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Europeans and the American Left do not understand what Spain and the UK's refusal to provide bases to the USA in the war with Iran has done.
They have exposed European fecklessness and unreliability to the American people.
This means things.
1/2
They have exposed European fecklessness and unreliability to the American people.
This means things.
1/2
The situation that the West European NATO nations are in is similar to that of Pakistan after Pres. Obama killed Bin Laden in a Pakistani ISI resort town.
It clarified to the American people which side Pakistan was on...
...not America's.
What Starmer & Spain have done is make the same statement about NATO.
2/2
It clarified to the American people which side Pakistan was on...
...not America's.
What Starmer & Spain have done is make the same statement about NATO.
2/2
@threadreaderapp unroll please
🚨 Stanford Medicine researchers have reversed autism-like behaviors in mice by calming hyperactivity in the brain’s reticular thalamic nucleus, a sensory “gatekeeper” long overlooked in autism research. Using a seizure drug and neuromodulation, the team restored normal behavior.
The study also links autism and epilepsy through shared brain circuitry, offering hope for targeted future therapies.
The study also links autism and epilepsy through shared brain circuitry, offering hope for targeted future therapies.
Stanford Medicine researchers have uncovered a key mechanism underlying autism-like behaviors in mice by studying the reticular thalamic nucleus (RT) — a small but crucial brain region that acts as a sensory “gatekeeper” between the thalamus and the cortex. Using mice lacking the Cntnap2 gene, a well-established model for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the team found that neurons in the RT showed excessive electrical activity, including elevated burst firing, increased T-type calcium currents, and over-responsiveness to sensory inputs such as light or touch. Behaviorally, these mice displayed traits mirroring human ASD symptoms — hyperactivity, repetitive grooming, social withdrawal, and increased seizure susceptibility.
To correct these abnormalities, researchers used two approaches. First, they administered Z944, a T-type calcium channel blocker currently being tested for epilepsy, which successfully calmed RT hyperactivity and restored normal behaviors. Second, through a chemogenetic neuromodulation technique known as DREADD, they selectively suppressed RT neuron activity using engineered receptors activated by a designer drug — again reversing autism-like behaviors. Strikingly, when they artificially activated RT neurons in healthy mice, it induced similar ASD-like traits, confirming a causal link.
To correct these abnormalities, researchers used two approaches. First, they administered Z944, a T-type calcium channel blocker currently being tested for epilepsy, which successfully calmed RT hyperactivity and restored normal behaviors. Second, through a chemogenetic neuromodulation technique known as DREADD, they selectively suppressed RT neuron activity using engineered receptors activated by a designer drug — again reversing autism-like behaviors. Strikingly, when they artificially activated RT neurons in healthy mice, it induced similar ASD-like traits, confirming a causal link.
The findings suggest that hyperexcitability in the RT, rather than cortical dysfunction alone, may drive core features of autism. The overlap between autism and epilepsy may stem from this shared thalamic circuitry, as both conditions involve abnormal electrical rhythms in the brain. Researchers propose that the RT could serve as a promising new therapeutic target for ASD, especially for patients who experience sensory overload and seizures.
However, the study was conducted in mice using a single genetic model, so it may not fully represent all forms of autism. Further research — including long-term and randomized clinical trials in humans — is needed to determine whether these results can safely and effectively translate to human therapy.
However, the study was conducted in mice using a single genetic model, so it may not fully represent all forms of autism. Further research — including long-term and randomized clinical trials in humans — is needed to determine whether these results can safely and effectively translate to human therapy.
🚨BREAKING: a 5% wealth tax and a new stimulus check is proposed in Senate.
I reviewed all 154 pages of the new bill, so you don't have to.
Here are all the details:
I reviewed all 154 pages of the new bill, so you don't have to.
Here are all the details:
The "Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act" was introduced today by Senator Sanders.
It has a lot of changes, from a wealth tax, to a new "stimulus check", to a minimum salary for teachers.
