GOVEROTRAGEOUS: You can’t save your way out of inflation

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

https://phoenicianleague.com/podcast-episode-26-there-is-no-alternative-but-inflation-neal-mcspadden-on-the-cantillon-effect-inflation-taxes-and-hard-money/?utm_source=aweber&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=she-paid-80-000-in-tax-on-a-gain-that-didn-t-exist

Podcast Episode 26: There Is No Alternative But Inflation — Neal McSpadden on the Cantillon Effect, Inflation Taxes, and Hard Money

*** begin quote ***

For our podcast episode this week, I sat down with Neal McSpadden of Tax Sherpa to discuss his recent article: There Is No Alternative But Inflation.

The article starts with a distinction that so many people fail to make: saving and investing are two different things. And because it’s impossible to save in currency that’s constantly being debased, the current system forces everybody to be an investor… or get left behind.

But the system is even more insidious than that.

Neal told the story of a client who sold a California home she had owned for years and owed about $80,000 in taxes on the paper gain. She thought she made a nice chunk of change.

But when Neal ran her purchase price through the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) inflation calculator, her real gain was essentially zero. That $80,000 was almost entirely inflation… but she paid taxes on it as though she had made money.

We had a wide-ranging conversation from there, including getting into the DOGE situation and what Neal learned from it.

*** end quote ***

Back in the days before the federal reserve 1913, people saved in gold coins stashed away in their living quarters are buried near them. From the 1850s to 1913, prices declined gently since discovering more gold and making more gold coins was relatively difficult.

Ever since 1913, the US dollar has lost its purchasing power. Estimates as high as 99% seem reasonable.

“Gold remains the only financial asset that’s not simultaneously someone else’s liability” – Doug Casey

“Welcome to the age of paper money, where governments and central banks can manufacture as much money as they want without limit. Gold was the last limit. Its banishment as a standard unleashed the inflation monster and leviathan itself, which has swelled beyond comprehension.” — Llewellyn Rockwell

It’s no wonder that crypto has exploded. Personally, I prefer: silver, nickels, bitcoin, and gold.  YMMV!

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ECONOMICS: Explaining cooperative behavior in nature? It’s not survival of the fittest!

Sunday, October 11, 2026

https://nautil.us/survival-of-the-friendliest-236515

Evolution
Survival of the Friendliest

  • It’s time to give the violent metaphors of evolution a break.

By Kelly Clancy 5:11 PM CDT on March 17, 2017

*** begin quote ***

In the Black Queen model, organisms shed genes coding for functions that other species in the environment already provide. It’s a foil to the better-known Red Queen hypothesis, which posits that organisms are subject to a sort of evolutionary arms race, ever adapting new weapons and defenses just to avoid extinction. Though evolution is often characterized as a forward march of complexity, organisms actually shed genes quite often. Biological functions are metabolically costly to maintain, and if they aren’t strictly necessary, they’re best excluded from a genome. (The Black Queen Hypothesis takes its name from the game of Hearts, wherein players try to avoid picking up the queen of spades to avoid a particularly heavy penalty.) A canonical illustration of the Black Queen Hypothesis is found in two free-floating marine cyanobacteria, Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus. They use photosynthesis to feed themselves but are both harmed by a toxic byproduct of the process, hydrogen peroxide. An enzyme that can neutralize hydrogen peroxide, catalase peroxidase, is particularly costly to produce. And, though both need it to survive, only Synechococcus carries the genes for it. Synechococcus mops up all the hydrogen peroxide in the environment, while Prochlorococcus enjoys protection at an energetic discount.

*** end quote ***

An interesting insight. It’s not “dog eat dog” that always succeeds.  It appears that there is an alternative evolutionary explanation.  Species can cooperate and both gain an advantage.

I was thinking the shark with its pilot fish.  The pilot fish get a “free meal” and the shark gets a “free cleaning”.

Maybe that’s how humans first formed tribes?

From that principle pops out “division of labor”.

While a surgeon can probably transcribe surgical notes better and faster, it’s a better economic result if they stick to surgery. 

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GOVERNACIDE: Public executions are what backward third world countries do

Saturday, October 10, 2026

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/hegseth-says-public-will-be-able-to-see-fort-hood-shooters-execution-6101347?utm_source=Morningbrief&src_src=Morningbrief&utm_campaign=mb-2026-10-09&src_cmp=mb-2026-10-09&utm_medium=email&est=mW0tLUAcZhqebCOyGInLQvadW0wFkovf6kbXrhnB5bUhyfKDMmM2pZQ8SJp2lLbSmjVN

Crime & Public Safety
Hegseth Says Public Will Be Able to See Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution
‘We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public,’ Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said of the planned execution by firing squad.
Ryan Morgan
10/8/2026|Updated: 10/8/2026

*** begin quote ***

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said members of the general public will be able to see the firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, who was convicted on multiple counts of murder and attempted murder for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.

