luzribeiro: (Default)
[personal profile] luzribeiro posting in [community profile] talkpolitics
When your country has more coup attempts than working stoplights.

Road sign at country's entrance reads:

Welcome to our failed state!
We have:
✅ No functioning government
✅ 3 currencies (none accepted)
✅ Elections every week (winner always unclear)
✅ Free Wi-Fi because the surveillance drones need it

Can you think of examples matching this description?

California burning

Jun. 11th, 2025 10:39 pm
nairiporter: (Default)
[personal profile] nairiporter posting in [community profile] talkpolitics
Since June 6 federal immigration raids in LA, including at day-labour sites and warehouse areas, have ignited widespread backlash. California immediately bristled at the sudden surge of federal enforcement in sanctuary jurisdictions.

Trump's escalatory move: in response to growing demonstrations, he authorised the deployment of around 2K National Guard troops and 700 Marines into LA, marking the first such federal override of a governor's objection in 6 decades. His administration defended it as necessary to "liberate" Los Angeles and protect federal agents and infrastructure.

The state pushback followed soon. Governor Gavin Newsom decried these actions as a power grab, filing suit and accusing Trump of "authoritarian overreach" that threatens civil liberties nationwide.

Read more... )

Bacon Potato Salad

Jun. 11th, 2025 05:08 am
nverland: (Cooking)
[personal profile] nverland posting in [community profile] creative_cooks
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Bacon Potato Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Servings: 8

Ingredients

2½ lbs Yukon Gold potatoes cut into ½-¾ inch pieces
⅔ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup dill pickle relish
¼ tsp dried dill
½ tsp kosher salt adjust to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper adjust to taste
½ cup real bacon crumbles or 6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 hard-boiled eggs roughly chopped
½ small red onion chopped very small
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Instructions

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Boil over high heat until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.
Combine the mayonnaise, dill relish, dill, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add the potatoes, eggs, and bacon to the bowl. Stir to mix well.
Sprinkle with red onions and parsley and stir to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes
You can use any potato you like to make this potato salad.
nverland: (Cooking)
[personal profile] nverland posting in [community profile] creative_cooks
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5-Ingredient Smoked Salmon and Potato Salad
Prep 5 mins Cook 15 mins Active 15 mins Total 20 mins Serves 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds fingerling or new potatoes, preferably a red or yellow waxy variety, sliced into 1/2-inch coins
Kosher salt
3/4 cup sour cream or crème fraiche
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
3 ounces smoked salmon, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, tarragon, or scallions
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large pot, cover potatoes with water by 1 inch and season heavily with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a wooden skewer or the tip of a paring knife, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine sour cream lemon juice, chopped salmon, and herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When potatoes have cooled slightly but are still warm, add to bowl and toss to combine and coat with dressing. Serve. Salad can be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve cold or allow to come to room temperature.

Friday offtopic. Your top 3 M and F

Jun. 6th, 2025 03:37 pm
kiaa: (evilcat)
[personal profile] kiaa posting in [community profile] talkpolitics
Quick question for everyone - who do you think are the top 3 most attractive women and 3 most attractive men in the world right now? Just curious what the consensus is.

Personally, I'd go with:

Women – Ana de Armas, Margot Robbie, Zendaya
Men – Henry Cavill, Timothée Chalamet, Chris Hemsworth

What about you?
mahnmut: (Default)
[personal profile] mahnmut posting in [community profile] talkpolitics
The Trump–Musk alliance was always a ticking time bomb. Two giant egos colliding in a shared vanity project called DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency). Supposedly designed to slash bureaucracy and save taxpayer money, it quickly turned into a wrecking ball aimed at vital institutions.

Elon Musk, installed as a special government official in early 2025, took the reins with typical bravado. And, as was later revealed, a ketamine habit. Under his leadership, DOGE gutted federal agencies, from air traffic control (leading to a record number of crashes) to USAID, whose budget was slashed by over 80%. That single cut triggered a humanitarian disaster. According to research from Boston University, it caused an estimated 300,000 deaths globally, including over 200,000 children due to halted programs fighting HIV, malaria, and malnutrition.

While Trump's base cheered the claimed "$175 billion in savings", experts pointed out the cuts barely dented the deficit and did massive harm to vulnerable communities. Behind the scenes, even Trump reportedly asked, “Was it all bullshit?

DOGE wasn't just reckless, it was deeply incompetent. Its staff didn't even understand Social Security software, wrongly flagging 19th century birthdates as fraud. It would be funny if the consequences weren't so tragic.

Eventually, the Trump-Musk bromance imploded. Musk quit, started attacking Trump's fiscal policies, and called his budget a "disgusting abomination”. No surprise. It was never a partnership of shared values, just mutual benefit. Once the benefits ran dry, the egos clashed and it fell apart.

