bridge too far

I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter's partner's redundancy Nick. I do hope he manages to find something else soon. With regard to the banking crisis, I think the fact that all 'western' banks are going through the same problems shows that no government in the west foresaw the effects of the US sub-prime situation this time last year. That says more, I think, about the western governments' advisors than it does about the governments of whatever hue.

Better that the Government intervenes than sits back and does nothing if such a situation arises. As happened with Northern Rock and now B & B (although the taxpayer risk is non-existent with B & B). The alternative would be a wholesale meltdown and that would affect us all far, far more. The government was criticised at the time for the action it took over Northern Rock but now all parties agree it was the right thing to do.

I asked the very same question earlier today and got no response!

No - Tommac is better looking. Well isn't anyone better looking than HR?

BTF in 'how to attract Trousers' attention 'cos he's rich' planning mode Seriously, if it's US money, the dollar / sterling exchange rate means a US investor COULD pick us up for next to nothing - if they buy us in dollars that is :smt102

I think you'll find WSS that if tenants don't use their housing benefit to pay their landlords they'll get kicked out, whether it's a private landlord or a council / housing association. It's not quite the same as lending an unemployed person £200K to buy a house knowing full well they can't afford to repay the mortgage. A number of so called Financial Advisors have been 'done' in the UK for making fraudulent mortgage applications for clients, inflating their incomes, because the market is better regulated here. I know this for a fact as my daughter is on the panel working with the police to crack down on mortgage fraud.

Mike, my mother has leukaemia too. But you would be able to get your leukaemia drugs for free once this change for cancer drugs goes through (although I do realise that you don't now that you've been dx with diabetes - my mother has that too). Tough luck for you - I hope you're coping OK. Did you know that there's a very good support website for CML, if that's what you have? I'll PM it to you if you don't know of it already. Even so, £102 a year is better than the £30,000 a year that the drug actually costs (assuming you're on Glivec). In the US and other parts of the world, people have to pay the real cost of the drug.

For the old style flying boats such as the ones that used to 'fly' from Southampton years ago?

Supposing there are 4 little old men there as well, with their hairy noses and large, hairy ears. Uuuuuuuggggghhhhhhh even more

Now you're just being fanciful. Oh.....

I'd run out of bog roll. HTH

Actually the odds are about right for a Saints win.

That's for me to know and you to guess at

Gosh Trousers! You know how to do the biz, for sure. I don't ever remember hearing of odds of 125/1. Longest odds I recall are 100/1? Or do I mix in the wrong circles :smt102

Euwwww TMI mate

You don't know what she does when you're not around! Does she use the washing machine a lot?

If 'you' knew the person well, yes. So this begs the question - is LongShot a good buddy of Mr F? If so, any guesses as to his identity?

Rule 1

Praps he did it four times? :confused:

Just because you can't........

The Tories are almost as bad as your lot, Bungle - changing their minds to jump on whatever bandwagons are the flavour of the month.

I think it's a bit irresponsible to take a ***** out when she's on heat. I used to keep my dear old lab indoors when she was in season - and put a nappy on her

Aha! Plot exposed. Talk today at the conference about not needing a 3rd runway to get greenie points, whilst hoping that most had forgotten that, in fact, the 3rd runway will be built as stated by Doris! Brilliant!

Excellent! You did mean to pun there, didn't you?

Bad form to quote myself I know but, in a spooky coincidence, this article in the Guardian today: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/sep/29/health.medicalresearch This is about a drug that could halve deaths from heart attack and stroke. This extract says it all, really "We spent a few years around about 2000-2002 trying to persuade a number of companies to do this, but got nowhere. Basically, their whole business model is around people paying a few hundred pounds a year for the latest blockbuster drug. A pill with established medicines that halved cardiovascular risk and could be available for £20 a year could be seen as a threat."