mockney piers

Well two things. Firstly why is a ban the obvious position? Secondly the pejorative 'guardian(ista/ reader)' is usually levelled at those who would dictate others' behaviour in the name of 'political correctness' (doubtless gone mad). Whereas here it's against those who simply believe we live in a free country where people can do what they want within the bounds of the law. You can't have it both ways. Anyway, I find clown outfits deeply disturbing, I suggest that's next on the list once we ban burqhas, oh and probably bikinis; my gran certainly doesn't approve and is a paid up conservative (and reads the mail and complains that my cousin married a 'darkie') so she must have some leverage with the incoming government to get that measure through.

Sorry chair, cross posted. Back to being loving parents...

So that's just under 1% have ever served a sentence for a sexual offence. Actually that's still alarmingly high isn't it!

Plus only 13% of convictions last year were for sexual offences. I guess they will be longer so the current population will skew towards the more serious crimes, though looking at the stats it's negligible. Altogether a fine bit of statistical abuse to proffer misinformation. And I'm still not sure to what end. Why don't you just say 'all men are rapists' and be done with it. If this was a way of courting praise by saying women, lesbian or no make better parents, then fine, but you might want to look at your methods of doing so; I'm pretty sure an opinion would have sufficed. http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/population-in-custody-06-2009.pdf

Wow, a wonderful post. I'm doffing just about anything I can find right about now!

Mind you if Tony Cascarino can captain Ireland I guess anything's possible.

Ha ha. Whoops. Learn something new etc. There goes his international career!! ;-P

I've thought Bale has looked a great prospect for a while. Obviously some maturing to do and it will come with experience. Hopefully the future looks bright for England. I reckon our Tomkins could be a tidy prospect too.

Step brother a redblooded hetrosexual heartbreaker. I suppose militant lesbians (whatever they are) miiiiight try and influence. If that's even possible, I don't know, but can't see that's any different to, say, bringing them up to be a certain religion.

Clearly it is all a bit odd, and I'm sure the parents will get sick to death of explaining it to people over the years, bu in a funny way I bet you their gender roles will be more concrete in their household than many others. I mean I'm going to be taking some indefinite time off come march/April to take care of the new arrival and missus mockney will go to work as she's keen to pursue her career agressively and I'm hit an Office Space level of ennui with sitting in an offIce for the time being. Basically it's a funny old world. My young step brother was brought up by lesbians from the age of 11 and he's just graduated uni and is a fine young man, though admittedly the mums have often said how grateful they were having me around as an avuncular male influence.

Judging by the poor state of parenting so often displayed in our papers I'm inclined to say as long as they're good parents it doesn't matter if it's the offsprig of a Martian and a hyena being looked after by a transgender communist catherine wheel and a space hopper.

There is an innate problem with electorally democratic politics that an encumbent needs to be seen to be doing something. So there is a perceived (possibly justifiably) pressure to change things and tinker and put ones stamp on something. Small c conservatism has a lot to say for it, but it shouldn't be a philosophy more a pragmatic starting point. Capital P progressivism was basically a small l liberal one, but he world has changed a great deal in over a century. Like much in politics in the millenial Anglo-Saxon world (another misnomer I'd live to see ditched) these labels are by and large meaningless but Libertarian, Progressive and Conservative play well to the gallery.

It's called grindr; if you're into that sort of thing, enjoy it.

Let's play a fun new game, it's called unravel the sentence. Here we go. Lot room you a @#$%&'s for sake @#$%&ing get good luck!!!

Goodness knows the tone is low enough elsewhere, lets leave the drawing room as sacred ground ;-)

James Swallow the 2000AD and sometime Doctor Who and Star Trek bit novels author? Pray tell? I was of course referring to the Grand Academy of Lagardo in Laputa and getting the sunbeams out of cucumbers. I would have thought that reference would have been like a rallying call to the sceptics and denialists no?

Recent very dissappointingly bad ones: Envelopes Architecture in Helsinki Wolf Parade Futureheads Howling Bells Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Stephen Malkmus (recentish, though recovered sharply) oh and back on the good ones, Vampire Weekend dun good!

Well I haven't heard the new one, but I thought they were pretty consistent. I loved mezzanine, but it is darker and less touchy feeling than protection for sure Right, Radiator for the Super Furries, and I'd nominate them for not doing much wrong if you can get past the odd self indulgent weirdness and of course the Welsh!!!

I like Dara O'Briain point about how his Irish friends recently told him they've decided to embrace the recession. He said the British people embraced it before it even arrived are thus of a better mindset to pull themselves out of it. Of course it helps if you have a government that isn't in denial over what's happening, on that score the Irish are several steps ahead of us.

Oooh Jefferson Airplane. Takes off is a bit dull, Surrealistic Pillow surely one of the definitive sixties creations full stop. And then it all turned sour again. Thy should hang their collective heads and apologise to the world for Starship too while they're at it.

Then there are the bands that imploded under the weight if their egos. ELO and Yes spring to mind. The eighties weren't kind to any of the seventies prog era bands were they (well musically, financially some did well, Phil Collins who must have done some evil pact to create such dire turgid shite and sell 150 million albums!!!!!!!!!)

Inwasnt taking the pee SP. I do like it, it's not a great album but there's a place in my heart. Though truth be told it's essentially a John Squires tribute album to his favourite artists isn't it, ooh that's the Stones one, hmm Hendrix etc.

How could i forget that FnB. One of th best albums of all time. Mind you, I'm still waiting for album no 3. Elf Power doesn't really fill the void. Which reminds me, Beirut was another one crushed under the weight of expectation.

Weirdly prefer Doolittle, maybe it was the first one I heard, eiher way spanking start by he band and yes, downhill from there.

Yes, yes and yes sean, quids and FnB respectively.