Meenzer

Don't listen to him. We need you to be the prophet of doom and have a mancrush on one of our twinkier players, it's TT ritual now.

So the exit poll in Germany looks to be broadly in line with the opinion polls. It says a lot that it's something of a relief that the AfD have "only" ended up with about 20%, particularly since the CDU guy who'll be the new Chancellor is very fond of borrowing far-right tropes anyway, but it could have been rather worse.

@Howmanheyman Full Divinyls lyric with the hookline "Isak dinked the ball and it touched Matz Sels" by the end of half-time please, thanks in advance

Trans people exist and have rights in the UK. Anyone who disagrees isn't integrating properly.

The Lib Dems, of all parties, calling for increased defence spending is a sign of the times we're in really.

Now you're sounding paranoid

No words mate, so sorry to hear. Try to look after yourself as best you can while you're looking after everyone else.

Unrelatedly, I have a new desk toy.

Yes please

It's bizarre for a country that spent decades being terrified of the Commies.

Not even speculation. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jan/12/neil-warnock-cardiff-city-brexit-leave

Should be called Am I Being Unhygienic

Often, but not exclusively. You'd be surprised at the sizeable minority of queer folk who lean right politically and economically, although (luckily for you if your hunch is right) it does seem to be mostly gay men. I've never really understood it. Possibly a combination of internalised homophobia, a sense that they're sticking it to the people who bullied them at school, a desire to pull up the ladder and protect what they've got in a world that isn't always all that keen on them, and a secret admiration for Thatcher's dress sense. Scratch the surface and it's very often the same people who'd not only gladly jettison the T from LGBT at a moment's notice, but who are sceptical that the B even exists and aren't especially fond of the L. All while flirting with the police at Pride and holidaying in Dubai. Fun!

I started it, but I didn't make it To The End.

Also, I definitely didn't say this on a Newcastle forum but if you're happy to go a bit further afield while staying on the Metro network, I think the coastal walk from Sunderland to South Shields is actually nicer.....

I'm guessing "So you'd rather they stay at home on their phones and get brainwashed by Andrew Tate into being pro-Putin?!" is not the way to pull this one back

It is. St Mary's Lighthouse, at least one pub @The Fish is still barred from, the cycle/walking path along to Blyth Links, the chance to reenact the Greek postcard from Eurovision 1998 - all canny.

Much more interesting actual walk along to Blyth though (at least coast-wise, obviously the beaches are nicer heading south). It's just the end point that's the issue.

Plus social media means everyone thinks their opinion matters now. Relatedly, I genuinely think most Brits have no sense of how many people 70 million is and therefore how unimportant they and their problems (perceived or otherwise) really are.

This all seems fine, definitely normal behaviour for an MP and party leader, all good https://www.desmog.com/2025/02/13/nigel-farage-spreads-far-right-conspiracy-theory-farming-protest/