Zebedee Tring

You said it Jeremy, I didn't. Argument, if this means a polite agreement to disagree is one thing, but aggressive put downs in a supposedly superior sounding tone are quite another

Huguenot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What did I say that couldn't be said in public, > ZT? Are you reading the same thread I am? What I said was that you wouldn't make some of your inflammatory (or indeed agressive) statements to the face of the person you're attacking (and that has included me in the past), not that you wouldn't say these things in public - that's very different. The reaction that you might receive from the person you're attacking might not be something that you would appreciate (to put it very euphemistically).

I'm not identifying myself with m&m fairy's views, Huguenot, so my political principles don't come into it. However, one of my main principles in life is that I can't stand bullies and never have been able to do so, and this is why I was defending m&m fairy. You're a bully because you wouldn't dare to make some of your inflammatory statements to the face of the person that you're attacking but you only do so on line. "Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows eh?" How do you know whether I'm miserable or not? As it happens, it's not the best of times since my mother-in-law died over Christmas and a friend since schooldays died in the New Year. Aside from that, I'm perfectly well adjusted and happy.

Don't bother trying to argue with Huguenot, m&m fairy. He was spiteful to me on another thread. Take my advice - ignore him and with a bit of luck he'll go away and try to bully someone else.

No London Mix, I don't think everything should go on as it is - of course not. However, as Lewisham has recently finished upgrading its A&E department at considerable expense, I think that it would be a total waste of scarce NHS resources to close this facility so soon. And what is more, the hospital is located in a densely populated and deprived area.

I note that Lewisham has recently finished upgrading its A&E department, at considerable expense I believe. It would be a total waste of scarce NHS resources to close this facility in what is a deprived area. But we're all in this together, and we need the money to fund cuts to income tax for those top earners who have had such a hard time in recent years, so of course it will be worthwhile.

Perhaps, readeye, you would be good enough to explain the significance of the attachment to your post and its relevance to this thread. I am not a good enough linguist to understand it.

Clearly, I should have put the words "irony alert" at the end of my post. I had my tongue firmly in my cheek, because I am concerned that so many threads on this Forum seem to descend into class warfare - and this is only the latest one. In case anyone is still confused, IMHO Iceland is as capitalist an organisation as M&S and I don't kid myself otherwise.

I think that it's a great shame that workers co-operatives such as Iceland with their unmistakeable villagey atmosphere are leaving the area, only to be replaced by robber barons of capitalism such as M&S. I love the Haight Ashbury vibe of the area, with so many bohemian people with flowers in their hair, sitting on bean bags and eating macrobiotic food. All those lovely communes and no bankers, advertising executives or corporate lawyers anywhere to be seen.

A sentence straight from the Dictionary of Cliches, along with "tell me about it!", "get a life!" and "I don't believe I'm hearing this!". As I said earlier, two wrongs don't make a right. There are dangerous motorists, many of whom should be locked up, but there are also dangerous and careless cyclists, who are very often their own worst enemies, e.g. those who cycle at night in dark clothes with with no lights.

See Gimme, this is a story from uncleglen which isn't a 'nearly' story

I will not dignify your latest post with a considered reply, Huguenot, although I possess the academic qualifications and knowledge to do so. You appear to be unable to debate an issue without being personally rude, and I will not debate with people who cannot treat people with whom they disagree with a modicum of respect. So don't bother to reply because you won't get a reply from me.

Huguenot, you're twisting my words. It was you who first used the phrase "Such a lot of bizarre claptrap on this thread!" and not me. This phrase is what I objected to. To repeat what I said earlier, you are of course entitled to your opinions but so are the rest of us. I would be interested to know whether you subscribe to the "trickle down theory", namely the idea that tax breaks or other economic benefits provided by government to businesses and the wealthy will benefit poorer members of society.

Gimme, I agree that cyclists often have a bad time from car drivers, but two wrongs don't make a right. There are very many cyclists who let the side down because of their arrogance and dangerous cycling. And I reserve the the right to post accounts of accidents or near accidents that my wife and I have suffered, no matter what you say and however much it annoys you.

