So, we rise from the rubble...
StatCounter
Monday, February 2, 2026
"From Inflation to Hyperinflation: The Gathering Monetary Hurricane"
"From Inflation to Hyperinflation:
The Gathering Monetary Hurricane"
by Jeff Thomas
"Inflation is an elusive term. In 1983, Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defined Inflation as: "An increase in the amount of currency in circulation, resulting in a relatively sharp and sudden fall in its value and rise in prices: it may be caused by an increase in the volume of paper money issued or of gold mined, or a relative increase in expenditures as when the supply of goods fails to meet the demand." However, Investopedia states: "Inflation is an increase in the average price of goods and services over time."
A quick check will reveal that Investopedia is not alone in their current definition. The definition has moved away, in large part, from the previous definition of the root cause to now describing a symptom. But are we splitting hairs here? Does it really matter whether people understand the root cause? Yes, it does, if we wish to understand that inflation sometimes serves a political purpose. As stated by John Maynard Keynes in "Economic Consequences of the Peace," "By a continuing process of inflation, government can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens."
If we understand the 1983 Webster's definition of inflation, it becomes clear that Keynes does not merely imply that governments can benefit from an inflationary situation, should it occur. Governments can actually create the situation through the issuance of currency. Keynes wrote his book in 1919 and, to say it was a hit with legislators would be an understatement. For the better part of one hundred years, his concepts have been at the centre of the economic policies of governments the world over. (US President Richard Nixon famously stated publicly, when he took the US dollar off the gold standard in 1971, "We're all Keynesians now.")
Hyperinflation Defined: So, the reader may take his pick as to which definition of inflation sits best with him, but, fortunately, there is less confusion over the definition of hyperinflation. Hyperinflation is typically defined as: "Ruinously high increase (50 percent or more per month) in prices due to the near total collapse of a country's monetary system, rendering its currency almost worthless as a medium of exchange."
Not much room for confusion there. Armed with a definition of this condition, we may examine the likelihood of being faced with hyperinflation in the near to not-too-distant future. Certainly, readers of this publication will be aware of the extreme monetary condition most First World countries are presently facing as a result of excessive debt, resulting in considerable inflation (by the1983 definition).
Governments, when queried about the possibility of hyperinflation, are inclined to toss off the possibility, saying, in effect, "We won't let that happen." However, the history of hyperinflation indicates otherwise. Whilst governments often do induce inflation (even dramatic inflation) consciously, it is safe to say that they are unlikely to create hyperinflation consciously. Quite the opposite, in fact. What generally occurs is that they keep inflating until, unintentionally, the dam breaks. Hyperinflation, typically, is like a hurricane - an unstoppable and destructive force that, once begun, takes on a life of its own.
A History of Hyperinflation: Here are a few interesting facts about hyperinflation that are not commonly known:Hyperinflation, historically, only occurs in connection with fiat currencies. The first case of hyperinflation, following the introduction of paper currency units, occurred from 1789 to 1796, during the French Revolution. All other cases of hyperinflation (over 27 of them, so far) have occurred since the publication of Keynes' book and the adoption of his economic principles. Five occurrences took place in the 1920s. Four occurrences took place in the 1940s. Eighteen occurrences took place in the 1980s - 1990s.
The occurrences took place in capitalist, socialist and communist countries. In Asia, South America, Central America, Europe and Africa. They are therefore not dependent upon a particular form of government or social structure. They happen specifically as a result of a major creation of fiat currency units over a short time.
What of Europe and America?
So, is hyperinflation on the way for Europe and America? This may not be a certainty, but it is quite possible and may be described as "likely." At present, the US is not far from the inflationary level that has historically triggered hyperinflation. If we consider this, we may resolve to keep an eye on the situation, so that we are not taken by surprise. After all, hyperinflation is the economic equivalent of a hurricane and is just as devastating a situation to be caught in.
The question, however, is whether "keeping an eye on the situation" will do the trick. The trouble is, hyperinflation happens rather suddenly. In the 1920s, for example, inflation had been on the rise for some time in Weimar Germany when it suddenly took off, reaching 16,579,999%. In just a few months, the notes had become, literally, worth less than the paper they were printed on, prompting Germans to use them as kindling and wallpaper.
To those readers who may be uncertain as to whether they need to take precautionary measures to protect their wealth, they may wish to consider the above, particularly in the light that, if the hyperinflation hurricane hits, there is likely to be little, if any, warning. Whatever portion of your wealth is now in fiat currency, may well become worthless. It should be said that many people who may presently be exposed to the upcoming hyperinflation will say, "But I don't have any wealth to speak of. What I have in the bank is not enough to buy a new car."
