Burevestnik: The Anatoly Lanin book, review and comments.
 
“Nuclear Rocket Engine Reactor” by Anatoly Lanin, published by Springer, and available for free download at Anna’s Archive, is a valuable contribution and useful reference source to aerospace and materials engineering. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the thermal and mechanical boundaries of nuclear thermal propulsion systems, along with detailed design considerations.
 
Lanin provides first-hand knowledge based on his research and development experience, as well as his interaction with his colleagues, on dense constructional and porous insulation materials up to extremes of 3100 K. He also provides unique insights into the operational capacity of an active Nuclear Rocket Engine Reactor (NRER) where the active zone generates up to 30 MW/l in a hydrogen medium.
 
Lanin is very highly regarded within academic and research circles, and is widely recommended as a foundational resource for high-radiation and extreme-temperature structural material design. Lanin is an ‘old-school’ physicist who recognises the importance of theory and equations, but builds his design principles in empirical simulation experiments and real prototype reactor test data. His book bridges the gap between material micro-structures and macro-level macro-engineering, making it an indispensable reference.
 
An active Nuclear Rocket Engine Reactor (NRER) core zone generating up to 30 MW/L in a hydrogen medium represents one of the most extreme energy-density environments ever engineered. The unit MW/L stands for Megawatts per Litre, and measure volumetric power density, which is the amount of thermal energy generated per unit volume of the active reactor core.
 
For perspective, 1 MW/L is equivalent to 1,000 single bar electric radiator heaters, all snugly contained in a standard 1-litre milk carton. Commercial nuclear power plants, such as PWR, typically operate at about 0.1 MW/L. Anatoly Lanin’s NRER operates at 30 MW/L, or 300 times higher power density than a standard nuclear power station core. The possibilities (and problems!!) of such a system powering the Burevestnik should be starting to materialise??
 
[ASIDE: In a previous life I operated a remote power source using a 6-cylinder Volvo diesel truck engine driving a 3-phase genset to produce 100KVA. This was housed in a large cabinet 1.8 x 1.8 x 3.5 m. Now visualise a one-litre  NRER core producing the equivalent power of 300 of these gensets.]
 
Operating at this extreme power density inside a hydrogen medium requires a finely balanced, hyper-accelerated thermodynamic process. It requires ultra-fast heat transfer. Because the core volume is so small relative to the energy produced, there are challenging requirements to sweep the heat away before the core melts.
 
Hydrogen is often chosen as a heat-transfer medium, and in use in space as a thrust vector because its low molecular weight yields the highest possible specific impulse, which is a measure of the overall efficiency of a rocket engine. At 3000K hydrogen becomes highly reactive and aggressively corrodes standard reactor metals. Lanin discusses several new materials in his book. Along with thermal transfer, another factor ignored by Hecla and Kemp is that the immense power density generates severe internal thermal gradients, or massive temperature differences, on the scale of fractions of millimetres within the material. These gradients cause intense mechanical stress, requiring porous insulation layers and dense constructional carbides to prevent the fuel elements from fracturing under pressure. I found Lanin’s treatment of stress analysis, and his methods for ameliorating stress and strain, to be the most interesting part of his book.
 
While Lanin is obviously constrained in what he can disclose – this is a strategically sensitive topic – he provides a lot of insight by the way he ‘cleverly’ presents his work. A thorough reading of this book (it is only 120 pages and has lots of pictures 🙂 ) will provide an excellent platform for filtering out misinformation on NRER development.
 

Posted by: General Factotum | Aug 2 2026 14:39 utc | 3

The timeline provided in the Nury Vittachi is useful for those who have not been following recent Spanish-Moroccan relations, as it raises considerable suspicions as to what actually occured.  There are similarities to the ¨spontanious¨ popular uprisings in Iran that turned out to be well coordinated through the internet and starlink.  True, there is some incongruity in a European nation having an autonamous city, actually two, on the African continent, but Ceuta has been a Spanish cith since 1580.  The piece, however, does not go into the larger context of the dispute which goes far beyond control of a small city, which has been Spanish since 1580, and has implications that extend to Europe as a whole.   
 
It is said that one of the aims of US foreign policy is to control the ¨chokepoints¨ of international maritime commerce – i. e. the Strait of  Malacca, the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal and, of course, the Strait of Hormuz.  At least as important as any of these is the Strait ot Gibralter that controls access to the Mediterranean Sea.    Spain is to the north, and Morroco to the south of this strait.  The British overseas territory of Gibralter (actually inside the Mediterranean),  is said to control access through the Strait.  Ceuta is directly across from Gibralter on the African side.  In reality, Gibralter today is little more than a big rock honeycombed with tunnels, and a museum.  The US naval base at Rota, Spain, just around the corner on the Atlantic side, probably exercises military control of the Strait. 
 
For those implementing the US imperial policy, aka NATO, Spain has been the bad boy of Europe for several years now.  It has refused to pony up the famous five percent for more American weaponry to NATO, it supports the Palestinian people and has condemned the Gaza genocide and war against Iran, it makes nice with China, it does not allow the two US or joint US/Spanish bases in Spain to be used in that war, and most recently Mr. Trump personally received a bit of a cold shoulder after Spain´s recent World Cup win.  Morocco, on the other hand,  is practically salivating at the prospect of becoming a more powerful state, and sees hitching itself to what it sees as the world hegemon as the way to acheive that goal.   Since joining the Abraham Accords and recognizing Israel the country has seen  increased military ¨cooperation¨ with Israel.  Most importantly Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara was unilaterally declared by Mr. Trump during his first administration.  This was followed by recogniision from Israel and most EU states, even Spain, in defiance of UN resolutions.  Geopolitically, Morocco has tense relations with Algeria and other generally non-NATO alligned states.  It is worth noting that Morocco is an absolute monarchy.  It is beyond corrupt, medeival, basically a qholly owned subsidiary of the Royal family.  Aided probably by the latest Isreali spy gear, the government has a fierce control over its people.  Visitors find the place a little creepy.  The current monarch, Mohammed VI, is in poor health and does not live in the country.  His heir, Mouley Hassan III, is 23 and is reported to also spend much of his time abroad. 
 
