Dick Smith

[quote user="Bugsy"][quote user="sweet 17"]Better than toasted, Steve, is thick, sliced and FRIED! Bacon, fried eggs, and fried bread with CHUTNEY.............. have had it with chutney since Delia (the sainted SM) said that that is the only way to eat fried bread!    [/quote] Followed by a Rennie or two ? [:P] [/quote] Now where's that thread on statins?

[quote user="Russethouse"]Suffice to say if I was his Sargeant at Arms I know what I would do with that mace [6] No one who passes the buck to a 'junior' in that fashion, enhances their own reputation IMHO. [/quote] That was the part which persuaded me. I've done enough standing on the carpet taking a kicking for a member of my team in my time to wince at that one.

Good stuff on sale at the English charcuterie in Barenton, which is Normandy, but western (close to St Hilaire du Harcouet). Also excellent English sausages and so-so English pork pies. Will will know more.

[quote user="Bugsy"]Hiding behind the sofa whilst watching Quatermass & the Pit View here Vivid memories........................ [/quote] I wasn't allowed to watch Quatermass. It used to scare the jibbers out of my grandmother, as well. Funny how standards change!

It's not really up to me to explain why Michael (sic) Martin maintains his office, other than the obvious fact that no-one has yet tabled a motion of no confidence in him. He hasn't been a particularly authoritative Speaker, his handling of Ms Pay's bungle was unimpressive and I don't think he brings much lustre to the office. I don't think I'm very different from most people in that respect. I don't think he should stand again, and if he does he shouldn't be endorsed. When he was making his very weak statement to the House I was put in mind of the answer Speaker Lenthall made when Charles I demanded that he identify the Five Members: "May it please your Majesty, I have neither eyes to see, nor tongue to speak in this place, but as this House is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am."

[quote user="ali-cat"]Just a little joke Dick! I find it helps to retain a sense of humour in difficult times and with the scrapping of the 10% tax rate;  Sterling heading for parity with the Euro and our remaining savings being eroded its hard to find much to laugh about. As for poking fun at politicians I'm afraid I'm not one bit convinced that they are called to public service for the greater good.  Perhaps more people would be inclined to vote if they didn't perceive their elected politicians as being more interested in feathering their own nests and securing their 'legacy'. GB set himself up for ridicule by etc blaming all the current woes on the sub-prime crisis;  stating that the UK is better placed to weather this recession and then trying to claim that the whole world is following his lead.  A little more humility and les hubris from Gordon would be appreciated.     Mr Cat     [/quote] See all previous comments on the corrosive effects of unrestrained (and largely unjustified) simplistic cynicism as an alternative to actually doing some thinking. Also see comments about shouting in from outside the tent. A bit more humility and less hubris from ex pats would be nice, too, but that's a case of beams and motes, isn't it?

Have a nice ride, I hope the weather holds. I'm recharging my car battery - and it's only 6 months old!

I am diabetic, and my blood glucose levels always fall after a couple of weeks in France. I am certain that part of this is because French bread contains very little sugar compared to processed breads such as Hovis. However, a lot of other French products contain massive amounts of sugars...

Yes. Elected in his constituency. In the UK we don't elect the Prime Minister, he or she is selected by the largest party in Parliament. Who were elected by the largest number of people voting in all the constituencies.

BB - for once we are in complete agreement...

BB - this doesn't really apply to you most of the time - but like some others I am really tired of all the posts which simply make fun of government - whatever flavour, as though that is some sort of informed political debate. If all we do is make cynical 'smart' comments about any attempt to govern the country, where do we end up? How does anyone ever have any motivation to try hard if all they get is petty and childish insults? How does a government succeed if confidence is constantly eroded? Is it any wonder that young people are disinterested and votin g numbers are falling? Nick Ross (not a man I have a lot of respect for anyway) made GB's 'Freudian Slip' the main item of political news on the BBC this evening, and even illustrated this character fault of politicians with clips of Thatcher and Blair doing something similar. Nothing positive, just mocking. In my opinion that is wrong, and destroys democracy if allowed to go on long enough. I never liked Mrs T, but I was happy to accept that she had been democratically elected and had the right to govern the country as she chose. So now does Gordon Brown. When the next election comes the electorate can let him know if he did well enough or not. But simply standing on the sidelines making rather foolish comments (like Nick Ross) doesn't help anyone in any way. A reasoned argument (and not the nonsense by the German politician who may just have an agenda of his own, don'tcha think?) would be a good idea. In fact, I agree that the past two governments have a major case to answer inasmuch as they failed to control financial institutions effectively. I just object to being one of the poor s*ds who has literally paid for their negligence. I just want them to sort it with as little pain as possible.

