Good Arthur Smith joke.
"England: good on paper. S**t on grass."

I lived for a year in a house that virtually bordered on the fat cat – unfortunately I had not got into the ales then so rarely used it. My biggest regret in life thus far.

"I feel sorry for the players, they look so stressed out and confused."
I don't. The media will soon start bigging them up again as part of a mutual admiration society.
I'm glad England are out, I was getting fed-up with the quasi-pagan atmosphere, with the complete domination of public life.
Now I can relax and enjoy the tournament.

Peter Cook used to bet against Tottenham Hotspur. He was a big spurs fan so either way he won.

Recently started watching England games without boozing. Bike ride later.

Agree with TJ, successful people also tend to be a**holes, studies of some self-made millionaires has suggested that levels of sociopathology are relatively high – it pays to screw people over.

Envy over money, much the same for any successful people.

Pay off any outstanding debts.
Buy some gold, put some of it in a solid foreign currency, like the Singapore dollar, buy a new bike, but overall just keep it as there are many rainy days ahead.

As the lesser of two evils, yes.
This budget temporarily puts away the prospect of a sovereign debt crisis. If that were to occur, you and I would lose around two thirds of our wealth.
But the hoped for growth in the private sector will be very difficult to achieve because of overcapacity in world manufacturing (a problem begun in the 70s which is the driving force behind the debt bubble).
The long term hope is that the BRICs and other emerging markets will develop into consumer nations, finally rectifying the problem of overcapacity, but that is still a good decade away.

Reasons why Tony Haywood is being unjustly crucified:
a) the lack of BP's safety standards was a legacy left to him by Lord Browne; TH had started to reinvest in safety and it takes a long time to change a company culture
b) worried about the share price, BP will now get rid of him to try and shore things up
c) hysterical, PR-centred media culture more obsessed with how the response 'looks' rather than what is being done. It's a kick in the teeth for British values based on keeping calm and trying to think rationally, whilst being more focussed on the issue than its representation.

Sue Barker overload, upper middle class saturation, the charmless choaker Andy Murrey and his foul ambition-sweating mother, Roger Federer in his stupid RF white jacket, John McEnroe's attempts to be controversial, talk of whose got the biggest weapon…
Then again if there's nothing else on.

"All our great men are dead. Infact, I'm not feeling too well myself." Punch magazine late nineteenth century.

Mtb's future is assured for the next ten years because the natural progression is a) bmx as a kid b) move to mtb in late teens. There's loads of kids bmx'ing at the moment, more than since the 70s and early 80s.

Never stayed in the hotel, but I used to be a member of the golf club, it has two courses. Fairly elderly feel to the place, lots of retired people wandering around.

Its the stroke, not good for the knees, do front crawl instead.

Spreadbet. But you could also lose that amount too.

"Many many threads tailor made for badnewz"

My childhood nickname was badnewz, after the wrestler badnewz brown.

Sorry to hear the badnewz.
Badnewz

This is what happened:
global overcapacity in the 1970s = lower profitability rates for companies + lower wages for workers = companies and workers had to take on more debt = massive debt bubble = to save economic system, debt was pushed onto the state.

That's frustrating, but definitely persevere

"Cut ALL funding to any religious organisations. God will help them if necessary."

I'm not into organised religion personally, but churches and religious groups can help people when they lose their jobs by providing a support network.

We are going through a Great Correction – debt needs to be repaid or written off, this process could take five to ten years. In the meantime, the UK needs to try and restore social institutions which in the past help people get through hard times, as an alternative to drugs, alcohol and despair.

Clubs and pasttimes – sounds trivial but they can be very important to people.

I went through an identity crisis when I realized the other day that there was nothing I actually wanted to buy (other than the usual essentials). The Argos catalogue being my bible as a kid.

The words bike and investment go together like Chelsea and fair play.
In the same way a car loses a grand as soon as you drive it off the forecourt, a bike loses probably a third of its value when you collect it from the shop.
Saying that, if it is a real collector item there is the possibility that certain vintages will increase in value; like old Vespas, people used to sell them for scrap in the 80s, now they are worth a small fortune.

I lived in Norwich for three years, and I didn't see any mountains.
I would fit slim tires and take in the Broads – some great routes the best of which make you use the boat crossing at Horning.

Has lots of non-British shareholders, but it's listed on the FTSE and registered in the UK. The UK government gets plenty of money by taxing its profits. So yes its British.

"do you honestly think its going to make one iota of difference to our chances of winning the world cup?"
Yes, I think their chances have improved, as Ledley King is a better player than Ferdinand (and Terry too). Hopefully Emile will take out JT next, allowing Dawson to come into the team.

Andalusia is a really good option when the weather is bad here (April is my favourite time out there), but bear in mind it gets incredibly hot in the summer – not mtb weather.

As soon as you get there, leave.

Definitely go to eat in Trastevere, much cheaper than the central parts and really good.

Dalmatia in Croatia, its out of the euro so relatively cheap.

Rome is amazing, there is no shortage of places to see.
Top of the list – Vatican museum, Colosseum, castle angelo.

I'm a supporter of the Jews.
But this act is not worthy of them.

For the average person, your savings lose about two thirds of their value. That is why people should buy gold to get out of sterling.
The euro, sterling, the us dollar, all effectively bankrupt.

I predict widespread decimation of supermarket beefburger supplies.

If only you could shoot someone down a telephone line.

It's a nice place, reading would be more affordable to live in, but that and slough = not so nice.
Not far from swinley mind either way. :D

Looks like evans is trying to shift stock which no one wanted.

Because it tastes of crap.

How much was it? I'm completely unwise when it comes to commuter bikes.

THE SOUND OF SILENCE!!!!