Full screen recommended.
Max Velocity - Severe Weather Center, 1/25/26, 6:53 PM
"This Winter Is About To Take A Dangerous Turn"
Comments here:
So, we rise from the rubble...
Sunday, January 25, 2026
"People Are Dumpster Diving As A New Shocking Trend Spreading All Over America"
Full screen recommended.
Epic Economist, 1/25/26
"People Are Dumpster Diving As A New
Shocking Trend Spreading All Over America"
"In today's video, we're taking a closer look at something that's been happening all across America - people are turning to dumpster diving outside grocery stores and major retailers to get thousands of dollars worth of products for free. With the cost of everything rising so rapidly, this has become more than just a survival tactic - it's actually turning into a viral trend on social media. We'll be watching some eye-opening TikTok clips that show just how much perfectly good food and merchandise is being thrown away by big grocery chains and retailers. From frozen foods and fresh produce to brand new cosmetics and clothing with tags still on, the amount of waste is honestly staggering. What's even more striking is seeing families - including what appears to be a mom with her teenage kid - out there trying to make ends meet this way.
But this isn't just about people who are down on their luck. We're seeing folks with nice cars stopping by dumpsters, and that really tells you something about how the middle class is struggling too. When people who seem to be doing okay financially are resorting to dumpster diving, you have to wonder what that says about where we are as a country right now.
What's particularly frustrating is learning why these companies choose to throw everything away instead of donating to food banks or homeless shelters. The tax write-off system actually incentivizes waste over charity, and that's something that really needs to be talked about.
We'll also look at how some people have turned this into an actual business model - finding products in dumpsters and reselling them online for profit. While this does prevent good products from ending up in landfills, it raises questions about safety and what we're comfortable with as consumers.
Throughout this video, I'm reflecting on what this trend reveals about our economy, our society, and the choices companies are making that affect all of us. It's not just about the individual stories we're seeing - it's about the bigger picture of what's happening when families feel like they have no other choice.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Have you noticed the cost of groceries affecting your family? What do you think about companies throwing away perfectly good products instead of donating them? And honestly - would you buy something that came from a dumpster if you knew it was safe?
Let me know in the comments what you think about all of this. Are we seeing a new normal, or is this just a temporary response to tough times? I really value hearing from you all, and I hope this video gets us thinking about some important questions. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next one."
Comments here:
Jeremiah Babe, "Tornado Warning In Alabama, Sirens Going Off"
Full screen recommended.
Jeremiah Babe, 1/25/26
"Tornado Warning In Alabama, Sirens Going Off"
Comments here:
"National Emergency: Winter Storm Fern, 2,300-Mile Ice Shield Paralyzes 35 States"
Full screen recommended.
John Smith, 1/25/26
"National Emergency: Winter Storm Fern,
2,300-Mile Ice Shield Paralyzes 35 States"
"Winter Storm Fern has officially been declared a National Emergency as a 2,000-mile ice and snow shield paralyzes over 35 states. From a "catastrophic" ice zone in the South to record-shattering snowfall in the Northeast, we are breaking down everything you need to know about this historic event. We discuss the Polar Vortex fracture, the life-threatening "Flash Freeze," and the potential for long-term power outages."
Comments here:
"1 Million Already Without Power - Worse Hits the Northeast Next"
Full screen recommended.
Snyder Reports, 1/25/26, 4 PM EST
"1 Million Already Without Power -
Worse Hits the Northeast Next"
Comments here:
Musical Interlude: Deuter, "Music of the Night: East of The Full Moon"
Deuter,
"Music of the Night: East of The Full Moon"
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Close to the Great Bear (Ursa Major) and surrounded by the stars of the Hunting Dogs (Canes Venatici), this celestial wonder was discovered in 1781 by the metric French astronomer Pierre Mechain. Later, it was added to the catalog of his friend and colleague Charles Messier as M106. Modern deep telescopic views reveal it to be an island universe - a spiral galaxy around 30 thousand light-years across located only about 21 million light-years beyond the stars of the Milky Way.
Along with a bright central core, this stunning galaxy portrait, a composite of image data from amateur and professional telescopes, highlights youthful blue star clusters and reddish stellar nurseries tracing the galaxy's spiral arms. It also shows off remarkable reddish jets of glowing hydrogen gas. In addition to small companion galaxy NGC 4248 at bottom right, background galaxies can be found scattered throughout the frame. M106, also known as NGC 4258, is a nearby example of the Seyfert class of active galaxies, seen across the spectrum from radio to X-rays. Active galaxies are powered by matter falling into a massive central black hole.”
"I'm 92... I Need to Tell You Something Before I Go"
Full screen recommended.
