Happy New Year - New topics to Bicker About?

spen666

Well the first commute of the year is over.

The days are getting longer, summer is nearly here and all is well with the world.


What silly topic are we going to bicker about today instead of working

notsoblue

spen666 wrote:

The days are getting longer, summer is nearly here and all is well with the world.

People seem to get depressed in January, but personally I really like this time of the year. Like you say the days are getting longer, and it'll be spring soon enough!

rubertoe

I cant wait for the summer! it will be here before we know it and then we will be moaning that winter will be on its way.

Enjoy each day as it comes.

Kieran_Burns

Bah.

Humbug.

I want FREEZING cold weather. I've got the Marathon Winters fitted to the tricross and want to use them in anger.

I want -10 in the morning. I want cars skidding off the road (with all occupants safely recovered and minimal damage to property) while I bubble-wrap past.

I want to turn up to work and everyone else who made it in look at me like I'm some kind of lunatic while I try and stop sweating.

By the way can ice spike tyres get you across frozen ponds? Just asking....

jds_1981

Can we grumble how like my plants, the lack of sleet and ice hasn't killed off* the nodders?

*Not literally of course...

spen666

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Bah.

Humbug.

I want FREEZING cold weather. I've got the Marathon Winters fitted to the tricross and want to use them in anger.

I want -10 in the morning. I want cars skidding off the road (with all occupants safely recovered and minimal damage to property) while I bubble-wrap past.

I want to turn up to work and everyone else who made it in look at me like I'm some kind of lunatic while I try and stop sweating.

By the way can ice spike tyres get you across frozen ponds? Just asking....

From what I understand its not just people at work and its not due to your cycling either

veronese68

Kieran_Burns wrote:

By the way can ice spike tyres get you across frozen ponds? Just asking....

Probably depends how thick. The ice that is. When significantly younger (and thicker) I did ride my bike across a frozen pond without spikes. I didn't fall through, but it f@cking hurt when I fell off. made a great noise though.

SteppenHerring

spen666 wrote:

What silly topic are we going to bicker about today instead of working

I have never found David Jason amusing or entertaining - except in Danger Mouse.

UndercoverElephant

Veronese68 wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

By the way can ice spike tyres get you across frozen ponds? Just asking....

Probably depends how thick. The ice that is. When significantly younger (and thicker) I did ride my bike across a frozen pond without spikes. I didn't fall through, but it f@cking hurt when I fell off. made a great noise though.

Never actually tried a pond, but have been across veeeery large frozen puddles without a problem. Much the same, but not as scary if the ice breaks.

spen666

SteppenHerring wrote:

spen666 wrote:

What silly topic are we going to bicker about today instead of working

I have never found David Jason amusing or entertaining - except in Danger Mouse.

Plenty of people will agree with you sir

rubertoe

Not me.

Have you not seen Count Duckula?

bdave262000

Losing child benefit, nothing wrong with it as long as its fair. But miffed that my colleague and his Mrs who have a joint salary almost double ours keep theirs.

DonDaddyD

I don't understand whether we've lost my child benefit or not.

Not sure what is going on, seems unfair though....

Edit just read up a little more:

So, if one parent earns more than £60,000 they lose their child benefit.

If both parents earn £49,000 they keep the entire child benefit.

So what if one parent is £40,000+ and the other parent is on £35,000? A household income of around £75,000?

The current crop of politicians are fucking weak man... They lack the real depth, real world experience and any real sense of intelligence gained from fucking living as oppose to be raised in fucking bubbles where they are allowed to sneer at what they perceive as underlings. I don't even need child benefit but if I am to lose it at least make the process fucking sensible. CUNTS.

bdave262000

DonDaddyD wrote:

I don't understand whether we've lost my child benefit or not.

Not sure what is going on, seems unfair though....

If you earn over £60k its gone. Every £100 over £50k you lose 1%. Its also the hassle of having to fill in a self assessment which I have never had to do before. I don't mind losing part of it as long as its fair, but I don't think a household on a lower income should be paying taxes to benefit a family on a much higher income.

DonDaddyD

bdave262000 wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I don't understand whether we've lost my child benefit or not.

Not sure what is going on, seems unfair though....

If you earn over £60k its gone. Every £100 over £50k you lose 1%. Its also the hassle of having to fill in a self assessment which I have never had to do before. I don't mind losing part of it as long as its fair, but I don't think a household on a lower income should be paying taxes to benefit a family on a much higher income.

I agree, I don't mind losing it. It helps but it isn't essential, if I did lose it or part of it then I would like to see a small portion of mine go to advantage those with less but that isn't happening it appears.

What I think is disgusting is that it doesn't take into consideration joint income families. So a household taking £49,000k each will get the full wack, whereas as a single Mum earning £60 gets nothing. I would argue that the Mum needs it more and just because she earns less, but because psychologically it's a form of help and support.

bdave262000

DonDaddyD wrote:

bdave262000 wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I don't understand whether we've lost my child benefit or not.

Not sure what is going on, seems unfair though....

