ChezGiven

If you make it over for a visit next year, i'll crack open the 1943 Armagnac i was given. It wont be opened before June next year for a very specific reason.

The match thread on NO was canny entertaining. Our second goal 'came out of the blue' apparently so not too disappointed. You cant play average and win every week. Also, i really dont get how our players are 'head and shoulders' above the rest of the league. From what i have seen on the telly and one match so far at SJP, not seen much evidence for that apart from 'on paper'. When you examine the attributes of pace, ball retention, off the ball movement and passing there isnt much to suggest we are better. Goal scoring ability and defence looks a bit better but thats about it.

So population explosion leads to global warming which leads to more moisture and therefore more water to feed the growing population? Isnt nature beautiful.

What a strange comparison to use when Hitlers army was the invading/occupying force. Good of him to justify the armed struggle of the resistance. The Taliban actively supported Al Qeada, financed and protected it, didnt they? Its not a good comparison but its just about passable isnt it? Have you noticed i'm turning statements into questions? If anyone knew why we were in Afghanistan and what our objectives were then perhaps he could have justified it. The decision to send more troops has nothing to do with either of these though unfortunately for Obama. It's passable if you're George Bush. Accused of being J69, Sima and Geore Bush all in one day! My work here is done.

What a strange comparison to use when Hitlers army was the invading/occupying force. Good of him to justify the armed struggle of the resistance. The Taliban actively supported Al Qeada, financed and protected it, didnt they? Its not a good comparison but its just about passable isnt it? Have you noticed i'm turning statements into questions? If anyone knew why we were in Afghanistan and what our objectives were then perhaps he could have justified it. The decision to send more troops has nothing to do with either of these though unfortunately for Obama. J69 syndrome is the medical term I believe. Can develop into full-blown SIMA if you're not careful. Thats me telt.

watched the goals this morning on SSN. someones transplanted sholas head on ronaldihno's body. i swear........... Lawro did make reference to the fact he'd bulked up!! He was a bit tasteless last night when he said in the first half that all the long balls were like Luftwaffe flying overhead.

What a strange comparison to use when Hitlers army was the invading/occupying force. Good of him to justify the armed struggle of the resistance. The Taliban actively supported Al Qeada, financed and protected it, didnt they? Its not a good comparison but its just about passable isnt it? Have you noticed i'm turning statements into questions? If anyone knew why we were in Afghanistan and what our objectives were then perhaps he could have justified it. The decision to send more troops has nothing to do with either of these though unfortunately for Obama.

Start worrying when people start trading water for air.

this, with guthrie moved infield. Top marks to Hughton if he does this (whether it works or not). You're kidding aren't you? It's the obvious move. Since when has that mattered? What I meant was I wouldn't give Hughton much credit for playing people in their proper positions (were he to do so). However, I actually expect him to play Butt and shove Guthrie out to the right again. Hope I'm wrong though. Its what i'd do, its what you'd do but am not sure its what Hughton will do. If he does, then i think it will be significant since it means firstly, that he isnt playing to sneak a 0-1 result (which he shouldnt do) and secondly that he realises that Butt is more of a liability over 90 minutes (he can put a 30 minute shift in at best nowadays imo) than giving Guthrie the central role. If we start with Jonas, Guthrie, Smith and Pancrate then we are starting with one of our best midfield combinations. I think Hughton has been erring on the side of caution a few times with his midfield (or feels pressured to play senior players?). Not doing so is a good sign, no? Fair enough, but like I said, I wouldn't say 'well fucking done Chris' when it's that obvious to most of us. And I think it's probably a combination of the bit in bold that has led to his selections so far. The commentators on Radio 5 summed it up pefectly last night, saying there was no one in the midfield who could put their foot on the ball and play it on the deck. Apparently we just lumped it for the first 30 minutes. Its no surprise that both assists were from the left back. However, we did get the 3 points so cant complain too much at the midfield selection but surely he will change it for saturday?

Shola!

Aye, that would be lovely. The one in newsham more precisely, came second in Houses of Parliament curry competition. I'm fucking dribbling here man.

I WANT A FUCKING CURRY. BASTARDS!

this, with guthrie moved infield. Top marks to Hughton if he does this (whether it works or not). You're kidding aren't you? It's the obvious move. Since when has that mattered? What I meant was I wouldn't give Hughton much credit for playing people in their proper positions (were he to do so). However, I actually expect him to play Butt and shove Guthrie out to the right again. Hope I'm wrong though. Its what i'd do, its what you'd do but am not sure its what Hughton will do. If he does, then i think it will be significant since it means firstly, that he isnt playing to sneak a 0-1 result (which he shouldnt do) and secondly that he realises that Butt is more of a liability over 90 minutes (he can put a 30 minute shift in at best nowadays imo) than giving Guthrie the central role. If we start with Jonas, Guthrie, Smith and Pancrate then we are starting with one of our best midfield combinations. I think Hughton has been erring on the side of caution a few times with his midfield (or feels pressured to play senior players?). Not doing so is a good sign, no?

