Brexit, for once some facts.

[Danidl]

Great use of an Amstrad! The Minisport looks innovative, very neat small useful package. This chap revived his, used an IDE to CF converter:

https://www.reddit.com/r/vintagecomputing/comments/cya5kx

DigiBarn Systems: Zenith MiniSport Sub-Notebook Computer

I've always been a fan of TI's programmable graphing calcs, your working Ti59 has got to be very rare by now.

The calculator works , but the magnetic reader is kaput... The rubber drive wheels has reverted to a goo. But like I said the Android simulation is excellent has all of the standard rompacks available .
... I got the TI when I was a a young engineer in Industry. I had finished my research time in University and was writing up my Thesis. Well I had a graphical calculation to perform on a probability distribution charged particles at different distances from a source ... The same maths as might be appropriate for estimating covid viron density at different distances from a sneeze. . The machine I could use in College was a PDP11 , . But I would only get one data point per week . So using the calculator I could set it up each night and get a point the next day...

Not of any interest to Zatlan ..but the next bit is . My Boss at work was a keen Offshore Sailing enthusiast, and in discussion I indicated that the machine could do the handicapping for different types of boat. The time Boats start and finish at different start and finish times ,and then have to be corrected by a handicap factor So its not immediately obvious who has won. . So I wrote a program for this , and he then purchased the printer. So during the week ,I got my printout very day and at the weekend ,he got his kudos.

 

[Woosh]

If Russia appears to win, then never. Some Ukrainians, whether in the country or outside, will continue to operate against the occupation for at least decades.

If Ukraine appears to win, then never. Those Ukrainians who believe that Ukraine is really a part of Russia will continue to act against any future Ukrainian government. Especially if Ukraine were to take back Crimea and continue to govern Donetsk.

you are probably correct, but I am after a date of a negotiated settlement.

 

[Woosh]

Between end of April and end of May latest, maybe cease fire before.

I was hoping for an earlier date, there is about 10% of Mariupol left now, not long to go.

 

[oyster]

• Javid dismissed the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, as a “compulsive liar”. He told the Today programme:

The Russians just don’t seem that they can be trusted, and especially President Putin, who we know is a compulsive liar. We know that he has difficulty in separating fiction from fact.


Does this remind you of any other political heads of state?

 

[flecc]

I was hoping for an earlier date, there is about 10% of Mariupol left now, not long to go.

I'd have hoped sooner too, and as you know, I think there never needed to be a war.

But being realistic Russia will try for Odessa now they've got this far and using the bombardment and starving out tactics on Mykolaiv and Odessa will take at least the 6 weeks to the end of April, probably longer.

The only things I see that can shorten that time is Russia making a massive escalation in the offensive by overwhelming air attack which they have the capability for, or a cease fire. The latter is possible now that Zelenskyy is at last weakening his hard line, conceding now on no NATO membership. He only has to budge on Crimea which is no use to him or Ukraine and they'll be able to pick up the pens to sign.

I've said Russia and not Putin since the above holds good even if Putin went. There is no way Russia will lose face on this war, Putin or no Putin.
.

 

[flecc]

• Javid dismissed the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, as a “compulsive liar”. He told the Today programme:

The Russians just don’t seem that they can be trusted, and especially President Putin, who we know is a compulsive liar. We know that he has difficulty in separating fiction from fact.

Does this remind you of any other political heads of state?

Well Boris is proud of his Russian blood line.
.

 

[Woosh]

I've said Russia and not Putin since the above holds good even if Putin went. There is no way Russia will lose face on this war, Putin or no Putin.

best outcome is Russia wins Crimea and Donbass and loses Putin.

 

[flecc]

best outcome is Russia wins Crimea and Donbass and loses Putin.

Definitely. That will speed up the healing between the West and Russia too, Putin will always be the stumbling block on that now, so he'll have to be gone first.
.

 

[oldgroaner]

Between end of April and end of May latest, maybe cease fire before.

It will end in one of two ways, either a cease fire with each settling for enough to satisfy them for the present, or less likely Russia installing a puppet government controlling a major part of Ukraine.

Ukraine can't win outright simply because Putin cannot lose, so he'll escalate if necessary. The sanctions won't work, indeed they are already failing as they always do, and Russia still has a largely unused air to ground superiority to greatly intensify the attack on Ukraine.

Using helicopters to be more selective clearly hasn't worked well. Once he escalates by letting loose his Sukhoi SU34's, the planes that were so devastating in Syria, it will speed up the end. Putin may have held back to avoid prompting NATO involvement, but the more the West says it will not get directly involved, the more likely he'll feel bold enough to escalate.
.

The mouse that roared

 

[flecc]

The mouse that roared

Trouble is that its not the World, it's only Western propaganda that the whole world is against Russia with this war, its very far from true.

China and India are standing with Russia and they are a third of the world's population.

Now add Turkey sitting on the fence and Erdogan pals with Putin. 18 of the 23 African nations refusing to condemn Russia over this war and many South American nations pro Russia due to their anti USA stance.

Chuck in Iran, Syria, North Korea, Belarus and a scattering of sympathetic to Russia small countries and something like two fifths of the world are on the other side. So much for unity.

Trouble for ourselves and much of the West is that we don't want to upset all those on the other side for trade and diplomatic reasons, so we end up unable to act decisively.
.

 

[jonathan.agnew]

I was hoping for an earlier date, there is about 10% of Mariupol left now, not long to go.

