Merry Xmas to the fern clan. We got a baby girl for Xmas (2 days before) so this might be my last post for... how many years!!? Probably should be posting gibberish at some ridic hour of the morning!

Man, I dodged this thread near the end of last year. Wasn't in a great space and took a while for that to become apparent, where I couldn't fool myself about being extra stressed or it being a temporary thing. A holiday break helped but any hols with young kids is just a different type of busy lol. Still a great change from work and the daily grind.
Plans on the go at work to move some stuff around - but the usual lack of competent folks (who aren't already overworked) to delegate to will make that hard to manage. Kids are great, aside from Mr 2 being weaned against his will (I mean, who turns down boobs!), and the wife and I are good.
We've got some medium sized reno's planned but I keep looking at new jobs or wondering about a break then re-entering the job market. But I think that's more to help me focus on what I like about my current mahi. On a good day I'd be a fool to leave and on a bad day I just feel crushed under the pressure. Luckily I have far more good days than bad ones

That quote from @antipodean really resonated with me. What the fuck are we doing if we can't find some pleasure in the here and now. Easier to say than do, but I'm going to try and focus on that through 2022. But my short term goal is to get my thicc self back the gym. Exercise = happier Paekakboyz. No question.

How good is that pic!

Second half issues started when we swapped out our entire front row. Those guys had another 5-10 and I would have been tempted to go deeper with Taukei'aho - he was matching Ardie's energy with ball in hand.

Fuck me, 50 seconds and a guaranteed loss on debut for Periofeta?! that is beyond cruel.

@catogrande I feel that's not the first time you've trotted that scenario out...

This really pisses me off - weak sauce 'reasons'. Ignoring that Sami was on fire and hoping the combo approach would see a full front row change work out. If both props had niggles then why put them back onfield after a 10min break ffs? I know they were probably getting some treatment but that doesn't stack up imo.

The comments on Perofeta are infuriating - “Again, Stephen was a guy we really wanted to get on, we think he can inject stuff into our attack with his footwork and his second receiver role. But it was a game that didn’t quite flow that way.”

You fuckers put him on with 55 seconds to go. That is the dumbest shit I've heard and makes him look even more foolish. Yeah we thought this guy could really help crack open the game, but we waited till the game was all but over so we could really surprise the Pumas!! They didn't see it coming, suckers!

oh... wait.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/300672879/all-blacks-coach-ian-foster-defends-timing-of-substitutions-in-another-test-loss

@JC Bro!! I've just got my 23andMe results back and we are totally related! I mean, what are the chances!?

Now I've been thinking about going electric...

@Higgins don't worry, England will still do a few victory laps 😁

@MiketheSnow such a pity she's passed away... next week.

Fuck that was intense! Go the black ferns!! Smith is a certified genius.

@nostrildamus with what we know about head injuries and such I'd be wrapping things up. He's been a top class athlete for a long period so hopefully he calls it quits after this fight. He might not want to end on a KO though, that would be tough for a guy who is used to winning.

@Rancid-Schnitzel was just reading about it and saw the two knockdowns. Hunt still has power and he clocked SBW a few good ones.

In the case of Texas they've been under Republican leadership for what, the last 8+ years? Seems like borders and migrants are constant issues but what has been improved under current (state) leadership?

@bobily2 saw a bit of footage today and man they are going hard on checking players out. Had sensor wands and some other device that can detect radio signals and Silicone. Ha ha really going hard on the potential 'internal' devices

@antipodean someone asked him why he doesn't just allow and support union voting at Tesla sites... I don't think he bit on that one

@Billy-Tell Ukraine hacked and landed a Iranian drone recently. I think Iranian tech is based on a US drone they captured a few years back, but that's another win.
Given how Ukraine have approached their psy-ops I'm thinking they are well geared up to push hard through winter, where a lot of the messaging is winter will see both sides consolidating. If Ukraine can keep pushing why would they stop... tactical nukes aside.

@Catogrande holy shit! that is epic bro. 2000AD has got so much potential. My best mate was a huge Strontium Dog collector and I loved ABC Warriors. Kudos to Ms Cato No1!

Dredd was fucking good. Criminal that Urban hasn't been signed for a sequel, and a more brutal R18 one at that. So much great material and a grim and brutal world to explore. What's not to love!

@MN5 saw them at the Caketin on their (final?) tour that included NZ. Awesome musicians and so stoked I managed to see them live.