Terje Fjelde

You get the sense that if the BBC covers animal welfare, the demands of due impartiality are met if a quote from a Cranswick executive is balanced with a shot of a grunting pig.

It lends weight to my belief that we live in a post-rational society governed by technical norms untethered from reality.

What should I identify as if I think the concept (whether pro, anti or neutral) is superfluous, moot, stigmatizing and counterproductive for all groups alike?

The Infantino Peace Prize... would you really brag about it, though?

If one really *must* award a peace prize to Trump, the Infantino Peace Prize sounds about right, though.

Good point, but I do think it's a problem that the collective voice of the EU today seems weaker than the individual voices of, say, Mitterrand's France or Kohl's Germany.

Not for lack of economic or military power, perhaps, but rather for lack of political resolution and a defining sense of unity.

Rosalía’s Berghain is a thundrous goth-pop hit – but is it opera? The Catalan star’s epic new single is delighting and dividing classical music fans in equal measure

This is a bit too much like the dramatic snippets you might hear in the Traitors.

But I'm surprised there haven't been more experiments fusing opera vocals and modern electronic music in recent years - especially in art music. The massive soundscapes you can create are perfect for the genre.

Europe’s democratic strain is a crisis of governance, not borders Western politicians are increasingly framing migration as a threat to national security and social cohesion. In doing so, they risk undermining the democratic norms they claim to defend…

Western politicians are increasingly framing migration as a threat to national security and social cohesion. In doing so, they risk undermining the democratic norms they claim to defend, writes @mireiafaro.bsky.social @ecfrpower.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/3X0qhRH

"If populism is an overused term, so is the idea that it can be defeated."

To get started, here are a few pairings that could distinguish mainstream politicians from populists:
- Values/Sincerity
- Competence/Confidence
- Realism/Optimism
- Willpower/Long-term commitment
- Heart/Kindness

I basically got "What I can’t do is assert or imply current, unverified claims about specific governments’ conduct" here.

I never asked for or wanted *unverified claims*! 😄😖

Illuminating ChatGPT experience: I asked how China's authoritarian crackdown in Xinjiang might be seen as an "improved" version of Western methods under colonialism, and how these Chinese hi-tech enhancements is in turn used by Israel in Gaza, U.S./ICE.

It did NOT like that line of inquiry at all.

It’s easy to forget just how oppressive the Chinese regime is in a world where international interdependence, trade interests, and tariff wars muffle human rights concerns.

Initiatives to increase self-sufficiency and improve market position are well and good, but I sincerely hope that, for the most part, Europe simply gets on with it – quietly, without fanfare. No press releases, no grand gestures to stir the waters or awaken the giants, whether it's China or the U.S.

Israel blocking €43m of Gaza aid despite ceasefire, NGOs say Israeli authorities have rejected 94 percent of aid delivery requests from international relief organisations — leaving €43m worth of critical supplies stranded at border crossings, according to 41 humanitarian groups working in Gaza.

Israeli authorities have rejected 94 percent of aid delivery requests from international relief organisations — leaving €43m worth of critical supplies stranded at border crossings, according to 41 humanitarian groups working in Gaza.

So much for the "natural variability" argument. 😂😭

And aren't European views towards China basically "what America says"?

Europe must do better. We need a rules-based relation based on mutual interests. And if we want to address humanitarian and authoritarian aspects, we should lead by example, not finger-wagging; atm not doing a great job of it.

Too ridiculous. 😂

I'm reading an analysis on China's Uyghur region, and these Conservative drafts remind me of a quote from a Han official to solve the problem of "otherness":

"You can’t uproot all the weeds hidden among the crops in the field one by one—you need to spray chemicals to kill them all."

If that doesn’t work, I hear Xi Jinping says indoctrination camps work like a charm for maintaining cultural coherence.

In so many ways, Merz is not the statesman you'd want in this position at this time. Not a statesman at all, in fact.

Your favorite thing is down because DynamoDB at Amazon's AWS US-EAST-1 Regionwoke up with Main Character Syndrome.

This is the default /legacy backbone for a ton of things.

Including Amazon's own stuff.

Massive outages.

Here's what's going on & what we know 1/

Nederlandse diensten delen minder informatie met de VS: ‘Soms vertellen we dingen niet meer’ Het aantal dreigingen dat op Nederland afkomt is groot, zien de hoofden van de AIVD en de MIVD elke dag: niet alleen Russische agressie, maar ook de opmars van China als digitale macht en binnenlands ...

The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service has stopped sharing certain information with the United States: “Sometimes we no longer share things,” officials say, because the information has been finding its way into Kremlin hands. www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/n...

I have a sticky memory.

A Little Knowledge (Is a Dangerous Thing).

Someone should start banging *him* on the head with the textbook definition of the word.

People who don’t read books have no place in literature.

Eight wars in nine months? That's nothing! I ended twelve wars in fourteen days armed with nothing but a teaspoon, a deckchair, and an optimistic hymn – and you never hear a peep from the pockets of the Kremlin in support of me, do you?

Phyllis Hyman is a personal favourite. "I Refuse to Be Lonely" invariably moves me to tears.

Ah, thanks — always good to get information straight from the horse’s mouth! I was merely speculating, of course, as I hope I made clear.

And I’m glad to hear it; I fear many artists of her generation were unduly influenced by record companies and commercial pressures.

On the other hand, I doubt Gladys made the choice to venture into new jack swing – so perhaps not.

Maybe the subsequent gospel albums are where she truly followed her muse?

I agree fullheartedly :)

I don't know her career intimately, either - especially not post-1990. I assume the record company was pretty much in full control from the start, and that her success as a solo artist from the mid- to late 80s gave her a lot more control for a spell.

Wonderful voice, great singer! Sadly, I can’t help feeling her career was marred by too many mediocre songs and productions. And the Pips, whilst occasionally brilliant, could be an annoying presence.

I keep returning to her LPs, hoping to change my mind. But I haven't yet. Still, the highlights: 😍