BruceVC

Volo !!! How can you say that about Daenerys Targaryen? She was the rightful queen of the 7 kingdoms, Jon didnt want the job and we must respect his wishes, and was betrayed by her true love. She definitely had the right idea, you unite the 7 kingdoms and end all slavery and dictatorships ....most of the families would have supported her and for those that dont you unleash your army and dragon on them. Trust me after Kings Landing how many cities would have disagreed with her policies ? I did feel sorry for the loss of some of the civilian lives during the Kings Landing battle but that was on Cersei for not surrendering the city ...she had a chance and refused to acquiesce. You cannot blame Daenerys Targaryen for that Also Dany was really hot, that must count for something

https://www.tripadvisor.co.za/Tourism-g6736900-Bloubergstrand_Western_Cape-Vacations.html Today Im going to a coastal town just outside Cape Town called Bloubergstrand for a braai\barbeque with an old friend and his family Then tomorrow Im meeting some family for lunch and Sunday afternoon drinks so it should be a good, festive weekend

Yes I agree but you need those same institutions to exist in places like the AU to successfully implement the regulations of the union and achieve success Its similar to the Federal government in the USA, it has several important national institutions and laws that have jurisdiction over some state laws, without that the USA would have failed and broken into separate or aligned countries but it wouldnt exsit in the form its in now which is a success despite some challengers. You must pay tax throughout the USA and adhere to the Constitution to ensure economic and political stability and consistency for example Unfortunately I wish the AU was a trade block but most countries exports in the AU go outside the AU, this is another example of its failure. The average exports and imports of most African countries go outside the AU because there are no enforced and appealing trade laws that encourage continental trade, check the link for South Africa as an example and SA is considered a good example of a country that trades within the continent http://www.worldstopexports.com/south-africas-top-10-exports/

But the EU is the worlds most successful economic union of separate countries, it provides real and immense trade benefits. It is only criticized by those who feel certain rights or culture have been lost ..but they haven't as its a trade-off So people bemoan, for example, the " loss of sovereignty " , What exactly is sovereignty ? If you look at other failed unions like the Arab League or the AU its the opposite problem, these unions have failed exactly because the rules and regulations like institutions of the EU are not enforced for the benefit of citizens. In the AU you have countries who are dictatorships and claim they dont follow the manifesto of the AU because of " sovereignty " ..its just an excuse for self-enrichment, corruption and a way to not adhere to governance or accountability. And this failure to follow the rules of theses union, which are based on the laws of prosperous and successful Democracies, does not work. The evidence and direction of mass immigration and high levels of true inequality and poverty is patently obvious in these failed institutions You cannot have both, either you follow the perceived strict regulations of unions like the EU and benefit economically or you have unions that exist in name only and dont provide a better quality of life for the people who live in these countries. If the EU dissolves the populist groups and euro-skeptics will achieve a Pyrrhic victory and live to regret there misplaced ambitions of " Independence and sovereignty "

Dont forget to try exotic food in Japan if you can...and if you feeling really adventurous and rich you must try this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugu

I just watched the classic Pan's Labyrinth, its really good. Its in Spanish but with English subtitles. Its a compelling and well directed fantasy movie and definitely worth watching

What type of cheese did you use ?

Tonight Im making myself Stuffed Baked Potato skins with a salad, its such a versatile meal because you can basically stuff the skins with anything. I'm adding Homemade Bolognese mince Spring Onion and Chives flavored cream cheese Fresh chives

Jon was the direct heir to the Iron Throne and could have claimed it and ruled the 7 kingdoms, he said he never wanted it numerous times. He was a natural leader but always felt connected to the North, where he was raised, and he found his true calling the first time he goes to the Wall, joins the Night Watch, where he is respected and loved by the Watch and the Wildlings He then killed Daenerys Targaryen and his sentence should have been severe, he was sent to the Wall again to join the Night Watch which somehow was accepted by the Unsullied and the Dothraki which were Daenerys Targaryen's true supporters. It wasn't a punishment but something Im sure he would have chosen if he had a choice around what do to after the various wars were over

You right, another illogical development. Jon's " sentence " is actually what he would have chosen if he had a choice after the wars were over..so he is basically getting rewarded

I assumed Hoonding is joking about Bel-Air, it was a comedy but old school. A bit like the Cosby show, funny at the time but the humor wouldn't be applicable now...these shows didnt really have a "story " as each episode stood on its own but with the same characters

I thought Penny Dreadful was excellent but yes the end did seem ...odd. But not enough to not watch it

