Malcolm Robinson
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Everything posted by Malcolm Robinson
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Fancy that......................... http://www.theparliament.com/policy-focus/justice/justice-article/newsarticle/poll-casts-new-doubt-on-public-support-for-eu/
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Read the Forum minutes......................especially the THI updates.
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I think its even worse and cynical than that Symptoms, looks like Germany is willing to lend Greece money to buy German armaments, which it then becomes a first line debtor, so Greek kids can go hungry just so long as Germany gets its interest payments! These people need to be lined up against the nearest wall!
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We have seen Greece raid bank accounts to match up the Troika bailout funding (buying out holders of UK style (legally written) bonds) but looking a bit closer we can see even making the payments as they become due is a futile exercise now. The new bailout money they are borrowing won't pay upcoming bonds and interest payments while keeping her economy afloat as well! Effectively they have gone to a loan shark to pay the credits cards which pay the bank loans which pay the mortgage. This can only mean that the Greek people are suffering to pay other European bankers, but maybe that's what you get when you impose an unelected head of state! Interesting to see one of the main protected debtors…………….Germany and the military supply contract they have with Greece. That's right, buy some aero fighters never mind treat the old and sick, educate the young and generally behave in an anyway decent way toward your peoples. Another point worth noting is the potential oil reserves being test drilled for now off the Greek coast. Turkey has already made sabre rattling noises saying it owns the 'Greek' islands where the finds are being examined. Could Greece be another oil play or is it just the same old Greek Tragedy?
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Whilst I still think we could never get everyone needed around a table for Bedlington to become a Portas Pilot I have been keeping my eyes on developments with the "˜Portas Pilots' where 12 Towns are going to be given £100K to help regenerate their high streets. There are some interesting developments in the Governmental response to this initiative. Grant Shapps, the Minister for Housing and Local Government, has now issued the government's formal response to the Portas High Street Review. In it there is a lot of talk about bureaucracy-busting measures, entrepreneurial inducements and a wide range of new incentives all aimed at helping our high streets compete and be sustainable. The main thrust is to get a team of local people and organisations together and make what they are calling a "˜Town Team' which is then supposed to mould and fashion any regeneration efforts towards a local resolution. It would seem blindingly obvious that our high streets are going to fundamentally change over the next few years, it could be worth grabbing this initiative now to shape that change into something we can all use and benefit by? Some of the "˜new' help available is: A multi-million pound High Street Innovation Fund. A £1 million Future High Street X-Fund. A National Markets Day, launching a National Markets Fortnight. A £500,000 fund for Business Improvement Districts. Doubling the number of Portas Pilots. Shapps is adding his own twist as well introducing what is called the 'Portas-Plus' deal which has "˜a range of measures designed to help local people turn their high streets into the beating hearts of their communities once again.' One important detail I will reprint here is the possible moves on Business Rates. "How they can work with councils to use the forthcoming new powers to offer local business rate discounts, and to ensure businesses are aware of the option to spread the payment of the retail price index increase in business rates bills over three years, giving them the flexibility to manage their bills and help their cash- flow. This is in addition to Small Business Rate Relief, which in England has been doubled for two and a half years, from 1 October 2010 to 31 March 2013." He also confirmed the Government was accepting a number of other key recommendations to cut red tape and entice motorists into the town centres. Looks like a step in the right direction but more of a temperature testing step rather than a full-on plunge!
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I am saying nowt..........
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Interesting speech yesterday by Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, he of the unelected democratic leader variety. He is in Japan trying to raise Asian long term support for the ESM, or whatever acronym it is these days, and he used a speech to stick the knife into Germany and France, or that's what it looks like to me! "The story goes back to 2003 (and) the still almost infant life of the euro, when Germany and France were too flexible concerning public deficits and debts. Of course if the father and mother of the eurozone are violating the rules, you could not expect (the likes of) Greece to be compliant!†Whatever his reasons it looks like yesterday's Spanish bond offering wasn't the easy lay out it was supposed to be! The UK should be insulating itself from the EU typhoon that is about to hit!
