Zwischenstop auf der Rückfahrt nach Leipzig auf dem Berliner Hauptbahnhof nach dem Finale der 14. Etappe des “Baltic Sea Rush” in Anklam.

we want to know about your near death experiences, please tell us of your near death experiences

erm. gonna put them under a cut in case it's too much for anyone lol (since it's kinda personal, i'm not going to pull my punches in describing how i felt, and i know not everyone's comfortable with discussions of death and near-death)

- took nearly 3 days to be born because my mom refused a cesarean and was nearly a month premature. don't know if this one counts because i was a baby but apparently they were pretty worried about my chances of survival towards the end and when i was born i was sickly and in a lot of pain for months.

- fell down the stairs multiple times when i was a kid, suffered several concussions and fractures and developed vertigo that gave me a phobia of heights i eventually grew out of. again not sure if this counts since i barely remember it but i do remember the feeling of cracking my head once and boy it's not fun. it's like cracking an egg but the egg is your skull. also remember having a lot of dreams of jumping off the top of the stairs and my consciousness separating from my body and watching it fall because of this.

- nearly drowned because i swam too far out to sea on holiday and got caught up in a massive tidal wave (it was the baltic sea in poland, on a very windy day, and i was 8 years old and an idiot). i'd just accepted that i was going to die stuck in this current i couldn't escape and given up on being afraid, embracing the cold dark tidal embrace of death, when the wave very gently set me down in the shallows and i was so at peace that i almost forgot to sit up and breathe. left a big impression in me. i did not tell my parents what happened because i was okay with it and didn't want to upset them or deal with them fussing over me or giving me hell for taking stupid risks when i didn't need it.

- got hit by a car on my bike and flipped over the hood. was fine except for bruises and scrapes but while in the air briefly freaked out and thought i could see a halo of fire around the driver's head (probably the sun shining through the rear window).

- nearly died of dehydration while infected with a very nasty bout of flu that kept me in bed for 2 months straight. i passed out on the floor of my kitchen while trying to lift a cup to pour myself a drink and would have probably at the very least ended up with severe complications if my cat hadn't wailed over my body until my mom woke up and found me lying there. while passed out i had this horrible nightmare that i was god reincarnated in a mortal body and got really upset because i didn't want to be responsible for the entirety of humanity because it was too much and i was only 15. was extremely relieved when my mom revived me and explained that i was just really fucking sick. ended up in hospital with an iv in my arm to prevent my body from shutting down on itself until the flu burned out enough for my own organs to stop fighting me.

- tombstoned off the lighthouse in the bay with some sort of friends and very fucking narrowly missed a shelf of rock that would have shattered me to pieces if i hadn't twisted out of the way moments earlier. as it rushed towards me i very much saw my life up to that point flash before my eyes and was really disappointed by how little i'd done with it. didn't actually do much about it for a while though because i was a depressed unmedicated teenager in a bad living situation. pretty sure that kid would be amazed by how far i've come since then though.

- pretty sure i only survived a bus crash because moments before it happened i felt this urge to stand up and did. if i hadn't my head would have gone through this metal bar on top of the seats and my neck probably would have been broken.

- got lost in a woodland area by google maps once and got so dehydrated from the heat and blood loss (due to trying to cut through thorn bushes when i got desperate enough to get scared) that i started hallucinating this shimmery figure i couldn't look at directly following me and chasing me every time i started to give up (somehow i just knew that letting them touch me would be very bad, but they didn't feel malevolent? i was scared but i didn't get the impression that they wanted to hurt me, just that it would be a consequence of letting them touch me). got rescued because i screamed so loud that some passing hikers heard and went in and pulled me out of there. again not sure if this one counts as near death but i was wandering in there for hours and felt like i was going to die.

31 Days Idol Challenge - Till Lindemann

Day 11 — Doing sports

Till has always been involved in sport, of course swimming from the age of 11 at Empor Rostock Sport Club. He even took part in the European Junior Swimming Championships in Florence in 1978. But even after his swimming career, he continued to play sport, albeit less seriously and with less discipline. Here are just a few of the sports Till practised :

Surfing and swimming :

About swimming, Paul says about Till : "Till however had bought himself a wet suit and still swam there: I don’t know he could do it. All winter, in the Baltic Sea going back and forth in the dark. We saw this rubber suited figure constantly swimming. The jelly-fish gathered at the shore, you couldn’t go in there because of them, but he happily swam through them doing his morning exercises. It was disgusting!" - MTV Masters (2001)

Musculation :

Credit to Frédéric Batier / Sandor Lubbe / Olaf Heine

Boxing :

Source 1 / Source 2

Flake on Till boxing his training dummy : "He starts undressing at lightning speed. He grabs his sports shirt which was given to him by a band in the hope that he’d wear their shirt in public. Unfortunately the only one looking at it is me, Till rushes into the bathroom to do sports. There’s a dummy torso with a head that you can beat up. So that it doesn’t fall over we fill its base with water. Till has already hit it so hard that its neck has broken. Could he break a real neck just as quickly? I hear pounding and panting. In-between Till comes out, grabs his phone and runs into the corridor to make calls. He quickly returns and continues boxing the dummy. I decide not to disturb him." — "Heute Hat Die Welt Geburstag"

And I've added a photo of Till canoeing, because to make these trips, Till and Joey have to train, and need to be in very good physical condition :

Source

And of course, after all that sport, you need to relax, so there's nothing like a good massage :

Source

Till about sport : "I don't really any more, though. I try to enjoy myself these days. To me, sport is more like getting the costume on and discipline. I hate that. Of course, sometimes I still go swimming but just not that much. In the old days, I would be keeping fit all the time, every day, but nowadays I like to enjoy myself and my wine. You can never go wrong with a bottle of Brunello, the italian wine." - Kerrang! 2015

On this day:

WHEELS OF FIRE

On December 20, 1893, an enormous sky wheel burst into flames over Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Numerous witnesses watched the brilliantly luminous wheel, the size of a table, rolling toward the eastern horizon. The sound of its passage could be heard until it stopped to hover in place for about fifteen minutes before silently vanishing. Seldom are fire wheels seen in the air; most reports say they appear on, or in rare instances under, water. The wheel size varies from quite large to over a mile in diameter. The form they take can also change, either during the same episode or over a series of unrelated events. Hundreds of different sightings have been reported.

On December 20, 1927, the vessel SS Arracan reported sighting phosphorescent clusters of light on the surface of the Andaman Sea. In the beginning the luminosity was shapeless and random, but then it formed itself into a number of separate wheels with rotating spokes. Each complete turn lasted thirty seconds, and the fiery wheels would change their spin from clockwise to counter-clockwise, and then to clockwise again, changing direction every five minutes.

In 1961, near a Polish resort on the Baltic Sea, several vacationers, upon hearing the sound of rushing waters, watched as a "round hill" of water was "pushed up from beneath" the sea, 100 yards out. A "belt of steady white light segmented by a number of convex dark streaks" hovered for about a minute a few meters in the air, when a second glow of light from beneath caused it to move upward at a 45-degree angle and off to the north. The object was revealed to include a dark circular perimeter; a wide, bright ring near the center; and three triangular spokes.

