QUOTE: Life is not a spectator sport – Jackie Robinson

Friday, January 31, 2025

“Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on … you’re wasting your life.”  — Jackie Robinson

# – # – # – # – # 

For some reason, this struck me this morning.  And, I wonder what could have been?

“… checked the Eternal Possibilities Machine, which generates all the possibilities for use in creating the alternative worlds. In all those probability lines …” CHURCH 10●19●62 (Vol 1) 978-0-557-08387-9 page 45

Still wish I have one of these.  How would my life have been different?  How would human history evolved?  Could we have avoided the disastrous 16th, 17th, and 18th amendments?

Probably not, but it’s nice to imagine as we advocate for #endthefed and repealing those stupid ill-considered and disastrous amendments.

—30—

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POLITICAL: Every state should have a BND clone

Friday, January 31, 2025

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2025/01/no_author/beating-wall-street-at-its-own-game-the-bank-of-north-dakota-model/

Beating Wall Street at Its Own Game — The Bank of North Dakota Model – 

McMaken, Ryan

*** begin quote ***

So how is it that the state boasts the only state-owned bank in the nation? Has it secretly gone socialist?

No. The Bank of North Dakota (BND) operates on the same principles as any capitalist bank, except that its profits and benefits serve the North Dakota public rather than private investors and executives. The BND provides a unique, innovative model, in which public ownership is leveraged to enhance the workings of the private sector. It invests in and supports private enterprise — local businesses, agriculture, and economic development – the core activities of a capitalist system where private property and enterprise are central. Across the country, small businesses are now failing at increasingly high rates, but that’s not true in North Dakota, which was rated by Forbes Magazine the best state in which to start a business in 2024.

The BND was founded in 1919, when North Dakota farmers rose up against the powerful out-of-state banking-railroad-granary cartel that was unfairly foreclosing on their farms. They formed the Non-Partisan League, won an election, and founded the state’s own bank and granary, both of which are still active today.

*** and ***

The BND, on the other hand, is mandated to use its revenues for the benefit of the North Dakota public. Other states would do well to follow North Dakota’s lead.

*** end quote ***

I have blogged before about this “national treasure”.  It’s a working example of how to do State Banking for the benefit of the people.  No politics involved.  No big financial institutions lobbying local politicians.  AND, that is the EXACT reason why it’s near impossible to replicate.

As a little L libertarian, I’d like the smaller Gooferment possible and here is a way to get there.  

Maybe one of the candidates for Governor of the Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerzee will pick this up.

—30—

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.VOCABULARY: As new euphamism ‘Promoted outwards’

Thursday, January 30, 2025

https://nypost.com/2025/01/29/business/lvmh-ceo-bernard-arnault-coins-new-phrase-for-being-fired-promoted-outwards/

 World’s 5th richest man Bernard Arnault coins new phrase for being fired: ‘Promoted outwards’

By Shane Galvin 

Published Jan. 29, 2025, 11:55 p.m. ET

*** begin quote ***

Arnault came up with the eye-roll-worthy corporate jargon Tuesday during an investor call for LVMH, the parent company of Louis Vuitton, Sephora, Dior, Fendi, Tiffany & Co, and several other luxury brands.

The French billionaire made the “promoted outwards” comment while discussing social media company META’s decision to lay off low-performing employees, according to Fortune.

Arnault, 75, claimed that those who lost their jobs are actually being “promoted” to better jobs at different companies.

*** end quote ***

I agree with him.  I’ve been ‘promoted outwards’ five times and, in four of those five, I got a better job rather quickly.  In the fifth one, I decided that I’d had enough of “employment” and retired.  My fiancé and friends gave me a nice surprise party to celebrate.  While I regret “retiring”, (Retirement is boring), I didn’t work myself to the grave for the benefit of a sow soulless enterprise that lost its way.  (That is you AT&T!). 

Sigh!  Unfortunately I was born after the gold watch era was ending and before “your own business” became the way to FU money.  But, all in all, I survived it all even if “I didn’t do it MY WAY”.

Each era has its own challenges.

Success for your generation is: (1) ruthless financial discipline — no bad debt; (2) a life long interest in learning — education — a degree — they can’t take it away from you; (3) a NON-OFFSHORABLE white collar job in order to save big bux; (4) a blue collar skill for hard times — never saw a poor plumber; (5) one or more internet based businesses — your store is always open; (6) a free time hobby that generates income; and (7) a large will-maintained network of people who can “help” you.

I’ve blogged it before many many times and I think it’s still true.

—30—

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: The California Wildfires need some new incentives BEFORE rebuilding

Thursday, January 30, 2025

https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/wildfires/california-fires-houses-are-fuel-why-firefighters-couldnt-control-rcna187977?ICID=ref_fark

California Wildfires

The homes are the fire’s fuel

  • Why firefighting was no match for a California disaster decades in the making.

Jan. 19, 2025, 7:00 AM EST

By Evan Bush and Lewis Kamb

*** begin quote ***

There’s a hard math behind the Los Angeles-area firestorm: When a two-story house is on fire under normal circumstances, three engines and a minimum of 16 crew members are generally dispatched.

