Dermot

Used to be really fit, then over a period of almost 10 years I just inched up in weight until I was around the 18 stone mark, decided that enough was enough about 3 months ago and am down to about 16 stone. Have lost inches off my waist and feel so much better. All I have done is start back at the gym and cut back on what I eat, especially takeaways and have actually started to enjoy. I hope to be around the 14 stone mark by Christmas.

T-Shirt - Last Exit to Nowhere (Slaughtered Lamb/American Warewolf in London t-shirt). Jeans - Mustang Boxers and Socks - M and S Jumper (currently abandoned under my desk) - M and S Boots - Caterpillar. Also a dress down day.

I think the end of 3 will be a link to LOTR but I think at least half of it will be taken up with the battle of the 5 armies, the build up to it (I assume that 2 will end, as the title suggests with Smaug v Lake town) and its aftermath.

Am a massive Tolkien fan, and loved the LOTR films. Seen the Hobbit a few weeks back and want to see it again, as while I enjoyed it and understood why some of the major changes (especially including Azog) had happened, I had a number of wtf moments. The main one is at the end when Thorin hugs Bilbo, it seemed out of character in the films but is certainly out of character in the book.

It was better than back to earth and was a step in the right direction, am more hopeful for the rest of the series than I was.

Another quick anecdote. A few years back I arranged tickets late on for myself, my brother and some mates to go to the game. We were to pick them up on the day. We went to the office on the Anny Road and our tickets were gone. The initial reaction was tough shit, I kicked off and after about 30 mins we were shown to some unsold restricted view seats. The entire time my argument was, you know where our seats are, go to those seats and kick out the people sitting there. The reality is, someone had sorted out their mates with our tickets and we had to suffer for it. In the end, after some correspondence to the club I got my money back, but their disdain for me was shocking.

Gave up my fancard a couple of years ago. They lost my details and record of the matches that I had been to and told me that I never had a fancard. Sent them proof to show that I did have a card and that I had been to games with it and got, effectively, a "computer says no" response and told that if I wanted to I could buy a new fancard. I know it was only a couple of pound but told them where they could shove it. I go to less games now relying on spare season tickets and mates fan cards and I don't miss it either. The club needs to be careful as it is really alienating people. The assumption of both sets of US owners is that the demand will always be there, regardless of the quality of the team or opposition and that, for me anyway, is simply not the case anymore.

I have the perfect excuse this year as we are expecting a new baby next month and my missus will not appreciate me fucking off to get pissed and leaving her with 2 kids to look after. I will go to my team's party as that is an informal dinner and a skinful of beers, but the office do is always tedious, it is always black tie with a theme. One year the theme was the 40s, it took place in the Imperial War Museum in Manchester and we had a band that sang songs from the 40s in between skits of life during the war. There was something very bizarre about eating a Christmas meal, the forced joviality of it all and being surrouded by an exhibition setting out the utter horror of war.

An absolutely cracking show, one of the best new shows for an age.

Have had personal experience of cancer, it is an absolute bastard, very sorry for your loss.

Khan was poor but McCloskey was not unlucky, he had not really landed a punch in 6 rounds and Khan would have targetted that eye and it would have stopped the fight in the next 6 rounds.

Great result, great report, but is it wrong that I am most pleased that we may have a future first teamer with my surname (Rafferty)?

Cheers mate!

Am loving the new REM album, not as good as automatic but I think the last few years has seen a real return to form for them.

Shocking Capello has Walker in ahead of Kelly but it is England's loss.