buctootim

I'm not sure either teachers or MPs would appreciate that comparison.

Than almost anyone else more like. Currently c10 million parents have to use up a day of their very limited holidays to care for children whose education is disrupted for a day instead of a few hundred thousand teachers undergoing training whilst the children are on holiday as part of their 13 weeks holiday. Put the teachers on two weeks training during the Summer holidays and they'd still have 11 weeks.

I love pointless 'just for the hell of it' stuff like that

Which is only a problem in over crowded battery cages.

No but they do buy in de-beaked chickens, which is worse.

Some tired old and simplistic cliches being trotted out - German good, French bad. Check the reliability surveys and owner satisfaction - as a brand there is almost no overall difference between Renault and Volkswagen. As models the Scenic and Focus are both much more reliable than the Golf. The idea that for the same money a 15 year old Golf with 160,000 miles is a better buy than a 10 year old Scenic with 65,000 is just risible. http://www.reliabilityindex.com/manufacturer http://www.reliabilityindex.com/reliability/search/367 http://www.reliabilityindex.com/reliability/search/281 http://www.reliabilityindex.com/reliability/search/99

Would make sense as a loan. Cant see us signing him permanently.

Ah, interesting, ta. Not a surprise I guess

Thats a different and fair point - though I'd substitute 'many' for 'some' . There is a huge range of opinion in Islam with some very good and some very weird preachers. A muslim woman I know told me (I assume its true) there are seven different main translations of the Koran, written at different times and some translations of translations - so the texts and therefore beliefs can be very different.

What did he say? (nothing in BBC postmatch interview that I saw).

Vakmero vallalkozas - 'Fearless enterprise' in Slovakian apparently. That'll come in handy.

Good rebuttal in that link: Theologically - no. Because his allegiance is to Allah, the moon God of Arabia. The moon God? Allah is a monotheistic God. Religiously - no. Because no other religion is accepted by his Allah except Islam (Quran, 2:256) The last time I looked, the US wasn't a theocracy. Therefore, it doesn't matter what religion is accepted by Allah, because Americans can be any (or none) religion they want. Scripturally - no. Because his allegiance is to the five pillars of Islam and the Quran (Koran). The Five Pillars of Islam are: Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad Saying daily prayers Concern for and almsgiving to the needy Self-purification through fasting The pilgrimage to Mecca for those who are able I fail to see how the Five Pillars prevent one from being an American. Geographically - no. Because his allegiance is to Mecca, to which he turns in prayer five times a day. Does this also mean that Jews can't be real Americans? Because the Passover Seder ends with "Next year in Jerusalem." Socially - no. Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews. Actually it doesn't, but what are mere facts when you're in full anti-Muslim rant? Politically - no. Because he must submit to the mullah (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and Destruction of America, the great Satan. Mullahs are only found in the Shiite branch of Islam. The Sunnis have Imams, the Sufis have Shaykhs (sheikhs, which means "leaders") and the Druse have al-Ajawīd, a term that means "The Good Ones." Not all mullahs teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America. Domestically - no. Because he is instructed to marry four women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34). A Muslim is allowed to have up to four wives, there is no requirement to have all four. The Bible also says: "You will be eager for your husband and he will rule over you" -Genesis 3:16. "Wives be subservient to your husbands" -Ephesians 5:22 Intellectually - no. Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt. Since the Constitution is not based on Biblical principles, this non sequitur is meaningless. Philosophically - no. Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic. I can think of several Muslim governments which are at least pro forma democracies. I can think of a whole lot of non-Muslim governments which are dictatorial or autocratic or both. Spiritually - no. Because when we declare "one nation under God," the Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in The Quran's 99 excellent names. Are we talking about the same Christian God (a) who is not officially part of the American political system and (b) in whose name numerous religious wars were fought? That Christian God? Therefore after much study and deliberation....perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. They obviously cannot be both "good" Muslims and good Americans. Call it what you wish....it's still the truth. And while you're at it, watch out for the bogeyman, because he isn't a good American either. You had better believe it. Or else the bogeyman will get you

Serious question Art. Don't the French still eat horsemeat? They used to a lot, we even got served horse steaks during a school trip to Le Havre - and any way isnt the price of horse and beef broadly similar?

Odd that so many posters haven't read the OP and the link. The expenses scandal was a deliberate construct to pay MPs more through allowances. The new system will change that. The total amount MPs receive wont really change but it will be transparent. Thats it.

Its just a typo bear - 'he is fat'. There's a reason you can only get four pairs of his Y fronts in a full washing load yunno.

Fair enough. Everyone is guided by their own experience. I bought an old Renault 19 for £700 ages ago and my ex was still driving it problem free seven years later. My 1978 Alfa Spider never fails to start even after being left for months.

Alternatives to oil exist already, its just that by and large they aren't price competitive with oil at current rates. Despite what people think oil is still dirt cheap - around 43p per litre for crude. You can use hydrogen to power cars and supplies of hydrogen are limitless - just split water with electricity. You can use cellulose for packaging instead of plastics. The oil won't run out, it will gradually get more scarce - which will make it more expensive, and so alternatives will become economically viable.

Looks alright to me - reasonable but not an especial bargain. Going on autotrader.co.uk and searching for cars under £1,000, under 10 years old and under 100,000 miles and seeing what comes up. I'd go for this http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201306297555254/sort/default/usedcars/maximum-mileage/up_to_100000_miles/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/radius/20/maximum-age/up_to_10_years_old/page/2/price-to/1000/postcode/bn68qb/price-from/500?logcode=p or this http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201308168346358/sort/default/usedcars/price-from/500/postcode/bn68qb/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/price-to/1000/page/1/maximum-mileage/up_to_100000_miles/radius/30/maximum-age/up_to_10_years_old?logcode=p or this http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201312010258849/sort/default/usedcars/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/maximum-mileage/up_to_100000_miles/radius/30/postcode/bn68qb/price-from/500/price-to/1000/page/4/maximum-age/up_to_10_years_old?logcode=p

Quite. Even more so for midfielders where 'its just a pass that went astray'. A goalkeeper does it and its 'you cost us a goal you useless bastard' .

An average score of 5.8 from you for the team that has just got an away draw at a very good side above us in the league ? Enough said.

Seem like a decent spread to me. If you saw the Chairman's CV under other circumstances you'd be deriding him as an LSE loony left.

The people were primarily Anglo Saxon, especially after Ethelred the Unready (Edwards dad) had most of the Danes murdered - but as through history the ruling Royal lineage is 'international' at best.

Edward the Confessor was only notionally 'English' - ruling after the Danish King Canute. He was only half Saxon - his mother was a daughter of the Duke of Normandy - Danish Viking raiders who settled. Harold's mum was also a Viking from Denmark. William the Conqueror was also of Danish Viking stock and of course a later Duke of Normandy. It was all just one big family row - being Anglo Saxon doesn't really come into it.

What exactly is it that you're *****ing about Barry? That government costs money? anarchy is cheaper? Parliament costs about £500m pa, around 0.038% of GDP. I'd rather we paid MPs reasonably well and reimbursed legitimate expenses - as is being proposed - rather than the current system.

....and to take the picture of the police in his rear view mirror. Tweeting, taking pictures and eating while driving. Cracking joke.