INTERESTING: Jèrriais continued to be used as a secret language for passing messages for the rest of the war

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

The secret British language that was used to outwit the Nazis

17 July 2023
Oliver Berry Features correspondent

*** begin quote ***

Instead of taking up arms, islanders found other, subtler ways to resist. They engaged in a campaign of passive resistance, and Jèrriais became central to their efforts. With its complex vocabulary and regional variations, the language was all but impossible for outsiders – even French-speaking Germans – to follow. As such, it made the perfect secret code, and islanders increasingly used it to exchange information, make clandestine plans against their occupiers and, occasionally, even mock their them right under their noses.

“Jèrriais articles at the beginning of the occupation managed to get through resistance messages,” explained Geraint Jennings, a linguist, scholar and Jèrriais expert who works at L’Office du Jèrriais to promote the language. “Articles openly printed that it’s best to speak Jèrriais so ‘certain people’ won’t be able to understand it – IE the Germans! Of course, they soon cottoned on to that and clamped down with censorship, but Jèrriais continued to be used as a secret language for passing messages for the rest of the war.”

Ironically, despite its wartime role, the use of Jèrriais declined at an alarming rate after liberation in 1945. Like many of Britain’s minority languages, such as Manx, Gaelic, Welsh and Cornish, Jèrriais was derided as a language spoken only by the uneducated, and it had been in gradual decline since the late 19th Century – a trend that accelerated rapidly after the end of WW2.

*** end quote ***

Fascinating stuff.  Like most of the lost languages, “We, The Sheeple” have no idea what has been lost.

Hopefully, AI and some dedicated individuals can capture and save it.

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INTERESTING: Prairie dogs are the Paul Reveres of the Great Plains

Saturday, June 21, 2025

https://apnews.com/article/prairie-dogs-birds-eavesdropping-warning-0430300793f1f0e267e07e9942fad2e9?utm_campaign=website&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nautilus-newsletter

Science
A grassland bird eavesdrops on prairie dog calls to keep itself safe from predators
By CHRISTINA LARSON
Updated 10:04 AM EDT, June 12, 2025

*** begin quote ***

WASHINGTON (AP) — Prairie dogs are the Paul Reveres of the Great Plains: They bark to alert neighbors to the presence of predators, with separate calls for dangers coming by land or by air.

“Prairie dogs are on the menu for just about every predator you can think of”— golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, foxes, badgers, even large snakes — said Andy Boyce, a research ecologist in Montana at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Those predators will also snack on grassland nesting birds like the long-billed curlew.

*** end quote ***

Isn’t “nature” amazing?

Who have thought that birds could evolve to listen and differentiate between “danger – ground” and “danger – air”?

I find this almost unbelievable.  I know from all the war movies that listening and smelling was ssential skills in most kinds of warfare and hunting. 

From my time in survival school, I know that animals had no worry about me “sneaking” up and eating them.  I wouldn’t have survived on what I could have caught.  Laugh!

In our modern world of “bread and circuses” is there equivalent skills in keep us safe.  Like “situational awareness” to avoid crime.  “Marksmanship” to end threats quickly.  “Listening” and “reading” to avoid frauds and misinformation.  “Distrust all experts, politicians, and bureaucrats” who seek to deceive us for their own reasons.

Maybe we can be like “the Paul Reveres of the Great Plains” and warn family, friends, acquaintances, others of our species, and other species to the dangers we see?

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INTERESTING: Sea Gulls are smart thieves

Monday, June 16, 2025

https://www.wsj.com/articles/scientists-cant-get-enough-of-watching-gulls-steal-your-food-58866ce7?st=QyXVUd&mod=1440&user_id=66c4b9c55d78644b3a882a4d

Scientists Can’t Get Enough of Watching Seagulls Steal Your Food

  • Birds’ ability to seamlessly swap marine food for a Big Mac—and outwit humans to get it—is a source of fascination

By Natasha Dangoor
June 5, 2025 11:00 pm ET

*** begin quote ***

St. Ives in Cornwall, which Rock dubs the “world capital of food snatching,” took a more human-targeted approach. The Business Improvement District launched a campaign to pack takeouts in paper printed with humorous and informative messages about gulls. This “Daily Gull” newspaper-style wrapping featured “Tips from the experts to help you protect your pasty” and quizzes on gull species.

One tip: Stare at the gulls. 

Researchers at the University of Exeter did an experiment which showed that gulls took 21 seconds longer to approach a bag of fries when a human was watching them, compared with when the human looked away.

“It’s like shoplifting,” said Boogert. “You wouldn’t look at a shopkeeper whilst stealing from them!” 

