louisiana

Logs for London charges 120 quid for 3/4 of a ton. They deliver across south London.

hintza Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hmmm - this sounds as if it's all a bit too TPF to > me (Tooting Popular Front) though in reverse. Come > the revolution! > Apologies for going slightly off topic here > but... > > From my own experience of our current financial > crisis I am somewhat despondant as to the fate of > civilisation - only yesterday I heard about a case > of someone in my firm moaning that their outgoings > were $40,000 a month yet there income was only > $10,000 and it was "our" (the companys) > fault/responsibility to ensure they were "put > right". > > And then only today I heard of someone complaining > to HR that "they had met their targets and > objectives for the year so why on earth should > they not get the same bonus as last year" despite > the fact that my firm has lost more cash than our > entire defence budget for the last 2 years.... > > Admittedly both instances were in the US but I > don't doubt some of my fellow colleagues in the UK > feel the same. And at the same time there are hundreds of thousands of small people like you and me across the US suddenly finding themselves existing on food stamps for the first time in their lives. And many states now expanding their (federally funded) food stamp programmes. I don't believe that governments putting more and more money into the black hole that is the financial services balance(!) sheet is the way forward. It's a bottomless pit and these guys still think they can have company jets, ridiculous bonuses, parties in Davos, office carpets that cost more than a house, and all the rest. They are a sad parody of the Bonfire of the Vanities. Governments really should be doing other things with *our money* (and our childrens' childrens' money). Bailing these people out just gives them permission to do the same all over again. And they will. Save the savers but dump the bankers.

dc Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Not wishing to pour cold water on Pommie's kind > offer to Miss P but we do live in a smokeless zone > - introduced to prevent pollution and at its > worst, smogs, I believe. I don't think the Clean > Air Act has been revoked. Yes we do. And today there are many multi-fuel stoves that comply with these laws (i.e. you can use them in smokeless zones to burn wood, as the emissions fall below the limits). Examples of approved models include the Owl, Badger and Squirrel models from Morso, for example. Which are also fab stoves. But installing a stove also usually means lining the chimney (after sweeping it) for both efficiency and safety reasons. Stoves burn wood are *much* more efficiently than open fires: you'll get 4x the heat in the room for the same amount of fuel. Of course, unseasoned wood should never be put on a fire. All horrible fumes and smoke and no heat. A good source of cheap logs from sustainable sources is Logs for London. They deliver to south London. (Maybe split a 3/4 ton load with a neighbour?)

Mount Adon Park is like a vertical ice rink. Just saw a car slide down both of the bends at the LL end in a very uncontrolled manner.

My recent encounters with KCH have not been good. I've been - in the last six weeks - for an appointment in audiology. *Not* with Choose and Book. KCH got my address completely wrong (so sent my appointment to an incorrect address, where I have never lived, which they had made up or copied from someone else). The address given by my GP to them was correct. And then they complained to my GP that I hadn't turned up for an appointment (because I'd never received the letter with the appointment). Which I only found out next time I visited my GP. And then they - incorrectly - blamed my GP. The audiologist was perfectly nice and very professional during the appointment we finally managed to put together... I spent some time making sure different clinics did not hold this rogue address, by phone. Then take this morning. An appointment in one of the opthalmology clinics. The appointment was made by Choose and Book (I had no choice). Choose and Book could not handle an online appointment (this was in November, may have changed by now?), so I had to call by phone to get it. I phoned KCH opthalmology. Fine. I turned up this morning, and found out after asking some questions that they had a GP record for me in a different city, some nine years out of date (and clearly a different record to that held by audiology). If a GP has requested an appointment with opthalmology, surely the opthalmology clinic must know who that GP is? Perhaps there is no record provided from the GP to the hospital via Choose and Book, though if that is the case it seems to be a crappy system by definition. Then it emerged that I hadn't received any of the - as it turned out - *essential* info about the appointment (and what they'd be putting in my eyes and how this would affect my vision for the day). I only found out when I arrived at the clinic that this info had been sent/should have been sent. Whoever had made my booking by phone at KCH had either sent nothing out, or had sent it to the wrong address (as before). Or indeed RM had not delivered it. The receptionist at the clinic was clearly harrassed when I arrived, but proved to be efficient and friendly when the gale blew over (lots of patients, no computer access, when I arrived). A nurse doing a sight test (before seeing the doctor) spent most of the time I was with her chatting to some mate on her mobile. Oh, and she gave me a glaucoma booklet without any kind of explanation whatsover. ("Oh, we give this to everybody", she said, when I questioned this.) I don't believe I have glaucoma. The person who did my visual field test was fine. And then on to the opthalmologist. What a 'mare. Treated me like an imbecile. I'd clearly received a letter, according to her, as I was there. She hadn't heard of Choose and Book (by phone), and didn't seem bothered in finding out now. I must be lying or stupid, was the tenor of her words. But she couldn't care less, "It's nothing to do with me!", she shouted at close quarters. Imagine somebody with their fingers stuck in their ears going "Ooooooo, I can't hear you..." in a loud voice, and you get the measure of the encounter. (A comparison: I recently went to an appointment at Moorfields eye hospital, and there could not have been a greater chasm between the two opthalmologists.) I don't know if she behaves the same way to all patients, but if she was my employee and behaved in such a way she'd be out of the door pronto. KCH has some good people working in it, but it strikes me as a dysfunctional organisation with some appalling admin systems and with some very jaded employees who in the worst cases seem to have little regard for patients.

