News & views NOT related to the war in Ukraine …
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February 15, 2023
Open (Not Ukraine) Thread 2023-39
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My wife gets leg cramps, and then says she has to drink more water.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 16 2023 3:03 utc | 170
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That is not a leg cramp. That is thirst. She should drink more water.
Posted by: Nobody | Feb 16 2023 7:36 utc | 201
@NemesisCalling | Feb 15 2023 20:33 utc | 93
We’re probably not going to agree on much but let’s see what we can do.
I suspect you haven’t actually read much Marx, because if you had, you would know that Marxism is not a system of government, but a method for analyzing history, social, economic and political systems in the light of underlying class conflict. If you are prepared to invest some time in reading Marx, I recommend you begin with Grundrosse, which were private notes to himself and while incomplete and fragmentary, are very accessible. Marx Karl (1846-1858). Grundrisse der Kritik der Politischen Ökonomie is readily available on the Internet I’m the original German, and there is a good English translation is available t no cost at the Marxist Library. Marx Karl (1846-1858). Foundations of the Critique of Political Economy (Rough Draft). Marxist Internet Library. I strongly advocate you so, because your objections may be more with what others have said against Marx than against Marx himself.
As an analytical system, Marxism does not work without mental effort and criticism, including self criticism.
In a universe that definitely is not “eternal”, there has never been a need for humans to “think beyond themselves into the realm of eternity”. Marxism has nothing to do with that. You might compare Marx, which is an evolving and adaptive tool, which has even predicted it’s own (and capitalism’s) demise with “historical religion”, but it would not be a useful comparison. Most religions take the position that they are perfect, and so cannot change, because any change to perfection would necessarily be imperfect, which is why religions do not change much although their followers usually do.
Marxism has never controlled a state. It is not that kind of tool
Contrary your assertion that christers have “usually spoken truth-to-power when the excesses of a state were exhibited under the banner of Christendom” like all religions, the religion tends to reflect the lives of it’s followers, and when life was harsh, they tended to lead the fray. See e.g. my Religion considered Harmful (and the Ungoodness of Prayer). It started out as a fanatical revolutionary theology, and remained brutal and vicious until tamed, to an extent in Rome. See my On ‘Jesus’ and the so-called ‘New Testament’. In contrast, Marx was trained as a philosopher and Marxism is a humanistic philosophy which grew out of the intersection of economics (Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations) and the Hegelian dialectic. Refer e.g. Eds (2003-2020). Karl Marx at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
The reality is that the “martyrs” tended to be those who has offended the christers, particularly other christers. For example, Hypatia of Alexandria was murdered at the exhortation of the Bishop of Alexandria, by the monks of Alexandria. They stripped the skin from her body with broken pottery Or shells while she was alive, and then burned her body. A great example of christer love.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. There was nothing “divine” about Stalin’s Order No. 270. It was in exactly the same spirit as the mass executions of deserters and cowards by the French in WW I, or the WW II order for the execution of Eddie Slovik for desertion signed by Eisenhower, or even the English Navy’s execution of Admiral John Byng for not closing with the enemy. As the order itself acknowledged, heroism was common in those days, but it may have stiffened the resolve of some units trapped in nightmare situations.
and perfectly usurps and replaces the need for humans to think beyond themselves into the realm of eternity. In this way, Marxism can certainly be compared to historical religions. This is not to say that Marxism can compare with the essence of say Christianity with the Logos, per se, but it satisfies the needs of a people to be organized under a central, all-powerful thesis. The same way Christianity is harnessed by historical states is the same way that Marxism controlled Russians and other states.
While atheists might dislike the entitlement, behaviour, hypocrisy and stupidity of religiots, nobody can “hate” something as imaginary as a religion. Marx himself saw religion in this world of exploitation not as sething to hate, but as both an expression of distress and a protest against the real distress. In other words, religion survives because of oppressive social conditions. When oppression and exploitation abre removed, religion becomes an unnecessary burden. This is exactly what we have seen happen over the past century.
Christianity is a religion In denial of it’s past, particularly in the USA, but it is on the way out. In the unlikely event that humans avoid extinction, and current trends continue, the statistics which show that it has dropped from a prevalence of over 90% in the late 1990s to about 45% penetration among millennials are very clear. Christianity will no Longer be particularly relevant to Americans before the centennial of it being forced onto Americans by the wealthy in the 1950s (See Kruse Kevin M. Professor of history at Princeton (2015-04-14). One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America. Basic Books. There is a good summary by the author at https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/04/corporate-america-invented-religious-right-conservative-roosevelt-princeton-117030.
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 16 2023 7:56 utc | 202
Christians would say perhaps that Platonism is ‘watered down Christianity’
Posted by: juliania | Feb 16 2023 4:32 utc | 182
I’m Christian and I don’t say that. Plato’s ideas are sort of communism and collectivism, which Christianity is not. Plato says that the individual only exists to serve the collective (be it state, tribe, race). Plato says that individualism is egoism. Plato says that a person is Egoist when he doesn’t forfeit his interests and submit to the interests of the collective.
Vaxxers used Plato to convince Christians to take the cloth shot for the interests of big pharma just an year ago.
Posted by: Vikichka | Feb 16 2023 7:57 utc | 203
So much confusion and speculation.
I can’t blame the bar, because of the lying and propaganda, and energy we devote to solving these problems.
I suggest we turn inwards, towards our families.
Focus on our children, and their schools.
If you can, go volunteer or work at a school.
The view from the 9 year old mind doesn’t imagine what we talk about here.
Take a break from this shit storm. Talk to a kid.
Find out what the children are worried about.
It’s nothing to do with our muttering.
Step back. Find another Avenue.
We have multiple generations of young people
Who don’t even know about all this crap.
They are worried about their friends, their teachers, their parents.
Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in all this geopolitical shit,
That we forget about the small people. The people who don’t even have a say,
don’t even know or care about Ukraine, or the corrupt world of criminals.
Take a moment. Talk to your kids or other young people about what THEY
Are concerned about.
You will find that it is a grounding, and humbling experience.
Posted by: Bad baby | Feb 16 2023 8:05 utc | 204
Trust me, I’m overloaded with magnesium
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 16 2023 1:41 utc | 162
Unless you’re overloaded with coffee as well.
Posted by: Vikichka | Feb 16 2023 8:10 utc | 205
Posted by: Brother Ma | Feb 16 2023 7:24 utc | 194
I haven’t been checked, but I tend to doubt it. Since you mention it, I might try doing the leave the phone on record trick and see what kind of noises I make when I do sleep.
I just downloaded the Snorelab app and will see if it picks up any loud snoring or gasps during the night. I tried installing one other app just now as well but the stupid thing wouldn’t let me agree to the conditions for some reason so I uninstalled that. Nothing but crappy software in this world. So I’ll see if Snorelab can detect anything.
The reason I doubt I have it is simply because I have two known conditions – diabetes and piriformis syndrome – so I doubt the cause of my problems is some third problem. But anything is possible.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 16 2023 8:12 utc | 206
Posted by: Vikichka | Feb 16 2023 8:10 utc | 200
Never touched coffee except back when I was in Vietnam and nothing else was available. Same with alcohol – was offered a can of Danish beer on a Shell Oil tanker in Vung Ro Bay in Vietnam and couldn’t drink it. Was then later offered a glass of red wine a couple years later – tasted exactly the same as the Danish beer to me. I just don’t like alcohol – and I don’t like drunks, either, which is another reason I don’t drink.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 16 2023 8:16 utc | 207
@West of England Andy | Feb 15 2023 20:16 utc | 84
Vi.Great for fixing antiquated corporate web pages on the fly and fixing shell scripts on *nix.
My partner says that Emacs is an entire operating system, not an editor 😉
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 16 2023 8:17 utc | 208
Top Pakistani egonomist: https://twitter.com/SShabbarZaidi/status/1623752130443067394?cxt=HHwWhIC-pbX93IgtAAAA
“What a tragedy? A country of 224 million people with nuclear capability waiting for consent from junior officers of IMF after uselessly delaying the program for 3 months. IMF Director’s meeting March. State becomes extortionist after such deals. But no choice. Have we learnt? No”
Posted by: Antonym | Feb 16 2023 8:28 utc | 209
Just listened to Lira’s video. Apparently there is a rumor going on from various places that Poland will invade Belarus within the next ten days. At the same time Biden is about to meet with Duda and Zelensky in Poland.
