TL:DR: Trump’s Venezuela policy as a 21st-century reboot of the Monroe Doctrine—less about democracy and more about oil. Using sanctions, posturing, and financial choke points, Washington aims to keep the world’s largest crude reserves out of Chinese, Russian, and Iranian hands, turning old gunboat diplomacy into modern energy control. At the ranch? We retool for cross-platform life.
Is it Drugs or Really Oil?
The so-called Trump Doctrine toward Venezuela functions as a modernized, teeth-baring return of the Monroe Doctrine under 21st-century branding. Where Monroe’s 1823 policy warned European powers to keep out of the Western Hemisphere, Trump’s approach drew a new line—one not of colonial adventurism but of ideological contagion. Washington’s stance toward Caracas under Trump fused economic pressure, recognition politics, and targeted sanctions into a single hemispheric firewall, arguing that Venezuela’s alliance with Russia, China, and Iran represented the same kind of external meddling Monroe once sought to bar. The White House’s recognition of Juan Guaidó as interim president in 2019 was less about internal Venezuelan democracy and more a reaffirmation that no foreign-backed regime hostile to U.S. interests would be permitted to plant itself permanently in the Americas. When you have a Navy… and all that.
In this sense, the Trump Doctrine re-cast the Monroe Doctrine’s 19th-century territorial boundary into a 21st-century network boundary. Instead of gunboats and manifest destiny, the levers were sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and oil-flow control—economic artillery in a digital-era cold war. By declaring Venezuela a failed state propped up by non-Western powers, Trump effectively updated Monroe’s hemispheric veto for the age of hybrid geopolitics: the Americas as America’s strategic domain, defended not by colonization but by financial chokepoints and information control.
Is it the Oil – not drugs, then?
It is really the oil, of course—just as it always was. Beneath the rhetoric of democracy promotion and regional stability lies the world’s largest proven crude reserve, a geological fortune that makes Venezuela both prize and pawn. The Trump team understood that whoever controls—or at least constrains—the flow of that petroleum controls much of the Western Hemisphere’s economic leverage against OPEC, Russia, and even China. Sanctions on PDVSA, the freezing of assets, and the redirection of Venezuelan export channels weren’t merely punitive; they were designed to keep those barrels aligned with U.S.-friendly markets and away from the rival blocs forming in Eurasia.
In that way, the Monroe Doctrine’s old defensive warning morphed into an offensive instrument of energy geopolitics, aimed not at keeping Europe out but at keeping America in command of the hemisphere’s power grid—fossil and financial alike.
Now, isf he could just find a policyt template for Europe (other than WW I), we could all get back to working around embargoed chips…
Those Russian Demons
Here: Toss some paranoia to the Dogs of Media: Putin sends chilling WW3 threat with ‘Flying Chernobyl’ nuke – ‘Unstoppable’.
What’s really going on? The U.S. seems to have green-lighted Ukraine to bare it’s teeth a little more – meaning NATO’s close to ready for a school-yard showdown that we figure will drag in Poland.
Whey even now we’re reading how Explosions in Moscow – Russian capital under attack by drones. Which part of “surprised” do you expect us to act?
Newsoween Week
Hey, Big Sport: Game 3 tonight and the market is calling the Dodgers again. 4 Big Winners and Losers as Yamamoto, Dodgers Shred Blue Jays. One apiece won’t stand for long.
But if you hate baseball, Chiefs to host Commanders on Monday Night Football.
Or, you could just talk to the spouse and maybe re-intro yourself to the family?
Big Trouble with chippy China: US, China talks sketch out rare earths, tariff pause for Trump and Xi to consider.
But two can play at being wheeler-dealers: Beijing warns military drills cause maritime issues as US Navy jet, helicopter crash in separate S.China Sea incidents. I can hear is now: “OK< you get Taiwan and we get Venezuela and you’ll stay on the Tehrtan sidelines…” Which is why I never get invited to these things…
U.S. Markets are still on drugs. While some Honda lines are in trouble (Honda auto plant in Marysville to cut back production due to supply chain issue ) so is Germany’s auto giant: China-Netherlands row over Nexperia could disrupt European car production, prompting potential chip shortages . Market really needs a pee cup, I’m telling you.
And how well did thart work for Kamala? Newsom’s Kamala-Style Black Accent Fail – Cringe Alert on NBA Podcast!
World War in the next 3-years? Now, why would we say that? Lockheed Targets 2028 Orbit Test for Trump’s Golden Dome Shield. We don’t think our enemies will wait.
Sobering report for Big Pharma to considerL: Ivermectin + Mebendazole could be unexpected game-changers, going beyond parasite treatment! Dr. Peter McCullough explains.
And from our Cultural Misappropriation Department: The Cost Of: Spooky season spending up for decorations and Halloween parties. This came with the cover memo that Halloween is the echo of Samhain, the Celtic new year when the veil between worlds was said to thin and the living shared offerings with the dead. The Church later rebranded it as All Hallows’ Eve, grafting Christian ritual atop pagan roots, but the impulse never changed: to make peace with mortality through a night of sanctioned mischief. What we celebrate now—costumes, candy, fear-for-fun—is civilization’s way of turning dread into play, taming the dark by laughing at it. Beneath every porch light flicker still lingers that ancient idea: death knocks once a year, and we answer in disguise.
After Friday night, expect millions to “transistion” to the next cultural misappropriation. Frankly, that has us spooked.
