It’s an eventful week, one that has signs which may or may not be related to last week’s.
The week begins with the moon dropping between Venus and Saturn, signaling the end of a romantic relationship. They day after that, the Moon and Venus are instead in line with the Earth, indicating that your domestic love life is going fine. After a brief moment of general felicity on Thursday, we get into the truly odd stuff. On Friday, the Earth-Venus pairing, having ditched the moon now pick up Jupiter. So this gives us domestic tranquility; Peace, Love and Joy; and most excellent Netflix and Chillin. What’s odd about that? Well, there’s an additional wrinkle in that one of the driving aspects of this happy result is Mercury-Mars, or “news of war.” How news of war gives you a happy home life I have no idea. If I figure it out before this gets submitted I’ll add it then.
It’s Pisces time. Pisces often gets overlooked, probably because fish are boring (if tasty). While Pisces doesn’t get the early boost that’s common to the beginning of it’s solar visit, it DOES get Jupiter for the entire month. That is (literally) boss. Enjoy. Aquarius, on the other hand, not only loses the Sun but gets stuck with Mercury (chaos) and Saturn (endings). Sorry about the celestial whiplash. Capricorn continues to keep the Mars/Venus pairing and the moon as well, so this is a good week for ideas and correct snap judgments.
Pisces: 3 of Wands reversed – The end of troubles, suspension or cessation of adversity, toil and disappointment.
Aries: 10 of Coins – Gain, riches; family matters, archives, extraction, the abode of a family.
Taurus: The Sun – Material happiness, fortunate marriage, contentment.
Gemini: 5 of Cups reversed – News, alliances, affinity, consanguinity, ancestry, return, false projects.
Cancer: King of Swords – Judgment, power, command, authority, militant intelligence, law, offices of the crown..
Leo: 4 of Swords reversed – Wise administration, circumspection, economy, avarice, precaution, testament.
Virgo: 4 of Cups – Weariness, disgust, aversion, imaginary vexations.
Libra: 7 of Cups reversed – Desire, will, determination, project.
Scorpio: 3 of Coins – Métier, trade, skilled labor, nobility, aristocracy, renown, glory.
Sagittarius: 8 of Cups – Giving joy, mildness, timidity, honor, modesty, the decline of a matter, or that a matter which has been thought to be important is really of slight consequence–either for good or evil.
Capricorn: Ace of Wands – principle, beginning, source; birth, family, origin,
Aquarius: The Fool – Folly, mania, extravagance, intoxication, delirium, frenzy, bewrayment.
Libra: 7 of Cups reversed – Desire, will, determination, project.
I think I can, I think I can, I think I can – Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
this is where some comment about Firsting for our Sins goes
Wow does he live in your heads.
Sagittarius: 8 of Cups – Giving joy, mildness, timidity, honor, modesty, the decline of a matter, or that a matter which has been thought to be important is really of slight consequence–either for good or evil.
Do I win the lottery or not?
Libra: 7 of Cups reversed – Desire, will, determination, project.
The most libertarian president of all time would know what to do.
President SugarFree?
At least it would be a different kind of horrifying.
SugarFree/Heroic Mulatto – that’s your ticket. The link is either broken or makes you regret you clicked on it.
hey, I can botch a link as well as anyone!
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/26/politics/trump-cpac-putin-ukraine/index.html
More oil economics nonsense: “A strong American president would work with European partners to replace their supplies of Russian oil with American energy and they would hit Putin where it actually hurts — on the Russian energy sector. If Joe Biden can’t or won’t do these things, then he should resign,” South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem declared in a speech Friday.
Yeah, your link wasn’t half as busted as the political grandstanding, so you got that going for you. Exactly why I can’t have any real enthusiasm for voting R – it’s just a little less dumb than D.
Side note – I have to laugh at the kerfuffle about America First PAC and white nationalist/supremacist Nick Fuentes. Since when did Italian/Hispanic Catholics qualify for being white? Did the KKK start admitting them?
It’s the same way Asian-Americans are White when saying so advances the Narrative.
