Tim Dowling, for example, is a twat

[Robespierre]

..who writes moderately entertaining columns about his personal life in The Guardian. Yesterday's was about the perils of self-googling, and in particular of an episode of self-googling which returned the text 'Tim Dowling for example is a twat'

Where did he find that humbling line?? On mumsnet of course!

In the article he claims to have given up self-googling, but we know that isn't true, don't we.

Shall we give him a few more personal insights? I think he is less of a twat than Jon Ronson and he doesn't have a whiney voice.

Pony

The Timster mentions it a lot in his columns. Am trying to establish the bona fides of the Dowlings.

Ample Googling time has passed now, will have to think of another question...

yes. bye

PDubya -- I am a wanker rather than a twat. Is that what you meant?

Yup. And are you not a wanker with a book to finish?

(Not you, Tim.) (If, indeed, it is Tim.) (Which I doubt.) (Bluewater was the wrong answer.)

That is uncanny, wonk.

well this is weird

Tim Dowling is writing the internet

BTW he is not a twat, he is lovely. The ringo egg column was inspired.

But while we are on the topic of Guardian people, Lucy Mangan's sentences are STILL too long and she is gibbering on about babies A LOT these days I notice - I'm really worried she's going to breed with that Tory and will end up crying into her pinny while more and more books from Amazon plop on her doormat, never to be read because her Toryboy is making her do laundry and baking all day

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO TURN BACK FROM THE DARK SIDE, LUCY

I don't know if Germaine Greer would approve of being called a twat TBH

S'OK, MP, there was quite a large not-a-twat majority.

I'm worried about Lucy M too - look what happened to thingy who had a baby - see what happens when you have one, pure brain fog - whatsername? Used to be witty in a Manganesque way now baby obsessed and recently amazed to find she was pregnant with #2. Put me out of my misery someone..?

that zoe williams bird?

I know PW but it's all very well google your twattiness but then to find your WIFE sitting in such a thread pondering her shopping is a bit MUCH really

Ah course it is. Thanks MP.

Oooh oooh I know who you mean I think. Also can't remember her name.... Was it Zoe something?

Lucy would surely be flattered to see use of the word 'Manganesque'.

I suspect her latent Traditional Values will come to the fore if she breeds. After all, she got married in a church, and reads Enid Blyton. But then, we all go a bit soft and "home is the heart" when babies enter the equation, don't we?

Did Mr and Mrs D both go? Come back, it was fun.

NO WE DON'T

although I did get married for my husband's enormous pension

but that's different

The Guardian can't have two similarly witty women writing about babies, so Lucy'll have to wait. Besides her agony column's fab, so it's her duty not to give Toryboy an heir.

Dammit. A half answer too late to be any good to anyone.

Also, can't believe I missed The Dowlings. Am excited and suspicious in equal measures.

If they were here however I would like to offer congrats on the new baby girl.

Crap. No I wouldn't. Because that was Chris Cleave wasn't it? Perhaps Tim could pass it on for me? There must be some sort of club these men belong to. Otherwise how do they avoid submitting identical columns

morningpaper I only meant a bit. I haven't surrendered my brain or anything. Just, you know.. kinda surprised to find myself feeling all sentimental when my baby DD looks at me with those lovely eyes of hers. Formerly didn't have a maternal bone in my body!

Don't lie MP, I know you do scrapbooking.

You'll be knitting soon.

shut up, I have my own shed you know

Oh yes! The scrapbooking. Scientists have actually identified the scrapbooking gene, and shown that it also causes Blyton-reading and eyelid fluttering.

I haven't touched a scrapbook in MONTHS

Last weekend I was making decking

I am basically man but without the pension/career/respect/height

ooh: Tim Dowling, for example, is now a Mumsnet Classic twat.

You were making wood

Respect.

Heh. Well done, Robes.