Rico

Where is East Dulwich Grove? You mean Camberwell Grove?

Train service ends 2011.

Annex into East Dulwich all of the Grove up to Camberwell Church Street. Then build a huge wall between Camberwell/Peckham and East Dulwich. Oh and sell off Council Housing to outfits who can run it properly and weed out the deadbeats.

Absolutely. I'm for right to buy. Go for it.

Every bar is bi-sexual around 11pm onwards...

Chav do you live in publicly subsidised housing now? Forgive me for not being sure, though I infer from your post you have been/still do while you've gotten on your feet to 'start earning'. If so, are you now saying you'll save enough cash in the next few years to pay outright for a property/house in France and move there? Wouldn't it be a better plan to invest in a property here now that you can and then sell up? Besides the facts your means may now or very soon (assuming you can plow a lot of cash into savings) mean you no longer require subsidised housing (though you'll not be means tested or challenged, sadly) it just seems good financial sense to do it.

Agree James. Though liberals tend to be harder on their own. Just look at today's Labour Party! To be fair, any party in power inevitably implodes due to the fragile centrists/far left/right coalition they must court to win. Anyway, maybe Marr is liberal and thus harder on his own. Human nature.

Moos - love it! Saw Prescott railing against it on Newsnight last night. He's great when he's in his element: 'People should not be treated as economic units!' He's actually really good. I had forgotten.

Okay it sounds like it could go on the main forum, but it will be inevitably lounged. This report suggesting Northerners move south, which sounds silly until you listen to those who produced it and they make (some) sense. So can ED take in its share of Northerners looking for a better life?

Of course the whole point of the gay rights movement, and for that matter any similar movement, is to say 'my sexuality doesn't matter, it doesn't define me'. It's about making a BIG issue of something so that eventually (the end game) it will no longer be an issue. So arguably, we simply define 'sex' and not the person. 'Gay sex' (same gender) 'straight sex' (opposite) but eventually just 'sex'. As for people, they are just people. Not defined by 'sex*'. *if allowed in their tenancy agreement, of course

I'm enjoying his book as well James. Taking it slow and find it fascinating. I think he's fair - Thatcher was a visionary in the long view, though her vision wasn't shared. I personally think she did the right things but the wrong way, but that's not the topic of this thread. So as a book I think it's fair and not politically slanted. For some odd reason, I also picked up Ian Smith's autobiography. It's been recently re-printed with a forward saying 'with all that is happening in Zimbabwe, it's worth revisiting Ian Smith's views to see if maybe he was right on some things'. He's a bit of a one-theme poney, but indeed did make some sense. But reading his views of being abandoned by the world (and the UK) are especially interesting when reading Marr's take on what was happening back in the UK. Neither a favourite book though.

Ah. God bless corporate sponsorship.

Here's another: private back gardens. USA has seen litigation where neighbours complained. And several cities have banned smoking in public spaces/beaches. I really do smoke. But I'm well aware how annoying (not to mention unhealthy) it can be for innocent folks in the path of my smoke. My garden is so close to others it must be annoying sometimes. I really should quit. Maybe if I couldn't afford it and my only option for cheap housing banned it (or tested my income and realised I spent more a week on ciggies than what I claimed I could afford for rent) I would quit more quickly. Ummm...

My uni flatmate, who I think is 'totally straight' but would have sex with anyone: 'Friction is friction'

I guess enough abuse or enough pints will lead many to cross the line. Though I think there is actually a difference in being gay/lesbian and having the odd sexual experience with the same sex. James, does that make sense?

Moos - see how fun it can be? By the way. I smoke.

Moos it's what the internet is for. On a serious note, I sat watching last Saturday switching between CNN's coverage of Russia/Georgia and the UN emergency session live. It depressed me. Switching to the Olympics and seeing the same countries competing in a far more civil way encouraged me. It was a strange juxtaposition. But I felt much better watching the Olympics.

You could say that about 95% of these threads - we all have too much time on our hands. They've banned it in all Gov't buildings that you and I own, don't know why they can't extend further.

Ewwww

Keep the deposit...ahem

I'm being drawn in. Enjoying it. One funny note - this is one of those typical UK thread of expected responses (hate it!; hate USA!; hate corporate sponsorship!; etc.). So: I just wonder if the guy from Uganda who was unable to compete and died in poverty - had he sought political asylum in the US and then competed again...would you all then whine when you saw him on a Channel 4 piece claiming the US only let him in for the gold medal?

Well I'll remain open minded. Maybe I'll fall in love with his 'soul'. Unless of course he lives on an Estate and smokes (oops sorry) ;-)

I don't think I'm bi - not that there is anyting wrong with it. But I'm a sucker for marketing and long story short, I visited the site, signed up and now I'm meeting some guy named Norm on LL tonight for a drink. I also stop and sign up for every charity street worker. Please help me.

Agreed. It is their home. But there are rules and they chose to sign up to them. They may well smoke and I may well not notice, which really won't matter. But that's the rule. And Council's should be able to make such rules too.

No I suggested banning smoking in Council owned homes - where we are the landlords. Landlords can choose to do so, why not the Council? 'Banning smoking in their own homes' is a bit of a stretch. My lodgers may indeed call my flat their home, but they aren't allowed to smoke in it. It's called choices and personal responsibility.