Ke1t

Take what Peter Zeihan says with a pinch of salt, but I think this is a good synopsis of what just happened and where they're at.

I know you're just tickling my nips, but Putin and Son o' Putin are as transparent as windaes. There's nothing mysterious or arcane about either of them. Putin's like an 8 year old kid who batters the neighbour's 5 year old, then denies it to the death, thinking he's being amazingly clever because he's figured out plausible deniability, even if he doesn't fully get the concept. Trump's not even that fucking sly, he just has a bunch of cash and a never-ending procession of lawyers who sometimes do and sometimes don't get him off with the shit he gets up to. One's a practicing authoritarian demagogue, the other a wannabe authoritarian demagogue. That would be bad enough in and of itself, but Putin has so much shit on Trump that what Putin wants Putin gets from the bloated, orange sack of compromised shite. If you think that's a situation that's good for the West you're taking way too many bennies, goofballs, and dubious mushrooms. I'd love a non-Washington candidate to emerge, someone who will get rid of the lobbyists, cut ties with Israel, ban guns, and do all the things all politicians promise to do then don't. But that sure as fuck isn't Trump. If anything he makes the corruption in Washington look like amateur hour And if anyone thinks they hate America now they might want to consider the implications of Trump's stated agendas on The US' foreign and domestic policies. If you hate Americans because they're obnoxious, ill-educated, ignorant, arrogant and oblivious to the damage their country does to the world then imagine an America that deliberately sets out with an egregious agenda. Not one that simply benefits the elite in America, but actively looks to cause harm not as some side-effect of policy but as the principle policies themselves. Take the time to read shit like the 1774 Commission and Agenda 47. They should terrify anyone with a functioning brain and even a rudimentary ability to think critically and extrapolate. These read like a Fascist's wet dream because that's exactly what they are.

CBD just calms you down a bit, which would explain you hitting your best round of golf. Doesn't get you high or make you act whacky. That's THC. I ate my way through a tin of gummies to no effect other than mild disappointment. It was later pointed out they were CBD gummies and the effect can be expected to be, "Nithin".

Israel's perpetrating genocide via starvation and military action against women and children. The world is turning against Israel in a way we've never seen before, and Israel does what it does best... tries to garner sympathy, and change the narrative, by playing the victim. So, they bomb the Iranian embassy in Syria knowing Iran will retaliate, and knowing US media will cover that for 5 seconds, if at all. Iran retaliates, as any self-respecting nation will when attacked, and the US media literally covers it on a minute by minute basis. This sets up the front page narrative that Israel is the victim of the big bad Muslims, and puts the mass murder of Palestinians by the Israelis somewhere around page 15, next to the crossword and the cartoons.

Back in the day the Ukrainians had a bunch of Soviet nuclear (and nuclear capable) missiles they were having dismantled to ensure Russia never attacked them, but given the mess of Russia and Ukraine at the time their inventory system was not the best. During that time a bunch of Soviet nuclear (and nuclear capable) missiles went missing, and since there was no accountability at the time they kinda shrugged and went, "Och weell, it's not like nuclear (and nuclear capable) missiles are dangerous or anything, so let's just not say anything about it." But what definitely did happen, as a matter of record (surprisingly), was Ukraine sold a bunch of nuclear capable missiles, AS-15's, to Iran. These are medium range ballistic missiles with a maximum range of 2500 miles. What is a head scracher, though is whether or not these missiles, about a dozen of them, still had nuclear warheads strapped to them. No-one seems to know. If they do, they have 200kt warheads, and Tel Aviv is easily within range. Fire a couple of those and have them arrive at the same time as a couple of hundred drones and Allahu Akbar, Bob's your uncle, mair like Tel Avivederci. (You won't reach Teeside from Iran with these missiles)

Suffice to say Britain should be staying out of this escalating circus. It doesn't have the cash, the military, or the political power to get itself entangled with Iran, Israel, and the US. State of the British military it couldn't knock down a fruit stand at a Nigerian market.

You have Religious fundamentalists running Iran and religious fundamentalists running Israel, there's no moderation anywhere between the parties. Israel provoked this with the attack on the Iranian embassy, so they didn't do that just to go, "Och, that's us square now" when Iran responded. I don't think this is over by a ways, yet. I can see attacks on Iranian military installations or even oil facilities in the coming days or weeks. And then Iran will have to respond again... and then more escalation.

They have nukes, and a more than lunatic doctrine for their use. Though rumour had it that the Iranians acquired some nuclear weapons around the time of the fall of the Soviet Union, so that's something for the Israelis to think about. Have a great weekend everyone.

I think it's pretty concrete what the answer is to that at this point. Bottom 6 fixtures, though... let the good times roll!

Thelin's first day at the office.

Yes, probably. He's a foreign manager who did well in Scandinavia, is an unkown quantity (since none of us (likely) follow Scandinavian football) but he has no experience of Scottish football, and he comes in to revitalise a struggling Aberdeen that's underperforming. Since then we've had Paterson, Calderwood, McGhee, Brown, McInnes, Glass, Goodwin, and Robson... none of whom are better corrolaries. All but one Scots, all familiar with Scottish football, all of whom we had a reasonable idea of their abilities, and the one non-Scot was also familiar with Scottish football, but we already knew he was mediocre when we got him. So... yeah... I'm using one to relate to the other because the situation with them is the most similar. Genuinely an odd post to Strawman.

Ebbe thought enough of the players he had to put them on ridiculous contracts, though. His spell at the club is part of the reason we brought in a spiralling alcoholic to rescue the situation... another terrific decision by Stupid Decisions™ FC. We're skint because we let this guy, and the 3 guys before him... two of whom weren't even real managers, and the other was a mediocre manager at best (another great bunch of decisions)... spend all our money. And now we need YOU, barely functioning alcoholic with a major gambling addiction... we need YOU to build a team of first division journeymen to compete in the top league and save us from bankruptcy... because when your club is on the verge of extinction you want to put it in the safe hands of an unreliable drunk. Anyway... it sounds a lot worse when you say it out loud. Ebe, though, I feel he was at least as much at fault as the spoons who hired him and gave him free reign with dwindling resources. And then he fucked off with a, "Sorry. That's me. Still, eh?"

Is it, though? Pittodrie is a relic from another era... it was built in the last days of the 19th Century, and here we are a quarter the way through the 21st. I'm as nostalgic as the next (ex)-Aberdonian, but the only good thing about Pittodrie is the flourishing mould garden on the roof of the Main Stand.

That's SO Aberdeen, though. We have a brand, and that brand is Stupid Decisions™.

I'm trying to keep my concerns about Thelin to myself. He's probably better than Yogi or Lennon, but is he the real deal or another Ebbe? Bless Ebbe, he was a likeable character but an abysmal Aberdeen manager, despite being brilliant in Denmark.