General Chat

[limpid]

15 hours ago, bickster said:

Overheard conversation...

US Tourist in Paris: “I won't buy any organic food on principal, it has a tremendously negative effect on the environment”

There is no definition of "organic food". The statement might be true. There is a lot of wishful thinking about what "organic" actually means on product packaging.

You get a lower yield per square metre. From that point of view it does have a negative impact on the environment.

[blandy]

9 minutes ago, limpid said:

There is no definition of "organic food".

Pretty much there is, in EU law, and so in the UK, for example, it's defined by the soil association  - so it's food produced by farms and business which are certified by the SA and which complies with their processes.

Quote

EU law requires all organic food and drink to be certified by a recognised body, Soil Association Certification Limited is the UK’s leading organic certification body. It carries out inspections and awards organic certification to farms and businesses that meet our standards...

...

The Soil Association’s organic standards cover everything from barley to beef, chocolate to coffee. They clearly state what is and isn't allowed in the food production process.

 

[limpid]

1 minute ago, blandy said:

Pretty much there is, in EU law, and so in the UK, for example, it's defined by the soil association  - so it's food produced by farms and business which are certified by the SA and which complies with their processes.

Ha ha ha. The "Soil Association". It's not a quango, it's got no legal power and it's on a .org domain. It's a way for farmers to pay to have a particular marketing logo stamped on their products. From their website:

Quote

The Soil Association Organic symbol is the most recognised and trusted organic symbol in the UK and it’s growing.

There shouldn't be a range of organic symbols if there is a legally enforced one. But this one isn't official and doesn't claim to be. Even if it is, consumers can't tell it from all the unofficial ones.

[blandy]

Just now, limpid said:

Ha ha ha. The "Soil Association". It's not a quango, it's got no legal power and it's on a .org domain. It's a way for farmers to pay to have a particular marketing logo stamped on their products. From their website:

There shouldn't be a range of organic symbols if there is a legally enforced one. But this one isn't official and doesn't claim to be. Even if it is, consumers can't tell it from all the unofficial ones.

That may (or may not) be so. Nevertheless, it is, under EU law a recognised body for the certification of organic food and drink

[lapal_fan]

Innit though?

[VILLAMARV]

And to think they wanted to rob us of Paint

[AVFC_Hitz]

It's the longest running joke
In history
To kill the working classes
In the name of liberty
The lies of Hillsborough
The blood of Orgreave
All the evasion at the BBC
And 30 years of war
To darken all our class
Black propaganda, lies and mistrust
See it in our eyes, the fire dimming away
The old-boy network won the war again 

[Rugeley Villa]

What was the blood moon like here last week? It was stunning in Croatia and a pretty surreal moment. We'd just had the best meal of the holiday which was saying something, because we never had a bad meal. It was pitch black, and the blood moon was out in full force. I'd just gone for a little stroll on the beach waiting for the others to finish their drinks, when all of a sudden I heard a very familiar riff. Someone was playing the riff to 'Into The Void' by Black Sabbath. I think it was coming from one of the boats that were on the shoreline, but weren't completely sure. For me it was one of those moments. Blood moon, pitch black, and a riff by my favourite band and a song which is about an apocalyptic future for the earth. That person then followed it up with Iron Man, then some blues numbers. Superb stuff. 

[Xann]

Mike Ashley's bought House Of Fraser

[choffer]

6 minutes ago, Xann said:

Mike Ashley's bought House Of Fraser

Their staff should forget about their pensions and prepare for the biggest asset-strip in history.

[Xela]

8 minutes ago, Xann said:

Mike Ashley's bought House Of Fraser

Good news if it saves all those jobs. 

Its a shame to see HoF and other department stores struggle. I guess its the changing face of the high street. 

[villa4europe]

i think people see all the news about sports direct and dont realise just what pies ashley has his fingers in, he owns a % of JD, JJB, debenhams, flannels, agent provocateur, USC 

he's also tried to buy a % of tesco and office

he's bought the brands firetrap, donnay, lonsdale, no fear, kangol, karrimor, slazenger, Gul, dunlop, everlast

[Chindie]

I think he only owns bits of Dunlop. I've had to do some work around the various parts of the brand before now and you'd be surprised how much Dunlop there is...

[Davkaus]

1 hour ago, choffer said:

Their staff should forget about their pensions 

They'll be fine, people don't just lose their pensions these days. Worst case, apart from some high earners, they'll lose 10% due to the pension protection fund.

Edited August 10, 2018 by Davkaus

[bickster]

 

[Chindie]

Sat in my living room just now I could hear someone outside talking loudly. I thought it was my neighbour, who is slightly deaf and regularly has people coming to his house and often chats with them as they leave. It carried on for ages so I had a quick look out the window to see it's actually a guy in a bad shirt carrying an iPad and talking loudly on the phone while pacing about outside my neighbours house. He then walks into my neighbours garden and bends down briefly, seemingly inspecting the hedge that separates their garden from mine. He then quickly walks back out onto the street, looking at the iPad, and walks up in front of my house, as if iPad was giving him directions or something, again glancing at the hedge that encloses the front of my garden briefly. Then he walks up my drive, around the hedge, and stands staring at the hedge from my side of it, stood in my garden, still on the phone, looking at the iPad occasionally. At this point I'm keen to ask what the **** he's doing, but by the time I've got some shoes on he's gone again, back down the road a couple of houses, talking to someone from that house who had just got out of his car, before walking off out of sight.

I've got absolutely no idea what this bloke was doing. I wasn't aware Brum had hedge inspectors. It was really odd. The only thing he'll find in my front garden is cat shit and neglected plants.

[chrisp65]

Probably just Rugeley Villa playing a quick game of pokemon shrubbery wank.

Gotta catch 'em all.

 

[HanoiVillan]

Geocaching?

[VILLAMARV]

This bridge collapse in Italy looks awful

[lapal_fan]

Quick question.. If anyone is familiar with PFI contracts.

If something is agreed for upgrade, or an initiative is proposed, who, what, where and how is that money gotten from the PFI contract holder? 

So say I come up with an initiative at a hospital, to improve their lighting and do the payback calcs etc and it's all GOOD to go. How do you go about getting that finance? 

I'm guessing the money would be Capital Expenditure because it would be a fixed asset.  Is there any other way of financing these things? 

And because it's me;

Yea I bummed your mom or summat.