Discussion The Random Discussion Thread

[phantom13]

My friend may not have met them all. Was just a subjective opinion.
The point remains that you can't take a statistical approach that something is wrong because the percentage doesn't match the overall cross section of the population.

Also... why do they make it almost obligatory that someone who is gay has to "out" themselves. Seriously its none of anyone's business who they are attracted to.
I thought it was disgraceful the way Ian Thorpe was pressured at the time.
Let people out themselves if they want to.

Yeh we did this discussion in depth a few pages back. I agree with the sentiment but IMO that wasnt the purpose of the report.

 

[StFly]

View attachment 1782186

Nah, just tired of putting tape on a band and getting super glue everywhere except where it bloody well needs to go.

Also, looked up firmware updates everything was telling me shits old so I got sad. Since literally exchange and node is across my driveway, I really should be getting better speeds than what I am, just gee, expensive much. Can always claim it with tax next year I suppose...

 

[Sun Ra]

Nah, just tired of putting tape on a band and getting super glue everywhere except where it bloody well needs to go.

Also, looked up firmware updates everything was telling me shits old so I got sad. Since literally exchange and node is across my driveway, I really should be getting better speeds than what I am, just gee, expensive much. Can always claim it with tax next year I suppose...

Just find it hard to believe you are paying north of $1K for a modem and a headset.

 

[StFly]

Just find it hard to believe you are paying north of $1K for a modem and a headset.

ROG 6ghz one as this house has dead spots so lets go worlds first 6G modem router which retails at $1,089 RRP.

If that don't work, purge with fire and return. Also because current modem has lan ports that are non functional and WPS turned itself off, so I assume it's got issues and needed an upgrade. Just went excessive.

 

[George]

Christ, I'm only 10 minutes in but you guys have to check out Swamp Kings on Netflix.

You think RTB is a hardass...

 

[phantom13]

Christ, I'm only 10 minutes in but you guys have to check out Swamp Kings on Netflix.

You think RTB is a hardass...

That’s my wfh Wednesday sorted. Didn’t realise it was out.

****ing Tim Tebow what a weirdo

 

[jwikked]

ROG 6ghz one as this house has dead spots so lets go worlds first 6G modem router which retails at $1,089 RRP.

If that don't work, purge with fire and return. Also because current modem has lan ports that are non functional and WPS turned itself off, so I assume it's got issues and needed an upgrade. Just went excessive.

I suppose it’s irrelevant given you’ve now upgraded, but couldn’t you have gone with one of those mesh systems? The ones with small base stations around the house?

I upgraded my modem a few months ago, my modem from Optus didn’t do 5ghz so my wireless speed was half what my internet speed is. Pretty happy with the upgrade, it looks nicer too. Kinda looks like a vase.

 

[phantom13]

I suppose it’s irrelevant given you’ve now upgraded, but couldn’t you have gone with one of those mesh systems? The ones with small base stations around the house?

I upgraded my modem a few months ago, I my modem from Optus didn’t do 5ghz so my wireless speed was half what my internet speed is. Pretty happy with the upgrade, it looks nicer too. Kinda looks like a vase.
View attachment 1782588

Is this easy to install? I am not a tecchy but our wi Fi range doesn’t cover the whole house.

 

[jwikked]

Is this easy to install? I am not a tecchy but our wi Fi range doesn’t cover the whole house.

Very. I made sure to use the same SSID and password (the name of the WiFi signal and password to access) as my old modem, and everything connected to it flawlessly. That isn’t something you need to do, but I have over 20 WiFi devices and I didn’t want to manually swap them all over.

I don’t have any of the remote range extenders, so can’t speak to setting those up

 

[George]

That’s my wfh Wednesday sorted. Didn’t realise it was out.

******* Tim Tebow what a weirdo

Yeah just came out about an hour or two ago. I've just finished episode one - unreal.

 

[Sun Ra]

The Age today .....

OPINION​

The AFL can lift the burden of its gay players, but is choosing not to​

Jason Ball​

LGBTQI advocate
August 22, 2023 — 3.30pm

If you want to change a culture, you first need to acknowledge you have a problem.

It’s a sad reflection on how little has changed in the 11 years since I came out and launched a campaign calling on the AFL to tackle homophobia, that we are yet to see a single elite male gay player come out, and our national code can dismiss this as not their problem.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan says he knows of gay players in the AFL.CREDIT: LUIS ENRIQUE ASCUI

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said in April he knows of gay male players who are out to their teammates but are choosing not to disclose their sexuality publicly because of the “burden” they would face being the first.