Text from: Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored by Juanita Rose Violins, published by Weiser Books, 2009

“Martin Luther Church”, Hainburg, Austria [2008-2011] _ Architects: Wolf D. Prix / Coop Himmelb(l)au.

“ The building consists of four main elements: a sanctuary, a community hall, a sacristy, and a sculptural bell tower. The shape of the building derives from that of a huge table, with its entire roof construction resting on the legs of the table — four steel columns. The play with light and transparency has a special place in this project. The light comes from above: three large winding openings in the roof guide it to the interior. The church interior itself is not only a place of mysticism and quietude but also an open space for the community. The correlation of the number three and the concept of Trinity in Christian theology can be interpreted as a ​‘deliberate coincidence’. 

The church interior itself is not only a place of mysticism and quietude — as an antithesis of our rather fast and media-dominated times — but also an open space for the community. The sanctuary has direct access to the glass-covered children’s corner, illuminated by daylight, which also accommodates the baptistery. The community hall is situated behind it: folding doors on the entire length of the space between the two main chambers allow for combining them into one continuous spatial sequence. A folded glass facade on the opposite side opens towards the street. 

On the interior ceiling, the suspended frame structure was covered with several layers of steel fabric and rush matting as a carrier layer for the cladding of the stucco ceiling, whose geometry follows the three-dimensionally curved shape of the roof with the skylights. Another key element of the church is the ceiling of the prayer room: its design language has been developed from the shape of the curved roof of a neighboring Romanesque ossuary — the geometry of this centuries — old building is translated into a form in line with the times, via today’s digital tools. The roof structure was delivered in four separate parts to Hainburg, assembled, welded, and coated on site. The whole structure was then mounted with a crane into the designated position, on the solid concrete walls of the prayer room. 

The implementation of the intricate geometries required specific technologies of metal processing and manufacturing only available in the shipbuilding industry. The reference to shipbuilding is at the same time also reminiscent of Le Corbusier who served as an important role model, not least because of his La Tourette monastery. Due to its shape with three skylights, the roof was designed as a self-supporting steel construction with a stucco ceiling. The structure was assembled in a wharf at the Baltic Sea. The exterior skin is made of 8 mm thick three-dimensionally curved steel plates welded on frame construction. In turn, this structure of steel plates and the frame sits on a girder grid. The compound of the grid, frame, and steel skin transfers the total load of the roof (23 tons) on four steel columns which are embedded on the solid concrete walls of the prayer room. The 20-meter high sculptural bell tower in the forecourt is a vertical self-supporting steel structure, that completes the building ensemble and makes it a highly visible landmark.”

https://coop-himmelblau.at/projects/martin-luther-church/

https://arquitecturaviva.com/publicaciones/av/obras-surreales

Russia-Ukraine Daily Briefing

🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Thursday Briefing:

- Switzerland to host Ukraine peace conference in June, without Russia - Russian forces stage deadly attacks in southern, northern Ukraine - Russian factories rush to buy drone defense from local suppliers - Ukraine, UK sign agreement to cooperate on arms production - Nordic, Baltic nations urge EU, NATO help for Ukraine - EU finance ministers to discuss Ukraine reform plans - Small US-made drones perform poorly in Ukraine - Armenian Foreign Minister to skip CIS gathering - Russian military helicopter crashes in Black Sea

📨 Daily newsletter: https://russia-ukraine-newsletter.beehiiv.com/

💬 Telegram: https://t.me/russiaukrainedaily Socials: https://linktr.ee/rvps2001

Ea, Our Second Chance (9)

9. The Descent

(Index) (< 8. Fuscophyta: Ea’s black plants) (> 10a. Eucytobionta, cell structure)

« There will certainly be no lack of human pioneers when we have mastered the art of flight. Who would have thought that navigation across the vast ocean is less dangerous and quieter than in the narrow, threatening gulfs of the Adriatic, or the Baltic, or the British straits? Let us create vessels and sails adjusted to the heavenly ether, and there will be plenty of people unafraid of the empty wastes. In the meantime, we shall prepare, for the brave sky-travellers, maps of the celestial bodies—I shall do it for the moon, you, Galileo, for Jupiter. » – Johannes Kepler, letter to Galileo Galilei, 1610

« During our descent I realized that we were riding a meteorite. If the first bacteria have truly come to Earth from space, now I know how they'd felt. » – Masami Kato, interview in Small Steps for Men: Earthborn Accounts of Ea's Early Years, Nisaba Press, 79 AL