Following Spain´s refusal to permit bases located on its terretory, or for its airspace to be used in the Iran war, there has been talk of either Spain expelling the US  bases from its territory (unlikely) or the US deciding that they would be better placed somewhere else (also unlikely).  That somewhere would be Morocco.  Of course that would be expensive and if only the Spanish goverment´s policies could be changed such expenses would not be needed.    Destabilizing the current Spanish government would be much cheaper.  The Sanchez government is not currently on the firmest of ground.  Anti-immigrant parties that are now the rage throughout Europe are getting stronger in Spain.  The mud-slinging ¨lawfare¨ scandal machine is in high gear with accusations supported by compliant judges against Sanchez´ wife, his brother, former president Zapatero (with help from certain US anonymous sources), his daughters, and a host of former PSOE big shots.  Some have merit, but most seem to be fishing expeditions with party hacks from the other side busily picking fly shit out of pepper.  Recent disasters such as the AVE train crash, the forest fires, and now the Ceuta ¨ïnvasion¨ cannot but weaken the government.  The Strait of Gibralter, not just the city o Ceuta, is in the crosshairs of  US/NATO policy.  Destabilization of the current Spanish government, to be replaced by a compliant Partido Popular, the heir of the Franco regime, seems to be a goal.  Morocco will do all it can to help.   

Posted by: c | Aug 2 2026 15:34 utc | 5

Mind control. Can it be done? Does it really work? How often is it used?
 
‘Crimes against humanity’: The CIA’s sickest secret may finally be exposed
 

To support his argument that Congress never uncovered the full scope of MKULTRA, O’Neill pointed to a cache of correspondence that, in his view, fundamentally changes our understanding of the program.
The letters were exchanged in 1953 between psychiatrist Louis Jolyon West, who “sought to control the minds of people without their knowledge, with the ultimate goal of creating programmed killers” and “Sherman Grifford” – the pseudonym used by Sidney Gottlieb, the CIA’s chief poisoner who designed and oversaw MKULTRA from its earliest days. Far from describing a failed scientific curiosity, O’Neill argued, the documents laid out an extraordinarily ambitious blueprint for manipulating the human mind.

 
 
According to these letters to Gottlieb psychiatrist West sought to control people’s minds:
 
1. without their knowledge
 
2. have the ability to make them do actions they would not normally be willing to do
 
3. have the ability to erase all recollection of having done these actions
 
4. have the ability to create fictitious recollection of actions or events which did not take place
 
It is usually claimed that MKULTRA had been entirely unsuccessful, and that the CIA found no way of controlling peoples’ minds using LSD or other drugs. Yet EVERY SINGLE ONE of the four objectives set out by West in his letter to Gottlieb (1, 2, 3 and 4) can be readily achieved through hypnosis by a skilled hypnotist – WITHOUT using any drugs at all – and every single one (1, 2, 3 and 4) used to be demonstrated every year throughout the 1970’s in a lecture at a major university by a professor of psychology, using students selected randomly from the audience as subjects. The annual lecture – on hypnosis – was an official part of the course, but was so well known in nearby faculties for the remarkable demonstrations, that hundreds of other lecturers, professors and research students from other faculties would also attend every year. The hypnotised subjects would without hesitation do embarassing things when asked to do so by the professor, and – whilst in hypnotic trance – could be instructed not to remember anything at all about the embarassing actions; they could also be instructed to “remember” things which did not in fact take place – after being taken out of the trance by the professor, they would remember or not remember exactly as they had been instructed. Note that when a hypnotist hypnotises a subject, proper termination of the trance is just as important as proper initiation into it.
 
Read the RT article linked above. (AFTER reading what I write here. And also the Intercept article therein cited: 
Inside the archive of an LSD researcher with ties to the CIA’s MKULTRA mind control project)
 
In July 1954 – a year after the above letters – a US Airforce airman Jimmy Shaver – who at that time was being treated BY LOUIS JOLYON WEST for migraines – raped and murdered a 3 year old girl. He was found at the scene of the crime in a “trance-like state”, and had no recollection of what he had done. He subsequently did not recognise his wife when she visited him in jail. Under hypnosis (a fact NOT disclosed to the court) Shaver confessed to the crime, but subsequently he again had no recollection of it. Guess who appeared in court as a witness (again without disclosure to the court of the most important facts) – Louis Jolyon West.
 
Hello!!! All these “migrants” – mostly Afghans, or Syrians, always muslims – who have committed a flood of insanely brutal and incomprehensible crimes like ploughing a car into crowds (especially at Christmas), stabbing people at random, and unusually large numbers of rapes (again mostly Afghans and Syrians) – how many of them were prior to the crime being treated for migraines by psychiatrists connected (unknown to the perpetrators of course) to 3-letter agencies? Mostly in Germany, UK, France and other EU countries. In many of the most brutal cases, news reports vaguely let slip non-specific references to the perpetrators having been “known to the security services” prior to the crime. In every case, the crime – or rather the RESPONSE to the crime subsequently enacted by the government – corresponds to the current narrative promoted by the elites, always leading to repression of rights and more authoritarian government.
 
But coming to the most important point. What is L.L. doing with D.J.T.? First time in history. (Oh, wait, what about Sleepy Joe?)

Posted by: nmp | Aug 2 2026 15:57 utc | 7

thanks b…
 
i want to echo william gruffs point about feeding the trolls.. the regulars really ought to know  better.. the newbies – maybe not so much…  last night at moa was bad… 
 
– i do find it interesting that spain was one of the few countries that said no to trumps bullshit on upping nato spending to 5% and now spain is being targeted here coincidentally… it looks suspicious to me.. 

Posted by: james | Aug 2 2026 16:00 utc | 9

this article sums it up even better  – thanks b..
 
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN CEUTA, read the timeline of events, and then decide for yourself … – Nury Vittachi

Posted by: james | Aug 2 2026 16:20 utc | 11

… an attack on Hawaii, Puerto Rico, French Guiana, the Falkland Islands, Ceuta or Melilla, among other places, would not trigger an Article 5 response.