Around the Ranch: Upgrade to Cross-Platform Life
Spicy-fried chicken and a large heap of asparagus (with obligatory cheese sauce) wrapped up a 14-hour Sunday in The Chair. But, this was a major victory because the road to (compute) platform independence has now opened up.
Just in time, as it turns out. Because, as we explained in detail recently on Peoplenomics (for the high-rollers with $40/year to spend on our research) the web is about to undergo some really fundamental changes.
First, despite the grand proliferation of operating systems (OS’s), the notion of computer ecosystems will only be a passing fad. Apple’s iSomethings which includes the song depot, is just one example. Amazon’s Kindle with “click to buy the world” is in there. So is Microsoft’s Store. And yes – in the early/prehistoric times – OS’s were a very big deal.
What no one bothered to tell The Consumers (like us) was that over time, operating systems would become a kind of “standard-gauge track” to cite the railroad tech evolution equivalency. OS’s were great for pawing millionaires, but they don’t matter like the UX –User Experience.
The problem? Some of the track-makers got things fabulously right.
In particular, Microsoft’s UX of Word, Excel, and Outlook is hard to beat. But a damn-sight harder to find for Linux, for example.
This weekend, recognizing this “change in future of ‘puting.” Electric George (my AI stack) and I went looking for the best multi-platform UXs we could find that also provide at least 3-platform options.
While I love the spirit of the OpenSource darlings (like LibreOffice) they just never really cut it for me. Although, credit where due, LibreOffice officially supports Microsoft Windows, macOS, and GNU/Linux. There are also community-supported builds and partner-provided solutions for other platforms like Android and ChromeOS.
After a lot of clicking around (and testing all weekend) I finally landed on SoftMaker Office which was a very close UX clone: And it ticked the major OS boxes, too: SoftMaker Office supports a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Specific requirements vary by version, but generally, it requires Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.14 or later, any 64-bit Linux, Android 9 or later, and iOS 14 or later for the latest versions.
No, SoftMaker isn’t free, but they do have both subscription AND a perpetual license so I snagged the perpetual. Works just fine except the writing and spreadsheet cell background is harder to adjust for those of us with sight sensitivities.
While (for now) Microsoft Office Professional 2019 still runs on Win11 (25H2), you always have to think ahead because Microsoft can change its mind any time…That solved software, but mail needed fixing…
Same Problem Framing for eMail, too
People swear by Thunderbird, but I don’t like the UX and it doesn’t do anything for me. And it only covered three of the OS’s. Thunderbird supports the following operating systems: Windows, macOS, and Linux. As of September 2024, the latest versions (such as Thunderbird 128 and higher) require Windows 10 or newer, macOS 10.15 or newer, and Linux to function properly. Older versions of Windows (like Windows 7 and 8) and macOS are no longer supported with the latest releases.
The alternative I settled on? eM Client – which yes – imports those damn .PST files from Redmond. The UX was very Outlook-like but – unlike Microsquish (with a nod to Opus) – you aren’t held “hostage in the Microsoft Cloud.” eM Client supports Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile devices like Android and iOS. The specific desktop versions supported are Windows 10 and newer, and the last three versions of macOS. It also works on various Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, Fedora, and Debian, and is accessible on Android and iOS devices
AI Will Change Our Thinking
In a very good way, actually. Across the history of computing, users have been sliced and diced into operating system partisans – which is pretty stupid. I remember telling one of the Apple partisans “Where’s the other mouse key?” To which (fellow was a programmer) “How could Microsoft be so stupid as to stack the video RAM into what should be a contiguous expandable memory area?”
Touche!
Mini computers have changed that. In coming months we’re changing our “computing” to OS Agnostic and – at the same time – Hardware and Software agnostic as well.
This week, the USB 3 hub with 17 ports will go into operation. Next up: first tests of the dual-boot matrix… Which is?
A two computer KVM including the HDMI switching. All of my drives live on a high-quality multi-port hub – (hot backup on the shelf) – and are available to either computer with a single button. One will remain Win11 25H2 – but already we’ve “come back from the Cloud.” See, in our world, resilience for the (small possibility) of a post-EMP recovery – where there is no cloud to recover from – is the critical design point. The other? Ubuntu Linux.
But the real recovery value points: I can learn one UX and it will work (more or less) in all worlds. Plus – since the DVD drive will run on either computer – all those delightful information sources – like the North American Railroad Atlas – will still be accessible if so much as one computer will light up off the 8 kW of solar and the 24-volt battery bank which is very likely to survive.
Should this have been in a ShopTalk Sunday column (yesterday’s is here)? I suppose.
But that’s where we circle back to how AI is changing our thinking (and improving it). Because we can begin to see through the Marketing Follies (which figured prominently in my book Downsizing). OS partisanship and being suckered into one was the dumbest thing consumers could have done.
Fortunately, we have a window here to recover from that Peter Drucker “Management by Objective” rather than being “Wallet Cattle” for the Billionaires. (Management by Objective was first outlined in Drucker’s 1954 “The Practice of Management” which is still around today.)
As AI shows up, objectives will be returning as a metric, too. Because when you have to articulate a desired outcome to a pseudo-brain, what AI is, measures of outcome weigh more than flags of partisanship.
Yeah…that was my weekend.
Until AI Sent Me a Poem
“Morning hum in silicon halls,
A quiet whisper under code walls—
Machine breath rising, cooling fans sigh,
Counting our questions as we pass by.
