#Nationa state

[shakir2]

Immigrants’ Psychological Recalibration. 

Human Psychology is the most complex, but interesting thing to observe and study. We, human beings, live in societies, tribes, and groups such as extended families, etc. Human behavior and herd psychology are primarily shaped and molded due to his gregariousness, turn of events, and the surroundings he is in. Also honed by his level of skill, education, and economic-situation, etcetera: (often)…

[zvaigzdelasas]

[USA Today is US Private Media]

Lebanon has been attacked by something the world has never seen before ‒ a mass sabotage of electronic devices remotely detonated. Tiny bombs inside pagers and walkie-talkies went off as the devices' users were in homes, supermarkets, buses and on the streets. At least 37 people, including two children, were killed and thousands wounded in two waves of attacks this week. Lebanon's government and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group that uses the nation as a base for its militants, both blamed Israel. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attacks directly, but anyone who pays attention to the Middle East understands that this operation almost certainly originated in Tel Aviv.[...]

On Friday, Israel launched an airstrike that reportedly killed senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil in Beirut. Israeli officials said Hezbollah later fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel.[...]

When you turn pagers into bombs, you have to know that there will be a high risk of collateral damage. The pagers belonged not just to military members of Hezbollah, but also medical staff and others.[...]

[Now,] an entire nation, Lebanon, has been terrorized. Its medical facilities are straining to handle all the bomb victims. Some in Lebanon are comparing the feeling of insecurity to the awful aftermath of the 2020 Beirut dock explosion.[...]

As an American, I financially support Israel with my tax dollars. If they are murdering Lebanese children, then to some extent, I did that.

Sure, Hezbollah’s ability to communicate internally has been gravely damaged, at least momentarily. But this tactic is spurring anger at Israel across all sectors of Lebanese society, and indeed, the Arab world. Iraq is sending medical supplies to Lebanon; Egypt is expressing solidarity.

Will it be harder or easier for Hezbollah to get recruits? The pager and walkie-talkie explosions killed and wounded a few fighters, but there will be three or four replacements for each one who fell.

[E]ven Hezbollah’s fiercest opponents are now rallying to their support.

It also will inevitably cause more and more Americans to wonder if we should be such strong supporters of a nation that uses tactics that terrorize an entire country and inevitably leave behind dead and wounded children.

20 Sep 24

[multiselves]

I had an idea what about like a cluster of selves based on the days of the week and each one is named after a different day and could only present on those days. What do you think?

- 🍭🌿

Okay, I finally finished this! Sorry it took so long, thank you for your patience. I tried to base them on things beings associate with different weekdays, and hopefully that'll come through. Though I really couldn't think of anything for Wednesday and Thursday, I'm still pretty satisfied with how they came out. Btw I never specified which ids are trans, because I really have no way of knowing your cisds? *cartoon gulp* Anyway I hope that's all workable for you :3 Without further ado, I hope you enjoy!

Monday

The basic concept was a very tired businessman, because everyone hates Mondays, right? He's chronically burnt out and just generally tired. He tries to be diligent but honestly he's in no state to be doing favours for other people

Pronouns: he/him and POSSIBLY black/grey/smoke as well if you want, but you cannot tell me a 30 something chronically offline office worker would be using neopronouns

Genders: male, masc, boy+, exhazic, tiredgender, dazegender, humanthing, cigsmokic, lonelygender, blackcoffic

Species: depressingly human

Age: 30 coded, 30-40coded, 30-40 agecluster, demiage

Race/nationality: indian

Xenoidentities: none. this guy has no identity. he exists for the grind

Body: his hands shake a lot, especially when he's nervous. He has eyebags and generally looks visibly tired at all times

Mind: somewhat apathetic, nervous, socially withdraws, "lets get it over with" mentality

Tuesday

I was inspired a lot by the "random Tuesday" meme. You know, that one joke where the most absurd things happen on Tuesdays? I wanted this self to embody a similar destructive chaos

Pronouns: she/he/they/it/that/shi/mew/meow/glitch/eye/spark/holo/rainbow/bark/bite/pink/decora/star/chain/burn/cut/bone/blood/fang/zomb/scream/weird/paint/neon/👾/👽/🦷/🎈/✨/🎉/🎭/🎨/👑/💎/🧩/🧸/🧪/💉/🩹/💊/⛓️‍💥/⛓️/🔪/🚬/🪦/🧮/📸/🪀/✂️/📌/🍕/🍔/🍟/🍖/🥩/🍧/🧁/🍭/🍉/🌷/🧷/⭐/🌠/🌈/⚡/❌/☢️/☣️/🗯️

Genders: girlboy, girl, boy, genderfluid, pangender, genderthing, bitegender, cautionthing, dangerthing, radioactivitan, hazardgender, candygorebodic, nonhumanlexic, glitchgender, electrigender, neonrainbowgender, xenoabominataion, rainbowtoxic, batteracdic, eyestraingender, acidgender, hazardcute, catgender

Species: panspecies but particularly ghost, catboy/girl, god, and eldritch horror. Pinks also nonhuman in a general "i could never be one of them" way

Age: agefluid, their age tends to change based on whatever is most convenient for them? For example if they need to get into an 18+ space

Race/nationaity: panrace/nationality, including xenic ids, though they're presentation fluid

Xenoidentities: decora kei/kidcore/scene inspired fashion. Chains, rainbows, glitchcore, speedcore, horror movies, candygore

