Hard Times Ahead

 The war has been going on for a year, all the time stranger and more incomprehensible. In a creative and surprising project, Israel caused to self-explode Hizballah's pagers, wounding 3000 activists. Today, a second wave of electronic devices exploded, wounding mostly Iranian soldiers in Syria. The world wants us to retire from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, but we cannot because it is populated by millions of enemies living only to kill us. We shall have no alternative but to wage a prolonged war against them ending with some imperium. 

How to prepare a fat Springfield cat

 The latest scandal in America is about Haitian immigrants hunting and eating pets, specifically house cats. Cats are edible, I know, my uncle told me they survived the Budapest siege in WWII thanks to cats ("roof rabbits") and dead horses. I never researched how they prepared the roof rabbits so I do it now on the internet. Claude the AI said "I apologize, but I cannot recommend recipes" because it is illegal. The Wikipedia says: "Cat meat is meat prepared from domestic cats for human consumption. Some countries serve cat meat as a regular food, whereas others have only consumed some cat meat in desperation during wartime, famine or poverty." The best recipe I found is cat meatloaf, with 80% ground beef and 20% fresh bread to absorb the excess grease (only if the animal was fat, lean cats need no bread). The Maliki (an Islamic legal school) rules that it's makruh  (detestable) to eat them, but not haram (forbidden). Hindus are strict vegetarians. For Jews, cats are treif (unkosher), and we are allowed to eat only ruminants. 

Attacked by Drugged Morons

 

This morning the Yemeni Houthis launched a large missile on Tel Aviv. It caused zero damage but what were they trying to achieve? It was an attack, yes, but pointless. They caused people to run for refuge. And what? Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world, and like Bolivians, they survive masticating drug-containing leaves, in their case, the djatt. The difference between the material product between them and us, 800  $ GNP per capita vs 70,000 $, is abysmal. With a few cheap rockets, they closed the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, causing enormous losses to Egypt. It is like the Charrua Indians that stormed Buenos Aires in the 19th century. Till Rosas organized a hunt and pushed their "tolderias" (tents) into the desert, followed by General Roca killing the males in the Campana del Desierto. Our present predicament is totally absurd and unnatural. We shall have to find a way to survive till the mood of our Protestant masters changes and allows us to erase that plague. Pic.: El Malon, de Mauricio Rugendas.

Friday Siesta

Slept a four-hour siesta. Too much. This summer of 2024 has been hot difficult and endless.

Jeffrey Sachs Upset

 

Sachs received an alarming letter calling his attention to the Ukrainian attack on Russia's Nuclear Early Warning system. He thinks this is ABSOLUTELY destabilizing and provocative. Russia may defend itself using nuclear weapons against NATO's relentless advance encircling Russia. He is alarmed. In fact, he seems to be in a permanent panic attack state of mind. 

Buddhism, a consolation religion

 

As a macro-socioeconomic guy, I would point out that Buddhism became popular in China at the same time as *half* of the population died! Then Buddhism was pushed back against and receded at the same time as the population recovered to the prior level.

I am not sure. Was the Yuan (Mongol) terror regime an era of prosperity? The Ming and the foreign (Manchu/Tungusic) Ching eras promoted population growth? It is possible that DISORDER was more terrible and ORDER was good for the Chinese people.

Cat Ladies for Kamala

 

Swift included an image of herself with her cat in her post, which she signed as "childless cat lady," in an apparent dig at remarks previously made by Trump's running mate J.D. Vance, who, in a 2021 interview, called some leading Democrats "a bunch of childless cat ladies." 

The Clock is Ticking

 Israel:  “I’m ready to provide safe passage to Sinwar, his family, whoever wants to join him. We want the hostages back. We want demilitarization, de-radicalization of course — a new system that will manage Gaza," Hirsch stated.

“In parallel, I must work on plans B, C, and D because I must bring the hostages back home,” Hirsch added. “The clock is ticking; the hostages do not have time." 

Frankfurt Waste Incineration plant is out of operation

 

The pic shows exactly how I remember it when I visited the place. No garbage trucks approaching the site on Heddernheimer Landstraße, no steam rising into the sky via the colorful chimney. Where 2000 tons of household waste are usually delivered every day, incinerated and the waste heat converted into electricity and district heating so that it is always bright and warm in 30,000 Frankfurt households, everything is currently at a standstill. The largest waste-to-energy plant in Hesse and one of the most modern in Germany is out of operation. The operator sat on a high super easy throne in a glass cabin and controlled the operation with one hand. Impressive.  

