https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S3UPUkZARo

Replies: @QCIC

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @Beckow, @Gerard1234

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @Beckow, @Gerard1234

Replies: @Beckow

Here is what I confirmed by watching 20 minutes of this video.

John Johnson is a creep.

War is disgusting and sad.

Replies: @John Johnson, @Mr. XYZ

You must be in hog heaven...:) shit flowing like a river...But you don't have to go all the way beyond the Urals (or to Kiev), there are rivers of poop that flood in poorer neighborhoods in UK, the grand city of Napoli is literally floating on sh..tty garbage, closer to home you have Baltimore and St. Louis, you must be familiar with them, the greatest centers of "capitalist plumbing" - even the commies couldn't do worse. It is everywhere, when Seine comes over its banks it releases the unforgivable Parisian aroma of s..t... And let's not forget the whole country of India. It is a dirty world out there.

Most of it is not frozen, so you can fully experience it...no need to travel far, unless it is only the Russkies or Ukies s..t that you crave...but you are one weird guy.

Replies: @AP, @LondonBob

Replies: @AnonfromTN

This might sound like nitpicking, but shouldn’t it be a Chinese dragon, not a Welsh dragon?

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard

You may not have appreciated the archaeology of dragon video. He makes up a lot of stuff but his raw information is great. Dragons go all the way from Wales to Sumeria to India to China to Indonesia and beyond. It's a long itinerary for a mythical beast.

Replies: @AnonfromTN

Google image search had disavowed all knowledge of the grinning Bill Gates with hypodermic needle and little frightened African children the last time I tried to find it.

Replies: @AnonfromTN

Google image search had disavowed all knowledge of the grinning Bill Gates with hypodermic needle and little frightened African children the last time I tried to find it.
 

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard

In Dale Cargenie's book How to Win Friends and Influence People he had 8-10 pages on the example of Al Capone. Carnegie wasn't an admirer. He thought Capone was a great example of the point that nobody looks in the mirror and sees an a$$ hole.

Replies: @Mr. Hack

You must be in hog heaven...:) shit flowing like a river...But you don't have to go all the way beyond the Urals (or to Kiev), there are rivers of poop that flood in poorer neighborhoods in UK, the grand city of Napoli is literally floating on sh..tty garbage, closer to home you have Baltimore and St. Louis, you must be familiar with them, the greatest centers of "capitalist plumbing" - even the commies couldn't do worse. It is everywhere, when Seine comes over its banks it releases the unforgivable Parisian aroma of s..t... And let's not forget the whole country of India. It is a dirty world out there.

Most of it is not frozen, so you can fully experience it...no need to travel far, unless it is only the Russkies or Ukies s..t that you crave...but you are one weird guy.

Replies: @AP, @LondonBob

I know that many of you despaired these past few months from the absence of Yahya's world famous film reviews. So I returned to this sacred forum to provide you with my unusually interesting and perspicuous takes on the films I watched this previous year. Overall, it has been a fruitful year for me cinematically, with a total of 141 films watched. I found it difficult to narrow down my selections to just the top 10 or 20; such was the large number of high-quality films I viewed in 2023. The key to maximizing quality films watched is to quit early when a film displays Goddard-tier dullness and pretentiousness. The Leopard will not change its spots. Just cut your losses and move on.

1. The Godfather I (1972 - Coppola - American)
2. The Godfather II (1974 - Coppola - American)
3. Socrates (1971 - Rossellini - Italian)
4. The Grand Illusion (1937 - Renoir - French)
5. Batman Begins (2005 - Nolan - American)
6. Gone With The Wind (1939 - Fleming - American)
7. Wild Strawberries (1957 - Bergman - Swedish)
8. North By Northwest (1959 - Hitchcock - American)
9. Training Day (2001 - Fuqua - American)
10. Great Expectations (1946 - Lean - British)
11. Jane Eyre (1943 - Stevenson - British)
12. Burnt By The Sun (1994 - Mikhalkov - Russian)
13. Woman In The Dunes (1964 - Teshigahara - Japanese)
14. Europe ‘51 (1952 - Rossellini - Italian)
15. Annie Hall (1977 - Allen - American)
16. Belle De Jour (1967 - Bunuel - French)
17. The Searchers (1956 - Ford - American)
18. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962 - Ford - American)
19. Mulholland Drive (2001 - Lynch - American)
20. The Gentlemen (2019 - Ritchie - British)

Honorable Mentions
1. The Equalizer (2014 - Fuqua - American)
2. Kind Hearts & Coronets (1946 - Hamer - British)
3. Winter Sleep (2014 - Ceylan - Turkish)
4. Taxi Driver (1976 - Scorsese - American)
5. Hamlet (1948 - Olivier - British)

My ranking of national cinemas remains unchanged from my last post, though I realized that my high opinion of Anglo-American cinema may be biased by the ease of watching English-language movies. Especially towards the second half of the year, I couldn't be bothered with subtitles and strange cinematographic techniques, so my viewings were heavily tilted towards Anglo-American films. But that is a fault I aim to rectify in 2024.

I've already written about some of these films in my posts throughout the year; so I'll stick to new selections here.

The Grand Illusion centers around a group of French POWs held in captivity by the Germans; the most alluring of whom is the confident, self-assured Captain de Boeldieu, a French aristocratic officer whose untroubled bearing, upright posture, neat styling, and sardonic demeanor give him a Gaulle-esque aroma I found captivating. Renoir utilizes the setting of the film to comment upon class dynamics: "When I’m with Boeldieu, I never feel completely at ease. Call it the education barrier.” “He’s a fine type.” “Agreed, and he’s very decent. Suppose you and I went broke, we’d both be turned into beggars. If it happened to him, he’d still be Monsieur De Boeldieu.” Though I later found out Renoir is of the Socialistic bent, the film does not exude class hostility, but takes on a tolerant and matter-of-fact observational style as it relates to class and warfare. The film is also refreshing in its male-orientation; there is no romantic sub-plot to please female viewers (“Sentiment has no place in war” as de Boeldieu remarks); and it was a pleasure to view depictions of Old Europe such as the scene in the Gothic Cathedral at minute 50.

Training Day explores the necessity of harshness, cruelty and rule-breaking in the fight against hard crime; in other words it touches upon the Jungian concept of Integrating The Shadow. "To protect the sheep you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf." Washington's character represents the Wolf, he is willing to bend the rules and inflict cruelty on suspects to expedite the process of discovering and apprehending criminals. Denzel’s character is charismatic, bombastic, psychopathic, relentless, decisive. He asserts his will over subordinates by using his position of power and establishes his dominance fairly quickly over Hawke by use of verbal adeptness and charisma. Hawkes' character is initially naïve, rule-following, and considerate of others. Denzel takes advantage of him by deceiving him into the hands of the cartel, but Hawke survives by sheer chance of having rescued a cartel member's cousin earlier in the day. The script is stale when read on paper, but is brought to life by Washington's eloquence and force of personality. One the greatest performances I've seen on screen, and an overall worthy production by an African-American lead actor and director.

Batman Begins is one of the few mass-market productions I found to be worthy and enjoyable, although it comes with attendant flaws such as two-dimensional characters, a predictable plotline, and a simple script. Nevertheless, it is possible for a blockbuster film to be of high artistic value despite the typical shortcomings; and one must not forget that stalwart classics such as The Godfather and North by Northwest were mass-market productions in their own time. Bruce Wayne presents an archetype of the masculine ideal; eliciting universal respect from all ranges of viewers, as his character and behavior tap into the collective unconscious. Batman's defining features are a) his strength, both mental and physical, which enable him to inflict damage on enemies and protect friends; b) handsome appearance in the traditional masculine sense, which though superficial, is critical to his status as a high-value male (he would not elicit respect had he been ugly and obese); c) an unbending sense of justice; and d) socio-economic status as one of the wealthiest individuals in Gotham.

Batman is also a Dionysian figure, preferring action over knowledge-seeking. We do not see him sitting on a reclining chair, submerged in a book; but cultivating himself physically through intensive training. He mostly relies on intuition rather than logical reasoning to guide his actions. This was best evidenced in his confrontation with the Joker in the Dark Knight sequel. "The training is nothing, will is everything. The will to act", again emphasizing action over knowledge/training. Batman also develops a network of trust between himself Fox, Alfred, Rachel, and Commissioner Gordon. While Wayne is the central character in this network, he must rely on Fox for the technology, without which he cannot perform his duties.

Replies: @Mr. Hack, @Emil Nikola Richard, @Beckow, @Mr. XYZ, @songbird, @Noviop Co-Prosperity Sphere, @Barbarossa

nobody looks in the mirror and sees an a$$ hole.
 

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard

I know that many of you despaired these past few months from the absence of Yahya's world famous film reviews. So I returned to this sacred forum to provide you with my unusually interesting and perspicuous takes on the films I watched this previous year. Overall, it has been a fruitful year for me cinematically, with a total of 141 films watched. I found it difficult to narrow down my selections to just the top 10 or 20; such was the large number of high-quality films I viewed in 2023. The key to maximizing quality films watched is to quit early when a film displays Goddard-tier dullness and pretentiousness. The Leopard will not change its spots. Just cut your losses and move on.

1. The Godfather I (1972 - Coppola - American)
2. The Godfather II (1974 - Coppola - American)
3. Socrates (1971 - Rossellini - Italian)
4. The Grand Illusion (1937 - Renoir - French)
5. Batman Begins (2005 - Nolan - American)
6. Gone With The Wind (1939 - Fleming - American)
7. Wild Strawberries (1957 - Bergman - Swedish)
8. North By Northwest (1959 - Hitchcock - American)
9. Training Day (2001 - Fuqua - American)
10. Great Expectations (1946 - Lean - British)
11. Jane Eyre (1943 - Stevenson - British)
12. Burnt By The Sun (1994 - Mikhalkov - Russian)
13. Woman In The Dunes (1964 - Teshigahara - Japanese)
14. Europe ‘51 (1952 - Rossellini - Italian)
15. Annie Hall (1977 - Allen - American)
16. Belle De Jour (1967 - Bunuel - French)
17. The Searchers (1956 - Ford - American)
18. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962 - Ford - American)
19. Mulholland Drive (2001 - Lynch - American)
20. The Gentlemen (2019 - Ritchie - British)

Honorable Mentions
1. The Equalizer (2014 - Fuqua - American)
2. Kind Hearts & Coronets (1946 - Hamer - British)
3. Winter Sleep (2014 - Ceylan - Turkish)
4. Taxi Driver (1976 - Scorsese - American)
5. Hamlet (1948 - Olivier - British)

My ranking of national cinemas remains unchanged from my last post, though I realized that my high opinion of Anglo-American cinema may be biased by the ease of watching English-language movies. Especially towards the second half of the year, I couldn't be bothered with subtitles and strange cinematographic techniques, so my viewings were heavily tilted towards Anglo-American films. But that is a fault I aim to rectify in 2024.

I've already written about some of these films in my posts throughout the year; so I'll stick to new selections here.

The Grand Illusion centers around a group of French POWs held in captivity by the Germans; the most alluring of whom is the confident, self-assured Captain de Boeldieu, a French aristocratic officer whose untroubled bearing, upright posture, neat styling, and sardonic demeanor give him a Gaulle-esque aroma I found captivating. Renoir utilizes the setting of the film to comment upon class dynamics: "When I’m with Boeldieu, I never feel completely at ease. Call it the education barrier.” “He’s a fine type.” “Agreed, and he’s very decent. Suppose you and I went broke, we’d both be turned into beggars. If it happened to him, he’d still be Monsieur De Boeldieu.” Though I later found out Renoir is of the Socialistic bent, the film does not exude class hostility, but takes on a tolerant and matter-of-fact observational style as it relates to class and warfare. The film is also refreshing in its male-orientation; there is no romantic sub-plot to please female viewers (“Sentiment has no place in war” as de Boeldieu remarks); and it was a pleasure to view depictions of Old Europe such as the scene in the Gothic Cathedral at minute 50.

