A fresh performance of these amazing symphonies. Recommended. www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue...

I have a side project right now of trying to figure out who's able to help Gaza with interim infrastructure aid, like solar power (or other renewable sources) and hydroplanes, or atmospheric water generators. Until there's a new grid, I think some creative solutions might help. Anyone interested?

Are people still here and not "over there"? I feel like X is horrible, and probably getting worse, not better, but I don't see much here that goes beyond the headlines. So I'm stuck "over there".

One of the founding members of this group of academics is Taner Akcam, a highly respected historian of the Armenian Genocide who has been targeted by Turkish authorities for his research. These people are serious and they are calling for an end to the genocide. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taner_A...

It's crazy that Israel hasn't let fuel into Gaza for over 120 days. Some Israeli analysts think the goal is to run down the reserves until Hamas can no longer ventilate their tunnels and will be forced above ground. But it's hitting the hospitals now and water supplies will be hit very soon.

This is a great book if you are new to Syria, and also for people who think they know a lot already. It's very easy to read and full of information I haven't seen anywhere else.

Help me out BlueSky folks. Is is okay to justify the killing of journalists (and their families as collateral damage)? This weekend at least three journalists were killed along with their spouses and children. Avi knows this. I brought it to his attention. Yet he doubles down on this line:

It's worth re-reading the April 25 article on Khalil al-Hayya, one of the last few senior Hamas political figures who still has an impact on the situation. He implied that Hamas could disarm and be part of a Palestinian state (w/right of return of Palestinian refugees). www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...

Hamas has a range of opinions from hardline to pragmatic, with hardline refusing to end the fighting just like the far-right in Israel. It's possible that the "endless war" groups on both sides will simply exhaust themselves eventually and pragmatic actors can then start dealing with the situation.

If you need to explain Gaza to a 5 year old:

Norway's labor union pushed the national SWF to divest from Israeli companies. A hotel owner claimed that this includes a full boycott of Israeli tourists from any service! I'd be shocked if Norway's laws allow individual discrimination by nationality, but maybe: www.israelhayom.com/2025/05/12/n...

Top Israeli reporter Barak Ravid based in DC writes, "The US claims they didn't have direct talks with Hamas to release Edan Alexander." Top Ha'aretz reporter responds: "Yeah, that's like saying I went to a whore but put on two condoms."

This article in Turkescope by Gülistan Gürbey based in Berlin, provides important context to the situation. She notes that the Turkish government will need to release Ocalan soon so he can formally manage the dissolution of the organization. dayan.org/content/ocal...

Israelis are waking up to this reality.

Bombing Yemen's airport isn't going to stop Yemen's rockets or reassure international airlines. In fact, the one thing that is certain is that Israel is going to overreact to any attacks, especially when Israel makes a defensive mistake, like failing to shoot down a ballistic missile.

I don't have as many tools to troll over here. But just so you know, this is the quality of content you're missing.

Breaking: Pope Francis has passed away according to the Vatican. He will likely be remembered as one of the greatest in modern times, and indeed, oversaw a global congregation of many millions. He drew on the light of the Global South and for that I felt his presence was a welcome break.

Enjoying beer and a hot dog with my homemade Aiolli sauce using my new pestle and mortar.

‘They were chanting as they killed people in their homes’: survivors describe attack on Sudan’s Zamzam camp

Whenever we have a few days off my sons are punching the left and my wife and daughter are hitting the right.

A piece I wrote just came out in Ha'aretz. In theory, there are ways Israel could help Syria's electricity problem in the near future, and there are even better ways Israel could help Syria go towards green tech. Cooperation is the future. www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025...

Beautiful. Eid Mubarak. It shows that if you keep your faith, and keep your dignity, you will win in the end. While I believe there were serious crimes committed on Oct. 7, and 100% oppose kidnapping civilians, I believe the people of Gaza deserve to live free in health and safety. Let's hope.

SANA is reporting that two oil tankers have arrived at the Baniyas port to deliver oil to Syria. It seems that they have Russian-originated oil, but that isn't mentioned. A red ship has the Turkish shipping company Palmali on its side. That suggests a Black Sea shipment. sana.sy?p=2201718

The Internal Security Directorate seized weapons and ammunition hidden inside a well in the town of Al-Madabaa in the eastern #Homs countryside.

But, I don't want a humanoid robot. Not now, and not in 5 years. www.reuters.com/technology/n...

Chris Cornell was the best male singer of the grunge genre. But Soundgarden probably wasn't even in the top 10 of the best rock bands of the 90s.

