annaj

Hmmmm 43 views and no replies. I think my first instincts were probably correct and my trash is not, in fact, anyone elses treasure :-$

Whilst TedMax's suggestions are my favourites, I've stuck them in the offered section.... If no-one wants them I will have the most fragrant screen wash in town.

So, here's a question for the great minds of The Lounge. I have a selection of bottles of perfume that I don't use anymore, either because they were gifts and I never really liked them, or because I went off them. They're all nice brands, but I don't feel like I could give them away, because about the first 10mls has been used. Also, they're old, maybe about five years old, so I don't know if they will have gone off. So, what's the best thing to do? Just throw them out or empty them down the drain and recycle the bottles (is the environmental impact of ditching 500mls of perfume down the sink offset by recycling the bottles?) Or is there a clever third option I haven't thought of?

There is one this week... There's a thread about it in the lounge (which, by the way, is where I suspect this thread will be soon) There's usually a good mix of people there, including a few childfree 30-somethings.

*Shouts "Fire Drill!" and feigns unconsciousness* I'm a bit neurotic about fire (no, honestly, I know it's hard to believe, but I can be a bit neurotic) and have always had a fire plan wherever I live. My plan has only ever involved people though. I'm not underestimating the distress of losing irreplaceable items, but things, however financially or emotionally valuable, are just things. If the people are safely out everything else can be fixed later.

Hang in there? I didn't read Guppy's post as being unhappy with her (assuming her, because of the WI reference) situation, just wondering if there was anyone else out there. Unless I've misunderstood your posts you have immediately made one of the many common assumptions about people without children - that it can't be a choice and they must be unhappy. I have great sympathy for those who are childless not through choice, but I also know plenty of people who have chosen not to have children and are very happy with that choice. Guppy - I'm Mid-thirties, no children, loooong working hours (in a career that I love) and an active dislike of the WI. You are not alone. Edited for clarity!

*Bob* and PGC, no sympathy here, I think that's all you deserve for choosing to watch something called "Embarrassing Old Bodies"

Ooooooh sorry Mark. I should have said... 2) New Years Eve parties

New Years Eve parties.

That's horrible, Keef, I'm really sorry. Nothing more helpful to add, no idea if it's common (I mean I fairly sure it is common in one sense, but you know what I mean) but it's certainly nasty.

So, your mum holding the list is fine, but a shop holding it is crass, boring and offensive. I don't really see the difference, except that the mum option involves more work for your mum.

Looking at the wider picture I'd say this... Someone around here once said, in all walks of life there are cocks and non-cocks.... and I think *Bob*'s law applies pretty well here. Wedding lists aren't the problem, cocks are. Having a prohibitively expensive list, having different lists for different classes of guests, expecting or demanding gifts are all examples of unacceptable rudness, but it's not the list that's rude it's the people. You can't generalise about weddings or gift lists because both are only as good or bad as the people who have them. Oh, I know, that's not entirely true, good people can have bad weddings, but it's pretty much true and it's why I've taken offence. I don't like being lumped in with rude people in a lazy generalisation.

Well, let's see. How did I come to the conclusion that you were anti marriage? I think it was when you said you'd only marry Mrs *Bob* if forced. And why am I taking it personally? Well, because you have so far called wedding lists, and people who have them, impersonal, sad, depressing, boring and (my favourite) spoilt children. And Brendan has suggested that having a wedding list is boring and offensive to your friends. Feels a bit personal to me as someone who had one. And Sean, just because it's what *Bob* always does, does that mean it's not allowed to piss me off?

Look, *Bob* I get it. You don't believe in marriage and you don't like weddings, fair enough, that's the right thing for you. But I do believe in marriage and I love weddings and ours was a really important day for me. That's not wrong, it's just different. Do you really have to be so dismissive and judgemental about something just because it's not what you choose?

What I'm finding offensive is the judging of those of us who chose to have a wedding list as rude selfish gits who bored and offended our friends with our demands. We had a wedding list, after much discussion between the two of us and with our family and close friends, all of whom were in favour. Our (and their) logic was that people would want to buy us gifts and a. they might as well be things we wanted and needed and b. people find it helpful to have guidance. There were lots of things on our list that were only a few pounds and we were grateful and flattered by every single gift. A few people bought off list or gave us money and we were also extremely grateful for that. One of the most important parts of our wedding day, for me, was sharing it with people we loved and I wanted everyone to be happy. When planning I spent a lot of my time imagining how the day would be for a guest and trying to make sure it was fun and I believed our friends when they told us they'd had a wonderful day. The gifts that we were bought were mostly small, but beautiful, things that are now all around our flat reminding us of our friends and of a lovely day. Sorry if that's so offensive *Bob* and Brendan.

PGC is absolutely right, thexwinglessxbird, you have completely missed the point of vaccination. There is no point getting the vaccine once you get flu and it is not give to people who have flu. Vaccination is about prevention, not cure, that's the whole point. You stop people getting the flu which benefits the individual, by stopping them from being ill, and the population, by reducing incidence. If you get swine flu you'll be offered tamiflu, which may reduce the severity and duration of the illness, but doesn't cure it as such.

The glue will dissolve in warm water (hence the advice not to get the glued wound wet) So, if it's bothering her, and she'll stay still long enough, you could hold a warm, damp flannel over the clump of glue carefully avoiding the wound itself. Or comb it out as suggested or just leave it and it'll eventually drop out...

What Quids said. Five snidey posts about how sad and humourless we all are isn't very.... ummm.... funny.

What Quids said. Five snidey posts about how sad and humourless we all are isn't very.... ummm.... funny.

That's nothing for Louisa. Just try asking her about pizza. Alarmingly, I believe her to be real.

And I know what you mean, both about the poverty gap (about which you are absolutely right) and the previous post. At a glance the HPA figures do support immigration as the main contributor - 72% of cases in those born outside the UK. Anyhoo, that's probably enough family room time for me, I have a feeling the OP wasn't after an in depth breakdown of last years HPA stats. ps to get into the nature/nurture/genetics/would-Quids-be-the-same-if-he'd-had-a-different-grandpa debate would really be taking the thread off topic, but I'm grateful to TB for bringing us the Quids we know and love/argue with.

It's to do with all those things. That BBC link is quite old, Quids, more recent data (last year's figures) can be found here and actually show that numbers are no longer rising. Migration is a major (probably the main) factor, but coincided with the withdrawal of the vaccination programme in teenagers (which was premature in my opinion) and a widening gap between the haves and have-nots that leaves more people, particularly the vulnerable, living in poverty.

TBNHG, put dulwichmum into the search box on the top right. Please.

Fair enough TBNHG. Reading your posts again now, I have to admit they don't sound as angry as they did to me on first reading. Like Sean, I'm not trying to control anyone or anything, all I was suggesting was that it might be good manners to run it by Admin first, but I'm more than happy to conceed that this is your area of expertise, not mine.

D'oh!