Info and forum posts by 'bowfer'

RE: Anyone claiming Child Tax Credits? Prepare to lose them

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i thought it was still at £44k for CB

If any single person in the household earns approx £44k or more, they will lose the Child Benefit.
But that £44k might be the only income in that household.
Your neighbours might each earn £40k, they will keep it.
The more often I type it, the more ludicrous it seems that a household with £44k will lose it, but a household with £80k will keep it....
Just mind boggling.

RE: Anyone claiming Child Tax Credits? Prepare to lose them

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The £20.30 per week for first child and then £13.40 for additional children?

That`s the fella.
It`s £108.00 per month for us.
We`ll lose it because I earn more than the proposed allowance, but the wife earns very little.
Meanwhile, entirely feasible our neighbours on a combined £80k a year will keep it.
It just defies logic.

RE: Anyone claiming Child Tax Credits? Prepare to lose them

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I believe it affects those with only one child



2013 removal of child benefit only affects those with one child?
Source?

RE: Anyone claiming Child Tax Credits? Prepare to lose them

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What`s family allowance then?

Family allowance is what everyone with a child gets, currently regardless of income.
I`ve long agreed this is daft, it`s stupid that people who clearly don`t need it still get it.
I know people who use it to pay for holidays etc.

RE: Anyone claiming Child Tax Credits? Prepare to lose them

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One parent earning just over the 40% band and family allowance will be lost completely. But husband and wife both earn 42k and it`s fine.

I`m still hopeful that as D-Day approaches, pressure will be put on them to think again.
As you say, it`s ludicrous that a family with a single earner on £45k will lose it.
But a family with two people each earning £40k (total household income £80k) will keep it.
It should be based on the household income, and that`s that.

RE: RIP: Frank Carson

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I mention Newman and Baddiel, as a month or so ago I said to a colleague "you see that there, that`s you that is" and he started laughing, remembering something of TV from years ago

Good old `History today`.

RE: RIP: Frank Carson

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I don`t think there is a single comedian or writer (if that`s what you`d prefer to call Mitchell) of today`s generation that will be remembered at that age

We`ll have to wait and see.
But even the law of averages suggests you`ll be wrong.
Seriously, not a single one who, when they die at 85, will have people remembering them fondly?
Come on...

RE: credit card help

If the OP is only `borrowing` £800, I can`t see much better option than a credit card.
Bank loans for that amount are practically non-existent, or a very high APR.
He may be able to negotiate a temporary overdraft, but that will undoubtedly have fees too.
Really, for only £800, a credit card with 0% on purchases for a few months is as good as it gets.
Alternatively, he buys the equipment from a shop doing 0% finance for a year etc.

RE: RIP: Frank Carson

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I wonder if anyone will miss Michael Mackintyre or David Mitchell etc in this way when they die at 85...


I wouldn`t miss Michael Macintyre if the floppy haired buffoon died today, never mind at 85.
Mitchell is a funny one to throw in the mix, as he`s not a stand up comedian.
He`s more of a comedy writer/commentator, perfectly possible he`ll still be writing at 85.
I think there are stand-up comedians around today that have career longevity though.
Like Frank, their TV careers may die, but they`ll still do the comedy circuit/after dinner market.

This item was edited on Thursday, 23rd February 2012, 10:16

RE: Netflix has saved me around £54/month

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A 90% saving for far better content seemed a no brainer

A no-brainer for you, because the content suits you.
And you already have the equipment to stream it in various rooms.
The content doesn`t suit me, and I`d have to buy hardware to stream it into the bedrooms.
I`m not knocking Netflix, I`m just saying it`s far from a replacement for SKY for many people.

RE: credit card help

I`ve never had a problem with MBNA.

RE: credit card help

MBNA are doing a card with 0% on purchases for 3 months.
It`s called the `Fluid` card.
Even if you don`t plan to pay off all the £800 in 3 months, you could pay as much as you can in that time and then the balance will just be at a normal APR.

RE: Cyclist bashing.

Any serious cyclist should have third party and public liability insurance.
Save their arses being sued if they hurt someone.

RE: Cyclist bashing.

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Lol, he`s on a bike! It`s a lot easier for him to run lights and use the pavement than you, and your on foot
I can run like ****.

RE: Cyclist bashing.

