Moos

Make mine Sasparillie.

It's in the balance for me.

I reckon Kalam is talking about her cats...

Peace, kids - see, I'm turning the other cheek. As Derek and Clive would say - left upper. Ooh, Sean, look, we've had a spat. For future reference, use of the word 'bugger' should have shown that I wasn't entirely serious at that point either. A good Christians joke:- I was walking over East Dulwich railway bridge the other day (to keep this local), and saw a man about to jump. I said No! don't jump, just think of all the wonderful things in life, think how much God loves you, don't waste your life! He said - Oh, are you a Christian too? I said yes! Are you Methodist or Baptist? He said - Baptist I said - Me too! Reformed or Evangelical? He said - Evangelical. I said - Me too! Church of the Wandering Saints, or Church of the Seven Spires? He said - Church of the Wandering Saints. I said - Die, heretic scum, and pushed him off the bridge.

My goodness, Sean, all I asked for was some moderation; I don't think I was being unfair and I tried to be as polite as possible. In a couple of posts on this thread I've said I agree that religion (including Christianity) has a bloody and sometimes unpleasant past, and in some cases is still responsible for atrocities today, which is very sad. I don't think that means I have to unquestioningly accept a label anyone chooses to cast on Christianity without so much as a word of protest. For the record - James I am sorry if I was unfair, I absolutely did not mean to be.

Sorry, Admin, my fault. There were just so many heretics to admonish. When does the new school open?

James, no worries - I can completely understand your anger, and I agree that it's horrible. Religion certainly has quite a past and sadly a present to answer for. Sean, you were being a bugger and trying to bait me to see what would happen, admit it. Keef and muffintop, thank you for being so nice. I'm not embarrassed to admit it! I just don't go around with a tambourine...

Sean, if you're trying to bait me, it's working. Of course the Bible is barbaric in parts, it was written thousands of years ago in a very different culture. Christianity is about living like Christ (or trying to), and naturally it has to change with the times, while trying to remain true to that central principle. Not all Christians agree with what I've just said, but many Christians unfortunately are less than Christ-like in my view. Oops, less polite that time.

Most faith schools don't teach creationism, this one seems to be a fundamentalist extreme. Why would anyone send their children to a school which doesn't give them recognisable qualifications? Very odd. May I timidly ask that people refrain from calling Christianity a barbaric and irrational cult, and other such names? I don't want to seem as though I'm trying to censor comment, and of course if you feel strongly then you should say whatever you wish, but it is quite offensive and perhaps unnecessarily so? There are barbaric and horrible Christians - the homophobic ones prominent among them - but please don't tar us all with the same brush.

*blushes* *slightly regrets choice of attire, but will have to brazen it out now* (edited as cross-posted with Tillie) *Yelps, and falls in pool - emerges laughing and wraps self in large towel*

Not while I'm wearing 'em, DC, don't be silly.

*enters in Daisy Duke shorts* Howdy, y'all, this place is swell! *mixes Appleton and ginger, retreats to comfy long chair next to pool with long, happy sigh* *Keeps watchful eye on potential pool-chuckers*

Can I be a character too, Citizen? I feel I would make an excellent villain. Perhaps a minor one, who is spectacularly bumped off in Chapter 12.

Shucks, DM, and we would have done it if it hadn't been for those pesky skids. Oh well. Now, who's for an apple Martini?

Some ads make me wonder whether anyone ever really could have gone Yes! that's the idea to sell our product! The Orbit gum ad, for example. What's with the dorky people pretending to fight the air? Madness. What ads make you want to throw jam at the TV?

Pickle, congratulations on the arrival of the littlest Pickling. Must check out the new caf?!

Notices about the FOGG meetings that have occurred were up for months before the meetings, in several areas around the fence. Anyone who uses Goose Green regularly could have seen them, and could have attended the meetings, or sent an email with ideas or thoughts. It's easy (and lazy) to complain after the event, but I don't think it's appropriate to say that people weren't consulted.

*enters Quiet Room, dragging a man with sausage fingers by the ear* Ladies, I believe you were looking for Michael Ploppygut? I found him trying to escape disguised as a washer-woman. All yours.....

Odd's bodkins! Her mumnesty is unwell!! Madam, allow me to offer you a stiff hot whisky toddy. Just enough lemon, and a sniff of honey, but basically a great big splosh of whiskeeeeeeeeeeeeey.

Songs for feeling happily melancholic. Fallin - Alicia Keys A Thousand Beautiful Things - Annie Lennox Hearts and Bones - Paul Simon Crazy English Summer - Faithless Time After Time - Eva Cassidy One Love - Bob Marley

I'm not particularly into the organic movement per se, but I don't think the current free range conditions are sufficient, so I buy organic meat. Chicken meat from a chicken which has been de-beaked to prevent it from pecking other chickens out of stress? No thanks.

I dislike the idea of ID cards (excellent posts from Marmora Man and Mockers on this) - how will they preserve us from terrorists when those who have made terrorist attacks in Britain were British citizens? A number of posters have contended that it's unlikely that it will become ann offence not to produce an ID card on demand. In a number of countries in Europe citizens are obliged to carry their ID cards, and produce them on request. It's hardly a great step to imagine that once we all have to have a card, that we will be required to carry one 'for our own protection'.

PeckhamRose Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > So what else do I fear? Billy Joel (LOVE him) > once said in a song (or maybe he sung it!) "What > if I die and nobody knew who I was". I don't think you were talking about being known, were you PeckhamRose? But anyway your post reminded me of the beautiful and grave end of Middlemarch, when Eliot considers the happy but undistinguished fate of Dorothea:- "Her full nature...spent itself in channels which had no great name on the earth. But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive; for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs." I am amazed and impressed by the courage of those who are sharing their greatest fears with us on this thread. Thank you.

Seconded, Tillie! I'm drinking a Domaine de Montes Reserve (from Vinothentic, Benjaminty) from the Languedoc. Tasty, flavourful unspecial wine with lots of tannin and a deep, deep dragon's blood red. Perfect for a weekday evening and the chocolate chip biscuits I'm about to ask Mr. Moos to get me from the kitchen...

Ant, haven't heard the offending bird over here in Peckham, but you have my sympathy. And my salutations on the funniest thread title in quite a while!