Lira says this rumor sounds insane. but…
Then I just found this document (PDF download) issued by the European Parliament and prepared by the neocon Institute For The Study of War:
Russia-Belarus military cooperation – European Parliament
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2023)739348
Curious that this was just released coinciding with Biden’s upcoming visit to Poland with Zelensky…
Note this sentence on the document page: “The question is whether the Belarusian army is capable of supporting Russia in direct battle, without further undermining the stability of Lukashenka’s regime.”
So perhaps the intent is to embroil Poland in a conflict with Belarus in order to destabilize Belarus in much the same manner as the Ukraine conflict was intended to destabilize Russia and lead to a government overthrow.
Gonzalo also said that it has been “confirmed” – he didn’t say by who – that Russia now has 150,000 troops – and maybe more – in Belarus complete with aircraft, helicopters, tanks and artillery.
Then there is this report (in Russian):
Three CSTO exercises planned in Belarus this year
https://www.belta.by/politics/view/provedenie-treh-uchenij-odkb-zaplanirovano-v-belarusi-v-etom-godu-549880-2023/?fbclid=IwAR1RLIFhItV1vBCd14Gf2P08A9Cgyh5bQ5RZYRQG8CMkMZdPJHlb4URk9_E
February 13, Minsk / Corr. BELTA/. On the territory of Belarus this year it is planned to hold three CSTO exercises – “Interaction”, “Echelon” and “Poisk”. This was reported to journalists by the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Imangali Tasmagambetov after a meeting with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, BelTA reports.
OTOH, Pravda Ukraine said on January 25 that Russia had reduced the number of its troops in Belarus from 11,000 to 5,800:
Russians reduce number of its soldiers in Belarus to 5,8
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/01/25/7386440/
But I still can’t find any direct evidence of large Russian forces in Belarus, so where this 150,000 figure comes from is a mystery to me.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 16 2023 8:46 utc | 210
@Richard Steven Hack | Feb 16 2023 1:41 utc | 162
You are writing a huge amount of really crunchy material. My thanks and felicitations.
Leg cramps are truly awful. As you probably know, it is usually a sign of dehydration, a light metal deficiency or an early sign of neuropathy.
I’ve seen many people with this and age/sex/mass appropriate potassium and magnesium supplements taken orally with a bottle of soda water (750 ml carbonation only) would stop episodes in seconds (a good thing because cramps in the upper leg can be powerful enough to break the femur). So would an (expensive) gel with high levels of available magnesium massaged into the muscle.
A soda stream can make soda water quickly and cheaply but naturally canned soda water also works.. It not only tastes better but may help with rapid absorption (I only have anecdotal support for this, but I have seen it too often to discount it).
If you are not already familiar with it,
Sarah J. Halberg et al (2018-02-07). Effectiveness and Safety of a Management of Type 2 Diabetes at 1 Year: An Open-Label, Non-Randomized, Controlled Study Diabetes Ther. 2018 Apr; 9(2): 583–612. doi: 10.1007/s13300-018-0373-9
and the related
Hallberg Sarah J (2018-02-27). Reversing Type 2 Diabetes: A Narrative Review of the Evidence. Nutrients 2019, 11(4), 766; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11040766
may interest you. A high fat zero carbs (not just a keto restricted carb, but actual zero carbs) diet for 3 months is helping a lot of Type II diabetic and prediabetic people get off medication while able to eat relatively normally (but limiting carbs) after the initial period (biltong, jagtdwurst, salami, cheese and flavored sea weed are all tasty meals)
Over 3,000 patients have successfully transitioned this program now.
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 16 2023 8:56 utc | 211
https://newleftreview.org/sidecar/posts/how-to-blow-up-a-pipeline
Hersh on Nord Stream, this time in the NLR. I have to commend him for his aggressive effort to publicize this story. There seems to be a faction in the US that wants to end extreme American support for Ukraine (for them, enough has been achieved already) and they figure that the best way to do this is to steadily compromise Biden & co. I can’t say for sure that it will work though, the Biden administration seems lost for ideas and might want to keep the conflict simmering until the elections, but that in turn would require direct participation in the hostilities as Ukraine appears spent.
Posted by: Biely | Feb 16 2023 8:57 utc | 212
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 16 2023 8:56 utc | 206
I don’t want to do zero carbs since I’d like some vegetable matter to give me a little roughage. I eat four cups of lettuce with one serving of 1-carb ranch dressing to handle that. Also a lot of the sausages and other meat that I eat have at least a carb or two in them. Hard to do zero carbs so I don’t bother. I keep them within 20-30 which seems to work.
Haven’t heard about the soda water trick. I’ll look into that. Thanks. As for the magnesium and potassium, I’m taking a large amount already. I’m beginning to think a deficiency is less likely, and that it’s far more likely to be a result of the two conditions I have, diabetes and piriformis.
I’m not worried about the diabetes. I dropped my A1C from 9 to 5.6 before and I’ll do it again. Hopefully a new exercise program will fix the piriformis eventually. I’ve got options for calisthenics, yoga, mobility, stretching and piriformis specific exercises, as well as weights and martial arts practice. So I’ll fix it eventually.
Thanks for the advice, I’ll look into the soda water.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 16 2023 10:04 utc | 213
This thread is timely for me, I haven’t had one hours sleep for six weeks, really serious domestic stress in my life right now…my family trying to bump her off for the in heritance money. We never married so turns out they get her life savings.
I want her to live they want her to die.
Any tips on sleep could save my life and hers.
Thanks Hack
Posted by: Mark2 | Feb 16 2023 10:12 utc | 214
I messed that up….
Her family trying to bump her off not mine
Posted by: Mark2 | Feb 16 2023 10:17 utc | 215
I just don’t like alcohol
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 16 2023 8:16 utc | 202
Thats too bad. We are in a bar. And there are various health benefits from drinking.
Dr. David J. Hanson of State University of New York states that people who consume one or two alcoholic drinks, including whiskey, daily have a 50 percent lower chance of having a stroke or developing dementia in old age. This moderate amount of drinking can also decrease the chance of developing diabetes by 30 to 40 percent. These benefits come from alcohol’s ability to increase good cholesterol and decrease blood clots.
A study recently published in the medical journal Springer examined the types of bacteria that can survive in ice. The bad news is that 31 species of bacteria were found in bar ice—including infectious Pseudomonas (can cause skin and lung infections), Staphylococcus (responsible for Staph infections), Bacillus (guilty for food poisoning symptoms) and Acinetobacter (can cause pneumonia and meningitis).
With that in mind, the researchers tested just how resilient the bacteria is by putting infected ice in common drinks. Freezing temperatures didn’t kill them. Vodka didn’t kill any of them either. Coca-Cola killed Bacillus and Pseudomonas, and tonic killed all but Acinetobacter. Whiskey, however, killed them all.
Posted by: Vikichka | Feb 16 2023 10:27 utc | 216
Perimetr | Feb 16 2023 1:11 utc | 160
I understand the point you make. Sure, overwhelming action can stop mission creep. “Too little too late” is a proverbial blunder. On the other hand, excessive force is strongly condemned by the world community (see e.g. Gaza / Israel).
My objection was, however, primarily based on what you failed to (re-)highlight in your #160 “… the West adds provocation upon proocation…”. These ACTIVE ELEMENTS are the ones who drive us towards WW3 in the first place, not so much the (in terms of force escalation) more passive side.
I think that the SMO is also subject to the “quantity-switches-to-quality” law at a point that probably even RF doesn’t know time-wise exactly. A decisive, ostentatiously trespassing step by NATO (Transnistria, dirty bomb, depleted U ammo, NATO invasion of western 404, long-range rocket attacks deep into RF including Crimea, tactical nukes, blockade of Kaliningrad / St. Petersburg,…etc.), which deliver RF a strong justification IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD to declare war, may shorten the process. If this doesn’t happen, RF seem quite comfortable with the rate of losses in manpower, material and world reputation of NATO + 404, to continue as is. After all, there is more “creep” ongoing: Western exhaustion (ammo and public opinion), 404 fatigue and chances that another “Stauffenberg group” will have more success there.
Posted by: OttoE | Feb 16 2023 10:30 utc | 217
I use the 4-7-8 method, when meditation alone does not work, but my partner says the Navy technique below works more reliably under intense stress if you practice it. Both are used prior to combat by militaries around the world. Either will work fast with practice, but both also work if you just keep doing it – it just takes longer.
