Malcolm Robinson

Funny...............

Hmmmmmm, http://www.journallive.co.uk/northumberland-sites/bedlington-northumberland/bedlington-news/2011/04/08/legal-wrangle-sees-re-opening-of-bedlington-community-centre-delayed-61634-28481240/

May 5th we are being asked to choose............ In the present, first past the post system, any candidate with a majority of votes cast wins. In the AV system the winner has to have 50%+ of the votes cast. Instead of putting a cross next to one candidate you put a numbered choice next to as many as you want, 1-2-3 etc. according to your preferences. If no candidate gets the required 50%+ on the first count then the candidate with the least votes gets eliminated and their second choice votes are added to whichever preference is marked. If a candidate still doesn't have 50%+ then the next one with fewest votes is eliminated and their second choice votes are added to whichever. If the electorate is 100 voters the vote might go something like this: Candidate A gets 40% Candidate B gets 30% Candidate C gets 20% Candidate D gets 10%. At present candidate 'A' would win because they got the majority of votes cast. Under AV no candidate would win, none got 50%+, and a second count would be needed. In this case candidate 'D' would be eliminated and his second choice would be added to whoever. Let's say his second votes all went to candidate B which would give that candidate 40%, same as 'A', but still short of the 50% needed. Next candidate 'C' gets eliminated, having the next least amount of votes cast, and their second choice is added into the mix. Again let's say they go to candidate 'B' giving them 60% and therefore becoming the winner. This is just a simplified version before the politicos on here start shouting!

If I understood it correctly they are putting up buildings which will be used to relocate the residents of Glebe Court in while that area is knocked down and rebuilt as two bedroomed bungalows. I think it then becomes something like sheltered housing for disabled in its own right. I seem to remember 2 years start to finish for the two developments being mentioned as well. Sorry I can't be more specific but I was busy on something else when this was being discussed.

Anyone want to discuss the AV vote? Does everyone know what they are asked to vote on and understand it?

Political I know but a small insight into EU working practices, ''vote for our accounts to be signed off and we will allow you even more pay and expenses! ''

You are driving along minding your own business................ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YogEwKmb8qg

This is very important for people who are having computer lessons! Jesus and Satan were having an on-going argument about who was better on the computer. They had been going at it for days, and frankly God was tired of hearing all the bickering. Finally fed up, God said, "THAT'S IT! I have had enough. I am going to set up a test that will run for two hours, and from those results, I will judge who does the better job." So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away. They moused. They faxed. They e-mailed. They e-mailed with attachments. They downloaded. They did spreadsheets! They wrote reports. They created labels and cards. They created charts and graphs. They did some genealogy reports They did every job known to man. Jesus worked with heavenly efficiency and Satan was faster than hell. Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power went off.. Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the underworld. Jesus just sighed. Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their computers. Satan started searching frantically, screaming: "It's gone! It's all GONE! "I lost everything when the power went out!" Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past two hours of work.. Satan observed this and became irate. "Wait!" he screamed. "That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all his work and I don't have any?" God just shrugged and said, JESUS SAVES!!!!!

Aye me too.........makes you wonder what makes some people tick?

And here we go.......... http://www.ecb.int/press/pr/date/2011/html/pr110407.en.html

If anyone reading this stuff thinks the UK is insulated from the likes of Portugal holding its hands up saying it is broke and asking the ECB/IMF for help the following makes sobering reading! The European Commission mechanism for this called the European Financial Stability Mechanism and we are liable for 13.5% of it. Our share of the IMF is 4.53% and we are liable therefore for that percentage of any lending it may make. So we are not a Euro state yet we are accountable for some of its liabilities! There will undoubtedly be a knock on effect with regard to Spain as there are many and varied interests between these two neighbouring countries and if ECB does raise its interest rates the domestic mortgage markets will take an immediate hit!

Caretaker Premier Socrates tells his people they have had to call in International Rescue........Thunderbirds are go!

The animals in this vid are not the ones chained and caged!!!!!!

The price of a first class stamp has risen from 41 pence to 46 pence or just over 12% and the price of a second class stamp has risen from 32 pence to 36 pence for a rise of 12.5%. A first-class, large letter stamp has risen from 66 pence to 75 pence which is 13.5% and a second class one from 51 pence to 58 pence for a rise of 13.7%. The explanation: Royal Mail have said they have seen sharp declines in mail volume, so revenues are falling. Is it just me……… what planet are these people on?

Gordon Bennett John, the arrangement is better than the lyrics! Definite undertones of Ultravox. Sometimes you only need a half decent vid and no lyrics.........take it away Buckaroo.....

Silver Bullet Band......... Extra Golden.

Yep any Irish person relying on an old age pension must be delighted! Socialisation of losses and privatisation of profits................. Wonder what the Irish mortgage holders will think after next weeks ECB interest rate decision. Odds on it will go up and probably drag ours with it at some point.

Portugal might have come up with a solution to some of its deficit problems, there are moves afoot today to sell the footballer Christiano Ronaldo to Spain. Wonder how much they will give for Rooney?

Northumberland Residents Festival. 2011_Residents_Fest_poster_Mar11 (1).pdf

£24 billion...........a mere bagatelle! http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20110331/tbs-irish-banks-need-new-24-bn-euro-bail-5268574.html

The Coventry Rock Building Society........... http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20110331/tuk-building-society-plans-northern-rock-45dbed5.html

Another ones bites the dust........... http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20110331/tuk-liar-ex-mp-jailed-for-expense-fiddli-45dbed5.html

A man walks into a Welsh pub and orders a white wine spritzer. The bar goes silent as everyone stares at him..."Where are you from? You sound English", "I'm from across the Severn ," replies the man nervously. "What do you do, just across the Severn ?", "I'm a taxidermist." "What on earth is one of those?", "I mount animals." "Its alright boys," shouts the barman, "he's one of us."

I've just had a letter back from Screwfix. They said they regretted to inform me that they're not actually a dating agency.

Merlin, The old moral conundrum, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. It all depends where you are standing when you make the call. As for the morphing of political parties, the thing is there are a clear set of 'issues' to be resolved and the difference is supposed to be in the choice of ways and means used to tackle them. The 'issues' don't change they are fixed and there are essentially only a very limited set of tools which can be used in their resolution, given all the constraints hardly surprising the major parties are now reduced to arguing over semantics! In reality it makes the political party structure all the more irrelevant.