OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

nolaegghead

I used to regret not buying any crypto….but not anymore.

Botch

One thing I've read, several times, that I completely can't understand, is that "crypto" was dependent on massive computing power, to the point it was tying up "cloud" computing nation-wide, and causing cooling water shortages in some locations.  

nolaegghead

Botch said:

One thing I've read, several times, that I completely can't understand, is that "crypto" was dependent on massive computing power, to the point it was tying up "cloud" computing nation-wide, and causing cooling water shortages in some locations.  

“Work” via computer hash calculations “makes” the money.  The amount of energy (electricity from whatever sources were used) is ridiculously high relative to the total electricity used.  Almost makes the currency dependent on the price of energy.

HeavyG

Haven't heard much recently from the couple folks here that were touting crypto all the time some months ago.

JohnInCarolina

HeavyG said:

Haven't heard much recently from the couple folks here that were touting crypto all the time some months ago.

Well one of them suddenly couldn’t pay for a new house so, that sort of thing tends to bring some humility…

Gulfcoastguy

I figure that if I don’t understand it then I shouldn’t put my money into a potential Ponzi scheme.

JohnInCarolina

If you have any doubts that we should keep supporting Ukraine, watch this clip:

http://twitter.com/VascoCNN/status/1591370580808417283?s=20&t=oLeamGrF3vF1X0v3GmL6rg

Botch

^^^ A great video at the end of a great week.    

JohnInCarolina

http://twitter.com/Billbrowder/status/1591273892470890496?s=20&t=S059rSZGLc8FySs_NDHJWA

HeavyG

Dugin is the fellow that was the intended target of the car bomb that killed his daughter a couple months ago. I'm guessing that he should just be taking random taxis from here on after that statement.

JohnInCarolina

HeavyG said:

Dugin is the fellow that was the intended target of the car bomb that killed his daughter a couple months ago. I'm guessing that he should just be taking random taxis from here on after that statement.

Also avoiding windows, stairs, and any decks/railings of ocean cruisers.   

nolaegghead

Whoever tried killing Dugin (and accidentally got his daughter) wasn’t Putin.  However, looks like it will be, soon.

JohnInCarolina

https://www.emptywheel.net/2022/11/14/merrick-garland-hasnt-done-the-specific-thing-you-want-because-doj-has-been-busy-doing-things-they-have-to-do-first/

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an unannounced visit to Kherson earlier today. His visit came just days after Ukrainian forces retook the city. During the visit, he addressed a crowd of several hundred people, many wrapped in the blue and gold of the Ukrainian flag. “We are, step by step, coming to all of our country,” he said. Jeffrey Gettleman report for the New York Times.

Authorities in Kherson have found evidence of atrocities similar to those found in other reclaimed areas, Zelenskyy said yesterday. Ukrainian investigators have documented more than 400 possible Russian war crimes in parts of the Kherson regions that Ukrainian forces have retaken. Carly Olson and Marc Santora report for the New York Times. 

Whilst Biden administration officials continue to state in public that Washington won’t press Kyiv to negotiate with Russia, most of them believe that talks should be considered sooner rather than later. The U.S. and some of its allies are concerned that their stockpiles of weaponry, including some ammunition, are being depleted at an unsustainable rate. “We are seeing real, practical problems of making military progress, we are seeing shortages of munitions,” said a Western official. Chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and President Biden both signaled last week that the coming weeks and months might provide an opportunity for talks. Gordon Lubold, Nancy A. Youssef, Laurance Norman, and Drew Hinshaw report for the Wall Street Journal. "

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The U.S. is studying how to modify a powerful drone which has long been requested by Ukraine’s military. The changes to the multi-use Gray Eagle would make the possibility of losing any - with their sensitive onboard technology - less of a danger, potentially increasing the likelihood of Ukraine receiving them. A U.S. official confirmed the efforts, saying that “there’s still real interest in providing this particular system, provided we can make the necessary modifications and they are still useful to Ukraine on the battlefield.” Alex Marquardt reports for CNN. 

U.S. intelligence suggests Russia may have delayed announcing its withdrawal from Kherson in part to avoid giving the Biden administration a political win ahead of the midterm elections. Senior Russian officials discussed the U.S. midterms as a factor during deliberations about the withdrawal announcement, one person familiar with the intelligence said. Waiting until after the U.S. election was always a “pre-planned condition” of Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson, according to a second person. The intelligence signals Russia’s continued interest in influencing U.S. politics - although according to those familiar with the intelligence Russia probably overestimated the impact such an announcement would have. Katie Bo Lillis, Zachary Cohen and Natasha Bertrand report for CNN.  

