choffer

The company I work for does a lot of work for the local PCTs and in March they were spending money hand over fist, why because they need to use up all their budgets. Some of the stuff was a feckin disgrace I tell you.

The next government should freeze everyone in the public sectors spending on Feb 28th and then let them only spend 1/11th of what they have spent that in that financial year I wonder how much would be left over.

I agree with a freeze, but not if the budget is then cut next year. There should be "breathing space".

We have to hand back money not spent in Lambeth which is fine. And there was a spending freeze too, but I suspect this was to stop going over-budget.

A bit of an annoyance though is being donated money for education research, then having to hand that back too, if not spent. It cannot be carried over and deducted from other costs the next year.

It's similar where I work (charity where most of the money comes from BIG or DCSF). We have an almighty run in March where everyone is desperately trying to shift underspends left, right and centre. This is not because we have to try to justify the same income in future years but because the funder can't have any underspend. We get penalised if we don't spend everything we've been given, regardless of whether it's needed or not. Makes life very difficult in the final financial quarter as I have to try and balance my own budgets and respond to the huge amount of shuffling money around between various other budgets within the organisation.

I would never have imagined it being so wasteful before I came here but when I see various manifestos pledging public-sector savings, I know for sure it's all there to be saved if better controls were in place.

One of the best/worst news stories I've read in a while (couldn't see a date on the story so there's a chance it was an April fool I guess):

'I'm in love with my grandson and we're having a baby'

When 72-year-old Pearl met her grandson, little did she realise she'd soon be 'pregnant' with his child

Pearl Carter is positively glowing with joy. She has a handsome new boyfriend, is enjoying an active sex life after many years of celibacy and, amazingly, is preparing to become a mother again.

But the retired grandmother isn't carrying the baby herself. She and her young lover have spent a staggering $54,000 hiring a surrogate to help them with their dreams of having a child.

What makes Pearl's decision to become a mum again even more shocking is that her new boyfriend is her biological grandson, 26-year-old Phil Bailey.

Phil is the son of Pearl's daughter Lynette Bailey, and the pair is braving public horror and even prison by breaking one of the last taboos – incest.

However, the pair makes no apologies for their controversial plan to start their own family.

'I'm not interested in anyone else's opinion,' Pearl says. 'I am in love with Phil and he's in love with me. Soon I'll be holding my son or daughter in my arms and Phil will be the proud dad'.

Phil adds, 'I love Pearl with all my heart. I've always been attracted to older women and I think Pearl is gorgeous. Now I'm going to be a dad and I can't wait.

'Yes, we get laughed at and bullied when we go out and kiss in public but we don't care. You can't help who you fall for.'

Pearl was 18 when she fell pregnant with daughter Lynette. She was living with her Catholic parents in Indiana and they insisted she give the baby away, so as not to bring the family into disrepute.

They organised a private adoption and Pearl never again saw her baby girl.

Pearl went on to marry, but she never had any more children. Instead she searched for her lost daughter until finally giving up hope 15 years ago.

Finding each other

In 1983, Pearl's daughter Lynette had a baby of her own, who she named Phil. She raised him as a single mother.

'My mother told me she was adopted when I was 18, and at the same time she told me she'd been diagnosed with brain cancer,' Phil says. 'I was devastated.'

Phil nursed his mum for six months before she died. It was then he decided to track down his grandmother. It took three years before he found an address for Pearl and wrote to her.

'I was stunned to get his letter,' says Pearl, who was now single. 'My heart jumped that I'd be re-united with a grandson. I wrote back immediately and included my phone number.'

When Phil phoned Pearl, the pair admits they were both rather nervous. Pearl told Phil about being forced to give up Lynette for adoption, and Phil told Pearl about his mum dying of cancer.

'We both cried but kept talking for three hours,' she says. 'When he emailed me a photo, I thought what a handsome and sexy man he was before pinching myself – he was my grandson!'

Confused, Pearl talked to a friend, who told her about an article she'd read on Genetic Sexual Attraction (GSA), which occurs when close relatives meet as adults and are attracted to each other.

'I could now understand my feelings and realise they weren't wrong,' Pearl says.

In 2006, Phil met his grandmother for the first time.

'From the first moment that I saw him, I knew we would never have a grandmother-grandson relationship,' Pearl remembers happily. 'For the first time in years I felt sexually alive.'

Phil admits that he had the same feelings towards Pearl.

'I wanted to kiss her there and then,' he says. 'My feelings were overwhelming.'

The pair spent the first week shopping, bowling and eating out. During the second week, giggly on wine after a night out, Pearl decided she wasn't going to deny her feelings anymore.

Unexpected feelings

'I called Phil into my bedroom, sat him on the bed, and then I leant over and kissed him,' Pearl says.

