We should have learnt our lesson. Expect the unexpected... Take a break for a bit and read, rinse and recycle the first twenty or so pages of this thread...it's pretty funny how set we were in our opinions (which haven't shifted much).
How's the weather up there today tonyo.
I had every intention, but it wasn't within my 5km zone......
I'll leave Qanon to you. Do you think the Republicans would have wanted to raise those skeletons if some of their own were also benefiting? Big time corruption does not necessarily run along party lines. Aren't you even a teeny weeny bit suspicious of what went on there?
If the Republicans thought that calling Biden a Martian would win them the election, they would produce NASA documents proving there was life there......
It's not about which side has dirty laundry - let's face it, they both have.... it's about publicising (not proving) that the other guy's laundry is dirtier....
And if you really want to see if there is any difference between the Republicans and the Democrats when it comes to Average Joe American, I suggest you have a look at the doco 'Inside Job' about the GFC in the US and how much both varieties of politician cow-tow to Wall St etc.....
Don't misunderstand, I do believe that modern democracy is giving people the illusion of choice, whilst corporations and faceless people rule the nations, but I dont understand why they appoint someone who is ill equipped to provide the proper illusion of choice rather than these old guys who seem to be the physical representation of uncle sam.
What do they know about life? These rich oligarchs who have been spoon fed their entire lives tend to run nations who are comprised of exactly the type of people they would never associate with aside from servitude.
Hell you could buy off anyone for half the money to do their advisors bidding. I think this is the exact reason Trump is in power mind you. The general public see him as someone that is one of them, but is too stupid to keep his mouth shut and then allows the general public to understand exactly where they sit in societal heirarchy. Its why he appeals to the lowest denominator.
I don't disagree. As a rolled gold narcissist, I think Donald is more keen on the notoriety than the power. Now, everyone in the world listens to him.
The challenge for the Democrats was to provide an alternative - I am sure that is why Biden is there, because he represents a safe choice, ie a well-known older white guy with no spooky agendas. Not necessarily great in terms of a forward-thinking approach, but probably inoffensive enough to win an election.
Why are most of Americans presidentential candidates old and senile?
My sisters father in law at their age drive a car into a stationary fence and didn't even realise he had clipped it.
My mum's 69 and she is starting to become forgetful and has more health issues than ever before.
American Presidents are fronts for a machine driven by faceless people that do the 'advising'. The machine, whether it be Democrat or Republican, needs a face with populist charisma to get its agenda into the driving seat. Donald's problem is he actually thinks he is the supreme leader, and when he doesn't agree with the machine, he sacks someone (there have been a few that have be shown the door....). Most of the rest have learned to say the right things.
I would suggest that many Republican politicians would be happy to see the end of Donald because he is a loose cannon, but the problem is his popularity with certain segments of the US population has meant that these same politicians get to keep their seats in Congress.
I honestly thought the COVID positive thing was a ploy to have him 'stand aside' with no political blood-letting involved....... maybe they didn't count on his ego getting in the way?
What are we getting from Dan? Lock everyone at home, mandatory masks everywhere and no sophisticated approach to protecting us from meat packing plant workers, returned travellers, high level protections for carers, etc. and a massive focus on the aged care facilities.
Wear a mask and stay home for months cos that works. We know it works but it also devastates the state.
Dan is just not competent enough to manage this and I really don't see a counter-argument here.
(I voted for Dan by the way)
Problem is, Jeza, we have a % of the population who aren't even sophisticated (or smart) enough to wear a mask, stay within 5km of their home, and not have birthday parties. They screw it for all of us because they think none of it applies to them.
Dan et al had hours and days, not weeks and months, to implement a workable plan. They simply went with lowest common denominator, because it is the lowest common denominators that this virus absolutely thrives upon.
I am no fan of what we have to put up with, but pretending it will just go away is mindless. And don't even get me started about the idiots dancing on St Kilda beach.......
It all depends on perspective. As for the previously quoted analogy, arsonists start fires knowing full well they will create damage. COVID has caught most of the world off-guard.
No doubt Andrews et al screwed up on the hotel quarantine thing (NSW Gov was damn close with Ruby Princess....), but they're certainly not alone in COVID screw-ups across the globe.
But instead of swanning off with his fat-cat pollie pension like most would do, Andrews has fronted up to the media every single day since and stared the naysayers in the face. Whichever way you look at it, that shows some backbone, which is something sadly lacking in most of our 'leaders'.
If Andrews had gone (like many suggested) when it went pear-shaped, I have no doubt we would be royally f***ed by now.
Let's deal with the problem at hand, and worry about the fallout later.
In footy terms, Dan had a good first quarter, a shocker in the second, but his second half has been tough without being pretty. Funny thing is, if you finish in front at the final siren, nobody usually remembers the score at half time......
Don’t need Fev we need who taught fev to change his grip to the different hand approach and to walk in a straight line at his target holding the ball still and in line with his drop target. Then it’s just swinging your leg straight. Can’t remember who it was but Fev will.
Fevola was usually great kick at goal, but I will never forgive him for hitting the post from 15 metres out to hand Hawthorn a win in 2009. Some blokes rise to the pressure, and some wilt.....
This is certainly not the time to throw out the baby with the bath water.....
I can remember watching guys like Nick Vlaustin, Shane Edwards, Dylan Grimes, Kane Lambert etc when they first started playing, and thought they would be average at best - but Richmond held their nerve (including keeping Hardwick) and backed their list. The proof of that pudding is in their trophy cabinet.
As Nick Reiwoldt has pointed out, the undefinable glue is 'chemistry', and I have seen far more of that this season. Defense is pretty good, midfielders have by and large held their own. We could certainly use some more running power in these two areas.
However, the glaringly obvious work-in-progress is the mid to forward connection, and finishing. I honestly think this is where we have missed Charlie and Jack Silvagni badly this year, as they are our best lead-up forwards by a mile. The current forwards do not make their moves fast enough, and we end up clogged and get nothing for our hard work. The third quarter last night was the most frustrating I have watched all season. We should have been 5-7 goals up at 3/4 time, and it's game over.
We are badly hampered by the fact that the NBs don't seem to be able to recruit/keep quality mature players. The non-Carlton part of the NB list seems to be full of try-hards and journeymen that give minimal quality support to the younger Blues who travel through there. You only need to look at what Hawthorn does with Box Hill (eg bringing in Deledio this year) which seems to fast-track development of their younger brigade.
If Carlton's $$ books are now looking so rosy, perhaps we could invest a few bucks at Cramer St. so we can get some better returns on the mid-range young players who come to our club and then leave after two years with little to show for it.
