RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios

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LadyEllen -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/10/2006 2:37:12 PM)
This isnt my big theme by the way! But I see it as related to the theme of this thread - I just saw on the news the wonderful statistic about mental illness (most often depression) in the workforce; 30% of the workforce, nearly one in three, will have an episode of mental illness in any one year. What is it which causes this illness? One from which I suffered four years back by the way, before anyone tells me I dont have grounds from which to comment - the good thing which came out of that was that I am no longer afraid of death, as I've almost been there. I expect we can all agree that stress and overlong hours plays a major part? But how much part do other factors play I wonder? The insane chase for image, the escalating cost of housing etc vs the level of salary, the frowning of our society upon anyone who shows weakness by not being able to cope? And that is to ignore the levels of mental illness (again mainly depression) amongst those not working. We certainly provide enough for them in terms of physical need, but I know we dont provide anything like the required level of mental health support for anyone, let alone the unemployed. This scenario undoubtedly plays a part in escalating drink and drug abuse, across workers and non workers alike. But try to get access to treatment for substance abuse - its extremely sparse. Then that results in people living in squalor and poverty, even though their physical needs are well catered for. Then we have the stats in yesterday regarding obesity. The UK is the most obese country in Europe, with men in the north east being the most obese and women in the Midlands being the most obese. I tend to think of obesity being at least in some way related to the comfort people derive from eating when stressed - so again we have another health epidemic in obesity, which is down to the stress of life in the UK. And the life expectancy stats too - with lifespan in the south being ten or so years longer on average than in the north, mainly due to stress related factors such as overconsumption of food, drink and smoking. So it seems necessary, indeed vital, that we do something about the stress and depression in society. It doesnt just affect the less well off, but the better off too. What is it about life in Britain which is so stressful and so depressing? How can we overcome this in the face of a culture which says to "pull yourself together, stiff upper lip and all that" and which denies that depression even exists as an illness? Again, we will always have some level of stress - it is an inescapable adjunct to life after all, and drives everything. What we need to be rid of though is the bad stress which infects us as a nation. E

darkinshadows -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/10/2006 3:18:05 PM)
quote: He said I'm gonna buy this place and burn it down I'm gonna put it six feet underground He said I'm gonna buy this place and watch it fall Stand here beside me baby in the crumbling walls I'm gonna buy this place and start a fire Stand here until I fill all your hearts desires Because I'm gonna buy this place and see it burn Do back the things it did to you in return He said oh I'm gonna buy a gun and start a war If you can tell me something worth fighting for Oh and Im gonna buy this place, thats what I said Blame it upon a rush of blood to the head He said I'm gonna buy this place and see it go Stand here beside me baby watch the orange glow Some'll laugh and some just sit and cry But you just sit down there and you wonder why So I'm gonna buy a gun and start a war If you can tell me something worth fighting for I'm gonna buy this place, thats what I said Blame it upon a rush of blood to the head And honey All the movements you're starting to make See me crumble and fall on my face And I know the mistakes that I made See it all disappear without a trace And they call as they beckon you on They said start as you mean to go on So meet me by the bridge,Meet me by the lane When am I going to see that pretty face again Meet me on the road,Meet me where I said Blame it all upon a rush of blood to the head Guy Berryman, Jon Buckland, Max Martin, Will Champion

NorthernGent -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/10/2006 3:24:30 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen You know NG. It occurred to me that these debates are rarely fair, because you posit something and then I and others give our critiques. Then you are so busy answering those critiques that you rarely have opportunity to posit practical solutions to whatever issue you've raised. So what I will do, is come up with something from my own side, which you can have at, in return. I will also endeavour in so doing, to dispel the apparent notion that some have, that I am the reigning champion in the upper class twit of the year competition, who has no idea of what real life is about. I will take some time to come up with it, but when its ready, I look forward to your response. Sound fair? E Sounds fair enough to me. I don't see you as an upper-class twit at all. More the case that, like the majority of the people in Britain, you're looking in the wrong place for the answers. I can explain this but it's late so it'll have to wait til another day. On your mental illness/depression thread, between 1989 and 1999 the anti-depressant market in the G7 countries increased by 16% per year. There is no doubt that the richest nations in the world are conducting policies that are making their people unhappy. A quick explanation of this - as a society, we're too busy chasing things we don't need. The Government/business/media alliance are telling us we need them in a sustained propaganda campaign. So, we're spending our days chasing money for the bigger house, the shinier car, the patio, the bigger garden, the television the size of a small African country, the extortionate hairdo and all the other stuff that fills up people's homes. None of this will make us happy because it's simply short term boosts. If we are spending our time chasing these things then we are missing out on the the things we really need for long term satisfaction.

