Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Sir Tigger KC on 04 July 2018, 08:24:48
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Rumour has it that they are preparing to scrap the freeze on fuel duty to help raise funds for the NHS. :-\
Will it be a one off raise in the duty? or will we be facing regular hikes at every budget? >:(
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Always an easy target us motorists , should make cigarettes £15.00 a packet instead.
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Also, impose a £20 surcharge on all football tickets, to fund the Hillsborough investigation - and leave motorists alone!
Ron.
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Better idea. Scrap the NHS :)
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Aw TB - NO! They look after me very well, with all of my ailments and infirmities.
Pick on the politicians instead, they could do with a huge reduction in their salaries, more in line with what little they do for us.....
Ron.
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Aw TB - NO! They look after me very well, with all of my ailments and infirmities.
Pick on the politicians instead, they could do with a huge reduction in their salaries, more in line with what little they do for us.....
Ron.
If you paid less tax, you could afford proper health care ;)
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Aw TB - NO! They look after me very well, with all of my ailments and infirmities.
Pick on the politicians instead, they could do with a huge reduction in their salaries, more in line with what little they do for us.....
Ron.
If you paid less tax, you could afford proper health care ;)
Yes, it works so well in America.......
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It would if people were educated to budget for it... ::)
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It would if people were educated to budget for it... ::)
Education costs money, which means better education = higher taxes.
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Also, impose a £20 surcharge on all football tickets, to fund the Hillsborough investigation - and leave motorists alone!
Ron.
Or a £2000 surcharge on coppers salaries and pensions, to pay for the bent ones.
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It would if people were educated to budget for it... ::)
It's seriously expensive though and became more so after Obamacare came in. ::)
2 examples that stick in my mind from my trips to the US are:
30 year old non smoking male with no pre-existing conditions - $400 a month
The young guy was an odd jobber, pools, maintenance anything he could find to make a buck, but as he was self employed had to buy his own insurance and told me that this was the cheapest most basic policy he could find. $400 a month is a big chunk of his take home ((before tax!) :o
Late 50's non smoking couple, again with no pre-existing conditions - $5000 a month.
The couple were very wealthy, ran their own company and this was the best all singing, all dancing policy. I guess they could have been on the company's scheme, but chose to buy their own. Which probably tells you something about the quality of workplace health insurance schemes in the US which most people rely on for their family's healthcare needs! ::)
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It would if people were educated to budget for it... ::)
It's seriously expensive though and became more so after Obamacare came in. ::)
2 examples that stick in my mind from my trips to the US are:
30 year old non smoking male with no pre-existing conditions - $400 a month
The young guy was an odd jobber, pools, maintenance anything he could find to make a buck, but as he was self employed had to buy his own insurance and told me that this was the cheapest most basic policy he could find. $400 a month is a big chunk of his take home ((before tax!) :o
Late 50's non smoking couple, again with no pre-existing conditions - $5000 a month.
The couple were very wealthy, ran their own company and this was the best all singing, all dancing policy. I guess they could have been on the company's scheme, but chose to buy their own. Which probably tells you something about the quality of workplace health insurance schemes in the US which most people rely on for their family's healthcare needs! ::)
.. and, if you have a "pre-existing condition", you're shit out of luck. >:(
Insurance companies are satan's spawn itself. I sure as hell hope I never have to rely on one for my health.
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It would if people were educated to budget for it... ::)
No amount of "education" can raise a person's IQ, as evidenced in so many areas of life - not here, of course! :-X
Ron.
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.. and, if you have a "pre-existing condition", you're shit out of luck. >:(
Insurance companies are satan's spawn itself. I sure as hell hope I never have to rely on one for my health.
Yep, another American chap I chatted to once told me hat he had a motorbike accident and had to have his knee pinned together which the insurance company funded without issue. Afterwards though his knee was always excluded and when it went wrong and he needed further surgery, he had to remortgage his house to fund the operation. :(
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Why is it that when a conversation turns to the NHS, the only alternative mentioned is the U.S. system. There are hundreds of countries all over the world that operate systems which don't resemble either. ::)
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Trouble is that most people now have never known a time without a free health service[NHS is 70 today]no matter how broken it is.So ever more money is needed to keep it going,then people want more police and stronger armed forces and so on.These of course all need funding which has to come from taxation,but raise income tax and everyone starts complaining,raise fuel duty and people complain that prices/cost of living has risen-same with raising any other form of taxation-so which do you want?you pays your money and takes your choice.
