Patrick Bateman

I saw, what I can guess would be a hideously expensive numberplate (something like 'J 7') on a 10 year old Rover 75. Why?? Best plate I've seen recently is on a bright yellow Ferarri round the corner from my London office. Black windows, reg 'SPY 500' - just makes me chuckle.

Weird, I was wondering similar the other day ... my car speedo was reading 70mph, yet the digital speed reading on the car's trip computer said 67mph. I assumed the digital reading was correct?

I think I got my 1st one in 1993 when I was at college and 17. It was a Panasonic phone, analogue, with 9 minutes talk time. Fab! The 1st mobile phone I remember using was in my Uncle's car in the mid-80s, a proper car phone, with a cable that came from the armrest. I remember people being amazed when we phoned up "5 minutes down the road". Great days, simple fun!

That show was hildarious and a bit sad. It was hilarious as Griffin was shown up to be even more of a tw*t than people thought and also not very good at answering without a script. It was also hilarious the way Bonnie Greer just calmly destroyed him, leaving him grinning like a loathsome, squirmy, little man wanting to really be stood on a 1 foot high stage (to give him some height) talking to 40 or 50 people in a room who actually agree with him, verbatim. The star was definitely Bonnie Greer, she was fantastic. Also liked the other lady (sorry, didn't remember her name). Straw was average, and the lib dem totally annoymous. But Griffin ... hahahahaha ... you horrible, loathsome little man, you were shown up. "I can't explain why I used to say those things". Brilliant, slogan of 2009!

Here's mine - Your political compass Economic Left/Right: 0.62 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.62

Well that Neal Lawson is full of sh*t isn't he: "Best Customer Service 09 October 2009 Winner: Virgin Media There's no stopping Virgin Media who win this award for a ninth consecutive yearWe " Bloody idiot. The CWU are disgraceful.

As an employee within the Post Office, you are the public face. People hand their parcels to you and some pick them up from you. Therefore, when they say "you have lost my parcel", they are of course entirely right. YOU work for the Post Office, you are the public face, therefore, you are the Post Office as far as they're concerned. Why don't you have a little more understanding for how old Mrs Tibbins who gave her parcel to you 3 weeks ago, is feeling, when her great grandson hasn't received his present. I get the same in what I do with who I work for and I'm not even an employee of the company. But it's to be expected; as it turns out, I AM able to get things fixed and looked in to (as The9 can testify), so as the public face of the Post Office, you are the one helping them out and are solely responsible. Don't tell me, you never whinge to the person serving you in Tesco about the price of sprouts, you don't complain about the price of petrol to the guy in Shell, you don't moan about your mobile reception to the guy in T-Mobile, you wouldn't ever phone your Electricity provider about losing power for 10 minutes. They all really care, they really do, honestly ...

I shop in my local farm shop for meat, fruit and veg and therefore tend to stick to what's seasonal. It's not cheap, in fact compared to nipping in to any supermarket it's hideously expensive, but I'd rather keep the local economy going. I do use supermarkets, I'm not brand loyal, but prefer Sainsburys, however I don't really bother with Fair Trade items as I buy what I think tastes nice; Twinings, Yorkshire Tea, Tea Pigs and various other smaller brands. One of the Co-op Fair Trade wines is nice, but I don't buy it for that reason, I buy it because it tastes nice. I grow my own veg, I have a pair of green wellies and I drive totally the opposite to a Prius. Am I confused, or are stereotypes just boll*cks?

Because it's the right and proper thing to do and it was an accident which she obviously apologised for by offering to pay? She never did it on purpose and accidents DO happen. No one was hurt and it wasn't major. I thought you'd be better than that in all honesty. This country is full of dishonesty, it's very frustrating. Only last Friday night, I was in a pub where I got £50 cash back. They gave me the cash and the receipt, only I realised the receipt totalled £10.20, which was just the drinks bill. I could have walked away, £50 up. But no, I immediately highlighted that they'd forgotten to put the cash back through on the card reader. Do the right thing and do it as cheaply as possible, but obviously to a condition whereby you are satisfied. Something else I have no respect for is the lovely person who keyed my new car. I dispair of lack of social morals - but they are both new stories.