thompsonx -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/10/2006 4:04:21 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: darkinshadows Hello thompson - If you look at each individual post (which is contained within a box) you will see that each has a reply/quote/fwd icon in the top right hand corner. If you respond to a particular post, this is the notified in the bottom right. There are no particular instructions on how to navigate - it tends to be trial and error - but anyone worth your time will understand that [:)] Hope you are enjoying the forums... Peace and Rapture Darkinshadows: Thank you for your response. the ones in the upper right and the smileys on the left I got pretty quickly...it is all the stuff at the bottom that I have yet to figgure out. Now on to the good stuff....the thrust of my point is that once liberated from the depths of poverty by a generation or two we seem to point the finger of blame at the poor and never upward at the super rich who are the cause of it all. Because they are super rich they control the government. From that position they are the cause of poverty. They allow their cronies to outsource good paying jobs and allow imports to come in to undercut local production. I live in the U.S. but it could be no different where you live. We outlawed slavery in my country in the late 1860's but we have no problem using slaves in China, Mexico,Malaysia etc. and they have the gall to call it free enterprise. Here we call it inc. in Europe it is called Sa. but what a corporation does is protect the owners from personal responsibility for their actions. If Ford builds a car that is inherantly unsafe because they skimped on some small item to save a penny on a million units and someone dies well the bean counters tell them the insurance payout is cost effective. So they do it and people die. If the persons who signed off on the item went to prison for voluntary manslaughter then it would stop in a heartbeat. But the corporation shields them from any meaningful sanction. Now there are some who will say that the shareholders are the real owners of the corporation...but that is just rhetoric. The number of people who find living on the dole preferable to working for a living are primarily the super rich who get welfare at every step of their life. Special tax breaks because they are providing jobs....and the middle class gobbles up this drivel because they would rather align themselves with the rich, to which they aspire, than the poor, from which they came.... You could supply a 3000 calorie per day diet to every person on the planet and and give them comfortable housing and everything they might need for a happy and comfortable life on just the interest of the money that the super rich control. They have more money than they could spend in a hundred million lifetimes and still it is not enough....the only real value they find in being rich is the distance between them and the poor. So the poorer they can make the poor the richer they are. I could care less that Bill Smith is living on welfare and has a nice house and car and eats well and goes to a good school and has never worked a day in his life and never will. For every dollar of my tax money that goes to Bill Smith a hundred dollars goes to Bill Gates, Ted Turner, Rupert Murdoch and the rest of the Forbs 400. Who also have never worked a day in their life and never will. And please do not tell me that going to an office in a high rise office tower and spending the day thinking up ways to fuck the poor out of one more dollar is work. I have tried to state this in as restrained a form as possible and candy coat it as much as I could...perhaps one day I will actually open up and tell you what I really think.[;)] thompson ____________________________________________________________ If I am asleep and you want to wake me. If I am awake and don't want to make me.

seeksfemslave -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 12:45:35 AM)
Thompsonx said... If Ford builds a car that is inherently unsafe because they skimped on some small item to save a penny on a million units and someone dies well the bean counters tell them the insurance payout is cost effective This is a twisted version of what is likely to have happened, laced of cause with a big dollop of hindsight. It has nothing whatsoever to do with wealth per se. In fact the safety record of the modern automobile is so high it beggars belief. If a unit fails in any high tech item then there should be culpability only if it could be demonstrated that it was designed to be unsafe. NOT was unsafe due to inadvertant error. For example in the early days of shipbuilding catastrophic failure was commonplace. No robdog lawyers around then to milk that situation for all its worth. Did you teach or were you taught by NG to argue thus ! Regarding mental illness, it is a recordable fact that its incidence has increased in direct proportion to the "professionals" available to diagnose it How did people cope when they had to work long hours during the day and be subject to being bombed at night.

NorthernGent -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 5:12:54 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen quote: ORIGINAL: seeksfemslave NG is an ideas man with few sensible ideas. A bit like Mr Magoo. With specs. he even looks like him. Now now! See agenda item 4 and report to the nearest police station seeks! I think the worst I'd accuse him of is idealism - oh, that and being a Socialist Worker vendor of course LOL! I see. So, you think Rupert Murdoch pocketing £1.4 billion in profit and paying no Corporation Tax is ok on the grounds that those who oppose it are idealists? Come on, it's daylight robbery. E

