pap

*applause*

Is that the lullaby you sing yourself when considering the lack of democratic accountability post-privatisation? Oh, but we've got those regulators! They're really helping. No-one has any issues with their energy bills or suchlike

Quite right. As someone that has made militaristic propaganda about the British armed forces during a time of barely-naked imperialism, Verbal is perfectly placed to comment.

Moreno reckons they'll turn it around.

Liverpool named as the best UK port of call for second year in a row. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/pictures-liverpool-named-best-cruise-8128170

Ah, I see. Widen the argument to frequent, yet oddly uncited instances of me being "wrong on Palestine". Perhaps you'd like to mention just one or two?

The part where you tried to audition for Verbal's empty spot, and spouted out a load of background that is not germane to Egypt's recognition of Hamas. The last peace deal was brokered in Cairo, with Hamas and Israel at the table. Your points don't change that or the implied recognition. They're wrong in their application to the argument.

And yet, you've made yourself look like a simpleton with your interpretation of my very simple point. That's almost genius.

My point was simply one of recognition. Why would a country that doesn't recognise Hamas allow it to hold conciliatory talks with Israel on its soil? Who did they send the invites to? I wasn't saying that they're all best pals; just that if they're inviting Hamas to peace talks in their country, Charlie's point about recognition is crap. As you say, get the basics right.

*applause*

Rinse and repeat on the horizon. Collective punishment for all. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/18/deadly-attack-in-jerusalem-synagogue

Cheat? No. Undo the ridiculous decisions of the FM Southampton Researcher, like getting bollócked for not signing players from the Italian league? It's been known to happen You've paid the money; you can play it however you want. They ship an editor every year. Now, if you want real cheating, you should look at the in-memory editors. They enable you to give the entire opposition 25% condition (or whatever) before a fixture. Editing is fine.

That's the spirit of Christmas.

The problem is context. I agree that the football match on Christmas Day 1914 is one of humanity's better moments. However, for your point about throwing the conventional order off to work, you have to know about the conventional order, which was wholesale slaughter of (mostly) the poor either side of that event. You need the brutality for the humanity to work, otherwise we'd be holding up every single Premier League game as humanity's most poignant moment. Consequently, the ad cannot be separated from the context of war, yet at the same time, never has time to provide the context it needs.

Thanks for the kind words, KRG - but it's too late for ego inflation. Stage one is when people retweet you. Stage two is when they outright rip you off and tweet it as their own I'm between web hosts, so I debut all my stuff on Twitter these days. https://twitter.com/papingu

Soz. I can't resist a pun....

Ed Miliband destroyed by Myleene Klass, of all people. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ed-miliband/11237414/Singer-Myleene-Klass-wipes-the-floor-with-Ed-Miliband-over-mansion-tax.html

To be fair, the Guardian leans to the left in a much narrower political spectrum. Yes, it maintains a keen interest in social justice, but it's not the Morning Star.

Well, without overstating Barry's case, because he did wind a load of people up on here, if he'd been tried for perjury, convicted, and then found to be innocent, he'd have his conviction quashed and he would be able to re-enter society with his head held high and a slightly sore bottom. There'd be little of this halfway house stuff, which is all we're asking for

As much as I argued with the little tyke, he eventually got banned for suggesting something that happened fairly soon afterward anyway, and may have happened just as he said. e.g. Adam Lallana is looking for houses in Liverpool. Agree with bringing banned posters back on a limited basis, perhaps with a full pathway on offer for the truly reformed

Left Labour and joined Left Unity. I was at the party conference this weekend. No chance of any power in the near future, but interesting ideas and beyond the wee bit of socialist dogma, policies I can stand up for.

Ads was never looking round houses in Liverpool. How could you say such a thing?

That is handy to know, Halo. I imagine, much like in Raiders of the Lost Ark when the swastika is burned by God, that any branding will be burnt by my right-on fury, but 29" leg, eh?

My great grandfather was a Desert Rat. He was alive at the end of the war, but he never really got over it. At the end of the day, war is about mostly poor men going off to settle the arguments of various landed establishments. The scale of human devastation, both at home and abroad, is so large that I personally find it difficult to imagine. The regimes and countries established after both wars wreaked tremendous havoc on those that were stuck inside them, or had to flee them. War is not something to be celebrated, encouraged or venerated. I will always honour those that lost their lives and those that have had to live on afterwards, but I'll always question who put them there, why, and whether its appropriate for corporate supermarkets to use their sacrifice to boost sales at Christmas.

Male Yes Aged 60 or above No Social grade is ABC1 (Which is upper, middle or lower midde-class) Probs Lives in the South Coast region Nope Leans politically to the right Nope Typical professions are in Travel and Hospitality, Engineering and Mining Sorta. Software Engineer. Favourite dish is Sweet and Sour Spare Rib Nah. Probably Chili con Carne. Favourite hobbies are Bird Watching, Gardening and Reading Computing, Travelling, Going out on the píss. Favourite sports are Football and Cricket Football and snooker. Have general interests in Business and Finance, Radio and International News No interest in Business & Finance, sorta on radio (podcasts, talkSPORT). International news = yep. Most likely pet is a Cat Dog Shops at Waitrose Nope. Wears brands like Blue Harbour, Bench and Craghoppers Branding was historically used to denote slaves and cattle. This is still true. Banks at Lloyds Nope. Drives an Alfa Romeo BMW, when the missus lets me. Favourite film is One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest Big Lebowski Favourite TV Show is Bleak House Walking Dead or Game of Thrones Favourite music artist is The Moody Blues Ha. Favourite celebrity is Audrey Hepburn Bill Hicks Reads The Guardian and Condé Nast Traveller Guardian yes, Conde Nast no.