*** and ***

He compared the situation to a firestorm that barreled through the Oakland hills in Northern California in 1991. In that case, an extinguished grass fire reignited in “Diablo” wind gusts — seasonal winds similar to the Santa Anas in L.A. — and the more than 1,500 firefighters who responded struggled with hydrants that went dry and navigation on steep, narrow roads.

The blaze killed 25 people, injured 150 and destroyed more than 3,300 structures.

Miller toured the area in 2014, after it was rebuilt.

“They have bigger houses on the same lot, with the same trees, with the same brush in the same location, with cars that are bigger,” Miller said. “No fire truck could come up if a big Suburban was coming down. … We’ve built bigger, but we didn’t build better.”

The firefighters he drove around the hills with, Miller said, offered a final assessment: “It’s going to go again.”

*** end quote ***

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” — attributed to Einstein, Ben Franklin, and Rita Mae Brown

The Pepuls Republik of Kaliforkneeah repeatedly demonstrates its insanity.

2014, houses burn down.  Build back bigger and better, 2025 houses burn down.

Now any rational human being would look at the incentives in 2014 and figure out what disincentives should be in place to prevent a 2036 disaster.

I can think of a few right off the top of my head:

  • Insurance companies don’t have to write policies for these houses.  No penalty for them when they don’t.  They can make any policies they want for these rebuilding projects.
  • Create special fire districts with the power to tax and to prep for the extreme fire occurences.  Roads may have to be extra wide and water retention facilities as needed.
  • Forest management zones may tax and burn as needed to prevent wildfires.
  • Arsonists get longer sentences with mandatory fire fight duties.
  • Wood frame houses are not permitted in the fire zones.  Concrete doesn’t burn.  May not look like an antebellum Southern plantation home, but it won’t burn like one either.
  • Shared risk pools for all houses built in the same fire zone.  (Seems obvious)

Let’s run contests with prizes for the various engineering schools to come up with more ideas.  Kind of like the concrete boats, paper airplanes, and other assorted challenges.

—30—

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GUNS: If conceled carry is not reciprocated, then why should drivers’ licenses be?

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2025/01/19/what-comes-next-after-constitutional-carry-n1227407

For Red States, What Comes Next After Constitutional Carry?

By Cam Edwards | 12:30 PM | January 19, 2025

*** begin quote ***

The bigger question is what pro-2A bills will garner enough support for passage. Campus carry, for instance, has been introduced for the past several years, but so far opposition from higher education and some business leaders has stymied its passage. Hopefully this will be the year it can finally become law, but it will take some effort from gun owners and Second Amendment advocates to get it across the finish line. 

*** end quote ***

If a “gun control” State doesn’t recognize the reciprocity of other States “Constitutional Carry”, then maybe drivers’ licenses should have reciprocity either.

Maybe a New Jersey driver’s license should be allowed in Texas without a “road test”?  I’ve seen Jersey drivers and I’d understand Texas’ concerns.  Maybe you have to pass a written test (i.e., identify a stop sign), an eye exam, and short road test?  At every “border crossing”!

Laugh!

Only partially humorous.

Maybe it could only apply to New Jersey politicians and bureaucrats when they visit a “Constitutional Carry” State.  The eye test could be reading a series of RKBA memes!

Maybe this will inspire some action.

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DISCOURAGING: It took 65 years to identify this poor child

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14268021/inside-life-chester-breiney-murderers-revealed.html

Chester Breiney, 7, died without ever having his photo taken… the monsters who killed him are finally unmasked
By SOPHIE GABLE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
Published: 18:52 EST, 19 January 2025 | Updated: 18:52 EST, 19 January 2025

*** begin quote ***

More than 65 years ago, two Wisconsin parents dumped the dead body of their adopted son Chester Breiney on the side of the road and fled the state out of fear of punishment. 

They evaded prosecution over a technicality – despite a confession, a judge claimed prosecutors lacked evidence – but years after their death, DNA testing finally proved the sinister crime they committed in 1959. 

In 2023, professors at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh studied the skeletal remains believed to have belong to Breiney using advanced genealogy. 

*** end quote ***

While I’m glad that he was put to rest with dignity and identity, it’s a shame that it took so long.

It brings to mind rhetorical oft repeated claim that several hundred thousand children have been trafficked in the recent US border chaos.  What about all those children?

I wonder if DJT47 can sort this mess out.

Very sadly, probably not.

Dona Nobis Pacem

—30—

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VETERANS: Defend the Guard is a priority for EVERY State legislature

Monday, January 27, 2025

https://youtu.be/xp8HrCBedCA?si=SIsLuzNfLpCVtX9m

Defend the Guard is state-based legislation which would prohibit the deployment of National Guard units into active combat without a declaration of war by Congress as required by Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. It has been introduced as a bill in dozens of states.

# – # – # – # – # 

The Dead Old White Guys NEVER wanted a standing Federal Army.  They allowed for a navy but not a standing army.  Ever wonder why?  Yup, a navy is a capital investment and unlikely to be usable against “We, The Sheeple”.  

Defend the Guard is an attempt to reign in the Federal Gooferment from undeclared wars.

