INSPIRATIONAL: The Stockdale Paradox: A Philosophic Principle for Tough Times

Thursday, November 6, 2025

https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/advice/stockdale-paradox/

Brett & Kate McKay • October 27, 2025
The Stockdale Paradox: A Philosophic Principle for Tough Times

*** begin quote ***

Years later, when his plane was shot down and he was imprisoned in the infamous POW camp known as the “Hanoi Hilton,” Epictetus’s Enchiridion would become a survival manual for Stockdale and the men he led. It would also help birth a guiding principle that got Stockdale through seven and a half years — four of them in solitary confinement — of torture and debasement: what’s now called the “Stockdale Paradox.”

*** and ***

Stockdale paused and said:

You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end — which you can never afford to lose — with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.

That single sentence became known as the Stockdale Paradox.

In practice, it meant living in two opposing realities at once: facing the brutal truth of the moment while maintaining unbreakable faith in the eventual positive outcome.

*** end quote ***

Brutal honesty and unshakeable faith?

Not sure that if presented with a test like the Hanoi Hilton, then I could conduct myself so well.  One can only hope.  I’d pray make my “tests” small in proportion to my character.

I remember the “Perot – Stockdale” ticket.  

I can’t look into Ross Perot’s soul but I believe he was there as a “spoiler” to allow Bill Clinton to defeat both Bush and Bob Dole.  Near the end of the campaign, I remember Perot’s antics to distroy his chances of winning.  To me it was an obvious prize fighter’s “dive” because the fix was in.

It’s a shame and a national disgrace that “democracy” is really an “oligarchy”.  The Dead Old White Guys must be rolling over.

Sigh!

— 30 —


MONEY: A suggested little L libertarian boycott of small change?

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

https://survivalblog.com/2025/10/29/survivalblog-readers-editors-snippets-236/

survivalblog.com
SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets
Pure-Gas.org has a list of gas stations that sell ethanol-free gasoline.
James Wesley Rawles
October 29, 2025

*** begin quote ***

Libertarians have many of the right answers to the problems facing the United States and need to be heard loud and clear above the confusion disseminated by the mainstream media and their lackeys in government, all bought and paid for by the crony capitalists of Wall Street.

If all of the nickels and pennies in circulation rather suddenly disappeared, it would generate a lot of media attention and curiosity on the part of the public. It would be a brilliant protest against the devaluation of our currency and the debasement of the Republic by the bankers and their ilk. Change could be made only to the nearest dime.

There are roughly 140 billion pennies and 28 billion nickels in circulation. It would “cost” only $2.8 billion dollars to remove them all from circulation. If we can find 2.8 million libertarians to each accumulate $1000 of pennies and nickels, we will be heard loud and perhaps clear. I use the quotes on “cost” to indicate that it actually could be quite profitable to remove these coins from circulation.

*** end quote ***

I’m in for that boycott!

And, the Mint is stopping making pennies soon.  Next year? 

Count me in!

— 30 —

p.s., Shoprite in Marlboro is also requesting that if you have any extra pennies to spare, donate them at the customer service counter so they can continue to make proper change. 2025-Oct-31 1036

— 30 —


MEME: Something to remember this Election Day — choose wisely,

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Something for “We, The Sheeple” in the Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerk to remember this Election Day?

Your candidate is a self-proclaimed Communist.  

“The problem with socialism is that you can vote your way into it but you need to shoot your way out of it.” — Larry Lambert

When NYC becomes a “socialist paradise” like Cuba, at least the escape won’t be as far or as dangerous?

Unless this mentality infects the Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerzee too.

“When hungry, eat your rice; when tired, close your eyes. Fools may laugh at me, but wise men will know what I mean.”

“But choose wisely, for while the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you.” Grail Knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097576/quotes

— 30 —


DISCOURAGING: Gooferment crowds out private charity

Monday, November 3, 2025

https://www.malone.news/p/homeseading-home-again-home-again?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=583200&post_id=177369074&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3snn7d&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

Homesteading: Home Again, Home Again
The wonders of dairy
Dr. Robert W. Malone
Oct 28, 2025

*** begin quote ***

At one time, this country had a strong volunteer base to help those who needed help; the government has since replaced many of those efforts. Of course, we hope that as the government shrinks, our volunteer efforts must grow. We must grow a strong, giving populace and a strong economy – to help those who need help. Not because we must provide help when truly needed, but because we can and want to. Because we want to build our local communities up, as well as the people who live in them. We must rebuild our culture of giving… That is truly the American way.

But these efforts won’t develop overnight. It will take resources, organization, and time to build such a culture again. So we have a problem in the United States today; there are people who need our help now.

*** end quote ***

I see many “social clubs” languishing and eventually dying out.  The Italian American club in North Brunswick recently sold out.  My American Legion post has all aging members and very little “new blood”.  Same for the local VFW.  Last gasps?

