Comments on: Friday Talking Points -- Finally, A Messaging War Democrats Can Easily Win

By: BashiBazouk

BashiBazouk — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 02:42:47 +0000

Liz, yes St Augustine, though I got the impression he was outside the city...

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 01:46:09 +0000

[78]

Excellent, poet. I never heard of them until yesterday afternoon. Three different grapes yields (as one would expect) complexity and I would select it again. I’m also big on an Aussie company called “19 Crimes.”

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 01:41:58 +0000

[76]

I figure that troll Michale — who will NOT show his face in this place for years to come (because the Repugs are completely fucked) has to be some kinda cracker from some southern State.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 00:37:24 +0000

Bashi,

Didn't I pay tribute to Robbie? I must have done! If not, I will have to rectify that. I know I paid tribute somewhere...

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 21:40:51 +0000

@bashi,

good point about robbie. he was huge even in the overall development of rock.

@caddy,

i've had menage, they're a big enough producer that they get sent over to the right coast too, though perhaps not their best stuff.

@liz,

enjoy!

By: BashiBazouk

BashiBazouk — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 20:38:22 +0000

Ya know, it's odd that you would memorize Jimmy Buffett and not Robbie Robertson who passed three/four weeks ago and is from the general Toronto area. The Band was more important in the development of music, Buffett for the development of alcoholism. Liz is usually all over the local talent...

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 18:46:34 +0000

Saint Augustine ... isn't that where Michale's at?

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 18:32:35 +0000

Missed you last night, Caddy ... :(

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 18:32:19 +0000

There seems to be quite a variety of Kolsch here in sunny southern Ontario so I should have fun finding a favourite! :)

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 17:35:38 +0000

according to craftbeering.com, the main characteristic of a kolsch is that it's an ale but it's brewed cold like a lager. i just know it tastes great.

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 17:24:38 +0000

I drank a bottle of Soft Red Blend from a California company called Ménage a Trois…too early in the afternoon and hence I slept through last night. Excellent job, especially posting all the biographical info and taking the time to include the song titles for future reference.

Yup, wonderful Key West (or maybe Saint Augustine) are the only places in Florida that I would consider living at.

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 17:22:38 +0000

hard for me to say, as the stuff i buy probably isn't as widely available where you live and vice-versa. there's a great brewing scene all around portland, seattle and vancouver, so i'd search by region for the best value available. my own preference within the varietal is for a darker "schwartzbier" style kolsch, but it's a great category of craft brew so really it's hard to go wrong.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 14:36:40 +0000

There are so many kinds of Kolsch beer, Joshua ... which one should I try first?

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 14:30:04 +0000

Not really.

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 13:17:40 +0000

No, were you?

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 12:55:07 +0000

Joshua[9],

Were you drunk when you wrote that? :-)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 05:26:56 +0000

I'm a bit tired and can't sit straight at the moment so I'll listen to the tunes tomorrow ... er, later today, Joshua ...

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 05:19:21 +0000

And, I'll say g'nite to one and all and leave you with this Cooper Brothers tune and a wish that everyone stays as safe and sane as possible in this crazy world in which we live. See y'all next time around. Rock! The Cooper Brothers (from Ottawa) - Life Names the Tune-We Dance

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 05:14:31 +0000

Before I call it a night and as promised, I'd like to share with everyone a new musical discovery I made this week. It came by way of a very interesting and fun analysis video by Fil Henley of Wings of Pegasus. He took a look at a YouTube video to see if the dreaded autotuning or pitch correction was used in a certain song by an Australian singer. The singer is Gotye and the song is Somebody That I Used To Know. I had never heard of this singer or song before but it has really grown on me since first hearing it this week. First, have a listen to the song and then delve into it with Fil's analysis: Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know So, did Gotye vocally 'cheat' on this song? Or, is it listener ignorance?

