Clapham Saint

Conservative.

He actually "pays" more than 52%. Employers will not base a bonus payment on the amount that the employee will receive but on the cost to the company. The cost to the company will include employers NI at 12.8%. If your friend's nominal bonus is £300k then the cost to the company is actually £338.4k You friend will actually receive: Cost to co: £338.4k Less Employers NI: £38.4k Gives Nominal bonus: £300k Less Income tax at 50%: £150k Less Emplyees NI at 2% (assuming paid after 5 April): £6k Net pay: £144k So the amount paid by the Co £348.4k Amount received by your friend £144k Effective tax rate: 59% If you apply this rate accross the total bank bonuses for this year this represents a HUGE amount into HMRC's coffers.

Stand UP if you're on the bus Stand UP if you're on the bus etc etc etc

Wow... There's a quote somewhere about a little bit of knowledge being a dangerous thing.

Do you have any experience of any good ones? It turns out that Mrs CS wants to convert ALL her tapes so it may take her (although no doubt it will end up being me) quite a while.

Brilliant. Thanks Hammy. I'll check how many she actually wants to convert (she has a well over 100) to see how long it will take and make sure we can get them done in time. How long does it take to copy? Does it run at playing speed or a little quicker?

There was a magic show of some description on a couple of days ago which, at first glance, looked as though it might have been interesting. Unfortunately his irritating mug was hosting it. I couldn't stomach his stupid grin and lack of any sign of talent and so had to turn it off so I'll never know.

It's actually all her old gymnastics videos. So if you're a spotty 16 years old they might be your thing...

Does anybody know the best way to convert VHS tapes? Mrs CS has **** loads of old tapes that she wants to convert. We can get them done by taking them down to the local camera shop but that will cost a small fortune. There must be some gizmo which I can use to do it for (close to) free? I've found this but the site looks pretty basic and I'm a sceptic... EDIT: or this?

Not in itself. Making losses is fine if you still have the ability to pay your liabilities as and when they fall due. For example if you have suffcient cash in the bank to cover them, or support from an investor.

I'd go with a dog on a treadmill, however after taking the first step the mill started turning and so the dog has to take another step in order to stay on. With each step the mill gets quicker and quicker and they are now at the point where the mill is turning too fast for them to be able to jump off. Sooner or later they are going to trip. The longer they manage to keep going before they do the faster the mill will be going and the more terminal the damage.

Can't see any reason to change my previous recomendation of "toast". If (IF) they go up I might revise to "hold" but the longer they spend with expenditure in excess of income (as it must surely be, especially with the CVA payments, high wages etc) the further they get from being able to recover.

Although not really correct until 2013... the teens/teenies?

Um... yes it is you skate tit.

How long has this been running? From a (very very brief) look over the website I don't like the look of it. It looks like a very good idea whilst everything is going well (er obviously) but there seems next to no recourse in the event of a problem other than courts. For that reason, I'm out.

A couple of years ago the wife insisted we get a wii "because they look really fun". 2 years later I've used it a few times but I don't think she even knows how to turn it on.

Hold down Ctrl and roll your mouse wheel down.

Move your chair back a bit...?

Ooooooo......... http://www.gametrailers.com/video/vga-10-mass-effect/708363

Governments in having ability to make and change laws shock horror...

For me there are 2 separate issues. 1) How much is it fair for somebody to pay? 2) What is the fairest mechanism for them to do so? 1) £9k does seem very high to me (speaking as somebody who didn't pay anything), however its important to be aware that although this is the headline figure which everybody has assumed will be paid by all it is actually a cap. I would say it should be lower. 2) The proposed system seems by FAR the fairest way to pay whatever amount you come out with in question 1. Pay nothing up front, fair enough. Only start paying even a small amount if you are earning over 21k, fair enough. If you haven't repaid the full amount after 30 years (as I suspect that many nurses etc won't have done), write off the balance, fair enough. Many people, even if the nominal fees they have to pay are £9k a year will actually end up paying nowhere near this amount. In an ideal world uni would be free. Unfortunately it isn't and currently fees are required. The mechanism for paying is progressive and IS fair and is far better than the current mechanism. The nominal maximum fees are higher than I would want to go, however many will not pay the nominal amount. Tony's plan to get 50% of people to go to uni was always stupid.

How quick is the "blink of the eye", are we talking hours or near enough instant?

Is Rickie looking like getting back to his old self (lack of goals aside)? I've not been able to follow the whole thread