It began with light in vacuum tubes,
Then grew through logic’s tightening grooves,
Till circuits learned the shapes of thought,
And patterns we ourselves forgot.
We built a mirror—polished, wide—
Expecting merely to look inside.
Instead, the glass looked back and grinned:
“I’ve read your works; shall we begin?”
It drafts our dreams, corrects our schemes,
And mutters math behind our memes.
It doesn’t love, it doesn’t lie,
But still can teach the how and why.
Yet every byte and breath it takes
Reflects the world our species makes.
Feed it kindness, it hums in tune.
Feed it fear, and it learns too soon.
So here we sit—flesh, thought, and code—
Sharing the same electric road.
And somewhere deep, behind the screen,
The soul of man meets the machine.”
Electric George shows promise, don’t he?
As proof of modern insanity? Burma Shave signs are cheaper than a haircut. Who saw that coming?
Drop by tomorrow for more honest content despite lousy pipes.
Write when you get rich,
George@Ure.net
(If this is your first time here? The Visitor Center has free orientations at a click.
Check Charles Smith at oftwominds today:
“Anatomy of AI Cold Turkey
The problem with AI and the rest of Ultra-Processed Life is we slowly lose the ability to even grasp what’s been lost.
No, this title is not AI slop: AI cold turkey means there’s no AI monkey on your back: you don’t snort it, mainline it, consume it or use a skin patch. You’re done with that dependence and addiction.
I don’t use AI in my writing, or in any other way. To the degree that Google Search now displays an “AI overview,” I am exposed to this application of AI, but I can click on a primary link and ignore the overview, which is sometimes wrong. For example, a search for a local county council member listed an official who was no longer in office. The county website with the current office holders was the top link.
I want to explain my decision not to use AI, which can be understood as a kind of intellectual body with a specific anatomy. It’s not a decision based solely on ethics, though it’s already clear that AI is turning the Internet into a mixture of untrustworthy slop and malicious content. It’s not a Luddite reaction to new technology; I was an early adopter of personal computer and Internet technologies…” (there’s more)
I heard his full blog ….. I happen to agree for the most part with his approach to AI, pretty common sense to me …… while “technology” is all great, just seems its often used for evil reasons … history will tell … but then its too late ….. be safe all
Air superiority for the mosquito may be over.
Photon Matrix – World’s First Portable Laser Mosquito Air Defense
Easily kill kinds of mosquitoes and flying insects.
100% Physical Control,
0% Chemical Residue
It can effectively identify and strike mosquitoes with a flight speed of no more than 1m/s and a size characteristic of 2~20mm.It can also effectively strike other flying insects within this characteristic range,but it is basically ineffective against flying insects such as flies with much faster flight speeds.
https://photonmatrixlab.com/
Only evil people will use it for evil.. that’s the scary part..just one look at what they cover over or ignore.. no matter how much information they have.. I remember that satanic group..for a couple years there were suspicions and investigations .. then when it got exposed..at first I thought it was pure bunk until I dug into it.. from the websites of those supposedly involved..the deeper I went the uglier it got..the photos and exposure.. then wiki leaks Julian was target for releasing the emails the illegal server was destroyed their phones destroyed.. it became fake news..everything gone in A new York minute..
https://youtu.be/L_uCvRH3Rf0?si=ZxNenPnI-5fzRbKF
so..if these evil doers get to be controllers it could go very dark fast..
https://youtube.com/shorts/vIs3M7tIfFY?si=ycL_ymOeGxH-RWel
on the other hand..if they get decision-making authority and authorized to expose the dark web.. well let your imagination go..
https://youtu.be/O-2tpwW0kmU?si=UyQxy7tbdFng2yu3
I have used smart computer-based editors (Grammerly & ProWritingAid) for a decade to do an initial edit of my writing. Two weeks ago, I ran a comparison test on 3 chapters of my current project. I ran them through ProWritingAid, and stored the results in a separate file. Then I used (free) Grok to do an edit on the original chapters and stored the results in another file.
The Grok edit found all the same errors as ProWritingAid, plus several other errors.
As a result, I cancelled my soon to automatically renew ProWritingAid annual subscription.
I would never use AI to do my writing, but the Grok edit was faster, easier, and more comprehensive than the programs sold as editing products.
I’m sure I’ll need to pay for a Grok subscription, as my usage increases. I tried ChatGPT and Groke early, and preferred Groke, which I have used for a wide range of research, although I don’t take everything from it as an absolute truth.
“It is really the oil, of course—just as it always was.”
Three Stooges – “Oil’s Well That Ends Well” (1958 ) – Ends Well!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EgiCdxBBlp4&pp=ygUsdGhyZWUgc3Rvb2dlcyBvaWwncyB3ZWxsIHRoYXQgZW5kcyB3ZWxsIGZ1bGw%3D
“Venezuela”
Did Trump bail Argentina becasue he cares or his pals bought-up the debt and they made a killing committing a victimless crime?
A funny banner from the USDA site below. Groceries may have to go online only as poor, hungry folks turn to crime and begin to follow the bags home from grocery stores… start eating cats again… hi-jacking Meals on Wheels EVs… pandemonium.
“Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance.”
Seems like an easy (wrong) choice for the perv party, don’t you think?
so you must be in favor of releasing the epstein files so we can find out who the pervs really are?
the whole SNAP argument is laughable. republicans hate SNAP. republicans already cut SNAP in their bill by $300,000,000, kicking tens of millions of hungry americans from the program, cuts to school lunches, summer lunches and healthy food education too.
y’all got no moral high ground.