*** end quote ***

Capturing dictation

As a long time, SHORE resident, I am very familiar with just how intelligent seagulls are. The kids love to feed them french fries and bread. One time as a joke one of them threw a mushroom with the bread. Despite several gulls, eating the bread, the mushroom was left like an orphan. Finally, some squirrel came along and ate it.

Tourists on the Seaside Heights boardwalk are often mobbed by seagulls stealing their food. Nothing is safe even a baby bottle. Well some people regard them as pests, they are fun to watch.

If the scientists are right, and I think they are, birds are descended from flying dinosaurs. One doesn’t survive a grazilian years without being adaptable and smart.

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INTERESTING: NOTEBOOK LLM review of RFL blog. for May 2025 — pretty accurate from my POV

Monday, June 9, 2025

NotebookLM Logo

Sources

Chat

Studio

😤

Reinke Faces Life: May 2025 Entries

1 source

 

The sources consist of blog posts from “Reinke Faces Life,” a blog where the author shares content they find interesting, amusing, or enraging. The topics covered are varied, including the shutdown of the Pocket app, thoughts on the elimination of the penny and its connection to inflation, a review of a World War II movie, a discussion on corrosion-resistant steel for infrastructure, and advice on security for Bitcoin holders. Other posts address potential issues with government agencies, the ethics of selling scanned public domain books, a survival story, a software bug, the controversy surrounding President Biden’s physician, and concerns about Google’s search algorithms. The author also reflects on Memorial Day, offers a resource for free e-books, and criticizes government involvement in energy and air travel.

 

What is the overarching sentiment towards government and authority across these sources?

Across the provided sources, the overarching sentiment towards government and authority is highly negative, critical, and deeply distrustful. The author frequently expresses frustration and anger regarding the actions and perceived failures of government entities and individuals involved in politics and bureaucracy.

Several sources explicitly criticize governmental bodies and their impact:

The US Treasury and Federal Reserve are blamed for inflation and the devaluation of the dollar, with the Federal Reserve described as a “private cartel of the elite banks run for their benefit and that of the entrenched politicians”

. The author views the decision to stop circulating one-cent coins as a sign that “We, The Sheeple” will be forced to recognize the inflation caused by the Federal Reserve printing “so many ‘dollars'”. The author advocates for ending the Federal Reserve entirely, citing reasons such as its inability to accomplish objectives, acting against the public interest, generating unfair tax, encouraging war, destabilizing the economy, and being an instrument of totalitarianism. The author contrasts the current fiat money system with a gold standard, which they believe led to lower prices and predictable life, arguing that fiat dollars enable the “Gooferment” in endless spending, “forever wars,” and welfare

.

Politicians and bureaucrats are generally portrayed as untrustworthy and lacking incentive to solve problems

. In the context of infrastructure, the author suggests that bridges are failing because the “Gooferment” is involved in their construction and that an entrepreneur would build bridges that last longer because politicians and bureaucrats “have no incentive to solve the problems of the world”

.

The author questions the role of government in areas like air travel security and air traffic control, suggesting the TSA and FAA should be ended and these functions turned over to airlines, arguing that government involvement adds unnecessary overhead that could be better managed privately

. The author sees government programs, like the temporary ones Jeff Thomas discusses, as becoming permanent and overbearing

.

In the context of Bitcoin, the author expresses concern about “Gooferment involvement,” specifically mentioning the IRS wanting to report capital gains and coercing crypto exchanges to cooperate via KYC rules

. They highlight the ability to transfer assets without “Gooferment involvement” as a valuable use case for Bitcoin

.

The author is highly critical of perceived government cover-ups and lack of accountability, such as questioning President Biden’s physician and staff, and suggesting they should face repercussions for statements about his competence

. This situation is labeled a “national disgrace”. The author calls for reforms like term limits, age limits, and citizenship requirements for politicians and bureaucrats

.

The New Jersey “Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerzee Gooferment” is criticized for a significant increase in electric rates and the lack of competition in energy

. The author states the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) “ain’t looking out for the consumer”

.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is described as “unscientific” and accused of unnecessarily culling birds

. The author questions the motivations of bureaucrats in such agencies, imagining them justifying their paychecks without adding value, and states a strong dislike for politicians and bureaucrats

.

The 1986 SHIELD ACT is heavily criticized for shielding vaccine manufacturers from lawsuits, which the author believes leads to a lack of safety testing and contributes to health issues

. The author calls for its repeal

.

