Maybe readjusting our expectations is not the right approach here. Unacceptable is unacceptable.

Did you actually read the article?

Among them: a makeup artist, a soccer player and a food delivery driver, being held in a place so harsh that El Salvador's justice minister once said the only way out is in a coffin.

Andry is a 31-year-old Venezuelan. He's a makeup artist. He is a gay man. He loves to do theatre. He was part of a theatre troupe in his hometown.

Lindsay Toczylowski, Andry's attorney, says he does not have a criminal record in the United States or Venezuela. She says he left his home country last year because he was targeted for being gay and for his political views.

It's possible that they sent some actual criminals, but clearly, the process is flawed.

NGL, it looks particularly hot from that angle. And yes, I could take that.

Because Schröder was a Russian shill and the plans to end nuclear power date back to his terms, IIRC. Then Fukushima happened and the plans were accelerated under Merkel. So both conservatives and moderate lefties had their hands in it. It was also difficult to find a place to store the burnt elements. The people of Germany didn't want the barrels anywhere close to them. It is also a form of energy that is really expensive in the long run. You cannot insure against nuclear accidents and all the costs of safe handling fall back to the tax payer instead of the energy corporation. So, politically, it was a minefield. It was easier to just quit, apparently. Nobody had the spine to force the issue.

Again, NS2 was never used, regardless of what US presidents did or say. And NS1 was basically brand new when Russia reacted to the Ukranian revolution in 2014, so the claim that those pipes made the big difference is a bit meh. There were other pipelines though. And in the end all the criticism was really about who gets their share of the profits and not about maintaining peace.

Anyway, I think there might be some truth to your analysis. I mean, it is a bit cynical to see Ukraine as a buffer zone that should have never been touched because the bear might bite. Obviously they are a sovereign country that can pick their allegiance freely. There also has been the promise of protection since the Budapest memorandum, so a certain reliance on the west dates back to the nineties. But promising NATO membership to them, a promise made under Bush, was a move that must have angered Putin. Nobody can be that naive.

Russian resources have always had geostrategical relevance to the US, either because they wanted to get their hands on them themselves or because they were worried about a cooperation between Europe, namely Germany, and Russia. So the Russians were weary about western meddling. And I'm not gonna say that the Ukrainian revolution in 2014 was instigated by the west. I'm sure the seed was there. But the way everything was being handled up to that point was unsuitable to maintaining peace, that's for sure. The world keeps blaming Germany for buying Russian gas, but we will never know if the war had happened without the threat of NATO expansion. We tried peace through trade, and the people who keep lecturing us about how that built up the Russians so they were finally able to attack just happen to be the people who would prefer if we bought their gas instead.

I don't like the way Russia is handling its affairs, but it was clear that Putin would react eventually. So, maybe this is a two-pronged strategy designed by certain elements in the US. A weakened Europe or access to Russian resources are both outcomes that benefit them.

We also had COVID and a global energy crisis in 2021. By the time the pipelines were blown up, output was already down to 20% capacity. NS2 never even entered service despite the fact that it survived the sabotage, because Germany declined.

It was also classified as the worst release of Methane in human history. But hey, as long as people listen, right? Must be nice living in a country that has natural resources.

Initially, yes. Followed up with direct extortion by Trump.

They are calling it a loan to appease the gods of bookkeeping. When we're done rebuilding Ukraine those few billions we sent so far will look like chump change. And, most importantly, we didn't go in quid pro quo from day one.

Then it's not a loan. It's restitution.

Still more sales than I expected. Probably a matter of time.

After the invasion we found alternatives and built terminals to buy US LNG. If before and after makes a difference, then at least we made an effort. And yes, I know that the Russian shadow fleet is still very much a thing. And let's not forget that many buyers of Russian energy in Asia are reselling for a profit.

Ok, I just had a chance to read it. You're right, he is an insecure control freak. Lying about putting a GPS tracker on the car is definitely a red flag. About the password: It's his single-sign-on password. That's basically what I suspected. This password gives access to multiple services. It is possible that the service comes with costs attached, but the most important takeaway is that he doesn't trust her.

She would have never served the prison time if the diplomatic channels are worth their respective tax payers' money. It's blown out of proportion and unacceptable and we should stop excusing this outlandish behavior. And, most importantly, we should vote with our wallets.

The important bit for me is that he likely didn't install the devices to spy on her. But it's pretty clear that both of them have no idea how to communicate with each other.

I'm not sure if a boysenberry is just our regular German "Brombeere" or a refined cross. But you just reminded me that I have to get my mom's cheesecake recipe while she's still alive...

Oh, and this look delicious. Like a spoonful of summer.

Yes, that appears to be well within the scope of my abilities.

As a dog owner I'd like to add that it seems to be more than that though. I think it is also an erogenous zone. Many dogs love to rub their necks in smelly stuff. It's like putting on cologne.

Maybe with a German accent.

I'm single. Wouldn't be my style to chat up other women.

Didn't Musk call it "maximum truthseeking" on release?

Almost every scandal after about three weeks.

WW2 Germany at least had a somewhat rational reason to expand to the east. Russia only has vague security concerns. I don't see how they can justify a war with actual NATO once a buffer zone has been reestablished and foreign access to their resources has been cut off again. I'm not willing to throw Ukraine to the wolves, but I also don't see where the fears of Russian expansion are coming from. They could rebuild and pose a threat, yes, but nobody so far was able to tell me why they would take that risk.

The US was trading with Russia too, prior to the invasion.

Repaid how? The country is in ruins. Who do you think is gonna rebuild it? European construction companies will be there, yes. But calling our help a loan because of that is ridiculous. There are no expectations of direct reimbursements.

Wait, who are we talking about now?