Google it … its what I do.

Equivilent contractors take home pay for my role circa £400/day.

I don’t get anywhere near this but I do get, holidays paid, a company car, sick pay, bonus, healthcare, pension and better career advancement opportunities.

Mercenaries don’t get this!

😈

dropper seatpost

Actually, I know a few people who through talent, hard work and quite a bit of luck are in the situation where they don’t need to work a full week in order to maintain a (to them) acceptable material lifestyle.

Yep sounds goo to me.

all work about half the time without massively impacting our material way of life.

Yep your probably right but there would also be consequences, many of these unforseen…would we be the same technologically advanced society that we are today without driven people to be leaders for whom their job is their life. I think not.

We need society but also individualism. Not all people are the same, want the same or deserve the same.

🙂

The ‘work hard to purchase utterly facile and frankly demeaning status symbols’ ethic is a myth constructed by the wealthy and perpetuated by the moronic..

Some people want fast cars others want exotic holidays …or just a nice bike. Who are YOU to decide what people spend their money on?

Is it laudable to prioritise your ridiculous over stated little job over your children’s social development?

Or provide for your familey?

Is it laudable to waste your life grafting to line some fat greedy bastards pockets whilst you scrape by..?

The get a different job or better become your own boss, that is just childish whinging.

In an age of such technological advancement why are we all working more hours than ever for less money?

Depends on your job. I work long hours but it is challenging, fun and rewarding. Some days I would rather go home early – some I do others I have to get through. Its called responsibility. The more you have the more you are likely to be rewarded (note reward is not just monetary).

When you say that you want to work really hard to better yourself you have to maybe take a moment to wonder what ‘bettering yourself’ actually means..

Depends what and who you are and what you want out of life? Again who are YOU to decide …you can either choose to work hard and accept responsibility or not to. No one makes you but there are consequences.

I’m aware that the system prevents us from escaping this trap, with house prices and the cost of living etc.. and that the alternatives would present such a quantum shift in our way of thinking that many people are too indoctrinated to contemplate, but that in no way makes the system right and correct and I find it almost impossible to respect anyone who defends it

You are clearly a childish intolerant cave man.

Or are you saying banks are a socialist concept ?

well…errr yes.

Really they should have been allowed to fail but for the greater good they were saved. In future with the new banking arrangements i’d like to think they would be alllowed to fail.

Whats so ****ing laudable about HAVING to work hard for a living?

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money!

As I’ve said before we don’t live in a communist country. You can choose to be dosser and surf bum all your life if you really want to. You just need to be able to fund the lifestyle that you want.

If you want a nice house, bike, car …sorry but your going to have to earn it. Struggling to see the problem with this?

The question is what do you want? Equality or Equality of opportunity? I’d take the second every time.

On that basis if someone said to me, incresae inheritance tax to 100% – I would be sympathetic.

If my “merit” you mean the ability to make lots of money. And success to be measured by the size of your house and newness of your car.

That is exactly the point, its not communism you have a choice. Go out work hard, make lots of money or you could own your own business or do something you want to do but accept that the (monetary) rewards may not be as great.

The point is that the rewards, whatever you define these as, are down to you.

This may just be a rational response of the young to the nature of society and its direction of travel as global competition for work drives down wages and associated benefits.

Simply don’t agree. What has happened is that the younger generation have accepted that getting on requires hard work and self reliance. You want a payrise/promotion go get it. If thats not worksing set up your own business. Someone explain why this is not a good thing? What is does is make society more meritocratic.

Brooess top marks for the most thoughful and balanced responce so far. I totally agree with your comments.

Society for me is as Whinston Churchill metaphor – there should be a ladder up which all should climb and a net beneath which no one should fall. Basically that there shoudl be a safety net for those not able to provide for themselves – what level the net is set is really the question.

Junkyard – Uncomfortable does not equate to illegal.

imnotverygood – My contract is my word. That is more important as far as I am concerned.

and Ernie – I’m not defending the Sun, its full of crap. That doesn’t mean I would refuse to carry out my job. Sure in that situation I would’nt feel comfortable but it comes with the job.

Your missing the point. Maintaining professionalism means keeping your principles out of work (like being vegetarion and working in MacDonalds). If you don’t like what your being asked to do you should get a different job.

I really don’t see it as unreasonable?

Binners the anology is spot on.

Berate the Sun for being insensitive, sending out mass unsolicited mail and exercising poor judgement.

Don’t however defend people who are refusing to do their job that they are paid for. We all have to do things from time to time that makes us uncomfortable but we get on with it – its called being proffesional.