Some dictators in Africa aren't aligned to Russia but get more support from China

https://fareedzakaria.com/columns/2019/5/16/trumps-america-first-philosophy-has-created-a-less-stable-world Fareed Zakaria's latest article touches on a similar sentiment, basically he says that Trumps ideological views have set a bad example and created or enhanced other leaders to become more negatively nationalist and anti-Americanism is on the rise I dont agree with all his points but the article is a good read anyway

It looked like they were rebuilding it and the Night King may return as I think he has been seen before but there many illogical aspects to the plot and how characters acted. You can see George Martin wasnt involved in the last season and I doubt they based much of it on his forthcoming books

I would add Sons of Anarchy, Justified, Dexter, Deadwood, True Blood and Oz just to name a few

Also I imagine you guys need to justify the high salaries you get for being Moderators and maintaining thread length is part of your work

I want to raise something else around my overall point about most events in history being irrefutable and cant or shouldnt be rewritten I will use Gromnirs example around Lee as it supports my point. The question " was Lee a good general " , this is completely subjective and would involve nuance and deep analysis of the various battles he won or lost to come to some answer..and you still wont get agreement. This is normal with this type of historical question Personally I think he was an excellent general and I also dont think you should take down his statue in places like Virginia because it creates unnecessary invective and feeds both real and irrational fears of Southern culture and history being undermined But going back to Gettysburg, there should be no dispute around whose victory it was because we know the North won through comprehensive historical data and the actual outcome, I hope this makes sense ?

Okay but the South regarding Gettysburg as some sort of " victory ", which I find hard to believe, is not same as looking back and rewriting history Gettysburg was a Northern victory, this is irrefutable as are most events like this when we study history

Another massive issue with Argentina is its constant and historical behavior of not wanting to pay international debts, its really bad and effects its credibility in the financial market But worst than that is not paying its Bonds debt and bondholders, this is like borrowing money from a bank and then refusing to pay back the loan. Its akin to stealing. I think this has been paid in most cases but again this adds to the credibility issue https://www.reuters.com/article/argentina-debt-ruling-idUSL1N12U24R20151030 http://static7.businessinsider.com/ap-argentina-pays-down-much-of-its-debt-us-judge-drops-orders-2016-4

But most events and outcomes of history dont get rewritten usually, they irrefutable. Intent and anecdotal evidence without corroboration can be subjective but so many things of history cannot be rewritten or they would be revisionist. For example who won battles, who was a particular president, when laws were created, why monuments were erected, when groups of people arrived in certain distant lands ...the list is endless

I found an amazing Toasted Sandwich cafe 5 minutes walk from, it specializes in toasted cheese and Im ecstatic http://www.meltcafe.co.za/ Also tonight we going to a French theme restaurant that focuses on off cuts and uses the whole animal in its meals, take a look at the dinner menu. Im planning on having Ox Heart or Sweetbread for dinner https://www.latete.co.za/#menu

Im unclear on what you suggesting in this post. My initial reading is I should, or my family should, contribute funds towards the restoration of Notre Dame? We are not French and my family in the UK are English. Some of my family in the UK have donated towards supporting important UK historical projects through NGO like maintaining WW1 sites . For example this Delville wood memorial we have always assisted with maintaining through private funding as do many other South Africans http://www.greatwar.co.uk/somme/memorial-delville-wood.htm

Most of the wealthy families will definitely commit to what they committed to for several reasons I apologize if what I am about to say is offensive or condescending, I really dont mean to be, but the reason why you are cynical about this money is you dont understand or care about healthy patriotism or a belief in the importance of things that are historically significant Notre Dame is France and France is Notre Dame, the money and tax breaks become meaningless if symbols like this cannot be restored because of a lack of money. France is one of the wealthiest countries in the world with a rich and important history, Notre Dame is part of this. What is the point of having money if you will not spend it on your own families legacy You would be correct if the French somehow didnt care about the future of there children and that doesn't make sense

Very good question, I am really arguing the flawed referendum that Putin created to " decide if Crimea should be part of Russia". Its synonymous with a pattern of how Russia has created this old USSR border and carved up other countries like Georgia to suit them Here is a good article that summarizes this and highlights the legal argument but yes you right, my historical argument is not the best way to make my point https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/14/crimean-referendum-illegal-international-law But just for interest, Tartars outside Ukraine were excluded from the vote. There were also only 2 choice and neither one was " stay part of the Ukraine " https://www.huffpost.com/entry/crimeas-technically-flawe_b_4992908