Maiden22

Sorry to be boring, but the truth is probably somewhere in-between. The idea of chucking out beef after 3 days seems bonkers, but so does the "oh, had a lovely bit of beef the other day, came up from the Titanic, nowt wrong with it once you scraped the mould and eels off" brigade. Same with sell-by dates on things. I avoid things if they're in Roman numerals, but food doesn't turn into poison at the stroke of midnight on the use-by date. Having said all that, I'd imagine that we're less able to cope with things than our parents were, because the fastidiousness of hygiene legislation these days leaves us less able to develop our immune systems. Last thing: how does this come up? Are you a man or what? Cold joints never last more than three days if I'm around - there's just no way to resist. Same for cold roast potatoes - even better the day after! Robert

I have to say that I can see both sides of the argument. I think that Dr Scholl's opinion is supported by a lot of evidence, although I wouldn't like to see similar laws here. What might be appropriate for the States wouldn't be right for the UK, in my opinion. Handguns for sporting purposes, certainly, and defend yourself and your family in your own home using anything to hand. Beyond that I think it is a very slippery slope, as others have said. That is to say, more nonsense from Mung: 1. The nation's guts are expanding at an alarming rate as it is. 3. I thought that you Essex chaps had your own way of getting "free" Aston Martins anyway. 4. Mrs Maiden is exceptionally well "ahem" endowed. Not so much a generous bosom as an absolutely profligate one. As for number 2, petrol does cost about 2p per gallon (before Broon swoops on it). Having said that, get the link up and I'll sign number 4. Robert

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You are not alone. Almost no point in going away, for that very reason. Sigh, indeed. Robert

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May be guilty as hell or inocent as the babe unborn, none of us have the first idea. However, in my opinion the case absolutely stank and shouldn't have got to court in the first place. If it it had been a random punter, and not someone like Jill Dando, nobody would have been put in the dock, and this would have been just another unsolved murder. Whether he killed her or not, it's important to remember that he is innocent. I don't criticise the police for their handling of the investigation, but the police response ("disappointed") to the recent verdict is disgraceful. The police are there to uphold the law, and not to criticise verdicts they don't like. Juries decide guilt or innocence, not the police. Before people start to explode in rage, there have been and are plenty of societies where guilt is not established by due process of law and a jury of citizens, but instead by agencies of the state. They are not and have never been preferable to our own. Robert

. Actually, not quite. We need an "I'm with sensible" thingy. Tragic, but as Mung says, beyond the glossy brochures these can be very dangerous places. Robert

Shocking how you can lose your licence for minor offences in such a short period of time and have your life turned upside down. Hardly Professor Moriarty stuff is it? Hope you manage to get things sorted out. Robert

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I am in Yorkshire (not native, but tolerably assimiliated) and nobody has mentioned anything about this much-vaunted "Yorkshire Day". As Bob says, absolute nonsense. In fact, nonsense on stilts. A day for bloody everything these days, drives me round the bend. Having said that, fantastic rhubarb http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof_forcedrhubarb.shtml . Scroll down to the bottom for a recipe involving pigeon. Robert

Difficult, but better than swallowing someone else's manliness . A wise policy - tedious, pampered, condescending Hollywood lefty do-gooder. Visits planet earth rarely. Robert

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