“He’s going to get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be, and we’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things,” Hegseth said in an interview with Real America’s Voice host Jack Posobiec on Oct. 8.

*** end quote ***

Public executions are what backward third world countries do … … 

… … or at least that’s what we say when Saudi Arabia did a mass execution on TV.

I’d never thought that I’d have another reason to add to my list of reasons “Against the Death Penalty”.  But the DJT4547 Administration gave me one I thought I’d never see in the USA.

   10. If it’s “public”, then it’s corrosive to civil society for no good reason.

It makes a serious matter on par with a violent video game.

Argh!

# – # – # – # – #

For the record:

I’m really tired of enumerating my reasons: 
It’s immoral.  Life is sacred.
It’s inefficient.  It really does NOT discourage killings.
It’s costly.  Estimates range the cost of a capital trial in the millions.
It’s wasteful.  There are many uses for the condemned in real life.
It’s desensitizing.  It tells “We, The Sheeple” that Gooferment is allowed to do it.
It’s inhumane.  Botched executions and even those that aren’t cause needless pain.
It’s error prone.  How many stories do we hear about “mistakes”?  What about the ones we don’t hear about? Pencils have erasers; death penalties are final.
It’s political.  Prosecutors prosecute capital case for the publicity and advancement.
It’s rarely final.  Ever hear of “last minute stays”.  Or sentences being reversed.

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ECONOMICS: … … x when the bubble bursts!

Friday, October 9, 2026

https://talkmarkets.com/article/america-looks-richer-than-ever-what-happens-when-the-feds-asset-bubble-bursts

America Looks Richer Than Ever. What Happens When the Fed’s Asset Bubble Bursts?

by David Stockman

*** begin quote ***

The geniuses at the Fed, however, should not be confused at all. It’s all their handiwork.

In the land of the central bank printing presses, the rich do get richer, indeed, and not because they earned it on an honest free market operating based on sound money.

In fact, the chart above reflects the true failure of Greenspanian central banking. And when the massive inflationary bubbles embodied in this graph above finally do blow sky-high, don’t blame it on the free market.

In short, what amounts to free money has been the real culprit all along.

Editor’s Note: The Fed can inflate asset prices, but it can’t guarantee those gains will survive a crisis. The challenge for investors is to protect their savings—and recognize the opportunities that emerge when the bubble bursts.

*** end quote ***

Early in my college days, the class was assigned to read about the Dutch Tulip Bulb mania.  

If you haven’t heard about it, then your “Economics” and “Investing” education is sorely lacking.  And you probably bet in the prediction markets, buy all the latest crypto, and a few lottery tickets with your spare change.

Basically, “Economics” is easy TANSTAAFL (“There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch” From Robert Heinlein’s classic).  Everything is a trade off.  Do X and you can’t do Y.  Everything changes.

Equally simple, “Investing” is putting your capital (savings) at risk in the prospect of getting it returned with some added value.  If it’s “guaranteed to skyrocket to the moon”, then run away screaming “Ponzi”.  If it seems too good to be true, then it ain’t. 

I can cite some of the great financial wizards and moral philosophers:

“If it doesn’t make sense, it’s not true.” — Judge Judy

“But there is no foole to the olde foole, folke saie.” — John Heywood’s 1546 glossary

“The art of getting riches consists very much of thrift.” —  Ben Franklin

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.” – St. Augustine of Hippo

“Price is what you pay; value is what you get.” – Warren Buffett

In summary, all empires end badly and it begins when they “counterfeit” the money.  

I like to tell the story of when I visited to the Smithsonian, I saw a display of the French franc of Louis I to Louis XVII which went from a hockey puck of gold to a paper thin shirt button. 

That’s the silent tax of “inflation”.  All you have to look at it is the total amount of money put in circulation by the Gooferment.  Sure they will hide it in all sorts of confusing numbers, but just add all the numbers up from year to year.

If you see a reasonable growth that matches our national productivity, then you’re safe.  But you won’t see that.

The USA until 1910, didn’t manage money.  Money was gold. Hard to fine and limited supply.  The effect was deflationary.  Prices DECLINED from the 1850’s to the 1910’s.  Then the FED came in and started printing.

Argh!

