IRAN ANNOUNCES IT HAS HYPERSONIC WEAPON

 The following article comes from RT.  I watched American news Subday night, and much was devoted to the death of the wife of former Pres. Jimmy Carter, who still lives.  His wife, Rosalynn died at 86.  There were other news stories that may have allowed no time for this - but if true, it is a very important story.  Hugh Murray

Iran unveils its newest hypersonic missile

Tehran’s ballistic weapon reportedly makes use of a technology possessed by very few nations

FILE PHOTO. ©  AFP / Atta Kenare

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled the nation’s cutting-edge hypersonic missile at a ceremony in Tehran attended by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday, local media reported. The projectile reportedly makes use of rare hypersonic glider technology. 

The missile was presented at the Ashura Aerospace Science and Technology University during an exhibition showcasing the Islamic Republic’s advancements in aerospace tech. According to the IRNA news agency, the Fattah-2 missile is equipped with a hypersonic glider warhead that places it “in the HGV… class of hypersonic weapons.” 

The Iranian media reported that the Islamic Republic has become the fourth nation in the world to make use of such technology.

A hypersonic glide vehicle, or HGV, is a type of warhead that allows it to maneuver and glide at hypersonic speeds. It is usually mounted on ballistic missiles and can significantly change its flight trajectory after launch, which makes it a much harder target for a potential enemy’s missile defense systems to detect than a typical warhead traveling in a more predictable arc trajectory. 

Read more

 Iran claims hypersonic breakthrough

Very few nations have operational HGV missiles to date. One of them is Russia, which possesses the ‘Avangard’ gliders mounted on its silo-based intercontinental ballistic missiles like the ‘Sarmat’. The Russian HGV is capable of flying between 20 and 27 times faster than the speed of sound or between 24,000 and 33,000 kilometers per hour and has an explosive yield of up to two megatons, which is more than 100 times greater than the explosion produced by the US nuclear bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

In 2019, China officially put its DF-ZF HGV missile into service. Mounted on a road-mobile medium-range ballistic missile, the Chinese hypersonic glider can travel up to 10 times faster than the speed of sound at a speed of 12,360 kilometers per hour and carry a nuclear charge. 

Read more

 US spy agency names hypersonic weapons frontrunner

The US was expected to have its ‘Dark Eagle’ Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) enter service in September, but its fielding has been delayed due to a scrapped critical test of its glide vehicle. The weapons system is still expected to become operational by the end of the year, according to media reports. 

Little is known about Iran’s Fattah-2 missile, as the national media provided very few details on the projectile’s technical characteristics. Its predecessor, the Fattah missile that was officially unveiled less than six months ago, on June 6, had a range of 1,400 kilometers and could travel between 13 and 15 times faster than the speed of sound.

The commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, said later in June that the projectile’s range could be increased to 2,000 kilometers. Such an operational range could potentially allow Iran to reach the territory of Israel, which Tehran considers to be its arch-enemy. According to the Iranian media, the Fattah missile was also capable of penetrating through a potential enemy’s air defenses and destroying them.

PUTIN ON GAYS, HONG KONG AND GUADALAJAR GAY (OLYMPIC) GAMES

 I am surprised by this.  Glad to see it.  Since the source is RT, I assume it is accurate.HUGH MURRAY

 

Also, I understand that the Gay (Olympic) Games went on as scheduled in both Guadalajara - not far from Acapulco where 50 people died in a powerful hurricane this November.  AND the Games also went on as scheduled in Hong Kong.  This may be a sign that HK is not totally following the ways of Beijing.

For the first time, the GGames were divided, the first scheduled in Asia and Mexico.  Chinese leader Xi did not go to HK to attend any of the GG, #11, or just GG XI.  Perhaps to avoid the gay issue, Xi went instead to San Francisco.  (For those living outside of the US, this is ironic humor, because San Francisco is one of the most gay cities in the US, and in the world, probably much more so than either HK or Guad.)

