More like the police were busy negotiating a price for leaking the story ....... I doubt there's anything in this . Why does somebody like Ronaldo have to rape when there's hundreds who'd give it him on a plate ? Especially as he's such a big boy judging by AESF's picture .....

The first paragraph is irrelevant if we're considering the legalisation of all drugs - nobody is disputing that there are differing levels of harmful substances . The second paragraph (edited) is just plain ridiculous . What would you prefer your kids to take on a night out , a few cigs and a couple of pints of bitter , or heroin and crack - however they are packaged and put into the body ? Making something socially acceptable doen't make it safe - hence your point about alcohol. Your third paragraph is just plain naive , youthful wishful thinking . Hard drugs are hard drugs however they are packaged and ingested . If they're not having the desired effect then the "consumer" will find some that are - that's what they want FFS . If the Gov't water the package down (call it making drugs purer or safer , whatever ...) they'll turn back to illegal supplies . As for your point that too much of the present gear is "sub-standard" - full of brick dust as you put it - well , that's not in the pushers interests (even they have to adhere to market principles and keep the customer satisfied ) The implication also there is that somehow if the Gov't gets involved the consumer will be able to take hard drugs , get a sufficient kick out of it as they do at present , but yet suffer no serious long or short term damage . Naive to the point of stupidity .... There may be an argument to make soft drugs more readily available but no sensible adult who gives a damn for impressionable kids should extend that to the hard stuff simply because the government hasn't the resolve or guts to tackle the present problem . Kids should be educated and protected not have their own Gov't collude into making them drug induced wasters. What next - a bill to encourage binge drinking ......

Oh ? Do the yanks stick them in solitary and force them to go cold turkey 'til they're clean ? How many drug dealers have they executed ? Your idea of draconian falls within the bounds of the present parties' liberal concensus , Flops - mine doesn't !

But he didn't join in , Flops . Read the bloody post !!

Maybe yours would change if some faceless civil servant started plying your kids (if you have any) with heroin . Still , at least some of the profit they'd make would go trying to get them off it again .......Seems a bit illogical really .

....and one more point that I've never had a decent reply from the pro drug debate . How , in this litigious age , will the Government and the suppliers of heroin , crack etc get away with selling drugs that quite clearly are vastly more addictive than alcohol and consequently cause far greater damage to the individuals ? The human rights lawyers would have a field day - especially as the very same gov't (presumably) are trying to ban cigs because they are "dangerous" .... A better way of dealing with the problem of our citizens having their lives blighted is for more draconian attitude to those who deal in hard drugs . Rather than threaten them with gaol , let's double or triple the sentences they presently get . Rather than stick them in comfy prisons where drugs are freely available , stick them in solitary and force them to go cold turkey . The prison population might go up temporarily - I'd bet it wouldn't stay high for long . One things for certain - our young citizens don't deserve to be just written off by our own Government , and they definitely don't deserve for the Gov't to make a profit out of the whole enterprise .

The most ludicrous defence of legalising drugs that I've ever heard . Get rid of one dangerous substance and replace it with a whole variety of far more dangerous substances .....and all with the aim of keeping the revenue coffers full ??? Good grief , Flops , you've excelled yourself

So let's make all drugs legal , have our youth die from heroin and crack , and allow our caring government to profit from the whole business . *sigh* - the good old days to come eh ?

All our yesterdays ....

What do we pay Brad for ?

....er...are we allowed to call Dunny a fat ba£tard ......or might it upset him ?

The fact of the matter is , FLB , that Cissy DIDN'T have his bloody leg amputated . He had it broken just as footballers do sometimes . It's an occupational hazard and it's not life threatening . If the soft bugger got a bit upset and similarly if the soft sods who post on here get self righteously upset about a bit of harmless mockery then they really should start thinking about taking up watching netball . Nothing personal , FLB . I just think it's all much ado about nothing and definitely won't lead to a revival of Hitlerism ....

Well said . The more I read threads like this the more I realise how totally unrepresentative this forum is of the average footy fan . Not a criticism , just an observation .

Why not save the valuable time of our overworked hospital staff and have the stuff dispensed at the local graveyard ?

These things run in cycles - always have done . What our American and many scientists (including our own David Bellamy I believe ) dispute is what the impact of our modern way of living has to do with it all . Maybe a lot , maybe virtually nothing ...... Do you drive a car Colin ? Or go abroad on airplanes ? If so , you and others like you should look to themselves before blaming Bush and the bad ol' US of A ..... PS - I wonder who got all the blame in past centuries ..

Was it not the case that the boos were for Ericsson's decision to bring off Wright Phillips rather than for bringing Crouch on as such ? (if you get my drift) It's fair to say that Crouch shouldn't be near the squad but then again that's not his fault the manager picked him . It seems to me that if he's on the pitch the temptation will always to be to float the high ball up to him . Not good enogh at this level . As for Wright- Phillips - I'm not sure he's the wonder people think he is ; a lot of good running but nothing like the required quality when it comes to the final ball . Pity he's at Chelsea , he may not the chance too often to improve to the high standard necessary for us to win the World Cup .

LOL . I wonder if there's a Blyth Helots for a local derby .....

Britain Utd we could call it ..... Over to you , Theno ......

Sounds like the average Rovers fan to me , Scotty ...

It seems illogical to axe Ferdinand on the grounds of dodgy recent form and then call up Crouch who hasn't scored since God knows when . I hope for Sven's sake he doesn't miss a few howlers ...

The best way he could do that is by playing regular . Preston are a bit skint and would surely welcome him if they have to sell in the forseeable....

Well how about limiting price cuts to kids then , a la Wigan - in all areas of the ground for all matches irrespective of the opposition ? If Williams can't come up with a few ploys to get kids interested he should make way for someone with a greater imagination .

....and then India as well , Billy . I somehow think that the emerging nations , though , won't face the same criticism from the lefty liberals that the US has to put up with .

I wouldn't trust anyone who feels the need to have a tattoo but that's beside the point ...... Virtually all politicians will compromise to get power and work within the system but I wouldn't say that all their youthful beliefs have been left behind . If Charles Clarke , Straw et al were all commies well into their 20's I find it hard to believe that they came into Gov't without any malice toward the "upper" classes . That's just my belief , of course .... Blair differs from them all obviously ; he doesn't believe in anything .

It might have escaped your attention Col (easily done at the late hour of your posting , granted ) , that I wasn't talking about the 1.6 mill applications to renovate the garden shed - but to the high policy decisions (made after due consideration of the "advice"* from various bodies of course ) taken by the Deputy PM , Mr John Prescott , as to where the MAJOR building developments over the course of decades are to be constructed . THIS LINK (and others within) from one of your favourite publications might enlighten you a little . * Glad you underlined the word "advice" - politicians are notorious for ignoring it in favour of prejudices ...