Quote:Iran responds to Trump's letter, voices readiness for indirect talks

DUBAI, March 27 (Reuters) - Iran has sent a response through Oman to U.S. President Donald Trump's letter in which he urged Tehran to reach a new nuclear deal, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was cited as saying by the official IRNA news agency on Thursday.

"Our policy is still to not engage in direct negotiations while under maximum pressure and military threats, however, as it was the case in the past, indirect negotiations can continue", IRNA cited Araqchi as saying.

Quote:Putin issues Arctic warning to NATO

The US-led NATO bloc views the Arctic as a “bridgehead” for future conflicts and is actively training troops to operate in the far north, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

Speaking at the International Arctic Forum in Murmansk on Thursday, he stated that Russia would do its best to uphold its national interests and sovereignty in the region.

The number of Russian forces deployed in the Arctic is bound to grow to meet the growing challenges there, Putin said.

“We are, of course, concerned by the fact that NATO countries as a whole are more frequently designating the far north as a bridgehead for possible conflicts, practicing the use of troops in these conditions, including their new recruits from Finland and Sweden,” he declared.

Moscow has been “closely monitoring” the situation in the region, and has taken “an adequate response approach by increasing the combat capabilities of the armed forces and modernizing military infrastructure facilities,” the president explained.
Putin calls for developing cities in Arctic Circle READ MORE: Putin calls for developing cities in Arctic Circle

“I would like to emphasize that Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic,” he said, adding that Russia will not tolerate any encroachments on its sovereignty and will “reliably protect” its national interests.

(03-28-2025, 05:47 PM)F2d5thCav Wrote: How come the dude with the bat wings in the last image looks like Putin ?

(03-29-2025, 09:40 AM)Bally002 Wrote: Q. How do you catch a Unique Butterfly?

Bally)

Quote:Barry Goldwater and Curtis LeMay

I thought that I would expand on this disagreement about what Barry Goldwater (seen here)knew and what he said about UFOs and the possibility of a crash outside of Roswell. I published a copy of the letter that Goldwater had sent to Kent Jeffrey in which Goldwater mentioned the Roswell case. Skeptics believe, and I’m not sure they’re incorrect, that Goldwater assumed that the Roswell debris was housed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base but he didn’t know.

Let me take a moment to explain that. Kent’s letter was from 1994, after Roswell had entered the national psyche. Jeffrey had asked about the Roswell case, so we can draw no specific conclusion from this, other than the answer might have been tainted by either the information in general circulation or by the specific questions asked by Jeffrey.

To continue in that vein, we know that in 1994, in an interview conducted by Larry King and broadcast on CNN, Goldwater said, "I think at Wright-Patterson, if you could get into certain places, you’d find out what the Air Force and the government does know about UFOs. Reportedly, a spaceship landed. It was all hushed up. I called Curtis LeMay and I said, ‘General, I know we have a room at Wright-Patterson where you put all this secret stuff. Could I go in there?’ I’ve never heard General LeMay get mad, but he got madder than hell at me, cussed me out, and said, ‘Don’t ever ask me that question again!’

While this quote does little to confirm the crash at Roswell, and it was conducted in 1994, it does establish that Goldwater asked LeMay about the "Blue Room" as it has come to be known, and that LeMay "cussed him out." Remember, some skeptics (okay, CDA specifically), had questioned this part of the story.

So, it proves that LeMay was capable of "cussing out" a friend and a United States senator. This would suggest that the topic discussed, and here we know that it was UFOs and the "landing" of a spaceship. This would suggest that there was a point that friendship ended and LeMay was talking to Goldwater as a superior officer to a subordinate.

There is another quote, this one from the April 25, 1988 issue of the New Yorker, that is also interesting because it predates the explosion of Roswell information. True, Charles Berlitz and Bill Moore’s The Roswell Incident had been published, but its circulation was limited to those interested in UFOs and its importance to the outside world was confined to UFO enthusiasts.