As I remember, they used fossil fuels to burn the trash and the balance of energy was negative, that is, the amount of energy invested was lower than the electricity achieved. But it was considered "green". 

Sunday morning

 I am late with my projects. I took more than I could do. Saturday night, I worked and finished Anita's Kfar Shmariahu project and slept till 10 AM dreaming of war. Why do I need this at age 78? 

In 2010, the family team opened its first manufacturing plant in Ra'anana, Israel, and in 2014 Anita Gelato went global, launching its first overseas shop in Sydney.^[6] Several more shops were opened in Australia, and then in Spain, Cyprus, and Puerto Rico. The first USA location opened in 2020 in Manhattan's Upper East Side,^[7] and later in Los Angeles, and Miami. The brand's UK location opened in London's West End in 2022.^{[8] (from wiki)}

^{I am with them from the very beginning.}

Friday sleeping late

The last week I was tired, had insomnia, and did little work.  Yesterday, I went to sleep at 10 PM slept 12 hs, and woke up fresh and not fatigued. I feel so good that I worked no more than two hours.

Searching for a suitable illustration on Google, I found only African men and African females. Out of options, I copied this one. 

Zangezur Corridor

 Never heard of the Zangezur Corridor, it sounds like a Sci Fi location. But his corridor (see pic) is causing serious tensions between neighbors Russia and Iran. Russia's population is 120 million, Iran's near 100 million. It could lead to hostilities. Iran is vulnerable on several issues, Israel is not its sole or even main problem.

The Iranian regime has historically opposed Azerbaijani and Turkish efforts to establish the so-called Zangezur corridor between Azerbaijan proper and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic because such a corridor, going through Armenia’s most southern province, might sever Iranian access to Armenia and then Europe. As it is well known, Nakhchivan was founded by Noah after the Flood, or maybe not. 

Azerbaijan has at various times threatened to establish the corridor by force if necessary, which would be likely to provoke a further war with Armenia.

Azerbaijan’s military defence budget is more than three times the size of Armenia’s, and Baku demonstrated its military superiority in September 2023 by recapturing the occupied territories in Nagorno-Karabakh within 24 hours.

Vladimir Putin said that Moscow backed the corridor and that Armenia was sabotaging a Russian brokered agreement to open it. Tehran is debating its relations with Moscow. Corridors on enemy territory, vide Danzig, are a bad idea. 

NASDAQ in free fall

NVIDIA  - 10%

Yemenites control the Red Sea

 

An important sea route is being controlled by a Yemenite faction, disrupting world trade. America used to be the guardian of free seas, but it seems to be somehow failing. Where are the gunships?

0430 insomnia

 Slept in the afternoon.

Hypnos, the God of Sleep.

More Protests

 Tzahal found the tunnel where some hostages were being held. As they approached, the terrorists killed six of them. The Israeli pacifist public accuses the government of the assassination, for not giving up to the terrorists. Large protests are being organized for this evening. It's not good, Hamas feels that we are breaking down. The whole world is unable to resist the psychological pressure of these criminals. 

Manipulation involves exploiting psychological vulnerabilities, cognitive biases, and social dynamics to achieve desired the outcomes the manipulator wants. Psychological manipulation exists in various forms, such as gaslighting, emotional blackmail, coercion, and deception.

Gaslighting is a form of manipulation where individuals are led to doubt their perceptions, memories, and sanity. The manipulator uses tactics such as denying their actions, contradicting facts, and undermining the victim's self-confidence to establish control. Gaslighting can have severe psychological consequences, including anxiety, depression, and a distorted sense of reality.

Emotional blackmail is another manipulation technique. The manipulator uses guilt, fear, or obligation to manipulate others into compliance. By exploiting the victim's emotions and vulnerabilities, the manipulator seeks power and control over the individual's decisions and actions. Emotional blackmail can lead to powerlessness, low self-esteem, and an erosion of personal boundaries.

Coercion is yet another aspect of psychological manipulation. It refers to using threats, intimidation, or force to compel individuals to comply with the manipulator's wishes. Coercive tactics include:

• Creating a climate of fear.
• Exploiting power differentials.
• Applying psychological pressure to manipulate and control others.

The effects of coercion can include a loss of autonomy, increased stress, and a compromised sense of self.

My opinion: All further negotiations should be suspended till all the hostages are in Israel. Organize a public trial of Sinwar in absentia, condemn him to death by hanging, and proceed to execute him.