nutbean

tree of life - horrible - 2 hours of my life i will never get back (OK - ill stop now)

Tree of life - Brad Pitt . I said this film earlier in the thread but the film was so bad it bears repeating.

Considering myself fairly moderate, I will agree that there have been some outrageous comments made by the" climate change is real" side that could well be labeled fear mongering. I consider the litmus test of genuine concerns vs fear mongering where the opinions and research of the vast majority of scientists well versed in this area are sitting. Just because there is not 100% consensus ( or a looney tune says the because of climate change the polar ice caps are going to be melted by tomorrow and we are all going to drown), does not mean that the genuine concern of the vast majority of qualified people in the field becomes fear mongering. I use the same the litmus test on most issues. Should there be a thoughtful debate on immigration ? Of course. Are we being "swamped" by Asians and Muslims ? hmmm...

Ahh.. that argument will see you get pilloried on this thread. I don't profess to know the answers as to the validity of all the data and opinions on this issue. However this has always been my belief. What is the consequences of global warming being a hoax and action being taken unnecessarily to prevent a non existent problem as opposed to the consequences of global warming being real but doing zero nothing because there is no irrefutable evidence as to the existence of a problem. I know what side I want to be on. You get intellectually knee-capped for holding views like this.

Another populist movement. She did only receive a small percentage but she is in the same vein and received a disproportionate amount of media attention. The likes of Hanson., Trump play on the fears of the electorate. We were to be swamped by Asians and apparently now we are to be swamped by Muslims. Trump (and his minions) absolutely tuned into what ailed the electorate so credit where credit is due. A mixture of fear mongering and distaste for establishment coupled with a poor alternative got him elected. Genius is a stretch though.

ewww

if you'll pardon the pun......

Truly I can't see it. Again I point to Pauline Hanson - her party received 4.3% of the vote - is she a genius ? I would point more to the fact that you don't get to be President without smart people around you. Whilst I don't like Steve Bannon's politics he smelled and felt what the electorate wanted and made sure that Trump espoused those views. He knew what the electorate were sick of. I believe that Trump's election victory was in equal measure about what the voters didn't want and they were sick of establishment, playing politics type politicians. Every time Trump takes to a career congressman/senator with a baseball bate, be it Republican or Democrat, his fans cheer. I am not sure that Trump is a genius - I don' t think he knows any other way.

My girlfriend told me yesterday to “grow a pair” - does that answer your question ?

he can read and write so that probably puts him leaps and bounds ahead in the intelligence stakes as well.

Also Tom's poor kicking in the back half usually occurred when he started to "think" - when he took first options quickly he was ok - but the longer he took and the more he held up releasing and looked and looked - well you just knew it was going to have a happy ending. Kicking at goal ? no problem - see goal kick straight.

I lost my gonads in my divorce settlement - is that the same thing ?

I feel ghoulish. I am not sure what diagnosis fits Trump but he certainly has a few sheep loose in the top paddock and yet he was elected president. I am fascinated for this very reason. I have stated before and will repeat that in Australian politics there have been Prime Ministers and their platforms that I have vehemently disagreed with and could never have voted for but I would say that we haven't had a Prime Minister who I believe was unfit to hold the office no matter what i thought of their policies. Trump is looney tunes and is unfit to hold the office he was elected to.

One nation received 4.3% of the vote in the 2016 election and won 4 seats. Next you will be telling us Pauline Hanson's brilliant as well. I think that the likes of Trump and Hanson get elected says more about the "people" getting sucked in than it does about Trump/Hanson's "brilliance".

I have to see the comedy as there is little I can do, not only about who they elect, but also about their whole decaying system of government and the poor choices they have as leaders to select from ( not that ours are any better)

I know he holds a fairly important job but I am absolutely addicted to Trump.I have to read every day what new fluff and nonsense he has uttered. He is the comedy act that just keeps giving.

And three biggest arguments I hear for doing nothing is "there are two many guns out in the public arena and people won't give them up so easily as we did in Australia and it is cultural in the States as opposed to Australia". I actually agree with all 3 arguments but vehemently disagree that these seemingly insurmountable problems should stop tough measures on gun ownership. I think it will take "generations" to remove the entrenched problems of guns ownership and gun violence but they just can't keep ignoring the problem and hope that things will get better. (they can and they will)

correct.

The one club player may make us all feel warm and fuzzy but the landscape is that players look after themselves and clubs look after themselves. If both the player and the clubs needs and wants are aligned the player stays otherwise hasta la vista baby...

For a bit of balance. Congress as whole have been sitting on their hands regarding gun control. Whilst there is more will for change on Democrat side of the house there have certainly been complacency as whole to make strong changes to the gun laws. Bottom line is a simple - there is no need for semi automatic weapons to be available (in particular the AR-15). ( As far as I'm concerned you can ban the lot)

correct - the number of players who have made the same comment only to be playing elsewhere in a season or two... Sign on the dotted line and then you are a Melbourne player for the next (insert length of contract here).

Agree 100%. You have a complete lack of understand.....( tongue firmly in cheek)

You said that Obama paid for the false claims. You are wrong. What else you got ?

I don't know about normalising extremism but Trump has certainly gone a long way to normalising the bizarre. ( "Oh that's just Trump). I dislike equivalence to downplay or justify behaviours period. This idea that the impact of doing something abhorrent is somewhat lessened because the other side did the same thing just doesn't sit. I was speaking generally when saying that no side of politics , either in the US or here is immune from corruption and I do believe that whilst there is centre of the road reporting, there is also a lot of reporting that has left or right bias. You are right in one sense that behaviours are being compared when there is no equivalency at all. The clashes in Birmingham to me being a perfect example.

The only thing that is clear to me is all sides of politics are ruled by self preservation with few exceptions and corruption is rife from the far right to the far left and all points in between. Nothing is ever clear and we, the great unwashed, only get to see the veneer. I am not convinced that Trump is any more or less corrupt or inept than any past administration. The difference from me is he and his administration are either not smart enough or don't care enough ( or both) to try and disguise it. It has been a game for me of trying to "uncover" when pollies are contradicting past stances, shifting positions or outright lying. I want my pollies to at least it a little difficult - a sport. Trump doesn't care enough to do this.