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On this day a year ago
On the blog 5 years ago
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From the newspapers
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/03/09/deadly-russian-strikes-pound-ukraine-a80426
“The largest Russian strikes on Ukraine in weeks killed at least six people and caused power outages across the war-battered nation on Thursday.
[Kiev-regime] military downed nearly half of the missiles launched by Russia over at least 10 regions, as the fight raged on for control of the symbolic prize Bakhmut in Ukraine’s east.
The deadly Russian barrage on Thursday struck the relatively peaceful Lviv [Lvov] region in Ukraine’s west and left second-city Kharkiv without power, water or heating.
Kyiv [Kiev] Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were injured and 15% of households were without power and 40% without heating following explosions in two areas of the Ukrainian capital.
Ukraine’s nuclear energy operator said the strikes had also cut off the electricity supply to the Zaporizhzhia [Zaporozhye] nuclear power plant, which is controlled by Russian forces and is Europe’s largest.
In the Kharkiv [Kharkov] region, located on the border with Russia, Governor Oleh Synehubov said there had been 15 strikes targeting ‘critical infrastructure facilities‘.
The wave of strikes comes after Russia reported making gains in the battle for the industrial city of Bakhmut [Artyomovsk], which has been the focus of months of fierce combat.
Ukrainian officials have warned that the fall of Bakhmut could lead to further Russian advances in eastern Ukraine.”
[Moscow Times]
My Octopus Teacher
Saw an amazing and moving South African documentary, My Octopus Teacher, which might equally have been called “My Octopus Friend”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Octopus_Teacher
The Wikipedia entry, though baldly accurate, cannot convey the impact of that film. Just amazing. Preconception-shattering. It must be seen.
Classics as metaphor, a “thought out of season“
I was just reminding myself of the homecoming of Odysseus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odysseus#Journey_home_to_Ithaca.
Odysseus returns home after 10 years, and finds his home both occupied and in a state of exploitative chaos. His reaction, aided by his son and a couple of allies, is to draw his bow and slaughter the occupiers. Makes one think…
Tweets seen
“The Harry Formerly Known as Prince, and Meghan Mulatta”…
Damning.
They are not true “think tanks”; they are pressure groups and disinformation outlets. See also: https://ianrobertmillard.org/2022/11/18/diary-blog-18-november-2022-with-something-about-kate-andrews-the-iea-and-bbc-question-time/.
One of several recent County Court judgments against “Jack Monroe”, so-called “Bootstrap Cook”. Puzzling to me that no less than 479 utter mugs continue, as of today, to send her a total of c.£1,800-£20,000 per month. Several thousand anyway, monthly.
In fact, “Jack Monroe’s” Patreon donor-mugs have fallen in number since the high point after Jewish TV chef Nigella Lawson stupidly endorsed her. At that point, “Jack Monroe” had something like 850 “patrons” (mugs), all sending her money each month. That fell to about 660 by November 2022, and is now apparently stuck at 479. Either loonies, or naive and/or uninformed in the extreme.
Strange though. “Jack Monroe” could have avoided the CCJ by paying only £10 to someone.
If it is true that that fake is still getting invitations to such as the Cambridge Literary Festival, and if 479 mugs are still supporting her booze and (alleged) cocaine-abusing lifestyle, then she still has at least the remnants of a near-celebrity “career”, arguende.
What is all that about? LGBTQXYZ mafia?
More tweets
I have to say, who shouldn’t, that my 2018 assessment of the “Prevent” idiots has held up rather well… see https://ianrobertmillard.org/2018/05/30/one-mans-extremism-is-another-mans-struggle-for-liberty-and-justice/.
Late music
Ian Robert Millard 