2002, “Even Now”
So, we rise from the rubble...
StatCounter
Thursday, July 3, 2025
"A Look to the Heavens"
"Slide your telescope just east of the Lagoon Nebula to find this alluring field of view in the rich starfields of the constellation Sagittarius toward the central Milky Way. Of course the Lagoon nebula is also known as M8, the eighth object listed in Charles Messier's famous catalog of bright nebulae and star clusters.
Click image for larger size.
Close on the sky but slightly fainter than M8, this complex of nebulae was left out of Messier's list though. It contains obscuring dust, striking red emission and blue reflection nebulae of star-forming region NGC 6559 at right. Like M8, NGC 6559 is located about 5,000 light-years away along the edge of a large molecular cloud. At that distance, this telescopic frame nearly 3 full moons wide would span about 130 light-years."
"The Pale Blue Dot - Where We Make Our Stand"
Full screen recommended.
"The Pale Blue Dot -
Where We Make Our Stand"
by Carl Sagan
"The civilization now in jeopardy is all humanity. As the ancient myth makers knew, we are children equally of the earth and sky. In our tenure on this planet, we have accumulated dangerous, evolutionary baggage propensities for aggression and ritual, submission to leaders, hostility to outsiders, all of which puts our survival in some doubt. We have also acquired compassion for others, love for our children, a desire to learn from history and experience, and a great, soaring passionate intelligence, the clear tools for our continued survival and prosperity.
Which aspects of our nature will prevail is uncertain, particularly when our visions and prospects are bound to one small part of the small planet earth. But up and in the cosmos, an inescapable perspective awaits. National boundaries are not evidenced when we view the earth from space. Fanatic ethnic or religious or national identifications are a little difficult to support when we see our planet as a fragile, blue crescent fading to become an inconspicuous point of light against the bastion and citadel of the stars.
There are not yet obvious signs of extraterrestrial intelligence, and this makes us wonder whether civilizations like ours rush inevitably into self-destruction. I dream about it... and sometimes they are bad dreams."
o
"Carl Sagan was a brilliant scientist, gifted orator, skilled teacher, and effective advocate for his strongly held beliefs. It is no exaggeration to say that Sagan is likely responsible for inspiring more people to pursue a career in the sciences than any other person in history. His 13-part television documentary "Cosmos: A Personal Journey", which first premiered on PBS in 1980 and is still stunningly well-worth watching to this day, is widely regarded as one of the best science-themed series ever produced. Sagan knew how to turn a phrase to enchant an audience and routinely did so with a level of passion and charisma that cannot be faked."
The Poet: Theodore Roethke, "In a Dark Time"
"In a Dark Time"
"In a dark time, the eye begins to see,
I meet my shadow in the deepening shade;
I hear my echo in the echoing wood -
A lord of nature weeping to a tree.
I live between the heron and the wren,
Beasts of the hill and serpents of the den.
What’s madness but nobility of soul
At odds with circumstance? The day’s on fire!
I know the purity of pure despair,
My shadow pinned against a sweating wall.
That place among the rocks - is it a cave,
Or winding path? The edge is what I have.
A steady storm of correspondences!
A night flowing with birds, a ragged moon,
And in broad day the midnight come again!
A man goes far to find out what he is -
Death of the self in a long, tearless night,
All natural shapes blazing unnatural light.
Dark, dark my light, and darker my desire.
My soul, like some heat-maddened summer fly,
Keeps buzzing at the sill. Which I is I?
A fallen man, I climb out of my fear.
The mind enters itself, and God the mind,
And one is One, free in the tearing wind."
- Theodore Roethke
Judge Napolitano, "INTEL Roundtable w/Johnson & Ritter (for McGovern this week) 3 July"
Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom, 7/3/25
"INTEL Roundtable w/Johnson & Ritter
(for McGovern this week) 3 July"
Comments here:
"Israel Freaks Out As China Pulls A Surprise In Iran, Even Russia Shocked!"
Full screen recommended.
OpenmindedThinker Show, 7/3/25
"Israel Freaks Out As China Pulls A Surprise In Iran,
Even Russia Shocked!"
"The war on Iran, initially expected to be a short, intense conflict backed by overwhelming U.S. firepower, was meant to crush Iran's nuclear ambitions once and for all. But what was predicted to be a quick victory has now turned into a looming, far more dangerous escalation. Iran is standing strong, and their military defenses are stronger than ever. With air defense systems being upgraded and Mossad sleeper cells purged, Tehran is preparing for what could be an extended conflict.