Training Day explores the necessity of harshness, cruelty and rule-breaking in the fight against hard crime; in other words it touches upon the Jungian concept of Integrating The Shadow. "To protect the sheep you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf." Washington's character represents the Wolf, he is willing to bend the rules and inflict cruelty on suspects to expedite the process of discovering and apprehending criminals. Denzel’s character is charismatic, bombastic, psychopathic, relentless, decisive. He asserts his will over subordinates by using his position of power and establishes his dominance fairly quickly over Hawke by use of verbal adeptness and charisma. Hawkes' character is initially naïve, rule-following, and considerate of others. Denzel takes advantage of him by deceiving him into the hands of the cartel, but Hawke survives by sheer chance of having rescued a cartel member's cousin earlier in the day. The script is stale when read on paper, but is brought to life by Washington's eloquence and force of personality. One the greatest performances I've seen on screen, and an overall worthy production by an African-American lead actor and director.

Batman Begins is one of the few mass-market productions I found to be worthy and enjoyable, although it comes with attendant flaws such as two-dimensional characters, a predictable plotline, and a simple script. Nevertheless, it is possible for a blockbuster film to be of high artistic value despite the typical shortcomings; and one must not forget that stalwart classics such as The Godfather and North by Northwest were mass-market productions in their own time. Bruce Wayne presents an archetype of the masculine ideal; eliciting universal respect from all ranges of viewers, as his character and behavior tap into the collective unconscious. Batman's defining features are a) his strength, both mental and physical, which enable him to inflict damage on enemies and protect friends; b) handsome appearance in the traditional masculine sense, which though superficial, is critical to his status as a high-value male (he would not elicit respect had he been ugly and obese); c) an unbending sense of justice; and d) socio-economic status as one of the wealthiest individuals in Gotham.

Batman is also a Dionysian figure, preferring action over knowledge-seeking. We do not see him sitting on a reclining chair, submerged in a book; but cultivating himself physically through intensive training. He mostly relies on intuition rather than logical reasoning to guide his actions. This was best evidenced in his confrontation with the Joker in the Dark Knight sequel. "The training is nothing, will is everything. The will to act", again emphasizing action over knowledge/training. Batman also develops a network of trust between himself Fox, Alfred, Rachel, and Commissioner Gordon. While Wayne is the central character in this network, he must rely on Fox for the technology, without which he cannot perform his duties.

Replies: @Mr. Hack, @Emil Nikola Richard, @Beckow, @Mr. XYZ, @songbird, @Noviop Co-Prosperity Sphere, @Barbarossa

I made a post in response to AnoninTN, because the incident in Chelyabinsk appeared right after his gloating. But you seem to be very much interested in this, with your wide breath of knowledge of these incidents.

s..t that you crave…but you are one weird guy.
 

Replies: @Beckow

I know that many of you despaired these past few months from the absence of Yahya's world famous film reviews. So I returned to this sacred forum to provide you with my unusually interesting and perspicuous takes on the films I watched this previous year. Overall, it has been a fruitful year for me cinematically, with a total of 141 films watched. I found it difficult to narrow down my selections to just the top 10 or 20; such was the large number of high-quality films I viewed in 2023. The key to maximizing quality films watched is to quit early when a film displays Goddard-tier dullness and pretentiousness. The Leopard will not change its spots. Just cut your losses and move on.

1. The Godfather I (1972 - Coppola - American)
2. The Godfather II (1974 - Coppola - American)
3. Socrates (1971 - Rossellini - Italian)
4. The Grand Illusion (1937 - Renoir - French)
5. Batman Begins (2005 - Nolan - American)
6. Gone With The Wind (1939 - Fleming - American)
7. Wild Strawberries (1957 - Bergman - Swedish)
8. North By Northwest (1959 - Hitchcock - American)
9. Training Day (2001 - Fuqua - American)
10. Great Expectations (1946 - Lean - British)
11. Jane Eyre (1943 - Stevenson - British)
12. Burnt By The Sun (1994 - Mikhalkov - Russian)
13. Woman In The Dunes (1964 - Teshigahara - Japanese)
14. Europe ‘51 (1952 - Rossellini - Italian)
15. Annie Hall (1977 - Allen - American)
16. Belle De Jour (1967 - Bunuel - French)
17. The Searchers (1956 - Ford - American)
18. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962 - Ford - American)
19. Mulholland Drive (2001 - Lynch - American)
20. The Gentlemen (2019 - Ritchie - British)

Honorable Mentions
1. The Equalizer (2014 - Fuqua - American)
2. Kind Hearts & Coronets (1946 - Hamer - British)
3. Winter Sleep (2014 - Ceylan - Turkish)
4. Taxi Driver (1976 - Scorsese - American)
5. Hamlet (1948 - Olivier - British)

My ranking of national cinemas remains unchanged from my last post, though I realized that my high opinion of Anglo-American cinema may be biased by the ease of watching English-language movies. Especially towards the second half of the year, I couldn't be bothered with subtitles and strange cinematographic techniques, so my viewings were heavily tilted towards Anglo-American films. But that is a fault I aim to rectify in 2024.

I've already written about some of these films in my posts throughout the year; so I'll stick to new selections here.

The Grand Illusion centers around a group of French POWs held in captivity by the Germans; the most alluring of whom is the confident, self-assured Captain de Boeldieu, a French aristocratic officer whose untroubled bearing, upright posture, neat styling, and sardonic demeanor give him a Gaulle-esque aroma I found captivating. Renoir utilizes the setting of the film to comment upon class dynamics: "When I’m with Boeldieu, I never feel completely at ease. Call it the education barrier.” “He’s a fine type.” “Agreed, and he’s very decent. Suppose you and I went broke, we’d both be turned into beggars. If it happened to him, he’d still be Monsieur De Boeldieu.” Though I later found out Renoir is of the Socialistic bent, the film does not exude class hostility, but takes on a tolerant and matter-of-fact observational style as it relates to class and warfare. The film is also refreshing in its male-orientation; there is no romantic sub-plot to please female viewers (“Sentiment has no place in war” as de Boeldieu remarks); and it was a pleasure to view depictions of Old Europe such as the scene in the Gothic Cathedral at minute 50.

Training Day explores the necessity of harshness, cruelty and rule-breaking in the fight against hard crime; in other words it touches upon the Jungian concept of Integrating The Shadow. "To protect the sheep you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf." Washington's character represents the Wolf, he is willing to bend the rules and inflict cruelty on suspects to expedite the process of discovering and apprehending criminals. Denzel’s character is charismatic, bombastic, psychopathic, relentless, decisive. He asserts his will over subordinates by using his position of power and establishes his dominance fairly quickly over Hawke by use of verbal adeptness and charisma. Hawkes' character is initially naïve, rule-following, and considerate of others. Denzel takes advantage of him by deceiving him into the hands of the cartel, but Hawke survives by sheer chance of having rescued a cartel member's cousin earlier in the day. The script is stale when read on paper, but is brought to life by Washington's eloquence and force of personality. One the greatest performances I've seen on screen, and an overall worthy production by an African-American lead actor and director.

Batman Begins is one of the few mass-market productions I found to be worthy and enjoyable, although it comes with attendant flaws such as two-dimensional characters, a predictable plotline, and a simple script. Nevertheless, it is possible for a blockbuster film to be of high artistic value despite the typical shortcomings; and one must not forget that stalwart classics such as The Godfather and North by Northwest were mass-market productions in their own time. Bruce Wayne presents an archetype of the masculine ideal; eliciting universal respect from all ranges of viewers, as his character and behavior tap into the collective unconscious. Batman's defining features are a) his strength, both mental and physical, which enable him to inflict damage on enemies and protect friends; b) handsome appearance in the traditional masculine sense, which though superficial, is critical to his status as a high-value male (he would not elicit respect had he been ugly and obese); c) an unbending sense of justice; and d) socio-economic status as one of the wealthiest individuals in Gotham.

Batman is also a Dionysian figure, preferring action over knowledge-seeking. We do not see him sitting on a reclining chair, submerged in a book; but cultivating himself physically through intensive training. He mostly relies on intuition rather than logical reasoning to guide his actions. This was best evidenced in his confrontation with the Joker in the Dark Knight sequel. "The training is nothing, will is everything. The will to act", again emphasizing action over knowledge/training. Batman also develops a network of trust between himself Fox, Alfred, Rachel, and Commissioner Gordon. While Wayne is the central character in this network, he must rely on Fox for the technology, without which he cannot perform his duties.

Replies: @Mr. Hack, @Emil Nikola Richard, @Beckow, @Mr. XYZ, @songbird, @Noviop Co-Prosperity Sphere, @Barbarossa

Really enjoyed Valencia, but that odour of sewage that appears every so often when walking around is unpleasant.

Replies: @AnonfromTN

You are a smart guy. This is a rhetorical question.

Why do you post comments like you are a stupid faggot?

Replies: @AnonfromTN, @Mr. Hack

You are a smart guy. This is a rhetorical question.

Why do you post comments like you are a stupid faggot?

Replies: @AnonfromTN, @Mr. Hack

Why do you post comments like you are a stupid faggot?
 

Replies: @Mr. Hack

Was I too hard on your godman Putler? :-)

Replies: @AnonfromTN

The despair was palpable and several times I was tempted to call out the hounds on you. In any case, welcome back! Although its been a few years since I last viewed Mulholland Dr, I remember enjoying it and see that it nearly fell off of your list?...

Replies: @Yahya

Former Ukrainian deputy prosecutor general Olga Kolinko (served with interruptions from 1993 to 2005) was just murdered in her apartment in Kiev. Apparently the same “unknowns” also murdered her daughter in neighboring apartment.

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @AP

I know that many of you despaired these past few months from the absence of Yahya's world famous film reviews. So I returned to this sacred forum to provide you with my unusually interesting and perspicuous takes on the films I watched this previous year. Overall, it has been a fruitful year for me cinematically, with a total of 141 films watched. I found it difficult to narrow down my selections to just the top 10 or 20; such was the large number of high-quality films I viewed in 2023. The key to maximizing quality films watched is to quit early when a film displays Goddard-tier dullness and pretentiousness. The Leopard will not change its spots. Just cut your losses and move on.

1. The Godfather I (1972 - Coppola - American)
2. The Godfather II (1974 - Coppola - American)
3. Socrates (1971 - Rossellini - Italian)
4. The Grand Illusion (1937 - Renoir - French)
5. Batman Begins (2005 - Nolan - American)
6. Gone With The Wind (1939 - Fleming - American)
7. Wild Strawberries (1957 - Bergman - Swedish)
8. North By Northwest (1959 - Hitchcock - American)
9. Training Day (2001 - Fuqua - American)
10. Great Expectations (1946 - Lean - British)
11. Jane Eyre (1943 - Stevenson - British)
12. Burnt By The Sun (1994 - Mikhalkov - Russian)
13. Woman In The Dunes (1964 - Teshigahara - Japanese)
14. Europe ‘51 (1952 - Rossellini - Italian)
15. Annie Hall (1977 - Allen - American)
16. Belle De Jour (1967 - Bunuel - French)
17. The Searchers (1956 - Ford - American)
18. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962 - Ford - American)
19. Mulholland Drive (2001 - Lynch - American)
20. The Gentlemen (2019 - Ritchie - British)

Honorable Mentions
1. The Equalizer (2014 - Fuqua - American)
2. Kind Hearts & Coronets (1946 - Hamer - British)
3. Winter Sleep (2014 - Ceylan - Turkish)
4. Taxi Driver (1976 - Scorsese - American)
5. Hamlet (1948 - Olivier - British)

My ranking of national cinemas remains unchanged from my last post, though I realized that my high opinion of Anglo-American cinema may be biased by the ease of watching English-language movies. Especially towards the second half of the year, I couldn't be bothered with subtitles and strange cinematographic techniques, so my viewings were heavily tilted towards Anglo-American films. But that is a fault I aim to rectify in 2024.

