14 August 2009

Daily Chat 14/08/09

Meteorites like Missouri in August. In 1846, a 2.3 kg meteorite landed near Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In 1921, Tannu Tuva became independent from the Soviet Union. Rainy Bethea was the last person to be publicly executed in the United States in 1936. British troops were deployed to Northern Ireland in 1969. Lech Welesa led strikes in the shipyards of Gdansk in 1980 and in 1994, the terrorist known as Carlos the Jackal was captured. Celebrating birthdays today: Lina Wertmüller, Trevor Bannister, David Crosby, Steve Martin, Wim Wenders, Sarah Brightman and Halle Berry. It is Independence Day in Pakistan.


103 comments:

  1. From deceased thread:

    "Interesting stuff BW. And welcome back Scherf - where you been??"

    I still cant get over Cath Elliott being a massive LoTR dweeb. She got the statues too. She's done a number on me here.

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  2. Meteorites seem not to obey the natural laws of the Universe. The chaos theory also seems to be confirmed by these attacks on our planet - and others of course - due to whoever knows what agents. Why meteors fracture and send their offspring to molest us is something that sets our hairs on end and curdles our blood.

    By the way is there any news of damages to human beings or animals caused by these meteorites? Anybody knows?

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  3. Morning, Jay. The statues surprised me too, although I've always thought Cath was a dark horse...

    I wish you (?) hadn't started that LotR thing by the way. I've downloaded the radio dramatization now and won't be able to stop listening until it's finished. Still, maybe I'll learn multi-tasking...

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  4. Hey , Pixie, that book I mentioned- not 'The Illusionist' but 'the Impressionist' by Hari Kunzru- really good book, highly reccomended...

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  5. elementary_watson14 August, 2009 10:19

    Is millytante reading here? Just a little bit of time after it was discussed here that using "absolutely" instead of "I agree", she does so on the "porn for women" thread.

    I smell something fishy, and it's not Baldrick's cooking.

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  6. Martillo

    Was it me who started the LOTR dweebathon? I cant even remember now. Cath certainly is a dark horse, i really never would have guessed it. It seems quite a hit with plenty of our resident fems. Perhaps the F Word or someone could investigate. I might email them now actually.

    Where did you get the radio stuff from, and how many hours is it?

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  7. I have emailed the F Word and asked them to investigate. Im going to suggest it on CIF waddya.

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  8. Don't worry Jay, I think it was Swifty discussing his plans to reread LotR for the 29th time that unlocked this pandora's box. (Not that the rest of you didn't pick it up and run and run and run with the ****er.) For the first time ever, and I may be flamed for saying this, I see the sense in closing a subject after a suitable period of discussion has elapsed.....

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  9. "For the first time ever, and I may be flamed for saying this, I see the sense in closing a subject after a suitable period of discussion has elapsed....."

    *vehemently directs flames at Vari*

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  10. I've just checked, the first to mention Tolkien was..... Fencewalker. Swifty then finished the job.

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  11. I'm such a dweeb that when we visited Tintagel a few years ago and I found myself leading my family across a scary (I hate heights!) wooden and rope bridge that joins two hills, overcome by an overwhelming urge I stopped in the middle and yelled "You shall not pass!" in the deepest throatiest voice I could muster.

    I turned around to find my kids in hysterics, and a bunch of random strangers looking at me as if they thought I'd gone completely insane.

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  12. Yes, that's quite enough hobbit talk. There must be specialised sites for all you lot in your mithril anoraks. Give us a fucking break...

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  13. The random strangers were obviously quite right, Cath.

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  14. Why are there little dustbins by my posts? Have they been put there by hobbits?

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  15. "mithril anoraks" *snort*

    But, Dan, what other topic is so endlessly fascinating?

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  16. Oh, I SEE. They're for me to delete my own posts. Which is crazy. I want to delete all the LOTR posts, obviously...