That doesn’t mean that there couldn’t have been contamination, just that it isn’t as easy to establish. In the New Yorker magazine, Goldwater is reported to have said, "I used to receive a hundred calls a year from people who wanted me to get into the Green Room [clearly he means the Blue Room] at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, because that's where the Air Force stored all the material gathered on UFOs. I once asked Curtis LeMay (seen here) if I could get in that room, and he just gave me holy hell. He said, 'Not only can't you get into it but don't you ever mention it to me again.'"

In a web search I did find a couple of spots where it was reported that Goldwater had said that when he asked LeMay he was told, "Not only no but hell no. And if you ever ask again I’ll have you court martialed." I was unable to establish an original source for this, but I remember seeing it printed in one of the tabloids.

Yes, I know that’s not a good source, but they published a copy of the letter in which Goldwater made the statement. I have not found my copy of that. I saw it a number of years ago.

So, where does this leave us? Well, we have multiple sources which quote Goldwater (including letters he wrote himself) referring to the Roswell case specifically and to a UFO landing generally. We have him talking about it being highly classified, so high classified in fact that he could not gain access as either a United States senator or an Air Force major general. And he confirmed in those sources (I’m thinking the New Yorker and the Larry King broadcast would be hard to dispute) that LeMay cussed him out.

The only thing we can’t establish is if this referred to the Roswell UFO crash. It certainly suggests that there are some highly classified secrets out there that deal with UFOs and some sort of physical evidence from them. It also opens the door for the Roswell case... Goldwater did use Roswell in his later communications.

We also see some of the interesting dynamics at work here. LeMay, as a general (meaning four stars) read the Riot Act to his subordinate, a major general (meaning two stars). He made it clear that the major general would not be allowed to refer the material. Friendship, on this point, did not matter.

Had Goldwater attempted to do an end run by using his power as a senator, he would have had no more luck than he had as a major general. Powerful though he was as a senator, that simply didn’t open the door into this highly classified arena. Goldwater had the grace, and the intelligence, not to push it farther. He knew that was important enough to be kept secret and the moment that one senator was brought in, then others would want to know and at that point the secret was out.

Contrary to what the skeptics say, the situation has been established with a proper documented record. We know the story of Goldwater and LeMay is true, and, according to Goldwater, it concerned UFOs. What we don’t know is if it related directly to Roswell. I suspect it does, and Goldwater suspected it did, but that just doesn’t get us to the end.

(03-30-2025, 03:56 AM)EndtheMadnessNow Wrote:

(03-29-2025, 09:40 AM)Bally002 Wrote: Q. How do you catch a Unique Butterfly?

Bally)

Spot the shimmer. First, recognize what your Unique Butterfly is.

Quote:Spectrum Rocket’s First Orbital Attempt Ends in Controlled Crash

March 30, 2025, Isar Aerospace‘s highly anticipated first orbital launch of its Spectrum rocket ended in failure on March 30th, as the vehicle lost attitude control and crashed back to Earth approximately 30 seconds after liftoff. Despite the dramatic end to the launch, the German space startup declared the mission, dubbed “Going Full Spectrum,” a success, citing the valuable data gathered during the brief flight.

“Our first test flight met all our expectations, achieving a great success. We had a clean liftoff, 30 seconds of flight and even got to validate our Flight Termination System.” said Daniel Metzler, CEO and Co-founder of Isar Aerospace. “Now it’s time to analyze all data, learn, iterate and be back on the launch pad as soon as possible.”

The Spectrum rocket, designed to be a cost-effective and flexible launch vehicle for small and medium-sized satellites, lifted off from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway at 6:30 a.m. Eastern. This launch marked a significant milestone, representing the first orbital launch attempt by a commercial entity from continental Europe outside of Russia. The rocket, powered by nine in-house developed Aquila engines using liquid oxygen and propane, aims to offer competitive launch services to the growing small satellite market. Isar Aerospace’s strategy focuses on a modular design and streamlined production to reduce launch costs and increase launch cadence.

The initial ascent appeared nominal, but approximately 25 seconds into the flight, the rocket began to exhibit instability. Shortly after the launch webcast announcer mentioned the planned pitchover maneuver, the vehicle started to tumble. Within five seconds, the rocket completely lost control and descended rapidly, impacting the ground near the launch pad and resulting in an explosion. Isar Aerospace executives later confirmed that the flight termination system was activated at the 30-second mark, leading to a controlled descent into a designated area in the sea.

