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bolverk

Certifiably Surly
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Everything posted by bolverk

  1. The last known digital communication from a guy I grew up with was about a week before he caught it. It was similar. That last message, regarding the vaccine and masks was, "I ain't skerr'd," (or a similar intentional misspelling in a PM) shared with with me by another guy I grew up with. Within a month of that statement, he was dead, and this was a year after the vaccine had been out. The dead guy was not obese and only about 50yo at the time
  2. Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen "State Police" on anything official from Texas. Did you check the plates?
  3. I know Snyder well, having grown up in Big Spring.
  4. Dude's had a lot of work done. The actor's in his mid-50s playing a character who should be chronologically roughly about 30 years old for the show's setting, if he was supposed to have fought in 'Nam with his brother.
  5. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/us/politics/gaza-francesca-albanese-sanctions.html Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that the United States would impose sanctions on Francesca Albanese, a United Nations expert on the occupied Palestinian territories, for β€œefforts to prompt” the International Criminal Court to investigate U.S. companies and Israeli officials. The decision to impose sanctions on a U.N.-affiliated lawyer was highly unusual. An Italian legal scholar and outspoken critic of Israel, Ms. Albanese serves as the United Nations’ special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories. She is not a U.N. official, but was appointed as an unpaid independent expert to monitor human rights issues. Mr. Rubio linked the sanctions decision to a broader American effort to retaliate against the International Criminal Court, which issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister and Yoav Gallant, the former defense minister, last year, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, the court issued a warrant for the arrest of Hamas’s military chief, Muhammad Deif, accusing him of crimes against humanity, including murder, hostage taking and sexual violence. Israel says it killed him in an airstrike, and Hamas has confirmed his death. Ms. Albanese does not work for the International Criminal Court, but she has encouraged it to prosecute Israeli leaders and international companies over the war against Hamas in Gaza. Her often fiery posts on social media have drawn criticism from Israel and its allies, who have accused her of antisemitism. β€œWe will not tolerate these campaigns of political and economic warfare, which threaten our national interests and sovereignty,” Mr. Rubio said. In a phone interview with The New York Times, Ms. Albanese said that she and her supporters were β€œtired of these mafia techniques of intimidation” from the United States. β€œI will deal with the consequences β€” it doesn’t matter,” she said, describing herself as standing β€œfor justice.” She brushed off accusations of antisemitism as an effort to deflect attention from atrocities being committed in Gaza and the West Bank. The U.N. human rights chief, Volker TΓΌrk, in a statement on Thursday called for a swift reversal of the sanctions decision. β€œEven in face of fierce disagreement, U.N. member states should engage substantively and constructively, rather than resort to punitive measures,” he said, calling for β€œattacks and threats” to stop. Palestinians and their allies often view Ms. Albanese as an unflinching advocate for Palestinian rights at one of the darkest moments in their history. The war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 57,000 people, including thousands of children, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel and American Jewish groups have denounced Ms. Albanese for accusing Israel of committing genocide, an accusation they strongly reject. They argue that she rarely condemns violence against Israeli civilians or criticizes Palestinian armed groups like Hamas, whose Oct. 7, 2023 attacks killed about 1,200 people in Israel and ignited the nearly two-year-long war. At the time of that attack, Ms. Albanese said that she unequivocally condemned attacks on civilians, but that the violence had to be taken into account in the context of β€œsix decades of hostile military rule.” The United States has cracked down on pro-Palestinian activism since President Trump returned to office in January, but Ms. Albanese’s advocacy also drew criticism from the Biden administration. On social media, Ms. Albanese has appeared to liken Israel’s actions in Gaza to the Holocaust, as well as agreeing with an image that appeared to compare Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, to Hitler. After Israeli forces killed Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, she conceded that he had been a military target but called his killing β€œinhumane.” Before assuming her role, she also suggested in an open letter posted on a personal Facebook account in 2014 that β€œthe Jewish lobby” controlled the United States’ stance on Israel. Ms. Albanese later told The Times of Israel that her choice of words was β€œinfelicitous, analytically inaccurate and unintendedly offensive.” Ms. Albanese’s defenders called the U.S. sanctions an effort to muzzle legitimate criticism of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. β€œIt’s an effort to censor an important global voice for the purpose of defending Israel’s atrocities in Gaza,” Kenneth Roth, a former head of Human Rights Watch who is now a visiting professor at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, said in a phone interview. β€œIt’s nothing more or less than that” Of Ms. Albanese Mr. Roth said: β€œShe has been a very courageous, outspoken voice. I find her to be legally sophisticated, factually accurate and unsparing in her criticism but fair.” In February, Mr. Trump signed an executive order that could bar people associated with the International Criminal Court from entering the United States and from purchasing property and assets in the country. The Trump administration also acted last month against four judges on the court for issuing the arrest warrants for Mr. Netanyahu. The United States similarly imposed sanctions on the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, in February for requesting the warrants. Last week, in a speech to the U.N. Human Rights Council, Ms. Albanese said that Israel was β€œresponsible for one of the cruelest genocides in modern history.” Ms. Albanese also wrote a report in late June to the U.N. Human Rights Council detailing the profit derived by corporations β€” including arms manufacturers, banks and large asset managers like BlackRock and Vanguard β€” from the large increase in Israel’s military budget since the start of its campaign in Gaza in October 2023. In that report, Ms. Albanese called on U.N. member states to impose sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel. She also called on countries to suspend trade and investment relations with Israel, and to hold companies involved in violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territories accountable.