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My neighbour knocked on my door at 2:30am this morning; can you believe that….2:30am!!!!!! Luckily for him I was still up playing my Bagpipes. The Grim Reaper came for me last night, and I beat him off with a vacuum cleaner. Talk about Dyson with death. I saw a poor old lady fall over today on the ice!! At least I presume she was poor - she only had £1.20 in her purse. My girlfriend thinks that I'm a stalker. Well, she's not exactly my girlfriend yet. I woke up last night to find the ghost of Gloria Gaynor standing at the foot of my bed. At first I was afraid.......then I was petrified. The wife has been missing a week now. Police said to prepare for the worst. So I have been to the charity shop to get all her clothes back. A mate of mine recently admitted to being addicted to brake fluid. When I quizzed him on it he reckoned he could stop any time.... I went to the cemetery yesterday to lay some flowers on a grave. As I was standing there I noticed 4 grave diggers walking about with a Coffin, 3 hours later and they're still walking about with it. I thought to myself, they've lost the plot!! My daughter asked me for a pet spider for her birthday, so I went to Our local pet shop and they were £70!!! Blow this, I thought, I can get one cheaper off the web. I was at a cash point yesterday when a little old lady asked if I could check her balance, so I pushed her over. I start a new job in Seoul next week. I thought it was a good Korea move. I was driving this morning when I saw an RAC van parked . The driver was sobbing uncontrollably and looked very miserable. I thought to myself 'that guy's heading for a breakdown.' On holiday recently in Spain I saw a sign that said 'English speaking Doctor' - I thought, 'What a good idea, why don't we have them in our country?'
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Petrol and diesel have dominated the news headlines over the last few days. This email update is to let you know our take on the situation and to ask you for a little help. Here is how we see it: The real 'fuel crisis' is not the current particular dispute between the tanker drivers and their employers. Important as it is to see this dispute resolved fairly and quickly, the real 'fuel crisis' is the scandalously high price that families and businesses are having to pay for petrol & diesel. This will be made worse by the fact that the Government waived through in the Budget another 16p a gallon in fuel taxes to hit us all this summer. The reaction to the possible disruption to fuel supplies has surely showed the Government one thing …. PETROL & DIESEL ARE ABSOLUTELY VITAL TO FAMILIES, BUSINESSES AND THE ENTIRE ECONOMY. Our argument is that forcing up prices by increasing fuel duty is hurting families, damaging business and holding back growth. All our polling shows that fuel tax is the nation's number 1 priority and recent figures have showed that Britain's economy is hardly growing at all. The Government is investing hundreds of millions of pounds in 'job creation' to fight unemployment. As well as truly understanding the suffering that high petrol & diesel prices are causing, they need to listen to our research which clearly shows that CUTTING FUEL DUTY is the most effective way of creating jobs and boosting growth. If you have not done so already, please see the evidence at http://fairfueluk.com/cebr.html Some people have asked why FairFuelUK doesn't support the idea of hauliers and farmers 'blockading' refineries and stopping the flow of fuel to protest about high prices. Please go to this link for a review of the Campaign's position. Over the next few weeks, we will be fighting in Parliament to see the 16p a gallon increase, waived through in the Budget speech, scrapped and to make the Government see that it should be cutting fuel duty, not raising it! We need your help to give us the power to make the politicians listen. We are fortunate to be supported by the RAC, the Road Haulage Association, the Freight Transport Association and The Fuelcard Company. On top of that, we have over 235,000 individual supporters like you. That figure of 235,000 is impressive – but it needs to be so much higher! This is where we need your help. There are 30 million motorists in the country. We need to spread the word to those millions of potential supporters that they don't need to go and 'blockade'. What they need to do is sign up to www.fairfueluk.com so that the Government realise they are facing a massive and growing movement of public opinion. Please, as a matter of urgency do these three simple things: 1. Please ask everyone you know to sign up to www.fairfuleuk.com – every extra signup (it's free and only takes a few seconds) really does make our argument more powerful. There's a simple copy and paste email below that you can send to your address book. 2. Help us spread word of the campaign by a powerful showing of our 'CUT FUEL DUTY NOW' sticker campaign. You can order them here http://fairfueluk.com/sticker___donations.html 3. Please post your experiences and comments on our blog at http://fairfueluk.com/quentins_blog.php so that we can see how the price of petrol & diesel are affecting you. We had some success last year defeating over 9p per litre of rises in fuel duty. We were hugely disappointed that the chancellor ignored our calls in the recent Budget but with your help and support, the fight goes on! Kind regards, The FairFuelUK Team ******sample email to send tour contacts, friends and family***** Dear Friend, I've signed up to www.fairfueluk.com – the nation's leading campaign group fighting for a cut in tax on petrol and diesel. If you are as angry as I am at the scandalously high prices please help them by signing up yourself and forwarding this message to your contacts. Unbelievably, the Government is ploughing on with its plan to add another 16 a gallon in fuel taxes this summer. FairFuelUK needs to dramatically build up its supporter base to fight for this fuel tax rise to be scrapped. Signing up is free and takes just a few seconds. The campaign is backed by the RAC, The Fuelcard Company, and the two trade bodies that represent the UK's 20,000 leading road freight companies. Buy a Campaign Window Sticker to help support the Campaign Sign up to support the FairFuelUK Campaign Tell all your followers on Twitter Spread the message on Facebook The FairFuelUK campaign is backed by the RAC, the Road Haulage Association RHA, the Freight Transport Association FTA and the country's leading fuel card specialists the Fuelcard Company . It is supported by over 235,000 members of the public and over 150 Parliamentarians.
