jcurtisblog

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vFROM THEWEEK:

Russia: A butter crisis (Report)

U.S. Post Office: Conniving at election fraud? (Report)

Nevada: Mail-in ballots without postmarks counted after election day (Report)

U.S. Federal Reserve: Time to end it again? (Article)

Russia: The army resists reform (Articled)

More Russia: Putin’s dilemma continues (Article)

surveillance: City sued over license plate tracking (Report)

China: For the economy, the party is over (Article)

Friend Shoring: Finding non-Chinese Asian suppliers (Article)

The U.S. Dollar: Imminent collapse? (Article)

Artillery: Fading into rocketry (Article)

Vaccination: Now it’s done to fish? (Report)

Finance: Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) update (Article)

U.S. Elections: Current issues with voting machines (Report)

Russia: North Korean troops for fighting Ukraine (Article)

The U.S. Economy: Is turning spooky (Article)

The Internet: Is being made to forget? (Article)

Taiwan: Chinese invasion unlikely? (Article)

Ukraine: American aid (Article)

Chicago: Weekend shootings data unavailable from usual internet sources

A naked woman was arrested chasing a man with an axe (Report)

EDITORIAL: FINIS

Prospecting for and providing nuggets of genuine news has been informative and enjoyable while that opportunity has lasted. Your writer’s situation has restricted news gathering to use of the internet, a diminishing resource for uncensored factual information upon a rapidly expanding number of subjects. The effort required has incresed as this writer’s capacity has diminished; the two have come together in stasis. There will be no more GLEANINGS from this source. The kind attention of readers and the generous provision of means by WordPress have been greatly appreciate!

FROM THE WEEK:

Cyberwar: Update (Article)

U.S. Surveillance: Intelligence balloons (Article)

Israel: Palestinian pay for slay bribes (Article)

Ukraine: Crimean blockade (Article)

The Price of Gold: A warning re the viability of the international financial system (Article)

Golf: Hundreds of female players demand removal of trans golfer (Report)

Censorship: AI is the new battleground (Article)

Russia: Ukraine war cost coming home (Article)

North Korea: Ramping up support for Russia’s war in Ukraine (Article)

Netherlands: Court to try Bill Gates and government officials over COVID vaccine injuries (Report)

U.S. Voting Machines: Early votes for Trump producing ballots marked for Harris? (Report)

U.S. Gun war: New York status (Report)

U.S. Finance: When the liquidity tsunami hits the Great Wall of debt (Article)

Russia: Putin faces growing pressure from Ukraine (Article)

Ukraine: Next to join NATO? (Article)

Russia: Muscles in on StarLink (Article)

Chicago: 9 dead, over a dozen wounded in weekend shootings (Report)

A naked woman: Was arrested for public intoxication (Report)

EDITORIAL: Trashing A Civilization

There are at least two ways to pursue this and what we like to call Western Civilization appears to be engaged in energetic pursuit of both of them. That should surprise only those unfamiliar with human history, of course. In the instant case we appear to be inundating ourselves in literal trash, ever accumulating garbage demanding ever more space and investment for its disposal and replacement with new items that will in their turn become trash requiring disposal. At the present rate, it may not require centuries to both bury ourselves under outdated and no longer functioning devices but simultaneously exhaust our planet of the raw materials we use to produce it all.

However, we may save ourselves from that self immolation by first trashing our society itself and thus halting the threatening production via socio-political chaos. Too many of our governments are committing financial suicidewith unsustainable spending and debt, implicitly bankrupting their citizens as they do so. Unproductive wars multiply the waste and loss. And in America, two rather less than heroic figures promise if elected, to make that all go away without bothering anyone … This may be a time to own gold and silver if you can hide its possession from the government and others wishing to take it from you. Which all adds up to: In the long run, human history seems to remain pretty repetitive. Perhaps we exist primarily for our Creator’s entertainment; eternity is an awfully long time in which to be bored ..

FROM THE WEEK”

Playing with Fire: Simple, destructive reality and the U.S. Federal Reserve (Article)

Space: A developing crowding problem (Article)

Cyberwar: Update on criminal and government hacking operations (Article)

A U.S. Economic crash: Avoidable? (Article)

Russia: Corruption poisons Putin’s war (Article)

Government Spending: Alarm from the IMS (Report)

Britain: Thought crime draws puishment (Report) (More)

Yemen: U.S. Heavy bombers enlarge response to Hauthi attacks on Red Sea shipping (Report)

Censorship: The war on Musk (Article)

Technology: Increasing control shrinks options (Article)

SpaceX: Sues California for political targeting (Report)

Manufacturing: 3D printing Now for stainless steel (Report)

Halloween Candy: The high price for chocolate (Report)

Ukraine: Taking the air war into Russia Article)

Science: Another quantum step forward (Repirt)

More Science: Plastic degrades in seawater (Report)

Surveillance: AI monitors human actions via security cameras (Report)

Water: Is the earth really drying out? (Article)

U.S. Jan 6 Capitol riot prisoner mistreatment (Report)

The Drone scene: Student projects to defense contractors contend (Report)

Chicago:5 dead, 22 wounded in weekend shootings (Report)

A naked cowboy’s shooter was arrested (Report)

EDITORIAL: Democracy and Mr. Trump

Democracy is an electoral political system whereby chickens band together in order to force a wolf onto a restricted diet. The plenitude of wolves assures an ultimate end for every such instance. The two party system has coalesced a continuing wealthy elite who see the advantage of sub-rosa cooperation with political opponents over absolute contention. A result is the current tendency to provide U.S. Presidents who amount to little more than ventriloquists’ dummies. Mr. Trump’s nonconformance here may do much to account for recent assassination attempts. It may also help explain both the growth of apparent vote fraud and the reluctance of m any politicians to confront the subject directly.

Given government debt and the present spending, no President can expect to avoid a U.S. financial failure; why does anyone want the responsibility now? The choice seems to be between extending government control of individual lives with Mrs. Harris or perhaps modifying that direction with Mr. Trump. The inescapable background is the ability to monitor and control every individual now conferred by AI. What human government could long resist that?

Mr. Trump, if he can overwhelm the cheats and survive in office, may prolong resistance to further governmental power over everyone, but he is not enough to change that direction. It has been building for too long.

FROM THE WEEK”

California: Voter fraud update (Report)

Google/Apple monopolies : Again weakened by a judge (Report)

Ukraine: To end transmission of Russian gas to Europe (Report)

More Ukraine: War status update (Article)

Mali: A pot coming to a boi (Article)

Arizona: Republicans continue ignoring bote fraud? (Report)

Children: Heart damage found only in COVID vaccinated kids (Report)

TikTok: Sued by states re alleged harm to kids’ mental health (Report)

Israel: Rockets fall on Haifa as attacks on Hezbollah expand into Lebanon (Report)

The U.S. Dollar: An arriving ignominious ending (Article)

Russia: Putin’s dilemma (Article)

The U.S. Election: If Trump wins, will he take office? (Article)

Air War: Air defense evolves in Ukraine (Article)

Ethiopia: Update (Article)

U.S. Secret Service: Still not protecting Trump adequately? (Report)

U.S. Congress: Raises deficit to 2 trillion (Report)

U.S. Government: Expands facial recognition capability (Report)

Massachusetts: Food stamp use skyrocketing (Report)

Portland, OR: Store employee arrested for killing 2 armed robbers (Report)

Philippines: Update (Article)

California: About to hike the cost of gas and diesel? (Report)

The U.S. Economy: Trend opposes the Fed (Article)

U.S. Healthcare: Another crooked drugmaker pays up (Report)

Libya: Update (Article)

U.S. Media: CBS initiates organized news censorship (Report)

America: In the Age of Nero (Article)

U.S. Navy: Manpower is a sea of trouble (Article)

Chicago 5 dead, 21 wounded in weekend shootings (Report)

A naked man was arrested after entering woman’s home (Report)

EDITORIAL: Human Behavior and its Government

Government is charged with maximizing the opportunities of both citizens and society by minimizing the excesses each is likely to inflict upon the other. Human governments are always compromised by the excesses that necessarily come with human governors. Resulting individual and group contention guarantee societal instability, presently accelerated by advancing technology. Management and control of individuals has proceeded from the purview of a tribal chief to that of the leader of a national or even international government. Nor is this outreach limited to governments: Business and subsidiary political leaders share it as well.Personal bank balances and conversations at home re no longer reliably private.

