Matt Steinglass

I have an Italian friend who says he is going to be the last f***ing guy in Italy still voting for Renzi forever

I feel like you could do a funny limited series about a CIA intelligence unit during the Vietnam War that accidentally gets deployed to eastern Turkey and has a great time while trying not to alert the higher-ups to the mistake

I think people feel Spain has a real strong recovery, Italy is disappointing and some of the fall in unemployment is due to emigration?

I bet Groucho wouldn’t have been too psyched if some other set of brothers changed their last names to Marx and took their comedy show on the road

Or juries, in general. But you must have heard that your entire life, I rescind my bad pun

I guess Italy must have fixed that misalignment of educational system to business needs problem I used to read was at fault for its persistent high unemployment rate. Either that, or the ever popular “other things happened” explanation

Israel should be worried about the defense sector business competition from the new always-at-war technologically proficient country

As an editor at The Economist I should know this, but do economists also calculate a discrete impact of the price volatility of a given type of energy? Must have a cost in business uncertainty.

I’d be fine with generating more publicity for both of us

Hadn’t seen that EasyJet TM case. Ridiculous

Not necessarily. In the Iceland case the problem was that the supermarket wanted to restrict the right of Iceland-based businesses to use “Iceland” in their names; the country just wanted to void their TM so others could use it too, but they can keep their name

Putting you on notice, weird mattress chain

Iceland freezes decade-long legal battle with Iceland UK supermarket abandons trademark dispute with island nation after third legal loss

Country defeats supermarket chain. Inspiring news for those of us contemplating similar actions www.ft.com/content/329f...

GHWB did know what it meant and used it ironically. He came up in the days when feckless Birchers were constantly calling on the govt to “unleash Chiang” as if the KMT could have beaten the CCP if only the US hadn’t restrained them. He was making fun of jingoism, not engaging in it. 2/2

What I recall about “unleash Chiang” from Iraq days: GWB used the phrase to mean “open a can of whupass”, but it turned out he didn’t know what it meant. He had picked it up from his dad who used to say it jokingly when playing tennis. 1/2

Yes, I think it was your interview for DN that I came across this morning and got me on this thread...

Of course, but Saltykov-Shchedrin's use was I think deniable. Or other examples: Shvarts claimed his children's play "Drakon" was about Hitler when it could clearly be applied to Stalin

In Tsarist Russia writers developed the art of "Aesopian language", using cultural references to deniably communicate subversive messages. In Russia today singing "I want to watch ballet" can get you arrested.

YouTube video by Jermilia #Russian people sing a forbidden song in St Petersburg.

Bit of nostalgia: I arrived in Leningrad in June 1988, walked into this square and listened to people debating politics openly. This is last November, St Petersburg kids singing MC Noize's protest song "Swan Lake Collective". The band was arrested and now lives in exile. youtu.be/r_8PdHH4v4s

Limited-nuclear-war planner and famous pipe smoker James Schlesinger

Tbc in the Ukraine war it went to 4x and later 6x the current level

Government-aligned pollsters show Fidesz with a 6pt lead while opposition-aligned and neutral pollsters show Tisza with a 13pt lead. It's the first time since Orban came to power that there's been such a clear split between pollsters

Yes I listen to this occasionally

U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for “Armageddon,” Return of Jesus Advocacy group reports commanders giving similar messages at more than 30 installations in every branch of the military

EXCLUSIVE: At more than 30 installations, U.S. commanders told troops the war on Iran is a Christian war.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation has been “inundated” with more than 110 complaints.

One NCO said they were told the U.S. war is to bring about Armageddon and the return of Jesus…

No! Thanks, will try them out. Philippe Collin’s is recommended by Le Monde but I found it hysterical and overproduced

What are the good French politics, history and intellectual affairs podcasts? I like Le Nouvel Esprit Public but it’s always the same people and they pontificate rather than exploring or providing evidence.

Ding-dong! The Dutch Fish Doorbell needs you to help migrating fish A Dutch lock is closed for the spring, and its employees want you to tell them when migrating fish come knocking by ringing a digital doorbell

Well, in more pleasant news, the Fish Doorbell is back... 🧪

Gas prices soar as Iranian attacks force shutdown of Qatari production Saudi Arabia also closes an oil refinery after strike

First Ukraine, now Iran. For Europe relying on gas is starting to look like foolish nostalgia. It should electrify and shift to renewables everywhere possible, as fast as possible, as a matter of economic survival. www.ft.com/content/dac7...

For those of us who have never been good at reading facial expressions, Botox has really helped level the playing field

So the point is that the overpricing of the underpricing is overpriced, or that the volatility is less likely not to be volatile