There are recent news stories saying that China has been and is being swept by a recurring wave of respiratory infections, that their hospitals in some areas are being overwhelmed, and that mortuaries are working overtime to deal with all of the deaths. All these developments, of course, covered up, and not being widely reported.
And now come reports that some insane Chinese scientists have developed a COVID variant which is even more lethal than the old ones–reportedly 100% lethal when tested against mice.
Love the History. We often do not know the history of our immediate family let alone further back. One thing that brings past people alive are their writings. Letters are a thing of the past. What we write here is soon to be forgotten (except for Neo’s archives). And Photos. All digital now, nothing you can open a box and see Great Granddad. Future Generations will have lost so much history.
(Should improve his carbon footprint, though…well, temporarily…)
The Left has not humanity. The Judge in the defamation case against Trump (can I say Trumped up case) will not let Trump delay the trial to attend his Mother-In-Laws funeral. That is just so low and very very petty.
Ahh…more empty threats from the lib/Ds I monitor. One guy put up an immigration post and they all jumped on how there’s no problem just the right wing extremists saying there is, we need to let everyone come here, etc etc. Then…about half started stating that if Trump gets elected they will leave the country. I say, good riddance, but I know they will never follow through.
Any such sentiments from you acquaintances, Neo?
In 7th and 8th grade my class sold magazine subscriptions for a class trip to New York City. We stayed at the Hotel Piccadilly. Among the things we did was to see the Rockettes at Radio City. IIRC, the show also had a folk music group named The Hunters.
The blogger “directorblue” yesterday asked an AI engine to create a ranking of the 25 most interesting, credible blogs. The AI engine ranked this site at number 7 with the following description: “Well read blog by an interesting independent thinker. Quality over quantity.” How apt! I guess congratulations are in order. Thanks Neo for crafting such a great, interesting blog!
On my first trip to NYC as a teen, I remember that my father just had to see the Rockettes.
about half started stating that if Trump gets elected they will leave the country
Maybe unvetted people from who knows where, would be a good replacement for moonbat Democrats?
Yukon:
Thanks! I took a look – it seems the blogger already had a list of 25 that he asked AI to sort. But I definitely did okay against the competition. All those big bucks I gave to AI really paid off 🙂 .
physicsguy:
Haven’t heard much from my acquaintance about politics in quite a while, and I don’t bring it up. I have heard general statements of being upset about the state of the world and the country. And I have little doubt that those who have hated Trump still hate him. One person who hates Trump did say that Biden is senile and shouldn’t run.
The one with the black shoes doesn’t look too happy.
Antony Blinken could do what ordinary people do. Switzerland has a very good train system. He could take a train to Geneva or Zurich and fly to the US from there. The government will probably pay for a business class ticket.
I always wanted to be a Rockette. Unfortunately, I am 4’11”.
I love, love them!
Jordan Peterson lost his case. Peterson’s response:
________________________________
A higher court in Canada has ruled that the Ontario College of Psychologists indeed has the right to sentence me to re-education camp. There are no other legal avenues open to me now.
It’s capitulate to the petty bureaucrats and the addle-pated woke mob or lose my professional licence.
Congratulations,[College of Psychologists, Ontario]!
You won this round.
Mark my words, however: the war has barely started. There is nothing you can take from me that I’m unwilling to lose.
Speaking of writing something on the Internet, it used to be said that “no one knows that you’re a dog on the Internet.”
Well, now, thanks to technology, no one can tell, from your electronic image, what you really look like, or if you truly are a male or a female, and no more so than in China.
China, as is well known, has a lot more men than women; a lot of very, very lonely men, many of whom–because of circumstance, like being poor, uneducated, of average or lower looks, or having no assets to offer as a dowry–have no chance of finding a mate.
(Prostitution, by the way, is rampant in China.)
Serpentza, a western vlogger about China, has a new post about how the Chinese Internet is full of supposed gorgeous women who cater to these lonely men by appearing on their Internet channels to talk, sing, and do various little performances, and entertain their subscribers in return for various gifts you can click on, and give to them.
This is big business.
(This is not even talking about whatever equivalent of our private “Patreon” or “Members Only” Internet channels there might be in China.)
Thing is, with various available electronic beauty filters, you can alter your appearance and voice, so that not only do average or below looking women become movie star beautiful, but men can now also appear to be beautiful women. *
I found the Rockettes story fascinating. It’s a shame that when we are young we often have very little interest in the lives of our grandparents and only realize later that they had fascinating stories to tell. By the time we are interested in the past, those that lived it are no longer around.
