Roth Note: There’s a cause and a reason. Convince me I’m wrong. I’ll wait …

From Grok:

The 82% claim stems from a disputed calculation in the Shimabukuro study, focusing only on completed pregnancies within a short follow-up window rather than all vaccinated cases, a point long noted in analyses of the original data.

Roth Note: I ran across this today and found it interesting. I have not independently verified the content.

Did you know that the Vatican was named after “Vatika,” the goddess of the underworld?

Vatica is the archaic Etruscan name of a goddess associated with death and the underworld. She is likely a specific manifestation of the Etruscan goddess of death and the underworld, Vanth. While Vanth’s domain extended across a vast area of ​​the Etruscan realm, Vatica’s sphere was presumably the large burial ground on the hillside of the very area where the Vatican stands today. It is assumed that she was the spiritual guardian of the tombs located there.

In fact, the name “Vatican” is a true mystery. It has no connection to the Bible, the Greek language, or Latin. Like many other Christian traditions and customs, the name we associate with the center of the Catholic Church most likely has “pagan” origins, tracing back to the Etruscan language and, perhaps, to a goddess. The Etruscans did not bury their dead within their city walls. Instead, they built cemeteries outside their settlements—such as the large burial ground on the hillside outside an ancient city in the region that would later become Rome. This necropolis, and all those buried there, may well have been under the special protection of the goddess Vatika.

The Vatican and the Vagina

Vaticanus—the term for the burial hill and, by extension, the name of the goddess of death and the underworld—evolved over time into Vaginatus. This brings us to the vagina—not an unusual association for a goddess of death, given that many cultures and spiritual traditions held the view that, upon death, humans return to the womb of the Great Mother, the entrance to which is, of course, the vagina. The Altes Museum in Berlin houses a ceramic mask of an Etruscan goddess—possibly Vatica. This finely crafted ceramic piece may have served as a door ornament or a tomb decoration. A striking feature is the diamond-shaped symbol on her forehead, which is interpreted as a vulva. Intriguingly, the term “tika” also refers to the various auspicious marks Hindus often wear on their foreheads, directly over the third eye. Especially among women, these marks often take the shape of the paisley pattern—itself a symbol of the vulva. Such tikas are believed, among other things, to foster powerful visions; they are also associated with prophetic dreams, including those experienced during near-death episodes. It is also interesting to note that some Hindu monasteries are known as Vatika.

A Bitter Grape Variety and Prophetic Visions

Vatika also lent her name to a bitter grape variety that grew on the Vatican Hill. Farmers used it to produce a cheap wine; when consumed alongside an herb of the same name, it induced hallucinations. It is quite possible that the underworld goddess’s oracular priestesses on this hill experienced “prophetic visions” under the influence of these substances. In any case, it was this specific quality that led to the word’s adoption into Latin. The Latin verb vaticinor means “I predict” or “I prophesy.” Since the Church Fathers preferred to keep the original Etruscan linguistic root—which points to a goddess—under wraps, reference is instead made to a later transformation of the word, claiming that the name “Vatican” derives from vaticiniis ferendis (meaning “making predictions”). One can only speculate as to whether the Pope or his staff derive inspiration from the influence of Vatican wine. It is interesting to note, however, that the English word “vat” refers to a large tub or barrel used for storing liquids (such as wine). This raises the question of whether the chalice containing the sacramental wine in St. Peter’s Basilica is filled with hallucinogenic Vatika wine.

Centuries after serving as a necropolis, this hill in Rome became the site of a circus whose main attraction was the stoning of people.
According to legend, Saint Peter was executed there—crucified upside down—and buried not far away. Emperor Constantine established a shrine on the site when it was already known as Vatican Hill. Some centuries later, the Papal Palace was built there; thus, the Vatican—a word of Etruscan origin associated with a pagan goddess—gives its name to the heart of the Church.

©Artedea.net

From Moon of Alabama

U.S. media claim that Iran has set out new conditions to solve the conflict with the U.S. But the new text it has published is just a repetition of  clauses the U.S. had already signed on to.

