Baghdad & Beyond

I  R  A  Q Ancient Babylon Lion of Babylon, portion of Ishtar Gate US-ANGLO CAPITALIST EMPIRE 2003 INVASION U.S. CAPITALIST INVADER Thanksgiving in Baghdad, Iraq, 2003  ‘US illegally obtained and kept thousands of Iraq’s cultural treasures’ https://www.rt.com/op-edge/iraq-war-cultural-artifacts-553/ https://www.rt.com/op-edge/iraq-war-cultural-artifacts-553/ http://archive.is/769Nh US-ANGLO CAPITALISTS DESTROYED IRAQ 1.  1991 occupation 2.  2003 occupation US-ANGLO CAPITALISTS ROBBED IRAQ Currency stolen Gold artefacts & gold bars stolen antiques stolen billions of dollars from Iraq central bank funds transferred to US without any paper trail precious artefacts looted priceless historic DOCUMENTATION by the TON stolen documents moved from Iraq Foreign Ministry & state security agencies to USA by Adnan Makiya with the help of the occupation authorities allegedly for the Iraq Memory Foundation operation had been planned long before Iraq invasion documents were then sold to American university Iraq state owned valuable Jewish archives centuries-old documents stolen by USA who had NO RIGHT to move local cultural and material values in fact, had duty to preserve same Extensive destruction of many archaeological sites especially in Babylon city was first occupied by US forces then later handed to Polish troops Poles:  used heavy armour, tanks & helicopter Poles:  did construction work for military infrastructure & seriously damaged many archaeological sites in area US occupation authorities offered pittance for restoration:  $20 million versus $1 billion sought of US State Dept. (which did not respond) Americans allowed museums to be looted National Museum in Iraq, looted in 3 days American invaders did not act to keep exhibits safe & are therefore responsible https://www.rt.com/op-edge/iraq-war-cultural-artifacts-553/ http://archive.is/769Nh @WikiLeaks  @WikiLeaks Baghdad name (and culture) is pre-Islamic Indo-European name origin & Middle Persian Bagh (god) + dad (given by) translated to:  'God's Gift' Old Persian first portion traced to boghu, related to Slavic bog (god) second portion, dadāti, Middle Persian (new Persian, Mihrdad) related to Hellenistic form Mithridates (god of Mithra) dat = archaic form of  'dad'   /    Latin 'dat'  /   English 'donor' thus:  'Gift of Mithra' (Hellenised version) Russian look-up: = bagh + dad = god   + give = бог   +  дать   (Russian) = bog  +  dat      (Russian / Latin script) wikipedia thefreedictionary [info from various Wikpedia, unless otherwise marked] Mithra Zoroastrian angelic divinity ('yazata') of: covenant & oath divinity of contracts Mithra also judicial figure, protector of truth & guardian of cattle, harvest & the waters Roman  Mithraic Mysteries Mystery Religion known as:  Mithraism attributed to Persia or Zoroastrian sources related to Mithra but - modern scholars note dissimilarities b/w 1.  Persian Mithra worship 2.  Roman Mithraic mysteries Mithra from proto-Indo-Iranian:  'mitra' (root:  'mi' - 'to bind') meaning:   THAT WHICH CAUSES BINDING ie Avestan word for:   COVENANT, CONTRACT, OATH became:  mihr Mithra - no mention in Gathas (oldest Zoroastrian texts) or in the Yasna ('worship') scriptures but Mithra is member of IRANIAN AHURIC TRIAD: 1.  Ahura Mazda 2.  Ahura Berezaiti (Apam Napat) 3.  Mithra Ahura Mazda (Avstan):  God, lit. 'Wise Lord', the Supreme Being of the Zoroastrians. (Var: (Pahlavi) 'Ohrmazd') here 'Ahura' = 'Lord'  (in Avestan language, Iranic) sacred language closely related to Vedic Sanskrit Vedic Sanskrit, oldest preserved Indo-Aryan language (Iranic lang.) Vedic Sanskrit orally-preserved as part of Srauta Vedic chanting pre-dates alphabetic writing in India by several centuries Śrauta = belonging to śruti (Hinduism) Śruti = that which is heard / ancient religious texts, central cannon of Hinduism Avestan (Zend), East Iranian, Zoroastrian Ahu (Avestan):     ("lord") spiritual lord or master, often found in conjunction with 'ratu' (judge) - here Avestan, aka Zend  / Eastern Iranian language of Zoroastrian scripture area:  ancient     Arachosia     Aria     Bactria     Margiana Yaz culture of Bactria & Margiana (1500 BC - 1100 BC) reflects early East Iranian culture of Avesta likely