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bolverk

Certifiably Surly
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Everything posted by bolverk

  1. Gee, ya think? https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/26/world/europe/trump-pope-francis-funeral.html?smid=url-share President Trump met privately with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Saturday in Vatican City, the first time the two leaders have met since their televised argument in late February in the Oval Office exacerbated the deep breach between the two countries. The meeting took place in St. Peter’s Basilica, the two men perched on metal chairs, deep in conversation for several minutes as they waited for the funeral for Pope Francis to begin. A White House spokesman, Stephen Cheung, called it a “very productive discussion,” but gave no details. It came at a critical moment. The United States has presented Ukraine with a plan for a cease-fire in its war with Russia, leading to a postwar plan that would give Russia de facto control over all of the lands it has illegally seized since the invasion began three years ago. The proposal also includes a major reversal of American policy: a formal recognition by the United States that Crimea, seized by Moscow in 2014, is now Russian territory. Mr. Zelensky said this past week that Ukraine would never make that concession, noting that it would violate Ukraine’s Constitution; most of the other nations in Europe would almost agree with Mr. Zelensky’s view. But the Ukrainian leader has a counterproposal of his own, Ukrainian officials said, one that would end the conflict on far less generous terms for Russia, and would include billions of dollars in reparations for Ukraine, paid by Russia. The White House did not respond to queries about the specifics of the meeting in Vatican City. But it was a remarkable scene: an impromptu meeting between two men who have made no secret of their deep dislike and distrust for each other. In the minutes after they last saw each other, Mr. Zelensky was essentially evicted from the White House, a lunch for the two men left uneaten and an economic accord allowing the United States to help exploit much of Ukraine’s minerals left unsigned. The meeting at the Vatican came just as Mr. Trump was trying to push Mr. Zelensky and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia into direct talks. “They are very close to a deal,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social late Friday, after landing in Rome. “The two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off.’” His enthusiasm may be premature. The proposal turned out by the Trump administration and Mr. Zelensky’s alternative showed a huge gap even on the question of what the Russians should be offered. And neither of the proposals meet several of Mr. Putin’s demands, including that the size of Ukraine’s military be sharply limited. Mr. Zelensky posted a positive-sounding description of the meeting on X that made clear that he had learned one lesson from his Oval Office encounter: Always show gratitude, even if he and Mr. Trump differ significantly on the terms for ending the war. “Good meeting,” he wrote, saying that among the points covered were “full and unconditional ceasefire,” and a “reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out.” The last was particularly important: Mr. Trump’s proposal has only vague security guarantees for Ukraine. The Ukrainian proposal is far more specific, calling for a European peacekeeping force with the U.S. providing backup. “Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results,” he wrote, careful to use the word “potential.” He ended with: “Thank you @POTUS.” Since his inauguration, Mr. Trump has made clear that he wanted his first trip overseas in this term to be to the Middle East, starting with Saudi Arabia, the site of his initial visit during his first term in office. But on Saturday morning, he was in Europe, making his way to Vatican City to pay his respects at the pontiff’s funeral. As the ceremonies began, Mr. Trump was surrounded by European leaders he has been denouncing as freeloaders unwilling to pay their share of the continent’s defense, and leaders of the European Union, which he said was “formed in order to screw the United States.” On his way to Italy on Friday, Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he was attending the funeral “out of respect” for Francis, noting, “I won the Catholic vote.” The seating plan released by the Vatican had guests seated in their group in alphabetical order based on their country’s name in French. That put Mr. Trump in the front row between the leaders of Finland and Estonia — two countries deeply worried about Russia’s “shadow war” against their countries — and just down from President Emmanuel Macron of France. Mr. Trump, Mr. Macron and Mr. Zelensky all chatted briefly before the services began. Mr. Trump’s every handshake and conversation at the funeral was watched for meaning. He briefly greeted Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, who was sitting a few chairs down from Mr. Trump. White House reporters traveling with the president, but kept at a considerable distance, reported that the two appeared to chat, funereal protocols aside. In the past three months, Ms. von der Leyen was conspicuously absent from the leaders visiting the White House.
  2. Wordle 1,407 3/6 🟨🟩🟩⬛⬛ ⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Connections Puzzle #685 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🙂 Daily Quordle 1188 5️⃣4️⃣ 8️⃣6️⃣ m-w.com/games/quordle/ ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜ 🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ 🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟩🟨🟨 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
  3. Wordle 1,406 4/6 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛🟨⬛🟨⬛ 🟨🟩⬛⬛🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Connections Puzzle #684 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🙂 Daily Quordle 1187 5️⃣6️⃣ 7️⃣4️⃣ m-w.com/games/quordle/ 🟩🟨🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟨🟩⬜🟨 ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜🟨🟩⬜🟨 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜ ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
  4. "Black Death," a horror-ish adjacent film I'd never heard of from 2010, streaming on HBO. Really good flick with a strong A24 vibe, ending, and all that. Stars Sean Bean of protecting the wee little Hobbits fame, Catrice van Houten of GoT Red Witch fame, and Eddie Redmayne of "Fantastic Beasts" fame. All around good movie that's kinda smart in its twists.
  5. New county with a case reported today: Scurry County (Snyder) https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/measles-outbreak/scurry-county-announces-first-case-of-measles/
  6. Wordle 1,405 5/6 ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟩 ⬛⬛⬛🟨🟩 ⬛🟨🟩⬛🟩 ⬛⬛🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Connections Puzzle #683 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🙂 Daily Quordle 1186 5️⃣4️⃣ 6️⃣7️⃣ m-w.com/games/quordle/ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬜⬜🟩⬜🟨 ⬜⬜🟨🟨🟨 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟩⬜⬜🟨⬜ ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟩⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
  7. It's funny. There was a whole thing on KUT I listened to a few days ago about the "Mar-a-Lago makeover."
  8. I don't know shit about the law, but one thing I find weirdly encouraging is learning that they give enough of a shit to debate how best to argue a case in front of a judge, meaning there's some element left that respects the law enough to some sort of degree to even bother trying. And that's about the most optimistic thing I could possibly say.
  9. So basically, not enforce the law?
  10. Vance Outlines U.S. Plan for Ukraine That Sharply Favors Russia Vice President JD Vance said the cease-fire plan would freeze territory along the current front lines of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and that the U.S. would “walk away” if both parties did not agree. Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday called on Ukraine to accept an American peace proposal that closely aligns with longstanding Russian goals, including a “freeze” of territorial lines in the three-year war, acceptance of the annexation of Crimea by Russia and a prohibition on Ukraine becoming part of the NATO alliance. It was the first time a U.S. official had publicly laid out a plan to end the war that favors Russia in such stark terms. A peace plan that leaves Russian forces deep inside eastern Ukraine would be welcome news in Moscow. President Vladimir V. Putin has said for almost year that he would accept a cease-fire in which Ukraine withdraws troops from the four regions that Russia has claimed as its own and drops its aspirations to join NATO. The comments by the vice president appeared designed to increase pressure on President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who has long refused to accept Russian’s occupation of his country’s lands, including the seizure of Crimea in 2014 and territory taken by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in early 2022. In a second blow to Mr. Zelensky, President Trump lashed out at the Ukrainian president on Wednesday afternoon, writing on Truth Social, his social media site, that “he can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years.” Mr. Vance, speaking during a trip to India, said the United States would “walk away” from the peace process if both Ukraine and Russia refused to accept the American terms. But Mr. Zelensky was clearly the target. cont'd:
  11. "Pete, my man! You should've seen that sloppy Taco Bell shit I took last night when I got home from our rager. Dude, it piled up so high, the Tidy Bowl man floated over and planted a flag on it! Hyuck, hyuck, hyuck. Oh, hey, you wanna get some more brewskis tonight at the tittie bar after we bomb Yemen?"
  12. I think the stops along the line are: Farce -> Joke -> Parody -> Cartoon -> Hoax -> Traveshamockery So we've still got a ways to go.
  13. Interesting, long-ish read on how Mexico is emerging as a destination for not just other Latin American migrants but also Americans. https://archive.is/HKA7O
  14. Wordle 1,404 5/6 ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟩 ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟩 ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟩 ⬛⬛🟩⬛🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Connections Puzzle #682 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🙂 Daily Quordle 1185 6️⃣7️⃣ 5️⃣4️⃣ m-w.com/games/quordle/ ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟩⬜🟨⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟨⬜🟨🟨 🟩⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
  15. Hey @Ag with kids, I know you've seen this response to your stupid fucking question last night, because of the screenshot below. I'll also note you haven't posted in any of the subs since. What gives? Are you too much of a pussy to say, "Yeah, man, I was wrong." Are you just another troll?
  16. I’ve really got to hand it to you; you’re the best on Surly at this. No one else comes close.
  17. Just marching-band-geeking the fuck out. Please forgive me.
  18. Hat-tip to @Beau Vine: "We'll see what happens, but ultimately they [China] have to make a deal because otherwise they're not going to be able to deal in the United States, so we want them involved, but they have to, and other countries have to make a deal, and if they don't make a deal, we'll set the deal because we're the ones that set the deal, Scott [Bessent], and Howard [Lutnick], and myself and others," Trump said. "We're going to be setting the deal and it'll be a fair deal for everybody and I think it's a process that's going to go pretty quickly. We've spoken to many, many countries, and we're getting their views on things, you know, there are a lot of things. They have VAT taxes. They have everything you can have. Don't forget, as an example, the European Union was set up to take advantage of the United States. That's why it was set up, and they've done that, but they're not doing that anymore," Trump continued. ***** https://archive.is/WVKNS [article snippet] Hitler launched his trade war on the second Friday of his chancellorship. That evening, he appeared in the Berlin Sportpalast, the city’s largest venue, for a rally in front of thousands of jubilant followers. It was his first public appearance as chancellor, and it served as a victory lap. Hitler dispensed with the dark suit he wore in cabinet meetings in favor of his brown storm-trooper uniform with a bright-red swastika armband. In his address, Hitler declared that the entire country needed to be rebuilt after years of mismanagement by previous governments. He spoke of the “sheer madness” of international obligations imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, of the need to restore “life, liberty, and happiness” to the German people, of the need for “cleansing” the bureaucracy, public life, culture, the population, “every aspect of our life.” His tariff regime, he implied, would help restore the pride and honor of German self-reliance. “Never believe in help from abroad, never on help from outside our own nation, our own people,” Hitler said. “The future of the German people is to be found in our own selves.” Hitler did not refer specifically to the trade war he had launched that afternoon, just as he did not mention the rearmament plans he had discussed with his cabinet the previous day. “Billions of reichsmarks are needed for rearmament,” Hitler had told his ministers in that meeting. “The future of Germany depends solely and exclusively on the rebuilding of the army.” Hitler’s trade war with his neighbors would prove to be but a prelude to his shooting war with the world.
  19. Dry line gave a good shove, and the big stuff is on its way later tonight (if it holds together).
  20. Holy hell! That last episode was something else. My kingdom for all Stars Wars shit to be this fucking good.
  21. I think the point is to show that the rebellion is still a disorganized mess of an unprofessional shit-show right now in the timeline.
  22. Reed Timmer and crew are driving through Fort Stockton. Pretty good street flooding is going on, and hail is on the ground after the storm went through. They're heading toward a storm with a hook echo.
  23. Thanks, man. I'll check back in a week.
  24. I'd listen to the fuck out of that.
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