Colinjb

Babylon 5: A Retrospective. After a few months of effort, I have now watched the entirety of Babylon 5 through from start to finish. In summary, it's a masterpiece. It takes a little while to find it's feet and a few episodes in series 1 are absolutely terrible, but even in these there are seeds of information, plot and reference that can go on to have surprising importance in the overall narrative. This is an ongoing story, the episodes cannot be watched on their own, you real need to give the show time and once you are in you are in for a treat. From the end of series 2 through to the end of series 4 this is the best science fiction show I have ever seen, it even eclipses the remake of Battlestar Galactica. Series 5 provides a fitting prologue to the drama but cannot find it's own path, it is just giving closure. Every single character goes on a journey, Sheridan's rise from soldier to Leader, Delenn emerging as the heart of the show, G'Kar's growth from a thug into an unwilling spiritual focal point for his people and the tragedies of Londo Mollari and Susan Ivanova. All woven against the backdrop of themes of chaos, free will, religion and odd as it may sound the role of parenthood in the context of a galactic war. This series deserves to be updated and remade, the only thing it lacks now are the production values of it's modern day counterparts, but special effects improve dramatically as the show goes on. Oh, and the DVD's are now dirt cheap if you know where to look. Highly recommended to any sci-fi geeks like myself.

This is a first, i've never been labelled that before!

It's a napoleonic war reference isn't it?

Depends who the family is involved with. The lad obviously holds more extreme views to many (based on the deletion of his twitter account), perhaps they have history?

Red block, like it.

It's quite funny how my opinion is clear yet you keep asking the same questions, i'm not wasting my time answering them again, particularly as you are preferring to be evasive rather then direct. The common ground is that we all agree that Mclean's decision was questionable, that's enough for me.

No, Clyne was pushed upfield supporting an attack, Fonte was the other option, still under pressure but a far better ball playing centre back. Gazza didn't need to unload the ball straight away either, so further error was made in the panicked clearance.

Well, Turkish feels he should move abroad if he feels that strongly about it. That is his right.

Ah, the 'either you are with us or against us' mentality. Very knuckle headed.

No. Answer my question first. You have made this a matter of morals rather then the right for political free speech. The moral standpoint is something I agree with, as I have repeatedly stated, but I would not demand someone moved out of the country simply because a moral division occurs here. You obviously would, so where do you draw a line with something this subjective? Where does that idea stop? It is obvious we will not agree on this.

Do you agree with 100% of all political policy in this country at the moment? If you say yes you are lying.... because you have shown an inclination for poppies to be mandatory, or at least beyond reproach, but they are not. So what are you doing here?

If that was truly the case I would emigrate every time the party I didn't vote for came into power. Is it possible to vote for a coalition on the ballot form?

Sorry Turkish, life exists in shades of grey. For me, anyway. Thank heavens we live in a society where we can debate this though.

Oh, indeed. My personal feelings are more then clear earlier though. But....remove the political freedom and you become as bad as the enemy those guys died to protect us from.

And there your argument falls apart. If that came in there would be far more to worry about then just singing that every morning. Our country is one based on freedom. If you sing Seig Heil every morning it won't be..... or at least wouldn't be for long and you would get the hell out... We have rememberence sunday every 52 weeks. You don't get shot if you don't observe it; thank heavens for that!

This implies a problem with the whole country, not just one facet. He disagrees with our military standpoint but has respect for our other laws, tax requirements, etiquette, sporting identity and history and various other ways in which we are culturally similar to his home. Forgive the crude metaphor, but it's like being a in a relationship with a girl who has so many good points and one area of possible contention. He let it fly but made his opinion felt and then moved on after seeing the greater perspective. She on the other hand will remember this until the end of time.....

Watching MOTD 2. Cork's pass was perfectly weighted and hit to Yoshida. Yoshi then played it 'safe' and hit it back to the keeper, Swansea pressed us high and had men on both Yoshida and Fonte who were on their own with both full-backs committed forward. Yoshida's control when the ball came to him back from Gazza was terrible, floating in the air, the ball was unshielded and inviting the challenge. Yoshida should have shielded it better and turned the ball away from danger with his first touch. More individual errors.

You did say about people abusing the system here, he isn't in that way, if anything he is helping to pay for it. Like any tax payer he has a right to speak his mind within lawful boundaries. 'Tasteful' and 'respectful' boundaries are different matters here. He had every right to do what he did, that is the fundamental point. Regardless of the personal taste and opinion of any of us.

Rule 1 on anything 'interesting.'

On a mercenary level, as a footballer he will be paying a lot of tax, he is contributing, therefore he can speak his mind with a relatively clear conscience in that way. But yes, there are so many that come over and abuse the freedoms we have, but a lot of people born and bred within our own borders are doing the same. It's an undesirable part of human nature, part of it is the tendency to play the system to their own benefit.

Oh, is she on that 'i'm a celebrity, feed me insects so my profile is raised a little' thing? Terrible, terrible television.....

It annoyed me that he didn't wear a poppy shirt. Talking to my elderly grandfather last night (92 years young, a veteran of North Africa and Italy) and seeing the pain behind his eyes as we asked him about the war really brings home the sacrifices that generation made. This guy McLean didn't want to participate though, regardless of how distasteful I find it that is his right. If his opinion was the majority I would be more worried, instead the reaction he will get from others is his punishment. Karma is a *****.

How the hell did this get bumped? Incidentally, yes, absolutely....

Then it comes down to politics..... the sacrifices so many made so we could have the choice to say no to something like this..... There will always be a spread of opinion and extremist views in humanity. I am so grateful we live in a society that viewpoints can be expressed, even if I disagree with them it is a blessing that these men fought to preserve it.

For every one that works, one will not. At best the odds are 50/50. In aiming to keep possession the odds increase in your favour. The short term action of a hoof may provide immediate gain but longer term that attitude is damaging. On balance I would never advocate us resorting to it unless there truly was no other option..... and in the case of yesterday that wasn't the case, it was simply a poor decision to pass to Yoshida, not play out from the back.