Buckle up...
It has a lot of changes, from a wealth tax, to a new "stimulus check", to a minimum salary for teachers.
Buckle up...
The first proposal is to introduce a 5% ANNUAL wealth tax on individuals or trusts with WORLDWIDE net assets (assets - liabilities) exceeding $1B.
It also includes children’s assets (under age 18).
If someone doesn't have the cash to pay the tax, they'd have to sell stocks or other assets to pay for it.
It also includes children’s assets (under age 18).
If someone doesn't have the cash to pay the tax, they'd have to sell stocks or other assets to pay for it.
Iran has struck at least 11 U.S. military facilities since Saturday. @heytherehaley @riley_mellen and I found damage on or near communications and radar systems at 7 of them (no paywall link here) nyti.ms/4upLCnl
Satellite imagery shows two AN/GSC-52B SATCOM terminals at the US Navy's 5th Fleet HQ in Bahrain were destroyed. These play a key role in facilitating high-capacity and near real-time communication for the U.S. military.
A tent surrounded by satellite dishes was destroyed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Some of the dishes were most likely damaged as well. Al Udeid is the regional headquarters for the US Central Command, and was similarly struck by Iran last June.
Infrastructure expansion — highways, expressways, rail electrification, airports, ports.
Digital India & UPI revolution — world-leading digital payments ecosystem.
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) — subsidies delivered directly to citizens, cutting leakages.
Digital India & UPI revolution — world-leading digital payments ecosystem.
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) — subsidies delivered directly to citizens, cutting leakages.
Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile (JAM) financial inclusion — hundreds of millions brought into banking.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) — creation of a unified national market.
Mass electrification & basic utilities — near-universal village electrification and household connections.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) — creation of a unified national market.
Mass electrification & basic utilities — near-universal village electrification and household connections.
Swachh Bharat sanitation drive — massive rural toilet construction and sanitation push.
Strategic assertiveness — Balakot strike and stronger national security posture.
Global diplomatic visibility — elevated India’s profile in QUAD, G20 leadership, Global South outreach.
Strategic assertiveness — Balakot strike and stronger national security posture.
Global diplomatic visibility — elevated India’s profile in QUAD, G20 leadership, Global South outreach.
🧵A new report reveals the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism as one of the Secretariat’s darkest financial black holes. In three years, budget for UNOCT has surged 700%, even as other bodies face cuts. Yet one question remains: where does the money actually go & who controls it?
UNOCT was created in 2017. It sits inside the Secretariat. About 20 percent of its funding comes from the UN’s general budget. The remaining 80 percent comes from voluntary contributions.
A few states dominate UNOCT’s voluntary funding, especially Qatar, which provides about two-thirds of all contributions. Yet it is nearly impossible to link donors to specific programs, as disclosures are scattered and incomplete. Since 2009, the Trust Fund has received $388.3M.
Summary of day one of Israel's invasion of Lebanon🧵
Israeli operations are still nascent, with the focus being on slow, methodical advances along similar routes as the 2024 invasion. There is a focus on flanking border towns by assuming positions on nearby dominant heights.
Israeli operations are still nascent, with the focus being on slow, methodical advances along similar routes as the 2024 invasion. There is a focus on flanking border towns by assuming positions on nearby dominant heights.
The most eventful section of the border is the east. At 2:45pm Hezbollah claimed they scored a direct hit on a Merkava tank in the Al-Samakah position, located on the hills east of Kfar Chouba. This Israeli attack vector is favorable as they're occupying positions 1400m above sea level while the village itself is at 1150m.
The largest attacks occured south of al-Khiam. Israeli forces occupied the salient between Metula and Ghajar that was essentially unpopulated. Israeli tanks and armored vehicles are advancing south of al-Khiam along the Hamametz Ridge (600m). Heavy tank and artillery fire was recorded in al-Khiam throughout the night of March 2nd.