My grandfather sang and danced in the Ziegfeld Follies chorus and had bit parts in two Broadway plays. He was a student of David Bispham, who was a well known opera singer at the turn of the 20th century. Years after my grandfather died, I found a letter that my uncle had kept from Bispham to my my grandfather in which he told him that he should probably give up on a career in show business because he just wasn’t good enough. That must have been quite a crushing blow.
When I was a child I remember my grandfather used to do a little dance and I just thought he was being silly. I wish now that I had shown some interest in what his life was like as a young man.
RE: Rampant prostitution in China
China as the country of short cuts and facades.
Although the official stance of the supposedly puritanical Communist Party is that prostitution is illegal, and there is the occasional bust of a house full of prostitutes, I presume that most prostitution operations have made some sort of “accommodation” with the local authorities.
(In the immortal words of Casablanca’s Captain Renault, “I’m shocked, shocked to find gambling going on in this establishment.” Palm turned behind him, “Here are your winnings sir.”)
Serpentza, and his traveling companion through China by motorcycle, Laowhy86, have documented on their Vlog how local prostitutes will advertise their wares–prices for specific acts included–on things like telephone polls.
And about how, when they have stayed at hotels around the country, and gone out to eat dinner, by the time they have come back to their rooms, a dozen or more colorful cards picturing the women involved, and advertising the services of local prostitutes–again, prices quoted for specific acts (as a westerner you have to decipher the colorful euphemistic Chinese terminology to discover what these acts actually are)–have been shoved under their hotel room doors.*
It appears that members of Congress might be getting closer to finding out the specific locations–presumably at some aerospace companies–where crashed UFOs might be located.
According to the now famous Admiral Wilson memo, when Admiral Wilson discovered the location of one of these secret UFO crash retrieval and reverse engineering programs–and even though he was the J-2 of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, and nominally in charge of and with oversight over all such secret programs–he was refused entry to see this UFO by officials at an aerospace company’s facility, which denial was backed up by his superiors at the Pentagon.
You might also remember that recently three House members—Reps. Luna, Burchette, and Gaetz–went to Eglin AFB in Florida to interview people, who they had knowledge of, who had had UFO encounters, and that only with great difficulty–they were initially denied access to these servicemen by the General commanding the base—did they get to interview one of these men, and according to Rep. Gaetz, view one of the classified images they captured of a UFO.*
The question which then arises is, presuming that members of Congress do discover the exact location of such a UFO–and it hasn’t been moved–how will they gain entry to inspect it?
Do they just present themselves at the gates of the facility, or at the headquarters office, and demand entrance?
The problem here–as in many other situations lately—is that Congress does not have it’s own military force, which–presuming members had the guts to use them–would enable Congress to enforce it’s will.
House or Senate Sergeant at Arms—as far as I am aware, no actual military force to speak of.
The U.S. Marshals—under the control of DOJ.
Regular or special ops military—under the control of the President and the DOD (the very organization whose faction or factions have been and are apparently covering up these crash retrieval and reverse engineering programs).
Perhaps a relaxing diversion from the culture wars.
Wes Anderson is a true auteur film director, which isn’t to say he is Hitchcock or that you will like him, but he does something personal, unique and I would say magical, yet not in your face.
I’ve just run through “The French Dispatch,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Isle of Dogs,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” and “Asteroid CIty.” Anderson is special but he is not someone who is trying to change the world so much as develop a bizarre, intricate, yet friendly vision.
I understand there are Wes Heads. I guess I am one.
There is nothing like a Wes Anderson film.
Gregory Harper:
Lovely story!
I wish I had been smart enough to talk to my grandfather while I had the chance.
huxley – re “Asteroid CIty” by Wes Anderson.
I found it dull and predictable, and derivative. Before it came out, a friend who loves “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” which I’ve not yet seen, waxed very interested and hoping for a good ride. I was hoping, too.
Few “auteurs” today are interesting and fresh like in the 1970s and 80s and even the 90s. Who can’t wait for next Scorsese or Ridley Scott film?
It a dying art and a dying entertainment in the English speaking world.
On YouTube, I saw an old 1950s scifi — “Mars Needs Women”. An arch title that followed thru on it’s premise and the shocking menace felt at the time.
A success! But how many more familiar films will pleasantly surprise me? I wonder.
@ huxley > ‘I wish I had been smart enough to talk to my grandfather while I had the chance.”
On my final visit to see my father’s older brother, who was then the last surviving sibling, he mentioned that his parents were champion dancers at the local town’s competitions before they were married (just before Grandad went off to WWI).
