A'Villan

March/April?! The grass must grow slower over on Pluto. As far as I'm concerned the only part of a mower that needs to work is the catcher. Nothing worse than a mower spitting pebbles or dog s*** at you.

Developed in the 1970's. Project MK-ULTRA rears its ugly head once again.

That doesn't make you sound like a dick to me. It just highlights that you have other ideas for how to spend your time. I won't go in to detail but I refuse to cross paths with a certain relative nowadays. That's my prerogative. I have no duty or obligation to this person beyond common decency. Part of loyalty is telling hard truths and this particular individual overstepped the boundary in ways in which I find hard to comprehend. I always try to find the good in people and if I struggle I look for redeeming qualities but this person, I have no respect for the way they treat other people.

Sunburn and that I haven't the presence of mind to put on sunscreen before it comes to be. I suspect spending the better part of a day in direct Aussie sunlight when it's 30+ degrees is the cause. Even the Africans go a tinge of red over here.

Condolences for the friends you've lost and that more friends are battling. I assume the sword of Damocles reference is because their lives are on the line? I've lost a relative to it. I was a pallbearer at the funeral and couldn't help but shed some tears. As you say it's not a cheerful process. That said, the times spent together in the lead up to his passing were and still are a source of positivity. Despite it's undesirable nature and how debilitating it can be, death and the process in which it comes about are not to be rued but a reminder of how fragile life is and the importance of embracing and cherishing it. In completely unrelated news, after being tipped as favourites and winning every game in the group stage, placing us as the top team going into finals, we ended up losing in the semi-finals of the basketball tournament I played in today. Cash only went to the winning team so no extra paycheck this time around. Next tournament is early December for a tournament in which I was last years runner up and the winner the year before after I hit the game winning 3point shot in the final. Was disappointing to lose the way in which we did. I was 100% from the field in the first game and scored just under half our points but my teammates were overlooking me when I was open and that continued all day. It wasn't that they didn't trust me, it was that they were overlooking each other too, scrapping the team game in favour of individual efforts to force a play. It worked for most of the tournament but when we came up against our first real challenge in the semi-finals we came undone against a team that shot the lights out and fought hard to maintain and further their lead. We came really close to a remarkable comeback but if we had used each other and found the open shot more we would've won the whole thing at a canter. I'm all for backing oneself and having confidence in your ability to take the game by the scruff of the neck but not if it's to the detriment of a better performance. There was next to no effort to pass the ball around and expose our opponents by using one another. It was head down, I'm going to make this play myself type mentality for the majority of our plays. I don't care that we missed out on the cash or bragging rights, I enjoyed the day regardless. What does bother me is that we were expected to win the thing because we can produce good basketball and yet on the day we forgot one of the most fundamental aspects of the game, that being that it's a team game. Ah well.

He's got the best win percentage of anyone to manage the club as it is. Long may it continue. All of this has the potential to be an absolute dream situation. Right now things look hopeful. Two of Villa's own leading the football, with Smith as coach and Grealish on the pitch. I don't want to dampen anyone's spirits but Smith has not yet done enough to earn himself a title of manager of the decade like Howe did. Howe's achievements and accolades are greater than Smith's without a doubt. I'm not saying Smith won't be as good or even better than anyone I would compare him to but as it is, Smith hasn't done anything to set the world alight. He inherited a Brentford team which finished 5th in the championship in the season before he took over. The way I see it is the team that came up from League One showed that they were not only ready for the championship but for a shot at the Premier League and Smith had no role in that. He achieved mid-table finishes for Brentford, which people might not have expected considering Brentford hadn't been that high up in the divisions for over 20 years. I'm no expert but I don't see how Brentford could be considered serious contenders for promotion to the Premier League under Smith. They flirted with making playoffs at best, always finishing multiple wins short each time. This is not a slight on Smith's efforts or ability as a coach, it's more an attempt to keep things in perspective. Smith's journey as a coach is just 7 years young and he has just stepped in to a Villa role which will come with it's own unique set of challenges. He is responsible for taking a great club that has lost its way and restoring it to former glories. At the least helping that process move in the right direction. Not everyone can be Eddy Howe and receive accolades like manager of the decade while aged in their 30's. That's pretty rare and remarkable. Fortunately we don't need Smith to compete with that. We're a completely different challenge to Bournemouth. I like everything I've seen and heard under Smith so far, very impressed and am looking forward to what's next.