If this is your situation, you are not alone. There are literally tens (and possibly hundreds) of millions of people in the First World whose situation is similar. For those people, a good rule of thumb may be to maintain, say, three months' expenses in cash, and move any amount over that into something that does not lose its value (e.g., precious metals) in a hyperinflationary period. Monetary breakdowns don’t unfold in neat stages, and they don’t wait for public consensus. By the time inflation is openly acknowledged as a threat, the damage is usually already done."
Bill Bonner, "Freak Power"
"Freak Power"
by Bill Bonner
Rancho Santana, Nicaragua - "The big news Friday was the selection of Kevin Warsh to take charge of the Fed. Associated Press on the story: "President Donald Trump said Friday that he will nominate former Federal Reserve official Kevin Warsh to be the next chair of the Fed, a decision likely to result in sharp changes to the powerful agency that could bring it closer to the White House. Warsh would replace current chair Jerome Powell when his term expires in May. Trump chose Powell to lead the Fed in 2017 but this year has relentlessly assailed him for not cutting interest rates quickly enough. “I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best,” Trump posted on his Truth Social site. “On top of everything else, he is ‘central casting,’ and he will never let you down.”
Warsh was on the short list. But he seemed like a long shot. He has a reputation for being an inflation ‘hawk,’ an unlikely candidate to push Trump’s low-interest rate agenda. Why, then, choose Warsh? Karl Rove asked a related question last week: “Is Trump Trying to Lose the Midterms?” Both questions suggest that POTUS may not need enemies; he has himself. But let’s look at the evidence. You decide.
Changing the subject, here in Nicaragua, rumors are flying. “It’s in the press,” said a local real estate agent. “It says Daniel Ortega (Nicaragua’s dictator) got a call from the US. Marco Rubio apparently told him he had to step down. He saw what happened to Maduro. He doesn’t want that to happen to him. But what country would take him?”
Spare a prayer for replaced dictators. They have no ‘Dictator Relief Committee’ to help them. They make enemies. Then, when they lose power, the enemies come after them. The US may grant asylum, but only if the CIA has been supporting them for years. We also had an encounter with a coral snake on Saturday.
“Just leave him alone,” was the local advice. We sought guidance from the Bible too. “It shall bruise thy head; thou shalt bruise his heel,” it says in Genesis. We didn’t know what that meant either, so we used our own instinct and killed it before someone stepped on it.
Donald Trump can be inscrutable too. But a president comes into office with a certain amount of ‘political capital.’ It’s a limited thing. He can’t afford to waste it. So, he has to focus on the most important issues — those that will bring most joy to his fans...while not stirring up too much resistance or resentment among the independents. He doesn’t want to repel too many of the ‘swing voters’ who might otherwise swing his way.
So, what does Trump do with his ‘political capital?’ How many Americans do you think dreamed of invading Greenland? How many want to pay 100% more for imports from Canada? How many want to see tariffs threatened, set, changed, revised, reversed, paused and restarted - willy nilly, day by day - all over the world? How many want to see young women shot dead by Fallujah-ready masked heavies? How many want to see POTUS deny that there is an ‘affordability problem’ and then promise to do something about it?
All of these are examples of political capital - squandered. A shrewd, alert, sensible man wouldn’t have done these things. But Trump is none of those things. Some even wonder if he is still sane. We don’t know. We’ve been following American politics for more than half a century. We’ve never seen anyone like him make it beyond baroque local elections.
In the late ‘60s, for example, Hunter Thompson led a ‘Freak Power’ campaign for mayor of Aspen. When that failed, he ran for sheriff, promising to change Aspen’s name to ‘Fat City,’ publicly punish dishonest drug dealers, and as for developers…they should be “f**ked, broken and driven across the land.” He lost and later committed suicide.
Nature has programmed us all to adapt...to change the way we dress...and change our opinions, as necessary. At the beginning of WWII, for example, an estimated 70% of Germans looked favorably on Hitler. By the end of the war, interviewers had a hard time finding a single person who admitted to ever favoring the Nazis. A caterpillar doesn’t choose to become a butterfly. And people don’t really choose what they think.
At this stage, just about the only thing that will save Republicans in this year’s elections will be a war (people don’t like to change horses in the middle of a stream) or a booming economy. Both require cheap credit. Trump promises bribes to consumers, veterans, young families, the firepower industry and others. But if Warsh holds-the-line against rate cuts...or even raises rates to try to bring inflation under control...the Republicans’ grip on Congress is likely to weaken.
