darrenm

If they're playing their 3rd choice keeper I'd play 'shoot on sight' El Goalzy.

The rest picks itself imo:

                    Brick

Cash.  Konsa.  Mings.   Targett

                  Nakamba

        Douglas.        McGinn

Buendia.      Ings.         El Goalzy

Is The Suicide Squad a sequel? Or is it a remake of Suicide Squad? Are they pretending the first one doesn't exist? Does the frugality of this information mean that only obsessive nerds are supposed to go and watch these films?

6 minutes ago, Genie said:

I remember reading a while back that China has about 90% of the worlds precious metals needed for battery production, can’t remember the source sadly.

I can’t see the Americans going after that though.

Probably correct. But Afghanistan has potentially the world's largest source of lithium according to CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/18/business/afghanistan-lithium-rare-earths-mining/index.html

Quote

There are also rare earth minerals and, perhaps most importantly, what could be one of the world's biggest deposits of lithium — an essential but scarce component in rechargeable batteries and other technologies vital to tackling the climate crisis.

31 minutes ago, chrisp65 said:

You’d imagine at least one of the major political parties that needs a bit of a spark would latch on to the housing problem and come up with some big ideas that genuinely help the individual against the robber landlords and corporations.

Think of all those national and local government buildings and land not needed if they persist with working from home.

Think of all those people that could have apprenticeships converting and building decent affordable accommodation that has environmentally leading energy consumption thus also helping us towards net zero whilst providing work, repurposing redundant buildings, employing people and homing people.

If only a struggling political party could convey that idea in a lucid exciting way.

Take your radical nonsense elsewhere, Trot.

Something I've been pondering.

Oil has been the motivator for most western foreign meddling in the latter half of the 20th century. It's put middle Eastern sheikhs and countries into real positions of influence due to the money they have and the oilfields they control.

But now, oil is being phased out as a fuel for locomotion, being replaced by stored electrical energy in private vehicles and eventually in commercial and industrial settings too. 

For this, the world will be massively reliant on lithium. The US will be acutely aware that they'll need to source lithium wherever it can be found soon. Anyone with vast quantities will be a world financial heavyweight.

Where has the most lithium?

Afghanistan.

Why would the US look at the world's largest reserve of the mineral it will be most reliant on for the next few decades at least and decide to march straight out?

Diplomacy? Not much chance taking it by force without creating a huge anti war backlash and having to engineer another war on terror.

If the previous government were unstable enough to look like they would allow the Chinese to come in and get whatever they wanted then would it make sense to allow the Taliban to take over, form a stable administration and be able to trade weapons for lithium, which the Chinese couldn't compete with and the Taliban would be most interested in?

Just seen Free Guy. Absolutely brilliant.

It's Ready Player One with The Truman Show and a bit of The Matrix. Maybe a bit of Elf too.

Ryan Reynolds exactly how you'd expect.

2 minutes ago, bickster said:

Do you believe they are being "targetted" because they are Jewish or that they hold views that are incompatible with membership of Labour Party?

If you look at the 4 "banned" organisations. Two of them are Resist (AKA the Chris Williamson fanclub) and Labour against the Witchunt. Both of whom claim the accusations about antisemitism in the Labour Party are politically motivated despite the EHRC report saying otherwise. It's exactly the same thing as the former leader not being a current Labour MP. That view is incompatible with a Labour Party that wants to take on board what the EHRC said. Fundamentally incompatible

The other two banned orgs were the Labour in Exile Network,  these people were already hoofed out so hardly a shock here and Socialist Appeal, a Trotskyite Party (that bit is important) formed by Militant founder Ted Grant when he was booted out of Militant

I don't see what some people's ethnicity has to do with this, it's about incompatible opinions and ideas

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-labour-antisemitism-accused-purging-jews-over-claims

"A new report says that Keir Starmer’s Labour “is purging Jews from the party” - with Jews almost five times more likely to face antisemitism charges than non-Jewish members. "

"Jenny Manson, co-chair of Jewish Voice for Labour, who is herself under investigation by the Labour Party, told MEE: “For the first time in my life as a Jew living in the UK I feel persecuted, hated and shunned by the apparatus of the Labour Party and the loud voices of some sections of the Jewish community. The weapon used too often is to call us JVL activists antisemitic. Bizarre and wicked.”"