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:46:38 +0000

The UK has a new defense secretary. His name is Grant Shapps. This is his fifth big government job in the past year during which he has served under three different prime ministers. Pretty neat, eh? Also, he has no background in defense and has never been in the military. This seems to be a trend and not only in the UK. Ahem.

Anyway, interestingly enough, his cousin co-founded the British punk rock band, the Clash ...

The Clash - London Calling

London calling to the faraway towns
Now war is declared and battle comes down
London calling to the underworld
Come out of the cupboard, you boys and girls

London calling, now don't look to us
Phony Beatlemania has bitten the dust
London calling, see we ain't got no swing
'Cept for the ring of that truncheon thing

The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin
Engines stop running but I have no fear
'Cause London is drowning and I live by the river

(London calling) To the imitation zone
Forget it, brother, you can go it alone
London calling to the zombies of death
Quit holding out and draw another breath

London calling and I don't wanna shout
But while we were talking I saw you nodding out
London calling, see we ain't got no high
Except for that one with the yellowy eyes

The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear era but I have no fear
'Cause London is drowning and I, I live by the river

Now get this
London calling, yes, I was there too
And you know what they said?
Well, some of it was true
London calling at the top of the dial
And after all this, won't you give me a smile?
London calling
I never felt so much alike

Songwriters: Christopher Paul Bemand.

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:37:06 +0000

ok, i'm off. have a good night...

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:32:26 +0000

and here's the 13 second clip i was referencing, in case you're interested...

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:30:57 +0000

i don't think i'll ever be able to have a real cheeseburger again, unless i'm about to die anyway so the dairy allergy won't matter. hmm, i wonder if i should put a cheeseburger in my will as the last thing to touch my lips before i die.

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:29:15 +0000

garcon, coffee!

garcon means boy.

~pulp fiction

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:28:58 +0000

i actually had a (homemade) cheeseburger for dinner tonight. :)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:24:18 +0000

I'll check out that link in just a sec, Joshua ... as soon as I get a refill ... waiter!?

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:23:23 +0000

Oops ... I'll have another glass, please. :) Rolling Stone Magazine Tribute to Jimmy Buffett

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:22:31 +0000

https://www.foodandwine.com/drinks/what-is-kolsch

"What Is a Kölsch Beer and Why Should You Be Drinking One?"

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:21:54 +0000

"Buffett could have easily called this song “A Pirate Looks at 67.” A burnished, late-period gem from Songs from St. Somewhere, it returns to the themes of his youth but from an older, been-there-sailed-that perspective. “It seems to me my life’s still free and wild,” he admits, but the melody, far less jaunty than in the past, suggests he knows he’s starting to wind down. With its haunted pedal steel, the song is more reminiscent of mid-Seventies Neil Young than Buffett’s own work from that time." — David Browne, Rolling Stone Jimmy Buffett - Tides (2013) And, there you have it. Tonight's tribute to the great Jimmy Buffett came courtesy of Rolling Stone and what that magazine does best. Thanks to RS writers David Browne, Jon Dolan and Joseph Hudak for their 15 essential songs tribute to Jimmy Buffett.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:16:25 +0000

"By this time, Buffet had become a North Star for mainstream country music, which was producing big hits by coopting his beachy sounds and imagery. He leaned hard into radio-country himself with this track written by Music Row heavyweights Mark Irwin, Josh Kear, and Chris Tompkins about a rowdy bar on the Alabama border. “At the Bama Breeze,” Buffet sings, you could shoot pool, act a fool, and play it cool. While more polished than some of Buffet’s best songs, it proved he could compete with the country stars he so influenced." — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone Bama Breeze

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:11:05 +0000

"This lovely reflection on aging was originally recorded with a meditative reggae lilt and a horn section by Texas singer-songwriter Stephen Bruton in 1998. Buffett and Martina McBride refashioned it as a wonderfully empathetic country duet for Buffett’s 2004 collection License to Chill, where he also appeared alongside Kenny Chesney, Bill Withers, Nanci Griffith, Toby Keith, and others. Against sunrise guitars, the pair get adorably comfortable in the strange space between resignation and contentment, between embracing the past and hanging on for tomorrow as best you can." — Jon Dolan Jimmy Buffett with Martina McBride - Trip Around the Sun

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:06:46 +0000

Cheers, everyone! Okole maluna!!!