This speaks to a fundamental lack of understanding at the highest level of the game about the mental health burden that comes with being in the closet. It also implies that the reason we’ve seen no gay players is due to the public curiosity and media interest a coming out story would garner, conveniently shifting the focus away from the AFL’s responsibility to create a safe work environment for all its athletes.

While McLachlan may be right that some gay players are known and accepted by their teammates, it’s unlikely they are living with the same ease and authenticity as their straight counterparts. The fact we haven’t seen a gay player bring their partner to the Brownlow is an indication of the limitations unfairly placed on these young men.

The mental strain of hiding my relationships from teammates, and second guessing every word I uttered for fear of sounding “gay”, not only impacted my football performance, it pushed me to a point where I contemplated whether not existing would be an easier option.

When you’re closeted, it’s hard to imagine what life could look like to live openly, and you start to accept that perhaps half a life is the best you can expect. But having lived on both sides of that closet door, I can confidently say my only regret is not coming out sooner. Life in full colour is so much richer than one lived cowering in the shadows.

Watching last night’s Four Corners, which explored why the AFL is the only major sporting code in the world to not have an elite male player publicly identify as gay, it was both powerful and uplifting when amateur footballer Michael O’Donnell spoke about how he left the game at a young age due to homophobia, only to return as an adult, welcomed by a suburban club as an out gay man.

A key reason for the lack of progress was summed up by former premiership player Jason Akermanis, who said in last night’s program, “I don’t care one way or the other [if you’re gay] as long as you don’t throw it in my face.”
It echoed his comments more than a decade ago in response to my own coming out story, when he tweeted, “Who cares?”
It’s a common sentiment among a minority of the AFL’s supporter base, who they’re nervous about offending, but also reflects the privilege that comes with never having to choose between being yourself and playing the game you love.

“Who cares” is often positioned as a show of acceptance, but it misunderstands the significance of coming out, not only for the individual but for the success and cohesion of a team.

RELATED ARTICLE​

Sex & relationships​

This is the gayest World Cup ever (and no one’s batting an eyelid)​

After he became the first openly gay Australian basketballer, Isaac Humphries succinctly articulated why we should care.
“Who cares? The little kid down the street who really loves basketball, and feels confused and conflicted and not welcome because of who he is – that’s who cares.
“Or someone who is battling every day with thoughts about suicide, and sees my video and has a tiny bit of hope.”

The AFL have now acknowledged they are not world leaders in tackling homophobia. But no one is asking them to be. What I, and many others have been asking for, for over a decade now, is to recognise this is a problem that they can and should meaningfully address.
They already have a template, largely led by the grassroots, first with my own club Yarra Glen’s historic Pride Cup, which birthed a national organisation now involving more than 500 community sporting clubs, and inspired AFL teams St Kilda and Sydney to launch their annual Pride Game.

Bulldogs and St Kilda captains Ellie Blackburn and Hannah Priest mark AFLW’s Pride round.CREDIT: GETTY

It’s long overdue that this was expanded to a “Pride Round” across the entire AFL competition, with research showing that clubs participating in these games report significantly less homophobic language than those who do not.
Among the many milestones of this year’s Women’s World Cup was the record number of openly LGBTIQ soccer players. Their sexuality was a visible footnote without being the headline. It showed that the Australian sporting public is ready and mature enough for openly gay elite footballers.

AFLW, to its credit, has been leading the way on this for years, blazing a trail that hopefully the men can follow.

What we need from the AFL is a genuine display of allyship backed up with action. Follow the example of Bob Murphy and Brock McLean

Brock Mclean

Age

38

Ht

184cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.7

5star

K

10.9

4star

HB

8.9

5star

M

4.1

4star

T

3.9

5star

CL

4.1

5star

No current season stats available

D

10.8

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.8

3star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

– former players who stand ready to support an openly gay player – rather than make excuses for why nobody feels comfortable to come out.

Instead of pandering to a small-minded, vocal minority, invest in research and education to eradicate the homophobia that permeates football culture from the grassroots to the highest level of the game.

This is the scaffolding that would provide a safe environment, free from the self-loathing, shame and stigma that has kept so many gay athletes from living freely and reaching their full potential. That is the biggest burden of all and the AFL has the power to lift it.

