Fierce_LiNk

I got mine cut about a week before Christmas, but it'll be about another 2 weeks before it needs it again. It just fluffs up out of nowhere. Quite impressive that Bournemouth went from tier 2 to tier 4. Should have just announced a total lockdown, kept it consistent across the country and then everyone would be clear on what the rules are. I don't think the tiered system has worked because it's been too complicated for the general public to keep up with the rule changes. It was much simpler when it applied to the country as a whole, plus it did have a sense of unity that all were in the same boat. The initial lockdown was successful but it all seems to have fallen apart since the Summer. The current rates are scary as fuck. I'm amazed that schools are open...it's also slightly hilarious that primary school children and staff seem to be invincible from Covid, according to this Government. Those primary kids who can't social distance, btw. It's all very messy.

I did the whole: YESSSS *looks to see if VAR is going to rule it out* *they don't* YESSS Bailly was quality last night. Thought Matic was good, too. Pogba grew into the game in the second half. We seemed reluctant to take shots though, but Wolves had so many players back that a deflection like that was always likely. Glad to see that we tried more of that in the second half. Greenwood looked great in the first half so I was surprised to see him hooked.

On a random note, I can't stand There Will Be Blood! I think I tried to watch it twice and I just didn't take to it. A bit odd for me to have such a strong negative reaction to films because I'd like to think that I will accept films for what they are, but I didn't enjoy it either time.

The ball went in. Don't care how it did, but it did! Finally. I thought Wolves were going to hang on. Such a terrible game, so to get three points after that is great. Can't describe just how bad the game was.

Where did that Arsenal performance come from?! Thought they played well. Could have and maybe should have scored more. Arteta looks like a good coach to me but just needs better players in the squad. Asking him to get top four with that squad is a big ask. United annoyed me earlier. Should have won the game, surrendered the lead twice and were wasteful with our chances. Rashford should have had a hattrick today. A point away at Leicester is a good point, but it does feel a bit disappointing and more like 2 points dropped after how we did.

That's brilliant. I think instead of posting pictures here, from now on we should just describe them in this way.

A little bit of a thread bump here... So, the UK has finally negotiated a deal to leave the EU. Thoughts? My thoughts are...we've spent four years actively working to get less than what we already had as members of the EU. I'm still waiting to see what the benefits are of this.

Happy Christmas from @Eenuh and meeeeeeee! Eenuh got me an Akai MPK mini MIDI keyboard. I spent most of yesterday tap-tap-tapping and learning a whole loooooad of new stuff. It's been fun! Such a great and beautiful thing!

Merry Christmas! Have a good day everyone and stay safe.

I kinda agree with the point that @Shorty was making off-forum when he said that the criticisms that are levelled at this game in a storytelling sense can only really be made in the first place because the game elevates itself to that level in the first place. Overall, I think there's so much to discuss with this game and the story isn't going to be one that pleases everyone. It's going to make people feel "something", which ultimately I think is fantastic. Art should do that, and imo this game is a masterpiece. I imagine that opinions will change on this and it will become more and more "accepted" as time passes.

Cheers, butt. This guy is flippin' tidy, en't it.

This is my first time playing the game. Always wanted to play it, but didn't have a PS3 and have been waiting ages for a way to play it on PS4. Finally got around to it! I'm about 17 hours into the game so far and here's where I am: This game is AWESOME. I'm hugely enjoying the battle system and the way that it works. It feels intuitive and has kept me engaged throughout fights. I was worried at the start that it may feel too overwhelming or just become a "hit X to win" sort of affair, but there's enough variety with the enemies you come across and moves/attacks that it feels interesting to fight. Loving the humour in the game, usually provided by Drippy. I got about 4 hours into the game and switched the audio from Japanese to English as it was too much to not hear Drippy's Welshness. It's such a bizarre creative decision to make him Welsh, but it's actually also a stroke of genius. I'm usually dying at every single one of this lines. TIDY, en't it! If I didn't have to sleep or exercise or eat, I would just be playing this game.