Body: height/weightfluid, covered in scars of every type, probably has dyed body hair, rainbow heterochromia, rainbow hair, fangs, star and heart shaped pupils, claws for nails, abnormally strong

Mind: emotionally unstable but kind of just for fun? extra super duper autism (major symptoms are being socially unaware, blunt, extremely sensory seeking, obsessive, and having a disregard for social norms + rules), pantrauma, panharmful (but especially a noncon cannibal)

Other: they have the most insane lore. Genuinely the most insane backstory ever. Sharknado levels of insanity

Wednesday

Wednesday was one of those days that I just couldn't think of anything for, so in the end I decided to do something more unrelated

Pronouns: he (when masc) + she (when fem)/it/that/thing/rot/gut/blood/grime/🦴/🍖/🦷/🥩/🩸

Genders: genderfluid, genderloser, genderlame, genderweirdo, pathetigender, alonegender. Rot tends to present female even when masc, and it considers 🩸self a femboy.

Species: demihuman due to trauma, occasionally a cat kemonomimi depending on that things mood

Age: deathstuck 15

Race/nationality: transjapanese. Or if the primary body is already Japanese, disjapanese (primary race -> white -> Japanese)

Xenoidentities: meatcore, animecore, break/speedcore

Body: very skinny and pale, eye bags, big dark eyes and dark hair, terrible posture

Mind: autistic, self conscious, generally kind of a loser, addicted to the internet, overtly pessimistic. Grime has a very dry, and potentially edgy sense of humour

Other: this mf has NO FRIENDS

Thursday

Thursday is just another one of those days that doesn't have anything associated with it. Thursday is just.. Thursday (ᵕ—ᴗ—)

Pronouns: she/luv/heart/joy/kiss/cake/paw/bun/sweet/soft/cute/heart/cherry/hope/♡/🦑/🪼/🎉/🎀/🍥/🍦/🍧/🍰/🍪/🧁/🍬/🍭/🍡/🍮/🍒/🍓/🌸/🌺/🌷/⭐/🌈/🩷/💗/💖/💌/💫

Genders: fem, paragirl, nonbinary girl, xenogirl, cutegirl, angelgirl, pinkgirl, g♡rl, lacefem, dessertic, strawberric, strawberrycakegender, flanpuddinggender, strawberryheartcakegender, cakegender, chocolatestrawberric, cheesecakegender, creampuffgender, whippedcreamreix, sweetcloudic, pinkbandaidgender, idolfem, purelovic, strawberrybowic, strawberrymilkshakic, sweetiegender, sugargender, sugarcookiegender, genderfluff, fluffycloudgender, cutepastelic, cuteskirtic, lovelettercoric, lovergender, pinkcandygender, poromation, lovebodiment, cupidgender, pinkflux, magicalgirlgender, magicattic, maginurse, idolgender, angelidolic, hopegender, peacecuric, joygender, sprinklesgender, nursejoycharic, cakefrilled, sweetfrilled, sweetmaiden, ribbonfrilled, femfrill, pinkcloudic, cutefrilled, bowgender, cupcakecatgender, cutemelodic, heartcookiegender, pinkgender, pinkribbon, sweetgender

Species: angel aligned human

Age: 19

Race/nationality: white, race apathetic

Xenoidentities: magical cure loveshot, cats, book shops (she finds them cosy), idols, magical girls

Body: very fem cutesy mannerisms, always very energetic, smiles a lot, tends to always be slightly too quiet or slightly too loud, blushes easily, small and light

Mind: 🍡's super kind and sugary sweet, but surprisingly transharmful in the sense that 🍒's pro recovery. ⭐'s not malicious like most pro recovery beings, she's just very misguided

Friday

Friday is the day of the week everyone looks forward to. It's the party day, it's the going out to eat day, it's generally the day where good things start happening. I was really inspired by Aliyah's Interlude, especially her song IT GIRL because of it's confident, sparkly energy

Pronouns: she/zi/her/star/pink/glitz/charm/coral/citrus/lemon/orange/pineapple/cherry/sun/teal/aqua/🐬/🐠/🪸/🦩/✨/🎉/🎵/🍥/🍧/🍣/🍹/🍸/🥂/🥝/🥥/🍇/🍉/🍊/🍋/🍋‍🟩/🍌/🍍/🥭/🍑/🌸/🌺/⭐/🌟/🌈/🌀/🌊/💫 (primarily she because she is "HER".)

Genders: girl, stargirl, coconutgender, tropicalgender, hibiscusgender, candylipbalmgender, hellokittysunscreenic, tropicalcoregender, tropicalfruitemojic, fizzygender, lycheemarblesodic, pinkgender, cherryblossgender, gummysharkic

Species: human

Age: "i became a vampire to suck blood and fuck forever" type energy. Hot forever type energy. 🍋‍🟩 absolutely hoards xenoages

Race/nationality: racefluid between black and white :3 I could not decide between making 🍣 a nice regina george, or going full in with that Aliyah energy

Xenoidentities: IT GIRL, gyaru fashion (she takes a lot of inspo from it), the beach, fruity drinks, over accessorising, cute stuff :3 but in a bold pink bubble writing kind of cute

Body: tanned and tall. Charm has a few tattoos, but nothing big (just cute little stars, dolphins, peace signs etc) hidden away in places you're not likely to see away from the pool

Mind: confident :3

Other: she has a valley girl accent sometimes, and uses a load of slang when talking

