Looneyville, Texas, United States Superthread

[Axver]

Damnit I have no whisky.

Hooray for red wine!

 

[Axver]

Unpopular opinion: Erdogan's/AKP's removal from power would have a greater positive impact for the region than the removal of ISIS.

I don't know, that sounds too hyperbolic to me. Your reasoning?

In the past, this would have been enough to set off a war.

Exactly. Hell, it's probably hard to find a nineteenth century war with a provocation as significant as this! One diplomat just had to give his opposite number an overly limp handshake and war was on.

The question is whether any country has an appetite for war - actual, full blown war - nowadays. I do not believe any do, no matter what their posturing tries to suggest.

 

[The Sad Punk]

World is fukt, I never knew.

...and this is exactly why the Brits moved away from absolute monarchies.

I really just can't believe or understand how the fuck it's even going. It's just extraordinarily baffling in ways that are so vast and obvious.

The monarchy could well have ended, or have gone into a period of Frenchiness, if George IV had become Regent in 1788, during his father's first serious bout of mental illness, rather than 30 odd years later. George III wasn't popular at all until his insanity (the exact nature of still unidentified), when suddenly everyone felt a bit sorry for him 'cause he was just a crazy old man who wrote articles about farming in a local rag under an alias and also happened to have lost some Colonies, and because his dumb kid was just the biggest jerk in the world who was also mates with the Whigs, who were probably just pally with him because they knew how fucked the monarchy would be if he got in. The Regency Crisis and the terror in France, which again brought sympathy to royals in Britain, crushed the wonderful hope that George IV, in his completely incompetence in everything he did (except patronise the arts hard), could have destroyed the crown. Somehow he didn't, and then Victoria just had to go ahead and be a fucking A+ football mascot for 60 years of atrocities, and now we're here and people still buy fucking mugs with babies on them and gather in enormous crowds to see some inbred fuckos because we have learned nothing.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Why do I have fucking Song for fucking Someone stuck in my head? This is certain proof there is no god.

Still haven't listened to that thing, but I imagine it's an achievement just to remember a bar.

 

[Axver]

I wonder how the monarchy has survived too. Frankly, if you discount Victoria and our current regal overlord, the whole thing's been a giant clusterfuck for a good few centuries. Those two women with their general competence and longevity have kept the damn institution going. And now we're in a situation so ridiculous that British tourism would be utterly confused without the royals. How perverse it would seem to people a couple of centuries ago that the royal family would inspire such... curiosity. It's not even devotion. It's a weird phenomenon where fervently republican people like Yanks or the French will stop by Buckingham Palace to gawk and buy said dumb fucking mugs.

 

[Axver]

I fucking love this Dorsal Fins song "Jacqueline" where the singer goes on this rant about moving to all these world centres - New York, San Francisco, Paris - and throws Ballarat in at the end.

Seriously, Mind Renovation is totally one of the albums of the year.

 

[The Sad Punk]

I would gladly throw Ballarat in with that lot! Love that town.

Is that, right down to the bone, why the monarchy has survived? Tourism? A quaint old world otherness? Because we've grown into a false sense that things are how they should be, that there's no desperation for change? That we can't imagine disposing of royals in any way that doesn't involve decapitation?

England itself is full of lies and folly, from its national symbol (oh yeah man you're always running into lions while walking Hadrians wall), to its classical national mascot, its all just imported, trying to reconcile with the fact that it's just this sad, cold lump of dirt that endured so many invasions that invading is all it ever learned to do. I mean, that's a midnight ramble version of history, but whatever. For the record, I really loved the UK heaps, I just have trouble reconciling things.

 

[cobl04]

I've liked our ongoing Fb messages of support to each other as well, Liam. Hoping work works up for you, and you too, Ax.

