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  • This topic has 58 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 5 years ago by michael norton.
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  • #47743
    Clark

      “…it’s a shame”

      Tatyana, your English is easily good enough to enjoy Gravity’s Rainbow in the original English, should you wish to.

      Although poetical and surreal, Gravity’s Rainbow is about the development of the V2 Nazi terror weapon that was the first viable rocket of the Space Race, and it is set in Europe at the end of World War Two; all the national borders were down so the whole area was just called “the Zone”. The USSR and the Western allies converged on Peenemünde, to where they had traced back the trajectory of the V2s.

      Basically, and in conformance with their respective ideologies, the Western allies got the Nazi officers of the missile teams (Operation Paperclip), whereas the USSR got the engineers. The USSR got the better end of that outcome!

      Th end of WWII in Europe was basically a race for the V2 technology, and it was all about nuclear weapons. From the bombing of Hiroshima onwards, the whole world knew that nuclear weapons were practical, but there was no commensurate delivery system; bomber aircraft are highly vulnerable to being shot down before they reach their target. So the superpowers desperately wanted ballistic missiles, and they recognised that the V2 was what they were looking for.
      – – – – – – –

      Ah yes, I had heard of the air leak in the ISS which turned out to be a small drilled hole. Some suspect sabotage, others a manufacturing error before the component was launched.

      #47744
      Clark

        I was surprised when I realised how important the keyboard player Richard Wright was to Pink Floyd. He did much of the arranging:

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spdx8xzXcbA

        This is why humanity must have a space programme.

        #47758
        Tatyana

          @N_
          re. “The abuse of non-human animals in early space programmes was met with protest demonstrations in a number of countries.”

          I’ve came across a joke. Sorce is here
          https://pikabu.ru/story/nemnogo_kosmicheskogo_yumora_6971375

          Buzz Aldrin (the second man who set foot on the moon) joked about why Alan Shepard became the first American in space: “Actually,” he said, “they wanted to send a monkey, but a bunch of letters came to NASA in defense of animal rights, and in defense of Shepard not a single letter arrived. They sent him. ”

          #47761
          Tatyana

            “Disinformation for Hire” by Jeff John Roberts, published in the ‘Fortune’ September 30, 2019
            article summary:

            – a cyber-security company in Massachusetts called Recorded Future created a fake U.K. company
            – then it hired two Russian PR firms to wage information warfare on the company’s behalf
            – the range of services offered by the Russian PR firms is startling
            – the price to plant news articles in English-language media outlets includes
            Reuters: $8,360
            Wallpaper*: $8,404
            Mashable: $13,370
            Financial Times: $49,440
            – Recorded Future hides the identity of its analysts who engaged the Russian firms
            – director of analysts at Recorded Future is Roman Sannikov
            for more detail please read the source
            https://fortune.com/2019/09/30/russian-disinformation-for-hire/

            And, here is the article by Vladimir Kornilov analyzing the Fortune’s news:
            in russian https://ria.ru/20191006/1559466764.html

            – investigators do not name either the fake UK company they created, nor the companies they hired (to “protect their sources”) So, it’s impossible to check the story.
            Roman Sannikov‘s company has been providing Russian-English translation services in the US http://www.sannikovtranslations.com/
            – he himself claims that he worked as a translator at the FBI for 20 years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kCZIX6a-6o
            – he says he worked at CrowdStrike from January 2014 to September 2016 https://www.linkedin.com/in/roman-y-sannikov-bb9815 (it was CrowdStrike who accused russians of hacking DNC server)
            – he was a translator for some dignitaries, including former FBI director Robert Muller https://www.flashpoint-intel.com/blog/potential-impact-of-fin7-arrests-on-stolen-payment-card-ecosystem/

            #47765
            Tatyana

              another interesting piece of info comes form the russian article by Roman Kretsul, Yuri Bogdanov and Michael Moshkin November 27, 2015
              https://vz.ru/politics/2015/11/27/780683.html

              Talking about the oil sold by ISIS, Alexander Frolov says:
              “Could it be tracked a year ago, two years ago? …our Western colleagues… accuse Turkey of profiting. I would like to ask: friends, didn’t you really know how it all looked? … Go to the ship-location sites and see, for example, an Ukrainian oil tanker approaching the territory controlled by militants. Do you believe she goes to enjoy the local landscape?”

              It made me think of ukrainian oil tankers, and Ukrainian oil and gas company, which paid big money to the son of a US vice-president, who demanded to fire Ukrainian prosecutor, and the desire of the new US President to investigate the case led to the impeachment proceedings.

              #47832
              Brianfujisan

                Clark

                Yes Agree The Keyboards/ Piano arrangements of Richard Wright are Breath Taking .. ‘ Us and Them’ Too..almost everything really –

                Such Beautiful Music…So Emotionally So.