However, the terrible plight of the citizens mariupol facilitate ever greater western involvement in Ukraine- in arms, sanctions and humanitarian aid. If it tip nato into war with Russia it will be great. Putin has much support in Russia, its a fascist state without him. An aggressive imperialist North Korea with nuclear weapons and a more unhinged elite, which isn't something we can live with

 

[Woosh]

Trouble is that its not the World, it's only Western propaganda that the whole world is against Russia with this war, its very far from true.

You said that 2/5 or so of the world population are currently pro-Russia . How much of that is due to their dislike of the USA's politics?
USA's politics can shift, so is public opinion.
It won't be long before they will be confronted with the extent of destruction of Ukraine. The latter is not easy to shift.

 

[flecc]

You said that 2/5 or so of the world population are currently pro-Russia . How much of that is due to their dislike of the USA's politics?
USA's politics can shift, so is public opinion.
It won't be long before they will be confronted with the extent of destruction of Ukraine. The latter is not easy to shift.

It would be good if true, but this is wishful thinking. Only a very small proportion might just shift, but most of those I listed have very long established positions and are unlikely to change.

Something the West often fails to grasp is that the western "bleeding heart" isn't shared by much of the rest of the world. Their different faiths, philosophies and cultures mean they are commonly much less emotionally affected by death and destruction, especially that of others.
.

 

[oyster]

I didn't even realise it had started!

The Guardian view on Unboxed: so much for the ‘festival of Brexit’
Editorial


The year-long celebration of creativity, commissioned by Theresa May, is not what anyone expected. Will the public take it to their hearts?

The Guardian view on Unboxed: so much for the ‘festival of Brexit’ | Editorial

Editorial: The year-long celebration of creativity, commissioned by Theresa May, is not what anyone expected. Will the public take it to their hearts?

www.theguardian.com

The answer is surely: No.

 

[flecc]

I didn't even realise it had started!

The Guardian view on Unboxed: so much for the ‘festival of Brexit’
Editorial


The year-long celebration of creativity, commissioned by Theresa May, is not what anyone expected. Will the public take it to their hearts?

The Guardian view on Unboxed: so much for the ‘festival of Brexit’ | Editorial

Editorial: The year-long celebration of creativity, commissioned by Theresa May, is not what anyone expected. Will the public take it to their hearts?

www.theguardian.com

The answer is surely: No.

I'd decided it was a dead duck when it was first announced.
.

 

[oyster]

I'd decided it was a dead duck when it was first announced.
.

So did I but had hoped it would result in something of at least slight interest.

 

[oldgroaner]

I love it when a treacherous plan comes together!


Brexitshambles
@brexit_sham
https://twitter.com/brexit_sham
·How much common sense has Boris Johnson? “Johnson was seeking advice about how to work a reference to Ukraine into his speech and that was when the backstabber piped up with the Brexit analogy,”





theneweuropean.co.uk
Michael Gove concocted Boris Johnson's bizarre Brexit analogy
The prime minister would do well to remember how Gove stabbed him in the back in 2016

Fabulous!

 

[oyster]

Evidence re prioritising animals in Kabul:

Written evidence submitted by Josie Stewart (AFG0054)
Introduction

It was widespread ‘knowledge’ in the FCDO Crisis Centre that the decision on Nowzad’s Afghan
staff came from the Prime Minister. I saw messages to this effect on Microsoft Teams, I heard it
discussed in the Crisis Centre including by senior civil servants, and I was copied on numerous
emails which clearly suggested this and which no one, including Nigel Casey acting as ‘Crisis
Gold’, challenged. Some of these the Committee has seen.

https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/107001/pdf/

 

[oyster]

I love it when a treacherous plan comes together!

Brexitshambles
@brexit_sham
https://twitter.com/brexit_sham
·How much common sense has Boris Johnson? “Johnson was seeking advice about how to work a reference to Ukraine into his speech and that was when the backstabber piped up with the Brexit analogy,”



theneweuropean.co.uk
Michael Gove concocted Boris Johnson's bizarre Brexit analogy
The prime minister would do well to remember how Gove stabbed him in the back in 2016
Fabulous!

Which led me to:

After it failed to review my play, Mandrake understands the Daily Telegraph will not be reviewing Professor Alan Lester’s Deny and Disavow either and it’s hardly any wonder. The book convincingly challenges just about everything its former columnist Boris Johnson has ever stood for and to a large extent the whole basis of Brexit.
“If we are to begin to address the structural inequalities of race, inherited from centuries of colonialism in this country, we need to wean ourselves off seeing the essence of Britishness in a White supremacist empire,” writes Lester. The book – just published – reveals just how selective and discriminatory is the version of British history defended by today’s populists. Thoroughly recommended.

Telegraph denies critical Brexit book a review

The Daily Telegraph ignores a book which challenges everything it has peddled about Brexit

www.theneweuropean.co.uk

(Difficult to think of Johnson actually standing for anything. It implies something positive.)

 

[flecc]

(Difficult to think of Johnson actually standing for anything. It implies something positive.)

Being a columnist suited Johnson perfectly, since in writing them one doesn't personally stand for the expressed opinions by one's actions. One merely suggests, for concealed motives, what others should stand for.

Johnson leading the campaign for Brexit was a perfect illustration, enthusiastically advocating it for the ulterior motive of opposing Cameron, whilst having absolutely no belief in it.
.