Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[THE_WIZARD_]

I thought I kilt you...STFU

[Jeff Buchanan]

The NYT ran a headline this morning that Putin has been quietly signaling that he is open to cease fire negotiations in Ukraine. These signals are reportedly coming from back-channel sources. Most recently, Putin is quoted as saying back channel that he wants to negotiate but does not want to withdraw from any of the Ukrainian territory he currently holds. Of course, that's not a negotiating position as far as the Ukrainians are concerned. Both sides still cling to their maximalist positions.

Recent trends in the battle space favor the Russians. They have made incremental gains in the last two months. Ukraine is short on ammunition and replacement soldiers and have had to cede territory that they reclaimed back to the Russians. The Russians have an advantage here. They have seized the initiative from the Ukrainians especially in the NE front not so much in the south. They can continue to feed conscripts into the battle space without a national mobilization. Ukraine is limited in that regard - Zelenski needs what would be a politically unpopular national mobilization. Putin can continue the track he is on which avoids what would be a politically destabilizing national call to service by relying on these formations that are privately being assembled. The wavering support in the US and to a lesser degree within the EU isn't helping Ukraine and instead is helping Putin. He's also hoping for a Trump victory which he claims will put a US president into the WH that will be "more constructive."

Within the US defense and state establishments there are arguments on both sides. Some think Zelenski needs to "face the reality" that he is going to be unable to boot the Russians out of the territory they have captured and are now effectively defending against a Ukrainian counter-offensive that failed to make the gains it thought it could. There are two sides on the Ukrainian side as well but those arguing to cede Ukrainian territory to the Russians are in a sizable minority. No single outcome is clear at this time. Resolution is a ways off and the scales are tipping in favor of a stronger negotiating position for Putin. That has to change and the Ukrainians have to regain the initiative with it's supporters getting on board and ignoring the defeatist narrative that I sense is unfortunately rising in the west......and, yes, I know several of you here will be fine with that. Watch out for what you wish for.

[Jeff Buchanan]

The IDF battling Hamas in Gaza is a very different story. Hamas is getting crushed at the cost of thousands of Palestinian non-combatants. Israel's unrestrained COA is becoming less and less sustainable in the face of world condemnation of the costs in human lives and suffering, I take the view, along with the IDF's general staff, that if Hamas did not embed itself within civilian neighborhoods and within civilian infrastructure, collateral damage to both people and structures would not be anywhere near as bad as it is.

Yes, there's a catastrophe of unprecedented scope to humanity greater than any of the previous wars Israel has fought to defend it's existence. A lot of that is due to the lethality of hybrid warfare in an urban setting; a lot of is due to the strategy Hamas has used since it is a terrorist operation and terrorists don't care about the cost to civilians of achieving their political objectives. People wailing about the inhumanity of this conflict, most of it coming from hand-wringing liberal peace activists and directed at Israel, need to understand a ME dominated by Iranian Islamic fundamentalists and their proxies is a terrible outcome and a direct hit on democracy. In that regard, there are similarities between what is going on in Ukraine and Gaza.

[Da Geezer]

The problem for The Chairman and his insane decision to own this shit with "Bidenomics" is that the inflation is an aggregate problem. And the solution is aggregate. 2 quarters of promising numbers are great, but if they're on top of 2 years of bad numbers then people still feel it no matter much you tell them they shouldn't.

And we are starting to import China's deflation. The rubber will hit the road when Chinese automakers can offer an EV for $ 20,000. Crush the auto unions, or really get going on the EV transition to stop climate change.

[lineygoblue]

The rubber will hit the road when Chinese automakers can offer an EV for $ 20,000. Crush the auto unions, or really get going on the EV transition to stop climate change.

Question will be, can China produce the number of EV's that the American public will demand at that price? I doubt that China would build factories in the US like the Japanese did with Toyota, Nissan, etc.

And if they try to market that $20K EV to Americans, they'll have to keep their ass out of Taiwan. US folks won't buy squat from China if they are exterminating the Taiwanese. Or, at least they shouldn't.

[lineygoblue]

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I remember when these were everywhere. I'd have a burger, fry and coke, .. and I'd get a nickel back for my $.50 cent piece.

[CGVT]

And you were making $1.50 an hour.

Jesus.

[lineygoblue]

And you were making $1.50 an hour.

My very first job in 1968, I was 14 years old, and I made $1.25 an hour as a dishwasher at a steak house.

I didn't get more than $1.50 an hour until I was about 17. That's when I went to work for Burger Chef and made about $1.60 an hour.

Gasoline was $.25 cents a gallon. I always griped when it went up to $.30 cents.

[CGVT]

My very first job in 1968, I was 14 years old, and I made $1.25 an hour as a dishwasher at a steak house.

I didn't get more than $1.50 an hour until I was about 17. That's when I went to work for Burger Chef and made about $1.60 an hour.

And you were grossly overpaid

[THE_WIZARD_]

JFC you are old.

[CGVT]

My first job was pumping gas. I got paid $1.76 an hour. Gas was $.50 a gal.

And yes, I was grossly overpaid.

Speaking of McDonald's

"Now my name is Art Kroc, spelled with a K. Like crocodile, not spelled that way..."

[lineygoblue]

"Grossly overpaid"

Yeah, the guy I worked for at the steak house thought he was paying me too much, .. but yet he let me have steak for my lunch break. Go figure.

I worked for a couple gas stations after I got out of HS. That was when at the end of the shift, you had to "balance" your money. If you were short, (and for some reason we always were) the shortage came out of your paycheck. The State of Michigan later told gas station operators they couldn't do that anymore.

When I worked for McDonalds, they only hired men. Girls started getting hired in about 1974, I believe...

[THE_WIZARD_]

Will you two take this to the geriatric thread...

[lineygoblue]

I think you should only post in the "Dads With The Strength To Sire Male Children" thread.

[THE_WIZARD_]

weak sauce