The internet is a cesspool, but every now and then you can learn something new.
For example, I just learned about the Bunnag family - a Thai noble family of Persian origin from Qom that even served as Regents for the ruling Chakri dynasty. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunnag_...
For example, I just learned about the Bunnag family - a Thai noble family of Persian origin from Qom that even served as Regents for the ruling Chakri dynasty. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunnag_...
February 19, 2026 at 9:37 AM
The internet is a cesspool, but every now and then you can learn something new.
For example, I just learned about the Bunnag family - a Thai noble family of Persian origin from Qom that even served as Regents for the ruling Chakri dynasty. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunnag_...
For example, I just learned about the Bunnag family - a Thai noble family of Persian origin from Qom that even served as Regents for the ruling Chakri dynasty. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunnag_...
A bit of a rant here, but I grew up partly in Sweden so I have some experience with the immigrant imaginings of "back home" when you grow up in a completely different place.
But I can't really understand the apparent self-fetishisation among immigrants in the U.S.
But I can't really understand the apparent self-fetishisation among immigrants in the U.S.
February 5, 2026 at 9:39 AM
A bit of a rant here, but I grew up partly in Sweden so I have some experience with the immigrant imaginings of "back home" when you grow up in a completely different place.
But I can't really understand the apparent self-fetishisation among immigrants in the U.S.
But I can't really understand the apparent self-fetishisation among immigrants in the U.S.
Samba Toure's Chiri Hari is one of my favourite songs and I often listen to it while working. It is a beautiful Malian "Desert Blues" song, but I never looked into what the lyrics mean for some reason. I just read the English translation of the lyrics. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWyT...
Samba Touré - Chiri Hari
YouTube video by GlitterbeatTV
www.youtube.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Samba Toure's Chiri Hari is one of my favourite songs and I often listen to it while working. It is a beautiful Malian "Desert Blues" song, but I never looked into what the lyrics mean for some reason. I just read the English translation of the lyrics. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWyT...
I don't really post on here anymore, but I'd like to remind people of something I remember learning early on in studying International Relations.
All rules governing international behavior only exist through powerful participants agreeing that they exist. Otherwise, they don't exist.
All rules governing international behavior only exist through powerful participants agreeing that they exist. Otherwise, they don't exist.
January 13, 2026 at 10:07 AM
I don't really post on here anymore, but I'd like to remind people of something I remember learning early on in studying International Relations.
All rules governing international behavior only exist through powerful participants agreeing that they exist. Otherwise, they don't exist.
All rules governing international behavior only exist through powerful participants agreeing that they exist. Otherwise, they don't exist.
Business idea: A yoga/meditation studio catered to heavy-set gay dudes.
Yogi Bear.
Yogi Bear.
January 7, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Business idea: A yoga/meditation studio catered to heavy-set gay dudes.
Yogi Bear.
Yogi Bear.
You may not know this about me, but I'm kind of a big deal in the infectious diseases community.
A bit of an Influenza, if you will.
A bit of an Influenza, if you will.
December 18, 2025 at 9:30 AM
You may not know this about me, but I'm kind of a big deal in the infectious diseases community.
A bit of an Influenza, if you will.
A bit of an Influenza, if you will.
I'm convinced that Nativity Scene shops are like Games Workshop for Catholic grrandmothers.
December 14, 2025 at 4:35 PM
I'm convinced that Nativity Scene shops are like Games Workshop for Catholic grrandmothers.
It's finally my favourite season of the year (for Chinese store knock-offs). Get your loved one some premium Coralle Klaare, Uomo, or Glavin Kelvin holiday underpants for the occasion.
Marry Christmas, everyone!
Marry Christmas, everyone!
November 26, 2025 at 4:32 PM
It's finally my favourite season of the year (for Chinese store knock-offs). Get your loved one some premium Coralle Klaare, Uomo, or Glavin Kelvin holiday underpants for the occasion.
Marry Christmas, everyone!
Marry Christmas, everyone!
Is it just me who is wildly put out by the amount of plastic surgery in Korean dramas? I have no clue who any of these actors are, but can immediately tell who is the lead in a series by how little of their face can move.
November 25, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Is it just me who is wildly put out by the amount of plastic surgery in Korean dramas? I have no clue who any of these actors are, but can immediately tell who is the lead in a series by how little of their face can move.
Don't know about Americans, but lots of my Jewish European friends have definitely radicalised a lot after the Oct 7th attacks in Israel.
These days, they pretty much post daily conspiracy nonsense that is usually pretty boring. This one was hilarious.
These days, they pretty much post daily conspiracy nonsense that is usually pretty boring. This one was hilarious.
November 5, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Don't know about Americans, but lots of my Jewish European friends have definitely radicalised a lot after the Oct 7th attacks in Israel.
These days, they pretty much post daily conspiracy nonsense that is usually pretty boring. This one was hilarious.
These days, they pretty much post daily conspiracy nonsense that is usually pretty boring. This one was hilarious.
Never underestimate the "love you bro" relationship strongmen have to one another. Obviously, Hitler hated Stalin. But in transcripts of conversations where Stalin is mentioned, Hitler calls him "the second greatest man of our times" referring to himself as first, obviously.
Interesting interview from 1997, in which PKK leader Öcalan said "Politicians lack the power to decide. I wish I had Mustafa Kemal standing before me. He would kill me, but he would have the power to decide. Let's truly save our Turkey. Let's save the Kurds, too."
He needed another autocrat
He needed another autocrat
Fatih Altaylı'nın Abdullah Öcalan röportajı 28 yıl sonra ilk kez yayınlandı
October 23, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Never underestimate the "love you bro" relationship strongmen have to one another. Obviously, Hitler hated Stalin. But in transcripts of conversations where Stalin is mentioned, Hitler calls him "the second greatest man of our times" referring to himself as first, obviously.
