The Off Topic Topic

[Ed Anger]

I'm going to to enjoy my white privilege this afternoon. Have fun kids.

Going to confront the cops with a lower percentage chance of getting shot?

Har.

[Sheilbh]

What does Germany need more for?  The USA will pick up the task of defending them in any real situation.  I am surprised they don't just disband their military entirely and save the billions.

In fairness in any real situation France could do as good a job

[KRonn]

German army to procure more than 100 additional Leopard 2 tanks
Fri Apr 10, 2015 9:15am EDT

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany plans to procure more than 100 additional Leopard 2 tanks, a government spokesman said on Friday, as it seeks to ensure its troops are ready for action in response to concerns over recent Russian assertiveness.

The decision to restock its military comes as NATO tries to hasten the response time of its rapid reaction force following Russia's annexation of Crimea last year and conflict in Ukraine.

"The ministry has decided to raise the upper limit for the future to 328," a defense ministry spokesman told a regular government news conference on Friday, confirming a report by German magazine Spiegel.

Just before the end of the Cold War, in the 1980s, the then West Germany had more than 3,500 tanks. Now, seventy years after World War Two, it has just 225. As a result soldiers have to share tanks and heavy equipment across different units.

Given NATO's new goals on flexibility and rapid reaction time, Germany has to ensure that it can deploy troops with the correct equipment to the right place in a short period of time, the spokesman said.

"This can only succeed if the equipment does not need to be first moved around through the country," he said.

The Leopard tanks are made by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW).

Germany only has two hundred tanks? What the hell.

Not even enough to equip one full division of troops. Come on Germany, get your act together! The Russians are on the war path!   

[Caliga]

Cal's parents went through sheer hell with that, I'm sure.

It actually was in the local news a few times because my parents' lawyer happens to be the late Sen. Arlen Specter's son... it became a high profile case.  Anyway, yes they did and I'm still to this day surprised their marriage has lasted.

[Sheilbh]

Lost my annual tenner bet on the National

[celedhring]

We have more Leo 2 tanks than Germany itself 

[Caliga]

Makes sense.  Germany is more efficient.

[Razgovory]

There is a bumble bee in my room.

[Sheilbh]

Lost my annual tenner bet on the National

WON £15!

[MadImmortalMan]

There is a billboard by the freeway that has a family holding hands and looking into the sky as a jet flies over with prominent contrails. The caption says "stop spraying us".


Edit: google found it.

[MadImmortalMan]

My wife is about to buy a hemi. It's a far cry from her current RX300. 

[Grey Fox]

There is a billboard by the freeway that has a family holding hands and looking into the sky as a jet flies over with prominent contrails. The caption says "stop spraying us".


Edit: google found it.

Chemtrails do have averse effect on families health.

[jimmy olsen]

I wouldn't know because my sister died long before puberty, so I only have a brother now.

So sad, sorry to hear.   

My kid brother died at eleven yo. I was seventeen. Such a tough time on the family, parents especially. I always gave my parents a lot of credit for staying together as a lot of parents drift apart and such after a child dies.   

So sad for both of you.

[jimmy olsen]

My wife is about to buy a hemi. It's a far cry from her current RX300. 

Why?

Too big and the gas expenses are going to be huge.

[MadImmortalMan]

The r/t with a v8 gets slightly better mileage than my Toyota with a v6.