Jeremy

I've been reading this with interest. All I cay say is that people in the Club must have interviewed him carefully and concluded that his general positive attitude to play for the Club favoured a contract ie you have to trust the judgement of the people in control.

Listened to this earlier: https://www.rnz.co.nz/search/results?utf8=✓&q=Nick+Bryant%3A+When+America+Stopped+Being+Great&commit=Search

I assume you mean in the pub? Don't know as I haven't been in one for years (unlike my former days). Probably still too much.

NZ TAB for the win: Saints $1.72 WBA $4.50 A win of $7.20 will buy me a latte and a scone.

This discussion is far more preferable to what's going on in the Trump thread!! @ Old Nick: Very interesting and also a bit moving - the blood stain. I'm trying to find books about soldiers writing home from the front (there are quite a few actually) so I can try and understand how they felt and, also, how they said what they thought so I can try and reproduce it in authentic dialogue. @ H S: very interesting response also. I joined the NZ Military Historical Association (or whatever it's called) last year to find out more about NZ's involvement in WW1. I know the casualty rate was very, very high per capita at the time (probably reflecting the fact that at the time England was still considered "home" to many people). I think the Prime Minister famously said at the time of declaring war something like "where she [England] goes we go" (something like that). In the beginning the really young soldiers from the NZ Expeditionary Force thought it would be all over in months ... I want to try and write a story about an underage Maori volunteer from rural NZ wanting to escape for a big adventure and his grandfather, a fierce warrior during the Maori Land Wars with new settlers, trying to stop him. I think that raises some potentially interesting underlying issues within the narrative of a novel. I may then try and fictionalise NZ's capture of Le Quesnoy using the kid who also dies there. Something like that anyway. I did a couple of papers in creative writing a couple of years' ago and loved it. Jeremy

Totally agree but I also worry that Trump is going to get another Supreme Court Judge elected before the election who is white, an evangelical Catholic aged 48 with 7 kids. The doctine of separation of powers is really important in the United States since Marbury v Madison so stacking that court with right wing judges removes one of the most important consitutional checks and balances against Presidential abuse of power (if Trump is re-elected)..

@ H-S: I'm a fifth generation NZer with Southern Irish ancestry from way back (19th century diaspora). BTW, a surprising lot of Scots emigrated to NZ also. Just thought the people on those small boats who crossed the Channel were outstanding. I would imagine there are plenty of examples of military disasters caused by useless generals and politicians (WW1 in particular) but that doesn't detract from some of the heroism of the poor buggers who did what they were ordered despite being FUBAR. I'm keen on trying to write a novel about the First World War (reading around the subject) so anything war-related from the first part of the C20th is really interesting. Cheers.

Read about this woman a couple of weeks' ago that may interest some of you: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300102722/trailblazer-lady-ellen-elizabeth-reed-part-of-ww2-codebreaking-unit-dies-in-paihia-aged-104 I've got previous generations who went over and fought in WW1 (Gallipoli and the Somme I think it was). Thought it would be fun apparently, One of them was a nervous wreck for the rest of his life when he came back from the Somme.

Sorry, my bad. I was bored. Just impressed by the incredible bravery of those people in the small unarmed boats who sailed over (didn't realise until the movie). Back to the footy?

Yes I know, this has nothing to do with football but I just watched the excellent movie "Dunkirk". Made me realise just how much the English did to win the war - in the beginning it was the UK (not Ireland) and some Commonwealth help against nutcase Germans. I think the Dunkirk evacuation was possibly the greatest moment in English history.

ripper!

I know there are a lot of people on here who like cricket. A legend died today from an heart attack: . Always liked the bloke

That man should be burned at the stake (if that's a win for Burnley)!! (joking mate)

This is a sad thread for this early in the season. The team was doing the business a few months' ago so I'm not ready to lose faith in them. But, so much for my bet of $10 on a top six finish.

I hope management reads this thread as there's a ton of genuine, and legitimate, criticism and disappointment on here from loyal and reasonable supporters (not whinging idiots) who are just the tip of the iceberg. What I'm reading between the lines is that there's an infinite difference between losing but trying to do your best on the day (acceptable) and putting in a performance that disrespects the proud history of the club, its supporters and the wider city that hosts the Club. The Club doesn't have to be a world beater, but it has to have demonstrable guts. That's what any supporter of any team wants to see.

Bet $5 for a draw. I know, unlikely.

Krissyboy - I hope not as that's over done now and can be embarrassing sometimes. JRM - agree and also it was a great tournament hosted by the country. Also, again, I was joking. Saint Keef - totally agree also. I think England are just doing NZ a favour.

You wouldn't play your top PL players in case they picked up unnecessary injuries. NZ plays a robust sort of game that often lacks basic skills and is pretty physical ie rough tackling. Probably a sympathy fixture to make up for last year's cricket world cup final. I'm joking people - we got beaten by the rules.

What a privilege: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12363689 It'll probably be a cricket even if England field their strongest "C" team. I think I read somewhere that Man Utd played NZ once in the off-season and hammered them by 8 nil or something.

I recently heard an interview of somebody who was recovering from COVID. She said her health was nowhere what it was. It's not just the fatalities - even people who "recover" (ie don't die from it) are still going to have long-term health issues that will also cost the taxpayer. The death rate does not tell the full story by a long way.

I haven't seen the show of course but I like listening to the live tv commentary streamed on the club's website when I can. Dave and ...?

Just found this - awesome thread. I'm going out later this afternoon for an hour or so to get the calves working again (been too busy at work laterly and couldn't be arsed). I'm involved in organising a UCI accredited bike event in Pamerston North in January. Called the Gravel and Tar (combination of road and off-road unpaved racing but not cross-country mountain biking). Apparently this is or could be the next big thing in bike racing. We had some international riders last year but this year will probably be different the way things are going. A lot of work to organise but definitely worth it.

Not sure how to read this (you don't need to swear). America's got some serious problems and desperately needs somebody to lead them out it (with respect, not the current President and neither the elderly Democratic nominee). Chanting the moronic nationalistic jingo "Make America great again" also isn't it. And yeah, just stumbled into the lounge and about to check out.

I can't believe this thread exists on a football team social website. I love the U.S. generally but their political landscape and leadership is very poor at the moment regardless of who you support. Where's a mid-40's credible candidate (black, white. hispanic, male, female, whatever - who cares)? I personally don't believe in rampant nationalism in a world where it takes about 36 hours or so to get from the arctic to the antarctic.

So, a koala goes to a nightclub and hooks up with a babe. They dance all night, he gets pissed (he's Australian so what else) and they go to her place for a bit of how's your father. Five minutes later (again, he's an Aussie) the Koala jumps out of the sack and calls a taxi. "What are you doing?" asks Ms babe. "You can't go home yet until you've paid me". "What do you mean?" says the Koala. "I'm a prostitute" she replied. "Look it up in the dictionary; it means somebody who has sex with a drunk Aussie for five hundred quid. If you're a kiwi stud it's free."* The koala thought for a minute and replied "Look up the dictionary for the definition of a koala: a small furry animal that eats roots and leaves". Bah-dah-boom tish! *I made that bit up - I (um I mean we) often use a loyalty card