mattham

Funnily enough, had quinoa the other night (albeit with lamb). Delicious. I'll try the other ones too; thanks. Re: meat prices, I kind of agree with David, though it would be nice if the price was stable and not actually rising. So what about recipes for the more frugal cuts? or is that a bit too sing-along-a-war-years for everyone? I have a couple of nice rabbit recipes I could share (sorry Strawbs)

...what do you eat? Following on from the Hard Times in ED thread, what to cook in the vegetarian style that isn't curry or lasagna?

But what else Strawbs? I'm trying to eat less meat but always suffer a lack of inspiration once I get past veggie curry/lasagne. I'm going to start another thread in the lounge.

if the others are anything like the iPhone they do scratch, which can be mighty annoying. I use a really thin plastic screen guard on mine, which is great; you don't even know it's there. What are the pros of the N96? My father in law needs a new phone and that looks a pretty good one. Is the camera all it's cracked up to be? And can you do email/web browsing?

Sorry to offend or alienate GG...I'm not a mother (or anti any of those other things you mention), and I don't buy those stereotypes either; plenty of mothers (including my wife) work at jobs too. I just think being a mother is the toughest gig of all.

No doubt my post was a little judgemental, but I'm always surprised to read on here just how 'anti' some can be of the mum and buggy brigade (not saying you are Jeremy). The original post seemed to fit right into that. Angela; I have a career. I've also looked after our kids for the day and I know which is harder (and which I believe to be more important). So I'll always side with the mothers, I'm afraid. My mum brought my brother and me up on her own and I can't imagine how difficult that must have been. Let me know if you move to the area and we can go for a coffee (I'm often in Caffe Nero, or Green and Blue; with all the mums), and we can debate this til the cows come home.

Blimey; you've done your homework! That post was months ago. And you're right; I probably am quite horrid in my own way. But I fail to see how you could deduce it from that post. Did you have an unhappy childhood Angela? I'm genuinely sorry if you did (it's one of the things parenthood has made me sensitive to ? as I was alluding in that post). But if it has left you not wanting to even see children or parents then you're going to have an unhappy adulthood too. Unless you want to live in some post-apocalyptic Children of Men style dystopia, you're going to have to get used to the fact that our world also accommodates parents and children. So too, do our coffee shops. And to disparage mothers who "lounge around" in such shows a terrible lack of respect for those who are doing the toughest (and most important) job in the world.

Please don't move here; you sound ghastly. If you want to be surrounded by people solely like you, move to Clapham. If you don't live there already.

I can't play this little game any more as I no longer work in an office, but when I did, I liked to see which song lyrics I could slip into meetings without people noticing. Does anyone else do this? Among my favourites were: "Everything counts in large amounts". And: "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows".

Agree with above, but as mlteenie notes, you do have to look out for yourself. I've fended off a couple of road rage incidents recently; in both cases obnoxious drivers who've taken exception to a cyclist being in front of them. The last one was truly sad ? I was a bit slow of the lights (my shoe cleats aren't clicking in properly), must've delayed the driver by all of three seconds...result: honking, swearing out the window (kids in the back too)...I called the police. Am sure it's illegal to use a phone while cycling but I really felt I had to report it. Pissing in the wind I know but what else can you do? Wanted to tap dance on his bonnet but I'm sure it wouldn't have been wise. What think other cyclists? Any similar experiences? Sorry ??don't mean to put anyone off with cycling scare stories ??it's mostly a wonderful way to get around.

I've started to tune into the horrible electronica that comes from my children's toys. "Dance to the island beat!...Let's play: puppy says!" Driving me insane.

I'd say the food is great; very fresh, simply done but quite expensive. Had a takeaway the other night and it was the best part of ?20 for three dishes. Does that strike anyone else as steep, or am I just really stingy? Not been in for a while so can't comment on service.

so excuse my ignorance ? and sorry if this has been answered but am completely clueless on parking terminology ??if a dropped kerb, eg outside someone's house, has an unbroken white line then it's a ticketable offence; ok, what if there is no line, and someone's just painted on the fence: 'no parking, gates in use' or somesuch, is parking there an offence? or just antisocial? Parking restrictions are a complete mystery to me.

you beat me to it Tony... Re: Capt Birdseye's comment, that's kind of what got me thinking about it. I love Lennon's Beatles stuff too, but his post-1970 output is at least as bad as McCartney's. In some cases much worse. And, even allowing for exaggerations and falsehoods in all the biographies, Lennon still comes across as a bit of a dick. But he's still feted as the greatest. Then again I'm kind of of the opinion that if you can write I'm Only Sleeping, (or Eleanor Rigby in McCartney's case), you can pretty much be absolved of all crimes, musical or otherwise.

So there I was, ambling down the Lane in an Alan Partridge style reverie, Paul McCartney on the iPhone (Jet! Do do do do do do do do!), thinking: ?Is he really so bad? Can all the current sins ? the mahogany hair, the Mills debacle, the past thirty years worth of songs ? be excused by the good work he?s done?? Aside from the Beatles stuff, which was near faultless, he has written some cracking tracks. So, for anyone inclined, which are the top post-Beatles McCartney tracks, and do they absolve the sins of the last 30 years? Apologies if this is a somewhat specific post. It?s been playing on my mind for a while now.

tough one this. As I rule I stop for lights. I always stop for pedestrian lights, or pedestrians anywhere, as I believe the larger vehicle should always yield to the smaller...but there are times in town when you just wouldn't get anywhere if you stopped for all the lights. At those times I skip them if it seems safe to do so. I'm not saying that's right, but there's got to be some incentive for cyclists, right?

top link d_c. Check out John Deacon's jumper. And Freddie facing the classic frontman's dilemma: what to do when the words stop.

Croatia is indeed lovely ??I'm writing a piece on it right now. And there's no danger of stepping on a landmine!

Do you know, people still exclaim to Brian Blessed in the street: "Gordon's alive?!" I would if I saw him.

Second that Keef. I don't know a great deal about wine, but I've always found the service in Threshers to be very friendly. Seem like decent people; not deserving of the sh1t dished out by some posters here.

Mine would be bringing our babies home from Kings. Of course I'm duty bound to say that, but it's true.

'tis a shame; I'd love to eat there but it just looks like the sort of place you'd come away from hungry and a lot poorer. Has anybody actually had a meal there?

Does anyone have the phone number for this bike shop? I need a new headset.

Quote: "I remember going to see Shadowlands with Nigel Hawthorne and Jane Lapotaire. I just sat in my seat and wept at the end of it." Did either of them offer you a tissue?

Blimey, some highbrow stuff here. Don't go to the theatre nearly enough but the plays I've enjoyed most in recent years include: Copenhagen and Democracy ??Michael Frayn Rock n Roll ??Tom Stoppard Hitchcock Blonde and Piano Forte ??Terry Johnson Food Chain...can't remember by whom but it was at the Royal Court about five years ago. In fact most of these were at the Royal Court. Also enjoyed A Matter of Life and Death (last year?) at the NT.