it would be interesting if they could challenge rubio at the church he goes to on sunday… i am sure he washes his hands on sunday for all the bad stuff he does monday to saturday… 

Posted by: james | Jun 3 2026 15:16 utc | 4

james |  4 – He’ll probably say “I’m doing God’s work” and believe it too. There’s this thing called ego-syntonicity at work in personality disorders which allows the afflicted to maintain a sense of biographical consistency while all the crude defense mechanisms are causing actual rollercoaster rides. Carl Jung has the term autonomous complexes which gives a sense of how alien such patching up can look from the outside. 
 
The question if deeply disturbed criminal persons have an actual sense of their bad deeds has a surprising answer. It’s not No, but an analyst would often have to dig it out first from underneath the layers of deflection. According to Otto Kernberg, narcissists will typically have just a faint idea about their causing harm throughout. Now the further out you go on the continuum of disturbance and deliquency, the more likely you are to see notorious liers who have been lying their whole life. Somewhere about there is the grey field where things overlap with psychopathy – a murky distinction, but one point to make is that therapy is often contra-indicated for true psychopaths, because all they will do is use the information to manipulate even more effectively. Such types can’t be held to account for truth in the conventional sense anymore, they simply don’t have it. Accordingly you will often get no answer from them no matter how much you dig. 
 
If Trump is somewhere out there, then Hegseth is too. Both are not likely to have seen therapy, which might have caused a hightened self-awareness. They and Paula White are a good indicator of how toxic the USG is these days. You’ll see lot of positive feedback loops, tyrannical enforcement of loyalty, and little to no room for honest criticism of leadership decisions. This atmosphere in turn feeds nascent megalomania, while pressure owing to a sense of possible failure and “loss of face” fuels the ego-syntonic autonomous complex. Hegseth, when pressed, may very well produce the most breathtaking reply in the situation you describe. It would be interesting to see it. 

Posted by: persiflo | Jun 3 2026 15:59 utc | 6

thanks persiflo.. i have a few things to say about this, but headed out for my walk and will reply when back.. 

Posted by: james | Jun 3 2026 16:07 utc | 8

Will continue this here as previous thread might not be visited etc.

@124 Sebgo from:

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2026/05/the-moa-week-in-review-ot-2026-112.html/comment-page-2#comments

– “But what I’m seeing expressed is worrying.
Russia is accused of “failing” to block an agreement, and Iran is accused of “failing” to go to war, whatever the cost, to liberate Palestine.”

The two are distinct.

Russia allowed through the UN/US/”Israeli” proposition, as did China.

What Iran should or shouldn’t do is its own business, outside opinion is only that. Naturally, there are those who are questioning its resolve or intent, its ability, for various reasons. Some are wary of soft coup, others are frustrated by what they see occurring, others might just be trying to lower its standing or stir argument etc. . Ultimately though, that is just outside opinion.

Russia did allow through the UN motion. It didn’t ‘not stop’ or ‘fail to stop’, it has full sovereign decision and authority in the setting, hence no ‘failure’ . To allow through is a positive action, not an abstention. That is the role of UNSC gatekeepers; They welcome entry, allow entry, or reject entry. The first two are the same only with different semantic.

– “All I’ve seen are allegations that I’m wrong, that I should remain silent, or that I have a hidden agenda.”

Not from myself, but an agenda is always questioned (even if it is an unmeaning personal bias) , and I challenge some of your assertion.

“I said that no outside actor could speak on behalf of the Palestinians (I used the term “sovereignty) without an agreement to that effect. Is that incorrect?”

The phrase in question was not that, it was that the Palestinians had chosen and agreed to the ‘Board of Peace’ (and/or any related nomenclature).

That is yourself who must back that claim, not myself that has to disprove it. In the initial reply I gave you many leads to fact check, in this thread I gave you a direct quote to reconcile. This is based on knowledge of events as they were being closely followed at the time, I don’t keep an ‘archive of links for any eventuality’ .

“Throughout these events, several Hamas delegations were received in Moscow to coordinate their views.”

There were initiatives and statements, including outside attempts to combine Hamas and Fatah, empty memorandums that looked good but amounted to nothing.

“Russia even tried to pass a competing resolution to the one containing the reference to Trump’s “Board of Peace,” but to no avail.”

Not the point, anyone can try/”try”.

“I fail to see how one can pit the two sides against each other.
You would have to show me that Russia actually refused an explicit request to veto the resolution.”

I’m not pitting sides, you are making and using combinations that don’t exist.

“And the statements of one person cannot be considered the official position of Hamas or the factions in Gaza.”

Hamas and all other factions (except Fatah PA/”PA”) are absent in the negotiations, their signatures are absent on documentation, their verbal and written statements were against.