But the real game-changer? China has entered the fray in a move that’s sending shockwaves through Tel Aviv and Washington. The Chinese have fast-tracked Iran's integration into their BeiDou satellite navigation system, giving Tehran unprecedented accuracy in targeting and defense, while neutralizing Western jamming efforts. But it doesn't stop there - reports are circulating that China is sending over 50 fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighter jets to Iran, a move that could shift the balance of air power in the region and threaten Israel’s dominance in the skies.
In this video, we break down the implications of China’s strategic shift, how the BeiDou transition is shaking up military dynamics, and what it means for the future of conflict in the Middle East. Will China’s involvement mark the beginning of a new axis of power in the region? Could this be the end of U.S. and Israeli air superiority?"
Comments here:
A shocking FAFO surprise for Israel and the U.S. to consider...
"Scott Ritter: The Risk Of New War With Iran; 'Bunker Buster Act'"
Gerald Celente, 7/3/25
"Scott Ritter: The Risk Of New War With Iran;
'Bunker Buster Act'"
"Scott Ritter, the former UN weapons inspector, talks to The Trends Journal about the future of Iran’s nuclear program and the risks. He also discusses the Bunker Buster Act, which is framed as a “bipartisan” bill backed by Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y."
Comments here:
"That 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.
"Steve Jobs: A Billionaire's Last Words"
"Steve Jobs: A Billionaire's Last Words"
by Ella D. Tran
"On his deathbed at the age of 56 from pancreatic cancer Steve Jobs said this... "I have reached the pinnacle of success in business. In the eyes of others, my life is the epitome of success. However, apart from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is just a fact of life that I am accustomed to.
At this moment, lying on my sick bed and looking back on my entire life, I realize that all the praise and riches I was so proud of have faded and become insignificant in the face of impending death.
You can hire someone to drive the car for you, make money for you, but you can't have someone carry the disease for you. Lost material things can be found. But there is one thing you can never find when you lose "Life".
When a person enters the operating room, he or she will realize that there is a book that he or she has not yet finished reading: “The Book of Healthy Living.” Whatever stage of life we are in at the moment, we will eventually face the day when the curtain falls. Feel affection, love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends... Treat yourself well. Appreciate others.
As we grow older and therefore wiser, we gradually realize that wearing a $300 watch or a $30 watch both tell the same time...Whether we carry a $300 wallet or a $30 wallet, the amount of money inside is the same; Whether you drive a $150,000 car or a $30,000 car, the road and distance are the same and you arrive at the same destination. Whether you drink a $300 bottle of wine or a $10 bottle, the hangover is the same; whether the house we live in is 300 square meters or 3000 square meters, the loneliness is the same.
You will realize that your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. Whether you fly first class or economy, if the plane goes down, it goes down with it…
So… I hope you realize, when you have companions, friends and old friends, brothers and sisters, with whom you chat, laugh, talk, sing, talk about north-south-east-west or about heaven and earth. Enjoy life and don't obsess over material things." He was silent for several minutes, then uttered his final words, "Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Oh, wow..."
“Hustled Through Life”
“Hustled Through Life”
by Paul Rosenberg
“Most people, sad to say, are too rushed, frightened, and confused to think about what they really want out of life. They are hustled through school, forced into long-term decisions before they’re ready to face them, then held to those decisions by fear and shame. They choose from a limited set of options, and they know that change will be punished. Eventually they get old and find time to think, but by then they can’t bear to question too deeply; that would jeopardize their self-worth, and they haven’t time to rebuild it.
For an intelligent, creative, and expansive species like ours, this rush to nowhere is among the greatest of evils. And yet it continues, mostly unquestioned. At no point in the usual Western life do we stop, take some serious time for ourselves, and think about the overall:
• What’s life about anyway? What’s the point of what we do?
• What’s the purpose of a career? Why should I care about it above everything else?
• Why should I glorify the existing system? Why should I agree to support it?
• Who paid for everything I learned in school?
• Should I have a family? If so, why? If not, why not?
• What do I think is fun? Does it really coincide with the beer ads on TV?
• What’s the purpose of being like everyone else? Why am I so afraid to be different?
We don’t address such questions. Rather, we’re pushed past them. Even in a church or synagogue – places where larger questions are supposed to be addressed – the person in the pulpit wants us to become and/or remain a member of the congregation; their job depends upon it. There are true ministers and rabbis, but for most it’s all too easy to push their audience into what’s convenient. As a result, we see little motivation in the modern West, save for the basest of motivators: things that match a line from the Bible that says, “Whose god is their belly.”
Mind you, I’m not against wealth, good food, or sex. I think those are fine things. They are not, however, the whole of life. We are much bigger than that. We ought not be limited to belly-level aspirations. But when we’re rushed, that’s all we’re able to see.
