Jeremy

I know... totally agree that the affordability situation is fcked up. Just pointing out that - we've not yet reached a point where highly paid professionals cannot buy property - again, buying "where you grew up" is not a useful indicator of anything

miga Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think StraferJack's example was East Dulwich, where an average 3 bed > terrace costs >?800k. I don't remember him specifying a victorian terrace

I don't know. But that's not really my point. You were suggesting that even high earners (working in medicine or finance) couldn't afford to buy a place round these parts... I am saying that I don't think things are yet quite that dire.

There are obviously scales of smelliness when it comes to convenience food. Ranging from sandwich through to zinger tower burger. I'd put a cheese toastie somewhere in the middle... but honestly, I think anyone who's seriously offended by that - on a 9 min journey - when they could have the choice of almost any other seat on the train - is being particularly awkward. Maybe I will compromise and agree to not eat hot food during peak hours...

StraferJack Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That isn't a middle-earner Jeremy, surely? > > That would be a high-earner in a good job for most people Pretty average income for London, I believe.

StraferJack Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Jeremy - you work those hours regularly? Hell no. But occasionally I do have to work late, and at other times I might have stuff I need to do immediately after work (i.e. not the pub). It's rare, but every now and then I have to grab something on the way home. Of course I could eat, then catch a later train. But I don't consider a cheese toastie to be sufficiently obtrusive to justify getting home 15 mins later. Especially at night when the trains are quite empty and people can sit wherever they like.

StraferJack Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > a good job in (say) medicine > or the city and even THEN can't afford to buy > where one grows up I don't think we've quite reached that level of ridiculousness yet, have we? It's the middle earners on say 35-40K a year who are starting to struggle to buy anything in London - at all.

I was about to jokingly suggest going into business with audiophile SATA cables... you know, to improve the sonic qualities of the connection between the hard disk and the motherboard. But of course, someone got there first: http://www.hifidelit.com/products/ppa-red-sata-cable

I think CM meant that living right out in the sticks and commuting in isn't doable on that sort of salary. Of course, living in outer London and comuting in for ~2K PA should be OK (granted there would be little left, and it's not much of a reward for 5 days a week of tiring work).

To be honest anyone who is daft enough to spend hundreds of quid on a shelf or USB cables deserves to be parted from their cash. Of course using really cheap/thin cables is a bad idea when you've spent a few hundred on a decent amp/speakers. Reasonable speaker stands are also important (nothing fancy, just something solid with the speakers sitting on spikes). But that's about it. Digital cables should all behave identically, unless they're broken! I'm sure *bob* could add something appropriately sarcasitc.

StraferJack Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > As I?ve recently moved (for the 12th time?) my > crates of vinyl to a new address, I have come to > accept I will never ever ever play any of them again That's strange... I'm in the exact opposite position. Only have a small amount of vinyl left (maybe 25 albums and 15 singles), but when I recently moved, I installed a nice sturdy shelf in the office specifically so I could set up the turntable once again. I think I've only used it twice since... but nevertheless it's pretty cool to hear the needle thud down onto the record, followed by the crackles and pops which give way to the opening bars of a classic album.

Don't get me started on expensive racks and cables...

I've always thought that objectively, in terms of a technically faithful reproduction, vinyl is far worse than CD. But as this guy says, some people like vinyl specifically because they are fond of the flaws. And that's fine, doesn't mean it's wrong. Kind of a similar argument with Steve Albini's fetish for analogue tape..

I am broadly I'm favour of keeping social housing spread throughout london. Obviously we're not going to build new blocks of council flats in Knightsbridge or the City. But we also need to avoid creating areas of predominantly council tenants. The Heygate redevelopment isa disgrace IMO.

On the 10.10 right now. Busy day and hadn't eaten since lunchtime. Frankly... I need to shove food into my face now. You dont need to sit next to me!

Which second hand shop is going, CM?

I'm reading the two reviews as: LZ1: Great guitarist, shit songs LZ2: Great guitarist, only listenable if you're on drugs and talk like a hippy Or did I get that wrong?

Not sure why this is so difficult to explain. I'll try again. - I agree that the housing market is ridiculously overheated - I agree that current housing affordibily is unhealthy - I agree that people of all incomes should be able to live in London (whether by social housing, key worker schemes, etc) - I disagree with the assumption that not being able to buy in the specific area where you grew up means that something is fundamentally wrong.

If we sweep aside all the loaded language about families struggling to survive, etc, what are you actually trying to say? That all areas should be priced equally? Eliminate private home ownership? Can you think of any country in the world where people on below average wages can afford to live in any area they choose?

You seem to have drawn some wild deductions from what I said. Of course we live in an unfair society, and of course it is right to have discussions about how we close that gap. I'm just saying that "buying a house where I grew up" is not a useful measure of equality.

So who uses the one in P Rye? Someone must do! It looks well cared for.

If he has reduced sensitivity to certain frequencies, then better balanced sound (in terms of frequency response) probably wouldn't help at all. Surely what he'd need would be some way of boosting the frequencies he found it hard to hear?

It's not ONLY determined by dosh... (e.g. if you don't mind buying an ex-council flat then there are lots more options open to you). Should everybody be able to live in a nice house in a sought after area of London, should they choose? Whatever your political persuasion.. it obviously doesn't add up.

Yeah of course it's a shame if people want to stay in an area but can't. I'm not totally unsympathetic to people in that situation, but there is nothing new about rising house prices and gentrification. I don't think it's a sad reflection on society at all... areas change, people move on. There are lots of reasons why the current situation is bad, but I don't think this is one of them.

I agree about the relative positions... the site looks a bit broken when maximised on an HD display. Should be an easy fix. Aesthetically, as other have suggested, you could get a quick improvement by picking a nice looking font and sticking with it throughout. Also you mentioned something about showing pharmacy opening times, but I couldn't see that. Good luck fox!