How SOS Became the Universal Distress Signal Laughing Squid
Dictionary.com’s word of the year is ‘6-7.’ But is it even a word? AP
Mathematical proof debunks the idea that the universe is a computer simulation Phys.org
Climate/Environment
The 2025 state of the climate report: a planet on the brink BioScience
Global tree cover loss due to fires surged by 370% compared to 2023 Down to Earth
2 dead after being found in flooded basements as New York City sees record rainfall CBS New York
IMF ready to help Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa if needed The Gleaner
Bill Gates calls for ‘strategic pivot’ in climate change fight away from curbing emissions NBC News
I wanted to offer some thoughts on the Gates climate memo that has been circulating this week. While I can’t directly speak for others, I can say that my own response is one of dismay & deep frustration (and that this view is shared by many climate/Earth scientists). [1/n]
— Dr. Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) October 30, 2025
Pandemics
Asymptomatic Human Infections With Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Confirmed by Molecular and Serologic Testing JAMA Network
‘Suck it up, keep going’? A critical disabilities analysis with strategic recommendations for supporting the wellbeing among people living with long COVID Critical Public Health
Wave of RSV, particularly dangerous for babies, washing over U.S.; doctors urge vaccination Los Angeles Times
Monkeys on overturned truck were not infected with hepatitis C, herpes and COVID, university says WLBT
Historians smell a rat over beaked plague doctor masks The Times
China?
Trump-Xi Face Off for All the Marbles in South Korea Simplicius
Trump no-show at big Asian economic forum may risk US reputation in region AP
The Koreas
South Korea pledges $350bn investment in the US Intellinews
South Korea’s 30-year quest for nuclear subs pays off. What comes next? Breaking Defense
India
India races to reform financial sector as foreigners pull $17 billion Economic Times
India’s $3.9 billion plan to help Modi’s mogul ally after U.S. charges WaPo
Old Blighty
Toxin levels in fish lead to calls for UK-wide ban on mercury dental fillings The Guardian
Syraqistan
Israel bombs Khan Younis despite affirming ceasefire commitment New Arab
Rafah hoax: Netanyahu’s pretext for Gaza bloodshed Al Mayadeen
Classified U.S. report finds backlog of hundreds of possible Israeli human rights violations WaPo
🔴 Breaking: Israeli Army Launches Criminal Investigation Into Whistleblowers Who Exposed Detainee Rape at Sde Teiman
The Israeli army has opened a criminal probe into the leak of footage from the Sde Teiman detention camp showing a Palestinian detainee – blindfolded,… pic.twitter.com/F4hoWjcye6
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) October 29, 2025
⚡️🇮🇱JUST IN:
Israel’s ex-Mossad Chief brags they have spread “boobytrapped & manipulated equipment” like Hezbollah’s pagers in “all countries you can imagine”
pic.twitter.com/6J9w1rL1Mj— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws1) October 29, 2025
India to approve deals worth $3.7b for Israeli defense missiles Globes
US Envoys Put Lebanese Army Under Watch Al Akhbar
Moscow restarts military flights to Syrian air base amid efforts to strengthen Damascus alliance The Cradle
L’affaire Epstein
European Disunion
EU carmakers ‘days away’ from halting work as chip war with China escalates The Guardian
New Not-So-Cold War
China Stands By Russia; Russia Closes In On Trapped Kiev Pokrovsk Troops; Syrsky Gives Up; Poseidon Alexander Mercouris (Video)
Russia offers temporary ceasefire for journalist access in Ukraine Yeni Safak
Moscow says it tested Poseidon underwater drone, another nuclear ‘super weapon’ Euronews
Burevestnik – Part I Black Mountain Analysis
Leaked: Britain’s Ukrainian Sniper Training Plot Kit Klarenberg
The US Can’t Break Russia Larry Johnson
Where Is the West Heading? Valdai Discussion Club
War? Don’t do it Edward Slavsquat
At Least They’re Not Talking. Aurelien
South of the Border
U.S. Eyes Striking Venezuelan Military Targets Used for Drug Trafficking WSJ
US strikes another drug vessel in Eastern Pacific: Pentagon chief Anadolu Agency
How Miami hawks hijacked Trump’s foreign policy UnHerd
US debt trap: How libertarian Javier Milei is selling Argentina to Wall Street – for $82 billion Geopolitical Economy Report
Africa
US Urged to End Arms Sales to UAE as It Backs Genocidal Paramilitary in Sudan Truthout
More than 2,400 young Moroccans face prosecution over Gen Z protests France24
Curfew, Blackout as Tanzania Poll Protest Chaos Continues All Africa
The Belgian prince, the national park, and the bitcoin mine The Continent
Mali revokes over 90 mining exploration permits Mining.com
U.S. urges citizens to flee Mali amid jihadi blockade and fuel shortages Face2Face Africa
Spook Country
“Liberation Day”
US Senate passes resolution to end Trump’s global tariffs Anadolu Agency
How We Lost the Trade War Paul Krugman
Trump 2.0
Trump and Nuclear Threats Accuracy.org
Police State Watch
National Guard in each state is ordered to create ‘quick reaction forces’ trained in civil unrest AP
ICE Is Now Wandering the Streets, Scanning People’s Faces to Check If They’re Citizens Futurism
Our Famously Free Press
North Carolina GOP Official Uses ‘Connections With the Trump Admin’ to Threaten ProPublica Journalist Common Dreams
God’s Chief Justice ProPublica
Healthcare?
