SBW and Crotty both injured.
Fuck me, that's never happened before.

51 players.
Unlucky Akira, you were the 52nd.
Honest mate.

@frank said in AB EOYT 2018:

51 players.
Unlucky Akira, you were the 52nd.
Honest mate.

Fuck, I was taking the piss Steve.

I also agree with my more left leaning friends on this forum that there is probably not fraud of any significant scale. The US system is very decentralized. It is difficult to cheat on a massive scale. If you vote twice, your original vote plus the fake ones are thrown out.

I also think the mail-ins should have been counted at first if possible. Even if legitimate, the late dumps after the election day vote at 4 am give the perception of suspicious minds (and trust me that is the majority of Republicans) that the Dems knew how much was needed. But to be clear, I don't believe there has been mass fraud unless proven.

Trump should NOT be going around saying that. They should simply get their lawyers and court litigations and quietly go about the checking and recount processes that may be needed.

If Trump loses, and it seems he almost certainly will, there will be a tiny fraction of militant right wing extremists wanting to, shall we say, do something, in revenge if the major perception is the Dems won by fraud. Trump has a responsibility to shut the fuck up about this. But the horse has bolted.

I am withdrawing my support for him for the time being unless it is proven it was a steal by the Dems because I think he is being irresponsible for the whole country and you can still do all the checking through litigation anyway.

The sweet, sweet tears of Phil Kearns.

I remember Fozzie saying they were going to up the physicality and pick more specialists.

What a load of BS.

Being thinking it over, I guess I am not too annoyed by Frizell being picked ahead of Akira.

It's not like Frizell is stuck behind the All Black incumbent at 6 in the exact same Super rugby side. So he'll get plenty of Super rugby games next year to put into practice all that special coaching he's gets in the AB camp. I mean, he's already so experienced, but playing the full season as the starter for the Highlanders will really round him out!

And the World Cup is plenty of years away yet, so no hurry there.

Akira has hardly played any games for the Blues this year. Totally under used and definitely not flogged. What he needs is more games at a higher level - the NPC!!!

Moreover, he's had the benefit of superb guidance by one of Super Rugby's most astute and successful dread-locked coaches.

He's also had the benefit of playing in a highly motivated and cohesive pack that never slacked off and were highly consistent week in week out. Look at all the role models he's had! He definitely didn't stand out in that pack. In fact, he was one of their worst performers.

Of course, one must also remember, Akira is behind such greats as Luke Whitelock and Ardie Savea. These guys have really, really performed each time they've been in black. No second chances for these guys. And look at Ardie, Frizell and Fifita, they were certainly the finished products when picked. Definitely not picked on potential.

He simply doesn't deserve even one cap right now. It won't motivate him one bit. I mean, what would he possibly have to gain or learn playing alongside lazy bastards like Retallick, Cane and Whitelock in a low prestige team such as the All Blacks ????

@Stargazer said in Blues v Hurricanes:

Great, well-deserved win for the Blues.

Black, Sotutu and Clarke very good; BB well-contained, Telea invisible.

Look I realize his emergence threatens the AB spots of Saders Bridge and Reece, but you've really got to make your bias more subtle. It's too obvious.

NZ is in a dangerous situation right now.

1. A very popular PM (with the best pained empathy expression in the world) who may not be as competent as her cheerleaders believe or even neutrals believe.
2. A media that largely cheer-leads for her and avoids holding her to account.
3. A population that was busy patting itself on the back and lapping up international media praise (the fact that came from largely liberal pro-lockdown angles seems to have been lost on them)
4. And a virus that gives no fucks.

I am worried that, even at this stage, the necessary steps are not being taken or effectively enforced and we will hear more in the coming weeks.

Strongly recommending the French spy series 'The Bureau'
An absolute quality show.

@kirwan said in Israel, Iran, Syria, and the rest of the ... Middle East:

@booboo religion.

You’re welcome.

Religion itself or deliberate distortion of religion to justify actions?

180 new cases here in Taiwan today.
2nd most densely populated country in the world.
Not good.

I dunno why, but that Aussie commentator sounds like such an amateur.
Kind of befitting the game.

