Your pulling the clown into again Aidan, it could be a mid life or an 'old age' crisis he is going through, he could be drinking more, he could finally be receiving treatment he has neglected obtaining for years. Who would know?
I rather suspect he is about the same age as myself, but sometimes it is difficult to apportion age to certain people.
Lets face it, most of what I put down is in the trivia, I keep it light and a bit daft at times.
Spendius though has become extremely serious as of late, hard to imagine him raising a curl on his lip let alone a smile. I just thought, he might have a boil on his bum! That would account for a lot of his problems. Spendi Chucklebottom with boils...
I did read that he's been eating a lot of fruit lately, trying to get himself back to his fighting weight - he said he's just about back to where he was when he was eighteen. So we know he's over eighteen right?
That's just so sad about him though. He used to be the funniest guy on here - and now he's just plain morose. What's up with that?
You, on the other hand - are more fun than a barrel of monkeys - geddit?
And good lord - I do appreciate someone who knows how to have fun.
I worked out some years back.
We have on average some fifty years of a decent life span, (allowing for those first 15 years of learning the basics). Out of those fifty, we work, sleep, waste time, eg tv viewing and the likes, until we realise the crap element should be ignored. There are times of woe in between which we cannot change, consequently the time allotted to actually enjoying life is very short indeed. I am at a loss as to how so many people do not appear to make the most of it.
It is of course possible that he could be incarcerated in an elderly persons home and is not happy about it.
It would not be sad at all. :wink:
Maybe you wouldn't find it sad, but I would find it sad.
Well he might be a secret agent for the CIA and be going through a stressful period. He could be Spendi Chucklebottom 666
Yes, you're right. He could be that- and as a matter of fact, so could you.
I like this new picture I'm getting of you as the family man Mathos. It's very sweet and endearing how obviously fond you are of your wife, and how protective you seem of your daughters and how interested in and active you are with your grandsons. I find it quite lovely.
I watched Munich today, so I'm kind of in a subdued mood. That was a disturbing film. The guy who was the team leader of this band of assassins happened to be a very committed husband and loving father and it was interesting yet heart-rending to see what toll his "duty to his country" took on his life and family in the end. I thought it was very even-handedly done and affecting. Steven Spielberg did a good job of presenting both sides of the issue.
And then coincidentally, right after I'd finished watching it, the first news report I heard was about tanks entering the Gaza strip today. God - it just goes on and on doesn't it?
(Happy for you that England won again today though).
Thanks for your congratulations on the England win, it was a foregone conclusion, but all the same we are still not playing up to the standards required for the better teams which have to come. I feel confident however that we will defeat Portugal, (sardine chomping, crucifix dangling, bull killing also rans) the ideal end result would be an Argie or German v England final, with England winning of course. Lets wait and see though.
Dads are dads whichever way you look at it, there is a natural defence of a mans family and friends built into his being, it is life Aidan.
Spielberg is a master at directing films he knows how to pull on the heart strings.
The Palestinian/Israeli problems are going to take some solving. It is a sad part of our existence that we have these wars, battles, terrorists etc. but it has been with us since Adam was a lad in a manner of speaking.
The loss of innocent lives in Iraq, men, women & children. Why?
Young men, salt of the earth from America, Britain and so many other countries being butchered, tortured, crippled. Why?
We have no idea what is really going on behind the scenes. However, I personally feel on the evidence I am aware of that going into Iraq in the first place was wrong. It has opened a 'Pandora's Box' and it is going to take some closing. It is quite obvious now that Saddam had to be a brutal and vicious leader to maintain peace in that part of the world. Perhaps it would make sense to release him, give him some backing to regain control, do a deal with him for the oil reserves and let him handle the insurgents.
I would have thought America would have learned a lesson from Vietnam, obviously not. We didn't help matters by supporting such an act of war against a country and despotic leader being no serious threat to our way of life.
I have five grandsons growing into life, I wouldn't want to think any one of them could be conscripted to fight in this scenario. Defend our country, yes, I would be amongst the first in line, but sticking our noses in other peoples back yards is ridiculous.
After 9/11 a heinous crime against innocent men, women and children. I supported and understood the inroads into Afghanistan. That movement should have been concentrated on until the Al Queda force was obliterated from the face of the earth. As it is, they are becoming stronger and obtaining more support from the atrocities of war which are highlighted by the media. I dread to think what the next major assault on the West may be.
The armed forces of America and Britain are operating on two fronts, which any fool knows is bad housekeeping.
I can accept good defence policies and the expenditure required to maintain the same, but hectoring along the lines we are witnessing is no way to create popularity in a very unsettled climate.
Raindrops are falling on my head
What about Brazil? Have you counted them out?
Munich doesn't really pull on your heart strings. The characters are too complex for that. Talk about Janus-like. The protagonist has two separate sides of his personality that just absolutely shouldn't make sense in the same person - but somehow they do.
