The penalty for over claiming benefits and not co-operating with the enquiry and one of your mates trying to muscle the press? Well, if you a friend of the PM, and one of only four women in the cabinet, you pay back the money and issue a half-arsed apology. If you are a normal member of the public then expect to be appearing at your local Crown Court.
That Cameron seems to think this is all OK is no surprise, he is a nasty little PR Spiv as we all know, but where are the shouts from Labour and the Lib Dems over this? A case of there but for the grace of God go one of us perhaps?
Set to give farage a boost before the euros....goodness.
Unbelievable if true.
Unbelievable? It's what most people assumed was happening I would have thought. You can't blame the gypsies, it's the logical way to behave.
But Nick Clegg said just last night that Eastern Europeans couldn't come to the UK unless they wanted to work. If this case is true, that would mean he was lying his face off!
Set to give farage a boost before the euros....goodness.
Unbelievable if true.
I had to laugh when I read a letter to the Times from Rev. Paul Nicholson, complaining that Osborne's benefit changes meant that a single mother of 7 children could no longer claim £782 per week in social security benefits.
This probably seriously affects <1% of the population ...... if it's that easy why weren't so-called "roaming" (I call them rip-off) charges scrapped umpteen years ago?
I wouldn't bother, Mr JS. My contract expires next month and I think I'll go back to an ordinary phone that just makes & receives calls and texts and which has a battery life of more than a day.
Set to give farage a boost before the euros....goodness.
Unbelievable if true.
Unbelievable? It's what most people assumed was happening I would have thought. You can't blame the gypsies, it's the logical way to behave.
But Nick Clegg said just last night that Eastern Europeans couldn't come to the UK unless they wanted to work. If this case is true, that would mean he was lying his face off!
I think the gypsies regard working the system as work...
One of the gipsies featured in Gypsies On Benefits And Proud is Katarina Cisarova, 43,who brought her eleven children and eleven grand-children with her to an estate in Rotherham. The Slovakian Roma receives almost £2,000 in benefits programmes and boasts: 'We have a good life here. We have everything that we want here. It is very nice.'
In the seven years she has been in Britain, Katarina has worked a handful of days. She lives with her husband Peter and their four youngest children – all teenagers.
Peter, who has not had a job for two years says: 'My country, I no had a job, no food, nothing. No going back, never. Thank you so much England.'
Here's more on the gypsies on benefit story, from the Mail:
*snip*
Shall we see how long it takes the people who've spent the last couple of years cherry-picking hard-luck stories on the bedroom tax to dismiss this as "a non-story about a tiny minority".
That's an appallingly written story, starting with the implication that every penny spent by a Scottish Government delegation passed into Mr Salmond's personal pockets, and quoting the highest price for the honeymoon suite as if they all stayed at that rate. You need to remember that the Labour Party in Scotland like to spend great amounts of public money and waste parliamentary time on such things as whether Mr Salmond bought the teabags and bikkies himself when some SNP friends and donors visited him for tea in Bute House (he did).
If the accounts are not completely finished and signed off then that needs to be done. But Ms Lamont likes repeating old stuff several times over. Rather like some posters here. This is the same old story we have had several times before here IIRC.
Coincidentally I saw a figure for the Ryder Cup benefit the other week of £100m and even if that is optimistic by a factor of 2 it will still be a very useful little boost to the economy.
Set to give farage a boost before the euros....goodness.
Unbelievable if true.
Unbelievable? It's what most people assumed was happening I would have thought. You can't blame the gypsies, it's the logical way to behave.
But Nick Clegg said just last night that Eastern Europeans couldn't come to the UK unless they wanted to work. If this case is true, that would mean he was lying his face off!
I think the gypsies regard working the system as work...
What's nuts is the people who say "yes, but many of the immigrants are more skilled than Britons!". Well, fine, but if we left the EU we could import just the good ones. UKIP need to put some of these examples on a poster, along side Nick Clegg's quote from last night, that you can't come to Britain unless you're going to work. It was an utter, rank lie. Even the Lib Dems on here know they can't defend it.
That's an appallingly written story, starting with the implication that every penny spent by a Scottish Government delegation passed into Mr Salmond's personal pockets, and quoting the highest price for the honeymoon suite as if they all stayed at that rate. You need to remember that the Labour Party in Scotland like to spend great amounts of public money and waste parliamentary time on such things as whether Mr Salmond bought the teabags and bikkies himself when some SNP friends and donors visited him for tea in Bute House (he did).
If the accounts are not completely finished and signed off then that needs to be done. But Ms Lamont likes repeating old stuff several times over. Rather like some posters here. This is the same old story we have had several times before here IIRC.
Coincidentally I saw a figure for the Ryder Cup benefit the other week of £100m and even if that is optimistic by a factor of 2 it will still be a very useful little boost to the economy.
Just seem Paddypower's prices for EU seats for the various parties .Surely the lib dems will get at least 2 seats at 5/6?
why surely?
Well it just looks so low. I think they only got about 14% of the vote last euros and managed to get loads more seats than 2. If the BNP could get 2 last time ,I bet the lib dems can!!
There's a tipping point at c.10% or so of the overall vote. Stay above it, and you should be able to win a seat in most regions. Fall below it, and you can get wiped out.
In the Opinium poll 20% would definitely vote to stay in the EU. 19% would probably vote to stay in the EU. (page 14) So the votes are there for the LDs.
I also wonder when we will get an assessment of the economic contribution to the Treasury of some of these groups from Eastern Europe. Or will we get the same studies lumping the travellers together with the American investment bankers, and then saying "oh look, immigration is a good thing, we should have as much as possible!"
The Slovakian Roma receives almost £2,000 in benefits programmes and boasts: 'We have a good life here. We have everything that we want here. It is very nice.' ... Peter, who has not had a job for two years says: 'My country, I no had a job, no food, nothing. No going back, never. Thank you so much England.'
Give them their due, at least they are polite and appreciative, unlike some of their English counterparts.
