KeepItReal

Please stop insulting house elves. Dobby and Winky are very special to me. I will admit I did not care for Kreacher. 🤭

How dare you, sir! The Mango Messiah will save them - his faithful cultists await his return! 😋 😆

@vinapu Welcome to my league. Your membership card is on the way!

I am not too surprised. It is a question of a) a house divided for democrats vs b) a house on fire for republicans. At least, that is my opinion atm.

I am curious - what is the source of the dust? My google search did not bring up much other than a broad range of topics... Sorry to hear you are experiencing this - break out the KN95 mask if you must!

Whenever I see a poll being quoted, I always think of this clip... Enjoy!! 😆 https://youtu.be/ahgjEjJkZks

He'll need it when he finally gets issued with an orange jump suit and some shiny new sheriff issued bracelets.

Did you actually take the time to read it? How about you start there...then bring your comments. 🤓

Actually, I need to correct you there, if you will indulge me. 😁 George H W Bush actually made the most progress by making it clear to Israel's leadership that their 'bad behavior' at the time was unacceptable and would have consequences. Had Clinton followed through, we shouldn't be where we are today. You may find thus article interesting. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/george-hw-bush-israel-palestinians-progressives_n_60a6d388e4b0a25683107530

No, thank you. I love the English language just as much as you love Russian and idioms are part of the language's charm - can't do without.

The comments from some here are indeed scary, as the thread's title indicate. They are either very deep down the rabbit hole or I want some of what they're smoking!

Indeed, Belarus is outside of the borders of Russia and closer to Russia's adversaries - that was the point you were trying to make (unsuccessfully) about the dreaded USA empire, right? Nicaragua is a successful democracy only by Putin's definition. Same game plan: you get rid of all the opposition leaders and get "elected" time after time basically by default. Your definition of "empire" also needs a bit of work.

You say that like it is something new. It's been like that since the 1950s - and all of the weapons are in NATO ally countries with their knowledge and consent. So why are you clutching your pearls? It is 70 year old news. What is new is that Putin now has Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus. So, who is the one making changes to the balance of power? Isn't that change what is really posing a threat to everyone? Open your eyes to reality.

When you wish ill upon others the universe hears you and karma finds you.

Both good questions. Don't be so cerebral - just go with the chaos! 😆

More than 1,100 rioters from the January 6 insurrection have been charged. Many going to jail and they name former President Ace Ventura in their statements. And yet the leader and instigator still walk free.

There is so much noise coming from all across the opinion spectrum, it is hard to draw conclusions, never mind take a position. I can both sympathize and criticise aspects on all sides - and there are many sides with many stakeholders. It is the proverbial "barrel of fish hooks". Approach with caution. ⚠️

Ex-president Pinocchio was in Iowa at a rally a few weeks ago. He was visibly confused on stage, slurring all 5 of the buzz words he could remember. Not looking good. As he is so fond of saying: Sad! Has a date for Putin's visit to Thailand been confirmed? Asking for a friend.

Expert medical opinions are everywhere these days. 🙄

I am losing count but I think Trump lawyer #3 just pleaded guilty. https://apnews.com/article/jenna-ellis-plea-deal-georgia-election-case-c4dbacd3e4bbb5415ebd3d42d8fa3128 How embarrassing. For them, their families and their law schools. Way to pick 'em! I do hope there will be professional consequences - they should not be allowed to practice law as officers of the court with this self admitted misbehavior.

Actually, it goes back to 1917 when the British government by means of Arthur Balfour established a policy to create a Jewish state. In 1947 the Russian government also supported the creation of a Jewish state at the UN. I am not blind to the USA's faults, but we cant be blamed for everything!

Oh come on. Don't be like that. We both know Kamala won't be measuring for drapes. She has staffers to do that kind of thing for her.

I was alarmed by this article in the paper today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/10/19/university-lgbtq-centers-disappearing/71147364007/ It seems we are still in a "two steps forward, one step back" situation here in the USA. My firm opened a new office in Dallas, TX and offered me a leadership position - I turned them down cold and was very explicit about my reasons. Our CEO was taken aback by my strong feelings about the climate in that state. He clearly thought the usual platitudes would work "be a team player" "bring mature leadership". Instead I lobbied him for the firm to take a stronger position to support our LGBTQ staff and clients in specific states. My next stop is our regulatory relations office. These "small attacks" are easy to overlook when there are much bigger news events going on. Which is why I like reading the newspaper instead of just scanning the CNN website - that is what most of my friends do.

What odds are you offering for this bet? How could you possibly know what was said? Are you perhaps projecting your own bias? So many questions I have...

You are brave to take on a topic this complex. There are so many moving parts as to how we got here. It is worth nothing that, while it is convenient to refer to actions by governments by "president XY's administration" or "prime minister YZ's administration", those leaders don't act alone. Usually are pressured/supported by congress/parliamentary partners and various agencies/advisors who are influenced by corporate and foreign interests. Today, we ask: "How did we get here?". Frequently the answer is "We did what made sense at the time, given the circumstances". And in a smaller voice add: "If only we could go back in time and get a do-over..."