saint francis

Is it ok to take pride in your country? I usually frown upon these sorts of events because flag waving, saying we're great translates to me as "We're better than you over there (including the foreigners who happen to live here). I am also suspicious of borders generally and think they're inherently unfair, keeping the good stuff in and the bad stuff out. Sure it seems fair for the people who live inside the border that all the good stuff should remain all theirs, but what about those that live outside. It is a birthright, and entitlements because of birth are the sort of 'rights' that fair people try to move away from. However I'm not naive enough to think we could just tear down the borders and live harmoniously, nor would I want that. If asked, the things I like about England, and would be prepared to celebrate are: Largely accepting of multiculturalism, if begrudgingly. Largely secular, or at least much less superstitious than most countries. Democratic, despite its flaws. Nice selection of food, especially the foreign stuff. Taking advice/laws from the European Court of Human Rights I like the people here, but probably just because I'm used to their ways.

A must win.

I don't fancy feathers on fellas, but raise me glasses at lasses in molasses.

Test3. (out of posts)

Test2.

Test.

Seems to be back online now, all done and dusted.

Offline for at least two hours now. There is money literally burning a hole in my pocket (not literally). I have a try with the phones tomorrow.

No it isn't.

As my mother always said, if you can't say anything positive about Mercury Thiocyanate decomposition, then don't say anything at all.

2,1

I think you'll find it's exactly the same size.

Perhaps as huge as my 'Heinz big soup' the other day. When I got home I realised it was the same size as all the other soups.

Once again the rules seem stacked against us.

I see it as liberation. My theory is, if you liberate them in as many different environments as possible it gives them the best chance, perhaps randomly out of the train window (never at a station though), then they're on their own.

So you have. Let's see if we can get a third.

Hardly surprising she wasn't believed. Most blokes can barely last an hour.

As mammals ourselves, (a category created by humans, you'll have to ask the cat whether it agrees) punishment for harm to another mammal of any class should surely be the same. Slightly less punishment for lesser species, perhaps in this order: GBH example maximum sentences: Mammals (including humans) 6 years Birds 5 years Reptiles 3 years Amphibians and fish 1 year Insects 30 days Life forms

I don't think anyone disputes that there's a differential, only whether it is fair to judge a new customer based on these parameters. I'm being persuaded that it isn't. An insurance company will still be quite free to choose whatever parameters they see fit within the law, locality, occupation, choice of car etc but these are things that people choose. Age and gender are not, and I'm not sure it is fair to charge people more because of it, even if either one proved to be statistically a higher risk. Companies will just have to choose different, fairer parameters.

I've skied in Åre which has virtually guaranteed snow. It was too cold though, -40 degrees at the top of the slope, and the skiing pretty average. If I were you, which I am, I'd be tempted to choose a well known high altitude Alps resort and keep your fingers crossed. Either that or try Canada. I've never been there so can't comment. Well I could but I won't.

Possibly second thoughts regards wigs and convertibles.

I'm with Europe on this one, if they choose this path, which I hope they will. Initially I thought that statistical analysis justified the means for pricing of policies, but left unchecked you could choose virtually any stat as a parameter for price. Maybe the Welsh are involved in more accidents than the rest of the UK? Perhaps those with wigs, ingrowing toenails, sausage fingers. Choose your category at will. If I was a seventeen year old male it would be nice if I was given the chance to be a responsible driver before it was decided that I couldn't be because of accidents caused by other people of the same age. At the end of the day I doubt it'll make a difference to careful drivers, more restriction on differentials will I guess push companies to shift the benefits in favour of no claims bonuses, up to twenty years maybe, which is fair to everyone across the board.

I couldn't possibly say, she wouldn't allow it as she regards it as confidential. "What's discussed in the house of saint francis, stays in the house of saint francis." she likes to remind me (with regard to local goverment policy, leaks, etc). So I'm left to gossip about tittle tattle like the rest of the plebs.