Recent posts

#1

Off the Record / Re: The EU thread

Last post by Legbiter - Today at 11:38:58 AM

The Balts were very upset with the wargame.   

German wargame simulating Baltic attack dismissed as 'insulting' and 'nonsense'

A German exercise simulating a Russian incursion into the Baltic states that found Moscow could destroy NATO's credibility and "establish domination over the Baltics" in a "couple of days" has been dismissed as "frankly insulting" by the Estonian ambassador to the United Kingdom.

The exercise was organized in December by Germany's Die Welt newspaper with the German Wargaming Center of the Helmut-Schmidt University of the German Armed Forces, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Sixteen former senior German and NATO officials, lawmakers and prominent security experts role-played a scenario set in October 2026.

The game's results showed that with "absent American leadership, Russia managed within a couple of days to destroy the credibility of NATO and establish domination over the Baltics, by deploying an initial force of only some 15,000 troops."

The scenario imagined that Russia used the pretext of a humanitarian crisis in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to seize the Lithuanian city of Marijampole.

https://news.err.ee/1609935392/german-wargame-simulating-baltic-attack-dismissed-as-insulting-and-nonsense









[/quote]

#2

Off the Record / Re: Climate Change/Mass Extinc...

Last post by mongers - Today at 11:28:33 AM

Somewhat concerning, this is the crypt of Winchester cathedral, a stones throw from the river Itchen.




Central Southern England is Waterworld at the moment, coming home through the floods last night, I had to go through one place that I'd never seen flooding in before then.

#3

Off the Record / Re: Facebook Follies of Friend...

Last post by mongers - Today at 11:24:59 AM

Yi, that's a bit of a 'cop out' reply, JR's made the effort to write a several paragraph reply; you could try addressing the key issues he's highlighted.

Mongers, I'll listen to lectures from a couple people. You're not one.

Doubling down on the cop-out I see.

#4

Off the Record / Re: Facebook Follies of Friend...

Last post by Admiral Yi - Today at 11:24:16 AM

Yi, that's a bit of a 'cop out' reply, JR's made the effort to write a several paragraph reply; you could try addressing the key issues he's highlighted.

Mongers, I'll listen to lectures from a couple people. You're not one.

#5

Off the Record / Re: Facebook Follies of Friend...

Last post by mongers - Today at 11:20:40 AM

I don't know Joan.

Yi, that's a bit of a 'cop out' reply, JR's made the effort to write a several paragraph reply; you could try addressing the key issues he's highlighted.

#6

Off the Record / Re: Facebook Follies of Friend...

Last post by Admiral Yi - Today at 11:16:57 AM

I don't know Joan.

#7

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by mongers - Today at 11:10:18 AM

Edit: Also - and this is very much not the main story here - I have looked at the pictures and I am once again disgusted at the very rich acquiring vast amounts of money and yet apparently having no taste on decor If just some of that money came to me I'd have a fabulous looking home and do little to no corruption!

I am trying to interpret whether the dog is ashamed of his master's deed or the decor here, really. 

To be fair to Shelf, that's one ugly house and to plonk it down in a quaint part of Wiltshire, the Vale of Pewsey, is appalling.   

#8

Off the Record / Re: Elon Musk: Always A Douche

Last post by Baron von Schtinkenbutt - Today at 10:40:39 AM

Try this

#9

Off the Record / Re: Aukus

Last post by Baron von Schtinkenbutt - Today at 10:29:20 AM

From what I've read, Fujian was originally designed to use steam catapults.  Sometime just before the construction (after the design was complete), someone decided it had to have EMALS instead (presumably because the Ford class have them and the Chinese were in a hurry to claim they had them as well).  That's why the ship has the two critical flaws grumbler mentioned.

The steam cats required for the ship would have been shorter than the EMALS.  With steam cats fitted, #2 cat would not impede the landing area.  Also, #1 cat impedes the operation of the forward elevator for the same reason.  Also, being driven by steam, they wouldn't put the significant electrical load on the generators that the EMALS do.

There are also some issues with the deck layout independent of the aircraft launch system.  The angled landing zone is narrower and less angled than US designs, and pushed the island further forward than it ideally would be.  This is a contributor to the forward elevator issue above.

Of course, this is all just a Western narrative to cope with the fact the PLAN can now go toe-to-toe with the USN and keep them out of the First Island Chain.

#10

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

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 10:12:56 AM

Bill C-3 represents a fundamental shift in Canada's citizenship framework. It retroactively recognizes Canadian citizenship by descent for persons born prior to December 15, 2025, who are in the second or subsequent generation born abroad. Bill C-3 also recognizes the right of persons, who were adopted by Canadian citizens prior to December 15, 2025, to seek a grant of Canadian citizenship. In addition, it restores Canadian citizenship to persons who failed to retain Canadian citizenship under Section 8 of the previous legislation

https://www.dentons.com/en/insights/articles/2025/december/19/bill-c-3-restores-canadian-citizenship-to-lost-canadians

Since Valmy and his children were born before December 15th 2025, that would make them automatically citizens if the proper documentation can be obtained. No?

That's an introductory paragraph from a law firm website to encourage people to contact the law firm for more information, i.e., it is a marketing tool to get people to talk to a lawyer to find out what the rules actually are. It is not meant to be a description of the totality of the legislative restrictions.