I just can’t get used to the fact that when the state sends a $400 check just because they collected more from Virginians (everyone) than expected, it’s normal. They are the state of Virginia.
Tag: Politics
Echoes of Anthrax: The Amerithrax Investigation Unveiled | September 02 2025, 13:33
From the museum of the day before yesterday. Probably, some of you remember the notorious case in 2001: shortly after the 9/11 attacks, the USA experienced a series of bioterror attacks: someone mailed letters containing powder with anthrax spores (Bacillus anthracis). This led to the deaths of 5 people and infected 17, but it could have ended much worse for the entire planet. The investigation, known as “Amerithrax,” was conducted by the FBI in collaboration with other agencies and became one of the most complex in history.
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For those who might not know — the inhalational form of anthrax has a mortality rate of 85–90% without treatment. Symptoms appear after 6 days, by which time dozens will be infected. It can’t be destroyed — spores remain viable for decades in the soil. For example, on the Scottish island of Gruinard, they lingered for nearly 50 years after wartime testing. Only after 50 years had passed and after 280 tons of formaldehyde solution had been sprayed across all 196 hectares of the island, and the most contaminated topsoil around the dispersal site had been removed, did the island become relatively safe. Thus, anthrax could easily be more terrifying than a global nuclear war.
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So, returning to the subject. Initially, suspicions fell on various individuals, including Iraq or Al-Qaeda, but no evidence was found.
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The key breakthrough was scientific examination. Scientists analyzed the anthrax strain from the letters — it was the Ames strain used in American laboratories. Using microbial forensics (genetic analysis), they identified unique mutations in the spores that narrowed the source down to flask RMR-1029 in the USAMRIID (United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases) laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland.
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In other words, every living being has names and genealogy from birth, it’s just a matter of willingness to dig into the genealogy. Apparently, controlled substances have their own registry office, so to speak.
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Bruce Ivins, a microbiologist who worked there, was the custodian of this flask and had direct access (although more than 100 others did as well).
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Later, investigators gathered circumstantial evidence. Ivins had been working late at the lab just before the mailings in September and October 2001, which was inconsistent with his usual schedule. He could not convincingly explain these hours. Moreover, in early September 2001, he was vaccinated against anthrax, which seemed suspicious. The FBI also accused him of attempting to mislead the investigation: he allegedly provided false anthrax samples to divert suspicion and attempted to frame colleagues. In 2001, Ivins sent an email to colleagues offering the Ames strain for analysis, which might have been an attempt to cover his tracks.
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Behavioral signs also played a role. Ivins suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts, especially after another suspect (Steven Hatfill) was cleared in 2008. In June 2008, he was hospitalized in a psychiatric clinic, where during therapy, he made statements that the FBI interpreted as “denials without denial” — for example, that he “had no heart for killing” and did not remember participating in the attacks.
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By 2008, the investigation had narrowed down to Ivins. When he learned that charges were being prepared against him, on July 29, 2008, he took a lethal dose of Tylenol (acetaminophen). Formal charges were never brought. In 2010, the FBI officially closed the case, declaring Ivins the sole perpetrator.
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However, the conclusions remain controversial: the US National Academy of Sciences noted in 2011 that the genetic examination was not convincing enough for a definitive conclusion, and some microbiologists, victims’ families, and politicians demanded further investigation. As of now, no new discoveries have been made, and the case is considered closed.
Mexican Mosaic: Frida, Trotsky, and the Tale of an Ice Axe | September 02 2025, 00:33
Nadia with a Frida Kahlo purse encounters a painting by Frida Kahlo in which Frida Kahlo is holding a letter dedicated to Leon Trotsky, and an hour later, we see an exhibition at another museum dedicated to the assassination of Trotsky. Such a revolutionary Mexican vibe.
By the way, here he is Leon, not Lev. And not Trotsky, but Bronstein. But these are trifles.
There is something to tell here, although the story is, of course, very well-known. Probably everyone knows that Trotsky was hiding in Mexico, and that Kahlo was his lover (Diego Rivera did not mind). In 1939, Stalin through Beria ordered to eliminate Trotsky, and on the second attempt, the NKVD succeeded.
The murder was carried out by Ramon Mercader. He came to Trotsky under the pretext of showing him a manuscript of an article supposedly in need of editing. He carried an ice axe under his coat. This Ramon’s mother was also a Soviet intelligence agent, who actually recruited her son. Additionally, her lover was close to the organizer of the previous, unsuccessful attack, when a bunch of bullets were fired at the bed behind which Trotsky and his wife were hiding, and not a single shot hit. In general, they did their job as best they could. Well, after six months, the ice axe came.
The Mexican police preserved this ice axe as evidence after the murder, and later exhibited it in a museum. When the museum’s director retired in the 1960s, he received the axe as a gift. For 40 years his daughter kept it under her bed, not really understanding its value.