Good luck
https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/fall-asleep-fast“>https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/fall-asleep-fast”>https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/fall-asleep-fast
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 16 2023 10:31 utc | 218
From twitter:
https://twitter.com/CSwampthing/status/1626050174983471104
The US has given $50B to Ukraine over 12m, yes that’s right just $13/month per American or 42 cents per day.
Yes that’s right, for less than a cup of coffee per day you too can vaporize the russian army!
This has got to be the best deal in the history of foreign relations.
>…Over recent decades we’ve spent literally trillions of dollars building the most formidable military the world has ever seen. This military is primarily designed to fight Russia and China. Now we can give this stuff to others to do the fighting for us. & a good cause. No brainer.
>…Absolutely. The numbers above actually overstate the cost to Americans since we’re mainly giving Cold War surplus that’s already paid for and is just slowly depreciating.
>…Its not just an out and out cost to the tax payer, because the production of weapons employs a lot people, plus a lot weapons given are now recognised as the best and mean a lot of new orders from other countries.
>…it’s actually cheaper than that.
All that weaponry? Old stock. Stock from the late 80s and early 90s which was being stored and needed regular maintenence and was costly to keep stockpiled.
And all that stuff the EU is donating? They are buying more from the US to replace it.
>…Best money we’ve ever spent!
>… It’s even less, because a lot of that money flows back into the economy.
>…How much extra have American energy companies made from rising oil and gas prices, and the government taken in from taxes. They are probably up.
>…And a lot of the money is given to American contractors so it’s really even cheaper.
>…If this goes WW3 then the US gets the arctic regions and Kaliningrad.
>…That’s not even counting the value of
1) western/NATO Unity being re-invigorated
2) our industries getting a turbo boost (read jobs)
3) literally not having to put a single boot on the ground or any modern weapons into the fight
It’s astounding the idiocy of ppl who complain.
>…Absolutely. Ukraine has already repaid us many times over by decreasing risks to Europe and America from our mortal enemy.
And you’re right. The money we pay for these weapons is money we pay to ourselves. (More accurately we *paid* to ourselves in the 80s)
>…And are paying salaries to restock 155mm ammo… l
>…The factory that makes the rocket pods seems to be hiring general purpose factory line workers at a 4×10 work schedule with one shift. From my perusing of job site data they are set up to be able to run triple shifts with proportionally more staff
https://twitter.com/meatspacemaxima/status/1552432232643858432/photo/1
>…It’s a bargain, we should all want to pay double that to rid the world of that f- tard.(Putin)….
And there it is. The twitterverse cost-benefit analysis of why the U$ should sponsor Ukraine to kill Russians.
Posted by: Melaleuca | Feb 16 2023 10:40 utc | 219
Perimetr | Feb 16 2023 1:11 utc | 160
Epilogue to my #212: I just read a new article on StalkerZone. With allusions to Ramstein (ramming stone) and rock-paper-scissors, the Russian author concludes, identifying RF with “paper”, as follows:
…We risk blunting our scissors, grinding NATO weapons and Ukrainian horsepower, but we will cut the paper anyway and wrap the stone of the West with it. To clarify, “paper” is a time factor. The West does not have much time – their liberal-capitalist economic system, coupled with civilisational innovations such as the gender revolution, got lost. Of course, they will try to rebuild, but we know what “Perestroika” is and what it leads to…
Posted by: OttoE | Feb 16 2023 10:48 utc | 220
Has anyone ever come across this very old-school interview with a former CIA guy named Ralph McGehee? It’s from the 70s and it must have been out there for ages. I just came across it and found it stunning. Very candid, very sober. How it was done back then is how it’s done today.
Posted by: Scotch Bingeington | Feb 16 2023 11:15 utc | 222
Richard Steven Hack | Feb 16 2023 10:04 utc | 208
Tip from an Indian doctor when on a trip there and after getting a bad case of poisoning/diarrhoea from contaminated water (in the ice cubes used in a posh hotel bar!).
For rehydration the best is Coconut water (the drinkable part). Contains potasssium, is well tolerated by the body and the cholesterol is the “good” version. It even tastes good.
You probably can’t get it everywhere, but try it if you can. all the best. S.
If the US wins, the US moves on to China. We then get the next war, with China in the role of Russia, with Taiwan in the place of Ukraine, Japan in the place of Germany, Phillipines and South Korea in the supporting roles of Poland and the Baltics. Meanwhile, we are stirring up trouple in Iran; and if the occasion presents itself, we’d like take out Iran as well.
As long as the US is kept occupied in Ukraine, the US has few resources left to take on China or Iran. This means China and Iran have every incentive to support Russia. A pity for Ukraine. But as you make your bed you must lie on it.
Posted by: Passerby | Feb 16 2023 11:33 utc | 224
Passerby @ 219
Interesting train of thought you have there.
To add to it…
I wonder if Trump were to become the next President, would we see Ukraine ended but hostility toward Iran reinvigorated ?
Posted by: Mark2 | Feb 16 2023 11:52 utc | 225
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 16 2023 10:31 utc | 213
From the referenced article: “Relax your legs, thighs, and calves.” When you have restless leg, it doesn’t matter. I’ve tried. It’s not the muscles that are tense – although that is a problem I have as well, from too much sitting. It’s the nerve signals coming through the sciatic nerve which is inflamed by the piriformis muscle in the butt. I know how to relax completely, done it many times while playing with self-hypnosis. Doesn’t work under these conditions.
When I had full-blown piriformis pain, I was in the same boat as now: couldn’t sleep because of the pain. But eventually you sleep anyway. You just wake up after too little sleep with pain. The piriformis pain is a severe ache in the butt along with sharp stabbing pains in the feet. With the leg cramps, especially the ankle muscle cramps, it’s excruciating pain. Sometimes the cramp is so bad, my foot wants to turn to the side, making it hard to walk until the cramp subsides.
I used to be able to handle the calf cramps easily enough – you just jam both thumbs into the muscle and press hard. Sole of the foot cramps usually release as soon as your foot hits the floor due to the nerve override involved. But ankle cramps don’t let go until you’ve walked around for a minute or two.
Fortunately I can sense when a muscle is ready to cramp and if I move fast enough out of bed I can frequently forestall it. But not if it happens while I’m just coming out of sleep. Also, when I awaken the urge is to tighten and release the muscles in my body – this will immediately trigger a cramp if the leg muscles are already tight.
Read an article about what happens from too much long sitting such as on airplanes or long bus rides. The theory is that the lymphatic fluid starts to settle in the legs making them feel heavy. Raising the legs for a while tends to slowly shift the fluid back. I’m probably going to have to start walking an hour a day downtown. I have an app on the computer that prompts me to walk five minutes every thirty minutes, but 1) I frequently ignore it and 2) that’s probably not enough.
Posted by: Stonebird | Feb 16 2023 11:23 utc | 218
Thanks for the tip, but hydration really isn’t the problem. A damaged nerve is. I just finished drinking my fifth 20-ounces of water a little while ago. I might need more than 120 ounces a day, but again, I think this is a physical issue, not something missing from my diet. I’m convinced it started with the piriformis and then the nerves have been degraded by the diabetes.
There are several dopamine agonist drugs that reportedly work moderately well to control restless leg. I expect my doctor will prescribe one if she can’t figure out another approach.
Time for me to try sleeping again. I take a gram and a half of valerian root and that does seem to help at least with the fall asleep part. Tonight I’ll try using my phone to monitor my sleep and see what tells me.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 16 2023 12:08 utc | 226
So perhaps the intent is to embroil Poland in a conflict with Belarus in order to destabilize Belarus in much the same manner as the Ukraine conflict was intended to destabilize Russia and lead to a government overthrow.
— RSH@205, yeah, that is it. One-trick ponies.
And still wrong about Lukashenko. We forced Luka into Putin’s arms. I watched it happen just recently. first they are playing footsie and stalling, then we do a color revolution with some nobody/Guiado, then all of a sudden Putin and Luka are best friends. Dumb asses.
Today Blinkin says we won’t help Ukraine take back Crimea, that is a Russian Red Line and we won’t cross that. So it seems clear they now recognize we are in no shape to fight Russia. Progress of a sort.
Posted by: Bemildred | Feb 16 2023 12:18 utc | 227
There are many editors. They tend to be operating system specific.
