We're taking a week off and we'll be back next Tuesday. In meantime, share your thoughts here! Happy Independence Day everyone!
BTW, Good time to leave a review of my book (LINK). :)
86 comments:
DUQ
said...
Anybody see that Obama is putting off the part of Obamacare that applies to business? I guess he's doing it to avoid the 2014 election, but it sounds like it's going to make a huge mess.
Duq - Yes! It was announced on the WH blog... From WaPo “We have heard concerns about the complexity of the requirements and the need for more time to implement them effectively,” Mark Mazur, Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, wrote in a late Tuesday blog post. “We recognize that the vast majority of businesses that will need to do this reporting already provide health insurance to their workers, and we want to make sure it is easy for others to do so.”
Their real concern is that businesses are laying off and cutting hours. oh and those Big Insurance companies that happily signed on in 2010. Dreaming of all that green are dropping out now. Maybe it was after Sebelius announced she was going to solicit Big Insurance for "donations". Interesting they should do it right before a major long holiday weekend (with IRS furlough included) while Obama is in Africa and unavailable for one of his famous speeches...
Issuing an ultimatum that if Morsi and the opposition do not sit down and resolve the crisis they will take over. An ultimatum set to run out in an hour or two...
First, it's a blatant attempt to hide the effects of Obamacare until after the 2014 elections. They're freaking out that big businesses in the service industry (like theaters and restaurants) have been cutting back hours and hiring to avoid the law. They didn't think that would happen because brainiacs like Paul Krugman said:
"Well, uh, duh, dur, why wouldn't anyone give their employees health care? I can't see anyone trying to find a way around this law. No one thinks like that. Oh look, a booger, it looks tasty."
That's a real quote too.
Secondly, they fundamentally misunderstand business if they think this will change anything. These companies know they will need to do this eventually. They have a plan and they've begun. When that happens, businesses keep on going. They don't suddenly decide to stop their plans just because they've been given a temporary break.
Third, this will actually force more people into the exchanges, where they won't get subsidies because they are employed, and more people will feel the full brunt of Obama's generosity.
Fourth, this is easy to spin... "Obama will help his big business friends, but f-you small business and f-you individuals. See who his real friends are?"
The prosecution is doomed. They spent Thursday and Friday attacking their own police investigators to try to get them to admit that Zimmerman "could" have been angry at Martin.
They also struggled to try to sell the idea that Zimmerman had mis-described how Martin lay after he had been killed, but in the end what Zimmerman said was consistent with the coroner's report and that only showed the cops were sloppy in how they wrote their own reports.
So far, they've had to attack four of their own witnesses. Their own witnesses have made the defense case. The "lies and contradictions" they claim Zimmerman made were at best miscommunications or speculation by people other than Zimmerman. And one of the contradictions actually made Zimmerman's case even stronger as it now appears Zimmerman may have been downplaying the danger initially -- he claimed Martin went for his gun, but now there's evidence Martin actually got it and Zimmerman had to wrestle it back.
Kit, In my experience, one of two things is going on. Either, the prosecution wasn't expecting its witnesses to implode so spectacularly and they are now struggling to figure out how to save the case -- which means they'll thrash around a lot before they conclude they can't win.
Or, they have some point they want to make in the closing and they are just trying to set make everything confusing except for the 2-3 points they think will win the case. That's the long-shot strategy and, if that's the case, they are doomed.
No kidding, on NPR this morning, they were likening the ObamaCare delay (or whatever it is) to an earthquake. And not in the good way. However, one talker was quick to emphasize that ObamaCare is in no way linked to the "jobless" part of the "jobless recovery" ...because no one they'll credit has done the linking.
I think it's encouraging that the Coptic pope has joined more moderate Muslim clerics in backing this coup. Maybe there will be broad-based support and more protection for civil and religious freedom in the future.
Patriot, Probably not. This sounds like it was always meant to be an all or nothing show trial. If they're smart, they'll offer him something though. There is still serious risk no matter how things seem to be going.
tryanmax, You can't really link Obamacare to the jobless recovery. You can link it to the jobless tipping back over into recession though! :)
Actually, this is going to be really interesting. This has the potential to really tank the whole thing in a big, dramatic way. It's going to cause major confusion. It will likely lead to a lot of big businesses dumping their healthcare quicker. And it will place a lot of stress on the exchanges.
T-Rav, I'm encouraged that each revolt so far has been for more freedom, not for more Islam. We'll see, but I think Egypt is headed in the right direction... very slowly.
FYI, I've taken another huge step into the modern world. I am now the proud owner of a Galaxy S4 from Samsung. And with that, my old phone, which was only vaguely aware of the internet, will be retired. One step closer to Skynet! :D
T-Rav, That is part of it yes. As near as I can tell though, this thing is essentially intended to run your life... or maybe ruin. I'm already struggling against a couple aps.
"Enough said!" is right! Time to coordinate with my DVR.
The problem with this one is that it seems to think I live somewhere else. I'd be happy if it told me about Colorado Springs, but it's telling me about some place way north. I can't seem to change that. Arg.
Oops...I put my last WWI update on the wrong thread. Andrew, if you want to delete that "July 3rd" post of mine on Bev's "Remember the Ladies" thread, please go ahead. Well, guess I'll just post it here in the active thread. July 4th update coming tomorrow morning.
Funeral proceedings begin in Vienna for Franz Ferdinand and his wife. Emperor Franz Joseph, who hated his nephew for marrying a Czech woman of lower nobility, refuses to attend any of the proceedings. The couples’ children aren’t allowed to attend. No foreign dignitaries show up, either. In Berlin, Kasier Wilhelm II receives Ambassador Tschirscky’s June 30th report from Vienna following the assassination and breaks into a tirade. -“Who authorized him to do so? That is utterly stupid! It is not his business…what Austria intends to do. Later on, if things went wrong, it would be said: Germany was not willing! Tschirschky will drop this nonsense! Matters must be cleared up with the Serbs, and that ‘right soon.’ That’s all self-evident and the plain truth.” (from the notes Wilhelm scribbled on the margins of the note- his famous habit) NOTE: The exact time that Wilhelm received the note, according to my studies, appears to be in dispute. He may have received it two or three days earlier and fired off an angry cable to Tschirschky. If true, that might explain Tschirschky’s change of opinion when he talked with Berchtold on July 2nd. Meanwhile, Berchtold wonders how to bring all of Austria-Hungary’s leaders together and agree on a way to crush Serbia. Hungarian Prime Minister Tisza- whose parliament in Budapest must also approve any military action- is worried that Russia would come in on Serbia’s behalf. Berchtold disagrees, thinking Russia would stay out. (Russia, still smarting from the Russo-Japanese War of 1905-06, didn’t get involved when Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia in 1908; when the First Balkan War broke out and the Ottomans were knocked out of Europe in 1912; or when Bulgaria went to war with its neighbors in the Second Balkan War and lost lots of territory in 1913.) Berchtold decides to assure his countrymen of German support, but is unsure of how to get that support. In the end, he decides to take the easy route: he lies. In order to placate Tisza (who is heading back to Budapest), and make him think everything is calm, Berchtold sends a copy of Tisza’s June 24th plan for negotiating peace (and possible alliance) between Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania to Wilhelm II. However, he adds a note claiming that the plan was written before Franz Ferdinand’s murder and that the Serbian government was behind the crime. (“…the crime of Sarajevo is not the deed of a single individual, but the result of a well-arranged plot whose threads reach to Belgrade.”) NOTE: Because of Austrian bureaucratic incompetence, the role of Serbian officers in the assassinations will not be discovered by investigators for some time. Berchtold is making things up at this point. He also adds a letter to the dispatch. While never mentioning the word ‘war,’ Berchtold says that as long as the “source of criminal agitation in Belgrade lives on unpunished…the peace policy of all European monarchs is threatened.” The letter is then signed by Emperor Franz Joseph.
