Whale makes epic migration, astonishing scientists BBC
Climate
Did a Terminal Temperature Acceleration Event start in December 2024? Arctic News
We finally have an explanation for 2023’s record-breaking temperatures NewScientist
Water
An impact-free mechanism to deliver water to terrestrial planets and exoplanets Atronomy Astrophysics. From the Abtract: “We propose that primordial asteroids were icy and that when the ice sublimated, it formed a gaseous disk that could then reach planets and deliver water.”
Syndemics
How close is a new bird flu (H5N1) pandemic? Christina Pagel, Diving into Data & Decision making
EID Journal: Replication Restriction of Influenza A(H5N1) Clade 2.3.4.4b Viruses by Human Immune Factor, 2023–2024 Avian Flu Diary
China?
China Comes Out Swinging as Trump Trade War Looms WSJ
China reaffirms economic confidence, vows to remain global growth engine CGTN
China loosens purse strings to boost demand as economic conference ends South China Morning Post
US military airfields in Indo-Pacific too easily taken out of action, report says Channel News Asia
The Koreas
South Korea’s Yoon defends martial law as an act of governance and vows to ‘fight to the end’ AP. Commentary:
Looking more like South Korean president’s story claiming tens of thousands of still-unseen North Koreans sent to Russia to fight Ukraine—a story initially rejected by Washington—were part of this same coup false flag op, to gain Biden support. https://t.co/rof7EQmC6I
— Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) December 11, 2024
Cyberscamming is Southeast Asia’s Incurable Disease The Diplomat
Wasabi Nippon.com
Syraqistan
Syria’s Assad has fallen – just as the Pentagon planned 23 years ago Jonathan Cook
Syria’s Factions Explained in a Map WSJ
Israel is targeting Syria’s sovereignty with its occupier mindset: Turkish foreign minister Anadolu Agnecy
* * * Released Syrian prisoners hospitalised in ‘dire state of psychological shock’ France24
Incredible moment CNN’s Clarissa Ward rescues ‘hidden prisoner’ from Assad’s hellhole jail while searching for American journalist Austin Tice Daily Mail. Commentary:
This is really, really, really hard to believe.
The Air Force Intelligence Headquarters where this is taking place (as per the complete CNN report: https://t.co/YmZZ9QSrUd) has been freed since the 7th of December, 4-5 days ago (see https://t.co/auNuPNKF3C and… https://t.co/LdJJI4prPG
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) December 12, 2024
And:
They escort the man outside, but instead of taking him straight to a hospital or doctor – the logical thing to do with a man who has been in a windowless cell for three months, without food & water for four days – they sit him in a chair and interview him pic.twitter.com/kDRAW4BKfW
— Charlie Nash (@CharlieNash) December 12, 2024
* * * ‘We need time’: Syrians in Europe resist calls to return home FT
* * * What is Iran signalling since the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad? Al Jazeera
Houthi group says it targeted US destroyers, ships, Israeli military targets Anadolu Agnecy
* * * Hamas Concedes on Israeli Troops in Gaza, Raising Hopes for Hostage Deal WSJ
These Palestinians disappeared after encounters with Israeli troops in Gaza AP
Africa
Adani’s problems in Kenya undermine Narendra Modi’s ambitions for Africa The Economist
The New Great Game
“If cryptocurrency mining isn’t stopped, Abkhazia will sink into darkness.” JAM News
European Disunion
Romania’s cancelled election is a lesson in social media manipulation FT. But:
Interesting that the claim the Romanian authorities are making against Georgescu’s campaign are related to foreign political financing – the exact issue that Georgian Dream triggered outrage in Europe for addressing. No coherent narrative. This stuff is on its last legs. 🇷🇴🇬🇪 pic.twitter.com/v4fI99vXih
— Philip Pilkington (@philippilk) December 12, 2024
A Judicial Coup in Romania Compact
Hungarian PM responds to criticism from Zelenskyy, saying his “Christmas truce” idea was rejected Ukrainska Pravda
New Not-So-Cold War
After U.S. ATACMS Strike On Strategic Target Russia Announces To Retaliate Moon of Alabama
U.S. Concludes Abrams Tanks ‘Not Useful’ For Ukraine Following Heavy Losses Military Watch
Putin’s regime may be closer to a Soviet collapse than we think Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, The Telegraph
* * * Lawmakers call for intelligence assessment on ending U.S. support for Ukraine The HIll
Biden admin loans Ukraine $20B backed by profits from ‘immobilized’ Russian assets New York Post
Hungarian PM responds to criticism from Zelenskyy, saying his “Christmas truce” idea was rejected Ukrainska Pravda
Zelenskyy: Ukraine cannot legally recognise occupied territories as Russian Ukrainska Pravda
Trump Transition
Where are all the bureaucrats? Kevin Drum. Handy chart:
The housing emergency and the second Trump term Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
Will Chinese President Xi Jinping attend inauguration at Trump’s invitation? South China Morning Post
Dozens of Democrats Press Biden to Pardon Environmental Lawyer Targeted by Chevron Zeteo
The Adjuster
Luigi Mangione fingerprints match crime-scene prints, police say BBC
Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing could return to New York on a governor’s warrant AP
Who is the lawyer representing Luigi Mangione in his Pennsylvania case? ABC (mrsyrk).
