Big J

Yes, it is you and Andy to whom I'm referring. I don't post often here, but it's mainly because any genuine criticism of the Trump regime is simply disregarded as TDS, lefty whining, woke agenda etc etc. I think we can both agree that the Dems have been absolutely useless in recent years. Genuinely in the realms of chocolate fireguard useless. I think we can also agree that whatever a well functioning democracy is, the USA is not it. And I will freely admit that I have been pretty shocked by how ineffective Labour have been in actually implementing any meaningful change. And saddened by how they have distanced themselves from some of the socially responsible policies that have always underlined Labour politics. My honest opinion is that the Western World is utterly f**ked. Wealth is being concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer people and it really feels like a great many people engage with democracy like turkeys voting for Christmas. Social media, AI and algorithms compartmentalise people into their own echo chambers and so many people become easy to manipulate. I am not for a minute saying that you or Andy fall into that category. You're both a million miles from stupid - I just disagree with you fundamentally on just about everything politically. Pivoting back to Trump and his cronies - he is symptomatic of our times. A depraved, dishonest reality TV star, appealing to the base values of a great many Americans who aspirationally place a greater value on wealth than anything else. They overlook his great, GREAT many faults because he is who they want to be. Wealthy, arrogant, shameless and without a hint of self awareness, he is the twisted 21st century embodiment of the American dream. Again, I'm not suggesting that's the reason you are supportive of him, but I believe that many of his voters fall into that category. Fundamentally, I just miss the times when there were less objectionable people in politics. George W Bush as an example - I disagreed with his politics, but I always felt that he meant well and wasn't in the Oval office for dishonourable reasons. I do try to assume the best in people, I fight the inevitability of cynicism and try to play a part in a more optimistic and hopeful world. These days, it feels like swimming against an increasingly strong current though.

It is very difficult to debate this with you both as our views are so diametrically opposed. You see in Trump and his cronies a strongman who is fighting woke, defending American rights and standing up to the world. I see a deeply corrupt and appalling shit stain of a man, who has surrounded himself with similarly compromised and cruel people, in order to obtain wealth and power at the expense of just about everyone else. He is using the office of President simply to serve his own ends and his election is a depressing reflection of just how stupid and gullible significant chunks of the American electorate are. Not to mention racist, selfish, xenophobic and uneducated. These two positions are so far apart, there is little point in us ever really debating this. Week after week, Trump will be in the news for various horrendous transgressions, all of which you'll dismiss off-hand because they don't emanate from your selected news sources. As time passes, this abject degradation of the office of President, the debasement of American Democracy and the descent into fascism will be normalised and accepted, even by those that oppose the ideology. And these are the kind of anticedent events that give rise to such horrors as WW2. 2025 America = 1933 Germany.

The sting was set up due to reports that he was already accepting bribes in anticipation of being in a position to award government contracts. The probe began in August 2024. The FBI set up the sting, offered Homan $50k, which he accepted. This is on the record. What the current administration and the current FBI leadership are saying is that he did nothing wrong. This is patently not the case.

Kash Patel cannot be relied upon for any kind of objectivity. Whether or not the operation was entrapment, if a prospective government official is prepared to take substantial bags of cash in exchange for promises that are abuse of any position they might hold, then it should exclude them from holding that position. It's effectively a character test. Though by the measure of the Trump administration, it's a character test he passed with flying colours. Corruption is the name of the game and there is no place within the Trump regime for principled public servants. Those that serve in Trump's regime serve Trump and only Trump. It's hard not to sound hyperbolic but the parallels to 1933 Germany are quite striking.

White House denies border tsar Tom Homan accepted $50,000 bribe WWW.BBC.COM The White House says FBI agents under the last administration had tried to "entrap" Homan. reuters.com WWW.REUTERS.COM The bribe was specifically relating to government contracts when he joined the Trump administration.

The latest news regarding Tom Homan is amusing and depressing in equal measure. He was caught in an FBI sting taking $50,000 in cash in return for promises of immigration related contracts. Caught on film. Dead to rights. The Trump Regime response? "No he didn't - this is another example of the weaponisation of the Biden Justice Department". Their continued denial of reality when it doesn't suit them is quite remarkable. I'm not sure any other Western administration in recent decades (other than Israel) has such a flexible relationship with the truth.

I think you are perhaps the first person I've ever heard of, anywhere, who is defending Epstein. Even Marjorie Taylor Green is demanding a full publishing of the Epstein files. There is no scenario here where your defense of a convicted child sex offender is going to further your agenda or reflect well on you. Why you persist is honestly beyond me.

I asked my son what he learned today at school. He said "Gay men like Sony, lesbians favour Yamaha and transgender people prefer Bose". Kneeling down, I put my hand on his shoulder and replied, "Son, those are just stereo types"

It's nice if you don't have to do anything physical, but working in that temperature is basically torture. I am fully aware of how heat acclimatisation works, but it's still hard for me to fathom how folk in warmer climes manage. I'm pissing sweat at 20c if I'm working.

It's been very hot here for the last week or so. 29c today, a little warmer tomorrow, but looks like it's settling down into something a bit more seasonal mid-week. I'm honestly looking forward to it - I'm absolutely useless in this heat. Happiest when it's no more than about 15c, and perfectly content at well below freezing.

That's beautiful - well done!

It's not quite a joke, but it had much the same effect on me 😄

Spotted this whilst out on a bike ride in Western Sweden this morning. I chuckled to myself 😄

Please, PLEASE just drop this now Dave. It's a one person crusade that honestly no-one but you gives a monkeys about. I know you're not a nut job as I've spoken to you outside of the forum, but it is now sadly the way you come across. If you respect this forum and the members that come here to contribute, please cease this campaign. It serves no purpose and it's just dragging the whole forum down. On a more general note, it would be nice for folk to try to be a bit more positive, or at the very least, objective. I would love to see more moderation, taking action against those that resort to personal insults. It really shouldn't be tolerated. You wouldn't speak like that face to face, so why is it OK here?

Nothing humourous in the last couple of pages..... 😑

This thread is just an embarrassment. For f*cks sake, will you all just grow up? There isn't a chance in hell you'd speak to each other like this in real life, so show some civility and stop acting like school kids. This used to be a really interesting forum where you could reasonably discuss controversial stuff (as well as all the arb related topics) but lately it's more resembling a cesspool than anything else.

Yep, I listen to a lot of those. I disagree with them a bit on their attitude towards protein though. They are not advocates of a higher protein intake, which for me, coming from an athletic background, is very important. I've taken their 30 different plants a week mantra to heart though, and sometimes get close to that in a single day. My gut microbiome is (I believe) a healthy place

I am happy with my audio choices. It's not all political podcasts. I spent a while yesterday learning about the potential issues with the concept of terraforming Mars. My job is skilled but repetitive, so I have to keep my brain occupied. I use Peltor WS Alert XPs. They are Swedish made and literally everyone and their dog here uses them, but I got mine in the UK about 8-9 years ago. No Brits seem to use them, instead favuoring shitty bluetooth ear pieces or propping their phones against their shoulders. Why wouldn't you want high performance ear defenders, coupled with excellent audio quality and a microphone so good that you can chainsaw and hold a conversation simultaneously? Highly recommended. I just retired my first set after about 20,000hrs of use (dodgy microphone, which I could replace, but I had a second pair on standby)

OK, well if that's the case, just rise above it. I'm not privy to all of the details of the spat, but whatever it is, it's wearing. There comes a certain point where it's best just to move on. We're all here voluntarily and grudge holding and personal attacks diminish the experience. And before you say anything, I honestly don't care who started it. To quote my (and everyone else's) parents! 😄