miserableoldgit

I agree with this but I wasn`t thinking about arguments in particular. Just about the common usage of language and humour. Is, for example, telling a joke about a bald/short/fat/skinny/tall person more or less offensive than telling one about a foreigner/black person/Jew/Muslim etc even if the joke is "harmless" and just pandering to stereo-types? I am genuinely interested to know where acceptabilty ends and offence starts.

I find this whole "racist/offensive" thing a bit puzzling. Is calling somebody shorty or baldy or fatty or bean-pole or four - eyes etc offensive? Where is the line drawn? If it is illegal to make racist remarks, should it also be illegal to make "personal" remarks as well? Where should the line be drawn? Was the money and police time spent on trying to find the Spurs fans who taunted Sol Campell during a game well spent? I am not being right wing or controversial, I am genuinely puzzled by these issues.

Came across this in a drawer this morning. I think that I got it from the old forum. Still makes me chuckle:- "A major earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter Scale hit Portsmouth in the early hours of 14th May 2003. Epicentre - Fratton Park, Portsmouth. Victims were seen wandering around aimlessly muttering "Mentil moosh" and other sounds that nobody could understand. The earthquake decimated the area causing approximately £30 worth of damage. The "football" stadium is no longer standing. Three areas of historic burnt out cars were disturbed. Many locals were woken well before their giro arrived. The Portsmouth News has reported that hundreds of residents were "confused and bewildered", still trying to come to terms with the fact that something "interesting" had happened in the area. One resident - Tracy Sharon Smith, a 15 year old mother of five said, "It was such a shock, my little Chardonnay Mercedes came running into my bedroom crying. My youngest two, Tyler-Morgan and Megan-Storm slept through it all - but I had only given `em a couple of Valium an hour before- so it was understandable weren`t it Moosh?" Apparently though, looting, muggings and car crime did carry on as normal. The British Red Cross has so far managed to ship 4,000 crates of Sunny Delght to the area to help the vitamin starved locals. Rescue workers were still searching through the rubble and have found large quantities of personal belongings, which include benefit books, jewellery from Elizabeth Duke at Argos and bone china from Poundland. HOW CAN YOU HELP?? This appeal is to raise money for food and clothing parcels for those unfortunate to be caught up in this disaster. Clothing is most sought after, the most needed includes:- Fila or Burberry baseball caps. Kappa tracksuit tops (his and hers). Rockport polo shirts or if possible, anything by Hackett will suffice. Shell suits (female) White sports socks. Rockport boots and any other items usually sold in Primark. Those who are feeling especially generous could hopefully include any Creole earings, chains with clowns on the end and any chunkey gold rings they may have stopped wearing when they turned 15...! Food parcels may be harder to come by, but are needed all the same. Required foodstuffs include:- ASDA 98p Microwave meals. Tins of baked beans. Cans of Colt 45. Special Brew or bottles of Lambrini. Remember, 22p buys a Biro for filling in compensation forms, £2 buys chips,crisps and blue fizzy drinks for a family of 9. £5 will pay for a packet of B&H and a lighter to calm the nerves of those affected. Please do not send tents for shelter, as the sight of posh housing is unfair on the population of neighbouring areas. Thank You The Red & White Army Charity Trust (The Seeker of Justice and Truth) Anyone on here admit to composing this??

I agree. Despite the track being very dusty (and a strange colour!!) there was some very good racing on Saturday. The very long straights and tight bends also made it interesting. I really hope that Crump wins the title. I have a lot of admiration for him. He is a very determined character and a real racer. Sajfudinov also looks an exciting prospect though. Not sure where the next British challenge will come from! Scott Nicholls really is a spent force and "Bomber" despite his win in Cardiff a couple of years ago, doesn`t seem to be able to make the step up to be a really consistant performer in the GP`s. Looking forward to possibly seeing Chris Holder next year though. I think that he could be another Jason Crump.

