Links 12/24/2025

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9 comments

1. The Rev Kev December 24, 2025 at 7:14 am

   “Finland raises reservist age to 65′

   So what exactly did Finland gain by joining NATO and blowing away nearly eighty years of neutrality? Russian resources, especially energy, are no longer flowing into the country which is having a serious effect on the economy. Some concerns have already been put out of business. Taxes will be higher as the Finnish government funnels money to the MIC and will no doubt eventually be cutting back on social welfare, infrastructure, healthcare, education, etc. like is happening in other countries. And just to put the boot in, Russian tourists are no longer crossing the border to pump money into the economy. Now they want to have a huge army, even if they have to take in much older recruits, and pay the huge associated costs. So again, what exactly did they gain out of joining NATO?

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   1. vao December 24, 2025 at 7:36 am

      This measure conflicts with recent declarations by Finnish politicians, as mentioned above: “now the Finnish president has admitted that Russia does not threaten Europe.”

      I am undecided: are EU leaders weather-wanes, closely following and repating whatever narrative comes from the USA (thus, Tulsi Gabbard states the Russian peril is overblown, and European heads of state immediately start parroting the argument)? Or are they merely beating a tactical retreat regarding the whole proxy-war with Russia?

      What I am not convinced of is that there is a “split” among them. I suspect that the discord between Macron/Meloni and Merz results from the German chancellor being particularly dim-witted: he has not yet understood that the NATO/EU ship must perform a new manoeuvre. And yet, that ship keeps its course: those pronouncements about the reduced perception of the Russian threat have not led to any reconsideration of military budgets, rearmament projects, or the dispatch of forces to the borders with Russia and Bielorussia — or the reintroduction of compulsory military service, or its extension to 65 years of age…

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2. Wukchumni December 24, 2025 at 7:15 am

   ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the House
   Not a Congressman was stirring, not even using a mouse;
   The pix of Epstein et al had been hung by the DNC with care,
   In hopes that another impeachment soon would be there;
   Buckaneers were nestled all snug in their beds;
   While visions of oil tanker sugar-plums danced in their heads;
   And Karoline @ the podium, bearing a cross round her neck,
   Had just scuttled their brains, lying again-what the heck?,
   When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
   I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
   Away to the window I flew like a flash,
   Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
   The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
   Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
   When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
   But a black SUV and Stephen Miller approaching near,
   With a bald driver so loathsome betwixt,
   I knew in a moment he must be up to some tricks.
   More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
   And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
   “Now, Pete! now, Pam! now JD and Scott!
   On, Kristi! on, RFK, Jr! on, Russell and Tulsi!
   To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
   Now dash away immigrants! dash away! dash away all!”
   As per efforts before, the tired triad tried,
   When they met with an obstacle, ICE deployment in Illinois will not fly;
   So over to the Home Depot parking lot the coursers they flew
   With the lot full of day laborers, and likely undocumented too—
   And then, in a twinkling, I heard in a poof
   The prancing and pawing of each little jackboot hoof.
   As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
   Down came masked ICE agents with a bound.
   They were dressed all in black, from head to foot,
   And their reputations were all tarnished with many a lawsuit.

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3. Wukchumni December 24, 2025 at 7:29 am

   This atmospheric river is following the same timeline as the most catastrophic flood in the state for many a community last century, the 1955 Xmas event~

   Kinda crazy how right around the same time as last year, LA is gonna get nailed bad, this time not raging wildfires taking out 16,000 houses, but horrific flooding and a large loss of life along with a like amount of homes destroyed in a cruel fashion, in that they will still be standing, and yet wrecked beyond repair.

   Its almost better to have your house burned out down to the foundation, easier to start over with a clean slate.

   Note to Angelenos with scant experience in such things:

   You can total a car rather completely by driving into 3 or 4 feet of standing water, not to mention possibly losing your lives in the effort~

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4. jefemt December 24, 2025 at 7:34 am

   Code 503 busted link on archive to the LA Times Amateur Codebreaker Black Lotus and Zodiac killers…

   Shutting down VPN, shutting down archive work-arounds. Merry Christmas, everyone!?

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5. Steve H. December 24, 2025 at 8:04 am

   Ian Welsh: Google sucks, and every time I query an “AI” the owner loses money. I call that a win.

   I hadn’t thought of it that way! What else have I reversed on this year? Well, I now hope Covid came out of a lab, since if it came from the forest, there’s likely worse lurking about. And in the face of evidence, the existential belief that Indiana University would not could not no never never have a good football team. Who knew?

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6. The Rev Kev December 24, 2025 at 8:09 am

   “From Alsatians to autonomy: China seeks home-grown edge in police dogs”

   When the Chinese say that they are going for autonomy,they are not kidding around. They seem to be determined to have no dependency on anything outside China’s borders so that it can be used against them and here it includes security dogs. And you can easily see the German Shepherd in these dogs-

   https://www.dogbreedinfo.com/kunmingdog.htm

   And I bet that they would make great pets too.

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7. Kilgore Trout December 24, 2025 at 8:23 am

   NC readers may want to read Nicolai Petro’s statement concerning jacques Baud’s sanctioning by the EU. Patrik Baab is writing a public appeal of support.

   https://natyliesbaldwin.com/2025/12/nicolai-petro-a-public-appeal-for-jacques-baud/

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8. Rolf December 24, 2025 at 8:24 am

   Super Links today, Conor, thank you! Better link to the LA Times piece on the Black Dahlia / Zodiac cold case. Gruesome but fascinating. Merry Christmas to all at NC!

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