#turkey-eu relations

[timesofocean]

NATO aims to make progress on Finland, Sweden's membership bids

New Post has been published on https://www.timesofocean.com/nato-aims-to-make-progress-on-finland-swedens-membership-bids/

NATO aims to make progress on Finland, Sweden's membership bids

Brussels (The Times Groupe)- NATO’s chief on Monday said he hoped to “make progress” on Finland and Sweden’s membership bids.

“We also aim to make progress on Finland and Sweden’s historic applications for NATO membership, while ensuring the security concerns of all allies are addressed. I spoke with (Turkish) President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan on Saturday, and I will meet with the (Swedish) Prime Minister (Magdalena) Andersson later today,” Jens Stoltenberg told a pre-summit press conference in Brussels.

Stoltenberg said NATO should “take into account the concerns expressed by allies, such as Turkey in this case. And that’s why we have intensified the dialogue with our ally, Finland, Sweden over the last weeks.”

The NATO secretary-general announced that Finnish and Swedish leaders will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Madrid on Tuesday. A meeting of senior officials from all three countries will precede the four-way meeting at NATO headquarters on Monday, which will also include Stoltenberg.

“Our NATO summit in Madrid will be transformative with many important decisions, including on the new strategic concept for a new security reality,” he said.

According to Stoltenberg, NATO will “transform the NATO Response Force and increase the number of our high-readiness forces to more than 300,000.”

NATO leaders will meet in Madrid to discuss the largest military deployment since the end of the Cold War.

Talks will focus on NATO’s response to the war in Ukraine, as well as Finnish and Swedish petitions to join the 30-member alliance.

In response to Russia’s war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO last month.

The Turkish government, a long-time member of the alliance, has expressed concerns about the membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting terrorist groups.

During its 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU – has killed over 40,000 people.

[niveditaabaidya]

Hungary And Sweden Relations Must Improve. #sweden #hungary #nato #qatar...

[oodlenoodleroodle]

Azerbaijan has blocked all the roads to Nagorno-Karabakh for over 7 months now. People are starving, not receiving the medical help they need, there's no fuel... It is a "silent genocide."

The article above doesn't explain why other countries aren't doing anything, but my local paper where I saw this news did, and it is a combination of the following things:

– Azerbaijan is allied with Turkey, which "Western" countries are trying not to annoy at the moment, because of the situation at the Black Sea being a bit delicate rn.

– Azerbaijan also has a lot of natural resources related to energy, which the EU is horny for.

– BP has also invested massively in Azerbaijan energy stuff, so Britain is also not gonna do anything to endanger all that money.

– Russia is busy with its war in Ukraine, so it is not doing its part in keeping the road open as agreed in the cease fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

[sgiandubh]

Keepers of the Quaich

This time, we're going to look at things a bit differently and this could very well be my most speculative post ever. So be it: it is a risk I am taking and warning you about from the get go.

The only thing Mordor understood about the next October 4 event organized by the US Chapter of The Keepers of the Quaich is something that probably gave them collective relief: S is not going to be with C on her birthday. Not together. Not on the same continent. Shut up, shippers, you are stupid.

As usually, Mordor takes things at a very primitive face value, without bothering for context. But they always focused on the lewd side of the story, not on its deep ramifications, of which there are many. Anything that denies S's halfwit manwhore image upsets them greatly.

The Scottish society of The Keepers of the Quaich is not one of those old, steeped in tradition clubs, but it is damn selective. It only dates back to 1988, which is almost five minutes ago, for Europe (and especially the UK) and is deeply rooted in Highlands' lore, celebrating excellence in whisky trade and promotion worldwide. General facts about it have already been discussed elsewhere, but with a bias and little to no context. Also, really LOL at Mordor's idiocy to think that was a fan promotion event and go ballistic for the members-only and by invitation access to it.

Membership is by co-opting and with a five-year proven performance history only (ten years, if you step up to Master level). You need not one, but two recommendations, which makes it harder to join than a Masonic lodge or the Rotary Club (and I know what I am saying, heh). That S could actively seek to be inducted, rather sooner than later, is pretty much clear, as he could use the network it readily provides, along with the prestige:

(Sourced at: https://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/341/people/keepers-of-the-quaich)

I first had a look at the list of its International Chapters and it is interesting to notice Muslim countries as Turkey or the Emirates each having their own chapter, which clearly tells me it's all about luxury and more specifically, luxury hospitality business, in that case. If inducted after the customary five years' wait, S could also make good use of the German chapter's (a market that proved to be very problematic for him) network, along with the Nordics and Netherlands, if he would think about cleverly expanding his trade in the EU. Last but not least, I would keep an eye on Brazil and India (along with the more predictable South Africa and Australia), because he already has a solid fanbase in the first one and well, Asia is always interesting, when it comes to alcohol business.

