Symptoms

Just stop it now! Julien Blanc would feel at home in this thread!

Mal wrote: "I was told the water people monitor something there?" It wasn't one of these, was it? http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Water_monitor

I have been on stage, Maggs - cleaning-up after the pantomime horse! Boom, boom!

I didn't really don't know what to think about this advert. Yep, beautifully created and poignant but it left me a little unsure about the reason for it's production. Perhaps Sainsbury's will be donating tons of money to the British Legion and if that's the case, fine. However, the reality was that after Jim gave Otto his bar of chocko they started trying to kill each other. In my view, WW1 maybe not the most appropriate source material for a supermarket advert. At least I didn't see Sainsbury's name on the chockybar label.

GGG, I suspect that you might be right about David Mileeeeeeband's long-term intentions, the guy is just as 'slippy' as his former boss Warcrim Blair. So the future looks bright with the prospect of a confident clone of Blair regaling a gullible population.

Rejoice ukippers ... Nigel has said today he'd support, in a coaltion, a lame-duck Milleeeeband minority Government. Vote ukip, get Labour. Has a certain ring about it!

Yep, a real tough Northern character actor who always seemed authentic to me and was always watchable. Not like most of the weak-kneed, yellow-bellied soft Southern actors and worse still, those plastic celebs from the NE who try to ape them ... (you know who they are: the CBS, Nobson Green & Ferry The Dirty Old Man).

So, Bedlingtonshire is North of the River Blyth?

Hang on a minute GGG, Adam's not the only 'right thinking individual' here. Wise Old Sym is the Daddy.

Yep, just about everybody is going to get stiffed after the GE, well, maybe not the rich.

So it was GGG's older brother, GGGG.

I've got this one Maggs. It's really about the comparison between The Very Naughty Boy and the Cramlington Budgie Strangler. Cramlington is in "the wider Bedlingtonshire area,"

I'm all for handbags at ten paces here and will defend the rough-and-tumble to the bitter end ... infact, I'd prefer stronger stuff like nut-kicking. Where could disconnected folks get help and info from in the absence of CABs? Traditionally, it could have been the the Library (many are now closed or understaffed), the copshop (many are now closed or open for short periods of time), the local GP (many of these have been sucked into so-called group health practices {a money making, get rich scheme for the quacks} with waiting times running into next week). So is there really an alternative to CABs?

And I think GGG (I'm sure he's the one without me having to do a search) should shimmy-up his stepladders and install a few more of his cameras along Front Street for us exiles to view the Chrissy do.

The only reason folks bought Poxy Music's stuff was for the porn on the album covers.

The bottom line is the Miliband appears to be a dick and this is something that cannot be disguised by his camouflage squad. I've always believed that the vast majority of the non-aligned public vote for the guy in charge and not the party he represents. Miliband has the same problem of that other useless sod, Kinnock; they're both dicks. It really is as simple as that!

GGG makes a valid point about the ease of access to information and guidance for a large proportion of the population. However, I understand that a sizable lump of the elderly have no online access at home and so are cut-off from this resource; maybe even the very poor are in the same boat.

There's nothing wrong with the state of being wealthy (or rich); my concern is the route taken to garner the loot (a word delibrately chosen to hint at the means of achieving wealth). Forget the so-called 'old money' class in this arguement as most of their loot was gained on the back 17 to 19 century trade (code for the slave trade) and land grabs. Concentrate on the 'new money' class; with a few notable exceptions, their route map and compass is labled GREED.

I usually try to watch the Beeb's coverage of the Remembrance Service from the Cenotaph each year and the march past by the old guys usually brings a tear to my eyes (I've posted elsewhere here about the price my family paid during the two big bunfights with Fritz). What's particularly poignant is how over the years the old guys are getting fewer and fewer, but still those who are left keep attending; some of the associations are winding-up as so few are left (D-Day Association for example). Sprightly old Phil the Greek (93) always attends but what on earth is that useless tosser Edward doing there as some sort of Honorary Colonel ... he didn't even get through his military training and was chucked out ... I find it offensive to the memory of those who served. I was outraged that Blair had the nerve to attend ... in many folks eyes, a war criminal.

No they didn't Maggs. It was mackemscum 1 Everton 1.

He's not as good as the Cramlington Budgie Strangler ... and you know what I think of him.

I'm waiting for the suggestion that if the unemployed indigenous population was forced to get out of their pits in the morning then marched to the fields to pick the cabbages and sprouts there'd be no low paid work available for the hordes of Eastern Europeans to take. Obviously, "fields to pick the cabbages and sprouts" is code for all those menial jobs taken by the visitors. Anyway, that solves the question of why do they let in all those Rumanians to nick our jobs and houses. Next, the problem of illegals, wherever they come from. A simple solution would be to have an impervious border policed by a 'fit for purpose' Border Force. Next, that old chestnut, benefits. It's not rocket science to enforce the existing recipocity rules and restrictions, thus creating the reality (not a hate myth spouted by The Daily Hate) that even those with a nasty axe to grind would have to accept was fair.

Yep, I'd need to detour over that grubby coastal village 12 miles SSE of the Toon and give them another burst of 50 caliber before heading down to Sheffield. The place I worked at in London during the Miners' Strike adopted Dinnington Pit (in Yorkshire) and we supported the striking miners families there with funding. Groups from Women against Pit Closures would come down and give us talks about what was happening. On two occasions Anne Scargill (Arthur's missus) came with them ... she was a lovely woman.

My motto: "Spend all the loot before you croak." The Wrinklies should aim for lots of holidays, nice car, Harley Davidson chopper, plenty of restaurant visits, dangerous stunts and leave nowt for the brats; perhaps, even selling the house to fund the fun.

There's a beautiful old hotel near where I live where I often go for an extended lunch, it's also a very popular venue for wedding receptions. A great liquid afternoon is always brightened-up by watching all the tubby bridesmaids arriving dressed in pink frocks that are plainly way too small for them. Buttons, hooks and zips straining under load, always ready to pop. I can just imagine the scene when they ready themeselves at home: "Darling does my bum look big in this?" Of course, the partner always replying ..... when he should really reply