SeanMacGabhann

Sweeping generalisations about the left in Britainonly occur because anyone who expresses condemnation of Israeli military action is lumped in with "anti Israeli". I don't know anyone on the left, myself included who would begrudge Israel anything if they showed any willingness to engage brain to resolve a situation that very obviously needs sorting Why it feels like only yesterday that we on the left were all accused of being anti-American - but it turns out we were only anti-Bush/Cheney et al I mean, who knew huh?? I haven't seen anyone come out and support Hamas on here. A couple of people might have expressed SOME understanding of why small groups of people MIGHT resort to such tactics. Which is a very different thing

The first time?

As a major culprit in this sort of behaviour, I'll pipe up on this.. I have no idea why I do it more often than I used to , and it irritates me as much as it does you, believe me It's something that a 2 fingered typist like myself does when he is typing faster than ability allows. I try to correct it as often as I can but I still leave too many in so - mea culpa

heh heh - I'd be lying if I said similar thoughts hadn't crossed my mind yesterday. But I dismissed them.

you're right snorks - i didn't mean to suggest you come at this from an uninformed angle. Apologies. And I remember Bill Hicks being asked if he is right wing or left wing and he said something similar about there being neither, it was the puppeteer with teh left and right hand that you needed to watch. I get it, I really do But even allowing for all of that there must be some grounds for optimism. As a frame of reference, where and when in history do you think comes closest to your ideals?

Possibly a little late. . But happy birthday anotherpaul

Yes optimism is overly-indulged by the media at the moment, but being realistic, who else would we have entering office at the moment? snorky is of the opinion that it doesn't matter who is elected as the whole system is so rotten we need some kind of anarchic revolution. Maybe we do, maybe we don't.. but I have yet to meet anyone I would follow on such a course ("no dude you totally miss the point, there will be no leaders and we will all be...." yeah yeah yeah - I'm no longer 14 and suceptible to that line) If we are not so binary as to think Bush=bad/Obama=good and realise that genuine progress happens over time, not weeks and there will be all manner of pitfalls along the way, as things stand I can't think of anyone I would rather take office in america at this point in time

given that there aren't many days where people get to be optimistic, can we give the guy a chance at least? So yes, he is one man. yes he is constrained by many levers, competing interests yadda yadda But if we believe that W was THAT bad, then somebody else can be equivalently good. At least. And for now, that's good enough.

Jays PeckhamRose, expressed like that you may yet convert me to religion There doesn't need to be a god, or an accptance of chemical reactions to find more... less prosaic ways of expressing life. We may be here by whatever arbitrary circumstance, but that isn't the same as having no purpose surely?

Having moved from the top of Friern Rd, I did wonder how prone to flooding the lowlands were - now you have frightened me TT!

those are the games to do it alright... just wish there were more like them Some of the classics on the virtual console for the wii are ropier than you possibly remember, and the download mechanism is enough to drive me to... well I'm already there. But there is some good original stuff coming out on the wiiware channel for sure browsing the EDF on a wii remains a guilty pleasure as well!

carrying a six foot long box on my head (I know, I know...) yesterday from top end of LL to East Dulwich grove, this absolute twonk of a guy was paying no attention as he turned off LL in his totally-necessary-I'm-sure 4x4. And he was on his mobile. And he was absolutely mahoosive. I had stopped, expecting him to let me cross but he nearly hit me because of the box anyway But the red mist had descended - I was genuinely hoping he would catch my eye so we could "have a chat" - but he just ploughed on. Hope he didn't knock anyone over

a bold gambit given the current situation and why we are in it

wow - the expansion of the drinks continues apace! After the Phoenix I thought it might have peaked but it seems to have given lots of people the confidence to come along. Good stuff! I think the sunken area of the BC will be a great spot as well

After several emd of year round ups named it as one of teh best games you won't have played, I stumped up 1500 Wii points to download World of Goo... and fantastic it is too. Bags of charm and plenty of "oooh I know WHAT to do but it's going to take me a while to figure out just HOW to do it" - very reminiscent of that feeling one had playing Lemmings for the first time Lady MacGabhann has also taken a shine to it so it had pretty broad appeal. So go download it Doooo eeeeeeet

looks like me plus a probable-but-not-definite plus one

That may just be enough to make me join the i love hlb thread. .

Picture the scene A small (pop 6000) Irish town Friday night, the parents would go to the weekly "voice of Youghal" competition. A very cheap keyboard and guitar player would play showband tunes and the locals would warble along. At volume Sunday morning - the local radio station would broadcast - FOR FOUR HOURS - the whole event. Which my parents listened to. At volume Whilst the odours of boiled bacon and cabbage permeated the house This was what my parents recommended I listen to...

Well, that.. or get Mrs Mockney to "have a word"

badly

Great pick citizen. Have been listening to their latest album a lot of late

on a plus note, has anyone noticed the mornings starting to get a leeetle bit brighter? It's working for me..

Jaysus snorks, it must have taken you ages to carve that one out on stone tablets

Strawbs - I had the same experience in the city (Blackfriars) when I tried to buy some rand recently. Coincidentally So, not just a LL thing

Gen17 - they don't need to - you can't physically make it back to the bar. Of course you could have a friend obtain another one for you - but that is misplaced kindness personified