"Why Nations That Print Money Always Face The Same Ending - What History Tells Us"

Full screen recommended.

Prof. Jiang Xueqin, 4/23/26

"Why Nations That Print Money Always

 Face The Same Ending - What History Tells Us"

"Every empire that printed money faced the same ending. Rome debased its currency until coins were worthless. Weimar Germany printed until bread cost 200 billion marks. Now America sits on $39 trillion in debt, paying $1 trillion per year just in interest. The Social Security trust fund depletes by 2032. The math is not political. It is arithmetic. And history always collects. In this video, I break down the pattern no one is talking about - and what it means for your savings, your job, and your future."

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Musical Interlude: Moby, "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad"

Full screen recommended.

Moby, "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad"

"A Look to the Heavens"

"Is our Milky Way Galaxy this thin? Magnificent spiral galaxy NGC 4565 is viewed edge-on from planet Earth. Also known as the Needle Galaxy for its narrow profile, bright NGC 4565 is a stop on many telescopic tours of the northern sky, in the faint but well-groomed constellation Coma Berenices. This sharp, colorful image reveals the spiral galaxy's boxy, bulging central core cut by obscuring dust lanes that lace NGC 4565's thin galactic plane. 

An assortment of other background galaxies is included in the pretty field of view. Thought similar in shape to our own Milky Way Galaxy, NGC 4565 lies about 40 million light-years distant and spans some 100,000 light-years. Easily spotted with small telescopes, sky enthusiasts consider NGC 4565 to be a prominent celestial masterpiece Messier missed."

- https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210517.html

"10 Life Lessons You Should Unlearn"

"10 Life Lessons You Should Unlearn"

by Martha Beck

"In the past 10 years, I've realized that our culture is rife with ideas that actually inhibit joy. Here are some of the things I'm most grateful to have unlearned:

"1. Problems are bad. You spent your school years solving arbitrary problems imposed by boring authority figures. You learned that problems- comment se dit?- suck. But people without real problems go mad and invent things like base jumping and wedding planning. Real problems are wonderful, each carrying the seeds of its own solution. Job burnout? It's steering you toward your perfect career. An awful relationship? It's teaching you what love means. Confusing tax forms? They're suggesting you hire an accountant, so you can focus on more interesting tasks, such as flossing. Finding the solution to each problem is what gives life its gusto.

2. It's important to stay happy. Solving a knotty problem can help us be happy, but we don't have to be happy to feel good. If that sounds crazy, try this: Focus on something that makes you miserable. Then think, "I must stay happy!" Stressful, isn't it? Now say, "It's okay to be as sad as I need to be." This kind of permission to feel as we feel- not continuous happiness- is the foundation of well-being.

3. I'm irreparably damaged by my past. Painful events leave scars, true, but it turns out they're largely erasable. Jill Bolte Taylor, the neuroanatomist who had a stroke that obliterated her memory, described the event as losing "37 years of emotional baggage." Taylor rebuilt her own brain, minus the drama. Now it appears we can all effect a similar shift, without having to endure a brain hemorrhage. The very thing you're doing at this moment- questioning habitual thoughts- is enough to begin off-loading old patterns. For example, take an issue that's been worrying you ("I've got to work harder!") and think of three reasons that belief may be wrong. Your brain will begin to let it go. Taylor found this thought-loss euphoric. You will, too.

4. Working hard leads to success. Baby mammals, including humans, learn by playing, which is why "the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton." Boys who'd spent years strategizing for fun gained instinctive skills to handle real-world situations. So play as you did in childhood, with all-out absorption. Watch for ways your childhood playing skills can solve a problem (see #1). Play, not work, is the key to success. While we're on the subject...

5. Success is the opposite of failure. Fact: From quitting smoking to skiing, we succeed to the degree we try, fail, and learn. Studies show that people who worry about mistakes shut down, but those who are relaxed about doing badly soon learn to do well. Success is built on failure.

6. It matters what people think of me. "But if I fail," you may protest, "people will think badly of me!" This dreaded fate causes despair, suicide, homicide. I realized this when I read blatant lies about myself on the Internet. When I bewailed this to a friend, she said, "Wow, you have some painful fantasies about other people's fantasies about you." Yup, my anguish came from my hypothesis that other people's hypothetical hypotheses about me mattered. Ridiculous! Right now, imagine what you'd do if it absolutely didn't matter what people thought of you. Got it? Good. Never go back.

7. We should think rationally about our decisions. Your rational capacities are far newer and more error-prone than your deeper, "animal" brain. Often complex problems are best solved by thinking like an animal. Consider a choice you have to make- anything from which movie to see to which house to buy. Instead of weighing pros and cons intellectually, notice your physical response to each option. Pay attention to when your body tenses or relaxes. And speaking of bodies...

8. The pretty girls get all the good stuff. Oh, God. So not true. I unlearned this after years of coaching beautiful clients. Yes, these lovelies get preferential treatment in most life scenarios, but there's a catch: While everyone's looking at them, virtually no one sees them. Almost every gorgeous client had a husband who'd married her breasts and jawline without ever noticing her soul.

