Now I'm basically in favor of disbanding NATO (and the UN - but that's a different argument). NATO may have served a purpose after WWII and perhaps up to the end of the "Cold War" - which ended in 1989 or so.

Today? What's the purpose?

Let's ignore the pros and cons of the present ammunition drain and think of the fundamental claim of NATO: "All for one and one for all"

So the US gets into a kerfluffle - partially to finally break up the Iranian government (our declared and actual enemy since '79 - at least) and significantly to keep oil flowing. Argue pros and cons of the oil trade but our world runs on the stuff with no realistic alternatives in sight at the moment - oil has too many advantages over any other practical fuel source in today's environment.

But the US has very little dependence on Middle East oil - it's Europe and others that depend on the good will of that part of the world ... so one can make an argument that at least part of this war is US fighting on Europe's behalf.

In today's news:
"more and more EU and NATO countries are moving to block US military flights operating in Iran. This includes Spain, Switzerland, Italy and now France."

OK. Their choice. Though it kind of defeats the premise of NATO, doesn't it?
But if they were being attacked, I'm pretty sure they'd wail and moan and beg Uncle Sam to come save their asses.

We need to get rid of these useless treaties ... NATO being high on the list.

The yur'a'peeins always bragging about their own righteousness; they can be righteous without our tax dollars.

One morning in Colorado, we got up to find this little critter laying on our back porch step.

Now a coon isn't going to hang around people without a bit of hissing and snarling and generally making a fuss.
Not a peep; he looked up at us then laid his head back down.

It was pretty obvious this little guy was sick, drooling, looked like he pee'd himself in place ... and look at his expression. No obvious blood though.

Likely rabid; I'm not getting close ... but we did put out a bowl of water and a bit of food (no cats at the time, so no kitty krunchies)

I may be willing to kill an animal - quickly - but I hate to see one injured or sick. I wasn't going to kill this one so we kept an eye on him and left him alone. Kept the water bowl filled; kept a bit of food nearby. But he's on his own - rabies isn't something to fool with - better to get bit by a rattlesnake.

He more or less stayed in place on the porch step for a few days; eventually crawled under the porch. Probably safer - coyotes couldn't get under there (but damn! now I'm going to have to get down on my knees and pull the body out if he croaks under there!)

Then one day ... no racoon.

I forget where I found this. On the edge of a town not much bigger than this egg as I recall. Kansas I think; maybe Nebraska. I don't think I was on a main highway - so on one of my travels along lesser known roads ... or more likely, a once main road faded into obscurity along with the towns it passes through when newer highways were built that bypassed the bottleneck towns.

But those are the places where such things still exist.

When I was living in Williamsburg, work required me to spend a week or two in Santa Barbara to deal with a vendor. I was working with the Federal government at the time and had to travel under government rules.

I forget the details now, but there was a flight sequence I could use to fly from the Williamsburg airport (PHF) (about 10 miles from home) to Santa Barbara (SBA). One advantage is that PHF was only a few miles from home and the vendor would provide transportation from SBA.

But the government wants to save money.

To save $50 on the flight ticket, I had to fly out of Norfolk (ORF) to Los Angeles (LAX). This required me to drive 40+ miles to ORF (at 50¢/mile), rent a car at LAX (~ $200/day+mileage), drive to Santa Barbara (100 miles), let the rental car sit for the 10 days or whatever I was there (the vendor drove me around - easier to get through the gate), then drive back to LAX (another 100 miles on the rental) ... and, because of flight times, rent a hotel room at LAX at $200/night. Then drive back to Williamsburg once I arrived at ORF.

But the government saved $50 on the flight.

I did enjoy my time in Santa Barbara though. I wandered down to the harbor at sunup and got this photo. Dark ... but I like it.

I can enjoy the shore but I'm still a desert/mountains type.

It was from Galata Tower, now part of Istanbul, that the first intercontinental flight took off. Ahmed Çelebi was an Ottoman scientist who experimented with winged flight until one time in 1638, with the assistance of southwest winds, he jumped off the top of the Galata Tower (in Europe) and soared about 2 miles over the Bosphorus Strait and landed in Üsküdar (in Asia, also now part of Istanbul). The Sultan of the time awarded him with a sack of gold ... and exile to Algeria: "A man to be feared, whatever he wishes, he can do. He can not stay".

The tower was built in 1348 and stands just shy of 220 feet tall. The roof was replaced in the mid-1960s.