The author frequently uses the derogatory term “Gooferment”

 and the exclamation “Argh!” to convey frustration related to government actions or perceived failures. The sentiment is further reinforced by headings like “GOVEROTRAGEOUS” and topics listed in the sidebar such as “Political,” “Ranting,” “TYLER DURDEN,” “tyranny,” and “VICTIM DISARMAMENT”. The focus on “Conspiracy Theories” and the mention of perceived “crimes committed by the Political Class” also contribute to this negative view

.

The sources suggest a preference for private sector solutions over government involvement, as seen in the discussion of infrastructure

, airline security/air traffic control, and energy competition. There is also an emphasis on self-reliance and skepticism of authority, exemplified by the advice to “TRUST NO ONE, EVER” in the context of Bitcoin security and government involvement, the suggestion to save in gold and silver, and the inclusion of a quote about an armed society

.

In summary, the sources consistently portray government and authority as inefficient, untrustworthy, detrimental to individual liberty and economic well-being, and often acting against the public interest for the benefit of insiders

.

1 source

NotebookLM can be inaccurate; please double check its responses.

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INTERESTING: “America’s Checkbook” is an interesting idea, but may not satisfy a “deep dive”

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

https://nypost.com/2025/02/11/opinion/make-doge-stick-let-taxpayers-monitor-americas-checkbook/

 Make the DOGE revolution stick: Let Musk and taxpayers reveal what’s really in America’s checkbook

By John Hart 

Published Feb. 11, 2025, 6:29 p.m. ET

*** begin quote ***

A federal judge’s decision to bar Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from reviewing the Treasury Department’s payment system is most likely a temporary setback — but it illustrates the urgent need to secure a permanent win for transparency.

Progressives are panicking because their 100-year, largely successful assault on American constitutional government is in danger of being reversed.

Thanks to Musk’s wise plan to follow the money, he has a historic opportunity to mount a coup — not on behalf of himself or President Trump, but for We the People.

*** and ***

Crowd-sourcing oversight will shift the balance of power away from the bureaucracy and back to individuals.   

“America’s Checkbook” will give citizens a megaphone and silence critics.

It will prove our leaders’ confidence in the wisdom of We the People, our system of checks and balances and the genius of America’s founders.

John Hart is the chief executive officer of Open the Books and the former communications director for US Sen. Tom Coburn.

*** end quote ***

Not sure how that could possibly work but I like the idea.

But I’m a like foggy on the usefulness of:

“Check #, Payee Joe Blow, Amount 1B$”

But it should give investigative journalists a lead.  (If there are any such left? Other than Sharyl Attkisson and James O’Keefe.

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INTERESTING: Which comes first — seeing or believing?

Friday, February 14, 2025

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2025/02/ira-katz/believing-is-seeing/

Believing Is Seeing – LewRockwell
By Ira Katz

<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-02-06>>

*** begin quote ***

This short explanation cannot do justice to such a broad and important topic. But I hope you will see that while seeing is believing has a certain veracity, it is more important to understand that reality is conceived such that believing is seeing.

*** end quote ***

selective attention test

# – # – # – # – # 

I didn’t see it and now I understand the limitations of “perception”!

What to make of it?

Like the JoHari window, I realized then to always look for what I can’t “see”. 

Maybe if I had learned this much much younger, then my whole life could have been completely different!

“… 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

Laugh!  I could really use that tool today.

—30—


INTERESTING: Thinking about my dreams — the sleeping ones that is

Thursday, February 6, 2025

https://www.popsci.com/science/why-dont-i-remember-my-dreams/?utm_placement=newsletter

Why don’t you remember all your dreams?

  • Whether you recall them or not, you likely dream nightly.

By Lauren Leffer
Posted 23 Hours Ago
<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-01-28>>

*** begin quote ***

Some mornings, waking up might feel like interrupting a vivid alternate universe. You open your eyes to reality, but the dream you were having still lingers clearly in your memory, complete with characters and plot points. Other days, waking up may be more akin to emerging from a black void with nothing to report. 

*** and ***

Sleeping after a learning task, and dreaming about that task is linked to improvement in subsequent task performance and memory, according to a 2010 study led by Wamsley and a 2012 follow-up. Further, participants remembered negative images from an emotional picture task better after a night of sleep, if they reported recalling a dream, according to a 2024 study led by Zhang. The same study also found that emotional state correlated with dream content (positive dreams from the night before were linked with more positive mood the next day), and those that remembered their dreams became less emotionally responsive to neutral stimuli during follow-up tasks. 

*** and ***

Though don’t let that trick you into over-interpreting the dreams your mind metes out. The Freudian idea that dreams align by any common code, which can be used to analyze your subconscious is “bullshit,” says Wamsley. “There’s no evidence that dreams harbor a secret meaning below the surface level, especially not one that you need a professional to tell you about,” she adds. “The person who is having the dream is the person best-positioned to say what it means. There’s no hidden manual.” 