  6. More on the Iranian nukes. Free link to NYTimes article: https://archive.is/NCtSK TLDR: Israelis say material is still there but buried, along with all the centrifuges. US agrees says everything's buried. Israel and US say they'll know if digging up material begins. IAEA says some stuff was moved. IAEA has been kicked out of Iran since the bombing, so they're now blind. If Iran starts back up its program, it'll likely be a more secretive and highly dispersed operation.
  7. More news on France & the UK stepping up. Defense Minister: Britain Ready to Send Troops to Ukraine Britain is ready to send troops to Ukraine to strengthen a potential ceasefire with Russia as part of the β€œcoalition of the willing” plans. Defense Minister John Gillingham announced this, according to Express.co.uk. France and Britain are expected to provide the bulk of the military contingent, although the plan will also require support from the US. The defense minister also noted that a force of 50,000 troops would be created to defend Europe as Britain and France step up military cooperation. Hille added that today’s Franco-British summit will also discuss issues of deterrence β€œagainst extreme threats” in Europe. In early April, a meeting of the β€œcoalition of the willing” took place in Kyiv, an alliance of countries that promised to help Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the creation of the coalition on March 2, 2025. Following the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi stated that French and British troops would be among the first to arrive in Ukraine. According to the head of state, these countries are key representatives of the European continent. Later it was reported that Britain does not plan to send its troops to Ukraine without security guarantees from the US. Back in January, it was reported that European officials were trying to get the new administration of US President Donald Trump to participate in providing security guarantees for Ukraine.
  8. https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-detains-2-chinese-nationals-suspected-of-spying-on-neptun-missile-technology-sbu-says-06-2025/
  9. There have been a couple of helpful posts about security in the DT thread--still not much detail. I'm screenshotting because it just makes it easier to read here, but I'm also posting links to them if you want to go over there and read them in full. https://www.surlyhorns.com/board/topic/44774-july-4th-hill-country-flooding-tragedy/page/15/#comment-7195407 https://www.surlyhorns.com/board/topic/44774-july-4th-hill-country-flooding-tragedy/page/14/#comment-7195341
  10. Article about the MAGA daughter of Gen. Kellogg (Trump's special envoy to Ukraine) discussing her role in trying to get through to the White House (she's runs an aid foundation in Ukraine) that they need to support Ukraine more. No paywall: https://www.thetimes.com/us/american-politics/article/meaghan-mobbs-general-kellogg-trump-ukraine-war-h833tkkh2
  11. Had one in my hometown, too, until the early 80s.
  12. How El Salvador Is Reaping Rewards From Trump’s Deportation Agenda In exchange for jailing more than 200 deportees, El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, has become a favorite of the Trump administration. For the U.S. government, sending deportees accused of being gang members to a prison in El Salvador fits with President Trump’s promise to aggressively deport undocumented migrants and to crack down on crime. For El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, the rewards appear to have included, among other things, a White House visit and stamp of approval, despite widespread concerns over Mr. Bukele’s crackdown on civil liberties. While the exact terms of the agreement have not been made public, leaders around the world may be watching, experts and immigration lawyers say, especially as the Trump administration searches for countries willing to take expelled migrants of other nationalities. β€œOther leaders and countries are trying to emulate the Bukele arrangement,” said IvΓ‘n Espinoza-Madrigal, a director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, a Boston-based group that has represented immigrants in lawsuits against the Trump administration. Countries are increasingly β€œraising their hand to volunteer their incarceration facilities and to facilitate the deportation of people,” he added. A White House spokeswoman has said the administration is β€œgrateful for President Bukele’s partnership” and for the use of his maximum-security prison, adding, β€œThere is no better place for these sick, illegal criminals.” MS-13 Gang Leaders Returned An investigation by The New York Times found the U.S. government not only paid Mr. Bukele’s government around $5 million to incarcerate more than 200 Venezuelan deportees, but added a bonus at his request: the return to El Salvador of several top MS-13 leaders in American custody, some thought to have knowledge of Mr. Bukele’s ties to the gang. [Link to that investigative piece. Full article in Spoiler. HOLY SHIT!] American authorities have found substantial evidence of secret negotiations between Mr. Bukele’s government and MS-13 leaders, and some experts say Mr. Bukele may want to bury that evidence. He has denied having any pact with the gang; his administration did not respond to a request for comment. Investigative piece on Bukele's links to MS-13 in spoiler. Jesus Christ. Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Threatens That Effort. Top gang leaders being sent back to El Salvador were part of a lengthy federal investigation that has amassed evidence of a corrupt pact between the Bukele government and MS-13.