On his return, they had to get serious about making a living and supporting their growing family, so they “retired” from dancing, and none of us grandkids ever heard anything about that delightful past celebrity, so far as I know.
Maybe that’s where one of our sons got his interest in ballroom dancing.
Re: Wes Anderson
TJ:
Perhaps you found “Asteroid City” dull, but I find it difficult to believe you found it predictable beyond predicting your reaction to it.
I don’t consider it among Anderson’s strongest films. It works on three levels — a play being performed, the story of the man writing the play, and a documentary about the play with Bryan Cranston as Walter Cronkite narrating. It’s kind of Wes Anderson making a David Lynch film without all the disgusting, violent stuff.
But I sure understand if people don’t like Anderson. I hated “Rushmore,” his breakout film. One can label him as pretentious or even the wonderful British slang, “twee.”
I’m not the only one to make the connection. Chat informs me:
____________________________________
Yes, Wes Anderson, the American filmmaker known for his distinctive visual and narrative style, has been criticized by some for being “twee.” The term “twee” is often used to describe things that are excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental, sometimes to the point of being cloying or annoying. Critics who label Anderson’s work as twee typically refer to his highly stylized, meticulously detailed, and often whimsical aesthetic seen in films like “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Moonrise Kingdom.” This critique generally stems from the perception that his style, while visually appealing and unique, can overshadow the substance of his narratives or make them seem overly precious. However, it’s important to note that Anderson also has a large and dedicated fan base who appreciate his unique style and storytelling approach.
____________________________________
Nonetheless, he is a true auteur with a unique voice and visual style. I find him fascinating. Others may not.
I offered him here as a possible antidote to the non-stop woke or violent films out there today.
There is nothing like a Wes Anderson film.
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Legs, legs, legs. Beautiful!
There are recent news stories saying that China has been and is being swept by a recurring wave of respiratory infections, that their hospitals in some areas are being overwhelmed, and that mortuaries are working overtime to deal with all of the deaths. All these developments, of course, covered up, and not being widely reported.
And now come reports that some insane Chinese scientists have developed a COVID variant which is even more lethal than the old ones–reportedly 100% lethal when tested against mice.
* See https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2024/01/17/the-chinese-have-cooked-up-another-covid-strain-thats-beyond-irresponsible-n2633738
See also https://nypost.com/2024/01/16/news/covid-19-strain-kills-100-of-infected-mice-in-chinese-lab-study/
Love the History. We often do not know the history of our immediate family let alone further back. One thing that brings past people alive are their writings. Letters are a thing of the past. What we write here is soon to be forgotten (except for Neo’s archives). And Photos. All digital now, nothing you can open a box and see Great Granddad. Future Generations will have lost so much history.
They’re going to have to rebrand as “Boing”….
“Anthony Blinken Stranded In Davos After His Boeing 737 Breaks Down”—
https://blazingcatfur.ca/2024/01/17/beware-the-wefs-new-misinformation-panic/
(Should improve his carbon footprint, though…well, temporarily…)
The Left has not humanity. The Judge in the defamation case against Trump (can I say Trumped up case) will not let Trump delay the trial to attend his Mother-In-Laws funeral. That is just so low and very very petty.
Ahh…more empty threats from the lib/Ds I monitor. One guy put up an immigration post and they all jumped on how there’s no problem just the right wing extremists saying there is, we need to let everyone come here, etc etc. Then…about half started stating that if Trump gets elected they will leave the country. I say, good riddance, but I know they will never follow through.
Any such sentiments from you acquaintances, Neo?
In 7th and 8th grade my class sold magazine subscriptions for a class trip to New York City. We stayed at the Hotel Piccadilly. Among the things we did was to see the Rockettes at Radio City. IIRC, the show also had a folk music group named The Hunters.
The blogger “directorblue” yesterday asked an AI engine to create a ranking of the 25 most interesting, credible blogs. The AI engine ranked this site at number 7 with the following description: “Well read blog by an interesting independent thinker. Quality over quantity.” How apt! I guess congratulations are in order. Thanks Neo for crafting such a great, interesting blog!
On my first trip to NYC as a teen, I remember that my father just had to see the Rockettes.
about half started stating that if Trump gets elected they will leave the country
Maybe unvetted people from who knows where, would be a good replacement for moonbat Democrats?
