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Если бы США согласились на переговоры с Москвой, Россия бы не начала "спецоперация", пишет бывший посол США в Unherd. По его мнению, именно Запад встрял и помешал Киеву заключить договор с Россией, что повлекло за собой эскалацию конфликта.

То, как американские СМИ доселе освещали конфликт в Украине, напоминает изречение, которое приписывают Марку Твену: “Многие комментаторы своими изысканиями уже сгустили вокруг этой темы такой мрак, что, вполне вероятно, что, если они продолжат в том же духе, мы скоро вообще останемся в полном неведении”.

Есть и более краткая максима: первой на войне гибнет истина. Как правило ее окутывает туман официальной лжи. И никогда прежде он не был таким густым, как в украинском конфликте. Покуда сотни тысяч людей воюют и гибнут в Украине, пропагандистские машины в Брюсселе, Киеве, Лондоне, Москве и Вашингтоне работают сверхурочно, чтобы гарантировать, что мы всем сердцем поддерживаем своих, верим в то, во что они хотят, и осуждаем всякого, кто усомнится в усвоенных нами штампах. Последствия оказались ужасными для всех. А для Украины — и вовсе катастрофическими. Мы стоим на пороге нового года, и всем заинтересованным сторонам давно пора решительно пересмотреть свою политику.

Дело в том, что конфликт вспыхнул и продолжается из–за просчетов всех без исключения сторон. США сочли угрозы России начать боевые действия из–за нейтралитета Украины блефом, который удастся сдержать, изложив российские планы по пунктам и всячески их очернив. Россия исходила из того, что США предпочтут переговоры открытым боевым действиям и не захотят доводить до раскола Европы на враждебные блоки. Украинцы рассчитывали, что Запад защитит их страну. Когда военные действия России в первые месяцы конфликта оказались откровенно невпечатляющими, Запад пришел к выводу, что Украина сможет ее победить. Ни один из этих расчетов не оправдался.

Однако официальная пропаганда, усиленная услужливой прессой и раболепными социальными сетями, убедила большинство на Западе, что отказ от мирных переговоров и поощрение Киева к боевым действиям против с Россией — и есть “проукраинская” позиция. Сочувствие военной кампании Украины вполне понятно, но, как нас должна была научить война во Вьетнаме, демократии проигрывают, когда на смену объективным репортажам приходят подобострастные суждения, а правительства предпочитают собственную пропаганду правде о происходящем на поле боя.

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Мы попросили нейросеть нарисовать нам идеального, то есть конверсионного, продающего инстаграм–блогера («Инстаграм» запрещён в России).

Это, естественно, баба. Она — эксперт, она — красотка: сиськи, жопа — всё при ней. Спортсменка, у неё дети, мужик и она феминистка. Она на «докмеде», у неё всё по науке, а также она — нутрициолог–таролог–астролог. Одновременно.

Нейросеть справилась достойно, я считаю. Особенно удались руки этих мутантов.

Смотреть всех https://seosey.ru/2024/idealnyy–bloger.html

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Известный фотограф Хенрик Пурьенн (Henrik Purienne) приглашает нас в увлекательное путешествие за пределы реальности через призму своего объектива, погружаясь в мир фантазий о красивых девушках, солнечных пляжах и бескрайних летних днях. Его творчество, насыщенное ретро-эстетикой и соблазном, олицетворяет дух Playboy 1970-х. Характерный метод съёмки девушек на плёнку в естественной обстановке делает фотографии Пурьенна уникальными. Взгляд […] Взято отсюда

The FAA will order the grounding of some Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, the agency said Saturday, after an Alaska Airlines aircraft departing the Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon experienced a sudden hull breach and decompression.

The flight, AS 1282, bound for Ontario, California, safely returned to Portland with 171 passengers and 6 crew members, the airline said.

Want more aviation news? Sign up for TPG’s free biweekly Aviation newsletter.

The flight climbed to as high as 16,300 feet, according to data from FlightRadar24, seven minutes after taking off from Portland, before quickly descending to below 10,000 feet and looping around to return to the airport.