I'm not surprised by what's going on in Egypt. I always supported the overthrow of the autocrats (who fanned hatred towards the US and Israel to distract people from their own crappy governments) but I also figured it was just going to be the first step and that we're not going to like every step.
A country who is sorting out its own future is less of a danger to us than an autocratic country whose leader is closely tied to us but who fans the flames of hatred for us (and Israel).
It sure does seem that Obama and his minions support the Islamists over the pro-West people in all these Mid-East countries. 2009 Iran....Libya....Syria.....Iraq......Afghanistan (Taliban). Sure doesn't seem like he's "promoting democracy" in the region. More like promoting Islam and Sharia.
I would just as soon we leave them to their own ends...continue to support Israel both vocally and militarily, and let the rest of the world purchase their oil while we develop our own, secure resources in N. America. Globally naive I'm sure, but we can't continue on this path of dictating to countries how they should behave, and what gov't they should have. Let them know in no uncertain terms, that if they harm our interests anywhere in the world, we will kill those in power and they can start over again.
I'm sure it has always been so, but good Lord, why can't we try something different for a change and be a little isolationist ourselves?
Anthony, I agree. I think it's good for us that an Islamic not-related-to-America-in-any-way government would be brought down by its own people. That's the first step in neutering the appeal of Islam as a governing principle. It also proves again what I've always believed, which is that becoming a government wipes out revolutionary fervor because the people expect you to get the garbage picked up and give them jobs.
Patriot, I don't think Obama supports Islamists, I think he's just trying to do what's popular or feasible in those countries. After all, they really are all Islamists.
That said, the best thing we could do would be to leave the region. Take away the excuse they have that we're interfering with their countries and let them fester with no one to blame.
Bev, There's nothing wrong with celebrating other people's holidays! America is the best in the world at taking from other cultures and improving it. :D
"It also proves again what I've always believed, which is that becoming a government wipes out revolutionary fervor because the people expect you to get the garbage picked up and give them jobs."
Which might be the reason for Morsi's power grabs. HE was pushing Sharia Law while the country (which elected him 51-48) wanted him to fix the economy.
Kit, That's probably right. It sounds like he thought the economy would pretty much take care of itself if they assured the tourists that Egypt wasn't dangerous and then he went about trying to get more and more power. And what seems to have done him in was the horrible economy.
Kit.....but...but.....Morsi had a "mandate" didn't he?! Just like our President who with 51% declared a mandate to continue his destruction of this country and transform it. The difference is Morsi is controlled by the MB. Who is controlling our guy?
After what a handful of mourners call a “third class funeral,” Franz Ferdinand and Sophie are laid to rest inside a chapel’s crypt at the Archduke’s castle in Artstetten, far from Vienna. (Emperor Franz Joseph had forbidden their bodies from being interred in the Hapsburg family vault in Vienna.) Berchtold finally has a way to get his diplomatic messages to Berlin without Tisza or anyone else knowing- and therefore objecting either publicly or privately- about his plans to crush Serbia. His Chief of Staff, Count Alexander Hoyos, will go and deliver the materials personally. Hoyos is only in his 30’s. If Berchtold or another senior member had gone, it would’ve aroused suspicion. Hoyos can be written off as an errand boy if anyone sees him. After one more briefing, he leaves Vienna on the night train bound for Berlin. So far, Berchtold’s plan seems to be working.
“Regard him (Berchtold) well, for Berchtold, not Wilhelm II, is the deep-dyed villain of the 1914 summer’s tragedy… “He betrayed the peace deliberately by lying, deceiving, double-dealing, and committing folly unequalled. Berchtold was a dilettante, a snob and society blade, owner of a racing stable, a ladies’ man, and a lover of the soft life. Nicknamed Poldi by his intimates, he was outstanding even in their company for his vacuity of mind and shabbiness of character.” -Historian S.L.A. Marshall, “World War I”
Meanwhile, across the pond… President Woodrow Wilson celebrates the Fourth by giving an address on “The Meaning of Liberty” at Independence Hall in Philadelphia and discusses that famous parchment, the Declaration of Independence… “There is nothing in it for us unless we can translate it into the terms of our own conditions and of our own lives. We must reduce it to what the lawyers call a bill of particulars. It contains a bill of particulars, but the bill of particulars of 1776. If we would keep it alive, we must fill it with a bill of particulars of the year 1914.” (It seems his speechwriter forgot the word “breathing.”) Wilson also laments how his reorganization of the banking system only drew criticism; he calls for ‘limitations’ on Americans so that they don’t cause other people in other countries to suffer like our colonist ancestors; he resolves to reign in American businesses that exert too much influence in foreign countries; and he calls on Americans to not be so selfish about property losses in revolution-plagued Mexico and to think about the “tragic reality in the background which towers above the whole picture.” (He doesn’t specifically elaborate on his intentions there.)
T-Rav.......Well done on the video link. By being both entertaining and educational, we can hope to get our yute's to recognize their OWN country's history and what some of us went through to secure "a more perfect union."
It is difficult to understand why six plainclothes agents are needed at one location. I'm not sure what are considered proper identification procedures, but I've heard too many stories like this, where agents accost first and identify later, to think that what they are doing is effective. Also, should they be surveilling the point of sale rather than the parking lot?
tryanmax, In my experience, what you have here is that the cops heard that this place sells beer to minors, so they staked it out. The idea was to round up a bunch of kids all night long is my guess. Having six cops there overwhelms the suspects and keeps them from doing anything stupid.
The problem is that these guys went into arrest mode rather than investigation mode and they grabbed her the moment they saw her rather than trying to figure out if she had actually bought anything illegal. Cops do that.
Then they felt embarrassed at grabbing an innocent girl and they stupidly decided to cover up their mistake by locking her up as if she were a criminal. No doubt, they hoped that she would either be so scared and happy to be free that she would never mention it again or that she would suddenly admit some crime and turn in her friends.
Reminds me of the time a cop kicked my brother in the knee and then arrested him for resisting arrest with no other charges. The judge reamed the cop at the hearing (or whatever it's called).
I just read about how some little kid was killed yesterday when a falling bullet (probably fired by a fool who thinks one can only celebrate by firing deadly projectiles into the air). I can't imagine the pain the father (who was just walking with his son, enjoying our nation's founding) and mother are feeling.
I'm not optimistic about the police catching up with the shooter, but in a perfect world he or she would be skinned and then salted down.
