Grr-owl

Cause they never happened. Before anyone flies off the handle, no I don’t believe it. What kind of callousness would it take to insist it’s fake news??? Though, strangely, some American friends - medicos, believe it or not - told me as much.... ‘What has happened to ‘Fact?’

There were a number of people who did similar stuff in other parts of India too....

Also among the pioneers of many freedoms, including those for the slaves you mention - slavery being a universal institution until the British outlawed it in 1833 and the US followed in 1863. The Ottoman sultan laughed in the face of the British when they proposed it in Istanbul. Jefferson was well aware of what he was doing when he wrote "all men are created equal," and the political possibilities, associations and implications. He was a very very smart bloke. The British leveraged its colonial power to enforce the ban on slavery around the world, and managed eventually to bring along everyone except for Benin. It could therefore be argued that colonialism and the dominance of the West was instrumental, pivotal, essential even, to ending slavery, especially given the resistance the idea encountered in other civilisations which clung to divine authority for enslavement, and still do. Oh, the irony. The US is also, along with Australia and other Western nations, where everybody runs to when they want to escape oppressive government and religious regimes. Where else is there to run? You can't migrate to China, India, Russia, the Middle East or pretty much anywhere else on earth. You can't become Chinese; either you are born Chinese or you aren't. It is an idea of belonging built entirely on race, whereas as anyone can become Australian, or American, or a New Zealander or British... Take a look around at the faces in the crowd the next time you're at the footy. They're from everywhere. In my experience other civilizations have all the bad [censored] we do, but a smaller measure of the good. On this point, it can be instructive to reflect on the role that language plays in knowledge. That is, we know about the US failures and abuses because we speak English, and because it is an open society in which the failures and abuses are written about and reflected on in public. What do we know of the failures and abuses of other societies, those written in other languages? How many programs do we watch about the Chinese Civil War or the Cultural Revolution? If a history is written in Chinese and rewritten each time a new regime takes over, how do their own citizens understand their past? Can you understand their TV? Does their TV criticise the regime, interrogate their past, reflect honestly on it? How are people who criticize treated? Nah, the West is not so bad... Could be better, but. My fear is that unless we get over the political polarization and self-flagellation of the present, we're going down. Will things be better then?

See how his legs are bent? Coulda got higher.... ?

It’s the right way to have it. Put himself on the line. Do or die. If, as some say, the CEO is the most important position at a club, then it sets the standard for all: Excellence is expected.

Where’s Dr Evil on this?

Sigh....?‍♂️... and from a teacher. Stephenson is a gun. Weed was p**s-poor in the last three games and shows signs of being far too nice for AFL. Stephenson's bad attitude leads me to think there might be a bit of c*$! in him. Do we need a bit of c*$!?

Question: Is Brown & Stephenson a better combo than Brown & Weiderman? Weiderman seems an obvious trade to the Filth.....

When I was in India there were these people living on the "nature strip" in makeshift tents who dug trenches (by hand) for fibre-optic cabling. Oh, the irony. Wage? AUD$2 per day.

It's only 1 year. Would go very quickly.

Clippers??? Smash a stubbie and use the broken glass, mate....

I'm not happy. Lewis doesn't seem to want to be an assistant and now an onfield leader has turned away at the last hurdle. Feel that we've blown opportunities bring in Hawthorn nous. So now we go all out for Phillips and Higgins, who are good, but young.

Fling it over to Dr Evil.... What's up, Doc?

Harmes should be in there.

Marty is competent, and that's a big positive for me.

My sister in law says health and safety with vaccines is all about the adjuvant, the material that carries the virus in the vaccine. She's got a background in this stuff in case any trolls wanna point out the obvious.... Would like to know what it is in the Chinese case....

Proved his value in the last few games. Should be a regular for his consistency. Would be nice to some some kind of reliability up forward.

Champ. Wish him well if he leaves. Hopes he stays to play/coach in the magoos if there are any.

Where I am, we have been asked to participate in the trial of the Chinese vaccine....

Love Hibbo. Love calling his name when he goes near it. Champ.

Our Bummers connections make me think it's worth waiting to have a red hot go for Merrett next year.

Many years ago, in another life, I delivered a package to the AFL Umpires Association. I had my dog with me that day. The big fella would get a little frustrated from time to time, and was often obliged on busy days to hang on longer than was healthy for him. But he was a good boy and never soiled the van. Not once. As you can imagine, though, when the opportunity presented itself, he'd race to the nearest grassy (knoll) area and relieve himself. Well, the house I delivered that package to had a luscious expanse of lawn out front, beautifully mown, though not in a criss-cross pattern I might note. As I handed the package to the very trim and upright bloke in white athletic gear and wire-rimmed glasses who answered the door, I noticed him glance over my shoulder. His demeanor turned frowny. Very frowny indeed. I wheeled on my heels and there was Jack the Belgian Shepherd laying possibly the world's largest ever bow-wow baloney right in the center of the square. Can't remember whether I cleaned it up or not on my way out....

Demonland does pretty well, I reckon. I watched for a few months before joining and posting. Spent that time identifying obvious trolls and other posters to avoid. I recommend everyone follow a similar strategy wherever you go on the net. It's the nature of the beast that all 'conversations' end in disputes unless individuals take steps to restrain themselves... or that's been my experience since learning to email belatedly way way back in 2002....

This. And just having the name Brown in that list adds a sense of focus we haven't had since Hogan left. Then add in May, Lever Tomlinson and it appears we have a spine, and one with flexibility and power, and upside.

The proove is in the pudding.