Full screen recommended.
Michael Bordenaro, 2/20/26
"People Complain They’re Broke…
But Still Keep Spending"
Comments here:
So, we rise from the rubble...
StatCounter
Friday, February 20, 2026
Dan, I Allegedly, "He Promised Free Everything… Now You’re Paying for It"
Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, 2/20/26
"He Promised Free Everything…
Now You’re Paying for It"
"New York City’s mayor promised free buses, free childcare, rent control, and more - but now he’s proposing a 9.5% property tax increase on homeowners and businesses. Who’s really paying for “free”? In this video, we break down the math behind the promises, the growing budget deficit, and why taxpayers are once again being asked to foot the bill. If you live in NYC - or any high-tax state - this matters to you. When politicians sell “free everything,” the reality is higher taxes, business flight, rising costs, and economic pressure on the middle class. Is this smart policy or political fantasy? We’ll talk about the potential real estate fallout, why property owners could rush for the exits, and how these decisions impact everyday Americans. Nothing is free - someone always pays."
Comments here:
"Larry C. Johnson & Col. Larry Wilkerson: Iran Warns U.S. in Urgent Letter to UN Vowing to Wipe Out U.S. Navy"
Full screen recommended.
Dialogue Works 2/20/26
"Larry C. Johnson & Col. Larry Wilkerson: Iran Warns
U.S. in Urgent Letter to UN Vowing to Wipe Out U.S. Navy"
Comments here:
"$5 Trillion at Risk - Trump’s 10-Day Countdown to Iran Strike"
Full screen recommended.
Money Over History, 2/20/26
"$5 Trillion at Risk -
Trump’s 10-Day Countdown to Iran Strike"
"Trump has publicly set a 10-day deadline for Iran to reach a deal - or face potential military action - and global markets are reacting instantly. Oil prices have climbed to multi-month highs, gold is surging, and investors are pricing in geopolitical risk as markets brace for impact. From the Strait of Hormuz’s role in global oil supply to how investors are fleeing to safe havens, this is the most important geopolitical and economic countdown you’ll see this year. Stay informed - because the next few days could reshape the world economy."
Comments here:
"Financial WMD: How Iran Could Trigger a Global Economic Collapse"
"Financial WMD: How Iran Could
Trigger a Global Economic Collapse"
by Nick Giambruno
"Warren Buffett once referred to derivatives as "financial weapons of mass destruction." He wasn’t being dramatic - he was warning that if things went wrong, these complex financial instruments could cause massive, far-reaching damage to the global economy. What Buffett feared most was how a sudden, unexpected market shock could set off a dangerous chain reaction through the financial system, fueled by the hidden risks and tangled interconnections that derivatives create.
These instruments link major banks, hedge funds, and corporations in an intricate web of bets on the future prices of oil, interest rates, currencies, and more. For example, airlines and energy companies routinely use oil-linked derivatives to hedge or speculate. If oil prices were to surge unexpectedly, the counterparties on the losing end - often large financial institutions - would be on the hook for enormous payouts. That, in turn, would trigger margin calls, liquidity crunches, and potentially forced asset sales.
The fear spreads quickly, because many of these derivative contracts are opaque - no one really knows who is exposed or by how much. That uncertainty can lead to panic in the markets, as everyone starts pulling back at once. Losses like these rarely stay contained. A default in one part of the system spreads risk outward. If a major player can’t cover its exposure, it endangers its counterparties. If one of those is a major bank, the problem quickly becomes systemic. This is precisely the kind of domino effect Buffett was describing - a market shock lighting fuses in unexpected places, turning financial interconnectivity into financial fragility.
Because derivatives are so interconnected and can involve huge sums of money, the damage can grow quickly and unpredictably, much like a series of explosions. That’s why Buffett saw them not just as risky tools, but as potential threats to the entire financial system. In other words, financial WMD. So why bring this up now?
Because a more serious confrontation between the US and Iran appears inevitable—and when it comes, it will almost certainly disrupt the flow of oil and gas from the Persian Gulf. To call that a severe supply disruption would be an understatement. Consider this.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow strip of water that links the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world. It’s the world’s single-most important energy corridor, and there’s no alternative route. Five of the world’s top 10 oil-producing countries - Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait - border the Persian Gulf, as does Qatar, the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The Strait of Hormuz is their only sea route to the open ocean… and world markets.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, around 20 million barrels of oil transit the Strait daily, accounting for roughly 20% of global oil production - worth about $1.3 billion per day at current prices. Another 20% of global LNG exports also move through the Strait.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of the Strait of Hormuz to the global economy. If someone were to disrupt the Strait, it would ignite a full-blown energy crisis, sending prices soaring and financial markets into chaos. Thanks to its commanding geography and expertise in unconventional and asymmetric warfare, Iran can shut down the Strait, and there’s not much anyone can do about it. It’s Iran’s geopolitical trump card.
Analysts believe it could take weeks to reopen, if at all. Pentagon war games have shown that in a full-scale war, the US Navy would be unable to keep the Strait open. Faced with swarming missile attacks, American forces would either have to withdraw or risk total annihilation. Worse still, Iran could target oil infrastructure across the Persian Gulf, destroying production facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Even if the Strait reopened, there could be nothing left to export.
Military strategists have known this for decades, yet no viable strategy has ever emerged to neutralize Iran’s leverage. Tehran has made it clear: if a full-scale war breaks out, it will close the Strait and destroy the Persian Gulf’s energy infrastructure. In short, Iran holds a knife to the throat of the global economy.
Since the 1979 Revolution, the US has sought to overthrow Iran’s government. But Iran’s control over the Strait has long served as a powerful deterrent to regime change. That deterrence, however, may be breaking down.
Although most don’t realize it, we are now in the midst of World War 3 - and Iran has become the decisive battleground. The US and Israel may be willing to risk global economic collapse to topple the Iranian government, a move that would dramatically shift the global balance of power in their favor.
