Full screen recommended.
Jeremiah Babe, 12/13/25
"The Mall Is Finished - $7 Pretzels,
Empty Stores And A Broken Economy"
Comments here:
So, we rise from the rubble...
StatCounter
Saturday, December 13, 2025
Musical Interlude: Deuter, "Endless Horizon"
Full screen recommended.
Deuter, "Endless Horizon"
○
"I cannot paint
What then I was. The sounding cataract
Haunted me like a passion: the tall rock,
The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood,
Their colors and their forms, were then to me
An appetite; a feeling and a love,
That had no need of a remoter charm,
By thought supplied, not any interest
Unborrowed from the eye.
That time is past,
And all its aching joys are now no more,
And all its dizzy raptures. Not for this
Faint I, nor mourn nor murmur: other gifts
Have followed; for such loss, I would believe,
Abundant recompense.
For I have learned
To look on nature, not as in the hour
Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes
The still, sad music of humanity,
Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power
To chasten and subdue."
- William Wordsworth,
"Lines Written A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey"
"An Astonishing Look to the Heavens"
Full screen recommended.
"Jaw-Dropping First Images from the 3.2 Trillion Pixel Camera
At The Vera C. Rubin Observatory"
"Explore the universe's first images from the Vera Rubin Observatory's 3.2 trillion-pixel camera. Witness breathtaking views of galaxies, nebulae, and even asteroids, all captured in unprecedented detail. The video delves into the camera's unique capabilities and reveals its groundbreaking data collection process."
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The Poet: Charles Bukowski, “Mind and Heart”
“Mind and Heart”
“Unaccountably we are alone,
forever alone,
and it was meant to be
that way,
it was never meant
to be any other way -
and when the death struggle begins
the last thing I wish to see is
a ring of human faces
hovering over me -
better just my old friends,
the walls of my self,
let only them be there.
I have been alone but seldom lonely.
I have satisfied my thirst
at the well of my self
and that wine was good,
the best I ever had,
and tonight, sitting,
staring into the dark
I now finally understand
the dark and the
light and everything
in between.
Peace of mind and heart arrives
when we accept what is:
having been born into this strange life
we must accept
the wasted gamble of our days,
and take some satisfaction in
the pleasure of leaving it all behind.
Cry not for me.
Grieve not for me.
Read
what I’ve written
then forget it all.
Drink from the well
of your self and begin again.”
- Charles Bukowski
'Is There An Answer?"
"Is there an answer to the question of why bad things happen to good people? The response would be to forgive the world for not being perfect, to forgive God for not making a better world, to reach out to the people around us, and to go on living despite it all, no longer asking why something happened, but asking how we will respond, what we intend to do now that it has happened."
- Harold S. Kushner
"Heavy Snowfall Winter Walk In Moscow"
Full screen recommended.
Window To Moscow, 12/13/25
"Heavy Snowfall Winter Walk In Moscow"
"Experience a magical winter walk through Moscow during a heavy snowfall. Fresh snow, glowing Christmas lights, festive streets, and a calm holiday atmosphere create a true winter mood in Russia before Christmas and New Year 2026."
Comments here:
"A Sad Fact..."
"A sad fact, of course, about adult life is that you see the very things you'll never adapt to coming toward you on the horizon. You see them as the problems they are, you worry like hell about them, you make provisions, take precautions, fashion adjustments; you tell yourself you'll have to change your way of doing things. Only you don't. You can't. Somehow it's already too late. And maybe it's even worse than that: maybe the thing you see coming from far away is not the real thing, the thing that scares you, but its aftermath. And what you've feared will happen has already taken place. This is similar in spirit to the realization that all the great new advances of medical science will have no benefit for us at all, thought we cheer them on, hope a vaccine might be ready in time, think things could still get better. Only it's too late there too. And in that very way our life gets over before we know it. We miss it. And like the poet said: The ways we miss our lives are life."
- Richard Ford
"How 99% of Humanity Pays to Be Enslaved"
Full screen recommended.
