trigger_andy

I just bought a Esse Ironheart. Not gonna install it for a few months but looking forward to running it when I do. Does get some mixed reviews but on the whole they seem to be positive.

The Unions in the UK seem quite useless. All talk and no action, but I think the members make the real difference in Norway. If Baker or Schlumberger are having their rights removed then Halliburton employee's will join them on Strike. Its very well organised and the Unions tell the Service Companies and Operators which Rigs they will take out of action. They will then try and mediate till the issue is resolved. Often it ends up as a Strike and we'll go on strike to get the rights of the competitor back, or improved. These guys are risking their jobs for guys who dont even work in the same company. Its really quite something. The Companies are banned from using other workers to cover the guys on Strike, from Norway or the UK (for example) The Union members will then patrol the Heli-ports making sure you're not going to that particular rig to fill the role of the position thats on Strike. Then the Rig has to shut down Drilling as they need these positions. This puts a lot of pressure on the Service Companies not only from the Union but from the likes of Shell as they are losing out big time. Its generally soon resolved. Yes, over time is great! I think Ive had close to 40 days OT this year. But we only get OT in our off periods, or if our trip goes past 14 days in our on-period. The State Pension in Norway is another great example of a country rewarding hard work. You pay into your own state pension pot. The more you earn the more you personally pay in. Its capped though, at something like 100,000nok a year. So I have at least 1,000,000nok in my personal State Pension. When I retire (62 or 67) I get that sum divided over the current life expectancy time period. So if the average is 82 years when you kick it, then whatever's in your own pot is divided over 20 years. In the UK regardless what you pay in tax you'll end up with the same pension as a SmackHead. And are the SNP planning on a State Pension like Norway? Of course not. Im on 46% tax. But like most people I overpay 12% that gets paid back in Junes salary. Its called Holiday pay as Holidays are not covered by the employer. But 12% back in June is a nice tax free (already paid) lump sum. All over time and off-shore bonus is taxed 50%. Norway still allows you to claim back 25% on the interest paid on Mortgages. That really adds up, could be as much as £3000 back in the summer. I pay my NI here in Scotland as well. Just to keep my contributions ticking over and to use the NHS. Another 6 years and I'll have the 30 years needed for a full State Pension, whatever that will be by the time I actually retire. Bugger all I'll assume.

Ahhhh, I see that now. Was getting late.

Im not 2 on 4 off. Im 4 on 4 off, but in my work period if Im not needed I just wait at home, so end up doing less days than someone on a 2/4. Yes, for the Norwegian Sector it must be very expensive. They tried to drop it in the last down turn but the Unions stopped it. So there is no reason why this cannot happen here in the UK/Scotland is there?

Trolling or drunk. Left me the cream?

I’m not following? What benefits do you imagine I’m wanting? The same as I receive in Norway? Personally it won’t matter to me as I’ll continue to receive them from Norway regardless. Scotland under the SNP will never offer anything even remotely equivocal because their voter base are dossers. You’d need an adult party to come in and make the changes that are needed but Scotland simply does not want these changes. But “benefits” was not one of the three main reasons I gave in reply to your question. Clearly you’re not happy with that so you head off on another spurious tangent.

Drunk I think?

Its a quandary is it not? But Ive more than qualified my stance and my reasons for not currently willing to vote for it. To highlight; 1, We've had a democratic vote, we chose to remain in the Union. I am as opposed to Indi#2 as I was to a second Brexit Vote. 2, I do not agree that independence from England yet joining the EU is any form of independence. 3, Where we to get Independence under the SNP there would be a political vacuum that would not be filled giving them a free pass to run us into the ground. We'd end up as Pinko Commies. I think that about covers why.

Surprised you still have the eyesight to type that. Me, Id never buy one of thems nsoihspmksPMscojnsps oijsd +jid qw0+id\,WSD\

Found some time to do a bit more with the Bed. Drilled out the rails for the hidden fastener bolts and cyt 2cm Tennons on the Rails as suggested by someone on here. Morticed the Headboard uprights to take them, then Spent the best part of a day and a half Sanding, shaping and gluing the Head-board together. Today was some final detailed sanding of the dowels etc and started on the Danish Oil. Next the Footbaord to crack on with now. Kinda fed up with it to be honest. But my Daughter really likes it and is looking forward to getting it finished. Here we have 23 month old inspecting the headboard before Im allowed to oil it.

Well it finally arrived today. It looks hardly used. Very well packaged and cost far less to courier up than it would have cost for me to drive down to get it. Will sit in the shed till we get started on the Kitchen. The Oven looks untouched as does the hob.

