Marmora Man

atila the gooner Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hopefully, if this is true and is implemented, I > can go back to enjoying the occasional cigar in my > local. Bloody nanny state drives me fecking mad. > Don't eat that, don't drink this. I'll make my own > mind up thanks!!!!! ATG - I agree in principle with your stance - freedom of choice is a key right, but only as long as your decision has no negative impact on others. Choosing to smoke is fine, but imposing your smoke on me in a public place isn't. My choice to drink whisky and beer in the same public place is a free choice - but if I get drunk and obnoxious then I'm impacting on you and would expect to be thrown out and perhaps barred in future. I support the smoking ban in public places - I'd prefer it came about through market forces and public choice but I'll accept the good arising from this particular Nanny State decision.

"Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life." Terry Pratchett.

The bowler is Holding the batsmen's Willey". Brian Johnston, Radio 4 Test Match Special

When you meet serious people in responsible and proper jobs and discover they were born after you started work. When, if you fall over, your first thought isn't "bugger, what a twat" it's "is my hip OK" When offered directions to a great new pub, club, bar - you decide to go home as it's almost midnight. When pensions seem a sensible topic of discussion When, on all reasonable actuarial assumptions, you have less years before you than behind you.

Taken from the Black Cab site "The driver is not obliged to stop when flagged down, but if he does he must accept the fare unless it is over 6 miles in distance or finishes beyond the boundaries of the licensing area. If the taxi is waiting on a rank or at a stand, he or she must take the fare (unless there is a reasonable reason not to - whatever reasonable may mean)" The boundary area is the Metropolitan Police area - which does, I think extend beyond ED. Given that cetral London is, mostly, less than 6 miles from ED all cabs, once flagged down should accept the fare unless there is a reasonable reason not too. I've not experienced problems.

Wrong message

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Cor, imagine the plimsoll line on that. More info > please MM. It was a retired warship. First the RAF bombed it (and missed). Then another warship shot at it and knocked some bits & pieces off, singeing a few areas. Finally I was able to sink it with a torpedo - one shot, broke its back - stem and stern rising to the sky before sinking beneath the waves.

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > A big, real one or a bathtub equivalent? Is 2,500 tons big enough?

I once sank a ship.

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have always been impressed by those lists of > people who HAVE turned it down > > Just say NO kids But isn't it better, ethically, to have refused and NOT made the fact public?

in LOndon during the black out some London streets had left and right hand lanes to reduce bumping

Darwin Awards THINNING THE HERD 2007 Eighth Place: In Detroit, a 41-year-old man got stuck and drowned in two feet of water after squeezing head first through an 18-inch-wide sewer grate while trying to retrieve his car keys. Seventh Place: A 49-year-old San Francisco stockbroker -- who often bragged he was "totally-zoned when he ran" -- accidentally jogged off a 100-foot high cliff on his daily workout! . Sixth Place: While at the beach, Daniel Jones, 21, dug an 8-foot hole for protection from the wind and had been sitting in a beach chair at the bottom when it collapsed, burying him beneath 5 feet of sand. People on the beach used their hands and shovels trying to get him out but could not reach him. It took rescue workers using heavy equipment almost an hour to free him. Jones was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Fifth Place: Santiago Alvarado, 24, was killed as he fell through the ceiling of a bicycle shop he was burglarizing. Death was caused when the long flash! light h e had placed in his mouth to keep his hands free rammed into the base of his skull as he hit the floor. Fourth Place: Sylvester Briddell, Jr., 26, was killed as he won a bet with friends who said he would not put a revolver loaded with four cartridges into his mouth and pull the trigger. Third Place: After stepping around a marked police patrol car parked at the front door, a man walked into H & J Leather & Firearms intent on robbing the store. The shop was full of customers and a uniformed officer was standing at the counter. Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up, and fired a few wild shots from a target pistol. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire , and several customers also drew their guns and fired. The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from seven different weapons. No one else was hurt. HONORABLE MENTION: Paul Stiller, 47, and his wife Bonnie were bored just driving around at 2 A.M. so they lit a quarter stick of dynamite to toss out the window to create some excitement. Apparently they failed to notice the window was closed. RUNNER UP: Kerry Bingham had been drinking with several friends when one of them said they knew a person who had bungee-jumped from a local bridge in the middle of traffic. The conversation grew more heated and at least 10 men trooped along the walkway of the bridge at 4:30 AM. Upon arrival at the midpoint of the bridge, they discovered that no one had brought a bungee rope. Bingham, who had continued drinking, volunteered and pointed out that a coil of lineman's cable lay nearby. They secured one end around Bingham's leg and tied the other to the bridge. His fall lasted 40 feet before the cable tightened and tore his foot off at the ankle. He miraculously survived his fall into the icy water and was rescued by two nearby fishermen. Bingham's foot was never located. AND THE 2007 WINNER IS... Zookeeper Friedrich Riesfeldt (Paderborn , Germany) fed his constipated elephant 22 doses of a animal laxative and more than a bushel of berries, figs and prunes, before the plugged-up pachyderm finally got relief. Investigators say ill-fated Friedrich, 46, was attempting to give the ailing elephant an olive oil enema when the beast suddenly unloaded. The sheer force of the elephant's unexpected defecation knocked Mr. Riesfeldt to the ground where he struck his head on a rock as the elephant continued to evacuate 200 pounds of dung on top of him. It seems to be just one of those freak accidents that once again proves..."Shit happens!"

being busy doing nothing

Article about Farmer's Markets & Local Produce in this weekend's Telegraph. I did spot the new deli, Romeo Jones, in Dulwich village a few weeks back - the owner is very friendly, but it's small and expensive. Telegraph Article

East Dulwich Deli sausage rolls View over London from back of my house - today I can see from Canary Wharf to beyond Wembley - St Pauls Cathedral, Millennium Wheel, Big Ben, Wembley Arch. Luca Sourdough Breads Peckham Rye EDF

When is it proper / what is the best way to ask "Where are you from" After a check up with my new dentist I was intrigued by her accent and rather strange name. I raised the question by saying "may I ask you where you are from?" but wondered afterwards whether I had been politically incorrect in presuming she was not born British. It turned out she was Iranian.

