jas007

A few links on research: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8970839/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9137692/ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fft2.207

For me, it’s not a matter of “supporting “ one side or the other. It all comes down to try to understand what is happening and why. What is the historical context? Does this war make any sense? What happens if it continues? How and why did it start, and when? What was the role of the United States in instigating the overthrow of a democratically elected president in Ukraine in 2014? Secret CIA bases in Ukraine? What about the Ukrainian treatment of Russian speaking people in the Donbas over the years? Genocide? US funded biolabs in Ukraine? It’s all a mess that needs to stop, sooner rather than later. “Supporting “ one side or the other is counterproductive. To think otherwise is to accept the consequences of continuing escalation. WW III. Billions of deaths and the end of the world as we know it. How does that make and sense?

Anyone remember reading about the UFOs that somehow switched off the nukes? It was a temporary thing, but I wouldn’t doubt it. Maybe the aliens will save humanity from the Neocons.

Whoever reacted. Why do you think that was funny? I thought the people who treated me were very professional. They knew what they were doing and they have all the latest equipment.

I think I had it one time, two or three years ago. It lasted for about 24 hours and that was that. No big deal, but I was healthy. Lots of sunshine (vitamin D), and Zinc and Quercetin on a daily basis. So it was a one day cold. I’ve never been jabbed. I’m not stupid and I’m healthy to this day, even though I’ve been running around the world without a mask for the last few years. Anyone paying attention to the real news in early 2020 must surely have realized that information relating to COVID was being heavily censored. True facts were scrubbed from the internet almost instantly. The narrative was controlled. And the officials told one lie after another. I remember watching my Twitter feed. Someone would post something obviously true, and yet that post would be gone in 30 seconds if it didn’t follow the official narrative. That was enough for me. Whatever was going on, I wasn’t going to be one of their victims.

Look into the Edelweiss Dental House. I needed a routine dental checkup and I had seen a YouTube video by the “Retired Working for You” guy, Chris Parker. Anyway, I figured I’d give them a try. It worked out well. I’d go back.

A nuclear war would be bad for everyone on earth, and especially bad for those who survive the first few hours. I think many people fall to realize the extent to which we now live in a global environment. There would be no winners. The catastrophe would be a global affair. Would the internet survive a global thermonuclear war? Would ATM machines still work? What about your fiat currency? Would you still be able to obtain whatever medication you need? What about cell phone service? Food distribution? Oil? Food? Electricity? Water? Face it. You would be screwed.

For sure, the new M-4 IPad Pros are still not as good as the new M3 MacBook Air, but that’s more a function of the software than anything. I now have both, just in case. We’ll have to see what Mac OS 18 brings. Supposedly, the new M4 chip is designed for better AI performance. On a day to day basis, I find myself using the IPad Pro. Smaller, lighter, and easier to use. I still have a laptop simply because I’d feel bad without one. I bough my first computer in the early 80s and have had one ever since. I’d feel deprived without at least having a laptop with a computer OS.

Somehow, my condo came with a a streaming service already in place. I don’t pay anything extra. Most of the channels are junk, but what do you want for free? I think a lot of the channels are grabbed off the internet somehow, as once in a while a channel will freeze and then I see a browser onscreen until someone finally fools around with it to regain the signal. The channels go from 1 to 900. Shopping channels, news channels, sports channels, movie channels, etc. Mostly, though, I use my Apple TV gizmo and stream some of the apps I can get on that. I already subscribe to Nord VPN, and there’s a Nord VPN app for Apple TV, in case there’s a channel that is restricted to the USA. Anyway, there are tons of free movies on channels like Tubi and Freevee. I also subscribe to Apple TV+, and have some content on Amazon Prime. And of course, there’s always YouTube. Also, I can cast anything I want from my IPad to to the Apple TV box. I realize there are probably cheaper alternatives.

