Vanhalen

Eh? What the hell did that sentence mean?

You dozy sod, havent you heard of the Warsaw pact?

I always thought Year Of Hell could have made a great Next Gen movie.

This just strikes me as a great way and decent way to pay tribute TV roll-call of US dead in Iraq A US TV news programme will dedicate an entire broadcast to a reading of the names of more than 500 American service personnel killed in action in Iraq. Presenter Ted Koppel will read the names of those who have died since the start of the war last year on Friday's edition of Nightline on ABC News. The reading will be accompanied by a photograph of each person named. ABC says the 30-minute programme, entitled The Fallen, is a way of illustrating the human cost of the war. Nightline executive producer Leroy Sievers said: "We realised that the casualties were on their way to becoming just numbers. "The Fallen is our way of reminding our viewers - whether they agree with the war or not - that beyond the casualty numbers, these men and women are serving in Iraq in our names, and that those who have been killed have names and faces." 'A tribute' The planned broadcast follows the controversial publication in the US last week of previously restricted photographs of the flag-draped coffins of dead soldiers being returned to the US. A Nightline spokeswoman said the broadcast was not related to the publication of the photographs, and there was no political intent behind it. "It is purely a tribute," she said, adding that Nightline had worked closely with the Army Times Publishing Company - which has a database of names and photographs of troops killed in action - in preparing the programme. Nightline says that because of time constraints, the reading will be limited to those killed in combat since March 2003 and will not include those who have died as a result of accidents, friendly fire or suicide - who number about 200. On-screen captions to accompany each the photographs of those named will record which branch of the military they served in, their rank and their age.

We need chris marsden and wayne bridge back, we are severly lacking on the left hand side, maybe if nice mr abramovich would give us back bridgey on a seaon long loan.......

Hey, David Prutton is a good player, suprised you let him go for so cheap?

Interesting piece in todays paper Sir Elton John has branded the public vote for TV musical talent show American Idol "incredibly racist". The UK star's comments follow the shock exit of black vocalist Jennifer Hudson, who was one of the favourites to win. "The three people I was really impressed with, and they just happened to be black, young female singers. "And they all seem to be landing in the bottom three," said Sir Elton at a news conference on Tuesday. Programme makers Fox Television declined to comment. Sir Elton, who was a guest judge on the show earlier this month, said Jennifer Hudson, La Toya London and Fantasia Barrino all had " great voices". Talented "The fact that they're constantly in the bottom three - and I don't want to set myself up here - but I find it incredibly racist." The show eliminates the contestant who gets the fewest votes each week. The Jennifer Hudson result prompted the show's host Ryan Seacrest to remind viewers that the series was a talent show, not a popularity contest. Jennifer Hudson had been one of the favourites "America, don't forget you have to vote for the talent. You cannot let talent like this slip through the cracks," he said at the end of last week's show.

Its strange, that everytime Eminem/D12 releases a single in the UK, they seem to have the worst timing ever, they have always released it when a strong selling single is also out, thats now seven consectutive number 2. placings that Em/D12 have ever got, whereas 50 Cent went straight to number 1, will he ever have a number 1 in the singles chart?

Yeah I asked the new mod too, seeing as it will be pre season for the 2004-2005 season soon, especially with euro 2004 this year.