That's an appallingly written story, starting with the implication that every penny spent by a Scottish Government delegation passed into Mr Salmond's personal pockets, and quoting the highest price for the honeymoon suite as if they all stayed at that rate. You need to remember that the Labour Party in Scotland like to spend great amounts of public money and waste parliamentary time on such things as whether Mr Salmond bought the teabags and bikkies himself when some SNP friends and donors visited him for tea in Bute House (he did).
If the accounts are not completely finished and signed off then that needs to be done. But Ms Lamont likes repeating old stuff several times over. Rather like some posters here. This is the same old story we have had several times before here IIRC.
Coincidentally I saw a figure for the Ryder Cup benefit the other week of £100m and even if that is optimistic by a factor of 2 it will still be a very useful little boost to the economy.
I also wonder when we will get an assessment of the economic contribution to the Treasury of some of these groups from Eastern Europe. Or will we get the same studies lumping the travellers together with the American investment bankers, and then saying "oh look, immigration is a good thing, we should have as much as possible!"
But stopping Eastern European gyspies from claiming benefits here would make us all poorer.
That's an appallingly written story, starting with the implication that every penny spent by a Scottish Government delegation passed into Mr Salmond's personal pockets, and quoting the highest price for the honeymoon suite as if they all stayed at that rate. You need to remember that the Labour Party in Scotland like to spend great amounts of public money and waste parliamentary time on such things as whether Mr Salmond bought the teabags and bikkies himself when some SNP friends and donors visited him for tea in Bute House (he did).
If the accounts are not completely finished and signed off then that needs to be done. But Ms Lamont likes repeating old stuff several times over. Rather like some posters here. This is the same old story we have had several times before here IIRC.
Coincidentally I saw a figure for the Ryder Cup benefit the other week of £100m and even if that is optimistic by a factor of 2 it will still be a very useful little boost to the economy.
You might actually care to contemplate the possibility he's actually paying attention to the devolution settlement and the division of powers.
Galloway had the guts to face the Senate and demolished them. Salmond chickened out, just like he's chickening out of a debate with Darling or Galloway. He prefers schmoozing plastics Stateside.
"The Conservatives have been holding campaign days in London, where many of the [local government] seats up for election are located, and making those local council seats a focus for the parliamentary party, which descends on different areas to canvass and deliver leaflets on set days. The whips hold their campaign days on Tuesdays and take a band of MPs along with them."
I've just agreed a new mobile contract today. 2,000 minutes, 5,000 texts + 4gb of 4G data for £17.50 pm including VAT.
I bet that next April I'll do even better. That's the nature of the mobile market.
With whom, Mike? Sounds like you cut yourself a very good deal there.
My problem is that I travel a lot for work outside Europe. Within Europe, my Vodafone contract lets me use British rates for £3/day extra, which is fine (and will perhaps be abolished now). But outside Europe, sheesh - a recent trip to Korea produced a bill of £90 for a few days (probably I could reduce it by switching off push information like Twitter, if I could remember how). Vodafone say well, tough, we don't do global deals. Does anyone?
LD fundraising "... I had a text saying “Is Nigel making you angry?” with a hyperlink to click. Others had received a slightly different version with a way of replying to donate £5 by text.
It’ll be interesting to see how effective this has been."
That's an appallingly written story, starting with the implication that every penny spent by a Scottish Government delegation passed into Mr Salmond's personal pockets, and quoting the highest price for the honeymoon suite as if they all stayed at that rate. You need to remember that the Labour Party in Scotland like to spend great amounts of public money and waste parliamentary time on such things as whether Mr Salmond bought the teabags and bikkies himself when some SNP friends and donors visited him for tea in Bute House (he did).
If the accounts are not completely finished and signed off then that needs to be done. But Ms Lamont likes repeating old stuff several times over. Rather like some posters here. This is the same old story we have had several times before here IIRC.
Coincidentally I saw a figure for the Ryder Cup benefit the other week of £100m and even if that is optimistic by a factor of 2 it will still be a very useful little boost to the economy.
You might actually care to contemplate the possibility he's actually paying attention to the devolution settlement and the division of powers.
Galloway had the guts to face the Senate and demolished them. Salmond chickened out, just like he's chickening out of a debate with Darling or Galloway. He prefers schmoozing plastics Stateside.
Scottish Unionist acid test No 1: if Mr Salmond/the SNP/the Yes Campaign did the complete opposite of what the Unionists and especially Labour complain about, the latter would still complain. If he had interfered in UK foreign policy they'd have complained even more and we'd still have you posting three year old stories from that well-known balanced organ the DT.
Hard to see a justification for a party with 0 MPs being included in General Election debates. Then again, one could justly argue Clegg should be excluded.
More importantly, the debates, most especially the worm, are themselves wrong. We have the media tale wagging the political dog.
Mr. Jessop, auto-playing audio-ads are bloody irritating.
I remember having a very bad experience while looking at an, ahem, site unsuitable for children. This was in the olden days when streaming video was basically only seen on Star Trek. There was therefore no need to adjust volume settings as it was all stills.
So I hear the girlfriend arrive, and closed the lid. Imagine my horror when, 5 seconds after she entered the room, a very dodgy advert started autoplaying groaning sounds from the closed machine. I still cringe now...
I do know Aussies get massively ripped off with videogames. Even when they're bought and downloaded rather than as a physical object they're ridiculously over-priced.
Hard to see a justification for a party with 0 MPs being included in General Election debates. Then again, one could justly argue Clegg should be excluded.
More importantly, the debates, most especially the worm, are themselves wrong. We have the media tale wagging the political dog.
So what if you had a situation like the Italian clean hands scandal, where the three largest parties collapsed in the polls and others replaced them? You wouldn't give the new parties media access?
It's ridiculous. The debates will be for THIS election, not the last one. Thus the main contenders for this election should be included. In the US, they typically include anyone over 5%.
The phone roaming change is something that will advantage the frequent travellers over us mere plebs. In other words, it's a tiny change that will affect only a privileged few; no wonder the EU wanted to tackle it before other more serious issues.
On the other hand, as a techie I can say that the charger change (which Apple goes against boo hiss!) is hugely positive.
