bridge too far

Duly

Born and lived in Sholing until I got married Feltham, Hornsey Paignton (only for a few months - husband's secondment) Acton Sidcup Hiltingbury Polygon Godalming Camberley High Wycombe little village near High Wycombe Locks Heath Abingdon where I am now in Oxfordshire ------------------- schools: St Monica's - Sholing Girls' Grammar School - Hill Lane

Jesus

masticates (it'll take an hour to get this posted)

I recognise the red cross in the box but what the hell is the second pic?

For me and other female fans on here (to balance the books)

Got me Johnny boyo! Blame the sticky keyboard (biscuit crumbs are a bugger)

Woolwich Arsenal I do believe

What about this one: Was Margaret Thatcher a) a milk snatcher b) a right wing extremist b) a wonderful lady with a natural voice

Pleased to see that Perfect Alibi are playing @ the Brook in November Oh wow and Curved Air in October - I used to love them! Damn I wish I still lived down there

Pink Floyd - Southampton Guildhall Queen - Wembley Led Zepplelin - Wembley and I've got a good one coming up Friday week. My daughter is singing with a brilliant Elton John tribute act. I don't like tribute bands as a rule but, well, it IS my daughter

leaves

I don't use them because I'd rather the supermarkets took on extra staff to deal with the queues. But I can see that some people can't afford to waste 5 minutes of their lives waiting in line. And if it means the 'old dears' can have possibly their only chat of the week, then that's all good.

Very sensible and very true. Good old 'divide and rule' eh?

Or, perhaps, narrow minded if you only read the Mail

From that link, and the important (but buried) important point: "The TUC said workers in the public sector are increasingly well educated, and that many of the lowest-grade blue collar jobs, such as cleaning and maintenance, have been outsourced to the private sector. Adam Lent, head of economics at the TUC, said: ‘You can’t make direct comparisons-between the public and private sector workforce. ‘The public sector has many more professional and highly skilled workers within it than the private sector" [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1312079/State-workers-private-employees-pay-pensions.html#ixzz0zaQ1larF][/url] Since many of the lowest paid (catering, cleaning) have been outsourced that distorts the averages for both sectors. A like for like comparison should be made. I'll give you a for instance. My daughter and her friend are both IT project managers. They both worked for a housing association. My daughter's friend was offered a job doing exactly the same work with a private sector company contracted to supply maintenance to housing associations. She ended up earning twice the salary that my daughter earned. Same job, different sector. When I was both a project manager and an auditor for the NHS I earned considerably less than my private sector colleagues doing the same level of work. Same job, different sector.

Whilst 80% might be a bit much, it's interesting to see that the UK isn't the highest taxing country. The Scandinavian countries are and I don't see a mass exodus from there. In fact their social support systems (child care etc.) are better than ours. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_rates_of_Europe

stays

I have just been doing some research and I've discovered that a very, very distant family member, who is a Catholic priest, had a job offer at the Vatican rescinded. Why? Because he supports the ordination of women (catholic) priests! I am so very proud of him (even though I have no religion).

Very many single parent families are superb! What about a situation where one parent dies. Does that mean that that family is doomed? And what about a situation where one member of a heterosexual family realises that s/he is gay? Are you saying that offspring of that union will suffer any more than children whose parents just split up? You just can't generalise. I am sure that there are plenty of 'normal' (man / woman and married) families that are horrendous!

The value isn't necessarily measured in monentary terms though. I would argue that a teacher / doctor / nurse / carer for a disabled person makes an equal contribution to society to a banker etc. Some would say more of a contribution but I do recognise that, in this bruised and battered capitalist model, we need bankers. They just don't need to earn so much. But I guess it depends on where an individual's values lie. Money isn't everything to me - but it is to some.

One of the unfortunate side-effects of bankers' bonuses is the distortion of the property market, firstly in London and then leading to a trickle-down effect in the rest of the South East and ultimately the rest of the country. No wonder the younger generation has problems getting on the property ladder.h

Hmmmm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3092383.stm http://www.womenfitness.net/top10_no_skip_breakfast.htm http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20090615/skip-breakfast-get-fat

interrogation

Worst thing you can do! Your body is fooled into thinking it is being starved and therefore lays down more fat and increases the metabolic rate when you do eventually feed it. Best thing to eat is a slow release food such as porridge. Keeps you feeling fuller longer and so you're less inclined to snack.