Has everyone lost their minds, or what? Both the author and the people he is writing about. Some kind of world breaking record, this one. Premonition of things to come?
Monday, December 4, 2023
Demonic dragonflies
An entertaining blog post about sightings of oversized dragonflies. Probably not hoaxes, but could the insects spotted really be real? Some kind of radio-controlled models are more likely. Or perhaps hallucinations after spending an entire day dragonfly-watching down at the local pond!
Unless it´s the fairies. As per usual.
När "folkutbyte" blir ett problem
Många på den hårda högerkanten ironiserar just nu över detta inlägg från SVT Nyheter. Ibland är "demografi" och "folkutbyte" tydligen inte en konspirationsteori...
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Ukraina: Ryssland vill ändra demografin på ockuperad mark
Ryssland försöker ändra demografin i de områden man ockuperar i Ukraina genom att importera migranter från Centralasien. Det hävdar Ukrainas nationella motståndscentrum, en organisation som är direkt underställd regeringen. Antalet centralasiatiska migranter i områdena sägs redan nu uppgå till över 100 000 personer.
"De flesta arbetar på byggen men i framtiden planerar ryssarna att mobilisera dem i utbyte mot medborgarskap", skriver centret.
Motståndscentret hävdar att Ryssland på det här sättet försöker ersätta den inhemska, ukrainska populationen i de ockuperade områdena.
Petro Andrjusjtjenko, rådgivare till den ukrainske borgmästaren i staden Mariupol, har sagt till den ukrainska tv-kanalen espreso.tv att tiotusentals "marodörer" från Centralasien flyttat in i den ockuperade staden.
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Källa: någonstans på denna sida.
Too close to call?
Is a war between the United States and Iran getting closer?
The pro-Iranian Houthis, who effectively control most of the former North Yemen, may have attacked US and British vessels in the Red Sea, including a warship.
The Houthi-controlled "Supreme Political Council", which claims to represent all of Yemen, officially declared war against Israel shortly after the Hamas attacks.
They do have the capacity to fire missiles against both Israel and Saudi Arabia, although so far the ones directed at the former have been succesfully shot down.
Kissinger´s final interview (yes, really)
Henry Kissinger´s last interview, in both summary and in full. Note, however, that the Breitbart editor distorts Kissinger´s remarks about Jordan and the West Bank. The old national security advisor isn´t saying that "Jordan is Palestine", he is saying that Jordan should take control of the West Bank - a very different concept!
The former idea would entail the overthrow of the Hashemite dynasty and turning Jordan (really Transjordan) into an actual Palestinian state - a crazy solution from anybody´s perspective - while the latter means that the Hashemites remain in power and simply retake the West Bank (the situation before 1967).
The main "take away" from the conversation seems to be that the United State must take a more active part in the Mideast conflict to balance the more radical stances of the Arab states, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It´s not spelled out exactly what kind of engagement Kissinger may have in mind...
Note also that the centenarian still calls for a détente with China.
Sunday, December 3, 2023
Advent Sunday
I know, I know, in German it says something about New Years Eve, but I´m running out of free Advent-related pics since previous years...
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Desert power
So I just saw "Dune", the 2021 version. Strictly speaking, it´s part one. Not being very deeply immersed or versed in Frank Herbert´s story universe, I can´t really give any initiated comments. But yes, 2021 "Dune" is better than David Lynch´s version, which I probably lynched in some earlier blog post. That being said, I suppose Lynch´s film does have a certain intrinsic charm.
The similarities with "Star Wars" are obvious - not sure who borrowed from whom (Herbert´s novel is from 1965). The pseudo-Muslim and pseudo-Tuareg aspects make the film feel almost bizarre, as do the "Russian" and "Ukrainian" aspects. The film lacks the usual (and usually annoying) "one liners" typical of Hollywood flicks, giving it an unusual gravitas. The special effects department managed to make the sandworms and floating aristocrats less cringey than in Lynch´s film.
"Dune" feels dragging sometimes, but the peculiar plot did make me glued to my chair anyway (although I already know how the story ends in part two). The political implications of this desert planet opera could be "interesting" to follow. Herbert´s story is inspired by 19th century anti-Russian resistance in the Caucasus, but today the plot could perhaps be given an anti-American and pro-Palestinian spin? The hero, Paul Atreides, could be seen as a scion of some wealthy bourgeois family who breaks with his class and sides with the wretched of the earth in true Woke fashion.
Maybe somebody needs to tell the fanboys that there is an implied criticism of Messianism and jihad in the storyline...somewhere!
Thus ends my reflections.
Unskilfull means?
The old story of how Buddha "tricked" both a theist and an atheist. Skilfull means?
Friday, December 1, 2023
Last Christmas indeed
This is some kind of bizarre AI-generated Christmas parody, featuring "Austrian Painter". And we all know who *he* is, don´t we?
Down and out in Asunción
The cultic scam known as the United States of Kailasa continues. This time, they tricked some officials in Paraguay, a very real nation in South America. The Guardian tries to exenorate the Paraguayans with the absurd argument that "Kailasa" has tricked others before!
Yeah, whatever.
Have they never considered that bribe money might have been involved? Or that some local officials are incredibly stupid people? I mean, how hard is it to check Kailasa´s status on the web...
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