NY Times Doesn’t Want You to See Shooter’s Face Ken Klipperstein
* * * RIP Bruno Latour, you would’ve loved United Health Group Closed Form
Arguments over whether Luigi Mangione is a ‘hero’ offer a glimpse into an unusual American moment AP
People Are Cheering on a Shooting. This Theory Could Explain Why. Politico (Acacia). The deck: “The theory of ‘social banditry’ explains our grim political moment.”
* * * How AARP Shills for UnitedHealthcare Robert Kuttner, The American Prospect
I used to do health insurance company PR. Here’s what I think the backlash is missing STAT
The Press Is Complicit in America’s Health Care Deaths Jacobin i(AG).
Digital Watch
OpenAI CFO thinks business users will pay thousands monthly for AI tools Business Standard
‘A truly remarkable breakthrough’: Google’s new quantum chip achieves accuracy milestone Nature
South of the Border
US-Cuba rum war spills over as Biden law stirs Havana Club row BNE Intellinews
The Final Frontier
ORCs in space! Astronomers find another vast odd radio circle in ‘completely unexpected discovery’ Space.com
Zeitgeist Watch
Canada euthanasia now accounts for nearly one in 20 deaths BBC. Rule #2.
Luxury real estate brokers charged with sex trafficking FT
Class Warfare
Poultry Bosses Benefit from Trump’s Threats Labor Notes
Pentagon says mystery drones over New Jersey are ‘not US military,’ not likely foreign TechCrunch
Antidote du jour (Donald Hobern):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
How Did I End Up Here?
(melody borrowed from Do You Hear What I Hear? by Noel Regney and Gloria Shain, as sung by Bing Crosby, 1963)
(You ain’t from aroun’ here)
‘Yes, I’m lost and I don’t know where I am’
‘This here is Kaintacky’
Their English is hard to understand
Spittin’ out terbacky
(Spittin’ out terbacky)
My Tesla car is quite a novel sight
It distracts from their chicken fight
On a torch lit Saturday night
They sip moonshine for to feel a little joy
‘You ain’t from aroun’ here’
(You ain’t from aroun’ here)
Asking if it’s the real McCoy
‘What’s it tow in low gear?’
(You ain’t from aroun’ here)
The throng, the throng, shows clear signs of disease
But they huddle closer to see
Yes, they huddle closer to me
When they find no clutch inside my ‘lectric thing
‘Does it come with turbo?’
(‘How fast does this thing go?’)
Bouncing it to check out the springs
Chewing on tobacco (chewing on tobacco)
They ask how well it handles on the road
And if it is remote controlled
Will I trade for a tractor that’s old?
When I ask them how to get some other where
They all point back that way (back that way)
‘Hang a left or right once you’re there’
‘Don’t come back up this way!’ (up this way)
‘The way is wild, the cornering is tight’
‘Don’t you stop and you’ll be alright’
‘Don’t you stop especially at night’
‘CNN International PR
@cnnipr
“Syria is free.”
Extraordinary moment as @clarissaward
and her team witness a Syrian prisoner freed from a secret prison in Damascus.