The States, the building blocks of our Federal Republic, have the power to end the welfare / warfare state and return to Constitutional principles.

#defendtheguard

Ask any vet about it.  Remember the ones who didn’t come home.

Dona Nobis Pacem

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GOVERNACIDE: When can the Federal Gooferment kill?

Monday, January 27, 2025

https://wokespy.com/anna-paulina-luna-unveils-bill-to-take-pedophiles-off-the-streets-permanently-with-death-penalty/

Anna Paulina Luna Unveils Bill to Take Pedophiles “Off the Streets Permanently” With Death Penalty

By Jason Walsh / January 14, 2025

*** begin quote ***

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has unveiled a new set of bills that aims to make society safer for children by giving child sexual predators the death penalty.

*** and ***

Two of her three bills, would require sentences of death or at least life imprisonment for those charged with sexual crimes against children.

*** and ***

She suggested that the death penalty aspect may have put some people off of an issue that otherwise could get wide bipartisan support.

However, she argued that pedophiles “cannot be rehabilitated.”

“If you are going to continue to push forward in a moral society, [then] you need to ensure that people like this, that are predators, are taken off the streets permanently,” Luna said.

*** end quote ***

First off, this is NOT a Federal issue.  Each state is perfectly able to address this issue.  Hence, this is the wrong level of Gooferment to legislate on.

Second, I do think that the Federal Gooferment could “underwrite” the cost of prisons on the theory that criminals can migrate.  But it should not “operate” prisons.  That’s the individual State’s responsibility.  One treason and counterfeiting are Consitutionally “federal” crimes.

Third, once the Gooferment is allowed to kill, who know where it will stop.  Political opponents, ethnic groups, and minorities of all manner could be its victims.  White people could be the next minority picked upon.

So a State should only be allowed to have the death penalty when a convict is too dangerous to keep around.  When a convict kills a guard, then and only then is the death penalty permitted in my moral scheme.

For pedophiles, may we need a Devil’s Island somewhere in the middle of a dessert or frozen tundra.  But that is a different discussion,

—30—

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HEALTHCARE: COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign was Off the Rails from the Start

Sunday, January 26, 2025

https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/five-signs-the-covid-19-vaccine-campaign?publication_id=1119676&post_id=154884648&isFreemail=true&r=3snn7d&triedRedirect=true

Five Signs the COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign was Off the Rails from the Start
Dr. McCullough with Dean Boffa on the Prometheus Project
Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH
Jan 18, 2025

*** begin quote ***

 I appeared on the Prometheus Project with Professor Dean Boffa and gave some indicators that should have told us all, particularly doctors and nurses that the program was off the rails from the start:

  • Novel genetic mechanism of action (Pfizer, Moderna, Janssen, AstraZeneca) producing the dangerous and potentially lethal Wuhan Spike protein for an uncontrolled quantity and duration of time, meaning there was no understanding of the pharmacokinetics / pharmacodynamics of mRNA or Spike protein
  • Flawed short term trials in low-risk patients without hospitalization and death as the primary endpoint and no short term signal that vaccination reduced these important outcomes
  • Public administration to women of childbearing potential and pregnant mothers
  • Substantial encouragement and later mandates to administer over and over again to COVID-19 recovered patients with natural immunity—no matter when and how many times SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred
  • Failure to perform, frequent, regular, and independent data safety monitoring which should have led to very early termination of the COVID-19 vaccine campaign

Dean Boffa is a professor in the Political Science department at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, who has demonstrated great courage in the face of Canadian authoritarian censorship.

*** end quote ***

I was skeptical when they did everything so quickly.  Usually drug trials literally take years; this was weeks.

I was more skeptical when young men started dropping dead from “heart attacks”.  Prior to this insanity, I could only remember one Maryland basketball player who had a hidden heart defect.

I became insane about it when I found that hospitals got big bucks for coding people as dying from Covid.  Especially the poor soul who died in a motorcycle accident who was coded as “Covid” so the hospital could cash in.

After that, anything that was “reported”, I immediately categorized as “Barbara Streisand” aka Bull <synonym for excrement>.

“I wouldn’t believe you, if your tongue came notarized.” … attributed to Judge Marilyn Milian, but may have an earlier history.

When will people go to prison for this fraud?

—30—

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MEME: Morals and intelligence

Saturday, January 25, 2025

 

—30—

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SECURITY: Why doesn’t the Gooferment mandate not using SMS for 2FA?

Saturday, January 25, 2025

https://www.makeuseof.com/why-sms-2fa-insecure/?user=cmVpbmtlZmpAZ21haWwuY29t&lctg=7e6c3cd411d6a815afa18582d54bd455914c43c5f69df1448b8ec20ee4959f71

Why I Don’t Use SMS for 2FA (and What I Use Instead)
By John Awa-abuon
Published Dec 14, 2024

  •     SIM Swaps Allow Hackers to Steal Your Phone Number
  •     SMS Messages Can Be Intercepted
  •     SMS Is Tied to Your Phone Number
  •     What I Use Instead: Authenticator Apps

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a vital layer of security to your online accounts, but unfortunately, not all methods are created equal. Many people rely on SMS-based 2FA, assuming it’s a safe choice. Unfortunately, SMS is far from foolproof. Here’s why I’ve stopped using SMS for 2FA and what I use instead…

*** begin quote ***

What I Use Instead: Authenticator Apps

Rather than relying on SMS for 2FA, I’ve switched to 2FA authenticator apps. Apps like Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and Authy generate time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) directly on your device, offering a much safer and more reliable alternative to SMS.