Fictional essays? Here’s the situation, in reality: Regardless of NATOs intentions towards Russia, what matters is Russia’s perception. Russia perceives a credible threat, and the West has to deal with Russia in reality, not in some delusional fantasyland. And that’s what the West gets from its spin doctors. A delusional fantasy. Unfortunately, some people believe that fantasy, and so the world is now in grave danger. Russia “slogging away” at Ukraine? That’s the propaganda, to be sure. In reality, Russia hasn’t really been at war. They’re taking it slow on purpose. They term it an “special military operation.” And that strategy seems to be working. Ukraine has lost 500.000 soldiers and is running out of fresh meat for the meat grinder. If Russia was really at war with Ukraine, Kiev would have been reduced to rubble by now.

Human wave attacks? What makes you think that’s in the cards? It would be NATO doing the attacking, trying to recapture territory already in Russian hands. They’re dug in and have excellent artillery. They’re already in place. They have excellent air defense systems. If NATO doesn’t like the current state of affairs , it will be NATO on the offensive. And don’t forget the weather, the mud, and the terrible winters. Historically, it hasn’t worked out too well for invading armies trying to conquer Russia. Napoleon failed. Hitler failed. And as I’ve said, if nothing else, it’s a numbers game, and NATO simply doesn’t have the soldiers. As for the Iraq war? As I recall, it took months and months to assemble the troops and equipment. And months of “softening up” the enemy with B52 bombers. You really can’t compare Russia to Iraq. Different armies and a completely different set of circumstances on the ground. And in any real war, Russia won’t be sitting back simply watching the preparations. Anyway, some people seem to be living in a fantasy world. As if there’s a massive US military ready to go at a moment’s notice, and with the wave of a magic wand, massive armies could be assembled . Things don’t work that way. Sure, the US could send over the 82nd airborne or other troops at a moment’s notice, but that wouldn’t be too effective. Look at a map. It’s a huge area.

It was time for a new IPad Pro, so I picked one up the other day. 11” base model. M4 chip and 256 GB of storage, which is more than enough for me, I think. Anyway, it gets two thumbs up. The display is fantastic. You can also get a keyboard, if you need one of those, although the Apple key isn’t cheap. Around $300 US.

The US and NATO seem to believe the next war will be not unlike WW II. They’re living in the past. As for what I understand? I understand that neither the US nor NATO can fight a ground war with Russia and win. Absolutely not. They can’t put enough boots on the ground, and certainly not on short notice. Gearing up for a major conflict halfway around the world would take months. Remember, the current state of the U.S. military is abysmal. They can’t even meet recruiting goals, and they haven’t fought in a real war in years. What does the Army have? 400,000 active duty soldiers? Old equipment designed for WW II. And of the 400,000 active duty soldiers, only a fraction of those would be serving in combat units on the front lines. Russia has over a million soldiers, ready to go, they’re on their home turf, and they can manufacture military equipment and ammunition faster than the West. They have one of the world’s best air defense systems, and they have adapted to the modern environment. In short, they have all the same technology the Wast has and can win, contrary to what you might hear from the official spin doctors. The US has a military capable of fighting small countries that can’t or won’t fight back. Haiti, for example, or Panama or Iraq. Ditto for Europe. Small armies not capable of a prolonged war and with no real experience. So, to think that NATO is going to turn the tide and defeat Russia is silly. It can’t happen. And when the delusional politicians finally realize that, what then? Nukes? We all better hope certain people wake up before it’s too late.

Russia is a joke?? Hardly. Maybe years ago the Soviet Union was in disarray, but today, no. Of course, the Western propaganda machine continues to spew nonsense about an “antiquated “ Russian military, incapable of fighting the West. That’s what they want people to believe. And maybe some gullible politicians actually believe the lie. But in reality, the Russian military is very much up to date and very well equipped for a modern war in Europe. The West simply does not have the manpower or equipment to match them in a ground war. The US has an air force and a bunch of aircraft carriers. Not too many combat arms troops. Much of its equipment is old, designed and manufactured years ago. Together with NATO, they couldn’t put together much of a combat force on the ground. Some military experts realize this, but far too many are beholden to the war machine. They tell their masters what they want to hear. And they all seem to be listening to delusional war mongers. The Neocons. People who don’t live in the real world. What happens when the ground war fails? Escalation. It’s a scary situation.