OIG Says There Are Ghosts in Medicare Advantage and Medicaid Plans HEALTH CARE un-covered
Immigration
US will limit number of refugees to 7,500 and give priority to white South Africans The Guardian
Democrats en déshabillé
Imperial Collapse Watch
Losing the Swing States Foreign Affairs
Arms companies pay shareholders more cash than they generate Stephen Semler
Historic U.S. Civil War Ship Decaying Due to Fungal Invasion Maritime Executive
AI
‘They Are Trying to Maximize the Amount of Money They Can Get Any Given Consumer to Pay’ FAIR
Immediately After Ditching Its Nonprofit Roots, OpenAI Is Already Preparing to Go Public Futurism
How artists behind Marvel, Alien, and the Matrix movies are fighting AI Blood in the Machine
Meta readies $25bn bond sale as soaring AI costs trigger stock sell-off FT
AI layoffs to backfire: Half quietly rehired at lower pay The Register
Economy
Where Have All the New Jobs Gone? Dollars & Sense
How Bible Sales and Chipotle Explain the Economy Kyla Scanlon
Class Warfare
Yes, Everything Crashed–Just Not For You Charles Hugh Smith
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
“Dictionary.com’s word of the year is ‘6-7.’ But is it even a word?”
Dictionary.com needs to use Google.com I think. It sounds like a cool sort of buzzword from the now generation but you have the phrase ‘at sixes and sevens’ that goes back many, many centuries so this is just a new variation of a very old phrase-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_sixes_and_sevens
One of my favorite authors titled one of his works of amazing short stories: ‘Sixes and Sevens’
Enjoy some timeless tales of O. Henry therein:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2851/2851-h/2851-h.htm
Another recent thing kids said, skibidi, also sounded very like a certain type of old time comedy – Ish Kabibble, for instance.
Vaudevillians and hep cats never made it to the dictionary. Copacetic being a rare exception.
Then a long gap until enbiggens and cromulent. Now these stunts.
I don’t really care.
In my elementy school, we used an otherwise perfectly normal word in a similar way for a couple of years. I’d imagine we were not unique among fourth and fifth graders.
It was kind of like the soup time meme kids were doing a few years ago.
If anyone is interested in origins fo skibidi.
LITTLE BIG – SKIBIDI (2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDFBTdToRmw
skibidi toilet – season 1 (2023)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrlkXOxlvCk
Joke from my childhood:
Why is six scared of seven?
Because seven ate nine, of course.
oops, I should have read the comments first but I became over excited…
That said, How do you catch a squirrel?
Climb a tree and act like a nut!
This is $1MM of free advertising given to dictionary dot com during a slow news day.
1. pick a “word” that is polarizing;
2. use your “credentialed” PR staff to kick up the dirt;
3. profit? cuz a 15 or 55 y.o. is going to immediately start using dictionary-dot-com, lmao.
Speaking as somebody who bleeds Dodger Blue…
Hoping we win games 6-7
Speaking as a Jays fan of forty years…
I’m hoping the Dodgers are deep-sixed.
The middle school teachers at my daughter’s school all showed up dressed as the number 7, and fake coughed/sneezed throughout the day. Sick sevens.
National Guard in each state is ordered to create ‘quick reaction forces’ trained in civil unrest AP
Border Patrol takes lead role in Trump administration’s Chicago crackdown, carrying out more arrests than ICE CBS News
ICE Is Now Wandering the Streets, Scanning People’s Faces to Check If They’re Citizens Futurism
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everything is going down in lefty Big Smokes, feel pretty safe here in Tiny Town where we are politically right smack dab down the middle and surrounded by a sea of red down in Godzone.
A local wag calls us ‘Caucasian Island’ as Haoles make up 91% of the population.
That said, i’m reading reports in regards to ICE/NG being seen on the streets in nearby Woodlake, which has about 10k people and is 87% Hispanic.