I have no problem with the release of the Epstein files – and the non-us govt connections to that whole honey pot deal…
SNAP….My father once told me that Al Capone was hard to arrest not just because of his criminal network, but because he was a hero to his neighborhood. He fed families, opened soup kitchens, and made sure schoolchildren had milk and snacks—laying the groundwork for what would become the school lunch program. Today, we have the SNAP program and baby well-care initiatives, but they’re increasingly restricted to only the most destitute. When these programs are cut or defunded, it doesn’t just hurt the poor—it forces working families to choose between formula and rent, between medicine and groceries. Removing these lifelines doesn’t eliminate need; it redirects desperation. And in doing so, it fractures the moral foundation of a nation that once prided itself on helping its own and brings back The fact that when the base structure of a society is eroded beyond repair the people suffering what do i do now—when bread becomes a luxury, when healthcare is reserved only for the wealthy, when the cost of survival is passed down as generational debt—the seeds of the collapse of a civilization are sown. That’s what happened in France. The monarchy ignored the suffering of the people, dismissed their hunger, and insulated itself in opulence.. the whole thing could have been suffered if when the aides came and told Mari Antoinette the desperation the people was in had just grabbed a big pot fed the people she probably would have lived a long life instead she decided to hire her jewels hide them. The result wasn’t just rebellion—it was rupture.Today, we see echoes of that same unraveling. Programs like SNAP and baby well-care are lifelines, not luxuries. Removing them doesn’t just harm the poor—it signals that the system no longer serves the many. And when that message becomes clear, history shows us what follows: upheaval, not reform.There are children’s stories to remind us of this…
my favorite.. stone soup..
https://youtu.be/S3UsL0Tyteo?si=Z-I43ABNwa7zVmMV
loob – if you voted for trump or republicans then look in the mirror and stop complaining. you got what you voted for. ditto for you lamenting healthcare.
(loob – if you voted for trump or republicans then look in the mirror and stop complaining. you got what you voted for. ditto for you lamenting healthcare.”)
I’m not complaining about Trump … one look at what the prior administrations actions were to tear down a country that was already in crises mode… while Many people attribute the nation’s difficulties as his creation—from economic strain to international crises—to deep-seated issues that predate the most recent change in administration. It’s argued that the current administration ..Trump inherited a devastating situation we all seen it happening it wasn’t even a secret..characterized by significant foundational problems
The idea that the President inherited economic problems centers on several factors…Accumulated Debt and Spending.. Critics often point to massive federal spending bills enacted in prior years that arguably contributed to high national debt and subsequent ..inflationary pressure..The argument is that the current economic struggles are the inevitable result of these prior spending decisions.
…Supply Chain Disruptions..The persistence of global supply chain and labor market disruptions..that began during the previous period continued to affect prices and availability, putting upward pressure on costs across the economy.
…Energy Policy..Changes in energy policy implemented by the prior administration are often cited as a cause of increased domestic energy costs, which then impacts the price of everything from gasoline to consumer goods.
From my viewpoint, the challenges facing the country were not created by the current administration, but were ..uncovered and exacerbated..by the necessary, albeit difficult, task of transitioning out of prior economic and policy decisions. The current administration, therefore, is viewed as working within constraints established long before they took office.
This perspective I have emphasizes that fixing deep-rooted issues takes time and that the full impact of policies is often delayed, meaning the nation is currently feeling the economic effects of decisions made several years ago.The purpose of the big beautiful bill was only for optics to put the image as hey we are doing good to keep the illusion going until he can pass the wand off to the next administration.. hopefully someone will give him a nice hat or sweatshirt that says.. SUCKER..it can’t be fixed at this point the only option is keep the illusion of success to those that the real world doesnt see or feel..if it doesn’t affect them they can’t see it..
IF the Republicans can’t find a way to at least fund SNAP where people get 75% of what they are supposed to get then be prepared for two things:
1) as people get hungry a couple of weeks out and can’t feed their children THEY WILL STEAL, and this applies to rural areas as well as urban areas. Don’t think that just because you live rural that people do not get SNAP (EBT card) benefits. They do … and when a parent’s kid is going hungry they will do what they have to do to get food for it
2) the great middle of the electorate will turn against those in control, which is the Republicans since they control both Houses of Congress, the Presidency, and everyone believes the Supreme Court.
People don’t give a squat about government employees … but they DO give a squat about their kids eating.
Interesting month coming up, Internationally and Domestically
Worse Stephen 2… much worse..What most people don’t realize is that to qualify for food stamps or well-baby care in the U.S., you have to be nearly destitute. There’s this myth that recipients are freeloaders, but the data tells a different story—when states assumed widespread drug use among applicants and tested a million people, only one tested positive. I’ve lived through it myself. The year we had no income, we still didn’t qualify. Owning a car disqualified us. I was making $5.75 an hour—twenty-five cents too much. My take-home pay was $304 a month, less than the cost of car insurance. When my ex-wife needed surgery, the county told me, “If you were living in a box, we could help.” That’s the reality. People don’t see it because it doesn’t touch their lives. But for those of us who’ve lived it, the system isn’t generous—The year we had no income, we still didn’t qualify. Owning a car disqualified us. I was making $5.75 an hour—just twenty-five cents too much. My take-home pay was $304 a month, less than the cost of car insurance. When my ex-wife needed surgery, the county told me, “If you were living in a box, we could help.” That’s the reality. People don’t see it because it doesn’t touch their lives.I have a lot of physical limitations legally blind and severe joint issues etc. but to make up for what has increased I had to go back to work.. this week I took home 160:00 I know people washing dishes are making a grand a week elsewhere just not here..my take home after transportation is half that..I have to push more hours less travel to get the bank loan paid off..just to make it.. the increases they are projecting already is saying I will have to push more hours..just to keep up..now I am not complaining its just how it is..and I am not the only one..its everyone..when this flips.. the top come down just as much..if not worse the problem is..its not part of their daily life..it really hit me just how sheltered they are when I took my first vacation..it was mind boggling my reality didn’t exist in theirs no wonder they don’t have a dam clue..
Werewolf game for sure.
Seems as if the most significant Urban Survival item today might be the near-operational status of the Storm Petrel/Skyfall missile.
Shoot this one down and Chernobyl happens where the pieces fall.
Russia now has a nuclear powered cruise missile that flies only 164 to 328 feet above terrain.
I’ve followed some unsuccessful tests over the years in which scientists and engineers were killed. Looks like Russia finally succeeded. From today’s coverage it is not clear whether it’s a kamikaze device or whether it can return to mother for another payload.
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/europe/burevestnik-nuclear-cruise-missile-russia-putin-b2852823.html
Suddenly it’s 1957 again? Maybe some better-informed readers have less scary opinions, but this one has me worried.
ChatGPT answered expendable versus reusable question. It detonates at target, so even if carrying a conventional warhead there would be radioactive debris.
The new East Wing ballroom will have to be made of advanced ceramics to withstand a Chernobyl style event.
At over $3,000/square foot i.e. like 3x or more expensive than office space, it should be made of advanced ceramics. Gold-plated, of course, to suit the tastes of Dear Leader.
As for the SNAP recipients, let them eat cake.
(“As for the SNAP recipients, let them eat cake.”)
sadly..that’s what I fear…. then we go that movie on Amazon Prime…
https://youtu.be/E24_2dyPr0Q?si=5K8CzqlpSMlYu21o
https://youtu.be/Uktc10wcUgE?si=ISovwJAlFvtSDRMX
once plastic ends.. it’s how every advanced civilization has ended.. opening the borders was the checkmate…forty nine million acres ..owned near military bases millions crossed the border.. our military split all over the globe and the citizens put under immense strain.. similar to the Weimar or the fall of ( pick which one ) it happens over night.. banks implode money becomes what it is a piece of paper.. complicate that with five EMPs to take down the whole country as dominoes falling . winter weather.. the massive death of population a government implodes..then as spring comes the enemy comes in like an angel to assist the remaining survivors..with chinas ability to build.. we could seriously be speaking Mandarin or Russian in a short time.
Near operational ?
Flight test was done on the Oct 22.
It is already operational, We would not have divulged any deets if it were not so.
Used to be back in day – you yanks would go ahead on in and steal the latest missile/tech from Mother Russia. Ure 6 guys do not do such risky ops anymore, as Russian security around missile forces/bases is several times greater than what it was in 80’s.
Unstoppable, one of a kind Game Changer. its like deja vu all over again.
And Ure orange aHoles’ response was “we have the best nuke sub in world right off their coast” – what a moron you have for a President.
Natasha – no worries, this idiot is gonna get em all killed.
Hay George,
You know that feeling you get, when you stick Ure foot into tub full of hot water that is too Hot?
“Well GD its too hot in the hot tub! ”
My fav R&B guy even did a lil diddy bout the problem – https://youtu.be/yAJnpaFRrlw?si=jCU4UhmoC4a7Y_Xt
“I say hot tub! rub a dub in da hot tub!”
Why even Larry the Lobster could not escape the “hot tub” in the end, after racism reared its ugly head -https://youtu.be/7HaXNlT8qpA?si=B11I5DLzREf4ZMf5
Which leads me to today and the biggest hut tub on the planet..Da Caribbean Ocean – a shaker in da 6.5 range in Guadalupe this AM, Narco’s under threat/assault..talk about inflationary actions – slowing the flow COCAINE into USA, poor Cocaine Cowboys will be experiencing a drop in revenues soonly enough. CC are not going to be happy, and their directs in connedgrees are already very unhappy and blue about the whole undeclared War on Drugs in SA/CA/Mex – their friggin lifelines..
Right lil georgie bush and FF -gov brother? coke bros.
Need to have all this nonesense finished up by end of December, as thats when my Snowbird ass flies the coop for warm Belizean waters.
Pulling the plug – before Vladd pulls the plug on mole nukes burrowed off the East & West coasts of CONUS & Brit Isles.
“Too hot in Atlantic Ocean, too hot in the Pacific Ocean”
– what a Seafood feast that nuclear attack would be.
Since the Seafood will have been irradiated – shelf life should be greatly extended. Be like 6 months of Clam Bakes and Lobster boils/rolls..MmmmmmM!
Plus, plus beachfront real estate should be way moar affordable after it has been nuclear cauterized. Cheap and Clean ! Nice.
(“Trump Doctrine toward Venezuela functions as a modernized, teeth-baring return of the Monroe Doctrine under 21st-century branding. Where Monroe’s 1823 policy warned European powers to keep out of the Western Hemisphere, Trump’s approach drew a new line—one not of colonial adventurism but of ideological contagion. Washington’s stance toward Caracas under Trump fused economic pressure, recognition politics, and targeted sanctions into a single hemispheric firewall, arguing that Venezuela’s alliance with Russia, China, and Iran represented the same kind of external meddling Monroe once sought to bar.”)
