NJS

Several countries in South and Central America. Vietnam/Cambodia Iraq the first time around leaving the "resistance" to die. Whats that thing about being doomed to repeat mistakes?

We have the highest prison per capita population in western europe and surprise, surprise one of the highest crime rates. America with the death penalty is number 1 for both. So one doesn't seem to have "fixed" the other does it? I know lets build more.

I know I can't talk living in Essex (and coming from South Shields) but if I'm running late of a morning theres a train that goes through Chelmsford at about 8:15 that goes to Lowestoft and it takes the robot announcer about 2 minutes to list all of the God forsaken places it stops at on the way. Every time I hear it I think what a backwater these pointless villages must be, no doubt full of evolutionary throwbacks I have to say though I do remember visiting Lowestoft as a kid and remember it being a "typical" seaside town - much like Scarborough, Whitby or any number of place around the coast (even Shields). I think the only real problem it has is that its bloody miles from anywhere.

I started watching that with the same bitter thoughts as you two but just couldn't bring myself to want a team in red & white stripes to beat one in black & white - sad I know but still

I still wouldn't be surprised if he ended up at Sunderland. I'm not that bothered we didn't get him (or whether he was courted) - as FS has implicitly decided that our ambition is always going to be to get 5th I think we're just as well off with Roeder. O'Neill wouldn't have bettered 5th imo and Roeder has shown he likes a bit of style. I would also have been unhappy with his alleged wish to do a 3 day week.

Sambas were okay but I preferred Trimm Trabbs and of course Diadora Gold Borgs.

I am sure it was only 4. 142063[/snapback] Yeah I've checked and you're right - I honestly thought his sudden energence as a goalscorer was highlighted when Chelsea signed him. Oh Well - stll think he's an excellent player.

A few points: Almost all of the players improved after Roeder took over - Parker didn't get much of a chance to (and was ill when he did play) but the same improvement as some of the other players from his baseline last season would have been a tad impressive. We did "okay" in the run in but got away with Faye and Clark too much and struggled with Charlie in the middle - I can't see how people can say we wouldn't have been better witha fit Parker. The season before he signed for Chelsea I think he scored 10 goals for Charlton.

Head bags used to be as much football hooligan uniform as Stone Island is now - I remember watching the kids who were deported from Germany in Euro88 using them to hide their faces from the cameras to a man.

Nowt worse than a band stagnating. Rehashing the stuff that was popular, scared to just do what they want because they have to cater to their demographic. I look at Oasis and see what Radiohead could have become. I thank christ they didn't. 138832[/snapback] I'd like to have seen Oasis release their 3rd album onwards under an alias and see what critics and fans thought of them without the name Oasis and the first 2 albums to affect opinions. Anyone seriously think the music world would have batted an eyelid at those albums without the Oasis hype and reputation colouring peoples views. 138836[/snapback] Good point but I've always thought all Oasis albums are the same (not like that) in that they all have 4 perhaps 5 cracking songs and a lot of "Meh" type ones - and I include the "classic" first two in that. I think a band can evolve without doing a "Radiohead" though - U2 for example have tried different things (some of which I quite frankly hate) while maintaining a core style and overall quality (imo). I just felt that Radiohead were a bit too "bloody-minded" in the way they changed. I know they will claim they made music they wanted to but I also remember them saying that they specifically didn't want to be a "U2, biggest band on the planet" type deal which they were heading for. Another remark I recall referred to "3 frustrated guitarists" in the band which again suggests they went out of their way to go against the grain. I'm sure there are people who love the Kid A and the rest stuff but I feel a lot of their fans feel to obliged to listen to it in the name of "eclectic" music taste. I haven't got tickets for V this year as the lineup is poor imo but I may change my mind and see Radiohead as I think live they are more like their old selves. Talking of wrist slitting one of my main memories of Radiohead was after the Chelsea semi in 2000 when I took the huff and went home straight from Wembley and was in the house for 6:45. I switched on MTV2 and Fake Plastic Trees was on - I remember it causing a depressed tear or two and thinking it summed up following NUFC - at once soul-lifting glory and ultimate sadness.

