david_carnell

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > to use a phrase.."what Keef said" > > As for tennis, do we have enough people interested > in playing to warrant booking some courts for a > day's tournament? You mean a forum tennis tournament? Good grief man have you lost your faculties. Look at the other threads in the lounge. Numerous forumites are happy to discus their current drinking habits and favourite tipples; the location of a top-notch curry; their favourite/worst tv adverts/programmes etc. What does this tell you? That we are not lithe, athletic sportsmen. I used to think of myself as quite sporty and with good hand eye co-ordination but tennis quashed this belief with one net-cord after another. As Tony Hawks will tell you, tennnis requires training from an expert to show you the correct technique otherwise you look like a cow on ice - or a Moldovan footballer. But yeah, if someone will lend us a racket, I'll play!

Marmora Man Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Terry Pratchet was, until recently, a confirmed > atheist. He is now diagnosed with early onset > Alzeimhers. He announced last week that he has > since had a spiritual experience and now believes > there is a "higher being". > > Has he swapped one religion for another or has he > given up on rationalism for superstition? Atheism is not a religion. It is the absence of belief in a deity not a form of belief. As for Pratchett, mental illness will do funny things to an old man presented with his own mortality.

The Gowlett. Decent quiz, better beer, best pizza.

Ahem! Bugger!

I think I saw Lucy Mangan in the East Dulwich Deli on Saturday. She's a columnist for the Grauniad. Quite a good one, actually.

Unbelieveable!

Yeah it is a bit cheesy I suppose and certainly not, umm, subtle but it has a certain charm. I suppose there is always: If I had to, and I mean really had to, watch only one film, on loop, for the rest of my life - it might just be the Blues Brothers.

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > An old Otis Redding track > > I've Been Loving You A Little Too Long - > Tindersticks Sorry Sean, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one. To me, Redding is nothing short of God and this is well...ummm...not really working for me, shall we say. I do like this though:

Some slices of Americana:

When looking at someone's user info does the "last activity" part also refer to non-posting activity i.e. just logging on and having a mooch about? And also, if I add someone to my "Buddy list" aside from them being very lucky what benefits does it have? Ta.

Take a socket spanner along and move the benches yourselves - nothing like a bit of direct action to annoy the council.

Oompah Loompahs. Gives me the willys. The originals though...not the new one(s). http://www.tjtvland.com/sitebuilder/images/OompaLoompa-192x195.png *shudders*

Marmora Man Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My point was about the tax credit system. However, > I'd be interested in your definition of "moderate" > redistribution. I fully support higher tax > thresholds and a system that ensures basic dignity > and needs for those unable, for whatever reason, > to provide for themselves. I am less persuaded > that taxing people at progressively higher taxes > to redistribute (inefficiently - because the gov't > would be in charge) the take to others on lower > incomes does much for anyone. > > I'd be interested to understand your rationale. My rationale at a social level is that I think a society with a large differential in wealth between richest and poorest is a rather unpleasant place to live - if that doesn't sound too wooly. By "moderate" I meant to intimate that I am not in favour of Labour manifesto policies circa 1983 where top rates of tax were running at 90%. Repeated statistics (which I shall endeavour to look for at some point) show happiness indices are inversely proportional to the 'weath gap'. The smaller the gap, the happier society is. My concern of removing Govt inteference in this process is that it is reliant on individual selflessness. Free-marketeers often argue that if the rich were taxed less they often give away a lot of their money to charities and other philanthropic pursuits but I find little credence in this argument. I think progressive taxation is a (fairly) efficient method of redistribution and allows for a population who are economically mobile i.e. are able to move through the economic strata of society with relative ease. Currently there are huge differentials in wealth which are very difficult to 'break into' - lack of social mobility if you like. IMO a bad thing. I think this Govt has roundly failed to reduce the wealth gap - a policy which, IMO, a Labour Govt should have had as a high priority - and in fact it has reached new heights. As a consequence I think society is suffering and this can manifest itself in big ways: anti-social behaviour, crime, etc; and in small ways: feelings of discontentment, isolation and malaise.