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If they raise my effective rate of tax much more, I may as well find a way to sign on and live off benefits ;D
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It would if people were educated to budget for it... ::)
It's seriously expensive though and became more so after Obamacare came in. ::)
2 examples that stick in my mind from my trips to the US are:
30 year old non smoking male with no pre-existing conditions - $400 a month
The young guy was an odd jobber, pools, maintenance anything he could find to make a buck, but as he was self employed had to buy his own insurance and told me that this was the cheapest most basic policy he could find. $400 a month is a big chunk of his take home ((before tax!) :o
Late 50's non smoking couple, again with no pre-existing conditions - $5000 a month.
The couple were very wealthy, ran their own company and this was the best all singing, all dancing policy. I guess they could have been on the company's scheme, but chose to buy their own. Which probably tells you something about the quality of workplace health insurance schemes in the US which most people rely on for their family's healthcare needs! ::)
.. and, if you have a "pre-existing condition", you're shit out of luck. >:(
Insurance companies are satan's spawn itself. I sure as hell hope I never have to rely on one for my health.
I must admit that element does worry me a bit, but apparently the wife's insurance company are willing to take me on their policy for no extra charge than if I didn't have a chronic illness :y
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Trouble is that most people now have never known a time without a free health service[NHS is 70 today]no matter how broken it is.So ever more money is needed to keep it going,then people want more police and stronger armed forces and so on.These of course all need funding which has to come from taxation,but raise income tax and everyone starts complaining,raise fuel duty and people complain that prices/cost of living has risen-same with raising any other form of taxation-so which do you want?you pays your money and takes your choice.
Free only at the point of consumption, Baza: I have paid heavily all my working life and I am now seeing a little of my money back.
Where it goes wrong is having to treat the "health tourists", who have never made any contributions and fly in, get treated and fly out again.
I have been in enough NHS waiting rooms to vouch for the truth of that.... >:(
Ron.
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Free only at the point of consumption, Baza: I have paid heavily all my working life and I am now seeing a little of my money back.
That's the whole point of a collective service. The lucky ones like you and I (touch wood) pay in more than they get out, in order to live in a society where those less fortunate get expensive treatment for some of the awful conditions they have to endure rather than getting told it's a "pre-existing condition" and therefore not insurable.
I agree that there is massive waste in the NHS, which nobody has the gonads to tackle, but I don't like the alternatives at all.
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I heard Jeremy the Hunt say on TV today that the NHS needs more staff. Around 10 years ago it employed around 1.2 million people.
Today it employs around 1.5 million people. How many people do they think it needs ffs ?
It is a bottomless money pit which can never be filled.
Imo, the only answer is to start again from scratch, with a clean sheet of paper and no vested interests, other than patients, taken into account.
The lovefest re the NHS all over the media this week is stomach churning. ::)
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Kevin, I am with you completely as regards your first paragraph; like any insurance, you hope not to need to collect on it but it covers what you can't afford to pay for by yourself when you do need it.
My complaint was concerning the freeloaders who have never paid a penny into the scheme but milk it anyway - the "health tourists".
Ron.
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I heard Jeremy the Hunt say on TV today that the NHS needs more staff. Around 10 years ago it employed around 1.2 million people.
Today it employs around 1.5 million people. How many people do they think it needs ffs ?
It is a bottomless money pit which can never be filled.
Imo, the only answer is to start again from scratch, with a clean sheet of paper and no vested interests, other than patients, taken into account.
The lovefest re the NHS all over the media this week is stomach churning. ::)
It certainly is. All the joy and love over what is, basically, a failing service. NHS staff, on the other hand, deserve all the credit in the world.*
*Except the murderers and managers.
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Poorly worded on my part[re-free service]Bigron,but most will see it as free I think.Agree totally with you with regards to health tourists.
