NJS

The "luck" is fair enough when mentioning lack of extinction events but the beauty of natural selection is that it pretty much smothers luck over time.

In RE/Philosophy yes - in science no. Don't know about anyone else but all the RE teachers in my schools seemed to be rather straight-laced confirmed Christians. You should have tried a catholic school in the second half of the 70s - we're right, everyone else burns in hell, that's all you need to know.

I'm a lot more worried by the alleged asking price than any jollies.

I might be being naive but I find the Chinese/ground development option the most intriuging although obviously it would also have to involve the hoped for team investment.

In RE/Philosophy yes - in science no.

I'm more impressed and awewtruck about how things really are than if some bloke had snapped his fingers....

To clarify what I meant about our developing reason. I think it's special because it takes so long to come about. Some reptiles might have managed it if the dinosaurs didn't become extinct. But they didn't because of whatever catastrophe did for them. Say a meteor had hit the right (or rather the wrong) part of Africa 200,000 years ago and you might be looking at another few hundred million years before reasoned thought was achieved (if ever) on Earth. I hope that explained what I meant a bit more. Fair enough - I just see it as a more advanced version of what other animals have though I guess you're saying that its amazing that those animals have a lesser version as well. I suppose our lucky escape was Toba 74k years ago which nearly did for us. I read a very imaginitive novella a few months ago by Stephen Baxter which supposes that we have just about reached our evolutionary limits due to our intelligence - it considted of a number of short stories set in the future which showed humans coping with massive planetary change pretty much as we are while other species evolved to meet the changes without matching us. It really made me wish I could travel in time to see how we end up. (Though probably wiped out by the LHC or a virus if I'm being pessimistic)

The thing is our species is only about 150k years old which is nothing in evolutionary terms - although the last 5-6m years have seen leaps. I don't see it as that "special" when I see the burgeoning traits in other animals.

Yes: 1. Probably a tenner or less sounds about right. 2. Representing/speaking for fans as opposed to constant Sky Mongness 3. Would like to see it completely independent of club (though a hopefully "friendly" relationship) 4. Being an exile, I think t'internet now makes this possible for the first time.

He's right in the end. Well to within 95% certainty. I think it's pretty arrogant to assume we'll ever have all the answers. I also think there's the possibility of a higher, perhaps inexplicable, force or being or whatever you want to call it. Who knows? I don't think organised religions really have any of the answers though (to this at least). I find their versions of events completely ridiculous when you look at them in any detail. I find the subject fascinating though. I have an open mind on what you mention as well - my stance has always been that its the man-made bollocks used to enslave and control people that I object to. However I do think its only trough science that we will discover the truth - however strange that truth is.

The stereotypes in the article are just as bad though. I think a few people pointed out at the time, if the articles written when Keegan took over about people from the north east had aimed the same stereotypical insults at religious or race groups there would have been hell on. (Still garbage from Stevie though)

Firstly you underestimate teenagers - theres nothing stopping someone by the age of 13 or 14 having read up and researched for themselves anything of interest - of course that may mean a rejection of parental dogma but natural rebellion should provide impetus. The reason I care about the teaching of nonsense is a regard for the truth. I don't see any difference between teaching Young Earth Creationism and holocaust denial. If people want to fit personal beliefs around the truth then fair enough but flat out denial is wrong imo. On your other point that religion and evolution aren't exclusive, you're right up to a point but that gives rise to more questions. Christianity is fundamentally based on the concept of a soul and the "fall" of man when sin started. In that light I'd ask when the first homonid was ensouled by the Christian God - was it Homo Erectus? did the dead ends who dies out like the Neanderthals have souls? If God decided to kick off the soul thing in the middle east as per the bible did humans before that all go to heaven as they were without sin? or did they all go to hell as they were soulless? The bible "makes sense" if the account in Genesis is true, the fact that we know its bollocks raises a lot of questions which I'm afraid theologians can't answer as they have no evidence to back up any conclusions.

I think last Friday night's perceived events killed Ashley in a lot of people's views - they got their hopes up that he was trying to sort it out and "all" it would takes was backing Kev over the others - his speculated failure to do this was his coffin nail imo.

It's very easy for journalists and other fans (including some of ours) to jump on the "knuckle draggers force decent man out" bandwagon but this highlights the other side which is welcome.

My reading - and I'm sure most other peoples's - was that he meant the coppers.

Our SOS to a new manager saved us from relegation last season - your's didn't - kindly fuck off.

It's obvious to me that those expressing "sympathy" for poor Mike can't count as you illustrate. In the article by Parky's lass, some analyst mentions the club "haemorraging £20m a year" - utter fucking bollocks.

To be fair to Palin I think she just felt the need to support the "teach the controversy" position because she thinks that's what a social conservative should do rather than being a complete creationist fruitloop.

Of course it was a bad day to come in but even knowing £6m isn't huge money these days I just expect to see something from a player. Not writing him off of course.

Yeah I sit in L7 in the Milburn and had a good view of the empty seats in most other places including around about me and also judged by the queues to the bogs.