                Us (Us, us, us, us, us) and them (Them, them, them, them)
                And after all we’re only ordinary men
                Me (Me, me, me, me, me) and you (You, you, you, you, you)
                God only knows it’s not what we would choose to do
                “Forward” he cried from the rear
                And the front rank died
                And the general sat and the lines on the map
                Moved from side to side

                Black (Black, black, black, black) and blue (Blue, blue, blue, blue)
                And who knows which is which and who is who
                Up (Up, up, up, up, up) and down (Down, down, down, down)
                And in the end it’s only round and round, and round

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

                #47890
                Tatyana

                  update
                  Ukrainian news report October 10, 2019
                  “the United States arrested two businessmen who helped Rudi Giuliani to lobby the investigation into Joe Biden”
                  source in ukrainian https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/articles/2019/10/10/7228742/

                  The two detained men are Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, they are accused of violating campaign finance rules (Donald Trump’s election campain).
                  Ex-USSR; lived in Odessa, Ukraine; both are US citizens.
                  Igor Kolomoisky claimed that they also came to Israel and asked him to help to meet new Ukrainian president Zelensky.
                  Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman also lobbied for the dismissal of the US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Jovanovic.

                  Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko says that Marie Yovanovic gave him a do not prosecute list during their first meeting.
                  source in english, The Hill https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/434875-top-ukrainian-justice-official-says-us-ambassador-gave-him-a-do-not-prosecute

                  “…Yuriy Lutsenko said he wanted to open an investigation into the likely Ukrainian interference in the 2016 elections. But he would have to “work out” the director of NABU Artyom Sytnik. He, on suspicion of Lutsenko, published information about secret money transfers of former Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych to Paul Manafort to harm Trump. That is, he acted in the interests of Hillary Clinton.”
                  But Sytnik was in the “do not prosecute list” handed to the ukraininan prosecutor by the US ambassador.
                  source in russian https://ria.ru/20191012/1559691232.html

                  #47897
                  Tatyana

                    As I see, US diplomats’ work is sometimes far from diplomatic duties 🙂 That is what I read in russian news on the protests in Moscow this August:

                    … US mission in Russia published a detailed map showing the time, route and the places of meeting of the ‘protest march’
                    https://www.ntv.ru/novosti/2221282/

                    … The senator (Andrey Klimov) noted that unauthorized actions in Moscow “wonderfully” fit into the plans of a private intelligence company that works in the interests of the US government.
                    https://ria.ru/20191008/1559547939.html

                    … Deutsche Welle directly called for participation in unauthorized actions… State Duma … Roskomnadzor … Prosecutor General … Foreign Ministry consider the issue of depriving Deutsche Welle of accreditation in Russia.
                    https://radiosputnik.ria.ru/20191008/1559557045.html

                    Maria Zakharova (spokeperson for russian Foreign Office) :
                    … Moscow and Beijing did a great job of analyzing relevant information materials … we see the hand of “one master” both in Russia and in China in the context of interference in internal affairs … our Western colleagues, especially the USA, and also the countries that we conventionally call ‘the collective West’, are behind this.
                    https://ria.ru/20191011/1559661553.html


                    ah, and I can’t go without an old joke on the top of it 🙂
                    – Why is it impossible for a color revolution to happen in the USA?
                    – Because there is no US embassy in the USA.

                    #47898
                    Clark

                      Hello Tatyana, sorry I dropped out of the conversation; I’ve been with Extinction Rebellion in London:

                      https://squonk.tk/blog/2015/03/15/the-general-discussion-thread/comment-page-138/#comment-34400

                      #47902
                      Tatyana

                        today, October 13, Syria decides to stand against Turkey:
                        “Syrian army will be deployed along the border with Turkey, to help Kurds to repel the attacks”
                        So, Damascus is going to wage war with Turkey. I’m waiting for Putin’s statement, re. what will Russia do now.
                        source in Russian is here (either translate it with on-line translation tool, or wait for RT to cover it for you in english)
                        https://ria.ru/20191013/1559734655.html

                        #47903
                        Tatyana

                          Hi, Clark.
                          I’m too excited with todays news, Syrya is going to stand agains Turkey and it all can really break out into the wholescale military conflict with Russia involved into.

                          #47906
                          Node
                            #47908
                            SA

                              Exiting developments in Northern Syria. Preliminary reports suggest that the SDF and the Syrian government have reached an agreement and that the Syrian army is moving into Kurdish areas to protect against the Turkish invasion. If this proves the case the long awaited peace in Syria will have materialised and regime change has failed.
                              Amongst items discussed was that the SG will take custody of the Da’esh fighters and families that are prisoners of the SDF.
                              Maybe there is method in Trump’s madness after all!

