Hamilton Saint

Southampton are improved, but ... Southampton are good, but ... Southampton are riding high right now, but ... But ... But ... But ...

You really need an answer to this? You can't figure it out?

Because I've been teaching for 25 years, I've noticed the changes in fashion - as far as kids' names go. When I first started teaching, for example, kids from the Jamaican community often had old-fashioned English names like Cornelius, Reginald, George and Clarence - with boys - and Olivia, Victoria, Hyacinth and Jasmine - with girls. Now, the tendency is to choose African-based names - Reshay, Kwamie, Deandre, Dequain, for example, (with boys) - and Tyaishia, Cortesia, Latrisse and Shontaya (with girls). Children from the Sikh community often adopted an anglicized name for school - Happy, Jolly, Pretty, Sunny; now they tend to retain their own names. Names may have been adjusted before in order to try to fit in better with the "dominant culture"; now the names are chosen proudly from within a family or a cultural tradition.

And then there are names like Honey, Princess, Angel, and Precious. Funnily enough, kids with these names often have a large dose of "self-esteem". This year there is a boy in my class called Jihad. Oh, dear - the perils of cultural misunderstanding. "Jihad? Doesn't that mean Holy War?" "Yeah, but it can also mean struggle." "As in the struggle against the unclean infidel?" "Well, that's a negative sort of way to put it." "I guess. But it's a bit in-your-face, isn't it?" "I've never really thought of it. It's the name my parents gave me." "They didn't worry about possible misunderstanding? Or negative reactions at such a loaded word?" "No, that's why they chose it, I think. They're very devout." "Yes, but you're the one living with the name, not them." "I know - and do you know how many times I've had this kind of conversation. It gets very tiresome."

Why would a parent give their child a familiar name - Michael, let's say - but give it a strange, unique spelling, like Miykel? Virtually every other day of their life, that person is going to be required to say: "No, that's M-I-Y-K-E-L. Yes, I know it's an odd spelling. What? No, M-I-Y-K-E-L." There is a student in my school whose name sounds like Jem. Guess what the spelling is? J'aime. As in the phrase "I love you" in French.

The Argentinian and the Uruguayan look at each other and shrug. "Didn't understand a word he said," mutters the Argentinian.

Here's a classic from Rock 'n' Roll Animal. Play loud!

No shave; no after. Easy!

If you can manage to put an emoticon in this post, why didn't you put one in the first post? It's basic forum etiquette. That way people who thought you were sincere (as if!) are not caught out by your sarcasm/cynicism/smart-arse-ism, etc., and not embarrassed. You wouldn't want to embarrass people, would you?

My spaniel is named Ginger, but she ain't Scottish! Or wee!

Nice one!

R.I.P. to Lou Reed - influential song writer, author, and frontman on legendary band The Velvet Underground. http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/27/lou-reed-velvet-underground-dies

... or should not jump to premature conclusions, but wait to see how things work out over time.

Yes!

Damn - what a drag, eh?

"After the start that the Saints have made, their supporters are probably convinced they are definitely going to finish in the top half of the table. The Premier League is not quite as easy as that, though." Yes it is: easy, easy!!

Ecstasy! Brilliant performance.

Been listening a lot to the recent Bowie album - The Next Day. A solid effort - lots of really good songs and his vocal performances are excellent. Also been listening to the latest double-CD in Dylan's Bootleg series. This one - Another Self-Portrait - features material recorded between 1969 and 1971, an interesting period for him. Probably of interest only to ardent fans, though.

Been burned so many times. Worked for a party that had as its key campaign promise a plan to regulate the car insurance industry. When they got elected, they changed their minds because of the pressure from the industry. During another campaign the Prime Minister ridiculed the opposition's plan to impose a system of wage-and-price control. When he was re-elected, after a couple of months he announced his own plan to impose wage and price controls. Liberal parties here invariably campaign from the left (during elections) and then govern from the right. Right-wing parties focus during campaigns on helping the middle-class; if they get elected they cut taxes to help their rich friends, and help pay for it by cutting services and raising fees - which primarily hits the middle-class. Right-wing parties often campaign on a law-and-order platform; and once elected, within a few years, lots of their MPs, advisors, and rich friends are discredited for criminal activity - often to do with illegal campaign funding and violations of election law. Parties campaign on a particular manifesto; when they get elected they pursue major policies that they hid from the public. They had a hidden agenda. These days it is very hard to believe that they will do what they say. This sort of dishonesty and cynicism undermines the system. And yet I still support and give money to the party of my choice. Go figure!

"After the start that the Saints have made, their supporters are probably convinced they are definitely going to finish in the top half of the table. The Premier League is not quite as easy as that, though." A rather odd comment - as though he's become fixated on the fans, rather than paying attention to what's happening on the field. He must be getting a lot of abuse from Saints' supporters!

I'd go for the England win, of course. I have no difficulty supporting both England and Saints .

I was born in Hanover, too! (My sister in Hamelyn.)

What about English people like me who were born overseas whilst their fathers served in the UK forces?

That should have a full stop on the end.

"Midtable United" - brilliant!