The Psyche, 12/13/25
"How 99% of Humanity Pays to Be Enslaved"
"Most people believe they are free… but what if that belief is the greatest illusion of all? In this video, we dive into one of the most uncomfortable truths about modern society: 99% of humanity is unknowingly paying - financially, emotionally, and psychologically - to remain enslaved. From invisible economic systems to cultural conditioning, from consumer identity to mental programming, this video uncovers the hidden mechanisms that shape human behavior without our awareness.
Throughout history, philosophers like Plato, Foucault, Jung, Huxley, Rousseau, and Krishnamurti have warned us about invisible forms of control. Today, these mechanisms are more sophisticated than ever - and most people defend them without realizing why. This is not just a video - it is an invitation to self-awareness, inner liberation, and conscious living. If you have ever felt that something in society is deeply wrong… If you sense that life should be more than routine, pressure, and survival… If you are on a journey of awakening…This video will speak directly to you. The final revelation may change the way you see the world forever. Don’t miss it."
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"1.2 Million Layoffs, Empty Christmas Stores - Even Amazon Is Panicking"
Full screen recommended.
RV Crisis, 12/13/25
"1.2 Million Layoffs, Empty Christmas Stores -
Even Amazon Is Panicking"
"What if the scariest part of this year is not the layoffs, but what they quietly did to the market in December? Stores are decorated like nothing is wrong. Your email is full of “last chance” offers. But whole sections of the economy are moving like someone took their foot off the gas. If more than one point two million jobs vanished or reshuffled, where did that shock actually land? Why do some places feel strangely empty while others feel desperate for your attention? And what does it mean when even the company that rewired online shopping starts pulling back? To understand where this is going, you have to see how it looks at ground level, in the first place most people notice it..."
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"How It Really Is"
"Mundus Vult Decipi, Ergo Decipiatur"
"Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur," a Latin phrase, means "The world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived." The saying is ascribed to Petronius, a Roman satirist from the first century, CE. "The pontifex maximus Scævola thought it expedient that the people should be deceived in religion; and the learned Varro said plainly, that "There are many truths, which it is useless for the vulgar to know; and many falsities which it is fit the people should not suppose are falsities." Hence comes the adage "Mundus vult decipi, decipiatur ergo."
o
"You Can't Fix Stupid"
"You Can't Fix Stupid"
by Jim Quinn
"When I see data proving how insanely stupid the average American proves to be on a daily basis, I can’t fathom why they do what they do. The information below from The Kobeissi Letter is mind boggling for someone like me, who has never tried to keep up with the Joneses, has purposely lived beneath my means for decades, and sees a vehicle as a way to get from point A to point B, and not as a status symbol for my neighbors, friends and family, proving how rich and successful I’ve become.
Not only has the average price for a new vehicle breached $50,000 (that’s the freaking AVERAGE!!!!!!), but the maff challenged masses are financing $41,000 of this cost for 6 years at 7% to 8%. That means the average new car “purchaser” is paying about $750 per month for an asset whose value declines every day. They are essentially underwater on the loan when they drive the vehicle off the lot. From my perspective, this insanity is borne out by the fact my monthly payment for my home of 30 years was $689 per month before I paid it off.
The average price of a new car at $39,000 in 2020 was already outrageous in my mind, but the 28% increase since then to $50,000 is truly a function of consumer stupidity and proof the banking cabal and the Fed money printing machine incentivizes the stupid to do stupid things. Another example of the BLS bullshit CPI being reported as 3% can be seen in the fact that even though the price of a new vehicle has provably gone up by 28% since 2020, the government tells you the price has only gone up by 21%. They reduce the price increase because you can now push a button to heat your ass and it beeps at you if you drift too far left.
The real insanity can be seen in the rise in total auto loan debt from $1.35 trillion in 2020 to $1.65 trillion today. That is a 22% increase over the last five years. For some real perspective, the BLS reported real average weekly earnings of $377 in January 2020 and $387 in September 2025. Real wages are up 2.7% over the last five years, but the average dumbass thought it was a great idea to spend 28% more for a new car and incur 28% more debt for that car. This doesn’t even factor in the auto insurance rates going up 70% since 2020 ($1,500 to $2,600). The stupid truly burns.
