Yes there is, actually. The TV has to be de-tuned, so that it can’t receive BBC channels. The licence covers ‘equipment capable of receiving a television signal as it is broadcast live’. If it can’t, then you is no have to pay licence fee.

So, it is a completely voluntary fee.

I think you’re wrong about that. I think you’ll find that you need a TV license to watch *any* TV programmes live as they are broadcast.

Hang on, hang on…

… she does pay for all her own phone calls. Clearly that is going to severely dent that £92k. I mean she’s probably not getting paid much more than the average working class family takes home if you take into account the kids dole money.

Maybe all those blokes don’t have bedsits full of old bike bits or smell of chain lube.

Incoming missile. Aft view. Game over. 32 Cr.

…. …. and relax.

I’ve shot about 50,000 frames on mine, which was second hand when I bought it. It’s been wet and mud spattered and other than having lost the screen cover and the remote and flash sync covers I’ve had no problems with it (touch wood) – brilliant camera, but looking forward to the D400 (which might appear soon – and which might also lead to D200 prices falling a bit more).

martyntr,

The main difference with the photos this year is that I am only doing 2 sizes – regular and hi-res, rather than small, medium and large. This is due to a change in the photo sales software I use, not my choice.

The hi-res corresponds to last year’s large and costs the same – £7.45

The regular corresponds to last year’s medium. As there is no small version available I have actually REDUCED the price of that pic to £4.45 from £4.95 to compensate a bit.

Pics now online at http://www.rightplacerighttime.co.uk

Actually, I’ve just found a longer version of the quote

Pc John Hayter, 49, a member of the elite Royal Protection Unit, wrote on social networking site Facebook: ”I see my lot have murdered someone again. Oh well, s*** happens.’

I wonder why the BBC chose to cut it down?

Anyway, so much for me giving him the benefit of the doubt, he wasn’t just admitting that things hadn’t gone well, he was saying he didn’t care that things hadn’t gone well – clearly better suited for a job in wheel clamping.

Another officer, who allegedly wrote on a social networking website that he was keen to “bash some long haired hippies” at the protests, has also been disciplined.

This gets a mention as part of this story about a copper who resigned after saying that

I see my lot have murdered someone again.

Which seems a bit of a shame really. The copper who wanted to bash people gets disciplined whereas the one who was prepared to say (but clearly slightly overstepped the mark) that things hadn’t gone well has to resign.

It’s a funny old world.

Nostalgia ‘R’ us

Wish someone had told me what my options actually were as a youth – then I wouldn’t have spent about 8 consecutive entire summer holidays lying on the sofa watching Robinson Crusoe and The Flashing Blade reruns in preparation for a job in middle management a Ford Sierra and a semi-detached estate house (though in the spirit of the first post, I’m sure all of those things (that I haven’t got) have their merits).

Spike Milligan – Milligan’s Ark – can’t remember the year – probably about 1976.

Nicholas Ferguson, chairman of SVG Capital, said it was wrong that private equity bosses pay tax of only 10 per cent, when the basic income tax rate is 22 per cent and the higher rate is 40 per cent.

“Any commonsense person would say that a highly-paid private equity executive paying less tax than a cleaning lady or other low-paid workers can’t be right,” Mr Ferguson told the Financial Times.

“I have not heard anyone give a clear explanation of why it is justified.”

A spokesman for the British Venture Capital Association, which represents private equity firms, said Mr Ferguson’s views did not represent the industry as a whole.

Well there’s a surprise.

It was a bit more “listen to the scientists, not the economists” actually – but if you can’t be bothered to watch it…

OK, if there’s no more plan than that I’ll just ride around randomly until I meet you (or don’t). Do you have a lunch venue in mind?

Just seen this – I live in Wareham so might come out and find you after I’ve taken the kids swimming in the morning. Can someone send me the details?

Cheers,

Jon

I just showed it to my four year old:

“that’s cool”

“He’s very good”

“He just cycled up a tree”

“Boink Boink Boink”

“He just cycled up a barrier”

“He’s crazy”

“That’s the craziest thing I ever saw”

Wait and see.

Looks like casual violence to me – another bully.

And last week we were also told of the £30M of taxpayers money spent on Hospital Chaplains

Ditto taxpayers/sick people

we have to fund them as well! What of Radio 4’s outstandingly irritating Christianity dirge on Thought For The Day?

I expect you will find, if you interogate the statistisc closely, that some license payers are in fact religeous.

Next time we move we’re going to buy a smaller house. Can’t remember the figures but I beleive the average house size is double or treble the size it was before the war. All that space is an unafordable/unecessary luxury in itself, but unfortunatley for the last couple of decades people seem to have been on a path of adding more space = adding value to their houses.

Merida pics now live too.

Well, clearly I was being flippant. I don’t know anything about the Dalai Lama’s involvement in the removal of the infant Tashi Tsering from his family, to live a life amongst Buddhist monks, in the belief that he is the reincarnation of Khensur Rinpoche.