And in automotive, the EU brought us EuroNCAP (at least, we developed it, and the EC helped it gain the required traction amongst the manufacturers)
On automotive safety alone, the EU has brought in, or will bring in: *) From 2012, all new cars had to have a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System. *) Automatic Emergency Call will become mandatory on all new cars from 2015. This means that if there is an accident, the location, number of people involved, the airbags that are deployed, and the G-force can all be sent automatically to the emergency services. *) Work towards standardised car baby/child seat fittings (ISOFIX / i-Size).
Which are all good things, IMHO. EuroNCAP in particular is an interesting one; it was developed here in the UK, but I cannot see it having been taken on by the EU if we had not been members. The competition amongst manufacturers to reach high EuroNCAP scores has undoubtedly saved lives.
The Slovakian Roma receives almost £2,000 in benefits programmes and boasts: 'We have a good life here. We have everything that we want here. It is very nice.' ... Peter, who has not had a job for two years says: 'My country, I no had a job, no food, nothing. No going back, never. Thank you so much England.'
Give them their due, at least they are polite and appreciative, unlike some of their English counterparts.
Mr. Socrates, there is a vanishingly small chance of Farage being PM. Likewise Clegg. The debate, ahem, ought to be not whether to include Farage but whether to exclude Clegg.
And if we keep the debates they should be altered in various ways, not least the ending of the worm, which is little more than an idiotic idea which can have a significant impact on the electorate's views whilst being wide open to a bad egg or mob effect.
On-topic: And to think this wonder costs us only £55m a day.
The Slovakian Roma receives almost £2,000 in benefits programmes and boasts: 'We have a good life here. We have everything that we want here. It is very nice.' ... Peter, who has not had a job for two years says: 'My country, I no had a job, no food, nothing. No going back, never. Thank you so much England.'
Give them their due, at least they are polite and appreciative, unlike some of their English counterparts.
I have to say that while the whole story is fundamentally grotesque, I am OK with helping out that poor sod who lost his legs at 7 and who back home has to beg from a skateboard in order to live.
The others could and should work, but if that's how that fellow gets treated at home, I'd honestly rather he were here.
Nick Clegg lies, number one hundred and sixty two:
Clegg said in last night's debate that 90% of jobs went to British people, not immigrants. Actually more than 40% of jobs went to immigrants, it's just most of them subsequently became British citizens.
Afternoon all and sorry to be parochial but I fail to see what SLAB hopes to achieve by moaning about Eck's expenses. The man is Scotland's equivalent of Prime Minister and as such has a duty to "put it about". After England, the USA is arguably our biggest source of tourist £s. They would be complaining that he set a bad impression if he stayed in Mrs McClumpha's B+B on 245th Avenue (if there is such a place) rather than a hotel appropriate for a head of government.
Gordon Brown is costing the UK £100,000s a year without apparently performing any of the duties ordinarily expected of MPs and hasn't even had the decency to indicate he will stand down next year.
If our political representatives need to go on overseas jollies to promote any part of UK plc I would rather they do it properly, though of course not to excess. That would just be taking the wee wee.
Nick Clegg lies, number one hundred and sixty two:
Clegg said in last night's debate that 90% of jobs went to British people, not immigrants. Actually more than 40% of jobs went to immigrants, it's just most of them subsequently became British citizens.
That was the worst part of his performance. He made no attempt to defend the reality - he just tried to obscure it whilst accusing his opponent of doing the misleading.
Mr. CD13, we'll see what Cameron does. He has cover now to deny Farage a place. Or, he could invite Farage in. Then Miliband has to buckle or look cowardly. I suspect he'll just keep Farage out.
Coincidentally I saw a figure for the Ryder Cup benefit the other week of £100m and even if that is optimistic by a factor of 2 it will still be a very useful little boost to the economy.
You might actually care to contemplate the possibility he's actually paying attention to the devolution settlement and the division of powers.
Galloway had the guts to face the Senate and demolished them. Salmond chickened out, just like he's chickening out of a debate with Darling or Galloway. He prefers schmoozing plastics Stateside.
You't think the more astute nats would see the boost Farage has got this week and want a bit of the action - didn't matter who Nige was up against - he got airtime and a substantial boost.
The best political debates have 2 people in them - every time someone is added it gets worse.
Do we want to get to the US nominee situation with 9 people in a ring ? Waste of time...
Not true at all. You're right that nine is too many, but the best are usually about four or five. That's why Question Time goes for that number. There's often more than two views on any issue, and it's not a proper democratic debate unless you have several.
Dave gets off nice and easy now. Surprised Ed didn't let Dave take the flack of denying Nige.
Hilarious. It's obvious that UKIP pose more of a danger to the Tories than Labour, but after Farage wiped the floor with Nick Clegg, they're now all running scared. Utterly pathetic by Miliband. He's putting his own sycophancy to the EU above the interests of the party he's supposed to be leading.
Be less cost than Tory ministers charge for their parents house expenses. Labour really do not like Scotland being successful.
Two troughers don't make it right.
You have a schizophrenic definition of trougher , big difference between a legitimate trade mission to gain business for the country , versus a UK minister claiming for her parents living expenses from the taxpayer. You should have listened more to your mother when she explained morals and right and wrong to you.
The phone roaming change is something that will advantage the frequent travellers over us mere plebs. In other words, it's a tiny change that will affect only a privileged few; no wonder the EU wanted to tackle it before other more serious issues.
On the other hand, as a techie I can say that the charger change (which Apple goes against boo hiss!) is hugely positive.
And in automotive, the EU brought us EuroNCAP (at least, we developed it, and the EC helped it gain the required traction amongst the manufacturers)
On automotive safety alone, the EU has brought in, or will bring in: *) From 2012, all new cars had to have a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System. *) Automatic Emergency Call will become mandatory on all new cars from 2015. This means that if there is an accident, the location, number of people involved, the airbags that are deployed, and the G-force can all be sent automatically to the emergency services. *) Work towards standardised car baby/child seat fittings (ISOFIX / i-Size).
Which are all good things, IMHO. EuroNCAP in particular is an interesting one; it was developed here in the UK, but I cannot see it having been taken on by the EU if we had not been members. The competition amongst manufacturers to reach high EuroNCAP scores has undoubtedly saved lives.
