bridge too far

If we were to aggregate all these puns, what would we think?

No, I drive a 4 year old Mazda 3 and will do for the foreseeable future. And I only got that because I had to hand back my company car when I retired. I wish I did have a 76 Cortina - or rather I wish I'd kept the one I used to have.

We are apparently out of pocket, all things considered. But we dont mind because we can see that, for example, we are 'paying' for the grandchildrens' education. And we're happy about that. We also know that we'll be grateful for that overpayment because one day we might require very expensive health treatment. It's just like an insurance policy really. I don't like the fact that my insurance premium is as high as it is because of other drivers, but one day I might be grateful that I can replace my car / sue the other driver no matter how much it costs.

Am I the exception to the rule? I'm like my Dad I think. If it works / does it job why get a newer one? I've had my iPhone for 3 years now and I've got no need or desire to change it because it still does everything I want it to. I hate the way the marketing tribes try to manipulate us into thinking that somehow we're to be admired less because we don't have the latest gizmo.

You wouldn't mixer up with anyone else

Load of ball(ast)

I did wonder what Job Centre Plus would make of such an association - it's a government department after all!

Right - that's it! No more haircuts at Toni & Guy for me.

We spend very little on the grandchildren because we don't really do Christmas. But we do spend quite a bit on their birthday presents as we think their birthdays are far more important.

Nor does your grammar / spell check, it would seem

Ooh you *****! Do it yourself, sweetie, and let me know how well you did. I think you'll beat me though NO CHEATING!

http://testyourvocab.com/ How will you all do, I wonder? I scored 37,000

Article in the Torygraph gives some information, although unhelpfully, not in percentage terms. Interesting to note which political party runs each council, as the salary increases are voted for by the council members. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/council-spending/8714259/Council-chief-executives-enjoy-pay-rises-as-services-are-cut.html I genuinely can't find any info on Trade Union General Secretaries' pay rises. However, they earn at the lower end of Councils' Chief Executives (in the £100K bracket) with one or two exceptions. In a previous life I was married to a full-time regional secretary of a TU. He doubled his salary by moving into the private sector to do the same job (industrial relations) (the turncoat). I can tell you that the wages of full-time officials are both paid for and voted on by the membership. So, unlike council bosses and city fat cats, you and I don't pay for TU bosses' wages, unless we're members of those unions.

I don't know everything about everything and nor do you I suggest. What I do THINK (see the difference there?) is that hurting people is just plain wrong and, therefore, I don't think it's a sport. Any more than I think dog fighting, cock fighting (although a fair bit of that goes on here) or pheasant shooting are sports. It's a philosophy I've had all my adult life. But again - to address the OP - if fighting IS deemed a sport, then there is no reason why women shouldn't participate if they want to.

I said from the outset that I don't know much about fighting sports so you're saying nothing new there, are you Whilst I understand and admire commitment in all sports and in the arts, I still don't like to see people deliberately hurting each other. I don't class that as sport (a bit like not regarding fox hunting as a sport). I don't doubt that boxers are fit. But, again, you're straying away from the original discussion.

I think you're right to some extent Trousers ( agreeing with Trousers AGAIN) But when publication causes such awful distress, not necessarily for the subject, but certainly for his / her family then something is badly wrong. Today we've heard from a father whose son killed himself because of the awful publicity surrounding his sister's murder and of a father who also committed suicide because of the press expose of his son's behaviour. I'm also of the opinion that the actions of the gutter press say a lot about our society in that some want to read this trash.

And we're better for knowing about these occasions? I don't care and it's none of my business what they do in their private lives. As someone above has said, these rags are the most hypocritical vehicles of news ever with the 'morals' of a byegone era. I think the odds would be quite short on the probability of their journalists and editors doing the very things they lambast 'celebrities' for.

Looks like the Daily Heil has got other things to worry about too http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15834927

Why? Because I don't think punching seven bells out of each other is sport. That's MY opinion and I realise other people don't agree. But the key point in this thread that I was making was that, IF fighting is considered a sport, then there's no logical, moral or cultural reason why women shouldn't participate. I don't know much about martial arts at all but, from what I've seen, there's no real 'hurting' involved. In fact it's highly likely that my granddaughter will take up karate when she gets to be 6. Her dad is a black belt and she already knows some of the moves. To me, it's as valid as ballet in developing posture, co-ordination and confidence so I have no problem with her doing it (not that it's any of my business anyway).

I think you're right - I think 'he' used to be dressed in green.

What does this lorry do that's so special?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15827683 "High pay of UK executives corrosive, report says"

Well, I don't think any form of fighting is a sport TBH. Having said that, if women want to engage in the same sort of so-called sport as men, I don't have any issues with that.v

Sh*t! I can't admit to Mr TF that he was right!

I wonder if the FAPPT can be rescinded. Have a look at this article but here's a relevant bit, I think He is convicted on indictment of an offence set out in the Appendix 12 Schedule of Offences or he is convicted of a like offence by a competent court having jurisdiction outside England and Wales Here's the Schedule of Offences: SCHEDULE OF OFFENCES: Conspiracy to defraud: Criminal Justice Act 1987, section 12 Conspiracy to defraud: Common Law Corrupt transactions with (public) agents, corruptly accepting consideration: Prevention of Corruption Act 1906, section 1 Insider dealing: Criminal Justice Act 1993, sections 52 and 61 Public servant soliciting or accepting a gift: Public Bodies (Corrupt Practices) Act 1889, section 1 Theft: Theft Act 1968, section 1 Obtaining by deception: Theft Act 1968, section 15 Obtaining a money transfer by deception: Theft Act 1968, section 15A + B Obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception: Theft Act 1968, section 16 False accounting: Theft Act 1968, section 17 False statements by Company Directors: Theft Act 1968, section 19 Suppression of (company) documents: Theft Act 1968, section 20 Retaining a wrongful credit: Theft Act 1968, section 24A Obtaining services by deception: Theft Act 1978, section 1 Evasion of liability by deception: Theft Act 1978, section 2 Cheating the Public Revenue/Making false statements tending to defraud the public revenue: Common Law Punishment for fraudulent training: Companies Act 1985, section 458 Penalty for fraudulent evasion of duty etc: Customs & Excise Management Act 1979, section 170 Fraudulent evasion of VAT: Value Added Tax Act 1994 section 72 Person subject to a Banning order (as defined) : Football (Disorder) Act 2000, Schedule 1 Forgery: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 1 Copying a false instrument : Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 2 Using a false instrument: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 3 Using a copy of a false instrument: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 4 Cheating the Public Revenue/ Making false statements tending to defraud the public revenue: Common Law Punishment for fraudulent training: Companies Act 1985, section 458 Penalty for fraudulent evasion of duty etc: Customs & Excise Management Act 1979, section 170 Fraudulent evasion of VAT: Value Added Tax Act 1994, section 72 Person subject to a Banning order (as defined): Football (Disorder) Act 2000, Schedule 1 Forgery: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 1 Copying a false instrument: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 2 Using a false instrument: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 3 Using a copy of a false instrument: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 4 From here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6923831.stm