RosieH

I would pay cash money to see Keef in lilac.

DJKillaQueen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > There are lot's of chefs that will tell you that > the bacteria that causes the wine to cork is > killed and burnt off in the cooking process. In > other words the taste and smell of the corked wine > disappears once the wine boils. I'm with legalbeagle on this one DJ - I've worked with many chefs over the years, and to a man they've said that if a wine's not fit for drinking, they wouldn't dream of putting it in their food. Hmm, just thought, interestingly, they didn't say they wouldn't put it in anyone else's food, so maybe you're on to something. Try it on the in-laws first.

Dunno Narnia - am a Lancashire lass, and we had a lot of bobbins in our neck of the woods back in the day, what with t'mills and all. No idea how it came to mean a bit rubbish though. And yes Sean, you're right, she is tremendously likeable, and very happy to poke fun at herself, and seems intelligent - all admirable qualities. But I've watched two episodes of this now, and didn't laugh once.

I don't understand how it's even on television - it's utter bobbins.

Supergirl 90% - I'm a freaking do-gooding boring girl next door - honest and a defender of the innocent. Bah.

Thanks for the offer sedgewick, but I'm not sure I'd want to see a therapist who was psycho. Also, not convinced they'd have the requisite temperament to help me with any unresolved anger issues.

Hmm, the move from private to charity sector has not been kind on the work party front. Where once were trips to Paris, or weekends at the Vineyard at Stockcross and indoor fun fairs, now we had a lunch, to which we were instructed to bring nibbles. The lunch was conducted in the meeting room, and we had a 2 1/2 hour meeting, over our lunch hours, while we ate our own food. Result.

What Quids said. Christmas rocks, in all its bacchanalian splendour: my tree is trimmed, my door is wreathed, my gin is sloed, my larder is abundant, I have imposed Wombling Merry Christmas on all and sundry and I don't intend to stop yet. I wonder about this notion of hypocrisy. sedgewick, I shan't ask if you're a Christian, it's none of my business. I'm an atheist (although someone recently suggested pagan, such is my love of festivity), but the C of E way I was taught it, Jesus was excellent, compassionate, kind, loving, and moreover, he didn't judge - I think he'd be pretty chuffed that everyone's being nice to each other, thinking about others, feeling happy, spreading the love, whether they do it in his name or not, no?

Road to Nowhere - Talking Heads

The benefit to the environment of not using carrier bags is a drop in the ocean compared with driving a car, flying, breeding, pretty much most other things. Did the manager really call you lazy? I've always really liked Green & Blue and never found anyone there remotely up themselves, so I'm staggered by that. But it's appalling if true. I would have asked for a refund and bought my wine from somewhere that understood the concept of customer service.

Applespider Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I quite like onomatopoeia too but it is less easy > to drop into conversation. Seconded on onomatopoeia - it's fun just to say. Forget conversation, just say it for the hell of it.

Huguenot, this statue thing is an interesting approach. And well done you for recognising the female desire to vent and the apposite response of "bastards, poor you, there there" rather than infuriating practical solutions. However, in this instance it is a bit of both. I was about to explode and needed to rant, but also would like serious advice, because I might kill him if I don't say something. But need to say it in the right way as he's a very sensitive soul and I have to work with him (only on Monday, when he twice didn't listen to my instructions on how to use my phone, he called my sick mum by accident at 6.45am - she thought someone had died. When I wasn't pleased, he got very moody and told me I was going to live a very lonely life and have no friends if I was so unpleasant to everyone). Sadly working with a tiny organisation at the moment - there are 6 of us - so no HR department to tackle unpalatable issues. Oh god, just re-read this. Man, I sound peevish. But we've reached that point in our relationship where the very way he breathes makes me want to commit acts of wanton violence. I think I need a nice mug of warm milk.

The guy sitting opposite me in the office slurps and chews loudly, with his mouth open and a disgusting lip slapping salivery sort of noise. And it's INCESSANT. What can I do, short of defenestration? My ipod has run out of juice. Anyone in HR have experience of tackling this delicate subject? You eat like a pig and make everyone around you want to throw up - is that an acceptable way to talk to people?

That Jason Orange has considerable talents. And word! on the steaks, MacGabhann.

Heh, touch? mon ami. I am quite snobby about many things: the correct way to pronounce bruschetta, Dan Brown novels, misplaced chardonnay snobbery ("hate chardonnay, but I do love a nice glass of Chablis" - I snob the snobs), and yes, Heat / Grazia are right up there on my hit list. Yet somehow the show manages to suck me in...

