Potwalloper

No, I don't. I'm not keen on Portillo either. I just can't agree with fresh thinking for the sake of it. Governments aren't good at fresh thinking any more than a hammer is good at pulling out a splinter. We could make use of old ideas which did work....

Is common sense too boring and old fashioned then?

I think you and Bbc are wrong. Firstly, what you want has already happened. We do have more leisure time. Look back 150 years. Secondly, you imagine that some kind uncle will come along and sort all of these things out and we'll all be happy. unfortunately, we don't have such a thing, all we have are governments. What you would attempt, misguided though it is, is way beyond the abilities of a mere government to implement. It's impossible. Let's avoid ideas that originate in fairy land.

A nanny state. Reckless cuts in public spending, and rigorous discipline in the education sector should sort things.

More pleased than surprised.

As in that's what fools do, RUSH IN?

Tall order.

Did she just stay up to mention her website?

You stink. So.

I agree.

The pre-election window dressing is proving expensive. I wouldn't be surprised if we get a snap election before the end of the year. Then the crash will really get going.

It shows the power of a nation's culture. We could no more foster these Japanese traits than we could embrace the elusive cafe culture that the half wits wittered on about when licensing laws were changed. I do think these things are broken down relatively quickly though. The social engineers took just fifty years to demolish British culture.

Did you absorb that 'fact' as part of your religion? Technology happened because it's fun, and humans like to have fun.

I would think that it usually displaces it if it affects it at all.

http://www.globrix.com/property/rent/manch...;keyword_field= Globrix is very good if you use the Search via map tab.

Or grammar? Easy tiger. Before we send people on these courses, we should meet to discuss the sensitive ethnicity issues?

Me too!

We may have time. It could just work...

Oh cheer up!

Best case I'm afraid. I know many people in business who are damming up their flow of money to the revenue. Does Newton's third law apply?

That may account for the current level of property transactions.

I do, to some extent, agree with this bit.

In what way does that matter?

Well that's quite revealing. The provision of teaching services is a relatively simple (compared with say health), but it still has to be managed. The fact that anybody managing anything would do something so stupid as your photocopying example shows that the management infrastructure that is there has to be completely removed. (I think that is what we have been trying to point out so we are making progress.) Say that happens on a Friday. It will take a public or private body at least a month or few to restructure with competent management. And they might not get it right first time. In the interim, heating will break down in your classroom, bills will go unpaid and crap staff will go undisciplined. Imagine that happening in a hospital where the services being provided are much more intricate. It would collapse and people would lose their lives directly as a result. I can promise you that cuts will take the amputation route rather than the microsurgery option. We are in too much of an emergency to let the process take years.

I agree. The 'public sector good, private sector bad' ists are just as annoying though. They have caused the problem. I think that the disease is so bad that accurate surgery that you suggest may be very difficult. The tumour of complication and bloat is so advanced that it will be very difficult to unhook it from essential infrastructure. We have overspent so badly and wastefully that I doubt that we will be able to afford all the essential front line services that we will require in the future. US levels of services with Swedish levels of taxes is where we are heading.