The reason this behavior seems insane to me is because I haven’t bought a new car since 2010, and that was a cheap Honda hybrid for $20,000 because oil was $150 a barrel and I had a 60 mile daily round trip to work. We sold that vehicle two years ago after 13 years of dependable service. We currently own two 2012 Honda Civics which we bought used in the 2015 time frame for around $13,000 each. They both have just under 140,000 miles on them, and I have no intention of ditching them. Regular oil changes, new tires, and basic maintenance will sustain a Honda to 200,000 miles or more.
Our “new” car was purchased two years ago, a 2021 Honda HRV with about 27,000 miles on it for $22,000. The salesman at the dealership was flabbergasted when I pulled out my checkbook to pay in cash. Evidently, no one does that. When you don’t have a car payment for a decade, you can actually save up enough money to buy a nice basic used car from your savings."
"You Are Doing Christmas Wrong - It’s Only Getting Worse"
Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, 12/13/25
"You Are Doing Christmas Wrong -
It’s Only Getting Worse"
"40% of all people are borrowing money from their savings accounts this Christmas to buy gifts. People are making a huge mistake this Christmas, and it's costing them big time! In this video, I share why borrowing money for holiday gifts could leave you financially upside down. Let’s talk about the rising costs of everything - from holiday decorations to groceries - and what you can do to stay ahead. I'll also dive into the instability of the job market, inflation concerns, and why consumer sentiment mirrors last year despite today’s challenges. Don’t let the holidays put you in debt - there’s a smarter way to celebrate and prepare for the future. Stay tuned. This is breaking news, and things are moving fast."
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Adventures With Danno, "My Mega Grocery Shopping Vlog at Target!"
Full screen recommended.
Adventures With Danno, 12/13/25
"My Mega Grocery Shopping Vlog at Target!"
Comments here:
o
Full screen recommended.
A Homestead Journey, 12/13/25
"Americans are Skipping Meals Because
Rising Prices and Cost of Living"
Americans are skipping meals just to make ends meet. Rising prices, inflation, and the crushing cost of living crisis are pushing families across the country to the breaking point. Many are finding themselves forced to choose between paying bills or putting food on the table. This isn’t just about budgeting - it’s about survival. In today’s video, we’ll dive into why so many Americans are struggling to afford basic necessities, how inflation continues to erode our paychecks, and what this means for the future of our country. From skyrocketing grocery bills to housing costs, millions are realizing the American Dream is slipping away. If you’ve been feeling the squeeze, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about what’s really happening in America right now, and why more and more people are skipping meals to survive."
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Friday, December 12, 2025
"Boom! Russia Attacks NATO Vessel! Trump Authorizes Full Attacks On Russia's Shadow Fleet!"
Full screen recommended.
Prepper news, 12/12/25
"Boom! Russia Attacks NATO Vessel! Trump
Authorizes Full Attacks On Russia's Shadow Fleet!"
Comments here:
Musical Interlude: Deuter, "Along the High Ridges"
Full screen recommended.
Deuter, "Along the High Ridges"
Absolutely beautiful...
"A Look to the Heavens"
"Stars are sometimes born in the midst of chaos. About 3 million years ago in the nearby galaxy M33, a large cloud of gas spawned dense internal knots which gravitationally collapsed to form stars. NGC 604 was so large, however, it could form enough stars to make a globular cluster.
Many young stars from this cloud are visible in the above image from the Hubble Space Telescope, along with what is left of the initial gas cloud. Some stars were so massive they have already evolved and exploded in a supernova. The brightest stars that are left emit light so energetic that they create one of the largest clouds of ionized hydrogen gas known, comparable to the Tarantula Nebula in our Milky Way's close neighbor, the Large Magellanic Cloud.”
- http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap121211.html
Chet Raymo, “Under the Surface”
“Under the Surface”
by Chet Raymo
by Chet Raymo
“Somewhere, in something I have written, I recall quoting with approval this passage from Edward Abbey's "Desert Solitaire": “For my own part I am pleased enough with surfaces - in fact they alone seem to me to be of much importance. Such things for example as the grasp of a child's hand in your own, the flavor of an apple, the embrace of a friend or lover, the silk of a girl's thigh, the sunlight on rock and leaves, the feel of music, the bark of a tree, the abrasion of granite and sand, the plunge of clear water into a pool, the face of the wind - what else is there? What else do we need?”