More so than having them on the Dole? Consider that many might no longer be on the dole after they leave, so future savings there.

Cheers Mull thats the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Good point, I dont see it coming any other way other than through the SNP. If there was another Party in Scotland offering real independence then it would dilute the vote and make it appear that less people in Scotland want independence and to remain in the EU. I do get that. But the SNP really should stick to getting independence then look at re-joining the EU. It should not be lumped into one. I know many in Scotland say to vote SNP, get independence then vote them out, but with whom? The political vacuum would last for years. If people think its bad with a Tory Majority I shudder to think what a hash those clowns would do wielding real power. Then to bring us our from the fireplace into the fire, swapping a Westminster yoke for a Brussels one, one that is clearly demonstrated with Brexit to be neigh on impossible of breaking free from, and when we do try we're publicly ostracised by the block. If Scotland where to join, but then chose to leave in the future could Scotland face this barrage and intimidation from the EU? In my mind we'd be crushed to smithereens. We simply dont have have the econimic power that the UK. .

100% agree.

Its a bit of a mish-mash but Ive got a baby on my lap and cant quite concentrate. It is a complex industry with so many support industries supporting it. I can imagine there is similarities between them, my old man was a Tree Surgeon (his words) so I have a small insight into your world. I think an independent Scotland under the SNP would squander the reserves in much the same way as Westminster, just in different ways. The SNP have touted the way Norway works as an independent country yet they dont seem to be remotely interested in emulating anything they do over there. One point comes to mind, as Im getting it in a few days; we dont have a child minder or put our 23 month old to nursery so the Norwegian government are thankful that we are not a drain on the state funded positions and give me £750 a month for 11 months. We applied in March and its just been approved. so we'll get all 11 months tax free in one go. Can you imagine the SNP ever giving someone above whatever threshold they come up with anything like that back to those that pay the most in tax? I agree with your assessment, in general the Scottish mindset is gimmie gimme gimmie. We feel we deserve it, regardless if we've worked for it. Everything that goes wrong is someone else's fault, if no one obvious is to blame it must be the English or Westminster holding us down. The sense of entitlement of those with little or nothing to offer is staggering. If Scotland did follow the Norwegian model, and did so accurately then yes, Scotland could be a fairer and more prosperous country than it is today. It would take a long time to change the mindset of the average Scot though. Some 'right wing' standards would need put in place to get people out of the gutter of self entitlement. There would be a huge uproar over this. Ive said it before but Norway has some very stringent rules/regulations/laws that would be seen as outright right-wing. So I just cant see any Scottish Government adopting them, because they would lose the vast majority of their sponger voter base. So we get our oil and whiskey back? Great, we'll still blow it quicker than a smackhead on benefits day. Then like a Smackhead we'll look for someone to blame. But I think if independence is worth perusing then a period of going 'cold Turkey' is needed. We really do need a massive step-change in our collective mindset and a huge slap in the face to wake ourselves up. Norway has conscription into the Armed Forces. It really changes the youth for the good. Ive seen apprentices leave as little boys and in two years return as strong men. The Government guarantee they can return to their job. If they have a mortgage thats put on hold till they come back to the workforce. There is just so many reasons why Norway works and Scotland would not. Not at first anyway, maybe in 50 years? I still think its a worthy dream though, but under the SNP and yoked to the EU? Categorically no.

Im simply replying in turn to each of the comments you make. Its as best anyone can do without a blether in the pub. If your comments dont hold up to scrutiny when broken down into sections then I think that kind of proves my point? You dont normally post unsubstantiated soundbites but you do seem to have veered off into this territory of late. I'll assume its down to lethargy due to the election results. You know as well as I do that referencing precious on-line comments is not quite as easy as that. Otherwise you'd have dug out my 'extreme right wing' comments like you said you would but then conceded. What government brought about that reduction? I dont really have an issue with taxing corporations more. Im sure its not as simplistic as that, as you allude to. But I thoght we where taking about 'rich' people and not corporations? 'Rich people' is a very subjective term, one painted by the SNP and Labour very differently than say the Tories. But yes, tax Amazon more. But then watch their prices go up and me buying less off of them and their profits drop and they'l' pay less taz again. But with the added bonus of less VAT being generated as well. I really dont know what the answer is here.