*** end quote ***

Wow, this gives me some insights. 

It’s no secret in my family that my Mother and Father had terrible dreams.  I think it was part of what drove them to drink and madness.  In my 30’s, I developed what I labeled “night terrors”.  Horrible dreams that would wake me up in a cold sweat, literally drenching the sheets and pillows to where I had to change them.  I remember my Grandmother complaining that my maternal Grandfather’s bet was always wet when he arose.  Possibly he was having those “bad dreams” too.  He never talked much, so I don’t know.  Anyway, I learned to deal with the night terrors by recording them and thinking about them.  Some were down right comical when you parsed them out.  Naked, lost in rooms, seeing long dead relatives, conversations with people I know never met IRL, mixing eras, … … all sorts of strange stuff.  Eventually, I settled on the concept that it was my brain “taking out the trash”.  And since I didn’t want dementia or to descend into madness, I got in the habit of just ignoring them and getting about my day.   Soon the “night terrors” evolved into “interesting adventures” that were no longer scary.  And since they had no real meaning, they went into the garbage bin of “forgotten stuff”.  Some of my novel and many “index card” short stories sprung from the debris of those dreams.

I found this pop sci summary of the research interesting since it confirms: learned behaviors, meaninglessness of dreams, and unscientifically objectively measurable.

Guess I’ll never really “understand” but I’m not crazy either.  Or at least, able to function with my craziness.

YMMV

—30—


INTERESTING: An after action report about tjhe “Day the Music Died”

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

https://nypost.com/2024/02/03/news/experts-reveal-what-caused-buddy-hollys-plane-to-crash-65-years-ago-today/

Experts reveal what caused Buddy Holly’s plane to crash 65 years ago today
By Social Links for Hillary Andrews, FOX Weather
Published Feb. 3, 2024, 6:23 p.m. ET

*** begin quote ***

So many sing about “the day that music died” on Feb. 3, 1959, when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were killed in a plane crash.

Don McLean coined the term in his 1971 hit “American Pie.”

The song about the decline of the 60s starts with the death of the three young musicians, “the end of the happy 50s,” he told Forbes Magazine. 

Investigators point to quickly-changing wintry weather conditions that were not communicated to the inexperienced pilot as the cause of the crash that left such a tragic mark on music history.

*** end quote ***

Just a sad remembrance of the “happy 50’s”.

Requiescat In Pacem

—30—


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—

INTERESTING: What worked in the past, didn’t really work, and now is part of the problem

Thursday, January 2, 2025

https://www.oftwominds.com/blogdec24/past-solutions12-24.html

What If Solutions That Worked in the Past No Longer Fix What’s Broken?December 26, 2024
“Of Two Minds” blog
Charles Hugh Smith

*** begin quote ***

You see the irony here: the more successful the old solutions were, the greater our compulsion to cling to them even as they fail.

Humans use inductive reasoning to solve problems. If a solution fixed a problem in the past, we assume it will solve the problem again. This is a rational expectation based on prior experience.

But if conditions change, the solution won’t fix the problem. It might even make things worse.

*** and ***

Make America Great Again is an explicit call to return to the solutions that worked in the past, specifically The Reagan Revolution of the 1980s, which was characterized by these policies:

1. The federal government is the problem, not the solution. The solution is to reduce the influence and financial footprint of the federal government.

2. Deregulation of private industries, starting with finance. Loosen regulations to enable financial / market solutions, even if they’re disruptive.

3. Focus on growth. Grow the economy by loosening up credit, drill baby drill, reducing regulatory burdens and taxes, etc.

4. Pursue a muscular global policy of America First. No more wishy-washy playing nice: choose sides, but choose carefully because there will be consequences.

5. It’s morning in America. We can get back on track by unleashing America’s native optimism and vigor.

These solutions from the past are compelling because they delivered decades of growth. Of course reality is complicated, and it wasn’t just these policies by themselves that spawned decades of expansion. Demographics, the “peace dividend” and many other factors helped.

*** 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 Federal Gooferment is “the problem” and it’s made possible by the FED  conspiracy and the “valueless unbacked” paper dollar.

I’m tired of always coming back to the same nagging over and over.  But the fundamental flaw in this problem is an unrestrained Federal Gooferment.  

Until that is put back under control and sharply limited, we have no hope of ever getting out from under the 37T$ debt.

Just silently defaulting by inflation which is what is being done to the detriment of “We, The Sheeple”.

Argh!

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