A draft of the U.N. atomic watchdog’s third resolution on the war in Ukraine has been circulated to countries on the agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors. The draft resolution calls on Russia to cease all actions against Ukraine’s nuclear facilities including Zaporizhzhia. Francois Murphy reports for Reuters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree enabling Russians with dual citizenship to be drafted to serve in Russia’s army. The decree revises the military service regulations adopted in 1999, under which dual nationals were exempted from conscription. The move could significantly bolster Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. Ann M. Simmons reports for the Wall Street Journal. "

HeavyG

Looks like a couple of wayward Russian missiles hit Poland rather than Ukraine.

Will nuclear winter counter global warming? Would it really matter?

lousubcap

Russia-Ukraine-Poland update:

Missile (anti-air?) supposedly launched by Ukraine.

"Representatives of the NATO alliance are set to meet in Brussels today, following a deadly explosion in Poland four miles from the Ukrainian border. Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO, called the incident an intentional Russian strike on a NATO member. However, the Kremlin has denied involvement, and there is as yet no evidence that the strike or intentional, or that Russia was responsible. Richard Pérez-Peña and Shashank Bengali report for the New York Times. 

During today’s meeting, NATO representatives will likely discuss a request to strengthen air defenses on the alliance's eastern wing. This is according to Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger and Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad. Reuters reports. 

Polish President Andrzej has said the explosion that killed two people within its borders was most likely an accident caused by Ukrainian air defense responding to a Russian missile strike. “There is no indication that this could be qualified as an attack against Poland,” Duda said in a news conference today. “It is highly probable that one of the missiles fired by the Ukrainian missile defense unfortunately fell on our territory,” he added. NBC News reports. 

Officials briefed on initial U.S. assessments have said it appears the missile that killed two people in Poland originated in Ukraine, even though it was Russian-made. The preliminary assessments suggest the missiles were fired by Ukrainian forces in an attempt to intercept an incoming Russian strike. Phil Mattingly, Kevin Liptak, Alex Stambaugh, Rhea Mogul, Radina Gigova, Pierre Bairin and Sophie Tanno report for CNN. 

President Biden has said that Russia does not appear to be the origin of the missile fired into Poland. “There is plenty of information that contests that,” Biden said. “I don’t want to say until we completely investigate.” However, the trajectory indicated that the missile probably was not fired from Russian territory,  he added. Matt Viser and Ben Brasch report for the Washington Post. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he does not think the missile strike on Poland had anything to do with Russia. Speaking at a conference during the G20 summit, he also called for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Rachel Pannett reports for the Washington Post. "

JohnInCarolina

http://twitter.com/prchovanec/status/1593215060260057088?s=20&t=XM7FnWFEuCAoZUu7OsnogQ

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday that a Ukrainian air-defense missile, not a Russian weapon, had most likely caused the deadly explosion in Poland. However, he took pains to say that Ukraine was not to blame, adding that “Russia bears ultimate responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine.” Steven Erlanger and Marc Santora report for the New York Times. 

Russia’s continued assault on Ukraine’s energy grid is endangering the operation of the country’s nuclear power plants. In a statement yesterday the director of the U.N. nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi called the new strikes “a very concerning development,” the effects of which highlight the vulnerability of all Ukraine’s nuclear facilities. Marc Santora reports for the New York Times.  

Chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley argued yesterday that Ukraine may be in a position of strength to negotiate Russian withdrawal. Speaking following a meeting of allies who make up the Ukraine Contact Group, Milley laid out a comprehensive list of Russian failures, whilst highlighting that Ukraine has racked up “success after success after success.” This, Milley suggested,  may allow Ukraine to push for what it is unlikely to achieve militarily: a withdrawal of Russian forces. Oren Liebermann reports for CNN. 

Sanctions on Russia are disrupting the country’s military manufacturing industry and are having a detrimental effect on its economy, according to a senior U.S. Treasury Department official. The economic restrictions have forced Russian tank manufacturers to shut down for a period, making it difficult for the country to obtain key parts. The measures have also meant that Russian President Vladimir Putin has had to spend billions of dollars propping up the economy, diverting resources away from the war in Ukraine. Dylan Tokar reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

The expulsion of Russian spies from Europe in the wake of the war in Ukraine has damaged Russia’s ability to launch covert operations on the continent, the U.K.’s domestic intelligence chief has said. The decision to expel some 600 Russian officials - at least 400 of whom the U.K. intelligence services considered to be spies - has “struck the most significant strategic blow against the Russian intelligence services in recent European history,” MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said during an annual speech outlining the threats faced by the U.K. Max Colchester reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

The U.N. brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative has been extended for an additional 120 days. The deal has so far allowed millions of tons of grain to be exported from Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea. Its extension, which was announced by Ukraine, Turkey and the U.N., will help ease worries about widespread hunger amid global food shortages. Victoria Kim reports for the New York Times. "

nolaegghead

HeavyG

And I'll bet he's suing the person that handed him the launcher.

