From what I’ve read, the rumor among Russians is that the government was waiting until after the elections to do another round of drafts. But who knows if that is true. It’s not like the outcome of the elections was ever in doubt.

Carlson also spent last week ranting about how the “civic religion” of elites is Israelism (whatever the hell that means). And he backed up that conclusion with the old “If you want to know who rules over you, just look for who you are not allowed to criticize”, which is a quote from a Neo Nazi.

He’s a bad actor who launders white nationalist talking points. He goes where he thinks his audience wants him to go. Don’t give him credit for finally changing his rhetoric against Trump. It won’t last.

They stopped making them because the 500 Euro note was the choice currency of transnational criminals.

I’m kind of surprised by this. They gave me a 10yr multiple-entry visa when I applied for a single-entry visa, which made me think they really wanted tourists after COVID. I must have gone off-season, because the sites I visited in Beijing and Xi’an were overwhelmingly populated by domestic tourists.

If you are thinking of going. China is very cool and relatively cheap, especially food and lodging. It’s a little challenging to get around because a lot of the travel apps are blocked in China. Like the best map app is in Chinese, so you have to use it with a translator app, but that’s part of the fun.