Yukon:
Thanks! I took a look – it seems the blogger already had a list of 25 that he asked AI to sort. But I definitely did okay against the competition. All those big bucks I gave to AI really paid off 🙂 .
physicsguy:
Haven’t heard much from my acquaintance about politics in quite a while, and I don’t bring it up. I have heard general statements of being upset about the state of the world and the country. And I have little doubt that those who have hated Trump still hate him. One person who hates Trump did say that Biden is senile and shouldn’t run.
The one with the black shoes doesn’t look too happy.
Antony Blinken could do what ordinary people do. Switzerland has a very good train system. He could take a train to Geneva or Zurich and fly to the US from there. The government will probably pay for a business class ticket.
I always wanted to be a Rockette. Unfortunately, I am 4’11”.
I love, love them!
Jordan Peterson lost his case. Peterson’s response:
________________________________
A higher court in Canada has ruled that the Ontario College of Psychologists indeed has the right to sentence me to re-education camp. There are no other legal avenues open to me now.
It’s capitulate to the petty bureaucrats and the addle-pated woke mob or lose my professional licence.
Congratulations,[College of Psychologists, Ontario]!
You won this round.
Mark my words, however: the war has barely started. There is nothing you can take from me that I’m unwilling to lose.
So watch out.
Seriously.
You’ve been warned.
https://notthebee.com/article/jordan-peterson-loses-legal-fight-is-mandated-to-attend-social-media-re-education-camp
________________________________
Give ’em hell, Jordan!
RE: Fake electronic women in China
Speaking of writing something on the Internet, it used to be said that “no one knows that you’re a dog on the Internet.”
Well, now, thanks to technology, no one can tell, from your electronic image, what you really look like, or if you truly are a male or a female, and no more so than in China.
China, as is well known, has a lot more men than women; a lot of very, very lonely men, many of whom–because of circumstance, like being poor, uneducated, of average or lower looks, or having no assets to offer as a dowry–have no chance of finding a mate.
(Prostitution, by the way, is rampant in China.)
Serpentza, a western vlogger about China, has a new post about how the Chinese Internet is full of supposed gorgeous women who cater to these lonely men by appearing on their Internet channels to talk, sing, and do various little performances, and entertain their subscribers in return for various gifts you can click on, and give to them.
This is big business.
(This is not even talking about whatever equivalent of our private “Patreon” or “Members Only” Internet channels there might be in China.)
Thing is, with various available electronic beauty filters, you can alter your appearance and voice, so that not only do average or below looking women become movie star beautiful, but men can now also appear to be beautiful women. *
* See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkMRhCyazqM
I found the Rockettes story fascinating. It’s a shame that when we are young we often have very little interest in the lives of our grandparents and only realize later that they had fascinating stories to tell. By the time we are interested in the past, those that lived it are no longer around.
My grandfather sang and danced in the Ziegfeld Follies chorus and had bit parts in two Broadway plays. He was a student of David Bispham, who was a well known opera singer at the turn of the 20th century. Years after my grandfather died, I found a letter that my uncle had kept from Bispham to my my grandfather in which he told him that he should probably give up on a career in show business because he just wasn’t good enough. That must have been quite a crushing blow.
When I was a child I remember my grandfather used to do a little dance and I just thought he was being silly. I wish now that I had shown some interest in what his life was like as a young man.
RE: Rampant prostitution in China
China as the country of short cuts and facades.
Although the official stance of the supposedly puritanical Communist Party is that prostitution is illegal, and there is the occasional bust of a house full of prostitutes, I presume that most prostitution operations have made some sort of “accommodation” with the local authorities.
(In the immortal words of Casablanca’s Captain Renault, “I’m shocked, shocked to find gambling going on in this establishment.” Palm turned behind him, “Here are your winnings sir.”)
Serpentza, and his traveling companion through China by motorcycle, Laowhy86, have documented on their Vlog how local prostitutes will advertise their wares–prices for specific acts included–on things like telephone polls.
And about how, when they have stayed at hotels around the country, and gone out to eat dinner, by the time they have come back to their rooms, a dozen or more colorful cards picturing the women involved, and advertising the services of local prostitutes–again, prices quoted for specific acts (as a westerner you have to decipher the colorful euphemistic Chinese terminology to discover what these acts actually are)–have been shoved under their hotel room doors.*
* See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9t2DA132vw
RE: UFO’s. Who is going to conduct the raid?
It appears that members of Congress might be getting closer to finding out the specific locations–presumably at some aerospace companies–where crashed UFOs might be located.
According to the now famous Admiral Wilson memo, when Admiral Wilson discovered the location of one of these secret UFO crash retrieval and reverse engineering programs–and even though he was the J-2 of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, and nominally in charge of and with oversight over all such secret programs–he was refused entry to see this UFO by officials at an aerospace company’s facility, which denial was backed up by his superiors at the Pentagon.
