Should Berlin Fritz Take A Seriously Long Break From This Forum ASAP ?

Why??

What? With a general election just around the corner, followed by Champions league and FA Cup finals?

What the hell would we do for wind ups?

7^

quote:

Originally posted by 7V:
What? With a general election just around the corner, followed by Champions league and FA Cup finals?

What the hell would we do for wind ups?

7^

The first ever Jewish Prime Minister in British History would be a good start for the Iraqi debate, innit ?

Fritz Von Benjamin Had to Denounce his faith

Graham,

Of late I've found your posts to be less of the rambling variety and more in keeping with the topics in question.

Why quit now when you are actually engaging in conversation here with other posters and not just continuing some of your rather opaque monologues/disrupting threads with tangental/incoherent nonsense that at times typified your presence here in the past?

Keep up the good work as you clearly have a lot to offer.

If I ever go to Berlin I'd like to look you up as well as your mate the Chief, innit.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Toy:
Keep up the good work as you clearly have a lot to offer.

Lord, that's encouraging him, innit!

EW

Anyone who can last as long as Fritz has in foreign fields is deemed to be allowed the privilige of some rambling and incoherant conversations. Undoubtably they contribute to the preservation of what little sanity he may still retain.
Fritz puts in long hours at the console and with an imagination that knows no bounds he is a treasured member of this forum.
Having said that he can also be unconscionably obscure; however this trait is also the at times a problem for forum members who live outside the UK. I give Mr. Fritz full marks for being as well informed as he is. Whether he is well formed is another matter and I am sure he will always be diplomatic in replying to this question.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Toy:
Graham,

Of late I've found your posts to be less of the rambling variety and more in keeping with the topics in question.

Why quit now when you are actually engaging in conversation here with other posters and not just continuing some of your rather opaque monologues/disrupting threads with tangental/incoherent nonsense that at times typified your presence here in the past?

Keep up the good work as you clearly have a lot to offer.

If I ever go to Berlin I'd like to look you up as well as your mate the Chief, innit.

Damned by faint praise?

Nime

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Toy:
Why quit now when you are actually engaging in conversation here with other posters and not just continuing some of your rather opaque monologues/disrupting threads with tangental/incoherent nonsense that at times typified your presence here in the past?

Keep talking sense - I can handle the bollix, me old bratwurst.

Fritz Von Pocket Billiards (innit?)

quote:

Originally posted by Berlin Fritz:
The first ever Jewish Prime Minister in British History would be a good start for the Iraqi debate, innit ?

Fritz Von Benjamin Had to Denounce his faith

There are some who would say "once a Jew, always a Jew" regarding Disraeli.

As far as Howard is concerned, I must admit that I was surprised when they made him leader of the Conservative party. If elected I guess he'd be 'tough on Israel, tough on the causes of Israel' but goodness knows what the Muslims and Arabs would make of him.

Asa Jew myself, I would feel a little uneasy with a Jewish PM at this time. It's slightly strange that this aspect hasn't been discussed in the media, isn't it?

(Since you brought it up)

Regards
Steve M

Steve,

I'm sure the media would bring up the subject of Howard's religion if they thought he had at least a sniff of getting into power!

Fritz,

If you go now who's going to tell me what's in the latest issue of Private Eye every week?

Cheers,

Jon von

Fritz

Did the child porn thread get to you a bit? Not a subject for this forum etc.

Please don't quit now, Fritz: now that the forum has risen, phoenix-like, from the ashes of the er... forum, the removal of a key participant could result in catastrophic instability, leading to an irreversible nosedive. Don't you want to stick around to see it happen?

Only kidding - the forum's Zen master [i.e you] would be sorely missed. But do try to move back to your original style: if people know what you're talking about they might not know what you're saying.

quote:

Originally posted by 7V:
Asa Jew myself, I would feel a little uneasy with a Jewish PM at this time.

Speaking as an atheist, I find that most offensive.

quote:

Asa Jew myself, I would feel a little uneasy with a Jewish PM at this time. It's slightly strange that this aspect hasn't been discussed in the media, isn't it?

I think the great majority of the British public (excepting some Labour propagandists) don't 'see' Jews. Some years ago a German newspaper referred to the 'Jew Rifkind', I'd never even thought about it, I thought he was simply Scottish.

Paul

Fritz could be likened to Bartok String Quartets.

Bloody difficult at times but ultimately rewarding.

