Graing

Luuk will come off the bench pumped with adrenaline that Siem will be joining in the summer and score his first PL goal. Newcastle 1 - 0.

I think Palace is a trap game for Liverpool. We'll play spoiler last match of the season and crush Liverpool's dreams Chelsea to win the PL.

I thought he was playing uninspired football to be honest. Out of position on several occasions and his pursuit was not good. Maybe he should be standing in front of the mirror while saying this. He's in Argentina in his mind.

Yep : This.

Would have been nice to see Willo put one in.

Was thinking this actually. I'm trying to get excited to see who they bring in over the summer. I like to set myself up to be let down I suppose.

I'm in the same boat on setups. I have a great local shop that did a great setup on my mando. Makes me worry less about ordering something in as I can run it over to them if something is amiss.

Nice article HF. Insightful.

Well Fish, I was speaking of taking a risk there because I was stupid and put myself in a bad situation. I outsmarted myself, arriving around 6:00 or so and finding a back lot that was cheaper and away from traffic instead of across the street at the higher priced stadium lot. It dawned on me as I left the concert close to midnight and had to walk a few blocks off the beaten path that it may not have been the brightest idea. I was mad at myself for not being more prudent and thinking ahead. I think you missed the part though where I said I didn't and don't feel the need to carry. My point was that I would not begrudge someone that felt they did need to. Not sure what your point is about Brixton actually. You never felt you needed a gun despite the fact that some bad boy yardies might have illegal guns. Is this because you feel that there is just a lower occurence of criminals having guns there? I would agree. Do you feel it is because the criminals might be more "civilized" there and averse to shooting you as opposed to the savages here? I might agree again. Do you feel it's because your law enforcement is in much better control and will provide for your security much more effectively there than in a place like Detroit? I would agree there as well. Do you feel you're bullet-proof? That's the only one I would disagree with. As for having 500 folks with guns to deal with 1 criminal, I don't know that this type of hyperbole is constructive here. Maybe that's partially my fault. I mentioned the screening, database, etc. to purchase a gun. In addition to that, there is training, certification and licsensing - including fingerprinting and extensive background checking - if you want to have a permit to actually carry a gun. If you are caught with a weapon and not having the proper permit, you are in for some serious grief with Johnny Law. It's just not as cartoonish and pervasive as you make it out to be. Would I be an advocate of getting guns off the street in general? Absolutely. Here's the problem : I would say to the criminals - with a glance at the law enforcement responsible for our safety in lieu of such self protection - you first. It's a Utopian proposition that has very little basis in reality (short of a totalitarian police state type of enforcement and round up). Again, this is an issue that resides, by and large, in pockets of America. High crime areas in some major cities and southern border towns for the most part. And there are factors that contribute to this. It's a multi-faceted problem with no easy solutions. I can speak for Detroit, but the same holds true for many of these hot spots. Detroit has been in decline for years. The auto industry took a beating a decade ago (and it does in cycles) and businesses started moving out of the city. This was coupled with mismanagement and corruption by city officials. The last mayor and city council members are (or were) serving time for graft, bribes and fleecing the city in general. The last police chief was also more concerned about which of his junior officers he could bed than response times to calls. With tax revenue down from fleeing businesses and money stolen by city officials, there's not as much left over to fund a robust police and emergency force. Response times went through the roof for 911 call and calls to paramedics. And the cycle feeds itself. As you may or not know, the city actually had to declare bankruptcy and is still trying to work its way out of it. In an environment like that, the criminal element absolutely thrives. They also know that response times are up and the police force is seriously undermanned. The criminal element in the city is getting bolder and bolder. There are many car jackings, holdups, etc. Most end badly. I can tell you a dozen stories from the past couple of weeks. But to pin this all on an inanimate object is madness. This is a societal rot due to incompetence, corruption, etc. The criminals are opportunists in that situation. Now to say that folks that have to deal with that situation should not be able to defend themselves when they know the police force will not respond in a timely manner and the criminals have become more and more brazen is pure folly. Now I've been fairly candid and have been trying to have an honest discussion with you. I have come in on your side and agreed with you on a couple of points. I have to say I appreciate the fact that you seem to be interested in having a genuine dialogue for the most part. I'll heed your advice as well. I've taken enough of a kicking on this topic (and I'm the uncivilized one ). I know that you lot can barely tolerate a 'dumb yank' trying to pretend to talk football let alone involve himself in political, philosophical or sociological discussions. So pardon, and cheers mate.

Ok which one of you is this? Come clean now.

I think Ashley will spend this summer. He stands to lose too much money if he doesn't spend a bit and I think he understands this. He will do just enough though, not enough to project a sense of ambition or anything. He might even stop just short to see what he can get away with and then pick up another next January if we're still in trouble. I really wish he would sell the club.

