Odds and Ends — 18 March 2022
I’m becoming more and more convinced that the best way to advance through Silver is by leveling up. Peace through superior firepower.
Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, and Debt:
The Internet of Beer: Robotics startup taps Bitcoin to deliver automated beverage
More evidence that TPTB are terrified of crypto: Argentine Senate to Vote on IMF Agreement Discouraging Use of Cryptocurrencies
The provision, entitled “Strengthening financial resilience,” says: “To further safeguard financial stability, we are taking important steps to discourage the use of cryptocurrencies with a view to preventing money laundering, informality and disintermediation.”
Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot. That’s a whole new level of FUD.
Coronavirus News, Analysis, and Opinion:
Covid Surge in Europe Has U.S. Bracing for New Wave
A surge in coronavirus infections in Western Europe has experts and health authorities on alert for another wave of the pandemic in the United States, even as most of the country has done away with restrictions after a sharp decline in cases.
Politics:
I take this as a very good sign that things are not going well on the home front: Kremlin: many people in Russia are behaving like traitors
No verification of the story yet, but quite telling if true: Fearing Poisoning, Vladimir Putin Replaces 1,000 of His Personal Staff
And if you’re afraid of that many people, how much faith can you have in their replacements?
Russia claims its only hitting military targets. What does the Kyiv Mayor say to that? "BULLSHIT!" he spits. A former boxing champion, Vitale Klitschko delivers knockout sound bites that get straight to the point. Feel free to share #Ukraine #Kyiv pic.twitter.com/GvFs7ZWIUz
— Chris Reason (@ChrisReason7) March 16, 2022
Russian General Killed Talking on Unsecured Phone
Two American military officials said that many Russian generals are talking on unsecured phones and radios. In at least one instance, they said, the Ukrainians intercepted a general’s call, geolocated it, and attacked his location, killing him and his staff.
Putin is targeting and slaughtering civilians in a brutal unprovoked war against Ukraine, a sovereign democratic nation.
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) March 17, 2022
Only the Kremlin and their useful idiots would call that “a conflict in which peace agreements have been violated by both sides.”
pic.twitter.com/Ld9WomOStd
Biden Calls Putin a ‘Pure Thug’ and ‘Murderous Dictator’
So, “war criminal” was not a one-off.
Diplomats Near Iran Nuclear Agreement
As the war in Ukraine rages on, diplomats trying to salvage the languishing 2015 Iran nuclear deal have been forging ahead with negotiations despite distractions caused by the conflict. They now appear to be near the cusp of a deal that would bring the U.S. back into the accord and bring Iran back into compliance with limits on its nuclear program.
After 11 months of on-and-off talks in Vienna, U.S. officials and others say only a very small number of issues remain to be resolved. Meanwhile, Russia appears to have backed down on a threat to crater an agreement over Ukraine-related sanctions that had dampened prospects for a quick deal.
What The Heck Is U.S. Extremist Matt Shea Doing In Poland With 60 Ukrainian Kids?
The far-right former Washington state legislator Matt Shea is in a small town in Poland with a bunch of children that he says are orphan refugees from Ukraine. The local Poles are wary, and some basic questions have gone unanswered.
Putin Likely to Make Nuclear Threats?
Kremlin’s occupation blueprint goes up in smoke as Ukraine fights back
The pushback by Ukrainians has not only upended the occupation script but shattered illusions about the Kremlin’s mastery of political manipulation, much as the Ukrainian military’s unlikely successes have shattered the image of Russia as overwhelming military power. It is also confronting Putin with an uncomfortable reality: Even if he prevails militarily, long-term political defeat is virtually certain. Unlike Russians, who have tolerated authoritarianism for decades, Ukrainians took to the streets for pro-democracy revolutions in 2004 and 2013 and, no doubt, would do so again.
Ukraine conducted a “special operation” and rescued #Melitopol mayor Ivan Fedorov from captivity in the occupied #Luhansk! Melitopol is Ukraine! Thank you all who supported the #FreeIvanFedorov hashtag! #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/UQHpZPngNT
— olexander scherba🇺🇦 (@olex_scherba) March 16, 2022
For what it’s worth (Pry is after all a member of the Military Industrial Complex): The Nuclear 9/11 In Our Future
Former Republican National Chairman and Montana Governor Blasts Trump
“My unease with Donald Trump didn’t just begin with his recent remarks concerning the barbaric invasion of Ukraine. It goes back to his arrival on the national scene roughly seven years ago. Montana is a place where there is appreciation for leaders who speak their minds, but an expectation they will also stick to the facts. It is also a place where drivel and deceit are quickly set aside as a waste of precious time. And, frankly, Donald Trump is wasting our time.”
Meanwhile, Republicans think fighting for freedom means punching a flight attendant for asking you to wear a mask. pic.twitter.com/taXngP80N1
— Middle Age Riot (@middleageriot) March 16, 2022
Serendipity:
The most remarkable Star Trek episode ever made