I've already written about some of these films in my posts throughout the year; so I'll stick to new selections here.

The Grand Illusion centers around a group of French POWs held in captivity by the Germans; the most alluring of whom is the confident, self-assured Captain de Boeldieu, a French aristocratic officer whose untroubled bearing, upright posture, neat styling, and sardonic demeanor give him a Gaulle-esque aroma I found captivating. Renoir utilizes the setting of the film to comment upon class dynamics: "When I’m with Boeldieu, I never feel completely at ease. Call it the education barrier.” “He’s a fine type.” “Agreed, and he’s very decent. Suppose you and I went broke, we’d both be turned into beggars. If it happened to him, he’d still be Monsieur De Boeldieu.” Though I later found out Renoir is of the Socialistic bent, the film does not exude class hostility, but takes on a tolerant and matter-of-fact observational style as it relates to class and warfare. The film is also refreshing in its male-orientation; there is no romantic sub-plot to please female viewers (“Sentiment has no place in war” as de Boeldieu remarks); and it was a pleasure to view depictions of Old Europe such as the scene in the Gothic Cathedral at minute 50.

Training Day explores the necessity of harshness, cruelty and rule-breaking in the fight against hard crime; in other words it touches upon the Jungian concept of Integrating The Shadow. "To protect the sheep you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf." Washington's character represents the Wolf, he is willing to bend the rules and inflict cruelty on suspects to expedite the process of discovering and apprehending criminals. Denzel’s character is charismatic, bombastic, psychopathic, relentless, decisive. He asserts his will over subordinates by using his position of power and establishes his dominance fairly quickly over Hawke by use of verbal adeptness and charisma. Hawkes' character is initially naïve, rule-following, and considerate of others. Denzel takes advantage of him by deceiving him into the hands of the cartel, but Hawke survives by sheer chance of having rescued a cartel member's cousin earlier in the day. The script is stale when read on paper, but is brought to life by Washington's eloquence and force of personality. One the greatest performances I've seen on screen, and an overall worthy production by an African-American lead actor and director.

Batman Begins is one of the few mass-market productions I found to be worthy and enjoyable, although it comes with attendant flaws such as two-dimensional characters, a predictable plotline, and a simple script. Nevertheless, it is possible for a blockbuster film to be of high artistic value despite the typical shortcomings; and one must not forget that stalwart classics such as The Godfather and North by Northwest were mass-market productions in their own time. Bruce Wayne presents an archetype of the masculine ideal; eliciting universal respect from all ranges of viewers, as his character and behavior tap into the collective unconscious. Batman's defining features are a) his strength, both mental and physical, which enable him to inflict damage on enemies and protect friends; b) handsome appearance in the traditional masculine sense, which though superficial, is critical to his status as a high-value male (he would not elicit respect had he been ugly and obese); c) an unbending sense of justice; and d) socio-economic status as one of the wealthiest individuals in Gotham.

Batman is also a Dionysian figure, preferring action over knowledge-seeking. We do not see him sitting on a reclining chair, submerged in a book; but cultivating himself physically through intensive training. He mostly relies on intuition rather than logical reasoning to guide his actions. This was best evidenced in his confrontation with the Joker in the Dark Knight sequel. "The training is nothing, will is everything. The will to act", again emphasizing action over knowledge/training. Batman also develops a network of trust between himself Fox, Alfred, Rachel, and Commissioner Gordon. While Wayne is the central character in this network, he must rely on Fox for the technology, without which he cannot perform his duties.

Replies: @Mr. Hack, @Emil Nikola Richard, @Beckow, @Mr. XYZ, @songbird, @Noviop Co-Prosperity Sphere, @Barbarossa

Here is what I confirmed by watching 20 minutes of this video.

John Johnson is a creep.

War is disgusting and sad.

Replies: @John Johnson, @Mr. XYZ

What about only limited to silent films?

Replies: @Yahya

...breath of knowledge of these incidents.
 

Replies: @AP

Former Ukrainian deputy prosecutor general Olga Kolinko (served with interruptions from 1993 to 2005) was just murdered in her apartment in Kiev. Apparently the same “unknowns” also murdered her daughter in neighboring apartment.

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @AP

I’ve only watched one silent film last year - The Phantom Carriage.

Beautiful imagery and a compelling concept.

Too sentimental for my taste though.

I gave it an 8/10.

I plan to watch a couple of Fritz Lang films this year.

Replies: @Mr. XYZ

Hmm….

You have checked about killings in Russia?

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @AnonfromTN

Hmm….

You have checked about killings in Russia?

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @AnonfromTN

War was always disgusting and sad, no? This current war is the 21st century smaller-scale East Slavic equivalent of WWI a century ago, no?

Replies: @QCIC

Although its been a few years since I last viewed Mulholland Dr, I remember enjoying it and see that it nearly fell off of your list?…
 

In any case, welcome back!
 

No need to despair though, Mr. Hack, because I will stop by here every once in a while. Best of luck.

@Emil Nikola

Great Expectations is indeed a great movie. I probably should’ve bumped it up the list a few spots. Haven’t read the novel yet.

Replies: @Mr. Hack, @Sher Singh, @Talha

Although its been a few years since I last viewed Mulholland Dr, I remember enjoying it and see that it nearly fell off of your list?…
 

In any case, welcome back!
 

No need to despair though, Mr. Hack, because I will stop by here every once in a while. Best of luck.

@Emil Nikola

Great Expectations is indeed a great movie. I probably should’ve bumped it up the list a few spots. Haven’t read the novel yet.

Replies: @Mr. Hack, @Sher Singh, @Talha

Let's see what investigations in regards to this will say. But Yeah, in the East Slavic lands, unfortunately journalist and politician killings, shootings, and poisonings have not exactly been rare in the post-Soviet era. It really is a huge tragedy and shows just how much Communism and its legacy severely fucked over these countries. I'm not even sure if Central Asia has this problem on quite as large of a scale, even after adjusting for total population size.

Replies: @QCIC, @Mr. Hack, @Derer

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @AP

GOP Field Thins as Chris Christie Drops Out Ahead of Iowa Caucuses
 

Chris Christie Suspends Campaign To Spend More Time With Family-Sized 12-Piece Chicken Meal From KFC
___

The beloved former governor and folk hero then got into his large SUV with his family-sized 12-piece chicken meal from KFC and closed the tinted windows for privacy.

At publishing time, Christie had also been seen spending quality time with his family-sized box of Oreos from Costco.
 

Replies: @songbird, @Noviop Co-Prosperity Sphere

I know that many of you despaired these past few months from the absence of Yahya's world famous film reviews. So I returned to this sacred forum to provide you with my unusually interesting and perspicuous takes on the films I watched this previous year. Overall, it has been a fruitful year for me cinematically, with a total of 141 films watched. I found it difficult to narrow down my selections to just the top 10 or 20; such was the large number of high-quality films I viewed in 2023. The key to maximizing quality films watched is to quit early when a film displays Goddard-tier dullness and pretentiousness. The Leopard will not change its spots. Just cut your losses and move on.

1. The Godfather I (1972 - Coppola - American)
2. The Godfather II (1974 - Coppola - American)
3. Socrates (1971 - Rossellini - Italian)
4. The Grand Illusion (1937 - Renoir - French)
5. Batman Begins (2005 - Nolan - American)
6. Gone With The Wind (1939 - Fleming - American)
7. Wild Strawberries (1957 - Bergman - Swedish)
8. North By Northwest (1959 - Hitchcock - American)
9. Training Day (2001 - Fuqua - American)
10. Great Expectations (1946 - Lean - British)
11. Jane Eyre (1943 - Stevenson - British)
12. Burnt By The Sun (1994 - Mikhalkov - Russian)
13. Woman In The Dunes (1964 - Teshigahara - Japanese)
14. Europe ‘51 (1952 - Rossellini - Italian)
15. Annie Hall (1977 - Allen - American)
16. Belle De Jour (1967 - Bunuel - French)
17. The Searchers (1956 - Ford - American)
18. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962 - Ford - American)
19. Mulholland Drive (2001 - Lynch - American)
20. The Gentlemen (2019 - Ritchie - British)

Honorable Mentions
1. The Equalizer (2014 - Fuqua - American)
2. Kind Hearts & Coronets (1946 - Hamer - British)
3. Winter Sleep (2014 - Ceylan - Turkish)
4. Taxi Driver (1976 - Scorsese - American)
5. Hamlet (1948 - Olivier - British)

My ranking of national cinemas remains unchanged from my last post, though I realized that my high opinion of Anglo-American cinema may be biased by the ease of watching English-language movies. Especially towards the second half of the year, I couldn't be bothered with subtitles and strange cinematographic techniques, so my viewings were heavily tilted towards Anglo-American films. But that is a fault I aim to rectify in 2024.

I've already written about some of these films in my posts throughout the year; so I'll stick to new selections here.

The Grand Illusion centers around a group of French POWs held in captivity by the Germans; the most alluring of whom is the confident, self-assured Captain de Boeldieu, a French aristocratic officer whose untroubled bearing, upright posture, neat styling, and sardonic demeanor give him a Gaulle-esque aroma I found captivating. Renoir utilizes the setting of the film to comment upon class dynamics: "When I’m with Boeldieu, I never feel completely at ease. Call it the education barrier.” “He’s a fine type.” “Agreed, and he’s very decent. Suppose you and I went broke, we’d both be turned into beggars. If it happened to him, he’d still be Monsieur De Boeldieu.” Though I later found out Renoir is of the Socialistic bent, the film does not exude class hostility, but takes on a tolerant and matter-of-fact observational style as it relates to class and warfare. The film is also refreshing in its male-orientation; there is no romantic sub-plot to please female viewers (“Sentiment has no place in war” as de Boeldieu remarks); and it was a pleasure to view depictions of Old Europe such as the scene in the Gothic Cathedral at minute 50.

Training Day explores the necessity of harshness, cruelty and rule-breaking in the fight against hard crime; in other words it touches upon the Jungian concept of Integrating The Shadow. "To protect the sheep you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf." Washington's character represents the Wolf, he is willing to bend the rules and inflict cruelty on suspects to expedite the process of discovering and apprehending criminals. Denzel’s character is charismatic, bombastic, psychopathic, relentless, decisive. He asserts his will over subordinates by using his position of power and establishes his dominance fairly quickly over Hawke by use of verbal adeptness and charisma. Hawkes' character is initially naïve, rule-following, and considerate of others. Denzel takes advantage of him by deceiving him into the hands of the cartel, but Hawke survives by sheer chance of having rescued a cartel member's cousin earlier in the day. The script is stale when read on paper, but is brought to life by Washington's eloquence and force of personality. One the greatest performances I've seen on screen, and an overall worthy production by an African-American lead actor and director.