It's the very nature of pop music, surely? One hit wonders have been with us longtime. And X Factor is our fault: us, the mighty collective 'we'. People watch it in their millions, in the same way that they read Heat and Grazia and the News of the World, and yes, even Popbitch (I think I'm so special!) It's part of disposable celebrity culture. I don't blame the people who want to make a living out of it. Why the hell shouldn't they, if it's there for the taking? I blame (if that's the right word) the people who feed the beast, the people at home who tune in, who ooh and aah over Ashley's latest infidelities, and Cheryl's latest hair extensions. They wouldn't give it to us if we didn't lap it up.

Yes Sean, but you did neatly sidestep the issue of deliberately misconstruing my point in order to have a little rant about these talentless fame hounds. I didn't accuse you of not liking pop music - I just don't think you are the target audience for Cher, or Rebecca, or Matt for that matter. Maybe Mary...? As long as there has been pop music, there have been manufactured acts. And that's all they are, no more, no less. Yes, they have the oxygen of primetime TV exposure, but so did the Monkees. They're not necessarily talentless - the top 4 could all sing - but are they your cup of tea? No. Are they someone else's cup of tea? Hell yes. The fact that they're part of a diposable pop culture isn't their fault. I don't think you should hold it against them. And Kajagoogoo, really? Surely similarly so? Can you name anything they did after Life in the Big Apple? (and frankly, I think I was about 1 of only 10 people who bought that particular turkey). Kylie was manufactured and rubbish when she started, now she's a pop princess (arguably still rubbish vocally, but doesn't matter, it's the whole package, innit?) Take That were a manufactured boy band, whom many, many, many considered talentless. It was clear from the outset that they were never going to last... All this said, I don't really care one way or the other. I just think you're being needlessly snobby about it.

Shame on YOU Sean, for allowing your cynical weary Word-reading world view, to skew what was quite clearly on my part simply a point about artists not having to be singer-songwriters to be considered any good. You know that I love the Elvis, and however much I may, on sentimental Christmas claret-drinking occasions, want to do rude things to Matt when he sings First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, ON NO PLANET would I compare him to Elvis. Some of these X Factorers have got nice voices. They've got stylists. They'd make decent pop stars. I'm guessing (and this is just guesswork based on the people I have met and opinions that have been aired) that there are few EDFers who are target market for the "recording voice"s of these people. I never bought Bros's records, but they didn't make me cross. Who buys pop music Sean, Jeremy? Is it you? Is it? It's just the telly, people. Let it go.

See, on first reading (and even second and third, before referring to the thread in question), I read this as "found a hand wrapped in a handkerchief put through their letterbox". Under those circumstances, I would in all likelihood, a) vomit and b) call the police. But it's a thievery hand dude. Ok. Under those circumstances, please don't put your doorkey on a string that can be grabbed by thievery hand dude. Then he can let himself in and thieve you.

Synaesthesia

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I wouldn't mind this show so much if they didn't > all sing nothing but cover versions throughout, > and when one of them eventually releases a single, > it's yet ANOTHER bloody cover! This show has > nothing to do with creativity - hell, it has > precious little to do with music at all. Meh. Plenty enough people don't write their own songs. Elvis for instance. He was shit. Don't expect an actor to write the play as well as act it, or do you?

But how do I get outside?

Sorry, about wikileaks, I care not that much. I think it's good that some things are revealed, other things need to stay secret for diplomacy to work. We can call for transparency, but until the whole world's operating on that level, we're a bit fucked. BUT BUT BUT, when it comes to the rape charges we're quoting THE DAILY MAIL as a source to say the rape claims are spurious? Bullshit bullshit bullshit. Here are some thoughts on "sex by surprise". Assange is accused of holding a woman down against her will during a sexual encounter, and of failing to comply with her request that he use a condom during sex. He is accused of having sex with another woman without her consent while she slept ? again without using a condom. I don't know whether he's guilty or innocent. And nor does anyone reading the Daily Mail (including Naomi Wolf), but it's pretty fucking distasteful to make light of and dismiss serious assault charges.

Mark, I love Cliff Barns All of the above, check - AND it has a Stag's head on the walls. Perfect. They can lay on catering or entertainment if you want any.

Ooh, The Name of the Game, Soldiers, The Day Before you Came, Rock Me, Eagle (yes yes, good call Moos), Kisses of Fire, The Visitors. People are too scathing about Abba, excellent popsters, and frankly, terrifically fashion forward.