As the Gooferment devalues our money stealing our wealth and increases the welfare roles, it shoves the local Churches and Civic organizations into oblivion. So, in short, welfare is nothing more than redistribution of wealth, or theft. Those in legitimate need could have their needs better met by private companies or charities without government involvement, and without forcing others to pay for it.

I’ve read many stories of American in the past where charity was very local and very selective.  It also rebuilt the civic society by stressing individual responsibility and a “helping hand” bu t not a “handout”.

I remember the Black Churches on the 50’s and 60’s where families worshiped together and stood proud in their communities.  They may have been poor in material wealth but were “rich” in their community.

The Gooferment destroyed all of that.

The “plantation of slaves” was rebuilt by Gooferment handouts.

So sad.

Not sure if it can ever be reversed.

I remember Samuel Jackson as Zeus in the movie “Die Hard”.

 

Zeus: *So who’s gonna help you*?
Dexter: We’re gonna help ourselves.
Zeus: And who do we not want to help us?
Dexter, Raymond: White people.
Zeus: That’s right. Now get on outta here. Go to school.

 

Sounds like the absolute truth!

— 30 —


FUN: Way too funny or why I don’t dance?

Sunday, November 2, 2025

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/comedy-wildlife-contest-unveils-wonderful-photo-finalists-to-make-everyone-smile/?_bhlid=09200a8b0d635a45582c8760c52baba000277c86

Comedy Wildlife Contest Unveils Wonderful Photo Finalists to Make Everyone Smile
By Good News Network – Oct 26, 2025

*** begin quote ***

The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards just released their annual finalists.

“We are absolutely delighted to reveal the hotly anticipated finalists of the 2025 competition. They are a cracking collection of jaw dropping and laugh out loud photos of some of the most incredible wildlife that we share this planet with,” said contest officials in a news release.

*** end quote ***

Animals in nature should teach us not to take ourselves too seriously.

Who cares what others think?

Isn’t bullying the absolute expression of jealousy?

Dona Nobis Pacem

— 30 —


TECHNOLOGY: AI replies with a canned response which has nothing to do with my problem

Saturday, November 1, 2025

https://www.dunkindonuts.com/en/account/dunkinrewards

*** begin quote *** 

Dear Ferdinand Reinke,

 

Thank you for taking the time to contact Dunkin’.

To add a Dunkin’ card to the Dunkin’ App, please follow these steps:

 

1. Expand the menu in the top left-hand corner.

2. Tap “Add/Manage Cards”.

3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap “Add a Dunkin’ Card”.

   i. If you have an existing card that you want to add, select Yes and enter the details. If not, select No to purchase a virtual card.

4. Select your card design and tap “Done,” and then “Done” on the next screen to complete registration.

To add a Dunkin’ card using our website, please follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your Dunkin’ Rewards account on the Dunkin’ website.
  2. Click “My Account” on the top right-hand corner and select “Add or Delete a Dunkin’ Gift Card”.
  3. Enter the Card Number and PIN to add it to your account.

To remove a card from the Dunkin’ Mobile App, select the card you want to delete and tap “Delete Card.” (Please note that if the card is not at a $0 balance, you will not be able to remove it from the account.) Before you complete the deletion, write down the card number and PIN in case you want to re-register the card later. Removing a card from the app will also unregister it from your account, and unregistered cards will no longer earn points or rewards.

 

If you have any further questions, please reply to this email, or give us a call. Our support team can be reached at 800-447-0013, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.

Thanks again for contacting us.

 

 

Customer Care Coordinator

Case# CCC6870586

 
Ref:MSG1362625_wmb3eHsyFfthTCngJSJV

*** end quote ***

My réponse:

please read what I wrote
 
I don’t have the original rewards card.  Please recover it and all my points.
 
# – # – # – # – #
 
Boy, do I hate AI!  It seems that when some Corporation deigns to allow you to email about a problem, they have AI reply with a canned response which has nothing to do with my problem.
 
Don’t they realize the damage that they are doing to their brand?  Or do they just don’t care.
 
— 30 — 

POLITICAL: Welfare was supposed to be temporary help, but it’s become a lifestyle

Friday, October 31, 2025

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/10/brazilian-woman-us-delivers-powerful-takedown-americas-nanny/

Brazilian Woman in the US Delivers Powerful Takedown of America’s Nanny State (Video)
by Margaret Flavin Oct. 30, 2025 2:00 pm

*** begin quote ***

A Brazilian woman now in the US took to social media to deliver a powerful and accurate takedown of America’s nanny state that has become even more visible during the Schumer shutdown.

“The left is so funny,” she began. “Workers who don’t work, students who don’t study, educators who don’t educate, and politicians who cannot lead, so they buy votes instead. But somehow they figured it out.”

