Alan Stubbs

I used to make the paper used in disposable nappies. Disposable nappies are made of cellulose fibres and are paper, pure and simple. 500 years to biodegrade? B******s! A colleague a few years go did some research on the relative costs of terry v disposables. Including everything (even disposal cost) and there is less than £0.02 per year difference between the two types. Terry are cheapest.

Ann Widdecomb famously described Michael Howard as having 'something of the night about him'. On the evidence of this, I'd say he had something of the knife about him, and certainly a strong whiff of hypocrisy. On one edition of Newsnight, Jeremy Paxman asked a closed question, requiring only a 'yes' or 'no' reply 17 times of Michael Howard when he was Home Secretary gave a convoluted pile of waffle in reply. had he answered either 'yes' or 'No' he would a) either have lied or incriminated himself. Johnson and Howard deserve each other. [ 15. November 2004, 12:52 PM: Message edited by: Alan Stubbs ]

If you want to make a career out of nihilism, I suppose death is an inevitable career move. That isn't genius it's the bleedin' obvious- and I for one, found his music derivative and hard on the ear. Brings to mind frank Zappa's definition of music journalism 'People who can't write, writing for the benefit of people that can't read' - Not unlike the majority of angling writers, really.

Is that the content of Marc Almond's stomach she's carrying?

I said the only thing Princess Di ever did for me was clear the golf course when her funeral was on tv. At least John Peel opened my mind to music I'd never have got to hear. And his home truths programme was typical of the man other radio - it was about the people / music - most definitely not about John Peel. A lesson sadly not learned by most of the presenters on radio nowadays.

That's a new angle on watercraft!

Since when has Israel conceded anything to anybody? Taken plenty. My father was in the armed forces stationed in Palestine in the 1950's. There was an Israeli organisation called 'the Stern Gang' who were no more than terrorists, who beheaded british servicemen with piano wire amongst other atrocities - at a time when the Israelis were being defended by the British. Some of the better known members of the Stern Gang were Golda Meir and her successor, Menachim Begin, Gen. Sharon, the guy with the eye patch that went on to become prime ministers and defence minister respectively of the Israeli government. You will never hear me say a good word for the Israeli's (they took shots at my Dad!)and I draw a very clear distinction between jews and Israeli's here. If there was a law of survival of the fittest, there wouldn't be an Israel - it exists because it was a dumping ground for the displaced that USA and Europe didn't want. The 1919 Balfour Agreement is held up by the Israeli's as a reason for their distrust of the British - who have long held a pro-Arab sentiment in their foreign policy. However, it should be pointed out that Yassir Arafat was the leader of a terrorist group called Al Fatah who were responsible for various atrocities not just against Israel- his attempts at statesmanship have totally failed... he tried to gain the support of the USA, Israel and some Palestinians themselves. His failure to convince his own people in 2000 meant that he failed to deliver a Palestinian nation to his people. Although he did much for his people, much of it was by the sword and just as much was temporary in nature. And he seemed never to understand that by pursuing a route of violence that it would encourage others down the same route on a global scale. OK, he wasn't the only person to make that error, but he is culpable. I, for one. don't mourn his passing in the least. [ 12. November 2004, 12:28 PM: Message edited by: Alan Stubbs ]

reading

Spike Milligan tells a story of when he caught a dose of the little biters. At that time the only cure was a noxious substance called 'Blue Unction'. He went to the counter at Boots' in Picadilly, asked for some of the aforesaid. The assistant in a very loud voice said 'BLUE UNCTION?' and in a voice just as loud, Spike said 'Yes! BLUE UNCTION! I've got f*****g CRABS!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

I really admire those who think about their fishing and look at it as something other than a social event and can recount their exploits without resorting to hysteria. Those whose living requires much session angling have, I feel, a duty to the sport. Their frequently sensationalist / macho vocabulary portrays an image that the lesser mortals and easily influenced follow, often without the samelevels of skill or etiqutte required as stewards of the environment. In other words, the very people Peter Sharpe described in his comments. On the other hand, there are an abundance of people such as those described by Julian Grattidge who give freely of their time and knowledge to teach others the 'right way'. God knows I'm grateful to those who have helped me over the last 5 years, and I know I haven't always repaid that kindness properly. It doesn't alter the fact that I know the difference between right and wrong..... and boorish, loutish behaviour does the sport no favours. And that those who write up their exploits in such sensationalist terms must shoulde some of the blame. [ 12. November 2004, 12:37 PM: Message edited by: Alan Stubbs ]

I used it this summer - dipped hookbaits it it, and for a while I've used it as a groundbait flavouring. Mind you, for the amount I've caught i wonder if it's worthwhile I have caught about a dozen 3lb + tench on marmite flavoured sweetcorn ver the last 12 months. Sadly, never a carp.

having a whip round for a mate, perhaps?

It gives a crap angle for a photograph - unless you want to be photographed lying down cuddling a fish - which surely gives the RSPCA grounds for a prosecution

For that reason I'd always advocate tripod in preference to bank stick. It's called stability. For the amount I catch it's pretty irrelevant, though :-) [ 10. November 2004, 03:46 PM: Message edited by: Alan Stubbs ]

That's one hell of a diet he's on!

overdose

Wasn't it a toe-rag from one of the Sunday's that wrote an article about Bob James's private life a few years back? If that's their idea of 'the public interest' I'm a dutchman. Brings to mind a poem written about 150 years ago; "You cannot hope to bribe or twist, Thank god, the british journalist. But when you see what he'll unbribed There's no reason to" So a lot's changed in the intervening years, then.

Just what I always felt about the angling weeklies.... A triumph of crap marketing over even more crap editorial.

I can remember Steve Ovett doing what suspiciously like quitting in several consecutive races before he retired... especially when it looked like he would finish in the last 3. And he was an Olympic medallist. It's also rather British to believe your own hype rather than face the harsh truth. David Seaman's performances over his last two seasons and his appearances on 'They think it's all over' seem to bear this out.

Watch how you use the stuff.... you could end up with a stiff wrist Still at least it's not a limp wrist.

Watch how you use the stuff.... you could end up with a stiff wrist

I hope you wrote the spiel, Terry. Your writing's in a different league to most of the stuff in the weeklies. Well done, by the way.

quote: Originally posted by chesters1: the reason the place is in a mess is because of U.S.A. bully boy tactics over the last 40 years ,before that with the help of Russia Cuba had Human rights even we would be proud of ,80% went to uni FREE ,FREE health service and garaunteed jobs now with americas help its going back to the stone age ,in the 20` and 30`s Cuba was the place to be, nowadays even americans buying produce from Cuba are fined $50,000 so much for american world welfare [/QB] OK, so that's the reason it's in a mess. It doesn't alter the fact that it is in a mess.

I wonder if it'll be a burial or a cremation....It seems only right that the poor old sod will go up in smoke