Whereas real white supremacists would never accept that kind of mongrelization of their pure blood/cause. smh
CPAC is literally a convention for grandstanding – but she’s not wrong. Low energy prices hurt Russia, and Biden cracking down on fossil fuels in this country have helped Putin out.
The Donald would know not to break the link! /The Hat
Fake News. #ThisIsWorseThanCNN
So, do the lefty dems hate Ukraine now? Because:
Guns R Bad
These guns are good, because they were owned and distributed by the state. Privately owned guns r bad. Just like the second amendment says: A state-run militia has a non-abrogable right to own guns.
Nice piece.
The Airsoft rifle’s okay, too. /gets smacked on back of head by Spousal Unit as she glances at the screen whilst walking by
I would like to copulate with her.
It’s cute how her rifle matches her pants.
It’s gonna make a nice Instagram post for her.
Gemini: 5 of Cups reversed – News, alliances, affinity, consanguinity, ancestry, return, false projects.
That is not even a word. You are just making shit up.
I had a vendor give a presentation wherein he said his company had modified AFM tips to emit plasmonic polaritons.
Boy was I embarrassed when I found out that was actually a real* thing**.
*sort of real, depending on your definition
**”thing” in the same way an imaginary number is a “thing”
Let me walk you through the Donnelly nut spacing and crack system rim-riding rip configuration. Using a field of half-C sprats, and brass-fitted nickel slits, our bracketed caps, and splay-flexed brace columns vent dampers to dampening hatch depths of one half meter from the damper crown to the spurve plinths. How? Well, we bolster twelve husk nuts to each girldle-jerry, while flex tandems press a task apparatus of ten vertically composited patch-hamplers. Then, pin-flam-fastened pan traps at both maiden-apexes of the jim-joist.
That was the funniest part of the series.
Whoever it was at Amazon that failed to properly promote that series should be flogged.
That, and Cocaine Red.
Do you want me to rabbet the second-floor lintels between the lally columns?
“No.”
Good choice, Blandings.
I hate it when my plasmonic polaritons get mixed up with my gammatronic gravitons.
Obligatory.
I had a vendor give a presentation wherein he said his company had modified AFM tips to emit plasmonic polaritons.
Just the tips?
Well, yeah. They’re the only part small enough to work.
That’s what I keep telling the Spousal Unit.
Consanguinity
Think of it the next time you’re fucking your sister.
All of this, please
I just realized this could apply to the Sims game I’m about to play
Sims game you are about to play? What Sims game?
The Sims 3
How’s the killin and lootin?
“Virgo: 4 of Cups – Weariness, disgust, aversion, imaginary vexations.”
Hey, aren’t horoscopes supposed to change from week to week? This is just “Groundhog Day.”
Hmmmm. Fortunate marriage is ongoing (although lately, after watching true crime shows and reading r/AmITheAsshole, I have become aware of how terribly wrong it could have gone). Very blessed on several levels.
Contentment. I don’t think I’ll ever truly get there. Chronic anxiety. We have a nice nest egg and a plan. Still can’t shake the feeling of impending penury.
Material happiness. Well, I can’t think of one thing I need or want, although I’d like my books out of storage to put in my pretty new bookcases. I love looking at my books and knickknacks and art.
I call bullshit. None of these prognostications include “strong possibility of global nuclear conflict.”
Wouldn’t that be the Sun reversed?
It’s almost like you’re just watching trailers, eating popcorn, and waiting for the movie to start.
“Honey, you might wanna put some jam in your pocket, ’cause we’re about to be toast.”
Yeah, my humour can be black sometimes. Sue me.
That would be Mats the Sun and Saturn. This week is Mars the Sun and Mercury.
I watched NuDune on 4k. I was surprised at how much it held up to a second viewing. I don’t know if it’s a setting I had on my TV or BluRay, or if it as recorded this way, but the dynamic range was so much better than the theatrical version. The loud bits were loud and the soft bits were soft without having to extend out from “KABLOOIE” to “inaudible.”
The special features were fairly meh. The most disappointing thing was realizing that the alien writing system was a direct cypher to the Roman alphabet.