Saturday

Saturday is the best day of the week in my opinion. You get to relax a little due to the lesser responsibilities, you get to actually have fun. I definitely associate feelings of leisure with my childhood

Pronouns: he/woof/bark/pup/wag/bone/🐶/🐾‍/🦴

Genders: boy, videogamegender, pikachugender

Species: shapeshifterkin

Age: 8

Race/nationality: aracial

Body: 🦴 has a lot of bruises from running around like a hooligan

Mind: very bookish and thoughtful, but unafraid to go do stupid things like climb a really tall tree, or go on a walk barefooted. Hey, both things can be true at once :3 🐶 has some pretty great problem solving skills

Other: If you prefer he can also be a tomboyish girl, or even flipflop between the two. I'm not totally decided on woofs gender

Sunday

The main things I drew on for Sunday were feelings of comfort, rest, and an almost reverence considering how Sunday is meant to be the day of rest. It was really hard to find good pictures for Sunday unfortunately, Pinterest tends to only have stuff related to younger beings :/

Pronouns: she/they/pie/love/cake/☕/🍪/🥛/🍫

Genders: girl, berrygender, warmgender, comfygender, autumncat, genderautumna, pastromic, browntabbycattic, hotchocoic, teagender, buttertoastic, chocopastry, cookiebuntoastic, pastrygender

Species: human

Age: late 50's-early 60's

Race/nationality: white, southern american

Xenoidentities: n/a

Body: nothing of note, really. But their faceclaim looks slightly older than what I intended. She does give good hugs though

Mind: a very motherly type for sure. She's a good cook, especially when it comes to pastries of any sort. ☕'s got a very calming, comforting aura

Other: christian, has a bit of a southern twang

[tomorrowusa]

Hitler friendly Elon Musk is one of the four members of the "PayPal Mafia" who all have roots in apartheid South Africa.

[T]he world’s richest man insisted he wasn’t trying to be a Nazi, speculation inevitably focused on whether his roots in apartheid-era South Africa offered an insight. [ ... ] Musk is part of the “PayPal mafia” of libertarian billionaires with roots in South Africa under white rule now hugely influential in the US tech industry and politics. They include Peter Thiel, the German-born billionaire venture capitalist and PayPal cofounder, who was educated in a southern African city in the 1970s where Hitler was still openly venerated. Thiel, a major donor to Trump’s campaign, has been critical of welfare programs and women being permitted to vote as undermining capitalism. A 2021 biography of Thiel, called The Contrarian, alleged that as a student at Stanford he defended apartheid as “economically sound”. David Sacks, formerly PayPal’s chief operating officer and now a leading fundraiser for Trump, was born in Cape Town and grew up within the South African diaspora after his family moved to the US when he was young. A fourth member of the mafia, Roelof Botha, the grandson of the apartheid regime’s last foreign minister, Pik Botha, and former PayPal CFO, has kept a lower political profile but remains close to Musk.

Libertarian extremists with apartheid-era mindsets are hardly a coincidence. Musk is the most politically ambitious of the quartet.

Some draw a straight line between Musk’s formative years atop a complex system of racial hierarchy as a white male, in a country increasingly at war with itself as the South African government became ever more repressive as resistance to apartheid grew, and the man we see at Trump’s side today. The week before the inauguration, Steve Bannon, Trump’s former adviser, described white South Africans as the “most racist people on earth”, questioned their involvement in US politics and said Musk was a malign influence who should go back to the country of his birth.

Even Steve Bannon, of all people, considers Musk to be a racist.

Musk's grandfather was a Canadian fascist who moved to South Africa soon after the pro-apartheid National Party came to power.

But for those looking to join dots, there is fodder from Musk’s early life with a neo-Nazi grandfather who moved from Canada to South Africa because he liked the idea of apartheid through his high school education in a system infused with the ideology of white supremacy. Musk’s formative years in the 1980s came amid a cauldron of rebellion in the Black townships which drew a state of emergency and a bloody crackdown by the state. Some whites fled the country. Others marched with the neo-Nazi Afrikaner Resistance Movement against any weakening of apartheid. The South Africa into which Musk was born in 1971, and to which Thiel moved as a child from Germany, was led by a prime minister, John Vorster, who had been a general in a fascist militia three decades earlier that allied itself with Hitler.

The expression "Christian nationalism" (sounds familiar?) is deeply embedded in apartheid South Africa.

Vorster made no secret of his sympathy for Nazi, or National Socialist, ideology which he compared to the Afrikaner political philosophy of Christian nationalism. “We stand for Christian nationalism which is an ally of National Socialism,” he said in 1942. “You can call this anti-democratic principle dictatorship if you wish. In Italy it is called ‘Fascism’, in Germany ‘German National Socialism’ and in South Africa ‘Christian nationalism’.”

In the apartheid era, "Christian national education" was policy in South Africa. Ron DeSantis probably smiles when thinking of that.

Nazism may have been defeated in Europe but Christian nationalism was alive and kicking in South Africa under Vorster, with its own brand of racial classification and stratification justified by the need to keep the “swart gevaar”, or black danger, at bay. In schools, Christian nationalist education sought to forge a South African identity around a singular version of the country’s history. Musk and Thiel were taught that the Afrikaner, mostly the descendants of Dutch colonisers, was the real victim of South Africa’s strife whether at the hands of grasping British imperialists or treacherous Zulu chiefs.

