Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Mike]

Unicorn juice is where it's at. I have my whole retirement riding on it.

[Da Geezer]

Greiner either wasn't advised of Russian laws regarding CBD, or she didn't pay attention.

Years ago, a church I attended sent a group of men overseas to help build a church building. The locals didn't have the skills to do it so some men in our church who were in the construction business went over there to help them finish their building. Our men were REQUIRED to attend a day-long meeting where they were told what they could bring, what they could NOT bring, what they should do, what they should SAY, .. it was a complete briefing on the do's and don'ts of the country they were going to. They were told that failure to go along with local laws and customs could get them tossed in jail, or worse. Our guys went there, helped finish their building, and came back without incident.

Seems like someone should have briefed Greiner on what Russian laws were about CBD. I think she'll be released soon. Its all a political football right now. Putin hasn't finished measuring his penis yet.

She had played basketball for a team in Russia for several years. I read an article about it and she makes more money in Russia than in the US. She should have known the rules, and probably did.

[Dr. Strangelove]

In her guilty plea today she claims she accidentally threw in a small amount of the stuff into her luggage when packing. Could very well be true.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Tough shit.

[Dr. Strangelove]

lol, lots of people are having fun dunking on this and might as well join in

1) He's pandering to Iowans for 2024 purposes by hyping up their great gas station pizza

2) Numerous people have pointed out that Casey's are all over the great state of Arkansas too, including just minutes from Cotton's Little Rock office, and he might be more aware of that if he ever spent time in the state he represents. Hyuck hyuck.

[Da Geezer]

We're at a point with the US economy and America itself where we must adapt the American model of capitalism, with all it's current warts, or watch China pass us by. Despite those warts, it still is responsible for unprecedented growth in the American standard of living and for nations that have followed the model, global standards of living. Meanwhile, America is still a country of unprecedented freedom and lack of harmful regulation of our lives and the kinds of work we want to pursue. It's also arguably, for good or for bad, caused increasing and likely unhealthy concentration of wealth that at some point will become politically destabilizing.

Addressing necessary changes so as to adapt American capitalism to one capable of competing with other capitalist economic models, namely state capitalism of China, may be the most important undertaking of our time - more important than climate change, more important than curbing the expansionist militarism of Russia or China. Note I said compete, not become like. To do that involves restrictions on freedoms. There are many facets of American Capitalism that can't be beat - one in particular is the unrestrained benefits afforded to and will ultimately accrue to innovators and risk takers in dominant portions of the economy - services and technology. This is one of the reasons well educated foreigners want to come and work here with those kinds of opportunities unavailable elsewhere on earth. Those have have been present since the start and absolutely necessary to preserve.

Well said.

Particularly your point about innovation. Think about the guys who developed fracking. They were basically wildcatters, and they used their own money. How much better all our lives have been since the development of fracking. These guys got rich and I say, good for them. That is the kind of story we should be teaching our schoolchildren rather than drag queen story hour.

I do hesitate at the phrase "state capitalism". As I understand China's system, the individual is a cog in the wheel. Americans today simply don't value freedom properly and are willing to trade it for safety. And you know what Franklin said about that exchange.

And at some point, the US must make our climate policy equal to China's climate policy. We cannot let them use cheap and powerful fossil energy while we tie our hands with green energy. We have so thoroughly indoctrinated our young in the climate religion that training them otherwise is going to take a massive effort. It's no wonder that the Green groups are financed by Russia and China.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Wasting no time in pushing the envelope after the EPA decision, Texas declares that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has NO legal authority over the handling and storage of nuclear waste.

[AlabamAlum]

Former Japanese PM, Shinzo Abe, was shot. Shotgun blast (or two) from behind. Apparently in serious condition.

https://apple.news/AOfk5UMCGQj-iVUIFi0qlhQ

[Dr. Strangelove]

Holy shit. None of the reports I’m skimming sound good.

[Mike]

I just saw that and was gonna post about it. Only report I read so far is that he was unconscious at the scene. He’s probably toast.

[Dr. Strangelove]

There’s pictures of the assassin getting arrested and his weapon in this thread. Looks like something improvised, sawed off shotgun possibly. There’s a non graphic video floating around too. The shot was very loud.

[AlabamAlum]

He died. Horrible.

[Dr. Strangelove]

BBC says he bled to death. Had two apparent bullet wounds but doctors found no bullets in him. Having seen closeups of the gun it looks entirely home-made to me. Not just a sawed-off shotgun but a sawed-off homemade shotgun.

All I've seen about the assassin (on BBC) is that he's apparently a former member of Japan's Navy who may have told police that he was "disappointed" in Abe. They've found explosives at his home.

This is the most significant assassination in Japan since WWII

[Dr. Strangelove]

Moscow City Council member given 7 years in prison for criticizing the war in Ukraine and for calling it a "war". Believed to be the first person given a stiff sentence under the new laws.

Moscow councillor jailed for seven years after criticising Ukraine war | Russia | The Guardian

[Tom W]

Moscow City Council member given 7 years in prison for criticizing the war in Ukraine and for calling it a "war". Believed to be the first person given a stiff sentence under the new laws.

Moscow councillor jailed for seven years after criticising Ukraine war | Russia | The Guardian

So, it's a good thing that Jeff doesn't live in Russia..