Saturday, January 22, 2022

22 January - Blogs I'm Following - 4 of 5

 10 pm MST

Saturday Snippet: Weimar hyperinflation - its tipping point, and its consequences
Last year I published a Saturday Snippet from Adam Fergusson's excellent book "When Money Dies: The Nightmare of Deficit Spending, Devaluation, and Hyperinflation in Weimar Germany". It's an excellent book, and I highly recommend it to your attention. Given the very real threat of hyperinflation in the USA, as discussed yesterday in these pages, I thought I'd bring you another excerpt from that book, this time from its conclusion, summarizing some of the lessons learned from that economic and fiscal catastrophe. It's not inevitable, but it is certainly *not* impossible, that... read more
PrairiePundit16 hours ago
Mask madness in the schools
Washington Examiner Editorial: The great absurdity of our time is that schools, the safest place when it comes to the coronavirus, have been turned into mandatory mask zones all over the country, even at times when known superspreader vectors such as the subways in New York City, Black Lives Matter protests and violent riots, bars, and restaurants have gone completely unregulated. When Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin put pen to paper for his first acts in office, it was a breath of fresh air in a state that had long been suffering from an acute case of nanny-statism. Parents, the r... read more
musingsofanoldfart16 hours ago
Save money and energy
Our friend Amanda from Australia posted a recent piece called “Changing the Material World” (see link below) written by Megan Tennant on taking strides we can do to save the environment and help do a small part in fighting climate … Continue reading → read more
Organizing Notes16 hours ago
Big Pharma corruption in Africa - more relevant than ever
Dennis Riches writes about this important film: *The Constant Gardener (*2005) covered corruption in drug trials carried out in Africa. The film was based on John Le Carré’s novel, which was inspired by the true-life tale of Pfizer’s trial of its new drug trovafloxacin in Kano, Nigeria, during an epidemic of meningococcal meningitis. John le Carré, in the first edition of the 2001 novel on which the film is based, provided both a dedication and a personal afterword. The dedication and part of the afterword are reproduced in the closing credits of the film. The dedicat... read more
The New Dark Age16 hours ago
World’s farms at a breaking point
Almost 10% of the 8 billion people on earth are already undernourished with 3 billion lacking healthy diets, and the land and water resources farmers rely on stressed to “a breaking point.” And by 2050 there will be 2 billion more mouths to feed, warns a new report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). read more
Compassion fatigue by a health care worker
I'm not sure who wrote this; I saw it on my niece's Facebook page. She works in a nursing home with direct patient care. You are not alone... When are we going to wake up from this nightmare? New rules every day, extra work loads, short staffed, long hours, co-workers turning against each other and having to hear the frustrations of those who just want their lives back to normal. Humanity has fallen into a dark place in our existence. Compassion is lost in the deep abyss we cannot retrieve it back from. A while ago they said we were "heroes", now we are crying for help and waiting... read more
Removing green levies from energy bills welcomed
By Paul Homewood London, 22 January — Net Zero Watch has welcomed the government’s apparent decision to remove green levies from energy bills, providing direct relief to hard-hit households and also to industrial and commercial consumers . According to a report in the Times, “ministers have been considering scrapping green levies from energy bills. […] read more
The New Dark Age17 hours ago
Neo Hindus – Ain’t No Black In The Union Jack
This term, Neo Hindus, is a very recent phenomenon, perhaps in the last twenty-five years or so. It was always sort of hanging around amongt us; like an optical illusion, lurking like a thief who is unable to make that final reach to grab the handbag, (so near; yet so far). It may have been about around 1990 or so, once the IIT Brahmins finally got past United States Immigration and then found an objective in life in the “Home of The Brave, The Land of The Free” with the VHP Agenda; after having ofcourse collected their brand new US Passports in 2000s and done the customary “Europe ... read more
The New Dark Age17 hours ago
Military Spy Drones: How Domestic U.S. Drone Integration is Propelling Next Wave of Killer Drone Proliferation
Drones, or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), were developed for war. The idea was first conceived in World War I and they were first adopted for surveillance purposes at the end of World War II and in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Then military drones like the Predator became armed during the “Global War on Terror.” read more
The Rio Times17 hours ago
Oil production in Brazil drops 1.2% in 2021 -ANP
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - According to preliminary data from the National Petroleum Agency (ANP), the average oil production in Brazil last year was 2.905 million barrels per day (barrels/day) The average oil production in Brazil in 2021 was 2.905 million barrels per day (barrels/day), down 1.2% compared to 2020, according to preliminary data from […] The post Oil production in Brazil drops 1.2% in 2021 -ANP appeared first on The Rio Times. read more
The Rio Times17 hours ago
Five crops occupy 70% of Brazil’s agricultural area, says Imaflora
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - In an unprecedented study, the Institute for Forest and Agricultural Management and Certification (Imaflora) finds that Brazilian agricultural production has a strong concentration in a few crops. The survey "Food Production in Brazil: Geography, Chronology, and Evolution" analyzed the period between 1985 and 2017. In all years evaluated in the […] The post Five crops occupy 70% of Brazil’s agricultural area, says Imaflora appeared first on The Rio Times. read more
CFACT18 hours ago
Russia moves into the Arctic as the U.S. withdraws
The Biden Administration is proving to be the willing lackey of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The post Russia moves into the Arctic as the U.S. withdraws appeared first on CFACT. read more
Is the BBC biased?16 hours ago
Fran's last outing
This week's *Newswatch *is worth a transcript. It featured outgoing BBC director of news and current affairs Fran Unsworth and got a bit 'meta' towards the end when the usefulness (or otherwise) of *Newswatch *was discussed. And it got odder still when Fran did what many a BBC editor on *Newswatch *has done before: She didn't answer Samira's question about editors avoiding the programme when big stories break and then asserted "we have the most robust complaints process as well". Anyhow, enjoy! *TRANSCRIPT* *Samira Ahmed*: Hello and welcome to *Newswatch* with me, Samira A... read more
GREENIE WATCH16 hours ago
Untitled
* This ship's cargo will make world history when it leaves an Australian port next week - and there are high hopes it'll be a great leap forward in the fight against climate change* * This is a heap of nonsense. Hydrogen itself is a non polluting fuel but producing is needs LOTS of energy and emits lots of CO2. We read:"Hydrogen produced in this way is not a zero-emission fuel. Carbon dioxide is emitted through the combustion and thermal decomposition reactions, and is also a product of the reaction between carbon monoxide and water to make hydrogen and carbon dioxide."* The Sui... read more
GREENIE WATCH16 hours ago
Shell’s Massive Carbon Capture Plant Is Emitting More Than It’s Capturing
A first-of-its-kind “green” Shell facility in Alberta is emitting more greenhouse gases than it’s capturing, throwing into question whether taxpayers should be funding it, a new report has found. Shell’s Quest carbon capture and storage facility captured 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the hydrogen produced at its Scotford complex between 2015 and 2019. Scotford refines oil from the Alberta tar sands. But a new report from human rights organization Global Witness found the hydrogen plant emitted 7.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in the same timeframe—including methane,... read more
Gunmaker Thompson Almost Made a Semi-Automatic Shotgun
*Matthew Moss* *Guns, * What happened? *Here's What You Need to Remember: *Thompson's semi-automatic shotgun's Blish Lock did little more than add mass to the bolt in a standard blowback action. In May 1920, John T. Thompson — best known for his famous submachine gun — filed a patent protecting a semi-automatic, magazine-fed, double-barrel shotgun. But the weapon never got off the drawing board. Traditional double-barrel guns had two different chokes. The choke controls the spread of the shot as it leaves the barrel, meaning that one barrel can produce a different shot pattern... read more
Battleships Are Mighty, But Are They Relevant?
*James Holmes* *U.S. Navy, Global* Battleships were mighty in their day. But has the advent of airplanes and missiles negated their usefulness? *Here's What To Remember: *Battleships were built to a more primal standard. Surveying the age of sail, Alfred Thayer Mahan defined “capital ships” as “the backbone and real power of any navy,” heavy hitters that “by due proportion of defensive and offensive powers, are capable of taking and giving hard knocks.” That is, these were brawny ships able to dish out *and absorb* heavy hits in duels against rival battle fleets. Gunfire was thei... read more
SATURDAY CARTOONS: PACKAGING IS EVERYTHING: JANUARY 22, 2022
Eh? OK. Here is how it is, friends. It is 11:36 pm and I have been doing this for about 8 or 9 hours. It does take time to sort and tidy up and shrink to size. All part of doing what I love. Not a problem. What might be a problem is that this time I have been sipping a delightful whiskey and dipping into the green quite frequently. All the while enjoying a fine blues guitar in the background. Feeling mighty mellow at the moment. So, now to get to putting all this material ready to post for you. I think I have just had an increase in visitors from Gab and ... welcome. Just welcom... read more
Defeat The Mandates Rally 1/23/22 Washington DC
Defeat the Mandates. March in Washington, DC. 1/23/22 Defeat the Mandates An American Homecoming Sunday, January 23, 2022 Washington, DC United We Stand. In Peace We March. DefeatTheMandatesDC.com Related Stories - Katie Wright on Federal Autism Funding's New Highlights and the Usual Lowlights - Trailblazers - A Few Nuggets from The Best-selling Book by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. read more
Fauci's Unvaxxed 20 Times Highter Death Risk Analyzed
Thanks to British scientist and researcher Michael J Cook for examining Anthony Fauci’s claim that the risk of dying of Covid-19 is 20 times higher for the unvaccinated against the unvaccinated based on a Texas Department State Health Service paper.... Related Stories - Long Island Teacher Doses 17 Year Old with Covid Vaccine - As Omicron Surges, FDA’s Vaccine Strategy Called Into Question - Pfizer Transparency Rarer Than a Santa Sighting read more
The New Dark Age17 hours ago
Massacre In Yemen: Saudi-led Coalition Airstrikes Killed Or Wounded More Than 170 People (18+ Videos)
Early on January 21, more than 170 people were killed or wounded when Saudi-led coalition warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on a prison in the northern Yemen province of Saada, the heartland of the Houthis (Ansar Allah). read more
The New Dark Age17 hours ago
The Czech Republic Scraps Mandatory Vaccination Requirements
Why have so many doctors and scientist around the world who present evidence opposing vaccine mandates been censored and ridiculed? Why can't a peaceful balanced discussion ever be presented to the masses via the mainstream media? read more
North Korea’s Spy Strategy: Pose as Defectors
*Stephen Silver* *North Korea, North Korea* NK News recently looked at how North Korea conducts its modern-day spying operations on South Korea. *Here's What You Need To Remember:* “Just as Islamist terrorists are smuggled into Europe with the refugees—and there is plenty evidence of this—North Korean intelligence services naturally also try to smuggle their agents among these people.” North Korea and South Korea recently restored their bilateral hotline, a move that was made after an exchange of letters between the leaders of North Korea and South Korea. “The top leaders of th... read more
Global agency sows fear with misinformation
By Paul Homewood From CO2 Coalition: A recent report by the World Meteorological Organization claims that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of natural disasters over the last 50 years. According to the WMO Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970 – 2019), […] read more
The Rio Times18 hours ago
Food tech unicorn iFood will be the 1st company to deliver with drones in Brazil
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Commercial deliveries can be made via drones in Brazil, including food, authorized by the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) on Friday (21). With this, São Paulo-based iFood, in partnership with Speedbird Aero, will be the first company in the Americas to make deliveries using this method throughout the Brazilian territory. […] The post Food tech unicorn iFood will be the 1st company to deliver with drones in Brazil appeared first on The Rio Times. read more
The Rio Times18 hours ago
Covid-19: Brazil is now considered high-risk by Germany
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - With the increase in the number of Covid-19 cases worldwide, Germany has made changes to the list of countries considered to be "high risk". As of next Sunday (01/23), Brazil will be part of it. With the inclusion, some entry rules for tourists change. Starting Sunday, Brazilians will need to […] The post Covid-19: Brazil is now considered high-risk by Germany appeared first on The Rio Times. read more
Mini Rifles? One Company Actually Made One
*Matthew Moss* *M-16 Rifle, * It does exist--but mostly in movies. *Here's What You Need to Remember: "*The M-16K is ideal for bodyguard/escort duty in the confined space of an automobile or helicopter. For military use, it is an excellent alternative to the submachine gun for armored vehicle crewmen. It is also an effective ‘entry weapon’ for police SWAT teams." Tim La France’s company La France Specialties developed the M-16K in the early 1980s. This carbine had a 21-centimeter-long barrel and an overall length of 60 centimeters with its stock collapsed. La France meant the e... read more
Forget Pearl Harbor: What If Japan Kicked the Navy Out of Asia?
*James Holmes* *World War II, Asia* What if Japan had never attacked Pearl Harbor? *Here's What You Need to Remember: *In all likelihood, the American reaction would have proved more muted—and more manageable for Japan. Suppose Robert E. Lee had laid hands on a shipment of AK-47s in 1864. How would American history have unfolded? Differently than it did, one imagines. Historians frown on alt-history, and oftentimes for good reason. Change too many variables, and you veer speedily into fiction. The chain connecting cause to effect gets too diffuse to trace, and history loses all p... read more
Energy crisis bursts green shares bubble
By Paul Homewood The energy crisis has burst a multibillion-pound bubble in green stocks as gas prices surge and the world confronts the true cost of net zero. Shares in renewable energy companies have tumbled to their lowest level in 16 months, almost completely unwinding gains made during a stampede into companies aiding the […] read more
CFACT19 hours ago
Revisiting Keystone XL and Biden’s false promise of ‘green jobs’
Biden points to climate when canceling energy initiatives, but his arguments don’t hold up under scrutiny. The post Revisiting Keystone XL and Biden’s false promise of ‘green jobs’ appeared first on CFACT. read more
Whisk(e)y and Epistemic Pluralism: A Quack-and-Forth
This is the first instalment of a new series of interviews on Duck of Minerva entitled Quack-and-Forths. read more
naked capitalism19 hours ago
Patient, Beware: Some States Still Pushing Ineffective Covid Antibody Treatments
We warned from Omicron's onset that most monoclonal antibodies would be ineffective, yet lots of MDs have not gotten the memo. read more
The 1964 Treasury Sting that Uncovered Gun Warehouse
*Matthew Moss* *Guns, * In June 1964, agents of the U.S. Treasury Department staged a seven-day sting targeting what news reports described as a “mysterious warehouse” in Ridgefield, New Jersey. In June 1964, agents of the U.S. Treasury Department staged a seven-day sting targeting what news reports described as a “mysterious warehouse” in Ridgefield, New Jersey. What they discovered was startling. 517 guns. A few quite interesting. And some … illegal. A photograph in the New York Journal-American newspaper led me to this story. The warehouse may have belonged to Val Forgett, J... read more
Does China's J-31 Fighter Actually Belong to America?
*Kris Osborn* *J-31 Fighter, China* Improvements or changes to the J-31 likely continue a long-standing pattern of China’s apparent and somewhat visible effort to copy, steal, or mirror designs used for the U.S. F-35. *Here's What You Need to Remember: *The only major difference, the paper notes, is that the U.S. has an F-35B Short Take Off and Landing variant and that the J-31 uses two engines compared to the F-35’s single engine propulsion configuration. Chinese media reports are now referencing new photos of the emerging J-31 5th-Gen stealth fighter appearing on social media,... read more
President Ronald Reagan Bucked the Naval Carrier Naming Trend
*Peter Suciu* *U.S. Navy, * The seventh Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier was commissioned in December 1996 *Here's What to Remember: *Traditionally the naming of the carrier is after U.S. President's or of Navy men. Stennis is neither. The *Nimitz*-class carrier USS *John C. Stennis* (CVN-74) is scheduled to begin its refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH), which essentially marks the "halfway" point in a nuclear aircraft carrier's lifecycle. In addition, the RCOH will address about thirty-five percent of all maintenance and modernization required during the carrier's f... read more
Israel's F-15 Has a Few New Tricks Up Its Sleeve
*Kyle Mizokami* *Israeli Air Force, * The first F-15I arrived in Israel in 1997. *Here's What You Need to Remember*: The F-15I keeps getting better with age. One of the fighter jets most associated with Israel is the F-15 Eagle. The first F-15 touched down in Israel in 1976 and the jet has served continuously—and without defeat—since. In 1998, the Israeli Air Force introduced a new version of the jet, one designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. The Ra’am (Thunder) serves as the long-range striking arm of the Israeli Air Force, complementing the new F-35I Adir fighter to... read more
The U.S. Air Force Needs to Fix Its Air Refueling Tankers