Did Trump change his mind about taking control of the Fed? Did he make a mistake? Or did Warsh conveniently adapt his opinions to the demand for them at the moment? MarketWatch: ‘Warsh’s hawkish credentials are real. His hawkish future is not. Trump didn’t pick him to raise rates and crash markets before the midterms. He picked him to sound responsible while doing what he’s told.’ As of this morning, gold was down 16% from last Thursday. Is this a dip you should buy? Maybe… More to come..."
"Risk of a Modern Carrington Event and Massive Tech Collapse Just Rose Even Higher"
Full screen recommended.
Stefan Burns, 2/2/26
"Risk of a Modern Carrington Event and
Massive Tech Collapse Just Rose Even Higher"
Comments here:
o
Full screen recommended.
Tactical Bear, 2/2/26
"This Is How It Ends: The Carrington Event"
"You wake up. Your phone is a black mirror. Your car is a 4,000 lb brick. Your taps are dry. This isn't a war or a cyber-attack. Congratulations - the Sun just sneezed, and the 21st century is officially cancelled. In 1859, the most powerful solar storm in recorded history - The Carrington Event - set telegraph offices on fire and shocked operators. Back then, it was an inconvenience. Today, in a world that runs on a fragile copper web, that same event is a global reset button. In this video, we simulate the exact timeline of a Modern Carrington-Class Event - replacing science fiction with hard data from the National Academy of Sciences, Lloyd’s of London, and the laws of electromagnetic induction."
Comments here:
o
Full screen recommended.
Max Velocity - Severe Weather Center, 2/2/26, 5:44 AM
"This Winter Is Taking A Strange Turn"
"In today’s forecast, we are breaking down a HUGE weather pattern change that will completely change the winter weather across the United States. More heavy snow and arctic blasts are on the way to kick off February, with some record-breaking temperatures possible in some areas. All the details are in today's forecast!"
Comments here:
"Jeffrey Sachs: US-Iran War Inevitable, Trump's WW3 for Israel Just Blew Up"
Full screen recommended.
Danny Haiphong, 2/2/26
"Jeffrey Sachs: US-Iran War Inevitable,
Trump's WW3 for Israel Just Blew Up"
Comments here:
Adventures With Danno, "Stocking Up At Sam's Club!! Our Massive Shopping Haul!"
Full screen recommended.
Adventures With Danno, 2/2/26
"Stocking Up At Sam's Club!
Our Massive Shopping Haul!"
Comments here:
Jim Kunstler, "Awards Season"
"Awards Season"
by Jim Kunstler
“The world sees you now: not as compassionate warriors, but as spoiled, entitled,
reality-denying tyrants in yoga pants, wielding guilt and hysteria like switchblades.”
- LHGrey on "X"
"The political grandstanding started way back in 1973 when the irascible Marlon Brando stayed home from the Academy Awards but sent an Apache princess, one Sacheen Littlefeather, to the podium to decline his award (Best Actor for The Godfather) on account of the 71-day standoff at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota between federal agents and Oglala Lakota activists who had seized the little town of Wounded Knee.
After that, political “statements” at awards ceremonies of all kinds became modish, then obligatory, and now in the age of Lefty-left Woke Jacobin activism, all you get is one denunciation after another of the monster who lives in their heads: ChrumpChrumpChrump. Cue the audience of fellow “stars” for the also obligatory standing-O, which is really a test to see if any among them dare not join in the hosannahs - so they can be anathemized.
You are seeing sheer ritual performance by performers, the highest perq of stardom being the approbation of their peers, fellow performers - never mind the lowly gorks out in Flyover Land who “consume” the products of pop culture. This is cliche narcissism-on-parade, of course, and is now so completely institutionalized in the pop culture industries that seemingly all actors, musicians, dancers, mimes, comics, and literary figures must act-out an activist fantasy or face the pretty extreme punishment of being run out of their business.
It’s all fake and pathetic, and the more they do it, the more their various culture industries suffer - to the point now that feature production in Hollywood was down over 16-percent in 2025. It’s dying in a self-reinforcing doom-loop. The reason is no secret, but it is dangerous to speak of it: the management of our “sense-making” institutions - movies being an important one - has been taken over by women (and womanish men) acting out Cluster-B psychodrama fantasies obsessively attacking “the patriarchy” - by which they mean (but cannot say) civilization itself, the thing sedulously built by men.
