BruceVC

Gorthfuscious I am assuming the general view is that the severity of these types of fires are due to climate change and this is now a reality that going forward the country has to contend with What are the strategies and ideas that government and civil society have come up with to reduce the damage and length of these disasters, I have heard massive fire breaks is one solution ?

Nah, Obama didn't lose election. Obamas final approval raring was 60 % percent so despite the general anti-Obama sentiment on this forum more Americans liked him and his views and policies than disliked him. I am a huge supporter of Obama because of the reality of the USA when he became president and what he had to address. He left the USA in a much better place than when he became president, I do accept certain domestic and foreign policies he implemented or tried to implement were well meaning but misplaced https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/president-obama-final-approval-rating-60-poll-shows-article-1.2949260 There were 2 primary reasons Trump won Hilary Clinton simply wasnt the right candidate for several reasons There was a real concern that the USA was going in both a political and social direction that was not what many Americans believed or rather supported. This meant many Trump supporters found solace and real identity in what Trump stands for. Never forget Ktchong no one chooses to be born a certain race, its fine to be white. I have no issue with my race and we decide for ourselves how we live our lives and treat others. We should have an understanding of the past and we can have views around addressing perceived historical injustices but we not defined by it I do think there is a real chance Trump can win in 2020 but that is because I am not convinced with the overall Democratic message and I am very concerned with the far left views of the likes of Warren and Sanders. It also cannot be denied the overall strength and growth of the USA economy under Trump which will add to his election story I still maintain Biden is the best Democratic candidate to beat Trump and hopefully he wins the Democratic nomination

I had a very eventful and enjoyable NY night. Firstly the lunchtime restaurant we went to on the 31 was amazing, its offerings and quality of off cut meat really didnt disappoint. It had rustic decor which was part of the charm and ambiance. Massive portions of food but extremely tasty, they also had numerous drink specials where you get 4 tots for the price of 2 on all spirits that included Brandy and Whiskey Then the Mexican restuarant which was the main event also was great, they has a live band which played Spanish music from about 10 pm which added to the vibe. This particular restaurant obviously also had a massive Tequila selection. I love Tequila which suited me fine but this also created the only real problem for me of the evening, The manager focused on our table particularly to offer us free and different Tequilas, some of course we paid for but we had at least 3-4 free But then he came to me personally with a unique " Ghost pepper Tequila " which is suppose to be hotter than the hottest measurement of the chili Scoville rating. I have never understood, or really respected it, the Scoville rating system for heat in chili's because it seems to jump around a lot to values in the millions but basically he said to me this is extreme heat contained in the shooter. He let us dip our finger in a bit of the Tequila to sample it I was inebriated at this stage of the evening but in a very good way and full of Dutch courage and it really didnt seem that hot....I decided to have one. He asked me to sign an indemnity form which I did and then I downed the Tequila.... What a mistake it was. 30 seconds later I started sweating and I had to rush to the toilet to down about a litre of water, I returned to the table but for the next 20 minutes my entire body and stomach felt like it was literally on fire It literally sobered me up and almost ruined my appetite I will never do that again and learned an important lesson about not eating food or drinking something on that heat level because the experience was not pleasant at all

Happy NY everyone Here is to a great and prosperous 2020

True Communists reject such frivolous things as horoscopes.....dont be be fooled by the attempts of evil Western, Capitalist, Imperial, neo-Colonial countries to control your destiny ....its all a lie to ensure Capital controls the world and prevents you from leaning the truth

Okay so we decided what our NY plans are going to be today, For lunch today I have found this very interesting restaurant that specializes in off cuts of meat, the restaurant is called Bosveld. Its basically a traditional Afrikaans\Dutch eatery but they have some very unusual items on there menu like tripe, kidneys and even sheeps head. For example I am going to order for starters the Lamb Tripe and Trotters ...check the menu out for those interested in unusual food http://www.bosvelder.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Untitled-1.pdf The funny part is none of my friends going with me eat off cuts of meat....but they can order steaks and ribs if they want Then we going to a Mexican theme restaurant\bar in the early evening for the main NY party and dinner. They going to arrange a DJ so the night will be combination of great music, Tequilas and general NY revelry

Volo are you sure we talking about the same Witcher HBO TV series we talking about ? What version did you watch, I think you referring to the pirated Canadian\French version....its not the same as the proper one What language were the characters speaking......if its not English than its not the correct one ?

