thetrees

Rajnagar Internationl - Lyndon Rd Olton . "The raj of Rajas"

We tripped over that one last year. The owner greeted us like long lost friends, despite the fact that none of us had been in the place before!

Excellent food and nice service.

We are looking at about 14c by kick off time today in Manchester with humidity at 81% and winds of 5mph

That's it then. With our defence sunbathing, we will certainly take a hammering!

A 777 is a 777, whichever model that you fly on. The only physical difference is a fuselage stretch between the series 200 and series 300. The 77W is the long range version of the stretch model.

On topic I flew Business First with AC on these last year, YYZ-GRU-YYZ and both legs were excellent.

 

On another angle, but relevant to the discussion, when assessing companies for credit (we do not use credit insurance for UK business) one of the checks is whether the accounts are audited. This is an immediate tick if they are audited by one of the big houses, as our view is that they would not sign off on anything dodgy.

If they are audited by a firm that we haven 't heard of, then we check that firm out as well, before applying the tick.

 

All audits should theoretically be carried out to the same standards.  Although if you get one that Jonno's done, I'd refer them on to Wonga.com instead.

 

Should being the operative word.

I have seen situations where signed off accounts are actually made up bullshit.

On another angle, but relevant to the discussion, when assessing companies for credit (we do not use credit insurance for UK business) one of the checks is whether the accounts are audited. This is an immediate tick if they are audited by one of the big houses, as our view is that they would not sign off on anything dodgy.

If they are audited by a firm that we haven 't heard of, then we check that firm out as well, before applying the tick.

Who the chuff are PWCL, and why don't you like them?

I don't particularly dislike them, it's just that my only experience of the 'big' firms is all bullshitting time wasters .

I am sure that in reality they are just like the banks, where some staff are brilliant and effective while others are complete tossers.

You just need to strike lucky I guess

Can you trust accountants?

 

There are crooks and bad people in every profession, and every walk of life.

I use an accountant for my businesses (I don't make enough personally to have a need for one). He gives good advice and support to my businesses, and I trust him without question. I also think that he earns the money that I pay him.

I use a local firm though. I am not too enamoured with the BDOs and PWCLs of this world.

The 6 week summer holiday was invented when hardly anyone went abroad. Holiday companies get the stick because they charge their highest prices at the peak demand, which is understandable.

Reduce summer holidays to 4 or 5 weeks and stagger them, the south in June, the midlands in July, and north in August.

In that way the holiday season will enjoy a longer peak, with hotel rooms full for longer, and less aircraft required because the ones in place can be used to their optimum. The longer peak should lead to more reasonable pricing, as 12-15 weeks of decent revenues will equal the present 6 week mega peak plus 6 to 9 weeks of poor revenues, and will therefore average out better.

If this did not lead to more reasonable pricing, then I would point the finger at the holiday companies.

I believe that all ballot papers should have a 'none of the above' option.

In that way people can exercise their democratic right to express their dissatisfaction as a whole, while still being registered as part of the 'turnout' , and therefore not being dismissed as a no show because of bad weather, voter apathy, or anything else.

My preference is revolution. Who is going to offer that?

Nobody with any sense.

We have problems but problems which can be sorted democratically.

I'd rather people organise a movement which promotes change rather than voting for any numpty with publicity just for the sake of a protest vote. Such votes are people's democratic right, but they aren't even a drop in the ocean. The powers that be couldn't give a toss about Bez.

Organise a movement which promotes change...

What did you think I meant by revolution? Blood on the streets?

So, rather than 'revolution', you want to 'revolutionise' the political system?

Amen to that.

Brazil is encouraging prisoners to read books, we are not. Who is right, who is wrong? I agree with the conclusions presented within the article, that we are wrong, and prisoners should be encouraged to read books.

The article posses the question that even if Brazil, with its poor reputation can get this right, why can't we?

What are your views on the banning of books in prison?

Based upon the flimsy article that you quoted, I have no view on that particular subject.

The article states that there is a ban on *sending* books to prisoners, and appears to have been sensationalised into making the reader believe that it is a total ban. The writer then picks up on some project in Sao Paulo (Brazil is run on a state by state model), in a patronising effort to put forward, in his mind, 'some third world country' as somehow being better than the UK on the subject of prisoner welfare.

I would be more interested in reading an article about why the ban on sending is taking place, if it is, rather than some commentator twisting things up to accommodate his beliefs, and the beliefs of his target audience.

Chris Grayling has banned books in prison. http://www.leftfootforward.org/2014/03/the-prison-book-ban-is-not-just-nasty-but-bizarre/

In brazil they encourage prisoners to read books, that has to be a better way.

As the article states, a bizarre and populist move.

If they are lucky enough to be taken prisoner in Brazil, they get to read books.

I really don't think that Brazil is a great example.

Read the article? It says EVEN in Brazil they are encouraged to read books.

I still don't think that Brazil is a good example.

An acquaintance of mine was kidnapped in Sao Paulo a few years ago and taken into a favella and held with some other hostages. The story as he told it was, despite the fact that they had taken mobile phones off everyone, a Belgian guy had a second phone that they didn't get. The police picked up on his signal, went in and got all hostages out safely. All of the kidnappers were killed, even though some could have been taken prisoner.

So you might get to read a book in a Brazilian prison, but only if you make it that far.

...these people are socialists..

Not really. They have no chance of power, so they say things which appeal, or might appeal to their target audience outside of those who'd vote for them for purely racist reasons. so they say things which might appeal to folk who are unaware of their extreme racist nature. Folk who might be alarmed by immigration or multi-cultural nature of our society, but aren't outright racist.

