Rayvin

Aye, saw that. Doesn't seem to be coping well with his wife's illness or whatever it was that sent him down that path. I think his ship has sailed now anyway, he's not extreme enough for the newly victorious right wing.

Fair comment tbh, since that's the same phenomenon that has played out everywhere. But it's better that the left takes advantage of that than the right.

In more positive news, I see the left did some damage in Ireland. Winning the highest number of votes but failing to get an equivalent number of seats (they didn't run enough candidates it seems). So despite links to a terrorist past, it seems that the left can succeed. Good luck to Sinn Fein in forming some manner of government.

I really think the media are in trouble. By being partisan over important issues they've broken trust with the public who don't have the desire to support them now. The BBC are a good example of this in recent weeks - they pulled punches on Johnson because they believed that impartiality means you can only expose an equal amount of bullshit, irrespective of how much each side is spewing - and they helped cause this crisis by giving Farage such extensive airtime. And so now, there is no one in their corner. Same for the rest of the media although the right wing outlets will of course simply become the Russia Today's of the new right wing order. The internet talking heads will replace them and then we really are fucked.

Your memory is impressive.

Aye, never would have happened while we were still in the EU. There was solidarity then. Everyone pulling in the same direction, nailing their cocks to the mast... now they're spiraling around all over the place.

I keep hearing mixed things about Warren but a few years back I remember writing on here that she'd be the ideal person to run against him next time. But you're right in what you say, she started her political life as a republican I believe. That said, people can change. She's an improvement on Clinton. And tbf I do think she'd give Trump a hammering in debates or general competence.

You would hope so.

Let us indeed hope for someone who can appeal to the swing-state soccer moms then. But if you fuck around with your electoral process and make it non-transparent and disenfranchising... I mean, you also deserve to lose. I'm gonna add that Clinton should have appealed to those swing-state soccer moms last time. What happened there? 55% of white women voted for Trump. Whoops.

Richard Burgon has just proposed that the party put forward a new pledge that Labour members can veto military action by any future Labour government

Fair enough. I've just missed railing about politics for a couple of weeks and am now over-eager Although I have to concede, there's a general world-weariness in me about all these things now. I fully expect Trump to win this no matter who he goes up against, because the world just sucks.

The strong opinion I put forward = the Democrats will lose if they fuck around with the electoral process and disenfranchise large numbers of left wing voters in the process. I actually do feel I know a fair amount about that particular issue Or are you thinking I'm making a strong case for Sanders. If so, you misread. I said I hoped for him. Is that too strong? I have a slight tendency towards him. Still too much? Gun to my head, if really forced to answer, I think that maybe, I could possibly get away with thinking that overall, all things considered to the best of my ability, that Sanders is possibly, at least in the current lay of the land, the right person to go up against Trump. I think that's the best I can do ewerk. Sorry.

I agree with the last bit in theory, haven't seen any evidence to support the first bit myself - plenty of evidence last time out that he would have beaten Trump but I do concede the picture has changed now. And I'm not saying he should win. I'm just not especially impressed by the determination of the establishment democrats to shithouse their way to someone that they "think" can win. Ultimately I'll take anyone who isn't Trump - but a non-Sanders candidate who wins through the non-transparent machinations of the Democrats won't win either. If they want their centrist hero to win, he (or she, not sure where Warren places on the spectrum) has to win it fairly. If they don't, Trump will destroy them - partially because people who think like me will just give them the finger. Partially because it will make them look more corrupt than he is.

That video made me die inside.

As ever, I'm hoping for Bernie Sanders. I assume you prefer the guy who no one seems to care for very much who is only running because he was the second to a greater man, or the other guy who was involved in the development of an app which appears to have obfuscated an electoral process, and who has received fewer votes than Sanders, but who has somehow come out ahead. I think you're safe. The democrats will choose the unthreatening option irrespective of what the membership wants. And then we just have to hope that all the young people that such shithousery deters, aren't refusing to vote in sufficient numbers that Trump wins. I do concede he would be more palatable to the centrists though Well, I think so. I haven't actually seen any data on that.

Nothing matters anymore. People are too partisan, to emotionally invested in their side of this bloody culture war that it just doesn't matter. We just have to hope they put it right in November.

Am surprised how long it took for an Italian to score in the PL tbh.

I got 7 I'm terrible at these things.

You could get the train up as far as Kyle which then reduces your drive to up to 1 hour depending where on the island you go. But yes, Skye is largely the end of the world in some respects I think if you're in a holiday cottage rather than camping, maybe midgies aren't too bad anywhere really. You can stay indoors during peak bloodfeast (dusk). Ultimately if you're in a valley near water it's going to be bad though.

Skye. No midgies, they just get blown off the island. Cottage rentals are bread and butter up there but do it quickly cos August is tourist season and people start booking a year in advance these days. From Glasgow it's probably a 4 hour drive - you'll need a rental car to get around the island though. I'd recommend the northern end of the island as it's a bit wilder. Only downside of your chosen time of year is that the weather will be variable. May is the time to hit the highlands and Skye from a weather perspective, at least in my experience. It'll also be full of tourists, but they'll generally just hit the hotspots.

You lot too mate, gave a really good account of yourselves. Good game to watch if nothing else. And the Oxford lads we've had on here in and around the two games have been canny. Far better showing than their PL level counterparts. Thought your fans were in good voice too, for the most part. Good luck with the season ahead. Do us a favour and secure a playoff spot ahead of a certain other team you've got down there

ASM clearly decided in extra time there, that the only person who was going to win this game for us was him. Wasn't interested in passing, especially after the Atsu fiasco - knew he couldn't rely on his teammates to deliver anything, so made it happen himself. Credit to him. As a football club, as much as I'm pleased we won, that we managed to get ourselves into a situation like that is laughable.

There isn't an answer for Labour this time out. As I've said many times, there was no conceivable victory for Labour no matter who was in charge. And while Brexit looms large, we're still going to be shafted irrespective of who is in charge. Starmer is the best bet for me for the same reason that Corbyn was. If we're going to lose anyway, I'd prefer to die on my feet than on my knees. And he supports freedom of movement, so he gets my vote.

I think they're probably serious about it. It's realistically the only thing they've got going for them at this point and broadly speaking, fits the wider trends taking place elsewhere. Maybe they can be given pause if Trump can be deposed. We might have to hang all of our hopes on the US elections at this point.