Photos circulating on social media and local news appeared to show a hole the size and shape of an emergency exit “plug” on the left-hand side of the aircraft aft of the wing. The 737 MAX 9 features a spot for an extra emergency exit, which is required on models of the aircraft with certain higher density seating configurations. Airlines that put fewer seats on the aircraft can choose to place a “plug” in that place instead.

A source familiar with the matter described the moment of decompression to TPG as “explosive,” while a passenger on the flight told local media that the force of the incident ripped a child’s shirt off. Photos appeared to show emergency oxygen masks deployed throughout the passenger cabin.

Photos also appeared to show damage to the seat next to the hole in the bulkhead. Several unconfirmed reports suggested that the seat was not occupied when the incident occurred.

The plane, which has the registration number N704AL, was delivered to Alaska from Boeing on Oct. 31, 2023, according to data from Airfleets, and only began revenue service with the airline last month.

In a statement, Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci apologized to passengers who were on the flight and said that the airline would ground its 65 737 MAX 9 aircraft pending inspections.

“Each aircraft will be returned to service only after completion of full maintenance and safety inspections. We anticipate all inspections will be completed in the next few days,” Minicucci said.

By noon ET on Saturday, inspections on more than a quarter of Alaska’s 737 MAX 9 fleet had been completed, the airline said, and some of the planes had already returned to service. Several aircraft were operating revenue flights Saturday morning.

Alaska later clarified that it had reviewed maintenance records, and found that 18 of its 65 aircraft of the subtype had undergone the relevant inspection as part of routine heavy maintenance recently enough to be deemed safe.

The FAA on Saturday said it would temporarily ground some currently in-service aircraft pending inspections that would take four to eight hours per plane. The emergency Airworthiness Directive will apply to MAX 9 jets that are outside of certain routine inspection windows and will include about 171 aircraft, the agency said. There are approximately 215 of the aircraft subtype in service globally, according to aviation data firm Cirium.

United Airlines is the only other U.S. carrier that operates the MAX 9, the longest version of the jet that is currently operating for airlines. A larger version, the 737 MAX 10, is in the process of being certified by the FAA. It was not immediately clear whether the “plug” was an option on the MAX 10.

The inspection may be able to be performed at outstations, rather than at maintenance hubs, which would significantly speed up the process, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team of investigators to Portland.

Boeing said in a statement that it supported the FAA’s Emergency Airworthiness Directive.

“We agree with and fully support the FAA’s decision to require immediate inspections of 737-9 airplanes with the same configuration as the affected airplane,” the Boeing statement said. “In addition, a Boeing technical team is supporting the NTSB’s investigation into last night’s event. We will remain in close contact with our regulator and customers.”

The incident harkened back to the nearly two-year global grounding of the 737 MAX type, which was implemented in April 2019 following the second of two fatal crashes involving the relatively new aircraft type.

Investigators attributed the crashes to a flight control system that was designed to pitch the aircraft down in some situations to compensate for the fact that the MAX has larger engines than the previous model of 737, the Next Generation, or NG.

The system, Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), was found to rely on a single “angle-of-attack” sensor, which feeds information about the aircraft’s pitch to the pilots and flight control computer. Without a backup sensor or other monitoring systems in place, if that sensor became damaged, investigators found that the plane could erroneously pitch down and cause the pilots to lose control.

Since the episodes, Boeing has found itself under a spotlight for its safety practices and records. Other potential manufacturing defects in various plane types — including the MAX — have been found since the grounding. While most of those were either minor issues or relatively commonplace advisories that plane makers routinely issue out of an abundance of caution, the U.S.-based manufacturer has struggled to shake the reputational stain, and even the most routine incidents involving a MAX aircraft have tended to draw disproportionate attention from the public.

The episode occurred just days after Alaska took delivery of its first 737 MAX 8, a smaller version of the jet.

Related reading:

• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• How to not get stuck if your flight is canceled
• Getting a refund for a canceled flight
• What are points and miles worth? TPG’s monthly valuations

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Following a presidential decree, Turkey (also known as Turkiye) has lifted its tourism visa requirements for six new countries — including the United States and Canada.

