Domitianus

I have heard that some new properties on the Costas have had their prices reduced by up to 60% and are still not selling.

Hate to bring it up again but - further bad news in the Spanish, American and Irish housing markets. Also recent interest rate increases. Caveat emptor!

Thought we might see you modelling it, not that ugly tart in the piccies! She just doesn't do it as much justice as you would.

Ejector seat in a helicopter? Condom machine in a convent?

DM. Please post a picture of your underwear so we can establish whether or not you are deceiving us.

Obviously my North Pole comment was so anodine and uncontentious that it didn't even warrant a single comment. Or were people simply entranced by the fishy pun saga?

Interesting! I don't wish to be a prophet of gloom but I have pointed out a few times before on this board that some informed analysts are maming uncomfortable sounds about the global housing market. We shall see.

Don't forget to shut the Dorey!

If anyone mussels in on this thread I suggest we batter them.

Their lemon cheesecakes are also vedry palatable.

-- moved topic --

*Offers MP half full Evian bottle and says "Cheely little number, just in from South Africa. Do try it."*

Incidentally, I have heard it is a tad chilly at the North Pole. Never been there myself, of course, you understand. Just going on what I've heard. Could be sub-topical for all I know. No offence and all that. Happy to stand corrected.

How about McLaren? The pram company, not the F1 team.

I didn't do it on porpoise!

I had a f-eel-ing someone would object!

Oooops! Sorry, that's a mammal.

But don't worry, I'm having a whale of a time.

I am flounder-ing in a sea of bad puns!

I understand that fish tend to favour aquatic environments. I am of course open to opinions to the contrary.

Does that mean we can all burst in and waste them now?

On a non-inflammatory note - I retired from competitive debating in 1989 when I left university having the previous year won the country's oldest debating championship the Barclays Bank Michaelmas Inter-Varsity Competition, beating Oxford, UCL and Edinburgh in the final.

Obviously my simple comment about "chunking up" has gone straight over people's heads. To reiterate, and everyone including James can read this slowly and carefully, I was drawing attention to other processes that are considered "natural" to indicate that the "naturalness" of an act is not grounds to argue that it is acceptable. this does not mean that I am saying that breasfeeding is the same as burping, farting, pissing etc etc, except in as much as they are all natural bodily functions (mind you BFing babies often do all of these things when feeding so maybe there is more similarity than I thought). It is distrubing that people in a supposedly educated and intelligent part of London should be so incapable of following such a simple arguement. I am accused of an incredible 'viciousness of tone' by Ganapti - this from someone who then makes comments such as "Thank god! Was wondering when you were going to shut up on the matter". I am also amazed at the inconsistency of her opinions - starting out in agreement but apparently having an overnight volte face on a particular issue simply because she doesn't like the 'tone' of someone discussing the subject. Hardly an example of reasoned consideration! I am also accused of "aiming abuse" at people. Ermm, who specifically and please give supporting evidence. If you read the thread with an objective mind you will see that the abuse and vitriol has almost exclusively originated from and been expressed by those who have attacked me. The tone of my postings (although occasionally facetious) has been directed towards arguing the points and issues. If you can not see that it seems you are blind to the facts. An example of the vitriol against me has just been further elucidated by James. Again he goes on into his favourite amateur psychologist rant accusing people he doesn't even know of having "issues" that need "therapy". How's this James? YOU have "issues" that need "therapy". Do I believe that statement? Well I have absolutely no idea about James's state of mind so am not going to make the assumption that because he disagrees with me he is deranged or in need of treatment. I have about as much evidence on which to base such an assumption as James has - ie. none whatsoever. I guess it must be comforting not to have to engage in discussion of the issues and to just be able to attack the character and completely hallucinated faults or "issues" of anyone who disgarees with you. Let me reiterate my point made in an earlier posting: "I would also like to express my amazement at the nature of the attacks thrown at me. Apparently I am harbouring all sorts of repressed coflicts, fixations, obsessions, hostilities and am also "scary" - all because I have had the 'afrontery' to say that there are ertain circumstances in which I think it is ill-considered of women to overtly breast feed. Wonderful to see people address the issues instead of attacking the individual - NOT! I would point out that my general view, if not specific arguements, on this matter is apparently shared by at least the following - Cowbear (who initiated the thread), hoards of kids outside Nero, Ondine (I assume the posting "ditto" indicated agreement with Cowbear's original post), TillieTrotter, the staff of William Rose and a close friend of mine who immediately grimaced at the mention of BFing in a cafe. I am sure there are many more. I can only assume that they are all also fixated, repressed, obsessed, hostile to women (including TT, who says she breast fed herself) and "scary"." Every single attack made on me since I made that posting simply reinforces and lends further evidence to that observation.