9. If all my wishes came true right now, life would be perfect. Check it out: People who have what you want are all over rehab clinics, divorce courts, and jails. That's because good fortune has side effects, just like medications advertised on TV. Basically, any external thing we depend on to make us feel good has the power to make us feel bad. Weirdly, when you've stopped depending on tangible rewards, they often materialize. To attract something you want, become as joyful as you think that thing would make you. The joy, not the thing, is the point.

10. Loss is terrible. Ten years ago I still feared loss enough to abandon myself in order to keep things stable. I'd smile when I was sad, pretend to like people who appalled me. What I now know is that losses aren't cataclysmic if they teach the heart and soul their natural cycle of breaking and healing. A real tragedy? That's the loss of the heart and soul themselves. If you've abandoned yourself in the effort to keep anyone or anything else, unlearn that pattern. Live your truth, losses be damned. Just like that, your heart and soul will return home."

- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Paulo Coelho, "The Law of Jante"

"The Law of Jante"

by Paulo Coelho

"'The Law of Jante?' Of course I had never heard of this, so he explained what it was. I continued on my journey and discovered it is hard to find anyone in any of the Scandinavian countries who does not know this law. Although the law exists since the beginning of civilization, it was only officially declared in 1933 by writer Aksel Sandemose in the novel “A Refugee Goes Beyond Limits.”

The sad truth is that the Law of Jante is a rule applied in every country in the world, despite the fact that Brazilians say that “This only happens here,” and the French claim that “Unfortunately, that’s how it is in our country.” Now, the reader must be annoyed because he/she is already half way through the column and still does not know what the Law of Jante is all about, so I’ll try to explain it here briefly in my own words:

“You aren’t worth a thing, nobody is interested in what you think,

mediocrity and anonymity are your best bet.

If you act this way, you will never have any big problems in life.”

The Law of Jante focuses on the feeling of jealousy and envy that sometimes causes so much trouble for people. This is one of its negative aspects, but there is something far more dangerous. And this law is accountable for the world being manipulated in all possible manners by people who have no fear of what the others say and end up practicing the evil they desire. We have witnessed useless wars, which are still costing many lives; we see a huge abyss between the rich and the poor countries of the world, social injustice on all sides, unbridled violence, people being forced to give up their dreams because of unfair and cowardly attacks. Before starting the second world war, Hitler sent out several signals as to his intentions, and what encouraged him to go ahead was the knowledge that nobody would dare to defy him because of the Law of Jante.

Mediocrity may be comfortable, up to the day that tragedy knocks at the door and people start to wonder: “But why did nobody say anything, if everybody could see that this was going to happen?” Simple: nobody said anything because the others did not say anything either. So in order to prevent things from growing any worse, maybe this is the right moment to write the anti-Law of Jante:

“You are worth far more than you think. Your work and presence

 on this Earth are important, even though you may not think so." 

Of course, thinking in this way, you might have many problems because you are breaking the Law of Jante – but don’t feel intimidated by them, go on living without fear and in the end you will win.”

- http://paulocoelhoblog.com/

"There Comes A Time..."

"We Americans have a saying: "It's more important what you stand for than who you stand with." I do not rely upon peer opinion to decide what is right and what is wrong. I make those decisions for myself, and even if I discover that every other human alive chose differently, that doesn't mean I was wrong. There comes a time in every man's life when he has to choose sides. I have chosen my side. I am comfortable with my decision. I do not think everyone on my side is a saint, but I know that those on the other side are much, much worse.

Sometimes a man with too broad a perspective reveals himself as having no real perspective at all. A man who tries too hard to see every side may be a man who is trying to avoid choosing any side. A man who tries too hard to seek a deeper truth may be trying to hide from the truth he already knows. That is not a sign of intellectual sophistication and "great thinking". It is a demonstration of moral degeneracy and cowardice."

- Steven Den Beste

"As I've Aged"

"As I've Aged"

Author Unknown

“You ask me how it feels to grow older. I’ve learned a few things along the way, which I’ll share with you...

As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of many years ago, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things. Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong. So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it). May our friendship never come apart especially when it’s straight from the heart!”

"Mama Has Settled Down To Die, Then An Old Friend Shows Up"

Full screen recommended.

"Mama Has Settled Down To Die, 

Then An Old Friend Shows Up"

"The 59-year-old chimpanzee Mama was very ill and stopped taking food and drink at the Royal Burgers Zoo in Arnhem, Netherlands. Professor of Behavioral Biology, Jan van Hoof has known Mama since 1972. In the video he visits to say goodbye to her. Mama is asleep, but is slowly awakened by Jan. When she sees who is visiting, she lights up. She takes the food she has previously refused to eat. In the video, the old friends are enjoying and kidding each other before Jan finally takes one last goodbye. Mama died one week after the visit."

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The Daily "Near You?"

Ellensburg, Washington, USA. Thanks for stopping by!

"The Monstrous Thing..."

"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. And all the while a meter is running inside and there is no hand that can reach in there and shut it off."

- Henry Miller, “Tropic of Cancer”

Freely download “Tropic of Cancer”, by Henry Miller, here:

- https://gertrudesteinsite.files.wordpress.com/

"The Soul of Liberty"

"The landing of Roger Williams in 1636" by Alonzo Chappel

"The Soul of Liberty"

by Addison Wiggin

“Human nature being what it is in the world is always going

 to face challenges, especially in preserving freedom.”