If a war with Iran shuts down the Strait of Hormuz, the impact would dwarf every oil crisis in modern history. During the first oil shock in 1973, about 5 million barrels were removed from the global oil market. At the time, daily global oil production was around 56 million barrels. That means roughly 9% of the world’s supply vanished. Oil prices roughly quadrupled.
In the second oil shock of 1979, about 4 million barrels disappeared from the market. Daily production was around 67 million barrels - so about 6% of global supply was lost. Oil prices nearly tripled.
Then, in 1990, during Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait, about 4.3 million barrels were removed. With global production at roughly 66 million barrels per day, that was a 7% supply loss. Oil prices more than doubled. Now compare that to a Strait of Hormuz shutdown, which could instantly remove 20 million barrels from a global market producing about 100 million barrels per day - a staggering 20% of supply gone overnight. This would be the largest supply shock in history. By far.
If war with Iran proceeds and Tehran closes the Strait of Hormuz, I think the effect on the price of oil will be at least as severe as it was during the 1973 oil shock, which saw oil prices go up 4x. A similar move today could see oil prices above $265 a barrel.
However, I consider that a conservative estimate because closing the Strait of Hormuz would cause a much larger supply shock than the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. And unlike financial crises of the past, this one can’t be fixed with printed money. Central banks can inject liquidity, but they can’t manufacture oil. Physical supply shortages aren’t solvable by monetary policy. Even the combined efforts of the US and Russia to increase oil production couldn’t replace the missing 20 million barrels per day quickly enough to prevent market chaos.
This kind of price shock would hit derivatives markets like a sledgehammer, where oil and gas are heavily traded via futures, options, and swaps. Any firm on the wrong side of the trade would face steep losses, triggering margin calls, liquidity demands, and potential defaults. Big banks that serve as counterparties or intermediaries would be directly exposed to the fallout. This could set off a cascade of defaults and margin calls that ripple through the global financial system - and make 2008 look tame by comparison.
A closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a credible trigger for a catastrophic global economic depression. Iran’s true nuclear option isn’t a warhead - it’s a financial WMD, setting off a chain reaction by shutting down the Strait and sending oil prices through the roof, detonating the derivatives bomb at the heart of the global financial system.
The Strait of Hormuz isn’t just a geopolitical flashpoint - it’s a pressure point beneath the entire modern financial system. If it closes, even temporarily, the shock won’t stop at the gas pump. It will surge straight through the derivatives complex Buffett warned about, slam liquidity, force margin calls, and expose how fragile "normal" really is when a real-world supply constraint collides with a paper market built on leverage and trust. And that’s why this matters right now: a Hormuz shutdown wouldn’t simply be another crisis. It could be the unmistakable catalyst that turns today’s slow-motion currency debasement into a full-blown Monetary Reset - an event where the rules change, purchasing power gets repriced, and wealth doesn’t disappear so much as move… swiftly, and often permanently, from the unprepared to the positioned."
Jim Kunstler, "Does It Smell Like Victory?"
"Does It Smell Like Victory?"
by Jim Kunstler
"We're either gonna get a deal or it's gonna be unfortunate for them.”
- POTUS Donald Trump
"The message seems to be something like the USA isn’t messing around with all those strike forces in the waters around Iran. The Islamic Republic suddenly looks like Rock-and-Hard-Place-Land. Everybody and his uncle are trying to figure out the calculus in play, World War Three or a happy ending?
You’re seeing the most significant US military build-up over there in memory. Smells a little bit like first Gulf War, 1991 - minus all those allies we roped in then. Mr. Trump (via Marco Rubio) has read Euroland out on this one. We are in a cold war with those birds, in case you haven’t noticed. The UK, France, Germany & Co.? They are as crazy as the ladies of "The View" and their millions of Cluster-B followers.
Euroland is yet in thrall to the climate nutters, the farm-and-industry-destroyers, the one-worlders, the Jihad-migrationists, the floundering banksters, and the Klaus Schwab wannabes. Euroland seeks to throttle free speech throughout Western Civ and meddle in everyone’s elections. Euroland keeps mouthing off about a war with Russia despite having no military mojo and going broke-ass broke faster than you can say Götterdämmerung. Bottom line: the US is going solo on this one.
What is the objective? Ostensibly “a deal” over Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Like, just cut it out, will you, please? By the way, did you know that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei issued a fatwa in 2005 saying production, stockpiling, and use of nuclear weapons was forbidden under Islam. But then deception is allowed in Islam under the doctrine of taqiyya, against the threat of attack from hostile forces,
I’m sure you remember Operation Midnight Hammer in June last year when we attacked and supposedly “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear research and development bunkers at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan? They got pretty banged-up, you may be sure, and nobody in Iran denied there was something nukey going on in those installations. Is there a will there to rebuild the whole darn infrastructure of uranium enrichment and so forth?
The mullahs are not saying, which means: of course, they intend to continue developing nuclear weapons - and even if that’s a stupid and futile gambit, given recent history, they still have factories churning out plain old long-range ballistic missiles and new drones by the thousands. Let’s face it: the mullahs are hardcore for Jihad and martyrdom. Since being elevated to Supreme Leader in 1989, Ayatollah Khamenei has sought relentlessly to transform the traditional Islamic concept of Jihad and establish it as the central pillar of the regime’s ideology.
Are we doing Israel’s bidding there? (Cue: roar of affirmation.) But then, Israel has a point. Iran has been cuckoo for going on forty years. If Israel wasn’t a target of the mullahs’ eternal Shia wrath, there are their other enemies, the Sunni, on the west side of the Persian Gulf (and next door in Iraq). And consider, too, Iran’s obdurate sponsorship of Jihad, wherever possible, both within and outside the Ummah - including especially Western Civ, where low-grade Jihad has been going on for over a decade... mass murders, rape gangs, beheadings, trucks through the Christmas markets. . . .
