https://www.yahoo.com/news/russian-economy-shock-unprecedented-economic-093606519.html
Yahoo! News
Russian economy in 'shock' from unprecedented economic war - Kremlin
By Guy Faulconbridge
LONDON, March 9 (Reuters) - The Kremlin accused the United States on Wednesday of declaring an economic war on Russia that was sowing mayhem through energy markets, and put Washington on notice it was considering its response to a ban on Russian oil and energy.
Russia's economy is facing the gravest crisis since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union after the West imposed heavy sanctions on almost the entire Russian financial and corporate system following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cast the West's sanctions as a hostile act that had roiled global markets and he said it was unclear how far turbulence on global energy markets would go.
"You see the bacchanalia, the hostile bacchanalia, which the West has sown - and that of course makes the situation very difficult and forces us to think seriously," Peskov told reporters.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058150/quotes
IMDb
Goldfinger (1964)
Quotes
Auric Goldfinger: Man has climbed Mount Everest, gone to the bottom of the ocean. He's fired rockets at the Moon, split the atom, achieved miracles in every field of human endeavor... except crime!
Rainbow Six (1998) - Tom Clancy
(from internet transcript)
CHAPTER 2
SADDLING UP
Neither knew that it had already started.
"So, Dmitriy," the man said.
"Yes?" Dmitriy Arkadeyevich Popov replied, twirling his vodka around in the glass.
"Where and how do we begin?" the man asked.
They'd met by a fortunate accident, both thought, albeit for very different reasons.It had happened in Paris, at some sidewalk cafe, tables right next to each other, where one had noted that the other was Russian, and wanted to ask a few simple questions about business in Russia. Popov, a former KGB official, RIF'ed and scouting around for opportunities for entering the world of capitalism, had quickly determined that this American had a great deal of money, and was therefore worthy of stroking. He had answered the questions openly and clearly, leading the American to deduce his former occupation rapidly - the language skills (Popov was highly fluent in English, French, and Czech) had been a giveaway, as had Popov's knowledge of Washington, D.C. Popov was clearly not a diplomat, being too open and forthright in his opinions, which factor had terminated his promotion in the former Soviet KGB at the rank of Colonel - he still thought himself worthy of general's stars. As usual, one thing had led to another, first the exchange of business cards, then a trip to America, first class on Air France, as a security consultant, and a series of meetings that had moved ever so subtly in a direction that came more as a surprise to the Russian than the American. Popov had impressed the American with his knowledge of safety issues on the streets of foreign cities, then the discussion had moved into very different areas of expertise.
"How do you know all this?" the American had asked in his New York office.
The response had been a broad grin, after three double vodkas. "I know these people, of course. Come, you must know what I did before leaving the service of my country."
"You actually worked with terrorists?" he'd asked, surprised, and thinking about this bit of information, even back then.
It was necessary for Popov to explain in the proper ideological context: "You must remember that to us they were not terrorists at all. They were fellow believers in world peace and Marxism-Leninism, fellow soldiers in the struggle for human freedom - and, truth be told, useful fools, all too willing to sacrifice their lives in return for a little support of one sort or another."
"Really?" the American asked again, in surprise. "I would have thought that they were motivated by something important-"
"Oh, they are," Popov assured him, "but idealists are foolish people, are they not?"
"Some are," his host admitted, nodding for his guest to go on.
"They believe all the rhetoric, all the promises. Don't you see? I, too, was a Party member. I said the words, filled out the bluebook answers, attended the meetings, paid my Party dues. I did all I had to do, but, really, I was KGB. I traveled abroad. I saw what life was like in the West. I much preferred to travel abroad on, ah, `business' than to work at Number Two Dzerzhinsky Square. Better food, better clothes, better everything. Unlike these foolish youths, I knew what the truth was," he concluded, saluting with his half-full glass.
"So, what are they doing now?"
"Hiding," Popov answered. "For the most part, hiding.
Some may have jobs of one sort or another-probably menial ones, I would imagine, despite the university education most of them have."