Zoroastrian practice of sky burial (corpse exposure) therefore no burials found corresponds to (now):     Afghanistan, entirety     Pakistan, part     Tajikistan, part     Turkmenistan, part     Uzbekistan, part https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Aruti https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Arauta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedic_Sanskrit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avestan AUDIO | #1 Artaxerxes II (r. to 358 B.C.) trilingual inscription at Susa Old Persian, Elamite (Elam, now Southern Iran) + Babylonian 'Ahuramazda, Anahita, & Mithra protect me against all evil' Zoroastrian calendar, the 11th day of month & 7th month:  dedicated to Mithra 1925 Iranian civil calendar adopted Zoroastrian month names /  seventh month is:  Mihr Mithra distinct from Sun divinity (Hvare.khshaeta 'Radiant Sun') but evolved into being co-identified with Sun, taking over the Radiant Sun role --------------------- Zend Avesta sacred book of the Parsis few remaining followers of religion of Persia (after overthrow of Sassanian dynasty (A.D. 642) (Islamic invasion)) aka Dualism, Mazdeism, Magism, Zorastrianism, Fire Worship Avesta = x5 centuries preceding 'Christ' & x7 centuries after 'Christ', = the prevailing ideas Iran in that time Iran / Parsis, Avesta / Zorastrianism influence on: heresiarchs - heretical movement(s) (from Gk. 'sect') Judaism Islam In terms of religious thought, blending of Aryan mind with Demitic, opening second stage of Aryan thought  "Zoroaster and Plato were treated as if they had been philosophers of the same school" [here] http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12894/pg12894.txt --------------------- Hvare-Khshaeta Avestan language name of Zorastrian divinity, 'Radiant Sun' hvar = 'sun'  / khshaeta = 'radiant' (also 'glory', 'splendour') from Indo-Iranian root:  svar 'to shine' from which 'Surya' (Vedic Sanskrit) - 'sun' - also derived (Middle Persian lang.) contracted to:  'Khwarshed (new Persian lang.) continued as:  Khurshed / Khorshid 6th Yasht dedicated to Hvare-Khshaeta ie.  Avesta's chant/prayer to the Sun 11th Day of Zoroastrian calendar dedicated to:  Hvare-Khshaeta tradition eclipsed by Mithra as sun divinity due to late syncretic influence & possible conflation with Akkadian 'Shamash' deity Sun is domain of Hvare-Khshaeta / distinct from 'Covenant' source The Esoteric Codex: Zoroastrianism By Gerardo Eastburn --------------------- 11. Khwarshed (Av. Hvar Khshaeta) The Shining Sun http://www.avesta.org/zcal.html *NOTE:  looks like Wikipedia entry is wrong (says 16th day, rather than 11th).  Therefore amended this info to correspond with Eastburn info. EDIT: it was my mistake ... not Wikipedia. Should have checked there first. Wasted time confirming & then checking Wikipedia. Would have saved me time, going back straight away. LOL According to Wikipedia entry, conflation with: 1.  Babylonian Shamash 2.  Greek Apollo with whom Mithra shares other characteristics (eg.  judicial) see:  angelic messenger saviour figures of Manichaeans Sasanian / Sasanid Zorastrian dynasty - ruled Iran:  226 AD - 2 651 AD Capitals 1.  Istakhr (224–226 AD), southern Iran, Pars Province 2.  Ctesiphon (226–637 AD) - in (now) Iraq, 35 km south of Baghdad Ctesiphon was largest city in world 570 AD to fall 637 AD (Muslim conquest) Ctesiphon = Hellenised 'Ṭūsfūn' / 'Tisbōn'  (Armenian 'Tizbon') Old Testament:  Kasfia/Casphia  (wonder if this has anythng to do with Caspian Sea name?) Caspian from (Gk.) Kaspioi pre-Indo-European identified with Kassites (assimilated / disappeared) ruled Babylonia almost 400 years, after fall of Babylon to Hittites c. 1595 BC their deity:  Shuqamuna rule ended 12th C. BC, coquered by Elam (part (now) Iran) Elam known as Susiana, capital Susa Ctesiphon founded in the late 120s BC. on site of military camp by Iranians (Parthian) merged with old Hellenistic capital:  Seleucia (& other nearby settlements) reason for Parthian relocation westward of capital:  Scythian incursions Seleucia became the metropolis,    like the Babylon metropolis of ancient times Ctesiphon = major military objective of Roman empire (eastern wars) Ctesiphon captured by Romans x5 times