Mr. J., whilst I normally bow to your expertise on this car stuff you are, I think placing too much faith in the technology.
A year or so back I was regularly driving, on certain business trips, a newish (less than 1 year old) BMW five series estate. Throughout the entire time I had charge of that car the wretched thing told me I had an under inflated tyre. I hadn't but there was nothing I, as the driver, or the BMW main dealer could do to stop it telling me there was a problem. Now suppose I was involved in a collision with that car and, as will happen if the items you mention come into force, the car management system reports become accepted as evidence in a court of law:
QC: "Mr. Llama, did the car management system show that there was a problem with a tyre?"
Me: "Yes, but it had been showing that for months. I'd ...."
QC: "Showing a problem for months but you were still driving the car, and at a speed according to you car's recorder of 84.5 mph in a 50mph limit. You admit being reckless ...
Me: "Hang on, there was nothing wrong with the tyre and I wasn't driving at more than 45 mph. Its that bloody BMW system that...."
QC: "You ask the court to take your word against that of a world renowned German engineering company"
One of my chums has a Merc which for months told him nobody's seatbelts were done up.
Engineering and software has its place, but make sure the ruddy stuff works first.
The best political debates have 2 people in them - every time someone is added it gets worse.
Do we want to get to the US nominee situation with 9 people in a ring ? Waste of time...
Not true at all. You're right that nine is too many, but the best are usually about four or five. That's why Question Time goes for that number. There's often more than two views on any issue, and it's not a proper democratic debate unless you have several.
I wouldn't use QT as a shining light for anything but even that has say 5 with two non professional politicians.
So it's usually 3 plus 2 without a skin in the game.
The best political debates have 2 people in them - every time someone is added it gets worse.
Do we want to get to the US nominee situation with 9 people in a ring ? Waste of time...
Not true at all. You're right that nine is too many, but the best are usually about four or five. That's why Question Time goes for that number. There's often more than two views on any issue, and it's not a proper democratic debate unless you have several.
I wouldn't use QT as a shining light for anything but even that has say 5 with two non professional politicians.
So it's usually 3 plus 2 without a skin in the game.
The Polly Toynbees of this world don't have skin in the game? Come off it! I know you're a loyal Tory, and know full well Cameron doesn't have the arguments to stand up to eurosceptics, but this utter drivel to avoid having to debate Farage is ridiculous.
Did Clegg really accuse Farage of wanting WG Grace to open the batting for England? Or was I just dreaming?
WG Grace wouldn't approve of DRS..
Clegg accused Farage of evoking those hated figures WG Grace and Margaret Thatcher. It's a shame he missed out Churchill, Nelson, Wellington, Drake, Hirst, Botham, Clive, Raffles, Newton, Darwin, Shakespeare, Dickens, Montgomery, Victoria, Alfred, Arthur, Merlin etc.......
The best political debates have 2 people in them - every time someone is added it gets worse.
Do we want to get to the US nominee situation with 9 people in a ring ? Waste of time...
Not true at all. You're right that nine is too many, but the best are usually about four or five. That's why Question Time goes for that number. There's often more than two views on any issue, and it's not a proper democratic debate unless you have several.
I wouldn't use QT as a shining light for anything but even that has say 5 with two non professional politicians.
So it's usually 3 plus 2 without a skin in the game.
The Polly Toynbees of this world don't have skin in the game? Come off it! I know you're a loyal Tory, and know full well Cameron doesn't have the arguments to stand up to eurosceptics, but this utter drivel to avoid having to debate Farage is ridiculous.
Not that loyal - I was considering voting Ukip in May until the 1st debate - put me right off though.
A year or so back I was regularly driving, on certain business trips, a newish (less than 1 year old) BMW five series estate.
I'd keep quiet about that. Any BMW is a ɹǝʞuɐʍ's car.
Your caution is wise though. Imagine if anything written by Microsoft were managing your central heating system.
You: Christ it's cold in here. Think I'll switch on the heating. MS CH Control: You do not have a boiler. You: Yes I bloody do. MS CH Control: Do you wish to install a boiler?
Did Clegg really accuse Farage of wanting WG Grace to open the batting for England? Or was I just dreaming?
WG Grace wouldn't approve of DRS..
Clegg accused Farage of evoking those hated figures like WG Grace and Margaret Thatcher. It's a shame he missed out Churchill, Nelson, Wellington, Drake, Hirst, Botham, Clive, Raffles, Newton, Darwin, Shakespeare, Dickens, Montgomery, Victoria, Alfred, Arthur, Merlin etc.......
Erm, that's not true. The point (badly made as it was) was Farage evoking 19th century figures.
The phone roaming change is something that will advantage the frequent travellers over us mere plebs. In other words, it's a tiny change that will affect only a privileged few; no wonder the EU wanted to tackle it before other more serious issues.
I'd disagree. The privileged few will care much less about their phonebill then the humble 'plebs' who go on a much tighter budget.
Mr. Corporeal, one might argue plebs could not afford a foreign holiday. Today's use of terms such as 'poverty' seem so far removed from the dictionary that they're reduced to being utterly meaningless.
Mr. J., whilst I normally bow to your expertise on this car stuff you are, I think placing too much faith in the technology.
A year or so back I was regularly driving, on certain business trips, a newish (less than 1 year old) BMW five series estate. Throughout the entire time I had charge of that car the wretched thing told me I had an under inflated tyre. I hadn't but there was nothing I, as the driver, or the BMW main dealer could do to stop it telling me there was a problem. Now suppose I was involved in a collision with that car and, as will happen if the items you mention come into force, the car management system reports become accepted as evidence in a court of law:
QC: "Mr. Llama, did the car management system show that there was a problem with a tyre?"
Me: "Yes, but it had been showing that for months. I'd ...."
QC: "Showing a problem for months but you were still driving the car, and at a speed according to you car's recorder of 84.5 mph in a 50mph limit. You admit being reckless ...
Me: "Hang on, there was nothing wrong with the tyre and I wasn't driving at more than 45 mph. Its that bloody BMW system that...."