“They create dependence and call it compassion.”

“They create victims and call it justice, create laziness and call it equality.”

*** and ***

“Now, I’m going to say something that is controversial, but shouldn’t be. I don’t think these people should vote, honestly. How can you vote freely when you’re being bought?”

“Welfare was supposed to be temporary help, but it’s become a lifestyle.”

“Worse than that, it’s become a political strategy.”

*** end quote ***

I’m impressed that this unnamed “Brazilian woman” can so aptly describe our “welfare” problem.

I’d be more impressed if she was identified.  Perhaps she’s an illegal and on the dole she complains about.  How would we know she’s not.

Part of being a “cynical skeptic” is to doubt EVERYTHING.  Even if it’s taking “your side”.  Perhaps, then is when we should be the strictist when exmining the “evidence” we like..

Argh!

But, regardless, the USA has a problem with the “Welfare / Warfare” state that we can’t afford.

— 30 —


INSPIRATIONAL: Bodhana Sivanandan, 10, secured a win over world champion Mariya Muzychuk

Thursday, October 30, 2025

https://www.aol.com/articles/10-old-girl-wonder-chess-042728885.html?guccounter=1

10-Year-Old ‘Girl Wonder’ Chess Prodigy Plays ‘Near Perfect Game’ to Defeat Former Grandmaster
People
Madison E. Goldberg
Wed, October 22, 2025 at 12:27 AM EDT

*** begin quote ***

NEED TO KNOW

  • “Girl wonder” chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan, 10, secured a win over world champion Mariya Muzychuk on Oct. 19
  • Sivanandan started playing chess during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • She is on track to potentially become the youngest grandmaster, the highest title possible in professional chess

A 10-year-old British chess prodigy defeated world champion Mariya Muzychuk — putting her one step closer to becoming the youngest grandmaster.

Bodhana Sivanandan has been described as a “girl wonder,” according to British news outlet The Times. Sivanandan, who is from Harrow in northwest London, defeated Muzychuk in what experts called a “near perfect game.”

Sivanandan secured her victory on Oct. 19 at the European Chess Club Cup hosted in Rhodes, Greece, per the outlet. After taking up chess during the COVID-19 when a family member gifted her an old chess board, she became the youngest female player in history to beat a grandmaster — and she did it while sitting on a booster sit to reach the board, according to The Times.

*** end quote ***

I used to play a lot of chess in my much younger days.  Until I found that playing bridge was much more “lucrative”. Laugh! 

Ran into a few great players in Greenwich Village.  Never really cared about rankings.  I realized that it would take a lot of time and study to become really good enough to break into the elite ranks.For the most part, I specialized in “Queen’s Gambit Declined” because most of the players I ran into never played against it and it was often described as a “stifling crowded” opening that frustrated player used to “action”.  It had several “traps” in its opening sequence that the unfamiliar player would blunder into and be easily defeated.  In all my time playing black, no one ever opened with it against me.  Perhaps they knew better. 

Anyway, this young lady’s accomplishments have me in awe of her talent.

I also loved the Netflix trial “Queen’s Gambit” — the role of the fictional “Beth Harmon” was played by a stunning Anya Taylor-Joy — which had nothing to do with the opening and did not accurately report the exploits of Nona Gaprindashvili, who had played competitive chess with men.  

If you haven’t seen it, then you are missing a real winner.

— 30 —


DISCOURAGING: Is it any wonder that the “Catholic” brand is in disarray?

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/new-georgetown-university-president-i-reject-the-churchs-teachings-on-homosexuality/?utm_source=featured-news&utm_campaign=usa

New Georgetown University president Eduardo Peñalver: ‘I reject the Church’s teachings on homosexuality’

  • ‘Every Catholic educator should vigorously oppose what this man embraced,’ Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society told LifeSite. ‘Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep, but Georgetown is leading lambs to the slaughter.’

By Matt Lamb — Mon Oct 20, 2025 – 3:00 pm EDT

*** begin quote ***

WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — The incoming president of Georgetown University has said he repudiates the Catholic Church’s teachings on homosexuality. He also appeared to criticize the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade.

The nominally Catholic, Jesuit university in Washington, D.C., recently announced its selection of Eduardo Peñalver as its new president, to start next year. Peñalver is currently the president of Seattle University, another Jesuit university.

“President Peñalver is an exceptional leader steeped in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition who brings a wealth of experience in higher education, a global mindset, a commitment to social justice and academic excellence, and a bold vision for Georgetown’s future,” the chair of the board stated. “We look forward to him joining our Georgetown community.”

Peñalver has previously said he thinks the Catholic Church erred in its teachings on homosexuality.

*** end quote ***

Is it any wonder that the “Catholic” brand is in disarray?

Just read their new “litany”: “wealth of experience in higher education, a global mindset, a commitment to social justice and academic excellence, and a bold vision for Georgetown’s future”.  It’s not a commitment to anything but secular values.

