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Totally non-functional....F*kit!
On Fri, Mar 20, 2026 at 6:42=E2=80=AFAM Ron Soave via Spridgets <
spridgets@autox.team.net> wrote:
> What color should the Sprite emblem be on the rear boot?
>
> Ron Soave
>
> On Mar 20, 2026, at 8:44=E2=80=AFAM, Larry Macy via Spridgets <
> spridgets@autox.team.net> wrote:
>
> =EF=BB=BFDaniel,
>
> Well stated and thought from the British POV. I agree with your points,
> but would like to insert one clarification. It is not America that is
> insulting and bitching at NATO countries.
>
> I have been around for nearly 7 decades and this is the absolute worst
> relationship between our NATO allies and the US I have ever seen in those
> decades. Treating Russia as a =E2=80=9Cfriend=E2=80=9D over NATO, Iran an=
d Ukraine is the
> bottom of the barrel in my opinion.
>
> This is my opinion, and so far, in the US, I am still allowed to have one=
.
>
> Spridgeteers, Please don=E2=80=99t t make this a mess. It is simply the o=
pinion of
> an Englishman and an American.
>
> Larry
>
> On Mar 20, 2026, at 6:33=E2=80=AFAM, Weslake1330 via Spridgets <
> spridgets@autox.team.net> wrote:
>
> Hi List,
>
> I wanted to post some thoughts on Iran, NATO and Europe that simply aren'=
t
> being reported on national news, as far as I can tell, whose reporters se=
em
> to have no idea of analysis or wider impacts.
>
> The news isn't saying much about how much help Iran has had and continues
> to have from Russia and China, the latter especially. I believe that Ira=
n
> is an evil regime supported (English phrase: aided and abetted) over
> decades by Russia and China. I have heard that Chinese technicians aidin=
g
> Iran firing missiles have been killed. So if America decides to attack
> Iran that's ok by me in a broad sense. Iran with nuclear weapons would b=
e
> a disaster for the world.
>
> NATO is about defence and its membership agreement makes that clear. NAT=
O
> is not a force multiplier to call upon when a member's aggression needs
> some backup. Yes, the USA puts more money into NATO than any other count=
ry
> and arguably it has had the most back. Europe provided the buffer for th=
e
> USA against the USSR and I guess that was a price the USA decided was wor=
th
> paying. Well times change and the USSR not longer exists but former
> members are a threat. The flipside to the coin that isn't discussed is n=
ot
> whether all the NATO countries need to spend more (and a couple do) but
> could America spend less?
>
> America has stated that China rather that Russia are the real threats and
> attacking Iran weakens China considerably though news commentators aren't
> saying so. America seems to continue to be well disposed to Mr Putin and
> Russia and seem to ignore the large part of aid Russia has given to Iran.
> Well I guess it might be in America's interest to say little and not stat=
e
> what is close to being obvious.
>
> What makes no sense and is baseless criticism is to insult NATO and
> European countries (who get very little oil and gas from Iran) for not
> answering a call to aid from America. It is India, China and other easte=
rn
> countries who are not going their oil from the Gulf, not NATO and Europea=
n
> countries. It's also worth considering what countries are in NATO. Well
> Canada is in NATO and so is Denmark (who count Greenland as part of its
> territory) and they have good grounds for not rushing to the assistance o=
f
> the USA. What about the European countries in NATO? Well they are still
> very focused on supporting Ukraine and the Arctic where there is still
> Russian aggression and threat - something that America thinks they ought =
to
> be doing.
>
> It is never good sense to insult your friends and allies, or falsely
> accuse them. And while you might publicly state they aren't helping and
> are free loaders, the truth and reality is quite different. However, spe=
nd
> enough time and energy publicly criticising them and there is a real risk
> you'll discover how much they DID do when they decide to do a lot less or
> nothing for you in the future. Google RAF Croughton and see not only how
> important that is to America but the controversy caused by a fatal road
> accident that made everything connected to that site unpopular.
>
> Regards
>
> Daniel S
> ------------------------
>
> spridgets@autox.team.net
>
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation: $12.75
>
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridgets
> http://autox.team.net/archive
>
> Unsubscribe/Manage:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/spridgets/lmacy@mac.com
>
>
> =E2=80=94
>
> Larry B. Macy, Ph.D.