- Steve Forbes

"A short history lesson. In 1636 the English-born American theologian Roger Williams landed in what is now the state of Rhode Island. Having fled the Puritan-led Massachusetts colony, Roger Williams founded a city upon a hill and called it Providence. The new town’s mantra: Hope.

Simple, resounding, and looking to the future. Full of hope, Roger Williams created Providence on the grounds that: "No person within the said colony, at any time hereafter, shall be in any wise molested, punished, disquieted, or called in question, for any differences in opinion, in matter of religion, who do not actually disturb the civil peace of our said colony; but that all and every person and persons may, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, freely and fully have and enjoy his own and their own judgments and consciences, in matters of religious concernments, throughout the tract of land hereafter mentioned, they behaving themselves peaceably and quietly and not using this liberty to licentiousness and profaneness, nor to the civil injury or outward disturbance of others."

He called it “soul freedom.” At the time it was the largest liberty event in the New World, setting the standard in our blessed Thirteen Colonies for what civil liberties in America should look like – not to mention his fair treatment of the native peoples.

Almost a century later the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America echoed Williams’ declarations, reading: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

By now we have the First memorized… If you don’t, you ought to, for it is our God-given, Madison-written, Franklin-scrawled right!"

- https://5minforecast.com/

"It May Be Necessary..."

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. 

In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, 

so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, 

how you can still come out of it." 

- Maya Angelou

"Above All..."

"Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love. " 

- Fyodor Dostoevsky, "The Brothers Karamazov"

o

"Cause even with good people, even with people that you can kinda trust, if the truth is inconvenient, and if the truth doesn't, like, fit, they don't believe it."

- Marie Adler

"How It Really Is"

 

"Get To Meijer Now! Massive Grocery Sales! One Dollar Items Everywhere!"

Full screen recommended.

Adventures With Danno, 4/23/26

"Get To Meijer Now! Massive Grocery Sales! 

One Dollar Items Everywhere!"

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"Why 37% of Americans Can't Cover a $400 Emergency"

Full screen recommended.

Independent Financial Historian, 4/23/26

"Why 37% of Americans Can't Cover a $400 Emergency"

"In 1973, the average American worker had powerful financial shock absorbers: union wages with cost-of-living adjustments, guaranteed pensions, affordable fixed mortgages, and high-paying manufacturing jobs. Today, 37% of Americans can't even cover a $400 emergency. What exactly happened to the working-class safety net over the last half-century? Discover the 50-year economic history of how these financial shields were methodically stripped away and replaced with fee-driven financial products. We explore the four specific strategies that actually helped families survive the brutal inflation of the 1970s - and why mastering a skilled trade remains the last untouchable safety net in today's economy. 

This video is for educational and entertainment purposes only. I am not a financial advisor. Please conduct your own due diligence and consult with a professional before making any investment decisions. The video is based on publicly available research from multiple online sources; accuracy may change over time. AI was used for creating this video. Please do your own research, verify details with qualified professionals."

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"Buyers Can't Take It Anymore, Housing Market Collapse Accelerating"

Full screen recommended.

Michael Bordenaro, 4/23/26

"Buyers Can't Take It Anymore,

 Housing Market Collapse Accelerating"

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Dan, I Allegedly, "It’s Happening Now! 3.2 Million Repossessions"

Full screen recommended.

Dan, I Allegedly, 4/23/26

"It’s Happening Now! 3.2 Million Repossessions"

"The auto industry is undergoing a massive shift as the Federal Trade Commission cracks down on deceptive pricing practices, forcing dealerships to disclose full, all-inclusive vehicle prices upfront. Hidden fees like documentation charges, destination costs, and surprise add-ons are being targeted, with dozens of dealerships already receiving warnings and fines. This move could completely reshape how cars are bought and sold, eliminating one of the most frustrating parts of the car-buying experience. At the same time, a financial storm is building beneath the surface. Auto loan delinquencies are surging, and repossessions are on track to exceed 3.2 million - levels not seen since the Great Recession. With record-high car payments, rising interest rates, and extended loan terms, millions of Americans are struggling to keep up. In this video, Dan breaks down what’s really happening in the car market, why it matters, and what it means for your financial future."

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18 Shocking Facts That Prove That The U.S. Economy Is In Far Worse Shape Than Most People Realize"

by Michael Snyder

"The economy has been the number one issue for U.S. voters for several years in a row, and it isn’t because things are good. Consumer confidence is at an all-time low, inflation is starting to accelerate once again, mass layoffs are being conducted all over the nation, and delinquencies and foreclosures are soaring. Nobody can dispute any of the facts that I am about to share with you. We have an enormous economic mess on our hands, and now the crisis in the Middle East threatens to plunge the entire global economic system into chaos in the months ahead. In other words, conditions are not good now and the outlook for the future is not promising at all. The following are 18 shocking facts that prove that the U.S. economy is in far worse shape than most people realize…

#1 Consumer confidence in the United States has fallen to an all-time record low… Consumer confidence plunged to a record low in April as fears mounted over rising energy prices and the broader impact of the Iran war, according to a University of Michigan survey Friday. The university’s headline index of consumer sentiment tumbled to 47.6, down 10.7% from the March survey to its lowest on record. Current conditions and expectations indexes also saw double-digit monthly declines.