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russian forces launched another barrage of missiles across Ukraine yesterday targeting the capital Kyiv and other cities and killing at least 15 people. Moscow has escalated air strikes in recent weeks, particularly those targeting energy infrastructure. In comments to the U.N. Security Council yesterday, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, called this a “deliberate tactic” by Russian President Vladimir Putin. “He seems to have decided that if he can’t seize Ukraine by force, he will try to freeze the country into submission. It is hard to overstate how horrific these attacks are,” she said. Jared Malsin reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Investigators have found traces of explosives at the site of the damaged Nord Stream gas pipelines, Swedish authorities have said. The discovery confirms that the blasts were caused by “gross sabotage,” the authorities added. However, the statements by the prosecutor’s office and the Swedish Security Service did not address how the explosives got there or who might be responsible. Emily Rauhala and Ellen Francis report for the Washington Post. 

A Dutch court yesterday convicted three men of murder for the downing of passenger jet MH17 above Ukraine in 2014. The three men, all of whom had ties to the Russian security services, were sentenced to life in prison. However, as they are believed to be living in Russia or Russian-controlled territory they are unlikely ever to serve their sentences. Constant Méheut reports for the New York Times. 

Russian opposition leader, Aleksei Navalny, said yesterday that he has been transferred permanently to solitary confinement. “They’re doing it to keep me quiet,” Navalny said in posts on his verified Twitter account, adding that staying in the small, cramped cell was typically limited to 15 days as a punishment. The rules also bar “long visits” from relatives, he said. Neil MacFarquhar, Alina Lobzina and Valeriya Safronova report for the New York Times. "

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Moscow has struck a deal with Iran to begin making hundreds of unmanned weaponized aircraft on Russian soil, according to new intelligence. Russian and Iranian officials finalized the agreement during a meeting in early November, and the two countries are now quickly moving to transfer designs and key components that could allow production to begin within months. Acquiring its own assembly line will enable Russia to drastically increase its stockpile of weapons, bolstering it in its war against Ukraine. Joby Warrick, Souad Mekhennet, and Ellen Nakashima report for the Washington Post. 

More than a dozen explosions were recorded near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant over the weekend. Citing information provided by officials at the Russian-controlled plant, monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the explosions had caused damage to some buildings, systems, and equipment at the site, but nothing that was “critical for nuclear safety and security.” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called the news of the explosions “extremely disturbing,” and reiterated calls for both Ukraine and Russia to agree and implement a nuclear safety and security zone around the plant. BBC Newsreports. 

Videos have emerged that appear to show Ukrainian soldiers shooting captive Russian soldiers at close range. The videos, which surfaced last week, have ignited a debate over whether Ukrainian forces committed war crimes or acted in self-defense. Russia has accused Ukraine's forces of “mercilessly shooting unarmed Russian [Prisoners of War]”, whereas Ukraine’s commissioner for human rights, Dmytro Lubinets, has said that Russian soldiers opened fire during the act of surrendering. The U.N. has said the episode should be investigated. Malachy Browne, Stephen Hiltner, Chevaz Clarke- Williams and Taylor Turner report for the New York Times. 

The Ukrainian government is preparing to help evacuate residents from two cities whose infrastructure has been badly damaged by Russian attacks.Residents of Kherson and Mykolaiv will be given the option to leave, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk said, as supplies of running water, heat, and electricity in the cities remain precarious. Megan Specia and Matthew Mpoke Bigg report for the New York Times. "

lousubcap

A good discussion regarding US foreign policy:
https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2022/11/muhammad-alis-foreign-policy-lessons/379943/  

lousubcap

Excerpts form Tom Nochols and The Atlntic posted today:

"Russian “strategists”—if any actually exist—might claim that the goal is to demoralize the Ukrainians into abandoning their loyalty to their government and surrendering. But the laws of war do not permit terrorizing civilians into submission, and, in any case, the Russians have almost no hope of occupying much more than the slivers of “annexed territories” they hold now. Moscow’s continued attacks, especially judging from the angry chest thumping from the Russian media, seem to have no other purpose but vengeance, and the intentional murder of civilians for the sake of salving the ego of the incompetent Russian military and placating their desperate commander in chief.

This holiday season, many of us will seek peace and a reset heading into the new year by drawing closer to family, taking a break from work, and observing the rituals of our faith. We tend, during this time, to clear our mind of unpleasant things. But as Americans, citizens of the greatest democratic power on Earth, we must not forget that the largest European conflict since World War II is continuing to burn away in Ukraine. A democratic nation is refusing to be conquered by a vengeful imperial power, and it is paying for it with the lives of innocent men, women, and children. As we celebrate the season, let us remember that the Russians have shown no intention of taking a holiday from murder."

Gulfcoastguy

Speaking of World War Two, does anyone remember the firebombing of Dresden and the resulting fire storm? It actually did more damage than Hiroshima. Not saying that one excuses the other but it could be a matter of perspective. The British also bombed hydro electric dams.

