@Loki said in Bounties on American soldiers: @xenon said in Bounties on American soldiers: WH statement on this: The United States receives thousands of intelligence reports a day, and they are subject to strict scrutiny. While the White House does not routinely comment on alleged intelligence or internal deliberations, the CIA director, national security adviser, and the chief of staff can all confirm that neither the president nor the vice president were briefed on the alleged Russian bounty intelligence. This does not speak to the merit of the alleged intelligence but to the inaccuracy of The New York Times story erroneously suggesting that President Trump was briefed on this matter They’re saying that Trump wasn’t briefed, but don’t call the story directly into question. So you don’t think that the Russians are playing tit for tat that this is intentional escalation of tensions? Where does your curiosity end? I thought you were super interested in foreign policy? How many Russian soldiers died in Syria as a direct or indir3ct result of the Us and US money? In terms of my opinion on Syria. The US and Russia were both obv against ISIS - but aligned with different factions on the ground. Your point is that some of factions we backed were anti-Russian. If that’s what we’re talking about that feels different than directly targeting Russians. An imperfect analogy would be - any scale bombing campaign is going to invariably kill innocent people, but that’s different than targeting innocent people. All that said - the facts on this situation are still unclear.

Tis, thanks. I added the masa, a few small red and orange sweet peppers, a dozen cherry tomatoes halved and some umami granules. Delicious. Now I have it all packaged up in 6 serving containers for the freezer. I love to have that stuff handy when I don't feel like cooking. It would have been better if I had a container of the red roasted chiles, but I'd have to go 15 miles to Jungle Jim's to get it and I just haven't felt like it. Now I'm out of chiles so I'll have to. Bueno products are really, really good.

@Renauda said in Trump clarifies his platform: @Jolly A topic for a thread of its own. Historiography by David Glantz and more recently, David Stahel and Stephen Kotkin all maintain the USSR would have eventually defeated Germany on its own. No question however that Lend Lease equipment was crucial in enabling the Soviets to gain and maintain logistical and mobile superiority over the Germans. The USSR simply out produced and ultimately outsoldiered Germany by sheer force of numbers. Another thing that must be considered, especially in the early stages, is the quality of what was left of the Red Army officer corps and the tight control of the political officers.

@LuFins-Dad said in Who here was in the piano business?: @ILM Sales and Sales Management. I manage a showroom for the Yamaha/Bösendorfer dealer in Washington, DC. I also run our Institutional Sales (Colleges, Schools, Etc...) department. Lu-Fin, Very nice. Maybe post the website?

@Jolly said in Trump & Immigration: @xenon said in Trump & Immigration: I really don’t understand the border issue. I remember a talk between Ezra Klein and Andrew Sullivan. Klein is super lefty (vox guy) - but even he understood that the border needs to be controlled. If for nothing else but protecting safety net spending. There seems to be a basic compromise here somewhere - but as Mik says in another thread - there’s been no real movement here for decades now. Seems a dumb position for Democrats to hold out on. It was half of Trump’s appeal in the first election. The Dems hold out on it, because immigrants, legal or illegal, tend to vote Democrat. That’s a pretty cynical take and would require unspoken coordination across Dems. I think the simpler explanation is that they’re playing by the old playbook of winning Latinos (which is where the traditional Repubs thought they needed to pivot in 2016). Remember Jeb’s guacamole? I think the current reality is that they’re losing more regular middle class white votes than they’re gaining across Latinos by being pro-easy-immigration. I think many Latinos who are here and vote probably want border control too.

I'm not sure I know what your point is but its more than optics. The protests surely spread disease.

That is funny!!

@Horace said in Don’t try this at home: In several weeks I’ll be having a tendon from a different finger attached to my thumb. My brain will think I’m moving that finer and my thumb will move. Until it trains itself to think otherwise. Horace - hope all goes well, and you get back (most of) the movement you had before. A friend from Taiwan lost his thumb and they attached one of his big toes in place of it. It obviously looked a bit unusual but seemed to work pretty good for him.

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Gee..you mean UN folks like to get it on too? Who knew?

Both Democratic and Republican congresses have had decades to act on immigration. In the meantime administrations still have to implement the laws as they are written.

Nothing like a pandemic to bring out the best in everyone

I suppose if I lived in Oregon I would understand. Living with non -Oregon privilege I understand the need to shut up.

Pale orange garbage.

@xenon said in Politician blames college for losing daughter’s support for his election: @Doctor-Phibes said in Politician blames college for losing daughter’s support for his election: @xenon said in Politician blames college for losing daughter’s support for his election: I dunno man - children and parents don't have to see eye to eye politically (that feels noraml), but to call your dad out like that on social media seems like there's some more fundamental parenting issues at play. Your kids aren't teenagers yet, are they? My kids are going to be perfect and never disagree with me, ever (their current belligerence notwithstanding). You'll never convince me otherwise. You think them being four is really bad, don't you? I hate to break it to you, but this is the good bit.

Idiots

No, I would say our sense of partisanship has.

When the anarchy settles down, and new policies are in place, I'm going to go down and get a job with Ze New Sekret Police. Think about it. In mainland China, what would be a great job, where you are safe from everything? Or the former Soviet Union? Yup. Go to KGB school or comparable, join the ranks of those that make life miserable while protecting yourself from any negativity. Besides, women dig guys in uniforms. Women do not dig guys in old-fashioned police gear, the hammer and sickle are way cooler. Even guys in "Red for Ed" T-shirts are boss, as opposed to a deputy sheriff's costume. Has there ever been a country where Ze Police are outfitted in red? Mao liked red everywhere. hmmm. Ax, do you know?