I drive by orchards all the time, and how can you tell in a drive-by how the workers are feeling, but it doesn’t seem any different-the way they go about doing things, there’s about 25 cars parked in front of the orchard, a few port-a-potties, a couple of 10×10 popup shade structures and a mess of ladders to be able to pick oranges on high.
It’d be so easy to round them up~
Trump has got over three more years in office. Plenty of time for ICE to eventually get around to smaller places like those orchards near you unfortunately. Once you create a monster organization like ICE you cannot keep them idle but must be always be sending them off to new areas to harass.
They had a veteran’s parade yesterday in Fayetteville NC. “All the forces were represented”. Well no. there were no face covering ICE agents waving from the floats. That little detail escaped the TV coverage….
So no future ‘Thank you for you service’ coming anytime soon?
The 97 year old owner of a cabin near me passed on last year and his 30 something grandson inherited it from him, and over the summer he’s been up half a dozen times, and each sojourn he tells me that he’s a military combat veteran about 4 or 5 times.
On one side 99% of the population has nothing to do in terms of being in the military, and on the other side the 1% never lets you forget it.
“Thank me for my service”
Thank him for letting himself be used.
losing the use of his legs(t-7, i think) by being used for bullshit geopolitical shenanigans is what rumbled my stepdad Don’s stomach ever after.
he was the biggest antiwar person i have ever known…and when my boys played whatever that combat vidgame was and started talking about joining the marines, because it would be awesome, i sat them down on his front porch with him for an afternoon…and all that nonsense just kinda went away.
My army service began 1959. I never left the United States. Yes, I served but then the draft said I had no choice. I was not an enthusiastic soldier, but I did my duty. No pats on the back required. I considered myself fortunate to have been too young for Korea and too married and a father for Vietnam. Many many years later in circumstances that escape me, I was asked if I have served in the military. I said yes. This bright eyed young person said, “Thank you for your service.” Inwardly, I recoiled. It felt the same to me as hearing, “Have a nice day.” I did what I was asked to do and required to do. Leave it at that.
Wondering if the airlines will include announcements for ICE & CBP in their preboarding of :Active Duty US military “
More likely that sooner or later that Trump will declare a national ICE Day so they know that they are appreciated.
That one is worthy of starting a pool !!
Vegas Book—What day/ year will the holiday be created?
I’m thinking Labor Day will be repurposed too, and any expectant mother that delivers on that day, gets a $100 gift card from Amazon.
ICE really needs dress uniforms!
Something inspired by Hugo Boss from the 30’s, in black.
With the Nike Swoosh on the collar instead of lightning bolts.
And medals, too.
Lotsa medals.
methinks those red or black Sith robes would be more apropos…
Oh no! Roundup Ready braceros! A new wonder tool for Big Ag.
It is widely known that more people die from cold than heat. According to ScienceDirect, “In most epidemiological studies, excess cold deaths far outnumber heat deaths.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542519625000543
Thus, the report from BioScience which mentions rising temperatures will be harder to convince those who are more comfortable as temps rise, to do something now, only for it to be too late to do much when extreme temperatures arrive in the future.
” Historic U.S. Civil War Ship Decaying Due to Fungal Invasion ”
I think that there is only one real long term solution here. Remove the old planking and arrest any fungi, perhaps by having those planks frozen for future research. Then replace those removed planks with hardy timber treated to resist any future fungi infestations. Of course eventually that may leave you with the Ship of Theseus quandary-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus
Remember too that this ship was built during the US Civil War as a temporary class of ships and would normally have been scrapped after war’s end-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cairo
The scientists working on the restoration might want to look into using Chlorine Dioxide as a fumigant. A ship is sort of a building, sort of. / ‘)
Effect of Chlorine Dioxide Gas on Fungi and Mycotoxins Associated with Sick Building Syndrome
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1214660/
thanks, Flora!
not sure how i could apply such a gas to my house, tho…the july 4th rain event left me with mold, galore.
ive sprayed 3 times with a diluted pinesol in a hand pump sprayer.
my poor roofing skills are generally tolerable, save for such events(30+” in 36 hours or so)
it is a whole world away from where it was right after the event when the sun came out, though…
i dont wake up as a snot monster when i stay in the hammock out here at the wilderness bar.
I think that is what is being done with the USS Constitution–thete’s a grove maintained by the Navy to supply timber for maintaining the ship, too. So the relevant skills and resources are not lacking.
i hafta say, maintaining a grove for such things is rather cool.
i support such uses of my tax dollars.
Add to that the Navy Experimental Hemp Plantation to the north of Meridian, Mississippi.
As the boys down at the supply house like to say: “Your tax dollars at rest.”
This reminds me of a story from Gregory Bateson that I read several decades ago in either a Whole Earth Catalog or a CoEvolution Quarterly Magazine article. And I find an online article making a referrence to that story and then offering some background and context around it.