I just had my first ever provide-support-to-your-GF moment, it was really super nice. yknow, some dudes are like "women are shit", but I actually don't give that much of a fuck about myself. I can internalise that shit, I'm the fucking world champion of internalising. but I get genuine happiness when I can make girls that I like feel good. last night she came for the first time in like three years and I was reminded of mates being like "I get to cum who gives a fuck if she doesn't" and it's like for me making her cum gives me 100000x the satisfaction of me cumming, and not because it's like "yeahhhh i'ma sick cunt" but because I'm happy she's happy. And then tonight, she had some shit going down, and we talking on the phone and texting etc and she says I made her feel better and that feels just so fucking nice and yeah I like having a GF.

don't want to bring down others, but this is all new to me and I just have to talk about it sometimes (ie a few scotchies deep). also probably definitely shouldn't post that explicit stuff but oh well this is a small crowd and i mean what i said.

 

[cobl04]

ahhhh yes, that point in the night of drinking at which I play Sun Kil Moon's "Duk Koo Kim" ... thanks Liam.

 

[Axver]

I would gladly throw Ballarat in with that lot! Love that town.

I was going to say that I prefer Bendigo, but the whole mosque protests thing is totally wrecking my perception of the place.

Is that, right down to the bone, why the monarchy has survived? Tourism? A quaint old world otherness? Because we've grown into a false sense that things are how they should be, that there's no desperation for change? That we can't imagine disposing of royals in any way that doesn't involve decapitation?

England itself is full of lies and folly, from its national symbol (oh yeah man you're always running into lions while walking Hadrians wall), to its classical national mascot, its all just imported, trying to reconcile with the fact that it's just this sad, cold lump of dirt that endured so many invasions that invading is all it ever learned to do. I mean, that's a midnight ramble version of history, but whatever. For the record, I really loved the UK heaps, I just have trouble reconciling things.

I really do have to wonder if that's a major reason for the survival of the monarchy. Most other Western countries have dispensed with royalty, or those that maintain a royal family are far less high profile. You can't go to France or Germany for actual real life royals presiding over a global power, but by god you can go to London and buy all your tacky shit and see a statuesque guard and all that crap.

Everybody reckons Australia will ditch the monarchy when we find ourselves lumped with King Charles, but I don't see it. Inertia wins over all. Plus we really, really don't like voting yes at referendums.

Also it's funny we're having this discussion because the other day I was in a lunch discussion that basically resolved that for all the flaws of the British Empire, the Brits actually managed to be the most competent and least shit imperial power.

 

[cobl04]

lollllllllll at the bloke defending reclaim australia in a post on Rock Bottom on fb.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Papillon I am so damn happy you've got someone

All you wonderful guys, thank you for indulging in my midweek foolishness and listening to me geek out about dumb shit that I can't geek out about to most of my mates

THANKS FOR ALWAYS BEING HERE, SUPERTHREAD

I need to sleep

 

[cobl04]

thanks man still can't believe it sometimes. have to keep getting her to remind me haha. times like this wish the superthread was like old times!

 

[Axver]

Yeah Cobbler, I get the attitude you describe.

There was a cynical fuckwit rant here, only loosely connected to anything anyone said and more inspired by the mediocrity I see around me on a daily basis, but it's perhaps best not published. I'd say I divulge shit I won't post over a few pints, but actually when I'm out drinking I tend to be at my least cynical and most upbeat.

 

[Axver]

And yes, I best sleep too. I apparently have serious things and stuff to do in the morning. And washing to hang up before I go to bed, because late night laundry while drinking red is how I roll. Goodnight people. I can't wait to make Neon Indian/drinking epicness happen next month. Liam and Vlad I expect you both to be there.

 

[cobl04]

Yeah Cobbler, I get the attitude you describe.

There was a cynical fuckwit rant here, only loosely connected to anything anyone said and more inspired by the mediocrity I see around me on a daily basis, but it's perhaps best not published. I'd say I divulge shit I won't post over a few pints, but actually when I'm out drinking I tend to be at my least cynical and most upbeat.

which one??

ahh if you can't post it here, where else can you rant. I don't mind. I'm mindful of being too upbeat when I know shit isn't going so well for other people, but I just have something to be pretty happy about for the first time in a long while (I spent 10 years beating myself up about relationships/women/being a virgin etc) so I just want to express my happiness at that. there's still a heap of shit in my life that is crap too (work, anxiety, the future) but this is good.