Never ever forget the benefits of your shift work ......remember the free and endless coffee

I am in JHB now and staying with my mom and stepdad, its been great seeing them again because I havent seen them in person for the last 8 months. I use to get really annoyed with my mom when I lived in JHB over small things but thats all behind me now and suddenly the small things that use to frustrate me around her comments and mannerisms dont bother me anymore I am also looking forward to seeing my friends over NY and partaking in the NY celebrations and revelry

I should have mentioned this earlier but the scope and scale of these fires are really concerning and much more serious than most people outside of Oz realize, I have family members and friends who immigrated to Australia and they have been updating us to the reality on the ground I see they have been ravaging parts of the country since September. I also agree with banning the fireworks over NY purely as an symbolic gesture in sympathy of what the country is going through but not from the financial cost of the NY celebration. And finally I am glad the fire fighters are getting extra money for there herculean efforts My thoughts are with you

TN you cant be serious, there is nothing wrong with your country being referred to as Holland? Remember people and particularly tourists place great credence in symbolism and for many people Netherlands is a.....complicated name Also the article says " The change of image was part of a renewed tourism strategy that aims to put an end to large numbers of visitors on cheap flights, particularly to Amsterdam, and promote more sustainable and respectful travel "...what do they mean by respectful travel? Many tourists only visit Netherlands for the liberal and open culture. The red light districts and cannabis culture is what we want to experience...you guys mustn't throw the " baby out with the bath water " in a well meaning but misguided attempt to change perceptions that frankly dont need to be changed for majority of tourists For example how would you market Netherlands outside of what I mentioned ?

I also prefer more focus on Geralt, I dont mind the Ciri story arc but I dont want that to be the primary aspect of the broader narrative In fact I am going to play the " its sexism and discrimination against men " card to focus on Ciri in a saga where the protagonist is a male

My dad since retiring from investment banking is now dedicated to leaving what he considers is a real legacy and he is really committed to conservation and addressing issues like climate change. He always says to us " people keep saying we must save the planet but the planet doesnt need saving, climate change is about saving humans or ensuring we have an enduring and sustainable future for our children "

Sounds delicious, I just need your address and what time I should arrive and we all set for a great meal And please at least let me provide the alcohol, I always like to contribute

As you mentioned you can be concerned with multiple issues and have different social and political goals that you rate in different degrees of important For example I share all your concerns except for inequality because all the ideas and solutions to address this are populist ideas where we want to " breakup the financial system" or " destroy the evil Capitalist system " ....so ostensibly its all about taking resources from others to somehow address poverty or inequality that are not sustainable or suggests somehow that free market economics is the fundamental problem when we can all easily see from history its not

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/12/24/trump-windmills-attack-jeanne-moos-ebof-pkg-vpx.cnn Classic and hilarious examples of " Trumpism " ......one of the funniest sequence of Trump quotes I have ever seen

I think you guys may be over analyzing Dandelion in a unnecessarily critical way He is a bard and would naturally be adverse to combat or try to avoid it, he also plays a pivotal role in changing the negative perception people have of Geralt through his songs and ballads...he creates or is a major contributor towards " The White Wolf " legend. I dont see him as comic relief at all considering how relevant perceptions are of people in this era ....he basically does exactly what I would expect of a bard

QFT

I just finished the entire first season of the Witcher and it really grows on you, I am very keen for the next season I didnt enjoy how the timelines seemed to jump around the place and in the beginning this confused me, they should have maybe put some dates in so viewers are aware certain events occurred in the past but my uncertainty was probably due to me not paying attention enough to characters and there journey in the broader narrative ....but this is a small criticism once you get to understand the story

How ironic, I played BeatSaber for the first time at my brothes place yesterday and I was very impressed, its early days in the development of VR but I am very excited about the future Minor things they need to address will improve. For example the headgear makes you too hot...I was basically sweating after 10 minutes

" Dr Johnny Walker " ...I like the way you operate

Pictures or its not true

I know there are so many relevant Xmas videos but I saw this on CNN and had to post it, Santas surfing in Florida and raising money for charity

Nice one Gorthfuscious, it sounds like you going to have a good time Dont forget the red wine

Salutations All Its mandatory to have a Christmas post over this festive time. What is everyone planning for Xmas and NY, this period is not just relevant for Christians but its where we can hopefully spend the time with family, friends or just relax with whoever we consider significant I am having Xmas in Durban with some of my direct family, this year most of family are going skiing in Lech in Austria so due to logistics and leave we not getting together at out beach cottage. I am not going skiing due to leave restraints so this Xmas I will be with some of my family. We going to be eating Turkey and Gammon as our main meal and for NY I will be flying to Johannesburg to see friends, we haven't decided what we will be doing yet So what is everyones plans and just as important what do you typically eat for Xmas and what do you normally do on Xmas eve and or day, I am always interested in these types of events Either way I hope everyone has a great time and here is to a good and prosperous 2020