I did not really bother with the list of the Patrons, which spells a good and prestigious sliver of Debrett's Peerage's Scottish section. But I also looked at the list of the Management Committee, who does all the hands-on dealings and is directly responsible for the induction ceremony of new members. Aside from representatives of Diageo and Pernod Ricard (giants of the alcohol business world), a familiar name popped right at the bottom of the page:

Annabel Meikle, Director of The Keepers of the Quaich and as such, directly involved in the management of its activities (and probably also in all the underground shenanigans leading to the induction of new members, too). A great contact to have in your rolodex, judging by her public CV on LinkedIn:

Glenmorangie (also a member of the Keepers) - keep that reference under your sleeve, we are going to need it soon :).

Could she be related to...

I am leaving this without an answer, because I don't know and I will always refuse to go data mining for anything, but that sure as hell is not a common surname, as Smith or Martin!

At any rate, Mrs. Meikle is also (along with the Duke of Argyll, the current Keepers Grand Master) a member of The Scottish Committee of something very, very prestigious: The Worshipful Company of Distillers (https://www.distillers.org.uk/), based in London and founded in 1638, by Royal Charter (for “Body Politique and corporate” to govern the “Trade Arte and Mystery of Distillers of London” - how I love history, people!) granted by Charles I, a Stuart (of course). I am speculating and having visions of Livery status and Freedom of the City, followed by Knighthood for S (no bong needed, this particular narrative writes itself and believe it or not, it's not entirely without logic). And it is my strict constitutional right to be a poetic coo about it - that guy is smarter than we thought and I would curate that contact to death if I were him (but I am not, I am just a benevolent and intrigued observer, as you all know). Back to Earth from these optimistic conjectures, I will keep a tab on it, as I dutifully took note that one of their current interests is tequila:

Onwards to the US. We can have a fair idea of October 4th event just by looking at one of their few press releases on the occasion of the Chapter's launch gala, on September 25 2019, in New York (https://www.distilledspirits.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/KOTQUSA-Release-10.04.19.pdf - with quotes selected by me):

Moët Hennessy. Another reference to keep under our sleeve, for it will be soon very relevant. So yes, what has been speculated by Miss Marple is partially true: more business than aristocratic. But this is only if we do not consider as American aristocratic the venue of the next event. The Metropolitan Club is a very East Coast, WASP old money and (well, technically yes) Republican (but not MAGA Republican and this, to me, is very important for some reason) organization:

That was the state of play on Friday, folks, and I was already excited to share my optimistic findings with you. And then, C went to Paris and more dots started to speculatively connect. Bare with me for this long passegiata, I think it's worth it.

It was particularly important that C would be seen in a very friendly-casual pose with Delphine Arnault, out of all the other people attending that event. Not because Arnault is currently the big boss of Dior and Loewe (as I already explained here: https://www.tumblr.com/sgiandubh/729801825900953600/city-of-lights?source=share). And not only because C suddenly seems very interested to renew and expand her fashion days' old network. But also, because, as I already said, Delphine Arnault is also the daughter of her father and in France, business and family are always closely entwined. Always.

The French luxury market is roughly split between two behemoth players: Bernard Arnault (LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton S.A) and Antoine Pinault (Kering, ex- Pinault-Printemps- Redoute). These people and their businesses are number 1 and 2, respectively, on the global market. And out of these two, the only one very interested in the alcohol business is Arnault (Pinault does not deal in this sector).

So I took a look at his very diverse alcohol and spirits brand portfolio (25 references - https://www.lvmh.com/houses/wines-spirits/): rhum, brandy, champagne, tequila, wines (Argentina and even China). Two Scottish whisky brands: first Ardberg (the graceful peat from Islay). And - oh, hello, Mrs. Meikle - Glenmorangie, acquired by Arnault in 2004, after a bitter battle with Pernod Ricard (https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/21/business/world-business-briefing-europe-france-scotch-maker-acquired.html):

Back at Mrs. Meikle's CV - hers was a pivotal role in the post-acquisition reshuffle, as part of LVMH:

Coincidence? I think not.