So Far So Good,
"I'm 92... I Need to Tell You Something Before I Go"
"I've outlived my wife. My friends. My enemies. And I've outlived the version of myself that cared what people thought. Before I go, I need to tell you what I see from here. You're living a lie. And you don't even know it."
"The Worst Of Them All..."
"Science may have found a cure for most evils,
but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all -
the apathy of human beings."
- Author Unknown
○
"I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids - and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination - indeed, everything and anything except me."
- Ralph Ellison, "Prologue to Invisible Man"
○
○
Full screen recommended.
Phil Collins, "Another Day In Paradise"
"Amazon Just Announces Largest Layoff In its History - 30,000?"
Full screen recommended.
Michael Bordenaro, 1/25/26
"Amazon Just Announces Largest
Layoff In its History - 30,000?"
Comments here:
o
Full screen recommended.
Michael Bordenaro, 1/25/26
"UPS Just Announced Major Warehouse Closures -
Thousands Of Jobs Lost"
Comments here:
"California Governor in Panic as Kroger Shuts Down Major Distribution Centers"
Full screen recommended.
Sophia Miller, 1/25/26
"California Governor in Panic as
Kroger Shuts Down Major Distribution Centers"
"California is facing a growing supply chain disruption that could reshape how groceries move, how much families pay, and who ultimately bears the cost of policy decisions. In this investigation, we break down how recent warehouse regulations collided with the economic realities of grocery distribution - and why one of America’s largest supermarket chains chose to shut down major California distribution centers instead of complying. The result? Job losses, stressed supply chains, rising costs, and warning signs that extend far beyond one state. This video follows the money, the timeline, and the real-world consequences that don’t always make it into official press releases. From warehouse workers to independent grocers and everyday shoppers, the ripple effects are already being felt."
Comments here:
Dan, I Allegedly, "State of Emergency - The Collapse Is Spreading"
Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, 1/25/26
"State of Emergency - The Collapse Is Spreading"
"The worst storm in history Is here – are you ready? Dive into today's video where I discuss the state of emergency unfolding across multiple states due to the coldest and most intense storm ever recorded. From prepping tips to the surprising economic impact, I cover everything you need to know to stay informed and prepared during these unprecedented times. Plus, we explore wild updates ranging from soaring gold prices to the fast food industry's struggles and AI reshaping industries. "
Comments here:
The Poet: Stephen Levine, "Half Life"
"Half Life"
"We walk through half our life
as if it were a fever dream,
barely touching the ground,
our eyes half open,
our heart half closed.
Not half knowing who we are,
we watch the ghost of us drift
from room to room,
through friends and lovers
never quite as real as advertised.
Not saying half we mean
or meaning half we say,
we dream ourselves
from birth to birth
seeking some true self.
Until the fever breaks
and the heart can not abide
a moment longer
as the rest of us awakens,
summoned from the dream,
not half caring for anything but love."
~ Stephen Levine
"Why Some People Only Discover Their True Path Later in Life - Carl Jung"
Full screen recommended.
The Psyche,
"Why Some People Only Discover Their
True Path Later in Life - Carl Jung"
"Have you ever felt like you followed every rule, did what was “right,” built a life that looks successful on the outside… yet something still feels missing? In this deep and powerful video inspired by Carl Jung’s psychology, we explore why many people don’t discover their true path until later in life - and why that delay isn’t a failure, but a sign of inner depth and spiritual maturity. You’ll learn how Jung’s concepts like the Persona, the Shadow, and the process of Individuation reveal a hidden truth: most of us spend the first half of life living for society’s expectations… and only later begin living for the soul. Do you feel like you’re only now becoming who you truly are? Because the truth is… it may not be too late. It may be the exact moment you were meant to wake up."
Comments here:
"I Don't Believe..."
"I don’t believe in ‘original sin.’ I don’t believe in ‘guilt.’ I don’t believe in villains or heroes – only right or wrong ways that individuals have taken, not by choice but by necessity or by certain still-uncomprehended influences in themselves, their circumstances, and their antecedents. This is so simple I’m ashamed to say it, but I’m sure it’s true. In fact, I would bet my life on it! And that’s why I don’t understand why our propaganda machines are always trying to teach us, to persuade us, to hate and fear other people on the same little world that we live in.”
- Tennessee Williams
"Winter Storm Worsens: 840,000 Without Power As Emergency Expands"
Full screen recommended.
Snyder Reports, 1/25/26, 11:10 AM EST
"Winter Storm Worsens:
840,000 Without Power As Emergency Expands"
Comments here:
"Live: Catastrophic Ice Storm And Heavy Snow Coverage With Storm Chasers On The Ground"
Full screen recommended.
Ryan Hall, 1/25/26
"Live: Catastrophic Ice Storm And Heavy Snow
Coverage With Storm Chasers On The Ground"
Comments here:
"Extreme Winter Storm Coverage, Tons Of Snow And Crippling Ice, With Live Storm Chasers"
Full screen recommended.