Septimus Severus Emperor - sacked Ctesiphon     & sold thousands into slavery   Ctesiphon  western side of city = Veh-Ardashir ('the good city of Ardashir') Veh-ardashir was originally Seleucia was populated by wealthy Jews & known by them as 'Mahoza' Veh-Ardashir, seat of Nestorian patriarch Nestorianism -  emphasizes the disunion between the human and divine natures of Yeshua / 'Christ' advanced by Nestorius (386–450), Patriarch of Constantinople leading to conflicts, incl.  with Cyril of Alexandria Nestorius condemned as heretical at councils supporters relocated to Sasanian Empire, affiliated with local Christians became:  Church of the East (aka Nestorian Church) ie.  Syriac tradition of Eastern Christianity (Syriac - Syrian blend of Greek & Syrian / Aramaic - Edessa origin) later, mid 1500s schisms re Nestorian Church *lots of battles over Ctesiphon / various Romans Emperor Julian killed after battle outside of the Ctesiphon walls, in 363 AD Syrian Language origin of Syrian language = city of Edessa, Urha = Aramaic  Şanlıurfa - ie.  Edessa (Uṙha) Seleucus I Nicator Seleukos Nikator ('Conqueror') b. Europus, Macedonia c. 358 BC d. 281 Thrace, Macedonia on death of Alexander the Great & succession struggles rose from governor of Babylon to king of empire   centring on Syria & Iran founder of Seleucid kingdom Audio | #2 [ really like this rhythm ] Edessa (Uṙha) ancient upper Mesopotamia city (now in Turkey & known as:  Şanlıurfa) founded by:  Seleucus I Necator  (General under Alex. the Great) 2nd Century BC Seleucid (ancient Macedonian) rule disintegrated result of wars with Parthia (Iranians/Persians) Edessa (Uṙha) kingdom      established by Nabataean / Arab tribes (4 centuries) (what were the Arabs doing here?  must be due to disintegration of Seleucid Empire (ancient Macedonian) ... Arab squatters ... LOL ) under protectorate of Parthians (Iranians/Persians) under protectorate of Armenia was Armenian Mesopotamia capital city then under Romans, after sack & capture by Trajan a frontier city, border of Sassanid Persia (Zoroastrian Persia) 260 AD - Shahanshah Shapur I vs. Roman Empire Roman army defeated and captured by Persians, including Emperor Valerian Emperor capture was a first-time occurrence literary language of tribes kingdom in Edessa (Uṙha) = Aramaic Syriac developed from Aramaic Hellenistic culture were eclipsed in Edessa (Uṙha) Edessa (Uṙha) was rebuilt as Justinopolis, by Emperor Justin Edessa (Uṙha) changed hands a couple of times (Persian & Roman under Armenian Byzantine Emperor of Rome) Muslim invaders, Islamic conquest of Levant 638 AD 1031 AD - Edessa (Uṙha) returned to Byzantines by Arab governor then retaken by Arabs then held by Greeks then by Armenians then by Seljuk Turks (1087) then by Crusaders (1099) Turk Zengi capture & slaughter of most inhabitants + Latin archbishop (Siege of Edessa) sizeable Armenian population in Edessa (Uṙha)  /  birthplace of Matthew of Edessa, Armenian historian 12th Century - ruled by the Sultans of Aleppo (Ayyubids, centred Egypt, Kurdish origin) then Sultanate of Rum (Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate, Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim state of Seljuk Emp.) then Mongol ruled  (Mongol sacking of Baghdad, if account is correct, was brutal) then Mameluks ('owned slave') military caste Egypt, slave soldiers, many Balkan origins     Arabic 'faris' / knights     weapons - saif (sword), spear, lance, javelin, arrows, clubs then Akkoyunlu,the White Sheep Turkomans (Koyunlu) - Sunni Turkic then Safavids (significant dynasty of Persia, after Muslim conquest - Shia, Kurdish & Azerbaijani mix w/ other) 1890 - Muslim pop. of Edessa less than 50% then 1517 to 1918 by Ottoman Empire   [a little off track, but very interesting & change of hands probably accompanied like changes of hand in adjoining regions] Prophet Mani (aka Manichaeus, Manes) philosophy of moral dualism:  good / evil Mani, b. 216 AD, Mesopotamia (Iran) - ruled by Persia (Sassanid Empire) origins:  Jewish-Christian raised in Jewish-Christian baptism Gnostic sect:  Elcesaites Mani writings in Syraic Aramaic primary language of Babylon, administrative & cultural (Sassanid Empire) = Eastern Middle Aramaic in three dialects:     1.  