But they even predict England to win when Germany are heavily defeating them.

That's a conservative estimate! Trust me, it ain't pretty *braces herself*


Tout le monde!!!! (to misquote Jessy Matador)

Who I support in sporting events depends on who I'm with. France if I'm with Brits, England/Britain if I'm with French friends.

I like being awkward.

I'm actually really happy for Ukraine.

I assume nobody had a copy of The Times then.

I've been surprising myself by how much football I've been watching today, 2 whole matches!

I can only half-watch them, but I've surprised myself at how involved I can get.

This is the first football tournament I've followed since I was a kid. Only missed one match so far. It's amazing how your free bet left over from Eurovision can influence things! I'll make £160 if it's a Spain / Germany final. But then, I would have made £600 if Mandinga had won and look how that one worked out.

As long as they both win their groups I can't imagine any other final

Can't believe the team I've followed for 25 years don't exist anymore

It's a bad sign when one of the most famous teams in the world are no longer around!! (you may laugh but I think they are)

I mean Rangers, in case your not a footie fan

Just reading back on the thread, I saw your post and...I actually did get the Sunday Times and read the article (assuming it's the one in the 'Style' magazine). I thought it was really good actually, but shocking about how much people have to go through to change their gender - I'd have thought to make the decision to change gender would be hard enough without being forced to have to be the opposite gender for 2 years, although I'm not an expert on these issues so I don't know.

Nevertheless, I was incredibly impressed that she (I forget her name) works in order to pay for her drugs - I wish the NHS gave all drugs and prescriptions free of change (*envies Scotland and Wales*). She came across as incredibly sure of herself and positive for the future.

Wish her the best from me.

Yous are still technically there though but under a new business :/

The big impact will be the SPL vote to see if the newco will be allowed in the league, sure I read yous need something like 8 of the clubs to agree for yous to stay in league.

I think they will agree, yous bring in too much money for them to refuse and are banned from european competition for 3 years so the CL place is still open to them.

Sad situations though, if Freddy Sheppard was still in charge of Newcastle we would be in a very similar situation. Bit like your club has been, it was rotten to the core and was ready to collapse

Yeah the other clubs would be mad to not let us straight into the SPL. Surely they know the league needs us. Without us Sky would ditch the contract because let's face it they buy the rights for the old firm games alone!

And Celtic say they don't need us! That's what makes me kind of want to start from the bottom. Let them suffer and show them they are nothing without us which they can't admit(same goes vice versa)

I agree with what you say about Newcastle. This should be a real wake up call to other big teams that silly spending may come back to haunt you

Thanks Matt, I'm glad someone read it, yes it was the one in the Style magazine, I forgot to point that out.

Yeah changing your legal sex is a HUGE step in life, as I'm going through the same thing only I haven't had the operation, still a few years away from that but I am on hormones (estrogen and anti-androgens) it's not just something that I feel like doing or something that I want to have a go at, it's about identifying yourself as the gender who you are on the inside. Much like my friend in the article I never really was a boy as I've never felt like one I felt like I was trapped in the wrong gender. People think I'm mad when in reality I'm perfectly sane they just don't understand what it's like.

Friends and work see me as a girl but my family still see me as a boy which I can understand as they know me more than anyone else but they've been really supportive throughout my transition so I'm willing to cut them some slack.

I've been hearing lots of KPop out here over the weeks , but this one stopped me in my tracks........anyone recognise this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBJl7...eature=related

Very odd............

A question......

What the hell is a KIKI?

Fantastic track, but what does it mean?

I love K Pop Hope there's more of it in this years Fantasy rounds

Be My Guest being played in the stadium at Holland v Germany...

Aww that's so good. It was a great article and it's so good to know that society is finally, if gradually becoming more accepting of every one.

Yeah I'll say.

Sure, in the past I'd be walking down the street and I'd get someone walking past and saying 'Are you a guy?' or at the very worst 'Oh my god, that's a tranny!' but that's very rare. Unfortunately some trans people are better at pulling it off than others, getting into a relationship can be difficult because it's hard finding a boyfriend who understands what I am, I've had relationships in the past but they don't always work out. Roll on surgery.

A bit late but I know Eurovision fans tend to love a good international opening ceremony! How awful was the opening to Euro 2012 last week?! Women dancing around in the most hideous dresses, a man playing the piano and then removing his jacket to reveal an awful t-shirt and an even worse pot belly, it was so bad!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01jmtnc/?t=26m43s

Other than bills and essential rubbish (including saving like crazy), I tend to spend most of my money on books and booze, I'm a literature lush if you will (although not everything I read really qualifies as literature!)

Any other avid readers?

I spent some time (and money but yay, points!) in Waterstone's today and picked up:

Gypsy Boy on the Run (Mikey Walsh) - as I've just read the first installment. Not enamoured with the Romany's but certainly intrigued.

The Adventures of Vaclav The Magnificent & His Lovely Assistant Lena (Haley Tanner) - because what a title!

Lucky Bunny - because I'm already a fan of Jill Dawson.

Charlotte Street - because novels by (fairly) funny people (Danny Wallace) tend to be funny.

The Humorist - ditto but funnier (Russell Kane*)

Cuckoo in the Nest (Nat Luurtsema) - my current read, enjoying it very much so far.

I also finished No One Belongs Here More Than You. Stories by Miranda July, today. Stunning stuff.

What's everyone else currently reading?







*Russell Brand, Kane or Howard...who would you go for?

I got me a second hand kindle earlier this week - I do kind of already miss the smell and feel of books. I use them for escapism rather than education, there's the odd one or two that would pass muster in a conversation - but mostly they're things that I am happier reading on a kindle cos no one can dismiss my choices!

And I'm a Crowe girl There's just something about drunken Australians I guess

I'm a proper book snob, I'm so tempted by a kindle but I love pages and turning and not being anymore addicted to technology than I already am!

What I'm not a snob about is content (I am a comic book fan after all!) People should read whatever they want without judgement. Except if it's "by Jordan".

The most embarrassing (but only because of the title) book I read fairly recently is How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran.



(Cannot stand R. Crowe!)

I was running out of space in my house for my huge quantities of chick-lit and various fluff, after all, I'm only the woman of the house and am thus restricted to 5% of the house volume for personal belongings only! I had begun to use the local library and was getting through a fair old quantity of books for free, which was a revelation - but always so hard to let go of them at the end!

With this kindle, I've already amassed a huge supply of freebies, some classics which I will gladly show to all and sundry, and some less salubrious ones which I keep in a special folder

I can proudly say that I have never, and will never, read anything by that Jordan one, not even her last will and testament - she's an oxygen thief of the highest order

But I love escaping with a Marian Keyes book, nice and fluffy but with a dark edge that gets you thinking

Last worthy thing I read - for about the 100th time - To Kill A Mockingbird

(Husband thinks he is Russell Crowe )

To Kill A Mockingbird - love.

There's a comic called Y: The Last Man (it's epically and heartrendingly and breathtakingly brilliant) and contains the line "you never forget the person who introduces you to To Kill A Mockingbird" or words to that effect. Ms Dunne, English teacher supreme, legend.

An English Russell Crowe could work!

What classics have you got Anne? I go through classics phases.