No human governor can be expected to resist the opportunity presented, the resulting multiplication of controls upon individuals seems inevitable. Control of information and of personal finances are currently a prospect. Surveillance of most significant human activities is taking shape worldwide. And nor will the election of Mr. Trump vanish it from the United States.

If anything is likely to curtail the procession, it is probably the impact of the coming financial failures of myltiple governments; all of this invasive technology is expensive to provide and to operate. A return of privacy at the cost of going broke .

FROM THE WEEK:

The Economy: Is the middle class still open in the West? (Article)

Nigeria: Update (Article)

U.S. Aircraft Mechanics: Where have they gone? (Article)

The Monetary /system: Is facing a breakdown (Article)

China: Update (Article)

Columbia/Venezuela: Update (Article)

Georgia: Voting machines in court (Article)

The Economy: Americ’s dwindling national wealth (Article)

The Economy: Scientific investigation of the gender pay gap (Article)

Congo: Update (Article)

Surveillance: “Spyglasses” has a whole new look (Article)

California: Bans “Sell by date on products (Report)

U.S. Economy: Today’s cost of comfortable living in 50 biggest cities (Article)

Yemen: U.S. And U,K, hit Iran’s Hauthis with airstrikes (Report)

U.S. Finance: Financial coup that seized America (Article) (Recommended)(More)

North Korea: Update (Article)

Surveillance: Government cameras watching public (Article)

Israel: Strikes ammo dumps on Russian bass in Lebanon and Syria (Report)

Science: Study finds sixfold increase in deaths among COVID vaccinated kids (Report)

Education: U.S. Home schooling continues growth (Article)

Haiti: Exploding violence (Article)

The Economy: Restaurant automation proceeds (Report)

The U.S. Economy:Small business becomes a Federal target (Report)

Healthcare: A scary question about the U.S. military (Article)

Chicago: 2 dead, 28 wounded in weekend shootings (Report)

A man was arrested sleeping naked in a car (Report)

EDITORISL: On the Persistence of Democracy

Professor Alexander Fraser Tytler may or may not have said “A democracy can exist only until a majority of voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From there, loose financial policy will bring down the government and replace it with a dictatorship.

Whomever we may decide to blame for it, the idea seems firmly enough rooted in both human behavior and the historical record. Democracies have in fact not persisted whereas dictatorship remains firmly entrenched upon the earth. An average solid democracy we are informed, may expect some 200 years of existence before a dictator takes over.

If as some suggest, modern democracy is entwined with the material progress of the planet’s leading societies, it then may appear that both are linked to the distinguishing Christianity that also characterizes them. Clearly, if such linkage is real, the current push to jettison Christian social values may invite significantly greater social and political costs than are currently anticipated. Which is fully in accord with an older notion of reality: “Nothing is free.”Western governments, in their haste to divest the churches of their ability to compete for leadership of the people, may well be throwing the political and economic baby out with the bathwater. Of course, if you are a government, that may seem no bad thing.

FROM THE WEEK:

U.S. Congress: Speaker Johnson drops voter citizenship requirement from key vote (Report)

Mali: Update (Article)

U.N. demands immunity for employees for killing Jews (Report)

U.S. Medicare: New price controls to raise drug prices for seniors (Report)

U.S. Schools:To expand teaching climate as literacy and math scores slide (Report)

Middle East: Pentagon announces more troops augmenting 40,000 already there (Report)

Government: Policing the narrative (Article) (Recommended)

North Korea: Update (Article)

U.S. Navy: Update (Article)

U.S. Homeless population growing (Report)

Israel: Denies any connection to massive pager attack in Lebanon (Report)

The climate: Has been much warmer than now (Article)

Visa Card: U.S. Justice Dept. sues over “monopolistic practices” (Report)

World’s Big Banks: Support nuclear, not green energy (Report)

Ukraine/Russia: A difference in training (Article)

Trump Assassins: Another viewpoint (Article)

Flu shots: Don’t work? (Article)

U.S. Secre Service: Operatives Operatives uninformed of threats (Report)

Illegal U.S. Immigrants: A suggested solution (Article)

U.S. Capitol Riot: Jan 6 was set up by the Biden Admin? (Article)

New York City: Feds target administration for corruption (Report)

Wisconsin: Half million clones detected in voter registration (Report)

NATO air defense (Article)

Russia: Update (Article)

Science: Major step toward industrializing titanium (Report)

U.S. Healthcare: New, unconstitutional drug price controls (Article)

Corruption: China and Russia (Article)

Chicago: 6 dead, 29 wounded in weekend shootings (Report)

A naked man was arrested approaching women on bike path (Report)

EDITORIAL: A Devolution of Constitutional Government

Apolitical system wherein two allegedly competing parties remain able to jointly exclude the formation of additional parties is an effective means for escaping some constitutional restrictions and thereby imposing a functional political monopoly upon control of the government. This is the situation of the U.S. Which has eolved a significant political class as a result.

Donald Trump’s imposition of himself upon this previously comfortable monopoly came as a shock and is perceived as an existential threat to the heretofore secure system and therefor a threat to the intended futures of members of the political class. Were this to become acceptable, it could end with the voters actually selecting presidents! Thus, Trump derangement syndrome. Mr. Trump’s arrival proved that America’s Constitution, for better or worse, is working in spite of the imposition and legally fenced maintenance of the two party system. That threat to an entire entrenched political class has so far, produced two failed assassination attempts.

Recent Presidents have appeared to serve more as announcers for the political class than as political leaders themselves. Mr. Trump is an opposite of this. Should he remain alive and somehow generate an irreversible vote count, his task will be complicated by a failing financial system. He may end wishing that he had not crashed the party .

FROM THE WEEK:

Trump assassin #2: An interesting question (Report)

Science: Cells of a dead body retain a life of their own (Report)

Los Angeles: 10 schools authorized to drop standardized tests of students (Report)

Government monetary policy: An unusually honest analysis (Article)

U.S. Government: The bureaucrats have usurped the politicians? (Article) (More)

Electric vehicle fire requires 50,000 gallons of water to douse (Report)

Lebanon/Hezbollah: 9 dead, thousands hurt as Israeli hacked pagers explode (Report) (More)(Still More)

Bureaucrats vs Musk? (Article)

The U.S. Dollar: Continues to fade (Article)

Germany: Bombings (Report)

Drones proliferate (Article))

Arizona: Finds 100,000 voters lacking proof of citizenship (Report)

Kashmir: Upcoming election (Article)

Trump assassins: New information troubling (Report)

Mystery ship: Potential floating bomb struggles past Norway (Report)

Israel hits Hezbollah in Lebanon after its missile atttack (Report)

China: Economic pressure now reaching Japanese car makers (Article)

Russia: Black Sea mines proliferate (Article)

New York: Dancing with gas appliances (Article)

Brazil: Musk’s X reverses, imposes censorship (Report)

Electric Vehicles: House votes against Biden Admin. Mandate (Report)

Russia: India and China back away (Article)

Afghanistan: Status (Article)

Europe: Electric car market facing collapse? (Article)

Vaccination causes cancer per top molecular virologist (Report)

Chicago: 3 dead, 26 wounded in weekend shootings (Report)

A naked woman was arrested rolling around on the street (Report)

EDITORIAL: Recollecting The News

Those recollecting radio pretelevision will recall H.V. Kaltenberg et al dispensing fifteen minute dollops of factual news tidbits periodically each day sans commentary. It was generally a dry and fairly extensive list of significant local, national and even some world news.