Okay, if Euroland is out, what about the other big dogs, Russia and China. Will they just stand by and let the US have its wicked way with Iran? Russia sent a corvette-class naval vessel down to the Straits of Hormuz for a joint operation with Iran’s navy, but what does that mean? Probably not much more than occupational therapy. Besides, Mr. Trump is just now promising to bring Russia “out from the cold” of all those onerous economic sanctions... to begin the process of normalizing relations. You might doubt that Russia wants to blow that for Iran’s sake.
And, while it is somewhat out of the news due to the Epstein stink-bomb, and the deepness of mid-winter, there is still a war going on over in Ukraine. Which is to say, the Russians have their hands full in their own back-yard and might, perhaps, be hesitant about piling-on in Iran. And, let’s just suppose that the US objective is actually regime change in Iran. Would Russia be indisposed if the mullahs got kicked out of power? I doubt it. Russia has longstanding annoying issues with Islamic factions distributed throughout their adjoining former Soviet republics. Russia does not need Jihad. Russia might actually live more comfortably with Iran under a secular government, tilting a bit more western in temperament. Just sayin’...
China has more urgent concerns with Iran. China gets around 13-percent of its oil imports from Iran, and it enjoys a three to four percent discount on it. Regime change or war that could damage Iran’s oil terminals would be bad news for China. But then, China is at a long geographic remove from Iran, and China is not used to conducting military adventures so far from home, so don’t expect much assistance there. China’s other option would be to start a kerfuffle over Taiwan to distract and divert the US. We’ll just have to see about that. Uncle Xi Jinping has been busy lately sacking the upper echelons of his own military leadership. Are they even ready for action? Plus, China’s economy is wobbly. Consider also: has the US given China assurances of continued oil imports from Iran if it steers clear of the situation there?
What are we operationally capable of over in Iran with all our warships, fighter jets, and other stuff? I don’t know... and neither do you. Looks impressive, but a couple of Sunburn-type missiles landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln could produce a profound instant attitude adjustment. Perhaps President Trump, WarSec Hegseth, and StateSec Rubio have more refined plans for disarming Iran and surgically removing those in charge. Our guys are certainly acting confident. But then in geopolitics confidence is best friends with hubris. And hubris generally precedes clusterf*ck. The art of the deal is not for sissies."
Bill Bonner, "The Doctor Will See You Now"
"The Doctor Will See You Now"
by Bill Bonner
"The idea that the Chinese lack creativity is a comforting
superstition, cherished chiefly by those whose last original
idea was to install a second refrigerator in the garage."
- Suggested to us by ChatGPT
Poitou, France - "In the west, we more attempts to control the economy, The People, the news and the ‘narrative.’ The latest count shows federal, state, and local government spending at 40% of GDP. So, they’ve got a lot to control it with. Reuters: "Trump adviser Hassett suggests New York Fed researchers be punished for tariffs argument. Kevin Hassett, a top economic adviser to President Donald Trump, on Wednesday said those behind a New York Federal Reserve research paper that argued the costs of tariffs are borne mostly by Americans should be punished for what he described as shoddy scholarship."
In the east, or at least in China, the citizens have less democracy than we have. BBC from 2018: "China’s Xi allowed to remain ‘president for life’ as term limits removed." But they have no military bases scattered throughout the planet. China does not blow up fishing boats. It does not kidnap foreign leaders. It has never invaded another country, nor even threatened to do so.
The US, by contrast, has some 700 bases outside the homeland. It bombs, threatens or intervenes somewhere almost every day. And at home, the US has 541 people in jail for every 100,000 loose on the streets. In China, only 119 are in jail/100k. Either the Chinese are more law abiding, or Americans are putting their fellow countrymen behind bars at four times the Chinese rate for no good reason.
And while the west seems to be in decline, the east seems to rise. China marked the beginning of the New Year with a fantastic spectacle in Beijing...watched by more people than any previous show. It unveiled a ‘new generation’ of robots. And these were no ordinary sci-fi robots, shuffling along stiffly like a superannuated senator. On display were 25 human-sized machines that walked, ran, jumped, performed kung-fun stunts - all in perfectly choreographed precision. Breakdancing...back flipping - it was amazing what these robots could do.
And their manufacturer Unitree says it will produce 20,000 of them this year. Interesting Engineering: "Unitree’s WuBot robot performed the martial arts sequence at the event. The H1 robots came next, performing table-vaulting parkour, 3-meter aerial flips, and single-leg flips. The robots also showcased an air flare grand spin of seven-and-a-half rotations and other high-difficulty movements, which marked a significant upgrade from the Yangko dance they performed at the 2025 event."
As far as we know, no western country can do anything like this. The show was so impressive some viewers even doubted it was real. Not even the Chinese could do something like this, they thought. “I’m deeply suspicious,” wrote one. “It could be AI generated.’ But the performance was said to be live, before real people...and it wasn’t as perfect as you’d expect from an AI-generated fraud. The robots often had to quickly move their feet to keep their balance. AI was used to program the graceful, powerful, coordinated moves, not to deceive the viewers.
And here’s Lin Guoer’s viral YouTube channel (@linguoermechanic) that has nothing to do with AI...but with the energy of the Chinese people. Lin is a young woman from Yunnan Province with an amazing talent for restoring old engines and broken machines. Her channel has two million followers! (In this video, she restores a 100-year-old tractor.)
We haven’t been to China for more than twenty years. We were among the first ‘Europeans’ to visit the planned city of Shenzhen. It was a backwater, with dirt roads, stalled trucks, ragged houses and perhaps 30,000 people. But even back then, China was racing ahead...with more and faster trains, better highways, more efficient ports. And today, Shenzhen is one of the most modern cities in the world - with 17 million people.
