Betray the Wind

My name is Despair

Paul Gascoigne is a doomed man. I fear he has reached the point of no return, I really do. A paper recently ran a story claiming that the ex footballer is "hooked on a mix of valium and strong lager," and pictured him buying booze at 11am. It also said that 'Gazza' has told his friends: "The one thing I can't live without in my life is a drink. I know I have to stop boozing but I simply can’t."
If this is true (lets face it tabloids are hardly gospel) then all the help being offered to him is hopeless. This is one battle that nobody can fight for him and unless he hits a 'moment of clarity' soon, real soon, he will be dead before 50. Killed by the bottle like that other gifted footballer, George Best. He was another man who believed alcoholism was a fight he could leave to others to sort out. Then he died, and Gascoigne will too unless he has a drastic turnaround. Believe me, alcohol is no fun to those unfortunates to whom it sinks its lethal claws. In moderation it can be beneficial to health, while in excess it becomes as destructive as any class A drug (more so perhaps because it seems to affect more organs but i'll leave that to experts.)
It is always terribly sad to see any person in such a state but the truth is like I have already said, nobody can save himelf can actually save him from himself. I know only too well the agony and despair of alcoholism, and I also know the loss of losing a loved one through it. It is vile, capable of hanging, drawing and quartering the very spirit of a human being. And to those who call Gascoigne a worthless drunk with no self control, think again. He is in a place right now where I would not wish my worst enemy to be. A dreadful place with bleak never ending walls wherever one turns, that choke light and swallow hope. I know because I have been there many times. Nobody would willingly put themselves in this hole; no fun is to be found there for as sure as alcohol can give a 'normal' person a glow of happiness and well being, to someone in the pits of addiction it offers only cold stings and sickly barbs that pull at flesh and make it hard to carry on.
Football hero he might be, I have no love for the sport so im not aware of Gascoigne's 'genius', but I do care for my fellow man when I see him suffering and I wish him all the strength and courage in the world because he needs it right now. He really does.

A Grenade In A Floral Display

If you want to have a heated debate (or fancy starting an online flame war) try these subjects on for size ~

1. Death Penalty

Always a good topic and never fails to send the petticoats flying. (Usually by those who are against it.) This topic (much like the one below) is almost guaranteed to start spiteful and personal insults (with few, not all) on both sides when the debate is over with. It will never be resolved so the human mind reverts to pulling monkey gibs at the opponents. Jolly good fun it is too, when kept in check.

2. Fox Hunting

This gem never fails to get the party (soon to be riot) started. This subject attracts perhaps the most frightening people (even more so than death row groupies.) I have personally heard vegetarians and hunt saboteurs admit that when they see people buying meat in supermarkets, that they would like to kill them. Yes you read that correct dear reader. I know its a minority and most veggies are not like this but still, that tiny group among the sane ones is pretty scary.

3. God & Religion

These should really be at the top of the list seeing as religion could be blamed for the most carnage and destruction that has befallen the world. 'My God is better than your God!' Shout some. 'There is NO God!' Yell others. Result? World in near ruin.
It is for this precise reason that I believe God to be a freshwater Pike with a stammer called William.

4. Abortion

Fancy a scrap? Abortion is pretty handy with its 'fists'. Occasionally this subject gets thrown into the death penalty debate and things really get steamy. Perhaps steamy is not the right word to describe the chaos. Try CRITICAL with a smidge of MELTDOWN on the side.
Humans are oh so much fun when they bicker.

5. World War II

A lighter one to complete the top five. Mention the second big dust up that was WWII to some Americans and they will insist they won it all on their lonesome; they saved Britain from invasion, won in North Africa and single handedly saved Europe. Only they didn't and to be fair most Americans know that it was combined courage, brilliance and heroism that saved the day. But its funny to watch those small few who think otherwise, puff out their chests like horny roosters in an attempt to play the ultimate superhero.
My personal theory why this happens is that the United States is still a young country without the ancient and medieval history of most others, and therefore needs to try and claim huge victories/historical events to be on the same 'level' as the rest. But like I say, its only a few and this subject isn't nearly as explosive as the previous ones.

Close but no cigar ~

Sports teams

These are quite ofen vulgar affairs and can quickly dissolve into racist attacks (usually amongst the football crowd.) Best avoided.

Racism

The knuckle draggers paradise! Thankfully due to most people growing up and mending their warped attitued toward peoples of different coloured skin and cultures, this subject really belongs in the past and is rarely (if ever) argued among civil human beings. Proof that humans are able to evolve when they want to.