SeanMacGabhann

The Temple Bar on Walworth Rd - what a venue that is. My brother briefly managed Sully Shuffles across the road and even he was intimidated by the Temple I turned up in body last night but after a long week at work couldn't get the gears working - apologies to those I spoke with for any inanity I proferred. Glad we had some lovely new people come along - moos I met briefly and Sue I spoke to for a while. SteveT I'm tempted to call a newbie after his late "arrival" at the last drinks Despite closing at 11 I thought the bar staff did a great job all night and handled the requirement to get us out of the pub much, much better than the Dog did last month - cheers to them

Steve - where's the scoop on the chinaman? I can't find reference to it after an admittedly brief trawl PS You've been a busy poster in the last 12 hours haven't you ? ;-)

MM I agree with your summary - however re: point 3. How does that work as a quid pro quo? Surely they all have a "share" of the story when it breaks anyway, regardless of co-operation. Once the news is out there it spreads so quickly any notion of exclusivity is redundant? Anyway as far as a story goes, it's already beginning to redefine the very term. It's been front-page and headline news for over 24 hours now - has the rest of the world stopped turning? Once we've ascertained that he's out of there there isn't a lot more to be said by the various talking heads surely? They are even using the exact same phrases they did yesterday morning.

you took the words out of my mouth Jah My first reaction was to view the whole thing as a PR stunt I wish no-ill on the lad at all - but to watch the vast majority of the media machine crank out mawkishly relieved stories about what a good soldier he was, how proud his gran is etc etc is grating If something is so problematic that an entire countries free-press had to keep schtum the I would at least hope it was a matter of absloutely, catastrophically unavoidable importance. Harry going to Afghanistan could have easily been avoided. But as Jon Snow says - if the entire countries press can be "persuaded" to shut up (anyone care to speculate what the penalties might have been) then what else are they persuaded not to tell us I'm also curious as to what the "grateful" nation would feel if, during the embargo, Harry had been killed in day-to-day combat. Would we have been more demanding of our press then?

There really isn't much more to be said after Dave and Mockney's posts is there? No-one is saying they would do anything different to the shop-keeper. I'm not hearing anyone take any other side than his. But the CPS did the job you wanted them to do Atila so what's your beef? The are REQUIRED to look at the case - if they went ahead with a prosecution you would have a point - but given the evidence (much the same as you have furnished us with, give or take a colloquilism ;-) they haven't proceeded. If I was the shopkeeper and the same events transpired I would be amazed if I wasn't checked out. Otherwise how would we know I hadn't just popped someone I didn't like for the hell of it? And just to re-iterate, as I'm in Redapple newsagents every day I was horrified to read about what happened a few weeks back. I'm entirely on their side. As I believe you and everyone else on here is. But the CPS role is an important one, it's important they do it well and in this case they have

good stuff moos (and very sensible too) CWALD - is that Terence that I've met a few times? It's hard to be nice and/or nasty to him when he sits at the other side of the room all night!

I did wonder the same but was so shocked by Mockney's blatant deception that I decided it simply couldn't be true... Still Annaj's BD[tm] is on fire at the mo - we had better all be on best behaviour tonight "no no - honestly I didn't have anything to drink during the week since I got back" *punch* *glare* "ouch, ok so maybe a tinnie or two" *ninja punch * "ouch ok ok my name is Sean and " etc etc

I'm thinking I'll be there about 9ish Has anyone who hasn't been before decided if they are coming or not? Come along people!

Quids If I was Asset, and I'm not, but if I WAS, I might pick you up on the "whose" But knowing you, you might have done that deliberately to see if I would bite Anyway - you are probably teasing about coming so it's moo...... t

these feckers http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/trollshirt.jpg

I know you can walk on as a visitor at the Dulwich & Sydenham course during the working week, but not at the weekend

and today it's the turn of... Andrew D Black Happy Birthday sir

People in Camberwell will be too afraid to drive their cars anywhere in case someone nicks their space while they are gone so I expect bus usage to increase significantly *ahem*

nope - I'm not having it! ;-)

The old-granny-needing-to-use-the-post-office argument is the one I hear most often in defence of post offices but old grannies must do SOMETHING else other than go to the post office so I can't see how alternative arrangement couldn't be made Post Offices as a physical location are pretty much redundant - all that's left to do is make the final arrangements However - I would rather the Royal Mail was more like the US mail service - protected and focused on doing one thing simply and well

How would it be "near-impossible" to visit Emily?

No you don't

that last post was a cross-post with ???? and not a reply btw Clearly he/she thinks I've got nothing sensible to say anyway so....

oh yeah - I meant to clarify what I DID mean when I said "we are all criminals" - well, as I say, it's not me equating us with psychopaths but between that extreme and "stealing paper clips" (quids words, not mine) there is a whole raft of criminal activity. And it's who does the classifying and what power they have that scares me I'm guessing from some posters that because we live in such a dangerous world (not like in days gone by apparently) SOMETHING should be done - even tho' no-one is coming out and saying what that is. And again I'm just guessing - it would be something like give more powers to X and Y and let them get on with it. But is it a stretch of the imagination to see the examples I gave getting caught up in the net. Look at the extreme lengths the recording industry has gone to to prosecute download sites for example which seems a little harsh for little more than stealing paper clips... But if anyone accuses me of "justifying crime" again.......

ahhh - how long before the name calling became personal eh? You know full well that I'm not equating violent muggers with people who copy cd's or whatever. And as falcao has already pointed out I didn't exactly phrase what I wanted to say very well the first time - but thanks anyway for ignoring that just to take a cheap shot Apart from taking pot-shots have you anything constructive to add to the discussion?

I believe I posted much the same thing just today Oglandia when I said "we are all criminals" The difference here is that most of us are able to hold our hands up if caught - ?75 for the fine is a lot, but as I've asked several times - what would anyone do instead to curb litter? It's a direct question but people seem happier to resort to petty insult-calling - although "Jello Biafra's 'suede denim secret police'." has something of wit about it, it's still a diversionary thing

So... Nero's aside, planning regulations should be scrapped or at least reduced? Should companies pay any attention to laws? Can anyone just forge ahead and say "we're harmless and popular!" That Dulwich Park is ripe for development - maybe a mall with a shopping park. Sure some people would object but I don't have to worry about them any more because precedent has been set and planning laws are for namby-pamby PC liberals

I'm with Kel anyway jjm and quids - when you have quite done with all of that angst and chip-on-shoulderage I'd be delighted to hear your ideas on dealing with litter

19 posts and most of them about Nero Emily? And comparing the illegaly opened coffee house with an illegaly operating drug dealer was already acknowledged as stretching a point - but you know, a business's popularity isn't the sole criteria for it's existence (hence the drug dealer anaology I assume)

Ah yes....The days of gentlemen terrorists. We'll never see their likes again... let's take a moment to wish for their return As for Labour not suffering because of Iraq - well what's an electorate to do? Chuck 'em out and replace them with... another party who would cosy up to Bush in exactly the same way. Given that circumstance most people took a punt on other issues I reckon