Israel is trying to drive a wedge between the al-Khiam and Kfar Kela garrisons by advancing along the vertical portion of the Marjayoun-Bint Jbeil road. Hezbollah shelled Israeli gathering points in the Galilee Panhandle such as Kfar Yuval and Metula (where they claimed they direct hit a Merkava tank).
Israeli tanks advanced along the Tel Nahas height (600m) in order to flank Kfar Kela from the north. At 3pm Hezbollah claims they directly hit a Merkava tank on this hill. At 3:30 apparently two additional tanks were sent to assist in evacuating the first tank that was hit. Hezbollah claims they targeted these tanks with ATGMs, foricng them to withdraw under the cover of smoke.
The largest attacks occured south of al-Khiam. Israeli forces occupied the salient between Metula and Ghajar that was essentially unpopulated. Israeli tanks and armored vehicles are advancing south of al-Khiam along the Hamametz Ridge (600m). Heavy tank and artillery fire was recorded in al-Khiam throughout the night of March 2nd.
Israel is trying to drive a wedge between the al-Khiam and Kfar Kela garrisons by advancing along the vertical portion of the Marjayoun-Bint Jbeil road. Hezbollah shelled Israeli gathering points in the Galilee Panhandle such as Kfar Yuval and Metula (where they claimed they direct hit a Merkava tank).
Israeli tanks advanced along the Tel Nahas height (600m) in order to flank Kfar Kela from the north. At 3pm Hezbollah claims they directly hit a Merkava tank on this hill. At 3:30 apparently two additional tanks were sent to assist in evacuating the first tank that was hit. Hezbollah claims they targeted these tanks with ATGMs, foricng them to withdraw under the cover of smoke.
An Israeli Merkava tank and Namer APC were geolocated in the southern outskirts of Aadaysit Marjaayoun, confirming reports that Israeli forces occupied heights south of the village (800).
There's also a minor Israeli presence along the ridge between Margaliot and Houla, but this area was already occupied before today's advances.
x.com/fdov21/status/…
There's also a minor Israeli presence along the ridge between Margaliot and Houla, but this area was already occupied before today's advances.
x.com/fdov21/status/…
The reason that the few days has changed the world is that a lot of power is based on the perception of power, and the US just lost that. What is fascinating is that once you become obsessed with the image of power rather than actual power.
You start making bad decisions. For example, Ukraine has had this habit of throwing units into a fight after it has lost, because any retreat involves contradicting the illusion of power. The US is now in the same trap.
Rather than waving the white flag, Trump is going keep throwing air defense missiles at Iranian missiles. Right now Iran (with Russia and China no doubt supporting them), is going to keep throwing missiles in order to get the US to run down the supply of air defense until there
📙Undeciphered scripts of Ancient India
Beyond Indus Valley, 1000 BC-100 BC?
Brahmi & Kharoshthi scripts are well known. Many study Harappan script. Beyond these are undeciphered ancient Indian scripts. Examples: Kohi lipi, Shankha lipi. This 🧵 illustrates Kohi script found near Hindu Kush.
📙Kohi script – location, sources
1⃣Kohistan is the region nestled near Hindu Kush, Swat and Karakoram range. There, midst the valleys and mountain huts west of upper Indus river, numerous inscribed marble, metal, stone slabs and pottery have been found. The script is complex, strange (example photo below).
2⃣Some ancient artwork such as pillars too have small Kohi inscriptions.
3⃣Similar inscriptions are infrequently found in eastern Afghanistan, ancient sites of Bactria and some Tepe in central Asia.
4⃣Prof Nasim Khan has named it "Kohi script" given Kohistan has so far been the largest source of inscriptions with this script. The script is undeciphered. Scholarly publications rare, speculative.
5⃣First guess: perhaps, they are fake! The market for inscribed ancient art encourages fraud. But this is unlikely because of the distance between sites where this script is found, the diversity and sheer weight of the inscribed objects, the repetition and consistency of the symbols despite long distances.