I quite liked it. I was prepared to hate it à la Dune-the-movie-mid-1980s, but it was much more visually audacious and seemed to distill the central ideas of the book more parsimoniously (if that makes any sense). I could even imagine myself knowing nothing about the book and still “getting” the movie.
Wouldn’t mind watching again…but my now that we know the rest of it will come out, my proclivities force me to wait for the inevitable BR box set.
Eh, if it’s a franchise I want to show support for, I’ll get them all.
For Neon Genesis Evangelion, I have the original ADV Films DVDs, the Platnium Edition, the Platinum Edition compact form factor, The ADV Film directors cut, the Hong Kong import with no publisher listed, the U.S. Manga movies, and DVDs and BluRays of the Rebuild series
Sounds like my collection of Rush recordings.
Any version that doesn’t have “Fry Me to the Moon” at the end isn’t canon.
Found on my playlist – refuse to click as I boycott every single video with the word “reacts” in the title.
I do that for some items/movies/series – not too many these days… I sold the ADV discs after the Platinum collection came out. Also, decided to wait for the Rebirth blu-ray set after I bought 1.01 on DVD and then 1.11 came out a month or two later.
My favorite bit of trivia is what Gainax’s next project was:
Kare Kano
Hideaki Anno got into a pissing match with the manga author and the series essentially got cut short. It’s still a good example of anime that are no longer made. It makes actual use of the animation to convey the story in ways that can’t be done in other forms.
I started watching Vikings Valhalla on Netflix. I should have known better. Lots of strong womyn raiders who can defeat multiple men twice their size, and we even have Jarl Haakon Sigurdsson, an actual historical figure, played by a black woman. I noped right the fuck out.
Apologies if already posted.
Sigurðsson, played by a woman? And a non-white woman, no less?
Yup. When she appeared, I said to my wife “what in the ever loving fuck?! Makes as much sense as a show about Shaka Zulu where Shake is played by a white woman. Insanity. The fucking left ruins everything.
Thanks for saving me the wasted time watching it.
same
I enjoyed the movie, but was very disappointed with how it looked and sounded on HBO Max. After watching I checked into it, and realized the problem was the garbage app for the PS5. Tried on on the TV directly, and it looked and sounded amazing. I didn’t re-watch, because we’re going to save that for when the next one comes out.
Wise administration, circumspection, economy, avarice, precaution, testament.
Hmm…. I don’t see how my getting sick works into that.
Nice dog pictures.
I…AM…FIRSTER MAN
Has he lost his mind?
Can he see or is he blind?
Can he walk at all
Or, if he moves, will he fall?
Are you… some kind of crazy person?
The only thing crazy in this world is being second.
OT: Chris Sununu orders NH Liquor Stores to stop selling Russian products
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed an executive order Saturday directing the state Liquor and Wine Outlets to remove Russian-made and branded spirits.
Sununu said the move is mainly symbolic, but the Russian liquor industry could be impacted if other states follow New Hampshire’s lead.
“We see whats happening. People are losing their lives,” Sununu said. “It’s unprovoked aggression, and if we can get New Hampshire to do their part and take these products off of the Russian shelves—I dont know anyone buying that garbage right now, frankly—its a good thing and its a step we can make.”
He does like having that bit in his teeth, doesn’t he?
no, sorry, the answer we were looking for was “embargo”
the judges would have also accepted pointless posturing to mindless constituents or a lovely diatribe on how Biden’s doing it all wrong
‘Live Free Or Die (unless you want to buy liquor from anyone but the State)’
Florida seems to slip ahead by a fender on the inside, but NH is carrying that high line speed that may well pay off down the backstretch
https://www.freedominthe50states.org/
People in Ohio and Pennsylvania both seem to thing that taxes are lower in Ohio. However, according to a friend of mine who is an accountant and prepares taxes as a side gig, among his clients, OH and PA residents are about even–Ohio has higher local taxes, while PA has higher state taxes (income). PA definitely loses on gas taxes–here we pay a premium of 30 to 50 cents per gallon more than in Ohio, depending on where in Ohio you go.
