Recent posts

#1

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by mongers - Today at 10:06:11 PM

Today I learned- an acre is around 1/2 a football pitch.
Now I can actually visualise acres.

It's really quite simple, it's a furlong by a chain wide. 

#2

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Tonitrus - Today at 08:41:33 PM

grifting the government

Uncle Sam said it supported conservation and sustainability. 

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
What It Is
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), is a voluntary program that encourages agricultural producers and landowners to convert highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as native grasses, trees, and riparian buffers. 

By enrolling in CRP, participants receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative covers. The program helps to improve water quality, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat, contributing to overall environmental health and sustainability.

#3

Gaming HQ / Re: Star Wars Fate of the Old ...

Last post by Valmy - Today at 08:27:40 PM

Casey Hudson? Now you have my attention.

Action RPG? Single player? Spiritual successor to KOTOR? Ok.

Is it really five years away from release? Come on guys they made KOTOR 2 in about two weeks.

#4

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Valmy - Today at 08:19:23 PM

For the longest times, my dad/aunt had shared ownership of a large farm property in his hometown.  But they were doing the "get paid by Uncle Sam to not grow anything" program.  Though even that still required a significant expense to control invasive plants/weeds etc.  It's been sold since to a local area farming family.

Yeah grifting the government is not part a part of the business I am well informed on. However everytime we pay for improvements to the land, my mother paid for the construction of a bridge over a stream and installed a water well, the Feds often send us a reimbursement for part of the cost...for some reason. I guess if you are a farmer the Feds just hand you cash right and left.

#5

Off the Record / Re: The EU thread

Last post by Tonitrus - Today at 07:15:22 PM

Also I don't think our job is to worry about what happens inside russian borders once they lose or Putin dies or whatever. Our job is to make sure Ukraine wins. What happens inside russia is for russians to figure out. It's not like we did anything when Prigozin was 100 miles from Moscow.

At least except or insofar as how those two things might be connected.

That said, excluding outside direct intervention, I don't see how Ukraine wins (if defined as a return to 2022/2014 borders) except from internal Russian disruption.  And a strong risk that a new government might feel a need to intensify the war or take more desperate measures to accelerate things.

Right now, the Russia/Ukraine war feels an imperfect analogy of the American Civil War might apply...in the sense of the power/population imbalance (certainly not any of the moral/slavery elements). Russia got off to an energetic and sloppy start, got their nose bloodied a lot, and then switched to a slow, methodical ramping up of manpower.  And realizing that they throwing all their armor/tanks was ineffective, went to matching and exceeding Ukraine's capabilities in small drone warfare. 

The Kursk offensive was a king of Gettysburg...and I am not sure if Russia would still be in the Peninsula campaign or slogging through the equivalent of Grant's Overland campaign...and we certainly haven't seen a Battle of Atlanta yet.  But I fear it may be coming.

#6

Off the Record / Re: The EU thread

Last post by Tonitrus - Today at 07:05:07 PM

Also I don't think our job is to worry about what happens inside russian borders once they lose or Putin dies or whatever. Our job is to make sure Ukraine wins. What happens inside russia is for russians to figure out. It's not like we did anything when Prigozin was 100 miles from Moscow.

I generally agree. That said, I reckon there are two motivations for meddling in a post-Putin Russian collapse:

• Let's try to minimize the risk of nukes ending up going bad places.
• There's a way for my particular clique to make a bunch of money.

I expect the appetite for "let us try to help make a better Russia for Russians via democracy and economic growth" to be fairly low.

Agreed...certainly far lower than after the fall of the USSR.

#7

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by viper37 - Today at 06:19:27 PM

The Beaverton strikes again!

Progressive Conservative joins Progressive Conservative party

OTTAWA – In a stunning move, progressive conservative MP Michael Ma crossed the floor Thursday to the progressive conservative Liberal Party, just a few weeks after similar minded progressive conservative Conservative MP Chris d'Entremont did the same.

#8

Gaming HQ / Star Wars Fate of the Old Repu...

Last post by viper37 - Today at 05:48:52 PM

See ya in 2030!

#9

Off the Record / Re: The EU thread

Last post by Jacob - Today at 05:29:59 PM

Also I don't think our job is to worry about what happens inside russian borders once they lose or Putin dies or whatever. Our job is to make sure Ukraine wins. What happens inside russia is for russians to figure out. It's not like we did anything when Prigozin was 100 miles from Moscow.

I generally agree. That said, I reckon there are two motivations for meddling in a post-Putin Russian collapse:

• Let's try to minimize the risk of nukes ending up going bad places.
• There's a way for my particular clique to make a bunch of money.

I expect the appetite for "let us try to help make a better Russia for Russians via democracy and economic growth" to be fairly low.

#10

Off the Record / Re: The EU thread

Last post by Zoupa - Today at 05:22:39 PM

Also I don't think our job is to worry about what happens inside russian borders once they lose or Putin dies or whatever. Our job is to make sure Ukraine wins. What happens inside russia is for russians to figure out. It's not like we did anything when Prigozin was 100 miles from Moscow.