"I wonder…" A sleepy look reflected the man's own imbibing, so skillfully delivered that Popov wondered if it were genuine or not.
"Wonder what?"
"If one could still contact them…"
"Most certainly, if there were a reason for it. My contacts" - he tapped his temple - "well, such things do not evaporate." Where was this going?"Well, Dmitriy, you know, even attack dogs have their uses, and every so often, well" - an embarrassed smile - "you know…"
In that moment, Popov wondered if all the movies were true. Did American business executives really plot murder against commercial rivals and such? It seemed quite mad… but maybe the movies were not entirely groundless…
"Tell me," the American went on, "did you actually work with those people-you know, plan some of the jobs they did?"
"Plan? No," the Russian replied, with a shake of the head. "I provided some assistance, yes, under the direction of my government. Most often I acted as a courier of sorts." It had not been a favored assignment; essentially he'd been a mailman tasked to delivering special messages to those perverse children, but it was duty he'd drawn due to his superb field skills and his ability to reason with nearly anyone on nearly any topic, since the contacts were so difficult to handle once they'd decided to do something. Popov had been a spook, to use the Western vernacular, a really excellent field intelligence officer who'd never, to the best of his knowledge, been identified by any Western counterintelligence service. Otherwise, his entry into America at JFK International Airport would hardly have been so uneventful.
"So, you actually know how to get in touch with those people, eh?"
"Yes, I do," Popov assured his host.
"Remarkable."
From 7/15/1988 ( premiere US film "Die Hard" ) To 4/15/2021 ( ) is 11962 days
From 11/2/1965 ( my known birth date in Antlers, Oklahoma, USA, as Kerry Wayne Burgess ) To 8/3/1998 ( "Rainbow Six" by Tom Clancy ) is 11962 days
From 10/28/1994 ( premiere US film "Stargate" ) To 4/15/2021 ( ) is 9666 days
9666 = 4833 + 4833
From 11/2/1965 ( my known birth date in Antlers, Oklahoma, USA, as Kerry Wayne Burgess ) To 1/26/1979 ( premiere US film "Plague" ) is 4833 days
From 12/22/1964 ( premiere US film "Goldfinger" ) To 4/15/2021 ( ) is 20568 days
From 11/2/1965 ( my known birth date in Antlers, Oklahoma, USA, as Kerry Wayne Burgess ) To 2/24/2022 ( in the future: Putin sends his military into Ukraine ) is 20568 days
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/fact-sheet-imposing-costs-for-harmful-foreign-activities-the-russian-government
The American Presidency Project
JOSEPH R. BIDEN
46th President of the United States: 2021 ‐ present
FACT SHEET: Imposing Costs for Harmful Foreign Activities by the Russian Government
April 15, 2021
The Biden administration has been clear that the United States desires a relationship with Russia that is stable and predictable. We do not think that we need to continue on a negative trajectory. However, we have also been clear—publicly and privately—that we will defend our national interests and impose costs for Russian Government actions that seek to harm us.
Today the Biden administration is taking actions to impose costs on Russia for actions by its government and intelligence services against U.S. sovereignty and interests.
Executive Order Targeting the Harmful Foreign Activities of the Russian Government
Today, President Biden signed a new sanctions executive order that provides strengthened authorities to demonstrate the Administration's resolve in responding to and deterring the full scope of Russia's harmful foreign activities. This E.O. sends a signal that the United States will impose costs in a strategic and economically impactful manner on Russia if it continues or escalates its destabilizing international actions. This includes, in particular, efforts to undermine the conduct of free and fair democratic elections and democratic institutions in the United States and its allies and partners; engage in and facilitate malicious cyber activities against the United States and its allies and partners; foster and use transnational corruption to influence foreign governments; pursue extraterritorial activities targeting dissidents or journalists; undermine security in countries and regions important to United States national security; and violate well-established principles of international law, including respect for the territorial integrity of states.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) carried out the following actions pursuant to the new E.O.:
Treasury issued a directive that prohibits U.S. financial institutions from participation in the primary market for ruble or non-ruble denominated bonds issued after June 14, 2021 by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, or the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation; and lending ruble or non-ruble denominated funds to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, or the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. This directive provides authority for the U.S. government to expand sovereign debt sanctions on Russia as appropriate.
