malumbu

I was enthralled by the wonderful Monkey Planet on BBC last night. But one bit sent me into panic. The Battle of the Apes series of films in the early 70s prophesied a future time when apes would take over from humans. (I am not sure if the remakes did similar). I recall one scene when they were talking about how it all happened. There was a great plague that wiped out the cat and dog population so people adopted apes as pets. But they were much more useful and did work to support their human captors - and there was a clip of an ape cooking and preparing food. Imagine my shock when they showed yesterday a gorilla that could build a fire, light it with a match and toast marsh mellows. Now all we need is the evolutionary leap with a human like voice box so apes can talk too and the future of the human race will be under threat. I am sorry to spread panic and alarm but somebody needs to. What should I do to prepare for this?

All sounds quite exciting - as long as there is some attempt to retain characteristics of the ares. Everyone in the restaurants I pass by seem to be under 30 and white. Anyway I digress. More relevant is changes to the Peckham Platform arts space, and some redevelopment of that area. Heard about it on Robert Elms but I was only half listening. http://www.peckhamplatform.com/news/whats-next-for-peckham-platform

Am I the only one who keeps reading where to go for for a root canal? Bolney Court in Sydenham.

Sharing economy should be a great thing. AirBnB was about letting out a room, or house, when you don't need it. Now commercial letters are using it, which (I understand) has driven up rents as you can get more renting by the day, and is not in the spirit it was designed for. Anyway my take from a few articles I have scanned and my experience in looking for places in a Spanish City.

I quite liked a few of them (what they weren't allowd to do). Surprisingly progressive (my take on rules that are probably anything but). uncleglen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > They are not allowed to study psychology (mmmhhh > says it all imo), biology and they are not allowed > to do any of this > http://truthrundown.net/jehovah-witness/141-things > -jehova-witnesses-cant-do/

Well, what a thought, I may (depending on my gender) have fathered everyone in the world who is 12 years or so younger than me. Reminds me of an old joke about a bet, a man and a dog, two wheelbarrows and a naturist beach. Was tempted to tell it as it is not offensive (in terms of against another group) but I am sure I would have been told off. So, in the old days of bumper stickers there were only two that amused me. "Retired, spendng children's inherentence" And "diver self pleasuring, no hand signals"

Good heavens. Are you an expert in bus driving standards? I cycle amongst dozens each day, that is perhaps about 50,000 a year. About every other year I have an issue and have either taken this out with a rant, or if I feel strongly enough by e-mailing a complaint to London buses. London buses who oversee the franchise - I think that there are four large bus companies. Bus patronage has boomed in recent years so they must be doing something right. I hope that you all thank the driver when they do a good job. Can you all come back when you have something to say? Sorry this comes across as a bunch of middle class whingers. Of course I am free to ignore this thread, but life would be dull otherwise. Move down the bus please, nothing happening here. Peace and love. M peckham_ryu Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If TfL took this as seriously as rail industries > do "passing a signal at red" incidents, it simply > would not happen. > > Say what you like about Southern, on the odd > occasion they manage to run a train, they don't > take chances with our safety! > > (Edited to try the avoid bold. No idea what's > going on there)

And here is some earlier advice http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,1638971,1639003#msg-1639003

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has issued draft guidance on measures to improve air quality . This includes improving driving standards (few people know how to drive well in traffic calmed areas). Autonomous vehicles - bring it on! https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/dec/01/nice-proposes-smooth-driving-measures-to-cut-pollution-and-save-lives

Was stuck in traffic going to a footy match many years ago and a 14 year old opened the door and got in. What are you doing I asked? Getting a lift to the match he says. Fair enough. In modern terms I broke at least two rules there.

Tecnological advancement combined with competition. Defence technology will also play its part, and competition (eg Formula 1). It's going to improve our lives, but there will always be unintended consequences (eg the wonders of the sharing economy then the fall from grace of AirBnB - incidentally Uber will be at the forefront of adopting new technology). But to break my rules and digress, I may not be an early adopter but appreciate technology and innovation. But what improvement to my quality of life have self service tills brought at the supermarket? I certainly didn't ask for them.

