Posts by Intractable Potsherd

What "tax breaks" do doctors have that you don't?

It would also be useful to have evidence that contractors have "ponced off tax payers" if you have it. To be honest, I'll not hold my breath waiting.

Sorry to hear that - it is a very uncomfortable feeling. The odd thing is, the sibling that complained will be really surprised that you don't act towards them as you used to, and get upset when you refuse invitations to family gatherings, etc.

They'll also scream like hell when you say, "Fine, you deal with the finances from now."

/bitter experience mode

Re: got it all wrong

I like your thinking, Danarius! It all makes sense in that light - previously, I've been following this with a WTF expression on my face.

An aside to El Reg - thank you for being one of the few news outlets that uses words like "loquacious", and correctly at that. Please keep revelling in the dusty corners of the English language.

Re: I know I will be downvoted but....

@Michael: time for your tablets and a nice nap now. You are clearly somewhat overwrought.

Re: "spinning rust"

Ahhh - Suzi Quatro in those leathers!

Re: It was the end of history....

@Notas: As I posted last time someone made your comment:

"It's a long running joke on the topic of JEDI hereabouts - there hasn't been a Star Wars picture used yet, IIRC. Initially it played on the Star Wars/Star Trek conflation by those barbarians that don't care to know the difference, and now brings in B5. *We* all know the difference, and who starred in what... , but sometimes pretend not to."

Re: Rays

There is no way I can find an entry into the rationale of crystal "theory" that makes any sense at all. The starting point for analysing how people think crystals do anything that these people claim is so far into the territory marked "Beware, here be conmen and woo-weavers" that I can find nothing for my mi D to gain traction on.

Re: The real story - No Rights Employees ("employed for tax purposes")

That's the way I see it, too. This is effectively the end of employee rights - the Tory wet dream. As I've said before, all those muppets in previously Labour constituencies are soon going to be regretting changing their votes to the Tories, and denying that they ever did it.

Re: Can I setup a news agency or search engine in China and report freely about Tibet, Taiwan, etc?

@LDS: China certainly have some issues within their sphere of influence, but that is largely for the populations of the countries to deal with. China is no risk to anyone outside that sphere (at least, not at the moment). The anti-China rhetoric is just the old anti-Russia stuff, only less believable.

Until Trump started his trade war with China, there was no real concern about Huawei - its kit was used widely. There is still no evidence of concern, yet, all of a sudden, the kit is a risk. I have no particular problem with "making America great again" as long as it does it fairly.

Re: Dress to Impress

That's really my point - be specific and avoid confusion. Alternatively, if it is a work do with someone's idea of what should be worn, provide the clothes - perhaps they can have a special name to describe the commonality, or uniformity, of the appearance (which is what happens with a dress code anyway).

@John Brown (NB): "... the CIA would have to either "nobble" the selected jurors or have pre-arranged the type of jurors they wanted so only "their type" are in the pool to start with."

Neither of which are outside the skill set of the CIA. Any guilty verdict will be difficult to believe.

Also, to save time later - child porn on a server is to the early 21st century as tax evasion was to the early 20th century, don't you think? Of course, the tax evasion was easier to believe.

I didn't know that there is a film, but I read the book at least once a year - a good reminder of just how far things have come in a short time.

Re: Come fly me

Why?

Re: Why a trade deal with the US won't be in our favour..

@codejunky: "Ok. So cheaper food."

Food has never been cheaper in the UK as percentage of earnings. There is no need to make it cheaper, especially at the cost of high standards. It sounds as if you are arguing that poor people can be sacrificed upon the altar of globalism.

With regard to rules being applied arbitrarily - you have no need to tell us here in Scotland, or Northern Ireland, about that only it has always been Westminster doing it. The EU has always looked after Scotland and Northern Ireland, and yet you still wonder why we want to kick the anonymous civil servants in London out in favour of the time-limited and transparently selected European Commission.

Bendy bananas and White-van littering are irrelevant to any argument - give me 30 lines and I'll come up with at least five equivalents that the muppets in Westminster have come up with.