I guess the challenge for any promoted team is adapting to a greater level of competition. To what degree can promoted teams emulate the methods that earned them a place in a higher division? Do they need to reevaluate and make changes in order to be effective? What concessions need to be made in order for the team to be given the best chance of success? In the Premier League, Fulham have equaled their chances on goal, possession share and pass accuracy averages from their efforts in the championship last season. In fact they are a top half side in those departments. They are also a top half side for goals scored from open play. So you could argue there are some real good signs for Fulham. Areas they have been less effective are shot accuracy, chances conceded (17 per game) and obviously goals conceded. They were conceding less than a goal per game and scoring 1.7 in the championship, in the Premier League they are conceding 1.5 and scoring less than a goal per game. Wolves have a better standing on the ladder, however have only scored one more goal than Fulham and have less possession retention, pass accuracy and goals from open play than Fulham. So who knows, if Fulham can manage to become more resolute without the ball, they are actually one of the better sides on the ball, and who knows could start earning some points. Both Wolves and Fulham spent as much as each other. Wolves made some very astute signings who have bedded in nicely to be fair to them. Wolves have also made compromises that are tactically sensible. In contrast it would seem like Fulham have not found a way to cope with the improved standards as a team yet and as a result aren't picking up points. I would reiterate though that on the ball, they are a top half side and it's still early days. Although now they have changed manager no doubt their will be changes for better or worse. I remember an interview with a Fulham player who said the slow start and strong finish was due to the demanding and complicated methodology of Jokanovic. I guess once things were implemented the results spoke for themselves. The margin for error is so fine and everyone is looking for that competitive edge. In order to go up and stay up, Villa must continue to identify the demands of the competition, then set targets and make plans accordingly. Being vigilant in our preparation, taking educated risks and operating with cohesion as a united team are essential. Southampton went down to League One and have managed to return to the top flight. Swansea spent the last 7 years in the Premier League after making their debut. Leicester have spent the last 4 years back in the Premier League, winning it along the way. Just some examples of teams establishing or reestablishing residency in the Premier League to accompany the teams already mentioned by others.

Had my high schools 10 year reunion last night. Playing in a 4v4 basketball tournament tomorrow.

Liz Stringer - Featherweight https://lizstringer.bandcamp.com/track/featherweight

Trump is hostile and defensive from the start. I'm sorry but I want journalists making politicians uncomfortable and holding them accountable. Sure Acosta is a bit of a grandstander but at least he tries to challenge the president. I find it intolerable. People are dying from and living all sorts of tragedies. The world has lost over 50% of its wildlife in the last 40 years. Environmental issues. Surely the POTUS needs to be capable of starting and holding a dialogue where challenges and people come under scrutiny, including the POTUS themselves. What good is a few minutes of conversation where the participants can't even finish a sentence, let alone establish an inquiry, before personal insults are being thrown around. It's the little things that make up the big picture and this interaction makes me wonder how capable we are, as we are, to overcome the challenges we face. What you're talking about is the character of the 'leader' of the 'greatest' country. I'm a fairly optimistic person, but we're going to need some really strong willed, ingenious and benevolent men and women to pull their socks up and start taking positions of leadership if we're to turn this s*** show around.

I find the Bilderberg Group to be a bit suspicious.

Derrick Rose! Yes! I never thought he'd come back to form. 50 point game end of last month and a 31 point game including an impressive 7/9 from 3pt territory. Averaging 19 points per game.

Anyone catch Zion Williamson's debut for Duke? He's 18 years old. The potential is through the roof. I'm a fan of all the greats and we surely have one here.

Being from Melbourne myself, I would encourage you to suggest Gabby Agbonlahor to Sydney FC. Their basketball team got Andrew Bogut and life needs balance, so their football team can have Gab! P.S Love your work.

I don't think there should be an age at which you stop playing video games unless they are compromising other priorities or you're moving on to new pastures. I was very good at Counter Strike Source and clocked up about 3000 hours. I play a game of FIFA maybe once every few weeks. But that's been the extent of my gaming experience. I'd rather go play basketball for 8 hours then sit at a screen, but that's me. My brother will spend that 8 hours playing a variety of video games but still find time to work, study, travel and has an adorable relationship with his Mrs. I don't see the need to stop at a given age unless it's messing with your life.

