NeoTiamat
@neotiamat99.bsky.social
Russian-speaking Ukrainian-American
Diplomatic Historian of late Imperial Russia
Published Author, Alt-AC (Secondary Education)
Diplomatic Historian of late Imperial Russia
Published Author, Alt-AC (Secondary Education)
(specifically the boiling water in the exoskeleton rapidly cooling and making random limbs thrash, BUT I DO NOT CARE IT WAS WRIGGLING)
November 26, 2025 at 10:57 PM
(specifically the boiling water in the exoskeleton rapidly cooling and making random limbs thrash, BUT I DO NOT CARE IT WAS WRIGGLING)
While abroad, I have eaten octopus, boar, bear, more kinds of dumplings than can be encompassed by the mind, some very strange Chinese noodles...
...I did discover my limit in Beijing, when I was offered a still-wriggling fried scorpion. I am a coward. I admit it. *IT WAS WRIGGLING*.
...I did discover my limit in Beijing, when I was offered a still-wriggling fried scorpion. I am a coward. I admit it. *IT WAS WRIGGLING*.
November 26, 2025 at 10:56 PM
While abroad, I have eaten octopus, boar, bear, more kinds of dumplings than can be encompassed by the mind, some very strange Chinese noodles...
...I did discover my limit in Beijing, when I was offered a still-wriggling fried scorpion. I am a coward. I admit it. *IT WAS WRIGGLING*.
...I did discover my limit in Beijing, when I was offered a still-wriggling fried scorpion. I am a coward. I admit it. *IT WAS WRIGGLING*.
This is a profoundly Bulgarian story.
November 26, 2025 at 10:55 PM
This is a profoundly Bulgarian story.
Why do you *know* these things?!?!?
And even more to the point, why must you make *us* know them?!?
And even more to the point, why must you make *us* know them?!?
November 26, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Why do you *know* these things?!?!?
And even more to the point, why must you make *us* know them?!?
And even more to the point, why must you make *us* know them?!?
I had a student tell me that I'm not a *real* Doctor. The absolute nerve!
November 26, 2025 at 4:14 AM
I had a student tell me that I'm not a *real* Doctor. The absolute nerve!
Theirs is probably the oddest reaction.
Some of the GOP were actual Nazis. Okay, I get that.
Some are just utterly amoral. Alright.
Some did actually believe what they said, and now they're the Bulwark / Bill Kristol types. I respect that!
"I believe in Nazism but only *genteel* Nazism" - ??!?
Some of the GOP were actual Nazis. Okay, I get that.
Some are just utterly amoral. Alright.
Some did actually believe what they said, and now they're the Bulwark / Bill Kristol types. I respect that!
"I believe in Nazism but only *genteel* Nazism" - ??!?
November 26, 2025 at 4:06 AM
Theirs is probably the oddest reaction.
Some of the GOP were actual Nazis. Okay, I get that.
Some are just utterly amoral. Alright.
Some did actually believe what they said, and now they're the Bulwark / Bill Kristol types. I respect that!
"I believe in Nazism but only *genteel* Nazism" - ??!?
Some of the GOP were actual Nazis. Okay, I get that.
Some are just utterly amoral. Alright.
Some did actually believe what they said, and now they're the Bulwark / Bill Kristol types. I respect that!
"I believe in Nazism but only *genteel* Nazism" - ??!?
That's very reasonable. We haven't always seen eye to eye, but I wish her the absolute best.
November 26, 2025 at 4:02 AM
That's very reasonable. We haven't always seen eye to eye, but I wish her the absolute best.
Normally you need to lose a moderately significant war to suffer this much economic damage.
November 26, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Normally you need to lose a moderately significant war to suffer this much economic damage.
I honestly think this is just a general reason why Japan's atrocities aren't nearly as well known in the West. Not the most important reason, but it fits in there somewhere.
November 26, 2025 at 12:52 AM
I honestly think this is just a general reason why Japan's atrocities aren't nearly as well known in the West. Not the most important reason, but it fits in there somewhere.
What's a China between friends?
November 25, 2025 at 11:06 PM
What's a China between friends?
...what is going *on* with the British?!?!
November 25, 2025 at 9:36 PM
...what is going *on* with the British?!?!
I suspect the extent to which this acts as a horrible failure for Labour will help inoculate against imitation.
November 25, 2025 at 9:32 PM
I suspect the extent to which this acts as a horrible failure for Labour will help inoculate against imitation.
Christopher Eccleston (The Ninth Doctor) would be my guess. I think he could nail the 'government killer' vibe.
November 25, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Christopher Eccleston (The Ninth Doctor) would be my guess. I think he could nail the 'government killer' vibe.
I would add Joyce Carol Oates to that list. You aren't trying to win, you are hoping to escape with a few tattered threads of dignity still intact.
November 25, 2025 at 2:07 AM
I would add Joyce Carol Oates to that list. You aren't trying to win, you are hoping to escape with a few tattered threads of dignity still intact.
I resent the tarnishing of Ravenloft by your idiocy.
November 25, 2025 at 12:39 AM
I resent the tarnishing of Ravenloft by your idiocy.