Pleased enough with surfaces. Yes, I know what I meant. Pleased enough with this world, here and now, this world of light and matter. Not wanting or needing that other world that occupies so many people, a world of supernatural agencies, spirits, disembodied presences. Give me a world I can see and hear and touch and taste. Give me a world with heft and substance, a world with surfaces that shine and shimmer. What else is there? What else do we need?
Well, maybe not. I was scanning issues of “Science” and “Nature,” with their usual illustrations of the molecules of life, the nuclei acids and the proteins. The elaborate machinery that unseen, under the surface, endow the apple's flavor, the silk of skin, the abrasion of sand. Think of it. Atoms that are mere whiffs of resonance, binding into molecules, twisting and turning into endless shapes, fitting together like hand and glove, endlessly spinning and weaving, all without the slightest conscious participation on our part. Abbey's world of surfaces spun out of the mysterious, endlessly active, subsurface stuff of the world.
Pleased enough with surfaces? Not really. I want to know what's under the surface, that world of molecular frenzy that cannot be touched or seen, a world that in its own way is as beautiful and as meaningful as the macroscopic world we consciously inhabit. We don't need to know it. We can live a fulfilling life without knowing it. But I want to know it. I want to know what goes on behind the curtain of the senses. I want to hear that silent and ceaseless music of creation.”
- http://blog.sciencemusings.com/
"Against All Odds..."
"There's a little animal in all of us and maybe that's something to celebrate. Our animal instinct is what makes us seek comfort, warmth, a pack to run with. We may feel caged, we may feel trapped, but still as humans we can find ways to feel free. We are each other's keepers, we are the guardians of our own humanity and even though there's a beast inside all of us, what sets us apart from the animals is that we can think, feel, dream and love. And against all odds, against all instinct, we evolve."
- "Grey's Anatomy"
Judge Napolitano, "INTEL Roundtable: Weekly Wrap 12-DEC"
Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom, 12/12/25
"INTEL Roundtable: Weekly Wrap 12-DEC"
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"Target Is Crumbling Before Our Eyes As Stores Go Empty And Sales Collapse"
Full screen recommended.
Epic Economist, 12/12/25
"Target Is Crumbling Before Our Eyes
As Stores Go Empty And Sales Collapse"
"Target is in serious trouble and it's not just one thing. Empty stores on Sundays, employees who openly hate being there, backrooms that look like disaster zones, and prices that make absolutely no sense. When you put all of these clips together, it paints a pretty scary picture of what's actually happening inside this company. From Black Friday bags filled with two dollar lip oils to sale prices that don't apply unless you ask for them, customers are catching on to all the little games. Meanwhile, corporate's big solution is telling workers to smile more. And somehow they're surprised that people are just going to Walmart now. Stock is down 35%, the CEO stepped down, layoffs are happening, and their core customers are leaving. This isn't about one bad store or one viral complaint. This is a pattern. And people are filming it every single day. Let me know what you think in the comments. Is Target done for or can they turn it around?"
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The Poet: Theodore Roethke, "The Far Field"
"The Far Field"
I
"I dream of journeys repeatedly:
Of flying like a bat deep into a narrowing tunnel
Of driving alone, without luggage, out a long peninsula,
The road lined with snow-laden second growth,
A fine dry snow ticking the windshield,
Alternate snow and sleet, no on-coming traffic,
And no lights behind, in the blurred side-mirror,
The road changing from glazed tarface to a rubble of stone,
Ending at last in a hopeless sand-rut,
Where the car stalls,
Churning in a snowdrift
Until the headlights darken.
II
At the field's end, in the corner missed by the mower,
Where the turf drops off into a grass-hidden culvert,
Haunt of the cat-bird, nesting-place of the field-mouse,
Not too far away from the ever-changing flower-dump,
Among the tin cans, tires, rusted pipes, broken machinery,-
One learned of the eternal;
And in the shrunken face of a dead rat, eaten by rain and ground-beetles
(I found it lying among the rubble of an old coal bin)
And the tom-cat, caught near the pheasant-run,
Its entrails strewn over the half-grown flowers,
Blasted to death by the night watchman.
