Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

13006

General Discussion Area / Re: Bailing out Greece

« on: 10 February 2010, 12:17:00 »

It isn't just Greece. The rest of the delightfully named PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece) are in real trouble too. Weak economies compared with their North European counterparts.

From an EU economic perspective "supporting" the PIGS makes sense. After all it is only like the rich South East of the UK supporting say the poorer North East.

On a personal note I believe it is quite possible that one or more of the PIGS will have to leave the euro. I selfishly hope that it includes Spain.  Immediately it would make Spain a cheap holiday destination. The Spanish econbomy seems to be based on two areas. Tourism (down 10% last year on 2008) and building. It has more empty properties than the rest of the EU put together.

13007

General Discussion Area / Re: Krafty sods

« on: 10 February 2010, 13:44:49 »

Its quite simple, stop buying anything made by Kraft. If this was France the whole place would be brought to a stand still but because were wishy washy brits we will take one up the gary glitter yet again and do nothing about it, and as an example look at fuel prices. I rest my case

It isn't just France. Most EU countries are still fiercely pro their own country and its products. As I have said before I cannot ever see the day that the Spanish allowed one of their companies to be bought by Johnny Foreigner. Similarly they do not stock produce on a wide scale from other countries in particular Britain. I once talked to a French stonemason about cheese. He was gobsmacked to find out that Britain produced cheese. you can't blame him as the nearest they get (and Spain) is Kerrygold cheese from Ireland. Otherwise it is just home produce.....

The Brits can't have a free market economy where anything goes and you can buy anything fromanywhere but crib when another country snaps up Britains heritage and then asset strips it.

13008

General Discussion Area / Re: Krafty sods

« on: 10 February 2010, 12:02:50 »

Cant be much more than a week ago they said the British jobs were safe.They might have let the fuss die down a bit first, but I suppose global corporations just dont give a toss what anyone says or thinks.

Like the banks then!

13009

General Discussion Area / Re: Krafty sods

« on: 10 February 2010, 12:01:34 »

Cadbury were already building a new factory in Poland to replace the one just shut....

I worked for a brilliant little UK based company (40 people in it) soon as it was bought out by the americans they destroyed everything good about the company 

I also did as well, until Oct. It won't be long & they'll shut the firm down & move production.
If Kraft do close all plants down here, i will never buy any Cadbury product again. I already don't buy any Kraft products. I hope all will follow too.

Very noble sentiment but pretty soon there won't be anything left for you to eat.

13010

General Discussion Area / Re: Dispatches

« on: 09 February 2010, 14:07:23 »

I still think the UK Postal service is pretty good. You have door deliveries every day even in remote areas.

I went to the Spanish Post Office (they are only in main towns) today for some stamps for three envelopes. Whilst there I thought I would buy 5 stamps at 2 cents each to add to the five I have at home as they were last years 62 cents jobs. Sorry don't sell anything smaller than 34 cents (about 28p). Oh I will take some new 64 cents stamps then. Sorry we are still waiting for them (the rate went up 1st Jan). You could buy multiples of 34 cents!!..........

13011

General Discussion Area / Re: Is it just me?

« on: 08 February 2010, 13:57:41 »

I must admit the same thought crossed my mind.

Then I thought it was just a heads up for the British public to be ready for more body bags. Out of 10,000 troops I recall that 4,000 were our people. Once again we are over represented.

13012

General Discussion Area / Re: Anybody use Skype?

« on: 07 February 2010, 14:31:52 »

We currently use a service where you dial up a service provider (via IP) at local call rate plus 8 cents set up fee.

I have no intention of handing over that sort of info. If need be I will open a new account and pay by paypal.

13013

General Discussion Area / Anybody use Skype?

« on: 07 February 2010, 14:07:52 »

Now that I have actually got broadband after five years of dial up, I have started using Skype again with a new account. I was one of the very early users years ago.

PC to PC works fine, so I thought I would have a try at PC (Spain) unlimited calls to Uk landlines about £3 a month.

It has all gone downhill from there. I have tried various payment methods and ended up with my Skype acct locked. Today the "moneybookers people "sent me an EMail part reproduced below:-

 We would like to inform you that your moneybookers.com account has been locked due to a currently running security check. For this reason, please, provide us with the following documents:
 
- a high resolution color picture of your unaltered official identification document - personal identification card (front and back), passport, or a driving license. Please, note that the content should be clearly readable.
 
- a scanned copy of a address proof document - utility bill - bill for consumption of water, electricity, or a bank account paper monthly statement.Your name, address and date of issue within the past 3 months should be visible.
 
Please, provide us with those documents via email to login@moneybookers.com. 

I do not feel inclined to do all of that just to sign up for 3 months to see if I like the service!

Anyone else have this problem? is there another similar service provider?

13014

General Discussion Area / Re: I bet there are a few MP's Bricking it right now?

« on: 05 February 2010, 16:23:27 »

Snollygosters - the lot of them.

However just small fry compared with our MEP's

13015

General Discussion Area / Re: You Might Be (or Were) a Copper if....

« on: 02 February 2010, 11:45:07 »

Excellent!

13016

General Discussion Area / Re: Possible Bargain

« on: 03 February 2010, 11:27:35 »

good grief. My first computer had a massive 540k hard drive. Mind you in those days cars were preceded by a man with a red flag and programme writers didn't write  "bloatware"!

13017

General Discussion Area / GB's electoral reform. How is that going to work?

« on: 02 February 2010, 12:06:55 »

Firstly let me say this isn't a political thread but a technical one. 

Gordon Brown has said he wants to propose a change to the voting system in the UK. Currently you get one vote and put your mark against a candidate you fancy. The proposal is to rank (all) the candidates on the ballot paper with your favourite first and least favourite last!

Personally I can't see that changing much at all. Plus a staggering amount of people manage to "spoil" their ballot paper when asked to only make ONE mark.

Personally I have always thought that the system proposed years ago (by the Liberals I think) of proportional representation to be the best system. I can't see either Labour or the Conservatives bringing that in as it would presumably waken their power base. Do any other major (civilised) countries have prop rep?

13018

General Discussion Area / Re: winter sucks

« on: 02 February 2010, 20:33:38 »

Nice here today (sunny and dry) but cool at night.

Had four or five weeks of rain and even some snow.

13019

General Discussion Area / Re: Now we all know that Britain isn,t the same .

« on: 01 February 2010, 14:11:52 »

Can't say much about Brittain.
But my country sure went downhill in the last 20 years.
Yeah we got the oportunity to vote, but people are living worse than 20 years ago.
In former country there was almost no unemployment, crime was low, social security was great, healthcare was good, people could leave their houses unlocked (actually almost nobody locked the doors especially in smaller towns and villages), people were frendlier, more open and more happy.
I guess all of Europe has been going downhill, some countries more some less in tha last two decades

That is quite sad to hear. Has anything improved? (road network maybe?)

13020

General Discussion Area / Re: Now we all know that Britain isn,t the same .

« on: 01 February 2010, 11:22:19 »

Spot on Kevin.

Plenty of people moan about rules and regs but don't actually excercise their democratic rights (hard won at that) to get things changed.

The Europe link is very tenuous. If you visit our European neighbours you will find they are "more relaxed" about life. There was a poll on the best countries to live in the world recently. Britain was 25th from memory. France, Belgium, Switzerland and Oz were up there in the top 5 or so. It was based on a wide criteria.

As I have said before, a lot of todays problems are derived from the (parents) "Can't say NO" culture of the 90's . We reap what we sowed.