Status and Fear: The two big motivators we face in this rush through life – fear and status – are both negative. Fear is a manipulation technology; people who make you afraid are hacking your mind. They want you to ignore reason and obey them fast. I wish I could cover this in depth here, but we haven’t space. When we’re afraid, we make our worst choices. Put plainly, fear makes us stupid. But we encounter it on a daily basis… and it destroys us by inches.
Status is the compulsion to compare ourselves with others, and whether we’re looking for the ways we’re better than others or looking for our shortcomings, it is deeply destructive. It’s also irrational, but the advertising business would crash without it and advertisers currently own the collective eyeballs of humanity.
Fear and status are, in a broad sense, drugs, and if you had a choice between smoking pot every day or being on fear and status every day, I’d definitely recommend the pot.
Confusion: Let’s be clear on something: Nearly every adult in the West will agree that politicians are liars and thieves… and yet they obey them without question. Is there any possibility we’d do such things if we weren’t harried and confused? When we are confused, we pass over our own minds and their deliberations. There’s an old joke: “Who are you gonna believe, me or your lyin’ eyes?” But that’s precisely what confusion does to us, and under the pressures of confusion and authority, most people will ignore their own eyes.
Such things do not happen to people who are calm and confident. But the existing hierarchies of the West couldn’t function with a calm and confident populace; their operations require people to be frightened, confused, and blindly chasing status.
As a Result… As a result, most of us hurry through life, never knowing why. We live as others do, simply because that path is streamlined for us, exposing us to a minimal level of fear and shame. But that path does something else: It keeps us from experiencing ourselves. Seldom has this problem been put more succinctly than in this quote from Albert Einstein: “Small is the number of them who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.”
Stop following the crowd. Turn your back on the popular script. Stop feeding at the same trough as everyone else. Break away and learn to see with your own eyes, to feel with your own heart. Don’t conform. Let people criticize you. Decide for yourself what your life will be about. Make it matter.”
"A Great Madness Sweeps The Land"
"A Great Madness Sweeps The Land"
by Charles Hugh Smith
‘In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups,
parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.’
- Friedrich Nietzsche
"A great madness sweeps the land. There are no limits on extremes in greed, credulity, convictions, inequality, bombast, recklessness, fraud, corruption, arrogance, hubris, pride, over-reach, self-righteousness and confidence in the rightness of one's opinions. Extremes only become more extreme even as the folly of previous extremes wearies rationality.
Imaginary sins are conjured out of thin air to convict the innocent while those guilty of the most egregious fraud and corruption are lauded as saviors.
The national mood is aggrieved and bitter. The luxuries of self-righteousness, indignation, entitlement and resentment have impoverished the national spirit. Bankrupted by these excesses, what little treasure remains is squandered on plots of petty revenge.
Blindness to the late hour is cheered as optimism, confidence in the false gods of technology is sanctified while doubters of the technocratic theocracy are crucified as irredeemable infidels.
Witch-hunts and show trials are the order of the day as those who cannot stomach the party line are obsessively purged, as healthy skepticism is condemned as a mortal sin by brittle true believers who secretly fear the failure of their cult.
Mired in a putrid sewer of suspected subversion and disloyalty to The One True Cause, heretics are everywhere to those caught up in the mass hysteria. In this choking atmosphere of toxic hubris, self-righteousness, indignation, entitlement and resentment, humility is for losers, prudence is for losers, caution is for losers, skeptical inquiry is for losers.
Completely untethered from cause and effect, those confident in the inevitability of a glorious future of unlimited expansion cling to past glory as proof of future glory, even as their hubris leads only to a treacherous path of decay and decline. As they stumble into the abyss, their final cries are of surprise that confidence alone is not enough.
Those who see the madness for what it is have only one escape: go to ground, fade from public view, become self-reliant and weather the coming storm in the nooks and crannies where cause and effect, skeptical inquiry, humility, prudence and thrift can still be nurtured."
o
"Something Just Broke"
"Something Just Broke: U.S. Employment Tanked In June, 744,308 Job
Cuts Have Been Announced So Far This Year, And Retail Layoffs Are Up 255%"
By Michael Snyder
"What in the world just happened to the job market? The unexpectedly bad numbers that have just come in have truly been a shock to many of us. Yes, we knew that conditions were getting worse during the early stages of this year. In fact, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has publicly admitted that the labor market “deteriorated noticeably” during the first quarter of 2025. But now it is becoming clear that our economic slide is threatening to become an economic avalanche.
