Jobs JOLTS and Cuts – Markets “Renormalizing” – Early Garden?

We return to the post-holiday, time to get back to normal – whatever that was.  But, at least the weather looks good here…

Tainter’s Marginal Rate of Return Problem

Seen through Tainter’s lens, mass migration, institutional sprawl, and geopolitical chest-thumping are not separate stories — they’re all symptoms of a system burning energy to preserve complexity after real returns have already peaked.

My paper on the Peoplenomics side of the house (Wednesday) (“The Digital Anasazi“) focused on a very real problem all modern governments face.  I mean besides the obvious one: Too many people, not enough jobs, so we’re making up work.

Because when there’s no additional payback (gains) from additional work, people exit the system.

And this wheels us into the JOLTS report out from Labor:

“Unemployment rates were higher in November than a year earlier in 16 states and the District of Columbia, lower in 8 states, and little different in 26 states, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. October 2025 data from the household survey were not collected due to the lapse in federal appropriations; therefore, the unemployment analysis in this news release includes over-the-year changes only. The national unemployment rate, 4.6 percent, was 0.4 percentage point higher than in November 2024.

In November 2025, nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 12 states, decreased in the District, and was essentially unchanged in 38 states.”

Challenger Job Cuts Better – Sort Of…

Just out:

“U.S.-based employers announced 35,553 job cuts in December, down 50% from the 71,321 job cuts announced in November. It is down 8% from the 38,792 job cuts announced in the same month last year, according to a report released Thursday from global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

December’s total is the lowest monthly total since 25,885 cuts were announced in July 2024. It is the lowest December total since 2023, when 34,817 cuts were announced. It is the fourth time this year job cuts were lower than the corresponding month one year earlier.”

2025 Year-End Challenger Report: Highest Q4 Layoffs Since 2008; Lowest YTD Hiring Since 2010

Markets are selling off a bit – gold and silver are noise trading – while BTC is trying hard to hold over $90K.

The problem is the old “Method School of Acting.“  Where the gist of the training was “Where’s my motivation?”

What’s Moving the Needle?

This week, four motivators can be seen:

Trump supporters will likely cheer today’s report that Trump signs order withdrawing US from 66 international organisations.   Over at the White House Press office, we noticed some interesting details about who’s getting the budget axe:

  • (i) 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact;
  • (ii) Colombo Plan Council;
  • (iii) Commission for Environmental Cooperation;
  • (iv) Education Cannot Wait;
  • (v) European Centre of Excellence for Countering
  • Hybrid Threats;
  • (vi) Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories;
  • (vii) Freedom Online Coalition;
  • (viii) Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund;
  • (ix) Global Counterterrorism Forum;
  • (x) Global Forum on Cyber Expertise;
  • (xi) Global Forum on Migration and Development;

…and the list continues – a total of 66 deep and lots of UN “fluff” is going bye-bye.

Migration and Development is Especially Interesting

I think it was Clif High’s work – 2010-ish and earlier – where (from memory) Global Diaspora kept coming up in the data.  Now, in retrospect, we can see how diasporas might have been “an orchestrated plan” not obvious at the time.

  • European was the diaspora destination for North Africa
  • The US for South and Central America (plus Mexico)

Now – with a bill on Congress that would encourage Somalis to “self deport” in the wake of the corruption scandal involving migrants – we appear to be on the backside of diaspora.  At least if we don’t the mini-diaspora of Russia urgently evacuates Russian embassy staff from Israel.

In socioeconomic retrospect: mass migrations (disaporas) were not of long-term benefit to all.  Receiving countries were made a mess of either socially (European case) or financially (US case).  What we’d find very interesting would be a high-level forensic analysis is who was behind the con back in the late 2000s?  The mind wanders….

Dying for Clicks?

 Media Bury Anti-ICE Car-Ramming In Shooting Coverage. Because we seem to be into another click monetizing moment today.

Arrest of Gov. Walz for Insurrection Act? Let’s Review the Fit: Tim Walz: Minnesota Is at ‘War’ With the Federal Government, Calls Out National Guard; More Violence?

