Wretchard.com

Europe gas at record high

Russia’s Gazprom PJSC has steadily reduced gas flows to Europe as the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline had its certification delayed until possibly July. No new flows into Europe are forcing utilities to drain their gas storages (already at seasonal lows). Some utilities have had to restart fossil fuel generators to avoid grid disruption.

Europe Faces Full Blown Energy Crisis As Gas Prices Smash All Records | OilPrice.com

Europe’s energy crisis got even worse on Tuesday as a shortage of natural gas, nuclear outages, declining wind power output, and cold weather boosted prices

When the first person people think of isn’t you

New at the Belmont Club. How do you break out of the loser’s spiral?

I am Nobody

Strategic self deception is no substitute for competence

New beginnings

New at the Belmont Club. The end of the 20th century was a very special time. Only politicians could think it would last forever.

Humanity’s Second Parting

A permanent majority never lasted in human history

Veteran Republican leader Bob Dole dies – BBC News

One of the last of the WW2s

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45667690

Finally, a Fusion Reaction Has Generated More Energy Than Absorbed by The Fuel

https://www.sciencealert.com/for-the-first-time-a-fusion-reaction-has-generated-more-energy-than-absorbed-by-the-fuel

Biden tries fancy footwork vs Putin

To compensate for European reluctance to take Putin on

Biden’s nod to US forces’ increased presence must be met by accelerated Australian investment | The Strategist

Biden’s nod to US forces’ increased presence must be met by accelerated Australian investment

Are the Russians for real?

Russian troops mass on Ukraine’s border, prompting jitters in the West

Russian troops massing near the Ukrainian border are triggering jitters across Europe and in the United States that war might be imminent.

Biden folds, won’t oppose Putin gas pipeline

Programming with biological elements

Team builds first living robots—that can reproduce

AI-designed Xenobots reveal entirely new form of biological self-replication—promising for regenerative medicine

SpaceX Starship’s First Orbital Test Flight will Happen in January, Confirmed by Elon Musk – SpaceNews

Getting closer to happening.

https://spacexmania.com/1/archives/1196

Oops

The doctors owe him another amputation for free

Austria: Doctor fined for amputating wrong leg of patient

The patient’s right leg was removed instead of his left, with the mistake discovered two days later.

But will the effect last?

The ‘stash theory’ of economics

U.N. pushes cash handouts to avert mass poverty in Afghanistan

The United Nations said on Wednesday that a program to pay $300 million a year in cash to Afghan families with children, elderly or people with disabilities is the best way to target increasing poverty.

Taiwan is existential to Japan

Japan and the United States could not stand by if China attacked Taiwan, and Beijing needs to understand this, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday.
CNN

Former Japan PM tells China, ‘a Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency’

Japan and the United States could not stand by if China attacked Taiwan, and Beijing needs to understand this, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday.

What historical drama are we living in?

Yemen

New at the Belmont Club. The best society doesn’t care for fossil fuels from Arabia but the phone book people do.

Is Yemen the Next Afghanistan?

The obvious surprise

European protests against Covid-19 curbs spread to Brussels

https://www.ft.com/content/c6604c89-9352-4cc6-81bd-8ce671f4cd8f