TBoneTX

If he succeeds, then maybe one European country isn't lost after all. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Germany's Friedrich Merz Plans to Repatriate Nearly One Million Syrian Migrants German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on March 30, and immediately coming out of that meeting, at a joint press conference, Merz said that a significant number of Syrian refugees who’ve made a home in Germany will be repatriated to Syria. How many are we talking, exactly? Try 80% of the Syrians in Deutschland, or 700,000 to 800,000. That's how many Syrian immigrants will be returned to Syria from Germany over the next three years. [...] https://pjmedia.com/tim-o-brien/2026/03/31/germanys-friedrich-merz-plans-to-repatriate-nearly-one-million-syrian-migrants-n4951310

Fascinating article! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What Are Iran's Centers of Gravity and How Are They Being Attacked? [...] Once the enemy's center of gravity is identified, Clausewitz advised that this source of power should be struck with concentration. He emphasized focusing strength against the decisive point, not spreading effort across every available target. Speed, mass, and concentration matter. But they only matter if applied against the thing that actually holds the system together. Modern U.S. joint doctrine takes that idea and makes it more usable for planners. It forces a level of discipline that is often missing in public commentary. First, identify the center of gravity. Then ask what it must be able to do. Those are its critical capabilities. Then ask what it needs in order to do those things. Those are its critical requirements. From there, the analysis gets practical. Which of those requirements are exposed, fragile, or difficult to replace? Those are the vulnerabilities worth attacking. That framework is essential for understanding Operation Epic Fury. [...] https://x.com/SpencerGuard/status/2039042881072300398

VDH is so right about the Administration's messaging failures. His points nail what has disturbed me all along. They'd better straighten it out long before the midterms. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Two Wars for Iran: The War in a Historical Context The rare quick and total victory over an enemy at little cost often ensures unquestioned political support in modern consensual societies. In most cases, however, especially in the Western world, ongoing military success or failure is adjudicated through the lens of politics—in a way sometimes at odds with the reality of the battlefield. Politicians answer to the people. The best do not drift with the prevailing winds. On the other hand, all must face elections, secure legislative support, and ultimately explain to voters the human and financial costs of a war and whether it was existential or optional—and, in the latter case, whether it was worth the costs. [...] https://amgreatness.com/2026/03/31/the-two-wars-for-iran-the-war-in-a-historical-context/

Will the insane shutdown ever end? [...] "In the wake of the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Senate Democrats were clear: no blank check for a lawless ICE and Border Patrol," Schumer said on the Senate floor in the wee hours of last Friday morning. "Democrats held firm in our opposition that Donald Trump's rogue and deadly militia should not get more funding without serious reforms, and we will continue to fight for those reforms. I'm very proud of our Democratic caucus. Through it all, Senate Democrats stood united — no wavering, no backing down. We held the line." By saying Democrats "stood united," Schumer meant that his party steadfastly refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security unless the Trump administration agreed to Democratic demands to change the way Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates. The strange part of it was that by blocking funding for the department over their unhappiness with ICE, Democrats ended up cutting off funds for TSA airport security agents, who are also part of DHS. [...] https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/4509588/will-insane-government-shutdown-ever-end-dhs-tsa-funding/

Sad story. Mom is obviously a deranged whackadoo. --- Town of Turtle, Wisc. now ranks on my list of all-time favorite city names: -- Truth or Consequences, N. Mex. -- Intercourse, Pa. -- Toad Suck, Ark. [my favorite]

It is Wednesday, and therefore time for our hilarious Semiofficial Semiweekly VAWA-Thread Joke: =========================================== WHY MOTHERS SHOULD BE YOUNG With all the new technology regarding fertility recently, a 65-year-old friend of mine was able to give birth. When she was discharged from the hospital and went home, I went to visit. "May I see the new baby?" I asked. "Not yet," she said. "I'll make coffee and we can talk for a while first." Thirty minutes passed, and I asked, "May I see the new baby now?" "No, not yet," she said. After another few minutes had elapsed, I asked again, "May I see the baby now?" "No, not yet," replied my friend. Growing very impatient, I asked, "Well, when CAN I see the baby?" "When he cries," she told me. "When he cries?" I demanded. "Why do I have to wait until he CRIES?" "Because I forgot where I put him, OK?!"

Really happy for you, brother.

All consulates should do this, but it's best to take nothing for granted. It's free to send them a reminder request. Outstanding advice.

All agencies throughout the legal-immigration process thrive on the truth. Do not lie. You'll live to regret it.

Thread is shifted from the K-1 Case Progress subforum to the K-1 Process forum.

Yee-HAAAAA! (That's Texan for "Congratulations!")

