Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

and just for you when the hamas leaders get older they leave gaza with there pots of money to a new life

I agree with the facts that you present, but do not agree with the strategy. You think war and killing solves the problem.

I think it will push Palestinians to revenge which, in turn, escalates the situation. THAT IS FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG.

People of that region are religious, so it is very easy to manipulate them by their leaders.

ahoj . I do not believe in murder .
take away the gun from a murderer and he is a lamb .
my views are simple tear down the borders and make the whole area a joint country
fre for all to move round and all treated the same .
it is ony the terrorists that will not .

Sometimes war is necessary.
Without looking at who is right or wrong in this conflict as I admit to knowing only the basics in this long standing tragedy, I do know that the Palestinians via Hamas regularly target civilians, whereas the Israelis target Hamas fighters.
I appreciate that there will always be collateral damage in any war (I agree collateral damage its a horrible term).

What I would say to those who blame Israel every time is this.
No matter how much negotiating goes on and how much Israel was to capitulate, there will always be the Jew haters that Hamas attract that will try their hardest to kill all Jews, just the same as there will always be Muslims who hate all none Muslims.
And before anyone points out that there are also those Jews who hate all none Jews and none Muslims who hate all Muslims, I agree, but my sole point is which side 'targets' civilians and which does not.
As to who started it, I don't care, as to go back to this question is to go back many hundreds and even thousands of years.

My one question to those who blame Israel for any retaliation is this.
What else can they do, just sit back and take it, because if they did not retaliate then Hamas would only increase their actions.

When its all said and done I think that Jose Mujica the president of Uruguay has the right idea....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20243493

Hi Shortie,

I have heard that he is being investigated for putting the food for his dogs on expenses.

From somewhere ..............

"The latest spat between Israel and its neighbours seemed to be of some importance in New York last night.

That may reflect a difference in sentiment between the UK and USA namely that the UK views Israel as the aggressor not Palestine."

answer needed

I have heard the "greekman" is not Greek not even Cypriot

Very good Greek, his views on consumption though are very well founded.

MJ - foreign office is traditionally pro-arab and us gov't traditionally pathetic when dealing with israel lest it upsets the jewish lobby in ny

Interesting prog on R4 atm Crossing Continents

The Mayor of Mogadishu

Andrew Harding meets the Mayor with the job of running Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. Can the man nicknamed "Tarzan" tackle mass corruption and the physical and psychological impact of years of brutal warfare?

Dave Lee Travis 'arrested in Jimmy Savile police inquiry'

Former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis has been arrested as part of the police probe set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, the BBC understands.

Police said a man in his 60s from Bedfordshire was being held on suspicion of sexual offences.

Majicjoe,

How dare you say, "I have heard the "greekman" is not Greek not even Cypriot" and yet you find and post a picture of my youngest son.
What an insult!

Apathy rules :- Police commissioner election results awaited

Counting is due to start after elections to select the first police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales.

In the first result of 41 police areas, the Conservative candidate was elected Wiltshire's PCC ahead of Labour after second preference votes were counted.

Meanwhile, Labour has held its seats in by-elections in both Manchester Central and Cardiff South and Penarth.

Labour are also hopeful of taking a seat from the Conservatives in Corby.

The first PCC elections look set to be mired in controversy amid reports of low turnout and deserted polling stations.

In Wiltshire, 81,477 people out of a total electorate of 520,000 voted - a turnout of 15.8%.

Britain’s first elected police and crime commissioner Angus Macpherson has admitted the general public did not know “what the job is or who the candidates were” as just 6.8 per cent of voters support him.

Nikkei jumps 2.2 pct to two-week closing high

It seems Japan is happy about the falls in the west. Even Hongkong has been doing well.

Have you ever thought about it? WHY?

War in Afghanistan has 'failed' and is 'not worth the life of one more soldier', says Paddy Ashdown
•'It is now crystal clear that we have lost in Afghanistan,' he said
•14 British troops have been murdered this year by Afghan police or army they helped train
•'Most deaths are not by the enemy in front of our troops, but by the enemy among them,' Lord Ashdown wrote in Times
•438 of Britain's armed forces have died in the 11-year conflict

•Withdrawal is due at end of 2014 but Lib Dem peer says it should be now

By Martin Robinson
yes get our men out .

My daughter just sent me this link :-

Injured hedgehog Bootsie gets his own purple footwear after being found with fractured front feet

ahoj - anything to do with the impending general election?

.