It is titled: ” Oak Beams, New College Oxford
The beams of the New College, Oxford dining hall come with an amazing story. ”
Here is the link.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/oak-beams-new-college-oxford
As a person who lives very close to the border in Imperial County CA and has regular interactions with the Border Patrol agents, I can tell you that we are all happy to see these a–holes going somewhere else.
I am sorry for the people inland who they harass, but at least they are not here in the constitution free zone causing traffic accidents (they drive like maniacs) and annoying the locals, many of whom have family on both sides of the wall.
The BP here are overstaffed, no one is crossing in this area, so the agents mostly sit in their cars where there is a signal and watch porn. Occasionally they get restless and go forth to bother whoever they can.
God protect us from bored cops.
Please see:
https://jennbudd.substack.com/p/border-patrol-achieves-its-goal-of
Where Is the West Heading? Valdai Discussion Club
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As a charter member in The Pyrite Billion, you can sense the fools goal is to effectively put an end to 500 years of being all that.
What would an isolated America look like that has 800 military bases within the country to hold the people in check?
The Liberfascistarian Republic of North Koreamerica.
“Losing the Swing States”
Would that everything the authors dread come to pass — a consummation devoutly to be wished …
Interesting headline on this Axios article, paywalled.
Democrats’ rift with unions erupts as shutdown pain worsens
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/30/democrats-unions-labor-trump-shutdown-airlines
Teamsters, too, once true-blue.
Um, the “Swing States” in today’s link featuring that title are members of the BRICs
So these unions are happy to see a hundred million other Americans lose their health care due to sudden unafordability at every level so they can get back on the federal job sooner.
Just as the teamsters and others are happy to double or triple the speed of global warming for everyone else so they can have “good jobs at good wages” in the meantime.
The solidarity candle burns at both ends.
Is the Democrat leadership continuing the shutdown because they fear that the huge premium hikes on voters’ health insurance will lead the voters to abandon Obamacare in favor of Medicare for all?
The Democratic leadership is not leading the shutdown. The Total-Three-Branches ownership-and-control Republican leadership is leading the shutdown, to prevent swearing Grijalva in so as to keep putting off the discharge petition to get the Epstein Files released so as to keep protecting our Pedophile President Donald ” The Groomer” Trump.
Democrats’ insisting on extending the Obamacare subsidies is just Grindr Mike’s pretext and excuse.
South Korea needs nuclear subs even less than Australia.
Have you asked the South Koreans why they want these submarines?
Do you think you can manage to convince them that you are right and they are wrong?
the waters around the Korean peninsula are not deep. (electro-diesel subs can achieve the same goals for a lot less money)
If looking through the prism of purely Korean defense, nuclear-powered attack subs are a ego-driven boondoggle—just like their Establishment’s drive a few years back to have a blue-water carrier strike group like France or the UK.
Western Europe might have grown tired of being a US vassal—not the Korean establishment. Even their “left-wing” current president is as fervent pro-vassal as his right-wing predecessor.
Not necessarily – the Chinese appear to be investing in relatively small shallow water nuclear attack submarines to replace their Kilo class subs. Its not clear what their purpose is, but it may be that they see value in having them hide in the canyons of the South China Sea for longer periods than is possible for AIP.
The Koreans may have similar ideas. Their most recent subs are capable of launching medium range ballistic missiles such as the Hyumoo 4 – the thinking seems to be to ensure that they can sit off shore North Korea (or unnamed other local adversaries) to maintain the ability to carry out rapid decapitation strikes. A key element of RSK strategic thinking appears to be a focus on a very rapid and precise counter-strike on key underground bunkers in the event of an attack.
And South Korea is nowhere near a vassal. They have proven very adept at using the US defence umbrella to follow their own strategic objectives in both politics and economics. This move is highly likely to be part of an overall policy of becoming a key defence supplier to the US (i.e. making the US dependent on them as a supplier).
Nothing says “nowhere near a vassal” like jumping on the Ukrainian bandwagon, and pushing North Korea right into the arms of Mother Russia. Some might consider it the best gift Kim Jong Un could wish for (and one of acts of self harm that US vassals are ritually engaging in), though it must be a sly 4D chess move by totaly-not-a-vassal, and a part of some convoluted South Korean gambit.
Launching rapid decapitation strike is where it’s at, expecially when you know for sure that nukes will be boomin’ back atcha.
Who’s the enemy for the S Koreeans? An enemy that necessitates nuclear subs?
The depth of the water is completely irrelevant to what power plant a sub uses….
No one asks South Koreans what they want. That’s the whole problem with being a vassal.