Treasury designated six Russian technology companies that provide support to the Russian Intelligence Services' cyber program, ranging from providing expertise to developing tools and infrastructure to facilitating malicious cyber activities. These companies are being designated for operating in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy. We will continue to hold Russia accountable for its malicious cyber activities, such as the SolarWinds incident, by using all available policy and authorities.
Imposing Additional Sanctions
Treasury sanctioned 32 entities and individuals carrying out Russian government-directed attempts to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election, and other acts of disinformation and interference. This action seeks to disrupt the coordinated efforts of Russian officials, proxies, and intelligence agencies to delegitimize our electoral process. The U.S. government will continue to pursue those who engage in such activity.
Treasury, in partnership with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, sanctioned eight individuals and entities associated with Russia's ongoing occupation and repression in Crimea. The Transatlantic community stands united in supporting Ukraine against unilateral Russian provocations along the Line of Contact in eastern Ukraine, in occupied Crimea, and along Ukraine's borders, as well as agreeing on the need for Russia to immediately cease its military buildup and inflammatory rhetoric.
Reported Afghanistan Bounties
The Administration is responding to the reports that Russia encouraged Taliban attacks against U.S. and coalition personnel in Afghanistan based on the best assessments from the Intelligence Community (IC). Given the sensitivity of this matter, which involves the safety and well-being of our forces, it is being handled through diplomatic, military and intelligence channels. The safety and well-being of U.S. military personnel, and that of our allies and partners, is an absolute priority of the United States.
Expelling Diplomatic Personnel
The United States is expelling ten personnel from the Russian diplomatic mission in Washington, DC. The personnel include representatives of Russian intelligence services.
Further Responses to the SolarWinds Malicious Cyber Activity
Today the United States is formally naming the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), also known as APT 29, Cozy Bear, and The Dukes, as the perpetrator of the broad-scope cyber espionage campaign that exploited the SolarWinds Orion platform and other information technology infrastructures. The U.S. Intelligence Community has high confidence in its assessment of attribution to the SVR.
The SVR's compromise of the SolarWinds software supply chain gave it the ability to spy on or potentially disrupt more than 16,000 computer systems worldwide. The scope of this compromise is a national security and public safety concern. Moreover, it places an undue burden on the mostly private sector victims who must bear the unusually high cost of mitigating this incident.
Today, the National Security Agency, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are jointly issuing a cybersecurity advisory, "Russian SVR Targets U.S. and Allied Networks," that provides specific details on software vulnerabilities that the SVR uses to gain access to victim devices and networks. The advisory also provides specific steps that network defenders can take to identify and defend against the SVR's malicious cyber activity.
Additionally, the SVR's compromise of SolarWinds and other companies highlights the risks posed by Russia's efforts to target companies worldwide through supply chain exploitation. Those efforts should serve as a warning about the risks of using information and communications technology and services (ICTS) supplied by companies that operate or store user data in Russia or rely on software development or remote technical support by personnel in Russia. The U.S. government is evaluating whether to take action under Executive Order 13873 to better protect our ICTS supply chain from further exploitation by Russia.
Supporting a Global Cybersecurity Approach
The United States continues to strongly affirm the importance of an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable Internet. Russia's actions run counter to that goal, which is shared by many of our allies and partners. To strengthen our collective approach to bolstering cybersecurity, we are announcing two additional steps:
First, the United States is bolstering its efforts to promote a framework of responsible state behavior in cyberspace and to cooperate with allies and partners to counter malign cyber activities. We are providing a first-of-its kind course for policymakers worldwide on the policy and technical aspects of publicly attributing cyber incidents, which will be inaugurated this year at the George C. Marshall Center in Garmisch, Germany. We are also bolstering our efforts through the Marshall Center to provide training to foreign ministry lawyers and policymakers on the applicability of international law to state behavior in cyberspace and the non-binding peacetime norms that were negotiated in the United Nations and endorsed by the UN General Assembly.