For people who dont know, Maradona is one of the greatest footballers ever, basically dragging Argentina into winning the world cup, a true definition of a one man team, and scorer of the famous hand of god goal Diego Maradona is in an unstable condition in a Buenos Aires hospital with high blood pressure, breathing problems and a lung infection. His family doctor Alfredo Cahe said Maradona was in a critical condition, and denied the Argentina legend took a cocaine overdose. Maradona, who has been battling drug addiction for years, is being helped to breathe by a respiratory machine. Cahe added the next 24-48 hours would be crucial for the 43-year-old. Doctors at the private clinic were due to make a statement at 1600 BST. Maradona was admitted to the clinic with high blood pressure and respiratory failure just hours after seeing former side Boca Juniors play. It emerged later on Monday he had also developed a lung infection. "His condition is critical. He arrived at hospital in a serious state with breathing difficulty and a swollen heart. He was very feverish." Fans have been gathering outside the private clinic A statement by the Buenos Aires clinic described Maradona's condition as "unstable". It said: "Maradona is receiving medication to strengthen the heart. "As he has developed acute respiratory failure, he has been put on a ventilator and therefore is heavily sedated." Since being admitted to hospital on Sunday, Maradona has been visited by family and friends, including his ex-wife and their two children. Former Argentina coach Carlos Bilardo, his former agent Guillermo Coppola and ex-Argentina international Hector Enrique have also been to see the stricken star. Cristiana Sinagra, mother of his son Diego junior, said: "We expect him to heal as soon as possible. It's a tough moment but we're confident that he will he get better." Well-wishers crowded outside the clinic as news of Maradona's plight spread, forcing police officers to cordon off the entrance and hold back the crowd. One fan held aloft a photograph of Maradona in his playing prime, while a banner read "Diego, Argentina loves you". In 2000, in Uruguay, Maradona suffered a severe heart attack due to a cocaine overdose. He then began a long recovery treatment in Cuba, but since an overweight Maradona returned to Argentina, speculation and concern has grown over his health. Our South America correspondent Tim Vickery said Maradona's general health had been a concern for many years. "He was continuing to cast his shadow over the Argentine team," he said. "And what a stumpy shadow it has become. He's put on a lot of weight and when, hopefully, he recovers from this, he really does need to get his weight down. "He's putting a lot of pressure on a damaged heart." Maradona enjoyed a colourful 20-year footballing career, moving to Catalan giants Barcelona for £1.7m in 1982 after the World Cup in Spain. In 1984, he signed for Napoli for a then world record £4.1m and transformed a mediocre club into one of the best in Italy and with whom he won the scudetto. Now at the peak of his form, Maradona led Argentina to a 3-2 triumph over West Germany in the 1986 World Cup final. That goal in pictures: Relive Maradona's 1986 classic After leading Napoli to the Uefa Cup in 1989, Maradona again played for Argentina in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. But his displays were generally less effective than in 1986 and, although Argentina reached the final, West Germany's Lothar Matthaus was the star of the tournament and led his country to victory. In 1991, Maradona failed a dope test for cocaine and was banned for 15 months. Maradona performed in his fourth World Cup in the United States in 1994 but tested positive for a cocktail of drugs the day before he was due to make a record 22nd appearance in the tournament. In 2000, Maradona tied with Pele for the accolade of Fifa's best ever player. He has also been honoured with a musical about the ups and downs of his turbulent rags-to-riches life. And despite his well-publicised drug problems, Maradona still has a widespread fan club with 20,000 members as far afield as Vietnam and Iceland becoming members of the "Church of Maradona".

Personally I think you should put Niemi instead of Howard

Nice one for getting the job, as per a discussion we have been having in the football thread, could you rename the thread from the 1st division football thread, to English Football, 2004-2005 season, as this season is about to end in 2 weeks time, then everyone will be looking towards Euro 2004, then pre season.

Jeses, we just lost our chance at Europe in one fell swoop, still five wins out of seven games is pretty impressive for Sturrock, hopefully we can win one or two more and go out of the season on a high note, then prepare for the season where we have to deliver next season.

Liverpool can be so dire at times, I mean we did the double over them pretty easily this season, thats why I'm backing Newcastle.

Claudio Ranieri has launched a stinging attack on Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, saying the Russian "knows nothing about football". Ranieri was quoted by Spanish newspaper Marca as saying he will be sacked even if he wins the Champions League. "If he understood what my team did last season by qualifying for the Champions League without any money, he'd value me more," he said. "I'm convinced that even if I win the Champions League I will be sacked." Ranieri went on to accuse Abramovich of expecting instant success when he took over the club in July and spent over £110m on new players. "It was difficult signing so many players, to get them to gel on the pitch," said Ranieri. "Abramovich doesn't realise. He thinks 'I'm going to buy this player and that player and then I'm going to win'." That victory sparked suggestions that Abramovich might change his mind and keep faith with Ranieri. However, the Italian is still convinced he will be leaving Stamford Bridge in the summer. "I know I have Abramovich's sword embedded in me," he said.

Sory, it wasnt a knock on Norwich or anything like that, its just that inevitably every year, we see these bright eyed bushy tailed football clubs win promotion and they always severly underestimate just what a step up in class the premiership is, I know that sounds arrogant, but it just comes from experience, you have Man City who have players like Robbie Fowler and Anelka, Leeds who have one of the finest young strikers in the league, and they are struggling to stay up.