(I don't think Bartok made quite so many typos)

Nime

Graham,
Since the demise of the old forum and the removal, assisted or otherwise of quite a few of the imo more compassionate members of the forum,only now to be replaced by new members that ,and I do generalize here, and it is only my opinion, seem to have some rather extreme views on life.It would be a great pity, if the forum should lose another, of the now sadly few forum members that look on others not so fortunate as them selves a little more compassionately and thoughtfully.
So please hang on in there, it's now getting to be a bit lonely, and a bit of a up hill struggle for those seemingly few that are left and walk the same path as yourself.
But if this is one of your famous wind ups, as a long time atheist and pacifist, I will come over there and with my own hands assist you to meet your maker
oldie.

quote:

Originally posted by JeremyD:

quote:

Originally posted by 7V:
Asa Jew myself, I would feel a little uneasy with a Jewish PM at this time.

Speaking as an atheist, I find that most offensive.

JeremyD

I'm easily confused and often miss the blindingly obvious. What is it that you find offensive?

Deane

I'll pop in now and again still I feel.


Fritz Von I wonder how the 2 million+ Israeli National's who happen to be Arab, feel about their leader ?

Good - keep around you can be likened to the grain of sand that creates the pearl <g>

Or perhaps the gadfly on the horse's arse of Athens?

quote:

Originally posted by Deane F:
Or perhaps the gadfly on the horse's arse of Athens?

Sounds bubble to me Dave ?

quote:

Originally posted by oldie:
Graham,
Since the demise of the old forum and the removal, assisted or otherwise of quite a few of the imo more compassionate members of the forum,only now to be replaced by new members that ,and I do generalize here, and it is only my opinion, seem to have some rather extreme views on life.It would be a great pity, if the forum should lose another, of the now sadly few forum members that look on others not so fortunate as them selves a little more compassionately and thoughtfully.
So please hang on in there, it's now getting to be a bit lonely, and a bit of a up hill struggle for those seemingly few that are left and walk the same path as yourself.
oldie.

Seconded, thirded and all that. We need some left leaning guys to counter-balance some of the (increasingly so?) right-wing Daily Mail-esque posts of late (read the election threads for a general overview). Scary.

Andy bringbackthebirchthatswhatIsay

Quite Right Quite Right, innit !

Could somebody please explain to me (briefly & basically if poss) how (quite rightly so too) a Mature Student in UK gets full financing for Uni courses etc, and a Young Student must pay (eventually) for the same privelage, and end up in debt, which is seemingly the reason also why so many drop out before actually getting their degree (irrepective of its quality) ?

Fritz Von Just Wondering Like ?

quote:

Originally posted by Berlin Fritz:

quote:

Originally posted by Deane F:
Or perhaps the gadfly on the horse's arse of Athens?

Sounds bubble to me Dave ?

That was meant as a compliment Fritz. I'm sure you'd try the hemlock too if it was made by a reputable brewery

quote:

Originally posted by Berlin Fritz:
Quite Right Quite Right, innit !

Could somebody please explain to me (briefly & basically if poss) how (quite rightly so too) a Mature Student in UK gets full financing for Uni courses etc, and a Young Student must pay (eventually) for the same privelage, and end up in debt, which is seemingly the reason also why so many drop out before actually getting their degree (irrepective of its quality) ?

Fritz Von Just Wondering Like ?

As I've studied at five universities I'll have a bash.

England and Wales (Scotland is different)

First of all you have to differentiate between course fees and student loans.

Course Fees

If you are a resident of this country (but not necessarily British) in general your local authority will pay your fees. Depending on your parents income if you are a youngster or your income or combined income if you live with a partner (a mature student) you may or may not have to pay a proportion of these fees. This contribution was around £1100 last year, probably more now as it was going up £50 a year.

Student Loan

This is a loan paid in three instalments during the academic year. All students can apply and again depending on your circumstances - living in digs or at home, dependents etc etc - the amount you get varies from about £3000 to £6000 a year. When you finish at university and go to work and start earning over a certain trigger figure, you then start paying back the loan in monthly instalments. Interest is added monthly. If your income never reaches this trigger figure the loan becomes void when you reach retirement age (65 at the moment).

There are various grants and bursaries run by different colleges and other organisations. But the above is a basic overview of the system at the moment.

'Mature' students can range from 20 year olds to old buggers like myself in their 50s.

It is quite complicated and I probably haven't covered all the various permutations. Thing is to remember the difference between fees and loans.

Andy