Ukraine

[Rookie Okie]

That brings back a popular image of St. Ronald:





I have no idea if those images were captured while he was doing real work on his ranch or if he came in after the minions had piled up the wood.  Bush was frequently photographed on his ranch working the land.  Again, who really knows if he was working it or simply stepping in for the photo-op.
It's a matter of the image a president or his handlers wish to impart on people. 

Certainly photo ops with the down-trodden or an American hero aren't as much about compassion or interest for whomever the person is in the photo with the president rather than an attempt to show the president "cares".

President Obama tends to portray the image of a slacker who is more interested in expensive resorts and playing golf.  That's fine if that is the image he wants to project, but it's an odd image a president would want to cultivate with record numbers of Americans on food stamps and out of work.  He seems to have unfortunate timing of taking his junkets while there are either major foreign policy issues to be settled or budgetary/economic policy issues hanging in the balance back in DC.  He makes himself an easy target for criticism.  I assume he has really thick skin.  Either that or he's a narcissistic sociopath. 

Ronnie rocking mom jeans?

[Gaspar]

Ronnie rocking mom jeans?

Your mom must have been a strong woman.

[Rookie Okie]

Your mom must have been a strong woman.

Her inner strength was among many of her great virtues.  She also looked great in everything she wore.  Can't say the same about the wrinkled up a$$ed fossil in these pictures.  Any fool can see that this as the phony grade D actor he was trying desperately to portray a wholesome image that Hollyweird Ron was not.  The toughest thing about him was that cowhide skin.

[guido911]

Your mom must have been a strong woman.

Somewhere underneath is our rookie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0kktJJSBQE

[Rookie Okie]

Somewhere underneath is our rookie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0kktJJSBQE

Ouch!

[guido911]

Ouch!

Just a flesh wound...

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Russia proper also borders the Black Sea. The Black Sea Fleet is based in Crimea for historical reasons. Plans were to move it before 2042 when the current lease expires anyway. It also has coastlines on the Baltic Sea, the Arctic Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. They are not land-locked by any means, with or without Ukraine.

Taking over Crimea does conveniently bring a planned gas pipeline under complete Russian control, however. Perhaps Putin doesn't want gas from Georgia to have a way around Russia to Europe?

Yes Russia does border other bodies of water, but it's the naval base at Sevastopol that was/is home to the Soviet/Russian Black Sea Fleet that Putin wants. If he loses Crimea and to a greater extent the Ukraine, it leaves St. Petersburg as the main naval port that doesn't freeze over, or borders with Japan, Korea, and China. Russia has already lost the naval bases in Albania, Croatia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Crimea and Ukraine are the last major strong holds for the Russian Navy. I suppose that you could also include Murmansk, Leninskiy, Roslyakovo, Severomorsk, and Polyarny that lead to the Arctic Ocean, but those were/are predominantly home to their submarine fleet, because they can come and go underneath the ice pack of the Arctic.

Yes, Russia borders the Barents Sea, Kara Sea, East Siberian Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk. It would be like the US Navy PAC Fleet and ATL Fleet having the bulk of their ships stationed in the Artic Ocean, Baffin Bay and the Greenland Sea. Soviet/Russia and the US in the middle of the polar ice cap, while the rest of the world below the Arctic Circle and above the equator did nothing, and just went "Oh well, that's what we should be."

[guido911]

One of my favorites where international crises and Russia is involved:

[heironymouspasparagus]

One of my favorites where international crises and Russia is involved:

Nuke 'em!!   We haven't had a frivolous, unfunded, hugely painful from casualties, massively expensive war to run the debt up by a factor of 4 in a long time!  And it would eliminate all the uncertainty over what they might do next...!

It will let us reminisce about the "good ole Bush days!"

[Gaspar]

Russia is massing forces at the Ukraine borders and has downed one of our drones.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/14/world/europe/ukraine.html?_r=0
http://news.yahoo.com/russia-says-intercepted-us-drone-over-crimea-arms-180430584.html;_ylt=At_B0i8Ttqvgrn8ZH8ESDpzQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTBsdmNodWplBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMzBHNlYwNzcg--

It looks like Russia is getting ready to deal with the "consequences"
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/51c55c1a-ab8c-11e3-aad9-00144feab7de.html#axzz2vxqUM2as

This in the wake of SS Kerry's limp wristed denouncements today.  What a horrible choice for Secretary of State.  At least this ensures that he will never be a viable candidate for president again.
JOHN KERRY: "We hope President Putin will recognize that none of what we're saying is meant as a threat, it's not meant in a personal way."

[cannon_fodder]

Vladimir "I have no intentions of intervening in Eastern Ukraine" Putin has occupied a town in eastern Ukraine.  A small town one step removed from Crimea it gives him control of access points to Crimea as well as a natural gas dstributino center.

Observers have said Pro-Ukrainian voters have been turned away from the polls (that is, if you show up with Russian flag you will get in, if you show up with a Ukrainian flag you will be turned away).  Russian Soldiers Completly homegrown defense forces are manning checkpoints to and at polling stations.

Russia proganda is as bad as North Korean propoganda.  Go youtube it:  "Nazis in the streets!  Hundreds of Russians killed as the Ukraine continues their agression in Crimea!"  All with soviet music and images of nazis on the screen as they read the "news."  The same stuff we look at from North Korea or from WWII era and laugh.

Tens of thousands of Russians protested in Moscow yesterday against intervening in the Crimea.

This ends badly.  Either we wuss out and do nothing, which starts the timer before the next "ethnically russian" country needs "help" from Tsar Putin.  Or we go to war:  policial, economic or as a proxy.

I say this crap doesn't stand.  When you allow bully's to get away with it, they get more bold.  When you let terrorists get what they want, they do it again.  We will end up just paying more later.

[Conan71]

Vladimir "I have no intentions of intervening in Eastern Ukraine" Putin has occupied a town in eastern Ukraine.  A small town one step removed from Crimea it gives him control of access points to Crimea as well as a natural gas dstributino center.

Observers have said Pro-Ukrainian voters have been turned away from the polls (that is, if you show up with Russian flag you will get in, if you show up with a Ukrainian flag you will be turned away).  Russian Soldiers Completly homegrown defense forces are manning checkpoints to and at polling stations.

Russia proganda is as bad as North Korean propoganda.  Go youtube it:  "Nazis in the streets!  Hundreds of Russians killed as the Ukraine continues their agression in Crimea!"  All with soviet music and images of nazis on the screen as they read the "news."  The same stuff we look at from North Korea or from WWII era and laugh.

Tens of thousands of Russians protested in Moscow yesterday against intervening in the Crimea.

This ends badly.  Either we wuss out and do nothing, which starts the timer before the next "ethnically russian" country needs "help" from Tsar Putin.  Or we go to war:  policial, economic or as a proxy.

I say this crap doesn't stand.  When you allow bully's to get away with it, they get more bold.  When you let terrorists get what they want, they do it again.  We will end up just paying more later.

So...are you saying Obama has no spine?  Didn't see that coming, did we?

[guido911]

So...are you saying Obama has no spine?  Didn't see that coming, did we?

No. Obama has steel in his spine...

[Red Arrow]

No. Obama has steel in his spine...

Did he have a spinal injury he is keeping out the the public eye?

I know some folks with steel in their spines.  Mostly stainless steel.

[Gaspar]

John Kerry Poses As Masseuse To Get Few Minutes With Putin

http://www.theonion.com/articles/john-kerry-poses-as-masseuse-to-get-few-minutes-wi,35546/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=Default:1:Default