The U.S. economy needs to add approximately 150,000 jobs a month just to keep up with population growth. Unfortunately, the latest monthly report from ADP shows that the U.S. economy actually lost jobs last month. Private sector employment dropped by 33,000 in June, and that was the very first decline that we have witnessed since 2023…Private sector hiring shrunk dramatically last month in a worrying sign for the the US economy. Private payrolls shed 33,000 jobs in June, but analysts had expected them to add 100,000, the latest ADP figures revealed. The worrying data – the first decrease since 2023 – suggests the US economy could be a lot less resilient than investors have been hoping.
There is no way to spin this to make it look good. The labor market has gotten much tighter, and large companies all over the nation are trimming their payrolls right now. In particular, service jobs are being axed at a very alarming rate… The bulk of job losses came in service roles tied to professional and business services and health and education, according to ADP. Professional/business services notched a decline of 56,000, while health/education saw a net loss of 52,000. Financial activity roles also contributed to the month’s decline with a drop of 14,000 on balance.
Personally, I believe that the numbers that we get from ADP are far more accurate than the highly manipulated numbers that we get from the federal government. But I also believe that the most accurate picture of the labor market comes from the monthly report that is released by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. According to the latest report, U.S. employers announced a total of 744,308 job cuts during the first half of this year. The last time that we saw a larger figure was during the early days of the pandemic in 2020…
"Layoffs across the U.S. this year have climbed to their highest level since the pandemic slammed the economy in 2020, new labor data shows. In the first half of 2025, companies announced 744,308 job cuts nationwide, the highest tally since the first six months of 2020, when employers cut nearly 1.6 million jobs in response to COVID-related disruptions, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas."
In 2020, we could blame the lockdowns for the layoffs. But this time around, there are no lockdowns. Retailers are being hit particularly hard. According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, retail job cuts during the first half of 2025 were 255 percent higher than they were during the first half of 2024…"Retailers have eliminated nearly 80,000 jobs this year, up 255% from the first half of 2024. “Retailers are one of the hardest hit business sectors by tariffs, inflation and uncertainty,” Andrew Challenger, senior vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said in a statement. “If consumer spending continues to fall, it could mean more job losses in this industry.”
When I first started using the term “retail apocalypse”, a lot of people thought that I was exaggerating. Does anyone out there want to tell me that I am exaggerating now? Day after day, more big names go bankrupt. In fact, we just learned that Del Monte Foods has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy…
"Del Monte Foods kicked off efforts to pursue a sale as it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the US on Tuesday under an agreement with certain key lenders, the company said in a statement. The company has secured $912.5 million in financing to support itself through the proceedings, it said, adding that it intends to remain open and continue operations throughout the bankruptcy. The 139-year old company hosts names like canned fruits and vegetables brand Del Monte, College Inn, under which it sells broth and stocks, and tea brands like Joyba." I had no idea that they were in trouble.
Of course even companies that are thriving are making cutbacks right now. On Wednesday, Microsoft confirmed that it will be laying off approximately 9,000 more workers…"Microsoft is kicking off its fiscal year by laying off thousands of employees in the largest round of layoffs since 2023, the company confirmed Wednesday. In an ongoing effort to streamline its workforce, Microsoft said as much as 4%, or roughly 9,000, of the company’s employees could be affected by Wednesday’s layoffs.
This latest round of layoffs comes in the aftermath of a round of layoffs in May and a round of layoffs in June…Wednesday’s move follows two waves of layoffs in May and June, which saw Microsoft fire more than 6,000 employees, almost 2,300 of whom were based in Washington. During May’s round of layoffs, Microsoft emphasized that it wanted to flatten management layers. But data from Washington state showed only about 17% of the cuts in Redmond were designated as managers."
Why is Microsoft doing this? They are supposed to be one of our most successful companies. Speaking of successful tech companies, it is being reported that Amazon will be conducting “brutal workforce cuts”…"Amazon’s CEO has announced brutal workforce cuts as the company increases its use of Artificial Intelligence. Amazon boss Andy Jassy said he plans to reduce the company’s corporate workforce over the next few years as AI will make certain roles redundant. Jassy told employees in a note seen by the Wall Street Journal that AI was a once-in-a-lifetime technological advancement and it has already transformed how Amazon operates."
If our largest and most valuable companies are ruthlessly slashing workers, what does this say about our economy as a whole? Other corporate giants such as Google, UnitedHealthcare and Nissan are reducing workforce levels by offering buyouts to their employees…In the private sector, Google, UnitedHealthcare and Nissan, among others, have offered buyouts to U.S. workers this year. Buyouts can sound tempting. A five-figure severance package might be the most money a worker has ever seen in one paycheck. But it’s also the last paycheck your employer will give you. “It’s like lottery winners. Some people think the money lasts longer than it does,” said Donna Walton, wealth strategist at TD Wealth.