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TECHNOLOGY: Amazon Alexa Tablet?

Thursday, October 8, 2026

https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/goodbye-fire-tablet-amazons-new-alexa-tablet-is-a-flashy-portable-entertainment-hub/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=insider&zdee=%5BContact.email_zdee%5D

Goodbye, Fire Tablet: Amazon’s New Alexa Tablet Is a Flashy Portable Entertainment Hub

The new tablets tie together the Amazon media ecosystem so you can pick up where you left off from just about anywhere.
Tyler Graham

Writer
Tyler is a writer for CNET covering laptops and video games.… Read full bio

October 8, 2026, 11:12 am ET

*** begin quote ***

A new lineup of Amazon tablets has been announced, and the devices are designed for both work and play. Amazon Alexa Tablets combine cloud-based device syncing functionality, onboard AI capabilities and the entirety of Amazon’s media catalog, making them something akin to on-the-go entertainment hubs.

*** and ***

Pogo pin connection with new keyboard ($150) and USI 2.0 pen accessory ($90) turn the tablet into a small work laptop or creative device

*** end quote ***

I noticed that the (apparently) don’t support keyboards.  I also don’t see any reference to connectivity specs or bluetooth.

Sounds like you’re buying a technology that is an “island”.  No mention of printer support?  But it has to be there.

I’ve been burned before by Amazon “tablets” and kindle.  SO I’d wait and see the device in real use with hard hitting reviews before I’d even consider it.

Your call; mine is “you’re out”!

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DISCOURAGING: Is it moral to profit off of something that destroys people?

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/2105731381355565358?utm_campaign=october7morningnote&utm_medium=email&utm_source=iterable&utm_content=morningnote

Victor Wembanyama on if he would ever sign a deal with a sports betting company

*** begin quote ***

Why is that? How come America’s biggest sports empires are comfortable telling their consumers that gambling is a totally normal behavior, worthy of television commercials alongside movies and grocery stores? If professional athletes started becoming “PornHub Partners” or paid spokespeople for Marlboro or Camel, their leagues would immediately intervene. But when it comes to the vice of gambling, the NBA, NFL, and MLB are more than happy to sit back, stuff their pockets, and spearhead the exploitation of the very people who consume their products.

*** end quote ***

An excellent question and this highlights the “morality” question.

Is it moral to profit off of something that destroys people?

Probably not! IMHO.

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MONEY: BOGO is a marketing gimmick

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

https://join1440.com/p/8021?utm_source=1440-bf&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=view-content-pr&user_id=685d887928f3f06ff608ec8b

Posted by
Phoebe Bain
Aug 23, 2024
‘Buy one, get one free’ is often a clever way to get you to spend more money

*** begin quote ***

One Burger King diner recently saw the price of her $2.16 sandwich rise to $3.19 per sandwich when she used a buy-one-get-one-free (or BOGO) coupon. Naturally, she became suspicious about how good a deal BOGO really is. This video explains why BOGO deals are a way for companies to get you to spend more money, rather than less.

*** end quote ***

Yeah, look at the prices carefully.  Most consumers don’t.

My wife buys BOGOs, but only of the stuff we use.  Otherwise, just ignore. 

In case where I’ve been to the store, you can sometimes, if the clerks are lazy, see th old price under the BOGO sign.  From this unstatistical (a derived adjective) observational study, you’re usually getting 50% off the second item while paying full price for the first one.  

Again, if it’s something you use anyway, with enough shelf life to last until you use it, then it’s a “bargain”.  Otherwise, you’re just a sucker.  

Like the beer distributors send pretty young girls to give “free samples” to get you to try “their” brand.  The bar owner raises the prices a buck or two to get some more money from the distributors and any suckers who buy another to keep the girls talking to them. 

Sigh!

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SECURITY: FLOCK vulnerability exposed, hidden, and eventually leaked out

Monday, October 5, 2026

https://footnote4a.org/news/bishop-fox-3

Flock now says it got hacked mere weeks before Bishop Fox arrived

Flock promised a Bishop Fox report in September. It published a summary saying no customer data was accessed. Three days later, its lawyers said confidential customer data had been taken.
Oct 3, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT
by H.C. van Pelt

*** begin quote ***

According to Michael’s blog post, he told Flock about the vulnerability on November 13, 2025, and it was still unpatched on January 7, 2026. Flock says it closed the issue in December.[4] Both accounts leave the hole open for weeks after the report, long enough for data Flock itself calls “accurate as of December 2025” to leave. In February, Flock wrote, “We do not wait for third parties to surface issues.”