The latest wrinkle in this tragic saga is the psychodrama over ICE, the men tasked with finding and deporting people who came into the country illegally. The Cluster-B women mis-direct their nurturing instincts to rescue this politically-designated “oppressed minority,” overlooking the fact that not a few of these illegal aliens turn out to be murderous psychopaths. Conveniently, too, the illegal aliens also happen to be a very useful device for the Democratic Party to pad the census and provide illicit votes, all to keep the party in power and sustain its rackets.
President Trump completes the doom-loop circle because he is the mythic figure who prompts all the anxiety behind the “mass formation” phenomenon we are witnessing. Mr. Trump is patriarchy-in-action, so he must be destroyed by the goddess-heroines of show business. The goddess-heroines seem to believe they are ushering-in a Utopia of Nurture in which no oppressed minority will be left behind. That fantasy happens to intersect with the leveling fantasies of Karl Marx and his apostles, the mentors of the obscenely-rich denizens of Hollywood so eager to abolish obscene riches. So, you see how either stupid, or mentally-ill, or both, the people in show business can be.
Last night’s awards extravaganza was the Grammys, for music. The anti-ICE ritual flared in full effulgence with Song of the Year winner Billie Eilish - costumed not to look as a woman but rather like a piece of luggage - bathed in applause for heroically muttering, “F*ck ICE,” after picking up her little golden gramophone statuette. Perfect.
Few musicians can make a dime anymore, and a very few of those few make billions while the rest starve. The record album was the supreme art-form of my generation, and it is long gone. Record labels don’t continue to exist when there are no records. Musical acts don’t get contracts and don’t get paid. Nobody listens to FM radio anymore and so nobody is introduced to new musical talent. Live music on the small club scale is dying because the drinks cost too much. Does anyone still have a quaint old home stereo, a gigantic wall-of-sound, with four-foot-high speakers? All I’ve got is a seven-inch Bluetooth speaker.
The lively arts are dying and the remaining lively artists are assisting with the suicide. Not far in the future, the motion picture might be a dead letter. Technology marches on. Immersion in human experience depicted on a silver screen, using the techniques of dramaturgy, will be supplanted, we’re told, by video games that put you immersively into “a world” where a story is spinning that you can now act-out a role in. You might see how that would entice an awful lot of people to check-out of reality altogether - and if that happens, you might well ask: who is left to run civilization? The answer you get will be: artificial intelligence, AI. Oh, great. But then, is it running civilization for all those pathetic people losing themselves in immersive video games? Or just for AI itself? And where does that take the human race?
Personally, I don’t expect it to work out that way. If I were disposed to investing money in the entertainment business, I’d build a theater for puppet shows. That’s the level our civilization-destroying antics are taking us to, with the Democratic Party leading the way."
Gerald Celente, "Crash, Worse Than 1929"
Full screen recommended.
Gerald Celente, 2/1/26
"Crash, Worse Than 1929"
"In this explosive interview, renowned trend forecaster Gerald Celente issues a dire warning: the AI-driven stock market bubble is mirroring the 2000 dot-com bust, with Nvidia and Meta volatility signaling an impending crash worse than 1929, fueled by overvalued P/E ratios, $37 trillion U.S. debt, and empty office buildings poised to collapse 30 mid-sized banks."
Comments here:
"The Inevitable Collapse That's Already Started"
Full screen recommended.
Michael Bordenaro, 2/2/26
"The Inevitable Collapse That's Already Started"
Comments here:
"Economic Market Snapshot 2/2/26"
"Economic Market Snapshot 2/2/26"
.jpeg)
Down the rabbit hole of psychopathic greed and insanity...
Only the consequences are real - to you!
○
"It's a Big Club, and you ain't in it.
You and I are not in the Big Club."
- George Carlin
o
Market Data Center, Live Updates:
○
○
Financial Stress Index
"The OFR Financial Stress Index (OFR FSI) is a daily market-based snapshot of stress in global financial markets. It is constructed from 33 financial market variables, such as yield spreads, valuation measures, and interest rates. The OFR FSI is positive when stress levels are above average, and negative when stress levels are below average. The OFR FSI incorporates five categories of indicators: credit, equity valuation, funding, safe assets and volatility. The FSI shows stress contributions by three regions: United States, other advanced economies, and emerging markets."
○
Job cuts and much more.
○
○
○
○
○
○
Commentary, highly recommended:
○
"The more I see of the monied classes,
the better I understand the guillotine."
- George Bernard Shaw
○
Oh yeah... beyond words. Any I know anyway...
○
And now... The End Game...
o
Sunday, February 1, 2026
"What You Won't See On The News About The Bomb Cyclone Hitting The U.S"
Full screen recommended.
