Russian Mission Impossible Force (MIF) active in October 2014

 Yes, secret agents in Russia's MIF were active in Czechoslavia back in 2014. The task force dynamic duo of Boshirov (Chepiga) and Petrov (Mishkin) behind the Salisbury poisonings have been linked with sabotage in 2014 at a weapons facility.

As always in the case of Mission Impossible Force  the Kremlin will disavow any knowledge of such actions.  

Chepiga and Mishkin are loyal agents of Mother Russia, where they are heroes, and they operate in the dark world of espionage, spies and lies. 

Thanks to Bellingcat we know the identities of these men who have received the Hero of Russia award.

Delays and dithering over the Oxford Astra-zeneca vaccine puts lives at risk

 Countries which have suspended the use of the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine are putting lives at risk. There is absolutely no clear evidence that the vaccine has caused or causes blot clots. It is dangerous and foolish to suspend the vaccination procedures. Fear and uncertainty will now be in people's minds. 

Some European countries have been woefully slow in the administration of the vaccine. This delay has probably cost people their lives. The consequences will lead to more fatalities;  the scientific evidence  will show that Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine is safe and is life saving.  It is a big mistake to delay and to dither when lives are at stake.

Frontline Police Officers should be vaccinated now

 Police Officers who are required to go into crowded places and dangerous, difficult situations should be vaccinated immediately. They need full protection from the virus and people who are putting them at risk of infection. Sometimes they are attacked, abused and badly treated. Those who are engaged in illegal activities and attacks during the lockdown should be harshly punished and shamed. We should not tolerate unacceptable behaviour. Vaccinate our police now!

It is very sad to hear about Ravi Zacharias' disgrace and shameful behaviour

 Despite Ravi Zacharias' sexual misconduct, deceit and lies, his apologetic books, sermons and ministerial works still proclaim truth, valuable insights, good arguments and  sound teaching. Booksellers and publishers have removed his books from their shelves and made them unavailable for purchase, in effect out of print.  This is a regrettable move. We should separate the personality from the publications, from the truth and merits of what he wrote. A good book is a good book even if the author has acted in bad ways.  Ravi's apologetics and the arguments he put forward are no less valid now than they were when his books were selling well in previous years.

God uses flawed human beings. Church history teaches this lesson clearly. And lessons are being learned form this sorry mess. Our hearts and prayers should go out to the victims of abuse and suffering caused by Ravi. Ravi, who died last May, was put on a high pedestal and has now fallen in the light of recent investigations. In time his books will be valued for what was written rather than what Ravi did in spas.

Yes, the evil done will be remembered, but so should the good. Being dead he still speaks... through his books etc.

The Dig: a disappointing drama with a miscast Carey Mulligan

 The Dig is now available to see on Netflix. Ralph Fiennes sparkles in the role of Basil Brown, managing to capture the character brilliantly with an excellent rural Suffolk accent. He really nails it.

Poor old Basil did not get the recognition and credit he deserved at the time. But history has now been kind to him and his place in British archaeology is assured.

Carey Mulligan is dreadfully miscast as Mrs Edith Pretty, who was twenty years older when the events took place.  Ludicrous. And Peggy Piggott, played by Lily James, was an established and accomplished archaeologist, not a lightweight novice or clumsy sidekick.

On the whole, the acting was of a high standard. More could have been made of the spectacular finds at the Sutton Hoo dig. There was so much more to be said about the magnificent helmet, the jewellery, exquisite weaponry,  crafted items and coins that have been gathered at the site. 

Trump has disgraced himself and has blood on his hands

 Trump was responsible for the dreadful scenes at the Capitol building. The riotous behaviour, vandalism, violence, insurrection and deaths could have been avoided. Lies and falsehoods caused people to storm the Capitol and attack police and security guards. The resulting mayhem on 6 January 2021 marks a very sad day in the history of America.

Trump's presidency will end on a sour note, which should stop any chance of a political comeback.  Many supporters and fund raisers are now disserting his cause and condemning him for what happened. Sports stars do not wish to be associated with him. He is seen as a criminal, delusional, a danger to America and an opponent of democracy. His inflammatory words caused the deaths at the Capitol. Both Republicans and Democrats have been denouncing Trump. The sooner he leaves the White House the better. Some will remember him as the worst president ever. What a shameful end to his presidency. A dreadful legacy.

Some are calling for Trump to be punished for his crimes.

A theory explaining ghostly appearances

 There are many testimonies to seeing ghosts and strange apparitions. There are unexplained accounts of ghosts, hauntings and paranormal phenomena, which have created ghost tours, ghost hunts, books, films and videos about related subjects. There is a fascination with ghosts, tales of mystery and imagination.

Explanations for these accounts of ghosts and apparitions have been put down to imagination, tricks of the light, misunderstanding, wishful thinking, superstition and ignorance. A scientific and rational explanation is said to be necessary or available. However, sometimes the evidence, sometimes photographic, and the testimony of credible witnesses would lead to the conclusion that some things are unexplained and beyond our current understanding. There are fascinating photographs on Google images and YouTube videos showing mysterious figures, faces and shapes. Some would appear to defy rational explanation. They remain unexplained.

There are those who were once sceptical or against any belief in ghosts or the supernatural who have radically changed their minds after an encounter, a siting or an experience of unexplained phenomena.

I have met people who are absolutely convinced about seeing a ghost, or of seeing an angel, and even feeling a touch of someone who disappeared. They would deny it was a trick of the light, or an imagined event. They remain convinced of their experience. No rational explanation satisfies them.

One explanation of ghostly phenomena and apparitions, which I find worthy of consideration, is that some events in the past have in some way recorded or replayed the events as a result of certain conditions and residual energies. Today we can replay events on a video recorder, film projector or photographic device.

Perhaps it is possible, under unusual conditions, for past events to be replayed or reproduced in some way. Certain atmospheric conditions could bring back past images like a video recording or movie film.