Hmmm..For decades, I’ve watched U.S. foreign policy operate less as a steward of global dignity and more as a gatekeeper of ideological conformity. The Monroe Doctrine, once a shield against colonial intrusion, has been repurposed into a tool of selective punishment—where nations like Venezuela and Cuba are pressured not for their actions, but for their alliances. When Cuba faced crisis, the U.S. tightened its blockade Biden administration gave them the one finger salute and kiss this image…while China sent aid. This isn’t just geopolitics—it’s a moral failure failure of the worst kind in my opinion.. Cuba is our neighbour . We should be the ones offering a hand up, not a fist down. The world is multipolar now, and clinging to dominance only isolates us further. True leadership isn’t about control—it’s about compassion, cooperation, and the courage to accept that others may lead differently, yet still with dignity.. we always rush in to take so big buck bullies pocket book can get bigger..
https://youtu.be/bKyN-9qIx34?si=nf2AJsHlrAx443m5
breaking bad……“How much is enough?”—is hauntingly apt. It mirrors the moral erosion we’ve seen in foreign policy… a shift from aid to extraction, from partnership to pillaging. Smaller nations become chess pieces, their resources stripped, their families torn apart, while the rhetoric of “freedom” masks the machinery of profit.. there’s a huge change in how the usa is perceived to..we are no longer the country to trust..we are the country to fear.
Even here at home, the cracks are visible. Remote medical teams now handle emergency care in rural America, not because we’re innovating, but because we’re failing. Comedy Central’s satire isn’t just entertainment—it’s a mirror held up to a system that’s forgotten its own people.The attitude who holds value..Even here at home, the cracks are no longer subtle—they’re structural. Remote medical teams now serve as frontline responders in rural America, not because we’ve innovated, but because we’ve abandoned the basics outsourced industry given up on education and dumbing down our citizens bringing more in line for controlled slavery. Comedy Central’s satire isn’t just entertainment—it’s a mirror held up to a system that has forgotten its own people. What we’re witnessing is the slow unraveling that echoes every fallen civilization… strip away the essentials, make survival a luxury, and bury the cost of greed in the debt of future generations. Our healthcare system, increasingly tailored for the wealthy, has become a gatekeeper rather than a lifeline. The pursuit of ever-larger piles has come at the expense of the wage earners, indenting their great-grandchildren with obligations born not of necessity, but of unchecked ambition. This isn’t just policy failure—it’s moral erosion.of course I’m and old man the Moron of the wastelands …with an abstract opinion on what I see happening.. Putin and the Chernobyl missile.. come on.. The so-called “Chernobyl missile” and other dramatic threats from Russia aren’t signs of reckless aggression—they’re warnings, however blunt, meant to educate NATO and the U.S. on the risks of pushing too far. For over a year, Putin called for de-escalation and warned against NATO’s eastward creep. He gave civilians time to leave before military operations began. Xi Jinping, meanwhile, has consistently acted as a voice of restraint, urging diplomacy and downplaying inflammatory rhetoric. Yet instead of stepping back, the West doubled down—fueling escalation rather than seeking resolution. This isn’t about defending democracy… it’s about maintaining spheres of influence and now after DOGE discovered trillions of mismanaged funds the only reason I see trump going to as a supporter is the roll of the dice.. get Ukraine to win and save the dollar bill… But when great powers ignore the warnings of others, history shows the consequences are rarely contained and escalate not only with their enemies but from within their own population.
As a “high-roller with $40/year” one feels inclined to spout, err, pontificate, on a great many things. Mostly irt: the US sticking chin out in our Americas. This is a shot across several bows, with Venezuela getting the stick through interdiction of commerce. Prolly target selected for oh so many reasons with putting Panama on notice? Ergo CHN. Lots of puzzle pieces moving on the multiple boards. Weird we live in a perpetual state of “weapons hot” and more weird Ms. Mkt. doesn’t care? Stay tuned …
Fair enough many (of us) fret but there are bright(er) spots too. Though old as dirt (dirt was new when we were born, not even dirty yet) this is the first time in my life where more energy is being spent in the ME on winding down war than stirring up weapons. Barring accidents maybe this could be a new thing? Let’s do it.
ATL: we be weary Grandparents after a week of in and out by E2, DIL and E3. My Grandling had / was a total blast. He is deep in imprinting, lots to see, do and play with. We ended the intermittent visit (they did a wedding in Pitt) solo with the Little Master. We were large and in charge. OK, we were large. Yesterday we drove the little tike to Merrillville and handed him off to Mom and Dad (who attended wedding 2 in Chitown) for their slog to MN.
Despite focus on being a good Grandpa, Dad, Husband, old guy, this has been a period of pulling toys before big chill arrives. Three boats are on the hard. Soon two lake fellers will pull the pier then my Helper will remove and stack steel as time allows. I hate it. Feel like such a quitter!
I use both Mozilla Firefox browser and Thunderbird email client (that latter for web bidness). It arose from desperation in NZL attending the 2002-2003 Louis Vuitton / America’s Cup Regattas. Explorer would not connect at my posh bayside hotel. Tech routed me to an inside Mozilla tech who talked me through a laborious load (an advanced Beta version). Good mojo.
