Xela

Chelsea to edge it 1-0. I hope they do as I like Di Matteo.

Ahh the Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone books.. I think I had the whole collection. Or very nearly. I met one of them once (can't remember which one) at WH Smiths in Brum.. he was doing a signing. Seemed a nice bloke and chatted for a bit with me.

I'll be picking up Skagboys as well this week. As with Rev, Trainspotting is one of my favourite books.

It shouldn't be banned its a spectacle

Man and beast jumping some big fences whats not to like

It used to be alot worse they have made it too easy now far to many finish

Too easy? I think only 15 of the 44 starters finished. Plus 2 fatalities. How is that too easy?

Only 40 started, (which IMO is too many 30 would be so much safer)

The real problem is that National Hunt horses are getting smaller and lighter, much like their flat racing cousins. There simply not bred to jump and land over hurdles like they used to be, its more about speed. Put Desert Orchid next to Neptune Collonges and the difference would be remarkable.

Thanks for correcting me... I read 44 in a paper but wasn't sure it was accurate.

I'm not saying ban the National, but it appears to me that more fatalities happen in this face (on average) than any other National Hunt race? Happy to be proven wrong but I don't hear of the same level of deaths in Cheltenham for the Gold Cup or Kempton for the King George.

What's the answer? Reduce the size of the field? I read somewhere that while reducing the height of the fences may help in one way, it also means that the horses then approach the fences quicker negating the difference.

It shouldn't be banned its a spectacle

Man and beast jumping some big fences whats not to like

It used to be alot worse they have made it too easy now far to many finish

Too easy? I think only 15 of the 44 starters finished. Plus 2 fatalities. How is that too easy?

I wouldnt have Vidic in the team. As for Giggs and Scholes, obviously they do but not the 2011/12 versions. Ditto Rio Ferdinand if you want to make a case for him.

Just for the hell of it, this is the team I would choose:

Schmeichel

Irwin

Stam

Bruce ©

G Neville

Giggs

Scholes

Keane

Beckham

Ronaldo

Rooney

Strikers are really difficult to pick. Cole & Yorke were sensational together, but individually I wouldnt say either was better than Ronaldo or Rooney. The midfield of Giggs, Scholes, Keane & Beckham was almost perfect, definitely the best in the world at the turn of the century. Yes, you could drop Beckham, change a striker and move Ronaldo back but he isnt really a midfielder is he? Bruce gets in at the back, for a fat, ugly bluenose bastard he was a hell of a footballer. Scored a stupid amount of goals and was a classy centre half. Villa bias almost made me put Paul McGrath there, but I think he played his best football at Villa Park, not Old Trafford. Ferdinand just misses out, though he was sensational for years. Vidic is a very good player, but I think Stam was a better "stopper" so he gets the nod.

Fantastic team but i'd have Cantona in there.. somewhere! Just not sure who i'd drop...

Pandas

People moaning about the cost of first class stamps going up

Been a lovely day today... which I have witnessed from meeting rooms in Canary Wharf or on trains. Spent the grand total of about 10 mins outside today :-(

What is your job?

Nothing exciting, I just work for a bank.

Are you based there mate? I work in the Citi building (number 25).

and just to join in, I can occassionally be seen staring out of the windows at HSBC, usually up around flr 36 and sometimes / rarely up in the 40's

Haven't visited for some time now I think about it.

They had a full evacuation drill once when I was up around 40, it took 30 minutes to walk down and out of the building. Very sobering.

Not based there no, just had a meeting there (HSBC). I work in the salubrious surroundings of Five Ways in Brum!

Floor 36? Is that Trade Services.. or is that 37? Can't remember... anyway, impressive stuff. Early 40's is where the chief works (42 I think?)

Been a lovely day today... which I have witnessed from meeting rooms in Canary Wharf or on trains. Spent the grand total of about 10 mins outside today :-(

What is your job?

Nothing exciting, I just work for a bank.

the only darts players i know are the latest batch such as phil the power taylor and simon whitlock

The oldest one i can remember is probably the guy who wears loads of gold round his neck and does commentry on the BBC and that Eric Bristow

Jocky is part of the 'old guard'. Along with Bristow, Lowe, Anderson, Dellor, Rees, 'Big' Cliff Lazarenko etc. Back when they used to drink pints on stage!

Been a lovely day today... which I have witnessed from meeting rooms in Canary Wharf or on trains. Spent the grand total of about 10 mins outside today :-(

I'll always be a Villa fan but I simply don't care enough about the club anymore to get annoyed when we lose or play bad. Been like this for a couple of years.

Rather watch Rugby Union or Cricket now

Blockbuster

20 miles is nothing! Just ask her if she fancies meeting up one day for a proper chat - ie not over facebook. See how it goes. No point over complicating things is there? You may meet up and there is no spark.. least you've tried.

Where you staying? Sukhumvit Road is the main strip in BKK. Close to Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy - the 2 main gogo bar areas. They are always worth a visit. There are a few conventional clubs around there (Liquid on Soi 4 for example).

There is the Q Bar and Bed Supperclub (think it might be called the Grey Goose club now) are on Soi 11. There are more clubs on RCA but that is a taxi ride from Sukhumvit.

Chaweng Beach is the main area in Samui.

Watched Sahara last night on C4 - oh dear!

Live in Four Oaks and work in Edgbaston. Spend around £200 per month on fuel and get about 22-23mpg. Been looking at new cars to see if I can double that and halve my fuel bill.

What dates exactly? From London?

Seen £760 in October from Qatar Airways.

General consensus seems to be positive! I've gone for a promotion at work... 90 applied and down to the last 10 or so and I'm still in the mix. I'd like to think i've got a shout but I still class myself as the rank outsider judging by the competition I am up against. The new job would be as a BDM covering the patch from Woking to Southampton (but including Reading). Basically the M3 corridor. Was looking at properties in Southampton just as a guide.

Its not as though I have a storming social life during the week due to the long hours I work. I only usually get to see my mates at weekends now so that wouldn't change if I moved. The more I think about it, the more it appeals to me.

Have any of you relocated due to work? Or would you if a good opportunity arose? If any of you did, how did you find the experience? Good points and bad. Did you go on your own or did you have family to take with you?

There may be the possibility that I have to relocate to the South Coast should a few things come off at work. As I'm single then I'd be going on my own. Just worried about how I'd settle into a new area.

I'd blackmail the aforementioned family member for 50% of their ill gotten gains Does that make me just as bad or worse?! ;-)

Only tip is go for it! I can't remember the last time I didn't book on the internet! Been away about 30 times in the last 6/7 years (including weekend breaks to Europe) and always book flights and hotels online. Just book through reputable sites and you'll be fine.

While we celebrate brilliant individuality, let's not forget that Football is played with 11 men and if Argentina are un-organised and lacking quality in other areas of the pitch who top teams are able to exploit then Lionel Messi CAN'T single handedly go and pull Argentina through..

Maradona did in 1986. Single handedly won them the world cup.

I'm a massive fan of Messi but would give Maradona the edge at the current time

AVB must being getting one of the biggest payoffs of any manager ever?

Cheers. That's so bloody cheap. I had lost faith in the fact that things could be cheap anymore.

As long as I don't end up in a Cambodian hospital all should be good.

Cambodian hospitals are ok. A mate of mine managed to slice his hand open on a shattered glass after a bit of 'hi-jinks' in a Phnom Penh bar. Blood was pumping out a treat! Got it stitched up and sorted no probs.