Vi has the advantage of being ubiquitous. It is the only one I would recommend going out of your way to learn. And it is powerful. But is also modal, which is annoying.
http://texteditors.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?HomePage
Posted by: Bemildred | Feb 16 2023 12:54 utc | 228
Remember, when the US said it hadn’t supplied Ukraine with missiles that can reach far into Russia, Ukraine fired missiles that reached far into Russia. This time:
[Blinken] conveyed that the U.S. isn’t actively encouraging Ukraine to retake Crimea, but that the decision is Kyiv’s alone. Politico
If the US says it isn’t actively encouraging Ukraine to retake Crimea, that means Ukraine will attempt to take Crimea, but Washington claims innocence.
Posted by: Passerby | Feb 16 2023 12:58 utc | 229
If the US says it isn’t actively encouraging Ukraine to retake Crimea, that means Ukraine will attempt to take Crimea, but Washington claims innocence.
Posted by: Passerby | Feb 16 2023 12:58 utc | 224
Yes, this seems to be their pattern. They also publish satellite photos of future strike areas. Last one was a Russian base in Voronezh I think, so let’s see how long before it goes boom.
Zely can’t actually “take Crimea” but he keeps sending drones and so far they were intercepted. Depending on what he’ll receive in the future and because “slow is best” gives him infinite retries, he may hit something big, there are many targets in range, like chemical factories, npps, npps inside Russia, gas pipes
Posted by: rk | Feb 16 2023 13:08 utc | 230
I believe there is a serious reason why the US may collapse – that “experts” have failed to understand possibly because they haven’t defined it.
Suicidal Ideation. That’s the closest I can get to summing it up. How can any culture survive if a significant % of its people barely care if they live or die? Or if they derive pleasure from impulsively destroying themselves? When do mass shootings cease to be newsworthy? I understand the Fed has started to worry about drug deaths and dependency. And much of Wall Street is dominated by a ‘give no thought to the morrow’ finances – to say nothing of the national debt.
Larry Summers ( past Clinton official) has warned of an approaching “Wile E. Coyote” moment. I say it may be more fundamental than just a single cycle of foolishness.
Young girls in particular are reporting suicidal thoughts. Cars are plowing into crowds. You don’t want to think about airline pilots. There are explicit warnings about impulsive behavior or suicidal thoughts as side effects to many prescribed drugs – taken by millions of Americans.
Something is happening and it’s not good.
Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 16 2023 13:19 utc | 231
@Passerby | Feb 16 2023 12:58 utc | 224
the US says it isn’t actively encouraging Ukraine to retake Crimea
It’s just providing targeting info.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 16 2023 13:36 utc | 232
@ Eighthman | Feb 16 2023 13:19 utc | 226
Something is happening and it’s not good.
There’s saying in the army — meet and assess a lowly private, check his attitude, and you’ll know what the CO is like.
Looking at the nation, if it’s run by selfish killers then we’ll have a nation with selfish killers. Not all by a long shot, but more than enough to upset things for everyone. . .”We came, we saw, he died.”
Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 16 2023 13:42 utc | 233
Tatiana Ventôse uploaded a video about Nord Stream :
https://youtu.be/GHF1kmfcVhM
Posted by: Mara | Feb 16 2023 13:52 utc | 234
dh | Feb 15 2023 17:54 utc | 45
Yes indeed. Excellent soldiers. Fierce, loyal, the Thin Red Line.
Absolutely, as General Wolfe (who participated in the slaughter of Jacobite Scots at Culloden in 1746) wrote during the campaign against the Wabanaki Confederacy in Nova Scotia in 1751:
“I should imagine that two or three independent Highland companies might be of use; they are hardy, intrepid, accustomed to a rough country, and no great mischief if they fall. How better can you employ a secret enemy than by making his end conducive to the common good?”
Posted by: cirsium | Feb 16 2023 14:01 utc | 235
Spoiler alert: A second day’s CNN site-search for ‘Seymour Hersh’ returns only years-old Bin Laden stuff.
Collusion (Sorry! I mean Conclusion): CNN Game Show Hosts are not doing the reportage they were hired not to do.
Posted by: Elmagnostic | Feb 16 2023 14:12 utc | 236
Doctorow is worried that Europe might have been wasting its Defence budgets
“…I highlight the possibility of massive corruption across Europe in the defense domain in light of the allegations that Putin runs a deeply corrupt and “kleptocratic” regime. That story has been incessantly promoted in our newspapers and electronic media ever since the start of the Information War in 2007. Somehow, somewhere those hundreds of billions supposedly pilfered from the Russian state by Putin & Co. and salted away in foreign bank accounts seem to have gone to build Russian defenses. Judging by what we see on the battlefield of Ukraine today, those assets were in fact invested in building the world’s largest store of munitions and industrial capacity relevant to the biggest ground war in European history since 1945. What we do not yet see, thank heavens, is the Russian investment in strategic nuclear weapons systems, including their hypersonic missiles on land, sea and air. The nuclear dimension places Russia as much as a decade in the lead in the arms race with the USA….”
https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2023/02/16/europe-is-defenseless-who-is-to-blame/#comments
Posted by: bevin | Feb 16 2023 14:20 utc | 237
@230 The Highland regiments were outstanding at Waterloo too. I suppose if you’re going to have a war you need people like that. Not sure what makes them that way.
Posted by: dh | Feb 16 2023 14:32 utc | 238
@bevin | Feb 16 2023 14:20 utc | 232
the Russian investment in strategic nuclear weapons systems, including their hypersonic missiles
How about the US?
I just read yesterday that hypersonic missiles would be tested on a (worthless) US Navy Zumwalt destroyer. . .in December 2025.. .maybe
Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 16 2023 14:42 utc | 239
It’s not your old earth-bound Mussolini anymore.
Today a Russian Foreign Ministry high official says the US “is weaponizing space & blurring the boundaries between military and civilian infrastructure in orbit.”
Fascism’s autocratic Business / Government singularity is riding very high these days.
Posted by: Elmagnostic | Feb 16 2023 14:45 utc | 240
reply to 228
I agree. I liked Trump initially until he reneged on his promises to get away from pointless wars. He left behind huge social damage by teaching the nation that a much higher degree of open lying was acceptable – and free from most consequences. The Democrats didn’t care as manifest by electing Biden ! – more of the same. It should not be surprising to witness people being elected who are pathological liars – because it’s tolerated. What used to be a funny sketch on Saturday Night Live isn’t so humorous when it emerges as reality.
As for suicide, Canada and Vermont seem to be pushing for more assisted death. This meme is scary not the least of which because it encourages nuclear war.
Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 16 2023 15:05 utc | 241
@ Eighthman | Feb 16 2023 15:05 utc | 236
I liked Trump initially until he reneged on his promises to get away from pointless wars.
Trump successfully ended the PTT which was to be the stepping-stone for more military involvement in Asia and also did the paperwork for ending the Afghanistan train-wreck. Trump and North Korea in Singapore also came up with a plan to end the seventy year war with North Korea but it never went beyond the agreement stage, and we (or I) don’t know how that was done. But it is understandable since the North Korea has been the chief basis for a US presence in Asia.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 16 2023 15:20 utc | 242
juliania @ 142
Finally, some fresh air around here!!! Blessings to you too!!
Posted by: oetams | Feb 16 2023 15:25 utc | 243
Good thing we have flags about to keep us straight.
Naval Intelligence admiral: ‘naïve’ American public has a ‘China blindness’ problem
WEST 2023 — Following a week where most of the country’s attention was transfixed on a high-altitude balloon deployed by the Chinese government, a top Navy intelligence officer said it is “unsettling” how blind most Americans have become to the threat China poses.
“I’ll be very honest with you. It’s very unsettling to see how much the US is not connecting the dots on our number one challenge,” Rear Adm. Mike Studeman, the commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence, told attendees here at the West 2023 conference in San Diego. . .here
Why pass up a great opportunity for more war?
Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 16 2023 15:27 utc | 244
Posted by: bevin | Feb 16 2023 14:20 utc | 232
I think that the structural problem in NATO is that it is easier to pad costs for “artisanal production”, i.e. very short series that in mass production. Coupled with regulatory capture (a.k.a. corruption), mass production orders are neglected in budgets. And starting a mass production line is economically tricky if it is only a year or two, so requiring a complex deal to amortize the initial cost.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 16 2023 15:28 utc | 245
I agree. I liked Trump initially until he reneged on his promises to get away from pointless wars.
Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 16 2023 15:05 utc | 236
Hard to tell to what degree Trump was stupid, and to what degree he just did not care, he projected what his base wanted, but with much less conviction than he showed: consummate salesman.
If he were serious and wise, he would NEVER recruit people like Bolton or Esper, Republicans have their “paleo-cons”, “realists” and libertarians who would support him.
But the cherry on the cake was that while Trump initially said that we will pull out troops from Iraq, when Iraqi parliament actually requested it, Trump threatened Iraq with freezing all their bank reserves in US banks, ca. 35 billion USD if I recall.
Trump belongs either to retirement or going back to selling overpriced condos and country club memberships. He can do both well.
But in topsy-turvy world, UFOs and all such, Trump may be least evil if we choose among Biden/Kamala, DeSantis and Trump.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 16 2023 15:39 utc | 246
Success!
NATO summit defense spending pledges may exceed 2% target, Austin says
WASHINGTON ― NATO countries will agree to a new pledge this summer to increase defense spending above their previous target, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
While negotiations over the exact language continue, Austin said the pledge would emerge from a meeting of NATO members at their summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius in July. NATO members, he said, are “upgrading our defense plans, putting more forces at higher levels of readiness.” . . .here
Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 16 2023 15:43 utc | 247
I beg indulgence for grammar etc., I need two-three passes to write properly.
Interestingly, Republicans retained some vestiges of intellectual diversity, while I have hard time thinking about a “non-mainstream” Democrat, Gabbard is out, hitherto left wing seems fully digested into uniformity… Is it just me not following the news?
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 16 2023 15:44 utc | 248
I followed Trump’s financial career for decades, anyone that did knew he was a fraud before he got into politics. He was however a golden opportunity to give the establishment a big middle finger. So many of us enjoyed it when he won much to the establishment’s surprise.
Posted by: SwissArmyMan | Feb 16 2023 15:57 utc | 249
reply to 241
Even after Trump lied, I still thought he could stop pointless wars. I assumed, from history, that some public display of idealism is always needed to cover over mass bloodshed. “the war to end all wars”, “the war to make the world safe for democracy” and so on.
I foolishly figured that Trump would ruin war efforts by wrecking any credibility the US had in promoting war. I was wrong. The same goes for the pursuit of fanatical slaughter in Ukraine as led by a former clown.
Folks, there’s no bottom here. Anything goes. You could elect a elderly lying man with clear mental problems, who fondles females inappropriately and care so little about it, that you simply elect another to take his place.
Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 16 2023 16:00 utc | 250
Ah well, vi or emacs anyone?
Posted by: West of England Andy | Feb 15 2023 20:16 utc | 84
If I had a vote, I would vote GVIM/VIM. vi for windows open source. You get all the functionality of vi + cut and paste and context, language(based on file suffix), and word highlighting and then some. Look it up, it even keeps Unix formatting (eol and such) as well when FTPed.
Posted by: Sakineh Bagoom | Feb 16 2023 16:05 utc | 251
Just a final note.
Used the Snorelab app to track my snoring. I slept for 3 hours from about 4:15 to 7:15, woke up with a threatening ankle cramp, got out of bed in time to check it.
Checked the Snorelab app, it shows I did “quiet” snoring (level 3) for a few percentage points of those three hours.
So I doubt I have sleep apnea. I’ll test it every time I try to sleep for a while, but I’m pretty sure that’s not my issue.
Since this has been all off-topic, I’ll stop any further comments on my health.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 16 2023 16:36 utc | 252
But in topsy-turvy world, UFOs and all such, Trump may be least evil if we choose among Biden/Kamala, DeSantis and Trump.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 16 2023 15:39 utc | 241
I cannot say so, Piotr Berman – but thank you if you are posting here in a language other than your native tongue – and many thanks to all who do so.
To my mind, assenting to the assassination of Iran’s chief military strategist, along with the head of Iraq’s military was an even greater crime than the pipeline blowup.
Pipes can be rebuilt; when leaders go, they are gone to us, and it is courageous leaders that the world needs mostof all. We make attempts to carry on their legacy, and I don’t doubt that is motivating those countries today. So, not all is lost. But the process then is a delayed one – those who commit such crimes are merely kicking the can down the road not caring for the legacy they are handing to their own children.
Posted by: juliania | Feb 16 2023 16:46 utc | 253
What is the business of Victoria Nuland on her recent visits to Sri Lanka ?
Subterfuge and chicanery, conspiring against a sovereign state (as per in Ukraine ), or other ?
.
open-not-ukraine-thread
Posted by: Fíréan | Feb 16 2023 17:12 utc | 254
pretzelattack | Feb 15 2023 15:43 utc | 2
Thanks a lot for the link! Wouldn’t have thought it possible at all, for her to let go of power so prematurely. But since that’s what she’s doing, something must be really, really wrong over in blessed Scotland. That something won’t be the ridiculous amount of 600,000 Pounds in missing money. No way. It will have to be on a much larger scale. Scottish excess deaths maybe, anyone?
—
bevin | Feb 16 2023 14:20 utc | 237
Also many thanks for the link! “… one has to reconsider who is the David and who, the Goliath…” Excellent question indeed.
Posted by: Scotch Bingeington | Feb 16 2023 17:15 utc | 255
Posted by: oetams | Feb 16 2023 15:25 utc | 238
Thank you, oetams!
Like the seasons, the world has come full circle since I was born. There will be better times than these ahead. As Martin said, I may not get there with you, but I will disagree with him just a little and say – it is not a dream; it is prophecy. Make it so!
Posted by: juliania | Feb 16 2023 17:20 utc | 256
Snake @ 153
Good job. Instead of being merely another chattering squirrel you have cut to the quick. Kudos.
Posted by: aristodemos | Feb 16 2023 17:40 utc | 257
It keeps coming back to me that the reason humanity was subjected to inflated and drawn out Balloonacy was to cover for the initial days of the chemical spill in Ohio that media coverage was suppressed for almost 10 days over.
We live in a very Wag The Dog manipulated world by the MSM and governments under the God Of Mammon cult….and they try to call it civilization instead of the barbarism it really is.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Feb 16 2023 17:44 utc | 258
Read it here:
https://richardstevenhack.substack.com/p/a-quick-comment-on-the-sy-hersh-nordstream
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack
Well Said, Sir.
Posted by: Cond Zero | Feb 16 2023 17:45 utc | 259
I find it quite interesting that ZH has a SPONSORED short piece up with the title
BREAKING – Former CIA Advisor: Biden bombed Nord Stream?
The guy doing this supposedly is Jim Rickards listed as a former CIA & Pentagon Advisor
Thoughts fellow barflys???
Posted by: psychohistorian | Feb 16 2023 18:07 utc | 260
Thoughts fellow barflys???
Posted by: psychohistorian
Rickards is a fairly well known and respected Financial guy from what I know
and ZH carries his observations from time to time. He also is on Twitter.
If he says something, I’m sure it’s not shooting from the hip.
Posted by: Cond Zero | Feb 16 2023 18:12 utc | 261
Piotr Berman @246
Trump never had actual agency and he knew it. The Zapruder film is shown to all prospective presidential candidates. In the first instance, he never favored the V.P. candidate, whom he was saddled with. Later on, after the $enile One took over (hypothetically anyway) Pence effectually stabbed the Orange One in the back.
As for the likes of warmongering Bolton, it’s obvious that he was imposed upon Trump and likewise, even more so in the instance of the recent CIA director who was slotted into a most critical cabinet post. The agency for that Level of empowerment was the Agency itself.
Similar to each and every “president” since the Agency took down JFK, not one of them…with a very slight exception of Carter…has actually possessed agency. The Oval Orfice is simply the resident of a designated face-man.
Posted by: aristodemos | Feb 16 2023 18:39 utc | 262
Psychohistorian @259
Evidently you possess the talent of seeing through the veil. All too many, including some posters here, do not evidence that capacity,.
Posted by: aristodemos | Feb 16 2023 18:43 utc | 263
Richard Steven Hack | Feb 16 2023 12:08 utc | 226
I might be being Captain Obvious, but you do always wear compression stockings? And taking a diuretic?
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 16 2023 19:17 utc | 264
Posted by: aristodemos | Feb 16 2023 18:39 utc | 263
JFK was killed for daring to apply the nuclear non-proliferation standards used for other countries to Israel.
