Plan B Forum

Those who actually understand and study war say that lethality is not the issue. The US Military is not short of that, never has been, and Hegseth's focus on that is just idiotic. He dismantled the Office of Net Assessment which thought outside the box as to what the next demands on the US might be....

https://deanblundell.substack.com/p/carneys-checkmate-how-canadas-quiet The long and short of this story is that Canada, under their new PM Mark Carney, is the one playing chess while Trump is playing (and losing at) Go Fish. Carney, having on his CV stints as the boss at the Bank of Canada and the ...

Yes, the Ford Escort and the Hillman (Chrysler UK) Hunter were small cars by US standards, mid-size by UK standards. Another reason for smaller cars in Europe, apart from economy because gas (petrol) is much more expensive, is parking. US standard parking lot spaces are 8.5 to 9 feet and the UK is t...

And in fact Ford and GM and whatever-the-fuck-Chrysler-calls-itself-now have long had factories in Europe (never been to Japan so don't know) and made cars there. The UK Ford Escort (and before that the Anglia) were pretty good cars and the German Merkur, also Ford-derived, was excellent. I had a Hi...

Spot on, Scooter. So if they want to spirit you away from your friends and support system in State A all they have to do is get you to State B.

From today's Rolling Stone: Lithuanian President President Gitanas Nausėda, government dignitaries, religious leaders, military personnel, and thousands of spectators gathered on Thursday to send the remains of four American soldiers killed during a training exercise back to the U.S. for burial. The...

Yes - it should be fairly routine or at least it was in the old days. Show you have been a reliable sort, can pay your own way, put your hand on your heart and promise not to hang the VP or break into Congress and answer a few questions on the Constitution. Most Americans would fail that bit. There ...

Andy, why haven’t you become a citizen if you've been here for forty-one years? The test is not that hard. Never felt the need. I always assumed I would move back to UK where most of my relatives and old friends are. I will probably become a citizen for one reason only - to vote against the Trump a...

What I loved about Kaufman is that you never knew when he was serious The same was true of Monty Python. We watched it religiously every week in 70/71 - we congregated upstairs in John's room because he had a TV and none of the rest of us did. The news came on as soon as Python was over - and becau...

I am not a citizen despite having been here 41 years next month. Green card holder - it was forever when I got it but at some point they made it ten years only. I have to pay something like $1200 to renew it. I have the same right as any citizen except I cannot, of course, vote and I cannot serve on...

Unlike fingerprints, the presence of DNA on the murder weapon does NOT prove some one actually did touch it. DNA is very small stuff in a cloud of molecules one leaves behind everywhere one has been have been. 'DNA transfer' is a big hole to bring in reasonable doubt. That is why I think it is far ...

The problem with DNA evidence is this. Scientifically there is no issue. A match is a match, and nowadays the testing is straightforward. Extract the DNA from the blood or semen or whatever is left at the scene of the crime; snip out the pieces of interest (bearing in mind that you share 99% of your...

I haven't taken the test. It's a little close to the bone. I am trying to revive a 60s/70s era organization I belonged to - I was a founding member - which broke up in the recriminations which were rife in that era. Political purity was all, to the extent that common purpose was sometimes lost: the ...

"People who don't engage in criminal activity will have nothing to fear." Strange to hear an attorney making that point, BSG. I agree with your general point because it is, essentially, now a fait accompli. Many of us have fingerprints on file through criminal activity, immigration status etc. Kids'...

Meade old chap: you might want to revisit the 'bizarre bride' thing or Margaretta is going to get really pissed.

I couldn't help thinking that 'These balls are made for gargling' fits well with the old Nancy Sinatra tune.

I need help.

Headline in the Guardian: Republican who introduced Trump derangement syndrome bill arrested for soliciting a minor This of course is Minnesota's own Justin Eichorn - he ran on a family values campaign - who was arrested for soliciting a minor for sexual purposes, a felony. Of course Mr Eichorn is i...

Make it $195 Meade. I have your address - I'll send you a check for $20.

2:05 Eastern and there is just a thin sliver at the top of the moon which is in bright sunshine. I have seen a few lunar eclipses and this is one of the best - absolutely clear sky. Spectacular.

I didn't expect to see much because it has been raining and cloudy much of the day. But the moon is very clear (just about 125 Eastern as I write) and Earth's shadow is biting away at the bottom of the moon.