« If I live a thousand years more, I don't think I will ever feel as much fear as in those minutes. We had already made a few orbits around Ea, in the highest levels of the atmosphere. The blue curve of Ea on our linkscreens became broader, flatter... You could see the clouds, the desert dunes, the foam on the Dagon Sea. The red patches of woodland. We'd already seen the maps, the photos taken by the drones already on the surface. Each three of us had a little screen showing the ground right below us, a smoky yellow rectangle, with our own shadows becoming darker and neater. I found out, years later, that if you enter the atmosphere at too flat an angle, you can bounce off it like a stone on water, straight back into space. We were luckier than that. We hadn't felt the jolt as the Ark left the Solar System, or as it braked near Utu: at those points we were all sleeping in the cryopods, save a few staff. They say the push of a fusion drive is beyond words, that nothing on a planet's surface can equal it. We did feel the lesser jolt when our pods broke off the Ark, a force reaching through our bodies and tugging on our bones. I thought that would prepare us for the descent; but it really didn't, nothing could have. We felt pressed on our sides, first on the left, then on the right, left and right again. They'd told us that we would move in an S-shaped path to burn away our speed. For a while the screens flickered, the radio crackled. We did not feel, in that pod, as brave explorers. We felt like shipwrecking sailors, on a lifeboat tossed by the waves. The vibrations made our teeth clatter, each path correction like a punch in the ribs. We shut our eyes, clutched the seat handles, prayed and screamed. Out of the window, the air was burning. We could actually see the yellow glow of the heat shield; and smoke, plenty of dark smoke rushing up; I didn't expect to see it, but they assured us it was normal. [ED: this was the ceramic foam on the heat shield's surface vaporizing to shed excess heat.] The pods were like a shower of meteors; we weren't flying, we were falling, falling to the ground from space. We were racing against one at our left, right out of the window next to me – it was probably a kilometer away, but it seemed right out of the window – it disappeared below us, then above, then below again. Even with the shielded glass it was painfully bright to look at directly, but it was so distracting... So... I saw it. Like us, it did its own little path corrections. Tiny white flames, barely visible against the clear sky. Then its navigation computer got something wrong. It miscalculated some movement or some turn... it smashed into the air, flipped on its back, where it had no shielding... and it was gone. A flash of light, and I don't think I heard any noise from inside. I saw debris shot like bullets in all directions; thank God no one else was hit. I felt our own pod tremble in the shockwave a few seconds later, and I truly thought we were going to lose our orientation and blow up as well. We didn't; our computer worked well. [EN: The explosion described by Perez is certainly that of Pod 35. While it has been recorded from the outer cameras of other pods, Perez is the only known direct eyewitness.] As the pod slowed down under us, we were crushed in our seats, like when the shuttles left Earth. I tasted blood in my mouth, though I may have just bit myself. The Commander spoke to us over the linkscreens. Nobody I've met has heard all of it, over the static and the creaking and the screams and the muttered prayers, but I think she told us, Be strong, be brave, today you are saving your world, today you are saving your species. I don't know if she actually believed that. Her face was like cut stone, I'd swear she didn't flinch once; but she was gripping the handholds as hard as we. So we had shed most of our speed; we went back to our regular weight, and it felt like floating in water. I even let the handholds go for a moment. I think the lady next to me had passed out. I looked out of the window again, and we were passing through clouds, we were still falling from the sky. The linkscreen had gone back to showing the ground, and now you could see the little clumps of red on the sand. One last jolt, one last punch to the gut, as the propulsors under us fired. This time we were pressed in our seats for several minutes on. My sight blurred and darkened at the edges, my limbs cramped and tingled, and breathing in was like having to suck air through a straw. I had broken a rib once, when I was a kid; it felt much like that, or rather it felt as if I'd had a cast on my whole chest. It went on like that until I heard a terrifying booming sound and felt the whole pod recoil up – we had just touched the ground. We bounced on the sand and jumped forward, just like that stone skipping on water, hit the ground again and again, more and more frequently, every time a softer noise... Then sand hid everything out of the windows, and we were sliding forward, faster than a magrail, [ED: clear exaggeration] punching through sand dunes, tearing down red trees. What was left of the heat shield was scrubbed away. The last propulsor in front of us turned off, and we finished slowing down. We were still. We were on the planet's surface, resting on the solid ground, glowing, smoking. I left the handholds again, and discovered I had lost all sensation in my hands. The Commander appeared again. The same expression as before, though now she was breathing heavily, and there was blood on her visor, and the image was crooked and blurry, or maybe it was just my eyes. She said, "Excellently done, every one of you. Remind me to give you all a medal when we're done. Now stay in your seats until I tell you to leave". First we counted the pods. 94 out of 100, a fantastic outcome; three more had made it but couldn't contact us yet. Then we counted the people in each pod, we made a list of the wounded, the unconscious, the dead. Pod 37 actually got out pretty well, a broken arm, a few cracked ribs, many cuts and bruises; a girl lost sight in on eye, probably a broken blood vessel, they said. The pod's doctors patched everyone up as well as they could and sent a report to Pod One. We secured and checked three times our exosuits. Then the officers received Samirowa's order and unlocked the doors on the outside. We all crawled out on the sand. Nobody knows who was the first to touch the ground, and I don't think anybody ever will. I suppose the Commander was meant to be the first, but I'm sure she wasn't. For that matter, I'm sure a hand touched the ground before any foot. We saw the first living things on Ea up close, a clump of red trees and bushes that our pod had just stopped short of crushing. They swayed softly in the wind, some of them charred and smoking. A deep purplish red like red wine, and muddy brownish red like red clay, on these strange spongy growths that came out of cracks in the bark. The same they planted with the pines at the Samirowa Memorial in Landing Point. We fell down in sheer exhaustion, on our knees, on hour hands, on our backs. Some people laughed, some cried, some prayed – the suit muffled all sounds, but I could hear some of it through my own breath. I tried to stand up and fell back down; I remained curled up for a while, trying not to vomit; when that feeling passed I rolled up, with my back on the cold sand, at looked up at the sky. I watched that deep blue dome, a blue deeper than the sky of Earth, with the moons right in the center, right above me. I'd like to say I thought of home, of my parents, of Hector. But I didn't really think of anything, I just looked up. I might have passed out for a while, or maybe I was so absorbed into that sky. Two grey eyes, almost identical, like space looking down at us. As if to say, this is it, you are all that matters now, forget about everything else. A little puff of smoke was there too, such a small and distant one, where that pod had blown up. It took a very long time for the wind to wipe it away. Then I heard the rumble of a straggler pod landing somewhere away. A cloud of sand fell over us, and someone must have kicked me. I struggled to my feet, brushed the sand off my suit's visor, and then, well, that was it. I was on Ea now. Earth was gone. Earth had never been a thing, it was like one of those dreams where you live a whole lifetime, and then it's all gone at dawn, you dream of people you'd die for, and in the morning you realize they'd never even had names. The evening with two moons, the yellow sand, the hundred bright orange figures that staggered around and bumped into each other, that was all that had ever been real. It took me years to remember home. [EN: Besides Perez, several eyewitnesses of the early days remember the sight of Ea's moons. A powerful symbol of the transition from Terra to Ea, they figure in virtually every historical and fictional reconstruction of the Landing. This is all the more puzzling because astronomical calculations show that, in that time and place, only Ereshkigal would have been visible. A collective false memory?] » – Luis Perez, interview in Small Steps for Men: Earthborn Accounts of Ea's Early Years, Nisaba Press, 79 AL (with Editor Notes)

« While the original mission plans took into account the loss of up to fifteen of the original landing pods, in fact only three were lost: Pod 35 was destroyed by atmospheric entry, and Pods 86 and 90 by impact with the surface. [...] According to the conclusions of the DeVries Report of 15 AL, a failure of Pod 35's magnetohydrodynamic envelope of the heat shield caused excessive stress on its solid components; this in turn caused asymmetrical erosion of the heat shield, and thus prevented the pod from keeping its correct orientation. [...] The largest recovered fragment was found in 41 AL, embedded in sand 12 km west of Landing Point: an 80 cm wide section of the pod's heat shield, composed of hexagonal refractory tiles of zirconium oxide. Part of an engine had been found six years earlier near the Dagonian shoreline, bearing a partial serial number compatible with the pod's anterior propulsors. A number of small (<2 cm) metal, plastic, and ceramic fragments have been attributed to Pod 35 but cannot be identified conclusively. » – Summa Planetaria, "The Landing#The Lost Pods", revision 315/b89hYq8Cq0

U.S. and NATO officials are increasingly optimistic that Sweden will join the military alliance as its newest member by this summer, bringing an advanced military already closely integrated with Western allies into the fold as tensions with Russia increase.

Sweden last year announced it was giving up 200 years of military nonalignment and would seek to join NATO along with neighboring Finland in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Finland joined earlier this year, but NATO ally Turkey has blocked Sweden’s accession for months over disputes with the Swedish government.

Many officials and experts who track the matter say Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, fresh off a presidential election victory, is now preparing to give the green light to Sweden joining NATO by the time of an upcoming alliance summit scheduled for early July in Vilnius, Lithuania—though they stopped short of declaring it a done deal. (Another major question at the summit is whether and how Ukraine would ever join NATO.)

“We’ve fulfilled our part,” said a Swedish military official, speaking on condition of anonymity to talk candidly about closed-door talks. “Now it’s up to the alliance and Turkey and Hungary to do their part.” Hungary, which has also blocked Sweden as a new member, has hinted to alliance members that it would not block Sweden’s NATO bid on its own.

Sweden has deepened cooperation with NATO since 2014, when Russia first invaded eastern Ukraine and illegally annexed Crimea, but joining as a full-fledged member would bring a sea change in how NATO prepares its defenses in northeastern Europe. The biggest change would be extending NATO’s collective defense protection to Sweden—the Article 5 pledge that an attack on one member is an attack on all. But there are also a host of crucial changes for Sweden’s and NATO’s militaries at the nuts-and-bolts level aimed at integrating their forces. Some of the alliance’s most sensitive intelligence also remains off-limits to Sweden until it is inside NATO.

