Canny lass

Most people answer 'the day my first child was born'. We all have our priorities.

Yes, it's free for you but you don't have to have your hair done and a new dress everytime you Skype a friend. You men have all the luck!

I don't know if this will help, Chris, but when we abandoned the house phone we bought mobile broadband 4G. Internet via the phone company cost us the equivalent of 30 quid a month and they promised a speed of 8Mbit/sec. We never managed to get more than 2Mbit/sec (between 1 am and 8am andwith the wind in the right direction) but most often it was below 1Mbit/sec giving extremely poor quality. OK, it was an unlimited amount of surfing but that's not so important for us. Internet via mobile broadband 4G costs us about 15 quid a month. The speed has never been below 23 Mbit/sec and is more often around 30 Mbit/sec. The quality is superb. However, we do not have unlimited access. We buy 50 Gbit/month and it's enough for our needs. Hubby watches a couple of hours international TV each evening via the net and surfs around about an hour a day. The grandkids probably use the same amount. We've never managed to reach the limit. We have an option of 'topping up' at extra charge should we need to, or we can buy more on a regular basis: double up (100 Gbit/month) would cost us 30 quid but we are offered a 20% discount because of our 'advancing years'. We shyed away from getting rid of the house phone for years purely because of losing Internet but we haven't regretted it. Definitely worth looking into.

Not at all, Webtrekker. The building material is a natural commodity in abundant supply all year round here in the frozen north and the council is only too happy to let anybody, resident or not, take care of it - it saves them the job - and people building and owning their igloos are saving the council the cost of building and maintenance.

No, no, no, mercuryg. It's not the jobs they are after it's the weather - more like their own.

Sounds wonderful! Myself, I'm enjoying this all too short summer here in the frozen north. Unfortunately i blinked yesterday and missed half of it! I would like to think we'll get a few more sunny days so that I don't have to start stoking the boiler but alas, I'm thinking that will NOT now happen. Only this morning I heard rumours of polar bears roaming the streets of Gothenburg and eskimos seeking residence permits in Stockholm.

I understand that you are feeling stressed. Try to relax. Think of something pleasant - w I understand that you are feeling stressed. Try to relax by thinking of something pleasant - what was the happiest day in your life for instance?

I forgot to add, we use Skype for many of our personal contacts as most of them live in other parts of the world. It works well, is cheap and it's lovely to be able to see who you are talking to or to show something you are talking about. I'd recommend it to anybody.

I sense a feeling of dispair. Try to think about something else for a while. Try one of those lovely ice-cream sandwhiches - soft ice-cream in a bread bun - that they sell in Sicily. Do they sell them on the mainland as well?

I think I'm understanding that you are irritated. Try to think of something other than politics for a while. How's the weather in Italy at the minute? Are you still caught up in the middle of a heatwave?

Have you got r(em)ain? we're singing and dancing in 28 degrees of sunshine!

Got rid of our house phone too. It was just standing there like a white elephant collecting dust. We manage just as well without. We've always had two mobiles, though. One for work and one for personal use. The work phone is, and always has been, switched off between the hours of 5pm and 9am and doesn't accompany us on holiday.The Chinese, Russians and Americans don't appear to realise that my old man lives in a different time zone to them. I worry about where the i-phone is taking today's youngsters. A few months ago I sat in a waiting room and watched two young girls, obviously friends, text messaging each other for almost 15 minutes. There was only ONE seat between them.

Many years ago i was extremely frustrated when assigned the care of delusional patients. I asked one of my nursing tutors how i could avoid this frustration. He gave me the following advice: listen to what the patient has to say acknowledge the patients underlying feelings don't engage in argument - the delusion is pathological always bear in mind that at the end of your shift your peace of mind will be restored. The patient's will not. It was good advice then and it's good advice even today. Delusional and paranoid thinking can not be influenced by discourse so I gracefully bow out of this discussion (I use the word loosely). I will listen, acknowledge underlying feelings and refrain from engaging in what is a meaningless persuit. That may also give a modicum of peace of mind to the delusional and paranoid.