A couple of years ago, corporate America was engaged in a hiring frenzy. But now the environment has completely changed. We all need to brace ourselves for what is ahead, because it appears that things will get even more challenging during the months to come."
Dan, I Allegedly, "Revolutions Don’t Start in a Day - The Pain is Real!"
Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, AM 7/3/25
"Revolutions Don’t Start in a Day -
The Pain is Real!"
"The system feels rigged, and so many of us are struggling to make sense of it all. In today’s video on IAllegedly, I’m diving into the reality behind economic struggles, rising costs, and why it seems the rich just keep getting richer. From skyrocketing prices to job losses, I’m sharing personal stories, hard truths, and actionable advice on how to fight back and create your best life. Whether it’s working on yourself, finding new opportunities, or just staying resilient, there’s a path forward, and I’m here to help you see it."
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Adventures With Danno, "Shocking Prices At Kroger"
Full screen recommended.
Adventures With Danno, AM 7/3/25
"Shocking Prices At Kroger"
Comments here:
o
Adventures With Danno, PM 7/3/25
"Del Monte Is Likely Finished"
Comments here:
Bill Bonner, "In Defense of Real Numbers"
"In Defense of Real Numbers"
by Bill Bonner
"Half of all numbers are odd."
- Bill Bonner
Youghal, Ireland - "The news this morning. Bloomberg: "House Republican leaders struggled to find the final votes to advance Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending package, holding a key vote open for hours as the president and his allies worked to win them over but expressing confidence the legislation would eventually pass."
They’re counting the votes carefully. They need enough of them to pass the Big, Beautiful Budget Abomination (BBBA). But what kind of number is this? The number of votes in the House is specific, finite, and verifiable, like the number of fingers on your hand...or the number of dollars in your bank account. If you say you have five fingers, you can hold up your hand to prove it. You can count out your fingers one by one. You will have five. Not four. Not three. Not 5.2. Not more or less five. Not an average of five.
Precise and clear - real numbers are essential to our modern world. If a train is set to leave at 3:15...there is no point in arriving at the station at 4. If the scales show you have gained ten pounds you are not going to celebrate a weight loss...and if you’ve pulled the pin on a hand-grenade and held it for three seconds, it’s time to toss it.
These real numbers are the sacred language of a win-win economy. They allow us to quantify, measure, and compare everything from time to the price of tomatoes. But like model airplane glue in the hands of a teenager, they are completely inappropriate - a kind of secular blasphemy - when used by politicians and statisticians. They need different numbers...ones that stretch, that bend...that prevaricate, estimate, hesitate, gesticulate, tergiversate...They want numbers that wish and wash...that hum and fake it...numbers that shout lies, not those that calmly tell you the truth.
The numbers - unemployment, GDP, inflation etc. - that are used to set federal policies are not at all the same numbers used by aerospace engineers or coffee house clerks. Planes fly. Bridges stay where you put them. Water boils at 212 degrees fahrenheit. But the fed’s programs and proposals - full of fake numbers and decimals - rarely achieve anything close to their advertised goals.
Fake numbers lead to a phony economy, with fraudulent policies, chasing a mirage. At least...that’s our hypothesis. And our mission for today is to rally to the defense of real numbers; it’s not their fault! The feds should be banned from using them. For example, both political parties now promise ‘growth.’ And both parties intend to do it in the same three ways.
• First, spend more money.
• Second, change regulations to make it easier to “Get Sh*t Done.”
• Third, lower interest rates and taxes.
Republicans adopted the ‘supply side’ growth creed in the 1980s. Then Donald Trump tried to revive the magic of Reagan’s ‘Morning in America’ with his own supply side stimulus - a large tax cut. But since the ‘80s, growth rates have generally slipped. Donald Trump’s first term, for example, showed the slowest growth rates since the Great Depression. What did these numbers really mean? We’ll get to that.
Nor did cutting red tape or taxes noticeably increase growth rates. The Trump tax cuts are supposed to expire this year, but they are being extended...in order to boost GDP ‘growth.’ Unlike a proper group of rigid ‘5s’, and stiff ‘7s’, the feds’ growth numbers are slimy, slippery, and dangerous. Like a nest of vipers, it’s hard to tell where one misconception begins and another ends...any one of which might bite you.
GDP measures activity...not improvement, not betterment, not an increase in wealth. Government spending (including state and local) is around 30% of GDP. But we saw yesterday that any activity undertaken by government is likely to subtract wealth, not add to it. In order to add to wealth a product or service has to be something consumers are actually willing to pay for (which the feds don’t know...and don’t really care about). And the finished product has to be worth more than the sum of inputs that were required to produce it (which the feds can’t do).