You might also remember that recently three House members—Reps. Luna, Burchette, and Gaetz–went to Eglin AFB in Florida to interview people, who they had knowledge of, who had had UFO encounters, and that only with great difficulty–they were initially denied access to these servicemen by the General commanding the base—did they get to interview one of these men, and according to Rep. Gaetz, view one of the classified images they captured of a UFO.*
The question which then arises is, presuming that members of Congress do discover the exact location of such a UFO–and it hasn’t been moved–how will they gain entry to inspect it?
Do they just present themselves at the gates of the facility, or at the headquarters office, and demand entrance?
The problem here–as in many other situations lately—is that Congress does not have it’s own military force, which–presuming members had the guts to use them–would enable Congress to enforce it’s will.
House or Senate Sergeant at Arms—as far as I am aware, no actual military force to speak of.
The U.S. Marshals—under the control of DOJ.
Regular or special ops military—under the control of the President and the DOD (the very organization whose faction or factions have been and are apparently covering up these crash retrieval and reverse engineering programs).
* See https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/pentagon-blocks-lawmakers-ufo-data-uap-hearing/
Re: Wes Anderson
Perhaps a relaxing diversion from the culture wars.
Wes Anderson is a true auteur film director, which isn’t to say he is Hitchcock or that you will like him, but he does something personal, unique and I would say magical, yet not in your face.
I’ve just run through “The French Dispatch,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Isle of Dogs,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” and “Asteroid CIty.” Anderson is special but he is not someone who is trying to change the world so much as develop a bizarre, intricate, yet friendly vision.
I understand there are Wes Heads. I guess I am one.
There is nothing like a Wes Anderson film.
Gregory Harper:
Lovely story!
I wish I had been smart enough to talk to my grandfather while I had the chance.
huxley – re “Asteroid CIty” by Wes Anderson.
I found it dull and predictable, and derivative. Before it came out, a friend who loves “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” which I’ve not yet seen, waxed very interested and hoping for a good ride. I was hoping, too.
Few “auteurs” today are interesting and fresh like in the 1970s and 80s and even the 90s. Who can’t wait for next Scorsese or Ridley Scott film?
It a dying art and a dying entertainment in the English speaking world.
On YouTube, I saw an old 1950s scifi — “Mars Needs Women”. An arch title that followed thru on it’s premise and the shocking menace felt at the time.
A success! But how many more familiar films will pleasantly surprise me? I wonder.
@ huxley > ‘I wish I had been smart enough to talk to my grandfather while I had the chance.”
On my final visit to see my father’s older brother, who was then the last surviving sibling, he mentioned that his parents were champion dancers at the local town’s competitions before they were married (just before Grandad went off to WWI).
On his return, they had to get serious about making a living and supporting their growing family, so they “retired” from dancing, and none of us grandkids ever heard anything about that delightful past celebrity, so far as I know.
Maybe that’s where one of our sons got his interest in ballroom dancing.
Re: Wes Anderson
TJ:
Perhaps you found “Asteroid City” dull, but I find it difficult to believe you found it predictable beyond predicting your reaction to it.
I don’t consider it among Anderson’s strongest films. It works on three levels — a play being performed, the story of the man writing the play, and a documentary about the play with Bryan Cranston as Walter Cronkite narrating. It’s kind of Wes Anderson making a David Lynch film without all the disgusting, violent stuff.
But I sure understand if people don’t like Anderson. I hated “Rushmore,” his breakout film. One can label him as pretentious or even the wonderful British slang, “twee.”
I’m not the only one to make the connection. Chat informs me:
____________________________________
Yes, Wes Anderson, the American filmmaker known for his distinctive visual and narrative style, has been criticized by some for being “twee.” The term “twee” is often used to describe things that are excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental, sometimes to the point of being cloying or annoying. Critics who label Anderson’s work as twee typically refer to his highly stylized, meticulously detailed, and often whimsical aesthetic seen in films like “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Moonrise Kingdom.” This critique generally stems from the perception that his style, while visually appealing and unique, can overshadow the substance of his narratives or make them seem overly precious. However, it’s important to note that Anderson also has a large and dedicated fan base who appreciate his unique style and storytelling approach.
____________________________________
Nonetheless, he is a true auteur with a unique voice and visual style. I find him fascinating. Others may not.
I offered him here as a possible antidote to the non-stop woke or violent films out there today.
There is nothing like a Wes Anderson film.