Recent posts

#11

Off the Record / Re: Archaeologists do it in ho...

Last post by Legbiter - November 30, 2025, 01:56:25 PM

Is this another thing that's because of people bearing beakers?

The depigmentation of modern North Europeans populations was very strongly selected for after the Yamnaya expansion into Europe. Here's a good overview article.



The Four Races of Europe (Part I): The Aryan paradox

I just discovered a paternal Y-chromosome ancestor from a mass grave found in 2008 at St. John's College in Oxford where he was one of 36 men killed in the 1002 St. Brice's Day massacre. This was science fiction until about 2014.

#12

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by The Minsky Moment - November 30, 2025, 01:36:44 PM

So apparently the key pillar of Trump's peace plan is to make Trump and his friends a lot of money...

I'm not sure how reliable a source Daily Beast is, but sounds believable: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-2-trillion-plan-to-cash-in-on-ukraine-peace-leaks/

Based on reporting in the WSJ which seems solid.  Totally on brand for both sides.

The combination of corruption, stupidity, and gullibility is just so deadly.  Trump is the worst kind of gullible person; the kind whose own self-identity is based on the idea of being street-smart.  He is truly a dream come true for Putin and the FSB.

There is such a long and very well-developed history of western companies and investors getting ripped off trying to play in post-Soviet Russia you'd think there couldn't possibly be any rubes left whose greediness so overwhelms their judgment. But no, mar-a-lago to the rescue.

#13

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Legbiter - November 30, 2025, 01:30:24 PM

Pokrovsk.

Warhammer 40k stuff.   

Contains a carpet of dead zetniks

#14

Off the Record / Re: Facebook Follies of Friend...

Last post by The Minsky Moment - November 30, 2025, 01:20:20 PM

Thanksgiving commemorates the unique American practice of welcoming leaders of friendly foreign nations by insulting them publicly, and then parading the village idiot before them to demand "Have you said thank you once?"

#15

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by The Minsky Moment - November 30, 2025, 01:11:03 PM

No no no. Clearly, they've been sent to infiltrate the USA. "Real" refugees are prevented from leaving by Maduro.

Ok but the immigration judges aren't going to buy that.

You know, the immigration judges.  The ones that have been fired en masse despite massive case backloads. 

The ones that preside over the immigration hearings.

The immigration hearings that provide the due process that migrants don't attend, because if they do they will be arrested by ICE camping outside the courtroom.

OK, yeah, that is going to be the play.

#16

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by Sheilbh - November 30, 2025, 12:49:04 PM

It's sexist to have James Bond stick in my head but every film featuring Helen Mirren I can recall being from the last decade or two?

No but James Bond/handsome men age into silver foxes or "age like fine wine". Attractive women become "old ladies" It's like the older male star with the improbably young and intom him female co-star, while older women are sent to the character actress mines.

I'd also add that certainly among my lesbian friends even as she aged Helen Mirren still had a sizeable fan club

#17

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Sheilbh - November 30, 2025, 12:44:52 PM

In their view, Israel is committing genocide and Britain is complicit. I think if that's your view it's entirely morally defensible to say there is no more important issue than ending British complicity in and support for a crime against humanity.

I'll believe them when they're equally vocal about what China is doing and bds-ing them.

I don't think having absolutely consistent beliefs on everything is a necessary pre-condition for sincerely holding any beliefs (in fact I'd say it's more often an indicator of some sort of mental disorder). We contradict ourselves, we're all hypocrites with our own lacunae and areas of focus.

By that measure I think a lot of official European support for Ukraine would be equally doubtful because many do not regard indicted war criminal Netanyahu in the same way they do indicted war criminal Vladimir Putin.

#18

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Sheilbh - November 30, 2025, 12:40:44 PM

Actually I think RH is now right.

The Your Party convention has basically gone the way Sultana wanted, not Corbyn. So they've voted to allow dual membership, meaning you can be a member of Your Party and another party. In practice what this means is that all the Trot sects will flood in and none of them will care about what happens to Your Party if they add an extra 20 members to the SWP/SP or whatever. In this country if you're setting up a left-wing organisation that you want to be effective, the first thing you need to do is stop the Trots from getting involved.

They've also voted for a "collective leadership" which may include either Corbyn or Sultana, but that'snot clear. It seems slightly insane to me to have your two most recognisable and popular figures just not go near the leadership. But also I think there are examples of collective leaderships that work - but they're rare. Particulary in left-wing organisations in my experience I think it tends far more to swivel-eyed factionalism. Basically if you've enjoyed the last few months of chaos, they have decided to institutionalise it (Edit: Sorry Corbyn and Sultana won't be part of the collective leadership as MPs are barred from those leadership positions.)

Basically all the decisions they've taken this weekend seemd almost designed to render themselves ineffective. It reminded me of the Onion line:


I still think Corbyn's strategy could work which I think was basically Melenchon-ist (and a little what Farage is trying now) - very leader focused, talking about 3-4 issues and everything else is a distraction. Using that as a platform to build a party and then bring up through it a new cadre who can take on the leadership in the future.

#19

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Crazy_Ivan80 - November 30, 2025, 12:37:38 PM

In their view, Israel is committing genocide and Britain is complicit. I think if that's your view it's entirely morally defensible to say there is no more important issue than ending British complicity in and support for a crime against humanity.

I'll believe them when they're equally vocal about what China is doing and bds-ing them.

#20

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by crazy canuck - November 30, 2025, 12:11:59 PM

Judean People's Front should be on the short list of names.

I really really hope you meant the People's Judean Front