My mate’s wife in HR did suggest I could challenge them legally – perhaps I would have done if I’d joined and then discovered this! I don’t really see how they can grow in the UK without paying expenses as all the experienced people who they’d want are used to getting them. It seems they have some permies who just rent a place close to the client. Maybe this model works for the sort of people (young/single?) who can live where the project is.

No consultants in my industry I know works without travel expenses, just wondering if it happens anywhere else. They seem to think I’m greedy – they even had to get special authorisation to pay the salary I asked for but the deal they’re offering me (even ignoring the expenses thing) is worse than my old role but I was made redundant from that. Been contracting since then – amusingly my client paid my expenses! Just finished that role so looking for my next one.

It’s a billion dollar company, project they’ve got for me is with a large company. I’m charitably thinking they have a bit of a communication problem 🙂 I’ve met a v senior guy in the practice I’d be joining who seems to think I’d be useful to help grow the practice in the UK. It could be a path into a management role whereas my other options are staying technical which I’m getting a bit bored with. If they don’t offer to pay all my expenses I won’t be joining them.

I’m not sure how they’ve come up with this but it’s a company who are mostly based in India and all this is coming from there. I seem to get told different things over the phone to what I get in emails when I push for confirmation, all a bit odd. They think they are paying me a high enough salary to cover my own expenses but seeing as the 1st project they’d put me on is 100 miles from home (inc the M25) then I’d have to stay over and I guess my costs could be around £1,500 / month. As travel could be anywhere in the UK I’d be leaving myself open to some high costs.

It could be a good role but I might be getting another job offer tomorrow which would cover expenses no question so maybe I’ll be taking that. I think it will also have more than the 20 days holiday given by the 1st company which seems rather mean! Just have to see what salary they come up with.

These are permie roles, seems they fix price their projects – or at least don’t charge expenses to the client.

It’s intentionally intimidatory

It is but they can only bowl so many and less to the lower order batsmen I believe?

Interesting:

Law 42.6(a) includes: “The bowling of fast short pitched balls is dangerous and unfair if the umpire at the bowler’s end considers that by their repetition and taking into account their length, height and direction they are likely to inflict physical injury on the striker”.[3]

The occasional short-pitched ball aimed at the batsman (a bouncer) has never been illegal and is still in widespread use as a tactic.

Tyrwhitt need to add a cycling fit size – I find the extra slim too baggy too.

But why did those OAPs vote No but the new one’s won’t? I thought it was due to the aging population and pension worries.

Yeah get Oracle…I work implementing that 🙂 Bit scared by Fusion as so much is changing but should be awesome…

He probably meant on balance the way the unions were in the 70s/early 80s caused more harm than good.

No bad things you can think of then?

These seem to show Thatcher is more respected:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_of_Prime_Ministers_of_the_United_Kingdom

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mps-vote-margaret-thatcher-best-modern-prime-minister-9035124.html

The Top 10 British Prime Ministers

Did the current tenants benefit from buying? Got good discounts right? Good for them/bad for the country?

Blair deffo most hated, under him parliament spent 700 hours debating fox hunting between 97 and 04.

And the still made the wrong decision….

We have ourselves to blame for Thatcher but were tricked by Bliar – and it’s not just the fighting. Whilst the global economy problem wasn’t his and Brown’s fault the overspending they did before that would have caused us problems anyway – there would have been a bust eventually just because of the way personal debt was going.

Maintaining your NI is a good idea

How much is needed for that? I’m one of those who wonder if I’ll get much back from what I’m paying in by the time I retire.

Thatcher was clearly what she was, country voted for her and many were fans. Her funeral was a big deal to most – some were fans, others gloaters (he he).

No-one’s going to celebrate Bliar’s life.

Seems odd, are you sure this is what it says? I had to move a fund once or it would stop appreciating. Moving these things is very slow IME but maybe if the process is initiated in time it would be OK.

Just imagine what things would be like for her in private, different culture. Maybe she’ll end up cutting his favourite organ off in his sleep.

