I'll have a sad face please, Bob. 
I read the news today oh boy! Page 619
Quote: AJGO @ January 6 2012, 1:35 PM GMTThat's hardly an issue that's exclusive to Hackney. And one of the things that pisses me off most about Diane Abbott's comments is that in her own constituency a huge range of cultures and backgrounds get along fine, and make an effort to be part of a community, and, shock horror, just go about their day to day lives that don't involve crime or hatred. There are lots of problems, same as everywhere else, but she is perfectly placed to find a squillion brilliant examples of community cohesion and she's decided to ignore that her own constituents are mostly actually quite nice to each other.
It makes me sad that Lammy a really decent (if quite conservative) voice is sidelined and belittled. And called a collection of extraoridinairly unpleasant racist terms mainly by his own side (none of whom had the creativity to go for the obvious Mammy, soz).
Because he speaks about accentuating the positive and self reliance.
Whilst a poisonous old hypocrite like Abbott does well. Because she sells the self hating sourness loved by bleeding heart white liberals and professionals of the community leadership brigade. Hectoring on keeping criminal, violent young men in schools she'd never send her kids to.
Mammy's writings about growing up in a one parent family, the terror of going to prison (because guilty or innocent it's where most of his contemporaries were going). Counterpointed with the liberation he found in singing and university is powerful stuff indeed.
Quote: AJGO @ January 6 2012, 1:35 PM GMTThat's hardly an issue that's exclusive to Hackney. And one of the things that pisses me off most about Diane Abbott's comments is that in her own constituency a huge range of cultures and backgrounds get along fine, and make an effort to be part of a community, and, shock horror, just go about their day to day lives that don't involve crime or hatred. There are lots of problems, same as everywhere else, but she is perfectly placed to find a squillion brilliant examples of community cohesion and she's decided to ignore that her own constituents are mostly actually quite nice to each other.
As someone who was born in Hackney and lived half his life in Dalston, I can echo some of these sentiments, but not all. There is a huge amount of racial tension in Hackney because of the massive influx of different ethnicities, cultures and social classes.
If this had been a gradual process, like the intorduction of previous Hackney communities, it wouldn't have been a problem, but such has been the rate of change, it has created a pressure cooker of rivalry and intolerance amongst all ethnic groups.
The new influx of white professionals haven't helped - since most of them are young, media types, the amount of drug dealing has acutally gone up in the Borough. I blame London Overground, say what you like about them honkies, but they love dem trains.
Just as I thought Big brother could not get any worse, the Shannon Twins are apparently in the house. Two annoying self absorbed twats who got famous getting off with each other while Hugh Hefner knocked one out. MISS.
Quote: RubyMae - Glamourous Snowdrop @ January 6 2012, 1:46 PM GMTthe Shannon Twins are apparently in the house. who got famous getting off with each other
Schwiiing!
I always liked Hackney.
Especially the highstreet with socialist workers shouting on one side and fundy Christians on the other. I suspect most of the crime is down to the poverty and even then statistically it isn't that great.
NB where do the shouty Islamists fit in?
One of the saddest things I saw living in Dorset was going to the picturesque village of Swanage after their carnival. And seeing the caucasian self satisfied villagers going home with grass skirts and blacked up faces. Reminded me of discussions with black colleagues on why they rarely felt welcome outside of the big cities.
I always liked Hackney.
Especially the highstreet with socialist workers shouting on one side and fundy Christians on the other. I suspect most of the crime is down to the poverty and even then statistically it isn't that great.
NB where do the shouty Islamists fit in?
One of the saddest things I saw living in Dorset was going to the picturesque village of Swanage after their carnival. And seeing the caucasian self satisfied villagers going home with grass skirts and blacked up faces. Reminded me of discussions with black colleagues on why they rarely felt welcome outside of the big cities.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ January 6 2012, 1:45 PM GMTAs someone who was born in Hackney and lived half his life in Dalston, I can echo some of these sentiments, but not all. There is a huge amount of racial tension in Hackney because of the massive influx of different ethnicities, cultures and social classes.
If this had been a gradual process, like the intorduction of previous Hackney communities, it wouldn't have been a problem, but such has been the rate of change, it has created a pressure cooker of rivalry and intolerance amongst all ethnic groups.
The new influx of white professionals haven't helped - since most of them are young, media types, the amount of drug dealing has acutally gone up in the Borough. I blame London Overground, say what you like about them honkies, but they love dem trains.
Of course it would be naive and unhelpful to pretend there aren't various tensions, but an MP painting us all as crack crazed crims isn't helping that issue. Out of an estimated population of 219,200, the vast, vast majority are not trying or wanting to kill anyone else.
Quote: zooo @ January 6 2012, 1:40 PM GMTBob Holness died.
I cry now.
He'll never get to be my grandad now.
Quote: AJGO @ January 6 2012, 1:51 PM GMTOf course it would be naive and unhelpful to pretend there aren't various tensions, but an MP painting us all as crack crazed crims isn't helping that issue. Out of an estimated population of 219,200, the vast, vast majority are not trying or wanting to kill anyone else.
I quite agree and every time I thought Hackney was a bit rough, I went to places like Tottenham and Deptford and realised that it's really not all that bad.
Of course, a woman found stabbed to death in the back of an abandoned car this week just off Queensbridge road doesn't help to dispel the Hackney image.
Although a woman was found dead in the Queen's back garden this week, so it happens everywhere! 
And a bloke found dead outside Buck palace.
You don't thing the Queens killing people do you>?
A rabid corgi.
Quote: sootyj @ January 6 2012, 1:51 PM GMTOne of the saddest things I saw living in Dorset was going to the picturesque village of Swanage after their carnival. And seeing the caucasian self satisfied villagers going home with grass skirts and blacked up faces.
Are you sure they weren't black faced Morris Dancers??
Yes.
I thought that, or bad Botox party?