The Sleepy Explorer, 2/1/26, 6 PM EST
"What You Won't See On The News
About The Bomb Cyclone Hitting The U.S"
"Right now, a bomb cyclone is burying the Carolinas under twelve inches of snow - twelve inches in regions that normally see a light dusting, if anything at all. Blizzard warnings where blizzards don’t exist. Thirty-five million Americans under emergency alerts. The news will show you snow totals, road closures, and live shots of chaos. But that’s just the surface. In this video, we dig into what isn’t being explained: why these extremes keep repeating, why the polar vortex collapsed three weeks ago and still hasn’t recovered when it normally resets in under two, and why that timing matters more than any snowfall map. As Winter Storm Gianna batters the Southeast, something else is unfolding far from Earth - sunspot 4366, one of the fastest-growing and most unstable regions of the entire solar cycle, is threatening to erupt within forty-eight hours. If it does so while the atmospheric system is still broken, February could make January look like a warm-up. This is a deep-dive into the hidden connections between the Sun, the atmosphere, and a system that may already be out of balance. Stay until the end, because what you’re about to hear may permanently change how you see every major storm from here on out."
Comments here:
Correction: The narrator incorrectly states "2025" instead of 2026.
"Emergency Update: A Modern Carrington Event May Be About To Occur"
Full screen recommended.
Stefan Burns, 2/1/26
"Emergency Update:
A Modern Carrington Event May Be About To Occur"
"An active region on the Sun (designated 4366) has rapidly grown into a super-active monster that has already blasted off a 1.0 x-flare and more than 1 dozen m-class solar flares in less than 24 hours. By my estimation this sunspot cluster is already capable of producing a solar flare strong enough for a Carrington Event, and at the current rate of development and activity, the risk of that only increases, and the possible upper limit also increases. This could be it, this is not a drill. Geophysicist Stefan Burns reports."
Comments here:
o
Full screen recommended.
Stefan Burns, 2/1/26 3:07 PM EST
"First Wave of Megaflares of Potentially
Many Has Just Exploded on the Sun"
Comments here:
o
Food for thought... "Knowing"
"Most People Won't Be Ready For What's Coming To America"
Full screen recommended.
Epic Economist, 2/1/26
"Most People Won't Be Ready
For What's Coming To America"
"Americans across the country are sensing that something big is coming, and it's happening faster than most people expected. In today's video, we're taking a deep dive into the warning signs that many folks are talking about online, and why so many people feel like we're approaching a real economic collapse.
We start by looking at clips from people who are witnessing what they describe as America's rapid decline. From federal aid cuts to constitutional concerns, these voices are sounding alarms about how quickly our systems seem to be failing. What's striking is how people from different backgrounds are all pointing to the same issues: lack of accountability, unqualified leadership, and a country that's becoming increasingly divided against itself.
Then we explore the harsh economic reality that average Americans are facing right now. Did you know that someone making $75,000 a year - which should be a decent living - might only have $320 left over each month after basic expenses? We break down exactly how the cost of living has become completely unsustainable, even for people who are doing everything "right."
The comparison between today and the Great Depression is absolutely mind-blowing. While houses used to cost three times the average salary, they now cost eight times as much. Rent has gone from 16% of income to 42%. These aren't just numbers - they represent real families struggling to survive in an economy that seems designed to work against them.
We also look at what experts are calling America's "debt doom loop." Our national debt is growing at 6% per year while our economy only grows at about 4.5%. That means we're borrowing money faster than we can create wealth to pay it back. When global investors start pulling $800 billion out of American markets, that's not just a financial indicator - it's other countries losing faith in our ability to manage our economy.
The scariest part? This isn't about political parties anymore. Both sides have contributed to this mess through decades of irresponsible spending and policies that prioritize short-term gains over long-term stability. Meanwhile, ordinary people are left to deal with the consequences of decisions made by leaders who won't be around to face the fallout.
But here's the thing - awareness is power. Understanding what's happening helps you make better decisions for your family and your future. Whether this leads to a gradual decline or something more dramatic, being informed means being prepared. I want to hear from you. Are you feeling these economic pressures in your own life? What signs are you seeing in your community? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and let's have a real conversation about where we're headed as a country."