If you earn over £60k its gone. Every £100 over £50k you lose 1%. Its also the hassle of having to fill in a self assessment which I have never had to do before. I don't mind losing part of it as long as its fair, but I don't think a household on a lower income should be paying taxes to benefit a family on a much higher income.

I agree, I don't mind losing it. It helps but it isn't essential, if I did lose it or part of it then I would like to see a small portion of mine go to advantage those with less but that isn't happening it appears.

What I think is disgusting is that it doesn't take into consideration joint income families. So a household taking £49,000k each will get the full wack, whereas as a single Mum earning £60 gets nothing. I would argue that the Mum needs it more and just because she earns less, but because psychologically it's a form of help and support.

Its all a bit back to front. I 've also just heard my council tax is going up, we already have one of the highest rates in the country. The rail fare increase is the only thing that's not ticking me off at the moment as its just more of an insentive to jump on the bike on these dark cold mornings. You can't beat a good old moan.

rick_chasey

January sucks.

kelsen

Not merely content with world domination, Tesco for 2013 has gone and removed one of the California rolls from their £1 fish variety sushi pack and replaced it with a poxy little hosomaki!

Evil profit-grabbing f*ckers! :evil:

rick_chasey

That reminds me. Why did supermarkets stop selling frangipanes??

rjsterry

DonDaddyD wrote:

I don't understand whether we've lost my child benefit or not.

Not sure what is going on, seems unfair though....

Edit just read up a little more:

So, if one parent earns more than £60,000 they lose their child benefit.

If both parents earn £49,000 they keep the entire child benefit.

So what if one parent is £40,000+ and the other parent is on £35,000? A household income of around £75,000?

The current crop of politicians are ******* weak man... They lack the real depth, real world experience and any real sense of intelligence gained from ******* living as oppose to be raised in ******* bubbles where they are allowed to sneer at what they perceive as underlings. I don't even need child benefit but if I am to lose it at least make the process ******* sensible. *****.

It's a bodge: paying it to everyone is difficult to justify; the cost of full means testing as with tax credits would negate the savings, hence the sort of means tested-ish mess we have. They'll have to do the same for Winter Fuel Allowance in the next parliament, which'll be fun to watch. Why they can't roll child benefit into tax credits I don't know.

bushu

Had to use up my holidays over xmas now i've to make excuses to get to interviews! :x

Where's the snow?

When are the new year resolution brigade going to get out the way?

Why are car insurance companies allowed to take the pish?

prawny

rubertoe wrote:

Not me.

Have you not seen Count Duckula?

Little known fact alert!

Count duckula is actually a spin off from danger mouse, saw the episode once, duckula was a baddie, blew my tiny mind.

Also Rick, frangipanes are plentiful in the midlands, pfft London is so backwards.

DrLex

Rick Chasey wrote:

That reminds me. Why did supermarkets stop selling frangipanes??

I have a mental picture of Marcel Proust in red trousers frowning at a bag of 10 Tesco value doughnuts.

As to Spen's question, the topic du jour amongst my colleagues was the handball rule in Soccer. Fortunately no-one wanted to discuss England's lack-lustre performance yesterday in Delhi.

SteppenHerring

prawny wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

Not me.

Have you not seen Count Duckula?

Little known fact alert!

Count duckula is actually a spin off from danger mouse, saw the episode once, duckula was a baddie, blew my tiny mind.

Also Rick, frangipanes are plentiful in the midlands, pfft London is so backwards.

I must admit I thought that everyone knew this. But then a lot of people seem to think that Only Fools and Horses is "funny".

prawny

To be fair, I did think there was a good chance it wasn't a little known fact on here but I've never met a normal person (non cyclist) that knew this.

jimmypippa

bdave262000 wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I don't understand whether we've lost my child benefit or not.

Not sure what is going on, seems unfair though....

If you earn over £60k its gone. Every £100 over £50k you lose 1%. Its also the hassle of having to fill in a self assessment which I have never had to do before. I don't mind losing part of it as long as its fair, but I don't think a household on a lower income should be paying taxes to benefit a family on a much higher income.

My view about the Civil List

rubertoe

prawny wrote:

To be fair, I did think there was a good chance it wasn't a little known fact on here but I've never met a normal person (non cyclist) that knew this.

Duckula wears Dangermouse PJ's.

notsoblue

Why should people with decent jobs get child benefit at all?

cyclingprop

Any benefit should be in place to support those who need the support. According to the IFS, c.80% of households earn less than £50k PA - so it really is the richest supporting the poorest.

http://www.ifs.org.uk/wheredoyoufitin/ if you want to have a look for yourself.

notsoblue

I've got no clue about child benefit actually. How much is it worth to someone a month?

prawny

notsoblue wrote:

I've got no clue about child benefit actually. How much is it worth to someone a month?

Me either and I get it!

We need it though. Although probably only to keep up with the benefit non working types that live round here that all have better cars, holidays and TVs than me. If we didn't get child benefit I'd just make sacrifices to make ends meet. I'd miss the poor litle beggars though :twisted: