the_underling

Usually post elsewhere under just 'underling'. I chose the name simply as it represents my humble nature and relative status to those I admire.

Though the tax yield from canabis sales may not necessarily amount to a hill of beans compared to the mountain of debt, in legalising canabis it would I assume also allow the cultivation of hemp crops which would generate industries in fabrics, food, medicines and oils which if you build into the scenario may well not only generate a worthwhile tax yield but also a worthwhile exceptable export. I believe that the growing of Hemp Crops in the US was only made illegal to protect a lucrative Cotton Industry. Though asked to keep the issue simple I don't believe it is a 'simple' issue of just legalisation of Canabis and it's tax yield. There's also the consideration of the long term effects and future expenditure on health services though personally I doubt that would compare unfavourably with the current expenditure on rehabiltation of Alcohol abusers and Class A abusers. I've lost two friends to alcohol abuse and two to Class A's, one of which was one of the most beautiful soul's I ever met ............. I've lost none to canabis. To put a figure on legalisation is beyond my own abilities and any figure I would give would be derived from pure guess work .............. but I believe such a measure would be beneficial and support it.

Though not wanting to deviate from the topic I think you've rather over-estimated the costs involved in replacing the boiler and 2K for two new showers fitted? Landlords tend to hold a very tight purse, especially professionals, and I wouldn't expect them to be paying more than £1500 for a boiler change or more than £300 fitted for each shower. If they are then their idiots who deserve mugging.

How about we turn off the TV altogether forever. No more pity, no more scorn, no more advertisements and no more dumbing down. Believe what you see, not what you watch.

Assuming the average home to have three bedrooms (average size family of 4 heads) I would put the materials cost of between 60 and 70k buts that's for a one-off and going to be no thrills. For large projects material spend can be reduced by about 20-30%. There has been a huge increase in layout for materials such as copper,lead,steel,plastics and wood. With the market value of houses dropping and materials rising the margin for error has got smaller and smaller.

Mark that in this period in time where the value of the most common form of personal asset in the UK is falling globally that there are now a large amount of people who need to be somehow financially independent should armagedon not fall by the time they ache too much to go to work. From a personal point of view I sold 25 years worth of slavery over in the hope that when I do get to a state that where I cant stand my sorry **** up, the last of my worries will be how do I pay the rent. I've been sensible with how much debt I've taken on and tried to weigh in all the risk factors except for complete loss of income ........... but then that is truly the gamble you take. 25 years of enslavery ........... or .............. rent ? and What happens when you do ache so much that you can't get up ? I also sold myself into debt because I want to die peacefully knowing that my kids also had a place,should in their time experience complete financial meltdown, they could defend. There seems to be an overiding *rubbing of hands* on this forum when really you should be angry .......... not smug! We all have to live here amongst the greedy and yes it makes me just as angry as you that these idiots who've sold their slave arses to unaffordable levels without even considering the consequences, the best that I can hope for them is that they only skint enough to squeeze through the eye of a needle! These people those working will be paying for in 20 to 30 years time. I pity them!

At today's prices, I currently pay about £22-3 a week on petrol for my York-Leeds commute. That's up from £17-18 when I started my current job in November 2006. Assuming the dire prediction in the Torygraph comes true, that will go up to £25-26 a week - an extra £12 a month or £144 a year. Given my take-home salary of just over £2k a month, that's unwelcome, but not a crisis. I estimate that petrol will have to rise to between £1.80 and £1.90 a litre to bring the cost of commuting by car up to the same amount as by train (season ticket = £158 a month standard class or £212 first). I'd also reckon that it would have to have to rise by that order of magnitude for the choice of home of many commuters to become impossibly expensive, as distinct from just difficult. These people will cut back on other things long before they contemplate moving away from an area they like and are settled in. You are only taking into account what increases on personal transport costs affect the prices. Oil price increases affect far more essential expenditures than just getting to work and back. They affect the price of everything we consume and systematically affect people's budgeting proposals.

Personally I'm keeping my investment in the tank low for fear of a crash .......

Annoying 3am pi55 Bosh? Unless you like an evening drink a little too much (and let's all assume that that's the case to avoid any embarresment) I'd go and get your prostate checked mate or there's a very small chance that that annoying 3am pi55 could turn into a continual dribble . Please don't take this as an attempted insult ...........it's not. It is actually meant in all seriousness.