Jason Ball is the co-founder and director of Pride Cup Australia, and works for GiveOut, a UK-based LGBTIQ community foundation.
The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up here.

Jason Ball is co-founder and director of Pride Cup Australia. He works for GiveOut, a UK-based LGBTIQ community foundation.

 

[George]

Yawkey way you might also like Swamp Kings mate.

 

[Dard Ball Get]

 

[StFly]

I suppose it’s irrelevant given you’ve now upgraded, but couldn’t you have gone with one of those mesh systems? The ones with small base stations around the house?

I upgraded my modem a few months ago, my modem from Optus didn’t do 5ghz so my wireless speed was half what my internet speed is. Pretty happy with the upgrade, it looks nicer too. Kinda looks like a vase.
View attachment 1782588

Could have sure, was actually on my short list, but decided the rog rapture gt-axe16000 was going to set me for a while, has mesh support even if Asus Airmesh nonsense. Also delaying a build due to things for next year so the white would ruin my feng shit and I'm all about that "gimmie 47 antennas in the off chance one breaks" thing they have going on.

My current one does 5G so surprised your old one didn't.

 

[Yawkey way]

Yawkey way you might also like Swamp Kings mate.

I’ve watched the first two episodes and it’s brilliant. Interesting time now, baseball is reaching a critical stage of the season, nfl practice games are on, list cut coming up. We’ve made the finals and I have just over three weeks until my youngest daughters wedding, hardly had a minute to spare last weekend and it’s only getting busier. I won’t be posting much for the next month or so but I’ll be reading.

 

[George]

I’ve watched the first two episodes and it’s brilliant. Interesting time now, baseball is reaching a critical stage of the season, nfl practice games are on, list cut coming up. We’ve made the finals and I have just over three weeks until my youngest daughters wedding, hardly had a minute to spare last weekend and it’s only getting busier. I won’t be posting much for the next month or so but I’ll be reading.

Congrats mate, yep it's been a great year for sport

Excellent seeing Meyer's approach to leadership and getting the most out of his players

 

[Dard Ball Get]

 

[Sully111]

The Age today .....

OPINION​

The AFL can lift the burden of its gay players, but is choosing not to​

Jason Ball​

LGBTQI advocate
August 22, 2023 — 3.30pm

If you want to change a culture, you first need to acknowledge you have a problem.

It’s a sad reflection on how little has changed in the 11 years since I came out and launched a campaign calling on the AFL to tackle homophobia, that we are yet to see a single elite male gay player come out, and our national code can dismiss this as not their problem.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan says he knows of gay players in the AFL.CREDIT: LUIS ENRIQUE ASCUI

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said in April he knows of gay male players who are out to their teammates but are choosing not to disclose their sexuality publicly because of the “burden” they would face being the first.

This speaks to a fundamental lack of understanding at the highest level of the game about the mental health burden that comes with being in the closet. It also implies that the reason we’ve seen no gay players is due to the public curiosity and media interest a coming out story would garner, conveniently shifting the focus away from the AFL’s responsibility to create a safe work environment for all its athletes.

While McLachlan may be right that some gay players are known and accepted by their teammates, it’s unlikely they are living with the same ease and authenticity as their straight counterparts. The fact we haven’t seen a gay player bring their partner to the Brownlow is an indication of the limitations unfairly placed on these young men.

The mental strain of hiding my relationships from teammates, and second guessing every word I uttered for fear of sounding “gay”, not only impacted my football performance, it pushed me to a point where I contemplated whether not existing would be an easier option.

When you’re closeted, it’s hard to imagine what life could look like to live openly, and you start to accept that perhaps half a life is the best you can expect. But having lived on both sides of that closet door, I can confidently say my only regret is not coming out sooner. Life in full colour is so much richer than one lived cowering in the shadows.

Watching last night’s Four Corners, which explored why the AFL is the only major sporting code in the world to not have an elite male player publicly identify as gay, it was both powerful and uplifting when amateur footballer Michael O’Donnell spoke about how he left the game at a young age due to homophobia, only to return as an adult, welcomed by a suburban club as an out gay man.

A key reason for the lack of progress was summed up by former premiership player Jason Akermanis, who said in last night’s program, “I don’t care one way or the other [if you’re gay] as long as you don’t throw it in my face.”
It echoed his comments more than a decade ago in response to my own coming out story, when he tweeted, “Who cares?”
It’s a common sentiment among a minority of the AFL’s supporter base, who they’re nervous about offending, but also reflects the privilege that comes with never having to choose between being yourself and playing the game you love.

