How did Russia Become an Empire? - Great Northern War DOCUMENTARY

Fun. But rather more, even, than I wanted to know about things as they were in the early 1700's in Poland and Livonia. Fascinating, however, to learn of Charles XII's personal dislike of Augustus the Strong. Gotta give Swedish monarchs credit.

Russia Prepares Big Offensive, Putin Talks to MbS, Ridicules EU on Gas; ...

Starting about 45 minutes in: Wholly admirable historical philosophy. So speaks the worthy successor of Alexander III. Of whom, be it said, whatever else it was, the assassination was a stupid mistake.

American living in Russia about invasion in Ukraine, freedom of speech a...

La Guerre est finie.

Learn the Transatlantic Accent | Half British, Half American 100% Weird

I hadn't realized that my own prescriptivist notion of what should be intelligible, grammatical spoken English, had already been tolerably close-to perfectly, in another sense, realized: Old Movie English. Let them all talk like Cary Grant! Long live the Wine/Whine Distinction!