PTINS

From an economic perspective, it is an absolute disaster for Russia. They had a bottomless cash cow, and they shot it in the head. With the caveat that you never get involved in a land war in Asia, nobody is going to invade Russia and annex their lands, meaning nobody is going to take their mineral resources. Russia's was the largest Oil & Gas Exporter in the World, with total exports of ~ $200,000,000,000/yr, roughly $130 Billion in oil and $70 Billion in gas. Europe was the perfect trading partner for Russia, with limited production and a common border, and imported ~ 70% of Russia's export $, or ~ $130 Billion worth of Russian O&G. Keep in mind that Russia's gross proceeds and net proceeds are different than US O&G companies, as they are not burdened with production and severance taxes, they don't pay royalties (except some bribes maybe?), pay for permits, wrestle with the EPA, OSHA and countless other governmental regulations, they don't pay for right-of-way and damages incurred during construction, and they are not fighting against 100's of organizations who sole purpose in life is to make sure they never drill another oil & gas well anywhere at any time. They won't get expertise from Exxon, Shell & Conoco anymore, so replacing US technology with "Made in China" will affect on-line performance. Where domestic O&G companies has profit margins in the 5-10% range, Russia's are maybe 80%. That will never be replaced. Over time, the production will find its way into the market, but at a much different price point. I expect war reparations Russia pays to Ukraine will take the majority of that revenue for a some period of time, and after that, Russia will be a secondary supplier to Europe and left to deal with China & India. How will Russia replace that revenue, Vodka and mail-order-brides?

Question for Surly: I have taken the liberty of plotting various Ukraine targets within the past few weeks. I have omitted the targets within occupied Ukraine for clarity. Take all this with a decent size block of salt. The targets to the SE proximate to the Black Sea are small refineries and storage terminals, which are self explanatory. Belgorod area is Ukraine, "Slava Ukraini", as well as Russia v. Russia. The targets in Russia east of Belarus are interesting; haven't seen a lot of detail on what exactly was targeted/hit, but just the geography indicates an effort to compromise infrastructure (airbases, rail, power, etc?) between Belarus & Moscow, ~ 180 miles away from Ukraine proper (blue line), well away from the Uk-Ru front lines. Ukraine, overt or covert? Russia v. Russia? Isolate Belarus? Pull Russia troops away from Ukraine? The Iraqi mind fuck? Thoughts?

Logistics vessels USNS Fisher and USNS Bob Hope on the move from Puget Sound. Class and type: Bob Hope-class roll on roll off vehicle cargo ship Displacement: 62,096 tons full Length 951 ft 5 in (290.0 m) Beam 106 ft (32.3 m) Capacity: 300,000 sq ft (28,000 m2) ~ 3 large Walmarts USNS Fisher Conducts Onload USNS Fisher Conducts Onload By Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Tacoma, Wash. – The USNS Fisher (T-AKR 301) conducted an onload at the Port of Tacoma May 17th to the 24th. The onload was an integrated effort between US Army Reservists and ... The joined forces onloaded various pieces of equipment including Strykers, Load Handling Systems (LHS), and Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV). “What we’re doing here is not uncommon, we do about a dozen or more of these missions every year,” ... “What makes this evolution unique is the size of it.” In this particular evolution the ship is moving more than triple the pieces that is normal for this type of evolution. “We are moving the most amount of pieces in one port in a very long time,” “You have the Army, the Navy, and what I call the 5th arm of defense, the Merchant Marines working hand in hand together to fulfill the mission, which is logistics,” ... “I think it’s impressive. Without Logistics our armed forces could not be successful.” Most of the pieces of equipment will go to Australia to support Exercise Talisman Sabre.

I didn't realize Solovyov was so short til I saw the picture of him and his basketball playing wife. Seeing that little sawed off mofo standing in the middle of normal sized people really puts his rant in perspective. Exhibit 231459 of "small man syndrome." Queue the Putin holding a Solovyov marionette gif.

22

In the 1983 NCAA Basketball Final, calling 3 fouls on Clyde Drexler in the first 90 seconds pretty much ended the game for Houston. I always thought the game was fixed before it started. Still pissed me off. Watched the Houston-Louisville semifinal in a packed ski lodge at Taos Ski Valley. Electric atmosphere. Good times.