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  17. I'm surprised that others are surprised that Cath has depths! I think that when you find yourself disagreeing with what someone is saying but still like & respect the person challenging your position it indicates someone out of the ordinary - even if they collect LOTR statues!

    Tintagel - we were there 8 years ago magic place.

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  18. I want to hear more, Cath, I want a whole article. Magnificent. Though i think i can better it. I have an admission to make.

    I spent over 300 hours playing the Lord of the Rings Online game.

    There. I've said it. The game is actually so big that only got me to the point where they arrive in Rivendell. 3 months of my social life wiped out. It was then i realised that there is an acceptable level of dweebiness, and i had totally violated that line. So i stopped, and started spending much of my evenings talking to these reprobates (only a mild improvement, im sure you'll agree). But with all this talk of LOTR, i may have to re-enter the fray. Very troubling.

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  19. @Jay:

    Talking about computer gaming, how's the war in Chernarus going? Team Razor still sucking like an open chest wound?

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  20. OK then, Thauma,how about this:
    Has anyone experienced weird and fundamental changes in their lives between the lunar eclipse back in early June and the solar eclipse on July 23rd? This has been an auspicious time for life changes and I've been going through some really major stuff lately. AND during this period after the solar eclipse 'things that have been hidden will become visible'

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  21. Oh god, Jay, that's really S.A.D.

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  22. There is this thing called 'real life', you know?

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  23. Swifty - its still very much a sore spot. I havent been back, wait for all the patches to come out I think. I fear going back, I was humbled and humiliated.

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  24. @Dan:

    Has anyone experienced weird and fundamental changes in their lives between the lunar eclipse back in early June and the solar eclipse on July 23rd?

    Funny you should say that... nope.

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  25. Dan

    Er ... no.

    D'you reckon my missing sock will turn up?

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  26. Dan, you're absolutely right, its literally about as sad as sad gets. Its the pinnacle of sadness. It was the winter though, not much to do and very little money. Thats about as good an excuse as i have.

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  27. @Jay:

    Remember some easy rules. Cover offers concealment but not all concealment offers cover (you can get shot hiding in a bush). Keep moving. Be aggressive but don't risk yourself unnecessarily. Get the most firepower down on the target that you can. Attack from the flanks, or where your enemy least expects you to be. Reconnaissance is time well spent. Etc etc etc.

    Nice and easy does it.

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  28. Oh jay - listen to Leonard please!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6W1hWdmKZo

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  29. Swifty - I was frequently "on the ground before i heard the shot", so to speak. Its ridiculously hard. I didnt have a clue what was going on most of the time. It was like sending out a tubby 12 year old to brawl with Johan Lomu and Mike Tyson. It was a massacre, repeated massacres.

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  30. Edwin, i cant listen while I'm "working". My manager hates me as it is (got a new boss, not going well).

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  31. @Jay:

    Don't be apologising for playing computer games. When they're good, they're as immersive as any book or film.

    I love computer games. Never had much time to play them back in the day but I play them quite a bit now - in fact I might fire up ArmA now, as it goes.

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  32. I love em too, Swifty, but i can appreciate how mind numbing it must be for others to listen to. I think Dans at breaking point, and i suspect monkeyfish is struggling. And if Kiz was here, jesus, teapot action would ensue....

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  33. @Jay:

    I was frequently "on the ground before i heard the shot", so to speak

    Hmm. Well, "run and gun" doesn't work in ArmA, that's for sure. You maybe need to be a bit more aware of where your cover is, and where the baddies are at. ArmA's fairly open-ended, at least the first game is - don't feel you need to use the objectives as the key element in your plan - the maps are normally big enough to allow plenty of manoeuvre around the battlefield. If the direct approach isn't working, leg it, have a think and re-work the plan.

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  34. Martillo - where did you download the radio thing? Is it as ridiculously expensive as the CDs?

    Cath's Bridge at Khazad Dum impression made my day.