Judeo-Aramaic (language of Talmud)     2.  Mandean Aramaic  (Southern Levant)     3.  Syriac Aramaic at time Manichaeism was spreading: Zoroastrianism was well established and popular & Christianity was growing in social & political influence although Manichaeism had fewer adherents, many were HIGH RANKING POLITICAL FIGURES Mani was backed by Persian Empire but fell out of favour with subsequent generation of Persian royalty Mani saw himself as providing an alternative to the incomplete teachings of:     - Buddha     - Zoroaster     - Yeshua Manichaeism may have influenced the Bogomils, Paulicians, and Cathars (dualism)  /   but few records left by these groups COMMENT:  must have also influenced Christianity, as there is a concept of moral good/evil & a concept of heaven/hell, unless that comes from Judaism ... although the Jews aren't into the hellish afterlife concept, I think ... too lazy to go checking the ins and outs of that. But Judaism appears very big on the moral preaching and promotion of 'do-gooding', so they must also see the world in terms of dualism? Can you have two views?  One close up and the other distant?  From a distant point of view:  I don't think I believe in any ultimate good/bad, just as there is no universal anything. As in, there is no universal principle that is applicable or legitimate & there is no universal 'good'. Everything must be neutral and indifferent, and our surroundings are just assigned a meaning by individuals who wish to make sense of their surroundings, and meanings are assigned, depending on what individuals/groups desire or value.   I'm not 100% on that, but I'm leaning strongly that way.   'Bad' is anything I don't want ... LOL EDIT *Might have to revise that a little.  Seeing Iraq being robbed of national treasures by US-Anglo capitalists is sickening.  I don't know what that is, but that's just not right. Manichaeism sporadic and intermittent existence in west incl. Spain France, northern Italy, Balkans, for 1,000 years (plus other regions) Manichaeans tried to assimilate their religion with Islam in Arab Islamic empires early period of the Arab Islamic empire, Manichaeism gained many followers significant appeal among Muslim elites / some became dualists Abbasids (early period) =  Manichaean persecution Third Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi persecuted the Manichaeans established inquisition against Manichaeans persecution ended:  780s 296 AD - Diocletian, Roman emperor ordered all Manichaean leaders to be burnt alive along with the Manichaean scriptures Roman successors = policy of persecution 382 AD - Theodosius I  = issued decree of death for all Manichaean monks religion attacked & persecuted by:     1.  Christian Church     2.  Roman state almost disappearing in Western Europe in 5th Century AD & from eastern Roman Empire in 6th Century AD Persecuted by the Chinese, as well Middle Ages - Neo-Manichaeism emerging movements described as 'Manichaean' by Catholic Church 1184 Inquisition:  persecuted as Christian heresies persecuted included: Cathar Churches of Western Europe Paulican movement (from Armenia) Bogomils, Bulgaria Mani seemed to be obsessed with 'evil' denied omnipotence of 'god' contended two opposite powers taught dualistic view of good & evil 'god' vs. 'satan' notions human / soul is battleground soul defines person - influence both light & dark very involved explanation re good, evil, World of Light, Shekhinas, fallen angel etc. Sounds like Kabbalah influence (I think) ... yep, I'd say so: Manichaeism evolved in proximity to 2 other new Aramaic religious phenomena 1.  Talmudic Judaism 2.  Babylonian Mandaeism (manda / knowledge) - Gnosticism, Southern Levant to Meso. Zbigniew Brzezinski used the phrase "Manichaean paranoia"  (2007) re US President George W. Bush's world view re Bush notion that he "is leading forces of good against the empire of evil" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manichaeism [info from various other Wikpedia, unless otherwise marked] Iranian-Indian Link Early migrations would perhaps explain the Aryan and Indian connection.   