The decree, signed by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Dec. 22, has largely slipped under the radar. It was announced in the Turkish Official Gazette on Dec. 23 and applies to tourists visiting Turkey from the U.S., Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Oman and Saudi Arabia. 

Citizens of any of these six countries can now spend 90 days in Turkey in any 180-day period without the need to apply for a travel visa.

Related: 11 of the best hotels in Turkey, from Istanbul to Cappadocia

The announcement comes as part of a broader effort by Turkey to improve international relations and travel accessibility.

Previously, visitors from the U.S. had to obtain an e-visa, which cost around $20, if visiting Turkey for tourism or trade purposes.  

Curiously, while the new rules were announced Dec. 23, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Turkiye, along with the Turkish government’s e-visa application site, both still flag that U.S. and Canadian visitors require an e-visa.

However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkiye confirmed with TPG that changes are in place, saying: “Visa exemption for citizens of six countries (USA, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Oman) had approved, these passport holders no longer need a visa, and they are exempted from visa 90 days within 180 days.”

The changes have been updated on the U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs website. 

Bottom line

Tourists from the U.S. and Canada no longer need to pay for a tourist visa to visit Turkey. The new changes permit travelers to freely visit the country for 90 days every 180 days without needing a visa.

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Наступил новый 2024 год. Является ли Америка все еще незаменимой? Если это так, то положение будет обязывать ее использовать всю силу и влияние на весь мир, чтобы немедленно положить конец всем ужасным войнам на планете. Применение силы и разжигание конфликтов ради мира? Ответ на этот вопрос дает профессор политологии Бостонского университета и по совместительству обозреватель журнала Responsible Statecraft Эндрю Басевич.

- пишет автор.

По его мнению, когда глава Белого дома использует старое клише о "незаменимости Америки", порожденное бывшим госсекретарем Мадлен Олбрайт, он совершает опасную ошибку. Статус незаменимости означает применение силы гегемоном для предотвращения применения силы кем-либо другим, даже в своей юрисдикции.

- продолжает Басевич.

Сегодня вызовов "незаменимости" предостаточно: подъем Китая, зашедший в тупик конфликт на Украине, дырявые границы внутри страны, насущная экзистенциальная угроза, создаваемая изменением климата. Однако ни один из них не представляет собой более серьезного испытания, чем продолжающаяся война в секторе Газа. Здесь больше, чем где-либо еще, события требуют от США подтвердить свои претензии на первенство.

Но не означает ли это прекращение насилия с помощью насилия? По мнению автора - только такой смысл и прослеживается в поведении Америки при ее претензиях на исключительность. Накачка оружием одной из сторон каждого конфликта не приближает мирное решение вопроса.

- подводя итог, пишет американский профессор.

Таким образом, "незаменимость" всегда оборачивается бесконечной мировой войной, которую ослепленные политики США отрицают, но всеми силами подпитывают.

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Editor’s note: This post was updated with new information.

A family of adorable pink pigs will be moving to Texas this year.

North America’s first Peppa Pig Theme Park opened in Winter Haven, Florida on Feb. 24, 2022. Now, Merlin Entertainments has announced it will open a second Peppa Pig Theme Park location in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2024.

The new Peppa Pig Theme Park will be in North Richland Hills — a suburb to the northeast of Fort Worth, next to the 17-acre NRH2O Family Water Park and less than 30 minutes from the Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life Grapevine aquarium.

Related: Best spring break destinations for families

“North Richland Hills is known for its family-friendly amenities and activities, and we could not be more thrilled to add Peppa Pig Theme Park to the mix. This will be a great addition to our community,” Oscar Trevino, mayor of North Richland Hills, said in a press release announcing the new location.

“Given the incredible success of our LEGOLAND® Discovery Center and SEA LIFE Aquarium in Grapevine, Texas, the North Richland Hills community was a natural next step in our expansion and rollout,” Scott O’Neil, Merlin Entertainments CEO, added.

Details on ticket types for Peppa Pig Theme Park’s Texas location have yet to be announced. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some type of combination ticket available, especially considering Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life Grapevine are also owned by Merlin Entertainments.

