Bath Saint

The problem is that, while the deaths from firearms is easily verifiable (you're either dead or not dead and a gun was or wasn't used), the violent crime figures differ markedly because the data are collected in very different ways. So, although it *appears* that you are five times more likely to be the victim of violent crime in the UK, they are not comparing apples with apples (more like apples with bananas).

You're right, it isn't your problem but I'm pleased that you tried to clarify anyway - well done Essentially, it seems to me that you are characterising Stephen Fry as a 'plastic' fan, which is fine and would be accurate if he didn't really have much interest in football. However, I don't see him being gay or educated at Cambridge to be in any way relevant to the degree of his plasticity. Same goes for David Cameron. I suspect he is plastic but I'm not really in a position to know for sure. Look at David Mellor - Cambridge educated and a barrister (though not gay) but I don't think any one would accuse him of being a plastic fan. Right, that's my three posts up, so I'm out. Have a lovely Bank Holiday Monday.

I read this a couple of times and still couldn't work out what your point might be, assuming there is even a point you are trying to make. I guess the reaction is that you consider there to be a type of person who is a 'normal' football supporter. My view is that it is rather reductive to try to generalize football supporters and that, as you say the stereotype is changing as society changes.

I presume this is ironic (and/or intended to provoke a reaction). lol, no homosexual men play professional football [allegedly)

Mrs BS fancies Marseille

yes, possibly, or gold-plated jacuzzis, yachts and massive bonuses.

Businessmen rubbing their hands together at the thought of lower corporation tax. Meanwhile, in terms of the overall economy these guys (who can look beyond their bonus, gold-plated jacuzzi and yacht) have a somewhat different view: http://cfmsurvey.org/surveys/importance-elections-uk-economic-activity

Take a look at some of this lot. It beggars belief. All examples are sourced, including examples from the most right-wing of right-wing organs, the good old Mail. This is Ian and Duncan Smith's brave new world of getting people back into employment. http://stupidsanctions.tumblr.com/ And, of course, any employment counts, including zero-hours contracts. One questions Paxman did ask is whether Cameron would be prepared to take a zero-hours contract job. Luckily for him, he never will and I suspect very few people on here would be especially delighted by the prospect. When I was a kid, we were told about the bad old days of hire-and-fire. How are these contracts much different?

Yep, we caught the bus up to Teotihuacan as well. Nice adventure for the kids and actually pretty easy - but then we do have pretty good Spanish and the friend travelling with us teaches Spanish so is fluent. She actually came in very handy when we got pulled over by a policeman trying it on for a bribe - she gabled away at him in Spanish giving him a load of **** and he looked so surprised that he just waved us on. Cancun is indeed full of Yanks - I would advise staying outside the resort itself if you're going to the Yucatan.

Agree with this, We did a trip over three weeks last summer - two families including three under 10s. We spent a few nights in Mexico City (and took in the fantastic Teotihuacan with its amazing pyramids). Then we flew to the Yucatan and did beach for a few a few days before hiring a massive car and driving up to Merida and then Campeche (go swimming in one of the sink holes) before driving up to Pelenque (fantastic, sprawling ruins) and then on to San Christobal, where we went on a boat through the most amazing gorge. We didn't do the volcanoes or Oaxaca, but we thought about it - just a bit much with the kids. If you don't have kids, I'd say go there. We went back to the beach for a few more days before coming home. The place is strewn with ancient ruins (if that takes your fancy). Most impressive to me were Palenque and Coba (near Cancun). You can also go to Tulum which is small but amazingly situated right on the coast. I'd say the most disappointing was Chichen Itza, which was pristine, full of coach parties and all roped off. At all the other sites, you're pretty much free to roam but everything is rather sanitized at Chichen. If you do go to Mexico City, I'd recommend staying in the old quarter and taking in a visit to Museum of Anthropology which really helps in putting everything into context.

Excellent quiz. I'm really pleased with myself. I got 3/10 - pretty good going, I'm sure you'll agree.

Cheery stuff, this torture. Imagine you were nabbed off the street, totally at random, and subjected to some of these little pleasantries. Of course, you would talk. But, and here is the but, the whole thing is self-defeating for three reasons: 1. You are innocent so just make stuff up to make it all stop. 2. You are maybe guilty/maybe not but tell them everything. How can the torturers be sure you're telling the truth? You'd say anything to make it stop, wouldn't you? (see no. 1) 3. You tell them everything. They then torture you anyway because they think you might just be withholding something. So, you make up stuff in order to try to get them to stop.

