"Remember: Your Mission Isn’t Done"

"Remember: Your Mission Isn’t Done"

by John Wilder

"One winter, while hunting elk up on Wilder Mountain, we had, well, an issue. We were about fifteen or twenty miles in from the nearest pavement, and headed home. It was overcast. It was lazily spitting snow, with a breeze that was slowly picking up. Looking to the west, where there should be a resplendent sunset, the sky was dark, heavy, and pendulous with brooding storm clouds that blotted out even a hint of the winter Sun.

That was when the problem hit. Pa Wilder, while driving over a “road” that was little more than a common path cut by four-wheel-drive vehicles over the course of decades of hunting and firewood gathering, drove over a small branch that had fallen in the road. Not a problem, right? Well, it was a problem. In this case, the branch had the stem of a broken off limb, sticking straight up. Pa drove the GMC Jimmy® right over that sharp shard of limb. In the span of a dozen or so feet, we had lost not one, but two tires. It penetrated the center of each tire, poking a hole the size of a half-dollar coin in each.

Amazingly, we had lost another tire already that day, already. We now had a four-wheel drive with five tires and three flats. In winter. As a blizzard approached and night was setting in. And all of this was in country where it could easily hit -40°F as night descended.

I bring this up to say that we had a mission. Our mission at that point in time was to get home. There were several challenges, and I’m pretty sure if most people were in the backcountry as a blizzard was descending that the last person they would choose would be a 12-year-old boy to be a guy on the team. Which is sad.

Children can have missions. Children can face danger. Children can do important things. We forget that because we’re in a society that doesn’t give children important things to do, mostly. Midshipmen in the Royal Navy were as young as 14. To be clear: Midshipmen in the Royal Navy were 14. A midshipman is an officer. If you were unaware, the Royal Navy wasn’t a social club, and often those boys fought in wars. As officers. So we forgot that boys can be given real, substantial responsibility. But there’s also the chance that we forget something else: that each of us is on a mission. And each of us has a role to play.

We currently are in a place where freedom is an increasingly precious and rare commodity. It’s not just in the United States – Trump may have said, “Make America Great Again” but down under they seem to be following the “Make Australia A Prison Again” plan. And Canada? I love our Canadabros that come by regularly (Canada is the second-largest readership here), but Canada seems to be determined to become the Soviet Above the 49th Parallel. 

It seems like in this day and age we all have a mission. Just like 12 isn’t too young, 80 isn’t too old. Frankly, we need all hands on deck. The size of the mission is the largest on the North American continent since 1774. I almost wrote that the idea was to preserve the Constitution and the Republic. Seriously, I’d love nothing more than to write that.

I’d love for that to happen. I’d love for us to come together. I’d settle for the laws to look like they did 90 years ago. Heck, even 70 years ago. That would be preferable to today. A reversion, sadly, is impossible. Whatever will come from tomorrow will not look like the past. It may be a shadow. The Holy Roman Emperors weren’t Roman. And the Holy Roman Empire wasn’t the Roman Empire. Or it may be something entirely different. I think it will be entirely different.

And that’s where you come in. Yes, you. You have a mission to create a new nation here. It won’t look like what we have today – it simply cannot, since we have created a situation that is at the far end of stability. I assure you, you play a part. The initial conditions of what happens are crucial to the final outcome. If George Washington had wanted to be King? If Thomas Jefferson had been a Martian Terminator Robot like the one that keeps triggering my motion detector lights at night even though the sheriff won’t believe me?

Things would be entirely different. And you are important. Your actions in the next decade are critical to the creation of what will come after. Do we want a nation that will be based on slavery, control, and that eternal boot stamping on a human face? I’d vote no. If you’re a regular here, I’m betting that’s your vote, too.

If so, let me shout as loudly as I can: You Are Not Done. This is Not Over. What is it that you can do to create a world where freedom beats slavery? What can you do to create a world where children can run free from the indoctrination of an all-powerful, all-regulating state?

There’s a lot. Our nation was, thankfully, built on the consent of the governed. Most things that local government provides, we want. To quote Python, Monty: "But apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh-water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?"

To be clear: the Federal government does very little to make anything in the list above better, and often does a lot to make them worse. Except for the interstate highways. Those are actually pretty cool.

But I will tell you – you are the seed of the future of this country. You are the seed of the future of this continent. You are the seed of the future of this world. It doesn’t matter how old you are. The time is coming, and coming quickly where great injustices will be attempted. And you are the seed to make what comes after better for humanity. Would the world rather live in 1950’s America or 1930’s U.S.S.R.?

The choice is stark. Your mission is clear. How will you act to make your county, your state, your country one where free men can walk? It’s up to you.

Back to the mountain. For me, it was a game. That’s the advantage of being 12. Pa Wilder and my older brother (also named John due to a typographical error) and I wheeled the tires so we had two good ones in front. We locked in the hubs on the four-wheel drive.

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to drive up a mountain path in a car with only two tires in a snowstorm as it got darker every minute. It doesn’t work very well. The flat back wheels couldn’t push the Jimmy® up the hill. That’s where I came in. It was my job to take the winch cable, run up the hill, and loop the cable up the base of a tree. Pa would then use the combination of the winch and the two front tires to pull the Jimmy© up. Tree by tree, cable length by cable length, we worked pretty flawlessly as a team to get the Jimmy™ to the top of the hill. Thankfully, for the most part it was downhill from there. Although Pa was driving on the rims, we got it home.

Was there danger? Certainly, there always is. We had snow, so we had water. Ma would have called the Sheriff not too long after dusk, and even though the mountains were a labyrinth of roads, people had seen us. We also had matches, hatchets, wool blankets, gasoline, and a mountain’s worth of firewood to keep us warm. But we also had a mission. Each of us served our purpose, and we got home.

Pa was a bit raw about having to buy two new rims and three new tires for a day’s worth of not seeing any elk, though. For the record, I never saw a single elk when hunting with Pa. I’m telling you, that man knew how to hunt. Finding? Sometimes I think he just wanted a good drive in the woods and hike with his boys, teaching them about living. Teaching them about missions, and the part that they play, whether they know it or not.

In this life, we all have a mission, and we all play a part in it. I can assure you that your part is not done, because you’re above ground, breathing, and reading this. I hate to repeat something so trite, but in this case, it’s true: you are not done. This is not over. And the whole world depends...on you. It’s up to you. You will create the future.

So, go do it."

- https://wilderwealthywise.com/

"A Long March Through The Night..."

"The life of Man is a long march through the night, surrounded by invisible foes, tortured by weariness and pain, towards a goal that few can hope to reach, and where none may tarry long. One by one, as they march, our comrades vanish from our sight, seized by the silent orders of omnipotent Death. Very brief is the time in which we can help them, in which their happiness or misery is decided. Be it ours to shed sunshine on their path, to lighten their sorrows by the balm of sympathy, to give them the pure joy of a never-tiring affection, to strengthen failing courage, to instill faith in times of despair."