While the loss of the vehicle is a setback, Isar Aerospace emphasized the successful achievement of its test objectives.  The company highlighted the collection of crucial flight data, which will be used to analyze the cause of the failure and improve the Spectrum rocket’s design for future missions. An investigation involving Isar Aerospace, Andøya Spaceport, and Norwegian regulators is now underway to determine the root cause of the anomaly. The launch pad itself sustained minimal damage. Isar Aerospace remains optimistic about its future launch attempts and its position within the growing European space sector.

These events underscore the challenges of space exploration. Another German rocket system, the Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) One, suffered a setback last year with a launch from SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland. A static, hot-fire test was performed in August 2024 which unfortunately ended in failure. Reportedly, there was a fuel leak that led to the destruction. The launch pad, an expensive piece of engineering, suffered minimal damage. There is currently work underway to build a new first stage and testing that stage. RFA is attempting a first launch in 2025.

(03-28-2025, 09:55 PM)Bally002 Wrote:

(03-28-2025, 05:47 PM)F2d5thCav Wrote: How come the dude with the bat wings in the last image looks like Putin ?

Я Бэтмен
As Putin always says,   "Я Бэтмен"

Pronounced  -   "YA Betmen"

Bally)

Quote:A hoax that shocked the (in the sense of networking still mostly American) world.

It was 1984, and the world was still in the middle of the Cold War, so any form of network connectivity to any East Block country, let alone the USSR, was unthinkable and considered a direct threat to (US) national security, as was the idea of modern computer technology (Digital Equipment Corporation's 'VAX') being in the hands of the Soviets. Konstantin Chernenko was prime minister of the USSR, General Secretary of the Communist Party and head of the 'Politburo' (the body that had the real political power in that time).

Here's the original Usenet article:



followup

Obviously the article caused a flood of reactions, especially from the US, and of course I had taken care that they were all directed to my own mailbox.

After 2 weeks, when some people had started worrying about the costs (!) the discussion about the "hoax-or-for-real" was causing on Usenet (costs? sure, most of the network then was still a dial-up network and modems were very slow), I revealed the real source, while including some of the reactions I got.

Here's how it ended:
The kremvax hoax

Quote:Numbers vary but it appears that at least 2,000 children were flow to the United States and approximately 1,300 children were flown to Canada, Europe and Australia.

Tragically, one of the first official government flights of Operation Babylift was struck down by disaster. A C-5A Galaxy plane - at that time the largest airplane in the world - departed with more than 300 children and accompanying adults. 40 miles out of Saigon and 23,000 feet up in the air, an explosion blow off the rear doors of the giant craft. The flight controls were crippled and decompression filled the plane with fog and a whirlwind of debris. Few could get to oxygen masks as the overcrowded transport aircraft had been prepared for 100 children, rather than the 300 passengers who had ultimately been loaded aboard.

In what has been called "a remarkable demonstration of flying skill," the US Air Force pilots were able to turn the plane back toward Saigon. The damaged plane crash landed 2 miles from Tan Son Nhut airport. It skidded about 1000 feet, bouncing up again for about half a mile, and then hit a dike and broke into several pieces upon final impact. Parts of the plane burned nearby, coated with oil from the crash. Rescue helicopters arriving quickly from Saigon were unable to land in the water of the surrounding rice paddies. The crew members, nurses, and volunteers (some of them wounded themselves) waded through the mud carrying the children to the helicopters hovering nearby. They had to shield the wounded with their bodies as winds from the helicopter rotors tossed the aircraft debris and smoke though the air.

Sadly, in what was one of the worst aircraft disasters in history at the time, more than half of the children and adults aboard the craft died. Almost everyone in the bottom cargo compartment was killed - the majority were children who were 2 years of age and younger. Seven FFAC adoption volunteers were killed in the crash, along with service members. Many of the 170 or so survivors were injured. Among those who survived unscathed was a baby (Melody) who was profiled in the press because of her subsequent adoption by actor Yul Brynner.

