buctootim

The real problem is that piliticians, naturally enough, only act on what looks good or makes sense on a here and now. Places like Norway, which maybe because its smaller, folloows a more consensus driven apporach. They know rtheir oil and gas is a temporary windfall, so they invest it and and only spend the interest. We of course, Thatcher excepted, blow whatever comes our way as soon as its in the bank.

The argument over what constitutes a 'good' pension for people on different wage levels and lengths of service is interesting but irrelevant to the question of whether it is affordable. If pensioners keel over after 5 or 6 years of drawing a pension then it is likely affordable. If life expectancy increases (in part because of increasing spend on the NHS) and they draw a pension for 20-25 years -the maths dont work anymore. Any comnbination of increasing contributions, delaying retirement age and trimming benefits is not some ideological crusade, its pretty much common sense.

I dont think its choking as such - but there is undoubtedly much more pressure on a team when you are top of the league and expected to perform at the highest level week in week out. It probably takes a while for some players to get acclimatised to their changed circumstances - after all its not that long ago they were bottom of lg1. Also, for one or two - winning must be a double edged sword because deep down they will know they will no longer be in the team if we do get promotion to the prem.

Shocking at a national 'headline' level but actually very reassuring on a local level, for me at least with two young kids who want independence and to ride bikes on the road. In the village where I live, around 6,500 people, only one road death in 20 years, and that was an 81 year old man.

Oh noes. His win rate is only 67%. Im very happy with the 33% of games we lose being away from home, as, being a fairweather supporter, it means I dont have to watch tiresome losses at home.

The Merkel / Sarkozy plan seems to me to be like the couple who realise their relationship is falling apart, so decide to have a baby to put it all back on track. The UK is fortunate to be outside the euro and none of our politicians is going to suggest getting closer to Europe whilst the current firestorm is going on.

Football culture is pretty much 20 years behind the times in most aspects. Whilst sexuality may not matter so much in other speres of life, it still does in football. Wasnt le Saux suspected of being gay for having a degree?

Agree. A good NHS oncology consultant with a merit award will earn over £160,000pa so £220,000pa for the CEO of a research charity arguably isnt excessive. By the same token phd biochemists who do far more of the real research than medically qualified staff will earn maybe £30,000pa, so you could probably get away with paying a lot less without losing ability. To the point of does the head of Cancer Research UK deserve his £221,000pa more than a top rated MacDonalds worker's £14,000pa, only Jackanory can tell us.

The CEO of Cancer Research UK will earn £221,000 this year. Does this make him an unreproachable saint or filthy parasite I wonder...

Bingo. Exactly.

I refuse to believe anyone is truly that stupid. It must be synthetic outrage.

No that wasnt point. I wouldnt denigrate anybody who works hard - at any level and in any job - and most especially those who volunteer their time and compassion in what can be a fairly bleak environment (terminal care). You and other like you have my utmost admiration for that. I was trying to winkle out that Jackanory appears to try to divide the world into a very simplistic the 'good' and the 'bad' those deserving of public adulation and those not. Its a dangerous road that. imo everybody has different motives and opportunities - some pursue the most cash at the expense of quality of life, some pursue interest and personal satisfaction, some dont have the luxury of choice. Personally I worked in the public sector and then charitable sector because I found it more interesting - more so than the oppotunity to go into Venture Capital which obviously paid a lot more. I dont really want to say which charity I run (its the UK part, not the global organisation) because my views may well not reflect theirs on any particulalr issue, but it works in the environmental areac if that helps.

Lolz. You work for the Sun and idolize overpaid bankers. I used to run cancer services in a London hospital and now run a charity and I'm the sick one.

You are incredibly naive. You really think cancer researchers are some higher beings? Ive run cancer services at a London teaching hospital. We used to regularly lose our best clinicians to research because the money was better and the hours regular - not because Ghandi, Mandela and Jesus H Christ were calling them to salvation.

Disagree. Someone whose awe of people at the Sun and bankers with young families (who earn £200,000pa but work 16 hour days) is the tool whose views need holding to the light and feet to the fire

Oh. Somebody who works at a comfortable job for charidee is implicitly more valuable than someone who makes the most of a ****ty job for low money? Surely since cancer is still around we should go round their houses with flaming torches, its not a strong record of achievement is it? By contrast I get my sausage and egg Mcmuffins in a couple of minutes flat.

Odd. Claus seems to have shown more mental discipline than Gary Speed. He is still here after all.

Simply that its rare to see so much forelock tugging nowadays. How about the 5 starred workers at Maccy D's? Awe inspiring?

The Sun has been out of control for decades. When I was 15 I spent the day finding out whether I wanted to be a journo. All the press and media pack were waiting patiently outside the house of a guy who had just been released from being chained to radiator in Beirut. He hadn't seen his family for months, had no sleep for four days but had promised to speak freely after "a shower, food and sleep". Everybody respected that tv, radio and press - except the Sun who rang his doorbell and phone incessantly, tried to get in his garden and take pictures through his windows.

You seem very in awe of people. Editors at newspapers, bankers who earn a lot of money. They're just hired hands, nothing awe inspiring.

Think this line from Claus sums it up: "in the Premier League: wages are higher, egos are bigger, the admiration of the fans are more extensive, dope is more accessible. This amount of funds, opportunity and inflated self-image is a scary combination".

Not sure where the debate about deficits or surpluses comes from. The teachers pension scheme is unfunded, paid for out of taxation and current employed teacher contributions. There is no big pot of money - in deficit or otherwise

I find Clarkson irritating, not least because most of what he says is just synthetic crap said for effect. I also think he played a large part in 1,000s of people losing their jobs at Rover as Top Gear routinely ridiculed the products and company. That said he is totally entitled to say whay he did and the union are just making themselves look stupid / humourless.

A lot of people think short term and would rather have say an extra 10% on their salary than 15% employers contribution going into a pension.

Too summery. This is what they need