Basically everyones a bit pissed off over here, cos CBS showed a documentary with pictures of Princess Diana lying there with blood all over, and dying, did anyone watch it, and if so, what was it like? The brother of Diana, Princess of Wales says he was "shocked and sickened" by the broadcast of photographs of his dying sister on American television. The pictures, taken moments after the Paris car crash in which she died, were shown by US network CBS in a programme looking at the accident. Lord Spencer expressed his revulsion in a statement on behalf of the family. Former-palace spokesman Dicky Arbiter said it was "particularly bad taste" for CBS to run the pictures. 'Insensitivity' And Prime Minister Tony Blair deplored the action, saying it had caused "distress to her family". Mr Arbiter told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "It will be painful, painful for William and Harry. "They're going to have to live with this sort of thing for the rest of their lives." He added that he was surprised at an American television network running "this sort of picture". Clarence House, the residence of the Prince of Wales and his sons, has declined to comment on the broadcast. Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son Dodi also died in the 1997 crash, accused CBS of "insensitivity". Defending its decision to show the images CBS said: "These photocopies are placed in journalistic context - an examination of the medical treatment given to Princess Diana just after the crash - and are in no way graphic or exploitative" HAVE YOUR SAY It shows contempt for the feelings of the relatives Terry Emerson, London CBS said the images, which had not been broadcast before, were part of a 4,000-page French government report the broadcast recently obtained. 'Instantly recognisable' The US broadcaster said it had also obtained confidential documents relating to the crash. These reportedly include forensic analysis of the scene and vehicle, and post-mortem examination of the driver, Henri Paul. One of the pictures taken by paparazzi photographers at the scene - included in the official crash report - showed her head in the car. BBC Royal correspondent Peter Hunt said CBS showed the black and white images for just 15 seconds during the one-hour documentary. But, he said, Diana was "instantly recognisable" from a picture of the side of her head. The crash which killed Diana and Dodi was deemed an accident British newspapers had previously decided not to publish the photographs, he added, on the grounds of taste and decency. The programme also examined rumours that the Princess was pregnant when she died - a suggestion strongly denied by former royal coroner Dr John Burton, who was present at her post-mortem examination. Diana's former protection officer Ken Wharfe and Patrick Jephson, her chief of staff, were interviewed on the show. Mr Al Fayed accused CBS of cashing in on their deaths. He has never accepted the finding of the official report by the French that the crash was an accident. He said: "This was a crime - the murder of two innocent people. "CBS obviously doesn't care about the appalling effect of showing images of murder victims. They simply want to cash in on the tragedy. "It is disgraceful and insensitive of them to do this. It is devastating for me and for Prince William and Prince Harry." Mr Al Fayed has staged a lengthy legal battle against paparazzi photographers who were following Diana and Dodi for invasion of privacy. Diana's personal bodyguard, Trevor Rees Jones, was the sole survivor after their speeding Mercedes crashed in an underpass on the short trip from the Ritz Hotel to Mr Al Fayed's Paris apartment. The French inquiry in 1999 blamed Mr Paul, concluding he had taken a cocktail of drink and drugs and had been driving too fast.

Read it yesterday man, good stuff on there

Big Rons been fired!

Heres the million dollar question, can you survive, given that Delia Smith has akready said you wont be spending much money which is death in the premiership, its not 1995 anymore, the standard of football from top to bottom is exceptionally hard, just ask wolves

