Friday, November 4th 2022
It’s really only 8:00 on Thursday evening. But I want to make sure that this is the first thing I post today. I think we should all enjoy watching this video.
Also this from the Barents Observer:
U.S aircraft flew Norwegian airspace on surveillance mission outside Russia’s nuclear sub bases
Norway’s reassurance policy towards Russia has for the most followed a practice that allied intelligence missions to airspace outside the Kola Peninsula should not take off, land, or fly over Norwegian airspace. On Wednesday, a U.S. Air Force plane was indeed inside Norwegian airspace, both before and after the flight aimed to monitor Russia’s military forces from above the eastern Barents Sea.
The security crisis in Europe has rippling effects on the North. After joint training with a pair of Norwegian F-35 fighter jets over Troms region inside the Arctic Circle on Wednesday, the American RC-135W aircraft continued to international airspace over the Barents Sea and flew a well-known surveillance route just north of Russia’s Kola Peninsula. These are the home waters of the powerful Northern Fleet’s nuclear-powered submarines and surface warships.
Russian navy now has six submarines capable of launching Bulava-missiles
The latest Borei-A submarine “Generalissimo Suvorov” on Thursday successfully launched a Bulava ballistic missile from the White Sea that hit a target at the Kura range on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
The launch on November 3 was expected as the submarine has been at sea for the latest state tests before being handed over to the navy from the Sevmash construction yard in Severodvinsk. Notice to Air Missions (NOTAMs) activated in the White Sea for the dates 3 to 5 indicated a ballistic missile launch was coming. The Defense Ministry informs that the missile was launched from the submerged position and the target on Kamchatka was hit.
There’s also another article from my Norwegian friends that says the Russian prosecutor’s office is trying to get the online journal shut down. I guess if I was wondering what kind of pressure they were under to print material that directly seemed to be propaganda from the Russian side, I guess we understand where the pressure was coming from.
The Barents Observer is requested closed by Russia’s General Prosecutor
Blocked for the second time: According to the state attorney in Moscow, the Norwegian newspaper publishes “false news about terrorism” and seeks to “destabilise the political situation in Russia.”
The small newspaper based in Kirkenes, Norway, is again on the agenda of Russian censorship authorities. It was blocked by media regulator Roskomnadzor already in early 2019. This week, it got double-blocked by the country’s General Prosecutor. The online newspaper that publishes in both English and Russian was notified about the decision on Saturday the 29th of October. In a letter, the General Prosecutor’s office gives the Barents Observer 24 hours to delete all “illegal information.”
Good job guys. Bravo. Keep it coming. Because fuck them, let’s just tell the truth.
***
That was a really weird moment last night. I was absolutely finished and wanted to turn off the light and just go to sleep. I think I got a bit sick from all of my personal interaction yesterday. I’ve got some swollen glands and all through the night I was not feeling very good at all. But then I made the mistake of turning on my telephone to have a look around. The above report from Norway wanted to get covered pretty badly. I couldn’t make up my mind whether I wanted to make it part of yesterday or today.
I actually woke up a while ago but didn’t even particularly want to watch the World series. I really don’t feel very good at all. I found some map readers discussing the current war effort and Mr Zelinski making a speech talking about sending glory to the Ukrainian artillery divisions. Maybe I should print that sometime today but the news that Iran is now invading Saudi Arabia and North Korea is firing missiles regularly just means that for some reason we just can’t help ourselves from heading into World War 3 and we are all getting sucked into this.
But then I found this video. This is one of these pieces of information I wish I could give to my neighbors. I wish they were the sorts of people who were interested in information like this. I knew about this before I bought this piece of property and it’s been one of the reasons why I have planted and will continue to plant so many trees here.
I know I get so caught up in the news about the murders that we commit against each other. It’s hard not to pay attention to this even though in the end all I’m doing is spreading fear and misery. Whether I ignore it or whether I participate in it, I seem to be attached to the misery.