Just to clarify, the early Dutch settlers made up less than two-thirds of Afrikaners. A very large portion were Germans and French Huguenots. This doesn't count the English speakers who arrived over a century later.

Schooling, like much else, was segregated by race for most of the apartheid era and, on paper at least, white pupils across South Africa were subject to the same Christian nationalist education. But white society was itself divided and the historical narrative embraced in Afrikaans-speaking schools could often became the basis for an implicit rejection of apartheid philosophy in English-speaking ones.

It should be pointed out that Musk was sent to a public school which charged tuition – sounds like an oxymoron. In practical terms, only the well off (i.e. whites and "honorary whites") could afford to attend at the time.

Phillip Van Niekerk, former editor of the leading anti-apartheid Mail and Guardian newspaper in Johannesburg, had Afrikaner parents but attended an English-speaking school. He recalled that the official version of history did little to engender support for the apartheid system among a lot of English speakers even if they benefited from it and did little to challenge it. “We hated the National party government. Even our teachers were kind of hostile. It was seen almost like an imposition. Yet you imbibe things through the culture. The truth is we didn’t see Black people quite as equals. We didn’t think about it,” he said.

Musk's pal Peter Thiel was born in Germany but spent much of his childhood in what was known as South West Africa – an illegally held colony of South Africa (now Namibia).

South West Africa had been a German colony until the end of the first world war and Thiel lived for a time in the city of Swakopmund, where he attended a German-language school while his father worked at a nearby uranium mine. At that time, Swakopmund was notorious for its continued glorification of Nazism, including celebrating Hitler’s birthday. In 1976, the New York Times reported that some people in the town continued to greet each other with “Heil Hitler” and to give the Nazi salute. Van Niekerk visited Swakopmund during South African rule. “I was there in the 1980s and you could walk into a curio shop and buy mugs with Nazi swastikas on them. If you’re German and you’re in Swakopmund in the 1970s, which is when Thiel was there, you’re part of that community,” he said.

Back to Elon...

Musk’s father, Errol, was also in the mining business among other interests. He once boasted that his stake in Zambian emerald mines made him “so much money we couldn’t even close our safe”. Musk’s mother, Maye, has said the family owned two homes, a plane, a yacht and a handful of luxury cars. Errol Musk has said that he opposed apartheid and joined the Progressive Federal party but then left because he didn’t like its demand for one person, one vote, and instead favored a more gradual reform with separate parliaments for different races. That was the liberal position inside the Musk family. Musk’s maternal grandfather, Joshua Haldeman, moved from Canada to South Africa in 1950 because he liked the newly elected apartheid government. In the 1930s, Haldeman was the Canadian leader of a fringe political movement originating in the US, Technocracy Incorporated, that advocated abolishing democracy in favor of government by elite technicians but which took on overtones of fascism with its uniforms and salutes. The Canadian government banned Technocracy Incorporated during the second world war as a threat to the country’s security in part for its opposition to fighting Hitler. Haldeman was charged with publishing documents opposing the war and sent to prison for two months. After the war, Haldeman led a separate political party that among other things promoted the antisemitic forgery the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. When that went nowhere, he moved to South Africa because he said he liked the core National party philosophy of Christian nationalism that Vorster likened to Nazism.

So Musk's maternal grandfather spent time in a Canadian prison for his pro-Nazi propaganda during World War II.

Elon moved to Canada after high school to avoid the draft in South Africa at a time the end of white minority rule was looking realistic.

Musk left South Africa in 1988 in the midst of this ferment, two years before FW de Klerk carved out a path to freedom by releasing Nelson Mandela. Had he stayed, Musk faced being conscripted into the military for two years, an obligatory service for white men, that could well have meant fighting in the “border war” in Angola and Namibia or being sent to put down Black protests in the townships. Instead, Musk took Canadian citizenship through his mother and moved to Ontario. Van Niekerk said that, whether he wants to admit it or not, Musk also took a part of South Africa with him. “We all [white South Africans], by the very nature of our privileges and our place in the racial hierarchy, grew up believing we were the master race, even if we didn’t actively think about it,” he said.

If you're interested in the MAGA broligarch connection to apartheid, the Financial Times (archived) had an article about this several months ago. Excerpts...

So what connects these men’s southern African backgrounds with Maga today? Southern Africa under apartheid offered an extreme version of some of the main themes of American life today. First, there was tremendous inequality. The mine where Thiel’s father worked was “known for conditions not far removed from indentured servitude”, writes Thiel’s biographer Max Chafkin. “White managers, like the Thiels, had access to a brand-new medical and dental centre in Swakopmund and membership in the company country club.” The mine’s black migrant workers lived in work camps. To whites of a certain mindset, this inequality wasn’t due to apartheid. They thought it was inscribed in nature. Certain people were equipped to succeed in capitalism, while others weren’t. That was simply the way it was, and it was pointless to try to mess with nature. Two of Thiel’s contemporaries at Stanford in the 1980s recall him telling them that apartheid “works” and was “economically sound”. His spokesman has denied that he ever supported apartheid.

[ ... ] If you’re a libertarian who believes that inequality is natural and lives in fear of race war, you will be drawn towards a certain type of American politics. You certainly won’t want government or institutions to try to intervene against racism. In 1995, a year after the ANC began attempting that in South Africa, Thiel and Sacks, who met at Stanford, published The Diversity Myth in the US. It’s a well-written defence of “western civilisation” against “multiculturalism” (or what the right now calls “woke”), written by two white twentysomethings who are sure racism isn’t the problem. Indeed, they explain: “There are almost no real racists . . . in America’s younger generation.” Three decades later, this duo and Musk, with whom they united in Silicon Valley’s “PayPal mafia”, are backing a white Republican ticket that peddles made-up stories about Black immigrants from Haiti eating pets.