I suffered for young birds, for young rabbits caught in the mower,
My grief was not excessive.
For to come upon warblers in early May
Was to forget time and death:
How they filled the oriole's elm, a twittering restless cloud, all one morning,
And I watched and watched till my eyes blurred from the bird shapes,-
Cape May, Blackburnian, Cerulean,-
Moving, elusive as fish, fearless,
Hanging, bunched like young fruit, bending the end branches,
Still for a moment,
Then pitching away in half-flight,
Lighter than finches,
While the wrens bickered and sang in the half-green hedgerows,
And the flicker drummed from his dead tree in the chicken-yard.
- Or to lie naked in sand,
In the silted shallows of a slow river,
Fingering a shell,
Thinking:
Once I was something like this, mindless,
Or perhaps with another mind, less peculiar;
Or to sink down to the hips in a mossy quagmire;
Or, with skinny knees, to sit astride a wet log,
Believing:
I'll return again,
As a snake or a raucous bird,
Or, with luck, as a lion.
I learned not to fear infinity,
The far field, the windy cliffs of forever,
The dying of time in the white light of tomorrow,
The wheel turning away from itself,
The sprawl of the wave,
The on-coming water.
III
The river turns on itself,
The tree retreats into its own shadow.
I feel a weightless change, a moving forward
As of water quickening before a narrowing channel
When banks converge, and the wide river whitens;
Or when two rivers combine, the blue glacial torrent
And the yellowish-green from the mountainy upland,-
At first a swift rippling between rocks,
Then a long running over flat stones
Before descending to the alluvial plane,
To the clay banks, and the wild grapes hanging from the elmtrees.
The slightly trembling water
Dropping a fine yellow silt where the sun stays;
And the crabs bask near the edge,
The weedy edge, alive with small snakes and bloodsuckers,-
I have come to a still, but not a deep center,
A point outside the glittering current;
My eyes stare at the bottom of a river,
At the irregular stones, iridescent sandgrains,
My mind moves in more than one place,
In a country half-land, half-water.
I am renewed by death, thought of my death,
The dry scent of a dying garden in September,
The wind fanning the ash of a low fire.
What I love is near at hand,
Always, in earth and air.
IV
The lost self changes,
Turning toward the sea,
A sea-shape turning around,-
An old man with his feet before the fire,
In robes of green, in garments of adieu.
A man faced with his own immensity
Wakes all the waves, all their loose wandering fire.
The murmur of the absolute, the why
Of being born falls on his naked ears.
His spirit moves like monumental wind
That gentles on a sunny blue plateau.
He is the end of things, the final man.
All finite things reveal infinitude:
The mountain with its singular bright shade
Like the blue shine on freshly frozen snow,
The after-light upon ice-burdened pines;
Odor of basswood on a mountain-slope,
A scent beloved of bees;
Silence of water above a sunken tree:
The pure serene of memory in one man,-
A ripple widening from a single stone
Winding around the waters of the world."
- Theodore Roethke
"Time..."
“Space I can recover. Time, never.”
- Napoleon Bonaparte
○
“Lands can be reconquered, indeed in the course of a battle, a hill or a certain plain might trade hands several times. But missed opportunities? These can never be regained. Moments in time, in culture? They can never be re-made. One can never go back in time to prepare for what they should have prepared for, no one can ever get back critical seconds that were wasted out of fear or ego. Napoleon was brilliant at trading space for time: Sure, you can make these moves, provided you are giving me the time I need to drill my troops, or move them to where I want them to be. Yet in life, most of us are terrible at this. We trade an hour of our life here or afternoon there like it can be bought back with the few dollars we were paid for it. And it is only much, much later, as they are on their deathbeds or when they are looking back on what might have been, that many people realize the awful truth of this quote. Don’t do that. Embrace it now.”
- Ryan Holiday
○
Full screen recommended.
