mockney piers

a bit tenuous. I think to shrub means to prune, which might be closer. I'll go with it for the mo' Gushing with enthusiasm only to be lumbered with tacky pants? (8,4,5)

i was thinking shrub, but couldn't make a double literal out of it. axe = shrub? Is it a type of guitar?

LozzyLoz, yep and yep, once I've won the lottery. AnotherPaul, the day I've been forced back to Letchworth and my my spirit is crushed by life...around 45 i reckon ;) *Bob* absolutely true, I gather there are some of those paediatricians* down Kings College Hospital, quick, get the torches and pitch forks. *apologies to snorky who made this reference a while back

Ooh, that was easy. If I spent less time on the forum perhaps I could get some meself. okey dokey: Axe Bush! (5)

Motorbikes are far far more dangerous than cars statistically. And part of the reason why the years of decline in accident figures has recently started reversing, is the sheer numbers of mid-life crisis blokes getting themselves killed on powerful bikes they can afford, but haven't had an adult lifetime of progression from their first moped onwards to know how to stay alive on the damn things. Me, I'll go for one of these when the time comes.

good effort. I really should devote some effort to doing my own crossword here...but what the hey Kinky daughters: a capital sight when they get changed (3, 6)

"The reason I raised this story as an issue was because so many people like to talk about how wonderfully safe the transport system is" A ha, a deliberately sensationalist headline then?!

Not really [Keef], as far as I've read this is the thrust of his argument. That if people aren't being rational in their day to day actions, then how can we expect them to be rational in their choices of politics and policies and politicians. And how can we voters then expect those politicians to behave rationally. He's saying, in his horribly sibilant tones, that mediums aren't actually harmless, they're contributing to a dangerous blindspot in the social fabric. You only have to look at the States (where else) to look at the red states, poor, agrarian, vulnerable, who vote in their droves for a republican party that appeals to their twisted morals but actually sells them down the river or sends them off to war (down a river perhaps) for their buddies in big business and the military.

Finally a voice of reason. That's exactly the issue. I have no problem with people holding different beliefs, it's when president of an fundamentalist evangelical bent allow their hotline to god to govern policy and when a Prime Minister who hangs around in Mayan birthing pools and values creationism in the science class joins said president on a 'crusade' of all things, then we really do need to worry.

Sorry Jah Lush.

"Reiki comes form the energy in the atmosphere that we all are linked to." I hope you're not going to betray my childhood by changing your mind and claiming they come from midi-chlorians

I've noticed that there does seem to be a misapprehension on here that science is some sort of exclusive, gnostic, patriarchal conspiracy that feels threatened by the wonder of spirituality and mysticism. I can't quite square the circle there. The whole point of science is that it is always open to attempts to debunk or disprove. Theories are hypothesised, tested and hopefully proved or disproved, or at least held to be a satisfactory work in progress until subsequent research deems otherwise. Indeed in attempting to disprove theories scientists often end up proving them despite themselves, such as millikan's attempt to disprove Einstein's particulate-wave theory of light. After a few years of research he not only proved it correct, but calculated the value of Planck's constant...good work fella. Through science we've eradicated many diseases, made huge medical advances, found treatments or cures for many cancers. We take it for granted that we can be anywhere in the world within a day, we can talk to each other anywhere on earth, we can watch important events unfold before our eyes as they happen. I can't say as witchs' brews or acupuncture have done much about smallpox or malaria. Scientists don't deplore the teaching of religion in schools, but of the reverse this cannot be said. Religion and superstition see science as a threat, not the other way round. Well, in the states anyway, C of E and even the Catholics actually recognise evolution as the best theory, they just like to see the hand of god in it, as it is, presumably, in everything. Science doesn't have to deny things that aren't understood, but it retains the right to test them, cats in boxes or uncertainty principles aside (well, not aside really, how nice that quantum physicists introduce these elements of doubt rather than zealot preachers). If scientific thought and methodology is open to question, then why should other ways of thinking not be so.

Aaah, rats backwards, us money. Excellent!! ps Private Eye

Funny, that's just what tom cruise said. Well, it was difficult to hear, muffled as it was by his closet door ;-)

I must say my first impression is that it sounds disturbingly like scientology. No parallels I trust?

I asked this morning, apparently windows fell out of the shopping centre and smashed down on the concourses, upper and lower. Knock it down sooner rather than later i say.

You besmirch me young MacGabhann. It comes from the same crossword (out today if that helps) as: With top off, Donald's getting "wood" - rarely done? (4, 5)

OK, time to sort out the men from the boys. How many definites do we have for 1 pm this saturday afternoon, Belair Park cricket ground 3? Me..

Arses raised US money for global chain (9)

That's great asset, thanks. I could give you our ip addresses and perhaps you could ping the server with nice aphorisms like "I can accomplish anything because I am efficient and enterprising" "I radiate charisma and personal energy" or "I can tap my full creative power whenever I wish", that should do the trick.

We've a couple of problems with our scheduled overnight processes at the moment. I'm going to stop with all this stupid scientific checking for bugs or issues in our data, and wave my hands over the servers. Hopefully the cosmic energy should sort the problem, or at least make the server feel better about itself. You might want to suggest that to the phorum developers.

and can your team stop leaking goals and start scoring some, am in minus points in CPT fantasy football league!!

I loved a vox-pop on the news once about crime where the chap said "They should put 'em all on a desert island and throw away the key" lovely :-D

I'm sure it was like the case of the man in Life of Brian, who swept up in the religious fervour proclaims "I WAS BLIND AND NOW I SEE" Before falling headlong into the pit in front of him.

Don't know if this was real or just harry enfield, but I always loved his "I say what I like, and I like what I bloody well say"