Left alone for days without food, water or light, the man was unaware Bashar al-Assad’s regime had fallen.’
CNN? Did Clarissa Ward also sniff his clothing to see if she could detect chemical warfare chemicals?
Lots of people on X are saying it was staged. The guy was clean-shaven and the cell was apparently spotless.
https://x.com/CharlieNash/status/1867070380755866061
The guy should start a career in wilderness survival coaching. He looks to be in amazingly good shape for someone who went without water, food, or light for at least 4 days.
If I was without light for a few days and went out into daylight, I would be squinting my eyes because of the sudden glare and would not be looking up into the sky. Just sayin’.
Today’s furry animals…math below is not great but a decent rhyme is what I’m aiming for…Proving I can drop a rhyme at any time, be it a day or night or about wrongs and rights. Ok, I better stop lest it only gets worse(!)
On the 14th day of Christmas
My true love gave to me,
Two Furry Fuzzy Quokkas
In a tree…
“Putin’s regime may be closer to a Soviet collapse than we think” Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
‘The Cope is strong with this one.’ – Not Darth Vader. Others may differ but for some reason I am always wary of a reporter with a triple barrel name. Of course nobody will ask Ambrose Evans-Pritchard what Putin’s approval rating is compared with Keir Starmers and I would not be surprised if I heard that a lot of Brits would prefer Putin to be the Prime Minister rather than Starmer.
If we go with the popular mirror theory we get a more interesting headline:
“The USA may be closer to a Soviet collapse than we think.”
Thank you, Rev.
Last Sunday, retired British diplomat Peter Ricketts was interviewed by the BBC. He said the week-end was a defeat for Putin as Zelensky was invited to Notre Dame’s reopening and Damascus fell to the rebels. Ricketts, now a lord and often interviewed from France, no Brexitannia for him, added this marks the return of the west and western liberal democracy and hoped the US would stay the course under Trump and build on this triumph.
Three hacks took that as their cue to argue for a much more hawkish line on Russia. This is not uncommon and possibly dangerous.
One hopes Aurelien pipes up as, I think, he knows Ricketts from a previous life and has written about the delusion of the PMC with regard to Russia.
>”for some reason I am always wary of a reporter with a triple barrel name.”
😂
yesss!!
Me2
AEP used to be one of the few British financial journalists worth reading.
Russophobia is an unavoidable malady in Blighty, striking particularly those in the swampy regions of the middle and preening classes. Only a vaccination taken abroad may prevent it.
This fits in with a spate of recent articles about Russian inflation and the central bank’s ongoing increases to the base interest rate (interest rate now at 23%, I think.)
I think they greatly underrate the state’s ability to address the situation, certainly for the short to medium term.
They also don’t compare this to the actual recessions now afflicting western European economies, or the state of the Ukrainian economy, if it can still be called that.
Clickbait
“How AARP Shills for UnitedHealthcare ”
This may be only tangentially related but this disgusting behavior is all finally being realized by my family after this shooting. My older brother has Schizophrenia and is on full disability and Medicare Parts A and B. If he is confused about anything with his healthcare he calls one of us. The last year he has been getting constant calls trying to convince him to get on Medicare Advantage because it will “save him money”. We did the math, it never saves him money.
Now I have heard UnitedHealth is all involved with these Medicare Advantage plans. And these people are calling disabled people trying to push them on these plans, some pretending to be calling from Medicare.
My poor brother, who struggled all his life, now this…greed and evil, spread by the virus of capitalism.
Janet was an RN for forty-five years, and has been running point between the establishment and my mother, who had collapsed two years ago and was Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. The meeting Tuesday was about Mom’s Humana coverage, since United Health was the only one of three state-approved insurers to come to an agreement with Area 10 Agency on Aging. Area 10 has been of benefit to Mom for years, but is now separated from contact on this issue.
Janet has done most things in nursing, including the trenches of authorization. She knows a lot, and we still dealt with professional advocates for her Medicare and SS, and a lawyer for Mom was crucial for an under-the-wire last-call hangnail to keep a benefit that was being scrubbed. I feel like those without resources to hire professionals, and without a Janet, are at sea on on a raft and being pitched they’re at the beach.