On Saturday Iran published ‘new’ demands for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz:

[Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr] said the US should observe the six following conditions:

“1. Never, and in no language, threaten Iran or insult the sanctities of this nation.

2. Permanently end the war and aggression against Iran and Iran’s allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iraq.

3. Lift the naval blockade and withdraw its military forces (naval and air) from around Iran.

4. Pay in full, without any reduction, the damages caused to Iran by the two wars of aggression and imposition.

5. Lift the unjust and illegal sanctions against the Iranian nation.

6. Unconditionally release the blocked and stolen assets of the Iranian people.”

These demands seem to have confused U.S. observers. The Wall Street Journal claimed (archived) that these were somehow more harsh than those which had been previously issued:

[..] Iran insisted Saturday on its highest price yet for permitting the free flow of traffic in the waterway, seeking billions of dollars in U.S. payments, the removal of American troops from the region and an end of the U.S. naval blockade, among other things.
…
“Iran’s recent hardline demands for reopening the strait make it increasingly difficult for the president to manufacture a face-saving off-ramp from the conflict,” said Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

The WSJ author and his ‘expert’ are mistaken. There is nothing new in the Iranian demands. They are direct repetitions of clauses laid down in Memorandum of Understanding which the White House had negotiated and President Trump had publicly signed.

Read the entire post

Related at Sonar21

… and from Zerohedge …

Iran’s IRGC is holding the line, reiterating that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen to international shipping only after the United States accepts all of its conditions, which we outlined previously. Also, on Saturday Iran’s army spokesman Amir Akraminia statedthatIran’s new protocols in the Strait of Hormuz are “irreversible” and shall not be thwarted by the US. “The United States has no choice but to accept the existing situation; otherwise, it will incur costs far greater than those it has faced in the past,” Akraminia said. 

Trump should have listened to the non-interventionists and he wouldn’t have put himself and the American people in this mess. American troops would not have been caught so flat-footed and directly in harm’s way (given what was clearly lack of proper US military planning and preparedness for Iran to fight back as fiercely as it did), and hundreds of Iranian civilian lives – including massacred schoolgirls – would have been sparred.

Roth Note: Looks like even Trump’s option to ‘declare victory’ and simply walk away has now been removed from consideration by Iran.

Roth Note: Not the Iranians and not terrorism.

Ok hear me out. I know this is going to come across as tin foil-y but at this point truth is far stranger than fiction.

I wrote earlier this week how the Fauci hearings threw shade to the approval of the Vaccine Queen Erica Schwartz as CDC director and the FDA approval of the new mRNA flu shot, brought to you by Moderna.

Well, the mRNA flu vax is called mFLUSIVA. Siva, or Shiva, is the Hindu demon “god” of death and destruction.

Let that sit for a minute.

From Nurse Claire

h/t WRSA

h/t WRSA for graphic

It is so nice to have a weekend where Trump did not curse, vilify and threaten Iran with total annihilation. And we do not have to wait until just before the Asian markets open to have another false proclamation that the Strait of Hormuz will be open as negotiations restart because Iran was “begging” for a resolution.

Now we just have to wait and see if Pakistan and Turkey retaliate against Yemen for their attacks on Saudi Arabia. As I said earlier, Trump was trapped. Ego, narcissism and incompetence are not traits for success in any endeavor or position.

What are the lessons learned?

1. The world has entered a new generation for fighting wars. Conventional naval and air systems have been replaced with drones, hypersonic missiles and electronic warfare.
2. AI is an important facet for national security and war.
3. Robotic soldiers will replace human soldiers on the battlefield.
4. The nation which spends the most money on defense will not matter as Iran has proved.
5. Paper tiger nations have and will be exposed. The US and Western Europe will not survive intact or may not even survive.
6. Nations are defeated at the ballot box and the West has been infiltrated with Islam, Communism and Hinduism. Coupled with propaganda, voter fraud and aliens, the West will fall as Spain fell.
7. Israel showed the world that they can buy security for pennies by bribing and blackmailing the US Congress and Presidency.
8. A multipolar world is coming once the USD collapses due to massive debt and the replacement of the petrodollar.

