Alph

Trying to goad Iran into a serious enough attack to pull the Yanks into the conflict is the word on the street.  Cynical I thinks the Yanks and Israel are working hand in hand to that end, the headlines of USA trying to hold back Israeli ambition being only showmanship.
It was foolish of Iran to gather so many commanders in the same house, they must however see what the attack was meant to accomplish.

Well, I did get up early and I'm not really sure why I bothered. In race trim, the RBR car is untouchable and by that I mean either the drivers, or the engineers responsible for setting the cars up need to really make a mess of it for anyone else to have a chance. I thought Irritating to hear him making a litany of excuses for Checo being so close in quali. Why not just give your fellow driver some credit, you bolshy, Belgian bar steward.
Leclerc drove beautifully, but was undone by being left out a couple of laps too long on tyres that were shot to pieces. Sainz, given a more balanced race strategy, again drove really well. Lando once again drove the wheels of his Maclaren and Hammy is clearly on the beach already, actually suggesting to his engineers that he let Russell past. Can you imagine the Hamilton of old doing such a thing? Nah, me neither. Toto's face throughout the race was a study of Teutonic irritation and it's a shame given their long and extremely successful collaboration, that it will end in a such a shabby manner. Hamilton has earned the thick end of a 1/4 of a billion from his Mercedes contracts and I can't help but feel that his timing lacked class and has undermined both his own season and that of his employers. Mercedes now have a car that is beautifully balanced, but somewhat lacking in straight-line pace, but if they can rinse some more oomph from the powertrain (something they've been historically very good at), he might find he's made the wrong call anyway. One senses that they moved heaven and earth to kill the porpoising issue, possibly focussing less on the engine in doing so, but they are moving in the right direction at last, if only slowly!
Little else to the race I thought, though it was lovely to see Yuki make the top 10 in front of his home crowd. A visit Japan, would be the only other thought. The contrasting, crazy Tokyo skylines to the incredible beauty of the more rural areas has plenty of appeal, though I suspect it'd cost a fair whack. 

Agree with just about all of that.
I think you're being a bit hard on Sainz, he was the better ferrari driver for big chunks of last season and through his time there has rarely been badly off Leclerc for a long period, and I do rate Charles very highly. I think the ferrari question is almost more what's up with Leclerc who's not had a great start to the season.
I think Danny has driven his way out of the red bull drive already, he was closer to Yuki today but given the red bull managment have already decided Yuki aint it, and with the driver market having some interesting options right now.
 

It was a great race and a timely reminder of how blindingly quick Kimi was, but boy was the commentary annoying 😂
As it stands, I think that Suzuka 2005 was one of the very best  races I've seen, it simply had everything. I had a hunt around for some full race highlights and the best I could find was the two part video below, if anyone fancies it. Might have a look myself tonight as it was an absolute belter and if you've not seen it before, please do! 
Part 1: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4x5zbs
Part 2: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4x1e8e
As for Suzuke 2024, well yours truly was awake at stupid o'clock this morning so I watched Suzuka quali sessions and despite the RBR 1-2, it was actually pretty interesting. Yuki again made it to the final session in front of his adoring fans, which was nice to see and will of course ensure that local interest is piqued. He's absolutely obliterating Danny Ric who is gone for all money to my eyes. Zero chance of an RBR seat all on recent form IMO and I doubt that the nice but dim Aussie will be drinking Bolly and his foot sweat again in F1, which I don't mind as it's weird and more than a tad icky.
Lando threw in a monster lap that briefly looked like it would secure him a front row spot, but he was pipped by an inspired Checo who was milliseconds behind the grumpy Belgian. Piastri briefly threatened to emulate Lando before faltering, but irrespective, I think he's hugely talented and has the skills and mindset to be a contender in years to come. Lando perhaps even more so though, but he'll need Mclaren to take another steep forward given his extended contract.
Mercedes yet again flattered to deceive and with track temperatures forecast to rise steeply prior to race time, they once again look like joining the ranks ofr the also-rans. The car looked very driveable, especially compared to recent seasons, but sadly, not very fast. Interestingly, despite looking disinterested recently, Hammy was comfortably quicker than Russell throughout quali, for all that's worth, but he's not looked racey at all when it matters since his announcement and I'd imagine that relations are pretty strained right now in the Merc garage.
A rejuvenated Carlos Sainz comfortably outpointed Leclerc again, but happy as I am to see the likeable Spaniard prosper, one has to ask where has this pace been up to now? Doing it once you know your seat is gone asks more questions than it answers for me. Surely RBR must fancy him a bit, but would Max and more importantly, would his overbearing dad who seems to be running the team as much as Horny boy these days.
The Astons were next best  but comfortably off the pace, even with Alonso driving the wheels off his car. They'll be hoping their race pace is significantly better. 
The race is set to start an hour earlier than quali for some reason but aginst my better judgement, I'm probably going to be making coffee at 5.30am tomorrow!
 