Apropos Zelensky and whether or not he is agreement capable about a Christmas truce, one problem is that Zelensky is trying to force through changing the date of Christmas in Ukraine from the traditional Orthodox early January to the western late December. I wonder what dates will be on the table were any such negotiations to begin.
Thank you, John. May be Zelensky is not bothered about Christianity. He and other westerners are aiding and abetting Zionist and Al Qaeda persecution of Christians in the Middle East.
At mass in France last Saturday, I was stunned to read about Israel’s security. There’s growing resentment of and resistance to this nonsense in Catholic communities. Clergy have been informed to cut it out from mass, especially at Easter.
Thank you, Colonel. Did you mean they put in a blurb for Israel’s security in mass itself from the local sky-pilot or did they give out a hand-out? Either way that was really on the nose that.
I believe I have solved the drone mystery.
1. There have been dozens of large (suv sized) drones flying around NJ. I was still dubious until I heard Taibbi describing watching them from his window. They are brightly lit and are trying to attract attention over towns, near Trump’s golf course and some military facilities.
2. Local authorities (mayors, police chiefs, etc)
have been bewildered, then angry.
3. The Feds have shrugged and said they don’t know much, they can’t do anything due to regulations, and also it’s fine don’t worry about it.
4. This week there was a long-scheduled Washington hearing on counter-UAS. The Feds further shrugged. They want to give anti-drone capabilities to local forces, but it’s not allowed. Also they are not allowed to act, seemingly.
5. Congress critters hearing all this are outraged etc etc.
6 Throughout this there is much hysteria, faked video etc in social media. The new Ufology ecosystem goes nuts. A small number of these large drones has caused quite a stir.
My theory is that the drones are a marketing demonstration of the need for militarised anti-drone stuff all over the US. Regulations must change fast to keep Americans safe. More kinetic weapons will be needed. Lasers and stuff. I guess for both Feds and locals. How the militarization of the air around civilians head goes….good luck!
Further, it reinforces how far behind the US is in drone stuff. Intelligent eyes in the military and spook-dom have seen the Ukraine war, and the ME mess and how drones have overturned the military balance. This message gets urgency for a pivot in US military procurement and development.
Flying them over Trumps golf course makes sure he sees the message too.
The prize is huge: the defence procurement budget. Can Musk bring start-up culture to the MIC? Can the traditional big 5 defence contractors be pushed out from the money-trough?
Plenty around Trump will get rich. Thiel is heavily into AI and drone stuff. It’ll be AI-drones at home, worldwide and in space.
…i’ve heard reports of activity in the area around Grovers Mill
The mystery drone flyers definitely have a sense of theater
I think that you are right in your assessment. The whole thing seems kinda off. You’d think that they could have added a few spy balloons as well. Flying over Trump’s golf course was just too blatant. I read today that the unofficial total military budget is about $1.77 trillion but if they want to go with drones defenses for the entirety of the United States, that would be enough to push it over the $2 trillion mark for sure-
https://news.antiwar.com/2024/12/11/house-passes-massive-895-billion-national-defense-authorization-act/
Lasers, Microwaves, Missiles, Guns Not On The Table For Domestic Drone Defense
Policy hurdles are limiting what capabilities the U.S. military can even consider to help provide critical domestic anti-drone defenses after years of inaction.
This shows you the domestic bit
That’s from October 31st in the Warzone. Coincidentally they were the website that first published articles about the NJ drones!
Trump allies draft AI order to launch ‘Manhattan Projects’ for defense (WaPo back in July)
On the general pivot to AI-drones – I wonder if they will cut old fat to make way for it? Trump likes to be a disruptor. I don’t see how the old defence guys can compete with companies like Anduril
Elon Musk Calls F-35 Builders ‘Idiots’, Favors Drone Swarms (Nov 26th)
Maybe the whore of the worlds is behind it, et tu Elon?
I wonder if those large drones are just a bunch of small drones in formation/flock or whatever the term is for coordinated flight.
Gooooooood Mooooooorning Fiatnam!
Prospects of our sentence being commuted 5 weeks from now had put a spring in all of mutual steps in the platoon, the grunts in the unit had long ago realized what a louse we had for a leader-even worse than the guy before & after, as it were.