  13. I won't quote the full article (free link) because it gets into a separate topic that has CR potential, so I'm only posting the pertinent bits. Again, the full article can be read at the free archive link provided above. UK and France Agree to First Ever Nuclear Weapons Pact to Fend Off Threat to Europe Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain and President Emmanuel Macron of France will announce on Thursday the details of a new defense relationship that will include a first-ever pledge to have their nuclear arsenals work together in the event of serious danger to allies in Europe. The announcement will come as the two leaders conclude a three-day state visit with a trip to a British military base as they seek to underscore their support for defending Ukraine against Russian aggression. The agreement between the two countries will affirm that β€œthere is no extreme threat to Europe that would not prompt a response by both nations,” according to a statement published late on Wednesday by the British Ministry of Defense. The announcement expected on Thursday is not a full guarantee of nuclear protection for European nations, but experts said it is a small step in that direction. [snip] In a speech to the British Parliament on Tuesday, Mr. Macron said the two countries β€œhave to work together in order to defend an efficient multilateralism and to protect the international order.” Europe has long been reliant on the United States for nuclear protection, as many nations are members of NATO. But Mr. Trump is increasingly talking about the need for Europe to defend itself against potential adversaries. Britain and France are the only two nuclear powers in Europe. The pledges of defense cooperation come as Ukraine continues to fight Russia more than three years after President Vladimir V. Putin ordered an invasion of his neighbor. Mr. Starmer and Mr. Macron have struggled to push forward with the β€œcoalition of the willing” that they created to stand up to Russia as the Trump administration has backed away from military support for Ukraine. Some of the other countries have hesitated to pledge military assets like planes. And a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine, promised by Mr. Trump, has yet to materialize. On Thursday at a British military base outside London, the prime minister and president will join a call with the leaders of the other coalition countries in an effort to jump-start the fledgling plans.
  14. I'm not on Xitter, but send that to https://twitter.com/tplohetski. He's the best investigative guy I know of in Austin media.
  15. This was posted earlier this morning and is the first and only time I've seen a reference to someone in charge of security, but it's only one sentence. If you know of a source with more details, please provide a link or quote because that question has been bugging the shit out of me since Saturday.
  16. I can't recall. And if I could, I don't take personal responsibility. And if I did, it wouldn't have been wrong. And if it was wrong, the media is lying about it.
  17. He made it until Monday or Tuesday before I put him on mine. The wild and irrational lashing out at posters trying to wrap their minds around how the fuck it got so bad and why just became too much.
  18. This is the most detailed account that I've come across so far about the local response and what transpired at Camp Mystic. From the NYTimes: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/us/texas-flood-local-response.html (free link: https://archive.is/z10jl) Separately, here's a gift link to an article that's got a few interactive elements to show the topography and flood zone designations, also from the NYTimes. The article also talks about how the camp's recent expansion would've been the time to move those cabins out of there. It's worth reading because it details the expansions, etc.
  19. This is the most detailed account that I've come across so far about the locals' bungling response and what transpired at Camp Mystic. From the NYTimes: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/us/texas-flood-local-response.html (free link: https://archive.is/z10jl)
  20. Yeah, I've read that same stuff, but I haven't seen it picked up by any mainstream news outlet yet. Instead, it's been couched as "they weren't able to secure a grant" or somesuch.
  21. I came here to post that article. It's not long, but it's got a few interactive elements to show the topography and flood zone designations, so I'll share the full thing with this gift link. The article also talks about how the camp's recent expansion would've been the time to move those cabins out of there. It's worth reading, because it details the expansions, etc. Still, they include this section: I'd really like to get some clarification on this. Were they "unable" to secure grants or were they "too pigheaded" to accept them? The commissioners’ court transcripts say the latter.
  22. Wordle 1,482 5/6 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›β¬› β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Connections Puzzle #760 πŸŸͺπŸŸͺπŸŸͺπŸŸͺ 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 πŸ™‚ Daily Quordle 1263 4️⃣7️⃣ 6️⃣5️⃣ m-w.com/games/quordle/ 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩⬜🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟨⬜⬜🟨🟩 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
  23. I don't know why any of you are still giving clicks to a Nazi-owned site that promotes racism/anti-semitism and all kinds of other bigotry. It looks like the same thread is on Bluesky. https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:qqixzm5pwprzdnkbh2hglpax/post/3ltk652nanc2a
  24. Is this the same head of FEMA who said he'd never heard of "hurricane season" before?
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