Batman Begins is one of the few mass-market productions I found to be worthy and enjoyable, although it comes with attendant flaws such as two-dimensional characters, a predictable plotline, and a simple script. Nevertheless, it is possible for a blockbuster film to be of high artistic value despite the typical shortcomings; and one must not forget that stalwart classics such as The Godfather and North by Northwest were mass-market productions in their own time. Bruce Wayne presents an archetype of the masculine ideal; eliciting universal respect from all ranges of viewers, as his character and behavior tap into the collective unconscious. Batman's defining features are a) his strength, both mental and physical, which enable him to inflict damage on enemies and protect friends; b) handsome appearance in the traditional masculine sense, which though superficial, is critical to his status as a high-value male (he would not elicit respect had he been ugly and obese); c) an unbending sense of justice; and d) socio-economic status as one of the wealthiest individuals in Gotham.

Batman is also a Dionysian figure, preferring action over knowledge-seeking. We do not see him sitting on a reclining chair, submerged in a book; but cultivating himself physically through intensive training. He mostly relies on intuition rather than logical reasoning to guide his actions. This was best evidenced in his confrontation with the Joker in the Dark Knight sequel. "The training is nothing, will is everything. The will to act", again emphasizing action over knowledge/training. Batman also develops a network of trust between himself Fox, Alfred, Rachel, and Commissioner Gordon. While Wayne is the central character in this network, he must rely on Fox for the technology, without which he cannot perform his duties.

Replies: @Mr. Hack, @Emil Nikola Richard, @Beckow, @Mr. XYZ, @songbird, @Noviop Co-Prosperity Sphere, @Barbarossa

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @Beckow, @Gerard1234

KN becomes commercial manager of four German LNG terminals

International energy terminal operator SC “Klaipėdos nafta“ (SC KN Energies starting 10th January 2024) (KN or the Company) has secured the public tender for the commercial management of four German liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals on the North Sea coast. The Company has signed the two-year contract with Deutsche Energy Terminal GmbH (DET), the German state-owned company that operates state-controlled LNG terminals.

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, the DET operates Germany's first LNG terminals on the North Sea coast, the Wilhelmshaven 1 LNG Terminal and the Brunsbüttel LNG Terminal. Additionally, DET will operate two upcoming terminals: the second LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven and the LNG terminal in Stade on the Lower Elbe River.
 

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @Gerard1234

Let's see what investigations in regards to this will say. But Yeah, in the East Slavic lands, unfortunately journalist and politician killings, shootings, and poisonings have not exactly been rare in the post-Soviet era. It really is a huge tragedy and shows just how much Communism and its legacy severely fucked over these countries. I'm not even sure if Central Asia has this problem on quite as large of a scale, even after adjusting for total population size.

Replies: @QCIC, @Mr. Hack, @Derer

Is the neopaganism contagious?

https://i.natgeofe.com/n/6ca32456-d930-4014-a9cb-a741b7d16a07/02-pagan-tourism_16x9.jpg

Probably nobody watched the dragon lecture video; what you missed is the one who sort of looked like she would be pretty hot if you had 4 drinks and asked the question about menstruating dragons is married to the guy sitting next to her who is the most elite Satanist in Britain currently. Alkistis Dimech, Peter Grey. They own the publishing company who the speaker writes for.

Replies: @Mr. Hack, @songbird

Who really built the nice buildings in Riga?
 

Replies: @Mr. Hack, @Mikel

Alphaprogression App
Reverse Grip Bench

Replies: @Yahya

Is the neopaganism contagious?

https://i.natgeofe.com/n/6ca32456-d930-4014-a9cb-a741b7d16a07/02-pagan-tourism_16x9.jpg

Probably nobody watched the dragon lecture video; what you missed is the one who sort of looked like she would be pretty hot if you had 4 drinks and asked the question about menstruating dragons is married to the guy sitting next to her who is the most elite Satanist in Britain currently. Alkistis Dimech, Peter Grey. They own the publishing company who the speaker writes for.

Replies: @Mr. Hack, @songbird

Have not read it, but thought it was interesting when he talked about the physiological changes some movies cause.

https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-What-Watch-Everything/dp/1523515899

It crosses my mind to wonder, if there is some kind of biomarker that can be detected during scenes of great pozzedness. Perhaps, some metabolite of estrogen.

Replies: @QCIC

Haven’t read the novel yet.
 

Replies: @Gerard1234

I don’ think that the third film was nearly as bad as the critics made it out to be…but certainly the first two installments were better.
 

I have issue with the plot in the 2nd, compared to the perfect one in the 1st. The young Godfather is like they are making a film about Jesus or Moses. I suppose in the first film he is not shown as an evil person either, but in the 2nd it is way OTT. I think the story is diminished by making well-known events at the time (revolution and overthrow of Batista in Cuba, Senate or Congress Mafia inquiry) directly linked to the plot and scenes of the film, instead of a tangential connection.

I could be getting it confused with another film, but I did not understand why the guy who was supposed to testify in US Congress about the Godfather, but didn't because he arrived with his brother from Sicily .... later kills himself in custody after a pleasant conversation with the Robert Duvall character. Also to me it appears that either his brother is a dumbass or a conspirator.....he should not be both!

Replies: @Mr. Hack

KN becomes commercial manager of four German LNG terminals

International energy terminal operator SC “Klaipėdos nafta“ (SC KN Energies starting 10th January 2024) (KN or the Company) has secured the public tender for the commercial management of four German liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals on the North Sea coast. The Company has signed the two-year contract with Deutsche Energy Terminal GmbH (DET), the German state-owned company that operates state-controlled LNG terminals.

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, the DET operates Germany's first LNG terminals on the North Sea coast, the Wilhelmshaven 1 LNG Terminal and the Brunsbüttel LNG Terminal. Additionally, DET will operate two upcoming terminals: the second LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven and the LNG terminal in Stade on the Lower Elbe River.
 

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @Gerard1234

about menstruating dragons
 

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard

Who really built the nice buildings in Riga?
 

Replies: @Mr. Hack, @Mikel

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @AP

I don't have any strong opinions on the Riga architectural landscape. If all parties involved agree with you that the best parts were built by the Russians, that is something I can perfectly live with.

However, it is just not true that LatW left because of you. She clearly left in indignation at the epithet that G_R directed at her. Even worse, then G_R proceeded to leave the blog himself, at a time when Dmitry, Bashi, Aaron and others had been absent for a while and Yahya has briefly reappeared to let us know what a waste of his time this geriatric ward had become really. The chances of any worthwhile debate taking place here have become infinitesimal.

But I can't blame any of them really. We had long ago entered the law of diminishing returns, discussing ad nauseam the same old subjects with the same old arguments (me included). Who doesn't have better uses of their time than that?

With that said, I think it's been quite a remarkable feat to keep this blog alive for 2 years after his author left (and actually break records of comment numbers on this website). Perhaps as important as the subjects we keep debating are the subjects the regulars of this blog never debate: transhumanism and technological singularities (AK's favorite topics) or the JQ (Unz's obsession). This clearly signals that it was never about AK or Unz. They both just happened to attract a group of disparate people with very different backgrounds and the group then took a life of its own, building very lively threads out of nothing that for one reason or another we all felt compelled to participate in. Though obviously AK and Ron deserve credit for the phenomenon.

Alas, everything has an end and it looks like these threads are losing the vigor and interest they once had. On to the difficult task of finding other places to debate, vent and engage people of different persuasions without being censored, I guess.

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @Beckow, @AP, @Yevardian, @German_reader, @Gerard1234

I don't have any strong opinions on the Riga architectural landscape. If all parties involved agree with you that the best parts were built by the Russians, that is something I can perfectly live with.

However, it is just not true that LatW left because of you. She clearly left in indignation at the epithet that G_R directed at her. Even worse, then G_R proceeded to leave the blog himself, at a time when Dmitry, Bashi, Aaron and others had been absent for a while and Yahya has briefly reappeared to let us know what a waste of his time this geriatric ward had become really. The chances of any worthwhile debate taking place here have become infinitesimal.

But I can't blame any of them really. We had long ago entered the law of diminishing returns, discussing ad nauseam the same old subjects with the same old arguments (me included). Who doesn't have better uses of their time than that?

With that said, I think it's been quite a remarkable feat to keep this blog alive for 2 years after his author left (and actually break records of comment numbers on this website). Perhaps as important as the subjects we keep debating are the subjects the regulars of this blog never debate: transhumanism and technological singularities (AK's favorite topics) or the JQ (Unz's obsession). This clearly signals that it was never about AK or Unz. They both just happened to attract a group of disparate people with very different backgrounds and the group then took a life of its own, building very lively threads out of nothing that for one reason or another we all felt compelled to participate in. Though obviously AK and Ron deserve credit for the phenomenon.

Alas, everything has an end and it looks like these threads are losing the vigor and interest they once had. On to the difficult task of finding other places to debate, vent and engage people of different persuasions without being censored, I guess.

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @Beckow, @AP, @Yevardian, @German_reader, @Gerard1234

Iran announced that in the Gulf of Oman it seized a loaded oil tanker (formerly known as Suez Rajan) that was, along with Iranian crude oil it carried, previously stolen by the US.

It’s an illustration of the fact that highway robbery game the empire loves so much can be played by others, as well. Those who foam at the mouth advocating stealing Russian assets should take notice.

Replies: @A123, @Beckow, @Emil Nikola Richard

Sure, we lost some of the vigor and the name-calling is worse (kind of fun, sometimes)...but don't you want to see the ending?

It looks likely that the story will finally get resolved this year. As that approaches the tension rises and we are forced to revisit many of the axiomatic assumptions we base our arguments on. Don't miss the finale, there is a lot of potential...

Replies: @A123, @AnonfromTN

What they were doing was using him as bait.

That is why they sent him in a tank with a broken autoloader.

The Russian response to the javalin was to send in a decoy team.

His life meant so little that they didn't want to bother wasting a working tank on him.

Sounds like he was the only one to survive.

What a fine country you defend.

Replies: @Sean

The quiescence of Kiev aggression will open up bandwidth to talk about other things.

For example, we have a full fledged U.S. election year to go. To be followed by 4 years of Trump's 2nd Term. Given how much the #NeverTrump zealots hate MAGA/Trump, that will generate significant content.

#LetsGoBrandon 😇

Replies: @Beckow, @Noviop Co-Prosperity Sphere

Iran announced that in the Gulf of Oman it seized a loaded oil tanker (formerly known as Suez Rajan) that was, along with Iranian crude oil it carried, previously stolen by the US.

It’s an illustration of the fact that highway robbery game the empire loves so much can be played by others, as well. Those who foam at the mouth advocating stealing Russian assets should take notice.

Replies: @A123, @Beckow, @Emil Nikola Richard

Sure, we lost some of the vigor and the name-calling is worse (kind of fun, sometimes)...but don't you want to see the ending?

It looks likely that the story will finally get resolved this year. As that approaches the tension rises and we are forced to revisit many of the axiomatic assumptions we base our arguments on. Don't miss the finale, there is a lot of potential...

Replies: @A123, @AnonfromTN

I don't have any strong opinions on the Riga architectural landscape. If all parties involved agree with you that the best parts were built by the Russians, that is something I can perfectly live with.

However, it is just not true that LatW left because of you. She clearly left in indignation at the epithet that G_R directed at her. Even worse, then G_R proceeded to leave the blog himself, at a time when Dmitry, Bashi, Aaron and others had been absent for a while and Yahya has briefly reappeared to let us know what a waste of his time this geriatric ward had become really. The chances of any worthwhile debate taking place here have become infinitesimal.

But I can't blame any of them really. We had long ago entered the law of diminishing returns, discussing ad nauseam the same old subjects with the same old arguments (me included). Who doesn't have better uses of their time than that?

