On the first day of 2026, Happy New Year to all well-intentioned readers of the blog.
В первый день 2026 года, поздравляем всех доброжелательных читателей блога с Новым годом!
Morning music
Russian village life
Quite a pleasant little vlog.
It occurs to me yet again how incredibly useful is the Internet in linking people around the world, in this case linking a young couple in the deep obscurity of the Russian countryside with people in the UK, USA etc.
It may also be that, with 165,000 (albeit unpaid) subscribers on YouTube, the lady posting may be able to derive a modest income from the channel. (nb: since writing that last, a few hours ago, I have discovered that YouTube has cut off all income to Russia-based YouTube channels).
Tweets seen
“Those who live will see“…
How can any of that be denied?
Ha. I bought a copy not long ago for £1 from a Tesco supermarket charity bookshelf. Interesting read.
See also:
Absolutely incredible.
“Do you think your country could pull this off?“
—you must be joking (sadly).
(cf. HS2…).
https://tass.com/defense/2067597
[“MOSCOW, January 1. /TASS/. The Ukrainian army carried out a drone attack on a cafe and a hotel in the village of Khorly in the Kherson Region, where civilians were celebrating the New Year, Governor Vladimir Saldo said.
According to preliminary reports, over 24 people, including a child, were killed, and another 29 people, among them five kids, suffered injuries.”]
[TASS]
Will the UK msm be reporting that? Why not? Because it does not fit the 100%-biased, one-sided pro-Kiev-regime narrative they prefer to pump out?
Ambassador of Israel for the Gaza holocaust…
For once, I commend Morgan.
Good grief. What will this world look like in 50 years’ time?
Looks as if, maybe, Russia is building up Iran so that American attention (and aid) is diverted away from the Kiev regime. After all, those planes may be carrying nuclear technology, fissile material, or even…nothing at all.
Christmas University Challenge and Celebrity Mastermind
Watched another Christmas University Challenge match between teams of alumni now in prominent positions. Incredible ignorance. Same goes for the (supposed) “celebrities” on Celebrity Mastermind. Depressingly poor standard.
Late tweets seen
Zelensky and his cabal should have been eliminated on the first day of this terrible, protracted and arguably unnecessary war.
Like a David Attenborough programme, but without the greenery.
Surprised to see such disorder.
Not just Jews in Israel, but a high proportion of those living outside Israel.
That is especially true of the USA, where the major TV news networks never give a balanced view, particularly on the situation in the Middle East. There is always a pro-Israel, pro-Jewish slant, at the very least.
[“Ritter: No negotiations with Kyiv after the attack on Putin’s residence Negotiations with Kyiv are impossible after the Ukrainian attack on Vladimir Putin’s residence, said former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter. “The current Ukrainian government should not be seen as a party to negotiations, but as a terrorist organization that must be completely destroyed”, he wrote.”]
2025 brought a new reality, though. Iran showed that it could penetrate Israeli defences. Iran is now building up its offensive capabilities. Hypersonic missiles etc. In the long term, maybe even medium term, Israel is doomed.
2066? I say closer to 2040, the way things are going.
Late music
Ian Robert Millard 