I've seen a lot of reports recently (in Israeli social media) on the stress and trauma of Israeli soldiers fighting in Gaza, and it is - to an outsider - such a jarring thing to read.
Being a soldier is not a natural profession & trauma is of course something that happens. But the focus is so odd.
Being a soldier is not a natural profession & trauma is of course something that happens. But the focus is so odd.
October 19, 2025 at 8:01 AM
I've seen a lot of reports recently (in Israeli social media) on the stress and trauma of Israeli soldiers fighting in Gaza, and it is - to an outsider - such a jarring thing to read.
Being a soldier is not a natural profession & trauma is of course something that happens. But the focus is so odd.
Being a soldier is not a natural profession & trauma is of course something that happens. But the focus is so odd.
Decided to bring back the moustache after over a decade's absence. Overnight, I look both 100% more Middle Eastern and 120% more Spanish.
True Andalusian hybrid.
True Andalusian hybrid.
September 25, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Decided to bring back the moustache after over a decade's absence. Overnight, I look both 100% more Middle Eastern and 120% more Spanish.
True Andalusian hybrid.
True Andalusian hybrid.
Stolen from facebook specifically for @ljukic.bsky.social
September 18, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Stolen from facebook specifically for @ljukic.bsky.social
I rank babies. I have been doing it for years. I can safely say that Central Asians have the best ones. All babies are great, so don't be offended. The Central Asians just happen to be the best.
September 14, 2025 at 11:43 AM
I rank babies. I have been doing it for years. I can safely say that Central Asians have the best ones. All babies are great, so don't be offended. The Central Asians just happen to be the best.
Weirdest superpower move I have ever heard of, to be honest.
"Asking us to build factories and invest then arresting and detaining. Is this what an ally does?"
-- Protest sign at airport where South Korean workers, including engineers with work visas, were returned
www.wsj.com/world/asia/c...
-- Protest sign at airport where South Korean workers, including engineers with work visas, were returned
www.wsj.com/world/asia/c...
September 13, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Weirdest superpower move I have ever heard of, to be honest.
Technically, I guess Bluesky would be closest to Shiisim with the original bloodline (Jack Dorsey) and his closest followers building an alternate version of the much bigger orthodox version that recently came into new management.
Increasingly I look back on the time when everyone was on Old Twitter like the undivided Church of the first few centuries - now social media feels as though it’s fragmented into denominations: the Xians, the Blueskytes, the Threadsians, the Substackites, the Instagramarians &c
September 1, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Technically, I guess Bluesky would be closest to Shiisim with the original bloodline (Jack Dorsey) and his closest followers building an alternate version of the much bigger orthodox version that recently came into new management.
I might go against the grain on this site a bit by saying that immigration is absolutely a salient issue in a country like the UK and that having a more stringent immigration scheme seems to be genuinely popular. But emulating the way in which the right speaks about the issue is a losing play.
August 27, 2025 at 2:45 PM
I might go against the grain on this site a bit by saying that immigration is absolutely a salient issue in a country like the UK and that having a more stringent immigration scheme seems to be genuinely popular. But emulating the way in which the right speaks about the issue is a losing play.
Reposted by Ariz Kader
Israel justified its strike on the Nasser Hospital, which killed six journalists and more than a dozen others, by claiming a "Hamas" camera was set up there.
The location they attacked is where Reuters and the AP livestream.
From me and others (see byline/contribs)
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/w...
The location they attacked is where Reuters and the AP livestream.
From me and others (see byline/contribs)
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/w...
Israel Says It Attacked Gaza Hospital to Destroy Camera Placed by Hamas
www.nytimes.com
August 26, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Israel justified its strike on the Nasser Hospital, which killed six journalists and more than a dozen others, by claiming a "Hamas" camera was set up there.
The location they attacked is where Reuters and the AP livestream.
From me and others (see byline/contribs)
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/w...
The location they attacked is where Reuters and the AP livestream.
From me and others (see byline/contribs)
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/w...
For all the criticisms of Wikipedia, when used correctly, it is a valuable source of information on nearly every subject broken down in an understandable format.
One of the fears that I have is that traffic to the site and other resources will plummet as a result of search engine AI integration.
One of the fears that I have is that traffic to the site and other resources will plummet as a result of search engine AI integration.
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 AM
For all the criticisms of Wikipedia, when used correctly, it is a valuable source of information on nearly every subject broken down in an understandable format.
One of the fears that I have is that traffic to the site and other resources will plummet as a result of search engine AI integration.
One of the fears that I have is that traffic to the site and other resources will plummet as a result of search engine AI integration.
You can test if your AI can understand the concept of irony by asking about this article.
Turkey’s parliamentary body on solving Kurdish issue bars Kurdish language speech, @amberinzaman.bsky.social writes
www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...
www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...
Turkey’s parliamentary body on solving Kurdish issue bars Kurdish language speech
Two Kurdish women invited to address the parliamentary committee were told they could not speak Kurdish during the session.
www.al-monitor.com
August 22, 2025 at 9:10 AM
You can test if your AI can understand the concept of irony by asking about this article.
Could someone who speaks Chinese please tell me what these "spicy strips" are? This is one of the weirdest flavours I can't quite place.
August 18, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Could someone who speaks Chinese please tell me what these "spicy strips" are? This is one of the weirdest flavours I can't quite place.
Does anyone know a good book on Saddam's 1979 Baath Party purge? I am specifically looking into the al-Khuld Hall massacre and how it came about.
August 18, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Does anyone know a good book on Saddam's 1979 Baath Party purge? I am specifically looking into the al-Khuld Hall massacre and how it came about.