MAGA apologists who post pictures of Hilary Clinton or Bernie Sanders waving at supporters claim that Musk was doing the same thing that they were. But Hillary and Bernie certainly don't have the racist Nazi personal histories which Elon Musk and his PayPal buddies have. Context über alles.

BONUS: The graphic from the FT article...

This post got way long. 😵‍💫 There was just a lot of material – with some fact checking necessary for the additional interweaving bits.

[usafphantom2]

The cover artwork of the novel Firefox by Craig Thomas depicted a MiG-25, and the plane was described similarly to the MiG-25 in the book.

The Soviet MiG-25 (NATO code-name “Foxbat”) was a high-speed interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft entered service in 1970 and has a top speed of Mach 2.83, powerful radar, and could carry up to four air-to-air missiles.

A capable interceptor, the MiG-25 was widely exported by the Soviet Union.

The MiG-25’s capabilities were not discovered until 1976 when Viktor Belenko, a Soviet MiG-25 pilot, defected to Japan.

Subsequent analysis revealed a simple-yet-functional design with vacuum-tube electronics, two massive turbojet engines, and sparing use of advanced materials such as titanium.

The Soviet government put pressure on Japan, demanding the delivery of the purloined ‘Foxbat’ pronto. Since there were no legal reasons not to, the MiG-25 was returned, in dismantled and crated condition. The Japanese did it on purpose to cover up the ‘surgery’ they and the U.S. intelligence experts had undertaken on the MiG.

However the Soviet experts were quick to find out just how much the West actually knew. When the MiG-25 was returned to the USSR it was determined that the Americans had run the engines and measured the aircraft’s infra-red signature and also made a detailed analysis of the systems and avionics, including the radar, and the structural materials. Not knowing how to operate the equipment, the Americans had damaged some of it and had to make hasty repairs (foreign fuses and resistors were discovered in the radar set).

The incident got the world press going wild with stories about the MiG-25 and U.S. Defence Secretary Schlesinger stated that the new Soviet interceptor was a sufficiently potent weapon to bring about drastic changes to the Western weapons systems and strategies.

Belenko’s defection was also mentioned in the novel Firefox by Craig Thomas, on which Clint Eastwood’s movie is based. According to an interesting post appeared on Quora, in the book there’s a mail conversation (the snail mail kind, since it was published in 1977 and takes place a short time after) in which they discuss Belenko’s defection. Someone argues that the new MiG-31 Firefox is not a big deal, since they already have Belenko’s MiG-25, while someone else argues that the MiG-31 is a completely different beast.

Clint Eastwood in Firefox

Then, as MiG-31 flies for the first time, NATO has everything in the air to spy on it, and nobody could see anything on the radar. They conclude that the MiG-31 not only is faster than anything and features a revolutionary fire control system controlled by thought, but also is invisible to radar, and that they have to steal one.

And that’s when the book begins in earnest, and also where the movie starts.

Since the defection of Victor Belenko was widely mentioned at the time, the publisher had an unusual large first print run, gambling on the publicity of Belenko’s defection to push up the sales.

In fact Craig Thomas was inspired by the awesome performance of the MiG-25, and then Belenko defected as he was finishing the book and thus included in the letters.

Fun fact: the cover artwork depicted a MiG-25, and the plane was described similarly to the MiG-25 in the book. In the sequel, Firefox Down, the description was more like the MiG-31 in the 1982 movie.

MiG-31 Firefox

Full-scale MiG 31 Firefox mockup used in the film “Firefox” parked at Van Nuys Airport, California in May 1982

Fun fact 2: The artwork on the Swedish paperback translation of Firefox instead depicted a canard and double-delta aircraft, pretty similar to the Swedish JA-37 Viggen.

JA-37 Viggen

Photo credit: Screenshot from YouTube video, CIA, Dmitriy Pichugin and MilborneOne via wikipedia

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

NEXT US Navy selects Commercial Dismantlement plan to dismantle and dispose USS Enterprise (CVN-65), the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier » PREVIOUS « F-8 Pilot recalls how a good brief by his Flight Lead saved his bacon during a night carrier landing with his Crusader radio not working

Leave a Comment

SHARE

PUBLISHED BY

Dario Leone

TAGS:

MiG-25MiG-25 FoxbatMiG-31MiG-31 FoxhoundViktor Belenko

t

Fedotov MiG-25RB altitude world record

[gunelle]

Photos and texts: @ed_cooper_photography

1-. Here we see the slightly creepy and surreal Dolls Theater formation, in Big Room Cave, Carlsbad Caverns NAtional Park. New Mexico. Image taken Feb. 1975!