Very well said. I, like many others in the past year took a 10% rate (or pay if you're a permie) cut, just to stay in contract and keep an income and still work just as hard, if not harder, to prove my worth.

I would like to massively disagree that just because you pay a lot of money to send your children to a "posh" school, it doesn't mean they have the best teachers. Teachers in state schools actually have to be qualified teachers, for a start ... "1. Do I need a teaching qualification to teach in a private school? private schools are permitted to set their own requirements with regard to qualifications so, unlike state schools, a teaching qualification is not insisted upon. However, times are changing. While previously a private school might have been happy to appoint a teacher on the basis of their academic credentials alone, it is now more likely the case that they prefer teachers to be qualified and experienced."

I normally move slightly to allow them to pass if the traffic is heavy and slower than the speed limit. However, why should I move over if I'm doing the speed limit? Seems a bit silly really.

The latest excuse, I assume, for not "transferring" the money? I do feel sorry for our blue neighbours!

LOL! What a ridiculous set of statements. 4 years training (a 3 year degree + 1 year PGCE or a 4 year B.Ed.), you have to actually pass all your years, plus each of your training placements in schools. Remember how much you (no doubt, as everyone did) ripped in to student teachers at your school? You have to (generally) prove why you want to be a teacher, why you'd be good and are constantly assessed by OFSTED / other teachers / your management / governors etc etc. Pay? A newly qualified teacher starts on around £20k (I think, not sure how much it is currently, but it's around that figure) at the age of 22. I'd suggest that's not great pay. Particularly given the long working days (generally in at 7.30am and unable to leave before 5pm due to staff meetings, parent meetings, writing up lesson plans, creating tasks for the children, tidying, etc etc etc) and then having to work at home most evenings and in the weekends. The holidays are great, sure, but they don't make up for the term time longer hours, plus also, a vast portion of the holidays are spent by most good teachers working / markig / preparing / planning. Having been married to a teacher for 10 years and now have another teacher as my gf (I didn't plan that!!!!), I know just how much "sh*t" they have to put up with!!

Signed.

I still can't believe that people are so interested in arguing on an internet forum about opinions no one cares about other than themselves. Still, good read, keep it up! For the record, my opinion is that I won't be joining, but I won't be arguing reasons for and against on a forum.

I'll echo that sentiment, Hatch!

Oh no, that's really sad, what a legend he was!!

I really like that, much nicer looking than the Focus RS. Having driven a brand new model Golf on Monday, fresh out of the showroom, I'd be intrigued to see what the new Golf R34 will be like though - thought the new Golf was significantly better than the outgoing model. More composed, better interior, better seating etc.

I loved Che Part I - was a superb film, very very well acted, Benicio del Toro is awesome! I'd give that film a 9/10. Che Part II however, went on too long, lacked the zing of the first one and ended up being just like any other war film - 5/10

Forgot, also watched 'I love you, man' on DVD. Starts off very amusing, but soon turns in to boring clichéd rubbish and I started to snooze. 4/10

Watched the Time Traveller's Wife yesterday afternoon at the cinema. This won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it! I didn't originally want to see it as it wasn't a comedy, nor a thriller, nor action, nothing really as it's just billed as a "drama". However I got, er, persuaded to see it ... glad I did now. It did almost make my eyes damp with sadness and I'm pretty certain there will be a follow up film (don't think there is a follow up book?). Not having read the book, not sure how true it was to the author's intentions, but worth watching (with your other half). 7/10 Also watched The Damned United on Bluray - cracking film, opened my eyes to Clough and the other legends of the time, that being born in 1976 I don't remember!! 8/10

It makes perfect sense. Someone with sound commercial sense, probably the CCO of the airport has said; "Okay, we need to get more income. We get more income from more flights and more passing trade. We get more flights and passing trade by linking ourselves to one of the main finance capitals of the world. That's London. Hence, we shall now be known as London Oxford Airport so the dimwits abroad use us more" It's that simple ;-)

LOL! Love the bit in bold!