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We are on the same page here, Baza.
Despite the negative comments regarding the NHS, on here and elsewhere, I am eternally grateful fot the treatments I have received. I would have been dead years ago but for what they did/are doing for me. Bless them. :y :y :y :-*
Ron.
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Must admit I couldn't fault the treatment/care that Scunny General gave Maureen during her [sadly all too regular]stays there and when she had her first two strokes they were brilliant,sdaly with her third stroke there was no hope of doing anything much for her,but that was in no way a fault of the staff.
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I must admit that I am not overly convinced...
If you have a decent local surgery and a good local hospital then they will see you right...
If either is missing, then you might as well go private... either via insurance or cash... Or not bother :-\
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My local hospital is the infamous Colchester General. It should be bulldozed with at least half the staff locked inside.
If Im ever in need of emergency care and am conscious, I will insist on being taken to Chelmsford.
Im so grateful for my private healthcare provided by my employer.
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My local hospital is the infamous Colchester General. It should be bulldozed with at least half the staff locked inside.
If Im ever in need of emergency care and am conscious, I will insist on being taken to Chelmsford.
Im so grateful for my private healthcare provided by my employer.
They patched me up OK then I fell off my bicycle in the early '90's. :y
It's possible I'd had one too many at the time. :-[
I also agree on health tourists, but in a country that voted not to have ID cards, I don't see how the NHS can turn people away as it has no means to prove entitlement or otherwise. ::)
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It has changed a lot, for the worse since then Kevin. ;)
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Trouble is that most people now have never known a time without a free health service[NHS is 70 today]no matter how broken it is.So ever more money is needed to keep it going,then people want more police and stronger armed forces and so on.These of course all need funding which has to come from taxation,but raise income tax and everyone starts complaining,raise fuel duty and people complain that prices/cost of living has risen-same with raising any other form of taxation-so which do you want?you pays your money and takes your choice.
Free only at the point of consumption, Baza: I have paid heavily all my working life and I am now seeing a little of my money back.
Where it goes wrong is having to treat the "health tourists", who have never made any contributions and fly in, get treated and fly out again.
I have been in enough NHS waiting rooms to vouch for the truth of that.... >:(
Ron.
Where it goes wrong is when the consultants have to much power, do as a little as possible and nobody talks to each other....oh and when they wont pay for a life saving operation because its been over used to reduce stroke risk.....
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My local hospital is the infamous Colchester General. It should be bulldozed with at least half the staff locked inside.
If Im ever in need of emergency care and am conscious, I will insist on being taken to Chelmsford.
Im so grateful for my private healthcare provided by my employer.
They patched me up OK then I fell off my bicycle in the early '90's. :y
It's possible I'd had one too many at the time. :-[
I also agree on health tourists, but in a country that voted not to have ID cards, I don't see how the NHS can turn people away as it has no means to prove entitlement or otherwise. ::)
My local tip has a system that you have to prove that you live in the local area or you carnt tip.
I usually show them my driving license, but they will take proof if you show utility bill, council tax bill.
NHS could do the same to check you live in the UK :-\
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My local hospital is the infamous Colchester General. It should be bulldozed with at least half the staff locked inside.
If Im ever in need of emergency care and am conscious, I will insist on being taken to Chelmsford.
Im so grateful for my private healthcare provided by my employer.
They patched me up OK then I fell off my bicycle in the early '90's. :y
It's possible I'd had one too many at the time. :-[
I also agree on health tourists, but in a country that voted not to have ID cards, I don't see how the NHS can turn people away as it has no means to prove entitlement or otherwise. ::)
My local tip has a system that you have to prove that you live in the local area or you carnt tip.
I usually show them my driving license, but they will take proof if you show utility bill, council tax bill.
NHS could do the same to check you live in the UK :-\
You still can't, humanely, turn away emergencies.
But, by health tourist, I think most people mean the Eastern Europeans. I thought they were entitled anyway, being part of the club.
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You still can't, humanely, turn away emergencies.