QC: "You ask the court to take your word against that of a world renowned German engineering company"
One of my chums has a Merc which for months told him nobody's seatbelts were done up.
Engineering and software has its place, but make sure the ruddy stuff works first.
You are right. It's one of the reasons why driverless cars will face a long and rocky road towards acceptance. Everything will have to work perfectly and be idiot proof. The old quip holds true: the moment you make something idiotproof, someone makes a better version of idiot.
However, I'm not sure the situation is as bad as you make out. For one thing, how many of us truly check our tyre pressures weekly? I often forget, particularly in winter when it's a faff. This will save lives and increase economical driving. Secondly faulty sensor and such problems can be detected after crashes. Thirdly, in the scenario shown above, you had done your best to get the problem fixed, and the dealer can show that. Fourthly, pressures change anyway with driving. A tyre that performs contrary to the other tyres on the car is probably showing a false reading. If the data is logged, this can be shown.
Likewise, speed readings will soon be coming from multiple sources, including your speedo and GPS units. The chances of both of these simultaneously being wrong are remote.
As an aside, I once worked on getting a piece of technology into the automotive industry, in top of the range German cars. You would not believe the way their standards went over and above the usual consumer electronics standards we were used to. Then I showed the automotive standards to a friend of ours who is a literal rocket scientists, and he laughed at their simplicity. ;-)
I'm all in favour of this change, of course. It could almost have been designed around my lifestyle.
It's not obvious, however, why it needed to be restricted to EU countries. Couldn't the EU have worked with EEA and other interested countries to lean on the phone companies to extend it to other non-EU countries?
Mr. Corporeal, one might argue plebs could not afford a foreign holiday. Today's use of terms such as 'poverty' seem so far removed from the dictionary that they're reduced to being utterly meaningless.
Mr Dancer, I bow to your classical expertise but surely pleb means an average person from say the lower middle class. With cheap flights, hotels, etc it's possible to do a foreign trip at quite reasonable rates.
Indeed if you factor in general spending it's probably cheaper for me to go abroad than to London.
A year or so back I was regularly driving, on certain business trips, a newish (less than 1 year old) BMW five series estate.
I'd keep quiet about that. Any BMW is a ɹǝʞuɐʍ's car.
Your caution is wise though. Imagine if anything written by Microsoft were managing your central heating system.
You: Christ it's cold in here. Think I'll switch on the heating. MS CH Control: You do not have a boiler. You: Yes I bloody do. MS CH Control: Do you wish to install a boiler?
etc
You are correct, Mr. Bond,but of those trips that was the car I was required to use. Leaving aside its faulty car management system I was not impressed - the Honda Accord is a much better car and it had a Sat Nav that worked as opposed to the BMW rubbish that couldn't cope with a full postcode (though I understand the have fixed that now).
As for mission-critcial systems and Micosoft I agree. However, some years ago I was invited aboard HMS Daring, the T45, destroyer and what was powering the computers in its control room - yup, MS Windows. My ghast had never been so flabbered.
Mr. Corporeal, I would've said a pleb would be a poor person. You're quite right to imply (but too polite to state directly) that my knowledge of such modern vocabulary is not as good as many here.
I've been contemplating re-reading Dodge's biographies and John Julius Norwich's Byzantium trilogy. It'd be interesting to revisit Gibbon, knowing I can safely skip the tedious chapters about Christianity and Islam.
My car's 30 years old this year. All new cars look the same. And so much is done for you it's not like driving at all. A friend with a new-ish car just shelled out 400 quid because her - some pointless gadget, can't recall - went on the blink. Of course they couldn't *fix* it - it needed a whole new motherboard or whatever.
UKIP have lost another councillor on Worcestershire CC . Martin Jenkins elected last May has resigned his seat and from the party calling UKIP's policy on gay marriage disgusting . UKIP had 4 councillors elected to Worcestershire CC last May they are now down to 1 having lost 2 others in by elections . Nationally UKIP have already lost 10% of the councillors elected last May .
A year or so back I was regularly driving, on certain business trips, a newish (less than 1 year old) BMW five series estate.
I'd keep quiet about that. Any BMW is a ɹǝʞuɐʍ's car.
Your caution is wise though. Imagine if anything written by Microsoft were managing your central heating system.
You: Christ it's cold in here. Think I'll switch on the heating. MS CH Control: You do not have a boiler. You: Yes I bloody do. MS CH Control: Do you wish to install a boiler?
etc
You are correct, Mr. Bond,but of those trips that was the car I was required to use. Leaving aside its faulty car management system I was not impressed - the Honda Accord is a much better car and it had a Sat Nav that worked as opposed to the BMW rubbish that couldn't cope with a full postcode (though I understand the have fixed that now).
As for mission-critcial systems and Micosoft I agree. However, some years ago I was invited aboard HMS Daring, the T45, destroyer and what was powering the computers in its control room - yup, MS Windows. My ghast had never been so flabbered.
I'd leave my flabber unghasted. Windows has many problems, but so have Unix derivatives. It may be unpopular to say this, but IMHO MS has batter engineers and does technology better than Apple. I have had contact with engineers and source code from both of these companies over the years, and that's my distinct impression.
It also assumes that the version of Windows is the same you'd be using at home. It isn't, and not by a long chalk. In the same way that the versions of Windows that banks use are (ahem) distinctly non-standard.
Personally, I'd prefer them to be using the excellent VxWorks or similar, but there are a whole host of development and training issues with that.
"It is clear that Farage gained ground most among the very people LEAST likely to support his party or his cause:
The proportion of Labour supporters saying Farage performed better rose from 42% after the first debate to 57% after the second Among Liberal Democrats, Farage’s figures are: first debate 20%, second debate 33% Among people who told us ahead of the debate that they supported British membership of the EU, his figures are: first debate 30%, second debate 45%"
"Secondly faulty sensor and such problems can be detected after crashes"
Really, well why couldn't a BMW main dealer detect them before a crash? They had the car in often enough.
Safety-critical software is the most complex thing mankind has ever devised. It is going to fail to produce the optimum results sometimes, can a human relying on that software be held guilty of any offence relating to its possible failure?