I did some reading on the whole Palestine/Israel thing last night after watching that movie. I had always been vaguely pro-Israel, I think because I grew up with a lot of Jewish friends during a time and in a place where Zionism was really srongly advocated so I just naturally took that stance. But when I was watching the movie and reading about it last night - it surprised me how much I could see the Palestinian position as well. I'd just never been fully aware of the details and nuances of the whole situation before.
There was also a really interesting article in the Sunday Times magazine section about a Palestinian boy who was killed by an Israeli soldier and had five of his organs donated to Israeli's because he ultimately died in an Israeli hospital and the implications and repercussions of that. It was really thought provoking.
I can't answer the Iraq question. I have no idea why we're there. Release Sadaam and let him deal with the insurgents? Now there's some creative thinking. At this point - it makes about as much sense as anything else though.
Now let's see if I can post this. I've been experimenting a little bit. It's been a strange, strange day in a lot of different ways. But it is what it is and it will be what it will be- that's what my brother-in-law says all the time. And sometimes I think he's right.
Aidan, have you never given thought to sitting down on a bench and relating all to as many as wish to listen, a little like Forest Gump?
Hmmm, no, not really. I don't think it would work. I'm not nearly as endearing as Forrest Gump is.
How about you - have you ever thought about it?
And you didn't answer my question about Brazil. Mark my words - they'll be in the final four.
Aidan,
The reason I ignored your Brazil quip was simply basic common sense.
Women may join the viewing or actual crowd attendance, I have no objection to that. However, when it comes to talking about football there is an automatic exclusion zone, it's something like being amongst the higher echelons of the church of Rome. You can be a nun, but don't talk about the game. Unless of course you reach the exalted position of mother superior, then we could perhaps come to an arrangement.
Some Americans have the most annoying and irritating habit I have ever come across in my life thinking they know everything there is to know about subjects they are not even familiar with. Spendius is a prime example of an American in general on here, for whatever reason he finds himself lacking, he attempts to bolster up a self profile of a knowledgable person simply because he has read about it. He quotes from the pages of Wiz even. Football/soccer is not I am informed part of the school curriculum in the USA, I will stand being corrected on that statement if at all possible as I have not checked out the same personally.
You have this tendency to jump on board every subject under the sun like-wise, instead of sticking to what you know. Again, teachers in general are blessed with a desire to have others think they know it all.
It might help me and Doc Benwright if you let me know what it is you teach exactly.
Mathos - You can be such a pompous ass sometimes. I do know quite a lot about soccer, having watched all levels of games (including professional - I've seen Barcelona and Real Madrid play) for the past thirteen years. My son happens to be a pretty talented center midfielder (he also plays striker sometimes)- and he has played since he was five years old - usually on at least two teams per year (school and travel team), year-round- so I've probably sat through I don't know - I'd say at least three or four hundred games-not to mention countless practices and in the process have learned quite a lot about the sport. I even understand rules like offsides, and why they have penalty and corner kicks and stuff like that. Amazing, I know - but true.
I like Brazil because I like watching Ronaldinho play. He's an incredibly skillful ball handler and radiates intensity while at the same time appearing to be having a really good time out there. That's rare. Also impressive, he just broke the record for number goals in a world cup (unless that was Renaldo - I tend to confuse those two names, and maybe I just wanted it to be Ronaldinho. I think he's on a roll myself - but aside from all of that -I just like him. Maybe because he reminds me (around the eyes) of my daughter. And as I've said on another thread - I met Pele once and he was a nice guy. So I have this kind of fondness for Brazilian soccer in general. But whatever - I'd be happy if England won. I even have a little flag magnet on my car. So I'd be happy if either team won. I'd be less happy about Germany - I don't know why- I know that since they won today and have such momentum going that they've become kind of the odds on favorite- so I may be disappointed. But however it goes - it won't change my life in any way.
I've told you so many times what I teach. I'm tired of going into all of this over and over and over. You're going to believe what you want to believe and think whatever you want to think anyway- so what's the
point? Tell Dr. Benwright I'm a soccer coach. See what he can make out of that.
I'll be watching the game tomorrow- how about you?
I do not recall you ever informing me what or which subjects you teach, and to whom.
For all I know your interpretation of teaching could be running obedience courses for siamese cats with an infection of bird flu.
If you have ever mentioned it to me, I do not recall the issue, no more than I ever recall you telling me why you moved to England in the first place.
Obviously part of your condition revolves around denial.
Having read the tripe you wrote about football up above, I simply rest my case young lady. I rather think you should carry on watching the game if it gives you pleasure, but please keep your mouth shut about the same.
You should not even issue such a statement as you did without knowing who you are talking about, it's bloody ridiculous, but then again, some Americans and Spendius really do know all there is to know about everything.
You would make the perfect couple.
Don't even think of going there, and Brazil did you proud, 'clever clogs'
No, I mean it - that was a tough game to watch. I felt sad for those guys.
I didn't watch the Brazil game so I don't even know what the score was - did France deserve to win or was their win just a series of lucky breaks like it was for Portugal?