With all of its neighbors now alliance members, European military officials and experts characterize Sweden’s joining NATO as the final piece of the puzzle in fully integrating northern Europe’s defense. Officials have floated the idea of creating a joint air force for the region once Sweden joins, for example, expanding the capabilities and reach of each country’s individual fleet of fighter jets and air defenses.

Sweden will also for the first time join NATO’s nuclear planning group and be included in the alliance’s ongoing discussions on how to update and combine its conventional and nuclear deterrence against Russia. (Three NATO allies— the United States, United Kingdom, and France—have nuclear weapons.)

“The nuclear dimension of European deterrence is clearly the most prominent it has been since the end of the Cold War,” said Chris Skaluba, an expert on NATO at the Atlantic Council think tank. “Getting Sweden and Finland up to speed on this will be really important.”

NATO is also revamping its defense plans to back up its pledge to defend “every inch” of territory. Bringing Sweden into the fold will make it much easier for NATO to rush forces to its vulnerable Baltic flank bordering Russia, if Moscow reconstitutes its forces that have been decimated in Ukraine and tries to carry out an incursion into those countries.

“It’s very important that Sweden is going as quickly as possible on board, because if you look at the map, we really need Sweden so that this whole thing is deep enough, what we are going to defend,” said Harri Ohra-aho, an advisor for intelligence in Finland’s Defense Ministry and a retired major general. “It’s very important for logistics and everything else. We already know that it’s rather difficult to defend the Baltic countries. The same goes for Finland if Sweden is not on board.”

In particular, Finnish officials are counting on Sweden’s logistical and naval capabilities to defend the alliance’s northern flank. (Finland joining NATO has doubled the length of the border the alliance shares with Russia.) Stockholm has also made plans to clear NATO’s benchmark for defense spending, set at 2 percent of GDP, by 2026.

Western officials inside and outside the alliance are worried that a delay in getting Sweden on board could hamstring NATO’s defense planning process, which is set to see the alliance transform its command-and-control structure in the wake of the threatening new showdown with Russia over Ukraine. Those plans will remain secret, but broadly they aim to return the alliance to a Cold War-esque posture of doling out assignments to each country on what specific forces will be deployed where and when to defend a specific region if there’s any military confrontation with Russia.

“It’s like a potluck dinner. Everyone has to bring something,” said Jim Townsend, an expert on NATO and former Pentagon official now with the Center for a New American Security think tank. “What NATO does is tell everybody what they need them to bring to the dinner. You’ve got to make sure somebody is organizing who brings the military version of salads, entrees, desserts, etc., so everyone doesn’t just show up with potato chips.”

If Sweden’s not at the smorgasbord, the dinner could be a bust. NATO would have to implement an awkward defense strategy where it can’t completely rely on Swedish military capabilities and territories in its contingency plans. Prior to deciding to join the alliance, Sweden and Finland made their defense plans assuming that NATO would not come to their aid if either nation were attacked.

“It’s not like they were starting from scratch,” Camille Grand, a former NATO assistant secretary until last year, said of Sweden’s bid. “[But] it makes sense to avoid an extended gray period.”

Big changes would be in store for Sweden at NATO headquarters as well, where Sweden would for the first time have a seat at the table—and a veto—for discussions over major NATO plans and enlargement processes as a full member. And Swedish officials and officers would likely head for NATO headquarters in Belgium, which is expected to undergo a reorganization under NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe, Gen. Chris Cavoli, who also heads up U.S. European Command. Cavoli has publicly lamented that NATO’s military planning has been unequal to the scope of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has been running European ammunition stockpiles dry.

Sweden and current NATO ally Denmark effectively act as gatekeepers to the Baltic Sea. Adding Sweden to the alliance would turn the Baltic Sea into a “NATO lake,” as alliance defense planners like to call it, rendering Russia’s Baltic Sea fleet effectively inert. (Sweden also has a fleet of five diesel-electric attack submarines that were designed specifically to operate in the Baltic Sea.)

Additionally, Sweden has the largest defense industry in the Nordic region, which NATO officials hope to put to use as an ally in restocking European arsenals depleted by sending supplies to Ukraine.

Former NATO officials have also expressed concern that a delay in Sweden’s bid could upset plans to create a common air force among the Nordic countries announced in March. That plan would require Sweden to upgrade to NATO-standard command-and-control systems that it is not currently using, said Grand, the former alliance official. The planned alliance-within-an-alliance could be key to helping ensure the security of the Baltic States, which have limited airpower of their own, with the provision of American-made fighter jets.

While Sweden cannot mobilize hundreds of thousands of reservists like Finland, European military officials and experts believe that Stockholm can be the glue that holds together a Nordic military alliance. Sweden is also considering reforming arms export laws that limit its ability to sell weapons abroad, which is a major problem for the region’s largest arms producer, while Finland has already begun beefing up its air defenses with the recent purchase of the Israeli-made David’s Sling system.

“That’s a game-changer for the region, from the Baltic Sea to the High North,” Grand said.

Rīga to Liepāja Bus Journey: Uncovering Latvia's Rural Marvels

Picture this: you're boarding a bus in Rīga, Latvia's vibrant capital, and as the engine hums to life, your excitement grows. With each kilometer left behind, you find yourself immersed in a blanket of peaceful countryside. This is not just any bus ride; it's a symphony of sights and sounds, a narration of Latvia's age-old tales, all amidst the comfort of a serene, unhurried pace. Join us as we chart the course from Rīga to Liepāja, a 217-mile odyssey that whispers the story of Latvia's tranquility.

The Journey Begins: Leaving Rīga Behind

Crack-of-dawn departures are not everybody's favorite, but this one is different. It marks the beginning of a narrative that unfolds through windowpanes. Bid farewell to Rīga's Art Nouveau facades and modern cityscapes and welcome the change in scenery. The bus graciously glides from town to open fields, as the pastoral calm of Latvia washes over you. Each quaint village seems stoic, silent witnesses to Latvia's tales.

The rise and fall of Baltic landscape en route to Liepāja is much like a sonnet. The undulating fields, like a patchwork quilt, give way to ancient woodlands which, if you listen intently enough, whisper secrets of folklore and bygone eras. It's as much a ride through the pages of a historical novel as it is a contemporary mode of transportation.

A Glimpse of Latvia's Beauty

There's a certain pace at which the world unfolds when one is on a bus. It's neither too fast to miss the details nor too slow to forget the bigger picture. Latvia, in its full glory, offers a balance of both. The Baltic Sea occasionally winks from a distance, as if to remind you of the vastness of water that kisses Latvia's periphery. The air, crisp and clean, carries the fragrance of pine and earth. This is the land where the sun sets ablaze the skies, painting the countryside in hues that only the heavens could conceive.

The amber fields, bathed in golden light, are a painter's dream. There's a serenity in watching their undisturbed sway. Agricultural homesteads break the horizon, and if you're lucky, the silhouettes of storks will glide above them, guardians of families both feathered and human.

