Colman is staying near Covent Garden, which is very central, so I've really focused on that area

Firstly, a pub is a good place to meet anyway. There are about 2 or 3 which seem good.

The Harp in Chandos Place (WC2N 4HS) which is currently CAMRAs best pub in the UK. Fine beer but no food. Also it's very small so will get overcrowded very quickly. If we pick it I strongly recommend we rendezvous upstairs. I might be able to reserve a table.

Another choice would be the Cross Keys in endell St (WC2H 9BA) which is just off the beaten track enough to ensure it should be reasonably comfortable. Food is available but I don't know if it's any good.

Finally, just as a rendezvous I'd recommend the Montagu Pyke in Charing Cross Rd, WC2H 0BP. It's a Wetherspoons pub, and not a particularly good one, but there will be food. It does get noisy cos it's an acoustically bright room but it's large enough so that we are bound to get seats.

keep to the Fen Causeway

but if somebody suggests a cuisine, I'm sure it's available. London's Chinatown isn't far away if that tempts.

keep to the Fen Causeway

This is a very tentative thought.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm AKA Mike Monroe, Glam Rock musician, seems to think that "Tarja* throws a good party". (*The President). Two male gay couples (at least) were there - causing a number of True Finn MPs to turn down their invitations because "We'd have to watch queers dancing together". Timo Soini, leader of the Ugly Party, revealed that he wanted to meet TV celebrities. He'll be therefore glad to meet Jani Toivola who is not only a prominent TV personality, but also gay, an MP and black.  Just before 22.00, an ambulance was summoned to the ball, but rumours of Mr Soini choking on his brandy have since been denied. In an interview before the alleged medical emergency, Mr Soini announced that were he to become President, more conservatives would be invited. His wife wore a ballgown that may have been the tragic outcome of an explosion in a Finnish flag factory.

Patriotic blue and white were, however, 'out' this year. Black was apparently 'in', ballgownwise - significance unknown. A 'professional stylist' thought that the Greek Goddess look was trending this year. This is clearly Eurozone triumphalism.

I am told by colleagues who have been invited from in years that you have to beware of the punchbowl and, with the TV lights and overdressed dancing, that the heat and humidity is intolerable.  

BTW Oberst Elop ("Ve hav vays of connecting ze peoples") was not invited because he is neither Finnish nor a diplomat. But enough of this tomfoolery. Soon the pumpkins will arrive to whisk the conservatives off to 'jatkot' or after-parties, where the 'conservatives' will get trashed and there will almost certainly be entertaining stories generated, or manufactured, concerning the nocturnal misbehaviour of the great and the good.

You can't be me, I'm taken

Whilst I don't disagree with the broad thrust of what he's saying, even if he's choosing the worst case scenario as the likely outcome, his choice of loaded & emotive terms does undermine his argument somewhat.

keep to the Fen Causeway

(1) I think Rodney Shakespeare is a little confused about what is and is not insured by the FDIC.

(2) Bad though it clearly is when you look at long-term unemployment and U6, I'm not sure what assumptions you have to use to get to 22% unemployment.  I'd be interested in hearing them.

(3) Sacramento is the capitol of California, not Los Angeles.  The fascist response has been in Oakland though.  And they criticize us for not knowing geography?

(4) I suppose if Europe completely collapsed and the whole world plummeted into riots you might get the army on the streets, since in that case all bets are off.  I don't find it highly likely.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.