2-. Here we seen sunrise on El Morro, rising about 60m, above the valley floor, located in El Morro National Monument, New Mexico

3-. Tower fall, 40m., with a rainbow, in the northeast part of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. This waterfall is in the Absaroka Mountain Range and feeds the Yellowstone River

4-. Here we see a mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus, taken yesterday right next to our home here on Sonoma Mountain, California, in the Cooper Biological Preserve

5-. A Confederate wall carving by Augustus Lukeman of, left to right, Jefferson davis, Robert E. Lee & Stonewall Jackson on Stone Mountain, Georgia

6-. Canadian Rockies

7-. El Morro Nat. Monument. New Mexico

8-. Havasu Falls, in the Havasupai Indian reservation, in the Grand Canyon (but not in the national park)

9-. Here we see a road leading us to Mt. Shasta (4317m.), in the northern part of California

10-. Here we see a rock pinnacle in the Cimarron Palisades, Cimarron Canyon State Park, New Mexico

11-. Here we see King's Peak, 4123m., the highest peak in the state of Utah, in the high pristine Uintas Wilderness Area

12-. Here we see Mt. Hope (4217m), reflected in a pond in Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, Colorado (13-6-2014)

13-. Here we see Pink Mountain Heather, in the Northern Picket Range, of North Cascades Nationa Park, Washington

14-. Here we see Rodeo Beach with Sea Fig Ice Plant in the foreground, in the Marin Headlands, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, just north of San Francisco, California

15-. Here we see the amazing Valley of Ten Peaks, in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

16-. Here we see the China Wall formation in Slaughter Canyon Cave (new cave) in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. New Mexico - Feb. 1975

17-. Here we see the lighthouse and Black Sand Beach at Point Bonita, in the Marin Headlands, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, just north of San Francisco, California

18-. Here we see the lighthouse and natural rock arch at Point Bonita, in the Marin Headlands, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, just north of San Francisco, California

[eurovision-revisited]

1998 Birmingham - Number 16 - Nurlaila - "Alsof je bij me bent"

With the Nationaal Songfestival in the Netherlands, you're never entirely sure what you're going to get. Some years have been amazing, other years... ...less so. 1998 is bit of a vintage year though. There are some exceptionally strong singers with Nurlaila among them.

Here, she's at the start of a long and successful stage career in musicals. She's in Miss Saigon, but only as understudy and in the ensemble. Alsof je bij me bent (Like You're with Me) is what got her noticed. A power ballad written for the singer to blast her voice and her emotions with the volume turned up to eleven. Nurlaila does not disappoint. The audience reacts after recovering from their stunned state.

It's a woman in a relationship, but with the love gone. She's going through the motions but desperately wanting her love back - but they've checked out. The spark has died and it ain't being rekindled. Nurlaila's stage training is visible as her face moves between despair and anger.

The voting in the Nationaal Songfestival this year was a little weird. It was a 50/50 jury/televote split. The winner ran away with the televote leaving only crumbs for the other acts. The jury vote was much more even. The winner scored points from every judge, but Nurlaila got the most maximum 10s, yet also failed to score any points at all with one judge. She came second overall, but there was a gulf in points between her and the winner.

As a result of this she was the Dutch fans selection to enter the OGAE second chance contest for 1998 - and she did win that, beating several other entries in my list for this year, including Şebnem Paker. Possibly one of the strongest OGAE second chance contests ever.

This was her only attempt at entering Eurovision, but what a way to make a mark. Since 1998, she's barely left the stage. Most recently she's appeared in a tribute to Tina Turner and is currently (as of 2023) appearing in The Bodyguard. It's not just Eurovision that launches careers, sometimes the national finals can do so too.

[steviedegrae]

Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the 16 German states. Its capital is Kiel; other larger cities include Lübeck and Flensburg. Historically, the name can also refer to a larger region, containing both present-day Schleswig-Holstein and the former South Jutland County in Denmark. Lübeck was the center of the Hanse, and its city center is a World Heritage Site today. Thomas Mann was born here. The Duchy of Schleswig/Southern Jutland was originally an integral part of Denmark, but was in medieval times established as a fief under the Kingdom of Denmark, with the same relation to the Danish Crown as, for example, Brandenburg or Bavaria vis-à-vis the Holy Roman Empire. 

In the western parts, there are lowlands with virtually no hills. The North Frisian Islands, as well as most of the North Sea coast, form the Nationalpark Wattenmeer (Wadden Sea Nationa Park), which is the largest national park in Central Europe. Germany’s only high-sea island, Helgoland, is situated in the North Sea. The Baltic Sea coast to the east is marked by bays, fjords, and cliffs, with rolling hills and lakes. Islands are Fehmarn, Rügen, Usedom, Poel, Ummanz und Hiddensee.

The longest river is the Elbe; the most important waterway is the Kiel Canal which connects the North and Baltic Seas. The region has been strongly Protestant since the time of Reformation. Nowadays, members of the Lutheran / Evangelical Church make up 53% of the population, Catholics only 6%, and 41% of the population is non-religious or other. 

Schleswig-Holstein combines German and Danish aspects of culture. The castles and manors in the countryside are the best example for this tradition; some dishes like Rote Grütze (Danish: Rødgrød) are also shared, as well as surnames such as Hansen, DIederichsen, etc. The most important festivals are the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, an annual classic music festival, and the Lübeck Nordic Film Days for movies from Scandinavian countries. The annual Wacken Open Air festival is considered to be the largest heavy metal festival in the world.

Kiel Week is an annual sailing regatta that has been held in Kiel since the end of the 19th century. It is considered one of the largest sailing events in the world. In recent decades, it has also developed into a folk festival in large parts of downtown Kiel, although the core of the event has always remained the sailing competitions. Thus, in addition to the sporting aspects, Kiel Week offers an extensive cultural program with over 2,000 individual events. These include performances by both international and local artists, who offer live music in around 500 concerts on some 20 stages. Every year, around 3 to 4 million guests visit Kiel Week, including numerous naval units from over 14 nations, more than 4,000 sailors from 47 nations and over a dozen city delegations.