Muckerette was in her 20's before she found out that actually yes, spiders will leave a cold hard wall for nice soft warm bedding.  Her dad was fibbing all along!  (Missing you already, old man xxx)
Fairly common one I think... we told our lads that the ice cream chimes meant that he'd sold out!  Not sure how long that fib survived, but it was fun whilst it lasted... and saved us a few quid!  😁

I always rated Yuki tbh. Even at the beginning, as when he wasn't going off-piste he was blindingly quick at times. I think also they've had to work hard to get him to take it seriously, as by all accounts, he's a bit of a lad! They even got him a personal fitness trainer with predictably hilarious results. He's got bags of talent if he can be 100% focussed, but that's a big if.
As for Logan, well he's still one of a select group of current drivers who secured an F1 seat and they can't take that away from him. I do feel for him a bit, despite the mickey-taking, as he does seem a sound lad and it must be incredibly stressful for young lads when things aren't going well. I'm sure he'll find success in time, though perhaps in a somewhat less rarefied atmosphere than F1.

If you have 5 mins spare, check out Parker calling out Dillian Whyte. Promise you won't regret it. 

If you have 5 mins spare, check out Parker calling out Dillian Whyte. Promise you won't regret it. 

Israel doesn't need to kill Palestinians any more - they just need to kill aid workers and let entropy do the rest.
Clever.

And so it goes on...
Many Palestinians in the Gaza Strip will be wondering how they are going to feed their families after World Central Kitchen (WCK) paused its operations in response to the killing of seven of its aid workers in an Israeli air strike.
Another US charity it works with, Anera, has also suspended work because of the escalating risks faced by its local staff and their families.
Together, they were serving two million meals a week across the Palestinian territory, where the UN has warned that an estimated 1.1 million people - half the population - are facing catastrophic hunger because of Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries, the ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of order.
WCK's decision to pause its work also led to the "freezing" of a maritime aid corridor from Cyprus, which the charity helped set up last month to increase the trickle of aid getting into the north of Gaza and avert a looming famine.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68728378

Ah, we thickos have stumbled on something here. I'm thinking there's something to the apparently warped logic after all. Clearly after WW1 and WW2, we should not have negotiated the terms of the Nazi surrender with Germany, but instead with someone nicer. The Belgians maybe? They're almost German, but less genocidal and they make lovely chocolate and beer. They let dogs in their restaurants too and anyone who is nice to doggos is alright with me. Or perhaps the Dutch as an alternative? They're a pretty chilled bunch on account of being too stoned to bother having a row, so they'd be way more compliant and easy to deal with. Food for thought! 

"You don't make peace with friends. You make it with very unsavory enemies."
The clever people say the way to permanent ceasefire is through a bloody brutal military campaign and not through a temporary ceasefire being extended with a series of negotiations. 
I'm definitely stupid. Because I'd have thought if you want to make peace between Israel and Palestine that you'd work with whoever the major factions are. Even if they disgust you and can't be entirely trusted. Especially when Hamas and Fatah have been in talks. I'd call that an opportunity?
Apparently if you dictate to the Palestinians who should represent them while killing them that eventually you'll win them over. 
With Hezbollah and Iran full of serious threats I'm sure de-escalation is around the corner. 

See the likes of you and I clearly don't get the nuances these clever folk do. I'd always thought that stopping people murdering women and children would be viewed as preferable to sitting around watching it happen while tugging my forelocks and pondering the right to return conundrum. Silly me! 

David, that's overwhelming. Can only wish you the very very best. 
I hope you can draw strength from each other and those around you. 

Hamas can't lead a Palestinian State. But Likud can lead Israel. 
Territory is a stumbling block to those in Efrat, Ma'ale Adumim and the escalated settler plan Israel has come up with. 
The right of return is something Israeli Jews have a right to. It's for "Greater Israel". 
As Sunak and Co say. They want to see a permanent ceasefire and not a temporary pause. So continuing arms sales to Israel while cutting funding to UNWRA is unfortunately a necessary step to peace. You have to think of the bigger picture. 
 

