Dr. Gonzo

Can surface to air missiles go that far?

This is what I saw: https://www.timesofisrael.com/big-blast-at-rocket-factory-jolts-central-israel-in-controlled-test/

Israel’s saying it was “controlled tests” which is what Russia said about Chernobyl, so this could be quite bad.

With my new: Avatar Signature Club crest next to all the shit I post (if you're on a PC, I don't think it shows up on mobile)* I am fairly certain that my rebranding is fully complete. I am now a European Super Dr. Gonzo *unless Tranmere gets added, then I'm changing it to that.

Football fans united to protest the ESL... ... and I think these CL changes prove that fans should remain united and keep the protest up for these changes that essentially just create an ESL-lite, particularly granting two extra places to clubs based on their UEFA coefficient. Last season, this would have put Spurs and Arsenal in the CL - in the future it would likely mean either 6 English clubs in the CL or 5 English clubs/5 Spanish clubs. Sunday was a black day in football, but we also saw football fans around Europe and around the world stand together in the fight to save the game's soul. The fight is not over merely because the greed of a few have suspended their plans, while UEFA bends over backwards to keep the cash cows happy. Seeing the greedy dickheads suspend their ESL plans was not winning the war. It was winning one battle in the war.

This shit about Chad's president dying visiting the front lines is pretty crazy. His son, a 37 year old 4 star general, has taken over and dissolved the constitution... which makes me think he probably had his dad killed. I'm not sure whether this guy was a good leader or not, I believe I read something that said he took power through a coup and he'd just been reelected for the 5th time... so I imagine he wasn't and those elections were not very free or fair. Either way, it's still mental. A bit like something out of a film.

Yeah that's true.

@Rab pleeeeaasse - for @Happy Blue & @Panna King... and also me

Spouted a load of bollocks about the ESL in the Leeds - Liverpool thread. Just a very, very, very, very circular debate.

Honestly, from the outside looking in... it seems like a lot of people in the media just like shitting on Newcastle fans, for whatever reason. I feel like it's been like that for a long time, even before Ashley - because even while Ashley is buddy buddy with a lot in the media (for business reasons or otherwise, but probably business reasons), I felt like the media & TalkSport listening types were pretty quick to give Newcastle fans shit for being "entitled" because they wanted their club to show some ambition and push on in the late 2000s instead of just stagnate. TalkSport's for morons anyways though, so fuck em.

I got a new window put in because something hit my window and cracked it. Does that count?

I’d also settle for Tranmere Rovers FC: , but let’s be honest that Malavan one is cooler to look at.

Please add Malavan FC

Yeah it was right after Soleimani was blown to hell, but more immediately after the Iranian missile response to a US base in Iraq. They’d given warning to the US - but even if Trump wasn’t in the white house, I think it would be reasonable to be on edge immediately after doing that to the world’s most terrifying military force. There was also serious incompetence though - if you are on edge and worried about the US bombing the capital... you or I would probably order a clear airspace. Definitely not letting passenger planes take off. Initially they said there was an no order to ground flights, but later they claimed there was an order to ground flights and they don’t know why that plane was in the air in the first place. Either one of those situations doesn’t really indicate the kind of competence you’d hope for if you were living in a country that’s deciding to escalate with a super power that’s got them surrounded. I think the regime did do a payout for the families of the victims. But only for the ones living in Iran - and many of the victims families lived in Canada and the US & Ukraine - and probably other countries too. And what was paid out was... paltry as fuck compared to what you’d think you’d get after a family member dies (and really... there isn’t any sum of money to make it “right”)

I saw that, but the headline is weird because it doesn't really reflect the quote properly. Ukraine is saying Iran intentionally shot a missile at a plane they misidentified as a bomber - I don't think anyone's disputed that though. They did intentionally fire a missile, otherwise it wouldn't have been hit. But the guy goes on to say, he doesn't think they intentionally meant to target a passenger plane, rather that they misidentified the bomber. Which then made me think: "isn't that pretty much what anyone thought in the first place?" So why is it in the news? Because it's not really newsworthy. But then you consider that the headline talks about Ukraine, which looks like is on the cusp of being invaded by Russia again, and Iran - where there's tensions over the JCPOA & Israel's recent attack Natanz. And that's some pretty attractive clickbait for people who might be interested in two parts of the world where it looks like any sense of stability is flying out the window.