The thing is that teachers would have to be too tame if it did come up in science. If the age of the earth and common descent is discussed and you got a kid saying "I don't believe that" (as per the Dawkins prog a few weeks ago) they'd have to tread carefully in case they offend. Now obviously someone as militant as me would tend to support an aggressive "this is how stupid you are" approach but I have to accept it would just cause problems for the school - probably legal ones which again ideally I'd vigorously oppose but would prove ultimately fruitless. The problem with keeping it in RE as suggested is the old accident of history/geography problem - to be fair you'd have to include creation myths from all over the world rather than just the Genesis bollocks. I'd be tempted to just show the clip from The Simpsons where Ned asks the museum where their "alternative" is and they show him the collage backed by "What a fool believes".

My cold light of day thoughts are focusing on Lambias rather than Wise as the person who upset things.

Just thinking that - Mr Dubai: "Hang on you were here 3 months ago - why the urgency now?"

He also states that the £20m would be without expectation of return - so if say Kadal or Ranger turned out to be the next Ferdinand/Robinho and went for silly money we're expected to believe he'd have no claim on it? Fuck him.

I've copied this from a post on the SMB by a lad called MackemDale - there are a couple mackem digs and it's harsh in places but overall a fair assessment imo : 23? You were 23 before you registered England as a football team to support? Hell of a suporter there chief! Your life has been tied up with selling cheaply mad shite to sports fans. It's fuck all to do with a love of 'sport' in the slightest. Trying to suck-up to the idiot fans. Pathetic. When the fans are behind the club is akin to a little boy having a pop at the boys who don't like him. More cock-sucking. See? See how fucking amazing I am? See how I put my hard earned money into your club? Do you see? Love me. LOVE ME! So, basicaly, you didn't bother with Due Dilligence? That'd be your own fault then you fat mong. Therefore you should all love me more than Keegan. Why don't you love me? Bullshit fatboy. You bought NUFC to make money. You ARE a multi-billinaire though, aren't you? You can't aford it simply because you're not willing to throw good money after bad but you have some sick predelection of giving the mags an image of being the best thing since Jesus' ressurection. So, basically, that would be the same as every other footbal club in the fucking world then? Wow. Amazing revelation there. No, that just means you inherrited a team with contracts that fucked the club over. Tantamount to emotional balackmail. Childish at best. No-one wanted that, surely? The barcodes just want their club run to the sandards set out by Barcelona or Man Utd. None of them have delusions of grandure, do they? Again, the mags know this. As dumb as they can be - they know this shit. They just want the manager to be able to run the team as is traditional. Bringing money into the argument has fuck-all to do with the protests. All correct - none of which is relevant to the situation. What? You want to sign nobodys to appease the fans? If this were the case then where are the droves of players coming in who are in their prime in terms of age and ability and ripe for the picking from the European leagues? I couldn't trust that idiot KK to make those kind of decisions. Did KK actually buy any of these plyers himself or was it all done over his head? More emotional blackmail. I wan't Newcastle to be able to make me a profit when I sell it on. No one believes they can. They do, however, believe they should be allowed to run the team and it's relative affairs. Hang on... You're blaming the old reigime? Utterly, completely pathetic. Aye, but it's recruiting those players without it's manager's knowledge, isn't it? Nope. They just want their 'messiah' back. They automaticaly assume that because he got them to 2nd in the prem before that he has the ability to do so again - despite his own assurances that he was clueless about modern football before accepting the paycheck. With your kids? Gve me a break. You only ever turned up with your private securoty guards in barcode tops. Or a pint - alcoholic or not. Don't try bringing your children into this. You tried ingratiating yourself with the mags. It never worked. Now they fucking hate you. Don't try and hide behind some fantasy of child protection. You're shit-scared, just admit it Hahahahahaaaa. Dummy spat out. Toys thrown from pram. Grounding in reality thrown out the window. The fans only want their club run like it is down the road. A Chairman with genuine love for the ub, supporters and region. Not some fat dickweed who puts on a replica top with the name of the local legendary manager on his back who he is going to have binned in the next few days. Bullshit. You've put in more money than you'll ever ger back. You'll snap the hand off the first much that comes in with a half-decent offer. Lies - you never were. More lies. This has fuck-all to do with your family. You're trying to make everyone feel sorry for you. Again, pathetic. I'll sell to the first mug with too much money. You probably exchanged words twice. Proving you had no idea what was going on? Way to run a business. They won't all read it because they're not allable to read. They wouldn't agree with you if you said the sky was blue either. Despite the fact you've already said you'll put no more money in because the fans have been mean to you? No one wants to but the club because it's a joke. We already knew this. Please, no longer offend my delicate sensibilities. I am a poor, lonely boy. Please love me. If you're mean to me, I'll twist it into you being against the team. You rotten scum-bags. How dare you be against the team? Complete bullshit considering his previous statements of not putting any more money into the team. Lord of the mong-clowns.