So the hysteria over Iranian and North Korean nuclear proliferation is insane. Even crazier is the hysteria over Iranian nuclear proliferation (no threat because Iran can’t strike Europe, the US or Japan, only Israel) even more than over North Korean nuclear proliferation.
It is interesting that American Zionists tell me that the US has no leverage over Israel, despite the fact that Bush Sr. could have brought the Israeli opposition party to power and stopped its apparent policy of undermining US efforts at “peace talks” by simply threatening to temporarily withdraw the loans.
What is most interesting is to see how Zionists time and again fall under the ADL’s criteria of persistent anti-Semitism, such as comparing mild criticism of Israel and its mythology to the Holocaust/Nazi, which is anti-Semitic under the “equating vaccine passports with the Holocaust is anti-Semitic” criterion.
Posted by: Colin | Feb 16 2023 19:44 utc | 265
Hobby Club’s Missing Balloon Feared Shot Down By USAF
LMFAO
Posted by: Colin | Feb 16 2023 19:50 utc | 266
The descriptions of all three unidentified objects shot down Feb. 10-12 match the shapes, altitudes and payloads of the small pico balloons, which can usually be purchased for $12-180 each, depending on the type.
$12 vs $630k+
Even more ridiculous than b’s initial speculation
https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/the-630k-missiles-the-us-uses-to-shoot-down-ufos-and-balloons-20230214-p5ckk0
Posted by: Colin | Feb 16 2023 19:56 utc | 267
Richard Steven Hack@numerous
After six years behind the walls, my health was ruined.
Came out at 255.
Grew to 285.
Diet was important.
Hydration was important.
But, the best thing that I did for myself was buy a pair of
e-trikes, and motivate all over the fucking place.
I went from 285 to 165, in about nine months.
I feel great.
To hell with gyms, and indoor bullshit.
Get outside.
Get some sun on your face, and some fresh air in your lungs.
People marvel when I tell them how old I am.
Sixty five, if you’re wondering.
I haven’t used my truck in over two years.
E-trike, snowmobile, and, when necessary, public transportation.
Think about it, buddy.
And, like you say, Sy Hersh is the real deal.
It’s called reporting, not being an influencer.
Good luck.
Get well soon.
Posted by: $outhpaw | Feb 16 2023 22:37 utc | 268
More good news for America’s heartland heroes: another chemical spill! In Tucson Arizona. Only a semi, only nitric acid, a few hours later and the school buses are running. No problem.
Posted by: Rjb1.5 | Feb 16 2023 23:11 utc | 269
@Vikichka | Feb 16 2023 7:57 utc | 203
You do know that James the head of the church in Jerusalem was the head of the Society of the Poor (of Spirit) and their primary document was the “Community Rule”?
Have you ever read the book of Acts? Specifically Act 2 and Acts 4?
The so called “Jesus” (not actually an Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Greek or Latin name, but the acronym of a rabbinical curse) supposedly said that Christians should forsake all that they own (Luke 14:33), and preach the gospel full time (Matthew 28:19–20), not work for money or the food that perishes (Matthew 6:24, John 6:27), and to do so with other believers, as he himself did (Matthew 18:20, John 17:21).
Acts claims that the early church DID live like this. Acts 4:34 “Neither did any man lack, for as many were possessors of lands or houses, sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, laid them at the apostles feet, and distribution was made accordingly.” Acts 2:44–45 “And all that believed were together and had ALL things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need”.
You might look into the vast number of historians who have confirmed the fact That early christers were communist, e.g.
Bang, Gustav. Crises in European History (PDF).
Boer, Roland (2009). “Conclusion: What If? Calvin and the Spirit of Revolution. Bible”. Political Grace. The Revolutionary Theology of John Calvin. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-664-23393-8.
Campbell, Heather M., ed. (2009). The Britannica Guide to Political Science and Social Movements That Changed the Modern World. The Rosen Publishing Group. pp. 127–129. ISBN 978-1-61530-062-4.
Ehrhardt, Arnold (1969). “St Peter and the Twelve”. The Acts of the Apostles. Manchester: University of Manchester Press. ISBN 978-0719003820.
Ellicott, Charles John; Plumptre, Edward Hayes (1910). “III. The Church in Jerusalem. I. Christian Communism”. The Acts of the Apostles. London: Cassell.
Guthrie, Donald (1992) [1975]. “3. Early Problems. 15. Early Christian Communism”. The Apostles. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-310-25421-8.
Halteman Finger, Reta (2007). “Reactions to Style and Redaction Criticism”. Of Widows and Meals. Communal Meals in the Book of Acts. Cambridge, UK: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-8028-3053-1.
Johnson, Daniel (1 December 2013).
“Winstanley’s Ecology: The English Diggers Today”. Monthly Review. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
Lansford, Tom (2007). “History of Communism”. Communism. Political Systems of the World. Marshall Cavendish. pp. 24–25. ISBN 9780761426288. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
“Rénan’s Les Apôtres. Community life”. The London Quarterly and Holborn Review, Volume 26. London. 1866 [April and July]. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
Montero, Roman A. (2017). All Things in Common The Economic Practices of the Early Christians. Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 9781532607912. OCLC 994706026.
Renan, Ernest (1869). “VIII. First Persecution. Death of Stephen. Destruction of the First Church of Jerusalem”. Origins of Christianity. Vol. II. The Apostles. New York: Carleton. p. 152.
Stearns, Peter; Fairchilds, Cissie; Lindenmeyr, Adele; Maynes, Mary Jo; Porter, Roy; Radcliff, Pamela; Ruggiero, Guido, eds. (2001). Encyclopedia of European Social History: From 1350 to 2000. Vol. 3. Charles Scribner’s Sons. p. 290. ISBN 0-684-80577-4.
Unterbrink, Daniel T. (2004). “The Dead Sea Scrolls”. Judas the Galilean. ISBN 0-595-77000-2. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
von Mises, Ludwig (1981) [1951]. “Christianity and Socialism”. Socialism. New Heaven: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780913966624. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
.[ex Bibliography:Christian Communism:Wikipedia]
Are they all wrong?
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 16 2023 23:21 utc | 270
Russophobic propagandists are launching ‘online referenda’ to promote the balkanization of Russia.
https://inews.co.uk/news/world/siberia-free-russian-regions-vote-independence-referendums-2154005
FYI, the founders of Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum wouldn’t even live in Russia. Not sure if Stanislav Pavlovsky-Suslov is even a real person.
Posted by: Chocolatine | Feb 16 2023 23:23 utc | 271
Piotr Berman | Feb 16 2023 15:44 utc | 248
It’s not just you. There is no left in the USA.
Political Terminology – The 9 minute FAQ to knowing everything necessary to understand American politics
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 16 2023 23:34 utc | 272
From TASS, comments from a Russian official who I’m speculating might have missed out on a fine career at the country’s Foreign Ministry.
Russia should declare some countries hostile, instead of unfriendly, official says
MOSCOW, February 16. /TASS/. It is time to declare some countries that engage in particularly blatant Russophobic policies towards Russia as hostile ones instead of merely unfriendly states, says Sergey Ivanov, Special Presidential Representative on Environment Protection, Ecology and Transport.
“In my opinion, it is time to declare some countries downright hostile instead of unfriendly. For example, the Baltics, Poland and the UK. They engage in even more flagrantly hostile policies towards us than a number of other EU states,” he noted.
Ivanov pointed out that the Baltic states have “always been someone else’s satellites.” According to the official, they make their “extremist statements,” being egged on by the EU and Washington.
“These statements of the Baltic states are like a mongrel barking, because they can do nothing on their own. European states and the US push them to make such extremist statements, because they do not want to make them themselves, instead ordering the Baltics: ‘Bark at Russia louder.’ So they bark,” the official said.
In his opinion, there is no point in paying attention to these countries.
“Of course, I would have brought our economic relations down to zero – trade, transportation – and simply ignored them. There is no point in paying attention every time some Balt sneezes,” Ivanov added.
Posted by: David Levin | Feb 17 2023 1:41 utc | 273
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 16 2023 10:31 utc | 218
For those the technique won’t work for or who wake up in middle of night and can’t get back to sleep, I’ve found that sleeping for less than 6hrs a night allows me to not only fall asleep quickly but have a “full” night’s sleep. But side effect is struggling not to nod off during extremely boring work meetings.