When it comes to crime, I've never seen a practical difference between invincible idiocy and malice (a lack of thought doesn't make a victim any less dead).
I think the state was going for emotion today by having Trayvon's mom testify that it was her son's voice on the recording and an ME state that Trayvon was in pain and was "suffering" for 3 minutes.
Someone has been arrested for trying to blackmail Paula Deen with past statements. Unfortunately for her its not the person who filed a lawsuit against her (that would presumably make a lot of her PR problems go away).
Imagine if we had a "jury of your peers" as some minority activists want when they say a black can't get a fair trial with whites(men) on a jury with a black (man) defendant? If we stipulate to that, then white men can only have white men as jurors, black females will only have the same as jurors and so on.
But you know, maybe we can have the president just dictate who will be on juries with an overt racial angle. Hell, he decides what he wants to enforce already. I'm sure many would love if he started doing that.
Any objective person ought to know that the testimony of Martin's mother is not exactly impartial. But then, the world is filled with less-than-objective individuals.
As for Paula Deen (at whose Savannah restaurant I will be eating in a week or so), my thought throughout has been that they couldn't nail her for being a fatty anymore, so now they're going with the race card.
Hoyos arrives in Berlin to meet with Count Laszlo Szogyeny-Marich, Junior, Austrian Ambassador to Germany. After receiving the notes and instructions from Berchtold, Szogyeny heads to the Neues Palais, Wilhelm II’s official residence, in Potsdam. (He had scheduled a meeting with the emperor the day before, as per instructions from Vienna.) Following lunch, he gives the diplomatic notes to the Kaiser. (None of Wilhelm’s ministers- except for Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Arthur Zimmermann- are present.) Basically, Szogyeny wants to know if Germany can be depended on to aid Austria if Austria mobilizes against Serbia. There were no recorded minutes of this meeting. However, Szogyeny’s report to Vienna goes like this:
“It was his (Wilhelm’s) opinion that this action must not be delayed…Russia’s attitude will no doubt be hostile but for this, he (Wilhelm) had for years been prepared, and should a war between Austria-Hungary and Russia be unavoidable, we might be convinced that Germany, our old faithful ally, would stand at our side. Russia at the present time was in no way prepared for war, and would think twice before it appealed to arms.”
In short, Germany has handed the infamous “blank check” to Austria-Hungary, saying the Austrians can do as they please and that Germany will back them up no matter what. Though Wilhelm acted on impulse, he gets no objections when, later that day, he tells what he did to his ministers, including Chancellor Bethmann and Foreign Minister Gottlieb von Jagow. War Minister (and future wartime Army Chief of Staff) General Erich von Falkenhayn, however, has some doubts. It seems that the notes- Tisza’s peace proposal, Berchtold’s addendum, and the letter signed by Emperor Franz Joseph- have created confusion over exactly what Austria intends to do- war, demonstration of strength, or create an encircling alliance to cut off Serbia from Russia. Falkenhayn notes that what he heard “did not succeed in convincing me that the Vienna government had taken any firm resolution.” In fact, Berchtold’s notes focused on restructuring the balance of power in the Balkans while the imperial letter appealed mainly to the monarchial principal- something very dear to the wanna-be autocrat Wilhelm II.
However, in the end, the Germans conclude that whatever Austria-Hungary’s intentions, it won’t amount to much. No one believes Russia will commit itself to a conflict over Serbia. Besides, they reason it won’t amount to more than regional conflict, if it comes to war.
Austrian Ambassador Szogyeny holds another meeting, this time in Berlin, with German Chancellor Bethmann, German Foreign Undersecretary Zimmermann, and Austrian Foreign Chief of Staff Hoyos. Although Bethmann doesn’t object to Wilhelm’s decision, he does advise Austria to move faster rather than later in dealing with Serbia. In fact, during his meeting with Szogyeny the previous day, Wilhelm himself advised Szogyeny that Austria needed to do two things: be sure to appease Italy, and, whatever they do regarding Serbia, they need to do it quickly. (Italy, not the most reliable of allies, deeply desires several Austro-Hungarian provinces on the Mediterranean coast and could easily switch sides.)
Convinced there is little danger, Wilhelm II boards his royal yacht for a vacation cruise off the coast of Norway that is scheduled to last until July 26th. (Contrary to the reports of some historians eager to paint Germany in a more belligerent light, the trip was not intended to give the rest of Europe the false appearance that nothing was wrong. It had been planned several months in advance.) Other German government officials follow the Kaiser’s lead and also go on their prescheduled vacations. Before leaving, Wilhelm tells one of his admirals, “I don’t believe we are headed for a great war. In this case the czar’s views (that is, Czar Nicholas II of Russia), would not be on the side of the prince’s (Franz Ferdinand’s) murderer. Besides this, France and Russia are not ready for war.”
Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Tisza sees, for the first time, the notes sent to Berlin that weekend. He immediately comes to a conclusion that the only result to the new, hard-line stance toward Serbia would be war. The Germans, it should be noted, were never told of Tisza’s- and, by extension, Hungary’s- objections to an open conflict.
Correction: On July 5th, Zimmermann met with Hoyos in Berlin, and was not in Potsdam. Hoyos apparently suggested that Austria launch a surprise attack and then quickly partition Serbia. Zimmermann offered no objections.
SAO PAULO -- Police say enraged spectators invaded a football field, stoned the referee to death and quartered his body after he stabbed a player to death.
The Public Safety Department of the state of Maranhao says in a statement that it all started when referee Otavio da Silva expelled player Josenir Abreu from a game last weekend. The two got into a fist fight, then Silva took out a knife and stabbed Abreu, who died on his way to the hospital.
The statement issued this week says Abreu's friends and relatives immediately "rushed into the field, stoned the referee to death and quartered his body."
Local news media say the spectators also decapitated Silva and stuck his head on a stake in the middle of the field.
Anthony, I'll give you the response leftists always give: you can't count that because they don't represent real soccer players. On the other hand, we are free to impugn all American sports fans on the bases of any single incident we can find... because we're smug.
As an aside, I once had a teacher in high school who used to gush about how Europeans don't riot like Americans... "They destroy property, but they don't hurt people." Yeah, except when they do. Smug bastard.
Well, what is property except stuff someone gave to you... a rich uncle or the government. It's not like it actually represents the value of your labors or the hours you worked or the risks you took.
1. We do not have nukes in space. 2. We can not direct asteroids at Russia. 3. Obama did not sabotage the latest missile shield test. 4. Obama is not backing the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. 5. Obama is not backing the radical Islamic Salafists in Egypt. 6. Sending kids to college is not a conspiracy to make liberals, sorry Rush. 7. Rush was not oppressed by the Fox News Morning show for trying to speak truth to power, sorry Rush you'll have to try harder to join the ranks of the martyrs like Levine and Savage. 8. The girl who got arrested for buying water did not "deserve it" because she "ran from the police." AND 9. No, people are not trying to pass immigration reform because they want "to give illegals money." Sorry, Stein.
tryanmax, The concept of "ownership" is simply among those people -- what's mine is mine, what's yours is everyone's. It's the same way communism worked in practice.