Posted by: The Far Side | Aug 2 2026 17:10 utc | 13

an attack on Hawaii …
 
Posted by: The Far Side | Aug 2 2026 17:10 utc | 13
 
—
 
Hawaiʻi is occupied territory, and the others are disputed.
 
https://www.nationofhawaii.org/political/why-hawai%CA%BBi-is-not-a-u-s-state-under-international-law/
 

Posted by: too scents | Aug 2 2026 17:45 utc | 15

Which begs the question “which bank now”?
 

Capital One says it closed Trump Organization’s accounts after anti-money laundering probe
 
August 2, 2026 1:19 AM GMT+2
 
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 1 (Reuters) – Capital One Financial hit back on Friday against a lawsuit over its decision to close ‌the Trump Organization’s bank accounts years ago, stating that it did so after a review by anti-money laundering experts.
 
The disclosure marks the first time a bank has formally tied money laundering concerns to U.S. President Donald Trump’s family business. Capital One is seeking to dismiss ​the case by casting doubt on claims of illegally debanking — or denying services on religious or political grounds — ​the Trump Organization.
 
The Trump Organization and Capital One did not immediately respond to requests for ⁠comment.
 
Capital One has never accused the Trump Organization of illegal money laundering. But Friday’s filing argues that “documents and Plaintiffs’ own ​allegations make clear that Capital One closed Plaintiffs’ accounts for anti-money laundering (“AML”) reasons. The closures were the result of months ​of analysis and a careful review by Capital One’s AML team in accordance with bank policies and regulatory guidance.”
 
Capital One gave notice of its plans to close more than 300 Trump-affiliated bank accounts in March 2021. The Trump Organization and Eric Trump, the president’s son, filed ​a lawsuit in March 2025 in a Florida federal court, alleging the accounts were closed because of Capital One’s “woke” ​beliefs and its desire to benefit from the political mood after the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
 
continues ==> https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/capital-one-says-it-closed-trump-organizations-accounts-after-anti-money-2026-08-01/

Posted by: too scents | Aug 2 2026 18:06 utc | 17

The web site is almost all ads.  
 
Posted by: paxmark1 | Aug 2 2026 18:14 utc | 18
 
—
 
I wouldn’t know.  My add blocker works.
 

Posted by: too scents | Aug 2 2026 18:15 utc | 19

Good day barflies, wise birds and assundry others.  
I was following along with Jiang Xueqin’s most recent substack discussion which took place yesterday.
 
Jiang, after giving some commentary on the geopolitical crisis situation created by the Empire in Ceuta and (can’t remember other Spanish city’s name), showing video of the organized ~ 50,000 young man migrant incursion from Morocco, conceived of some time ago, giving doc facts of this and the Strait of Gibraltar and the Empire’s interest in controlling both the strait access point to Europe from Mediterranean and control of the EU countries & peoples by getting them to fight each other being a foremost talking point, some questions are asked and answered. Sorry for running on.
 
One question asked of Jiang is about the history of TNC, transnational capital, a topic I raised recently here and which evidently utube can’t spell or recognize. Lol.  Whilst psychohistorian approaches this topic from an institutional problem-solving pov,  here is something about the history of TNC from Jiang’s viewpoint which may be of interest to some barflies.
 