And then also a bourbon reference. Woodinville (based in the state of Washington, USA) with a pitch that made me grin again like the Cheshire Cat:

Sounds familiar? Rings a bell? See a pattern? You should: no, it's not S in disguise, but it could be SS in a couple of years, if S decided to sell it for a hefty profit.

But I was also interested in what is missing from this catalogue.

NO GIN.

Who knows? Maybe these French people could be enticed? In that case (and remember: I am SPECULATING), it would have to be a brand with a proven track record. You see, Arnault is famous for always buying only brands with a proven history and proven recognition (Tasting Alliance, anyone? LOL). Up until now and as is, FMN is just a pet project and a virtual endeavor. Nothing more and we shall see. But that little wild Scottish gin which could win hearts and already an award in Frisco is something completely different.

Now, then. You connect the dots. You draw your own conclusions. I see something very intriguing here and, as I already told you, the business underground situation is completely different from the bland façade.

You see, this is not about papers or checking a pulse or awkwardly grabbing a fist on some stairs. This is show me the money time. This is all about finding unexpected connections, at a very high level and on a very narrow niche.

So you think S and C can't stand each other anymore?

Humbug. They have each other's back from Day 1. And more. Ship on, ladies. Whatever clownery these days might bring, I know what I know. And by now, you should start asking yourselves the real questions, not if Waldo is with Carmen Sandiego (we KNOW), nor if they were online at the same time or not. I mean, that's cute: but to be honest, I think we're past that... uh... waypoint?

Next on my list is that Lallybroch trademark thing. This is the most complex one and I will take my time. I may speculate, but never without a logical base. And I always take these things very seriously.

Keepers of the Quaich, indeed. :)

[girlactionfigure]

🔅Mon morning - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day - in Israel today.

🔻ROCKET BARRAGE - from Hezbollah - at the GOLAN: Kidmat Zvi x2, Neot Mordechai, Kidmat Zvi, Katzrin - Industrial Zone, Katzrin

(What’s a ‘barrage’?  10 or more.)

🟡 NO DEAL..  Senior Hamas official, Musa Abu Marzouk: "The leaders of the occupation have already admitted defeat to Hamas and only Netanyahu is still insisting. The positions of the American government are related to the interests of elections and therefore the government makes contradictory statements.

Our demands are to stop the war, withdraw the occupation, restore the Gaza Strip, lift the blockade and release prisoners.  The other groups insist that there be a permanent ceasefire.  As far as we are concerned, the American guarantees cannot be trusted . We aim to add Russia, Turkey and China as guarantors."

.. Defense Minister Gallant told American Defense Minister Austin last night: “Hamas' refusal of the deal and the killing of the soldiers left no choice and the meaning is the beginning of the Israeli operation in Rafah.”

.. The head of the CIA, Bill Burns, is expected to arrive in Israel today for talks on the hostage deal.

🟢 RAFAH PREP.. The IDF is expanding the humanitarian zone in Mawasi. The expanded humanitarian zone includes field hospitals, tents and increased quantities of food, water, medicine and other supplies.  The IDF is calling on residents in the eastern neighborhoods of Rafah to temporarily evacuate to the expanded humanitarian zone through announcements, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic.

.. Targeted airstrikes on Rafah overnight.

.. Israeli security officials informed Egypt early this morning of the beginning of the expected evacuation of civilians from Rafah, a few hours before the evacuation began.

❌ Details of the Kerem Shalom attack.. 14 rockets were fired from Rafih at IDF posts and assembly points in the Kerem Shalom area.  Two hit in Camp Amitai, near Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, on a squad that was guarding equipment.  The IDF is investigating: why no interceptions, they were aware of this possibility as it is within visual range of Gaza (meaning Hamas could see it), so the troops were minimized and defensive positions set up - how was there such a large hit?

♦️TULKARM (Samaria - Arab city on the Green Line).. IDF forces launched a wide operation. Forces raided the city and engineering teams began detonating charges buried under the roads via combat bulldozers.

▪️EU COMMANDER SAYS (Red Sea).. "The danger arising from attacks from Yemen has become more acute than ever. The Yemenis managed to overcome the air defense of the EU ships using swarms of drones, and hit a merchant ship that was under the protection of the mission ships.”