—-
The other day while talking about the OH distaster, I was saying to my wife what a shithole country US is becoming. Then today I see this video of a train going over warped train tracks. Supposedly in Ohio? That analogy (thesaker) of the US being an airplane in flight falling apart with no air crew and about to crash, is apt.
https://twitter.com/Kanthan2030/status/1626186916235481094
Unbelievable how the OH disaster is being handled. Tragedy! Too obvious the balloon BS is a distraction psyop. Heart goes out to all the affected people. Hard to imagine having to evacuate permanently now that the area has been saturated with chemicals. Just like that, and obviously the feds don’t give a damn.
Posted by: nathan in WA US | Feb 17 2023 3:15 utc | 274
Dr John Campbell is on the roll regarding the vaccines. Easy to find him on YouTube and WORTH to check out.
Posted by: Peter Schmidt | Feb 17 2023 3:42 utc | 275
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 16 2023 23:21 utc | 271
I laughed when I read Hegel’s claim that Christianity, captured by the Roman Empire, represented liberation.
Christianity had benefits when it was still opposed to the Roman Empire, just like the Social Democrats and Communists before they were captured by the bourgeoisie of each country.
Few people know that the Islamist revival was due to the Soviet Union weakening its commitment in Middle East and the secular nationalists of Egypt surrendering to Israel. In the 1960s, Khomeini was still a constitutional monarchist. He invented the Islamist political system in the 1970s.
In Iranian revolution, he was considered Iran’s Gandhi and Martin Luther King, and could be used to counter the “overly radical socialists”.
Posted by: Colin | Feb 17 2023 4:06 utc | 276
Unbelievable how the OH disaster is being handled.
Posted by: nathan in WA US | Feb 17 2023 3:15 utc | 275
Unbelievable that East Palestine can be treated like Palestine. Still an open question if there will be a refugee camp for East Palestinians.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 17 2023 6:53 utc | 277
Hermit: “The so called “Jesus” (not actually an Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Greek or Latin name, but …”
Isn’t Jesus a Latinized version of Joshua, like the guy who demolished innocent Jericho and then masked his deed so well that archeologists cannot corroborate it?
Ruins of Jericho were found with datable signs of destruction, but the dates do not agree at all. Although discrepancies are minor, few hundred years. More problematic are finds like that
“A team of archeologists have discovered a roughly 9,000-year-old ritual complex in a Neolithic campsite in Jordan’s eastern desert.”
This is few thousands years before the beginning of the world.
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/neolithic-shrine-found-jordan-desert-1234619935/
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 17 2023 7:04 utc | 278
@Piotr Berman | Feb 17 2023 7:04 utc | 279
Nope. As I explain in my On ‘Jesus’ and the so-called ‘New Testament’,
Jesus as a name
We know that “Jesus”, the name, was not a Hebrew or Aramaic name, although “Yeshua”, with a terminal ayin, transliterated to “Joshua” was. However, “Yeshua“ as “Jesus” has no early attestation. Instead we have “ישו” (“Yeshu”), which, as the Toldoth Yeshu explains, is the acronym for, “(ימח שמו וזכרו(נו (Y’mach Sh’mo V’Zichro(no)),” meaning, “May his name and memory be obliterated.” A number of classical writers, including e.g. Titus Flavius Clemens (aka Clement of Alexandria) and Cyril of Jerusalem appear to have been aware of this as they appear to claim, without providing support, that the Greek form of “Jesus” was an original name rather than a transliteration of a Hebrew or Aramaic name. Early Jewish sources, for example, the Babylonian Talmud, says, “It is taught that Rabbi Eliezer said to the Wise, “Did not Ben Stada [Hermit aka the so-called “Yeshu”] bring spells from Egypt in a cut in his flesh?” They said to him, “He was a fool, and they do not bring evidence from a fool.” Ben Stada is Ben Pantera. Rabbi Hisda said, “The husband was Stada, the lover was Pantera.” The husband was “actually” Pappos ben Judah, the mother was Stada [Hermit because she was convicted of adultery or sotah]. The mother was Miriam “Mary” the dresser of women’s hair. As we say in Pumbeditha 74, “She has been false to “satath da” her husband.” (b. Shabbat 104b) and the Jerusalem Talmud, Tosefta and Qohelet Rabbah explicitly assert that “Yeshu” was the “son of Pantera”. Both the Aramaic and Hebrew versions of the Toledot Yeshu refer to the so-called “Yeshu” as “Pantera” and “Pandera”. If this is the case, we almost certainly have found the headstone from his father “Tiberius Iulius Abdes Pantera”, born in 22 BCE and killed in 40CE in Germany (matching perfectly, Simon son of Joseph below). In any case, had his parents whoever they were, known he would be turned into a messiah, he would doubtless have been called “Immanuel” (“עִמָּנוּאֵל” meaning, “god with us”), as required by the supposed Hebrew prophecy in Isaiah 7, recycled by the christers to refer to their “Jesus”, with this critical omission, because he would not have been recognised as the same person had they changed his name.
It should be noted that the above nomenclature was also used by Celsus in his c. 170-180 CE The True Word, as cited by Origen of Alexandria in his 248 CE Contra Celsum, reflecting that its use predates much of the so called “New Testament”.
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 17 2023 10:41 utc | 279
@Colin | Feb 17 2023 4:06 utc | 277
Those making such claims should read some actual history by historians and archeologists. Robert Eisenman and Richard Carrier come to mind (I reference both in my brief reality acknowledging introduction On ‘Jesus’ and the so-called ‘New Testament’). An academic book which deals explicitly with the immense destruction caused by christers* is Nixey Catherine (2018). The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World. Mariner Books.
*Christer: Anyone vesting belief in any aspect of the so called “biblical Jesus” (not a Hebrew or Aramaic name, but a transliteration of the acronym Yeshu, or י = Yimaḥ ש =Shĕmo ו = Wezikhro from “(ימח שמו וזכרו(נו” or “Y’mach Sh’mo V’Zichro(no)”, meaning, ‘May his name and memory be obliterated’) or in the beliefs of Saulus/Paul’s “Chrestus”. The character of Jesus is probably based on Simon of Peraea, son of Joseph and natural son of Pantera (or Pandera), a slave killed by the Romans after leading a rebellion, and that of “Christ” on Chrestus, a mid first century Egyptian magician executed by the Romans both possibly confused with and syncretically linked with other earlier narratives.
The term “christer” originated because the christers hate each other too much to agree about what makes a person a “christian.” For example, “Brother Victor” on Disqus said of Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu (aka Mother Teresa), “She is a Roman Catholic, which is a Christian cult, not real Christianity.” So there is a new neutral term on the block which is defined to be all inclusive. “Christer” is not an insult, it is a description.
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 17 2023 11:08 utc | 280
@Colin | Feb 17 2023 4:06 utc | 277
Dont omit the men behind the curtain!
Like many other revolutions the Iranian one in 1979 was a subversion organised by the anglosaxon empire. Khomeini was under the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood who have been dependent and subordinate to said empire from its creation.
Posted by: petergrfstrm | Feb 17 2023 13:55 utc | 281
China,
the most assaulted and most maligned country in human history.
Lies most foul..
TAM
TIBET
XINJIANG
HK
FLG
TW
SCS
ECS
DEBT TRAP
NEW COLONISER IN AFRICA
CHINESE HACKERS
CHINESE VIRUS
NO 1 THREAT TO GARDEN OF EDEN
Exhibit A
Uighurs genocide,
UIghurs rape camps.
The bullshit factory
https://tinyurl.com/3pphscyj
https://johnmenadue.com/exposed-the-western-atrocity-fabrication-industry-demonising-enemies/
Posted by: denk | Feb 17 2023 14:15 utc | 282
ZH running a hilarious piece “Illinois Hobby Club believes Pentagon shot down their $12 Pico Balloon with $400,000 Sidewinder Missile”
Posted by: SwissArmyMan | Feb 17 2023 14:38 utc | 283
Posted by: denk | Feb 17 2023 14:15 utc | 282
——————
Yeah ,Those sob.
The same perp who set up Chinese Indon for slaughter in Indon, 1965..
That’s right , the CIA/MI6/ASIO devilish triad.
That serpent head in the garden
Marshall coup master Green..
“We have bonanza chance to nail chicoms on disastrous events in Indonesia,
Posted by: denk | Feb 17 2023 15:49 utc | 284
Unbelievable that East Palestine can be treated like Palestine. Still an open question if there will be a refugee camp for East Palestinians.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 17 2023 6:53 utc | 278
Piotr, I hear there is extra land for lease in Jordan, next to the current refugee camps since Nakba. They offer olive trees (olive groves) to the ones that may have a bank account/life savings.
