polishgenius

They're gonna get Lois Openda in.

Nah, Bruno's our best player. By, like, miles. Like it could be Shaw or Martinez, but since they're never fit, he's the only candidate. Sure, there are times that you want to just shake him, and it'd certainly be nice if he could pass calmly. But he's so good as an outlet, not just in terms of himself as a passer, but he's really fucking good at being available when another player is under pressure. We'd be way more pressable as a team if he wasn't in it, even if he as an individual is pretty pressable if a player gets close enough to him as he receives it. It's his off-the-ball movement, not his through-passing, that's really his best skill. I think it's also very notable that he tailors himself to the situation. When he's aware that there are players in the team who can get the ball to him when he's closer to the top, he'll stay there. When there aren't those passers or ball-carriers, he'll drop deeper to receive. In that respect, I really can't make it Bruno's fault when he's dropping into DM. This season, like Solksjaer's last, he's gooning all over the place all the time, but that's a reflection of the team around him as much as him.

Watched the Marvels. It's alright. Bit messy and scrappy and overstuffed, but fun. One thing I did appreciate is the dynamics going on. I've been complaining for ages that MCU films seem to have forgotten the art of random camaraderie or character building that isn't part of, you know, The Arc. This film had a fair bit of that.

A little awkward, but I've gotten two requests so I've done my best to fulfill them.

Liverpool would absolutely have got that penalty even if it hadn't been one, on the balance of the season, but to be fair it's kind of hard to argue with it being one in this instance.

Arsenal really are quite admirable, neutrally speaking. Play nice football, built the side the right way, unlike the other two title contenders they're not particularly dirty... Partey's continued presence aside, they're a likeable team.

James Ward-Prowse scores from a corner, proving definitively once and for all that West Ham got the better of the deal in summer.

Finished Rebel Transmute, and have finally got myself onto actually playing some of the RPGs I have on deck. Between Sea of Stars and Chained Echoes, it was the latter that re-engaged me most easily so I'm going with that. There's occasional clumsy moments in the writing (making me run to a whole other village and back before my characters suspect the duplicity of a guy who is very obviously evil is never elegant. I hate being made to role-play an idiot) but mostly it's actually very good. Some banger lines and the dynamic within the party- which is not at all a cohesive group of friends, or even people with similar worldviews, to start and the narrative totally acknowledges that- is nicely presented. I also appreciate that they gave me reasonable difficulty settings because I hate grinding and being able to feel like I'm doing something without actually having to wander about till I'm strong enough or whatever is gonna make it way more likely I don't flame out on this near the end. Which, admittedly, I'm nowhere close to yet.

This is unforgiveable.

I swear we had this same exact debate a few months ago, with the exact same scenario of Kalbear insisting everyone else's grasp of scale and time was wrong. Though it got less tetchy that time. Anyway yeah I am still of the opinion that the 'paradox' part of Fermi Paradox annoys me because it isn't one. There's no logical breakdown in life having not found us yet- we just don't have all the information we need to know why it hasn't. On a sci-fi, but interesting, note, has anyone read the Xeelee books of Stephen Baxter? In particular the Vacuum Diagram short story collection. The latter parts of it would likely be a bit confusing to anyone who hasn't read the four books in the series proper, but the first few stories are really interesting speculations on how completely unfamiliar-to-us lifeforms could exist. The whole series is about that to an extent tbh, but the rest hangs a big overrarching narrative on it, those shorts are one-and-dones. Anyway, recommended reading in general for anyone interested in that kind of subject, even if it's not, you know, real.

If 'they' had wanted to make that clear then 'they' wouldn't be publicly stating that the reason protection for women is being taken separately is because 'they' think that misogyny needs even greater measures to deal with than this act offers. Like, even if you don't believe that, if 'you're on your own' was what the Scottish lawmakers were trying to say then they wouldn't be sending out those messages. (I'm not really sure who 'they' is, in your eyes. Given 'some minorties' plus the following it really just feels like you're looking for a reason to be angry at other minorities, which is weird because it isn't any minority responisble here- Scottish Parliament is mostly white men and women. Like I'd honestly understand the frustration at women being left out here, taken on its own, but who are you even blaming I don't get it).

That would still make them superhero films, but I wouldn't say they're parodies at all. They're pretty sincere movies, ultimately - they just have loads of black comedy. Deadpool himself was originally a parody of Deathstroke, of course, but he'd been way past that stage long before the film became a thing.

This game is mental.

Antony in for Rashford today. Not looking good for my title.

Not everyone is gonna appreciate this video but... it's quite good.

He's the fucking worst.

btw to offer a response to this from the last thread: I agree, they aren't as good. They're sacrificing a lot to make Haaland work. He's so efficient it hasn't burned them too bad yet, but it's a much finer line than it was before. It's also made them less interesting: like I'm not sure the KDB issue is age, I think it's at least partly that playing to Haaland's strengths requires him to be far more limited. It genuinely annoys me- KDB was my favourite non-United player in the league since Bergkamp, and now he's a 'chip it long' merchant to a large extent. Pep's also struggling to use Grealish. Like he does a job, it's fine, but Grealish is at his best as an improviser and Pep doesn't have the space for him to consistently do that in the way he's best at. Mahrez could marry that dribbling flair to the system play to some extent- Grealish is wasted if he tries. For that reason I'm also glad Palmer left tbh, I think he'd be stifled in a similar way. There's only room for one real soloist in Pep's current setup, and at the moment it's Foden.

If it's any consolation, the title is currently a loaded gun pointed at my own foot.

Never forget the Liz Truss line.

Because, re: comments in the old topic, United fans (and everyone else) can laugh at Chelsea. And I really hope this doesn't backfire on Thursday.