[ritchiepage2001newaccount]

Kakistocracy #CorpMedia #Idiocracy #Oligarchs #MegaBanks vs #Union #Occupy #NoDAPL #BLM #SDF #DACA #MeToo #Humanity #DemExit #FeelTheBern

JinJiyanAzadi #BijiRojava SDF’S ARAB MAJORITY RANK TURKEY AS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO NE SYRIA. [UPDATES]

Of all the actors in the Syrian conflict, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are perhaps the most misunderstood party. Five years after the United States decided to partner with the SDF, gaping holes remain in our knowledge about the women and men who defeated the Islamic State (IS)…

RELATED UPDATE: US researcher Amy Austin Holmes visits North and East Syria: “It requires international pressure to prevent Turkey from continuing its crimes”

https://syriacpress.com/blog/2021/10/08/us-researcher-amy-austin-holmes-visits-north-and-east-syria-it-requires-international-pressure-to-prevent-turkey-from-continuing-its-crimes/

RELATED UPDATE: “We will defeat the Turkish occupation with our will”

RELATED UPDATE: YPG: The Kobanê resistance makes us more determined to defend the Rojava revolution

RELATED UPDATE: With All Eyes on Palestine, Don’t Forget Rojava

RELATED UPDATE: Iranian journalist jailed for investigating death of Kurdish teen

RELATED UPDATE: Protests across Europe denounce the Paris massacre

RELATED UPDATE: Iranian authorities stop Jina Amini's lawyer, seize EU Parliament Sakharov Prize

RELATED UPDATE: KCK: The guerrilla proved its superiority over the occupying Turkish army

FURTHER READING:

[zvaigzdelasas]

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly is expected to attend the opening of a Canadian embassy in Yerevan in September. Canada is also set to become the first third-party state to join the EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA), under which unarmed observers monitor conditions along Armenia’s side of the frontier with Azerbaijan. The mission strives to “contribute to human security in conflict-affected areas in Armenia,” as well as foster better Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. Canada’s observers will be drawn from the ranks of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a source with direct knowledge of the arrangement told Eurasianet. [...]

Canada’s interest in South Caucasus security appears connected to an ongoing diplomatic tussle with Turkey. Canadian officials announced their decision to join the EU monitoring mission just days after NATO’s annual summit in Lithuania, where Ottawa reportedly reopened talks with Turkey about the export of Canadian defense technology. Canada canceled military export permits to Turkey in 2021, after receiving “credible evidence” that Turkey transferred Canadian-made technology to Azerbaijan that was then used to great effect in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. “This use was not consistent with Canadian foreign policy, nor end-use assurances given by Turkey,” said former Canadian foreign minister Marc Garneau.  In exchange for supporting Sweden’s NATO bid, Turkey is demanding that its NATO allies, Canada included, drop embargoes on defense technology. A Reuters report cited an unnamed Turkish official as saying it was unacceptable for NATO allies to impose export restrictions on each other. [...] The main reason for Canada’s increased engagement with Armenia, Kilford says, is to exert a greater degree of influence over future developments, including the possible normalization of relations between Armenia and its Turkic neighbors. 

24 Aug 23

[mariacallous]

The government of Bosnia’s Serb-dominated entity, Republika Srpska, has withdrawn a Law on the Special Registry and Publicity of the Work of Non-Profit Organisations from a vote in parliament without much explanation. 

The National Assembly was supposed to vote on the much-criticised law on Tuesday, but Milos Bukejlovic, the Minister of Justice, told deputies near the end of the session that they were withdrawing the law from the agenda, without explaining why there will be no vote.

Shortly after, the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, stated on X that after “several days of consultations with the government and deputies”, they had decided to withdraw the law due to objections related to European standards.

“Since Republika Srpska is committed to the European path, we agreed to withdraw this law and further harmonise it with the laws that some European countries have and apply, in order to align it with European legal practice,” Dodik stated, adding that the law will be reintroduced in the near future. 

The so-called “foreign agents law” would restrict non-profit organisations from engaging in “political activities”, mandate their enrolment in a special registry and subject them to increased legal oversight.

In practice, they would have to submit regular financial reports detailing how much money they receive and from whom. With the law, the government could declare them “agents of foreign influence”.

The Venice Commission, the Council of Europe’s constitutional law experts, and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, ODIHR, warned in June last year that the law “contains serious deficiencies”. They urged the authorities to “reconsider its adoption entirely”.

