NJS

Most of those are great but how fucked up is a country where a doctor offering medical care for free after a disaster is something special?

I used to be quite concerned about his mental health but now I've found out he rated Allardyce he can fuck right off as far as I'm concerned.

Two of my mates went to get tickets for that Blackburn game but were too late so they said fuck it its only 2.5 hours away and drove straight down and bought 4 tickets in the home end. What we didn't know was that end opposite the cameras where the tickets were for was supposedly members only. Two lads bluffed their way into the away end and me and the other lad somehow managed to skirt around the bloke who was checking membership cards at the entrance to the stand (outside the ground). I've only gone in home ends a couple of times (funnlly enough another was Everton in 84) and it doesn't suit me at all - keeping quiet was torture. At least nobody noticed when me and my mate fucked off when Wegerle scored.

I think the trends are similar everywhere but the further north you go, the less people believe.

The question was very badly worded as well (deliberately) as it mentioned how do you identify rather than what do you believe so a lapsed catholic for example would probably still say Christian. There was a campaign to change it but the Tories rejected it. Other data with better questions suggest a 10% lower "true" figure. Still good news though.

And lasses excluded from churches with phallic towers.

They've lost consistency imo - the last two of three have had some decent stuff but not enough. I think I've said before they should do a stones and just tour the old stuff.

I think I've come to hate Fields of Athenry as much as I hate You'll never walk alone which is astonishing really.

Edmonds and Travis built their radio 1 careers on prank calls.

Its not a medium I like but DJs the world over have been doing it for decades though - I'm sure they didn't really think they'd get put through.

Leaving aside my contempt for the monarchy and just looking at it even if it had been a "nobody" you can't get away from the fact she did do something wrong whether it was as a result of a trick or not. She shouldn't have lost her job but I think she was "lucky" to not be considered for a disciplinary. This may sound harsh in the circumstances but it was a ridiculous thing to fall for.

I really like steel/slide guitar if its used in the right context (big fan of early Texas and Mazzy Star) and I'm sometimes drawn to country music though I'm wary of it - I have a couple of Emmylou Harris albums which I like. Do you have any recommendations along those lines?

I used to love The sky at night until I saw him cavorting with Thatcher at a celebrity thiing for the 87 election campaign so its a qualified RIP from me.

Well that's my fact for the day.

Best: Ozzy at the Mayfair with Randy Rhoads - either late 80 or 81 Black Sabbath with Dio as mentioned by TP. PIxies Mayfair about 1990 Big Country Whitley Bay Ice Rink about 87 U2 Milton Keynes Bowl 85 - pissed down all day so by the end the crowd just decided to say "fuck it" and go properly mental. Manics Millenium Cardiff Tanya Donelly ULU 87 PJ Harvey Brixton on the Stories... tour. I did a lot of festivals from about 1998-2007 and probably the best performamce in that scenario was 3 Colours Red at Reading headlining the second stage in what I think was their last gig pre-beakup/reunion. I Can't really remember too many "bad" gigs though I remember being really pissed off when I went to see the Stereophonics at Donnington and a huge area in front of the stage was reserved for fan club members - large enough to really spoli it. Seen more than 3 times: Big Country U2 Ash Manics Placebo

There was a case a long time ago of an actor - I think his name was Mark Scarborough and he was in Eastenders. He had depression and other mental health problems and the NOTW had some dirt on him - can't remember what it was - it might have been that he was gay or maybe even just that he did have mental problems. Anyway his family and doctors told the paper that publishing the story would have serious consequences but they did so anyway and the bloke then chucked himself off Beachy Head. Of course theres a part of anyone that thinks the cunts should be "brought to justice" for it and maybe in the face of medical evidence theres a case but the point is where does it end if all actions are assessed on whether some poor bastard is ill enough to react in a tragic way? Do we ban all jokes and pranks just in case people react badly? In the spirit of looking at events in the 70s/80s Jeremy Beadle and Matthew Kelly must be shitting themselves now.

She wasn't facing any disciplinary charges so don't see anything "career ruining".

If there are no other reasons and she really thought "letting down" the royals was worth suicide then I'm sorry but she was an idiot.

Gemmill, Alex, Manc-Mag, Renton, Gejon and Gloom have all had absolute dogs abuse from him ovar a long period. The nature of forums means people will always have one or two people they dislike which is fair enough but when it becomes that many (and more on a casual basis) you have to take notice.

Cowardice on the part of Labour. Alternative agenda for the Tories - see Gloom's posts about the social contract. Drunk on power and won't upset their masters for the Libs.

It's a pisser on the whole - I find myself thinking "good" when people I dislike are charged but obviously feel sorry for the kids involved at the same time.

I don't see how you can say "nice" (online at least) considering the nasty, vindictive, personal posts he addressed at several posters on a constant basis. I think you have a blind spot being an argumentative git like him (which I consider myself to be as well) and sharing a lot of his views - thats fair enough but you have to weigh up the associated bile as well.

Nobody else relishes it though.

On a related note I read that Mellon Collie was the biggest selling double album of the decade which is impressive when you realise that includes Jacksons Bad.

Two yank bands there Stevie - careful now. Oops forgot Moby - three.