With that said, I think it's been quite a remarkable feat to keep this blog alive for 2 years after his author left (and actually break records of comment numbers on this website). Perhaps as important as the subjects we keep debating are the subjects the regulars of this blog never debate: transhumanism and technological singularities (AK's favorite topics) or the JQ (Unz's obsession). This clearly signals that it was never about AK or Unz. They both just happened to attract a group of disparate people with very different backgrounds and the group then took a life of its own, building very lively threads out of nothing that for one reason or another we all felt compelled to participate in. Though obviously AK and Ron deserve credit for the phenomenon.

Alas, everything has an end and it looks like these threads are losing the vigor and interest they once had. On to the difficult task of finding other places to debate, vent and engage people of different persuasions without being censored, I guess.

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @Beckow, @AP, @Yevardian, @German_reader, @Gerard1234

On to the difficult task of finding other places to debate, vent and engage people of different persuasions without being censored
 

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @Mikel

AP, you say that the Central Powers were the good guys in WWI, but wouldn’t sending over the Bolshevik bacillus to Russia
 

and slaughtering the Ottoman Empire’s Christians en masse

 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @Mr. XYZ

The sent them there to disrupt things in the enemy country but the Russians themselves succumbed to them: the Central Powers certainly didn’t impose that evil government upon the Russians.

 

Interestingly enough, for all of the hate that the US's regime change wars get, Russia 1919 was a golden missed opportunity for a regime change war for the US. The other Great Powers were either defeated or too bled dry by WWI even if victorious and thus large-scale military intervention in Russia for them was not a realistic option, but it was easier to do for the US had the political will in favor of this actually been there. Alas, it wasn't. But had this hypothetical regime change war actually occurred, its benefits would have very likely massively outweighed all of the harms of the US's other, later regime change wars in real life. Such an intervention would have even been beneficial for the US with hindsight since it might have subsequently prevented WWII.

I have read that, in the summer of 1918, before their WWI defeat, the Germans seriously considered overthrowing the Bolsheviks in Russia but ultimately decided (with the Kaiser making this decision) to postpone further discussion of this move until after a German victory in WWI, which never happened.

It's very painful for me that my own ancestors had to suffer under Bolshevism for many decades. They and the rest of the population in that part of the world deserved so much better. Their only consolation was (or should have been) that Stalin subsequently unleashed the long knives against many of his fellow Bolshevik comrades as well, thus indicating that the Bolshevik coup ultimately wasn't a good thing for the prominent original Bolsheviks themselves either. Better life in the opposition than being brutally purged and murdered by Stalin.

But they did keep the Bolsheviks out of Ukraine and Belarus.

 

That was evil. The Ottoman Empire was the villainous ally to Germany and Austria-Hungary. As Stalin was, to the USA/UK.

Still, on balance, Ottoman crimes were less evil than the total horrors of World War I.
 

It's quite interesting, because as late as 1916, the Russian people don't appear to have been defeatist, but then defeatism appears to have rapidly set in after the Tsar was ousted:

https://books.google.com/books?id=W2iCsWC7kgAC&pg=PA131&dq=russia+verge+revolution+1914+general+strike+petrograd&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjg0pOL1NODAxWDJkQIHV9iCc0Q6AF6BAgIEAI#v=onepage&q=russia%20verge%20revolution%201914%20general%20strike%20petrograd&f=false

As a side note, if you could either save Franz Ferdinand in 1914 or kill Vladimir Lenin before 1917, what would you choose? I would choose killing Vladimir Lenin before 1917 because ultimately as extraordinarily tragic as WWI was, it at least had a positive outcome in rearranging the map of Europe on a more ethnic/national self-determination basis (albeit imperfectly) whereas Lenin's coup produced absolutely nothing of value that could not have been produced otherwise by a better, more humane, freer Russian government. (As an ethnic Ukrainian yourself, without the Bolshevik coup in Russia, the Ukrainian people could have been reunified within a free and democratic Greater Russia right after the end of World War I. Wouldn't that have been quite an achievement, especially with a separate Ukrainian federal unit within this Greater Russia? Maybe eventually even secession and outright independence could have actually been a realistic option for Ukraine since Viktor Chernov supported it for both Ukraine and the various other minorities in Greater Russia.)

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard

See Carlton Meyer. The United States did intervene in 1917 and the Bolsheviks drove them off. He says. I have no idea how substantial the intervention was or how accurate his report is but on the whole his takes are pretty good.

Replies: @Mr. XYZ

Iran announced that in the Gulf of Oman it seized a loaded oil tanker (formerly known as Suez Rajan) that was, along with Iranian crude oil it carried, previously stolen by the US.

It’s an illustration of the fact that highway robbery game the empire loves so much can be played by others, as well. Those who foam at the mouth advocating stealing Russian assets should take notice.

Replies: @A123, @Beckow, @Emil Nikola Richard

AP, you say that the Central Powers were the good guys in WWI, but wouldn’t sending over the Bolshevik bacillus to Russia
 

and slaughtering the Ottoman Empire’s Christians en masse

 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @Mr. XYZ

On to the difficult task of finding other places to debate, vent and engage people of different persuasions without being censored
 

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @Mikel

It looks likely that the story will finally get resolved this year.
 

Replies: @Beckow

If you find such a place, let us know.
 

Replies: @AP, @QCIC, @Derer

BTW, AP, had the CPs won WWI, would you have felt sad that Poland could not be revived with all of the ethnographically Polish territories? After all, Germany would never give up its own Polish territories without a WWI defeat (thus ensuring that any recreated independent Poland would be landlocked) and even with Austria, it's not guaranteed that Austria would have actually given up Galicia to an independent Poland, though it is possible, especially if Poland agrees to accept a Hapsburg King as the price of this.

Of course, if a victorious Germany would have created a proto-EU after a WWI victory with both Austria-Hungary and Poland as members, then Poland being landlocked would be less of an issue since Poland would likely have access to the Vistula and to German and Austro-Hungarian ports in such a scenario.

As a side note, I wonder if the victorious CPs could have actually succeeded in overthrowing the Bolsheviks after a WWI victory or whether they would have simply created a quagmire for themselves, especially if they would have subsequently attempted to install their own puppet regime in Russia as opposed to letting events there play out naturally. I'm unsure that Russians would be very tolerant of a German puppet regime, though maybe Russians would have been so war-weary by this point in time that they would have reluctantly accepted it. What do you think, AP?

Ukraine of course could have been reintegrated back to Russia in the same way that Russia wanted to reintegrate the Donbass back into Ukraine before 2022--as in, with extremely heavy autonomy and with (pro-German) Ukraine having veto power over Russian national policies in Germany's favor.

Replies: @AP, @Beckow

BTW, AP, had the CPs won WWI, would you have felt sad that Poland could not be revived with all of the ethnographically Polish territories? After all, Germany would never give up its own Polish territories without a WWI defeat (thus ensuring that any recreated independent Poland would be landlocked) and even with Austria, it's not guaranteed that Austria would have actually given up Galicia to an independent Poland, though it is possible, especially if Poland agrees to accept a Hapsburg King as the price of this.

Of course, if a victorious Germany would have created a proto-EU after a WWI victory with both Austria-Hungary and Poland as members, then Poland being landlocked would be less of an issue since Poland would likely have access to the Vistula and to German and Austro-Hungarian ports in such a scenario.

As a side note, I wonder if the victorious CPs could have actually succeeded in overthrowing the Bolsheviks after a WWI victory or whether they would have simply created a quagmire for themselves, especially if they would have subsequently attempted to install their own puppet regime in Russia as opposed to letting events there play out naturally. I'm unsure that Russians would be very tolerant of a German puppet regime, though maybe Russians would have been so war-weary by this point in time that they would have reluctantly accepted it. What do you think, AP?

Ukraine of course could have been reintegrated back to Russia in the same way that Russia wanted to reintegrate the Donbass back into Ukraine before 2022--as in, with extremely heavy autonomy and with (pro-German) Ukraine having veto power over Russian national policies in Germany's favor.

Replies: @AP, @Beckow

BTW, AP, had the CPs won WWI, would you have felt sad that Poland could not be revived with all of the ethnographically Polish territories?
 

As a side note, I wonder if the victorious CPs could have actually succeeded in overthrowing the Bolsheviks after a WWI victory
 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @Mr. XYZ

You are fooling yourself with the CP winning WW1. Demography is destiny, if Germany won WW1 there would be no Poland and no Baltic states - they would take it all and by now the natives would be gone: assimilated or worse.

The Euro continent dynamic with 3-4 competing powers - Anglo-France, Germany, Russia, Turkey - is unchangeable: the smaller players always eventually fall under one of the powers. EU is just an Anglo-French-Germany combo - with US managing it, the two Western groupings combined. They also grabbed everything in the vicinity (including Poland). But when they tried to go further east and grab Ukraine, Belarus, Caucasus, the remaining Euro power, Russia, blocked it - a bridge too far. As happened before.

For different reasons the Anglo-Euro hegemon also lost Turkey. What now? They either reverse the catastrophic losses (unlikely in Ukraine or Middle East) or there will be growing internal dissent - they will go after each other since they can't expand.

Another scenario is that Europe is transformed into a non-Europe: half American satrapies and half Third World migrants. The two go together - if you don't realize that by now, you have not been paying attention.

Replies: @QCIC, @Mr. XYZ

You are fooling yourself with the CP winning WW1. Demography is destiny, if Germany won WW1 there would be no Poland and no Baltic states - they would take it all and by now the natives would be gone: assimilated or worse.

The Euro continent dynamic with 3-4 competing powers - Anglo-France, Germany, Russia, Turkey - is unchangeable: the smaller players always eventually fall under one of the powers. EU is just an Anglo-French-Germany combo - with US managing it, the two Western groupings combined. They also grabbed everything in the vicinity (including Poland). But when they tried to go further east and grab Ukraine, Belarus, Caucasus, the remaining Euro power, Russia, blocked it - a bridge too far. As happened before.

For different reasons the Anglo-Euro hegemon also lost Turkey. What now? They either reverse the catastrophic losses (unlikely in Ukraine or Middle East) or there will be growing internal dissent - they will go after each other since they can't expand.

Another scenario is that Europe is transformed into a non-Europe: half American satrapies and half Third World migrants. The two go together - if you don't realize that by now, you have not been paying attention.

Replies: @QCIC, @Mr. XYZ

We are going back to real history: forget treaties, contracts, electronic wordy bulls--t, who cares? They are all just pieces of paper. This will be more fun.

I would remind the pro-Nato contingent that if the power gets reshuffled to omit paper and other verbal stuff, it will be the West that will lose more. Its power will be less than the countries with material resources and actual manufacturing. Nato is the West, there is no other way to see it.

All they had to do was sit on the advantage, pretend to follow their own rules, wait for the ennui to set in among the rivals. But the maps were so tempting...grow and expand! get this or that pretty peninsula (Crimea)...plus the ethnic querulants who yearn to get even...(looking at Mr. Hacks, AP, 'sudden death', LatW...)

Replies: @AP

If you find such a place, let us know.
 

Replies: @AP, @QCIC, @Derer

BTW, AP, had the CPs won WWI, would you have felt sad that Poland could not be revived with all of the ethnographically Polish territories?
 

As a side note, I wonder if the victorious CPs could have actually succeeded in overthrowing the Bolsheviks after a WWI victory
 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @Mr. XYZ

Who in Europe actually wants the Third World migrants to be there?

Replies: @AnonfromTN, @Beckow

The drama with Trump will be this year. If he gets into the office - I am skeptical - everything will change. The fat guy has walked off the stage and the Indian harridan is still shrieking...this is still the intro chapter.