But then again, probably better than being brought up by Fred and Rose West, who I don’t think were overly religeous.

BTW, before eanyone goes off on one, obviously I am being flippant again.

all religious people dangerous and deluded

That Dalai Lama, phycopathic thug.

ELBNO pics online now. Merida pics sometime tomorrow.

No, get a Miele one.

Oh, sorry, I forgot, he just had that mild testicular cancer didn’t he? I expect all he was thinking about when it was spreading to his brain and lungs was how handy that was because it would let him get away with using some banned drugs, and that that in turn would allow him to win the Tour 7 times.

You’ve missed the point. TJ said that his quick recovery was suspicious. My point was that if there were drugs available that would make Lance recover quickly, then surely medics would use them on everyone, everyone would recover quicker and therefore, Lance’s recovery wouldn’t seem suspiciously quick anymore – geddit?

his amazingly quick recovery from the cancer and many other suspicious things.

The trouble with this is that it implies that there are drugs available that would help people recover from cancer faster, but which aren’t prescribed, just in case those people gain some future sporting advantage.

Does that sound reasonable?

This is silly – G, can you tell us the whereabouts of that protestor now?

What I found a bit depressing when staying in a B&B near Ullapool was that the owners had a fishing boat but sent their ENTIRE catch of langustines to Spain as “there is no local market”

In my experience (only a few weeks worth on various jaunts up there) it is pretty difficult to find good quality pub/ cheaper restaurant food.

More interesting comment from the Grauniad on to the way the police tried to manage the story here

OK, coffeeking and surfer, watch this

if you arent interested in being in a riot situation dont put yourself in one.

Did they?

many in London during these demonstrations likely had a riot on their mind.

Yes, and I think we know who they were.

I’d been thinking of Constable Savage too – as I always do when we get stories like this.

For those too young to remember, here he is – about 4.40 in.

click

Coffeeking, you’re verging on trolling.

what are the police meant to do in that situation with a lone-wanderer – assuming they are moving a riotous crowd on

So why do you ASSUME that? I didn’t see any “riotous crowd” in that footage. Indeed the footage was taken by banker! Clearly the other bystanders weren’t doing a lot of “rioting” The window smashing took place round the corner later.

The guy had just tried to get through the police lines to go home but been turned back – maybe that was why he looked a bit truculent?

The guy can see police trying to push forward in a violent and tense situation

There you go again – the only violence I saw was from the policeman who pushed the guy.

Also

plenty of people here suggesting it was wrong (I agree) but unable to offer a viable alternative.

Actually plenty of people have pointed out the alternative, which was to arrest him for obstruction.

And finally,

I really do wonder about what you consider normal behaviour.

Policemen upholding the law rather than assaulting people.

there were protesters launching objects at the police and generally trying to provoke violence, so neither side is without blame

Sorry, but it is not a question of “sides” The problem with most of the comments on here is that they are either on the police “side” or the protest “side”. As it happens this guy was neither.

I heard on newsnight that he was ‘not a protestor’, if not then what was he doing there?

Going home from work.

I’m sure there were lots of police doing a fine job, but the one in the video wasn’t – even if the guy

could have been saying anything under his breath

or

seems p*ssed the way he is walking

that is completely irrelevant – no one, and especially a police officer has the right to assault someone. The police are supposed to stay emotionally detached, that is part of the job. The copper who pushed him over was a bully and a thug.

But if he had a heart attack shortly afterwards then it was just a matter of time anyway.

So he was expendable?

Actually, for all of us it’s “just a matter of time anyway” but the thing is, what makes humanity different to krill for example, is that we (well most of us) have some regard for our fellow man.

Yes, I missed that.

filthy, the excellent film Once Were Warriors gives a different perspective on some of the social problems in NZ

I believe, from what I heard the day after, that he was a local newsagent on his way home.

I suspect that he was looking intransigent because the police had taken him for a protester and wouldn’t let him past (possibly also because he was a Millwall supporter!) – hence he was being slightly uncooperative.

It is a very bad day for the police.

I heard/saw plenty of reports about police bad behaviour, not to mention the “kettling” tactics which certainly involved keeping lots of middle aged,middle class peaceful protesters (clearly not hooligans) penned in for several (up to 8 ) hours.

Obviously the police denied any bad behaviour on their part, but once again they are caught out lying about what went on. Clearly there was one officer who was a thug, but look at the faces of the other 10 that saw what went on – they were all complicit. And what’s worse, I’m sorry to say, is that I think they would all have stuck to the story about having to fight off protestors to help the guy who had “simply collapsed” if it hadn’t been for this footage coming out.

The particular officer should be prosecuted for assault. The commanding officer in that unit should be sacked and the high command should be given a severe dressing down re’ their tactics.

KB, actually I didn’t use the word company until you did I talked about private business – but you’re still wrong :D.