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:05:57 +0000

Okay, what's kolsch ... I'm polishing off a bottle of wine, Malbec from Argentina.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:04:53 +0000

"While technically an Alan Jackson song that features Buffet, this happy hour singalong is inextricably linked to the king Parrothead. He made it a staple of his live shows and performed it more than a few times with the country singer, who in the recorded version tees up his guest with a lyric that belongs on a T-shirt: “What would Jimmy Buffet do?” Enter Buffet, who sings a chorus before enganging in some ad-libbed back and forth with AJ about sailing off to Margaritaville." — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone Listening to this just now was so damn fun, I cried ... wishing we could all feel this way all the time. It's Five O'Clock Somewhere

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:59:30 +0000

i'm on two pints of kolsch

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:59:11 +0000

or maybe live to eat don't just eat to live

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:58:42 +0000

enjoy all the fruits life can give,
don't just live to eat, eat to live

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:57:36 +0000

"Big Meat owes Buffet a heifer-sized debt of gratitude for all he did to promote burger eating. While vegans may recoil at a song that pines for something ordered “medium-rare with Muenster,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise” kicked into high gear the salivary glands of carnivores everywhere. It’s not just a novelty song either. Rather, it’s a Zen-like reminder to appreciate the simple things. Like Warren Zevon (whose songs Buffet covered live in concert) said, “Enjoy every sandwich.”" — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone Jimmy Buffett - Cheeseburger in Paradise

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:54:36 +0000

Chagall Guevara - "Murder in the Big House"

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:54:29 +0000

I think of Key West, often ...

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:54:04 +0000

"In anyone else’s hands, this song — a lovely pop ballad and Buffett’s first top 40 hit — would have been utterly unrelatable. Starting with its opening line, about heading to San Francisco for “the Labor Day weekend show,” it hints at the drudgery of the rock touring lifestyle and leaving a loved one behind. But as the narrator clings to the thought of a reunion with his partner, the song soon becomes far more universal than just another on-the-road ramble. In an early indication of the way Buffett could also connect with his fans, he admits upfront he isn’t cool: “I got my Hush Puppies on/I guess I never was meant for glitter rock and roll." But he was meant for plenty of other things." - David Browne, Rolling Stone Jimmy Buffett - Come Monday

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:51:38 +0000

they abide.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:50:21 +0000

How is Key West doing these days ... after being hit by a big Hurricane ...

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:48:55 +0000

Joshua,

You're too funny! LOL

Don't say I didn't reply. :-)

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:43:59 +0000

cowboy junkies - me and the devil blues

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:42:22 +0000

"if you've lost your mind, you'll find it there..."

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:40:39 +0000

if i don't get a reply, i'm going to start talking politics.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:39:51 +0000

"It’s the song that birthed the Parrothead salute — the meeting of palms above the head every time Buffett shouts “Fins Up!” onstage and shimmying like a fish. Sure, it looks silly as hell, but it’s as fun as this 1979 anthem about a beautiful warm-weather transplant fending off the advances of those “sharks that can swim on the land.” Originally appearing on Buffett’s Volcano album, “Fins” isn’t just a song, it’s a literal movement." — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone Jimmy Buffett - Fins

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:35:27 +0000

"Buffett crafted the ultimate tale of maritime wanderlust with the title track to his 1978 album. There are geographical references to Trinidad, a grocery aisle’s worth of allusions to Caribbean delicacies (chief among them, rum), and enough sailing jargon to fill a manual. But the song is defined by its honest-to-goodness faith in the unknown. “Where it all ends I can’t fathom my friends,” Buffet admits near the end, before dropping one of the best payoff lines of his entire catalog: “I’m just glad I don’t live in a trailer.”" - Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone Jimmy Buffett - Son of a Son of a Sailor

