civilservant

Thank you, MM, "marginally more nuanced" - I'm sure that the Daily Telegraph would so love to hear your endoresment! Lovely also to share your knowledge of British Imperial disengagement policy at its highest level. France and particularly Belgium as baselines for reference... hmmmm... Given that we still have a lot of explaining to do about the opium trade, the Malaysian Emergency, the Mau Mau rebellion - just to take some top-of-head examples at random - I agree that they are the only way to ensure that Britain comes out ahead of its co-players in the Imperial game. I would be very interested to hear your explanation of why "many African states fell into corruption and dictatorships" - I'm really looking forward to it.

This is shaping up to be the new M&S/Waitrose thread! I would love there to be a proper indie cinema in ED. But we've already got Cinema Paradiso and the Ritzy is very near. OTW, I don't think that there is enough unmet demand to make this a viable economic proposition.

MM, does this count as a nuanced view? http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/willheaven/100048709/the-history-of-british-india-will-serve-david-cameron-well-as-long-as-he-doesnt-talk-about-it/ It is from the Daily Telegraph after all One of the links in the article is to this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_famine_of_1770. I won't insist that we consider this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_famine_of_1943 as there is still some dispute about the (British) administration's culpability. I quote you: "those of us capable of a more nuanced look at the world can see both the enormous benefits that came out of the Britsh Empire as well as the many negatives - tho' many of those negatives are only so in the light of today's mores and not, of themselves, absolutely wrong or evil." and ask two questions man-made famines - are these an example of what is no longer negative "in the light of today's mores and not, of themselves, absolutely wrong or evil."? benefits of Empire - yes, of course there were/are many, but you seem to be using ends to justify means. Do I understand you correctly? No longer so easy to defend Empire. Even the Queen's advisers suggest she lay it to rest http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/honours-list/9249069/Queen-should-take-the-Empire-out-of-our-honours-system-say-Lord-Lieutenants.html,

we swear by Father Ted

No one minds how far you come provided you bring your own contribution and share it. It's free-loaders who aren't welcome.

the Tough-ty Club? I was tickled to see in Wikipedia or somewhere that "squirrel" comes form the Greek for 'tail that provides shade'

Small daughter and I went up to the South Bank, clutching flag designed as part of school Jubilee-related activity. Looking back, I really can't think what possessed us, except the feeling that daughter shouldn't suffer for parent's scepticism re "historic" event. Staying home with damp towelettes a la maxxi while waving the flag might have been a lot more sensible... The river bank was jam-packed with people clutching bottles of plonk and Sun-sponsored flags. Security staff everywhere turning people away from vantage points unless they had tickets, invites or the right corporate-sponsored wristband. Politely asked a number of people 'Can my child - not me - get around you to catch a glimpse of the flotilla. She isn't tall enough to block your view.'. Universal answer "No, we've been here for two hours and we are not going to move". Afterwards, the Festival Hall looked like a refugee camp. The loo queue snaked all the way around the ticket lobby, harrassed bar staff rushing around trying to cope and sodden people sitting exhausted on the floor, anywhere they could find a spot. The river walk itself full of enormous puddles and strewn with trash, the train stations a nightmare of overcrowding and no buses until you got to the Elephant. Lovely!

AC, my turn to apologise I speak as a humble admirer of your wit, wisdom and general guard-doggery against forum trolls, lite or otherwise Group hug, everyone (except the nasty people who set their dogs on smaller animals). Have a good weekend yourself!

Oh dear - no need for apology, humble or otherwise - I was just a bit worried about being lumped in with the hunting, shooting and squirrel-baiting brigade. Anyway - we met a squirrel in Peckham Rye Park this morning. He was very tame and stood up and begged, even though we had a dog (on a lead) with us! Silly squirrel. Some passing girls went 'awww' and even took snaps. The squirrels in Battersea Park, Hyde Park and St James's Park do the same - beg, I mean, not take snaps. There used to be one who had his regular pitch at the Queen Anne's Gate entrance to St James's Park. Given that all these squirrels get away with it in other parks, are park-goers in Dulwich more brutish than in Peckham or Central London (wonders civilservant, inviting further controversy...)

On the footpath past Green Dale, I was hit by a falling piece of bread - looked up to see a squirrel perched on a branch chomping away on a slice as big as itself. A magpie was sitting next to it - they seemed quite comfortable together, although the magpie did look as if it would have liked a share of the bread... Back home, no sooner do I put a fat ball in the bird feeder than the local squirrel ruffians do a Mission Impossible-style upside down raid on it. The birds wait to see if there's any left! We've got a lot more birds as well as the cheeky little fluffy-tailed blighters this year - possibly since some of the local cats moved away.

Thank you, Otta. Tallulah, can I say that I think dogfights, catfights, cockfights, bullfights, cagefights, [add your fave fight here] are ALL deplorable. So... the point that I was trying to make is that when dog fights dog, or mouse fights mouse, the fighters are (usually) picking on someone their own size. Or being made to pick on someone their own size. Any fight in which someone is outclassed by their opponent e.g. squirrel against dog, is not a fair fight, and is therefore worse than deplorable - and anyone who promotes it is wicked. AND I said that Delainie was perfectly right to write about it on the forum and should not have been accused of trolling OK?

Delainie, I agree that you were right to post about these people's cruel and barbaric behaviour and I am sorry that you've been accused of trolling. Dogfights are deplorable, but a dog is fighting a dog. Siccing a dog on a squirrel (or even a rat) is just wickedness.

The crows may have had unfortunate experiences with cats before. They are very bright birds and have long memories - see http://news.discovery.com/animals/angry-crows-memory-life-threatening-behavior-110628.html for example but frankly, I am finding it very difficult to feel sorry for your cat. Its species is responsible for the wanton killing of backyard wildlfe - see reports on other threads of cats attacking bats and killing fledglings - so those crows are being very sensible. Probably best to keep it indoors while birds are nesting.

stationary parties or moving parties?

Alec, I didn't mean to quibble - believe me that I am hugely impressed at the way you've met this challenge

Well done! But shouldn't you factor in the cost of your road miles? And wouldn't some of your stuff have been even cheaper at Iceland?

what Sue said

a burglary? An acquaintance who runs a business in Forest Hill was burgled some weeks ago by a gang who came in through the ceiling from the empty flat above.

the chicken song - spitting image

the use of the word 'crispy', other than by a small child the person who gets onto public transport and sits on one of the last two adjoining seats, ignoring the couple or the mum and child behind them, who then have to find what seats they can and sit apart from each other

I read Embassytown at one go while in bed with flu... afraid that I was not in the best of conditions to appreciate the thatness of anything! I still think that the later battle scenes were a bit... over-long, shall we say? But I agree that a lot of tedious stuff is passed off as SF these days. It seems to be sold by the pound as well - where have all the editors gone? Although you must admit that a nice bit of noir-ish cyberpunk once in a while is good fun - Richard Morgan or early Walter Jon Williams, say.

people who keep reviving the EDF's M&S/Waitrose thread

bad moon rising - creedence

Very sorry to say that CPRSPOC will not be organising a Crystal Palace Road Street Party this year, for a multitude of reasons. However, if anyone else is up for organising one, PM me and I'll talk you through what you need to do.

first mate, thanks for the advice. Just one thing - I don't know who John Rogerson is but he is wrong about guide dogs being trained to 'go' on command. I've walked a colleague's guide dog when he wasn't able to take her out himself, and can say from experience that she definitely isn't trained to do this. And if she's off harness, she'd be after that squirrel just like any badly-trained staffie!