- Bertrand Russell

"The Deadly Gaze in the U.S"

"The Deadly Gaze in the U.S"

by Mark Sashine

"The cat then hugged the mouse and purred, 'I love you to death.'"

- Old Turkish saying.

"Several years ago in one of my articles I wrote that the U.S. behaved toward Iraq like a rapist who, after raping a woman, tells her to clean herself because of her disgusting appearance. I was expecting a barrage of comments, but, instead, I got silence. In the U.S., however, silence doesn't mean assent; it means a deliberate ignoring. 

In my research to understand that pattern of brain passivity, I several times stated my perceptions directly into the faces of my fellow Americans. Whenever I did that, the reaction was the same. The person would look sideways and say nothing. I tried to catch that frozen gaze on the person's face, and, when I managed to do that, I recognized it as a gaze I hadn't seen for a very long time. It was the gaze of a bully from my childhood. You can sometimes notice such a gaze in dogs. It is the deadly gaze.

The Boy With the Deadly Gaze: He was transferred to our school when we were in the 5th grade, so most of us were about twelve at the time. That was the age when a teenager "grows out of his uniform," as one teacher said. Of course, in Russia at the time, we didn't have cell phones or the Internet; we didn't even have good clothes. Most of us wore uniforms: greenish-gray pants and jackets for boys, white blouses and brown skirts for girls. We were the "young pioneers," and each of us had a triangular red tie, symbolizing equality, fraternity and liberty, as well as the sacrificial blood of the martyrs of the Revolution. The strict collective code of honor included studying hard, helping other people to learn, helping the weak, and respecting society by behaving properly. At the same time, every teenager of our time lived most of his or her life on the beat, and we learned the unwritten "street rules' by experience. As an overweight kid, I had a tough time. 

No matter what happened between us kids, the worst possible thing you could do was to rat on your peers to adults. We had our rules, though: It was a shame for a boy to hit a girl and for a girl to instigate a fight. It was a shame to hurt someone weaker than yourself, unless that someone had asked for it. And it was a shame to tease old people and to torture animals. Not that we were perfect: We smoked, drank (sometimes with tough health consequences), stole things, fought ferociously and cruelly, cheated on homework and exams, lied repeatedly, and disturbed the peace. But I could say we were honorable. The bully wasn't, however. We saw this from the start.

He was a tall, lanky, blondish boy with a strange, sticky voice. When he talked, it seemed the words came out of him in slow-motion. We noticed his voice first, because it was full of sh*t. He used profanity as a primary way of communication. It was kind of like the way movie characters talk these days. We all used bad words, but coming from him they sounded exceptionally dirty. He had two followers who looked very much like him, though not as repulsive, and this unholy triad roamed the school hallways and nearby streets night and day. Nobody knew where he lived; it seemed as if he could appear and disappear at will. You could go out for groceries and bump into him. He would then perform his ritual of pretending to be your friend, pawing you, especially if you were a girl, then complaining that you didn't appreciate him, so he had to hurt you for your own good. All that would usually end with some really dirty thing, like throwing your groceries on the pavement and stomping on them, throwing stones at your pet, or lighting a match near a girl's skirt so that it created a huge hole in the only uniform she had - etc, etc. 

While his goons laughed their ears off, he never laughed. Instead, his frozen smirk seemed to become more like a mask and his expressionless gaze would get uglier than ever. Sometimes he would force a kid to do something dirty to others; he called it a coalition. That wouldn't last for long, however, because you could never satisfy his perverse appetites. Eventually, he would discard his temporary allies and hurt them even more. At that time, I didn't know about moronic evil, or such terms as "sadism." If had known about them, I would have recognized the pattern in the bully. But I was a bookish boy, and I recognized him instead in references I encountered to the Hitlerjugend and the SS. The bully was like them. In books about the Nazi culture, the training of young children that deprived them of a social conscience was described in gory detail. One of the main goals was to develop in them a sense of total indifference to, and contempt for, "others" - the inferior beings, whether animals or humans. The children were also pushed to have fun hurting people. In that context, our own bully was a "natural."

People noticed his behavior and tried to change it. Teachers warned him repeatedly, and the pioneer organization threatened to take away his tie (a very tough public punishment). One day, when he had been caught in some bad action, he put on quite a spectacle, promising to change and become a better person. To the kids who were his victims, though, this was a disgusting sight. We all knew he didn't mean it. The smirk was there all the time.

That's when those of us who had been hurt by him decided to take the matter into our own hands. On that rainy evening, we took off our red ties after school as usual, but we didn't go home. Instead, I went to intercept the bully, leaving the others ready to back me up. He was at his usual place and called me to approach, but I told him to f&ck himself, and when he started toward me in his deliberately menacing posture, I ran. Then the bully, accompanied by his two allies, followed me down the street and into the dark stone passage, through the cast-iron gates. Those gates were usually closed, but this time they were open. Right after they passed the gates, I reached the end of the passage, where the exit gates were closed. And at that moment a screeching sound told us that the entry gates were also closed. I stopped and looked at them. Then the shadows along the passage walls came alive and the enemy triad found itself surrounded, with nowhere to run.

As we presumed, the two butt kissers betrayed the bully in a second. We pushed them away, threw a blanket over him and started hitting. At that moment, we forgot that he was always bragging about carrying a knife. But, in this circumstance, he was lucky not to have one; if he had been carrying a knife, the enraged kids would likely have killed him with bricks. We knew this was our day. The deal between us was that we would stop punishing the bully when he began to cry. But he didn't cry. For some time we could only hear ourselves, our own animalistic rage. Suddenly, however, we heard a howl. He howled like a wounded beast in a paroxysm of helplessness and desperation. Then we stopped. We opened the gates on both sides and left in silence. None of us felt any satisfaction. We were just tired and empty. The one girl among us saved our souls that evening. When we all stopped to go our separate ways, she took out our red ties, which we had given her for safekeeping, and neatly put a tie on each of us. Then she smiled at us all and vanished into the darkness. The burden was lifted. We knew we had done the right thing.

The bully didn't come to school in the morning. The two others came, but they knew nothing of him. Eventually, we heard that his parents had transferred him to a special school for kids with psychological problems. We never saw him again and, for some reason, the bullying among ourselves also stopped entirely. None of us wanted to be like him, ever. We had all grown up.