I'm not saying the migrants (mostly eastern Europeans in my experience) have pushed the working class folk out. Quite the contrary; it is the white, middle class (a lot from London) who have forced up house prices and pushed the working class out. As for the fact that it is the universities that have brought in the majority of migrants well, I think this is very relevant. Most of these students are postgraduates either doing a masters qualification or a PhD. They bring huge amounts of money into the national and local economy, stick around for a year (3 at most) then head back to their country of origin. Curiously, BANES retains quite a lot of council housing (Laura Place, for example, is nearly half council housing you might be surprised to learn) and I suspect part of the reason for this is to try to keep at least some working class people in the centre of the city.

I'm afraid you're on a hiding to nothing here, Moonraker. I am what you might call a lilly-livered liberal (but far from 'elite'). I can confirm that Bath is unremittingly white, middle-classed, smug and self-satisfied. It is half-full of refugees from London, many of whom have kept their London jobs, There is a small Afro-Caribbean 'ghetto' along London Road and the local working class folk have been shunted out to the 'sink estates' of Twerton and Fox Hill. You could almost regard Bath city centre as a ghetto of the white middle class. The ethnic 'colour' is almost entirely the responsibility of the two universities (particularly the one on the hill) which have brought in large numbers of overseas students.

This is what I've heard. The predictions seem to be that the Lib Dems will lose about half their seats - which by any measure is a hell of a price to pay for propping up a Conservative government for a few years.

Being a shorty didn't seem to do Tom Cruise much harm. On the other hand, being a Scientologist....

Jeez, what a short arse. What must it be like, living in Norway - it must feel like you've landed in the Land of the Giants.

I only know this because one of my colleagues wrote a paper on the topic. The reference is: Case, P and Phillipson, G. (2004) Astrology, alchemy and retro-organization theory: an astro-genealogical critique of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Organization, 11:4, 473-495. For info, the journal Organization is a very highly regarded journal in organizational theory - they've rejected a couple of submissions by me in the past :-(

It is interesting how much influence and credence is conferred to the MBTI test when you discover its origins. It was devised by a mother and daughter team (Katherine Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers) in the early 20th century based almost entirely on a meeting with, and the works of Carl Jung. Neither woman had any formal training in the scientific method - they were, effectively, dilettantes. Now, the interesting thing is that Jung's theories were heavily influenced by astrology and alchemy and these influences were incorporated, virtually wholesale, into the final MBTI instrument. So, all you guys doing the MBTI test are having your results analysed based on alchemy and astrology. You may as well look at your star sign and use that as an indicator. To my mind, MBTI is a crock of ****.

Ah, but was it....?

I think the issue about Muslims and their votes is a tricky one. The Muslims population (representing under 5% of the UK population) is, itself, massively fragmented. A little bit of research revealed that the largest number of Muslims by ethnic group is Black, followed by...... wait for it..... White people. Yes, the 2nd largest group of Muslims in the UK by ethnicity are white people. Then you have Asians and then mixed-race. Within each grouping, people come from all over the place. Many of the white Muslims appear to be from Albania and Bosnia and many of the Black Muslims are from Somalia. Than, there are Turks, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and so and so on. This is not what you'd call a homogeneous group speaking with one voice who can be courted as a mass. So, on balance, I suspect the Gaza situation will definitely garner a lot of sympathy among Muslims in the UK but suspect the responses will be as nuanced as the Muslim population is fragmented.

It seems to me that Pap is right on this one and is making a pretty good case. The UK is totally complicit in the situation in Palestine and turning our back on it does not absolve us of our responsibilities. Hamas are a bunch of tossers, yes, but it is hardly surprising that they muscled their way to power in Gaza given the intransigence of the Israelis. All the people of Gaza see is themselves getting pushed around and the more moderate Palestinian factions getting sidelined or ignored by the Israeli government. There will never be a satisfactory resolution, in my opinion, but it is beholden on the international community to try to find some kind of resolution and letting Israel blast Gaza to pieces is not the way to go about it. All Israel are doing is sewing hatred and creating the next generation of terrorists. If you were a kid dodging bullets and bombs in Gaza, not being able to get out because of the massive wall the Israelis have built, seeing these rich Jews taking over what you thought were your olive groves, what would you do?

Okay, I watched the film. It was well put together and the testimony of the crew was convincing but they have a very situated perspective on events. I read elsewhere (no idea of the efficacy of what I read) that the communications between Israeli helicopter pilots were being monitored by the US and that they show that the Israelis genuinely thought they had hit an Egyptian supply ship but that the command were a little worried that maybe they had made a mistake. They are reported as asking that survivors get pulled out of the sea and questioned to make sure they were speaking Arabic! I can just imagine them thinking "oh ****, what have we done?" The Israeli government than paid millions of dollars in compensation (although that is a moot point given the billions they get in aid from the US).