Open Thread – Saturday, 29 April 2023

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Adam D
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128 Responses to Open Thread – Saturday, 29 April 2023

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  1. mh says:
    May 3, 2023 at 7:16 pm

    Freddie Sayers gets schooled

    Robert F Kennedy Jr: “We need a peaceful revolution”

    UnHerd

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY89a_zXi9s


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  2. Old bloke says:
    May 3, 2023 at 7:29 pm

    The love of Steve Trickler’s life, Eli from Russia, was recently in Australia (Sydney to be precise). Sorry Steve, she didn’t go to Perth.

    Russian girl’s first impressions of Australia | Moscow ➞ Sydney


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  3. mh says:
    May 3, 2023 at 8:14 pm

    Trickler’s old flame Kaitlin Bennett turned up in Newscorp papers today

    US pro-gun activist slammed for attempted attack on Aussie tourist

    https://www.couriermail.com.au/technology/online/us-progun-activist-slammed-for-attempted-attack-on-aussie-tourist/news-story/12a5d55b07ea7bff5b7554b5b90f1f6d


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  4. mh says:
    May 4, 2023 at 6:44 am

    The Federal Reserve approved its 10th interest rate increase in just a little over a year and dropped a tentative hint that the current tightening cycle is at an end.

    The widely expected decision, which takes the fed funds rate to a target range of 5%-5.25%, was unanimous.

    The post-meeting statement omitted a sentence present in the central bank’s March comments saying that “the Committee anticipates that some additional policy firming may be appropriate” for the Fed to achieve its 2% inflation goal.


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  5. Old bloke says:
    May 4, 2023 at 1:44 pm

    The Balkans and Caucasus regions have a variety of small states and micro break-away republics peopled with populations who harbour historic resentments against their neighbouring states. One of the more interesting of these small break-away republics is Transnistria which is officially the eastern province of Moldova which sits on a thin strip of land on the east bank of the Dniester River.

    Its position on the east bank of the Dniester River is rather anomalous as that river serves as the border between Ukraine and other Balkan states, so it’s officially a part of Moldova which sits within the larger state of Ukraine.

    Transnistria is recognised as an independent republic by Russia alone, its population is mainly ethnic Ukrainians, Russians and Moldovans. It appears to be a pleasant, well organised republic, it possibly broke away from Moldova as that nation is the poorest of the European nations.

    It will probably come into the news soon as the Ukrainians are gathering a large force around its eastern borders. The Russians maintain a garrison of troops within Transnistria and they reportedly have large stocks of artillery shells there which the Ukrainians desperately needs for their upcoming counter offensive against Russia, so things could soon get rather messy if the Ukrainians invade.

    What would be the result of a Ukrainian invasion of Transnistria, which is officially recognised as part of Moldova? Moldova has refused to join NATO so there won’t be a response from that organisation, and I doubt that Moldova will raise the issue in the UN.

    Here’s a couple of short YouTubes of life in Transnistria. It looks like a rather pleasant place to live though you will need the closed captions to understand what the presenter is saying. He seems to be more focussed on the young ladies than the political and economic situation of the republic though.

    THIS IS LIFE in TIRASPOL the capital of TRANSNISTRIA

    THE EXILE OF THE RUSSIANS IN TRANSNISTRIA


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  6. kaysee kaysee says:
    May 4, 2023 at 1:58 pm

    News for Fox News

    1/
    Carlson, Lemon Are Hiring Same Powerhouse Lawyer After Terminations

    “Neither host has announced a lawsuit or dispute against their employers. But the litigator they’ve retained — Bryan Freedman — has a record of helping TV hosts secure millions from their old networks.

    2/
    Fox News Ratings Drop After Tucker Carlson Departure

    During its 8 p.m. hour, the network has dropped from a three million viewer average to a 1.65 million viewer average since the departure of Tucker Carlson


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  7. kaysee kaysee says:
    May 4, 2023 at 2:02 pm

    He’s been talking the talk …..