That's what annoys me when people are very quick to critcise the police. Whilst I am fully aware that no one person or system is infallible, I don't think a lot of people realise what some police officers experience in their day-to-day work. My uncle is pretty high up in Northumbria Police and some of the things he's had to deal with have been horrific. 138717[/snapback] I think like most things it depends on circumstances - I have 3 or 4 good mates who are coppers and I wouldn't do their job but know they work hard and handle shite (though we disagree on what I see as a token war against drug dealers) but that doesn't mean that we have to take some of the pricks who police football (not as bad as it used to be) who see themselves as lords and masters of "scum" fans and not the public servants they are.

I'm a bit of a cliche Radiohead wise - I love Pablo Honey and The Bends but think they started to disappear up their own arses with Ok Computer and made it all the way with Kid A and the rest. Being a "No guitar, no good" type music fan I think a band who are so fantastic to "betray" their sound and become knob twiddlers is probably worse than someone who just never had it like a pop group or something. I think interviews around the time of Kid A are revealing when they said they almost decided to release that under a pseudonym to see how it did - I think it would have bombed without the "emperors new clothes" effect of the fans who insist its genius.

I was called up about 4 years ago but I was still a contractor so "refused" as it would have had me in the poor house with any length of case. Speaking to my mate at the time who's a copper he reckons too many people get out of it and too many juries are made up of "students, dole wallers, pensioners, housewives and other thick fuckers" which made his job harder.

I'd have more time for Henry's comments if he wasn't in a team that includes 4 or 5 of the worst cheats in English football. The ref was a typical UEFA corrupt/incompetent twat.

One good reason to do it is that if you die in this country with no will and no living relatives your estate goes to the Duchy of Cornwall - in other words the jug-eared twat's back pocket - its one of his major incomes. (and yet another good reason to shoot the bastards)

I take it that as story along the lines of "Toon have £30m transfer pot" would mean LM would praise FS for not giving Souness any money in January and of course his ongoing wonderfulness. I guess the truth on the money lies in between the two extremes especially since an extra £3-4m for Bellamy (yeah, right) doesn't make that much difference in the big picture.

Elephant and Admiral were like the premiership top 3 compared to the rest for me.

Can't disagree even though I "supported" his exit. I never gave a shit about his lack of tracking back etc, I just thought he wasn't as good as an attacking threat as time wore on (though this was mainly down to attitude imo which I guess is related).

Well the majority of people have both male and female friends, and manage not to shag each other, so id say that guys n girls can be just friends. Manage not to but would given the chance? I have a few female friends and theres not one of them I wouldn't if I could but I'm single and its been a while (can't imagine that matters though).

I agree to an extent but would say that I was trying to argue that the "reality" end of the market is very sad and does men no favours but it tends to be drug driven in the first place. I'm not saying high class escorts are in anyway "noble" or the men any less sad but I think its a lot more civilised than the majority and a controlled environment ran aong similar lines would work and save a lot of women from abuse. I've always considered prostitution to be an endightment on the sadness of the male gender rather than any slur on women but unfortunately its always been part of nature. I do think your "harms all women" pov is overstated though - I don't think all women have a price and the existence of it doesn't make me think any less of women least of all the ones involved.

I'd relegate Pompey for their "bolt seats on to an open terrace and charge £30" trick. Hate Redknapp as well.

Shagging Kate Moss is one thing - being on the edge of self-destruction through stupidity is nowt worth glamourising. I know a lot of "talents" take drugs which I don't really care about but Doherty is just an idiot - I don't just mean the drugs per se but a couple of his arrests have obviously been as a result of celebrating his court appearances with more smack - as I said thats just stupid. If you do think he has musical talent then surely you should bemoan its waste?

I just meant that the pressure on the prisons if you "got your way" and then a new lot were added in "for their own good" as suggested by someone else would be quite severe. Death penalty deterrents don't work because nearly all murders are spur of the moment/unthinking acts of passion/stupidity. Those that aren't eg terrorsim are carried out by people who wouldn't care or would in fact relish martyrdom. Its immoral barbarism in my opinion.

rather than just let criminals off in NJS's world ? 129751[/snapback] Never said that - I just don't think the death penalty or your "lock them up and never let them out" works. I support quite long sentences for murder/rape etc and think drunk driving/causing death by driving is disgracefully unpunished but a lot of the justice system fails miserably for certain crimes no matter how much you increase the sentencing.

I agree with the sentiment that he's a fuck-up but if everyone who needed it was "locked up for their own good" they'd need even more prisons than in LM's world. If he starts affecting others (which is the suggestion here) then thats different, though I stand by my "free will" comments earlier but as Lazarus says British prisons aren't exactly smack free.