This is 2026

do not use social control media, so I cannot be “doomscrolling”, but looking at reputable sites today it looks like NATO-Russia rations are worst than ever, Ukraine says Russia might commence another ground invasion, and even the UK faces growing provocations by Russia, hence the higher perceived risk. That’s based on BBC, The Times, and other large publishers.

“The Cabinet Office campaign will encourage households to prepare for emergencies lasting several days,” a lesser known site says.

A friend has meanwhile explained to me that “1) Russia’s secondary export is petrochemicals, the primary export is propaganda; 2) its GDP is like Italy’s and has been near but not at a breaking point for years; 3) it has not yet drafted the provinces; 4) it is already spread exceedingly thin militarily, but is making progress into converting fully over to a wartime economy; 5) it’s never as strong as it looks but nor is it as weak as it looks (see #1)”

We’re quite well prepared for crisis, but if one’s neighbours are ill-prepared, then it can developed into trouble quite fast.

Further south of Russia there is “one *big* problem,” the friend explained, “especially for S Korea, is if N Korea is paid to establish
large scale manufacturing of munitions, then once there are no external buyers they can simply use it up themselves against S Korea…”

“Data centers are part of the CCP’s attack on the defense of Europe, e.g. “Norwegian company says TikTok data centre is limiting energy for manufacturing Ukraine ammunition”. The Grauniad wrongly spins the problem as one of “cat videos” but those are just the carrier signal for the real payload: destructive propaganda such as car-burning yobs who drive the wrong way down the highways…”

“Propaganda requires a carrier signal to trap people’s attention and provide a false sense of value so that they are paying attention when the real payload is transmitted. The payload can be 1 out of 20 or fewer, as long as the other 19 or so keep the targets engaged and receptive. [Because] psychological warfare = sociology + marketing (basically, at least when getting the targets hooked)…”

Time to get back to pen and paper?

e all have moments like these, irrespective of our age (though age can impact frequency, severity and so on). Let’s be honest with ourselves, as this is quite common: We enter some room, sometimes the kitchen, and then we forget some of the tasks or the sole task.

It happened to me yesterday. I knew I wanted to get something from the fridge, but could not recall what. Turns out, it wasn’t food. It was a filter agent for the water of the fish and also for the shells/snails.

I remembered or recalled this only a day later because the same observations (or needs) rekindled that same memory and obvious desire, based on a necessity.

Sometimes I wonder if I should carry a notepad and pen with me. Besides, I need to make a list of things to buy too (I used to do this with a piece of paper), e.g. also some dishwashing gel and decent high-capacity backpack. We also need to find more bottles of the thing/s for the fish and some seeds for the birds. “Sweepy” seems to have just laid eggs, so we must assume she feeds chicks somewhere and must therefore be fed as long as she has appetite.

I think I’ll eventually, perhaps some time very soon, get back to carrying paper and pen; it’s the only way to avoid forgetting things I want to do, say, and so on.

Mobile phone? No, thanks. Overkill.

“The freedom of immobility” is what Mr. Self has just called it. “Smartphones advertise themselves as “mobile,” yet that actually translates to “inescapable.” You’re expected to answer emails on the train and handle text messages while out to dinner. A corded phone, by contrast, physically ties you to a wall. That coiled plastic cord isn’t a leash; it’s a built-in boundary that protects your peace. When you leave the house, the phone remains behind. You become unreachable, untrackable, and present in the real world.”

A pen and paper do not “talk to you”, they are there to aid the brain by offloading lists or thoughts.

It’s now open!

OME months ago major overhaul began in the area shown in the above article – an historically significant structure that underwent very significant changes since around January (I’m way too young to have any fond memories of it or to have taken train journeys from it). I wrote about it in relation to the Banksy exhibition and today there was a grilling event, with pleasant-smelling smoke coming out of the building.

More importantly, the coffee shop has opened to everyone.

“A new coffee shop is set to open in the former Mayfield station ticket office,” says the above.

There are still more trees left to be planted near the pavement, but it is overall work well executed. They took one of the ugliest corners of Manchester and turned it into a gem. We saw it gradually, in slow motion so to speak, turning from dust to gold.

Haaland and Cherki both score twice in Man City win at Crystal Palace

oday’s matches will be mostly dull, but on Monday Arsenal has a challenging away game, so within a week or two Manchester City can “go top” not just temporarily.

The “King Cheeto” (Trump) does photo ops with Putin, no photos like the one below.

inter is fast approaching. Soon it’ll be autumn and within weeks it’ll be cold enough to be deemed winter. Later in this coming winter the full invasion of Ukraine completes 5 years and enters its sixth year. The Second World War lasted 6 years. That’s how long these aggressive Russian ambitions are and it seems like the US (or CIA appointees of King Cheeto) is on the wrong side. From King Cheeto claiming he can end the war within 24 hours (of being elected) we’ve come to the point where Baltic states prepare for potential invasion by Russia into NATO member states, with Putin allegedly recruiting 300,000 more troops and taking more from North Korea.

5 days ago: How South Koreans view their relationship with the U.S.

For the first time in over 20 years, a majority of South Koreans have an unfavorable opinion of the U.S. In our survey this past spring – before Trump’s call to scale back joint military exercises – 55% of South Koreans expressed an unfavorable view of the U.S., up from 39% last year. That included 18% with a very unfavorable view, up from 9% in 2025.

rowing up in the 2000s, having been born in the 90s or later, seems very hard to me. I have a sister like that. To the generation that needs to work for another ~50 years before retirement it seems like “the future” is full of uncertainties. Those born in the early 90s at least have some more experience, sometimes savings.

The story of capitalism or “Western Capitalism” is losing its grip on youths and, to a lesser degree, on an older generation alike.

How do you explain to your child that it’s normal to do “gig work” or constantly chase 3-month contracts while trying to somehow buy a home? Or that it’s unreasonable to truly own a car (not with some “payment plan”, i.e. ‘mortgage’ for cars)?

Materialism is not everything, but when people own nothing at all, there’s no safety either.

Tidying up things ahead of another productive year

reat times come to an end and our vacation is nearly over. Tuesday it’s back to normal.

Yesterday I tidied up around the home and this weekend I’ll prepare stories for September. I still have some physical notebooks with potential future stories. For now they’re in the cabinet.