The first major advantage of authenticator apps is security. Unlike SMS, these apps generate codes locally on your phone, meaning they’re not transmitted over networks that could be intercepted or exploited. They’re also protected by additional layers of security—many apps require a passcode, fingerprint, or face scan to access the codes.

Another reason I prefer authenticator apps is their offline functionality. Since the codes are generated directly on the device, you don’t need a cellular connection to use them. Whether you’re in a remote area with no service or simply indoors with poor reception, you can still access your codes as long as you have your device.

I prefer Authy over other authenticator apps because it offers cloud backups, making it easy to recover my accounts if I lose my phone. At the same time, it secures these backups with encryption, ensuring that only I can access them. Google Authenticator is another popular choice. Both options are free, widely supported, and easy to set up.

Using an authenticator app is straightforward. Once you’ve set it up, usually by scanning a QR code provided by the website during the 2FA setup process, you simply open the app to access a code whenever you log in. The codes refresh every 30 seconds, so even if someone manages to steal one, it becomes useless almost immediately.

Two-factor authentication is essential for keeping your accounts secure, but the method you use matters. While SMS-based 2FA might seem convenient, it’s riddled with vulnerabilities—from SIM swaps to interception methods and even practical issues like poor cellular reception. These risks make SMS an unreliable safeguard for your online security.

*** end quote ***

The Gooferment politicians and bureaucrats have warned that the phone networks have been hacked.

So why not MANDATE better security.   

Seems simple to me?

—30—

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NEWJERSEY: Why are phones in schools a NJ State issue?

Friday, January 24, 2025

https://patch.com/new-jersey/southbrunswick/s/j3sj5/5-takeaways-from-gov-murphys-penultimate-state-of-the-state-address

5 Takeaways From Gov. Murphy’s Penultimate State Of The State Address

  • Murphy outlined his priorities to “run through the tape” in his final year in office. Here are some of the highlights:

Michelle Rotuno-Johnson, Patch Staff
Posted Tue, Jan 14, 2025 at 4:24 pm ET | Updated Tue, Jan 14, 2025 at 4:28 pm ET

*** begin quote ***

Education

As preschool expansion efforts continue around the state, Murphy said he would enact a new law requiring all districts to provide full-day kindergarten, to help set children “on a path to lifelong success.”

While most of the state’s school districts already offer a full-day kindergarten program, some families and children are being “left behind,” he said.

Speaking to the issue of youth mental health, Murphy said he would support a new proposal to ban cell phones from K-12 classrooms and help establish phone-free buildings.

“If you ask just about any educator, they will tell you that mobile devices are a distraction in the classroom,” he said. “They are fueling a rise in cyberbullying. And they are making it incredibly difficult for our kids, not only to learn, but to retain the substance of what they learn.”

*** end quote ***

I fail to see why this is a state issue.  And, besides, it’s controversial.  

Parents and guardians give their children phones for a reason.  It’s reasonable to restrict their use during class time.  BUT, (and there is always a BIG butt), that doesn’t mean that the Gooferment should confiscate or technological prevent their use in parent – child communications.

As a tech guy, it’s very easy to kill web-surfing and interactive games during class time.  If you’re low tech, just have a rack of pigeon holes by the classroom door.  If the phone rings, allow the student to put it on speaker and talk to their adult.  (That should take care of that.)

Wasn’t there a recent school shooting that was reported by student with a phone from inside the incident?

Sorry, not a State-wide problem with a one size fits all solution that the Goofermentis famous for.  All because Governor Murphy wants to “run through the tape”!

—30—

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INTERESTING: Here’s a factoid that must have some rational explanation?

Thursday, January 23, 2025
https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/mortality-death-birthday/2024/04/12/id/1160815/
 
Why You Are More Likely to Die on Your Birthday
By Lynn C. Allison | Friday, 12 April 2024 05:12 PM EDT 
 
​*** begin quote ***
 
The most common theory behind the birthday and death association is that a little too much celebrating may be going on that involves alcohol, says The Guardian. There is also the possibility that terminally ill people view birthdays as survival milestones and tend to pass on the day on either side of it.
 
*** end quote ***
 
Laugh! 
 
Some things are just inexplicable.
 
# – # – # – # – # 
 
“What you do on your birthday you do all year long.”  — Anonymous old proverb
 
Never figured out what that meant.  Does it mean, literally, what ever you do on your birthday, you’ll repeat it over and over again like the movie “Groundhog’s Day”.  Or, maybe that your attitude on your birthday, will carry on through the year.  Or something else.
 
For me, that annual day of introspection leads me to think of the things I wanna change.  Life choices?
 
—30—

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RECOMMENDED: Netflix’s ‘Number 24’ asks you the question “what would you do”?