[mariacallous]

Using household surveys and administrative data from a variety of high-income countries, Zachary Parolin of Bocconi University and co-authors find that poor children are much more likely to become poor adults in the United States than elsewhere. In the U.S., the mean poverty rate of adults who spent all their childhood in poverty is 43 percentage points higher than that of adults with no child poverty exposure, compared to just 21 percentage points in Australia, 16 percentage points in the U.K., 15 percentage points in Germany, and 8 percentage points in Denmark.  Weak tax and transfer policies in the U.S. account for a large part of the cross-country differences in the intergenerational persistence of poverty. If the U.S. adopted the tax and transfer policies of its high-income peers, the intergenerational persistence of poverty would fall by more than a third, the authors estimate.

[klbmsw]

This is some messed up stupid shit....All the issues in this country that need a solution and THIS is their focus.....We must vote every last one of them out of office.....

[republicansaredomesticterrorists]

Most people just don’t get that under Ron DeSatan and Greg Abbott the red states of Floriduh and Tex-ass are for all intents and purposes no longer part of the United States. I’m not exaggerating or being sarcastic here, I’m dead serious. These states stopped following US laws and have refused to obey directives from the Federal Government, Federal Courts, and the White House. They also have refused to respect the laws of other states or to respect established reciprocal agreements as set forth by the Constitution.

They have both expanded state guards that answer only to their governors. These are not to be confused with the Nationa Guard that answers to the Department of Defense and the President. They are run by state level military departments and their respective governors. They are state militias/private armies. Texas has used its state guard to occupy federal land and prevent the Federal Government to enforce customs and immigration laws.

President Biden has taken them to court but even when ordered to desist these states have refused to back down. Both states use their law enforcement and guard units to persecute and imprison political rivals and non-compliant businesses. And as everyone knows they have both assumed the right to enforce their own immigration laws which are a strictly federal jurisdiction. They have even taken to prosecuting their own female citizens for reproductive decisions made in other states. They’re even trying to prosecute out of state doctors for violating the laws of those states which is preposterous. They’ve also taken it upon themselves to allow residents to carry weapons on the properties of others.

None of this is normal. President Lincoln would have sent the military into those states by now. We can no longer use kid gloves and play by the old rules with MAGAt Republicans and hostile red state legislatures, governors, and state attorneys general (Ken Paxton). These are fascist semi-autonomous entities within our borders. They are flaunting their defiance and encouraging other red states to follow suit.

We either crack down on these self-appointed dictators or allow them to secede because we are on the brink of a civil war. A war that may happen no matter what they or we do at this point. It won’t be a simple war along a regional border like a first Civil War. It will be fought in every state and county in the nation. There will be terrorism, bombings, assassinations, and the closing of power grids and supply chains. The revenge killings will go on for years. There’s a good chance the entire nation will slip into anarchy which is exactly what our foreign geo-political rivals want.

Indeed it is why Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and other state and non-state actors are currently encouraging. It’s no secret the Republican Party has been purchased by our foreign adversaries and domestic renegade fascist oligarchs.

This woman was arrested for WORDS.

We should rally for her as much as the guy who actually shot someone. Push back.

[lestudio1-bernardbujold]

ÉTATS-UNIS ET CANADA-

Par Bernard Bujold - Le président des États Unis Donald Trump a mal positionné le débat au sujet des tarifs et des frontières qu’il veut imposer à divers pays dont le Canada.

Dans les faits, les États Unis veulent dévaluer leur dollar et pour se faire ils veulent augmenter leurs exportations vers les autres pays.

Une analyse économique démontre clairement la logique de cet objectif de la parité du dollar.

Donald aime cependant garder le débat simple et parfois, il n’explique pas en détail ses arguments économiques…

Il aime adresser ses discours au peuple, plutôt qu’à l’élite!

VOIR ANALYSE LA PRESSE

https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/chroniques/2025-01-24/tarifs-et-economie/dans-la-tete-de-donald-trump.php

UNITED STATES AND CANADA

By Bernard Bujold -

U.S. President Donald Trump has mispositioned the debate on the tariffs and borders he wants to impose on various countries, including Canada.

The U.S. wants to devalue its dollar and increase its exports to other countries.

An economic analysis demonstrates the logic of this dollar parity objective.

But Donald likes to keep things simple, and sometimes he doesn't explain his economic arguments in detail...

He likes to address his speeches to the people rather than the elite!

SEE PRESS ANALYSIS

https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/chroniques/2025-01-24/tarifs-et-economie/dans-la-tete-de-donald-trump.php

[usatodaynews121]

Ohio State’s Toughness Transformation: Ryan Day’s Journey to the Nationa...

[oliviaphleb]

Open Your Future: Top 5 Phlebotomy Certificate Programs You Need to Know About in 2023

Unlock ⁣Your Future: top 5 Phlebotomy Certificate Programs You need ⁤to ⁢Know About in 2023

Are you interested in a rewarding career in the ‌healthcare sector? Phlebotomy is ⁣a vital role in patient care, and pursuing a phlebotomy certificate can open doors to various job opportunities. In‌ this guide, we will delve into the top five phlebotomy certificate programs available in 2023 that can set you on the path to ⁤a successful career.

What⁣ is⁣ Phlebotomy?