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What sort of space do you need Diane? I have re-read your original posting and really you just want somewhere to hold a meeting and talk about recipes and baking…..and sampling products of course. Why not ask Tino's Deli on Front Street for an evening say once a month. OK you might take your own cake but Jackie could sell some teas and coffees? Handled properly good advertising for the Deli. At the end of the day there is the snug in the Red Lion but I prefer to support the small independents rather than large nationals. I would be surprised if one of the other pubs couldn't let you have a back room or a bit of space to hold your meets, just do it on their quietest night.
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Is this a sign of the times or just a distorting upset? http://uk.news.yahoo.com/galloway-may-pull-off-shock-election-win-230711777.html
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What sort of fishing Ray?
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Quick Greek update, In a move that would tax the brass neck of any worthwhile dictator the Greek government has used money to purchase government bonds from various bondholders without getting permission from the bank account owners. The bank account owners being various state bodies such as hospitals, universities, utility companies etc. The bondholders were the tiny minority of private sovereign creditors who, under the original terms of their bond purchase, were entitled come what may to full payment of the bond's yield entitlement. Cost…estimated at 1.5 billion Euros. So those bond holders are paid off and the rest made to take up to a 70% hit on their investment, or write down or adjustment, whatever just don't call it a default! So most of the reserve and operating capital held in the likes of the Bank of Greece by these state institutions has been sequestrated to enable the current Troika bail-out conditions. Not hard to see schools and universities closing, hospitals turning patients away, power cuts and all at a time of massive austerity weakness in both the social and economic corridors in Greece. It's going to take bloodshed to change this now and I would expect to start seeing that very soon. Also watch for the Merkle reaction to the worsening situation in Spain. Reading the MSM of course everything is tickety boo now isn't it?
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They just can't help themselves........... http://uk.news.yahoo.com/tories-defend-donation-procedures-233251131.html
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Welcome Ray...........
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The Altar Boy........... 'Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose girl.' The priest asks, 'Is that you, little Joey Pagano?' 'Yes, Father, it is.' 'And who was the girl you were with?' 'I can't tell you, Father, I don't want to ruin her reputation.' 'Well, Joey, I'm sure to find out her name sooner or later so you may as well tell me now. Was it Tina Minetti?' 'I cannot say.' 'Was it Teresa Mazzarelli?' 'I'll never tell.' 'Was it Nina Capelli?' 'I'm sorry, but I cannot name her.' 'Was it Cathy Piriano?' 'My lips are sealed.' 'Was it Rosa DiAngelo, then?' 'Please, Father, I cannot tell you.' The priest sighs in frustration. 'You're very tight lipped, and I admire that. But you've sinned and have to atone. You cannot be an altar boy now for 4 months. Now you go and behave yourself.' Joey walks back to his pew, and his friend Franco slides over and whispers, 'What'd you get?' 'Four months vacation and five good leads ...'
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Agenda for Bedlington Forum meeting 3rd April 2012 6.30PM at the Salvation Army Bedlington. Agenda 3rd April 2012.pdf
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Minutes of Bedlington Forum meeting Jan 30th 2012...... Web version Bedlington Forum minutes, 30th Jan 2012.pdf
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Seconded!
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John, Do you know the hassle I went through to get a gratis copy of the Sunday Sun last Sunday!