"It is clear that Farage gained ground most among the very people LEAST likely to support his party or his cause:
The proportion of Labour supporters saying Farage performed better rose from 42% after the first debate to 57% after the second Among Liberal Democrats, Farage’s figures are: first debate 20%, second debate 33% Among people who told us ahead of the debate that they supported British membership of the EU, his figures are: first debate 30%, second debate 45%"
Pro-EU voters could want a referendum on UK membership too.
"Anyway, I'm off to an evening talk that you might just be jealous of"
Mr. Jessop, you git! Not even a hint as to what it might be about. I shall have my revenge, Sir, that will cost you at least one extra pint in the Barron of Beef.
Mr. Corporeal, I would've said a pleb would be a poor person. You're quite right to imply (but too polite to state directly) that my knowledge of such modern vocabulary is not as good as many here.
I've been contemplating re-reading Dodge's biographies and John Julius Norwich's Byzantium trilogy. It'd be interesting to revisit Gibbon, knowing I can safely skip the tedious chapters about Christianity and Islam.
Mr. Corporeal, I would've said a pleb would be a poor person. You're quite right to imply (but too polite to state directly) that my knowledge of such modern vocabulary is not as good as many here.
I've been contemplating re-reading Dodge's biographies and John Julius Norwich's Byzantium trilogy. It'd be interesting to revisit Gibbon, knowing I can safely skip the tedious chapters about Christianity and Islam.
There's something herd like about the British press when it collectively decides to pursue a theme.
'Nothing sticks Scottish nationalists are made of Teflon
...Mr Salmond’s “yes” campaign is built on the formidable Scottish National Party machine, which has outgunned its opponents in the last two elections. Blair Jenkins, chief executive of the campaign, claims more than 10,000 pro-independence activists, who get instant rebuttal lines for every attack launched from Westminster. He reckons his foot-sloggers, by means of telephone, door-knocking and street encounter, already have details on about 1m of Scotland’s 4.1m voters, all graded according to their sympathy for the independence cause. All smiles, Mr Jenkins says his database is tracking constant movement towards his corner. The “no” campaign is convinced that ruling out a currency union will pay off in the long run: their intelligence suggests currency and pensions are the top two worries for Scottish voters. The unionists have imported some snazzy voter communication and identification technology from America. But only now are they receiving the donations to allow them to match the number of full-time staff deployed by the “yes” campaign. And they seem aloof. Whereas the “yes” team work from an efficient-looking basement off a busy street in central Glasgow, the “no” folk occupy a gracious former townhouse off a quieter leafier square up a hill. Rather late, they are moving down the hill to offices closer to the voters above a shopping centre. “We are stepping things up,” says Alistair Darling, leader of the “no” campaign, in between writing letters to donors. They need to.'
My car's 30 years old this year. All new cars look the same. And so much is done for you it's not like driving at all. A friend with a new-ish car just shelled out 400 quid because her - some pointless gadget, can't recall - went on the blink. Of course they couldn't *fix* it - it needed a whole new motherboard or whatever.
I'll see your 30-year-old car (what is it by the way?) and raise you my 41-year-old Triumph Stag.
Newly tax-free as of Tuesday, but ye gods, what a hassle. Tax expired 31 March but I have to send the V5 and hard copy MOT certificate back to arrive after 1 April so it can be re-annotated as "historic". Only when it comes back can I go online to get the free "non-tax" disc sent out.
Meanwhile, technically, I can't use the roads in it.
Why the flip this can't be automatic I don't know, especially given that DVLA has and can display to me a record of when my car was first taxed. Ie they already have the evidence that it's eligible for the nil rate.
My car's 30 years old this year. All new cars look the same. And so much is done for you it's not like driving at all. A friend with a new-ish car just shelled out 400 quid because her - some pointless gadget, can't recall - went on the blink. Of course they couldn't *fix* it - it needed a whole new motherboard or whatever.
I'll see your 30-year-old car (what is it by the way?) and raise you my 41-year-old Triumph Stag.
Newly tax-free as of Tuesday, but ye gods, what a hassle. Tax expired 31 March but I have to send the V5 and hard copy MOT certificate back to arrive after 1 April so it can be re-annotated as "historic". Only when it comes back can I go online to get the free "non-tax" disc sent out.
Meanwhile, technically, I can't use the roads in it.
Why the flip this can't be automatic I don't know, especially given that DVLA has and can display to me a record of when my car was first taxed. Ie they already have the evidence that it's eligible for the nil rate.
My car's 30 years old this year. All new cars look the same. And so much is done for you it's not like driving at all. A friend with a new-ish car just shelled out 400 quid because her - some pointless gadget, can't recall - went on the blink. Of course they couldn't *fix* it - it needed a whole new motherboard or whatever.
I'll see your 30-year-old car (what is it by the way?) and raise you my 41-year-old Triumph Stag.
Newly tax-free as of Tuesday, but ye gods, what a hassle. Tax expired 31 March but I have to send the V5 and hard copy MOT certificate back to arrive after 1 April so it can be re-annotated as "historic". Only when it comes back can I go online to get the free "non-tax" disc sent out.
Meanwhile, technically, I can't use the roads in it.
Why the flip this can't be automatic I don't know, especially given that DVLA has and can display to me a record of when my car was first taxed. Ie they already have the evidence that it's eligible for the nil rate.
I'm all in favour of this change, of course. It could almost have been designed around my lifestyle.
It's not obvious, however, why it needed to be restricted to EU countries. Couldn't the EU have worked with EEA and other interested countries to lean on the phone companies to extend it to other non-EU countries?
The EU isn't about being globalised. It's about putting up protectionist borders and marking itself as different.
Test because Maria Miller still doesn't seem to have been sacked and this thread doesn't seem to have a new entry since Soctrates' post at 19:18 and it is now 19:52
Comments
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/scotland/lamont-questions-salmond-trips-1.300720
On the taxpayer, of course.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/10742270/Sketch-A-sorry-excuse-for-an-apology.html
The penalty for over claiming benefits and not co-operating with the enquiry and one of your mates trying to muscle the press? Well, if you a friend of the PM, and one of only four women in the cabinet, you pay back the money and issue a half-arsed apology. If you are a normal member of the public then expect to be appearing at your local Crown Court.
