Sorry to hear that Exiled, you are right, cherish all that is good while you can. a friend of mines wife got diagnosed with cancer for the 3rd time this week. They have 3 kids under 13, I don't know how they cope. Every time I hear a story like yours, or my mates, I go into panic mode about my own kids for a few days.

Water is a human need. Fair enough for a small charge in your rates. Luckily I've had a lovely glass of chilled water to drink and flushed away a turd for nada tonight, the way it should be. Load of money grabbing bollox it is

The boxer rebellion. Probably the best unsigned band you'll ever hear.

[youtube]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_xA4DPCPGoI[/youtube]

None taken, but you missed my point. I never said the poor should pay.

Housing (and decent pay) are the two biggest issues then. How do you resolve it? In England you have council estates (akin to our housing projects). The problem is they sit on valuable property. The city can get far more to house million dollar flats than they can the poor or working poor.

San Francisco in America is pretty much completely gone in terms of affordability of even middle class. The tech industry wiped out the last vestiges of affordability, which has now affected adjacent Oakland. SF by the way, at least years ago was the best hidden secret of American cities. LA and NYC got the publicity but SF is a gem.

Do the home counties provide a way for the poor and working poor to live decently? Or are they too pricey as well?

This is a joke right?

https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/lond ... ign=global

This isn't though, literally a small alley between buildings for $35,000. Not a joke.
http://www.sfgate.com/realestate/articl ... 068359.php

Do you prefer to be stabbed or shot? That's the choice in the semi finals today. I'll hold my nose and go with Chelsea. Although I think Tottenham will pull it out. They are the toughest team to beat in England right now.

Sorting out arrangements for Wembley tomorrow, where were meeting etc.

Seems strange feeling largely indifferent, normally I'd be buzzing and it dominating every thought. I don't doubt I'll be buzzing if we win but that success would be followed by 3 likely dreadful outcomes.

I really hope this Wenger stuff sorts itself out in the summer and we can all move forward.

I often hear strange Arsenal rumours on the grapevine, usually from "someone who knows someone" - we've all heard them. We all decide how much credence to give those rumours and I often think whether I will post them on here or not. Well, this one I'm going to - only because it has quite big connotations if true. So I'll get the caveat of how I heard this out of the way first.....bear with me, my wife works with a lady who is married to an 'Arsenal speed coach', by her own admission she knows nothing about football and cares for it even less - however she mentioned to my wife that among other things her husband tells her about work was that X player (she couldn't remember any names - as she cares so little) had signed for £300k per week, my wife (who now knows a fair bit about arsenal since she's been putting up with me for 5 years) started saying some names and it didn't ring any bells with this lady. So putting 2 and 2 together and hoping not to come up with 5 I can only assume the story was Sanchez as it was recently in the paper about Arsenal offering him £300k per week for a new deal. As stated at the start of this yarn I take it all with a pinch of salt so make of it what you will.

My wife told her that I was a Wenger out man and this lady said her husband says there are a huge amount of the coaches at Arsenal that are incredibly 'old school' in their approach to coaching and training, using the same methods they have for years and methods that are very out dated.

If you find it hard to believe the first story you'll find it very easy to believe the second one!

Good to see that he's on £300k now and his form has improved by so much.

As long as he is playing on the wing and running around like a headless chicken he's not worth even his original wage. He has to play cf and stay in the box more than he does.

I can't see it happening. However if we are extremely lucky he'll have a great game tomorrow and win us a cup.

Good news, kids, it isn't the choice.

Really looking forward to it, hope Tottenham win because they have been really good to watch this season, love Pochettino, loathe Abramovich, I have quite a few Tottenham mates, one of whom is taking his two boys to the game and they're super-excited, and I'm 53 *%^@*** years old and one of the good things about that is I no longer have to pretend to give a flying *%^@ about hating Tottenham any longer.

Will miss the first half though 'cos we're off to watch the Bees in the big derby against QPR.

Sorry to hear about your friend, Ex, an old friend of mine died this week and although I hadn't seen her for some time it was still really hard news.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vuuoVxCggA&list=PLnH1CB9xsqNG8Bfv3bwQI0UW4nZBXGj6T&index=19[/youtube]

25 years young, this is my Saturday mood...

I reckon it's Carl Jenkinson.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qlUFKFHNIU[/youtube]

This is just amazing!

Your deductive reasoning has failed you Rich...its obviously Walcott.

One more from me....

Love this

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFWk18abWWA[/youtube]

Only forwards earn that type of money - Sanogo

Strange team put out by Conte? Looks like he doesn't want to win this. I'm sure Chelsea supporters won't be impressed.

and Chelsea score on 4 mins. What do I know?

Hate to say it . Spurs have a very good team.
Seem to be much better mentally as well with superb players like Alli , Dembele , Kane and Ericsson. 3 of those bought for a pittance.
Far too early to talk about power shifts considering this will be the first time in 21 years they will finish above us.
But they certainly have a very good manager and team to be taken seriously.
Another 2 years of Wenger and we will fall behind them.

and on 80 mins Spurs go down 4-2, over and out........................

What a goal by Matic. FOYS.

Glory glory, all that romance

At the other end of the trough poor old Sanagoa is on £80 a week and all the bread pudding he can eat.

Looks like we are playing Chelsea (lets keep a positive attitude and visualize victory )

David, we have already fallen behind them. With Wenger tip-toeing about, we have no chance of catching them this season.

All incorrect, it is Takuma Asano. Asano threatened to walk away from his Arsenal contract after realising Stuttgart has more ambitions than Arsenal.

AG, we are not playing Chelsea in the final. We are beating them in the final. Better still, we will create FA Cup history with a record scoring win, 6-0. How's that, higher optimism than you?

Assuming we do beat Chelsea in the final. Will that buy Wenger more time? It may split the Wenger out crowd a bit.

ffs enough with the stupid questions............

For once in your life tell everyone what you think rather than what others are saying or thinking. How old are you?

Mustafi not playing. Bellerin on the bench. Pawson reffing. No chance....................

33Cech
5Gabriel
6Koscielny
16Holding
15Oxlade-Chamberlain
8Ramsey
29Xhaka
18Monreal
11Özil
7Sánchez
12Giroud
Substitutes
3Gibbs
14Walcott
17Iwobi
23Welbeck
24Bellerín
26Martinez
34Coquelin

Not nervous about this match. We are expected to lose, so if we do, its not going to be a shock. In a strange way it feels like a lower table side going against one of the big clubs. Nothing to lose, hope for the best. Its gotten that bad with us. I don't expect us to beat any of the clubs in the top 5 from home or at home either, a draw at home is what I expect. A win at home against any of them including Liverpool, probably the easiest of the clubs in the top 5 for us to beat.

I still think we have one shock result in us as we usually have one each spring. Either this match or against sperz possibly.

Rooney scores second against Burnley. Hope they get to then lose the final in the Champs Lge.

Clichy skies it. He never disappoints does he? Lol

Half an hour gone and I've forgotten who they have playing in goal,

Our defence appears to be holding up well but the midfield seems light when we break.

We got away with one there - the ball didn't look like it went out

Then we should have had a pen. At least the incompetent officiating is evening itself out

More importantly, why was Aguero allowed to get to the ball. Monreal has been losing his man too often. Many times he had turned to follow the running man into the box, when I thought he should have stayed closer to the man at the wing. Let the central defenders follow the running man.

Man City's whinging is Barcelona-esque....seems like they've picked something up from Pep!