I wasn't even supposed to be here today

Nashville, TN
Joined October 2013
Stephen C retweeted
That moment when comedian Dave Smith appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience and broke down the origins of the war in Ukraine......
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Pat Buchanan, 1999: “By moving NATO onto Russia’s front porch, we have scheduled a twenty-first century confrontation. … America will face a hellish dilemma: risk confrontation with a nuclear-armed Russia determined to recreate its old sphere of influence, or renege on solemn commitments and see NATO collapse.” Therefore, he said, “Offering NATO memberships to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and, as some urge, Ukraine is rashness bordering on madness.” Referring to maps the Clinton team must have ignored, Buchanan warned, “This would put the Russian base at Kaliningrad behind NATO lines and bring into a U.S.-led alliance three nations with huge Russian minorities.” Foreseeing future conflict, he observed that “Latvia is almost half Russian; eastern Ukraine, almost entirely Russian. America could neither defend nor liberate these nations without the risk of nuclear war.” Pat Buchanan, A Republic, Not an Empire: Reclaiming America’s Destiny (New York: Regnery, 1999), 17–18, 22.
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The thing they said that doesn’t happen happened AGAIN!
🚨 #BREAKING: Georgia police officer caught sharing Flock database with federal agent who conducted nearly 1,000 warrantless surveillance searches.
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Stephen C retweeted
"We gave categorical assurances to Gorbachev that if a United Germany could remain in NATO, NATO would not be moved Eastward" (Jack Matlock, US Ambassador to the Soviets 1987-1991 speaking 30 years ago)
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Stephen C retweeted
LA football fans should consider going to the Rose Bowl to see UCLA games because they're the only consistently good football team in town.
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Stephen C retweeted
February 2014. Maidan Square, Kyiv. John McCain filming the protests, standing shoulder to shoulder with US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, while Victoria Nuland stands just behind them. A striking snapshot of Washington’s direct involvement in Ukraine’s political upheaval. The same officials who spoke so confidently about democracy were right there amid the turmoil surrounding the removal of a democratically elected president. This raises an uncomfortable question: was this truly about defending Ukrainian democracy, or about Washington advancing its own geopolitical agenda at Ukraine’s expense?
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Stephen C retweeted
My lifelong support for draconian gun control laws was weakened during the 2020 riots when, watching helicopter footage of mobs roaming freely through Philly neighborhoods and attempting to enter homes, a journalist reported that homeowners had told him that when they called police begging for protection they were told that law enforcement personnel were overwhelmed and homeowners were "on their own."
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Stephen C retweeted
Mearsheimer’s his 5 big predictions were: 1. RUS wouldn’t tolerate Ukr joining NATO 2. RUS would use force to prevent this 3. This would lead to a major war 4. Sanctions wouldn’t make RUS back down 5. RUS couldn’t conquer/occupy all of Ukr Can’t see what he got wrong?
Can't think of a contemporary scholar who has so discredited himself and his work as Mearsheimer has done over Ukraine.
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You have no idea how incredible this was in the stadium. You could feel the grumbles and confusion going through the Oregon crowd. The lady next to me literally said “why are they dancing, this is supposed to be ours. Are they allowed to do that?”
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New poll on Ukrainian attitudes on the war finds a strong majority – 57% – support an immediate negotiated peace with Russia and territorial concessions Only 21% support fighting until the Donbass is returned to Ukrainian control Most overwhelmingly favor a national referendum on peace, rather than allowing the president or parliament to decide The survey was taken by Rating Group on October 3-5 It follows a Gallup poll this June showing 66% of Ukrainians favoring an immediate negotiated cessation of hostilities
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It's worth remembering that Obama, in 2016, was asked by The Atlantic's neocon editor, @JeffreyGoldberg, why he didn't do more to protect Crimea and E. Ukraine. Obama said Ukraine is a vital interest to Russia, but not the US, and it'd be insane to risk war with Russia over it.
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Free speech barely exists in the EU at this point. Modern-day Eurocrats were never big fans of the Enlightenment, but they have exploited every recent major event -- the war in Ukraine, Israel's destruction of Gaza, the right of right-wing populism -- to all but abolish it:
UPDATE: The EU Council sent me a letter with its decision NOT to lift the sanctions on me. That means at least another year under sanctions. The reasons they give should be a warning to everyone about where European authoritarianism is going.
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The helmet of a 5-0 football team.
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Stephen C retweeted
Two ships passing in the night: the Metro Nashville Public Schools budget vs. the number of students in those schools
Enrollment fell from ~87k to ~79k while the operating budget rose from ~$850M to ~$1.4B over the past decade (public sources, approximate).
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So the Aces coach said Aja "felt disrespected" by that fan. Other things that make WNBA players feel disrespected: getting a compliment from NBA player Andre Iguodala.
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Aces get called for an offensive foul Fan stands up and gets excited about the call and points (doing the ref symbol for a charge) Fan doesn't leave his assigned seating area Fan gets ejected? What a charmin soft league
Alternate angle of the fan... pointing
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Stephen C retweeted
Odd I don’t see Bo Check down Nix I see Caleb and Maye tho Very interesting
Two Weeks into the NFL season and here are your check-down Kings 👑 according to (@FTNFantasy Data) 10. Tyler Shough -- 12.6% 9. Kirk Cousins --12.7% 8. Jacoby Brissett-- 12.9% 7. Drake Maye -- 13.0% 6. Baker Mayfield -- 13.2% 5. Aaron Rodgers -- 15.1% 4. Malik Willis -- 15.4% 3. Deshuan Watson -- 16.9% 2. Jared Goff -- 18.8% The undisputed king ⤵️ 1. Caleb Williams -- 20%
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First trailer for the Norm Macdonald documentary — directed by Judd Apatow. Releasing October 16 on Netflix.
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That 3-0 feeling. @nico_iamaleava8
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UCLA is a lot of fun to watch this year, y’all. If you haven’t yet, do yourself that favor
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