Early Aryan migration There was a split in the Aryans of what became the Iran variety, occurring in what is currently Uzbekistan. One branch of Aryans of the Iranian kind occupied the Iranian region and the other invaded the Indian region (the Punjab): source:  www.slideserve.com Vedic 1.  of or relating to Veda or Vedas, variety of Sankstrit     (or the Hindu culture that produced same) 2.  ancient Aryan / European settlers in India     originators of many of the traditions preserved in the Vedas *so far, the term 'Indo-European' makes no sense, when European/Aryan moves into Indian, rather than vice versa -  oldest body of sacred Hindu texts composed in Sanskrit - dating from c. 1000 BC Veda = 'knowledge' (Sanskrit) Hinduism - caste system - belief in reincarnation - belief in supreme being - opposing theories are aspects of one eternal truth Sanskrit:  now used in India only for religious purposes   Know I've read about Mani before ... but I have trouble remembering this stuff, so I'm enjoying it all over again. Those photos of American capitalist troops in Iraq are sickening. *Finding it hard to understand the Iranian connection to India & Hinduism. Must be result of Persian Empire (or Iranian) expanse?  Given that sacred Hindu texts are in Iranic form going back to East Iranian Zoroastrian times, there must therefore be a connection between Zoroastrianism & Hinduism? *Stumbled on migrations.  So part of the connection between Iran (Aryan) and India is the Aryan migrations.

Stobi

Stobi RIGHT-CLICK + OPEN LINK IN 'NEW TAB' *keep calling this place 'Strobi' instead of 'Stobi' ... I have a lot of problems with Greek names ... LOL SUMMARY https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonia_%28Greece%29 Stobi ancient town of Paeonia land and kingdom of Paeonians said to be allies of Trojans during Persian invasion of Greece conquered Paeonians deported to Asia Stobi means 'pillar' or 'post' (ancient Paeonian) Paeonia located immediately north of ancient Macedonia now:  modern Greek region of Macedonia Macedonia = part of Northern Greece, plus Thrace & sometimes Thessaly + Epirus incorporates most territories of ancient Macedon, kingdom ruled by the Argeads member Alexander the Great & his father Philip II Argead dynasty = ancient Greek ruling house traced origins to Argos Macedonia derives from the Greek Μακεδονία (Makedonía) kingdom (later region) fm ancient Gk. 'makednós' (tall, slim) early 5th century BC, region came under Persian rule to destruction of Xerxes at Plataea 6th & 7th Centuries Slavic, Avar, Bulgarian + Magyar invasions 1224, Greek Macedonia and the city of Thessalonica at the heart of Empire of Thessalonica (brief) Greek Macedonia in restored Byzantine Empire control 1340s - Greek Macedonia (except Thessaloniki & maybe Veria) conquered by Serbian ruler: Stefan Dušan after Dušan's death  divided b/w Serbia & Bulgaria fell quickly to Ottoman Turks  (Thessaloniki holding out to 1387) capture of Thessalonica prelude to fall of Constantinople Greek Macedonia at end of the Ottoman Empire much of region known as Rumelia from Ottoman Turkish: Rumeli, 'Land of the Romans' 1912-1913, Balkan Wars 1913, Rumelia (Greek Macedonia)  divided by   Treaty of Bucharest (1913) following each took portions: Greece (largest portion) Bulgaria Serbia Albania (small portion) oldest European humanoid found in this region sizeable community of Sephardic Jews (centred in Thessaloniki) Slavic-Speaking Northern Split 1870s Slavic-speaking northern Greece community split into two hostile & opposed groups with different national identities 1. Greek 2. Bulgarian Post WWII Slavic Split post-WWII, on defeat of Bulgaria, further split occurred in Slavic group 1.  conservatives left with occupying Bulgarian army to Bulgaria 2.  leftists identifying as Slavic Macedonians joined communist rebel army     (Democratic Army of Greece) 1946-1949 Civil War - thereafter Slavic Macedonians left Greece & settled in     Yugoslav Socialist Republic of Macedonia (or migrated elsewhere) 1941-1944, occupied by the Axis powers WWII Germany held western & central portion Bulgaria occupied & annexed eastern Macedonia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonia_%28Greece%29 The ruins looked so beautiful, I had to find out about where they were.   This is a quickie partial look. Think it might take some time for me to understand all these people involved in this one tiny region.  It's still all a blur to me when it comes to the Greeks, Bulgarians etc. For some reason, my brain shuts when I look at Greek names. They don't feel comfortable to me ... it's an effort. But I'm getting very accustomed to the script. It's very much like Russian (that I do lots of look-ups on), and it's not intimidating anymore.

