Renton

So, can anyone bring me up to date on who the mackems have signed? They've gone from being pragmatic realising relegation is most likely, to having absolute belief they will be top half of the Premier league next season? This is pretty universal amongst them. A couple of signings mentioned I havent heard of, googled them, and still 🤷‍♂️. I guess we're at the south end of the mackem boom bust cycle currently.

Just been for a lovely walk in Tynemouth. Didn't see any Mag tops at all. I did see one person in SAFC merch*. They're easy to spot and hear as people step apart and clap. Just like those MLF weirdos, I photomugged him outside the Gib as evidence. He didn't seem to mind, * All true until this point.

Mine was a mere 7 years old. My old blueyonder from Virgin. When I left they closed my email account and IT'S STILL CAUSING ME ISSUES NOW. CUNTS.

Posts 400 of the 400th thread on "Mag tops"

My invite must have got lost in the post. I joined Prime last month so I can't imagine not getting one?

Matthew Syed challenges you to a game of ping pong.

@PaddockLad, where have you stolen and hidden this?

Am not generally believing of conspiracy theories but reckon this one probably holds. I mean howay, Mossad manged to infiltrate hezbollah with hundreds of pager bombs but didn't spot this coming?

To clarify, it's an opinion I held before Syed. It also concerns me there will be high ranking people in the US who believe in the rapture who would like to make armageddon a self fulfilling prophecy. They really believe this shit.

Yes, we agree on the latter point. Building a nuclear bomb is not easy. But it is a documented fact (by UN inspectors) that they were/are trying, or at least positioning themselves to have the capability. No other reason to possess these centrifuges or have a stockpile of 60% high grade uranium, would you agree that? Again, your suggesting Iran is just the average Joe autocratic state. It's not, it's a theocracy. The only one in the World I can think of outside the Vatican. It is the embodiment of an idealogical zeal to wipe out Israel. I don't t think coexistence is possible.

If you were absolutely convinced that the annihilation of Israel would guarantee you an infinite life in paradise, would it not be rational to do this? We've had countless examples of jihadist suicide terrorists giving up their lives for this exact motivation. The prospect of a nuclear Iran is not one that gives me much comfort. I don't understand why you don't get they have a completely different mindset. And no, they haven't achieved this - yet - due to a combination of many external pressures. But they are in contravention of treaties and have a large stock pile of uranium enriched far beyond what is useful for civilian use. Which has gone missing BTW. Comparisons with Iraq are bogus, this forum is old enough to record that most this board, me included, knew the WMD claims the were false (as did the inspectors of the time). Really the US had to completely destroy their nuclear programme. If reports are true they have only caused a minor set back, i think the problem is much worse as inspectors will not be returning.

Am just not going to agree with you or Rayvin here. Yes, western imperialism has played a role in making the whole situation worse, but religious and sectarian wars long predate British imperialism. Some wars are motivated by resources, others by ideologies with religion a subset of that. And people who are fundamentalists in that regard will not think like you or I, that much is obvious. Self flagellate and blame the West all you want, the root cause will remain. Jews hate Arabs/persians and vice versa primarily because of their religion. From the right wing nut cases of Netanyahu's cabinet to the Ayatollahs in Iran, it is these people who seized power (yes, the west had a huge role in that). And there will never be peace as long as they are in power. But the world is increasingly rejecting enlightened thinking and turning to the easy answers offered by religion. We're fucked because of a sky fairy.

Don't know anything about the channel, it did pop into my feed and I listened to it. I don't regard Syed as a right wing nut job, and his dad was Iranian so he'll have his own viewpoint. Maybe it just reinforced my prejudice, fair enough. But nothing scares me more than fundamental religious believers with a track history in martyrdom. The tension and conflict with Saudi btw, is very much sectarian and religious motivated. People always brush away the obvious fucking elephant in the room. The problems in the ME, like countless wars and conflicts before them, all stem from religion. You have a confluence of Christians, jews, and muslims, each of many different sects. Never going to end well.

My fear is that Iran will agree to cease fires, completely withdraw from the nuclear non proliferation obligations, get rid of inspectors, and develop a nuke in secret. I believe Iran IS different even to a genocidal Israel, which is a different issue. At the moment I am restricted to my phone so can't really articulate fully why, but if you will indulge me, Matthew Syed says it here. Yes, I might be wrong. Maybe this is just pure prejudice on my behalf, but I think it applies to all religious fundamentalists of all abrahamic faiths. If you REALLY believe in this stuff, you will sacrifice literally everything for your God. I guess it's not even irrational from that pov. That's the difference.

Last of us 2 was fucking shite. Felt like a video game this time round, with an absolute shite plot. Poker face 2 has been a bit meh too. Gonna try this Q thing on Netflix next I think.

As long as I'm the hot one on the right.

This is my worry now. Iran are going to be more determined than ever to get nuclear weapons. This will not bring any type of stability to the ME. My own view is that Iran is led by Islamic fundamentalists who will nor act rationally like other nuclear armed actors such as Israel or even North Korea. I genuinely think they would use a nuclear weapon preemptively to facilitate their passage to paradise. These people really believe that Israel is "cancerous tumour" and the US is the great Satan (and recent activities will have reinforced this). Al Khameni is an old man now, he doesn't give a sit what happens to his own people. If he thinks the destruction of Israel, no matter that it will also destroy Iran, will deliver paradise, then that's what he will do. And that risk has only increased. Interestingly of course, there are many Americans backing Trump for similar reasons. They want the prophecy of Armageddon to materialise so they experience the rapture. I wish this religious lunacy was confined to the dust bin of history but it hasn't, and might be the death of us all.

Welcome back Gems man*. I was worried for you, man. You're my ying to your yang. The board isn't the same without you. Where would we be without your football stats and wrong predictions, man? Hope you are feeling better mante. 👍 * I haven't turned into Rayvin, just trying to communicate in the language of your new cannabinoid mindset, man.

New York, Paris, Milan, Sunderland.

DURHAM road marra.

Congratulations. Coincidence, it's actually my 30th anniversary today. Fucking hell I'm old etc. Anyway, I'm actually taking my wife out tonight to a restaurant, unlike you unromantic pig. Good thing about being the 30th is I'm saving money by giving her a pearl necklace later. Think Mrs Rents might be more than a bit disappointed....

The linked article doesn't really offer any proof the RAF are launching these flights for any other reasons than the stated purpose of hostage location. If the implication is that the RAF are involved in genocidal activity I hope that comes out one day if it's true. Think there is quite a difference between setting alight a Tesla and breaking into MoD land as well, but again I don't know what's really happened.