> lmacy@mac.com
>
>
> =E2=80=9CRemember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet,=E2=
=80=9D he
> said. =E2=80=9CTry to make sense of what you see and about what makes the
> universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is
> always something you can do, and succeed at. It matters that you don=E2=
=80=99t just
> give up.=E2=80=9D
> ~Stephen Hawking
>
>
> ------------------------
>
> spridgets@autox.team.net
>
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation: $12.75
>
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridgets
> http://autox.team.net/archive
>
> Unsubscribe/Manage:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/spridgets/soavero@yahoo.com
>
> ------------------------
>
> spridgets@autox.team.net
>
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation: $12.75
>
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridgets
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>
> Unsubscribe/Manage:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/spridgets/billyzoom@billyzoom.com
>
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<div dir=3D"ltr">Totally non-functional....F*kit!</div><br><div class=3D"gm=
ail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On F=
ri, Mar 20, 2026 at 6:42=E2=80=AFAM Ron Soave via Spridgets <<a href=3D"=
mailto:spridgets@autox.team.net";>spridgets@autox.team.net</a>> wrote:<br=
></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;=
border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"auto">=
What color should the Sprite emblem be on the rear boot?<div><br id=3D"m_15=
27160007564609892lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir=3D"ltr">Ron Soav=
e</div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br><blockquote type=3D"cite">On Mar 20, 2026, at 8=
:44=E2=80=AFAM, Larry Macy via Spridgets <<a href=3D"mailto:spridgets@au=
tox.team.net" target=3D"_blank">spridgets@autox.team.net</a>> wrote:<br>=
<br></blockquote></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div dir=3D"ltr">=EF=BB=BF=
Daniel,<div><br></div><div>Well stated and thought from the British POV. I =
agree with your points, but would like to insert one clarification. It is n=
ot America that is insulting and bitching at NATO countries.=C2=A0</div><di=
v><br></div><div>I have been around for nearly 7 decades and this is the ab=
solute worst relationship between our NATO allies and the US I have ever se=
en in those decades. Treating Russia as a =E2=80=9Cfriend=E2=80=9D over NAT=
O, Iran and Ukraine is the bottom of the barrel in my opinion.=C2=A0</div><=
div><br></div><div>This is my opinion, and so far, in the US, I am still al=
lowed to have one.=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>Spridgeteers, Please don=
=E2=80=99t t make this a mess. It is simply the opinion of an Englishman an=
d an American. =C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>Larry<br id=3D"m_15271600075=
64609892lineBreakAtBeginningOfMessage"><div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><=
div>On Mar 20, 2026, at 6:33=E2=80=AFAM, Weslake1330 via Spridgets <<a h=
ref=3D"mailto:spridgets@autox.team.net"; target=3D"_blank">spridgets@autox.t=
eam.net</a>> wrote:</div><br><div><div dir=3D"ltr">Hi List,<div><br></di=
v><div>I wanted to post some thoughts on=C2=A0Iran, NATO and Europe that si=
mply aren't being reported on national news, as far as I can tell, whos=
e reporters seem to have no idea of analysis or wider impacts.</div><div><b=
r></div><div>The news isn't saying much about how much help Iran has ha=
d and continues to have from Russia and China, the latter especially.=C2=A0=
I believe that Iran is an evil regime supported (English phrase: aided and=
abetted) over decades by Russia and China.=C2=A0 I have heard that Chinese=
technicians aiding Iran firing missiles have been killed.=C2=A0 So if Amer=
ica decides to attack Iran that's ok by me in a broad sense.=C2=A0 Iran=
with nuclear weapons would be a disaster for the world.</div><div><br></di=
v><div>NATO is about defence and its membership agreement makes that clear.=
=C2=A0 NATO is not a force multiplier to call upon when a member's aggr=
ession needs some backup.=C2=A0 Yes, the USA puts more money into NATO than=
any other country and arguably it has had the most back.=C2=A0 Europe prov=
ided the buffer for the USA against the USSR and I guess that was a price t=
he USA decided was worth paying.=C2=A0 Well times change and the USSR not l=
onger exists but former members are a threat.=C2=A0 The flipside to the coi=
n that isn't discussed is not whether all the NATO countries need to sp=
end more (and a couple do) but could America spend less?</div><div><br></di=
v><div>America has stated that China rather that Russia are the real threat=
