Swans, Tents and Murder threats in Finsbury Park.

Detritus

I assumed that the emeritus was a private company, as long as they pay tax and keep the noise down when told they can do what ever they want with money they receive.

Arkady

I broadly agree with you Papa L.  I hope you can appreciate, though, that most councillors, MPs and activists are hard working and want the best for their communities, but their powers to enact radical change are circumscribed by the realities of politics and economics.  Thus the sense of pent-up disillusionment with politicians is understandable, but perhaps unfair.  As individuals, and even as parties, there is a limit to what they can do.  And if politicans proposed the radical solutions that are probably needed they would probably not be voted in.  Much of the power and decision-making is held at the level of regional and global governance, and we haven't ideologically adapted to this yet by finding ways of properly holding those levels of governance to account, so we feel powerless (whether or not we realise that this is the root of problem).<br><br>The broad answer to the problems that you list is "to no longer live in a late-nationalist globalised economy".  But that won't be solved by stern letters to your local councillors.<br>

Papa

I broadly agree with you too Arkady. <br><br>It would be nice if more people engaged with the world to try and get things changed, direct involvement is obviously best but barring that berating their elected representatives and calling on them to do something is a reasonable bet.<br><br>Maybe I'll put a want ad out. <br><br>Needed: non late-nationalist globalised economy for mid-thirties reasonably responsible man and family looking for a good home.<br><br>Detritus, Arsenal are limited on the events they can hold at the Emirates beyond the football schedule because of the knock-on effect on local residents, noise, crowds, imposition of matchday parking controls. I'm guessing as part of the permission process, the council are taking a fee. I'd at least like to see it translate into lower parking charges for residents and their guests to reflect the inconvenience.<br>

DillysDad

Arkady - I completely agree. The problem with capatilism is that it's based on the idea that we can have infinite growth which is obviously crazy but no world leader is prepared to make the unpopular decision to cap population growth, development and natural resource use. Re: LF, I'm sure she does work really hard but I very much doubt she would be claiming almost sole victory for the gay marriage campaign had it not been something the coalition wanted anyway. I'm aware of two incidents where her constituents have emailed in huge numbers for her to vote against something in the commons and she has either not attended the vote or voted with the whip. This is where ''democracy' falls short. It's only roughly a democracy when it comes to election time. Lib Dems are a huge example of a party getting in on the basis of broken promises. (I sound very anti Lib Dem. I have only ever voted for Lib Dems, it will be the Green Party from now on.)

Arkady

Again DillysDad, we don't have a direct democracy. We have a representative democracy, which means that the representative does not have to vote entirely in line with the views of the majority of their constituents, even if those views could reasonably be determined by huge spamming campaigns by pressure groups. Further, it is extraordinarily difficult for a minister to vote contrary to government policy, as I noted above. It should not be surprising, then, that Ms Featherstone has voted in line with her party even when it contradicts the results of your email campaigns (and how do you know how many emails she received for and against?) That does not mean that “we only have democracy at election time”, it means we are operating representative democracy just like every other representative democracy in the world. <br><br>Sorry to hear that you feel that the Lib Dems have broken promises. Certainly they have had to make compromises as part of a coalition agreement, just like any party who ever entered into a coalition anywhere. I tend to put most of the ‘broken promises’ rhetoric down to the British public’s lack of familiarity with coalition politics. Other issues, like tuition fees, are mostly misunderstandings drummed up by a shrill media and short-sighted student politicians. Happy to debate specifics (always).

DillysDad

I'm sounding too 'David Ike' for my liking.

DillysDad

...

DillysDad

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Arkady

Back to the subject of threats of murder and so on.  Just to show that I'm not (merely) a political blowhard, I have applied to join the Safer Neighbourhood Team Ward Panel (public liason with the local Metropolitan Police Team) to pursue some of the concerns raised here.  I will pass on anything useful that I discover.<br>

Idoru

Good for you! <br><br>And back to the subject of the swans, if anyone sees any wildlife crime being committed please do call 999 - the police will refer it on to the Wildlife Crime Unit who will then investigate.<br>

DillysDad

Brilliant work Arkady

miss annie

Well done Arky! Look forward to hearing your reports.

Detritus

Good job arkady.

Mirandola

Ditto - and thank you for the books.

Detritus

Dude had a thought, as the caped crusader and man of steel has been taken do you want miss A to run you up a cloak? I think the Avenging Arkady is still up for grabs.

Arkady

That would be lovely.  The full outfit would need to include a waistcoat and brimmed hat to truly be 'me'.  Ideally linen would be involved too,at least in the summer incarnation.<br>

checkski

Funnily enough, there's a chap at Hornsey Library who dresses like that every day of the week. I think he's called Richard ( surname Turpin, maybe...?), and he runs the community cafe on the first floor. He's a delightful chap, and I'm tempted to ask him why he dresses like that, but never quite like to. Perhaps Arkady could pop in and consult him.

vetski

@checkski, his name is Robin Stevenson. It's actually never occurred to me to ask him, might do next time I see him!

checkski

@vetski. Not Turpin, then? I'm disappointed.

Arkady

He drinks in the Shaftesbury.  He was actually in the Guardian or Observer magazine a while back in a period fahion feature.  Damned if I can find it online though.<br><br>That's a bit <i>too</i> period for my taste.  I prefer an outrageous pastiche, e.g.:<br><br><img src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01934/Richard_a_1934160b.jpg"><br>

miss annie

He's been dressing thst way forever. He used to work in the toy shop by the post office about six years ago and he was doing it then. In Crouch End he kind of gets away with it, but I saw him boarding a 91 bus at Nag's Head recently where the young folk of Holloway were taking a dim view of his get up.

miss annie

PS. We saw that production of Richard III, it was bloody fantastic!

Arkady

Wasn't it just.  My best theatre experience ever in fact.<br>

Arkady

By the way Miss Annie, you might know the answer to this.  If a dry cleaner has failed to get a curry stain out of a cream linen jacket, are there any options remaining?  Like dying the whole thing maybe?<br>

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ADGS

Arkady: sounds like you should be looking more to the Shadow than Batman for a suitable tailoring/crimefighting combo. He also has the advantage of not being such an utter bloody milksop as Bruce Wayne.

Arkady

And at the weekends, Devlin Waugh.<br>

Arkady

Or maybe Nikolai Dante.<br>

ADGS

Both fine, upstanding fellows, in the innuendo and non-innuendo senses of the phrase. 

andy

@arkady - after I put a few of the SNT surveys up online here, I was asked to join that same panel. I went a couple of times, but have found it hard to get there since and Bob Stevenson, the excellent copper who ran it, has now left. The next meeting is on 31st July, I think.