@Lookout Yeah, Dept. of War is an honest branding. We never cease planning the next war, even when engaged in a current one. We present ourselves to the world as having a representative government, so the world sees our election results, and we voters get blamed. MAGAs were betrayed.
One client came to the office to check in with the latest development in a contract dispute, and joined me for a bull shit session. He is ex-military, a retired dr. who was a coroner, and he has lived in countries all over the world. He thinks Tulsi will be the next president. I suggested that would limit us to supporting only the Gazan genocide, and otherwise abandoning other regime change operations. An improvement, I asked? No response from him.
Enjoy your day, friend, and I hope your Trade's Day visit is a good one!

I like Dennis' idea of a "department of peace". Sadly we are light years from that attitude.

"Dept of War" is honest cause we foment wars everywhere we can. What happened to the so called peace president? He never made the scene.

Y'all take care and be well. Thanks for the OT!

@enhydra lutris We had lunch at the Center after walking thru the habitat. The guide was very knowledgeable, and the visitor's center was a veritable history museum. We had lunch there, met birders from around the world. And their photo equipment was remarkable. You would love it, friend.
Oh, I know Dept. of War is honest branding, but the whole thing is for attention, and brings war ideology to the front of the line. First resort, not last.
Irrigation project = physical labor. Computer upgrades = time and soul suck (and innocent spouses tip toeing around so as not to disturb the clicking, hour after hour.)
Well, get a reputable local guide and go see T and T. Nothing beats their birds, music, and food!
Enjoy having a successful chore outcome today!

"Hairy Ass Truman", as he was then known, signed a law abolishing the WAR DEPARTMENT and creating some consolidated Military Establishment which was to be under civilian control, a name reeking of bureaucracy so Congress stepped in and renamed it the Department of Defense because it was allegedly to have an expanded role in maintaining peace, foreign affairs, intel gathering and all that hokum. In truth, it was still the WAR DEPARTMENT, its job being to foment and fight wars, sometimes with the help of the CIA and the State Department. I have always held that they should name it back, telling it like it is, so to speak, and now they have. Bravo!

My wife and I always wanted to go the the ASA Wright center on Trinidad and Tobago, and there was a tour group that offered somewhat costly trips to go there and spend several days birding and then return home. We never made it. We have hit a few places in the Western Caribbean, but pretty much nothing else so we tried to book a cruise to hit several ports of call in the Central and Eastern C, including T&T, where we booked a day long excursion to the ASA Wright. Sadly, shortly out of FL the ship was hit with Noro Virus such that enough of the passengers and crew were infected that ports of call turned us away so it was aborted, so we have yet to get to T&T or most of the Caribbean Islands. Still on the To Do list, however, I guess, Department of Political Purity searches and all, once we figger out how to work it.

Farmers' Market this morning, then back home to test the irrigation system repairs I did late yesterday. The town fall festival is today, so the reasonable routes to the Farmers' market are closed, but we have the alternate routes all figured out. First, of course, the birds must be fed and all like that, so I guess I'll go get started.

One thing is that I need to upgrade this unit because of some hung updates and one renegade Java utility, so I can't be certain when I'll be up and running again if I decide to do that shit sometime this weekend.

be well and have a good one

@Socialprogressive Drug runners, lots of drugs, headed for the US, BECAUSE WE SAY SO. No actual evidence is required. The video I saw showed us blowing up a small boat with 3 men aboard, not 11. We blew up a second boat, but no brag, no details on that one. We don't know how many we murdered on that one.
How can we track drugs in international waters when we can't track drugs coming in from all over the world on US 59/69? We can't track drugs entering our cities? Our neighborhoods? We couldn't track down the cocaine FOUND IN THE WHITE HOUSE, iirc!
I am so sick of this killing and threats of war and more killing, I just want to hide out in the forest.
Well, take some beautiful pictures while there is something beautiful to photograph, friend! Enjoy your day as best you can.

Does anybody really believe the boat with 11 people the president had extrajudicially executed off the coast of Venezuela were drug traffickers? How dumb do they think we are? If the get away with this, and the probably will, how long do you think it will be before they start in on our own citizens here in the US?

@soryang New reports are that very few of the SKs in detention were directly hired by Hyundai. Most had no work visas, or had not renewed their visas. They were not the renegades they were made out to be. Why we are doing this to a trade partner and ally is beyond my capacity to understand. SK was trying to avoid tariffs, and acted in good faith. The various construction contractors who hired them should be prosecuted as well, but corporate class never gets punished, does it?
Thanks for the lay of the land. Putting up a plant in the boonies with no infrastructure, no housing, seems incredibly stupid, doesn't it? No city, county, or state government oversight committees pointed this out? hmmm...
ICE had enough justification to exist without doing stupid and cruel crap like this.
Well, let's just plan out an enjoyable evening and live in the moment, friend.

This is so counterproductive.

Rounding up the Korean nationals working at the new construction site in Ellabell Georgia will no doubt delay construction of the plant. Ultimately, the Hyundai manufacturing campus was slated to bring 8500 jobs to the area. I've traveled through this area many times, and know Georgia fairly well, (I have family members that don't live too far from the Detention Center. I've met a lot of Georgians through the extended family over the years).

The news reports describe Hyundai campus area as in a Savanah suburb but the truth is it's quite underdeveloped near the Hyundai facilities and I doubt seriously that Hyundai or LG would have found anywhere near the required number of construction workers in the region. The road infrastructure and housing there is inadequate. The key thing to keep in mind is that construction at the site is a temporary job.

Let's see, South Korea promises 350 billion plus in US capital investments, commits itself to US shipbuilding, in addition to the tens of billions it has already invested in the US, so Trump kicks them in the teeth. Then the opposition in South Korea uses the incident to criticize the current administration with a view toward destabilizing it, "Lee offers 350 billion to US for a blow to the back of the head (stab in the back)." Isn't that so clever?

There is one of those US super right wing religious fundy conferences going to South Korea next week to stir shit up, like Morse Tan and Gordon Chang if they can. In one of the promo posters, I'm pretty sure I saw Eric Trump maybe from an old conference. Whether he's there or not, he's either already there or will be in Korea to sell the trump crypto schemes.

Will South Korean companies make all those big investments in U.S.?

Hyundai Motor Group announced that it would invest $26 billion in the U.S. between 2025 and 2028, expanding its push into automotive, steel and robotics. It marks a $5 billion increase from its original $21 billion commitment unveiled earlier this year.

With the funds, Hyundai Motor plans to boost vehicle production, build a new steel mill in Louisiana and construct a robotics facility with an annual capacity of 30,000 units.

Korean Air said the flagship carrier would channel $36.2 billion to buy 103 aircraft from Boeing, including 95 passenger planes and eight freighters, by the end of the 2030s.

Once finalized, the deal would raise the Seoul-based company's total Boeing orders to 175 aircraft, up from the 72 already on its books.

Hanwha Group vowed to funnel $5 billion into Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia to install additional docks and quays to crank up the capacity of the shipyard, which Hanwha acquired late last year from Norway's Aker ASA.

Department of War? Indeed. What's the next stunt going to be? Grift on! Regime change on! Moe hits Larry, Larry hits Curly.

Thanks for the O&E OntheCusp!