I dont see the SNP emulating Norway in the way they manage the proceeds of their reserves. Well, firstly Norway initially bartered for the rights to the Ekofisk field with a Drunk Danish Politician. He thought Oil was worthless and basically gave it away. Norway also made a point of quickly replacing Yank Drill Crews with locals (But we did the same in Scotland as well) Norway offered a sizable stake in their shelf to Sweden in return for a share of Volvo but where rebuffed. The Government also aggressively bought out Norsk Hydro (they made heavy water in WW2). One way or another Norway seems to have landed on their feet when it comes to their reserves. So yes, Norways oil fund is huge. But its locked away, its not for Norwegians of today, but the future generations that might not have any oil left. The Oil reserves of the UK/Scotland where and continue to be squandered by Westminster. They where used to back up the UK's Credit Rating in the 70's. Scotland sees very little in way of Oil and gas revenue. Yes, Aberdeen does OK, but as soon as there is a recession or oil slump there is a line outside the Beemer and Audi Dealerships with folk handing back their keys. Norway is heavily unionized. Im in the Union. Its very very very strong. The union members have a vastly different mindset to people in the UK. British Oil workers are generally scavengers who'd steal your job as soon as look at you. They also seem to come from the quite poor backgrounds and with next to no education, much like myself. In Norway you simply dont get a job in the Oil or Oil Service industry unless you have an education, they appear to me to come from families with better backgrounds. That could be because Norway is significantly wealthier than Scotland and there is a larger pool of educated high working class/middle class young men and women to chose from? So the unions fight the Oil Companies and Oil Service Companies at every turn. We go on strike almost yearly and we win almost everything we fight for. The severe loss of standards the UK workers where forced to take in the last down-turn was fought and won by the unions. We where told the cuts where needed both sides of the water. In Norway it was proven they where not. We even got pay rises. There is more to the Norwegian Continental Shelf than just Statoil Hydro. (Then just Statoil and now Equinor) there is over 30 Operators including ConicoPhilips that have the massive Ekofisk and Elfisk behemoths. BP with Valhal, Shell, ENI, ExxonMobil, Lundin, Neptune, Respol, Total and Wintershal. All these companies pay significantly more in tax to the Government than they would do in the UK. They also have to provide much better food, accommodation and rotations for the personnel. Everything the UK sector repeatedly states they cannot afford. If they can drill for oil in the exact same shelf, in the same water, in the same conditions then there is something very fishy going on where more and more operators are popping up in Norway under these more stringent conditions yet they cry poverty in the UK. But Scotland has not had a single hand in any of this. Westminster has allowed and quite happily continues to allow our reserves to be squandered.

So what you're saying is you just dont like his personality? Because he does not have, what in your opinion, is style? When? How do you quantify a pathological liar. Can you post up some links that prove not just him lying but to his lying on a pathological scale. Because he refused to submit to Andrew Neils mauling? Is that the only example or is there more? Well thats a matter of opinion. Its not one I share. His schooling record would beg to differ. I believe he had a scholarship to study at Eton? Its really a charade that many fall for, to their determent. Big deal. Seriously. You mean the nations reaffirmation that thats what we voted for in the first place? Care to quantify that comment? Id be interested to see what in the Manifesto points to that actually happening? So you're allowed to try and minimize your tax exposure but people better off than you are not?

You just have to look at this picture to see where the oil fields actually are in the North Sea. Most of the UK's Oil reserves are West and East of Shetland. The Brents, one of the two world Benchmarks for Oil is way up North. All England has is Gas.

Is that the fishing or oil boundary? Worth a read'; Did Westminster remove oil fields from Scottish waters in 1999 with rushed, undiscussed boundary changes, and if so will revelations about this help the pro-independence side in the referendum? - Quora WWW.QUORA.COM And do you think the only oil is in the North Sea? I also think you should be thankful you posted that on-line hiding behind your keyboard.

I really dont see why you have such an issue with BoJo. What has he actually done(whilst in office) that you find so terrible? What items on the Tories Manifesto do you find so despicable? I really dont get it. I know its trendy to hate the Tories but surely you dont buy into what the Luvies tell us? You may not like the politics of trading insults but I dont like the politics of who can offer more to the the lazy for free. But thats what the general population wants. You want to change politics? Then you need to change the mindset of the average man and woman in the UK:

You’ve started emulating MarkJ in your random outbursts.

Did that story involve repeatedly going against the democratic will of the people? I forget.

I somewhat agree. But if its a NO again do you think the knuckle dragging goons that are the SNP will finally shut it?

What are you taking about? Scotland voted to stay in the union. That makes Scotland apart of the UK. The U.K. voted for Brexit. Game over. You lost! Twice it would seem.