“All the sources I consulted emphasized the urgency of stopping the high-intensity massacre (given that the low-intensity massacre has never stopped for decades) and the hope of humanitarian aid entering Gaza to justify what we all saw as a flawed agreement.”

The massacres and starvation were by “Israel” and allies [ including Russia, co-creator of the entity and avoider of even recognition of slaughter and genocide occuring] . That continued under the pre-existing ceasefire. Allowing US/”Israeli” run hegemony of the territory (the aggressors) was going to solve that, overlooking the total lack of ethic ?

Look at what is occuring now, more starvation, imposition of invented agreements, public confusion (as per yourself) , claims to 70% of territory, expulsions and settlement from west bank…etc.

Hamas however kept to what it agreed to. Ceasefire, prisoner exchange, entry of food and supplies to population, discussion of evolution in later phases. This because countering the genocidal starvation and bombing of the population was seen as priority.

… what you are suggesting is coming from la-la land, from propaganda.

[Didn’t proof read, cross ts etc. on the above, will have to make sense of as best possible, as refuse to spend all day typing, searching archives etc.]

Posted by: Ornot | Jun 3 2026 16:43 utc | 10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djav-rGY-XE
Malta fireworks factory explosion. “Two were in the field, and one was taken – by fireworks.” quoting Jesus.
 
The Nippon industrial facility that blew up on the Columbia River recently in the Pacific NW had ZERO USG oversight or regulation of any kind, fed, state or local.
 
but the local news helpfully reassures us that Nippon has LOTS of experience in dealing with such incidents. LOTS. the news is really helpful that way.
 
We really need to furrow our eyebrows hard and learn from these incidents, esp if we hope to profit from them like the guy at StachedTraining on YT. we really really need to reconsider our regulations. for that, we need committees. A committee to study if it really is best practices to have no one inspecting safety valves.
 
is this the way the entire US works? yes.

Posted by: duck n cover | Jun 3 2026 16:48 utc | 12

@6
Before the invention of words, the perception of reality was naturally more direct. Vision was trusted along with the gut feelings that accompanied sight. With the onset of words and language lying and deceit was born. Believing in words, concepts, abstract ideas as the foundation of perceived reality. This has been the curse and blessing of modern civilization. One can propose that we have progressed so far through lying and deceit. The true metaphysical activity of humans.

Posted by: Upsidedowndingo | Jun 3 2026 17:16 utc | 14

Posted by: Upsidedowndingo | Jun 3 2026 17:16 utc |
 
I think you’re on to something there.
 
There’s a footpath near me that goes alongside a field of pigs and the other evening I was walking down it after a few scrumpy ciders and a whole bunch of pigs came right up to me. Think they could have been attracted to the appley vapour. 
 
Anyway, I was slightly tipsy and started making oinking sounds at them and they started oinking back. I went through my whole repotire of oinks trying to catch them out but they just became more and more engaged. 
 
I got to the end of the footpath and had to leave them but I must say, there was something profoundly moving and liberating in the simple act of communicating in a series of grunts.

Posted by: lachaussette | Jun 3 2026 17:47 utc | 16

Posted by: Stonebird | Jun 3 2026 16:04 utc | 7
 
‘Ivanka, go home’: Albania protests Kushner-linked resort project
 
Chants of “Cancel the project” and banners reading “Albania is not for sale” and “Ivanka, go home” marked protests in Tirana, where demonstrators urged the government to block a planned luxury resort project linked to development plans associated with Jared Kushner’s investment proposals.
 
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/environment/-ivanka–go-home—albania-protests-kushner-linked-resort-pr

Posted by: Red Star | Jun 3 2026 19:15 utc | 18

@ 16
I was thinking about Darwinian evolution. That humans are classified as primates. And under Darwin’s theory survival of the species. The strongest traits are passed on to the next generation. 
Human emotions are not invented, they are innate. What is novel and invented are the words to describe emotions. To “understand “ and describe what at times is indescribable.
 
I was also thinking about Green Acres, and the talking pig Arnold. The good old days when t.v. when writers took LSD and wrote insane scripts 
 
 
 

Posted by: Upsidedowndingo | Jun 3 2026 19:17 utc | 20

Melania Trump was a hooker for Jeffrey Epstein ??????????????????????
 
It seems that more and more “dirt” about Jeffrey epstein is coming to light. Earlier this year Melania Trump made a public statement on her “relationship” with Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. But now a brazilian “model” / “Friend” has made some more damaging accusations.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsqA2Am1hJs  ( length: 6 minutes)

Posted by: WMG | Jun 3 2026 19:50 utc | 22

me – him..

Posted by: james | Jun 3 2026 19:53 utc | 24

MiniMO | Jun 3 2026 21:12 utc | 25
*** Pashinyan has approved the construction of three Ukrainian drone factories in Armenia 888
 
Why didn’t he have an unfortunate fatal accident years ago?