Love martial arts. I have trained in Arakan and dabbled in Muay Thai. There's no room for ego when you're pinned to the ground by someone who could end your life. The discipline and philosophy has always attracted me as much as the art of combat itself. Never really watched UFC much. I've seen a few fights of Anderson Silva but his name is the only name that stuck with me. Recently my friend showed me the boxer who's meant to overtake Mayweather, I think his name was Joshua. I enjoy watching the fights but can't stand the hype that surrounds it and the way some of the fighters carry on.

I get the impression you're being dead serious, but these things are hard to discern over text.

The poor souls, for the most part, believe the right to bear arms stems from the founding fathers being concerned with the individuals right to bear arms. It was a different world back then and even if the intention of the founding fathers was to create a militia where all permitted citizens would be part time soldiers and have the right to bear arms, in order to prevent the need for a professional army that might encroach on the freedoms of the nations people, the reality is that the militia would be more effective at policing nonwhites than it would be fighting enemy nations, making the law somewhat redundant outside of ensuring slavery and racism was easily maintained within American borders. The founding fathers envisioning all citizens be part time soldiers in the militia meant that if there was political conflict between citizens, who were relied upon to enforce the laws as part of the militia, there was also division within the militia. When these divisions of interest turned violent, the government did not enjoy a balance of power over the citizens, as they were trained and armed. It was a different time back then and the American founding fathers did not intend on wal-mart stocking AK-47s for the sake of it. Neither did they intend on the USA developing a professional army of world conquest proportion.

@NurembergVillan "Welcome to the 4th Reich" Absolutely. Only it's a cross breed with the Roman Empire reborn.

Agreed for sure that the margins are fine. Promotion will require adequacy in all areas and excellence in at least one department. I watched the interview from Cutler and that gives me hope that Nyland will come good. I agree his presence is hardly confident or commanding right now. I'm hoping that it's a mental hurdle that can be overcome pronto. I'm sure standing between posts that are 7metres apart and 2.5 tall can seem like it's a lot more space to protect when you're anxious to impress and in a rut of form as a goalie. I don't see it as harsh to make comment of someones inability at a certain level of competition, Nyland himself has stated that he hasn't started well.

After hearing Trump discuss the great work being done by ICE, I wanted to know if the Patriot Act was still in use. One source said that it would extend to 2019 but I couldn't find any recent articles of it still being effective. Can anyone on here confirm? Apparently it's on record that one congressmen alleged that no one had read the bill in its entirety before it was passed, stating that bills are rarely read before being passed. I read up on Australia's version of the act and learnt that I don't have the right to express certain opinions or criticisms of the constitution or government. Onus of proof falls on the defendant and innocence is not presumed. Which brings me back on topic and @Davkaus I can only imagine that 'demonising immigrants' and being an 'enemy of the people' would be considered the more concerning accusation.

Derby have beat Manchester United, narrowly missed out on beating Chelsea (a game in which Derby players scored 4 of the games 5 goals), spanked West Brom and had some decent results against other promotion candidates in Middlesbrough and Sheffield United. They also have lost some you might've expected them to win. They've shown they can mix it with the best of both this league and the Premier League so far this season. Taking the points here with a solid performance would be a huge boost for our campaign. I don't know what to expect from Derby so I'm not going to make a prediction, but I'm not going to let our league position dampen my hopes of continuing what has been two games of solid football from us, against teams which Derby have failed to overcome in their fixtures this season.

If he assaulted the woman taking the mic from him then a room full of people stood there and said nothing, including the president himself. That didn't happen, he simply didn't hand the mic over on first request and even says, "pardon me, M'am" when she approaches him to remove it from him. If that's assault then what does Trump get charged with for "grabbing 'em by the pussy"? No way does Acosta deserve to have credentials revoked despite his incessant attempts to pursue a line of question. To then accuse him of assault just goes to show the integrity in politics. People shouldn't be afraid of their government, governments should be afraid of their people. I think the only mistake Acosta made was going on to call the President an enemy of the people because I'm guessing that's what's landed him in trouble. You're right though, he is the president and should be respected, but only because he is respectable and respectful himself.