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

https://www.netflix.com/title/81664509

Netflix’s ‘Number 24’

*** begin quote ***

Netflix’s ‘Number 24’ transports the audience to 1940s Norway, where the German occupation incites the Norwegians to form a resistance. While a lot of people join it to fight the Nazi regime and free their country, Gunnar Sønsteby is one of the few who leaves an indelible mark in history with his many acts of sabotage. The film begins with a 90-something Gunnar appearing for a lecture to the youth, who have several questions about his story, which has now become somewhat of a legend in the country. He starts with the times before the war and how drastically everything changed once the Nazis set foot on the streets of Norway.

*** end quote ***

I’m not sure I could have done a fraction of what he did.   I can understand how after the war his comrade became an alcoholic and eventually suicided. 

Watch this if yo9u want to understand what true patriotism means.

Can’t imagine being in those circumstances.

Can you?

—30—

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RECOMMENDED: Netflix’s ‘Number 24’ asks you the question “what would you do”?

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

https://www.netflix.com/title/81664509

Netflix’s ‘Number 24’

*** begin quote ***

Netflix’s ‘Number 24’ transports the audience to 1940s Norway, where the German occupation incites the Norwegians to form a resistance. While a lot of people join it to fight the Nazi regime and free their country, Gunnar Sønsteby is one of the few who leaves an indelible mark in history with his many acts of sabotage. The film begins with a 90-something Gunnar appearing for a lecture to the youth, who have several questions about his story, which has now become somewhat of a legend in the country. He starts with the times before the war and how drastically everything changed once the Nazis set foot on the streets of Norway.

*** end quote ***

I’m not sure I could have done a fraction of what he did.   I can understand how after the war his comrade became an alcoholic and eventually suicided. 

Watch this if yo9u want to understand what true patriotism means.

Can’t imagine being in those circumstances.

Can you?

—30—

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PEACE: MLK was Correct about a lot of things — we just didn’t listen

Monday, January 20, 2025

https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/mlks-courageous-antiwar-speech/

MLK’s Courageous Antiwar Speech

Joshua Shoenfeld 

<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-01-20>>

*** begin quote ***

One year prior to his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his powerful antiwar speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” decrying the United States’ genocidal war on the people of Vietnam. King eloquently linked the state-sanctioned oppression of blacks with the suffering that the Vietnamese were enduring in the face of a genocidal onslaught at the hands of the US national-security state. The mainstream media denounced King for speaking out against the war when they should have praised him for speaking truth to power.

*** end quote ***

MLK, Gandhi, various moral philosophers, and religious leaders continue to urge peace.

What the US Gooferment has done in foreign policy is nothing short of war crimes, and foolish interventions.

When will we ever learn?

No money or weapons given away to allow killing and worse.

Argh!

Dona Nobis Pacem

—30—

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FINANCIAL: Not so sure about ‘Super Catch-Ups’ for 401(k)s

Monday, January 20, 2025

https://www.barrons.com/articles/401k-retirement-super-catch-up-contributions-e2358dd8?mod=past_editions

How to Make the Most of the New ‘Super Catch-Ups’ for 401(k)s
By Elizabeth O’Brien
Updated Jan 09, 2025, 8:53 am EST / Original Jan 09, 2025, 2:30 am 70EST

*** begin quote ***

Savers in their early 60s can sock away nearly $35,000 in their 401(k) account for retirement in 2025, thanks to the new “super catch-up” rules. The higher contribution limits aren’t a slam dunk for everyone, though, and you may need to make adjustments to other retirement accounts to maximize your savings.

*** end quote ***

Unfortunately behind a paywall.

I’m not so sure that if I was 60 and had 35k$ to spare that any tax deffered savings plan would be the course I would chose.

Tell me what the inflation rate will be between now and say age 70 and that might be a case of getting out “depreciated dollars”.  For the very rich in a high tax bracket, the tax savings MAY offset the loss of “purchasing power”.  Everyone else has to guess what reality will have to offer.

I’m no Warren Buffet By far, I’ve made some great trades and some terrible decisions.

YMMV

I am a firm believe that you can’t trust the Gooferment, its politicians and bureaucrats, or any “celebrity spokesman”.   If you see it on TV, hear it on radio, or read it on the net, then ask “cut bono”.  Who’s paying for the advertisement?  Even if you can see it, some one is getting a cut.

I’m old enough to remember lessons from a family friend who lived thru the Weimar Republic inflation. Wife would go to the old man’s office at lunchtime every day, take whatever he earned that morning, and run out an buy something,  Anything!  When she spoke of it, her hands trembled in fear almost 50 years later.  Who she buy the “right thing”, or anything. Or be left with a handful of worthless paper.  Made a big impression on me.

So where ever you put that “extra” 35k$, make sure it’s money well spent.

I’d select gold rounds, silver rounds, bitcoin, or goldbacks.  Probably some mix of the four.  Take the tax hit now and avoid the “inflation tax”.  Probably be some complex math to say that is “bad advice”, but that would be my choice. 

As always YMMV and faiwwypfi (Free Advice Is Worth What You Pay For It! ?zero?)

See you on the other side to decide if I was more right than wrong.