Hans Zimmer, "Time"
"God Speaks – And the Court Adjourns"
"God Speaks – And the Court Adjourns"
by Bill Bonner
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – "Today is the last day of God’s testimony. We began our case by leveling a simple accusation: that God had created all life – including corporate life and national life – as temporary, fleeting phenomena… like falling leaves in the autumn wind. And every one of us – and our most magnificent empires – is destined to hit the ground. We were programmed to die, in other words.
Not that we were expecting an alibi… or a confession… or even an apology from God. We just wanted to know how it all worked. So we thought we’d put the question to Him directly under oath: “Are you responsible for America’s decline? “Not entirely,” is how we would summarize his defense.
Human Failure: God made it clear that humans do stupid things… and they run into the “soft limits” that He imposed on us all. People who run empires, for example, inevitably over-reach… and over-spend… And then, to protect their own wealth and power… they lie, cheat, and steal… In the modern era, they make promises they can’t keep… fix prices… and print money to cover their deficits and boost their own stock portfolios… which then leads to chaos, corruption, confusion… resentment… and a breakdown in the empire itself. That is roughly what has happened to the U.S.
Since 2001, four of the worst presidents in its history undertook a series of far-fetched schemes. Each one was a disaster. Together, they multiplied the national debt five times. And now, the whole country relies on their fake money, fake interest rates, stimmy checks, and “transfer payment” giveaways. In theory, leaders with enough brains and backbone might be able to bounce off the “soft limits” and “make America great again.” But in practice, the elites control the government… and they gain more, at least in the short run, by staying on course than by turning around.
Hard Limits: But there are “hard limits,” too… brick walls that humans run into, no matter how good their driving skills. And there are even “extinction events” that wipe out dozens of species. God pointed out yesterday that the “Industrial Revolution” was just a one-time growth spurt. And today, he explains why, if you’re waiting for another growth spurt from the “Internet Revolution,” you should not hold your breath…
Land of the Unfree: You’re the ones who should apologize. For your whole knucklehead race. I gave you a paradise… and you blew it. Then, you were smiting one another, raping, and pillaging… So I gave you a new covenant; all you had to do was do unto others as you would have them do unto you. How hard was that?
And then I gave you a new start… a whole New World… and a free republic – America – from sea to shining sea. And you blew that, too. Each time, you succumbed to politics. You thought voting gave you the right to do unto others whatever you wanted. Tax them. Regulate them. Put them in jail. America was supposed to be the land of the free. But you’ve got 2 million people in your gulags.
And yet… your dear readers say they don’t trust Me! They don’t believe in me. They even say I don’t exist. I don’t take it personally. And it doesn’t matter. The world exists. And it comes with limits.
It was your own author, G. K. Chesterton, who proposed that when you come to a fence in the wilderness, before tearing it down, you should wonder why it is there. Perhaps there is a wild animal on the other side? The fence was, of course, Chesterton’s way of referring to My limits. They are there to protect you from the wildest beast of all – your fellow man. But let’s move on…
What You Don’t Know: Yesterday, I warned you that the rapid progress from using My stored-up solar power has come to an end. And now, you think that another tech revolution will come to the rescue. AI (artificial intelligence… ha ha)… DeFi (decentralized finance)… EVs (electric vehicles)… Will they bring a new wave of productivity and wealth? In a word, no.
An example from recent history shows why… More than 20 years ago, pundits claimed that the internet was a breakthrough equal to the wheel. It would bring all the world’s knowledge to your fingertips, they said. And now, you humans were going to make progress at a whole new level – faster and better than ever. But it didn’t happen. Progress didn’t speed up; it slowed down.
You know why? Of course, you don’t. So I’ll tell you. Progress comes from ignorance, not knowledge. It’s learning… not knowing. If you can figure out how to grow twice as much wheat on your land, you will double your output. That’s progress. But if you already know how to do it, you’ve gained nothing. Is this over your heads?
Waste of Time: Besides, Facebook, Google, Apple, Netflix – they proved not to be ways to increase output… but ways to waste time on idle entertainment, unimportant “data,” and jackass opinions. Want to know what’s up with Khloe Kardashian? No? I don’t either. But millions of your fellow citizens spend almost their entire days just keeping up with the Kardashians and other low-lifes.