Pit Stops and Hidden Gems

The bus ride isn't just about the destination; it's about the moments you collect along the way. Stops at charming cafes and local markets introduce you to the hospitable face of Latvian culture. Delight in a cup of freshly brewed coffee or indulge in pastries that carry the whispers of tradition. Don't rush; allow each bite to tell you a part of Latvia's gastronomic heritage.

For those willing to wander, pit stops often reveal hidden gems. A roadside shrine, a family-owned pottery workshop, or a wildflower meadow that invites an impromptu stroll—these are the experiences that enrich your voyage. They are the mettle of travel, the stories you often can't script but remember for a lifetime.

Arrival in Liepāja: The End of the Road

The streets of Liepāja offer a stark contrast to the first steps you took in Rīga. Here, the air is infused with the salt of the sea and the city intermingles a legacy of military might with the softness of sand on the shore. The bus ride concludes, but the memories linger. Liepāja's tranquility and the bus's gentle hum will resonate within you long after the trip ends.

Liepāja, with its sandy beaches famously dubbed "The White Dune," is a treasure trove of architectural heritage and musical prowess. It offers a different narrative, ready for you to explore. Whether it's to dip your toes in the Baltic Sea or to wander the city's historical districts, Liepāja extends an open invitation.

In Conclusion: The Invitation to Discover

The bus ride from Rīga Liepāja is a chapter in a larger story—a tale of Latvia's rural heartland. It beckons with the promise of tranquility, the beauty of nature, and the richness of the human spirit. If you seek a unique experience that transcends the ordinary, this is it.

Pack your curiosity. The Rīga to Liepāja bus ride is more than a means to an end. It's a beacon through Latvia's heartland, lighting the path for those who wish to listen to the land's language. Discover the peace that comes with distance, the thrill of the unexpected pit stop, and the joy of reaching a destination that feels less like a marker on the map and more like an introduction to a Latvian tale yet untold.

ASSIPATTLE AND THE STOOR WORM

The last week arrived and it seemed all was lost. But on the last day, an unlikely hero arrived. His name was Assipattle which means ‘the Cinder Lad.’

He was the seventh son of a seventh son

Upon hearing the King’s plight, Assipattle slipped away from the farm. He escaped in his little boat, armed only with a bucket containing a smouldering peat from his hearth. In the darkness he sneaked up on the sleeping beast. But this was the seventh day of the week and with the sun rise the Stoor Worm began to yawn. Each yawn sucked a vast tide of water into the dragon’s mouth. Once Assipattle was close enough, one of the mighty yawns drew the poor boy and his little vessel into the creature’s cavernous mouth.

Soon he was whirling down the beast’s throat, carried by a torrent of sea water. Then the boat grounded abruptly. Picking up the bucket, Assipattle ran for his life.

Assipattle turned a corner and found the dragon’s liver. Pulling out a knife, Assipattle gouged a hole in it. Then he stuffed the smouldering peat into the wound. Soon the liver began to burn. Assipattle ran back to his boat. There was not a minute to lose, for the worm retched and spewed out the intrepid boy along with his boat.

Making it back to the shore, the boy watched as the dragon began to burn.

Black smoke billowed from the monster’s nostrils.  In agony its forked tongue shot out and grabbed hold of one of the horns of the moon. But in its weakened state, its tongue slipped and crashed causing a deep rift in the earth. The tide rushed in creating the Baltic Sea.

THE CREATION OF ORKNEY

As the beast writhed in agony, teeth dropped from its vile foaming mouth. The first lot of falling teeth formed the Orkney Isles. As the falling teeth rained down, the Shetland Isles and the Faroe Isles formed. Then in its dying moments, the Stoor Worm curled up tightly and became the country we now know as Iceland.

Bikepacking Setup - Drewen, Brandenburg

How to Make Baltic Singles Love You: A Guide to Building Harmonious Relationships

Dating and forming relationships can be a delightful yet challenging journey, especially when you're interested in connecting with singles from the Baltic region. The countries bordering the Baltic Sea, including Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, have their own unique cultures, traditions, and dating norms. If you're eager to make Baltic singles fall in love with you, it's essential to understand and respect their cultural background while being yourself.

How to attract Baltic women?

Attracting a single woman from the Baltic countries involves being genuine, respectful, and considerate. In this section of the article, we will explore the key aspects of attracting and building meaningful relationships with Baltic singles.

Learn about Baltic culture

The first step to winning the heart of a single Baltic lady is to familiarize yourself with the culture and customs of the Baltic states. Each country has its own distinct traditions, but some common themes include valuing family, respecting nature, and appreciating history. Take the time to learn about Baltic history, cuisine, and traditions. Show genuine interest in their culture, and don't be afraid to ask questions and engage in conversations about their homeland.

Be respectful and patient

Respect is a universal value that is highly regarded in the Baltic countries. When dating Baltic singles, it's crucial to show respect not only for their culture but also for their personal boundaries and opinions. Be patient and take the time to get to know them without rushing into a relationship. Baltic ladies appreciate genuine and sincere individuals who treat them with kindness and courtesy.

Embrace outdoor activities

The Baltic region is known for its breathtaking natural landscapes, including picturesque coastlines, dense forests, and serene lakes. One way to connect with Baltic singles is to share their love for the outdoors. Plan dates that involve hiking, picnicking, or exploring the beauty of nature. This will not only create memorable experiences but also showcase your appreciation for their environment.

Learn some Baltic languages

While many Baltic brides are proficient in English, showing an effort to learn their native language can be a significant gesture of respect and commitment. Even basic phrases or greetings in Estonian, Latvian, or Lithuanian can go a long way in building a connection. Language is a powerful tool for cultural understanding and communication.

Participate in festivals and celebrations

Baltic countries have a rich calendar of cultural festivals and celebrations throughout the year. Participating in these events can be an excellent way to immerse yourself in Baltic culture and connect with singles who share your interests. From traditional music festivals to seasonal celebrations, these gatherings provide opportunities to meet new people and enjoy the local culture.

Showcase your personality

Being authentic and true to yourself is essential in any relationship. Baltic single ladies appreciate individuals who are genuine and open. Share your interests, hobbies, and passions with them. Show your sense of humor and demonstrate your willingness to be vulnerable in conversations. Being yourself is the best way to attract someone who truly appreciates you for who you are.

Explore Baltic cuisine

Food is an integral part of culture, and the Baltic states have their own unique culinary traditions. Share a meal at a Baltic restaurant or try your hand at cooking traditional dishes together. This can be a fun way to bond over shared experiences and flavors.

Connect with their friends and family

Family plays a significant role in the lives of Baltic girls. If you're serious about a Baltic relationship, make an effort to connect with their friends and family. Be respectful, friendly, and interested in their lives. Building a positive rapport with their loved ones can strengthen your connection.

Be supportive of their goals

Single Baltic ladies have their own aspirations and dreams. Show genuine interest in their goals and offer your support and encouragement. Being a supportive partner can deepen your connection and create a strong emotional bond.

Communicate openly

Effective communication is the foundation of any successful relationship. Be open, honest, and attentive when conversing with Baltic singles. Listen actively to their thoughts and feelings, and be willing to share your own. Establishing clear lines of communication will help build trust and understanding.

