Feminist Pub XVIII, in which the Bluestocking greets the first signs of spring with a glass of something soothing

I bought a printable sewing pattern with several ambiguities, and emailed the designer to suggest their English needed checking. I said I'd do it if they gave me free patterns but they haven't got back to me.

I had an editorial job once and I simply loved it. Being paid to tell people how to write properly without having to have any ideas of my own is my idea of job heaven.

I once was so embarrassed by the terrible, terrible English used on the international version of a Spanish website that I emailed them. Their reply was: could I please correct all the mistakes and send them the revised version and they would upload.

Eh no, I'm not going to do your job for you for free.

Stray apostrophes. >

I remember a Stewart Lee rant: "Show me the 10p that the carrot has accrued!"

around 45 seconds, "an apostrophe would be unacceptable for any respectable publication".

Buffy - I love your reply.

You'll love the reply. They really don't seem to have understood what I was saying at all. What's wrong with SATURDAYS? Why do their customers need the apostrophe in order to understand that the course is every week?!?! (sorry, this has nothing to do with feminism but I my grammar pedant needs to rant)

You're right, Magi, I should think of my blood pressure.....

Dear Ofelia,

Thank for for your feedback.

We had to use an apostrophe as most people wrongly assumed that it was just the one Saturday that their course was appearing, rather than every Saturday of the year. Not everyone is familiar with the use of an apostrophe, we have to go with the majority of our users, therefore the apostrophe will stay.

As for our professionalism - we are a Social Enterprise offering a site where xxxxxxxxxxx(redacted). We have not used government funding, we have built the site up as a self funded site. Our site is a perfect example of a professionally run website.

I hope you have found it useful in your search for courses.

Kind Regards etc etc

FFS, can't professional people even manage basic grammar any more?

Sadly not, Sera.

I just try to suck it up as it does my blood pressure no good, when I come across basic 'misteaks' in grammar & spelling every day.

I have just emailed a website asking them to please remove the errant apostrophes that were attacking their days of the week (Saturday's). FFS, can't professional people even manage basic grammar any more?

That's a very good question, Chopper - must be something the smaller parties in particular are very aware of in the light of the LibDems tuition fees disaster.

Just realised I was looking at the constituency we used to be in, there was a boundary change last time. But almost identical voting pattern anyway.

I'm in a true blue area - incumbent Tory has been here for over 30 years.

LordC having had a coalition govt and seeing how the manifesto policies were apportioned out in the coalition agreement I've noticed a lot of people asking what are the parties' "negotiable" policies and what would they stand firm on.

Has anyone been following Dinosaurs for All?

Anyway I'm happy to report that I've ordered three "girls" dinosaur tshirts. One for DD (probably for next summer as she's quite petite and it will probably be too big this year), one for DS this year (he'll be ecstatic and refuse to wear anything else, and roar a lot, hmm, I haven't thought this through have I?) and one for DS next year so they can match.

We haven't had any leaflet through. Or maybe we had some and they fell straight into the recycling bin.

Sometimes I wonder if those manifestos are worth anything seeing how easy it is for everyone to go back on their word. It should be a contract and we sue the hell out of them if they break their promises without a bloody good reason.

I've had 3 Labour leaflets and a UKIP leaflet. The sitting Conservative candidate can't be arsed to campaign, as it's a pretty safe blue seat, I think. Currently, Labour deserve to beat the others just on the amount of effort they're making, but I realise in some places that would be a dodgy strategy to take. Although I wouldn't be voting UKIP even if I received enough leaflets to turn my entire house purple and yellow.

I'm in a rural seat which was over 50% conservative at the last election, a bit over 20% lib and a bit under that lab, >5% ukip and a tiny green vote. Although it's probably safe conservative, it'll be interesting to see how the votes move. It's an area threatened by fracking, in addition to the Green there's an Independent who from a quick look at his site is a single-issue anti-fracking expert. I expect the libs will lose some share to those two. No idea if the kipper has any support (different candidate to last time).

A couple of months ago in Citizenship, they were split into groups and had to research a bit about a party each. For some reason DD's got overlooked and all the parties had been taken including the scots and welsh - only choices left were BNP (blocked by school's website) and Monster Raving Loony party. So she's been through their Manicfesto. Some of it relatively sane.... it's probably just as well that none of them knew about the paranoid males party.

I hope we get labour, but its pretty close with the Tories. Ukip are likely to get a good turnout around here , some of the seemingly lovely people I work with are planning to vote ukip It always surprises me when people I think I know come out with the ukip stuff.

Ours has always been firmly labour. Our MP turns up at all sorts of local events and lives down the road and I think people are quite fond of him. But he's retiring ...

I don't think UKIP will be targeting this seat so much (haven't even seen any leaflets - possibly because we've trained the kids to put such garbage straight into the recycling). Random parties don't tend to do so well here... The interesting question is where the LibDem votes will go this time around (the mayor has been re-elected since the coalition came into being, so at least some of them will still go to the LibDems). Labour seem very confident that they can regain the seat. The Tory MP (& supporters) have been out in force canvassing in the town centre.

I'm all for random facts.

UKIP didn't get enough votes here last time around to keep their deposit. This is a Tory/Labour marginal (with a LibDem mayor).

Both the refuge and the Samaritans have CCTV

I think nominations (or whatever they are called) close tomorrow. I imagine there will be more information available then. My constituency is Bedford & Kempston. I don't think we have a J4MB candidate, which makes the whole can saga extra weird...