Military spending, for example, may be occasionally necessary. But when the country faces no plausible adversaries...and no real risk to the homeland...what is it worth? If competition were allowed, a smart dude like Elon Musk might offer a bare-bones version of national defense for only a fraction of the price. Then, by permitting people to ‘vote with their wallets,’ we’d get a real number. But for now, we can only guess.
As we saw in California, the feds lack the discipline and motivation to hold down costs. Amtrak, the Post Office, public housing, defense - whatever ‘good’ they offer will most likely be grossly overpriced...and produced at a loss. It will lead to scarcity, not abundance...and not to MAGA. But it’s all included in GDP - every squirrelly number. Stay tuned...we’ll look more closely at how the BBBA will help GDP go up - and make us all poorer."
"The Next Shoe To Drop? It's Obvious. Think You're Ready For it? Think Again"
Gregory Mannarino, AM 7/3/25
"The Next Shoe To Drop? It's Obvious.
Think You're Ready For it? Think Again"
Comments here:
"I want to break this down, a slow-motion currency/credit default by proxy, in detail. Let’s start here. And please, as you read this think to yourself, is this happening right now?
I. Introduction: The Grand Illusion of Stability. The greatest collapse in monetary history is not a sudden implosion. It is a silent implosion hidden in plain sight. Governments and central banks around the world are orchestrating a slow-motion collapse, a controlled demolition of the currency and credit system under the illusion of economic growth and stability. The default is happening, not through missed payments or public declarations, but through policy decisions, market manipulation, and engineered inflation.
II. Currency Default by Inflation. What is a currency if not a promise? A promise of purchasing power. Currency is supposed to be a claim on future value and clearly… that promise has been broken. The Federal Reserve and its global counterparts, along with Globalist Politicians, have flooded their economies with printed money under the guise of stimulus, quantitative easing, and monetary accommodation. As a result, the very unit of measurement, the currency itself, is defaulting. Inflation has become the system, and it serves as the first proxy of default.
III. Credit Default through Systemic Fraud. The credit markets are rotting from the inside. Corporate zombies roam Wall Street, funded not by profits, but by perpetual debt rollovers at artificially suppressed interest rates. Banks hide non-performing loans behind accounting gimmicks. The “government” keeps the illusion alive through backdoor bailouts, liquidity injections, and manipulated data being put on public display via mainstream media outlets.
The real economy has long since defaulted. Small businesses are suffocating under rising costs and a consumer who’s purchasing power is being erased. Households are burdened by record-breaking levels of debt and skyrocketing defaults. The only thing keeping the machine running is borrowed time and printed money.
IV. Proxy Mechanisms of Collapse. This is not a traditional default. It is a default by proxy. Inflation is tax without consent, and currency debasement = the death of savings.
Negative Real Rates… I want to break this down as many people have a difficult time overstanding the concept of Negative Real Rates. Here’s how it works… let’s say a bond or savings account pays you 3% interest, but inflation is running at 5%. That means prices are rising faster than your money is growing, so even though you're getting paid interest, your purchasing power is shrinking. You “earn” 3%, but you’re really losing 2%. This Is negative real rates. Your money is being eroded by inflation. Negative real rates are a silent tax
used to destroy savers. You’re losing money… even while earning interest.
V. Why the Public Doesn't See It. The collapse is slow by design. It allows time for narratives to be spun, for blame to be reassigned, and for hope to be weaponized. Complexity serves as camouflage. Media saturation replaces truth with trivia. The people are distracted, divided, and drugged with convenience. Lions… even those who sense something is wrong can barely articulate it. They feel the pain but cannot name the source. This is the genius of a slow-motion default. It turns economic war into background noise.
VI. The Final Stage: Sudden Acceleration. Eventually the illusion cracks. A geopolitical crisis, a failed bond auction, a sudden loss of confidence, and the slow-motion collapse becomes freefall. The system must then reveal its next phase: blame the external enemy, reset the terms, centralize control, and offer a new "solution." That solution is already being prepared. A digital currency. A new financial regime. A biometric ID linked to creditworthiness. This is not recovery... it is enslavement dressed as salvation.
VII. Conclusion: Prepare Your Mind for What’s Already Happening. The default has already begun. The currency is being hollowed out. The credit system is a walking corpse. And the people are being nudged into a digital cage. To see it now is to prepare. To speak it now is to warn. To act now is to survive. The slow-motion default is not coming. It already is here."