Given the stereotype about Americans, why would anyone consider for President extremely fat people, elderly dementia patient or childless (one kid doesn't count) women with some "color" at the edge of hysteria?

It feeds the stereotype and it is really bad marketing. US built up its cultural dominance with good marketing, and now what? How about an elderly fat woman of color with dementia - is there one like that? They should bring it on and go out in a blaze of glory...

Russia had an elderly dork with a speech impediment and vaguely Ukie name right before the collapse started in the mid-80's...that's the way to do it.

Replies: @A123

Alphaprogression App

 

Reverse Grip Bench
 

Replies: @Sher Singh

Around the year 2016, Scott Adams had a sincere-sounding rant I can paraphrase like the following. He said that when Hillary Clinton gave nationally televised speeches, the testosterone level of the entire country went down.

Replies: @songbird

Who in Europe actually wants the Third World migrants to be there?
 

Replies: @QCIC

Supposedly, you can hook a really good mass spectrometer to a theater somehow, and you'll get these different spikes of volatile organic compounds, that seem to reoccur at different showings. Different VOCs spiking with different scenes.

Carbon dioxide, isoprene at tense moments. Some scenes, the chemical combinations are like fingerprints, with which the scene can be identified just from the reading, without a timestamp. But they can't explain it fully.

You need a big crowd. Doesn't work when it's poorly attended.

And there are changes in the blood too. The blood gets ready to clot, while watching a horror movie.

Replies: @QCIC, @Emil Nikola Richard

Supposedly, you can hook a really good mass spectrometer to a theater somehow, and you'll get these different spikes of volatile organic compounds, that seem to reoccur at different showings. Different VOCs spiking with different scenes.

Carbon dioxide, isoprene at tense moments. Some scenes, the chemical combinations are like fingerprints, with which the scene can be identified just from the reading, without a timestamp. But they can't explain it fully.

You need a big crowd. Doesn't work when it's poorly attended.

And there are changes in the blood too. The blood gets ready to clot, while watching a horror movie.

Replies: @QCIC, @Emil Nikola Richard

My theory is that many people in the USA have accepted this immigrant situation but do not really believe in it. Maybe they embrace it out of some combination of foolishness and insanity.

For sure there are many who benefit from the cheap labor, but they may not realize the total benefit to them is a net negative, probably even in real time. I have a hunch that as soon as the women start having kids the cost to the system rapidly outweighs the value of the cheap labor. Since "they are not sending their best" there is no long term payoff, either.

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @AP

Or do you ultimately adopt the mentality that Frederick the Great's actions helped pave the way for unifying Germany in the long-run (by significantly strengthening Prussia, which ultimately ended up unifying Germany long after Frederick's death) and that since Germany ended up being Austria-Hungary's benevolent protector (from 1879 with the Dual Alliance until 1918 when both the German Empire and Austria-Hungary collapsed and descended into revolution, a time period of almost 40 years), the harm that he did by taking Silesia from Austria is outweighed by the good that he did in the long-run in regards to geopolitics?

Replies: @Mr. XYZ

The Germans would want Poland and the Baltics as puppets. They would not want to exterminate them after a WWI victory. The Germans weren't bashit crazy during WWI, unlike during WWII.

There could be mass Polish and Baltic (and perhaps Ukrainian, Balkan, Italian, et cetera) migration into Germany in this scenario if a proto-EU will eventually be developed and if Germany will actually allow free immigration with these countries, though.

As a side note, question for AP: Do you think that Russia would have still eventually experienced a revolution without WWI? I know that Petrograd experienced a huge strike wave in July 1914, but it's unclear whether this would have actually been a prelude to a new Russian revolution in WWI's absence. I also know, however, that Russian Tsar Nicholas II wasn't actually serious about the constitutional reforms that he gave the Russian people in 1905-1906 and tried to undermine the Duma and to fill it with loyalists (by I think unilaterally changing the Duma election laws) as much as he could. This could have potentially paved the way for a new large-scale Russian crisis sometime down the road.

I'm asking because if Russia still eventually descends into revolution without WWI, then this could potentially provide Germany and Austria-Hungary with some good opportunities. They could either offer to help restore a conservative regime in Russia in exchange for Russian conservatives agreeing to end the Franco-Russian alliance and to revive the Three Emperors' League or--alternatively--if Russian conservatives will refuse to agree to these demands, then they can aggressively sponsor any separatist movements in Russia that will accept their support in order to create a buffer zone between themselves and Russia in the event of any future war(s) with Russia.

Replies: @Mr. XYZ

A proto-EU ethnic map formed by a hypothetical union of Germany, Poland, and Austria-Hungary:

https://preview.redd.it/a6h77zcb4g571.png?auto=webp&s=0cc05ff1b1b2cddfcc3844857e5f696b02d9dfb4

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard

...The downfall of Europe would deserve a chapter
 

When this started the Western Europe was in a slow, gradual decline: lack of resources, collapsing big cities, unstoppable migrants...and idiotic liberal fanatics. We were good in the east or central-east\: steadily growing, normal, living safer and more comfortable lives. The Ukie disaster has reversed it...

The under-appreciated fact has been the collapse of V4, Ukies running amok, weapons everywhere - in any Euro war we are the primary battleground. We also have the most level-headed view of Russia: good and bad, grateful for what they sacrificed for us, a little bit scornful of Russia's propensity for gigantism, but we get along. (Poles are the exception and even among them the sentiment is more mixed - who they really hate are the Ukies and Orthodox, but they can't voice it now.)

It will be in the Chapter called "Causes"...the stupidity of the Nato's failed grab of Ukraine makes the wars in the Middle East and Asia much worse for the West. The elemental reality is that with China's economic might, Middle East-Russian resources, resentful nations of the South, the last thing West needed was to add Russia with its weapons, resources and geography. But they did, for Nato bases, Crimea (nice place) and exiles' lying stories...maybe a downfall, but I still hope not...I like our quiet valleys.

Replies: @AP, @AnonfromTN

If there is so much money to be made why aren't the Chinese doing it?

Replies: @QCIC

I am proudly Euro-centric, made out of Europe, I won’t apologize. You will not find more European geography than the remote valleys and rolling hills north of the middle Danube…it is almost comically Euro. My priority is to preserve the good life here
 

We were good in the east or central-east\: steadily growing, normal, living safer and more comfortable lives
 

The under-appreciated fact has been the collapse of V4, Ukies running amok, weapons everywhere – in any Euro war we are the primary battleground. We also have the most level-headed view of Russia: good and bad, grateful for what they sacrificed for us, a little bit scornful of Russia’s propensity for gigantism, but we get along. (Poles are the exception
 

who they really hate are the Ukies and Orthodox, but they can’t voice it now
 

EU is just an Anglo-French-Germany combo – with US managing it, the two Western groupings combined. They also grabbed everything in the vicinity (including Poland). But when they tried to go further east and grab Ukraine, Belarus, Caucasus, the remaining Euro power, Russia, blocked it
 

Replies: @AP, @Mr. XYZ, @Derer, @A123, @Beckow, @Gerard1234

My theory is that many people in the USA have accepted this immigrant situation but do not really believe in it. Maybe they embrace it out of some combination of foolishness and insanity.

For sure there are many who benefit from the cheap labor, but they may not realize the total benefit to them is a net negative, probably even in real time. I have a hunch that as soon as the women start having kids the cost to the system rapidly outweighs the value of the cheap labor. Since "they are not sending their best" there is no long term payoff, either.

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @AP

If you find such a place, let us know.
 

Replies: @AP, @QCIC, @Derer

Most Americans support immigration:

https://news.gallup.com/poll/508520/americans-value-immigration-concerns.aspx

Two-thirds of Americans consider immigration a good thing for the country, while 27% consider it a bad thing. The percentage calling it a good thing is down from its peak of 77% in 2020 and is the lowest Gallup has recorded since 2014 (when it was 63%).

While barely a quarter of Americans consider immigration a bad thing for the country, that view is far more prevalent among Republicans (43%) than Democrats (10%), with independents roughly matching the nation as a whole (28%). Still, half of Republicans consider it a good thing, as do 67% of independents and 87% of Democrats.

That poll found few in favor of increasing immigration (7%), while the rest were split between wanting it kept the same (39%), wanting it decreased (33%) or unsure (20%).

Replies: @Derer, @Mr. XYZ, @Emil Nikola Richard, @QCIC

I am proudly Euro-centric, made out of Europe, I won’t apologize. You will not find more European geography than the remote valleys and rolling hills north of the middle Danube…it is almost comically Euro. My priority is to preserve the good life here
 

We were good in the east or central-east\: steadily growing, normal, living safer and more comfortable lives
 

The under-appreciated fact has been the collapse of V4, Ukies running amok, weapons everywhere – in any Euro war we are the primary battleground. We also have the most level-headed view of Russia: good and bad, grateful for what they sacrificed for us, a little bit scornful of Russia’s propensity for gigantism, but we get along. (Poles are the exception
 

who they really hate are the Ukies and Orthodox, but they can’t voice it now
 

EU is just an Anglo-French-Germany combo – with US managing it, the two Western groupings combined. They also grabbed everything in the vicinity (including Poland). But when they tried to go further east and grab Ukraine, Belarus, Caucasus, the remaining Euro power, Russia, blocked it
 

Replies: @AP, @Mr. XYZ, @Derer, @A123, @Beckow, @Gerard1234

I am proudly Euro-centric, made out of Europe, I won’t apologize. You will not find more European geography than the remote valleys and rolling hills north of the middle Danube…it is almost comically Euro. My priority is to preserve the good life here
 

We were good in the east or central-east\: steadily growing, normal, living safer and more comfortable lives
 

The under-appreciated fact has been the collapse of V4, Ukies running amok, weapons everywhere – in any Euro war we are the primary battleground. We also have the most level-headed view of Russia: good and bad, grateful for what they sacrificed for us, a little bit scornful of Russia’s propensity for gigantism, but we get along. (Poles are the exception
 

who they really hate are the Ukies and Orthodox, but they can’t voice it now
 

EU is just an Anglo-French-Germany combo – with US managing it, the two Western groupings combined. They also grabbed everything in the vicinity (including Poland). But when they tried to go further east and grab Ukraine, Belarus, Caucasus, the remaining Euro power, Russia, blocked it
 

Replies: @AP, @Mr. XYZ, @Derer, @A123, @Beckow, @Gerard1234

Most Americans support immigration:

https://news.gallup.com/poll/508520/americans-value-immigration-concerns.aspx

Two-thirds of Americans consider immigration a good thing for the country, while 27% consider it a bad thing. The percentage calling it a good thing is down from its peak of 77% in 2020 and is the lowest Gallup has recorded since 2014 (when it was 63%).

While barely a quarter of Americans consider immigration a bad thing for the country, that view is far more prevalent among Republicans (43%) than Democrats (10%), with independents roughly matching the nation as a whole (28%). Still, half of Republicans consider it a good thing, as do 67% of independents and 87% of Democrats.

That poll found few in favor of increasing immigration (7%), while the rest were split between wanting it kept the same (39%), wanting it decreased (33%) or unsure (20%).