Can’t Joe just give the ‘mercan people an early Christmas gift, and resign? Surely he has better things to do than mess up the world any more than he already has.
That would let Kamala have her 5 weeks to straighten up this place, before the Orangeman arriveth!
(Think of the comedic material!)
>The House Republican Steering Committee on Monday in a surprise vote recommended Rep. Brian Mast of Florida
Truly disgusting selection. I confronted Mast a couple of months ago while waiting to board a flight from PBI to PIT, his flight was adjacent, going to DCA. I told him I was sickened by the death of innocent women and children in Palestine and the U.S.’s complicity. His answer was that war was always “hell” and that innocents “bystanders” always have suffered. I was surprised how readily he was willing to go back and forth with me. I still look back on the incident and rue having taken his hand in a hand shake when he stuck it out.
Whether Israel uses the U.S as their personal army or the U.S. uses Israel as a proxy to advance ME interest, the result is the same, death, desolation, terror, and a manifestation of man’s seemingly incurable tendency to violence. It may even be bootless to make any distinction between Israel and the U.S. and just think of the two as one with coextensive national interest, and interest that by passes, the majority of citizens altogether.
https://rollcall.com/2024/12/09/in-a-surprise-gop-panel-recommends-mast-to-lead-foreign-affairs/
Thanks for relating the tale. That one is a true believer. The “war is hell” bit is just an imperialist justification for their wars of choice. Russia and Hezbollah both conducted wars with far lower civilian casualties and observed proper rules of war even when their opponents did not. It’s also not a war when the other side has only defensive weapons like IED and antitank rockets while IDP uses bunker busters, drones, and habit of doubletapping rescue workers, journalists, hospitals, and food warehouses.
That monster should be tried and then hung until dead, along with a majority of Congress, cabinet officers, spokesvampires, generals, and media creatures.
To the town of the Big Apple strode a stranger one fine day
Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn’t have too much to say
No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to give him lip
For the stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
It was early in the morning when he strode into the town
He came walking from the south side slowly lookin’ all around
There’s a CEO outlaw loose and running, came the whisper from each lip
And he’s here to do some business with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
In this town there came an outlaw by the name of the Jewell Kid
Many people had tried to take care of health issues and that many men were dead
He was vicious and a killer though a paragon of profit
And the notches on the P/L list benefited on account of it
Now the stranger started walking, made it plain to folks around
Was righting a wrong, wouldn’t be too long in town
He came here to take out an outlaw in the back and shoot him dead
And he said it didn’t matter he was after the Jewell Kid
After the Jewell Kid
Wasn’t long after before the story was relayed to NYPD they said
But the shooter didn’t worry, a health care assassin was dead
Back surgery gone wrong took him out, an aggravated disc slip
Revenge would be served with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
The morning passed so quickly, it was time for them to meet
It was 20 past 6 when they walked out in the street
Cameras were watching from the windows, every one recorded to be shown later on the ‘net
This handsomely paid CEO was about to meet his death
About to meet his death
There was 10 feet between them he they stopped to make his play
And the swiftness of the Ivy Leaguer is still talked about today
The Jewell Kid had not cleared the Hilton ‘fore a bullet fairly ripped
And the assailants aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
It was over in a moment and the folks had gathered round
There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground
Oh, he might have went on living but he made one fatal slip
When he tried to deny claims to many a crip
Big denial to many a crip
Big denial, big denial
When he tried to deny claims to many a crip
Big denial to many a crip
Big Iron, by Marty Robbins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NuX79Ud8zI
“Hungarian PM responds to criticism from Zelenskyy, saying his “Christmas truce” idea was rejected’
Zelensky can’t read the writing on the walls. In a few weeks Trump will be sworn into office and old Joe will be heading for a beach so Zelensky will have to deal with a President Trump whom he has annoyed. But worse than that, Trump has a point man in the EU/NATO and that man is Victor Orban. Zelensky could have agreed with Orban’s idea of a Christmas truce or even a large prisoner swap and gotten some brownie points with Orban and even those Ukrainians who would welcome home those POWs. He did neither and now has not only annoyed Orban but also those Ukrainians who were hoping for family members back for Christmas.