A friend of mine has family in Uganda, and a youngish cousin of his suffered from kidney failure. :( They put her on a plane to London, and she presented at one of the big London hospitals. To cut a long story short, she was treated no differently from a native, received treatment and ended up getting a kidney transplant. :)
Whether the treatment was paid for or not I don't know. It might have been as the family are very wealthy and I'm sure they wouldn't have been looking down the back of the sofa for a few shillings.
Nevertheless, we should be very proud that we don't send people away to die. :y
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30 year old non smoking male with no pre-existing conditions - $400 a month
By the time that's converted to GBP, I'd wager that most workers NI is about that level. That's before we consider how else we're taxed to fund the ineffective, wasteful, broken, non functioning NHS.
"We" have to decide whether or not to tax everyone to poverty, and send pensioners below the breadline to keep funnelling money in - and no amount of money will ever be enough - or close it (and maybe rebuild from scratch, that's a different argument).
The first option isn't an option, as the tax rates are at about the limits where raising further will reduce the amount coming in (as has been shown with the council business rates), we still haven't balanced the books, and are absolutely headlong into another recession which will mean even higher borrowing for a debt ridden country.
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Probably the number one reason that wont happen is the same number one reason why it can never work. It employs 1,5 million people. :o
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30 year old non smoking male with no pre-existing conditions - $400 a month
By the time that's converted to GBP, I'd wager that most workers NI is about that level. That's before we consider how else we're taxed to fund the ineffective, wasteful, broken, non functioning NHS.
On a salary of lets say £25,000 (which is probably about average) you'd pay £166 a month NI, which converts to $219 a month. I'd bet that the guy in my example was struggling to make $25,000. ;)
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30 year old non smoking male with no pre-existing conditions - $400 a month
By the time that's converted to GBP, I'd wager that most workers NI is about that level. That's before we consider how else we're taxed to fund the ineffective, wasteful, broken, non functioning NHS.
On a salary of lets say £25,000 (which is probably about average) you'd pay £166 a month NI, which converts to $219 a month. I'd bet that the guy in my example was struggling to make $25,000. ;)
Absolutely no excuse not to earn more in the US... The whole place is built upon the individual freedom to achieve. Or not. People there are expected to support themselves, but not to the total detriment of those that can't. Here we pay directly or otherwise to support all the lazy arsed shite at the expense of those with genuine need.
It's a completely different mindset to the quasi socialist cluster opps we have to live by, but people don't understand or appreciate that.
As an example, Tennessee has no State Income Tax, yet has one of the better free schooling systems in the country.
I for one, would rather have a pay to use health system than pay the state to feed, house, clothe and fix all those who expect everything on a plate.
Everything would be cheaper here if it wasn't handed out willy nilly.
Sorry, bit of a rant, but scroungy wastrels really grip my shit...
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30 year old non smoking male with no pre-existing conditions - $400 a month
By the time that's converted to GBP, I'd wager that most workers NI is about that level. That's before we consider how else we're taxed to fund the ineffective, wasteful, broken, non functioning NHS.
On a salary of lets say £25,000 (which is probably about average) you'd pay £166 a month NI, which converts to $219 a month. I'd bet that the guy in my example was struggling to make $25,000. ;)
Absolutely no excuse not to earn more in the US... The whole place is built upon the individual freedom to achieve. Or not. People there are expected to support themselves, but not to the total detriment of those that can't. Here we pay directly or otherwise to support all the lazy arsed shite at the expense of those with genuine need.
It's a completely different mindset to the quasi socialist cluster opps we have to live by, but people don't understand or appreciate that.
As an example, Tennessee has no State Income Tax, yet has one of the better free schooling systems in the country.
I for one, would rather have a pay to use health system than pay the state to feed, house, clothe and fix all those who expect everything on a plate.
Everything would be cheaper here if it wasn't handed out willy nilly.
Sorry, bit of a rant, but scroungy wastrels really grip my shit...
....and I had you down as a sandal-wearing leftie along with that Albitz fella. ::) ::) ;)
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Yes DG, I am happy to support those in genuine need - like my blind neighbour and has severely disabled wife - as I have been doing all my working life; but those who are capable, but choose to freeload, need to be cast adrift without a paddle! >:(
Ron.