And now...the Chinese are making a great leap forward in the one industry where the US used to be the undisputed lead dog - technology. The South China Morning Post reports: "Chinese scientists hit breakthrough on 2D semiconductor wafers. Chinese researchers have announced a new technique to mass produce 2D material wafers, paving the way for high-performance electronics using a successor to silicon.
As semiconductor chips continue to evolve, transistor sizes are approaching the physical limits of silicon-based technology. The search for next-generation semiconductor materials that can deliver superior performance has become a global priority. Among the candidates, two-dimensional (2D) materials such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) with their atomically thin structure are regarded as promising successors for the post-Moore’s Law era because of their high carrier mobility and low power consumption."
Yes, dear reader, we have presumed that an economy with a large amount of government interference (China…the US) would be a flop. But maybe not. It is also astonishing that China, with hundreds of millions of human workers, would lead the world in replacing them with machines.
As for AI, we pooh-poohed the idea that AI would change the world. Who wants yet more words? More opinions? More analysis? More ideas? More blah blah? Would AI help us make tastier linguine? Would it turn a goodbye kiss into a life-changing experience? Would it make an annoying neighbor disappear? But this robot show has lifted the curtain. Behind it, we see machines that can do almost everything, physically and mentally, that a human can do. But with none of the sick days or bad attitudes that characterize our race.
They can easily put truck drivers out of work, of course...and truck loaders, mechanics and package deliverers too. Kateable: "UPS guts 78,000 jobs in largest purge since company’s founding to ‘reduce human labor’."
‘Watch out,’ says the homeowner, ‘my dog might bite.’ ‘I don’t care’...says the robot. Sort, tote, hammer...any job that can be routinized can be done by these marvels. 24 hours a day. Seven days a week. And they respond to voice commands.
They can take over the professions too. What does a doctor do? He listens to your complaints. He runs some tests and takes some measures. With an almost infinite well of medical knowledge available to him, the robot in the white coat might be a far superior technician. He might even be programmed to have a nice bedside manner! And maybe a Chinese accent! ‘You no have cancer. You have indigestion. Take pills. Call in morning,’ he tells you."
Thursday, February 19, 2026
"Alert! Russia On Nuclear Alert For Iran Collapse, Mass Conscription Underway! Trump UFO Talk=WW3"
Full screen recommended.
Prepper news, 2/19/26
"Alert! Russia On Nuclear Alert For Iran Collapse,
Mass Conscription Underway! Trump UFO Talk=WW3"
Comments here:
"Bad Things Are Going To Happen, Federal Reserve Pumping Billions Into Banks"
Jeremiah Babe, 2/19/26
"Bad Things Are Going To Happen,
Federal Reserve Pumping Billions Into Banks"
Comments here:
Gerald Celente, "Markets Down, Oil Up, Will Trump Attack Iran?"
Strong language alert!
Gerald Celente, 2/19/26
"Markets Down, Oil Up, Will Trump Attack Iran?"
"The Trends Journal is a weekly magazine analyzing global current events forming future trends. Our mission is to present Facts and Truth over fear and propaganda to help subscribers prepare for What’s Next in these increasingly turbulent times."
Comments here:
"De-Dollarization Has Begun! Banks Are Running Out Of Cash As Dollar Gets Dumped Worldwide"
Full screen recommended.
Epic Economist, 2/19/26
"De-Dollarization Has Begun! Banks Are Running
Out Of Cash As Dollar Gets Dumped Worldwide"
"Something massive is happening in the global financial system right now, and most people aren't paying attention. The US dollar is quietly losing its strength, gold just surpassed $5,000 an ounce, silver broke through $100, and central banks around the world are making unprecedented moves to distance themselves from fiat currencies. In this video, we break down what's really going on, why experts and everyday Americans alike are sounding the alarm, and what this could mean for your savings, your purchasing power, and your financial future.
We look at real conversations people are having right now about the state of the dollar, the rise of hard assets, and the growing push toward digital currencies and stable coins. From the GENIUS Act to central bank digital currencies, the financial landscape is shifting faster than most of us realize. Whether these changes are part of a natural economic cycle or something more intentional, the signs are becoming impossible to ignore.
We also explore how inflation is quietly eroding the purchasing power of everyday Americans. The government says inflation is under control, but anyone who's filled up their gas tank, bought groceries, or tried to rent an apartment knows that the numbers don't match the reality. Shrinkflation, tipflation, rising insurance premiums, it all adds up. And for millions of families, making ends meet has never been harder, even when they're earning more than they ever have before.
On a global scale, countries are actively moving away from the US dollar as their reserve currency. Capital is flowing out of dollar-denominated assets and into foreign markets, gold, silver, and alternative investments. When entire nations start making these kinds of moves, it tells a story that's hard to dismiss. The dollar's dominance is being challenged in ways we haven't seen in decades.
We also take a closer look at what's happening with banks. From major institutions facing scrutiny over fake accounts and frozen funds to the simple reality that most banks don't actually hold your cash on hand, there are real concerns about where your money is and how safe it truly is. For many people, these revelations are a wake-up call to start thinking differently about how they store and protect their wealth.
This video isn't financial advice, it's a conversation. It's about looking at the bigger picture, asking the right questions, and making sure we're all informed enough to make smart decisions for ourselves and our families during a time of real economic uncertainty.
If you found this video valuable, please like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you don't miss future updates. Share this with someone who needs to hear it. Drop your thoughts in the comments. I always love hearing your perspective and learning from this community."
