MrBen

Then it's the "Greatest Hits" at Tesco's for you Jezza. As a child of the Eighties my first intro was "I just called to say..." pure schmaltz-pop but it sold millions. Then you hear "Superstitious" at your first wedding and start to realise what came before. Then listen to "Songs in the Key..." with its 8 min tracks (a remixers dream) and all of a sudden Prince don't look so clever.

I always dig a bit of Stevie. He's a genius. But which, of his many albums, is the absolute must have? Songs in the Key of Life?

The Peal & Dean ad (yes....still running) makes me smile. But only for the nostalgia and the heady mix of old tobacco, chocolate raisins and popcorn that was the Edinburgh Dominion circa 1983. However, my other half has a funny sounding cinema laugh (a kind of continuous monotone "Haaaaaaaa") and furthermore, she laughs at parts of a film which are not funny to anyone else. This produces a brilliant sonic call and response effect whereby something not funny makes her laugh ("Haaaaaaaa.") which makes every one else laugh louder. Come down the Ritzy this sunday and experience it for yourself.

peterstorm1985 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > MrBen Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > The average SE22 3 bed terrace is now 600k > odds. > > If you work on four times joint that requires a > > deposit of say 50k plus a combined household > > income of ?140,000. How many households have > that > > income in reality? Prices still seem high to > me. > But most people don't start with a 3 bed house (Do > they?) They begin with a one/two bed flat and work > their way up the ladder, so by the time they're on > to a 3 bed house they're more likely to have ?200K > equity/deposit and a combined household income of > ?100K. And there are a heck of a lot of those in > London. That's the textbook theory... but the reality is that anyone with 100-200k equity on an ED flat would have had to be holding it since 2001 odds and would have wanted a house by now (if starting a family). If moving from say, a Clapham flat to an ED house then it's more likely. You're also assuming that man with equity in flat can (a) sell it and (b) get a decent price to realise that equity. And flats are not selling well if at all, without significant price cuts. "We're still at 2007 prices". Not across the board. Some are less (e.g. flats) and some streets are significantly higher (good road, good houses). Even then, the 2007 argument doesn't hold as a good indicator. This was 5 years ago and we've since had half a decade of stagnation. If you look at compound inflation over that period that's around a 14% reduction on 2007 prices in real terms, and that's before any actual price falls. Another 3-5 years of high inflation and 2007 prices, whilst showing a peak, will start to look average "Equities are a better bet now" Remember those Sunday times graphs in the boom that showed how property "outperformed" stocks in the past 50 years? They all made sense if you included the recent boom years but didn't amount to much if you didn't. In terms of absolute return, equities may at this point, offer better value. But that negates leverage. Property is still the most accessible leveraged investment to the man on the street. A 30k deposit on a 300k flat that then appreciates capital at 10% say, on sale, gives a 100% return on invested capital. And try getting a bank to lend you ?300k to invest in equities at the moment......

Yawns... ...But can't resist contributing... The average SE22 3 bed terrace is now 600k odds. If you work on four times joint that requires a deposit of say 50k plus a combined household income of ?140,000. How many households have that income in reality? Prices still seem high to me.

Then it would be one of at least 5 "drugs" houses between Melbourne Grove and Barry road that the police probably already know about. They can shut them down, bust a few crack heads, nick a small amount of gear but they usually sprout up again somewhere else. London living I'm afraid....

Not sure what everyone else thinks but Kruger's list win's it hands down for me. KidKruger = Urban warrior

We had lots of really SUPER POLITE middle class trick or treaters this year from about 5.30-8pm (which seems to be the unofficial curfew). They would only take one sweet despite us urging them otherwise. As a result we now have a dangerous chocolate surplus looking for a home.

Probably the fringes of the Treme, New Orleans in 1997, trying to hail a cab for a legendary 79 year old drummer who was off his chops on crack and waving a loaded gun around. RIP "Boogie".

Big Jim Martin, legendary flying V guitarist for Faith No More apparently now lives quietly in California growing giant vegetables like these for fun. He turned down the cash for a recent lucrative reunion in 2009 to grow giant onions instead. Respect to that man.

Katie asks a good question - and one that has vexed me for a while. Without a decent extractor or air flow a whole house will smell of steak for two days after. My advice is just to open all the doors, windows, put away any clothes and cover your smoke detectors to avoid the "dishtowel dance".

Lot's of agreeing with Strafer since he came back though. Are they the new "Nick and Dave" of the EDF?!

It was that one with the uni house party where only blokes turned up. And that birds plumber boyfriend from back home who still thinks he's going out with her - even though she's now moved on. I fell asleep half way through it but that may have been the four tumblers of meths I'd knocked back beforehand....

Really liked the first episode a few weeks back but thought the second was a bit lame and switched off. Did it get better?