Maybe the salvation however comes from believing that the true salvation of the planet and its people and all living things on it come from human beings deciding that the most important subject in the world is ecology. That was the main theme that I wrote about last year. This year’s writing is supposed to be about food but really, it’s still about ecology. We don’t really have anything else that we should be thinking about or talking about or teaching our children. Just like spreading the news about the war, it seems that anything we teach our children but ecology just keeps us exactly in the hell we have made of this plant. And make no mistake, no matter how comfortable you think you are, by poisoning the land and the water and the air we have destroyed our environment. No matter how comfy you are in your apartment or driving around in your air conditioned car, no matter how safe and insulated you feel, the planet itself is dying and we are guilty of this particular murder. I don’t know really how to get out of this but it’s the truth.
***
It’s a quarter to 12:00 and I guess I feel a bit better. The thing about a vegan diet is your ability to recover. If you want to know why so many athletes are going vegan it’s exactly because of this reason.
I would not say that I am completely fine. I don’t feel like I’m functioning at my full capabilities. But I feel a lot better than I did yesterday and I seem to have a little bit of energy to do what I need to do. This is a definite plus.
I’m in the cafe right now, I guess I call this The kitchen Cafe. The sun is shining brightly and warmly through the window. I’ve just had a very nice breakfast that was very similar to last night’s dinner. I guess I’ve been having a noodle party. I’m not sure that this will somehow break my dinner tonight. Even if I’m not very hungry, it’s hard not to enjoy Friday night meals. I will put together some bread in a little while. I’ll use the same simple recipe I’ve been using. My hummus is already in the blender but I haven’t blended it yet. Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, there’s no difference between letting it soak and then blending it and blending it and letting it sit. It’ll probably absorb the water faster if I just go ahead and grind it up now. It’s funny how you have a thought in your head and then when you look at it a second time it’s just not really what you want or need.
I think I will go ahead and turn on the blender now.
About the mushrooms, I don’t really think Tanya’s way of doing things worked very well. I took a look this morning and found some of the mushrooms to be as slimy as if I had not done anything to preserve them. I talked to her this morning and she told me that of course you have to do this several times. I think the problem was that I don’t really use this oven to heat the house. If you wanted to keep the entire house warm, or at least everything but the office, you would like at least three of the four fireplaces in the morning everyday to warm them up. At least two of them would get the whole room warm. As far as the two places to cook with fire, I don’t use them normally. I know how people live and what they want from life and what they think is normal but for me, I just don’t need it. What I do is cheaper and satisfying enough for my needs.
So I gathered all the mushrooms off of her pan and put them on my drying table and turned my heater back on. It will cost me a few rubles in my electrical bill this month but I don’t think it will be a problem or so much money that I will feel pain from it. And no matter what, the mushrooms get dry in an hour or two and this at least saves me food value.
I just saw Tanya go down the road on her way to the forest. She says I have some more mushrooms coming to me. As of the moment, I think I’m about at my limit of what I need. When she pulled mushrooms out of her group and asked me if this was enough for my dinner, I told her the truth that it was actually enough for about four dinners. I don’t make mushrooms the centerpiece of my dishes. I just love them for the flavor that they add and the nutrients that they bring. I am very stinky with mushrooms as well.
The hummus by the way is rather wonderful. It’s spice level at the moment is kind of through the roof. It will mellow as it interacts with the nuts and seeds that are in there. By evening it will be a little richer and thicker and a bit more flavorful than it is now. Leading it fresh like this, before all of the elements have a chance to mingle with each other, each of the flavors is very profound and Rich. You can taste everything individually that’s in there but truly, a good hummus is only the sum of its parts working together. It’s very rough as it is now. It’ll be great in 6 hours.
My ex partner is fine. She is up in Minsk walking around and trying not to spend too much money. She says the operation was very simple and her only complaint is the schedule that they gave her. You get kind of sensitive to black males and con artistry. I hate to say this but my ex partner is notorious for buying her way to a happier life. Her bathroom is full of products in plastic bottles that I don’t even bother to introduce myself to. This operation might have been necessary but it certainly seems to be nothing more than an excuse to get somebody to come up to Minsk where they have nothing to do but spend money one way or another.