The Oxford Gold's lovely. Not that it'll mean much but brought back memories of a beer served in a pub I used go to back home. Fruity but malty in a sort of golden way. It's from Brakspear. Edit: I first had it on draft in the EDT which was amazing, but the bottles from Bossman are pretty good too.

Ahh, I often make the same mistake but a search of the wine list on their website provided the clues. On the beer front the Plough currently have Adnams Regatta which is a delighful summer ale. They change their barrels pretty quick though so get in fast. I think the Adnams brewery has to be an all time favourite. The ordinary and broadside are both lovely and their seasonal beers are always excellent. If you can't make it to the pub, the BossBros offlicense has bottles of organic Oxford Gold which is also a current fave.

Having done the appropriatre "search box" check I can' believe no one has ever posted any Nick Drake. So, voila:

Good thread Ted. Staying with wine and G&B, I had Sunday lunch in the Gazette Brasserie in Battersea two weekends ago and was lucky enough to share two bottles (and not have to pay) of this stuff at ?32 a pop. G&B have it for a much more palatable ?14. 2006 Clos Colombu Vin de Corse Calvi, Corsica, France

>:D

The last track is from SongZa, Strawbs. Let me know if you can get that and I could post two links for each. Oh, and there is no way you'll ever see me posting Bros or Rick Astley!

Troll alert. Pillock.

Ok, here we go for the first time. I've gone for country duets. An unusual choice but there are some great tunes in here (honest). Johnny Cash and June Carter - Jackson Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris - Return of the grevious angel Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Stick with me baby Roy Orbison & kd lang - Crying Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn - You're the reason our kids are ugly Some are romantic, some sad and the last track is very funny, but I love all of 'em.

Sorry, yes, I agree Dave R. I was referring to taxation in general. Unlike Mamora Man I believe in moderate redistibution of wealth to be a thoroughly good thing. Ta credits, as you rightly point out, are a complete mess.

ID Cards - anti. Redundant. Expensive. Fail to tackle either id fraud, benefits cheats or terrorism. I find the idea of an enforced id card uncomfortable. CCTV - anti. Expensive. I'm concerned over the increase of a surveillance society. They do not stop crime. Nor, in many cases do they catch the culprits. Quite often they merely displace the crime to a theatre with no cameras. This is not a reason to put cameras everywhere. Whatever happened to "tough on the causes of crime"? 42 detention - anti. Mainly for all the reasons previously expressed. I think 28 is an abomination as well. Canada has 1 day. So should we, without Judicial approval. And although I'm aware they were meant for discussion and not bullet point responses: 1. Civil servants and data protection. I presume you mean the loss of private data by incompetant civil servants. A bloody gopod reason not to have an ID card I should think. 2. The NHS Hurrah for the world's second largest employer (After the Indian state railway if you're interested). A cornerstone of civilised society. It needs more independence from politicians looking to make political capital from it, however. 3. Taxation and tax credits - why take money away in tax, filter it through an expensive bureaucracy and give 80% of it back as tax credits. To redistribute wealth. 4. Overseas wars I'm all for a well funded, professional military conducting campaigns of liberal-interventionism. 5. Treatment of the military - can we / should we separate the political decision to go to war from the personal tragedies and care of the soldiers, sailors and airmen that fight the wars? I find this almost impossible to answer. 6. Police - do they deserve more pay? Yes, but performance related - and I don't mean those who arrest more criminals. More along the lines of increaased pay for those judged fine, upstanding officers. And less for baton-friendly neanderthals.

citizenED Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I was in there on Saturday and bought Rob > Sheffield's "Love is a Mix Tape" (hope my brother > isn't reading this as it's his birthday present!) > > I love Chener's. I trust the table - it's like a > literary oracle. I love the bucket. And that sign. > I live in hope they hold out with the call to > modernise that sign - it's an institution already. > It's a little oasis of boho in an increasingly > corporate LL. > Viva Chener! Agree. With everything.

jumpinjackflash Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Chinooks. Shudder everytime I see one on TV and > in the papers. Do you say this as someone who has been in a Chinook and found it traumatic? Or merely as an observer?