????

Don't worry if we don't get our debt under control and start balancing our budget the whole country will soon be empty for the face painters, tipee builders and drum beaters

As I have them at 130/1, I'm happy to agree with him. Currently 55, trade it! Actually scrap that - their nexr 4 games are Bolton, West Brom, Stoke and Sunderland, trade it on the 18th December :)

We miss you too Jah - nearly a fifth of our points total last year came against Spuds :))

I very much enjoyed watching you last season (genuienely) but my pleasure was added to by knowing that it'd end with nada ;-)

yeah, you lucky B*stard *Bob* *looks for link to that photo

Have they got to the bit where the polar bear attacks the tents yet? I see that as best with the Benny Hill music

I think Norfolk has two hills too

Thanks Mockney - much better put than my witterings too. I really don't think that by and large 'the west' has understood the fundamental changes happening globally now. Can't see western GDP marching back to previous levels anytime soon and given that our state spending is built on way too optimistic forecasts then somethings gotta shift. We've got to get more like the east in therms of competitivensessand hope their workers/citizens start getting a taste for our tyep of welfare state, public sector, retirement ages etc. We (the west) are going to be worse off and large parts of the ROW better off - true believers in equality should be happy about this. Me, I'm gonna be extra nice to my kids and hope my brain stays active to carry on working 'til I drop.

Do you infact sell any jokes in this Joke shop?

The problem at the moment is that many activities of unregulated, unrestrained capitalism actually destroy value and impoverish society. Of course, it can be argued, in a pure sense that State intervention in propping up failed banks has compuunded the mess.........I personally think that it would have been a disater to let so many wesern banks fail but we'll never know and rather than acute short term chaos that we'd have got with that, we'll now have years of grind. But, unpopular as it is to say in the "I didn't cause this" mantra world of the Left, infact western state spending, governements, public spending and Public Sectors all benefitted enormously from the unregulated, boom and associated tax revenues. They are really moaning because that party is now over....and their pact with mammon too.

Yes but my belief is that if relatively rich western consumers generally used the enormous power that their consumption gave them in say an an actual truly ethichal way (and that is potentially where the internet can be empowering to overcome corporate Comms/hiding etc) and that's where the real power to make changwe is. People are at fault here, by their apathetic consumption choices and apathy apart from a few obvious 'choices'/brands and switching the lights off once a year etc. As I said, just look at bank accounts in the UK as an glaringly obvious example - the CO-OP should have about 80% of accounts if you catually believed what people say in papers, phone-ins on here!. I don't think we are miles apart on this but if we over regulate our markets we will lose out as we will go and buy elsewhere where it's cheaper and relatively impoverish ourselves to, though of course enrich non-western compnaies, countries and incraesingly their workers. Didn't Lenin say something about capitalists selling the rope for their own hanging something? Anyway, just thinking about this recently given that we in the west are in the West all running out of money and no-one wants to lend it to us to carry on as before is impossible, if we over tax we won't be competitive etc etc. Sorry I'll try and articulate this better at some point.

...of course, if western consumers were more choosey about what's mined and how much, how much the miners were paid and how to go into their I-phones for instance, we might get developing world wages/benefits/conditions a bit nearer ours and so at least starting to get some more equality and genuine competitive global salaries but no, we want cheap nice things for ever and then moan about there being no jobs over 'here'. Shit 98% of us still bank with the big horrible banks that have apparently taken us to this precipice despite the endless bleating about how terrible they are. Ethichal consumption is a joke. We get exactly what we deserve and it's gonna be tough. So, we need to man up and start being competitive, ethical in all our consumption and ditch some of our cozy lifestyles and things (which, includes pay rates/pensions/job security/massive states) etc that we've been priveliged to have up to now. Party's over. :)-D

But on a wider scale litterally millions and million globally have been pulled out of poverty as a result of global capitalism especially and increased internationalism in trade, especially in the past 10-15 years. The globe is actually moving in the direction of becoming more equitable (don't get me wrong there is still tremendous poverty and ineqaulity) ....we in the west are now facing the problems associated with having a very spoilt, priveliged and cozy position largely through our prominenece in the advance of technology and industrialisation* now diminishing, we had it lucky for years the rest of the world wants a share and that's not comfortable for our pampered, spoilt lifestyles. Why can't it just be like before? we squeal. Party's over for us and our credit is too. Compete or, well, Darwin knows. * sorry should also add not being burdened (or had forced upon us) with that guaranteer of no/minimal growth, everyone poor except elite bureacrats, communism/Socialism

...beautiful neighbouhood

Anyway Mick, how is the not having a drink for some days in November going?

100

..Ten 'great' England goals from the Wordl Cup Some goodies

You need to get back on the booze, you'd have put a ton on him

Flat, isn't it.

I don't do 'detail' Loz :-$

(tu)

Agree 100% it's disgracefull. Thank god even at UP which, much to my embarrassment used to be pretty terrible, this sort of behavious seems prehistoric. Sadly, much of Europe, really doesn't seem to get this from Berlusconi's 'jokes' about suntan to Spanish fans blacking up for the Grand Prix. Despite the many problems that still exist here and avoiding complacency we are light years ahead of much of Europe on this.

Yup - I kind of meant all together as in relatively near, 3.5 years is still within that. My younger brother is 7 years younger than my younger (18 months differnce to me) sister, so my mum and dad must have just got it - life/sleep/finances/er, other stuff:-S* back and then BAM another one. *er, maybe that's why :))

Sorry GG, not really looked at the history etc just felt a bit uncomfortable last week with all the 'stuff' agree on the irony of starting a new thread, guess I should read before posting (again :)))

We've churned our 3 out with two year gaps - get it all over in one go i say ;-) When I was young most of my peers (and me) were one of three, and the pattern seemed to be two kids then a big gap to number 3. Seems madness to me, just when you've got your life back a bit! But average age for a first kid for woman was something like 23 then whereas it's nearer 30 now so there's less 'space' to fit 3 kids in.