NJS

I think you should include Jonas. Didn't have a great match but he's the best player at the club imo. Probably - post match anger effect - he did piss me off today by playing far too many passes that an eight year old could have cut-out though.

Apart from Given, Beye, Collocini and Barton I wouldn't life an eyebrow to selling any and all of the rest (though I'd keep what passes for a fit Viduka). I'd head for the local leagues and sign players who pass to team mates.

Did the prologue for 'O' level - anyone who claims its literature should be fucking shot - emperor's new clothes syndrome at its best.

Just got in - what a shit result and mainly a shit performance. 1-1 should only have been one winner - second stupid goal given away put paid to that. I don't think I'm going to bother with Chelsea now - I'm not paying £48 to watch a hammering meted out to people getting paid thousands a week who can't control and pass a ball ten yards to a team mate or hit a shot anywhere near the target from anything like 18 yards - we have several in our team and it's absolutely fucking disgraceful - I would honestly refuse to pay the cunts if I was in charge.

People trot out the "prove himself elsewhere" line whenever Shearer is mentioned and it makes sense but can anyone really see him as manager of Hartlepool or somewhere? I'm not averse to the prospect - I think he has character and is driven to win - much like Keane. New owners will want to enthuse the fans - It might make more football sense to get Deschamps or whoever in but from a sort of business sense (ie pleasing the customers) it would work. The alternative would be Keegan but I honestly think theres too much baggage associated with bringing him back now.

Never been tempted to read "classic" literature - I was probably put off by doing Dickens for 'O' level. I think the oldest book I've read is Catch 22 and possibly some old Sci-fi short stories by people like Dick and Lovecraft. I'm also going to sound like a philistine here but I find black & white films very hard to watch and/or rate - I think the Godfather is probably the oldest film I rate.

Tried to watch Fellowship of the rings twice - fell asleep both times, haven't retried.

Fop?

The bit about constant referrals to the middle class echoes British politics - they know thats where elections are won and any talk of helping the poor angers that demographic. I'm sure Fop will love the bit about him not visiting Mosques.

I've got the one published in 1969, which covers up to 1969. A photo of McNamee and David Webb in on the cover. Number 2 has Alan Foggon on the front, and covers basically the years 1969 and 1970. These are both by John Gibson I've noticed he's wrote a 3rd book called the Newcastle United story, and was published in 1985. I would like to know if it is number 3, or just an extension of the first book because basically if thats all it is I wouldn't bother getting it. [i found a review which indicates it is from the beginning of the clubs existence ?] I have one that sounds like the first cover but certainly goes later than 69 - actually 85 sounds about riight so it sounds like an update. It's not to hand at home so I'd have to have a good look for it which would be a weekend job.

Yes but the comments are full of fuckwits giving credit to their imaginary friend.

As an afterthought I read a piece last night about McCain's Joe the plumber. It turns out he wasn't a licensed plumber, had an order against his house for unpaid taxes and if he bought his partner out of his business he'd still be better off under Obama than under McCain. I'd also point out that with the euphoria of the victory people seem to be thinking that all bigotry in the US has magically disappeared overnight. They seem to not have noticed the California gay marriage referendum result (thanks to bigoted black voters) and the fact that it will still be decades before someone non-religious can stand for any public office with any chance of winning.

Despite all of the hope and vision this is true. Just like in 97 all the hope brought by Blair was tainted because he only got in because after 18 years people wanted something/anything else. If the financial crash hadn't happened McCain would probably have won. If he'd found a VP who reached out to people instead of polarising them I think he would have won. Hope is fine but realism is a bitch.

Are we now in apartheid SA again where people are racially categorised to the nth degree? His dad is a Kenyan - he's the very definition of African-American.

I think the only way he would use "Muslim" appeal to Muslim voters would be in the way my Mam would still have described me as a Catholic even though she knew that I didn't believe and from what age - an implicit "he's one of us" even if he isn't really. I too was moved by his speech but then I remember being moved by Blair's speech in 97 - unfortunately being in the same camp as SpongeBob I've been disappointed by what has happened since from a left wing perspective - I hope Obama can do a bit more.

It's funny he's played an interesting game with that. He's denied it enough to wash with the mainstream vote (he isn't, although he has family members that are), but not enough so that the majority of American muslims don't still think he is a muslim too. Well played by him on that one. As I understand it his Dad obviously came from a Muslim background but was an Atheist as an adult as was his Mother. That has given me hope that his christianity is "convenient" or at least moderate (as is McCain's). Despite all the understandable rhetoric about this being a victory against the last bastion of prjudice it isn't - he would have failed miserably if he'd been an Atheist.

He's trying to undo the shit by saying they'd have been livid if it had been given against them - does that excuse the theatricals then you scouse twat?

I hadn't realised previously that Bush beat McCain in 2000 in the primary - I read this week that a key strategy which tipped the balance was revealing McCain had adopted a kid by woman (A Vietnamese one I think) he'd had an affair with. Typical Republicans and I'd guess why he was uneasy with Palin's attacks on Obama.

I always separated McCain from the Republican Party machinery and agree he's a decent man.

Bowyer scored a cracking one against Bolton a couple of years ago when he'd started the move on half-way - dived over the top of Dyer iirc. Not strictly the "daisycutter" of old but the nearest one recently I think.

Arsenal were obscene, Man U good but an off day - the rest were shite.

I stand by that, that we would be 5th now - however given a "normal" season of injuries etc I think we'd have finished no higher than 10th even with Keegan. My view has always been that prudent and successful squad strenthening a la Ashley missive would lay out a "plan" something like 13->10->8->6>5->4 etc. I think a modest initial spend this summer would have cut out the 10 and the 8 which I think isn't expecting too much. (All approximations of course).

Not really - I'm saying Keegan would have "inspired" the similar teams that did play in the 3 or 4 games I mentioned to better results. That doesn't blind me to the difference between that and 38 games for which I think the squad is weak. But then surely with the better players coming back in, we would have consolidated the better position we would have been in. Yes - until more injuries/form loss would have taken their toll. And other teams won't suffer with injuries or lose form? Or are you saying the likes of Everton, Villa, Portsmouth and Hull have more strength in depth than us? I think Villa have for one - Man City will have. If every team could play ther best 11 give or take 1 or 2 players in nearly all their games I think we would have a really good season - my concern has always been squad depth which is where the fundamental lack of understanding of the regime floundered imo.

Fuck me, you mean you actually did what you are getting paid to do and didn't just wait by the phone for calls.

Not really - I'm saying Keegan would have "inspired" the similar teams that did play in the 3 or 4 games I mentioned to better results. That doesn't blind me to the difference between that and 38 games for which I think the squad is weak. But then surely with the better players coming back in, we would have consolidated the better position we would have been in. Yes - until more injuries/form loss would have taken their toll.