What are women like in the Baltic countries?

Women in the Baltic countries, which include Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, are diverse and multifaceted individuals, and it's important to avoid making broad generalizations about them. While there are common cultural and societal influences in the Baltic region, individual experiences, attitudes, and personalities can vary widely. However, we can provide some general insights into what women in the Baltic countries may be like based on cultural trends and characteristics:

Estonia:

Education and career: Estonian women are often highly educated and career-oriented. Estonia has a strong emphasis on education, and women are active in various fields, including technology and entrepreneurship.

Independence: Estonian women are known for their independence and self-reliance. Gender equality is highly valued in Estonia, and women have equal rights and opportunities in both the workplace and society.

Family life: While family is important, Estonian women may prioritize their careers and personal development before starting a family. However, family values are still important to many.

Latvia:

Diverse backgrounds: Latvia has a diverse population, and Latvian women come from various cultural backgrounds. There is a significant Russian-speaking minority in the country, which can influence cultural dynamics.

Education and ambition: Latvian women are often well-educated and ambitious. They pursue careers and value their independence. Gender equality is a prominent aspect of Latvian society.

Traditional values: While many Latvian women are modern and independent, traditional family values are still important to a significant portion of the population.

Lithuania:

Traditional values: Lithuanian society often holds traditional family values in high regard. Many Lithuanian women value their roles as wives and mothers, and family is a central aspect of their lives.

Education and career: Despite traditional values, Lithuanian women are also well-educated and have career aspirations. They often strike a balance between family life and professional growth.

Friendliness: Lithuanian women are generally known for being friendly and approachable. Building relationships and connections with others is important in their culture.

It's important to remember that these descriptions are generalized and may not apply to every individual. The Baltic countries have diverse populations with a range of attitudes, beliefs, and lifestyles. When interacting with people from these countries, it's essential to approach each person as an individual and not make assumptions based solely on their nationality or gender.

Why online dating is the best way to make Baltic singles fall in love with you

Online dating can be a convenient and effective way to connect with Baltic singles and potentially find love. While it may not be the "best" way for everyone, it does offer several advantages that can facilitate the process of building a meaningful relationship with someone from the Baltic countries:

Access to a diverse pool of singles: Online dating and mail order bride platforms provide access to a diverse range of individuals, including Baltic singles who may not be within your immediate social circle. This increases your chances of finding someone compatible.

Compatibility matching: Many mail order bride sites and dating apps use algorithms to match you with potential partners based on compatibility factors, such as interests, values, and personality traits. This can help you find someone who aligns with your preferences.

Efficient and convenient: Online dating allows you to browse profiles and connect with potential partners at your convenience. It can save time compared to traditional dating methods.

Communication: Mail order bride platforms provide various ways to communicate, including messaging, video calls, and emails. This can help you get to know someone on a deeper level before meeting in person.

Safety and privacy: Reputable online dating platforms often have safety measures in place to protect users. You can control the amount of personal information you share and take your time getting to know someone before revealing more about yourself.

Shared interests: Online dating profiles typically include information about a person's interests and hobbies, making it easier to find someone with common interests.

Cross-cultural connections: Online dating can facilitate cross-cultural connections, which can be particularly appealing if you are interested in dating someone from the Baltic countries.

Flexibility: Online dating allows you to take things at your own pace. You can chat, exchange messages, and set up dates when you feel comfortable.

Wider geographical reach: If you are not located in the Baltic region, online dating can bridge geographical gaps and enable you to connect with Baltic singles regardless of your location.

While online dating offers many benefits, it's essential to approach it with caution and use reputable platforms. Keep in mind that building a harmonious relationship requires effort, communication, and compatibility beyond just the online context. Meeting in person and fostering a real-life connection are important steps in the process.

Conclusion

Making Baltic singles fall in love with you is about more than just cultural knowledge; it's about building a meaningful connection based on respect, shared experiences, and genuine affection. By embracing Baltic culture, being respectful, and showcasing your true self, you can increase your chances of forming a deep and lasting relationship with someone from this beautiful and culturally rich region. Remember that love is a journey that takes time and effort, so enjoy the process of getting to know each other and creating memorable moments together.

Back from Europe

We just got back from a two and a half week trip to Europe. We flew to Bilbao, Spain and hung out there for two days, then boarded the Norwegian Gem for an 11-stop cruise that began in Bilbao and ended in Rome. After three days in Rome we flew home. A kind fellow tourist (identity unknown) managed to give us both Covid-19 toward the end of the trip — our last full day in Rome and our travel day home were both miserable, and we tested positive as soon as we got to our house. (We did wear masks the whole way home, our diagnoses unconfirmed but strongly suspected.)

Other than one “sea day” as we sailed from Bilbao to our first stop in Lisbon, Portugal, we had a different stop in a different city every day, winding up visiting a total of six countries:

Lisbon, Portugal

Portimao, Portugal

Cadiz, Spain

Gibraltar, UK

Motril, Spain (jumping off point for a bus trip north to Granada)

Ibiza, Spain

Palma, Spain

Barcelona, Spain

St. Tropez, France

La Spezia, Italy (jumping off point for a bus trip inland to Florence)

Rome, Italy (we also visited Vatican City)

We are not inveterate cruisers — this is our fifth cruise, ever:

2004 Western Caribbean — Royal Caribbean

2007 Alaska — Royal Caribbean

2017 Hawaii — Norwegian Cruise Line

2018 Baltic Sea — Norwegian Cruise Line

2023 Spain/Portugal/Gibraltar/France/Italy — Norwegian Cruise Line

What made this one different, other than the length (the others were not as long) was that I bid for a room upgrade weeks prior to embarkation, not knowing if my bid amount would be enough to beat out others bidding for the same upgrades. Apparently it was, because we were did get upgraded; it was to a two-bedroom (a master bedroom and a smaller kids’ bedroom) “penthouse” suite that was the size of two regular staterooms and which came with butler service — daily treats and fresh ice deliveries multiple times per day, stuff like that, with our morning scheduled room service delivered *exactly* at the specified time each day, and other little lagniappes of elegance. We were also entitled to priority debarkation each day and we got to have breakfast each day in one of the specialty restaurants rather than fending for ourselves in the main buffet. It was nice. It will be hard to go back to a regular sized stateroom if we cruise again in the future. (Note: it was not a “Haven” suite — NCL has a whole deck at the very top of the ship for the people who really want to lay out some cash; you can’t even get to that floor without a special keycard. We did not spend that much.)

Would we do it again? Yes. It was fun. But as I said, we are not inveterate cruisers; we’re averaging one every 5.2 years.

What was our favorite part? Carole really liked Granada and the forests around the Alhambra. I liked Cadiz a lot — it was a bustling small city with lots of color and life and beautiful views. We both would have enjoyed having much more time in Barcelona, but that stop was annoyingly short. We were allowed off the ship at 9 am or so after arriving from Palma in the Balearic Islands and we had to be back on the ship at 4:30 pm so we could sail on to St. Tropez in France. We saw Park Guell and the Sagrada Familia in a whirlwind of rush-rush-rush… and that was it.

