors have done nothing to deserve it why shouldn't it be shared out? That way those who may be able to do something with it can have their chance to succeed. [/quote] Um... perhaps because it's their money? I'm with wooly and Q on this. Also, if you earn a million euros, and are taxed at 20%, you are still putting in a hell of a lot more money than someone who is taxed the same rate on 60k a year, so the rich are already contributing a hell of a lot. I know I've simplified that, in reality the rich would be paying out a hell of a lot more than that. That's not enough? These ridiculously high tax rates are frankly, ridiculous to be honest.

[quote user="NormanH"]Those who inherit wealth do not necessarily inherit the qualities that created it, even supposing that it was created legitimately. [/quote] So the government has the right to take it away from them to give to others who haven't done anything to deserve it either then?

I've heard rumours that tickets will be based on weight rather than seats. It's a much fairer system imo.

I didn't mention George Osbourne. Didn't know who he was til I googled him and found out.

[quote user="NormanH"]There are two sides to every coin. Are they being chased, or are they running away from their responsibilities? If a husband left his family and didn't pay maintenance would you say he had been chased away? [/quote] Slightly different I think. Remember, the rich already pay far more tax than anyone else. You can only take so much before you turn around and say I am paying way more than my fair share. Being unhappy that most of your earnings are being taken away is not being unresponsible. I take it he still hasn't relinquished that daft 75% tax rate? It's the rich who will provide the majority of the jobs. Tax them to high heaven, they are not going to be able to afford to create new jobs. And it seems to be a cure rather than a prevention. Instead of taking from the rich to give to the unemployed, wouldn't it be better to get the unemployed to work and allow them to pay their own way? And maybe Hollande needs to look at his government spend and make cuts? Is everything he spends money on really necessary?

But he's chasing all the rich out of the country, so where will the money come from? If the poor have no money, what will he do then?

He doesn't like the rich? Well, where's he going to get money from then? You can't invest in the poor. They have nothing to invest in.

Oh I'm a good 20 years behind everything here. I use words like 'swell' that went out back in the 70s. I enjoy winding the natives up like that. And then of course, I have my colloquialisms to use from the UK and Australia which often dumbfounds them... I'm banking on this accent to get me a job too! Angela, I had forgotten about that spiral in the chateau too, and yes I hadn't forgotten about old Leonardo :)

Thanks Wooly. That's just what I was after. That also explains the address of the chateau too, as it is on Montee Abdul Khadr.

Am doing a joint project at college with several other students on some French chateaux. Naturally, I'm doing the majority of the work as I want it to be good. Anyway, have created a simple website, and are doing a page on 5 chateau. One of them is Amboise, and I recall there being some muslim tombs there, but cannot find anything online relating to them. Can anyone assist? Why are they there and where did they come from? When were these muslims buried too? If you can find links that would be awesome too. For what it's worth, the site I created is here if you want a peak. https://sites.google.com/site/valdeloirechateaux/ It's pretty simple, with some basic facts. Thanks in advance.

As soon as I heard he got in, I was desperate to get my money out of Europe. I was too late though. Just looking from the outside in, he looks completely off his nut and out of his depth. Makes Sarko look not so bad now.

The working class are classified as only having one 42" LCD tv, 2 iPhones, a basic tv package and one car that's at least 5 years old. Oh and they all have gold teeth too.

She certainly does split opinion. I know many people who can't wait to dance on her grave. Obviously they are from Liverpool. I thought she was one of the best leaders of the 20th century. Her, Reagan, Gorby and Bob Hawke all had such strong presence, the like no world leader has had since. It's funny how one of America's greatest presidents has recently been portrayed by an Englishman, and one of England's greatest PMs has recently been portrayed by an American.

I've always seen the Guardian as being the left's version of the Mail. I think it is as extreme to the left as the Mail is to the right. I happily sit in the centre, perhaps a little to the right.