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["the road" by Cormac McCarthy]

Just finished "the road" by Cormac McCarthy. A brilliant book but very very sad.

think its been mentioned a few times before, but rightly so, a really brilliant book

Has anyone read any of the Bill Bryson books? I bought "The life and times of the thunderbolt kid" today for a bit of light reading on the plane tomorrow as im heading to Disneyland Paris. Anyone read it?

read 'down under' by bill bryson, great read & very funny

[Alex Ferguson and Rafael Benitez at loggerheads over spendingSir Alex Ferguson]

thought this was interesting

Alex Ferguson and Rafael Benitez at loggerheads over spending
Sir Alex Ferguson



Sir Alex Ferguson claims Liverpool have spent more money over the past five seasons than Manchester United
James Ducker

Rafael Benítez has hit back at Sir Alex Ferguson and told him to "check his figures" after the Manchester United manager dismissed his Liverpool counterpart's claims that the Merseyside club have spent less money than the Barclays Premier League champions over the past five years.

Ferguson claimed yesterday that Liverpool were "well ahead of us in spending in the last five years", but the statistics appear to support Benítez. United's gross spending since June 2004, when the Spaniard arrived at Anfield, totals £221.95 million compared with £212.6 million by Liverpool. Ferguson's net spending over that period is £147.90 million compared with Benítez's £111.39 million.

The row marks the latest chapter in the escalating tension between the pair, whose rivalry is fast becoming the fiercest in English football. Ferguson branded Benítez "disturbed" after the Liverpool manager accused him in January of wielding an unfair influence over referees during a calculated attack, and on the eve of United's 4-1 defeat by Liverpool at Old Trafford a week ago Ferguson resumed the spat by claiming that he would need to "read up on Freud" to make sense of the Spaniard's remarks.

"Check the figures," Benítez said. "It doesn't matter what Ferguson says about money. They [liverpool] have more money and can spend more than us, so we have to manage and do our best in every single deal."

Ferguson had sparked the debate when he claimed that he had instructed United's staff to survey the statistics after growing tired of listening to Benítez reiterating that Liverpool had spent less. "I was amazed when I saw that []," Ferguson said. "I talked to some of the people in the sports technology department and said, 'Check that out.'

"I am sure I have not spent that much money. I worked out in the last five years that Liverpool have spent £24 million more than Manchester United. The most amazing fact about them is that they have used 60 players in the reserves this season."

Ferguson is under no illusions, though, that Benítez will spend big in the summer after signing a new five-year contract. As revealed by The Times yesterday, he is expected to have at least £30 million plus whatever he can recoup in sales to spend.

"You will see Rafa produce an incredible spending spree — that is an absolute certainty now he has signed a new contract," the United manager said. "They talk of a recession, but there will not be one at Liverpool."

Ferguson is more concerned about returning to winning ways away to Fulham in the league this afternoon, however, and believes that the embarrassing defeat by Liverpool last weekend could serve as a wake-up call to his players, whom he fears were becoming distracted by all the talk of an unprecedented quintuple.

Jonny Evans, the defender, will replace Nemanja Vidic, who is suspended after being sent off against Liverpool, and Gary Neville, the captain, is available after injury.

"The club has to recover from a defeat and travelling away to Fulham represents a good challenge," Ferguson said. "It is hard to defend a 4-1 defeat. We suffered from self-inflicted wounds and mistakes you don't expect. For weeks we had to listen to eulogies and compliments about how good this side of ours was. I kept deflecting that and saying how tough this league was and this \ was just a reminder to us. In a way, it will help us because we realise there is a lot of work to be done. You have to answer tough questions every time Manchester United lose a game. There were no lives lost last week."

Facts in figures

£221.95m: Manchester United's gross spend on transfers (£147.90 million net) since June 2004, when Rafael Benítez was appointed Liverpool manager, up to and including January 2009 transfer window

£212.60m: Liverpool's spending (£111.39 million net) during same period

Tyrone will never produce a player of Spillanes genius. I think this frustrates Harte as all his systems and "innovations"    cant make a silk purse from a sow's ear

yeah he has to make do with making 3 allirelands from a sows ear
have you ever heard of peter canavan MS?

Wales 18, Ireland 22.

yeah shouldnt be far away, although could be something like 9-6 in a bloodbath either!

if your refering to irelands call being sung in english, it isnt the national anthem yogi, so you cant really say that, the actual national anthem is sung in irish

i know its nearly impossible to list your top 3 of all time,(for me anyway as they constantly change), But what are the top 3 albums you are listening to at the minute?Hoping to discover some new stuff through this

At the minute, i am mostly listening to:

In rainbows-  Radiohead -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxvTOxeeFSA
for emma, forever ago- Bon Iver -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62i9Sodwp5o
into the wild- Eddie Vedder -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWgxntibBtE

[Jail for Halloween mask slasher]

What a w**k*r.



Jail for Halloween mask slasher 

A man who wore a Halloween mask while slashing two people in random street attacks in Glasgow has been jailed for five years and three months.

Craig Harvey, 23, admitted assaulting both men to their severe injury and permanent disfigurement during the attacks in Shettleston last October.

The High Court in Kilmarnock heard he committed the offences while on bail.

Judge Lady Dorrian also ordered Harvey to be supervised for four years after his release.

The court heard how he approached 17-year-old Jonathan Gallagher in Shettleston while he was wearing a white Halloween mask with a hood.

He pulled off the mask and slashed the teenager across the head before fleeing.

Minutes later, he attacked Kevin Paton, 31, as his 10-year-old daughter watched.

Harvey was arrested after being captured on CCTV wearing the mask on top of his head.

the sentence is the thing that made me go WTF, he'll be out in half that probably, for such a serious offense by someone thats already on bail, for no particlar reason, its not near enough

Is Q101 covering the game tonight?

what game is on 2nite? Sent from my blackberry wireless mobile

don't talk sh*te dd12, as if you can use a blackberry

cassidy was injured, but should make a return this week

its a great job, i use it at work all the time.bit like on demand radio, but you can save playlists aswell.the free version is fine, you just have to listen to and add every so often, maybe 15mins or so, but thats it.
great way to hear new stuff to as it gives you some alternative artsits for what you are listening to

do you need to have seen the first series before you watch the second one?my brother has the second series on dvd, but dunno if i should watch it untill i get to see the first one

wouldnt mind gettin to a ice hockey game but

There's a whist drive on that weekend, probably better than this ice hockey of which you speak- see if you can also time it so the world marbles team finals are on

take it your not a ice hokey fan then heg!
always like to get to different sports even if i'm not a big fan of them
(altough i couldnt bring myself to go to cricket when i lived in melbourne even though the MCG was just in the road!)

cheers lads,
trying to see if i can swing 3 weeks off work for the trip as dont think 2 would be enough.
will prob fly into toronto for bout 3/4 days then on to niagra for maybe a nite and then  new york and spend the rest of the time there and then home from there.
never been a big fan of baseball, but i like going to pretty much any big sporting events, so might give it a go.wouldnt mind gettin to a ice hockey game but

was considering booking a holiday to new york and Toronto  for the summer,driving between them to see niagra falls.anyone ever do this , have any idea how long it takes? How long would you need to spend in new york or toronto to see the main sights?

this from one of the best ever irish bands, the frames

glen hansard-what happens when the heart just stops

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NC8ajv9