JohnInCarolina

Gulfcoastguy said:

Speaking of World War Two, does anyone remember the firebombing of Dresden and the resulting fire storm? It actually did more damage than Hiroshima. Not saying that one excuses the other but it could be a matter of perspective. The British also bombed hydro electric dams.

I’m not sure I see the point.  Both were attacks carried out by the Allies, so how would one be excusing the other?

War tends to be pretty terrible for everyone involved, but let’s not equivocate.  There was a real difference between the two sides then and now.  

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Shelling has caused “widespread damage” to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog has said. While inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) “confirmed no immediate nuclear safety” concern, the damage “is a major cause of concern as it clearly demonstrates the sheer intensity of the attacks on one of the world’s largest nuclear power plants,” I.A.E.A. chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said. The Washington Post reports. 

Russian forces fired almost 60 shells at Nikopol overnight into Tuesday. Nikopol, located across the river from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, has been under heavy Russian fire since Friday, according to Ukrainian officials. Olga Voitovych reports for CNN. 

Ukrainians braced for winter with little or no power in several areas including Kyiv where temperatures have already dropped below freezing.

Russian air attacks have crippled half of the country’s energy capacity.

“Stock up on warm clothes, blankets, think about options that will help you wait a long outage,” said Sergey Kovalenko, the head of YASNO, which provides energy for Kyiv.

Ukrainians are most likely to live with blackouts at least until the end of March, said Kovalenko.

A good read about Russia-Ukraine and this war of attrition:

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/ukraine-win-war-russia/?utm_campaign=dfn-ebb&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sailthru&SToverlay=2002c2d9-c344-4bbb-8610-e5794efcfa7d

lousubcap

Comments from a meeting between US SECDEF and his Chinese equivalent:

November 22, 2022

Easing tensions? U.S., Chinese military chiefs chat at length in Cambodia. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Defense Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on Tuesday. It's the third time the men have spoken in their current roles, and just the second time they've spoken in person; the last time was in June, which was about three months into Russia's Ukraine invasion. Big-picture themes of the meeting: "responsibly manag[ing] competition and maintain[ing] open lines of communication," the Pentagon said in a readout.  A note on "managing competition" between the world's two most powerful economies, as opposed to Washington projecting a "great power competition" approach (emphasis added): America needs "a strategy to coexist [and] on some issues work with China," on the one hand, while also "stand[ing] up to bad behavior" from Beijing's Communist Party leaders, Mike Mazarrof RAND Corporation writes. Such a dual-use strategy is required, he argues, because, "We're sliding toward Cold War conceptions of a country that is nothing like the USSR in its economic gravitational pull [and] global influence. And we're increasingly assuming that our job with friends [and] allies who see it differently is to persuade or force them to see it our way." But there was much more to Austin and Wei's meeting Tuesday than just cordial strategizing.  The two also spoke about "the increasingly dangerous behavior demonstrated by [Chinese military] aircraft in the Indo-Pacific region," and how that behavior "increases the risk of an accident," according to the Pentagon. (Consider, e.g., the episode from late May when a Chinese jet performed a dangerous interception of an Australian surveillance plane, dropping "chaff" in its path.) On that note and related considerations in terms of freedom of navigation and the seas, Austin's office also said the secretary "affirmed that the United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows." Austin and Wei spoke about the geopolitical elephant in the room, Russia's Ukraine invasion, which gave the two defense chiefs a chance to declare that both nations "oppose the use of nuclear weapons or threats to use them." And the rest of the Pentagon's readout retains the department's typical boiler plate language regarding North Korea (stressing U.N. Security Council resolutions, e.g.) and Taiwan (including Washington's "longstanding one China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three U.S.-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances," et cetera). Read more, here.  From the Chinese perspective, "The responsibility for the current situation in China-US relations lies with the US, not with China," according to the message Beijing says Wei conveyed to Austin Tuesday in Cambodia. "The U.S. must respect China's core interests," and "adopt a rational and pragmatic China policy, so as to bring China-US relations back to the track of steady and sound development," China's military said in its readout.  "The Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests and is the first red linethat must not be crossed in China-US relations," Wei told Austin. "Taiwan is China's Taiwan," he said bluntly, and "The Chinese armed forces have the backbone, resolve, confidence, and capability to resolutely safeguard the national reunification," said Beijing's military chief.  Otherwise, Wei was not terribly forthcoming, including on Russia's Ukraine war, which China's readout addressed only briefly when it noted in closing that Austin and Wei "also exchanged views on international and regional situations, the Ukraine crisis, the South China Sea, and the Korean Peninsula issues."

lousubcap

The decline in students enrolling in college-The great 2008 recession and the now impact-
https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23428166/college-enrollment-population-education-crash
Frictionless conduit here-