Ben

Okay, but in defence of the prequels it’s not the plot that was the issue, it was the execution. If George had got in a script doctor to tighten up the dialogue, and maybe handed the directing to somebody else, we could have been looking at some all time epic films.

Absolutely zero chance he lasts until we play them.

Real ‘man in hot dog suit gif’ vibes on this one.

What with Blair on ‘getting involved in Middle East wars of choice’ and now this, I feel we’re just in need of George Osborne to chime in on ‘how public services feel underinvested in’ to get the full caboodle of unwanted advice.

Haha, amazing. #lufc

It’ll be Archie as player-manager at this rate.

Worse than that, we’ll be the last generation who have any ability to think for themselves.

Same energy.

So I was just listening to a radio phone in the UK where there was a serious discussion about replacing jury trials with ChatGPT.

I don’t know what West Ham do though. They don’t have the stadium outgoings but they also don’t make much money off it and have loads of other debt. They’re seriously stuffed if they end up in the EFL for any length of time.

I’m sure they could do one season, but if they get stuck in the EFL they’ll probably have to separate the football and stadium businesses to keep them solvent, then have the football team rent the stadium. Or something similar anyway.

Even so, their outgoings will be unsustainable in the Championship. I’d wager the business model is entirely predicated on EPL (and UCL?) earnings with associated sponsorship and matchday revenues.

And on a broader note, I don’t think that kind of financial model is at all sustainable for football in the long term. The Premier League is not the NFL and something huge has got to give at some point if this stupid arms race continues much longer.

What I do feel sorry for them about though, and I’m wary as hell about this happening at Leeds, is them paying through the nose for tickets at that fancy new stadium and it all being geared up towards corporate and Premium GA and all that nonsense.

Yeah, I was sat by the tunnel for that game. Their fans were quite gleeful. Which is absolutely fair enough, but then let’s not clutch our pearls now, eh lads?

It increasingly looks like Starship is never going to be viable for its stated purpose, so Musk may just be heading off the inevitable by pivoting to “Ah, but really we’re an AI company (in space!)” which is pretty much what he’s done with Tesla to keep up the jam tomorrow facade.

It is possible he knows it’s bullshit but he’s just trying to generate investment and pump the stock again. It’s a repeated tactic with his other companies whenever there’s some bad earnings news or development of the previous halo product isn’t going so well.

Can I just say I think it’s a disgrace that these games are locked behind an expensive subscription service. The FA Cup is a national institution and should be one of the protected tournaments that remain free-to-air. #lufc

Spurs are basically speed running our relegation season now. Does make me think they actually *might* go down after all?

Exclusive: the progressive voters abandoning Labour Daily Politics Daily Politics from the New Statesman > ٠١٠٠٠ ٠ • 17m Labour is losing the voters it used to count on, a new study reveals. In the aftermath of the Green Party's triumph in the Gorton and Denton by-election, and with local elections in London councils and other major cities coming up, Labour is losing the left progressive voters it could once rely on having "nowhere else to go". Now, the biggest study ever of these voters - shared exclusively with the New Statesman - reveals the true risk to Labour's future of leaving them behind. This work, done by surveying 10,000 voters and a randomised control trial style approach, has found out who the so-called progressive defectors are, why they're deserting Labour, and what impact this could have on Labour's electoral prospects.

Worrying news at the NS podcast, where the lads have discovered millions of younger, mostly educated left/lib people get all upset and offended if you relentlessly insult them, tell them to fuck off and implement policies that they find appalling.

Agreed. Just throwing out all sorts of nonsense now.

Same, although I’m stopping now because it’s just a bit silly.

I don’t know about the US, but certainly in the UK that would be a criminal offence, yes. People have been charged with GBH or manslaughter/murder for that sort of thing. But I’m not sure what that has to do with the point about bodily autonomy?

Children absolutely do have rights.

The state does not force circumcision and wearing a seatbelt is non-invasive.

Hard disagree. It’s kind of a basic principle of a free society that people have autonomy over their bodies and can’t have medical procedures or treatment forced upon them.

Indeed. This is definitely not an ‘ah well just leave them to it’ kind of situation.

Hi, I’m immunocompromised with an infant daughter about to start nursery. Unvaccinated kids getting sick puts both my daughter and me at significant risk. Vaccination isn’t just for personal protection; it’s to protect everybody else too.

It really should have happened with us. My one big criticism of Farke the first season was letting Spence go while flogging Archie at right back.

The Ampadu - Archie combination in midfield looked immense the few times we saw it early in the season. Or even Archie as more of a 10.

This period is absolutely key to his development though, and so far he’s spending his formative years playing way too much and out of position. Needs to be learning his trade in his natural position and in a team where the pressure isn’t being heaped all on him.