My wife’s from Jingzhou – been there, not so great but the city walls are good. The West Lake at Hangzhou is my favourite place in China though the city itself is unappealing.

I’d been successful but they haven’t advertised the role

I’d take as that you’re good enough for the job but they have a window in which to see others and in theory someone could be better than you – if they do interview others they’ll have to justify who they take. Should be OK, you’re the benchmark now!

I have a 0.48% tracker offset from the good old days.

Just throw all you’re money in and use credit cards as much as possible – used to be able to borrow on a 0% card and shove the cash into the offset but can’t do that so well now. I think the flexibility is great – I could buy a far too nice a car if I wanted just by writing a cheque and it just costs me my mortgage rate. It can make you a bit too obsessed with being efficient with money but in a way it makes it easy – don’t have to keep switching savings accounts or whatever.

No point overpaying of course – except if you don’t trust yourself to not spend money you shouldn’t.

My mortgage calculator:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cLH5NU8s4ghbiB7wlc_a1obAcjXdY59TZuW5jhStqjc/edit?usp=sharing

Tried Ebay?

Someone near me has put up a sign saying ‘police notice – please don’t park here’ guess they’re old.

As a student in a house with 3 cars we struggled for space but next door neighbour asked us not to park in front of his house as once Patrick Moore had come over to visit unannounced but didn’t stop as thought they had visitors due to the car outside. Whenever anyone did we got a letter through the post reminding is not to.

Curiously (perhaps?) there are people who became Christians because of science.

Just found this playlist – might be interesting…

Ex-Atheists Convert to Christianity

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcuzrJ8ODJOjzI_h-Kncj6Yga1pLdnzdm

I wonder if there’s a business opportunity to supply an alternative disc?!

Mine will stay with the slowly fading current disc still in place.

The OP was fun, the follow up was just stupid. Do stupid things like that just please those already in agreement, mean nothing to those who oppose, and push the undecided further away.

Yes I do hate tolls, very inefficient. Driving in places like France and the US where there are many is a real pain. Just put all the tax needed on fuel – and scrap VED while you’re at it.

bridge your taxes should’ve paid for.

But tolls mean those up north aren’t having their taxes going towards a bridge they’re not using.

International treaty prevents any country owning the moon

You can buy some here:

Home

Music for people that don’t like music

Is that just 80s metal? 70s AC/DC is awsome right?!

I hope that’s for mentioning “Def Lepard” in the context of a metal thread and not for the FACT that they are actually pop?

Def Lepard were NWOBHM and the early albums metal but Hysteria got a bit soft – so soft metal?!

Are Nirvana metal though?

All the curtains in our house are as was left by the previous owners – previous 2 houses were the same. And the decoration for that matter.

Sofa was my choice – nice and big and almost black. Wife didn’t like it but gave in when I agreed to have extra cushions.

Punk cleared out Prog Rock and made way for NWOBHM. Maybe.

How are AC/DC metal ??

70s stuff isn’t but Back in Black is for sure – would be interesting to try and find a list of best Metal albums – or best selling ones – that excludes it

http://www.metal-rules.com/polls/index.php?id=6

AC/DC Back in Black is the boring answer I suppose.

So my Monday morning trip (from Leatherhead like Sui) will be OK but the return on Friday will be tough. Perhaps if I can leave early that would help – what sort of time would make it acceptable?

Also considering getting the train but then I’d be without car whilst there which might not matter.

Understand NPV helps a lot I find but not many get that. A pound today is worth more than a pound tomorrow.

I may be travelling from Surrey to Witham and back each week, how bad is it in the rush hour? Pre-pay sounds good to me.

To be fair it is Blackpool

First world problem then?!

To those worried about managing their own pensions, it’s quite simple really – buy Unit Trusts which have their own managers. The trick is to find the right funds but that’s no real issue as there’s plenty of free advice out there e.g. http://www.hl.co.uk/funds/wealth-150

Also, this is good info as to the cheapest places to have your SIPP – and ISA too:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/sipps/10607824/DIY-pensions-The-cheapest-Sipp-fund-supermarkets.html

I switch from HL to II.