Max Velocity - Severe Weather Center, 1/25/26
"Extreme Winter Storm Coverage, Tons Of Snow
And Crippling Ice, With Live Storm Chasers"
Comments here:
"Stocking Up At Sam's Club, Insane Crowds As Massive Snowstorm Approaches"
Full screen recommended.
Adventures With Danno, 1/25/26
"Stocking Up At Sam's Club,
Insane Crowds As Massive Snowstorm Approaches"
Comments here:
o
Full screen recommended.
Megan Wright, 1/25/26
"California Grocery Collapse:
Costco Limits items As Warehouses Run Empty"
Comments here:
o
Full screen recommended.
James R. Richards, 1/25/26
"California's Biggest Brewery Shuts Down -
Beer Prices Set to Surge"
"California's largest brewery has permanently closed its doors after nearly 50 years of operation, eliminating 238 jobs and leaving the state dependent on a single facility to supply 40 million residents. This analysis examines the economic pressures reshaping America's brewing industry, from aluminum tariffs to changing consumer habits. It explores what the closure means for beer prices, supply chains, and communities facing sudden industrial loss. The video covers the immediate impact on Fairfield's budget and workers, the broader nationwide brewery contraction, and the challenges of repurposing a 170-acre specialized industrial facility."
Comments here:
"It's Over: Hedge Funds Forced to Dump 574,000 Homes!"
Full screen recommended.
JohnAG, 1/25/26
"It's Over:
Hedge Funds Forced to Dump 574,000 Homes!"
"The 2026 housing market crash isn't coming - it started this morning. In a shocking reversal aboard Air Force One, President Trump officially killed the 401(k) homebuyer plan, signaling that the government is now prioritizing stock market stability over your ability to buy a home. But the real story is the Executive Order signed on January 20th. The "End Hedge Fund Control" framework is about to force institutions like BlackRock, Vanguard, and Invitation Homes to dump 574,000 single-family properties onto the market over the next 10 years. We are looking at a massive supply shock that will crush home prices in major metros like Atlanta, Phoenix, and Tampa. If you are a pensioner, a homebuyer, or an investor, you need to understand why the 2026 demographic collapse in Japan and France is driving this US policy shift. The global pension system is insolvent, and your retirement account is the only liquidity left."
Comments here:
"The $4,500 Trillion Collapse: Why Today Is Black Sunday"
Full screen recommended.
Finance Expert, 1/25/26
"The $4,500 Trillion Collapse: Why Today Is Black Sunday"
(That's $4 QUADRILLION, 500 Trillion.)
"Black Sunday is here and the market will not survive. The collapse is no longer a theory; it is a mathematical certainty driven by a systemic liquidity lock and a $38 trillion debt spiral. In this forensic analysis, we dive into the "Dark Liquidity" metrics that prove the global financial plumbing is failing. While mainstream media remains silent, institutional smart money like Warren Buffett has already exited to a record $382 billion cash pile. We break down the "Yen Carry Trade" unwind, the "Gamma Trap" in the options market, and why the "Fed Put" is officially dead. This isn't just a correction; it's an extinction-level event for the traditional 60/40 portfolio. We analyze the "Eurodollar" shortage and the "Petrodollar" collapse that will devalue your purchasing power overnight. At 9:30 AM EST, the opening bell will ring as a funeral bell for the bull market. Prepare your portfolio for the Great Reset."
Comments here:
Saturday, January 24, 2026
"U.S. Storm: The Monster Is Finally Here - And It's Worse Than We Thought"
A Terrifying Must-View!
Full screen recommended.
The Quiet Archivist, 1/24/26
"U.S. Storm: The Monster Is Finally Here -
And It's Worse Than We Thought"
"Right now, two hundred thirty million people are staring at what could become the largest infrastructure failure in American history. And here’s the part that should terrify you: The storm causing it isn’t even the most dangerous part. Winter Storm Fern has already crossed the invisible line where weather stops being a forecast and starts becoming a civilizational stress test. Catastrophic ice is locking down the Mississippi Delta. Record-breaking snow is burying New England. Power grids are bending. Emergency systems are straining. But what’s coming after the snow and ice - the Arctic blast now surging south—is what turns routine outages into life-or-death scenarios.
In this deep-dive, we’ll walk through how a storm becomes this perfectly destructive, why the models struggled to see it locking in, and what Fern exposes about systems we’ve quietly assumed would always hold. We’ll explore the hidden mechanics, the uncomfortable patterns, and the questions experts don’t like answering on live television. Because Fern didn’t just hit the United States It hit something much deeper."
Comments here:
God help us...
