You might say that Carrots, I couldn't possibly comment....

Will it be the armed forces or the decent outreach folk who will be bleating? No, so they don't fall into the over coddled wallah classification.

Certainly never compared my soldiers like for like with some spoiny tit in the lower equality division of some council, working in a 'positive environment' and embracing diversity, final salary scheme and saluting their motto of entitlement.

The armed forces are getting struck by cuts, have done for decades. The current overbloated civil service needs to wake up to what the rest of us have to face on a monthly basis in the private world i.e. efficiency measured by revenue, accountability measured by earned rewards and deliverables measured by quantifiable results.

Bit broad brush but I have worked across both sectors and the culture of the local authorities, for example, is indicative of a mental malaise that rejects challenge. No, that's not the armed forces because I would choose a soldier over a civvie any day because you know they deliver.

Originally Posted by Mr_Fingerz

The number of "Outreach Workers", of whatever type, is limited - and if (God Forbid) you came home from a tour in less than perfect shape, you and your family might just be glad that they're there.

On the other hand, you might live round my way. Our mental hospital is being closed down a bit at a time so the grounds can be sold to a property developer.

You have no chance of seeing a consultant psychiatrist unless you are sectioned, paying privately or seeking gender reassignment (for which there is a ring fenced budget).

People with severe mental illness like PTSD, suicidal depression and the beginnings of schizophrenia are supposed to see a psychiatric nurse to be prioritised for an appointment with a registrar. The average waiting time is about two years.

In practice, there often isn't even a nurse available so they get a half hour with a counsellor who can't even prescribe medication.

The counsellor does give out a list of self help books that can be borrowed from the library though. That's what happens to mentally ill ex-servicemen where I live. They don't even get a bottle of Prozac, let alone the treatment they need.

My chest swelled with pride though when I found out the hospital was funding outreach workers to hang around public toilets and other 'cruising grounds' to tell gay blokes that unprotected anal sex with other gay blokes can lead to HIV infection. Well fuck me. You learn something new every day.

Better still are the outreach workers who work with married blokes to help them realise that they are really gay and that they're in denial. Don't tell them to bugger off whatever you do or you might get done for a homophobic public order offence.

you can short gilts - if you want to do it directly then I would suggest one of the spead betting sites such as IG index, ODL or spreadex.

A fund manager friend of mine tells me that his 'one way bet' for 2010 is shorting US treasury bills

Greece should never have been allowed into the Euro Zone, it fiddled it's sums and folk looked the other way.
The UK's problems are all home grown and I do believe then when the 'Money Men' get what they want from the Euro, UK will be next on the list for treatment.
Probably be after the next election, a Labour win will send the pound sliding, a Tory win may buy some time but if Dave, who inspires me like my last dose, does not do something drastic and permanent then the pound will be worthless quite soon.
What Labour have admitted is bad, frightening, what the next gov will find will be worse.
Matters like the PFI have been kept off the account books and I do suspect the Good Old Gord has hidden more.
john

Having had some experience in dealing with pimco I would take what they have to say with a pinch of salt they weren't exactly top notch either when I last had to speak to them.

Me 'Where's the money from the sale we placed with you 4 months ago?'
pimco 'We sent it'
Me 'No you didn't its not in our bank account'
pimco 'yes we did, goodbye.'

Originally Posted by jonwilly

Greece should never have been allowed into the Euro Zone, it fiddled it's sums and folk looked the other way.

Looks like the games up for Greece…

"……Funds flee Greece as Germany warns of "fatal" eurozone crisis

Germany has triggered a near-panic flight from southern European debt markets by warning that there will be no EU bail-outs, even though it fears the region's economic crisis has turned dangerous and could prove "fatal" for the entire eurozone.……"


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/c...ne-crisis.html

Come on the drop in the Euro.....I've been waiting for this for the last 18 months.
Whilst I am no Financial wiz, it has been apparent that the euro banks have been desperately trying to keep the euro floated above its actual value. We had no option to take the hit on sterling and couldn't hide behind a common currency and artificial interest rates.

Like I said, I am no expert but I am sure one of the FINWO's will be along soon to put me right.

Ahh a Greek (and French) Tragedy in the making:

"Greek banks selling CDS (Credit Default Swaps) would make some sense. It’s essentially a win-"win bet. If Greece doesn’t default on its debt, protection-sellers will likely earn a nice profit. If it does, well, the Greek banks will probably be crushed anyway."

http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2010...ing-greek-cds/

Edited to add:

This also explains why the French are sooooo keen on a European bailout of Greece: the majority of that exposure is for the account of Credit Agricole, which is already in a bit of merde over Regulatory Capital issues.

Originally Posted by Ancient_Mariner

There will be riots. This time, it wont be miners chucking coal. It'll be transgender outreach coordinators chucking fake t1ts

If Sunny D sells tickets and media rights, we could halve the national debt.

Thanks for that AM - fair made I chuckle.