Open in Case of (Iran) War

What Matters More Than the Noise

Two signals today deserve serious attention — and neither has much to do with the shouting matches dominating cable news. First, the jobs picture. ADP’s January number came in at just 22,000 jobs created nationwide, a figure that borders on stall speed. Normally, we’d look to follow-on data to confirm or refute that weakness. But with the Labor Department’s JOLTS system offline due to suspended federal services, one of the economy’s most important “early warning gauges” simply went dark. When employment signals vanish, businesses don’t lean in — they pull back. Hiring freezes, delayed raises, and postponed expansion plans are how uncertainty shows up in real life.

Under the MSM Noise Floor

Second, while media attention remains locked on Trump, Epstein, and ICE protests in distant cities, the pressures most households feel are far closer to home. Rising insurance premiums, creeping property taxes, and quietly deteriorating infrastructure don’t trend on social media — but they shape daily decisions and long-term stability. When reliable economic data disappears at the same time local costs continue rising, risk compounds silently. That’s the counterpoint worth keeping in mind: national drama sells clicks, but local economics decides outcomes. For now, the practical response remains simple — chop wood, carry water, and watch the signals that actually move lives, not just headlines.

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17 thoughts on “Open in Case of (Iran) War”

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  1. Excellent summarization of several complex and interrelated areas.
    //and I say this as someone who was once responsible for planning, analysis and modeling of the Iran/Iraq/Afghan/USSR area along with portions of Europe, Mideast, Africa, The Americas, Indo-Pacific and Insurgent warfare. I taught at US Army CGSC on most of your included subjects. Agricultural impacts were not usually mentioned in those contexts, but linkage and analytic fundamentals still apply.//

  2. I am filing an official complaint, in triplicate. My favorite jumbo, Italian green olives stuff with garlic are no longer available. And they don’t know when they will become available again.
    I didn’t pay too much attention to all the tariffs and trade deals and table pounding., as 90% of it was just for show and one-upmanship. Yeah, some areas got hit., most didn’t.
    However, the distributor of those incredible olives did pay attention and seemingly got sick of all the B.S. and found a much better market. China., and South Korea. He is barely keeping up with the demand.
    I have two large jars left in the pantry and then go into withdrawals. Rationing is now in order.
    .., damn !

    A deep search for replacement is now underway.

    “Stay Frosty!”

    • Sounds like a “Purchasing Trip” to Italy is in order.

      Maybe you can structure it so that it becomes a “Business Expense” since you are looking at finding suppliers for your new “Olive Import Business”, much like Andy mentioned that he did wrt a family trip to Hawaii years ago! ;-0

      Good luck with your new “Business Venture” … and yes Italy has lots of Olives close to places where you may want to stay: Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Lake Como, etc. etc..

      • I believe “JC” is living in Italy at the moment.

        There are remailers who will send Urepeein foodstuffs to CONUS for a price and importers who use more-conventional channels for all sorts of gourmet foods – if you can find them.

        Meijer private-labels some of its cereals from Italy (one of my secrets for acquiring natural, non-GMO and extremely high quality chow (genetically-modified garbage isn’t allowed in Italy.) It’s typically half (or less) the cost of American GM crap. They’re Midwestern though, and I don’t know whether they ship.

    • Picked up Pickled Garlic for the first time from Costco. Yum! Who needs olives? I suppose you could stuff your own.

  3. Lead by Bitcoin., the digital currencies have lost just under $500 Billion in the last six trading days.

  4. G, missing from your sanitized AI version of DOJ seeking prosecuting attys:

    Hey Bondi/Trump, take that job and shove it!
    https://www.thedailybeast.com/pam-bondi-hit-by-fresh-humiliation-as-minnesota-prosecutors-quit-in-droves/
    ‘Eight veteran prosecutors have either left or announced they are leaving the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported, bringing the total to 14 outgoing prosecutors after six others quit in mid-January.’

    Get a job, WAPO cuts 1/3 of staff:
    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/04/washington-post-layoffs
    “Bezos’s sickening efforts to curry favor with President Trump have left an especially ugly stain of their own,” Baron said. “This is a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.”

    Sha Na Na, Get A Job
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STzB7n2GviM

  5. In an absolutely MASSIVE Fuck Up attributable directly to Trump , Noem and the counterproductive ICE disaster , ALL of the lead Prosecutors investigating the fraud mess in Minnesota have resigned. They quit because Trump and Noem were sticking their fucking noses into the office and trying to use them to justify Trump’s and Noem’s own fuck ups. The fraud investigation will now be put back YEARS if it EVER gets to any resolution. Remember ??? , somehow in Trump’s fantasy the fraud was supposed to be the whole point of the ICE operation.

    I can hardly wait to see the response by the Ass Kissers and Boot Lickers and whatever excuses they will make or probably just tired old Trump Derangement Syndrome accusation. You pathetic pieces of shit.

    • Whats amatta KO, you no like splatta ?

      Cant you turn the cheek like a good lil slave is supposed to do?

      What the hell have those prosecutors been doing all these years, as Crime and Corruption run rampant thru the twin shitties ?

      No wonder they are all resigning now that hey have to do some actual work.

      As for pedophile presidents,, counting current sicko – we can go back at least until Duubya- the gruppenfuhrer and rocking Ronnie Rayguns of hollywierd fame. Its how you get “compromised” and into the club..entry level. Need more sick scheisse & Witness (s) to ascend the ranks.

      Does having a Contracted Wife, mean contracted Son?

      Oh well – please update community as the very LOW IQ mud people continue to steal our Social Security and Pension monies we all worked so hard over lifetimes for…Yeah they deserve all Ures’ thats for dam sure.

      Cheers Tinysota, youse getting what you white Boys & Girls so deserve.

    • prosecutors don’t investigate, they prosecute on evidence brough by the investigators, ie:FBI,,, the creatures that are Quitting are swamp creatures that were not getting the prosecution part done. They are stallers and in the way.

      LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY,,, see the many karens/kevins blocking the road
      “So to recap, the left opposes the enforcement of borders and immigration. And the first thing they do in protest of this is… set up borders and enforce immigration.

      It’s just like defund the police all over again. They didn’t want to abolish the police, they wanted to become the police.

      Now they say they want to abolish ICE and what do they do? They pretend that they are ICE.

      Zero self-awareness.”
      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/02/zero-self-awareness-minneapolis-woman-gives-stunning-explanation/

      Trump won the election and is doing what he ran on, Swamp draining.
      so we voters, who won the election, are ass kissers and boot lickers and pathic pieces of shit??? now now, Kevin, you are showing the “Karen” side of you,, do you want to talk to the manager? Excuse me, President Trump, do you have a minute to talk to Kevin?

      SO, you agree,, there is much fraud mess in Minnesota? So is gov walz fixing it or is he part of the fraud? he is in the capt seat of Minnesota

    • KO : what a bunch of tripe. Seriously, you clearly are deranged whether having to do with His Orangeness or not. Get help. Egor

  6. George, Your 60 page Iran war manual is some fresh air in a room full of pollution, a corner of sanity in the asylum. Good job! Lots of Urban and Peoplenomics info gets clipped to my SSD but this gets printed.

  7. A ponder:

    George, remember how you were seeing pieces a few years ago which rhymed with the Lindbergh kidnapping?

    Take a look at the coverage of the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping, complete with pleas from her kids.

    Then take two steps back and tell me what you think…

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