gearhog

Got a call from my Rep regarding the message I left last week with a staffer. As I said, when researching the most recent Ukraine aid bill, I used the roll call to find out who voted for/against. When I got the call, I expressed all the concerns and arguments that I have made here. They were highly receptive. As a result, their office bought a social media ad asking constituents one question: "Do you support sending more Aid to Ukraine?" The answers were recorded on the Representative's website (results not public). However, the comments below the social media ad were telling. Perhaps 5% were in support of, and all the rest were something to the effect of "America First!" In my district, my Rep is supported overwhelmingly, but not on this issue it seems. It appears they may be changing their vote for the next one. Fingers crossed. I appreciate the opportunity to work on and improve my positions here so that when I have the chance to articulate them to someone that can act on them, I can feel hopeful I've made a difference.

That's a difficult read.

I think I found it on his twitter account. Looks like he's using an AI software called Leonardo.Ai. Several more are tagged with #promptshare. Mindblowing stuff. You have to clink on the ALT in the lower left of the photos/vids to see the prompts.

We should have a recruiting office at every border crossing. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/11/01/army-suddenly-and-chaotically-told-hundreds-of-soldiers-they-have-be-recruiters-immediately.html/amp

He does. Amazing stuff. A couple examples of the prompts he uses for the AI to create scenes : Filmstill Closeup, Masterfully crafted 38mm view from the remnants of an old overpass, now broken and suspended above the city's ruins. Vines snake around rusted car chassis and the remnants of a billboard which once advertised the marvels of the future. The golden hues of the setting sun glisten off the scattered remnants of shattered glass. Captured on classic Lomography film with a Minolta X-700, this visual sonnet speaks of urban dreams once held high, now returned to the embrace of the earth. Filmstill Closeup highlights a sapphire-hued circular object, levitating above a clear jungle pond. Its glow disturbs the water beneath, creating ripples that emit soft electric blue sparks. Trees encircling the pond appear ancient, with their bark glowing subtly, showcasing intricate vein networks. Looming in the backdrop, a monumental stone figure with its hands outstretched, as if presenting the floating orb, adds a layer of biblical gravitas to the scene. The balance of shadows and light, taking cues from Roger Deakins, renders the image both surreal and haunting.

Fascinating observation. Thanks for your contribution.

Yes. Guy who made it says he created a feature length movie only with text prompts in AI software. No, actors, no writers, no production, no designers, no special effects departments, just a computer.

They’re climbing the White House fence. https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1720957827965960610?s=46 General John J. Pershing statue at our WWI memorial tonight.

Duuude... AI is about to fuck up Hollywood.

I'm trying to figure that, also. It's as though a switch was flipped yesterday. I searched "Ukraine Stalemate" in Google news and it seems all Western media is reporting on that all at once. Here's ABC news claiming this was something they knew all along. Ugh, https://abcnews.go.com/International/ukraine-generals-view-war-stalemate-appears-recognition-failed/story?id=104576525 My theory is: if I can reach a conclusion just from trying to glean a handful of facts from an ocean of bullshit, I know the media has been sitting on much more, and finally realized that reality can't be concealed, and it's time to cut bait and get ahead of yet another Biden Admin embarrassment.

I can't believe you're falling for this Russian propaganda. Clearly, you hate America. 😄 Think you'll see any of your critics admit they were wrong in this thread when we finally bail on this pathetic shit show? That they spent a lot of time denigrating you and I while supporting the actions of leadership that has failed us time and again? Nah, they'll just say "We achieved our strategic objectives" or "We weren't really trying to defeat Russia, just weaken them." or "We're taking one on the chin to generously save the world from a nuclear apocalypse" Then they'll just quietly move on to the next "Thing" and get themselves all worked up trying to perform the mental gymnastics necessary to argue on behalf of the approved narrative. Zero self-reflection. Israel will be the next boat anchor around our necks. It's so incredibly easy to understand the world and be successful in it when a person (nation) can honestly look in the mirror and hold themselves to account first. Sometimes you're the problem. Fix that before trying to pin your fears and blame on everyone else. Is it too early to try and start accounting for all the money and equipment we'll abandon over there before it ends up on the black market and in the hands of our enemies?

Uh oh, the narrative is collapsing faster than even I expected. I honestly can't believe this aired tonight. https://x.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/1720588620640489750?s=20

Wait... I thought you said you were a big fan of youth in asia.

Or pull the plug on someone's Grandma. 😄

That was brutal to listen to. I couldn’t figure out what the hell he was saying. I’ll have to read the transcript later.