6⃣Some of Kohi-lipi inscribed objects were catalogued in 19th-century and others very recently.
📙Features of Kohi script
1⃣Kohi is complex, not elegantly simplified as Brahmi. This may suggest that the Kohi script is older (as scripts become simpler over time).
2⃣Some symbols and diacritic marks are similar to Indus Valley script. Just like the Brahmi script has many daughter scripts, it is plausible that Indus Valley / Harappan script inspired many daughter scripts.
3⃣Some inscriptions have groups of symbols, almost like words separated by spaces.
4⃣Almost always, the text appears in horizontal lines. It is unclear whether they are read left to right, or right to left.
5⃣This script does not match the historic scripts commonly found in West Asia and Central Asia, though there are a few similar symbols. There is more overlap with Indus Valley script, Brahmi script and Kharoshthi script.
6⃣The context of Kohi-script inscriptions such as ancient Buddhist artwork suggest it was in use till about 3rd-century AD.
📙Textual evidence
1⃣Many early Indian texts give a list of ancient scripts. This list includes Brahmi and Kharoshthi, but many more.
– The ancient Mahavastu text lists the following scripts as known to the Buddha: the Brahmi, Puskarasari, Kharosti, Brahmavani, Pushpa, Kuta, Saktina, Vyatyatsa, [...], Magadha, Daradas, Abhiras, Vangas, Dravida, Dardura, Ramatha, Gulmala, Hastada, Kasula, Ketuka, the Kusuva [....]
– The Lalitavistara lists these: Brahmi, Kharoshthi script, Puṣkarasari, Anga, Vanga, Magadha, Mangalya, Anguliya, Shakari, Brahmavali, Parusya, Dravida, Kirata, [....]
– Jain Agamas mention 18 ancient scripts in India.
Have you seen Kohi script inscriptions in your travels? Share in comments, or DM me.
In a future 🧵, we will see ancient Shankha script inscriptions in India, Java-Indonesia, Borneo and Thailand.
Beyond Indus Valley, 1000 BC-100 BC?
Brahmi & Kharoshthi scripts are well known. Many study Harappan script. Beyond these are undeciphered ancient Indian scripts. Examples: Kohi lipi, Shankha lipi. This 🧵 illustrates Kohi script found near Hindu Kush.
📙Kohi script – location, sources
1⃣Kohistan is the region nestled near Hindu Kush, Swat and Karakoram range. There, midst the valleys and mountain huts west of upper Indus river, numerous inscribed marble, metal, stone slabs and pottery have been found. The script is complex, strange (example photo below).
2⃣Some ancient artwork such as pillars too have small Kohi inscriptions.
3⃣Similar inscriptions are infrequently found in eastern Afghanistan, ancient sites of Bactria and some Tepe in central Asia.
4⃣Prof Nasim Khan has named it "Kohi script" given Kohistan has so far been the largest source of inscriptions with this script. The script is undeciphered. Scholarly publications rare, speculative.
5⃣First guess: perhaps, they are fake! The market for inscribed ancient art encourages fraud. But this is unlikely because of the distance between sites where this script is found, the diversity and sheer weight of the inscribed objects, the repetition and consistency of the symbols despite long distances.
6⃣Some of Kohi-lipi inscribed objects were catalogued in 19th-century and others very recently.
📙Features of Kohi script
1⃣Kohi is complex, not elegantly simplified as Brahmi. This may suggest that the Kohi script is older (as scripts become simpler over time).
2⃣Some symbols and diacritic marks are similar to Indus Valley script. Just like the Brahmi script has many daughter scripts, it is plausible that Indus Valley / Harappan script inspired many daughter scripts.
3⃣Some inscriptions have groups of symbols, almost like words separated by spaces.
4⃣Almost always, the text appears in horizontal lines. It is unclear whether they are read left to right, or right to left.