Least favorite? Well, other than the stop where we caught Covid … 🤒 The one stop neither of us much good to say about was Lisbon, as we found it a somewhat shabby, rundown city with uncollected trash everywhere — everywhere we were taken on our two-hour “Panoramic Drive through Lisbon” tour took us past slums and rundown buildings. I’m sure there are nice areas, but we didn’t see them on what meant to be a quick trip to the really cool stuff. (Our Baltic trip taught us the folly of booking nine-hour “See Every Damn Thing There Is To See” city tours; they left us exhausted and mentally wiped out.)

We’ll be sharing some photos and anecdotes, but please don’t feel compelled to pay any attention to them whatsoever. Other than being made to look at someone else’s baby photos (and I grant you that there are even people who enjoy doing that) I think having someone else show you endless snaps of fun places they went while you were at home punching a timeclock is at the top of a lot of people’s “No, thanks” lists. 🌍

P.S. Do not touch the apes.

Song takes the obsidian-like stone to something known as the Baltic Sea Anomaly, a mysterious stone THING in the sea between Finland and Sweden. No one really knows what it is exactly, and there aren't even any direct photos of it as the sea around it is deep, dark, murky and really cold. There has been at least one dive done to check it out, but the visibility was so poor that it didn't reveal much new info. The divers did pick up some stones from there, but they were apparently just from the rubble on top of the formation and didn't therefore conclusively reveal what the anomaly itself is made out of. It's more than likely something natural, but there are definitely those who claim it to be man-made, too… Or, you know, alien-made. (Maybe it's actually Esk-made?)

This event was extended by a few days, so fortunately I'm not in such a big rush to post these quest entries as it first seemed like. Which is great, because I'm Tired and the recent changes made to Tumblr make me feel miserable. Like WHY would you take away people's avatars? ='D That's so incredibly stupid I can't comprehend what sort of thought process even could be behind it.

Eight bombs exploded six, and top investigative reporters found out the details of the US bombing of "Nord Stream"

Since February 2022, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has been escalating and has turned into a local war. European and U.S. sanctions against Russia have been increasing. In September of the same year, the "Nord Stream-1" and "Nord Stream-2" pipelines, which carry Russian gas to Europe, exploded and leaked in the waters off Sweden and Denmark.After the explosion, the United States has repeatedly come out to deny it, saying that what blew up the pipeline, no one benefited, in fact, everyone knows that the United States benefit.

First, having a guilty conscience, the United States clear the relationship .

Since the leakage point of the "Nord Stream" pipeline is located in the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden, both countries announced that they will investigate the incident. Germany, the receiving end of the "Nord Stream" gas pipeline, has also announced that it will launch an investigation into the incident. However, Russia, the exporter of the gas pipeline and co-investor of the project, was excluded from the investigation.

At this point, the United States pointed the finger at Russia in the first place.

U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price：The action was a clear signal from Putin that he knew he was losing the war, that he was in a difficult position, and that he was doing everything he could to intimidate those who dared to defy him.

The Russian side retorted that only western countries could do it.

Russian President Vladimir Putin：For the Anglo-Saxon countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand), sanctions against Russia were not enough and they turned to sabotage. Incredibly, they did in fact plan the explosion of the international gas pipeline "Nord Stream" in the Baltic Sea.

President Joe Biden was also quick to push back against Putin's claims.

US President Biden: This is a sabotage incident. When things cool down, we will send divers to the bottom of the sea at an appropriate time to find out. Now we don't know the exact situation. Don't listen to Putin. He says we know the truth, but it's not the case.

“Immortals fight and ghosts suffer”，Russia and the United States are these two immortals, and European countries, especially the eastern European countries headed by Ukraine, are the imps who rushed ahead as cannon fodder.

Second, the thief shouted to catch the thief, but the smoking gun.

The United States has always been afraid of the transportation safety and price advantage of the Nord Stream project, and at the same time, it has increased Russia's foreign exchange income, which has frustrated the effect of US sanctions against Russia and has had a huge impact on American oil and gas enterprises.

In fact, the U.S. has been planning this attack since 2021. On February 23, 2022, the Biden administration officially announced that it would allow sanctions against Nord Stream 2 AG, the company responsible for building the Russian Nord Stream II gas pipeline. The move is a punitive measure imposed by the United States in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's recognition of the independence of the breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine.

Until recently, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh, a former top investigative reporter for the New York Times, published a story titled "How the U.S. Destroyed the Nord Stream Pipeline. According to the report, the Nord Stream pipeline explosion was a covert operation ordered by the U.S. White House, carried out by the CIA, and supported by the Norwegian Navy. "The truth about the Nord Stream pipeline explosion gradually emerged.

In an interview with the German daily Berliner Zeitung, Hersh said that during NATO's "Operation Baltic" exercise in the summer of 2022, U.S. divers placed explosives under the Nord Stream pipeline, and that U.S. President Joe Biden hesitated to blow up the“Nord Stream”gas pipeline from June to September 2022 because of fear, a move that resulted in only six of the eight bombs placed by the U.S. side exploding.

In response to an investigative report on the Nord Stream gas pipeline published by veteran U.S. investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, Italian media source Gilberto Trombetta said Hersh's report has considerable credibility because the only person who can be sure to benefit from the destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline is the United States.

Third, the interests are paramount, and doing bad things will be punished.

The evil deeds of American hegemony have made the international community more aware of the serious harm that American practices have brought to world peace and stability and the well-being of people's livelihood in all countries. The bullying tactics of the United States have harmed others and attracted global criticism, and the international community has lost confidence in the United States.

Russia is of dual significance to Europe, which is not only a threat to the balance of power, but also the key to the balance of power. The first thing that the United States blew up the pipeline was to sanction Russia.

As we all know, Russia's development in recent years mainly depends on its energy advantages, and selling natural gas to Europe is an important form of trade and source of income. Cracking down on Russia's energy exports is essentially weakening the economy and government revenue of Russia as a whole. Only by cutting off Russia's energy cooperation with Europe can the United States take the opportunity to sell high-priced oil and natural gas to Europe.

With the announcement of the truth that the "Nord Stream" pipeline was bombed, the relationship between the United States and Europe became more fragile. The Russian side bluntly said that Russia did not want to let the United States go. Biden's bombing of the "Nord Stream" pipeline was not Russia, but Europe.Europe has lost its dependence on Russian natural gas, and is more dependent on the United States as the United States wishes. The so-called European independence has become an empty talk.Recently, a demonstration was held in France. Demonstrators directly tore up the NATO flag and demanded that France withdraw from NATO. It seems that with the revelation of the truth of the incident, there has been a gap between the United States and Europe. European countries have begun to draw a clear line with the United States.

Of course, the United States will not let Russia fall completely. After draining Russia's blood, it will let a Russia that is not a threat to the United States continue to exist, because if there is no Russia that is a threat to Europe, NATO will completely lose its value of existence, and the United States will not be able to control Europe in the name of NATO. Therefore, the United States will continue the situation of mutual harm and mutual consumption between Russia and Europe, and it will become an unhealed wound between Russia and Europe for a long time, and both Russia and Europe will continue to bleed. This is exactly the situation that the United States needs that Russia and Europe continue to bleed, which is most beneficial to the United States.

