Good analysis from Paul:

Thanks Ulrich! Yesterday I looked at the Internet and got a bit depressed as slowly approaching the elderly phase... 

QuoteWhile there isn't a single, universally agreed-upon age for when someone becomes "elderly," 60 is often considered the beginning of old age, particularly in the context of developing nations and some social programs. However, in many Western countries, the term "elderly" is more commonly associated with individuals aged 65 and older

I stumbled across this in the subtitles yesterday. 

Quote from: Phoenix vor OrtEU imports more Russian gas by mid-year than in the same period in 2024;
EU imports Russian gas worth €4.48 billion by mid-year

 

Hope this is the right place to post this question..

Does anyone remember an article on the Cure in a UK magazine around the time of Wish being released? I'm pretty sure it was Smash Hits, or something similar, because I remember being surprised it was in there. There was a full colour photo of the band (from the same photoshoot used on this French magazine Best no.285 ebay.us/m/injSSq) with the words "WISH YOU WERE HERE" above them.

I'm trying to track down a copy of the magazine, or even just the article itself. Back in my very early days of loving the Cure it was difficult for me to get any good merch offerings and I really wanted a t-shirt so I had to get my own printed - so I took that image from the article and had one made from that, words and all. And now I'm kind of wanting to recreate it!

Happy b-day once again! 

"What good am I if I'm like all the rest?"

The aggressor can win, if we let him.
As I pointed out further above, it's not just Europe, many other countries (Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand) are part of the "coalition" which stands on side of Ukraine.

Fortunately Mearsheimer & co. are not involved in the negotiations or in the decision-making, they're "only" analysts/scientists. 

https://thehill.com/opinion/international/5299829-a-realist-academic-embarrasses-himself-again-on-russia/

QuoteThe editors of Switzerland's leading newspaper, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, knew they had a terrific headline when political scientist John Mearsheimer said, "I would have done the same as Putin. I would have attacked Ukraine even earlier."

As the paper no doubt realized, the controversy-loving University of Chicago professor had made an outrageous statement even by his own standards. It's one thing to accuse the West of provoking Russia's illegitimate president to invade Ukraine in defense of Russia's strategic interests. It's a whole different ball game actually to endorse Putin's invasion by associating oneself with it so clearly and openly.

In effect, Mearsheimer has justified and legitimized Putin's war and genocide, thereby making himself complicit in the Russian dictator's crimes. This is where Mearsheimer's brand of so-called geopolitical "realism" ultimately leads: not just indifference to morality, but the wholesale rejection of morality and its replacement with immorality.

It is important to note that this statement is Mearsheimer's personal endorsement not only of Putin's war but also of his genocide of Ukrainians.
...

It is at least unclear how one can characterize as a brilliant strategic move a three-year war that has cost Russia close to a million dead and wounded and thousands of tanks and personnel carriers destroyed; revealed its armed forces as incompetent and third-rate; induced Sweden and Finland to join NATO; ruined Russia's economy; and transformed Russia into a rogue state dependent on North Korea and China. If this is smart behavior by a rational Putin, then heaven help us if he ever rejects Mearsheimer's advice and begins to act irrationally.

Equally absurd is the notion, now a tenet within MAGA world, that Ukraine was marching toward NATO membership before the invasion. The exact opposite was the case. NATO and its member states had expressly rejected membership for Ukraine.

(Read more at the link above)

Quote from: dsanchezRussia is winning the war,

I wouldn't be so sure. What is clear is that both countries don't want/can't continue this war indefinitely. That's the good news. Negotiations taking place while weapons are simultaneously being used may be unusual. A ceasefire would only provide both sides with a reprieve (sorry Mr. Merz). Furthermore, it must be maintained and monitored. In other words: the threat of war hasn't been permanently averted, and Europe has seen enough wars! Anyone who still says "This isn't our war" is extremely naive, in my opinion. 

Quote from: dsanchez on August 19, 2025, 21:22:37Are you joking?

Of course not. I saw parts of it live on telly, they were not sitting like that when they talked (that is one photo probably taken only at the first greet)!
And it is a matter of fact what Merz said to him (heard it live).

In this pic you can see how they were sitting when they discussed:

Quote from: bbcZelensky launches charm offensive - in a shift from his acrimonious last visit to the White House, Zelensky dialled up the charm today, dressed in a suit, armed with a personal letter from his wife and a flurry of six "thank yous" in the first few minutes of the meeting

It may seem superficial, but he was once again wearing only black. The Ukrainian costume, on the other hand, suits him perfectly. We're still a long way from a "bathrobe meeting".