Round 2 Winter Storm Alert - Worst Coming Tonight"
Full screen recommended.
US Weather Report, 1/24/26
"Round 2 Winter Storm Alert -
Worst Coming Tonight"
"CRITICAL UPDATE: If you think the storm already passed, you're dangerously wrong. That was just the appetizer. Round twis exploding across America right now and 90% of this catastrophic winter storm is still ahead. Two massive waves are colliding tonight creating thunder snow, thunder sleet, and thunder ice - lightning flashing while ice accumulates on power lines. This setup happens once every 10-20 years.
EXACT TIMING BY CITY: Oklahoma City/Tulsa experiencing lull now but 6-12 inches additional snow hits 9PM tonight-6AM with 2-3 inch hourly rates making travel impossible by midnight. Dallas/Fort Worth getting 2-3 inches snow/sleet 9PM-6AM plus quarter inch ice - peak danger midnight-8AM. Austin/San Antonio worst conditions 2AM-10AM with few tenths freezing rain causing major problems. Houston north areas (Conroe, Huntsville) facing 3-4 tenths ice 4AM-noon triggering widespread outages. East Texas (Tyler, Longview, Texarkana) entering danger zone with half to three-quarters inch catastrophic ice 8PM tonight-2PM tomorrow causing tree/power line collapse. Shreveport/Monroe Louisiana over half inch additional freezing rain 10PM-4PM. Jackson Mississippi still crippling ice storm, northern areas (Tupelo, Oxford) eight-tenths to full inch 11PM-6PM tomorrow. Memphis Tennessee quarter to half inch ice overnight. Little Rock/Nashville significant ice accumulation tonight. Mid-Atlantic (DC, Baltimore) heavy snow starts 3AM, 4-9 inches. NYC 10 inches starting 5AM. Boston 12-16 inches - biggest storm in years.
BRUTAL COLD FOLLOWING: Sunday morning lows single digits/teens with precipitation still falling. Monday morning BELOW ZERO many areas. Memphis dropping to 3°F with potential power outages creating life-threatening conditions. Ice/snow staying on ground over a week hampering restoration efforts.
ACT NOW BEFORE CONDITIONS DETERIORATE: Next 6 hours determine if your power stays on or goes out for week. Charge devices 100%. Stock supplies immediately. Locate warming shelters. Check neighbors. Comment your city for personalized timing! Updates throughout night as storm intensifies."
Comments here:
"Extreme Winter Storm Warning - Tons Of Snow & Crippling Ice - With LIVE Storm Chasers"
Full screen recommended.
Max Velocity - Severe Weather Center, 1/24/26
"Extreme Winter Storm Warning -
Tons Of Snow & Crippling Ice - With LIVE Storm Chasers"
Comments here:
"Winter Storm Is Just Getting Started… Worse Hits Tonight"
Full screen recommended.
Snyder Reports, 1/24/26 6:24 PM EST
"Winter Storm Is Just Getting Started…
Worse Hits Tonight"
Comments here:
"It's Over: The $929 Billion Crash No One Is Talking About"
Full screen recommended.
Finance Mind, 1/24/26
"It's Over: The $929 Billion Crash
No One Is Talking About"
"The American banking system is facing a $929 Billion "Maturity Wall" that is mathematically impossible to pay back. As of early 2026, the "Silent Crash" in commercial real estate has officially begun, triggering a hidden solvency crisis for hundreds of regional banks. In this video, we expose the secret "Extend and Pretend" strategy Wall Street is using to hide massive losses and why the Federal Reserve is powerless to stop the coming deflationary bust.
We break down the alarming data on Office Vacancy Rates in San Francisco and New York, the collapse of "Shadow Banking" funds like BREIT, and why the "Credit Crunch" is destroying small businesses on Main Street. You will learn why your 401k pension fund is exposed to toxic CMBS bonds and the specific "Survival Strategy" you need to protect your wealth from the coming bank bail-ins. Do not leave your deposits in vulnerable institutions. Watch this full report before the next bank failure makes headlines.
Comments here:
"Alert: After Todays Incident, One Thing is Certain"
Full screen recommended.
Prepper News, 1/24/26
"Alert: After Todays Incident, One Thing is Certain"
Comments here:
"A Look to the Heavens"
"Light-years across, this suggestive shape known as the Seahorse Nebula appears in silhouette against a rich, luminous background of stars. Seen toward the royal northern constellation of Cepheus, the dusty, obscuring clouds are part of a Milky Way molecular cloud some 1,200 light-years distant.
Click image for larger size.
It is also listed as Barnard 150 (B150), one of 182 dark markings of the sky cataloged in the early 20th century by astronomer E. E. Barnard. Packs of low mass stars are forming within, but their collapsing cores are only visible at long infrared wavelengths. Still, the colorful stars of Cepheus add to this pretty, galactic skyscape."