Thrilling Tuesday-on-Wednesday report, see man: Really rough night, awoke even before Bro G. Walmarting time man. Doc caucus OK, good that we went man. We had told Mama T-B. about this caucus, report we man. We never take our phone into doctors' offices, rude and distracting and Mama T-B. knows this, man. We returned to phone to find Many (2+1) -- si man, Many (2+1) -- aysheep messages from her, man. There was also an aysheep text from Mama T-B., sigh man. "Where are you, huh man?" "Where are you, huh man?" "Where are you, huh man?", sigh man. It often takes longer to get these messages off the phone than it would simply to call her, sigh man. We heard the catastrophizing messages and called Mama T-B., si man. She spent over half an hour catastrophizing about stuff that we'd already exhaustively discussed, sigh man. If she would quit worrying prematurely and give us time to research, much less stressful for all man. But it's her nature to worry, undisputed world's champion at that man. If she would quit nagging us, we could extend energy toward being productive vs. arguing, sigh man. Breakfast/lunch was at Arby's*, ingest we man. *WUOC**, F$WM **first coupons in probably a year, man Had time to return to casa to retrieve papers perhaps needed to open account for Mini-B., retrieve we man. We left these in the T-B.-mobile for use a bit later, prepared we man. Went straight from casa to imaging caucus, great self-pay rate for relevant test man. Hospital was outside usual medical centers, bit of road trip man. Parked in first row of spaces, Kojak we man. Was only person in line at check-in, handled right away we man. Was only person walking down hall to radiology, solo we man. Was taken for imaging right away, more than half an hour early man. Was given personal attention the whole time, no rushing man. This was quite a pleasant difference from usual urban-center hospitals/imaging places, wow man. We shall get results later this week, estimate they man. Went from imaging to gigantic investment outfit, open account for Mini-B. man. Receptionist off-blew us, si man: "We don't open those accounts here, no man. You have to do it online, si man. If you have problems or questions, the toll-free line can help, si man," WTH man. Why even have an office if you're not going to offer service, huh man? Returned to casa & began online open-accounting, thanks for wasting our time man. The de-skoolbused Mini-B. returned, help self to all our casa's snacks wee man man. While we were reading all the disclosures that were mandatory to read, online session timed out, man. Re-log-in not permitted, man. We called toll-free line, amazingly picked up soon by engaged rep man. Rep tried to get us back in, only some information still populated man. Rep put us on hold to research our specific questions while we redid application, long time man. We ultimately got account set up & funded, pick investment options on Wednesday we man man. If the info that we got turns out to be inaccurate, we shall be quite off-urinated, si man. Ex-Mrs.-T-B. retrieved Mini-B., retrieve ex-she man wee man man. Din-din was toucans of Chunky chicken noodle soup, ingest we man. It was now around Many (2x2x2) p.m., si man. We had not siesta'd, decided to do so man. Wonderful zzz for expected hour + unexpected extra hour, zzz we man. Thoroughly brushed needy miu, brush needy miu we man man. Thoroughly re-brushed needy miu, re-brush needy miu we man man. No party with the rubias tonight, no cavort we man. Must visit Mama T-B. on Wednesday, no foolin' man. Must do our taxes, time crucial man. And that was/is our thrilling Tuesday, report we man.

Need to ban this, man. And you immediately replied, "Just wait, see man."

11 Pickup Lines For Getting Chicks At A 'No Kings' Rally A "No Kings" rally isn't just an excuse to take off work while protesting a thing that doesn't exist in America — it's also a great way to find love. Knowing what the chicks at a "No Kings" protest want to hear is the key. The Babylon Bee spent the weekend compiling the most popular lines used to pick up chicks at the "No Kings" rallies across the country: [...] https://babylonbee.com/news/11-pickup-lines-for-getting-chicks-at-a-no-kings-rally

Interesting, and hopeful. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Retired Centcom Commander: Iran Campaign "Further Along Than We Expected" Based On Many Years Of Simulations Retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, the former commander of U.S. Central Command, told CBS's "Face The Nation" that after years of preparation, after one month, the campaign against Iran is "further along than we would have expected to be at this point, in all the simulations that I've seen." "This is not back-of-the-envelope calculations. These are things we've been working on for many years," he said. "I believe that they will break. I believe that they will come to terms," he said. "I'll be honest with you. I've simulated this many years in many positions at Central Command; we're a little further along than we would have expected to be at this point in all the simulations that I've seen." [...] https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/03/29/retired_centcom_commander_weve_wargamed_iran_war_for_years_and_were_further_along_than_we_would_have_expected_at_this_point_in_the_simulations.html