Hezbollah's Nasrallah is about to make a major speech in about 15 minutes. Could have significant implications as to whether the war will be escalated.

What value are you placing on an American life? When you come up with one, put it in a math equation, and I'll be happy to give you my take on the cost/kill. Remember, we had to abandon the gold standard to finance the war in Vietnam ultimately leading us to position we are in today. We didn't win that one and we don't have that option again. The Ukrainians don't get to decide if they wish to fight ad die. Zelenski gets to decide, and also remember, he cancelled the the March 2024 elections so that the people CAN'T decide. How much sense does it make to claim you're helping save Ukrainian people from a tyrannical dictatorship while supporting their "democracy" that is transitioning to... a tyrannical dictatorship? Do you honestly believe the world has been shocked into submission by the our support to our allies and ability to win wars? Because it certainly doesn't seem that way. Conflicts are popping off all over the place at rate greater than our ability to quell them. Quite the opposite, our strategic opponents smell blood in the water and are further emboldened by obvious inability to actually win anything. Ok, so everyone knows the financial system is on life support and the days are numbered. Today, you can go to the bank, withdraw cash, go anywhere you want, and exchange it for something of value. Replace your vehicle, do some home repairs, invest in equipment for a small business, etc. You can also use it to help someone who needs those things more than you. Our government, knowing the end is near, could just as easily take those coupons with an expiration date, and trade them for hard, durable assets. They have a choice. They could improve infrastructure, roads, bridges, schools, factories, etc. They could convert that cash to power plants, oil reserves, food reserves, raw materials, border security, and other things that would sustain the American people through an economic downturn. Instead, they choose to convert those soon to be defunct dollars to "foreign aid" and send them overseas while telling you the baddies are conspiring to sap and impurify your precious bodily fluids. Why would they do this? Because a large portion of that public debt and "foreign aid" returns to them, personally, in the form of checks to offshore banks, business deals, board positions, consultant fees at defense contractors, overperforming investments, etc. Then, they can convert those dollars to real assets for themselves instead of real assets for you. The senior deal makers at the top have zero concern for your best interests. As a matter of fact, most of them are so far removed from the average American, or Ukrainian, or Israeli that they can't even understand your needs or perspective. Most, not all, are playing Monopoly with the productive value you, not them, have brought to the American economy. And it is a game for them. In Monopoly, they're given a random opportunity to make a transaction or exchange. When a conflict happens, such as the one in Ukraine or Israel, it presents vast numbers of these opportunities. The game only progresses in one direction, that is fewer people end up with more money, and eventually if the game is allowed to continue ad infinitum, one person ends up with it all. So knowing that conflict presents more random opportunities to conduct these random transactions (thereby increasing the probability of enriching oneself), what is the greater incentive, investing in peace and prosperity at home, or investing in, or even promoting, conflict abroad?

Disagree. I've addressed this exact point at least three times in this thread, but that's okay because I want to add a few things and take another stab at it. What did we win? Did we thwart the plans of an evil superpower that amassing a Nazi-like war machine preparing to march across the European continent, and ultimately prevent the global domination and enslavement of the planet by Putin? I will concede that our $100 billion reduced the probability of that happening by an amount. It starting to seem to me that the arguments are shifting from "We're gonna defeat Russia, send them back across the border, and restore Ukraine to it's former glory" to... "Well, okay. Maybe they won't be defeated. Maybe Ukraine will never be made whole, but damnit we sure killed a lot of Russkies! High Five! Guys? Don't leave me hangin'." Our current leadership, with it's track record of incredible failures, indebted you and I to the tune of $100+ Billion for Ukraine, $14 Billion today for Israel. The US Treasury borrowed $776 Billion to pay our bills the last three months of this year and will borrow $816 Billion in just the first three months next year, just to keep the lights on. That money is being extracted from your future earnings, laundered overseas, and inserted into the pockets of those who are advocating for this conflict. What amazes me is you're praising them for it. Do you honestly think to yourself, "My life is better and safer because X00,000 Russians are dead?" What also amazes me are the X00,000 dead Ukrainians who are conveniently left out of the accounting spreadsheet that declares this a "win". Do you know any Ukrainians? Would you be comfortable expressing to them what a spectacular bargain this has been for us? I should probably stop typing. EDIT: $113 Billion divided by 300,000 Russian casualties = $376,000 per bad guy. "Bargain" WTF.