But the damage was done )

Korean Potato Salad

Jun. 4th, 2025 04:53 am
nverland: (Cooking)
[personal profile] nverland posting in [community profile] creative_cooks
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Korean Potato Salad
Total Time 45 minutes (plus 1 hour for chilling) 6 servings

Ingredients

1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 Persian cucumbers, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
1 small carrot, peeled, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more
1 lb. russet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled, cut into 8 equal pieces
2 large eggs, rinsed
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 1 ear; optional)
½ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. yellow mustard (such as French’s)

Preparation

Step 1 - Place 1 small red onion, finely chopped, 2 Persian cucumbers, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise, 1 small carrot, peeled, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in medium bowl and massage until vegetables look shiny and are just starting to release some liquid. Let sit while potatoes cook to allow vegetables to soften further and release more liquid (at least 15 minutes).
Step 2 - Place 1 lb. russet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled, cut into eight equal pieces, in medium saucepan and pour in cold water to cover by 2". Season generously with salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Carefully lower 2 large eggs, rinsed, into pan. If using 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 1 ear), add to pot. Cover and cook, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer, 10 minutes (exactly). Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water. Slide a skewer into a potato piece; there should be no resistance. If potatoes aren’t tender, continue cooking until they are, up to 5 minutes longer. Drain cooked potatoes and corn (if using) in a fine-mesh sieve; return to pot.
Step 3 - Peel eggs and add to pot with potatoes. Using a potato masher or fork, smash eggs and potatoes until broken up into small, irregular pieces (exact size doesn’t matter).
Step 4 - Drain vegetables in same sieve, squeezing fistfuls very hard to remove excess liquid. Add to potato mixture along with ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar, 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. yellow mustard (such as French’s), and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; mix well with a rubber spatula to combine (potatoes will break up further and become creamy). Taste and season with more salt if needed. Transfer potato salad to an airtight container, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour, before serving.

Do ahead: Salad can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
mahnmut: (The Swallows have won!)
[personal profile] mahnmut posting in [community profile] talkpolitics
Somalia's trajectory offers a stark illustration of state failure. The US has once again reduced its military and financial support, including cuts to the elite Danab special forces and the African Union peacekeeping mission. This withdrawal has emboldened al-Shabab, the al-Qaida-linked militant group, which is now advancing toward Mogadishu.

The pattern is familiar: international engagement followed by neglect, leading to power vacuums that extremist groups exploit. Given Somalia's strategic location near global shipping lanes and conflict zones like Yemen, its stability is crucial. Yet, history shows that disengagement often precedes unrest and terrorist expansion.

This situation underscores the complexities of state-building and the consequences of inconsistent foreign involvement. Somalia's challenges highlight the need for sustained international commitment to prevent the resurgence of extremist threats.

But hey, why learn from decades of failed interventions when you can just rinse, repeat, and act shocked when warlords fill the void? Apparently, long-term strategy is just too much to ask, especially when there's always another crisis to half-fix before moving on.

Monthly topic

Jun. 1st, 2025 09:58 pm
abomvubuso: (...I COULD MURDER A CURRY.)
[personal profile] abomvubuso posting in [community profile] talkpolitics
Hey all! Time for our new monthly topic, the one that you guys chose the last time:

Failed States



And now the poll for July

What should be the next monthly topic?

1) Making America Great Again
2) AI Regulation: Striking the Balance
3) The Future of European Security
4) Elections 2025: Populism’s Next Chapter
5) Climate Mandates vs Economic Realities

Feel free to suggest more...

Lemon Meringue Pie Cocktail

May. 31st, 2025 07:16 am
nverland: (Cooking)
[personal profile] nverland posting in [community profile] creative_cooks
image host

Lemon Meringue Pie Cocktail
Yield: 4 dessert cocktails Prep: 30 minutes Chill time (Optional): 1 hour Cook: 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup lemon curd store-bought or homemade lemon curd
180 mL vodka 6 fl oz
120 mL limencello 4 fl oz
60 mL freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 fl oz
Ice optional
simple syrup optional
Swiss meringue topping (for 4 cocktails)
2 egg whites 60 mL
100 g white sugar ½ cup
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 pinch sea salt
Garnishes
4 lemon oatmeal lace cookies or any kind of plain wafer / or biscoff cookie

Instructions:

In a large jug or blender jug, place the lemon curd, vodka, limoncello, and lemon juice.
1 cup lemon curd, 180 mL vodka, 120 mL limencello, 60 mL freshly squeezed lemon juice
Blend until combined with a blender or stick blender.
Taste and add more simple syrup or lemon juice to get the desired tangy / sweetness flavor balance.
simple syrup
If using immediately, add a generous amount of ice and stir to chill the cocktail.
Ice
Immediately strain the drink into 4 cocktail glasses.
Alternatively, you can cover the mixture and place it in the fridge to chill, so you can serve it later.
Swiss meringue topping
Follow my step by step recipe to make swiss meringue for more detailed tips. Since this is only for 2 egg whites, it'll be easier to make the meringue with a hand mixer. For 4 or more egg whites, use a stand mixer. It can be made with a whisk too, but this will take a while. Use a large balloon whisk to make the process easier by hand.
Make the swiss meringue just before you’re ready to serve the cocktail.
In a small pot, place some water (about 2 – 3 inches) and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.
In a clean metal bowl, place the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and sugar. Whisk together to mix all the ingredients.
2 egg whites, 100 g white sugar, ¼ tsp cream of tartar, 1 pinch sea salt
Place the bowl over the simmering pot of water and whisk the egg white and sugar mixture continuously until the mixture registers between 170 – 175°F with an instant read thermometer. The time will depend on the heat and the bowl size, but it usually takes me about 10 minutes for 2 egg whites.
Once the correct temperature is reached, remove the bowl from the heat and whisk with an electric hand whisk on high speed until the meringue forms stiff peaks.
Use immediately.
Assembly
Divide the chilled lemon meringue martini between 4 glasses.
Top it with a generous dollop of the swiss meringue and use a kitchen torch to caramelize the surface.
Garnish with a lemon oat lace cookie, or alternatively serve with a wafer or biscoff cookie.
4 lemon oatmeal lace cookies

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