When as a parent you introduce shame to your child, you do that by appealing to the child's sense of empathy and of self-preservation. Those are connected in a thoughtful human. Empathy tells you that you inflicted something on another person that you would not like to be subjected to yourself. And the sense of self-preservation tells you that the same kind of hurtful action could be directed toward you. Those realizations make you feel ashamed of your actions: you see them as not only mean, but also stupid. A person with no concept of shame, who sees the world only as an object for self-indulgence, is the bad seed. Such a person belongs in an asylum. We have such people at the highest levels of power in the U.S. It is bad enough if one person is shameless. But what if this disease were to spread through the entire nation?

Our Gaze at the World: I have been living in this country for 33 years now, and through all those years we have been at war, either directly or indirectly. Here are the places I remember since Y1989: Iraq, Kuwait, Somalia, Panama, Sudan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Haiti, Iraq again, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and now a proxy war in Ukraine. In all these cases, we had our fun. We killed a lot of people after leaning on them, pretending to be their friends, and proclaiming our love. In all these cases, we denied any atrocities and vehemently called ourselves the best people in the world. In these cases, too, as well as in numerous cases before, we forced other people into a "coalition" with us.

Yet, NONE of these cases produced any positive outcome. In fact, we considerably worsened the world economy and devastated political structures, creating chaos and misery whenever we went. Those are the facts, and they are indisputable. If it wasn't for that insane gaze of ours, all of us here in the U.S. would be on our knees begging God's forgiveness. Instead, we are going to celebrate Labor Day after we've destroyed anything that even remotely resembles honest work for honest pay. We are truly unbelievable, and my little psycho-bully would fit in here very nicely. He would be in charge of some important department, and the media would be calling him "Slow, but Smarty, Mike," or whatever his ugly name was. The presence of the bully here has become so obvious that every morning I am afraid to see his face on TV. Sometimes the bullies come back, courtesy of Stephen King. They eat their breakfast, send their kids to school, and then proceed to spread their deadly love over other people, leaving dead bodies behind.

Americans are sick, and that sickness overtook them in the 20th Century when they benefited immensely from other people's miseries in two World Wars. Since that time, they have felt superior to other people and that feeling culminated in the BOMB. Not only do we have the BOMB; we actually used it and got away with it. Nobody threw a blanket over us and kicked us bad. Our hubris rules supreme. Our religion tells us that we are the freest, the smartest, the most righteous people on earth, and thus all our actions toward others are GOOD. We claim the right to dominate others, because we indulge ourselves and believe we are by default the ones who deserve it. Do you recognize the logic? It is the logic of a shameless, bratty toddler. There is no real love there, just self-adoration. We behave like a child who is "asking for it," and anyone who is at least a half-wit should become very worried indeed. Humankind is not very different from a middle school, and eventually the shadows will separate from the walls. Do we really want to risk being exposed?

I Am Not Fair: I concede that I am not entirely fair in comparing the whole American nation to a psycho kid from my childhood. There are plenty of good people in this country, and I have no right. No, I have every right! This is my home. Diversity: the real display of it is not in food, drinks and flowers. It is in the historical, generational experience, in the memory of the heart. I have an obligation before my people here to report a dangerous, maybe even fatal, psychic disease - a disease that once consumed the whole German nation and is now in full swing in America. I don't want to run again, panting and sweating into that dark passage. It is the light I seek, and in the light we fight. I am not fair. I am in love and I want to protect this beloved country of mine. In this battle I take no prisoners. It is easy to get cured. Just put the damned psychos into an asylum, where they belong!"

- http://www.opednews.com/

Free Download: Omar Khayyám, "Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám"

“The moving hand once having writ moves on. 

Nor all thy piety nor wit can lure it back to cancel half a line.”

- Omar Khayyám, "Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám"

Freely download here:

- https://www.forgottenbooks.com/

"How It Really Is"

"Mass Layoffs Hitting These Sectors of the Economy"

Full screen recommended.

Michael Bordenaro, 5/10/25

"Mass Layoffs Hitting These Sectors of the Economy"

"Are you prepared for the massive job losses that are coming to certain industries?! In this video, we're going to explore the industries that are most at risk of job losses and what you can do to protect yourself from the impending doom. From automation to economic shifts, we'll dive into the reasons behind these job losses and what it means for the future of work."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Financial Stress Is At An All-Time High For 70 Percent Of Americans"

"Financial Stress Is At An All-Time 

High For 70 Percent Of Americans"

by Michael Snyder

"When you don’t have enough money to pay the bills, it can make for a lot of sleepless nights. If you are in that position right now, I want you to know that you are definitely not alone. I have heard from so many people that are being absolutely crushed by our ongoing cost of living crisis that seems to have no end in sight. Just about everything has become substantially more expensive over the past five years, and now the global trade war threatens to push prices for foreign-made goods into the stratosphere.

What we are experiencing at this moment is not even close to normal. According to a new survey that was just released, financial stress is at an all-time high for 70 percent of Americans…"Americans are drowning in money worries, and it’s taking a serious toll on their mental health. A new survey reveals that 70% of Americans say their financial stress has hit an all-time high, with more than three-quarters feeling totally alone in their struggle to manage money pressures."

Even worse, this financial strain is affecting people’s overall well-being, with 20% reporting worse mental health over the past year. The findings come from a nationwide poll of 2,000 people conducted by Talker Research for Doctor On Demand by Included Health, offering a troubling glimpse into how economic pressures are reshaping Americans’ relationship with both mental and physical health.

If 70 percent of your population is more financially stressed than they have ever been before, you have a national crisis on your hands. Nobody can argue with that. The wealthiest 10 percent of the country is doing just fine, but almost everyone else is really struggling right now.

Unfortunately, the cost of living crisis is about to go to an entirely new level. According to CNBC, the very first container ships from China that are subject to the 145 percent tariff rate that was recently introduced are now arriving at U.S. ports…"The first shipping containers carrying Chinese products that are subject to President Donald Trump’s 145% tariffs have begun arriving in U.S. ports. Seven ships carrying upward of 12,000 containers that sailed from China after those tariffs took effect have arrived at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, in California. Five more such ships are scheduled to arrive there in coming days."

Amazon, Home Depot, Ikea, Ralph Lauren and Tractor Supply are among the companies with Chinese goods in these containers, spanning a wide range of consumer items. The next time you walk into Walmart, Target or Home Depot, you may be shocked at the price hikes that you are seeing. The good news is that the U.S. and China will be talking this weekend. Let us hope those negotiations go well.

On Truth Social, President Trump just suggested that negotiations could potentially lead to a final tariff rate of 80 percent on Chinese goods…"President Donald Trump on Friday set negotiating terms for his administration’s first discussions with China, which are set to take place in Geneva this weekend.

In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump appeared to lay out his demands - and concessions - for the meeting between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and their Chinese counterparts. Trump said China must import more US goods, and in return, he believes the United States should lower its 145% tariff on most Chinese goods to 80%."

