NJS

The great euro-sceptic who signed Maastricht?

Just read this on the BBC: Augurs well for hell then.

France, Germany, Canada and even Ireland could be argued to be doing just as well - if her methods were the only ones which could work why are union-led places like France just as well off? How can countries like Germany still have a mining industry?

Again, this is the short-termism I was talking about with regards to the unions. Yes Thatcher's monetary policy coupled with the strengthening of the pound was going to cause unemployment, nowhere more so than where I'm from, but the economy was already in a poor state as it was. There was no quick fix to the problems that Thatcher faced but I'm glad she was there to stick to her guns and see it through, she was definetly the right personality at the right time. I'm not completely naive enough to say that the unions weren't a problem. However destroying their power completely by destroying their industries was not a sensible approach. There are plenty stories about how bad british leyland was in terms of the unions but it was the management that let them get away with it. Other countries, notably Germany, rode out the bad times while keeping core industries because they knew how important they were. Thatcher sold any money making ones to her cronies in the cities and watched the north burn with no regard for its future. Was reducing union power worth the price?

The first thing she did on getting into power was remove exchange controls and watch £65bn (a lot of mony then) leave the UK in a single day. This was a major contribution to the recession she needed. What a patriot. Anyone who lived in the North East knows how "balanced" her approach was to it - it was a scorched earth policy which blights it to this day. Also Cameron said she "transformed the country" - she did - she destroyed any sense of greater good and replaced it with the "Me, Myself, Now" attitude which pervades society from the non-dom tax evaders all the way down the charver scum on street corners who were raised by her "children". Everyone here know my views on religion but I'd love hell to exist just for her.

If the Unions ruled Britain why did they have to strike in 79? Surely they would have been able to just ring up Callaghan and demand 20% rises which he would have given them on the spot? If Thatcher had been in power then they would have been refused the pay rise and gone on strike....hmm. Was destroying huge drafts of industry without any plan for the people and communities destroyed a sensible approach of a good leader or the actions of a class war practicing megalomaniac who only cared for herself and hers?

A yellow card which was given after one of their players was doing the LeBeouf imaginary card wave which had been made a bookable offence that year. Also Titus being booked for handball when he was on the ground and a fucker passed the ball past him. Also the free kick they had in the last minute where they took 10 minutes to take it by messing with the wall knowing that we needed a winl to have a chance of progressing. Cunts.

It was the Portuguese winger who was the biggest cheat - Simao? - coincidentally the ref was from portugal and quite simply the worst ever.

Same day is a "Bonus" - just booked my travel - day trip. Always in two minds for derbies - if we win I want to celebrate until coma - if we lose I want to crawl home and die.

"the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons" Almost everything I hate summed up in one sentence and its context - very efficient.

Party conferences? Or will that fall under national security? (surprise, surprise)

It depends - would this apply to all other sports, all other demos and all other pubic events eg Notting Hill carnival. If its not universal then fuck off. Also if the clubs were paying for it they should have a say in numbers deployed - I'd expect a small bill when we play Fulham etc.

If you mean wallets with coin pouches then I'm with you - it's a purse FFS!.

People who wheel luggage around inside crowded pubs instead of picking the bloody things up. (I was disgracefully accused of being a fascist last Friday for voicing this view after a stupid bitch had ran over my toe)

He thinks he has the fans on his side - unfortunately for him his performances this year have wakened people up to the fact he isn't as good as likes to think.

My boss is Irish but is of course a Liverpool "fan". We've always had good banter about thieving scousers etc which continued last week as he prepared to go to his first game at Anfield ever vs the Two Headed Vermin. He'd been in the place an hour before he realised his blackberry had been nicked. How I laughed. We'll lose next week as we always do at Anfield.

Violent crime is down - there are many, many countries more violent than the UK. Lets emulate the US where 1 in a 100 are now in jail - that'll work. Nice link to immigration btw - the Mail would be proud.

Film you watched at the Cinema: This is going to sound sad but I think it was the x-files movie - 99ish album you got: Don't really buy CDs anymore - fuck the industry Was probably This Hungry Life by Tanya Donelly as I had to get that mail order and wanted to make sure she did get the money. DVD you got: Evening with Kevin Smith II Book you read: Non-fiction: Blood of the Isles - Brian Sykes - a DNA analysis of the British Isles - we aren't as mongrel as I thought. Fiction: re-read the Hyperion/Endimyion series by Dan Simmons - my favourite ever Sci-Fi.

I didn't know that but I remember Gullit came close to signing for Ipswich and Arsenal. That's what he told me and my Dad anyway. The club weren't interested I remember in 87/88 there were rumours we were going to sign Maradona They brung out a new newspaper about the toon called "United" and the headline on the front page was "NO guarantees about Maradona but....." Says it all really. I can remember when Leeds were after him too. Top PL clubs wouldn't be out of the running for the likes of him now I suppose. No chance back then though for the clubs in the English top fligh. I knew a kid at University who was a Sheff U fan. He reckoned when they signed Alex Sabella (78ish) they were offered a 16 yr old Maradona but the board hadn't heard of him so didn't bother - smacks of urban myth but still quite funny.

A midfield of Pat Heard, John Trewick and Wayne Fereday does it for me - the rest don't really matter after that choice.

Agree - still think he'd lost it but the timing was terrible (which led to the replacement imo).

Two I remember were one by Shilton for Forest from Paul Goddard in 88 I think and one by Pav in 95/96 against Everton when we were down to ten men - sadly the way we ground out the 3 points that day completely convinced me that we were going to win the title and I got into one of the top 3 drunken states of my life and fell down the escalators at Central Station Metro unscathed apart from a sprained wrist - happy days.

A thread that has tenuous connections to religion and NJS comes out of the woodwork again. Tenuous? What about the woman the bastards are holding for witchcraft? (I don't mind the dig btw)

I hope you like being unemployed then, our economy (especially in the NE) is built on Saudi oil and arms exports. The oil is bought globally by corporations - possibly nothing can be done about that. Arms are over-subsidised by tax payers money - I'd end the industry tomorrow with no conscience pangs whatsoever. You're having a laugh if you think the govt can do nothing about oil imports. And end all the arms trade you want, just make yourself available to the thousands of unemployed geordies it would produce. Thousands? Aye. Care to elaborate? The building of warships is dead which as far as I know leaves Vickers or whatever they call themselves these days.

I hope you like being unemployed then, our economy (especially in the NE) is built on Saudi oil and arms exports. The oil is bought globally by corporations - possibly nothing can be done about that. Arms are over-subsidised by tax payers money - I'd end the industry tomorrow with no conscience pangs whatsoever. You're having a laugh if you think the govt can do nothing about oil imports. And end all the arms trade you want, just make yourself available to the thousands of unemployed geordies it would produce. Thousands?