Lord Duckhunter

I have just got round to completing the census. The threat of a large fine and a nagging wife means I've just looked at it for the first time. I dont want to come over all Victor Meldrew but I can not believe it. What business of the Govt's is it whether I have central heating, how I get to work, whether I supervise people or even what my religion is. I can understand that a census is important and some basic information is required, but bloody hell they'll be wanting to know what I had for dinner next. Does anyone else think half of this is a complete waste of time and rather than collate basic information is just an excuse for the Govt to interfere in our lives even more? How many rainforests have been destroyed sending the pack to every household in the UK and how much of our hard earned taxes are wasted on this "project"? Why couldn't we just fill in one sheet, with who lives in the house, their ages and occupation. In 200 years time when my ancestors are tracing me, I'm sure they'll get really excited that I ride my bike to work, have central heating and consider my health to be ok. What a waste of my time.............

This will be the result we look back on in the summer, it IS the turning point. At 2-0 I thought "same old Saints", but once the first went in there was only one winner.

Personally I think they are both too one paced. One, maybe both of them will need replacing next season. That said Barneys run at the end to hold the ball in the corner showed what he's all about, gutsy and hard working. Just a shame he's not quite quick enough.

A Skate forum is saying that Al Fahim was watching and was decked by a supporter, anyone have any details?

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/pafc/argyle/STEPHENS-JOINS-SAINTS/article-3401638-detail/article.html

After 27 seasons in the top flight we should have done better than mid table and scrape into the play offs in our first 2 years down.All in all it was a pretty poor effort that second season as Burley seemed satisfied with a play off place.All I'll remember about that season was chucking away points and winning positions, including the first leg at SMS.

I read somewhere that most premiership players use a new pair of boots each week, so there's no need to clean them.

When I was single I would say that the pro's far outweigh the cons. 1. They tend to be more desperate (although I'd steer clear of dating websites). 2. There aren't so many runners and riders in the field, as a few blokes aren't interested in single mums. 3. They need to rush home to the baby sitter, so wont want to hang around for a cuddle or stay all night after you've had your way. 4. They dont go out as much, so stay pretty faithful. 5. They are easier to dump without looking like a bastard. You can come out with "it's not fair on the kids" type of thing. The ones I would target are ones that have been single for a while, some newly seperated or divorced go a bit wild. If you get one whose starting to get to the "I'll never get another man" stage, then her sights will be a bit lower. Good luck, let us know how it goes.............

How old are you? Seriously, if you are past 35 most of the birds will have kids. To automatically discount them, is cutting your options down quite considerably. I was going to offer you a night Mrs Duck, but she's had 4.............

I still dont get it? Are you saying that after 3 election wins to get kicked out in a hung parliament, is a better result than to win a 4th term.

Based on what? A tiny % of the population protesting in London. The next proper judgement of the British people will come in 4 and a bit years time, until then it's all opinion. My personal opinion is that there would have been cuts under Labour, but they would have been targetted to aviod upsetting their paymasters at the Unions.I doubt very much if my Council tax would have been frozen under Labour, or my tax rate raised. There would have been job losses, but Private sector employees tend not to arrange marches.

The Blair era ended with a hung parliament (labour kicked out), the Thatcher era ended with another Tory election win.

I'm sure that the Countyside alliance had WI members, had poor little children, had pensioners and even unemployed people on it, there were after all 400,000 of them. They never claimed to be the "mainstream majority" though. If the Tories plans were so bad why is it just the Jocks and Taffs (where a far higher % of there work force is in the public sector) that rejected them. In England they has a massive majority. Is it just the English that didn't understand the cuts that were coming. Didn't Labour promise cuts in excess of Maggie Thatcher's?

Thatcher was elected 3 times, and then The Tories once again afetr she's gone. So how does election wins, back up your point?

That was the choice at the last election and more people voted for The Tory approach. With that in mind how can Ed claim he speaks for the "mainstream majoirty". Particulary in England, have you seen the areas of blue in England? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/2432632/UK-General-Election-2010-political-map.html

New Wembley is a disgrace, once they were knocking down the whole lot, it was not Wembley. Should have moved it to a better location, terrible terrible place. Cardiff was 50 times better pre match.

