The Frankish Reich

From some Eastern European friends: invasions like this don't come from a position of political strength; they come from a position of political weakness. Putin's Russia is an economic basket case. Realizing that there is no way Russia will be able to emulate the economic success story of Poland and the Baltics, Putin realizes his legacy will be in reconstituting some manner of the Russian Empire. This is what makes it difficult to find a resolution. Ordinary geopolitical type solutions don't work. Have some kind of semi-autonomous Donbas region and a kind of free state in Crimea? It would obviously make sense from a military standpoint, and it would offer the hope of economic stability or even growth in Russia. But its an absolute nonstarter for Putin; it would be seen by him (and his people) as conceding defeat.

Growing pains. Moving on from the country Firebaugh Kid thing. Trying to find his place in the world of 200-million-aire I Fly Private set. Give him some space.

LOOK AT ME! I'M IGNORING YOU!! I WILL CONTINUE TO TAG YOU UNTIL YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT TAGGING YOU IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF IGNORING YOU!!! CHECK BACK IN 10 MINUTES ... I WILL CUT AND PASTE PROOF THAT I AM IGNORING YOU!!!

Yeah, those enlightened Enlightenment men understood that the products of your labor belonged to you and only you! Except when they belonged to the master who paid good money for you.

That would be a very different kind of mascot. If the idea is to scare the bejesus out of our opponents, hey, it's worth a try

The Colorado Buffaloes always employ a female even though it's named Ralphie. More manageable, they say. I'm all for it, with a crazyass man on horseback shooting blanks at it.

I have been in two "fights" in my life. Both were groups of white guys coming after me. The last one because one of my college friends tossed an open beer at them without me even knowing it.

Thank God we have those rightist communists in China to save the Eastern Hemishphere. (Do you actually read what you've written before clicking "Submit Reply?")

OK. But you didn't answer my question, you Trump Parrot. Answer the damn question. Quote the post where your buddy, DR's Ghost, posts something other than Trumpist orthodoxy.

I understand BillsFanNC is performatively “ignoring” me. So to the rest of you: has there EVER been a post where he departed from new Trumpist Republican orthodoxy? (I have departed from Biden/Democratic orthodoxy many, many times. Most recently just now in the gas stoves thread. So no fair saying “what about you?”)

I can't imagine even making sense of Tucker's "this is not how white people fight" comment. It kind of shows what a sheltered life he's lived, one where the TV shows he used to watch would have one guy in a bar challenge another to "take it outside" and then they'd dance around in some rock 'em sock 'em robot way.

They will. The problem is "how soon?" The magical material is nuclear to supplement renewables. I would love to have a heat pump to replace my gas furnace. My climate is really marginal for that. On the coldest days, I'd need to supplement it with something like electric room heaters, which would be really, really expensive. Technology will improve. But attempts to ban gas stoves as a way to get there is stupid, and it only encourages backlash.

Because Title 42 is based on a public health emergency (COVID). And that public health emergency declaration expires next week. I thought you guys believed any COVID emergency should have ended at least a couple years ago, right?

Are right-wingers ridiculously conspiratorial in their thinking? Absolutely. So the lefties don't aid their cause by doing something that clearly proves their conspiratorial point. This isn't about safety, or indoor CO emissions, or whatever. It is about nudging the American public toward an all-electric future, presumably with that electricity being produced by renewable energy. No gas connections to your residence = you have to get a heat pump instead of a gas furnace.

I thought I knew what that meant but I had to look it up to be sure. You're right! What is it with these modern-day George Will types desperately trying to seem manly? It says more about them than it does about the state of American masculinity.

That's what's so weird about this Tuckergram. A 50 year old "Christian" senses that there is some kind of unresolved conflict in his previously unexamined biases: - Antifa guy deserved to be killed, should have been killed - But the way he was jumped by 3 white guys was just uncool, not the Stand Up And Fight Man-to-Man Like A White Guy prep school Tucker standards, so maybe it's bad after all - But wait a minute: shouldn't I see that Antifa guy as a human being? What would Jesus do? So I guess it's good that he finally recognized this. Maybe there is a conscience somewhere in beneath that smug veneer. Here's Little Lord Tuckleroy learning How Honorable White Men Should Fight.

He was effective last year, and while he's definitely old, I see no reason to expect a significant drop-off this year, particularly (barring injury to the key guys!) with limited usage. I like the signing.

What a stupid, self-destroying policy. UNC went from "ordinary state flagship university" in my college days (it was a minor league neighbor of University of Virginia to the north) to "one of the top state research universities" in just one generation. What better way to kill that and drive leading scholars away. Republicans are now so obsessed with the owning-the-libs headlines that they're willing to engage in self-sacrifice.

Well, then it would benefit a team like the Bills to draft him in the 7th to eliminate his bargaining power, right? So I’m not getting it.

We need to get our chronology straight. Hodgins was the new Duke. Shorter is the new Hodgins.

Here’s what I consider instructive: the people you follow on Twitter.

Jordan Peterson back on the hillbilly heroin?

Where do these losers get the idea that they are the "strong minded," self-ordained to take out the "weak minded"? He's an 18 year old enlisted Air Force reservist with absolutely no record of accomplishment in his pathetic life. He spent hours and hours on gamer talk platforms with teenage losers who at least MAY grow out of it. We keep hearing about depressed teens and self-esteem issues. We have a crisis of unwarranted high esteem in our Gen Zers. Absolutely nothing in this little puke's life reflects strong mindedness or accomplishment.

I don'twanna even go there.

Better that he be named in honor of the God of The Dead than in honor of Cyrus Koundjio.