pap

Recently got a guitar and am learning to play. Fúck, I'm such an archetype.

Cannabis decriminisation is on the agenda in the Isle of Man today. http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/decriminalisation-of-cannabis-to-be-raised-in-keys-1-6662067 Could be an interesting opportunity to trial the idea closer to home.

Playing devil's advocate, the thing that annoyed me about the interview was the complete lack of anything concrete, save the foundations on the new training facilities. We're told that a deal for a new manager is close, and that we've had very high quality applicants - but there's a difference between words and actions, a criticism that many have leveled at the new board since its formation. We were also told that we weren't going to ship any players we didn't want to, or without the direction of the new manager. The problem for Les is that of all the things he's said, very little has actually come to fruition. If all those things he's saying finish up with decent end product, I might start clapping a bit more happily. So far, either nowt has happened or worse, the complete opposite has, such as with Rickie's transfer. I know there are mitigating factors behind the move, but even so, it's deeds I'll be judging this interview on, not words.

Which team was Roy Kinnear involved with? His son played the pig-fúcking PM in Black Mirror, y'know.

He's from there until 11am, as per thread title. You can fúck off if you're trying to jump the "getting questions answered" queue. As we can both see, I've already given FF some provoking and important questions to deal with

When you say "tried to ban", does that mean that Franny managed to subvert it? Did he go to games dressed up as someone else? Shimmy up a drain-pipe? Parachute in from a light aircraft? Become Mrs Doubtfire? More importantly, are these antics in the book?

This part of your post moved me. Sent from my office using a keyboard.

I'm normally something of a clapper, but feel like I've watched 20 minutes of nothing. The Lambert transfer is conspicuous by its absence, probably because it's such a departure from the "no players will be sold until a manager arrives" line. Of course, this'll all come good if the things Les is saying are true.

Do you have me on ignore, Goatboy? Another Olde English pub, mate.

Adam proud of World Cup Saints contingent (according to this). http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/11266503.Lallana_proud_of_Saints__World_Cup_contingent/ Bit of a weird statement, given that he and Shaw are trying to reduce the active contingent to zero

Yeah, next week should be the first substantive Game of Thrones finale. Most of the time, both characters and audience are reeling and reacting to whatever went before. Anyone that has been paying attention will know exactly who's going to arrive in the North. You don't have to be a book reader to get it, either. Already been discussed at length in the show.

I'd forgotten all about Alan B'stard. Superb performance.

Big loss. The man was a massive influence in the early 1980s. He found lasting fame as Rik in The Young Ones, but was kicking around our screens much earlier as part of his Dangerous Brothers double act with Ade Edmondson. If you had a criticism of the bloke, it'd be his comedic range. He spent most of his life playing the same character, Blackadder's Lord Flashheart being the obvious exception to his habit of playing a women-repellent loser. Still, he was memorable in pretty much everything he did and always went for it if it made things funnier, no matter how ridiculous he looked. My recommendation for remembering the man? Mr Jolly Lives Next Door, also starring the talents of Peter Cook and Nicholas Parsons.

We got ours shortly after launch. Even then, didn't really have too many complaints about the launch titles - and I knew that MK would be on the way. Interestingly, Nintendo are running a promotion for Mario Kart. If you register your copy on Club Nintendo, they'll shout you a free game. I got Pikmin 3 with my copy of MK; another fantastic game.

Last call for Microsoft's XBox One?

I disagree with that assessment. If the board are as weak as you say, the likes of Shaw and Lallana wouldn't need to moan to the press that the hand that fed is still gripping them post-bite.

With all the recent fanfare surrounding the launch of the PS4 and XBox One, Nintendo's Wii U has been somewhat overlooked in recent months, something of a shame given the fact that it probably has the best games for any console right now. You might feel a bit short-changed if you're after a top class FPS or beat-em-up, but with the recent release of Mario Kart 8, it's just got the best racing game on any platform. [video=youtube;941EKl-AYRM] I buy Nintendo hardware every generation, knowing that I'll only ever buy 5 or 6 games for each machine, but also knowing that there's likely nothing that'll touch them in terms of quality and wide appeal. Anyone already got a Wii U or thinking of getting one?

So we're at the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones, which traditionally has been a landmark episode for each season. Season One's ninth episode was all about that last minute change in sentence, and last year we got to see the beautiful wedding at the Frey's place. This year's showcase bears most resemblance to Season 2's "Blackwater". Globe trotting is eschewed in favour of a narrow focus on one very happening location, The Wall, introduced to GoT viewers in the very first episode. Most of this episode is one long battle, and while some close shots of the Wall remind you that this is being done on a TV budget, there's also some very accomplished work here, including some long tracking shots which highlight how well choreographed things are. Last couple of episodes have been excellent and very memorable. Still quite a bit to sort out in the finale if this season is to bring A Storm of Swords ( the name for book 3 of A Song of Ice and Fire ) to an end.

NA was hard done by, but can't really have any complaints post the merciless sacking. The bloke had a lot of goodwill, a decent reputation and decided to go and spend it all in Reading.

Bwa-ha-ha!

It's nice to see where the peasants choose to spend their posts

I don't think they'd have had too many problems. There were Communists throughout Europe; Eastern and Western alike. A lot of effort was spent trying to curb their influence in Western Europe in the years that followed. Churchill's position on the Russians was compromised. He warned Roosevelt that they had to get troops East; even talked about opening up a new front in Greece. In the end, he signed over much of Eastern Europe to keep Greece out of Moscow's sphere of influence. If Roosevelt had backed him, things might have been different, but he was very much seen as the junior partner by that time - and the Americans were overly sensitive that they might be being manipulated for the ends of the British Empire, as they were in the First World War. War debts were not repaid, European allies got the spoils and there was a justifiable consensus among Americans that they'd been jipped by their allies. The cumulative effect of events is fascinating, I'll say that.

Don't get it. Every user can specify location independently to his or her username. Also, where does it end? OnTheCrapperSaint TiedUpInDungeonWithOrangeInMyMouthSaint A slippery slope, my location-named friend!

I reckon we already know who we're employing. I'd expect the announcement to happen when the international lads have arrived at the WC. One interesting thing about the past week or so; certainly seems as if talk of a firesale was premature. Something like 50m burning a hole in the pocket of the club right now, and KL and co have not cashed in.

Ultimately, I wonder how decisive D-Day was. There's no doubt that it brought about VE Day a lot sooner; the Soviet charge eastward may have been more problematic had Hitler not had to worry about a Western flank. However, I've a feeling they'd have got there anyway. Stalin was pretty dissatisfied with his Allies efforts on the continent. He felt that too much of the cost of the war, in blood at least, had been borne by the USSR. As it was, while the invasion happened in time to expedite VE day, it was too late to save Europe from the Soviets afterward, despite Churchill's insistence that Western forces rush into areas before the Soviets could secure them. This view does nothing to diminish the bravery of the men involved, and we don't know how effective the earlier charge that Stalin wanted would have been. By the time D-Day happened, Italy was subdued, and the southern flanks were cut off. It was a surer plan for happening in June 1944. I do wonder whether things could have been wrapped up sooner had the Italian plan been shelved in favour of an earlier assault on Western Europe.