'I expected rejection but instead he kissed me back.'

Pearl then explained to Phil what she'd discovered about GSA.

'I was thrilled and excited,' Phil says. 'I could be with Pearl and it was OK because she'd never raised me or been in my life.'

That night, grandmother and grandson became lovers.

'Making love to Pearl was a real eye-opener. It was love combined with all this sexual tension that had been building up,' Phil openly explains.

Phil, a carpenter, agreed to live with Pearl and get a job with a local building firm.

'Living with Phil as my life partner has been amazing. He cooks and cleans and we make love three times a week. We can't keep our hands off each other.'

Twelve months ago, Phil made the shocking admission that he wanted a child. Pearl told him she was desperate for a baby as well, but it was one wish that she couldn't fulfil as she'd already gone through menopause.

The determined pair then decided to use Pearl's retirement money to find a surrogate mother and buy a donor egg to inseminate with Phil's sperm. They placed an ad asking for an open-minded surrogate, and Roxanne Campbell applied. The three met up a few times and hit it off.

[

'Initially I was shocked,' says Roxanne on learning the couple were related. 'But they're a brilliant pair and I saw how much they loved each other. I know the baby will be loved too.'

The couple sees 30-year-old Roxanne once a month and accompany her for scans, with Pearl playing the part of a pal or the baby's grandmother.

'I am just so happy,' Pearl says.

'I am finally going to be a mum and not forced to give up my child. Phil's going to be a great dad. I never in a million years thought at 72 I'd be "pregnant" and in love with my grandson. I make no apologies and I believe God's given me a second chance.'

I hope the Canucks goes all the way

Admire the sentiment but I can't help but think it's unlikely. Unless Luongo starts coming up huge for the next month or so, I'd see the Canucks struggling to go much further. Obviously, I very much hope to be eating my words soon!

Surprised that nobody has mentioned the Part Election Broadcast by the BNP which I caught last night (maybe someone has mentioned it but I missed it).

What a scary load of nonsense it was. Lots of talking heads of average Joe's on the street (including one Sikh) who were clearly reading off cue-cards spouting nonsense. Every point they made was emblazoned across the screen for emphasis (for the idiots watching who couldn't understand people speaking and needed a summary).

From what I saw they only had two main points:

1 - We are the only party who commit to immediately bringing back our troops from Afghanistan if we win the election (fairly hollow promise that one).

2 - Shut the gates and look after British people only. This country has gone to the dogs with johnny-foreigner everywhere and the average British man is now a second-class citizen in his own country.

All this, interspersed with lots of old footage of Churchill (Oh yes!) who presumably would definitely have been a BNP member. I guess the scary thing is that even as I was watching it, I could just see lots of people agreeing with every word that was said.

'Ere, don't you read my posts?

(I mentioned it yesterday as I saw the one on BBC2 just before 6pm)

I think The Respect party also have point 1 in their manifesto.

Oops - didn't occur to me that the one I saw at about 8 wouldn't have been the first showing so I didn't go back far enough in the thread to see your comment :oops:

Surprised that nobody has mentioned the Part Election Broadcast by the BNP which I caught last night (maybe someone has mentioned it but I missed it).

What a scary load of nonsense it was. Lots of talking heads of average Joe's on the street (including one Sikh) who were clearly reading off cue-cards spouting nonsense. Every point they made was emblazoned across the screen for emphasis (for the idiots watching who couldn't understand people speaking and needed a summary).

From what I saw they only had two main points:

1 - We are the only party who commit to immediately bringing back our troops from Afghanistan if we win the election (fairly hollow promise that one).

2 - Shut the gates and look after British people only. This country has gone to the dogs with johnny-foreigner everywhere and the average British man is now a second-class citizen in his own country.

All this, interspersed with lots of old footage of Churchill (Oh yes!) who presumably would definitely have been a BNP member. I guess the scary thing is that even as I was watching it, I could just see lots of people agreeing with every word that was said.

Watched this last night. Much better than I'd expected and as I think someone mentioned earlier in the thread, fantastic cameo by Bill Murray.

Not sure if this is going to work but:

Is it possible to follow this online? I watched it during the Olympics and loved ice hockey.

I'm trying not to after almost getting the sack last year from staying up too late to watch too many games (supporting a west-coast team is hard work if you want to watch the games).

The official route is NHL Center Ice but I know it's not too hard to find illegal streams too but obviously, I'd never recommend that

And as soon as I said that, they're the first* team in the West to close out a series

Looking like the Blackhawks are next.

* Apart from San Jose, obviously

Typical Haneke brilliance. Easily one of my favourite Directors.