Help-Ma-Boab Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Still reckon Huey Lewis and the News were > massively underrated. Sports, now there an album! Their early work was a little too new wave for my tastes, but when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own....

Well said RosieH I think we all know what I meant by BIG band. Coldplay are big commercially but they hardly capture the spirit of times we're living in, the pent up anger, student debt and gross inequality etc after years of rampant greed. Or you could say that they do. Perhaps their layered,formulaic, mournful brand of music for "bedwetters", which is adored by millions at bland middle class dinner parties is a sign of just how bad things really are, and how indifferent we've become. Jo Whiley trying to give them a politically correct decent review the other night on the radio pretty much said it all...

Do I: A) Have him come round my house on a decent street, stand there in my chinos and say "My good man! How much will you give me for this steel bath, random copper piping, 5 radiators and old zinc riveted water tank?" OR B hire a transit, load it in the back and turn up in Nunhead in a paint splattered boiler suit demanding the going rate. Your kind advice appreciated....;-) Edit to remove random cool smilies

Almost everyone is way cooler than me Otta, and you certainly are. My main issue with the Artic Monkeys was that they sounded shite live. The BIG bands that I'm talking about (and craving) all nailed it live. The Stones still do, even if watching them at the O2, in a padded armchair and eating free hot dogs is a world away from a rough arsed south london club circa 1964.

But remember how you felt when you heard "Appetite" for the first time Otta. Do you believe a band could make you feel like that again past 35 years old?

...so that's view from the jaded and begrizzled at the bar (or from behind the Roland synth). anyone else have more optimism? Is rock music now a revivalist movement like trad jazz was in the late 50's?

With The Stone Roses reforming and Noel Gallagher's Flying Birds released last week I can't help but think we've been stuck in a period of stale musical rehash that comes along every decade or so. I can't recall it being this bad since the days of Jazzy Jeff, Alannah Myles and Madonna in.... 1990. Are we not due for a massive band to break that would form the soundtracks to our lives? A modern day Stones, a recessionary slap in the face from a Pistols equivalent, a new New Order....hell...even a new Blur would be great. All the ingredients are here...economic gloom, world strife, and a mass market neutered by X Factor. Can a BIG, IMPORTANT FOR ITS TIME rock band ever emerge again? Or is it just how we all feel getting older? (I hope not)

arrg...just checked this and see what I've started.... StraferJack Wrote: > Targeting st Paul's? Where did you get that from? Sorry, clumsy wording. Clearly they're not targeting the church itself but they are indirectly by taking over the area immediately around it and forcing one of the countries finest buildings to close to visitors and to its congregation for worship. If they wanted to hit the City hard and have real impact I can think of better.... > Utilising st Paul's, and having st Paul's back > them against the police last week would seem to be > a minor coup Initially and in theory yes, but any support from St Pauls Clergy is fading fast as the original campaigners claiming alignment with Christian values are joined by Anarchists, Greens and as Loz says the usual scrappers. They're all there "for the same thing" yet they cannot clearly state what that is. Probably because they are NOT all there for the same thing. Capitalism as an economic system is 300 years old, a mere flicker in the grand scheme of human economic endeavors. History suggests that once day, it too will be replaced by the emergence of alternative economies. The current movement has a chance to bring that day closer yet they cant agree on any meaningful, coherent alternative apart from to "stick it to the banks". If Occupy London is to have any real potential they'll need to be smarter with a better message.

Aye. Agreed. I'm not sure good double glazing adds value though. Chunky PVC frames can make a period property that wasn't designed for them look awful and posh middle class folk who want to restore sash style on a traditional terrace will be pricing that in. Most single glazed sash windows can now have timber repaired, beading and cords replaced and be draught proofed with a recessed draught proof strip for around ?250-?300 each. Much cheaper than the ?500-?800 for a double glazed sash replacement. Once redecorated these look great. A specialist restorer (for same price above) can now use Epoxy resin like Timbabuild or similar to virtually rebuild rotting timber frames which can then be drilled , painted etc just like new wood. I've just had someone do this and it's great. So to the OP (assuming an average non-eco victorian flat/house), I would restore your current windows and draught proof, get decent double lined curtains or blinds and get your central heating up to spec (flush your central heating system out ?250-?300, boiler serviced) to get decent heat retention. Cavity wall insulation is good but a lot of old buildings are "single skin" just two solid bricks separating your plastered wall from outside. I once dry lined two external facing walls of a room with insulating plasterboard and that worked well.

Can't understand why these inarticulate tW$Ts, most of whom don't know what they're arguing for are targeting St Paul's? Surely Canary Wharfe or the office's of the vampire squid on Fleet St would have had more impact?

Help-Ma will surely agree that it was a very "Stirling" early 90's thing to do. Thunderbird was ?2.99 a bottle at that time. A total bargain.