fruitvilla

2 hours ago, VillaChris said:

I'm amazed we've been priced that high given our more than decent record v the top teams this season, do the bookies still think it's 19/20? What odds were West Brom when they went there, 40/1?

It's the punters not the bookies that ultimately set the odds.

Bookies do the math and take their cut.

Fancied a bit of alliteration.
Are we going to see a:

A rested, rusty or recovering Villa

Hoping for a ripping Villa myself.

7 hours ago, DCJonah said:

I've only read part of it but its a truly horrendous crime. However executing someone with serious mental health issues does not sit right with me. It's awful. 

I'm glad we don't have the death penalty here. 

There was somebody recently cut off someone's head on a Greyhound bus here in Canada.  Served his sentence, was put back on his meds, I am presuming there is a protocol to keep him on his meds, and I believe he is back in the community.

That is the difference between a civilized response to horrific events and the Trump administration playing to the deplorable elements in his base.

9 hours ago, Rugeley Villa said:

First female in 67 years has been executed in the US. Doctors described her as mentally unstable and should not have been given the death sentence. 

Theatre for the the USA.  Macabre theatre.

1 minute ago, snowychap said:

otiose

My word of the day.

32 minutes ago, sharkyvilla said:

True but even so it seems glacial and a pretty pointless ceremonial waste of time nowadays.  I hope Biden and co try to modernise the transition period but it probably was written down hundreds of years ago that it's the way it has to be.

I suppose compared to the UK ... there is a huge switch in the US administration versus the UK civil service 

6 minutes ago, sharkyvilla said:

The thing is America has this weird couple of months of limbo where the electorate kick out a President they don't think is fit 

Normally this is OK  ...  eg Obama did not suddenly become unfit and improper ...  even Dubya, at least by current standards.

6 minutes ago, Chindie said:

The only thing stopping that is an act of mutiny, with the consequences that come from that for the individuals involved. 

This I think is true. If some General (or group of officers) refuse to carry out a legal order that has not yet been deemed to be bat shit crazy, then the military will go through the motions and do their thing. The general population who are not bat shit crazy will laud them. 

2 minutes ago, LondonLax said:

My take is that if Trump is still a player in the game in 4 years time that is a bigger problem for the Republicans than for the Democrats. He will be less popular to swing voters and moderate conservatives than he is now but will have a significant chunk of the current Republican base wedded to him no matter what.

He will need to be distanced from the Republican Party if they are going to have a chance to win an election again, otherwise they might as well rebadge the ‘Grand Old Party’ as the MAGA party and ride it into the ground but if he’s still holding his MAGA voters whilst he’s running as a third party candidate the Democrats will saunter to a clear victory under that scenario as well.

This I think is nuanced look at the problem. The Republicans have to balance their short term issues ie its complete swing to the Alt Right with longer term Republican values. 

Having said that getting politicians to focus on the longer term ...  good luck.

12 minutes ago, Awol said:

That’s all irrelevant to the original point, if Trump gives a legal order to the military then they will follow it because he’s their CiC and they have to. 

Have to? That might be what they have been trained to do, conditioned to do.  I do understand a thinking soldier is not always desirable.  

6 minutes ago, Awol said:

The military follow legal orders, especially when it comes to orders for the release of nuclear weapons. That’s how it works. 

So if today a responsible general somewhere received a command from Trump to Nuke Tehran, 9 to 15 million people, the general will just say yes sir, get those with proximate responsibilities to do the deed? Just like that?

I sincerely hope not. 

2 minutes ago, andym said:

For example, if Trump said 'i want to nuke Scotland in revenge for Nicola Sturgeon being mean and saying i cant come and play golf there', then the generals wouldn't just go 'here's the big red button sir'?

Don't be stupid, that is way over the top. It would be a drone attack on Nicola. Nukes might damage Trump's golf courses.

10 minutes ago, Awol said:

First point, that’s BS. There are no safeguards. The military cannot disobey a lawful order from the Commander in Chief, period. 

Second, these are her own words:

 

 

So there is no record of the conversation itself ...  Without personalities involved ... In say a hypothetical situation if there is an unhinged president, is asking about what safeguards are in place, mutiny? 

Also I gather, I was following orders is not a really good defense these days.

7 minutes ago, Awol said:

Invitation to mutiny. 

So the answer is no ... 

from the military times

However, Col. Dave Butler, spokesman for Army Gen. Mark Milley, said only of the call between the two leaders that “he answered her questions regarding the process of nuclear command authority.”

3 minutes ago, Awol said:

Leader of the House was asking the US military to mutiny

Is there a record of the conversation?

1 hour ago, bannedfromHandV said:

I’ve not really understood the love-in for wolves over recent years, WBA is a step too far....give it a few years and we’ll be feeling sorry for bloody SHA too!

I’m more than happy to see them all suffer.

Just curious ...  is this banter or are you serious?

44 minutes ago, SuperTed said:

You’re a Baggies fan, aren’t you pal? 

Here's a little something I wrote about a year ago about Villa

I've posted it before but you might enjoy it. 

1 minute ago, SuperTed said:

Hmmm.

Given the little celebration you had for us when we were relegated, with the loss to Fulham in the play off final and the reaction when Rodriguez scored that handball equaliser (these are just a few I can think of in recent years) yes I will revel in your misery a wee bit. 

I really don't get this?

1 minute ago, Greenfly said:

All I know is, it is just banter for everybody I know. I don't know anybody who genuinely hates any fans of any club. Even the thread you referenced about which fans we hate the most, you'll notice the word hate is in quotation marks; nobody in their right mind actually hates these people, only in the context of supporting football clubs.

I hope you are right.

Just now, SuperTed said:

You’re a Baggies fan, aren’t you pal? 

Nooooooo! 

2 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

If you cant enjoy the banter why you watchin football?

I don't get a sense it is just banter. Take the Which Premier League Team Do You Hate the Most? thread.

2 minutes ago, Greenfly said:

It's just banter.  ...  (for most people).

Well there is that. I went to school in Bordesley Green ...  I was the only Villa supporter that I know of. Went past St Andrews most school days.

Take my interaction with Giro ... do you get the sense it is just banter?

Just now, Giro said:

Lol so I should be annoyed the baggies aren’t doing good?

I never said that. I simply tried to suggest don't revel in someone else's misery.

Pretty much every year teams go down and come up. I have my preferences as no doubt you do. West Brom look like they are going down. It appears to be your preference. Fair enough. Villa escaped going down last year by a smidgen. I can only imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth from Villa fans if that happened. Would Villa fans have deserved the disparagement from West Brom fans? Well apparently yes (if you had your way) because they are no different from Baggies fans.

Just now, The Fun Factory said:

Do you follow football?

Do you follow this world?

1 minute ago, Giro said:

Lol you remember the whole “pride of the Midlands” garbage they gave when they finished above us, found our relegation hilarious too. Screw them 

So you want to be just like them? ... Fair enough.