Each state has its own criteria as to what it takes to be a resident for tax purposes. And the extent to which any particular state will actively search out “residents” will vary. I think you might be ok if you file your taxes from Thailand and never set foot in the state of your U.S. address. If the issue ever comes up, you can simply state that you were using that address simply to collect your U.S. mail.

I’d like to think not. Probably because things usually work out without such dire consequences. Unfortunately, the politicians in Europe and DC seem to be caught up in some sort of mass delusion and may actually believe their own nonsense. And that’s scary. Firing missiles into Russia is a bad idea. With any luck, Western politicians will have a moment of clarity and realize that the unipolar world is rapidly fading away. Western hegemony cannot be maintained.

Same here. It works all over the world. It’s not cheap, though, all things considered. I looked the other day. My portion is around $324 a month, if I remember correctly. On top of that, the government pays twice that amount, so the total cost of the policy is almost $1000 a month. On top of that, I also pay for Medicare Part B. I forget what the cost of that amounts to. Over $200, I think.

Update on my dislocated IOL: Another doctor, more tests. The IOL is dislocated but it’s still in the capsular bag and is intact. The hospital is obtaining approval from my insurance company, and I’ll have surgery in a few weeks, under general anesthesia.

I’m afraid you may have to pay the cost of the exam. They hold you hostage before you get a prescription. Are you near, Mexico by any chance? You might be able to get the medicine there without a prescription.

Using ink on fingerprint cards is still the norm? I thought the technology had advanced to the point where it could be done with a computer scan of some sort. In another life, years ago, I had a job supervising a bunch of people who processed paperwork for the Department of Justice and the State Department. Fingerprint cards that were not done carefully caused a lot of trouble. Smudges, smears, etc. I’m sure a lot of people were more than annoyed at the process when they had to have fingerprints taken for a second time.

Other than retirees with an independent source of income or those able to work remotely, moving abroad isn’t really an option for most people. But for those who are able, why not? Take your American dollars and experience another culture. My guess is that not many people in America have that dream. They have too many obligations in the US or they don’t have the proper mindset. And so they accept their reality.

Supposedly, Russia has one of the best air defense systems in the world. So to term them “helpless” is probably wrong. Maybe they’re just exercising extreme constraint? That’s been evident from the beginning. They’re proceeding with caution. At some point, though, my guess is that they’ll change their tactics. Putin will have no choice. As a side note, Ukraine now has access to Palantir software. Artificial intelligence for the battlefield, so to speak. Russian targets being selected by a computer using real time data? I guess I’ve been making some nice gains this year, as I’ve been loading up on the stock since the $6 range. It’s now $21 or so. And the company’s commercial business is growing quickly. Anyway, for anyone with some patience, the sock might be a good buy for the long term.

Too late? I’m pretty sure Russia isn’t going to sit back and simply watch Ukraine work “its way through “ Russian radar sites. That would be silly. They will respond, and the response might be significant. According to the article you posted, those sites are an integral part of Russia’s strategic defense. Whatever is going on with those sites, Russia will put an end to it.

Not going to happen. Or if it does, that will be the end of Ukraine.

Many people have homes that they bought at much lower interest rates. Many people have homes that were paid off long ago. And many people are driving cars they can’t afford, even with an 84 month loan. What’s the price of the typical home today? What would it cost to buy that home at today’s rate? Ditto for the typical new car. By the time you pay for those item plus insurance (which happens to be skyrocketing) do you even have money for food? My guess is that a family with only $5k a month would have a hard time. I’m probably a bad person to have this discussion with, as I’ve never made much of an effort to curb spending. For most of my life, I had more money than I knew what to do with.