You may have heard that the week kicked off with another electoral win for (neo?)fascism, this time in Austria. (The most unrealistic aspect of the whole idea of Hydra in Marvel is that it is this secret conspiracy which is defeated if only their aims are uncovered. Clearly, the way fascism makes its global comeback is the way it had its initial ( Read more... )

In addition to being busy, these last few weeks made you basically stare in fear at every bit of news from the European election onwards. And today, it's "how much will France set itself on fire and Europe with it?" day. I suppose there are the British elections to look forward to, which if nothing else will end fourteen years of Tory horror, but ( Read more... )

Another rl interruption to my fannish postings.

A reporter describes life under siege at Mariupol, and the Russian hunt for journalists there ( he's out of the city now)

Interview with Russian TV journalist Marina Ovsyannikova (the one who protested at the prime time evening news on Russian TV)

Interview about Putin with political scientist ( Read more... )

This weekend I had two antivaxxers trying to enlist/convert me, one of whom was also a Putin defender going on abouto how the "mainstream media" was reporting it all wrong. But at least I'm related to neither of them; a friend of mine has to put up with his own daughter insisting that covid does not exist. Meanwhile, I, alas, had it (with symptoms ( Read more... )

So Netflix is doing the battle of the Teutoburg Forest, are they? I have to confess I am intrigued. Also amused as hell about this being titled as an "untold story". I mean. Perhaps in the Anglosphere. And even there not if you are up on your (spoiler!) catastrophic Roman defeats. Now because good old Arminius has been so horribly used for ( Read more... )

More reviews unposted from recent weeks: Vice turned out to be a scathing satire which keeps the comedy painted on its barely contained volcanic rage. It's also preaching to the choir, of course, as I very much doubt conservatives are going to watch it. (I'm using "conservatives" in the traditional sense, i.e. I don't mean just Trumpists but also ( Read more... )

Back from busy week on the road, and well, was Thursday a day (and night) of joy in our prequel-to-a-YA-Dystopia world or what? Like a great many people, including May, I thought that Labour would get slaughtered when May decided to get herself a coronation an election. I certainly did not guess that it would relieve David Cameron of his "PM who ( Read more... )

24 hours at JFK: long detailed article about two of the Iraquis detained when the ban first struck.

Anti Trump Poems : because if humor and poetry won't save us all, they sure as hell will help us make it through these times.

Ron Rosenbaum tells the story of the Munich Post, and its long refusal to sugarcoat anything Hitler did. Ostensibly ( Read more... )

Broadly speaking, and watching from abroad which means I might have missed a lot, I'm tempted to guess the only Republicans coming out of this election year with their reputations enhanced instead of damaged are, of all the people, the ex presidents Bush (for at no point endorsing Drumpf)...and Megyn Kelly, Fox News Presenter. Or we could just ( Read more... )

The world is a scary, scary place right now. By which I'm not referring to the orange menace, though the fact that he got this far and continues to spread his poison is horrible. But frankly, what scares me more is how in so many countries, including my own, so called mainstream politicians are adopting the vocabulary of right wing thugs while said ( Read more... )