There is still nothing that I can see that justifies coming out of the EU.

Re: Just curious

No, it really is.

Re: Ingenious

What do you mean, "old"? It was just a few years ago... Oh, wait - was it that long ago??

I'm old!!

Bob - your frothing has broken through and damaged my keyboard - see icon. I'd like a new one, please!

Seriously, though, this isn't either/or - looking into this issue doesn't prevent anything else being investigated. As you say, the CA-OAG has *very* deep pockets.

Re: A historic day in every way.

No, there has only been one referendum on Brexit - 2016.

1.4 million in a population of 65 million *is* a rounding error, especially when about 3 million UK citizens living overseas were excluded from this very important decision. When is a UK citizen not a UK citizen? When it suits the government, of course.

Yeah, opt-outs like the Social Chapter which would have benefitted those people who voted to leave because they couldn't see the advantages of being members of the EU. The Euro was a bad idea, yes. Schengen not so much.

EU rules that were gold-plated by Westminster to be almost unworkable, *then* stuck to rigidly. When complaints were made, the response was "Well, it's the EU wot dun it, innit." Don't blame other countries for sticking to what was intended.

Re: Hoots Mon

Nicely said, Muscleguy! If you look carefully, you should be able to see me giving the thumbs-up from the south bank of the Tay! If we ever meet, the first rounds on me :-)

"... did away with all those pesky Health & Safety rules" - coming soon to a country "taking back control"!

@deive: "... astonomers and they should then check any potential signs spotted by the ML before any kind of press release?"

You are being too logical - there are people far too keen to see their name, or the name of their observatory/research group/whatever in the news. A "leak" is guaranteed.

@Lotaresco: that is truly scary. Good luck to you in the future.

Re: Hmm

To me, Holgate's statement that "my opinions are given on the basis of the facts I have been instructed to assume" suggests that even he thinks he's been "misdirected".

Re: "Consequently I had to halt the vehicle and obtain some mercury to effect a repair."

Very good!

Re: Yellow Devil

That list looks remarkably thin - the Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia; Poland; Russia; and Bulgaria all seem to be missing for a start. Exactly what definition of "invaded" is being used, and over what period of time?

Re: "London centric establishment a fine kick in the teeth"

"Investment needs money" but political promises are cheap, especially when the RoI is that people believe them.

Has anyone thought through what is going to happen when all those voters who turned Tory for a day become disillusioned? It won't be pretty...

@james_smith: one of the best cats I have had survived a serious RTA, and was taken in by the RSPCA. When I saw him he was on his own in an enclosure - all but blind, a couple of wonky legs, going around in circles, brain damaged and unable to use a litter tray. He'd been available for adoption for several weeks despite being a beautiful ginger and white with huge eyes (due to the blindness. I just had to have him, and was rewarded by sharing my life with the happiest, funniest, most loving person* I have ever met until he died eight years later.

*Yes, I count some of the cats I've had as people.

Re: Except for the fragility issue...

The UK government's EU Settlement Scheme app requires the use of the front camera for verifying the data on the passport chip.

Front cameras are also useful for video-calling.

Re: French TV

Fact of very little relevance - the narrator was Eric Thompson, who died far too early (52 yoa), but had a daughter by the name of Emma, who you might have heard of...

Re: Let's Bring It All The Way Back

Yep - that should have been the standard for charging. Small, efficient, and as idiot-proof as anything could be. Separate micro-USB for data, with perhaps the option to charge when in use (? I can never decide whether that's a good idea - pros and cons).

Oh yes - University systems can take double-figure minutes to boot, and that's without updates being installed. There's nothing like getting in at 8am to clear the email garbage before a 9am lecture and still not being into the system at 8.45!

Re: impersonation

So let me get this clear - over the years, we have had amanfromMars, amanfromMars, and amanfromMars 1. amanfromMars and amanfromMars 1 are the same "person", so we now have amanfromMars 1 and amanfromMars1 both (potentially) active on the forums. The question is, if amanfromMars 1 and amanfromMars1 start replying to each other, will it make more or less sense than this post?