Then television appeared and.

With the screen came makeup and the need for visual as well as informational audience involvement; the news became a show and also a political tool at a sacrifice of objectivity. It seems notable that today one might sue over misleading ads but there seems little recourse for harm from misleading news reports. Or if such exists, it appears little used. Of course, the previous regard for truth has been diluted by moral relativism, creating a ready market for today’s product. It is worth noting that in such circumstances, a lot of important life choices become much more of a gamble.

FROM THE WEEK:

California: New law requires cars to beep when traveling 10 MPH over the speed limit (Report)

Ukraine: Russia is losing ..? (Article) (More)

U.S. Helps: Iraqi banks funnel money to Iran (Report)

Colorado: Parents sue school bedding girls with biological boys on trips (Report)

Wisconsin: Thousands can vote without I.D. (Report)

China: Game of ADIZ chicken (Article)

Israel: Hezbollah update (Article)

Ukraine: Drones attack Moscow airports (Report)

U.S. Government vs Musk? (Article)

Ukraine: A different view (Article)

Germany: Cracking down on immigration? (Report)

Israel: Dealing with Iran (Article)

U.S. Capitol Protest: Peaceful grandmother sentenced (Report)

Russia: Losses mount in Ukraine (Article)

The U.S. Economy: A thoughtful warning (Article)

Australia: New law ends free speech? (Report)

World Trade: The coming shift (Article) (Recommended)

Weather: Europe reality still ignores climate alarmists (Report)

Cyberwar: Ukraine devastates Russian internet (Article)

Space: The remote sensing satellite race (Article)

U.S. Elections: Another vote fraud scheme appears (Report)

U.S. Government: Frightening costs of newest climate regulations (Article)

Chicago: 3 dead, 19 wounded in weekend shootings (Report)

A naked man was arrested after dog found him hiding in a garbage can (Report)

EDITORIAL: An Interesting Choice

As government grows, it consumes a greater share of economic production. Government is expensive and unproductive; its cost rises faster than its payroll.

And as unproductive government has consumed more of the economic production, the Middle class has shrunk.

A point that few appear ready to discuss is that government is a zero sum gaame; that is, at any one moment, any increase in government spending is taken from the citizens. The more government spends, the less discretionary spending remains for the citizens. Since the 1970s, the U.S. Government has been spending the rich richer and the middle and lower classes poorer. But few seem to notice …

Governments print more money and add debt to screen their impoverishment of citizens but these are temporary cover. At some point, government on this path faces either debt default or runaway inflation, either being terminal. Your per capita share of U.S. Government debt presently exceeds a hundred thousand dollars.

From the week:

China blocks Philippine supply delivery in Philippine waters (Report)

Venezuela: President Maduro orders arrest of his election opponent (Report)

U.S. Immigration: Is attracting dependents, hot workers (Article)

China: International trade becoming a war zone? (Article)

Space Satellites: Status report (Article)

Russian Railroads: Tracking problems (Article)

The New Pandemic Treaty: A warning (Report)

U.S. Jobs Report: Bad numbers and fake news? (Article)

Canada: Current ruling coalition breaks up (Report)

U.S. Money in Chinese labs: Now, it’s bird flu (Report)

U.S. Foreign Policy: Social engineering at the end of a rifle barrel (Article)

New Mexico: Judge slams locals for discriminating against watchdog (Article)

Africa: Russia making the most of Sahel opportunities (Article)

New York City: FBI raids homes of Mayor’s top officials (Report) (More)

The U.S. National Debt: Resolution before financial chaos? (Article)

U.S. Employment: Immigrants are replacing natives as full time jobs decline (Article)

Ukraine/Russia: The new firebombs (Article)

Legal Betting on U.S. Elections? (Report)

Chicago: 5 dead, 26 wounded in weekend shootings (Report)

A naked man terrorizing neighborhood arrested (Report)

EDITORIAL: A Few Questions (With possible answers)

1. Why has part time employment expanded?

Maybe because government exempts it from mandated vacations, health care and other benefits? 2. Why did America’s housewives have to go to work outside the home?