Jetpacks? Flying cars?? Nah it aint going to happen

East Dulwich covers it's ears and says "la la la la, I am not listening" Well it's going to happen. It's going to happen. Happen all the time. (with thanks to Fergal) Cars already talk to Satelites. That helps you get around. Many have cameras. Proximity sensors. Self parking. "la la la la, I am not listening". And anything remotely new will be recording what you do so manufactures can download all the important stuff on maintenance, profile you and other nefarious stuff. How many of you have a smart phone? Who uses a landline nowadays?? Full autonomy is going to take some time. But meanwhile more and more stuff's going to happen. And when your insurance drops as your vehicle is safer maybe you'll take notice. I'd personally crack on with the car asking "you are driving like a wonka" "Would you like me to take over?". Artful - it sounds like you could do with an advanced (safe and efficient) driving lesson. In fact most of you could (professional women 30 - 50 tend to be the exception). Trust me until you've had this you wont appreciate how many bad habits you have Here's a local one: https://www.yell.com/biz/aa-driving-school-901146178/

Ah so it was you Grok - my apologies for being such a middle class namby pamby and not saying anything at the time, but interesting to hear what it was like going to the labour exchange. "So Mr/Ms Grok, why were you sacked". "Because I am a misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobe." Mind you there may be some work for you in the US. Keep us posted. Interesting that I wasn't aware of the derivation of namby pamby (thought it was homophobic, but wrong) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_Philips

Mate went to a Catholic Boarding School. Funnily enough the priests did a lot better at explaining sex education than the head teacher. That isn't saying anything more than what you said above (ie just because you don't partake doesn't mean you can't advise)

Love all the expert comment! I've just got rid of a BTL and now totally out of the business after almost 30 years. Hooray. I've seen the market change in so many ways. I started with a mate buying terraced houses for students to live in. It had many ups and downs, and I started getting rid 15 years ago. This is outside London and I charged below market rent for a good family as tenants until they had a messy split and the messiness also applied to the house. When I did all my purchasing it was bloody hard to get a loan and none of the usual lenders had BTL products. Then everything changed and everyone became small landlords. Well not quite everyone. Used to love the Grauniad "invest money in BTL for a good return" one week, and BTL landlords, scum of the earth the next. I paid my income tax and CCT so I did my bit to return the money to good use. So back to expert advice - government of course gets it wrong on occasions but please don't make simple assumptions about our democracy with the checks and balances through our elected members, Select Committees and (he says quietly) the Lords. Most policies have been analysed throughly and it is only ocassionally that vanity/foolish projects get through (think Poll tax, and for balance bendy buses and Borris buses). If you don't kike the clunky democracy here then try a single party state. Of course polices may not be for the benefit of the right parts of society, but government is not voted in by all parts of society and will not want to bite the hand that feeds. Am I the only one already getting fed up of the term JAM? It all comes across as very patronising.

I'll watch the whole thing another time. From my perspective much of it is driven by endorphins early in a relationship. Difficult to keep that going all your life! Here's a nice clip www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_kI5Xh4zxo I hope I haven't offended anyone, not this time at least!

Watched Prof Phil Blythe (Newcastle Uni and Dept for Transport Chief Scientific Advisor) talk about future transport networks last Tuesday at the Turing Institute/British Library on a live stream. Sadly they don't seem to show this on Youtube post event but I'll see if I can get hold of it.

I had the pleasure of driving a number of new (hire) cars on a recent event. The chap from Enterprise dropped my vehicle off and told me a little out its workings. Does it have stop/start I said all excitedly? Yes but you turn it off by pressing that button. Why would anyone turn somethign off that saved 10% fuel I questioned him. So we get a briefing about why we are driving the cars and that we need to know how to open the bonnet, boot/tailgate, petrol cap etc. Good thing there are no women here today said the chap organising the event. During the day he also made comments about the French and gay men. I kicked myself when I got home for not actually saying anythign at the time (my God you moron, what age are you from) and did actually report him for his xenophobia and casual homophobia and sexism. He's been told to be more careful in the use of his language as we are no longer in the 1980s. Clearly this must have been you Grok. Now others I may say they were just being ironic.

