ChezGiven

War on Drugs Sun Kil Moon Run the Jewels 2 Aphex Twin Real Estate I think Benji is a thing of beauty and will top a lot of lists. It's an absorbing listen and manages to make melancholy uplifting. The War on Drugs is not everyone's cup of tea apparently but I love it. Think that will be there or thereabouts on most lists too. Not kept up with a lot of releases in the second half of the year but RTJ 2 and Aphex Twin have managed to listen to a lot. Both great examples of their genres. Overall, listened to a lot of good tracks off average albums this year. Great albums are a rarity nowadays as artists just don't make the effort anymore. A lot of electronic artists make very good albums but they just don't have wide appeal. The new Andy Stott, Leon Vynehall, Francis Harris etc are great listens but only if you like that sort of thing. The 5 albums listed above however, for me should appeal to a broad audience and deserve it.

Most of them have been reviewed by the Guardian and The Sunday Times Nothing obscure about our quality broadsheets.

I see Muhammad is the most popular name for a baby boy in the UK this year.

I was in the Bikini bar last night which is not what it sounds like. Very nice terrace with views of the city.

Was just reading that. "To make things worse, there was what he still sees as the simple iniquity of the governments actions, which arguably had a distinct flavour of class war, waged from the top: drastically cutting council funding per head in predominantly Labour areas, while more affluent, Tory-inclined places were comparatively untouched. In Guildford in Surrey, for example, the cuts between 2010 and 2013 worked out at £19 per resident; in Newcastle, it was £162. Even civil servants have given up trying to justify it as objective and rational, Forbes told me. Its entirely political. And I think it denotes an intent by the government to push mainly Labour-run councils into bankruptcy.

Not really. We're all descended from animals. Evolution turned us into humans but inside your DNA is an animal. Your brain only became capable of complex social cohesion relatively recently. Separation and division is built-in but not to the extent that we cant help it. Its instinct, hot a 'hegemonic power structure designed to keep the elite in power'. The elites just play to our nature, that's how they are successful.

Whilst i appreciate what you're both saying, you're obviously wrong.

Perfect Christmas present for your lass. http://valleywag.gawker.com/male-startup-founders-think-your-vagina-should-smell-li-1660896761

You could argue that yes. UKIP and the like become prevalent when times are tough and the survival instinct kicks in. I would argue that evolution taught us to unlearn it so in a way it wasnt unlearnt, we evolved. Dunbar's number suggesta primitive groups grew to no more than 150 before some natural process kicked in and we started fighting. Evolution forced us into larger social conglomerates which has required us to cooperate. Depending on your point of view, that latter change is in the last moments of our DNA's history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number

Yes, exactly.

Pissed tbh. Parky's view that racism is a 'tool of empire' is pure unmitigated bollocks. Animals differentiate and exclude others from their social groups on the basis of their appearance and colour. The notion that humans have learned to be divisive because of political intervention basically means we need a whole new narrative around evolution.

Bollocks.

The scousers and the press are still talking about Suarez and probably will all season. The impact that one player can have is now firmly established even at a club that invests. It's fair enough Pardew talks about Cabaye as if his replacement was De Jong then he has had to deal without having one for 10 months.

Is that real? I once ate a plate of fish cheeks in Spain and they were a bit minging but I thought it was just the quality of the fish. Perhaps they were arse cheeks after all.

In for his bladder op apparently.

What's the drug's name that they're putting you on Stevie?

In Amsterdam. Had a couple of frothy coffees earlier and enjoyed a walk around smutsville.

Had another good game after a slow start. Think he has more potential and he can develop his game even more this season. I like his awareness, gets his head up and has a decent touch. Seems like a nice lad, very pleased for him.

What was that about?

The one that Toonpack drinks does anyway....

Nothing says man of the people more than a pot noodle on the side with your dinner.

Probably a legal ruse to stop having to pay his wife's divorce settlement.

It's ridiculous to think you're 'not snobby' because you'd only drink a fine whisky with Pepsi max. Pairing a fine whisky with an industrial soda is exactly the same as having a pot noodle to accompany a top cut of steak or roast of beef. We all love the best cuts of steak, or at least we all like food which is better prepared with better and probably more expensive ingredients. No different for drinks unless you see Alcohol as simply a means to an end.... As Alex once said, If you're going to spend your life swilling bevvy you may as well get the good stuff and enjoy it as much as you can.