So I will enjoy today without considering the impending Israeli false flag or attack on Iran.

The crisis in Ukraine continues to come to a desperate head. After offering various ceasefires to Russia, Zelensky is now apparently beginning to make some limited concessions:

The Russian strike campaign against Odessa and surrounding infrastructure has been sending the Ukrainian commentariat into a panic. Major Ukrainian supply chain distributors have been admitting that Russian attacks have wiped out their warehouses as stores begin to empty—a clear repercussion of Zelensky’s campaign against Russia’s Wildberries.

A Ukrainian analytical center reports that Russia’s attacks on the ports have caused Ukraine’s iron output to decline by up to 35%, and that 2026 is the most difficult year since the start of the war.

There continue to be various rumors that Russia intends to put a final finishing blow on Kiev, if not all of Ukraine. Ukrainian experts believe on top of power plants, this winter Russia plans to strike various water and waste facilities to shut Kiev down.

Read the entire Simplicius post …

From Sonar21

Although Donald Trump insists that the Strait of Hormuz is open, it ain’t. There are no direct talks between Iran and US representatives. In fact, it looks like Pakistan’s attempt at mediation is going nowhere. Iran has been talking with Oman, but those talks — despite claims of progress — appear to have stalled.

Iran updated its demands that the US must accept if it wants the Strait of Hormuz back in full operation:

‘Until America corrects its behavior, the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened.

Correcting behavior means:

1. Never threaten Iran with any language nor insult the sanctities of this nation.
2. End the war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq permanently.
3. Lift the naval blockade and withdraw U.S. naval and air forces from the area surrounding Iran.
4. Pay the damages for the two aggressive wars imposed against Iran.
5. Lift the cruel and illegal sanctions against the Iranian nation.
6. Release the frozen and stolen assets of the Iranian people unconditionally.

These are the demands of the Iranian people who have been relentlessly present in the squares and streets for 160 days.

Some in the West are treating these demands like they are something new. They are not. Let me remind you that in early April 2026 (around April 6), Iran delivered a 10-point proposal (sometimes called a peace plan or counter-proposal) to the United States. It was conveyed via Pakistan, which was mediating. This responded to an earlier U.S. 15-point proposal. Iranian state media and subsequent reporting summarized the key elements; no complete official English text of every point was universally published at the time, but consistent accounts of the main demands included the following:

• A permanent/non-aggression guarantee that Iran (and related fronts) would not be attacked again.
• Continued Iranian coordination/control or a secure transit protocol for the Strait of Hormuz (with some versions mentioning fees or arrangements involving Oman).
• Ending hostilities against Iran’s regional allies/“Axis of Resistance” (including in Lebanon).
• Full or broad U.S./Western sanctions relief (primary and secondary).
• Termination of relevant UN Security Council and IAEA resolutions.
• Release of frozen Iranian assets.
• Compensation or reconstruction funding for war damage.
• Related security and non-interference provisions.

Iran is holding firm to its demands. I remain skeptical that Donald Trump will agree to these terms. In fact, Trump reportedly has decided to launch a new campaign of bombing and missile strikes, despite warnings from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that US missile inventories are running dangerously low. Folks at CENTCOM who thought they would have a long weekend reportedly have been called back to work to finish planning the new round of strikes.

Lots of mixed signals. I cannot rule out the possibility of Trump ordering a new surprise attack in hopes that it will force Iran to capitulate. 

Related from Zerohedge …

As expected, Iran is pressing hard to extract from Washington everything it can get – at a moment the Trump White House seems to be backing down from a heighted war over the Strait of Hormuz, given the serious risk of settling into a another years-long quagmire in the Middle East.

The US administration, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, has appeared to back the Iran-Oman deal for the opening of the Strait, with President Trump and his officials having remained surprisingly quiet even as it has emerged that the deal outline is wholly favorable to Tehran’s conditions.