There's a definite place for the Smith machine, although I wouldn't rely on it too much for the long term. It's not amazing for your joints in some ways, as the up and down movements are very "fixed", which isn't a natural sort of movement for your shoulders. It's also not great for recruiting those stabilising muscles, which are helping when doing freeweights. So, use it, but I'd still try to throw in some barbell or dumbbell work too alongside it. The Smith machine is useful though with the way that you can use it without needing an additional person there, with the way that it racks the weight. Is there a cage of some type that you can use that has some spotter supports in it? That would be your most ideal outcome. If you're going to use the barbell, it might be worth looking at the rep ranges and just being clever about it that way. E.g. sets of 8 or 10, not heavy sets of 5 where you would be more likely to use a spotter, or not lifting to failure, in which case you definitely would need a spotter.

What a game! That was like watching a Premier League classics video on ITV2 or something. We could have scored 10+ if our finishing was better. Credit to Leeds for not giving up and for still attacking. They were 4-0 down at one point and were still pushing. If you hid the score line, you'd never have guessed they were losing by that margin. Scott McTominay was absolutely class today. Ran that midfield and his movement for the second goal was ace. My man of the match. At the same time, Bruno is unreal and my favourite post-Sir Alex signing. What a guy. Really enjoyed that game! It's like both sides decided they couldn't be arsed defending and would only focus on attacking. Very refreshing to watch. What a game!

I feel sorry for those people who have had their hopes raised over the last few weeks over the possibility/likelihood of being able to see their family over Christmas, and have then had their hopes dashed by today's news. At the time, there were so many voices saying that this was a huge mistake, as we would be paying for those 5 or so days with a likely January + lockdown. Yet, I can completely understand why people would want to see their families, especially if they haven't had many opportunities to do so due to the events of this year. I've known work colleagues and friends who have had to make very difficult decisions over which family members they see or don't see with the previous bubble systems/rules, trying to do this sensitively to not upset people, but to also do it sensibly and in a safe way. It's the continuous change which I think people are struggling with, as the information seems to come out in a very last minute slap-dash sort of way. Imo, nothing has been as tight as it was during the initial lockdown. Everything was tighter, the rules were simple and the messaging was clearer. There was also much stronger unity because it seemed like this was something that had to be achieved together, with no exceptions. When the government started opening things up again (and then closing), the messaging has been confusing. We also have the other issue of the UK being comprised of multiple countries, so several different sets of rules. It has just been too confusing for people at a time where it can't afford to be. When it comes to health and keeping people safe, I'm afraid that the messaging has to be absolutely crystal clear so that everyone understands. I think we're likely to get the worst of both worlds now. The run-up to Christmas hasn't been as tight as it could have been. We should have gone into lockdown for sooner and for longer, and schools had the potential to close a week earlier. It also looks likely that we'll continue with restrictions into the new year, as several European countries are doing this or have said that they'll be doing this.

Bought/obtained Cities Skylines today and have...probably spent the last 4 or so hours on it. Lovely to get back into it again. Such a great game. Whaaaaaat a massive time sucker, though.

Mega-bump...activated! I've just started playing the remastered version of this on the PS4. It's sooooooo good. Really having a great time with it. Beautiful as hell to look at, too. What a game.

You're a masochist, Ashmon. I did legs earlier today and it's taken all of my energy out of me. Walking up the stairs or getting up after sitting down takes an effort. Calves especially took a battering today.

The right team won that game. Spurs had some great chances to get the winner, but they just couldn't do it. Bergwijn had two! I don't really rate him at all and don't think it'll be too long before Jose upgrades on him.

Um...yes, you're right.

One more episode left this season for His Dark Materials. I've really enjoyed this. A great step up from season 1 and the pace of this has felt just about right. Nothing feels too rushed and it hasn't dragged. Overall, I'd say that it's been a great, faithful adaptation. Ruth Wilson in that last episode.

I've mentioned this to you already off here, but the shoes that I have are Adidas Powerlifts. Can't recommend them enough. Feel great to wear, good ankle support and the lifts help when it comes to squatting and deadlifting. I used to put weights under my shoes/feet before I got this pair, to give me some sort of elevation as it didn't feel comfortable at all for my ankles when aiming to go to depth when squatting. Shoes have made a huge difference. I've had a bit of a break from exercise for the last two weeks as work was just so busy. Lifted today for the first time since stopping, felt good. Slightly down on some of the lifts, but that was to be expected. Should be able to catch up quickly, I hope.

Sir Alex's comments about Houllier had me choking up earlier.