pap

Funnily enough, was just wondering how "Plan A" might be advanced after Kerry's boll*ck drop yesterday. This'll do. One of the most heartening things on this thread is seeing how questioning people are.

I would also suggest that if Regine needs the darkness, then performing in well illuminated shows is going to be stressful. She should retrain as a potato, earthworm or mole.

Good piece by Gary Younge of the Guardian. He's only about a week behind SaintsWeb, bless him http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/08/us-little-credibility-syria-chemical-weapons

We've gotten onto fertile new ground here thanks to Bear and Super Michael. Arcade Fire treated literally. It's actually genius.

Look Kelv, an aloof nature with the customers is all part of the £82.81 service (inc of P+P). These c**ts selling it for a penny just send it out willy nilly. There's no craft, y'see - no salesmanship. It ultimately stems from no appreciation of the product.

John Kerry has dropped a massive boll*ck on this:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24022866 Basically said (rhetorically, as US state department clarified) that war could be averted if Syria gives up all its chemical weapons within a week. Russia has taken the initiative seriously. It's going to be extremely difficult for the US to rubber stamp these strikes now.

Cheers for this, Picard. An article in which the same claims are made (from same outlet). Google Translate will do the rest http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_libere-des-griffes-djihadistes-pierre-piccinin-est-arrive-a-bruxelles?id=8085103

What's peace? Perhaps we should ask the newly liberated people of Libya, who have gone from worrying about one dictator to many warlords. Maybe we could take a look at newly-democratised Iraq, IED capital of the world. We could possibly take a look at Egypt, which had its revolution, elections and then a coup, pretty much returning us to the status quo. The one good thing you could argue happened in Egypt is that unlike Libya, there is fair chance that the country will have some cohesive command structure or a single person to deal with. I don't think there will ever be peace in the Middle East, not now. All we'll see are the embers of long-dormant tribal fires being stoked into the conflagration of conflict. Extremely sh!t if you happen to be a citizen of one of those countries, but very handy if you're a Western agent trying to rob the place blind.

Israel is actively militating for war with Iran. Might be something you miss if you only read the headlines and not the article, but it's on the public record. Peace is very difficult to achieve when one party is actively petitioning for war. Spin that however you like; doesn't make it any less true.

Everything goes back to the time of the Pharoahs if you follow historical threads far enough. The main issue in the Middle East is Israel, the long-term consequences of stealing a country and the West's insistence that this is a legitimate arrangement. I wasn't around at the time, but my granddad, who was (and in the region too) speaks of the terrible sense of betrayal that the Arab world felt over the creation of the state of Israel. The modern issues can be traced back to that one point. I've heard all the arguments about Israel having enemies on all sides, but I find those irrelevant too. If Britons started moving to Germany and declared a new state there on the basis of ancestral claim, we'd probably have enemies on all sides too. That's what happens when you steal a country. What annoys me, apart from the fact that few on here seem to have an appreciation of the bigger picture, is a perceived inability to step into the shoes of others. How would we really view the West if we were unlucky enough to be caught up in one of the human brush fires it has created? How must it feel to be a British Asian, knowing that your native country is being bombed by your adopted one? If we forget the chemical equation in these attacks for a moment (not that we need to - Syria's accusers are just as complicit) who has actually been a bigger menace to the world in the last decade? Actually, pick whatever timeframe you want after 1945. US Imperialism began there, and I know that you know that's true - you've certainly banged on about the raw deal we got from FDR enough times. All that's happening here is a rush to Tehran before it gets the bomb, to get Iran back into the Western fold while it is still possible.

We can develop other energy sources, but we're not. Tom Clancy used to write that war was armed robbery writ large. Anyone can see the direction of travel of Western forces. No disrespect Alps, but it sounds as if you're making your points based on the assumption that prior to 2001, we'd just let the Arab world potter along and do its own thing, something that hasn't happened. The US encouraged Saddam into action against Iran in the 1980s ( which included CW use, I might add ). The West might not have been physically there in terms of boots on the ground, but it has been instrumental in the affairs of the region since year dot, or as near as to make no appreciable difference.

Funeral was rich in French and Caribbean influence. Neon Bible was a lot darker, although the Funeral-era No Cars Go serves to lighten the mood. Suburbs is a bit of a fusion of both, tied into something semi-coherent and conceptual - along with one track, Sprawl II, which gave a clear indication of where they were going next. I honestly couldn't give a toss on what Arcade Fire do, as long as its good. If they can maintain this kind of musical variety without sacrificing quality, they'll earn their place as one of the best outfits of all time.

