Whitey Grandad

I would certainly argue against that. The public sector includes the Health Service, Fire, Police, Defence and Social Services. The wealth-creating part is tiny as a proportion of government expenditure. Nationalised industries don't create wealth because they don't have to - they know that they cannot go bust. Every country in the world produces world-class engineers and scientists. In Britain it is often despite the comprehensive education system. Just a look at the government's own figures for the sources of the money it spends will show how little is generated by its own operations.

He was subbed during half time?

It's true that our government can occasionally turn a profit, although I'm struggling to remember any of the nationalised industries ever doing so. We should make a profit out of the banks that we have effectively bought when they are eventually sold and there should also be a couple of a percent return on the money we are lending to Ireland, but these amounts are very small compared to the bulk of the governments tax-take.

I hear she does a great lunch in Sweden.

Ah, thanks for that. My son talks about these things all the time and I pretend to listen. He's nearly 40.

It could be. I'm looking forward to the day when I can get a coloured rinse. Do you think I should have blue or a pink one?

I knew that really. Is it still the cheapest way to get a BlueRay player?

I'm pleased for you, Tartanowl. Now you can sleep at nights.

What's an 'XBox' ?

Well, 'every little helps'.

Interesting indeed. Perhaps that explains my increase in mass in recent years? Or maybe my gravitational mass is attracting everything towards me at cosmic speeds? My mind is boggling.

And to get you thinking... http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/entire/pr2004007a/large_web/ Try and count the galaxies first, then the stars.

I remember some research that showed that the galaxies were not evenly spread out in the universe but were arranged in 'walls'?

Would you prefer home or away?

A good run out for Oscar, I thought that he did what was expected of him.

I was there yesterday and I thought he was doing ok, but I heard some comments from behind me saying that 'none of his passes had found any of our own players, which was patently untrue, but sometimes people see thing according to their own prejudiced preconceptions. His ball control was certainly betters than Guly's.

Cup games also give us the chance to give some of the second-string players a game. Morgan sat out his suspension yesterday (if that's a bonus).

I think our current team might do 'em.

Well said. I am a great believer in apprenticeships which I think are far more appropriate for many of today's school-leavers. To make you all jealous, I took my engineering degree in the late 1960s and my grant was £400 a year for three eight-week terms. On top of that I had £100 a year from the Plessey Co. as a student sponsorship. Nobody graduated with debts in those days, although I have paid a lot back in higher taxes. No snow yet in Chandlers Ford.

Er, not necessarily. The way the 'truth' is represented is also important.

Maybe, but at least I could see the game this time!

He went into a tackle and was hobbling afterwards. I saw them strapping his left ankle but it didn't seem to help. He was sitting on the ground pounding the grass in frustration and looked pretty p1ssed off as he limped off.

PAYE from public sector workers just means that they don't cost the country as much as you might think at first sight, but it comes out of money that has been raised from other taxes. The same goes for their NI. Personal taxes and NI come out of salaries that have been paid by institutions in the private sector. The point is that all the money and wealth has to be generated by the private sector, and some of it is taken (stolen) by the government to spend as it sees fit. If it were to take less tax and leave more to the people and companies that created it, then they could spend it more wisely. What you have called 'public money' has all been created by the private sector.

Everything that you have listed is in the private sector. The money that is taken in taxes from the public sector originally came from the private sector.

And where do the taxes come from?