.
.
Egypt is amassing forces in the Israel direction, much to Bibi's chagrin.
The forces are being put in high alert readiness for ?? The news is sketchy.
Jordon and Egypt are calling for an emergency summit to discuss recent
developments in Palestine.

RFK,Jr. was confirmed as HHS Secretary.
Maybe we can expect our food to be safer. Maybe we can get more research on why one out of every 27 children born in the country is autistic.
Hopefully?
Thanks for the OT. Hedges is always a good read or good watch.

is an apt description of how the two parties function. Looking back in recent history one can see the two are the left and right arm of the same pugilist.
Our battle is to dodge the blows and look for an opening for a knockout strike to the head.
But we need to find the head.
Windblown snow starting to stick and it's 28°.
Thanks for hosting.

people out and about, as will Saturday and Sunday and then things will quiet down again. Meanwhile, it's mucho rain and NWS flood warnings that include our area and surrounding ares. If we stay home, we will be above all that but my wife has to go down into the flats for a medical appointment today, I have to go down there tomorrow for my infusion, and afterwards we will meet or go together on the margins thereof for dinner.

Sociological observation: We are in an unincorporated town, with several near by in and among moderately small cities and a couple of big ones. My immediate neighborhood and, to some extent, a larger zone around it, has many two car families, the family sedan, often hybrid or electric, and a pick-up truck, usually not. Today, and for the next few days, the pick-ups come out. My wife, for example, announced early today that "i'm going to take the truck today". The sedans, usually the vehicle of choice because of mileage and parkability, will sit idle as, no matter what the task or errand or the family member involved, the pick-ups hit the road and the hell with the mileage issues. Moar ground clearance and puddle tolerance, moar visible, greater field of view because higher up, etc. etc. Kind of funny.

be well and have a good one

Maria Zakharova:

„The Italian Foreign Minister, reacting to the phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, expressed the opinion that Europe should not play a “secondary role” in negotiations on Ukraine.

There is no emoji to convey the… pic.twitter.com/zrxQRbdA23

— Zlatti71 (@Zlatti_71) February 13, 2025

The rest of the tweet:

There is no emoji to convey the full range of emotions, so I’ll have to use words.

Let me remind you that it was precisely the leaders of EU countries—German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande—who not long ago openly admitted that they never actually intended to implement the Minsk agreements, despite previously assuring the world otherwise. Their official position now is that the Minsk agreements were merely an attempt to rearm Kyiv and “buy it time.”

In other words, they pretended to be working in good faith on the Ukrainian issue while actually engaging in a harmful charade.

The problem is not just that they lied—everyone is used to that by now. The real issue is that they betrayed Europe’s interests, and this betrayal is one of the causes of the current tragedy.

The Minsk agreements became part of international law through their approval by the UN Security Council. This means they were legally binding.

Both Hollande and Merkel, as well as Italy’s leadership, knew this perfectly well then and understand it today. By violating international law—something they now openly admit—EU leaders became key accomplices in the catastrophe that unfolded in Ukraine. As a direct result of their actions, Europe now faces an armed conflict on its own continent. Had the Minsk agreements been implemented, Ukraine would have been saved, and at the same time, the current dire situation of EU citizens—whose well-being has significantly declined due to their leaders’ misguided, and at times outright criminal, decisions—would have been alleviated.

Looking even deeper, this was not only a personal betrayal by these leaders but also a reflection of the complete loss of independence in conducting a “sovereign” foreign policy. The European Union, as an integration bloc, and nearly all of its member states have become an extension of NATO, obediently following Washington’s directives. In this regard, the situation surrounding the sabotage and “investigations” of the Nord Streams is more than revealing.

Further confirming this is the vague comment from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about whether Putin’s phone call with Trump constitutes a “betrayal of Ukraine” by the West or not. Both the question and the answer are meaningless.

Let me repeat: The West betrayed Ukraine when it obstructed its democratic transition and independence, interfered in its internal affairs, pitted Ukrainians against Russians, incited Slavs against Slavs, then initiated an unconstitutional coup, lied about implementing the Minsk agreements, and ultimately provoked a bloodbath in the region.“