izzymuzzet

Someone's updated his Wiki page.

Soundtrack of my childhood in many ways. RIP Nev.

The last decade has warped perceptions of what normal politics looks like. There isn’t going to be a change of PM, there isn’t going to be an election, the Chancellor now will probably be the Chancellor in 2028. The government is going to do some stuff some people like and other stuff some people don’t like. Then in about 4 years you get to decide whether the government has done enough stuff you like for them to have a bit longer at it. That’s how it works.

No doubt about his experience as a commentator and broadcaster, but I’m not sure how that would translate to the dugout.

Agree with this. Don't mind The Wheel as a bit of light entertainment, but that's in spite of McIntyre. The format is good, although it does hugely depend on who the celebrity guests are.

Soumare has frequently demonstrated that he is reasonably good on the ball but utterly useless without it. So of course Cooper picks him in a game where wer're going to have about 30% possession.

I've spent a fair bit of time in the US and concluded it is an incredibly deferential society. Your average American is absolutely in thrall to authority. This is evident in their attitudes to politicians as you cite here, but also the police and big business. I think this is why the USA is particularly prone to huxters and corporate scams, of which the election of Trump is the ultimate manifestation. It's easy to look at counter cultural movements that have come out of New York and San Francisco etc, the Black Lives Matter movement, the January 6 riots etc and conclude that America is a land of people pushing back against authority. But I think across most of middle America they really love heirarchies. Politics in the UK is a mess and I think our cynicism of politicians sometimes goes too far, but I'd rather that than the USA model of blind faith.

It doesn't breach the Ministerial Code because it has nothing to do with her conduct as a Minister. It's a fuss about nothing.

She's probably the most economically qualified Chancellor we've had in a long time, in that she actually has an economics qualification (Masters from LSE). Last one before her was Sajid Javid who was Chancellor for about five minutes. Before that you have to go back to Norman Lamont to find one with an economics degree.

Anyone seen season 2 of Sherwood? I got about a third of the way through episode 4 and called it quits. Loved season 1 but this is a massive drop off. The old characters are still interesting but most of the new cast are nowhere near the same level. Clunky writing, ludicrous plotlines and to top it off some of the worst attempted East Midlands accents you will ever hear.

Much as I love Yorkshire - it's four counties not one. West Yorkshire probably my favourite. Cumbria or Northumberland would be my choice.

Just finished Ludwig. Not the most exciting show in the world but it's an easy watch, well written and good performances from David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin.

Reminds me of the Guinness I had at The Laurieston in Glasgow earlier this year. They have three taps for standard, extra cold and ‘the middle’. Tried the latter on the recommendation of the barman and it was the creamiest Guinness I’ve ever had. Incredible pub, like stepping back in time.

I know it seems quite weird to non-politicos but this has been going on for decades and is perfectly legal as long as you’re not taking taxpayer funds to do it. I know quite a few political activists who have campaigned in American elections and have met Australians and Americans who have campaigned in UK general elections. My first boss was a former Tory MP who took a month off work to campaign for Barack Obama in ‘08. If they’ve used Labour Party funds to pay for stuff that’s a cock up but can’t see how it’s illegal.

Could you drip feed it in (aka pound cost averaging) over say 1-2 years rather than transfer the whole lump sum? This way you avoid the risk of going all in at a market high.

Feels like a short term blip to me. The medium term trajectory of interest rates is downwards. My guess is the BoE base rate will be lower in six months than it is now.

Industry season 3 - it just keeps getting better. Watched it when the first season came out in 2020 and it went under the radar a bit. Great to see it get the attention it deserves.

The last decade has warped a lot of people's perceptions about what 'normal' Westminster politics looks like. From May 2010 to July 2024 we had maybe six months of stable, majority government (from the 2015 election to Cameron calling the EU referendum). Aside from that brief period we had coalitions, very weak PMs under pressure from their own party, major crises and a government heading towards defeat. The next general election will be in 2028 or 2029. Barring ill health, Keir Starmer is more likely than not to lead the Labour party into that election. The government has a very large majority which allows it to push through its policy agenda. There will be A LOT of change but unlike the last few years this will not be in personnel but in policy.

Winks' form is a problem. Ndidi is no good as a sitting DM anymore so we don't have anyone else to sit alongside Skipp at the base of the midfield. Ricardo can do it as the inverted full back but seems pretty clear Cooper won't do that. For that reason I think he probably sticks with Winks for now.

I find his post match interviews incredibly depressing. He spent most of them yesterday moaning about the ref after we’d conceded about 35 shots and would have been completely tonked were it not for Hermansen. A little self reflection on why we gave up the ball so easily and created almost nothing would be welcome.

I had some correspondence with him in a work capacity about a decade ago. Not my politics at all but he was perfectly pleasant - essentially a middle of the road Midlands Tory, a solid constituency MP and fairly effective Parliamentary campaigner on a few select issues. Like a few on the right, Brexit then Covid sent him mad.

I was on a bus a few weeks ago and someone had left a copy of The Light (conspiracy theory newspaper renowned for spreading misinformation on Covid, Holocaust denial and other standard far-right talking points). There was an article on Bridgen, questioning the election results. The article was based around two very easily answerable questions: 1. Isn't it suspicious that Bridgen's vote declined so much between 2019 and 2024? Answer: No, because he was a Conservative candidate in a strongly Conservative area in 2019, and in 2024 he was no longer the Conservative candidate. 2. How come Bridgen didn't get reelected when his views are obviously right and popular? Answer: His views are wrong and unpopular.

I don't agree with this. After the first year or so of Sousa and Sven, and until Cooper, they haven't made an appointment you'd call a failure. Pearson 2.0: Rebuilt the club, got promotion, stayed up Ranieri: Greatest achievement in the history of team sport Shakey: Comfortably avoided relegation when we looked doomed, that magical night against Sevilla Puel: Rebuilt an ageing team, re-established us as a comfortable mid table PL side Rodgers: For two years we played scintilating football and competed with the best Smith: Too short a reign to judge really Maresca: Rejuventated a demoralised squad and got promoted at the first time of asking The main issue since Vichai passed was being far too slow to recognise Rodgers was no longer working. Hopefully they've learnt the lesson this time but I'm not holding my breath.

I've actually built a small cocoa bean farm so I can harvest, ferment, dry, roast and grind the beans myself. You can't take any risks with the supply chain.

40 in a few months, always been fairly fit but like a pint and prone to getting a bit of a beer belly. My lifestyle isn't perfect but to keep in shape and feel mentally fit the following work for me: Weight training at the gym 3 times a week. Mixture of big compound lifts (squat, deadlift, bench) and more focused hypertrophy exercises. I don't do any specialist cardio but walk as much as I can and ride my bike occasionally. Walk up a big hill with some mates once a month. It's good for the soul. Loads of water. Track my alchol units so I'm always under the monthly recommended limit. The upshot of this is I rarely drink at home now because I like to save my units for social occassions. Have always eaten fairly healthy so that's never been a big problem but I do have a sweet tooth. I try to limit myself to one small chocolate bar a day or a few pieces of dark chocolate. The main thing I'd really like to improve on is sleep. I live in a noisy area and will be moving soon so I'm hoping that will have a positive impact.