The problem with teenagers, a main teacher told me this week, is that they try to live in two different moral universes.
He says that there is the moral universe that we all know, with his rules, conventions and appetizers.
And then there is a universe, the moral universe of the internet, where there are almost no rules and precious few pairs.
Ok, every day is a school day, so I take that on board and, only for the good measure, I will throw a third moral universe in this mix – the moral universe of football.
This, although not all bad, can indeed be a very ugly place.
I have not met Phil Foden, but from what I have seen and heard, as well as a wonderfully gifted football player, he is a decent man.
I spoke with one of his coaches at the youth level of England.
Summer of the attributes that Foden showed as a child – speed, consciousness, courage, command of the ball, etc. – The coach has added another, one that has been held in my mind.
“He gave him what his teammates thought,” said the coach.
Interesting that. You would think that giving what your teammates thought of you would be common enough to not even mention. It seems that this is not the case.
Phil, however, makes it around, and that is another reason why I keep it at a high level.
Perhaps that is why I was more shocked than usual in the behavior of football fans when I saw that photo of Pep Guardiola embraced after he had endured man Utd fans sang those horrible things about his mother.
Terrible. But incredible, for a considerable number of fans, such behavior is quite acceptable. Because, you see, this is in the moral universe of football where, for some reason, people who think it's ok to behave.
Declan Rice, Double Miracle-Freekick scorer and another nice guy, tolerates similar things with his old partner, the equally attractive Lauren Fryer.
Lauren, you see, does not meet the idea of some football fans about what the wife of a football player should look like. So the poor woman is abused on social media and, for the benefit of Declan, of the stands. Terrible.
This is what happens in the moral universe of football. We seem to forget that football players are people with, you know, feelings. No matter how thick their skins should be, they still have feelings.
I have been just as guilty of forgetting this as everyone. Many years ago, when I presented the game of the day 2, I joked to the baldness of Arjen Robben.
The following week I received a letter – yes, a letter, so long ago it was – from someone who said I would be ashamed of myself, because Robben could be very sensitive to his hair loss.
Initially I spotted and it was nice to answer that the multi-billionary-Dutch superstar of Chelsea could probably treat a jibe of mine.
But when I had thought about it, although the man himself probably couldn't have saved any less, I concluded that I had been very wrong to mock his appearance.
That was on TV. I am afraid that as a fan I said much worse in competitions.
I am not without sin
So I don't preach this sermon of a moral high ground because I am not without sin. I have to confess that I shouted things and sung on football matches that I would never, and I never mean, shouted or sung somewhere else.
I shouted a number of terrible things at Jack Grealish, for example during a play-off semi-final when he was in Villa. I am pretty sure that he doesn't care, but I can't say it's my best hour.
I don't excuse myself, but these things happen in the moral universe of football, where it is not that there is no right or wrong, but there is a large, bad gray area.
There is a line somewhere and we all know where it is.
Bawling abuse with a football player, who calls them terrible names, looks no good. But probably it is probably about the right side of the line.
The abuse of the family of those football players is a different matter. That is on the wrong side of the line.
It is outside of order, and everyone knows this.
Bob is a comedy great
Some comedians you look at, and think that a genius is running, with a routine to die for.
Others, often through cruelty or cruelty, shock you in spite of yourself.
And then there is Bob Mortimer, who just seems to have funny bones.
Really funny bones.
There was no danger that someone else won the last from TV.
What chance did one of them have against a man who can make: “Do you have a kitchen island?” Sounds like the funniest question ever.
And as for: “I love sausage dogs, with those little legs”, I will never see a dachshund of the past without thinking about Bob.
Don and through and through and ..
When the history books about Donald Trump are written, the role of American journalists in his turnout will be worth investigating.
We can take a lot of the debt/credit – remove according to your view of the orange man.
Just like him or hate him, you laugh out or with him, we have found it quite impossible not to give him all the attention he longs for because he gives us all the material we crave.
He fills pages with papers and hours of television, radio and podcasts. Where would we be without him.
After his first term ended in a shameful defeat, we assumed that we had seen the last of him.
At the time, the brilliant political commentator, comedian and excellent Trump Matt conquered the mood of many of us when he tweeted: “Goodnight Sweet Prince”.
And now it's like he never left.
It's bone to be a bonus
In the worst case, the march of artificial intelligence will destroy humanity or, at its best, just take many of our jobs.
I like one thing, however, even if this means that I have been replaced by a machine-I heard what will happen to happen if the first technological step change in the history that will be the most difficult in the middle class.
Writers and radio presenters will easily be meat for the machines.
But it will take a long time before AI can do the right job, so that blood, sweat and tears are needed, as well as large skills.
Plumbers, chippies, sparks, gardeners, scaffolding, bricklayers – your jobs are just as safe as houses.
Enjoy the ride, you deserve it.
Why are so many people on public transport looking at or listening to their phones without wearing headphones?
Why should we all hear their terrible music, boring conversations or mindless Tiktok-Reery.
I'm really interested.
But I cannot think of in a way to ask the question in a way that will not end with a kind of violence that has been visited on me.
Chip Butty pain
An owner of a chip shop in Gloucestershire has apologized for the preparation of the price of cod and chips for 15 pounds.
I can't remember the last time I left a chippy that I had fallen somewhere near that bit. I'm just too excited.
After a few pints with some friends in Stourbridge last month, I entered the local chip shop on my way home.
Before I knew it, I had large cod and chips, small cod and chips, mushy peas, two battered potato slices and some cod roe.
And this was only for me and my mother. We are still not back to full health, financial or physical.
Aimee's pearl -like queen
Everyone I know pops over White Lotus as the best TV ever. I have heard so often that it must be true.
Well, I have noticed that it is absolutely indigestible to be wild between rather stupid and terribly boring.
But I am glad I saw the pieces for which I managed to stay awake, because it was enough to confirm that Stockport's Aimee Lou Wood is just brilliant.
In the beginning you can see nothing but her pride prominent teeth. But it didn't take long before you only see a brilliant acting talent that goes into force.
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