Other government sources are indicating that we could see the tariff rate on Chinese goods lowered to about 50 percent…"Specifically, US officials are discussing a proposal to lower President Trump’s punishing levy on China goods to between 50% and 54% as they begin what promise to be lengthy talks to hammer out a trade agreement, sources close to the negotiations said. Meanwhile, trade taxes on neighboring south Asian countries would be cut to 25%, the source added. “They are going to be bringing it down to 50% while the negotiations are ongoing,” the source said of the trade tax on China."

Personally, I don’t think that the Chinese will agree to any deal that includes a very high tariff rate on Chinese-made products. But for a moment let’s assume that the Trump administration actually gets what they want. Even a tariff rate of 50 percent would still essentially kill most trade with China. The Chinese economy would be severely damaged, and so would the U.S. economy.

We should have never allowed our economy to become so interconnected with the Chinese economy. Now that we have, we find ourselves in a very precarious position. A 145 percent tariff rate on Chinese goods is suicidal, because we deeply depend on thousands upon thousands of products that are made in China. If we can at least get some temporary tariff relief, that will be a positive sign that we desperately need, because right now orders from China are being canceled “very, very fast”…

"Ahead of the talks, shipments from Chinese ports have slowed. US importers have begun to weigh whether they can afford to do business now that each shipment is subject to the 145% tariff. “It has gone very fast, so this is the result of customers reacting very, very fast on canceling orders or stopping orders and waiting to see if this is going to resolve itself,” Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said on his company’s first-quarter earnings call."

If a deal with China cannot be reached, prices will go up. In fact, we are already starting to see this happen all over the nation. In addition, we will also see widespread layoffs. Earlier today, we learned that Panasonic is planning to lay off approximately 10,000 workers…"Electronics maker Panasonic Holdings is cutting 10,000 jobs from its workforce. The Japan-based company announced the job cuts on Friday as part of a broader effort to increase its profitability moving forward. Of the 10,000 employees slated to lose their jobs, half will be workers in Japan, according to Panasonic. The other 5,000 will be in other countries."

On top of everything else, we will experience painful shortages of many items if a deal with China cannot be reached. Our society would not be able to handle widespread shortages very well. Even now, we are seeing a lot of desperation, panic and lawlessness in our society. For example, CNBC is reporting that cargo theft is absolutely soaring all over America…"America’s supply chain is under attack. From coast to coast, organized criminal groups are hitting trucks on the road, breaking into warehouses and pilfering expensive items from train cars, according to industry experts and law enforcement officials CNBC interviewed during a six-month investigation.

It’s all part of a record surge in cargo theft in which criminal networks in the U.S. and abroad exploit technology intended to improve supply chain efficiency and use it to steal truckloads of valuable products. Armed with doctored invoices, the fraudsters impersonate the staff of legitimate companies in order to divert cargo into the hands of criminals."

I think that it will soon be quite common to see armed guards accompanying trucks and trains that are transporting cargo across our country. Our society really is coming apart at the seams all around us. Now a period of extreme economic uncertainty is upon us, and that is going to make our societal instability a whole lot worse."

- https://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/

The Economic Ninja, "Walmart Just Made A Very Difficult Decision"

Full screen recommended.

The Economic Ninja, 5/10/25

"Walmart Just Made A Very Difficult Decision"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"If Walmart Shuts Down Life Would Be a Nightmare in These 10 U.S. States"

Full screen recommended.

Discovery Globe Collapse, 5/10/25

"If Walmart Shuts Down Life Would 

Be a Nightmare in These 10 U.S. States"

"What if America’s largest retailer suddenly went silent? In this video, we investigate the 10 U.S. states that would feel the impact most acutely if every Walmart store closed its doors overnight. From food deserts spreading across rural counties to critical shortages in household goods and prescription medications, the fallout would touch retirees living on fixed incomes, veterans relying on affordable supplies, and families in small towns with limited alternatives."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Adventures With Danno, "Shocking Prices At Sam's Club"

Full screen recommended.

Adventures With Danno, 5/10/25

"Shocking Prices At Sam's Club"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Dan, I Allegedly, "Who’s Next? Another Retail Giant Bites the Dust"

Full screen recommended.

Dan, I Allegedly, 5/10/25

"Who’s Next? Another Retail Giant Bites the Dust"

"Rite Aid Collapses! What went so wrong? In today’s video, I dive into the heartbreaking end of Rite Aid, one of the largest drugstore chains in the U.S., which has officially shut its doors after decades of struggle. From failed mergers with Walgreens and Albertsons to billions in debt and lawsuits stemming from opioid controversies, this is a story of mismanagement, legal woes, and the harsh realities of the retail world. Rite Aid’s bankruptcy marks the end for its 1,240 remaining stores, leaving employees, customers, and communities in a tough spot.

The human toll is the hardest part to watch - loyal employees losing jobs and retirement benefits after decades of service, and customers scrambling to transfer prescriptions as their data gets sold to CVS or Walgreens without consent. Plus, with empty shelves and a lack of restocks, it was clear this collapse was inevitable. But Rite Aid isn’t alone - retail, fast food, and even pharmacy industries are all struggling. What’s next to go under? Let me know your thoughts!"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Queen, "Another One Bites The Dust"

I couldn't resist, just had to... lol

"Alert: Nuclear Command Activated; Lockdown In Pakistan; India Mobilizes On Border"

Canadian Prepper, 5/9/25

"Alert: Nuclear Command Activated; 

Lockdown In Pakistan; India Mobilizes On Border"

"Pakistan has advised entire population of 220 million to stay indoors."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Adventures With Danno, "Prices Rising On Everything... It's Getting Ugly"

Full screen recommended.

Adventures With Danno, PM 5/9/25

"Prices Rising On Everything... It's Getting Ugly"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

o

Full screen recommended.

Travelling with Russell, 5/9/25

"Russian Typical Supermarket 700 Meters from Red Square"

"What is the closest Supermarket to Red Square in Moscow, Russia? Join me on a tour of the most typical Russian supermarket in the country. Magnit is one of Russia's largest supermarket chains with over 29,000 stores. Just how typical is it?"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Costco Prepares For Supply Chain Crisis, Shelves Stocked To The Ceiling"

Jeremiah Babe, 5/9/25

"Costco Prepares For Supply Chain Crisis, 

Shelves Stocked To The Ceiling"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Musical Interlude: 2002, "An Ocean Apart"

Full screen recommended.

2002, "An Ocean Apart"

"A Look to the Heavens"

“What will become of these galaxies? Spiral galaxies NGC 5426 and NGC 5427 are passing dangerously close to each other, but each is likely to survive this collision. Typically when galaxies collide, a large galaxy eats a much smaller galaxy. In this case, however, the two galaxies are quite similar, each being a sprawling spiral with expansive arms and a compact core. As the galaxies advance over the next tens of millions of years, their component stars are unlikely to collide, although new stars will form in the bunching of gas caused by gravitational tides.