Said Middle East analyst Fawaz Gerges of the London School of Economics:
"What happens in Egypt has a major impact on [Islamic movements everywhere]. I am not talking about the loss of power, but the setback to the moral argument that the Islamists somehow stand above the fray, are more competent. In fact, one of the lessons we learned is that they are as incompetent, if not more so, than the old authoritarian regimes."
Bingo. That's why power destroys revolutionary movements... always has.
I'm very certain and this time, I have the laws of energy and physics to back me up. You see, if Zimmermann had gone to Potsdam, he would've used up valuable energy, thus making him tired. This adds up over time. You see, if he doesn't have this reserve energy, (given the strain of the war), he won't be able to write his (in)famous telegram two-and-a-half years down the road. It's all about equilibrium- and gossip from the Wilhelmstrasse.
-I know this cruel, but, on the soccer thing, two moments from 'the Simpsons' jumped into my head. First, when Skinner spilled Barney's beer and started a riot at a soccer match. And second, (couldn't find a clip here), when Snake and Otto started a riot by trashing the stage after a Spinal Tap concert; which led to anchor Ken Brockman declaring, "for the first time ever, a hockey arena becomes the scene of violence..."
-And Andrew, I believe your knives statement also does not apply to the average FAN in Oakland.
Upon the return of Austrian envoy Hoyos in Vienna, Austrian Foreign Minister Berchtold calls a war council. Present at the meeting are Berchtold, General Conrad (who, two days before, got Emperor Franz Joseph to endorse war with Serbia, provided they could secure support from Germany), Hoyos, Tschirschky, Minister for Bosnia-Herzegovina Leon Bilinski, War Minister Alexander Freiherr von Krobatin, Austrian Prime Minister Count Karl von Sturgkh, and Hungarian Prime Minister Tisza. Berchtold summarizes the situation, explaining that Germany will support Austria against Serbia, even if Russia should intervene. (This is a lie. The Germans overwhelmingly stated their belief that Russia will not get involved in such a conflict.) However, he repeats the popular belief that Russia is unable to fight. Tisza then states his case. He still fears war with Serbia will lead to war with Russia. With a weakened Bulgaria as Austria’s only possible Balkan ally, and Romania (which has its eyes on the Austrian province of Transylvania) likely to side with the Slavic countries, they face a three-front war. Tisza then suggests a diplomatic solution. He proposes that a set of demands be sent to Serbia and then, if they’re rejected, an ultimatum be sent that could lead to war. He says… “Our extractions may be hard, but not such that they cannot be complied with. If Serbia accepted them, we should have a splendid diplomatic success.” The others, however, are becoming more desperate to deal with Serbia and finish that trouble-making little country once and for all. Though they concede to Tisza's request for an ultimatum, the official record of the proceedings states that everyone except Tisza agrees “a purely diplomatic success, even if it ended in a glaring humiliation of Serbia, would be worthless.” Tisza then tries to play his last card. He will not agree to the hawkish proceedings since- in the event of victory- wiping out Serbia would likely guarantee a future war with Russia once the Russians are ready to attack. (Of course, he’s also worried that any more Slavic territory added to the empire will be run by Vienna, thus weakening Hungary’s authority.) Berchtold counters by saying that Serbia will be partitioned, but that the territories will be given to other Balkan states. (A weakened Serbia will then be turned into an Austrian puppet state.) Tisza, alone in his hopes for a diplomatic approach, seems to give in- at least in part- to the war party’s demands. The official record states that, near the end of the meeting, Tisza “was anxious to meet the others halfway and was prepared to concede that the demands addressed to Serbia should be hard indeed, but not such as to make our intention of raising unacceptable terms clear to everybody else.” Austria now intends to publicly hide its true intentions of crushing Serbia. The demands will be unacceptable and a refusal certain. (The record, however, shows Tisza still objects to this.) Berchtold ends the meeting saying war with Serbia is certain. However, full Austrian mobilization (which takes 16 days), won't start anytime soon in order to preserve secrecy. Germany’s advice of a quick, decisive action will not be heeded.
Hm... I was late on this one. Honestly, this was a tough (and momentous) date in the proceedings. Does it still count as July 7 if I claim this one on Mountain Time, Andrew?
Andrew, Austria-Hungary may have been fading, but they still had rails, some organization, and many state-of-the-art weapons. I forget the mobilization figures for the other combatants, but I think I just need to check my books. I know I've got them somewhere. In short, Russia was expected to take longer- at least 2 weeks to get the main part moving. I believe both Germany and France had their timetables under 10 days. Great Britain was even less- largely because their army was so small. I'll be sure to include that info for you as I write on.
86 comments:
Anybody see that Obama is putting off the part of Obamacare that applies to business? I guess he's doing it to avoid the 2014 election, but it sounds like it's going to make a huge mess.
Duq - Yes! It was announced on the WH blog...
From WaPo
“We have heard concerns about the complexity of the requirements and the need for more time to implement them effectively,” Mark Mazur, Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, wrote in a late Tuesday blog post. “We recognize that the vast majority of businesses that will need to do this reporting already provide health insurance to their workers, and we want to make sure it is easy for others to do so.”
Their real concern is that businesses are laying off and cutting hours. oh and those Big Insurance companies that happily signed on in 2010. Dreaming of all that green are dropping out now. Maybe it was after Sebelius announced she was going to solicit Big Insurance for "donations". Interesting they should do it right before a major long holiday weekend (with IRS furlough included) while Obama is in Africa and unavailable for one of his famous speeches...
Looks like another ""Arab Spring" in Egypt. Millions of people are protesting and calling for Morsi's head...literally.
And the Military has gotten involved...
Issuing an ultimatum that if Morsi and the opposition do not sit down and resolve the crisis they will take over. An ultimatum set to run out in an hour or two...
And the deadline has passed.
DUQ and Bev, The whole thing is hilarious.
First, it's a blatant attempt to hide the effects of Obamacare until after the 2014 elections. They're freaking out that big businesses in the service industry (like theaters and restaurants) have been cutting back hours and hiring to avoid the law. They didn't think that would happen because brainiacs like Paul Krugman said:
"Well, uh, duh, dur, why wouldn't anyone give their employees health care? I can't see anyone trying to find a way around this law. No one thinks like that. Oh look, a booger, it looks tasty."
That's a real quote too.
Secondly, they fundamentally misunderstand business if they think this will change anything. These companies know they will need to do this eventually. They have a plan and they've begun. When that happens, businesses keep on going. They don't suddenly decide to stop their plans just because they've been given a temporary break.
Third, this will actually force more people into the exchanges, where they won't get subsidies because they are employed, and more people will feel the full brunt of Obama's generosity.
Fourth, this is easy to spin... "Obama will help his big business friends, but f-you small business and f-you individuals. See who his real friends are?"
Fifth, this reeks of panic and incompetence.
As for Egypt, I frankly find this encouraging because it tells me that their public is even less in love with Islam than anyone expected.
Thoughts on Zimmerman trial?
The prosecution is doomed. They spent Thursday and Friday attacking their own police investigators to try to get them to admit that Zimmerman "could" have been angry at Martin.