They come from a patriarchal society where females are not deemed capable of making the journey. Young males, in any animal group, have a higher hierarchy placing than women and old males Working on the principle that the strongest of the species will survive, the young males are chosen to emigrate. It’s not more complicated than that.

"an establishment cover up", eh? My word you do have inside information on a lot of things - number of islamistic activists in the UK, number of rapes in Sweden, direct lines to the tory government and now this! You may just have read way too much Enid Blyton as a youngster.

In order for credibility to be compromised, credibility must first exist.

That's guaranteed to raise a few hackles.

Now, now mercuryg, give credit where credit is due. He did actually admit to not knowing something and I think that's a breakthrough worthy of applause.

MY cortisol levels are just fine. Get yours checked.

No you didn't. You claimed that the article must be correct because you knew of "direct lines to the Tory government". That does not make any newspaper article authorative. You havent yet been able to prove the existence of these direct lines or indeed that the information which they convey is correct. I await the names of these s.c. 'direct lines'

" Wow, how nice to live in a world of absolutes, and such certainty!” Well, you would know all about that. “Time after time you've done nothing of the sort.“ Then you haven’t been paying attention you naughty boy! “University degrees don't trump hard experience” No, indeed they don’t. How fortunate that I had 25 years of hard graft in nursing to complement them, before joining academia at the age of 50. I have three nursing qualifications so, 6 of those years were spent as the lowest of the low (student) cleaning up bucket loads of every unpleasantness that the human body can possibly exude from its many orifices. I also had to clean the bucket! “You repeatedly talk down the press and talk up academics” I repeatedly complain that the press is unreliable but, as far as I remember, I have only discussed ONE academic. That’s hardly “repeatedly”. “So, what precisely have I claimed to be an expert on?” You don’t overtly claim to be expert on anything. However, in applying Boolean logic, viz. everything anyone else says is wrong so everything I say must be right, you are taking a firm stance for being an expert on everything. “Here you've plucked a remark I made in a photo comment about TV aerials from over half a century ago in order to disparage me” I plucked the remark from my memory of having rented a TV from you many years ago and I did not do it to disparage you. How can that be disparaging? Didn’t you just say that “hard experience” is at least as valuable, if not better, than university degrees? “without any knowledge of my engineering and financial management experience or accomplishments.” Are you sure? “I think that maybe your "specializing in one subject" could be viewed as the apocryphal person with a hammer (i.e. viewing everything as a nail).” It could be viewed as many things – but only by someone with an open and receptive mind, so I’m not unduly worried by that remark. “The world has more facets than any of us can ever behold” Agreed. … “and a full appreciation of that fact only comes through age and experience” Agree, but only in part. Age and experience do allow us to appreciate that the world has more facets than any of us can ever behold – but it’s not ONLY age and experience that allow us to do this. My 9 year old grandson, to give just one example, has neither age nor experience on his side and is never the less able to appreciate the same thing every time he sits down to his homework. … “and certainly not through lexical analysis.” Can’t agree with you there, I’m afraid. It’s a darned good complement to age and experience – providing you understand it. “On your second "challenge": You know that I can only speak from experience.” I know nothing of the sort! When speaking from experience and not stating proven facts it is usual to introduce a degree of modality into the sentence, such as: It may be so that …., Possibly…., In my experience…, I believe… or even “My experience is” …. I do not see any of these in your statement that The Telegraph “has multiple direct lines into the heart of the Tory government”. You are making an assertion. You are not alone. Newspapers do it all the time. “My experience is that practically everything that appears in the Telegraph about the Tory party will turn out to be correct, and that's not the case with any other publication. “ Wow, how nice to live in a world of absolute certainty! “Obviously journalists don't (and mostly can't) reveal their sources, but (libel laws aside) they do have reputations to maintain, and thrive or not by their acquired reputations.” Well, they are clearly revealing their sources to someone, as you seem to know all about them. And, why doesn’t that assertion apply equally well to professors? “No, you can't simply dismiss it with a trite they "manipulate text to sell copies". “ I just did. Prove me wrong. Give me the names of the direct lines I asked for, which you clearly have information on. “I suspect that many academics only maintain their reputations by proxy i.e. much of what they churn out is so thoroughly uninteresting that no one critical ever studies it.” Well, that’s an improvement. You are “suspecting” rather than asserting. You’ll get the hang of this credibility thing soon, I’m sure of it (BTW,you’re doing well with your reduced use of adjectives. Much more pleasant to read. Keep up the good work)! No proxy involved, I’m afraid. If research is to be published as a free standing work, I believe it must first go to opposition by his/her own departmental peers and the current leading authority (it's not only the credibility of the professor that's at stake but even that of the university). Invited to the opposition are any other academics with an interest from within or without the university. It may surprise you to learn that they churn out some very interesting things – for those who are themselves interested. These works are very critically studied by everyone undertaking post-graduate studies. It’s all part of the course.. Why are you deriding the educational system of your own beloved country? “BTW I have not the faintest idea of what an "Oxford comma" is! ” When you see an English word Which you haven’t ever heard Don’t dismiss it at first sight Look it up and get it right. Can’t remember for the life of me who said that. May have been Göran Rönnerdal, but don’t quote me on that. Not even sure if it is word for word, so no quotation marks, but I’m sure you get the drift.

