Happy Face

I don't think anyone with an ounce of sense thinks Obama is evil and sits at his desk glorying in the destruction in his wake (or that Bush did for that matter). It would take an extraordinary individual to live up to the expectations on Obama's shoulders, but you can't run a campaign on the 'audacity of hope' with a slogan of "Yes we can" and play "Change is gonna come" when you win, then expect people to sit mutely when you have no discernable effect whatsoever, and get lauded for it.

It already has once. As Bush said "'I've Abandoned Free Market Principles to Save the Free Market"

Don't get on his back, he's won a peace prize and is inspiring people... http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-natio...90803-e5z1.html Don't get me wrong - I like the bloke - but just like Michael Moore you have to read/watch his stuff with both eyes open. Aye, it was just a tongue in cheek dig at Chez cos he says you can't have a go at anyone giving a good man an honourable award.

As far as I can tell it means the biggest UK bookies can offer better odds in other EU countries as a loss leader that pulls all their business, forcing local bookies from those countries out of business and creating themselves a European monopoly for themselves.....all in the name of avoiding a monopoly. Understandably some countries don't want to let that happen and would rather grow their own local gambling industry to the point they can compete on a level playing field. But i might be a cynic.

Don't get on his back, he's won a peace prize and is inspiring people... http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-natio...90803-e5z1.html

So the petition is to drop all trade barriers between member nations of the EU? Wonder how many BNP voters have signed up so they can get an extra point on their odds.

You want us to pull out of Afghanistan or stay? Personally i want us out but he didnt put us there, nor can he just walk away. The least violent advice he's receiving at the moment is from his Vice President advising no more troops, just drone attacks and small units of elite forces. Obama seems likely to go with around 40,000 more troops. Whether he should be there in the first place or not. Whether he should escalate or scale back. Neither action can justify a nobel peace prize for him. I want us out too. As promised http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7080101233.html Again, not the kind of action that should earn him a peace prize though. Just because he's doing what he said he would. If anything it makes the award even more of a farce. The claim that it's been awarded for the hope of peace he inspired around the world....while he said all along "I'll pull out of Iraq and escalate in Afghanistan/Pakistan"....the only part he didn't do was pull out of Iraq. Clinton said that years ago. And the Iranians are lying about their nuclear capacity, only numb-nutted extreme-lefty freaks think otherwise (ooh that'll be Pilger) And the US intelligence services whose national intelligence estimate has said Iran has had no program or thoughts of starting a program since 2003. There is literally no intelligence whatsoever to the contrary. The jewish problem wasnt going to disappear overnight, how naive to think otherwise. You haven't adressed the point. He's not taking action to resolve it. He's actively supressing UN judgements on Israel and maintaining the status quo....and supplying the weapons. Inflation. And the British pulled out of Iraq. Inflammatory bollocks. That fact accounts for inflation: In 2007, the United States spent over $650 billion on national defense. Even after adjusting for inflation, this was the largest annual amount since 1945, surpassing previous post-World War II peaks reached during the Korean, Vietnam, and Cold wars. http://vlex.com/vid/rise-spending-affectin...conomy-65015971 So not inflammatory bollocks. Yes John, presidents approve crowd control techniques. "Can we use the LRAD Sarge?" "Not sure skipper, i'll give Obama a quick bell". Does this cunt do any research? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/21/o...s_n_206189.html "The president spoke one day after the Senate voted resoundingly to deny him money to close the prison in Cuba, but Obama said he was still determined. And he decried arguments used against his plans." I'll come back to US political processes for you in a bit. Doesn't really matter when he's leaving Bagram alone does it. You wanna buy some coke or something John? Funnily enough, Obama getting into power probably depended on his promises to the 'war on drugs' lobby. He might be the most liberal sounding President for a while but not sure he would get very far if he didnt actively try and control the cocaine supply. Our lefties are even in on it. You'll have to explain that response to me. Colombia remains the leading producer of coca with approximately 70% of the total share and dominates approximately 90% of the cocaine processing market in the world. Surely Obama should not be dealing with such a government until they crack down on it a tad. Fuck off. Just fuck right off. Indeed but its a little bit more complicated than that. This is still the US we are talking about. Aye right John. In a dangerous world in need of hope, lets call the Nobel committee racists for giving a good man an honourable award. He represents the majority when he says there's no reason he should get the award. Why shouldn't he reflect national opinion? Hope's done no good whatsoever yet, and it's only dwindling (see Obama's poll numbers). I was reading the latest on the healthcare bill yesterday and was thinking about how many commentators (including your fine self HF) have questioned the the sincerity of Obama and it got me thinking about the process required to get a bill in front of the President for him to sign. When you look into the process, you begin to get an understanding of the importance of Obama's election mantra. Effecting change in the US is incredibly complex and requires consensus across a huge range of individuals. If you take this example and think about the Senate blocking the finance for Guantanamo, you'll begin to see that 'yes we can' was as much a reminder to himself than a call to the people of the US. There are 5 congressional panels tasked with debating the reform proposals. Yesterday, Senator Snowe (Rep) signalled an intention to vote yes on one of these congressional panels. She is on Max Baucus's Finance committee, one of two Senate committees (the other is the Health Committee) that need to come together at some point and provide a Senate Bill for a Floor vote. At the same time there are 3 House of Representative Committees ('Ways & Means', 'Energy & Commerce' and 'Education and labour'). Together they need to provide a House of Reprsentatives Bill that will go for a floor vote. The composition of the committees reflects the relative split in each House between the parties. Some of the democrats chosen (and lobbied for by all sorts of Washington lobby groups) will be fiscal conservatives. The Democrats are divided on the issues, making progress extremely difficult. Once both houses have voted and approved their respective bills, then a conference committee needs to reconcile the two versions. Once this is done, each chamber needs to approve the final version. Only then is a Bill is sent to Obama to sign. He does not sit on any of the committees personally. "Yes we can"? Your point earlier was that Obama can only set the tone. He doesn't set it well when his starting position on the negotiations is that a public option is not essential. Yes it's difficult, but he's the one tasking us all with the audacity of hope and when he fails to deliver he has to carry the can. If you think he's striving to get the best he can for the American people in the short time he has at the very top, then i think you're naive. If you see that Rahm Emmanuel has a lot to say about what he does politically to ensure financial backing for a second term and then for another democratic runner then we're closer to agreeing how he balances his commitments.

Makes a change from Gazza getting his claws into her.

Finley Quaye - Sunday Shining Cos he's a hero like Robert De Niro

Serves her right for singing "hit me baby one more time" on the Cowell factor.

The outrage continues with a scathing piece from Pilger... http://www.newstatesman.com/international-...ilger-war-peace

*opens new incognito window*

Biddy bye bye Biddy bye bye bye bye I must admit I was a clown to be messin around.... class

Except to suggest Kula Shaker - Start All Over

There's a bloke at work who does that whenever he's got to present...or even just run a meeting.

Steinski - Greatest Man Alive I'll stop now.

Public Enemy - He Got Game

Kanye West - Jesus Walks EDIT: Reraders on N-O might prefer Gold Digger

Praise You - Fatboy Slim would fit nice

I always thought more football compilations should be made to Blow Your Head by Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s

Pink Floyd - Wish You were here

I Thank You - Sam & Dave

Might be corny/overdone but you can't go wrong with a bit of Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) either.

Josh Ritter - Good Man