Posted by: Sakineh Bagoom | Feb 17 2023 16:06 utc | 285
I’m linking here to a good piece of commentary that has a couple of good video links to music as well – I think you get an idea of how disasters relate to politics in a small country:
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2302/S00032/on-disaster-politics.htm
Posted by: juliania | Feb 17 2023 16:53 utc | 286
72 mass shootings in 46 days in the United States: What are the social and political causes?
Posted by: james | Feb 17 2023 17:02 utc | 287
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 17 2023 11:08 utc | 281
This will be my last comment to you, Hermit. I’m not sure why anyone who is not Christian posts on the subject, or writes books about it. It’s not even the blind man and the elephant situation- no part of the great beast is visible – or I should say ‘feelable’- in such attempts.
I cannot speak for all Christian churches, but an ancient Orthodox Christian practice (which my little church followed,) has been to accept ALL who have been baptized as Christians, no matter what denomination, into their membership, recognizing that ceremonial acceptance of Christ as being a universal sacrament. I myself was baptized at two weeks old by my father’s army chaplain- and I really have no idea to which denomination of Christianity he belonged.
Posted by: juliania | Feb 17 2023 17:13 utc | 288
@ juliania | Feb 17 2023 16:53 utc | 287
people making music off a tragedy or suffering is a good way to go… thanks for pointing out the musical part to your link juliania.. here is one more past tense…
Randy Newman “Louisiana 1927”
Posted by: james | Feb 17 2023 17:17 utc | 289
@ Juliania & all related to music, discovery and the wonders of being human (I am posting without reading the entire conversation or thread)
Alleged to have been said by Einstein, two versions:
“It occurred to me by intuition, and music was the driving force behind that intuition. My discovery was the result of musical perception.”
“[The theory of relativity] occurred to me by intuition, and music is the driving force behind this intuition. My parents had me study the violin from the time I was six. My new discovery is the result of musical perception.”
Posted by: suzan | Feb 17 2023 17:31 utc | 290
@ Richard Stephen Hack
OT
I had a passing thought re the heath problem.
PV=nRT.
While you are not some perfect closed system, it may apply.
So. What about experimenting with raising T while you sleep? Put on some loose-fitting woolen blended socks when you sleep and put an extra cover over your ankle/lower leg/foot area. An old down vest or sleeping bag with 600 count down would heat it up immediately and insulate well. Couldn’t hurt to experiment with temperature. (I personally can’t abide ankle strangling socks.)
Also have more than one area/position for working. I switch between conventional western sitting and cushion sitting eastern style. The latter is more comfortable for me but it is good to switch it up.
Posted by: suzan | Feb 17 2023 17:45 utc | 291
Posted by: james | Feb 17 2023 17:02 utc | 288
Thanks for this sobering article, james. I can remember that after the Vietnam war we had our first experiences of this phenomenon. It was called then ‘going postal’, as many recent war veterans were hired by the US Postal Office. Those statistics in the article you post are worse than then; this era is worse even than then. But it exemplifies the same terrible disease, our national tragedy gone postal.
This country has been at serious war all of this century. It is now our only ongoing national occupation. Doesn’t matter that our own bodies aren’t actually in the line of fire. Our government has turned against the majority of us in so many ways, deliberately hyping up our fears and paranoias. The military is all, even though there is no reason except greed for it to be so. It’s not even ptsd, as it was called then. There’s nothing ‘post’ about it. It doesn’t have to be. Just as body bags told us then what was happening to this country, now the madness begins again for all the world, even our closest neighbors, to see.
Posted by: juliania | Feb 17 2023 18:00 utc | 292
@juliania | Feb 17 2023 17:13 utc | 289
Sad. I rather enjoy most of your posts, but your choice.
I am interested in the harm that religion causes to society and its followers, as well as history, philosophy and motivated distortions of history. So I write about these things among many others.
You may notice that every post of mine related to religion is in response to one made by a religiot. My opinion is that when religiots introduce their beliefs on a discussion board, I see it as being an invitation to examine, discuss and possibly laugh at their beliefs. Do you disagree? After all, if they didn’t seek this, they need not discuss their beliefs in public.
I salute your open-mindedness, but your assertion does raise a question. Vast numbers of children are “baptized” or “christened” shortly after it becomes apparent that they are likely to survive. Despite such early attempts to induce psychosis, many reject religion later, when they can think for themselves. Would you still regard them as christers even when they reject this? How about the Mormon practice of baptizing the dead? Would you consider those who cannot object to their baptism by proxy to be Christians too?
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 17 2023 18:18 utc | 293
Posted by: juliania | Feb 17 2023 17:13 utc | 289
“This will be my last comment to you”
Talking about religion is the surest way to get people to stop talking to each other.
Posted by: juliania | Feb 17 2023 17:13 utc | 289
“I cannot speak for all Christian churches, but an ancient Orthodox Christian practice (which my little church followed,) has been to accept ALL who have been baptized as Christians, no matter what denomination, into their membership, recognizing that ceremonial acceptance of Christ as being a universal sacrament.”
I would think that true Christians would accept ALL regardless of whether they have been baptized or not. Being born into this world is a universal sacrament in itself, is it not?
Posted by: nathan in WA US | Feb 17 2023 18:22 utc | 294
That is so beautiful, james, thank you! I remember your concert piece – so dramatic and beautiful as well. It is the test of a government, even more so than times of stability and cohesion when it seems to be humming along the tracks.
And right now, with or without such a natural disaster cause, stressed out people in the US are feeling it:
“They’re tryin’ to wash us away, they’re tryin’ to wash us away…”
Posted by: juliania | Feb 17 2023 18:23 utc | 295
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 17 2023 18:18 utc | 294
How about the millions of people born before Christ was? Since Christ wasn’t around to save them, did they all automatically go to Hell? I couldn’t find the quote, but I think Mark Twain said it.
Posted by: nathan in WA US | Feb 17 2023 18:31 utc | 296
I think sometimes is it best to just take a walk around the block.
It makes me sad when two I think I respect, stop communicating.
That is what I said to my wife one time and thank goodness she listened because I love her way more than St. Valentine.
Posted by: Buffalo_Ken | Feb 17 2023 18:42 utc | 297
@nathan in WA US | Feb 17 2023 18:31 utc | 297
As you know, I don’t think that there is anything after death, but if you examine Revelations 14:9-12 you probably don’t want to be with “Jesus” , “the Lamb of God”.
“If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”
Apparently Jesus is the torturer in chief and the smell of burning sulfur has nothing to recommend it.
Posted by: Hermit | Feb 17 2023 19:02 utc | 298
dh | Feb 16 2023 14:32 utc | 238
“The Highland regiments were outstanding at Waterloo too. I suppose if you’re going to have a war you need people like that. Not sure what makes them that way.”
They have balls. Really, the Black Watch had an officer with a little mirror fixed on the end of a stick, walking along a row of troops to look up Highlanders kilts, to see if they were wearing anything. Which they should not have been (I believe that under certain circumstances, “Trews” were allowed, but I don’t know when).
However this came about because the “traditional” or “typical” equipment of the Highlanders going into battle against the English (or almost anyone, they were good mercenaries) was; To strip naked, cover themselves with a thick coating of grease (against the cold and useful to stop anyone trying to catch them as too slippery), then with a dirk (knife) between the lips, a spiked “Targe” which had another knife fixed on the back, and yet another knife in the left hand. The right hand held a sword (claymore). A band round the lower part of the leg would have had another dirk thrust under it. They are supposed to also have a technique of raising the balls into the scrotum – but this could simply have been because of the cold.
They also had a selection of pikes, axes, and other culinary equipment to choose from. “Bloody savages” as the English called them.
*
PS. I do not know if Madame Nicloa Sturgeons rapid departure from the Scottish Parliament is because she came face to face with the vulgar reality hidden under the kilt, or because she was under a lot of confusion about “transgender” men in womens prisons.
Posted by: Stonebird | Feb 17 2023 19:10 utc | 300
That is a tremendous recollection of Scottish will I reckon.
As an Irishman, I took pleasure in reading it…
and really – what is the difference twixt and Irishman and a Scottish highlander?
Not much.
Savage warriors make for good company.
Posted by: Buffalo_Ken | Feb 17 2023 19:14 utc | 300