While he is free to think whatever he wants, as a leader of a “Catholic” institution of higher learning, he is not free to replace the age old centuries of learned wisdom. Among these are the natural laws of nature.  Killing babies in the womb is a contra-survival and thus morally wrong.  Homosexuality is contra-survival and again thus morally wrong.  Euthanasia is contra-survival and again morally wrong.

Seems pretty obvious that by “leading” the flock astray, he corrupts what being “Catholic” means.

Like people say about the Democratic Party, “I didn’t leave it; it left me.”  So too, for many, the “Catholic Church”, or whatever it purports to be now, has left me.

Dona Nobis Pacem

— 30 —


VETERANS: This needs to be replicated without becoming a Gooferment “program”

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/sixth-tiny-home-village-is-ending-homelessness-for-veteran-across-the-us/?utm_source=newsletter.goodnewsnetwork.org&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=sea-turtles-rebounding-worldwide&_bhlid=ea0d7b3241322bcce7d2f328cc999646126b8478

Sixth Tiny Home Village is Ending Homelessness for Veterans Across the US: ‘This place saved me’
By Good News Network – Oct 19, 2025

*** begin quote ***

This week, the nonprofit Veterans Community Project (VCP) broke ground on its sixth tiny home village, this time in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to offer more military veterans a fresh start with housing and individualized care.

Each 240-square-foot home is part of a larger community designed to help residents regain stability and independence.

Since its founding in 2018 when they welcomed their first residents in Kansas City, VCP has helped hundreds of vets transition out of homelessness.

*** end quote ***

Tiny houses all around the nation?  Small enough to be a “personal neighborhood” and large enough to have a support staff.  This is an “experiment” that seems to be working. 

— 30 —


GOVEROTRAGEOUS: end the IRS and the FCC

Monday, October 27, 2025

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2025/10/ron-paul/it-didnt-start-with-trump/

It Didn’t Start With Trump

By Ron Paul, MD

The Ron Paul Institute

October 21, 2025

*** begin quote ***

The administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt used tax investigations against political opponents.

*** and ***

President John F. Kennedy used the IRS and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to drive his conservative critics off the radio.

President Lyndon Johnson also used the IRS and the FCC to silence conservative critics.

*** and ***

President Richard Nixon used the IRS to target political enemies. The Nixon administration also threatened television and radio companies with revocation of their broadcast licenses unless they provided favorable coverage of the administration.

*** and ***

During the Clinton administration, the IRS not only targeted conservative and libertarian organizations it audited Paula Jones after she sued President Clinton for sexual harassment.

*** and ***

During the George W. Bush years, the IRS targeted organizations critical of the Iraq War.

*** and ***

When Barack Obama assumed the presidency, the tax agency turned its attention back to conservative and libertarian groups, with a focus on organizations associated with the Tea Party.

*** end quote ***

So, let’s “nuke” the IRS and the FCC.

Seems like a good start.

Many if the abuses of power all originate from the Federal Gooferment “regulating” “We, The Sheeple”.  Since we are supposed to be a Federal Republic, the Federal Gooferment should only interact with the various State Gooferments that created it.  Leave “We, The People” alone.

Argh!

Let’s start Limited Government!

— 30 —


PEACE: Friedrich Merz, Emmanuel Macron, and Keir Starmer are an extreme danger to humanity

Sunday, October 26, 2025

https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/trump-should-tell-europes-leaders?publication_id=1119676&post_id=176646698&isFreemail=true&r=3snn7d&triedRedirect=true

Trump Should Tell Europe’s Leaders to Shut Up and Cease Fantasizing About War With Russia
The globalist weirdos in Berlin, Paris, and London are an extreme danger to humanity. Trump should treat them as such.
John Leake
Oct 20, 2025

*** begin quote ***

What I am proposing requires setting aside all our presuppositions about Western Europe being the place of representative democracy, prudence, and reason. Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time in Europe in recent years knows that this is no longer the case.

If President Trump turns over responsibility for settling the war in Ukraine to Zelensky and the Three Amigos, they will likely create a July 1914 style crisis that will result in a general European war, and pressure will mount on the United States to settle it on the battlefield.

*** and ***

President Trump should not allow the Zelensky and the Three Amigos go down this same dark path. He should make it very clear to them that the reckless course they are pursuing threatens the security of not only their own people, but the American people as well, and that he will not tolerate this.

*** end quote ***

I would hope that @realDonaldTrump would put his foot down and tell these fools that he will NOT allow the USA to be drawn into a war with Russia.  I’m no fan of Putin but he does seem to be the only adult at the table.  The previous USA administrations have lied him into putting a stop to their provocations.  It’s time to “give peace a chance”.

Like Nike advertises, “Just Do It”.  