There’s a big difference between the Industrial Revolution and the so-called Info Tech Revolution. Fossil fuels increased your ability to make and transport things. That is, they increased your ability to add wealth. (They also increased your ability to destroy wealth. But that’s another story.) But does broadband increase your wealth? Not really; it only passes around what we already know.
Facebook, Google, Twitter, et al. make their money by capturing people’s attention… and then, like newspapers and magazines… they sell the connection to advertisers. There is no new wealth created. It is really just a big shift of advertising money from print to electronic media. Likewise, Uber just shifts money from taxis, busses, and other traditional transportation businesses to private automobiles… It doesn’t make it possible for people to travel more. Airbnb, too, takes money from hotels. It doesn’t add to travel budgets.
And Amazon? Is there any real, new wealth creation going on? Amazon is just a low-margin retailer. It didn’t give consumers a way to make more money; it just makes it easier for them to spend it. And AI? It’s just souped-up data processing. Faster broadband? What… so the government can keep closer tabs on you?
And how about the “metaverse?” It’s mostly gobbledygook. There will be new apps… and new forms of time wasting. The net result could be positive or negative; I’m not saying.
Do Unto Others: But here’s what I will say… The “do unto others” rule is a fence. It’s meant to protect you from others… and from yourself. Yes, it’s tempting to take it down. Then, you can force people to take your vaccines… whether they want to or not. Or you can force them to drive an electric car… as you jet off to a “Green Energy” conference on another continent. Or you can stop them from spreading what you consider “misinformation,” competing with your own lies.
You can make them refer to each other as “they.” You can insist that they all use the same toilets, and banish “mother” from the English language. And you can tax the rich SOBs… while you continue to pump up your own stocks with fraudulent money. Yes, take down that fence and you can do unto others, good and hard. But later, you’ll find out why the limit is there… as you roast in Hell. Don’t say I didn’t warn you."
With that, the gavel came down. “This court is adjourned,” declared the judge, sternly. And as God left the courtroom, He was overheard muttering to Himself: 'I think it’s time for another flood.' "
"For The Most Part..."
"Human beings never think for themselves, they find it too uncomfortable. For the most part, members of our species simply repeat what they are told - and become upset if they are exposed to any different view. The characteristic human trait is not awareness but conformity, and the characteristic result is religious warfare. Other animals fight for territory or food; but, uniquely in the animal kingdom, human beings fight for their 'beliefs.' The reason is that beliefs guide behavior, which has evolutionary importance among human beings. But at a time when our behavior may well lead us to extinction, I see no reason to assume we have any awareness at all. We are stubborn, self-destructive conformists. Any other view of our species is just a self-congratulatory delusion."
- Michael Crichton, "The Lost World"
"How Does Moscow Prepare for Christmas?"
Meanwhile, in a sane, civilized society...
Full screen recommended.
Travelling With Russell, 12/12/25
"How Does Moscow Prepare for Christmas?"
"What is it like in Moscow during the preparations for Christmas and New Year? Join my wife and me on a walk through the center of Moscow to see the Christmas decorations and preparations ahead of the New Year."
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, 12/12/25
"Moscow Christmas Lights & Snowfall,
Winter Night Walk in Russia"
"Enjoy a magical winter night walk through Moscow covered in fresh snowfall. Glowing Christmas lights, festive decorations, quiet streets, and a calm holiday atmosphere create the true winter mood of Russia before Christmas and New Year. This relaxing 4K HDR night walk captures real Moscow in winter - snowfall moments, illuminated streets, cozy city vibes, and authentic holiday ambience. Perfect for relaxation, background viewing, studying, sleeping, travel inspiration, or watching on a big 4K TV."
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Dan, I Allegedly, "The Collapse Just Went Mainstream! No One Is Ready!"
Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, 12/12/25
"The Collapse Just Went Mainstream!
No One Is Ready!"