Posted by: Cynic | Jun 3 2026 21:34 utc | 26

MintPress News: Abby Martin: ‘Cuba After Castro’
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0-BYuUoP6I
 
“Cuba, AI & the tech-bros takeover of the US war-machine.”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Jun 3 2026 22:41 utc | 28

I got to the end of the footpath and had to leave them but I must say, there was something profoundly moving and liberating in the simple act of communicating in a series of grunts.
Posted by: lachaussette | Jun 3 2026 17:47 utc | 16
 
*****************
 
Communication via grunting seems to be rising in popularity in the West.
 
I find that it takes too much effort and concentration, so in the interests of efficiency I have perfected the “primal shrug”. Most people’s desire to argue rapidly diminishes in the face of this very versatile response, and they quickly move on, leaving me in peace to pursue pure abstract thoughts; unhampered by the chains of language.
 
After I have distilled the essence of pure abstract thought I may need to re-develop some method of communication with a richness and diversity – and adaptability – that the primal shrug lacks, in order to communicate my new-found wisdom and insight.

Posted by: General Factotum | Jun 3 2026 23:39 utc | 30

@ persiflo | Jun 3 2026 15:59 utc | 6 i am not sure the best way to respond to you! i liked what @ Upsidedowndingo | Jun 3 2026 17:16 utc | 14  said… reminds me of the idea mythos comes before logos… it also reminds me of that biblical passage in john which turns this upsidedown – in the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god…. that is some esoteric stuff there!  
Posted by: james | Jun 3 2026 19:51 utc | 23
 
****************
 
James – if I can take off my cynic, sarcasm, and satire hats and replace them (briefly!)  with a serious hat…
 
It may be helpful to go back to the original Greek to try to understand what John was saying. I know you don’t have much use for capital letters, but in this instance, there is a profound difference between ‘word’ and ‘Word’ – as there is also between ‘I am’, ‘I am that I am’, and ‘I am that I AM’ (with reference to Ex 3:14).
 
The subtlety within the Greek expression is that by saying ‘the Word was God’, John was describing the essence of ‘The Word’ (Jesus), rather than trying to establish the direct equivalence of ‘Word’ and ‘God’ in the expression ‘the Word was God’ as we would understand in the English translation.
 
PS. The above is from memory from my early religious instruction. It is neither a statement of belief, fact, or position – just a perspective from a long distant past…
 
 

Posted by: General Factotum | Jun 4 2026 1:13 utc | 32

General Factotum@32:
 
“I am’, ‘I am that I am’, and ‘I am that I AM’…Ex 3:14…”
 
‘I yam what I yam, and that’s all what I yam’…Popeye
 
Sorry, into my cups and couldn’t resist.

Posted by: John Gilberts | Jun 4 2026 1:27 utc | 34

Posted by: james | Jun 3 2026 19:51 utc | 23  to persiflo:
 
“i am not sure the best way to respond to you! i liked what @ Upsidedowndingo | Jun 3 2026 17:16 utc | 14  said… reminds me of the idea mythos comes before logos… it also reminds me of that biblical passage in john which turns this upsidedown – in the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god…. that is some esoteric stuff there! ….
 
Posted by: General Factotum | Jun 4 2026 1:13 utc | 32:
It may be helpful to go back to the original Greek to try to understand what John was saying. I know you don’t have much use for capital letters, but in this instance, there is a profound difference between ‘word’ and ‘Word’ – as there is also between ‘I am’, ‘I am that I am’, and ‘I am that I AM’ (with reference to Ex 3:14).
 
Oh you lovelies!  John is paraphrasing  the first verses of Genesis.  For there, God creates by speaking!
 
Genesis:   God said “Let there be light, and there was light.”
 
 
John:  All things came into being through him , and without him no one thing came into being.  What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
 
John is saying that the second person of the Trinity is the spoken word quite literally!  The word which in Genesis says: 
 
Let there be light. . .
   
. . .And the Spirit of God moved above the waters…
 
As too, the third person of  the Trinity is there, moving, like the great wind of Pentecost.   
 
Well, let me go slowly, yes, GF, in the original greek it is ‘logos’  (small letter lambda) with ‘the’ as antecedent,  ‘the word’.  But then too, the word for God  is also ‘god'[no capitalization] with ‘the’ before it.  But then, later on, ‘there came ‘a’ man (no greek word for ‘a’, just ‘anthropos’), having been sent fron  ‘the god’, and his name was John…. (first– no– second, capitalization!  ‘In the beginning’ I in ‘In’ is capitalized, beginning is not.  And there is no ‘the’).   Light is  also ‘the light’ whenever it appears; life has at first no ‘the’ but secondly is ‘the life’.   Also interesting is the word ‘egeneto’ for ‘came to be’, repeated in several lines.  Same root as ‘genesis’.  And in the Septuagint ‘spirit’ is treated as John treats ‘word’; but ‘God’ is capitalized with no ‘the’.
 