"Acceptance..."
"Acceptance is a crucial step forward for those who prefer the idea of living this life over simply existing within it. Accept all that you've said and what you've done, because you cannot change your past. Accept the idea of the unknown, because the future is the unknown waiting patiently to reveal itself. Accept the person you have become thus far in your journey, because you are the only person who will be there with you when you finish it. Do all of this so that you may never find yourself having to accept regret that haunts you at two a.m., leaving you sweaty and broken hearted. All you have is this minute; not this hour, or this day, or this year. Live in this minute so that you won't get stuck simply existing with your guilty past, or with nothing but anxiety for the future."
- Margaret E. Rise
The Poet: David Whyte, "One Day"
"One Day"
"One day I will say
the gift I once had has been taken.
The place I have made for myself
belongs to another.
The words I have sung
are being sung by the ones
I would want.
Then I will be ready
for that voice
and the still silence in which it arrives.
And if my faith is good
then we'll meet again
on the road,
and we'll be thirsty,
and stop
and laugh
and drink together again
from the deep well of things as they are."
- David Whyte,
"Where Many Rivers Meet"
o
Full screen recomended.
The Moody Blues, "The Day We Meet Again"
o
"The poem is a little myth of man's capacity of making life meaningful.
And in the end, the poem is not a thing we see -
it is, rather, a light by which we may see - and what we see is life."
- Robert Penn Warren
"If Only You Knew"
"If Only You Knew"
by Teresa Marchese
"This morning, I saw a young man, hanging dead from a tree. It started out as a typical morning. It was 6:45 am. I brought the "toys" today; weights, bars, balls and boxing gloves, to have my clients work at stations. I run Rock Solid Fitness, a women's outdoor fitness club, at San Francisco's Land's End. We run trails and hills and stairs on this rocky park of cypress and redwood. But this morning, the first client to arrive begged for a "wimpy" workout, so we headed out to Land's End trail. It was a beautiful morning, and I thought some deep stretching overlooking the Golden Gate as the sun rose was in good order.
Walking that path shoulder to shoulder with three of the amazing women with whom I begin each day, whose stories I learn, whose lives weave through mine with soft, smiling, shimmering threads. An evening at the theater. Setting a quick pace, marching on, the stories continued. Looking forward, as I tend to do, I noticed an unfamiliar silhouette in those well-known woods. My stomach lurched, but only slightly, as I was unbelieving. A body hung from a tree, heels in the leafy ground. "Is it real?" I asked, as we moved toward him. Hands. Face. Body. It looked almost an effigy, a sick waxy joke, at the end of a rope.
We moved closer. And we moved quickly. There was no doubt he was real. There was no doubt he was dead. Clearly trained in knots, he had hung himself well in the night with a brand new electrical cord. A suicide. Finished.
He was young. Early twenties? Looking back, I wonder if he was younger, maybe in his teens. I don't meet Death often, but I suppose his mask makes one look older. Apart from being lifeless, he was everything a young man should be - handsome, well-heeled, sporting backpack and iPod. Hood up over dark curly hair - a San Francisco kid. His hands rested, resolute, at his sides.
Not one of us hesitated to touch him, to hold him, to relieve the tension that took his last breath. We four women strongly played our part - mother, sister, tender, friend - released him from his hold. Normally, I'm in charge. I'm the teacher. I'm the trainer. I give the orders. But something else took over here - a solidarity among women. One a doctor, another a mother, all of us upright and bold. We didn't speak. We didn't need to, I guess. We understood that we wanted to get him down and we moved accordingly. The thick branch that held him was about seven-and-a-half feet off the ground. I got underneath him and lifted his weight as the tallest of us lifted the smallest of us to reach and unwrap the cable. We laid him on the soft, grassy earth. Our doctor checked his pulse, his pupils. I felt his fingers, tried to open his stiff hand.
I looked at the group, I knew none of us was carrying a phone. Addressing the three of them, I said, "You'll stay? And I'll go for help." Help? There was no helping this one. I would take the next proper step. I spotted a morning hiker, ran to him and explained the situation. I took his phone while he went to the parking lot to direct the first-responders to the trail.
911 answered immediately, but wanted an address. Frustrated, I asked to be connected to San Francisco dispatch, to someone who could listen to my instructions and understand where I was. I heard sirens within two minutes, hung up the phone, and waved the paramedics to the trailhead. The first jumped from the engine to walk with me. "How do you know he's dead?" he asked me. "He's dead," I answered.
