-matthEw-

We used to play 7s did we not? And I can't remember it ever being much more than a 5, even if we weren't booking as students. I think I'd be able to book online using my brother's memebership to get the cheapy deals. We'd then have to blag our way through. Would a Wednesday evening suit folk?

Recently back from Australia - does this still happen regularly or has it died a bit of a death? It might be easier to book the ASV now that a lot of the students have gone home.

Paramount. It was obviously pretty different back then.

Idiot Wind Seven Curses Mississippi Like A Rolling Stone With God On Our Side Boots of Spanish Leather Ain't Talkin' Every Grain of Sand Visions of Johanna North Country Blues and a 100 more. Greatest songwriter of all time and still sticking out fantastic albums these days.

There is a lot of unclear points floating around but I agree with those that say Barca would walk the EPL. In my imaginary league, Barca would win the Premiership by around 15 points, whereas if Utd took their place in Spain they'd drop more points than Barca and probably finish well behind Real in all honesty. Those that are saying Barca (and Real) haven't had to play against teams that put 11 behind the ball haven't seen too much Spanish football these last couple of seasons I think. Also, I think the difference in the physicality of the leagues is being hugely exaggerated here. I wouldn't say Man Utd suffer from being out-muscled in any Premiership games, yet in the Champions League final in 09 they were bullied all over the park by Barcelona. Yes, there is an over-reliance on diving and theatrics, especially recently, but there are still some right hard bastards in their team and they get kicked up and down Spain when playing the 'diddys' so I just can't imagine they'd feel too intimidated by Stoke, no matter how cold it was. However, the Premiership is still the most enjoyable league out of the two for me. Especially this season, where the quality is arguably lower across the board than recent years, but the difference between the top and the bottom isn't as big as La Liga thus making it more enjoyable imo - which I think was ca_gere's point. Even last month, I think there was something stupid like 12 points between 5th place and a relegation spot.

One for the muso's that google could easily answer if I could think of a better way to word it. Why, when I'm tuning a stringed instrument with an electronic tuner, does the tuner get 'confused' and displays the note that is the relative 5th of the note I'm after but still tunes it accurately? I.e - If I'm after an E, the tuner will sometimes flash between a B and an E, but the hand will always tell me how close I am to an E, regardless of what the interface is showing. Happens on tuners that have a microphone and tuners that pick up the vibration.

Messi may be good, but could he really do it on a cold Tuesday night in Stoke. /Andy Grey

Yeah, threatening to sue the teacher is so fucking prancy. But those of you who just sat there and pissed yourself... why on earth didn't you just get up and walk out the class? Weird.

Cooper's Red has become one of the staples of my Australian beer diet. I'll be hitting that hard on my return. Does the Moorings have the Pale Ale? (Cooper's Green) It's a bit more agreeable in taste but doesn't pack quite the punch of the Sparkling Ale.

The tunes on the first demo/E.P they did were fantastic - from my memory Daddy's Gone, Geraldine, Flowers and Football Tops, and It's My Own Cheating Heart... Those are all fucking excellent songs and has the poignant everyman lyrics that when done as well as they are in those songs really strike a chord, although I can see why they get up some people's noses. The first album was a complete disappointment though. Apart from those songs the rest were truly terrible. I haven't heard a note from the new album, but I can't help thinking that they struck gold early on with a handful of classics and are unable to follow it up with anything worthwhile.

Exactly. I don't see the slightest contradiction in feeling British and Scottish in equal measures, or feel it compromises my patriotism for Scotland in anyway.

In Melbourne, there's a whole load of these SpudBar places - Spudbar - Healthy people, healthy world. I reckon something along those lines could really take off in Aberdeen, and also sounds like what you're after Gladstone. Cheap, quality, wholesome grub. Plenty of veggie options and does wraps and stuff as well. The thing that sets it apart from other quick foody places is that you're encouraged to stay past the meal. Cheap bottled beers (no draughts) and always decent music and a nice vibe, weekends there's a live DJ in the corner. Loud enough that you can listen and enjoy, but quiet enough to continue a conversation over a meal and beer. It's full of people getting takeaway or a quick bite during the day, but come evening it's a good place to have a decent cheap meal and chill out with friends, or line the stomach and have a few beers before heading somewhere else for a big night. I'm really not sure if the licensing laws back home would fuck you over too much if you were serving alcohol - I suspect they would, hence the reason Kilau etc don't go for something like this.

Hey, the festival's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but Sam's right in recognising the achievement of organising it regardless! Reading on aberdeen-mad as well that they are 'tactically' holding back the announcement of the Saturday night headliners, but going by Jamesy's posts on there, it sounds like it's going to be another great catch.

Good luck to anyone heading to Hampden today! Unless you're of a Celtic persuasion of course. I'm feeling strangely confident, given the 17-1 aggregate score. It's now or never for some of these Aberdeen players, and we've had our eye on this game ever since scraping through against St.Mirren. Also, I feel Celtic were in their best form of the season when we got them those 3 times in quick succession - they haven't been playing as good as that in recent weeks from what I've seen. Come On You Reds.

The quality of sushi in Melbourne is outstanding and something I gorge on at least a couple of times a week. I've never tried any of the Aberdeen places but I imagine when I get back I'll still have the hankering, so I'm looking forward to checking out some of the places mentioned in this thread.

If I'm back in Aberdeen I'll definitely head to this. What a cracking line-up and within 15 minute walking distance from my folks' home. Congratulations Jamesy and co for getting this organised.

I've been working my way through Season 2 lately and it really is top banana. A lot of episodes I hadn't seen in years and a lot of episodes I always had pegged as being much later. I think it's my favourite season tbh.

I absolutely love The Stone Roses, and a lot of Ian Brown's solo stuff, but I'd have zero interest in seeing them live, so I'm gladded Mani's quashed these latest rumours. Brown is beyond terrible live. I went along to see him at RockNess, fully aware of his reputation of being hit or miss to say the least live, but thinking I'd have a blast anyway. Nit. Genuinely painful to listen to.

Why was cool1 banned? Was it for making constantly shit threads or for something altogether more sinister?

And it's fucking loud. I mean, I knew it was going to be loud, but I'm living a couple of suburbs away and it's real fucking loud. I went down to Albert Park yesterday (armed with headphones) to take in the supposed atmosphere and it definitely attracts a very special type of Aussie bloke to it. At least the Aussie Rules season has started this weekend too so it's been fairly easy to ignore all the F1 shite. Go Bombers!

Having had the pleasure of using Melbourne's public transport system for the last 6 months I really can't bare the thought of ever having to rely on First again. Here it's $5 for an all day ticket that lets me use any tram, train or bus route within the city's zone 1 (which covers a huge circumference, Zone 2 would probably cover the equivalent distance wise of, say, Stonehaven). The tram and buses are regular from 5am to 1am (plus practically a 24 hour service on Friday and Saturday nights) and their are a gazillion routes that means you rarely have to walk more than 10 minutes to get to any destination no matter where you'll travelling from. The fact that the city and it's suburbs are laid out in a pretty strict 'grid' format helps obviously but it still so far ahead of First in every single aspect of it's service it really isn't funny.

Right on cue, Celtic equalise. Bah.

Things shaping up very nicely in the Scottish Cup for the Dons. Hope Caley can keep it up!

Getting up at 6.30am to watch Aberdeen get outplayed by a piss-poor Dundee United.

I like the album... but then I've always been an Oasis fanboi.