Altai

Siberian Ice Maiden Perfect Lake Kucherla, Altai Mountains Photograph:  Dmitry A. Mottl Golden Earrring - Pazyryk Burial Mound  Princess Ukok Siberian Ice Maiden Shoulder Tattoo 'Princess Ukok' 500 years before 'Christ' tattoos face-brush of horse hair eye-liner pencil long, wide woollen skirt (three horizontal sections) colours of skirt sections: crimson (top) pinkish-yellowish (middle) rich Bordeaux (base) woollen braided skirt belt long, almost knee-length light over-shirt round neck red lace braid decoration shirt garments made of silk & almost identically to those found (now) Xinjiang province of China design Chinese but silk used not Chinese silk possibly Indian or somewhere south of China light fur kaftan-style coat long narrow sleeves shorter at the front tail from behind decorated with leather and fur patterns patterns =  images of animals animals as symbolic guards & to identify ethnic group membership traditional Pazyryk patterns:  lion & deer on clothing & on decorative wall carpets 'Princess Ukok' had a shaved head, with no hair wore high, elaborate wig that remains intact base of the wig was a felt 'hat' two layers of women's hair were sewn into felt other black substance between layers red braided decoration made from threads bronze pin with a deer, standing on a sphere deer was made from wood, and was covered in golden foil giant feather, 68.5 cm long made from felt and covered with black woollen fabric with a stick inside, to stand upright headdress worn at burial & accommodated by coffin Pazyryk women - both of royal & lower status shaved their heads, but not always entirely therefore this is not a death ritual women kept plaits of own shaved hair with horse hair extensions linked to a universal understanding about hair long hair contains magical powers hypothesis:   hair style changes linked to marriage or children or death hair cutting symbolises the end of the previous life Siberian peoples shaved women's hair to mark end of childbearing age Such women were ready to travel to another world Boots high, above the knee, white felt 'tight' boots decorated with patterns also made from felt such boots worn by both Pazyryk men & women as protection against the fierce cold Coffin made of hollowed out tree Pazyryks were horsemen and women dominated Altai region of southern Siberia, esp. 6th & 3rd Centuries BC Ukok and her clan were fashion-conscious clothing not merely utilitarian Textiles woollen textiles imported to Altai source unknown source of dyes is 3,000 km from Altai Eastern Mediterranean third dyeing ingredient:  Iran, Mediterranean, China & India second dyeing ingredient:  Eastern Mediterranean use of combinations of tree colourants = very high culture of fabrics colouring by craftsmen shades of red & purple Ancient China influenced Northern Barbarians teaching them to use things eg. silk or massive bronze mirrors contacts between Pazyryks & Chinese kingdoms well established exchange or capture what they did not make themselves example of early bridge b/w great ancient cultural fiefdoms Pazyryks accepted & blended experiences & traditions of two great ancient civilisations fusion seen in clothes Pazyryk example synthesis b/w east and west, several hundred years before Alexander the Great's push for east-west melding small scale synthesis mixing of cultures mixing of Caucasian and Mongoloid synthesis, on a small scale, fruitful result:  Gorniy Altai Pazyryk culture Pazyryk burial horsemen costume = trousers trousers considered by Greeks & Romans as 'barbaric' Greeks & Romans did not accept or wear trousers [lol ... I love trousers & hate skirts] Pazyryk Warrior's Trousers Pazyryk trousers:  made of thick fabric / mixture of sheep & camel wool trousers:  red Pazyryk Warrior's Coat short sheepskin coat with no collar, with 'tail' tailcoat mirrors the female dress decorated with: leather patterns sable fur black foal's hair red coloured tufts of horse hair coat had no buckles x2 leather belts which held it together belt 1 = for bow case belt 2 = for warrior's knife & chisel long sleeves, which could be tied up with a cord became pockets to carry little things source http://siberiantimes.com/culture/others/features/fashion-and-beauty-secrets-of-a-2500-year-old-siberian-princess-from-her-permafrost-burial-chamber/ Altai Mongolian:  'alt' (gold) + 'tai' (with) Chinese name derived from Mongolian:  Gold Mountain Siberia is home ...