Huguenot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Ah, it kind of depends whether you see road signs > as street art, or as aids to driving. > Or as an aid to pedestrians. They are fine for pedestrians. And pedestrians never see the big signs pointing at drivers.

Fabulous local MP is driving forward a measure to conceal MPs' expenses (i.e. to conceal that certain MP's fund pergolas and so forth at taxpayers' expense): http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jan/16/mps-expenses-exemption See this Facebook page (if you are a Facebooker) to find out more: http://www.mysociety.org/2009/01/17/6-days-to-stop-mps-concealing-their-expenses/ or check out what the good folks at MySociety have posted on the issue: http://www.mysociety.org/2009/01/17/6-days-to-stop-mps-concealing-their-expenses/ I'm all in favour of appropriate money being spent on things that are necessary to enable our representatives to do their jobs (in other words I'm not one of these obsessive 'small government' people) but I think there should be transparency to stop abuse. Please do join the fray (e.g. write to your MP) if you agree. There's plenty of help around to help you e.g. Write To Them.

I fly from Heathrow mainly on business, but the majority of flights from Heathrow are leisure, not business (according to various sets of stats that have been quoted in the broadsheet press this week). There's also a tremendous number of people passing through Heathrow who never come landside. Just as important as climate change will be the impact of peak oil. The International Energy Agency (paid for by governments) forecast in November(?) 2008 that peak oil from conventional sources (i.e. not Canadian tar sands of the really expensive stuff under the ocean that Brazil can't afford to drill) will be around 2020. After that, production will fall by 6.7% pa, they forecast (i.e. fast, because modern technology empties the wells/fields more quickly than in decades past). That will mean the end of cheap flights (if it hasn't happened before for other reasons e.g. global financial collapse). Given that third runway is not due to come on stream until 2019, it seems like a complete waste of time. It does not solve Heathrow's current problems, and it will be a dead duck when it does open because the world and energy etc will have moved on by then. I have no wish for a third runway. I am trying to reduce the amount I fly to see distant clients (train where I can) and also trying to get them to do more work remotely. Many firms I know (even the giants, and even before the autumn financial chaos) are doing the same. We need to be thinking about using fewer resources and using resources more effectivly. Just expanding to feed some supposedly infinite current demand is short sighted and perhaps even stupid. But Big Aero is a powerful lobby and politians are in thrall to these guys. And unfortunately both business and government are short-termers, in the one case in response to shareholders and the markets, and in the other to elections. There's nobody thinking longer term. A pity. My view is that some airports by 2025 or 2030 could be looking like downtown Detroit: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1864272_1810098,00.html

indiepanda Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > louisiana Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > The great thing about internet dating is that > you > > can be systematically ruthless. > > Those ones definitely sound not worth second > meetings. I'm impressed you stuck around for 2 > hours, I wouldn't have given someone that long. If > you are going to be that late surely you just > phone and reschedule?? You do. I was just having some food and drink, not hanging around for him.

