Phil1111

I agree. You should still show respect. Kneeling is one way to do that, even if it's not politically correct. I'm a little surprised that the Oakland Raiders sitting out the national anthem caused such little noise. In any event the national fumbler has managed to distract attention from his week of loosing. -Health care amendment bill, down in flames -incumbent Sen. Luther Strange, trumps pick in Alabama, loosing. -trump's tax plan, ignored by congress, as the GOP starts from scratch. Going nowhere. -trumps buddies in the NFL turning their backs on trump. i.e. Jerry Jones, Robert Craft. - Six in Trump’s Inner Circle Reportedly Used Private Email Accounts While Working in the White House http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/09/25/six_of_trump_s_inner_circle_used_private_emails_for_government_business.html https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/25/as-if-republicans-needed-more-problems-alabama-may-just-hand-them-another-one.html http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/23/politics/nfl-goodell-trump-response/index.html

I've seen a couple reports where residents inland have yet to receive help so I hope you are right. PR is in trouble between the debt bomb and this hurricane. I hope that fed aid can get electrical on line soon. https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2017/09/disconnected-by-disasterphotos-from-a-battered-puerto-rico/540975/ Odd that trump never traveled to PR like he did to Texas and Fla. I wonder if it.....

Would it be weird to bring in something other than beer? Will it be looked down on? I don't see why it should be looked down on - it's really the gesture that counts. On the other hand, you don't need to know about beer to buy it for others, and I'm sure nobody will care if you don't drink any of your own beer - they'll just be grateful that you supplied them with it! Edited to add: Good for you for having a responsible attitude to drinking and driving. :) Thats a good idea. Some food would go over really well and beer can get expensive outside the US. But that would mean ...no...no beer for me...to quench my thirst.

Yes But Iran, Syria, Turkey and Iraq, all disagree.

Why are football players of color 'privileged' to earn a living when they worked pretty hard to get to the NFL and white millionaire/billionaires simply 'earned' their money? Why are black people always supposed to be so 'grateful' for even existing in America it would seem. The Wall St conservative wants his tax breaks and wants to keep all his money because it is HIS afterall, he EARNED it, and he should be keeping more of it - among other tidbits of americana... Black football players are supposed to be thankful that we 'allowed them' to earn that money. This is a fundamental issue that continues to put non-whites (and women) in America at the bottom end of our idea of equality. Trevor Noah summed it up perfectly in a recent bit about 'when is the right time for black people to protest?' Outstanding.

Anthony Weiner Gets 21 Months in Prison for Sexting With Teenager Anthony D. Weiner, the disgraced former New York congressman who became caught up in a scandal over his exchange of lewd texts with a 15-year-old girl, was sentenced on Monday to 21 months in prison. Mr. Weiner, 53, had pleaded guilty to one count of transferring obscene material to a minor, and had faced up to 10 years in prison. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/nyregion/anthony-weiner-sentencing-prison-sexting-teenager.html?action=Click&contentCollection=BreakingNews&contentID=65872309&pgtype=Homepage While I don't agree with and don't condone. I understand the concepts where people would want Weiner thrown into general population rather than the segregation units for sex offenders. This pervert only had about 10 strikes and still never got the message past the obsessions in his brain. I guess its only sexting so ...

Of course the NFL is supporting the players. They recognize the fumbler in chief's attempt to distract,change the subject from losing ,Russia, and rally white pseudo-nationalists. trump's speech was all about nationalism, uncompromising ideology and disrespect. Disrespect for any viewpoint other than US vs them. For his rallies disrespect, waving the flag, etc. are all part and parcel of the appeal. Its sort of like Michael Buffer announcing a UFC fight. trump uses the same crowd stoking concepts of emphasizing nicknames. Except for trump its to degenerate, to mock and to create the illusion that he is above those ideas.

Maybe so. Which means the dotard is correct. They could be fired. Which means it is the fault of the owners for allowing their paid servants to be uppity instead of knowing their place of subservience. Way to play the race card without actually playing the race card. Exactly what the POTUS is doing. You've got it. If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL,or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect.... Sorry...I didn't see anything about race in the tweet. If the NFL wants the privilege, the benefit, the profits, of contracting a NFL player to play, they should not ask him to set aside constitutional rights and freedoms. Or insert any such clause in his contract.

I agree with the first two sentences. The last sentence,no. The contracted agents of the NFL, the players, are what feeds the NFL machine. Its amusing to hear trump, who never played in any organized team sport in his life. Talk about hitting. Yap about respect and patriotism. But this is the same fumbler in chief that said he liked military personnel that were never taken as POW's. Better than John McCain. I'm still trying to wrap my thinking around the Oakland Raiders who sat during the national anthem in last nights game. But its a protest that was non-violent and that doesn't make them any less of a US citizen.