These people have clearly decided, on a matter of principle, that theres a line in the sand they won’t cross. In this case being involved in actively involved in promoting a publication they rightfully despise

These people are idiots.

Do you think TNT, DPD or any of the other postal companies would put up with this! Its childish and unprofessional and can’t help with Royal Mail’s already poor reputation.

You may not like the Sun but a contract has to be honoured.

Thanks for info.

I’m thinking the RLT would be a good compromise given the relative costs.

I spend a lot of time in my car for work. For me comfort is the most imprortant point. I’m now on my second Passat and it ticks all the boxes. Comfortanble, quiet, powerful, well equipped with spades of space for kit and bikes.

The integrated Nav, Phone, DAB etc is a reall plus point in the newer models!

What I would say is that its probably not the most exciting car to drive.

Depends what your after comfort and practicality or fun.

Good News Story!!!

Just sold my car on ebay. The buyer collected tonight. I was a little apprehensive as when one potential buyer came over to look at the car he came with 3 mates and tried to coerce me into selling for £3000 when he had only brought £2800 in cash (Buy it now price £4200).

I then ignored any messages to see the car, the car sold for £4,556.01 at auction and that is exactly what I got in cash (even the penny!).

There are good ebayers out there!

(which is just as well as I fixed a puncture today before selling the car as a gesture of good will – Karma!)

pedant

One more thing …sizing. I ride a 16″ hardtail does this equate to a 16″ FS frame? Seen a 5 demo bike reduced by £500 but 17″?

Now that’s interesting. It’s a 2010 spicy 216. If the frame is the same as the zesty I could get the spicy for 800 and invest in some new lighter forks. The domains look a little heavy and hardcore for my intentions.

??

Budget up to £3k, less would be better obviously!

I’ve used Superstar sintered and the constant squealing drove me to distraction. Since then I’ve tried disco brakes – good stopping power and no squealing.

Disco brakes from now on!

FWIW I think the EA have done a good job. There are a lot of armchair engineers on here who know **** all.

The residents are rightly angry at being flooded but directing their anger at the EA and even Goverment is plain wrong. No amount of dredging would have prevented this. There was even an editorial in the New Civil Engineer that suggested that whilst dreding may have delayed the inevitable it would have resulted in more severe flooding downstream in a more urbanised areas.

The bottom line is that we cannot protect everywhere and as global warming increases mean sea level we may have to sacrifice some of the low lying land to the sea.

I for one would rather see public money spent more effectively rather than just pandering to the whims of residents who (quite understanably) want to protect their back yard.

The KMC (9 speed) are always fine with me. Much swearing and frustration until someone told me the trick, which is to pich the links inwards whilst seperating!

No problemo!

As a rule of thumb.

Skining is easier to learn but harder to master.
Snowboarding is harder to learn but easier to master.

As someone who likes touring/backcountry (or skiing uphill as one of my colleagues put it) it’s skiing all the way!

Try replacing a rail bridge in 72 hours while the railway is closed. Then you will understand why the site preperation is so intense!

Hope Vision 1 has a narrow beam so helemet mounting would be a must for off-road use. I use it on road and as a helmet mounted light in addition to a wide beam handlebar mounted DX jobby. It would be underpowered on its own unless on easy terrain.

This works fine.

No reliability issues.

Oh FFS now the’ve gone and usurped HIGNFY.

+1 for the Mighty (New) Mills.

£92 a month for a GMPTE traincard, only 30 mins on the train and doorstep riding.

We now have a vegetarian cafe ….. its all getting a bit Hebden Bridge?!?

More pressing is the engine and coil light flashing on my Passat. It’s only a matter of time until the pound sign lights up. VW reassuringly expensive 🙁

To be fair none of their demands seem that unreasonable?

If you have ever done a tax return in the US versus the UK you will understand that overall you pay significantly less tax in the US.

Of course it’s less. But you also get a lot less back.

In terms of ‘value’ the taxes here get you a lot more bang for your buck!

Fairly light damage so I’m minded to let it lie and see how things go. No oil leaks so far!

Great! I’ll have a rummage through the bathroom …thye Mrs must have some.

(the nail polish that is!)

We got married at Beechenhill Farm, it was an ace day and brilliant venue.

http://www.beechenhill.co.uk/

Mr & Mrs Frodo

or an SLX with the plastic spider arm carrying the larger cogs.

In general no, they cost more and don’t last as long. This is not good in the peak distruct where winter produces an abrasive gloop of sand and mud!

Welcome to the HIGH PEAK!

Don’t worry its not as bad as the Mighty Mills, (You don’t get the subsidised rail fares though).