Bellenden Belle Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I too had an extraordinary journey on the no.12 on > Sunday night. > A young man got on, terribly worked up, and > proceeded to chant, or I believe it might have > constituted a rap, incredibly aggressively for > about twenty minutes without pausing for breath. > I can actually still hear his voice as I type > this....intermittently he would bang on the window > threatening to kill someone on the street... > watching him out of the corner of my eye, he > seemed entirely on the edge - as if at any moment, > the words would stop and he would be ready to act. > > > More than anything it left me feeling terribly sad > that someone so young was clearly in such a dark > confused place. Sad indeed, but not uncommon on the 12. Could have been on crack, could have been mentally ill. There are people who need help, but who is going to help (more generally). I've seen all sorts on that bus route, including quite blatant 'dealing'. I'm not particularly anti-drugs or anything, but just found it quite bizarre to witness dealer-dealer encounters on the bus in the middle of the evening rush hour.

indiepanda Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > louisiana Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > And don't let me start on the online dating > sites populated by men looking for women 30 years > younger. Who all themselves look like the > proverbial cat-hedge-wise, and twenty years older > that their stated age in real life, and suffering > from severe personality problems invariably. > > Lol, I did dabble with internet dating and did get > the odd man who completely ignored the age range I > had put on my profile, but I didn't get any that > were 30 years older, 20 maybe and that was creepy > enough. > > To be fair, the guys I went out with were all > quite normal, just not for me. All nice looking > enough, but no feeling of mutual chemistry, > conversation a bit hard to get going. Maybe I was > expecting too much for a first meeting... > > Oh actually, there was one awful one. He lived in > London and said he never used public transport > which I thought was odd, so I asked what he did > when he went out. He said he "knew his limits" > when going out and would only have 4 pints or one > bottle of wine before driving home. Now that was > definitely a deal breaker! One of my funniest was the guy who turned up two hours late (cafe meet) - I had by that stage given up on him - and then berated me for having had a glass of wine or two during that two hours. No apology for actually turning up waay beyond time. (We'd never met before.) Then there was the one whose very first utterance was to attack the colour combination of bag and shoes I had that day. (Yes, he actually used the word 'clashing'.) Yes, it was also a first meeting. I mean, if that's how they start out, what kind of hell are they going to be in three years' time, I ask myself. The great thing about internet dating is that you can be systematically ruthless.

Anyone remember a series on BBC2 that was a real-life 'Office' (travel operator call centre somewhere like Croydon) which was broadcast around the same time as The Office first series? (same year, at least) What what it called?

I hear word from a mutual acquaintance that some guy, now dropped by one woman, is moving on to an 'attractive model'. Well, models are prob by definition in some sense attractive. To somebody. But this whole model thing is beyond belief. The world is not full of 'attractive models'. And the population of 'attractive models' are probably not the first place to find mates. (And don't let me start on the online dating sites populated by men looking for women 30 years younger. Who all themselves look like the proverbial cat-hedge-wise, and twenty years older that their stated age in real life, and suffering from severe personality problems invariably.) Women, to create a level playing field, start lying about everything big-time. Rant over.

Tony.London Suburbs Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > AllforNun Wrote: > and.....@#$%& pigeons ! > > pigeons? Has there been a coup in Israel? Nah, there's been a coop.

mockney piers Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think most 'celebrities' are just normal people > really, I'm sure they're lovely when you meet > them. I've met that thingy wassisname from > Stereophonics a few times when I worked up in > Camden and he was lovely. I encountered Hugh F-W @ the RSA back end of last year, and he was terribly 'you're not important so I don't need to speak to you or even acknoeldge your presence' towards quite a few people around me (who were all attending a screening of a film he was promoting, and were mostly fellows of the RSA, and included quite a few film-makers and environmental activists etc., so not exactly people picked up off the pavement). It was like, unless you've got a video camera trained on me or are some kind of world leader, you don't exist. Strange. I understand he wants to maximise exposure, but a lot of those people could do things for those projects, and were all worth a couple of moments of his time. Even if he only picked one or two of them...

Hi People Just had another chat with Thames Water about this one. They say "if you are already experiencing low pressure you should keep some water by in case it goes off", as they "may have to turn off the main if it gets worse, and won't be able to give any warning". I mentioned EDF and they asked me to post this info on the forum.

Dulwich Lakeside (aka the bottom of Mount Adon Park) update: currently around twenty feet wide lake across the entire width of the road at junction with LL.