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  35. @Jay:

    but i can appreciate how mind numbing it must be for others to listen to

    Yeah, good point. Apologies all, I'm away to do some blowing-shit-up type-stuff, laters.

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  36. Does this mean "The Secret Fire" is feminism?

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  37. Swifty - i emailed you, to save the tears of boredom of our fellow UTers.

    Fencewalker - yeah, caths story is an absolute classic. She really is a dark horse.

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  38. Look what you've done, Dan. Killed the orcs and the chat in one fell swoop!

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  39. He crapped on my mojo, thats for sure. I want to hear about Julie Bindel making her own Mithril and Bidisha making a full scale model of helmsdeep. I want to know how far into the belly of feminism this brilliant dweebness really goes.

    No word back from the F Word as yet. Perhaps sending a message from "JayReilly" isnt the best way to get a response from them.

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  40. Yeah, well, that's cos I'm omnipotent (and I got a big sword)
    And dead orcs are better than live ones, right, Thauma?

    Anyone else here a Deepak Chopra fan?

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  41. Well, I hope you've washed your mojo off - that sounds very unsanitary.

    Bunting's working on an article about women who unleash their inner Eowyns.

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  42. "Bunting's working on an article about women who unleash their inner Eowyns."

    lol, i look forward to it. I really didnt like Eowyn in the film though, she's plain and unconvincing. In the book Eowyn is much better, she wasnt done justice.

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  43. Yeah, I always thought it was a shame she never got to shag Aragorn.

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  44. Eowyn and feminism: the crucial issue here is that 'no living man may hinder' the head honcho Ringwraith. And although that might mean that a hobbit, dwarf or elf could kill him, it was Eowyn who stepped up - "You look upon a woman", she cries and promptly stabs him in the face. Now if that's not feminism, I dunno what is.

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  45. Who'd have Eowyn when you could have Arwen? Much fitter.

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  46. Anonymous - yes, indeed. The article practically writes itself.

    Jay, Arwen is boring. And please cite chapter and verse in the holy book where it is explained that she's 'fitter'. Did not Eowyn ride and fight with the Rohirrim? What was Arwen doing, polishing her nails?

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  47. Arwen is boring
    ... and I might add that you run the risk of your children looking like her father and that's a face that could send Sauron himself cowering behind the sofa.

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  48. Dan, hobbit slayer14 August, 2009 13:16

    Gordon fucking Bennett- this is THE THIRD DAY of hobbits- Why don't you set up a special nerdy hobbit site, Jay, where you can all go and gratify your elvish fantasies in private?
    Unleash your inner Eowyns into a Kleenex...

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  49. We tried talking about something else, but it didn't work!

    Er ... no, rugby's not allowed. Besides, not much to discuss at the mo.

    Um ...

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  50. Not a bad idea, Dan, i do feel bad for subjecting normal people to this drivel, I just cant help myself.

    It may not be in the book, but its a given that Arwen is fitter. She's Elven, they are supreme physical beings. Eowyn is a grubby stable girl. Though she's quality in the book, a feisty little thing, i just dont think the actress in the films portrays that very well at all.

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  51. Should we make a new thread for "hobbit talk"? I think we are in danger of killing the UT with our nonsense. Though i think we are nearly done, in all honesty.

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  52. Well, over on CiF there's Mrs Denis McShane wanting to ban everything again, and page after page of Republican sock puppets on the "The NHS Is The Work Of Satan" threads.

    I think I upset them by suggesting they go fuck themselves.

    By 'suggest' I mean told.

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  53. The elven princess sounds a bit high maintenance to me, Jay. Give me the grubby stable girl any day of the week.

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  54. Thats a very fair comment, Lord. An actual princess would be horrific.

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  55. elementary_watson14 August, 2009 13:33

    thauma: Yeah, Bindel, but a little disappointing none the less.

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  56. I bet we can derail the thread somehow. ;-)

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  57. What a poor, poor article from Bindy. I hope Monbiot gives her the Blears treatment.

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  58. Viking71's done a pretty good job of it.

