pap

Well, you can definitely say the Russians won. The US did too. Seventy years later, Germany dominates Europe Us? Don't think it was a victory. We lost the Empire, the position of sterling as the world's top currency and by implication, a huge protectionist market for British goods and services. Chamberlain tried to avoid war at almost all costs, yet he is cast as the simpering appeaser, whereas Churchill, who handed over large parts of Eastern Europe to Stalin and cost us nearly everything we had on the world stage, is feted as a hero.

Yeah, but that'd require dune actually being able to make it here. It's an interesting point, probably moot. I think I'd have gotten a photo regardless, just for the props going forward. From the way that Duney Banchez went on about my appearance, one can only assume that he's a total f**king looker himself. I think the forum would enjoy seeing such a fine specimen of a bloke.

Nah. Real name Tristan, according to some on here.

Oh aye; they're provocative buggers, and can afford to be. Leaving aside the current day obsession with energy (and you really shouldn't), they're still the largest country on the planet in terms of landmass, and have a long history of coming out on top in wars. They did the bulk of the European fighting in WW2; we'd never have won without them.

Nah, it's all done now, shurlock. I'm sure we'll see Duney Banchez demanding more apologies, but once again, when it actually comes down to it, he's unable to actually prove residence in Liverpool. He could have blown me out of the water day one if he'd been telling the truth, using any number of approaches. I had to climb down in the epic "racist username" faux pas when around 5 of Turks' rl mates PMed me within minutes, telling me I was making a royal arse out of myself. Someone might have popped up saying the same thing; no-one did - wasn't a single person on this forum who could (or would) vouch for him.

We're dealing with a true world power here. Sure, the West may stop buying Russian energy, but as you say, it's doubtful. China is having to invest deep in Africa to get what it needs. The US is going around invading countries to keep its economy going. Russia has pretty much everything it needs within its own borders, and unlike the US, realises that.

Never heard of autarky, dune?

Alas, there was no meeting. Duney Banchez chickened out publicly on the site. I appreciate your input in Friday night's discussions though, Tokes. Can get a bit wearying pointing out all the inconsistencies in Duney Banchez' posts. Thanks for stepping up.

Where the f**k is Bear and why have no BWAAARKs (or whatever Bear feels appropriate) been issued?

Ascii is one of those players that couldn't cope with international competition. Legs went the minute foreign characters turned up on the scene.

Checks hysteria levels before posting. At least fifteen posts since the last Duney Banchez effort; we should be good. For everyone moaning about yesterday's result, I have one question to ask. If we'd have had Liverpool's front-line yesterday, with the rest of the team the same, who'd have won? To me, that's the difference.

Don't doubt it for a second. I program computers. It's an area in which there is a great deal of flux; the specifics of most things I learned 20 years ago are useless today. Like teaching, I accept that there is going to be change as my profession reacts to the world around it. So yep, every six months there's something else to pick up. What I don't have, and teachers do, is a meddlesome f**king government undermining every bit of work I do and telling me, without any practical experience of their own, how I should be doing my job in the future. The specifics of what we teach to our kids will change; teachers are used to that and should have no problem with the concept of lifelong learning. What I don't buy is this constant assertion from incoming governments that all education is sh!t and needs to be radically reformed. Within my field of work, it's the graphic designers I feel get the most sh!t. Code is code; it either works or it doesn't. Everyone feels qualified to speak on what they like or don't like visually, even if they've no skill in design. I can't help wondering whether teaching is similarly afflicted as a profession. Everyone thinks they know what the job entails, everyone reckons they know what a good teacher is and most parents, if they're doing their jobs correctly, are going to be informal teachers themselves. Thing is though, we're not really experts; neither is the government - not that it matters anyway. They usually arrive with their own agenda set and their ears closed. Gove is perhaps the most striking example of this happening.

Especially since one of their big threats was "we'll bomb you back to the Stone Age".

Clash of empires, innit? Your contestants:- 1) Russian empire 2) EU empire 3) US empire (Note: I don't know which empire the UK fits into exactly. Probs the US one from a military standpoint) NATO has been moving east ever since the end of the Cold War, despite assurances that were given to Gorbachev that the West would respect a Russian sphere of influence. There is a National (sic) Missile Defense (sic) base in Poland, protecting the US from Russia. Simply unthinkable in the 1980s. NATO has not played ball. Since then, Russia has been involved in a number of conflicts with former parts of the USSR. Chechnya, South Ossetia and now this. Each uprising has had a bit of "help" from Western powers, this included. Bit worried that Ukraine might end up being the new Poland. A new country having to wrangle with multiple nationalities, specifically large groups of ethnic Russians, and failing. All exacerbated by the actions of other powers.

We have a winner. Was watching Godfather 2 last night and thinking to myself just what a good actor the guy who played Fredo was, wondering why he hadn't been in much since. Didn't know that he'd died in 1978. Pacino loved him; considered him his acting partner.

Wasn't who I was thinking of, but this guy might qualify and break my question

Ok, people are a little off the boil here, so I'll help. Clues. 1) All the films that this guy appeared in were made in the 1970s. 2) Most people know one of his characters far better than they know the actor

Nope; it's not a trick question or anything like that. No cameos; bonafide actor who was nominated for some of the acting gongs for performances in those films.

I've already sent bletch some of the answers via PM. I'm not publicly playing anymore. All too easy (when you know how).

Pop quiz, hotshots. There is an actor who has a 100% record of appearing in films that get nominated for Best Picture. e.g. every feature film the actor has appeared in has been nominated for the Best Picture gong. Who is it?

I don't remember any US president being as thick as George W Bush. The only sense in which Obama is worse is that he offered hope at first; which tbf to Bush, he never tried selling.

Duney Banchez conspicuous by his absence. Just saying.

Going to have a proper trawl of this, Jamie. Seems like it has the potential to be a proper flashpoint.

Rumours of a split in Newcastle squad confirmed. Cheers, Monk.

Worry not, Super Michael. I'm planning on using the Glasto trip to form a hardcore of you, Dubai Phil, KRG and myself. We will spend hours PMing each other and tittering at other posters like other established forum cliques surely do.