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Gerraway man, we've all seen your unboxing video on YouTube.

Remember the Murdoch press uproar when Obama warned the UK would be worse off in trade deals if it left the EU? Apparently prominent interference in our politics from over the Atlantic was unacceptable back then. I wonder what changed.

I mean, obviously I'm also delighted about their new rules that say hate speech is specifically OK if it's against queer people. This fucking decade, I swear.

I was going to say "depends, he might actually value his principles", then I remembered the Manchester loan.

I am a long-time admirer of Eddie Howe.

That definitely sounds like as much of a you problem as an Insta problem.

I still like Insta for sharing travel/hiking pics and seeing what friends are up to without having to engage in actual conversation (you know what I mean ), but then I hardly see anything on there I don't want to. Facebook is a different matter of course, but I'm like you with interest groups on there and I don't see how there's realistically an easier way for communities - in my case, my running club and a few music contests - to keep in touch in a way that's intuitive and easy for everyone. WhatsApp is hardly a realistic option for most use cases, as something with individual threads/posts is always going to be preferable (and WhatsApp is Meta too anyway), and I can hardly imagine us getting people to shift to old-school forums like this. Although I'd bloody love it if there was a pincer movement from "came of internet age in the late 90s" types like many of us + the younger generation you mention, to move (back) over to this kind of place with actual moderation etc. and actively make things lo-fi and more standalone again.

It's true mind. Once upon a time we'd have had a new thread for every single thought that popped into someone's mind, nowadays it's a badge of honour to dredge up and revive an old topic, ideally from pre-2010 if possible.

This cheeky little shit is my new favourite person. Guaranteed fewm from the Fans TV brigade.

I assure you I was not wearing the socks.

That cannot be how someone actually sounds.

I've surely mentioned it before on here, but one of my most distinct memories of the Keegan era is being out on Gosforth High Street getting lunch from Greggs or the chippy or wherever and a street sweeper accosting us out of the blue and delightedly telling us "He's dropped Hooper!". Can't even remember what match it would have been.

I must admit I was wearing the 95-96 away kit around Playa del Inglés the other day. Someone let me know if I turn up in a post over there.

In other words, he's a white South African.

I want charts for Are we human? and Are we dancer?

I'm typing this poolside in Gran Canaria. We've never done a sun holiday at this time of year before because the prices are generally ridiculous as everyone has the same idea (and indeed Gatwick yesterday was chaos, 30-minute queues just to get into Wagamama and all), but I'm a couple of hours into a good book and the weight of the world is already starting to lift. Dust off the fedora and get on it next year, you won't regret it.

Yeah, I think their science-guided approach should suit the way you think about things quite well. And if nothing else, it'll get you used to talking about things out loud and examining your actions with a bit of rational distance (as indeed you already do when you're not bogged down in it all), which can be really helpful in terms of internalising this stuff. Whatever you end up doing next, I really hope it gets you a step or two forward, you deserve a good run.

The Darras Hall one

"Kiddiefiddeläinen. You know, Pervijärvi. Nonceinen?"

Merry Christmas one and all. Just about to get tonight's Swedish Christmas meal going. Nothing says "festive season" quite like anchovies.

This makes me realise how fortunate we are that Stevie isn't still around. His sympathy for Tonali's gambling addiction would have been magnified by his general appreciation for all things Apennine.

I change trains at Manningtree occasionally. Very good little pub on the platform at the station, improbably enough. Probably also £8 a pint these days mind 😬

You're not my real dad, you can't tell me what to do

This is so shit it's brilliant