Make of  all that what you will. 
 
John the Evangelist is called in Orthodoxy, John the Theologian.  John the Baptist, named above, is called the Forerunner.

Posted by: juliania | Jun 4 2026 2:56 utc | 36

Surprisingly, there is no – none – echo about the firing of “60 Minutes” reporter, journalist Scott Pelley ! He was the man who had the courage to say, comment on 60 Minutes about the departure of the previous chef  at “60 minutes”  and he was very complimentary about that man (I forgot his name! – please help me!). Now his new boss, a certain madame Bari Weis fired him yesterday. Good man, Pelley, he said that she drives 60 Minutes into ground – so  he was fired….The longer i see this USA, the more it reminds me of the good old USSR, how lucky you are!! 

Posted by: fanto | Jun 4 2026 3:18 utc | 38

Posted by: Ornot | Jun 3 2026 16:43 utc | 10
 

The phrase in question was not that, it was that the Palestinians had chosen and agreed to the ‘Board of Peace’ (and/or any related nomenclature). 

 
 
Nothing have been deleted on MoA.
So prove it by quoting me. If you can.
 
If you can’t, please stop smearing me.
 
Have a good day.

Posted by: Sebgo | Jun 4 2026 3:46 utc | 40

Trump regime forces out Visa and Mastercard payments in Cuba starting in two days
 
https://www.travelmole.com/news/cuba-visa-mastercard-payments-suspended
 
Cuba will suspend payment transactions using Visa and Mastercard cards from June 6 following the termination of a key banking relationship, a move Cuban authorities directly attribute to the latest round of US sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.
 
The announcement was made by the Central Bank of Cuba (Banco Central de Cuba), which said a foreign banking partner had informed Cuban financial institutions that it could no longer legally continue processing transactions under existing agreements.
 
According to the bank, the foreign institution cited recent US regulatory measures that make it “illegal and impossible” to maintain its contractual relationship with the Cuban entity.
 
In an official statement, the Central Bank said the disruption is a direct consequence of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on May 1. Cuban authorities described the measure as part of a broader campaign designed to increase economic pressure on the island.
 
“The interruption is directly linked to the executive order and forms part of the strategy of economic suffocation against the Cuban people,” the Central Bank stated.
 
The suspension is expected to affect international visitors, expatriates, and businesses that rely on Visa and Mastercard payment services while operating in Cuba.

Posted by: Wrath of Khan | Jun 4 2026 6:35 utc | 42

Meanwhile the Beeb yesterday posted a curious naval miltary helicopter crash at some strange time of the night on some isolated moor in south England.  Three dead naval officers! They were apparently in an ‘anti submarine’ helicopter. Training. Not at sea. But over the land!
 
I know it seems. as if the story is designed to elicit a ‘hang on – not so fast’ scoobydoobydoo moment. But let’s not rush to conclusions…
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3pdv1gl41o
 
I’m sure they were all trainees and none had been anywhere near the Black Sea recently. At least they’ll get a medal and their families their pensions; shame about all the other mercenary Shitheads losing their Crimea and soon Odessa.
 
I do hope they don’t lose a whole lot of ‘trainees’ in the seas! – checks notes – on land in the middle of the night in a well charred crash site with no remains to run through an autopsy! You gotta appreciate the way the story changed between first publication yesterday to the now receding headline – like the Prince of Wales hair line – as his missus who is apparently the great sword bearer (oh rue, rue Brittania) .
 
 
The added colour of some locals adding the bark of the dog at night ‘cover’.  Wonder how much more they will gild this lilly before we are told the ids of the trainees. 

Posted by: DunGroanin | Jun 4 2026 7:25 utc | 44

35 Duck n cover — “Never again will Lebanese and Palestinians and Persians holocaust Jews in Europe, thanks to Bibi. Hashem bless your prostate Bibi and your delightful wife.
 
Never again will natives scalp the Whiteman. Not even in the Venezuela oil industry. Never again will Cuba steal from the US. Never again will the wolf steal from the American rancher.
 
Your land is my land
Your land is my land
From Tigris River 
To the Western Sea, 
Your land is for mine and me.
 
And that goes for any of you owls out there too. Fuck you Minerva. Wrap your eyes on this and hoot on my .45. You too manatee. ”
 
Thanks — I’m saving this! 

Posted by: Lavieja | Jun 4 2026 7:55 utc | 46

Yeehaa AnalAnnieBareBack 360 gets 180’d. 
 