They're basically scooping for support from as wide an audience as they can get, and they use seemingly "fair" stuff to try and pull in that audience. They're not for actual fairness, obviously, or for actually treating people equally. That much is self evident, I'd have thought.

They're no more socialist or left wing than [insert name of right wing, but non-racist party of your choosing]. They're not about standing up for poor folk who are non-white, they cannot be socialist by definition, whatever they or others might say.

Exactly, which is why they tap into the poorer, so called 'working class' areas, and which is why what 'success' they have enjoyed has been in such areas.

Your typical BNP voter, and fortunately there are not too many of them, would otherwise vote Labour.

People with extreme right wing views are not generally attracted to the left in politics.

I think that you will find that those with 'extreme right wing views' (Racists) don't particularly understand what is what in politics, which is why BNP, EDL and the like draw their support from so called 'working class' areas where there are a larger number of the poorly educated who don't really understand. Most, if not all of the areas are otherwise Labour strongholds, hence the observation that it is from the Labour vote that BNP get their support.

Chris Grayling has banned books in prison. http://www.leftfootforward.org/2014/03/the-prison-book-ban-is-not-just-nasty-but-bizarre/

In brazil they encourage prisoners to read books, that has to be a better way.

As the article states, a bizarre and populist move.

If they are lucky enough to be taken prisoner in Brazil, they get to read books.

I really don't think that Brazil is a great example.

That was aimed at thetrees too.

Like I would have an idea?

If something suspicious passes my window, I'll be sure to let you know.

 

My expectation is that we have a buyer in place as long as we stay up. I think once we are safe, we'll begin to get the first trickles of news about the imminent sale of the club.

Pretty much what I heard a few months back, have doubted it a little since then mind.

 

My expectation is that Randy Lerner is going nowhere and, just to save the trolls, that includes coming here to watch a game.

 

Who is going to stump up £200m for the Villa?

Hand wringer Lambert.

Plenty of time to put things right, but absolutely no idea how to do it.

It was a nice try, in a Rugby sense because he has scored one there.

It is typical right wing thinking - "Oh no, that might affect me!" me, me me.

So in your world, when politicians of all colours going into the next general election, ask people to consider the issues that affect them, then ALL of the politicians, and ALL of the electorate are right wing.

Because that's what people will be asked to vote on, particularly by Labour, the issues that affect them.

So because a politician asks me to think of myself and only myself, that automatically makes me do so, thus confining me to the individualistic hell that is the right wing?

How about I ignore them and cast my vote based on which party I believe will further benefit society as a whole? Am I not allowed to do that?

I think that you misunderstood my comment, but at least it gave the 'holier than thou' brigade something to cheer

...these people are socialists..

Not really. They have no chance of power, so they say things which appeal, or might appeal to their target audience outside of those who'd vote for them for purely racist reasons. so they say things which might appeal to folk who are unaware of their extreme racist nature. Folk who might be alarmed by immigration or multi-cultural nature of our society, but aren't outright racist.

They're basically scooping for support from as wide an audience as they can get, and they use seemingly "fair" stuff to try and pull in that audience. They're not for actual fairness, obviously, or for actually treating people equally. That much is self evident, I'd have thought.

They're no more socialist or left wing than [insert name of right wing, but non-racist party of your choosing]. They're not about standing up for poor folk who are non-white, they cannot be socialist by definition, whatever they or others might say.

Exactly, which is why they tap into the poorer, so called 'working class' areas, and which is why what 'success' they have enjoyed has been in such areas.

Your typical BNP voter, and fortunately there are not too many of them, would otherwise vote Labour.

What self respecting pirate is going to be seen in Erdington?

To go to Big John's?

Even pirates build up an appetite

Great guitar band overall.

And the man still tours, albeit a little bit the worse for vodka. With Herman Rarebell and Francis Bucholz on board as well last year, it was a great mixed set of Scorpions, UFO and MSG.

If you like rock guitar playing, go and see Michael Schenker live. The man is a genius.

Now i find it disturbing I agreed with them on something in that vote for policies quiz.

Don't be disturbed. Just as with the National Socialists in 1930s Germany, these people are socialists, with the glaringly obvious major difference.

Once you get away from their major single policy of hate, any other 'policies' that they may come up with tend to be pretty far left of most.

One of the consequences of PR, should it ever come, is that groups like these may have some presence on the higher political stage, which is frightening, but then I guess that's democracy.

Bill is a big part of their sound but by all accounts he was very out of shape. Love his style of drumming, he gives sabbath their swing

I was backstage (namedropper!) for their second Heaven and Hell tour at Bingley Hall Stafford, and Bill didn't even come out after the gig.

It seems that for him it wasn't Sabbath without Ozzy, and his heart just wasn't in it. I guess that the years of inactivity have seen the ability dwindle.

...no one seems to gove a toss...

I see where you're coming from. The word "Gove" is associated with "toss" in my mind, too.

(Laughing thingy)

I could have set that up for you, but genuinely didn't.

Cracking pick up though

Can't stand Ozzy solo stuff. Probably because they get played to death on classic rock radio. Mr Crowley and Crazy Train make me want to break things

Nor me.

I saw him at the Odeon on the first solo tour and thought he was pretty crap to be honest.

The first tour of the (then) 'new' Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio was superb though.

I appreciate that such a statement is outrageous if you are a Sabbath purist, but that was my take on it.