That Cameron seems to think this is all OK is no surprise, he is a nasty little PR Spiv as we all know, but where are the shouts from Labour and the Lib Dems over this? A case of there but for the grace of God go one of us perhaps?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2595815/I-know-s-easy-benefits-England-Gipsies-Britain-reveal-claim-thousands-pounds-month-bundle-benefits-not-workxxx.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
One of the gipsies featured in Gypsies On Benefits And Proud is Katarina Cisarova, 43,who brought her eleven children and eleven grand-children with her to an estate in Rotherham. The Slovakian Roma receives almost £2,000 in benefits programmes and boasts: 'We have a good life here. We have everything that we want here. It is very nice.'
In the seven years she has been in Britain, Katarina has worked a handful of days.
She lives with her husband Peter and their four youngest children – all teenagers.
Peter, who has not had a job for two years says: 'My country, I no had a job, no food, nothing. No going back, never. Thank you so much England.'
These 'benefit porn' programmes do tend to lay things on thick to get the maximum response, so it may not be quite as trailed.
The reason I posted it is the timing - ie quite close to the May euros.
If the accounts are not completely finished and signed off then that needs to be done. But Ms Lamont likes repeating old stuff several times over. Rather like some posters here. This is the same old story we have had several times before here IIRC.
Coincidentally I saw a figure for the Ryder Cup benefit the other week of £100m and even if that is optimistic by a factor of 2 it will still be a very useful little boost to the economy.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/7905505/Alex-Salmond-refuses-Senate-invite-to-Lockerbie-inquiry.html
But as usual he's changed his mind. Now he can't get enough of the place.
http://news.opinium.co.uk/sites/news.opinium.co.uk/files/clegg_farage_debate_-_tables.pdf
West Indies had scored 17 off the first over. They then scored only 17 off the next six overs and lost two wickets. Chasing 161.
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2014/04/the-other-awkward-may-elections-and-why-they-matter/
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/03/nigel-farage-tv-election-debates-ed-miliband?CMP=twt_gu
"... I had a text saying “Is Nigel making you angry?” with a hyperlink to click. Others had received a slightly different version with a way of replying to donate £5 by text.
It’ll be interesting to see how effective this has been."
http://www.libdemvoice.org/party-gets-smart-over-fundraising-39013.html
UKIP reported strong donations during/after the debate.
twitter.com/oflynndirector/status/451652931948142592
Hard to see a justification for a party with 0 MPs being included in General Election debates. Then again, one could justly argue Clegg should be excluded.
More importantly, the debates, most especially the worm, are themselves wrong. We have the media tale wagging the political dog.
Still, it's better than the one on the previous thread that auto-played audio even when I was in a different tab...
So I hear the girlfriend arrive, and closed the lid. Imagine my horror when, 5 seconds after she entered the room, a very dodgy advert started autoplaying groaning sounds from the closed machine. I still cringe now...
I do know Aussies get massively ripped off with videogames. Even when they're bought and downloaded rather than as a physical object they're ridiculously over-priced.
It's ridiculous. The debates will be for THIS election, not the last one. Thus the main contenders for this election should be included. In the US, they typically include anyone over 5%.
The phone roaming change is something that will advantage the frequent travellers over us mere plebs. In other words, it's a tiny change that will affect only a privileged few; no wonder the EU wanted to tackle it before other more serious issues.
On the other hand, as a techie I can say that the charger change (which Apple goes against boo hiss!) is hugely positive.
And in automotive, the EU brought us EuroNCAP (at least, we developed it, and the EC helped it gain the required traction amongst the manufacturers)
On automotive safety alone, the EU has brought in, or will bring in:
*) From 2012, all new cars had to have a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System.
*) Automatic Emergency Call will become mandatory on all new cars from 2015. This means that if there is an accident, the location, number of people involved, the airbags that are deployed, and the G-force can all be sent automatically to the emergency services.
*) Work towards standardised car baby/child seat fittings (ISOFIX / i-Size).
Which are all good things, IMHO. EuroNCAP in particular is an interesting one; it was developed here in the UK, but I cannot see it having been taken on by the EU if we had not been members. The competition amongst manufacturers to reach high EuroNCAP scores has undoubtedly saved lives.
And if we keep the debates they should be altered in various ways, not least the ending of the worm, which is little more than an idiotic idea which can have a significant impact on the electorate's views whilst being wide open to a bad egg or mob effect.
On-topic: And to think this wonder costs us only £55m a day.
The others could and should work, but if that's how that fellow gets treated at home, I'd honestly rather he were here.
A frit Yellowbelly? Very ethnic.
Clegg said in last night's debate that 90% of jobs went to British people, not immigrants. Actually more than 40% of jobs went to immigrants, it's just most of them subsequently became British citizens.
Gordon Brown is costing the UK £100,000s a year without apparently performing any of the duties ordinarily expected of MPs and hasn't even had the decency to indicate he will stand down next year.
If our political representatives need to go on overseas jollies to promote any part of UK plc I would rather they do it properly, though of course not to excess. That would just be taking the wee wee.
[Debates remain rubbish].
Do we want to get to the US nominee situation with 9 people in a ring ? Waste of time...
Big error if the SNP miss out on the opportunity.
You should have listened more to your mother when she explained morals and right and wrong to you.
A year or so back I was regularly driving, on certain business trips, a newish (less than 1 year old) BMW five series estate. Throughout the entire time I had charge of that car the wretched thing told me I had an under inflated tyre. I hadn't but there was nothing I, as the driver, or the BMW main dealer could do to stop it telling me there was a problem. Now suppose I was involved in a collision with that car and, as will happen if the items you mention come into force, the car management system reports become accepted as evidence in a court of law:
QC: "Mr. Llama, did the car management system show that there was a problem with a tyre?"
Me: "Yes, but it had been showing that for months. I'd ...."
QC: "Showing a problem for months but you were still driving the car, and at a speed according to you car's recorder of 84.5 mph in a 50mph limit. You admit being reckless ...
