badgerx16

More than usual ? It does seem to have wandered off track somewhat.

Rhymes with prune, and involves large heaps of sand. Allegedly. Plus, nip over to the Public Sector Pensions thread, and see how far off topic that's gone, ( partly my fault, I admit ).

That's right dunce old boy, cling to the remnants of the Empire.

As I understand it, up to today it didn't need to be referred as NI had agreed to some operational concessions. With all the other stuff coming out today they withdrew those concessions, and in effect forced the Government's hands. It was then left up to Camoron's stooge to try to save face in the Commons and make it look like it was his idea. What actually happens is that Murdoch has a year's grace to re-build his position. ( Funny how the name Rupert and bent business go together ).

I prefer this one, you fascist pig ! Or even this ( Come to think of it, the communist Russian anthem is soooo much better than that bloody dirge God Save the Queen )

Is this what you had in mind ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYIU09o1gsI

Beware the Red under the bed

It's amazing how people completely miss the point when it's convenient to do so. This has nothing to do with Hitler the tyrant. Farage is a Little Englander with a phobia of Europeans, and has hung his hat on a certain peg in the hope of garnering support from those parts of the electorate who are easily manipulated, ( as Dunce would put it 'sheeple' ). Hitler, in the 1920's and 1930's manipulated the deep underlying nationalistic sentiments of the Volk and built on their aspiration for a Greater Germany. It was exactly the same sort of political smoke and mirrors. The fact that he had a personal ulterior motive was kept hidden - do you honestly think he would have got elected on a platform of invading Poland and Russia ? A similar trick was perpetrated on the British electorate by Tony Bliar, who like all other politicians before and since, stood up and promised one thing, then proceeded to deliver something completely different. The current lot have taken it to the extreme by delivering a complete Government that wasn't even presented as an option on the ballot paper. And for the record I hold all politicians equally in the same low esteem, regardless of the colour of the ribbon they sport - after all, even WSC was self serving enough to switch sides when it suited him.

It's all about finding which levers you can pull to manipulate the electorate into believing you have THEIR best interests at heart, when in fact you are building your own powerbase from which to stake your claim to the Imperial throne. As the Romans put it: 'Bread and Circuses'. Hitler was, and Farage is deluded enough to think he might be, a consumate politician.

Xenophobia & isolationism, so yes Hitler, ( when he was elected to the Reichstag he didn't do it on a platform of 'lets' have a holocaust' and 'free holidays in the Ukraine for every able bodied man' ), and Farage can be compared.

To the average German in the early 1930's, on matters of the economy , Europe, and the 'general unrest', Hitler was 'spot on'. Farage is just a political chancer who is placing himself in a position to ride the crest of the wave he thinks is coming into view.

And don't forget to respond to every policy announcement with the exclamation 'Word !'.

A job's a job, but you wouldn't understand the meaning of the word. Have you packed your lederhosen for the conference ?

I'm not sure that Dunce has ever heard of John Cooper Clark.

In which case he'll never see a nipple. Anyway, should that not be 'mein fuhrer' ?

31: You invite your mother, sister, auntie, father, brother, and uncle to come round to your caravan for tea, and only need to find 2 chairs.

Even Oscar Wilde was marred with children.

He is only brighter than us if we ( collectively ) amount to a 15 watt bulb.

Reputedly bats for the other side.

Drive to Bloomfield Road Stadium, play the IT superstar/guru for about 8 hours, then drive home again. If it's school holidays it changes to cycle rather than drive.

Found out yesterday that TREK have a sale on during July, so the 1.5 comes in @ £750, and 1.2 @ about £600 - if you can locate a participating local dealer.

To get back on track, I don't think any of the contenders will really show until the last 5 stages, the Alps and then the ITT immediately before the finale - as long as Cadell Evans doesn't win.

Some quotes from YOUR source : " But CIPFA condemned the report, saying it was based on figures from the Financial Reporting Standard 17 accounting standard, which took only a snapshot position of the pension liabilities. Bob Summers, head of the CIPFA pensions panel, told Public Finance the forthcoming LGPS actuarial valuation would provide a better guide, taking into account a long-term view of the scheme’s affordability and sustainability and ignoring short-term fluctuations in market values. Due to be published early next year, the official valuation will also be used for revising employer contribution rates. Summers said: ‘The information John Ralfe has presented is highly misleading. There is not a black hole in local authorities’ pension funds. We are going through a process of [actuarial] review at the moment.’" "Mike Taylor, chief executive of the London Pension Funds Authority, said today’s numbers should not be taken at face value. He urged people not to panic. ‘This measure provides us with a snapshot view of LGPS liabilities that stretch out literally decades into the future, based on today’s interest rates,’ he said. Taylor added that the deficit would rise and fall on a daily basis according to interest rates, making the analysis ‘frankly not sensible’. " "Brian Stratton, GMB national secretary for public services, said: ‘In effect, Ralfe is saying the equivalent of taking a snapshot of your personal finances part way through a mortgage – it looks like you’ve got an unaffordable debt but the reality is to look at the long term and whether you can meet that debt. That’s what actuaries do in the LGPS and the managers of the pension funds set the contributions accordingly.’" "Gail Cartmail, assistant general secretary for public services at Unite, called it a ‘back-of-an envelope calculation’. "

"The LGPS is currently 'cash positive' – meaning payments into the scheme outweigh those going out" http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=100391 "The Funds have more than £140billion in investments and assets, enough to pay benefits for over 20 years." - The Local Government Association responding to the Hutton Report "Sir Merrick Cockell, the new chair of the Local Government Association, also backed the decision. He said: ‘The LGPS is unique in the public sector due to its £140bn worth of assets and investments which make it much more like a private pension scheme. We are pleased the government has recognised that difference. ‘We will continue to argue strongly against a sizeable increase in worker contributions on the grounds that it could lead to employees opting out of the scheme. This would endanger the viability of a scheme which is helping 1.9 million people save toward their retirement and reducing reliance on state means-tested pensions.’" - http://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2011/06/local-government-gets-pension-reform-concession/

Seeing as Huffton and Baj have got onto the subject of bikes, any ideas for a 'best buy' roadie, under £1000, ( probably nearer an £800 limit ) ? Looking to upgrade from my current 'cheap and cheerful' Raleigh as I'm tempted by the Pennine fells, which are only 30 minutes ride away, and need a better range of gearing. Currently debating between Specialized, Trek, and Boardman, ( with Scott Speedster as an outside bet ).m