Off Topic The "Discuss Anything Else" Thread

Just when it seems that all the dim wits are over in America routing for Donald Trump, one appears from Jezza’s shadow...

If you had bought a Council house for next to nothing back in the 80s in the South East, you would now be living in a very valuable piece of property. While cretins of all political persuasions continue to talk utter drivel about “social mobility”, those who have striven to improve their status through education, hard work and economic common sense have succeeded.

Those that think that socialist policy definitely works should move to France and enjoy what remains of Francois Hollande’s Presidency, during which time his socialist policies have destroyed large parts of the French economy, driven most of their entrepreneurs overseas and patently failed to integrate immigrants into their society, housing them in poor quality social ghettos, with disastrous consequences for all.

 

And to think that the current President of the Republic has achieved all this in less than four years!?!?!?

 

That depends on your perspective.

In large parts of the developed world, inflation is almost non-existent (much of Europe has deflation), so prices are not rising very much (or even falling). This should make people’s money go further, although matched with economic stagnation it means that wages are not rising so people do not feel any better off. In ordinary times if you had left £100 in the bank in January 2015, it would now only buy you £95-£97 of goods; however, it still get you £99 in 2016.

The oil price continues to tank and that is good news for the motorist at the pump as well as keeping transport costs down in the distribution chain. Of course it is not all good news as weakness in oil prices (the result of deliberate over production in the Arabian part of OPEC) is bad news for people with pension funds that own the shares in the major oil companies.

 

I know what you mean. Yes, he did inherit a mess from his predecessor and France has been in decline for decades because other than the Front National (although they call themselves socially conservative!), the choice at the ballot box has been various flavours of Socialism.

Somebody will be along in a minute to remind me that France still has more companies in the Fortune 500 than Britain.

 

QM --your idea of being gifted a cut price house at the expense of everyone else who may need it in future has come to pass , in germany which is a pretty good place to be a worker , they dont go for the three card trick that is a mortgage very much --most people are happy to rent --ever wondered why ?

i realise that your blue tinted view distorts reality , but i guess thats the world you inhabit ...........

 

Thought I'd pop back to post this one. Every father's nightmare? Oh ****..................

http://metro.co.uk/2016/01/12/fathe...m-home-after-son-spends-5255-on-fifa-5618949/

P.S. No I don't read Metro as a rule. What a rag!

 

I find this whole charging for video games lark totally immoral to be honest. It's pretty clear that nobody is going to rack up a 5k bill playing a footy game willingly and, if they do, it's plain as day they don't have the billpayer's permission. It's disgraceful.

 

I remember the days of Snakes and Ladders, cribbage, euchre, monopoly etc. Yes, those were the days. No video games back then.

What the ****! What was I thinking? I wouldn't go back for all the tea in the People's Republic of China. An outside toilet, a walk to the corner to make a phone call, black and white tv, sticky flypaper to catch the bugs, no pizzas, the ****in' Beach Boys giving everybody the ****s, stickin' your arm out the car window to make signals, Nana's rhubarb and custard deserts, toothless but well endowed Mrs Jones' sloppy kisses, school shoes as a Christmas present, the forced downing of hot milk at little lunch, made to buy decent food on Friday tuck shop when all I wanted to eat was cake, emu for playing up at school, sitting at the dinner table for hours on end because I wouldn't eat mashed potato for the 837th day in a row while wondering if I was ever breast fed, being laughed at by my cruel brothers because my dick hung down to my knees, 23 minutes of humiliation as the fire brigade tried to remove the iron bucket from my head at my cousin's birthday party and the embarrassment of being told I'd never be invited back again. I could go on, but to do so is not good for me. It's taken me 55 years to come to grips with those dark days, so I prefer not to dwell too long in the past.

 

and breathe!

 

........and California Syrup of Figs every Sunday morning prompt (get the 'runs' even thinking about it), being flogged to near death by a sadistic headmaster for merely scrumping a few apples from the nearby stationmaster's amazing orchard (I was champion of nothing at school, except scrumping in which I had no peer), chilblains every Winter (Jeeeeze), trying to look cheerful all the time (that's bloody hard for me ) while helping the old man in his thriving pub, one could go on and on. Yes, Cyc is right, you guys have got it made nowadays. and long may it last!

Note: I do not use the word 'peer' too often so google-checked it for full meaning (seems OK), but imagine my surprise when the very first thing I saw was " Lord Swan was made a life peer in 1981."
Sir Barney Chuckles, watch out, but I won't let it go to my head!

 

"my dick hung down to my knees," ..........I didn't know you had a younger brother!

"the fire brigade tried to remove the iron bucket from my head"........Bloody hell, how big was your head?

"stickin' your arm out the car window to make signals,".... That's nothing. I had 25 minutes of those on my driving test.

Cherish those memories, Cyc. Money can't buy them!
I used to wonder why things were so black and white. Why there weren't any greys?
Nowadays I'd welcome a return to those black and whites......like discipline, respect for your elders, hard work- and the satisfaction/self-respect it brings.
Society is rapidly becoming the absolute antithesis of communism; and I don't like either one.
Never mind, thank God I'll be long gone when the Muslims take over; and take over they surely will.