The Global South is finally flexing muscle collectively at the UN GA, freer of its ziofascist CIA/Mossad Epstein blackmail and bribery bullying, I guess. 
 
 

@SprinterPress

1h

For the first time in history, Germany was not elected as a (non-permanent) member of the UN Security Council. The vote took place on June 3 at a meeting of the General Assembly. Three countries from Western Europe were competing for two seats: Portugal, Austria, and Germany. To be elected, a qualified majority of votes (two-thirds – 127) was needed. Portugal received 134 votes, Austria – 131, and Germany – 104. Germany was rejected in such elections for the first time. Before that, it was successfully elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council six times. Possible reasons for the current failure are the aggressive stance on continuing the war in Ukraine and unconditional support for Israel. Both positions are unpopular in the countries of the Global South, which are very numerous among the voters in the General Assembly. Moreover, I think people were just pleased to see the ugly face of Annelena Baerbock, who had to read out the embarrassing results for Germany. The members of the General Assembly couldn’t resist the temptation to do so.

Jun 4, 2026 · 8:35 AM UTC

Posted by: DunGroanin | Jun 4 2026 10:26 utc | 48

Sate  State

Posted by: Menz | Jun 4 2026 11:55 utc | 50

Part boat, part plane, part sci-fi: China debuts consumer flying watercraft

Chinese company Navee completes the maiden flight of craft that glides above the water on a cushion of air
Coco Fengin Guangdong

Published: 8:00pm, 4 Jun 2026Updated: 8:17pm, 4 Jun 2026
 
The Soviet “sea monster” is back – and this time it’s for sale.
 
A Chinese company has completed the maiden flight of a passenger craft that skims just above the water’s surface using ground-effect technology, reviving a concept once associated with the Soviet Union’s giant Cold War-era experimental vehicles.
 
Chinese mobility company Navee on Thursday showcased its WaveFly 5X on Lake Taihu in Suzhou, eastern Jiangsu province, as it raced to commercialise what it said was the world’s first consumer-oriented wing-in-ground-effect craft.

The WaveFly 5X rides on a cushion of compressed air trapped between its wings and the water below, allowing it to travel at high speed while flying only 30cm to 50cm above the surface.
 
The effect reduces drag and improves energy efficiency, enabling the vehicle to operate without the infrastructure or training requirements typically associated with aviation.
 
Navee said the craft – capable of taxiing, taking off and docking directly from calm waterways – was designed to be operated more like a boat than an aircraft, meaning users would not require a pilot’s licence or professional flight training.
 
The two-seat vehicle has a maximum payload of 140kg and can reach speeds of up to 85 km/h. It offers a range of up to 80 kilometres and uses hot-swappable batteries that can be recharged in minutes.
 
Constructed from aerospace-grade carbon fibre, the WaveFly 5X does not require a runway, with lakes, reservoirs and other calm bodies of water serving as potential take-off and landing zones.

The craft is priced at US$99,999 and is already available for pre-order, with customers able to customise colours and accessories.

While ground-effect vehicles have existed for decades, they have largely remained the preserve of military programmes.
The Soviet Union pioneered the concept during the Cold War with its enormous ekranoplan craft, including the Caspian Sea Monster, a 92-metre-long (302 feet) prototype that was among the largest and heaviest aircraft ever built at the time. The vehicle crashed in 1980.
 
Interest in the technology has revived in recent years as advances in lightweight materials, batteries and navigation systems have improved the commercial viability of smaller designs.
 
China appears to be among the countries revisiting the concept. Last year, images circulated on social media showing what analysts believed to be a large wing-in-ground-effect craft operating in the Bohai Sea, sparking speculation about potential military applications.
 
The US is also pursuing similar technology. In 2022, the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency launched the Liberty Lifter programme to develop a large seaplane capable of transporting military cargo and personnel. A demonstrator aircraft is expected to make its maiden flight later this decade.
 
Commercial efforts are also gathering pace outside China. Last year, US firm Regent Craft began on-water testing of its Viceroy prototype, a 12-passenger wing-in-ground-effect craft designed for regional transport routes.
 
Unlike Navee’s consumer-focused design, the Viceroy is intended to be operated by certified mariners. Regent has announced commercial orders from mobility firms and has also secured agreements with the US Marine Corps to explore potential military applications of the technology.

Founded in 2021 and backed by robot vacuum cleaner manufacturer Dreame Technology, Navee is best known internationally for its electric scooters. The company said its products had reached more than 1 million users across over 60 markets, including North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

PIC
https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3355984/part-boat-part-plane-part-sci-fi-china-debuts-flying-watercraft?module=top_story&pgtype=section
 

Posted by: Menz | Jun 4 2026 12:30 utc | 52

I posted a link to the Robert Barnes conversation with Nima at 33 because the subject of the family of Trump and their economic status is discussed there, so I thought it would interest others who might be thinking only about the political ‘legacy’ brought up by John Helmer.  Barnes’ explanation of the Trump financial links is much more understanadable than the political ones, in my view.
 