I used the auto generated English transcript, tediously deleting most  utube time stamps, making some spelling corrections, etc.  for ease of reading for barflies. Apologies for length. Skip over with pleasure if you will.  Still, faster than listening.
 
~~~
 
Excerpt from transcript:
 
Question asking about TNC .
 
Jiang: Yeah, great question. Okay. All right.
1:13:48
 
So let let me provide some history of transational capital and where it comes from.
 
So transational capital it’s a recent phenomenon. I would say only the past five hundred years.
 
It starts with the Protestant Reformation. So what’s happening is that at this time the Catholic Church is in control. It’s a very authoritarian institution and it demands the complete obedience of all Christians and its main mechanism of control is the idea of heaven and hell.
 
So if you obey the Catholic Church, you are sent to heaven and if you don’t if you disobey the Catholic Church, you’re sent to hell.
 
Basically, the Catholic Church, the main weapon they can use against people is excommunication. Okay? Just thrown [them out] abandoned by the church and
 
you’re [to] just burn in hell for all eternity.
 
So the Protestant Reformation was a response to the authoritarianism of the Catholic Church and the main doctrine established at this time was called Calvinism [and] …the idea of double predestination.
 
And his [Calvin’s] argument is screw the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church does not have the authority to send people to heaven and hell because God at the beginning of time at the start of creation has already decided who’s going to heaven and hell. Okay? It’s called double predestination.
 
Everything has been decided at the beginning of time. It’s all fate. It’s all God part of God’s plan. And so this negates the authority church because the Catholic church doesn’t have the authority now to decide who goes to heaven and hell. God has already decided.
 
But now what this does is create a central dilemma in people. Like how do you know if you’ve been picked by God or not? Well, the obvious answer is well it depends on how fortunate you have been in society, right? If you became very wealthy then it means that God favors you. So the way to resolve this fear and anxiety is you come become rich.  But once you become rich you can’t actually spend the money because otherwise you wouldn’t be virtuous, right?   God wouldn’t favor you.
 
So the idea is you have to become very rich and even richer to prove God favors you and you can’t spend the money you can only invest it. Okay.
 
And this creates the impetus for capitalism because this this is unique in human history where like now that you have money, you don’t spend it. You don’t you just go invest it. You just go put it in the bank. And this creates the modern financial system, right?
 
Because if you think about it, throughout most of of human history, if you had money, the first thing you would do is give it to your friends and family because that’s how you build status in your society, right? So when the Vikings went to raid England and Ireland, they brought back all this gold and then they they could they gave it to their friends and had all these major feasts to celebrate because all they were interested in was the status that came from wealth, not the wealth itself.
 
The communists are unique in that they were only concerned about wealth itself [eliding meanings ?] and not the status that comes from wealth because wealth was their ticket into heaven. Okay, so is that clear? All right.
 
Now what this happens is Calvinism gives birth to the Dutch Republic. The Dutch Republic becomes the wealthiest era of the world at this time because imagine a society where
everyone’s just obsessed with wealth accumulation, right? Well, it becomes very wealthy over time.
 
The problem with the Dutch Republic though is, well, they’re wealthy but the Spanish, the Hapsburg Empire can come and just steal it from them. So what they do is this.
 
They make an arrangement with England where the Dutch Republic transfers their wealth to England for safekeeping. This this is what we call the 1688 glorious revolution.
 
Okay. And as part of this agreement they store they create something called the Bank of England which is started in 1694. The Bank of England is unique because it’s the first time in human history where all the private deposits, the private capital, is guaranteed by the state by parliament. Okay?
 
So before if you were rich, you would lend money to a prince or a king to fight a war. That’s problematic because the prince could die. The prince could say, “Screw you. I’m not going to pay you back.” Or the prince could lose the war. It was very risky. But if you’re lending money to parliament to the nation state well you have nothing to worry about.   
 
This is what gives rise to the idea of transnational capital where a nation will take money from overseas and and the nation doesn’t really care where the money comes from. It came from the Vatican. It came from the Hapsburg Empire. It came from the Dutch Republic. Came from everywhere. Okay?
 
Because at this time in history, England because of its system was considered the safest place to invest.
 
And all this money would be guaranteed by the nation state by the people of this nation state. And this gives rise to the British Empire.
 
And again the idea is once once the capital comes in your country  it can it can now dictate policy because not only do you have to guarantee the transnational capital but you also have to do the bidding of of the transnational capital and what the transnational capital wants to do is expand.
 
You start wars. You go to India. You go into China. You start selling drugs. You start to steal from India and then what happened was they recognized that the best place to invest the money was actually the United States, right?
 
So all this money that they stole from India and China, they went over and invested in the United States and then and then this gave rise to the Federal Reserve which is model of the Bank of England. Okay. So that’s that’s the history of transational capital. All right. So it is that clear, Henry?
…
 
1:19:47
Jiang: No, you’re absolutely right. So you asked the question like who’s actually controlling this? And the answer is these families. Okay. These families have have been around for generations. These families coordinate through secret societies. Okay. And what what what they know is eventually you’re going to exhaust a nation state.
 
Eventually the people are going to learn to rise up and rebel against you because you’re just exhausted by empire. This is exactly what’s happening in America today. And so you need to find a new host and the new host will be Israel.
 
And so we’re we’re seeing a gradual shift of power from the United States to Israel. And the most clear evidence of this is something called the NDAA, okay? Where Congress will pass an amendment to the NDNA, which allows the Israeli and the American militaries to merge together and and this is basically a way for Senate committee over [sic] to Israel. Okay. All right.
 
~~
 
Q: Yes. I just have a similar question to Henry, but I just want to understand the current state of transnational capital. So like the people and institutions that make up transnational capital, they don’t all think alike or coordinate directly like they have obviously different leadership incentives or strategies. So how do their interests end up converging? Like is it because of the structure of the global capitalist system or is there a greater degree of conscious coordination? Like what do you think?
 
