That’s a lot of wheels. I’d hate to have to inflate all those tires.

The only real question left in this war is: if Putin orders a nuclear strike, will he be obeyed?

So will he pay back the value of what he received? Or will he not disgorge himself of his ill-gotten gains?

Especially if you have a media empire that is useful to discredit those opposing your invasion.

Yup, this is really maximize shareholder value. I can totally see this teambuilding event doubling dividends. Wait? You said the company never pays dividends and rarely buys back its stock? Wow, I am really seeing those profits!

Is there actually a port or camera on the tank that can see from that angle? The tank doesn’t have a windscreen.

Does that mean Germany will have the exotic negative energy that makes constructing a wormhole possible?

Just remember, when it comes to baby Jesus, if you’re not first, you’re last.

Ricky Bobby approves.

Somehow I don’t think Generalissimo Eric Trump is in the cards. Probably someone more like Elon Musk or Sean Hannity. A celebrity that can rile up enough violence to overcome his or her competitors.

The Russians have nuclear submarines. No amount of bellicose bravado will blunt the sting of those.

Nuclear war is a very real possibility. If Putin becomes desperate enough, he will try to go to the very edge of brinksmanship. In this situation, with launch on warning, any perceived provocation could rapidly escalate. As the fear of a preemptive strike increases, so does the probability of a preemptive strike. Rationality gives way to fear. This is the logic and danger of brinksmanship: that the more you rely on it, the more likely it is to escalate out of control before one side backs down.

This is Enron-scale manipulation. Someone’s ripping off the public and making a mint with the help of the regulators.

I guess they’ll have to shut down their bootstrap-pulling engines for awhile.

The outcome of the war in Ukraine has always been a game of chicken, being which side is willing to escalate to nuclear weapons, and whether the other side may or may not back down. The logic of escalation has always been that no possible gain exceeds the losses caused by a nuclear exchange. The Madman theory ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madman_theory ) is about convincing one’s opponent that is one is not rational, and is willing to use nuclear weapons despite the losses. The threat then, is that Putin, seeing himself politically vulnerable because of his losses, but still powerful enough to command the military to use nuclear weapons, would demonstrate his willingness to use nuclear weapons, even if not directly against a military target, in a demonstration (perhaps in the Black Sea) or an exoatmospheric test.

“When Kissinger got the Nobel Prize, satire died” - Tom Lehrer

I was hoping they would send a bounty hunter myself.

Satan was introduced to test Job, and then Job’s suffering is justified by the Lord’s omnipotence, not omniscience or omnipresence. This is the argument laid out in the Bible as to why one should fear God. Did Job have to curse God for Satan to make his point?

Satan Allowed to Test Job

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

42 Job replied to the Lord:

2 “I know that you can do anything and nothing that you plan is impossible. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that darkens counsel without knowledge?’ Well now, I have talked about what I don’t understand— awesome things beyond me that I don’t know. 4 Listen now, and I will speak for myself; I’ll interrogate you and then inform me. 5 I’ve heard you with my ears; and now I’ve seen you with my eyes. 6 As a result, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

CAPTCHAs are solved by consensus. Whatever the CAPTCHA thinks a bicycle is depends on what people before it selected. Sometimes it doesn’t know and just uses your answer to set up future CAPTCHAs. So you should be thinking: what would other people (or bots) select for the CAPTCHA.

What a poseur.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owYClOcZsCg&t=222s