No you're not. The Syrian conflict is different from everything else so far because the West is finally messing with a country that the East, as represented by Russia and China, has major designs on. The opportunities for a proxy war are already there. I have no idea what the Russian/Chinese response would be to intervention, but I don't think they'll stand idly by. At the very least, expect major/more funding to make this objective as difficult to achieve as possible. The other consideration is Iran, Syria's biggest ally in the region. They may decide to throw their lot into a regional war, particularly if they have assurances from the Russians regarding support.

It has been two weeks since the last Breaking Bad update. Didn't really feel the need to comment too much on last week's episode. It was very good, but it was mostly about getting the chess pieces in place for this final run of four episodes. Those pieces are in place now, so this week was very much about settling in for The End. There was so much happening in this episode that the writers didn't have time to get Badger talking about sci-fi. Point of no return well and truly reached this week, I reckon. Will add nothing more to save on the spoilage.

I wouldn't be. Teaching pay is poor until you've built up the years. Ok, so there are certain people who want to become teachers no matter what. This probably won't deter them. Anyone looking at teaching as an option amongst many may pick a different option. We don't have enough teaching resource as it is. There are massive problems with science, maths and computing - which happen to areas that the UK economy is relying on. Given all that, I'm wondering how pretty your certainty is on this matter.

This is an interesting read. 12 US Intelligence Officials Tell Obama it wasn't Assad. Though I haven't been posting here, I have at least been trying to keep up on the propaganda. Watched Putin's RT.COM for a couple of hours today, which was interesting, if only to listen to the American correspondents arguing for a strike. As far as I can make out, the case for Assad's complicity is this. Chemical weapons were used. Assad has chemical weapons and the rebels don't. The West is asserting it comes down to capabiliy. Here's one of those shows I watched on RT. http://rt.com/shows/worlds-apart-oksana-boyko/human-rights-syria-us-575/ Now, RT has much to learn. Oksana, the pro-Russian anchor, gets her arse handed to her by Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch. What I did find interesting was how strongly he tied himself to the mast of the policy to bomb, and especially Assad's guilt. He uses one section of the interview to repeatedly assert it, all on the claim of capability. AboveTopSecret reckon that they've seen what the US politicians have seen for their deliberations, something likely to make the rolling news when the decision is made. Doesn't sound like there is anything in the way of conclusive proof; just more harrowing footage of the same event, presumably designed to elicit an emotional response. I am honestly not sure which way the Tuesday vote is going to go, or why it is even needed. I can see Obama wanting to legitimise his actions through the prism of the people's representatives, but they, like our politicians, will realise that the public appetite is not there. Of those who have declared their voting intentions, the vast majority have said that they will not support Obama in his call for military strikes. Granted, there are a lot of undecided that can yet prove decisive, but this vote represents a massive risk. Obama can still order the strikes regardless. He already had the power to do what he's asking Congress to ratify. If they vote against him, it's going to be difficult for him to exercise those powers in defiance of the people's representatives, whether he has a right to or not.

When Sharp was unceremoniously carted off to Forest, it was off the back of a pre-season in which he was scoring goals for fun. If anyone deserved to go into the team based on pre-season form, it was him.

Lambert will start, I reckon - and so do most of the pundits. Strategically taken off to save him for the next game. Hope he does well and makes himself undroppable.

If he does ever open a chippy in Southampton, I think he should put Kevin Keegan in the window to draw the punters in.

Well done Rickie. Sticky wicket avoided.

There's a lot of chatter about the composition of the rebel forces. John Kerry is quoting numbers of 90% good eggs, 10% extremists. Others reckon the numbers should be flipped. Long before this escalation, I was reading a blog called Syrian Commando. Hasn't been updated since January 2013, but it's an interesting read, especially these two articles from June and November last year. http://syriancommando.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/brief-trail-of-black-propaganda-of-a-failed-zionist-revolution-part-1/ http://syriancommando.wordpress.com/2012/11/04/black-propaganda-of-a-failed-zionist-revolution-part-2/ The second part is of particular relevance. It addresses events in the Houmas massacre. Assad's forces blamed, but reports of rebels being responsible.

Fk mate, that takes me back to the days of the Keegan window, going shopping in Chandlers Ford with my nan and granddad.

I happen to agree with Alps that this could be a sticky wicket for Rickie. It's really up to him to cement his place in the England team.

This book is of no interest to me, unfortunately. I do not own any sea-faring vessel nor do I pilot one of my own volition. I do own a microwave. I have some very useful recipes for one.

12/1 from skybet. Just gone for first goalscorer myself. The Indy seem to think Rickie starting is a reflection of a lack of striking options. His chance to prove them wrong. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/rickie-lambert-selection-exposes-englands-dearth-of-talent-8801028.html