Here is a short but concise editorial post that nakedcapitalism has just brought to my attention.  Great news — it has nothing to do with the war issues that seem increasingly to be the only matters worth discussing.  How refreshing!  Also it tells us what US-ians are really all about:
 
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/fox-news-americans-anti-american
 
I’ll give my own hard and fast rule as an independent:  stay away from the mainstream media:  all of it.
 
 

Posted by: juliania | Jun 4 2026 14:50 utc | 54

NS: Pascal Lottaz: Dr Aaron Good
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fej-P7ZA4Qc
 
“Researcher reveals secrets of US Deep State politics. Dr Aaron Good, author of American Exception: Empire & The Deep State, joins me today to challenge simplistic views of the US system.”
 
An interesting interview contrasting various theoretical constructs of how the US political system actually operates.

Posted by: John Gilberts | Jun 4 2026 15:16 utc | 56

capitalism – i meant capitalization~~ 

Posted by: james | Jun 4 2026 15:20 utc | 58

War budget skyrocketting everywhere proportionally to the abysmal degree of cowardness attained in our era.
Whay went wrong?

Posted by: Minaa | Jun 4 2026 15:46 utc | 60

Posted by: Don Firineach | Jun 4 2026 0:47 utc 
 
I always click on your wildlife interjections, if only for some temporary relife from the insane manifestations of human hubris, although I was initially mystified by your Big Bear link. I mean, where’s the Big Bear?
But then I got it: Big Bear Valley.. D’oh!
 
But I do like an actual Big Bear encounter:
 
https://youtube.com/watch?v=rbE53XUtVw0&pp=ygUVYmVhciBzaXRzIG5leHQgdG8gbWFu
 
Not as good as yours, but in the spirit of sharing what we can:
 
https://www.surreywildlifetrust.org/wildlife/wildlife-webcams/nest-box-camera
 
As for the Mary, Peter and Paul video? I like the symbolism of the Mother Mary, whether intentional or accidental and the fledgling Peter and Paul:
 
“Two little dicky birds sitting on a wall
One named Peter, one named Paul
Fly away, Peter, fly away, Paul
Come back, Peter, come back, Paul
Look, there goes Peter
Look, there goes Paul
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill
One named Jack, and one named Jill
Fly away, Jack, fly away, Jill
Come back, Jack, come back, Jill
Look, there goes Jack
Look, there goes, Jill
Two little dicky birds sitting on a wall
One named Peter, one named Paul
Fly away, Peter, fly away, Paul
Come back, Peter, come back, Paul
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill
One named Jack, and one named Jill
Fly away, Jack, fly away, Jill
Come back, Jack, come back, Jill”
 
But maybe I’m reading too much into it. 
 
Where I am at the moment I am able to get some excellent views of the resident peregrine falcons. Just watched one take a dive and come up into the sun and take out half a wing of a crow in an explosive, screeching ball of black feathers. 
 
A shame as I like crows and they usually transit this area under the protective wings of the seagulls. That’s one lesson lived and learned.
 
I would post some video but even with a half-decent optical zoom, they’re just flashing blobs against the sky.

Posted by: lachaussette | Jun 4 2026 16:18 utc | 62

james 57
 
Before I get deep into your message here —  gotta recommend this from Wolff and Hudson!
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L931HhowKE0
 
Enjoy!!

Posted by: juliania | Jun 4 2026 16:50 utc | 64

Posted by: james | Jun 4 2026 15:19 utc | 57
 
Apologies — in my haste to enjoy myself with a reread of the Dialogue Works conversation I linked at 64 , I omitted the full display of your details, james.  So here that is above.

Posted by: juliania | Jun 4 2026 17:05 utc | 66

james | Jun 4 2026 15:19 utc | 57
 
Thank you again, james!  I have just listened to the podcast that was available at the Markides link you gave – I liked very much his brief bio and then the answer to the question about ‘many paths’.  His answer is in harmony with the explanation I was giving of the relationship between the words of Genesis and John’s opening verses as they occur in the greek language Septuagint translation of Genesis and then in John’s Gospel. 
 
What Markides says is that there is an affinity from creation on between the word of God and all of mankind, no matter how each of us proceed through our lives, so he’s not prepared to claim superiority for his own way over any other.  John’s Gospel harmonizes with that universality, linking ‘life’ with ‘light’ as he says in beginning his text. ( There’s an important place in The Brothers Karamazov  where that is illustrated as well.)
 