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  59. Crap article. Nice to know that when she's not hating men she can talk just as much nonsense on other subjects.

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  60. LotR downloaded from Bittorrent. I think it's about 20 hours or so...

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  61. Fucking hell, Jay, ArmA's fun. I keep forgetting just how much fun it is.

    Just set up and played through a brilliant little crossroads meeting engagement, OPFOR were the naughty Russians, BLUFOR a 7 man Rifles recon patrol, set in Bosnia 1996. No arty, no air, no tanks - just PBI.

    Brilliant fun. Swifty 5.5 - Ivan 0.5. I'm going to play as Ivan next time round.

    In fact, I'm going to do it now. See y'all.

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  62. You need to buy the sequel, Swifty, you'll see what i mean!

    got an answer from Jess Mcabe at the F word. And guess what. She's a LOTR geek too! There's something in this, i can sense it. Its too much to be coincidence. Perhaps i could do a thesis on it, a doctorate in Womens Studies looking at the feminist attraction to middle earth.

    20 hours martillo? Gruelling.

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  63. Oh FFS enough with the Hobbits already!

    The Thundercats could kick their ars*s any day of the week anyway...............

    and with that runs away to play with 100% ethanol, much safer..............

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  64. You're allowed to take the odd break, Jay.

    I can't believe Cif continues to use the crass ramblings of Julie Bindel. I'd assumed the feminist issues she usually deals with had blinded her to any kind of deep thought, but she's just as depressingly thick on any subject. I mean 'posh people'!!

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  65. I also really like the fact that its only women who need to buy groceries, and when they do, they are likely to be 'working class'/downtrodden and pushing a buggy.

    Seems to me that she is the sexist one.

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  66. Bindel, sexist? You beast, Vari.

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  67. elementary_watson14 August, 2009 15:38

    Bindel is certainly not sexist. If anything, she likes women *more* than men.

    Dictionary? What dictionary?

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  68. Sorry Jay, just received my diploma in 'stating the bleeding obvious', can't help showing off....

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  69. I wonder if Monbiot will respond like he did with Blears. I really hope so.

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  70. I wonder if Monbiot will respond like he did with Blears.

    It'd be like Godzilla vs Megalon!

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  71. Well instead of more rhetoric, I would like to see them both put in a locked room with a set of the weapons from Cluedo. It can only be a win win result.

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  72. Yep, a sound suggestion, Vari, very sound indeed.

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  73. Nearly time for the off, a sunny summers night, suggest everyone takes themself off to a beer garden for a couple of hours.....

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  74. I gotta do essay, extremely irritating...

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  75. Fuck what a day. Two days' work in one, and no kidding. Gig to do now, might be back after one if anyone fancies ripping it up a bit later.

    NB
    What do you call a lead guitarist with Dementia Tremens ?
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    Les Palsy !

    Laters

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  76. Jay
    An Essay ?
    On Fiday NIGHT ? FFS !
    Sort it out dude.

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  77. BW, yeah, may postpone it i think.

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  78. So what are these essays about, Jay? Do tell, I'm really curious...

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  79. its economics, Dan, though this one is quite interesting, on the merits of international trade for developing countries. Though of course being economics, its a little frustrating to hear how wonderful it is for these countries "in theory".

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  80. Yo, Bitterweed -- remember I'm 6 hours behind, so give me a heads-up if you're up for some late night YouTubing. Sprog's on his way to Texas with the grandparents -- maybe I should go buy some cider.

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  81. What do you think of Peter Schiff and his gloomy forecasts about the dollar- he seems pretty convincing to me. Is the US heading for hyper-inflation like pre war Germany?
    I know practically nothing about economics myself but it seems all these stimulus packages have made the rich guys even richer and the poor are losing out at a faster rate than ever and meantime the dollar is steadily losing value.
    Sorry, I know this is really dull and you'd all rather talk about hobbits...