Second, we are reinforcing our commitment to collective security in cyberspace. The Department of Defense is taking steps to incorporate additional allies, including the UK, France, Denmark, and Estonia, into the planning for CYBER FLAG 21-1, which is an exercise designed to improve our defensive capabilities and resiliency in cyberspace. CYBER FLAG 21-1 will build a community of defensive cyber operators and improve overall capability of the United States and allies to identify, synchronize, and respond in unison against simulated malicious cyberspace activities targeting our critical infrastructure and key resources.
The United States is committed to the security of our allies and partners; these efforts intended to reinforce again our commitment to that bedrock principle.
Joseph R. Biden, FACT SHEET: Imposing Costs for Harmful Foreign Activities by the Russian Government Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/349542
http://articles.latimes.com/1994-10-27/news/ls-55212_1_james-spader-and-jaye-davidson
Los Angeles Times
Tut Would Have Felt at Home
October 27, 1994 BILL HIGGINS SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The Scene: Monday's premiere of MGM's "Stargate" at Mann's Chinese with a party at the Palace. The film is a special-effects-filled science-fiction thriller with an ancient Egyptian theme. One writer, well-versed in the reigning buzzwords used to sell scripts, dubbed it " 'Die Hard' in a pyramid." [ Kerry's note: That is just completely dumb and moronic. "Happy Trails, Hans", both works refer to base8 number-systems. ]
Who Was There: The film's stars, James Spader and Jaye Davidson, who's best-known for "The Crying Game" (co-star Kurt Russell was in New York for the Letterman show); also on hand were director-writer Roland Emmerich, writer-producer Dean Devlin, executive producer Mario Kassar and 1,200 guests, including James Coburn, Adam Baldwin, Gary Busey, Kim Cattrall, Ed Begley Jr., Lesley Ann Warren, Rick Nicita, Jim Sheridan, and MGM's Frank Mancuso, Gerry Rich and Larry Gleason.
The Film Distilled: Jennifer Tilly said, "James Spader is a kind of a yuppie heartthrob, Kurt Russell is a kind of cowboy heartthrob, and then you have Jaye Davidson, who plays a hermaphrodite, [ Kerry's note: Completely moronic, as is obvious to anyone who's watched the production. There are absolutely no references to any type of gender ] which in itself is a really interesting special effect."
Quoted: Davidson, who said doing "Stargate" was "a lucky break," added, "Why didn't I work for two years after 'The Crying Game'? It's because Hollywood doesn't know what to do with me. I don't look normal. I look like a bit of a freak. It's not as though I'm going to get the roles Keanu Reeves turns down."
The Setting: It was a truly lively party with a large segment of the crowd dancinguntil 1 a.m. Part of the ambience came from muscular extras in ancient Egyptian costume who looked like bodybuilders from the King Tut gym. They wore loincloths that were a strong breeze away from being X-rated.
Chow: Ambrosia's Middle Eastern menu of stuffed grape leaves, hummus and fish skewers was served by staffers wearing turbans and robes a la John the Baptist. One guest called the style "early Tunisian drip-dry."
Fashion Standout: Davidson arrived at the screening in a shimmering, antique Indian sari woven from gold thread. He changed into jeans and T-shirt immediately afterward. "No way was I going to wear it to the party, bump into drunks and get cigarette burns," he said.
Local Wisdom: A film star's ex-wife said, "Being a celebrity is like having an all-access, backstage pass to life in Hollywood."
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095016/quotes
IMDb
Die Hard (1988)
Quotes
John McClane: Welcome to the party, pal.
- posted by me, Kerry Burgess 03:45 AM Pacific-time USA Thursday 03/10/2022