It took nearly four decades for historian and collector, an espionage specialist Kitten Melton, to locate the ice axe and understand why the assassin sent by Joseph Stalin, Ramon Mercader, used it specifically to kill Trotsky. Actually, this ice axe is exhibited in the museum.
So, this is how Ramon gained trust. Trotsky was brought to Ramon by Sylvia Ageloff, who was Ramon’s mistress, plus Trotsky was very much in contact with Ramon’s mother. Sylvia was the daughter of Samuel Ageloff and Anna Maslova — Russian emigrants, who spoke Russian at home. In general, in all this environment, it’s difficult to stay alert, but Trotsky managed to.
By the way, the first thought — of course, an ice axe in hot Mexico is something that doesn’t catch the eye at all. Anyway, where did the ice axe come from? It turned out that it was normal, as there were no refrigerators, and ice was brought down from the mountains, which “worked” almost all year round with proper thermal insulation.
Ramon’s mother fled to the USSR. Ramon served a maximum of 20 years and also fled to the USSR, where he received a medal. Ramon Ivanovich Mercader was posthumously honored with the title Hero of the Soviet Union for the assassination of Lev Trotsky. And he received the Order of Lenin. The award was made for his actions as an agent of the Soviet special services. Why he became Ivanovich is unclear, it seems his father was Pau. Ramon died in Havana in 1978 from cancer, buried in Moscow, at the Kuntsevo Cemetery, under the name “Ramon Ivanovich Lopez.” Havana extradited him.
Frida Kahlo’s painting almost got destroyed after the assassination of Trotsky, “out of anger,” but it was saved, and is now one of the exhibits at the museum of women in art in Washington, from which our yesterday began.
A couple of very notable photos in the comments
Beijing Parade Marks 80 Years Since China’s WWII Victory | August 31 2025, 14:02
On September 3rd in Beijing, a military parade dedicated to the 80th anniversary of China’s victory in World War II will take place. Apparently, I did not pay enough attention during history lessons at school: it turns out that China’s losses during WWII were almost comparable to those of the USSR, considering the official figures (in both cases, they are significantly lower than the actual ones). However, there is a catch – the war between China and Japan began in 1937, and later merged with World War II when Japan attacked the USA and its allies in 1941, officially making China part of the anti-Hitler coalition. Germany in 1937 was just preparing: a year later, in 1938, the Anschluss of Austria began, and another year later (1939) – the invasion of Poland, and at the same time the USSR attacked Finland.
Meanwhile, in Germany, it is considered that the precision of German accounting was incomparably higher, and the cumulative losses of the aggressors, together with Japan, turned out to be four times less than the cumulative losses of the defenders.
The figure of China’s losses mainly consists of civilian population. Their military losses were 3-4 million, while 12-17 million suffered from bombings, punitive actions, diseases (remembering Japanese Unit 731 and biological warfare) and other war consequences.
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Below I quote my post from January 25th of this year – just relevant and timely:
Who won the Second World War? Interestingly, note that no one paid attention to Trump’s words about the Second World War in his recent tweet-ultimatum.
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He writes “Russia helped us win the Second World War” — everyone noted the incorrect figure of 60 million losses, but somehow not this.
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I found an interesting study from 2017. It was a survey (1,338 people) from 11 countries including 8 allied countries and 3 Axis countries.
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It showed significant differences in how the former Soviet Union and 10 other countries remember the war.
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Events marked by representatives of the Soviet Union were almost completely different from those mentioned in other countries. Besides, Russians stated a greater responsibility for the victory in the war (75% of military efforts), than representatives of any other nation (although the USA and Great Britain also estimated their contribution as more than 50%).
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However, when people from each country assessed the contribution of other countries to the war, they attributed a greater role to the USA than to the former Soviet Union.
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An interesting finding is that, when asked why the USA dropped atomic bombs on Japan, most people from ten countries responded that it was to win the war, except for Russians.
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Moreover, the older the respondents were in 7 of these countries, the more often they agreed with the statement that the USA dropped the bombs to end the war.
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Russia (USSR) in the survey results demonstrates a unique narrative centered on the Eastern Front, unlike Western countries.
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Most countries (including former Axis countries) focus on events related to the USA and Great Britain, such as Pearl Harbor, the Normandy landing, the atomic bombings of Japan, and the Holocaust.
USSR holds a central place in the Russian narrative (75% contribution to victory). The USA and Great Britain also overestimate their evaluations, stating their contribution exceeds 50%, focusing on the Western Front and the Pacific Campaign. The total estimates of the contribution of the eight allied countries amount to 309%, showing the effect of “national narcissism”. Most countries prioritize the USA (27%), while the USSR — 20%.
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Four events gained the status of “key” (mentioned by more than 50% of respondents): the attack on Pearl Harbor, the atomic bombings of Japan, the Normandy landing, and the Holocaust. The Russian narrative concentrates on events termed in Soviet and contemporary Russian historiography as the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945). Russians highlighted unique events: battles near Stalingrad, Kursk, Moscow, Berlin, and the blockade of Leningrad. Thus, although the USA and Russia fought together as allies, research shows that there is almost no overlap in which events are remembered as most important. Members of each group mainly remembered those events related to their own country. However, this is not surprising.
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On the subject of atomic bombings, most respondents believe that the purpose of the bombings was to end the war. Russians see this event as an act of intimidating the USSR. Opinions within countries vary by age: older generations are more likely to support the official version of ending the war.
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In France in 1945, 57% of the population considered the USSR the main victor. By 2004, this figure had dropped to 20%, while the share of the USA increased to 58%.
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The reasons are clear: history textbooks and popular culture reinforce national emphasis. In the USA and Great Britain, films and books praising their role in the war predominate. The USSR and the USA fought on different fronts and represent different ideological systems, which determined the narratives. And of course, all countries overstate their role in historical events.
Exploring the Intrigue of 657 New Words in the Russian Orthographic Dictionary | August 08 2025, 18:46
657 new words were added to the RAN orthographic dictionary — for instance, “smoothie,” “TikToker,” “powerbank,” and “SVO.” I decided to check out their complete list. Let’s head to the Akademos website and type “2025” in the search.
(Putin’s advisor wrote that “SVO” is correct, but anglicisms are unnecessary. In my opinion, anglicisms are perfectly fine, but with everything else — they truly break the Russian language. Check it out)
Noble-metallic, Bodrich-style and Radimich-style, Byzantinizing, suitable-for-vine-growing, humanizing, icy-frosty, two-strap, Dregovichanka, jacaranda, children-foreign-phoned, “Devo: Virgin Mary Devo” (that’s an entry in the dictionary), fear-of-women, back-of-the-chair, koin, literature-centricity, petty-little-thing (is it describing a woman or a coin?), over-door-woman, Nibelung-esque, nonillion (I guess needed for fining Google), deaeration, Palaiologos and Pantalone, varicolored, petrosphere, to preexist, family-preservation, strongly-fleeing and moderately-fleeing, scrambled.
Interestingly, there is an entry “firmly promised,” written with a space inside.
And there is Sloboda Ukraine there.
There’s offline-messenger! and proxy-list. And torrent-client.
In 2025 “FIFA (International Federation of Association Football)” and “Dictionary of Modern Russian Literary Language” were added to the orthographic dictionary. There’s separately, “Doomsday: Doomsday plane”
There’s taphophilia — a fascination with cemeteries.
And there is philosemitism. As I understand it, it’s the same as Judophilia — manifestations of interest, respect for the Jewish people, their historical significance, and a positive appraisal of the influence of Judaism in history. Where do they even get such words?
Added to the dictionary were west-northwest-er (apparently, a direction slightly west of northwest) and west-southwest-er.
There’s late-developing and later-developing.
If you go on a diet, know that there’s a word for de-fatting. And then there’s a chance that you’ll become an ectomorph — also a word in this dictionary.
There are also drone and pilot-borehole.
Yet among the new words of 2025 there’s “coup d’état”.
Understanding American Politics Through Washington’s Farewell Letter | July 23 2025, 23:33
To better understand American politics today, here’s a fact. Since 1862, the farewell letter of the first president and founding father George Washington is read annually before the opening session of the Senate.
Among other things, it includes the following (I’m paraphrasing in my own words because the oddly complex sentences, in which it’s hard to track what is being talked about, are the normal written language of that time. I hope I didn’t misrepresent):
* Foreign interference is one of the worst threats, and you must constantly be paranoid about it. However, be cautious to be fair and wise in this matter, otherwise, you will focus so much on one country that you will slide into alliances with others.
* Avoid permanent alliances and foreign policy commitments. Trade with everyone, but avoid permanent political and military alliances with other countries, especially European ones. This allows you to avoid being drawn into others’ wars and conflicts. We obviously must keep our promises, but let’s try not to make new ones in the future.
* Europe has a bunch of problems that mean nothing to us. So they will fight, and we must make sure we do not get involved on any side. We can make ourselves unpleasant enemies, which we do not need.
* Since we are here, across the Atlantic, we can mind our own business. And if we just hold together a little longer, we might become strong enough to stand up for ourselves. And if we are cool enough, other countries will not want to start anything, so the choice of starting a war or maintaining peace will be ours.
* Political parties are evil. Namely, the party system leads to infighting, distracts from real problems, weakens the government, and exposes the country to foreign influence, as other countries can manipulate one of the parties.
* It is impossible to build a successful state and trust people (e.g., their oaths) if there is no strong moral and religious foundation in society.
* Do not accumulate large state debts during peacetime. It is necessary to pay bills on time, and for this, taxes are necessary, which citizens should approach with understanding.
Hi, I'm Rauf Aliev. 