—30—

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VOCABULARY: ‘future-faking’ — making promises to their partner that they have no sincere intent on making true

Sunday, January 19, 2025

https://nypost.com/2025/01/12/lifestyle/psychologist-warns-future-faking-is-subtle-narcissistic-behavior/

Beware ‘future-faking’ — this common relationship behavior is actually narcissistic manipulation: expert
By Eric Todisco 
Published Jan. 12, 2025, 12:49 p.m. ET

*** begin quote ***

Partners who do this should be left in the past.

Los Angeles-based psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula made a YouTube video with a dire warning about “future-faking,” a common manipulation tactic used by narcissists in romantic relationships.

Future-faking involves a person making promises to their partner that they have no sincere intent on making true.

*** and ***

She noted that society “didn’t talk about narcissism until relatively recently in the way that we do now,” so many people who are in their 40s and older “are tolerating toxic relationships but didn’t have any word or model for it.”

*** end quote ***

Interesting that not having word or model for a behavior prevents humans from recognizing it.  Never thought of that concept.  It’s like another “window” in the Johari window Quadrant 3  — “what I can’t see that others can”.  

Have to think about that?

—30—

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RANT: Seems just a tad hypocricial

Saturday, January 18, 2025

https://www.amren.com/news/2025/01/vatican-cracks-down-on-illegal-entry-into-its-territory/

Posted on January 16, 2025
Vatican Cracks Down on Illegal Entry Into Its Territory
Almudena Martínez-Bordiú, Catholic News Agency, January 15, 2025

*** begin quote ***

The Vatican City State has toughened sanctions for those who try to illegally enter its territory in areas where free access is not allowed.

In a decree issued last month by the Holy See, the monetary sanctions and prison sentences for those who violate the strict security regulations of Vatican City have been considerably increased.

The document, signed by Cardinal Fernando Vérguez Alzaga, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, provides for monetary fines ranging from 10,000 to 25,000 euros (about $10,200 to $25,700) and prison sentences ranging from one to four years.

*** end quote ***

Are you kidding me?

Seems very “good for thee, but not for me”.

If the childmolesting clergy wasn’t enough of a turn off, then surely this is!

—30—

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FUN: Cute — a little dumb — what if she said no?

Saturday, January 18, 2025

https://nypost.com/2025/01/11/sports/knicks-fan-proposes-to-girlfriend-at-thunder-game/

Knicks fan proposes to girlfriend at Thunder game in OKC: ‘I could have gotten booed’

By Angela Barbuti 

Published Jan. 11, 2025, 9:01 a.m. ET

*** begin quote ***

Diehard Knicks fan Joseph DeSimone popped the question to his girlfriend Erica Vann on the Kiss Cam in Oklahoma City as the team took on the Thunder in a clash of NBA heavyweights last Friday. 

*** end quote ***

I thought this was funny.  Clearly she might have said “no”.  Not sure what you do then.  Propose to each and every cheerleader.  Even the male ones?  Maybe the mascot.

Anyway it all worked out for the happy couple and I hope they have a long and great life.  One can only hope.  

Maazel Toff!

—30—

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: AT&T “cancels” NY State internet service

Friday, January 17, 2025

https://www.androidauthority.com/atnt-exits-new-york-home-internet-aba-3517417/

AT&T shuts down its home internet service in New York to avoid new broadband law
New York’s affordable broadband act comes into effect this week.
By Rashid Agrawal
13 hours ago << EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-01-17>>

*** begin quote ***

TL;DR

  •     AT&T has announced it will end its home internet service in New York, effective January 15.
  •     The decision comes in response to the state’s Affordable Broadband Act.
  •     The law requires internet providers to offer low-income households broadband plans priced at $15 and $20.

AT&T has announced that it will cease offering its 5G home internet service in New York State. This drastic decision, first reported by CNET, comes in direct response to the state’s landmark Affordable Broadband Act (ABA), which mandates that internet service providers offer low-income households significantly cheaper internet plans. (h/t: Ars Technica)

*** end quote ***

Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerk strikes a blow for cheap internet for “the poor”.

One problem: AT&T picked up their tech and moved out.  Big middle finger to the Comunists who think their diktats have power.  Nah, nah, de nah.  

Did the politicians and bureaucrats expect this?

More and more businesses are pushing back.  I cite PornHub’s departure from certain southern States.

Finally, Ma Bell grew a set.  Where were they when Judge Green and DOJ were breaking up the finest phone system in the world?  The casualties were Bell Labs, a million employees, and untold numbers of investors who lost their collective shirts.

Argh!

Time to squeeze Gooferment back in a very very small box.

It really only has a few limited Constitution duties  —  protect against external aggression, foreign relations, and keep the States from interfering in interstate commerce.

States have more lattitude, but no guarantee that they won’t do stupid <synonym for excrement> like this.

What’s next the Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerk “diktat” that AT&T phones can’t handle calls in NY?

Argh!