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but those who are capable, but choose to freeload, need to be cast adrift without a paddle! >:(
You mean shot, obviously
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Yep! :y
Ron.
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You still can't, humanely, turn away emergencies.
A friend of mine has family in Uganda, and a youngish cousin of his suffered from kidney failure. :( They put her on a plane to London, and she presented at one of the big London hospitals. To cut a long story short, she was treated no differently from a native, received treatment and ended up getting a kidney transplant. :)
Whether the treatment was paid for or not I don't know. It might have been as the family are very wealthy and I'm sure they wouldn't have been looking down the back of the sofa for a few shillings.
Nevertheless, we should be very proud that we don't send people away to die. :y
Spot on with your last statement.
We have over the years had relatives on extended stays with us in Spain. Some with EHIC and others not. Inevitably we have ended up in A and E , usually broken bones from falls. Neverbeen asked for proof of entitlement to Health. That should be done elsewhere.
Has anyone actually got any real figures of how much health tourism costs? I suspect it is miniscule in the grand scale of things although sizeable in isolation.
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A handful of people at my hotel in GC required a doctor to attend... All had to pay before doc would enter the room...
Perhaps treated differently if accompanied by a legal resident :-\
Incidentally, certain flights arriving here have a percentage of pregnant women arriving for family visits whilst in their last weeks of pregnancy... They are duly detained and returned asap at their expense...
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We have over the years had relatives on extended stays with us in Spain. Some with EHIC and others not. Inevitably we have ended up in A and E , usually broken bones from falls.
*makes mental note never to stay at Chez Varche* ;) ;D
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We have over the years had relatives on extended stays with us in Spain. Some with EHIC and others not. Inevitably we have ended up in A and E , usually broken bones from falls.
*makes mental note never to stay at Chez Varche* ;) ;D
OK but they were either inebriated or just old and prone to falling. :y
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We have over the years had relatives on extended stays with us in Spain. Some with EHIC and others not. Inevitably we have ended up in A and E , usually broken bones from falls.
*makes mental note never to stay at Chez Varche* ;) ;D
OK but they were either inebriated or just old and prone to falling. :y
I told you that beer fridge was too close to the pool. ;)
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We have over the years had relatives on extended stays with us in Spain. Some with EHIC and others not. Inevitably we have ended up in A and E , usually broken bones from falls.
*makes mental note never to stay at Chez Varche* ;) ;D
OK but they were either inebriated or just old and prone to falling. :y
I told you that beer fridge was too close to the pool. ;)
Can it ever be too close? I have been looking at a swim-spa with integrated drinks cooler. Perfick :y
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Can't accuse the Americans of not being practical :D
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Can't accuse the Americans of not being practical :D
Beer in the 'fridge, though?
Barbarians... ::)
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Can't accuse the Americans of not being practical :D
Beer in the 'fridge, though?
And you don't even have to chew it!
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Can't accuse the Americans of not being practical :D
Beer in the 'fridge, though?
Barbarians... ::)
Proper beer, and its close cousin, Applejuice, should be served cold, and full of bubbles.
Treacle is for those who like straining liquid through their teeth.
That said, Brakkers Beer Festival will be on in a week or 2, so I'll grow a beard, wear sandles and socks, style myself on Unix-man, and drink what they have. And end up in hucking fammered no doubt.
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Can't accuse the Americans of not being practical :D
Beer in the 'fridge, though?
Barbarians... ::)
Proper beer, and its close cousin, Applejuice, should be served cold, and full of bubbles.
Treacle is for those who like straining liquid through their teeth.
That said, Brakkers Beer Festival will be on in a week or 2, so I'll grow a beard, wear sandles and socks, style myself on Unix-man, and drink what they have. And end up in hucking fammered no doubt.
See! you've seen the light really. :y
The closer it resembles used engine oil*, the better it is.
* - Excludes that stuff they pump out of the Liffey and inject with nitrogen, naturally.
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Once the beer festival is over, I'll go back to a mans drink. Pint of wifebeater, anyone?
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Is that the same as a pint of Do as your told ? ;D