For-profit hospitals? So they have shareholders or owners who demand yearly growth of profits on providing basic healthcare. Probably there isn’t a choice of hospital in many areas, so no competition either.

I’ve watched a bit, and think Ms Richards is doing very well. Good to see.

Greek wine? No, nobody is going specially for the wine.

Bingo. I am pretty sure the real reason for wanting a very inexperienced partner is because one is actively bad at sex and/or very insecure about their sexing skills, so get a virgin so they won’t have anything to compare it to.

Try Sylvia Day’s work, apart from the Crossfire series (a response to 50 Shades, by a writer with some talent). Not porn exactly, but plenty of sex.

Yes, I saw a synopsis of a free ebook the other day that had Darcy and Elizabeth marooned in a cabin through a storm, which is pure mills & boon!

Probably out of print now, but Victoria Holt and her various other pen names wrote fantastic romance/mystery historicals which I devoured as a child. Worth checking her out.

“Rather, she’s created a highly fanciful backdrop that shows off her characters to maximum advantage. For instance, Sir Richard, hero of The Corinthian, is a perfectly turned-out flower of fashion, typical of his time, who carries a quizzing glass and cares immensely for his cravats.”

Comedians that do stand up, especially if they’ve written a full show, like for a DVD, should probably be considered writers. A screenplay is a different form, but the basics of creativity and sense of pace are already there.

And Sly Stallone wrote Rocky, don’t forget. Doesn’t always work, of course, because as pointed out elsewhere writing is undervalued as everyone thinks they can do it, so during the Writers’ strike you had e.g.. Daniel Craig helping to write Quantum of Solace which... wasn’t good.

But the pans still need washing up too, and they don’t fit into the countertop dishwasher (titchy kitchen). So I still have to wash things up. Is this unusual or something? Does everybody else with a dishwasher get everything into it and never have to wash anything by hand ever again?

Yellowish teeth are healthy teeth, that’s what they’re supposed to look like, especially as you get older. White teeth are damaged by bleach, and will require more expensive intervention by dentists.

You know he unilaterally decided to ask Javier Bardem to star in Skyfall, and Sam Mendes to direct? I don’t think the actor playing Bond generally has that level of input but....apparently he was drunk and probably it’d be too embarrassing to withdraw the invitation. Drunk D.Craig has good instincts too, of course,…

Good! I’d like Idris Elba to continue having a great career, and if he wants that to include starring in an action franchise he should absolutely go for that and I’ll be delighted to watch it.

yup, will go with that. We always tip when we go out. It is part of the bill, but here we're still talking 10-15% if it's really good etc. In the UK you're not adding a fifth of the bill just to make sure your waiter can eat!

I made a point of asking the servers at those certain restaurants if they'd prefer cash tips and what they'd prefer. Dunno if that was helpful but they seemed pleased someone was listening.

There was a scandal here in the UK some years ago when it came out that credit card tips at certain restaurants were being used to top up staff salaries to the minimum wage. People were horrified at the idea that tips weren't 'additional' but being used as basic salary. I'm horrified that this is your normal.

USA, your employment law sucks balls, and nowhere is it more obvious than in these discussions of why it's absolutely necessary to tip wait staff unless you want to be awful and contribute to their poverty.

Checked this against my husband of 5 years, and he fits just about all of them - many of these descriptors overlap to some extent after all. So I don't think it's unrealistic or too long.

I now don't read any of the glossies, even - especially - Psychologies, which I used to read when I wanted to feel better, until I noticed I still didn't. No glossies. I read the weekend newspapers, but I skim through them on the basis that I have other stuff to do at the weekend.