We did have competition to the banks but between Govt's of both colours and the public themselves, we conspired to change all that. 30 years ago, if you wanted a mortgage you went to a Building Society and if you wanted a loan you went to a bank.There needed to be some fluidity between the two otherwide the Societies couldn't compete in a modern market, but starting with Thatcher and carried on since, it went too far. In the 1980's Societies were suddenly allowed to borrow money from the money markets, rather than from investors, they were allowed to demutualise. The upshot of this was for all intense and purposes they became banks. Banks that then merged and took over other banks, until there were basically 4 or 5 massive banks or banking groups. The public loved it, demutualisation was basically seen as free money and the members voted again and again for change. Doesn't look like free money now does it? Being a member of one big Building Society (Nationwide) that didn't follow this route I can't help feeling that had The Halifax, The Alliance and Leicester, The Abbey National ect ect remained Building Societies, we may not be in quite the mess we are now. It's obviously a bit more complicated than that, but there would have been the competition you so desire.

When it comes to Europe all 3 major parties are as bad as each other, I've no doubt the Tories or the Coalition would also have signed this deal. They all want to be "good Europeans". This is a drop in the ocean compared to the money we have given Europe for 40 years , money that has been used to invest and grow the economys of Ireland and Portugal. Countries who have lived above their means as a result of this money and now need more of our money to bail them out.

400,000 marched through the capital on the Countryside alliance march-no trouble 750,000 marched against the Iraq war-no trouble. Milliband had to speak at the TUC rally because he is the union's man. He dose not speak for the "mainstream majority" they spoke at the general election. The Tories stood on a platform of cutting the deficit in one Parliament, Labour on halving it. Which party won the most votes, which party had enough seats to form a coalition with the Lib/Dems and which didn't? It looks like the "mainstream majority" rejected his party only a few months ago. To say you speak for the "mainstream majority" within a year of losing 91 seats and within a year of an election where the people rejected you, is arrogant in the extreme.

"The devalued Prime Minister of a devalued Government" , and who were his chief advisors for many years, Ed and Ed. Who was at his side when he went through the "no more boom and bust" years, at his side when the gold was flogged off , of course Ed and Ed.God help us if those 2 ever get near our economy ever again.

We are friends with an Irish family and have been for years, we stay with them once a year and they stay with us once a year. They are similar to us in terms of jobs and income, but you would not beleiev the amount of money they have been allowed to borrow. They have remortgaged time and time again, building a massive extension. They have had flash new cars time and time again, all on credit. 2 foregin holidays a year, house full of flat screen tvs, games consules, and they spent money like it was going out of fashion. All their neighbours are the same, and these are ordinary working people. They have had a great lifestyle for the past 10 years, but it is now coming back to haunt them. for the first time in years, they cant afford a holiday and they are really struggling to pay their bills. I used to shake my head wondering how on earth they could afford the stuff they had. Now they cant and if you think it's bad here, it's 10 worse over there.

Of course there are real problems ahead, but at least this Govt have a plan to deal with them. Darling also had a plan, but since he moved on the Labour policy is unworkable. They have oppossed every cut, every measure, and have even made more spending commitments. Ed Balls is either in denial of the scale of the problem or a cynical opportunist who is misleading the Country. Either way he is unfit to sort out the mess that his policies helped to create. I am no fan of this "wet" centre Tory led coalition, but it a damn sight better than the alternative.

I dont think the league possible that season, if I remember correctly Liverpool pretty much ran away with it, and only started dropping a few points after it was in the bag.

I like Brian Howard but I cant help thinking Idiakez. II gave one of the best performance I've seen out of the Premiership, but it was in a Derby shirt. For us he was patchy, yes he had some good moments, but all in all he was a dissapointment. Personally I've seen enough of signing what appear to be decent players who are one or two seasons past their best, if their best was top end of Premiership, then maybe, but when their best was mid table Championship-no thanks. I like the way we appear to be using the loan market, it doesn't appear to be a knee jerk, get someone in regardless attitude, but a joined up policy of signing someone for now with a view to the future.

You can look back at every Manager that's ever Managed and they've all made mistakes. Fergie has made a few, especially when the European rule was 3 foreginers only. Goes without saying that the best Managers are the ones who've made the least mistakes, and Lawrie didn't make many. In those days the Manager asked the player if they were able to play and do a job and if they said yes, they were in. Nowadays the medical staff would have a lot more of a say,and clubs tend to protect the players a bit more. You have to say if we get to the play off final and AL is touch and go, a lot of people will want Adkins to risk him and play him half fit.