That’s the thing about this war you know. Eventually, it just puts millions and millions of people in economic distress. When they are not free to live at their own home, immediately all of their money must be spent on trying to find a place for themselves. More than likely, they will end up in the cities where all life is conducted on a financial level. It cost a lot of money to go to Minsk for these 3 days. I am not completely sure how essential any of it was.
I understand that the holiday season is coming. There are going to be a few presents for a few people but I am not going to stress my finances. If people wish to decide their level of love for me based upon the amount of money I provide from them, I will accept minimum love for minimum payment or zero love for zero payment. Both of those are sustainable and the opposite does not have any love for me, just more stress.
I suppose you could say that this is a life philosophy that I have adopted. Perhaps this is why Jews have been known as cheap throughout history. Perhaps it takes a Jewish person to understand when one is being robbed as opposed to people who believe it’s part of their culture to accept abuse. Perhaps it was the Jews who decided that they didn’t want to be pushed along by a group. I am not an extensive talmud scholar, but I have read thoughts about the inclusion of coercion in a deal. When someone is forced into a situation, they do not enter it with their full heart. Perhaps the the sadists coercing the deal care little about the level of fire their exploites bring to their efforts. But in any case, there’s no Love in the transaction. It’s a mathematical impossibility.
This also might be why the answer to any question of valuation put to any Russian or Belarusian is a 50/50 answer or a stock answer they know to be appreciated by the group. The only thing you will never get is an honest answer. Perhaps the reason for this is that there is never a non coerced moment in their lives.
I suppose I should write a play called coercion. I’ve written plays with different names before. I can see the setup right now. One greedy little man who has spent his entire life without a shred of power suddenly seeing his one big opportunity. But in order to achieve it, he has to become a bully. The only issue really is how much he likes it.
Yeah, power is a corrupting element. I don’t know how much juice one really gets in it. I have some power in this village but only so much as I am given by the locals. I do not demand compliance and I do not hold anyone’s livelihood in the palm of my hands. I don’t think I have the economic power to do that even if I wanted to. I keep things democratic, believe it or not. I beg people for independent thought. I can’t stop them from begging and I can’t stop them from objectifying me how’s the bloody Bank of England. I suppose I received some attention for this but I’ve never asked for this attention and I do not demand it or enjoy it very much.
On the other side, it’s not bad to be able to call someone and have them bring me some groceries or wipe down my floors. It certainly is not bad that they are happy to have these opportunities. Even if it is a 50/50 happiness, I no longer get complaints or ignored very often. They do sometimes remind me of their independence. This is all well documented. But eventually they come back. Truthfully, if they didn’t make me physically ill to be around them, I might actually enjoy this. As it is, I’m just grateful to have the service and a reasonably sustainable situation for everybody. They don’t mind helping me and I don’t mind helping them back. Win win. Democratic. Exactly as it should be.
I guess I’ll be getting back to moving around now. The house is not particularly clean. At least it’s not clean on a Friday level. I have some more things to do. Unfortunately, my leg is still tender from the last couple of days. I’d be happy if I didn’t have to walk around too much. But then again, I don’t really have much choice. This is what I have and this is what life is so I don’t really have anything to do but do what I have to.
***
It’s a quarter to 4:00 and I am in the office which just happens to be even more warm than the warm room. I’m sitting at my desk and it feels like a warm summer day. The reason for this is that I am spending some money on electricity right now. I’m sure the ukrainians are not happy with me at all. I am spending electricity drying what might be one of the last batches of mushrooms I get. Perhaps I’m wrong and there’s more on the way. I certainly have a gigantic amount by my own standards. Certainly enough to get me through this winter.
It turns out that this bloody heater actually works. I’ve never tested it in serious conditions when the weather is below zero. Usually I won’t waste the money. But as long as we have a practical purpose of getting the moisture out of the mushrooms, I guess I don’t mind sitting here. The minute I turn it off and it gets cold, the water will take over and I will lose a few. Better to let this thing run and spend the extra money.
I also got a delivery from a new delivery service for me. It’s called wildberries and I didn’t even know these guys existed. They don’t have the basic staple products that most people consider essential but they do include some of the specialty products that I myself consider important. This includes the ability to buy whole grain flour and lentils at a bulk price. I even ordered some super hot peppers to bolster my dwindling supply. I was fat with those when it was possible to buy from eBay. Those days are long gone along with many things that we used to enjoy when we were imitating a normal country. At least outwardly.