We left them to their work and deferentially gave a park police officer our statements. We were commended for staying - merely for staying on the scene. Most people call and leave, he told us. Really? How can someone just walk away from the dead? Because we took him down, we had to give detailed written statements. Our foursome huddled together in one car and rode in silence. There was a deep sadness and reverence among us - among all of us. Even the paramedics and the police officers, who surely meet grief often, were dejected and mindful. Because of the hour and "remote" location, the scene was respectfully not tainted with gawking onlookers and gossip-hungry voyeurs. For this, I was grateful.
We handed over our statements, hugged each other hard, and dispersed. It was 7:58 a.m. I canceled my next class and the day's remaining appointments and sat in my truck for a while, looking out over the edge of the world. I wanted to shout out to everyone I love, "We belong on this earth! We are here for a reason! Stay here with me!" I decided I would do just that, in my own way. I would start with my husband. I drove home, vowing to better love those I love, as well as those I don't yet.
To the family of the nameless one, I am sorry I could not speak his name. Please know he was carefully and lovingly tended to when he was found. Four gentle, but rock-solid women, took him from that tree and laid him down to rest.
To the nameless one, whom I briefly held, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the loss of those who loved you. (They did, of course, you know.) I'm sorry that it wasn't enough for you, here, now. Alas, you've moved on, young friend. You left your sorrow in that tree. Let your despair roll down those rocky cliffs, and be taken with the tide, pummeled and churned in the pacific surf, sprayed and splayed on the horizon, metamorphosed into air and light. Now do you see that you interrupted the rhythm of all things? If only you could have known how important you are to the fabric of this life, this place, you could have stayed, and lived your short life longer. You surely would have cried more tears, but you would have laughed more, you would have loved, you would have learned and lost and traveled. You might have started a business, a revolution, a country. You might have saved a life. I wish you would have. And now I wish I would have."
"Parsing the Telescreen, Slouching into the Gulag"
"Parsing the Telescreen, Slouching into the Gulag"
by Fred Reed
"Sez I, we are barreling into a world of mixed unreality and invited surveillance, not quite noticed but at warp speed. The unreality? We can now do politicians in video software and make them convincingly say things more reprehensible then they would themselves. The surveillance creeps in like a barely noticed smell. It creeps and will creep. Consider:
Several years ago Vi and I bought a sixty-five inch LG screen that we use for watching YouTube and Netflix. It has search-by-voice. Thus by pressing a button on the remote to wake it up, we can say, “Tianjian automated Chinese seaport,” and it will find the relevant sites on the web. Of course we have no way of knowing whether it is listening the rest of the time. Since it is convenient, we are not important, and we don’t say anything criminal or probably even very interesting, we use it.
The screen also has control-by-gesture. It doesn’t work very well, and I would feel like an idiot waving my arms and gesturing at a television, so I have never learned it. However, we have no way of knowing whether and when it is watching us. Just in case, we confine human sacrifice and orgiastic sex with farm animals to the garage so, if it is watching, we will be boring.
We also have two Alexa boxes, one in the kitchen and one in my office. These are marvels. The speakers aren’t bad for the price and Alexa is good at providing on voice command any music ever written. This is very nice indeed, though I suspect that most of us are so used to such things as not to notice how nice they are. Violeta uses this greatly while cooking.
Alexa’s hearing is eerie. If Vi says, “Alexa, play Lohengrin” while in the kitchen, often Alexa’s sister in my office will respond as well. The the kitchen and the office are in rooms separated by two plate-glass walls and a long hall with a right angle. This is astonishing acuity. Since Alexa in my office will sometimes get the music wrong, the two aren’t communicating electronically. Again, we find the convenience more appealing that the surveillance threatening. Besides, no one would bother listening to us, unless of course we were writing unflattering columns about that unevolved truculence in the White House.
I am writing this in my-office using text-to-speech software. Every time Alexa hears her name, she asks what I want.
I have just read that there is a video game called 'Call of Duty', which apparently millions of the young use to lower their IQs and avoid doing anything useful as they struggle with each other electronically. The parent company, Activision, is now incorporating AI software that listens to the martial shouts of remote and disembodied warriors to check for inappropriate language. This of course includes anything racial, uninclusive, offensive, triggering, sexist, and so on. This is said in today’s awkward English to have as purpose the improving of the gaming experience and the protection of women, though it probably means girls.
Saith the article, one in ten of distaff gamers has been driven to “suicidal thoughts” by insults during her hours as an online Boadicea. This is interesting. In the age of the 'Pride and Prejudice' sort of novel, women were always fainting on any provocation and dashing for the swooning couch, and they had to carry umbrellas in sunny weather so as not to damage their delicate skins. This strikes me as fraud as in my appalling number of years on the planet I have never seen a woman faint or even look as if she were considering it. They were too busy running marathons and scuba diving and wearing bikinis at high noon, to the great betterment of mankind.
