Rayvin

Aren't you a ray of sunshine today... Not that I disagree - but even so, every other club has seem them rise, it can't just be our lack of ambition. I've wondered if all the free stuff we give to SD could represent quite a loss in sponsorship, but again, it's bizarre to see the figures continually fall...

Have we actually identified -why- our commercial takings are falling?

To be fair to Graing, his comments come from a situation that is entirely different to ours. He may well be right that by making guns available in the first place, the US has opened a Pandora's box that, if it attempts to close, will likely result in short/medium term increases in crime (as criminals will be the last to hand their weapons in, and will be immediately empowered as the rest of the country does so). This makes it different from us simply saying we wouldn't introduce them as they kill people. I still think I'd argue that the long term benefits are higher with gun eradication, but at the same time, we have no idea how long it would take to remove them from circulation in any meaningful way, what the effects of doing so would be in less well policed areas, or even to what extent the likely resurgent black market for prohibited guns would be able to circumvent many of the controls.

...And that's Sunderland done.

Ok so, this is actually one of the more interesting debates I've seen about this, largely because Graing is a gun advocate. My view is in line with most other people on here I'm afraid mate, although I will say that you're right in terms of us looking at it through a certain cultural standpoint. What I am confident of, is that if guns were available over here, they'd all be owned by the people you wouldn't want to own them. Your average Brit wouldn't touch one. As such, we'd just be militarising the criminal element. Also on knives - we're fucking strict on knives. You can't leave the house with anything bigger than a pen knife these days, and even then you wouldn't mention you had one. They're easy to buy though, and I must confess to having a few swords myself (although curiously, it is illegal to buy/move them anywhere, but legal for them to be in my house ) The guys who killed that soldier in London - firstly, London is a very different place to somewhere like Newcastle. I very much doubt they'd have managed it up here without being stopped in some form. The other thing is that it's such a once in a lifetime occurrence, that most people probably didn't understand what they were seeing - and by the time it became obvious, it would have been too late. As for America, it's your country, and you'll inevitably know it better than us - but can I at least ask this: If you could be certain that banning guns would reduce the loss of life dramatically, would that justification be sufficient for you to support such a move? Or is the loss of life a necessary, weighted cost for something that is in actual fact a cultural issue, rather than a statistical one? And I'm not judging on it either way, I'm just curious.

I wondered where Desmond went. I did think he had settled a bit actually, but then I suppose I don't see all the stuff that goes on. It's a tough one, banning people - in some senses, WUMs can rally other forum members and contribute to the place as a kind of hate figure, but then again, I think that gets old after a while. I have no strong feelings on it though, and the mod team here is the most tolerant I've seen anywhere.

...Yeah, I think Pardew has run his course here. Don't care who we replace him with. As has been said ad infinitum, nothing changes until Ashley goes - but we may as well put paid to Pardew right now, he's a spent force. Although I think he's done well enough with us to land himself another PL job...

We're going to contrive to finish 12th aren't we? And in doing so, demonstrate that we have made no progress whatsoever from last season. Following Newcastle is a total waste of time, apart from the fact that other fans are good company

I hope they are, and that no one cares. Possibly a bit much to ask for, but I'm certain that no one would care that much...

That video... I'm embarrassed for them, I really am.

Yes, now you mention it. In a really stylish way though, not at all in a 'when my girl is away I revert to being a slob' kind of way... She goes away two or three times a year for the weekend, and I always make sure I do something like this. At the end of the weekend though, I always have this fear that if she wasn't there I'd spend my whole life doing this stuff!

I actually reckon it'd be a stupid buy even if serious. We'll only get a couple of years out of him before he starts declining, and it'll take probably a full season for him to get up to speed anyway. Does anyone know if he's much cop or a like for like replacement for Cabaye?

Good mood! My missus has gone to visit her mam for the weekend, so I'm sitting infront of the TV watching the Hobbit (yes I'm a nerd - this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone), with two bottles of Morretti and a curry. It's beautiful

... I have no idea how to respond to that. Well played.

I like them a bit more with Mourinho in charge to be honest. I enjoy the media circus around him

I can see why that would distort your opinion of the club Especially since that Palace game is the only one I can remember us actually winning since Christmas No need to get worked up though, we should all be used to this by now. We suck, Pardew sucks, Ashley is satan - none of this is new.

... I'm not certain I'd survive that experience, based on the above.

Er sorry, I think that was the abbreviation for Lake Bells Tits who was a poster on here. I'm not massively clued up on it, except that apparently he sucked and no one liked him

Thank you!

I didn't see that, no. I dunno, I guess you could be right, but I swear she used to post more constructively than this. It was back when I was a lurker though, so I could be wrong. I thought the only possible contention with Aeris was that she could have been LBT.

It's a tempting thought, but I don't think we're controlling games enough to even lose in any strategic or pre-planned manner.

Just read back over this, some of the posts have been really dismal... bit stunned actually, first time I've really seen that here. Also don't think Aeris is a mackem Des (why would a mackem get this worked up over us?), she's just incredibly angry at more or less everything, as far as I can tell. Needs some camomile tea or something. Possibly intravenously.

What the fuck happened in the league today, how are Liverpool all of a sudden about to win the fucking thing?? God, can you imagine... we'd never hear the end of it..

So... Glad that I had other things to do today. I'm guessing that there was no redeeming element to this whatsoever, so I'll just proceed with my plan of assuming that Newcastle are done for the season. Just as a note - has anyone ever seen Aeris post on here when we've won?

Your life just wouldn't have been worth living without correcting that, I assume.