rjshae

Dune wins 6 Oscars, but they were all in the "spectacle for the eyes and ears" categories. I guess it was a nature documentary then?

I burned through Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg in about a day. It's a modern myth about a young woman who is called by tradition to literally bear the (star) child of the Sun god, a labor that, historically, has always been fatal for the mother. Next up is War Lord by Bernard Cornwell; I've enjoyed many of his works in the past.

You're trying to turn a relative risk into an absolute. Getting some exposure doesn't mean you're going to catch it, it just increases your odds. Yes you can still minimize your risk and not live like a hermit.

That's not really an answer.

The longer you avoid getting COVID-19, the better the medical technology used to treat it and the more likely that an ICU bed will be available. Risk-wise, it still pays to isolate.

Hypothetically speaking, suppose the Ukraine and Russia come to terms with some treaty terms and transfer of territory. What is to prevent Russia from spending the next five years fixing their armed forces and then just repeating the invasion?

That was probably the first Star Wars movie I've seen that actually felt like a solid sci-fi drama, rather than space opera fantasy. But I agree that the character development aspect wasn't very good.

Yes, a lot of really horrific acts get justified during war time, including this one. I think if Russia does use nuclear weapons to avoid defeat, that will significantly increase the likelihood that a future NATO-Russian conflict will rapidly go nuclear as well. I'm picturing a Putin attempted land grab of the Baltic States where there is little likelihood of stopping the Russian advance, seeing the use of nukes to stop the lead columns.

I consider myself fortunate in missing that debacle, as the draft ended a year before I reached the age of eligibility. Honestly, I'm not sure my mind would have handled it well, all things considered.

Deliberate intent on the part of the high command or political leadership to, for example, commit violations of the Geneva convention on civilians as a tool for victory.

Well the drawback for everybody else is nobody can block your response, regardless of how disagreeable your position may be. One expects a certain level of discretion from a moderator.

Has there ever been a war where no war crimes were not committed? I suspect they are few and far between. In the end it's more a matter of intent (and extent).

Congratulations to Canada for a fine qualification run. They look pretty solid. The USMNT is one game away now; they just need to avoid getting destroyed by Costa Rica on Wednesday.

I see exactly the opposite; it has encouraged material support for Ukraine and has had a significant impact on the ground. Being wishy-washy instead would substantially weaken the West's position against Putin and further encourage his aggression.

The US' so-called "puerile" message encourages Western unity and strengthens the negotiating position vs. Putin. Remember it was Putin that burned that bridge with the territorial grab of the Crimea, an unwarranted invasion, and attacks on Ukranian civilians. There's nothing good about his behavior, and if he burns for it I'll shed no tears.

Bummer. So... back to the way it's always been then.

Looks like a manatee to me. Not sure what brained that makes me.

Yes, the Russian power image is being badly damaged by this conflict. They are starting to look like a paper tiger, and Putin is likely to act increasingly rash.