Comments here:
"Beware Of February - US Government Shuts Down as It Tries To Rule The World"
Jeremiah Babe,2/1/26
"Beware Of February -
US Government Shuts Down as It Tries To Rule The World"
Comments here:
"A Volcano Of Fury Erupts In The Streets Of Los Angeles, Portland And Minnesota As Trump Converts 23 Giant Warehouses Into ICE Detention Centers"
"A Volcano Of Fury Erupts In The Streets Of Los Angeles, Portland And
Minnesota As Trump Converts 23 Giant Warehouses Into ICE Detention Centers"
by Michael Snyder
"The violent clashes that are causing so much chaos in the streets of our major cities aren’t going to stop. Tens of thousands of anti-ICE activists have already been recruited, and more are joining their ranks with each passing day. At this stage, the only thing that could put a lid on the volcano of fury that we are witnessing would be if President Trump decided to pull ICE out of all of our cities and stop deportations. Of course there is no way that is going to happen. In fact, as you will see below, Trump is now converting 23 enormous warehouses around the country into giant ICE detention centers. The goal is to deport a million immigrants per year, and that means that the war between ICE and anti-ICE protesters is just getting started.
I have always warned that civil unrest would be one of the key elements of “the perfect storm” that our society would be forced to endure, and now we have reached a stage where the civil unrest never seems to stop. On Friday, law enforcement authorities used pepper balls and tear gas to disperse “a mob of violent agitators” that had gathered in front of the federal detention center in Los Angeles…
"Los Angeles police arrested multiple violent agitators after issuing dispersal orders as protests erupted across the city Friday evening. Thousands of protesters met in front of City Hall in the afternoon, before many marched to the federal detention center, where a mob of violent agitators swarmed the area, pushing a large construction dumpster and blocking the entrance to the building’s loading dock. LAPD shared video on social media of the unrest, adding in a separate post that authorities had deployed pepper balls and tear gas to disperse the crowd."
Even after pepper balls and tear gas had been used, some of the protesters continue to throw bottles, rocks and “other objects” at the police… While some protesters dispersed, others remained and continued to throw bottles and rocks at officers, according to the LAPD. In addition, the department said that federal authorities were being hit with “debris, bottles and other objects,” resulting in authorities declaring an unlawful assembly at the detention center. Footage of the violence that took place on Friday evening is extremely disturbing.
Of course this wasn’t the first anti-ICE violence that we have seen in L.A., and it most certainly won’t be the last. On Saturday, a crowd of thousands of anti-ICE protesters marched on an ICE facility in Portland. When they arrived, federal agents “deployed several rounds of tear gas, pepper balls, and flash-bang munitions”…"By the late afternoon, there were thousands of people participating in a protest in South Portland that began at Elizabeth Caruthers Park, according to the Portland Police Bureau, who monitored the activity. Local labor unions organized the demonstration.
The crowd later marched to the ICE facility a few blocks away, closing down South Bancroft Street. Around 5 p.m., federal agents deployed several rounds of tear gas, pepper balls, and flash-bang munitions into the crowd, including children, as observed by KOIN 6 News Reporter Ariel Salk in the field. The crowd dwindled to less than 1,000 people after that."
The reason why this didn’t make headline news all over the nation is because this sort of thing has become quite common in Portland. Shockingly, one protester says that someone actually brought a “kid in a stroller” to the event… “There were so many people who came out, there were parents, kids. I saw one kid in a stroller with a little helmet on. And we were all marching down the street towards the building to protest. And there was - it was like fog had rolled in - it was coming down the street,” one protester said. Why would you bring a “kid in a stroller” to a protest where tear gas and pepper balls are almost certainly going to be used? That is insanity.
A lot of the protesters did not disperse after the first wave of non-lethal munitions, and so about 6 PM there was a “second wave of tear gas, as well as pepper balls and flash-bang munitions”…"A second wave of tear gas, as well as pepper balls and flash-bang munitions, was deployed into the crowd by federal agents around 6 p.m. After that, only a few hundred people remained. KOIN 6 also saw people move a dumpster into the vehicle entryway of the ICE building just before the second round of tear gas was deployed. By the time the smoke cleared, the dumpster was gone." Portland has been a war zone for much of the past year. Sadly, it appears that the violence in the city is now escalating.
Meanwhile, the craziness in Minnesota never seems to end. Over the weekend, protesters decided to stage events inside quite a few Target stores…"Multiple Target stores across Minnesota and in other states were targeted by protesters with demands for Target’s corporate leadership to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from being allowed in Target stores to arrest criminals.
Video from a Target location in Richfield, Minnesota, shows reportedly over 100 protesters illegally marching through the store, chanting, “The people united will never be defeated,” while holding a Socialist Alternative banner that read, “National Strike Shut Down Trump & ICE.” Local police were at the scene but refused to do anything as the anti-ICE protesters berated them and called for Target to be shut down.