I've got the French eating out of my hand (not really) However Richie is right, the Germans are more adapt at finding quick solutions not problems. It boils down to whether inductive or deductive reasoning dominates the thought process. I was told that so am not sure what it means.... That feeling of superiority that you sense is often a reaction to how people (you yourself) come across though. When i first worked abroad i was constantly comparing life to life back home (which is inherently judgemental) and also unable to conceive of idiotic foreign ways (i.e. things done differently to the expected way) being anywhere near as good as back home. Its also often to do with being the 'outsider', which can make you feel like everyone else thinks they are superior. In reality, they are jealous of your command of English and bemused by your friendliness. I do also have to say that most Europeans also feel the same way about us when they visit the UK, its not like we are that different ourselves in that respect. Thats changed now as its nearly 5 years since i started working abroad, i dont compare anymore, i accept differences and and as a result, imo, rarely am i treated in a superior way. Apart from waiters in restaurants but to be honest, when i get a polite waiter i'm a bit disappointed nowadays.

4.75%? Fuck me. Dont believe all the EU patter about the other economies in Europe doing better, France has just posted a record budget deficit.

Milk is only a very short-term answer, the stomach will actually produce more acid within 90 minutes of drinking milk than normal. Water is better even though milk gives immediate relief.

Yeah we fucked up Dresden for them big style. Shame like, was apparently magnificent.

I really miss decent curry

True. I was really just wanting to say that statements which start 'The Germans are....' can actually hold a lot of truth. As it does for other countries inclusing ourselves. Oh aye, I know that's what you were saying. This isn't rocket science tbh. Something the Germans are traditionally good at, incidentally. I can remember the exact moment that my relationship with my first German manager deteriorated. He used to take the piss out of the English quite a lot, always asking me if i was having fish and chips when we were out for dinner (in Spain, or France the cheeky sausage-muncher). Anyway, he'd been at it during this dinner in Barcelona and then in the taxi afterwards he started going on about how beautiful it was, how amaxing Paris was and how shit London was in comparison. I knew he was on the wind-up so i replied 'well if you lot hadnt spent 76 nights bombing it am sure it would be a lot more beautiful today. A bit like Coventry'. An awkward silence like that, i have never enjoyed so much.

this, with guthrie moved infield. Top marks to Hughton if he does this (whether it works or not).

True. I was really just wanting to say that statements which start 'The Germans are....' can actually hold a lot of truth. As it does for other countries inclusing ourselves.

I watch Look North regularly (i've got a dodgy Sky account but channel 970'odd is NE & Cumbria BBC) and it pains me to see the amount of news like this. On a more optimistic note, Mervyn King chose the NE (The Chronicle itself iirc) to hint (actually announce) his intentions for Sterling devaluation. The growth strategy post-recession for the UK is to try and encourage export-led growth. If the BoE allows the pound to devalue (which it will naturally unless they intervene) then our exporters are more price competitive. At the time of the announcement, OneNorthEast had just been granted millions from EU Development funds to facilitate business relationships for small manufacturing companies located in the NE with their EU counterparts. The two announcements together gave me a lot of optimism for the North East but since then (late August) we've seen a lot of shit news for jobs in the area. Hopefully that isnt sign of failing strategy but more a structural shift - i.e. the jobs that are going will be replaced by new ones if the strategy works.

What?The French created the problems and the Germans solved them? The A380's problems were due to strong unionisation in both countries.

I've had two German managers and over the last two years spent a lot of time in Berlin. When my last company got rid of the country organisations and put everything and everyone into Global Business Units, it was the Germans that came out on top. Now, this may have been different in other business units, am not so sure but the principle was this; all commercial activity in europe can be centralised to one central team, the operational and organisational stuff went to Berlin, the creative and strategic stuff went to Paris. Whether that is cutural stereotyping or not isnt clear to me. As a rule, i dont particularly enjoy working with them, they lack warmth or charisma in general and then expect everyone to be insanely motivated 'for the cause'. I once tried to explain to my first German manager that if he wanted more blood from the stone he had to explain to me why it was worth squeezing and why i wanted to squeeze it with him. His response was 'its not my job to fucking motivate you, its my job to make sure we do everything we can'. Whatever your view on that, he was a cunt. Oh and he lived in South Africa with his parent when growing up too! The German big boss (Fuhrer?) at the last place was very differenct. Still unable to get anyone excited, he ruled with a quiet gentle demeanour. He grew up in East Germany and had been part of their 'quiet revolution'. I really liked him and the lad who took over my function, he was also German and he was cool. Some of the Berlin team though, devoid of personality and any redeeming features. Whatever people say about there being cunts and good people in every country, the reality is more complicated than that, you would not find a team of Brits or Frogs like the one i worked with in Berlin. Anyway i resigned sooon after the Berliners won the political battle, which sort of summarises my overalll feelings on them. Would rather not.

Animal Collective - What Would I Want? Sky Surprised it took them so long to realise that melodies sound good on drugs too. Lush record.