As far as convincing goes, wise man say that it’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. I do think that South Koreans are smarter than Ukrainians, and that they might figure things out by themselves before they run out of people.
Who cares what yankee slaves want? They’re standing in opposition to the legitimate government of the Korean people. Long live the Democratic People’s Republic.
I have. Then I realized I am not a Korean any more.
The Rev Kev is needed here, so that we can make a final judgment on who needs nuclear subs more.
South Korea’s nuclear subs are a commodity — Canada, which needs nuclear subs even less than just about anyone, wants to appease Trump by spending an absurd 5% of GDP on defence, but doesn’t want to be seen as rewarding the US for its blackmail, is looking to buy some.
And it probably makes sense to buy something that likely will actually work.
Well, Canada used to need to patrol it’s ice covered Northern coast. Now, by the time the new boats are built, there may not be any ice left….
re: Yes, Everything Crashed–Just Not For You Charles Hugh Smith
An American physician with nearly 50 years of experience brought me up short when he reported that for many Americans, the healthcare they receive is equivalent to what third-world residents receive.
Daniel Swain is a weatherman’s weatherman, there is really nobody like him, truly a climate savant (and I mean that in the nicest way) and so widely respected.
Any kind of weather related event happens on the left coast, and he’s always quoted-as he’s the expert.
Now aside from nabbing an operating system and calling it his own, what does Gates know about the climate in order to make such a declaration?
Gates seems to know his own mortality. Just can’t get ‘enough’…?
Re; New Not-So-Cold War/War? Don’t do it
“In reality, it is neither Westerners nor Putin who are primarily responsible for the hold of “anti-Russians” over Kiev.”
Umm… NED efforts since 1990s? “Yats is our guy”? (Nuland)
That antidote looks suspiciously like a Lyle Lovett tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4evzpIVnMVs
It looks like a horse that’s into Water polo.
When I first saw it I thought the motor on the back was actually a vulture!!
That’s how dark my thinking was after just reading the headlines for today
AI layoffs to backfire: Half quietly rehired at lower pay The Register
Uh…what do you mean “backfire”?
Literally this. Far from the worst-case scenario, this is pretty much the next best thing.
I just re-read Immanuel Wallerstein’s World System Analysis. How do capitalists increase profit ? Externalize costs. Cut taxes. Reduce wages. The bottom 90%’s share has steadily declined since the 1970s. Tax cutting has been relentless. The EPA is under attack. That said, fire and rehire at lower wages is just part of the program.
re: “Mass hunger approaching” and “National Guard in each state”….
Seems like I’m watching an orchestrated effort – by both parties – to run the Cloward-Piven strategy. The poor will be hurt…. again. The political question or calculation is: which party will be blamed for the pain and failure? Is this all about next year’s midterm elections? A game of political chicken?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloward%E2%80%93Piven_strategy
At some point, after then Dem Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill worked with Reagan to raise the SS retirement age to ‘pay for’ Reagan’s tax breaks to wealthier citizens, after Bill C ended “welfare as we know it” which increased poverty, and after Obama traded away an extension of unemployment benefits during the GFC to get a win on another issue, I began to think the Dem party no longer gives a toss about the poor, the unfortunate, or the mistreated.
Scary interpretation is to brace for more horrible revelations about Dem spying, scandals, Biden dementia denial, self-dealing and so many other festering sores will lead to pitchforks and torches. The do-nothings just talk and line their pockets, like head grifter Pelosi, while constituents worry about getting food. You don’t hate all politicians enough.
The investigation into Biden’s use of the auto-pen, and a cover-up of his mental deterioration can be found at 23:48 of this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/A5_f-0yEYOE
Unbiased Politics with Jordan Berman
Right there with you, Flora.
The Executive seems to be making the case that you don’t need good government, so you don’t need Congress, so you don’t need elections. And the People have gone from citizens to consumers to monetizable assets. And if not Rule#1, then Rule#2.
“monetizable assets” aka property.
Re: With mass hunger approaching as food stamps expire Saturday, huge price increases revealed for Obamacare healthcare plans
Looks like family member’s plan has 50% increase in premium and the deductible doubled!!!
awful — how is this cluster(care) not befouling Saint Obama’s image?
rhetorical ?
smh
The rhetoric is calling the ACA ‘Obama Care’ where it is used as a smear to the democratic party alone, despite the fact that he signed into law – as opposed to veto – after the ACA had passed through house and senate (dems and repubs) – as is the usual course of things in the USA – for his signature. In other words, it was not just some idiot president tossing around executive orders as has become custumary over many decades of illusionary leadership.