They also struggled to try to sell the idea that Zimmerman had mis-described how Martin lay after he had been killed, but in the end what Zimmerman said was consistent with the coroner's report and that only showed the cops were sloppy in how they wrote their own reports.
So far, they've had to attack four of their own witnesses. Their own witnesses have made the defense case. The "lies and contradictions" they claim Zimmerman made were at best miscommunications or speculation by people other than Zimmerman. And one of the contradictions actually made Zimmerman's case even stronger as it now appears Zimmerman may have been downplaying the danger initially -- he claimed Martin went for his gun, but now there's evidence Martin actually got it and Zimmerman had to wrestle it back.
That's called a "cluster f*ck" (technical term).
I think today they trying to claim that he had a good understanding of the law in the area of Self-Defense.
So... who is trying to prove Reasonable Doubt, again?
Kit, In my experience, one of two things is going on. Either, the prosecution wasn't expecting its witnesses to implode so spectacularly and they are now struggling to figure out how to save the case -- which means they'll thrash around a lot before they conclude they can't win.
Or, they have some point they want to make in the closing and they are just trying to set make everything confusing except for the 2-3 points they think will win the case. That's the long-shot strategy and, if that's the case, they are doomed.
Neither scenario is good for them.
Andrew.....Do you think the prosecution is offering a plea bargain to Zimmerman and he's rejecting them?
Maybe the prosecution is just counting on riots and death threats to convince the jury to make the "right" decision.
Well, Morsi is out.
No kidding, on NPR this morning, they were likening the ObamaCare delay (or whatever it is) to an earthquake. And not in the good way. However, one talker was quick to emphasize that ObamaCare is in no way linked to the "jobless" part of the "jobless recovery" ...because no one they'll credit has done the linking.
I think it's encouraging that the Coptic pope has joined more moderate Muslim clerics in backing this coup. Maybe there will be broad-based support and more protection for civil and religious freedom in the future.
Patriot, Probably not. This sounds like it was always meant to be an all or nothing show trial. If they're smart, they'll offer him something though. There is still serious risk no matter how things seem to be going.
Kit, Better out than in.... of wait, that's something else. ;)
tryanmax, You can't really link Obamacare to the jobless recovery. You can link it to the jobless tipping back over into recession though! :)
Actually, this is going to be really interesting. This has the potential to really tank the whole thing in a big, dramatic way. It's going to cause major confusion. It will likely lead to a lot of big businesses dumping their healthcare quicker. And it will place a lot of stress on the exchanges.
T-Rav, I'm encouraged that each revolt so far has been for more freedom, not for more Islam. We'll see, but I think Egypt is headed in the right direction... very slowly.
FYI, I've taken another huge step into the modern world. I am now the proud owner of a Galaxy S4 from Samsung. And with that, my old phone, which was only vaguely aware of the internet, will be retired. One step closer to Skynet! :D
P.S. It apparently comes with an NSA App.
That's cool. The Galaxy S4 is a phone, right?
T-Rav, That is part of it yes. As near as I can tell though, this thing is essentially intended to run your life... or maybe ruin. I'm already struggling against a couple aps.
Andrew -
Can I assume you'll be tuning into SyFy's original movie Sharknado this weekend? :-)
Nice phone, BTW. I have a Galaxy S2. It's not bad, but Sprint kinda sucks, so the connection isn't as good as it could be.
Sharknado??? You're not putting me on are you? Hell yes I'll watch that! :D
I like the phone a lot, but I'm still struggling with the weather ap. It refuses to accept that I don't live across the state!!!
Andrew -
Yes, really.
My weather app is weird, too. It doesn't adjust to wherever I am; instead it only shows the weather back home in whatever ZIP code I typed into it.
"Enough said!" is right! Time to coordinate with my DVR.
The problem with this one is that it seems to think I live somewhere else. I'd be happy if it told me about Colorado Springs, but it's telling me about some place way north. I can't seem to change that. Arg.
Welcome to the 21st Century, Andrew! Btw, can 't you just look out the window and gauge the weather? Just say in'...
Thanks Bev! Happy to be here.
Sure I could look outside to gauge the weather, but this way I don't have to! :P
Oops...I put my last WWI update on the wrong thread. Andrew, if you want to delete that "July 3rd" post of mine on Bev's "Remember the Ladies" thread, please go ahead. Well, guess I'll just post it here in the active thread. July 4th update coming tomorrow morning.
-Rustbelt
Countdown to Catastrophe
JULY 3, 1914 (99 years ago today…)
Funeral proceedings begin in Vienna for Franz Ferdinand and his wife. Emperor Franz Joseph, who hated his nephew for marrying a Czech woman of lower nobility, refuses to attend any of the proceedings. The couples’ children aren’t allowed to attend. No foreign dignitaries show up, either.
In Berlin, Kasier Wilhelm II receives Ambassador Tschirscky’s June 30th report from Vienna following the assassination and breaks into a tirade.
-“Who authorized him to do so? That is utterly stupid! It is not his business…what Austria intends to do. Later on, if things went wrong, it would be said: Germany was not willing! Tschirschky will drop this nonsense! Matters must be cleared up with the Serbs, and that ‘right soon.’ That’s all self-evident and the plain truth.” (from the notes Wilhelm scribbled on the margins of the note- his famous habit)
NOTE: The exact time that Wilhelm received the note, according to my studies, appears to be in dispute. He may have received it two or three days earlier and fired off an angry cable to Tschirschky. If true, that might explain Tschirschky’s change of opinion when he talked with Berchtold on July 2nd.
Meanwhile, Berchtold wonders how to bring all of Austria-Hungary’s leaders together and agree on a way to crush Serbia. Hungarian Prime Minister Tisza- whose parliament in Budapest must also approve any military action- is worried that Russia would come in on Serbia’s behalf. Berchtold disagrees, thinking Russia would stay out. (Russia, still smarting from the Russo-Japanese War of 1905-06, didn’t get involved when Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia in 1908; when the First Balkan War broke out and the Ottomans were knocked out of Europe in 1912; or when Bulgaria went to war with its neighbors in the Second Balkan War and lost lots of territory in 1913.) Berchtold decides to assure his countrymen of German support, but is unsure of how to get that support. In the end, he decides to take the easy route: he lies.
In order to placate Tisza (who is heading back to Budapest), and make him think everything is calm, Berchtold sends a copy of Tisza’s June 24th plan for negotiating peace (and possible alliance) between Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania to Wilhelm II. However, he adds a note claiming that the plan was written before Franz Ferdinand’s murder and that the Serbian government was behind the crime. (“…the crime of Sarajevo is not the deed of a single individual, but the result of a well-arranged plot whose threads reach to Belgrade.”)
NOTE: Because of Austrian bureaucratic incompetence, the role of Serbian officers in the assassinations will not be discovered by investigators for some time. Berchtold is making things up at this point. He also adds a letter to the dispatch. While never mentioning the word ‘war,’ Berchtold says that as long as the “source of criminal agitation in Belgrade lives on unpunished…the peace policy of all European monarchs is threatened.” The letter is then signed by Emperor Franz Joseph.
