Re: NATO and related topics discussion

Now we have established that NATO was not some US plot to control Europe, or even have undue influence domestically, despite the opposition to it's continuation in some quarters on both sides of the Pond after the Cold War, basic principals of collective defence still apply. And hasn't this year pr...

Re: Trump calls for termination of Constitution

seb146 wrote:

Side note: if having dinner with anti-Semites and Holocaust deniers will not make Republicans turn their back on him, nothing will. But, we already knew that...

Re: Battery cars vs Hydrogen fuel cell cars.

Aesma wrote:

But there are millions upon millions (much more than the population of Norway) of workers in the EU auto industry that can't be ignored.

Re: Battery cars vs Hydrogen fuel cell cars.

The South Koreans are planning to built wind farms which will be dedicated to producing energy to make green hydrogen. They want to make gigantic amounts of it, so do the Japanese and Chinese. In this transition plan, hydrogen will account for 33% of energy consumption and 23.8% of power generation...

Re: USA abandoning free trade ?

It is not just the US and it is not just China. If it is only China then US would have been actively engaging into free trade treaties like TPP and try to engage free trade with countries like India yet this is not the case we are seeing now. In fact even back in 2016, major Democrats candidates al...

Re: Battery cars vs Hydrogen fuel cell cars.

I think China does have an advantage, it's making lots of batteries. Including for Tesla. And it has access to a lot of the materials. I wonder if the reason they've not invaded Europe (and the US) yet isn't a political calculation by XI, because if that happens, I expect a strong backlash, with pr...

Re: The

Why not talk about Ireland, which is also 'neutral'? Austria and Ireland are both members of the EU. Within the EU treaties, there is a kind of article 5-clause, so I would argue that they actually kind of have aligned themselves. Sweden and Finland actually border Russia, so that is a different ma...

Re: USA abandoning free trade ?

It is not just the US and it is not just China. If it is only China then US would have been actively engaging into free trade treaties like TPP and try to engage free trade with countries like India yet this is not the case we are seeing now. In fact even back in 2016, major Democrats candidates al...

Re: USA abandoning free trade ?

Well the USA does have a balance of trade problem which they need to address, no other developed country has their problem, time for them to learn from others even if that means the actual consumers not just the politicians. https://oec.world/en/profile/country/usa A lot of it is self inflicted, un...

Re: Battery cars vs Hydrogen fuel cell cars.

We get rebates, not tariffs on both EV and hydrogen. We don’t let Soviet socialist elite cars like those get big rebates. (That’s what some of now opposition politicians call them). The Honda I was referring to was Honda E. Nice design but poor range and not great space for the size. I looked at th...

Re: Battery cars vs Hydrogen fuel cell cars.

Most apartment buildings around here have an underground garage, each apartment has a parking bay, its easy to install a charger in the parking bay, most new buildings will have these included, retrofitting them to older buildings is easy. If your building doesn't have parking then that's an issue,...

Re: Battery cars vs Hydrogen fuel cell cars.

I think China does have an advantage, it's making lots of batteries. Including for Tesla. And it has access to a lot of the materials. I wonder if the reason they've not invaded Europe (and the US) yet isn't a political calculation by XI, because if that happens, I expect a strong backlash, with pr...

Re: Battery cars vs Hydrogen fuel cell cars.

I know many people that live in apartments within cities that could never find a charger anywhere as they need to park wherever they can. If everybody is required to have an electrical car by law these people and the ones that can not afford to buy a new car anytime are excluded from individual tra...

Re: Battery cars vs Hydrogen fuel cell cars.

Id like some of that fantasy euros or yen EU to invest 550 billion euros, Japanese put US$800 million last year https://www.forbes.com/sites/mariannelehnis/2021/12/31/the-eu-is-investing-550-billion-in-hydrogenbut-whats-the-future-of-the-hotly-contested-energy-source/?sh=1caddba513d7 with 5 billion...

Re: Russia Expands Law Prohibiting LGBT Propaganda

We have those issues right here in the good ole USofA. Look at what just happened in Colorado Springs. LGBTQ people gathering to simply be themselves. To feel included in a country where we feel threatened. And it is our fault, somehow, to expect safety and equality. We should just take crumbs and ...

Re: Russia Expands Law Prohibiting LGBT Propaganda

As a member of a targeted group, I am an expert. As a member of that group I'm sure you don't travel to countries who have an issue with your orientation, and if you do you're not running around with rainbow flags inviting people to beat you up or worse. We have those issues right here in the good ...

Re: Russia Expands Law Prohibiting LGBT Propaganda

Gay people have more rights in one country than the other. Not full equality, but which do you think is better for us? The country cancelling us or the country tolerating us and giving us the bare minimum? Either way it’s not my problem, I’ll leave that up to the experts. Experts? What is that supp...