The best way to honor veterans is to stop making more casualties of war!

— 30 —


POLITICAL: Zohran Mamdani is a self proclaimed Communist; what are New Yorkers thinking?

Saturday, October 25, 2025

https://nypost.com/2025/10/20/us-news/zohran-mamdanis-terror-suspect-imam-ally-once-called-america-filthy-and-sick/

Three men smiling, two in suits and one in a white thobe, in an office with bookshelves.

Zohran Mamdani’s alleged terror-tied imam ally, Siraj Wahhaj, once ripped the United States as “filthy” and “sick” in a hate-filled rant.

# – # – # – # – #

I don’t understand what the voters of the Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerk could possibly be thinking.

No man or group of men—including any group of men calling themselves “the government”—is morally entitled to initiate (that is, to start) the use of physical force, the threat of force, or any substitute for force (such as fraud) against any other man or group of men. “The Market for Liberty” Linda & Morris Tannehill (1970)

And, any reading of history will show that once you vote in “socialism” aka “communism”, it takes a violent revolution to get rid of it.   A lot of people die!

Anyone remember Mao, Pol Pot, and all the other Communist “revolutionaries” and how many dead bodies they produced.

Same thing is happening in the USA with “leftist” judges who don’t seek to protect the citizens and other innocent victims.

It has to stop IMMEDIATELY.

Paratattein (παρατάττειν) “Form the line!” — attributed to Leonidas to prepare his men for battle at Thermopylae 

Here is the line we dare not cross.

— 30 —


MONEY: The Social Security check is now (or soon will be) referred to as a Federal Benefit Payment?

Friday, October 24, 2025

https://x.com/michellemaxwell/status/1951822943446614464?s=12

Michelle Maxwell ™
@MichelleMaxwell

*** begin quote ***

A woman dies at age 65 before collecting one benefit check. She and her employer paid into the system for almost 50 years and she collected NOTHING. Keep in mind all the working people that die every year who were paying into the system and got nothing.

*** and ***

The government is now referring to our Social Security checks as a “Federal Benefit Payment.”

This is NOT a benefit. It is OUR money , paid out of our earned income! Not only did we all contribute to Social Security but our employers did too! It totaled 15% of our income before taxes. (This should be enough for you to forward this message, If not read on.)

If you averaged $30K per year over your working life, that’s close to $180,000 invested in Social Security.

If you calculate the future value of your monthly investment in social security ($375/month, including both you and your employers contributions) at a meager 1% interest rate compounded monthly, after 40 years of working you’d have more than $1.3+ million dollars saved.

This is your personal investment. Upon retirement, if you took out only 3% per year, you’d receive $39,318 per year, or $3,277 per month.

That’s almost three times more than today’s average Social Security benefit of $1,230 per month, according to the Social Security Administration.

And your retirement fund would last more than 33 years (until you’re 98 if you retire at age 65)! I can only imagine how much better most average-income people could live in retirement if our government had just invested our money in low-risk interest-earning accounts.

Instead, the folks in Washington pulled off a bigger Ponzi scheme than Bernie Madoff ever did (or Lyndon Johnson).

*** end quote ***

I love beating a “dead horse” or in this case the BIGEST Ponzi scheme.  Makes Ponzi, Made-off, and every two-bit fraudster look like a chump in the comparison.

Social Security “Insurance” is just a racist inter-generational wealth transfer (Ponzi) scheme that transfers wealth from poor minority men to rich white women. Note that if it was a privately held investment account, then upon the early death of the exemplar poor minority man, his heirs would receive his estate.  Building capital formation with his family heirs.  It could be to fund buying a house, getting an education, or invest in some productive asset.  Anything like a substantial estate of some number of millions could fund multiple priorities.

Anything would be better that allowing the Gooferment to waste the blood, sweat, and tears of the working class.

Argh!

— 30 —


POLITICAL: The Epstein “Evidence List” is damning

Thursday, October 23, 2025

https://x.com/glennbeck/status/1942442921103614098?s=12

Glenn Beck
@glennbeck

*** begin quote ***

The Epstein “Evidence List” isn’t just damning—it’s clarifying. No matter what you believe about Epstein’s past or fate, five conclusions can be logically drawn from the material seized.
This thread is for anyone who still cares about truth. 

*** end quote ***

# – # – # – # – #

FROM LUDDITE

Anyone think Epstein was stupid enough to keep a client list?

# – # – # – # – #

Yes. I AM. If this was an intelligence operation by — either or all — CIA, Mossad, MI6, Ukraine?, Russia —of some combination of them, then I believe extensive organized “evidence” was preserved in various places —his island, his apartment, in the archives of one or more intelligence services.

As evidence, I offer the “sweetheart plea deal” by the Federal Gooferment, the paintings in his apartment, and Musk’s assertion of a “list”.

IMHO this one is not going away.