Comments here:
Musical Interlude: Gnomusy (David Caballero), "Footprints On The Sea"
Gnomusy (David Caballero), "Footprints On The Sea"
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Is our Milky Way Galaxy this thin? Magnificent spiral galaxy NGC 4565 is viewed edge-on from planet Earth. Also known as the Needle Galaxy for its narrow profile, bright NGC 4565 is a stop on many telescopic tours of the northern sky, in the faint but well-groomed constellation Coma Berenices. This sharp, colorful image reveals the spiral galaxy's boxy, bulging central core cut by obscuring dust lanes that lace NGC 4565's thin galactic plane.
An assortment of other background galaxies is included in the pretty field of view. Thought similar in shape to our own Milky Way Galaxy, NGC 4565 lies about 40 million light-years distant and spans some 100,000 light-years. Easily spotted with small telescopes, sky enthusiasts consider NGC 4565 to be a prominent celestial masterpiece Messier missed.”
"The Pale Blue Dot - Where We Make Our Stand"; "Cosmos"
Full screen recommended.
"The Pale Blue Dot -
Where We Make Our Stand"
by Carl Sagan
"In the climactic final episode of "Cosmos" titled "Who Speaks for Earth?" Carl Sagan makes an impassioned plea for nuclear de-escalation. The first nine minutes of the piece are particularly spellbinding, and the introduction draws to a close with Sagan walking along a rocky shoreline where he delivers a historic monologue:
"The civilization now in jeopardy is all humanity. As the ancient myth makers knew, we are children equally of the earth and sky. In our tenure on this planet, we have accumulated dangerous, evolutionary baggage propensities for aggression and ritual, submission to leaders, hostility to outsiders, all of which puts our survival in some doubt. We have also acquired compassion for others, love for our children, a desire to learn from history and experience, and a great, soaring passionate intelligence, the clear tools for our continued survival and prosperity.
Which aspects of our nature will prevail is uncertain, particularly when our visions and prospects are bound to one small part of the small planet earth. But up and in the cosmos, an inescapable perspective awaits. National boundaries are not evidenced when we view the earth from space. Fanatic ethnic or religious or national identifications are a little difficult to support when we see our planet as a fragile, blue crescent fading to become an inconspicuous point of light against the bastion and citadel of the stars.
There are not yet obvious signs of extraterrestrial intelligence, and this makes us wonder whether civilizations like ours rush inevitably into self-destruction. I dream about it... and sometimes they are bad dreams."
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"Carl Sagan was a brilliant scientist, gifted orator, skilled teacher, and effective advocate for his strongly held beliefs. It is no exaggeration to say that Sagan is likely responsible for inspiring more people to pursue a career in the sciences than any other person in history. His 13-part television documentary "Cosmos: A Personal Journey", which first premiered on PBS in 1980 and is still stunningly well-worth watching to this day, is widely regarded as one of the best science-themed series ever produced. Sagan knew how to turn a phrase to enchant an audience and routinely did so with a level of passion and charisma that cannot be faked."
o
Full screen recommended.
Carl Sagan's "Cosmos", Episodes 1- 4
Carl Sagan's "Cosmos", Episodes 1- 4
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Carl Sagan's "Cosmos", Episodes 5 - 7
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Carl Sagan's "Cosmos", Episodes 8 - 10
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Carl Sagan's "Cosmos", Episodes 11 - 13
"You Must Be..."
"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can't help that," said the cat.
"We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll,
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll,
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"
Oh, I know, I know lol...
Thanks for stopping by!
"Plato's Cave"
Full screen recommended.
"Plato's Cave"
by Phil Williams
"Orson Welles’s psychedelic 1973 adaptation of Plato’s timeless allegory of the cave and Kafka’s “Before the Law,” two parables of the human condition.
"It is the task of the enlightened not only to ascend to learning and to see the good but to be willing to descend again to those prisoners and to share their troubles and their honors, whether they are worth having or not. And this they must do, even with the prospect of death."
– Plato’s "Republic", Book 7
"Plato’s allegory of the cave thought-experiment ponders the experience of prisoners shackled in a cave from birth, only able to see the shadows of objects projected onto a wall. The text then traces the journey of a prisoner who is set free from the cave, given the opportunity to experience reality in the glow of the Sun and, upon returning to the cave, is met with laughter by the other prisoners, who think him a fool for struggling to readjust to his old existence. A simple story yielding complex commentaries on the nature of reality and wisdom, Plato’s timeless allegory is built into the foundations of modern philosophy and, more than two millennia later, still stirs debate. Carried by a rich narration from Orson Welles, this rarely seen 1973 animated adaptation of Plato’s words populates the tale with haunting human figures, bringing retro-surreal life to the parable."
Comments here:
"We All Got Problems..."
“We all got problems. But there’s a great book out called “Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart.” Did you see that? That book says the statute of limitations has expired on all childhood traumas. Get your stuff together and get on with your life, man. Stop whinin’ about what’s wrong, because everybody’s had a rough time, in one way or another.” - Quincy Jones
Freely download "Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart -
Thirty True Things You Need To Know Now" here:
“9 Short Quotes That Changed My Life and Why”
“9 Short Quotes That Changed My Life and Why”
by Ryan Holiday
“Like a lot of people, I try to collect words to live by. Most of these words come from reading, but also from conversations, from teachers, and from everyday life. As Seneca, the philosopher and playwright, so eloquently put it: “We should hunt out the helpful pieces of teaching and the spirited and noble-minded sayings which are capable of immediate practical application – not far-fetched or archaic expressions or extravagant metaphors and figures of speech – and learn them so well that words become works.”
In my commonplace book, I keep these little sayings under the heading “Life.” That is, things that help me live better, more meaningfully, and with happiness and honesty. Below are 9 sayings, what they mean, and how they changed my life. Perhaps they will strike you and be of service. Hopefully the words might become works for you too.
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“If you see fraud and do not say fraud, you are a fraud.”