Thanks for the legal advice Tegan and I understood the implications you were making ................. my aim is to use as many free facilities as possible that makes them spend money looking into it that they eventually say 'here look ......... here's a £1000 ....... be a good lad and bugger off to Lloyds' .

Actually with my account in credit by a margin and with no personal debt to them it is legally my money [for whatever it's worth at any time] , except should the bank fold in which case the government pays .............. well lets just say that there isn't enough money in that account for me to worry . What worries the paranoid me is that money that I do not have access to is not actually there and that they're declining to authorise because their cashflow really wont allow it . The fact is , that I want evidence to the contrary or I'm out and will seek compensation for whatever losses I may have suffered , even if it's just £40 for loss of frozen groceries unless they can prove that they had a legal right to decline a cash withdrawal . They make my life difficult ............ tit for tat .

As for naming them I'll wait until I get to the bottom of it and blame can be apportioned , after all it could just be that some idiot data processor had a fat fingered friday . The thing that I'm finding frustrating is that no-one from the bank can give a satisfactory reason why they're declining to authorise . One advisor at the complaints department mentioned that if a problem is identified with a particular cashpoint machine (she cited the ATM machine at Morrisons , Hastings as an example) then should you try and use your card there , it'll automatically puts a 'security risk' block on your card . Firstly that's not a good enough reason to decline to authorise withdrawals ............ at that ATM yes but not a blanket block . I want to see evidence . I want them to prove without question to me that they screwed my whole weekend (or at least could have done in principal) for a good reason . That's not too much to ask . As for always keeping some cash handy ....... I always keep a little something that someone wants should I need it .

Over the weekend I did my usual after pay day 'big shop' at my usual store . On attempting to pay as usual by Debit card the transaction was 'declined' by my bank . Concerned , I went to the cashpoint outside to withdraw the funds direct , checked my balance was fine (which it was) but a message came up saying that my bank had declined to authorise the withdrawal . Went back into the store . Sainsbury's were actually quite helpful and let me use their phone to call the bank advice line . I was told after 30 minutes of being put on hold that they could find 'no reason on their system' why they were not releasing my money and that I'd need to speak to an account manager but no-one was available as all the lines were busy with calls waiting and could they call back etc etc until I lost patience and told them as soon as Monday came I'd be arranging a new account with a competitor and I'd be closing my account . Having spoken to the branch manager today she cannot tell me why they declined to authorise but suggested that it may be because of unknown 'security' reasons and that she'd get the fraud department to call me . Have waited all day for someone to call and guess what ................. no phone call . My assumption initially was that my card may have cloned and all that that entails but since yesterday I have heard of four other people within my circle of friends who've had the same problem over the weekend (though not all with the same bank) and all given a reason of 'unknown security risk' . A few questions I need answers to which I will be asking my bank but if anyone can answer the following so I'm forearmed I'd appreciate the help ; 1) Is there anyone checking (or who can check) the authenticity of their claim of security risk and if so how do I contact them to follow my case ? 2) What compensation can I claim from them ,if no satifactory reason are given , to cover losses (such as time off work to sort out , travel expenses and wasted defrosted food) ? 3) Why in such instances has it taken over 36 hours so far and counting for them to even give a satisfactory explanation of why they have declined to authorise any withdrawals from my account ? Maybe I'm just paranoid but I'm starting to think that these refusals could be a useful tool for the banks to hold onto deposits during one of those close margin call periods . My account will be closed on the 2nd of May and I'll take my business elsewhere . I'm more than willing to name my bank here but expect the MODs may deem it possibly slanderous . Any answers and thoughts would be appreciated .

An item I recommend you put on your survival shopping list ....................... a gas maks . Wars are fought to aquire assets and any civilian population is incidental when you 'need' to win . Nukes kill both population and infrastructure and render the land useless ....................... gas just kills people whilst keeping the non animal infrastructure intact . What would you use ?

Have been considering emmigration to Canada (East Coast) Why ? ................................ mostly because I have dear friends there who'll help me find my feet but also felt quite comfortable and unthreatened which is a sight more than I can say for this god-foresaken land . Having problems meeting the entry criteria though !