-Rustbelt
I'm not surprised by what's going on in Egypt. I always supported the overthrow of the autocrats (who fanned hatred towards the US and Israel to distract people from their own crappy governments) but I also figured it was just going to be the first step and that we're not going to like every step.
A country who is sorting out its own future is less of a danger to us than an autocratic country whose leader is closely tied to us but who fans the flames of hatred for us (and Israel).
It sure does seem that Obama and his minions support the Islamists over the pro-West people in all these Mid-East countries. 2009 Iran....Libya....Syria.....Iraq......Afghanistan (Taliban). Sure doesn't seem like he's "promoting democracy" in the region. More like promoting Islam and Sharia.
I would just as soon we leave them to their own ends...continue to support Israel both vocally and militarily, and let the rest of the world purchase their oil while we develop our own, secure resources in N. America. Globally naive I'm sure, but we can't continue on this path of dictating to countries how they should behave, and what gov't they should have. Let them know in no uncertain terms, that if they harm our interests anywhere in the world, we will kill those in power and they can start over again.
I'm sure it has always been so, but good Lord, why can't we try something different for a change and be a little isolationist ourselves?
In honor of July 4th, this is pretty funny.
(Both parties are represented and 8 and 16 are my favorites.) :-)
Happy Fourth of July everyone! Enjoy the fireworks!
Happy Independence* Day everyone!
* Not applicable in all states.
Anthony, I agree. I think it's good for us that an Islamic not-related-to-America-in-any-way government would be brought down by its own people. That's the first step in neutering the appeal of Islam as a governing principle. It also proves again what I've always believed, which is that becoming a government wipes out revolutionary fervor because the people expect you to get the garbage picked up and give them jobs.
Patriot, I don't think Obama supports Islamists, I think he's just trying to do what's popular or feasible in those countries. After all, they really are all Islamists.
That said, the best thing we could do would be to leave the region. Take away the excuse they have that we're interfering with their countries and let them fester with no one to blame.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!!!
[Don't tell anyone, but I celebrated Canada Day on Monday]
Bev, There's nothing wrong with celebrating other people's holidays! America is the best in the world at taking from other cultures and improving it. :D
"It also proves again what I've always believed, which is that becoming a government wipes out revolutionary fervor because the people expect you to get the garbage picked up and give them jobs."
Which might be the reason for Morsi's power grabs. HE was pushing Sharia Law while the country (which elected him 51-48) wanted him to fix the economy.
Kit, That's probably right. It sounds like he thought the economy would pretty much take care of itself if they assured the tourists that Egypt wasn't dangerous and then he went about trying to get more and more power. And what seems to have done him in was the horrible economy.
Kit.....but...but.....Morsi had a "mandate" didn't he?! Just like our President who with 51% declared a mandate to continue his destruction of this country and transform it. The difference is Morsi is controlled by the MB. Who is controlling our guy?
Happy Fourth of July, everyone!
And since we like fireworks on America's birthday, here's some- as Frank Reynolds put it- "American thunder in the sky!"
February 20, 1962
July 16, 1969
July 20, 1969 (Part 1)
July 20, 1969 (Part 2)
April 12, 1981
-Rustbelt
Countdown to Catastrophe
JULY 4, 1914 (99 years ago today…)
After what a handful of mourners call a “third class funeral,” Franz Ferdinand and Sophie are laid to rest inside a chapel’s crypt at the Archduke’s castle in Artstetten, far from Vienna. (Emperor Franz Joseph had forbidden their bodies from being interred in the Hapsburg family vault in Vienna.)
Berchtold finally has a way to get his diplomatic messages to Berlin without Tisza or anyone else knowing- and therefore objecting either publicly or privately- about his plans to crush Serbia. His Chief of Staff, Count Alexander Hoyos, will go and deliver the materials personally. Hoyos is only in his 30’s. If Berchtold or another senior member had gone, it would’ve aroused suspicion. Hoyos can be written off as an errand boy if anyone sees him. After one more briefing, he leaves Vienna on the night train bound for Berlin. So far, Berchtold’s plan seems to be working.
“Regard him (Berchtold) well, for Berchtold, not Wilhelm II, is the deep-dyed villain of the 1914 summer’s tragedy…
“He betrayed the peace deliberately by lying, deceiving, double-dealing, and committing folly unequalled. Berchtold was a dilettante, a snob and society blade, owner of a racing stable, a ladies’ man, and a lover of the soft life. Nicknamed Poldi by his intimates, he was outstanding even in their company for his vacuity of mind and shabbiness of character.”
-Historian S.L.A. Marshall, “World War I”
Meanwhile, across the pond…
President Woodrow Wilson celebrates the Fourth by giving an address on “The Meaning of Liberty” at Independence Hall in Philadelphia and discusses that famous parchment, the Declaration of Independence…
“There is nothing in it for us unless we can translate it into the terms of our own conditions and of our own lives. We must reduce it to what the lawyers call a bill of particulars. It contains a bill of particulars, but the bill of particulars of 1776. If we would keep it alive, we must fill it with a bill of particulars of the year 1914.”
(It seems his speechwriter forgot the word “breathing.”) Wilson also laments how his reorganization of the banking system only drew criticism; he calls for ‘limitations’ on Americans so that they don’t cause other people in other countries to suffer like our colonist ancestors; he resolves to reign in American businesses that exert too much influence in foreign countries; and he calls on Americans to not be so selfish about property losses in revolution-plagued Mexico and to think about the “tragic reality in the background which towers above the whole picture.” (He doesn’t specifically elaborate on his intentions there.)
-Rustbelt
Arrrg. Losing battle with weather app.... arg.
Incidentally, this is my favorite 4th of July video; it's both funny and true. So, hope you enjoy. LINK
T-Rav.......Well done on the video link. By being both entertaining and educational, we can hope to get our yute's to recognize their OWN country's history and what some of us went through to secure "a more perfect union."
Not my style, but an interesting video.
Insane case of over-zealous cops.
Bottled Water purchase leads to arrest
It is difficult to understand why six plainclothes agents are needed at one location. I'm not sure what are considered proper identification procedures, but I've heard too many stories like this, where agents accost first and identify later, to think that what they are doing is effective. Also, should they be surveilling the point of sale rather than the parking lot?
Zimmerman trial: The state rests its case
LINK
tryanmax, In my experience, what you have here is that the cops heard that this place sells beer to minors, so they staked it out. The idea was to round up a bunch of kids all night long is my guess. Having six cops there overwhelms the suspects and keeps them from doing anything stupid.
The problem is that these guys went into arrest mode rather than investigation mode and they grabbed her the moment they saw her rather than trying to figure out if she had actually bought anything illegal. Cops do that.
Then they felt embarrassed at grabbing an innocent girl and they stupidly decided to cover up their mistake by locking her up as if she were a criminal. No doubt, they hoped that she would either be so scared and happy to be free that she would never mention it again or that she would suddenly admit some crime and turn in her friends.
This is not an uncommon story.
Kit, The state should have quit their case. Did any of their witnesses actually come through for them? No.
Reminds me of the time a cop kicked my brother in the knee and then arrested him for resisting arrest with no other charges. The judge reamed the cop at the hearing (or whatever it's called).