- https://traderschoice.net/
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
"Alert: Iran Prepares For Imminent Attack! NATO Ramps Up War On Russia; Azerbaijan The Next Front"
Full screen recommended.
Prepper News, 7/2/25
"Alert: Iran Prepares For Imminent Attack!
NATO Ramps Up War On Russia; Azerbaijan The Next Front"
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Gerald Celente, "No 'Independence Day', The Government Robs Our Freedom"
Gerald Celente, 7/2/25
"No 'Independence Day',
The Government Robs Our Freedom"
"The Trends Journal is a weekly magazine analyzing global current events forming future trends. Our mission is to present facts and truth over fear and propaganda to help subscribers prepare for what’s next in these increasingly turbulent times."
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"This Is Goodbye, Just Bought A House In Alabama, I'm Leaving The California Cesspool"
Jeremiah Babe, 7/2/25
"This Is Goodbye, Just Bought A House In Alabama,
I'm Leaving The California Cesspool"
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"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."
"Breathtaking Landscapes For Ultimate Relaxation"
Full screen recommended.
8K Earth, "Breathtaking Landscapes For Ultimate Relaxation"
12K HDR 240fps Dolby Vision
"Experience the ultimate visual feast with our breathtaking video showcasing "Heaven on Earth" in stunning 12K resolution, HDR, and 240 frames per second, all enhanced with Dolby Vision technology. Transport yourself to a realm of unparalleled beauty and clarity. Don't miss out on this mesmerizing journey!"
Astonishingly beautiful...
"A Sad Fact..."
"A sad fact, of course, about adult life is that you see the very things you'll never adapt to coming toward you on the horizon. You see them as the problems they are, you worry like hell about them, you make provisions, take precautions, fashion adjustments; you tell yourself you'll have to change your way of doing things. Only you don't. You can't. Somehow it's already too late. And maybe it's even worse than that: maybe the thing you see coming from far away is not the real thing, the thing that scares you, but its aftermath. And what you've feared will happen has already taken place. This is similar in spirit to the realization that all the great new advances of medical science will have no benefit for us at all, thought we cheer them on, hope a vaccine might be ready in time, think things could still get better. Only it's too late there too. And in that very way our life gets over before we know it. We miss it. And like the poet said: The ways we miss our lives are life."
- Richard Ford
"The Questions..."
“I don't pretend we have all the answers.
But the questions are certainly worth thinking about.”
- Arthur C. Clarke
"The Most Damned Of All..."
“Damned is the soul that dies while the evil it committed lives on. And the most damned of all are those who see the evil coming for others and refuse to confront it. For it is not out of fear that heroes are born, but rather out of their selfless love that will not allow them safety bought from the torture, death, and degradation of others. It is better to die in defense of another than to live with the knowledge that you could have saved them but chose to do nothing. And to those who think that one person cannot make a difference, I say this… the deadliest tidal wave begins as an unseen ripple in a vast ocean. Live your life so that your integrity will motivate others to strive for excellence long after you’ve passed on, and know that no good deed or sacrifice, or offer of sincere friendship or love, is ever forgotten by the one who receives it.”
- Sherrilyn Kenyon
"Alea Iacta Est"
by Alexander Macris
"In the closing days of 50 BC, the Roman Senate declared that Julius Caesar’s term as a provincial governor was finished. Roman law afforded its magistrates immunity to prosecution, but this immunity would end with Caesar’s term. As the leader of the populares faction, Caesar had many enemies among the elite optimates, and as soon as he left office, these enemies planned to bury him in litigation. Caesar knew he would lose everything: property, liberty, even his life. Caesar decided it was better to fight for victory than accept certain defeat. In January 49 BC, he crossed the Rubicon River with his army, in violation of sacred Roman law, and began a civil war. “Alea iacta est,” said Caesar: The die is cast."
Full screen recommended.
Charles Bukowoski, "The Laughing Heart", "Roll the Dice"
Read by Tom O'Bedlam
"Walmart Workers Are Suddenly “Vanishing”, And You Will Be Stunned To Learn The Reason Why This Is Happening"
"Walmart Workers Are Suddenly “Vanishing”, And You Will
Be Stunned To Learn The Reason Why This Is Happening"
by Michael Snyder
"Why are thousands of Walmart workers suddenly “vanishing” all over the nation? And why are vast numbers of agricultural workers suddenly no longer showing up for work? What I am about to share with you is extremely alarming. During the “open border years”, our economy became extremely dependent on very cheap migrant labor. Now that the border has been secured and mass deportations are occurring, major employers throughout the country are experiencing a case of severe whiplash.