My view is that it largely passed because both the house and senate were captured by their true constituency -finance capitalism devoted to puffery and asset bubbles- and it was cleary stated with ill-defined sloganeering, or, should I say con-artistry (makeing things up where the mark/victim/target/voter is left to make the conclusion as to the true meaning of the art – most often given to believe that they are the true beneficiaries of aforesaid con-artistic statement) such as: government should be shrunk down to baby sized in order to more easily kill the baby in a bathtub, government should be run more like a business (failing, as always, to mention what type of business – monopoly business, fraudulent business, banking, private equity, widget production?- or that most businesses fail in the first five yrs), Regulation is making business to difficult so we have to deregulate businesses because the government is just to darned hard on them Jawbs – cut the red tape (of course they fail to disclose that the deregulation was mainly in the Financial services industry whose cliches included ‘making money the old-fashioned way’ ((not dislosing the ‘old-fashioned way’ -was the ‘way’ before Glass-Steagle closed down on fraud and speculation))), ‘Hope and change’ (not disclosing that what it meant was ‘ I sure as hell hope that nobody notices that nothing will change). Mexicans do jobs that Americans won’t do —of course, not mentioning that Americans won’t do those Jawbs because of the abject poverty wages and slave like conditions that are now coming to roost for americans because of asset inflation (cost of living increasing faster than income for that outgo)– maybe it’s a great way to force americans who are tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free into cheap labor for industrial faming……..I’m sorry, I forgot that the idea is to get rid of paid labor through automation, AI and bond servitude), MAGA – “Make America Great Again” … a little late to ask – For who? because the answer is the same as it has been for a long time…..“I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country.” Thomas Jefferson
“To achieve victory, high finance needs to disable government, which is the single power able to regulate, tax and otherwise curtail its expansion. To disable political democracy, finance buys control of the electoral campaigns so as to promote politicians acting as its officers. It also buys control of the television, radio and published mass media, and uses endowments to buy control of the academic process. Together, these are the various organs that represent the “brain” of society.” Michael Hudson
We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace–business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering.
They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.
Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me–and I welcome their hatred.”
Election eve speech at Madison Square Garden (October 31, 1936)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
The well spring of which was the Heritage Foundation, under the auspices as a free market solution – too public health care. Lambert and NC unpacked this long ago, he put on his yellow waders, devil in the details, fine print, and most of all the billion it took to launch a crappy internet platform and a hoard of barley qualified ACA guides. It was code spit out for a huge payday and future income rents with people in need of care as the crash test dummies post facto.
I can’t wait for AI to be the new human resources manager/decision maker … sorta like in the Netflix show Barry … investors demand it …
What do you call somebody on food stamps?
…a Foodlatelist
I give that pun the Stamp on Approval.
“Russia offers temporary ceasefire for journalist access in Ukraine”
Putin is playing it smart here. The Ukrainians have downplayed how serious it is in Pokrovsk and Kupyansk so by inviting journalists in, they would be able to report the true situation. Only it is not going to happen. The Ukrainians have said ‘I also remind all media that any visits to Russian-occupied territory without Ukraine’s permission are a violation of our legislation and international law. They will have long-term reputational and legal consequences. We are watching closely’ so they are threatening any journalists that might think of taking up the offer-
https://www.rt.com/russia/627171-ukraine-journalists-safe-passage/
So something on the order of about ten thousand Ukrainian soldiers are about to fall into the Russian bag. And the Zelensky regime will demand that they must fight to the last and to sell their lives dearly or else it will make Zelensky look bad in the media.
I may have misunderstood the reporting, but I think Russia is willing to stop firing so that reporters can travel in Ukraine. I don’t think that the reporters have any contact with the Russian army at all. So, it’s obviously not going to happen. But as you say Rev Kev, very clever on Russia’s part
IMF is ready to ‘help’ Jamaica indeed. The carrion feeders probably froth at the mouth everytime any kind of crisis threatens outside of the G20.
Also, the gleaner is a terrible outlet with a history of emotive reporting. They have articles that sound more like the excerpts from a YA crime thriller than actual news. That said, it might be impossible to find impersonal, worse critical, reporting in any Jamaican paper. The same seems to go for impartiality as well.
There are plenty of non-profits stepping up to help. There is no need for these ghouls. They will likely demand austerity and charge interest on loans to the Jamaican government. Just say no!
They will absolutely demand austerity but whether or not the govt cares to avoid it is anybody’s guess, I can only hope.
One optimistic note is that the Clinton faction probably won’t be anywhere near Jamaica.
Maybe. The Clinton’s may be more “deep state” than that. Despite being low hanging prosecution fruit, we’ve seen little noise on that front. Bill, eyeball deep in the Epstein affair. Hillary, SoS/top tier arms dealer, bribes funneled through the foundation bearing their name. They have been keeping a suspiciously low profile.