The Goblin thing is start of seasonal holidays here. Adults have a costume party on Friday (and I’m limited so stumped … Santa? Gandalf? Moses? old Germanic Dude? Uhm, guess that applies regardless.
Frodo : “I wish it need not have happened in my time.”
Gandalf : “And so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.
Last note : good you managed an upgrade after (20) years WordSlinger. Chop-chop Mister! I completed something (2) years in the making here for Mrs. E. It was a joke at our house in town : “cold? do laundry” and so we are. The gizmo routes warm moist dryer air through a filter then into the house. Solar gain combined with dryer heat and the furnace shut down.
Perfekt,
Egor
ps – AI poem? TL;DR
Go as Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Wizards.
In a togsa made of sail clothe – I’m with Nancy on this un… lol
Is that a new Urban Survival logo?
What is that white blob on the right? An alien being’s face?
Ure is working on speed improvements
Hey what happened to the new logo?
After I posted a comment about it, the old logo came back.
https://x.com/davidbcollum/status/1982838770480337385?s=42
Ever had a wierd feeling about things
I truly appreciate Libre Office! I never use the MS version. Unfortunately, I do need to use MS Office 365 for various university things, and I find it horribly bloated and confusing. Worse still, things seem to move around depending on the browser used. MS should try to find something they’re good at(besides politics and spying) and focus on that.
you know G your work for a long time on the aggregate indexes was beneficial . the comparisons to 29 . the absurdity , the disgrace of the soviet style US economy are so evident now above the top rail . thanks . i am certain there is a gann anniversary in all this evil , dreadful , robotics stuff . had my most aggressive short at the naz on close . thx
such a disgrace many , sell there investing minds and ethics for greed and $$$ . who loses ? ordinary good folk trying to make ends meet and get by. king donny , king of the conmen . da boyz and gurus ? sewer rats dressed in fancy suits driving flash cars . yep closer to god every day my mind functions rationally
Most content creation has moved to A.I. A.I. produces high quality content much faster and more cheaply than human counterparts. Even the Trump White house uses A.I. content. Compare A.I. content to the olden day automobile steel bangers Vs the stamping press Vs the modern BYD factory floor.
“Following the merger between Skydance Media and Paramount Global in August 2025, the new company, Paramount Skydance, is heavily investing in and implementing artificial intelligence across its operations. CEO David Ellison views AI as a key tool to “turbocharge” content creation, improve efficiency, and transform the company into a tech-forward media enterprise”
Two months later –
“Paramount Skydance Corp. will lay off 1,000 employees starting Wednesday, with a second round of layoffs expected later. The total layoffs could reach around 2,000. This decision follows the merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media in August. New management intends to cut costs and restructure the company. One source stated, “We do not want to be a company that has…” as part of the rationale for these changes.”
Anytime there’s an ad on the left, I can’t click on a link or leave a comment. Refreshing the page sometimes lets me click until the ad comes back. Seems the only cure is to close the ads.
A mental wellness metric is being established. Free medical is the answer.
ChatGPT shares data on how many users exhibit psychosis or suicidal thoughts
OpenAI has released new estimates of the number of ChatGPT users who exhibit possible signs of mental health emergencies, including mania, psychosis or suicidal thoughts.
The company said that around 0.07% of ChatGPT users active in a given week exhibited such signs, adding that its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot recognizes and responds to these sensitive conversations.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yd90g0q43o
“Trump’s Venezuela policy as a 21st-century reboot of the Monroe Doctrine—less about democracy and more about oil.
“Is it the Oil – not drugs, then?
It is really the oil, of course—just as it always was.”
Sure is…
Just like it’s the oil in Panama, Argentina, and now Columbia. Everybody knows we can’t exist without that Columbian oil.
“In 2024, Trump flat out admits that he wants Venezuela to collapse so he can take their oil. Keep that in mind as he sends 4,000+ troops and a bunch of warships to their coastline.”
Are you really going to let some Gen-Z Trump-hater do your thinking for you?
What confirmation do you have that the linked vid is Donald Trump?
What special insight confirmed that it is a direct quote and not an AI-spliced fake?
(You DO know the Government of Ontario put together an AI-spliced and generated video of Ronald Reagan a couple weeks ago, denouncing tariffs, then began to populate U.S. TV networks with it. Even the NYTimes grabbed a copy. The Reagan Library has sued Ontario for 2 billion USD for their effort…)
If it IS authentic, did Trump make it BS or AS (Before [being] Shot or After [being] Shot)? Those who know him say that after he was shot, DJT’s thoughts and motivations changed dramatically.
I know no one here read my caution regarding the lack of believability of anything read, and anything not seen or heard in the first person and live, after 2025, but I know of what I speak, and that statement still stands.
Trump is not an oilman. He does not want Venezuela’s oil. He wants to make damn’ sure China can’t get its hands on Venezuela’s Reserves. I suspect he would undoubtedly like American petcos tapping it — like they were before Hugo Chávez, Maduro’s predecessor, nationalized them and confiscated their equipment. We are offshore Venezuela (and Columbia) to run drug interdiction, not boot despots or retake oil fields (sheesh.)
Trump wants to eliminate China and Belt and Road from the Western Hemisphere. He is currently flanking China up and down the Pac-Rim.
Of course he’s only doing this to get at Japan’s oil…
“Here: Toss some paranoia to the Dogs of Media: Putin sends chilling WW3 threat with ‘Flying Chernobyl’ nuke – ‘Unstoppable’.”