Turkey plans to implement a similar law, threatening prison for those who make propaganda for a foreign actor. Experts have warned it would be a major blow to media freedom, free speech and civil society.

Elsewhere, MPs in Georgia have voted to override a presidential veto on a similar “Transparency of Foreign Influence” law, despite weeks of mass protests and sharp criticism from the EU and US.

[sevaghves]

I see some misunderstanding among Armenians about the capabilities our state, the Republic of Armenia, has had in the last two decades.

The corruption of the previous governments left the army in a really bad shape. Their incompetence and subjugation to Russia lowered our position in the Karabakh negotiations to 0. Same about relationship with the West. US and EU were very favorable to Armenia in late 1990s but grew to mistrust us due to Sargsyan and Kocharyan's loyalty to Putin.

Russia has been arming Azeris more heavily than us for over a decade. It is no secret that Putin's plan is to recreate the Russian empire and the only reason Putin isn't touching Azerbaijan is that it already belongs to Turkey.

In these circumstances, we entered the 2020 war without the things we needed the most: a well-armed and trained army, and good relations with world powers.

Nikol Pashinyan's government was well aware of Russia's intentions and pledged to maintain the same foreign policy as the previous governments to prevent bloodshed in Artsakh. It didn't work because Putin already knew how weak our country was. Why negotiate with someone you can easily outpower? The West didn't react to Pashinyan's signals, because they had a bad experience in Georgia and didn't want to interfere if things went south again in the South Caucasus.

After the 2020 disaster, Pashinyan's government faced the same external threats, but with even less resources. In the negotiations, every independent move that protected Armenia's sovereignty was punished by Russia through Azeri attacks on our borders.

The war in Ukraine changed a lot. The West grew very concerned with territorial integrity of states. Azerbaijan couldn't make more land grabs without consequences. Artsakh thus remained the only leverage Russia had on Armenia, which gave Armenians hope that the ethnic cleansing of 2020 would not resume as it would mean the end of legal Russian presence in this region.

For the West, it is far more convenient to work with Armenia without Artsakh. Russia's apparent betrayal is also in the West's favor.

Could Pashinyan's government have done more?

The problem isn't that they aren't making reforms and correcting the foreign policy. The problem is that they are too slow and they lack political foresight to be proactive. Unable to fight for Artsakh now, they seem to have chosen to let the ethnic cleansing happen to justify severing ties with Russia and turning towards the West.

This government chose to fight in 2020 when they had no chance of winning. They chose not to repeat that in 2023. Only the lack of a coherent and competent political force that could compete with this government in the elections has kept Pashinyan in power. Everyone else is just worse than his team.

But we as citizens must admit our own share of blame. We underestimated the danger. We didn't prepare for war. We put all responsibility on the government we knew wasn't effective enough.

This is our chance to unite and reunite as a nation. Train and prepare for conflicts. Be better educated about foreign affairs. Demand higher standard from politicians. Stop criticizing each other for having a different opinion. Work together to become stronger and produce a better political elite.

[beardedmrbean]

The Balkan country of Bosnia and Herzegovina is to begin EU membership negotiations, eight years after it formally applied to join the bloc.

The European Commission - the EU's executive arm - last week recommended that talks should begin.

EU leaders have now given the plan their approval.

European Council president Charles Michel congratulated the country's leaders, telling them: "Your place is in our European family."

He posted a photo of him shaking hands with Borjana Krišto, Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Today's decision is a key step forward on your EU path. Now the hard work needs to continue so Bosnia and Herzegovina steadily advances, as your people want."

Shortly afterward, Ms Krišto expressed her thanks, saying: "Mutual determination and effort have resulted in achieving the necessary level of compliance with the requirements and criteria."

Germany's chancellor, Olaf Scholz, described the thumbs-up for Bosnia as a "good message" for the entire region.

Croatia's prime minister Andrej Plenković said it was "a historic day for our neighbouring and friendly Bosnia and Herzegovina!"

EU to open membership talks with Ukraine

Is Europe doing enough to help Ukraine?

Bosnia has been waiting a long time to receive the green light for talks.

In 2003, the EU produced the Thessaloniki Declaration, saying they wanted Western Balkan countries to join them. Since then, only Croatia has completed the complex accession process.

After applying for membership in 2016, Bosnia was granted candidate status in October 2022.

Over the past year, it has been passing laws relating to priorities set out by the Commission that focus on democracy and the functioning of the state, the rule of law, fundamental rights and reform of public administration.