I am also drawing to an end of spending for this season. I don’t know if my ex partner is going to find the enthusiasm to do one more order of trees. We are talking about decoratives for the back side of the property to add some privacy to wear the neighbors took down all of their trees. Trees are not very expensive really. Sometimes they are no more than 10 or $15 and if you think about what you get from them, it’s one of the greatest deals in the world. No, there is nothing but the effort of finding a place for them and trying to situate them so they will be healthy. There’s a lot of care and feeding that goes into it for a while. But in the future, you get something rather beautiful. I don’t know how many years I actually have left on this planet. Truthfully, I can’t really think of anything better than watching some trees grow.
Apparently I have done a good deed for my community. For the simple price of catching a covid cold or whatever it is, Tanya’s home life has improved. I have inspired jealousy in her husband. Of course, you can’t talk reason to alcoholics or drug addicts so I would not take anything that I am saying right now, or for that matter what he is saying right now, as gospel. It seems though that he has started saying kind words to her. He has certainly realized her value and has agreed not to yell at her anymore or call her horrible names.
The pair of them will not really live any kind of true pristine life going forward. They will fall to their normal incompetence within a short period of time. I am not a gambling Man but I would put every cent I have on that. But as of the moment, I have indirectly done a good deed. The man has to be nice to his wife or he might lose her to the American. He would never be able to show his face to the alcoholics again. In fact, he would never even be able to consider himself higher than the other alcoholics ever again. He would immediately drop to the bottom rung, the untouchable level, the level where the cops abuse you for sport.
Was this a good thing? It’s hard for me to say. I also benefited from more than a bit of jealousy. I’m not sure I have enjoyed any of it nor has any of it truly been a benefit for me. But we have had this soap opera. In Russian they call these things Santa Barbaras. Apparently back in the day, Santa Barbara was broadcast here and was quite popular in the last days of television. I guess we would call them soap operas as well.
I put together my bread and seemed to have got it exactly right. I don’t measure but I seem to have found the perfect mixture of wet and dry ingredients. I am absolutely fat right now with whole grain flour. I even have a grocery store level of active dry yeast. I had no idea I was buying so many packets of it. I now have active dry yeast for the rest of my life. I’m only mentioning this because until very, very recently, this was a product that was simply not available. I’ve always used baking soda and vinegar as my rising agent. I don’t really like using caked yeast. I just never use enough of it to justify the amounts that you buy and they almost always go moldy on me.
I also have enough noodles to at least get me through New years if not spring time. My only fear is that the soldiers come over the hill and decide to start stealing everything they can find. Thank God there’s no vodka here or washing machine. I’d hate to get tortured for a lack of electric appliance for them to send back to Russia. It seems that stealing washing machines is part of the business of protecting the new four regions of Russia.
I don’t think I need to say any more bad things about the Russians. They can spew propaganda all they want but I’m not sure anybody really believes it anymore. Probably as quiet as it was for myself yesterday has a lot to do with that. People consider themselves stupid if they are still listening to the television as if it’s gospel. The war has been so embarrassing, people are actually thinking good thoughts for a change.
Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking. I like to think I’m doing something good for the world. I like to think that perhaps the work I do has some merit. I like to think I’m being at least somewhat helpful. And in cases where I do get selfish, and I do, I at least try not to do damage that can’t be undone or that will last. I know that people don’t really think this way. I wish they would but they don’t. I mean, there are people who are thoughtful and have ethics and believe in things and try to get life correct. I just don’t seem to run into too many of these people on a daily basis. I know they are out there but it always feels a bit lonely.
I am at the end of page 42. I don’t know what to say to put a bow on this week. It has been interesting and there have been things that have been unavailable for a while. I would basically say it has been a good week. And I only have two to go. The American elections are coming up very soon. We might find out if they are going to use nukes very soon. And my writing year is coming to an end as well. All good things must come to an end. More Sunday.
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