pap

I drive an old 5 series (1998). No problem getting parts, etc. No problem running either. 185K on clock and I've been told she'll do loads more. My long term plan for replacing her involves getting a slightly newer BMW. Too many good experiences with my current motor to ignore the brand.

Are there any decent nightclubs in Southampton yet? By decent, I mean open til 7am, music you can dance to and isn't full of snarlers. I know. I have exacting standards.

Yeah, it's going to have to be the DVD release now. The Geek Collective have already sent me threatening letters telling me to revoke my membership.

Yeah, think you handled that completely wrong. Punishment would have been mandated for that. Not saying that slapping your kid is the answer, but if you're being dressed down by a 3 year old ( and taking it ) I reckon you're setting yourself up for real problems later on. All imo, of course.

Oddly enough, no. However, I do know parents who have overused corporal punishment and have got some very nasty surprises when their kids hit their teens.

I watched The Final Countdown last night. Been meaning to watch it for years. The central premise is that a 1980s aircraft carrier is transported back through time to December 6th 1941, the eve of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The cast is pretty good, and any fans of military equipment will love it. There's almost no end to the amount of take-offs and landings from the USS Nimitz. The biggest problem with the film is that it's a massive cock-tease, prompting the question "what would happen if a 1980s aircraft carrier was at Pearl Harbor" and never actually answering it. For that reason, it's a massive disappointment. I much prefer Tarantino's universe-splitting approach to historic events, as seen in Inglorious Basterds.

Which is all fair enough, except loads of people who are responding on this have had a slap as part of their upbringing. I took plenty of slaps when I was a kid ( vast majority of them thoroughly deserved ). I don't go down to my mum's gaff fearful that she's going to fill me in.

One of my kids has been slapped twice in 16 years. The other just once. Don't think it's too bad to be used as a last resort. Good for the kids to know you've got that in your locker, but realistically, with the ages they are now, extremely unlikely to happen again.

How the hell does he have enough material to get three movies out of one child's book?

Amazing result for Team GB in the gymnastics. All the pressure was on the last three lads and they nailed it.

Wouldn't say that exactly. The bigger cities are doing everything they can to encourage a diverse night-time economy - not just catering to drinkers and clubbers, putting on stuff like fairground rides for the kids, etc. Does make for a completely different night-time experience. I don't think we're ever going to get drinking out of city centre nightlife, and nor should we. For too many towns though, it's pretty much the only thing going on.

I love having football in the Olympics. Watched the highlights of the Team GB game yesterday. Sturridge's chip was a beauty. It might not be perfect technically, but I've found it very refreshing to see Team GB in action. As many have pointed out, it's unlikely we'll have something similar again - so it's a once in a lifetime opportunity for these lads. They seem to realise it too.

Completely agree about the poor planning. Exhibit A: the city centre. Above Bar looks uninspiring as a central throughfare. There is no height to it, and those "temporary" replacement buildings just look ugly compared to the Prudential building which survived the Luftwaffe. Also, good buildings are going to waste in High St. The strategy we're taking with the train station is the correct one. Knock it down completely and replace it with something much better. Compared to some of the wonders of engineering that await you in the train stations of larger cities, Southampton Central station has been an ongoing embarrassment to the city. What a terrible first impression for anyone arriving by train. Even with the new and improved station, that's still going to happen when they venture outside. We definitely need to do more in the old town too. People need a reason to go there. Half the problem with the city centre is the sprawl, yet the street that links it all up is lying in a state of neglect and the 'solution' offered up by the planners is more sprawl, including what amounts to an out-of-town shopping centre in the middle of the city centre.

Despite the Liverpool locum, I spend a great deal of time travelling down to Southampton. Have a big family down there, have always tried to retain roots and have been homesick for around 2 years now. I've just arrived back from a trip today. I have also been reading Turkish's (ahem) sterling promotional work for Southampton and the surrounding area in this thread:- http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?39194-Theo-to-Saints-! I'm keenly aware of all the stuff I miss about my home city. I love the Common. It's a superb multiple use area. Something for everyone, and a very pleasant midpoint to journeys back and forth from Shirley. Southampton has great parks in general. I suspect it was mentioned somewhat in jest in the Theo thread, but I really do love Riverside Park too. Great walk and/or hangover cure. Plus, we used to swim on hot days in the part of the river up by the Swan pub The remnants of the medieval town are also very cool. I must bore my kids sh!t-less with my oft-repeated claim that Southampton only went as far as the Bargate at one point. Good job Sotonian ancestors for keeping it and other buildings of historical significance around. We walk by those walls without really noticing them, but they're an integral part of the city's identity. I love the Portswood -> Bevois Valley -> Town pub crawl. It's do-able, fun, bit of a mission which lands you in some interesting places. I also think the city can be proud of the University, which looks more impressive every time I visit. Those are three things I'd probably inflict on anyone I was showing around the city. What do you love about Southampton? Also, let's hear some dislikes. I'll pipe in with a couple in a bit, but I know long posts can deter some folk

I think someone should put you in charge of tourism. Don't forget that Southampton city centre on a weekend is the perfect palette-cleanser for Theo, who has surely gorged himself senseless on culture and bohemia by now. He might relish the opportunity to return to a "back to basics" night life featuring a set menu of f*cking and fighting!

If an enquiry has been made, then I think we can take it as read that we are prepared to meet the valuation and the player's wage demands. Why would we even bother otherwise? Even if we manage to get him down from the 100K stated figure, can't see anyone else at the club earning anything like him. I have my doubts that it'll go through, largely because of the relative difference between us and the other clubs who are reportedly interested in him. It's also a step back from Walcott's perspective. I hope we do sign him. I like him as a player, and if we can manage to land Walcott, other big names become available. Massive statement of intent.

Been a good servant to the club, but was pushed out by Fox last season. Versatile and committed, even if the quality wasn't always there. Probably a good move for him if he's going to become the main man at Forest. With the emergence of Shaw, Fox still being around, reported interest in left-backs and cover at right-back (where he has slotted in on occasion), fair to say his days are probably numbered here.

Who is actually going tomorrow? I've already got a ticket, but am probably going to buy another one so I can stand with my daughter ( the one who says "if I had to support a football team, I'd support Saints" ).

I actually say that out loud. Sorry.

Innit, mate, innit?

On involuntary phrases, used to have a computing teacher who couldn't end a sentence without saying "ok" in the form of a question. "This is a computer, ok?" "You need to do such and such, ok" In the end, you end up not hearing anything apart from the "ok". See a similar thing in Liverpool too with some people, except it's "eeeeer" to start a sentence and "y'know" to finish it. Always

Different opener, but similar things go on in Northern Ireland. Bloke I know starts every sentence with "Do you see that....", even when the thing is impossible to see .

Got a mate who gleefully says "it gets dark!" whenever someone says "at the end of the day".

What do people commonly say that annoys you? I'll start with two. First, the substitution of the simple word "yes" with the four-syllable "absolutely". Part of me thinks this trend originated on TV, some air-headed host using it to fill time. Sounds crap when said out loud, akin to the excited response of a fiendish fel-cher being asked the question "do you like shoving squirrels up your bum"? ABSOLUTELY! Meh. My next pet hate, and I know it bothers others, are people who say Pacific instead of specific. It's got to be something to do with people not reading as much. If you see that word written down, there's no way you'd miss of the 'P'*. (* unless of course, the person happens to be dyslexic, which I embarrassingly learned to my cost after a little rant )

You're a pair of reprobates, yet I find myself wishing you well.