I cooked tonight for one. A crispy skinned baked potato (rub skin in olive oil and sprinkle lots of salt) - served with tinned tuna freshened up with lemon juice and some chives. As on compulsory no butter diet used remaining lemon juice over the baked potato which was surprisingly good. Add one large field mushroom left over in veg rack and some rocket salad - yum yum but no orgasm. Prep time 5 mins - cook time 60 mins. Dish up & eat.

SimonM Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > >> Blair was a master, as was Mrs T at her peak. > > And they both dragged us unnecessarily into > wars.....which Brown has yet to do (also being > objective of course) And which were the unnecessary wars of Mrs Thatcher? The Falklands - political / intelligence cock up to allow them to be invaded unexpectedly - an act of aggression that was against international law. A proper, and well conducted, military response was carried out to recover the islands that had been invaded by another nation. The First Gulf War - Iraq had invaded its neighbouring state of Kuwait, another act of aggression against international law. Having recovered Kuwait the war stopped and the Allied forces did not carry the war into Iraq. Blair's initial wars were also justified - Kosovo, Sierra Leone. He went too far and followed the US into an unnnecessary and probably illegal war in Iraq. Afghanistan too.

I think ED baths may be closing this year for a major, and overdue, refit / refurbishment. JAGS is open to 9.30 / 10.00pm - about ?45 / month includes gymn - maybe cheaper for just swim?

-- moved topic --

We've had this discussion before. If you're spending company money a taxi is far the best option - straight from your front door to the relevant terminal. If you're travelling on your own money then its a cost / benefit question but if a family of four is spending ?750 a head for overseas holiday then taxi to / from at an extra ?100 represents, to me, excellent value. At >3% of the total holiday cost it's worth it to avoid having to herd teenagers, bags and co-ordinate them with crowded busses, tubes and trains. Travel is stressful enough - make it easy on yourself.

KalamityKel Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Have these views/opinions/grumbles been mentioned > to Barclays/Wooliwich? I mean officially? Would > be interesting to know their response :-) As the notification was handwritten on a flip chart (brand name "flipping good ideas") I took the opportunity to add my own comment to the flip chart using a free BArclays pen. Others had done the same. More will. I am sure, follow.

andypandy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I agree about the Barclays issue. The Woolwich was > great - sort of a bit like stepping back to the > 1980's but great never the less. Since our > childrens' accounts were moved over the road we > haven't been in once. I'd just like to move the > kids accounts somewhere else now... can anyone > recommend an account somewhere that's gives > reasonable rates and is geared up towards kids? > > On the subject of Internet and Telephone Banking > > I can wholeheartedly recommend First Direct who > have been great since I switched to them about 4 > years ago. Their telephone staff are all UK based > and their online banking is also good. You can pay > in a cheque at the HSBC or I tend to pay in > cheques by post. Best of all I have noticed that > they give you ?100 if you start up an account. The > are confident that you will stay but if you aren't > happy after 12 months and you want to leave then > they will help you move to another bank and give > you another ?100.....It was my 70 year old mother > in law who recommended them to me. She doesn't use > the internet banking and frankly if she can do it > anyone can..... I also know that the CO-OP (Smile) > are supposed to be good I know that the rise of > the internet has been a factor into the decline of > high street banking but I suggest kicking Barclays > into touch and welcoming someone else on board. If > Barclays are forced out perhaps we can have > another Foxtons to balance out Lordship Lane - > that would make my year.... (not) Agree wholeheartedly about First Direct. HAve been using them for 14 years with never a problem - even arranged foreign currency for a ski trip on Christmas Day once just to check out their 365 24/7 claim.

I visited the new Barclays today to help sons deposit Christmas monies into their savings accounts. I read, with despair, that Barclays will from Sat 12th no longer be opening on a Saturday. The Woolwich & Barclays promised no diminution of service when the two sites were combined but not opening on Saturdays is a serious reduction in service levels. Visiting the Woolwich on a Saturday with children was a good way to develop their savings ethos. No longer will this be possible.

Regardless of how you feel about gun laws in the USA this is one of the best come back lines of all time. Here is a portion of USA National Public Radio interview between a female broadcaster and US Marine Corps General Reinwald who was about to sponsor a Boy Scout Troop visiting his military installation: FEMALE INTERVIEWER: So, General Reinwald, what things are you going to teach these young boys when they visit your base? GENERAL REINWALD: We're going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery and shooting. FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Shooting!!! That's a bit irresponsible, isn't it? GENERAL REINWALD: I don't see why, they'll be properly supervised on the rifle range. FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Don't you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children? GENERAL REINWALD: I don't see how. We'll be teaching them proper rifle discipline before they even touch a firearm. FEMALE INTERVIEWER: But you're equipping them to become violent killers. GENERAL REINWALD: Well, Ma'am, you're equipped to be a prostitute, but you're not one, are you? The radio went silent and the interview ended.