I can't wait to make Neon Indian/drinking epicness happen next month. Liam and Vlad I expect you both to be there.

 

[cobl04]

and of course there's shit like this to bring you down (DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS)

[TWEET]669133193019129856[/TWEET]

 

[Axver]

Nah Cobbler the last thing anyone should be too fucking mindful of is posting upbeat stuff. You've got to share the good times, you know? It's definitely not something to be censored.

And I don't know, there's some stuff I'd just rather not have permanently attached to my name online. There's already too much of that, fortunately mostly buried so deeply that anybody who digs far enough to find it probably deserves to return with some nuggets. Suffice it to say that I see little value or interest in a lot of things around me. I love being part of live music, because it feels like I'm involved in something bigger than myself, something vital and energetic that's happening right the fuck now (and that's why I totally wrecked myself last week for Melbourne Music Week, like I actually just physically collapsed over the weekend). The joy of literature is a close relation. I love my work, because I feel like I'm actually contributing something, however small, to a corpus of knowledge that will endure beyond any stupid qualities of me. And sport is a dumb fucking escape about which I care too much. But otherwise, meh. I consider myself lucky to have a good number of friends who keep me genuinely interested beyond my own narrow avenues.

I'll head to sleep now. Cheers.

 

[cobl04]

 

[liamcool]

I've liked our ongoing Fb messages of support to each other as well, Liam. Hoping work works up for you, and you too, Ax.

I just had my first ever provide-support-to-your-GF moment, it was really super nice. yknow, some dudes are like "women are shit", but I actually don't give that much of a fuck about myself. I can internalise that shit, I'm the fucking world champion of internalising. but I get genuine happiness when I can make girls that I like feel good. last night she came for the first time in like three years and I was reminded of mates being like "I get to cum who gives a fuck if she doesn't" and it's like for me making her cum gives me 100000x the satisfaction of me cumming, and not because it's like "yeahhhh i'ma sick cunt" but because I'm happy she's happy. And then tonight, she had some shit going down, and we talking on the phone and texting etc and she says I made her feel better and that feels just so fucking nice and yeah I like having a GF.

don't want to bring down others, but this is all new to me and I just have to talk about it sometimes (ie a few scotchies deep). also probably definitely shouldn't post that explicit stuff but oh well this is a small crowd and i mean what i said.

I need to eat some pomengranates, because this is genuinely the sweetest shit I've read all year. but yeah, never censor the upbeat stuff. It's what keeps you going, so why hold it back?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I don't know, that sounds too hyperbolic to me. Your reasoning?

Turkish state's intent on impeding YPG/YPJ efforts to defeat ISIS (which they have been very good at doing to date), and the passage that links Turkey to ISIS in which supplies and fighters pass through - I'm fairly sure I remember reading that Turkey threatened Rojava if they dared to advance further onto that passage. That's the short gist of it.

 

[Axver]

Turkish state's intent on impeding YPG/YPJ efforts to defeat ISIS (which they have been very good at doing to date), and the passage that links Turkey to ISIS in which supplies and fighters pass through - I'm fairly sure I remember reading that Turkey threatened Rojava if they dared to advance further onto that passage. That's the short gist of it.

The thing here though is that Turkish hostility to the Kurds won't end with a regime change. Erdogan moving on won't have a substantial effect on Kurdish policy. International pressure, however, hopefully will. After all the Kurds have done, the international community now basically owes them a state.

So no, I'd say the fall of ISIS would still be a greater net positive for the region than regime change in Turkey - but that the fall of ISIS would be easier to effect if Turkey weren't doing it favours.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

The Kurdish movement I'm speaking of don't want a state though, more an autonomous region. I do worry how so many media outlets seem to blur the line between the two existing Kurdish forces, the effectively socialist one in northern Syria and the US/Turkish backed, conservative KRG in Iraq, too many times I've heard YPG fighters referred to as Peshmerga which is a tad worrying.

