Minty

Those sanctions seem pretty fair to me. Tough, but fair.

There doesn't seem a lot of point in these threads if 8 pages are going to go by with hardly anyone actually willing to be open to different views, and debate it accordingly. All I seem to have read is people with fairly fixed views, and a keenness to make snide remarks about those who disagree. Doesn't matter how much knowledge someone has of a subject, when it's underpinned by a base lack of respect for a different view, it makes you look like a bitter Skate shouting 'Scummah!' to try and win your argument. Shame, because I find the subject quite interesting, and want to learn more about it, but you've all managed to put me off to be honest...

Why do people (not just you, and on both sides) make these sweeping generalisations about 'The Right' and 'The Left', and petty comments like 'it probably rankles' etc, etc, and still hope to have a constructive conversation? It's why I don't join in such threads, because the actualy (quite interesting IMO) issues get clouded in veils of insults and put-downs. Here I go nonetheless. Without specific facts, it is hard to say exactly who would spend what, if they are given a tax break. I suspect, as BTF said, that low-earners would be more likely to spend any extra money they get, because they feel they need to, rather than high-earners who may save that money, or possibly even move it offshore altogether. But that's only my personal hunch. I think the subtleties of this, and Lord D's point about VAT, are generally over-analysed... the net effects of these kinds of changes are relatively small on an individual basis, but it is the political message it sends that seems more important to both those coming up with the policies, and those whose political ideologies it identifies/clashes with. If we spent more time looking at our own personal finances, rather than commenting on others', I suspect we'd be a lot better off, and probably less stressed in the process.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22439496

Good point, and I agree entirely. None of these things are ever as simple as anyone would like, and perhaps more importantly, they're rarely as simple as the public ideally *need* them to be, to fully understand the implications of what we're voting for. Anyway, I was just trying to highlight the distinction between what others were saying was fair or not... I try not to get into these threads!

So, now we come to the crux of the matter IMO... and it's all based on the starting point. If setting up a tax rate from scratch, I broadly agree that a flat-rate tax would be fair. Everyone pays the same % of their earnings. But many people view it from a relative position, i.e. to move to a flat-rate tax from the current tiered system, some will have to pay more, some will pay less. These people don't necessarily view the flat-rate tax itself as being unfair, but the CHANGE from current tiered tax levels to proposed flat-rate tax to be unfair. A key distinction, and I kind of agree with both sides as a result. I think a flat-rate tax would broadly be fair, *if* starting from scratch, but having had different tiers for so many years, it would be nigh on impossible to move to it now IMO, and clearly it would be perceived as moving money from those earning less to those earning more, because that will be the net effect.

I think some people need to walk away from their pc or phone for a bit - what's the point of all this baiting? For me it's simple enough - we have shown a lot of excellent potential this season, we can clearly compete with some of the best teams in the league on our day, but we can also turn in some very poor performances. We have the ability to do well, but we need to be more ruthless and consistent. But none of that matters right now. What matters right now is that we have two games left, to make absolutely certain we remain in the Prem next season. Form counts for little. Our own has been erratic, just as most others down the bottom has been. That's why we're all down here. We know we have ability, so we just need to get everyone behind the team and concentrate on staying up. The talk about moving up the table next season was perfectly valid - we have shown a lot of excellent potential, players growing into the league and contributing to some excellent results against top 6 sides. There's no harm in recognising that we *can* be very good on our day, and wanting to harness that and move forward. It's not arrogant to think any of that - but it IS arrogant to assume it will happen. So, I'll not apologise for having joined in those conversations about what we can possibly achieve next season - but for now it is not appropriate. The start to our season and our inconsistency have led to us still not being safe, so let's sort that out first, and then look forward. And if, just perhaps, we can all get behind the team as one to achieve it, that might help... sometimes I can't help but think that fellow fans enjoy picking arguments with others.

