nutbean

For history buffs - Slow Burn - a podcast about Watergate - really good.

That's a nonsense DC - we are absolutely training the house down and are a monty to be top 4 based on what i have seen and read and i will continue to hold this belief until just after the first five minutes of the first game of the season.

Salem and Tyson were not injured going into last years boot camp - they were injured as a result of the bootcamp. The one thing i would be fairly certain of - with the amount of science going into training and the input from the medico's on what players can and can't do I would be more than confident that players coming off surgery would certainly be assessed as to what they could and couldn't do on this sort of camp. For that matter, as we have seen, the medico's have input into all training hence the rehab groups and modified training for some. A bootcamp would be no different.

macca - if you get a chance - The Jazz Party is playing at the Caravan on Friday night. The lovechild of Darcy McNulty - ex Clairy Browne and the banging Raquettes. Harry Angus (Cat Empire) and Emma Lubitz (Tinpan Orange) are also playing with the band. Should be a great gig.

Spot on. There are only two types analysis you can make - what has been and what will be. I have little problem with what has been analysis and in Oscars case it has been a mixed bag. He has shown some good glimpses and in equal measure he has frustrated me that he can be too slow to react and too slow to impact a contest on his direct opponent. What will be ? - I rarely enter these discussions as it is pure guesswork and whilst predicting that Oliver would be gun may not seem to have been too hard, the majority would have had Jetta and Hunt on the scrapheap. It is safe to say that Oscar needs to improve to cement a permanent place in the team. What is less clear to me is if that will or won't happen.

Robbo had his flaws but...... 2nd on our all time goal kicking list ? Deserves a lot more respect and recognition than some are giving him.

We can always read history and find fringes and elements that go against the general theme. I think there needs to be great care taken ( read resistance) by placing too much emphasis on the exceptions and diminish what the history clearly is. In the case of the holocaust there is the indisputable facts -a repugnant regime with a documented, systematic policy of removing a race from the face of the earth. Nothing more nothing less.

History by its very nature generalises. I asked my father in law who hid with his family in a roof space in Zilina (Czeshoslovakia) during the Nazi occupation his recollections. Before they went into hiding there was a steady stream of escapees from the death camps that came through their town. ( I did not realise that escaping from the camps was not uncommon). He said that they indeed told stories of the gas chambers. Whilst no one for a minute was unaware of the brutality of the occupiers towards Jews, the stories of mass extermination were viewed as "stories from madmen" - they simply were incomprehensible and were just not believed.

read what you like - ignore what you don't - it really shouldn't be that difficult ?

I should have rolled my eyes when I typed it. It was directed at the farcical foreign policy of the expedient arming of groups to fight so called enemies only to have those same groups use the supplied weaponry against them.

Yesterdays friends are today's enemy's.

Agreed, and you have history on your side that back up your beleif. I personally think it goes further than ignorance of the religion. I have always believed that repressive regimes and groups operating under the banner of "religion" is in reality a smokescreen. If you scrape away the thin veneer that is religion, I find it is all about power, control and greed.

Also agree on this. It is just too easy and convenient. On the other side of the coin we have gone from no group wanting to claim responsibility for acts of terror to ISIS claiming responsibility for so many acts of terror where they have absolutely no connection.

Whilst I don't feel the need to defend Wrecker, this argument is disingenuous at best. There is a difference between an atrocity committed by a Christian and an atrocity committed in the name of Christianity. If you pointed out atrocities committed in the name of Christianity then i would have no argument. None of what you are suggesting can be linked to Christianity. If you want to compare terrorism that is enacted in the name of religion or even acts or events that are sponsored by legitimate Governments then all good ( the definition of legitimate Gov't is fluid) . For example ISIS, Iranian Imam causing riots over cartoon mocking the prophet, Hindu's blowing up mosques in India, the Lords resistance army in Uganda, Jewish settler blowing away worshippers in a mosque in Hebron to mention a few. There have been over the course Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist and Christian atrocities committed. I don't consider your examples Christian atrocities. (atrocities none the less)

When it comes to being Jewish I don't think the labels observant and non observant are as useful as identifying and non identifying - but that is a whole different discussion. I'd agree with most of what you have said except to say that I have found the younger generation of Jews ( my two daughters and their circle - mid 20's) are much more left leaning except on the issue of Israel. I would go even further and say that they are heavily conflicted over Israel and the actions of Netanyahu Government. There is a strong belief in the state of Israel however some angst over the current government.

I find so much of what he does worrying. He is completely unhinged.

Caro is a very clever journo - she mixes a pinch of fact and truth with a heavy doses of opinion and speculation without really giving the reader an indication of what is fact and what is fiction. She makes for interesting reading none the less

yikes - i agree with you.... (I mourn the loss of real leaders. I disagreed with a lot of the Howard Policies but thought he was the consummate politician. I was more a fan of Costello as he was much more closely aligned with my social leanings than Howard.). I liked Hawke ( not in his death throes) that he seemed to get the great proportion of the country onside with him - I found him inclusive. We are bereft of decent pollies these days)

S-town was quite amazing i thought - it made me happy, sad, smile, cringe and angry at any given minute. John McLemore was the most complex person I think I have heard of.

There is so much good stuff to listen to. Thanks !

Tim Rogers playing at the Caravan on 11th November, On the 17th also at the caravan the "aints play the saints- Ed Kuepper has put a band together including Peter Oxley ex Sunnyboys and Paul Larsen - celebate rifles.

Okay - I am late to arrive on the podcast scene but have now been listening to some great stuff over the last couple of months. A must listen is "serial" - especially the first one and from the same people "S-town". The other podcast which i have been enjoying is "those conspiracy guys" - this podcast does not reveal too much new stuff but it is 3 Irish dudes talking a bit of fact and whole lot of really amusing nonsense. I only have to hear an Irish accent and i get the giggles.

For locals - at Memo Music Hall, they have a night, once a month hosted by Brian Nankervis where people bring in their favourite vinyl that has some story attached to it. Brian walks around prior to commencement of the show and talks to the audience and picks the best people to bring up - 3-4 people. He also has a couple of guests come in and they have a chat and talk about their favourite influences and play a couple of songs acoustically . The night I went they had Steve Kilby in who i love and is as quirky as all get up and he didn't disappoint. The next one is on this Wednesday but i cant make it.

I'm not sure what it is we need when this happens because nothing really helps. What we need is our dogs not to leave us. (which we all know is not reality) We put our girl to sleep last year and simply put - I was blithering mess. People said to us - think of the wonderful life you gave her and that was true but it didn't help ease the pain. All i can say is - I absolutely feel your pain and hope that soon that pain will go away and you will be left with a smile on your face every time you think of Neville.

I am enjoying it but boy is it dark and heavy...