Huguenot, you may disagree with the views of other people expressed here. However to talk about "Such a lot of bizarre claptrap on this thread!" is very arrogant. You are of course entitled to your opinions but so are the rest of us, and what we say can no more be classed "bizarre claptrap" than your statements.

I couldn't agree more. And we should require employers to pay poor people who are in work a living wage, so that we don't have to subsidise firms paying lousy wages. What about the contribution to the deficit of the massive tax avoidance perpetrated by the likes of Google, Starbucks, Philip Green, and numerous other billionaires and multi-millionaries, not to mention the enormous bail out funds paid to "too big to fail" financial institutions? And prospective cuts in top rate income tax to those billionairies and multi-millionaires who obviously need extra incentives to work harder?

But that's just it. Other countries subsidise public transport much more heavily, while means that the less well off are more able to use it. We have by far the most expensive railways in Europe, and the "competition" that was supposed to result from privatisation has instead led to massive fair increases. Though we do subsidise air travel by not taxing aviation fuel, thereby encouraging people to fly from London to Glasgow rather than pay enormous Virgin rail fares. And so called "distortionary ticket pricing" adopted by other countries helps to take cars off the road since people are then more likely to use public transport.

The sad fact is that in this country we rely too heavily on the private sector to fund public transport (see also the relatively recent Jubilee Line extension to Canary Wharf and beyond). Virtually the whole of the national rail network up to WW2 (including of course the London Underground) was a collection of private built railway lines. In France, a country which has mainly had right wing governments, they have spent public sector money building the RER, Paris Metro extensions and new TGV lines - they don't seem to have the same ideological aversion as the UK to public funding of infrastructure projects. Nevertheless, if it's a choice between the proposed Northern Line extension or no extension, I would choose the extension. Now if you were able to persuade the US Government to build their embassy in Dulwich or Herne Hill, you might just get that Victoria or Bakerllo Line extension.

Many thanks for your kind words, Mick Mac. I'm glad that you appreciate my comments.

This intruder is lucky that he doesn't live in the USA. He would by now have been blasted into oblivion. I am of course being ironic and am very glad that, unlike US citizens, we don't all have the right to bear arms.

The last time that I remember reading or hearing such insults was in the playground when I was about 12 years ago (many, many years ago). It would be a good idea either to continue the debate in rational terms or to close the thread down. If that doesn't appeal to you, why don't you arrange to meet and just have a damn good fist fight?

In spite of the installation of the new pedestrian crossings, lots of people are still jaywalking across LL towards the Goose Green end. Perhaps if they installed lights every ten yards or so, this would stop this habit (irony alert). Personally I am very much in favour of the new crossings, since these days I am far more often a pedestrian than a driver.

On so many occasions I have been crossing at a pedestrian crossing and have been nearly hit by a cyclist who had totally ignored the crossing. And don't start me on the number of cyclists who treat pavements as high speed cycle tracks. At least a couple of cyclists have killed pedestrians in this way. My wife was nearly injured by a cyclist who was cycling in the road while his dog was attached to a lead and running along the pavement. She had to jump out of the way. And the sanctimoniousness of some cyclists, who feel that they are saving the planet and can therefore do what they like, makes Bono seem shy and modest by comparison

fredricketts Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It is not meant for any indivudual, were there is > big money > to be earned there will always be corruption.and I > have known > Property develeopers in the past to have paid to > get there > Projects through planning.Why are the planners set > on pushing this through?and > When it is so obvious that parking problems in > East Dulwich are increasing every day. > And overcrowding is increasing. Its time residents > were put first > Over profit.It has always been the same, > when,unless there is > a big uproar the council will do what the want, > and it appears > More flats and houses no matter what the cost to > residents ways of life. > And it makes it easier for the parking services to > extort money > Out of us. Once again what evidence do you have for your claim that "too many back handers are floating around"? The fact that you are unhappy about this application should not lead you to conclude that there must be corruption. I know that it's fun to put forward a conspiracy theory, but you can't just make allegations without anything to support it. Look what happened to the people who tweeted about Lord McAlpine. This is not just a private chat in the pub, it's a public messageboard.

Natashay Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Whilst I love the 'dine in for two' offers I > really think this will have a negative affect on > our village feel and the local shops will suffer You mean the "village feel" that one experiences when one enters Iceland with its olde worlde charm?