rjshae

Speaking as a long time Seahawks fan, he'll be missed. Russell's not quite as mobile as he once was, but he's still a damn fine tosser of the football.

Me last night. I love salsa, but there are consequences...

The ruble is dead; long live the rubble. Sorry.

The Mig-29 has ground attack capability. It's possible it may give the Ukraine better cross-border strike capabilities, so they can attack Russian logistics and other targets. They would also be in range of Moscow from Kyiv.

Russia trying to recruit Syrians to fight in Ukraine, says Pentagon "Our list of allies grows thin..."

The term 'melty cheese' suggests the existence of 'unmelty cheese'. Being curious, I had to track that down: Grilling, roasting and frying cheeses that can take the heat

'Bout sums it up.

To me it looks magenta. Possibly it's the lighting though.

He's had the restoration of Russian "greatness" in mind since he came to power 21 years ago. This event didn't suddenly spring into being. After his experiences in Syria, the rebuilding of Russian military capabilities, Biden's falling popularity, and the West's increasing dependence on Russian oil, he calculated that now is the time when he can get away with a takeover of the Ukraine and succeed.

Hilarious in the same way you laugh at moronic statements, yes.

The Ukraine has fought an insurgent war against Russia before, so it's not like this is a novelty. Cf. Ukrainian Insurgent Army.

Yes that is the Occam's Razor response. The lab theory was most likely amplified by the right because it was an election year in the US. Unfortunately that made it difficult to gain the cooperation of the CCP for a more thorough investigation. I still think that more scientific research is needed in that area so we gain a better understanding of this virus. Finding a progenitor host could be invaluable.

Striking new evidence points to Wuhan seafood market as the pandemic's origin point This is not quite 100% conclusive, but I still find it compelling. Are we past the point of heavy political bias on this issue yet? Maybe after 2024 then.

The calculus here is that sanctions are always temporary, but territorial acquisitions are usually permanent. Putin is willing to pay a short-term price for a long-term territorial gain. The only feasible counter is to make Russia pay a high enough price that they back off. That only happens with sanctions in combination of expensive military hardware getting destroyed and Russian civilians dealing with a high casualty rate and a trashed economy. A direct involvement by NATO is out of the question, although we can certainly provide all types of indirect support.

The isolationist behavior of the US Republican party today is starting to resemble their behavior in the interwar period up to World War 2. Essentially they've come full circle, with Eisenhower leading the party away from isolationism and Trump bringing it back. It's not quite the same though, given Trump's preferred alignment with despotic state control and a lack of core principles (other than greed and ego).

Completely quackers

Confessions of a former fireball: How Earth became habitable

I'm pretty sure that's just propaganda to justify his actions. The West would never agree to a withdrawal from Poland, and Putin knows it. Also, NATO does have partner nations, so the Ukraine could link to NATO that way even if they don't join for expediency reasons.

I think he is acting rationally, from his own perspective. But people in power tend to lose their empathy, and his is all but gone. He doesn't really care that he is pulverizing their former "crown jewel" and killing innocents.

Well that's up to the EU, but it seems reasonable to make them a candidate if they meet the criteria. They are a major grain producer and have a skilled and educated populace.

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