Re: Russia Expands Law Prohibiting LGBT Propaganda

Gay people have more rights in one country than the other. Not full equality, but which do you think is better for us? The country cancelling us or the country tolerating us and giving us the bare minimum? Either way it’s not my problem, I’ll leave that up to the experts. As a member of a targeted ...

Re: Russia Expands Law Prohibiting LGBT Propaganda

This is why gays, lesbians, trans people, drag queens et al are taking up arms in Ukraine. It’s an existential fight for them. So you think prior to the invasion Ukraine was a paradise for LGBT people, you're having a laugh, it's out of one frying pan and into another. There is no legal recognition...

Re: Russia Expands Law Prohibiting LGBT Propaganda

This is why gays, lesbians, trans people, drag queens et al are taking up arms in Ukraine. It’s an existential fight for them. So you think prior to the invasion Ukraine was a paradise for LGBT people, you're having a laugh, it's out of one frying pan and into another. There is no legal recognition...

Re: RIP Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac)

An amazing singer, sang circles around the nasally sounding hack Stevie Nicks. Have to stop putting off some of these bucket list acts BTW You're badmouthing Stevie Nicks says nothing about Stevie, but it does reveal your bad taste and poor manners. Seconded! Without Nicks and Buckingham Fleetwood ...

Re: Aeroflot Using Japanese Airspace

Japan buys oil and gas from Russia. Business as usual. So does Korea, who are also still building ARC7 LNG carriers for the Yamal to Asia routes. As someone who's lived in Asia for a long time, it's frustrating but for many people in Asia, Ukraine seems far from home and so the electorates don't fo...

Re: Aeroflot Using Japanese Airspace

Kikko19 wrote:

Japan buys oil and gas from Russia. Business as usual.

Re: The death of the manual transmission

AFAIK you can still get that beast in an S3 and I think one of the CUPRA models. Unfortunately it does not sound as cool anymore as the one in the Audis from the 80s... these 5 cylinder engines were amazing. The S3 has the 2.0L 4 cylinder and the RS3 has the 2.5L inline 5. I had the naturally aspir...

Re: The death of the manual transmission

This is the first I am hearing about electronic parking break. So, I looked it up and what a worthless feature. Our dog likes to sleep across the center console between the driver and passenger seats. She could activate this if her paw moves in just such a way. I never thought you would be someone ...

Re: The death of the manual transmission

Yup One of the best and most reliable VW engines was the 2.5L 5 cylinder both turbo and non-turbo variants on both VW and Audi models. Seriously wish they would have put that engine in the Arteon. The VW 5 cylinder and the Audi 5 cylinder are completely different engines. The VW unit is a vr5, made...

Re: The death of the manual transmission

BTW, don't get the brosband started on odd-numbered cylinders. Like the Metro or Canyon. Anything with 3 or 5 cylinders. He will not shut up about how stupid they are and the firing at the wrong time and... I don't know. I tune out after a while. Heaven help me if anyone makes a 7 or 9 cylinder eng...

Re: The death of the manual transmission

I work at Honda dealer, 22 years now. Manual trans Honda's nobody wants anymore, at least not in my area. I despise Auto and CVT and as I have to drive them daily for work I have to say getting back in my Civic Si with it's 6 speed is so much more fun. Unless its a Type R or a Si, we will never pur...

Re: New Zealand Aviation Thread - November 2022

Anchor projects on hold * Expanded international airfield and taxiway capacity • New cargo precinct • New international arrivals area • Second runway. So a second runway could be a decade away or longer and is not seen as a priority. Can they manage with just the one runway for longer period perhap...

Re: Shooting at Wal-Mart in Chespeake, Virginia

NIKV69 wrote:

Kiwirob wrote:

There's very rarely a good guy with a gun when you need one, which makes a mockery of 2A.

The 2A wasn't created so that crime would be guaranteed not to happen. You can do better than that.

Re: At the last minute, Qatar bans beer from WC matches

The diversity idea requires one to accept other people’s/nation’s diversity—it’s their country, their circus. Accept or stay away, don’t try to impose your beliefs elsewhere. They are the ones that bid for the games, and FIFA agreed to terms and corruption that have come up far short. Make no mista...

Re: Shooting at Wal-Mart in Chespeake, Virginia

CaptHadley wrote:

Yay 2nd amendment! Too bad there wasn't a good guy with a gun around. You'd think being in a Walmart, especially in Virgina, that everyone and their cousin/wife would have been armed to the tooth.

Re: Worlds largest newest cruise ship to be scrapped before maiden voyage

It was mentioned earlier that Disney was going to lower capacity from 9000 to 6000. With cabins pretty well set because of ship design, how could that be done? Just a guess, but when Disney does the hotel fitting out, they may combine adjoining cabins and eliminate services from one of them, which ...