- Nassim Taleb
This little epigram from Nassim Taleb has been a driving force in my life. It fuels my writing, but mostly it has fueled difficult personal decisions. A few years ago, I was in the middle of a difficult personal situation in which my financial incentives were not necessarily aligned with the right thing. Speaking out would cost me money. I actually emailed Nassim. I asked: “What does ‘saying’ entail? To the person? To the public? At what cost? And how do you know where/when ego might be the influencing factor in determining where you decide to go on that public/private spectrum?” His response was simple: If it harms the collective, you speak up until it no longer does. There’s another line in Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar.‘ Caesar, having returned from the conquest of Gaul, is reminded to tread lightly when speaking to the senators. He replies, “Have I accomplished so much in battle, but now I’m afraid to tell some old men the truth?” That is what I think about with Nassim’s quote. What’s the point of working hard and being successful if it means biting your tongue (or declining to act) when you see something unfair or untoward? What do you care what everyone else thinks?
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“It can have meaning if it changes you for the better.”
- Viktor Frankl
Viktor Frankl, who was imprisoned and survived three separate Nazi concentration camps, lost his wife, his parents, job, his home and the manuscript that his entire life’s work had gone into. Yet, he emerged from this horrific nightmare convinced that life was not meaningless and that suffering was not without purpose. His work in psychology – now known as logotherapy – is reminiscent of the Stoics: We don’t control what happens to us, only how we respond. Nothing deprives us of this ability to respond, even if only in the slightest way, even if that response is only acceptance. In bad moments, I think of this line. It reminds me that I can change for the better because of it and find meaning in everything – even if my “suffering” pales in comparison to what others have gone through.
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“Thou knowest this man’s fall;
but thou knowest not his wrassling.”
- James Baldwin
As James Baldwin reflected on the death of his father, a man who he loved and hated, he realized that he only saw the man’s outsides. Yes, he had his problems but hidden behind those external manifestations was his own unique internal struggle which no other person is ever able to fully comprehend. The same is true for everyone – your parents, your boss, the person behind you in line. We can see their flaws but not their struggles. If we can focus on this, we’ll have so much more patience and so much less anger and resentment. It reminds me of another line that means a lot to me from Pascal: “To understand is to forgive.” You don’t have to fully understand or know, but it does help to try.
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“This is not your responsibility, but it is your problem.”
- Cheryl Strayed
Though I came to Cheryl Strayed late, the impact has been significant. In the letter this quote came from, she was speaking to someone who had something unfair done to them. But you see, life is unfair. Just because you should not have to deal with something doesn’t change whether you in fact need to. It reminds me of something my parents told me when I was learning to drive: It doesn’t matter that you had the right of way if you end up dying in an accident. Deal with the situation at hand, even if you don’t want to, even if someone else should have to, because you’re the one that’s being affected by it. End of story. Her quote is the best articulation I’ve found of that fact.
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“Dogs bark at what they cannot understand.”
- Heraclitus
People are going to criticize you. They are going to resist or resent what you try to do. You’re going to face obstacles and a lot of those obstacles will be other human beings. Heraclitus is explaining why. People don’t like change. They don’t like to be confused. It’s also a fact that doing new things means forcing change and confusion on other people. So, if you’re looking for an explanation for all the barking you’re hearing, there it is. Let it go, keep working, do your job. My other favorite line from Heraclitus is: “Character is fate.” Who you are and what you stand for will determine who you are and what you do. Surely character makes ignoring the barking a bit easier.
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“Life is short – the fruit of this life is a
good character and acts for the common good.”
- Marcus Aurelius
Marcus wrote this line at some point during the Antonine Plague – a global pandemic spanning the entirety of his reign. He could have fled Rome. Most people of means did. No one would have faulted him if he did too. Instead, Marcus stayed and braved the deadliest plague of Rome’s 900-year history. And we know that he didn’t even consider choosing his safety and fleeing over his responsibility and staying. He wrote repeatedly about the Stoic concept of sympatheia - the idea that all things are mutually woven together, that we were made for each other, that we are all one.
It’s one of the lesser-known Stoic concepts because it’s easier to only think and care about the people immediately around you. It’s tempting to get consumed by your own problems. It’s natural to assume you have more in common and the same interests as the people who look like you or live like you do. But that is an insidious lie – one responsible for monstrous inhumanity and needless pain. When other people suffer, we suffer. When the world suffers, we suffer. What’s bad for the hive is bad for the bee, Marcus said. When we take actions, we have to always think: What would happen if everyone did this? What are the costs of my decisions for other people? What risks am I externalizing? Is this really what a person with good character and a concern for others would do? You have to care about others. It’s sometimes the hardest thing to do, but it’s the only thing that counts. As Heraclitus (one of Marcus’ favorites) said, character is fate. It’s the fruit of this life.
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“Happiness does not come from the seeking,
it is never ours by right.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt was a remarkable woman. Her father killed himself. Her mother was verbally abusive. Her husband repeatedly betrayed her – even up to the moment he died. Yet she slowly but steadily became one of the most influential and important people in the world. I think you could argue that happiness and meaning came from this journey too. Her line here is reminiscent of something explained by both Aristotle and Viktor Frankl – happiness is not pursued, it ensues. It is the result of principles and the fulfillment of our potential. It is also transitory – we get glimpses of it. We don’t have it forever and we must continually re-engage with it. Whatever quote you need to understand this truth, use it. Because it will get you through bad times and to very good ones.
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“You could leave life right now.
Let that determine what you do and say and think.”
- Marcus Aurelius
If there is better advice than this, it has yet to be written. For many civilizations, the first time that their citizens realize just how vulnerable they are is when they find out they’ve been conquered, or are at the mercy of some cruel tyrant, or some uncontainable disease. It’s when somebody famous – like Tom Hanks or Marcus Aurelius – falls ill that they get serious. The result of this delayed awakening is a critical realization: We are mortal and fragile, and fate can inflict horrible things on our tiny, powerless bodies. There is no amount of fleeing or quarantining we can do to insulate ourselves from the reality of human existence: memento mori – thou art mortal. No one, no country, no planet is as safe or as special as we like to think we are. We are all at the mercy of enormous events outside our control. You can go at any moment, Marcus was constantly reminding himself with each of the events swirling around him. He made sure this fact shaped every choice and action and thought.