Perhaps the decline of the purchasing power of wages has shrunk the middle class. The wage competition from immigrants is also a factor. And then, there’s the decline in the purchasing power of the U.S. Dollar. All thanks to the politicians who have managed U.S. Government!

FROM THE WEEK:

U.S. Immigration: Biden Admin. Jazzes up again (Report)

Trump: Promises release of all his own and Kennedy assassination records (Report)

Telegram: Founder arrested in France; Musk should be nervous (Report)

The Erstwhile U.S. Middle Class: Social recession is accelerating (Article)

Britain: Still a model for the U.S. ? (Article)

Bangladesh: Lies to blame India for flooding? (Article)

Mini Drone Warfare (Article)

Russia: War memorials awkward (Article)

BelaRus: About to invade Ukraine? (Report)

The Economy: Heading for another Great Depression? (Article)

Netherlands: Government fines Uber for sending driver data to U.S. (Report)

Russia: Blowing up Ukraine’s power grid (Report)

California and Google: Buying into local newsrooms (Report)

NATO: Spreading to the Pacific (Article)

Libya: To halt oil production over local impasse (Report)

Kidney Failures: Accelerating with COVID shots? (Report)

2024 Election Fraud And What’s Being Done About It (Article)

New York City: Some half of bus riders refuse fare payment (Report)

Carlsbad, CA: Bans smoking at home for apartments, condos (Report)

The Climate: World’s oceans now rapidly cooling (Report)

Minnesota: Christian schoolteachers must support anti-Christian sex policy (Report)

Subway: Sandwich shop franchisees in revolt (Article)

U.S. Illegal Immigration: The current cost to taxpayers (Report)

Brazil: Musk’s X censorship struggle (Report)(More)

Musk’s X: Lawsuit against attacker Media Matters (Article)

The U.S. Job Market: Status update (Article)

U.S. Housing: Average Americans can’t afford average homes now (Article)

Immigration: Cost U.S. Taxpayers $150 billion last year (Report)(More)

The Economy: America follows Japan down (Article)

Russia: The rising price of the Ukraine war (Article)(More)(Still More)

Science: breakthrough in genetics (Report)

More Science: Another step into quantum computing (Report)

Still More Science: 6G data speed has arrived (Report)

U.S. Congress: Will it save AM radio in new cars?

Energy: Offshore wind farms are expensive illusions (Article)

U.S. Sanctions: A jaundiced look (Article)

Chicago:6 dead, 31 wounded in weekend shootings (Report)

A naked woman sued after arrest (Report)

EDITORIAL: A Very Human Design Problem

Human sexuality has to be constant and compelling in order to persuade us to accept the unusual brden imposed by vearing and raising human children. But human biology alots sexual pleasure equally between men and women while dumping the resulting huge responsibility solely upon hapless women via inescapable biology. The emotional tie between parents is a much weaker motivater than the animal sexual urge. Humans are ready to give up marriages but most draw a line at giving up sexual congress. Recognizing this provides most human societies with some form of marriage enforcement rules and procedures. Successful human societies depend upon adequate staffing of human home life in the presence of children. But human malesunimpeded by the burdens of motherhood, tend to become sexually restive. So of course, do some females.And some of each reset resent socio-legal limitations of their sexual activities and proceed to ignore them.

Unwed single prospective mothers arising from this unbalance can look forward to years of struggle or they may avoid that by killing their unborn child while it remains in the womb with an abortion. Humans are highly averse to being killed and reinforce that aversion socially and legally but the reluctance to kill someone else when it is in their own interest is much lesss. And an unborn child is someone whom no one has ever met and toward whom many strong attachments are unlikely, especially if mother to be has none. In order to make abortion tolerable when one is convenient, people pretend that the murdered victim was somehow, something other than hyman. The general attitude that

generally accepted behaviorial restricions apply for others but only when convenient for oneself is not unusual. That underlies our need for police and armies. Of course, many will deny this, when it suits them.