Afghanistan (where the war is over)

[John Hill]

But you have not mentioned the international annex comprising of your good self and Boac. I think that you both of you should be sent on a corporate bonding weekend!

Yeabut I am not sure the trusty 206 is still available in Peshawar.

[Boac]

My job will be sheep protection.

[TheGreenGoblin]

My job will be sheep protection.

One wonders if sheep's entrails are any good at weather prediction. The METAR could become the MESSAR!

[Boac]

Ask JH? He may well be intimately involved......................

[Undried Plum]

Sitting in such seats might be a thing of the past in the near future...

Maybe, back in the early 70's when the 4040 was the hottest CPU chip available I toyed with the idea 'self driving' cultivating machines. The idea was based on the principles of hyperbolic radio navigation systems except ours would be operating on VHF and referenced to two low power beacon transmitters. I researched and wrote it up as best I could and passed the idea in front of a few local farmers only to be told that "John, you have to understand that it is becoming a pleasure to drive the tractor'.

Have they made a machine that can scrape the gunk off the side of a poppy's seed-head? That would **** the Taliban right up. Who would they shoot in the football grounds for doing that harvest?

[John Hill]

Cultivation and harvesting of poppy seed extract is just another of the many things I know nothing about. Another thing I did not know is that the Taliban publicly executed poppy harvesters in any football ground.

[Later] Well now I know that poppy crops can be harvested by use of a fairly common type of combine harvester.

[Undried Plum]

"John, you have to understand that it is becoming a pleasure to drive the tractor".

My Fendt has full self-driving capability. I've only ever used that trick a coupla times. Both times it embarrassed me by doing a better job that I could.

I take great pleasure in ploughing a straight line. It's a satisfaction which is somewhat similar to pegging the needles to the middle when hand-flying an ILS. It's why I drive and own tractors, though I'm not a farmer.

Did the Taliban inherit any Fendts from the NATO Occupation forces? Do Humvees have self-driving capability? Is there an electric Humvee yet?

[Undried Plum]

Another thing I did not know is that the Taliban publicly executed poppy harvesters in any football ground.

Yup. They did dat ting. Poppy guys made to kneel down. A burst of AK47 on full auto into the back of the head and that was that. Didn't have to do that sort of thing many times before there was a change of crop.

Street price of raw opium has already quadrupled, or so I am told.

[John Hill]

We had a relic from the 1930's which attached to one tractor enabled it to follow another so in effect one driver operated two tractors. A rather simple device comprised of a long pole with a couple of fixtures and rope.

I have heard it said that ploughing is good for the ploughman's soul but is no benefit at all for the soil. It seems rare nowadays that I see anyone ploughing, except of course at the ploughing competitions.

[John Hill]

Another thing I did not know is that the Taliban publicly executed poppy harvesters in any football ground.

Yup. They did dat ting. Poppy guys made to kneel down. A burst of AK47 on full auto into the back of the head and that was that. Didn't have to do that sort of thing many times before there was a change of crop.

That is news to me.

[EA01]

Reading of the 'Doha agreement' signed by the US & Taliban back in Feb 2020, Trump allegedly on the blower to Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's Deputy PM.

Why did Trump choose to negotiate with and deal with the Taliban?...then complain about Ole Joe?

There is a street not too far from here called 'Tabilban Street', always cause for a 'double take'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burleigh_ ... Queensland

[Undried Plum]

Showing a bit of respect to the Taliban is a bloody good idea.

Respect means a hell of a lot in their culture, I'm sure. Murricanes are not very good at that sort of thing. They generally prefer to behave like the arseholes that they are.

Biden should send his Secretary of State in one of those presidential 747s to Kabul to kiss some Taliban arse and try to normalise bilateral relations.

By showing respect he'd earn respect. That respect is much needed right now as America's reputation worldwide is in the toilet.

[EA01]

Perhaps,...but sadly I do not think 'Murrica' sees that....I think 'Murrica' fails to comprehend anything beyond their shores...

I do, as an Australian citizen, and my Country blindly following into all manner of 'Murricane' military adventurism..that we are owed VERY BIG TIME, and everything we bought is 'Murricane'

[Undried Plum]

Perhaps,...but sadly I do not think 'Murrica' sees that....I think 'Murrica' fails to comprehend anything beyond their shores...

I do, as an Australian citizen, and my Country blindly following into all manner of 'Murricane' military adventurism..that we are owed VERY BIG TIME, and everything we bought is 'Murricane'

Murricanes are incredibly ignorant of the world outside. Their knowledge of world geography comes from news bulletins of Murricane imperial wars against semi-defenceless small countries.

I've told a story here before about the time I spoke to a class of what in the UK we'd call sixth-formers. It was an exclusively white upper middle class district of Long Island. Parents of the kids were all professionals and business leaders. The youngsters hadn't a **** clue about world geography. Not one of 'em knew the difference between the UK and New Zealand.

That was circa 1986. Now those kids are leaders themselves. One of 'em is a very very famous pop singer. Another is a Senator. Another is on the board of a bunch of banksters in what is thought of as Wall Street. I'd bet a million dollars that not one of 'em knows any more about world geography now than they did back then.

It could make you weep.

[Boac]

First 'post-USA' evacuation flight expected to leave shortly.

[Undried Plum]

First 'post-USA' evacuation flight expected to leave shortly.

See what can be achieved by treating the Taliban with respect? See what I mean?

[1DC]

Only 14% of Americans have a passport.

[Undried Plum]

Only 14% of Americans have a passport.

Only 28% have ever held a passport.

Head up arse syndrome. Writ large.

[PHXPhlyer]

In a mild defense of low U.S. passport holder numbers.
Until just a few years ago no passport was needed for travel to our two neighboring countries that we share borders with.
To get to most other countries in this hemisphere requires sometimes long flights.
On the other hand, travel between UK and European countries can be routinely driven or reached by relatively shorter less expensive flights.
I do not deny the geographic ignorance of most of my country's inhabitants.

PP

[Boac]

Qatar do it again!