Reading

Entry tags:

fiction,
offtopic

Friday curious. LoTR reimagined, the Soviet way

How does a culture reshape familiar stories to reflect its own values and worldview? Well, the Russian (or rather, Soviet) version of The Lord of the Rings, titled The Last Ringbearer, reimagines Mordor as a misunderstood industrial power. Tolkien’s tale becomes biased history told by the victors, challenging the moral simplicity of the original.

Mordor is portrayed as a center of science and progress, threatening the magical elites of the West. Rational innovation clashes with feudal stagnation, turning the story into a battle of ideas rather than good versus evil.
Gandalf and the Elves are recast as colonial aggressors, waging war to suppress Mordor’s rise. Their campaign is driven by fear of change, not moral righteousness.

This retelling reflects Russian skepticism of Western narratives and embraces moral ambiguity. It questions historical authority and asks who decides what’s “good” or “evil.”

The Last Ringbearer has a niche but passionate following. Some praise its depth; others critique its heavy-handedness. Still, it remains a bold cultural reinterpretation of a beloved classic.

More on Wiki.

Entry tags:

health,
science

The end of the 10K steps myth

A new international study published in The Lancet shows that walking around 7,000 steps a day is sufficient to significantly improve health and lower the risk of serious conditions:

All-cause mortality: –47%
Cardiovascular disease: –25%
Dementia: –38%
Depression: –22%
Cancer: –6%
Type 2 diabetes: –14%
Falls: –28%

LINK1 / LINK2

Turns out, even walking as few as 4K steps daily offers noticeable benefits compared to very low activity levels (~2K).

Granted, additional health gains continue beyond 7K steps, but the return diminishes, making 7K a practical and achievable target.

Funnily, the widely held belief in the 10K step goal originated from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign rather than scientific evidence. Hardly surprising that it has taken hold in public perception.

So... rejoice! For smart folks now suggest that 5-7K steps may be a more realistic benchmark for most people. And just as effective.

Entry tags:

israel,
palestine

(no subject)

I don't know what's happening in Gaza.

I'm on the other side of the world with nothing but tv and internet sources to rely on. I've seen plenty of horrific pictures and videos, read a few strongly worded articles describing horrific things, but nothing seems certain.

If you can't know, the next best thing is knowing the possibilities. It shouldn't be too hard to narrow them down. It wasn't. I did it already. There are 3. Put that sexy guessing hat on, here we go...

A) Israel is doing nothing wrong. No genocide, no starvation, no sniping kids, no bombing churches or mosques or hospitals or journalists, no international treaty/convention lines have been crossed whatsoever.

B) Israel is doing the aforementioned horrible things and is getting away with it because (insert any variation of 'jews control the world')

C) Israel is doing the aforementioned horrible things and is getting away with it because (insert explanation that absolutely does not in any way imply any variation of 'jews control the world')

A seems pretty basic, but if that is your choice and you want to elaborate please do.

If B, you can just rank where you are on a 'jews control the world' scale from 1 (acknowledgement they have a disproportional amount of leverage/influence) to 10 (they have weather/earthquake machines)

If C - this seems to be the least explained position so unfortunately you have more explaining to do. Good thing explaining is fun.

Entry tags:

Friday WTF. This is how a hype is created:

1) Take some obscure actress and start posting about her
2) Create an artificial controversy around her
3) Have loads of folks fume about it on both sides
4) Generate online buzz
5) Profit!
And she's not even exceptionally pretty!

LINK

Entry tags:

Hungary's hot summer

Hungary's political scene is heating up. With elections just 9 months away, Viktor Orban is facing growing pressure, and for the first time in years, real competition. The rising star is Peter Magyar, a former Fidesz insider who's now positioning himself as a pro-European, NATO-aligned alternative. His message is resonating, especially among younger voters.

Orban in the meantime is doubling down on his usual shenanigans. He's launching aggressive campaigns, fueling anti-Ukraine and anti-Western rhetoric, and pushing conservative culture wars. In a recent speech, he made it clear Hungary wants close ties with just about everyone except Brussels. He even floated vetoing the EU budget over support for Ukraine.

Magyar has struck a very different tone. He called for a Hungary that returns to its European roots, reaffirms its NATO commitments, and rebuilds ties with neighbors like Poland. His promises: ending corruption, bringing transparency, and healing political division. No surprise these sound appealing to many disillusioned Hungarians who are fed up with Orban at this point.

So I'd say what's coming isn't just an election. It's a referendum on Orban himself and a clash between two very different visions for Hungary's future. As we like to say around these latitudes: "A civilizational choice is upon us".

Entry tags:

poll,
topic

Monthly topic

Sooo, time to see what you guys have chosen for the monthly topic for August:

Techno-Authoritarianism

And here's the poll for September:

What should be the next monthly topic?

1) The Politics of Disaster: Who Benefits from Crisis?
2) Africa Rising? Myths and Realities
3) The Global Housing Crunch
4) Digital Borders and the Fragmented Internet
5) Conspiracy Theories We Kind of Wish Were True

Feel free to suggest more...