Re: Worlds largest newest cruise ship to be scrapped before maiden voyage

Looks like she found a home and will not be scrapped! Have yet to define a layout but she is a big ship... Perhaps something like 1500 First Class 2000 Business Class 1000 Premium Economy 5500 Coach Class https://thepointsguy.com/news/disney-cruise-line-ship-purchase-global-dream/ 1.That's not how ...

Re: Climate change is serious, but reparations to poorer nations is just a money grabbing scheme

Why would China change because of Australia if it would not. China has shown it will only reduce when its in its own interests to do so. It’s building how many new coal fired power stations compared to how many is Australia decommissioning without replacement. Solar and wind cannot compete for coal...

Re: Climate change is serious, but reparations to poorer nations is just a money grabbing scheme

Why would China change because of Australia if it would not. China has shown it will only reduce when its in its own interests to do so. It’s building how many new coal fired power stations compared to how many is Australia decommissioning without replacement. Solar and wind cannot compete for coal...

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - *Discussion* Thread

Reporting from Ukraine explains why the next Ukranian target will probably be the Kinburn peninsula: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmv0PPj-1Gg&ab_channel=ReportingfromUkraine I've been gaming that idea for the last week or so. They might be building a fleet of homemade LSTs in Mikolayiv. Miko...

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - *Discussion* Thread

Indeed, and with both Nord Stream pipelines filled with sea water corroding their innards, there is no way back to the old status quo. Europe will have to figure out a new way forward. All this LNG import capacity means Europe is now a part of the world market, not tethered to Russia. What LNG impo...

Re: US military

The word Hero gets thrown around to much in the US for military personal as well.

Re: Brand loyality

Cheese: been eating a lot of Havarti lately, also like Jarlsberg, but only if it is from Norway, none of this Product of Ireland/USA business. . This one makes me laugh, I've got Jarlsberg in my fridge that's made in Ireland, and Jarlsberg cheese made in Elnesvågen which is 30km from my house. The ...

Re: Brand loyality

Shoes: Nike / Loake I have a pair of Nike shoes that are still going. My Loake shoes may need to go back, one needs to be made higher. :( I know they will do it. Nothing wrong with the shoes, it’s my leg has healed slightly shorter. Have you thought about Trickers or Crockett & Jones instead of...

Re: US military

I suppose for the same reason you deserve respect! Is it that much of a deal to let someone go before you? If it is, I would say that is a really petty life!! I understand giving combat veterans there due, especially those who were injured but the supply clerk, the mechanic, the drone operator? Why...

Re: US military

Why do they deserve any respect? I suppose for the same reason you deserve respect! Is it that much of a deal to let someone go before you? If it is, I would say that is a really petty life!! I understand giving combat veterans there due, especially those who were injured but the supply clerk, the ...

Re: US military

Those guys and gals who were in Iraq and Afghanistan earned the privilege. Like wise during Vietnam (me). During wartime I think the privilege is deserved. I was opposed to all of those wars, and think they had a lot to do with our current sad political situation. . Even for the vast majority of se...

Re: 2022 US Elections

(...) Age limits, clearly after Reagan, Biden and the Orange man voters in the US must realise age limits need to be in place for officials elected to higher office. . Usually we only have age limits the other way around (in order to become elected Bundespräsident - head of state in Germany, you mu...

Re: 2022 US Elections

I wonder whether Trump will really announce his return now, and whetehr deSantis gives up without a fight. This quarrel will help Democrats, who now need to find a good candidate for Biden. From an outside view, Biden did really a great job as US President so far. I think he's almost as bad as the ...

Re: Guns right in USA

Have you tried this out in reality? I haven’t but I know someone who did, it was many years ago. My flatmate in London and his friends bought a yellow school bus and toured around the country for 6 months, they bought a couple of guns at a gun show then dumped them in a river when they were ready t...

Re: Louisiana's "Blood Purity" Law

My understanding is that the Voting Rights Act refers to minorities not just black. In that case surely Black and Latino or Black and Asian are still ethnic minorities. The issue is that the Minorities are growing so much that Lousiiana should have created a 2nd district. Instead they are using &qu...

Re: Louisiana's "Blood Purity" Law

White,black,latino,asian. Reminds me of white,non-white( black,coloured,indian) The word nobody dare say today - Apartheid. That word has become all to common place in NZ right now, excepts its Maori and non Maori, the current government is laying the ground work for setting up a state within a sta...

Re: Rant on fees and taxes on car rentals, hotels

I like it, I want know who has their hand in my pocket when I am purchasing something. It’s usually the government, but sometimes the airline, hotel. They shouldn’t be able to hide their scams by all inclusive prices. VAT is a very efficient tax because it’s hidden and buyer doesn’t know who steali...