A series of bomb attacks in the Basra area of southern Iraq has killed at least 68 people and injured many more. The first blasts - apparently suicide bombings - occurred outside three police stations in Basra city centre during Wednesday's morning rush hour. Many of the dead and injured were children travelling in passing buses on their way to school. A fourth attack south of Basra is said to have killed three Iraqis and wounded five UK soldiers. Elsewhere in Iraq, the restive central city of Falluja has seen fresh clashes between insurgents and US troops. Meanwhile, the Danish foreign ministry says a Danish man kidnapped in Iraq last week has been found dead. Most of the victims in Basra died in what the mayor of the city described as suicide car bombings. Two police stations in the Ashar district and one in the Old City were hit in near-simultaneous attacks. A wounded Iraqi told Reuters news agency that he heard a huge explosion as he stood at the door of his house. "I looked around and saw my neighbour lying dead on the floor, torn apart," he said. "I saw a minibus full of children on fire - 15 of the 18 passengers were killed and three badly wounded." Condemnation At least 100 people are thought to have been wounded in the attacks targeting the British-controlled city. UK soldiers who tried to assist casualties were stoned by protesters who blamed the British for failing to provide security. Distraught Iraqis stoned coalition forces trying to help British officials do not think local Shias were responsible for the explosions, but blame them on "al-Qaeda type elements or former regime loyalists". Briefing reporters in London, one official said: "The Shias have broadly accepted the British presence in Basra and I do not think this has changed." Shortly after the Basra bombings, two car bombs hit a police academy in the town of Zubair, about 25km (16 miles) to the south. That attack killed three Iraqis and wounded five British soldiers - one of them seriously - a UK official said. The BBC's Dominic Hughes in Iraq says that although Iraqi police have been targeted by insurgents in the past, Basra had so far escaped major unrest. UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told reporters in London the insurgents would be defeated and that the transfer of power to Iraqis, scheduled for June, would not be affected. There is as yet no information about the perpetrators or a motive for the killing [of Danish citizen] Danish Foreign Ministry Missing Danish man dead Iraqi Interior Minister Samir al-Sumeidi said the attacks bore the "fingerprints" of those who carried out the bombings in Irbil and Karbala - in which hundreds died in February and March. US officials have blamed al-Qaeda-linked groups for these and other bombings in Iraq. Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said Italian troops will stay on after the Iraqi handover, to help improve security. Spain, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras have said they will withdraw their troops from the country. Falluja attack In Falluja, a city west of Baghdad held by Sunni militants, about 40 fighters attacked besieging US troops early on Wednesday. The gunmen struck in the north of the city, mounting a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. Explosions could be heard throughout Falluja as marines were put on high alert. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned on Tuesday that coalition troops would not wait indefinitely for gunmen to surrender in Falluja. He suggested the chance of a peaceful outcome was remote as militants were not involved in the negotiations.

Tony Blair says a referendum is to be held on the new European constitution following a "partially...successful campaign" by opponents of the treaty. For months the prime minister has denied the need for a vote, but on Tuesday he admitted it was time to "let people have a final say". He said enlargement of the EU from 15 states to 25 is "right for Europe and for Britain and this country should support it". The EU is set to enlarge on 1 May. A referendum on a constitution would be the first major gauge of public opinion on the EU since the 1975 referendum on whether Britain should stay in the Common Market. BBC political editor Andrew Marr said Mr Blair would be "very, very badly damaged" if he lost a referendum "and probably would have to stand down". But some pro-European campaigners believe it is a tactical decision to stop losing votes in the June European elections rather than a strategy for Britain's relationship with Europe. The draft constitution was drawn up last year but so far European Union leaders have failed to agree on the final details. They want to reach a deal by the end of June. The prime minister has previously said the vote was unnecessary because the treaty would not fundamentally alter Britain's relationship with the EU. Here is some of Mr.Blairs previous statements on the subject. May 2003 "I see no case for having a referendum on this, and indeed, in relation to many of the allegations made about the impact of the European convention, they are indeed scaremongering." Blair statement in House of Commons 17 October 2003 "There will not be a referendum. The reason is that the constitution does not fundamentally change the relationship between the EU and the UK." October 2003 "There is a proper place where this constitution can be debated. It is Parliament. It has to pass through both Houses of Parliament and I think it is preferable to do that than to have a situation, as I know some of the Conservatives and eurosceptics want, where we literally for the next few months in the country debate the intricacies of the constitution." Blair at EU summit in Brussels December 2003 "Let's wait and see what we get as to the European constitution." March 2004 "In any debate in the country the choice is absolutely fundamental: it is between those who want to renegotiate Britain's essential terms of entry and those who believe Britain's future lies in Europe. And I believe that is a debate we can and will win." April 2004 "Our policy has not changed and if there is any question of it changing I can assure you we will tell you."

A little funny story from the Sun Film director Quentin Tarantino had to do a retake of one spot in last week's American Idol because of his unexpected bad language. The show - on which Tarantino appeared as a guest judge - is normally broadcast live in America, but last week a presidential address meant that the episode had to be taped for broadcast the following day. A good job too, as Tarantino originally used some colourful language when critiquing Idol hopeful LaToya London. "I've got three words for you," he told her. "Power F***ing House." Producers were quick to ask him to do a retake, which is what viewers saw in the final cut. "I've got two words for you," he said in the aired version. "Power House."

Battle Royale:Special Edition region 2, plus I dont think its even been released in the US, its definetly worth picking up

I would love to see you argue this