Thanks for adding the quotation marks. My first thought when I saw the headline…
“US Envoys Put Lebanese Army Under Watch”
Those US envoys can say what they want but the Lebanese are not going to start a civil war by going after Hezbollah just to keep these goofballs and the Israelis happy. For a start, Hezbollah is better equipped than the Lebanese army because the west has always kept the Lebanese army weak so as not to worry the IDF. Same as in Jordan. In addition, Hezbollah has combat experience which the army does not really have. Another factor is that you have may families that have members in Hezbollah and the army so they won’t want to see any fighting. Finally, the Lebanese know that once Hezbollah is disarmed, that will be the signal for Israel to invade the country and occupy at least the southern half so that they can set up their Settlements there and make it part of Greater Israel. Those US envoys can pound sand.
As predicted here on NC, one of the few LLM success stories. It’s working exactly as intended.
Per the House calendar, over the past three months, these jokers have only been in session for a grand total of 12 days. They took off the month of August, then worked a few days in September after Labor Day. Since September 19th, Mike Johnson has shut down the House to avoid swearing in Adelita Grijalva, the 218th vote for the discharge petition to force the release of the Epstein files.
Maybe they should just stay home. It’s not like they care about the Constitution, or governing.
Tools are Out for Summer
Sung to the tune of “School’s Out for Summer” by Alice Cooper
Well we got no choice
You House girls and boys
Making all that noise
Cause they’re Bibi’s toys
Well they like salutin’
The Israeli flag
If that don’t suit ya, that’s a drag
[Chorus]
The tools are out for summer
Tools are out for ever
The tools sold out for silver pieces
[Bridge]
No more motions, no more rules
They get paid while we eat gruel … ow!
[Guitar]
Well they’ve got no class
And they’ve got no principles
And they’ve got no innocence
I can’t even think of a word that rhymes!
[Chorus]
No more motions, no more rules
More day-trading, just for lulz
Out for summer, out for fall
They might not come back at all!
Bibi’s tools are out forever!
The tools are out, for summer!
Bibi’s tools have AIPAC fever!
The tools … sold out completely!
Melody
…a classic!
…inspired!
Bravo
That song was held in high regard at my high school back in the day, the sentiment being popular.
Nice one.
“How SOS Became the Universal Distress Signal”
‘Endlessly versatile, SOS can be tapped out on a telegraph key or spoken aloud over voice radio, flashed using a signal mirror or flashlight, written out in the snow or sand, or – if you happen to be held under duress – blinked out with your eyelids.’
That last bit would be referring to a US POW in Vietnam that used that method-
‘In 1966, he was forced to participate in a televised press conference by his North Vietnamese captors. He used the opportunity to send a distress message confirming for the first time to the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence and Americans that American POWs were being tortured in North Vietnam. He repeatedly blinked his eyes in Morse code during the interview, spelling out the word “T-O-R-T-U-R-E”.’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Denton
NC Team,
Are you going to post a take on the recent Dutch elections?
“The US Can’t Break Russia”
I found a very notable section in this article. So the CIA under Ratcliffe was giving Trump all those rosy evaluations that he wanted to hear but then analysts at the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research cleared their throat loudly and tried to give a more reality-based assessment. When Trump read their dissenting notes he was not happy. So analysts were fired or resigned and the organization disassembled with the remnants folded into other groups. With those dissenters gone, Trump was happy again as Ratcliffe once more spun him the latest fables. Idjut!
Taibbi and Kirn. ATW. utube. public excerpt. Major angst in MSM television-land.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT3MI6RsOps
Kirn- It’s an old story: Seemingly intelligent older man throws in with crackpots and fools (loosely quoting Arendt). He’s like a Heidegger-lite. Taibbi probably should break up with him
re: Israel constantly breaking it’s so-called ceasefire agreement
Is it possible the Israeli military is out of control? Or perhaps that the military is in control of the country, not the politicians? That political civilian authority is effectively overuled by the military?
‘Hubrisrael’
I do not recall a cease fire that Israel did not unilaterally break and do so repeatedly.
They should really come up with a new term to describe a one-sided ceasefire to explain what the Israelis do. I think that the Israelis have done about 4,000 attacks on Lebanon since the ceasefire for example but don’t quote me on that number.
re: Israel’s ex-Mossad Chief brags they have spread “boobytrapped & manipulated equipment” like Hezbollah’s pagers in “all countries you can imagine”
Witness the calibre of Mossad so-called intelligence.
re: Burevestnik – Part I Black Mountain Analysis
Can this miniature nuclear reactor be used to power cars, trucks, planes, houses, factories, data centers? Perhaps eventually also calculators, iphones, laptops?
No, its power output (thrust) like that of all modern jet engines comes mostly from the expansion of compressed hence heated ambient air.