But now it seems that they will take poison if insulted by tiresome twerps while killing enemy soldiers online – instead of saying, for example, “Grow up.” It appears that we are going to have moral uplift as pretext for surveillance of conversation. This electro-linguistic mommyism can easily be extended to high school bathrooms, locker rooms, or indeed any place thought proper to be monitored for acceptable values by government, which is to anywhere at all. There is no technical reason why it can’t be extended to Alexa boxes. We should be grateful that we don’t live in a surveillance state like China.
OK, AI and language. Computers today can understand spoken language, or at least come close enough to be dangerous. For example, if I say to my iPhone, “Hey Siri, in Spanish how do you say “If I had more money, I would buy myself a bright red Corvette,” she gets it exactly right, subjunctive, reflexive, conditional. That’s not mechanical replacement. A lot of syntax lives in that short sentence. People with time on their hands can argue about whether machines are conscious and whether they “really understand,” but if what they do is indistinguishable from understanding, that’s close enough for jazz.
That’s not quite understanding because the translation software probably couldn’t answer the question, “What would Fred do if he had the money?” But you can have a real conversation with Chat GPT. Which is real understanding.
If I mistake not, this means that Alexa boxes can, or shortly will be able to, monitor what people are talking about wherever it is practical to put a microphone, which is pretty much everywhere. We are now used to ubiquitous cameras. We pay no attention to them. We would – will? – quickly get used to microphones in public places, and are already comfortable with cameras and microphones in our homes (the Alexa boxes) and in our pockets, iPhones. Any device activated by voice command must be listening for that command, and thus potentially everything we say. Where, if anywhere, other conversation goes is an open question..
If I may throw in a somewhat-related thought, of course all of our credit-card transactions, bank dealings, and their times and places, and phone records, are recorded, this thought harmless because only commercial entities, not the government, have access to them. Read Ed Snowden’s book, 'Permanent Record.' The social media know more about us than we know about ourselves. To all of which, government has access. If you believe otherwise, you should have a second lobotomy.
Onward and upward."
- https://fredoneverything.org/
"How Intelligent People Should Deal with Stupid People - Schopenhauer’s Philosophy"
Full screen recommended.
The Psyche,
"How Intelligent People Should Deal with Stupid People -
Schopenhauer’s Philosophy"
"How should intelligent people deal with stupidity without losing their peace, clarity, or humanity? In this video, inspired by Arthur Schopenhauer’s philosophy, we explore a difficult but deeply liberating truth: intelligence does not suffer because it lacks answers, but because it is forced to coexist with confidence-driven ignorance, emotional reasoning, and noise disguised as certainty.
This is not a video about arrogance or feeling superiorIt is about self-preservation, discernment, and inner sovereignty in a world that often rewards volume over depth and opinion over understanding. Schopenhauer understood something unsettling: stupidity is most dangerous when paired with confidence and social validation. This video shows how intelligent people can navigate that reality without losing compassion - or themselves. If you often feel exhausted by pointless arguments, misunderstood for thinking deeply, or pressured to simplify your thoughts just to maintain harmony, this video will resonate with you."
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"One Chance..."
“You get that one chance; and damn it, you’ve got to take it! If there’s one lesson I know I will take with me for eternity, its that there are those things that might happen only once, those chances that come walking down the street, strolling out of a café; if you don’t let go and take them, they really could get away! We can get so washed out with a mindset of entitlement – the universe will do everything for us to ensure our happiness – that we forget why we came here! We came here to grab, to take, to give, to have! Not to wait! Nobody came here to wait! So, what makes anyone think that destiny will keep on knocking over and over again? It could, but what if it doesn’t? You go and you take the chance that you get; even if it makes you look stupid, insane, or whorish! Because it just might not come back again. You could wait a lifetime to see if it will… but I don’t think you should.”
- C. JoyBell C.
"Ice Storm Freezes 60 Million Americans, Power, Travel, and Food Supplies Hit"
Full screen recommended.
Snyder Reports, 1/24/26, 4:04 PM EST
"Ice Storm Freezes 60 Million Americans,
Power, Travel, and Food Supplies Hit"
Comments here:
Dan, I Allegedly, "Layoffs, Bankruptcies, Empty Stores - Every Business Is Getting Hit"
Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, 1/24/26
"Layoffs, Bankruptcies, Empty Stores -
Every Business Is Getting Hit"
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Adventures With Danno, "Stocking Up At Meijer Before Crazy Snowstorm"
Full screen recommended.
Adventures With Danno, 1/24/26
"Stocking Up At Meijer Before Crazy Snowstorm"
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The Next 10 Days Of Winter: The Worst In 40 Years Across The US
"The Next 10 Days Of Winter:
The Worst In 40 Years Across The US"
by Ryan Maue
"A meteorologist's main purpose: keep you alive, and marked safe. There is nothing we can do to stop this epic week of weather, and believe me, I have been trying to find silver linings or rays of sunlight. So, the best preparation is fresh, accurate, and expert information from trusted sources.
