CrackpotForeigner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSxjZF6kc5o Without meaning to sound as if Rachel would stand no chance with me or anything, it is a bit square-shaped for my tastes.

There's a bloke who posts on the Grauniad site who seems very well-informed about the Opium Wars, and he offers what seems to be a nuanced take on Britain and the European powers' role in it all. He's pretty aggro, but seems to know what he's talking about: http://www.theguardian.com/global/2015/jun/01/smog-noodles-china-pollution-injustices-achievements-tania-branigan#comment-53120437 One of the points he makes is that opium was just as freely sold to Europeans in Europe as to Chinese in China. In that context, it looks more like a trade war and less like a bunch of drug gangsters using violence to keep their clientele hooked.

Tell me more. How do you get to that position? Do you charm her? Wine and dine her first? Or is it just head between her thighs and slobbering away like a starving dog eating a tray of mince beef? And after wining and dining, to you gently slide your hand slowly up her lithe, smooth legs, softly brushing away the folds of her grey silk dress as she sighs and begins to gasp with pleasure?

I've often wondered about this, I think it's pretty common. The question is: Does being 'igh replace the need to dream, or do you dream just the same but forget due to short term memory loss, or is it a sign that you should take a break from the puff for a bit to restore normal brain function?

I'm pretty sure that's what happens when you're filming a scene in Russia and some people are in it. The average Russian over the age of 15 drinks nearly 20 litres of spirits a year, and about the same equivalent amount of beer and wine.

I heard Stalin quoted as saying that to beat Nazi Germany, "America provided the money, Britain provided the time and Russia provided the blood". Hard to argue with that. But who knew that quite so many Chinese died as well? No wonder things between China and Japan are a bit frosty.

Why, the internet, obviously. It's fake, though. From some comedy show:

Not at all, amigo. I clean forgot to propose DHUTWU. In that race for glory, you are the clear winner.

I think Lowton is the only one not on that list that I'd keep. Maybe Hutton as well, we've all forgotten how good he was this season before his injury. For the rest, unfortunately no price is too low.

Pure gold, in so many ways. Fox News is hilarious. P.S. Would.

Time and winning the cold war. Whatever the reason, a visiting Martian who last traveled here in 1967 would probably conclude that the US must have won the war.

And yet that was the day the US began to win the Vietnam war. It's a weird world. hmm, how do you reckon? Well Vietnam has been progressively less of a communist country ever since.

And yet that was the day the US began to win the Vietnam war. It's a weird world.

Looking forward to seeing Spy, with Melissa McCarthy. She's awesome, for a fat chick.

Never saw the point of him, and never agreed with those saying he'd improved such a lot. Slightly maybe, like to the point where he was worth having on the pitch. Nothing more. The three goals were nice, but it's hardly a stellar record for someone who played in midfield for a whole season and didn't pass the ball forward more than 20 times.

Just popped into this thread to make sure someone had posted the Christian Fuchs off to Leicester news. Pleasing to see that wit and originality are alive and well on VT.

Yes. An old Scottish man.

Where in Maine do you live? South of Portland nothing happens there It's perfectly fine for nothing to happen in a place, as long as that place is on the coast.

Large breasts. Duh!

In 1997 I was working in Scotland, and one Friday the saucy Fiona, fancied by every one of my male colleagues, asked me if I'd be going to the office pub meet-up. In my surprise and excitement my brain switched to Low Function mode, and I came out with something like "Not sure, I'll just check what the lads are doing." It was the first time I'd ever used the word in my life. Thinking back I can literally see her face change to an expression which said "Oh my god, he's actually an idiot."

Was watching a programme on the 'great age of rail transport' last night. I loved how you used to be able to open the doors yourself, at any time, by simply pushing down the window and operating the handle from the outside. Footage of people opening the doors and leaving the train whilst it's still pullinginto the station. The used to go on up until the late 80s/early 90s I think, before 'Heath and safety madness'. Ahhh, the good old days ... Indeed - lots of those trains were still in use between Kiddy and Malvern at least until 1990 (though they had the modern Central trains with magic flashing buttons 'moving in on their territory'). Pretty sure they were in use out of Waterloo station into the late 90's at least. These days of course people can't possibly be relied on to know when not to jump out of a moving train.

Years ago I did some volunteer work. A meeting was called and, with some effort, we got a large proportion of the volunteers to show up. Unfortunately both the meeting and its agenda were hijacked by a faction within the group intent on pushing a political line that was only really obliquely related to the actual work we were doing. The result? At the next, far more important meeting, nobody showed up except the political crowd, and the entire organisation thereby fell into the hands of that faction, at the expense of the actual cause we were working for. So your words are wise, o Crispy one. Plus it's a handy little trick to bear in mind if you are of a Macchiavelian disposition. If nothing else the marches showed how many people dissented, and will have encouraged those few politicians with scruples to actually say something. A few even did.

Agreed. Very few of us would reject a super-loaded new owner with big spending plans, but Sherwood and Fox should get more time to show what they can do.

Hooray! James Milner is off to Liverpool, saving us an entire transfer window's worth of fantasies about him "coming home".