1:21:50
 
Jiang: Yeah, you’re absolutely right. Brilliant question. Okay, so the first thing to remember is transnational capital is huge. So you’re talking about basically the pension funds of Japan, Germany, the Southern Wealth Funds of the Gulf States. You’re talking about these private hedge funds.
 
You’re talking about institutional investors like BlackRock, Blackstone, State Street, Vanguard.  you’re talking about also private capital as well.
 
So, transnational capital is huge.
It’s basically capital that’s able to move from nation state to nation state.
 
But according to game theory, certain people will win out.
So, if you behave a certain way, then transnational capital, then your transaction capital programs or system will win out over other systems.
 
The main mechanism of winning is to secretly coordinate together to cheat.
 
If you’re able to secretly coordinate with other investment funds to cheat the market, basically to control the market, to control government policy, to basically co-op governments, then you’ll win out.
 
If you’re not able to do this then you’ll lose out.
 
So you’re right in that there’s competition among different aspects of transnational capital but those institutions or individuals who are able to secretly coordinate together to cheat, to collude, to conspire will always win out.
 
 
1:23:30
 
So how so the main mechanism is these secret societies that are Zionist in aspect. Okay. So you you can have these different secret societies but those that adopt Zionism as their bedrock will win out because Zionism happens to be eschatological.
 
It also happens to combine all these different religious energies, Christian, Judaism. Um but also
Zionism allows you access to the Jewish diaspora which traditionally in human history has been the most effective mechanism of transnational capital. Okay, the Jewish diaspora. All right. I’m not saying this as an anti-semitic comment.  I’m just saying traditionally the Jewish diaspora have been very good at working together to promote their financial interests. Okay.
And this is this a historical fact. This goes back to medieval Europe. All right. So is is that clear JD?
 
… so let’s be clear okay if you put religion first that’s how you make the most money. If you put money first and then second religion — a lot of people do that, you lose money. But if you put religion first then you make the most money if that makes any sense okay…and the reason why
 
The reason why, okay, is like ultimately transational capital, it’s a parasite. It doesn’t have people. It doesn’t have energy. Okay, the the energy comes from the people. So, you need to create a force that’s able to harness as much energy as possible from as many different people as possible in different nation states. And that force is religion. Okay?
 
So if you put religion as your priority, you’ll be you’ll be much more likely to make more money than if you just put money as your priority. If that makes any sense.
 
Okay. All right. So look look look historically, okay, there are three ways you can make a lot of money. War, revolution, and religion. All right…
 
~~
From Emergency Discussion #2: The Blackmailing of Spain
Aug 1, 2026
Predictive History
 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1G6WI1Q0M8
 
 

Posted by: suzan | Aug 2 2026 18:35 utc | 21

the history of TNC, transnational capital
 
Posted by: suzan | Aug 2 2026 18:35 utc | 21
 
—
 
Vijay Prashad argues that TNC fomented WWI  ==>  https://youtu.be/aqshlVg6QH0?t=49
 
Vijay is an eloquent speaker.
 

Posted by: too scents | Aug 2 2026 18:44 utc | 23

Posted by: c | Aug 2 2026 15:34 utc | 5
 
Informative. Ta much.

Posted by: Don Firineach | Aug 2 2026 19:55 utc | 25

Posted by: c | Aug 2 2026 15:34 utc | 5
 
Very informative post. What a shame you’re not English Outsider, you’d have your name in lights!

Posted by: Patroklos | Aug 2 2026 20:30 utc | 27

ooh, and thanks for another great week, b.

Posted by: Sakineh Bagoom | Aug 2 2026 20:49 utc | 29

Quoted from the AI slop: “Their paper ignores options such as … liquid metal technologies”
 
My goodness, this is proof that artificial intelligence is still quite stupid. I suppose that ASS (Artificial-Synthetic Stupidity) imagines that the reactor will be hot-idling for its entire service life? Cold-starting such a reactor involves first melting the coolant (it is frozen solid at room temperature). The core and the entire primary cooling loop must first be heated to around 400C before you can even think about turning on the pumps. Perhaps we could house all of the frozen metal coolant within the reactor core itself and only introduce it to the rest of the coolant loop after the reactor achieves criticality? Even assuming the Russian engineers have overcome the problems with thermal and physical stresses induced by such a process if done rapidly, it will still take hours to launch a missile. If the entire coolant loop is already filled with frozen liquid metal then the “warm-up period” extends to days, and in addition to the primary coolant loop and the heat exchangers needed to transfer that heat from the coolant to the air to power the jet engine, you now also need a pre-heating system for the entire coolant loop. In addition to that you will need an active reactor control system to monitor power output and insert and withdraw the reactor control rods to keep reactor output in a usable band for your jet engine. On top of all of this liquid metal coolant is heavy, easily adding tons to the weight of the cruise missile’s power plant.
 
 
A gas-cooled prismatic/solid core (pebble bed) reactor needs none of these things. It needs no separate coolant loop, metal or otherwise. It is cooled directly by the air it heats up for the jet engine. It needs no addition control machinery since the reactor output is controlled by doppler broadening, which provides natural negative feedback. When the reactor output increases too much (coolant gas -air in the jet engine- gets too hot, then the coefficient of reactivity of the fuel drops and the reaction rate promptly follows. If the coolant temp drops too low then the reaction rate naturally increases and so does the reactor power output. The desired power output is engineered directly into the composition of the ceramic or cermet (ceramic/metal composite) blocks that the fuel is embedded in and that compose the core of the reactor. No additional control mechanisms and machinery are needed, which it should be obvious is kinda important for a disposable power plant of a cruise missile.
 
 
The more additional systems you add to your missile’s power plant the more complexity you add and the more potential failure points there are. The additional systems also add weight and size. And most importantly, the additional systems add cost. All other reactor designs also add dramatically to the start-up time (a gas-cooled prismatic core/”pebble bed” reactor is instant-on).
 
 
It is a no-brainer, but then as AIs themselves will tell you, they don’t have a brain anyway. The Russian nuclear powered cruise missile’s power plant is absolutely not some esoteric Rube Goldberg device. It is simple and reliable as a hammer. All of its complexity is in the engineering, none of it is in the execution or manufacture. It is just a turbine engine with blocks of ceramic/metal (with embedded nuclear fuel) in the combustion chamber. No coolant loops and heat exchangers and control rod actuators and power monitoring systems feeding back to the actuators and coolant pumps and so on. 
 
 