I've heard from my mother that Russia is suspending links/gas exports to Turkey as a result of this, haven't properly caught up with the news today, but that would be economically devastating and further weaken Erdogan/AKP if true.

 

[Axver]

Surely it's only a matter of time before Kurdistan is carved out of northern Iraq and Syria though? The only reason it hasn't happened already is because of the Turks.

And I can't say I'd be shocked if that's true about gas exports. It's basically what I was expecting Russia would do.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

The territory that the YPG control in Northern Syria is effectively theirs and has been since 2012 in the vacuum left following the start of the Syrian Civil War. A bigger question is if they can extend that autonomous region into those areas of southeast Turkey with a large Kurd and HDP voting population. For what it's worth several cities and towns in that region have declared autonomy, trying to follow in the example of Rojava.

 

[bono_212]

Why not just throw them, out a window?

We're on the first floor

We'll forgive you some day.

The societal structure that expects us to work eight hours a day, five days a week is fucking bullshit. I went to work at 8:30, sat around bored until I got my first piece of work at 3:30. I literally wasted seven hours of my life, and made money for it.

Psshhhh I work 10 hours a day .


I skipped a couple of pages and suddenly y'all were drunk and talking about monarchies...part of me wants to go back for context. The rest of me likes the intrigue of mystery.

 

[bono_212]

NOW HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS. The 7th (sorta) Annual TRASHLEY TERRIBLE CHRISTMAS MOVIE VIEWING is upon us.

You all about about 15 minutes to get yourselves firmly planted in the thread.


Annnnnnnnnd...GO!

 

[bono_212]

What are we watching tonight? This gem from 2014:

About | The Nine Lives of Christmas | Hallmark Channel

Fireman Zachary Stone (Routh) is a confirmed bachelor who doesn’t believe in love or commitment. When a stray tabby cat named Ambrose shows up at his door, Zachary takes him in and slowly starts to see that a little companionship might not be so bad after all. Zachary’s commitment to solitude is further challenged when he meets Marilee (Sustad), an animal lover and veterinary student who teaches Zachary how to care for his new feline roommate. Chemistry immediately develops between the two, but will they find a way together despite themselves?

Our Leads:

Brandon Routh, proving that it's ENTIRELY possible to star in a Superman movie and have people NEVER REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE EVER AGAIN. Within a decade of playing the Man of Steel, Routh has found himself as "one of the exes" from Scott Pilgram, and the star of a Hallmark film...way to go.

Kimberley Sustad....honestly...I have no idea who this is...and apparently no one else does either, because a picture FROM THIS MOVIE is one of the first images of her you will find on Google. Apparently they broke the bank on Routh up there.

Gregory Harrison....I....I'm stumped. Actually he seems to be listed higher on the cast than the female lead over on lifetime's site, despite his character not even being mentioned in the plot synopsis, cause...fuck women, right? Apparently he was on Trapper John M.D. back in the day, and is basically just a guy who shows up in TV shows and lifetime movies now.

Oh, also, if you search for him on google, a suggested search is Gregory Harrison Young. Look at this studmuffin:

Rawr.



Now, I know what you're thinking. You're saying to yourself, 'But Ashley, this movie is from last year. Doesn't the Terrible Christmas movie have to be from the current year?' and to that I say, PSH! We have another movie from 2015 waiting in the DVR, but somehow this one got away and DAMMIT, I'm not letting it escape without a thorough scathing review.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Ashley is here to save us from political discourse.

 

[bono_212]

Ill try, but someho w my cat figued out were about to watcha movie about cats and he is now sitting on me. this keyboard already doesn't work too well, so...oh thank God, he ran away.


I'll just leave that as it is.

I've got my scotch. Travis has a lager....Let's...FUCKING GO!