Got a new touchscreen netbook with it installed and now I'm used to it, I quite like it - but that was more down to getting used to the touchscreen than anything else. If I didn't have the touchscreen, I think it would a pain in the ar$e to use. Having been a Windows user for many years it's slightly disconcerting to have apps open all the time in the background if you use them... I just want to close them (which you can do if you want, even though they're designed to remain on in the background) to reduce mem usage. All-in-all I like it now, but it's not something i would've actively upgraded to if i still had 7 - i just happened to buy a new pc with it on.

Not really 'same old'... last two games the whole team has played well. We dominated those two games. Yes, poor today (and even then only after we got 6 wickets down), but I would say 'despair' is a bit dramatic when considering all 3 games so far.

Yes of course, just my limited interpretation of the video and the fact that these guys will have accrued plenty of hours doing exactly this kind of flight during their careers... I believe their company has operated this route and others for some time so whilst it is perhaps wrong to speculate as to exact cause, I would suggest it is far less likely to be something that would be covered by a routine checklist item that this crew would've executed on every flight. Tragic nonetheless, thoughts with their families.

A seemingly high nose-up attitude when the plane first comes into view, which gets even higher as the footage continues, before they drop a wing to drop the nose and try to pick up speed. Sadly, being so close to the ground there is no recovering. There is virtually no forward motion when it hits the ground. Only thing that is likely to put the nose up like that, IMO, is either the cargo coming loose and shifting back down the fuselage towards the tail, or a failure of the control surfaces. Other option, as always, is pilot error. Too much back stick forcing the stall perhaps, but that seems very unlikely. My money is on the loose cargo.

Got him just after lunch, Essex 164/8 now, but Napier is establishing himself, currently 31*.

144/7 at lunch, Cook still well and truly stuck in the mud...

He could end up being another Mike Williamson, and be in the Prem in 5 years time with someone, but a move for him wouldn't be a bad thing now IMO.

You're 50% right.

So, could we summarise this thread as follows? EVERYONE thinks we need to improve the squad and expects us to do so. EVERYONE would like those signings to be made as early as possible in the close season. EVERYONE EXCEPT ALPS accepts that you can't always bring players in as soon as you would like, and if they're not signed early in the window it is not necessarily the clubs fault.

Alps, did I actually say that? No. So why make up such things? I am simply trying to highlight that we attack as a team, and we defend as a team.

Shared the train with him a few times this season actually. Assume that's probably because he can't actually drive yet...?

If your support for the club is so flimsy and based primarily on your personal opinion of two players (who have, as much as people may not wish to acknowledge it, contributed significant goals and assists to get us to where we currently are), then I would suggest you don't bother.

Alps - you appear to suggest in posts above that our attacking players are good enough, and that the only reason we're conceded goals and leads is because the defence are not good enough. Do you honestly think it is that simple? Goals are often conceded because of forward players not picking up their men at set-pieces, or by cheaply giving away possession further up the pitch. Goals are often scored because of the contribution of a defender to set up that attack. Do you honestly think it is as black and white as you appear to be making out?

Rabbit was the one offside, if you want someone to blame...

Well we beat Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool, but we're not 'at their level' either. One game does not define our ability. It certainly highlights our inconsistency and the fact that we have players who do not deliver consistently, and I fully agree we need to improve the squad. But one game, be it a win or a loss, should not be used to judge our relative position IMO.

I don't know a single fan who thinks that is even vaguely likely. There is clearly ambition at the club and I absolutely expect us to make some significant signings over the summer, which is why I agree with Joenssu that the only line of the OP I can really agree with is the 'Let's see what happens'. Anything else is pure conjecture at this point.

Enjoyed that... still don't know who exactly half of you were on the pitch, to put faces to 'names', btu enjoyed it nonetheless.

Does the router have status lights for the line/broadband connection, as well as wireless? Does one/all of them drop out when it happens? Sounds like the broadband line connection keeps dropping out to me. Used to happen to me on my old BE router, wasn't certain if it was the router or the line, but if you've got the admin credentials for the router, log in and see if it has logs you can look at. If no logs, there will at least be a page for the connection stats, which shows connection time... How old is the router? Any other problems with it? Any new equipment on the telephone lines recently? Your broadband provider should be able to help if you're not sure (assuming they supplied it).