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:34:43 +0000

hometown band? what the hell is my hometown band? pretty much everybody i'd imagine... buffett was probably best situated in key west, FL. for anyone who hasn't been, i absolutely recommend it. key west (dylan)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:32:40 +0000

"The utterly charming title track of the album that also gave us “Margaritaville” mines a similar pop-calypso feel, but it’s less melancholy than the far bigger hit. There’s still plenty of drinking (rum and red wine) and much rueful longing over the adventures of the previous year. But while the narrator of “Margaritaville” seems a bit lost, this Buffett is more at peace with his escapades and run-ins, and its key line — “If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane” — deftly summed up the appeal of Buffett’s music and image." — David Browne, Rolling Stone Jimmy Buffett - Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:21:25 +0000

"Folk singer-songwriter Steve Goodman wrote and recorded this song about American expats enjoying the fruits of imperialism in Latin America, “spending those renegade pesos/On a bottle of rum and a lime.” Buffett infused Goodman’s social critique with a warm ambivalence and an honest sense of identification, as if he might’ve had people he’d met personally when he sang lines like, “Some of them are running to lovers/Leaving no forward address/Some of them are running tons of ganja/Some are running from the IRS.” The song came out in 1977, the peak year of punk rock. Rock critics would soon be rushing to congratulate bands like the Clash and the Gang of Four for interrogating the ambiguities and contradictions of capitalism “from the inside.” Buffett does that perfectly here (not that too many critics were listening), and he does it with a shrug and smile and a slice of lime in your drink to go with it." - Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone Jimmy Buffett - Banana Republics

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:15:39 +0000

"The song that launched an empire, from a resort chain to a short-lived Broadway musical, is at its core a bit of a downer. The narrator is apparently alone near the beach, watching tourists and bumming over a relationship gone wrong. And let’s not forget the cut heel, the lost condiments and the “frozen concoctions that help me hang on.” As Buffett himself told RS in 2107, “There was a melancholy to Key West, and there is a melancholy to people who are escaping.” But there’s a reason “Margaritaville,” which Buffett said he wrote in five minutes at an airport, transcends its story and became his best-known and most loved song. The chorus instantly lodges in your brain, the song overall has a rakish charm, and you just have to root for the guy, who goes from admitting “it’s nobody’s fault” in the first chorus to “I know it’s my own damn fault” in the last. He may be a slacker, but at least he’s self-aware." — David Browne, Rolling Stone Jimmy Buffett - Margaritaville

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:11:45 +0000

"At a time when most of his fellow singer-songwriters were relentlessly downcast and introspective, Buffett could display a lighter, more puckish touch; in other words, the dude had a sense of humor. Part of 1976’s Havana Daydreamin’, “My Head Hurts …” could easily be a country song: The narrator winds up in a bar, listening to Merle Haggard records, before hooking up with a fellow customer and waking up at her place, hungover, the next morning. From the use of the word “Darvon” (not a product you’d hear about in a country tune) to the intentionally corny countrypolitan backup choir in the arrangement, Buffett revels in country cliches and tweaks them at the same delicious time." — David Browne, Rolling Stone Jimmy Buffett - My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink and I Don't Love Jesus

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:07:43 +0000

"If there was ever a hint of a dark side to Buffett’s work, it could be found in this concert standard from his fifth album, A1A. The narrator, based on a real-life Buffett pal named Phil Clark, arrives at middle age looking back on a life of drug smuggling, drinking, and chasing women. Those days are gone: “I made enough money to buy Miami, but I pissed it away so fast,” Buffett sings. But the song is ultimately about wisdom and resilience, reflecting with a sense of loss but not regret, and Buffett makes the tale go down easy with an island-breeze melody that conveys a what-me-worry beach lifestyle before it all went south." ... David Browne, Rolling Stone Jimmy Buffett - A Pirate Looks At Forty