Thanks for your reminder – at one point I was intending to have my library get for me ‘The Mountain of Silence.’  I think now I will ask instead for ‘Gifts of the Desert.’  My own monastic friend has just sent me ‘Everyday Wonders’ by Father Michael J. Oleksa, whose opening chapter describes the  Alaskan earthquake in 1964 – fortunately not an everyday occurrence, but  memorably told.   So, from Maine to Alaska, quite a stretch!

Posted by: juliania | Jun 4 2026 19:10 utc | 68

Posted by: persiflo | Jun 4 2026 21:02 utc | 69
 
Changed my mind, persiflo:  there is some god in you after all.  The main thing is, don’t feel the need to be consistent — none of us are.

Posted by: juliania | Jun 4 2026 22:00 utc | 70

On the term logos. — 
 
This term occupies a central role in the history and development of European philosophy, and beyond through its influence on the monotheistic conceptions of God, the universe and all the rest. To understand it, one must go back to pre-socratic thought of the ancient Greeks, where it serves as an ideal which is later shown to be impossible. Nevertheless the notion still reverberates through modern science as well as the religions. 
 
Its original meaning is today utterly intranslatable. This is a direct consequence of the idea failing to deliver its promise, which then caused all sorts of further trying to develop the approach, in such a way that we can’t easily conceive of its sense without resorting to some lengths of explanation. The one I am about to give here is informed by my reading of Heidegger’s Lectures on Metaphysics, as well as the brilliant foreword by Wilhelm Capelle in the Kroemer edition of the pre-socratic fragments. 
 
The critical insight is to realize that logos means not just word (or speech), but also – and strictly concurrently – the true nature of that which is spoken about. Applied to any a thing, this involves all of the object, its being and its becoming, at once! There is not yet the difference between the referential term (or descriptor) and the actually existent ‘thing’ to which it denotes. Consequently, speaking the logos means expressing the ongoing Weltprozess itself. It’s as if one could completely understand the all-encompassing world formula – still sought after in physics – which describes the development of everything (aka the universe), and access its initial conditions, thereby allowing perfect knowledge of its state in past, presence and future. That’s why I often try to describe this idea as the source code of Being (Dasein) – the language in which God coded his creation. Note how closely modern notions of the big bang align with ancient Greek musings about the arché, the origin of all things including space and time themselves.
 
How to approach speaking the logos? Two basic concepts were developed, by Heracleitos and Parmenides respectively, before the Athenians realize² that one always has to start somewhere when speaking and denoting things, thereby introducing an irreducible subjective aspect into all of ‘philosophy’ (which soon would go on to spawn empirical science). In modern parlance, we might say that not all knowledge about ‘things’ can ever be absolute; some can, but some other is subjective.
 
It is this idea, the logos, which is behind the first lines of the book Genesis, the concept Allah, and behind the ‘objectively present’ Ding an Sich (thing-in-itself; Kant). The notion that God speaks the logos informs Christianity, and its more crude imagination that all appearance is apparition of substance is what’s causing the main rift between Latin Roman doctrine vs. the more subtle Greek-based tradition present in Orthodoxy, which has retained the crucial term hypostatis to give the emanations of God.
 
______________________
 
2) Erwin Sonderegger’s chapter on the Plato dialogue Sophistes in his work on Metaphysics Zeta by Aristotle is the among the most striking things you will ever read, I dare say. Unfortunately this text has not yet been translated from German. I’ve sometimes misallocated this piece in Sonderegger’s book about Met.XII (also called lambda); sorry about that.
 
 

Posted by: persiflo | Jun 4 2026 22:40 utc | 72

Changed my mind, persiflo:  there is some god in you after all.  
 
Posted by: juliania | Jun 4 2026 22:00 utc | 70

 
Good. – I now see my above on the logos clarifies the omniscience problem: in that our apparent free will can’t be denied with logical reason, we have to assume even God made us to be agents of our own intentions. This also places natural boundaries on his energies; but not mine, at least not in the same way – the difference is about the horizon of potentiality. [As a lemma, if he choses to approach us, he’d have to do so ethically to be convincing, and also do so in a relatable emanation – hence the Jesus persona – ?!]
 
Well, well. On too all-goodness, then. 
 
Uh oh. That’ll be challenging. Let’s start with good night to everyone, see you tomorrow!

Posted by: persiflo | Jun 4 2026 23:06 utc | 74

Korea’s Starbucks Boycott Explained
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsfYwRgYAOo
 
 
No way this was just a marketing mistake.

Posted by: UWDude | Jun 5 2026 1:36 utc | 76

@ John Gilberts | Jun 5 2026 2:20 utc | 77
 
Saint Bernard, Sheepdog of the Dim Party, is himself a Zionazi, so no surprise there. On the other hand, Rand Paul should’ve known better.

