Is she likely to do the same thing again?

Maybe it's worth using this as a trigger to get your relationship back on track; if that happens then great, otherwise may be time to call it a day.

All in all my parents are good guys but my Dad wasn't great with kids and was more interested in his career than us – never seemed very interested in what I was up to really. My Mum use to lash out and hit me when annoyed with me – looking back it sometimes seemed closer to violence than discipline. I wonder if the lack of confidence I had for many years was due to the way my parents were to me – and also my willingness to hit people! I'm fine now though….

You do usually pay a premium for an offset a/c so do need to compare but the flexibility for me was worth quite a bit. I don't have to 'manage' my money as be default it's in the best place – though actually as my rate is so low it's better to put my money in a savings a/c at the moment. I do like the fact I also have an overdraft at the same rate somehow based on my property value and income so that I can easily by a dream car if I choose – but maybe that's a bad thing…oh well I'm far too sensible to get carried away.

I've had a Woolwich/Barclays offset account for 8/9 years and have had no negative experiences. The deal I have is 0.5% over base but won't get anything like that now.

Goodo – I did think they might….

AC/DC – Let me put my love into you

My favourite speccy games:

I've got a 2009 Trek Madone 5.2; very pleased with it. Too good for me for sure but I enjoy riding it – I reckon if you're putting the miles in it's fair enough. But if you're unsure try one of the £1k carbon specials or one of Trek's cheaper offerings such as the 2.5 or 4.5.

The prison service has a duty to him to keep him safe

Yeah but all they can do is their best. Otherwise he'd be in permanent solitary confinement – has he been given that option?

The only good thing to come out of my placement whilst a student was that working in an office department would not work for me – too much b0ll0x. So I went into consultancy where I get to work with different people on a regular basis and not so often with team – though they're all fine but maybe I just think that as we don't work together much?! My boss can be a PITA at times though – maybe it's because she's a she….

I am a s**t driver, and am neither a lady or gay.

Maybe a woman trapped in a man's body?

The driving skill thing is interesting. My opinion is that women tend to drive more carefully but men tend to be more capable at driving fast – obviously plenty of exceptions. So if men are more likely to have an accident it's because they are closer to their limit more often. Possibly women cause accidents by being overly cautious – slowing down significantly, and even stopping, at a roundabout when there is nothing coming.

Sounds like the lady referred to by roadie_in_denial is another option….

I can see that many people won't want to ride a 50lb bike up a hill but will happy going down one – rewarding people to get them back up seems a good idea.

Might be an interesting way for time-rich/cash-poor people to earn some cash.

I am reliably informed that women go for men who have a sense of humour and also who pay them compliments.

Put a W on each butt cheek and moon her as she passes.

The problem with paris is the hills, everyone picked up a bike in the suburbs in the morning, scooted downhill to the center

Ha brilliant! There are a few hills to the north such as Highgate Hill. Maybe they could be free to people who cycle them back up?

The Romans got it wrong though – not enough bends.

Any stolen yet?

The stories of ground up glass in the food and other prisoners exacting punishment on them are mostly bollocks

Well it does happen

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/21/ian-huntley-attacked-in-prison

From what I've read in the past if we had a referendum on the death penalty it would be brought back – but that's a bad side of democracy so we don't do that right? Anyway, all we have as a severe punishment is the ability to lock up people up for a period of time to keep them away from the rest of society – hopefully get reformed in the process though.

Anyway, is there any scope to make better use of their time separated from society? Reformation must be a serious part of that but anyway to help them contribute something back to society and maybe offset he cost to a degree? Tread mills to generate power? Filling pot holes?

Or how about helping poorer countries by paying them to imprison people for us? They take them for a few years in return to cash they can use to help their society? Would save us a few quid and help poorer nations.

Just some thoughts….

txt spk

Panasonic ones are great.

There are good reasons to study Latin – I did a few years of it – but not sure I'd push a kid into it. I'd say French but mostly leave it to the school.

I bought a £1k mountain bike about 2yrs ago and ended up paying 13x£70.98 so I really didn't do very well out of it.

That sounds like £70.98 before tax x 12 plus 1 more to buy – if so that's OK.

£587? Surely the company pays £1000 less the VAT?

So the idea then is that someone on the lower tax band would pay, using the Evans calculator, £587 for a £1000 bike then as it's likely to be worth £500 after 1 year they'd pay that too? Good way for the company to make some cash from it's employees as the cost to them would be £851.

The only thing Evans say about ownership after 12 months is:

At the end of the lease period, the employer may transfer title of the goods to the employee

Hmmm…you might have been able to make some good money out of this if you'd have involved The Sun….

Was it really defamation of character or was the grabbing the bad bit? There must be loads of cases of people being suspected of shop lifting but being found innocent – Richard and Judy…or were they guilty? I forget.

Jodie Foster in Bugsy Malone?

Most decent roles go to men so blame Hollywood maybe.

So he denied he'd said what you heard?

The Cinelli guy persuaded him to get carbon bars instead of alu as he originally planned. One aim was to build a bike that'll last so maybe carbon is expected to last for longer than alu bars? Or just prefers to comfort?

How much energy is used for drying? I've never had one.

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/reviews/wheels/tyres-clincher/schwalbe-blizzard-sport-tyre/16477.html

.that bastard got bbc lawyers to threaten libel action against me for a comment i posted about him on an internet forum

What was the comment?

Many as above but I'll add Sean Penn in Sweet and Lowdown

t is also why personally I have absolutely no interest in the dark side.

So why are you commenting on something related to 'the dark side'?

…the mail sports presenters on tv

tee hee…

I think she is a good presenter but no idea why she's doing that cycle touring show as she doesn't seem to belong on one and every time she gets to a hill starts moaning – much as I do to be fair….

So who would be better? Peter Snow maybe?

I have a whole tree of nuts I'd like to stop squirrels getting at – I suppose traps are the only answer and I'll get a meal or two out if it. They taste nutty right?

I like KMC 10sp chains and the connectors are easy enough to use. I also bought some from Decathlon for a sensible price – they're repackaged KMC IIRC.

Those things are silly money aren't they? £350?