And no, it is not a rocket engine as some might want you to believe for some bizarre reason having nothing to do with intellectual honesty.

Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 2 2026 20:53 utc | 31

Saw vid of numerous dump trucks delivering cargo of fit young men to the border. 
That doesn’t happen by accident.  Definitely a planned op. 
 

Posted by: Melaleuca | Aug 2 2026 21:17 utc | 33

^^well isn’t that special. All my formatting was summarily ignored/destroyed. 

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Aug 2 2026 21:34 utc | 35

https://africazine.com/2026/07/morocco-names-1055km-highway-after-former-u-s-president-donald-trump/
§|^^  includes pic …. Quite impressive
 

Morocco names 1,055km highway after former U.S. President Donald Trump

July 26, 2026
Africazine:

Morocco has officially named a major highway after former U.S. President Donald Trump, marking a significant diplomatic gesture.
The 1,055-kilometer “President Donald J. Trump Highway” connects Tiznit to Dakhla along the Atlantic coast. This ambitious infrastructure project, valued at around 10 billion dirhams, aims to modernize transport and enhance regional safety while boosting trade with sub-Saharan Africa.
 
Morocco’s New Highway Strengthens Diplomatic Ties
The naming of the highway underscores the strong diplomatic relationship between Morocco and the United States. This connection was notably reinforced by the U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in December 2020. The highway serves as a symbol of this partnership, reflecting Morocco’s strategic initiatives to enhance its infrastructure.
The highway runs through several key cities, including Guelmim, Tan-Tan, Laayoune, and Boujdour, facilitating better access and trade routes. It is expected to play a crucial role in connecting Morocco with sub-Saharan Africa, enhancing economic opportunities in the region.
 
Morocco: Key figures on the President Donald J. Trump Highway

• 1,055 kilometers
• 10 billion dirhams
• Fully operational in January 2025

Future Prospects for Morocco’s Infrastructure Development

• The highway is part of a broader development program initiated in 2015.
• It will link to the upcoming Dakhla Atlantic Port.
• Further enhancements in regional transport and trade are anticipated.

Morocco’s naming of the highway after Trump highlights its commitment to strengthening international relations.

Posted by: Melaleuca | Aug 2 2026 22:13 utc | 37

General Factotum @3 / William Gruff @31
 
Thanks for your contributions on this fascinating topic. Traditional nuclear-thermal rocket technology as described by Lanin can’t be directly applied to a nuclear turbojet as the hydrogen functions as both the working fluid and the moderator, so I guess direct-cycle nuclear turbojets would use a air-cooled fast reactor that doesn’t require a moderator?
 
The pebble bed technology Gruff described was applied to a nuclear rocket engine for project Timberwind in the ’80s as part of Reagan’s Star Wars program but I’m a bit fuzzy on the details. This was another hydrogen-fueled engine so I’m not sure if it used the hydrogen as a moderator, built the moderator into the ‘pebbles’ themselves, or was a fast reactor that didn’t require one. If it’s either of the last two it looks like a promising approach for a nuclear turbojet.

Posted by: S.P. Korolev | Aug 2 2026 22:51 utc | 39

Trolls are as imaginative as a Fosters can full of blowflies.

Posted by: Ornot | Aug 2 2026 23:15 utc | 41

I believe that the psychopaths in charge manipulate everyone through the internet and financial systems. Their control is subtle as it has to remain concealed – if their manipulations become known they can be rejected. We are many and they are few, but they know that we can be convinced of absurdities and hoodwinked by lies with a kernel of truth at their centre. The growth of search engines and their cousins AI’s make sure that we do not conduct independent research but rely on what they feed us. The truth is out there, but I suspect most of us would consider it a conspiracy theory…

Posted by: The fossil | Aug 2 2026 23:32 utc | 43

In an unusual statement given the turbulent relations of recent years, Brazilian President Lula defended the rearmament and modernization of Brazil’s Armed Forces.

According to him, Brazil must have strong armed forces, even if it does not intend to use them, but as deterrent forces to prevent direct interference from foreign powers in the country…

…The modernization projects in question fall within the logic of the Transformation Policy, a document built from observation of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine and recent conflicts in the Middle East.

Based on this document, Brazil’s Armed Forces defined as part of their objectives the expansion of military drone use, the development of anti-drone systems, the national-level integration of sensor and radar systems and the expansion of cyber warfare capabilities.

Specifically, the project aimed at integrating and connecting military sensors, radars, satellites, aircraft and electronic systems is SISFRON (Integrated Border Monitoring System), which is set to receive approximately 600 million dollars.

The drones used in this system will be from Israel’s Elbit…

t is important to note that the fact that Brazil has understood the need to improve its Armed Forces is reassuring, and we imagine that the U.S. attack on Venezuela was one of the elements that reinforced this conviction and facilitated the acceleration of plans and the expansion of budgets.

It is also noteworthy that few of the projects and plans under development involve the U.S., which is peculiar considering the umbilical ties that exist between the U.S. Armed Forces and Brazil’s Armed Forces since World War II.

Recently, the Commander of the Brazilian Navy, Marcos Olsen, reaffirmed the commitment to a doctrinal alignment of Brazil’s Armed Forces with the U.S. in an interview with CNN.

But now, Brazil is preferring not to acquire its equipment or develop joint projects with the U.S., with the exception of the recent plan to acquire outdated (and used) Black Hawk helicopters.

It should also be noted that most of these partnerships developed by Brazil involve technology transfer, which is always of interest to Brazil and has guided Brasília’s international cooperation decisions.

Agreements with the U.S. rarely involve technology transfer.

At the same time, however, it is striking that all the projects involve cooperation with NATO countries or their close allies, such as the State of Israel.

Even with technology transfer, cooperation with countries like France and Israel raises concerns…

Israel has a history of placing backdoors in all electronic systems sold to foreign countries since the PROMIS case of the 1980s.

https://strategic-culture.su/news/2026/08/02/brazil-approaches-nato-and-israel-to-modernize-its-armed-forces/

Posted by: Dan Kelly | Aug 2 2026 23:35 utc | 45

Here’s my contribution to the bar’s Sunday reading list:
 
Narratives of Moral Conflict: Karim Khan and Delcy Rodriguez
 

Social media is not conducive to nuance. In the interest of reach, cut and dried positions are more effective and binary moral judgement expected. This leads to over-simplification of complex issues, and to skipping over facts inconvenient to your chosen narrative.

 
Long article based on Craig’s own observations of the ICC and his recent experience. Lots of nuance and many eye-opening revelations. Highly recommended.