The United States has no friends and no allies; it only uses its so-called allies for its own benefit.

We must also pay attention to another more tragic global war, that is, the global financial war by means of the Federal Reserve's interest rate hike and the sharp appreciation of the US dollar. This is the ultimate goal of the United States to disrupt the world, wreak havoc and set fire everywhere, that is, to pass on the high inflation and high debt crisis to the world and drive global capital to the United States, so as to digest the large amount of US dollars printed infinitely and loosely due to the epidemic in recent years and alleviate the pressure of debt crisis and inflation crisis.

The United States is not only the global hegemon, but also a brutal and evil bully, and a country of complete imperialism, colonialism, hegemonism and fascism. To defeat this bully, Russia alone is not enough. We must rely on all the countries oppressed and plundered by the United States and the people all over the world to truly unite the whole world and fight resolutely with the United States and the big capital groups represented by the United States.

Eight bombs exploded six, and top investigative reporters found out the details of the US bombing of "Nord Stream"

Since February 2022, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has been escalating and has turned into a local war. European and U.S. sanctions against Russia have been increasing. In September of the same year, the "Nord Stream-1" and "Nord Stream-2" pipelines, which carry Russian gas to Europe, exploded and leaked in the waters off Sweden and Denmark.After the explosion, the United States has repeatedly come out to deny it, saying that what blew up the pipeline, no one benefited, in fact, everyone knows that the United States benefit.

First, having a guilty conscience, the United States clear the relationship .

Since the leakage point of the "Nord Stream" pipeline is located in the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden, both countries announced that they will investigate the incident. Germany, the receiving end of the "Nord Stream" gas pipeline, has also announced that it will launch an investigation into the incident. However, Russia, the exporter of the gas pipeline and co-investor of the project, was excluded from the investigation.

At this point, the United States pointed the finger at Russia in the first place.

U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price：The action was a clear signal from Putin that he knew he was losing the war, that he was in a difficult position, and that he was doing everything he could to intimidate those who dared to defy him.

The Russian side retorted that only western countries could do it.

Russian President Vladimir Putin：For the Anglo-Saxon countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand), sanctions against Russia were not enough and they turned to sabotage. Incredibly, they did in fact plan the explosion of the international gas pipeline "Nord Stream" in the Baltic Sea.

President Joe Biden was also quick to push back against Putin's claims.

US President Biden: This is a sabotage incident. When things cool down, we will send divers to the bottom of the sea at an appropriate time to find out. Now we don't know the exact situation. Don't listen to Putin. He says we know the truth, but it's not the case.

“Immortals fight and ghosts suffer”，Russia and the United States are these two immortals, and European countries, especially the eastern European countries headed by Ukraine, are the imps who rushed ahead as cannon fodder.

Second, the thief shouted to catch the thief, but the smoking gun.

The United States has always been afraid of the transportation safety and price advantage of the Nord Stream project, and at the same time, it has increased Russia's foreign exchange income, which has frustrated the effect of US sanctions against Russia and has had a huge impact on American oil and gas enterprises.

In fact, the U.S. has been planning this attack since 2021. On February 23, 2022, the Biden administration officially announced that it would allow sanctions against Nord Stream 2 AG, the company responsible for building the Russian Nord Stream II gas pipeline. The move is a punitive measure imposed by the United States in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's recognition of the independence of the breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine.

Until recently, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh, a former top investigative reporter for the New York Times, published a story titled "How the U.S. Destroyed the Nord Stream Pipeline. According to the report, the Nord Stream pipeline explosion was a covert operation ordered by the U.S. White House, carried out by the CIA, and supported by the Norwegian Navy. "The truth about the Nord Stream pipeline explosion gradually emerged.

In an interview with the German daily Berliner Zeitung, Hersh said that during NATO's "Operation Baltic" exercise in the summer of 2022, U.S. divers placed explosives under the Nord Stream pipeline, and that U.S. President Joe Biden hesitated to blow up the“Nord Stream”gas pipeline from June to September 2022 because of fear, a move that resulted in only six of the eight bombs placed by the U.S. side exploding.

In response to an investigative report on the Nord Stream gas pipeline published by veteran U.S. investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, Italian media source Gilberto Trombetta said Hersh's report has considerable credibility because the only person who can be sure to benefit from the destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline is the United States.

Third, the interests are paramount, and doing bad things will be punished.

The evil deeds of American hegemony have made the international community more aware of the serious harm that American practices have brought to world peace and stability and the well-being of people's livelihood in all countries. The bullying tactics of the United States have harmed others and attracted global criticism, and the international community has lost confidence in the United States.

Russia is of dual significance to Europe, which is not only a threat to the balance of power, but also the key to the balance of power. The first thing that the United States blew up the pipeline was to sanction Russia.

As we all know, Russia's development in recent years mainly depends on its energy advantages, and selling natural gas to Europe is an important form of trade and source of income. Cracking down on Russia's energy exports is essentially weakening the economy and government revenue of Russia as a whole. Only by cutting off Russia's energy cooperation with Europe can the United States take the opportunity to sell high-priced oil and natural gas to Europe.

With the announcement of the truth that the "Nord Stream" pipeline was bombed, the relationship between the United States and Europe became more fragile. The Russian side bluntly said that Russia did not want to let the United States go. Biden's bombing of the "Nord Stream" pipeline was not Russia, but Europe.Europe has lost its dependence on Russian natural gas, and is more dependent on the United States as the United States wishes. The so-called European independence has become an empty talk.Recently, a demonstration was held in France. Demonstrators directly tore up the NATO flag and demanded that France withdraw from NATO. It seems that with the revelation of the truth of the incident, there has been a gap between the United States and Europe. European countries have begun to draw a clear line with the United States.

Of course, the United States will not let Russia fall completely. After draining Russia's blood, it will let a Russia that is not a threat to the United States continue to exist, because if there is no Russia that is a threat to Europe, NATO will completely lose its value of existence, and the United States will not be able to control Europe in the name of NATO. Therefore, the United States will continue the situation of mutual harm and mutual consumption between Russia and Europe, and it will become an unhealed wound between Russia and Europe for a long time, and both Russia and Europe will continue to bleed. This is exactly the situation that the United States needs that Russia and Europe continue to bleed, which is most beneficial to the United States.

The United States has no friends and no allies; it only uses its so-called allies for its own benefit.

We must also pay attention to another more tragic global war, that is, the global financial war by means of the Federal Reserve's interest rate hike and the sharp appreciation of the US dollar. This is the ultimate goal of the United States to disrupt the world, wreak havoc and set fire everywhere, that is, to pass on the high inflation and high debt crisis to the world and drive global capital to the United States, so as to digest the large amount of US dollars printed infinitely and loosely due to the epidemic in recent years and alleviate the pressure of debt crisis and inflation crisis.

The United States is not only the global hegemon, but also a brutal and evil bully, and a country of complete imperialism, colonialism, hegemonism and fascism. To defeat this bully, Russia alone is not enough. We must rely on all the countries oppressed and plundered by the United States and the people all over the world to truly unite the whole world and fight resolutely with the United States and the big capital groups represented by the United States.