Ex Lion Tamer

I'll be voting Labour because I want them to go into next year appearing strong and confident after a decent Euro performance. Ultimately getting the Tories out at the GE is the most important thing and the above would help, plus I think Labour's manifesto is shaping up ok.

Just read in today's Sun that she first did heroin at 18, which is an age at which we all make stupid decisions. It's especially understandable give nthat she had a crazy upbringing in which heroin use was normalised. Even so, before her death she had been regularly going to rehab to try to get over what is of course one of the most addictive drugs around. And yet apparently she needs to be condemned for doing it when her child was in the house instead of pitied for having lost an incredibly difficult battle to stay clean.

Often when people have mental health problems, they do irrational things. Does that mean they deserve to die?

The world should boycott the Daily Mail, it's a disgusting rag

He didn't say anything about continuously buying from the league below, just asked whether there are any options. Don't forget that J-Rod came from that league

I have just read a few pages of this thread and find it pretty odd that people were getting so wound up about this. Surely the point, as Manuel says, is that "Christian Country" is a vague and subjective term which you can argue for or against depending on how you like to see Britain. And if we are a Christian country, what does that then mean in practical terms? I can't see that anyone is suggesting that anything should actually be changed. The better question is whether it is helpful for politicians to be proclaiming that we are one, and here I can't see any benefit. Surely calling ourselves a secular country is far more inclusive, and really doesn't impinge on Christians' sense of "home"?

I'm not personally interested in leaving a message but this can only be a good thing. Its all very well saying he is paid millions but footballers don't think like that, they will just see boredom, pain and frustration. These messages will potentially increase his love for the fans, which could be a factor if one day he is thinking of leaving. All part of Katharina's vision for a friendlier, harmonious club

Are you saying Norwich won because they handed out paper clappers? I didn't realise football was that easy. Face it, it sounds rubbish.

I see Norwich fans are now using those fold-up clapper things. Embarrassing

People inevitably make mistakes though. And it's the state that ends up clearing up the mess unless it takes preemptive action

Watch PMQs some time and you'll see Cameron avoid answering simple questions again and again

Ok I guess we don't know about Shaw. If I was him I would stay. But if he wants to leave and we get a big offer then its best that he goes.

Let's be real, we have several very good players who have been with us for a good few years, and if they get the offer of Champions League football they would be mad to turn it down. Morgan in particular needs to leave, it seems, if he is to get international recognition. Lallana may well get a big move - if he stays it will be due to exceptional loyalty. Shaw appears to be as good as gone. If we can get away with losing just those three and replace them then we've probably had an ok summer.

But why couldn't he do a short pass to full back rather than playing it right down the middle? There were definitely better short options

Massive supposition but it felt like he was annoyed at being told at half time to play it short, so to prove a point played the worst short passes imaginable

But he doesn't play like that when he starts every game because he gets fatigued. And we were winning before he came on

A great performance, he dominated Norwich when he came on. However, I still feel he needs to do it against more of the bigger teams to prove he's worth taking to the World Cup. It's worth noting that his goals and assists this season have been against: WBA, CPL, FUL, HUL, AVL, TOT, CAR, FUL (again), STK, NOR, Scotland, Moldova

I love Rickie as much as anyone but if Carroll can stay fit then I think he will bang in the goals for WHM and book his place. Rickie is out of form and needs to start making more of an impact. I fear age is catching up with him though - we saw it with Grant Holt in his second Premier League season too. Sturridge Rooney Welbeck Carroll Would be my strikers, assuming Carroll puts a run of games together.

I suggest you brace yourself for that fact that we won't get much more than £20m for him. That is a lot for a player his age who isn't the finished article

I haven't watched these yet. A true legend of rock though, of course

Glad they saved BBC4, some of their music documentaries are really good. Does BBC really save that money by making BBC3 online only? Surely they'll have to cut the number of new programmes as well? Edit: Yes, they are cutting the programmes as well, it would help if I read the story first.

Demichellis is a huge weak spot for City and it's amazing he is even there

Can't remember if I read it here or not but Dean Ashton said in an a fanzine interview that Pardew was too easy going and friendly with the players, which affected their performance

I agree that VAT is a regressive tax and would reduce it, but my main point is that i wouldn't replace income tax with a flat tax. I don't know enough about the Russian example to know if that's what they did or not. I assumed they replaced all taxes. Tax take could have risen for any number of reasons though, and the imf report suggests the the flat tax wasn't the cause

You left out the next paragraph: "The Russian example is often used as proof of the validity of this analysis, despite an International Monetary Fund study in 2006 which found that there was no sign "of Laffer-type behavioral responses generating revenue increases from the tax cut elements of these reforms" in Russia or in other countries" And even if there was, what was the effect on inequality and the poorest?