I just read about how some little kid was killed yesterday when a falling bullet (probably fired by a fool who thinks one can only celebrate by firing deadly projectiles into the air). I can't imagine the pain the father (who was just walking with his son, enjoying our nation's founding) and mother are feeling.
I'm not optimistic about the police catching up with the shooter, but in a perfect world he or she would be skinned and then salted down.
When it comes to crime, I've never seen a practical difference between invincible idiocy and malice (a lack of thought doesn't make a victim any less dead).
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/chesterfield/boy-shot-in-head-at-chesterfield-fireworks-celebration/article_95a28426-e549-11e2-a881-001a4bcf6878.html
I think the state was going for emotion today by having Trayvon's mom testify that it was her son's voice on the recording and an ME state that Trayvon was in pain and was "suffering" for 3 minutes.
It should be noted the jury is all-female.
And the cops in the above case were state beverage agents.
Someone has been arrested for trying to blackmail Paula Deen with past statements. Unfortunately for her its not the person who filed a lawsuit against her (that would presumably make a lot of her PR problems go away).
http://www.today.com/food/alleged-plot-extort-paula-deen-exposed-fbi-makes-arrest-6C10551940
Imagine if we had a "jury of your peers" as some minority activists want when they say a black can't get a fair trial with whites(men) on a jury with a black (man) defendant? If we stipulate to that, then white men can only have white men as jurors, black females will only have the same as jurors and so on.
But you know, maybe we can have the president just dictate who will be on juries with an overt racial angle. Hell, he decides what he wants to enforce already. I'm sure many would love if he started doing that.
The above comment was in full sarcasm mode btw.....
Ladies and Gentlemen...
... I have beaten the weather app. :D
Anthony, That's tragic, but as always, people don't think.
Patriot, I'm sensing some anxiety? ;P
Any objective person ought to know that the testimony of Martin's mother is not exactly impartial. But then, the world is filled with less-than-objective individuals.
As for Paula Deen (at whose Savannah restaurant I will be eating in a week or so), my thought throughout has been that they couldn't nail her for being a fatty anymore, so now they're going with the race card.
Countdown to Catastrophe
JULY 5, 1914 (99 years ago today…)
Hoyos arrives in Berlin to meet with Count Laszlo Szogyeny-Marich, Junior, Austrian Ambassador to Germany. After receiving the notes and instructions from Berchtold, Szogyeny heads to the Neues Palais, Wilhelm II’s official residence, in Potsdam. (He had scheduled a meeting with the emperor the day before, as per instructions from Vienna.) Following lunch, he gives the diplomatic notes to the Kaiser. (None of Wilhelm’s ministers- except for Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Arthur Zimmermann- are present.) Basically, Szogyeny wants to know if Germany can be depended on to aid Austria if Austria mobilizes against Serbia. There were no recorded minutes of this meeting. However, Szogyeny’s report to Vienna goes like this:
“It was his (Wilhelm’s) opinion that this action must not be delayed…Russia’s attitude will no doubt be hostile but for this, he (Wilhelm) had for years been prepared, and should a war between Austria-Hungary and Russia be unavoidable, we might be convinced that Germany, our old faithful ally, would stand at our side. Russia at the present time was in no way prepared for war, and would think twice before it appealed to arms.”
In short, Germany has handed the infamous “blank check” to Austria-Hungary, saying the Austrians can do as they please and that Germany will back them up no matter what. Though Wilhelm acted on impulse, he gets no objections when, later that day, he tells what he did to his ministers, including Chancellor Bethmann and Foreign Minister Gottlieb von Jagow. War Minister (and future wartime Army Chief of Staff) General Erich von Falkenhayn, however, has some doubts. It seems that the notes- Tisza’s peace proposal, Berchtold’s addendum, and the letter signed by Emperor Franz Joseph- have created confusion over exactly what Austria intends to do- war, demonstration of strength, or create an encircling alliance to cut off Serbia from Russia. Falkenhayn notes that what he heard “did not succeed in convincing me that the Vienna government had taken any firm resolution.” In fact, Berchtold’s notes focused on restructuring the balance of power in the Balkans while the imperial letter appealed mainly to the monarchial principal- something very dear to the wanna-be autocrat Wilhelm II.
However, in the end, the Germans conclude that whatever Austria-Hungary’s intentions, it won’t amount to much. No one believes Russia will commit itself to a conflict over Serbia. Besides, they reason it won’t amount to more than regional conflict, if it comes to war.
-Rustbelt
Countdown to Catastrophe
JULY 6, 1914 (99 years ago today…)
Austrian Ambassador Szogyeny holds another meeting, this time in Berlin, with German Chancellor Bethmann, German Foreign Undersecretary Zimmermann, and Austrian Foreign Chief of Staff Hoyos. Although Bethmann doesn’t object to Wilhelm’s decision, he does advise Austria to move faster rather than later in dealing with Serbia. In fact, during his meeting with Szogyeny the previous day, Wilhelm himself advised Szogyeny that Austria needed to do two things: be sure to appease Italy, and, whatever they do regarding Serbia, they need to do it quickly. (Italy, not the most reliable of allies, deeply desires several Austro-Hungarian provinces on the Mediterranean coast and could easily switch sides.)
Convinced there is little danger, Wilhelm II boards his royal yacht for a vacation cruise off the coast of Norway that is scheduled to last until July 26th. (Contrary to the reports of some historians eager to paint Germany in a more belligerent light, the trip was not intended to give the rest of Europe the false appearance that nothing was wrong. It had been planned several months in advance.) Other German government officials follow the Kaiser’s lead and also go on their prescheduled vacations.
Before leaving, Wilhelm tells one of his admirals, “I don’t believe we are headed for a great war. In this case the czar’s views (that is, Czar Nicholas II of Russia), would not be on the side of the prince’s (Franz Ferdinand’s) murderer. Besides this, France and Russia are not ready for war.”
Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Tisza sees, for the first time, the notes sent to Berlin that weekend. He immediately comes to a conclusion that the only result to the new, hard-line stance toward Serbia would be war. The Germans, it should be noted, were never told of Tisza’s- and, by extension, Hungary’s- objections to an open conflict.
Correction: On July 5th, Zimmermann met with Hoyos in Berlin, and was not in Potsdam. Hoyos apparently suggested that Austria launch a surprise attack and then quickly partition Serbia. Zimmermann offered no objections.
-Rustbelt
Rustbelt, Are you sure? ;P
Soccer, the 'beautiful game'...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/06/referee-player-killed-brazil-soccer-fans_n_3555436.html
SAO PAULO -- Police say enraged spectators invaded a football field, stoned the referee to death and quartered his body after he stabbed a player to death.
The Public Safety Department of the state of Maranhao says in a statement that it all started when referee Otavio da Silva expelled player Josenir Abreu from a game last weekend. The two got into a fist fight, then Silva took out a knife and stabbed Abreu, who died on his way to the hospital.
The statement issued this week says Abreu's friends and relatives immediately "rushed into the field, stoned the referee to death and quartered his body."
Local news media say the spectators also decapitated Silva and stuck his head on a stake in the middle of the field.