LadyEllen -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 5:19:04 AM)
Hi NG and everyone else I'm working on my blueprint now, but just stopped by to say not to worry - included in what I propose is a means of dealing with tax evaders like Mr Murdoch, as well as a means of stopping his rags from repeated libel as a way of selling more papers. Incidentally, I thought you might like this, from the tax return for my business; (paraphrased as I dont recall the exact wording) "please declare here any notifiable tax avoidance schemes"......... along with a box to write in the number of the scheme. Now, I was under the impression that tax avoidance was not a good thing. That the revenue have numbers for varieties of tax avoidance schemes is understandable, but how on earth does it make sense to have "notifiable" tax avoidance schemes, exactly? E

meatcleaver -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 5:47:47 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen "please declare here any notifiable tax avoidance schemes"......... along with a box to write in the number of the scheme. Now, I was under the impression that tax avoidance was not a good thing. That the revenue have numbers for varieties of tax avoidance schemes is understandable, but how on earth does it make sense to have "notifiable" tax avoidance schemes, exactly? E It's so the Inland Revenue can assess how much tax they are losing and how best to beat tax avoidance schemes. The problem is that each time they close a loop hole they make the tax system more complex. The more complex the tax system, the easier it is to avoid paying tax. This government has consistently made the tax system more complex and as a result consistly produce new loop holes.

LadyEllen -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 5:53:39 AM)
Yes MC - but if I'm operating a tax avoidance scheme, are they seriously expecting me to tell them!? If I have to declare "notifiable" schemes, does this mean they are not interested in knowing of any schemes that are not so described? It just seems crazy to me E

meatcleaver -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 6:29:29 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen If I have to declare "notifiable" schemes, does this mean they are not interested in knowing of any schemes that are not so described? As far as I'm aware no, as long as you fill your returns in honestly. My wife used to work for a big accountants in the City and she used to be showered with presents by clients for doing their tax honestly. We used to go out for meals paid for by one of the company's clients which could cost 250 pound per person. I would have rather had the 250 pounds in cash but then it wouldn't have been tax deductable.

seeksfemslave -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 7:34:28 AM)
Meatcleaver said... We used to go out for meals paid for by one of the company's clients which could cost 250 pound per person. I would have rather had the 250 pounds in cash but then it wouldn't have been tax deductable. Please dont let NG read this.....he'll blame you for all the ills that have ever existed anywhere and everywhere ! I am now goiing to warm up my one pound 50p meal.....Pizza, Rice, Vegetables, Rice Pudding and Bananas, then coffee...and I pay taxes. Where did I go wrong NG

meatcleaver -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 7:41:32 AM)
And there was me thinking you had a tin of baked beans warming up on the pilot light. You obviously don't get taxed enough seeks.

seeksfemslave -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 7:53:31 AM)
You side with NG then Meatcleaver. Seriously NG I've just read thru' some of your long posts and you mention that governments should maintain full employment. Somebody did anyway. NG can you recall that as the UK's competitive position began to deteriorate, late 60's early 70's, governments tried to do just this and ended up making things far far worse! At least 50% of the population's employment depends on re distributed taxes. Then add all those who receive benefits for doing nowt, except maybe getting pregnant at 15 or fleeing from non existant political oppression. Look at the ludicrous level of expenditure required to maintain the projected public service pensions. Thats the kind of thing that tends to happen when the Socialist Panacea is progressively implemented NG I bet you work for Local/Central government. Dont be ashamed , admit it !

thompsonx -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 8:12:39 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: seeksfemslave Thompsonx said... If Ford builds a car that is inherently unsafe because they skimped on some small item to save a penny on a million units and someone dies well the bean counters tell them the insurance payout is cost effective This is a twisted version of what is likely to have happened, laced of cause with a big dollop of hindsight. It has nothing whatsoever to do with wealth per se. In fact the safety record of the modern automobile is so high it beggars belief. If a unit fails in any high tech item then there should be culpability only if it could be demonstrated that it was designed to be unsafe. NOT was unsafe due to inadvertant error. For example in the early days of shipbuilding catastrophic failure was commonplace. No robdog lawyers around then to milk that situation for all its worth. Did you teach or were you taught by NG to argue thus ! Regarding mental illness, it is a recordable fact that its incidence has increased in direct proportion to the "professionals" available to diagnose it How did people cope when they had to work long hours during the day and be subject to being bombed at night. Seeksfemslave: It would appear that you and I have said the same thing. Inadvertant accidents do happen and there is no culpability. But as you and I both point out if it is deliberate the responsibile parties should be punished and the fact is that they are not. As to your opinion on mental illness it is also a recordable fact that the incidence of infection is directly proportional to the number of professionals available to diagnose it. There was a time when surgeons did not sterilize there instruments or even wash their hands. Until diabeties was recognized for what it is people just died from it now that it has been recognized as a treatable disease, it is the largest single treatable disease in the U.S. Historically we find that soldiers returning from war suffer much higher incidence of asocial behaviour than the rest of the civilian population. This was true in ancient Rome (the romans were almost anal in their record keeping) as well as today. The emotional trauma is now known as ptsd (post traumatic shock disorder) You may want to look at a small book called "War is a Racket" by Smedley Butler Gen. USMC, MOH. In which he points out that soldiers are inducted into the service with a great deal of education in how to do their job but released from service with no instruction in how to stop doing their job. Thompson _______________________________________________________________________ If I am asleep and you want to wake me. If I am awake and don't want to make me.

