Risso

I'm one of those. While I haven't moved very far in terms of distance, it's a world away in terms of quality of life. I think "bad and declining" sums up my view of the UK. I don't want to sound like a Daily Heil reader, but this is a just quick view of what i think some of the problems are: Schools - mostly shit, full of out of control pupils with no respect for their powerless teachers. My mum, sister and two sisters-in-law are all teachers, and they all say things are far worse than they were 15 years ago. I accept that there are still some decent schools out there, but they're getting fewer and further between. Binge drinking and general anti-social behaviour - now I like a few drinks as much as the next man, and certainly was no saint in my younger days, but many towns in the North West where I spent much of the last 20 years are like the bloody Wild West. When I first moved to Wigan in the early 90s, you go out and have a laugh with your mates without any fear of trouble. Now thanks to the dozens and dozens pubs in a tiny area, you take your life in your hands. Every time I go back now there are police and paramedics everywhere seeing to the consequences of fights. Again, far worse than it was 15 or so years ago. Transport - roads are getting busier and busier, and public transport just isn't being improved upon as a viable alternative. Anyway, that's enough moaning for now!

Of all the stupid ideas that religion is responsible for, praying is surely the msot stupid of all. Do you seriously believe that an omnipotent being decides on a seemingly random basis whether to intervene in the trivialities of human existence? So if he answers your prayer for a new job or to get well, why would he ignore those of people dying in Haiti or wherever? Seriously, think about it for a while. Not claiming it as evidence, just offering my viewpoint. I dont sit every night and pray for a lottery win. When my son was born however, and he had breathing difficulties i found myself praying that he would get better. On that occassion, like many others it worked out well for me. Not saying it was a result of divine intervention but it was the only thing i could do and from that i took some small comfort. It was an instinctive thing and i believe it is something that millions of people around the world do. Was just trying to give an insight into what it is like to be a believer. I can understand the comforting feeling you get, but the reality is that the skill of the medical team, or your baby's lungs kicking in properly, or a whole host of other logical explanations were the real reason for him getting better.

Of all the stupid ideas that religion is responsible for, praying is surely the msot stupid of all. Do you seriously believe that an omnipotent being decides on a seemingly random basis whether to intervene in the trivialities of human existence? So if he answers your prayer for a new job or to get well, why would he ignore those of people dying in Haiti or wherever? Seriously, think about it for a while.

It would be quite easy for God to remove all doubt wouldn't it? He was apparently happy enough to talk to a few goat herders in the desert a couple of thousand years ago, but he's been a bit more shy ever since. Next time Manchester United are playing Chelsea on Sky, or it's the X Factor final, why not turn Alex Ferguson into a pillar of salt, or zap Simon Cowell with a lightning bolt from a huge godly hand? That would shut Richard Dawkins up for good then. Unless God doesn't exist and it's all bollocks of course.

The last two were very good!

And why do you need to believe in a magic sky fairy to live your life like that? That's generally how I proceed through life, yet I think all religion and the belief in god is total arse biscuits.

I hope you're doubting the existence of Clive the Chimp.....

If you go into settings, there'll probably be something that says "hide when inactive" or similar. Untick any boxes you see with things like that.

I'd vote for a single, unmarried three-toed sloth if it was the only alternative to Gordon Brown.

With a finite amount of tickets, and where demand outstrips supply, there's never going to be a way of distributing tickets that is fair to everybody. People need to realise that, and move on.

Same here. Twice in fact!

I can't remember what my /played is now, it's huge though, easily as much as Nayson, if not way more.

You'd like to be as cool as that Si!

I have never been to a midnight launch and regard people who go to them as a bit silly. Therefore I am not a geek. And that's water-****-tight. I have however, been on WoW at four in the morning with you, Nays and the others, so I put it to you that you are in fact, geeky as ****. The prosecution rests m'lud.

I'm tempted to reactivate my account just to give Laura a lift. Reckon I could start a new toon and get up to her level in a week or so!

Laura, you've got to L69 without using an offhand?! Reminds me of Dan getting to L20 and not realising he had talent points to spend!

Depends. For all the time I was resto in raids, I used the keyboard for healing spells and macros etc. Then when I went enhancement, I actually found it easier using the mouse for some reason. Maybe it's class dependent, but I had a fairly strict rotation, so speed wasn't really much of an issue.

I'm guessing from the fact that Laura is still using the Blizzard toolbars that she probably isn't much of a macro user....

Dunne's pretty handy up front as well though to be fair. He has 3 league goals this season, as many as Ashley Young, only one less than Milner and Carew, and one more than Heskey!

This. Hard to argue with that really. In a way we're lucky that the Arabs at Man City started flinging silly money around, because we'd probably never have got him otherwise.

I think Laursen at his best was exceptional and had more natural "talent" than Dunne, but we got what, about a season and a half out of him in 5 years. Dunne has that ability to win the ball come what may, so I'd have to say that as we'll (hopefull) get several years out of Dunne, he'll be the more useful player of the two. In other words, Dunne is probably 90% of the player Laursen was, but I'd rather have the 90% for four years, than the hundred percent for 18 months, if that makes sense.

Yep, but then you could judge it yourself to end up by the ledge. Allies weren't usually so thoughtful!

Being mind controlled was possibly the worst thing in the game. At least being feared meant that you couldn’t fall off a ledge or anything. One of the favourite tricks for a while was people MCing the opposite faction on their way to BWL into the lava.

That's what worries me, Fabregas can get half a chance and bury it. If a half chance falls to Heskey, it'll end up in row Z.

This is the best display from Ashley Young in ages, he's superb tonight.