5⃣This script does not match the historic scripts commonly found in West Asia and Central Asia, though there are a few similar symbols. There is more overlap with Indus Valley script, Brahmi script and Kharoshthi script.
6⃣The context of Kohi-script inscriptions such as ancient Buddhist artwork suggest it was in use till about 3rd-century AD.
📙Textual evidence
1⃣Many early Indian texts give a list of ancient scripts. This list includes Brahmi and Kharoshthi, but many more.
– The ancient Mahavastu text lists the following scripts as known to the Buddha: the Brahmi, Puskarasari, Kharosti, Brahmavani, Pushpa, Kuta, Saktina, Vyatyatsa, [...], Magadha, Daradas, Abhiras, Vangas, Dravida, Dardura, Ramatha, Gulmala, Hastada, Kasula, Ketuka, the Kusuva [....]
– The Lalitavistara lists these: Brahmi, Kharoshthi script, Puṣkarasari, Anga, Vanga, Magadha, Mangalya, Anguliya, Shakari, Brahmavali, Parusya, Dravida, Kirata, [....]
– Jain Agamas mention 18 ancient scripts in India.
Have you seen Kohi script inscriptions in your travels? Share in comments, or DM me.
In a future 🧵, we will see ancient Shankha script inscriptions in India, Java-Indonesia, Borneo and Thailand.
Kohi script common symbols (w/o diacritics):
Sources:
1. M Nasim Khan, Kohi Script from Gandhāra Discovery of Another Ancient Indian Writing System
2. Nasim Khan, Kohi or Puskarasari The Story of an un-deciphered script from Gandhāra
3. Stein, Notes on New Inscriptions Discovered by Major Deane
1. M Nasim Khan, Kohi Script from Gandhāra Discovery of Another Ancient Indian Writing System
2. Nasim Khan, Kohi or Puskarasari The Story of an un-deciphered script from Gandhāra
3. Stein, Notes on New Inscriptions Discovered by Major Deane
We're somehow fighting Schrodinger's Iran where they're launching random, desperate pinprick attacks and at the same time they're systematically dismantling the Coalition's integrated air and missile defense network with effective strikes on key nodes.
This... suggests things.
This... suggests things.
I'll spell it out for those of you in my audience who are bad with implications.
The random shelling in Dubai, Manama, and Tel Aviv is the noise. The destroyed missile defense radars, the burned-out CIA stations, the daily harvest of reconnaissance drones - that's the signal.
The random shelling in Dubai, Manama, and Tel Aviv is the noise. The destroyed missile defense radars, the burned-out CIA stations, the daily harvest of reconnaissance drones - that's the signal.
The Iranians are systematically destroying our ISR capabilities across the region to blind us to their activities and generate freedom of action for their own forces. Given the amount of "phone book targeting" the Coalition seems to be doing they may already be succeeding.
Customs to be followed while visiting a Temple
Everyone must be aware of certain rules while visiting a Temple. Because it is the place where our Devi Devatas reside, their vaasasthan.
Everyone must be aware of certain rules while visiting a Temple. Because it is the place where our Devi Devatas reside, their vaasasthan.
Never visit a temple empty handed, always take some offerings like flowers, oil for diya etc
Temple should be entered through main entrance & always enter with right feet first
Never enter a temple wearing wet clothes ( Rameshwaram had exemptions before, but now
Temple should be entered through main entrance & always enter with right feet first
Never enter a temple wearing wet clothes ( Rameshwaram had exemptions before, but now
There also we should change before darshan)
If Shani sannidhi is in the temple, one should not pray standing straight to Shani, as Shani's vision will be upon us.
Whenever visit a Shiva Temple we should sit there inside the temple before going out. It is said that
If Shani sannidhi is in the temple, one should not pray standing straight to Shani, as Shani's vision will be upon us.
Whenever visit a Shiva Temple we should sit there inside the temple before going out. It is said that
