The unimportant news thread

[Florestan]

Not your fault, too specialized a word for every non-native speaker, but a pistol is kept in a holster.

Why, actually I know that a sheath holds a sword not a pistol but I was too lazy to look up for the right word. So, thank you very much for it, Karl.

[greg]

I cover the tips of my samurai swords with a gun holster so that before my enemies can even question why I do something so retarded, their heads are already rolling on the ground.

[Karl Henning]

Snowflake Sarah:

Sarah Palin bombs on witness stand in New York Times trial

[drogulus]

     A  thing happened. Today I read news about Ukraine, trying to figure out when/if the Big Day would arrive, and then I went to YT to check the temperature on my favorite Russian disinfo site to see if I could detect any changes that might signal a move. Much as I rely on the failing mainstream media, the GRU is in a better position to provide the necessaries when it comes to impending military action.

     To my surprise the site is nowhere to be found. I even checked my history, and apparently I never visited the site when it did exist. That's funny, I could have sworn I did.

     Anyway, it might just be an indication that we're getting close to Decision Day. I would like to have seen what was on the channel just before it went down.

[Karl Henning]

     A  thing happened. Today I read news about Ukraine, trying to figure out when/if the Big Day would arrive, and then I went to YT to check the temperature on my favorite Russian disinfo site to see if I could detect any changes that might signal a move. Much as I rely on the failing mainstream media, the GRU is in a better position to provide the necessaries when it comes to impending military action.

     To my surprise the site is nowhere to be found. I even checked my history, and apparently I never visited the site when it did exist. That's funny, I could have sworn I did.

     Anyway, it might just be an indication that we're getting close to Decision Day. I would like to have seen what was on the channel just before it went down.

The good news, Ernie, is: we seem still to exist.

[drogulus]

     It's baaack....under another name that joined Feb. 6.

     https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWBuArroZbRGJc95ZL2aQ9A/videos

[LKB]

I couldn't find a better thread, so posting this here.

While I am not as certain as l was a few weeks ago, l still think Putin would prefer not to invade Ukraine. He wanted to test Biden and the West, and also gather intel as the West reacted to his gathering of forces near the border.

Any ground force, once it is positioned and  brought to the point of readiness, has a shelf life. Logistics trains are complicated to establish and cannot endure indefinitely. Troops wear out, fuel is expended and supplies are not infinite.

While I'm not 100% confident in my assessment, I suspect that if Putin really wanted to invade, he'd have done so last week, once the ready blood supplies were in place.

I am nothing more than an amateur in the art of war, though l come from a family of warriors. I hope I'm guessing correctly.

[JBS]

I suspect Putin has the same attitude to people knowing his plans which led Henry VIII to say (allegedly)
If I thought my hat knew what I think, I would throw it into the fireplace for it to burn.

[LKB]

I suspect Putin has the same attitude to people knowing his plans which led Henry VIII to say (allegedly)
If I thought my hat knew what I think, I would throw it into the fireplace for it to burn.

Hah! No doubt...

Putin is one of the worst humans alive. Unfortunately, his intellect is at least sufficient unto his needs, which means he'll almost certainly be able to continue in power for another decade if he chooses.

[Spotted Horses]

If the Russian's invade it is not going to be a "war." There will be some transparent pretext that Ukraine's government is controlled by fascists, ethnic Russians in Ukraine are being abused, they need to be rescued. Any Ukrainian military resistance will evaporate, there will be a snap election overseen by Russian forces, and the pro-Russian faction will win by a landslide (big surprise). After that Ukraine will be a Russian satellite state again.

Russia is not motivated by aggression, but by paranoia. They have been invaded from the south and west too many times, The Mongol Invasions, the Russo-Crimean War, Napoleon, the Crimean War, World War I and the Caucasus campaign, The Nazi invasion. There is a need to have a buffer of countries in their "sphere of influence" and counties on their borders flirting with NATO is too much.

[Florestan]

If the Russian's invade it is not going to be a "war." There will be some transparent pretext that Ukraine's government is controlled by fascists, ethnic Russians in Ukraine are being abused, they need to be rescued. Any Ukrainian military resistance will evaporate, there will be a snap election overseen by Russian forces, and the pro-Russian faction will win by a landslide (big surprise). After that Ukraine will be a Russian satellite state again.

Agreed.

I think there will be no invasion, though.

I also loathe the Western sensationalist media which does nothing but fuel an already burning conflict.

Russia is not motivated by aggression, but by paranoia. They have been invaded from the south and west too many times, The Mongol Invasions, the Russo-Crimean War, Napoleon, the Crimean War, World War I and the Caucasus campaign, The Nazi invasion. There is a need to have a buffer of countries in their "sphere of influence" and counties on their borders flirting with NATO is too much.

I've said it before and I'm repeating it now: Putin complaining about the Eastern European states having joined NATO is exactly like an inveterate rapist complaining that his former victims have been put under 24/7 police protection.

[T. D.]

Three or four bicycle racers got gored by a massive bull during a gravel race in California on Sunday.

Awesome footage at https://www.cxmagazine.com/bull-takes-out-racer-at-2022-rock-cobbler-gravel-race

Most riders were smart enough to give the bull a wide berth, but there were a few exceptions...

[Karl Henning]

Not hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics is the best thing that never happened to Boston

[drogulus]

     Russia is doing exactly what the sensationalist media expected them to do, creating a pretext for an invasion by claiming a massacre of ethnic Russians that curiously happened in territory controlled by Russian backed separatists. They've also shelled a kindergarten according to the WaPo, which sensationally says:

Shelling near the demarcation line in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region is common, but the wave of activity on Thursday appeared more aggressive than usual. Meanwhile, pro-Russian separatists accused Ukrainian government troops of opening fire on its territory, which Ukraine's Armed Forces denied. Ukrainian soldiers are under instruction not to return fire.

     It doesn't matter that Ukes are instructed not to return fire. If necessary Russia will return fire for them. Got it? Well, all right then.

     Putin may leave the decision to invade for the end of the Olympics. However, experts say invasion readiness decays a bit if the wait is prolonged, and delay favors the defense, so there's that.

     

[Florestan]

Day D + 3

Still no trace of Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Western media still pouring gas on fire.

[Todd]

Vast Leak Exposes How Credit Suisse Served Strongmen and Spies

No way!

[SimonNZ]

Not sure if this has been posted or mentioned elsewhere:

'How is this classical music?' Composers' fury at Grammys shortlist
Outraged musicians say nominations have been 'mis-categorised', allowing pop and jazz artists to compete

[greg]

Not sure if this has been posted or mentioned elsewhere:

'How is this classical music?' Composers' fury at Grammys shortlist
Outraged musicians say nominations have been 'mis-categorised', allowing pop and jazz artists to compete

"This jeopardises the credibility of the Grammy awards."

Lol, that's what happen when people take it seriously in the first place. There is no such thing as an official arbiter of taste or musicianship.

[Karl Henning]

As the curtain falls on another messy Olympics, the Games just aren't what they used to be

[LKB]

Ow!

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/finnish-skier-frozen-penis-reni-lindholm-beijing-olympics-1310303/