I agree with most of what you said but you are a little off base with these two representations. - Generally heavier bullets use slower burning powders for the range of loading profiles that optimize performance. Powders that fill the case to capacity and yet are fully consumed by the time the bullet leaves the barrel.Or has traveled the first 6-10" of the barrel. Optimize accuracy and all around performance. A high pressure spike early in the firing of the bullet generally leads to case failures, inaccuracy and less than optimal, consistant, exit velocities. The 300 Whisper/blackout or whatever you want to call it is the best example.Of subsonic suppressed ammunition. Its small case is typically loaded with heavier bullets(factory loadings) using mid speed powders. This is because most shooters have longer barrels for the total volume of gas released(over 10"). Also, most shooters want the subsonic signature yet decent downrange performance. I know there are 125-150 gr supersonic loads that duplicate the profiles of the 7.62x39 AK-47 loadings. A heavy bullet doesn't contain the chamber pressures, or the total pressures as the projectile travels down the barrel. The speed of the powder burning profile is generally designed to avoid rapid pressure spikes for a designed loading. A heavy bullet allows optimal velocity, hence energy, optimal ignition of slower powders that may require magnum primers. But mainly, optimal consistent exit velocities for that heavier projectile weight. For a given powder and projectile weight. As to the reduction of muzzle flash. Generally thats not addressed by increasing bullet weight or by using faster powders. Its addressed by using longer barrels and or a longer barrel and bigger volume suppressor. Or less powder. Overall your explanation was very good.

Iran and Pakistan will sell or trade any technology to NK. Pakistan is selling nuclear materials to N Korea and China knows it, US sources say http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-is-selling-nuclear-materials-to-N-Korea-and-China-knows-it-US-sources-say/articleshow/52867989.cms In return for Iranian financial assistance, North Korea provided Iran with the SCUD B ballistic missiles it used against Iraq in the “War of the Cities,” according to former U.S. intelligence officer Bruce Bechtol’s book Red Rogue. Even after the Iran-Iraq War ended, Iran’s military ties with North Korea deepened. Bechtol wrote that since the 1990s, North Korea has helped Iran to develop its Shahab missiles, based on North Korean models, and that “it is believed ” North Korean representatives attended Iran’s test of its Shahab-4 missile in 2006. http://www.thedailybeast.com/north-koreas-deadly-partnership-with-iran

Well you learn something every day. A friend was charged big bucks to have a cat shipped via air. I suggested to her a new business sewing up "service animal" velcro jackets for cats so they can fly for free. Seriously, I doubt this is an issue. Having said that, its amazing to go to Costco and see the disabled parking spaces filled with cars all displaying disabled plates. Yet all the owners seem to have no problem negotiating a huge warehouse. Loading copious quantities of food and flat screen tv's into those same cars by themselves.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Under the ADA, State and local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that serve the public generally must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is normally allowed to go. For example, in a hospital it would be inappropriate to exclude a service animal from areas such as patient rooms, clinics, cafeterias, or examination rooms. However, it may be appropriate to exclude a service animal from operating rooms or burn units where the animal’s presence may compromise a sterile environment. https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

A majority of Americans say it is the federal government’s responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage. And a growing share now supports a “single payer” approach to health insurance, according to a new national survey by Pew Research Center. Currently, 60% say the federal government is responsible for ensuring health care coverage for all Americans, while 39% say this is not the government’s responsibility. These views are unchanged from January, but the share saying health coverage is a government responsibility remains at its highest level in nearly a decade. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/23/public-support-for-single-payer-health-coverage-grows-driven-by-democrats/

I didn't know that. I got my naturalization yesterday. The Brits are slowly taking over, Ron! Yeah, congrats. I was going to make a cheap joke about other countries offering better perceptions and options on citizenship. Given the whole trump, congress-medical-screwups, etc thing. But as I've said before. I've got confidence in the US checks and balances on the what is a temporary, village idiot.

Melania Trump mocked online after anti-bullying speech From her speech: ""We must teach each child the values of empathy and communication that are at the core of the kindness, mindfulness, integrity and leadership which can only be taught by example," Mrs Trump said, raising more than a few eyebrows in the process, given her husband's online behaviour. "By our own example we must teach children to be good stewards of the world they will inherit. "We must remember that they are watching and listening so we must never miss an opportunity to teach life's many ethical lessons along the way." http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41346457

The mere fact that you have to ask this question demonstrates a lack of recognizing real threats vs. perceived threats, a problem I see in many younger people. Agree. It had to happen sooner or later. I answered that trump is evil but only because the poll was insufficiently specific as to the nature of trump. Putin is evil as he kills people and is a gangster by nature. trump has talked about killing people and getting away with it. IMO he would if he could. But for now idiot, dangerous, buffoon, etc. are better adjectives. A Putin wannabe.

