Rayvin

We can take Arsenal over two legs, just need to be "on it" the days in question.

This is very much where I am, heart of hearts. We voted to be poor, this is what being poor looks like. And those of us under 40, under 30, under 20... we're going to have it far, far worse over the course of our lives. Having said this, Labour are truly in the wars at the moment. The Guardian commentariat is almost fully turned, whereas I would have said that the comfortable majority of them were pro-Starmer's pragmatism on arrival. Seemingly just didn't understand what that would mean. I still disagree with his overall approach but I respect that he is taking tough decisions and at least being consistent with his own agenda.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/18/brexit-cost-uk-27bn-in-lost-trade-in-first-two-years-review-finds £27bn in lost trade in the first two years of Brexit. But don't worry, remember that JRM claimed we'd be back to normal by 2070. This remains the single stupidest thing a country has ever done to itself.

They're disputing that 90% figure mind, claiming that this includes women who were only 'vaguely' aware that increases were coming, but not that it affected them. The campaigners claim that 60% of affected women didn't know. That being said, Gemmill is spot on for this in my eyes.

Certainly don't subscribe to the idea of hating another fanbase but Liverpool do annoy me more than most. As a club they just have this victim complex, like a permanent siege mentality due to a belief that they're special and that the whole world is out to get them as a result. There's a strong 'holier than thou' running through them as well, RAWK is a great example of it. Only newspapers that the high scouse council have approved may be shared on the forum. The match thread must remain unblemished from uncontrolled enthusiasm so that the designated commentary posters may bask in everyone's adulation, no cursing or speaking freely, It's as far from TT as you can get in a football forum IMO and paints this picture for me of a club and supporterbase that view themselves as some sort of defining institution within football, certainly in this country. But to be fair to them... that mentality really does seem to take them places. They have forged themselves something of a unique collective identity that is difficult to break down, and it seems to pervade the team as well. So while yes, they're annoying as fuck most of the time, I do also have some respect for the club and what they've collectively built it into. I would actually say Klopp made me dislike them far more than I did before he was there though. I would hold Man United higher in the 'clubs I despise' stakes.

This has just reminded me that @Howay has been away for some time now. Hope he's doing alright, he was pretty consistent as a poster.

He's also a Newcastle fan and seemingly one of the players who buoys the dressing room and keeps them switched on to the area. We need players like Murphy around the place.

Great result, but really don't understand this season. Not going to question it, just along for the ride at this point.

Mind you, do they have a mandate for anything like this? I would imagine that they'll want to push it back to the people one way or another which would mean another referendum (highly divisive) or we have to wait for their next term and vote them in on that. So again it feels like a missed opportunity, this election just gone. They could have had 'rejoin the EU in full' on the manifesto last time out and they'd still have won power IMO.

Renton pointing it out here isn't the same as Labour agreeing to do anything about it mind you. I sort of don't care tbh how this is done - if Labour start doing something about it now having been quiet about the whole situation in order to get into power then great, I'm happy with that, as long as they're fucking doing something. I don't care about the rights and wrongs of when someone could or should have done this or that, I just want us to stop living in this fantasy land where this doesn't need to be rectified urgently. So yes, great that the polls have said this - but now we need Labour to actually do something with it.

They actually reversed this policy a few days ago They've claimed it's because widespread disinformation about it exists, but the timing was basically within 24 hours of the shooting. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anthem-blue-cross-blue-shield-anesthesia-coverage-policy/

If it is him, he clearly intended to be caught - which is powerful in a way because now he's something tangible that people can rally around. They will put him on trial but his gofundme will raise considerable money, also showing that people support him and causing the media to have a rough time. The risk they have is if he's solely focused on being anti-rich. Then he could appeal to all houses of the argument rather than just left or right. I do hope his background is whiter than white though, because if they get the sense that he's becoming a symbol they'll be digging for anything they can find to break support for the guy. Interesting test case for revolution.

Odd though, if it's not him then what does that mean? The original guy got away with it?

Is Eales still here? I thought he quit for personal (health) reasons..

It's better viewed as promoting freedom.

Would also say that Gordon is probably my favourite player. We have many to choose from tbh but it's the energy that just gets me on the edge of my chair sometimes. I'm really pleased we signed him.

Jordan honestly comes across as someone trying to be smarter than he actually is. You can tell he doesn't have the legs as a journalist to be anywhere near as penetrating as he seems to want to be. That said, it is a good interview.

Aye maybe right. That Joker movie is going to look prophetic I think.

Yeah that's the thing, it's far more likely to be from their side of the aisle. Still, there's an incredible amount of schadenfreude amongst the left on this too. I do wonder how much longer we keep a lid on this sort of division.

This story is being framed online as someone killing an evil health insurance boss after the loss of a family member due to insurance refusing to pay. It's an actual 'eat the rich' moment if so. I'm curious to see how it develops but I'd imagine the authorities won't want to portray him as a robin hood style figure.

I think you're right yes, no surprise to learn he's the on the right wing.

World War 3 is going to be a series of civil wars conducted globally at this point.

“Through this martial law, I will rebuild and protect the free Republic of Korea, which is falling into the depths of national ruin,” Yoon said during a televised speech, invoking South Korea’s formal name. “I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalise the country,” he said, while asking the people to believe in him and tolerate “some inconveniences”. Fucking hell, we really are going to end up in some sort of global clusterfuck. This is what the race to the bottom leads to I suppose, it's now just a free for all everywhere as no one has any moral authority anymore. Seemingly he's frustrated that there is gridlock in Korean parliament because the opposition has too much control within it. So naturally, democracy must be dismantled to pave the way for this guy to 'personally save the country'. That's what I've picked up so far at least.

Tbh, I give a fuck about it because if it was one of us facing jail in this situation and being in particular targeted by politics, no one would be riding in on a white horse to save us. It is corruption. There is no defensible reason why Biden has done this other than that he decided to be a father first and a president second. Fair enough, but then IMO we should ban parents from being president because some things actually are more important than your kid. The left should have gotten tough by locking Trump up when it had the chance, by barring him from running again. not by sinking to his level in the family favours stakes. As for the 6 months down the line thing... firstly, so what if they did? It's a nonsense argument that can be dismissed by 'country first'. Secondly, even if it stuck so what? Biden isn't running again, his days at the wheel of our side of the argument are over. I'm not saying it's fair what is happening to his son, or that he's wrong as a father to do what he did. But he absolutely is wrong as a political leader to have done it.

This isn't about fighting dirty in a political war though, this is about an old man getting his son off from a crime. It doesn't benefit 'the left' at all. It just benefits him. I agree with you absolutely on the left needing to be prepared to play dirty - but Biden has just squandered some of our credibility for doing that on an entirely personal matter. Or can you tell me how this benefits 'our team'?