This would be similar to Peppa Pig Theme Park’s Central Florida location, which is directly adjacent to Legoland Florida Resort and offers combination tickets to Peppa Pig Theme Park, Legoland Florida and Legoland Water Park.

Peppa Pig Theme Park’s Texas location will have five rides, a water play area and loads of activities designed just for kids. Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster is a perfect first roller coaster for little ones, but even parents may let out a squeal or two. The other rides will be Peppa Pig’s Balloon Ride, Grandad Dog’s Pirate Boat Ride, Grampy Rabbit’s Dinosaur Adventure and Mr. Bull’s High Striker.

Related: Tips for keeping your family safe at a theme park

In between rides, kids can visit play spaces across the park like the Muddy Puddles Splash Pad (bring a swimsuit and a towel to dry off after), a bicycle and tricycle trail, a Fun Fair with free carnival games and character meet-and-greets, a playground and more.

Kids won’t be stuck in the stroller moving from ride to ride all day long. Peppa Pig Theme Park is small enough and laid out in such a way that kids can run around and explore (while their parents attempt to keep up with them).

Its smaller size also means you can experience the entire park in one day, making Peppa Pig Theme Park the latest in a trend toward smaller and more affordable theme parks, like the Universal-owned park also under development in Texas. Peppa Pig Theme Park’s Florida location sells one-day tickets starting at only $34 per person.

Though not yet expressly stated, it’s also expected that the new Peppa Pig Theme Park will emphasize accessibility, much like other Merlin-owned attractions. Peppa Pig’s Florida location has many attractions designed to be wheelchair accessible. It also has accreditation through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards as a Certified Autism Center, meaning staff members have sensory awareness training, and each attraction has a sensory guide for parents.

If you are looking for a sensory-friendly area or just need a quiet place to relax and cool off, The Cinema plays nonstop episodes of “Peppa Pig,” and guests can relax on oversized beanbag chairs.

More details on Peppa Pig Theme Park Dallas-Fort Worth and an opening date will be released in the coming months as development progresses. For now, you can sign up on the park’s website to join its mailing list and stay up to date on all the “oinktastic” news!

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you’re a beginner or expert traveler
• The best travel credit cards
• Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can’t travel without

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Denmark’s 1000 Krone note is set to be removed from circulation by May 2025, the Scandinavian country has recently announced.

Director of Nationalbanken, Christian Kettel Thomsen, commented, “With the evolution of Danes’ payment habits, the 1,000 crown note is no longer necessary.”

In Denmark, only 10% of payments in stores are made in cash as opposed to card. This amount is half as much as it was in 2017.

As part of the announcement, Nationalbanken set forth its  intention to continue the fight against economic crime.

“We are also listening to the concerns and wishes of the police, the financial sector and the retail sector… the 1,000 crown banknote is used to a greater extent than other banknotes in the framework of various forms of financial crime,” explained Nationalbanken.

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Многие люди думают, что самая высокотехнологичная современная отрасль — это искусственный интеллект. Как бы не так.
Написанный почти, внимание, 60 лет назад электронный собеседник «Элиза» обошел в тесте Тьюринга новомодный ChatGPT. Без всяких языковых моделей и доступа к огромным данным, «Элиза», которая была первой программой в этой области, убедила своего человеческого собеседника в том, что именно она — настоящая.

Нет, искусственный интеллект — это забава для бородатых людей в свитерах с оленями. А люди в дорогих костюмах зарабатывают иначе. Они борются за экологию.

Я вам как-то уже рассказывал, как компания Googlе стала первой в мире углеродно-нейтральной компанией. Нет, это вовсе не значит, что она перевела все свои дата-центры на возобновляемую энергию. Они просто купили квоты на углеродные выбросы. Которые продавали всякие развивающиеся страны. Но главное-то — заявить.

Но то было несколько лет назад. С тех пор эту технологию освоили все и понадобились новые. Норвежская компания Yara объявила о постройке контейнеровоза с нулевыми углеродными выбросами. Нет, он даже не атомный. Корабль будет работать, внимание, на чистом аммиаке.

Аммиак — это очень, очень токсичное вещество. Аммиак в таких количествах, которые позволили бы двигать огромное судно — это страшный сон любого директора холодильного комбината. Помноженный во много раз.