Heathens! Heathens everywhere!
It is absolutely delicious but also god it takes forever and a day to make. Definitely a Special Occasion food.
It is absolutely delicious but also god it takes forever and a day to make. Definitely a Special Occasion food.
November 24, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Heathens! Heathens everywhere!
It is absolutely delicious but also god it takes forever and a day to make. Definitely a Special Occasion food.
It is absolutely delicious but also god it takes forever and a day to make. Definitely a Special Occasion food.
In proper ex-Soviet fashion, Christmas isn't too big a deal, we just go to a nice restaurant, but for New Year's we do the full Slavic spread.
Salat Olivier, five kinds of fish, deviled eggs, pastry Napoleon...
Salat Olivier, five kinds of fish, deviled eggs, pastry Napoleon...
November 24, 2025 at 9:39 PM
In proper ex-Soviet fashion, Christmas isn't too big a deal, we just go to a nice restaurant, but for New Year's we do the full Slavic spread.
Salat Olivier, five kinds of fish, deviled eggs, pastry Napoleon...
Salat Olivier, five kinds of fish, deviled eggs, pastry Napoleon...
[waggles hand] sorta but not that much? Maine is the second most rural state in the union, ahead of West Virginia, and New Hampshire is about the same level as Alabama and Kentucky - yet both vote far to the left of what that would imply, if not quite to MA/CN levels.
November 24, 2025 at 12:45 PM
[waggles hand] sorta but not that much? Maine is the second most rural state in the union, ahead of West Virginia, and New Hampshire is about the same level as Alabama and Kentucky - yet both vote far to the left of what that would imply, if not quite to MA/CN levels.
The interesting thing about New England, I feel, is that even the rural backwoods are exceedingly left-wing. Vermont has basically no cities of note, and is purest sapphire.
November 24, 2025 at 1:31 AM
The interesting thing about New England, I feel, is that even the rural backwoods are exceedingly left-wing. Vermont has basically no cities of note, and is purest sapphire.
Honestly, Millennials are *so* left-leaning, I'd expect a certain reversion to mean and we haven't really seen that!
Younger generations, and particularly younger women, just really, really hate the GOP.
Younger generations, and particularly younger women, just really, really hate the GOP.
November 24, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Honestly, Millennials are *so* left-leaning, I'd expect a certain reversion to mean and we haven't really seen that!
Younger generations, and particularly younger women, just really, really hate the GOP.
Younger generations, and particularly younger women, just really, really hate the GOP.
Admiral Wilhelm Canaris! And yes, he was the head of Abwehr, which was the military intelligence agency in Nazi Germany - not quite all German intelligence but definitely one of the absolute highest figures.
And yes, he was a disaffected Nazi who did a lot to sabotage Hitler.
And yes, he was a disaffected Nazi who did a lot to sabotage Hitler.
November 23, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Admiral Wilhelm Canaris! And yes, he was the head of Abwehr, which was the military intelligence agency in Nazi Germany - not quite all German intelligence but definitely one of the absolute highest figures.
And yes, he was a disaffected Nazi who did a lot to sabotage Hitler.
And yes, he was a disaffected Nazi who did a lot to sabotage Hitler.
As the Cold War went on, the British declined, but the Soviets were basically always better at finding Americans willing to spy (see: Aldrich Ames, Robert Hanssen).
The US was kept in the game by a steady stream of Soviet defectors fleeing the country (Gordievsky being the biggest name here).
The US was kept in the game by a steady stream of Soviet defectors fleeing the country (Gordievsky being the biggest name here).
November 23, 2025 at 1:23 PM
As the Cold War went on, the British declined, but the Soviets were basically always better at finding Americans willing to spy (see: Aldrich Ames, Robert Hanssen).
The US was kept in the game by a steady stream of Soviet defectors fleeing the country (Gordievsky being the biggest name here).
The US was kept in the game by a steady stream of Soviet defectors fleeing the country (Gordievsky being the biggest name here).
As I recall from doing espionage history, circa 1930 to 1960, the ranking was:
Soviets (extremely good, lots of ideologically motivated, deep cover spies - Kim Philby most famously)
British (pretty good, especially vs. Germany in WWII)
Americans (not great)
Nazi Germany (utterly terrible)
Soviets (extremely good, lots of ideologically motivated, deep cover spies - Kim Philby most famously)
British (pretty good, especially vs. Germany in WWII)
Americans (not great)
Nazi Germany (utterly terrible)
November 23, 2025 at 1:23 PM
As I recall from doing espionage history, circa 1930 to 1960, the ranking was:
Soviets (extremely good, lots of ideologically motivated, deep cover spies - Kim Philby most famously)
British (pretty good, especially vs. Germany in WWII)
Americans (not great)
Nazi Germany (utterly terrible)
Soviets (extremely good, lots of ideologically motivated, deep cover spies - Kim Philby most famously)
British (pretty good, especially vs. Germany in WWII)
Americans (not great)
Nazi Germany (utterly terrible)
So basically, you really do buy into the whole red-brown alliance stuff.
November 22, 2025 at 4:14 PM
So basically, you really do buy into the whole red-brown alliance stuff.