pap

Do you know if the committee of three was active during our back-to-back promotion years, or something that was introduced for the Prem?

There are only a few I'll listen to with any regularity. Football Weekly - listened to this for years now; very good even though James Richardson sometimes remind me of this bloke:- The Geekbox - Wednesdays. Ryan Scott's weekly delve into geeky matters. The Football Ramble; longer and often funnier than Football Weekly. No Agenda - round-up of all conspiracy crackpot theories. Little out there, but a lot of fun.

Wouldn't say that exactly. Russia had its mind on bits of Eastern Europe for a long time. The non-aggression pact wasn't just a promise not to kick the crap out of each other; it also contained details of how Europe would be divided along Soviet and Nazi lines once the Germans had finished prosecuting their war. Russia had designs on an Eastern European takeover long before they were attacked in 1941.

35 minutes more of BSG: Blood and Chrome. Damn, this is looking nice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXCnuArj4b8

One thing I don't get is how easily humanity gets wiped out. Zombies have problems with even the simplest of tasks. Right now in Walking Dead, a horde of undead are being kept from their human prey by a prison fence. They have problems with doors, etc. I'm not sure that you have to live in a prison to be safe from the undead. Just secure one of those grand old empty buildings with loads of office space, close off all chokepoints to the upper floors, and zipline to the nearest Spar if you need groceries, etc.

I am Team Palestine. Absolute mess of a situation. I can understand the Jewish need for a homeland. Really didn't need to be there, though. It's easy to blame the Balfour accords and by implication, our ancestors, but Zionism had been a political movement for some time; Jews were returning to Palestine in the early 20th century. When it comes down to it, the question is whether the attempted genocide of the Jews during the second world war justifies them having Israel now, or their behaviour since. They've flouted one UN resolution after the other, knowing it can always count on a UN Permanent Security council veto. Crudely reduced to a pure numbers game, other groups or nations fared worse. The Russians lost 20 million people. The Chinese between 10 and 20 million. Indonesia suffered 3-4 million dead (less than the 6 million, admittedly), all civilians. They're not throwing their weight around on the international stage; not getting backed to the hilt by the US. And don't give me that boll0cks about Israel being surrounded by its enemies. Dudes, you f**king moved there, stole a country and have sh4t continuously on the descendants of the people who stayed put 2000 years ago. What the f**k did you expect? I'm not one of these people who would deny the holocaust, or indeed, any of the numbers. However, Zionism was a thing long before the rise of Hitler, and I think some cynically exploited the suffering of their own people to advance their agenda, leading to the sh!tstorm we have today. The US and UK are always going to be seen as hypocrites while we continue to support this rogue state. I think you can say "enough's enough, sort it the f**k out" without dishonouring the memories of those who died in World War 2.

See Alps, this is what I mean by "trounced".

This independent opinion was brought to you by the Conservative Party.

You're quite right. I'm clueless on submarines. Very basic question: is it still a submarine when it's on the surface?

Why are we even talking about Astute class submarines? Surely the more pressing issue is that we now have proof that giants exist. Look at the size of that bloke compared to (what I assume to be) full size submarines!

The Internet certainly hasn't helped. Back in the old days, the moron population congregated on the basis of vicinity. e.g. it wasn't easy for the moron of Manchester to teach new tricks to the morons of Memphis. Such restrictions have now been completely lifted. They're now coming together, like a dim-witted Borg Collective, to discuss Jersey Shore and say "amazeballs".

Easily. Winston Churchill once said "you're a master of the unsaid word, and a slave to everything you've uttered", or something like that. Another old maxim; better to be silent and suspected of being a fool rather than speak up and confirm it. People are often unwittingly self-defeating in their exchange of views, Alps. One liners or character assassinations may make you feel better, but what it says to anyone with a brain is that "you have nothing to say". Now, I can't lay that claim at your feet exclusively, no more than Chief Name Caller Alps can claim that he doesn't see these exchanges as battles. You clearly do, or you wouldn't spend as much time trying to unsuccessfully push people into the ground. FWIW, I think you're a decent writer who is more than capable of getting his point across. However, I do have trouble reconciling your perpetual b!tching about the UK with your inability to live here and the oft-repeated smears that left-wingers don't love their country.

In terms of Saints; they're my team. Little concerned about the slump and the necessity of Cayman Island loans for a debt-free club with rich owners. Pretty bloody depressing watching them at the moment, if I'm honest. On Adkins, genuinely 50/50. Didn't vote in any of the polls because I have no clear opinion either way. My hope is that he stays and turns around our fortunes, but if he stays and we falter further, I think it's a bad deal for all concerned, including Nigel. QPR is crucial. On a personal level, I do enjoy a debate. Can't say that I'm entirely pure in motive. Been guilty of engaging in a few feuds, but try to pull people up on their posts most of the time; rather than the usual "you're only a troll because you can't see your own cock" comeback. Pure wumming? Sometimes. It's a laugh.

I certainly wouldn't consider myself an Alps stalker, but I've had my run ins with him and am amuzed [sic] that the seems to presenting himself as an indefatigable master of debate! Alps, I've seen you utterly trounced on here time and time again. I can well imagine that you might believe that your strategy of just going on and on might be a winner, but Tokes is right; at least with me. I get bored. If I think I've pretty much made my point, why make it again just because someone is calling me names or whatever?

I voted, but it is a farce. This bright idea cost one hundred million, or as Labour's Yvette Cooper is keen to point out, could have paid for 3,000 coppers. This is just another path to privatisation imo; any decision made by a police commissioner can be defended on the premise that he or she has a democratic mandate to do so, even with the turnout as shocking as it is. Expect Omni Consumer Products to run Wiltshire in 20 years

Of course there are. Don't you remember the comedy classic "morons from outer space". The moron sector has grown rapidly in the last 20 years. Some sub-classification is mandated, a bit like the way eskimos have 80 words for "snow".

Did you know that "amazeballs" was seeded into the script of Skins specifically so the writers could see what sort of moron would actually use it?

And yet, her tweet is utterly inert without the context. She didn't make the allegation or provide the context. I fully accept that she had context in mind when she posted it, but it's a very slippery slope, especially with regard to Twitter. Is McAlpine going after Steve Messham? He was the origin of the allegation, he has apologised. Bercow has also apologised on Twitter, done much less, and is being pursued.

She only asked why he was trending. I think it's a nonsense case on McAlpine's part. She didn't repeat the allegation, just asked a question.

Careful now. Sally Bercow is being sued for far less. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/lawyers-acting-for-lord-mcalpine-draw-up-list-of-twitter-users-for-potential-legal-action-8320504.html

He's not being charged with being a nonce. The police are following several lines of enquiry on sexual matters, some related to paedophilia and a section called "others" covering other kinds of sexual assault.

I don't think it's libel to say that Dave Lee Travis has been arrested, is it? The Independent certainly don't think so:- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/former-bbc-presenter-dave-lee-travis-arrested-by-police-investigating-sex-abuse-in-wake-of-jimmy-savile-allegations-8320008.html

Just been down to the polling station for the second time today. Don't worry; I haven't spent the day going back and forth in different guises ( e.g. turn up in kilt and proclaim myself McPap or anything ); just walking the missus down so she could perform her democratic duty. The people at the polling station told me that turnout had been dreadful. I'm not really a fan of the proposals; but now they're here I think it's probably important to pick candidates who won't try to privatise the Old Bill.

I have voted and I'll stick my neck out. Jane Kennedy will win the Merseyside position.

I actually thought that myself. "Ah yes, I'd like three classic burglaries done and a post-modern murder, ta"