“Who cares” is often positioned as a show of acceptance, but it misunderstands the significance of coming out, not only for the individual but for the success and cohesion of a team.

RELATED ARTICLE​

Sex & relationships​

This is the gayest World Cup ever (and no one’s batting an eyelid)​

After he became the first openly gay Australian basketballer, Isaac Humphries succinctly articulated why we should care.
“Who cares? The little kid down the street who really loves basketball, and feels confused and conflicted and not welcome because of who he is – that’s who cares.
“Or someone who is battling every day with thoughts about suicide, and sees my video and has a tiny bit of hope.”

The AFL have now acknowledged they are not world leaders in tackling homophobia. But no one is asking them to be. What I, and many others have been asking for, for over a decade now, is to recognise this is a problem that they can and should meaningfully address.
They already have a template, largely led by the grassroots, first with my own club Yarra Glen’s historic Pride Cup, which birthed a national organisation now involving more than 500 community sporting clubs, and inspired AFL teams St Kilda and Sydney to launch their annual Pride Game.

Bulldogs and St Kilda captains Ellie Blackburn and Hannah Priest mark AFLW’s Pride round.CREDIT: GETTY

It’s long overdue that this was expanded to a “Pride Round” across the entire AFL competition, with research showing that clubs participating in these games report significantly less homophobic language than those who do not.
Among the many milestones of this year’s Women’s World Cup was the record number of openly LGBTIQ soccer players. Their sexuality was a visible footnote without being the headline. It showed that the Australian sporting public is ready and mature enough for openly gay elite footballers.

AFLW, to its credit, has been leading the way on this for years, blazing a trail that hopefully the men can follow.

What we need from the AFL is a genuine display of allyship backed up with action. Follow the example of Bob Murphy and Brock McLean – former players who stand ready to support an openly gay player – rather than make excuses for why nobody feels comfortable to come out.

Instead of pandering to a small-minded, vocal minority, invest in research and education to eradicate the homophobia that permeates football culture from the grassroots to the highest level of the game.

This is the scaffolding that would provide a safe environment, free from the self-loathing, shame and stigma that has kept so many gay athletes from living freely and reaching their full potential. That is the biggest burden of all and the AFL has the power to lift it.

Jason Ball is the co-founder and director of Pride Cup Australia, and works for GiveOut, a UK-based LGBTIQ community foundation.
The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up here.

Jason Ball is co-founder and director of Pride Cup Australia. He works for GiveOut, a UK-based LGBTIQ community foundation.

I'm still not quite sure what anyone wants to AFL to actually do

 

[Dard Ball Get]

I'm still not quite sure what anyone wants to AFL to actually do

A lot of talking with zero solutions offered.

 

[Sully111]

A lot of talking with zero solutions offered.

Yep

The AFL isn't responsible for society

Do people want them to pressure a gay player to come out?

A gay player will come out at some point. Hopefully because it's what they want to do. When that happens, they'll be mostly embraced. That's what will happen. There'll be some ignorant noise, but there always is.

Regardless, I'd like to hear what specific actions people are wanting the AFL to take.

 

[Sully111]

FMD

He's beyond embarrassing at this point

 

[Dard Ball Get]

FMD

He's beyond embarrassing at this point

Hey, I know your child was burnt to ashes but let me tell you a fake story about how I almost lost my ‘67 Corvette lol

 

[Sully111]

Hey, I know your child was burnt to ashes but let me tell you a fake story about how I almost lost my ‘67 Corvette lol

And the cat

Don't forget the cat

I don't know how anyone, left or right, can be ok with him being in the position he's in. It's straight up insane.

 

[Sun Ra]

Yep

The AFL isn't responsible for society

Do people want them to pressure a gay player to come out?

A gay player will come out at some point. Hopefully because it's what they want to do. When that happens, they'll be mostly embraced. That's what will happen. There'll be some ignorant noise, but there always is.

Regardless, I'd like to hear what specific actions people are wanting the AFL to take.

Offer the first one a spot on the AFL Commission.

 

[Sun Ra]

And the cat

Don't forget the cat

I don't know how anyone, left or right, can be ok with him being in the position he's in. It's straight up insane.

Safer pair of hands than Trump imo. Even if he is senile.