Just like us Westerners, Russian nuclear doctrine is public knowledge. This is to reduce the chances of an avoidable misunderstanding leading to catastrophe.

In the twenty plus years that Putin has been in power, their nuclear doctrine has gotten more conservative, a good thing. Basically, only an existential threat to the regime would permit the use of nukes.

Launching requires Vlad, his Minister of Defense and his Chief of Staff to all simultaneously turn the key. Knowing that the Americans would launch in return means Vlad has to convince two fellow rich guys to commit suicide. Won't happen.

Plus, every nuclear power is making double sure not to set off Armageddon so we are collectively safer than before Putin's invasion. So sleep well at night.

Rock Candy - Montrose

And, a really great cover ...

Rock Candy - Parallel 49: United We Rock (Montrose cover)

Aloha, everyone!

Pua Hone

Ku'u Ipo Ka He'e Pue One

Waika

The Brothers Cazimero in Concert

The Beach Boys' Christmas Album - 4 Song Set (1964)

It was to be a sci-fi themed suite of songs entitled The Invincible Yang. Perhaps I'll present more about that another time. For now, we stick with the water theme and a tune off of the 1980 album, Young and Restless, the last of four studio albums with Ron Tabak on lead vocals ...

PRiSM - Runnin' For Cover

Special thanks to Joshua for getting into the spirit of things early this evening!

I'll start things off with something very special from the Beach Boys.

The Smile Sessions is an album, released in 2011, that comes closest to the "most famous unreleased album ever" - Smile. More special thanks to my other favourite political analyst for bringing this almost masterpiece to my attention this evening. Smile, he said, would have been the greatest album of the sixties and bested the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper had Brian not cracked.

Below is a review of The Smile Sessions, followed by the full album ...

The Beach Boys: the Smile Sessions Album Review

The Beach Boys - The Smile Sessions - Full Album

https://youtu.be/t45DKmtzTHo

I won't be around tonight, but thanks for the invite and enjoy yourself.

I think I'm gonna get our regular Sunday night party going tonight as I'm not working as originally scheduled. No particular theme, though it is Christmas a week from today, so ... Hope you'll consider being a part of it!

From there, I systematically ask a set of questions.
Do I think the Ukraine is blatantly wrong in assuming that Putin would not bargain in good faith and had goings on in Russia (and in his head) that made this happen?
No, I can't say they're blatantly wrong. They may be wrong, I wish they were wrong in their assumptions, but I think their call is not unreasonable.

Do I think one side is right (no one in the world qualifies as "good guys," but the question is still legit)?
Yes, I think the Ukraine qualifies as the good guys here.

Given that, do I think that the US and NATO should risk possible escalation scenarios to assist the Ukraine in this fight? Yes, I do.

You and I can disagree about this, of course, but that's what I've got.

Hooray for the McLaughlin Awards! It is a pleasure to end the year with *two* FTPs that make me think, remind me of some highlights - and lowlights - of the year, and make me laugh. Thank you, Chris.

I second all of that! Just finished reading all of the awards. Not that these write themselves - far from it! - but there sure was no shortage of material this year.

Looking forward to next week!

Biden's big mistake is trying to make everybody think that Ukraine's membership in NATO ever had a snowball's chance in Hell of happening. He also pretended to ignore very simple geopolitics. All of which I, for one, will never forgive him.

Biden's move to put a State Department guy at the head of the CIA was brilliant. That's the Biden I know and love.

Of course, I agree with the Ukrainians that simple surrender at the beginning was not an option, and there's no appeasement strategy that would qualify as being in Ukraine's best interest, so there's that.

I know I'm late but, how about the latest release of JFK Assassination Files. You know, the ones that the FBI and CIA and Joe Biden reckon that we are allowed to see. Ahem.

Speaking of which, there is only one of those files that interests me. It's the FBI report written by the two FBI agents present at the (official) autopsy.

This was the FBI report that formed the basis for David S. Lifton's book Best Evidence: Disguise and Deception in the Assassination of John F. Kennedy.