Being the son of a mother married to an NCO (deceased) and the brother of a sister married to USAFA Pilot (retired), I've reflected on the collateral damage that a military career has on all the family members. It is much better for the pilot at the expense of the family. I started reading a book many years ago about the Gulf War Air campaign, and got so disgusted, I put in down, unfinished. The mindset that the pilot's career is paramount, above anything else, was not surprising. Right or wrong, I have come to believe that the US military pilot is the most egotistical person you will ever meet. They are the best at everything. Period. Everything else exists to support them. You want and need that mindset when they "doing some of that pilot shit" with a bogey on their tail. It's just too bad they can't turn it off when they are around normal people. Nothing should change. But caution your daughters not to marry a pilot.

The United States agreeing to "security assurances" for Ukraine in exchange for them giving up their Nuclear Weapons, and then sitting on our hands with a thumb up our ass is about the most shameful series of decisions in our countries history. It should never have come to this. The US has blood on our hands for every man, women and child brutalized by the Russians in Ukraine. Every President since Clinton knew of our moral obligation to support Ukraine and we fucking failed at every opportunity to step up and honor our agreement, until after Russia invaded Ukraine last February. Bill Clinton: My Nuke Deal To Blame for Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Presidents Clinton (U.S.), Yeltsin (Russia) and Kravchuk (Ukraine) joining hands after signing the nuclear disarmament agreement at Kremlin. The Trilateral Statement, as it was known, was signed in the January of 1994. The Trilateral Statement, as it was known, was signed by Clinton, then-Russian leader Boris Yeltsin and Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk in January 1994. Russia, the U.S., and the United Kingdom then offered Ukraine a series of security assurances in exchange for eliminating nuclear weapons in the Budapest Memorandum later that year. "I knew that President Putin did not support the agreement President Yeltsin made never to interfere with Ukraine's territorial boundaries—an agreement he made because he wanted Ukraine to give up their nuclear weapons," Clinton said. Kyiv was "afraid to give them up," he said, because of a belief that a nuclear stockpile was the "only thing" to offer protection from "an expansionist Russia." "When it became convenient to him, President Putin broke it and first took Crimea," Clinton said. "And I feel terrible about it because Ukraine is a very important country." The United States agreeing to "security assurances" for Ukraine in exchange for them giving up their Nuclear Weapons, and then sitting on our hands with a thumb up our ass is about the most shameful series of decisions in our countries history. It should never have come to this. The US has blood on our hands for every man, women and child brutalized by the Russians in Ukraine. Every President since Clinton knew of our moral obligation to support Ukraine and we fucking failed at every opportunity to step up and honor our agreement, until after Russia invaded Ukraine last February. Bill Clinton: My Nuke Deal To Blame for Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Presidents Clinton (U.S.), Yeltsin (Russia) and Kravchuk (Ukraine) joining hands after signing the nuclear disarmament agreement at Kremlin. The Trilateral Statement, as it was known, was signed in the January of 1994. The Trilateral Statement, as it was known, was signed by Clinton, then-Russian leader Boris Yeltsin and Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk in January 1994. Russia, the U.S., and the United Kingdom then offered Ukraine a series of security assurances in exchange for eliminating nuclear weapons in the Budapest Memorandum later that year. "I knew that President Putin did not support the agreement President Yeltsin made never to interfere with Ukraine's territorial boundaries—an agreement he made because he wanted Ukraine to give up their nuclear weapons," Clinton said. Kyiv was "afraid to give them up," he said, because of a belief that a nuclear stockpile was the "only thing" to offer protection from "an expansionist Russia." "When it became convenient to him, President Putin broke it and first took Crimea," Clinton said. "And I feel terrible about it because Ukraine is a very important country."

Apologies for the crap at the end. Too slow on the edit.