*** and ***

Flock did not notice any data had been taken. It hired Bishop Fox. If Bishop Fox noticed, Flock’s summary does not say so. Flock tells its customers nothing sensitive was exposed, while its lawyers tell Michael he took “proprietary and confidential information belonging to Flock and its customers.”

There are no advisories on Flock’s security advisories page. There are no new CVEs. There are no updates to old CVEs. There are blog posts and emails saying everything is fine, and demand letters and police referrals saying it is not.

Flock wants all of this to “reinforce confidence in Flock’s strong security posture.”

I don’t think it will.

*** end quote ***

Well here’s YET ANOTHER example of an intrusive privacy-invading “service” marketed to Gooferment actors doing something that the Gooferment can’t do on its own, that can’t keep their “proverbial pants zipped”.  And all the time deliberately lying to mislead their “Customers” and the general public. 

This deserves the “corporate version of the death penalty”.  Shut them down and possibly sanction the founders and senior executives.  Everyone, Flock’s insurers and their investors as well, should take a haircut”.

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OGOVEROTRAGEOUS:

Sunday, October 4, 2026

https://www.malone.news/p/poop-peppers-and-a-mouse-in-the-brine?publication_id=583200&post_id=218636192&isFreemail=true&r=3snn7d&triedRedirect=true

Poop, Peppers and a Mouse in the Brine
Finger-lickin’ good
Dr. Robert W. Malone
4 hours ago

*** begin quote ***

My seventh-grade Spanish teacher, who was from Mexico, gave us one particularly memorable piece of travel advice: don’t eat raw produce in Mexico unless you want to become personally acquainted with Montezuma’s Revenge. Toilets could be hard to come by in the fields, she told us, and people sometimes pooped where they worked.

*** end quote ***

Why should we have an FDA, and a CDC, for that matter, if like the Keystone Kops allude to in the article, the can’t find their <synonym for donkey> in brightly lit room.

Of course, the same criticism goes for the TSA that can’t find test bombs.  And, a slew of other Gooferment “agencies” who, in addition to being unConstitutional, also fail at what we commonly believe is their mission (i.e., protect the inhabitants of the USA).

Argh!

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GOVERNACIDE: The Gooferment can’t even execute one person but can destroy lots of innocents by mistake?

Saturday, October 3, 2026

https://apnews.com/article/christa-pike-failed-execution-tennessee-616827e89ef356d726bf8f0b7e5c7185?utm_campaign=october2morningnote&utm_medium=email&utm_source=iterable&utm_content=morningnote

U.S. News
How Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike unfolded, minute-by-minute
By KIM CHANDLER
Updated 9:52 PM EDT, October 1, 202

*** begin quote ***

Here’s a Minute-by-Minute Breakdown of Tennessee’s Failed Execution

Tennessee’s failed execution of convicted murderer Christa Pike was the talk of the news world on Thursday. New details, which have prompted calls for the United States to halt the death penalty, emerged last night.

Media witnesses described hearing Pike continue to breathe, snore, and speak after receiving her first not-so-lethal injection, saying she told officials that her arm hurt and asked if it was supposed to feel that way in the moments after she was supposed to die. Her all-female execution team then gave her a second injection, which also did not work. An ambulance arrived to bring Pike, who was very much still alive, to the hospital nearly two hours after her scheduled death.

Governor Bill Lee has ordered a review of the botched execution and postponed another capital punishment scheduled for later this year, calling what happened in the death chamber “deeply disturbing.” Pike is in critical condition.

*** end quote ***

Well any long-time readers of this blog should know that I am a gun-owning pro-life pro-choice little L libertarian.  So here is YET ANOTHER reason to oppose the death penalty.

I’m really tired of enumerating my reasons: 

  1. It’s immoral.  Life is sacred.
  2. It’s inefficient.  It really does NOT discourage killings.
  3. It’s costly.  Estimates range the cost of a capital trial in the millions.
  4. It’s wasteful.  There are many uses for the condemned in real life.
  5. It’s desensitizing.  It tells “We, The Sheeple” that Gooferment is allowed to do it.
  6. It’s inhumane.  Botched executions and even those that aren’t cause needless pain.
  7. It’s error prone.  How many stories do we hear about “mistakes”?  What about the ones we don’t hear about? Pencils have erasers; death penalties are final.
  8. It’s political.  Prosecutors prosecute capital case for the publicity and advancement.
  9. It’s rarely final.  Ever hear of “last minute stays”.  Or sentences being reversed.

I’m sure that there are a lot more but I con’t think of them.

This makes me ashamed that I can’t stop it.

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