Spent Forever Doing Nothing

Planet Tokyo Spent forever fiddling with Open Shot video editor. More freezing.  Started over.  Would near the end, only to have same or some other problem, again Open Shot works fine until I'm just about done ... and then it freezes and my edits are useless. Otherwise, it has taken to not fully converting files. Some Javascript freeze is happening, I think.  But I don't know what it was. The entire process takes an eternity.   Managed to chain-smoke ... indoors.  Now I have to hide the evidence. Too jacked off to keep at it, but I'm probably faster at edits than I ever have been. Mysteriously 'lost' some tracks.  But that was probably a case of hidden tracks I couldn't figure out how to 'unhide'. Tried to check out the news while I was going nuts waiting for conversions, but even that kept freezing while I was converting.  So there was a lot of restarting. What I did see on the news was a freak-out:  multiple terror attacks in Saudi Arabia, and then there's Iraq, Cameroon and Turkey recently. No wonder we all have to live under totalitarian surveillance.  On the other hand, it's not like it would have taken a genius to foresee problems, on one hand, and totalitarianism, on the other.  Western governments are negligent. Someone needs to start a site with a terror tally. Think I'd better crash out before I go nuts from lack of sleep ... I won!  I won!  I won! I beat the OpenShot stall ... LOL Woke up & decided to edit out the tail end of video clip edit no. 8, to see if it helps complete the file conversion to MP4 that kept stalling on me millimetres from the finish, making Edit No. 8 impossible to complete. It worked.  Video clip edit complete & converted.  Missing a bit of the tail end, but that's OK. UPDATED Birthday Project Video Clip Edit No. 8 LINK | Post *feel totally wrecked from not sleeping at proper times ... and we were arguing within like 5 minutes of being in the same room together.  about the merits of lasagne meal prep.  i'm really not interested in hours-long Bolognese sauce cook-ups, or fattening, subsequent time-waster multi-step prep meal-making, when it wouldn't bother me too much just eating toast ... and now I really don't care if the oven is ever fixed.  LOL in my ideal world, I want each day to be as long as a week, & to do whatever I want with my head space, all day, and every day.  that's my idea of heaven ... even if it's pointless, and I'm just sort of detached and dying.   But there's no stopping dying.  LOL .... now it's an argument about how I defrost food; how I should be doing it to his specs; it's whining and nagging at me from another room; i've told him to f*ck off; that's the signal for hanging sh*t on me some more, like  a 'go' flag; i've got headphones and music on, and i can still hear it verbally abusing me .... LOL; it's now whining about the sour cream I put on the Thai Green Chilli Curry (*shrug* ... too bad, it's what I'm having on mine); his face looked weird and contorted, like he's someone else ... someone I don't like, and there's a glass of red wine beside him ... think he might already be pissed.  wish I was still asleep.  LOL ... severe anxiety welling and sort of ebbing and flowing by itself kept asking 'What are you doing?', as i thought there was a fair bit of activity going on & i wanted to know what it was turns out he's dropped his chocolate and had to clean it up off the floor says I'm like an old f*cking bleep Mother Superior (LOL ... probably catching him out all the time) we both had a laugh at that; but my anxiety is rolling, and it's now like being on a bad ride that won't stop ...

