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I was stoked to watch Biles and Richardson do their things, others too but they are my biggies, but it wasn't possible without paying extra for the privilege and jumping through hoops. The idea behind the games is to bring the world together through sport and friendly competition. Paywalls defeat the idea and make a complete joke of it all, that is if the addition of break dancing as a sport hadn't already done that.

I am reminded of the Tuskegee Airmen - black men who were fighting for a country that was still lynching them. In the early 1940's black men could not marry white women, could not attend white schools, could not play on white sports teams and could not sit in white restaraunts. In Mississippi there was a bridge - the Chickasawhay River bridge - that was closed, but the county kept it around for lynchings. In 1918 four blacks were hung there; two were pregnant. A local recalled that “people says they went down there to look at the bodies, and they still see those babies wiggling around in the bellies after those mothers was dead.” In 1942, the locals hung two black teens - 14 and 15 years old. When northerners tried to investigate, they talked to a local who was involved who said "It’s not in use anymore as a bridge. We just keep it for stringing up n***ers." He explained why they had to hang blacks from time to time - to keep them in line. It was nothing against them, it was just necessary, he explained. “We had a case of that here just recently. two fourteen-year-old boys….We put four up during the last war.” And when black activists demanded a local investigation, the governor told them to go to hell. It was against this backdrop that the Tuskeegee Airmen came together and fought for the US. Why were they fighting? Were they truly naive enough to think their country would be grateful to them for fighting, when in reality blacks were being lynched to merely "keep them in line?" Didn't they understand that black equality was literally against the law in the US? Local laws prohibited it. Didn't they understand that if they profess love for a white woman, or tried to use a white bathroom, or tried to eat at a white restaurant - that they would be beaten by a mob, then arrested, then lynched? What is the logic behind supporting a country with government leaders who openly state that it's just fine to murder people like themselves? Apparently the logic worked for them, because they fought for the US, and are now considered heroes.

Harris is leading in all 4 of the most recent polls and has a VP to name. Plus the democrat convention both of which will generate positive coverage and votes. Trump will get more and more unhinged as her lead increases.

It is generally safe to go a size or two higher than recommended for that weight in your early jumps. Going the other way (ie smaller than recommended) is not that safe.

the right wing uses misinformation and lies? Say it isn't so!

The US wouldn't send tanks and armored vehicles into battle without heavy air support. US doctrine is based on virtually unlimited logistics. Which is why the US works so hard on being good at that. Ukraine doesn't have that luxury. They have to do what they can with what they've got. They've done a masterful job of improvising and innovating. Having F-16s is going to be a big help. Not a 'silver bullet'. Kind of like getting Abrams tanks and Bradley IFVs. They found out pretty fast that tanks aren't the ideal tool on the sort of battlefield they're operating on. They get a lot of attention, and are targeted first. Being big and 'not super fast', there have been a bunch hit (mostly damaged, a couple destroyed). The Bradleys have similar, if a bit lesser vulnerability, but they have a lot more of them. So a damaged or destroyed Bradley isn't as 'big' of a loss. The Ukrainians have developed tactics that take advantage of the Bradley's abilities. And are using them fairly well. On a slightly different note, the survivability of both the Abrams & Bradley have been a HUGE plus. When you see a destroyed Russian designed tank, very often the turret is a distance away. If you see that, the entire crew died in the explosion. The number of deaths among Abrams & Bradley crews has been very low. That is a big plus for crew morale (knowing you are likely to die if you get hit isn't a 'good thing') and for effectiveness (experienced crews are a lot better).

The GOP are both spineless and self centred. Trump will never step down, but if the GOP sinks low enough they have a potential legal off ramp from Trump - the insurrection act. Those guys eat their young and if it furthers their self interest they will jump off the Trump carnival ride.

He very well knows his marks.

I hear that's the same time his big, beautiful replacement for Obamacare will be out! Whenever he says that, I picture Arnold Schwarzenegger in drag struggling to say anything other than "TWO . . . . WEEKS . . . ." in Total Recall.

He's still awaiting sentencing in New York. I'm not holding my breath, but I have a tiny amount of hope.

A man is on his deathbed. He has three friends who come and visit him, being a doctor, a lawyer, and an engineer. He tells them, “I know you can’t take it with you. But I want to try. I’m giving you each $10,000 cash. When you come up to my coffin to pay your respects I want you to take the $10,000 and shove it in the coffin with me.“ The man passes and the three men pay their respects. Afterwards, they are all talking. The doctor says “I know it’s medically impossible, but I have to admit I put $9000 in the coffin and kept $1000 for myself.” The engineer then chimes in. “I did all the calculations and realize it’s impossible also. But I have to admit I put $5000 in and left $5000 for myself.” The lawyer looks at them both with disgust. “I’m disappointed in both of you. This was his last wish and neither of you held up your end. I wrote him a check for the entire amount.“

So you object to handicapped parking spaces? Veteran's hospitals? Hmm.

So what did it used to mean? And what does it mean now? And how did either resemble Marxism? Your arguments are starting to resemble how the MAGA morons see 'socialism'. They hate 'socialism'. But if you ask one to define what 'socialism' is, they can't. Or they are totally wrong. And when you point to things that really are 'socialism' (Social Security in the US is the easiest), then they bluff and bluster and say 'that doesn't count'. It's reached the point (actually reached it a while ago) that for those fools, 'socialism' means "Anything I don't like".

And then there's Keith Richards.

How would we detect the difference?

Also depends on what is considered to be a "human right". Some countries consider access to health care to be a right, not just a commodity for sale to those who can afford it. Same for education. OTOH few countries consider unrestricted access to firearms to be a basic human right.

Delirious and Raw are still two of my favourites.

The B-52 first flew 72 years ago. They are still in service and USAF has plans to overhaul them beginning later this year. Tinker Air Force base readies for B-52 upgrades as engines tested These developments will mark critical milestones in the Air Force’s effort to upgrade its fleet of 76 Cold War-era B-52s with new engines, radar, avionics, and other improvements to keep it flying until perhaps 2060, about a century after the B-52H was first introduced. The planes’ 1960s-era TF33 engines are at the end of their working lives, and are to be replaced by Rolls-Royce’s F130 engine. Just because an airframe design is old does not mean it is not useful.