*Bob*

There's no semantics about it, Jeremy. Of course there's been some general discussion of late about the nature of altheism ("oooh.. I'm a soft Atheist!" etc), but essentially there are only two positions: Atheist - No God Agnostic - Don't know. Clearly some Atheists at Atheist Bus Campaign HQ are hedging their bets. Lame.

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- We cannot know with 100% authority > whether there is a god or not. Well I do. There isn't one. That's what I 'believe'. I'm an atheist, see? That's what atheism means.

Is there really any point in declaring, eg, The Beatles are overrated? I mean - really? Under(rated) is far more interesting than over. Underrated? I just bought 'Leggy Mambo' by Cud on Amazon, an album so underrated you couldn't even buy it on CD for a decade because no-one could be arsed to press some more up.

The unfortunate fact is that those Blue Recycling boxes make for quality loft storage. They stack up a treat.

"There's probably no God"? Sounds like 'The Atheist Society' need to do some coming-out as Atheists themselves - before spouting a half-arsed namby-pamby wishy-washy position to everyone else. Rubbish.

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Ah, Nickelback really are the lowest of the low! I > mean, who buys their music? Millions of people. Millions of people 'rate' Nickelback.

If I had, I wouldn't be slumming it in SE22.

I'm not sure if 'ratings' are realistic, or even applicable here. For example, I can appreciate the fact the Keef may not 'rate' Pixies (perhaps on account of some debilitating childhood ear infection which left him incapable of being able to discern 'really really good music') but the fact that they are 'highly rated' by countless others means that they are in fact 'highly rated' - just, as it happens, not by Keef. In fact, if you were to remove the word 'rate' from this thread, all that would remain would be a list of bands or artists admired by large swathes of the population - just, as it happens, not by you.

I'm not sure if a rating system as such can be applied to my own musical works, Jeremy. I'd like to think of myself as surfing a fine line between 'nauseous' and 'complete drivel'. Or - to put it another way, between Shayne Ward and Nickelback.

The Rolling Stones - not one good tune in forty odd years. Led Zep - no concept of creativity whatsoever Elvis - seen it all before David Bowie - anyone can do that. And what about that Mozart fella? Sure, you can hum some of 'em. But the rest? Nah. Too many notes.. etc

My Grandad lived in a council house, loafed and boozed his way through life before dying in a council house, bequeathing only a black and white telly, an ashtray (which you pushed a plunger down on the top flinging the ash into the container below) and a Bontempi organ worth ?30. My Dad decided had slightly loftier ambitions, mostly spurred-on by not wanting to live and die like his Dad, I expect. Nothing flash, but a job, a house, maybe a car and perhaps even an occasional holiday which didn't involve camping in Weston-S-M in the pissing rain. At least both of them seemed to have a clear idea of what they wanted, for whatever reason. But Chav's in a muddle on this one. It's a result of being an educated person who can't reconcile their idealistic, materialistic and realistic ambition.

I thought I'd read that they'd gone to Wales or something, James. So as long as you clearly mark said turd 'c/o Wales' it should reach them eventually. I haven't set foot in the Adventure yet, but I'm happy to admit that the kind of bar I would have wanted to be in when I was 20 (alcoholic drinks served, outside chance of getting a random knee-trembler from anyone drunk enough to oblige) is quite different to the one I'd like to spend time in now.

I liked Inside 72 but it wasn't quite the Holly Grail of bars to which it seems to have been elevated. It was the size of a postage stamp (barely room for the pile of German army parkas) meaning you have to 'scuse me mate' the entire bar in order to go for a piss - not that you'd get in there for at least twenty minutes anyway.. one cubicle in a bar where at least half the punters are packing a G of C is pure folly. The sound system pumping out the ubercooltunes seemed to have it's graphic equaliser permanently set to 'communication only possible if you shout an inch from someone's ear' - akin to trying to hold a two-way conversation at a noisy football match by way of tin cans connected by string. And a small number of the occupants seemed to delight in occaionally scrawling on the bus shelter outside whilst smoking a roll-up (naturally) outside and giving it so 'so what' to puzzled passers-by. Cool, man. Anyway, as I say, I liked the place. But it was them who decided to up sticks and bugger off. If anyone's that cheesed-off about it, post them a dog turd in a box or something.

Has the ED Housing Market Thread reached the bottom yet? If only.. But it's great fun watching all the pantomime villains and heroes, doom-mongers and blind optimists come forth to wag fingers, shake heads (or bury them in the sand) and tell everyone they told them so. I do enjoy dipping in, despite having hardly any any interest in house prices whatsoever.

PeckhamRose Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- We were also > warned never to put a plasm screen above a fire > place as it just might explode.... Not to mention the fact that it looks really, really rubbish

If you absolutely insist on being able to see individual hairs on Wayne Rooney's legs, or watching individual pieces of brain splatter out of someone's head as you gun them down in Road Rage III on the PS8, then yes - HDTV is for you. Otherwise you'll spend your weekends insisting friends come over forcing them them to watch Blue Planet so they can marvel at the power of technology. And - trust me on this - they'll be bored to tears.

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Mmmm...the Police are full of Urban myths in my > expereience That's what you get when you opt for 'height' as your main indicator recruitment potential.

LuvPeckham Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > By the way Bob > Did you find who she / he was ? Would you believe - It was Louisa. All that guff about poncey local produce and all the time she's more than happy to spend two hours queueing for half a pound of organic chiplolatas.

Me: Bugaboo, no chin, thin-framed designer spectacles, dropping my consonants in an attempt to converse with the butcher. You: 180 feet back in the queue, coarse hessian bag, fiddling on a Blackberry, bored expression. Same time, same place - next year?

Being relieved of around thirty-five notes from crew of chirpy-but-shifty roll-up smoking awwright missus gertcha lavverly TREEES - is now an East Dulwich tradition. Two letters: B.. and Q

Oh year - that's the one. It's the one where Harry smokes his first spliff, geta a blowie behind the Cauldron of Doom and decides to give up magic and live on a kibbutz.

The sixth one? Is that "Harry Potter and the Wizard's Sleeve"?

Another one I wasn't mad about was The Bible. Don't want to spoil the end for anyone - but God done it.

Btw, that's unfair, Mockney. The Harry Potter books are a super story, well-written and charming - a good read for anyone of any age and responsible for helping many an adult re-acquire the reading bug! If anyone has enjoyed Harry Potter, I can thoroughly recommend any of the following: The Magic Faraway Tree, by Enid Blyton Poppy Cat Loves Rainbows, by Lara Jones Where's Spot, by Eric Hill

Douglas Coupland - "All Families Are Psychotic" Laughably awful.