    Vivek Ramaswamy Paid to Have His Soros Fellowship and Covid-Era Role
    Scrubbed from Wikipedia Page

    Longshot presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has accused his prospective Republican rivals of parroting him, but Ramaswamy himself has made an intentional effort to conceal his own biography, even paying a Wikipedia editor to remove potentially politically damaging details about his past from his page.


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  8. kaysee kaysee says:
    May 4, 2023 at 2:21 pm

    Here’s a couple of short YouTubes of life in Transnistria. It looks like a rather pleasant place to live

    Most sections of the videos show what would be similar to a holiday destination or a country town where one can drive down to for a short holiday.

    But lacking international recognition, apart from Russia, and without the support of big brother NATO, could mean its peaceful status could be in peril.

    1/
    The NATO Alliance

    2/
    A university in Ukraine
    A party at Lyiv University. But please keep donating your money for the war.


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  10. kaysee kaysee says:
    May 4, 2023 at 2:32 pm

    ‘The Godfather of A.I.’ just quit Google
    and says he regrets his life’s work because it can be hard to stop ‘bad actors from using it for bad things’

    Geoffrey Hinton is the tech pioneer behind some of the key developments in artificial intelligence powering tools like ChatGPT that millions of people are using today. But the 75-year-old trailblazer says he regrets the work he has devoted his life to because of how A.I. could be misused.


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  11. kaysee kaysee says:
    May 4, 2023 at 2:48 pm

    I have to admit that sometimes the news can get quite depressing – it seems that there is too much evil in the world to have any hope.
    But there are so many stories of people standing up in some way to make the world a better place. Ordinary folk of different nationalities, careers and age groups.

    1/
    A doctor

    I studied until I was 34 years of age
    Hundreds of exams & tests
    I’ve worked so hard & sacrificed so much to become a surgeon
    I have a young family & a mortgage
    I have no other source of income
    But I’m willing to lose it all, to speak up for truth & what is right.

    2/
    Underground activists

    Rise of the ULEZ ‘Blade Runners’:
    The underground activists who’ve vowed to stop at nothing until they’ve ‘taken down EVERY one of Sadiq Khan’s low-emission cameras’


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  12. kaysee kaysee says:
    May 4, 2023 at 2:52 pm

    3/
    A 9-year old kid
    Michigan third grader launches ‘Kid’s Bible in a Year with Teddy’ podcast

    When he grows up, third-grader Teddy Howell, a member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Newport, wants to be a podcaster and a priest. At 9 years old, he already has achieved one of those goals with the recent launch of his podcast: “Kid’s Bible In A Year with Teddy.”

    In each 10-minute episode, released Sundays and Wednesdays, Teddy leads his listeners in prayer and through a series of Bible verses.

    He’s done 11 podcasts, so far.
    Kid’s Bible In A Year with Teddy


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  15. johanna johanna says:
    May 4, 2023 at 4:31 pm

    kaysee says:
    May 4, 2023 at 2:02 pm

    He’s been talking the talk …..

    Vivek Ramaswamy Paid to Have His Soros Fellowship and Covid-Era Role
    Scrubbed from Wikipedia Page

    Longshot presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has accused his prospective Republican rivals of parroting him, but Ramaswamy himself has made an intentional effort to conceal his own biography, even paying a Wikipedia editor to remove potentially politically damaging details about his past from his page.

    Thanks for that. Looks like a false flag, or maybe just someone too naive to be trusted with high office.


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  19. Cold-Hands says:
    May 4, 2023 at 8:25 pm

    Mirando Devine reports the House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed FBI Director Christopher Wray for an FBI FD-1023 form that, according to a whistleblower, documents a bribe paid to Joe Biden, as vice president, by a representative of a foreign power (although apparently not China). If found to be true, it’s clear grounds for impeachment.


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  20. mh says:
    May 4, 2023 at 9:24 pm

    GG interviews Mike Jones aka iEarlGrey

    INTERVIEW: The drone attack on Putin may have been amateurish but it raises the stakes

    George Galloway

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTVc2ki8Cuk


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  21. mh says:
    May 4, 2023 at 9:48 pm

    New York/London
    CNN
    —
    Another US regional lender caught up in the worst banking crisis since 2008 is looking for help.

    PacWest Bank (PACW), based in California, confirmed Thursday that it is exploring “all strategic options” after its share price was cut in half in after-hours trading following a Bloomberg report that it was considering a sale.

    “Exploring strategic options” is Wall Street lingo for “please help.” The last bank to announce it was exploring strategic options was First Republic Bank (FRC). That regional bank failed Monday, and JPMorgan purchased most of its assets.

    “In accordance with normal practices the company and its board of directors continuously review strategic options,” PacWest said in a statement. “Recently, the company has been approached by several potential partners and investors — discussions are ongoing. The company will continue to evaluate all options to maximize shareholder value.”


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  22. johanna johanna says:
    May 5, 2023 at 9:46 am

    Big banks are gobbling up the failures one by one. It’s a feature, not a bug.


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  23. mh says:
    May 5, 2023 at 10:58 am

    Yep, that’ll work

    US Navy hires active-duty drag queen to be face of recruitment drive

    https://nypost.com/2023/05/03/us-navy-appointed-active-duty-drag-queen-as-ambassador/


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  24. mh says:
    May 5, 2023 at 12:20 pm

    The hunter becomes the hunted

    BBC Doesn’t Want You To See This: Stew Peters Goes Head-To-Head with BBC, WATCH FULL Interview

    https://rumble.com/v2lw4sm-live-bbc-doesnt-want-you-to-see-this-stew-peters-goes-head-to-head-with-bbc.html


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  25. mh says:
    May 5, 2023 at 1:03 pm

    Thomas Kennedy
    @tomaskenn
    DeSantis’ staff was literally eating cake while dozens of constituents were in their office protesting hateful legislation and corrupt pay to play politics. This is their attitude while Floridians struggle to pay rent and put food on the table. Disgusting.

    https://twitter.com/tomaskenn/status/1654134237375627264?s=20

    But the staffer wasn’t using his fingers.
    That’s the main thing.


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  26. mh says:
    May 5, 2023 at 5:07 pm

    The Guardian

    The Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán has called for Donald Trump’s return to office, claiming their shared brand of hard-right populism is on the rise around the world, in a speech to US Republicans and their European allies in Budapest.

    Orbán was addressing the second annual meeting of the US Conservative Political Action Coalition (CPAC) in the Hungarian capital, aimed at cementing radical rightwing ties across the Atlantic. He said that conservatives have “occupied big European sanctuaries”, which he listed as Budapest, Warsaw, Rome and Jerusalem. He added that Vienna “is also not hopeless” .

    He noted that Washington and Brussels were still in the grip of liberalism, which he described as a “virus that will atomize and disintegrate our nations”.

    The Orbán government has made tentative approaches to open contacts with Ron DeSantis, with the Hungarian president, Katalin Novák, flying to meet the Florida governor in Tallahassee in March, but at Thursday’s CPAC conference it was overwhelmingly Trumpist, and Orbán threw his full-throated support behind the former US president.

    He said: “I’m sure if President Trump would be the president, there would be no war in Ukraine and Europe. Come back, Mr President. Make America great again and bring us peace.”

    The prime minister, who last year won his fourth consecutive term in office, portrayed Hungary’s self-described “illiberal Christian democracy” – widely criticised for its constraints on media and academic freedom, and for its anti-LGBTQ+ legislation – as a model for the world.

    “Hungary is an incubator where the conservative policies of the future are being tested,” Orbán said.

    The conference site, a modernist building called the Bálna, or whale, was festooned with messages echoing that theme. A gateway on the main path to the entrance declared it a “no-woke zone”. Inside, a huge map of Hungary was emblazoned with the words: “No country for woke men.”

    Some guests arrived in T-shirts that displayed Orbán and Trump together as “peacemakers” and “saviors of the world”. The event’s 2023 motto was “United we stand”.

    On its first day, the CPAC conference watched a 25-second video greeting from Tucker Carlson, a keen admirer of Orbán, which was clearly recorded before he was fired by Fox News last week.

    “I wish I was there in Budapest. If I ever get fired, have some time, and can leave, I’ll be there with you,” Carlson promised.


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