Radio Solent saying this morning that Thomas could be bck for tonights game.

The way things are going it won`t be a sunny day. You don`t get too many of them in January and February!!

So you equate somebody telling a joke using national stereotypes with someone calling somebody "a nigga or a p4ki"? Every culture in the world makes generally harmless fun of other cultures. Irish are stupid, Scots are mean, the Welsh are - well - Welsh! Are the chants of "sheep****gers" at SMS when Welsh teams play there "racist" or harmless banter? The Belgians are the butt of French peoples jokes. Most humour is based on anothers "mis-fortune" in one way or another whether it is racially based or not. I pretty well guarantee that there is not a single person in this country, or any other for that matter, who has not made a joke, or made a disparaging remark about foriegn people at some time. The trouble is that the word "racist" is being thrown around left, right and centre. According to your view virtually everyone is a racist although undoubtedly none of the above applies to you.

What is going on with the "Quote" thingy? That was not my quote. This has happened a few times.

As a matter of interest, do you think that Ted Bates, if he were still alive, should have paid for tickets, or is it your ongoing hatred of LM that drives you?

Wouldn`t that be "Beardist"?

You didn`t used to have blonde hair and co-star in "The Vicar of Dibley" did you?

As the term "racist" is being bandied around willy-nilly on this thread , can somebody please tell me what race Muslims belong to? I thought that Islam was a religion.

Just come back from two weeks in Norfolk and apart from taking in two Speedway meetings at Kings Lynn, I agree with you!

Actually, I was thinking about this a couple of days ago. I suddenly realised that I am currently more happy with our situation than I have been for many years. We have a billionaire owner who seems deeply committed to the club, we have probably the best manager that we could possibly hope for, given our situation, we have the makings of a very good, if not the best squad in L1 and we are, as NC said last night, one of the very few debt-free clubs in England. Yes, I am enjoying being a Saints fan again for the first time in years, and Yes, I am confident that we are on the up, but I am also aware that I need to be patient. Rome wasn`t built.... and all that, but we are on our way!!

Oh Bugger! Where is that switch to make a club and a team that has been going downhill faster than Eddie the Eagle for many years a winning team?? I know that it`s here somewhere. Oh well, I really wanted it now but I suppose we will have to take some time to find it.

The problem is that it is far too easy to play the "Race Card" if anyone expresses even remotely right-of-centre views. I went to The Railway at Shawford earlier this year and there was a board advertising a ST Georges Day evening. It said "Come and enjoy the Best of British" I just commented that it should say "The Best of English" as of course St G is the patron Saint of England, and I was told that they couldn`t put that because it would cause trouble and would be "racist"! Now this is a very small example, and some would say that this situation was not worth worrying about, but it is an indication that there is a culture in this country now for looking for racism, more often than not, where none exists.

Met him in The Vine at Bursledon 4 or 5 years ago. He had a house up by the Jolly Sailor. He came into the pub with a mate and then sat down at the piano and played a couple of songs that he had written. He was a bit ****ed but seemed like a decent bloke. Certainly no Billy Big********.

Schadenfreude!!

Why not have a guess WS? Seems to be the best way of presenting "facts".

We can all make guesses and theorise on any subject, but that doesn`t mean that what we guess or theorise is correct. Anyone can have opinions/guesses and present them as facts to support any agenda, but I prefer to consider what I KNOW to be true. In the case of LM I prefer to look at his record and the known facts and not conjecture. Anyway.... I`m off to do the Lottery. I`ve guessed the numbers so it`s just a case of waiting and picking up my winnings!!

...after 12 years! No loyalty some people!!:confused:

So you don`t actually KNOW, but are prepared to carry on with the denigration on the basis of a guess??? Hmmmm......

That`s got to be safer than actually playing in P*rtsmouth!

Thought that this was a very good read. Beevor knows his subject well .His "Berlin-the Downfall 1945" is worth a go.