My question was more along the lines of whether it is true Trump being so pro-Israel deterred Palestine from trying anything?

@paekakboyz said in Israel, Iran, Syria, and the rest of the ... Middle East:

@canefan it does have some upsides though - the people I hung out with at the wedding and stuff knew how to PARTY. I reckon a good dose of hedonism is just what is needed when living in an environment like that!

I just don't see there being any internal political will to reverse some of the incursions into the East or other areas they are technically occupying illegally. I'm not sure if Israeli control of all of Jerusalem would trigger a war or something, but if they keep pushing something has to give at some point. Terrifying stuff.

Who would fight against Israel outside of the Palestinians?
The Palestinians would be obliterated wouldn't they?

Not really sure where to ask this.

How serious is the current Israel Palaestine conflict?
Is this right wing media hyping it up to try and draw contrast with the relative peace of the Trump Presidency on that front ?

Or is this some genuinely serious shit?

I never know what to believe anymore
(that and I am uninformed idiot on these matters)

It looks as if Dick Cheney's daughter, Liz Cheney, is about to be booted out of House Republican leadership. She is a major opponent of Trump.

It feels to me as if Trump still holds sway over House Republicans, but less so the Senate.

@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@frank said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@frank said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@gt12 said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@snowy said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@frank said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

If you have the vaccination in another country, does NZ still require you to quarantine when you return?

"If you have received a COVID-19 vaccination overseas, you will still need to secure a voucher and complete 14 days in New Zealand's Managed Isolation and Quarantine Facilities.12/03/2021"

Not completely up to date but I haven't heard anything to the contrary.

What?!?!

I fucking hope that is going to change.

If you are vaccinated and test negative two times (before boarding, after arriving), it makes no sense that that you should still need to sit in a fucking hotel room - at your own expense - for two weeks, just to see your Mum.

Yes it does at the moment. Sadly.
I get that some countries are able to be risk assessed well regarding vaccinations but there has to be a lowest denominator approach to avoid cries of favouritism or racism as happened when restrictions were placed on travel originating in India because testing certificates were not trusted.

Shit. This could mean it is a looooong time before some people are able to go to NZ without being quarantined, despite being vaccinated.

I hope NZ trusts Taiwan (or is it Republic of China in NZ).

You say it is because some countries might cry racsim.
Wokeism strikes again.

Considering Taiwan and Singapore are at the top of nations regarding covid response, I would like to think we would have a bubble sooner rather than later. I would imagine their precautions make us look like amateur hour

It's very good here, but in the last week or so some Covid has broken out a bit in the north and the govt has not yet been able to trace the source. We have gone to level 2. Mask wearing outside has gone from 70% to 95%+ (at a guess)

Where are you?

Taiwan.

@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@frank said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@gt12 said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@snowy said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@frank said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

If you have the vaccination in another country, does NZ still require you to quarantine when you return?

"If you have received a COVID-19 vaccination overseas, you will still need to secure a voucher and complete 14 days in New Zealand's Managed Isolation and Quarantine Facilities.12/03/2021"

Not completely up to date but I haven't heard anything to the contrary.

What?!?!

I fucking hope that is going to change.

If you are vaccinated and test negative two times (before boarding, after arriving), it makes no sense that that you should still need to sit in a fucking hotel room - at your own expense - for two weeks, just to see your Mum.

Yes it does at the moment. Sadly.
I get that some countries are able to be risk assessed well regarding vaccinations but there has to be a lowest denominator approach to avoid cries of favouritism or racism as happened when restrictions were placed on travel originating in India because testing certificates were not trusted.

Shit. This could mean it is a looooong time before some people are able to go to NZ without being quarantined, despite being vaccinated.

I hope NZ trusts Taiwan (or is it Republic of China in NZ).

You say it is because some countries might cry racsim.
Wokeism strikes again.

Considering Taiwan and Singapore are at the top of nations regarding covid response, I would like to think we would have a bubble sooner rather than later. I would imagine their precautions make us look like amateur hour

It's very good here, but in the last week or so some Covid has broken out a bit in the north and the govt has not yet been able to trace the source. We have gone to level 2. Mask wearing outside has gone from 70% to 95%+ (at a guess)