Ditto and I only discovered him fairly recently. Currently working through a couple of box sets so expect more Haneke recommendations to follow

Don't remember seeing this appear in the thread before but I finally got round to watching this last night and thought it was excellent:

Already worried - if we can't beat the Kings more convincingly it looks like I'm due for a shave sooner rather than later.

A woman in the United Kingdom says she has the urge to have sex up to 10 times a day after she fell off her Wii Fit board.

“It began as a twinge down below before surging through my body. Sometimes it built up into a trembling orgasm," Amanda Flowers of Manchester told the U.K.'s Daily Star. “With no cure I just have to try to control my passion by breathing deeply."

A doctor diagnosed her with persistent sexual arousal syndrome, saying she likely damaged a nerve in the fall.

She told the Daily Star that small vibrations, like the one from her cellphone or a food processor, turns her on.

Flowers is single, but hopes to find a boyfriend.

Originally in the star so it must be true!

Auld Land Syne.

Not so much listening to - just for some reason it's in my head and I can't get rid of it! Must be numbskull new years or something

I guess there's one good thing about living in London - hearing all the early morning shouts of people leaving for the game when I'm still lounging around the house

Setting off around 2, should be there by three - Come on you Villa boys!

Excellent. A few reviews here

One of my favourite films of last year (page 28 of this thread). Seems like the director took a whole lot of liberties with the editing process though if you check out the Twin Galaxies forum.

Great movie though.

I thought the use of the Karate Kid music (Joe Esposito track) on some of the tournament scenes was hilarious.

No matter what I say, it draws controversy. It's sort of like the abortion issue.

Excellent. A few reviews here

One of my favourite films of last year (page 28 of this thread). Seems like the director took a whole lot of liberties with the editing process though if you check out the Twin Galaxies forum.

Great movie though.

By the way, has anyone else bothered to watch 'Mesrine' (part one and two) yet? I am a big fan.

Yes mate, saw both parts last year (think I mentioned it at the time in this thread) and they were superb, Vincent Cassel really impressed me.

Ditto. Got both through lovefilm and watched them back to back on a Sunday afternoon. Very entertaining, thought provoking and occassionally very funny.

I think i mentioned it earlier but there is a film called the Baadher Meinhoff Complex and its subject matter is referenced in the 2nd Mesrine film. It isnt too important but i would watch that first, mostly because its an excellent film but also as it gives a context to the direction the character istrying to move in and the political mood of the time.

That said, i didnt know anything about the subject before, whereas others may not be so ignorant.

Another +1 for Mesrine 1 and 2. Also in agreement with the Baader Mienhoff Complex - one of the most compelling films I've seen in ages. Might dig it out again this weekend.

And to add a recommendation:

Been in the to-do pile for months now and I enjoyed it an awful lot more than I was expecting. Bit ham-fisted in parts but thoroughly enjoyable nevertheless.

And now I log onto my Virgin Credit Card account online to pay it off and it won't allow me! Says my payment has been declined from my maestro and is there a 'floor limit' on my account? Tried 3 times, the same.

I have enough in my bank to pay that off 50 times over, how is that possible?

I smell a rat.

You would need to speak to the Financial Ombudsman here in the UK. Give them a ring, they will tell you what to do and will sort this out for you.

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

If you don't, these companies will keep on talking shit and keep on trying to screw people out of money with false promises and all other bullshit.

I had crap with TalkTalk for ages and went to the regulator who sorted it out.

Most times you don't need to invoke the ombudsman - just the threat of it is usually enough to get them worried enough to sort it out for you. Involving the beak means a shed-load of paperwork for them and a whole bunch of hassle they can do without so if they think you're serious, they'll probably (hopefully) sharpen their act up quick enough.

Just had a ticket offer out of the blue so I'm definitely excited now!

I'd fling an email off to whichever regulator looks at this kinda thing over there. Even if all of that was in small print, it doesn't seem reasonable and wouldn't stand up.

Two words - Banking Ombudsman.

Drop that into casual conversation with your friends at Virgin and see how they change their minds.

Welcome new member Brettlee!

Is this you?

You know the way family is the most important thing? Well what if it isnt?

I just came across a guy I knew from school whose family deserted him at an early age and he has moved to Asia and is living completely free. No one to answer to. No one who will be disappointed or ashamed if he doesn't end up as a doctor, or a lawyer. Made his own life without the scaffolding already put up by his family.

I think I'd like that

Want, 100%

Bit late to the debate but I particularly enjoyed Osborne's answer to the student girl about guarantees she'd have a job once she finished university. His answer described an initiative that the conservatives have come up with to help people into work and guess what, it's almost to-the-letter a project that already exists that I'm mentoring on and has been set up by Labour. Pity Darling wasn't aware of that as he'd have been able to make him look even sillier than he did.

Possibly already mentioned in this thread but having watched it tonight, I thought I'd throw it in anyway: