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Don't hold your breath on "the people" correcting any bad management by their political leaders. God help us all the day "the people" do more than elect the same types of candidates and bitching about why things never change. As for the rest of your point regarding the "defund" movement (and this also applies equally well to any question where "the people" are led into rabbit holes by politicians) I'll quote you an answer from a man far wiser than I will ever be: “The reason so many people misunderstand so many issues is not that these issues are so complex, but that people do not want a factual or analytical explanation that leaves them emotionally unsatisfied. They want villains to hate and heroes to cheer - and they don't want explanations that fail to give them that.” Thomas Sowell

Just a heads up, I moved the EU conversation to the politics thread, as it had turned less relevant for the current war in Ukraine....

I'm going to disagree with Gorth. There's a rough rich/poor division in support for the EU. In rich countries, support for the EU among the masses is not high. In poorer countries, however it usually is somewhat higher. This is, of course, entirely selfish. The notion in poorer countries is that the EU helps monetarily. Also, there's a degree of prestige associated with foreign investment. In Portugal, specifically, the left supports the EU. The far right, not so much. The idea in richer countries is, of course, the converse. The population there often feel the EU syphons away money to poorer countries, that would be needed internally. The argument is also put forth that the money is mismanaged in poorer countries. This is not entirely untrue. This is not to say that there are not exceptions. Greece is poor and hates the EU due to the austerity measures from 10 years ago.

Putin definitely has an issue with the influence and strength of the West but its more about the principles of what Democracy and Capitalism represents. He considers it anathema because he blames Western ideology for what happened to Russia after the fall of the USSR and the era of Yeltsin and the Oligarchs. Putin as you know was also hardcore KPG so ideologically the West always use to be his enemy The EU represents a model of one of the best examples of Western ideology due to its economic advantages but its more than that. Its a union of different countries and some of these countries use to be Soviet states so its a constant reminder to anyone of the failure of Communism and Soviet ideology. Put yourself in the shoes of Putin who remembers the era of the USSR, how do you think he feels when you basically have every single East European country that couldnt wait to join the EU and many of them immediately joined NATO Then look at the countries aligned to Russia in the region like Belarus and Kazakhstan and ask yourself if you were an independent observer who would you think offers a better political and economic choice to align with? So of course Putin wants the EU to collapse because its a constant reminder of the failure of what he use to believe during the Cold War and nowadays its a reminder of a political and economic union that he cannot offer because he is an autocratic and Russia is not a Democracy An EU that dissolves is exactly what would suit him and Russia would still be benefitting economically because EU countries would still buy energy from Russia which he believes is enough to sustain the Russian economy So Mamie is correct, their has been a constant and concerted effort from Russia to weaken and undermine the EU for the reasons I mentioned. And the worst development for Putin would be more and more countries, like Ukraine, wanting to join the EU because as Democracy gets closer and closer to the borders of Russia it leads to more questioning and criticism about his autocratic system of government and Russian citizens wanting a political change and a better overall quality of life which only Democracy offers

@Elric GaladI think when you uploaded the most recent version I felt it a little in my soul because I’ve suddenly been thinking about Deadfire this week after having not played for a while and then I come back to find the best balance change I could have hoped for. I love shapeshifting more than anything in RPGs and these changes to Spiritshift look like great adjustments which are in line with the vanilla experience while being more generous to people (like me) who try to build around this fantasy. Just wanted to say thank you for your continued work on this project. Your effort is deeply appreciated!

Well neither do I really. So far I came up with "Provide support for internal clients to resolve business critical tasks necessary to keep projects on time and in scope". In my company they seem to be

Sorry, you are wrong, if they would have no issue with EU, they would not pay their hybrid armies and Trojan horses to weaken the democracy in European countries. And no it is not only exclusive to Eastern Europe and to NATO countries. There was a big scandal about Austrian Neonazis getting funded by Russia few years ago. I bet, same could be said with LePen and Salvini, if someone would bother to completely track the funding of their countries. And Brexit is another thing, where Russian trolls were to active, and after the referendum ended the way it ended, there was a big "party" in Kremlin. As I said. The issue is not the EU itself, but the democracy in EU, and the fear of the Arab Spring/Orange and Maidan Revolutions/Belarus and Kazakh uprising to destroy his unlimited power. A quote from one of the kanisatha's articles sums it pretty much. And not only for Ukraine in 2004 and 2014, but for Belarus in 2020 and Kazakhstan in 2021... "It is more likely that the primary cause of the 2011-12 "turnaround" was, in fact, fear of a democratic upsurge in Russia itself, at a time when a similar push was taking place in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East. It was Putin's fear of "color revolutions" – a fear that had begun with Ukraine's "Orange Revolution" of 2004—that pushed him towards reinforcing both his authoritarianism and his opposition to the West. Secondly, and decisively, he saw that the "repolarization" he was seeking internationally earnt his country additional prestige—without provoking a reaction from America." And that is the main reason, why he is funding populists and neonazis around Europe. He hopes to help the raise of authoritarian/nationalist political parties to power, so they would start getting at each throats, and slowly undermining the existence of EU, and retake back the influence which Moscow had in Soviet Era. And this way, he would be enjoying his time until 2036, where his current Russian constitution ends his career as a "Czar" of Russia...

Was just thinking it would be awesome to have a slingshot you could load with pebblets, sap or just whatever fits really. Maybe it could even be upgraded to bust open the sap clusters that are out of reach. It would be immensely useful when you first start the game, especially for brand new players.

For the past three or so years, I've been going through The Blacklist. The show has a few ups and downs, and a fantastic performance by James Spader that kept me entertained for much longer than it ought to have. The storyline has been showing signs of kudzu-like* growth since season three, but it went full kudzu in the fourth. Still, someone who sat through all of X-Files isn't going to be deterred by a decently entertaining show developing signs of the Chris Carter effect**. It easily overtook X-Files in the last two seasons though, and by now I'm sure Chris Carter is, in silent and contemplative moments, in awe of Jon Bokenkamp. Somewhere I've read that season 8 was supposed to be the last one, but NBC ordered a ninth one. Without Jon Bokenkamp running the development, though. Anyway, I'm at the last two episodes of the eigth season and the show went full NGE finale*** for them, or at least, the one I just watched. Time literally freezes while the female lead character starts interacting with a whole host of characters both alive and dead trying to piece the puzzle together. And, uhm, the final plot twist - or what probably was meant as final plot twist, anyway - is shaping up to be hilariously**** stupid. Time to go see it confirmed, I guess. Anyway, I could talk more, but what would be the point. The weak points of the series are some of the characters and the actors behind them, especially Megan Boone, the female lead, playing Elizabeth 'Liz' Keen, someone the show asks us to care about, but no one does. Or at least, I didn't. In the first few seasons she's paired with Mr. Boring who I... Anyway, guess there'll be a ninth season to watch after this too. I thought I'd be done by now, but hey, yeah, apparently this still rakes in enough ratings for NBC. *sigh* Footnotes:

They did And EU didn't make it us or them. You can check it yourself https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-25162563 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-trade-idUSKCN0HI1T820140923 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/22/ukraine-european-union-trade-russia https://www.brookings.edu/on-the-record/why-did-ukraines-yanukovych-give-in-to-russian-pressure-on-eu-deal/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/21/ukraine-suspends-preparations-eu-trade-pact https://www.dw.com/en/harsh-words-with-russia-over-ukraine/a-17301176 https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/ukraine-stuns-eu-by-putting-association-deal-on-ice/ https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2013-11-27/ukraine-withdraws-signing-association-agreement-vilnius-motives-and

Support in the Eastern Europe for EU is really strong, because we see EU as a collective of countries who helped us with raising our living standards and have taken us away from the old USSR sphere. If Slovakia would not be part of EU, we would be now politically and wealthiness probably on par with Ukraine, Moldova or Belarus... And all people who have more than basic education, knows that. So pre-war even a lot of people who were looking up to Russia very favourably, still wanted to be part of the EU. Support for Putin here was above 60% pre-war, now his support is down to 22%. And the support for EU and NATO have dramatically risen.

am thinking most people in the US look to what is happening in russia when protesters dare to question the special military operation and those democracy loving americans are appalled. people have even been arrested and jailed for holding up blank signs in moscow, st. petersburg and elsewhere. thank goodness the US is different than russia, eh? The Year Montana Rounded Up Citizens for Shooting Off Their Mouths "Some 200 people were arrested, and approximately 125 people went to trial, under the Montana Sedition Law, which criminalized nearly everything said or written against the American government and its conduct when it passed in February 1918. The penalties--a maximum of 10-to-20 years in prison and up to a $20,000 fine--were tough, and the pressure on “disloyal” citizens was relentless. The vast majority of people were rounded up for casual statements, off-the-cuff remarks deemed pro-German or anti-American. Citizens turned against one another, joining “patriotic” organizations like the Montana Loyalty League with its stated goal of keeping the Treasure State from “going over body and soul to the Kaiser.”" and am thinking nobody would be surprised by a few o' the more racist state laws passed democratic in states after the civil war. Black Codes In South Carolina, a law prohibited Black people from holding any occupation other than farmer or servant unless they paid an annual tax of $10 to $100. This provision hit free Black people already living in Charleston and former slave artisans especially hard. In both states, Black people were given heavy penalties for vagrancy, including forced plantation labor in some cases. ALIEN LAND LAWS IN CALIFORNIA (1913 & 1920) California led the way for fifteen states to pass legislation preventing “aliens ineligible to citizenship” from owning land. Although occasionally used against other Asians, these laws were directly aimed at Japanese immigrants, who were perceived as gaining undue economic power through agricultural holdings. Legislation using the words “Asian” or “Japanese” would clearly be unconstitutional, hence the circumlocution. Violators would have their property revert to control by the state. But at least some Japanese manage to evade the law, and the legislature moved in 1920 to strengthen its provisions as well as prohibit the practice of immigrant Japanese (as guardians) placing land in the legal hands of their citizen children. ... we could go on and on and on. am gonna hazard the core disconnect here in the US, and in much o' the west, is we are taught democracy is the source o' freedom and rights. is sooooooo not true. the majority is all too quick to blame their problems on them and they. is always a few skeevy politicians trying to take advantage o' the greed and pettiness which is common in the human animal and our democratic republic makes it all too easy for those politicians to successful promote laws which ensure they have less rights. any government, by its very nature, places limits on liberty. needs be a monopoly on violence for a government to even exist-- day 1 and already liberties is being limited. democracy makes it so the majority chooses whose rights are most important and which o' those rights deserve protection. you don't need much imagination to guess what happens when the me and mine majority decides who should benefit from the efforts o' a working democratic republic, eh? the bill of rights, and many o' the amendments, represent those rights Americans has set aside as too important to leave to democracy. the Constitution, sans the amendments, grants almost no rights to Americans, but instead focuses on the structure o' a democratic republic the founders believed would avoid the tyranny of the majority which plagued athenian democracy. J. alito, whose questionable history approach is already being challenged by many, has us look at the history and traditions o' the US at the time a law were passed to decide which rights is fundamental but not enumerated in the Constitution. is a questionable approach for many reasons, but as we stated earlier, roe and other privacy rights is linked to a penumbra/gestalt o' the 1st, 4th, 9th and 14th amendments to the Constitution. is understandable why a considerable % o' the nation's women, ethnic & religious minorities and political/social undesirables is unnerved by the realization substantive due process rights need by reduced in a crucible based on values o' the majority o' Americans in 1791 and 1868. for democracy to work as envisioned by the founders, you need an informed and educated electorate. the war on crt and wokeism in classrooms across the country, along with the internet and cable tv networks making it possible for americans to only hear the news with which they already agree, makes an educated and informed electorate less likely than were possible ten or twenty years past. so we change the rules regarding substantive due process and count on the people in louisiana, florida and texas to look to the better angels of their nature? can't guess what could go wrong for people who were not favored by tradition and history in 1791 and 1868. as already stated, overturning roe as J. alito is trying to do ain't gonna result in an overnight apocalypse for american women, but am thinking most o' the freedom loving americans who is constant railing 'bout their rights is in for rude awakenings... though as one might expect, minorities and women is gonna be taking the brunt o' the pain. no surprise there, eh? is a continuation o' the history and tradition o' democracy at work in the US. HA! Good Fun!

My own lack of focus, probably. I finish a side gig and oh look what's that cyberpsycho icon there, hey what's that shootout in the alley there, oh a ripper I haven't visited before... you get the idea. I'm not actively trying to 100% the game, it's just that it's hard for me to stick to the main missions and ignore all the stuff that the game throws in my face all the time while trying to get from A to B. I don't always use the QT terminals so that's a factor too. While I would have liked more resources devoted to a bigger, better main plot, I understand how all the side stuff is necessary because the map is huge and would be pretty empty otherwise. It still is to a degree.

https://news.yahoo.com/second-russian-warship-struck-ukraine-203251876.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall I have just seen this story again on Al-Jazeera this time, do we have any confirmation?

I can relate... written half a dozen cv's over a 30 year career period. The hard thing these days is what to trim and leave out. Usually stuff from the 1990's and 2000's which just get a headline (to keep my cv on less than 4 A4 pages)

I think you may be conflating a few things... EU is not something people identify themselves with. It doesn't enjoy popular support (unless you belong to the political or industrial elite). I don't know if you remember Black Isle's old parent company, Interplay? Their motto was 'By gamers for gamers'. Unlike that, EU was never a 'By the people for the people' thing. Hence why nobody really likes it (gross generalization). Europeans are happy to get together to support Ukrainians and help out where they can, but this more despite the EU than because of it.

Yikes... that sounds like a template CV

I'm not sure how you got that impression? That Putin doesn't "fear" the EU as an institution is not the same as supporting it. I think the number of Western Europeans (the people, not the political elite) who fears or resent the EU is much bigger than the number of Russians resenting it. Give it enough time and it will either implode or become something that will get dissolved from within due to popular unrest (and referendums like the Danish Maastricht referendum(s) or the English Brexit referendum). It's a process which doesn't need much help from the outside and the tighter Germany and France tries to tie the ropes around other countries, the more people dislikes and distrusts it. As for democracy, the West had it's change to influence Russia and support a change towards democracy in 1991, but instead they looked at it an easy market to exploit as much as possible for as long as possible until a rather predictable counter reaction happened in the form of Putin (predictable as in it was either reverting to totalitarianism or a mobster led civil war with cataclysmic consequences)

Yes I know Democracy and Capitalism is unrelated but sustainable Capitalism requires governance and accountability which is part of any Constitutional Democracy I am also aware Russia is not a Communist country but it use to be and Putin comes from that era and so does his dislike and animosity towards the West But as I mentioned Putin resents what Democracy represents, he is an autocrat and you cant recreate the old Soviet borders if countries are part of the EU Just so Im clear, do you believe that Putin supports the EU and what it ideologically represents ?

I'm assuming ukraine tried to prevent war tourists from getting killed. Would look pretty bad if hundreds of volunteers started dying. However, there's also lots of critical voices about the Wali guy. Apparently he is more words than actions or whatever, I have no idea, didn't really dived into this.

So Wali is back in Canada - https://www-lapresse-ca.translate.goog/actualites/2022-05-06/retour-du-tireur-d-elite-wali/la-guerre-c-est-une-deception-terrible.php?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Geez. Compared to this, my ideas suck. This is all brilliant! ESPECIALLY the grappling hook! I will lose it if the devs decide to implement that. Traversal flexibility is always a huge plus for me. These ideas are seriously awesome.

Me watching the NFT market collapse:

vegas has excellent restaurant options, arguable challenging new york, san francisco, chicago and new orleans for the title o' best US food city. we don't gamble and most vegas shows ain't our thing, but am admitting vegas is worth the trip for culinary adventurers. HA! Good Fun! ps our actual favorite destination for dining experiences in the western hemisphere is mexico city which also turns out to be one o' the cheaper options for high-end dining. typical we go to ixtapa when we visit mexico, but from there we inevitable make the trip to mexico city (a full day's drive) to indulge our gastronomical needs.

Been lazy so tooling around with the ArmA 2 editor. Should move on to 3 but I like the "real" world weaponry present there.

I just downloaded the new BPM version, and tried out a FF/shifter. I must say, the dual weapon damage when shifted is great. Thanks, @Elric Galad!

Y'know, I don't think I've posted here since we got our cat!

edit: HA! Good Fun! ps have mentioned previous, but donkeys is just 'bout the most underappreciated domesticated animal evar. they are at least as smart as dogs and as likely to bond with humans. most got sweet dispositions and is quite affectionate, though they tend to be territorial, which makes 'em excellent guard "dogs" and they is fantastic at dealing with coyotes. growing up on a ranch, our favorite critters were our burros, and little in our experience over the years has changed that opinion.

With deadfire it's just easier.. I didn't have to use math at all really. Keep in mind I play almost any game on the default setting. PoE pretty much anything you do will work... and there are no trick abilities that are the wrong choice... there are better choices but on normal it doesn't really seem to matter

If a cat is hiding inside a fridge and nobody is there to hear it meow, does it make any noise?

Goose step, Belgian version. I'm down with that.

if kingmaker is any measure, wotr will never be fixed. is just a matter o' it being fixed enough to be playable, which is an admitted highly subjective threshold. don't hold your breath waiting for fixed. that said, am not sure how one guesses as to whether or not the game is stable enough to be playable. playability, we would argue, is also extreme build dependent. most o' the major quest bugs has been addressed, which is a pleasant shock. however, a few builds is hurt more than a little by bugs which has been 'round since at least the first beta. at some point waiting is gonna be offering severe diminishing returns, unless yours is a build which is crippled by bugs and if such is the case, you may never see a real fix. but am gonna repeat, 'cause am genuine surprised by the admission, most major quest bugs has been addressed by owlcat. new bugs do indeed pop up with each patch, but wotr quests is in a far better place than we woulda' imagined for late november if you had asked us to prognosticate in the month pre-release. HA! Good Fun!

That Bucks-Celtics game was bad for my health.

panicked again today atleast the recovery are getting much faster now on the bright side it reduce sleep time and food consumption for at least a few days