Fish, It's not as if we hand out free guns with every McDonald's Happy Meal. We do have a national database and a background check that is required before you are allowed to purchase. The serial number of every weapon sold is recorded and available to the authorities after the background check comes back and shows no felony arrests, history of mental illness, etc. etc. Think you are exaggerating how easy it is for psychos to legally obtain a weapon. FYI, the kid in the last school shooting was not able to legally purchase a weapon and used his mother's. How and why he had access is difficult to imagine and irresponsible. Re freedom, tyranny, North Korea, etc. No of course we aren't that bad. Do you not think it can happen again? Have you not seen it in less developed countries recently? Are you familiar with the Boston Marathon and the defacto martial law that ensued when the city of Boston was locked down afterwards? Could never happen again mate. The stories surrounding the lockdown aren't widely known. The picture above just scratches the surface. Also, not sure how aware you are of things like the IRS scandal (the IRS being used as a political weapon - admittedly! - to punish "tea party" and pro-life groups); the NSA spying on US citizens' email, internet transactions, etc. while ignoring warnings on the Tsarnev brothers; the D.O.J. dismissing videotaped cases of voter fraud and intimidation because they were intimidating or defrauding the group not in power (see the Black Panther in Philadelphia), the D.O.J. stating openly that there are certain laws that they will not prosecute and telling the States attorneys general that they are not obligated to prosecute certain laws. I can go on. Corruption is increasing exponentially, but they are being smart about it - turning the water temp up slowly so the frogs won't jump. Small groups wake up here and there and get audited, no-knock raids, etc. The bulk of the people though just want to know when American Idol or the game is on or when the last time they checked Facebook was. Vetting, etc. I have no problem with, as I said we have a national database and I gladly submitted to a background check. I wish the bureaucracy was more efficient at updating the database and policing it, but that is the type of trouble with any government project. Leaving my guns at the club? Actually my guns are locked in a safe all but three days a year or so (sadly, need to find time to get out more actually). It's the responsible thing to do and most folks do exactly this. We protect our children from accidents, our property from theft, etc. So it seems we are in agreement here. At the same time, I would not refuse a citizen's right to keep their arms so that they can protect themselves and their families when necessary. I have the good fortune to live in a friendly and upstanding area. There are plenty of folk that, usually due to circumstances beyond their control, are forced to live and or work in very high crime areas. I would never tell them that they shouldn't have the right to arm themselves and protect their families from hardened criminals who seek to do great bodily harm. We're not all so worried that we'll be killed by maniacs that we have gone gun crazy. Most gun owners have guns because they love the shooting sports, the engineering, like to live off the land and feed their families, etc. Self defense is often a secondary consideration in all honesty, but for those in difficult places I would not begrudge them that option.The bottom line is that the crazies that come out once a year or so are really outliers all things considered. It's a horrible thing and I wish it wouldn't happen - but it is exacerbated by disarming the victims. You can say that this wouldn't be the issue if the criminals didn't have access... but they do. You can go on and think that we are not civilized over here, that's your prerogative. I think your view is quite skewed however. I don't blame you for that as I have seen what the media reports and what they don't report. I also live in the thick of it. I choose from time to time to take risks to go down to a concert or a hockey game, but I am sensible about it (as much as I can be). I've only been hassled once or twice, and have never packed because, while I affirm my fellow citizen's right to do so, it's not right for me. If I were living in different circumstances, I might rethink that. Does that make me uncivilized? So be it. Since I am fond of old dead white men and what they wrote and said, I'll leave you with another quote - this from Franklin: “Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” You may think there are no wolves left in the world. But they still prowl about. They are more cunning these days and they are still there. Oh and re: Mark Twain. Yeah, I still subscribe... facts are stubborn things, statistics are more pliable. (I'll still toss them out from time to time though). Rayvin : Thanks for the post. Was the bloodletting I was taking starting to make you squeamish? It is me! That is a very good point you make and one that I probably failed to get across : You cannot put the genie back in the bottle. I firmly believe that - particularly in a place as "uncivilized" and as large as America with the most porous international borders in the world, the vast criminal underground networks and markets, and the obscene amount of political and municipal corruption. It's been a beating, but I'm happy to be your pinata fellas. Get it out of your system, you'll feel better Seriously though some good points and questions (and barbs). (...edit...) Sorry Ant and all for getting your forum on the NSA watch list