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“Some lack the fickleness to live as they wish
and just live as they have begun.”
- Seneca
After beginning with Seneca, let’s end with him. Inertia is a powerful force. The status quo – even if self-created – is comforting. So people find themselves on certain paths in life and cannot conceive of changing them, even if such a change would result in more personal happiness. We think that fickleness is a negative trait, but if it pushes you to be better and find and explore new, better things, it certainly isn’t. I’ve always been a proponent of dropping out, of quitting paths that have gotten stale. Seneca’s quote has helped me with that and I actually have it framed next to my desk so that I might look at it each day. It’s a constant reminder: Why am I still doing this? Is it for the right reasons? Or is it just because it’s been that way for a while?
The power of these quotes is that they say a lot with a little. They help guide us through the complexity of life with their unswerving directness. They make us better, keep us centered, give us something to rest on – a kind of backstop to prevent backsliding. That’s what these 9 quotes have done for me in my life. Borrow them or dig into history or religion or philosophy to find some to add to your own commonplace book. And then turn those words… into works.”
Judge Napolitano, "Pepe Escobar: China and Russia Won’t Sit This Out!"
Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom, 2/19/26
"Pepe Escobar: China and Russia Won’t Sit This Out!"
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Full screen recommended.
Money Over History, 2/19/26
"$150 Oil Trap: How Iran’s 5,000 Mines
Could Crash the Global Economy"
"Iran’s strategic moves in the Strait of Hormuz are not just military buildup - they’re a global oil crisis trigger. Analysts estimate that if Iran were to use its 5,000+ naval mines to disrupt shipping in the Strait - the chokepoint responsible for roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply - global energy markets could be pushed into chaos with prices spiking toward $150 a barrel or more."
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"Here's A Question..."
“Here’s a question every angry man and woman needs to consider: How long are you going to allow people you don’t even like – people who are no longer in your life, maybe even people who aren’t even alive anymore – to control your life? How long?”
- Andy Stanley
“That goes for old wounds, too, you know. I really wish we’d had the chance to talk before this,” he says, cracking the window so the smoke can escape. “There’s a Longfellow quote I have stuck on my bulletin board at the church office – ‘There is no grief like the grief that does not speak’ – and it’s true. I’ve found that keeping pain inside doesn’t give it a chance to heal, but bringing it out into the light, holding it right there in your hands and trusting that you’re strong enough to make it through, not hating the pain, not loving it, just seeing it for what it really is can change how you go on from there. Time alone doesn’t heal emotional wounds, and you don’t want to live the rest of your life bottled up with anger and guilt and bitterness. That’s how people self-destruct.”
- Laura Wiess
"When We Walk To The Edge..."
“When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take a step into
the darkness of unknown, we must believe one of two things will happen.
There will be something solid to stand on, or we will be taught how to fly.”
- Patrick Overton
"War With Iran, And Potentially World War III, Is Knocking At The Door: Are You Ready?"
"War With Iran, And Potentially World War III,
Is Knocking At The Door: Are You Ready?"
By Leo Hohmann
"Things are getting ready to break loose in the Middle East and, this time, it’s going to be different than the typical American/Israeli-sponsored regime-change operation. Jesus warned in the 24th chapter of Matthew that in the last days we would see “nation rising against nation and kingdoms rising against kingdoms.” In all the wars that America has been involved in post-World War II, there have been many cases of a nation rising against a nation. A kingdom rising against a kingdom is more rare and a much bigger deal. This signals a major regional war, possibly a world war.
Why do I believe Iran War 2.0 has the potential to become one of those larger wars? For starters, we don’t have the United Nations or a “coalition of the willing” on our side this time around, like we did in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Secondly, neither Iraq nor Afghanistan had a ballistic missile arsenal anything like what Iran has. It is large, accurate, and includes hypersonics, something the U.S. and Israelis have no defense against.
Thirdly, those previous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan did not take place in a digital age where the targeted nation, or an ally of theirs, had cyber capabilities that could devastate American infrastructure. Iran does. And certainly China and Russia, who are friends with the Iranian regime, have that ability.
Russia and China not only have the cyber expertise to make life difficult for Americans, they also have every reason to be fed up with Washington’s attempt to increase its hegemonic power, following Trump’s power play in Venezuela and his talk of taking over Greenland, Mexico, Canada, and his continued support for Biden’s Ukraine war in Russia’s backyard. And, as I’ve previously reported, China receives up to 19 percent of its oil from Iran. This is a critical resource for the world’s largest industrial economy, enough perhaps to make it worth fighting for.
I’ve been warning for months that Donald Trump was hell bent on launching a second attack on Iran for the sole purpose of regime change. He delayed the attack after his military advisors explained all the risks involved. That’s why he’s taken the last several weeks to move more military assets into the region to prepare for a much bigger attack than he originally thought would be needed to dislodge the Iranian regime from power. It can’t be done with a few dozen bombing raids. Ground troops will be needed.
Americans, however, are still living in la la land. Most don’t get it. They watch too much Fox News and CNN. They believe American military power is invincible. I get the distinct impression that many Americans have grown numb to these types of operations. They may not like it, but they’ve been conditioned to believe that’s just part of who we are as Americans and what we do. We are the policemen of the world. We, along with our Israeli partners, decide which governments are allowed to rule over what countries.
