Hamilton Saint

All the best to Michael. He's probably the player I have admired most in the last ten years - not just for his performances on the pitch, but the courageous and dogged way he dealt with his knee injury. His injury was probably the decisive element (not the only one, of course) that led to our relegation.

It's not "we", unless the workplace is a true democracy. Very few workplaces are, or can be, a democracy. The best you can hope for is benign dictatorship. Ultimately, though, some have power and control, others don't. Realistically, the dynamic is invariably an adversarial one, no matter how reasonable and fair the administrators are. "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss".

1. Too many private American contractors involved - e.g., Blackwater security. 2. Bush claimed it was partly self-defence in response to 9/11, but that was fallacious; he also claimed it was preventing Hussein's oppression of elements in his own country. The latter argument is somewhat true, but the aftermath brought other detrimental effects. Which of the two situations are worse? 3. Law and order has not been returned to the country. It was evident pretty quickly after the invasion that the war-planners had not considered how to deal with the post-war situation. 4. The Bush administration rushed into the war - definitely not war as last resort. 5. A concern for civilians may have been exercised during the fighting but not during the post-war period.

Our former PM, Jean Chretien, sensed the mood of the Canadian public (well, he read the poll results!), a definite majority of whom were opposed to participating in the "coalition of the willing", and decided that Canada would not be assisting in the invasion of Iraq. Tony Blair, on the other hand, in the face of a similar reluctance from the British public, made the opposite decision. It was my impression that he was ingratiating himself with Bush in order to advance the U.K.'s economic and strategic position vis-a-vis the Americans. I think he also had a Thatcherite/Churchillian moment, and persuaded himself thast there were moral/religious reasons that prompted his support for the invasion. Man, was he wrong!

I see Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton are doing a show together in Toronto on February 21st. I've seen Clapton before, but not Beck. 'Twould be a great show!

I love his version of Stardust.

1) A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi - a classic Christmas album for jazz lovers. 2) Phil Spector's Christmas album, which has been re-released many, many times. It features popular Christmas songs done in Spector's familiar wall-of-sound production style with Darlene Love, The Ronettes, The Crystals, and Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans.

One to mention Rupert for no apparent reason. .

Good comments, as usual, from Pardew. He is a very good communicator - always seems to say something that is commonsensical and right for the moment.

Well, yes, that commentary left a lot to be desired, but on the other hand, I am eternally gateful that we have something instead of nothing. We need to remember (some of you, of course, have never even experienced this) that there was a day when the only coverage of a Saints game was a written description of the game published in the Echo's pink edition early Saturday evenings. In those days there was no live televison coverage, no radio coverage, no internet discussion groups. No nothing! What we have now is fantastic. And I for one am grateful for it. Sure, there are problems with the system, but let's keep things in perspective. Things have never been so good for the keen football fan.

I don't disagree with you at all (I wish people would read what is actually written and not jump to conclusions). Yes, it was a nice moment (I said that). Yes, pitch invasions are wrong. So, yes, his parents need to have a word. I said that. I also added that if it's true that this boy has done this several times before (read post #2), then this is an extra concern. In other words, my point was a "yes, but", in response to some who were saying it was nothing but a laugh. And then the heavy hitters arrived ...

If the cap fits ... but, no, it wasn't aimed specifically at you. Can't we debate a point without being characterised and dismissed?

Oh, dear ... whatever you say.

What's surprising is the number of posters who can't manage a subtle and nuanced discussion - a "yes, but" sort of debate. Too "serious" for them, apparently.

I'm just going on what was written in post #2 and #3. And if it's true what's written there, then there is something to be concerned about.

Speaking of over-reaction ...

Yes, and Papa (interesting coincidence!) comes across as being a good-hearted and compassionate fella. But Papa didn't know that the boy has been set up to do this several times before (apparently). Now that we know this, it puts a different complexion on the situation, doesn't it?

My point wasn't designed as a criticism of you.

A matter of perspective. For the spectators, yes, "good fun and a bit of a laugh". But since he has, reportedly, done this a few times, this is a parental issue; he needs to learn that this is not acceptable behaviour and should not happen again. Unfortunately, his antics seemed to have been condoned and reinforced.

Yep, sounds like Will Cope to me.

It's well-known that Bush and his crew had already decided that they wanted to get rid of Hussein (whose regime he included in the so-called "axis of evil"). The attacks on New York and The Pentagon gave them the pretext they needed. The various reasons provided (WMD, "regime change", expansion of democracy in the ME) were justifications for a decision already made.

Well ... it's obviously not a random exercise, or based merely on a subjective view. They must have used some sort of rating method.

And doesn't he keep saying "Bilakowski"?

Thanks for that! Well, that makes me another Nelson Mandela. P.S. Bizarre to see that Gordon Brown sits further to the right than Stephen Harper. Hard to believe!

I am a free man. I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered! My life is my own.