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  82. Nice to see the inclusion of women's boxing in the olympics is causing hysteria over at the guardian.
    Almost provoked me to comment.....

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  83. 'This is Hobbitrefugeespot Land?'

    posed the troll

    'incisive, deeply analytical and stimulating......'

    PS

    'Why did Tolkein pick the number 9 for the group of Nazgul?'

    posed the cynic

    'sorry to raise the issue.... its becoming a bit of a hobbit'

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  84. ''Undermining Sexism: Women's boxing and including Male input in decision over abortion?''

    'Wonder if they'll include male choice in the decision over abortion................'

    posed the cynic

    'because the exclusion of a MALE voice, and also any proxy for the foetus, is of course FACILITATING CHOICE isn't it?'

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  85. There is a 1923 German cartoon in the current TLS showing two female boxers, one of whom has knocked the other to the floor. JC notes that the women in the audience are enjoying the fight, while one gazes with adoration at the victor.

    All rather creepy - let's stick to hobbits.

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  86. Economics, the dismal science. If you ask 10 economists what will happen you'll get 10 different answers. So I dont know really, Dan, I havent been reading much economic news the last few months, all got a little depressing.

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  87. A bit like paleontology. Ask 10 paleontologists the same question you'll get 10 different answers. But unlike the answers of economists, they'll all be interesting ;O)

    CiF appears full of part-time feminists who think it awful that women's football and cricket are treated like the poor cousins of their men's counterparts. I wonder though, if they ever actually watch these sports themselves when they're on TV. It strikes me that if all those who claim to enjoy them actually did, they'd not be poor counterparts to anything. I say this as someone who watched all of the last women's football World Cup .. which is probably a lot more than Joan Smith did.

    Right, having said that ... where's me pineapple?

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  88. LordS --

    American lesbians seem to really, really like women's basketball, but unfortunately for the WNBA there aren't enough lesbians in the US to make it profitable.

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  89. Sorry MW !
    Back from gig now, got guests though, will cehck back in a bit...

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  90. There are never enough lesbians, Montana ;O)

    Seriously, that may be a similar situation to the women's soccer (i.e. real football) scene over here. Had some friends a while back who played, quite a few gay players and they really loved the game and knew their stuff, but there's no doubt that the market is limited. A pity because there was a lot of raw talent on display. Not just good players but some who really looked as though they could play big time given the chance.

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  91. I'm sure this is part of my being a victim of the patriarchy and all, but I just don't enjoy women's sports as much -- and it really doesn't have much to do with the ogling hot guys aspect of it, either. Just never seems as good, somehow. I've never seen women's football, though.

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  92. I know what you mean. I wouldn't claim women's football is as good as men's football, that would be the most patronising of lies. But that's not to say it couldn't be given the chance. The average male goalkeeper is about 6ft 4 ins, the average female goalkeeper is a good eight to ten inches shorter ... it doesn't do much for their chances of making a save in the same goal area that a man plays in.

    Make the goals proportionately smaller, perhaps make the pitch a bit smaller too (subject to approval, the female players might have cause to claim to be every bit as capable of covering the same area as the blokes for 90 mins) and I see no reason why the game can't be as entertaining as it's male equivalent.

    The game's mainly about skill with the ball. Anyone can acquire that if they start early enough.

    Anyway, enough of my football promotion.

    I'm off to bed. I've a leg of lamb in the slow cooker with half a bottle of wine. Unfortunately I've drunk the other bottle and a half ;-)

    Nighty-night!

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  93. You coming back any time soon, Bitterweed? Don't know what you'll be in the mood for but, try this.

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  94. MW
    beautiful ! Still got guests so back in a bit.

    Thank you

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  95. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_S9OQtI8gA

    Great..

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  96. Wild is the wind....

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT__JxncHEs


    xxx

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  97. Poop. Starting a new thread, BW.

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  98. The original...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90u1IV4dw8o&feature=fvw

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  99. Here's some more loveley

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA20Z_6H4v4

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