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heresjohnny

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Everything posted by heresjohnny

  1. Nonsense. I am reliably informed that pikeys enjoy co*k fighting and racing stolen cars.
  2. Agree - we moved up to the West Mids 18 months ago and you can now get houses sub 200k in Leamington Spa, Warwick, Solihull (these are the areas I'm most familiar with and are considered desireable). You couldn't when we first moved up here. 4 bed detached houses in nice areas are staying the same price though - people are just not moving. There are houses up for sale that have been on for 2 years - if people don't need to move they won't. I know, we put offers in on a few of them.
  3. I heard something the other day about turning off motorway lights - wasn't really listening so no idea if its likely or anything other than an idea.
  4. All about location isn't it? We are ripped off in this country - not just houses. What do you do? A pint of stella in our village pub is £3.30 (outrageous) but I'm still going to sink about 6....err.....starting in about 15 mins. Saying that I just bought 2 tickets to Villa v Everton and it was £43 (adult and junior). Much cheaper than last season.
  5. Pocket pussies - ROTFLMAO Isn't economics one of those things though where you can argue black is white and find enough evidence to back it up even when it isn't (or something).
  6. I used to go out with a girl who had a German Shephard called Servalan. Isn't it the case that solar and other energy sources will become more efficient/better over the next few years simply because more is being invested in them (due to environmental concerns) and more people are working on them? Just this fact will increase the economic battle vs traditional sources of energy?
  7. If I was a cynic I'd say she's been taking a contrarian view to the property VI's just to gain a bigger profile and get more work for herself. The article iteslf is total ars* gravy.
  8. My missus works for a bank and can speak Punjabi - they're always asking her to go over to India to work with the call centre operation over there. Her feeling (and that of her colleagues) is that some of this stuff is ultimately going to be onshored back because of poor customer service but the cost benefit to businesses in the UK is massively tempting.
  9. Quite. I remember when the Tsunami hit Thailand I was quite surprised at the number of BBC reporters who were on holiday there. I think the senior staff at the BBC share a similar working patern to politicians. Well, when I say working you know what I mean........
  10. Yes - seen it quite a lot for shops/bars/restaurants but not sure if its any more or less than normal. Jobs in the local paper seems to be less but I put this down to fewer jobs. However, I've just got a new job and I found the add on Gumtree (professional, senior well paid role). One of my mates in London got her last job from an advert on Gumtree - similar type of professional role. I think companies are trying to save money wherever they can - recruitment is another industry I thought (incorrectly) would have been killed by the Internet (like estate agents) and I'm glad I'm doing my bit. I've been a freelancer for the last 10 years (going back full time and local now thanks goodness) but any jobs i've got through a recruitment agency has cost my emplyer 20% on top of my salary - recruitment agency did fu** all other than forward on my CV.
  11. Interest rates need to go up a lot to get a speedy HPC. I think the government has very effectively frigged the market by putting in place zero interest rates and having most of the banks where they want them so they can stop them reposessing. I think the debate is around how long can interest rates stay low and how long can banks hold off dealing with customers in arrears. The longer they can do it, the less likely a big HPC is going to happen. I'm beginning to think they're going to get away with it.
  12. I found this quite interesting. I guess the point is that whether you earn £10k or £100k you need to be prepared for the future and recognise when you are in the good times - especially if you are in a line of work where income can vary a lot (think the journo was making films or something?).
  13. The BBC needs reform. I would welcome a more slimmed down version for a reduced fee. I think most people in the UK would as well. We do need the BBC though - turn on the TV in any country and you'll see why.
  14. We've just bought a house and prices are definately down here (West Mids) although percentage wise they're down more at the lower price range. We moved up here about 18 months ago and some of the larger more expensive houses have been up for sale since then. I've offered on a couple and owners said "we're not selling at that price" and they won't. I also just took a look at where we moved from (poncy part of West London) and prices are down but again more at the bottom end. Interest rates at zero have made a massive impact. My sister is much better off in the recession - brother in law is getting less overtime but mortgage is a lot less so they're better off plus bro in law is working fewer hours. OK, got to keep the job but nevertheless in some ways people are better off. Weird situation I think. I still think interest rates/unemployment need to go up a lot to get a big percentage drop in UK in areas other than flats and less attractive areas. Bit like Waiting for Godot the HPC. Government/banks have also learned their lessons about the impact of repossession.