Thanks for asking! TLDR. I've read all 1200+ pages of this thread, so I'm going off on a tangent... I'm an Air Force Brat, born at Bergstrom. My dad was from Pflugerville and was a jet engine mechanic in the Air Force (Shepard, Chanute, Bergstrom x 3, Clark, Holloman, Eglin, Taiwan, Andrews). I got to see really cool stuff growing up; everything that flew, B-52's rolling off the runway one after the other, sonic booms, 20 mm Vulcan cannon obliterate an old ambulance, C-130 touch-n-go dropping off a cargo, napalm bombing and strafing runs at night, Thunder Birds/Blue Angels every year. At Eglin, the Navy would coat target docks w/ napalm, and tow them to the Gulf for target practice; we used to fish off the target docks, sometime w/ the dried napalm on 'em; good thing we weren't a bunch of fire bugs. Pretty sure he worked on AF-1; he was able to get a "jump" on the weekly shuttle between Andrews & Bergstrom, meet us for lunch, back & forth the same day. I went to school w/ the kids whose dad flew Air Force 1 for LBJ. Clark Air Base, Philippines - American Day, ~ 1959-60; Notice the ladies in dresses and heels. Armed Forces Days during the 60's was quite the show case of military might. I'm the kid in shorts on the right. Philipine Air Force, F-86 Sabre Republic of Korea Air Force, F-86 Sabre F-84 Thunderjet, not sure what country USAF F-100 Super Sabre USAF - F-101 Voodoo USAF F-102 Delta Dagger USAF B-47 Stratojet USAF - TM-76 Mace B USAF Thunderbirds - F-100 Super Sabre (my favorite). Notice the locals. USAF Thunderbirds, F-100, high speed chriscrossing on the deck. Kudo's to pop, snapping the pic as they crossed. House #2 at Clark AB. These were Army barracks during WWII/Korea; we had the whole house. Our front yard at Eglin AFB ('62-'66) looking at Choctawhatchee Bay 7 miles across the bay from Destin. Dad was interviewed for the Popular Mechanics article, "Career School for Jet Mechanics" in Feb '52. Dad highlighted.

"Secretary of State Sidney Owens: We've come up with another alternative. Becker: We'll counterforce. A conventional attack on the Russian air base where the carrier attack originated. Secretary of State Sidney Owens: It's what we're looking for. A measured respones. Admiral Pollack: Non-nuclear. President Robert Fowler: Is it strong enough? Admiral Pollack: Smart bombs and F-16s. Pretty God damn strong." Perhaps you answered your own question, to "reach out and touch" something.

This is from ~ 1960, Clark AFB in the Philippines. Me in the red hat. That Hawk looks good to go; good thing they made 'em before they started using expiration dates. 🙂

The view corridors are the only fucking thing the City of Austin has done right in the last 50 years. Why don’t they bulldoze Barton Springs & Zilker Park while they’re at it? It is my birthright to be able to see The Capitol of The State of Texas from various parts of “town” without having to stand next to it.

“Do we take prisoners? No. Kill all they send… and they will stop coming.”

F-86 Sabre, Republic of Korea Air Force, Clark AFB, PI, ~ 1959-60. F-100 Super Sabre, USAF, Clark AFB, PI, ~ 1959-60. Some curious natives... F-102 Delta Dagger, USAF, Clark AFB, PI, ~ 1959-60. C-121 Constellation, USAF, Clark AFB, PI, ~ 1959-60. Travis AFB - Clark AFB

6'-2", 238 lbs, 19" Neck. ...in 1965! That's a badass Mofo! Obscurity? No, Bijan will be the poster child of the NFL. His presence will be recognized every time he throws the heater touches the ball.

I haven't read a Texan's article since they let Hopkins go. Unbelievable the black hole of a franchise they have become. DeMeco Ryans was a class act when he came to the Texans, and only added to his legacy, both on and off the field. Hiring him and getting his guys is the smartest move the Texans made since they bought the franchise and enticed Houston to build them a fancy toybox. Never heard of Hannah McNair til I read the thread this morning... "Life long Houston Fan... hope... important pieces...zero star power, Hannah taking charge...frat boy contingent ... " -->> Hannah brings a couple of nice attributes to the front and she has peaked my interest in the Texans. Not a bad Hook 'em! for a UH gal. Undefeated, right? P***y, not the Texans.

Damn it! You had a chance to use an iconic image, and you blew it! The levitating hat is an instant classic.

How about 49-0?