At one location in West St. Paul, a police officer made it abundantly clear that his heart was very much with the protesters… "At a West St. Paul, Minnesota Target protest, a police officer lauded the protesters, saying, “I appreciate what you guys are doing. I understand what you guys are doing. Unfortunately, the store has the right to do what they need to do,” after threatening to arrest them for trespassing. “I have a hard job. As much as I want to come over here, and you know what I mean, and do what I need to do, I still have a job to do, unfortunately. And so, I appreciate you guys,” he continued."
The entire state has been thrown into an uproar thanks to what has transpired over the last couple of months. The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have just added fuel to the fire, and now we are being told that over 34,000 people in the state of Minnesota have signed up to be part of Minnesota’s anti-ICE army… More than 34,000 Minnesotans have signed up to be trained as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement observers with various activist groups in recent weeks, many of them since Jan. 7, when a federal agent shot and killed Renée Good, a poet and mother of three, after an encounter with an ICE convoy in South Minneapolis.
The killings of Good and, on Saturday, ICU nurse Alex Pretti underscore the dangers for the city’s widespread resistance movement, a loosely connected network of neighborhood volunteers who communicate on Signal, the private messaging app, as they play cat and mouse with heavily armed and masked federal agents on snowy streets. This week these ICE observers vowed to continue their work despite signs of a political thaw on the national stage, after Trump removed controversial border patrol head Greg Bovino from Minneapolis and renewed talks with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), a frequent critic. The anti-ICE forces outnumber the ICE agents that have been deployed to the state by a more than 10 to 1 margin. That is crazy.
But ICE agents continue to try to follow orders. In fact, they just arrested an immigrant that actually rammed one of their vehicles as he attempted to escape…"ICE has arrested a criminal illegal alien from Mexico after the alien rammed into an ICE vehicle this morning in St. Paul, Minnesota. Tranquilino Sixto-Anorve had a criminal record of multiple charges for driving under the influence. Sixto-Anorve was taken into ICE detention at the Whipple federal building in Minneapolis, where anti-ICE demonstrators were seen earlier on Saturday parading in the streets in animal costumes, singing, “Kristi Noem is a bird-legged hoe.”
One thing has become very clear. No matter what happens, the Trump administration is not going to stop deporting people. In fact, there are plans to convert 23 giant warehouses throughout the country into “a large-scale network of immigration detention centers”…
"The Trump administration is moving ahead with plans to convert 23 e-commerce warehouses across the country, primarily in the eastern U.S., into a large-scale network of immigration detention centers aimed at expanding capacity to fulfill the mandate the American people gave President Trump to deport more than one million illegal aliens per year and restore national security. This comes after the Biden-Harris globalist regime collapsed borders and allowed a nation-killing invasion of ten million or more third-worlders.
Bloomberg reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s rapid move to build out a network of warehouses is being fueled by $45 billion from the signature “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” This includes the most recent purchases of a warehouse in Hagerstown, Maryland, and another in Surprise, Arizona, totaling $172 million. A third in El Paso, Texas, will be one of the largest of its kind, with 8,500 beds.
Wow. I don’t even know what to say about that. The warehouse that is being converted in Arizona has over 400,000 square feet of detention space…"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has purchased a massive warehouse in the West Valley, according to Maricopa County property records. Filings showed the federal government purchased the more than 400,000 square-foot facility near Sweetwater Avenue and Dysart Road for $70 million in cash from RG Surprise, LLC last Friday. According to an archived listing, the warehouse completed by Rockefeller Group was previously called the Surprise Pointe Commerce Center and was primarily set up to accommodate one to four tenants."
The Trump administration has no intention of backing down. Neither do the anti-ICE protesters. I believe that we will see things happen in the streets of America this year that we have never seen before. Needless to say, that is not good news for any of us."
Musical Interlude: Liquid Mind, "Dream Ten"
Liquid Mind, "Dream Ten"
"Is the beauty of the Whole really enhanced by our agony? And is the Whole really beautiful? And what is beauty? Throughout all his existence man has been striving to hear the music of the spheres, and has seemed to himself once and again to catch some phrase of it, or even a hint of the whole form of it. Yet he can never be sure that he has truly heard it, nor even that there is any such perfect music at all to be heard. Inevitably so, for if it exists, it is not for him in his littleness. But one thing is certain. Man himself, at the very least, is music, a brave theme that makes music also of its vast accompaniment, its matrix of storms and stars. Man himself in his degree is eternally a beauty in the eternal form of things. It is very good to have been man. And so we may go forward together with laughter in our hearts, and peace, thankful for the past, and for our own courage. For we shall make after all a fair conclusion to this brief music that is man. "
- Olaf Stapledon, "Last and First Men"
○
Freely download "Last and First Men", by Olaf Stapledon, here:
"A Look to the Heavens"
“What makes this spiral galaxy so long? Measuring over 700,000 light years across from top to bottom, NGC 6872, also known as the Condor galaxy, is one of the most elongated barred spiral galaxies known.