                              #47910
                              Tatyana

                                The autonomous administration of the northeastern Syria officially announced on Sunday that it had reached an agreement with the Syrian authorities to deploy the Syrian army along the entire Syrian border with Turkey to help repel the attack of the Turkish army and pro-Turkish groups.
                                Yasin Aktay, Adviser to the Turkish president, said that the Turkish army will fight back in case of a clash with the Syrian Army on the border of countries.
                                https://ria.ru/20191013/1559735889.html

                                Syria’s state TV reports that Assad’s army reached Tell-Tamr in the northwestern province of Haseke.
                                Lebanese TV channel al-Mayadeen reports: the Syrian army entered Tabka in the province of Raqqa, which was previously controlled by the Kurds, and moves further north.
                                https://ria.ru/20191014/1559746030.html

                                russian ‘Admiral Makarov’ frigate tested Caliber rockets and anti-aircraft systems in the Eastern Mediterranean.
                                She goes to Tartus (syrian seaport and russian navy base). The ship will be on a long voyage as part of the Mediterranean squadron by the end of the year.
                                https://ria.ru/20191014/1559737561.html

                                #47912
                                Tatyana

                                  US congressman Brian Mast congratulates US Navy with the photo of russian battle ship 🙂
                                  https://twitter.com/dave_brown24/status/1183441421531045890

                                  Sometimes I think they do it on purpose. They cannot be really so stupid, can they?
                                  a lot of fun comments there, thank you tovarisch Mast!


                                  “Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Mast is joining Gov. Ron DeSantis in returning campaign cash from businessman Igor Fruman…”
                                  https://floridapolitics.com/archives/308103-mast-return-money-giuliani-associate

                                  #47913
                                  SA

                                    Tatyana
                                    There is an equivalent of RIA Novosty in English, called Sputnik news that has the same report
                                    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201910141077043059-syrian-army-enters-city-of-tabqah-in-raqqa-province-amid-turkish-operation—reports/

                                    #47914
                                    Node

                                      Oops, I got those links back to front and I didn’t even mean to post them here in the first place. I was just using this thread to format my comment to post elsewhere. Sorry Tatyana.

                                      But since I have posted it here …. I was trying to contrast the policing of the two protests, and hence the government’s attitude to them. The contrast would be even more stark if you compared the BBC’s news coverage of them.

                                      I’m not sure who Extinction Rebellion claim to be rebelling against but it ain’t our government.

                                      #47921
                                      Tatyana

                                        it’s ok, Node. It’s general off-topic thread.
                                        Why is police so strict with the Extinction Rebellion?

                                        #47941
                                        Node

                                          Why is police so strict with the Extinction Rebellion?

                                          It’s the other way round Tatanya, but I mixed up the links and confused you. The police are very tolerant of the Extinction Rebellion protesters, and so is BBC news coverage, which suggests that our government is in favour of it too.
                                          Why? No matter what your view on man-made climate change, it cannot be denied that powerful people are trying to use it as a means to impose global control over nations, through green taxes and legislation. These globalists have a strong influence in our government.

                                          #47942
                                          Node

                                            Tatanya Tatyana … sorry again!

                                            #47946
                                            Clark

                                              Extinction Rebellion are rebelling against the toxic system everywhere; there were actions in capital cities all over the world. In Brussels, they were attacked with water cannon, tear gas and baton charges.

                                              “…global control over nations prevention of ecocide, through green taxes and legislation>”

                                              I can’t deny that such measures are needed, and much more besides. Are you opposed to international law, Node? Would you prefer cuts to the Public Sector?

                                              XR get on well with the Met, mostly. It’s the non-violence, see?

                                              #47947
                                              Clark

                                                “Why is police so strict with the Extinction Rebellion?”

                                                In London, they’re not; It’s the other way around…

                                                Members of Extinction Rebellion, some of whom call themselves “Arrestables”, block a road or an office building and, completely non-violently, simply ignore all requests to get out of the way. Police tell them to get out of the way or be arrested. The Arrestables don’t, so they get arrested. I think over 1300 were arrested over the last week.

                                                The police can only process them so fast, and there are only so many cells.

                                                It’s peaceful non-violent direct action. Civil disobedience. In what are usually immense road junctions stuffed furious with traffic, XR set up civil spaces with music, arts, performance, information, free food etc. There are discussion groups anyone can participate in; People’s Assemblies.

                                                It was that lunatic Roger Hallam’s idea; blame him:

                                                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HyaxctatdA

                                                #47948
                                                Tatyana

                                                  Node, Clark, thanks for explaining 🙂
                                                  I’m concerned with ecology, the issue is slowly moving to the public attention in my counry. Ordinary citizens litle by litle learn to sort wastes. I see big bins for plastic in public places. And the most important, we have a civil movement “Чистомен” (like Superman, but Clearman) – enthusiasts clean places and share on the social media, others learn and follow the movement
                                                  https://pikabu.ru/tag/Чистомен/hot

                                                  #47949
                                                  Tatyana

                                                    By the way, what is your opinion on Greta Tunberg?

                                                    #47950
                                                    Tatyana

                                                      Russian defence ministry publishes the map of Nothern Syria, posiions on October 15, 17 p.m.
                                                      Contact line between Syrian government forces and the Turkish army is patrolled by the Russian military police.
                                                      Something’s cooking

                                                      http://syria.mil.ru/files/morf/2019-10-15%20%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BE-%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BA%20%D0%A1%D0%90%D0%A0%2017.00%20-2800.jpg

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