#2 Student loan delinquencies have exploded to a level that we have never seen before…Student loan delinquency has climbed to roughly 25 percent of borrowers with payments due during the first year of the current Trump administration, according to new analysis. Researchers from The Century Foundation and Protect Borrowers said the sharp rise in missed payments, nearly triple the pre-coronavirus pandemic rate, has pushed millions into default risk and lowered credit scores, warning of broader financial fallout for households and colleges facing higher nonpayment rates.

#3 The monthly cost of owning a home has risen to absurd heights… All in, the median monthly housing payment for an owner - including mortgage principal and interest, taxes, homeowners insurance, and estimated maintenance expenses - has ballooned to more than $2,800, a staggering 72% jump from $1,635 six years earlier.

#4 Foreclosure filings were way up in 2025, and so far in 2026 we are 26 percent above last year’s pace…A fresh wave of foreclosures is sweeping across the United States, with more than 118,000 homes caught up in the crisis in just the first three months of 2026. It is a grim omen – with echoes of the run up to the 2008 Great Recession – that financial pressure is mounting for thousands of families. New Attom data shows 118,727 properties were hit with a foreclosure filing in the first quarter – up 26 percent on the same period last year.

#5 The number of Americans that cannot pay their credit card bills in full each month has reached another record high…More than 111 million people could not pay off their monthly credit-card bills in full at the end of last year, marking a new record, according to new estimates from consumer advocates. That’s roughly 2 million more people unable to pay in full compared to the end of 2024, they noted. These card holders now owe banks more than $1 trillion - and most are inching closer to maxing out their credit lines, according to researchers at the Century Foundation, a progressive think tank, and Protect Borrowers, a nonprofit group that advocates for borrowers.

#6 As the cost of living soars, people are pulling money out of their 401(k) plans at a record rate in a desperate attempt to make ends meet… More Americans are digging into their retirement savings because of financial emergencies. Last year, a record 6% of workers in 401(k) plans administered by Vanguard Group took a hardship withdrawal. That is up from 4.8% in 2024 and a prepandemic average of about 2%, according to Vanguard.

#7 Food prices continue to escalate, and the price of coffee has more than doubled since 2019…A 16-item basket of groceries made up of staples like eggs, bread, and meat - no truffle cheese in our cart - rang in nearly 43% higher in March compared to the same month in 2019. A few key categories are behind the rise: Coffee prices have more than doubled since the pandemic, while beef prices have soared more recently.

#8 For the first time ever, the price of a pound of ground beef is now higher than the federal minimum wage in many parts of the country…The cost of a pound of ground beef has hit a major threshold. Depending on where you shop, the grocery staple likely costs more than the federal minimum wage. Money analyzed ground beef prices at seven of the most popular grocery chains across the U.S., finding that 1 pound of the typical 20% fat ground beef costs between $6.49 and $8.96. Organic, grass-fed and leaner varieties tend to cost much more. On the other hand, the federal minimum wage sits at $7.25 per hour.

#9 The Federal Reserve is telling us that 42.5 percent of recent college graduates were underemployed at the end of 2025… Historically, college graduates have tended to find jobs faster and experience lower unemployment than workers without a degree. But recent data suggests it’s now harder to find a job that fits your skill set once you graduate.

According to the Federal Reserve of New York, 42.5% of recent college graduates (aged 22 to 27 with a bachelor’s degree or higher) are underemployed as of December 2025 — the highest rate since October 2020. Underemployment refers to working in a role that underutilizes your skills, usually at a lower wage or in a part-time position.

#10 We continue to see retailers close locations all over the nation at a staggering rate. For example, Grocery Outlet has announced that they will be permanently closing 36 stores… Grocery Outlet – the California-based retailer famous for selling products at steep discounts – says it will close 36 stores nationwide as part of a sweeping restructuring plan designed to improve profitability. The company revealed the move while reporting its latest financial results, saying it had conducted a ‘strategic, financial and operational analysis’ of its entire store network.

#11 Not to be outdone, Papa John’s has announced that they will be closing approximately 300 restaurants… Pizza chain Papa John’s said it plans to close hundreds of underperforming restaurants in North America by the end of next year. “We have identified approximately 300 underperforming restaurants across North America that are not meeting brand expectations or lack a clear path to sustainable financial improvement, as well as locations where we can effectively transfer sales to a nearby restaurant,” Papa John’s Chief Financial Officer Ravi Thanawala said last week during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call.

#12 One of our “too big to fail” banks has decided that now is the time to cut about 2,500 jobs… Morgan Stanley is slashing about 3% of its global workforce - roughly 2,500 jobs - across its key divisions, as the Wall Street giant realigns priorities amid a banner year for profits, sources familiar with the matter have told The Post. The cuts hit the Ted Pick-led lender’s investment banking, trading, and wealth management units, the people close to the situation said.

#13 EBay will be conducting yet another round of layoffs. This time around approximately 800 workers will get the axe… EBay said Thursday it is cutting about 800 roles, or 6% of its workforce, in the latest round of layoffs at the e-commerce company. “We are taking steps to reinvest across our business and align our structure with our strategic priorities, which will affect certain roles across our workforce,” an eBay spokesperson said in a statement. “We are grateful for the contributions of the employees impacted and are committed to supporting them with care and respect.”

#14 At one time Wendy’s was doing great, but in 2026 it will be permanently shuttering hundreds of locations…Fast-food chain Wendy’s will shutter 5% to 6% of its stores nationwide in the first half of 2026 as part of an ongoing downsizing plan. Interim CEO Ken Cook first told investors in a Nov. 7 quarterly earnings call that the company would be closing a “mid single-digit percentage” of its nearly 6,000 locations nationwide.

#15 Meta, the parent company of Facebook, apparently intends to let nearly 8,000 employees go in the very near future…Meta is preparing to cut thousands of jobs as early as next month, with deeper layoffs expected later this year, according to a report. The tech giant intends to slash roughly 10% of its global workforce - or nearly 8,000 employees - in an initial round of cuts on May 20, sources told Reuters. The company is also planning additional layoffs in the second half of the year, though details including timing and scope remain unclear, the outlet reported.

#16 From coast to coast, thousands of supply chain workers have been told to hit the bricks in recent weeks…A wave of layoffs across U.S. supply chains - from EV battery plants and auto parts factories to warehouses and rail terminals - has affected nearly 4,000 workers in recent weeks, according to company announcements and WARN filings across multiple states. Recent WARN filings and company announcements show job cuts across at least a dozen companies in states including California, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Ohio, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Alabama.

The largest layoffs in the recent wave are coming from the automotive and industrial supply chain. SK Battery America said it laid off 958 workers - about 37% of its workforce - at its electric vehicle battery plant in Commerce, Georgia, citing shifting EV demand as automakers reassess production plans.

#17 According to Newsweek, the following list of companies have all announced layoffs during the month of April…

Blue Shield of California

Zenith Logistics

Perdue Foods

ERN Services

Boston Electrometallurgical Corporation

First Brands Group

GEODIS

MicroVision

IPIC Theaters

Goulet Trucking

CJ Logistics

L3Harris

Supernal

Heritage Bank of Commerce

Angel City Brewery

VCA Bay Area Veterinary Specialists

Monroe Operations

Meteor Creative

Viskon-Aire Corporation

C3.ai

Safari West

Main Street Sports Group Cincinnati

Raley’s

Koppers

Wells Fargo

Lucid Group

Hornblower Cruises and Events

Charles River Laboratories

Wescom Financial

Bluum USA

CHS Northwest

Catalent

Liberty Dental Plan

GXO Logistics

#18 The total unfunded obligations of the U.S. government have now reached a staggering total of 130.12 trillion dollars… On March 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury quietly released the federal government’s fiscal year 2025 financial report. Buried in its tables is a number that should dominate our national conversation – but doesn’t: Total federal obligations now stand at $130.12 trillion.

That figure is not a rounding error or a political talking point. It is derived from the government’s own accounting – combining the reported negative net position (driven largely by bonded debt) with the present value of projected shortfalls in major social insurance programs. Yet public debate continues to revolve almost exclusively around the much smaller figure of Treasury securities outstanding.

There is no way that anyone can spin the facts that I have just shared with you to make them look good. So if conditions are already this bad, what will things be like six months from now if the Strait of Hormuz is still closed? We really are in unprecedented territory, and the truth is the economic conditions could easily get a lot worse during the months ahead."

- https://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/

Bill Bonner, "Vengeance, Thy Name Is Virginia"

"Vengeance, Thy Name Is Virginia"

by Bill Bonner

"To me belong vengeance and recompense; 

their foot shall slip in due time."

 - Deuteronomy

"Yesterday, a visit to the doctor took us to a waiting room with this sign attached: photo above. Gosh, we hope it doesn’t come to that...but you never know. Meanwhile, returning to our usual beat, Dan comments on how Virginia went from being a sovereign state to becoming a Deep State.

From 2006 to 2014, Abigail Spanberger was a CIA officer. She was elected to Congress in 2018. Suddenly it was the Democrats that were the party of National Security...having taken over the intelligence complex in the Obama years.

She becomes governor of Virginia last year. Republicans angry with Trump stayed home. Once in office, the governor and her cronies introduce a mid-census redistricting map that changes Virginia from a 6-5 state in the House to a 10-1 Democrat state... all the districts now originate in Arlington and Alexandria...where the bulk of well-paid Federal employees reside. The new map was passed by a referendum 51-49%. A circuit court judge has ruled the referendum unconstitutional and invalid. The case is off the Virginia Supreme Court. Democracy!

This is probably best understood in context. In summary, what goes around, comes around...and kicks you in the derriere. Republicans sought to give themselves a boost by redrawing electoral maps in Florida, Texas and North Carolina. Their feet must have slipped; Ms. Spanberger proved that both parties can play that game.

Donald Trump went further, trying to stretch federal power to control elections. There is absolutely no justification for it in the Constitution. Elections are left to the states. The feds have nothing to do with them.

Trump ignored the Constitution, proposing to create a national voter database - to be managed by the Post Office. But therein hangs the horror of Democratic Revenge. Trump greatly expanded White House power. Instead of waiting for Congress to discuss, debate and vote on a new law, he issued ‘executive orders’ - many of which were monumentally important. Some got us into wars. Some cost trillions of dollars. Some made huge changes to the world’s commerce. He fired off 255 of these edicts so far in his second term, as of April of this year. And now, whoever takes his place will have much more ammunition than his predecessors.

A Democratic victory in the House, in November, will turn The Donald into a lame duck. And then, House committees will have a field day...especially as Trump enters his 80s...making him look like a corrupt, doddery old fool. And it could get worse. A giant anti-Trump snapback in ’28 could result in a Democratic landslide.

Trump might save himself and his party by bailing out now...getting a pardon...and letting a more ordinary fellow - Vance - bring an air of calm and stability back to the nation. Then, he might have a good chance of winning in ‘28. The alternative - a Democratic resurgence - will be a time to settle scores. A time for retribution. Pay backs. Vengeful Democrats may be eager to scrub out any vestige of the Orangeman.

But here’s the critical part: they will use their newfound power as Trump did - to punish their enemies, further their own pet projects and buff out their own authority. Don’t expect more than a token revival of trans or DEI issues. They’ve seen that they are widely unpopular, even with traditional Democratic groups. And they are not critical to holding and wielding power.

Instead, our new Caesars will follow in the footsteps of the last one. Trump pushed for tax cuts on tips, Social Security, veterans, and overtime. He promised ‘dividend checks’ and ‘warrior dividends,’ stimmies, tax refunds and Trump accounts. How long will it take the Democrats to add a new Universal Basic Income to the giveaway list? And how long will it take them to approve big budgets for the Deep State’s key industries - the Pentagon and Homeland enforcers - as well as increases for Social Security, Medicare, affordable housing, and kindergartens? One thing you can count on: the decline of the degenerate empire will continue."

- https://www.bonnerprivateresearch.com/

“I once saw a snake having sex with a vulture, 

and I thought, It’s just business as usual in Washington DC.”

- Jarod Kintz

"Alert! War Will Restart In Days, It's Going To Be Much Worse"

Full screen recommended.

Canadian Prepper, 4/22/26

"Alert! War Will Restart In Days,

 It's Going To Be Much Worse"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"The Times, They are a Changin'... and Changin' and Changin'"

"The Times, They are a Changin'... 

and Changin' and Changin'"

by David Haggith

"President Trump redefined his indefinite ceasefire today to a definite 3-5-day timeframe, if 3-5 days can be called definite. Yesterday the schedule was “until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.” Now it’s 3-5 days.

It happens that 3-5 days is also just the right timeframe for the arrival of the third US aircraft carrier to the gulf region. The USS George HW Bush will be back on the prowl within hunting distance of Iran’s shores by this weekend. So, the now more defined Schmeasefire extension may have just been a tactical retreat to get ready for the next round in the Iran bakeoff … or it may just be enough time for Trump’s indigestion from his last TACOfest to settle down so he can eat more TACO.

Iran stopped two cargo ships from skirting the bend in the Hormuz to escape the gulf today by firing upon them. At the same time, it skirted the US Navy with dozens of oil-laden ships of its own by going dark, turning off their transponders. Apparently that simple trick worked. Most were on their way to market from Iranian ports but a number of the tankers were headed into Iranian ports to reload - all the exact kind Trump said he would completely stop.

Donald Trump’s naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is unraveling after dozens of Iranian vessels secretly slipped past US surveillance, even as the regime tightened its grip on the critical oil passageway by attacking three tankers.

Approximately 34 Iranian oil tankers have slipped through the blockade, with 19 vessels exiting the Persian Gulf past Trump’s navy and another 15 ships entering from the Arabian Sea toward Iran, according to the Financial Times. Six of those tankers were smuggling Iranian crude oil totaling 10.7 million barrels, estimated to be worth approximately $910 million in revenue for the regime…

This all happened despite President Trump declaring the barricade a “tremendous success.” So much winning it is hard for the Prez to announce it all as quickly as it isn’t happening. You have to get the news in before the news comes out that it didn’t, or you’ll never have the chance to brag about it.

Definitive victory hard to find: I noted yesterday there have been no goal successes in Trump’s war with Iran. Objectives in this war have always been as clear as the definitely indefinite deadlines and indefinitely definite extensions of those deadlines. We have more on that in another article today:

An army of yes men, in thrall to Donald Trump’s shifts of temper and short attention span, is hampering any prospect of peace with Iran. And with the president’s indefinite extension of a ceasefire [now more definitely indefinite] being announced on Tuesday, a day after he threatened to resume bombing, the White House’s claims of success are running out of road, insiders say.

In the past 48 hours alone, the US president claimed that a deal was “close”, before then saying it was out of reach. Typifying the confusion, JD Vance, the vice-president, was still at the White House, after Trump said on Sunday that his deputy was heading to Pakistan for talks with Iranian negotiators… “No one in the administration seems to know what’s going on. What the plans are. What we’re even aiming for now. It’s all just a giant clusterf... and there’s zero accountability, either,” a Trump-world source told The Telegraph.

Even Trump’s closest aides are struggling to keep pace with his updates on Truth Social, which have generated a lot of noise but no discernible diplomatic progress…Having long passed the “four to six weeks” he said the war would take, the constant mixed messaging and exaggerated claims about a deal point to one reality: there is no clear plan. What once looked like a calculated campaign to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb has deteriorated into daily updates with no consistency.

Part of the problem may be due to the war’s religious mandates as cast by the prophets of presidential profits: Pete Hegseth, the defense war secretary, has framed the combat operations as divinely sanctioned, repeatedly invoking religious rhetoric removed from pragmatic tactics or war doctrine. The president has even claimed that Hegseth does not want the war to end, telling journalists, “Pete didn’t want [the war] to be settled”, and that he was one of the first to throw support behind the initial bombing campaign.

Indeed, Pentagon Pete and his Priesthood of Apocalypse have been telling soldiers that the purpose of the war is to bring on Armageddon so Jesus will return sooner. (See “The President’s Prophet and the Pentagon’s High Priest Predict ARMAGEDDON!”)

An objective like that might explain why it is hard for the Trumpkins in the White House to pin a timeframe on the war or its various deadlines because, as people often quote from the prophets, “No man shall know the day nor the hour” of Jesus’ return. There could, therefore, be a number of extensions needed along the way to keep realigning the times of the man in the Pentagon with the time of God.

The president, of course, is a skilled author of chaos. “His posts are what are causing the chaos,” the diplomat said. “It’s good and bad but the bad has major effects. Behind every single tweet there is a reason for posting, often at the stock market.”

Many of the time changes in this war seem to have aligned much better with the timing of massive bets in the stock market, as has been reported now several times, leading to an investigation on insider trading in the White House. Trump says one thing about a deadline, and stocks trade one way. Then he makes a surprise announcement a day or two later, changing the deadline, and that sends stocks careening in the opposite direction. The one thing that has operated like clockwork is that, each time, about fifteen minutes before Trump posts his major reversal, hundreds of millions of dollars in bets are cast in favor of the market reversing, which it always does. These have been great trades for those with the privilege to make them.

Maybe that is why the war is being fought as it is. It’s great for swinging the market wildly and betting on the swings right before you know the next announcement is coming to make it swing the other way. The people with privilege are making bank on the war.

It’s not been so great for the war: Behind the presidential podium in Cross Hall of the White House on April 1, Trump addressed the nation and told the US that its military objectives were almost complete and that the war was “very close” to being over. Yet, 21 days later – and 52 days since the first strikes were launched – the same roadblocks remain. (More to follow below on the biggest and least-recognized danger for oil in Trump’s on-and-off-again approach.)"

- https://www.thedailydoom.com/

Bob Dylan, "The Times They Are A-Changin'"

"Doug Casey on Tax Day, Inflation, and the War on the Middle Class"

"Doug Casey on Tax Day, Inflation, 

and the War on the Middle Class"

by International Man

"International Man: Tax Day just passed on April 15th. What does it say about a society when productive people must spend part of every spring calculating how much tribute they owe the State?

Doug Casey: It's said that nothing is certain except death and taxes. But let's reserve a conversation about the inevitability of death for another day.

Taxes are not only unnecessary for running a civil society, but evil (Click here for a free copy of "Market for Liberty"). Nobody discusses the moral dimensions of taxation. People only talk about vacuous technical details. Are taxes too high or too low? Should the rich be taxed more? How should taxes be spent? People accept the institution of the State, with its coercion, taxes, and inflated currency, as part of the cosmic firmament. What passes for a philosophical discussion is whether you should support the equally loathsome Democrats or Republicans.

The "powers that be" actually want to destroy the middle class. That’s not something they’d say, but the elite would prefer a society with a small number of themselves supported by a sufficient number of proles but without a troublesome middle class. They don’t like having to rub shoulders with masses of hoi polloi when they visit St Mark’s Square in Venice or Machu Picchu in Peru. They want just enough service personnel around to make it an enjoyable experience. The elite see the middle class as an enemy and a risk to their high status. They agree with Lenin, who said the middle class should be ground between the millstones of taxes and inflation.

Lenin understood that taxes made it hard for the proletariat to accumulate capital. And since their savings are in fiat currency, inflation - a more subtle form of taxation - destroys the value of whatever they manage to save.

The State, as Mao said, comes out of the barrel of a gun. Since it’s based on coercion, it’s only natural that some form of socialism, or at least fascism - state capitalism - is their preferred way to organize society. Currency inflation, income taxes, and debt have enabled governments to get completely out of control. The prognosis is not good.

International Man: There seems to be growing public discontent over taxes. Do you see that as healthy skepticism, or the early stages of people realizing the system itself is fundamentally predatory?

Doug Casey: I'd like to believe that the average person is starting to understand that the State itself is the problem. But that would be overly optimistic. Americans have been indoctrinated over the years to think that government is benevolent, that it’s "we the people". They get to vote every four years and have the illusion that they can change things. But really, it's only a choice between Tweedledee and Tweedledum. In the last election, the Uniparty offered Boobus Americanus the choice between Kamala Harris, simultaneously an ideological communist and a loopy dingbat. And Donald Trump, who is increasingly revealing himself as a megalomaniac and state capitalist in the tradition of Benito Mussolini. Perhaps, assuming there’s an election in 2028, we’ll be offered a choice between Josef Stalin and Adolph Hitler.

International Man: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently said Americans could get a "real wage increase" by adjusting their withholding. What are your thoughts on this? Does this tap into a growing public feeling that taxes have gotten so high that keeping more of your own paycheck now feels like relief?