And that's just funny - you'll actually alter someone's nationality to make it fit your weird world-view, because saying 'I also get criticized by Americans' would completely invalidate your entire point. Of course, lots of Americans criticize him. But they are "Northerners" or "Californians" or what ever label he chooses to apply to convince himself that those opinions don't matter. And for the record, Professor Kallend is a naturalized American citizen. And has been for a long time. Oh hell, throw him overboard. When it concerns political discourse and facts. If your arguments, points and counterpoints are poorly constructed. Choose a convenient label to disparage, hate and label. Or use feelings.

Perhaps a little more complex than that, as the North invaded the South Jun 25, 1950. The USSR exploded a nuke 10 months earlier - August 29, 1949. sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RDS-1 Double the reason to take Stalin's forces out. They were still early in the program. Support of the NK invasion would have provided a perfect reason for a pre-emptive strike. Opportunity squandered just like Billy boy did when he could have taken out the middle Kim. And don't get me started on BHO's missed chances. All the time crowing about getting Bin Laden while NK was enriching uranium. Rolled oats for breakfast?

I don't know how hate got into the equation. Most of the discourse here is civil. Few US citizens go to protests and fewer still ever see violence at those protests. By and large in the US and most western democracies there is little to get so upset by the other side to "hate". When the pendulum of conservatism or liberalism gets too far in one direction. There is inevitably a swing in the other sooner or later. Usually the next election. While I despise trump, there are many republicans that I admire and look up to. McCain and Graham being two. Not that I agree with everything they say, or stand for. Just most.

"Each of us is on a spectrum somewhere between the poles of rational and irrational. We all have hunches we can’t prove and superstitions that make no sense. Some of my best friends are very religious, and others believe in dubious conspiracy theories. What’s problematic is going overboard—letting the subjective entirely override the objective; thinking and acting as if opinions and feelings are just as true as facts. The American experiment, the original embodiment of the great Enlightenment idea of intellectual freedom, whereby every individual is welcome to believe anything she wishes, has metastasized out of control. From the start, our ultra-individualism was attached to epic dreams, sometimes epic fantasies—every American one of God’s chosen people building a custom-made utopia, all of us free to reinvent ourselves by imagination and will. In America nowadays, those more exciting parts of the Enlightenment idea have swamped the sober, rational, empirical parts. Little by little for centuries, then more and more and faster and faster during the past half century, we Americans have given ourselves over to all kinds of magical thinking, anything-goes relativism, and belief in fanciful explanation" The above from the new story in the Atlantic "How America Lost Its Mind https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/how-america-lost-its-mind/534231/ Its sort of explanation of current American thought, rationalization and mores of thinkers like Ron. No insult intended.

All taxes, GST, income, fuel, etc. cover national medical health plans in Canada, UK, EU, etc. What is most relevant is that study after study shows these national plans cover more people, have better health outcomes(national basis) and usually do so for about 1/2 the cost (GDP basis) than the US system. This thread provides a bit of a glimpse into the problems and issues of the US system.

When I think of climate change I look to polar sea ice changes, global temp changes, shrinking glaciers and local weather variables.

Absolutely! Single-payer makes sense, but I've never understood why the hell the US tries to maintain an entire parallel separate single-provider system for vets. Why is it not already operated just as an insurance provider for them??? Oh come on, you're a smart guy, you know the answer! https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?indexType=i https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/indusclient.php?id=F09

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/magazine/rt-sputnik-and-russias-new-theory-of-war.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news Above is the NY Times feature magazine article entitled: "RT, Sputnik and Russia’s New Theory of War" Its fairly long but details the new Russian concepts of inter political war to influence foreign policy and governments. Including US elections. Russian “New Generation” Warfare: Theory, Practice, and Lessons for U.S. Strategists by Nicholas Fedyk http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/russian-%E2%80%9Cnew-generation%E2%80%9D-warfare-theory-practice-and-lessons-for-us-strategists-0 Above companion story published earlier this year by: The Small Wars Journal (SWJ) is an online magazine focusing on intrastate conflict. Aside from its online magazine, SWJ hosts an accompanying blog and the Small Wars Council discussion board. Other site features include an online reference library, recommended reading and event listings. The magazine is published by the Small Wars Foundation, a non-profit corporation. The title refers to the 1940 United States Marine Corps Small Wars Manual, which used "small wars" as a catch-all term for unconventional and guerrilla warfare, also encompassing foreign internal defense (FID), military operations other than war (MOOTW), and military operations in urban terrain (MOUT). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Wars_Journal