NJS

Ditto, but the public sector comparison is like you taking out a bank loan to employ your wife to manage your finances. Only if she wasn't allowed to spend any money - public sector workers can generate demand outside of the public sector "world". As I've also argued if they say for the sake of argument closed Longbenton the knock on effect in private sector on Tyneside would be massive. I honestly think that they don't take knock on job losses into effect when working out cuts from the public sector.

I fully admit to not being an economist but I don't see how putting a million people out of work through cuts and the subsequent affect on benefits, tax revenue and demand can in anyway lead to a recovery.

Did you also notice CT that the head of this new body said that Darling's March budget and Labours plans for the government term would have cut the deficit to its required level? Of course they intended to cut as well but at least it was without the relish-filled abandonment of the Tories.

1. I think the figures may have been too optimistic because of not taking into account the Euro shit rather than electioneering. 2. They'll abandon the "independent" stats once they look dodgy for them.

If the other refs follow this blokes example, the Jormans and the Italians and the rest of the usual suspects are going to get a lot of yellows for diving.

This is why I'm not a good international/neutral football fan - too many grudges - while recognising it wasn't a red I just thought "take that you worky-ticket scouse cunt".

Am I missing something? I don't know - I've just always seen him as a diver - his performance against us in the FA cup quarter final (when Elliot got sent off) was a classic. Unless I'm missing something in your confusion

I can't see England beating good sides - too much reliance on Rooney and Gerrard imo. I also think Lampard's "stroll around arrogantly looking good" style works for Chelsea but just doesn't work for England - don't know why. I hate Joe Cole for being a cheat but I'd still have brought him on instead of Wright-Phillips. Heskey may win a few headers but he still remains an utter donkey for me - I would have been astonished if he's actually scored that one on one.

Take away the 52 week emphasis and that sums up how I feel - though I doin't actively hope that England lose.

Lefties in general love knocking Israel while giving Muslims a bit of an easy ride - I think because they see right wing anti-muslim feeling as something to be opposed. I on the other hand see religious fuckwittery on both sides which I have no respect for so tend to call cuntery on both sides (or at least I try to).

I'd echo that the joke would be okay if you knew her better - I work with Germans and have exchanged good war jokes/comments with a few but only with ones I knew well ehough to joke about general things as well.

That well known English indigenous animal the Lion - always thought it was out of place - should have used bears or wolves.

How does that fit with his big society ethos which seeks a reduced role for government? Do you think he wants to spend the same money on less things (not exactly a bad idea) or perhaps he actually wants more scope in the future for tax cuts? Not realising a Tory's entire purpose is lower tax for the rich is what's really beyond stupid.

The "We are..." he spouts always gets a "no, you're a fucking actor" from me. The "77 out of 111 women agreed" bugs me as well.

Okay maybe not at a personal level but I still think any regulation of the City or the banks as people have called for with hindsight would have been met with "Old labour, attacking business as usual". I may have been the right thing to do (though of course it would have reduced income as well) but politically it would have been suicide. The Tories would never have even contemplated it.

Of course Joe Public himself has to shoulder some blame for revelling in the credit provided by that deregulation. As I've said before if Brown had at any time said "I'm going to massively limit personal credit and lending" he would have been crucified.

The shares will depend on timing but I've mentioned before that a lot of the loans given wwre at 11% which will raise a fortune - not sure if it's counted though.

There's a lot of shit being taked about "millions of pointless public sector jobs" being created by Labour - I saw some figures yesterday which showed the percentage of public workers of all jobs and its been pretty set at about 20% even going back through Major's time. If the bank bailout is included then the figures will go "off the scale" if it isn't then they won't.

I was a bit disappointed with Jon Stewart's bit on Helen Thomas (though perfectly understand it at the same time given he's Jewish) but he made the same mistake of ignoring the "and America and everywhere else" part of the quote. He did say it was more of a case of seeing someone you respected fuck up I suppose.

A complete cut in the defence budget is unfeasible, but I'd withdraw from all Afghanistan and not get involved in any future conflicts wherever possible immediately. That, or education and health. Not a difficult decision for me. I probably agree a total cut is not on but the thrust of the argument that if every other government department has to justify every penny they spend then the armed forces shouldn't be exempt from that is a good one. Of course it would take balls the size of Buster Gonad to stand up to the generals and the ensuing shit storm but vague enemies and threats should be explained and justified.

Being offered £150 quid without naming your price and being tempted to take it is one thing (though still dodgy), setting your price at that in the first place is another and a cunt's trick imo.

Theres an article in the Guardian this morning which I agree with which would give LM an instant stroke - a suggestion that if Osbourne want's to talk about "once in a lifetime" changes then why not completely cut the defence budget - ie to zero. £45bn per year.

That game wasn't even sold out though I can't remember tbh - note it was the one the year after (when Gillespie got fucked) when the building work meant even fewer tickets but at least then they did base it on the points.

Don't horses have an annual breeding cycle which means the mares are only in heat for a month or so? If I'm right I guess that excuses walking round with a hard on just in case.

I'm not sure what it's like now that they have 75k but I went to Old Trafford on spec in 94 when the allocation was reduced and Fletcher gave all the tickets to his mates. The car park outside the Munich clock became a feeding frenzy akin to those scenes with crocs where someone hoys meat in among a few when someone announced they had a ticket and were surrounded by people bidding for it. There were of course packs of touts hunting for people with spares while this was going on. I had to leave - it was fucking sickening. (BTW I'd guess 90% of the bidders were Irish)