*Sebastien Roblin* *U.S. Air Force, U.S.* The U.S. military’s air-refueling capacity is one of its unique force multipliers *Key point: *There are several flaws that plague the current refueling system. In 2018 the Air Force plans to bring its first eighteen KC-46A refueling tankers into service—paving the way for the replacements of its vast fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers that date back to the 1950s. The Pegasus should prove significantly more efficient and survivable than its predecessor, but its final rounds of testing have been bedeviled by a few persistent bugs. Sleek warb... read more
Virtual Mirage20 hours ago
Rage and Outrage (the usual)
Ukraine Possible military action in Donbas and also other parts of Ukraine is in the news and Pres. Brandon weighs in, looking like a dope as usual. Russia deployed an entire combined arms army from Siberia that is expensive, provocative, and unprecedented for post-Soviet Russia. Ukraine is not a NATO country but there […] The post Rage and Outrage (the usual) appeared first on Virtual Mirage. read more
naked capitalism20 hours ago
Book Review: Why Our Emotions Are So Powerful
Science writer Leonard Mlodinow explores our emotions'’ ability to spur intelligent, nuanced action. read more
The Rio Times20 hours ago
Brazil’s Pix: New key leaks may occur in the future, expert warns
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - New Pix key leaks may occur in the future, and any such case involving data is worrisome, alerts technology and digital security expert Arthur Igreja. Igreja pointed to the leak of 160,000 Pix keys from a financial institution in early December, which was only revealed by the Central Bank yesterday. […] The post Brazil’s Pix: New key leaks may occur in the future, expert warns appeared first on The Rio Times. read more
The Duran20 hours ago
“The unrest in Kazakhstan is a threat for both Russia and China” interview with Ararat Kostanian
“The unrest in Kazakhstan is a threat for both Russia and China” interview with Ararat Kostanian Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Kazakhstan recently was in chaos as violence broke out on the streets, in what looked like the beginning of a popular uprising, similar to the 2011 ‘Arab Spring’. Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political […] read more
The Duran20 hours ago
Yamashita’s Gold and the CIA
During World War II, Japan’s Emperor Hirohito directed the looting of the national treasures in 13 nations his army had conquered. This included the wealth of Britain, Netherlands, and France, which had moved some of their gold to Asian colonies for safety. What happened to these treasures, estimated at around 100 billion in 1945 dollars? […] read more
The Duran20 hours ago
Will RT Fire Max Keiser?
Wall Street needs you to “invest” (read: speculate) in something. So what then? Recall that the US share market is built on fluff, noise, and air, from FAANG and meme stocks to whatever floats Cramer’s, Bloomberg, or CNBC’s boat… that is, their owners. In the last few years, much of that share mania fluff has […] read more
The Duran20 hours ago
RUSSELL BISHOP — Death Of A Monster
On January 21, the Prison Service announced that Russell Bishop had died. His death on January 20 was confirmed by the Ministry Of Justice. He was fifty-five, not a great age, but few who knew him or knew of him will regret his passing. Russell Bishop was the babes-in-the-wood murderer. There have been several of […] read more
The Rio Times20 hours ago
Brazil’s Pelé undergoes chemotherapy; tumors have spread all over body
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Soccer King Pelé on Thursday, January 20, returned to Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo to undergo chemotherapy after having a tumor removed from his colon in September. According to ESPN, the former soccer player spent a few days in the hospital to undergo staging. The procedure serves to confirm […] The post Brazil’s Pelé undergoes chemotherapy; tumors have spread all over body appeared first on The Rio Times. read more
The Rio Times20 hours ago
Brazil’s Electoral Court considers Telegram ban to tackle ‘fake news’
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Brazil's Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) is considering a Telegram ban to address fake news ahead of the presidential elections in the country later this year. TSE Chief Luis Roberto Barroso is currently discussing measures concerning the app with other Court Justices. The latest developments follow Barroso's numerous failed attempts to […] The post Brazil’s Electoral Court considers Telegram ban to tackle ‘fake news’ appeared first on The Rio Times. read more

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