h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

George Burns actually *did* live to be 100. he didn't enjoy it much when his 100th birthday came. He booked the London Palladium for the day, but was too ill to keep the commitment. The last time he went out in public was to play cards at a Hollywood social club. He was in a wheelchair, and was accompanied by a nurse. He enjoyed the company of young women, but by then he was probably just grateful for her medical services.

I'd love the company of young women, another reason why I need a massive lottery win

You and me both!

I've forgot what you do with one, but it would be fun learning again

by the way - hows your dad ?

My Dad keeps trucking along. My sister comes out to help him early I n the week, and I go out on Fridays when the dump is open.

NOW that could be taken 2 ways

"I go out on Fridays when the dump is open" does he shut the "house" up after your sisters been then ?

she cleans for him and you take the rubbish/trash out

Neither. The dump opens at 1:00 p.m. on Fridays, so I help him load his trash in the back of my car, and bring him and it to the dump.

typical council refuse service, they empty the trash/dustbin, but here anything else and you have to pay £10 per item - due to government cuts

That sounds a bit steep.

our council is nearly bankrupt government funding's are being cut everywhere and on everything (except the on the rich)

The rich have large households full of servants to maintain. Or have I been watching too much "Downton Abbey"?

we suffer cuts on everything and in tomorrows budgetit looks like benefits (including housing benefit) is going to get hammered as well

I am so sorry to hear that. Please accept my sympathy.

On some level, I think that many rich people sincerely [if wrongheadedly] believe that their lifestyle and investing style so benefit the economy that they deserve tax breaks. I am very skeptical of their belief, but I don't doubt its sincerity. I ask, though, that people of means try to be sensitive to those less fortunate whenever there is extreme want. The poorest of the poor have nothing to cushion them against loss. You wouldn't treat a dog that way, so why a living human being?

we have "conservatives" and "labour" plus other parties

our con's are like your republicans I think ? the rich ones - look after your own at the expense of the masses

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33415476

at a rough guess they always hit the easy targetsus!

Part of their worldview is that it takes a fair bit of capital to create a job. That's more true in some areas than others, of course, but if you want mill workers, you'll need to build the mill first, and then the assembly belts, and then the parts. Those don't come cheap. You take a lot of risks in building these things, and if they flop, all the money that's lost is your own.* Your workers can hopefully move on to other jobs elsewhere, but no one will mop up for you. Reward and risk are connected. The more the risk, the greater the reward, but also the greater the chance of going kerblooey.


*Well, not always. If you borrow he money from banks, or sell shares on the open market, you can bring down a few banks and bankrupt some shareholders as well. It's complicated, but prudent shareholders learn to diversify, [you are not rewarded for risk if you haven't diversified], and most developed countries protect small bank account-0holders by insuring deposits under a certain level.

And if you never put your money at risk [assuming you have any], you may actually be taking the greatest risk, because it wouldn't grow much in low-interest savings accounts.

the problem here and has been for many a year, is no one will invest anything unless it's 100%, but over the years, many "inventions" have gone abroad where folk WILL investThis country has lost billions and billions because of that dogma

Your country seems to have some screwy people running things. Again, I'm sorry. All I can hope for is that individuals [including yourself, of course] will take whatever measures they can salvage some of life's comforts.

the place I used to work was like this - we make stuff and are happyas we have the world market. BUT! the world build new machinery and could produce faster/cheaper. Our firm wouldn't update machinery and so went dinosaur.

This country is the same - it will not invest in itselfand what "we" called 3rd world countries are now leaving us standing in technology etc and YET! we still will not invest

Some of the newer technologies allow developing countries to work around their lack of natural resources. In much of Africa, for instance, solar panels the size of an iPad are mounted on roofs, giving enough power to recharge cell phone or radio batteries and keep one light burning after dark. Kerosene imports are way down as a result of this. It's way cheaper to build a few cell phone transmission towers than put up rows of telephone poles for land lines.