Has anybody seen the Sunday Times article today about how Goldman Sachs helped Greece to massage it's international debt figures down by exploiting a loophole in Europe's government accounting rules, thus giving the impression that Greece was tackling it's problems and making good on promises it had given when it joined the euro? It was achieved by interest swap deals, apparently, and earned Goldman Sachs a nice $300m in fees (all set up by a trader in their London office).

Not confined to Greece either, allegedly Italy was at it as well, aided and abetted by investment banks feathering their own nests.

How much more damage are these outfits going to be allowed to get away with causing to the global economy, whilst being treated as sacred cows by governments who want them protected "because of the money they bring in". Bring in to where, exactly, other than their own pockets?

I've not seen it, but I can well believe it.

I remember reading about how Anderson accounting massaged the figures to get Greece into the Eurozone in the first place - in return they got 500 million in fees

Have a look to see who are on the board of these companies. You'll find a lot of politicans' friends and family, as well as some ex-politicians

It stinks and is a side of the economic crash that isnt being told as well as it should. "Democracy" is rotten

I watched a good documentary by Michael Winterbottom the other day - The Shock Doctrine. It will make you weap...

I've just been back in England, Suffolk to be precise, and it's a frightening place if you smoke, drink, eat out or want to buy a house. Or don't like Eastern Europeans. Or the damp cold.

The county town was full of charity shops and mobile phone shops, one next to the other down most streets.

I still loved the Britishness of the place, maybe I should say Englishness in view of the anti-Scottish discussion earlier. I also noticed the strange politeness of people I came across and it took a grumpy Spanish air hostess on the flight back to Spain to remind me that politeness isn't universal across Europe.

That was my experience on my recent trip back to my old home town, I'm not knocking the place... but it's not for me!

On my Christmas trip back I was in and around Birmingham.

The only striking thing I can say is that I just cant cope with the crowds any more, I'm not used to the throngs of people. Also the driving .... its so agressive.

Although I would agree that people seem ruder than I remember, maybe thats just down to me not being there all the time. If you get away from the centre to the suburbs then it's not so bad at all.

I believe this came up a short while back and another guy up my way was saying how pleasant it still is up here.

I like my home village more than ever before.
It's almost crime free,.... and well policed by the local bobby in a friendly manner,....most of the folk are as friendly as ever apart from a few townies who have moved in and seem too concerned about their morgages to relax and join in the social scene.

Many of the eyesores have been cleaned up and replaced with pleasant amenities, old tub and rail lines landscaped and turned into numerous country footpaths, walkways and nature parks.

OK a few immigrants have moved into the area over the years, but they have all fitted in nicely, in a very friendly sort of way and do their little bit to contribute to the well being of the area as best as can be expected in these difficult times.

All in all, I am just as content back here as I am when in Spain.

We live in the biggest village in Norfolk, I won't name it because some of you sad twats think that just because I post on an internet site it gives you the right to try and find out everything you ca about my life and try and use it against me.... anywhooooo....... and its not what I ever wanted, its a big, sprawling village, a far cry from my isolated Dartmoor house, with a MASSIVE family of proper travellers living in it, a huge new housing estate, a big company who employs A LOT of Eastern European agricultural labourers and even our very own dogging site just up the road. We have petty crime, oil has been stolen from peoples tanks, the police raided some houses in the village up the road and arrested 72 illegal farm workers and we even had an attempted murder suicide last year but you know what is making me worry my nuts off today? The fact that not only did I have to pass up going shooting this morning but I am also unlikely to go to work tomorrow because my truck has decided to shred 3 of its 5 belts yesterday.....

My point? Its all about perspective, if you live your life worrying about the riots in London or the price of Diesel at the pump then you are going to live a pretty miserable life, worry about the shit that affects your life, not the crap you have ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OVER!

Oh and Mitzy, if you want the coordinates of that dogging site, just let me know eh?

Surprised you mentioned that amongst the negative factors. Surely it's at least one interesting positive factor.

Nothing much new about specialised dogging locations.
They've been going strong longer than I can remember.

sounds like a pleasant weekend in my home town, nothing unusual, except you don't seem to have the prostitutes that accost you as you get out of your car to use the ATM, that is if the ATM is still there as there seems to be a team of Eastern Europeans who have picked up where the last lot left off after they were jailed in December.
The growth in local industry is based around illegal "vodka" stills, despite a couple of guys getting blown up when they lit up too close to the tanks. Now we know why you are not supposed to smoke at work.
The Eastern Europeans now not only have their own shops but also their own employment agencies, complete with mini-vans to pick them up by the crossroads. The last lot that turned out to be illegals came from an agency that had been charging VAT on the transaction but not passing it on to HMRC who are owed over £2m, they were working on foodstuffs packaged for a well known highstreet supermarket, who suddenly proved they were 3rd in the chain of supply so nothing to do with them. But their buyer has suddenly left for "new opportunities"!

sounds like your place is a holiday home for our lot

I sit here imagining a group of Spaniards down the road having the same kind of conversations about us lot

Oooh! a discussion about the UK....that's a suprise

Isn't thats strange? I was thinking the self same thing! Great minds eh? Or fools , not really sure.

I found that too, living in a small hamlet as I do a crowd to me now is anything more than four people.
I also noticed the aggressive driving, it's much the same as here now with nobody following the rules of the road, fortunately my hire car escaped without any damage.

I frequently had to drive on late mornings and late afternoons in a car that automatically switched the lights on when it was gloomy and they were on for most of the time. The car, only a Ford, also switched on the windscreen wipers automatically when it rained, and they were on for most of the time too.

But ignoring the gloomy weather, the charity shops and all the rest of it, I enjoyed my stay in the UK. I've been trying to fathom out why and put it down to familiarity with a system I know better than Spain's.

I came across mostly politeness, but on the odd occasion when I needed a quick word to rebuke some rude person, I didn't have to fish among my knowledge of Spanish to find the appropriate word, I even surprised myself, I think it started with an F most times.