Some of these laws include clamping down on money laundering, conflicts of interest, and even approving negotiations on an agreement with EU border agency Frontex.

Bosnia is still ethnically and politically divided, even decades after the 1992-95 war that tore the country apart, leaving more than 100,000 people dead and millions displaced.

It could be many more years until the country formally joins the EU, as they would be required to implement more economic and democratic reforms.

Albania, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine have all applied to join the bloc and are at various stages of the application process.

The war in Ukraine has sharpened the EU's awareness that it needs to show commitment to the Western Balkans.

[torrilin]

Thanksgiving for two

This is something we do most years. I don’t mind a big spread if I’m cooking with my sister. But doing a “proper” family thanksgiving is exhausting.

For years the default was my usual roast chicken. Sorry, I don’t have a proper recipe for it. Basically, take vegetables that roast well, use them as a roasting rack for a chicken. Start it breast side down, flip when it’s almost done to crisp up the breast skin. You can go as low as 100C for the early phase on up to 450F. The crispy skin stage, turn the oven hot as it gets, and watch it like a hawk. I vary the seasoning a lot depending on the exact kind of thing we’re in the mood for, so it can be curried or lemony or orange glazed or 40 cloves of garlic style or clove heavy or or or.

Last year we got fancy. www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/recipes/roast-turkey-with-lemon-parsley-and-garlic/

This is a touch fancier than my usual, but not a huge challenge. The trickiest bit is the bacon, which can burn. Feel free to skip it and cook the bird breast down instead. Yes, it’s a turkey. It’s very easy to scale a full turkey recipe down to chicken size, especially if the chicken is a 5-7lb American one. If you have the standard EU 1.25kg little chicken, it’s maybe a touch trickier. Maybe cut the onions smaller before you stuff them in the cavity, and go with a bay leaf per breast vs the 3 for a turkey. The herb butter go with one to two sticks of butter rather than the around 3 of the recipe.

Mashed potatoes don’t need a recipe. It’s a popular side dish because it’s so hard to mess them up.

www.europeancuisines.com/Germany-German-Gefluegelragout-Roast-Chicken-Stew-Main-Dish-Entree

@dduane and @petermorwood list this as stew. It also works perfectly well as a gravy. I never made it in the US, and in the US I won’t touch beef bouillon with a barge pole. But it should work fine with chicken bouillon there since the main trick is you’re doing a brown roux. With onion. My vibe is the intended brownness of the roux is fairly golden brown. If you’re of the first you make a roux school of cooking, it can take a pretty dark roux though. For maximum dark, do browned onions separately because dark caramelized onions are kinda incompatible with a dark brown roux. If you just want lightly browned, do them together.

[deathlessathanasia]

“One of the most important areas of research in Aegean prehistory is the translation of Linear A, the writing system used by the Minoans before the Mycenaean conquest. It would appear that certain elements of a pre-Greek language have made their way into Greek, usually names ending in -nthos, -ssos, or -eus such as Knossos, Corinth(os), basileus, and Odysseus. The language that provided such words, then, should be the language (or at least a related group of languages) that was recorded in Linear A. To this date, not only can we not read the language, we do not even know to what language family, if any, it belongs. For a while, some believed that Linear A was a Semitic language, thus related to Arabic and Hebrew. Although there may have been some loan words, especially for imported items (think of the word karate being used in English now), no aspect of what is known of the language seems to conform to the linguistics of Semitic languages. For example, the consonant cluster beginning place-names such as Knossos would not be likely to exist in a Semitic language. Others have suggested, and some now do still maintain, that the language is Indo-European, possibly related to the Luwian dialects spoken in nearby Turkey. Yet others think the language may be the elusive Pelasgian, the pre-Greek dialect occasionally referred to in the writings of the ancient Greeks themselves. As the language certainly appears to be pre-Greek, such a hypothesis is not unfounded. But it provides no actual help either, as the “Pelasgians” are even less well understood in Greek history than the Minoans themselves. Finally, there are those who see the Linear A language as simply Minoan, not related to any other languages, much as modern Basque. Ultimately, the problem is that there is so little Linear A to work with. Ventris, Chadwick, and their colleagues had copious supplies of Linear B tablets with which to decode the language, many several lines long. What remains of Linear A is quite paltry, usually just a few signs on a pot or column. Add to this the fact that we really have no certain way of knowing if the phonetics discerned for Linear B are the same as those for Linear A. Thus, we cannot tell if we are even sounding the short words correctly (although see Godart 1984, 121–128, for more on this issue). . . .