And, the sooner the “list” is published then the sooner we can excise this “moral cancer” from out collective conscious.

# – # – # – # – #

https://www.wtvq.com/rep-thomas-massie-urges-transparency-on-epstein-victim-list-says-names-should-be-released/

Rep. Thomas Massie urges transparency on Epstein victim list, says names should be released
September 19, 2025
ABC 36 Digital Staff

*** begin quote ***

WASHINGTON (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie is calling for more transparency from federal investigators after saying the FBI has received at least 20 names from Jeffrey Epstein victims that have not been made public.

Massie told reporters that the list of names given to investigators has not been released and suggested two possibilities for why: either the FBI doubts the victims’ credibility, or the agency is protecting “rich and powerful people.” “This is not a hoax. There are more names. Those names are not being released,” Massie said. “The only argument for not releasing those names is either the FBI doesn’t think the victims are credible or they don’t want to embarrass those rich and powerful people.”

*** end quote ***

So, OBVIOUSLY, there is a “list” and it shoulda, coulda, and woulda be released!

Argh!

@realDonaldTrump Are you listening?

— 30 —


INTERESTING: The convergence of singular talent and profound disability confounds scientists

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

https://aeon.co/essays/historys-shaming-fascination-for-the-so-called-idiot-savant

The puzzle of the ‘idiot savant’

  • The convergence of singular talent and profound disability confounded scientists eager to place humans into neat categories
  • The chess prodigy Samuel Reshevsky in a simultaneous chess exhibition match, 6 April 1922. The 10-year-old won 1,491 of the 1,500 games he played against experts during his US tour. 

by Alamy Violeta Ruiz

*** begin quote ***

On 25 November 1915, the American newspaper The Review published the extraordinary case of an 11-year-old boy with prodigious mathematical abilities. Perched on a hill close to a set of railroad tracks, he could memorise all the numbers of the train carriages that sped by at 30 mph, add them up, and provide the correct total sum. What was remarkable about the case was not just his ability to calculate large numbers (and read them on a moving vehicle), but the fact that he could barely eat unassisted or recognise the faces of people he met. The juxtaposition between his supposed arrested development and his numerical facility made his mathematical feats even more impressive. ‘How can you account for it?’ asked the article’s author. The answer took the form of a medical label: the boy was what 19th-century medicine termed an ‘idiot savant’. He possessed an exceptional talent, despite a profound impairment of the mental faculties that affected both his motor and social skills.

*** end quote ***

This essay tees up another outstanding problem in human understanding.  Is it a genetic heritage or something else?  I have no idea.  Other than to marvel what Nature’s God has created.  Humanity, for all its dikw (i.e., data, information, knowledge, wisdom) still has no understanding or explanation for simple concepts.  An “idiot savant” has talent but we can not understand it. It has the concept of “gravity” but we can’t do more than quantify it. For all our efforts to “shrink” Unknown area in Pane 4 (what is known neither to self nor others) of the JoHari window, we just seem to enlarge it further and further.

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QUOTE: Separate facts from opinion

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

“You can’t make good decisions unless you have good information and can separate facts from opinion and speculation.” — Colin Powell

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TECHNOLOGY: Our old friend “network load balancers”

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15210077/reality-internet-meltdown-amazon-aws.html

The alarming reality EXPOSED by the global internet meltdown… and why Amazon’s crash is only the beginning

By HARRIET ALEXANDER, US SENIOR FEATURES WRITER

Published: 15:37 EDT, 20 October 2025 | Updated: 08:35 EDT, 21 October 2025

*** begin quote ***

By 11:43am ET on Monday, over eight hours after the first sign of trouble, Amazon sounded optimistic that the end was in sight.

‘We have narrowed down the source of the network connectivity issues that impacted AWS Services,’ the company said. ‘The root cause is an underlying internal subsystem responsible for monitoring the health of our network load balancers.’

They said they were deliberately slowing some services ‘to aid recovery’ and were still ‘actively working on mitigations.’

*** end quote ***

 Having once ran an IT tech support group for AT&T PBXs, I sympathize with the poor souls with an impossible task.  Six 9’s is the standard   —  .999999 reliability — that’s about 3 seconds of downtime per year.  Sometimes you just need to lucky.  And, you better have a fantastic testing strategy since every change that’s introduced into this tech version of Jenga has the potential to bring down the whole shaky stack.

End Users need to plan for those outages which as in this case can last for hours.  

Hopefully we never have one of those Carrington Events (an intense geomagnetic storm on September 1, 1859) which could cripple our civilization.  