Well, even if it could be used for civilian usage, you probably wouldn’t live long enough to get much benefit from it….
Keep in mind that this miniature nuclear reactor is specifically designed for an unmanned vehicle that goes on a one-way trip. Humans around, and longevity, complicate things.
Speaking of miniature nuclear power sources with no humans around powering stuff that goes on a one-way trip,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_power_systems_in_space
The “American Hindu Jewish Congress” was recently hosted at Mar-a-Lago with Lara Trump in attendance
Locking in the Indian vote for JD Vance in 2028?
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/american-hindu-jewish-congress-gala-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-resort-lara-trump-speaker-101761847155945.html
Oh FFS. So are the Israelis going to teach the Hindus how to play the victim even as they murder Muslims with impunity too? Just what we need – moar identity politics. It really brings people together!
On a positive note, no one needs to teach the Muslims how to play the victim as they murder others, because they have the know-how.
What?
Bubble delicious
How OpenAI Uses Complex and Circular Deals to Fuel Its Multibillion-Dollar Rise (NY Times via archive.ph)
Why was 6 afraid of 7?
Because 7 ate 9
Looks like Black Mountain Analysis might have had some help from chatgpt or another LLM tool in writing their latest:
The attack on Venezuela seems to have started.
source?
Re Simplicus, rumors that Trump wants to run a ruse to clean up the national debt by creating a treasury issue stable-coin, an idea so stupid it might work.
U.S. CRYPTO PLOT EXPOSED: Wiping $35 trillion debt on world’s dime
“The US will solve their financial problems at the expense of the whole world, driving everyone into the crypto-currency cloud. Over time, when part of the US state debt will be placed in stablecoins, the US will devalue this debt,” Putin’s advisor Kobyakov revealed.
Edit, Now I’m thinking about Argentina’s 20 billion.
This would get him around his issues with the Fed not doing what he wants, that’s for sure.
Is Chase tightening up? They cut my outstanding credit card limit. Granted, I haven’t used that card in awhile, but it is a curious time. The last time these kind of cuts came, it was during the 2008 era.
Pretty funny, as expected
Trump just kneecapped the GOP’s shutdown strategy (CNN)
Oh noes
It is very unhelpful, because it demonstrates what people mostly don’t know — at any time, the Senate can just decide to pass legislation with a majority vote. Democrats very much don’t want Trump running his mouth about this, either, I bet. For one, it violates “norms” of the Senate, and Democrats worship norms above all else. And that’s one reason they find Trump so vulgar, I mean, tearing down parts of the Whitehouse, how dare he?
Otherwise, they’re very much on board with Team Trump, not even having a reversal of the punitive cuts in the big beautiful pile of garbage as a minimum bid to vote to end the shutdown.
Fun.
Transcript of a conversation with Craig Murray supplied by a reader:
Recommended (as almost everything by/with CM).
CM on Britain, Gaza, and Middle East Peace (Jasim Azzawi Show) – transcript
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/forums/topic/cm-on-britain-gaza-and-middle-east-peace-jasim-azzawi-show-transcript/#post-105515
HARPERS discussion
Why Doesn’t Anyone Trust the Media?
Anatomy of a credibility crisis
https://harpers.org/archive/2025/11/why-doesnt-anyone-trust-the-media-jelani-cobb-taylor-lorenz-jack-shafer-max-tani-establishment-journalism/
Participants:
JELANI COBB
Jelani Cobb is the dean of the Columbia Journalism School and a staff writer at The New Yorker. He is the author, most recently, of Three or More Is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here.
TAYLOR LORENZ
Taylor Lorenz is an independent journalist and the founder of User Mag, a Substack publication. She is the author of Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet.
JACK SHAFER
Jack Shafer is a media critic who has written for Politico, Reuters, and Slate.
He previously edited Washington City Paper and SF Weekly.
MAX TANI
Max Tani is a reporter at Semafor covering media, politics, and technology.
He previously covered the White House for Politico.
re: Belarus
THE GRAYZONE
Leaks expose collapse of EU/US-backed Belarusian ‘opposition’
Kit Klarenberg·
Oct. 29, 2025
https://thegrayzone.com/2025/10/29/leaks-eu-us-belarusian-opposition/
Speaking about the EU/US-backed Belarusian ‘opposition’, the main guy is her husband Tikhanovsky, and she was a stand-in while he was in prison. Speaking about exposing collapse, he was recently releases and started a crowdfunding campaing. He asked for few a hundred thousand dollars in order to liberate Belarus, or whatever. The ammount collected turned out to be one thousand bucks, which resulted in a video of him being pissed about it, and then him buying a watch and headphones. You can’t make this up.
“You can’t make this up.”
No. You cannot.