Replies: @Derer, @Mr. XYZ, @Emil Nikola Richard, @QCIC

Most Americans support immigration:
 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @AP

I am proudly Euro-centric, made out of Europe, I won’t apologize. You will not find more European geography than the remote valleys and rolling hills north of the middle Danube…it is almost comically Euro. My priority is to preserve the good life here
 

We were good in the east or central-east\: steadily growing, normal, living safer and more comfortable lives
 

The under-appreciated fact has been the collapse of V4, Ukies running amok, weapons everywhere – in any Euro war we are the primary battleground. We also have the most level-headed view of Russia: good and bad, grateful for what they sacrificed for us, a little bit scornful of Russia’s propensity for gigantism, but we get along. (Poles are the exception
 

who they really hate are the Ukies and Orthodox, but they can’t voice it now
 

EU is just an Anglo-French-Germany combo – with US managing it, the two Western groupings combined. They also grabbed everything in the vicinity (including Poland). But when they tried to go further east and grab Ukraine, Belarus, Caucasus, the remaining Euro power, Russia, blocked it
 

Replies: @AP, @Mr. XYZ, @Derer, @A123, @Beckow, @Gerard1234

I would remind the pro-Nato contingent that if the power gets reshuffled to omit paper and other verbal stuff, it will be the West that will lose more. Its power will be less than the countries with material resources and actual manufacturing
 

Replies: @Beckow, @Gerard1234

Most Americans support immigration:

https://news.gallup.com/poll/508520/americans-value-immigration-concerns.aspx

Two-thirds of Americans consider immigration a good thing for the country, while 27% consider it a bad thing. The percentage calling it a good thing is down from its peak of 77% in 2020 and is the lowest Gallup has recorded since 2014 (when it was 63%).

While barely a quarter of Americans consider immigration a bad thing for the country, that view is far more prevalent among Republicans (43%) than Democrats (10%), with independents roughly matching the nation as a whole (28%). Still, half of Republicans consider it a good thing, as do 67% of independents and 87% of Democrats.

That poll found few in favor of increasing immigration (7%), while the rest were split between wanting it kept the same (39%), wanting it decreased (33%) or unsure (20%).

Replies: @Derer, @Mr. XYZ, @Emil Nikola Richard, @QCIC

the combination of natural resources and manufacturing particular high end manufacturing favors the West, especially the USA.
 

In absolute terms the two camps will be roughly equal, the big loser will be Europe that has minimal resources and its manufacturing is not competitive. US-Canada-Australia will do much better - there is a strong opinion in EU that is why US is willing to do this - they are cannibalizing their Euro allies.

But the collective West will lose more - disproportionate share of the Western economy is derived from soft activities that may go away or shrink: finance, consulting, cultural products, bulls..t jobs in the meta economy (business about business)...

The anti-West is also growing a lot faster then the West...over time it will get worse. The way to correct it would be to go back to more real economy, but the costs are high and it goes against the dominant liberal ideology. People in the West - in Europe - are not inclined to exchange their comfy subsidized lives and bs jobs for working harder.

The security-defense boom can cover some of it for a while but it will eventually (soon) lead to lower access to consumer goods and good life. Defense is a lot of things but it doesn't increase living standards - it is an economic black hole: stuff goes in and nothing comes out...

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @A123, @AP

https://imgur.com/a/A9TCCaY

Long as the app has progress recommendations it's good.
Alpha is good cuz let's say I did 150x10 for RIR 2 on Week 1.

Week 3 I want to sets of 6 it'll keep in the same RIR & might have me do 175x6.
Tracking 10RM is IMO superior for bodybuilding.

--
Keep in mind I was doing close to 40 sets a session a few months back.
This is just my current way to balance 6x a week with fatigue/life.

Alpha means I can make consistent progress without guesswork.
When it stalls, I'll add/subtract volume or w/e.
--

What's your favorite bicep exercises?
Not really feeling barbell or DB curls & don't have a low pulley or incline bench.

:/

Replies: @Sher Singh, @Yahya

Most Americans support immigration:

https://news.gallup.com/poll/508520/americans-value-immigration-concerns.aspx

Two-thirds of Americans consider immigration a good thing for the country, while 27% consider it a bad thing. The percentage calling it a good thing is down from its peak of 77% in 2020 and is the lowest Gallup has recorded since 2014 (when it was 63%).

While barely a quarter of Americans consider immigration a bad thing for the country, that view is far more prevalent among Republicans (43%) than Democrats (10%), with independents roughly matching the nation as a whole (28%). Still, half of Republicans consider it a good thing, as do 67% of independents and 87% of Democrats.

That poll found few in favor of increasing immigration (7%), while the rest were split between wanting it kept the same (39%), wanting it decreased (33%) or unsure (20%).

Replies: @Derer, @Mr. XYZ, @Emil Nikola Richard, @QCIC

As Ron Unz will explain at tedious length, Mexican immigrants are pretty OK.

They are way way way better than what the Europeans are getting. The race zealots around these parts do not seem to comprehend that ethnically they are Spaniards. Almost all of the Native Americans in Mexico were wiped out.

Replies: @QCIC, @AnonfromTN

As Ron Unz will explain at tedious length, Mexican immigrants are pretty OK.

They are way way way better than what the Europeans are getting. The race zealots around these parts do not seem to comprehend that ethnically they are Spaniards. Almost all of the Native Americans in Mexico were wiped out.

Replies: @QCIC, @AnonfromTN

I don't have any strong opinions on the Riga architectural landscape. If all parties involved agree with you that the best parts were built by the Russians, that is something I can perfectly live with.

However, it is just not true that LatW left because of you. She clearly left in indignation at the epithet that G_R directed at her. Even worse, then G_R proceeded to leave the blog himself, at a time when Dmitry, Bashi, Aaron and others had been absent for a while and Yahya has briefly reappeared to let us know what a waste of his time this geriatric ward had become really. The chances of any worthwhile debate taking place here have become infinitesimal.

But I can't blame any of them really. We had long ago entered the law of diminishing returns, discussing ad nauseam the same old subjects with the same old arguments (me included). Who doesn't have better uses of their time than that?

With that said, I think it's been quite a remarkable feat to keep this blog alive for 2 years after his author left (and actually break records of comment numbers on this website). Perhaps as important as the subjects we keep debating are the subjects the regulars of this blog never debate: transhumanism and technological singularities (AK's favorite topics) or the JQ (Unz's obsession). This clearly signals that it was never about AK or Unz. They both just happened to attract a group of disparate people with very different backgrounds and the group then took a life of its own, building very lively threads out of nothing that for one reason or another we all felt compelled to participate in. Though obviously AK and Ron deserve credit for the phenomenon.

Alas, everything has an end and it looks like these threads are losing the vigor and interest they once had. On to the difficult task of finding other places to debate, vent and engage people of different persuasions without being censored, I guess.

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @Beckow, @AP, @Yevardian, @German_reader, @Gerard1234

The race zealots around these parts do not seem to comprehend that ethnically they are Spaniards. Almost all of the Native Americans in Mexico were wiped out.
 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @AP

the combination of natural resources and manufacturing particular high end manufacturing favors the West, especially the USA.
 

In absolute terms the two camps will be roughly equal, the big loser will be Europe that has minimal resources and its manufacturing is not competitive. US-Canada-Australia will do much better - there is a strong opinion in EU that is why US is willing to do this - they are cannibalizing their Euro allies.

But the collective West will lose more - disproportionate share of the Western economy is derived from soft activities that may go away or shrink: finance, consulting, cultural products, bulls..t jobs in the meta economy (business about business)...

The anti-West is also growing a lot faster then the West...over time it will get worse. The way to correct it would be to go back to more real economy, but the costs are high and it goes against the dominant liberal ideology. People in the West - in Europe - are not inclined to exchange their comfy subsidized lives and bs jobs for working harder.

The security-defense boom can cover some of it for a while but it will eventually (soon) lead to lower access to consumer goods and good life. Defense is a lot of things but it doesn't increase living standards - it is an economic black hole: stuff goes in and nothing comes out...

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @A123, @AP

...The downfall of Europe would deserve a chapter
 

When this started the Western Europe was in a slow, gradual decline: lack of resources, collapsing big cities, unstoppable migrants...and idiotic liberal fanatics. We were good in the east or central-east\: steadily growing, normal, living safer and more comfortable lives. The Ukie disaster has reversed it...

The under-appreciated fact has been the collapse of V4, Ukies running amok, weapons everywhere - in any Euro war we are the primary battleground. We also have the most level-headed view of Russia: good and bad, grateful for what they sacrificed for us, a little bit scornful of Russia's propensity for gigantism, but we get along. (Poles are the exception and even among them the sentiment is more mixed - who they really hate are the Ukies and Orthodox, but they can't voice it now.)

It will be in the Chapter called "Causes"...the stupidity of the Nato's failed grab of Ukraine makes the wars in the Middle East and Asia much worse for the West. The elemental reality is that with China's economic might, Middle East-Russian resources, resentful nations of the South, the last thing West needed was to add Russia with its weapons, resources and geography. But they did, for Nato bases, Crimea (nice place) and exiles' lying stories...maybe a downfall, but I still hope not...I like our quiet valleys.

Replies: @AP, @AnonfromTN

You will not find more European geography than the remote valleys and rolling hills north of the middle Danube…it is almost comically Euro. My priority is to preserve the good life here and I will spin ideas in that direction.
 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ

Thanks.

Did the survey ask about ILLEGAL immigration by name? If not, the results are possibly very misleading.

In a broad sense, most Americans are for legal immigration since this has been drummed into our heads as a defining characteristic of the country.

Replies: @A123

As a matter of fact, quite a few patches of Europe, including your neck of woods, will suffer a lot less damage. Culturally hostile migrants flooding Europe do not go to the countryside, they stay in big cities. As those big cities are infested by libtards and therefore doomed, anyway, real rural Europe will be OK. Besides, rural areas are robbed by the rich scum living in the cities, so you might even improve your fortunes when the system collapses.

 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ

Unfortunately, twitter seems the best of bad options for the moment.
I much prefer the site-design here that incentivises long comments and discourages posting excessive pictures, catchphrases, "memes" and the like, but in the end that site has pure numbers so there's at least a couple of interesting users, you just have to mute a lot of people.

transhumanism and technological singularities (AK’s favorite topics) or the JQ (Unz’s obsession).
 

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard

https://boingboing.net/2010/10/20/jacques-vallees-stat.html

I, Product
Jacques Vallee
Boingboing

Replies: @songbird

Replies: @AnonfromTN

I wonder whether hyper-loquacious people tend to be more paranoid. I mean like the verbal diarrhea people.
 

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @songbird

Most Americans support immigration:
 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @AP

That poll found few in favor of increasing immigration (7%), while the rest were split between wanting it kept the same (39%), wanting it decreased (33%) or unsure (20%).

 

Gallup takes the public’s temperature on the volume of immigration by asking if immigration should be kept at its present level, increased or decreased. This was first measured in 1965, when Congress passed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 that reformed federal immigration policy. That poll found few in favor of increasing immigration (7%), while the rest were split between wanting it kept the same (39%), wanting it decreased (33%) or unsure (20%).

 

Given the major increase in the number of migrants seeking to enter the U.S. at the Southern border in recent years, Americans’ desire for less immigration has ticked upward, now reaching 41%. This exceeds the 26% who now want more immigration and is the highest since 2014.

 

41% want immigration decreased
31% want immigration to remain at current levels
26% want immigration increased

That's for right now. For 1965, the figures on the very same table were indeed like you stated above:

39% want immigration to remain at current levels
33% want immigration decreased
7% want immigration increased

This shows just how massively US immigration attitudes have shifted in a pro-immigration direction since 1965, especially considering that immigration levels to the US, whether in a per capita sense or in a total sense, were much lower in 1965 than they are right now.

Few Americans wanted increased immigration back in 1965 but many more of them want increased immigration today, though a bit less than a couple of years ago, possibly due to Biden's border rush.

Replies: @AP

Thanks for the correction!

Replies: @Mr. XYZ

https://imgur com/a/A9TCCaY

Link broken, but that's my full split.
Did it for a friend.