The following is from RT:

BOMBING, URBAN COMBAT, COUNTLESS DEATHS: LIVE UPDATES ON ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

17 Nov, 2023 20:07

 

Putin says ‘something unexpected’ about LGBTQ

Russian president is okay with LGBTQ themes infusing cultural events, but they mustn’t become a mandatory requirement for winning

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the International Culture Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia on November 17, 2023. ©  Sputnik / Mikhail Metzel

Members of the LGBTQ community and its culture are part of a modern society and shouldn’t be barred from being represented at cultural events or contests, Russian President Vladimir Putin believes. At the same time, such themes must not be mandatory criteria for winning said contests, as appears to occur in the West, he suggested.

The president made the remarks on Friday as he spoke at the 9th International Culture Forum in St. Petersburg. Putin was asked by Emir Kusturica, the iconic Serbian film director and screenwriter, about his opinion on LGBTQ topics becoming a mandatory requirement for winning certain film contests in the West.

“Yes, indeed, we see that at various competitions in Western countries, in order to win something, you need to either tell, write, or show the lives of sexual minorities, transgenders and transformers – many different names for them,” Putin stated.

But I’ll tell you something unexpected. They too – these topics and these people – have the right to win, show and tell, because this is also part of society. This is also what people live by. It’s bad if they just win all sorts of competitions, that’s of no use.

The president stressed that “equality” should be a universal principle, including in cultural contests.

READ MORE: Russian authorities want to outlaw ‘LGBT’

The International Culture Forum is currently underway in St. Petersburg, set to go on until November 18. This year, the major international event is titled the ‘Forum of United Cultures.’ The Forum brings together representatives of some 70 nations from around the globe, including more than 30 culture ministers, and hosts multiple events that end with panel discussions on various culture-related matters and an international dialogue

     +++++++++++++++++

Ironically, on the RT site, the same day, this story also appeared::

Russian authorities want to outlaw ‘LGBT’

The Justice Ministry has lodged a lawsuit seeking to designate the “international LGBT movement” an extremist group

DEMOCRATS WILL WANT TO KICK JILL STEIN AND THE GREEN PARTY OFF THE BALLOT, AND WHO ELSE? WILL WE BE PERMITTED TO VOTE FOR TRUMP?

 Newser had a short article about Jill Stein planning to run again as the Green Party candidate for President in 2024.  I live in Wisconsin now, and recall the dispute about getting her on the ballot in this state.  In 2016 Stein ran for the Greens, and in Wisconsin won about 20,000 votes.  That year Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by about 16,000.  Democrats blamed Stein for the loss of Wisconsin and other states, and played legal tricks to kick her off the ballot in 2020.  Democrats also prevented Kanye West from appearing on the ballot in Wisconsin in 2020.  Result: Biden defeated Trump by about 20,000.  Though, as the voting rolls have not been vetted here and in 2020 Democrats made it easy to vote by mail, and no check much about the returned vote, and the nursing home vote, and the Zuckerbergs' contribution to Dem front NGO's in Wisconsin and elsewhere, well, I suspect the Dems could have manufactured many more Biden votes if needed then.

    Anyway, here is my comment on the Newser story:  The Democrats will be using every dirty trick to keep her and the Green Party off the ballot, just as they did last election in Wisconsin - knocking off Stein, and preventing Kanye West from getting on. The GOP does not target the Libertarian of Constitution Party - these dirty tricks, step 1 of the election steal, begins with preventing people from voting for their favorite. Of course in 2024, the Dems are trying to prevent ex-Pres. Trump from getting on the ballot.

The aim if the Dems is a one-party dictatorship, just as they used to have in the Solid South, like when I was young and grew up there. If the Dems are able to steal the 2024 election as they did in 2020, America will be over.

  Hugh Murray

SOME GREAT FILMS I HAVE SEEN -HOPE YOU GET TO SEE THEM TOO - Hugh Murray

 I have gone to countless movies over the years, some I loved, some were so-so, some a waste of time.  I decided to make s short list of those that I think are great.  Some have faded over time, or more properly, I grew up.  For example, when quite young I loved Abbot and Costello in various films, as when they met Frankenstein or Dracula or the Mummy.  But as an adult, it wasn't even that funny anymore.  Some, like Laurel and Harvey, did, and I still enjoy their comedies.