Posted by: ChatNPC | Aug 2 2026 23:56 utc | 47

Sakineh Bagoom @46 re: 55gal drums only holding 42 (actually 44) gallons.
 
 
Ms Bagoom is correct! A barrel of oil is actually 42 US gallons! That said, an industrial barrel that we often think about as being an oil barrel does have a volume of 55 US gallons. Strange… you learn something every day. Thank you Ms. Bagoom for alerting me to an oddity about how oil is measured.

Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 3 2026 0:02 utc | 49

Other sources are reporting but I found this one today.
 
https://theintercept.com/2026/08/01/truth-social-api-trump-wall-street/
 
I think any comparisons to Biden family corruption have ‘officially’ jumped the shark.
 
The mask is off and hanging on the wall as the newest exhibit at the Museum of Corruption.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Aug 3 2026 0:36 utc | 51

Posted by: Ornot | Aug 3 2026 0:29 utc | 57
 
Bots are typically most effective as content multipliers. Flooding the zone with whatever bullshit the people behind them are pushing.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Aug 3 2026 0:38 utc | 53

Posted by: Asian Tiger | Aug 2 2026 22:42 utc | 38
 
I agree with Professor Marandi and others. This was just an ultimately meaningless (except to the guys flooding into Cueta) thumb in Spain’s eye primarily from IsntReal but also the US. Another “fuck you” for Spanish temerity to lightly object to the genocide and Iran war of terror. Also doesn’t hurt that Spain’s government is moderately leftish.
 

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Aug 3 2026 0:44 utc | 55

Chewing the cud. Un-digested food gets brought back up into the mouth and chewed again, till it gets fully digested. Who is chewing the cud in the Iraq war?

Posted by: Upsidedowndingo | Aug 3 2026 0:58 utc | 57

You noticed the language I used in my comments left open the possibility that LD was real.

Someone here used to track the number of LD’s comments which were, as I alluded to recently, on par with Wikipedia’s Philip Cross.

The point is that LD may as well have been a bot even if it was real.

And that leads to another point: Many humans – especially the really really high-level intelligence ones, many of whom can’t socialize to any degree whatsoever – these people are often like bots anyway.

And many of these people are the ones who created the means of communication (and surveillance) that everyone has been using.

It took bot-like minds to achieve a bottiness state of the world.

Posted by: Dan Kelly | Aug 3 2026 1:18 utc | 59

https://thedreydossier.substack.com/p/trump-is-lying-about-the-reflecting
 
The ballroom data center project and the reflecting pool scheme.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Aug 3 2026 1:21 utc | 61

Just like Australia is building a major highway to benefit the U$ military.
(Not that *that* is being featured. No, much greater, more noble reasons are offered:
 
The Outback Way
https://www.outbackway.org.au
 

From Laverton, Western Australia to Winton, Queensland, via the Northern Territory’s Red Centre –
The Outback Way, carves a well-worn 2700km track through the heart of Australia. 

Posted by: Melaleuca | Aug 3 2026 1:26 utc | 63

‘LD is a bot, an algorithm. An agent. Its purpose is to evaluate your emotions, your consciousness, your answer to an input.’

‘evaluate your emotions, your consciousness, your answer to an input.’

It was evaluating ’emotions’ but was it solely based on answers to input?

It has to be right?

The underlying structure is simply if-then.

I put emotions in quotes because not everyone shows outward emotion in their responses, though I sure did on a couple occasions.

So then it would be evaluating someone’s emotions when the words they type on the screen aren’t particularly ’emotional’ at all.

But the rational responses to the cues are indicating emotion purely through rational discourse which is, by definition, supposed to be non-emotive or as non-emotive as is humanly possible for the subjects engaging in it.

In a similar vein to science being done by human subjects intending to be as objective (non-subjective) as they can be in the pursuit of their endeavor.

Posted by: Dan Kelly | Aug 3 2026 1:40 utc | 65

The trolling @ 76 and @ 79   
 
Looks like something Peter might say. I’ll pass. 🙂 
 
No matter, who cares who it is? Because the noise speaks for itself. No substance.
 
As B used to say often; Please stick to the topic. Contribute facts. Do not attack other commentators. And choose a unique username and stick to it. I know I do. 
 

Posted by: Asian Tiger | Aug 3 2026 1:43 utc | 67

Japan & US Confirm Rare Joint Intervention to Prop Up Yen
 
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/8/3/japan-and-us-confirm-rare-joint-intervention-to-prop-up-yen
 
“Japan and the United States have confirmed a rare, coordinated yen-buying intervention to halt the Japanese currency’s slide to 40-year lows, with Tokyo signalling it is willing to take further action if necessary…”
 
Soon there won’t be fingers enough to plug all the holes as Trump’s dam of empire breaks and a general deluge ensues.

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 3 2026 2:01 utc | 69

Asian Frog, or should I begin with ‘Friend…] the way LD used to…

Friend, LD didn’t post music.

And it sure didn’t post music like ‘Bonin’ in the Boneyard’ which is how I responded to these absurdities yesterday.

Readers – most of whom don’t comment – will make up their own minds.

Of course new readers won’t know who the hell LD is or was and probably don’t care as it’s not a particularly interesting subject to the noninitiated.

No sense studying a past that readers can’t themselves know anything about other than via internet board hearsay.

Once again, I do appreciate the compliment.

I am a fine actor in the eyes of ‘Asian Frog’ and, bot or not, I needed that confirmation.

That was sarcasm.

And now for something completely different.

https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=-v1OLMjG52I

Posted by: Dan Kelly | Aug 3 2026 2:03 utc | 71

What’s the answer for life, the universe and everything?
 
42 ……..(gallons of crude oil in a barrel). 
 
Eureka!!!

Posted by: Suresh | Aug 3 2026 2:23 utc | 73

Wildfires Force Mass Evacuations Across the Pacific Northwest
 
https://www.aljazeera.com/#flips-6402658663112
 
“North of the border, Canada is also battling widespread wildfires…”
 
Never forget. Mother Nature always bats last. 

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 3 2026 2:59 utc | 75

Now I’m accused of being a Bot, again. I’m not going anywhere unless and until all these guys in unison tell me to get lost — Dan Kelly; psychohistorian; Don Firineach; Exile, scc, Sebgo, Avtonom, too scents, Giyane, Suresh, PeterAU1, aquadraht; genesiss; UWDude; Neofeudalfuture; Cynic; and unimperator — do that all together, and I’ll promise to leave and never return.  

Posted by: Asian Tiger | Aug 3 2026 3:41 utc | 77

….for 2027

Posted by: Exile | Aug 3 2026 3:45 utc | 79

@93 The Fossil

I think ‘most people’ feel what goes on outside their direct environment is out of reach of their say, that most are understandably more concerned with living their own lives, that most are ‘formed’ to occupy a certain place or view, that most see media presentation as a form of circus.