Close inspection of the above image taken by the 8-meter Gemini-South Telescope in Chile shows a bridge of material momentarily connecting the two giants. Known collectively as Arp 271, the interacting pair spans about 130,000 light years and lies about 90 million light-years away toward the constellation of Virgo. Recent predictions hold that our Milky Way Galaxy will undergo a similar collision with the neighboring Andromeda Galaxy in a few billion years.”

- http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130825.html

Chet Raymo, “Angling For Happiness”

“Angling For Happiness”

by Chet Raymo

“There is a concept in physics called angle of repose. Set an object, a book say, on a plank. Now slowly tip up one end of the plank until the moment when the book just starts to slide. The angle between the plank and the horizontal is the angle of repose, where the component of the gravitational force down the plank becomes greater than the maximum friction force holding the book at rest. Or, in more evocative terms - as I write I am lying on the couch with the laptop in my lap, in perfect repose. If you started tipping up the couch, at some point I'd go sliding into a heap at the bottom. That's the angle of repose, or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it the angle of the end of repose.

This comes to mind because I just spent fifteen minutes on my knees in the yard watching ants excavate a nest in the ground. One by one they scurry out of the hole carrying a tiny grain of sand, which they dump in a ring around the hole. A circular pile. Now if the ants just dumped their burdens at the mouth of the hole, pretty soon the pile would get so steep that the sand grains would slide back into the hole. Instead, the circular ring gets higher and wider, with a slope that never exceeds the angle at which the grains will slip - the angle of repose. Now here's the thing: the ants almost invariably carry their grain to just beyond the top of the pile. If the grain slips, it will slide away from the hole. These tiny ants, hardly bigger than sand grains themselves, understand a little physics in their mysterious instinctive way.

Wallace Stegner has a novel titled "Angle of Repose." It is indeed an evocative phrase. In a job, in a relationship, in life itself, many of us instinctively seek that maximum degree of individual gratification that will satisfy emotional needs without doing violence to our essential repose, and that of those around us - the art of walking close to the edge, the thrill without the spill. Every day in the news we hear of folks - politicians or celebrities - who tipped the plank too far, whose lives went sliding into self-destruction, who failed to grasp, metaphorically speaking, something that a tiny ant instinctively understands.”

- http://blog.sciencemusings.com/

Freely Read 'Shantaram', by Gregory David Roberts, Online"

“But I couldn't respond. My culture had taught me all the wrong things well. So I lay completely still, and gave no reaction at all. But the soul has no culture. The soul has no nations. The soul has no color or accent or way of life. The soul is forever. The soul is one. And when the heart has its moment of truth and sorrow, the soul can't be stilled. I clenched my teeth against the stars. I closed my eyes. I surrendered to sleep. One of the reasons why we crave love, and seek it so desperately, is that love is the only cure for loneliness, and shame, and sorrow. But some feelings sink so deep into the heart that only loneliness can help you find them again. Some truths about yourself are so painful that only shame can help you live with them. And some things are just so sad that only your soul can do the crying for you.”

- Gregory David Roberts, "Shantaram"

"Sometimes we love with nothing more than hope.

Sometimes we cry with everything except tears.

In the end that’s all we have – to hold on tight until dawn.”

“For this is what we do. Put one foot forward and then the other. Lift our eyes to the snarl and smile of the world once more. Think. Act. Feel. Add our little consequence to the tides of good and evil that flood and drain the world. Drag our shadowed crosses into the hope of another night. Push our brave hearts into the promise of a new day. With love: the passionate search for truth other than our own. With longing: the pure, ineffable yearning to be saved. For so long as fate keeps waiting, we live on. God help us. God forgive us. We live on.”

- Gregory David Roberts, “Shantaram”

o

“Shantaram”

by Gregory David Roberts

“Crime and punishment, passion and loyalty, betrayal and redemption are only a few of the ingredients in “Shantaram,” a massive, over-the-top, mostly autobiographical novel. Shantaram is the name given Mr. Lindsay, or Linbaba, the larger-than-life hero. It means “man of God’s peace,” which is what the Indian people know of Lin. What they do not know is that prior to his arrival in Bombay he escaped from an Australian prison where he had begun serving a 19-year sentence. He served two years and leaped over the wall. He was imprisoned for a string of armed robberies performed to support his heroin addiction, which started when his marriage fell apart and he lost custody of his daughter. All of that is enough for several lifetimes, but for Greg Roberts, that’s only the beginning.

He arrives in Bombay with little money, an assumed name, false papers, an untellable past, and no plans for the future. Fortunately, he meets Prabaker right away, a sweet, smiling man who is a street guide. He takes to Lin immediately, eventually introducing him to his home village, where they end up living for six months. When they return to Bombay, they take up residence in a sprawling illegal slum of 25,000 people and Linbaba becomes the resident “doctor.” With a prison knowledge of first aid and whatever medicines he can cadge from doing trades with the local Mafia, he sets up a practice and is regarded as heaven-sent by these poor people who have nothing but illness, rat bites, dysentery, and anemia. He also meets Karla, an enigmatic Swiss-American woman, with whom he falls in love. Theirs is a complicated relationship, and Karla’s connections are murky from the outset.

Roberts is not reluctant to wax poetic; in fact, some of his prose is downright embarrassing. Throughout the novel, however, all 944 pages of it, every single sentence rings true. He is a tough guy with a tender heart, one capable of what is judged criminal behavior, but a basically decent, intelligent man who would never intentionally hurt anyone, especially anyone he knew. He is a magnet for trouble, a soldier of fortune, a picaresque hero: the rascal who lives by his wits in a corrupt society. His story is irresistible. Stay tuned for the prequel and the sequel.”

– Valerie Ryan

Freely read “Shantaram” online, by Gregory David Roberts, here:

- https://www.readanybook.com/online/565858

There is a download option for registered users.

The Universe

 

"On The Meridian Of Time..."

“On the meridian of time there is no injustice: there is only the poetry of motion creating the illusion of truth and drama. If at any moment anywhere one comes face to face with the absolute, that great sympathy which makes men like Gautama and Jesus seem divine freezes away; the monstrous thing is not that men have created roses out of this dung heap, but that, for some reason or other, they should want roses. For some reason or other man looks for the miracle, and to accomplish it he will wade through blood. He will debauch himself with ideas, he will reduce himself to a shadow if for only one second of his life he can close his eyes to the hideousness of reality. Everything is endured – disgrace, humiliation, poverty, war, crime, ennui – in the belief that overnight something will occur, a miracle, which will render life tolerable.”