Another problem now being reconsidered is the nature of Minoan religion (which would probably be helped a lot by the translation of Linear A). Sir Arthur Evans, who first brought Knossos, and thus the Minoans, to light, was heavily influenced by a school of thought known as the Cambridge School, best expressed in the work The Golden Bough by Sir James Frazer. Much of this school claimed that ancient, “primitive” religions functioned around the need for fertility. Thus, ancient myths, ancient rites, and even ancient gods were all understood as aspects of some massive fertility cult. The center point of such religions, as the ancients understood it, was an Earth Mother/fertility goddess, who usually had a son-consort vegetation god who died and was reborn annually. Even to this day, Stone Age figurines such as the Venus of Willendorf are understood as “fertility idols.” So influenced, Evans, and other scholars after him, seeing the prominence of females in Minoan iconography, have suggested that the Minoans had a fertility cult surrounding the Great Minoan Mother Goddess. This symbolism was believed to explain such “awkward” images as the prominently displayed breasts of the Middle Minoan Snake Goddesses—lactation imagery, according to the Cambridge School.

In recent years, though, scholars such as Christine Morris and Lucy Goodison have challenged such notions, most accessibly in their 1998 publication Ancient Goddesses (Goodison and Morris 1998). Here, they consider such facts as the utter lack of any pregnant goddess imagery in the Minoan repertoire, the fact that none of these “mother goddesses” are ever shown with children, and the fact that the various items decorating the different goddess images— snakes, birds, labrydes—suggest that we are dealing with several goddesses, not just one major one. In point of fact, monotheism was almost unheard of in the ancient world until the rise of Akhnaten of Egypt in the fourteenth century. Furthermore, the evidence from the Linear B tablets shows that there were several goddesses and gods in the Minoan repertoire (names appear in the tablets that are non-Greek and that are associated predominantly with Crete, having few to no cults on the mainland). Thus, deities such as Pade, Pipituna, and Qerasija appear from the records in Knossos, indicating Cretan but not Greek deities (Hiller 1997, 211). Some of the male deities, such as Enyalios and Paiawon, were apparently later absorbed by Greek gods—they became Ares Enyalios and Apollo Paean. Even the Minoan iconography shows male deities worshipped in sanctuaries, most notably the Palaikastro Kouros discussed in chapter 8. The notion of a single Mother Goddess and her Dying God consort must now be seriously reconsidered and replaced in the literature.”

 - The Ancient Greeks: New Perspectives, by Stephanie Lynn Budin

[dougielombax]

Yes. This. Unironically.

I can think of a few more fuckers of whom I’d say the same.

Not just him.

[myrddin-wylt]

Now that my phone is done being Rush Limbaugh, the news

It's not going great in Iran, guys. the last few weeks have seen hundreds of cases of poisoning against schoolgirls, protesters are still being executed, journalists being arrested... the government is really cracking down and I'm getting increasingly nervous.

"Unrest in the occupied West Bank" I mean that sure is one way to put it.

I'd like to join the entire country of Argentina in giving Lionel Messi a kiss on the mouth. Good for you, Messi, good for you! I eagerly await for the day the Argentinian government announces their plan to build a gold statue of Messi that will rival Rio's Christ the Redeemer.

Massive protests in Mexico over the recent electoral reform. please please please PLEASE let these protests be successful. Cmon Mexico! I am manifesting this for you!

Watching Brazil's government do everything it can to not have to submit an extradition request to the US for Bolsonaro lol. just bending over backwards to avoid it. reminder that the US can't arrest him until given legal cause because he hasn't broken any US law; the Brazilian government also has to have clear legal grounds in their extradition request proving that Bolsonaro broke domestic law. I wonder if the legal grounds are shaky or if they think the US will leverage the issue into making them play nice over Ukraine. Meanwhile Bolsonaro has submitted a 6-month tourist visa request, which means the battle of wills has begun.

so Xi is planning a trip to Moscow, the US thinks he may be planning to offer lethal aid, the CCP has announced they want to mediate between Russia and Ukraine and have a 12 step peace plan in the works, and now they're hosting Lukashenko. Real subtle, guys. are they really that angry about the balloon? or is this over the Philippines? ... or the possibility that the US might formally say that covid was a lab leak? they've been real busy lately so it's kinda hard to tell.

so Canada and now the EU are starting to ban TikTok from government devices due to espionage fears. I feel like we could have done this earlier but okay. I feel like 'no TikTok on work-related equipment' should go without saying...