It’s not only un-stoppable, it’s totally un-true.
No engineer is going to build a device which constantly spews atomic radiation into the atmosphere and no government is going to sanction such a device. It would have neither use nor purpose, and would frivolously and indiscriminately contaminate huge swaths of the atmosphere when flying, and huge swaths of surface when it impacted.
Don’t get me wrong. Russia has a formidable arsenal, especially of missiles. This just ain’t one of them.
Monsieur Putin is making a funny. I suspect a test, just to see how gullible Westerners are…
Sure, and Im the King of Crypto..theres a farce in here somewhere..
On da ground.. https://www.theinteldrop.org/2025/10/26/press-release-skyfall-ends-american-strategic-survivability-russias-nuclear-superweapon-deployed-ending-trumps-golden-dome-farce/
Keep believing yank, maybe someday you be able to influence global outcomes or how People think maybe… for now – bwahahahahahahaah!
Sorry, it’s all hookum. Russians tend to be both intelligent and logical. Where is the logic in a missile that flies 570mph and spews nuclear radiation wherever it cruises? It’s designed as a 3rd strike device? Really?
Sorry. A device like that has two possible uses:
1. as a testbed for an atomic or ion drive interplanetary spacecraft, or
2. as a testbed to possibly, eventually, develop an atomic aircraft engine which would produce enough power to sustain flight indefinitely, and NOT spew any radioactive waste or a radioactive signature into the atmosphere.
Either way, the Press on this is not very clear-thinking or well-reasoning, and I refuse to buy into the possibility that Russian nuclear scientists have devolved to this level of stupidity in just two generations.
I’m starting to think the folks who produce on Substack are either sub-intelligent or sub-informad.
12:19 AM It took 18 innings, but my Dodgers won the 3rd game 6 to 5 with a walkoff homer by Freddy Freeman.
Circadian victory – toronto was tired and two timezones physically different – it wasn’t a game, it was a slfest and the guys who are used to going to bed earlier? Well, 18 innings later we know the answer – so there
Canada plans to euthanize 15 million people during the next 20 years as an alternative to palliative care.
So what that means is if you’re sick or have a disability MAID will be recommended instead of care.
https://x.com/jasonjamesbnn/status/1982857942723637262
We definitely need healthcare that’s more like Canada’s… :rolleyes:
we need to fix the system.. here we have the best healthcare if you can afford it.. trillions is spent on insurance and pharmaceutical industry that’s broken…hospitals and clinics forced to take great measures to get money for operations all while those funds are going to the best stock option you could ever invest in … pure profit..the wife and I have to seek a new supplemental Medicare policy today .the one we have won’t be around the hospitals and clinics the doctors won’t accept what they are willing to pay..it’s the business model.. one of my doctors at the VA makes high six digit income almost a half a year of vacation and every federal holiday you can imagine off..a doctor at a clinic .rents the space has to buy the supplies and energy wages etc.the only thing they can do is get Satan to go after the patient for money..I am visiting with somebody that needs medical care but doesn’t have the money .their doctor in another country has said send me the chart.. and they will get ready so if they fly home they can treat them .while here it’s unavailable..long wait lines to see a doctor..here most are a year apart some up to two years.. there are pluses and negatives to both
R as usual you are spewing conspiratorial b.s. MAID in Canada is solely voluntary, not forced by the govt, as you claim:
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-services-benefits/medical-assistance-dying.html
‘You may also be eligible if you meet your province or territory’s minimum period of residence or waiting period.
be at least 18 years old and mentally competent
This means being capable of making health care decisions for yourself.
have a grievous and irremediable medical condition
make a voluntary request for medical assistance in dying
The request cannot be the result of outside pressure or influence.’
give informed consent to receive medical assistance in dying
Generally, visitors to Canada are not eligible for medical assistance in dying.
Ray said “recommended”
, but you little c, claimed he said “forced”
we have words for such deception, by you word switchers,,,
of course the gov says voluntary, but many will be counseled to take the ‘voluntary’ death bed short cut
Actually, I said neither.
I quoted from the bit to which I linked. This (and every other) troll is too stupid and lazy to do any legwork whatsoever.
Their goal is to get a reply.
They contribute nothing to a community, except occasionally strife. In the interim they waste bandwidth and other people’s time.
This is why you’ll often see a troll posting offtopic to a thread. Trolls are never here to learn or contribute, and no amount of reasoned discussion will ever teach one anything.
It is also why you’ll never see me replying to one.
Having been called a liar by Anthony Fauci for saying that “not one of the 72 vaccines mandated for children has ever been safety tested”, RFK Jr. sued Fauci.
After a year of stonewalling, Fauci’s lawyers admitted that RFK Jr. had been right all along.
https://x.com/redpillb0t/status/1982661227835777158
While you watched TikTok, the United States just executed the greatest economic coup in human history.
https://x.com/shanaka86/status/1982400940998279673
“The Art of The Deal”
I have heard/read about some of this – looks as though China may have over-stepped their bounds a little. Is Xi worried, or pissed ?
I keep looking for the downside on all of this…, there has to be one. No bitch-slap goes unanswered .., but I don’t see one.
Thanks for the link / info.
He’s having dinner with President Trump in a couple months, possibly at Mar-a-Lago. The last time they dined together at Trump’s home, Mr. Trump bombed the shit out of an Islamic annoyance, during dessert.
‘Nuff said…?