- Henry Miller

o

“In the time of your life, live - so that in that good time there shall be no ugliness or death for yourself or for any life your life touches. Seek goodness everywhere, and when it is found, bring it out of its hiding place and let it be free and unashamed.

Place in matter and in flesh the least of the values, for these are the things that hold death and must pass away. Discover in all things that which shines and is beyond corruption. Encourage virtue in whatever heart it may have been driven into secrecy and sorrow by the shame and terror of the world. Ignore the obvious, for it is unworthy of the clear eye and the kindly heart.

Be the inferior of no man, or of any men be superior. Remember that every man is a variation of yourself. No man's guilt is not yours, nor is any man's innocence a thing apart. Despise evil and ungodliness, but not men of ungodliness or evil. These, understand. Have no shame in being kindly and gentle but if the time comes in the time of your life to kill, kill and have no regret.

In the time of your life, live - so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it.”

- William Saroyan,

"The Time of Your Life" (1939)

The Daily "Near You?"

Ellijay, Georgia, USA. Thanks for stopping by!

"Russia Victory Day Parade 2025: Red Square Echoes With Foreign Boots, West Watches in Disbelief

Full screen recommended.

Times Now World, 5/9/25

"Russia Victory Day Parade 2025: 

Red Square Echoes With Foreign Boots, West Watches in Disbelief!"

"In a powerful display of unity, foreign troops from 13 nations marched through Red Square alongside Russian forces during the 2025 Victory Day Parade. As Moscow showcased global military support, the West watched in silence - its isolation campaign in ruins."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

o

Full screen recommended.

Times Of India, 5/9/25

"Russia Flaunts 'Weapons Of War' At V-Day Parade:

 T-34 Tanks, S-400, Artillery, Drones & Jets "

Slava Russia!

"Fear, Shame And Intimidation Are Chemical Weapons"

"Fear, Shame And Intimidation Are Chemical Weapons"

Paul Rosenberg

"I rather hate to do this, but these first two paragraphs seem the best way to make this very important point. Apologies.

Imagine that some combination of circumstances end with you walking into a so-so bar, then accidentally causing some gigantic brute to spill his drink. Imagine also that this brute just learned that his girlfriend moved out, taking his money with her. The brute, towering over you, clenches his fists and start spewing threats. Your knees go weak, you can barely think or move… you try to back up but do it so clumsily that you’re grasping the edge of the bar to prevent yourself from falling. The brute hasn’t touched you, but you’ve already been seriously impacted. This happened because of well-known and well-studied chemicals… the chemicals now surging through your body.

So, wasn’t this fear a chemical weapon? It was, in fact, the bully’s first blow. The chemicals in question were generated by your own body, but they are chemicals just the same. Fear, then, is a chemical weapon. So are intimidation and shame. As are their cousins, guilt, blame, and probably a few others, depending upon how we write our definitions.

Robert Sapolsky, who studied the chemicals involved (he studied baboons, but their body chemistry and ours are nearly the same), finding that these “chemical weapons” resulted in more stress, higher blood pressure, a suppressed immune system, and reduced fertility. They are, then, potent weapons.

Our Unfortunate Biology: For both better and worse, we have a biological history. On one hand, that biological history has kept our species present and thriving, and so our complaints, however legitimate, are mitigated. On the other hand, our hormones, after who knows how many generations, have been trained to respond to things like authority and group identity. As a result they can release some very unpleasant and harmful chemicals into our bodies at certain times. And that’s something the manipulators of mankind have learned to use.

Our hormonal responses are not necessarily overwhelming, but they do have their effects… poisonous effects. By triggering fear, shame or intimidation (and the boundaries between them can be fuzzy), our hormones are triggered as well. And these hormones do more than just spur some of our thoughts and actions, they directly damage our health. And, by the way, people display higher IQs and do far better in executive control tests when they are feeling less rather than more intimidated. These chemical weapons make us dumber.

Western Guilt: We Westerners are especially susceptible to some of these influences because of our cultural traditions. These particular characteristics leave us vulnerable to guilt. As a result, we’ve developed political classes that are devoted to finding fault, assigning blame, and then offering paths to absolution that serve their private goals. In other words, our civilization has been attacked with the chemical weapons of intimidation and shame, purposely and at great length. Political types, especially, thrive upon assigning shame. It has worked very effectively for them, time after time after time.

Nonetheless, our hormones, however long trained, can be managed. Prize fighters, football players and other repeated participants in violent activities learn how to manage these chemical attacks. And so, we who are subjected to endless chemical attacks both large and small, must learn to manage our responses. We must train ourselves to not respond to them.

We can consider facts, then repair and improve our actions if they were harmful, but merely feeling these weaponized chemicals is not to be taken as any sort of verdict. In most cases it’s a hijacking of our internal chemistry, by and for professional abusers. In point of fact, billions of dollars are spent every year, precisely to take advantage of our unfortunate biological history. And so I say again, we must train ourselves not to be moved by those chemical weapons… and particularly not to respond to guilt. It’s time for us to recognize this and get past it."

- freemansperspective.com

Please continue, Paul, exactly how do we do this?

Judge Napolitano, "INTEL Roundtable w/Johnson & McGovern: Weekly Wrap 9-May"

 - Judging Freedom, 5/9/25

 "INTEL Roundtable w/Johnson & McGovern: 

Weekly Wrap 9-May"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Bill Bonner ,"Make the Desert Bloom"

Wetlands along the Calchaqui Valley

"Make the Desert Bloom"

by Bill Bonner

From the ranch at Gualfin, Salta Province - "Today, we take time out of our regular program - in which we try to understand the Primary Trend in all its guises and glory - and explain what we are doing here. We have long-lasting relationships with four different countries. In each place, attitudes and customs are different. It takes a long time to get to know them; sometimes, you never do.

When we attended the recent funeral of one of our workers, for example, we noticed that there was a separate, very private gathering…to which we weren’t invited. Apart from the larger gathering of mourners, a group performed an ancient ceremony. The man’s dog was killed and laid out with a miniature saddle with reins and stirrups. Upon him was placed a doll – a manuca – meant to represent the dead cowboy. They were placed in a shallow hole near the house, and covered with dirt.

Our routine here is to take our place in the office in the morning - looking out on hundreds of acres of alfalfa...and watch the farm come alive. The sun hits the peak of the mountain on the other side of the river...and then creeps down, gradually lighting up the whole valley.

Along the bottom of the alfalfa field, two figures with shovels on their shoulders and rubber boots make their way along the canal. They are called locally ‘regadores’ - irrigators, who direct the streams of water so that the whole field is covered and every plant gets a drink. The grass feeds the cattle. It must be watered...baled...stored...and moved.