You have state tax, pretty average rates I think. But every locality has a tax too, usually 1-2%. Well, that’s not too bad, right? Except:
1. It’s on the pre-tax gross. No deductions, exemptions, cap, etc.
2. You pay it based on where you live, your local school district, and where you work. It can really add up because of #1.
I don’t know all the details, but in Ohio, at least, many municipalities give credit based on tax withheld where you work so you don’t have to also pay full freight where you live. (I think it also depends on which has the higher rate.) Also, not all school districts have an income tax.
Do these take into account COVID mandates, because I see some obvious problems with that list.
great question: food for thought
I’m pretty sure about some things, but this sort of thing is just subjective to me. Questions like yours are the part I enjoy most.
Here in Memphis, there has been little state interference: my misery has been considerable, completely the result of local government. I don’t know how you score that one: how many demerits does TN deserve for not shouting down the local tyrants?
Yes, city-specific laws do make it more difficult to rate states.
And just like all attempts to rate states, how you weight the various factors (or even evaluate them in some cases), is in the eye of the beholder.
Russian branded?
Like anything with the word “Rasputin” on it?
“I don’t know anyone buying that garbage right now”
OK, problem solved then. The people that want to buy that garbage should be able to if they want to though.
I bougtht a nice bottle of Beluga last night just because I hear they were starting this non-sense. Look, take that Putin, we’re going to unish Russians who make a product people want to buy, that will show you! Duh! Now I’m off to buy a case or Beluga, it’s good stuff.
Man these type-os are killing me. Looks like giving up beer kills your probiotics and brain cells as well.
Got all four on Quordle. Yay me.
6 5
8 4
4/4 so far, but it’s taken 8 or 9 guesses each time.
34
75
Yoga pants bringing you a Moon Sign.
https://archive.md/c2dt6
NSFW because of one picture.
Some cute butts (and some big culos)
Russians go splat.
https://mobile.twitter.com/Himat75/status/1498012897988993027
Nice.
That innocent little mouse “plink” right before clicking on CTRL-ALT-DEL.
Something light hearted for you:
https://www.sadanduseless.com/crocheted-pet-hats-funny/
Do the Russians have any terms of victory? or is this a big waste of Blood and treasure?
Yes. They announced their basic terms before the invasion.
1) Crimea and Sevastopol are now part of Russia
2) The Donbas region is an independent country(s)
3) Shelling of the Donbas region by Eastern Ukraine must stop
4) Ukraine must put in writing never to join NATO
Now they’re obviously going to gut the existing Ukrainian government and install a friendly regime if/when they succeed. So add that. They have a list of other specific objectives.
I know that silly, but he knew he wasn’t going to get that so what’s the end game now?
Death and destruction.
You can read the full text of his speech here
Wife and I were watching news on what’s going on, and man, the Russians look really disorganized. I’m 100% against intervening, but we could essentially wipe out most of their invading forces in a matter of minutes.
And their remaining forces (the bulk of their military) staged in Russia would step up and all restraints would be removed. Not to mention the risk of nuclear escalation.
I think it’s probably safe to assume that the rest of the army is just as disorganized, if not more so. But yeah, the nukes still work. Which is why Putin has made sure to mention them.
From the analyses I’ve seen, their training, logistics, motivation and ability to execute seem really lacking.
I don’t see how Putin stays in power here. Perhaps I’m too naive.
He seems to have miscalculated, big time.
And all of NATO is sending weaponry now.
All of NATO is sending weaponry and also bulking up NATO defenses. Before the invasion I read a
few military analysts predicting that trying to take all of Ukraine in a large scale strike wouldn’t go well, largely for the factors we’re seeing, not to mention long term guerrilla war with the West aiding the Ukrainians tying up the bulk of Russia’s army in a costly attempt at occupation. And that therefore Putin wouldn’t actually do it.
Oh well.
With the supposed number one fighting power in the West tripping over themselves to prove that our army will be made of pink and blue haired Xes and girly boys, you don’t suppose that emboldened Putin a little? Add to that, that our supposed leader is a diaper shitting turnip. Putin probably could not pick a more opportune time to get bold and he knows that.
Oh absolutely, he smells weakness in the West. But that doesn’t improve his military, and the woke brigade still has a way to go before they degrade our military to the level of Russia.
