3 Colours Red

I am not a fan of Clarkson but the comments regarding " earning less, dying more quickly " were made about the north generally, not specifically Liverpool. What's more, they are probably true. Elsewhere in the article he says of Liverpool "It looked really good, I liked it " Why twist the whole thing to make a story?

Walking towards a cash point machine, 50 yards away and there is no one there. When you arrive, people have come out of nowhere and your are 5th in the queue. Added to this, the 4 in front do not appear to have ever used a cash machine before.

Sting - An Englishman in New York " I don't drink coffee, I take tea my dear" - pretentious bollocks

I have not really seen much discussion in the media of what may be the social effects of a Yes vote. This would surely result in a period of difficult relations as the assets and liabilities are argued over leading to a further rise in nationalism in Scotland. What effect will this have on tourism between the two countries and the lives of English people living in Scotland? ( or Scots in England ) Do the media not see this a problem or an issue that they would prefer not to explore?

Playing "in the hole" Running the channels Playing it into "the corridor of uncertainty"

There was an iteresting item on Sky News a couple of days ago. An anti facism in football person was being interviewed about Di Canio. The newsman asked if there would be similar objections if Di Canio has claimed to be a communist. Her reply was based on the horrors of facism, which is fair enough. However in terms of killing people, communists like Mao and Stalin were in a league of their own. Is facism linked to Hitler in a way that communism is not linked to Mao? Whatever the answer, I am not sure that there would have been a similar outcry.

Houllier letting Anelka go and signing El Hadji Diouf instead. Shocking.

I have been supporting Liverpool since the early 1970's and I am shocked at the "holier than thou" attitude that has developed. During those years I witnessed dreadful behaviour including being beaten by our own supporters at a match for having a scarf that one of the gang fancied. In case you weren't there, the Munich song was widely sung during the 1980's regardless of who we were playing. We carry our own proportion of low life support as do Utd, City, Arsenal and every other club. It should not be too difficult to simply go along and support your own team. Rivaly is fine but the hate feeds on itself.

People who go to the local sports centre for an hour in the gym or to play squash and then come out to their car parked in disabled bay because it is 10 yards closer to the door.

It seems saying "your sisters cunt" to an opponent is not offensive at all based on the readily assumed fact that the word is less taboo in Spanish. Later in the report, the FA simply directly translate it as "fucking hell" in an obvious effort to reduce its impact. Where are all the arguments that Evra has been in England for years and should know the literal meaning of what he is saying.

The thing that confuses me is that like 1981 it tends to be the same areas of the same cities. Why Toxteth and not Scotland Rd or Speke. Why Bristol but not Newcastle. Whilst on the subject why don't the major Scottish cities seem to join in?

Based on the original question, I think the vast appitite created by 24 hours news does skew things out of proportion. All during my lifetime, we have always been on the edge of military or economic disaster. Off the top of my head, the following were all major world events, now footnotes in history Cuban Missile Crisis - WW III here we come Vietnam Yom Kippur The horrors of the former Yugoslavia Another example is the recent/ present recession. News must present it as the worst ever/ living memory etc. However during the seventies many men were reduced to a 3 day week with total power cuts in the evening - things really did seem far worse then.

I remember seeing a sales leaflet "We are open 24/7 - closed Sundays"

Thanks for that. Thought I had dreamt it up when everyone used to look at me blankly.

I remember a bloke on years ago who was so bad it was funny. He did a sort of slow motion walk and his catch phrase was "He said Slither, so I slithered" Every now and then he would jump backwards and shout "spook" Never met anyone else who remembers him.

I remember being in the changing room of a gym in the city centre around 1984. A loud mouthed man was holding court surrounded by lackeys hanging onto his every word. A stranger would have thought he was a local mafia boss. It was actually Derek Hatton. I have lived many years both in and away from Liverpool and remain convinced he was one of the worst things to happen in the policical history of the city.

The problem is not Torres or Chelsea, it is the high degree of mawkish sentimentality amongst a section of the Liverpool support. It is the need to fast track any decent player to status of legend. It is the need to become attached to individuals and for constant reassurance that a player from some far off foreign land is at Liverpool not for the money but because "he really gets us" whatever that means. This all leads to some fans behaving like a jilted teenager when a player decides to go. I am embarrased at the bitterness and burning shirts. I have supported the club for 50 years. Players, managers and owners come and go. The old No 9 has gone and we have a new one. Things are looking up after a tricky few years. There is reason for optimism.

I have a phobia about people talking in a Santa Claus style voice. It freaks me out - yes, that includes you Mr Kipling, Churchill the Dog and Brain Blessed. Approaching a difficult time of year.

The finance problems arise from stretching one years education over three years. The environment should be closer to the working world they have ahead and less like the schools they have left. That would mean working 40 hours per week with 20 days holday. Real life would then be less of a shock.

Barry McGuire - Eve of Destruction [YOUTUBE]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntLsElbW9Xo&hl=en_GB&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntLsElbW9Xo&hl=en_GB&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]

I've had a GT hybrid for years and decided to go for the road bike below. £700 plus pedals and shoes. Kept the GT for off road. It can work out expensive with all the gear but addictive.

The darkest hour is just before the dawn

It's a Wonderful Life Manon Des Sources

Going to swim against the general tide of this thread and say that car insurance is one of the few things that you will buy with reasonable confidence that you are getting a good deal, if you can be bothered. There are hundreds of different insurers with new entrants coming in a market that is close to perfect competition. Shopping around is easy if you want to. Some lower end companies do offer big discounts for new policies in the hope that inertia kicks in at next renewal. Its simply an annual contract so move it.

For forumites of a "certain age" [YOUTUBE]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQHB1zd1f5M&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQHB1zd1f5M&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtCNbERKvMs&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtCNbERKvMs&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig3GcDBjQN4&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig3GcDBjQN4&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]