adios

World Cup qualifying groups are practically bound by geographic restrictions, not all regions have attained the same level therefore the groups cannot be evenly balanced. Not fair, but neccessary.

No, I've already said its harder for a lot of black people and if you read my previous posts I have said it will take a few generations to get equality but yes they should aspire to higher things, I'm not saying they should all expect to become millionaires but everyone should aspire for better things. However the government isn't doing enough to help so I'm saying they need positive role models to show them what they can get if they work harder. A black person who has become a business or political success would be great to see (NOT Colin Powell, he is the whitest black man in America). 28697[/snapback] I thought that was Condoleeza Rice? One serious question for you, as you say poor people in underpriveleged areas face a tough struggle, if added to that any group of people is being hindered by the system, not considered for jobs, badly portrayed by the media should we not be concerned about it and do something about it?

Daishi makes a polite request to take the Niall Quinn thread away from Jesus sex and abstinence so you start talking about shark sex? The youth of today..a spell in the army and a lash of the birch is what's needed.

I was having a moment there where I thought this bloke I've been talking to and me were in fact the same person, babbling in the corner of the forum. Be a bit weird that.

There's no point arguing over personal experience, I lived in Dublin most of my life and always felt we were racially sound but was shocked by the things I saw in the last couple of years. But there's still the overwhelming yes vote in that referendum and as you say racist killings, we've had a fair few of them in Dublin over the last couple of years. I'm not focusing on one place though. England seems to be having problems with the BNP and hate attacks, a friend of mine from London's just had a metal plate put in his head after being kicked silly by 3 lads, Whether or not his Indian descent has anything to do with that I don't know. And here in France nearly 20% of the vote went to Jean-Marie Le Pen's. In short it's a problem, and with the way terrorists are being dealt with it's not going away. This guy may have dealt with this better, as for him going on talk shows to raise the issues? I've seen one clip of him but he didn't seem to bright, someone's fed him those lines I think. Not exactly Malcolm X. All I'm saying is: -I wouldn't bury a bloke for putting up with that shite all his life and then reacting to what he saw as injustice. He sees it as black and white, it is maybe more rich and poor. -Some people are railing against him with some vitriol, spouting the party line, that bothers me. Why the feck has no one mentioned NBC's complete self-interest in all of this?

Just been checking up on him, he's still at it, check this out for irony:

Someone was talking about supressing laughter over this disaster. Between him and some clip on bbc.co.uk of some black hysterical woman going on about raping babies and old people with no legs I've actually been laughing an unhealthy amount, given that it's a tragedy, like.

Yes but the players tend to play in Europe, so you have to consider the extra travelling too. 28564[/snapback] The last friendlies played by Peru: Chile (home), UAE (in Japan), Japan (away), Argentine (in USA), Spain (away, Feb 2004), Guatemala (home), Mexico (in USA), Uruguay (home) ... the next friendly played by Peru in Europe was played against Holland in 1998... 28577[/snapback] Michael J. Fox? And I apologise for the cheap jibe at the German who in fact writes better English than I do!

What defense budget? He's had to borrow £350 Billion or so to spend on his war against "terror". Once "terror" has been beaten I wonder if he'll declare war on "alarm" or is "dread" a more pressing concern? 28532[/snapback] The next president, Arnold Schwarzenegger, can declare a war on Dredd, Judge Dredd. Then we can settle this in the proper manner of the Hollywood debacle this is becoming anyway in Terminator vs Dredd. We could even give Stallone some silly little country like Mexico.

Are we back to Catch 22 again?

Don't try to be helpful to ChocChip? 28551[/snapback] Don't take my advice? 28553[/snapback] Now that's good advice. Can I add: Don't ask advice pertaining to medical or other potentially life altering decisions on an internet football discussion forum.

Don't try to be helpful to ChocChip?