It told the EHRC: "Our Jewish members do not feel safe in the Party and this is experienced agonisingly like the persecution our families have experienced over centuries"."

if you read that Jewish people are saying they feel persecuted and unsafe and you still seek to denigrate their experience through factionalism then I don't know what to say to you.

Oh and this:

"Approached by Middle East Eye, the Labour Party did not respond to the JVL’s claims."

is particularly egregious. The Labour Party under Starmer is choosing which groups of Jewish people to listen to and which to ignore. Does the McPherson principle and the EHRC not rule this out of order?

This is Naomi Wimbourne-Idrissi it's worth listening to what she has to say:

she was suspended from Labour for saying this, nothing to do with the proscribed groups:

""I feel bloody uncomfortable seeing damned good comrades and friends of mine being suspended from this party for doing nothing more than trying to discuss the questions which led to Jeremy Corbyn’s unjust suspension - we know it was unjust because he was readmitted - and then the question of the whip being taken from him which is almost certainly unconstitutional in the party.”"

From https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-labour-senior-member-jewish-pressure-group-suspended

The whole thing stinks. I have solidarity with all Jewish people, not just those with whom I agree politically. To only have solidarity with one group because it's politically expediant to do so is weak and cowardly. This is one of the major reasons I have such disdain for Starmer and Evans.

20 hours ago, bickster said:

If you genuinely believe that, then you really should step out of your political bubbble a bit

You realise of course that his wife and children are Jewish.

No I don't genuinely believe that. I find the continued targeting of left Jewish members extremely troubling and the narrative that Starmer is tackling antisemitism while this is happening being accepted by many without question even more troubling. I don't really have a bubble thanks for the concern anyway.

1 hour ago, blandy said:

Keir said: "Robust action to eradicate the scourge of antisemitism"

"By expelling all the Jewish members"

Re: mask wearing. I tend to follow the request of the establishment I'm visiting. In homebase they still have signs up asking for masks and the staff wear them, so I do too. In other places where it's not requested, I don't. I know that indoors is the riskiest place but my feeling is that we have up 18 months of our lives to try to get back to some degree of freedom. If I can't take my mask off now, I'll never be able to. But if it's a shop requesting it, I'm fine with that.

The hand sanitiser thing winds me up though - it's the classic emperor's new clothes. People are still doing it because news hasn't yet reached them it's pointless. Shops still have it outside and ask you use it. It's ridiculous, we need to call this out and stop with the nonsense.

Also, masks outdoors. This is also pointless. Hand sanitising for COVID protection and outdoor masks need to stop, while people need to realise that the risks indoors without ventilation are higher than they've been led to believe (which I know makes my non mask wearing inside seem like I know I'm taking a risk, I am, but right now when almost all vulnerable won't die because they're vaccinated, there would have been more sense wearing a mask before COVID when I could have passed flu to someone elderly, unvaccinated and killed them)

4 hours ago, avfcDJ said:

I hold my hands up I thought Starmer would be the right man to lead Labour forward, I was massively wrong.

I did too. So did thousands of people, quite a number of which were Corbyn supporters who were told Starmer would continue with the popular policies but not have the attackable history.

6 minutes ago, blandy said:

Frame it however you like, really. The point I think is that trying to be one party is pretty hopeless. It’s not, any more. They’ve been so long out of power that they’ve forgotten what they’re for, what they need to do, who they need to represent. Instead they’re just factionally fighting. 

