Nuclear weapons were the holy grail of warfare, a game changer. AI is viewed by some as a similarly revolutionary, powerful tool.

New Zealand

You need to recast that. They broke your will to live in the U.S… There are still some nice places in the world.

Donald Trump has threatened tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% on 60 trading partners including the UK, the EU and Australia over alleged forced labour failures, in the latest attempt to revive his signature trade policy.

The EU immediately hit back, saying it expected the US to respect the tariff deal it entered into last July and arguing that stealth tariffs breached the spirit of that agreement."

This is just one more reason why the U.S. has zero credibility. Who would bother entering into a trade agreement when the other side won’t honor it?

“We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” Blanche said in response to questions at a House hearing on the Justice Department budget.

“Not moving forward, ever?” asked Rep. Grace Meng, a New York Democrat.

“Correct,” Blanche answered.

Bullshit. All this means is that it is too politically volatile to take up in advance of the midterms. Make no mistake, this isn’t dead. The settlement agreement is still there, and as soon as it is politically feasible, they’ll say that their concerns have been addressed and pass it.

It’ll be interesting to see how this Alliance of Idiots plays out. Trump is now finally starting to regret the quagmire he bumbled the U.S. into by being Israel’s bitch, as it carries the potential to bring his regime down around him. He’s desperately trying to eke out a “win” and end the blockade with some sort of peace plan that is being negotiated with Iran in the strongest position it’s ever been in, while Israel is fucking it up because they don’t give a shit. Sooner or later, Netanyhahu is going to experience Trump fucking him over, because it is what Trump eventually does to everyone who engages with him.

“You were just a conservative. There was no thought behind it. You listen to Fox News, and you listen to conservative outlets, and you’re spoon-fed,” Chrissey said.

My god, the clarity! Sadly, the people able to see it and recognize their error is vanishingly small. Most just seem to double down on their error and make excuses to justify their position.

Just to be clear, it’s Commander Data, not Commander Data.

The exodus from the dollar is already well underway. There is a reason gold has been on an epic bull run, as central banks have largely been the driver. Gold holdings now exceed U.S. bond holdings by foreign central banks. Moreover, the U.S. insolvency is already barrelling down the tracks at us. I think there is a high probability that the shit hits the fan in the fall. We’re living in interesting times…

I guarantee 100% that Trump & Co. will do everything within their power, including things that are illegal, to lower rates. While Trump appointees are only 3 of 7 Fed governors while Powell remains as a governor, I believe Powell is holding that position to try to negotiate an exit that doesn’t leave him facing retribution, and that he’ll step away from this train wreck when he has sufficient confidence this is the case. However, if he doesn’t strike a deal, Trump will absolutely fire him, or worse, fire up his brownshirts with some stochastic terrorism.

They should call this the Lava Fox.

It’s a valuable part of the education…

My bicycle is my most used form of transportation. I bike around 5K miles per year, more than I drive. If If it’s too far, my next choice is my motorcycle. If it’s really far, there is inclement weather, or I need to haul a significant amount of stuff, it’s my car.

The risk of becoming a meat crayon on the pavement is very real, but fortunately for me childhood trauma has given me an enormous appetite for risk and I feel most alive sitting atop an engine with wheels hurling down the highway with the risk of death or dismemberment lurking in my subconscious.

This is just one more instance where riding a motorcycle is nice. See also, parking.

Poor kitty! Multiple surgeries sounds expensive…

Thank you for your insightful analysis!

The world is not black and white, and this sort of mindset fosters a sense of hopelessness that reduces the chance for even incremental change.

"Don’t be evil. Lol.

Thank you so much! I’m having a bit of a renaissance. After exiting an unhappy marriage and spending several years recovering my mental and physical health, I’m in the best physical shape of my life and am having a lot of fun. While the state of world affairs is depressing, I’m moving forward with my plan to exit the U.S. and move to New Zealand for a fresh start.