Up the driveway, around 8 am, comes a tractor, driven by the ‘tractorista’, nicknamed ‘Ojito.’ He stirs up dust on the farm road behind him as he drives over to a nearby hill where the ‘rollos’ of hay are stored. He backs the big, old tractor into a bale. The spikes mounted on the back of the tractor pierce the bale. Then, it is lifted and carried out to the corral on the other side of the road. There, the calves, recently weaned, and now being fattened for sale, turn their attention to the coming roll of dry alfalfa.

Farther down the hill, new workers appear...walking alone, or in small groups. They are the ‘socios’ (partners) of the farm. They work fields on their own...raising onions and peppers, mostly. We supply the land, the equipment...and marketing. They do the hand work. We split the revenue.

Up the hill too rides a young man with a big sombrero. Lazaro wears chaps and leather boots. He is a gaucho...a cowboy...in charge of the horses. It is he who drives the cattle from the pens to the fields...and to the corrals.

By this time, the ranch is fully in motion and Inez, a pretty, trim woman, the wife our ‘capataz’ (foreman) always on time, always neat and orderly, has called us to breakfast.

“The eye of the owner fattens the cattle,” say the locals. Fortunately, it’s not our eye! A son-in-law has taken up the challenge. He leaves early in the morning...visiting the ‘capataz’ and reviewing the day’s work plans. He coordinates schedules and supplies...he checks the humidity in the alfalfa before it is baled (it cannot be too moist or too dry)...he checks the calves...and negotiates with buyers. Comfortable in our office, we start a fire and warm our coffee as we work on our computer. Now someone else has the responsibility of ‘running’ the farms. We just come to enjoy them.

Every place has its own rhythms, patterns, and troubles. Here in Salta province, Argentina, we are in a constant battle with nature...and man, too. Nature brings us droughts...wind...pests...hot days and cold nights. It is a challenge to keep up with them. In theory, you bring in more sophisticated technology to master them. Tractors to plant and reap. Pumps bring up the water. Balers, harvesters, diggers - all the fruits of the industrial revolution are here. They are designed to help mankind get more out of every hour of work.

When we arrived in 2006, there were no farm machines with internal combustion engines on the place. The main source of power was an aged Percheron horse...who, knowing his work was done, died soon after we bought a tractor. Then, we added more and more machines. A backhoe, for example, was a major step forward. The local priest came to sprinkle holy water on it...as we all believed it would be a boon to everyone on the farm. Productivity soared, just as the textbooks said it would.

But gone was the quiet bucolia...and the lovely rusticity. In one pasture up in the hills, for example, the Percheron used to pull a hay cutter next to a bubbling stream. Clickety, clackety...clickety, clackety. Then, the workers raked it up by hand...and piled it onto an old-fashioned haystack. A more beautiful scene could scarcely be imagined. When we first saw it, we lay down on the haystack and imagined that we were in another century.

The tractor-powered machinery makes different sounds...and comes with problems of its own. Sand dulls the gears. Dust clogs the filters. The bright sun cracks the hoses. A mechanic spends all of his time keeping the machines running. But he needs parts that must come - most often - from abroad. They are expensive...and sophisticated. New tools, equipment and skills are needed. So, technology becomes another problem. Another challenge! More to think about...to worry about...more to spend money on.

As for man, he is a challenge too. When we arrived in the Calchaqui Valley we expected to be greeted warmly...almost as saviors. We were coming with new energy, new hope, new machinery...and new money...to make the desert bloom. The reception was friendly...but reserved. Then, after a few years, many of the locals became hostile. They had been told that foreigners were oppressors...just the latest generation of white colonialists and imperialists who had first invaded in the 16th century. They believed they were the rightful owners of the land, not us…that it had been given to them by their ancestral gods and was theirs forever.

In this fantasy, they were aided by a law, unwisely adopted by the legislature in far-away Buenos Aires. It gave special rights to ‘indigenous peoples’ living in a traditional way on their traditional lands. Who was an ‘indigenous person?’

It was left open. And soon, like Americans who believed they could determine their own ‘gender,’ many of the locals decided to become ‘indigenous.’ One of the chief’s fathers was German. Others had pick-up trucks and passports. In a next-door valley, a vast farm was practically abandoned after an ex-wife claimed ownership...because she claimed to be an ‘Originario.’ With no clarification, it looked as though anybody could claim to be an indigenous person and assert ownership over whatever land he wanted. Which is just what happened.

Houses were squatted...or new ones built on someone else’s property. Originario cattle grazed on adjacent land. And nothing could be done about it. On our ranch, at least two unwelcome houses were built. A local judge issued a ‘stop work’ order. But they kept building...and now the houses are occupied. And our fields are grazed by goats, sheep, llama and cattle that are not our own.

Self-proclaimed ‘originarios’ burned down a couple of our remote cabins and tore up a water line to the corral. They had used these things more than we did - since they keep their cows on our property. But they were making a point - that they could do whatever they wanted. But comes the good news. Now, maybe, they can’t.

“Milei has changed the law,” a neighbor told us. “They got rid of that open-ended provision that allowed them to take our land.” “Now, there’s no longer any doubt about who the owner is. And I’m tempted to try to get the troublemakers off my farm. But I’m not sure the courts will go along. They’re very political down here. Besides... they’re not bad people. They’re actually good people. They just got some pretty stupid ideas. I just hope the Originario War is over.”

We don’t know if it’s over. But there at least seems to be a truce. But Dear Readers might be wondering why we bother to fight at all. After all, the ranch is not profitable. It’s a money loser. We’d save money if we simply raised our hands, and surrendered the title to the Originarios.

“That would be a dirty trick,” said the friend. “It would quickly dry up. All the big farms in the valley are losing money. You wonder why anyone holds onto them. You can make a very poor living by cultivating a small patch. Like the Originarios do. A little corn. A few goats. And dozens of cattle somewhere up in the mountains. They get by...but just barely. Running a big operation just doesn’t work. We’re too far from the markets. Our costs are too high. We have to irrigate in order to feed the cattle. Other places have rain.”

So why are we here? When we were still in our 20s we got the idea that we would like to see how people in other countries lived. This was not a desire to visit, but to live there. To dig in. To find out what it was really like. We borrowed money and launched a magazine - International Living - many years before we had ever lived overseas. Thus began a career in publishing...and a half a century of living internationally.

It takes about ten years in a place before you really understand ‘how it works.’ And by then, you’re no longer a visitor. You’re part of the place. And it is part of you. That’s why we are still in Argentina. France. And Ireland. We live in all three places...as well as the US. And returning to each place, we find old friends, old shoes, familiar houses...and unsolved problems.

We are here - at least for now - for better or worse. Like a love affair, it began as an adventure. But it has become more like a marriage. We know how it started. We want to see how it will turn out."