SEEK HELP! You are sick!

I am not implying that an emergency budget may be necessary. I am merely pointing out that not all newspapers agree with the newspapers you quote. If you don't use your vote that's entirely your business. You may criticise whoever you wish - but, SO MAY EVERYONE ELSE! Cameron is a proven liar Farage is a proven liar, Osborne is a proven liar, the Millibands were proven liars. It's apparently only you who tells the truth. "Refer me to a copy of this constitution that I disparage, and point out this actual disparagement please?" The UK constitution has no single document to which I can refer you, We have an uncodified constitution, being as it is the accumulated laws and principles of the land. Therefore I must refer you to ALL acts of parliament, statutes and treaties - including those you disparage: human rights relating to freedom of speech and religion being top of the list. I've pointed them out to you on several occasions. (use the search facility). Of course I criticise - you do not have sole right to criticism. I clearly criticise newspapers and your interpretation of their content. I would be talking about the law of the UK. I have no religion and do not favour either Shariah law or the ten commandments. According to my information, there have been no rapes, or other atrocities committed by Muslim "refugees" in Sweden this week. is Sweden a basket case? I'm not qualified to say. I've only lived here thirty years. You would probably know better. What happens in France, while tragic, is not affecting me one bit. I am not an apologist for a primitive belief set. I do not believe one word written in the bible - or any other holy book. I have not given any school marm lecture (believe me you would know if I had) Perhaps you are just feeling like a naughty boy in a corner? Neither am I trying to frighten you. What I am doing is using my right to point out deficiencies (i think that's what you called it). Did anybody say you should be ashamed of anything? I wonder why that thought came into your head? I've said it before and I'm saying it again. It is not my intention to threaten you yet you are clearly feeling threatened. I am trying to show you that there are two sides to every story. OK, you own this sand pit and you can throw me out whenever you wish. However, if you've also invested in your own bucket and spade then I suggest you use them to dig yourself out of the hole you are presently digging yourself into.

http://www.careeroverview.com/blog/2010/100-reliable-and-ridiculous-excuses-for-calling-out-of-work/ My choice: #61. There was a car accident. (Because the driver started to discuss the linguistics of the screamed warning.) That will surely do it! I'm afraid this one's got me beat. I've sent it off to a few former colleagues to see if they can make head or tail of it.

He also said that Boris Johnson would be next Prime Minister - and he isn't: “The former London Mayor [Ken Livingstone] said Brexit would usher in Boris Johnson as Prime Minister so he would think about "emigrating to somewhere the economy is not going to collapse". His comments, in his local newspaper the Ham and High, come just days after it was reported Labour bosses had blocked him from making media appearances after deciding he was "uncontrollable".” https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/labour-party/news/73826/ken-livingstone-brexit-could-make-me-leave-country "Someone who should be admired for "having the guts" to readily admit they were stupidly wrong." Really?