Mar 102022
Mar 102022
Let's be fair and give some credit. I'm not sure if that's the original source, but the pic was found at FB account of Polish model makers. pic.twitter.com/DRKfHZO2RZ
— Jarosław Kociszewski (@JarekKociszewsk) March 10, 2022
Mar 102022
After the last post where it was mentioned that Russia is effectively stealing hundreds of airliners that Russian airlines ahd leased, here comess this “never do business with Russia again” story:
Putin may re-open McDonald’s in Russia by lifting trademark restrictions: report
Reportedly, Russia will not only re-open places like McDonalds, they will continue to do business *as* “McDonalds.” They will have no actual relationship with the actual McDonalds corporation; they’ll simply steal their locations, their stuff, their name, their logo, their brand.
Next: I presume Russian agents in the west will procure computer games and movies, transport them to Russia, and then sell/show them to Russian audiences. And why not? Books, music, movies, TV series; car, computer, fashion, architectural designs can all be stolen and used without compensation under the new rules Putins stooges are putting forward. This will make Russia a *monumental* pariah nation. The Chinese at least *pretend* to actually care about IP.
Mar 102022
China has until now taken a largely “stick fingers in ears, hum real loud” approach to the Russia/Ukraine situation. And their reasoning is obvious: what Russia is doing to Ukraine, China wants to do to Taiwan. If Russia got away with it, China would doubtless launch their own invasion, secure in the knowledge that they too would be allowed to get away with it.
But Russia is having more difficulty than Putin seemed to expect. Not only are the Ukrainians putting up a lot more of a fight than expected (and the Russian military demonstrating a hell of a lot of incompetency), the world is laying an economic beatdown on Russia. This probably surprised the Russian leadership… and it’s clearly spooking the Chinese leadership. The sort of sanctions that are crippling the Russian economy would cause the Chinese economy to implode. And who knows? Perhaps the Chinese people would actually turn on their government. Can’t have that. And thus we get:
Russia says China refuses to supply aircraft parts after sanctions
It’s starting to look like China might be starting to side *against* the Russians, doubtless as a way to deflect attention and potential sanctions away from themselves. What’s ChiCom for “you’re on your own?”
And at the same time that Russia is finding it’s list of allies growing thin, they’re working to assure that nobody will ever do business with them again:
Russia draft law raises doubt over fate of $10 bln of jets
The Russian civil aviation industry has leased five hundred and some airliners from the likes of foreign companies Airbus and Boeing. Those foreign companies now want their airplanes back. The Russian government is proposing to effectively nationalize those aircraft… to steal them for the state. Great. So now you have yourself some free airliners. Good luck getting maintenance or replacement parts. Good luck getting new airliners in the future. Pretty sure *nobody* would be dumb enough to lease or rent you anything you could walk off with. Boeing and Airbus might be willing to outright sell you new airplanes… but likely only after you’ve paid for the ones you stole, plus interest.
Good job, morons.
Mar 102022
Thomas Sowell covers the question:
This is an excerpt from his book “Intellectuals and Society.” In short: No.
Mar 102022
Marty goes nuts and imagines virtually the entirety of the “Back To The Future” franchise:
Mar 102022
A Quinnipaic poll covered a lot of turf, but one question in particular had interesting results.
Vast Majority Of Americans Say Ban Russian Oil, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Nearly 8 In 10 Support U.S. Military Response If Putin Attacks A NATO Country
8. If you were in the same position as Ukrainians are now, do you think that you would stay and fight or leave the country?
| ADULTS | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHITE | ||||||||
| 4 YR COLL DEG | ||||||||
| Tot | Rep | Dem | Ind | Men | Wom | Yes | No | |
| Stay and fight | 55% | 68% | 40% | 57% | 70% | 40% | 55% | 58% |
| Leave the country | 38 | 25 | 52 | 36 | 24 | 52 | 35 | 35 |
| DK/NA | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 7 |
| AGE IN YRS | WHITE | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 35-49 | 50-64 | 65+ | Men | Wom | Wht | Blk | Hsp | |
| Stay and fight | 45% | 57% | 66% | 52% | 75% | 43% | 57% | 38% | 61% |
| Leave the country | 48 | 37 | 28 | 37 | 19 | 47 | 35 | 59 | 33 |
| DK/NA | 6 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 5 |
Polling is, of course, not the same as demonstrated reality. Many who claim they’d stay and fight would doubtless runs screaming for the hills if the day actually came. But how many who *already* profess to cowardice would find courage in the moment of crisis?
Whites and hispanics say at roughly equal levels they’d stay and fight (though hispanics, interestingly, are a few percentage points more patriotic than whites), while blacks are far more likely to flee. Similarly, Republicans say to a statistically far higher degree that they’d stay and fight compared to Democrats; men would stay and fight far more often than women (so much for equality, huh).
Mar 092022
From the Russian propaganda outlet Tass:
Nationalists cook up provocations with toxic agents in Ukraine – Russian Defense Ministry
MOSCOW, March 9. /TASS/. Nationalists are plotting provocations in Ukraine involving toxic substances in order to pin the blame for the alleged use of chemical weapons on Russia; for this purpose, about 80 tonnes of ammonia have been delivered to the settlement of Zolochev, northwest of Kharkov, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday.
The implication here is obvious: they’re preparing to drop chemical weapons on Ukrainians, probably Ukrainian civilians, and they’re planting a story in advance to blame the Ukrainians themselves for the forthcoming atrocities. Also from the same page:
Russia notifies OPCW of Ukraine’s plans to stage provocation at Kharkov’s nuclear reactor
Oh, goody.
Mar 092022
One of the best preserved sunken wooden vessel, the Endurance sank off the coast of Antarctica in November, 1915. It was finally discovered just a few days ago, more than three kilometers deep. The cold and low oxygen has preserved the wood; it just doesn’t look like a wood vessel that sank more than a century ago.
No sign of shoggoths. Of course, if there were, it’s not like they would have told you…
Mar 092022
Disney has released the first real trailer for the “Obi Wan Kenobi” series.