I agree that of course there is still a problem but black people in the USA have come a long way from the 1950's. The problem is allowing black people into the positions of power, because of their history they are more likely to be poorer and less well educated. To add to the problem a lot of black youths from deprived areas don't want to go the education route, they look at their role models, local drug dealer, rappers like Kanye (who isn't the worst of them) rapping about drugs and hos. They have very few positive role models to look up to and relate to. Anyway, Kanye has been trying to highlight racism but he has been doing it in the wrong way IMO. Vilified white people and creating an "us and them" situation isn't helping. The way to do it is by trying to foster relations between both races so that racism doesn't even become an issue. I was disappointed to see that result but the situation is very different in Ireland than in places like USA and UK. Immigration into Ireland is a relatively recent trend, unlike England where it was going on throughout the 1900's. In Ireland it will take time to get used to it, there are a lot of backward people who have forgotten that the Irish prospered through emmigration. But lets not forget the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962 and the Immigration Act 1971 in the UK and the controversy they caused. From my experience in Ireland, in a place with a lot of economic migrants, racism isn't really a problem but it will take 30-40 years for the majority of Irish to get used to it. 28461[/snapback] On the highlighted bit, where are you getting that information from? White kids listen to rap music too. Poor areas, inner city areas suffer from an extreme lack of funding in the US, making it virtually impossible to get ahead, that's the real difference. The UK & Ireland come from a far more Socialist background, the US, especially under Bush is far right and becoming increasingly more so. You say there's not really a problem with racism in Ireland. I challenge you to walk down Parnell Street on a Saturday afternoon and not hear people screaming racial obscenities at people just because of their skin colour. And that referendum passed with over 80% of the ballot, a thinly veiled racist law was brought in and our fine Foreign Minister was later congratulated by the Grand Dragon of the KKK. You say further down that this isn't the right time, I think you've been fed the official line. Where will Mr. West's audience be when the relief fund is over? Back seeing which 'sand-niggers' are up for a whooping next over on Fox News.

You ever considered becoming a Montessori teacher?

Em, listen to what you want, do what you want, just try to not to feck with anyone elses way of life, for example if some people want to fantasize about the son of God, it's all good. Now, for a cookie, what religious textbook did I get that from?

28412[/snapback] 28444[/snapback] Oh now that's sexy! Does he just like to watch, or is he going to get involved in a minute?

So the chances of a successful viral marketing campaign coming from the source directly to a recipient are slim. In fact working with the figures that this lad discusses in his email reaching fruition they're one in one hundred thousand. 28426[/snapback] Yes i'd agree with that. If it reaches a few thousand its done very well. Which is again why its not an ad. The only way it would be an ad was if as i'd said it was directed from a Viral ad company where by they would spam the hell out of whatever list they start with or if it was sent from many employees at a large company. All the evidence points towards it being one person with grand ideas but little practical knowledge of the area. 28428[/snapback] You're not exactly going out on a limb there and in all probability you're right. I was just offering an alternate, somewhat tongue-in-cheek option, which in my experience is not totally improbable.

Yeah what happened was terrible but Kanye acts as if he lives in 1920's Mississippi, he keeps going on about racism in about 50% of his songs. As for him helping out "his" people why doesn't he get his ass down there and help? Or is he above that now? Its very easy to complain about the situation from a nice warm TV studio before he goes back to his mansion. 28424[/snapback] I don't know this chap from Adam, couldn't even pronounce his first name but racism is still a big problem world-wide and I'm not sure there's ever a bad time to publicise that. I actually agree with J69 that the fact that this disaster is predominantly a 'black problem' is on the surface coincidental but it does point to a much deeper problem, which is being largely ignored. I just think the worst thing this guy has done is come through a life of racism to misinterpret a situation which could easily be interpreted how he saw it. I like how NBC have said it was self promotion yet are only interested in keeping their own image from being blemished by this. They could have dealt with this differently to minimize outrage and the cost to the relief fund. We don't have to look so far afield to see the problem anyway, I was mortified by the way that Irish citizenship referendum played out.

So the chances of a successful viral marketing campaign coming from the source directly to a recipient are slim. In fact working with the figures that this lad discusses in his email reaching fruition they're one in one hundred thousand.

I'm missing a reference here. 28406[/snapback] Rob's business sense reminded me of Milo Mindbender. 28420[/snapback] Only Milo would buy at double market price, sell at half and come out smiling!

You just think you're so cool.

-"Just forward this email, and buy your petrol at Shell, Tesco, Maxol, Texaco, Jet, etc. i.e. boycott Statoil and Esso." -I'm interested to know how you think viral marketing works, you think it only comes from the marketer and dies at node 1?

D'OH!

I'm missing a reference here.

Yep, I don't think that's the only flaw with the mail, the thing is I don't think the originator is genuine, I think it's quite plausible that this originated in some advertising agency or other. The writer is up to date enough to realise that Shell are no longer one of the big two and yet seems to show a complete lack of knowledge in Economics in general and as you've pointed out, particularly in the oil market. I just wish people in general were this active about buyer power in general and not just when they're feeling a bit down about a minor issue. But then I'd be living in a utopia that'll probably never be. 28400[/snapback] the BIG companies - Exxon, Shell, BP, Total, Chev-Tex, AGIP, Conoco-Phillips are soooo big you can't really hurt them with a boycott in one place 28402[/snapback] But if the point of the email is just to ensure more business goes back to Shell?