Yeah, but the culture is already in place and it’s going to weaken our military’s will to even fight. Which was the intention they had when their master, Xi, gave them the marching orders.
Putin has stated they don’t intend to occupy, and for military reasons I believe him. I think he’s seen the result of Americans trying to do that in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I think the goal is to take Kiev. Decapitate the Ukrainian military, install a puppet government and get out. His limited objectives would have been achieved.
So far, his stated goals and his actions have aligned. That was true in Georgia as well.
Let’s hope it stays that way.
Decapitation is clearly the strategy. But if it fails, what then?
Probably nothing good and potentially some very bad things.
A desperate former major power with nuclear weapons that perceives an unacceptable strategic risk to its very existence is not something we want.
Escalation until the goal is achieved? They can’t go shock and awe, as that’ll get NATO involved. They can turn up the heat on the frog, though. Perhaps set up some false flags to “justify” the escalations?
I don’t see an off-ramp for Russia now. Again, they view this as an existential conflict and have set the terms as such.
Agreed. Losing is not an option for them. However, direct conflict with NATO is not an option, either. They lose a conventional war in weeks, and everybody loses a nuclear war.
The only “win” for them is to thread the needle. Just enough force to conquer Ukraine. Not enough force to engender more than wagged fingers from the West. Is there actually a needle to be threaded? Dunno. I really hope they don’t just say “fuck it” and rely on the nuclear deterrent to keep NATO out of the fight. I don’t trust Biden to respond with caution. Not in an election year after a couple years of being labeled as weak.
I don’t know. I’m not nearly as optimistic that Russia can’t clean Europe’s clock, if the US doesn’t intervene. They’ve been heavily pulling punches against Ukraine to minimize causalities. The Russian squad captured here and an vehicle convoy destroyed there are mainly morale boosters, and I haven’t seen anything that shows Russia is seriously bogged down.
Even if the US intervenes, Russia also has tactical battlefield nukes in the fractional kiloton range designed to wipe out conventional military targets. This isn’t going to be like invading Iraq.
Even if the US intervenes, Russia also has tactical battlefield nukes in the fractional kiloton range designed to wipe out conventional military targets. This isn’t going to be like invading Iraq.
To clarify, the US could take Russia in a conventional war at any time. But it would be bloody with guaranteed escalation on both sides. I don’t see any path once Article V is invoked that this wouldn’t escalate to nuclear exchange against cities.
And then when he gets out, what happens to the puppet government? From what I’ve seen of the Ukrainians the past few days I would expect some “puppets” decorating some lamp posts.
And after this, would Ukraine be less or more likely to desire the protection of NATO or similar military alliances?
“I think he’s seen the result of Americans trying to do that in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
And Russia did that first and Putin was around to see it.
Yep and Kiev is now surrounded. It’s going to get very bloody if they don’t hash out a deal but the outcome is not in doubt. As for the capability or lack thereof of the military, I think people here are falling for propaganda. Are they at our level? Of course not but this is day four and they’ve been relatively restrained in their actions.
There’s an immense amount of propaganda roiling about. I’m suspect of any claims being made about the actual current state of the military action.
Remember when that moron Trump told NATO members they needed to step up their defense spending, and stop relying so heavily on oil from Russia? Ha-ha, what an idiot!
“Uh, the 80s called, they want their foreign policy back.”
That really aged well.
Yeah, what was that clown thinking?
https://www.majorcadailybulletin.com/news/local/2022/02/27/97863/ukrainian-arrested-mallorca-for-attempting-sink-russian-yacht.html
And the judge let him go.
Holy crap, Chelsea and Liverpool are through 9 rounds on penalties.
Now for the keepers!
Arrizabalaga misses and Liverpool win.
Do you smell toast?
The Beautiful Game
Aries: 10 of Coins – Gain, riches; family matters, archives, extraction, the abode of a family.
When I scrolled fast, all I saw was “Aries: 10 gain inches …..”
For a few seconds I was pissed about unfair life is.
I guess that might equate to wealth is you become a jiggalo and start attracting them wealthy Gilfs.