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 03:03:59 +0000

"The opening track to 1973’s A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean is a story-song about knocking over a gas station for 15 bucks, a can of motor oil, a jar of cashews, and a TV. It’s not exactly the Lufthansa heist, but Buffet and his pellet-gun-wielding accomplice celebrate it as such with one too many beers. Their drunken party ends with the cops showing up to rough ‘em, cuff ‘em, and toss them in the can. It’s a lighthearted romp, but stands as a prime example of the wry wit that Buffet would perfect in the years to come." — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone Jimmy Buffett - The Great Filling Station Holdup

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 02:58:34 +0000

Jimmy Buffett was a great storyteller songwriter. Here is one about a guy who went to Paris ... Jimmy Buffett - He Went To Paris

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 02:51:54 +0000

Helix - Dream On Helix - Wild in the Streets Helix - Heavy Metal Love Helix - The Kids Are All Shakin' Helix - Deep Cuts the Knife

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 02:37:42 +0000

I'm pretty proud of my hometown band, Helix. They have been rockin' for close to 50 years but I have only become a fan recently. So, I have A LOT to make up for. I've seen them twice in concert since the Pandemic and am so looking forward to seeing them later this month here in Kitchener-Waterloo. Currently, they are performing in Hamburg, Germany. They were the first North American band to have a number one record in Sweden! Here are few of my favourite Helix tunes ... Helix - Rock You (Uncensored Version)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 02:21:14 +0000

It's two and a half hours long but very relaxing on a busy long holiday weekend ...

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 02:20:23 +0000

Here's a great two and hour tribute to Jimmy Buffett ... take some time and enjoy! Jimmy Buffett - Live From Key West 2015 - Tribute to Jimmy

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 02:13:28 +0000

Okay, everyone ... welcome one and all to the CW Sunday Night Music Festival and Dance Party where we leave all the political chatter aside in favour of basking in the glory of the music. Of course, the tunes may be as political as we wish, as per usual. Heh. Anyway, sad news this week with the passing of Jimmy Buffett, man of the islands. I've been to Key West and fell in love with it. We all have our very own 'Margaritaville' and this tune, along with Sunny Days, have been my life's theme songs. Rock on, Jimmy! Margaritaville - Lost Verse!

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 22:26:05 +0000

I'm not sure what I haven't been clear about Re. the Ukraine war and I don't disagree with much of what you have had to say about it. Do I think Ukraine has every right to defend itself and maintain its territorial integrity? Yes, I do! Do I think it has every right to apply for NATO membership? Yes, I do! Do I think NATO should accept that application? No, I do not. For reasons I have already explained. Have US actions over the last many decades with regard to its Ukraine policy been detrimental to Ukraine. Absolutely, positively, unequivocally! It doesn't make any sense to be pushing for Ukrainian membership in NATO when the US knows full well that wasn't going to happen. It still probably won't happen. At least not any time soon. Was Biden wrong to not negotiate over Ukrainian membership in NATO? Yes, it was an idiotic move not to engage in discussion with Russia over the last few decades about how NATO would interact with Ukraine. Ukrainian membership in NATO makes no sense! Would Putin have chosen differently if president Biden hadn't said that Ukrainian membership in NATO was a 'sacred cow' and decidedly off of the negotiating table? Who the Hell knows. But, Biden made sure we wouldn't find out. Do I believe Ukraine can win this war with Russia? No, I do not believe it can. Of course, that depends a lot on how you define winning. I think it is high time that Ukraine cut its losses and wait for a better time to resolve its territorial issues diplomatically another time.

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 21:18:04 +0000

Over the 18 months of our discussion of this conflict you have NOT addressed any of the issues that I’ve raised. I sure wish you would engage and therefore change my mind — which you should have no difficulty doing, but for your lack of willingness to ENGAGE. It’s as though you’ve bought into Rooskie propaganda and won’t suffer any challenge to your gullibility.