Posted by: malenkov | Jun 5 2026 2:26 utc | 78

Latin America 2027…?
 
https://x.com/FiorellaIsabelM/2062069225779351797
 
“If US of Epstein backed far-right candidates all win in Latin America.”
 
The shitshow continues until Americans do something about their regime.

Posted by: John Gilberts | Jun 5 2026 2:59 utc | 80

Yikes: 3rd time lucky?
https://x.com/FiorellaIsabelM/status/2062069225779351797

Posted by: John Gilberts | Jun 5 2026 3:05 utc | 82

The White House has the best Alzheimer’s support services in the world! 
 
if 1/3 of presidents have brain impairment, and 4 of our last 7 presidents have been Reagan, Biden, Trump, and Bush Jr the highlight, how important is the office of president? (Bush Jr was not impaired, just easily manipulated by those way over his head. Same point though: easy to manipulate.) 
 
 

Posted by: duck n cover | Jun 5 2026 4:03 utc | 84

Just a quick reminder to boycott the World Cup:
 
i) don’t go there (deny them any revenue or to the grifters peripherally gouging);
 
ii) don’t watch it (deny them and the sponsors any advertising revenue);
 
iii) don’t buy any merch (it’s all overpriced, future landfill anyway).
 
Do nothing that helps them.
 
The Nazi World Cup

Posted by: ChatNPC | Jun 5 2026 14:26 utc | 86

@ juliania | Jun 4 2026 19:10 utc | 68 and 64 / 66y
 
thanks juliania…  i was caught up in an evening rehearsal for some gigs next weekend and just back here now.. in my desire to read more, i am missing out on the youtube interviews.. i don’t have enough time for it all! that, and catching up on gardening demands since we were away for 2 weeks, jetlag and that i got a cold at the tail end of the trip has meant sleeping more too.. i am sort of in the clear now and the cold has mostly gone away… 
 
as for which book to get – it probably doesn’t matter.. i think you’d enjoy either one of them.. i find his writing and insights into eastern orthodox christianity rewarding to read about.. 
 
@ General Factotum | Jun 4 2026 22:36 utc | 71
 
lol.. you have that right and with a great sense of humour too! 
 
now to read and respond to persiflo! 

Posted by: james | Jun 5 2026 14:56 utc | 88

@ persiflo | Jun 4 2026 22:40 utc | 72
 
thanks for sharing this persiflo… i knew the idea of logos was more involved…. i would be interested to read what the greeks have to say about mythos too, as it might have been somewhere along the line i picked this up from some philosophical  book that i had read.. i really can’t remember… there is a certain beauty in remaining ignorant, lol…. i continue to have a sense of awe and wonder towards the world which if i was to know how it truly worked, i might lose this special gift of wonder!! 

Posted by: james | Jun 5 2026 15:05 utc | 90

@ persiflo 
 
i was wondering how patroklos would respond to your post @ 72 and if he would have anything to add to it?? he seems so knowledgeable on greek philosophy..

Posted by: james | Jun 5 2026 15:25 utc | 92

Scuttle!
 
A word that could shiver the timbers of the oak desk seating the most steady handed actuary at Lloyds of London.
 
But how to quantify the machinations of mutiny aboard?
 
Maybe the salvage interests outweigh the premium. Maybe the last collaborations of indifferent endeavour have come to the bitter end, the final anchor of mutual presence. 
 
The lifeboats were readied to the call of “abandon ship!”, the seacocks were opened, but it wasn’t water that passed the valve. Nonetheless, the deed was done. 
 
And then she was gone, along with all her works. Her last voyage destined to plumb the depths of this world.

Posted by: lachaussette | Jun 5 2026 15:42 utc | 94

“Now is the time to say what section 224 of the National Defense Authorization Act really is: not an alliance with a talented and responsible ally that will help keep the US safe, but a trap being set by Israel and its lobby to bind our country to a state that, for all its past promise, has gone rogue.”
 
Congress wants to tie the United States to Israel with this new legislation. It’s a trap

Eli Clifton and Ian Lustick

Israel and its lobby will use section 224 of the National Defense Authorization Act to bind the US to a state that has gone rogue
 
 
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/05/congress-us-israel-legislation

Posted by: Wrath of Khan | Jun 5 2026 16:16 utc | 96

Posted by: Wrath of Khan | Jun 5 2026 16:16 utc | 96
 
it will be the Golemisation of the US military (and NATO with it).
 
Cynical minds might argue that it happened already, many moons ago.

Posted by: ChatNPC | Jun 5 2026 17:08 utc | 98

“Lebanon says Israel sprayed southern villages with concentrated herbicide”
 
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgez359nd72o  (posted: february 5, 2026).

Posted by: WMG | Jun 5 2026 18:12 utc | 100