Does the Insurrection Act even allow for the arrest of a sitting governor under these conditions?

Short answer: extraordinarily unlikely — but not impossible in theory.

Which is ironic, considering how loudly the paranoid TDS crowd spent years warning that Trump was just itching to unleash the military domestically. Funny how that tune changes once blue-state troops are suddenly in play. (Why, imagine that — a Democrat overstating their own intent… oh my.)

Now, the law itself is not vague on the big points. For a governor to be arrested, several hard thresholds would have to be crossed:

  • Clear evidence of criminal obstruction of federal law
  • Or material support of insurrection
  • Or refusal to comply with a lawful federal order after escalation

Rhetoric alone doesn’t get you there. Governors mouth off all the time. Federalism is noisy by design. But here’s where Tim Walz makes things awkward.

When a governor publicly frames a dispute with Washington as “war,” then mobilizes the National Guard, he’s no longer just posturing for the cameras. He’s creating a conditional fork in the road. Because if — and this is the key if — a lawful federal order follows and is obstructed, then the discussion moves from politics into procedure. At that point, the menu narrows fast.

  • Federalize the Guard.
  • Strip state command authority.
  • Neutralize the governor politically.

Arrest still remains the least likely outcome — but it’s no longer unthinkable in theory. And that’s the entire problem with war-talk: once you invoke it, you don’t control how others respond.

Which leaves us staring at the same old American hard choice: Redenbacher… or Zebra Corn?

I mean, come on: Surely a country that can perp-walk Maduro could perp-walk Walz?

Around the Ranch: Early Garden

We may be able to put in our “new technology, Food Reactor II garden” (described on Peoplenomics recently) before the month is out.

If you head over to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center and hit the three month view of expected trends ahead, you can see how the spring could arrive this year.  Here, looks warmer and maybe drier  than usual.

One of our goals (being seniors and all) is to eat the best possible food.  Given a hundred years plus of soil depletion, we’re not overly impressed with grocery store food.  Much of which travels more miles to get here than we do in a typical year, anymore.

Weather is always a gamble though, so we have laid in a modest supply of frost and bug caps which can be found at ag stores or on Amazon.  Some folks have never heard of them, but they are closed “Cloches”  and you can get 50 of ’em for forty bucks, or so.

First in the ground means first on the table – and the cloches turn weather into a better casino game.

Write when you get rich,

George@Ure.net

47 thoughts on “Jobs JOLTS and Cuts – Markets “Renormalizing” – Early Garden?”

Comments are reviewed by a human because the web is crawling with spammers. Submissions after 4 PM Central usually appear the following morning. After you click Post Comment, you’ll jump back to the top of this article, but your comment is queued up here. We’ve got a robust community and your participation is invited. Some commenters are brilliant. Read a few and judge for yourself. Imagine. You could be one.

  1. Dude G,

    Walz is not going to be arrested anytime soon, on the other unwashed Hand, Ilhan Omar is one DURTY, NASTY, ASS. I wouldnt that touch that with a Nine Pole, nor an Eight foot Romanian..

    Although Future is hard to View, you can take Omar going to Prison – 2 the BANK.
    More than likely – arrest Military in Nature, with JAGs and whatnot..

    lil Bird says Hi..see ya soon.

    Ure a Allstar ! but alas, Vanilla IS the finest of the FLAVA’s -https://youtu.be/fC_q9KPczAg?

    • ” Ilhan Omar is one DURTY, NASTY, ASS.”

      Has great rack — according to her brother…

      I don’t think Bondi would arrest Walz for treason or insurrection, unless there were an actual battle between the Feds and NG. However, since the “contact numbers” for a significant number of “daycares” go to his personal office, there might well be a RICO in the offing…

  2. I ordered some seeds from here, to start this Spring.

    https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/

    Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus), packet of 50 seeds, organic 1 $2.95

    A perennial vegetable plant, good for humans not for modern agribusiness farming methods.

    And this pack:

    My Mother’s Kitchen Garden Collection: Basil, Sweet; Cilantro; Dill; Marjoram, Sweet; Oregano, Greek; Parsley, Italian; Sage, Garden; Savory, Summer; Tarragon, Russian; Thyme, English, all Organic

  4. Minneapolis & Minnesota.

    Sanctuary city, county, and literally state.

    As Secy Noem said last night, none of them ever work with federal immigration law enforcers.

    IF Mpls police had been doing their duty to control the protestors, the death would never had occurred. The City and State overlook all open borders protestors including vehicle blockades.

    The police chief is a sanctuary supporter and requires his officers to act accordingly.
    :(

  5. i am sure i heard the supreme court delivers its verdict on tariff legality today or tomorrow. this has been can kicked for ages . and its the most serious

  6. the Minneapolis shooting video,, you can go full screen and see what u think for yourself,,, BUT when given an order by lawenfocement officer,,, I follow orders,,, but locally, last year we had a methhead do the same thing and got shot by the county sherriff deputy, the methhead lived but charged extra for the attempt to run him over
    https://x.com/megbasham/status/2009076312590401803?s=20

    • It seems he could have simply shot her tires….. He should have shot her 17 times in the face since 4 times doesn’t seem excessive…… dropping her kids off at school was prolly the tell she was a terrorist….

    • I heard a report that the woman wasn’t a local but from Ohio(?) I think. So imported agitator….

      • That’s an even better reason to shoot her….. c.mon there was no excuse for this action period……… When all of the illegal aliens are gone and they have shot all the agitators – what becomes of ICE? I’m guessing a new mission shooting folks who who post things online they don’t like.

  7. Where were all the protests when the somali cop noor killed the White woman who called the cops for a sexual attack? That was in 2018-2019 I believe.

  8. Oh the ‘irony’ ,,it is Jan and the mini-sodians are protesting,, they want ICE out of Mini-soda,,,

    climate change? I can’t figure out if they are pro or anti,,, climate change

  9. Lot on my plate right now.., wearing me a little thin..,
    .., but,
    – The main task for the month is the vegetable garden planning – for the dozen raised beds and all the separate large ‘pots’ and planters. [ “Tim S” – thanks for the new seed sight – will check it out.]
    – I have to replace some of my drip-irrigation hoses and fittings, also. New timers, maybe?
    – Lots of ‘stuff’ in the prep-work area.
    – .., and a lot of harvest prep, too. Looking for a better and bigger pressure caner. They’ve really gone up in price. Couple more cases of canning jars / lids and rings.

    Neem oil has more than doubled in price over the past two years – guess it has become a favorite around here.

    Working on your garden ? If I can find the time – what’s your excuse?

    “Stay Frosty !”

  10. the problem I see..is the vast majority of jobs..can’t compete with the rising cost of living .one gentleman was telling me..he came here because there’s a lot of jobs..then he said…they just didn’t mention that you had to have six of them to survive..the vast majority of homes two to five hundred grand..the house payments three to five grand a month.. the average pay… well I work day and night just to take home a couple hundred a week..
    almost an insult.. but needed

  12. I live in Minnesota so I am pretty close to the action.
    One disappointing thing that I have noticed is that no matter what the
    situation may be you can predict how ALMOST EVERYBODY will respond with their opinion totally conforming to their particular Party affiliation. In other words , COMPLETE DUMB FUCKS and they hold their own opinions in tremendously high regard. To repeat myself from past postings I consider BOTH Dems and Reps to be absolute WHORES …. and most always DUMB FUCKS.

      • Although there are plenty of common Left/Right morons involved make no mistake , this has gone FAR beyond common political affiliation. We should all be very scared right now. Not just concerned ,,,, scared. We are seeing our Country self destruct in real time. God help us.

        • People talk like this moment is some sudden collapse, but the truth is the country has been eroding for a long time. We’ve had a Congress that barely shows up, lawmakers who openly admit they don’t read the thousand?page bills written by lobbying firms, and a system where gifts, trips, and revolving?door jobs have replaced public service. Add in decades of mismanaged funds, neglected infrastructure, and a government that consistently ignores the basic needs of its citizens — and honestly, what’s happening now isn’t new. It’s just the part where the cracks finally become visible to everyone.

  13. re: “Carthago delenda est!”
    (Carthage must be destroyed)
    feat: a mobius strip of time: 227bc-2026ad; “Coherence”, 2013

    Brothers and Sisters,

    This is a further reading from the files of ChatGPT regarding the New Cities and a Bohemian47 president not of that Grove in the Redwood Forest at Monte Rio (“Mountain River” [formerly known as ‘Russian River’]) adjacent to the Russian River.

    Cato the Elder missed no opportunity in the Roman Senate to remind all that “Carthage must be destroyed”. Coincident with his passing in 149bc, the Republic acted to make it so in the Bellum (“War”) Punicus (gr:”Phoenician”) Tertium (“Third”).

    The New World’s Cartagena (“New City/New Carthage”) now in Colombia was founded in 1533 and named after its Spanish counterpart. Rome conquered the Iberian latter in 209bc in the Second Punic War and renamed it Carthago Novo (“New Carthage”). After arrival in 227bc of Carthaginians/Phoenicians the city with surrounding silver mines [to pay 2nd Punic War mercenaries] had been known as Qart-Hadasht, (“New City”). That derived from the Punic name of its earlier colonial predecessor of Carthage (in modern day Tunisia) founded in 814bc by Queen Dido (“Davida”?) or Elissa (“fire/woman god”), daughter of Mattan I (“Gift of the Lord”) Mattan’s Latin name, Belus (“The Lord”), points to Babylonian god Bel-Marduke and Canaanite god Baal. Queen Dido/Elissa had co-ruled Phoenicia from S?r (“rocky place”) now known as Tyre, Lebanon which is birthplace of the mythical Europa.

    English privateer pirate Sir Francis Drake departed the New World’s Spanish Cartagena des Indias in its 53rd year with a fleet loaded down by an official ransom of 107,000 silver pesos plus an alleged additional 400,000 pesos equivalent in ‘smash & grab’ merch. including church bells. His flagship Golden Hind took its name from the golden hind (female deer) on the coat of arms of a Queen Elizabeth I favorite advisor and Lord Chancellor of England, Sir Christopher Hatton.

    Wednesday the ghost oil tanker Bella I was commandeered in an American action in the North Atlantic that some might consider piracy on the high seas. The Latin adjective bella translates as beautiful. The Latin noun bella means wars. Prior to seizure, the empty oil tanker had been reflagged as Russian and renamed Marinera (“She who belongs to the sea”). ChatGPT suggests that the vessels Golden Hind and Marinera are inversely related.

    The primary chase ship seeking Marinera was not from the US Navy fleet but rather US Coast Guard Legend-class cutter Munro. The vessel is named in honor of US Coast Guardsman D.A. Munro who died in heroic action at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands in 1942.

    As a note of interest, that WW2 Guadalcanal received its name in 1568 as namesake to a small Andalusian village in Spain. As chance would have it, a nearby silver mine was owned by the Bavarian Fugger banking family. They had replaced the Medici to become bankers to the Habsburg emperors as well as royalty themselves. Granted arms featured a golden deer on a blue background. Apparently at their peak they are deemed the richest who ever lived controlling 2% of European gdp. It looks like at least two, maybe three, noble lines remain extant to this day. One noble Fugger line resurrected a Weimar era party in 1949 as CSU, the Bavarian side of the CSU/CDU partnership (“Union Parties”). Probably everyone has heard of the current CDU leader who is German Chancellor Merz.

    The surname Munro derives from Gaelic and a geographic feature in the Scottish highlands, Monadh Ruadh ([person from the] “Red Mountain”). This is complemented by President Trump’s maternal descent from the Hebrides maritime locale’s Viking-Gaelic rooted clan MacLeod (“Son of [chieftain] Leod “fierce/formidible”).

    Golden deer and red mountains symbolize similar meanings across Celtic, Norse, Greek and Indo-Iranian myths. The deer represent Otherworld messengers between the realms leading to higher red, royal or sovereign, heights.

    Inhabitants of ancient Carthage or Punic to Romans were known as Phoenicians (“The Purple People”) in anglicized Greek because of their luxury tyrian purple dye. However the Phoenicians called themselves P?nn?m (“People of Canaan” [Israel,Palestine?]).

    At southeast Canaan (Jordan?) are highlands of Edom (“Red”) and Mount Seir. The prophet Obadiah is portrayed with his right index finger pointed skyward. He predicts The Day of the Lord and the end of Edom in the Book of Obadiah in “The Bible”.

    Ideally we will follow happier timelines of Convergence, and we will not know a Bella II or Bella III.

    • Yerp – the guys who originated Errol Flynn’s Gay Blades Underway.

      You didn’t bend for friend, you wouldn’t muster in a Phoenician Sailing Crew..prerequisite like.

      Well known, and written about – many,many sources in the Mother Tongue = Ancient Greek.
      How many WORDS in Ancient Greek vocab ? Over 1.5 million ! How many in ancient Hebrew ? Hmmmmmm

      Tell me again, Who Begat Who?

  14. Trump Wants to Ban Institutional Investors From Purchasing Single-Family Homes

    President Donald Trump said in a statement on social media that he is moving to ban institutional investors from buying single-family homes and that he wants Congress to “codify” the ban into law. The president has made easing the housing crisis a goal of his second term, and many have pointed to institutional investors as a large source of the problem.

    https://joemiller.us/2026/01/trump-wants-to-ban-institutional-investors-from-purchasing-single-family-homes/

  15. Maduro Now Polling As Most Popular Democrat

    U.S. — The 2028 presidential race took a surprising turn this week following the events that took place in Venezuela, as the latest round of polling showed that deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro had taken the early primary lead as the most popular Democrat.

    A poll of likely Democratic voters taken in the first week of January 2026 showed a dramatic shift in support from other popular candidates to Maduro.

    “The voters obviously love him,” said one pollster. “Honestly, it shouldn’t surprise anyone. He has everything Democrats want in a politician: suppression of freedom, unbridled corruption, and straight-up socialism. Now that he’s residing in the U.S., he’s a shoo-in for the nomination.

    https://babylonbee.com/news/maduro-now-polling-as-most-popular-democrat/

  16. That’s an even better reason to shoot her….. c.mon there was no excuse for this action period……… When all of the illegal aliens are gone and they have shot all the agitators – what becomes of ICE? I’m guessing a new mission shooting folks who who post things online they don’t like.

    • oh please, give it a rest. ballistics and geometry will out culpability. do you have those? nope? me neither. come at life with less of an agenda to be taken seriously ~ E ~

    • well,,, why was she following and harrassing enforcement officer,,, maybe she is a dumb, brainwashed idiot
      https://x.com/cognitivecarbon/status/2009404488235536616?s=20

      https://x.com/ShadowofEzra/status/2008976323880874383?s=20
      ,,see the front tire spin,,,,,, the officer draws his weapon, she failed to follow orders and was trying to get away, gunning the engine,, literally hitting the officer, the officer could hear the engine rev-up and reacted according to the training they receive, as many officers have died from being run over

      there is no excuse for her actions of harrassing lawenforcement, or failure to follow their orders,, while her death is sad,,, it is from her own actions
      play stupid games , win stupid prizes

    • Cool beans !

      Looking forward to that , “shooting posters we don’t like “!

      Don’t bother ducking out, hiding out, or just keeping low profile, they Will find youse.

      Here’s hoping they start with the control j’s, instead of saving for last.

      Scheisse has gotten real old, real fast.

      When work a job that puts Ure Life On the Line everyday, love to see how real tough “Cowboy” like Ureself would handle an IMMEDIATE threat to Ure Face/Life.

      Says here You fold or freeze AND Die on the spot or mortal wounded.

      Personal Go Time approaches, will We be ready to meet the Call ?

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