Why is it 'funny' that we 'come out of the woodwork' with an opinion, but you are making a noble public service announcement? Why do you insult other so freely? What gives you the right to assume that no other person can have a different opinion from your golden ones? If you hated Britain so much that you abandoned it, why do you post so many negative comments about it now? You're out of it - no responsibilities or obligations.

No, that would be the hard part...

[quote user="Frenchie"]Like what ?[/quote] Our local Chinese restaurant does a lunchtime menu for £8.50, and it is very good. The Thai restaurant is £9 or so. The lunchtime special from the chip shop is £2.95, and is actually excellent (Haddock, not Cod). That is three places within 100m.

I really think people need to get a life... Possibly focus on something important?

And as I've discovered today, cancelling the card does not necessarily mean cancelling the payments. They can continue on a new card.

[quote user="NormanH"][quote user="Dick Smith"][quote user="NormanH"]Was very disappointed by a vapid programme ill-presented by an inarticulate lout. [/quote] He speaks well of you, too. I assume you are simply reacting to his accent - he is a PhD and a professor. I thought it had some interesting cultural insights. [/quote] Well there you show your subjectivity! 'interesting' for you therefore proven. Of course you could do the hard bit and try to explain your bald statement. ' a PhD and a professor' so automatically worthy of respect? Again this as  is subjective as your assumption that my reaction was any thing to do with his accent. My (subjective)  reaction was partly to do with the clumsy expression with an inadequate vocabulary, as well as the 'Willy Russell'  academic image. I believe I detected the same thing in French, with quite a few grammatical errors surprising in a 'Professor of French' but there I will of course bow to our French posters. [/quote] Well, if he made grammatical errors he just can't be right, can he? Must be a lout. Why, out of interest, is it ok for you to be 'subjective' but not anyone else? Perhaps you could try 'the hard bit' and explain why the programme was 'vapid' and how it was 'ill presented' and in what ways the presenter was 'inarticulate' and how his behaviour was loutish? Or, you could just vent spleen and bluster, I suppose.

Snopes reckons it's a fake. http://www.snopes.com/photos/automobiles/bollards.asp

[quote user="NormanH"]Was very disappointed by a vapid programme ill-presented by an inarticulate lout. [/quote] He speaks well of you, too. I assume you are simply reacting to his accent - he is a PhD and a professor. I thought it had some interesting cultural insights.

And mine, thanks.

[quote user="WJT"]Phil and Pat, for some reason the quote function isn't working for me. Not an alternative but from a non Jewish person I feel it is more polite to use the term Jewish not Jew. The latter has been used in the past in a very derogatory way and I wouldn't feel comfortable using it particularly when speaking to a Jewish person. [/quote] I think that's spot on. There's a world of difference between "Are you Jewish?" and "Are you a Jew?" Which was a question I was once asked just before someone attempted to beat me up. Which is odd, because I'm not Jewish...

[quote user="woolybanana"]Yes Smudger, I accept what you say but would still like to know why.[/quote] You'd like to know why what?

Surely the point is that if the person you are speaking to you objects to the term, you respect their feelings, no? What sort of person would do otherwise?

[quote user="Catalpa"][quote user="Callie"]Regrettably, it has been found the mother often knows what is going on but is only too happy to get her husband off her back despite the abuse of her daughters.[/quote] I think it is probably much more complex than that. Perhaps some mothers really do not comprehend what is happening but in this instance, if the children can be so thoroughly... manipulated? brainwashed? over such a long period of time to suffer what happens to them I expect that the mother can be similarly abused into not... behaving as a mother should. I would guess men like that choose their partners carefully and specifically in the first place. [/quote] Very true. Vulnerable women may be groomed over months or years, as may the children. Secrecy is the first thing they are trained to maintain, through fear, guilt or other emotional manipulation.

[quote user="Callie"]In tyhe case of young girls - partivularly minors - perhaps it should be routine for hospitals to take DNA tests in the event of pregnancies/babies. If the parent of the child is routinely tested as well, it could be revealing. Regrettably, it has been found the mother often knows what is going on but is only too happy to get her husband off her back despite the abuse of her daughters.[/quote] Point 1 - that is illegal at the moment, and would open a huge hornets' nest of civil liberties objections were it to be legislated for. It would also mean that by asking the father for a DNA sample there would be the implication of suspicion, for which evidence would presumable be needed. An easy call with hindsight. Point 2 - that may be true in some cases, but it may also be true that the mother is unintelligent or unaware and that the rapes have been committed when she has been out of the house. This is common as well.