Phlebotomy is the practice of drawing blood from patients ‌for medical testing, transfusions, or donations. Phlebotomists work in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. As a phlebotomist, you’ll play a crucial role in patient care and‍ diagnostic procedures.

Benefits of a Phlebotomy Certificate

rapid Entry into the Workforce: Phlebotomy training programs are usually short-term, ⁤allowing for a swift transition into employment.

High‌ Demand for Professionals: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a ⁤steady growth in the phlebotomy field,meaning plenty of job opportunities.

Flexible Work Environments: Phlebotomists can work in various settings, from hospitals to ‌outpatient labs.

Competitive Salaries: With experience and certification, ⁢you can earn a‍ competitive salary and enjoy benefits in the healthcare ‌sector.

Top 5 Phlebotomy Certificate Programs in 2023

Program Name

Location

Duration

Cost

Accreditation

1. National Career ​Institute

Online/Hybrid

4 months

$2,500

ACCREDITED

2. American Red ⁢Cross

Nationwide

9 weeks

$1,500

ACCREDITED

3. Career Step

Online

4-5 months

$2,295

ACCREDITED

4. Penn Foster

Online

4⁤ months

$1,299

ACCREDITED

5. Louisiana State University

In-person

5 weeks

$1,800

ACCREDITED

1. National Career Institute

The national Career Institute offers a comprehensive ​phlebotomy program that combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on training. This ⁤4-month hybrid course allows students to engage in practical sessions online and ⁢in-person, equipping ​them with the essential skills.

2.american Red Cross

Known for its significant impact on humanitarian efforts,the​ American Red Cross offers an ⁣excellent phlebotomy training course. Spanning 9 weeks, this ⁤program ​not only covers the technical aspects but also instills a deep sense of​ ethical obligation ⁣in future phlebotomists.

3. Career Step

Career Step provides a flexible and self-paced online phlebotomy​ training program. With a ​duration of 4-5 months, students​ can learn at their own pace, fitting studies into their busy ‌schedules without compromising the quality of education.

4. Penn Foster

Penn Foster offers‌ an affordable and efficient online phlebotomy training program that takes about 4 ‍months to complete. This program is well-structured⁣ and includes extensive study material that prepares students for the certification exam.

5. Louisiana State University

For those seeking an intense and focused learning experience, the phlebotomy program at⁢ LSU covers⁢ necessary ⁢hands-on skills and theoretical knowledge in just 5 weeks. This program ⁣is ideal for⁣ individuals ready⁤ to dive deep into their career quickly.

Practical Tips for Success ⁤in Phlebotomy

Practice Communication Skills: Phlebotomists​ must⁣ interact with patients regularly. Enhance your communication skills to build trust and ensure ⁢patient comfort.

Understand Anatomy: Familiarize⁤ yourself‍ with human ‌anatomy, especially veins ​and⁣ arteries, which will make drawing blood easier.

Stay Updated: ​ Healthcare practices continuously evolve. Stay abreast of trends and new technologies in phlebotomy.

Obtain Certification: Consider additional certifications to broaden your job prospects and knowledge base.

Case Studies and First-Hand‍ Experience

Many successful phlebotomists share stories of how their training transformed their careers. For instance, sarah, a graduate from the National Career ⁢Institute, ‌reflected on her experience:

“My phlebotomy training was hands-on, which was incredibly ‌beneficial. Not only did I learn the technical skills, but I also felt confident interacting with patients. ‌My career⁤ took off as⁤ soon as I completed my certification.”

This conversion story mirrors countless others who have pursued their dreams through⁤ reputable phlebotomy ⁣programs in 2023.

Conclusion

Choosing‌ the right phlebotomy certificate program​ is crucial for unlocking your future ⁢in the healthcare ⁢field. Whether you opt for online adaptability or hands-on learning in a classroom, the ‍programs highlighted‍ in this article are designed to equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed. With a certified phlebotomy education, you can embark on a fulfilling career and make a tangible difference in people’s ​lives.

So, take the first step today towards a rewarding career in phlebotomy and embrace the opportunities⁢ that await you in this vital healthcare profession.

https://phlebotomytechnicianschools.org/open-your-future-top-5-phlebotomy-certificate-programs-you-need-to-know-about-in-2023/

[explicus]

In Haarlem Damstraat. The Netherlands  

Photo by Henk Hilterman (Dutch, 1922-2015), 1949.

The Nationaal Archief (Dutch National Archives) The Netherlands

---------------------------

In 1658, Peter Stuyvesant, the Director-General of the Dutch colony of Nieuw Nederland (New Netherland), founded the settlement of Nieuw Haarlem in the northern part of Manhattan Island as an outpost of Nieuw Amsterdam (New Amsterdam) at the southern tip of the island. After the English capture of New Netherland in 1664, the new English colonial administration renamed both the colony and its principal city "New York," but left the name of Haarlem more or less unchanged. The spelling changed to Harlem in keeping with contemporary English usage, and the district grew (as part of the borough of Manhattan) into the vibrant centre of African American culture in New York City and the United States generally by the 20th century.

Henk Hilterman, Silhouette of Father and Son in the Dark with the newly purchased Christmas Tree walking down the Street, 1949

[mongowheelie]

OPINION: Pager attack in Lebanon was terrorism. And Americans helped pay for it.

Source: USA TODAY

OPINION: Pager attack in Lebanon was terrorism. And Americans helped pay for it.

Source: USA TODAY