Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[CGVT]

Bought a new car today. Highlander SUV. Turbo. All the bells and whistles. Anyway. They washed it and filled the tank and I was getting ready to drive it off and noticed a large, ugly dealership sticker on the back. I said, “y’all have to take that off. They’re not paying me to advertise.” What other place would you buy an item and expect the store you bought it from to place a sticker on what you bought?

The F&I guy looked at me like I had pissed on his grandmother’s head, but said, “I’ll get the lot guy to take it off.”

Am I the asshole here? Would you buy a suit from Brooks Bros and have a patch sewn on the sleeve that said “Bought at Brooks Bros”?

Not an asshole, at least in this instance, but there are times...

[THE_WIZARD_]

...now that's the asshole...calling an asshole...an asshole...

[CGVT]

STFU.

SPOILERAsshole.

[THE_WIZARD_]

no

[foxhopper]

We are all assholes, but I think all three of you are dumbasses for three different reasons...

[THE_WIZARD_]

et tu foxhopper?

[Jeff Buchanan]

There are two stories coming out of the war in Ukraine this weekend: The first is the fracturing of the chain of command that manages Putin's war revealed in the post Prigozhen mutiny era. The second is the truth about what is keeping the Ukrainian counter-offensive from making the territorial gains required to come close to achieving Zelenski's goal of removing the Russian occupiers from the territory that defined Ukraine prior to 2014.

Observers and military analysts have argued that the firing spree, now underway and undertaken presumably by the Russian MoD, will have untoward impact on Russia's ability to defend what it has occupied and subsequently declared as annexed territory now belonging to the Russian Federation. The purge, as it is identified in the press, is a result of Prigozhen breaking through the barrier of silence about set backs and then several other commanders following his lead criticizing the leadership of the MoD. The way to silence the complaining and revelation of major problems with Russia's reserves (their deployable manpower) and ammunition supply of engaged units, is to punish disloyalty. This just masks problems that beg to be solved if Putin continues to embrace his maximalist goals in Ukraine. These are problems that are going to have long term consequences on Russia's combat power making facts on the ground not aligned with the altered realty that propogandists of the Russian state wish to have presented to the Russian people and the governments of the states that are either neutral or support Putin's war.

The problem the west is facing is that without Ukraine achieving some clear and measurable successes on the ground the war will drag on for months if not years. This eventuality is a destabilizing factor on both the global economy and security, the later having been guaranteed by the post-WWII institutions and legal framework that constitutes the current world order; which BTW, the axis powers and their lesser supporters wish to have it come to an end, replacing American and western European influence on global events with a poltical and military multi-polarism.

What's holding up the Ukrainian armed forces? The extensive minefields and layered defenses the Russian army has had more than a year to create. These defenses, especially the extensive minefields the Russians have laid, have caused significant personnel and equipment losses within the Ukrainian army units trying to move forward and oust the Russians from their trenches and fortifications. It's been a slog by all accounts with attrition, recently admitted, being experienced by the Ukrainians rather than the Russians - attriting the Russian armed forces and preserving Ukrainian combat power a stated strategic goal of Ukraine not being met.

[Da Geezer]

sniff.jpg

OH, God! I never thought of that.

[Da Geezer]

Bought a new car today. Highlander SUV. Turbo. All the bells and whistles. Anyway. They washed it and filled the tank and I was getting ready to drive it off and noticed a large, ugly dealership sticker on the back. I said, “y’all have to take that off. They’re not paying me to advertise.” What other place would you buy an item and expect the store you bought it from to place a sticker on what you bought?

The F&I guy looked at me like I had pissed on his grandmother’s head, but said, “I’ll get the lot guy to take it off.”

Am I the asshole here? Would you buy a suit from Brooks Bros and have a patch sewn on the sleeve that said “Bought at Brooks Bros”?

You are 100% right. In fact, the customer is always right.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Finished All the Pretty Horses and am about 20% done with The Crossing. Just from a personal taste pov I preferred All the Pretty Horses to Blood Meridian.

[AlabamAlum]

ATPH is a great read. The movie (at least at the time) turned future generations off the book (unfairly so, but what are you gonna do?).

[AlabamAlum]

“The Road” is probably my fav, but I do love “Blood Meridian” as well.

[THE_WIZARD_]

STFU

[Dr. Strangelove]

“The Road” is probably my fav, but I do love “Blood Meridian” as well.

Blood Meridian is maybe saying bigger things than ATPH but the latter is a better read, yeah. It helps to have protagonists where you care about what happens to them.

[Dr. Strangelove]