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ENCOURAGING: Oklahoma girls’ basketball team does the moral thing

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/15/oklahoma-girls-basketball-team-championship-return?utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4b9c55d78644b3a882a4d

Oklahoma girls’ basketball team returns championship after realizing they lost

  • Scoreboard error gave Academy of Classical Christian Studies team the edge over Apache high school

José Olivares
Wed 15 Oct 2025 05.00 EDT

*** begin quote ***

A US high school girls basketball team is said to have proved “there are still good people in this world” after taking the unprecedented step of returning a championship it had won after realizing they had actually lost the title-clinching game.

The story stems from the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association, where a crucial scoreboard error early in the game gave the girls basketball team at Academy of Classical Christian Studies the edge over its Apache high school counterpart, as CBS News recently reported.

*** end quote ***

“Let us remember we are in the Holy Presence of God. For more days than I’d care to count, those words were said in my presence. Not until now do I think I begin to understand them.” — character “John” in CHURCH 10●19●62 Volume 2 Page 371

Here’s a classic case of “doing what’s right” when it would be easier to do nothing.  But forever, that coach and team would know that they did NOT win.  In essence, they would be cheating themselves out of an opportunity to grow up.  

“Your habits will determine your future.” — Jack Canfield in The Power of Focus

I hope that everyone make a big fuss and an exemplar of what “good American character” looks like.  The most comperable example is when those Japanese sports fans at the Olympics cleaned up after themselves. 

We can all learn some lessons here.

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TECHNOLOGY: Software update bricks some Jeep 4xe hybrids

Monday, October 20, 2025

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/10/software-update-bricks-some-jeep-4xe-hybrids-over-the-weekend/

don’t OTA on Friday
Software update bricks some Jeep 4xe hybrids over the weekend

  • Jeep has pulled the update; owners are advised to ignore it if it already downloaded.

Jonathan M. Gitlin – Oct 13, 2025 10:10 AM 

*** begin quote ***

Owners of some Jeep Wrangler 4xe hybrids have been left stranded after installing an over-the-air software update this weekend. The automaker pushed out a telematics update for the Uconnect infotainment system that evidently wasn’t ready, resulting in cars losing power while driving and then becoming stranded.

*** end quote ***

Laugh!  Thanks for the advice to ignore the update.  A little late; no?

​A good reason not to allow any car to do “over the air” updates unless it’s parked at home?

Or a good reason not to buy any such car!

Anyone wonder why I wait a week to apply updates?  I’m as scared of the “update” as I am mildly “scared” of the problems it fixes.

How does one backup and restore an old version of your car’s software?  

IDK !? !? !?

Do you?

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PEACE: Why did the great nations of Europe essentially commit suicide in 1914-18?

Sunday, October 19, 2025

https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/the-end-of-britain-france-and-germany?publication_id=1119676&post_id=176336559&isFreemail=true&r=3snn7d&triedRedirect=true

The End of Britain, France, and Germany
On the suicidal tendencies of the great nations of Europe.
John Leake
Oct 16, 2025

*** begin quote ***

Why did the great nations of Europe essentially commit suicide in 1914-18?

The answer, it seems to me, is the marked tendency of any society’s political class to be captured by interests and ideologies that have little to do with the interests of the people they govern. Apart from bankers and arms manufacturers, the Great War of 1914-18 served no one who lived in the warring countries. On the contrary, it sent millions of their young men—including their most educated young men—to be machine gunned and gassed in the trenches.

*** end quote ***

Gibbon said, “History is indeed little more than a catalog of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind.”

And, it seems that humanity is incapable of learning from it.  And, organizing to prevent an out-of-touch class of parasites in Gooferment from becoming isolated from “the great unwashed” of “We, The Sheeple”.

Here’s some suggestions:

  • All politicians and bureaucrats don’t get greater than poverty level.
  • Select “representatives” at random.
  • Completely decentralize elections to street level.  All the neighbors on a street can vote and select a represntative.  “Streets” can be built up into “neighborhoods”.  
  • For the Federal Gooferment, repeal the Seventeenth Amendment And go back to State legislatures picking Senators.  (Just like the Dead Old White Guys wanted them to be the State’s Ambassadors.
  • No Federal laws or actions on people.  That belongs to the States.  No federal income tax; fund the Federal Gooferment by tariffs, excise taxes, and contributions from the States.
  • Strict Age and Term Limits on EVERY Gooferment politician and bureaucrat.
  • END THE FED.  And go back to using only gold and silver as money.  End fractional reserve banking.  (Hard to spend for war and welfare when you can’t print money stealing wealth by inflation!)

That should get the USA back on the correct path.

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MONEY: Arizona GOLDBACKs Limited Early Release – Now available

Saturday, October 18, 2025

Interesting. 

Goldbacks are now coming in new denominations  —  3, 2, and ½ of a goldback. 

This to me indicates that there is some demand.  I know in Keene that at least 120 businesses are taking them.  And, not just the odd balls running businesses.  I see that there are also more merchants taking them in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona.  Seems like a groundswell to upset the FRBies. 