In their report, FBI agents Sibert and O'Neill state that when the president's body was placed on the autopsy table it was wrapped in a sheet with additional wrapping around the head. They then wrote: "Following the removal of the wrapping ... it was apparent that a tracheotomy had been performed, as well as surgery to the head area, namely, in the top of the skull."

Lifton concludes that, since the doctors at Parkland hospital in Dallas had not performed any "surgery of the head area", the body of the president - which should have provided the 'best evidence' (by way of an official autopsy report) to determine how he was killed - was tampered with and altered at some point before the official autopsy.

So, any more files that the US government deems safe to release can only be boring by comparison!

does anyone really believe that the money Russia "allocated" to maintenance was actually spent maintaining their arsenal? I most certainly do not.Thank you for showing us that, President Zelenskyy.

Well, if Z and Ukraine end up accomplishing even a little more than that, do you think it would all have been worth it? For Ukraine, I mean, not the US. ;)

With the quote from his 'Pearl Harbor' speech, it's worth noting that former Drumpf press secretary Sean Spicer confused Pearl Harbor with D Day recently.

*Producer as well as comic actor.

"In other news, the HRC today announced that they have decided to recognize Ms. Spiderwood's plight, saying the community will now be known as LGBTQ+W."

Speaking as a member of the LGBTQ community also myself, we happily welcome Wiccans into the rainbow family.

"Last comment: No one ever has, in all of history, executed a witch.

People have murdered women, but no witch has ever been harmed!!!"

Hear, hear! So very true! Reminds me of an episode of the TV series "Bewitched" where Samantha and Darrin were both put on trial for witchcraft, and Samantha demonstrated and taught them all a lesson about how they were actually only persecuting other mortals like themselves for being different, and how they could never really hold a real witch like herself.

"Or, do ya think he'll be in prison by then. Hehehehehehe"

Trump will definitely at least be arrested before 2023 is over!

People have murdered women, but no witch has ever been harmed!!!

Sure, they can do something disgustingly awful, create a few mushroom clouds, but they can't engage in a nuclear war. Russia can no longer destroy the world x number of times over.

You allude to it, but the grift: They invaded the Ukraine in February and there wasn't enough winter gear for their soldiers. Repeat for effect: RUSSIA didn't have enough winter gear for their soldiers.

90-95% of all of their military capability monies were embezzled. The "officer" cut was small. The oligarch cut, much larger.

Fact: The US spends $60-70 Billion every year maintaining our nuclear arsenal. I'm sure some of that is "stolen," but I'm also pretty sure we can still blow up the world x number of times.

Maintaining a nuclear arsenal is expensive and non-trivial. It's not just the radioactive material. Heck, the silo doors need to have their hinges greased to prevent rusting, as a silly, but true, example. After the Ukraine invasion, does anyone really believe that the money Russia "allocated" to maintenance was actually spent maintaining their arsenal?

I most certainly do not.

Thank you for showing us that, President Zelenskyy.

I felt the need to comment on Biggest Winner of 2022 b/c you did name Putin as a possibility in Biggest Loser, so the category isn't limited to domestic. But, you caught my comment at the end, with Person of the Year. Way cool!

Hillary was the only opposing candidate that Trump could beat, and it took something of a perfect storm.

So is Trump was the only opposing candidate that Biden could beat? I don't know, Joe has delivered on a lot of fronts. I can see him winning reelection and resigning in favor of Kamala with 18-24 months left to go in his second term.

The woman in question, Selma Spiderwood, celebrated her 328 birthday days before being released from the MA prison... which some say proved that she was actually a witch. When asked about how people still claiming she was a witch suddenly turned into frogs, Ms. Spiderwood responded, "I was born this way. You cannot fault me for wanting to be my true self."

In other news, the HRC today announced that they have decided to recognize Ms. Spiderwood's plight, saying the community will now be known as LGBTQ+W.

Good luck finding a Dem who can beat Trump in 2024. Of course, if Trump isn't the nominee, then the Dems will have good odds for winning the WH in 2024, even without Biden. So, there!

Just don't run again, right? 'Cause you just can't be best AND oldest, can you ... :-)