Little Time to Mourn : The Flights Continue

Many people in the United States viewed the Galaxy crash as another in a long series of tragic events surrounding the ill-fated war in Vietnam. At Tan Son Nhut airport, there was no time to mourn, for the fall of Saigon was near. A Pan American Airways Boeing 747 chartered by Holt International that day carried 409 children and 60 escorts, apparently the largest planeload of the Babylift. Reports vary, but it appears that 1200 children were evacuated in the 24 hours following the Galaxy crash, including 40 of the surviving children.

Legacy of Operation Babylift

Quote:PROPHETS, NOMADS AND A FOURTH TURNING ACCELERATING TOWARDS A BLOODY CLIMAX

“In retrospect, the spark might seem as ominous as a financial crash, as ordinary as a national election, or as trivial as a Tea Party. The catalyst will unfold according to a basic Crisis dynamic that underlies all of these scenarios: An initial spark will trigger a chain reaction of unyielding responses and further emergencies. The core elements of these scenarios (debt, civic decay, global disorder) will matter more than the details, which the catalyst will juxtapose and connect in some unknowable way. If foreign societies are also entering a Fourth Turning, this could accelerate the chain reaction. At home and abroad, these events will reflect the tearing of the civic fabric at points of extreme vulnerability – problem areas where America will have neglected, denied, or delayed needed action.” – The Fourth Turning – Strauss & Howe



“Don’t think you can escape the Fourth Turning the way you might today distance yourself from news, national politics, or even taxes you don’t feel like paying. History warns that a Crisis will reshape the basic social and economic environment that you now take for granted. The Fourth Turning necessitates the death and rebirth of the social order. It is the ultimate rite of passage for an entire people, requiring a luminal state of sheer chaos whose nature and duration no one can predict in advance.”
– Strauss & Howe - The Fourth Turning

I believe the chaos, confusion, conflict, and collapse of confidence portends a prolonged period of discord as this Fourth Turning accelerates towards its denouement. The numerous neocon forces in the EU and US attempting to prolong and broaden the Ukraine conflict, along with the Zionist efforts to provoke a war with Iran, have pushed the world to the brink of a new global conflict. All previous Fourth Turnings were decided by an all-out bloody war, and this one is likely to experience a similarly tragic outcome.

Quote:Paul Nitze entered government service during WWII as an administrative assistant to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1942, he became finance director of the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, working for Nelson Rockefeller. In 1943 he became chief of the Metals and Minerals Branch of the Board of Economic Warfare, until he was named director, Foreign Procurement and Development Branch of the Foreign Economic Administration later that year. From 1944 to 1946, Nitze served as director and then as Vice Chairman of the Strategic Bombing Survey for which President Harry S. Truman awarded him the Legion of Merit. One of his early government assignments was to visit Japan in the immediate aftermath of the nuclear attacks and assess the damage.

In the early postwar era, he served in the Truman Administration as Director of Policy Planning for the State Department (1950–1953). He was also the principal author in 1950 of the highly influential but secret National Security Council policy paper, NSC 68, which provided the strategic outline for increased U.S. expenditures to counter the perceived threat of Soviet armament.

From 1953 to 1961, Nitze served as president of the Foreign Service Educational Foundation while concurrently serving as associate of the Washington Center of Foreign Policy Research and the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University. In 1956 he attended the Project Nobska anti-submarine warfare conference.

Nitze co-founded the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) with Christian Herter in 1943. His publications include “U.S. Foreign Policy: 1945–1955.” In 1961, President Kennedy appointed Nitze Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. In 1963, Nitze became the Secretary of the Navy, serving until 1967. His many achievements included establishing the first Personnel Policy Board and retention task force (the Alford Board), and obtaining targeted personnel bonuses. He lengthened commanding officer tours and raised command responsibility pay.

Following his term as Secretary of the Navy, he served as Deputy Secretary of Defense (1967–1969), as a member of the U.S. delegation to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) (1969–1973). Later, he opposed the ratification of SALT II (1979).

Paul Nitze was a cofounder of Team B, a 1970s intelligence think tank that challenged the National Intelligence Estimates provided by the CIA.

Nitze was President Ronald Reagan's chief negotiator of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (1981–1984). In 1984, Nitze was named Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Arms Control.

Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic