An eucalyptus in bloompic.twitter.com/ID5wvFC9te
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) October 17, 2025
How the Horse came to be Ridden 3 Quarks Daily
Google claims its latest quantum algorithm can outperform supercomputers on a real-world task Phys.org
First Shape Found That Can’t Pass Through Itself Quanta Magazine
Clinical trial of a technique that could give everyone the best antibodies Ars Technica
COVID-19/Pandemics
Vaccine Skeptics Said That COVID Shots Would Cause Mass Death. We’re Still Here. Reason
‘Long Covid’ symptoms people are still experiencing to this day have changed an ‘entire generation’ Tyla
Climate/Environment
Scientists have puzzled over what happens to plastic as it breaks down in the ocean – our new study helps explain the mystery The Conversation
Whale and dolphin migrations are being disrupted by climate change Ars Technica
South of the Border
Inside Marco Rubio’s Push for Regime Change in Venezuela Drop Site News
U.S. sanctions Colombia’s president, deploys aircraft carrier in new escalation in Latin America Los Angeles Times
Argentina goes to polls amid economic crisis and Trump ‘interference’ The Guardian
China?
😄Chinese people exercise in parks #China pic.twitter.com/lIYhQXcU4N
— China Perspective (@China_Fact) October 25, 2025
China seeks self-reliance in science in next five-year plan NatureWorld’s Largest Aircraft Carrier Taking Shape at China’s Dailian Shipyard: What Capabilities Are Expected? Military Watch Magazine
Can the West break China’s grip on rare earths? DW
Invisible luxury: How China’s affluent are spending on intangibles Jing Daily
India
India conducts trial cloud seeding flight over New Delhi as smog persists Andolu Agency
Semiconductor push: India ramps up high-tech chip production for CCTVs, servers, HPC; Rs 200 crore investment planned Times of India
Africa
Vacuum of Influence: Western Withdrawal and the Rise of New Powers in Africa Robert Lansing Institute
South Africa Seeking Massive Sum From Investors To Fund Costly Formula 1 Return SI.com
European Disunion
The Final Split: How Europe Broke Apart Over Gaza Fair Observer
Draghi pushes ‘pragmatic federalism’ to get Europe out of its predicament Politico
The ticking bomb of European rearmament Middle East Eye
Connolly declared president of Ireland after landslide win BBC
Old Blighty
Factionalism, farce and chaos dog Reform UK in the garden of England The Guardian
Why electricity costs so much in the UK (it’s not all about the weather) TechXplore
Israel v. Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iran
Norman Finkelstein absolutely demolished Al Arabiya’s propaganda — exposing their hypocrisy, bias, and moral bankruptcy over Gaza. Calm but ruthless, he turned their “interview” into a masterclass in truth. pic.twitter.com/ciXzwkWHyc
— Ounka (@OunkaOnX) October 24, 2025
Why Is Trump’s ‘Peace Plan’ Focused on Deradicalizing Palestinians, Not Israelis? ZeteoUnexploded ordnance in Gaza wounds children despite ceasefire SCMP
Gaza faces harsh winter as Israel blocks aid, UNRWA warns Andolu Agency
Israeli settlers attack more Palestinians as olive harvest violence surges Al Jazeera
New Not-So-Cold War
Rand Paul: Trump could see ‘all hell break loose’ with further involvement in Ukraine, Venezuela The Hill
On Ukraine and Venezuela, Trump needs to dump the sycophants Responsible Statecraft
Ukraine: Donald Trump pivots again The Week
RAND Urges for Major Chinese Re-Think Amidst Widespread Recognition of China’s Awakening Simplicius Substack
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
The rise of “catch a cheater” apps exploits our worst human tendencies The Verge
Imperial Collapse Watch
County takes another step in creating tiny homes for the homeless in Lemon Grove ABC News San Diego
Ohio reports alarming uptick in deadly synthetic opioids, including carfentanil WLWT Cincinnati
Trump 2.0
Trump adds 10 percent tariff on Canada amid Reagan ad spat The Hill
Trump Humiliates Mike Johnson Behind Closed Doors Daily Beast
What was in the East Wing of the White House before Trump demolished it? Yahoo News
Bannon Says Trump Will Run for an Illegal 3rd Term Because ‘He’s a Vehicle of Divine Providence’ Scheerpost
Musk Matters
Musk’s ad chief at X departs after just 10 months TechCrunch
Elon Musk Wants $1 Trillion to Build a “Robot Army” at Tesla truthout
Tesla rival claims company won’t even make cars in ten years Teslarati
Democrat Death Watch
‘I am not done’ – Kamala Harris tells BBC she may run for president again BBC
Democrats in the wilderness Deseret News
Immigration
Federal immigration agents deploy tear gas in Chicago’s Irving Park and Avondale neighborhoods Chicago Tribune
Deadly crash in California renews federal criticism of immigrant truck drivers PBS News
What Trump’s federal crackdown looks like in 5 US cities USA Today
Our No Longer Free Press
Conservative content creators doubt YouTube’s free speech turnaround: ‘Just lip service’ Washington Examiner
Israel Bars Int’l Journalists, Aims to Erase Gaza Evidence Miragenews.com
Mr. Market Is Moody
Central banks ditch US dollar for gold Cryptopolitan
Wall Street Is Worried About an AI Bubble—Here’s the Sector Where Stock Prices Really Stand Out Investopedia
U.S. national debt hits $38 trillion, driving mortgage rates higher The Economic Times
AI
The browser wars are back, and this time they’re powered by AI TechCrunch
Teen sues AI tool maker over fake nude images Fox News
Florida Unleashes Autonomous Police Cruisers That Deploy Thermal Imaging Drones Futurism
North Korea’s AI-Powered Hackers Are Redefining Crypto Crime CoinDesk
AI for Science Team Achieves Breakthroughs in Materials Discovery: Business Opportunities in AI-Driven Research Blockchain News
The Bezzle
High-stakes poker scam used rigged card shufflers, X-ray tables, and special glasses The Register
Half-siblings discover fertility fraud, doctor used his own sperm instead of donor WKRC/CNN Newsource
Guillotine Watch
The 5 most expensive cocktails in the world #top5 #expensive #cocktail #cocktails pic.twitter.com/qdwu50jdYz
— Top5expensive (@top5expensive) August 24, 2025
Billionaire Vodka: $3,700,000.
It is a five-liter bottle of vodka though, so at least you can get a little more for your money. pic.twitter.com/eVQyJo5lge— ♱ 𝒜𝓁ℯ𝓍 𝒯𝒸𝒽ℯ𝓃𝓀ℴ𝓋 ♱ (@luke_parodrp) August 8, 2023
Antidote du jour (via)
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here
“In a real casino, the house always wins.”
Not when it’s run by Donald Trump
It Is Trump’s Casino Economy Now. You’ll Probably Lose. (NY TImes)
I wonder if the White House grounds would be big enough for Donny to build a casino on? Only billionaires allowed in of course.
“What was in the East Wing of the White House before Trump demolished it?”
‘According to the White House Historical Association, “a comprehensive digital scanning project” and photographic record of the East Wing and gardens was conducted after Trump announced his ballroom project in July. The association told PBS that historic artifacts from the East Wing “have been preserved and stored.” ‘
At least someone had some brains to do this before the place got bulldozed. True, that wing was only about 120 years old but it still meant something. Pity that the Rose garden has been lost-
‘The Rose Garden used to feature a green lawn flanked by elegant magnolias and rows of rosebushes, commissioned by the Kennedys. However, the president transformed it into a “Rose Garden Club,” paving over the lawn and adding white chairs topped with Mar-a-Lago-style yellow and white umbrellas.’
https://people.com/before-and-after-pictures-of-changes-donald-trump-is-making-to-the-white-house-11835181
Apparently Trump complained that women wearing high heels found it hard to walk on the grass so paved over it with tiles.
I certainly hope the Big Milhouski’s addition to the White House was unharmed…
https://www.whitehousehistory.org/photos/president-richard-nixon-bowling-at-the-white-house-in-1970
Trump Humiliates Mike Johnson Behind Closed Doors Daily Beast
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mikenocchio is an interesting study, as if Clark Kent emerged out of the phone booth into Super(Ralph Reed)Man, in complete lockstep with all of his puppeteer’s myriad of mistruths, one of his superpowers being the ability to remember layered lies.
There are no known sources of Kryptonite on this wonderful orb, so it looks like we’re stuck with him for the time being.
>Trump Humiliates Mike Johnson Behind Closed Doors
Johnson vibes like someone that would enjoy that…
‘Please, sir. I’d like some more.’
>billionaire vodka
I went down a rabbit hole and I’m pretty sure this isn’t a real thing.
It only appears in poor quality websites & slopshops
The creator is one “Leon Verres” who seems to exist only as an Instagram account with 3 posts and a terrible website with AI-looking photos and AI-reading text. Also features other products such as a dress made of credit cards (also looks AI)
https://www.leonverres.international
Finally, I think Leon Verres (initials LV) is a take on Louis Vuitton.
The picture of the 3000 diamond vodka (both in the embedded tweet and any other places I found it) looks crappy as heck.
I think it’s someone’s ironic joke.
“World’s Largest Aircraft Carrier Taking Shape at China’s Dailian Shipyard: What Capabilities Are Expected?”
There is one capability that the Chinese are excelling at – launching aircraft and drones using electromagnetic catapult systems. Kevin Walmsley came out the other day with a report on this development because he thought that it was so significant-
https://kdwalmsley.substack.com/p/revolutionary-catapult-gives-chinese
The US Navy still has to launch their F-35s using steam catapults and are really behind. Lots of damning facts in this article.
Re; ‘I am not done’ – Kamala Harris tells BBC she may run for president again
“Genocide Will Continue”: Fury Grows as Harris Vows to Keep Biden’s Gaza Policy
Never forget.
Another instance of verification of marxist class analysis. The conclusion is support your artists financially but not too much because then they become WEF-globalists. Prime example is Bono who hangs around with any Epstein-paedophile he can encounter.
https://www.tmz.com/2025/10/25/justin-trudeau-katy-perry-paris-france/
Maybe she gets the Mick Jagger treatment next time she performs in Canada?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9-U4zhsQrCE&pp=ygUSSmFnZ2VyIHRydWRlYXUgYm9v
I am so old I remember when Madam Trudeau was partying with the band. The Trudeaus build a swimming pool. Pierre pours the cement and Margaret lays the stones. # 74 https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/mick-jagger-80-wildest-coolest-outrageous-moments-48833/mick-causes-an-international-scandal-for-reportedly-dallying-with-margaret-trudeau-48840/
County takes another step in creating tiny homes for the homeless in Lemon Grove
This boondoggle is about 500 meters from where my family lived on the last lemon grove in Lemon Grove until the state bought the land to turn it into a freeway interchange.
To say that this area is and has always been an undesirable neighborhood is a vast understatement.
The project proposes to house 60 people.
I can spot 60 unhoused people within a 2 kilometer radius of this area within 20 minutes.
No lie.
To call this more than a drop in the bucket just for the Lemon Grove/ Spring Valley area, much less for San Diego County, is laughable.
An actual solution to the shelter problem that is always rejected out of hand is a massive expansion of small trailer parks.
This is last stand of NIMBYism in Southern California.
“The browser wars are back, and this time they’re powered by AI”
I’m trying to think of a good reason to use a ChatGPT-powered browser. Gimme a minute………Nope, I’ve got nothing. And then there is bit in that brief article-
‘It’s one of the biggest browser launches in recent memory, but it’s debuting with an unsolved security flaw that could expose passwords, emails, and sensitive data.’
At first, I was afraid, I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never win with Walz by my side
But then I spent so many nights thinking how the voters did me wrong
And I grew strong, and I learned how to get along
And so i’m back from nabbing second place
I just walked in to find you out Trump had unburdened Secret Service in haste
I should have changed that stupid lock
I should have made another key
If I’d have known for just one second he’d be back to bother me
Go on now, go. Open up the 2028 door
Joe, just turn around now ’cause you’re not welcome anymore
Weren’t you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?
Did you think I’d crumble?
Did you think I’d lay down and die?
Oh, no, not I
I will survive
Oh, as long as I know how to sell (nudge nudge wink wink) books I know I’ll stay alive
I’ve got all my life to live
I’ve got all my word salad to give
And I’ll survive
I will survive, hey, hey
It took all the strength I had for my campaign not to fall apart
Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken part
And I spent, oh, so many nights just feeling sorry for myself
I used to cry, but now I hold my head up high
And you see me somebody new
I’m not that dithering little person that turned off you
And so I felt like dropping in
And just expect me to be President in trying again
And now I’m saving all my hope for the Donkey Show loving me anew
Oh, no, not I
I will survive
Oh, as long as I know how to sell (nudge nudge wink wink) books I know I’ll stay alive
I’ve got all my life to live
I’ve got all my word salad to give
And I’ll survive
I will survive, hey, hey
I Will Survive, by Gloria Gaynor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHhZPp08s74&list=RDFHhZPp08s74&start_radio=1
Why electricity costs so much in the UK (it’s not all about the weather) TechXplore
I believe the article is fair enough but something should we added when one compares electricity prices between countries. I am not sure if this article is comparing apples to apples. Is it comparing the actual bills that households have to pay or the average cost in terms of let’s say pounds/kWh?. This makes a difference because average demand, is about 12600 kWh/year in the US, 6500 kWh/year in France or 4130 kWh/year in the UK. With such differences. IMO, this suggests that in the UK less money in per capita terms has to be invested to improve the grid or to reduce curtailment to obtain similar results compared with the US or France. On the other hand, because economies of scale, these investments in the UK have to be more carefully thought. I don’t know, may be my head is overheated.
Michael Hudson has been using the term Automatic Intelligence, but I think that still misses the key point. How about The browser wars are back, but this time they are powered by Average Intelligence.