  15. Trying to close an Alliance & Leicester E-saver Account is a bit like making love to a beautiful woman. First you need to gather all your strength, then you need to hold on for at least an hour and then you need to unload when you get connected with the right department.
  16. Wow - these politicians are really concentrating on sorting out the worst financial crisis since........errr............ the last one
  17. Housing costs needed to be limited and controlled somehow. If a 3 bed semi is in the grasp of the average worker then thats fine. I truly believed that when I got to this point in life I would be working 3 days a week, job sharing, that kind of thing. Instead the property arms race continues - I'm alright but the kids behind are stuffed. Limiting people to one house and only allowing the government to rent residential property to people would be a start.
  18. I worked for a central government department a few years ago and I did a speculative piece of work for my boss (a senior cheese in the civil service) where I correlated crime rates, teenage pregnancy, drug use, university education, life expectancy etc. No surprise to most folk on here but the Pareto rule works in social deprevation as well as it does in most businesses and a relatively small number of postcodes were contributing a relatively high amount of social issues. The problem is known but any politician trying to tackle this head on gets attacked by the press and other politicians. Most people i've met in high paid jobs assume that people live on council estates because they choose to and totally dismiss all the advantages of education and relative wealth that their own upbringing afforded them.
  19. Over the last 18 months I've had reason to visit various hospitals a fair bit unfortunately - I think the charging is disgusting. I don't understand it either - its vile that they feel they can chip money out of people every step of the way. I wouldn't mind but some of the hospitals were terrible - Good Hope in Sutton Coldfield was filthy - no wonder they call it No Hope. Couldn't the carparking money pay for a cleaner? Absolute disgrace. Don't get me started on what the they charge for people to watch TV - it really makes me angry that this kind of cr*p is allowed to happen in England. Is this why man rose up from the clay - to tax people to provide a health service and then charge for car parking if one of your loved ones becomes ill? Grr etc.
  20. Yes- thats the problem. Also a lot of the big balances are held by the elderly who don't want the grief. I've always wondered if it would be possible to pick a bank and start a facebook campaign to get everyone to withdraw savings from that bank - kind of single one out to send a message. I always think that people couldn't really be bothered though but maybe people are getting pi**ed off enough to do it? How about it - which bank shall we take down? Wreck The Rock, Bollx To Barclays, Fu** the 'Fax, Open Wide Nationwide.......
  21. I regularly go binge drinking in Northampton (got a pal who lives in Milton Keynes and its easy for both of us on the trains) and it has probably got a lot boozier over the last 15 years like a lot of places. I don't mind it though - its a bit chavy but me and my mate turned 40 recently so even BOBFOC's are pleasing on the eyes these days (Body Off Baywatch Face Off Crimewatch). I know a couple of people who commute to London from N'ampton - doable and I've always liked it.
  22. Presumably the more small bank closures there are then the bigger market share the big banks get. Since big banks caused the problem in the first place leading to the small bank closure its worked out pretty well for the big banks. They should remake Its A Wonderful Life - I wonder how George Bailey would have coped with the banking crises
  23. I can I believe it. I'm a marketing consultant (ahem) and did a contract for a central government department a few years back and I blocked a cheese from buying a database from a "business contact" for a lot of money (much more than you'd pay in the private sector) which had an overlap of appx 70% with an existing government database.
  24. Exactly. The fact that more people get credit cards these days means banks will write off bad debts at ever increasing rates. They've also got extremely efficient at punishing people aggressively if they "break the rules" of the credit card with fees and interest racking up big balances. Banks always expect that people will default - they just use credit scoring to minimise the defaults but they can't totally manage it - there are too many variables. Over the years as banks have made more money they can write off more debt if they have to. It looked like it was going ti*s up with Northern Rock et al but it looks like business as normal again. I am constantly staggered that the plates are still spinning but there you go - I guess we all are a bit.
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