Me: "Hang on, there was nothing wrong with the tyre and I wasn't driving at more than 45 mph. Its that bloody BMW system that...."
QC: "You ask the court to take your word against that of a world renowned German engineering company"
One of my chums has a Merc which for months told him nobody's seatbelts were done up.
Engineering and software has its place, but make sure the ruddy stuff works first.
So it's usually 3 plus 2 without a skin in the game.
Miliband doesn't give a t8ss about the EU, much like those determined to vote for him.
Your caution is wise though. Imagine if anything written by Microsoft were managing your central heating system.
You: Christ it's cold in here. Think I'll switch on the heating.
MS CH Control: You do not have a boiler.
You: Yes I bloody do.
MS CH Control: Do you wish to install a boiler?
etc
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2596003/Fillies-fake-tan-fascinators-flashy-frocks-Coleen-Rooney-leads-charge-Liverpools-finest-descend-Aintree-day-racing-action.html
However, I'm not sure the situation is as bad as you make out. For one thing, how many of us truly check our tyre pressures weekly? I often forget, particularly in winter when it's a faff. This will save lives and increase economical driving. Secondly faulty sensor and such problems can be detected after crashes. Thirdly, in the scenario shown above, you had done your best to get the problem fixed, and the dealer can show that. Fourthly, pressures change anyway with driving. A tyre that performs contrary to the other tyres on the car is probably showing a false reading. If the data is logged, this can be shown.
Likewise, speed readings will soon be coming from multiple sources, including your speedo and GPS units. The chances of both of these simultaneously being wrong are remote.
As an aside, I once worked on getting a piece of technology into the automotive industry, in top of the range German cars. You would not believe the way their standards went over and above the usual consumer electronics standards we were used to. Then I showed the automotive standards to a friend of ours who is a literal rocket scientists, and he laughed at their simplicity. ;-)
Some of the best liked comments underneath say those photos are quite untypical....
It's not obvious, however, why it needed to be restricted to EU countries. Couldn't the EU have worked with EEA and other interested countries to lean on the phone companies to extend it to other non-EU countries?
Indeed if you factor in general spending it's probably cheaper for me to go abroad than to London.
As for mission-critcial systems and Micosoft I agree. However, some years ago I was invited aboard HMS Daring, the T45, destroyer and what was powering the computers in its control room - yup, MS Windows. My ghast had never been so flabbered.
I've been contemplating re-reading Dodge's biographies and John Julius Norwich's Byzantium trilogy. It'd be interesting to revisit Gibbon, knowing I can safely skip the tedious chapters about Christianity and Islam.
"I'm chairing a great event on migration tonight at 6.30pm - you can watch it online here if you fancy it: opengeneration.org.uk/watch-live/ #opengen"
https://mobile.twitter.com/OwenJones84
It also assumes that the version of Windows is the same you'd be using at home. It isn't, and not by a long chalk. In the same way that the versions of Windows that banks use are (ahem) distinctly non-standard.
Personally, I'd prefer them to be using the excellent VxWorks or similar, but there are a whole host of development and training issues with that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VxWorks
Anyway, I'm off to an evening talk that you might just be jealous of. ;-)
http://yougov.co.uk/news/2014/04/03/farage-wins-round-two/
"It is clear that Farage gained ground most among the very people LEAST likely to support his party or his cause:
The proportion of Labour supporters saying Farage performed better rose from 42% after the first debate to 57% after the second
Among Liberal Democrats, Farage’s figures are: first debate 20%, second debate 33%
Among people who told us ahead of the debate that they supported British membership of the EU, his figures are: first debate 30%, second debate 45%"
"Secondly faulty sensor and such problems can be detected after crashes"
Really, well why couldn't a BMW main dealer detect them before a crash? They had the car in often enough.
Safety-critical software is the most complex thing mankind has ever devised. It is going to fail to produce the optimum results sometimes, can a human relying on that software be held guilty of any offence relating to its possible failure?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2395964/Exposed-The-Post-Office-glitch-thats-wrecked-dozens-lives-including-postmistress-forced-admit-36-000-fraud.html
Mr. Jessop, you git! Not even a hint as to what it might be about. I shall have my revenge, Sir, that will cost you at least one extra pint in the Barron of Beef.
'Nothing sticks
Scottish nationalists are made of Teflon
...Mr Salmond’s “yes” campaign is built on the formidable Scottish National Party machine, which has outgunned its opponents in the last two elections. Blair Jenkins, chief executive of the campaign, claims more than 10,000 pro-independence activists, who get instant rebuttal lines for every attack launched from Westminster. He reckons his foot-sloggers, by means of telephone, door-knocking and street encounter, already have details on about 1m of Scotland’s 4.1m voters, all graded according to their sympathy for the independence cause. All smiles, Mr Jenkins says his database is tracking constant movement towards his corner.
The “no” campaign is convinced that ruling out a currency union will pay off in the long run: their intelligence suggests currency and pensions are the top two worries for Scottish voters. The unionists have imported some snazzy voter communication and identification technology from America. But only now are they receiving the donations to allow them to match the number of full-time staff deployed by the “yes” campaign.
And they seem aloof. Whereas the “yes” team work from an efficient-looking basement off a busy street in central Glasgow, the “no” folk occupy a gracious former townhouse off a quieter leafier square up a hill. Rather late, they are moving down the hill to offices closer to the voters above a shopping centre. “We are stepping things up,” says Alistair Darling, leader of the “no” campaign, in between writing letters to donors. They need to.'
http://tinyurl.com/p7v2bpn
Of course there is the distinct possibility that all these organs are reporting the situation precisely as it stands.
Newly tax-free as of Tuesday, but ye gods, what a hassle. Tax expired 31 March but I have to send the V5 and hard copy MOT certificate back to arrive after 1 April so it can be re-annotated as "historic". Only when it comes back can I go online to get the free "non-tax" disc sent out.
Meanwhile, technically, I can't use the roads in it.
Why the flip this can't be automatic I don't know, especially given that DVLA has and can display to me a record of when my car was first taxed. Ie they already have the evidence that it's eligible for the nil rate.
Frit indeed.