I go to sleep at night and get up in the morning is with the assumption that *if* Israel is killing kids, it usually has a serious justification. Like self-defense. Today, we are killing kids because Netanyahu wants to pass a fucking budget. He needs Ben Gvir and Smotrich. They need a new war.

Had fun in Ramat Aviv yesterday. Winter pond. It's cool to have a bit of nature right on the edge of town.

@renanetjes.bsky.social Is quoted here with important insights about the direction of Syria's government and the challenges it faces. Most of the challenges come from within, but international sanctions are slowing down an economic comeback: www.newarab.com/analysis/syr...

The claim that some kind of ties with the Sammidoun group, apparently linked to the PLFP, makes you guilty is very dangerous. They do good work documenting and advocating for Palestinians who are arrested without charges. Trump is leading his own witch hunt at universities.

“You are a traitor.” An absurd and insulting thing to say to anyone who posts what Senator Kelly did. And even more insulting since he served as a U.S. Navy captain and a NASA astronaut. Kelly was a combat pilot and flew 39 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War.

Growing number of experts say that Trump is providing Russia with intelligence against Ukraine. Russian forces in Kursk miraculously had extremely precise coordinates for Ukrainian troop locations, logistics and ammo depots in Kursk after Trump cut off aid. A day before Russia was on the back foot.

On a smelly hot bus packed with teenagers in Ramat Aviv. This old lady starts yelling at a kid because he sat in a front seat. She then proclaimed woe on this generation of disrespectful losers. Finally, another old lady told her to shut up, and everyone starts laughing, leading to another round....

I can't understand how someone who's essentially clear-eyed, and understands what's happening in the Middle East can say normal things, correct things, and then suddenly a long-term obsession with Obama derails everything else.

It seems that the key mistake was calling for a general mobilization after Ahmad al-Sharaa's security forces were ambushed. Unknown gunmen joined in a massive killing spree against Alawis. Over 700 civilians were killed. syriadirect.org/blood-on-the...

It seems established that there were mass killings in Syria with Alawi civilian victims . It seems like the violence on the 7-8th of March was triggered by an ambush on the new government's security forces. Civilians and armed individuals were killed. An investigation is needed to prevent this.

Wow. This is unbelievable.

For the West, Biden was as good as it gets. There is no way Trump's America will push harder than Biden did to keep Russia and Iran contained. Europeans can cry and scream, and meet in Brussels, or Paris, or Berlin - but in the end they simply don't have a ready made war machine alternative.

Difficult to know what practical effect this will have, but likely it will provide Trump with plausible deniability on attacks inside Russia when his boss Putin calls him up for a chat.

These kinds of stunts aren't helping Ukraine. This was done a while before Zelensky came to the White House, and may not have influenced anyone, but again, probably didn't help. In general, I think soldiers in combat shouldn't be making their own videos for social media.

The pro-Israel mob on X when: Someone criticizes When Israel Says No more Gal Gadot vs. Water for Gaza

Nielsen's 4th Symphony is great, if you like symphonies. A lot of dynamics and beautiful melodies. It's helping me climb out of this depressing news cycle.

One of the claims that I'm hearing from pro-revolution Druze is that the Druze who are stirring up ethnic separatism and calling on Israel to help are former Assadist military commanders. They may face reprisals from the new regime. But most Druze I hear want limited autonomy in a united Syria.

We're going to have to find a new word for a guy who thinks he can explain someone else's identity better than them. Also, beyond this, the whole "let's invade Syria because The Druzes" boggles my mind. Who is pushing this asinine agenda?

Definitely first world problems, but it's annoying that it would be cheaper to fly to Rome, Italy than to go to see the orchestra one km from my house in Tel Aviv with the family (three kids).

At the risk of heresy on this site, I feel I have to admit that having a conversation with Grok 3 today was both pleasant and quite helpful. Ironically, it was much nicer than reading the agitprop around the site.

It's still up for the past six months, which shows that it could have considerable potential to fall. Think about this: A good price to earnings ratio is around 20. Tesla PE ratio as of yesterday February 25, 2025 was 175.88!!!!

I hope there are some sane people still left in the departments making Israeli policy on Syria. They need to understand that it takes a lot to get Syrians back out in the streets in this cold, after 13 years of getting shot, bombed, chased out of home, and tortured. Israel is creating enemies.

One of my colleagues seems to have been radicalized in recent months. Now she's rhetorically asking why people didn't bomb the Nasrallah funeral yesterday. I feel like a lot of my friends and colleagues are losing it. Is it the weather? Is it something deeper? Where are we going with all this?

Apparently the US is closing down a major logistics base in Greece that was opposed by both Turkey and Russia, defence-blog.com/trump-shuts-...