Don't donate to the Turkish Red Crescent. You don't wanna know.

Speaking of Turkey, the Turkish government has started arresting people in connection to the earthquake... including journalists. this comes not too long after reports that Erdogan intentionally did not enforce building regulations and in general fucked up the rescue response. subtle.

Bakhmut is getting hit hard and it seems the Russians have taken a northern district. It's still slow going as far as I can tell. apparently the Ukrainians are reinforcing the city as best they can, and the Russians still haven't quite encircled the city. I'll be surprised if they manage it. Happy mud season to em.

There was some sort of failed drone attack near Moscow....? Not sure what that is. my assumption is that it's from Ukraine or a group within Ukraine's government/military that may not have gotten the go-ahead from either the top AFU or the US since that's apparently what happened to Dugina. It's not like Ukraine to miss when they have US intelligence on their targets.

Anyway that's all for now folks. Come back later when I have more time.

[semsmit]

About the Achievements of Uzbekistan's Economy: Anvar Mullabekov's Perspective

Anvar Mullabekov is a businessman from Tashkent whose professional activities are closely related to the aviation industry. He is well-known in his professional field both in his homeland and beyond.

Recently, the second Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF-2023) concluded, confirming the growing interest of the global business community in Uzbekistan's investment development.

Anvar Mullabekov closely follows such significant economic and financial events in Uzbekistan. His education and experience in Innovation Management and Financial Management, as well as his training at Stanford University and in London, enable him to deeply understand the importance and impact of such events on the country's economy and the region. Anvar Mullabekov's specialization in aviation leasing, financing, insurance, and aviation risk management makes him interested in events that can stimulate growth and innovation in these industries. Anvar Mullabekov actively participates in projects not only in Central Asia but also in European countries, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. This means that he is directly involved in international investments and business projects. The successful conduct of major economic forums like TIIF-2023 can contribute to attracting investments and expanding business connections, which, in turn, will have a positive impact on his own projects and interests.

TIIF-2023 gathered around 2,500 representatives from the business and financial sectors from 70 countries, including the USA, EU, UK, Turkey, China, India, Egypt, CIS countries, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. This is a significant growth compared to the first similar forum in 2022, which was attended by more than two thousand guests from 56 countries.

While last year saw the signing of 105 documents totaling $7.8 billion, TIIF-2023 resulted in 164 agreements and contracts worth $11 billion. These figures clearly demonstrate the expanding interest of foreign investors in cooperation with Uzbekistan.

Anvar Mullabekov believes that the success of TIIF-2023 is due to Uzbekistan confidently gaining momentum in its economic growth during the post-pandemic period amid the turbulence of the global economy. The country's gross domestic product increased by 5.5 percent in the first quarter of 2023. The favorable investment climate of Uzbekistan has also undergone significant improvements.

During TIIF-2023, it was noted that after the 2022 forum, systemic reforms aimed at further liberalizing the economy were accelerated.

In the field of taxation, the value-added tax rate was reduced from 20 percent to 12 percent. Dividend income received by foreign investors from shares is exempt from income tax for a period of three years, and the corporate income tax rate for them is also reduced from 20 percent to 12 percent.

Anvar Mullabekov is confident that such measures stimulate the inflow of foreign investments and contribute to the development of local entrepreneurship. Uzbekistan is actively developing its infrastructure, establishing industrial parks and technopolises, which creates new opportunities for investors and enables job creation for the population.

Additionally, Uzbekistan collaborates with international financial institutions and implements large-scale infrastructure projects, which also serves as an additional incentive for foreign investors.

Diversification of industrial production and innovative activities is an important direction for the country's economic development. Uzbekistan seeks to create conditions for the growth of high-tech industries, making the country attractive to technology companies and research centers.

Anvar Mullabekov is convinced that overall, the increasing interest in Uzbekistan from foreign investors and the successes in implementing economic reforms are important indicators of the country's stable and sustainable development. However, it is crucial to continue working in this direction

[ritchiepage2001newaccount]

Kakistocracy #CorpMedia #Idiocracy #Oligarchs #MegaBanks vs #Union #Occupy #NoDAPL #BLM #SDF #DACA #MeToo #Humanity #DemExit #FeelTheBern

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