- https://www.bonnerprivateresearch.com/

"How It Really Is"

 

Adventures With Danno, "Massive Price Increases At Aldi"

Full screen recommended.

Adventures With Danno, AM 5/9/25

"Massive Price Increases At Aldi"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Gregory Mannarino, "Crash? Goldman Sachs Warns On The Stock Market"

Gregory Mannarino, AM 5/9/25

"Crash? Goldman Sachs Warns On The Stock Market"

- https://traderschoice.net/

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Dan, I Allegedly, "Proof It’s Falling Apart - What They’re Not Telling You"

Full screen recommended.

Dan, I Allegedly, 5/9/25

"Proof It’s Falling Apart - 

What They’re Not Telling You"

"Business bankruptcy is surging, and no one’s talking about it! In today’s video, I break down why personal and business bankruptcies are climbing at shocking rates, with filings up over 16%! From big-name collapses like Joann Fabrics and Weight Watchers to the struggles of small businesses navigating economic challenges, this is a wake-up call for everyone. Are businesses and consumers heading for a financial breaking point? Let’s talk about the numbers, the stories, and what it means for you. I also share insights on the global shipping slowdown, controversial HOA battles, and the chaos in the auto and EV markets. Plus, why the rise of GLP-1 weight loss drugs is shaking up industries like never before. Buckle up because this video is packed with important stats, real-life stories, and a dose of humor."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Jim Kunstler, "Going Around... Coming Back Around"

The Statue to Universal Strong Black Womanhood, 

Times Square, New York

"Going Around... Coming Back Around"

by Jim Kunstler

"I hope Ed Martin’s 1st assignment at DOJ is to 

investigate Thom Tillis’ corruption."

- Rogan O'Handley (aka' DC Draino' on X)

"The funny part is that this swarm of Jacobin botflies from Norm Eisen to Sen. Thom Tillis thought (and acted) as if Ed Martin was the only MAGA lawyer capable of uncovering the steaming pile of seditious poo festering, lo these many years, in the DC federal district (i.e., the Swamp). Like, get rid of Ed and our troubles are over. Really? Don’t you suppose that there are dozens of other capable, patriotic, seasoned lawyers, seething over the corruption that is Swamp crime, who can effectively occupy the office of US Attorney for the District of Columbia.

The second funniest part is apparently the Jacobins thought that Ed Martin would just skulk off into the gloaming like a whipped dog and be gone — when, in fact, Mr. Trump folded him at once into three jobs in the Department of Justice that don’t require confirmation by the Senate, and will allow him to attend to exactly the same set of grave problems afflicting this republic from a position of power. Mr. Martin will now serve as Director of the DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group, Associate Deputy Attorney General, and Pardon Attorney reviewing the legitimacy of “Joe Biden’s” auto-pen signing of important documents - meaning, he’ll have the power to bring cases on his own and make criminal referrals to the US Attorney for DC.

You must also imagine that in his 100-plus days as Interim US Attorney for DC, Mr. Martin assembled quite a portfolio of evidence around the manifold blob wrong-doings of the past decade, but especially the treachery of the J-6 / 2021 blob operation at the US Capitol, and the ensuing cover-up of all that, including the intel community’s role in it, the perfidy and perjuries of Chris Wray, Merrick Garland, Nancy Pelosi and others, and the gong show of lies and villainy that was the House J-6 committee chaired by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), (with remedial support from Adam Schiff, Liz Cheney, Jamie Raskin, (and, backstage as always, lawfare ninjas Norm Eisen, Mary McCord, Marc Elias, Ben Wittes, and Andrew Weissmann).

On the ostensible defeat of Ed Martin’s nomination, the president instantly turned around and installed Jeanine Pirro as Interim US Attorney for DC. Before retiring into a career as a TV talking head, Ms. Pirro was a Westchester County, New York, judge, and then elected District Attorney, so she knows how to work criminal cases. The interim appointment runs 120 days. In theory, Mr. Trump can appoint a new Interim US Attorney every 120 days, and keep rotating them until the cows come home - each successive one with the same support staff of assistant US attorneys underneath, the same cases ongoing, and the same trove of evidence catalogued.

All of which is to say, the blob officials and lawfare stormtroopers are mistaken to think that their ongoing circus of legalistic monkey business has somehow gained immunity from appraisal, investigation, and prosecution by de-railing Ed Martin. The cases themselves are bigger than any one particular US attorney and have a momentum of their own as the nation struggles to overcome the organized assault on the law itself that lawfare represents.

For instance, the case just opened against New York Attorney General Letitia James, who campaigned for office on the express promise to get Donald Trump on... something...  anything! Which she did... bringing a bogus case against him in 2024 for allegedly mis-stating the value of his property collateral in a loan negotiation with Deutsche Bank. Of course, the bank did its own due diligence, which is standard practice, and the deal was concluded to the satisfaction of both parties, meaning no complaint of fraud was ever lodged by a plaintiff.

Instead, AG James cooked up a cockamamie narrative to launch the Deutsche Bank case. It was in every sense a malicious and false prosecution. Judge Arthur Engoron behaved maliciously and improperly throughout the trial, and leveled an absurd half-billion-dollar judgment on the guilty verdict. AG “Tish” James sat in the courtroom smirking at the proceedings for the benefit of the TV cameras. The spectacle was obscene and unjust. It may yet be overturned by a higher New York State court. The decision is expected imminently.

So, now, Letitia James herself is under formal investigation, prompted by a referral to the DOJ from the Federal Housing Authority. It alleges a series of mortgage frauds - oh, really? That? Among the allegations: she declared a home in Virginia as her principal residence, meaning she would have to vacate her post as New York AG. The other charges could send her to prison. The evidence is lodged in signed contracts and documents already made public. Doesn’t look good for Tish, despite the fact that unknown persons recently erected a statue of her in Times Square, pictured above.

For years now, the hustles and hoaxes have seemed never-ending. I know it is more than a little tiresome to point out that nobody has gone to jail, or even to court, over any of this since 2017. Looks like that lucky streak is coming to an end. Tish is just the beginning of a new trend. And the action will be moving from turbid backwater of New York State to the main Okefenokee-on-the-Potomac."

- https://www.kunstler.com/

"WTF Alert! War Exploding! 125 Planes! Trading Halted! Cellphones Down In Russia! Iran Nukes!"

Canadian Prepper, 5/8/25

"WTF Alert! War Exploding! 125 Planes! 

Trading Halted! Cellphones Down In Russia! Iran Nukes!"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Russia Victory Day Parade, Military Might On Display"

Full screen recommended.

Hindustan Times, 5/8/25

"Russia Victory Day Parade, Military Might On Display"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Slava Russia!"