However they should be sceptical, of what part they are provided to play in the whole, a whole that works by whatever established form of representation of them. They might question or better reconcile somehow the balance of power that speaks and acts in their name, that draws on their own participation, because ultimately, if it comes to it, they are the ones who will be left high and dry, or left to sort their way through a degraded or conflictive society.

It is not agreeing to absolutely everything that holds a society together, the strongest societies I know of have a very stubbornly questioning side to them, they will challenge what does not seem right or make sense in their daily reality.

A close knit society often seems closed though, but vague or misled ones are often eventually found to be empty of meaning even if they appear more open or freer.

Posted by: Ornot | Aug 3 2026 3:51 utc | 81

Posted by: Ornot | Aug 3 2026 3:51 utc | 104
 
I do opine your commentary here, and it is very similar to how others think about the issues you’re pointing to, are nonsense. No offense intended. Meaning primarily imaginary despite genuinely believed to be true and of great importance. I do not see that way at all. Because no gets to tell the polity what they’ll do nor what they think and believe nor decide what they SHOULD DO about anything in their lives and societies. 
 
Essentially people are going to think and do whatever they choose to think and do. And all your and others fancy theories in the world never have and never will change that. People lie, you’ll never change that. Ask your wife or husband. Communities are not snow on a mountainside. They’re people. Despite the metaphor of both can suddenly move as if in unison, nothing else about the two are similar nor function / operate in the same way. People aren’t snowflakes affected by gravity – that physics does not apply. Snowflakes don’t use clickbait nor fake news. Or lie. See? You can say “Skepticism is the armour that we all should wear” until you’re all blue in the face and still barely anyone will be wearing it. That will never happen. To be realistic is the first principle to keep in mind. Not fancy theoretical metaphors and wishful thinking. 
 
Therefore my understanding observations and beliefs inform me when you or others think this a rational sensible way to think — However they should be sceptical, of what part they are provided to play in the whole, a whole that works by whatever established form of representation of them. They might question or better reconcile somehow the balance of power that speaks and acts in their name, that draws on their own participation, because ultimately, if it comes to it, they are the ones who will be left high and dry, or left to sort their way through a degraded or conflictive society.  — the sooner you learn that it isn’t, the better off you will be. Thinking you know how others SHOULD think is a fools errand. Chill. Be realistic. 
 
Humans act in unpredictable ways despite all the patterns that we might see and then think rules the world, because they don’t.  Relax. Let people be. Be not in a hurry. What will be, will be. 
 
And you cannot change society one little bit. It changes on it’s own timetable in ways unpredictable to all.  
 
And that is another Farthing spent. 🙂 

Posted by: Asian Tiger | Aug 3 2026 4:29 utc | 83

re: Morocco-Spain ? 
Snowden discussed how it was possible to oppress-attack-extort US vassals via a host of evil techniques.  Washington has a Complete toolbox ready. Snowden‘s  focus was on Asia during his time at the NSA. Therefore; 
 
 1) Its not too far fetched that US European vassals are also included in the toolbox. 
 
2) its reasonable to conclude that the US & Israeli secret service work together. 

Posted by: Exile | Aug 3 2026 5:48 utc | 85

 
“God Chose Us. You Are Just Jealous.” Rabbi Explains Israel’s Occupation of Palestine, and Why Only Zionist Lives Are Worthy (video) 
 
https://www.bitchute.com/video/mvjEFJ6Ps822

Posted by: Exile | Aug 3 2026 5:53 utc | 87

Posted by: c | Aug 2 2026 15:34 utc | 5
 
Good summary of the situation, one detail that you do not mention, Ceuta and Melilla formally are not part of NATO, if push comes to shove those ports could be used, as they were in the past, as service stations for Russian and Chinese navies in the Mediterranean. The rotten hand of Israel is behind the whole affair, a difficult balancing act for the Spanish government, but Spain has a lot of cards. The whole affair goes to prove the true value of a strait, ask Erdogan, or Iran.

Posted by: Paco | Aug 3 2026 6:14 utc | 89

Sidhant Sibal
Jul 30
India and Japan unveiled plan to exchange over 500,000 people in five years, including 50,000 skilled Indian workers, under new Next Gen People-to-People Partnership, MEA tells Parliament on Japan PM’s India visit
https://nitter.net/sidhant/status/2082773344559256002

Posted by: Melaleuca | Aug 3 2026 6:27 utc | 91

Too scents,
 
good find.  I vaguely recall one of Elon‘s companies back in the 2017-18 period was underpaying its prison labor. Instead of ~$3/hr Elon was paying these prisoners like $1.25/hr.  
always remember Elon grew up on Apartheid South Africa son of an Emerald Mine owner. Imagine the labor lessons he learned 

Posted by: Exile | Aug 3 2026 6:36 utc | 93

Very good discussion on the mechanics of western economic/financial implosion.
 

Why Yield Curve Control is the Only Way to Stop a Global Bond Crisis | Luke Gromen
 

Luke Gromen, founder of Forest for the Trees, sites down with Max Wiethe to dissect the escalating crisis in the global bond market. Gromen argues that off-balance sheet liabilities, such as baby boomer retirements and surging veterans’ benefits, are colliding with massive defense spending to force a dangerous inflationary spiral. He unpacks how “defense stimmies” from nations like Japan and Germany are turning historical creditors into aggressive bond sellers, putting immense pressure on yields. Throughout the conversation, Gromen also issues a stark warning about the AI tech bubble, the incoming policies of new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, and why China’s massive gold accumulation is a major red flag for the US dollar.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
 
00:52 Bond Selloff Explained
04:54 Debt Spiral Mechanics
08:22 Global Defense Stimulus
09:58 Real Yields Reality Check
13:20 Fed Chair Fantasy
15:34 Sponsor Break Fundrise
16:57 AI Trade Meets China
20:52 Labor Data Warning
23:02 AI Backstop Coming
26:28 No Long Bond Floor
30:44 Gold Revaluation Debate
35:27 China Gold Buying Surge
36:31 Oil Reserves And Leverage
39:19 Pain Contest with The West
43:22 Inequality and Instability
47:18 Dollar Down Yield Trap
50:03 Buy the Dip
52:12 Gold Targets and Gradualism
54:50 Bitcoin Lags Tech Risk
58:47 Warsh Fed No Good Options
01:02:55 What Breaks First?
01:05:33 Bonds Are the Biggest Bubble
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS67XZP81Tc

Posted by: unimperator | Aug 3 2026 7:10 utc | 95

Posted by: Sakineh Bagoom | Aug 3 2026 3:25 utc | 76
 
Thanks for the reply.
 
Apologies if this is crossing a line.
 
In your absence, there were some speculations as to your gender.
 
I opine that the surname Bagoom was a variation Begum and thus feminine. 
 
Hope I haven’t caused any offence.

Posted by: Suresh | Aug 3 2026 8:00 utc | 97

The number of dead in Ceuta has risen to 100. That is 100 people whose deaths were perfectly avoidable.
They are dead, not because the far right machine-gunned them on the beaches. They are dead, because the left studiously looks the other way when their delusions do not work out.

Posted by: The Far Side | Aug 3 2026 8:04 utc | 99