"The collapse is here, and its impact is undeniable. From skyrocketing health care costs to businesses shutting down, this economic downturn affects everyone - rich, poor, and everyone in between. In today’s video, I cover the latest signs of the collapse going mainstream, including retail closures, unaffordable housing, soaring health insurance premiums, and the struggles of mom-and-pop businesses. Plus, I share important tips on how to prepare for what's ahead, including managing your debt, securing your finances, and staying safe as crime rates rise. Stay tuned. This is breaking news, and things are moving fast."
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Bill Bonner,"Doesn't Add Up"
"Doesn't Add Up"
by Bill Bonner
Baltimore, Maryland - "AOL news: "President Trump announced a $12 billion farm aid package on Monday, money the president said “would not be possible without tariffs.” “We’re giving some up to the farmers because they were mistreated by other countries,” Trump said."
Mistreated? Did they rough them up at the border? Laugh at their hayseed accents and Carhartt duds? Ask them to disclose what chemicals they used? AOL elaborates: "Some farmers and economists were quick to note that the problems facing farmers and the mistreatment they have endured are primarily a direct consequence of Trump’s own tariff actions." US farm exports rose about 3x since 1999. Farmers farmed. Buyers bought. They set the terms among themselves...and worked out whatever disagreements they may have had as best they could. Then, the feds stepped in.
Remember the general rule: the more the feds meddle with the economy, the worse it gets. Revenues fall...real asset prices drop and opportunities for ripping off the public increase. The latest example: The Donald started a trade war. Other countries fought back. Farm exports fell. Farm revenues fell. So, instead of getting their money from customers, farmers are now slated to get $12 billion from taxpayers.
Who decides who gets what? How, when, where? That’s where the grift comes in. Like the fake money itself, the farm welfare comes not in exchange for providing honest goods and services, but from the Great White Father in Washington...who can share it out more or less as he pleases.
And where’s the money going to come from? Reuters: "US posts $173 billion budget deficit in November." In other words, the deficit for a single month was almost the same as last year’s entire food exports. And if the deficits continue at this pace, it will bring the annual shortfall to $2 trillion...and put the national debt over $40 trillion.
But not to worry. ABC News tells us that the money for paying off the farmers will come from tariff collections, Donald Trump: “I’m delighted to announce this afternoon that the United States will be taking a small portion of the hundreds of billions of dollars we receive in tariffs...and we’re going to be giving and providing it to the farmers in economic assistance. And we love our farmers…”
Trouble is, those tariff revenues were already included in the fed’s budget. Take out $12 billion for the farmers and the debt just goes up. And debt service costs are paid by the same people who are now also paying higher prices for everything. The Independent: "President Donald Trump’s sweeping taxes on imports have cost the average American household nearly $1,200 since he returned to the White House this year… American consumers’ share of the bill came to nearly $159 billion - or $1,198 per household - from February through November, according to a report by Democrats on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee..."
Officially, food prices are up 26% since 2020. But no one who has bought a burger from McDonalds or set foot in WholeFoods believes it. Fast food prices, for example, are up 77% over the same period. And people don’t like it. The Daily Beast: "Trump hit with his worst-ever approval rating on the economy."
Even the Oval Office Team has felt it necessary to cover its tracks. BBC: "US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order allowing a range of food products, including coffee, bananas and beef, to escape his sweeping tariffs. The move comes as his administration faces mounting pressure over rising prices. While Trump previously downplayed concerns about the cost of living, he has focused on the issue since his Republican Party’s poor performance in last week’s elections.
At home, the feds are trying to undo some of the damage they’ve done - by cutting back on their favorite program...and buying off farmers with direct subsidies. On Monday, we’ll look at who’s winning the tariff war overseas.
The Chinese, meanwhile, got hit with a tariff of 145% - following Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ performance. This was later dropped to 30%. But they got the message. They saw that they couldn’t trust the US...and diversified away. CNN: "China’s Answer To Tariffs Is A $1T Trade Surplus."
Just a year ago, Chinese manufacturers, fearing a new trade war, rushed to push out exports following the election victory of US President Donald Trump, who had pledged to slap punishing tariffs on imports from China over America’s widening trade deficit. A year later, Trump has delivered on his promise. But China has pivoted - and exported more. The trade war may not be over; but who’s winning so far? More to come."
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