Last time something this big happened was when Bernard von NotHaus started NORFED and the FEDs railroaded him into jail and seized all the assets. They hung their charges on the fact that he called it a “dollar”.  I wish I was on that jury. 

Notice how the folks behind the GOLDBACK have avoid that particular pothole!

Wonder how they will try to suppress this rebellion?

# – # – # – # – #

Interesting fact is that “dollar” is a corruption of the German word “Thaller” which was a one ounce silver coin minted by Joseph Thaller way back when.  So where does the FED get off usurping that word for their paper fiat junk.

# – # – # – # – #

The Federal Reserve Bank is a misnomer. IT ain’t “federal”. It reserves nothing. And, it ain’t a “bank”. It is a private cartel of the elite banks run for their benefit and that of the entrenched politicians.

# – # – # – # – #

Article I, Section 10, Clause 1: No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

So clearly, the Dead Old White Guys didn’t intend for the Federal Gooferment to issue money?

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MEME: “Correct me if I’m wrong … …”

Friday, October 17, 2025

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QUOTE: About hope and fear

Friday, October 17, 2025

“Hope and fear are two sides of the same coin.

When you accept that whatever comes is beyond your control, both hope and fear lose their power.

Peace begins where attachment to outcomes ends.”

— Stoicism

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POLITICAL: What if you were acquitted but they imprisoned you anyway?

Friday, October 17, 2025

https://downsizedc.org/act/end-judicial-findings-2/

End Judicial Findings
What if you were acquitted but they imprisoned you anyway?

Five Ways the Feds Foster Mass Incarceration
Where did judicial findings come from?

Judicial findings are a power judges created out of thin air. It means that acquitted or uncharged conduct can be treated as a relevant “finding” at sentencing. This power has been consitently abused. Here’s an example…
How judicial findings imprisoned Ross Ulbricht for life.

Ross Ulbricht made national news when he was pardoned in the first days of the Trump administration. Ross created Silk Road which didn’t ban the sale of contraband items. Needless to say, federal police didn’t like that.

# – # – # – # – #

———- Forwarded message ———
From: Downsize DC <newsletter@downsizedc.org>
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Subject: The Ian Freeman false imprisonment

Learn how it happened View this email in your browser How did Ian Freeman fall prey to false imprisonment, even though he evaded the IRS agent’s sting operation? Most libertarians are familiar with the Ross Ulbricht story. In review, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for charges that were not even tested in court, and for which he was not convicted. 

You are probably also aware that President Trump promised to pardon Ross during the campaign and then promptly kept that promise. 

Now comes another miscarriage of justice, which we hope will also have a good ending. You can help that happen. Ian Freeman was a libertarian activist in Keene, New Hampshire. He was also a partner with Mark Edge in one of the most successful radio talk shows in America, Free Talk Live. 

In a recent episode of Gracearchy with Jim Babka I interviewed Mark Edge to explore who Ian Freeman is, my relationship with both of them, and how Ian was sentenced to eight years in prison, despite committing no authentic crime. Watch On Rumble OR Free Ian Freeman, with Mark Edge – Gracearchy with Jim Babka EP143 This story involves…

*** end quote ***

I knew Ian when I was up in Keene.  He was a passionate little L libertarian activist then; I think still is now.  He was always truthful and honest that I’m aware of.  From the facts that have been published, I think he got the “you know what” end of the stick.  He’s always been a persistent PIA to the politicians and bureaucrats so it’s no wonder that “they” decided to take him out.  An ardent ₿itcoin advocate, he was always using that to attack the Federal Reserve System and fractional reserve banking.  I think he was finally making a dent in the Keene economy with people and business using ₿itcoin, Goldbacks, Silver, and barter.  Can’t have that shaking “We, The Sheeple” awake.  So this fraudulent justice sent him to jail.  Many great leaders have been “railroaded” and here’s one case you can do something about.

Free Ian.  End “Judicial Findings”.  Start impeaching judges for their conduct.

 

No man or group of men—including any group of men calling themselves “the government”—is morally entitled to initiate (that is, to start) the use of physical force, the threat of force, or any substitute for force (such as fraud) against any other man or group of men. “The Market for Liberty” Linda & Morris Tannehill (1970)

Time to take a stand.

Paratattein (παρατάττειν)  “Form the line!” — attributed to Leonidas to prepare his men for battle at Thermopylae

“…if you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.” — Churchill, The Second World War, vol. 1, The Gathering Storm (London: Cassell, 1948, 272, on the British guarantee to Poland in Spring 1939.)

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QUOTE: “Just cause your mother says that she loves you … …. ….”

Thursday, October 16, 2025

“Just cause your mother says that she loves you, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check it out.” — Dick Blood New York Daily News CityDesk and Columbia journalism professor reported by Catherine Herridge 2025-09-18 On Watch podcast

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