Police have arrested one suspect.
Anthony, I'll give you the response leftists always give: you can't count that because they don't represent real soccer players. On the other hand, we are free to impugn all American sports fans on the bases of any single incident we can find... because we're smug.
As an aside, I once had a teacher in high school who used to gush about how Europeans don't riot like Americans... "They destroy property, but they don't hurt people." Yeah, except when they do. Smug bastard.
I thought you couldn't use your hands in soccer?
Gallows humor. My bad. Cold-hearted, I know...
Bev, I suspect there is no rule forbidding the stabbing or beheading of an opponent. Call it an oversight by the rules committee.
But then, why was the referee carrying a knife to begin with? Hmmm...
Bev, Uh... good question, actually. Somehow I doubt that knives are part of the tool kit of the average NFL referee.*
* Statement does not apply to games played in Oakland.
Property damage--the victimless crime.
Somehow that doesn't seem correct.
Well, what is property except stuff someone gave to you... a rich uncle or the government. It's not like it actually represents the value of your labors or the hours you worked or the risks you took.
True, and the concept of "ownership" is so passé, besides. Just, don't touch my iPad, bro.
Oh, for the record...
1. We do not have nukes in space.
2. We can not direct asteroids at Russia.
3. Obama did not sabotage the latest missile shield test.
4. Obama is not backing the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
5. Obama is not backing the radical Islamic Salafists in Egypt.
6. Sending kids to college is not a conspiracy to make liberals, sorry Rush.
7. Rush was not oppressed by the Fox News Morning show for trying to speak truth to power, sorry Rush you'll have to try harder to join the ranks of the martyrs like Levine and Savage.
8. The girl who got arrested for buying water did not "deserve it" because she "ran from the police." AND
9. No, people are not trying to pass immigration reform because they want "to give illegals money." Sorry, Stein.
Idiots.
tryanmax, The concept of "ownership" is simply among those people -- what's mine is mine, what's yours is everyone's. It's the same way communism worked in practice.
This is 100% correct:
Said Middle East analyst Fawaz Gerges of the London School of Economics:
"What happens in Egypt has a major impact on [Islamic movements everywhere]. I am not talking about the loss of power, but the setback to the moral argument that the Islamists somehow stand above the fray, are more competent. In fact, one of the lessons we learned is that they are as incompetent, if not more so, than the old authoritarian regimes."
Bingo. That's why power destroys revolutionary movements... always has.
Andrew,
I'm very certain and this time, I have the laws of energy and physics to back me up. You see, if Zimmermann had gone to Potsdam, he would've used up valuable energy, thus making him tired. This adds up over time. You see, if he doesn't have this reserve energy, (given the strain of the war), he won't be able to write his (in)famous telegram two-and-a-half years down the road. It's all about equilibrium- and gossip from the Wilhelmstrasse.
-I know this cruel, but, on the soccer thing, two moments from 'the Simpsons' jumped into my head. First, when Skinner spilled Barney's beer and started a riot at a soccer match.
And second, (couldn't find a clip here), when Snake and Otto started a riot by trashing the stage after a Spinal Tap concert; which led to anchor Ken Brockman declaring, "for the first time ever, a hockey arena becomes the scene of violence..."
-And Andrew, I believe your knives statement also does not apply to the average FAN in Oakland.
-Rustbelt
Rustbelt, True, the fans are just much more dangerous than the team in Oakland.
I love that Simpson's clip about the soccer match starting up. LOL!
Nice theory about burning off people's reserve energy. :)
Countdown to Catastrophe
JULY 7, 1914 (99 years ago today…)
Upon the return of Austrian envoy Hoyos in Vienna, Austrian Foreign Minister Berchtold calls a war council. Present at the meeting are Berchtold, General Conrad (who, two days before, got Emperor Franz Joseph to endorse war with Serbia, provided they could secure support from Germany), Hoyos, Tschirschky, Minister for Bosnia-Herzegovina Leon Bilinski, War Minister Alexander Freiherr von Krobatin, Austrian Prime Minister Count Karl von Sturgkh, and Hungarian Prime Minister Tisza.
Berchtold summarizes the situation, explaining that Germany will support Austria against Serbia, even if Russia should intervene. (This is a lie. The Germans overwhelmingly stated their belief that Russia will not get involved in such a conflict.) However, he repeats the popular belief that Russia is unable to fight.
Tisza then states his case. He still fears war with Serbia will lead to war with Russia. With a weakened Bulgaria as Austria’s only possible Balkan ally, and Romania (which has its eyes on the Austrian province of Transylvania) likely to side with the Slavic countries, they face a three-front war. Tisza then suggests a diplomatic solution. He proposes that a set of demands be sent to Serbia and then, if they’re rejected, an ultimatum be sent that could lead to war. He says…
“Our extractions may be hard, but not such that they cannot be complied with. If Serbia accepted them, we should have a splendid diplomatic success.”
The others, however, are becoming more desperate to deal with Serbia and finish that trouble-making little country once and for all. Though they concede to Tisza's request for an ultimatum, the official record of the proceedings states that everyone except Tisza agrees “a purely diplomatic success, even if it ended in a glaring humiliation of Serbia, would be worthless.”
Tisza then tries to play his last card. He will not agree to the hawkish proceedings since- in the event of victory- wiping out Serbia would likely guarantee a future war with Russia once the Russians are ready to attack. (Of course, he’s also worried that any more Slavic territory added to the empire will be run by Vienna, thus weakening Hungary’s authority.) Berchtold counters by saying that Serbia will be partitioned, but that the territories will be given to other Balkan states. (A weakened Serbia will then be turned into an Austrian puppet state.)
Tisza, alone in his hopes for a diplomatic approach, seems to give in- at least in part- to the war party’s demands. The official record states that, near the end of the meeting, Tisza “was anxious to meet the others halfway and was prepared to concede that the demands addressed to Serbia should be hard indeed, but not such as to make our intention of raising unacceptable terms clear to everybody else.”
Austria now intends to publicly hide its true intentions of crushing Serbia. The demands will be unacceptable and a refusal certain. (The record, however, shows Tisza still objects to this.) Berchtold ends the meeting saying war with Serbia is certain. However, full Austrian mobilization (which takes 16 days), won't start anytime soon in order to preserve secrecy. Germany’s advice of a quick, decisive action will not be heeded.
-Rustbelt
Hm... I was late on this one. Honestly, this was a tough (and momentous) date in the proceedings. Does it still count as July 7 if I claim this one on Mountain Time, Andrew?
-Rustbelt
Rustbelt, I counts. :) Let the record show that it was still July 7th when Rustbelt made today's entry.
BTW, 16 days to mobilize? That's better than I would have thought.
Andrew, Austria-Hungary may have been fading, but they still had rails, some organization, and many state-of-the-art weapons. I forget the mobilization figures for the other combatants, but I think I just need to check my books. I know I've got them somewhere.
In short, Russia was expected to take longer- at least 2 weeks to get the main part moving. I believe both Germany and France had their timetables under 10 days. Great Britain was even less- largely because their army was so small.
I'll be sure to include that info for you as I write on.
-Rustbelt
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