StraferJack

what IS the climate in the building trade? because whenever I try and get a range of quotes AND choose someone, they all seem INCREDIBLY busy

question has been asked a dozen times 1 - because the staff did something about it and deserve support 2 - because they have media attention, the case could be useful for other employees going forward - the more business introduce LLW the more pressure to introduce it elsewhere rises 3 - not many of the other businesses on LL are global affairs with income in hundreds of millions and profits measured in tens of millions

"Is this practice justifiable? " never mind justifiable, you probably know why they are doing it and that's illegal (them not paying tax, not you knowing!)

"?During the negotiation process it was discussed that the amount of income available to distribute to staff would not be increasing" discussed doesn't mean agreed tho and why exactly would the amount of income available to distribute to staff NOT be increasing - as a blanket statement that seems very final

cataclysmic That's mighty big word isn't it? I'm sure I've heard it before Now, when was that..

whataboutery/10

this is the crux of modern living tho isn't it Jeremy - YOU might be able to go get another job but if everyone did that there would be nobody doing the jobs we rely on. And by rely I mean lifestyle rather than public service jobs You either believe a large swathe of the population needs to be on low wages to subsidise your life choices, or you belive that everyone is entitled to a decent wage What you can't have is some utopian market led idea that everyone will just gravitate to the job they want, on the money they want and everyone's a winner Our society demands large numbers of people do relatively unskilled jobs - I don't see why that should condemn them to substandard wages The London Living Wage is, objectively, not an unreasonable idea. So why some people/companies fight it so spitefully I don't understand

"That is appalling PB, it's just shocking " totally agree DB&B - to drag the Irish into that IS appalling. As if other nationalities don't smoke and cuss

"unverified document" doesn't suggest faith in it's autheticity

"fizzy pop" it was called on the blackboard menu in my then-local in Devon

Parents will be living much closer to the school than the staff (by and large) won't they? Seems unfair to expect the staff to take the hit

I wonder if we Arsenal fans have become blind to Song's virtues? I was glad to see the back of him, didn't think he would work out at Barcelona and was glad we didn't resign him But he DID have some great games for us and it is possible he is maturing as a person and able to tone down his more petulant side. West Ham's gain...

Well, they would, wouldn't they

Bowie and Vandross http://youtu.be/sJNfUIAjDgg Or for something thing very different, half an hour of Bowie and NIN

Couple of crackers from miga there

I'm also seeing Morrisey in there

re: future islands I've been hypnotised for a couple of weeks now. It's quite quite something isn't it? On balance I love it for NOT being another dullard in front of a mic but I'm also slightly appalled

ugh - Glasto might once have been a small, hippy mecca but for decades it has been all things to all people, a vast mega gathering. People trying to say it's "cred", "middle class", "hip", "counter culture", "square" ALL ALL miss the point It is just a phenomenal event (which sometimes is a damp squib when weather and personal circumstance conspire, but even so...)

1 year of trains for me Followed by 12 years of 40 bus Trains drove me mad. 40 got me a seat, no interruptions, closer to work and reading time.

does it tie in with this? http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/apr/14/michael-gove-standardised-school-architecture

Stella: Metallic 1664: even more metallic (of course that's the brewed under license one - get a frothy demi-pression in France and you're laughing_

The worst beer ever is Blue Moon tho. Orange or no fekkin orange.

And I thought it was just me Jeremy

"I think one of the reasons I've got on with the whole "craft" beer thing is that the American style ales are a lot more flavoursome than most lagers, but still keg (i.e. chilled and carbonated) so just as refreshing as a lager. " yup - definitely my entry point as well. Of course price of those beers then prompted me to try older-school ales and whereas I used to pay between 4--5 quid for apint, these days I'm paying just over 3. Bonus

even Stella doesn't have the old strength it used to, so even less reason to have it I see Oranjeboom in cans a fair bit down here in Sussex but as rahrahrah says, it does taste much of a muchness with the rest I can't even drink my formerly-beloved red stripe any more