bolverk

Un-fucking-believable

Right. Letting the UK back into the EU in this environment would risk another Hungary (Fun fact: Orban celebrated Brexit). They can try again once the West's nationalist/populist fever breaks, that is if we manage to survive the disease.

Since Covid, the EU's economic growth rate has been twice that of the UK.

Why would you want him to "fix" something you supported and celebrated? Or are you now admitting you fell for the Kremlin-backed campaign and that the whole thing was a stupid fucking mistake? The UK, a country to which you seem to have a strong affinity, is worse off in almost every way that one could imagine because of Brexit, which is exactly what Putin wanted. And guess what? Russia continues to support nationalists who loudly proclaim, "MAKE [insert name of whatever country] GREAT AGAIN!" while they fracture alliances and Balkanize the West.

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Wordle 1,111 3/6 ⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨 🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Connections Puzzle #389 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟪🟦🟦 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟪🟪🟪🟪 Daily Quordle 892 5️⃣7️⃣ 4️⃣6️⃣ m-w.com/games/quordle/ ⬜🟨⬜🟨🟨 🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 @Prepuce of Doom I generally only factor Wordle into my reaction criteria, which seems to fall in line with the rest of our small gaming community: Answer the guess in 1-2 attempts: Homer drool 3-4 attempts: Hook'em (heart for those who aren't Longhorns or are fans of opponents--I didn't realize you fell into this category) 5-6 (or worse): Rage face Sometimes, infrequently, I'll take one of the other games into account.

Your mom's fat ass sat and weighted on me last night. She got so wet Abbott had to call in the guard to put sandbags around my bed. Oh, wait.

Aren't you the guy who live-posted on the old site from the RPT Convention in Fort Worth several years ago? Aren't you the guy who still brags about attending meetings at TPPF? You say you were a bundler for Biden, but have you ever directly contributed to a Democratic candidate with your own money? Who was the last state or national candidate you ever directly contributed your own money to?

The fat old bastard could also have a heart attack in the next few months. Four years ago, the 78-year-old guy had trouble navigating a ramp, drinking a glass of water, had to undergo cognitive tests. Again, why do we ignore that asshole's infirmities and how he's declined since then? Biden had a horrible night on one stage, while Trump had numerous brain glitches over the past few months at his rallies aside from his insane ramblings like confusing Haley for Pelosi and Obama for Biden. Has everyone forgotten this speech: "We are a nation that just recently heard that Saudi Arabia and Russia...ooh... aah." The press would call for Biden to step down if he glitched like this quick clip. Why haven't they with Trump? https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5108747/user-clip-half-minute-sentence Even the majority of posters in this thread, which are overwhelmingly against Trump, seem to have forgotten that Trump has been showing signs of slipping. ***** Here are my unsolicited opinions: I'm not comfortable with an 80-year-old in the White House, whether that's Trump or Biden. Biden's speech impediment seems to have worsened, and he mumbles more. The timbre of his voice also sounds like he's losing his hearing, which might explain some of the mumbling. These issues are on top of the fact that I feel like he's never been a good orator. While those are terrible qualities in a candidate whose primary job is communication, they don't necessarily translate to bad decision-making (aided by advisors) while occupying the office, which matters most as president. Aside from all of that, Biden had a hectic international travel schedule in June, followed by week-long intense preparations for the debate. He may well have simply been showing signs of mental/physical exhaustion while on cold meds when he was up on that stage. I can't yet determine his "fitness" for the job to my own satisfaction, as we don't have too many data points of Biden performing that badly on camera. He seemed fine during his speech in Normandy at the beginning of June. I think a lot depends on how the interview goes in a couple of days, focusing on coherence and intelligibility. In other words, I'll pay attention to what he says as much as how he says it to discern whether it's speech-related communication or brain-related cognition. If it goes poorly, I'm mentally preparing for him to step aside for Harris or whomever. I guess that also applies to that happening even if it does go well since there seems to be an air of inevitability about it right now. It's beyond sad that we've reached this point, but I'll wholeheartedly support anyone on the ticket. Democracy over destruction.

I ain't gonna get naked with a 60-year-old man.

He said he'd post it over here but hasn't, so I did it for him.

Three points: 1. VPs don't hold the reins to our foreign policy. Trump would still be president, and he's by far the worst option if you actually care about Ukraine. Furthermore, Trump has repeatedly threatened to pull out of NATO. If Burgum cared so passionately about the cause, why would he ever consider being on that ticket? https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-ukraine-russia-war-threatens-cut-aid-election-2024/ Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday [June 15, 2024] blasted the scale of U.S. support for Ukraine and said that if he is reelected in November he would immediately "have that settled." At a campaign rally in Detroit, Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him “the greatest salesman of all time” for Kyiv’s push to secure U.S. support in its effort to defend Ukraine against Russian aggression more than three years after Moscow's all-out invasion. “He just left four days ago with $60 billion, and he gets home, and he announces that he needs another $60 billion. It never ends,” Trump said. 2. We already have a Vice President who strongly supports Ukraine. In a speech on the exact same day, Trump said the above, here she is on the global stage: https://apnews.com/article/harris-ukraine-peace-summit-switzerland-biden-41cb00bba18a80ca88abf9e5b378110a OBBÜRGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday pledged America’s full support in backing Ukraine and global efforts to achieve “a just and lasting peace” in the face of Russia’s invasion, representing the United States at an international gathering on the war and meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss his country’s vision for ending it. As she arrived at the meeting venue overlooking Lake Lucerne, Harris announced $1.5 billion in U.S. assistance through the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. That includes money for energy assistance, repairing damaged energy infrastructure, helping refugees and strengthening civilian security in the wake of the aggression by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia’s aggression is more than just an attack “on the lives and the freedom of the people of Ukraine,” Harris told leaders from 100 nations and global organizations participating in the summit. “It is not only an attack on global food security and energy supplies. Russia’s aggression is also an attack on international rules and norms and the principles embodied in the U.N. Charter,” Harris said. She said the U.S. was committed to continuing “to impose costs on Russia and we will continue to work toward a just and lasting peace,” reaffirming words she used at the start of her private meeting with Zelenskyy. You should recall that our current Vice President also understands the threat that the Chinese government poses: Vice President Kamala Harris today underscored the critical role of U.S. leadership as world leaders confront global conflicts and threats to international peace and stability. Speaking at this year's Munich Security Conference in Germany, Harris noted Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and increased instability and conflict in the Middle East. She also highlighted competition with China, the emergence of transformative technology, and the threat that the climate crisis will compound the risk to international order. "In these unsettled times, it is clear America cannot retreat," Harris said. "America must stand strong for democracy. We must stand in defense of international rules and norms. And we must stand with our allies." Harris said her address came amid questions about the future of America's role as a global leader. "These are questions that the American people must also ask ourselves: whether it is in America's interest to fight for democracy or to accept the rise of dictators and whether it is in America's interest to continue to work lockstep with our allies and partners or go it alone," she said. The United States' response to those questions reverberates far beyond its shores, affecting not only the American people, but people throughout the world, the vice president said. "As President [Joe] Biden and I have made clear over the past three years, we are committed to [pursuing] global engagement, to [upholding] international rules and norms, to [defending] democratic values at home and abroad, and to [working] with our allies and partners in pursuit of shared goals," Harris said. 3. Biden had a terrible debate performance, no question. Why do you not question Trump's performance during the same debate when every fact-checker has stated almost everything Trump said during the debate was a lie? Are you more prone to vote for him simply because he's a vigorous and energetic liar? https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/jul/02/on-the-biden-trump-debate-stage-fact-checks-were-h/ PolitiFact fact-checked nearly 30 claims on debate night, and although Biden had a couple of False and Mostly False statements, plus a number of Half True statements in which he omitted context, Trump went largely unchallenged within the debate on three Mostly False claims, a dozen straight False claims and one that got our worst rating, Pants on Fire.

Welcome to the proverbial ledge.

It didn't seem to have hurt dementia Don though, which, for the umpteenth time, would again demonstrate how one-sided media scrutiny provides cover for Trump's own mental unfitness as a candidate for the highest office. https://au.news.yahoo.com/edits-trump-interview-dr-phil-102339216.html

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Biden Told Ally That He Is Weighing Whether to Continue in the Race The president’s conversation is the first indication that he is seriously considering whether he can recover after a devastating performance on the debate stage in Atlanta on Thursday. President Biden has told a key ally that he knows he may not be able to salvage his candidacy if he cannot convince the public in the coming days that he is up for the job after a disastrous debate performance last week. The president, who the ally emphasized is still deeply in the fight for re-election, understands that his next few appearances heading into the holiday weekend — including an interview scheduled for Friday with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News and campaign stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — must go well. “He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place” by the end of the weekend, said the ally, referring to Mr. Biden’s halting and unfocused performance in the debate. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation. The conversation is the first indication to become public that the president is seriously considering whether he can recover after a devastating performance on the debate stage in Atlanta on Thursday. Concerns are mounting about his viability as a candidate and whether he could serve as president for another four years. A top adviser to Mr. Biden, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the situation, said the president was “well aware of the political challenge he faces.” White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Campaign officials were nervously watching polls, recognizing that bad numbers could fuel the crisis. A CBS News poll on Wednesday showed former President Donald J. Trump edging ahead of Mr. Biden since the debate with 50 percent to 48 percent nationally and 51 percent to 48 percent in battleground states. Mr. Biden is slowly reaching out to Democratic elected officials and has a meeting with Democratic governors at the White House scheduled for Wednesday evening. He is also continuing to reach out to people he has long trusted and has told at least one person that he is open to the possibility that his plans to move on from his debate performance — and flip the focus back to his challenger, Mr. Trump — may not work. Several allies of Mr. Biden, who has huddled with the family and advisers since the debate on Thursday, have underscored that the president is still in the fight of his political life and largely sees this moment as a chance to come back from being counted out, as he has done many times throughout his half-century career. But he is also cleareyed, they said, about his uphill battle to convince voters, donors and the political class that his debate performance was an anomaly.

I made the same point after the first couple of episodes. This show really feels like it was written for kids.

"The Apprentice" was right there just for the taking. Shame.

It's also the entire administration they bring with them, comprising the leadership of the entire Executive Branch and the direction they steer the entire bureaucratic apparatus. Right now, I believe that's 6,000 or so political appointees who generally believe in good governance. Together, they have a pretty strong track record of competency and running things with a steady hand. Under Trump, Project 2025 calls for firing and replacing 60,000 nonpolitical professionals with political hacks that must undergo an ideological vetting process to ensure their personal loyalties to a thoroughly corrupt and volatile old man also showing signs of dementia, Donald J. Trump, and they have a pretty clear agenda to tear it all down. They've plainly stated that's their goal; believe them. ***** This is the first time I've weighed in since the debate, which I studiously avoided because debates have completely devolved into dog-and-pony shows where nothing of substance is discussed anymore. There are also the issues with Biden, who's never been a strong communicator, and with Trump, who is an infuriating, lying blowhard. Consider the following as y'all contemplate how you're going to go through your decision matrix on voting. A modern president's job entails: Choosing a team, Making decisions with that team, and Communicating those decisions to the American people Between the two main candidates, whom do you trust most under the current circumstances, given the 4 years we experienced under the Trump Administration or the 3 1/2 years we experienced under the Biden Administration? Also, keep in mind that they're both old men, and either of them could croak within the next four years. Which "team" would you trust most to handle a smooth transition to whoever would be elevated from the Vice Presidency? These are obviously not ideal circumstances, and I certainly wish it were different, but this is where we're at.

If true, that makes more sense because I was kind of dumbfounded about why they'd leave them sitting out in the open like sitting ducks so close to the front line.

"He's been on paid administrative leave since the shooting in 2019."

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It should go without saying Ukraine can't afford to lose any more jets, and the F-16s can't get there fast enough. Unless Russia is firing off those Iskanders from Belorus, it seems safest for UA to park them out of reach in the western half of the country. Google tells me F-16s have a range of 500 miles to and from any targeted site. Edit: Then again, Google also tells me the SU=27s have double the range of F-16s. I get wanting to keep them at a base that's somewhat proximate to the theater, but that video shows the vulnerability of keeping them out in the open within sight of RU drones.

I wasn't saying that you were defending him -- only that your memory of his overwhelming popularity might be off. 538 offers a good comparison of each modern-era president's popularity in their first four years (you can also click on the button to show 8 years for the 2 termers and will see Ronnie's popularity plummet during his second term after Iran Contra. Below shows how he's performing against all the presidents during my lifespan. But, yeah, based on these charts, I share your nervousness (green line is Biden).

Looks like an old tie-dye t-shirt I once had.