—30—

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NEWJERSEY: “We”, the middle and working-class families, need to keep the politicians and bureaucrats focused on our priorities

Friday, January 17, 2025

https://nj1015.com/california-fire-disaster-wake-up-call-new-jersey-is-next-without-action/?lh_aid=84349&lh_cid=01rk6ndmqt&di=668253fd18d5308e2c5357c98b931ee1

California fire disaster wake-up call: New Jersey is next without action
Bill Spadea
Published: January 10, 2025

*** begin quote ***

The bottom line is that we need to keep the environmental wackos in check so that we are managing our forests, keeping our reservoirs filled and stopping overdevelopment, which has a negative impact on water pressure and infrastructure potentially making it much harder for firefighters to do their jobs.

The state needs to encourage and empower local fire departments to recruit young people into the departments and eliminate harmful mandates that keep recruiting down.

All firefighters, both volunteer and career, should receive free cancer screening and Chapter 78 pension reform should be struck down until overall insurance costs are brought down.

*** and ***

Politicians in Trenton want to pit public workers against the private sector as if it’s us vs. them. What they have completely wrong is the “us” in the equation are all middle and working-class families, whether you’re working the public or private sector. The “them” in the equation are the back-room Trenton insiders who have been profiting on our backs for far too long. It is the real us vs. them and it’s time we hold them accountable and take back Trenton government for us.

*** end quote ***

I think that Bill Spadea is absolutely correct about the “us vs. them”.  Too long we have allowed politicians and bureaucrats to pit us against each other.

In this particular case, the Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerzee can learn from the California fires without having to experience them personally.  Same as floods, let’s take “lessons learned” and transform them into positive actions.

We have fires here in New Jersey every year.  (Remember the Garden State Parkway being closed by smoke recently.)  Where is the plan to mitigate and control.

We have floods here in New Jersey every year.  (Remember the town named Bound Brook. It’s for a reason.)  Where is the plan for that.

We have an “insurance cancellation” problem here in New Jersey every year.  (Remember the various harror stories about being cancelled for a stained roof or dilapidated shed?). Where is our plan for eminent domaining properties that are repeatedly flooded?  Or no coverage to rebuild in disaster zones. And, certainly not rebuilding mansions at the shore repeatedly covered by flood insurance. How about state wide “insurance pools” run like credit unions?

Let’s not let the politicians and bureaucrats lull us back to sleep with vague promises only to be reawakened by disasters.

Argh!

—30—

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HEALTHCARE: Hospitals are deadly; never forget it

Thursday, January 16, 2025

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2024/12/13/hospitalization.aspx?ui=f9839516412491bb1e06c9e47058c6fb81b9b9b6acedf03e65e93dfdb263c1b9&sd=20210317&cid_source=dnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1ReadMore&cid=20241213&foDate=false&mid=DM1672472&rid=183055644

What Makes Hospitals So Deadly and How Can We Fix It?
Analysis by A Midwestern Doctor

December 13, 2024

  • Throughout COVID-19, abysmal hospital care and the suppression of effective off-patent therapies killed approximately a million Americans. Much of this originated from Obamacare pressuring hospitals to aggressively treat patients so they could quickly leave the hospital and reduce health care costs
  • More frail patients respond poorly to aggressive protocols, resulting in them frequently being pushed into palliative care or hospice. Sadly doctors are no longer trained to gradually bring their patients back to health, and hence view many of those deaths as inevitable
  • During COVID-19, hospitals enforced rigid protocols centered around remdesivir and ventilators while denying alternative treatments, even in cases where patients were likely to die — in one striking example, patients who received court-ordered ivermectin had a 95% survival rate compared to just 5% for those denied it
  • Current medical training emphasizes following standardized protocols rather than practicing individualized medicine, with younger doctors being trained to execute procedures rather than critically examine cases and adjust treatment plans for each patient
  • In this article, we will review some of the forgotten medical therapies that dramatically improve hospital outcomes and highlight some of the key strategies patients and lawmakers can use to reduce hospital deaths

*** begin quote ***

During COVID-19, we witnessed something previously unimaginable. A national emergency hospitalized thousands of Americans, where they were cut off from their loved ones and inevitably died. It soon became clear that the hospital protocols did not work, but regardless of how futile conventional care was, patients in our hospitals could not get the alternative therapies they needed.

This led to a sobering realization throughout America — what many of us believed about our hospitals was utterly incorrect. Rather than help patients, hospitals effectively functioned like assembly lines that ran disastrous protocols (e.g., remdesivir), denied patients access to their loved ones and refused to use alternative therapies even when it was known the patients were otherwise expected to die.

This was best illustrated by a travel nurse who was assigned to the New York hospital with the highest death tolls in the nation and realized something very wrong was happening throughout the hospital so she covertly recorded it:

{Extraneous Deleted}

*** end quote ***

It’s hard to imagine that a system that is based on “first do no harm” can deliver such an abominable result.

A plague on all their houses,

Clearly, the system needs to dismantled  and reassembled.

And, some trials and tribunals to assess blame and punishment.

Surely, McDonalds needs fry cooks.

—30—

 

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ENCOURAGING: Getty Museum team had their game plan payoff

Thursday, January 16, 2025

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14268629/Getty-museum-fire-prevention-karen-bass.html

Simple steps taken to prevent Getty Museum burning down. Why didn’t Karen Bass do the same?
By BRITTANY CHAIN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
Published: 18:44 EST, 9 January 2025 | Updated: 19:10 EST, 9 January 2025

*** begin quote ***

While most of the Pacific Palisades has been reduced to ash and rubble after it was caught in the path of the devastating California wildfires, the iconic Getty Museum is still standing after implementing a simple routine. 