The galaxy's protracted shape likely results from its continuing collision with the smaller galaxy IC 4970, visible just above center. Of particular interest is NGC 6872's spiral arm on the upper left, as pictured here, which exhibits an unusually high amount of blue star forming regions. The light we see today left these colliding giants before the days of the dinosaurs, about 300 million years ago. NGC 6872 is visible with a small telescope toward the constellation of the Peacock (Pavo).”
The Poet: Mary Oliver, “The Journey”
“The Journey”
“One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice -
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do -
determined to save
the only life you could save.”
- Mary Oliver
"Be Kind..."
"Angel: Well, I guess I kinda worked it out. If there's no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters... then all that matters is what we do. 'Cause that's all there is. What we do. Now. Today. I fought for so long, for redemption, for a reward, and finally just to beat the other guy, but I never got it.
Kate Lockley: And now you do?
Angel: Not all of it. All I wanna do is help. I wanna help because, I don't think people should suffer as they do. Because, if there's no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world.
Kate Lockley: Yikes. It sounds like you've had an epiphany.
Angel: I keep saying that, but nobody's listening."
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0512846/quotes
"I Have Two Months Left to Live... These Are My 5 Worst Mistakes"
Life Is Fleeting,
"I Have Two Months Left to Live...
These Are My 5 Worst Mistakes"
"This man has been told that he has only two months left to live. Facing the end has given him a clarity that most people never reach until it is too late. Looking back on his life, he shares the five mistakes that haunt him the most, lessons engraved in pain, time, and lost love. He talks about the years wasted chasing success, the apologies he never gave, the moments with loved ones he will never get back, and how fear stopped him from truly living. Through his story, he hopes that others can see what he could not: that happiness cannot wait, forgiveness cannot be delayed, and the meaning of life is found in the simplest moments. This is a reminder to start living now."
Comments here:
"Yet Now..."
“Yet now, as he roared across the night sky toward an unknown destiny, he found himself facing that bleak and ultimate question which so few men can answer to their satisfaction. What have I done with my life, he asked himself, that the world will be poorer if I leave it?”
- Arthur C. Clarke, “Glide Path”
Full screen recommended.
Alan Parsons Project, "Old and Wise"
"I Can Choose..."
“Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself.”
- Walter Anderson
"This Winter Is About To Change In A Big Way"
Full screen recommended.
Max Velocity - Severe Weather Center, 2/1/26
"This Winter Is About To Change In A Big Way"
"In today’s forecast, we are breaking down a HUGE weather pattern change that will completely change the winter weather across the United States. More heavy snow and arctic blasts are on the way to kick off February, with some record-breaking temperatures possible in some areas. All the details are in today's forecast!"
Comments here:
"America Is Entering a Dangerous Few Weeks - Millions Are at Risk"
Full screen recommended.
Snyder Reports, 2/1/26
"America Is Entering a Dangerous Few Weeks -
Millions Are at Risk"
Comments here:
Dan, I Allegedly, "The First Bank Failure of 2026!"
Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, 2/1/26
"The First Bank Failure of 2026!"
Comments here:
"North America and Europe Face Endless Freeze Starting February 10th, Coldest Winter Threat Ever!"
Full screen recommended.
The Science Studio, 1/31/26
"North America and Europe Face Endless Freeze
Starting February 10th, Coldest Winter Threat Ever!"
"A major polar vortex collapse is forecast for mid-February 2026, potentially bringing one of the most significant cold outbreaks in recent years to both North America and Europe simultaneously. Weather agencies including NOAA and ECMWF have confirmed a stratospheric warming event that is disrupting the protective atmospheric barrier that normally keeps Arctic air locked over the North Pole, allowing waves of extreme cold to move hundreds of miles farther south than typical. This documentary explains the atmospheric science behind this rare weather pattern, why it affects two continents at once, and most importantly provides practical preparation steps families can take before mid-February to ensure safety during potential extended cold periods and infrastructure strain. Research-based analysis combining meteorological data, historical winter storm impacts, and community preparedness strategies for 45-65+ viewers."
Comments here:
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)