Because they have been so heavily propagandized by a corrupt Western media, many Americans are unprepared for any sort of global pushback against American hegemony. When it finally materializes, and it could be in this upcoming attack on Iran, this global pushback will result in a protracted conflict that leads to tens of thousands of U.S. casualties. Sadly, many Americans have been mind-controlled into thinking that if Trump is ordering the invasion, it will be quick and relatively bloodless. Trump promised an end to the forever wars and the expensive nation-building projects that enrich the billionaire elites, and they still believe that’s the real Donald Trump. They just can’t wrap their heads around the fact that Trump may have lied, that he may be a neocon globalist swamp creature masquerading as an America-first anti-globalist “peace president.”
It’s also possible that Trump doesn’t relish the idea of launching another Middle East war but that he’s been horribly compromised by the Epstein files and is being blackmailed. So he’s faced with a decision: Launch the full-blown regime-change war on Iran or face a new round of even more disastrous Epstein file releases. There’s no other explanation for why he would be risking World War III with China and Russia. But we know it’s coming and coming very soon.
Donald Tusk, the prime minister of Poland, issued a warning this week to any Polish citizens inside Iran to “Leave Immediately. Within a few hours, there may be no more possibility to evacuate.” This was no longer precautionary. This was get out now before the airspace closes and you are trapped in a country ready to go up in flames.
After the fall of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, China’s reliance on Iran for oil has no doubt increased, as the U.S. puppet government that replaced Maduro has cut off all oil exports to Beijing. What is essentially going on, a story that’s gone unreported in the Western media, is that Washington’s decision to take out the Iranian regime is as much an attack on China as it is on Iran. They are trying to choke off oil supplies to the world’s largest industrial economy. This could prove suicidal for America’s economy as we depend on China for so many vital products, including critical medicines.
Starving China of the oil it needs to run its economy amounts to a declaration of war that will almost certainly require an equally war-like response from Beijing. Whether it’s China exercising its economic leverage over the U.S. by withholding vital exports, or China deciding now is the time to make a move militarily on Taiwan, we need to get prepared for some big changes, most of which will not be good for our lifestyles or pocketbooks here in the West. There is also the possibility of Iran activating terrorist cells inside America. If those cells truly exist, I can’t imagine a better reason for the mullahs to activate them then a U.S. invasion of their country.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe the regime in Tehran is as weak as Fox News tells us it is and that regime will collapse soon after the bombs start falling. Maybe Russia and China will sit this one out, like they have all the other U.S. regime-change operations over the last 40 years. But I wouldn’t count on it. Either way, it’s looking like this war will kick off within the next few days. So if you haven’t started to prepare, you need to start now.
What does preparing for a major war look like? It depends on your situation, but here are some basics to consider:
• Get several 5-gallon gasoline containers and fill them up now. Fill up your vehicles too, because the price of gasoline is likely to skyrocket if Iran shuts down the Strait of Hormuz, a body of water through which one-fifth of the world’s oil supply moves on a daily basis.
• Another product that is likely to skyrocket in the wake of a major war is the price of ammunition. It could even become scarce if the war drags on for more than a few weeks or months. It’s relatively cheap right now, so it’s a good time to buy.
• Also have at least a three- to six-month supply of food in your house. Get a good water filtration system like a Berkey or some similar unit.
• Get some cash out of the bank, because along with war comes the possibility of a major cyber attack targeting the banking and financial system.
• Stock up on anything you are dependent on that comes from China, including pharmaceuticals.
• Have plenty of batteries, candles, lighters, and other accessories needed in case of an extended power outage, which could be caused by an EMP or cyber attack.
I’ve been warning this day would come since the end of the 12-day war last June. I knew that was just a warm-up session for the big showdown between the U.S./Israel and Iran/Russia/China. Perhaps something unexpected will happen and the can will get kicked down the road again, postponing World War III till a later date, but we can’t assume that will be the case.
These situations are highly volatile and highly unpredictable, so again, let’s hope I am wrong and Trump’s war against Iran goes quickly and doesn’t result in a larger regional war or, God forbid, World War III. If it’s the latter, we’ve got a whole other set of problems because World War III would mean the U.S. itself comes under attack from conventional or nuclear-armed missiles. That’s a scenario I hope we never have to live through, but it’s a scenario that might be more possible for our European friends. For the U.S. to be targeted in that way, it would likely require Russia, China or North Korea to launch their missiles at us. But Iran has missiles capable of reaching out as far as Europe.
On August 17, 2025, Iran International reported, citing an Iranian lawmaker, that Iran’s missiles are capable of striking into the heart of Europe and could eventually target U.S. cities from the sea. “Perhaps our next missile will hit Washington directly. We can target America from the sea. The Aerospace Force of the IRGC has been working for 20 years on making it possible to strike America from Iranian ships. Even if we have not yet reached this technology, it remains within our grasp,” Amir Hayat-Moqaddam, a member of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told Didban Iran. We also have 30,000 to 40,000 U.S. troops in the region, who are vulnerable to Iranian missiles.
Democrat Congressman Ro Khanna posted to X that he was trying to force a vote on a War Powers Act resolution next week, stating: “Like the votes before the Iraq war, this could be one of the most consequential votes in the history of Congress. Are we going to stop another endless dumb foreign war? Or will the neoconservatives mislead us once again?”
We live in interesting and fast-changing times. Despite all the claims of “peace and safety” from the Peace President, nobody should feel safe. Nobody is coming to help should war come to your country, your city, your neighborhood.
What happens if an Iranian missile were to score a direct hit on an American aircraft carrier? What happens if the war drags on in Iran and Israel runs out of Patriot missile interceptors? Would Israel then turn to its nuclear arsenal, dealing a final crushing blow to Iran that would kill hundreds of thousands if not millions? If so, I suspect people all over the world would be in panic, because that would mean Pandora’s box has been opened, and who knows what country would be next to unleash its nuclear arsenal.
I understand these are worst-case scenarios, but ones that we should keep in the back of our minds because once wars start, nobody can predict how they will end."
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