    As a youngster, I saw the western 1953 film  "Shane."  I was about 15, whereas the boy in the film was only 6, but I had thought it was terrific.  Saw it recently on Pluto, or missed a little of the beginning.  I did not so identify with the boy, as with a young man, a Southerner, and knew that strains of Dixie would be played somewhere in the film.  The young man is a good guy, trying to farm like the other new arriving farmers.  He knows that the cattle dealers object to farmers cutting into their territory, fencing off land where the cattle used to roam, reducing their grazing lands, trying to blockade their fast routes to the north.  The cattlemen were cutting and destroying the fences of the farmers, and threatening them with gunfights.

  The Southerner is a farmer, and helped a farmer to survive some of the threats.  Cattlemen then hire a professional gun slinger to help persuade the farmers to depart.  The Southener comes to town and confronts Jack Palance, the bad gunslinger.  Dixie is played in the background.  Then Palance seeks to provoke the rebel to draw his pistol first, insulting the young man as a Southerner, trash, and so are his Confederate generals.  Reb draws, and is killed by the evil Yank, who will not be judged a murderer because the rev drew his weapon first.  [And in these days of hatred and prejudice, and demands to destroy our own history, pulling down monuments not only to Lee, and Beauregard, but to Jefferson, Washington, AND Columbus, it is amazing Shane is shown anywhere.]  

  The boy's dad is now trying to prevent the farmers from running away, leaving all they have tried to build up. but many farmers or their wives are concluding it is too dangerous to stay with Palance in town.  Time to go.  The boy's dad plans to take a stand alone, but Alan Ladd, who recently had been working for that family, is a gunslinger himself, trying to get out of that business.  Ladd decides he, not the dad, will ride to town to face Palance.  A fist fight between Ladd, and the dad.  Ladd goes to town, shoots Palance, and rides into the sunset. ignoring the shouts of the boy, "Come back, Shane."

  The film includes debates about the role of cattlemen and ranchers, and indirectly provides a good argument in favor of colonialism.  The cattlemen had their day, as they pushed off the more primitives who were there before them.  Now the farmers are the new economy for the futures, and they will replace the cowboys on the cattle drives with plowed fields; replacing gunslingers with sheriffs.

  A film made less than a year prior to Shane, is another great film - High Noon in 1952.  The Sheriff of a small town in the west has just married an attractive Quakeress, and soon learns that a real bad criminal is to be released today, and should arrive in town on the train at noon, and he plans to get his revenge on the sheriff and the town that sent him to prison for so long.  Sheriff knows he will have to get a posse to stop this tough gun-fighter.  His new wife, a pacifist, is saying he should not do this, get others to handle it.  Sge demands he leave town with her, and they can avoid the inevitable gun fight.  He loves her, but duty demands that he stay and fight.  The criminal was a top notch shooter, and word is he has rounded up his gang to come with him and assure he gets his revenge.  Sheriff goes to round up men to help, and a number say they will meet him before noon.  Goes to others and when they hear who is coming, they find excuses not to come.  One after another declines.  When he goes to meet those who said they would help, they askwhere are the rest? Sheriff tells them, it's just us (2 or 3).  Then they back out.  Noon.  Train arrives.  Bad guy there and he brought several bad guy buddies with him..  Shoot out?  Wife plans to depart.  Will the Sheriff get any help?  The town falls to the criminals?  See the film for the answers.

  Another great film, Black Orpheus, the 1959 film made about a Brazilian Carnival ce;ebratopm pressed into a Greek mythological template.  The music, color, actors, excitement, even the dread - it all ge;s to make a spectacular work of art.  I had a boss who was quite intelligent, a black woman, who despised it because of some stereotypes in the film.  Not everyone will agree with my assessment.

  Another French film, made in 1960 made my list, Purple Noon.  I had seen many American crime dramas, in movies and on tv, but this was really quite different.  In sunny upper class southern Italy, there is some travelog aspect to this, but it is a murder, where you begin to identify with the clever murderer.  Surely, he will be caught, but, no, the police are off the track again.  He must be caught when this happens, but no again.  Then the protagonist, Alain Delon, has just killed a man at least 50 pounds heavier than he.  They are on perhaps the 3rd floor, and Delon must carry the man down a spiral staircase so they both appear drunk (and alive) so he can get the guy out and dispose of his body.  A terrific scene.  The American remake, decades later, "The Talented Mr. Ripley" should be seen so one can appreciate how much better the French film was.