All good posts gents, and I appreciate your thoughts on this. I think that I may not have been successful in conveying my primary (macro level) point on this. Here is some additional info on fatalities in the US from the latest CDC numbers: All injury deathsNumber of deaths: 180,811 Deaths per 100,000 population: 58.6 All poisoning deathsNumber of deaths: 42,917 Deaths per 100,000 population: 13.9 Motor vehicle traffic deathsNumber of deaths: 33,687 Deaths per 100,000 population: 10.9 All firearm deathsNumber of deaths: 31,672 Deaths per 100,000 population: 10.3 (About a third of these are suicide) All Drug poisoning deaths Deaths per 100,000 population: 12.4 (2010)Incidentally, there are approximately 1,200,000 abortions per year in the US Should we ban automobiles and drugs as well? They kill more people. Anyway, it's a much more nuanced topic than boiling it down to crime statistics and comparing the US to other countries. There are other significant considerations. As I said though, good points gents. I don't expect to convert any of you over to my way of thinking, and I certainly don't seem to have the debate skills to get the points across that I intended. Cheers! And 'Uncle'

If you will be anywhere near the Dusseldorf area, be sure to look for some Schlösser Alt. It's delicious. I've had it on my trips to Frankfurt, but I think it originates in Dusseldorf.

Interesting question Rayvin. As Heinlein said, "An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life". America is still a constitutional republic (though drifting away) with states and municipalities having local jurisdiction on most laws. Because of this, you can see differences from state to state or city to city where it comes to crime, etc. The large cities with the tightest restrictions on guns have the worst problem with gun violence. Chicago has some of the tightest restrictions on weapons and has one of the worst gun violence problems. The same is true for smaller islands of law, such as schools, military bases, etc. Declaring a locality a "gun free zone" guarantees two things: 1) upright, law abiding citizens will obey the law and avoid the location or go in without protection, assuming that the locality has assumed the responsibility for protecting them. 2) criminals will mark the place as an easy target with laws on gun restrictions in the area secondary to the other laws they are intent on breaking. Let me give you an example here. A young guy that worked for me went to a very good engineering school here which happened to be in one of the toughest cities in the state and country. He was a gun enthusiast and had a carry permit. He lived just off campus with a few mates and they rode or walked around campus for the most part to and from classes, etc. There had been a number of robberies on campus - some at gunpoint, some at knifepoint or other means - typically after hours in dark places one should avoid walking in dangerous cities. He and his mates knew the hot zones and mostly stayed away from them. The university then declared that the campus was a "gun-free zone". After this happened he was talking with me. He told me that he had a real dilemma as robberies had INCREASED. He told me that some of his mates had been held up (at gunpoint) at 10:00 in the morning ON CAMPUS while moving between classes. This was also not a freak random occurrence and such incidents had multiplied and moved from the dark of night on the fringe of campus to on campus during the day time. He had to struggle with his conscience knowing the criminal had no such struggle. It was a real windfall for the criminal element - these days the kids have laptops, iphones, tablets, cash. Too tempting for the criminal element to pass by - especially knowing that there is a low probability that the prey will fight back. Just as in nature, the predator chooses the weakest and most defenseless. They go after a young calf instead of a large solid bull. The "gun-free zone" had turned the college students into young calves. It's anecdotal, but a story from personal experience with a very upright and conscientious young man that worked for me. It is a microcosm that illustrates very well that, despite their good intentions, the authorities are setting people up to be victimized in these locations as they have not the resources or foresight to step in and provide for the security which has been usurped. You can find stories like this across America with school shootings (primarily), theaters and military bases - all locations where people are deprived of the right to defend themselves. All this aside, your chance of being murdered by a gun in the U.S. is around 0.004%. And that chance goes way down if you are not an idiot and know places and situations to avoid. America is a big place with a lot of people. There are other concerns though with gun restrictions. Our founding fathers explicitly guaranteed the right to keep and bear arms in our constitution. The primary intent of this is something that most folk don't like to talk about. What was the first thing that Hitler did? Banned personal firearm ownership. Fascists across the world through history have had a disarmed populace or had them disarmed prior to or as they took power. Our founding fathers were very wary of the consolidation of power into a central / federal government. It's clear throughout all of the documents that the intent was and is a republic with state and local government to serve the populace. I'm not very good at this, so let me cite someone who is. This is Thomas Jefferson from 1787:

Having a bit of fun throwing out that Daily Mail article Some silly stats were thrown out there, so I posted a Harvard study that supports my opinion. The trends from Australia are harder to dismiss as is the internal data on a state by state basis in the US regarding issue of carry permits. Of course the issue is a little too complex to really explain away with crime stats. I also tend to subscribe to Mark Twain's opinion on statistics. Now excuse me while I go roll around in my pile of guns in the basement.

Nice write up Tom. And nice Vine. Not a sound I would expect to come out of a Tele don't know if I have seen any proggers on Teles but based on this, think it would be a nice option. I think the hollow body gives a nice haunt to the tone there in your Vine. Most Fenders and Ibanez I've heard are quite expressive. Finish looks class as well. Curious about the setup. Did it come nicely set up or do you typically do that type of thing yourself? Checking for high or loose frets, dealing with a ridiculously high action, etc? In any case, nice addition to the family!

Well played

"How cool is that". Fucking hell man.

Fellaini should have been booked by now.

LOL

Again with the "United"