Here's an interesting slideshow from the WSJ today. Yesterday, we were unable to successfully test a Minuteman III. https://www.wsj.com/story/china-and-russia-are-far-ahead-the-us-in-the-race-for-hypersonic-missiles-80c514ef

Here is the TIME article referenced in which Ukraine is reported to be "struggling" to keep it together. It certainly doesn't portray the situation positively. In fact, the author makes it sound almost hopeless. It appears the Ukr gov't is dealing with exhaustion, apathy, waning public and international support, decreased funding, simply running out of people to forcibly conscript and launch against a brick wall. When the funding declines, the well-documented corrupt UKR gov't will fracture, and they'll turn on Zelensky, be forced to the table, and ultimately capitulate. When they do, what happens to the 100 Billion dollars in aid and equipment that we have delivered to Ukraine? We couldn't believe it when our leadership left 7 Billion worth of shit behind in Afghanistan. Imagine the disgrace and shame of doing the same in Ukraine. After all... all the same people are in charge of this mess.

LOL. No, I think he's terrible with kids. I was being sarcastic.

So what is your argument, then? That the clips are wrong, but they may later be proven right? GTFO. That every last person in Gaza are hardcore Hamas supporters who as a whole, want this war and all these civilians are happy do die in droves to further their cause? That everyone in Israel supports carpet-bombing Palestinian territories into oblivion? Why are you offended that I would offer a perspective other than that? "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." - Marcus Aurelius. I'm relaying what I'm seeing and hearing with my own eyes and ears. It's different than what you're seeing and hearing. That should be fine, but because I'm not here to sit in your circle jerk and chant "Death to Palestine" or "Death to Israel" or whatever your position is, you have a problem with it. Conveniently, you haven't provided a personal perspective here. Until you do, you can sit there and listen to mine and be consterned, annoyed, offended, and kick rocks. Grow a spine, come up with an original position you can make an argument for, and put it out there. I welcome it and I'll give it respectful consideration. What I don't respect is whining and useless rants. “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” Mark Twain - Following The Equator My entire argument here is for disengagement and de-escalation. If you're accusing me of hyping up my position in favor of that, I really don't fucking care. I'm not trying to mislead anyone. I've been around long enough to know how this ends, and you should have, also. You must not have been paying attention. You want to bang the drums of war in the ME? Be my guest. But realize there isn't an outcome where you and your family do not become entangled in it. just got off the phone an hour ago with the offices of my State Representative and Senators. Call yours and give them the same vague, non-committal, bs you're giving me. See how it goes. "Young warriors are always eager for battle, old warriors know better." - Robert Ferrigno Yeah, you must not have been here long. I was in the same SQ with the same dude that founded this website at the exact time he did. Every little while someone opines that "This forum ain't what it used to be!" Bullshit. It's always been this. And people always threaten to leave. Go ahead. No one cares. There are two types of people on this forum: People I disagree with and value, and people I disagree with and don't value. Guess which one. Edit: I realize I may put a little too much zing in that one. The irony of "de-escalation" isn't lost on me. Don't take is personally. 😁

It's easier to think of and digest both Israeli and Palestinian people as being a monolithic society, paint with a broad brush, and hold them to all to account. It's much more difficult and confusing to conceptualize them as a complex society, many of which are oppressed for their beliefs and viewpoints. Example 1: Palestinian women being beaten for saying Hamas are dogs and are to blame for the deaths of their loved ones. Example 2: Orthodox Jews are beaten on the street by Israeli police for speaking against the war. Example 3: Bombs falling near a Christian Church in Gaza. What side are they on? I don't think it's fair to hold everyone in either Gaza or Israel accountable for a conflict they don't endorse. I also realize it's impossible to defend yourself without inflicting collateral damage. But there is absolutely no talk of a solution other than total war. Why is that not an option for any of the current conflicts we find ourselves in?

House Resolution 559 passed yesterday afternoon. Remember when there was an attack on 9/11, a conflict in AFG and we were able to make Iraq part of the same operation and 20 years passed? Remember when there was an attack on 10/7, a conflict in Israel and we were able to make Iran part of the same operation and 20 years passed? If the process ain't broke, don't fix it. Whereas international complacency toward Iran’s illicit nu- clear program threatens the global nonproliferation re- gime: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives declares it is the policy of the United States— (1) that a nuclear Islamic Republic of Iran is not acceptable; (2) that Iran must not be able to obtain a nuclear weapon under any circumstances or conditions; (3) to use all means necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon; and (4) to recognize and support the freedom of action of partners and allies, including Israel, to pre- vent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

We got vital data before terminating the test for an unexpected anomaly! Great success!