Но вот какая штука — аммиак не содержит углерода. Вообще. Значит, корабль, который заправляется топливом, в 15 раз более токсичным, чем дизель, по европейским законам получается полностью безопасным. А ходить он будет между Норвегией и Германией. Ну то есть не где-нибудь там, вдалеке. А в самом, так сказать, сердце.

Больше того. Судостроитель заверяет, что аммиак будет производиться не с помощью природного газа, как это принято, а с помощью электролиза воды. Это значит, что на производство такого аммиака будет тратиться в три раза больше энергии, чем удастся из него получить.

Но зато всё абсолютно углеродно нейтрально.

Иногда даже кажется, что создатели всех этих удивительных технологий издеваются над теми, кто придумал мир без углерода.

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Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

America’s national parks continue to draw big crowds. In fact, attendance has bounced back almost to pre-pandemic levels, with nearly 312 million visitors in 2022, according to the National Park Service. Visiting one of the U.S. park sites remains an incredibly popular travel choice for many people.

That high demand means some parks get very crowded, especially during the peak summer travel season. If you’re already thinking of planning a trip to a national park in the summer of 2024, it’s important you read up on entrance requirements for the park you intend to visit. The National Park Service website is an invaluable resource to help plan your trip and to make sure you’re aware of specific entry requirements.

At certain parks like Arches National Park in Utah, the demand to gain entry to the park is so great some people arrive before sunrise to get in. Arches is one of a handful of in-demand national parks that continue to use a timed-entry reservation system or ticket requirements to manage crowds during the busiest time, which is between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Entrance to the park before 7 a.m. or after 4 p.m. does not require a ticket. These measures began to deal with the massive influx of visitors after pandemic-era travel restrictions were lifted.

Visitors at Glacier National Park in Montana do not need a vehicle reservation at the moment as visitor traffic declines as the seasons change. The reservation system was a measure introduced to ease vehicle congestion in the park, primarily on Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road, during the busy summer season and peak times, primarily 6 a.m.-3 p.m. That 50-mile stretch crossing the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains is perhaps America’s most scenic highway and one of Glacier’s biggest drawing cards.

Related: Complete guide to Glacier National Park

The expiration of the reservation system means visitors can enjoy the sweeping vistas and outlooks along the road without fear of being turned away for not having booked a ticket in advance. Keep in mind that the alpine section of Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed during the winter season. The road is still open to the Avalanche Lake Campground on the west side and Rising Sun on the east side.

Related: What you need to know before planning your national park trip

Now, we should point out that while Glacier’s reservation system expired as of Sept. 10, 2023, it doesn’t mean it’s gone for good. It’s likely the vehicle reservation procedures will resume for the summer of 2024, given that Glacier remains a popular destination for travelers wanting to enjoy the great outdoors.

Additional entrances into Glacier National Park were added to the reservation system in 2023 to the Many Glacier and Two Medicine valleys as park officials studied visitor data. If the vehicle reservation system returns in 2024, it will be interesting to see if park officials keep the window in which park tickets are valid to only three days. It used to be they were good for seven days, but authorities changed it with the intention of giving more people a chance to experience Going-to-the-Sun Road’s winding cliffside road and picturesque views.

If you’re wondering how much time to allow for the drive, the Park Service says it’s possible to do the entire drive in about two hours if you don’t stop. But why would you want to rush through such an unforgettable experience? You’ll want to make several stops to take in the incredible sights and some nice photos for the ‘gram, so budget around four hours to complete the entire drive.

If you’re considering a trip to Glacier, be sure to monitor the park’s website or its X (formally known as Twitter) account for updates on park admittance policies. And if you’re thinking of camping at Glacier, permits are free between Nov. 1 and April 30. From May 1-Oct. 31, there is a $10 permit fee as well as an extra camping fee of $7 per night, per person. For those who are not big on advance planning, walk-in permits are available. The park sets aside about 30% of the park’s campgrounds for walk-in campers.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you’re a beginner or an expert traveler
• The best travel credit cards
• Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can’t travel without

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