Here's the guide from Mike Israetel: (under more)

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/781336597492662312/1187832641127456858/image.png

https://ryanlefebvre.github.io/RP-Hypertrophy-Hub-Visualizer/#/

Tbh, I think viewing it from a weekly angle is wrong for a few reasons.
Based on my experience, you should aim for a X frequency & Y volume per session.

At that point, your weekly volume will be fine.
That 8-20 sets per week is a broad guideline encompassing both free weights & machines.

Since I only use barbell, cable or dumbbell I tend towards lower end & just do what's comfortable.
--
I have ran programs where you increase by 1 set per week.
It's brutal, but sort of works - haven't tried it since Alpha Progression (Got it Last Nov).

What I do now is just change reps every few weeks, but do sets by feel.
--
When you do too much volume you tend to just rest more & your 5x week turns into 5x in 10 days.

Replies: @Sher Singh

I wonder whether hyper-loquacious people tend to be more paranoid. I mean like the verbal diarrhea people.
 

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @songbird

The race zealots around these parts do not seem to comprehend that ethnically they are Spaniards. Almost all of the Native Americans in Mexico were wiped out.
 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @AP

There are even Poles fighting and dying alongside Ukrainians.
 

Replies: @AP

Lol. I was thinking more along the lines of speaking than typing.

But to go off on a tangent, I've always felt there was something "off" about Philip K. Dick's writing. Not sure whether it was drugs or his unaltered mind, but I recall hearing some surprising statistic that a lot of the early Pulitzer winners were alcoholics, so I would lean towards some sort of substance-enhancement.

Browsing the wiki article on logorrhea, I see it is linked to a number of disorders. But I was thinking of something more like the reverse: can the need to always be talking itself lead naturally to paranoia? Suppose it is hard to separate cause from effect.

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @AnonfromTN

the combination of natural resources and manufacturing particular high end manufacturing favors the West, especially the USA.
 

In absolute terms the two camps will be roughly equal, the big loser will be Europe that has minimal resources and its manufacturing is not competitive. US-Canada-Australia will do much better - there is a strong opinion in EU that is why US is willing to do this - they are cannibalizing their Euro allies.

But the collective West will lose more - disproportionate share of the Western economy is derived from soft activities that may go away or shrink: finance, consulting, cultural products, bulls..t jobs in the meta economy (business about business)...

The anti-West is also growing a lot faster then the West...over time it will get worse. The way to correct it would be to go back to more real economy, but the costs are high and it goes against the dominant liberal ideology. People in the West - in Europe - are not inclined to exchange their comfy subsidized lives and bs jobs for working harder.

The security-defense boom can cover some of it for a while but it will eventually (soon) lead to lower access to consumer goods and good life. Defense is a lot of things but it doesn't increase living standards - it is an economic black hole: stuff goes in and nothing comes out...

Replies: @Emil Nikola Richard, @A123, @AP

In fact, the fraction of Indians and part-Indians among Mexes who come to the US is much greater than in Mexico.
 

Many of Mexes doing construction work here in TN, including those who worked in my yard and changed my roof, as well as those that wash my car at the good carwash, are 50-100% Indians, judging by their looks
 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @Mr. XYZ, @QCIC, @AnonfromTN

In absolute terms the two camps will be roughly equal, the big loser will be Europe that has minimal resources and its manufacturing is not competitive. US-Canada-Australia will do much better
 

– there is a strong opinion in EU that is why US is willing to do this – they are cannibalizing their Euro allies
 

The security-defense boom can cover some of it for a while but it will eventually (soon) lead to lower access to consumer goods and good life. Defense is a lot of things but it doesn’t increase living standards – it is an economic black hole: stuff goes in and nothing comes out…
 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @Beckow, @Sean

In fact, the fraction of Indians and part-Indians among Mexes who come to the US is much greater than in Mexico.
 

Many of Mexes doing construction work here in TN, including those who worked in my yard and changed my roof, as well as those that wash my car at the good carwash, are 50-100% Indians, judging by their looks
 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @Mr. XYZ, @QCIC, @AnonfromTN

It should read most Democrats support immigration
 

Replies: @QCIC

In fact, the fraction of Indians and part-Indians among Mexes who come to the US is much greater than in Mexico.
 

Many of Mexes doing construction work here in TN, including those who worked in my yard and changed my roof, as well as those that wash my car at the good carwash, are 50-100% Indians, judging by their looks
 

Replies: @Mr. XYZ, @Mr. XYZ, @QCIC, @AnonfromTN

https://imgur.com/a/A9TCCaY

Long as the app has progress recommendations it's good.
Alpha is good cuz let's say I did 150x10 for RIR 2 on Week 1.

Week 3 I want to sets of 6 it'll keep in the same RIR & might have me do 175x6.
Tracking 10RM is IMO superior for bodybuilding.

--
Keep in mind I was doing close to 40 sets a session a few months back.
This is just my current way to balance 6x a week with fatigue/life.

Alpha means I can make consistent progress without guesswork.
When it stalls, I'll add/subtract volume or w/e.
--

What's your favorite bicep exercises?
Not really feeling barbell or DB curls & don't have a low pulley or incline bench.

:/

Replies: @Sher Singh, @Yahya

There are even Poles fighting and dying alongside Ukrainians.

Only illiterate.

 

Do not forget the J yoke in Poland is as strong as in Ukraine.
 

Replies: @A123, @Mr. XYZ

I know that many of you despaired these past few months from the absence of Yahya's world famous film reviews. So I returned to this sacred forum to provide you with my unusually interesting and perspicuous takes on the films I watched this previous year. Overall, it has been a fruitful year for me cinematically, with a total of 141 films watched. I found it difficult to narrow down my selections to just the top 10 or 20; such was the large number of high-quality films I viewed in 2023. The key to maximizing quality films watched is to quit early when a film displays Goddard-tier dullness and pretentiousness. The Leopard will not change its spots. Just cut your losses and move on.

1. The Godfather I (1972 - Coppola - American)
2. The Godfather II (1974 - Coppola - American)
3. Socrates (1971 - Rossellini - Italian)
4. The Grand Illusion (1937 - Renoir - French)
5. Batman Begins (2005 - Nolan - American)
6. Gone With The Wind (1939 - Fleming - American)
7. Wild Strawberries (1957 - Bergman - Swedish)
8. North By Northwest (1959 - Hitchcock - American)
9. Training Day (2001 - Fuqua - American)
10. Great Expectations (1946 - Lean - British)
11. Jane Eyre (1943 - Stevenson - British)
12. Burnt By The Sun (1994 - Mikhalkov - Russian)
13. Woman In The Dunes (1964 - Teshigahara - Japanese)
14. Europe ‘51 (1952 - Rossellini - Italian)
15. Annie Hall (1977 - Allen - American)
16. Belle De Jour (1967 - Bunuel - French)
17. The Searchers (1956 - Ford - American)
18. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962 - Ford - American)
19. Mulholland Drive (2001 - Lynch - American)
20. The Gentlemen (2019 - Ritchie - British)

Honorable Mentions
1. The Equalizer (2014 - Fuqua - American)
2. Kind Hearts & Coronets (1946 - Hamer - British)
3. Winter Sleep (2014 - Ceylan - Turkish)
4. Taxi Driver (1976 - Scorsese - American)
5. Hamlet (1948 - Olivier - British)

My ranking of national cinemas remains unchanged from my last post, though I realized that my high opinion of Anglo-American cinema may be biased by the ease of watching English-language movies. Especially towards the second half of the year, I couldn't be bothered with subtitles and strange cinematographic techniques, so my viewings were heavily tilted towards Anglo-American films. But that is a fault I aim to rectify in 2024.

I've already written about some of these films in my posts throughout the year; so I'll stick to new selections here.

The Grand Illusion centers around a group of French POWs held in captivity by the Germans; the most alluring of whom is the confident, self-assured Captain de Boeldieu, a French aristocratic officer whose untroubled bearing, upright posture, neat styling, and sardonic demeanor give him a Gaulle-esque aroma I found captivating. Renoir utilizes the setting of the film to comment upon class dynamics: "When I’m with Boeldieu, I never feel completely at ease. Call it the education barrier.” “He’s a fine type.” “Agreed, and he’s very decent. Suppose you and I went broke, we’d both be turned into beggars. If it happened to him, he’d still be Monsieur De Boeldieu.” Though I later found out Renoir is of the Socialistic bent, the film does not exude class hostility, but takes on a tolerant and matter-of-fact observational style as it relates to class and warfare. The film is also refreshing in its male-orientation; there is no romantic sub-plot to please female viewers (“Sentiment has no place in war” as de Boeldieu remarks); and it was a pleasure to view depictions of Old Europe such as the scene in the Gothic Cathedral at minute 50.

Training Day explores the necessity of harshness, cruelty and rule-breaking in the fight against hard crime; in other words it touches upon the Jungian concept of Integrating The Shadow. "To protect the sheep you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf." Washington's character represents the Wolf, he is willing to bend the rules and inflict cruelty on suspects to expedite the process of discovering and apprehending criminals. Denzel’s character is charismatic, bombastic, psychopathic, relentless, decisive. He asserts his will over subordinates by using his position of power and establishes his dominance fairly quickly over Hawke by use of verbal adeptness and charisma. Hawkes' character is initially naïve, rule-following, and considerate of others. Denzel takes advantage of him by deceiving him into the hands of the cartel, but Hawke survives by sheer chance of having rescued a cartel member's cousin earlier in the day. The script is stale when read on paper, but is brought to life by Washington's eloquence and force of personality. One the greatest performances I've seen on screen, and an overall worthy production by an African-American lead actor and director.

Batman Begins is one of the few mass-market productions I found to be worthy and enjoyable, although it comes with attendant flaws such as two-dimensional characters, a predictable plotline, and a simple script. Nevertheless, it is possible for a blockbuster film to be of high artistic value despite the typical shortcomings; and one must not forget that stalwart classics such as The Godfather and North by Northwest were mass-market productions in their own time. Bruce Wayne presents an archetype of the masculine ideal; eliciting universal respect from all ranges of viewers, as his character and behavior tap into the collective unconscious. Batman's defining features are a) his strength, both mental and physical, which enable him to inflict damage on enemies and protect friends; b) handsome appearance in the traditional masculine sense, which though superficial, is critical to his status as a high-value male (he would not elicit respect had he been ugly and obese); c) an unbending sense of justice; and d) socio-economic status as one of the wealthiest individuals in Gotham.

Batman is also a Dionysian figure, preferring action over knowledge-seeking. We do not see him sitting on a reclining chair, submerged in a book; but cultivating himself physically through intensive training. He mostly relies on intuition rather than logical reasoning to guide his actions. This was best evidenced in his confrontation with the Joker in the Dark Knight sequel. "The training is nothing, will is everything. The will to act", again emphasizing action over knowledge/training. Batman also develops a network of trust between himself Fox, Alfred, Rachel, and Commissioner Gordon. While Wayne is the central character in this network, he must rely on Fox for the technology, without which he cannot perform his duties.

Replies: @Mr. Hack, @Emil Nikola Richard, @Beckow, @Mr. XYZ, @songbird, @Noviop Co-Prosperity Sphere, @Barbarossa

The paper claims the US will be 29% Hispanic/Latino by 2060. I think this percentage will be reached much sooner.

What is the median IQ south of the border for the non-Criollo fraction (since they don't immigrate)? Possibly it is mid-low 80's. So what is the IQ of illegal immigrants to the USA? What percentage have IQ below 85?

Eva always looked more "unknown" than she did Hispanic.

Replies: @Noviop Co-Prosperity Sphere