Moscow: Alleged FSB Beating of Suspected American Diplomat Spy

MOSCOW ALLEGED FSB BEATING of Suspected American Diplomat Spy http://belsat.eu/en/news/russian-fsb-attacks-u-s-diplomat-outside-moscow-embassy-washington-post/ http://archive.is/nLYT8 Russian FSB attacks U.S. diplomat outside Moscow embassy – Washington Post 2016.06.29 13:13    In the early morning of June 6, a uniformed Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) guard attacked and beat up a U.S. diplomat who was trying to enter the the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, The Washington Post reports with reference to four U.S. officials. According to the WP journalist Josh Rogin, the previously unreported attack occurred just steps from the entrance to the U.S. Embassy complex. The diplomat suffered a broken shoulder, among other injuries, but then flown out of Russia to receive urgent medical attention, the author states. The State Department in Washington called in Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak to complain about the incident. The motive for the attack remains unclear, Josh Rogin says. Spokesmen for the both the State Department and the CIA declined to make a comment on the incident or whether or not the diplomat was in fact an undercover U.S. spy. If the U.S. diplomat attacked on June 6 was not a spy, U.S. officials have no other explanation for why the FSB guard was trying to stop him from entering the embassy, the journalist sums up. In his recent investigation into the issue, Josh Rogin states that Russia keeps harrassing U.S. diplomats all over Europe saying that such acts ‘range from the weird to the downright scary’. At the same time, he writes that many of the recent acts of intimidation by Russian security services have crossed the line into apparent criminality:     “… Russian intruders had broken into their homes late at night, only to rearrange the furniture or turn on all the lights and televisions, and then leave. One diplomat reported that an intruder had defecated on his living room carpet.” Giving the reason for the U.S. poor response to such barbaric behaviour, the investigative journalist quotes the members of Congress involved in diplomacy with Europe who put it down to Obama administration’s attempt to project a veneer of positive U.S.-Russian relations that ‘doesn’t really exist’. Belsat.eu, following the Washington Post http://belsat.eu/en/news/russian-fsb-attacks-u-s-diplomat-outside-moscow-embassy-washington-post/ http://archive.is/nLYT8 Josh Rogin ... Daily Beast reporter Josh Rogin had been accused of secretly recording Secretary of State John Kerry's remarks at last week's Trilateral Commission event in Washington. Kerry drew fire from Jewish organizations for saying that Israel could become "an apartheid state" -- and prompted a personal letter of apology from Trilateral Commission chairman Joseph S. Nye. http://archive.is/8H5Xc Professional comedian Dan Nainan who in the past has performed for President Obama arrested at D.C.'s Funniest Celebrity contest got into a skirmish with Newsweek Daily Beast journo Josh Rogin Nainan approached Rogin (who was tweeting a critique) & (allegedly) punched him ... LOL "... he walked away and about 10 seconds later he came over and punched me again,” LMAO Nainan was unavailable for comment  ... as he was being led out of the venue by D.C. Police in handcuffs. PMSL http://archive.is/vM7Z5 COMMENT Don't know what's going on here. Think the Russians might have more sophisticated methods of dealing with American spies than giving them a hiding as they're entering the embassy in Moscow.  LOL Oh, wait.  This yet another attack on Obama, probably in yet another American capitalist (and their Washington puppet) lobbying attempt to draw the US into conflict with Russia. Washington's no safer than Moscow, judging by the punching that curry-sounding political reporter allegedly got.   And from a mere entertainer.  LOL ... I'd hate to think what the US politicians would like to do to him.  ;)