Yep, the party really does need to split. I know people cite the SDP fiasco handing the Tories power but I don't think the current situation is the same because the party has never been this divided before. I just wish there was a way to allow it to happen with PR so you don't have 2 diametrically opposed groups fighting over the name.

13 hours ago, Big Salad said:

The series.

Started it, it's excellent. Thanks

20 hours ago, Big Salad said:

The Right Stuff.

Its about the US Space program;thought pretty good and hopefully they make some more.

Series or film? Both are on there.

1 hour ago, Jareth said:

I take it the aim is to appeal to the masses and not to these loony left marxists who call themselves members - like that Ken Loach fella. I think it should be clarified that this is actually the plan. Any Labour fanboys out there who want to confirm?

I think the aim is to piss off all the socialists so much they all leave, all the unions disaffiliate and the Blairites are left with the name 'Labour' to have another go at ChangeUK/The Independent Group/Which? Magazine Political Party.

On 14/08/2021 at 13:24, bickster said:

The Labour Party under the previous leader was not the Labour Party of at least the last 50 years, in that sense Starmer is actually returning the party to its traditional position.

Loach's comments on the matter are pure cliche. The only word that's missing from what he said was Stalinism  We do however have the words purge, clique, expulsion, witch hunt, solidarity, victim, comrades.... What he hasn't said was that it was the obvious consequence of a decision he was forced to make

I'm presuming this is about Loach being a member / supporter of one or more of the 4 orgs that Labour recently decided were not compatible with the Party. He was therefore presumably asked to disassociate himself from those orgs and refused. He knew when he made that decision what the consequences of that choice were. That is obviously his choice and the correct decision for him, if those orgs are more important to him than the party itself, he's made the right decision. Given that though, it is rather that he expelled himself and his comments are wholly disengenuous.

Bloke walks into a shop with 50p, he can only afford either a Mars Bar or a Marathon, he chose Mars Bar then moaned to everyone the shop keeper wouldn't give him the Marathon too

That presumption is the basis of your entire argument isn't it?

Could be true but I haven't seen it anywhere.

Labour over the last 40 years isn't the same Labour it was founded as and continued to be for the 60 years after that. For what type of party it should be, the clue is in the name.

Bailey training apparently so could feature

4 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

That ain't working

A great pun. That's the way you do it.

3 hours ago, NurembergVillan said:

topic

Yeah I don't want to have a marathon session wading through stupid puns.

12 hours ago, zab6359 said:

-------------------------------Martinez--------------------------

------------Konsa--------------Mings----------Axel--------

-Cash--Buendia--Nakamba--McGinn--Targett-

----------------------Ings-------Watkins-----------------------

Was about to suggest this. Definitely able to go 3-5-2 this season with Tuanzebe back. 3 top class CBs. Cash and Targett are excellent wing backs too.

More like 3-4-3 though. Nakamba and McGinn in midfield with Buendia in 'the hole' behind Ings and Watkins.

28 minutes ago, Designer1 said:

First one could be Frenzy?

Looks the right type of thing thanks

21 minutes ago, Phil Silvers said:

How long ago?

Can't remember a great deal about it... maybe Roadgames 1981, Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee?

About 82/83 I'll have a look thanks.

On the topic of horror films, I've got flashbacks of watching horror films as a really young kid at my Nan's. No idea why she was letting me watch them but hey ho.

One was where a female dead bottom was naked under a tarpaulin on the back of a flatbed truck and the other was a short fat evil guy dancing on a stage. I seem to remember another part of that was his wife brushing his hair and seeing a mark on his head? Either of those 2 ring any bells?

1 hour ago, Follyfoot said:

 

Watched the Final Cut edition recently. What an incredible, messed up, unsettling, creepy film.

Just now, thefeet1980 said:

Yeah, fair enough. Not sure why I was inclined to be so charitable…

I think it's probably somewhere in the middle. I think the players and staff at Villa are all being professional, amiable and have no reason but to wish him well.