Don't blame me, I didn't vote for them. . . . .

I've a number of friends there. Pretoria and Johannesburg are open to easy relocation - but they're both somewhat Londonish and occasionally deadly. Forget the Cape, you need money to relocate there... Friends in Botswana love it, and it does appear to be more stable than many of the other countries in the region.

Martyn

My family were a gnats away from becoming 'Ten Pound Tourists', some years ago. Odd really, the true genetic King of England currently lives there...

Martyn

I think that any process of consultation and listening is somewhat dependent upon the method of making proposals known. 'leaking' in order to maximise media attention and provoke evokative knee-jerk responses is NOT a good way to develop inclusive, rational 'grown-up' discussion or indeed to get qualititive feedback or constructive responses.

You are partly right though. Politicians can't do anything right.

Martyn

Now now, don't be nasty about YF. Not until they release certain funds anyway....

Yes, that's one thing to call it. But it does rather depend on who is listening to whom.

What a fine, proactive, upstanding, competent and unbiased organisation they are - eh?

Slaps on backs and large Jaguars all round...

Martyn

Absolutely. Reminds me of a substantial registered charity I was once (and only once) involved with, who not only wasted a large sum on a Jaguar for one of their bigwigs, and then lost it. Quite literally.

On or around Tue, 13 Jan 2004 13:21:59 +0000, Mother enlightened us thusly:

I'd willingly go for a deal like they used to do, whereby you used to work as a lumberjack or on the railway for 2 or 3 years, and thereafter get citizenship.

but they don't do it any more. It's a sad fact that all the "nice" places to go are boodly-nigh impossible to get into without a job, influence or money or sometimes all 3.

I'd quite happily go and be a self-employed land-rover mechanic/taxi service/welder/odd-job bloke[1] in fiji, or somesuch place, for example. But I seriously doubt that's possible just like that.

[1] i.e. much what I currently do...

On or around Tue, 13 Jan 2004 11:19:06 +0000 (GMT), snipped-for-privacy@zhochaka.demon.co.uk ("David G. Bell") enlightened us thusly:

except that the people with no insurance, for the most part, have no money. Besides, that's one of the things that IPT is alleged to be paying for, and which we all pay for anyway. There's a thing called the Motorists' Uninsured Loss Fund or somesuch, which is funded by the insurance companies and I assume government.

I maintain that the third party aspect of motor insurance, i.e. the compulsory bit, should be governement run and part of the vehicle excise licence thing.

additional insurance for fire, theft, own damage etc. would and should be left to the market to play with, as now.

On or around Tue, 13 Jan 2004 12:38:49 +0000, hugh enlightened us thusly:

yebbut, my idea of consultation is not "we're going to do this unless you all complain too much", which is how it's often reported, at least.

One of our members is planning to drive down to South Africa in his

101. When he gets there he's got a job waiting as a 'tour guide' or somesuch for a Safari company. 6 month touring holiday, job at the end. Does make one wonder why one is sitting watching the rain :-(

Martyn

or added to petrol duty?

Martyn

In message , Mother writes

Media attention is determined by the media people themselves not the politicians.

In message , David G. Bell writes

Just because someone doesn't agree, doesn't mean they haven't listened.

In message , Austin Shackles writes

But reporting is in the hands of the media, not the politicians.

Of course it is, what on earth was I thinking?

I can't believe I nearly suggested that a politician would ever contemplate manipulating the media or spinning a story. sigh...

Our money is in good hands, taxes are fair, there is no crime and a small piece of green fungus has just invented a cure for cancer...

Martyn

do u think it,ll catch on?

In message , Mother writes

Oh dear, poor gullible little media people.

On or around Wed, 14 Jan 2004 11:56:01 +0000, Mother enlightened us thusly:

indeed. 'specially with all this obllcosk I'm getting about insurance just now...

feckers. I've phoned 3 of the big adverts in LRO, all of whom loudly proclaim no problems for all sorts of cover, none will provide what I want.

which is, of course, not the brokers' doing, as such, in that they're restricted by what their underwriters will accept.

I do find "what's the best quote you've had so far" to be a leading question though. WTF does it matter? Are they gonna decide how low to quote based on that, or are they making a genuine attempt to find me the best price?

bunch of gits.