Doug Casey: It was clever of the government to initiate withholding taxes in 1943, as a "temporary" wartime measure. Since then, the average American not only doesn’t have to write a check to the government on April 15th, but typically gets money back from the government. Scott Bessent proved himself intellectually dishonest and a liar, phrasing an adjustment in withholding as a wage increase. But it’s what should be expected from a member of the elite, a shill for the Uniparty.

It’s part of an overweening narrative of lies. The great COVID hysteria stole trillions of dollars from society. But many people learned to love and rely on the government more, as a friend and protector, when it gave them piddling relief checks. Some believe AI will create mass unemployment; there's a movement to institute UBI or Universal Basic Income. That’s just great. It will relieve millions of any lingering notions of personal responsibility. The sheep will believe that State welfare is natural, necessary, and good.

International Man: How long can the middle class survive being squeezed between higher taxes and rising inflation before it’s simply bled out of existence?

Doug Casey: Government as an institution is genetically programmed to grow. Bureaucrats move up to the next pay grade by getting more people to supervise, which requires more taxes to enable all the wonderful things that the government does. The prime directive of all living things, whether we’re talking about amoebas, individuals, corporations, or governments, is: Survive. Unfortunately, since governments don’t produce, the only way they can survive (barring conquering and looting a foreign country) is to tax, borrow, and inflate their fiat currencies. The middle class - not the proletariat or the elite - bears the burden. The State destroying the middle class, the most productive part of society, is like the parasite destroying its host.

International Man: Why do so many Americans still tolerate crushing taxes when the government’s real talent seems to be wasting capital and punishing productivity?

Doug Casey: Most Americans have betrayed the idea of America. Americans have been thoroughly indoctrinated with collectivist philosophy over many generations. They've come to conflate the State with society, thinking that they're the same thing. In fact, the State is a dead hand on society and the enemy of the common man. Now, in the 21st century, most Americans are directly or indirectly reliant upon the government. If the government collapses under its unrepayable debt, and its currency loses all value, I doubt Americans will see the State as the problem. Perversely, they’ll see it as the only possible solution. They’ll clamor for a much stronger government offering more benefits, run by a Big Man who seems to have all the answers.

What can you do about this accelerating trend? April 15th has passed, and you’ve calculated how much you owe the State to tighten the noose around your neck. You should be both angry and ashamed. I certainly am. We do what we can, but it’s not much. We know that protesting too loudly or not paying enough will result in bankruptcy or incarceration.

I’ve offered palliatives in the past, and I expect to do so in the future. But increasing, or at least preserving, your personal wealth doesn’t solve the bigger problem - namely, that you're being hunted by a giant predator, slowly eaten by a parasite. And that predator is getting hungrier, the parasite is becoming more virulent. What’s the ultimate solution? Nothing, I fear, that’s either safe or legal."

- https://internationalman.com/

Musical Interlude: 2002, "Through the Rainbow"

Full screen recommended.

2002, "Through the Rainbow"

Beautiful...

"A Look to the Heavens"

"Some spiral galaxies are seen nearly sideways. Most bright stars in spiral galaxies swirl around the center in a disk, and seen from the side, this disk can appear quite thin. Some spiral galaxies appear even thinner than NGC 3717, which is actually seen tilted just a bit. Spiral galaxies form disks because the original gas collided with itself and cooled as it fell inward. Planets may orbit in disks for similar reasons.

The featured image by the Hubble Space Telescope shows a light-colored central bulge composed of older stars beyond filaments of orbiting dark brown dust. NGC 3717 spans about 100,000 light years and lies about 60 million light years away toward the constellation of the Water Snake (Hydra)."

- https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191112.html

Chet Raymo, “Strange”

“Strange”

by Chet Raymo

“In a review in the “New York Times” Book Review, Daniel Handler writes: “And strange? Well, let’s get this straight: All great books are strange. Every lasting work of literature since the very weird “Beowulf” has been strange, not only because it grapples with the strangeness around us, but also because the effect of originality is startling, making even the oldest books feel like brand new stories.”

Strange: Out-of-the-ordinary, unusual, curious. “The strangeness around us,” says Handler. There is a paradox here. What could be less strange than the world around us? It is the same world that was here yesterday, and the day before that. More to the point: It is a world ruled by law. Inviolable causal bonds. That’s what makes science possible.

And yet, and yet. I walk wary. Strangeness lurks on ever side. Strangeness leaps out of every pebble in the path, every wildflower, every spider web flung between weedy stalks. In the midst of the utterly ordinary the extraordinary abounds. Nothing is so commonplace as to be common. The strangeness of the world, as in literature, has its source in the head, in the convoluted interaction of mind with world. Strange, that we should be here, strangers in a strange land, pilgrims on our own yellow brick roads where nothing is ordinary because everything is perceived through the filter of a unique consciousness.

And strange? Well, let’s get this straight. I hope never to lose the capacity to see the strangeness in the familiar, the curious in the everyday, the exception in the unexceptional. 

“I do not expect a miracle, 

or an accident, 

to set the sight on fire...” 

wrote Silvia Plath. Just being here is enough. Just being here is surpassing strange.”

- http://blog.sciencemusings.com/

o

"There are some oddities in the perspective with which we see the world. The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 93 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be."

- Douglas Adams