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If you watch it a few times, at the start it looks like the silver driver is deliberately hugging the black car on the inside, to prevent the cyclist from getting past.
I noticed that, but didn`t take it as the silver car blocking the bike.
I took it as him trying to `force` his way into the left hand lane.
Which he evidently wanted to do, seeing as he ended up there.
I tell you what though, I`d have been out of the car and after the cyclist.
Chances are you`d catch him no problem in that traffic.

This item was edited on Tuesday, 21st February 2012, 14:48

RE: Cyclist bashing.

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On a related note, I suspect some are going to look at this and see a bad cyclist, others a bad driver (or 2)...

What is the cyclist`s problem there?
It looks like he was `staring out` the person in the silver car, I`ve no idea why as the silver car doesn`t do anything to endanger him.
Then he gets a scare when he looks back and nearly runs into the car in front.
And that`s the silver car driver`s fault...why...?

RE: Chisora and Haye, pair of thugs :(

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Like pop personalities they get away with crap us ordinary plebs would be jailed for life for

Er...what?
They avoid stuff we`d get jailed for life for?
Examples?

RE: Cyclist bashing.

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I see a fair few cyclists that are innocently riding along and I don`t recall in the last few years seeing one that was doing anything remotely wrong.
This might sound daft, but even the ones I see doing nothing wrong can be an utter pain in the bum.
A road I have to use twice a day is frequented by cyclists.
They`re cycling properly, they`re wearing the right gear etc.etc.
But the fact is the road concerned simpy can`t cope with traffic having to slow down for them, even for a few seconds.
So them being there can cause massive tailbacks.
So everyone ends up hating them just the same as if they were riding like dicks.

RE: What technological achievements can you realistically see happening in the next 50 years?

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I know they can do that now. I guess price is the problem at the mo`.

I`m unsure what stage we`re at with this, TBH.
I know you can buy pads that will charge a phone without wires.
I also remember reading about an electric car that can charge by driving onto a `plate` installed on a drive/road, rather than being plugged in.
But still a long way from a `socketless` house, I think.

RE: What technological achievements can you realistically see happening in the next 50 years?

Wireless power.
So you can mount/place stuff wherever you want in your house, without the need for a power socket anywhere near it.

RE: Cyclist bashing.

Any misdemeanours on a pushbike and your punishment is being shoved down a steep hill on a Raleigh Chopper.
That`ll learn `em, as their lives are left in the hands of the speedwobble gods.

RE: car insurance renewal... what a load of tosh!!

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You don`t really hear much about them making any losses do you.

They claim to have been losing money on insurance for decades.

http://www.car-insurance-uk-supermarket.co.uk/blog/lloyds-underwriter-view.shtml

Of course, as the articles points out, this is only based on comparing premiums with payouts.
It doesn`t take account of investments made from the premiums etc.

RE: Chisora and Haye, pair of thugs :(

It`s not exactly a modern day malaise either, is it.
How long ago was it Holyfield had his ear bitten off?

RE: Cyclist bashing.

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But as a driver and a cyclist I see far more bad drivers than cyclists

I`m not disagreeing, but at least with motorists you have a means of reporting them.
If you see a cyclist riding like a dick, you`ve got zero chance of being able to track them down.
This is why I feel drivers get exasperated with some cyclists.
The perception that cyclists think "Sod you, you can`t do anything"

RE: Chisora and Haye, pair of thugs :(

You can`t help thinking this sort of thing is precisely what boxing needs though.
Needle, hatred.
It`s been in the doldrums for years, this will draw the crowds in.

RE: car insurance renewal... what a load of tosh!!

It seems to me insurance companies are going about this all the wrong way.
We all know their `ploy` is to rely on lazy people renewing whatever the cost.
But, these days, there must surely only be a small proportion rolling over and doing this.
So the insurance companies must be losing repeat business hand over fist.
All battling instead to get new business.
More sensible second-year pricing will let them keep business instead of constantly chasing new.

RE: What technological achievements can you realistically see happening in the next 50 years?

Isn`t 3D porn called `a relationship` ?

RE: Car shopping again!

Stick some winter tyres on a BMW and they`re great.
Even on standard tyres, to single them out as particularly bad is nonsense.
I`ve had Audis and Saabs that were equally hopeless in snow on standard tyres.
Ebay is a good source of cheap winter tyres, seeing as the car itself is cheap and new ones would be a big percentage of the value.

RE: Charlie Brooker

No older than the people presenting the bloody show.

RE: Charlie Brooker

I`m back to recording the 10 O`clock show, fast forwarding to Brooker, then deleting after his bit.
And the audience is still bloody stee-oo-dents.