The open border policies of Joe Biden caused a tremendous amount of chaos from coast to coast. Violent criminals came pouring in, and we definitely need to get those violent criminals out. For example, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem just revealed that a cannibal that was being deported literally started “to eat himself” on the plane ride out of the United States…
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made the eyebrow-raising revelation during an appearance alongside Trump while visiting a makeshift immigrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades that has been dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by Sunshine State officials and the president’s supporters. “They said that they had detained a cannibal and put him on a plane to take him home, and while they had him in his seat, he started to eat himself, and they had to get him off and get him medical attention,” Noem said.
The revelation came as Noem detailed the Trump administration’s efforts to find and deport millions of migrants who have been living and working in the country, often with official work authorizations, over the last few years. Keeping people like that from entering the country illegally is a matter of national security. So we should be thankful that the federal government is finally taking action. But the mass deportations are also causing enormous problems for major U.S. employers.
Walmart is the largest private employer in the United States, and they are “losing coworkers overnight” due to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision…"Walmart employees are saying they’re losing coworkers overnight. The retailer, America’s largest private employer, is complying with a sweeping Supreme Court decision that allowed the Trump administration to revoke work protections for half a million migrant employees. Walmart staffers are saying the company is responding with quick staffing cuts in stores. They’re worried there aren’t enough workers.
So many Walmart workers are suddenly vanishing that it is creating a tremendous amount of strain on the workers that remain…"One Reddit user claimed their location lost 10 employees with work visas. Another reported 40 departures at a 400-person store, forcing older workers and managers to stretch themselves thin just to keep shelves stocked. “Most of our older floor associates are constantly asking for help,” one employee wrote. “It’s not really ideal.”
Farms all over the nation are also being hit really hard by the mass deportations. Fear of being rounded up has caused vast numbers of migrants to go into hiding, and as a result 70 percent of farm workers have stopped reporting to work in some areas of the country…"Immigration enforcement operations on farms have left crops rotting and farm operations disrupted in major agricultural states including California, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Farm owners and industry representatives report that up to 70 percent of workers stopped reporting to work following Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions, resulting in significant crop losses and financial strain."
If healthy crops are allowed to rot, that won’t be good for any of us, because it will mean higher prices at the grocery store. This crisis is particularly severe in Southern California…"In the vast agricultural lands north of Los Angeles, stretching from Ventura County into the state’s central valley, two farmers, two field supervisors and four immigrant farmworkers told Reuters this month that the ICE raids have led a majority of workers to stop showing up. That means crops are not being picked and fruit and vegetables are rotting at peak harvest time, they said.
One Mexican farm supervisor, who asked not to be named, was overseeing a field being prepared for planting strawberries last week. Usually he would have 300 workers, he said. On this day he had just 80. Another supervisor at a different farm said he usually has 80 workers in a field, but today just 17."
We should have never allowed ourselves to become so dependent on cheap migrant labor. Now we are facing significant labor shortages throughout our agricultural supply chains… “We do not have enough workforce in the United States to do manual work, to do those jobs that other people are not qualified to do and do not want to do it,” Alexandra Sossa, CEO of Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project, told Newsweek. “For example, we are running into a problem where we do not have enough farm workers to grow the food we eat every day. Now we do not have enough workers to go to the meatpacking processing industries and factories to produce, to pack the food that we are eating.”
Ultimately, U.S. citizens are going to have to start taking over the jobs that are being vacated. And there should be plenty of workers available, because economic conditions have been deteriorating and the labor market has been very weak lately…"The frozen labor market adds another layer of concern for consumer spending. Private sector wage growth continues slowing as unemployment duration rises and job seekers give up. This creates a feedback loop: weaker labor market conditions reduce workers’ bargaining power, which slows wage growth and ultimately constrains spending."
One way or another, we are just going to have to adjust. Because we can’t ever go back to the days when our borders were completely wide open. The violence that happens on the other side of our southern border is absolutely horrifying, and we definitely don’t want to see similar violence in communities all over America…
"Sinaloa Cartel gunmen killed close to two dozen rivals, hanging four from a bridge, dismembering some, stuffing them in bags, and stacking the rest inside a van. The gory crime scenes sparked terror as two main factions, the Chapitos and Mayiza factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, continue to wage a fierce turf war that killed hundreds and rages on, for almost a year, despite the many assurances by Mexico’s government about cracking down on cartel violence. The Sinaloa Cartel is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State."
Some of the most violent areas on the entire planet are located in northern Mexico. It is the duty of the federal government to protect us from that violence. Unfortunately, disrupting the economy has been a side effect of securing the border. Hopefully U.S. citizens will be willing to step up and fill the gaps that have been created in our supply chains. If that doesn’t happen, we could experience some big problems in the months ahead."
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