 

Am I living in a parallel universe?

Respect for elders! No matters the crimes or cruelties performed by past generations.

Discipline! By whom, on whom and to what extent?

Hard work; which of our fellow citizens who has a job does not work hard?

"thank God I'll be long gone when the Muslims take over; and take over they surely will." Biggest load of crap I have read on this site!

Thank goodness we live in a time of 'greys'.

 

My “idea of being gifted a cut priced house” was not my idea – and not one that I advocate without reinvesting the funds – but those that had the slightest bit of common sense took the opportunity that was offered rather than moralise on a political principle.

Just for your information, I do not own any property. I rent a flat in the private sector without subsidy. After I left home, I rented whilst at University, lived with my father for a few years afterwards and have rented ever since. I happen to be perfectly solvent because unlike a large proportion of the country, I did not splurge on credit during the 90s and 00s running up unsustainable debts. My taxes and low interest rates on my savings are bailing out the profligate but if it were down to me I would kick them out on the streets and repossess the houses that they bought with mortgages they cannot afford.

Clearly you think that I am a Tory, but I have to disappoint you as I have never voted for them because I have always lived in safe Labour seats and I would not even have voted for Champagne Socialist Blair. The reality that I live in is the one where you live within your means. I started out with nothing, saved up when I wanted things that were expensive (other than the £1,500 loan for my first car), worked my way up from a low paid job to a well paid job and seriously believe that anybody else can do exactly the same with some hard work and application. Even a wealthy Socialist like Jeremy Corbyn managed to get a job that allows him to wear things more expensive than the jumpers that his mum knitted for him.

 

bayernkenny, you need to get into the real world. Most people in this generation are concerned with their own particular freedoms- without thinking freedom is more concerned with not being subject to the will of another.
" Which of our citizens who has a job does not work hard? Quite simple. The millions of civil servants and NHS workers who have the best holidays and the highest absenteeism of any organisation in Europe- currently 19%. Also the thousands of protesters who class protesting as their job of work. Which employer gives them the time off to do this? Not private industry I warrant!
Why do you think that is?
"No matters the crimes or cruelties performed by past generations.".. There's always been bad individuals in society, but at least you could walk the streets without fear in past times. Not any longer.
So you don't think the Muslims will take over? Statistically for every indigenous white child born in this country last year, there's four Muslim children born.
By 2025, they'll be in a majority. What do you think will happen then?
So you don't think discipline and respect are essential core values in society?
We live in different worlds. Thank God!

 

Racist drivel alert! You don't write for the daily mail do you Tam?

 

Ha!Ha! Q.E.D. Daily Mail? No, I only stick newspapers on the nail.

 

Forbes have released some interesting stats on the world's best paid athletes for the year just gone. Far and away the highest paid pair were Floyd and the Pacman who reaped a fortune for that travesty they inflicted upon the boxing world in May. Nobody doubts Mayweather's brilliance, but they were pretty handsomely paid for what he served up in the ring. There can be no argument with Ffloyd's business nous, it's something that surely will see many more top flight fighters score big in the future.

The wages were split between salary/earnings and endorsements. Roger Federer and Tiger Woods topped the endorsements just in front of Phil Mickelson. Tiger comes in at 9, but earned next to nothing on the course.

1. Floyd Mayweather. $300 m. Boxing $285 m. Endorsements. $15 m.
2. Manny Pacquiao. $148 m. Boxing $148 m. Endorsements. $12 m.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo. $79.6 m. Football $52.6 m. Endorsements. $27 m.
4. Lionel Messi. $73.8. Football $73.8 m. Endorsement. $22 m.
5. Roger Federer. $67 m. Tennis $9 m. Endorsements. $58 m.
6. LeBron James. $64.8 m. Basketball $20.8 m. Endorsements. $44 m.
7. Kevin Durant. $54.2 m. Basketball $19.1 m. Endorsements. $35 m.
8. Phil Mickelson $50.8. Golf. $2.8 m. Endorsements. $48 m.
9. Tiger Woods. $50.6 m. Golf. $0.6 m. Endorsements. $50 m.
10. Kobe Bryant. $49.5 m. Basketball $23.5 m. Endorsements. $26 m.

 

As a former govt agency employee of over 20 years I have to say you're at least half right with the above statement. The department I worked for was for a time top of the league table for absenteeism within the Civil Service which took some doing. We regularly had folk who would go of sick for 6 months and then come back for the minimum period before qualifying for a further 6 months. One guy was actually found to be running his own photography business during his absences and even appealed the decision to sack him when he was caught bang to rights. Good days though. With flexi time you could leave work at 3 p.m regardless of workload and be teeing it up by 3.20.
NHS is a different matter though. As a customer of theirs several times in the last few years I wouldn't want to do their job for double the salary.

 

It's well known that in many offices employees spend many hours on forums, playing solitaire, gambling and watching racing - that's in the private sector..........