On a completely different subject…the only Jimmy Buffett song that I know is Margaritaville. So I’m glad that you and nypoet will flesh out my JB appreciation.

Aaand I’m looking forward to the “discovery” you have alluded to.

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 21:07:45 +0000

[14]

Once again Elizabeth, NATOf membership being taken off the table would NOT have prevented the subsequent FULL-SCALE invasion (Russia started this war in 2014, so I don’t know why Joe’s actions effected the Russian strategic plan for restoring Soviet-era control over Eastern Europe). It would have ONLY told Putin that he can finish the invasion of Ukraine without fear of significant consequences. Just like in 2014 when Obama reacted like his typical pussy self and didn’t do dink to disincentivize Putin. Gawd I effing hate Obama.

Any kind of Ukrainian territorial concessions would merely POSTPONE — and ONLY for a moment — Putin continuing his drive through Ukraine and into the Bessarabian gap (inside NATO member Romania) as well as the Polish plains (um, another NATO member.) These are two of the nine difficult to defend historical invasion routes into Russia. Going back to the Mongols in C.E. 1250 the Russians have suffered some 50 invasions so you can understand how sensitive they are to potential (re)invasion routes and the need to forward position to such places as Romania and Poland.

At this point Russia are down to the LAST handful of years that Moscow will have enough military age people to realistically expand back out to the territory of the Soviet Union. NATO membership is simply an EXCUSE of Putin for an invasion that was ALWAYS going to happen in these waning years of the Russian demographic.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 11:20:12 +0000

And, there'll be a little Jimmy Buffett tribute, too - bring along your favourite tune from Margaritaville. :)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 11:13:46 +0000

I made a special discovery this long weekend and am really looking forward to sharing it tonight. Be there or be square! :)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 11:12:32 +0000

Besides, the Kyiv government hasn't shown any sign, whatsoever, that it would go for such an outcome. Quite the contrary, in fact. I believe Z has the Biden administration right where he wants it - a very enviable position for a client state that would fall without US support.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 05:35:57 +0000

I will NEVER forgive Biden for not negotiating over NATO membership instead of stubbornly taking it off of the negotiating table.

I have concluded that he really is too old.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 05:32:26 +0000

That is just crazy, Joshua ... Ukraine's illusory membership in NATO is at the bloody heart of this stupid war in the first place.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 05:03:50 +0000

If the Biden admin thinks THAT will end this war, then they are well beyond delusional.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 05:02:35 +0000

Well, that is completely ass-backwards.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 05:01:59 +0000

floating NATO membership? is that what you think they're doing!?

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 02:45:37 +0000

the biden admin is actually being pretty shrewd on ukraine right now. they're floating nato membership in exchange for ceding territory russia already holds.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 23:36:01 +0000

Hey, everyone! Biden and Trump are tied again in the latest CNN poll. Of course, the Ukraine offensive is going just according to plan, as well, so ... ;)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 16:31:01 +0000

And, another thing while I'm on a roll ...

When, oh WHEN will the US stop sponsoring and/or fighting STUPID wars?

Ah ... NOT a rhetorical question. Ahem.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 14:37:22 +0000

You recall how I often referred to Hillary's better half as her presidential campaign sabotaging husband? Well, Biden has a presidential campaign sabotaging son, potentially.

What is it with Democrats!!?

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 14:29:02 +0000

I'd like to hear more about the, ah, Hunter Biden affair that refuses to go away.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 13:50:29 +0000

I think there should be less talk about Biden's age and more contemplation about who his running mate should be in 2024.

Because Kamala Harris will never be ready to be POTUS.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 12:54:39 +0000

There will be Jimmy Buffett tunes Sunday night ...

By: andygaus

andygaus — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 03:12:12 +0000

Oh yes! And they're coming to put YOU in the cooler.

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 01:13:05 +0000

Beer police???

Noooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!