The museum’s successful efforts to keep the fire at bay begs the question: why didn’t Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass use similar tactics to protect homes and land? 

*** end quote ***

Sounds like the Getty Museum leadership had their game plan and worked it.

All the politicians and bureaucrats are scrambling to blame someone else.  Just once, I’d like someone stand up and say: “I made a mistake but we will not make that one again.”  Maybe they won’t get praised for the mistake, but they can serve as an object lesson.

The Getty Museum team demonstrated that if you do the job, excuses are not needed.

Impressive. Easy to succumb to complacency until it’s too late. Wonder if any lessons are being learned anywhere else?

Old maxim is: “You don’t have to pay for EVERY lesson yourself.  You are allowed to learn from the mistakes of others.”

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POLICY: It seems that Gooferment is consistently bad across the ages

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/like-lahaina-la-was-warned-in-2018?publication_id=1119676&post_id=154433547&isFreemail=true&r=3snn7d&triedRedirect=true

Like Lahaina, LA Was Warned in 2018

Little investment made in fire prevention since the Woolsey Fire of 2018.

John Leake

Jan 08, 2025

*** begin quote ***

A letter from Pliny the Younger to the Emperor Trajan in the early 2nd century touched on this perennial issue:

    While I was making a progress in a different part of the province, a most extensive fire broke out at Nicomedia [now Izmit, Turkey] which not only consumed several private houses, but also two public buildings; the town-house and the temple of Isis, though they stood on contrary sides of the street. The occasion of its spreading thus far was partly owing to the violence of the wind, and partly to the indolence of the people, who, manifestly, stood idle and motionless spectators of this terrible calamity. The truth is the city was not furnished with either engines, buckets, or any single instrument suitable for extinguishing fires; which I have now however given directions to have prepared. 

Just as Lahaina was warned in 2018, Los Angeles was warned by the Woolsey Fire—which ignited on November 8, 2018, burned 96,949 acres, and destroyed 1,643 structures—of the sort of catastrophes that are likely to occur when conditions are dry and windy. As was the case in Lahaina, it appears that what passes for leadership in Los Angeles made little to no investment to prevent the same kind of disaster from happening again.

To preserve civilization from natural disasters, it is necessary to make considerable investment in infrastructure and human resources, even if such investments do not yield a significant profit for any particular business interest.

It is also necessary to invest in good leadership. The Roman Emperor Trajan was an extremely capable soldier and administrator, and Pliny the Younger was a gifted lawyer, writer, and magistrate. 

*** end quote ***

I remember one snowstorm in NYC when I was young that the entire Brough of Queens was snow bound for weeks.  And, that swung the entire mayoral election as Queens’ residents almost entirely voted as a bloc against the incumbent.

I guess things haven’t changed since the early 2nd century.  Gooferments suck at infraructure.  And, its care and maintainence too.

Wonder how “We, The Sheeple” fix this attention failure?

Guess before we vote for a politician, we better look for a track record of attention to such details.

Or, we’ll be disappointed with results again.

Maybe there should be a “system” of promotion  —  you can’t be a county executive unless you have been a mayor.  Or you can’t be a governor unless you’ve been a good mayor.  Only governor should be Presidents.  Only a Representative should be a Senator.

Might be worth trying!

—30—

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RANT: And now we all know why  Pfizer wanted the data hidden for 75 years!

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

https://kirschsubstack.com/p/pfizers-secret-documents-reveal-that?publication_id=548354&post_id=154381843&isFreemail=true&r=onvra&triedRedirect=true

Pfizer’s secret documents reveal that their COVID vaccine actually made you 8.7% more likely to get COVID

  • Buried in the documents that Pfizer wanted hidden from public view for 75 years there was a table that revealed that their vaccine actually had negative efficacy.

Steve Kirsch

Jan 08, 2025

*** begin quote ***

Pfizer tested all participants in their Phase 3 trial for N-antibodies. The results were kept hidden from the public. It was only through court order that we finally know what the results were.

Do you think they would have kept this data secret from the public if it showed good news? Heck no!

The table showed that Pfizer only had around 50% protection if you just take the table at face value. But if you interpret the table correctly, it shows Pfizer had negative efficacy.

*** end quote ***

And now we all know why  Pfizer wanted the data hidden for 75 years!

It ain’t because it showed why we needed their “vaccine”.

I’d like some heads on pikes!  From Pfizer, the Gooferment bureaucrats, and the politicians. Pfizer has immunity from damage suits by Federal diktat.  But DJT47 can make that go away FOREVER.

My biggest concern is what I call the “thalidomide effect” where side effects aren’t known for generations later.  Argh!

I think it’s time for public trials.  And, Pfizer should be give a corporate “death sentence”.   Like Enron, their stock value should go to zero.  If nothing else, 100% corporate tax on all past profits from this pseudo-vaccine.  

Argh!

—30—

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