old man's amazement and ranting

Am I just being an old fart? Last night after a couple (well three, actually) pints in my local, I took myself to a good hamburger place at Belsize Park. About six tables occupied, and at three of them were youngsters of no more than seven or eight. One of them was younger. It was 10.15pm. No grumbles about the kids, who were behaving and being charming, but should they not have been in bed? When I was their age, bed was at about 7.30pm latest, and I slept like a small log (twig?) and got up bright and early the next day. At the 'burger joint, the parents looked knackered and were half asleep. They clearly should have been home and long abed, let alone their next generations! Do they not want their young ones to grow up strong and witty, to take over this morass of a country in due course, and make something succesful and honourable of it? After all, they must realise that their generation is making, as mine made, a right ruddy mess of it.

Department of Gross Greed and Arrogance. The papers have reported that, despite the cataclysmic state banks have brought themselves down to, a total of £7billion is to be paid in bonuses to senior bank personnel for the financial year just ended. Well, I don't know what you'd think, but if the government has any guts (a forlorn hope?) should they not instantly claw this amount back pound for pound, or maybe two pounds for pound, from those banks which have been bailed out with vast sums of taxpayers' dosh? That's our money, thine and mine! The bankers bleat about contractual commitments. Hey, buddy banker, had the good ol' British taxpayer not rescued you, there'd be no contract to bleat about, since you'd all be out of work.

And there's more... Michael Cane is very exercised at the possibility of having to pay 50% tax on some of his income, and threatens to leave UK for USA. "We've got 3.5 million layabouts on benefits, and I'm 76, getting up at 6.00am to go to work to keep them". Very generous, I'm sure! Look, Mikey baby, here's a couple of suggestions.
1) Stop working. You've earned lots. You don't need to earn any more. This will take you below the 50% tax band.
Or 2) go on filming but for much less, even nothing, (which will have the same effect on your tax bill), which would enable film companies to use more of their budgets to employ and pay more actors, many of whom, being out of work, you doubtless believe are amongst your millions of layabouts. (Were you never desperate for work and pay? I seem to remember that you were occasionally, pre- Zulu.)
Or 3) just fuck off to the USA.

Andrew Lloyd Webber (Lord Lloyd Webber, or is Lloyd Lord Webber -- never been quite certain), is also less than happy. He says that the 50% tax band would be "the final nail in the coffin of Britain plc". Don't worry, young Andy, we'll make sure you're in the coffin too (with a bottle or few of red of course), before that final nail goes in.

I feel better now!