probably because of lack of currency for imports

That makes sense. Russia is saving its money to pay smugglers to smuggle in weapons components.

Not mentioned in the article, but mentioned elsewhere - trains. Russia relies heavily on trains to move things. One part of train maintenance is the replacement of bearings. Russia can’t manufacture bearings for its trains and it can’t import them either because of sanctions. Russia has fewer and fewer operational trains and train cars. One very important thing that the trains haul is grain. There are reports that Russia could face starvation by the end of the year if it doesn’t get its trains repaired because they will be unable to haul food to the cities. Russia doesn’t have enough trucks and roads to replace the trains.

that does look pretty tasty

At least part of the reason is the people captured in the war on terror occupied a legal gray area. They are sort of like soldiers, so they are not subject to American civil or criminal law. But they don’t belong to a military organization with a formal chain of command, so they are not signatories to the Geneva Convention or any other treaties concerning conduct in war.

Even if they were tried and found guilty in a military court for ‘being terrorists’, eventually their prison sentences would end. So what do we do with them now? A lot of their home countries didn’t want them back (although now the Taliban government of Afghanistan will probably take back their citizens).

Basically, the entire Gitmo internment of fighters captured in the war on terror was a great big mess. It was really easy for Obama and Biden to say on the campaign trail that they would shut down Gitmo, but actually dealing with the prisoners in a politically acceptable way was very, very difficult. It was easier to hope people would forget about them.

BTW - some Gitmo detainees did get released over the years.

Oh hell yes! We need this!!

Slightly OT, but I want to give a shout out to Witcher 3 as my favorite fantasy RPG.

Early on in the game I kind of struggled with it. I found the UI and especially combat, to be ‘clunky’.

After I mastered the combat UI enough to survive, I started to wander and explore. In this wandering I found some old cave filled with some decent (but not overpowered) gear. As far as I know, there was no quest that would have sent me to this cave. Also, if I hadn’t been pointed in the exact direction I was going, I never would have seen the cave entrance. These little details made the world feel ‘real’ and lived in.

Later in the game, when I was much more experienced, I was following a faint path, in the snow, over a mountain and I see another cave entrance. I go inside the cave and I hear voices. I sneak closer and I hear a fart, Then I hear a voice complaining about the smell of a rotten onion. (it was 2 trolls cooking something). This was totally unexpected and I literally LOL’d. Once again, this little bit made the world feel more real.

In summation, I don’t need games to be ‘bigger’. They just need to be ‘good’.

I am justifying nothing. Israel doesn’t want a ceasefire and thus a return to the status quo, allowing Hamas (or its successor) to regroup and rebuild. They want Hamas destroyed (figuratively with a an unconditional surrender).

Hamas agrees not to govern if all Palestinians get to vote in Israeli elections? How generous of them. That is a ‘non starter’ from the Israeli point of view.

BTW, I will grant you that the reason the fighting has gone on so long is, apparently, Israel isn’t sure what to do once Hamas is removed from governing the Gaza strip. So yes, Israel is prolonging the misery.

Hamas could surrender… if they wanted to end the suffering of their people.

I’m much more upset about this pardon than Hunter’s pardon. This woman stole $53 million dollars over 20 years from tax payers. As far as I know, Hunter never stole anything from taxpayers.

Other than Fortnite, what game is only available on Epic?

Edit: Thanks for the responses!!

That is a pretty sweet picture you have taken.

Those “teenagers” were 18 and were enlisted to the IDF

Heh. Typical. Technically correct, but used in a way meant to be wildly misleading. Something similar is done regarding gun crime victims. One misleading stat involves “children” who are victims of gun violence. Some of these ‘victims’ are gang members in their late teens or early twenties.

I’m not the person you are replying to, but yes, an attack on an Israeli base is a legitimate attack, not a ‘terrorist attack’.

and their Hezbollah affiliation was unclear.

Why would Hezbollah distribute one way pagers to non-members? These pagers weren’t for sale on the open market. Hezbollah bought them for their members only.

Hezbollah actually had a good idea to use these pagers instead of cell phones. Cell phones can be tracked, these pagers can’t be tracked. Unfortunately for Hezbollah, the IDF has infiltrated the Hezbollah’s communications.

Would Russia doing this to Ukraine count as a well executed precise attack?

If Russia were able to plant mini-bombs into the communication equipment distributed to Ukraine’s armed forces? Yes, it would be described as a well executed, precise attack.

Armies world wide often “booby trap” equipment or ammunition that they think will fall into enemy hands.

Ahhhh!!! Thank you, good sir or madam!!

Ok, I believe and understand what you say, but then that makes the AP story a little stranger. If no foreign, independent reporters are allowed into Gaza, then how does the AP know that Abed Bardini “…unloaded the stretcher with practiced professionalism, squinting into the late afternoon sun…”

I’ve noticed one peculiar paragraph in the AP story: “Abed Bardini was in one of two ambulances dispatched to the scene. Back at the hospital, he unloaded the stretcher with practiced professionalism, squinting into the late afternoon sun as he wheeled the body across the hospital courtyard. Inside, medical staff pulled back the blanket to check for signs of life, and Bardini’s strength collapsed.”

So the AP reporter just happened to be standing right next to Abed Bardini, performing his duties with practiced professionalsim while squinting into the afternoon sun?

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