Turkey - Syria (Russia) Border War

Turkey is waging an air campaign run entirely by armed drones backed up by heavy rocket artillery. It has destroyed three Soviet anti-air batteries. Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said Ankara destroyed eight Syrian helicopters, 103 tanks, 72 artillery and rocket launchers, and three air defence systems. This is a new, advanced type of attack, with almost no infantry or mechanized forces. For me this already counts as war. Turkey is a serious force, a reborn regional hegemon, and does not hesitate attacking Russia. Pic: The capture of Azov by the Russians, 1696. 

Virus Phylogeny

Someone in Washington State, USA, created this graph showing the evolution of the coronavirus. It appears that WA2 variety in the USA is not a new introduction from China but descendant of WA1 found previously in the country. It means that the WA virus has been around for several weeks and evolving. Other lines also are evolving independently. Maybe the Japanese doctor's approach is the most appropriate: The virus cannot be contained, most people will be infected and feel nothing, a few will develop flu, seniors may develop pneumonia and be treated in a hospital. The Wuhan statistics are mostly meaningless. 

Endless Mourning and Suffering

My intellectual wife and daughter took me to the Cameri Theater to suffer endlessly a long psychodrama by Chanoch Levin (see script in Hebrew if you dare): "Endless Mourning". A man loses his only son and in his crazy mourning, re-acts yearly the death and mourning through killing a child like his son. Lamentation and crying in High Hebrew, literary and poetical words we never hear in the shuk (market). The play may relate to the Israeli experience, but it is too esoteric for this drunken mujik.   

Itching palms

If your left hand's palm itches, you will lose money or be punished. Right hand itching, you will receive money soon.

It was common knowledge in my infancy in Hungary. 

One million Syrians moving to Europe

The fighting in the north Syria border has caused the uprooting of a million Syrians and they are moving to Europe. Europe does not want them, so they will settle in Eastern Turkey. Russian forces are in the field supporting the Syrian army, while the Americans have retreated. The last peaceful era in the area was the French Protectorate after WWI, a hundred years ago.

Breaking News

Recession?

Active fighting going on in the Turkey - Syria border. The pic shows the 23 mm antiair cannon we had in the Israel Defense Forces in my time, based on recycled Soviet made weapons taken during the Lebanon war. I could take it apart and re-assembly it even today. Pic source.

The Bourse is falling 5 - 7%. For one, it is the fear of coronavirus flu, that suddenly closed down borders and made people quarantine themselves. The facts show that its mortality rate is similar to winter flu epidemies, less than 1%. Maybe China's reaction was overdone and caused universal panic. I am sure in April-May it will be over.

Today's NASDAQ reaction is attributable to Bernie Sanders' victory march in the Democratic Party. The candidate is a left wing Socialist, and he promises to abolish personal debts (like medical bills and student loans). In the Greek cities of the Antiquity, abolishing debts and re-distribution of the land was a permanent feature and every once in a while it was done in a revolution. As an old man, I value stability more than revolutions.