The gushing continues on LL, from junctions with Dunstans to Mout Adon Park. The bus stop has been closed on and off for two weeks. The fire brigade has been various times to sort out the bus stop. My painter nearly killed himself getting off the bus (when it was gushing into the ice-rink when very cold a few days back) Morrison have been out there with pneumatic drills most nights (why does the drilling always start at 9.50pm? - like last night) since I got back from Italy (2 Jan), and some of the original holes from October and November and December have now been re-dug at least three times, but it's made no discernable difference: the amount of fresh water is gushing down the various drains along LL on this stretch. It was even flowing uphill on MAP (steep hill!) on a couple of days. (Also coming up under the pavement on LL.) I fail to see how this has got anything to do with the 'cold spell'. The whole thing has been happening for around 10+ weeks now, with no sign of improvement. I figure the water could go off at any time, so best to have some stored (especially if you have a combi-condensing boiler without a hot water tank).

KalamityKel Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It amazes me that there have been notices on the > ED bus stops for over a month informing passengers > of the route shortening and no one noticed b4? > *sighs* Some people - like me - only use any bus once in a blue moon. I use the 176 perhaps once a month, the 12 likewise, the 185 likewise or less frequently. And once a week or less take a bus - any bus - down to ED LL for shopping. Otherwise I don't travel, or I walk or I cycle. So some of us don't stand by the bus stop every day, reading the notices. I had no idea of the 176 changes. My main form of transport is bus, but I was away for two weeks, then for other days/weeks have had my nearest bus stops (either end of commonest journeys) shut with usual yellow notice (three different ones on different parts of LL, for example, over several weeks). Like the one today, yesterday and day before at the stop nearest my house. So I'm not catching a bus and not reading notices. I'm walking if I need to go somewhere.

We've had large quantities of water gushing down LL for some weeks (three months?) now. Today/yesterday it's gushing from outside Red Apple (opposite library). Before Xmas for weeks from Dustans Rd junction, and from Mount Adon Park junction. They dig another deep hole, some more water gushes out somewhere else. Some weeks have been lakes across half of LL, with cones to stop cars driving in. Today there's a real river ouside Red Apple. It probably makes sense these days for most people to have a minimum amount of water stored for emergency use: 1 gallon per day per person. I've lost the water too many times over the last few years (with no warning, for entire days) not to do otherwise (and now I have a combi-condensing boiler and no hot water tank, all the more reason).

Things to get worse in the US, according to this CBS 60 minutes video: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4668112n Apparently sub-prime was only the half of it.

Keef Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'm not pulling my wait, not even close. > And I care...a great deal, but changing behaviour > individually is hard > > What you said! > > I always recycle, I try not to waste electricity, > and I don't drive, but at the end of the day, I > have to admit, that other things in my life are > thought about way before the earth gets a look > in! > > Mrs Keef probably does a lot more than average, > but even she says that she is rubbish really. Keef, changing behaviour is hard, but I find the 'transition towns' initiative interesting, as it focuses on what people can do rather than what they can't. Very positive vibe, not all doom and gloom. BTW, Brixton is an early stages transition initiative... (so not all rural enclaves) I can foresee when we will be growing veggies in Dulwich Park etc. before long. Perhaps we could encourage the council and the Dulwich Society to go for nut-bearing trees? I wonder where our water might come from (in ED) in times of crisis... (There's currently a freshwater mains 'lake' at the foot of my road, with umpteen holes in the road, going on for the last two weeks; expecting the mains water to go off any time. We do rely on very fragile supply chains.)

I find I only get them once every two months or so. These jesus types are clearly unfit and can't make it up the hill (Mount Adon Park).

MadWorld74 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > so the Blue Mountain Cafe got held up on Tuesday > and the bank yesterday?! It's Christmas. Robbers need to buy x-boxes for their kids. What do you expect?

There is is monkey puzzle near the bottom. Which is the nicer end, as someone else has said. The presence of the seepy tea definitely makes this a good road (probably as long as you don't live next door/opposite) The 12s are okay, though you do experience the occasional strange moment (drug dealing on the bus, he he). Note that TfL is to withdraw the bendy buses and replace them with buses that don't kill so many people. I loved the 12 when it was a Routemaster, and still went to Notting Hill - not so long ago.