I tend to regard this as performative anti-Zionism by the Turkish state, similar to Ergodan’s pious speeches about Gaza as he continued to supply Israels energy needs.
That said Turkish and Israeli interests are now cheek by jowl in what remains of Syria. Israel ultimately wants Damascus, and whatever else it can get. How far is Turkey prepared to push south?
The Kurds are the current point of performative disagreement. I don’t see the US or Israel seriously opposing Turkiye destroying Kurdistan, or the Turks missing the opportunity. But who gets the oil? And who ultimately holds the eastern Syrian staging ground for the war with Iran?
Maybe the strategy here will be to swell Ergodan’s head so large that he attacks Iran himself to show who is boss? This I could see as a plan.
’The Blue Roof
@BluRoofPolitics
The Defense Minister’s original plan was to provoke an attack from North Korea, then use that as an excuse to declare martial law. To that end, South Korean military flew several drones over the Pyongyang sky, spraying propaganda fliers. North Korea did not attack, however.’
For years now we have been told that North Korea was an unstable country and that their leader was reckless and a bit of a nut job. Turns out that they were really taking about South Korea.
Would asteroids from Uranus benefit from a bidet?
And by the way, just had a glass of water containing a minuscule portion reconstituted from when Jesus pissed on a burning branch back in the day…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An impact-free mechanism to deliver water to terrestrial planets and exoplanets Atronomy Astrophysics. From the Abtract: “We propose that primordial asteroids were icy and that when the ice sublimated, it formed a gaseous disk that could then reach planets and deliver water.”
I wrote a comment about the Jonathan Cook article that went into the ether. So much for my tremendous wisdom.
Nevertheless, I recommend Cook’s article to you, because he lived for twenty years in Nazareth and knows the players and the chessboard intimately.
Reading the Italian news, I chanced on this video with Zerocalcare as host. He has written two graphic novels on Rojava: Kobane Calling, which centers on Rojava and the revolution there. His graphic novel No Sleep Till Shengal centers on the massacre of the Ezidi. So he knows Syria well, having been there.
His two guests are intimately involved in the zone of northeastern Syria now much in peril. Eddi Marcucci fought with the YPJ, the women’s army.
They marshal facts well. Note Eddi Marcucci’s discussion after about 15:00 of what is going on with the 70,000 people, ex ISIS, stuck in the northeast. Abandonment.
The beginning is good for their descriptions of the various players.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrOvNJM-DEY
All three are sensitive to the delicacy of the situation in Syria.
There are subtitles in Italian. I can’t seem to turn on the English subtitles (which I thought I could do as a favor). Maybe you can.
This video makes a good companion piece to the excellent article by Jonathan Cook.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/22/world/africa/gupta-zuma-south-africa-corruption.html
December 22, 2018
In Gupta Brothers’ Rise and Fall, Tale of a Sullied A.N.C.
By Norimitsu Onishi and Selam Gebrekidan
An Indian family rose to the heights of power and fortune in South Africa with the help of eager officials in the legendary party of Nelson Mandela.
https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/12/05/adanis-problems-in-kenya-undermine-narendra-modis-ambitions-for-africa
December 5, 2024
Adani’s problems in Kenya undermine Narendra Modi’s ambitions for Africa
Competing with China will now be even harder for India’s prime minister
Did a Terminal Temperature Acceleration Event start in December 2024? Arctic News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In times of olde when great climatic change occurred it was always on account of displeasing some almighty deity, but we’re much smarter than that and are completely aware of the source, and do our best to ignore it.
The Big Heat® is gonna be quite something to live through, with wildfires rampant and perhaps the ability to fight them, severely limited.
If we were smart, we’d offer a more than fair salary and excellent benefits to firefighters, to lure the best people… and yet are content to spend funds on far away proxy battles instead.
Got a lot of trees on the all cats and no cattle ranch, and have been doing a fair amount of pole saw dancing, gyrating my pelvis towards formerly viral members overhead and coaxing them in regards to the gravity of the situation, sometimes merely the faintest touch my big 14 inch blade is all it takes to make them come down. Other times I have to earn my keep through bump & grinding a branch that needs a good sawing.
Every tree has dead limbs on it, like so much seasoned firewood.