s and attacking Iran weakens China considerably though news commentators ar=
en't saying so.=C2=A0 America seems to continue to be well disposed to =
Mr Putin and Russia and seem to ignore the large part of aid Russia has giv=
en to Iran.=C2=A0 Well I guess it might be in America's interest to say=
little and not state what is close to being obvious.</div><div><br></div><=
div>What makes no sense and is baseless criticism is to insult NATO and Eur=
opean countries (who get very little oil and gas from Iran) for not answeri=
ng a call to aid from America.=C2=A0 It is India, China and other eastern c=
ountries who are not going their oil from the Gulf, not NATO and European c=
ountries.=C2=A0 It's also worth considering what countries are in NATO.=
=C2=A0 Well Canada is in NATO and so is Denmark (who count Greenland as par=
t of its territory) and they have good grounds for not rushing to the assis=
tance of the USA.=C2=A0 What about the European countries in NATO?=C2=A0 We=
ll they are still very focused on supporting Ukraine and the Arctic where t=
here is still Russian aggression and threat - something that America thinks=
they ought to be doing.</div><div><br></div><div>It is never good sense to=
insult your friends and allies, or falsely accuse them.=C2=A0 And while yo=
u might publicly state they aren't helping and are free loaders, the tr=
uth and reality is quite different.=C2=A0 However, spend enough time and en=
ergy publicly criticising them and there is a real risk you'll discover=
how much they DID do when they decide to do a lot less or nothing for you =
in the future.=C2=A0 Google RAF Croughton and see not only how important th=
at is to America but the controversy caused by a fatal road accident that m=
ade everything connected to that site unpopular.</div><div><br></div><div>R=
egards</div><div><br></div><div>Daniel S</div></div>
------------------------<br><br><a href=3D"mailto:spridgets@autox.team.net"=
target=3D"_blank">spridgets@autox.team.net</a><br><br>Donate: <a href=3D"h=
ttp://www.team.net/donate.html" target=3D"_blank">http://www.team.net/donat=
e.html</a><br>Suggested annual donation: $12.75<br><br>Archive: <a href=3D"=
http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridgets"; target=3D"_blank">http://www.team.=
net/pipermail/spridgets</a> =C2=A0<a href=3D"http://autox.team.net/archive"=
target=3D"_blank">http://autox.team.net/archive</a><br><br>Unsubscribe/Man=
age: <a href=3D"http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/spridgets/lmacy@mac.c=
om" target=3D"_blank">http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/spridgets/lmacy=
@mac.com</a><br></div></blockquote></div><br><div>
<div style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-st=
yle:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:norma=
l;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;w=
ord-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none">=E2=80=94<br><br>Larry B. Macy, Ph.D.=
<br><a href=3D"mailto:lmacy@mac.com"; target=3D"_blank">lmacy@mac.com</a><br=
><br><br>=E2=80=9CRemember to look up at the stars=C2=A0and not down at you=
r feet,=E2=80=9D he said.=C2=A0=E2=80=9CTry to make sense of what you see=
=C2=A0and about what makes the universe=C2=A0exist. Be curious. And however=
=C2=A0difficult life may seem, there is always=C2=A0something you can do, a=
nd succeed=C2=A0at. It matters that you don=E2=80=99t just give=C2=A0up.=E2=
=80=9D=C2=A0<br>~Stephen Hawking<br><br></div>
</div>
<br></div><span>------------------------</span><br><span></span><br><span><=
a href=3D"mailto:spridgets@autox.team.net"; target=3D"_blank">spridgets@auto=
x.team.net</a></span><br><span></span><br><span>Donate: <a href=3D"http://w=
ww.team.net/donate.html" target=3D"_blank">http://www.team.net/donate.html<=
/a></span><br><span>Suggested annual donation: $12.75</span><br><span></spa=
n><br><span>Archive: <a href=3D"http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridgets"; ta=
rget=3D"_blank">http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridgets</a> =C2=A0<a href=
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archive</a></span><br><span></span><br><span>Unsubscribe/Manage: <a href=3D=
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om</a></span><br></div></blockquote></div></div>------------------------<br=
>
<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:spridgets@autox.team.net"; target=3D"_blank">spridgets@aut=
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et=3D"_blank">http://www.team.net/donate.html</a><br>
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Archive: <a href=3D"http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridgets"; rel=3D"norefer=
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</blockquote></div>
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