I am both sorry and surprised that asking people to consider the feelings of others in certain rather specific situations and act with a bit of discretion is "frightening". All I can say, Ganapati, is that you are easily scared. In terms of other less-fortunate people being taken to visit cafes, using libraries etc - I myself have helped escort groups with Parkinson's Disease on outings and understand what is being talked about. There is a vast difference, however, in the level of choice that exists. A BFing mother can easily be a little more discrete than often appears to be the case, just as many of those afflicted with disability would give almost anything to have the health and ability to make such choices that a BFing mother has. So I see no real comparison. As for Keef's posting about some women BFing because it's trendy - I see no reason to be amazed at that. Fashion conscious people do a great many stranger things because it is trendy, I am gobsmacked if you haven't noticed this. Things such as actually HAVING a child, or getting married, because "all my friends are doing it". Adopting a child from overseas because Madonna and Angelina Jolie are doing it. Buying a house because everyone else is getting on the property ladder. Having a Caesarean without any medical necessity because the magazines say that the 'beautiful people' are all Too Posh to Push! As for my postings about other bodily functions - this is a process called 'chunking up', ie. identifying other things of a similar 'type' to see if we would apply the same rules to them. I think it has been seen that we clearly wouldn't so the test of "it's natural and necessary", which has been advanced in support of universal BFing falls flat on its face. I would also like to express my amazement at the nature of the attacks thrown at me. Apparently I am harbouring all sorts of repressed coflicts, fixations, obsessions, hostilities and am also "scary" - all because I have had the 'afrontery' to say that there are ertain circumstances in which I think it is ill-considered of women to overtly breast feed. Wonderful to see people address the issues instead of attacking the individual - NOT! I would point out that my general view, if not specific arguements, on this matter is apparently shared by at least the following - Cowbear (who initiated the thread), hoards of kids outside Nero, Ondine (I assume the posting "ditto" indicated agreement with Cowbear's original post), TillieTrotter, the staff of William Rose and a close friend of mine who immediately grimaced at the mention of BFing in a cafe. I am sure there are many more. I can only assume that they are all also fixated, repressed, obsessed, hostile to women (including TT, who says she breast fed herself) and "scary". I guess I shouldn't worry too much about getting this kind of flak though. When people have to resort to such ad hominum attacks and affectations of shocked disbelief ("scary", "speechless" etc) it usually means they have lost the arguement. In the words of Oscar Wilde "Please don't agree with me. When people agree with me I become convinced I must be wrong." That, unless I am grossly provoked, is all I have to say on this matter.

By way of an example - I was sitting recently in the garden of a local cafe having a coffee with a friend. It was Sunday so rather hot. I said to my friend "Would it be inappropriate for me to take my shirt off and sit here topless?" He replied that it might not be completely appropriate in the location - so I sat there and sweltered. Now I have been told that I have a reasonably well-toned and athletic body and don't have any particularly hideous skin diseases on my torso, so I can safely assume that my exposed body would not have elicited cries of horror. Certainly it would not have been unlawful or immoral for me to reveal my upper body, but out of respect for those around me who might have felt that a cafe was not the sort of place to bare one's chest - I desisted. That is the type of courtesy I am talking about.