As I have stated in another post , I blame the west for where we are far more than Israel , they are a small nation that is surrounded by enemies that want to destroy them ( slightly less so now ?) it’s a recipe for fear based expansion of they’re territory, power and economic wealth , a breeding ground for more extreme politics, the west whilst arming them to defend themselves have abdicated the responsibility they should have carried to stop them expanding, grabbing land and treating the Palestinian people in the way they have , why they have allowed this is very much up for debate in the area some would call conspiracy theory

If you are a reasonable and moderate Israeli, you must be worried about the future.
Most support and goodwill will be ebbing away across the world. Worrying too that the government are democratically elected. What does it say about the state of the electorate?
If Israel do become properly isolated, they are facing a very dangerous future. How many Palestinians will they continue to slaughter before this happens though?
The military were against the government before it all kicked off. Perhaps there needs to be a milatry coup in Israel asap to save Israel.
Offer peace, a proper 2 state solution, no more settlements, and economic aid in return for the hostages. Plus the people who organised the initial attacks, alongside Netenyaru and friends, to The Hague.

I'll just say it then; Netanyahu and anyone, Jews or otherwise, who supports him and his gang of IDF murderers are flat out scum. Enough is enough. Haul the f***** to The Hague and bang him up for life. Won't happen of course, because being pissed at him and his ilk is mandatorily antisemitic. 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the attack by the Israeli military on the World Central Kitchen team, which killed seven aid workers, as tragic but unintentional.
“It happens in war,” he said.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-68710949

Yep there’s plenty there I agree with , when you boil it down you have few people at the top on both sides comfortable for they’re own people to die and suffer for they’re own aims whilst the ordinary folk on both sides just want an end to killing and be able to live lives in peace 🤷🏻‍♂️, every Jew killed can be a recruiting tool for extremist and every Palestinian killed the same 🤷🏻‍♂️,
been going on for a very long time in that region, rinse and repeat , in my view us and the Americans have been pulling the same poo for decades in many regions over many issues but when you raise this stuff you get accused of being a conspiracy theorist ,
same with covid , so much that was done stinks to high heaven , point it out and your a tin foil hat wearer ,
same with net zero , so much stinks to high heaven , only scratch the surface and and so much makes no sense , point it out , tin foil hat wearer 
that old saying follow the money actually works in most cases but I’ve personally been ripped into for saying that on here over stuff ,
is the stuff being said on here regards the Israeli government s long term actions leading to the most recent crisis true ( stuff that falls into conspiracy theory territory) ,,,? I don’t know as I must admit I’ve not followed it closely for years , could it be true ? In my mind as a cynical observer of what gov , established money and big business get up to , hell yes it very much could be but as I say I get called a tin foil hat wearer very often for being that way and stating my concerns 

It's irrefutable that Israel went so far as actually helping to create Hamas.
Recently, articles in Washington Post, New York Times and even Israeli newspapers have suggested that funding and other aid to Hamas went on much longer than the set-up (the aims of which may or may not have been the overthrow and eventual replacement of Fatah and the PLO).
Perhaps it was a case of "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer still" - but the bottom line is such that the very existence of Hamas means that there can be no Palestine unless Israel wills it - and therein lies the rub. Very convenient for Netanyahu because the existence of Palestine is an "Over my dead body" issue for him.

It's not a conspiracy theory. 

With no big series running this weekend, there's British GT at Oulton Park (gtworld on youtube) and it's very wet, or there's vairious classes (historic, minis, 7s, trucks) from Brands Hatch indi on the BRAC youtube channel.

Ben Whittaker, I don't think the way he fights and who he's fighting is investment for future opponents. 
Can't really explain what it is that don't sit right. It's not that the showing off is disrespectful. It's that it flatters his performance. I think he's done nothing more than you'd expect from an Olympic champion (silver?). Perhaps unfair but I'd be wanting to see him really finishing the job when he's ready rather than toying with his food.
Maybe unfair. Just remember Josh Kelly looked like a world beater with that kind of Olympic style of point scoring. Then you meet guys who will come through you and you have to be able to punish them.
Whittaker seems to be similar. Fur coat, no knickers type thing. 
Harsh for 7 from 7? It should be 7 quick KOs imo and if it's gone the distance then it should be to a durable come forward opponent and it's against those you'd want to see him working harder instead of running off dancing? 

No complaints with the result I had Clarke just nicking it by a round. I thought if the ref took a point off Clarke for low blows he should have taken a point off wardley for continually trying to hit Clarke with the back of his hand. 
Great scrap but can’t see either being good enough to fight at the highest level 

Brilliant fight. 
Neither deserved to lose. So no real complaints with result 
Bravo gents