It's crazy to think that really not that long ago - like just over a decade from when I was born - Afghanistan was a very different place before they had their Marxist revolution. And since then... it's been constant brutal warfare with super powers. With lulls of Taliban rule. Very sad tbh.

Yeah that was a great mission

I remember being thoroughly impressed with Mafia 1 when I first played it.

I think our away kits should always be grey from that legendary ridiculous quote. The one time we did have a grey kit and played United... it ended up being hilariously great.

I'm not - that would probably open UEFA up to legal challenges. Also it punishes the club collectively rather than just punishing targeting the individual - the effect could be he just gets a free transfer (and the wage & signing bonuses that come with not having to have a transfer fee for your signing) to another club and his club gets fucked over. And I think while the Czech Republic is pretty behind the times in a lot of regards to race relations - it's unfair to brand a whole club or a whole country as racist. I do think it should be treated probably as as serious, if not more serious, than footballer gambling restrictions. Seems a bit weird Sturridge got banned for longer for telling his cousin to bet on him going to Inter, when he didn't even go to Inter, than this twat gets for racial abuse. But at the end of the day, at least he's punished... none of that bullshit La Liga just pulled with the "well... we couldn't PROVE it 100%" - but yeah, the punishment should be made more severe, so as to look like football is taking it more seriously. People can get charged for racist abuse, so at the end of the day... his punishment is pretty light.

Iran's retaliation for the cyberattack is to increase uranium enrichment to 60% ...it's a predictable response, which begs the question - if people are opposed to this government having nukes... why the opposition to the JCPOA that gives the West a ridiculous amount of access to Iran's nuclear sites and ensures that Iran won't be working closer to the 90% enriched uranium needed for a nuclear weapon? And it seems like this attack was done to make it more difficult for Iran and the US to re-enter the JCPOA, tbh, to keep the status quo of an Iran that is pushing towards nuclear weapon & ends up giving Iranian hardliners a LOT more political capital for the upcoming election in Iran. And I don't see how that helps keep Iran from pushing towards developing a nuclear weapon. The hardliners are the ones less inclined to engage with the West and have been the loudest advocates for gaining nukes. The people that want the status quo and the US to keep up this "maximum pressure" on Iran are pretty fucked up, imo. These sanctions impact ordinary people far more than they impact the Iranian government - who just turn to the black market to continue to make oil exports. I understand the goal is to make people so frustrated with their current conditions that they rise up against the government. But at the end of the day, won't it be likely any government that comes next will still have this population of people angry about the country that put on sanctions that made people choose between paying rent or buying, food, or prevented insulin shipments coming in so diabetics died, or prevented PPP shipments during a global pandemic? Western policy in the Middle East is so fucking shortsighted and ridiculous, it's no wonder why the region is so absolutely fucked up. The inability to think about anything in the long term, refusal to understand how blowback works - I just don't understand how they think any of their actions bring any stability to the region. And in other news... The US is leaving Afghanistan (on September 11, 2021 - probably symbolically)... let's see how that goes. I'm not sure what the US really achieved in it's 20 year war with Afghanistan. There's serious doubts as to whether the current government can last without the US military presence. So if the Taliban come back, it was just 20 years of suffering for nothing? If anything, I hope it means to mark a change for US foreign policy in the region. But history tells me: lol nah they're not going to change their foreign policy very much.

Oh shit @Tommy I’m very late but happy birthday!

I thought this was a pretty interesting video - especially considering it was one of the hardest hit countries early on... and the reality of the situation in Iran is it's not really gotten better, like other places around the world have.

Those are shocking stats. You can back negative football when it brings results - when it keeps failing to produce results because you try to hang onto a lead but just can’t, it’s hard to defend.