And you don't moan? Forty years plus of neo lefty non democratic blah blah rule. So tell me in your parallel universe of the UK not joining the the Common market what would the UK have looked like? How would we remember Heath? Would Thatcher have got in? With the likely continuation of the state intervening to support inefficient industries would the workers still have had a big say on the running of the country? We can all play this game 'what if' Here are some other scenarios TUC voted for wage constraint in 1978 and a labour government stayed in power A new treaty had been agreed on the Falklands so no war, and a wishy washy SDP had won the 1983 election Scargill didn't consider himself above the law, had a proper ballot, and by a better timed strike brought the country to its knees in the winter of 1984. (in your scenario he would have been calling the shots with government so there would never have been a strike) Neil Kinnock did not prematurely celebrate his expected election victory in 1992 and instead went on a charm offensive in particular getting the Sun to support him. John Smith did not have a heart attack and after three successful terms handed onto Ed Milliband. Gordon Brown had gone for an early election. It's a fun and free pastime. (I also play the game for football, what if Banks hadn't been ill, what if Bobby Moore had been replaced by England a bit earlier, what if the useless Chief Constable of South Yorks had never got the job etc.

Calm down calm down. "I'm not going to go in a driverless car" Well you wont have to. Cars and navigation systems will get more advanced. Things will communicate with other things through the .... Internet of Things. My only prediction is that techology will serve us in ways yet predicted. Private car ownership will in deed, fall. And the sharing economy will rise - but again unpredicatably. Who could have seen AirBnB's fall from grace? It will be exciting. (PS like it or not Uber are progressive, but don't whisper that to any cabbies)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_shark

Apologies, my use of English is not good due to the EU. It will be better when we leave. We will also start brewing proper English beer again like Double Diamond and Red Barrel which sadly Brussels outlawed due to the lack of diamondsbarrels in the beer. A good topic of conversation when I bump into Nige again at a Westminster pub

Just to add that my grammer, spelling, and attention to detail will also improve once we leave Europe. malumbu Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thanks for your postings uncleglen. As someone > without a business/economics background always > useful to hear the other side of the argument. > I've been around more than half a century (from > relatively humble stock) but don't recognise the > Britain that you are talking about from my > childhood. It was all pretty grim and black and > white from memory. Well you've clearly got some > strong views and I am sure that you will be > reminding us of it. > > But perhaps going back to my childhood there were > lots of positives. We wore short trousers > irrespective of the weather. We were slapped with > a ruler by the teacher for being the slightest bit > naughty. We were intolerent of other > nationalities, sexual preferences and other > beliefs. We were encouraged to throw stones at > the 'queer' (odd) kids at school just because > nobody knew about (or appreciated) childhood > mental health issues and behavioural issues. It > was your civil duty to shout 'mong' at anyone who > looked slightly weird. Men knew their place in > society, and women even more so. Most of us > smoked (even as children) and all benefited from > the more sociable office, pub and eateries > environments. And we had iced buns for treats, > and were allowed to spend our bus money on sweets > if we walked home. None of this nonsense about > health, diet and nutrition. And I still have a few > teeth left, some of the front ones don't even have > fillings. We had that excellent currency where > you had to divide things by 12 or times by 20. > Not all this silliness about multiples of ten. > Thank God Napolian didn't win. > > And we all bought Austin (ie British Leyland) cars > as they were made very well locally. It is > clearly a clearly a quasi socialist dirty > foreigner plot to pretend otherwise. Those bally > useless VW golfs. What rubbish. > > Ah takes me back. > > But there was an unsavoury side to all of this. > As kids of 9 or 10, we walked home from school > past a chap of around 40, building his own house. > He invited us, to ...... show us his bulding work. > We'd pop in most days to see how he was getting > on. My parents came past one day and thanked him > for being so friendly. He didn't even get his > John Thomas out once. So not everything about > pre-1973 Britain was great.

Good, there will be some proper discipline for a change. Harris Peckham has a zero tolerence policy for misbehaving pupils, will be spot on for the QT panel. They will need some rabid people as well as liberals, a few on this site come to mind!