LadyEllen -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 8:14:33 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: seeksfemslave Meatcleaver said... We used to go out for meals paid for by one of the company's clients which could cost 250 pound per person. I would have rather had the 250 pounds in cash but then it wouldn't have been tax deductable. Please dont let NG read this.....he'll blame you for all the ills that have ever existed anywhere and everywhere ! I am now goiing to warm up my one pound 50p meal.....Pizza, Rice, Vegetables, Rice Pudding and Bananas, then coffee...and I pay taxes. Where did I go wrong NG Oh seeks! I insist you come for dinner- its bolognese tonight, flown from a restaurant in Tuscany by private jet of course. If you fancy a drink of wine with it, no problem - we'll just send the jet back to Tuscany to pick some up. Ah. Life in the middle classes! E

meatcleaver -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 8:53:13 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen Yes MC - but if I'm operating a tax avoidance scheme, are they seriously expecting me to tell them!? If I have to declare "notifiable" schemes, does this mean they are not interested in knowing of any schemes that are not so described? It just seems crazy to me E Well if you fill your returns in properly they should be able to work out what you are doing and as long as its not illegal its fine. The problem comes if they think you are not telling them the whole truth and they send you a tax demand for thousands of pounds and when you protest they will just say, OK, prove you don't owe us the money. It's your problem. My brother's friend got a tax demand from the Inland Revenue one year for an extra ten thousand pounds because his standard of living appeared higher than his income. He decided to pay because he had got away with more over a period of several years and he couldn't prove he didn't owe the money without letting the tax office know too many of his secrets.

NorthernGent -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 11:28:28 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen quote: ORIGINAL: Aileen68 Be careful Aileen, NG will be out to sequestrate all your belongings and wealth with what you spend on hairdressing. Almost. It should have read "Be careful Aileen, NG will be out to sequestrate all your belongings and whatever else enters his sordid mind". Disclaimer: NG is not in any way, shape or form insinuating Aileen would be a willing participant in this. They are the words of optimism rather than expectancy.

NorthernGent -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 11:40:11 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: seeksfemslave You side with NG then Meatcleaver. Seriously NG I've just read thru' some of your long posts and you mention that governments should maintain full employment. Somebody did anyway. NG can you recall that as the UK's competitive position began to deteriorate, late 60's early 70's, governments tried to do just this and ended up making things far far worse! At least 50% of the population's employment depends on re distributed taxes. Then add all those who receive benefits for doing nowt, except maybe getting pregnant at 15 or fleeing from non existant political oppression. Look at the ludicrous level of expenditure required to maintain the projected public service pensions. Thats the kind of thing that tends to happen when the Socialist Panacea is progressively implemented NG I bet you work for Local/Central government. Dont be ashamed , admit it ! Oh, be quiet seeks or I'll come down there and slap you over the chops with a kipper.

NorthernGent -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 11:41:26 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen quote: ORIGINAL: seeksfemslave Meatcleaver said... We used to go out for meals paid for by one of the company's clients which could cost 250 pound per person. I would have rather had the 250 pounds in cash but then it wouldn't have been tax deductable. Please dont let NG read this.....he'll blame you for all the ills that have ever existed anywhere and everywhere ! I am now goiing to warm up my one pound 50p meal.....Pizza, Rice, Vegetables, Rice Pudding and Bananas, then coffee...and I pay taxes. Where did I go wrong NG Oh seeks! I insist you come for dinner- its bolognese tonight, flown from a restaurant in Tuscany by private jet of course. If you fancy a drink of wine with it, no problem - we'll just send the jet back to Tuscany to pick some up. Ah. Life in the middle classes! E and you young Lady. A working class kipper too.

NorthernGent -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/11/2006 11:46:39 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Moloch quote: 2) The war on terror is gone. If the mythical Islamo-fascists turn out to be anything more than the figment of an over-active imagination fuelled by too many vitamin C drinks then so be it. We're taking our chances. Yeah didnt a bunch of your fellow british subjects get turned into hamburgers while taking a ride on the bus? Naww probably my imagination. But yeah I do have to agree its blow WAY out of proportion. Your imagination is in fine working order. Some British citizens were murdered by other British citizens on the 7th July in keeping with a long list of terrorist attacks in Britain committed by white Irish and British. The only difference this time - the murderers had dark skin.

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