While every new weather model run (alphabet soup of acronyms) shows slight adjustments in who gets the most freezing rain (ice) and snowfall there is little doubt about the aftermath of the massive ice storm: hazardous cold like January 21, 1985 when the United States average low temperature sunk to 4°F. Many of these record lows are still standing.
⚠️You should be prepared for extended power outages with subzero temperatures outdoors. Think about where you can go, what you can do, and who needs even more help to survive this week ahead. This is not hype or a joke.
Temperature Analysis January 21, 1985 | PRISM Oregon State
Let's dig in (or out) of this Winter Storm that is actually 2 waves of moisture that finally consolidate into a rather powerful Nor'easter. If you're younger than 40 years old, then you may be experiencing the worst winter weather of your lifetime depending upon where you are over the next 10-14 days. Plan for extended power outages with brutally cold temperatures for many days. pic.twitter.com/GYaXpU3A8Z— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) January 22, 2026
ECMWF 12z HRES Precipitation Type and Intensity: A massive "slug of moisture" will stream out of the subtropical Pacific and then the Gulf of Mexico to combine into an "atmospheric river". Normally that would be heavy rain and maybe snowfall where the air is below freezing. Not this time- we will have extremely cold Arctic air flooding southward: and the atmospheric river will go up and over the more dense cold air near the surface. When the warmer subtropical moisture falls through the : it turns to snow or freezing rain or sleet.
Total Snowfall Amounts (NOAA Blend of Models -- trust this b/c it includes the ECMWF or Euro flagship model) may be an underestimate (!)
Freezing Rain Expected from Winter Storm
We can partition the precipitation (called QPF for quantitative precipitation forecast) into rain, snow, sleet, and freezing rain by using the temperature and humidity of the column of air above the surface. These amounts forecast by ECMWF 12z will not all immediately freeze on contact with surfaces like trees and power lines, but a LOT of it will accrete, and cause potentially catastrophic damage.
The National Weather Service forecasts 0.25" to 0.5" inch of ice accumulating across across Texas, and nearly an inch in northern Louisiana into Mississippi. Then, cold air damming by the Appalachians keeps enough cold air at the surface (easterly winds) to put Atlanta under threat of significant icing. Not good!
After a sequence of events beginning in the Western Pacific Ocean led to disruption of the stratospheric polar vortex, a massive persistent circulation pattern has allowed the formation of extreme "cold pools" over Canada 🇨🇦 with air temperatures brutal cold throughout the entire troposphere: -40°F near the surface and -40°F at the mid-way point of 500 millibars. The Polar Vortex Unleashed with multiple "lobes" dropping south and whipping through like a pendulum: next 7-days
Two swings of the "wrecking ball" from the tropospheric Polar Vortex anchored over Ontario, Canada The second Arctic blast is actually partly triggered by a PV anomaly in the Arctic north of Greenland that gets stretched, and descends the chute into pic.twitter.com/EiB8v0dmeL— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) January 22, 2026
Arctic Blast 1.0 -- Frigid as temperatures plummet into Texas and the Deep South. Absolutely brutal in the Midwest and Great Lakes with minus 20s and minus 30s - and that's not the wind chill.
Low Temperatures on Saturday:
But we are not done - the Polar Vortex anchored over Canada reloads with another massive blast of cold air into next week. That makes 3 total if you are counting! Over the next week -> Arctic Blast 1.0 and Arctic Blast 2.0 merge into Super Arctic Blast that will entomb the Eastern U.S. into a frigid hellscape. Temperatures 35°F to 45°F below normal will cripple east of the Mississippi. This is all-time historic vintage cold. pic.twitter.com/zNugF2QAqo— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) January 22, 2026
You can see the evolution of the air mass colored by "deviation from normal" or anomaly, which I've color coded using a Barney and Baby Bop theme. This is on par with the O.G. polar vortex from January 2014 when social media (Twitter) weather was just getting started.
And, that will be the end of January, and we will make it! I made all of these maps and animations (from scratch w/raw data and code) and actually 90% of the weather maps that you see on social media. I don't "dumb down" anything for my audience because I assume everyone has a PhD in something. You can receive even MORE in depth weather articles at my growing Substack blog (Weather Trader)."
"Ice Storm Hitting Hard, Millions Already Impacted"
Full screen recommended.
Snyder Reports, 1/24/26
"Ice Storm Hitting Hard, Millions Already Impacted"
Comments here:
o
Full screen recommended.
Scott Report, 1/24/26
"This Crazy Snow Storm Bringing Feet Of Snow"
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