mockney piers

It's uncanny ;-)

My god, everyone's losing the plot around here (apart from lostThePlot, for obvious reasons). That was fantastic android!

It was a classic case of making up for weak policies and a lack of ideas among the Sith party. Deflect public attention away with an expedient war against a largely toothless enemy and build a white elephant that is 20 times more large and powerful than was necessary; go hugely over budget and get embroiled in disputes with the unwisely chosen Firrerrian contractors and their shoddy working practices (not to mention endless kashykkian coffee breaks) who only got the job thanks to some dodgy bungs sent the way of the corrupt civil service. The money would have been far better spent bribing the races who joined the alliance mostly out of spite as they lost access to government contracts and saw their health provision slashed; bolstering the traditional fleet and making sure that the stormtroopers' armour wasn't next to useless. But then it isn't as glamorous and sexy as a big metal moon that blows planets up. Someone should really have explained hubris to Palpatine, the pesky kids will win every time if you let em.

I'm obviously in a weird mood today. Better than my usual manic monday as AD puts it though. Aaaanyhooo, the result was a strange urge to listen to David Essex - Rock On

Indeed, typical rebel alliance. In trying to keep everyone happy by producing their own patent free version of the Incom craft, they not only did it under a PFI deal, they got the wookies to make the wings, the ewoks to make the weapon systems and the bl00dy French to make the engines. I believe they then got connex to coordinate the attacks on the death star; how they managed to defeat the empire I'll never know, even with the use of the force (though now they have to call it the service, force was deemed to be too aggressive sounding)

Forget the on/off saga of Brown's bottle, in the really important news the makers of an x-wing rocket had a launch with mixed results.

Fair point, and I guess the answer is possibly. Perhaps if they ditched the Panorama moinker and got Fiona Bruce to do it, it would better suit the target audience.

Yes, some of the best dialogue in television history in AWP. Well, the first series anyway, they went progressively downhill with each subsequent one.

>'dumbing down' is a canard. The BBC has always had fun programmes - Generation Game, anyone? Yes, but Panorama was once a serious documentary/investigative journalism programme, not a docudrama/newstainment half hour slot. And news readers were once serious journalists, not pretty girls fresh out of uni. Totally agree with you regards just how much the BBC offers, but I'd ignore the dumb-quacking at your own peril.

I'm so glad you did this. I'd intended to go to sainsburys tonight, then go home for halo3 action. Totally forgot I have to take a DVD back. Oh, and Hot Fuzz.

I'm actually ALOT better than I used to be. My knew tactic is to hold my neckline closed with hand scrunching my sleeves so it doesn't into any clothing, then tight lipped hop it goes away. Of course wasps have a nasty sense of humour and zero in on the one with the greatest fear, I think they smell it; if the buzzing gets too loud I can still snap and become a loon again. Bees, spiders, sand wasps, beetles even cockroaches aren't an issue; just the garden wasp and smaller hornets. (for some reason the bigger they are the more you feel you could have them in a fight, the little ones are the ones that freak me out)

Surely in a public service broadcaster it's always better to try to elevate, even if it that's not always appreciated. The BBC's remit is to have a balanced output, but now that there are so many channels churning out dross I's say it's almost their duty to be a little bit highbrow. But then I can listen to noodly jazz or watch the late review til the cows come how, even when I haven't got the foggiest idea what they're on about. It's a great soporific in ways ready steady cook can't compete with, if nothing else.

Vast room for improvement and need to some u-turns on their dumbing down especially with the likes of Panorama and to a lesser extent Newsnight and Question Time, but still the best broadcasting institution in the world, and a necessary part of the national fabric. I'd be happier for them to up the licence fee realistically rather than hamstring resources. Let's see, who ruled on that recently, a certain 'culture' secretary perchance? Sooooo the it's ok for the olympics to go 7 billion over budget..... *edited to say here here to AD, ban reality tv and celeb lite shite from the beeb I say*

very good point Brendan, both really, you should see me dancing!!!

I reckon that goes for jaspers too. The number of times I've tried to persuade myself that I'm bigger and harder than a wasp is equalled only by the number of times i've squealed like a girl whilst running around like a lunatic flapping my arms about my head.

I think Alan's referring to Stumpy's tantrum earlier.

Really? 'Car gets vandalised' doesn't strike me as of great public interest? Was it done by the bishop of Southwark during another bout of memory loss due to a 'bump on the head'?

It was a little reminiscent of the nappy valley article a while back, but at least there was the intention of making some generic points, even if the east dulwich thing was thinly veiled. But it was was an entertaining enough lighthearted article even if it did prmopt my eyes to roll in a pavlovian response to mentions of tealights. If she'd have dared to use snorky's patented 'cookwank' I'd have been much more impressed!! For a moment there I thought Janice Turner was a pseudonym for Louisa.

Exactly. Whereas the women do it over a glass of wine in a 'bar'. Mars and Venus huh!

*enters quiet room, removes Manolo Blahnicks and massages aching feet* *hunts through presses for packet of ritz cheese crackers and Fortnum & Mason Gentlemans Relish* *puts on some Debussy and gazes out of window at the broiling surf crashing on the jagged rocks* I love autumn.

I should be able to pop my head throught the doors. The George is Mrs Mockers' and my traditional meeting point on the way back from work/ireland anyhoo.

As most people who've met me I'll pretty much rabbit on about anything to anyone, hence my verbal ... err ... cursive(?) diarrhoea here

In what sense? It doesn't seem to star Jack Palance, nor skinny beardy half breed spaniards with 3 day growth and a big nose. You mean the news footage? What you mean you don't remember the giant penguin invasion of May 2004, where were you, on holiday?

Just IMHO I can totally see the need for counsellors, but I can't see myself going to one as long as I have good understanding friends and pubs around me when things are a bit tits up, and yes, understanding pubs alright ;)

I wouldn't be so sure. This is a foreign invader, not our nice native type, and they bite (figuratively and literally)!! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6128042.stm